Come Rack. Come Rope. - Softcover

Robert Hugh Benson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1406820687 ISBN 13: 9781406820683

Publisher: Echo Library, 2006

Synopsis

"Come Rack! Come Rope!" is the story of a fictitious family living during England's Reformation, a time in which practicing Catholics were often fined, imprisoned, or even executed. The hero, Robin Audrey, is shocked to discover that his father is leaving the church, a decision which greatly impacts Robin's life, causing him to reevaluate his own life, his values and his future. In the turmoil which follows, Robin must make his own decisions and answer the call of his conscience and his faith. He abandons his previous dream of a peaceful marriage, choosing instead to enter the priesthood and face the very real chance of persecution and martyrdom.

About this title

About the Author

Benson was the youngest son of Edward White Benson (Archbishop of Canterbury) and his wife, Mary, and the younger brother of Edward Frederic Benson and A. C. Benson. Benson was educated at Eton College and then studied classics and theology at Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1890 to 1893. In 1895, Benson was ordained a priest in the Church of England by his father, who was the then Archbishop of Canterbury. After his father died suddenly in 1896, Benson was sent on a trip to the Middle East to recover his own health. While there he began to question the status of the Church of England and to consider the claims of the Roman Catholic Church. His own piety began to tend toward the High Church tradition, and he started exploring religious life in various Anglican communities, eventually obtaining permission to join the Community of the Resurrection. Benson made his profession as a member of the community in 1901, at which time he had no thoughts of leaving the Church of England. As he continued his studies and began writing, however, he became more and more uneasy with his own doctrinal position and, on 11 September 1903, he was received into the Catholic Church. He was awarded the Dignitary of Honour of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Benson was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1904 and sent to Cambridge. He continued his writing career along with his ministry as a priest. Like both his brothers, Edward Frederic Benson ("Fred") and Arthur Christopher Benson, Robert wrote many ghost and horror stories, as well as children's stories and historical fiction. His horror and ghost fiction are collected in The Light Invisible (1903) and A Mirror of Shallott (1907). His novel, Lord of the World (1907), is generally regarded as one of the first modern dystopian novels (see List of dystopian literature). The bibliography below reveals a prodigious output. Benson died in 1914 in Salford, where he had been preaching a mission. He was 42. At his request, he was buried in the orchard of Hare Street House, his house in the Hertfordshire village of Hare Street. A chapel, dedicated to St Hugh, was built over the site. Benson bequeathed the house to the Catholic Church as a county retreat for the Archbishop of Westminster. The Roman Catholic church in the nearby town of Buntingford, which he helped finance, is dedicated to St Richard of Chichester, but also known as the Benson Memorial Church.

From the Back Cover

"How far may one compromise his principles with the State or Society without becoming an apostate? If the regime under which one lives is opposed to the Faith,
when if ever does it become legitimate to take up arms against it?"
--From the Foreword

Come Rack, Come Rope is a gripping historical novel which takes place during Queen Elizabeth I's persecution of English Catholics. Based on the real sufferings of a real Catholic family in particular, and Catholics across the country, Robert Hugh Benson's classic novel is one of tragedy and loss, but also heroism and human and divine love.

The novel follows Robin and Margaret, a young couple in love who forgo their affection when Margaret realizes Robin is called to the priesthood. Both play a critical role in caring physically and spiritually for their fellow Catholics during this time of terror.
Discover their heroism, love, and sacrifice, and be inspired to live it out in our own frightful times in Come Rack, Come Rope.

Edition details

• Publisher: Echo Library
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1406820687
• ISBN 13: 9781406820683
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284