1829-3 a Tale of the Reign of Mary. , 389 



and the younger, by an unconsciousness of the horrors of death, and 

 youthful pride of martyrdom. Esther's struggles were over ; she knew that 

 no longer hope awaited them ; and when their guards came to lead them 

 from the cell, with the calmness of one departing on a transient journey, 

 she took him by the hand, and led him forth amidst the crowded streets. 

 The boy was somewhat appalled by the multitudes assembled to witness 

 their passage ; but when he raised his eyes, and beheld the benignant 

 serenity of his mother's countenance, whose thoughts were then in hea- 

 ven, he suppressed aU appearance of terror, and something like pride 

 swelled in his little heart, as he thought himself the spectacle at which 

 they came to gaze. As he drew nearer the place of execution, fear 

 came more strongly upon him, and as if to banish the frightful phantom 

 from his mind, he began firmly and steadily to repeat the Lord's Prayer. 

 Many of the crowd felt deep commiseration for the mother and her 

 child ; but others more bigoted loaded them with opprobrious epithets, 

 and called loudly on Walter to cease his heretical blasphemy. But the 

 boy, in defiance of their clamour, continued his simple supplication, and 

 as if to support his sinking Iieai-t, occasionally burst into wild snatches 

 of a Lutheran hymn, that he had learnt from his mother. 



There was something inexpressibly touching in the tones of this 

 infant's voice, swelling its feeble strains of piety amidst the countless 

 throng assembled to gaze on his destruction ; and there were many that 

 day heard it who carried its remembrance to their graves. At length 

 it grew fainter and fainter, tears interrupted its notes, and as the suf- 

 ferers reached the fatal piles, its sounds were entirely hushed. 



The officiating priest at this crisis ordered the guards to separate the 

 prisoners. Esther heard the command, and with a glance of agony 

 watched the men's approach, and sinking on her knees as they drew 

 nigh, wildly clasped her arms around the boy, exclaiming — " Begone ! 

 no human power shall part us !" 



The day was nov,- drawing to a close, and the soldiery were ordered to 

 complete the execution. Two of them raised Esther from the ground, 

 but it was found impossible to separate the victims, and they were 

 boimd to the stake together. The executioner now came forward with 

 the torch in his hand. At the moment when he was about to set fire to 

 the pile, one of the bystanders flung a book at Esther's head ; she looked 

 up, and saw her enemy, the mistress of her husband, who had thus 

 indulged her last malice. But the ircident roused the irritation of the 



Seople, who doubly pitied the fate of one so lovely and young. Esther 

 ad taken up the book, which she recognized with a cry of joy to be her 

 own Bible. The priest advanced to take the heretical volume from her 

 hands. She clasped it to her heart. The people murmured at this 

 additional cruelty ; and the priest, after some hesitation, gave up the 

 attempt. He withdrew at length, and gave the fatal sign. The execu- 

 tioner waved his torch. At that instant a distant sound was heard, 

 which increased to a thunder of trumpets, the trampling of horse, and 

 the shouts of multitudes. A man with a banner in his hand spurred a 

 foaming horse through tlie crowd, and uttering the words, " Long live 

 Queen Elizabeth," fell at Esther's feet. The shouts " Long live Eliza- 

 beth !" " Long live the Protestant Queen !" echoed on all sides. The 

 ■whole tribe of torture were instantly driven away. And Esther was 

 conveyed home in triumph by the people, with Wharncliff, her repentant 

 husband and preserver, by her side, and her boy in her arms. 



