Free Unholy Innocence by Stephen Wheeler

C-christ’s P-passion so that they might avenge their sufferings on Him. It was because they killed Christ that they had been exiled from their own country and made s-slaves in a f-foreign land.’ He smiled rather embarrassedly. ‘We-ell th-that’s the th-theory at any r-r-rate.’
    I noted with interest that whenever Jocelin was embarrassed or unsure of something his stutter grew worse. I was beginning to warm to him.
    ‘Do you believe all that?’ I asked him seriously. He shrugged non-committally, so I let the question hang for now. ‘Samson also mentioned the Norwich case – er, William?’
    ‘Ah yes.’ He took down another large manuscript roll. ‘This is the most d-documented of all the boy-martyr cases. It was written up in great d-detail some years after the event by Thomas of Monmouth, a Benedictine monk at our s-sister house in Norwich. In this case the mutilated body of a twelve-year-old boy was f-found in woodlands outside the town. William was a tanner’s apprentice and much used to visiting the houses of Jews in the course of his trade. B-brother Thomas details what was done to the boy, his injuries and abuses, straps and gags and so on, a-and various marks in mockery of Christ’s injuries.’ He looked up, frowning. ‘I have to say, however, that n-none of this was mentioned in any contemporary report.’
    ‘You sound doubtful.’
    Jocelin gave a pained look. ‘Thomas was writing a g-generation after the event. He was also m-much encouraged by his Bishop who gave him great latitude in order to encourage the c-cult of Saint William.’
    ‘So you think he may have been guilty of…embellishment?’
    ‘Well, B-bishop William was very keen for him to write his history.’ He reddened perhaps recognising similarities with his own account of Robert of Bury.
    ‘Why would the good Bishop wish to do that, do you think?’ I queried gently.
    Once again Jocelin squirmed on his chair. ‘The official r-reason is th-that the b-body would become an object of v-v-veneration and worship.’
    ‘But?’
    He thought for a moment. ‘I suppose the cynical view would be that such an object would bring pecuniary b-benefits to its possessor.’ He lowered his voice and leaned forward. ‘There was even an attempt to get the b-body removed to a priory in Sussex, I believe.’
    ‘For the purposes of veneration and worship, of course, not for the pilgrim’s penny it would attract,’ I suggested, tongue in cheek.
    ‘Naturally,’ agreed Jocelin.
    ‘Nevertheless, the boy was undoubtedly murdered.’
    ‘Oh yes.’
    ‘By someone.’
    ‘Well – yes.’
    ‘But you are not convinced that it was the Jews?’
    Jocelin thought carefully for a moment before he replied. ‘I come back to the point that the only real connection with the J-jews is that all these m-murders took place around the time of the Passover, which is also close to Easter, naturally, since it was at the P-passover festival in Jerusalem that Christ was c-crucified.’
    ‘It’s June now,’ I reminded him. ‘Easter was two months ago.’
    He nodded. ‘And the Jewish P-passover was in the week beginning April the 8 th ,’ he added weakly. ‘I looked it up.’
    ‘So it could all be circumstantial. And the fact that this murder was nowhere near the time of the Jewish Passover festival must be a mark in their defence.’ I thought for a moment. ‘Tell me something else. Why were all the boys so young? Pre-pubescent, Samson said. Robert was twelve, William was also twelve and Harold ten. Why so young?’
    Jocelin sat back and made a cat’s cradle of his fingers – a typical scholar’s pose. I’d seen Joseph do the same a thousand times. ‘I think it is their purity that is important. We have to remember what martyrdom is. At base it is an injustice d-done to an innocent victim. A child-martyr, especially one so very young as these boys were, p-pure and unsullied, offers the ultimate representation of the s-sufferings experienced by a faultless