Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-23
A Long Prayer
lOriginaI]

and begged 10 see the sovereign. She
would not have succeeded had it not
been that he was leaving to go to the
rooms of his mistress, Lady Castle
maine. Charles, passing the girl, who
was evidently suffering from some
great mental strain, asked her what
she wanted
"Oh, sire, give me the life of my
brother, Arthur Hewer, who is to be
executed tomorrow on Tower hill"
Hewer had fought on the side Of the
parliament, and upon the restoration
certain parties high in power deemed
it expedient that he should be put to
death. The king was not blood
thirsty man. but a great admirer Of
beautiful women. Mary Hewer, who
was beautiful, gained from him a
promise that her brother should be
pardoned. Then the king passed on
Mary, delighted, was about to hurry
away when a courtier, young Sir Rich
ard Vyner, called to her.
You do not know the king" he said
'His majesty intends to grant the par
don he has promised, but he has gone
to visit Lady Castlemaine, and heaven
knows when he will come away from
her 1t may be too late to keep his
promise or he may forget it. l will do
what l can for you by reminding him
of it as soon as he comes again."
Mary Hewer was greatly cast down
at this information, but gained hope at
the young mans promise The next
morning she received a message from
him saying that the king had not re-
turned to the palace, and he feared he
would not return in time to order the
pardon sent to the Tower before the
hour of execution.
Hewer was to be executed at 3
o'clock in the afternoon. In those days
all people, the highest and the lowest,
attended these executions, for which
places were engaged ahead. In diary
Of a prominent man who then -four
ished is an entry, Engaged a place
for my wife to see the execution, then
went to the Office" When the hour
for the tragedy came the prisoner was
conducted to the scaffold, from whence
he looked down upon sea of upturned
faces. There were dukes and bakers
and tallow chambers.
A few minutes before 3 the Tower
chaplain offered a short prayer for the
prisoners soul. Then as the execu-
toner stepped forward a young man
In the canonicals of the Church of
England produced an order from
James, duke of York 6he kings
younger brother), that he should be
permitted to pray for the condemned
man so long as he desired. The young
clergyman then knelt and began to
pray.
A half hour passed, when the lieu
tenant of the Tower interrupted the
clergyman, reminding him that the
spectators were getting impatient for
the execution. The young man drew
the dukes order and pointed to the
words "as long as he desires" The
kings brother was too high a person
age for his order to be disobeyed, so
the lieutenant stepped back, and the
clergyman went on with his prayer.
But the clamor became so great that
the lieutenant again interrupted, beg
ging the clergyman to desist. This
time the young man paid no attention
to the request. He was kneeling, with
one hand on the block, his head sink
ing lower and lower, his voice becom-
ing fainter and fainter. For nearly
two hours he prayed. Then there was
a clatter of horses hoofs heard coming
up from the city, and rider was seen
dashing toward the Tower holding aloft
a paper. He was Sir Richard Vyner
and bore a pardon from the king AS
he threw himself from his horse and
elbowed his way through the crowd to
the scaffold the words died on the
clergyman's lips and he sank in
swoon.
Both the prisoner-now by the kings
order a free man-and Sir Richard,
leaving the crowd to mingle shouts OF
disapproval or approval, turned their
attention to the young clergyman
whose extraordinary effort at prayer
had saved the formers life. Since he
could not be at once revived they sent
for a coach and, putting him in it, got
in themselves and drove away to the
home of the released man. Before they
reached it the clergyman opened his
eyes and, seeing Hewer beside him,
threw his arms about his neck.
Arthur
''Iaryr'
Mary Hewer during the morning be
fore the execution had conceived the
plan, if delay should be necessary, of
achieving it by spending time in pray
er. She had sent to Sir Richard Vyner
asking if he could get her permission
for a clergyman to do so, and the
knight, finding the Duke Of York, with
whom he was a favorite, prevailed on
him to give him the order. 1t was sent
to Mary Hewer at the Tower, who, dis
guised, had made the prayer.
Then Mary turned from her brother
to Sir Richard, took his hand in hers
and, bringing it to her lips, kissed it.
Tell me, 1 beseech you," she said,
something can do for you. Nothing
can reQuite such a service, but l may