r, and followed the same, submitting yourself by your letter
to the King's Grace for your offences in this behalf, I would have trusted
that ye should never be quickened in the matter more. But now where ye take
upon you to defy the whole matter as ye were in no default, I cannot so far
promise you. Wherefore, my Lord, I would eftsoons advise you that, laying
apart all such excuses as ye have alleged in your letters, which in my
opinion be of small effect, ye beseech the King's Grace to be your gracious
lord and to remit unto you your negligence, oversight, and offence
committed against his Highness in this behalf; and I dare undertake that
his Highness shall benignly accept you into his gracious favour, all matter
of displeasure past afore this time forgotten and forgiven."[694]

Fisher must have been a hopelessly impracticable person. Instead of
following More's example, and accepting well-meant advice, he persisted in
the same tone, and drew up an address to the House of Lords, in which he
repeated the defence which he had made to Cromwell. He expressed no sorrow
that he had been engaged in a criminal intrigue, no pleasure that the
intrigue had been discovered; and he doggedly adhered to his assertions of
his own innocence.[695]

There was nothing to be done except to proceed with his attainder. The bill
passed three readings, and the various prisoners were summoned to the Star
Chamber to be heard in arrest of judgment. The Bishop of Rochester's
attendance was dispensed with on the ground of illness, and because he had
made his defence in writing.[696] Nothing of consequence was urged by
either of the accused. The bill was most explicit in its details, going
carefully through the history of the imposture, and dwelling on the
separate acts of each offender. They were able to disprove no one of its
clauses, and on the 12th of March it was read a last time. On the 21st it
received the royal assent, and there remained only to execute the sentence.
The Nun herself, Richard Masters, and the five friars being found guilty of
high treason, were to die; the Bishop of Rochester, Father Abel, Queen
Catherine's confessor, and four more, were sentenced for misprision of
treason to forfeiture of goods and imprisonment. All other persons
implicated whose names did not appear, were declared pardoned at the
intercession of Queen Anne.[697]

The chief offenders suffered at Tyburn on the 21st of April, meeting death
calmly, as it appe