of this sedition to the death of Iohn Hus, and of Ierome, but also misseth as muche in the order and computation of the yeres. For neither was sir Roger Acton with his foresaid fellowes aliue at the time of the councell, neither doth hee agree therein with any of our English wryters, except onely with Hall, who also erreth therein as wide as he.

Marginalia3. 4. Vntruth.For the third and fourth vntruth I note this, where he addeth and sayth, that after this rebelliō raised against the king, the sayd sir Iohn Oldcastel being there present himselfe, was taken and prisoned in the tower, and afterward escaped out of the saide tower by night, wherein is conteined a double vntruth. For neither was Sir Iohn Oldcastle there present himselfe, if we beleue Fabian and Cope, Dial. 6. pag. 833 lin 11.MarginaliaCopus pag. 833. lin 11. nether yet did he euer escape out of the Tower after that conspiracie, if euer any such conspiracie was.

Marginalia5. Vntruth.His v. but not the last vntruth in Polydore is this, that he sayth, Tho. Arundel to haue died in the same yeare, noting the yere to be An. 1415. where as by the true registers he died. An. 1413.

MarginaliaAn other Vntruth in Polydore noted.To this vntruthe an other also may be ioyned, where he erring in the computation of the yeres of the said Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury, reporteth hym to sit 33. yeares. Who was there Archbishop but onely 18. yeres, as is to be sene in the recordes of Canterbury. The wordes of Polydore be these: Thomas Arundellius Cantuariensis antistes annum iam tunc sedēs tertium & trigesimum e vita excessit lib. 22. Ang. hist. All be it in thys I doe not greatly contend wyth Polydore, and peraduenture the aduersary will finde some easie shift for thys matter.

But let vs passe now from Polydore, not (as they say) out of the hal into the kitchine, but out of the kitchine vnto the hall, MarginaliaThe testimony of Hall against the L. Cobham examined.examining and perpending what sayth Edward Hall an other witnes in this matter: vpon whom maister Cope bindeth so fast, that hee supposeth hys knot is neuer able to be losed. And moreouer so treadeth me downe vnder his feete in the dirt (as a man would thinke hym some dirtdaubers sonne) so that the spots thereof he sayeth, will neuer be gotten out while the world standeth, & a day longer. Notwythstanding I trust M. Cope that your dirtie 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 dealbabor, well enough.

But certes, M. Cope, your maistership must first vnderstand, that if yee thinke so to depresse me, and disprooue me of vntruth in my history, you must go more groūdly to worke, and bring against me other authors then Edward Hal: You must consider (M. Cope) if you will be a cōtroller in storie matters, it is not enoughe for you to bryng a railing spirit, or a minde disposed to carpe and cauil where any matter may be picked, diligence is required, and great searching out of bookes and authors not only of our time, but of all ages. And especially where matters of religion are touched pertaining to the church: it is not sufficient to see what Fabian, or what Hall sayth, but the records must be sought, the Registers must be turned ouer, letters also and ancient instruments ought to be perused, and authors wyth the same compared, finally the writers among them selues one to be conrferred wyth another. And so wyth iudgement to be waied, wyth diligence to be labored, and wyth simplicitie pure from all addiction and partialitie to be vttered.

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

Now what purpose & affection herein doth lead you, rather doeth driue you to the carping and barking against the history of these good men, þ^t be hence gone and had their punishment, all men may see it to be no simple sinceritie of a mind indifferent, but þ^e zeale only of your sect of Popery, or rather of fury, which setteth your railing spirite on fire.MarginaliaAunswere to Ed. Hall.But now out of the fiery kitchin, to come to the hal againe let vs see what matter lyeth in the testimony of Edward Hall, to proue these men to be traytors. And here for so much (Maister Cope) as you seeme neither sufficiently acquainted with this your owne maister and authour Master Hall, nor yet well experienced in the searchyng out of histories, I wil take a litle paynes for you, in this behalfe, to certifie you concernyng the story of this author, wherof percase you your selfe are yet ignoraunt.

The truth whereof is this, that as the sayd Edward Hall, your great master & testis, was about the compiling of his story, certayne there were which resorted to hym of whom some were drawers of his petigree & vineat, some were grauers, the names of whom were Iohn Bets, and Tyrral, which be now both dead. And other there were of the same sodalitie, who be yet aliue, & were then in þ^e house of Richard Grafton, both the Printer of the sayd booke, & also (as is thought) a greater helper of the pēning of þ^e same. It so befell that as Hall was entring into the story of Syr Iohn Oldcastle, of Syr Roger Acton, & their felowes, the booke of Iohn Bale touching the story of the L. Cobham, was þ^e same time newly come ouer. Which booke was priuely cōueied by one of his seruaūts into the study of Hall, so that in turnyng ouer his bookes, it must needes come to his handes. At the sight whereof, when he saw the groūd & reasons in that booke contained, he turned to the authors in the foresayd booke alledged, whereupon within two nightes after, moued by what cause I know not, but so it was, that hee taking his pen, MarginaliaHall raceth out his owne storie writrē against the L. Cobhā.rased and cancelled all that he had written before, agaynst Syr Iohn Oldcastle & his fellowes, & was now ready to go to the Print, containyng neare to the quantitie of three pages. And least (M. Cope) you, or any other should 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 his owne penne, remaineth in my handes to be shewed & seene, as need shall require. The matter which he cancelled out come to this effect. Wherein he following the narratiō of Polidore, began with like wordes, to declare how the Sacramētaries here in England, after the death of Iohn Husse, and Hierome of Prage, beyng pricked as he sayth, with a demoniacall sting, first conspired agaynst the Priestes, and after against the king, hauing to their Captaines sir Iohn Oldcastle the Lord Cobham, aud Syr Roger Acton Knight, with many moe wordes to the like purpose and effect, as Polydore & other such like Chronicles doe write agaynst him. All which matter notwithstandyng, the sayd Hall with his penne at the sight of Iohn Bales booke, did vtterly extinct and abolish. Addyng in the place thereof the wordes of M. Bales booke, touchyng the accusation and condemnation of the sayd Lord Cobham, before Thomas Arundell Archbyshop of Canterbury, taken out of the letter of the sayd Archbyshop, as is in his owne story to be sene. MarginaliaHal. in vita Hen. 5. pag. 2. b. lin. 30.In vita Henr. 5. pag. 2. lin. 30.

And thus Edward Hall your author, reuoking & calling backe all that he had deuised before agaynst the Lord Cobham (wherof I haue his owne hand to shew, & witnes substaūciall vpō the same) in his printed booke recordeth of him no more, but onely sheweth þ^e proces betwene the Archbyshop of Cāterbury and him for matters of religion. And so ending with Sir Iohn Oldcastle, proceedeth further to the assemble of sir Roger Actō (whom he falsely calleth Robert Actō) Iohn Browne, and Beuerley, the narration wherof he handleth in such sort, MarginaliaHall in the storie of the L. Cobham. & sir Roger Acton, agreeth not with other stories.that he neither agreeth with þ^e record of other writers, nor yet with truth it selfe. For where he excludeth the Lord Cobham out of that assemble, he discordeth therein from Polidore and other, 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 recordes before alledged be true. MarginaliaVntruth in Hall noted.And where he reporteth this assemble to be after the burnyng of Iohn Hus, and of Hierome of Prage, therein he accordeth with Polydore, 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 touchyng the confession of them, he confesseth himselfe, that he saw it not, & therfore leaueth it at large. And as cōcernyng the causes of their death, he leaueth the matter indoubt, MarginaliaHall doubtfull in the story of sir R. Actō. &c.not daring (as doth M. Cope) to define or pronoūce any thing therof, but onely reciteth the surmises and myndes of diuers men diuersly, some thinkyng it was for cōueying the Lord Cobhā out of the tower, some that it was for treason and heresie, and here cōmeth in the mētiō onely of a record, but what record it is neither doth he vtter it, nor doth he examine it: other some againe affirming (as he sayth) þ^t it was for fayned causes surmised by