MarginaliaAn. 1555. December.Ouer and besides these Letters, the Byshop dyd also bryng forth a Supplication made by Maister Philpot vnto the high Court of Parlament, wherof mention is made in the first of the two letters last mētioned: the copy wherof doth here ensue, as followeth.

MarginaliaA supplication of I. Philpot to the King and Quene.IN most humble wise complayneth vnto this honorable Court of Parlament Iohn Philpot Clarke, that where there was by the Queenes hyghnesse a Parlament called in the first yeare of her gracious raigne, & after the old custome a Conuocation of the Clergy, your suppliant then beyng one of the sayd Conuocation house, and matters there rising vpon the vsing of Sacramentes, did dispute in the same, knowyng that there all men had and hath had free speach, and ought not to be after troubled for any thyng there spoken, and yet, that notwithstandyng, not long after the sayd Parlament, your sayd suppliant (without any acte or matter) was commaunded to prison to the Kynges Bench by the late Lord Chauncellour, where he hath remained euer sithens, vntill now of late that my Lord the B. of London , hath sent for your sayd suppliant to examine him, (beyng none of his dioces) vpō certaine matters, wherin they would haue your Oratour to declare his conscience, which the said Byshop sayth he hath authoritie to do, by reason of an Acte of Parlamēt made in the first and second yeares of the Kyng and Queenes Maiesties raignes, for the reuiuyng of three Statutes made agaynst them that hold any opinion agaynst the Catholicke fayth: whereby he affirmeth that euery Ordinary may Ex officio  

examine euery mās conscience: and for that your sayd Oratour   hath and doth refuse, that the sayd Byshop of London hath any authoritie ouer your sayd Oratour, for that he is neither his Diocesane, nor hath published, preached, nor held any opinion agaynst the Catholicke fayth (notwithstandyng the sayd Byshop of Lōdon deteineth him in the MarginaliaThe strait handling of Iohn Philpot in the Byshops Colehouse.Colehouse in the stockes, without either bed, or any other thyng to lye vpon, but straw): and for that your sayd Oratour can not appeale for his reliefe from the sayd Byshop, to any other Iudge, but the same Byshop may refuse the same by their law, and therefore hath no succour and helpe, but by this high Court of Parlament, for the explanation of the sayd Acte: therfore it may please you, that it may be enacted by the Kyng and Queenes Maiesties, the Lordes spirituall and tēporall, and the Cōmons of this present Parlament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that no Byshop nor Ordinary shall committe nor detaine in prison, any suspect person or personnes for the Catholicke fayth, except he or they haue spoken, written, or done some manifest Act agaynst the Catholicke fayth, and the same to be lawfully proued agaynst euery such person and persons, by the testimony of two lawfull witnesses, to be brought afore the sayd person or persons so accused, before he or they shall either be committed to prison, or conuict for any such offence or offences: the sayd former Statute, made in the sayd first and second yeare of our sayd soueraigne Lord and Lady notwithstandyng. Whereby your sayd Oratour shall not onely be set at libertie, and diuers other mo now remainyng in prison: but also the bloud of diuers of the Queenes Maiesties true and faythfull subiectes preserued.

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THese bookes, Letters, Supplications and other matters beyng thus red, the Byshop demaunded of him, if the booke intituled, The true reporte of the disputation. &c. were of his pennyng or not? Whereunto Philpot aunswered, that it was a good and true booke, and of his owne pennyng and settyng forth.

The Byshops waxyng now weery, and beyng not able by any sufficient grounde, either of Gods worde, or of the true auncient Catholicke fathers, to conuince and ouercome him, fell by fayre and flatteryng speach, to perswade with him, promising that if he would reuoke his opinions, and come home agayne to their Romishe and Babylonicall Church, he should not onely be pardoned that whiche was past, but also they would with all fauour and cherefulnesse of hart, receiue him agayne as a true member therof. Which wordes when Boner saw would take no place: MarginaliaAh my Lord what neded this question when no reasonable aunswere could be allowed.he demaunded of M. Philpot (and that with a charitable affection, I warrāt you) whether he had any iust cause to alledge, why he should not condēne him as an heriticke. Well quoth M. Philpot, your idolatrous Sacramēt which you haue found out, ye would fayne defend, but ye can not, nor neuer shall.

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In the end, the Bishop seyng his vnmoueable stedfastnes in the truth, did pronounce openly the sentence of condē-

nation agaynst him.MarginaliaSentence of condemnation read agaynst M. Philpot.In the readyng wherof, when he came to these words: Teque etiam tanquam hæreticum, obstinatum, pertinacem & impœnitentē. &c.  

M. Philpot sayd,MarginaliaM. Philpots wordes in reading the sentence. I thanke God that I am an hereticke out of your cursed Church: I am no hereticke before God. But GOD blesse you and geue you once grace to repent your wicked doyngs: and let all men beware of your bloudy Church.

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Moreouer, whilest Boner was about the middest of the Sentence, the Byshop of Bath pulled him by the sleeue and sayd: My Lord, my Lord: know of him first whether he will recant or no?  

Then Boner sayd (full like himselfe) oh let me alone: and so read forth the Sentence.

And when he had done, MarginaliaM. Philpot deliuered to the Sheriffes.hee deliuered him to the Sheriffes: and so  

two Officers brought him thorough the Byshops house into Pater noster rowe, and there his seruaunt met him, and when he saw him, he sayd: Ah deare Maister.

Then M. Philpot sayd to his man: MarginaliaM. Philpot to his seruaunt.content thy selfe, I shall do well inough, for thou shalt see me agayne.

And so the Officers thrust him away, & had his Maister to Newgate.MarginaliaM. Philpot brought into Newgate, his man permitted to enter with him. And as he went, he sayd to the people: Ah good people, blessed be God for this day: and so the Officers deliuered him to the Keeper. Then his man thrust to go in after his Maister, and one of the Officers sayd vnto him: hence fellow, what wouldest thou haue?

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And hee sayd, I would goe speake with my Maister. Maister Philpot then turned him about, and sayd to him: to morrow you shall speake with me.

Then the vnderkeeper sayd to Maister Philpot: is this your man? And he sayd, yea. So he did licence his man to go in with him, & Maister Philpot & his man were turned into a litle chamber on the right hand, and there remained a litle tyme, vntill Alexander the chief Keeper did come vnto him: who at his entryng, greeted him w^t these words: MarginaliaTalke betwene M. Philpot, and Alexander the keper.Ah, sayd hee, hast not thou done well to bryng thy selfe hether? Well sayd Maister Philpot, I must be content, for it is Gods appointment: and I shall desire you to let me haue your gentle fauour, for you and I haue bene of old acquaintaunce. Well sayd Alexāder, I will shew thee gentlenes and fauour, so thou wilt be ruled by me. Then said M. Philpot: I pray you shew me what you would haue me to do.

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He sayd, if you would recant, I wil shew you any pleasure I can. Nay, sayd Maister Philpot, I will neuer recant whilest I haue my lyfe, that which I haue spoken, for it is a most certaine truth, and in witnesse hereof, I will seale it with my bloud. Then Alexander sayd: this is the saying of all the whole packe of you heretickes. Whereupon he commaunded him to be set vpon the blocke, and as many irons vpon his legges as he might beare, for that he would not follow his wicked mynde. MarginaliaGood Philpot loden with yrons, because he would not recant at Alexanders bidding.

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Then the Clarke told Alexander in his eare that Maister Philpot had geuen his man money. And Alexāder sayd to his man: what money hath thy Maiter geuen thee? His man sayd: my maister hath geuen me none. No sayd Alexāder? hath he geuen thee none? that will I know, for I will search thee. Do with me what you lyst, & searche me all that you can, quoth his seruaūt. He hath geuē me a tokē or two, to send to his frēds, as to his brother & sister. MarginaliaAlexander taketh Philpots tokens from his man.Ah sayd Alexander to M. Philpot: Thou art a maintainer of heretickes. Thy mā should haue gone to some of thine affinitie: but he shall be knowē well inough. Nay, sayd M. Philpot: I do sēd it to my frēds. There he is: let him make aūswere to it. But good M. Alexander, be so much my frend, that these irons may be taken of. Well, sayd Alexander, geue me my fees, and I will take them of: if not, that shalt weare thē still.  

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Then sayd Maister Philpot, sir, what is your fees? he sayd, foure pounde was his fees.MarginaliaAlexander the cruell keeper requireth 4. poūdes of M. Philpot for his yrons. Ah sayd Maister Philpot, I haue not so much: I am but a poore man, and I haue bene long in prison. What wilt thou geue me then, sayd Alexander? Syr (sayd hee) I will geue you twenty shillynges, and that I will send my man for, or elles I will lay my gowne to gage: for the tyme is not long (I am sure) that I shall be with you: for the Byshop sayd vnto me that I should be soone dispatched.

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Then sayd Alexander vnto hym, what is þ^t to me? and with that he departed from him, & cōmaunded him to be had into Limbo, and so his commaundement was fulfilled:MarginaliaM. Philpot had into Limbo. but before he could be taken from the blocke, the Clarke would haue a grote.

Then one Wittrence, Steward of the house, tooke him on his backe,  

and caryed him down, his man knew not whether. Wherfore Maister Philpot sayd to his man: go to Maister Sheriffe and shewe him how I am vsed, and desire Maister Sheriffe to be good vnto me. And so his seruaunt went straight way, & tooke an honest man with him.

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And when they came to Maister Sheriffe (which was Maister MachamMarginaliaMaister Macham Sheriffe, a good man, sendeth his Ring to take of M. Philpots yrons, and to restore the mans tokens.) and shewed him how M. Philpot was handled in Newgate, the Sheriffe hearyng this, tooke his ring of from his finger, and deliuered it vnto that honest mā

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