the church, to harken and heare what men sayd, and to marke who did not reuerence the Sacrament at the leuation time, and to bring hys name to Doctour London. And of these spies some were Chauntrye Priestes: MarginaliaW. Bowes Priest. Doct. Londons spye.among the which there was one notable spie, whose name was called Syr Williā Bowes, such a fleering Priest, as woulde be in euerye corner of the Church pattering to him selfe, with his Portuous
I.e., his breviary.
This is an important indication that Marbeck himself was the source of this narrative.
MarginaliaWinchester & Wrisley complayne to the kyng of the Gospellers.Now bishop Gardiner, which had conceiued a farther fetch in his brayne then doctor London had, made Wriesley and other of the Counsaile on his side, and spying a time conuenient, went to the king, complayning what a sort of heretickes his Grace had in hys realme, & how they were not only crept into euery corner of his Court, but euen into his priuie Chāber, beseching therfore hys Maiestie, that his lawes might be prosecuted. The king geuing credite to þe Counsailes woordes, was content his lawes shoulde be executed on such as were offenders. MarginaliaWinchester procureth a priuie search in Windsore.Then had the bishop that he desired, and forthwith procured a Commission for a priuie search to bee had in Wyndesore for bookes and letters that Anthony Person should send abrod, which Commission the king graunted to take place in the towne of Wyndesore, but not in the Castel.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDoct. Haynes Deane of Excester accused to the Counsaile.At this time the Canons of Fxcester (specially Sutharne, Treasurer of the Church, and Doctor Brurewod the Chauncelour) had accused Doctor Haynes their Deane, to the Counsell, for preaching against holy bread and holy water: and that he should say in one of hys Sermons (hauing occasion to speake of Matrimonie) that mariage and hanging were desteny: vpon the which they gathered treason against him, because of the kinges mariage
The reference is both to the execution of Katherine Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife, in 1542, and to the king's next marriage, to Katherine Parr, in 1543.
MarginaliaThe secret search beginneth.Now, as touching the Commission for searching of bookes, Maister Warde & Fachell of Reding were appoynted Commissioners, who came to Wyndesore the Thursday before Palme Sondaye, in the yeare of our Lord. 1543. and began their search about a. xi. of the clocke at night. MarginaliaBennet, Filmer, Testwoode, & Marbecke, apprehended for bookes agaynst the vj. Articles.In the whiche search were apprehended Robet Bennet, Henry Filmer, Iohn Marbecke, and Robert Testwod, for certayne bookes and wrytinges found in their houses against the sixe Articles, and kept in Warde tyll Monday after, and then set vp to the Counsaile, all saue Testwod, with whom the baliffes of the towne were charged, because he laye sore diseased on the Goute. The other three being examined before the Counsayle, were committed to prison, Filmer and Benet to the Bishop of Londons Gayle, and Marbecke to the Marshalsey. Whose examinatiō is here set out, to declare the great goodnes of the Coūsaile, and the crueltie of the Bishop.
[Back to Top]Actually 1543, not 1544.
MarginaliaThe first examination of Marbecke.THis Marbecke had begon a great woorke in Englishe, MarginaliaThe Concordaunce of the Bible in Englishe by Marbecke.called þe Concordance of the Bible. Which booke beyng not halfe finished, was among his other bokes, taken in the search, and had vp to the Coūsaile. And when he came before them to bee examined, the whole worke laye before the Bishop of Winchester, Steuen Gardiner, at the vpper end of the boorde. Who beholdyng the poore man a while, sayd: Marbecke, doest thou know wherefore thou art sent for? No my Lord, quoth he. No, quoth þe byshop? That is a marueilous thyng. Forsoth my Lord, quoth he, vnles it be for a certaine search made of late in Wyndsore, I can not tel wherfore it should be. Then thou knowest the matter wel enough, quoth the Bishop, & takyng vp a quere of þe Concordance in his hand, said: vnderstādest thou the Latin toūg? No my Lord, quoth he, but simply. No quoth the Byshop? MarginaliaWrisley Secretary to the king, and after L. Chauncellour.And with that spake M. Wrisley (then Secretary to the kyng) he sayth but simply. I can not tell, quoth the Byshop, but the booke is translated worde for word, out of the Latine Concordance, and so began to declare to the rest of the Counsaile the nature of a Concordance, and how it was first compiled in Latine by þe great diligence of þe learned men for þe ease of preachers concluding with this reason, MarginaliaWinchesters reasons, how the Concordance in English would destroy the Latin tong.that if such a boke shuld go forth in English, it would destroy the Latin toung: And so castyng down þe quere againe, he reached an other booke, which was the booke of Esay þe Prophet, & turning to þe last Chapter, gaue þe booke to Marbecke, & asked hym who had written þe note in the Margent. The other lookyng vppon it, sayd: forsoth my Lord I wrote it. Read it, quoth the Byshop. Then hee read it thus: Heauen is my Seate, and the earth is my foote stoole.
Isaiah 66: 6.
MarginaliaThe 2. examination of Marbecke.ON the next day (whiche was Tuesday) by 8. of the clocke in the mornyng, there came one of the Byshop of Wynchesters gentlemen into the Marshalsey, whose man brought after hym two great bookes vnder his arme, and findyng Marbecke walkyng vp & down in the chappell, demaunded of the keper why hee was not in yrons. I had no such cōmaundement, quoth he: for the messenger whiche brought hym yesternyght frō the Counsaile sayd, it was their pleasure, he should bee gently vsed. My Lord, quoth þe gentleman, will not bee
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