15-The Weapon of Humour

And now we come to the strangest skirmish of all in the battle for the
reformation of the church. Enter one Martin Marprelate, Gentleman, a
character of fiction in a sense, but one whose works or rather, whose
writings, were real enough. Marprelate? A name conjured up from the two
words mar and prelate. Mar, to ruin, to impair the perfection of, to spoil, to
disfigure. Prelate, a high ecclesiastical dignitary, such as a bishop. Hence,
Marprelate, one who spoils, disfigures or impairs the perfection of bishops
and other Church bigwigs.
Who was Martin Marprelate, Gentleman? Ah, who indeed? Nobody
ever found out. The general opinion at the time, the received view, was that
he was John Penry. He always denied it. Granted that, it all depends on
what question he was asked, does it not? Whether Penry was Martin or not
was never proved. In any case, proof did not matter. Suspicion was enough
for Archbishop Whitgift’s purpose. Somebody had to pay. That somebody
was John Penry. He was hanged.