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1208 [1207]

K. Hen. 8. Persecution in Windsore. Testwood, Filmer, Person, Marbecke, Bennet.

where the Canons abode their commyng,MarginaliaTestwoode in daunger of hys life. one of the Canons men drue hys dagger at Testwood, and would haue bene vppon hym, but M. Warde with his men resisted, and gat Testwood into the Chapter house, causing the seruing men to be called in, and sharpely rebuked of their maisters, who straytly commaunded them vppon payne of leesing their seruice, and further displeasure, not to touch him, nor to geue hym an euyl worde. Nowe Testwood being alone, in the Chapter house with the Canons and M. Warde was gently intreated & the matter so pacified, that Testwood might quietly come and goe to the Church, and do his duetie as he had done before.

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An other cause of Testwods trouble.

MarginaliaAn other cause of Testwoods trouble. VPon a Relique Sonday  

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Relic Sunday is the third Sunday after Midsummer day and thus falls in mid-July.

(as they named it) when euery Minister after their old custome shoulde haue borne a Relique in his hand about a Procession, one was brought to Testwood.MarginaliaTho Beckets Ratchet made a Relique. Which relique (as they said) was a Ratchet of bishop Beckets.  
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A rochet is a white linen vestment; this one was putatively worn by Archbishop Thomas Becket. Since Becket's shrine was destroyed on Henry VIII's orders, in 1538, this would suggest that this incident took place before then.

And as the Sexton would haue put þe Ratchet in Testwoods handes,MarginaliaTestwoode refuseth to beare the Relique. he pushed it from him saying, if he dyd geue it to hym, he would wipe his taile withal, & so the Rachet was geuen to an other.MarginaliaS. Georges dagger made a Relique. Then came the Verger down from the hie altar with S. Georges dagger in his hand, demaūding who lacked a relique. Mary quoth Testwood geue it to M. Hake (who stood next him) for he is a prety man of hys handes, & so the dagger was geuē vnto hym. Now Testwood perceyuyng the dagger in maister Hakes hand and being meryly disposed (as he was a mery conceited man) stepped forth out of his place to doctor Clifton standing directly before hym in the midst of the queere, with a glorious golden Cope vpon his backe, hauyng the Pixe in his hand, and said: Sir master Hake hath s. Georges dagger. Nowe if he had his horse, and S. Martins cloke, and maister Iohn Shornes bootes, with king Harries spurres and his hat, he might ride when he would  
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St Martin, a fourth century bishop of Tours, was famous for sharing his cloak with a beggar. John Schorne was a fourteenth-century rector of North Marston, who was popularly venerated as a saint. His body was moved to Windsor in 1478, where it was an extremely popular pilgrimage site. Schorne was credited with trapping the devil in a boot during an exorcism and his boots were credited with the power to heal gout.

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, and so stepped in to his place againe. Wherat the other chaunged colour and wist not what to say.

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An other cause of Testwoods trouble.

MarginaliaM. Francklen Deane of Windsore. IN the dayes of M. Franklen, who succeded D. Sampson in the Deanrye of Windsore, there was on a time set vp at the Queere doore, a certaine foolishe printed paper in meter, all to the prayse and commendation of our Lady,MarginaliaBlasphemie and Idolatry to our Ladye. ascribyng vnto her our Iustification, our saluatiō, our redemption, the forgeuenes of sinnes. &c. to the great derogation of Christe. Which paper one of the Canons called maister Magnus (as it was reported) caused to be set vp in despite of Testwood and hys sect. When Testwood saw this paper, he pluckt it downe secretely. The next day after was an other set vp in the same place. Then Testwood commyng into the Churche, and seeyng an other paper set vp, and also the Deane commyng a litle way of, made haste to be in at the queere doore, while the Deane stayd to take holy water,MarginaliaTestwoode taketh downe the blasphemous paper. and reachyng vp his hande as he went, pluckte away the paper with hym. The Deane being come to his stall, called Testwod vnto hym and said, that he marueyled greatly how he durst be so bolde to take down that paper in his presence. Testwood answeared againe, that he marueiled much more, that his mastership would suffer such a blasphemous paper to be set vp, beseeching hym not to be offended with that he had done, for he would stand vnto it. So M. Deane being a timerous man, made no more ado wt him. After this were no mo papers set vp, but poore Testwood was eaten & drunken among thē at euery meale, and an heretique he was, and woulde roste a fagot for this geare one day.

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MarginaliaM. Magnus magnus idololatra. Now maister Magnus being sore offended with Testwoode for pluckyng downe his papers, to be reuenged on hym, deuised with the Deane and the rest of the Canons, to sende their letters to D. Chamber, one of their brethren, and the kings Phisition who lay (for the most part) at the Court, to see what he would do against Testwood.MarginaliaConspiracie of the Priestes of windsore agaynste Testwood Which letters being made, were sent with speede. But what soeuer the cause was, whether he durst not meddle for feare of Cromwell, or what els I cannot tell, their sute came to none effecte. Then wyst they not what to do, but determined to let the matter sleepe, tyll S.Georges feast,  

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I.e., 23 April.

whiche was not farre of.

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Now in the meane tyme there chaunced a pretye storie betweene one Robert Philips, Gentleman of the kings Chappel and Testwood. Which storie, though it was but a mery pranke of a singyng man, yet it greeued his aduersarie wonderfully. The matter was this. Robert Philips was so notable a singyng man (wherein he gloried) that wheresoeuer he came, the best and longest song, with most counteruerses in it, should be set vp at his commyng. And so his chaūce being now to be at Windsore, agaynst his cōming to the Antheme, a long songue was set vp, called Lauda viui.MarginaliaA blasphemous Antheme, calling the virgin Marye our sauiour and redeemer. In the which song there was one coūteruerse toward thend that began on this wise: O redemptrix & saluatrix. Whiche verse of all other, Robert Philips would sing, because he knewe that Testwood could not abide that ditty. Now Testwood knowing his mynd wel enough, ioyned wt hym at the other part:MarginaliaA mery contention betweene Rob. Philips of the kinges chappell and Testwoode, about O Redemptrix, and Non Redemptrix. and when he hearde Robert Philips begyn to fetch his floorishe with O redemptrix & saluatrix, repeating the same one in an others necke, Testwood was as quicke on the other side to answeare hym agayne with Non redemptrix, nec saluatrix, and so striuyng togethers with O and Non, who should haue the maistry, they made an ende of the verse. Whereat was good laughyng in sleeues of some, but Robert Philips with other of Testwoodes enemies were sore offended.

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Within 14. dayes after this, the Lordes of the Garter (as their custome is yearly to doe) came to Wyndsore to keepe Saint Georges Feast: at whiche Feast the Duke of Northfolke was President:MarginaliaTestwoode complayned of to the olde Duke of Northfolke. vnto whom the Deane and Canons made a greeuous complaynt on Testwoode. Who beyng called before the Duke, he shooke hym vp and all to reuiled hym, as though hee would haue sent hym to hangyng by and by. Yet neuerthelesse Testwoode so behaued hymselfe to the Duke, that in the ende hee let him go, without any farther molestyng of hym, to the great discomfort of the Deane and Canons.

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Here haue ye heard the causes whiche moued Testwoodes enemyes to seeke his destruction, and could not attaine their purpose, till that wicked Aman Doctour London came as shall be shewed in the proces followyng.

The originall of Henry Filmers trouble.

MarginaliaFilmers trouble beginneth. ABout the yeare of our Lord. 1541. after all the orders of superstitions and beggyng Friers were suppressed and put downe, there chaunced oneMarginaliaFryer Melster Vicar of Windsore. Sir Thomas Melster, which had bene a Frier before, and chaunged his Friers coate (but not his Friers hart) to be Vicare of Wyndsore. This Priest on a tyme made a Sermon to his Parishioners, in the whiche he declared so many fond and Frierish tales,MarginaliaOur Lady spouting milke in S. Bernardes eyes. as that our Lady should hold out her brestes to S. Barnard and spoute her milke in to his eyes  

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The reference is to St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153); the story of the Virgin Mary squirting her milk into his eyes was a well-known legend.

, with such like festiuall tales, that many honest men were offended therewith, and specially this Henry Filmer then one of the Church Wardens: who was so zelous to Gods word, that hee could not abyde to heare the glory of Christ so defaced wyth superstitious fables. Whereupon he tooke an honest man or two with him, and went to the Priest, with whom he talked so honestly and so charitably, that in the ende the Priest gaue him hartie thankes, and was content at hys gentle admonition, to reforme himselfe without any more ado and so departed frendly the one from the other.

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Now was there one in the towne, called William Symons a Lawyer (as is aforesayd) who hearyng that Filmer had bene with the Priest, & reproued him for his Sermon, tooke pepper in the nose  

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William Simonds (or Symonds), was a very influential figure, being at various times MP and also mayor of Windsor.

, and gat him to the Vicare, & did so animate him in his doynges, that he slipped quyte away from the promise he had made to Filmer, and followed the mynde of Symons:MarginaliaSimons the Lawyer agaynst Filmer. who meetyng with Filmer afterward, all to reuiled hym, saying he would bryng him before the Byshop, to teach him to be so malaperte. Then Filmer hearyng the matter renued, which he had thought had ben suppressed, stode agaynst Symons and sayd, that the Vicare had preached false and vnsound doctrine, and so would he say to the bishop whensoeuer he came before hym. Then Symons slipt not the matter, but went to the Maior, and procured of hym and his brethren a letter, signed with their own handes, in the priestes fauour, as much as could be deuised,MarginaliaSimons complayneth of Filmer to D. Capon Bishop of Sarum. and so prepared hum selfe with other his frendes to goe to the bishop  
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John Salcot, alias Capon, was the bishop of Bangor from 1534-9. Owing to the poverty of this see, he was allowed to retain the abbacy of Hyde. This meant that while bishop of Bangor, Salcot was actually living in Winchester diocese, not far from Windsor. He was being consulted because he was a bishop in the vicinity, but he had no formal jurisdiction over either the town or castle of Windsor. Filmer's encounter with Salcot must have taken place before Salcot was made bishop of Salisbury in 1539.

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(whose name was doctor Capon) and to take the priest with them: which was a paynful iourney for the selye  
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This word is being used with its sixteenth-century meaning of 'blameless'.

poore man, by reason he had a very sore legge.

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Now Filmer hearing how Symons went about to put him to a foyle, consulted with his frends what was best to do: who concluded to drawe out certaine notes of the vicars sermon, & to prepare thē selues to be at Salisbury as soone as Symons, or before hym, if it might be possible. Thus both the parties being in a readynes, it chaunced them to set foorth of Windsore all in one daye. But by reason the Priest (beyng an impotent  

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I.e., weak, debilitated.

man) coulde not endure to ride very fast,MarginaliaFilmer forced to complayne to the Byshop of Sarum. Filmer and his company gate to the towne an houre and more before Symons, and wente to the Bishop and deliuered vp their Byll vnto hym. Whiche Byll when the Bishop had seene and perused well, he gaue them great thankes for their paynes, saying it dyd behoue hym to looke vpon it for the Prieste had preached heresie and shoulde be punished.

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Then