MarginaliaThe witnes of Iulian Littell agaynst Charles Ioseph. FIrst Iulian sayth, that the Wednesday at night after the death of Richard Hunne, Charles Ioseph her maister came home to his supper: then Iulian sayd to hym, Mayster it was told me that ye were in prison. Charles aunsweared, It is mery to turne the penny: and after supper Charles trussed vp a parcel of his goodes, and with helpe of Iulian bare them into mayster Porters house to keepe: and that done, Charles sayde to Iulian: Iulian, if thou wylt be sworne to keepe my counsel, I wyl shewe thee my mynd. Iulian answeared, Yea, if it be neyther felonie nor treason: Then Charles tooke a booke out of his purse, and Iulian sware to hym therupon: then said Charles to Iulian, I haue destroyed Richard Hunne. Alas mayster, said Iulian, howe? he was called an honest man. Charles answeared, I put a wyre in his nose. Alas sayd Iulian, now be ye cast away and vndone. Then sayd Charles, Iulian, I trust in thee that thou wylt keepe my counsel: and Iulian answeared, yea, but for Gods sake mayster shift for your selfe: and then Charles said, I had leuer then a hundred pounde it were not done: but that is done, can not be vndone. Moreouer, Charles sayd then to Iulian, Vpon Sonday when I rode to my cosine Baringtons house, I tarryed there and made good cheare al day tyl it was night, and yet before it was mydnight, I was in London, and had kylled Hunne, and vpon the next day I rode thyther agayne, and was there at dynner, and sent for neighbours, and made good cheare. Then Iulian asked Charles, where set you your horse that night you came to towne, and wherefore came ye not home? Charles answeared, I came not home for feare of bewraying: and then Iulian asked Charles, who was with you at the killyng of Hunne? Charles answeared, I wyl not tel thee: and Iulian saith, that vpon the Thursday folowing, Charles tarryed al day in his house with great feare: and vpon Fryday folowing early in the mornyng before day, Charles went forth (as he sayd) to Paules) and at his commyng in againe he was in a great feare saying hastily, get me my horse and with great feare and haste made hym ready to ride, and bade maister Porters lad leade his horse into the fielde by the backside: and then Charles put into his sleue his Mase or masor, with other plate borowed of maister Porter, both gold and siluer, but howe much I am not sure: and Charles went into the fielde after his horse, and Iulian brought his bouget after hym. Also vpon fryday in Christmas weeke folowyng, Charles came home late in the nyght, and brought with hym three Bakers and a Smyth of Stratford, and the same night they carryed out of Charles house all his goodes by the fields side to the Bel in Shordiche, and early in the morning conueyed it with Cartes to Stratford.

Moreouer Iulian sayth, that the Saterday at nyght before the death of Hunne, Charles came home, & brought with hym a Gurnard, saying, it was for Hunne, & Charles boy telled to Iulian, that there was also ordeyned a peece of fresh Salmon, whiche Iohn Belrynger had.

Also Charles said to the said Iulian, were not this vngratious trouble, I could bring my Lord of London to the doores of heretiques in London both of men and women, that been worth a thousand pound: But I am afrayd that the vngratious mydwyfe shal bewray vs all.

Also Charles saide vnto maistres Porter in likewise, and more larger, saying, of the best in London, whereto maistres Porter answeared, the best in London is my Lorde Maior: then Charles saide, I wyl not scuse him quite for that he taketh this matter hote.

Where as Charles Ioseph saith, he lay at Neckehyll with a harlot a mans wyfe in Baringtons house the same nyght, and there abode vntyl the morowe at eleuen of the clocke that Richard Hunne was murthered, wherupon he brought before the kynges counsell for his purgation the foresayd baude Baringtons wyfe, and also the foresayde harlot: which purgation we haue proued all vntrue, as right largely may appeare, aswel by the deposition of Iuliā Littell Thomas Chicheley Taylor, Thomas Symondes and of Iohn Symondes [illegible text] of Robert Iohnsonne and his wyfe, of Iohn Spalding Belrynger: Also of Peter Turner sonne in lawe of the foresaide Charles Ioseph: Who saide before to an honest woman a waxe chaundelers wyfe, that before this day seuenth night Hunne shoulde haue a mischieuous death. &c. Also of Iohn Enderbye Barber,Marginalia[illegible text] to whom Iohn Spaldyng him selfe declared these woordes: That there was ordeined for Hunne so greeuous penaunce, that whē men heare of it, they shal haue great meruel thereof. &c. Besides the deposition moreouer of Alen Creswel waxe chaūdelour, and Richard Horsenaile Bayliffe of the Sanctuary towne called Godsture in Essex. Whiche testimonies and depositions, as they be manifest, so for the tediousnes thereof, I here omyt them, referring the Reader to the former edition of Actes and Monumentes, pag. 395, if any desire further therein to be infourmed.

Nowe leauyng these depositions, let vs step further to the letter of the Bishop of London, written to the Cardinal, and marke well the effect thereof, whiche foloweth in these wordes.

MarginaliaThe letter of the B. of London to Cardinall Wolsey. I Beseche your good Lordship to stand so good Lord vnto my poore Chauncelour now in warde, and endited by an vntrue quest, for the death of Richard Hunne, vpon the onely accusation of Charles Ioseph made by paine and duraunce, that by your intercession it may please the kynges grace to haue the matter duely and sufficiently examined by indifferent persons of his discrete counsel, in the presence of the parties, ere there be any more done in the cause: and that vppon the innocencie of my sayd Chauncelour, declared, it may further please the kings grace to award a Plackard vnto his Attorney to confesse the sayd Enditement to be vntrue, whan the tyme shal require it: for assured am I, if my Chauncelour be tryed by any twelue men in London, they be so maliciously set, In fauorem hæreticæ prauitaris, that they wyl cast and condemne any Clerke, though he were as innocent as Abel. Quare si potes beate pater adiuea infirmitates nostra, & tibi imperpetuum deuincti erimus. Ouer this in most humble wise I beseeche you, that I may haue the kynges gracious fauour, whom I neuer offended willingly, and that by your good meanes I might speake with his grace and you, and I with al myne, shal pray for your prosperous estate long to continue.

Your most humble Orator. R. L.

Lastly nowe remayneth to inferre the sentence of the questmen, which foloweth in like sort to be sene and expended, after I haue first declared the woordes of the Bishop spoken in the Parliament house.

MEmorandum, that the bishop of London sayd in the parliament house, that there was a byl brought to the parliament, to make the Iurie that was charged vpō the death of Hunne, true men: and saide and tooke vpon his conscience, that they were False periured Caytiffes: and sayde furthermore to all the Lordes there than beyng: For the loue of God, looke vpon this matter, for if you doo not, I dare not keepe myne owne house for heretiques: And said that the sayd Richard Hunne hanged hym selfe, and that it was his owne deede, and no mans els. And furthermore sayd that there came a man to his house (whose wyfe was appeached of heresie) to speake with hym, and he sayd that he had no mynd to speake with the same man, whiche man spake and reported to the seruautes of the same Bishop, that if his wyfe would not hold styll her opinion, he woulde cut her throte with his own handes, with other wordes.

¶ The sentence of the inquest subscribed by the Crowner.  

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A copy of the document (unknown to Foxe) survives as TNA 9/468, fo. 14r-v. This copy matches the version in STC 13970, reprinted by Hall and then by Foxe.

MarginaliaThe sentence of the Inquest. THe inquisition intended and taken at the citie of London in the Parish of saint Gregorie, in the ward of Baynard Castel in London, the sixt day of December, in the sixt yere of the raigne of kyng Henrye the eyght, before Thomas Barnewel Crowner of our soueraigne Lorde the kyng, within the citie of London aforesayd: Also before Iames Yarford, and Iohn Mondey Sheriffes of the sayde citie, vpon the sight of the body of Richard Hunne, late of London Taylour, whiche was founde hanged in the Lollardes tower, and by the oth and proofe of lawfull men of the same ward, and of other three wards next adioyning, as it ought to be, after the custome in the citie aforesaid, to inquire how, and in what maner wise the sayde Richard Hunne came vnto his death, and vpon the oth of Iohn Bernard, Thomas Sterte, William Warren, Henry Abraham, Iohn Aborow, Iohn Turner, Robert Alen, William Marler, Iohn Burton, Iames Page, Thomas Pickehyl, William Burton, Robert Brigewater, Thomas Busted, Gylbert Howel, Richard Gibson, Christofer Crofton, Iohn God, Richard Holt, Iohn Pasmere, Edmonde Hudson, Iohn Aunsel, Richard Couper, Iohn Tynie: the whiche sayd vpon their othes, that where the sayd Richard Hunne by the commaundement of Richarde Bishop of London, was emprisoned and brought to hold in a prison of the sayd Bishops, called Lollardes Tower, lying in the Cathedrall church of saint Paul in London, in the Parish of S. Gregorie, in the ward of Baynarde Castell aforesayd, William