Richard Rich, the actual historical figure was a complete weasel by all accounts so naturally, he managed to rise to the position of Lord Chancellor during the brief reign of Edward VI. He also managed to get into high positions with both Catholic Queen Mary and Protestant Queen Elizabeth without missing a beat. When still under Henry VIII, when England was negotiating with powerful Catholic monarchs and it served the political needs of the moment to suppress dissident Protestants, Rich even took a turn at the rack wheel to help torture Protestant martyr Mary Askew. A significant part of his own personal fortune was derived from lands and property stolen from abbeys, monasteries, and convents.
I read about what Rich did to Anne Askew years ago, and 'weasel' is far too kind an epithet for this utterly amoral monster.
The martyrdom suffered at his hands by Anne Askew, a woman of only 25, was enough to make me weep.Had she been a Catholic, she would surely have been made a saint.
The case of Thomas More, convicted of treason based on perjured testimony, is a poignant reminder of the complexities and sometimes the injustices of legal and political systems. More's conviction, which led to his execution, underscores how personal integrity and political beliefs can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes, especially in times of turbulent political change...
Richard Rich, the actual historical figure was a complete weasel by all accounts so naturally, he managed to rise to the position of Lord Chancellor during the brief reign of Edward VI. He also managed to get into high positions with both Catholic Queen Mary and Protestant Queen Elizabeth without missing a beat. When still under Henry VIII, when England was negotiating with powerful Catholic monarchs and it served the political needs of the moment to suppress dissident Protestants, Rich even took a turn at the rack wheel to help torture Protestant martyr Mary Askew. A significant part of his own personal fortune was derived from lands and property stolen from abbeys, monasteries, and convents.
The martyrdom suffered at his hands by Anne Askew, a woman of only 25, was enough to make me weep.Had she been a Catholic, she would surely have been made a saint.
The case of Thomas More, convicted of treason based on perjured testimony, is a poignant reminder of the complexities and sometimes the injustices of legal and political systems. More's conviction, which led to his execution, underscores how personal integrity and political beliefs can sometimes lead to tragic outcomes, especially in times of turbulent political change...