Marginalia1556. Iuly.way mute, with as much shame out of the temple, as the woman her selfe came in, hauing not one word to aunswere. For a man to pronounce assuredly vpon the secret cogitation and intent eyther of man or woman, farther then by vtterance of speach is to him signified, passeth his capacitie & is to be left only to him, which is scrutans corda & renes Deus.

But for somuch as M. H. worketh (as I said) by surmises, construyng euery thyng to the worst, let vs see what may be surmised as much againe to the contrary, cōcerning the qualitie of this surmised murder. Wherin diuers thinges are to be considered, as here in order foloweth.

MarginaliaThe first coniecture.The first coniecture is this, that such maner of women which for worldly shame are disposed to murder their children, haue other wayes to compasse that wickednes, then by silence keeping. Now, as touchyng this Perotine goyng to be burned, neither could this silence saue her if she would, from worldly shame, neither is it to be thought any such intent euer to be in her, to murder her child: as might well appeare in her mothers house, where if she might haue continued her whole time out, she entēded no lesse but honestly to be brought to bed, & to nurse vp her child, neither caryng for shame of the world, nor fearyng any sclaunder to the Gospell. Wherby may be argued, that no such intent of murder was euer in her thought. For how is it like that she, which had gone so long with child, almost to the full time of her deliuerāce, and neuer thought nor wrought any hurt to the infant all that while, should now going to her owne death, minde more hurt to her child, then she did before, hoping her selfe to liue?

MarginaliaThe 2. coniecture.Secondly, how knoweth M. H. to the contrary, but that she was knowne in the towne to be with child, and went boldely abroade without note of any shame, before the time she came in trouble? Which being true, shame then could be no cause, why she should conceale her child more after her condemnation, then she did before she was condemned.

MarginaliaThe 3. coniecture.Thirdly, admit the case it was not knowne before, what aduantage therby should rise to her, being now appoynted to dye, by concealing her being with child. She should haue eschued (sayth M. H.) the publike shame and obloquie of the worlde, in that none should haue knowne her to be w^t child. First, what shame was it for a maried woman to be noted to be with child? Again, what gaine had that bene to her, to auoyde þ^e shame & fame of the world, which had not to liue in the world, being now condemned to dye?

MarginaliaThe 4. coniecture.Fourthly, how is it like, that for shame she ment to conceale that from the world, which both knew she should not liue in the world, and also suffer that kind of death, wherby her child could not be hidden from the sight of the world, though she had gone about her selfe neuer so much to conceale it?

MarginaliaThe 5. coniecture.Fiftly, how is it to be thought, that any woman, going to such a sharpe punishement of fier to be consumed, would let for any worldly shame, to reschue her own life from so bitter torment, at least so long as she might, beside the safegard also of her child, if by any meanes she had knowne any remedy?

MarginaliaThe 6. coniecture.Sixtly, forsomuch as M. Harding doth so haynously charge her with the wilfull murdering of her owne naturall child: let all indifferent consciences this consider with themselues, what was the cause that moued her so willingly to recant as she did, but partly to saue her owne life, and especially the poore innocent? Wherby it is manifest to be vnderstanded, what a motherly affection she had to saue her infāt, if the fathers of the spiritualtie had not bene so cruell, agaynst all order of law to cast both her and her child away, all this her sayd recantation notwithstanding.

MarginaliaThe 7. coniecture.Seuenthly and lastly, whan M. H. hath inueied all

that euer he can agaynst this poore Perotine, yet is all the same but a bymatter from his principall purpose pretended, supposing therby through his deprauing of her, to iustifie and excuse the Popeholy clergye, which wrought her death. Which will not be. For whatsoeuer her life was besides, yet forsomuch as the cause of her death and condemnation, was neither for theft, whoredome, nor murder, but onely and merely for Religiō, which deserued no death: I therfore hauing in my story no further to deale, as I sayd before, so do I say agayn, that the cause of her condēnyng was wrongfull, her death was cruell, the sight of the babe was ruefull, the procedyng of the Iudges was vnlawfull, the whole story is pitiefull, and of all this the Priestes and Clergie were the authors principall. All which beyng considered, and well expended M. H. I trust, may stand sufficiently contented. Or if he thinke murder to be a thyng, which ought not (as it ought not in deede) lightly to be passed ouer, let him then finde out murder where it is, and tell vs truly without affection of parcialitie, where the true murder lieth: whether in the poore woman, which together with her child was murdered, or in thē which without all law and conscience, brought them both to death?

MarginaliaThe conclusion of this Defence.Briefly and finally to conclude with this mā, what soeuer the womā was, she is now gone. To byte so bitterly against the dead it is litle honesty. And though the accusation had in it some truth, yet this accusation here neded not. Now the same beyng false, it is to much vnmercifull. At least beyng doubtfull & to him vnknowen, charitie would haue iudged the best. Humanitie would haue spared the dead. And if he could not foord her hys good word: yet he might haue left her cause vnto the Lord, which shall iudge both her and him. To pray for the dead, he findeth in his Masse: but to backbyte the dead, he neither findeth in his Masse, Mattens, nor Evensong. And no doubt but in his Dirige and commendations he commendeth many one, lesse deseruyng to be commended then this woman, let Catholicke affection be set aside. And though the merites of her cause deserued not his commendations, yet did she neuer deserue this at M. Hardynges handes to giue her such a Kyrieleson (as they say) after her departure. Cruelty she suffered enough a lyue, though M. H. had not added this cruell inuectiue to her former afflictions: wherin notwithstandyng he hurteth not her, but hurteth peraduenture him selfe, neither so much desteineth her honesty, as he blemesheth his owne. It hath bene the maner of learned men in time past, with their defending oration, euer to be more ready, then to accuse. And if they did at any time accuse: yet neuer but enforced, neither dyd they accuse any but such onely as were aliue, and that neither but in such matters, wherin either the common wealth, or them selues were vehemently touched.

Now, if this greue him so greatly, that in my story I haue termed her to be a Martyr, let him consider the cause wherfore she suffered, which was neither for felony, murder, nor whoredome, but only for the religiō in K. Edwardes time receaued, & when he hath confuted that religion, I shall crosse her out of þ^e booke & fellowship of Martyrs. In þ^e meane tyme my exhortatiō shalbe this to M. Hardyng:

MarginaliaExhortatiō M. Harding.First, that if he will nedes become a writer in these so furious and outragious dayes of ours, he will season his veyne of writyng with more mildenes and charitie, and not to giue such example of raylyng to others.

Secondly, that he will moderate his iudgyng and condemnyng of other with more equitie and indifferēcie, and not to be so rash and partiall. For if she be to be accounted a murderer, which so carefully went about by recantation to saue both her selfe and her child from the fire: what is to be sayd of them which condemned her so cruelly, and caused both her and the infant to be