By What Authority?

English Reformation Trilogy #1

by Robert Hugh Benson, Michael D. Greaney (Foreword)

BY WHAT AUTHORITY? is Robert Hugh Benson's first in a series of three novels designed to tell the story of the English Reformation from the Catholic point of view. This he achieved without the use of the stereotypes that characterized virtually all such productions in his day to the detriment of both sides of the question.

Sir Nicholas is the rock-solid head of his household and a devout Catholic who helps renegade priests hide from her Majestys men; but across the way lives a Protestant minister with a suspicious eye.

The reader will find himself traveling across the English countryside hunting for priests; the next minute witnessing the happenings at the Queens court. In the midst of all this exists the relationship between a young man and a young lady; one a Catholic, the other a Protestant.

During the Protestant Reformation, Catholic families suffered persecutions of various types. Families were divided; fathers and sons were thrown into jail; priests were hunted down and killed; neighbor turned against neighbor. But through it all, the few priests that remained were able to sustain and convert many.

The tale told in this book is one of suspense, deceit, loyalty, martyrdom, truth and conversion a perfect companion to Come Rack, Come Rope!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Catholic, Fiction, Religion, Christianity, Short Stories, Classics

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

Mrsgr. Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KC*SG KGCHS was an English Catholic priest and writer. First an Anglican pastor, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1903 and ordained therein the next year. He was also a prolific writer of fiction, writing the notable dystopian novel Lord of the World, as well as Come Rack! Come Rope!.

His output encompassed historical, horror and science fiction, contemporary fiction, children's stories, plays, apologetics, devotional works and articles. He continued his writing career at the same time as he progressed through the hierarchy to become a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911, and gain the title of Monsignor before his death a few years later.

Reviews

[Fonch · Rating 5 out of 5]

dedicated with affection to Sergio Gómez Moyano the greatest specialist of Robert Hugh Benson in Spain.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am ready (if vagrancy does not stop me) to write my second review of the year("Baldur's Gates Shadows of Amn" does not count, because it was not read this year, and it is more a critique of last year than of this 2021). At the moment I must give a very serious news to the User of Goodreads, if it is right to continue to trust my tastes. I must be frank with the Goodreads user and it is essentially that I am a collector of Catholic writers, so I will be more fascinated by them.
Robert Hugh Benson is one of my most valuable treasures and this book has a story that if I may say goodreads users I will tell you. In December I am with Sergio Gómez Moyano https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... writer and the greatest specialist in our country in the figure of the great writer Robert Hugh Benson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (by Sergio Gómez Moyano I recommend his wonderful book"Querencio" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... book of which I have promised to write a review, although I read it last year. The author had the detail of sharing with me a writing of his, which I loved, and if people examine my 2020 Goodreads readings he will see that although the book has not yet been edited, so it does not appear in the Goodreads database. Yet I did not evaluate the books that have been edited, but the books I read, even if they have not been edited) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... great writer who shone like few others, and unfortunately suffered an unjustified forgetfulness from which he has been rescued in part by the efforts of one of my favorites the great spiritual biographer Joseph Pearce https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and is famous for his dystopia, and parusistic novel"The Lord of World" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... another of the headline booksPope Francis https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., in fact it is this book that has allowed Robert Hugh Benson to come out of the limbo of the righteous. Without works suchas "The Lord of World", similarly themed novels could not have been written. I think of"666" by Hugo Wast https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (by the way I have yet to finish it), the works of Leonardo Castellani https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... the saga of the end of Michael D's days. O'Brien (especially the books of Father Elijah) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/series/6765... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., kenneth E. Nowell's novels https://www.goodreads.com/series/1080... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... C.D. Verhoff https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... "Comet Dust" or novels such as C.S. Lewis https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... Last Battle" or the second part of my friend Manuel Alfonseca's novel"The Lost Continent" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... or Jorge Sáez's novel"Revelation on the Day of the Lord" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... would be an example of parusistic literature, or the end of days, that would faithfully narrate the events narrated in the book of Revelations. However, previous works such as the writings of St. John Henry Newman on the antichrist https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...# or the writings of Dostoyevsky's disciple https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Solovoyev https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... it can be said that St. Augustine dealt with the subject in his "City of God" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or the writings of the Chilean Father Lacunza https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was honored to have novelized the end of the days. However, it would be very unfair to remember only Robert Hugh Benson just for these writings. Her book caused such shock among lukewarm Catholics that she wrote what Juan Manuel de Prada would call the twin sister ofThe Lord of World. I mean"Triumphant Dawn" or "The Dawn of All" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... which despite criticism of that book is one of my favorite books, and it's not that I harass "The Lord of World", but you'll know the patient user, that I'm a historian and one of my favorite genres (I recommend my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca's wonderful epilogue to his novel "Jacob's Ladder" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...) is that of the ukrainian, alternate story, or fictional story. That would have happened if instead of one thing had happened another. On this subject is Poul Anderson's novel"Time Patrol" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... however this novel by Benson, rather than seeing it as a ukrainian as I see it. It must be seen as a utopia, and as an answer to The Novels of Edward Bellamy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... and above all William Morris https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... Newsfrom Nowhere, where a socialist world was proposed. "TheDawn of All" is the answer to these novels, and what would happen if the world adopted the Catholic religion. It is true that Benson does not write about what would have happened about whether Catholics had won in the 30-year War, as Keith Roberts did in"Pavana" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... or Harry Turtledove in theanti-Catholic "Britannia Rules" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... speculating on what would have happened if the Grand Navy had conquered England and deputhis to Queen Elizabeth. No, what Robert Hugh Benson is talking about is not an alternative story, but what would happen if the world were to become Catholic again. However, Robert Hugh Benson not only wrote wonderful sci-fi stories, or futuristic novels. He also wrote ghost novels, or spiritual thrillers. . The former also wrote a brother of his Edward Frederick Benson, he is also known for the satirical novels of Mapp and Lucia https://www.goodreads.com/series/2724... although E.F. Benson's relationship was one of the best-known horror writers. However, the relationship with his brother Robert Hugh Benson was not very good. the Benson family was a family of widely endowed A.C. Benson with which he did have a very good relationship was Rector der the University of Cambridge. One of her sisters was an archaeologist in Egypt and wrote two novels, Benson's mother was an exceptional woman. His father Archbishop of Canterbury (this will be key to discussing Archbishop Guindal in"With what authority?") Benson's ghost novels first comprise two stories"The Invisible Light" which is Robert Hugh Benson's first work, and which he did when his being was debated between Anglicanism and the Catholic religion, and then there is the most interesting"The Mirror of Shalott" both published in the BAC with an excellent prologue and page notes very well interspersed by Sergio Gómez Moyano. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... also has a spiritual thriller, which in my opinion has influenced classics such as"The Exorcist" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... or novels such as that of Jorge Saez Raised"Crying Blood" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... alerting him to the dangers of spiritualism. This novel is very original because it offers three assumptions and the viewer can choose which of the three to stay with. It is curious that C.S. Lewis who was always looking forward to writing a story about the occult did not take into account Robert Hugh Benson's writings, perhaps his critical vision and the fact that he was born in ulster, or not having delved into his books. He made me not fully repair him. It's funny because this novel "The Necromancers" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... it would be interesting to compare it to Charles Williams' novels "Warinheaven" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and"All Hallow Eve" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... it would also be interesting to compare them to arthur Machen's novels, Algernon Blackwood, and the bleak and sinister Aleister Crowley https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....
I wrote a work about Jane Austen a year ago and one of the topics I deal with is who was the heiress of this writer. What he gave me to talk about family home novels. Dowton Abbey style that today make Julian Fellowes famous https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . What very few will know is that Robert Hugh Benson was also a pioneer in this field. I have longed with all my soul for Robert Hugh Benson's historical novels to be translated into Spanish, and let us not just stay that he was the writer of a single work "The Lord of World" thank God. It seems that the Spanish publishers have read my mind, because already Word translated the best historical novel by Robert Hugh Benson, which was "Come rack, come rope" here you can see my https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... review and now recently the small editorial directed by a friend of my admired Juan Manuel de Prada https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... we mean Father Cervera, who runs a small publishing house called Didaskalos. It's very curious, when the "A la horca" or Come rack come rope appeared and I saw it in the Paulinas I took that book and covered it with kisses. I think, in the store the good nuns must have thought, that I had gone crazy. It was also miraculous to find "With what authority?" since when I found out or learned of its existence I was writing with Sergio Gómez Moyano (hence the dedication. By the way, I missed saying two things about Sergio Gómez Moyano read his wonderful foreword to "The Dawn of Everything" published in Bibliotheca Homolegens "The Dawn of All" for English-speaking users. It is as good a prologue as the brilliant article Joseph Pearce dedicated to Robert Hugh Benson entitled "The unsung genius", they can also have more information about Robert Hugh Benson in after the Bible https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful saga. Final book in the three part Benson trilogy which spans the Tudor (Henry-Mary-Elizabeth) dynasty. It is deliciously long and yet not long enough for yours truly since I wanted to remain with these characters and their struggles. It is a powerful reminder of how important our freedom of worship is, as if we are not given enough daily examples, with churches being forced to close but abortuaries left open.

From here my choice is to go back to the second book, The Queen's Tragedy, in Benson's series, which I missed, technically prior to it in time, or go forward chronologically but switching to another author I recently discovered, William Harrison Ainsworth, and reading, Guy Fawkes; or, The Gunpowder Treason: An Historical Romance. Such a choice!

However, about this book, if you have not read it, it is a MUST read. Along the lines of Come Rack! Come Rope!, but with the added advantage of several scenes featuring the Virgin Queen herself. I found them not unsympathetic and yet they showed how her position shaped her personality as much as anything else. And indeed how could it not?

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now THIS is what a Catholic novel should be. Robert Hugh Benson tells a stirring, heroic tale of Catholics under Queen Elizabeth I. The characters are beautifully delineated; they live and breathe still in my mind, eighteen hours after the book was finished. Somewhat to my surprise, I found the conflicts and characters sharply - indeed, sometimes painfully - relevant, despite the age of the book and the even greater age of the era with which it deals. It is edifying without being preachy or dull, and showcases proudly the beauty of our holy Faith. I'm very glad that I chose to read this book and will be looking up others by Robert Hugh Benson soon.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I guess I read this in just over two weeks when I planned to take the whole month of September. Add this to the list of Catholic novels and novelists I had never heard of until recently that promptly gets added to my favorites list. I serendipitously came across this novel when I was looking for other novels about the English Reformation after loving The Books of Days by Francesca Kay. Honestly, this novel feels like a George Eliot. It has the historical scope and compelling characters of Romola.

Robert Hugh Benson was the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury in that fascinating time period that straddles the 19th and 20th centuries. He was a Catholic convert and became a priest. My friend Dominika told me that his brother was E.F. Benson, a prolific novelist and author of the Mapp and Lucia books. I was truly flabbergasted when I heard that. This novel is nothing like Queen Lucia. 🤣 It is much more Victorian in its scope and style and subject matter. Only 20 years separates this from Queen Lucia and yet the literary styles are worlds apart.

I knew basically nothing about this novel as I started reading and I liked that. It was thrilling. I’ll just give some bare details here. The novel covers 20+ years in Queen Elizabeth I’s reign and it matters immensely to the story that her policies against Catholicism got increasingly harsh. The story follows two families, a landed Catholic family called the Maxwells and their wealthy neighbors, the Norrises. The Norris family are Protestant, leaning towards Puritan. Through the close up of these two families, the titanic struggle in England as a whole between Catholic and Protestant is brought into intense focus. The dividing line between Catholic and Protestant and Anglican and Puritan sometimes went through families. It’s endlessly complicated and sometimes even friends can be unwitting enemies…

Having grown up with only the Protestant view of history, I found this immensely fascinating. The idea of martyrdom, for instance, is so much more robust in Catholic tradition than in Protestant tradition. Of course there have been many Protestant martyrs in many circumstances but it’s not something as central to a Protestant idea of holiness. That difference was fascinating in this novel. And that’s only one thing I could comment on. I hope to write more in a spoilers section because there is so much I’d like to unpack about the characters and what happens to them. The ending, though sad, was perfectly suited to the story.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

ENGLISH: This novel should be compared to Come Rack! Come Rope! by the same author, which deals with the same historical period (the time of Elizabeth I of England) and with the same subject (the persecution of Catholic priests). This novel seems to me a) less staggering and b) not so well written. The a) impression can be due, in part, to the fact that I read Come Rack! Come Rope! first, although I think my impression is justified. The b) impression may be due to the fact that this novel was Benson's first published book, and his style in later works has improved.

On the other hand, the process of conversion is much better described. Obviously, in the conversion of the Norris siblings, Benson is describing his own conversion. In particular, the conversation between Anthony Norris and the Archbishop of Canterbury probably mirrors an equivalent conversation between Robert Hugh Benson and his father, who also was Archbishop of Canterbury.

Benson could have chosen the names of some of his characters better: the Norris siblings, for instance. In chapter 6 of the third part, there is a mention of "Drake and Norris," the chiefs of the English Armada that tried unsuccessfully to attack Spain after the failure of the Spanish Armada. And then in chapter 7 another character appears called Norreys, which is just an alternative spelling of Norris. Those are not the only cases. Elizabeth I is called "Her Grace," while Hubert Maxwell's wife is called Grace. Sometimes I had to think who was being talked about.

ESPAÑOL: Esta novela debe compararse con Come Rack! Come Rope!, por el mismo autor, que trata sobre el mismo periodo histórico (el reinado de Isabel I de Inglaterra) y sobre el mismo tema (la persecución de los sacerdotes católicos. Esta novela me parece a) menos impactante y b) no tan bien escrita. La impresión a) puede deberse, en parte, al hecho de que yo leí Come Rack! Come Rope! antes, aunque creo que mi impresión está justificada. La impresión b) puede deberse al hecho de que esta novela fue el primer libro que publicó Benson, y en sus libros posteriores su estilo habría mejorado.

Por otra parte, este libro describe mucho mejor el proceso de la conversión. Es obvio que, en la conversión de los hermanos Norris, Benson está describiendo su propia conversión. En particular, es probable que la conversación entre Anthony Norris y el arzobispo de Canterbury se base en una conversación parecida entre Robert Hugh Benson y su padre, que también fue arzobispo de Canterbury.

Benson podría haber elegido mejor los nombres de algunos personajes. Los hermanos Norris, por ejemplo. En el capítulo 6 de la tercera parte, se menciona a "Drake y Norris", los jefes de la Armada Inglesa que intentó sin éxito atacar a España tras el fracaso de la Armada Invencible. Luego, en el capítulo 7, aparece otro personaje llamado Norreys, una ortografía alternativa de Norris. Esos no son los únicos casos. A Isabel I la llaman "Su Gracia", y la esposa de Hubert Maxwell también se llama Gracia. A veces tuve que pensar para saber de quién estaban hablando.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. the way the author entwines characters is wonderful. His descriptions were so moving. The individual story of Anthony and Isabel's conversion meeting at the end on Easter is so beautiful. His characters are very well portrayed: Mary, Hubert, Sir Nicholas, Anthony, Isabel, and many more. One of my favorite books.
3rd read, still love it. Such a greast book. I really like Anthony. Also Isabel and Mary Corbet. And Sir Nicholas.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh. So sad. But glorious. And I will have the 13-year-old read it this year. Perfect timing for our history studies.

[Mariangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got into this historical novel, I could not put it down.

In the times of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the children of two neighboring families, the Catholic Maxwells and the Puritan Norris, grow up together. Isabel Norris often keeps company to Lady Maxwell and her sister, and is in love with young Hubert Maxwell, but their different religions are an insurmountable problem in the eyes of both families. Isabel’s brother Anthony is Hubert’s companion in hunting and sports. A family friend, Mary Corbett, who is a maid to Queen Elizabeth, often visits and tells them the gossip from the court. As the laws become harder on Catholics in England, till eventually it becomes treason to attend mass, the two families try to help each other and must make hard decisions. The novel becomes very gripping with persecutions and escapes through secret rooms and tunnels. We witness the trial, defense and execution of St. Edmund Campion.

[Asunción · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has been very interesting and enjoyable.
I knew about the persecution of Catholics in the time of Elizabeth I (and later), and it was good to read a book describing it. This is something many English people don't know about. Their school texts on history probably don't mention it.

[Bethany Konopelski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enticing and inspiring novel. Puts you in the heart and mind of Catholics in Elizabethan England. You can really see Benson wrote this from the heart. The sentiments and experiences of a convert shine through, as well as the hopes and prayers of a priest. Beautifully written and educational in the faith. Highly recommend.

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, this novel didn't convince me—as rarely do Benson novels—but once you glance at the scope of the story, the depth of the characters and the heights of the themes at play, you realize this book truly encapsulates everything that Msgr. Benson held most dear: the holy priesthood, the sacrifice of the Mass, the spirit of prayer, the interior life, spiritual love giving rise to sacrifice, conversion, the primacy of Rome, and so on. In every way, it's better than "Come Rack! Come Rope!", and it may just be his magnum opus.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine read from Benson. Benson was an Anglican priest who converted to Catholicism. This story, like Come Rack! Come Rope!, is about Elizabethan England after the reformation. Elizabeth is attempting to force the Anglican Church on all. Catholics are persecuted and other Protestants (Puritans in this book) are also treated very poorly.

We see Catholics become Protestant. We see Protestants become Catholic. We see Catholic priests pursued, captured, tortured, and sometimes killed. We see those working for the government actively hunt down priests knowing that they will be racked. It amazes me that Christians persecuted other Christians like this. It's frightening and makes me think about religious liberty.

This is very good historical fiction. Benson has led me to read some other books that were eye opening: Edmund Campion: A Life, Characters of the Reformation.

As a Catholic, Benson's description of the mass is beautiful. I know that I don't appreciate mass nearly as I should. His prose helps me very much.

[Antoine Vanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though written a century ago, this is as readable - and as well paced - as any modern novel. In my estimation it competes on equal terms with Hillary Mantell's "Wolf Hall". It is even-handed but unflinching in its portrayal of the nightmare choices the Reformation forced on people of principle, whether Protestant or Catholic, in the Elizabethan era. I read it in no more than four or five sittings - l was gripped from the start. Very highly recommended.

[Chris Sudlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastic and gripping read for anyone interested in the Reformation period of English history - and loves a good novel. In this detailed narrative of historical fiction RHB presents the story of two families, one Catolic, one Protestant, in a magnificently written drama which immerses the reader in the joys, sorrows, hopes, fears and aspirations which were shared by so many.

[Clare Asper]

It has taken me a couple of days to write a review of this book after finishing it, for the reason that it's a story of martyrs. Some are historical, like St. Edmund Campion, and others are fictional, though only in their individual stories. In another way, their stories are also true, because they stand in for the many unnamed martyrs that have died in the past two thousand years for the truth of the Catholic Faith. Like every story of martyrs, from Fabiola: Or, The Church of the Catacombs to Quo Vadis to The Samurai to The Power and the Glory, it can be difficult to assess the book itself because the substance of what the story conveys is so powerful and moving. It's the story of Christ Himself, the love that extends to death and in the end, conquers it. One hardly considers whether the writing is "good" or not. Martyrdom itself is messy, and often on the face of it ugly. It just is, in all its stark glory.

Fr. Benson is not a bad writer by any means. I did notice that, compared to his much more famous Lord of the World, he included a great deal of what can only be called "preaching" that digressed somewhat from the story. I imagine that, being a convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism, many of the topics which his characters debate both internally and externally in the book are deeply personal to him. And I won't deny that it was refreshing to hear some unabashed defense of the Catholic Faith for a change.

The protagonists, who ended up being an entirely different pair than I imagined they would be at first, are lovely. Fr. Benson is able to create sympathy in us for the non-Catholic characters in his novels without compromising on the truth, whether it's the secular humanists in Lord of the World or the sincere Puritan siblings in this novel. Isabel is a luminous character, in the vein of a Therese of Lisieux or Elizabeth of Dijon, and Anthony's story gripped me. I thought of my own older brother, now a monk, and could see traces of him in the gentle, noble Anthony.

There were occasional comparisons of Anglican worship compared to Catholic worship. These could be heartbreaking to read at times, as many Catholics in the US have only had experiences of liturgy that far more resemble how Fr. Benson describes Protestant worship. I wonder what he would make of that...

The book vacillated somewhat between long conversations between characters about theological points, as I mentioned above, and intense action sequences. There was a lot of stopping and starting on my part, too, and it did take me over a month to finish. The highlight of the book was certainly its depictions of the martyrs. May God give us all the grace to love Him so deeply and wholly and unreservedly. Whether He calls us to martyrdom or not, may we die to self and rise with Him again. St. Edmund Campion & Companions, pray for us!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fascinating story of two English families, one Catholic, one Protestant, during a period of growing persecution of Catholics. Set in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, who appears in the book, along with some other real people such as Edmund Campion, a Catholic priest and martyr.

It is said to be difficult to make morally good characters interesting -- the most interesting character in Paradise Lost is Satan, for example. Benson's most interesting characters, though, are the good ones; they seem like beautiful, inspiring, and real people.

In his day, Benson was considered one of England's great novelists, and I think he's largely unknown now simply because his novels are so Catholic. But to me, that is one of their strengths -- full of truth, beauty, and goodness. This one, true to its title, examines the role of authority in the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Highly recommend!

[ShepherdsDelight · Rating 5 out of 5]

91/100 (= 5.4/6) ≈ 5 Stars

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Really fantastic! Takes ever so long to get into though! I've read a few books like that, where it takes time to relate to the characters etc. but this one takes longer than any other! Hundreds of pages, extremely slow going at first, getting everything established. But when it takes off, boy was it ever worth the effort!! Similar to "Come Rack, Come Rope". I really really enjoyed it!

[Reordwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Hugh Benson is a master of describing what is going on in the characters' minds. This was a page turner!

[Missclimpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these stories.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting and powerful. Benson creates strong characters with depth while weaving a tantalizing historically accurate narrative. More accessible than Lord of the World. Highly recommend reading.

[Mbuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘By What Authority’ published in 1905 is one of the three historical novels dealing with the Reformation and the sharp, often violent, difference between Catholic and Protestant, Puritan and Protestant, father and son, brother and brother, those who had survived the reign of Bloody Mary and those now suffering under Elizabeth's.

The book is in three sections with several years separating each, but with the same central characters and theme, which is the persecution of Catholic priest and laymen by a Protestant/Puritan government or private authority as represented by Walsingham’s spy network. Queen Elizabeth naturally has an important but minor role to play, and several historical persons, including Queen Mary of the Scots, Walsingham and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal and even Sir Philip Sidney have brief but colourful cameos in the on-going drama. Christopher Hatton, as a love-sick youth, gets an honourable (?) mention as well.

The two who suffer a real crisis of the soul are the brother and sister, Nicholas and Isabel Norris. At the start, the two are devout Protestants. Nicholas is even employed by Archbishop Grindal as the Master of Horse. Grindal’s Puritan fixity of belief rendered him almost inimical to the Queen, who had set up the Church of England (with herself at its head) which, she had hoped, would be a via media acceptable to both Catholics and Protestant reformers. Both brother and sister arrive at the same conversion of faith in different ways.

Benson's own anxiety and agony is reflected in the soul searching. The son of the Archbishop of Canterbury and himself an ordained Anglican priest, Benson was received into the Catholic Church in 1903, and was ordained as a priest a year later. So the hesitation and doubts, the sense of betrayal and the new and stronger convictions of a different faith, are all something he had personally endured.

Six years later, Nicholas returns to England as an ordained Catholic priest together with Isabel. Unknown to them, the chase is on, since they have been followed from the time of their landing from France. They manage to live a few months in peace at a friend's house, until the call comes for a priest to attend some areas in Lancashire, already in deep trouble over the formation of the Lancashire League.

In England, the mood had shifted in Elizabeth’s court from religious intolerance to one of political paranoia, both domestic, with the Irish rebels on one side, and external, with the Spanish and French ranged on the other. Every person who failed to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Monarch as head of the Church of England was regarded as a political suspect, and it is now in this category that Nicholas and Elizabeth are arrested, together with their friends, in spite of a gallant and daring attempt at escape.

The interview between Queen Elizabeth and Nicholas, in which the latter is to sue for pardon, is one of the great dramatic scenes of the novel, and is brought vividly to life by a masterly hand.

Benson’s genius in the book is the unravelling of events in a plot that is not particularly complex. The emphasis is on the conversion of the brother and sister from being devout Protestants to a beatific Catholicism. To achieve this, all the characters are sadly one-dimensional. The exception is the equally devout Catholic Hubert Maxwell, who, disappointed in love, sails with Drake in the Pelican (renamed The Golden Hind) on his famous voyage round the world. Utterly dazzled by Drake's personality and his mainly Protestant companions on the ship, Hubert turns apostate. As a Protestant gentleman and important landowner in England, he is zealous in his persecution of Catholics, and heads the raid in which Nicholas and Isabel, his childhood friend and his sweetheart, together with their friends, are arrested. His remorse at the end forces him to a reexamination of his faith and convictions. Although he does not quite return to his original religion, he gives up the magistracy and all official appointments, living very quietly in country with his family.

The book is a brilliant evocation of the stirring times and troubles of what is generally regarded as the golden age of Elizabeth. Its greatest flaw is the demonisation of all Protestants and the glorification and martyrdom of all Catholics, but then, that was also the raison d'etre and purpose behind the story.

[Robert Federline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book tells all you need to know about the contents of the book. It is a novel exploring the question of by what authority does any particular church claim to be the faith founded by Jesus.

Grounded and logical and authentic perspectives are given on the faiths of the Anglican Church (the setting is the reign of Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century, only two centuries prior to the time of the author), and of Puritans, and of the "Papist" Roman Catholic Church. Benson explores the question of "By What Authority" from each of these perspectives. He examines these differing faiths, and strives mightily to find an answer. He honestly examines each of these perspectives, just as he did in his own life. He asked these questions for his own guidance. He wrote this novel for the guidance of others who find themselves pondering these profound truths.

Benson is not only an experienced author, he was a prolific one. His own life story is every bit as fascinating as his well-written novel. Benson was a son of the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. his father ordained him as a priest in the Church of England in 1895. His father then died in 1896, and he found himself exploring more deeply his own faith.

Spoiler alert: Seven years later, Benson became a Roman Catholic, being ordained a priest in this faith within another year.

Benson faithfully paints the atmosphere of the time during which the three faiths of the Church of England, and the Puritans, and the Roman Catholics uneasily co-existed in Elizabethan England. It was a criminal offense to be a Catholic, and many died for their faith. The Puritans also found themselves persecuted (resulting in mass immigration to the New World). The Church of England was the official church, and protected and promoted by the government and the egos of those in power.

The answer to the question certainly seems inevitable. Ironically, the question is still the same today, and the answer is just as inevitable. Examine the question, and you have to ask who granted authority to any of these particular faiths to proclaim their interpretation of God's Word? Check the origins of each of these faiths, and ask was it God (read, Jesus) or some mortal theologian who found it uncomfortable to try to abide by God's Word?

[Madeleine Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authority Matters in the Elizabethan Age

Robert Hugh Benson's vivid descriptions, sensitive character portrayals, and beautiful prose make the conflicts of this age come to life. We feel the pain of common English men and women with conflicted consciences when making hard choices result in permanent life or death consequences. Love drives a young couple to rationalize their changing allegiances, to make uneasy and unpleasant sacrifices, and with these choices come drastic and ultimately damaging changes in the direction of their lives and relationships.

Father Benson's characterization of Queen Elizabeth, who replaces the Papal authority of Rome with her own is a strong portrait of a conflicted soul, as her faith and her father's legacy force her to defend that legacy and authority against her heart's inclination to preserve treasured friendships, and the tragic results.

[Trevor Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, by Benson’s own admission, not his best work. It was written while he was in his height of frenzy, on the very verge of converting to Catholicism. This priest in the Church of England, and son of the Archbishop of Canterbury, captured his questions, concerns, and anxieties about the Church in this book well. The best moments of the book show Isabelle and Anthony as they wrestle with their Protestantism. The arguments that Catholic apologists give when defending their faith against inquisitions are also very interesting to read. The characters are interesting and lively. It is too long and there are several tangential sections that are unnecessary. I also wasn’t a fan of the characterizations of Catholics and Protestants. Every Catholic in the book is a near Angel, every Protestant a near devil. A good book, though I think there is more and better work to expect from Benson as I continue to read through his writings.

[Victoria Gatto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Cardinal Benson has written a masterpiece! The story length was enough to make the reader feel like they have finished a thick, satisfying story, and the story itself was paced and written in such a way as to keep the reader's attention very well. The action sequences were thrilling and tastefully done. The love stories were...well, I won't spoil it, but trust me, they were also great. The book truly kept me going until the very end, and even then, I still wished it went on more. It had me asking if he had written a sequel. If he were alive today, I probably would ask him to. All in all, I highly recommend, especially for fans of Elizabethan persecution history. It cleverly weaves in real-life people with the expertly crafted fictional characters. Five out five stars, again, for Cardinal Benson, and now it is on to his next book, for me!

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Benson's better historical novels. I found the plot to be too slow and plodding, which some of the dialogue to be irrelevant to the story. I could not empathize with some the characters enough to maintain interest. The end of the novel is too similar to its loosely-based prequel "The King's Achievement".

[Guillaume Dohmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting novel

This historical novel is fascinating because it deals with the Reformation in a very sensitive way. It is particularly good at showing how both sides had people who remained very honourable and how such movements are driven by fanatics.

[Parisa Taheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Couldn't put it down.

[Almachius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top stuff, this. Get it read.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!!!