tion. Whose histories seuerally to comprehende, first of all we wyll somewhat speake of Barnes Doctour of Diuinitie, whose perticular story here followeth.

MarginaliaRobert Barnes Prior of the house of Augustines in Cambridge. This Barnes, after he came from the Vniuersitie of Louaine, went to Cambridge, where he was made Prior, and maister of the house of the Augustines. At that tyme the knowledge of good letters was scarcely entred into the Vniuersitie, all thinges beyng full of rudenes and barbaritie, sauyng in very few, which were priuy and secret. Wherupon Barnes hauyng some felyng of better learnyng and authors, began in hys house to read Terence, Plautus & Cicero, so that what with his industry, paynes & labours, and with the helpe ofMarginaliaThomas Parnell a Londoner borne, scholer to Barnes. Tho. Parnell his scholer, whome he brought from Louane with hym, reading Copia verborum & rerum, he caused the house shortly to florish with good letters, and made a great part of the house learned (which before were drowned in barbarous rudenesse) asMarginaliaM. Cambrige M. Felde M. Colman M. Couerdall, Bachelers of Diuinitie. M. Cambrige, Maister Felde, M. Colman, M. Burley, M. Couerdall, with diuers other of the Vniuersitie, that soiourned there for learnings sake. After these foundations layd, then did he read openly in the house, Paules Epistles, and put by Duns and Dorbel, and yet he was a questionary  

hymselfe: and onely because he would haue Christ there taught and his holy worde, he turned their vnsauery Problemes and fruitles disputations to other better matter of the holy scripture, and therby in short space he made diuers good Diuines. The same order of disputatiō which he kept in hys house, he obserued likewyse in the vniuersitie abrode when he should dispute with any man in the common scholes. And the first man that aunswered Doctor Barnes in the Scriptures, was maister Stafford for hys forme to be Bacheler of Diuinitie, which disputation was maruelous in the sight of the great blynd Doctors, and ioyfull to the godly spirited.

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Thus Barnes what with his reading, disputation & preachyng, became famous and mighty in the Scriptures, preaching euer against bishops and hypocrites, and yet dyd not see hys inwarde and outward Idolatry, which he both taught and maynteined, till that good M. Bilney, with other (as is aforesayde in the lyfe of M. Bilney) conuerted him wholy vnto Christ.

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MarginaliaThe first Sermon that Doct. Barnes preached in defence of the truth. The first Sermon that euer he preached of this truth, was the Sonday before Christmas day  

, at S. Edwardes church longing to Trinitie hall in Cambridge by the pease market: whose theame was the epistle of the same sonday, Gaudete in domino. &c. and so postilled the whole Epistle, folowyng the Scripture and Luthers postill, and for that sermon he was immediatly accused of heresie by ij fellows of the kings hall. Then the godly learned in Christ both of Penbroke hall, Saint Iohns, Peter House, Quenes colledg, the kynges colledge, Gunwell hall, & Benet colledge, shewed themselues and flocked together in open sight, both in the scholes and at open sermons at S. Maries, and at þ^e Austens, and at other disputations, and then they conferred continually together.

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The house that they resorted most commonly vnto, was the white horse  

, which for despite of thē to bring gods word into contempt was called Germany. This house especially was chosen because of them of S. Iohns. The kynges Colledge and the Queenes Colledge, came in on the backe side. At this tyme much trouble began to ensue.MarginaliaTrouble amōgest the Cambridge men for the Gospell. The aduersaries of D. Barnes accused hym in the Regent house before the Vicechauncelor, where as hys Articles were presented with him and receiued, he promising to make answer at the next conuocation, and so it was done. Then Doctor Nottoris a ranke enemy to Christ, moued Doct. Barnes to recant, but he refused so to doe: which appeareth in hys booke that he made to kyng Henry the 8. in English, confuting the iudgement of Cardinall Wolsey, and the residue of the Byshops papisticall, and so for the tyme stoode stedfast. And this tragedy continued in Cambridge, one preachyng agaynst an other in trying out of gods truth, vntill within vj. dayes of Shrouetyde.MarginaliaD. Barnes arested by M. Gibson Then sodenly was sente downe to Cambridge a Sergeaunt of armes called maister Gibson, dwellyng in s. Thomas Apostles in London, who sodenly rested D. Barnes openly in the conuocation house to make all other afrayd: and priuily they had determined to make searche for Luthers bookes, and all the Germaynes workes sodenly.

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MarginaliaSearch in Cambridge for books. But good Doctor Farman of the Queenes Colledge, sent worde incontinently thereof to the chambers of those that were suspected, which were in number xxx. persones. But God be praysed they were conueied, by that time that the sergeant at armes, the Vicechauncellor and the Proctors were at euery mans chamber, goyng directly to þ^e place where the bookes layMarginaliaFalse Brethren (wherby it was perceiued that there were some priuy spies amongst that small company) & that night they studyed together & gaue hym his aunswer, which aunswer he caried with hym to London the next mornyng, which was the Tuesday before Shrouesonday,MarginaliaD. Barnes brought to London. and came on the Wednesday to London, and lay at M. Parnels house by the stockes. In the mornyng he was caried by the Sergeant at armes to cardinal Wolsey to Westminster, waiting there all day and could not speake with hym til night. Thē by the reason ofMarginaliaD. Gardiner Secretarie to the Cardinal Dt. Gardiner Secretary to the Cardinall (of whose familiar acquaintaunce he had ben before)  

and M. Foxe maister of the Wardes, he spake the same night wyth the Cardinal in hys chāber of estate, knelyng on his knees. Then sayd the Cardinall to them, is this D. Barnes your man that is accused of heresie? Yea and please your grace, & we trust you shall finde hym reformable, for he is both well learned and wyse.

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MarginaliaThe talke betwene Cardinall Wolsey and D. Barnes. What M. Doctor (sayd the cardinal) had you not a sufficient scope in the scriptures to teach the people,MarginaliaD. Barnes preached agaynst the pride of the Cardinal, but that my golden shewes, my pollaxes, my pillers, my golden cusshiōns, my crosses did so sore offend you, that you must make vs Ridiculum caput amongst the people? We were iolily þ^t day laughed to scorne. Verely it was a sermon more fitter to be preached on a stage, then in a pulpit: for at the last you sayd, I weare a paire of red gloues, I should say bloudy gloues (quoth you) that I should not be cold in the middest of my ceremonies. And he answeared: I spake nothing but the truth out of the Scriptures, according to my conscience and accordyng to the old Doctors: and thē did he deliuer him vj. sheets of paper written to confirme and corroborate hys sayings.

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He receyued thē smilyng on him and saying, we perceiue then that you intend to stand to your Articles and to shew your learning.

Yea said Barnes I do intend by gods grace, wyth your lordships fauour.

He answered, such as you are beare vs little fauour and the catholike church. I will aske you a question:MarginaliaThe pretensed reasons of the Cardinall wherby he maintained his pomp. Whether do you thinke it more necessary that I should haue all this royaltie, because I represent the kings maiesties person in all the hie courtes of this realme, to the terrour and kepyng downe of all rebellions, treasons, traytors, and all the wicked and corrupt members of this common wealth, or to be as simple as you would haue vs, to sell all these aforesayde things, and to geue it to the poore, which shortly wil pisse it against the walles, and to pul away this maiesty of a princely dignity, which is a terrour to all the wicked, & to follow your counsail in this behalfe.

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He answered I thinke it necessary to be sold and geuen to the poore. For this is not comely for your callyng, nor the kings maiestie is not mainteined by your pompe & pollaxes, but by God, who saith: Per me reges regnant. Kynges and their maiesties raigne and stand by me.

Then answered he: Lo M. doctors, here is the learned & the wise man that you told me of.MarginaliaDoct. Gardiner a suter for Barnes. Then they kneled downe and said: we desire your grace to be good vnto him, for he will be reformable.

Then said he, stand you vp: for your sakes and the Vniuersitie, we will be good vnto him. How say you M. doctor do you not know that I am Legatus de latere, and that I am able to dispence in all matters concerning religion within this realme, as much as the pope may? He said, I know it to be so.

Will you then be ruled by vs, & we wil do all thinges for your honesty, and for the honesty of the Vniuersitie?

He answered, I thanke your grace for your good, will: I wil sticke to the holy scripture and to gods booke, according to the simple talent that God hath lent me.

Answere well sayd he, thou shalt haue thy learnyng tryed to the vttermost, and thou shalt haue the law.

Then he required him that he might haue iustice with equity, and forthwith he should haue gone to the tower, but that Gardiner and Foxe became his sureties that night, & so he came home to M. Parnels house agayne, & that night fel to writing again and slept not M. Couerdal, M. Goodwin & M. Feld being his writers: and in the morning he came to Yorke place to Gardiner and Foxe, and by and by he was committed to the Sergeant of armes to bring him into the chapter house at Westminster before the Bishops, and the Abbot of Westminster called Islip.

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MarginaliaStilliard mē examined for Lolardie. The same tyme when D. Barnes should appeare before the cardinal, there were v. Stilliard mē to be examined for Luthers bookes and Lollardy, but after they spied Barns they set the other aside, and asked the Sergeaunt of armes what was his errand. He sayd he had brought one Doctor Barnes to be examined of heresie, and presented both hys Articles and his accusers. Then immediatly after a litle talke, they sware him and laid his articles to him. Who lyke as he answered the cardinall before, so said he vnto thē, and then he offred the booke of his probations vnto them. Who asked hym whether he had another for himselfe, and he sayd

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