MarginaliaThe sentence of the Inquest.  

THe inquisition intendid and taken at the citie of London, in the parish of saint Gregorie, in the warde of Baynard Castel in London the syxt day of December, in the sixte yeare of the reigne of king Henry the eight, before Thomas Barnewel Crowner of our Soueraigne lord the king, within the citie of London aforesayd: Also before Iames Yarford, and Iohn Mondey Shriffes of the sayd citie, vpon the sight of the bodie of Richard Hun, late of London Taylour, whiche was founde hanged in the Lollars tower, and by the othe and profe of lawfull men of the same warde, and of other three wardes next adioyning, as it ought to be, after the custome in the citie aforesayde, to enquire howe, and in what maner wise the sayde Rychard Hun came vnto his death, and vpō the othe of Iohn Bernard, Thomas Sterte, William Warren, Henry Abraham, Iohn Aborow, Iohn Turner, Robert Alen, Willyam Marler, Iohn Burton, Iames Page, Thomas Pickehyll, Wylliam Burton, Robert Brigewater, Thomas Busted, Gylbert Howell, Rychard Gibson, Christopher Crofton, Iohn God, Rychard Holt, Iohn Pasmere, Edmonde Hudson, Iohn Aunsell, Rycharde Couper, Iohn Tynie: the which sayd vpon their othes, that where the sayd Rychard Hun by the commaundemēt of Rychard byshop of London, was emprysoned and brought to hold in a pryson of the sayd byshops, called Lollars towre, lying in the cathedrall churche of saint Paule in London, in the paryshe of saint Gregorie, in the warde of Baynarde Castell aforesayd, MarginaliaRich. Hunne cleared by the Inquest. not to haue hanged him selfe.William Horsey of London Clerke, otherwyse called William Heresie, Chauncelour to Rychard byshop of London, and one Charles Ioseph, late of London Somner, and Iohn Spaldyng of London, otherwyse called Iohn Belrynger, feloniously as felons to our Lord the kyng, with force and armes against the peace of our soueraigne Lorde the kyng, & dignitie of his crowne, the fourth daye of December, the sixt yeare of the raigne of our soueraigne Lorde aforesayd, of their great malice, at þ^e paryshe of saint Gregorie aforesayd, vpon the sayde Rychard Hun made a fraie, and the same Rychard Hun feloniously strangeled and smodered, and also the necke they dyd breake of the sayde Rycharde Hun, and there feloniously slewe hym, and murthered hym: and also the body of the sayde Richarde Hun afterwarde the same. iiij. daye, yeare, place, paryshe and warde aforesaide, with the proper gyrdell of the same Rychard Hun of sylke, black of colour, of the value of. xij. pence, after his death vpon a hoke dryuen into a piece of tymber in the wall of the pryson aforesayde, made fast, and so hanged hym against the peace of our soueraigne Lorde the kynge, and the dignitye of his crowne: and so the sayd Iury hath sworne vpon the holy Euangelist, that the sayde Wylliā Horsey clarcke, Charles Ioseph, and Iohn Spaldyng of their set malice then, and there, feloniously kylled and murthered the sayd Rychard Hun, in maner and forme abouesayde, against the peace of our soueraigne Lord the kyng, his crowne & dignitie.

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¶ Subscribed in this manner:
Thomas Barnewell, Crowner of the
citie of London.

After that the xxiiij. had geuen vp their verdict sealed and signed with the Crowners seale, the cause was then brought into þ^e Parlament house, MarginaliaThe Parlament iudging with Richard Hunne.where the truth was layd so plaine before all mens faces, & the facte so notorious, that immediatly certeine of the bloudy murderers were committed to prison, and should no doubt haue suffered that they deserued, MarginaliaThe practyse of Cardinall Wolsey for his clergie men.had not the Cardinall by hys authoritie practised for his catholicke children, at the sute of the Byshop of London. Wherupon þ^e chaunceler by þ^e kynges pardon and secret shiftyng, rather then by Gods pardon and his deseruyng  

escaped, and went as is sayd to Exeter. &c. Neuerthelesse thoughe iustice tooke no place, where fauour did saue, yet because the innocent cause of Hunne should take no wrong, þ^e Parlament became suters vnto the kynges maiestye, that wheras the goods of the sayd Hunne were confiscate into the kyngs handes, that it would please his grace to make restitutiō of all the sayd goods vnto the children of the sayd Hunne: vpon whiche motion the king of his gracious disposition did not onely geue all þ^e foresayd goods vnto the foresaid children vnder his broad seale yet to be sene, but also did send out hys warrantes (which hereafter shall folow) to those þ^t were the cruell murderers, cōmaundyng thē vpō his hygh displeasure to redeliuer all þ^e said goods, & make restitution for the death of the sayd Richard Hunne: all whiche gooddes came to the summe of xv. hundreth poundes sterlyng, beside his plate and other iewels.

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MarginaliaThe kings letter for the restitution of Hunnes goods.TRustye and welbeloued we grete you well: whereas by the complaynte to vs made aswell as also in our high court of Parlament, on the behalfe & partie of Roger Whapplot of our Citie of London Draper, & Margarete hys wyfe late þ^e daughter of Richard Hunne. And wheras you were indicted by our lawes of, and for the death of the sayd Richard Hunne, the sayd murder cruelly committed by you lyke, as by our recordes more at large playnly it doth appeare, about the v. day of Decēber, in the vi. yeare of our reigne, the same we abhorre, neuertheles wee of our especiall grace, certaine science & mere motion, pardoned you vpon certaine considerations vs mouyng for the entent that the goodes of the sayd Richard Hunne, the administratiō of them were committed to þ^e sayd Roger Whapplot, we then supposed & entended your amendement, and restitution to be made by you to the enfantes the childrē of the sayd Richarde Hunne, aswell for his death as for his goods, embeseled, wasted and consumed by your tyranny and cruell acte so committed, the same beyng of no litle value, and as hetherto ye haue made no recompence, accordyng to our lawes, as myght stand with equitie, Iustice, right, and good conscience, and for this cause due satisfaction ought to be made by our lawes: Wherfore we will and exhorte, and otherwise charge and commaunde you, by the tenure of this, our especiall letters, that ye satisfie and recompence the sayd Roger Whapplot, and the sayd Margarete hys wife, accordyng to our lawes in this cause, as it may stand with right & good conscience, els otherwyse at your farther perill, so þ^t they shall haue no cause to returne vnto vs, for their farther remedy, eftsones in this behalfe, as ye in the same tender to auoyde our hyghe displeasure: otherwise that ye vpon the sight hereof, to set all excuses apart, and to repayre vnto our presence, at whiche your hether commyng you shalbe farther aduertised of our mynde.

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From our maner. &c.

MarginaliaDefence of Richard Hunne.J Doubt not but by these premisses thou hast (Christian reader) sufficiently to vnderstand the whole discourse and story of Richard Hunne from toppe to toe. First how he came in trouble for denying the bearyng sheete of hys young infant departed, then how hee was forced, for succour of hym selfe, to sue a premunire: And therupō what conspiracie of the clergie was wrought agaynste hym, what snares were layd, what fetches were practised, and Articles deuised, to snarle hym in the trappe of heresie, and so to imprison hym. Furthermore beyng in prison, how he was secretly murdered, after his murder hanged, after hys hangyng condemned, after his condēnation burned: and after hys burnyng lastly how hys death was enquired by þ^e Crowner, & cleared by acquitalle of þ^e Inquest. Moreouer how the case was brought into þ^e Parlament, & by þ^e Parlament the kinges precept obtayned for restitution of hys goods. The debatyng of whiche tragicall and tumultuous story with all the branches, and particular euidences of the same, taken out as well of the publique actes, as of the Byshops registers, & speciall recordes, MarginaliaEx publicis actis.
Ex archiuis et Regist. Lond.remainyng in the custody of Dustan Whapplot the sonne of þ^e daughter of the sayd Richard Hunne,  

there to be sene, MarginaliaThree purposes considered.I thought here to vnwrappe & discouer so much the more, for iij. especiall purposes.

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Marginalia1.First, as is requisite, for testimonie and witnes of truth falsely slaundered, of Innocency wrongfully condemned, and of the partie cruelly oppressed.

Marginalia2.The second cause moueth me, for Syr Tho. Mores Dialogues  

, wherin he dalyeth out the matter, thinking to iest poore simple truth out of countenaunce.

Marginalia3.The third cause which constreyneth me be þ^e Dialogues of Alanus Copus,  

whiche two, the one in English, the other in Latine, raylyng and barkyng agaynst Rich. Hunne, do doublewise charge hym, both to be an here-