The first examination of Iohn Marbecke, before the Counsaile, on the Monday after Palme Sonday. 1544.
THis Marbecke had begun a great woorke in English, called The Concordaunce of the Bible. Which booke being not halfe finished, was among his other bookes taken in the search, and had vp to the Counsail.* 1.1 And when he came before them to be examined, the whole worke laye before the bishop of Winchester Steuen Gardiner, at the vpper end of the boord. Who beholding the poore man a whyle▪ sayd: Marbecke, doest thou knowe wherefore thou art sent for? No, my Lord quoth he. No, quoth the Byshop,* 1.2 That is a meruailous thing. Forsooth my Lord quoth he, vnles it be for a certaine search made of late in Windsore. I cannot tell wherfore it should be. Then thou knowest the matter well enough quoth the Bishop, and takyng vp a quire of the Concordance in his hand, sayd: Understan∣dest thou the Latine tongue? No, my Lord, quoth he, but simply. No, quoth the Bishop? And with that spake M. Wrisley (then secretary to the king) he saith but simply, I cannot tell quoth the B. but the booke is translated worde for word out of the Latin Concordaunce, and so began to declare to the rest of the Counsaile,* 1.3 the nature of a Concor∣dance, and how it was first compiled in Latin by the great diligence of the learned men for the ease of preachers, con∣cluding with this reason, that if such a booke should goe foorth in English, it would destroy the Latin tongue. And so casting down the quire again, he reached another booke, which was the booke of Esay the prophet,* 1.4 and turnyng to the last chap. gaue the booke to Marbecke, and asked hym who had written the note in the margent. The other loo∣king vpon it, said: forsooth my Lord, I wrote it. Read it quoth the B. Then he read it thus, Heauen is my seate, and the earth is my footestoole. Nay, quoth the B. read it as thou hadst written it. Then shall I read it wrong quoth he, for I had written it false. How hadst thou written it, quoth ye bishop? I had written it quoth he, thus: Heauen is my seat and the earth is not my footestoole. Yea mary quoth the Bi∣shop, that was thy meanyng. No, my Lord quoth he, it was but an ouersight in writyng, for as your Lordshippe seeth, this worde (Not) is blotted out. At this tyme came other matters into the Counsaile, so that Marbecke was had out to the next chamber. And when he had stood there a while, one of the Counsaile (named sir Anthony Wing∣field Captaine of the Garde) came foorth, and callyng for Marbecke, committed him to one Belson of the gard, say∣ing vnto him on this wise: Take this man and haue him to the Marshalsey,* 1.5 and tell the keeper that it is the Coun∣sailes pleasure that he shall entreat him gently. And if hee haue any mony in his purse (as I think he hath not much) take you it from him, left the prisoners do take it, and mi∣nister it vnto him as he shall haue need. And so the messen∣ger departed with Marbecke to the Marshalsey, and dyd his commission most faithfully and truly, both to the keper and to the prisoner, as he was commanded.