The Merrick Ghost

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

Was re-reading Falconer's Lure and was struck by Patrick's description of the family ghost that walks outside his bedroom - can someone who's read the historicals tell me whether the ghost appears (so to speak) in those? Or is the ghost one of the characters from the historicals?

Any help appreciated!

Comments

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

It's probably a good thing on the whole that AM who died with great grace and courage wasn't canonised, then, what with the doctrine of papal infallibility to consider.

[liadnan]

Can anyone remind me why he gets left off the 40 martyrs list? A vague notion he's supposed to have had something to do with hte Babington Plot is floating around in my head but I may be making that up.

[coughingbear]

Babington's too early, isn't it? The books start in 1593 (Marlowe's death). Gilly Merrick tries to get Anthony involved in plotting with Essex, but he says no, and I don't think we're given any direct evidence about what he was doing in London. He's left off the 40 Martyrs because of a suspicion that he was involved with some plotters, but Patrick quotes him saying they were just 'chance-met'. Since he does say that he's the Queen's good subject in Player's Boy, I think we're meant to assume that he was a genuine martyr for the faith.

[liadnan]

Oh good point, Babington was 1586.
The canonisation process for the 40 martyrs did indeed take a careful look at whether people were to be classed as "political" rather than "pure" martyrs I believe.