rath of God; and mingling with their prophecies more than dubious
language on the near destruction or deposition of a prince who was opposing
God and Heaven. The soil was manured by treason, and the sowers made haste
to use their opportunity. Thus especially was there danger in those
wandering encampments of "outlandish people," whose habits rendered them
the ready-made missionaries of sedition; whose swarthy features might hide
a Spanish heart, and who in telling fortunes might readily dictate
policy.[306] Under the disguise of gipsies, the emissaries of the emperor
or the pope might pass unsuspected from the Land's End to
Berwick-upon-Tweed, penetrating the secrets of families, tying the links of
the Catholic organisation: and in the later years of the struggle, as the
intrigues became more determined and a closer connection was established
between the Continental powers and the disaffected English, it became
necessary to increase the penalty against these irregular wanderers from
banishment to death. As yet, however, the milder punishment was held
sufficient, and even this was imperfectly enforced.[307] The tendencies to
treason were still incipient--they were tendencies only, which had as yet
shown themselves in no decisive acts; the future was uncertain, the action
of the government doubtful. The aim was rather to calm down the excitement
of the people, and to extinguish with as little violence as possible the
means by which it was fed.

Ominous symptoms of eccentric agitation, however, began to take shape in
the confusion, A preacher, calling himself the favourite of the Virgin
Mary, had started up at Edinburgh, professing miraculous powers of
abstinence from food. This man was sent by James V. to Rome, where, after
having been examined by Clement, and having sufficiently proved his
mission, he was furnished with a priest's habit and a certificate under
leaden seal.[308] Thus equipped, he went a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and
loaded himself with palm-leaves and with stones from the pillar at which
Christ was scourged; and from thence making his way to England, he appeared
at Paul's Cross an evident saint and apostle, cursing the king and his
divorce, denouncing his apostacy, and threatening the anger of Heaven. He
was arrested and thrown into prison, where he remained, as it was believed,
fifty days without food, or fed in secret by the Virgin, At the close of
the time the government thought it prudent to send him bac