Marginalia1555. Septemb.gayne from whence I came.

On the Friday morning beyng the next day after, I had warning by one of the prisoners to prepare my self to ride wyth my fellow prisoners the same day to Lichfield, there to bee bestowed at the Bishops pleasure. MarginaliaRobert Glouer somewhat discouraged at the first hearing that he should be remoued from Couentrie to Lichfield.Which tidinges at the first somthing discouraged me, fearyng lest I should, by the meanes of my great sicknes, through extreme hādling (which I looked for) haue dyed in the prison before I should come to my answer. MarginaliaRobert Glouer comforted agayne with the meditation of the scriptures and God promises.But I rebuked immediately wyth Gods woord, thys infidelity in my selfe, and by the same corrected myne own mistrust and fantasye after this manner: What make I of God? Is not hys power as great in Lichfield as in Couentry? Doth not hys promise extend as well to Lichfield, as to Couentry? Was he not wyth Abacuck, Daniel, Misach, and Ieremy in theyr most daūgerous imprisonments? He knoweth what things we haue neede of. He hath numbred all the heares of our head. The Sparow falleth not on the ground with out our heauenly fathers wyll: much more wyll hee care for vs if we be not faythles, whom hee hath made worthy to be wytnesses of hys truth. So long as wee put our trust in hym, we shall neuer be destitute of hys helpe, neither in prisō, neither in sicknes nor in health, neyther in lyfe nor in death, neyther before Kings nor before Bishops: not the deuyll hym self, much lesse one of hys ministers shall bee able to preuayle agaynst vs. MarginaliaM. Glouer waxeth cherefull againe and bold.Wyth such lyke meditations, I waxed cherefull, and of good consolation and comfort: So that hearing one say that they could not prouide horses enough for vs, I sayd, let them cary vs in a dong cart for lacke of horses, if they lyst: I am well content for my part. Notwythstanding, at the request of my frendes, I wrote to master Maior and hys brethren, briefly requiring them, that I might make aunswere here to such thinges as should be layd to my charge:MarginaliaRobert Glouer requireth to make his answer at Couentrie. the contentes of which letter were these.

¶ A letter of M. Robert Glouer, to the Maior of Couentry and his Brethren.  

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Glover probably copied the text of this letter into his own letter. It was printed as a separate letter in Letters of the Martyrs, p. 542.

MarginaliaThe contentes of Master Glouers letter sent to the Mayor of Couentry and his brethren.J Besech you to vnderstand, that it is not vnknowen as well to the Keeper of the Iayle, as to the inhabitantes about me where I dwell, that I am a mā subiect to very great sicknes, & haue bene by the space of seuen yeares and more, so that it is not like that I shal be remoued without peryl and daunger of my life. And because I was here committed to Warde by your appoyntmēt, I would gladly here answer to such things as shall bee layd to my charge. If I may obtayne thys of you, I haue cause thankfully to reknowledge your indifferency: if otherwyse, I pray God it be not layd to your charge at the great day, where euery man shall haue iust iudgement without respect of person.

Your prisoner in the Lord, alwaies
myndful of you in my poore praier,
Robert Glouer.

But I receiued no aunswer of my letters to nor fro. I coniectured that when the Bishop and the Chauncellour had seene them, it moued them the rather to haue me away, being more desirous (as I suppose) to haue had me dispatched priuely in prison, then to come openly to my aunswer. The maner of entreating and vsing me at my first comming to pryson, dyd partly declare the same.

MarginaliaRobert Glouer and his fellow prisoners remoued from Couentrie to Lichfield in the face of the open market.Certaine Sergeauntes and Constables of Couentry, beyng appointed to haue the conueying of vs to Lichfielde to bee delyuered there to one Iephcot the Chauncellours man sent from Couentry wyth vs for the same purpose, we were commaunded to horsbacke about. xj. or xij. of the clocke on Friday, being market day, that we might be the more gased and wondred at: and to kindle the peoples harts more against vs, they dyd proclayme a letter cōcerning a proclamation made for calling in and disanulling of all such bookes as truly expound and interprete the scriptures. We came to Lichfield about. iiij. of the clocke at night, and had leaue

to repose our selues for our supper tyme. We Inned at the signe of the Swan, where we were entertained frendly and gently. After supper MarginaliaIephcot the Chauncellours seruant.Iephcot repayred to vs, whom we intreated that vpon sureties we myght rest our selues that night, beyng vnprouided of any thing to helpe our selues wythall in the prison at that present. He was content at the first (as he seemed) but afterwardes, whether it was by perswasion, or rather (as it seemed to me) he did but of policie put of the time tyll he had gathered a multitude to stare and wonder vpon vs, and also that we shoulde prouyde nothyng to ease our selues wythall: MarginaliaPapistes kepe no promise.he reuoked hys promise, and so by consent we were had to the pryson, the multitude wondering at vs. I wylled Iephcot before, to execute his office with mercy, telling him that they should haue iudgement wythout mercy, that shewed no mercy. And this mercy I founde at hys hand:

He put me into a prison the same nyght, where I continued vntyll I was condemned, a place next to the dungeon, narrow of roumes, strong of building, & very cold, wyth small light, and there alloweth he me a bundle of strawe in stead of my bed, without chayre, forme, or any thing els to ease my selfe withall. God of his mercy gaue me great pacience through prayer that night, so that if it had bene hys pleasure, I could haue bene contented to haue ended my lyfe. But MarginaliaIephcot and Persey cruell and straite agaynst M. Glouer.Iephcot and one Persey the Bishops man, which afterwardes was my continual keeper for the most part, came to me in the mornyng: to whom I sayd, this is a great extremity, God send vs patience: and no more. Then they were content that I should haue a bed of myne owne procurement. But I was allowed no helpe, neyther nyght nor day, nor company of any man, notwithstandyng my great sicknes, nor yet paper, pen, or incke, or bookes, sauyng my newe Testament in Latine, and a prayer booke which I priuely stole in.

MarginaliaTalke betwen M. Glouer, and the Chaūcellour in prison.Within two daies after, Master Chauncellour and one Temsey a Prebendary there, came to me into my prison. Master Chauncellour exhorted me to conforme my selfe to my Lord and to the Church. He wished to my soule no more hurt thē to his owne: belike because I had layd to his charge at Couentry the seeking of my blood vniustly and wrongfully.

Now thus the second time I aunswered M. Chauncellour to hys exhortation, that I refused not to bee ruled by that church that was content to be ordered and gouerned by the word of God.

Chaun. He asked me how I knew the word of God but by the church?

Glouer. MarginaliaThe Church geueth witnes which be the true bookes & writinges of the Apostles: as also the old Sinagoge of the Iewes doth witnesse which be the true bookes of the holy prophetes: yet it followeth not therby that the Iewes haue authoritie ouer the scripture.The church sheweth which is the word of God, therefore the church is aboue the word of God. This is no good reason in learning, sayd I to Master Chauncellor. For it is lyke vnto this: Iohn shewed the people who was CHRIST: Ergo Iohn was aboue CHRIST. Or els, I haue a man that knoweth not the Kyng, and I tell hym who is the King: am I therefore aboue the king?

Master Chauncellour sayd, hee came not to reason wyth me, and so departed. So remayned I wythout any further conference of any man by the space of. viij dayes, and tyll the Bishops comming: In the whych tyme I gaue my selfe continually to prayer, and meditation of the mercyful promises of God, made vnto all wythout exception of person, that call vpon the name of hys deare Sonne IESVS CHRIST. MarginaliaThe comforts and sweete feelinges of M. Glouer in the prison.I found in my selfe dayly amendement of health of body, increase of peace in conscience, and many consolatiōs from God, by the helpe of his holy spirite, and sometimes, as it were a taste and glimmering of the lyfe to come: all for his onely sonne IESVS CHRISTES sake: to hym be all prayse for euer and euer, Amen.

The enemy ceased not many tymes, sundry wayes to assault me, oftentymes obiectyng to my conscience