¶This did Mayster Bartlet Greene write in Mayster Bartram Calthrops Booke.
* 1.1TWo thinges haue very muche troubled me whilest I was in the Temple, Pride, and Glottonye, whiche vnder the cou∣lour of glorye and good felowshippe, drewe me almoste from GOD. Agaynst both there is one remedye, by prayer earnest, and without ceasing. And for as much as vayne glory is so sub∣tle an Aduersarye, that almoste it woundeth deadly, ere euer a manne can perceiue himselfe to be smitten, therefore we ought so muche the rather by continuall prayer, to labour for humble∣nesse of minde. Truely Glottony beginneth vnder a charitable pretence, of mutuall loue and society, and hath in it most vncha∣ritablenesse.* 1.2 When we seeke to refresh our bodies, that they may be the more apte to serue GOD, and performe our duetyes to∣wardes our Neyghbours, then stealeth it in as a priuye theefe, and murthereth both body and soule, that nowe it is not apte to to pray, or serue GOD, nor apte to studye, or labour for our neighbours. Let vs therefore watch and be sober: For our aduer∣sary the Deuill walketh about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuour. And remember what Salomon sayth: Melior est patiens viro forti, & qui dominatur animo expugnatore vrbium. 1. A pacient man is better then a strong warrior, and he that con∣quereth his owne stomacke, is better then hee that conquereth Townes and Cityes.
* 1.3Bartlet Greene.
Animorum in fide vnio, per charitatem acta, firma est amici∣tia. Vale (mi Bartrame) & mei memineris, vt semper simillimi ef∣ficiamur. Vale. Apud nouam Portam 20. Ianuarij. 1556.
Set sober loue agaynst hasty wrath.
Bartlet Greene.
Thus we see the fatherly kindenesse of our moste gra∣cious and mercifull God, who neuer suffereth his electe children so to fall, that they lye still in security of sinne, but oftentymes quickeneth them vp by some such meanes, as perhaps they thinke least of, as he did here this his strayed sheepe. And now therfore to returne to our history:* 1.4 for the better maynteinaunce of himselfe in these his studyes, and other his affayres he had a large exhibition of his grand∣father Mayster Doctour Bartlet, who during the tyme of Greenes inprisonment made vnto him large offers of great liuinges, if he would recant, and (forsake the truth, and Gospell of Christ) come home agayne to the Church and Sinagogue of Rome. But these his perswasions (the Lord be therefore praysed) tooke small effect in this fayth∣full hart, as the sequell did declare. He was a man beloued of all men except of the Papistes, who loue none that loue the truth) and so he well deserued: for he was of a meeke, humble, discreete, and most gentle behauiour to all. Iniu∣rious he was to none, beneficiall to many, especiallye to those that were of the householde of fayth: as appeared (a∣mongest other) by his frendly dealing with maister Chri∣stopher Goodman, beeing at that present a poore exile be∣yond the Seas.* 1.5 With whom this Bartlet Greene (aswell for his toward learning, as also for his sober and Godly behauiour) had often society in Oxforde, in the dayes of good king Edwarde: which now, notwithstanding hys frendes misery and banishment, he did not lightly forget, and that turned as it chaunced (not without the proui∣dence of almightye GOD) to the greate griefe of both, the one of heart for the losse of his Frende, and the other of body in suffering the cruell and murthering rage of Pa∣pistes.
The cause hereof was a Letter which Grene did write vnto the sayde Goodman, conteining aswell the reporte of certayne demaundes or questions, which were cast abroad in London (as appeareth hereafter in a letter of hys owne penning, whiche he meant to haue sent vnto M. Philpot, wherein hee declareth his full vsage before the Bishop of London and others) as also an aunswere to a question made by the sayd Christopher Goodman, in a letter writtē vnto him, in which he required to haue the certaynetye of the report, which was spread amongest them on the other side of the Seas, that the Queene was deade. Whereunto mayster Greene aunswered simply, and as the truth then was, that she was not dead.
These letters with manye other, written to diuers of the godly exiles, by theyr frendes here in Englande,* 1.6 beyng deliuered to a messenger to carry ouer, came by the appre∣hension of the said bearer, vnto the handes of the king and Queenes Councel. Who at theyr conuenient leasure (whi∣che in those daies by some of them was quickely found out for suche matters) perused the whole number of the sayde letters, and amongest them espyed this letter of Mayster Greenes, written vnto his frend Christopher Goodman, in the contentes whereof (amongest other newes and pri∣uate matters) they found these woordes: The Queene is not yet dead. Which wordes were onely written as an an∣swere, to certifye Mayster Goodman of the trueth of hys former demaunde. Howbeit (to some of the Councell) they seemed verye haynous woordes, yea, treason they would haue made them, if the Law would haue suffered. Whiche when they coulde not doe (and being yet verye lothe to let any such depart freely,* 1.7 whom they suspected to be a fauourer of the Gospell) they then examined him vp∣on his fayth in religion, but vpon what poyntes, it is not certaynely knowne.
Neuerthelesse (as it semeth) his aunsweres were such, as litle pleased them (especially the annoynted sorte) and therefore after they had longe detayned him in prison, as well in the Tower of London, as elsewhere, they sente him at last vnto Boner Bishop of London, to be ordered according to his Ecclesiasticall law: as appeareth by theyr Letters sent vnto the Byshop, with the sayd prisoner also: wherein it may appeare that Syr Iohn Bourne (then Secretary to the Queene) was a chiefe stirrer in such ca∣ses, yea, and an entiser of others of the counsell:* 1.8 who other∣wise (if for feare they durst) woulde haue bene content to haue let such matters alone. The Lord forgeue them theyr weakenesse (if it be his good pleasure) and geue them true repentaunce. Amen.