In Bohemia there has been a terrible war lasting many years. Thousands have been killed, and multitudes have died of starvation; cities have been burned, and the land made desolate; and all because the Emperor Sigismund violated his word, and allowed John Huss to be put to death. Men have little more freedom than they had one hundred years ago. The heretics have been subdued everywhere. Men must think, speak, and act just as they are told. The Pope is superior to the State. The bishops have their own court. A priest may commit murder, and the king cannot touch him. The bishops never put a priest to death, even if he commits murder; but let a man who is not a priest be caught reading the Bible, and they will soon have him roasting in the fire. The Church has a "Sanctuary," a safe place. If a man has committed a crime, and makes his escape to the sanctuary, the sheriff cannot touch him for forty days; and if he wishes to escape to another country,by taking a crucifix in his hand he can go without molestation to the sea-shore, wade into the sea up to his neck, call three times for a ship to come and take him, and then no one can arrest him. Such a privilege enables men to commit crime with impunity. Justice is defeated. But it brings a great deal of money into the bishops' pockets, for when a rich man seeks refuge in the sanctuary they make him pay roundly for the privilege of being there.
Although Doctor Wicklif preached against indulgences, the sale is going on more briskly than ever before. A great scholar from Holland, Doctor Erasmus, makes a visit to England. He goes to Walsingham Abbey, with his friend the Dean of St. Paul's; and the guide shows them the precious relics which are kept in a chest, before which thousands of pilgrims reverently kneel and worship, leaving purses tilled with money for the priests.
The guide shows them something white, which looks like powdered chalk.
What is that? Doctor Erasmus asks.
Some of the Virgin Mary's milk," says the guide.
They then come to a black trunk.
"I have a precious relic here," says the guide, holding up a dirty rag.
"What is it?
What is it?
It is a fragment of St. Thomas's shirt."
The pilgrims kneel and worship the holy relic. Doctor Erasmus does not follow their example, but turns away disgusted, rather. Supposing it was a part of Thomas's shirt, does that make it holy? Is it of any more value than any other rag? He returns to Holland, and writes a book about fools, which sets people to laughing. Here and there a man sees that the people are fools, and that the priests are making money out of their simplicity.
The king, Henry VII., who would not let the merchants of Bristol fit out the expedition under John and Sebastian Cabot till they had promised to give him one-fifth of all the money they made, thinks of a way whereby he can extort money from whomsoever he will. He establishes a court, which is called the Court of the Star-chamber, not only because the ceiling of the chamber in which it is held is spangled with stars, but because the Starra — a class of state papers — are deposited there. It is a secret court. He establishes it in the year 1486. A man brought before it cannot have any witnesses to testify in his behalf, nor can he have any counsel to defend him. He cannot make an appeal to any other tribunal. The court is a direct violation of the Magna Charta.
The avaricious king has two London lawyers in his employ — Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley — who, in turn, employ a set of ruffians called "promoters," who promote the king's cause by swearing to any and every thing which the lawyers wish them to.
Many years ago a law was passed forbidding the nobles to keep any retainers or private soldiers in uniform. But the nobles have many household servants. The Earl of Northumberland has a treasurer, a chamberlain, chaplain, constables, and others — one hundred and sixty-six in all. The Earl of Oxford has a great many dependants, who live on his estates. One day the king pays the earl a visit. It is a grand occasion. The earl provides a magnificent banquet, and summons all the people who live on Ins estates^ to come and honor the king. He dresses them in uniform. the king notices it.
"Ah, here is a chance to make some money," is the thought that comes to the king.
"These are your menial servants, I suppose?" He says to the earl.
"Most of them are my retainers, who have come to do you honor."
"By my faith, I thank you for your good cheer; but I cannot allow you to break the law. My lawyers must speak to you."
The lawyers do speak to him, and the earl is compelled to pay an immense sum, or be cast into prison. He feasts the king, and is robbed besides.
Lord Bergavenny has some servants whom the Star-chamber declare are retainers, and he has to pay three hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the king.
Henry is a friend to the Pope. He loves money, but gives liberally to the Church. Out west of London is Westminster Abbey, founded by Edward the Confessor, as long ago as 1060. The place where it stands was once a swamp in the woods; but years before Edward's time, no one knows when, the monks reared a building there, and adopted Peter as their patron saint. There was a clear spring of water near by. They could catch fish in the Thames. They were near enough to London to go out with their bread-bags to beg their living in the town.
On the Sunday night before the day which had been fixed upon by the bishop for the dedication of the monastery, a fisherman by the name of Edric was out on the Thames, when he saw a light and heard an old man calling to him, wanting to know if he could ferry him across the stream. It was Sunday, but Edric was ready to do the stranger a favor, and rowed him across. The venerable man went on to the monastery, when suddenly a host of angels made their appearance. The church was instantly as bright within as if a thousand candles had been lighted, and the stranger and the angels dedicated it with imposing ceremonies.
The fisherman was greatly astonished, but soon the stranger came back.
"Can you give me something to eat?" he asked of the fisherman.
"I have been fishing all night, but have caught nothing."
Then the stranger told who he was.
"I am St. Peter, and have control of the keys of heaven. When the bishop comes to consecrate the church,tell him what you have seen, and as for yourself, go out into the river, and you will catch all the fish you want. I have granted this on the conditions that you never again fish on Sunday, and that you always give a portion of what you catch to the monks."
The next day the bishop came to dedicate the monastery, but there, at the door, stands the fisherman with a salmon — a present from St. Peter to the bishop, who heard Edric's story, and was satisfied that St. Peter had already dedicated the building, and there was no need that he should do it. So from that time on the fisherman supplied the monks with fish.
Edward the Confessor, King of England, was very religious. He was ever ready to do something for the Church, to secure an entrance