tuariensis antistes annum iam tunc sedens tertium & trigesimum e vita excessit lib. 22. Ang. hist. Albeit in this I do not greatly contend with Polydore, and peraduenture the aduersary will find some easy shift for this matter.

MarginaliaThe testimony of Hall against the L. Cobham examined.But let vs passe now from Polydore, not (as they say) out of the hall, into the kitchine, but out of the kitchine vnto the hall, examinyng and perpendyng what sayth Edw. Hall, an other witnes in this matter: vpon whom maister Cope byndeth so fast, that he supposeth his knot is neuer able to bee losed. And moreouer so treadeth me downe vnder his fete in the dyrt (as a man would thinke hym some dirtdaubers sonne) so that the spots therof, he sayth, will neuer be gotten out while the world standeth and a day longer. Notwithstandyng I trust maister Cope that your dyrty penne with your cockish brags hath not so bedaubed and bespotted me, nor yet conuicted me to be such a deprauer of histories, but I hope to spunge it out. At least way, with a little asperges of the Popes holy water, I trust to come to a de albabor well enough.

But Certes, maister Cope, your maistership must first vnderstand, that if ye thinke so to depresse me, and disproue me of vntruth in my history, you must go more groundly to worke, and bryng agaynst me other authors then Edward Hall: You must consider (Maister Cope) if you will be a controller in story matters, it is not enough for you to bring a rayling spirit, or a mynd disposed to carpe and cauil where any matter may be picked, diligence is required, and great searchyng out of bookes and authors not onely of our time, but of all ages. And especially where matters of religion are touched pertainyng to the Church: it is not sufficient to see what Fabian, or what Hall sayth, but the recordes must be sought, the registers must be turned ouer, letters also and auncient instrumentes ought to be perused, and authours with the same compared, finally the writers among themselues one to be conferred with another. And so with iudgement to be wayed, with diligence to be laboured, and with simplicitie pure frō all addiction & partialitie to be vtterred.

Thus did Auentinus, thus did Sleidanus writte. These helpes also the eldest and best Historicians seemed to haue, both Titus Liuius, Salustius, Quintus Curtius, and such like, as by their letters and recordes inserted may well appeare. The same helpes likewise both in your Fabian and in your Edward Hall were to be required, but especially in you (maister Cope) your selfe, MarginaliaCope a carper of storyes wherof he hath no skil.which take vpon you so cockishly (rather then wisely) to be a controller and maister moderatour of other mens matters. In which matters (to say the truth) you haue no great skill, and lesse experience, neyther haue you either such plenty of authors meete for that purpose, nor yet euer trauailed to search out the origens and groundes of that wherof ye write. But onely contented with such as commeth next to hande, or peraduenture receuing such almose as some of your poore frendes bestowe vpon you, thinke it sufficient if you can alledge Fabyan and Hall, for your purpose.

Now what purpose and affection herein doth leade you, rather doth driue you, to the carpyng and barkyng agaynst the history of these good men, that be hēce gone and had their punishement, all men may see it to be no simple sinceritie of a mynde indifferent, but the zeale onely of your sect of popery, or rather of fury, which setteth your rayling spirite on fire. But now out of the fiery kitchin, to come to the hall againe let vs see what matter lyeth in the testimonye of Edwarde Hall, to proue these men to be traitors. MarginaliaAunswere to Ed. Hall.And here for somuch (master Cope) as you seeme neither sufficiently aquainted with this your owne master and autor, master Hall, nor yet wel experienced in þ^e searching out of histories: I will take a litle paynes for you in this behalfe, to certifie you concerning the story of this author, wherof percase you your selfe are yet ignorant.

The truth whereof is this, that as the sayd Edwarde Hall your great master and Testis, was about the compiling of his storye, certayne there were which resorted to hym, of whom some were drawers for his petigree and vineat, some were grauers, the names of whom were Iohn Bets, and Tyrrall, which be now both dead. And other there were of the same sodalitie, who be yet aliue, & was then in þ^e house of Richard Grafton, both the printer of the sayd booke, and also (as is thought) a greate helper in the pēning of þ^e same. It so befell that as Hall was entring into the storye of sir Iohn Oldcastle, of sir Roger Acton, and their felowes, the booke of Iohn Bale, touching the story of the L. Cobham, was the same time newly come ouer. Which book was priuely conueied by one of his seruauntes into the study of Hall, so that in turnynge ouer hys bookes, it muste needes come to hys handes. At the sight whereof, when he saw the ground & reasons in that booke contayned, he turned to the autors in the foresayd booke alledged, whereupon within two nights after, moued by what cause I know not, but so it was, MarginaliaHall raseth out his owne story writtē agaist the Lord Cobham.that he taking hys pen, rased and cancelled all that he had written before, agaynst Syr Iohn Oldcastell and his fellowes, and was now ready to go to the print, cōtayning neare to the quantitye of three pages. And least (M. Cope) you, or any other shoulde thinke me to speake beside my booke, be it therefore knowen both to you and to all other, by these presentes, that the very selfe same first copy of Hall rased and crossed with hys owne penne, remaineth in my handes to be shewed and seene, as neede shal require. The matter which he cancelled out came to thys effect. Wherin he folowing the narration of Polidore, began with like wordes, to declare how the Sacramentaries here in England, after the death of Iohn Husse, and Hierome of Prage, beyng pricked as he sayth, with a demoniacall sting, first conspired against the Priestes, and after against the king, hauing to their Captaines sir Iohn Oldcastle the Lord Cobham, and sir Roger Actō knight, with many moe wordes to the lyke purpose and effect, as Polydore and other such lyke Chroniclers do write against hym. All which matter notwithstanding, the said Hall with his penne at the sight of Iohn Bales booke, did vtterly extinct and abolishe. Adding in the place thereof the wordes of M. Bales booke, touching the accusation and condemnation of the sayd L. Cobham, before Thomas Arundell Archbyshop of Canterbury, taken out of the letter of the sayde Archbishop, as is in his owne story to be sene. MarginaliaHallus. in vita Henr. 5. pag. 2. b. lin. 30.In vita Henr. 5. pag. 2. b lin. 30.

And thus Edward Halle your author, reuoking and calling backe all that he had deuised before agaynst the Lorde Cobham (whereof I haue hys owne hand to shew, & witnes substantiall vpon the same) in hys printed booke recordeth of hym no more, but onely sheweth the proces betwene the Archbishop of Canterbury and him for matters of religion. MarginaliaHalle in the storie of the L. Cobham, and sir Roger Acton, agreeth not with other stories.And so endyng with sir Iohn Oldcastell, proceedeth further to the assemble of sir Roger Acton (whom he falsely calleth Robert Acton) Iohn Browne, and Beuerley, the narration wherof he handleth in such sort, that he neither agreeth with the record of other writers, nor yet with truth it selfe. For wher he excludeth the Lord Cobham out of that assemble, he discordeth therein from Polydore and other. MarginaliaVntruth in Hall noted.And where he affirmeth the fact of that conspiracie to be wrought before, or at the. xij. day of December, that is manifestly false, if the records before alledged be true. And where he reporteth this assemble to be after the burnyng of Iohn Hus, and of Hierome of Prage, therein he accordeth wyth Polidore, but not with truth. Moreouer so doubtfull he is and ambiguous in declaration of this story, that no great certaintie can be gathered of him.

First as touching the confession of them he confesseth hymself, that he saw it not, and therfore leaueth it at large. And as concerning the causes of their death, he leaueth the matter in doubt, not daring (as doth M. Cope) to define or pronounce any thing thereof, MarginaliaHall doubtfull in the story of sir R. Acton, &c.but onely reciteth the surmises and myndes of diuers men diuersly, some thinking it was for conueying the Lord Cobhā out of the tower, some that it was for treason and heresie, and here commeth in the mētion onely of a recorde, but what recorde it is, neither doth he vtter it, nor doth he examine it: other some againe affirming (as he saith) that it was for fained causes surmised by the spiritualtie, more of displeasure then truth. And thus your autor Hall hauyng recited the variety of mēs opinions, determineth himself no certaine thing therof, but as one indifferent neither bound to the coniectures of all men, nor to the writings of all men, referreth the whole iudgemēt of the matter free vnto the reader. MarginaliaHalle no witnes in sir Roger Actons case.And so concluding his narratiō forsomuch as he was neither a witnes of þ^e fact, nor present at the deede, he ouerpasseth the story therof.

And what witnes then will you, or can you (M. Cope) take of Edward Halle, which denyeth hymselfe to be a witnesse? Will you compell him to say that he saw not? and to witnesse that he can not? Wherfore like as Susanna, in the story of Daniell was quyte by right iudgement in the case of adultery, because her accusers and testes beyng examined a sonder were founde to vary and halt in their tale,and not to agree in the two trees: So why may not in like case of treason, sir Roger Acton, sir Iohn Oldcastle, Browne with the rest, clayme the same priuiledge? MarginaliaRepugnaunce noted in the witnes agaynst the L. Cobham and sir Roger Acton.seyng among the testes and witnesse produced agaynst them, such discorde is founde, and such haltyng among them, that neither do they agree in place, person, yeare, day, nor moneth.

Marginalia1.
Repugnaunce in the place.For first where Fabian and his felowes say: that they were assembled together in a great company, in the fielde neare to S. Gyles, the forged inditement aboue alledged, sayth, they were but ridyng toward the field.

2. Secondly, where the foresayd inditemēt and Polidore,