answer.

The Papists, who were not disorganised, and had no reason to fear the
future, were busy catching dolphins,--another portent--which made their
appearance at London Bridge in August.

The new service-book, as its contemporaries called it--the second Prayer
Book of Edward the Sixth, as we call it--was used for the first time in
Saint Paul's Cathedral, on All Saints' Day, November 1, 1552. Bishop
Ridley's voice was the first that read it, and he took the whole duty
himself; and preached in the choir, habited only in his rochet. In the
afternoon he preached at the Cross,--what was _then_ called a long
sermon--about three hours. My Lord Mayor, who ought to have been
present, was conspicuous by his absence. When remonstrated with, that
dignitary observed that "Bishop Ridley's sermons were alway so long,
that he would be at no more, for he was aweary of so long standing."
Wherein my Lord Mayor anticipated the nineteenth century, though it sits
out the sermon on cushions, and rarely is called upon to lend its ears
for one-third of the time which he was expected to do. Dr Thorpe was
not far wrong in the conclusion at which he arrived:--that "my Lord
Mayor's heart passed his legs for stiffness."

The early winter of 1552 brought the first letter from Annis Holland.

"To the hands of my right worthy Mistress and most singular dear friend,
Mistress Avery, dwelling at the sign of the Lamb in the Minories,
without Aldgate, by London, give these.

"My right dearly beloved Isoult,--After my most loving commendations
remembered, this shall be to advertise thee of my safe landing in the
city of Santander, in Spain, and my coming unto the Queen's Highness'
Court at Tordesillas. So much as to set down the names of all the towns
I have passed, betwixt the two, will I not essay. It hath been a
wearyful journey and a long, yet should have been a pleasant one, but
for the lack of victual. The strangest land ever I did see, or think to
see, is this. The poor men hereaway dwell in good houses, and lack
meat: the rich dwell in yet fairer, and eat very trumpery. I saw not in
all my life in England so much olive oil as in one week sithence I came
into Spain. What I am for to live upon here I do marvel. Cheese they
have, and onions by the cartload; but they eat not but little meat, and
that all strings (a tender piece thereof have I not yet seen); and for
ale they drink red wine. Such messes as they do make in their cooking