MarginaliaAnno, 1556. Iuly.Peraduenture also her senses might bee so astoyned with the greatnes and sodenes of the feare, that it was out of her remembrance. Certes, MarginaliaLacke in the Iudges.it had bene the duetie of the Iudges, which knew the law, & hauing the woman before them could not be ignorant of her case, to haue questioned with her thereof, and to haue holpen her simplicitie in that behalfe. Or at least, if they had disdayned, MarginaliaThe priest to blame.yet it had beene the priestes part, who was her ghostly father, and made priuy therunto, eyther to haue instructed her, or to haue stayed the execution of her death, for sauegard of the childe.

But all thys denyeth M. H. and to aggrauate the matter, inferreth, that she, not of any simple vnskilfullnes of the law, MarginaliaReioynder fol. 185. pag. 1.but only of mere wilfulnes, for auoyding of worldly shame, concealed her owne turpitude, and so became a murderer of her babe. &c. These be þ^e wordes of M. H. written by him not of any sure ground, but only vpon his catholicke coniecture: for other demonstration certenly to proue this true, he bringeth none. MarginaliaM. Hardinges ground onely vpon coniectures.Wherfore to aunswere coniecture by coniecture, thus I reply to him agayne, that in case she had bene asked the questiō of the Iudges and Inquisitours, whether she had bene with child, and then had denyed the same: or els if she, by any other colorable meanes, had cloked her beyng with child, whereby it should not appeare, this accuser might haue some probable aduantage agaynst the woman. Now, as she was neuer demaūded of their partes any such questiō, nor did euer deny any such matter:MarginaliaPerrotine as she did not opē her being with child: so neither dyd she euer deny it. so to answere this man with as good probabilitie, I hold, that in case they had inquired that matter of her, shee would neuer haue denyed it. And therefore where as she is accused for her not vttering of her child: why may she not, by as good reason again be defended for not denying the same.

MarginaliaThe state of M. Hardinges accusation.But she should haue vttered it, saieth he. It had ben well done: saye I. And I would she had, but yet that is not the question betwene him & me, what she should haue done, but why shee did it not. M. Harding wandring in his blind surmises, phantasieth the cause only to be, for hyding her dishonesty, and for that she would not shame the Gospell. So that in Summa, to this effect tendeth all his accusation.

MarginaliaM. Hardinges Argument.Perotine beyng byg with child at her condemnation did not shew it to the Iudges.

Ergo, she did it to cōceale her turpitude, and because she would not shame the Gospell.

MarginaliaThe Argumēt aunswered.But here this accuser must vnderstand, if he haue not forgotte his Logike, that such argumentes which truly do hold, a Signis, do alwayes presuppose, that the signes which goe before the thinges signified, must be necessarie, perpetuall, and firme, as is bewene causes naturall and their effectes. Otherwise, if the signes bee doubtfull, voluntarie, or accidentall, there is no firme consequent can procede therof.

MarginaliaArgumentes of signes and cōiectures how they holde.Now, if the said accuser should be put to his proofe, how to iustifie this his sequele to be true by euident demōstration, that she did it only for couering her dishonestie: I suppose verely he should be foūd to say more, then he is able to make good, and in conclusion should be brought into þ^e like case, as were the phariseis, who cōming to accuse the adulteresse before Christ, went away mute, with as much shame out of the temple, as the woman her selfe came in, hauing not one word to aunswere. For a man to pronounce assuredly vpon the secret cogitation and intent eyther of man or woman, farther then by vtterance of speach is to him signified, passeth his capacitie & is to be left onely to him, which is scrutans corda & renes Deus.

But for somuch as M. H. worketh (as I sayd) by surmises, construyng euery thing to the worst, let vs see what may be surmised as much againe to the contrary, cōcerning the qualitie of this surmised murder. Wherin diuers thinges are to be considered, as here in order foloweth.

MarginaliaThe first coniecture.The first coniecture is this, that such maner of women whiche for worldly shame are disposed to murder their children, haue otherwayes to compasse that wickednes, thē by silence keeping. Now, as touchyng this Perotine goyng to be burned, neither could this silēce saue her if she would, from worldly shame, neither is it to be thought any such intent euer to be in her, to murder her child: as might well appeare in her mothers house, where if shee might haue continued her whole time out she entēded no lesse but honestly to be brought to bed, & to nurse vp her child, neither caryng for shame of the world, nor fearyng any sclaunder to the Gospell,

Wherby may be argued, that no such intent of murder was euer in her thought. For how is it like that she, which had gone so long with child, almost to the full time of her deliuerāce, and neuer thought nor wrought any hurt to the infant all that while, should now going to her owne death, minde more hurt to her child, then she did before, hoping her selfe to liue?

MarginaliaThe 2. coniecture.Secondly, how knoweth M. H. to the contrary, but that she was knowne in the towne to be with child, and went boldely abroade without note of any shame, before the time she came in trouble? Which being true, shame then could be no cause, why she should conceale her child more now after her condemnation, then she did before she was condemned.

MarginaliaThe 3. coniecture.Thirdly, admit the case it was not knowne before, what aduantage thereby should rise to her, being now appoynted to dye, by concealing her being with child. She should haue eschued (sayeth M. H.) the publike shame and obloquie of the worlde, in that none should haue knowne her to be with child. First, what shame was it for a maried wife to be noted to be with child? Againe, what gaine had that bene to her, to auoyde the shame and fame of the world, which had not to liue in the world, being now condemned to dye?

MarginaliaThe 4. coniecture.Fourthly, how is it like, that for shame she ment to conceale that from the worlde, which both knewe shee should not liue in the world, and also suffer that kind of death, wherby her child could not be hidden from the sight of the world, though she had gone about her selfe neuer so much to conceale it?

MarginaliaThe 5. coniecture.Fiftly, how is it to be thought, that any woman, going to such a sharpe punishement of fier to be cōsumed, would lette for any worldly shame, to reschue her owne life frō so bitter torment, at least so long as she might, beside the safegard also of her child, if by any meanes she had knowne any remedy?

MarginaliaThe 6. coniecture.Sixtly, forsomuch as M. Harding doth so haynously charge her with the wilfull murdering of her owne naturall child: let all indifferēt consciences this consider with themselues, what was the cause that moued her so willingly to recant as she did, but partly to saue her owne life, and especially the poore innocent? Wherby it is manifest to be vnderstanded, what a motherly affection she had to saue her infant, if the fathers of the spiritualtie had not bene so cruell, agaynst all order of law to cast both her and her child awaye, all this her sayd recantation notwithstanding.

MarginaliaThe 7. coniecture.Seuenthly and lastly, when M. H. hath inueied all that euer he can against this poore Perotine, yet is all the same but a bymatter from his principall purpose pretended, supposing therby through his deprauing of her, to iustifie and excuse the Popeholy Clergie, which wrought her death. Which will not be. For whatsoeuer her life was besides, yet forsomuch as the cause of her death and condemnation, was neither for theft, whoredome, nor murder, but onely and merely for Religion, which deserued no death: I therfore hauing in my story no further to deale, as I sayd before, so doe I say again, that the cause of her cōdēnyng was wrongful, her death was cruel, the sight of the babe was ruefull, the procedyng of the Iudges was vnlawfull, the whole story is pitifull, and of al this the Priestes and Clergie with the authors principall. All which beyng considered, and well expēded, M. H. I trust, may stand sufficiently contented. Or if he thinke murder to be a thing, which ought not (as it ought not in deede) lightly to be passed ouer, let him thē finde out murder where it is, and tell vs truely without affection of partialitie, where the true murder lieth: whether in the poore woman, which together with her child was murdered, or in thē which without al law and conscience, brought them both to death?

MarginaliaThe conclusiō of this Defence.Briefly and finally to conclude with this mā, what soeuer the womā was, she is now gone. To byte so bitterly against the dead it is litle honesty. And though þ^e accusation had in it some truth, yet this accusation here neded not. Now the same beyng false, it is to much vnmerciful. At least beyng doubtful & to him vnknowen, charitie would haue iudged the best. Humanitie would haue spared the dead. And if he could not foord her his good word: yet he might haue left her cause vnto the Lord, which shall iudge both her and him. To pray for the dead, he findeth in his Masse: but to backebyte the dead, he neither findeth in his Masse, Mattens, nor Evensong. And no doubt but in his Dirige and commēdations he commendeth many one, lesse deseruyng to