iected against him: denying þ^t he held or maintayned any such articles as wer either hurtful or false, MarginaliaFalse witnesse agaynst Hierome.& affirming þ^t those witnesses had deposed thē against him falsly & slaūderously as his most cruel & mortal enemies. In þ^e same sessiō they had not yet proceded vnto deth, because þ^t the noone time drew so fast one, þ^t he could not answer vnto the articles. Wherfore for lack of tyme sufficient to answere vnto the residue of the articles, there was an other time appoynted, which was the third day after the foresayd Saterday, before the ascension of our Lord, at which time again early in the morning, he was brought vnto the sayd Cathedrall church to aunswere vnto all the residue of the articles.

MarginaliaThe dexteritie of Hierome in confutyng his aduersaries.In all which articles, as well those which he had aunswered vnto the Saterdaye before, as in the residue, he cleared himself very learnedly, refelling his aduersaries (who had no cause, but onely of malice and displeasure were set agaynste hym, and did hym greate wronge) in suche sorte, that they were themselues astonyed at hys oration, and refutation of theyr testimonies broughte agaynste hym, and wyth shame enoughe were put to silence: As when one of them had demaūded of hym, what he thought by the Sacrament of the aultar: He aunswered, before consecration (sayd he) it is bread and wyne: after consecration it is the true bodie and bloud of Christ, adding withall moe wordes according to their catholique fayth. Then an other rysing vp, Hierome, sayd he: there goeth a great rumour of thee, that thou shouldest holde, bread to remaine vpon the aultar. To whom he pleasauntly aunswered, sayinge: that hee beleued breade to bee at the Bakers. At which wordes being spoken, one of the Dominike Friers fumishly tooke on and said, what? doost thou deny, that no manne doubteth of? Whose peuishe sausines, Hierome wyth these woordes did well represse: holde thy peace (sayde hee) thou Monke, thou hypocrite. And thus the Monke being nypped in the heade, sate downe dumme. After whome started vppe an other, who with a loude voyce cryed out: I sweare, sayd he, by my conscience, that to be true, that thou doest denie. To whom sayd Hierome againe, speakinge in latine: Heus inquit, sic iurare per consciētiam tutissima fallendi via est. That is, thus to sweare by your conscience, is the nexte way to deceiue. An other there was, a spitefull and a bitter enemy of hys, whom he called by no other name thē dogge, or Asse. After he had thus refuted them one after another, that they could finde no crime against him, neither in this matter nor in anye other, they were all driuen to kepe silence.

MarginaliaFalse witnessesThis done, then were the wytnesses called for, who comming in presence gaue testimony vnto the Articles before produced. By reason wherof the innocent cause of Hierome was oppressed, & began in the councel to be concluded. Then Hierome rysing vp began to speake: For somuch (saith he) as you haue heard mine aduersaries so diligentlye hetherto, conuenient it is, that you should also now heare me to speake for me selfe. MarginaliaAudience hardly geuen to Hierome to speake for him selfe.Wherupon with much difficultie, at last audience was geuen in the Councell for him to say his minde. Whiche being graunted, he from morning to noone continuyng, entreated of diuers and sondry matters, with great learnyng & eloquence. MarginaliaThe oration of Hierom had before the councell.Who first beginning with his prayer to God, besought him to giue him spirite, habilitie and vtteraūce, which might most tende to the profite & saluation of his owne soule. And so entryng into his oration: I know sayth he, reuerend Lords, that there haue bene many excellent men, whiche haue suffered much otherwise thē they haue deserued, being oppressed w^t false witnesses, & condemned w^t wronge Iudgements. MarginaliaSocrates.And so beginning with Socrates, he declared how he was vniustly cōdemned of his countreymē, neither would hee escape whē he might: takyng frō vs þ^e feare of ij. things, which seeme most bitter to men: to wit, of prisonment & death.MarginaliaPlato.
Anaxogoras.
Zeno.
Rupilius.
Boetius.Then he inferred the captiuitie of Plato, the banishmēt of Anaxagoras, and the tormentes of Zeno. Moreouer he brought in the wrongfull condemnations of many gentiles: as the banishment of Rupilius: recityng also the vnworthy death of Boetius and of others, whom Boetius him selfe doth write of.

MarginaliaMoses.
Ioseph.Frō thence he came to the exāples of the Hebrues, & first began with Moses the deliuerer of the people, & the law geuer, howe he was oftentimes slaundered of hys people, as being a seducer and contemner of the people. Ioseph also, saith he, for enuie, was sold of his brethrē, & for false suspicion of whoredome, was cast into bandes. MarginaliaEsales.
Daniell.
The Prophetes.
Susanna.Besides these, he reciteth Esayas, Daniell, & almost all the Prophetes, who as contēners of God and seditious persons, were oppressed with wrongfull condemnatiō. Frō thence he proceded to the Iudgement of Susanna, and of diuers other besides, who beyng good & holy men, yet were they vniustly cast away with wrongfull sentence. MarginaliaIohn Baptist.
Christ.At the lēgth he came to Iohn Baptist, and so in long processe he descended vnto our Sauiour, declaryng how it was euident to all men, by what false witnesses both he and Iohn Baptist, were condēned. MarginaliaThe Apostles.Moreouer how Steuen was slayne by the Colledge of the priestes, and how all the Apostles were condemned to death, not as good men, but as seditious, styrrers vp of the people, and contemners of the Gods, and euill doers. It is vniust sayth he, vniustly to be condemned one priest of an other, and yet he proued that þ^e same hath so happened most vniustlye in that Councell of priestes. These things did he discourse at large, with maruelous eloquēce and with singular admiration of all that heard him.

MarginaliaThe false witnesses of Hierom refelled.And for as much as all þ^e whole summe of þ^e cause did rest only in the witnesses, by many reasons he proued þ^t no credite was to bee geuen vnto them, especially seyng they spake all thynges of no truth, but onely of hatred malice, and enuie. And so prosecutyng the matter, so lyuely & expressely he opened vnto them the causes of their hatred, that hee had almost persuaded them. So liuely & lykely their hatred was detected, that almost no trust was geuen to their testimonies, saue onely for the cause and quarell wherin they stoode touching the popes doctrine. All mens myndes here were moued and bendyng to mercy towardes hym. For hee told them how þ^t he of his owne accorde came vp to the Councel, and to purge him selfe he did open vnto them all his lyfe and doyngs, beyng full of vertue and godlynes. This was (sayth he) the old maner of auncient and learned men and most holy Elders, that in matters of fayth they did differ many tymes in argumentes, not to destroye the fayth, but to finde out the veritie. So did Augustine and Hierome dissent, not onely beyng diuerse, but also contrary one frō the other and yet without all suspition of heresie.

All this while the Pope holy Councell did wait still, when he would begyn to excuse him selfe, and to retract those thynges, whiche were obiected agaynst hym, and to craue pardon of the Councell. But he persistyng still in his constant oration, did acknowledge no errour, nor geue any signification of retractation.

MarginaliaHierome commendeth the life and bewayleth the death of Iohn Hus.At last entryng into the prayse and commendation of maister Iohn Hus, he affirmed þ^t he was a good, iust, and holy man, and much vnworthy that death, whiche he did suffer. Whom he did know from his youth vpwarde, to bee neither fornicator, drunckarde, neither any euill or vicious person: but a chast and sober man, and a iust and true preacher of the holy Gospell: & what soeuer thynges M. Iohn Hus and Wickleffe had holdē or written, specially against the abuse and pompe of the clergy, he would affirme euen vnto the death, that they were holy and blessed men, and that in all pointes of the Catholicke faith, he doth beleue as the holy Catholicke churche doth hold or beleue. And finally he did conclude that al such articles, as Ihon Wickleffe and Iohn Hus