Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The third examination of Marbecke, before the Byshop of Winchester hymselfe in his owne house.

THe next day, which was Wednesday, by viij. of the clocke in the morning,* 1.1 the bishop sent for Marbecke to his house at S. Mary Oueries, and as he was entring in∣to the bishops hall, he sawe the bishop himselfe commyng out at a doore in y^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? Thy vo∣cation was an other way, wherin thou hast a goodly gyft,* 1.2 if thou didst esteeme it? Yes my Lord, quoth he, I doe e∣steme it and haue done my part therin, accordyng to that litle knowlege that God hath geuen me. And why the de∣uill 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, y^e bishop began on this wise: A sirha, quoth he, the neast of you is brokē I trow. And vnfolding his roll (which was 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?* 1.3 What helpers haddest thou in setting forth thy booke: 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?

And in speaking these words, one of his Chaplaynes, (called M. Medow) came vp and stayd himselfe at a win∣dow, to whō the bishop sayd, here is a marueilous thinge. This fellow hath taken vppon him to set out the Concor∣dance 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

the B. except God himselfe would come downe from hea∣uen and tell me so, I will not beleue it: and so going forth to a window, where two great Bibles lay vpon a cusshi∣on, the one in Latine, and the other in English, he called Marbecke vnto him, and pointing his finger to a place in the Latin Bible, sayd: Canst thou English this sentence? Nay my L. quoth he, I trow I be not so cunning to geue it a perfect English, but I can set out the English thereof in the English Bible. Let see, quoth the B. Then Mar∣becke turning the English Bible, found out the place by and by, and read it to the Bishop. So he tried hym a three or foure tymes, till one of his men came vp and tolde hym the Priest was ready to go to Masse.

And as the B. was goyng, sayd the Gentleman whiche had examined Marbecke in the Marshalsey the day be∣fore:* 1.4 Shall this fellow write nothyng whyle your Lord∣ship is at masse, for he passeth not on it. It maketh no mat∣ter quoth the Bishop, for he will tell nothing, and so went downe to heare Masse, leauing Marbecke alone in y^e gal∣lery. The B. was no sooner downe, but the Gentleman came vp agayne with inke and paper.* 1.5 Come sirha quoth he, my Lord will haue you occupied till Masse bee done, perswadyng hym with fayre wordes, that he shoulde bee soone dispatched out of trouble, if he would vse truth and plainenes. Alas sir, quoth he, what will my Lorde haue me to do? for more then I wrote to his Lordship yester∣day, I can not? Well, well, goe to quoth the Gentleman, & make speed, and so went his way. There was no remedie but Marbecke must nowe write some thyng: wherefore he calling to God againe in his mind, wrote a few words as nye as he could frame them, to those he had written the day before. When the B. was come from Masse, and had looked on the writing, he pusht it from him, saying: what shall this do? It hath neither head nor foote. There is a maruelous sect of them (quoth the B. to hys men) for the deuill cannot make one of them to bewray another. Then was there nothyng among the Bishops Gentlemen, as they were making him ready to go to the court, but Cruci∣sige vpon the poore man. And when the bishops white rat∣chet was on him and all: well Marbecke, quoth he, I am now going to the Court, and was purposed, if I had foūd thee tractable, to haue spoken to the kings maiesty for thee and to haue geuen thee thy meat, drinke, & lodging here in myne house: but seyng thou art so wilful and so stubburne, thou shalt go to the deuill for me.

Then was he caried downe by the B. men, with many railing words.* 1.6 And comming through the great chamber, there stood D. London, with two mo of hys fellows, wai∣ting the bishops comming: and passing by them into the Hall, he was there receiued of his keper, and caried to pri∣son againe. It was not halfe an houre after, ere that the B. sent one of his Gentlemen to the vnder keeper called Stokes, commanding him to put irons vpon Marbecke, and to keepe him fast shut in a chamber alone, and when he should bring him downe to dinner or supper, to see that he spake to no man, nor no man to him: & furthermore, y^t he should suffer no maner of person (not his owne wife) to come & see him or minister any thing vnto him. When the porter (who was the cruellest man that might be, to al such as were laid in for any matter of religion, and yet as God would,* 1.7 fauorable to this poore man) had receyued this cō∣mandement from the B. he clapt irons vpon him & shutte him vp, geuing warning to all the house, y^t no man should speake or talke to Marbecke, whensoeuer he was brought downe, and so he continued the space of iij. wekes & more, till his wife was suffered to come vnto him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The third exa∣mination of Marbeck.
• * 1.2

  Christ sayth, Scrutamini Scripturas: And Winche∣ster sayth the Deuill maketh men to meddle with the Scrip∣tures.
• * 1.3

  Marbeck char∣ged for setting forth the Con∣cordaunce.
• * 1.4

  M. Clawbacke commeth againe to Marbecke.
• * 1.5

  Marbecke pres∣sed againe to vt∣ter his fellowes.
• * 1.6

  Marbecke brought agayne from Winche∣sters house to the Marshalsey.
• * 1.7

  A cruell porter of the Marshel∣sey, but yet good to Marbecke.