of persecution, for Christians to resort into desolate woods, and secrete thickes, from the sight of enemyes, when they would assemble in praying and hearyng the word of God? MarginaliaIll wyll taketh all thinges to the worst meaning.In Queene Maryes tyme was not the same colour of treason obiected agaynst George Egle and other moe, for frequentyng and vsing into backsides and fieldes, and suffered for that, wherof he was innocent and giltles? Did not Adam Damlipe dye in lyke case of treason, for hauyng a French crowne geuen hym, at his departure out of Rome, by Cardinall Poole? What can not cankered calumnia inuent, when she is disposed to cauill? It was not the Cardinals crown that made hym a traytor, but it was the hatred of his preachyng, that styrred vp the accuser. In Fraunce what assembles haue there been in late yeares of good and innocent Christiās, congregatyng together in backfieldes, and couertes in great routes to heare the preachyng of Gods holy word, & to pray: yea and not without their weapon also, for their owne safegard, and yet neuer intended nor mynded any rebelliō agaynst their king. Wherfore, in cases of Religion it may & doth happen many tymes, that such congregations may meete without intent of any treason ment. MarginaliaAn other vntruth in Alanus Copus.But how soeuer the intent and purpose was of these foresaid cōfederates of the Lord Cobham, whether to come, or what to do (seyng this is playne by recordes, as is aforesaid, that they were not yet come vnto the place) how will M. Cope now iustifie his wordes, so confidently affirmyng, that they were there assembled seditiously together in the field of S. Giles agaynst the king? And marke here I besech thee (gentle Reader) how vnlikely and vntydely the pointes of this tale are tyde and hange together (I will not say without all substaunce of truth, but without all fashion of a cleanly lye) wherein these accusers in this matter seeme to me, to lacke some part of Sinons arte, in conueyng their narration so vnartificially. MarginaliaAn vnlikely tale.First (say they) the kyng was come first with his garrison, vnto the field of S. Gyles. And then after the kyng was there incamped, consequently the felowes of the Lord Cobham (the Captaine beyng away) came & were assembled in the sayd field where the kyng was, agaynst the kyng: & yet not knowyng of the kyng, to the number of xx. thousand: and yet neuer a stroke in that field geuen. And furthermore of all this xx. thousād aforesayd, neuer a mans name knowen, but onely three, to witte, sir Roger Acton, sir Iohn Browne, and Iohn Beuerley, a preacher. How this geare is clamperd together let the reader iudge, and beleue as he seeth cause.

But geue all this to be true, although by no demonstration it can be proued, yet by the Popes dispensation (which in this earth is almost omnipotent) be it graunted: that after the kyng had take S. Gyles field before, the companiōs of the Lord Cobham afterward commyng and assemblyng in the thickets neare to the sayd field, to fight seditiously agaynst the kyng, agaynst their countrey, & agaynst the fayth of Christ, to the number of xx. thousand, where no stroke beyng geuen, so many were taken, that all the prisons in Lōdō were full, and yet neuer a mans name knowen of all this multitude, but onely three: MarginaliaThe L. Cobham no traytour.All this I say, beyng imagined to be true, then foloweth to be demaūded of M. Cope, whether the Lord Cobham was here present with this company in the field, or not? Not, in person (sayth Cope) MarginaliaAlanus Copus pag. 833. lin. 11.but with his mynde and with his counsaile he was present, and addeth this reason, saying: And therfore he beyng brought agayne, after his escape, was conuict both of treason and heresie, and therefore susteinyng a double punishemēt was both hanged and brent for the same, &c. And how is all this proued? By Robert Fabian, he sayth. Whereunto briefly I aunswere, that Robert Fabian in that place maketh no such mention of the Lorde Cobham assistyng or consentyng to them either in mynde or in counsaile. His wordes be these: That certaine adherentes of sir Iohn Oldcastle assembled in the field neare to S. Gyles, in great number: of whom was Sir Roger Acton, sir Iohn Brown, and Iohn Beuerley. The which with 36. mo in number were after conuict of heresie and treason and for the same were hanged and brent, within the sayd field of S^t. Gyles, &c. Thus much in Fabian touchyng the commotion and condemnatiō of these men: MarginaliaAlanus Copus taken with an other vntruth.but that the Lord Cobham, was there present with them in any part, either of consent or of counsayle, as Alanus Copus Anglus pretendeth, that is not founde in Fabian, but is added of his liberall cornu copiæ, whereof he is so copious and plentyfull, that he may keepe an open shop of such vnwrittē vntruthes, whiche he maye aforde very good cheape I thinke, beyng such a plentyfull artificer.

MarginaliaEx statuto Reg. Hen. 5. an. 2. cap. 7.But here will be obiected agaynst me the wordes of the statute made the second yeare of kyng Henry the fift, wherupon this aduersary triumphyng with no litle glory, ωςπερ τισ ολυμπιαδα ανελομενος, thincketh hymselfe to haue double vantage against me: first in prouyng these foresayd complices and adherentes of the Lord Cobham, to haue made insurrection agaynst the kyng, and so to be traytors. Secondly, in conuictyng that to be vntrue, where as in my former booke of Actes and Monumentes I do reporte: MarginaliaThe former edition of Actes and Mon. pag. 275 a.how that after the death of sir Roger Acton of Browne and Beuerley, a Parliament was holden at Leycester, where a statute was made to this effect: that all and singular such as werw of Wickliffes learnyng, if they would not geue ouer (as in case of felony and other trespasses, loosing all their goodes to the kyng) should suffer death in two maner of kindes, that is, they should first be hanged for treasō against the kyng, and then be burned for heresie agaynst God. &c.

Wherupon, remayneth now in examinyng this obiectiō, and aunsweryng to the same, that I purge both them of treason, and my selfe of vntrouth, so far as truth and fidelitie in Gods cause shall assist me herein. Albeit in begynning first my historye of Ecclesiasticall matters, wherein I hauing nothyng to do with debatement of causes iudiciall, but onelye followyng the simple narration of thynges done and executed: neuer suspected that euer any would be so captious with me, or so nise nosed, as to presse me with such narrow pointes of the law, in trying and discussyng euery cause and matter so exactely, & strainyng (as ye would say) the bowels of the statute law so rigorously agaynst me. Yet for so much as I am thereunto constrained now by this aduersary, I will first lay open all w^e whole statute made the second yeare of this foresayd Henry the fift, after the death of the foresayd sir Roger Acton and his fellowes, at the Parliament holden at Leycester, an. 1415. That done, I will note vpon the wordes thereof, so as by the circumstaunces of the same may appeare what is to be concluded, either for the defence of their innocencye, or for the accusation of this aduersarye. The tenour and purport of the statute here vnder ensueth.

FOr as much as greatMarginalia(A)(A) rumours, congregatiōs, and insurrections here in Englā;d by diuers of the king his maiesties leege people haue bene made here of late, as well by those which were of the sect of heresie called Lolardy, as by others of their cōfederatiō, excitatiō, & abetment: to þ^e intēt Marginalia(B)(B) to adnulle & subuert þ^e Christian faith & the law of God within the same Realme, as also to Marginalia(C)(C) destroy our soueraigne Lord the kyng himselfe &Marginalia(D)(D) all maner of estates of the same his Realme, as wel spirituall as temporall, Marginalia(E)(E) and also all maner policie, and the lawes of the land. Finally the same our Lord the kyng, to the honour of God, in cōseruation and fortification of the Christian fayth, & also in saluation of his royall estate, and of the estate of all his realme, willing to prouide a more open and more due punishment agaynst the malice of such heretikes and Lolardes, thē hath bene had or vsed in that case heretofore, so that for the feare of the same lawes, and punishment, such heresies and Lolardies may the rather cease in tyme to come:

MarginaliaHere it appeareth at whose sute and supplication thys statute was set forward as also the cause why.By the aduice and assent aforesayd, & at the prayer of the sayd commons both ordained and established: that especially the Chauncelour, the Threasurer, the Iustices of the one bench and of the other Iustices of Assise, Iustices of peace, Shriffes, Maiors, and Baylifes of Cities and Townes, and all other officers hauyng the gouernement of people, either now present or which for the tyme shalbe, do make an othe in takyng of their charge and offices, to extend their whole payne and diligence to put out, to do to put outMarginaliaAstiternne reges & Ptarisai. &c.cease and destroy, all maner of heresies and errours cōmonly called Lolardies within the places in which they exercise their charges and offices, from tyme to tyme, with all their power: and that they assiste, fauour, and maintaine the ordinaries and their commisaries so often as they or any of them shall be therunto required by the sayd ordinaries or their cōmissaries: So that the sayd officers & ministers, when they trauell or ryde to arest any Lolarde, or to make any assistēce at the Marginalia(F)(F) instaunce and request of the ordinaries or their cōmissaries, by vertue of this statute: that þ^e same ordinaries and cōmissaries doMarginalia(G)(G) pay for their costes reasonably. And that the seruices of the kyng (vnto whō the officers be first sworne) be preferred before all other statutes for þ^e libertie of holy Church and the ministers of the same: And especially for the correction and punishement of heretickes & Lolardes, made before these dayes and not repealed, but beyng in their force And also that all persons conuicte of heresie of what soeuer estate, condition or degree they be, by the sayd ordinaries or their commissaries left vnto the secular power accordyng to the lawes of holy Church, shall leese and for-