MarginaliaProufes of Hunnes death.Moreouer it is well proued, that before Hunnes death, the sayd Chaunceller came vp into the sayd Lollardes tower, and kneeled downe before Hunne, holding vp hys handes to hym, praying hym of forgeuenesse of all that he had done to hym, and must do to hym. And on Sonday folowyng, the Chaunceller commaunded the Penitensary of Paules, to go vp to hym and say a Gospell, and make for hym holy water and holy bread, and geue it to hym, whiche so did: and also the Chaunceller commaūded that Hunne should haue his dyner. And the same dyner tyme Charles boy was shut in prison with Hunne, whiche was neuer so before: & after dyner when the Belrynger fet out the boy, the Belrynger sayd to the same boy, Come no more hether w^t meate for him vntill to morow at noone, for my maister Chaunceller hath commaunded that hee shall haue but one meale a day: and the same night folowing Richard Hunne was murthered: which murder could not haue bene done without consent and licence of the Chaūceller, and also by the wittyng and knowledge of Iohn Spaldyng Belrynger: for there could no man come into the prison but by the keyes beyng in Iohn Belryngers kepyng. Also as by my Lord of Londōs booke doth appeare, Iohn Belrynger is a poore innocent man. Wherfore all we do perceyue that thys murther could not bee done, but by the commaundement of the Chaunceller, and by the wytting and knowyng of Iohn Belrynger.

MarginaliaWitnes of Charles Ioseph Sumner.Charles Ioseph within the tower of London, of his owne free will and vnconstrayned sayd, that Maister Chaunceller deuised and wrote with his owne hand, all such heresies as were layd to Hunnes charge, recorde Iohn God, Iohn True, Iohn Pasmer, Richard Gibson, with many other. Also Charles Ioseph sayth, that when Richard Hunne was slayne, Iohn Belrynger bare vp the steire into Lollardes tower a waxe candell, hayng the keyes of the doores hangyng on his arme, and I Charles went next to hym, & Maister Chaunceller came vp last: and when all we came vp, we found Hunne lyeng on his bed: and then Maister Chaunceller sayd, lay hands on the theefe, & so all we murthered Hunne: and then I Charles put the gyrdell aboute Hunnes necke, and then Iohn Belrynger and I Charles dyd heue vp Hunne, and Maister Chaunceller pulled the gyrdell ouer the staple, and so Hunne was hanged.

MarginaliaThe witnes of Iulian Littell agaynst Charles Ioseph.FIrst Iulian sayth, that the Wednesday at nighte after the death of Richard Hunne, Charles Ioseph her Maister came home to his supper: Then Iulian sayd to him, Maister it was tolde me that ye were in prison. Charles aunswered, it is mery to tourne the peny: and after supper Charles trussed vp a parcell of his goodes, and with helpe of Iulian bare them into Maister Porters house to kepe: and that done Charles sayd to Iulian: Iulian, if thou wilt be sworne to kepe my counsaile, I will shewe thee my minde. Iulian aūswered ye, if it be neither felonye, nor treason: Thē Charles toke a booke out of his purse, & Iulian sware to hym therupon: then sayd Charles to Iulian, I haue destroyed Richard Hunne. Alas Maister sayd Iulian, how? he was called an honest mā. Charles aunswered, I put a wyre in his nose. Alas sayd Iulian, now be ye cast away & vndone. Then sayd Charles: Iulian, I trust in thee that thou wilt kepe my counsayle: and Iulian aunswered, ye, but for Gods sake Maister shyft for your self: and then Charles sayd, I had leuer then a hundred pound it were not done: but þ^t is done, can not be vndone. Moreouer Charles sayd then to Iulian: vpō Sonday whē I rode to my cosine Baringtons house, I taryed there & made good chere all day till it was nyght, & yet before it was midnight I was in London, & had killed Hunne, & vpō þ^e next day I rode thether agayn, & was there at dyner, & sent for neighbours, and made good chere. Thē Iulian asked Charles, where set you your horse that night you came to towne, and wherfore came ye not home? Charles aunswered, I came not home for feare of bewraying: & then Iulian asked Charles, who was with you at the kylling of Hunne? Charles aunswered, I will not tell thee: and Iulian sayth that vpō the Thursday folowyng, Charles taryed all day in hys house with great feare: and vpon Friday folowyng early in the mornyng before day, Charles went forth (as he sayd, to Paules) and at his commyng in agayne he was in a great fear, saying hastely, get me my horse, & with great feare and hast made hym ready to ryde, and bade Maister Porters lad, leade his horse into the fielde by the backeside: and then Charles put into his sleue his Mase or Masor, with other plate borowed of Maister Porter, both gold and siluer, but howe much I am not sure: and Charles went into the fielde after hys horse, and Iulian brought his bouget after hym. Also vpon Friday in Christmasse weake folowyng, Charles came home late in the nyght, & brought with hym three Bakers and a Smith of Stratford, and the same night they caried out of Charles house all hys goodes by the fieldside to the Bell in Shordyche, and early in the mornyng conueyed it with cartes to Stratford.

Moreouer, Iulian sayth, that the Saterday at night before the death of Hunne, Charles came home, & brought with hym a Gurnard, saying, it was for Hunne, and Charles boy telled to Iulian, that there was also ordeyned a peece of freshe Salmon, whiche Iohn Belrynger had.

Also Charles sayd to the sayd Iulian, were not this vngratious trouble, I could bryng my Lorde of London to the doores of heretickes in London both of mē and women, that been worth a thousand pounde: But I am afrayde that the vngratious mydwyfe shall bewraye vs all.

Also Charles sayd vnto maistres Porter in lykewise, and more larger, saying, of the best in Londō, wherto maistres Porter auns- wered, the best in London is my Lord Maior then Charles sayd, I will not skuse him quite, for that he taketh this matter hote.

Where as Charles Ioseph saith, he lay at Neckehill with a harlot a mans wife, in Baringtons house the same night, and there abode vntil the morow at eleuen of the clocke, that Richard Hunne was murthered, whereupon he brought before the kynges councell for his purgation the foresayd baude Baringtons wyfe, and also the foresayd harlot: whiche purgation we haue proued all vntrue, as right largely may appeare, as well by the deposition of Iulian Littell, as of Thomas Chitcheley Taylor, and of Iohn Symondes, Stationer, with other, as of Robert Iohnsonne, and Peter Turner.

To these moreouer may be adioyned the deposition of Thomas Chitcheley Taylor, of Thomas Symondes Stationer, of Robert Iohnsonne and his wife, of Iohn Spalding Belringer: MarginaliaThe witnes of Peter Turner.Also of Peter Turner sonne in law of the foresayd Charles Ioseph: Who sayd before to an honest woman a waxe chaundelers wife, that before this day vij. night Hūne should haue a mischieuous death. &c. Also of Iohn Enderby Barber, MarginaliaThe witnes of Ioh. Spaldyng him selfe.to whom Iohn Spaldyng hym selfe declared these wordes: That there was ordeined for Hunne so greuous penaunce, þ^t when men heare of it, they shall haue great meruell thereof. &c. Besides the depositiō moreouer of Alen Creswell waxe chādelour, and Richard Horsenaile Bailiffe of the sanctuary towne called Godsture in Essex. Whiche testimonies and depositiōs, as they be manifest, so for the tediousnes thereof, I here omitte them, referryng the reader to the former edition of Actes and Monumentes, pag. 395. if any desire further therin to be informed.

Now leauyng these depositions, let vs steppe further to the letter of the Byshop of London, writt to the Cardinall, and marke well the effect therof, whiche foloweth in these woordes.

MarginaliaThe letter of the B. of London to Cardinall Wolsey.I Beseche your good Lordship to stand so good lord vnto my poore chaunceler now in warde, and endited by an vntrue quest for the death of Richard Hun, vpon the onely accusation of Charles Ioseph, made by payne and duraunce, that by your intercession it maye please the kynges grace to haue the matter duely and sufficiently examined by indifferent persones of his discrete councell in the presence of the parties, or there be any more done in the cause: and that vpon the innocencie of my sayd Chunceller declared, it may further please the kynges grace to awarde a plackard vnto his atturnay, to confesse the sayde enditement to be vntrue, whan the tyme shall require it: for assured am I, if my Chaunceller be tried by any twelue men in London, they be so maliciously set, In fauorem hereticæ prauitaris that they will cast and condemne any clerke, though he were as innocēt as Abell. Quare si potes beate pater adiuea infirmitates nostra, et tibi imperpetuum deuincti erimus. Ouer this in most humble wyse I besech you, þ^t I may haue the kyngs gracious fauour, whom I neuer offēded wyllingly, and that by your good meanes I myght speake wyth his grace and you, and I with al myne, shal praye for your prosperous estate long to continue.

Your most humble Orator. R. L.

Lastly now remayneth to inferre the sentence of the questmen, whiche foloweth in lyke sorte to bee sene and expended, after I haue first declared the wordes of þ^e byshop spoken in the Parlament house.

MEmorandum, that the bishop of London said in the parlament house, that there was a bill brought to the parlament to make the Iurye that was charged vpon the death of Hun, true men: and said and tooke vpō his conscience, that they were false periured caytifs: & saide furthermore to all the Lordes there than being: For the loue of God, looke vp this matter, for if you do not, I dare not keepe myne owne house for heretikes: And said þ^t the said Richard Hun hanged him selfe, and that it was his own deede, and no mans els. And furthermore said, þ^t there came a man to his house (whose wife was appeached of heresie) to speake with him, and he said that he had no minde to speak with the same man, which man spake and reported to the seruāts of the same Bishop, that if his wife would not hold stil her opinion, he wold cut her throte w^t his owne handes, with other wordes.