Marginalia1558.Latine and since the time that I had any knowledge, I had bene brought vp in nothyng but in readyng of English, and with such men as haue taught the same: with many moe questions, which I can not rehearse.

MarginaliaThe Masse.Moreouer, he asked me if there were not the very body of Christ, fleshe, bloud and bone in the Masse, after the priest had consecrated it. And I made him answere: as for þ^e Masse I can not vnderstand it, but in the new Testament I read, that as the Apostles stode lookyng after the Lord when he ascended vp into heauen, an Aungell sayd to them: Euen as you see him ascende vppe, so shall he come agayne. And I told them an other sentence, where Christ sayth: The poore shall you haue alwayes with you, but me shall you not haue alwayes.

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Then M. Caplaine put to me many questions more, to the whiche I could make him no aunswere. Among all other, he brought Chrisostome and S. Hierome for his purpose. To whom I aunswered, that I neither mynded, nor was able to aunswere their Doctours, neither knew whether they alledged them right, or no: but to that whiche is written in the new Testament I would aunswere. Here they laughed me to scorne, and called me foole, and sayd: they would reason no more with me.

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Then Doctour Story called for Cluny, and bad hym take me away, and set me fast, and let no man speake with me. MarginaliaGreene sent agayne to the Colehouse.So I was sent vnto the Colehouse: where I had not bene a weeke, but there came in xiiij. prisoners: but I was kept still alone without company, in a prison called the Salthouse, MarginaliaThe strait handling of Greene in prison.hauyng vpon my legge a bolt and a fetter, and my handes manacled together with yrons, and there continued ten dayes, hauyng nothyng to lye on, but bare stones or a boorde.

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On a tyme whiles I lay there in prison,the Byshop of London commyng downe a payre of stayres on the backeside vntrust, in his hose and doublet, looked in at the grate, and asked wherfore I was put in, and who put me in.

MarginaliaTalke betwene Thomas Greene and B. Boner.I made him answere, þ^t I was put in for a booke called Antichrist, by Doctour Story. And he sayd: you are not ashamed to declare wherefore you were put in, and sayd it was a very wicked booke, and bad me confesse the truth to Story. I sayd, I had told the truth to him already, and desired him to be good vnto me, and helpe me out of prison, for they had kept me there lōg. And he sayd, he could not medle with it: Story hath begon it, and he must end it. MarginaliaTwo prisoners brought to B. Boners Salthouse.Then I was remoued out of the Salthouse to geue place to two women, and caryed to the Lollardes Tower, and put in the stockes: and there I founde two prisoners, one called Lyon, a Frenchman,  

and an other with him: and so I was kept in the stockes more then a moneth both day and night, and no man to come to me, or to speake with me, but onely my Keeper which brought me meate.

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Thus we three beyng together, Lyon the Frenchman song a Psalme in the Frenche toung, and we sang with him, so that we were heard downe into the streete, and the Keeper commyng vp in a great rage, sware that he would put vs all in the stockes,MarginaliaCrueltie shewed vpon prisoners for singing Psalmes.and so tooke the Frenchman and commaunded him to kneele down vpon his knees, and put both his handes in the stockes, where he remayned all that night till the next day.

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After this I beyng in the Lollardes Tower vij. dayes, at my last beyng with Story he sware a great othe that he would racke me, and make me tell the truth. MarginaliaThomas Greene brought before D. Story and the Commissioners.Then Story sendyng for me, commaunded me to be brought to Walbroke, where hee and the Commissioners dyned: and by the way my Keeper told me that I should goe to the Tower and be racked. So when they had dined, Story called for me in, and so there I stode before them, & some sayd I was worthy to be hanged for hauyng such hereticall bookes. After I had stayde a little while before them, Story called for the Keeper, and commaunded him to cary me to the Lollardes Tower agayne, and sayd: I haue other matters of the Queenes to do with the Commissioners: but I will finde an other tyme for him. Whilest I yet lay in the Lollardes Tower, MarginaliaThis woman was one Younges wife.the woman which brought the bookes ouer,  

beyng taken, and her bookes, was put in the Clinke in Southwarke by Hussy, one of the Arches: and I Thomas Greene testifie before God, now that I neither discryed the man nor the woman, the which I had the bookes of.  

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MarginaliaThomas Greene examined before M. Hussey.Then I lying in the Lollardes Tower, beyng sent for before Maister Hussy, he required of me, wherfore I was put into the Lollardes Tower, and by whom. To whom I made aunswere, that I was put there by Dotour Story for a booke called Antichrist. Then he made as though he would be my frend, and sayd he knew my frendes, and my father and mother, and bad me tell him of whom I had the booke, and sayd: come on, tell me the truth. I told him as I had told Doctour Story before.

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Then he was very angry and sayd: I loue thee well, &

therfore I sent for thee, and looked for a further truth: but I would tell him no other: wherupon he sent me agayne to the Lollardes Tower. At my goyng away he called me backe agayne, and sayd that Dixon gaue me the bookes beyng an old man, dwellyng in Birchin lane: and I sayd he knew the matter better then I. So he sent me away to the Lollards Tower, where I remayned vij. dayes and more.

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Then M. Hussy sent for me agayne and required of me to tell him the truth. I told him I could tell him no other truth then I had told Doctour Story before.

Then he began to tell me of DixonMarginaliaDixon in Birchin Lane. of whom I had the bookes, the whiche had made the matter manifest afore: and he told me of all thynges touchyng Dixon and the bookes, more then I could my selfe, in so much that he told me how many I had, and that he had a sacke full of the bookes in his house, and knew where the woman lay, better then I my selfe. Then I sawe the matter so open and manifest before my face, that it profited not me to stand in the matter. He asked me where I had done the bookes: and I told him I had but one, and that Doct. Story had. He sayd I lyed, for I had iij. at one tyme, and he required me to tell him of one.

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Then I told him of one that Iohn BeaneMarginaliaIohn Beane Prentise with M. Tottle. had of me, beyng Prentise with Maister Tottle. So he promised me before and after, and as he should be saued before GOD, that he should haue no harme. And I kneelyng downe vppon my knees, desired him to take my bloud, and not to hurt the young man. Then said he: because you haue bene so stubburne, the matter beyng made manifest by other and not by you, beyng so long in prison, tell me if you will stand to my Iudgement. I sayd: yea, take my bloud, and hurt not the young man.

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Then he made me aunswere,MarginaliaTho. Greene adiudged to be whipped. I should be whipped lyke a theefe and a vacabond: and so I thanked him, and went my way with my Keeper to the Lollardes Tower: where I remayned two or three dayes, and so was brought by the Keeper Cluny, by the commaundement of the Commissioners, to Christes Hospitall, sometyme the Gray Friers,MarginaliaTho. Greene brought to the Gray Fryers. and accordyngly had there for the tyme the correction of theeues and vacabondes, and so was deliuered to Trinian the Porter, and put into a stinkyng dungeon.

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Then after a few dayes I findyng frendshyp, was let out of the dungeon, and lay in a bed in the night, and walked in a yarde by the dungeon in the day tyme, and so remayned prisoner a moneth and more.

MarginaliaTho. Greene agayne appeareth before D. Story and two gentlemen.Where at length Doctour Story came and two gentlemen with him, and called for me, and so I was brought into a coūtyng house before them. Then he said to the Gentlemen: here commeth this hereticke, of whom I had the booke called Antichrist, and began to tel them how many tymes I had bene before him, and sayd: I haue entreated him very gently, and he would neuer tell me the truth till that it was founde out by other. Then sayd he: it were a good deede to cut out thy toung and thy eares of thy head, to make thee an example to all other hereticke knaues. And the Gentlemen sayd: nay that were pitie. Then he asked if that I would not become an honest man: & I said yes, for I haue offended God many wayes. Wherupō he burdened me with my faith. I told him I had made him aunswere of my fayth before my Lord Windsores Chapplaine, as much as I could.

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So in the end he commaunded me to be stripped, he stādyng by me, and called for two of the Beadels, and the whippes to whippe me: and the two Beadels came with a corde, and bound my handes together, and the one end of the cord to a stone piller. Then one of my frendes, called Nicholas Priestman, hearing them call for whips, hurled in a būdell of rods, which seemed something to pacifie the mynde of his crueltie: MarginaliaThe scourging of Tho. Greene before Doct. Story.& so they scourged me with rods. But as they were whippyng of me, Story asked me if I would goe vnto my Maister agayne: and I sayd nay. And he sayd: I perceiue now, he will be worse then euer he was before: but let me alone (quoth he): I will finde him out if he be in England. And so with many other thyngs which I cannot rehearse, when they had done whippyng of me, they bad me pay my fees and go my wayes.

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¶ Doctour Story commaunded that he should haue an hundred stripes, but the Gentlemen so entreated, that hee had not so many, Story saying: if I might haue my will, I would surely cut out his toung.

Of the scourgyng of M. Bartlet Greene, also of Iohn Milles, and of Tho. Hinshaw, ye heard before. In lyke maner was ordered Ste. Cotton, burned before at Braynford. who testifieth him selfe to be twise beaten by Boner, in a Letter of his written to his brother, as by the same here followyng for the more euidence may appeare.

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