THe foresayd William Steuens after his returne from London aboue mentioned, besides many other Articles layd to him for religion, to þ^e number of 40. or well nye, was by þ^e Lord Deputie charged þ^t he had stayed the foresayd Adam Damlyp, hyred him to preache, and gaue hym meate, drinke and lodgyng, commyng from the arrant traytor Cardinall Poole, and suborned by him:MarginaliaFalse crimes forged agaynst W. Steuens. and that he had receyued money of him, to the entent he should preach in Calyce false and erroneous doctrine, whereby the town beyng deuided & at contention within it selfe, might easely be ouercome and wonne by the Frenchmen. Whereunto the sayde Steuens aunswered, that what soeuer he had done vnto the sayd Adam Damlyp, he had done it at the earnest request and commaundement of the sayd Lord Deputie. Wherupon if it had bene treason in deede, he must haue bene more faultie.

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MarginaliaW. Steuens committed to the Tower. Then the sayd William Steuens was agayne the secōd tyme by the sayd Commissioners sent ouer into England, & clapt in the tower, and afterward, to wit, immediately after the sayd Commissioners repayre vnto the kyngs hyghnes,MarginaliaL. Lisley Deputie of Calice, committed to the Tower. the said Lord Deputy was sent for ouer, & likewise put into the Tower, where he continued a long tyme. And whē the kynges maiestie mynded to haue bene gracious vnto him, & to haue let him come forth, God toke him out of this world, whose body resteth in the Tower, & his soule with God, I trust, in heauen, for he dyed very repentaunt.MarginaliaExample of Gods punishment vpon his persecuters. But the wicked Lady his wife immediately vpon his apprehension, fell distraught of mynde, & so continued many yeares after  

. God for his mercy, if she yet liue, geue her his grace to repent.

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MarginaliaBroke committed to prison. The second Monday after Easter  

, the foresayd Broke was conuented before the Commissioners, and committed to close prison in the Mayors Gayle.

Then the Counsell of Calyce, doubting lest there should not be any sedition or heresie proued agaynst him, did call one George Bradway before them, who occupyed the Controllers office in the custome house. This man was kept in close prison, so as neither his wife than great with child, nor any other his friendes might repayre vnto him. Where, after that he had often tymes beene borne in hande, that there were diuers concealmentes come to light that were made by Broke in the office of Custome, and that the said Bradway should be greuously punished if he would acknowledge none of them, nor burden the sayd Broke with no kynde of concealement: the poore simple man, hopyng thereby to get release of his imprisonment, accused the sayd Broke, that he had for a long tyme concealed foure grotes euery day for his Clarkes wages, and to that accusatiō they caused the simple man to set his owne hand before witnesses.

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MarginaliaFalse accusation punished by Gods hand. Whereupon after a day or two, the sayd Bradway greued in his conscience for the same his most vntrue accusation, did with a knife enterprise to cut his owne throte: but God of his mercy so directed his wicked purpose, that the backe of his knife was toward his wesand  

.MarginaliaGods mercy in punishing. Wherby though the wounde were broad, yet he escaped wyth life. And as he gaue a grone with the sodayne payne that he felt, the Gayler came vp, and bereft him of the knife. But thorough the giltynes of the false accusation, and shame of the world, the mā lost his wyts, who then staryng and dismayde was dismissed out of prison, and a long tyme after went in piteous case so dismayed about the streete, to the great impouerishyng of him, his poore wife and familie.

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This kynde of handlyng of the sayd Broke, made all his frendes, but specially his wife, to be greatly afeard of the malice of his enemyes: the rather also, for that all his goodes and landes were ceised. And his wife thrust into the meanest place of all his house, with her children and familie, the keyes of al þ^e doores and chestes beside taken from her. Who for that she was rigorously entreated at sir Edward Ryngleis hand, Controller of the Towne (an office of no small charge, though he knew not a B. from a battledoore, nor euer a letter of the booke) saying vnto her, that if she lyked not the rowme, he would thrust her quyte out of the doores: well Syr, sayd she, well, the kynges slaughter house had wrong when you were made a Gentleman,MarginaliaLetters sent to the Lord Cromwell from Calice. and with all speede she wrote a letter to the Lord Cromwell, therein discoursing how hardly and sore those poore men were hādled, that were committed to ward and close prison, and that all men feared (what through the malice of their Papisticall enemyes, and the great rigour and ignoraunt zeale of those that were in authoritie) they should shortly for theyr fayth and consciences, beyng true men, and such as reuerently feared God, be put to death, but chiefly her husband, who was yet more extremely handled then any other: So that, vnlesse his honour voutchsaued to be a meane to the kynges maiestie, that they with theyr causes might be sent ouer into England, they were but dead men.

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Wherupon the sayd Lord Cromwell wrote speedely his letters vnto the Cōmissioners, declaryng the kynges Maiesties pleasure and commaundement was, that the arrant MarginaliaThe Lord Cromwels letters to the Commissioners at Calice. traitour and hereticke Broke, with a dosen or xx. complices, should with their accusers be immediately sent ouer, þ^t here in England they myght receiue their iudgement, and there at Calice to the great terrour of lyke offenders hereafter suffer according to their demerites.

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Now by the tyme that the said Commissioners had receiued these letters, they had made out preceptes for 8. or 9. score honest men more to be cast in prison. But these letters so appalled them, that they stayde, and afterwarde sent no moe to warde. But making then as dilige ntinquisition as was possible, to haue founde some worthy matter agaynst those before named, whereby there might haue bene some colour, both of the Counsels greuous complaintes, and of the Commissioners rigorous dealing, whē no such thing could fall out, because they would be assured þ^t they shoulde not goe vnpunished, they first banished thē the towne and Marches of Calice with a Trumpet blowne, vnder payne of death, for a hundred yeare and a day if that one day had bene left out, all had bene marde) and then sent them backe to prison, staying them there vpon hope that the L. Cromwell shoulde come into captiuitie sooner then he dyd.MarginaliaThe xiij. prisoners of Calice sent to London. But at last, to wit, on May day, they sent the xiij. prisoners through the market, the sayde Broke goinge before wyth yrons on his legges, as the chiefe captayne, the rest followyng hym, two and two without yrons, vnto shipborde, and then were they all coupled in yrons two and two together.MarginaliaThe crueltie of a popish persecuter. Where, because they were lothe to go vnder the hatches, Syr Iohn Gage with a staffe smote some of them cruelly Wherupon Anthony Pickering sayd: vnto hym: Syr I besech you yet be as good vnto vs as you would be to your horses or dogs: let vs haue a litle ayre that we be not smoothered. Yet that request could not be obtained, but the hatches were put downe close, and they garded and kept with a great company of men, and so sayling forwarde, by Gods merciful prouidence, were within 24. houres at anker before the Tower of London.

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And when the Lord Cromwell vnderstoode they were come, he commaunded their yrons to be smyt of at the Tower wharfe, and the prisoners to be brought vnto hym.

When he saw them he smiled vpon them, stedfastly beholding ech of them, and then sayd: Syrs, you must take paine for a tyme.MarginaliaThe xiij. prisoners put in the Fleete. Go your way to the Fleete, and submit your selues prisoners there, and shortly you shall know more, So in deede they did, for that euening he sent them worde they should be of good chere, for if God sent him life, they would shortly go home with as much honesty, as they came with shame.

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Whilest these xiij. persecuted men lay in the Fleete,  

and W. Steuens in the tower, to witte, the xix. day of Iuly. an. 1541. the foresayd Lord Cromwel for treason layde against hym, was at Tower hill beheaded, as is before specified in hys story, who made there a very Christian end. Then had the poore Calyce men great cause to feare, if they had not altogether depended on the mercifull prouidence of their heauenly father, whose blessed will they knew directed all thinges. But he in the middest of their deepe troubles and myseries so comforted them, that euen as the daungers and troubles increased, so likewise did their consolation and ioy in hym:MarginaliaMathew de Hounde a blessed Martyr of God, burned in Flaunders. so farre forth, as Mathew de Hound one of those xiij. who was in trouble onely for that he heard Copen de Hall read a Chapter of the new Testament, and was as deepe in punishment, and in banishment frō hys wyfe, children, and countrey as the rest, gotte in short tyme such instruction, that hauinge therewith a soule and conscience freighted full of godly zeale vnto Gods glory and the true doctrine of Christ, within a fewe mōthes after hys deliueraunce out of the Fleete: for inueying constantly agaynst the wicked honoring of Images and praying vnto saints departed, was cruelly in a most constant faith and patience, burned in Flaunders.

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MarginaliaThe Lorde Audley good to the persecuted members of Christ. Now therfore, when all hope in man was past, the right honourable L. Audeley, lord Chancellor of England, without further examination, discharged first the sayd 13. that were in the Flete, and at length two yeares after, he deliuered W. Steuens also by the kings owne motion, out of the Tower, saying at the discharging of those 13. sirs praye for the kings maiesty, His pleasure is þ^t you shall al be presently discharged. And though your liuings be taken from you, yet dispaire not: God will not see you lacke.MarginaliaThe commō saying of the Lord Audley concerning popishe priestes. But for Gods sake sirs beware how you deale with popish priestes: for, so God saue my soule, some of them be knaues all. Sirs, sayde he, I am commaunded by the counsaile to tell you, that you are discharged by vertue of the kings generall pardon but þ^t pardon excepteth and forbiddeth all sacramentaries, and the most part or all of you are called sacramentaries. Therefore I can not see how that pardon doth you any pleasure. But pray for the kynges highnesse, for hys graces pleasure is, that I shoulde dismisse you, and so I doo, and pitie you all:

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