Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 4.djvu/298

278 But it was a time, as such times will come, and perhaps ought to come, when passion had more weight with men than understanding. The spirit of iconoclasm spread fast. The inhabitants of Portsmouth cleared their churches. The chapter of Canterbury, in need of money to repair the cathedral, sent a crucifix and a pix to the Mint. The crucifix was melted into coin, the pix was arrested by order of council for a time only, before it followed the same route. Portsmouth was in the diocese of Winchester, and the Bishop thought at first of sending preachers there to check the people; but he would not, he said, make preaching an occasion of further folly. He appealed again to the Protector; and the Princess Mary, who, as heir-presumptive, was entitled to speak authoritatively, united with him to entreat, on grounds as well of legality as of prudence, that the settlement left by Henry should be for the present undisturbed. 'I see my late sovereign slandered,' said Gardiner, 'religion assaulted, the realm troubled, and peaceable men disquieted. I dare not desire your Grace to look earnestly to it, lest I should seem to note in you that which becometh me not.'

Somerset, however, had chosen his course, and an inability to comprehend objections which he did not himself perceive, was part of his nature. He made a point against Gardiner with replying that it was not worse to destroy an image than to burn a Bible; every day people were doing the latter, pretending to dislike the translation, and he had made no objection; 'but let a worthless, worm-eaten image be so disposed, and men