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1406 [1406]

K. Henry. 8. Doct. Barnes, Garret, and Hierome, Martyrs.

quaintaunce he had with hym. He sayd he knewe him not, but he had bene to seeke a Moonke of his acquaintaunce in that Colledge, who was not in his chāber, & therupō desired this his seruaunt (not knowing my chāber, for that I was newly remoued thether) to bring him to me: and so forth declared howe he was returned and taken that night in the priuie searche, as ye haue heard: MarginaliaThe miraculous deliueraunce of Garret out of the Cōmissaryes chamber.and that now when the Commissary and all his company were gone to Euensong, and had locked him alone in his chamber, he hearing no body stirring in the Colledge, put backe the barre of the locke with his finger, and so came straight vnto Glocester Colledge, to speake with that Moonke, if he had bene within, who had also bought bookes of him.

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Then sayd I vnto him: Alas M. Garret, by thys your vncircumspect comming vnto me, and speaking so before this yong man, you haue disclosed your selfe, and vtterly vndone me. I asked him why he went not vnto my brother with my letters accordingly. He said, after that he was gone a dayes iourney and a halfe, he was so fearefull, that his hart would no other, but that he must needes returne agayne vnto Oxforde, and so came agayne on Friday at night, and then was taken, as ye heard before. But now with deepe sighes, and plentie of teares, he prayed me to helpe to conuey hym away, MarginaliaGarret chaungeth his apparel & flyeth.and so he cast of his hoode and his gowne, wherin he came vnto me, & desired me to geue him a coate with sleeues, if I had any, and told me that he woulde go into Wales, and thence conuey him self into Germanie, if he might. Then I put on him a sleued coate of mine. He would also haue had an other maner of cappe of me, but I had none but priestlike, such as hys owne was.

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Thē kneeled we both down together on our knees & lifting vp our hartes and handes to God our heauēly father, desiring him with plentie of teares, so to conduct and prosper him in his iourney, that he might well escape the daunger of all his enemies, to the glorye of his holy name, if his good pleasure and will so were, MarginaliaThe parting betwene M. Garret & Dalaber.and then we embraced and kyssed the one the other, the teares so aboundantly flowing out from both our eyes, that we all bewet both our faces, and scarcely for sorrow could we speake one to the other, and so he departed from me, apparaled in my coate, being committed vnto the tuition of our almightie and all mercifull father.

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When he was gone downe the staires from my chamber, I straightwaies did shut my chamber doore, and went into my study, and tooke the new Testament in my handes, kneeled downe on my knees, and wyth many a deepe sigh and salt teare, I did with much deliberation reade ouer the. x. chapter of S. Mathew hys Gospell  

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This chapter consists of Jesus' commission to his disciples to go forth and preach like sheep among wolves, and to trust in divine protection: its resonance in this situation is plain.

: and when I had so done, MarginaliaDalabers prayer for M. Garret.with feruent praier I did commit vnto God, that our dearelye beloued brother Garret, earnestly beseching him, in and for Iesus Christes sake, his onely begotten sonne our Lord, that he would vouchsafe, not onely safelye to conduct & keepe our sayd deare brother, from the handes of all his enemies, but also that he would endewe his tender and lately borne little flocke in Oxford, with heauenly strength by his holy spirite, that they might be wel able thereby valiauntly to withstand, to his glory, all their fierce enemies, and also might quietly, to theyr owne saluation, with all godly patience, beare Christes heauy crosse, which I now saw was presently to be layde on their young and weake backes, vnable to beare so huge a burdē, without þe great helpe of his holy spirite.

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This done, I layd a side my bookes safe, folded vp M. Garrets gowne and hoode, and layde them into my presse among myne apparell, and so hauing put on my short gowne, shut vp my study and chamber dores, and went towardes Friswides, to speake with MarginaliaM. Clarke a famous or worthy learned man.that worthy Martir of God M. Clarke, and others, and to declare vnto them what had happened that after noone. But of purpose I went by S. Mary Church, to go first vnto Corpus Christi Colledge, to speake with MarginaliaM. Diet. M. Vdall.Diet and Vdall, my faythfull brethrē & fellowes in þe Lord there. But by chaūce I met by þe way with a brother of ours, MarginaliaM. Eeden.one M. Eeden, fellow of Magdalen Colledge, who, as soone as he saw me, came with a pitifull countenaunce vnto me, saying that we were al vndone, for M. Garrett was returned agayne to Oxford, taken the last night in the priuy searche, & was in prison with the Cōmissary. I said it was not so. He said it was so. I tolde him it could not be so, for I was sure he was gone. He aunswered me & sayd, I know he was gone with your letters, but he came againe yesterday in the euen, & was takē in his bed at Radleis this night in þe priuye search: for (quod he) I heard our Proctour M. Cole say and declare the same this day in our Colledge, to diuers of the house. But I told him againe, that I was well assured hee was now gone, for I spake with him later then either the Proctor or Commissary did, and then I declared the whole matter vnto him, how and when he came vnto me, and how he went his way, wylling him to declare the same vnto other our brethren whom he should meete withall, and to geue God harty thanks for this his wonderfull deliueraunce, and to pray hym also that he would graunt him safely to passe away frō all his enemies, & told him that I was going vnto maister Clarke of Friswides, to declare vnto him this matter, for I knew, and thought verely, that he and diuers others there, were then in great sorow for this matter. Then I went straight to Friswides, & Euensong was begon, and the Deane & the other Canons were there in their gray Amices: they were almost at Magnificat before I came thether. I stoode at the quier doore, and heard MarginaliaM. Tauerner.maister Tauerner play, and others of the Chappell there sing, with and among whom I my selfe was wont to sing also, but now my singing and musick was turned into sighing and musing.

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As I thus and there stoode, in cōmeth D. Cotisford the Commissary, as fast as euer he could go, bare headed, as pale as ashes (I knew his griefe well inough) and to the Deane he goeth into the Quire, where hee was sitting in his stall, and talked with him verye sorrowfully: MarginaliaThe Pharisies troubled at M. Garrets escape out of prison.what I know not, but whereof I might and did well and truly gesse. I went a side from the Quire doore, to see and heare more. The Commissarie and Deane came out of the Quire wonderfullye troubled, as it seemed. About the middle of the church met them D. London, puffing, blustering, and blowing lyke a hungry and greedy Lion seeking his pray. They talked together a while, but the Commissary was muche blamed of them for keeping of his prisoner so negligently, in somuch that he wept for sorrow: and it was knowē abroade, that Maister Garret was escaped, and gone out of the Commissaries chamber at Euensong time, but whether, no man could tell. These Doctours departed, and sent abroade, their seruauntes and spyes euerye where. MarginaliaM. Clarke.Maister Clarke about the myddle of Compline, came forth of the Queere: I folowed hym to his chamber, and declared what was happened that after noone, of maister Garrets escape. He was glad, for he knew of his foretaking. Then he sent for one MarginaliaM. Sumner. M. Bettes.Maister Sumner & Maister Bettes, fellowes and Canons there. In the meane whyle he gaue me a very godlye exhortation, praying God to geue me and all the rest of our brethren, prudentiam serpentinam, & simplicitatem columbinam, for we should haue shortly muche neede thereof, as he verely thought. When M. Sumner and M. Bets were come vnto him, he caused me to declare againe the whole matter vnto them two, and they were very glad, that Maister Garret was so deliuered, trusting that he should escape all his enemies. Then desiring them to tell vnto our other brethren, what was happened (for there were diuers other in that Colledge) I went to Corpus Christi Colledge to cōfort our brethrē, there being in like heauines. There

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