_nullus nimis immoretur_, you know;--_nimis immoretur_."

"Yes," said Chris.

CHAPTER III

THE NORTHERN RISING

A few of the smaller Religious houses had surrendered themselves to the
King before the passing of the bill in the early spring; and the rest of
them were gradually yielded up after its enactment during the summer of
the same year; and among them was Rusper. Chris heard that his sister
Margaret had returned to Overfield, and would stay there for the
present.

Throughout the whole of England there were the same scenes to be
witnessed. A troop of men, headed by a Commissioner, would ride up one
evening to some village where a little convent stood, demand entrance at
the gate, pass through, and disappear from the eyes of the watching
crowd. Then the next day the work would begin; the lead would be
stripped from the church and buildings; the treasures corded in bundles;
the woodwork of the interior put up to auction on the village green; and
a few days later the troop would disappear again, heavily laden, leaving
behind roofless walls, and bewildered Religious in their new secular
dress with a few shillings in their pockets, staring after the rich
cavalcade and wondering what was best to do.

It had been hoped that the King would stay his hand at the death of
Anne, and even yet return to the obedience of the Holy See. The Pope was
encouraged to think so by the authorities on the continent, and in
England itself there prevailed even confidence that a return to the old
ways would be effected. But Henry had gone too far; he had drunk too
deeply of the wealth that lay waiting for him in the treasuries of the
Religious houses, and after a pause of expectation he set his hand to
the cup again. It was but natural too, and for more noble motives, to
such a character as his. As he had aimed in his youth at nothing less
than supremacy in tennis, hunting and tourney, and later in
architecture, music and theological reputation; as, for the same reason
Wolsey had fallen, when the King looked away from girls and sports to
the fiercer game of politics; so now it was intolerable to Henry that
there should be even the shadow of a spiritual independence within his
domain.

A glow of resentful disappointment swept through the North of England at
the news. It burst out into flame in Lincolnshire, and was not finally
quenched until the early summer of the following year.

* * * * *

T