RELIGIOUS HOUSES the ignorance of dwellers in monasteries. No one would have been more amused than Erasmus at this literal interpretation of his ironical refer- ence to an ignorance of Greek. Every canon of the house would be bound to understand Latin, and some few would almost certainly know at least the elements of Greek. Prior Vowel!, though not an estimable man, was a scholar, and was chosen just about this time to preach the Latin sermon at Leicester, when the general chapter of the English province of the Austin canons was held there. The articles of inquiry for the guidance of the ■second visit of the sub-commissioners to Wal- singham Priory are still extant.' They were to ask for inventories of all the jewels, relics, plate, and movable goods, and whether any had been alienated, sold, or pledged ? What were their relics of most estimation, and what proof they had of their truth ? Whether the keepers of the relics did not solicit offerings, and why they were not all in the same place ? What was the greatest and most undoubted miracle done there by Our Lady, together with proof of the same ? Whether Our Lady's milk be liquid, and who was sacrist about ten years ago, and whether he ■did not renew it ? Also — what is the saying of the buylding of Our Ladye chappell, and of the first invencion of the image of Our Ladye there ; what of the house where the bere skynne is, and of the knyght ; and what of the other wonders that be here, and what proves be thereof ? No one can read that part of Erasmus' col- loquy relative to Walsingham, and this long list of nineteen articles of inquiry, of about ten years later, without at once realizing that the articles were based upon the statements of the colloquy, and were drawn up by someone who was thoroughly conversant with its terms. Doubtless the English scholars of the new learn- ing, and Cambridge generally, would be well conversant with this spirited satire of Erasmus. And yet, oddly enough, by a process of inver- sion, these articles have been more than once cited to prove the exact truth of all the state- ments in the colloquy. The priory of Walsingham had a special hold on Norfolk, even in places far remote from the town. The concourse of pilgrims from all parts of England, as well as from over the seas, kept Our Lady of Walsingham vividly in mind. The chief road by which they travelled, which passed by Newmarket, Brandon, and Fakenham, is still called the Palmers' way. Those pilgrims who came from the north passed through Lynn, where the pilgrims' chapel, with a beautifully groined roof, yet remains ; thence they passed on by the priories of Flitcham and Coxford. Another great road led from Yarmouth, through ' Harl. MS. 791, fol. 27. Norwich and Attleborough, past the hospital of Bee, where thirteen beds for Walsingham pil- grims were ready every night. At South Acre, West Acre, Hilborough, Prior's Thorns, Stanhoe, Caston, and other places, as well as Lynn, special chapels were provided for the wayside devotions of the zealots who were wending their way to Walsingham. No wonder, then, that the suppression of the lesser monasteries in 1536, and the general up- heaval of matters pertaining to the ancient faith of the populace, should have aroused much bitter- ness with regard to the threats against Walsing- ham. In April, 1537, depositions were taken before Sir Roger Townsendand Sir John Heydon against George Gysburgh, of Walsingham, charged with expressing regret that so many houses were dissolved where God was well served, and advocating a rising of the commons. George Gysburgh confessed to discussing with one, Ralph Rogerson, a rising against the sup- pression of the abbeys, believing that Walsing- ham would soon go.^ On 3 May, Sir Roger Townsend and Richard Southwell wrote to Cromwell as to the apprehension of the rest of the 'conspirators.' They had seized Nicholas Mileham, sub-prior of Walsingham, who by the confession of one, Watson, was privy to the proposals ; they thought that the Gysburghs (father and son) and Ralph Rogers would make a larger confession if examined by Cromwell and others of the council, for in their confession, so far, they did not touch the sub-prior, a man of lewd inclination.' On 20 May, Prior Vowell. the time-server, wrote an unctuous letter to Cromwell thanking him for favour shown to him and to his kinsman taken into the Lord Privy Seal's service ; with the letter he sent 'a poor remembrance' as a further bribe to Cromwell.* Cromwell's accounts show that this poor remembrance was the big round sum of ^100.' The charge against these ' conspirators ' was somewhat flimsily sustained, and their offence had certainly not gone beyond words, but the punishment was awful and speedy. On 24 May, 1537, a special commission sitting at Nor- wich Castle condemned no fewer than eleven of the accused to be drawn, hung, beheaded, and quartered for high treason. The executions took place in different parts of the county, so as to arouse more terror. On Saturday, 26 May, Ralph Rogerson and four others were executed at Norwich ; on 28 May, two more were executed at Yarmouth ; on Wednesday, 30 May, Sub-Prior Nicholas Mileham and George Gys- burgh perished on the scaffold at Walsingham ; and on i June the young William Gysburgh ' L. and P. Hen. Fill, xii (i), 482. ' Ibid, xii (i), 521. ' Ibid, xii (l), 573. ' Ibid, xiv (2), 782. 399
