Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 3.djvu/175

1538.] by Christ's own words 'Hoc est corpus meum.'' He turned to Cranmer, and told him to convince the prisoner of his error.

The argument began in the morning. First Craiimer, and after him nine other bishops, laboured out their learned reasons—reasons which, for fifteen hundred years, had satisfied the whole Christian world, yet had suddenly ceased to be of cogency. The torches were lighted before the last prelate had ceased to speak. Then once more the King asked Lambert for his opinion. 'After all these labours taken with you, are you yet satisfied? ' he said. ' Choose, will you live or will you die!'

'I submit myself to the will of your Majesty,' Lambert said.

'Commit your soul to God,' replied Henry, 'not to me.'

'I commit my soul to God,' he said, 'and my body to your clemency.'

'Then you must die,' the King said. 'I will be no patron of heretics.'

It was over. The appeal was rejected. Cromwell read the sentence. Four days' interval was allowed before the execution. In a country which was governed by law, not by the special will of a despot, the supreme magistrate was neither able, nor desired, so long as a law remained unrepealed by Parliament, to suspend the action of it.

The morning on which Lambert suffered he was taken to Cromwell's house, where he breakfasted simply