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 Counsell to the Lady Mary, 6. of Maye. 1551.

AFter our humble cōmendatiōs to your grace, we haue receiued your letters of the second of this moneth, by the which your grace seemeth to take it straungely that Doctor Mallet is committed to prison, whereof we haue the more maruell, seeing it hath bene heeretofore signified vnto you that he hath offended the kings maiesties lawes, and thereof condemned, your grace hath bene by our let∣ters earnestly desired, that he might be deliuered to the Sheriffe of Essex, according to the iust processe of the lawe, to the which all maner persons of this Realme be subiect, whereof howsoeuer it seemeth straunge at this tyme to your grace that he is imprisoned, it may seme more strange to other that he hath escaped it thus long: and if the place being the Tower, moue your grace not to impute his im∣prisonment to his former offense, then we pray your grace to vnderstand that in deede it is for the very same, and the place of the imprisonment to be at the Kings Maiesties pleasure, from whome, besides the charge of his lawes, we haue expresse commaundement to doe that we doe. And so we beseech your grace to thinke of vs, that neither in thys case, nor in any other we meane to do any other then mini∣ster and see, as much as in our power lieth, ministred iu∣stice indifferently, to all persons, whiche doing then wee thinke your grace should not thinke it any lacke of frend∣ship that wee did not certifie you of the offense of youre Chaplayne, although in deede the cause hath already bene certified. And we trust your grace both of youre naturall nearenes to the Kings Maiestie and your owne good wis∣dome will not mislike our Ministerie in the execution of the lawes of the Realme, and the pleasure of the Kyngs Maiestie. So we wish to your grace from the bottome of our hart, the grace of almighty God, with the riches of his holy giftes.