/ bad mastres portars lad leade his horsse in to the fyld by the back syde / and than charles put in to his sleue his mase or masor with other plate / and borowed of mastres portar bothe gold syluer but howe much I am not sure / and Charles went in to the feld after his horsse I brought his boget after hym Also vppon fridaye in christeÌ„n as weke folowyng Charles cam whome late in the nyght / and brought with him iij. bakars and a smyth of streat ford / and the same â—ight they caried oute of Charles house all his gooâ—es by the fylde syde to the bell at shordiche / and yerâ—y on the morowe conueyyd hit with cartes to streat forde Moreouer Iulian saith that the saturdaye at night before the death of Hune Charles cam whome / and brought with hym a Gurnard sayyng hit was for Hune and charles boye telled to Iulian that there was also ordened for Hune a pece of freassh salmone wich Iohn bellynger had Also Charles saide to the saide Iulian / war not this an vngraciouse trouble / I conde bryng my lorde of London to the dores of heritiques in London booth of men and wemen that bene woorth M. lib. But I am ferd that the vngraciouse mydwyfe shall be wraye vs all Also charles saide vnto mastres porter in like wise / and more larger sayyng of the best in London / wherto mastres porter answered / the best in London is my lord maire / than Charles saide / I wyll not skyll hym quite / for he taketh this matter whotte Where as Charles ioseph saith he laye at neck hyll with a harlot a mannes wife in baryngtons house the same night / there abode vntyll the morow at .xi. of the clock that Richard hune was morthered / wher vpon he brought before the kynges councell for his purgacion that forsaide baude baringtonnes wyse / also thafforsaide Harlot / wich purgation we haue proued all vntrew as right larglie maye appere as well by the deposicyon of IuliaÌ„ littell / as of thomas chitcheley taylor / of IohnÌ„ symons stacioner / with other / as of Robert iohnson Peter torner ¶ The deposicioÌ„ of Thomas chitcheley taylor The saide Thomas saith / the same monday that richard hune was founde deed with in a quarter of an houre after vij a clocke in the morning / he met with Charles ioseph coÌ„myng oute of Paules at the nether north dore / going toward pater nost rew / saing good morow M. Charles / the saide charles answered / good morowe / turned backe whan he was with oute the church doore / loked a pon the saide Chitcheley The deposicion of thomas symondes stacioner He saith the same morning that Hune was founde deed / that within a quarter of an houre after vij a clocke in the mornyng Charles Ioseph cam before hym at his stalle / and saide good morowe gossep Simons / and the same Symons saide good morowe to hym agayne / and the wiffe of the same Simons was by hym / and be cause of the deedly countenaunce hastie goyng of Charles the saide Thomas bad his wiffe looke whither Charles gooyth / and as she conde perceyue Charles went in to an ale house standyng in Pater noster rewe by the aley leydyng in to the roode of northdorne / or in to the aley / whither she conde not well tell ¶ The deposicion of Robert iohnson his wiffe dwellyng at the bell in shordiche / where Charles ioseph set his horsse that night that he cam to towne to murther Richard Hune The saide Robert saith that Charles ioseph sent his horsse to his house a pon a holiedaye at night aboute .iij wekes before christeÌ„mas by a boye / which horsse was albe sweet / albe myred the saide boy saide / laet my fathers horsse stond sadelled / for I cannot tell whether my father wyll ryde agayne to nyght or not / the sayde horsse stode saddelled all night / in the morning folowing Charles came booted sporred aboute .viij. of the clocke / and axed if his horsse was sadelled / the seruant answered yee / and the saide Charles leapt vppon his horsse / prayed the hoste to let hym oute at his backe gate / that he might ryde oute by the fyld syde / wich hoste so did / and by cause he was vncertaine of the daye / we asked him if he had herd speake of the death of Hune at tyme or not / he answered nay but shortlye after he did Neuertheles Peter torner Charles sonne in lawe wich brought the horsse by nyght in to the bell Robert iohnsons house / confessed hit was the same night before that Hune was founde deed in the mornyng Moreouer the frydaie before Hunes death Peter torner saide to an honest woomaÌ„ a waxchaundelers wife dwellyng before saint Maries spittel gate / that before this daye seueÌ„ nyght Hune shuld haue a mischeuouse deeth And the same day at after none that Hune was founde deede the saide Peter cam to the same wife and tolde hir that Hune was hanged / sayng what tolde I youe Also Iames the Chauncelers koke the friday before Hunes death saide to v. honest men that Hune shuld die or christmas / or elles he wolde die for hym and on the monday that Hune was founde deede the saide Iames came to the same wemen / saide / what toolde I you / is he not now hanged And we of thynquest axed both of Peter torner and of Iames kooke where they had knowlege that Hune shuld so shortlie die / and they saide in master Chauncelers place by euerie man ¶ The deposicion of Iohn spaldyng belrynger Fyrst the saide deponent saith that on saturdaye the second daye of December Anno. 1514. he toke the charge of the presone at .iiij. of the clocke at after noone / by the commaundement of M. Chaunceler / so toke the keyys / wher vppon he gaue commaundement to the saide deponent that he shuld let no manner of persone speake with the presoner / except he had knowlege of them / so at v. of the clocke the same daye / the saide deponent went to the presonner him sealff a loone / se him and cherisht him / where he gaue the saide deponent a pece of freashe salmone for his wiffe And after that the saide deponeÌ„t saith that he weÌ„t to master CoÌ„mensaries to supper with his felowe / where he remeÌ„bred that he had lefte his knyfe with the saide presonner / where vppon by the councel of master Commensarie he went to the presonner / and featched his kniffe / where he founde the presonner / sayng of his beades / so the saide deponeÌ„t required his kniffe of the saide presonner / the saide presonner deliuered the kniffe to the saide deponent gladlie / so departed for that night And after that on the sondaye next folowyng the saide deponeÌ„t
¶ The enquirie and verdite of the quest panneld of the death of Richard Hune wich was founde hanged in Lolars tower To the Reader TO see moost deare Reader how suttellie the trueth is euer persequuted might seame greate woonder / but that the holie gooste hath oft tymes shewed and testified in the Scripture that hit shuld so be What kynd of persequucion hath bene vnproued what can be imagined that hathe not hitherto bene practisede concerning soche thynges In some places they heede afterward burne / in some places they bringe straighte wayse to the fyre When that shift will not serue / or that they dare not hurte the person liuyng by cause of his riches or power c. yet wyll they burne him after he died peasablie in his bed / as they dide Wicleffe Tracie with other / to kepe the symple innocent sowles wich they haue made blynde still to continewe in darknes / sayyng / he was an heretique who so euer kepe his opiniōs shal be burned lyuyng / and so the burning of that which fealte no paine is a greate feare to the ignoraunt that seith hit Some be cause they be wyse and vtter the hypocrisye and abhominable lyuing of whorehunters with discrete communicacion / so that no man can gayne saye or accuse them but they say trweth be brought in to presone and heresies fained oute of hande that be sparppled abrode to the people with all the apparence of veritie that can be diuised to persuade them that the parties be not presoned vndeserued / wich if they wyll not confesse and promes to be openlie abiured to they re greate shame theire neckes be broken or elles they be some other wise conueyde / and after hanged vp / and than saide and preached to that they hanged them sealues / as was this Hune / wich to be trewe thou shal easelie perceaue by the enquirie and verdite of the queest here in this litell treatise conteyned yf they be poore and want frendes and no euident cause founde wherfore they shuld suffre / then die they in presone no man knowith howe / hit is straight waise saide if any man axe of them that they died of one disease or other and no mooe woordes ar made yf a man knowyng they re malicyouse hertes get hym further from daunger in to some other realme / wich haplie is to circumspect to be taken by any commune officer or knowen enemie / straighte waye cause they one or other for money to play Iudas part and to make him sealf greate with the partie / as thowghe he fauored him singularlie to make moche on hym tyll he see his tyme than betray him / as they haue euen now played with William Tyndal a man of synguler vertuousnes and of no lesse lernyng and iugement in scripture and of a rare gentillnes of cōdicions as all they can testyfie that knewe him and vsed familiaritie with him Summa to kepe vp the Kyngdome of fornicatours and aduowtrers that they may liue in all pleasure and ydelnes / seruyng they re belies onelie and lyuing more viciouslie than euer did the hethen / for the enstablishement therof to thrust downe vertuouse lyuyng and trew preachyng hath no sotteltie bene vnsought for / nor none shal be I feare me of they re parties / vntyll they be yet brought lower / I speake of the bad / for the good as they haue in euerie place for the moost part to litell so can they not haue to moche Thus seist thou theire practise before this tyme vsed how they haue with all sottelltie persequuted them that of good zeale and loue haue frelie spoken the trueth / and how they haue hyd and clocked that they dyd with the apparence of holines / as thowghe they had done hit to extinct heresies / for so made they the people to beleue Other frutes haue they hither to not brought forth So long space violentlie to haue subdued goddes holie woord weere as me semyth to moche and the tyme now counuenient with hast to reforme them sealues and to prepare theire hartes louynglye to receaue the woorde of theire sowles health and wyllynglie to distribute hit to the symple and ignoraunte people / euerye man accordyng to his gift / yet se I not that they be any thing wyllyng therunto but rather in mynde to rage moare then they did before The light is now broken forth thankes be to the Lorde mager theire beardes / and they brought in no small feare of sodaine ruine of theire kingdome / yet by cause they se the world hath not fully forsaken theire deceyuable doctrine in all places / they hope of a chaunge / and haue theire secrete conspirisies deuised with all sutteltie to bryng that to pas / the good they do they do by compulsion and for feare of losyng theire possessions / hitherto is there no sygne of repentaunce taken in herte for theire abhominacions so long vsed Styll lyue they as they did before / they ar no les desirouse of promocion / no les delited in bely Ioye / in wealfaring / in gorgiouse rayment / as readie to abhorre chast matrimonye and daylie to commit whordome and aduoutrie / as lothe to do the busines wich they ar onelie bound to as euer they weere / I meane to preache with synceritie goddes wholie woorde and that for loue and zeale that they haue to se christen lyuing florisshe and not for the fylthie lukres sake They stand but at a stay tyll they may fynd by one mean is or other awaye to bryng in they re olde accostomed vices to be counted holines / as they in tymes past haue made the world to beleue They do but disseamble in vtwarde apperaunce / in hert they be infect with they re accostomed traterie / euer readie when occasion shal be geuen to playe they re partes a thowsand tymes moare tyranniouslie than euer they did So leaue they theire olde furiouse heyte of mākquelling that neuerthelesse they styll intend yet ones a gayne to raise hit vp what hertes haue these men what token of meaknes and sofferaunce is yet espied in them what signe of retorne from theire vnspekable malice wich springeth of no nother thyng than of auarice desire to liue voluptuouslie Those that be good note I not but the euyll nether hate I or wold any man shuld hate the persons of them but the vices / wich I wold gladlie were amended not increased If we touch them neuer so littell then heare we that we rayle on them / blaspheme them / belie them and speake vncharitablie by them ▪ to wich thyng I thus answere / yf they wold indifferentlie serch what is saide applie hit to the reule of haritie they shuld fynd no thyng spoken but trueth / no thyng so sharpelie touched as is of they re parte deserued Leat euerie man wich fyndeth hym sealf anie thing greued descend in to iugment of his awne conscience and axe what hit saith /
onelie accusacioÌ„ of Charles Ioseph made by paine duraunce that by youre intercessioÌ„ it may please the kynges grace to haue the matter dewlie sufficieÌ„tlie examined by indiffereÌ„t personnes of his discrete couÌ„cell / in yepÌ„sence of the parties or there be any more done in the cause / that a pon the innoceÌ„cie of my saide chauÌ„celer declared / it may further please the kinges grace / to award a plackard vnto his attourney to confesse the saide endite ment to be vntrewe / when the tyme shall requere hit / for assured am I if my Chaunceler be tryed by any xij men in LondoÌ„ they be so maliciouslie set in fauoreÌ„ hereticae prauitatis / that is ar so set apon the fauoure of heresie / that they will cast and condemne my clarcke / thowght he war as innocent as Abel 〈◊〉 that fore â—keth yeâ—gment 〈◊〉 al the â—en in 〈◊〉 greaâ— a citie â— with 〈◊〉 sealffe â—utie Quare si potes beate pater adiuua infirmitates nostras et tibi in perpetuum deuincti erimus / that is Wherfore if you can / blessed father healp one infirmities and weaknes / we shal be bounde to you for euer / Ouer this in moste humble wife I beseche youe that I may haue the kynges graciouse fauoure / whome I neuer offended wyllinglie and that by youre good meanes I mought speke with his grace / be fauorablie heerde / at any tyme it may so please his grace youe / and I with all myne shall praye for youre ê“sperouse estate loÌ„g to coÌ„tinewe your moost humble oratour R. L. ¶ The woordes that my lorde of London spake before the lordes in the parlement chaumber MemoranduÌ„ that the busshop of LondoÌ„ saide in the parlameÌ„t chaumber that there was a byll brought to the parlameÌ„t to make the iurie that was charged vppoÌ„ the deeth of Hune trewmen / saide toke a pon his coÌ„science that they were falsse periured caytiffes / saide furthermore to all the lordes there then beyng For the loue of god loke apon this matter / for if ye do not I dare not kepe myne awne house for heretiques / saide that the saide Richard Hune hanged him sealffe / the hit was his awne dede / no maÌ„nes elles Hit 〈◊〉 woon 〈◊〉 that he toke ther not boâ—th maÌ„ 〈◊〉 wiffe 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 manneâ— of busshoppes to leat such esâ— kaepe 〈◊〉 it ys to be thought thaâ— he said not trueth in a moche as he pÌ„â—soned â—em no And furthermore saide that there came a maÌ„ to his house whose wiffe was apeched of heresie to speke with hym / he saide that he had no mynde to speake with the same maÌ„ / which maÌ„ spake reported to the seruaÌ„tes of the same busshoppe that if his wife woold not holde styll her opinion / he woold cutte her throte with his awne handes / with other woordes moare ¶ The sentence of the quest subscribed by the Crowner The inquisicioÌ„ intendend takeÌ„ at the citie of LondoÌ„ in the parishe of sainte Gregorie in the warde of baynerd castell in London the vi daye of DeceÌ„ber in the yere and raigne of Kyng Henry the viij the vi yere / afore Thomas Barnwell crowner of oure sofferaine lord the Kyng with in the citie of London aforsaide Also afore Iames yarforde and Iohn mundie shriues of the saide citie / apon the sight of the bodie of Richard hune late of London tayliour wich was founde hanged in lolars tower / and by the othe and prose of lawfull men of the same warde / and of other iij. wardes next adioyning as hit ought to be after the custome in the citie aforsaide to enquere how and in what manner wise the saide Richard hune came vnto his deeth / apon the othe of Iohn barnarde / Thomas sterre / William warren / Henry Abraham / Iohn aborowe / Iohn turner / Robert alen / William marler / Iohn button / Iames page / Thomas pickhill / William burton / Robart brigewater / Thomas busted / Gilbart howel / Richard Gybson / Christopher crofton / Iohn god / Richard holt / Iohn pasmere / Edmond hudsoÌ„ / Iohn awncell / Richard couper / Iohn tynie / the wich saye vpon there othe that where the saide Richard hune by the commaundemeÌ„t of Richard and Busshop of LoÌ„don was enprisoned and brought to holde in a prisone of the saide Busshoppes called lolars tower lyyng in the cathedral church of S. Paule in London / in the parisshe of S. Gregorie in the warde of baynerd castell affore saide William horsey of London clarcke / otherwise called William hersie ChauÌ„celer to Richard busshop of LoÌ„doÌ„ / one Charles ioseph late of LondonÌ„ somner Iohn spalding of LoÌ„doÌ„ otherwise called Iohn belringer felonouslie as felones to oure lord the Kyng with force and armes against the peace of oure sofferaine Lord the Kyng / dignitie of his crowne / the .iiij. of daye December the yere of the raigne of oure sofferaine Lord the .vi. afforsaide / of theire greate malice at the parishe of sainte Gregorie afforsaide apon the saide Richard Hune made a fraye / the same Richard Hune felonouslie straÌ„gelde smorderde / also the neck they did breake of the saide Richarde Hune there felonouslie slewe hym and morthered hym / also the bodie of the saide Richard Hune afterward the same .iiij. daye / yere / place / parish warde afforsaide with the proper gyrdell of the same Richard Hune of sylcke / blacke of coloure / of the value of .xij peÌ„ce after his deeth apon a hoke dryueÌ„ in to apece of tymber in the wal of the presonne afforsaide made fast / so haÌ„ged hym againste the peace of oure sofferaine Lorde the Kyng / the dignitie of his crowne / and so the saide iurie hathe sworne apon the holie Euangeliste that they saide Wylliam Horsey clerck / Charles Ioseph / Iohn Spaldyng of they re set malice / then there felonouslie kylled murthered the saide Richard Hune in Maner forme aboue saide against the peace of oure sofferaine Lord the Kyng / his crowne dignitie Subscribed in this maner Thomas Barnewell Crowner of the Citie of London