Saint Philip Howard - update

On Saturday 24th November, I paid a brief visit to the Tower of London. I went immediately to the Beauchamp Tower and climbed up the 27 stone steps of the narrow, spiral staircase leading to the first floor. There, I was able to examine Philip Howard's inscription which is in the stonework over the fireplace.  I made a discovery that necessitates a slight change to the information I posted on the 19th November.

Here is the image I posted earlier of the inscribed words:

PB 2018

The first two lines are indeed by Philip, dated June 22 1587:
Quanto plus afflictionis pro Christo in hoc saeculo, tanto
 plus gloriae cum Christo in futuro'
'the more affliction for Christ in this world, the more glory with Christ in the next'.







From a closer examination of the letters of the next two lines, it is evident that they are by a different hand:

gloria et honore eum coronasti domine
'Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour' [Psalm 8, 6]

According to the Tower, the author of these lines was a fellow prisoner, Anthony Tuchinor. The way Tuchinor has linked graphically the word eum ('him') to Arundell's name suggests that he was linking the pronoun to Philip (Arundell): 'Thou (O Lord) hast crowned him (Arundell) with glory and honour.'

Since the Tower of London's construction by William the Conqueror in 1078, a record of every prisoner held within its bounds has been kept in what is known as The Book of Prisoners, which is actually made up of several books containing prisoners names, dates of imprisonment, place of imprisonment and their eventual fate.

Tuchinor is mentioned in the following brief entry:

1586     TUCHINER or TUCHINOR Anthony
Suspected of implication in the Babington Plot (see Beauchamp Tower inscription nos 13, 50).     Tortured 25 December. Released 1589.
Left the country and was ordained by the Pope's authority.

The 'Babington Plot'

Marty Queen of Scots, after Hilliard, 15478.NPG. Creative Commons.

The 'Babington Plot' refers to an allegation by Elizabeth's chief of spies that Mary Queen of Scots was complicit in a plot to assassinate her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, in order to usurp the throne. The allegation involved agents provocateurs and entrapment. One of the principal 'patsies' in this operation was Anthony Babington, a young gentleman of wealth. Babington and several of his friends were  arrested, tortured, tried and executed. Mary's trial then began. She freely confessed that she had always sought means of escape. As to plots against the life of Elizabeth, she protested her innocence. During the whole process of her trial and execution, Mary acted with magnificent courage worthy of her noble character and queenly rank. There can be no question that she died with the charity and magnanimity of a martyr; as also that her execution was due, on the part of her enemies, to hatred of the Faith.