knowe of me when he should be sure to haue me within I tolde him I had much busines and therefore could not well set him downe anie certeine time but seeing I was a Legier heere there would be time enough to meete before the Tearme were done But he not satisfied heerewith did not giue ouer in a maner day by day yea and sometimes as I vnderstoode three of foure times a day to seeke me at my lodging Nowe perceyuing belike that I did as much as in me lay of purpose to shunne and avoid him as in deede vpon the warning of Maister Cart. and the former speeces of my Cousine Middlemore I did he came one morning betime to my lodging before I was out of my bedde and there he tolde me he had diuers things to shewe me of importance You shall see sayeth he that I haue not dallied or slept this geare for I haue dealt I tell you with the highest And therevppon hee pulles me out of his bosome a bundle of papers whiche were the most of them the copies of such letters as he had eyther alreadie written or els had a purpose to write to seueral persons for the furtherance of the cause as he tearmed it Among the which I remember there was one to my L. Treasurer one to the Countesse of Warwicke and within that one to her maiestie Th' effect of all which to my remembrance was of certaine horrible practises treasons conspiracies intended against the Queene And all these were onely indefinitlie set downe in a kinde of generalitie without naminge or pointinge at anie particular eyther of time place person or circumstance More hee had recorded among those papers of his th'aunswere that he tolde me he had receiued by woord of mouth both from my L. Treasurer and the Countesse to this effecte as I remember Let not Copinger builde vs castels in th' ayre or feede vs with phansies fables or dreames but let him bring vs some grounded matter wherevpon we may worke and he shall well perceyue he shall be backed against the greatest subiect in the lande c. Withall I remember he tolde me that that Letter to her Maiestie the Countesse kept still in her handes and would in no wise deliuer it till shee sawe some better matter to ground vpon Sundrie other copies of letters he shewed me at that time as namelie one as I thinke to his sister Randoll one to Maist Egerton one to Maister Cart. one to Maister Fuller another to Maister Lancaster two to Maist Vdall with some others that I can not nowe call to minde Neither to speake the trueth did I giue any great eare vnto them hauing at that instant some speciall busines and therefore could the more willinglie haue spared his coÌ„panie Yet this I noted among th 〈◊〉 rest that there were fewe of those letters of his without some piece of imprecation or other which sounded strange in mine eares Nowe after he had thus shuffled ouer his letters and papers vnto me he fell to discourse with me at large of certeine straunge revelations and apparitions that he had of late as namely Once in his bedde when his brother Maister Ambrose Copinger and another Gentleman lay by him He tolde me him selfe that they that lay by him beeing awaked with the loude noise and groaning that hee made as men something amazed at the strangenesse thereof did call on him aloude verely thinking him not to bee well in his wittes Whereas in trueth sayeth he I was inwardlie rauished in spirit did groane in soule and was talking with my God who did most comfortably and gloriouslie appeare vnto me yet they would by no meanes beleeue it but thought verely I had bene beside my selfe c. And then he fell to vse many protestations yea and imprecations vnto me to perswade me of the trueth hereof namely that he for his part was as sure that the Lorde had reuealed sundrie thinges vnto him poore worme of th' earth for those were his words as he was sure of his death And euen here it was that I tooke occasion to deale with him so roundlie about those kinde of cursinges and imprecations that were so vsuall with him aswell in his prayer letters and speaches as The Lorde confounde me Let vengeaunce consume me Let th' earth open and swallowe me c. Whereof I was so farre I tolde him from seeing any warrant or exaÌ„ple in the worde that on the contrarie I thought they could not be vsed without a grieuous sinne and offence vnto the Maiestie of God Concerning all which his defence me thought was most silie and pitifull hauing nothing in the worlde to salue it with but onely Extraordinarie Extraordinarie Wherevpon he fell in some earnest manner to question and expostulate with me what I thought whether all extraordinarie callings were nowe ceased whether it wâ—â—â— not possible that a man should haue anie particular reuelations in this age aswell as in former times greatly compâ—ayning that Maister Cart. and Maister Egerton with all â—he godlie preachers about the Citie aswell those in prison as at libertie should be of that iudgement That we were not to rest vpon anie of those extraordinarie reuelations in this age but rather to accompt of them as deceitfull suggestions of Sathan c. To which effecte I remember as his custome was to haue his bosome full of papers copies of letters and such like because he saied he loued to keepe his reckonings about him that he might walke surelie he drewe out certeyne notes either of his owne hande or of some of theirs wherby was manifestlie refuted that fond opinion of his concerning reuelations all which as he shewed me one by one so he forgate not to tell me still by the way howe weake their reasons were to this end as it should seeme that he might thereby with more ease fasten this conceite vppon me and drawe me if he could to be of his minde Wherein Madame as in manie other things albeit there bee good cause why I should be reasonably acquainted with mine owne weakenesse yet finding my selfe vpon the conference I had with Maister Cart. and others sufficientlie armed as I thought to withstande a greater assault then this I dealt plainlie and roundly with Maister Copinger and did assure him for a full and flatte resolution that for mine owne part I was altogither of the iudgement of those godlie Ministers he spake of not that I did therein or in anie thing els relye my selfe wholy vpon men were they neuer so reuerend but that I sawe no warraÌ„t for those his dreames and imaginations out of the worde And nowe that the Lord had thus at large reuealed his will vnto vs euen sufficient to make the man of God perfect if mine owne Father were aliue and should tell me of anie other reuelations then that I durst not hearken or giue eare vnto him being a thing verie daungerous and deceitfull for anie man to ground vppon And therefore if I
wordes without sappe And then I beganne to enter into some particulars with him as what should be the reason or howe it might be iustified that a man should dare to offer vp his prayers to God without anie acknowledgement of his sinne and vnworthinesse as at that time Hacket neuer did neither in generall nor in particular Againe I asked him what warrant anie man had to vse anie of those imprecations and bitter curssinges of him selfe in his prayer whereof there was neither rule nor warrant in the whole Scripture of God Vnto all which his aunswere was still one and the same not vnlike to the rest of his resolutions Oh sayeth he you must consider it is extraordinarie extraordinarie And I am verely perswaded Maister Throkmorton that as Iohn Baptist was the fore-runner of our Saviour in the fleashe So this man is the very fore-runner of our Saviour in iudgement At which wordes of his I confesse I was something amazed and looking vpon him remembring Maister Cartwrightes former speaches vnto me I could not but pitie the man with this resolution neuer to come at him againe nor anie of his confederates if I could avoid them while I liued And thus parted Maister Copinger and I being the last time that euer I sawe him who as farre as I coniecture returned backe againe at that verie instant to Hacket because I sawe him bende that way Not long after this I went to Enfielde to visite my cousin Middlemore that then was verie yll vnto whom I reported at large the trueth of the whole as I haue heere set downe and howe at Maister Copingers earnest intreatie I heard Hacket pray and of the maner of his prayer c. And I remember his wordes and shall doo while I liue to witte That he feared he would come to some ill ende whiche hee gathered by those bitter cursinges and execrations that were so vsuall with him Nowe when I came backe againe to London I founde this short letter at my lodginge which Ma. Copinger wrote vnto me from Knightrider streete and which Maister Sutcliffe I thanke him hath taken the paines to print and reprint to wit That much hath bene done since they sawe me which I would reioyce to heare of That they desire conference with mee That the busines is the Lords owne That some of the enemies of God beganne to be hottely pursued by Sathan c. For so was it in my letter though in their printed copie it be pursued by God c. That I receyued such a letter I denie not but you must vnderstand Madame that they had bene preaching in the cart and were apprehended before this letter came to my handes But what could I doo withall if Maister Copinger did write thus vnto me It is knowne he did write letters to other maner of men then I. I confesse hee did wonderfullie seeke me and labour to haue drawne me to the bent of his bowe And albeit I may truely say that his vnsensible perswasions had neuer anie taste or relish in my breast neither did I euer feele so much as anie inclination to bee drawne away by him yet doo I not nor dare I not attribute the least parte of this resistance to mine own strength because the Lorde might iustlie haue giuen me ouer to a weaker assault then this if it had pleased him But what will Maister Sutcliffe make of this Copinger wrote vnto me twice or thrice True I denie it not and good leaue haue he to make his advantage of it let him hardlie presse it and straine it to th'vttermost it shall not offende me What then Why then forsooth he concludeth that Throk is not onelie an accessarie and a concealer of their treacherous practises but also a principall actor in the Pagent and deepely guiltie of the conspiracie This haulting consequent I leaue to be refuted by Maister Sutcliffe him selfe when he is sober and not all out so distempered as it may be he was when he wrote the booke He knowes well enough it were great pitie that all they that wrote and receyued letters from Copinger or had anie conference with him or anie view of Hacket should forthwith be reputed traitors and conspirators for that For the rest I would Maister Sutcliffe knewe that I holde it not onelie lawfull but euen my bounden dutie to reveale anie practise or treason intended against my Soveraine and that of conscience if there were no lawe to binde me too it but the lawe of God Of which sinne I hope I may without offence pleade guiltlesse not onelie before men but for anie thing I knowe before the tribunall seate of Christ And if probable collections bee in th' eies of indifferent Iudges of as great force for a mans clearing and defence as they are for a mans guiltinesse and condemnation then mine innocencie I hope though it bee neuer so much shotte at by the dartes of envenomed mouthes shall yet by Gods assistance escape vntouched and vnbleamished in the ende If anie man should demaunde sayeth Arthington why I did not discouer Hackets intended villainous practises against the Queene and the State Arth. â—â—duct and repent pag. 21. seeing hee was knowne to bee a sorcerer and condemned for high treason against her Maiestie truelie as I meane to be saued at the last day both these matters were vnknowne to me so long as he liued and to Maister Copinger too as I thinke Neither was I euer any farther acquainted with anie visions or speeches touching these matters then as before in substance is declared c. Therefore as on the one side I should deepely offende the Maiestie of God if I should conceale any daunger intended against her Maiestie falling within the compasse of my knowledge So should I displease the Lorde on the other side by speaking more then a trueth of anie yea were it of the Devill himselfe protesting thus much in the presence of God that if I were privie to one evill woorde spoken against her Maiestie c. This booke of Arthingtons Madame hath wee see th'alowance and approbation of the State And if hee that was one of the three naming him selfe the prophet of iudgement so manie times conversant with Hacket aswell in prayer as in conference be thus publikelie cleared by his protestation and that taken and accepted of for payement It goeth harde me thinkes that another man that neuer saw Hacket but once in his life that wrote and laboured to Maister Copinger to desist as one altogither distasted with his courses should not haue the same libertie to pawne his protestation for his defence If then Maister Sutcliffe or anie of his humour doo aske of Iob Throk why he did nor reueale the treasons practises of Hacket and his accomplices he aunswereth in a worde and that with protestation before the Lorde of heauen and earth Because he knewe not of anie neither euer heard so much as the least noyse or sounde of anie And that Maister Sutcliffe him selfe for
anie thing he knowes was full as guiltie and euerie way as accessarie to those conspiracies as he If it be demanded further why he did not reueale so much as he knew namelie of their prayers imprecations and supposed revelations He answereth that the same reason that moued that honorable Countesse to deteine still in her handes Mai. Copingers letter vnto her Maiestie without deliuerie namelie that there was no grounde of his information but only his phansie moued also Throk not to make the Magistrate acquainted with anie of those toyes and fooleries without some better grounde◠thinking them altogither vnworthie of their presence eares and fearing vnlesse he would haue foreseene into th' event aforehande that he had bene liker a great deale for troubling their Honors with such a headlesse information to haue bin rather returned home againe as wise as he came with some checke or reproche for his follie then with anie thanke or rewarde for his paines Touching Marten whatsoeuer it pleaseth Ma. Sutcliffe to say I hope those that are in Authoritie Ma. Sutcliffes betters are sufficientlie perswaded of mine innocencie that way And seeing the gentleman hath giuen him selfe a commission to speake his pleasure of my betters there is good reason that so meane a man as I should allow him a litle to speake per Hyperbolen or licentiâ poetica as he doeth of Maister Cart. when he chargeth him with th' execution of his brother Stubbes his (a) He is not so much as once named in his will will a thing that I haue heard him say he neuer dealt in in anie sorte in all his life And I doo the rather beleeue it in that in one of his bookes he bringeth testimonie as I remember out of one of th' auncient Fathers that it is either vnmete or vnlawfull for a Minister of the worde to be so much as an Executor much lesse that he should be encombred with anie ciuill office And such another like tale is that of the sale of his cotaige and the purchase of his three or foure manours which is so apparant a slaunder as I doubt not but he may be convinced by hundreds that are yet aliue and I thinke fewe of his owne side so immodest to beleeue it As for my selfe and his charge of Martinisme if Maister Sutcliffe were the man that had neuer tolde vntrueth in his life I could easilie in this case if need were make some advantage of him for my clearing defence For though in one of his Queres pag. 202. he lay all vppon me I thanke him Theses Protestations Dialogues all and so to speake the trueth he may aswell all as one yet in his better moode when it may be hee had slept better all night he franklie cleareth me againe disburdeninge me of that charge and letteth not to say pag. 78. that the noble Martin was Iohn Penry Iohn Vdall Iohn Field all Iohns sayeth he as for me he doeth but bring me in at the later ende as a candle holder and no more in deede I am not in regard of some of those Reuerend men But because Madame I am to render accompt of my dooings before other manner of men then Maister Sutcliffe Seeing an oth as th'Apostle sayeth ought to bee th' ende of all strife I will for my finall clearing heerein when so euer it shall be thought so good by the State willinglie take this oth as I haue heeretofore offered to witte That I am not Martin I knewe not Martin And concerning that I stande endighted of I am as cleare as the childe vnborne For the rest that I liue vnder a most gratious Princesse and a mercifull gouernement I were greatlie to blame if I would not in all humblenesse acknowledge and if I haue not bene thankfull to God for it my sinne sure hath bene the greater But what Prince and gouernement liueth Maister Sutcliffe vnder trowe you If it be the same that I liue vnder and I hope howe farre so euer hee hath traueled he hath none other then if I be not deceiued vnlesse hee haue some charter of priuiledge that I knowe not of his band recognoisance is full as great as mine and he as deepely engaged this way as my selfe And if it be true that a reuerend Iudge in this lande did once tell my Lo. Chancelour that dead is That the matter of th'indightment that passed against Throk at Warwicke was in trueth but a friuelous matter and a thing that hee would easelie auoied And if it be also true that the saied Lorde Chauncelour who if I be not deceiued was able to see as farre into a man as Maister Sutcliffe did saye not onelie priuately in his house but euen to her Maiestie who caused the same to bee signified vnto me that I might therein be thankfull vnto my Lorde and more then that if the saied Lo. Chauncelour did openlie in Parleament whereof there are yet liuing witnesses enow pronoūce that he knew the saied Iob Throkmorton to be an honest man If all these I say be true I thinke I may safelie conclude in defence of my selfe against Maister Sutcliffe the Pretended Conspiracie and all others that this sparinge course that hath bene hitherto helde with me hath rather to speake the trueth bene a course of Iustice thē a course of mercie And that if all things be rightly considered it is a farre greater mercie patience to suster Ma. Sutcliffe and such as he is thus shamefully to traduce whole Churches and to sett his colebrand of infamie vpon the most reuerend men that euer wrote then to suffer Iob Throkmorton to goe in peace Who so long as he hath his owne innocencie and vnguiltinesse for his clearinge maketh no doubt notwithstanding all this racking wreasting and libelling against him but he shal haue alwayes the lawes of God and her Maiestie for his sufficient shelter and defence Thus Madame haue I endeuoured my selfe in that measure I could to satisfie your earnest request wherin what other defectes so euer there bee I would bee loth there should be founde anie vntrueth if your Honor thinke good to make it knowne abroade to others I am not against it Seeing my defacing hath bene publike I hope no man will blame me if I desire that my clearing might also be publicke The blotte and bleamish of my good name hath bene as you see publiklie spread and proclaimed as it were ouer the whole lande and my selfe no lesse wounded then in capite that is in my allegeance to my Prince and I by this their wreasting curtayling and implying made little better then a traytor and conspiratour in th' eies of the worlde A thing that if I remember my selfe well ought no doubt to humble me and pull me downe if it were possible to the verie centre of th' earth In which regarde when I looke backe to the sinnes of my former life I must needes acknowledge it to be iust with God howe so euer it bee
THE DEFENCE OF IOB Throkmorton against the slaunders of Maister Sutcliffe taken out of a Copye of his owne hande as it was written to an honorable Personage Prouerbes 20.6 The taulke of th'vngodly is how they may lay waite for bloud But the mâ—â—th of the righteous will deliuer them Prouerbes 29.20 Seest thou a man that is hastie to speake vnadvisedly There is more hope of a foole then of him Prouerbes 30.14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords their iawes as kniues to deuoure the poore and afflicted from th' earth 1594. ¶ The defence of Iob Throkmorton against the slaunders of Maister Sutcliffe GOOD Madame I thinke my selfe much bounde vnto your La. that you would vouchsafe to make some pause and to suspende your iudgement before you passed anie absolute verdicte against me It is much I coÌ„fesse in this swift censuring and preiudiciall age of ours wherein mens willes affections stande for statutes Seeing then you are so desirous to know the trueth I will not I assure you hyde any thing from you that I can call to minde And howe so euer for want of memorie things being passed so long agoe I may happelie faile in some wordes time or circumstance that are not materiall I dare auowe vnto your La. that for the substance of the thing it self there is no vntrueth in it at all But euen that which I will iustifie vppon mine othe if I should be therevnto called before the Parleament or before the Lordes which for my better clearing herein being by this false and slaunderous accusation so much iniured as I am is the thing I doe desire protestinge vnto you that I was so farre from beeing acquainted with anie of the lewde practises of Hacket and his accomplices as Maister Sutcliffe and the Pretended Conspiracie would seeme to insinuate that I doe not remember that euer I did so much as see the man aboue once in my life As for Copinger though I confesse I had heard of him before by my cousine Middlemore that dead is who had in part discried vnto me the humour of the man and the sicknesse of his braine yet the first time that euer I sawe him or had anie acquaintance with him was on a Sabbath in Hillarie teaime before his fall 1590. At which time meeting him at the Blacke friers in the after noone when the Lecture was done he called me aside telling me that hee would gladly speak with me that his name was Copinger I asked him what kinne he was to Maister Ambrose Copinger that serued sometime the Earle of Warwike he said his owne brother I tolde him I loued him the better for that And so he would needes drawe me on with him to his lodging By the way as we went he asked me sundrie questions concerning my trouble the matter of my endightment and howe I spedde I tolde him I hoped well the rather because mine owne heart was a witnesse to me of mine innocencie And then he fell from that to other matters wherein he made me remember my cousine Middlemore his wordes for me thought he beganne to talke somethinge wildly and strangely of th' ouerthrow of the BB. and th'expelling of dumme ministers all at one clappe with sundrie other reeling vagaries without sence whereof I can not nowe call to minde euerie particular But this among the rest I wel remember that he tolde me he was in good hope ere it were long to bring my L. Treasurer about to lyke of his devise â—â—to which effect he saied he had written to his Honor of late and looked for answere shortlie vnto all which musinge with my selfe that he would thus boldlie rushe vpon these matters especiallie to a man that hee neuer sawe before I saide little Onelie I wished that in so great and waightie affaires as those he would be sure of his grounde and warrant before he attempted anie thing and doo nothing of his owne head without th'advise of those that were wise and feared God I warrant you sayeth he I will be sure of my grounde I will looke to that When he came to his lodging he tolde me it was a day of priuate fast with him and therevppon was verie importunate with me to haue prayed which when I refused because as I tolde him I would bee loth to take anie such thing in hande vpon a suddaine without premeditation he casting me a cusshen to kneele on fell him selfe to pray after his manner a thing wherein my Cousine Middlemore had tolde me before he tooke a singular delight hauinge some conceite and opinion of his gifte that way Loth I am my good Lady to be an ouerswift and hastie censurer of anie mans praier especiallie in this cold and prophane age of ours wherein men let not blasphemouslie to scorne and deride as it were the verie giftes and graces of Gods spirit But if I shall tell you simplie and plainlie what I thinke this prayer of Maister Copingers though it were full of outwarde zeale and fernentnesse if not too feruent because he vsed many of these ohes loude sighes and groninges when as I conceiued the matter in weight did nothing answere those patheticall outcries was not me thought squared after the rule of knowledge neither in methode matter nor manner nor yet savouring of that humilitie and discretion as were to bee wished in so zealous a professour as he made shewe of It was very long and tedious pestered with many impertinent discourses and needlesse repetitions of one and the same thing stuffed and enterlarded with sundrie bitter imprecations about which he and I had no small adoe and some hote bickering within a while after But the issue was that hauinge caught some colde and beeing nothing well before this long kneeling and late tarying in that snowie and frostie season did not helpe anie with to diminishe but rather to increase my griefe and brought me to a fitte of an ague Not long after this when I had something recouered my selfe I went to visite Maister Cart. in the Fleete vnto whom I signified what had passed betwixt Maister Copinger and me and of the newe acquaintance that he would needes fasten and enforce vpon me But he bade me in anie wise beware and take heed of him for he feared him greatlie that certeinlie all was not well with him and that he had (a) That is some crazing of the braine laesum principium at the least telling me howe faine he would haue propounded fastened some of his fooleries and phantasticall reuelations vpon him But sayeth he I haue returned him such an answere as I beleeue hee will not greatlie like of neither seeke to me in haste againe for resolution After this hauing beene in the countrie when I came vp againe to London Maister Copinger meeting me in the streetes tolde me that he had bene sundrie times at my lodging to seeke me but nowe I was come he would visite me one of these dayes and therevpon would needes
into the third heauen as Paul was whereat smiling wâ—â—h my selfe I asked him what became in the meane season of all those great treasons and practises that were thus extraordinarilie revealed vnto Hacket and he vpon Hackets worde had thus ventured to make knowne to those great personages I looked saied I that vpon this appearaunce before my Lo. Treasurer we should haue heard newes of them He tolde me that if they could haue obteyned that they hoped for namelie a warrant commission to search and bolt out the trueth of thinges we should haue hearde more ere this being perswaded in his soule that it would haue fallen out to haue bene one of the best seruices that euer was vndertaken for the Lande Wherevpon when I told him that it seemed strange vnto me that a man should take in hande to waken th' eares of great Counsellours with I knowe not what noise of complottes conspiracies first and then to sue for a commission to enquire afterwardes He choked me straight with his old coÌ„mon place of Extraordinarie Extraordinarie telling me that we were not to draw presidents of those things wherof there was no rule whervnto I replied that though their supposed revelations were as they saied Extraordinary yet the coÌ„mission to enquire that they would so faine haue had was Ordinarie and therfore I mused that such extraordinarie men as they would flie to such common and ordinarie helpes Well saieth he it may be you shall heare more when the time comes And so he departed After this hauing bene to seeke Maister D. Chippingdale Copinger meetes me by chaunce in Pawles Chaine and taking me by the arme whispered me in th' eare tellinge me that the man he spake to me of was nowe harde by remoued from his olde lodging into Knightrider streete I tolde him I had much businesse he sayed I should not stay but onely see the man iudge of his gifte in prayer if I would which he knewe I would admire Vpon his importunacie I speake it not Madame in anie great praise of my self because hauing such warning as I had I might haue bene better advised yet thinking it strange that a man not able to reade should haue such an extraordinarie gifte as he spake of though vpon the former taste of Maister Copingers poore iudgement I did partlie feare before hande what I should finde I went I confesse with him And this was the first the last time that euer I sawe Hacket in my life And to speak the trueth this verie once was enough to distaste anie man of neuer so meane iudgement I beleeue vnlesse he were bewitched because the verie puffing and sweilinge of his face the staring and gogling of his eyes with his gahstlie countenance did me thought sufficientlie decipher out vnto me what was in the man at the first sight And heere also at this time I founde Arthington whom to my remembrance I neuer sawe aboue once before in my life But conference I neuer had anie with him as hee him selfe best knowes who is yet liuing to witnesse whether I lie or no. When I was come vp to the chamber Copinger tolde Hacket that the Gentleman could not stay and therefore desired him he might be partaker of his prayer Wherevppon Hacket clapping to the dore fell without anie more adoe to his prayer euen for all the worlde as a man should haue fallen to his sworde and buckler But if I shall not lie vnto you Madame such a piece of prayers did no man liuing I thinke euer heare It was much like the wildegoose chase neither heade nor foote rime nor reason In steede of desiring God to be present with vs he desired him to be absent from vs and so for anie thinge I knowe he was vnlesse it were in his hande of iudgement to punishe vs for concerning anie blessing to befall vs sure I am he was not present with vs at that time Many strange stoppes and pawses he had in his prayerâ— and that a preatie while togither saying nothing but onelie groaned murmured to him selfe and then he would suddainlie burst out into some passionate outcrie and exclamation against those wicked Hamans and Traytours to God and the Queene for that was a great woord with him As to his maner and gesture it was me thought full as strange as the prayer it self speaking sometimes in a kinde of lowe and base voice and sometimes againe in so high a voice that I thinke he might easelie haue bene heard into the streetes yet were the most of his wordes vttered with much earnestnes and fervencie with puffinges and bearinges in a kinde of snatching manner as if he had bene halfe vvindlesse and out of breath And howsoeuer other men iudge of him I must confesse I haue liued to see him a kinde of prophet in deede in the right successe and event that his prayer had For as execrations and imprecations were vsuall with him so I remember this sweete sentence among the rest O Lorde thou knowest thou hast revealed sundrie thinges to me which thou hast kept backe from the mightie enes of the worlde and if this be not true let thy vengeance and visible confusion fall vpon me This I say I expreslie noted And hauinge liued to see that I haue done namely such a sensible hande of God vpon him in giuing him ouer to ende his dayes in that most shamefull and desperate manner as he did with so manie horrible blasphemies without repentance Who can denie but that Hacket was a right reader of destinies and concerning him selfe a prophet While he was in his prayer Copinger and Arthington did bestowe the most of the time in a straunge kinde of sighing humming and groaning that manie times verie loude When his prayer was done which to mee was a great deale to long vnlesse it had bene more savorie and to tell you the verie trueth Madame I sate me thought vpon thornes and was not quiet in my selfe till I was out of the chamber fearing when I heard him thunder and curse in that maner least the floore should haue falleÌ„ on our heads I tolde them I had hastie busines and so tooke my leaue gladd in my heart that I was gone I remember Hackets last wordes to me at my farewell were these I should heare more shortlie and so in deede I did For the next newes I heard was that they were vp in a cart in Cheape-side and so were apprehended and their great Mahomet brought to that end as all men knowe and he best deserued Now when I was come my way from hearing this man of the rare gift Maister Copinger followed me and bringing me a little a long the streete he iogged me on th'elbow and asked me in mine eare what I thought of the mans gifte whether he were not an excellent fellowe I tolde him I mused what should moue him to thinke so because I sawe no order at all in his prayer but a meere confused heape of