JOHN TYNDALL 



YNDALL was of high descent and lowly 

 birth. His father belonged to the Irish 

 Constabulary, and there were intervals 

 when the boy's mother took in washing. 

 But back of this the constable swore i' 

 faith, when the ale was right, that he 

 was descended from an Irish King, and 

 probably this is true for most Irishmen 

 are, and acknowledge it themselves. 

 The father of our Tyndall spelled his 

 name Tyndale, and traced a direct rela- 

 tionship to William Tyndale who de- 

 clared he would place a copy of the Eng- 

 lish Bible in the hands of every plough- 

 boy in the British Isles, & pretty nearly 

 made good his vow. 



William Tyndale paid for his privileges, 

 however. He was arrested, given an op- 

 portunity to run away, but wouldn't; 

 then he was exiled. Finally he was in- 

 carcerated in a dungeon of the Castle 

 Vilvoorden. His cell was beneath the 

 level of the ground, so was cold and damp 

 and dark. He petitioned the governor of 

 the prison for a coat to keep him warm 

 and a candle by which he could read. 

 "We'll give you both light and heat, 

 pretty soon," was the reply. 



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