220 BISHOP TRELAWNY. 



Bishops' blessing, — some of them advancing into the water, and 

 with loud expressions of approval they extolled their courage. 



When the prisoners arrived at the Tower, the soldiers knelt 

 and behaved in the same manner towards them. 



The king was greatly mortified, — and some of his council 

 urged him to extremities. Two days afterwards the restless 

 country heard of a real or pretended Prince of Wales. The 

 king's policy and power were the more dreaded. The Cornish 

 people were informed of Trelawny's imprisonment. Macaulay 

 states that amongst this fierce, bold, athletic race, a strong 

 provincial feeling arose. AH over the county the peasants 

 chanted a ballad, of which the burden was "Shall Trelawny die? 

 then thirty thousand Cornish boys will know the reason why ? " 

 and the miners from their caves re-echoed, " — thirty thousand 

 underground will know the reason why ! ! !" 



After a week's incarceration, the seven bishops were released 

 for a brief period. A fortnight later, on the 29th of June, they 

 were brought to trial in Westminster Hall. Counsel pleaded 

 their justification, their right to petition the king, and urged 

 that they were neither guilty of treason, nor of publishing any 

 seditious libel. 



Allybone, one of the judges, a Eoman Catholic, urged their 

 condemnation. The Bench disagreed. The jury sat up all night, 

 and next day brought in their verdict acquitting the accused. 



Shouts of joy were immediately heard, and were continued for 

 several hours through AVestminster and London. 



The king had gone to the army on Hounslow Heath, and was 

 dining in the tent of Earl Feversham. Suddenly the troops 

 raised a great acclamation. His majesty alarmed, sent out Lord 

 Eeversham to ascertain the cause of the tumult. He returned 

 with the remark, " It was nothing but the shouts of the soldiers 

 upon the news of the bishops being acquitted." "Do you call 

 that nothing," said the king, "but so much the worse for them." 



However, in spite of the king's wrath and commands, there 

 were public rejoicings, the whole city was illuminated, bonfires 

 were lighted, and throughout the whole country as the news 

 spread, intense satisfaction prevailed. 



The Cornishmen, then, had no need to attack London's 

 stronghold, for Bishop Trelawny was free. 



