“Yes, that.” He nodded. “It came as a surprise. Your father wrote and invited us, but it was too short notice; as I sent word to you, we were in the West Country and unable to return in time.”
“Yes, it was arranged at short notice.”
“Was it necessary?” he asked delicately.
Thomasin shook her head. So far as she knew, Cecilia was not pregnant, not with the king’s child, nor with that of her new husband, Hugh.
“A love match?”
“The only love was that between the bridegroom and my cousin, but that must all be over now.”
“A sorry story, by the sounds of it. It has dented your faith?”
“I know it should not. I was most grateful to receive your letter. It arrived the morning of the wedding and afforded me some cheer.”
“I am glad of it.”
“But I wished to ask you something specific. It is the matter that Margaret and I were speaking of, upon which I am sure you will be able to shed light. When I visited the king’s chamber, accompanying the princess, he spoke of banned books arriving in the country.”
“Did he?”
“Most determinedly. He told Lady Salisbury to remain vigilant and ensure that none reach the princess. What is in these books that can be so damaging?”
“It is a long answer,” More replied, “but I will keep to the highlights, so as to make it brief as I can. You are aware of the religious changes taking place abroad, in Germany and the Netherlands? They are reforms to religion that are embedding deep, challenging the way people live and worship. You have heard of Martin Luther?”
“The German reformer? Yes.” Thomasin had heard the name of the controversial German monk and his clashes with the emperor.
“He has been teaching new ideas about the Bible, salvation as the gift of God, instead of being the result of good works, condemning practices like the sale of pardons for sins. He translated the Bible into German. I have written against many of his ideas myself, as they go too far; they are too radical, too heretical, corrupting our traditional faith.”
“And this new man, Tyndale, what do you make of him?”
“Yes, William Tyndale, an Englishman! He was born in Gloucestershire and attended Oxford. A very gifted and learned man, he discoursed with Bishop Tunstall there about his beliefs, wanting to translate the Bible into English, but Tunstall detected heresy in him and he left England, perhaps five years ago.”
“It was too dangerous for him here?”
“He went to Wittenburg, where Luther’s journey began. Well, now he has written a book outlining his views.”
“The Obedience of the Christian Man.”
“Yes, you have heard of it, then. But keep your voice down; it would not do to have us overheard. This is the book of which the king speaks. It was published at the start of October, in Antwerp.”
“What does it contain, that makes it so dangerous?”
“I have not read the text myself, but I have corresponded about it with my good friend Erasmus, who got his hands on a copy in Basel. Most of it is these same ideas about translation, placing the scriptures into the hands of uneducated men who are not equipped to understand them. He says the Church is a false prophet, hypocritical, in that it does not practise what it preaches, and advocates that it goes under secular control.”
“Under whose control?”
“The king’s. He claims that the king, not the Pope, should be spiritual head of his country’s church. That is what makes it such a dangerous book.”
Thomasin nodded. This was the matter about which Anne was concerned. “If this came to be, it would mean a huge change in England, surely?”
“It will not come to be; it is a heresy to suggest it. Can you imagine, Henry placing himself above the Pope!”
“Would it not have implications for his intentions towards the queen, and to Anne?”
“Of course it would, as he could resolve it all by granting himself a divorce, but he would be damning his soul to hell, committing bigamy in the eyes of many, and no doubt he would start a holy war with the emperor, making the Pope his enemy. The king of this small island does not have the might to withstand that. Henry is no fool.”
“So you think it should not be taken seriously?”
