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CHAPTER II.

SION HOUSE-SALTER'S DETRACTIONS-THE CATHOLIC FAITH MADE HIGH TREASON-THE CARTHUSIANS PREPARE TO DIE.

THE monastery of St. Saviour and St. Bridget of Sion, of the Order of St. Bridget, stood on the Middlesex side of the Thames, almost opposite the Charterhouse of Sheen, in Surrey. This monastery, commonly called Sion, will be mentioned more than once in the subsequent pages, for it has its bearing upon, and its connection with, the history of the London Charterhouse. Originally founded at Twickenham by Henry V. in 1415, the community removed in 1432 to the place still known as Sion House. Sion was the only religious establishment of its kind in this country, and, according to the Rule of St. Bridget, monks and nuns lived under the same roof; though the two communities were completely separate. The sisters, with the Mother Abbess, sixty in number, dwelt "within one court by themselves"; and the seventeen Canons, with eight lay brothers, "in a separate court by them

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selves." The Superior of the religious men was called the Confessor General. All worshipped in the same church, which was divided into an upper and a lower choir, each commanding a view of the high altar. The Rule, though less austere than the Carthusians', included a strict enclosure and the exercises of the contemplative life.

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In a little chapel at Sion, Blessed Thomas More held two conferences with Elizabeth Barton, "the holy maid of Kent," "concerning such secrets as had been resolved unto her, some part thereof touching deeply the matter of the king's supremacy.' Probably these conferences marked out for vengeance Father Richard Reynolds, by whose means they took place; but another offence won for him the martyr's palm. Cardinal Pole, who was personally acquainted with him, bears witness to his virtues and his learning. He was a Doctor of Divinity, and "possessed no ordinary knowledge of all the liberal arts; having drawn his information from its proper fountain-heads." The history of his holy death is closely connected with that of Prior Houghton."

The London Charterhouse and Sion exercised a considerable influence upon the people, notwith

Dugdale's Monasticon (Ellis), vol. vi. p. 542.

2 More's Life of Sir Thomas More (ed. Hunter), p. 219.
Defensio Eccl., fol. ciii. See also Strype, i. p. 196.
Infra, chapter iv.

SALTER WRITES TO CROMWELL.

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standing the strict enclosure; for many persons used to resort to the Carthusians for spiritual advice,' while the Bridgettine Fathers were "wont to hear outward confessions of all comers at certain times of the year." Both communities, moreover, enjoyed a very good reputation. It was therefore deemed expedient that they should acknowledge the king to be head of the Church of England, or else that their fair name should be tarnished by evil report.

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Dom Thomas Salter,3 of the Charterhouse, thought he could profit by the state of affairs, and break the bonds which kept him in the cloister. He wrote to Cromwell, imploring his compassion, because he gave him true information, and after to Mr. Bedyll, when he was before them in the Chapter House "on Friday after Corpus Christi." He complains of the severity of "his uncharitable Prior," and fully corroborates Chauncy's statement that "Thomas Salter delighted in speaking evil of his brethren before strangers, but never said anything against himself." He also wrote some "lamentable annotations taken forth of our Rule; "5 and they contain some shallow arguments against some customs of the Order. It is said that the devils were permitted to vex this wretched man, and, had they not been put to flight by the prayers of

1 Chauncy's Historia (ed. 1888), p. 66.
2 MSS. Cotton, Cleop. E. iv. 109.
Letters and Papers, vii. 1046.

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Supra, p. 107. 5 Ibid., 1047.

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a pious lay brother, would probably have killed him.1

When Parliament met in November, 1534, the saving clause, quantum per Dei legem licet, inserted by the Convocations of Canterbury and York in their acknowledgment of royal supremacy, was abolished; and it was declared, without any condition, that the king, his heirs and successors, should be taken and reputed the only supreme heads on earth of the Church of England, with full power to visit, reform, and correct all such errors, heresies, abuses, contempts, and enormities, which by any manner of spiritual authority ought to be reformed or corrected. It was, moreover, made treason to wish or will maliciously, by word or writing, or to attempt by craft, any bodily harm to the king or queen or their heirs, or to deprive any of them of the dignity, style, and name of their royal estates, or slanderously and maliciously to publish or pronounce, by words or writing, that the king was a heretic, schismatic, tyrant, or infidel. Thus it became high treason to deny the king's title of head of the Church of England, and to remain a Catholic was to expose one's self to death.

These Acts of Parliament came into force on the 1st of February, 1535; and Prior John Houghton saw that his dream of the previous year would soon be realized. He consulted Father Fewterer, the

1 Historia (ed. 1888), p. 82.

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Confessor General of Sion, who encouraged him in his resolution rather to die than to accept the spiritual supremacy of the king. Unfortunately Fewterer had not the courage to do what he recommended to others; and he lived to give bad advice to some of Father Houghton's monks.

The religious of the Charterhouse were called together into the Chapter House, and the Prior told them of the danger that threatened them. It was very probable that every one would be called upon to accept the new laws or to suffer an ignominious death. The news struck terror into the hearts of the monks. Then the holy Prior addressed them to the following effect :

"I am very sad indeed, and my heart is heavy, especially on account of our younger brethren, of whom there are so many in this monastery. You see, brethren, what pious and innocent lives these young monks lead in our midst. But their virtue has never been tried by any extraordinary temptation; and it is to be feared that, being cast out upon the world, they will be ruined by its bad example. For 'evil communications corrupt good manners,' and again, 'He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it.' Then there may be others amongst us, whose virtue is not solid enough to bear the dangers of the world. And what shall I say, dear brethren, and what shall I do, if I lose some of those whom God has intrusted to my care?"

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