Merthyr Meirionnydd

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-To London next, London next.

-Are you ready in London? Mic OK?

-Coming over to Guto in ten, nine...

-..eight, seven, six...

-..five, four, three, two, one.

-It's hard to believe,

-but in this past hour...

-..a dramatic arrest occurred

-here on the corner of Chancery Lane.

-Police describe the man

-as a dangerous religious extremist.

-They claim that this man

-sought to undermine our way of life.

-His allegiance

-was to a foreign faith and power.

-Eye witnesses have told me

-that a special police unit arrived.

-The suspect was being given shelter.

-It's a central location,

-right in the heart of legal London.

-The police plainly view this

-as a significant development.

-News reports like that

-are commonplace today.

-London, in particular,

-has its fair share of such events.

-But that item of news

-is actually 400 years old.

-At the time, it created

-a major dilemma for the authorities.

-I give advice

-to the modern day Mayor of London.

-But had I been an adviser

-at that time, I'd find it difficult.

-Here was a real offender,

-a true threat to the state.

-That said, he had never

-physically harmed a soul.

-He was a hero to many

-and is now officially a saint.

-He was a man who was prepared

-to make the ultimate sacrifice.

-The church saw him as a martyr.

-He, like me, was a Welshman

-living in London, and a Catholic.

-SACRED CHORAL MUSIC

-The story of John Roberts

-is an exciting, unlikely tale.

-It's even more unlikely

-if you view your average saint...

-..as a gentle, other-worldly being,

-belonging only in a church window.

-In this case, think again.

-I'm on the trail

-of a strong, wily and inventive man.

-He was a man of flesh and blood.

-By bravely following his Lord,

-he had to face a most painful death.

-But he lost not his smile,

-nor his principles.

-This is a pilgrimage

-from north Wales to northern Spain.

-We'll follow one who bade farewell

-to homely comforts and his people.

-He wished to understand

-the purpose of our existence.

-We will try to make sense

-of his conclusions.

-The world of John Roberts

-is dark and dangerous.

-It's a secretive world

-of hiding and fleeing.

-He's a hero who outwits

-the hierarchy of his own church.

-He becomes the scourge

-of the secret police.

-He leaves his cell

-and escapes from jail...

-..just as the gallows face him.

-A pilgrimage? Yes.

-But also a spiritual voyage

-closely linked to powerful people...

-..and what they consider important

-in the real and material world.

-The corridors of power,

-money, influence and religion...

-..formed the world of John Roberts.

-He was a significant figure

-in London and on the continent.

-He also took part

-in the main struggle of the age.

-He wanted Catholicism

-restored in England and Wales.

-And yet how many of us

-have heard of John Roberts?

-Do we ever think of Wales

-as a Catholic country?

-It would be easy to ignore

-the Martyr of Meirionnydd.

-But I find in his story

-relevant and contemporary issues.

-London. The year is 1610.

-The end of the first decade

-of a new century.

-The capital city of England

-is a fashionable metropolis.

-Creative energies abound.

-Listen to the music of William Byrd,

-a favourite among intellectuals.

-Visit the Globe to see

-a new William Shakespeare play.

-The Welsh are everywhere.

-They're the largest ethnic group,

-sociable and influential.

-They're prominent in law

-and commerce.

-It wouldn't surprise people...

-..that one of us

-was trying to transform society.

-The exceptional ambition

-of John Roberts...

-..sends him in many directions.

-But invariably,

-he tended to return to London.

-This was always the centre

-of any key episodes in his life.

-I love this city -

-but for him, it's full of danger.

-He must take care,

-and look over his shoulder...

-..hide in corners to stay safe.

-Eventually, he relies

-on others for his personal security.

-And so he asks others to help him,

-as well as keeping the faith.

-Yes, religion is the root

-of the problem.

-Everyone is under suspicion.

-You must be careful about

-what you say, write or sing.

-William Byrd's music

-is dubious because he's a Catholic.

-Even William Shakespeare's

-works are scrutinized carefully.

-The citizens of London live

-under the state's watchful eye.

-There are spies

-in every tavern, street and shop.

-The punishment for treason

-is severe and painful.

-"Hanged, drawn and quartered"

-is the well-known phrase.

-It barely describes

-the bloody procedure involved.

-A butcher removes your intestines

-and genitals, after hanging you.

-But you're still conscious

-and aware of what's happening.

-In this Protestant land,

-it was the monarch's wish...

-..to be Head of the Church.

-The Catholic countries abroad

-were considered as the enemy.

-Native Catholics

-were made to feel uncomfortable.

-As it happens,

-most were loyal to the state.

-But their spiritual allegiance

-lay with the Pope in Rome.

-Unfortunately,

-in the eyes of the law here...

-..this was tantamount

-to high treason.

-The government in London

-is prepared for war.

-It's determined to defend itself,

-its people and the way of life.

-John Roberts is equally determined

-as his own journey nears its end.

-He's 33 and has travelled far

-before his imprisonment in London.

-But he's spent a whole lifetime

-preparing for his great hour.

-He well knows his fate

-and the torment ahead of him.

-But the shadow of the hangman...

-..fails to dim

-his devotion to his faith.

-If I had ten thousand lives...

-..and each one more dear

-to me than the one I have...

-..I would sacrifice

-them all for this cause.

-Why was this life

-not enough for John Roberts?

-From where did such passion come?

-He spent his childhood

-in Trawsfynydd.

-His family is linked to the nobility

-of Gwynedd, Powys and Deheubarth.

-But much had been inherited

-by John's cousin, Robert Lloyd.

-Lloyd was a Member of Parliament

-but lived locally.

-Home was Rhiw Goch Mansion,

-which today is a hotel.

-One thing's obvious

-to all those who visit here.

-Robert Lloyd had created

-a solid, established life...

-..while his cousin,

-at precisely the same time...

-..was facing

-an altogether different fate.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-

-You're welcome.

-Yes, John Roberts's family

-enjoyed a pleasant lifestyle.

-They were, after all,

-of princely descent.

-Robert Lloyd was astute enough

-to hold on to the good life...

-..despite the changing times.

-The changes are nearby.

-For 400 years, Cymer Abbey

-was the religious heart of the area.

-But nothing could prevent

-the King from changing all that.

-That King, of course,

-was Henry VIII.

-On breaking with Rome,

-he abolishes the Abbey.

-He demolishes the buildings.

-He confiscates

-all the monks' belongings.

-On what was holy land,

-only ruins now remain.

-The message to the area's

-population is crystal clear.

-There's no option

-but to conform with the new order.

-Attending John Roberts' baptism

-in Trawsfynydd...

-..his parents would be astounded...

-..by changes in the church

-since their own childhood days.

-Religious upheavals in Tudor times

-must have baffled many people.

-It was hard for common folk.

-Are they with the Church of Rome,

-or England, or another entity?

-Under Henry VIII,

-the answer seemed fairly clear.

-But his daughter Mary promotes

-a return to old Catholic ways.

-Decorations and sculptures

-re-appear in churches...

-..as do the priests

-and their colourful attire.

-Then, Elizabeth succeeds her

-and prohibits everything again.

-Little evidence exists to suggest

-that rural Welsh people...

-..were keen converts

-to the Protestant faith.

-Elizabeth decreed public worship

-in the old ways to be illegal.

-The Queen still harboured a fear.

-The Welsh were slow to embrace

-the new faith in their hearts.

-When John Roberts

-was 12 years old...

-..in 1588, William Morgan's Bible

-brought the word of God to Wales...

-..in the native tongue,

-for the first time.

-It was a calculated move...

-..to ensure allegiance

-to the new religion...

-..among the monoglot population

-in remote parts of Wales...

-..where old traditions died hard.

-There is no open revolt

-against Protestantism here...

-..but many local people

-do have their doubts.

-They can't save Cymer Abbey...

-..but Henry is prevented

-from seizing the communion plates.

-The cup and plate

-are hidden in a safe place.

-Nobody discovers them for 300 years.

-As a boy wandering these slopes...

-..John Roberts

-could reflect over both traditions.

-In church, the new religion

-was gradually establishing itself.

-But the spirit of the land is older.

-Those around him have long memories.

-A legend persists locally.

-A monk who fled Cymer is said

-to have been John Roberts's tutor.

-He influenced the young man greatly.

-Welsh verses on Sundays,

-with a Protestant church minister...

-..and Latin lessons in the week

-with a former monk from the Abbey.

-In any event, he's a bright pupil

-and is soon to read law in Oxford.

-Most parents would be proud of that.

-But for John Roberts,

-going up to Oxford...

-..is the first step

-on an extremely dangerous path.

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-Are traitors bred here at Oxford?

-Education, religion and rebellion

-is a mix that worries authority.

-Up until now, however, it was felt

-that any link was only relevant...

-..in foreign educational centres

-and not with our intellectual elite.

-But it's now feared that

-top intellectual support exists...

-..for terrorist activities

-here at St John's College.

-BELLS RING

-John Roberts arrives

-at Oxford University...

-..in the year 1596.

-He registers at St John's

-College as a law student.

-He intends, as is his family's wish,

-to have a safe, respectable career.

-Here's the register

-from John Roberts' time here.

-His name's here - John Roberts,

-Meirionnydd, generosi filius.

-That's Latin for son of a gentleman.

-His age is shown as 19 years old.

-In the library are the Articles.

-It was compulsory

-for students to conform with these.

-Here's John Roberts' handwriting.

-It's a thrill to see a saint's

-name written in his own hand.

-According to Church belief...

-..a saint has overcome

-all temptations of the flesh...

-..and resides

-very close to the presence of God.

-It's a long journey

-for John Roberts from here...

-..to becoming a Catholic hero.

-What he does here is swear

-his allegiance to Queen Elizabeth...

-..and to her church,

-the Protestant Church.

-What it shows is the state,

-four centuries ago...

-..was absolutely determined

-to control what went on...

-..in the depth of our hearts.

-BELLS RING

-But the authorities

-have good reason to be anxious.

-A generation earlier,

-a hundred Oxford dons had fled.

-They had wanted no part

-of the new Protestant order.

-Some went to Douai in France

-and founded a new college.

-Welshmen and Englishmen

-would be trained there as priests.

-They would return in due course

-to restore Britain to Catholicism.

-The university remains

-a place of keen religious debate...

-..when John Roberts

-arrives as a student.

-As chance would have it,

-other Welshmen are here already.

-They're reading law

-but have wider interests too.

-I know from my own experience...

-..that Oxford, for someone

-from a wholly Welsh background...

-..can be a shock - the atmosphere,

-the buildings, the people.

-Whilst frightening,

-it's also exciting.

-It helped John Roberts

-make a fundamental re-assessment.

-He does so in the company

-of his young fellow countrymen.

-Among these is a respectable

-new friend, John Jones.

-He's the nephew of the principal

-of Jesus College - no danger there.

-But John Jones holds a secret.

-It's a dream, a plan even.

-He'll go to the college

-in Douai to train as a priest.

-He'll return to bring back

-the old faith to the old country.

-It's an exciting plan and captures

-the imagination of John Roberts.

-But he treads carefully.

-He decides to leave Oxford.

-He continues his legal studies

-at the Inns of Court in London.

-The law courts in London

-are full of Catholics.

-Some say

-that they're a "Hotbed of Popery."

-There's no way of avoiding religion.

-After pondering a while,

-John Roberts hesitates no more.

-On a visit to Paris in 1598,

-he disappoints his parents.

-Oxford, and all other plans for him,

-are forsaken.

-He becomes a member

-of the Church of Rome.

-He'd had a comfortable background

-and a privileged education.

-After Oxford,

-a promising career beckoned.

-But his heart takes him elsewhere.

-He decides not only on Catholicism

-but also to become a priest.

-In that era,

-this was not only dangerous...

-..but also in his case, ruinous.

-It's impossible to train

-as a Catholic priest in Britain.

-But it's not to Douai in France,

-nor to Rome, that John Roberts goes.

-Another John gives him some advice.

-He's John Cecil, a Welsh Catholic

-influential in Parisian circles.

-He's told to come here

-to Valladolid, in northern Spain.

-It's a far cry from Trawsfynydd.

-And yet, John Roberts

-must feel quite at home.

-Others training with him here

-are names like John Parry...

-..Roger Gwyn, Thomas Evans,

-William Evans, John Pritchard...

-..and Thomas Price.

-This is a band of Welsh brothers

-who have gathered here.

-They aim to restore Catholicism

-in the old land of their fathers.

-But some things here in Spain

-must seem alien to John Roberts...

-..and his new friends too.

-No, it's not the Ku Klux Klan...

-..even though that organization

-has adapted this tradition...

-..for its own evil purposes.

-The Semana Santa procession

-ahead of Easter week is different.

-To the faithful, the costume is

-both demonstrative and concealing.

-The individual hides

-behind the hood - the capirote.

-But he confesses

-his sin and shame to everyone.

-Processions like this

-take place every night...

-..between

-Palm Sunday and Good Friday.

-It's an example

-of the Catholic Church...

-..spreading the good news

-about Jesus Christ.

-While Protestants lay emphasis

-on the Word and the sermon...

-..the Catholic tradition

-is on the visual and physical.

-A procession in the company

-of a colourful sculpture...

-..deals with our basic need

-to see and touch the faith.

-We don't wish only to hear about it.

-Lively Christian celebrations

-would not have played a part...

-..in John Roberts's

-Meirionnydd childhood...

-..but his grandparents would've seen

-colour and noise as they worshipped.

-After all, Wales was famed

-for its mass pilgrimages...

-..to sacred places and holy springs.

-Is this the religion John Roberts

-dreams of restoring to Wales?

-Being a Welshman here

-is not without its difficulties.

-This can be appreciated on a visit

-to St Alban's College chapel...

-..where John Roberts

-and his friends study.

-Here's the most famous statue,

-an image of the Virgin Mary.

-It plays a key role

-in the Semana Santa services.

-It's called La Vulnerata,

-The Wounded One.

-The damage is not accidental.

-English soldiers

-attacked it on purpose.

-They were raiding Cadiz port

-at the time of the Armada.

-To the Spaniards,

-it was an act of sheer vandalism.

-It showed a lack of respect

-by British people to the religion.

-On coming to this college

-to study for their vocation...

-..as Catholic students from

-England and Wales still do...

-..the likes of John Roberts

-needed to convince the Spaniards...

-..that they were totally sincere.

-Only 20 years previously...

-..the first students

-had been arrested as English spies.

-The college is a new institution

-in John Roberts' time.

-Fortunately,

-for an ambitious student...

-..the resources here

-compare favourably with Oxford.

-The college's collection of rare

-volumes is a veritable treasure.

-All the learned works

-of Europe are here.

-The son of Trawsfynydd,

-with his able, independent mind...

-..proceeds

-to scour the bookshelves.

-This library remains much

-as it was in John Roberts' time.

-Some books are older than him.

-Here is the register book

-with his signature on it.

-A rose is later drawn in the margin,

-to mark the fact of his martyrdom.

-But John Roberts had to demonstrate

-his true allegiance to the faith.

-He does so by declaring clearly

-that he is the son of gentlefolk...

-..who, he says,

-are Catholics in their hearts.

-Is that the truth

-of the situation in Meirionnydd?

-A public acceptance

-of the new religion...

-..but private adherence

-to the old faith?

-Or is he describing his parents

-as he would like them to be?

-Either way, John Roberts,

-from the diocese of Bangor, Wales...

-..was serious about his religion.

-He states his determination

-to labour in his Lord's vineyard.

-St Alban's College

-is run by the Jesuits.

-The natural crowning glory

-of his education by them....

-..would be his return

-to Britain as a priest.

-But despite solid Jesuit opposition

-to Protestantism in Europe...

-..something is troubling

-the young man.

-The Jesuits have decided

-that most English and Welshmen...

-..are beyond the reach

-of the Catholic Church.

-But here in Valladolid,

-John Roberts believes differently.

-He thinks Catholics in Britain

-should expect more than just comfort

-This is the capital city

-of Spain at that time.

-Many grand churches

-surround the royal palace.

-They state powerfully

-that this is a Catholic country.

-Across the city

-is the Order of St Benedict.

-It has a tradition of capturing

-entire countries for the Pope.

-St Augustine, a son of the Order,

-brought Christianity to England.

-The young man

-now turns to that Order.

-John Roberts wants to help

-the Benedictines in Britain.

-He wants to see a re-conversion.

-Confirming this for us is

-the evidence of a spy, Lewis Owen.

-Lewis is also a Welsh speaker

-from Meirionnydd and a Catholic.

-Out here in Valladolid,

-he gets to know John Roberts well.

-But he's also a mole

-for the authorities in London.

-It's starting to sound

-like a novel by John Le Carre.

-The Jesuits send a report

-to the Benedictines.

-It's a highly personal,

-negative report about John Roberts.

-Why?

-Is it their sincerely held opinion?

-Or are they bluffing?

-Are they trying

-to hold on to a talented priest?

-Do they perhaps suspect Roberts

-of being the London mole?

-This is suggested by Lewis Owen...

-..but remember,

-he himself is the real spy.

-It's a game, but one player shines.

-John Roberts lays down

-a challenge for the Benedictines.

-Send me back to the Jesuits,

-he suggests.

-If they reject me, fair enough.

-But if I'm accepted back by them,

-then obviously it's all a game.

-Of course, that's what happens.

-Lewis Owen chronicles it all

-in his best English.

-"The Jesuits, perceiving how

-they had been deceived by Roberts...

-"..never after spoke of him."

-It happens in all spy novels.

-There'll be a plucky female

-who's something of an enigma.

-In this case, there's

-no hint of a romantic liaison.

-However, John Roberts

-chances upon such a lady.

-Dona Luisa de Carvajal.

-Dona Luisa is a noble lady.

-But here in Spain, she performs

-simple favours for John Roberts.

-She prepares and cooks

-tasty meals for him.

-And she shares a vision with him.

-She would also like to convert

-his land back to the old faith.

-She will play an important role

-at the end of his story...

-..when John Roberts

-returns to London.

-John Roberts now begins

-to turn his thoughts to Britain.

-His Benedictine training

-is drawing to a close.

-He's Brother John of Meirionnydd

-and knows there's hard work ahead.

-There's a whirl of activity

-in the Semana Santa at Easter.

-It's an exciting event.

-But to every Catholic,

-mass is central to the faith.

-It's where we meet Jesus,

-in the bread and wine.

-But to celebrate mass

-there must be a priest.

-It's essential that a priest

-like John Roberts goes to Britain.

-His service is needed,

-regardless of any personal danger.

-There can be no return

-out in the open.

-Every port is watched by London.

-London listens to each whisper.

-Careful planning is needed

-and it must all be top secret.

-The arrangements are made

-by the Parisian contact, John Cecil.

-He had guided John Roberts

-to Valladolid initially.

-At last, everything is ready.

-A sea captain in Calais

-will take him across the Channel.

-John Roberts is ready to travel,

-to slip back into Britain.

-The Great Mission is about to begin.

-To an extent,

-just like the faithful here...

-..John Roberts disguises himself,

-in order to serve his faith better.

-But the voyage has barely

-commenced, when he senses danger.

-Someone on board the ship

-knows his true identity.

-Is the game up before it's started?

-Or can John Roberts outfox

-the world's most wily secret police?

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-Difficult questions arise tonight...

-..for the security services,

-the police and the British navy.

-How come a man described to me

-as a dangerous agent provocateur...

-..and a religious extremist,

-has escaped from under their noses?

-They had after all

-been watching this man for months.

-A government spokesman

-has told me that he's confident...

-..that this man will be

-apprehended in the next few days.

-There are strict security measures

-in force.

-The message is to be on your guard.

-The year is 1603.

-John Roberts,

-Brother John of Meirionnydd...

-..is on a secret sea voyage

-from France back to Britain.

-It's been arranged by one known

-to him since he became a Catholic.

-John Cecil is the fixer in Paris.

-He's smuggling Catholic priests

-across the Channel...

-..to serve native Catholics

-in Wales and England.

-John Roberts is anxious.

-It's a dangerous mission.

-On boarding ship in Calais...

-..he starts to sense

-he's not the only one in disguise.

-But it's now too late to do

-anything but to rely upon...

-..the plan formulated

-for him by his old ally in Paris.

-John Roberts didn't realize

-that John Cecil was a double agent.

-He was a spy, who had warned

-the authorities of the plan.

-This becomes apparent to him at sea.

-John Roberts smells a rat.

-He realizes that, once ashore,

-he's likely to be arrested.

-He needs to make an important

-snap decision before docking.

-In the early hours,

-with most on board asleep...

-...Brother John persuades

-the captain to drop a rowing boat...

-..into the cold Channel waters,

-just off the coast of Kent.

-It's a bold and courageous move.

-He escapes adventurously

-from under the noses of the police.

-Next day, of course,

-the captain denies all.

-He insists that, in the darkness,

-a man must have fallen overboard.

-This is a temporary reprieve

-for John Roberts.

-The reality is that he's chosen

-to return to London at a bad time.

-Elizabeth is on her death bed

-and who'll succeed her is unclear.

-Catholics face an uncertain fate

-under the new monarch.

-John Roberts hastens to visit

-the prisons of London.

-He's sure to meet

-many prominent Catholics there.

-Cecil and his gang know that too.

-Roberts is very soon arrested.

-But the new monarch,

-King James, declares an amnesty.

-John Roberts is merely exiled,

-across the Channel to Calais.

-He's soon in London again.

-Fearlessly, he cares for the sick

-as the Plague strikes.

-He's well known

-to the authorities by now.

-But his youthful looks allow him

-to escape on one occasion.

-The Crown officers can't believe

-they've captured the criminal.

-"This cannot be Mr Roberts,

-the notorious Benedictine monk."

-Those were their words.

-He gets away this time.

-In general, however, the grip

-tightens on Catholic lives.

-James I, through the Parliament

-in Westminster...

-..uses the full force

-of the law against them.

-It's a time of crisis.

-A group of stalwarts decides

-that it's time for action.

-Catholics can't go about

-their daily business...

-..let alone practise their religion.

-They believe the faith

-can only survive by a revolution.

-The plotters insist on targeting

-the very heart of the state...

-..despite the police's eagle eye.

-They'll take action against the King

-and his Protestant Parliament...

-..in the most explosive

-manner imaginable.

-We still remember the name

-of one of the plotters.

-Guy Fawkes.

-The plot failed, as we know.

-But on Guy Fawkes' night itself,

-the fifth of November, 1605...

-..John Roberts is arrested in

-Holborn, at the home of a Mrs Percy.

-She's the wife of one

-of Guy Fawkes's fellow plotters.

-It's most unfortunate

-for John Roberts.

-Any wise man

-who knew of the plot...

-..would have kept clear

-of Mrs Percy that night.

-BIG BEN CHIMES

-Miraculously,

-the record of arrest still exists.

-It's extremely interesting.

-By all accounts, John Roberts

-arrived wearing riding boots.

-With him were two other Welshmen.

-One was John Evans,

-the other was an innkeeper.

-"The host of the Swan of Abersoch."

-Maybe he'd planned to celebrate

-a Welsh mass for London Catholics.

-BIG BEN CHIMES

-The faithful few are now

-under more scrutiny than ever...

-..by government inspectors.

-Priests, including John Roberts,

-are imprisoned and then deported.

-John Roberts returns again in 1607.

-He's arrested, but refuses

-to swear the oath of allegiance.

-For that reason, he's thrown

-into the Gatehouse Prison.

-Its location was here,

-very close to Westminster Abbey.

-It was a dark and horrific place.

-His spirits must have been low...

-..as he reflected

-on its notoriously cruel reputation.

-Inventively though,

-he hatched an escape plan.

-He was more like

-James Bond than a saint!

-FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC

-He manages to flee to France.

-He'd broken through his cell bars.

-There, in Douai, under much more

-pleasant surroundings...

-..he establishes

-a dedicated Benedictine college.

-His old Oxford friend,

-John Jones, is there to help.

-The dream started by the two

-Welshmen at St John's College...

-..is realized at long last.

-France has fed us,

-body and soul, through the ages.

-In John Roberts's day,

-Douai becomes an important centre.

-It trains and exports priests.

-But it's also in France

-that a ruinous blow is struck...

-..for Catholics in Britain,

-and it's caused by a mad monk.

-He murders the King of France,

-which scares James I.

-He fears the same thing

-could happen in London.

-All Catholics are ordered

-to leave, in a month.

-But in 1610, the Plague

-reappears in London.

-John Roberts knows for certain

-that England's secret police...

-..are set to capture and kill him...

-..nobody can stop him from leaving

-the security of his college...

-..for the final time.

-John Roberts has a fearful dilemma.

-It's obvious if he stays in London,

-he'll endanger his life.

-He doesn't worry about that.

-And yet choosing to die

-is against Catholic belief.

-It's a sin,

-and John Roberts knows this.

-But if death's inevitable

-in the name of the faith...

-..that would be martyrdom,

-a hard choice.

-There's little time left,

-and the end is near.

-On the second of December,

-John Roberts is with Mrs Percy.

-We know what happens next.

-A special police unit

-swooped to arrest this man.

-They've described him

-as a dangerous religious extremist.

-He's a man whose aim was

-to undermine our way of life.

-His allegiance

-is to a foreign power and faith.

-This time, even though

-his fellow prisoners are so bold...

-..as to make a hole

-in his cell wall...

-..he does not make his escape.

-Has he had enough

-of his fugitive life?

-Certainly,

-it's been a huge strain on him.

-There's also evidence

-that he isn't well.

-Or was John Roberts

-being tempted....

-..by notions

-of sacrifice and immortality?

-There was now

-no turning back, for sure.

-The final test is about to commence.

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-888

-888

-

-888

-There's been

-a sensational development.

-It happened at the start

-of this long awaited hearing.

-The Defendant is accused

-of conspiracy and treason.

-It's claimed he's

-a dangerous religious extremist.

-The judge had just arrived,

-and the prosecutor was challenged...

-..to prove that

-the correct man was in the dock.

-Plainly, this man knows the law.

-The session

-had to be adjourned immediately.

-The Lord Chief Justice

-is now consulting with other judges.

-They're among

-the most experienced in the land.

-A ruling needs to be made.

-This will be a highly complex

-but very interesting case.

-The hearing continues.

-It's an intellectual contest

-between the Lord Chief Justice...

-..and a former law student.

-Both argue fiercely in Court,

-as they face each other.

-The Defendant opens on the attack.

-Say what you will, but don't lie.

-Far better had you stayed

-in your church or palace.

-Be with your fellow priests...

-..and not here deciding

-who's to live and who's to die.

-By law, this is a balanced hearing.

-Examination and cross-examination.

-The authorities need to show

-their willingness to debate.

-A strong element

-of political theatre also prevailed.

-In that context,

-John Roberts performed admirably.

-With his life at stake, and under

-gruelling cross-examination...

-..he responded

-astutely and charismatically.

-We have the original transcript.

-John Roberts refuses

-to swear allegiance to the King...

-..as the head of the Church.

-The Defendant argues he's loyal

-to his faith and his country.

-The law as it stands...

-..being a Catholic priest

-is itself treason.

-To John Roberts,

-this is totally unjust.

-To show the Crown's real agenda...

-..he no longer insists on proof

-that a priest is in the dock.

-My Lord,

-I see clearly what you want.

-I want your wish to be realized.

-I'm a priest, a simple monk

-from the Order of St Benedict.

-If you wish to take advantage

-of that, do so by all means.

-Feel free to do as you wish.

-The prosecution alleges

-that a priest's work is deceit.

-John Roberts cites the name of

-the founder of the English Church.

-If I am deceitful, my Lord,

-it follows that all our ancestors...

-..were deceived

-by the blessed St Augustine.

-He converted all these countries.

-It's the same faith

-that I now proclaim.

-With Augustine and John Roberts

-both being of the Benedictines...

-..it's hard to resist his argument.

-The Bishop of London, who also sits

-on the bench, tries to silence him.

-I insist on speaking, I insist,

-as my mission is from Heaven.

-Matthew states, "Go and make

-disciples of all the nations.

-"Baptize them and teach them to

-abide by the Lord's commands."

-Your ministers don't do that

-by their lives or their acts.

-They don't obey God's commands.

-That is what I am doing.

-I teach princes too,

-to be obedient to His commands...

-..and reject Luther's falsehoods.

-Such plain and eloquent talk

-is too much for those on the bench.

-Only one verdict is now possible.

-John Roberts understands perfectly.

-He takes pity on the jury members.

-He asks the Judge very kindly

-to release them from their duties.

-They needn't feel responsible

-for taking his life.

-I have accomplished

-what was in my power to do.

-It was little, only an attempt

-to rescue this country from heresy.

-It's now a matter for you, my Lord,

-to decide if that is treason.

-The verdict?

-Guilty.

-The sentence? Death.

-The Defendant's reaction?

-Blessed certainty.

-If I had ten thousand lives...

-..and each one more dear

-to me than the one I have...

-..I would give them all up

-for this cause.

-SACRED CHORAL MUSIC

-The end is coming. There's no

-unexpected escape this time.

-But a comforting miracle

-of sorts occurs.

-The news spreads fast.

-His old friend from Spain,

-Dona Luisa, rushes to the prison...

-..on the eve of his execution.

-She persuades the guard

-to allow her in...

-..and to let her prepare

-a last supper for John Roberts.

-They talk of better days

-spent in Valladolid.

-The food's tasty,

-and Brother John is in good heart...

-..as he nears his journey's end.

-After his death, Dona Luisa will

-send the martyr's remains to Europe.

-They'll be holy relics, inspiring

-Catholics for centuries to come.

-Before then, at daybreak,

-the gallows must be faced.

-There's no shame for him here.

-The Crown tries to suggest so,

-by hanging ordinary convicts too.

-John Roberts worries about being

-a fitting witness to his faith.

-Would the agony

-of hanging, drawing, quartering...

-..and pain after pain after pain...

-..eventually be too much

-even for his faith?

-Much blood has been shed

-in this city over the centuries.

-On that cold, misty morning,

-as John Roberts faces the gallows...

-..a small crowd gathers

-to watch the show.

-The intention is to execute him

-along with 16 Protestants.

-Even in this horrific situation...

-..he succeeds in persuading

-one man to go back to the old faith.

-After that, he turns to the crowd.

-He insists to them that treason

-is not the reason for his death.

-It's simply for being a Benedictine

-priest, just as St Augustine was.

-His last words were

-"One God, one faith.

-"Without that faith,

-God cannot be pleased."

-And, at last, the end has come.

-The crowd by now

-is very supportive of John Roberts.

-The Sheriff issues

-an order to his officers.

-They are not to cut his body

-in pieces until satisfied...

-..that his soul has departed

-to a better place.

-As is customary, the executioner

-shouts "God Save the King."

-Hardly anyone responds "Amen".

-SACRED CHORAL MUSIC

-John Roberts's body was never

-returned to his homeland.

-The Martyr of Meirionnydd

-is still remembered in our time...

-..both locally and nationally.

-In 1970, after careful reflection,

-the Church issues a statement.

-John Roberts

-is canonized as a saint.

-This year, he'll be commemorated

-in Wales, England and abroad.

-It's the 400th anniversary

-of his martyrdom.

-In Meirionnydd, a saint's trail

-for visitors is now established.

-He didn't live to see...

-..the end of the year 1610.

-But here in Rhiw Goch,

-under Crown patronage...

-..his rich cousin Robert Lloyd...

-..had extended his luxury mansion.

-He seemed certain

-of his own place in history.

-He inscribed the date for posterity.

-He's still remembered now...

-..because of his cousin.

-The urge to become famous

-is not uncommon.

-Contemporary celebs

-become famous overnight...

-..with little real substance.

-For others, it's recognition

-for achieving a great feat.

-It may reflect

-a heroic strength of personality.

-But martyrdom is very unusual.

-There's no recognition

-for the martyr.

-He's no longer in this world

-to acknowledge it.

-His goal is everlasting life.

-We're left asking ourselves

-a fundamental question.

-Is there anything

-in life worth dying for?

-If there isn't,

-what is the value of life itself?

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf.

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