*A Letter of M. Robert Glouer, to the Maior of Couentry and his brethren.
I Beseech you to vnderstand, that it is not vnknowen as well to the Keeper of the Gaole,* 1.1 as to the inhabitants about me where I dwell, that I am a man subiect to very great sicknesse, and haue bene by the space of seuen yeares and more, so that it is not like that I shall be remooued without perill and danger of lyfe. And because I was here committed to Warde by your appoyntment, I would gladly here aunswer to such thyngs as should bee layed to my charge. If I may obtayne this of you, I haue cause thank∣fully to reknowledge your indifferencie: if otherwyse, I praye God it be not layd to your charge at the great day, where euery man shall haue iust iudgement without respect of person.
Your prisoner in the Lord, alwayes myndefull of you in my poore prayer. Rob. Glouer.
But I receiued no answer of my letters to nor fro, I coniectured, that when the B. and the Chancellor had seen thē, it mooued thē the rather to haue me away, beyng more desirous (as I suppose) to haue had me dispatched priuily in prison, then to come openly to my answer. The maner of entreating and vsing me at my first commyng to pri∣son, did partly declare the same.
Certayne Sergeaunts and Constables of Couentry,* 1.2 beyng appointed to haue the conueying of vs to Lichfield to be deliuered there to one Iephcot the Chancellors man sent from Couētry with vs for the same purpose, we were commaunded to horsebacke about xj. or xij. of the clocke on Friday, beyng market day, that we might be the more ga∣sed and wondered at: and to kindle the peoples heartes more agaynst vs, they did proclayme a letter cōcernyng a proclamation made for calling in & disanullyng of all such bookes as truely expound and interprete the Scriptures. We came to Lichfield about 4. of the clocke at night, & had leaue to repose our selues for our Supper tyme. We inned at the signe of the Swanne, where wee were entertayned friendly and gently.
After supper Iephcot repaired to vs,* 1.3 whome we in∣treated that vpon sureties we myght rest our selues that nyght, beyng vnprouided of any thyng to help our selues withall in the prison at that present. He was content at the first (as he semed) but afterwards, whether it was by per∣swasion, or rather (as it seemed to me) he did but of polli∣cie put of the tyme till he had gathered a multitude to stare and wonder vpō vs, and also that we should prouide no∣thyng to ease our selues withall: he reuoked his promise,* 1.4 and so by consent we were had to the prison, the multitude wonderyng at vs. I willed Iephcot before, to execute his office with mercy, tellyng him that they should haue iudge¦mēt without mercy, that shewed no mercy. And this mer∣cy I found at his hand.
He put me into a prison the same night, where I con∣tinued vntill I was condemned, a place next to the dun∣geon, narow of rowmes, strong of building, and very cold with small light, and there allowed he me a būdle of straw in stead of my bed, wtout chaire, forme, or any other thyng els to ease my self withal. God of his mercy gaue me great patience through praier that night, so that if it had ben his pleasure, I could haue bene contented to haue ended my lyfe. But Iephcot & one Persey the bishops man,* 1.5 which afterwardes was my continuall keeper for the most part, came to me in the morning, to whō I said, this is a great extremitie, God send vs patience, and no more.
Then they were content that I should haue a bed of myne owne procurement. But I was allowed no helpe, neither night nor day, nor company of any man, notwith∣standyng my great sickenesse, nor yet paper, pen, nor inke, or bookes, sauyng my new Testament in Latine, & a prai∣er booke which I priuily stole in.
Within two days after,* 1.6 M. Chancellor and one Tem∣sey a Prebendary there, came to me into my prison. Mai∣ster Chauncellour exhorted me to conforme my self to my Lord and to the Church. He wished to my soule no more hurt then to hys owne: belyke because I had layd to hys charge at Couentry, the seekyng of my bloud vniustly and wrongfully.
Now thus the second tyme I answered M. Chancel∣lor to his exhortatiō, that I refused not to be ruled by that church that was content to bee ordered and gouerned by the word of God.
He asked me how I knew the worde of God, but by the Church?
* 1.7 The church sheweth which is the word of God, therefore the Church is aboue the word of God. This is no good reason in learnyng, sayd I to M. Chauncellour. For it is lyke vnto this: Iohn shewed the people who was Christ: Ergo, Iohn was aboue Christ. Or els, I haue a man that knoweth not the kyng, and I tell hym who is the kyng: am I therfore aboue the kyng?
M. Chauncellour sayd, he came not to reason with me and so departed. So remayned I without any further cō∣ference of any man by the space of viij. dayes, and till the Bishops commyng: In the which tyme I gaue my selfe continually to prayer, and meditation of the merciful pro∣mises of God, made vnto all without exception of person, that call vpon the name of his deare sonne Iesus Christ. I found in my selfe daily amendment of health of body, in∣crease of peace in conscience,* 1.8 and many consolations from God by the helpe of his holy spirit, and sometymes, as it were a taste and glimmeryng of the lyfe to come: all for his onely sonne Iesus Christes sake: to hym be all praise for euer and euer.
The enemy ceased not many tymes, sundry wayes to assault me, oftentymes obiectyng to my conscience myne owne vnworthines, through the greatnesse of the benefite to be counted among the number of them that should suf∣fer