Marginalia1555. August.Maior, I saide: I require you, my Lord Maior in Gods behalfe, vnto whom perteineth your sword and iustice, that I may here before your presence answeare to those obiections that are laid againste me, and haue the probation of the same: and if any thing that I haue said or wyl say, be to be approued (as my Lord saith) heresie, I shal not only with al my hart forsake the same, and cleaue to the truth, but also recant where soeuer ye shal assigne me, and al this audience shalbe witnesses to the same.

Maior. Why Smith, thou canst not denye, but this thou saydst?

MarginaliaHere my brother Tankerfield recited the story of my Lord Byshops Cooke.Smith. Yes my Lord, I deny that which hee hath writtē, because he hath both added to, and dimished frō the same: But what I haue spoken, I wyl neuer deny.

Maior. Why, thou spakest against the blessed sacrament of the aultar.

Smith. I denyed it to be any Sacramente, and I doo stande here to make probation of the same: and if my Lorde here, or any of his Doctours be able to approue eyther the name, or vsage of the same, I wyll recante myne errour. Then spake my brother Tankerfield,  

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George Tankerfield, the martyr.

Boner. By my troth, Maister speaker, ye shall preache at a stake.

Smith. Wel sworne, my Lord, ye keepe a good watch.

Boner. Wel, maister controller, MarginaliaB. Boner no Saint.I am no saint.

Smith. No my Lord, nor yet good Bishop. For a bishop sayth s. Paul, should be fautles, and a dedicate vessell vnto God, and are ye not ashamed to sit in iudgemēt, & be a blasphemer, condemnyng innocentes?

Boner. Wel, M. controller, ye are fautles.

Smith. My Lord Maior,MarginaliaThis Mayor was Syr Iohn Lion. I require you in Gods name, that I may haue Iustice. We be here to day a greate many of innocētes, that are wrongfully accused of heresie. MarginaliaHere my brother Tankerfield pulled out of his bosome a testament, requiring iudgment by the same, but it would not be heard.And I require you, if you wyll not seeme to be parciall, let me haue no more fauour at your handes, then the Apostle had at the handes of Festus and Agrippa, which being Heathen and Infidels, gaue him leaue not onely to speake for himself, but also heard þ^e probation of hys cause. This require I at your hands, which being a Christian Iudge, I hope wyll not denye me that right, whiche the Heathen haue suffered: if ye do, then shal al this audience, yea, & the

Heathen speake shame of your fact. For a citie (saith our saueour) that is builded on an hyl, cannot be hid: if they therfore haue the truth, let it come to light. For all that wel doo, come to the light, and they that do euyl, hate the light.

Then my Lorde Maior hangyng downe his heade, sayde nothyng, but the Bishop tolde me, I shoulde preache at a Stake, and so the SheriffeMarginaliaThis Sheriffe was M. Woodrofe. cryed, with the Bishop, Away with me.

Thus came I in before them foure tymes, desiryng Iustice, but could haue none: and at length my frendes requiryng with one voyce the same, and could not haue it, we had sentence, and then being caried out, were brought in agayne, and had it euery man seuerally geuen.MarginaliaIustice required in the Byshops Consistory, but could not be had. But before the Bishop gaue me sentence, he told me in dirision of my brother Tankerfielde a tale betweene a Gentleman and his Cooke. To whiche I aunsweared: My Lorde, ye fill the peoples eare with fantasies and foolishe tales, and make a laughing matter at bloud: but if ye were a true bishop, ye should leaue these railyng sentences, and speake the wordes of God.

Boner. Well, I haue offred to that naughty felowe maister Speaker, your companion the Cooke, that my Chancellour should here instruct him: but he hath here wyth greate disdaine forsaken it. How saiest thou, wylt thou haue hym instruct thee, and leade thee in the right way?

MarginaliaA lawfull request not heard.Smith. My Lord, if your Chauncellour shal doo me any good, and take any paynes as ye say, let hym take myne articles in his handes, that ye haue obiected agaynste me, and eyther proue one of them heresie, or any thing that you doo, to be good: and if he be able so to doo, I stand here with all my harte to heare hym: if not, I haue no neede, I prayse God, of his sermon: for I come to answere for my lyfe, and not heare a sermon.

Then beganne the sentence In Dei nomine.  

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'In the name of God': these words were the beginning of the sentence condemning a heretic to death.

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This group of Bonner's prisoners, thanks to the leadership of the fervent Robert Smith, who had proved himself through several fully reported examinations by the bishop, was able to derive comfort from conferring and praying together under his direction. They are shown behind bars in 'an outward house' of Newgate prison, furnished with bench, cups, stools and, more importantly, with the benefit of books. This facilitated 'public reading' led by Smith who is clearly holding this session with direct reference to the text in front of him. Four of the prisoners are identified with names ('R Smith', 'Tankerf.', 'Simpson.' and 'I. Newman') incorrectly cut on the block, which remained in this mirror form through the first four editions, unlike the following linked example of prisoners in the Lollards' Tower (1563, p. 1272; 1583, p. 1703) which was corrected in 1583.