the house of his mother, which was not far frō his house. This done, one knockt at the streete dore where Argen∣tine and Butler was, with one of their weapons, and no answer was made: the second time somewhat harder, but had no answer. In the meane tyme they fearing that some cōueiance was made, knocked the third time more harder then before.
There was not far from the dore where they knocked, a certain bay window where one might look out & speake: And so at the third knocking, a woman who at that tyme was tenant to R. Wardals mother, & had but two nights before ly••n in the house, speaking out hard by their eares, asked who was there?
Ah sirha, quoth Argentine, are ye so nie and wyll not speake? How fortuned it that ye spake not at the first, be∣yng so nye? How fortuned it, quoth the woman? Marrie I shal tel you. I am but a stranger here, and I haue heard say, that there be spirites walkyng hereabout, which if a man do answer at the first call or second, he stands in great daunger, and I was neuer so afraid of my lyfe. At this her aunswere they laughed, and commaunded her to open the dore in the Queenes Name, for they were the Queenes watch.
Agnes Wardall beyng at that tyme in bed in an inner chamber, hauing her mayd with her, and her two children she beyng at that tyme very heauy a sleepe, heard not the knockyng. Her mayd hearing at the second knocke, called and shogged her dame, and with much ado awaked her, & said: the watch is at the dore. What thou liest, said she. Yes truly said the mayd, & hath knockt twise. With that she a∣rose with all speed, and put on her clothes very sleightly, and took with her a buckeram apron, which afterward she cast on her head, when she was faine to creepe in a ditche with nettles, and so passed downe into a parlour, wherein stood a cupbord with a faire presse, into the which the maid did locke her.
And immediately went vp to a chamber which was hard by the streete, where she might see and speake to the watch, and said, who is there. Then they bade her opē the dore. And she sayd, we haue no candle. And they said, open the dore, or we will lay it in the floore: With that she came downe and opened the dore. Then asked they the mayde, who is within? And she sayd, none but a woman yt dwel∣leth within vs, and two children. Then said they, where is thy dame? Truly, said she, I cannot tell, she is not with¦in. She was here in the euening said they. Yea, sayde the maid, but she went forth I know not whether. Notwith∣standyng, they charged her that she knew where she was, which she denied. Then got they a Candle light at one of the neighbors houses, and came in, & in the entrie met the woman which had answered thē at the window, and said, she was afraide of sprites. Argentine lookyng vppon her, clapt her on the backe, and said: thou art not the woman whom we seeke for.
So entred they the house, and searched a parlour next the streete where the woman lay which was his mothers tenant, and a yong child that sucked on her brest, and not onely in the bed turning it downe past all honest humani∣tie, but also vnder the bed behynd the painted clothes, and in the chimney, and vp into the chimney, and finding the bed hote, said: who lay here in the bed. The woman sayd, I and my childe. And none els, quoth they? No, said the womā. When they could find nothing there for their pur∣pose, from thence they went into an inner parlour, in the which stood the cupbord wherin she was, & serched the par¦lor which was but a little one. And one of the companye laying his hand on the cupbord, said: this is a faire cup∣bord, she may be here for any thing that is done. That is true, saith another of them. Notwithstanding, they looked no further, but went from that into the chamber alofte, wherein the said Agnes had lyen with her mayd and chil∣dren, with all other roumes and chambers.
At length came down into the yard where they found a horse tyed at a pale eatyng of shorne grasse. Then asked they the mayd, whose horse is this? She answered, it is her horse in deed, and she came in before night, & went abroad againe, but I know not whether. Then were they in good hope to find their pray and bestirred them with speed, and went into an out chamber that was in the yarde, in which was a boy in bed of 13. or 14. yeres old. And beyng in hys dead sleepe, they sodainly awaked hym, and examined him for his Dame. Who aunswered, he knew not where she was, and vnto that stood firmely, although their threates were vehement, not onely to the poore silly boy, but also to the good simple plaine mayd. Then caused they hym to a∣rise and dresse hym, and sent both mayd and boy vp to the cage, where they put the mayde, but kept the boy among their trustie souldiours, so that one of them shoulde not speake with another.
Nowe, while some were on the Cornehill, and other some searching the neighbours houses and backesides, the wyfe of Wardall beyng in the presse fast locked and almost smoothered for want of breath, desired the woman her mo∣thers tenaunt, when she heard her in the parlor, to let her out. She asked her where the keyes were, who answered they were in a hamper which she found and assaied to vn∣locke the presse, and of a long tyme could not. Then desi∣red she her to breake it open: for (saide she) I had rather fall into their handes, then to kil my selfe. Then went her mothers tenant & sought for her husbandes hammer and chisell to breake it opē, but could not find it, nor any thing els to breake it open withall, & came againe and tolde her she could find nothyng to breake it open with.
Then sayd she, assay againe to open it, for I trust God will geue you power to opē it. And being within in much extremitie, she hartily prayed vnto God who hearde her praier and helped her: for at the first assay and turne of the kay, it opened easily. When she came out, she looked as pale and as bleake as one that were layd out dead by the wals and as she her selfe looked afterward when she was dead, as the same woman reported, which then let her out, and was also at her death long after in the Queenes maiesties raigne that now is, and all on a vehement sweat was she lyke drops of rayne.
Then went she out into the backside, where was a pale toward the fieldes for the defence of the Garden, wherein was one or two lose pales, by the which both she and her husband had diuers times vsed to come and go in and out, so went she out into the fields. And passing one little field and ouer a style, shrouded her self in a low ditch with net∣tles, and couered her hed with the buckram apron afore mentioned, and so crept low, and lay in the ditch. After lōg search, when they could not find her in the towne, certaine of the watch returned agayne into the fields side: among whom was one Geo••ge Mannyng, with Iohn Bate the Crier of the same towne commyng together. This Man∣nyng was a simple honest plaine man, but Bate a very e∣nemy, and one that in Queene Maries tyme would haue bene a priest as it was reported, but that he was maried.
Mannyng espying where she lay, gaue a hemme, and made a noyse with his Bill, he beyng before Bate, at the which she lay still, and at last they departed to the streete side to the Constable. All this tyme the mayde was in the Cage, and the boy with the other of the watch vntill per∣fect day light. Then went they vp and let out the mayde, & sent her home, and the boy also? but they made the mayde beleeue, they had found her Dame. Who aunswered, if ye haue her, keepe her fast.
On the morow, Mannyng sent her worde to beware that she should hyde her selfe no more so neare.
Thus by the might and power of God was his faith∣ful seruant deliuered from their crueltie, and they known to be his aduersaries, not onely at that tyme, but dyuers tymes after and before. Notwithstandyng, the sayd Ar∣gentine at his first commyng to Ipswich, came in a Ser∣uyng mans cote. And then beyng in the dayes of K. Hen∣ry the 8. he would accustomably vse the readyng of Lec∣tures hymselfe, in the which he was well commended at that tyme. After obtained the office of Usher of the Free Grammer schoole, and the maister beyng dead, got to bee maister hymselfe. And beyng maried to a very honest wo∣man, remained there the dayes of K. Edward. And when God tooke hym from vs for our iust deserued plague, and Queene Mary came to her raigne, none more hote in all Papistry and superstition, then he, paintyng the postes of the towne with viuat Regina Maria, and in euery corner.
Furthermore, after the death of his wyfe (which was an honest woman) was made a Priest: taking vpon him diuers tymes to preach (but neuer without his white mi∣niuer hoode) such doctrine as was shamefull to heare, say∣ing Masse, and carying about the pixe in high processions. Furthermore, leadyng the boy S. Nicholas with his mi∣niuer hood, about the streetes for apples and belly cheere. And who so would not receiue him, he made them here∣tikes, and such also as would not geue his fagot to ye bon∣fire for Queene Maries child. And thus continued he at Ipswich the most part of Queene Maries dayes, mole∣styng there good men, some for not goyng to the Churche, some for not beyng confessed, some for not receiuyng, &c. till at length, toward the end of Queene Mary he came to London, and in this Queens time began to shewe himselfe againe a perfect protestant. And thus much of Argen∣tine. Ex testimon. Petri Moonaei.