MarginaliaAn. 1558.note (gentle reader) the simplicitie of the one, so I pray thee, marke agayne the crueltie of the other part.

MarginaliaThe scourging of Thomas Greene.IN the reigne of Q. Mary, I Thomas Greene being brought before D. Story, by my MaisterMarginaliaThe master promoteth his seruaunt. whose name is Iohn Wayland a Printer, for a booke called Antichrist,  

the which had bene distributed to certeine honest men: he asked me where I had the booke, and sayd I was a traytour. I told him I had the booke of a Frenchman. Then he asked me more questions, but I told him I would tell him no more, nor could not. Thē he sayd: it was no heresie but treasō, and that I should be hanged, drawen, and quartered, and so he called for Cluny the keeper of the Lollardes Tower, MarginaliaTho. Greene put in the stockes.and bad him set me fast in the stockes.

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I was not in the Lollards tower two houres, but Cluny came and tooke me out, MarginaliaTho. Greene brought to the Colehouse.and caried me to the Colehouse, and there I found a Frenchman lying in the stockes, and he tooke hym out, and put on my right legge a bolt and a fetter, and on my left hand an other, and so he set me crosss fettered in the stockes, and tooke the Frenchman away with hym, and there I lay a day and a night. On the morow after, he came and said: let vs shift your hand and legge, because you shall not be lame: and he made as though he pitied me, and said: tell me the truth, and I will be your frend. And I sayd, I had tolde the truth and woulde tell no other. Then he put no more but my legge in the stockes, & so went his way, and there I remayned vj. dayes, and could come to no aunswere.

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MarginaliaTho. Greene examined before Doct. Story.Then Doct. Story sent for me, and asked whether I would tell him the truth, where I had the booke. I sayd I had tolde him, of a Frenchman. He asked me where I came acquainted with the Frenchman, and where hee dwelt, and where hee deliuered me the booke. I sayd: I came acquainted with him in Newgate, I comming to my frendes which were put in for Gods worde and truthes sake, and the Frenchman comming to his frendes also: there we did talke together and became acquainted one with an other, and did eate & drinke together there with our frendes in the feare of God. MarginaliaD. Story scoffeth at Christes seruauntes.Then Story scoffed at me & sayd: thē there was brother in Christ, and brother in Christ, and reuiled me and called me an hereticke, and asked me if I had the booke of hym in Newgate. I sayd no, and I tolde hym, as I went on my busines in the streete I met him, and he asked me how I did, and I him also: so falling in communication, he shewed me that booke, and I desired him that he would let me haue it.

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In this examinatiō Story sayd, it was a great booke, and asked me whether I bought it, or had it geuen me. I tolde him, I bought it. Then said he, I was a theefe, and had stollen my masters money. And I sayd: a litle money serued, for I gaue him but fower pence, but I promised him at our next meeting I would geue hym xij. pence more. And he sayd: that was boldely done, for such a booke as spake both treason and heresie. Thē Story required me to bring him two suerties, & watch for him that I had the booke of, and I should haue no harme. I made him aunswere, I would bring no suerties, nor I could not tell where to find them. Then said he: this is but a lie, & so called for Cluny, and bad him lay me fast in þ^e Colehouse, saying, he would make me tell an other tale at my next comming: and so I lay in the stockes day and night, but onely when I eate my meate, and there remayned x. dayes before I was called for agayne.

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MarginaliaAn other examination of Tho. Greene before D. Story.Then Doct. Story sent for me agayne, and asked if I would yet tell hym the truth. I sayd, I could tell him no other truth thē I had, nor would. And while I was there standing, there were two brought, which I tooke to be prisoners. Thē mistres Story fell in a rage, and sware a great oth, that it were a good deede to put

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a hundred or two of these hereticke knaues in a house, and I my selfe (sayth she) would set it a fire. MarginaliaMistres Story sheweth her charitable hart.So I was committed to prison agayne, where I remayned fourtene dayes and came to no aunswere.

MarginaliaGreene againe examined before D. Story.Then Story sent for me agayne, and called me into the garden, and there I found with him my Lord of Windsors Chaplaine, and two Gentlemen more, and he told them all what I had sayd and done. They sayd: the booke was a wonderous euill booke, and had both treason and heresie in it. Then they asked me what I sayd by the booke. And I sayd: I knew no euill by it.

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At which wordes Story chafed, & said he would hang me vp by the handes with a rope, & sayd also he would cut out my toung, and mine eares also from my head. After this they alledged two or three thynges vnto me out of the booke: and I aunswered, I had not read the booke thorow out, and therefore I could geue no iudgement of the booke. Then my Lord of Windsors Chaplaine and the other two Gentlemen tooke me aside, and entreated me very gently, saying: tell vs where you had the booke, and of whom: we will saue you harmeles. I made them aunswere, I had told all that I could to Doct. Story, and began to tell it them againe: but they said, they knew that already. So they left that talke, and went agayne to Story with me.

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MarginaliaGreene examined of hys beliefe.Then Story burdened me with my faith, and sayd I was an hereticke. Wherupon the Chaplaine asked me how I did beleue. Then I began to rehearse the Articles of my beliefe, but he bad me let that alone. Then he asked me how I beleued in Christ. I made him aunswere, that I beleued in Christ which dyed and rose agayne the third day, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father.

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MarginaliaD Stories blasphemous scoffing in matters of our fayth.Wherupon Story asked me mockingly, what is the right hand of God? I made hym aunswer, I thought it was his glorie. Then sayd he: so they say all. And he asked me when he would be wery of sitting there. Thē inferred my Lorde of Wyndsors Chaplaine, askyng me what I sayd by the Masse. I sayd: I neuer knew what it was, nor what it ment, for I vnderstode it not, because I neuer learned any Latin, and since the tyme that I had any knowledge, I had bene brought vp in nothing but in reading of English, and with such men as haue taught the same: with many mo questions, which I can not rehearse.

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MarginaliaThe Masse.Moreouer, he asked me if there were not the very body of Christ, flesh, bloud, and bone in the Masse, after the Priest had cōsecrated it. And I made him aūswere: as for the Masse I can not vnderstād it, but in the new Testamēt I read, that as the Apostles stode looking after the Lorde when he ascended vp into heauen, an Aungell sayd to them: Euen as you see him ascende vp, so shall he come agayne. And I told them an other sentence, where Christ sayth: The poore shall you haue alwayes with you, but me shall you not haue alwayes. Then master Chaplaine put me many questions more, to the which I could make him no aunswere. Among all other, hee brought Chrisostome and S. Hierome for his purpose. To whō I answered, that I neither minded, nor was able to aunswere their Doctors, neither knew whether they alledged thē right, or no: but to that which is written in the new Testament I would answer. Here they laughed me to scorne, and called me foole, & sayd: they would reason no more with me.

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Then Doct. Story called for Cluny, and bad him take me away, and set me fast, and let no man speake with me. MarginaliaGreene sent agayne to þ^e Colehouse.So I was sent vnto the Colehouse: where I had not bene a weeke, but there came in xiiij. prisoners: but I was kept still alone without company, in a prison called the Salthouse, MarginaliaThe strait handling of Greene in prison.hauyng vpon my legge a bolt and a fetter, and my handes manacled together with yrons, and there continued ten dayes, hauing nothing to lye on, but bare stones or a boorde.

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On a time whiles I lay there in prison, þ^e byshop of