MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Ianuary.tie God, then this. And as in this respecte of mercifull tendernesse, manne onely excelleth all other beastes: so almoste no lesse maie this manne seme to passe many other menne, whose customable propertie and exercise was to visite the poore prisoners with hym in prison, bothe with bodily relief, and also with spirituall comfort: and findyng many of them (I meane suche as wer there for thefte, and other naughtie factes) verie penitent and sorie for their euill demeanours, in hope of their amendemente, did not onely by mouthe, but also by his letters require, yea, as it were of duetie in loue, did charge his frendes, to trauaile for their deliueraunces: suche was the pitie and charitable mercie of this godlie and moste true mēber of Christes churche: as appeareth by this letter here followyng.

¶ To my verie louyng friendes and Maisters, M. Goryng, M. Ferneham, M. Fletewode, M. Rusewell, M. Bell, M. Hussey, M. Calthrop, M. Boyer, and other my Maisters of the Temple, Bartlet Grene wisheth healthe of bodie and soule.  

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The Letters from Bartlett Green

This letter was first printed in 1563, then in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 557-59 and then in all subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments. ECL 260, fos. 63r-64r is a copy of this letter. The manuscript letter is dated 27 January 1556, the day of Green's death.

MarginaliaA letter of M. Bartlet Grene to certeine of his louing friendes in the Temple.VErie friendes are they, whiche are knitte together with the knotte of Charitie. Charitie doeth not decaie, but increase in them that dye faithfully: whereof it followeth, that though we be absente in bodie, yet are wee present in the spirite, coupled together with the vnitie of faithe in the bonde of peace, whiche is loue. How is he worthy the name of a freinde, that measureth his frendship with the distaunce of place, or partyng of persones? MarginaliaWhat true frendship is.If thy frende bee out of sighte, is thy frendship ended? If he be gone into the countrey, wilt thou cease to loue him? If he be passed the seas, will you so foresake him? If he be caried into heauen, is charitie hindred thereby? MarginaliaTrue friendship is not measured by distāce of place or of persons.On the one syde wee haue the vse of the fathers from the primatiue church, that gaue thankes for their friends that died in the faithe, to proue that charitie died not with death. On the other side (saieth Horace) Cœlum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.  

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Horace

Foxe text Latin

Coelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

Those who run across the sea change their sky not their heart

Actual Horace, Epistles I, xi, 27

nam si ratio et prudentia curas,
non locus effusi late maris arbiter aufert,
caelum, non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt.

[Accurate Citation.]

What speake I of Horace? Saieth not sainct Paule the same thyng? For we are mēbers of his bodie, of his fleshe, and of his bloud, yea, wee are members one of an other. Is the hande or arme, foote or legge a member, when it is disseuered from the bodie? How can we bee members, except we be ioyned together? MarginaliaLoue onely coupleth together.What is the line that coupleth vs, but loue? When all thinges shall faile, loue faileth neuer. Hope hath his ende, when we gette that wee hoped for. Faithe is finished in heauen, MarginaliaAl other things fayle, loue only endureth for euer.loue endureth for euer: Loue (I saie) that proceedeth of charitie, for carnall loue, when that whiche he loued is loste, doeth perishe with the fleshe. Neither was that euer but fleshely loue, whiche by distaunce of place, or seueryng of bodies, is parted asunder. If loue bee the ende or summe of the lawe, if heauen & yearth shall perishe, if one iote of Gods woorde shall not decaie, why would we thinke that loue lasteth not euer?

I neede not to write muche to you my frendes, neither can I haue laisure now that the keepers are risen: but this I saie: if we keepe Christes commaūdement in louyng eche other, as he loued vs, then should our loue bee euerlastyng. This frendship Paule felt when it moued him to saie, that neither length nor bredth (meanyng no distance of place) neither height nor depth should seuere hym from the loue of Christ. Waigh well this place, and meete it with Paules measures: so shall wee finde, MarginaliaLoue vnfayned neuer endeth.that if our loue be vnfained, it can neuer bee ended. Now maie you saie, why writest thou this? Certes to the ende that if our frendship bee stable, you maie accomplishe this the last request of your freinde, and performe after my death the friendship we began in our life, that amitie maie encrease vntill God make it perfecte at our nexte meetyng together.

Master Fletewood, MarginaliaThe sute of M. Grene for the sauing of certeine poore prisoners in Newgate.I beseche you remember Wittrāce and Cooke, twoo singular men amongest common prisoners. M. Fernham & M. Bell, with M. Hussey (as I hope) will dispatch Palmer and Richardson with his companions. I praie you M. Calthrop thinke on Iohn Groue, an honest poore man, Traiford, and Rice Aprice his accomplices. My cosin Thomas Witton (a Scriuener in Lōberdstreete) hath promised to further their deliuery: at the least he can instruct you whiche waie to worke. I doubt not but that M. Boyer will labor for the good wife Cooper (for she is worthy to be holpen) & Berard the Frenchman.  

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This is a misprint; the name is 'Gerard the Frenchman' in ECL 260, fo. 64r and Letters of the Martyrs, p. 559.

bly beseche you to seeke their relief, as you shal se cause, namely of Henry Aprice, Lancelot, Hobbes, Lother, Homes, Carre, and Bockyngham, a yonge man of goodlie giftes in witte and learnyng, and (sauyng that he is somwhat wilde) likely to doe well hereafter. There bee also twoo women, Conyngham and Alice Alexander that maie proue honeste. For these and all other poore prisoners, here I make this my humble sute, and praier to you all my maisters, & especiall good frendes, besechyng you of all bondes of amitie, for the precious bloud of Iesus Christ, in the bowelles of mercie: to tender the causes of miserable captiues: helpe to clothe Christe, visite the afflicted, comfort the sorowfull, and releue the needy. The verie God of peace guide your hartes to haue mercie on the poore, and loue faithfully together, Amen. This present Monday, when I looke to dye, and liue for euer.

Yours as euer Bartlet Grene.

¶ An other letter of M. Grene to Maistres Elizabeth Clarke.  

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This letter was first printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 555-57 and subsequently in the Acts and Monuments. BL, Additional MS 19400, fo. 56r-v is the original letter.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Bartlet Grene to Mistres Elizabeth Clarke.WOuld God (if it were his pleasure) that with this letter I might sende you my harte and mynde, & whatsoeuer there is in me els, that pertaineth vnto God: So should I thinke it the beste message, and happiest letter that euer I could write. But though I obtaine not my desire, yet shall I not ceace with continuall praier to labour for you, desiryng almightie God to encrease that, which he hath long sith begunne in you, of sober life, and earnest zeale towardes his religion. In faithe (as saieth sainct Paule) Marginalia1. Timoth. 5.She that is a true widowe and frendlesse, putteth her trust in God, cōtinuyng daie and night in supplicatiō and praier: but she that liueth in pleasure is dead, euen yet aliue. And verely a true widowe is she that hath maried Christe, forsakyng the vanities of the worlde, and luste of the fleshe. For as the maried woman careth how to loue, please, and serue her houseband:Marginalia1. Corin. 5.so ought the widowe to geue all her hart and soule, thoughtes and woordes, studies and labours: faithfully to loue God, vertuously to bryng vp her children and housholde, and diligentely to prouide for the poore and oppressed. Therfore sainct Paule first instructeth a widowe howe to behaue her self, that is: Marginalia1. Timoth. 5.Not to liue in pleasure, then to watche vnto praier, as the onely meanes to obtaine all our desires, stedfastly laiyng vp all our trust in God, as Dauid right well saieth: MarginaliaPsalme. 34.First eschew euill, then doe good. Of Anna the praise was written, that she neuer went out of the Temple,MarginaliaLuke. 2.but serued God with fastyng and praier night and daie: so well had she espoused Christ. Iudith ware a smocke of heare,MarginaliaIudith. 8.continuyng in fastyng, and had good report of all men. The next care that belongeth to a widowe, is that she bryng vp her children and housholde godlie,MarginaliaEphesians 6. in the nourture and information of the Lorde, Whereof Saincte Paule saieth: Marginalia1. Timoth. 5.If any haue children or Nephewes, let them learne firste to rule their own house godlie, and to recompence their elders. The incontinencie and coueteousnes of Phinees and OphnyMarginalia1. Reg. 2.not corrected by Ely their father, prouoked Gods vengeaunce vpon hym, and all his kinred. The ouer tender loue of Marginalia2. Reg. 15.Absolon, expelled Dauid frō his kingdome. The vnrebuked synnes of Marginalia1. Reg. 3.Ammon encouraged Absolon to slea hys brother: moste manifest examples againste the parentes, for the offences of their children. Contrariwise, howe greatly might Marginalia2. Reg. 13.Hannah reioyce ouer Samuel her sonne, whō she had brought vp in the house of the Lord. What thākes might Tobias wife giue for her sonne Toby? How happie was Marginalia3. Reg. 1.Salomon to be taught by the prophet Nathan? But aboue all widowes, Marginalia2. Mach. 7.thrise blessed was the happie mother of the seuen sonnes, that so had instructed them by the feare of God, that by no tormentes they would shrincke from the loue of his truthe? Of the laste parte saincte Paule sheweth that a widowe should be chosen, Marginalia1. Timo. 5.If she haue nourished her children, if she haue been liberall to straungers, if she haue washed the sainctes feete, and if she haue ministred to them in aduersitie. Herein it is euident how earnestly sainct Paul would haue widowes bent towardes the poore, for that (as though they onely had been therefore meete) he appointed onely widowes to minister to the Sainctes, and to gather for the poore. MarginaliaThe office and exercise of christen widowes in the primatiue Church.Which vse also cōtinued, almost throughout the primitiue Church, that widowes had the charge, and gatheryng for poore men and straungers.

Of your neighbours I nede not to put you in remembraunce, seeyng you daiely feede them with good hospitalitie, by whiche meanes also many foreners are of you relieued: but of the poore almes houses, and miserable prisoners here in London, many lackyng their liber-