s
face was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of
men." And would it not have been dreadful if we had admired Pontius
Pilate and Judas Iscariot, and had seen no beauty in Him who is
"altogether lovely" to the hearts of those whom the Holy Ghost has
taught to love Him? So take care what sort of beauty you admire, and
make sure that goodness goes along with it. We may be quite certain
that however much men thought of Elizabeth's beautiful face, God thought
very little of it. The beauty which He saw in her was her love to the
Lord Jesus, and her firm stand against what would dishonour Him. This
sort of beauty all of us can have. Oh, do ask God to make you beautiful
in _His_ eyes!

No sooner had the chief Commissioner spoken than a voice in the Court
called out,--

"Pray you, Worshipful Sirs, save this young maid! I am her mother's
brother, Thomas Holt of Colchester, and I do you to wit she is of a
right good inclination, and no wise perverse. I do entreat you, grant
her yet another chance."

Then a gentleman stepped forward from the crowd of listeners.

"Worshipful Sirs," said he, "may I have leave to take charge of this
young maiden, to the end that she may be reconciled to the Church, and
obtain remission of her errors? Truly, as Master Commissioner saith, it
were pity so fair a creature were made food for the fire."

"Who are you?--and what surety give you?" asked Sir John.

Sir Thomas Tye rose from his seat on the Bench.

"Please it, your Worships, that is Master Ashby of this town, a good
Catholic man, and well to be trusted. If your Worships be pleased to
show mercy to the maid, as indeed I would humbly entreat you to do,
there were no better man than he to serve you in this matter."

The priest having spoken in favour of Mr Ashby the Commissioners
required no further surety.

"Art thou willing to be reformed?" they asked Elizabeth.

"Sirs," she answered cautiously, "I am willing to be shown God's true
way, if so be I err from it."

This was enough for the Commissioners. They wanted to get her free, and
they therefore accepted from her words which would probably have been
used in vain by the rest. Mr Ashby was charged to keep and "reconcile"
her, which he promised to do, or to feed her on barley bread if she
proved obstinate.

As Elizabeth turned to follow him she passed close by Robert Purcas,
whom the gaoler was just about to take back to prison.

"`Thou hast set t