The main source for the account of Thomas Garret is a lengthy testimony of events in 1528 written by Anthony Dalaber, apparently specifically for Foxe's use. As Foxe tells us (1583, p. 1197), Dalaber died in Salisbury diocese in 1562, leaving his account unfinished. His text is reproduced apparently in full in 1563. There are some minor abridgements of Dalaber's account in 1570 and subsequent editions, mostly to omit digressions, lists of names or personal details apparently irrelevant to Garret's case. The remainder of Foxe's account of Garret is far sketchier and is assembled from the accounts of unnamed 'auncient and credible persones'.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaTho. Gerret brought bookes to Oxford. ABout the yeare of our Lord. 1526.
Garret became curate at All Hallows in or shortly before 1526. He made bookselling trips to Oxford in 1527 and again over the winter of 1527-28. His detection and flight took place in February 1528.
'Hermann Bodius' (ps.: possibly Martin Bucer or Johannes Oecolampadius), Unio Dissidentium (Cologne, 1522) was a collection of patristic sentences intended to demonstrate the Church Fathers' congruence with evangelical thought. It went through over a dozen editions in several languages by the mid-1530s and was widely influential. An English translation was prepared by William Turner, but not until the 1530s. It strongly influenced Robert Barnes' 1530 Sententiae ex doctoribus collectae, which itself shaped Barnes' 1531 Supplication.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaGarret sought for at London. After he had bene there a while, and had dispatched those bookes, newes came from London that he was searched for through all London to be apprehended and taken as an heretike, and to be imprisoned for selling of those hereticall bookes (as they termed them) because they spake agaynst the vsurped authoritie, and erroneous doctrine of the B. of Rome, and his no lesse impure and filthy Synagoge. For it was not vnknowen to Cardinall Wolsey, and to the B. of London, and to other of that vngodly generation, that M. Garret had a great nūber of those bookes, and that he was gone to Oxford to make sale of them there, to suche as he knew to be the louers of the Gospell.MarginaliaA priuie search in Oxford for Garret. Wherfore they determined forthwith to make a priuy search through all Oxford to apprehend and imprison hym, and to burne all and euery his foresayd bookes and hym too, if they coulde: so burnyng hote was their charitie.MarginaliaM. Cole of Magdalene Colledge in Oxforde. But yet at that tyme one of the foresayd Proctors, called M. Cole of Magdalene colledge, who after was Crosse bearer vnto Cardinall Wolsey, was well acquainted with M. Garret, and therfore he gaue secret warnyng vnto a frend or two of M. Garret of his priuy search, and willed therefore that he should forthwith as secretly as he could, depart out of Oxford, for if he were taken in the same search, no remedy but he should be forthwith sent vp vnto the Cardinall, and so should be committed vnto the Tower.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAnthony Dalaber scholer of Alborne Hall, reporter hereof. The Christmas before that tyme, I Antony Dalaber then scholer of Alborne Hall, who had bookes of M. Garrets, had bene in my country in Dorsetshire at Stalbridge where I had a brother Person of that Parish, who was very desirous to haue a Curate out of Oxford, and wylled me in any wyse to get hym one there if I could. This iust occasion offred, it was thought good amonge the brethren (for so did we not onely call one an other, but were in deede one to an other) that M. Garret chaunging his name, should be sēt forth with my letters into Dorsetshyre vnto my brother, to serue him there for a tyme, vntill he might secretly from thence conuey hymselfe somewhether ouer the Sea.MarginaliaBrother agaynst brother. According hereunto I wrote my letters in all hast possible vnto my brother, for M. Garret to be hys Curate, but not declaring what he was in deede, for my brother was a rancke Papist, and after was the most mortall enemye that euer I had for the Gospels sake.
[Back to Top]In 1528 the Wednesday before Shrovetide fell on 18 February.
Then sayd I vnto hym: Alas M. Garret, by this your vncircumspect commyng vnto me, and speakyng so before thys young man, you haue disclosed your selfe, and vtterly vndone me. I asked hym why he went not vnto my brother with my letters accordingly. He sayde, after that he was gone a dayes iourney and a halfe, he was so fearefull, that his hart would no other, but that he must needes returne againe vnto Oxford, and so came againe on Friday at night, and then was takē, as ye heard before. But now with deepe sighes, and plentie of teares, he prayed me to helpe to conuey him away,MarginaliaGarret chaūgeth his apparell and flieth. and so he cast of his hoode & hys gowne, wherein he came vnto me, and desired me to geue him a coat with sleeues, if I had any, and tolde me that he would go into Wales, and thence conuey himself into Germany, if he might. Then I put on him a sleeued coate of mine. He would also haue had an other maner of cappe of me, but I had none but priestlike, such as hys owne was.
[Back to Top]Then kneeled we both downe together on our knees, and lifting vp our hartes and handes to God our heauenly father, desiring him with plentie of teares, so to conducte and prosper him in his iourney, that he might well escape the daunger of all his enemies, to þe glory of his holy name. if his good pleasure and will so were,MarginaliaThe parting betwene M. Garret and Dalaber. and then we embraced and kyssed the one the other, the teares so aboundauntly flowing out from both our eyes, that we all bewet both our faces, and scarcely for sorrow could we speake one to the other, and so he departed from me, apparelled in my coate, being committed vnto the tuition of our almightie and mercifull father.
[Back to Top]When he was gone downe the staires from my chamber, I straightwayes did shut my chamber doore, & went into my study, and tooke the new Testament in my hands, kneeled downe on my knees, and with many a deepe sigh and salt teare, I did with much deliberation read ouer the x. chapter of S. Mathew his Gospell
This chapter consists of Jesus' commission to his disciples to go forth and preach like sheep among wolves, and to trust in divine protection: its resonance in this situation is plain.
This done, I layd a side my bookes safe, folded vp M. Garrets gowne and hoode, and layde them into my presse among myne apparell, & so hauing put on my short gowne, shut vp my study and chamber doores, and went towardes Friswides, to speake withMarginaliaM. Clarke a famous or worthy learned man. that worthy martir of God M. Clarke, and others, and to declare vnto them what had happened that after noone. But of purpose I went by S. Mary Church, to go first vnto Corpus Christi Colledge, to speake withMarginaliaM. Diet. M. Vdall. Diet and Vdall, my faithfull brethren and fellowes in the Lord there. But by chaunce I met by the way with a brother of ours,MarginaliaM. Eeden. one M. Eeden, fellow of Magdalen Colledge, who, as soone as he saw me, came with a pitifull countenaunce vnto me, saying that we were all vndone, for M. Garrett was returned agayne to Oxford, taken the last night in the priuie searche, and was in prison with the Commissary. I said it was not so. He sayd it was so. I told him it could not be so, for I was sure he was gone. He aunswered me and sayde, I know he was gone with your letters, but he came againe yesterday in the euen, & was taken in his bed at Radleis this night in the priuie search: for (quod he) I heard our Proctour M. Cole say and declare the same this day in our Colledge, to diuers of the house. But I told him again, that I was wel assured he was now gone, for I spake with him later thē either the Proctor or Commissary did, and then I declared the whole matter vnto him, how and when he came vnto me, and how he went his way, willing him to declare the same vnto other our brethren whom he should meete withall, and to geue God harty thankes for his wonderfull deliueraunce, and to pray him also that he would graunt him safely to passe away frō all his enemies, and tolde him that I was going vnto Maister Clarke of Friswides, to declare vnto him this matter, for I knew, and thought verely
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