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Durham,

What! said I; it were too much cruelty. Whereunto he saith, Yea, yea, they think it is better, an inconvenience than a mischief. God deliver the noble bloud of England out of the danger of these dissembling wolves: and let the noblemen consider, how many of their own friends, and most dear darlings, with whom they were joyned in confederacy for the bishop of Rome, wretched Winchester and devilish dreaming Duresm have brought to confusion: and they shall have sufficient warning how they may trust these Bishop of bloudy butchers. If Dr. Ridley were alive, the bishop of Horn's fa- Durham's chaplain, and one hand, he would vouch it to tal enemy. his face, as he did the last time he ever did speak to him: that he careth not whose bloud he shed, to bring his purpose about. What would this unsatiable bloudsucking hypocrite have cared, to have wrought my destruction, whom he took to be an enemy to his devilish devices? He invented all the ways he could, to bring me to revoke the Falsely ac- truth. He caused two noblemen to charge me with preachcused by ing, as he termed it, heresy. He himself accused me that I had infected the whole dioces with new learning. But when that would not serve, because I had done nothing but that was confirmed by the laws of the realm, he was not ashamed to lay to my charge, that I was not an Englishman born: that I had exercised his office in his bishoprick: that I had brought a wife of mine own into that church, wherein never woman came before. And then the lord chancellor chargeth me with contempt of the queens highness; as though I should have received three letters of commandment to repair, and make mine appearance before the council; and Winchester would appear for none of them. If both these butchers had and Dur- been so well known to king Henry VIII. for rank traitors to the crown of England, as they were indeed; which now they shew plainly,

ham.

Clears it to himself.

(As I am well known to be a mere natural Englishman,) they should never have brought that noble realm now in danger to be overrun and conquered by strangers. The which thing men that be half blind may plainly see they go about. I never meddled with his office. I was in danger of

II.

of Durham.

much displesure, as the honourable council did well know, BOOK because I would not take upon me his office. And herein he uttereth his malicious hypocrisy, and what an unshamefaced baud he hath been, is, and will be to the monks of Durham, when he saith, there never came woman within that house before my wife came there. For he knoweth right The church well that the church of Durham was replenished with maried priests. For bishop William, by the help of Lanfrank, archbishop of Canterbury, did obtain licence from pope Hildebrand, to banish the maried priests, and to bring monks from Warmouth and Jarrow, [the former place in Northumberland, the latter in Durham.] And also it is not 149 unknown to him, nor to his chancellor, nor to any one The monks of his officers, that every monk of them all for the most their conpart hath a concubine in the town: who hath come, doth come to their church and chamber, and no fault found. And the honest men of the town, and also of the country, are offended therewith; but dare say nothing, for fear of the great baud their patron. Yea, the bishop and his monks know well enough, that I did know too much of their juggling. And therefore it is time to rid me out of the way.

and

there had

cubines in the town.

But when Winchester came in also with his false accusation, (for I never received one letter nor token of commandment from her highness, nor from her honorable council; but a letter the post delivered me by the way, as I was coming to London,) and laid it earnestly to my charge, as though I had been a stubborn rebell; I perceived they would serve me, as they had done others; I mean, to punish me for religion, and pretend treason; and suborned two or three false witnesses, (and they have plenty in store,) False witto affirm that I had made some offence to the queen's high-secure nesses ready ness, &c. Wherefore I thought it best to deliver my self him of treaout of their hands, by forsaking my native country; seeing there was neither equity nor just judgment to be looked for; although my doctrine was never so pure, my behaviour never so upright, and I never so able to answer with truth to that was objected.

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all.

And therefore my friends and kinsfolks have no cause to II. be sory for me. For though I have lost a great living, all His Chris- my goods I have, not one farthing left me; am banished tian deport- my native country; shall use no more the familiar comhis loss of pany of my friends; what have I lost? Nothing: but shall be a great gainer. For if to save these things, a man loose his own soul, what hath he won? And if the departure from these have everlasting life to reward, what damage is there? Our Saviour Christ, whose promise is much more sure and precious than the uncertain and flattering glory of the world, hath made faithful promise, that whosoever forsaketh house, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, for his name's sake, the same shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. As for living, he that feedeth the sparrows will not see me unprovided for. Godliness is great riches, when a man is content with that he hath. When we have food and rayment, let us be therewith content. For this is a plain case, We brought nothing into this world, nor we can cary nothing away. We have here no dwelling place, but we seek a city to come, the heavenly Jerusalem; where our Saviour Jesus Christ is. For whose sake I count all things but loss, and do judge them but dung, that I may win him.

What he

And then as to his own translation of Calvin's two sermons, he shewed; that he did it for the sake of his friends that were left in the midst of so much idolatry at home: that they might learn to bear Christ's cross on their backs, and to follow him strongly, he translated for them two sermons of that great, learned, and godly man, John Calvin, made for the purpose. These I have done travailing; having no place certain where I will remain. But I trust shortly to be where I will stick down the stake, till God call me home again.

And forasmuch as the bishop of Durham did openly to my face call the doctrine which I taught, as touching the popish mass, heresy; I shall, by God's grace, declare and prove by the testimony of scripture, and the ancient fathers of Christ's in his exile. church, that the popish mass is the greatest heresy, blas

intended to write next

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phemy, and idolatry, that ever was in the church. Which BOOK shall be the next thing that you shall look for from me, by God's grace.

The answer of Elmer, bishop of London, to divers objections made to him, for felling and sale of the woods belonging to the see.

Objection. To Kendal and Wray, 300 timber trees.

Answer. A piece of wood stocked by Edmund, bishop of London. And a few trees left in it, in the time of Edwin, bishop of London. The same trees were cut down by the middle, in the name of lopping: which for the most part grew seare, and withered. Which the said bishop confesseth to have sold. For else they would have withered all. And not thirty timber trees among them.

Object. To Parkinson; for one hundred trees of timber. Answer. I do confess the sale of so many in two years: but all such as were withered in the tops, and scare. The most part of those that remain; which, if they be not felled, will shortly decay. The choise of these my predecessors sold for 48. a tree.

Object. To Mr. Cholmely an hundred timber trees. Answer. To him, being my steward, I think I sold eight, or thereabout.

Object. To Tarry and Kimberly, twenty timber trees. Answer. This article is untrue.

Object. To the repairing of an house in Harnesey, bought by my lord, 40 trees. Answer. I bought no house in Harnesey; but a lease of a copy-hold; where I have bestowed eight trees, being the lands of the see; and the trees

seare.

Object. To two brewers of London 30 acres : 47. the acre. Answer. In two years I sold coppice wood 21 acres. Which I might lawfully do, saving the spring.

Object. To the dutchess of Suffolk 6 or 8 acres. Answer. Onely I sold to her of coppice wood, two acres.

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Object. To Kimberley 6 or 8 acres. Answer. Onely one acre. The springe whereof being my woodwards, he destroyed. Whereof I have him in suite.

Object. Lopt and topt a great number of trees. Answer. Lopt and topt for the poor certain trees.

Object. Wood and timber sold since Michaelmas, in Finchley and Sowe wood, the great park and little park, for the sum of 400l. Answer. It is utterly untrue.

Object. To Mr. Clark and Peacock sixscore acres of wood, at 47. the acre. To every acre two timber trees. Answer. I confess so much sold by my lord Dyers arbitrement; and the consent of the tenants; sold before by Edmund bishop of London: allowing two pollards to every acre. Which were no timber trees, nor never so taken.

Object. To Barret and Kimberley sixscore acres. Two timber trees to every acre. Answer. Barret I know not; but I confess I sold these three years, annis 1577, 1578, 1579, of coppice woods sixscore acres by his said arbitrement; with two lopt and doated trees to every acre, ut supra. Which I will justify to be an increase of wood. For when I have, and shall have 3007. at the next sale, the spring being kept, there are that will give 5007.

Object. To Lynford 7 acres and 60 timber trees. Answer. I confess 5 acres, and no timber trees. The 60 trees I confess but not 10s. a tree.

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Object. To Kimberley 9 acres. Answer. I deny this article. But being but copt wood, I might lawfully have done it.

Object. To Lynford and Paxton 200 trees. Answer. I confess so many, but pollards, and not timber trees. For the best of them will not be sawed to boards. And if with great labour they be sawed, some for timber; yet in the sawing they fall insunder. So that they are compelled to pin them together.

151 Object. The sales in the whole amount to 1000l. Answer. I think all the sales in three years come to 6007. First, Note, that in these three years I have and must pay to her majesty 18007. besides my house-keeping. In which