Mary.

Then Dr. Story sent for me, and asked whether I would tell him the truth, where I had the book. I said I had told him, of a Frenchman. He asked me A. D. where I came acquainted with the Frenchman, where he dwelt, and where he 1558. delivered me the book. I said, “I came acquainted with him in Newgate. Green ex- I, coming to my friends which were put in for God's word and truth's sake, and the Frenchman coming to his friends also, there we did talk together, and became acquainted one with another, and did eat and drink together there with our friends, in the fear of God."

amined

before

Dr. Story. Dr. Story scoffeth at

Then Story scoffed at me, and said, "Then there was brother in Christ,* Christ's and brother in Christ,'" and reviled me, and called me a heretic, and asked me servants. if I had the book of him in Newgate. I said, no; and I told him, as I went on my business in the street I met him, and he asked me how I did, and I him also so, falling in communication, he showed me that book, and I desired him that he would let me have it.

Another examination of

Green before

In this examination Story said, it was a great book, and asked me whether I bought it, or had it given me. I told him I bought it. Then said he, I was a thief, and had stolen my master's money. And I said, "A little money served, for I gave him but fourpence; but I promised him that, at our next meeting, I would give twelvepence more." And he said that was boldly done, for such a book as spake both treason and heresy.

Then Story required me to bring him two sureties, and watch for him that I had the book of, and I should have no harm. I made him answer, I would bring no sureties, nor could I tell where to find them. Then said he, "This is but a lie ;" and so called for Cluney, and bade him lay me fast in the coalhouse, saying, he would make me tell another tale at my next coming. And so I lay in the stocks day and night, but only when I eat my meat; and there remained ten days before I was called for again.

And

Then Dr. Story sent for me again, and asked if I would yet tell him the truth. I said, I could tell him no other truth than I had, nor would. while I was there standing, there were two brought, which I took to be prisoners. Then mistress Story fell in a rage, and swore a great oath, that it were a good deed to put a hundred or two of these heretic knaves in a house, " and I myself," said she, "would set it on fire." So I was committed to prison again, showeth where I remained fourteen days, and came to no answer.

Story.
Mrs.

Story

her cha

ritable heart.

Green

Then Story sent for me again, and called me into the garden, and there I found with him my lord of Windsor's chaplain, and two gentlemen more; and he told them all what they had said and done. They said, The book was a again ex- wondrous evil book, and had both treason and heresy in it. Then they asked me what I said by the book. And I said, “I know no evil by it."

amined

before Story.

Green examined of his belief.

At which words Story chafed, and said, he would hang me up by the hands with a rope; and said also, he would cut out my tongue, and mine ears also from my head. After this they alleged two or three things unto me out of the book. And I answered, I had not read the book throughout, and therefore I could give no judgment of the book.

Then my lord of Windsor's chaplain and the other two gentlemen took me aside, and entreated me very gently, saying, Tell us where you had the book, and of whom, and we will save you harmless. I made them answer, I had told all that I could to Dr. Story: and began to tell it them again, but they said, they knew that already. So they left that talk, and went again to Story with me.

Then Story burdened me with my faith, and said I was a heretic: whereupon the chaplain asked me how I did believe. Then I began to rehearse the articles of my belief, but he bade me let that alone. Then he asked me how I believed in Christ. I made him answer, that I believed in Christ which died and rose again the third day, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father. Whereupon Story asked me mockingly, "What is the right hand of God?" I blasphe- made him answer, " I thought it was his glory." Then said he, "So they say scoffing all." And he asked me when he would be weary of sitting there.

Story's

mous

in mat

ters of

our faith.

Then

inferred my lord of Windsor's chaplain, asking me what I said by the mass. I said, I never knew what it was, nor what it meant; for I understood it not, because I never learned any Latin. And since the time that I had any knowledge, I had been brought up in nothing but in reading of English, and with such men as have taught the same; with many more questions, which I cannot rehearse.

A.D.

1558.

mass.

Moreover he asked me if there were not the very body of Christ, flesh, blood Mary. and bone in the mass, after the priest had consecrated it. And I made him answer, "As for the mass, I cannot understand it; but in the New Testament I read, that as the apostles stood looking after the Lord when he ascended up into heaven, an angel said to them, Even as you see him ascend up, so shall The he come again.' And I told them another sentence, where Christ saith, "The poor shall you have always with you, but me ye shall not have always.' Then master chaplain put to me many questions more, to the which I could make him no answer. Among all others, he brought Chrysostome and St. Jerome for his purpose. To whom I answered, that I neither minded nor was able to answer their doctors, neither knew whether they alleged them right, or no; but to that which is written in the New Testament I would answer. Here they laughed me to scorn, and called me fool, and said, they would reason no more with me.

the coal

Then Dr. Story called for Cluney, and bade him take me away, and set me Green fast, and let no man speak with me. So I was sent to the coalhouse, where I sent had not been a week, but there came in fourteen prisoners: but I was kept still againalone without company, in a prison called the Salthouse, having upon my leg a house. bolt and a fetter, and my hands manacled together with irons; and there continued ten days, having nothing to lie on, but bare stones or a board.

On a time, while I lay there in prison, the bishop of London coming down

a pair of stairs on the backside untrussed, in his hose and doublet, looked in at

the grate, and asked wherefore I was put in, and who put me in.

Green

I made him answer, that I was put in for a book called Antichrist, by Dr. Talk Story. And he said, "You are not ashamed to declare wherefore you were between put in ;" and said it was a very wicked book, and bade me confess the truth to and BonStory. I said, I had told the truth to him already; and desired him to be ner. good unto me, and help me out of prison, for they had kept me there long. And he said, he could not meddle with it; Story hath begun it, and he must

end it.

brought

Then I was removed out of the Salthouse to give place to two women, and Two pricarried to the Lollards' Tower, and put in the stocks; and there I found two soners prisoners, one called Lion a Frenchman, and another with him and so I was to Bonkept in the stocks more than a month both day and night, and no man to come ner's Saltto me, or to speak with me, but only my keeper which brought me meat.

house.

Thus we three being together, Lyon the Frenchman sang a psalm in the Cruelty French tongue, and we sang with him, so that we were heard down into the showed street; and the keeper, coming up in a great rage, sware that he would put us upon priall in the stocks; and so took the Frenchman, and commanded him to kneel singing down upon his knees, and put both his hands in the stocks, where he remained psalms. all that night till the next day.

soners for

before

commis

After this, I being in the Lollards' Tower seven days, at my last being with Green Story, he sware a great oath, that he would rack me, and make me tell the brought truth. Then Story sending for me, commanded me to be brought to Walbrook, Dr. Story where he and the commissioners dined; and by the way my keeper told me and the that I should go to the Tower, and be racked. So when they had dined, Story sioners. called for me in, and so there I stood before them; and some said, I was worthy to be hanged for having such heretical books. After I had staid a little while before them, Story called for the keeper, and commanded him to carry me to the Lollards' Tower again; and said, "I have other matters of the queen's to do with the commissioners, but I will find another time for him." Whilst I lay yet in the Lollards' Tower, the woman which brought the books over,1 being taken, and her books, was put in the Clink in Southwark, by Hussey, one of the Arches; and I Thomas Green testify before God, now, that I neither descried the man nor the woman, the which I had the books of.

before master

Then I, lying in the Lollards' Tower, being sent for before master Hussey, Green exhe required of me, wherefore I was put into the Lollards' Tower, and by whom amined to whom I made answer, that I was put there by Dr. Story, for a book called Antichrist. Then he made as though he would be my friend, and said he Hussey. knew my friends, and my father and mother; and bade me tell him of whom I had the book, and said, "Come on, tell me the truth." I told him as I had told Dr. Story before.

(1) This woman was one Young's wife.

Mary.

Then he was very angry, and said, "I love thee well, and therefore I sent for thee:" and looked for a further truth, but I would tell him no other; whereA. D. upon he sent me again to the Lollards' Tower. At my going away, he called 1558. me back again, and said that Dixon gave me the books, being an old man, Dixon in dwelling in Birchin-lane; and I said, he knew the matter better than I. So Birchin- he sent me away to the Lollards' Tower, where I remained seven days and

lane.

John Beane, prentice

more.

Then master Hussey sent for me again, and required of me to tell him the truth. I told him I could tell him no other truth than I had told Dr. Story before. Then he began to tell me of Dixon, of whom I had the books, the which had made the matter manifest afore; and he told me of all things touching Dixon and the books, more than I could myself, insomuch that he told me how many I had, and that he had a sack full of the books in his house, and knew where the woman lay, better than I myself. Then I saw the matter so open and manifest before my face, that it profited not me to stand in the matter. He asked me where I had done the books; and I told him I had but one, and that Dr. Story had. He said I lied, for I had three at one time, and he required me to tell him of one.

Then I told him of one that John Beane had of me, being prentice with master Tottle. So he promised me before and after, and as he should be saved before God, that he should have no harm. And I, kneeling down upon my ter Tottle. knees, desired him to take my blood, and not to hurt the young man.

with mas

Green

Then

he said, "Because you have been so stubborn, the matter being made manifest by others and not by you, being so long in prison, tell me if you will stand to my judgment." I said, "Yea; take my blood, and hurt not the young man." Then he made me answer, I should be whipped like a thief and a vagabond; adjudged and so I thanked him, and went my way with my keeper to the Lollards Tower, whipped. where I remained two or three days; and so was brought by the keeper, Cluney, by the commandment of the commissioners, to Christ's hospital, sometime the Grey-Friars; and accordingly had there, for the time, the correction of thieves and vagabonds; and so was delivered to Trinian the porter, and put into a stinking dungeon.

to be

Green brought

to the

Grey
Friars.

Green

tlemen.

Then after a few days, I, finding friendship, was let out of the dungeon, and lay in a bed in the night, and walked in a yard by the dungeon in the daytime, and so remained prisoner a month and more.

Thither at length Dr. Story came, and two gentlemen with him, and called again ap- for me; and so I was brought into a counting-house before them. Then he said peareth before Dr. to the gentlemen," Here cometh this heretic, of whom I had the book called Story and Antichrist:" and began to tell them how many times I had been before him, two gen- and said, "I have entreated him very gently, and he would never tell me the truth, till that it was found out by others." Then said he, "It were a good deed to cut out thy tongue, and thy ears off thy head, to make thee an example to all other heretic knaves." And the gentlemen said, "Nay, that were pity." Then he asked, if that I would not become an honest man; and I said, for I have offended God many ways." Whereupon he burdened me with my faith. I told him that I had made him answer of my faith before my lord Windsor's chaplain, as much as I could.

The

before

"Yes,

So in the end he commanded me to be stripped, he standing by me, and Scourging called for two of the beadles and the whips to whip me; and the two beadles of Green came with a cord, and bound my hands together, and the one end of the cord Dr. Story, to a stone pillar. Then one of my friends, called Nicholas Priestman, hearing them call for whips, hurled in a bundle of rods, which seemed something to pacify the mind of his cruelty; and so they scourged me with rods. But as they were whipping of me, Story asked me, if I would go unto my master again; and I said, Nay. And he said, "I perceive now he will be worse than ever he was before: but let me alone," quoth he, "I will find him out, if he be in England." And so with many other things which I cannot rehearse, when they had done whipping of me, they bade me pay my fees, and go my ways.

Dr. Story commanded that he should have a hundred stripes, but
the gentlemen so entreated, that he had not so many; Story saying,
If I might have my will, I would surely cut out his tongue."
Of the scourging of master Bartlet Green, also of John Milles,

Mary.

and of Thomas Hinshaw, ye heard before. In like manner was ordered Stephen Cotton, burnt before at Brentford, who testifieth A. D. himself to be twice beaten by Bonner, in a letter of his written to 1558. his brother, as by the same, here following, for the more evidence may

appear.

The Copy of Stephen Cotton's Letter, written to his Brother, declaring how he was beaten of Bishop Bonner.

Brother, in the name of the Lord Jesus I commend me unto you; and I do heartily thank you for your godly exhortation and counsel in your last letter declared to me. And albeit I do perceive by your letter, you are informed, that as we are divers persons in number, so we are of contrary sects, conditions, and opinions, contrary to the good opinion you had of us at your last being with us in Newgate; be you most assured, good brother, in the Lord Jesus, we are all of one mind, one faith, one assured hope in the Lord Jesus, whom I trust we all together, with one spirit, one brotherly love, do daily call upon for mercy and forgiveness of our sins, with earnest repentance of our former lives; and by whose precious blood-shedding we trust to be saved only, and by no other means. Wherefore, good brother, in the name of the Lord, seeing these impudent people, whose minds are altogether bent to wickedness, envy, uncharitableness, evil speaking, do go about to slander us with untruth, believe them not, neither let their wicked sayings once enter into your mind. And I trust one day to see you again, although now I am in God's prison, which is a joyful school to them that love their Lord God, and to me being a simple scholar most joyful of all.

Good brother, once again I do, in the name of our Lord Jesus, exhort you to pray for me, that I may fight strongly in the Lord's battle, to be a good soldier to my Captain, Jesus Christ our Lord, and desire my sister also to do the same. And do not ye mourn or lament for me, but be ye glad and joyful of this my trouble; for I trust to be loosed out of this dungeon shortly, and to go to everlasting joy, which never shall have end. I heard how ye were with the commissioners for me, and how you were suspected to be one of our company I pray you sue no more for me, good brother. But one thing I shall desire you, to be at my departing out of this life, that you may bear witness with me that I shall die, I trust in God, a true Christian, and (I hope) all my companions in the Lord our God: and therefore believe not these evildisposed people, who are the authors of all untruths.

"Cotton

I pray you provide me a long shirt against the day of our deliverance: for the shirt you gave me last, I have given to one of my companions, who had more need than I; and as for the money and meat you sent us, the bishop's servants delivered none to us, neither he whom you had so great trust in. Brother, there is none of them to trust to, for "qualis magister, talis servus.' twice I have been twice beaten, and threatened to be beaten again, by the bishop beaten by himself. I suppose we shall go into the country to Fulham, to the bishop's Bonner. house, and there be arraigned. I would have you to hearken as much as you can for when we shall go, it shall be suddenly done. Thus fare you well. From the Coalhouse, this present Friday.

Your brother,

THE SCOURGING OF JAMES HARRIS.

Stephen Cotton.

In this society, of the scourged professors of Christ, was also one Harris James Harris, of Billericay in Essex, a stripling of the age of seven- scourged. teen years; who, being apprehended and sent up to Bonner, in the company of Margaret Ellis, by sir John Mordant, knight, and Edmund Tyrrel, justices of peace (as appeareth by their own letters before mentioned), was by Bonner divers times straitly examined; in the which examinations he was charged not to have come to his parish-church by the space of one year or more. Whereunto he

(1) Corrected from Edition 1570.-ED.

his com

popish

Mary. granted, confessing therewithal, that once, for fear, he had been at the church, and there had received the popish sacrament of the altar; for A.D. 1558. the which he was heartily sorry, detesting the same with all his heart. Harris After this and such like answers, Bonner (the better to try him) repenteth persuaded him to go to shrift. The lad, somewhat to fulfil his ing to the request, consented to go, and did. But when he came to the priest, church. he stood still, and said nothing. "Why," quoth the priest, "sayest The cause thou nothing?" "What shall I say?" said Harris. "Thou must confess thy sins," said the priest. "My sins," saith he, "be so many, that they cannot be numbered." With that the priest told Bonner what he had said; and he, of his accustomed devotion, took the poor lad into his garden, and there, with a rod, gathered out of a cherry-tree, did most cruelly whip him.

of John

Harris's scourging.

pitiful

heart.

THE SCOURGING OF ROBERT WILLIAMS, A SMITH. Over and besides these above mentioned, was one Robert Williams, who, being apprehended in the same company, was also tormented after the like manner with rods, in Bonner's arbour, who, there subscribing and yielding himself by promise to obey the laws, after being let go, refused so to do; whereupon he was earnestly sought for, but could not be found, for that he kept himself close, and went not abroad but by stealth. And now in the mean time of this persecution, this Robert Williams departed this life, and so escaped the hands of his enemies. The Lord therefore be honoured for ever, Amen.

And forasmuch as I have begun to write of Bonner's scourging, by the occasion thereof cometh to mind to infer by the way, his beating of other boys and children, and drawing them naked through the nettles, in his journey rowing toward Fulham. The story although it touch no matter of religion, yet because it toucheth something the nature and disposition of that man, and may refresh the reader, wearied percase with other doleful stories, I thought not here to omit.

BONNER CAUSETH CERTAIN BOYS TO BE BEATEN.

Bonner, passing from London to Fulham by barge, having John Milles and Thomas Hinshaw above mentioned with him, both prisoners for religion, by the way as he went by water, was saying evensong with Harpsfield his chaplain in the barge, and being about the middle of their devout orisons, they espied a sort of young boys swimming and washing themselves in the Thames over against Lambeth, or a little above: unto whom he went, and gave very Bonner's gentle language and fair speech, until he had set his men a land. That done, his men ran after the boys to get them, as the bishop commanded them before, beating some with nettles, drawing some through bushes of nettles naked; and some they made leap into the Thames to save themselves, that it was marvel they were not drowned. Now as the children for fear did cry, and as this skirmishing was between them, immediately came a greater lad thither, to know what the matter meant, that the boys made such a noise; whom when the bishop espied, he asked him whether he would maintain them in their doings or no. Unto whom the young fellow made answer stoutly, Yea. Then the bishop commanded him to be taken also; but he ran away with speed, and thereby avoided the bishop's blessing. Now