sure that Protestants used the same prayer, but I supposed saying it in Latin would be proof enough for Finlay, so I san k to my knees in the grass, bowed my head in the direction of the Church and began to recite the Pater Noster from memory.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
He joined me , and we finished the prayer together, crossing ourselves as we finished with “Amen.”
“Did you bring me here to test me?” I wasn’t really angry with him, just a little surprised by his cunning. “Is that why you mentioned the Monastery in the first place, to see my reaction?”
“Partly. I had to know. Being Catholic is a dangerous business in England, even for the King. He is so afraid to anger the Protestants , that he persecutes his own people to prove his loyalty.” Finn sounded angry , and I understood what the conversation I overheard had been about. If someone overheard Finn making these comments about the King, he could be arrested for treason. This was no modern - day England where you could mock the Royals and write trashy stories about them in the Daily Mirror .
“Would you like to see the rest? The monastery is just there, in the woods.” He walked ahead without waiting for my answer , and I followed feeling sympathetic and annoyed at the same time. What was left of the monastery was deeper in the woods to the left of the Abbey , and I walked through the broken gate after Finn, entering what must have been the courtyard. The well in the center had long since dried up , and the buildings surrounding the square yard were almost completely destroyed. Finn pointed out what had been the barn, the granary , the dining hall and the living quarters. The roofs were rotted away and only the stone walls of the dormitory remained. Finn took me by the hand and led me into the opening in the wall, showing me some remaining cells. They were tiny, with just a cot , and a small desk and chair. Most of the furniture was broken, but you could still imagine how the place must have looked. I picked up a broken crucifix off the floor , and hung it back up on the nail in the wall , trying to imagine the monk who once lived and prayed in this cell before being cast out into the world he renounced. He must have felt much like me, bewildered and afraid, not knowing who to turn to in his time of need .
“How many monks lived here? What happened to them?”
“I think it was about forty. Most of them fled, but a few fools tried to fight and were cut down for their pains . They did not stand a chance against a gang of armed men intent on looting and destruction. The ones that survived probably made it to France or Italy , and were taken in by monasteries there .” Finn followed me into the sunshine and toward the gate. I just wanted to leave this place. It made me feel desolate , and I just wanted to go back to the horses. This wasn’t like looking at some ancient ruins. This was all too real and too recent. I could almost see the panicked monks running away, trying to save what they could, and being pursued by armed men on horseback, running them down , swords coming down in a glint of steel and death .
We walked to the horses in silence . Finlay took a blanket attached to his saddle and spread it in the shade of a leafy tree inviting me to sit. He pulled out a leather flask and took a long pull before passing it to me. The brandy tasted good , so I took a healthy swallow before returning the flask. He drank again and offered me an apple.
“Thanks, you have it.” I lay back on the blanket and looked through the sun-dappled leaves at the cloudless sky above , as Finlay bit into the apple .
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
He joined me , and we finished the prayer together, crossing ourselves as we finished with “Amen.”
“Did you bring me here to test me?” I wasn’t really angry with him, just a little surprised by his cunning. “Is that why you mentioned the Monastery in the first place, to see my reaction?”
“Partly. I had to know. Being Catholic is a dangerous business in England, even for the King. He is so afraid to anger the Protestants , that he persecutes his own people to prove his loyalty.” Finn sounded angry , and I understood what the conversation I overheard had been about. If someone overheard Finn making these comments about the King, he could be arrested for treason. This was no modern - day England where you could mock the Royals and write trashy stories about them in the Daily Mirror .
“Would you like to see the rest? The monastery is just there, in the woods.” He walked ahead without waiting for my answer , and I followed feeling sympathetic and annoyed at the same time. What was left of the monastery was deeper in the woods to the left of the Abbey , and I walked through the broken gate after Finn, entering what must have been the courtyard. The well in the center had long since dried up , and the buildings surrounding the square yard were almost completely destroyed. Finn pointed out what had been the barn, the granary , the dining hall and the living quarters. The roofs were rotted away and only the stone walls of the dormitory remained. Finn took me by the hand and led me into the opening in the wall, showing me some remaining cells. They were tiny, with just a cot , and a small desk and chair. Most of the furniture was broken, but you could still imagine how the place must have looked. I picked up a broken crucifix off the floor , and hung it back up on the nail in the wall , trying to imagine the monk who once lived and prayed in this cell before being cast out into the world he renounced. He must have felt much like me, bewildered and afraid, not knowing who to turn to in his time of need .
“How many monks lived here? What happened to them?”
“I think it was about forty. Most of them fled, but a few fools tried to fight and were cut down for their pains . They did not stand a chance against a gang of armed men intent on looting and destruction. The ones that survived probably made it to France or Italy , and were taken in by monasteries there .” Finn followed me into the sunshine and toward the gate. I just wanted to leave this place. It made me feel desolate , and I just wanted to go back to the horses. This wasn’t like looking at some ancient ruins. This was all too real and too recent. I could almost see the panicked monks running away, trying to save what they could, and being pursued by armed men on horseback, running them down , swords coming down in a glint of steel and death .
We walked to the horses in silence . Finlay took a blanket attached to his saddle and spread it in the shade of a leafy tree inviting me to sit. He pulled out a leather flask and took a long pull before passing it to me. The brandy tasted good , so I took a healthy swallow before returning the flask. He drank again and offered me an apple.
“Thanks, you have it.” I lay back on the blanket and looked through the sun-dappled leaves at the cloudless sky above , as Finlay bit into the apple .
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