whiche alwayes enforced hym selfe to kepe his hyghnesse and all the reste of his subiectes in seruitude errour and idolatrie God hathe made him as al his noble progenitours of right ought to haue ben a full kyng ▪ that is a ruler and natruled in his owne kyngedome as other were God hath deliuered his highnes from the bondage of the byshoppe of Rome his subiectes from errors his realme from the foule sinne of idolatry Ignorāce a childe that the byshop of Rome lefte here with his monkes and friers to be fostred made strōge is takynge her leaue wolde god her passeport were made and she sente frome whens she came But she hath ben so cherished so made of in this realme that lothe she is to departe She hath many frendes and trustethe by the helpe of them to be made denyzen and soo to chaunge her apparel and to do moche more hurt in parishe churches thā euer she dyd in cloisters But I truste as god hath shewed what hurte commeth of her and hers so he wyll prouide a way to see that she and hers haue lesse to do The people begynne to know what they that be curates oughte to preache and what they arboūd to folowe and yet they do but begynne Wolde god some were appoynted to take them forthe newe lessons They haue longe sithens begon to knowe their duetie toward god their obedience to their prince the loue they ow vnto their neighbours and yet they be styll atte the begynninge For yf they were fully taught but in these .iii. poyntes I dare promyse my lyfe to lye vppon it the fruites of this knowledge shuld be such as wold enforce all christian princis to folowe the steppes of oure noble prince I remember howe kynge Iosaphat sente many of his nobles with prechers that is trewe setters oute of the worde of god throughe all Iurie and howe all the worlde feared his power after that god was preched in his king dome I truste as our moste prudente kynge ceasseth nat to sende his holsome and godly proclamations abrode that so one day men shall be sent after them to se what effecte they take what successe cōmeth of them where they worke where they be ydle where they haue fre passage and where they be stopped But leauyng newe occasions whiche leade me to newe purposes I wol returne and folowe that I toke in hande This laste sedition besyde many other commodities that it wrought in this realme hathe made the people and in especial those where it reigned moste very glad to here very desyrefull to make amendes to God and their Prince for that they offended bothe afore I haue herde dyuers men say that three or foure preachers may doo more good in the northe coūtray in two or thre monethes than hath bene done in these southe parties these two or thre yeres only bicause the people be so redy to take what so euer the preacher shall offer vnto theym soo that if the people be naught styll the faute is no more theirs for they wold fain be good They se god louith no rebellions no disobedience if god had done nothynge for the kynge sythens that tyme was not that one benefyte inoughe to bynde his grace and all theym that loue this his realme euermore to thynke vpon goddis goodnes alwayes to giue hym thākes and yet styl to thinke thankes vngyuen All bokes can shewe no suche sedition so quieted no suche rage soo peasibly asswaged and yet at the fyrste as al men lyked the ende soo was there an other thyng that men whiche fauour the peace and quietnes of our countrey thought somewhat amysse Menne were wonderfull gladde that harneys was put of and weapons layde downe but they were sorie that the deceyuers of the simple pore subiectis had after their pestilent pilgremages pardon It is ofte to be remembred howe god prouided both for the sorte deceyued and also howe vpon newe treason committed he wolde the ranke capitaynes to testifie vpō the gallowes that traitours muste come to shamefulle deathe And yet is there more euen concernynge the same matter to be marked where as it plesed the kyng of his clemency and tender loue that his grace beareth to the lyfe of his subiectes to satisfye the rigor of the lawes with a few of their dethes god hath this last sommer by strange kinde of sycknes welle declared vnto the commons of the northe that he was nat contented so fewe were punished where so many offēded And as the sicknes plagued them sore so I thynke god pycked a greate sorte in other countreys suche as he knew had hartes euyl inough thoughe their dedes were vnknowen It is not to be left vnspokē that a generall plague reignyng in al the north and in many other parties of the realme London a citie for the more parte yerely visited with great deathe hadde in maner no syckenesse in it Lette other menne laye the cause where they thinke beste I do surely suppose that as god punyshed them for their treasons soo he shewed vnto the Lōdoners that the way to haue hym mercyfull and good to theym is that that they are in though not setled yet a great part of theym well entred All be it we be forgetfull and haue styll nede of some to putte vs in mynde of goddis goodnesse toward vs yet I woll not nowe speke of the tresure whiche he gaue this realme what ioye and comforte he sent to all trewe englysshe men whan he sent vnto our soueraigne lord his dere and noble sonne oure deere and noble prince Edward I trust it nedith not I trust there be none of vs either so blynde that we see not howe moch Englande oweth vnto god for his byrth for his preseruatiō for such his towardnes as was neuer sene in chylde by al mens assent the lyke either so vngrate but he herynge of this noble princis growyng and waxing to a kynge to the sceptre of this his right inheritance woll with al his harte desyre god both to kepe hym longe frome the scepter and longer in it than euer was his father before hym I say I wyl nat speake of his grace neither of the goodnes of god powred vpon vs and all ours by his byrthe No I woll make as foule a chaunge as euer ye sawe or herde of I wolle go from hym whome the loue to god and his father reserued we ought to loue aboue all thynges and intreate of theym whome yf they were alyue all Englyshmen ought aboue al creatures to hate And yet I wyl not so gladly talke of theym as of the goodnesse of god shewid to vs by their occasiō ¶ O lorde in what danger hath the kynges hyghnesse bene these xiii or .xiiii. yeres For euen al this space there haue ben in his gracis priuie chaumber that frome tyme to time haue not only vttred the secretes of his counselle and chamber but also haue practised with his most enemyes and done what they coulde to
seruaunt Elias fleinge the wrothe and displeasure of Iezabell no he being withoute hope of lyfe and moche desyrynge to dye he sent hym an angell to comforte him and foode to refreshe hym self withall not content with that but spake to hym hym selfe as ye may rede if ye desyre to knowe what god sayde to hym Danyell was caste into a denne of lyons god sente his angelle to stoppe the lyons mouthe and so Daniell was hurte in noo parte of his bodye God sent his aungell to good Gedeon whanne the Madianites had almost ouer throwen the chyldren of Israell He talketh longe with Gedeon abydinge his sacrifice with many his tentations Rede the place ye shall perceyue howe god louethe where he lyketh Iosue also sawe a man standyng anenst hym with a swerd redy drawen in his hand vnto whom he went and sayd Art thou our frende or dost thou take the parte of our aduersaries Answere was made I am the chiefe of the lordes bande Iudith also had an aungell to her companion and guyde whan she went to slee Holofernes I coulde brynge in many mo examples if my pourpose were to enlarge my mattier that waye As howe god sent his aungell to conducte the hooste of the Israelites whan they passed the sees and also how he sent his angell into the fornace where the thre chyldren laye in fyer and felt no heate I coulde shewe in what battailes god hath made his angels souldiours but that is nat myne intent I muste make comparysons and yet I truste they shal nat be odious Rede all scripture and ye shall fynde no person that god preseruid more tenderly than he dyd his chosen and electe kynge Dauid For he beinge as yet noo kynge but rather a poore subiecte of a myghtye kynge was in many places persecuted of him and his host and yet the goodnes of god was suche towarde hym that he escaped all the snares that longe set malice had layd for him A puyssant prince desyred a poore mannes deathe it wolde not be Mighty Saule miste of his purpose ageynst sely Dauid coulde not hurte his lytell fynger Some percase woll thynke here to take holde of me and say if god could preserue a subiect against a prince it is no meruayle if he preserue a prynce ayenst a fewe his vnnaturall subiectes a realme ayenste a fewe traytours I muste saye as they do it is no great meruayle that god soo dothe and yet I saye as I sayde firste our soueraigne lorde kyng Henry the eight hath moche more cause to gyue God thankes than euer had king Dauid or Dauid not yet a kyng For as he knewe that kynge Saule sought his destruction and therby might do what laye in hym to escape his hande and also by ofte intercession obteyn helpe and succour of god so the kynges highnes of late stode in case farre vnlyke and in moche more presente daunger then he dyd His highnes was in great peryll and neither sawe it ne coulde mystruste any suche thyng For if nature if bloude if moste ample benefites coulde haue wrought in some as they do in all naturall and honest hartes whome might his grace haue takē for his more trusty seruauntes for his trewer subiectes then Henry Corteney late marques of Exetter then Henry Pole late lorde Montacute than Edwarde Neuell late of his graces priuie chaumber I wylle talke with the reste whan I shall come to the place whyche I reserue for them What subiectes were more bounde to their soueraygne lorde I say moch more what men were more endetted to man than were all these thre to his highnes Who in more daunger than his grace whiche neyther coulde mystruste them ne yet without his great peryll truste them God promisynge ayde to them that call vpon hym ▪ seldome suffereth innocentes as Iob sayth to peryshe Wherefore Dauid hauynge cause to call for helpe and God by his promyse bound to succour hym coulde not but fynde god good to hym But our moste fortunate kynge was in moste daunger and in no feare ne suspition of leste Howe coulde his grace suspecte them whom of all men he knewe hadde greattest causes to loue hym to desyre his hyghnesse prosperytie and longe reygne His grace dydde not vse them as men whome he mystrusted no he vsed more familiarnesse with fewe of his subiectes than he dydde with the Marques and syr Edwarde Neuyll Wherfore as his grace coulde not are helpe ayenste them whom he toke to be the rediest of all menne to spende theyr bloud if nede shuld require them so to do Euen so god seinge what was in hande thoughte it hyghe tyme suche ranke and rype traytours to be reped vp He saw the lesse his highnesse mystrusted the more peryll his graces person stode in the farder they were from suspition the nigher they were to worke mischef Our lord be thanked they haue in one houre rydde this realme of many daungers taking their leaue of life with suche shame as it becōmeth al trayters to do as for the moste parte god be thanked they are all wont to do If lawes were gone or of no strength at all wolde not men onely moued by the heynousnesse of treason thynke all deathes to fewe for these abhomynable traitours all tourmentes all peyne all vilany to lytle for them I am ashamed that euer it shulde come into writyng that there haue ben among men some that receiuing so hyghe fauour and so great benefytes soughte to make hym away of whom they receiued them more ashamed that suche exaumples shoulde be founde amonge christian men moste of all that it happeneth so oft here in our countreye The ciuile lawe is moche to be commended that the master maye calle hym ayene to bondage seruitude whome he hath made free if at any tyme after his fredome he shew hym selfe vnkynd The Macedons and Athenians also had an action a comune plee in the lawe ayenste suche as were but in trifles blotted with vnkindnes as ayenste men that in dede are enmies to al them which haue nede of other mennes helpe One vnkynde persone is oftentymes the cause that men haue no wylle to do good where they may feare the lyke And if it be trewe that Gratitude which is a perpetuall memorie of benefittes receyued and alsoo a desyre to recompense them be as a mother of many vertues Forasmoche as there commeth from her loue and feare of god loue and feare of our prince loue towarde our countreye loue towarde our parentes frendshyp betwene man and man veneration of those that bringe vs vp and do eyther norysshe our bodyes or instructe our myndes we muste nedes gather it to be true that Cicero wryteth to his frende Atticus Ingratis vitia inesse omnia that is all vices to be in them that are vnkynde This vice is moch better named in our tounge then it is as me thynketh in any other Unkyndnesse is a fytte name for so vnnaturall a vice they that fal into
his trayterous purpose to effect But what thing doth not blinde ambitiō attempt his mouthe was euer full of these pratye sayinges I truste to see a chaunge of this worlde knaues rule about the kynge but I trust one day to gyue them a buffet he can be no subiecte that shall buffet rulers aboute a kynge no he thought to be none when he commaunded Kendall his manne to make as many men in a redynes as he coulde whiche myght serue within an houres warnynge He thoughte to haue worne the garlande when he tolde his frendes I truste to haue a fayre daye ouer these knaues that rule aboute the kyng I trust to se a mery worlde one daye But yet se howe he was deceyued god that hath wether at wyll wolde not so moche as gyue hym a fayre daye to dye in all his mirthe is ended for this worlde al ioye is paste he is gone and hath lefte to his sonne and heyre nothynge but sorowe nothynge but myserye excepte the kynge of his mercye beare hym more loue then his father dyd These be the fayre days that god sendeth vnto traytours this is the myrthe that they come to our lorde sende all traytours the lyke myrthe Surelye they that be as these were do but deceyue theym selfes if they loke for any better ende then they had God punissheth none so soone as vngrate persons bycause he wold haue vs not vngrate vnto hym And yet he hathe euermore greuously punisshed suche as shulde rebell and worke sedition against theyr hedes rulers Chore Dathan and Abiron maye make all men that canne lerne to aduoyde theyr owne hurte by theyr neyghbours obey where they ought to obey serue where they oughte to serue and not to repine ne to take vpon them rule where god hath appoynted them to be ruled You may rede howe god scurged these thre howe the erthe brake vnder theyr fete and swalowed them vp with theyr tabernacles all theyr substaunce howe they went alyue into hell there testyfyenge what punishement god hath prepared for rebelles for traytours for men disobedient to theyr hedes and rulers What loste our fyrste father Adam by his gay enterprise whiche thought to haue a fayre daye a merye tyme What loste he for ones disobeinge for theatynge of an apple a small thynge but euen all mankynd He was in Paradise a place pleasaunt beyonde all pleasures almoste all howres talkynge with god almyghty the eatynge of an apple brought him that he durste not shewe his face God cryeth to hym Adam where arte thou oute of what pleasure haste thou put thy selfe and in to what myserye I maye saye O Marques where art thou where is the fayre day thou lokedest for where is thye garlande Some men perchaunce woll saye they haue suffered for theyr trespasse they shulde nowe be at rest I answere thynges are written not so moche for malyce to the men as for the hatred that euery man oweth to treason There is no writer that can set theyr name and fame in worse case then it is All shame is in them whom treson hath defyled The raunsome of treason is more thā losse of life and goodes Mens tonges and pennes whan deathe hath done what she maye are bounde to worke ayenste traitours as moch as they may Traitours are euen styll to be rated no lesse then if they were a lyue and styll in fulle pourpose to brynge theyr tresons to passe ¶ Nowe on the other syde was the lorde Mountacute nothynge in the kynges debte was not also his mothers landes loste she a poore gentyll woman dwellynge amonge the systers of the Syon he a poore gentyll manne not hauynge a fote of lande towarde his lyuynge was it not a thynge worthy thankes to comme from nothynge to .iii. or .iiii. thousande marke lande his mother to haue this for her lyfe and he to enherite it after her decease had not this traytour cause to haue ben a true subiecte to his prynce a trewe seruante to his mayster was he not bound aboue a great sort of men to loue the kinges welthe and honour to serue his maiestye with all loyall harte and obeysaunce Myghte not this fonde or rather detestable traytour haue talked dreamed of other thynges then of the kynges deathe whiche oure lord kepe of euen as longe as nature with his helpe may maintein lyfe and all other that wold other wyse to folowe Montacute and his felowes Myght not he haue ben content with this world and the state he was nowe in leauyng his lewde prophecies of the world to come of the tyme that shoulde make hym his mery if he might tary it he might if god had not ben as contente to leaue hym as he was desyrefull to flee god and to kepe downe his worde and testament For as goddes ioye is to be with men that take ioye of his presence so beinge lefte and forsaken though his desyre be to do otherwise he leueth and forsaketh This I dare say if these men had not ben enemies to the gospel haters of goddis worde they coulde neuer haue fallen in to suche an abhomynable sorte of treasons Who knoweth not how these that are now deed howe the Marques and Montacute abhorred not only all readynge of scripture but al so all reders of it It was a cryme iudged greate inoughe for to put any theyr seruauntes out of seruyse if they were spyed with a newe testamente in theyr handes whether Reynolde that traytour put this in theyr heedes or whether god thought it best that they had chaplayns accordyng to their hartes menne desyrefull to kepe them styll from the knowlege of their duties from the light of god dis worde whiche they hated aboue all thynges I woll not discusse the sayinge is they bothe dyd well theyr partes As for Reinolde I am assured he ceased not to kepe his bretherne in errour which sent his mother word that if he knewe her to be of the same opinion that y e king is of he wold treade her vnder his fete mother his as she was What beast could vse suche langage to his mother excepte he had vtterlye forgotten the reuerence that nature techeth all creatures toward their parentes what pestilent harte reigneth in hym that hath suche a rancour to goddis worde suche a stomake ayenste the truthe Thou thou Raynolde art the very pole from whense is poured all this poison Thou haste slaine thy brother the Marques and thyne other brother was at deathes doore But for as moche as it pleased god to saue Geffreys lyfe and to tourne the vyolence of the knyfe to his saluation to the safetie of the kinges highnes and to the welthe of the hole realme the kynges grace takethe it to be goddis pleasure that Geffrey yet die not and hath pardoned hym all his offences so that his clemēcie hath saued Geffrey whome thy knauishe letters and messangers had broughte to the galowes Great pitie it is so sayth he and al the rest that euer thou
sawst lyght Say what thou canst poure out thy poyson semble dissemble the wrathe of god layeth vp sorowes for the thou shalte neuer escape his handes thy cappe thy hatte wolle couer treason no longer than he lysteth they wylle beare of but easylye whan he begynneth to smyte I playnely protest I am thyn enemy and sommetyme wolde fayne here tell that thou were serued as thy demerites he sommetyme I wyshe the to lyue euer neuer oute of shame alwayes in infamye with all the reste of suche companyons as wayte vpon traitours ¶ The byshoppe of Rome great captayn of errours hath as fitte a chapleyne of hym as he coulde haue picked out in an hole world The byshoppe wolde nothyng to be written ageynste suche abuses suche idolatrie suche heresies as he maynteyneth Reynolde wolle in noo case reade any thynge that dothe not maynteyne al thre they bothe agree in this to make their abode to sticke and vtterly cleaue in that they sucked in of their erronious nurse Longe Custome There be many in England that knowe Reynolde right well there is not one of them all that canne say and lye not that he wol either abide any writer any preacher or any priuate cōmoner that swarueth from his trade ¶ Alexander beinge al his lyfe in warres toke it to be an excedinge foly for a iudge to pronounce his sentence hearynge but th one partie and had in custom whan any tale was brought to hym agaynst any man to stoppe one of his eares sayenge to theym that asked hym what he ment by doinge soo I muste kepe one eare for his answere that nowe is accused Pole hath redde moche whiche thinge dothe steye a man in errour and not help hym out of it if he chaw the sence of scripture as he lyste and wrynge oute suche iuyce as his fantasy corrupted afore there nowe seketh Saynte Paule had readde moche euen whan he persecuted Christis flocke and of no thynge so moche as of scripture You see men coulde neuer tourne his hart God hym selfe was fain to put to his voyce to stryke his bodye blynde and to enlyghten ther with his soule Saynt Augustine had redde moch and was very conuersant in the scriptures yet he was a great whyle in the heresyes of the Manichees and thought that scripture was of his syde Many disputed with hym they all founde that stubburnesse dothe no where so moch hurte as whan it lyghteth vpon great wittes furnished with moch lerning Plato saith smalle wyttes do neuer moche hurt in a comon weale the great be they that do the great hurte The bysshoppe of Rome thought Pole bothe of great lernynge and of great parentage so that euen polycie taughte hym a ioly poynt of folye The bysshop thoughte to worke by him a feate mete for oone in his place Pole cam somwhat to late into France at the laste commotion If he had comme in season he wolde haue playde an hardier part than Aske dyd he wolde surely haue ieoperded bothe his eyes where Aske ventured but one He wolde haue had not only a foote in their bote but in spite of Aske and his company wold haue ruled the sterne He came to late great pite he had not putte Aske oute of his office Howe be it whan he sent Holland with his message to Geffreye his brother that they shuld not sturre while he came he thought to be at the begynnyng of the breakefast to the whiche the Marques was bydding styl his gestes He wold haue brought in that mery world which his brother Montacute stil loked for euermore afrayde leste he and his shoulde not tarye that mery tyme. Why was he afrayde trowe ye he was no sycke man his yeres were not soo many but he moughte haue lyued for age a great season He feared it wolde chaunce as it nowe hath done he thought treson could not so lōg be kept close O Reynolde you haue taryed to longe for hym He may wyshe as many a man dothe that ye had ben hanged the day before you sente that message home he woll not sturre whyle you come God put it in your hedde to take your viage shortly Thy capitain and thou both with his hole cloutry of Carnalles wepe I dare say yet to remember the Northerne insurrection to here suche a rage suche a furie of people so swaged so quietted no stroke stroken You feare you feare ye haue good cause so to do leste other prynces do gather therby both the synguler loue of god towarde our moste godly kynge and also the hatred that he beareth to your pestylente ambitiō abhominable lyues and doctryne moche worse then your liuing Certes to say as I thinke it were great pitie ye shoulde lyue any better then ye do excepte you wolde fyrste agree that god and his worde myght reygne and you serue your prynces accordynge to it He that had dwelte in the stynkynge chanal of Paule Bishoppe of Rome his bosome or in the synke of Pole his fellowes stomakes that day that the newes were brought to Rome of th ende of our hurly burly in the Northe he shoulde haue sene them stryken in a wonderfull dompe he shulde haue sene griping at their hartes syghes walkynge to and froo at sorowes commaundment Surely they hadde no myschaunce this many yeres so great as was that our good chance to them There came noo plage of god this longe season vppon theym that moued them more then that so manyfeste the goodnes of god shewed vpon vs. Ah lord thy prouidēce is wonderful thou blyndest thou geuest lyght thou hardnest thou dost entre where thy pleasure is Some runne faste and yet come shorte bycause they lose the waye some tary long and yet be formest thou appoyntest a tyme to call in thyne electe that wander thou turneste theyr hartes to the when thy pleasure is that straied amonges thē whiche were and be ferdest frome the. Of all the miracles and wonders of our time I take the chāge of our soueraygne lordes opinion in matters concerninge Religion to be euen the gretest There was no prynce in Christendome but he was farre liker to haue chaunged then our soucrayne lorde he was theyr pyller and bare them vppe a great whyle they gaue hym faire titles for his so doinge and honorid his name in al their writingis was it not a wonderfull worke of god to get his grace from them to hym To make hym theyr ouerthrowe whom they had chosen for theyr defēsour I haue oft hidden my countreye menne to marke the procedynges of god sythens this change with HENRY the VIII his chosen lieutenāt in England and our onely lorde and heed vnder Christe and his father I styll say as I haue sayde who so marketh howe tenderlye god preserueth his highnes he is eyther excedynge blynde or els he wel perceyueth god to be ennemye to all thē that loue not his grace Wherbefore he was callyd kynge and yet had ayenst all right and equitie a ruler aboue hym