thanke them) taken me for an honest poore man, and shewed me much kindnes: but as for their secrets, they were to wise to commit them to any such as I am. MarginaliaMarbecke cannot be perswaded to detect others.

Peraduenture quoth the Gentleman, thou fearest to vtter any thing of them, because they were thy frends, lest they hearing therof, might hereafter withdraw their frendship from thee, which thou nedest not to feare, I warrant thee, for they are sure enough, and neuer like to pleasure thee more, ner no man els.

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With that the water stoode in Marbeckes eyes. Why weepest thou quoth the Gentleman? Oh sir, quoth he, I pray you pardon me, these men haue done me good, wherfore I beseech the liuing God to comfort them as I would be comforted my selfe.

Well quoth the Gentleman, I perceiue thou wilt play the foole: and then he opened one of the bookes, and asked him if he vnderstood any Latine. But a little sir, quoth he. How is it then, quoth the gentleman, that thou hast translated thy booke out of the latin Concordance, & yet vnderstandest not the tongue? I will tell you quoth he. In my youth I learned the principles of my Grammar, wherby I haue some vnderstāding therin, though it be very smal. Then the gentleman began to try him in the latin Concordance & English Bible which he had brought: and when he had so done, & was satisfied, he called vp his man to fet away the bookes, & so departed, leauing Marbecke alone in the chamber, the dore fast shut vnto him.

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MarginaliaAn other talke betweene Winchesters gentleman and Marbecke.About two houres after, the Gentleman came againe, with a sheet of paper folded in his hand, & sate him down vpon the beds side (as before) & sayd: by my troth Marbecke, my lord seeth so much wilfulnes in thee, that he saith it is pity to do thee good. When wast thou last w^t Haynes? Forsooth, quoth he, about a three weekes agoe, I was at dinner with him. And what talke, quoth the Gentleman, had he at his boord? I cā not tel now, quoth he. No, quoth þ^e gentleman, thou art not so dull witted, to forget a thyng in so short space. Yes sir, quoth he, such familiar talk as mē do vse at their boordes, is most commonly by the next day forgotten, and so it was with me. MarginaliaHow Winchester hunteth for D. Haynes.Didst thou neuer, quoth the Gentleman talke with him, nor with none of thy fellowes, of the Masse, or of the blessed Sacrament? No, forsooth, quoth he. Now forsooth, quoth the Gentleman, thou liest, for thou hast bene sene to talke with Testwood, and other of thy fellowes, an houre together in the church, whē honest men haue walked vp and downe beside you, & as euer they haue drawen neare you, ye haue staied your talk till they haue bene past you, because they should not heare wherof you talked. I deny not, quoth he, but I haue talked with Testwood and other of my felowes, I cannot tel how oft, which maketh not that we talked eyther of the Masse, or of the sacrament: for men may common & talke of many matters, that they would not þ^t euery man should heare, and yet far from any such thyng: therefore it is good to iudge the best. Well quoth the Gentleman, thou must be playner with my Lord then this, or els it wyll bee wrong with thee, and that sooner then thou weenest. How playne will his Lordship haue me to be Sir, quoth he? There is nothing that I can do and say with a safe consciēce, but I am ready to do it at his Lordships pleasure. What tellest thou me quoth the gentleman of thy consciēce?MarginaliaConscience little passed of among these papistes. Thou maist with a safe conscience vtter those that be heretikes, and so doyng thou canst do God and the king no greater seruice. If I knew sir, quoth he, who were an heretike in deede, it were a thing: but if I should accuse him to be an heretike that is none, what a worme would that be in my consciēce so long as I liued: yea it were a great deale better for me to be out of this lyfe, then to lyue in such torment. In faith quoth the Gentleman, thou knowst as well who be heretikes of thy fellowes at home, and who be none, as I doo know this paper to be in my hand: but it maketh no matter, for they shall al be sent for and examined: and thinkest thou that they will not vtter and tell of thee all that they can? yes I warrant thee. And what a folish dolt art thou, that wilt not vtter aforehand what they be, seeyng it standeth vpon thy deliueraunce to tell the truth? Whatsoeuer quoth he, they shall say of me, let thē doe it in the name of God, for I will say no more of thē, nor of no man els, then I know. MarginaliaMarke here the wiles of Winchester.Mary qnoth the Gentleman if thou wilt doe so, my L. requireth no more. And for as much as now peraduenture, thy wits are troubled, so that thou canst not call things euen by & by to remembrance, I haue brought thee inke & paper, that thou mayest excogitate with thy selfe, & write such things as shal come to thy mynd.MarginaliaMarbeck vrged to accuse his brethren. O lord, quoth Marbecke, what will my L. do? Will his lordship compell me to accuse men, and wot not whereof? No, quoth the Gentleman, my L. compelleth thee not, but gently entreated thee to say the truth. Therfore make no more adoe, but write, for my Lord will haue it so, and so layd downe theynke and paper and went his way.

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Now was Marbecke so full of heauines and wo, that he wyst not what to do,MarginaliaMarbecke brought to great distresse. nor how to set the pen to the booke to satisfie the Byshops mynd, vnlesse he did accuse men to the woundyng of his owne soule. And thus beyng compassed about with nothing but sorrow and care, he cryed out to God in his hart, fallyng downe with weping tears and sayd:

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MarginaliaMarbeckes praier vnto God.O most mercifull father of heauen, thou that knowest the secret doyngs of all men, haue mercy vppon thy poore prisoner which is destitute of all helpe and comfort. Assist me (O Lorde) with thy speciall grace, that to saue this frayle and vile bodye, which shall turne to corruption at his tyme, I haue no power to say or to write any thing, that may be to the casting awaye of my christen brother: but rather (O Lord) let this vile flesh suffer at thy will and pleasure. Grant this, O most mercifull father, for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake.

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Then he rose vp and beganne to search his conscience what he might write, and at last framed out these wordes: MarginaliaMarbeckes wordes written in Winchesters paper.Where as your Lordship will haue me write such thyngs as I knowe of my fellowes at home: pleaseth it your lord ship to vnderstand, that I cannot call to remembraunce any maner of thing whereby I might iustly accuse any one of them, vnlesse it be that the readyng of the new testament (which is common to all men) be an offence: more thē this I know not.

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Now the Gentleman about his houre appointed, came agayne,MarginaliaWinchesters gentleman returneth the third time to Marbecke. and found Marbecke walking vp and downe the chamber. How now, quoth he, hast thou written nothing? yes Sir, quoth he, as much as I know. Well sayd, quoth the Gentleman, and tooke vp the paper. Which when hee had read, he cast it from him in a great fume, swearyng by our lordes body,MarginaliaWell sworne and like a right Papist. that he would not for xx. pound, cary it to his L. and maister. Therfore quoth he, go to it againe, and aduise thy selfe better, or els thou wilt set my Lord against thee, and then art thou vtterly vndone. By my troth Sir, quoth Marbecke, if hys Lordshyppe shall keepe me here these seuen yeares, I can say no more then I haue sayde. Then wilt thou repent it, quoth the Gentleman, and so putting vp hys penner and inkehorne, departed wyth the paper in hys hand.

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MarginaliaThe third examination of Marbeck.THe next day, which was Wednesday, by viij. of the clocke in the morning, the bishop sent for Marbecke to his house at S. Mary Oueries  

, and as he was entring into the bishops hall, he sawe the bishop himselfe commyng out at a doore in þ^e vpper end therof, with a rolle in his hād, and goyng toward the great wyndow, he called the poore man vnto him and sayd: Marbecke, wilt thou cast awaye thy selfe? No my lord quoth he, I trust. Yes, quoth the B. thou goest about it, for thou wilt vtter nothing. What a deuill made thee to meddle with the scriptures?MarginaliaChrist sayth, Scrutamini Scripturas: And Winchester sayth the Deuill maketh men to meddle with the Scriptures. Thy vocation was an other way, wherin thou hast a goodly gyft, if thou didst esteeme it? Yes my Lord, quoth he, I doe esteme it and haue done my part therin, accordyng to the litle knowledge that God hath geuen me. And why the deuill quoth the Byshop, dydst thou not holde thee there? and with that he flang away from the wyndow out of the Hall, the poore man following him from place to place, til he had brought him into a long gallery, and being there, þ^e bishop began on this wise: A sirha, quoth he, the neast of you is brokē I trow. And vnfolding his roll (which about an elne long) he said: Behold, here be your captains both Hobby and Haynes, with all the whole pacte of thy secte about Windsore, & yet wilt thou vtter none of them. Alas my lord quoth he, how shuld I accuse them, by whō I know nothing? Well, quoth the bish. if thou wilt needes cast away thy selfe, who can let thee? What helpers haddest thou in setting forth thy booke:MarginaliaMarbeck charged for setting forth the Concordaunce. Forsooth my lord, quoth he none. Now quoth the bishop? how can that be? It is not possible that thou shouldest do it without helpe. Truly my L. quoth he, I can not tel in what part your lordship doth take it, but how soeuer it be, I will not deny but I did it without the helpe of any man saue God alone. Nay quoth the B. I do not discōmend thy dilligēce, but what shuldest thou meddle with that thing which pertayned not to thee?

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And in speaking these words, one of his Chaplaynes, (called M. Medow) came vp and stayd himselfe at a window, to whō the bishop sayd, here is a marueilous thinge. This fellow hath taken vppon him to set out the Concordance in english, which book whē it was set out in latyn was not done without the helpe and dilligence of a dosen learned men at the least, and yet will he beare me in hand that he hath done it alone. But say what thou wilt, quoth

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