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1429 [1429]

K. Hen. 8. Persecutiō in Windsore. Testwood, Filmer, Person, Marbecke, Bennet.

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  

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I.e., his breviary.

in hys hand, to heare and to note the gesture of men towards the Sacrament. Thus when they had gathered as much as they could, and made a perfect booke thereof: Doctor London with two of his Catholicke brethren moe, gatte them vp to the Bishop of WinchesterMarginaliaSte. Gardiner a persecuter.Steuen Gardiner, with a great complaynt against the heretickes that were in Wyndesore, MarginaliaD. Londons complaint to St. Gardiner.declaring vnto hym how the towne was sore disquieted thorow their doctrine and euyll example. Wherfore they besought hys Lordships helpe, in purging the towne and Castle of such wycked persons. The Bishop hearing their complaint, & seing their booke, praysed their doings, and bad them make friendes and go forward, and they should not lacke his helpe. Then they applied the matter with tooth and nayle, MarginaliaWhat coste the Papistes can be at, to trouble their euen Christen.sparing for no money nor paynes taking: as Marbecke sayth  
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This is an important indication that Marbeck himself was the source of this narrative.

that he him self heard one of them say, who was a great doer therein, and afterward sory for that he had done, that the sute thereof cost him that yeare for his part onely, an hundreth markes, beside the death of. 3. good geldynges.

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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.

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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  

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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.

. The bishop of Wynchester (at the same time) had also enformed the counsayle of maister Hobby, how he was a bearer of Antony Person, and a great maintainer of heretickes. MarginaliaM. Hobby & Doct. Haynes sent to the Fleete.Wherupon both he and Doctor Haynes were apprehended and sent to the Fleete. But it was not very long after, ere that by mediation of friendes, they were both deliuered.

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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.

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¶ The first examination of Iohn Marbecke before the Counsaile, on the Monday after Palme Sonday. 1544.  
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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.  

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Isaiah 66: 6.

Nay, quoth the Byshop, read it as thou haddest written it. Then shall I read it wrong, quoth he, for I had writtē it false. How haddest thou written it, quoth the Byshop? I had written it, quoth he, thus: Heauen is my Seate, & earth is not my footestoole. Yea Mary, quoth þe Bishop, that was thy meanyng. No my Lord, quoth hee, it was but an ouersight in writyng, for, as your Lordship seeth, this worde (Not) is blotted out. At this time came other matters vnto þe Coūsail, so that Marbecke was had out to the next chamber. And when hee had stand there a while, one of the Counsaile (named Syr Anthony Wyngfield Captaine of þe garde) came forth,MarginaliaMarbecke sent to the Marshalsey. and calling for Marbecke, committed him to one Belson of the garde, saying vnto hym on this wise: Take this man and haue hym to the Marshalsey, & tell the keper that it is the Coūsailes pleasure, that he shall entreate hym gently. And if he haue any money in hys purse (as I thinke he hath not much) take you it from hym, lest the prisoners doe take it, and minister it vnto him as he shall haue nede. And so the messenger departed with Marbecke to the Marshalsey, and did his cōmission most faithfully and truly, both to the keper and to the prisoner, as he was commaunded.

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¶ The second examination of Marbecke, before the Byshops Gentleman in the Marshalsey.

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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