Marginalia1555. March.Farrar. If it please your lordship, how should I know any thing abroad being a prisoner?
Winch. Haue ye not heard of the comming in of the Lord Cardinall?
Farrar. I know not my Lord Cardinall, but I heard that a Cardinall was come in, but I did not beleue it, and I beleue it not yet.
Worcest. I pray your Lordship (sayd þe B. of Worcester) tell him your self, that he may know what is done.
Winch. The Queenes Maiestie and the Parlament hath restored religion into the same state it was in at the beginning of þe raigne of king Henry the eight. MarginaliaB. Farrar charged with the Queenes debt.Ye are in the Queenes debt, & her maiesty will be good vnto you , if you will returne to the catholicke church.
[Back to Top]Farrar. In what state I am concerning my debtes to the Quenes maiesty in þe court of Exchecker, my Lord Treasurer knoweth: and the last time that I was before your honour and the first tyme also, MarginaliaB. Farrar refuseth the Pope.I shewed you that I had made an othe neuer to cōsent nor agree, that the bishop of Rome shoulde haue any power or iurisdiction within this realme: and further, I neede not to rehearse to your Lordship: you know it wel enough.
Ferrar is referring here to Stephen Gardiner's De vera obedientia, a treatisewritten in 1535 (STC 11584), arguing for royal, rather than papal supremacy over the English church. The protestants frequently reminded Gardiner of this work in Mary's reign; numerous editions of it were even printed by illicit Protestant presses (STC 1185-7).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaMaister Bourne layeth to B. Farrar falsly to haue abiured at Oxford.Bourne. You were once abiured for heresie (sayd M. Bourne) in Oxford.
Ferrar had been implicated in a crackdown on heresy which Wolsey had conducted in Oxford in 1528. Ferrar was eventually released, but it is unclear whether or not he actually abjured (Brown, pp. 17-19).
Farrar. That was I not.
Bourn. You were.
Farrar. I was neuer: it is not true.
Bourn. You went from S. Dauids to Scotland.
Bourne is referring to Ferrar's having been on an embassy to Scotland, led by William Barlow, in 1535. (Bourne was wrong in thinking Ferrar had been bishop of St David's at the time). A. J. Brown argues that Bourne was trying to implicate Ferrar in treason with a foreign power (Brown, p. 236). It is more likely that he was trying to establish that Ferrar had neglected his diocese.
[Back to Top]Farrar. That dyd I not.
Bourn. You dyd.
Farrar. That did I neuer, but I went from Yorke in to Scotland.
Bourn. Ah so sayd I: you went with Barlow.
Farrar. That is true, but neuer from S. Dauies.
Bourn. You caried bookes out of Oxforde to the Archbyshop of Yorke, L. Lee.
Ferrar had been prior of St Oswald's Priory at Nostell, Yorkshire. When the house was dissolved, Ferrar sent its books to Edward Lee, the archbishop of York (Brown, p. 76). Bourne, intentionally or not, garbled the details of the incident and was implying that Ferrar stole books from Oxford.
Farrar. That did I not.
Bourn. You did.
Farrar. I did not, but I carried olde bookes from S. Oswaldes to the Byshop of Yorke.
MarginaliaB. Farrar falsly charged to haue supplanted his Maister, whom in deede he defended from danger.Bourn. You supplanted your Maister.
Bourne was referring to a baseless claim that Ferrar had forced his predecessor as prior of St Oswald's from office (Brown, pp. 46-47).
Farrar. That did I neuer in my lyfe.
Bourn. By my fayth you dyd.
Farrar. Forsooth I dyd not, neuer in my lyfe, but I dyd sheeld and saue my maister from daunger, and that I obtained of king Henry the eight for my true seruice I thanke God therefore.
Bourn. My Lord (sayd M. Bourne to my L. Chauncellor) he hath an ill name in Wales, as euer had any.
Farrar. That is not so. Whosoeuer sayth so, they shal neuer be hable to proue it.
Bourn. He hath deceiued þe Queene in diuers sūmes of money.
Ferrar was charged with owing the Crown money from taxes imposed on him as bishop of St David's; Bourne interpreted this as being due to fraud.
Farrar. That is vtterly vntrue. I neuer deceiued King nor Queene of one peny in my lyfe, and you shall neuer be hable to proue that you say.
Winch. Thou art a false knaue.
Farrar. Then Farrar stoode vp vnbydden (for al that while he kneeled) and sayd: no my Lord, I am a true man, I thanke God for it.MarginaliaB. Farrar stoutly stādeth vpon his truth. I was borne vnder kyng Henry the seuenth, I serued king Henry the eight, and king Edward the sixt truly, & haue serued the Queenes maiesty that now is, truly with my poore hart & word: more I could not doe, and I was neuer false, nor shall be by the grace of God.
[Back to Top]Winch. How sayest thou? wilt thou be reformable?
MarginaliaB. Farrar standeth to his oth made to the kyng agaynst the Pope.Farrar. My Lord, if it like your honor, I haue made an oth to God and to king Henry the eight, and also to king Edward, and in that to the Queenes Maiesty, the which I can neuer breake while I liue, to die for it.
Duresme. You had made an other oth before.
Farrar. No my Lorde, I made neuer none other oth before.
Duresme. You made a vow.
Farrar. That dyd I not.
Winch. You made a profession to lyue wtout a wyfe.
Farrar. No my Lord, if it like your honour, that dyd I neuer. MarginaliaVow of chastitie, is not to liue without wife.I made a profession to lyue chaste, not wythout a wyfe.
Worcest. You were sworne to hym that was maister of your house.
Farrar. That was I neuer.
Winch. Well, you are a froward knaue: we wyl haue no more to doe with you: seing that you wil not come, we wyll bee short with you, and that you shall knowe within this seuennight.
Farrar. I am as it pleaseth your honor to call me, but I can not breake my oth which MarginaliaWinchesters periurie touched.your Lordshyp your selfe made before me, and gaue in example: the which confirmed my conscience. Then I can neuer breake that oth whilest I lyue, to die for it.
Duresme. Well sayth he, he standeth vpon hys oth: call an other.
My Lord Chauncellour then dyd ryng a litle bell, and M. Farrer sayd: I pray God saue the Kyng and Queenes maiesties long to continue in honor to Gods glory and their comforts, and the comfort of the whole Realme, and I pray God saue all your honours, and so he departed.
After these examinations thus ended, bishop Farrar so remayned in prison vncondemned, till the. xiiij. day (as is aforesayd) of February, and then was sent downe into Wales, there to receaue sentence of condemnation. Who then vpon the. 26. day of February in the church of Carmarthē being brought by Griffith Leyson Esquier, Shiriffe of the Countie of Carmarthen, was there personally presented before MarginaliaB. Farrar brought before D. Morgan pretensed B. of S. Dauids.Henry B. of S. Dauids, and Constantine the publicke Notarie:
This is George Constantine, Ferrar's nemesis, who had accused Ferrar of lacking zeal in carrying out Edward VI's religious reforms. Constantine was diocesan registrar and he was acting in that capacity, rather than as a mere notary.
The accounts of Ferrar's examinations in Carmarthen and the copies of his condemnation and degradation were taken from official records which are now lost. They may well have been sent to Foxe by the person or persons who sent him the records of Ferrar's troubles in Edward VI's reign.
MarginaliaArticles obiected against B. Farrar.1 FIrst, whether he beleueth the mariage of Priestes to be lawful by the lawes of God and holye church or no.
2 Item, whether he beleueth, that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultar, after the wordes of consecration duly pronounced by the Priest, the very body and bloud of Christ is really and substantially contayned, without the substaunce of bread and wyne.
Vnto the which articles the sayd Bishop required the sayd M. Farrar to aunswer vpon his allegeaunce.
To which he sayd, MarginaliaThe answere of Byshop Farrar.he would aunswere when he saw a lawfull commission, and would make no further answere at that tyme. Whereupon the sayd Byshop, taking no aduantage vpon the same answere, committed hym to the said keeper, to be kept in prison vntill a new monition, and in the meane tyme to deliberate wyth hym selfe for his further answere to the premisses.
[Back to Top]The accounts of Ferrar's examinations in Carmarthen and the copies of his condemnation and degradation were taken from official records which are now lost. They may well have been sent to Foxe by the person or persons who sent him the records of Ferrar's troubles in Edward VI's reign.
MarginaliaAn other examination of B. Farrar.THis day and place Morgan the pretensed Byshop of Saint Dauies sitting as iudge ministred vnto Byshop Farrar, there personally present before hym, certayne Articles and Interrogatories in writyng, which beyng openly read and ministred vnto hym, the