[Xpp-general] Judge by that what Thomas FitzHerbert hath become.

[Le <ant...@il...>]

In Excelsis_, in '69, and--" "I beg your pardon, sir," came in a quiet
voice from beyond him; and Robin, looking across, saw Anthony with a
face as if frozen. "Pooh! pooh!" burst out Mr. Thomas, with an uneasy
air. "The Holy Father, I take it, may make mistakes, as I understand it,
in such matters, as well as any man. Why, a dozen priests have said to
me they thought it inopportune; and--" "I do not permit," said Anthony
with an air of dignity beyond his years, "that any man should speak so
in my company." "Well, well; you are too hot altogether, Mr. Babington.
I admire such zeal indeed, as I do in the saints; but we are not bound
to imitate all that we admire. Say no more, sir; and I will say no more
either." They rode in silence. It was, indeed, one of those matters that
were in dispute at that time amongst the Catholics. The Pope was not
swift enough for some, and too swift for others. He had thundered too
soon, said one party, if, indeed, it was right to thunder at all, and
not to wait in patience till the Queen's Grace should repent herself;
and he had thundered not soon enough, said the other. Whence it may at
least be argued that he had been exactly opportune. Yet it could not be
denied that since the day when he had declared Elizabeth cut off from
the unity of the Church and her subjects absolved from their
allegiance--though never, as some pretended then and have pretended ever
since, that a private person might kill her and do no wrong--ever since
that day her bitterness had increased yearly against her Catholic
people, who desired no better than to serve both her and their God, if
she would but permit that to be possible. II It would be an hour later
that they bid good-bye to Mr. Thomas FitzHerbert, high among the hills
to the east of the Derwent river; and when they had seen him ride off
towards Wingerworth, rode yet a few furlongs together to speak of what h