rs
whom they dared not pardon and would not themselves put to death; and,
being in London, he was himself under the eyes of the court, and could
not evade the work.[507] Against Bonner, however, the world's voice
rose the loudest. His brutality was notorious and unquestionable, and
a published letter was addressed to him by a lady, in which he was
called the "common cut-throat and general slaughter-slave to all the
bishops in England."[508] "I am credibly informed," said this person
to him, "that your lordship doth believe, and hath in secret said,
there is no hell. The very Papists themselves begin now to abhor your
bloodthirstiness, and speak shame of your tyranny. Every child can
call you by name, and say, 'Bloody Bonner is Bishop of London!' and
every man hath it as perfect upon his fingers' ends as his
Paternoster, how many you for your part have burned with fire and
famished in prison this three-quarters of a year. Though your lordship
believe neither heaven nor hell, neither God nor devil, yet if your
lordship love your own honesty, you were best to surcease from this
cruel burning and murdering. Say not but a woman gave you warning. As
for the obtaining your popish purpose in suppressing of the truth, I
put you out of doubt, you shall not obtain it so long as you go this
way to work as you do. You have lost the hearts of twenty thousand
that were rank Papists within this twelve months."

[Footnote 507: See especially his conversation with
Philpot: Foxe, vol. vii. p. 611.]

[Footnote 508: Godly Letter addressed to Bonner:
Ibid. p. 712.]

In the last words lay the heart of the whole matter. The {p.236}
martyrs alone broke the spell of orthodoxy, and made the establishment
of the Reformation possible.

In the midst of such scenes the new parliament was about to meet.
Money was wanted for the crown debts, and the queen was infatuated
enough still to meditate schemes for altering the succession, or, at
least, for obtaining the consent of the legislature to Philip's
coronation, that she might bribe him back to her side.[509]

[Footnote 509: Pour le faire plustost retourner
elle fera toutes choses incredible en ce dict
parlement en faveur dudict Sieur.... L'on dict que
l'occasion pour laquelle le dict parlement a este
assemble, ne tend a aultre