Marginalia1555. Aprill.MarginaliaG. Marsh writeth his owne examinations.FOr asmuch as not onely when I was at Lathum, but also since I departed thēce, I heare that there be diuers and sondry reportes and opinions of the cause of myne imprisonment, as wel at Lathum as at Lancaster, (as by credible persons I am informed) some saying, it was onely because I would not do open penaunce, and some because I could not agree with my Lord and hys counsell concernyng the Sacrament of Christes body and bloud, and the maner of Christes presēce there: some because I would not graunt it sufficient and accordyng to Christes institution the lay people to receiue the sayd Sacramēt vnder the one kynd only: I thought it good, dearly beloued in Christ, and my boūden duety, to certifie you by myne owne hand writyng, of myne examination and handlyng at Lathum, and to tell you the truth as neare as I could, to quiet your mindes in this behalf, and therfore I haue here writtē with myne owne haud, the certeinty of those thinges as neare as I could, here aboue expressed, not omittyng any thyng at all cōcernyng Religion, wherof they did examine me: howbeit I perceiue in some thynges, I kepe not the same order in writyng that thing which was asked by thē, & aunswered by me afore or after, as it was in very dede in al pointes, sauing this, telling þ^e truth as neare as I can, desiryng you to accept in good worthe this my good will, & to pray for me and all them that be in bondes, that God would assist vs with his holy spirite, that we may with boldnes confesse his holy name, and that Christ may be magnified in our bodyes, that we may stand full & perfect in all the will of God: to whom be al honour and glory world without end. Amen.

And thus you haue heard all þ^e whole trouble which George Marsh susteined at Lathum, and also at Lancaster, testified and written with hys owne hand: wherto he addeth moreouer and sayth.

While I was (sayth he) in Ward at Lathū, diuers at sondry times came vnto me. Some said vnto me that all my felowes had recanted & were gone home, where as in dede that was not so, for I saw diuers of them diuers tymes after. Other sayd that it was reported amōgest my Lordes houshold, that I had consented and agreed in all thinges with my Lord and his counsell.

Furthermore, while I was at Lācaster, at this Session tyme many came to me to talke with me, some of good will towardes me, but without knowledge gaue me such like counsell, MarginaliaPeters counsell to Christ, to saue hymselfe.as Peter gaue Christ as he went vp to Ierusalem, when he tooke him aside and began to rebuke hym: saying, Maister fauour thy selfe: this thyng shall not be vnto thee. But I aunswered with Christes sharpe aunswere vnto Peter agayn: who turned about & sayd vnto Peter, come after me Sathan, and perceiuyng that they were an in hinderaunce vnto me, and that they fauoured not the thynges which are of God, but the thynges that are of men, I made them plaine aunswere that I neither could ne would folow their counsell, but that by Gods grace I would both lyue and dye with a pure conscience and accordyng as hetherto I had beleued and professed. MarginaliaG. Marsh followeth Christes answere to Peter.For we ought in no wise to flatter and beare with thē, though they loue vs neuer so well, which goe about to plucke vs away from the obedience that we owe vnto God and to his word, but after Christes example sharply to rebuke thē for their counsell.

Some others, yea euen straungers also, came to me farre vnlyke to these, who after sober communication had, consented with me in all thinges, lamenting much my troublous estate, geuing me comfortable woordes, and some money to, and resorted to me often times, for the space of two, three, or foure dayes. There came also many priestes to me, by. ij. iij. iiij. v. or. vj. at once, whose mouth it was a thing easy enough to stop, for the Priestes (which is much to be lamented) be not alwaies greatest clarkes and best learned in the law of God.MarginaliaPriestes not alwayes the greatest clerkes. At their departing they eyther consented wyth me, or els had nothing to say agaynst me, saying they could finde no fault with my woordes. My communication wyth them was about the Sacrament. There

came also into the prison to me Maister Westby, Maister Asshton of Hyll, Maister Asshton of Chaterton, & many moe both gentlemen and others, to my great cōfort. Vnto whom I had good occasion to vtter a great part of my conscience: for MarginaliaG. Marsh strēgthened in prison with the boldnes of Gods spirite.God so strēgthened me wyth hys spirite of boldnes, according to my humble request & prayer before (euerlasting thākes be geuē hym therfore) that I was nothing afrayd to speake to any that came to me, no not euen to Iudges them selues, before whom I was thrise arraygned at the barre amongest the theeues with yrons on my feete, and put vp my hand as others dyd, but yet with boldnes I spake vnto them so long as they would suffer me.

They also sent for me the fourth tyme into their chāber, where amōgest other things they layd it straitly to my charge, that I had reported that I knew an whole messe of good Gentlemen in Lancashire of myne opinion, and straitly charged me vppon paine of allegiance to the Queenes grace, to shewe who they were. But I denied þ^t I had spoken any such thing (as it was in deede a false foreged lye of some wycked wretches.) After that, they threatned & rebuked me, for my preaching to the people out of the pryson, as they called it, and for my praying and reading so loud, that the people in the streetes might heare. The truth is, I and my prisō fellow MarginaliaWarbarton felow prisoner wyth Marsh.Warbarton, euery day kneeling on our knees dyd read morning and euening prayer, with the English Letany euery day twyse, both before noone and after, wyth other prayers moe, and also read euery day certayne chapters of the Bible, commonly towardes nyght: MarginaliaG. Marsh reproued for loud praying and readyng in prison.and we read all these thinges with so hye and loud a voyce, that the people without in the streetes, might heare vs, and would often tymes, namely in the euenings, come and sit down in our sightes vnder the wyndowes and heare vs read, wherewith others being offended, complayned.

All this while George Marsh was not yet brought before the Byshop, whose name was D. Cotes, placed the same time in the Byshoprike of Chester. Of whose commyng then vnto Lācaster, the sayd George Marsh reporteth him selfe as foloweth.

MarginaliaDoct. Coates Bishop of Chester.THe Bishop beyng at Lancaster, there set vp and cōfirmed all blasphemous Idolatry, as holy water castyng, procession gaddyng, Mattens mumblyng, children cōfirmyng, Masse hearyng, Idols vp settyng, with such hethenish rites forbidden by God:MarginaliaThe Bishops comming to Lancaster, and setting vp Idolatry. but no Gospell preachyng, which Christ Gods sonne so earnestly commaunded. He was informed of me and willed to send for me and to examine me. Which thyng he refused to do, saying: he would haue nothyng to do with heretickes so hastely: MarginaliaThe Byshop iudgeth Marsh to be an hereticke, before he heareth hym.So hasty in Iudgement and callyng men heretickes are our Bishops in their Lordly dignities, afore they heare or see, what is to be amēded or cōdemned, cōtrary to the expresse cōmaūdement of Gods word, which sayth: MarginaliaHasty iudgement of Byshops reproued by Gods word.Condēne no mā before thou hast tryed out the truth of the matter, and when thou hast made inquisition, then reforme righteously. Geue no sentēce before thou hast heard the cause, but first let men tell out their tale, and he that geueth sentence in a matter before he heare it, is a foole and worthy to be confounded.

MarginaliaThe vnmercifull straitnes of the Bishop toward G. Marsh in prison.And in stead of his liberaltie towardes me poore prisoner, he sent for the Iayler and rebuked hym because he suffered me to fare so well, willing to haue me more straitly kept and dieted: but if his Lordshyp were tabled but one weeke with me, I do thinke he would iudge our fare but slender enough.

Also, he and his Chapleins and Chauncellor did find fault with the MarginaliaThe scholemaster of Lancaster rebuked for comming to G. Marsh in prison.Scholemaister and others, for speakyng to one as to a most heynous hereticke, and also with the Iaylor for sufferyng them. Such is the mercy that these religious fathers shewe to the frendles and com-