Marginalia1555. March.complexion, and withal very soft in speech and gesture. Now he went and stretched vp him selfe, not onely bolt vpright, but also bare withall a most pleasant and comfortable countenaunce, not without great courage and audacitie both in spoeche and in behauiour. He had (of which thing I should haue spoken before) about hys head a kerchiefe. The heares of hys head (somewhat appearing beneath hys kerchiefe) and also of hys beard were more inclined to white then to gray: which gaue such a shew and countenance to his whole person that he seemed to be altogether angelicall.

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It is also sayd by thys reporter, that a litle before the fyre flashed vp to hys body (as ye haue heard) many of hys friends came to him, and tooke him by the hand amongst whom MarginaliaThe reporter of this story one M. DaNe.the reporter of this story held hym so long by the hand, tyll the flame of the fire rose, and forced them to sunder. In the meane tyme the priest (of whom I spake afore, cryed out, and sayd that it was not lawfull for any man to take him by the hand, because he was an hereticke, & cōdemned by the church. The chiefe cause of hys trouble was hys opinion touching the sacrament of the aultar. He was at the time of hys death, of the age of threescore yeare, or thereaboutes.

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BEfore I passe ouer this month of March, I can not but leaue a litle memorandū of the wordes or consultation of Queene Mary vsed to certaine of the Coūsaile, the 28. day of the said moneth of March, touching the restoryng agayne of the Abbay landes. Who after she had called vnto her presence iiij. of her priuy Counsayle, the day & moneth aforesayd: the names of which Counsailours were these:

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MarginaliaThe names of the Counsellers called before Queene Mary.1. William Lord Marques of Winchester, high Treasurer of England.

2. Syr Robert Rochester Knight, the Queenes Controller.

3. Syr William Peter Knyght Secretary.

4. Syr Fraunces Inglefield Knyght, Maister of the Wardes:MarginaliaThe effect of Queene Maryes wordes touching Abbay landes to be restored.The sayd Queene Mary inferred these wordes: the principall effect and summe whereof here followeth. You are here of our Counsaill, and we haue willed you to be called vnto vs to the entent ye might heare of me my conscience, and the resolution of my minde concernyng the lands and possessions as well of Monasteries, as other Churches whatsoeuer, beyng now presently in my possession.

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First I do consider, that the sayd landes were taken away from the Churches aforesayd in tyme of schisme, and that by vnlawfull meanes, such as are cōtrary both to the law of God and of the Church. MarginaliaThe Queene taketh a conscience in keeping Abbay landes.For the which cause my conscience doth not suffer me to deteine thē: and therfore I here expresly refuse either to claime or to reteine the sayd landes for myne, but with all my hart, freely, and willyngly without all paction or condition, here and before God I do surrēder & relinquishe, the sayd landes and possessions or inheritaunces what soeuer, MarginaliaThe Queene surrēdreth from her selfe the possessiō of Abbay landes.and do renounce the same with this mynd and purpose, that order and disposition therof may be takē, as shall seeme best likyng to our most holy lord þ^e Pope, or els his Legate the Lord Cardinall, to the honour of God and wealth of this our Realme.

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And albeit you may obiect to me agayne, that consideryng the state of my kyngdome, the dignitie therof, and my crowne Imperiall can not be honorably mainteined & furnished without the possessiōs aforesaid: yet notwithstādyng I set more by the saluatiō of my soule, then by x. kyngdomes, and therfore the sayd possessiōs I vtterly refuse here to hold after that sorte and title, and giue most harty thankes to almighty God, which hath geuen me an husband lykewise mynded with no

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lesse good affection in this behalfe, then I am my selfe.

MarginaliaPromise for restitution of Abbay landes.Wherfore I charge & commaund, that my Chaūcellour (with whom I haue conferred my mynde in this matter before) and you iiij. to morow together do resorte to the most reuerend Lord Legate, and do signifie to him the premisses in my name, and giue your attendaunce vppon him for the more full declaration of the state of my kyngdome, and of the foresayd possessions accordyngly as you your selues do vnderstād the matter, and can informe him in the same.

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This Intimation beyng giuen by the Queene, first vnto the Counsellours, and then commyng to the Cardinals hād, he drawyng out a copy therof in Latin, sent the same to the Pope: which copie drawen into Latin and cōmyng afterward to my hand, I haue thus translated into English, as ye haue heard.

MarginaliaAmbassadours sent frō England to Rome. Februa. 19.Furthermore here by the way is to be vnderstand, that in the moneth before, which was February, and in the xix. day of the sayd moneth, the Byshop of Ely, with the Lord Mountacute, and vij. score horse, were sent as Ambassadours from the Kyng and Queene vnto Rome. For what cause in story it is not expressed, but by coniecture it may be well supposed to be for the same cause of Abbay landes, as by the sequele therof may probably appeare.

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For it was not long after, but the Pope did set forth in Print MarginaliaThe Popes bull for restitution of Abbay landes.a Bul for excommunication of all maner such persons, without exception, as kept any of the Church or Abbay landes:  

by vertue of which Bull the Pope excommunicated as well all such as had any of the Church or Abbay landes, as also all such Princes, Byshops, noble men, Iustices of peace, and other in office, who had not, or dyd not forthwith put the same Bull in execution. Albeit this execution (God be thanked) yet to this day was neuer put in practise.

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Wherein agayne is to be obserued an other catholicke fetch, not vnworthy perchaunce of marking. For where this kynde of catholickes by rigour and force may ouermaister, they spare for no cost, but lay on load inough. This well appeared, and still doth appeare in burning the poore pacient Christians, whom because they see to be destitute of power and strength to resist them, and content wyth patience to receaue whatsoeuer is put vnto them, MarginaliaNote the nature of the Papistes where they can ouercome, they are Lions: where they are ouermatched, they play the Foxes.there they play the Lyons, and make no end of bnrning and persecuting. But where they spie them selues to be ouermatched, or feare to receaue a foyle in presuming to farre, there they keepe in, and can stay the execution of theyr lawes & Bulles be they neuer so Apostolicall, tyll they spye theyr tyme conuenient for their purpose, as in thys case is euident for all the world to see.

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For notwithstanding that the Popes Bull cōming downe wyth full authoritye for restitution of Abbey landes,MarginaliaHere lacked no good will in the Bishops, but time as yet dyd not serue them.dyd so thunder out most terrible excommunication, not onely against them which deteined any such landes, but also agaynst all other that dyd not see the Popes commaundement to bee executed, yet neyther Winchester, nor any of all the Popes Clergie would greatly styrre in that matter, perceauing the nobility to be to strong for them to match withall, and therefore were contented to let the case fall, or at least to stay for a tyme, whyle tyme might better serue them. Yea and moreouer vnder crafty pretense,MarginaliaFalse dissemblyng in the Popes Catholicke Church. that the nobilitie and men of landes at the first comming out of the Bull, should not bee exasperate to much agaynst them, they subtilly abused the Pulpits, & dissembled wyth the people,  

affirming, that þ^e sayd Popes late Bull set forth in prynt for restitution of Abbey lands, was not ment for Englād, but for other forrein countreyes, where in very deede the meaning of that Bull was onely for England and no coūtrey els, as both by thys Intimation of Queene Mary here mentioned, and by many other cōiectures, and also by MarginaliaM. Fecknams ballet of Caueat Emptor.M. Fecknams Ballet   of Caueat Emptor, may appeare.   Whereby it is easy for all men

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