them except hee were an Abbot. In this assemble they made a generall cōposition, confirmed with an oth, that euery man should endeuour him self, that the said Arrest of Merindoll should be executed withall expedition, euery man offering to furnishe out men of warre, according to his habilitie. MarginaliaThe byshop of Aix, archcaptaine of thys persecution.The charge whereof was geuen to the bishop of Aix and to the President of the Canons, to sollicite the matter, and to persuade by all meanes possible, the Presidentes and Counsellers of the sayd Court of Parlament, without feare or doubt, to execute the sayd Arrest, with drummes, ensignes displayde, artillery, and all kinde of furniture of warre.

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This conspiracie beyng concluded and determined, the Bishop of Aix departed incontinent from Auinion, to go vnto Aix, to performe the charge, which was geuē to hym. Notwithstanding  

they desired him to be, þ^e next day after the councell was holden, at a banket which should bee made at the house of the Byshop of Rieux. To this banket such as were knowen to bee the fayrest and most beautifull women in all Auinion, were called to refreshe and solace these good Prelates, after the great paynes and trauell whiche they had taken for our holy mother the Church. After they had dyned, they fell to dauncyng, playing at dyce, and such other pastimes as are commonly wont to bee frequented at the bankets and feastes of these holy prelates. After this, they walked abroad to solace them selues, and to passe the time till supper.

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As they passed thorow the streetes, euery one leadyng his Minion vpon his arme, they saw a man which solde baudye Images, and pictures, with filthye rimes and ballets annexed to the same, to moue and sturre vp the people to whoredome, and knauery. MarginaliaEx fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos.All these goodly pictures were bought vp by the Byshops: which were as many as a mule could well cary. And if there were any obscure sentence, or hard to vnderstād, in those rimes or ballets, the same these learned Prelates did readelye expounde, and laughed pleasauntly thereat. In the same place,  

as they walked along, there was a Bookeseller whiche had set out to sale, certeine Bibles in French and Latine, with diuers other bookes, whiche when the Prelates beheld, they were greatly moued therat, and sayd vnto him: Darest thou bee so hardy to set out such marchandise to sell here in this towne? Doest thou not know that such bokes are forbidden? MarginaliaBaudie pictures receaued, Gods boke reiected.The Bookeseller aūswered, is not the holy Bible as good as these goodly pictures, whiche you haue bought for these gentlemen? He had scarse spoken these wordes, but þ^e bishop of Aix sayd, I renounce my part of Paradise, if this felow be not a Lutheran. Let hym be taken (sayd he) and examined what he is, and incontinently the Bookeseller was taken and caried vnto prison, and spitefully handled: For a company of knaues and ruffians, whiche waited vpon the Prelates, began to cry out, a Lutheran, a Lutheran, to the fyre with him, to the fyre with him, and one gaue him a blow with his fist, an other pulled him by the heare, and other by the beard, in such sort, that the poore mā was all embrued with bloud, before that he came vnto the prison.

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The morow after, hee was brought before the iudges, in presence of the Bishops, whereas hee was examined in this sorte as foloweth. Hast not thou set forth to sale the Bible, & the new Testament in French? The prisoner aūswered, that he had so done. And being demaūded whether he vnderstode or knew not that it was forbidden thorowout all Christendome, to printe or sell the bible in any other language, then in Latin: MarginaliaChristian constancie in a good bokeseller.he aunswered, that he knew the contrary, and that he had sold many bibles in the French toung, with the Emperours priuiledge, and many other printed at Lions: also new Testaments, imprinted by the kynges priuiledge. Furthermore hee sayd, that he knewe no nation thorow out all Christendome, which had not þ^e holy Scriptures in their vulgare toung: and afterward with a bolde courage, thus hee spake vnto thē. O you inhabitantes of Auinion, are you alone in all Christendome, those men whiche do despise and abhorre the Testament of the heauenly father? Will you forbid and hide that whiche Iesus Christ hath commaūded to be reueled and published? Do you not know that our Lord Iesus Christ gaue power vnto his Apostles, to speake all maner of tounges, to this end, that his holy Gospell should be taught vnto all creatures, in euery language? And why do you not forbid those bookes & pictures which are full of filthynes and abomination, to moue & stirre vp the people to whoredome, & to vncleanes, & to prouoke Gods vengeance & great indignation vpō you all? what greater blasphemy cā there be, then to forbid Gods most holy bookes, whiche be ordeined to instruct the ignoraunt, and to reduce and bryng agayne into the way, such as are gone astray? What cruelty is this, to take away frō the poore sely soules, their nourishment and sustinaunce? But my Lordes, you shal geue an heauye accompt, which call swete sower, and sower swete, which mainteine abominable and detestable bookes and pictures, and reiect that whiche is holy.

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Then the bishop of Aix & the other byshops, began to rage, and gnashed their teeth agaynst this poore prisoner. What nede you (sayd they) any more examination? let him bee sent straight vnto the fire, without any moe wordes. But the iudge Laberius and certain others were not of that minde, neither foūde they sufficient cause, why to put him to death, but went about to haue him put vnto his fine, and to make him confesse and acknowledge the Byshop of Aix and other his companions, to bee the true pastours of the Church. But the Bookeseller aunswered, that he could not do it with a good cōscience, for so much as he did see before his eyes, that these Byshops mainteined filthy bokes and abominable pictures, reiecting and refusing the holy bookes of God, and therfore he iudged them rather to be the Priestes of Bacchus & Venus, then þ^e true Pastours of the church of Christ. Wherupon he was immediatly condemned to be burned, and the sentence was executed the very same day: MarginaliaA godly bokeseller with two Bibles about hys necke, burned in Auinion.And for a signe or token of the cause of his condemnatiō, he caried ij. Bibles hangyng about his necke, the one before , and the other behinde hym: but this poore man had also the worde of God in his hart and in his mouth, and ceased not continually by the waye, vntill that hee came to the place of execution, to exhorte and monish the people to read the holy Scriptures: in somuch that diuers were therby moued to seke after the truth. The Prelates seing a great dissension amongest the people of Auinion, and that many murmured and grudged agaynst them for the death of this good man, and also for the dishonor whiche they had done vnto the holy Testamēt of God, mindyng to put the people in a feare, MarginaliaProclamation agaynst Frēch Bibles.they proceded the next day to make a proclamatiō by the sound of a Trompet, thorowout the whole towne and countie of Venisse, that all such as had any bookes in the French tounge intreatyng vpō the holy scriptures, should bring them forth and deliuer thē into the handes of the Commissioners appointed for that purpose: contrarywise, they whiche had any such bookes founde about them, should be put to death.

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MarginaliaThe bishop of Aix styrreth vp Caßaneus the President to persecution.Then, after that  

these Prelates had taken aduise to rayse great persecution in Venisse, the Byshop of Aix returned to prosecute þ^e executiō of þ^e Arrest agaynst Merindoll, traueilyng earnestly with the President Cassaneus, to that effect: declaring vnto hym the good will of the Prelates of Auinion and Prouince, and the great affection they bare both to hym and his, with many fayre promises, if he would put the Arrest in execution. The President aunswered him, MarginaliaThe aūswer: of Cassaneus to the bishops for Merindoll.that it was no small matter to put the Arrest of Merindoll in execution. Also that the said Arrest was geuē out more to kepe the Lutherans in feare, which were a great number in Prouince, then to execute it in effect, as it was conteined in the sayd Arrest. Moreouer he sayd that the Arrest of Merindoll, was not definitiue, and that the lawes and statutes of the realme, did not permit the executiō therof, without further processe. Then sayd the Byshop, if there bee either law or statute whiche doth hinder or let you, we cary in our sleues to dispence there withal. The President aunswered, it were a great sinne to shede the innocent bloud. Then sayd the Bishop, the bloud of them of Merindoll, be vpon vs and vpon our successours. MarginaliaSanguis eius super nos & super filios nostros Math. 27.Then sayd the President, I am very well assured that if the Arrest of Merindoll be put in execution, the kyng will not bee well pleased to haue such destruction made of his subiectes. Then sayd the bishop, although the king at the first, do thinke it euill done, we will so bryng it to passe, that within a short space, he shall thinke it well done: For we haue the Cardinals on our side, and specially the most reuerent Cardinall of Tournon,   MarginaliaThe Cardinall of Tournon, the organe of Antichrist. the whiche will take vppon him the defence of our cause, & we cā do him no greater pleasure, then vtterly to roote out these Lutherans: so that if we haue any nede of his counsaile or aide, we shal be well assured of him: And is not he the principall, the most excellent and prudent aduersarye of these Lutherans, whiche is in all Christendome?

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By thys and such other lyke talke, the Bishop of Aix persuaded the President and Counsellours of the Court of Parliament, to put the sayd Arrest in execution, and