to geue other mē an ensample to beware how they cōmit such like offēce, what should it auaile? Did not Doct. Alen  

MarginaliaOf Doctour Alen the Cardinals Chaunceller, read before pag. 1121.most presumptuously now in your tyme, agaynst all hys allegeaunce, all that euer he could, to pull from you the knowledge of such plees, as belong vnto your hyghe Courtes, vnto an other Court in derogation of your crowne and dignitie? Did not also Doct. Horsey MarginaliaOf thys Doct. Horsey the Byshop of Londons Chauncellour, read before pag. 931.and hys complices most haynously (as all the worlde knoweth) murder in prison that honest Marchaūt Richard Hunne, for that he sued your writte of Premunire against a Priest that wrongfully helde hym in plee in a spirituall Court, for a matter wherof the knowledge belonged vnto your hygh Courtes? And what punishment was there done, that any man may take example of, to beware of lyke offence? Truly none, but that the one payd v.C.li. (as it is sayd) to the bildyng of your chamber, and when that payment was ones passed, the Captaines of hys kyngdome (because he faught so manfully agaynst your crown and dignitie) haue heaped to hym, benefice vpon benefice, so that he is rewarded Marginalia* X. times, that is, x. times as much as hee had in benefices before, and not as hee payde to the kyng. And although these murderers of Hunne were not recōpenced with x. tymes, or with iiij. tymes as much (which More denieth) yet cā he neuer be able to denie the substaunce of the storye, that is, that Hunne by these was brought to hys death, and that they being put to their fines, were afterward sufficiently recompenced with benefices vpon benefices.* x. tymes as much. The other (as it is sayd) payd vi.C.li. for hym and hys complices: which for because that hee had lykewyse fought so manfully agaynste your crowne & dignitie, was immediatly, as he had obteined your most gracious pardon, promoted by the captaines of his kyngdome, with benefice vpon benefice, to þ^e value of foure times as much. Who cā take example of punishment, to beware of such lyke offence? Who is he of theyr kyngdome, that will not rather take courage to commit lyke offence, seyng the promotions that fell to these men for theyr so offendyng? so weake and blunt is your sworde to strike at one of the offenders of thys croked and peruers generation.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaVnconuenient for a spirituall man to be Lord Chauncellour.And thys is by the reason that the chief instrument of your law, yea the chief of your Councell, and he whiche hath your sword in hys hand, to whom also all the other instrumentes are obedient, is alwayes a spirituall man, whiche hath euer such an inordinate loue vnto his owne kyngdome, that he will maynteyne that, thoughe all the temporall kyngdomes and common wealthes of the world, should therfore vtterly be vndone. Here leaue we out the greatest matter of all, MarginaliaMore expoundeth thys to meane the abuse of the sacrament of the altar.lest that we declaring such an horrible caren of euill agaynst the ministers of iniquitie, should seme to declare the one onely fault, or rather the ignoraunce of our best beloued minister of rightuousnes, whiche is to be hyd till hee may be learned by these small enormities that we haue spoken of, to know it playnly hym selfe.

[Back to Top]

But what remedy to releue vs your poore, sicke, lame, and sore bedemen? To make many hospitals for the relief of the poore people? Nay truly. MarginaliaPriestes turne the Hospitalls to theyr owne profite.The moe the worse, for euer the fat of the whole foundation hangeth on the Priestes beardes. Diuers of your noble predecessours, kynges of this realme, haue geuen landes to Monasteries, to gyue a certayne summe of money yearely to the poore people, whereof for the auncientye of the tyme, they giue neuer one peny. They haue lykewyse geuen to thē, to haue a certayn of Masses said daily for thē, wherof they say neuer one. If the Abbot of Westminster shoulde syng euery day as many Masses for hys founders, as he is bound to do by hys foundation, a M. Monkes were to few. Wherfore, if your grace will builde a sure hospital that neuer shall fayle, to releue vs all your poore bedemen, then take frō them all these thinges. Set these sturdy loubyes abroad in the worlde to get them wyues of theyr owne, to get theyr lyuyng with theyr labour, in the sweate of theyr faces, accordyng to the commaundement of God. Gen. 1. to geue other idle people by theyr example, occasion to go to labour.

[Back to Top]

Tye these holy idle theeues to the cartes, to be whypped naked about euery market towne, till they fall to labour, that they by theyr importunate beggyng, take not away the almes that the good Christē people would geue vnto vs, sore, impotent, miserable people, your bedemen. MarginaliaWhat wealth and goodnes cōmeth to the realme, by putting out Monkes, Friers, & Chauntries.Then shall aswell the number of our foresayd monstruous sorte, as of the baudes, whores, theeues, & idle people decrease. Then shall these great yearely exactions cease. Then shall not your sworde, power, crowne, dignitie, and obedience of your people bee translated from you. Then shall you haue full obedience of your people. Then shall the idle people be set to worke. Then shall matrimony be much better kept. Then shall the generation of your people be encreased. Then shall your commons encrease in riches. Then shall the Gospel be prea-ched. Then shall none begge our almes from vs. Then shall we haue enough and more, then shall suffice vs: whiche shalbe the best hospitall that euer was founded for vs. Then shall we dayly pray to God for your most noble estate, long to endure.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe supplication of the soules of Purgatorye, made by Syr Th. More, against the booke of beggars.Agaynst this booke of the Beggers, aboue prefixed, beyng written in the tyme of the Cardinall, an other cōtrary booke or supplication,  

was deuised and written shortly vpon the same, by one Syr Tho. More knyght,   Chauncellour of the Duchy of Lancaster, vnder the name and title of the poore selye soules pewlyng out of Purgatory. In the which booke, after that the sayd M. More writer therof hath first diuided the whole world into iiij. partes, that is, into heauen, hell, middle earth, and Purgatory: then he maketh the dead mens soules, by a rethoricall Prosopopœa,   to speake out of Purgatorye pynfold, sometymes lamentablye complaynyng, sometymes pleasauntly daylying and scoffyng at the authour of the Beggars booke, sometymes scoldyng and raylyng at hym, callyng hym foole, wytles, frantike, an asse, a goose, a madde dogge, an hereticke, and all that naught is. And no maruell, if these sely soules of Purgatory seme so fumishe and testie. For heate (ye knowe) is testye, and soone inflameth coller, but yet those Purgatorye soules must take good heede, how they call a man foole and hereticke so often. For if the sentence of the Gospell doth pronounce them giltie of hell fire, whiche say, fatue, foole: MarginaliaMath. 5.it may bee doubted lest those poore selye melancholy soules of Purgatory, callyng this man foole so oft as they haue done, do bryng them selues thereby out of Purgatory fire, to the fire of hell, by the iust sentēce of the Gospell: so that neither the 5. wondes of S. Frances, nor all the merites of S. Dominicke, nor yet of all the Friers can release them, poore wretches.   But yet for somuch as I do not, nor can not thinke, that those departed soules, either would so far ouershoote them selues if they were in Purgatory, or els that there is any such fourth place of Purgatory at all (vnles it be in M. Mores Vtopia) MarginaliaVtopia, that is to saye, Nusquā, no place.as M. Mores Poeticall vaine doth imagine,   I cease therfore to burden the soules departed, and lay all the wyte in M. More the author, & contriuer of this Poeticall booke, for not kepyng Decorum personæ, as a perfect Poete should haue done. They that giue preceptes of Arte, do note this in all Poeticall fictions, as a speciall obseruation, to foresee and expresse what is conueniēt for euery person, accordyng to his degree & condition, to speake and vtter. MarginaliaA Poete sayth Horace, Reddere personæ scit conuenientia cuiq́;.Wherefore if it be true that M. More sayth in the sequele of his booke, that grace and charitie increaseth in them that lye in the paynes of Purgatory, then is it not agreable, that such soules lying so long in Purgatory, should so soone forget their charitie, & fall a raylyng in their supplicatiō so fumishly, both agaynst this mā, with such opprobrious & vnfittyng termes, & also against Iohn Badby, Rich. Howndon, Iohn Gose, Lord Cobham,   & otherMartyrs of the Lord, burned for his word: also agaynst Luther, Williā Tindall, Rich. Hunne, & other moe, falsely belying the doctrine by thē taught & defended: which is not like that such charitable soules of Purgatorye would euer do, neither were it conuenient for them in that case, which in deede though their doctrine were false, should redoūde to þ^e more encrease of their payne. Agayne where þ^e B. of Rochester defineth   the aungels to be ministers to Purgatory soules, some will thinke peraduenture M. More to haue missed some parte of his Decorum, in makyng the euil spirite of the author & the deuill, to be messenger betwene midle earth, and Purgatory, in bringing tydynges to þ^e prisoned soules, both of the booke, and of the name of the maker.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaM. Mores Antikes.Now, as touchyng the maner how this deuill came into Purgatory, laughyng, grynnyng, and gnashing his teeth, in sothe it maketh me to laugh, to see the mery Antiques of M. More. Belyke then this was some mery deuill, Marginalia Satan nasturciatur.or els had eatē with his teeth some Nastur-