BEcause a number haue been desirous, to vnderstand the suc­cesse of my iourney to Roome, and a nūber beside are doubt­full, whether I haue béene there or no, albeit the proofes thereof, sufficiently are extant to be séene: as well to content the one, as remoue the doubte of the other, I will (God ayding mée) héere set downe such a certaintie thereof, that if it happen not to please bothe, yet, if they will, it may profite bothe.

When as desire to sée straunge Countreies, as also affection to learne the languages, had perswaded me to leaue my natiue Countrey, and not any other intent or cause, God is my record: I committed the small wealth I had, into my purse, a Trauelers wéede on my backe, [Page 2] the whole state and condition of my iourney to Gods ap­pointment, and beeing accompanied with one Thomas Nowell, crossed the Seas from England to Bulloine in Fraunce. From thence we trauelled to Amiens, in no small daunger, The Camp broken vp, the soldiers met with vs, & robbed vs, & hardly did we e­scape with our liues. standing to the mercie of dispoyling Sol­diers, who went robbing and killing thorowe the Coun­trey, the Campe beeing by occasion broken vp at that tyme. Little they left vs, and lesse would haue done, by the value of our liues, had not a better bootie come then we were at that time: the Soldiers preparing to­wards them, whome they sawe better prouided for their necessitie: offered vs the l [...]ysure too escape which we re­fused not, béeing left bare enough bothe of coyne and cloathes. But as then we stoode not to accoumpt on our losse, it suffised vs that we had our liues: whereof béeing not a little glad, we set the better legge before, least they should come backe againe; and robbe vs of them too. This our misfortune vrged vs to remembraunce, of our former quiet béeing in England, carefullie tendered by our Parents, and loouingly esteemed among our [...]éends, all which we vndutifullie regarding, rewarded vs with the rod of our owne negligence: béeing as then fearefull of all company on the way, Many men robbed and slaine by the Soldiers, which made vs trauell in no small feare. such cruell and heauy spec­tacles was still before our eyes, but yet this did some­what comfort vs, we had nothing woorth the taking from vs, but our liues, which we had good hope to saue, either by their pittie, or our owne humble perswa­sion.

When we were come to Amiens, we were giuen to vnderstande, that there was an olde Englishe Préest in the Towne, whose name was Maister Woodward: of whome we perswaded our selues for Countrey sake, to finde some courtesie, in hope whereof, we enquired for his lodging, and at last found him. After such salutations as passe betwéene Countreymen at their méeting, I be­gan to tell him, howe we had left our Countrey, for the [Page 3] earnest desire we had to sée forraine Dominions, The Preest of whome I haue made mention in my Disco­uerie of Campion. howe we had béene spoyled by the way, of all that we had, and that we hoped for some fréendship at his handes, which if God vouchsafed vs safe returne, should not be cast out of remembraunce.

Alas my freendes (quoth he) I am your Countreyman I will not denie, but not such a one as you take me for. I am a poore Préest, and héere I liue for my conscience sake, whereas, were thinges according as they should be, it were better for me to be at home in mine owne Countrey. And yet trust me, I pittie to sée any of my Countreymen lacke, though I am not able any way to reléeue them: there be daylie that commeth this way, to whome, according to my hability, I am liberall, but they be such, as you are not, they come not for pleasure but for profite, they come not to sée euerie idle toye, and to learne a little language, but to learne how to saue bothe their owne and their fréendes soules, and such I would you were, then I could say that to you, which (as you be) I may not.

Trust me Sir (quoth I) I hope we haue learned to saue our soules already, or else you might estéeme vs in a verie bad case. If you haue (quoth he) it is the better for▪ you, but I feare me one day, they that teach you to saue your soules after that manner, will pay for it déere­lie, and you with them for company.

With these wordes, he began to wexe somewhat me­lancholie; which I perceiuing, and remembring that our necessitie, stoode not in case to pleade pointes of contro­uersie▪ rather sought to please him in hope of some lybe­ralitie, then to contend with him (we béeing vnable) and so fall into farder daunger. Whervpon I desired him, not to be offended at any thing we had sayde, for we would gladlie learne any thing that might benefite vs, and be­side, would follow his counsaile in any reasonable cause. [Page 4] Then he began to be somewhat more gentlie disposed, saying, he could not greatlie blame vs, if we were obsti­nate in our opinion, comming from such a young Hell as we dyd, but he had good hope, that ere long it would be harrowed.

The Prée­ste vsed many circum­staunces, of the Popes lyberality to our Coun­treymen: as also what Treasons was toward her Maie­stie and the Realme.Then he willed vs to walke with him, and he would bring vs where we should lodge that night, at his char­ges: all the way rehearsing vnto vs, how beneficiall the Pope was to our Countreymen, and howe highlie we might pleasure our selues, our fréendes and Countrey, if we would followe his councell. Beside, such horrible and vnnaturall spéeches, he vsed against her Maiestie, her honourable Councell, and other persons that he named: as the verie remembraunce maketh me blushe, and my heart to bléede. To all which we gaue him the hearing, but God knowes, on my parte, with what anguishe of minde: for I would haue perswaded my selfe, that duety should haue with-helde the Subiect from reuiling his Princesse, and nature from slaundering his owne Coun­trey: but it suffiseth, where grace is absent, good qualities can neuer be present. When wée were come to our Lodging, he talked with our Hostesse, what she should prouide for vs, and afterward taking his leaue, tolde vs he woulde haue more talke with vs in the morning: in the meane time, we should thinke on that, which he had opened to vs, and resolue our selues on a certayne deter­mination, for he meant vs more good then we were be­ware off. A little suf­fiseth hun­ger, where necessitie is mistresse of the feast. He béeing departed, we fell to such simple chéere as was prepared for vs, which was simple in déed, scant sufficient to the good stomackes we had to our vic­tualles: but because we had soone done, we went the soo­ner to bed, sparing as much time as we could, in remem­braunce of the Préestes woordes, tyll the wearinesse of our iourney, compelled vs to take our rest.

In the morning, the Préest sent a poore fellow, whom [Page 5] he kept to make his bed, and r [...]n about on his errandes, to our lodging, that we should come vnto his Maister presently, because he had occasion to goe into the Town, and his returne was vncertaine, therefore he would speake with vs before he went. Upon these so hasty sum­mons, we addressed our selues towards him, finding him in his Chamber, reading vpon his Poetesse, to him we gaue thankes for his courtesie, promising to requite it if he came where we might doo it. In bréefe, among great circumstaunce of talke, wherein he manifested the trea­son toward England: he behaued him selfe in spéeches to vs, according as I haue already declared in my Discoue­rie of Campion, There you maye reade his woords, at large set downe. where you may perceyue the Popes de­termination, & our Englishmēs vnnatural consent, to be Traitors to their own Princesse, to shorten her life, & o­uerthrow their natiue Coūtrey, where they were borne.

When he had mightily besieged vs with a multitude, as well threatninges as perswasions, to conforme our selues vnder that obedience: as well to auoide perill that might otherwise happen, as also to gayne somewhat to­warde our reléefe, we promised him to doo as he would haue vs, & to goe whether he would appoint vs. Wher­vpon he presentlie wrote two Letters to Doctor Allen at Rheimes, one of them cōcerned our preferment there, howe we should be entertayned into the Englishe Se­minarie, and take the orders of Préesthood, because we might doo good in our Countrey an other day. The other Letter was of such newes, as he heard out of England, howe matters went forewarde to their purpose, and be­side, other thinges which I am not to speake of héere, because they are not to be read of euerie one.

These Letters finished▪ and sealed vp with singing Cake, he delyuered vnto vs, saying: I thanke God that I am ordayned the man, bothe to saue your Soules, and a number of your fréendes héere in England, whome [Page 6] I could wishe: héere present with you, for that I pittie their estate, as well that they are in, as that which is wurse, and I feare mée will fall on them shortlie.

I put vp the Letters, and gaue him to vnderstande, that we could hardlie trauell from thence to Rheimes, hauing nothing wherwithall we might beare our char­ges. Trust me (quoth he) & I haue done as much for you as I am able, for I haue nothing héere but to serue mine owne necessitie. When we offered to sel our Clokes: he could find money to buie them. Then we offered to sell our Cloakes, which the Soldiers against their willes had left vs. In déede (quoth he) to trauell in your Cloakes will doo no­thing but hinder you; I will send my man to a fréend of mine (as much to saye, as his Chest) to sée what money he can gette for them.

The fellowe tooke our Cloakes, after his Maister had whispered him in the ear [...], and went downe the staires, returning quicklie with two French Crownes, which the Préest deliuered to vs, with fow [...]e or fiue French Soules out of his owne Purse, Great lybe­ralitie. so, willing vs to do [...] his commendations to Doctor Allen, and to labour earnest­lie in that we went about & Maister [...] [...] we parted, he into the Towne, and we in our iourney.

When we were about thrée or fowre myles from A­miens, we sate downe on the side of a hyll, recounting what the Préest had sayde to vs, as also the cause why he sen [...] vs to Rheimes: the remembraunce of the true and vndoubted Religion, vsed in our owne Countrey, and wherein we were trayned vp, was of force sufficient to perswade vs from yéelding to that, which we iudged rather to be a mummerie, and derision of the true. Doc­trine, then otherwise: So that (notwithstanding ma­ny matters my companion alleadged vnto me, what daunger we might come vnto, if we went not to deliuer the Letters, as also the harde penurie we should [...] in trauell, béeing destitute of money, apparell, an [...] [...] [Page 7] other néedefull thinges) by the onelie appointment of God wha no doubt put it in my minde at that tyme, This to be true, albeit he nowe be my vtter e­nimie, I am sure he will not denie. I willed him to followe the, and come woe, want, miserio, or any other calamitie, I would n [...]er leaue him to the death. But if any exercise might get it, any paines com­passe it, or the extreme shifte of begging attayne it: I would doo all my selfe, whereby to maintaine vs, onelie that he would but beare me company, for I would trie all meanes that might be, ere I woulde forsake my Faith.

This to be true, I am sure and certayne himselfe will not denie, who séeing my earnest in treatie, and the pro­mises I made to the vttermost of my [...] to goe with me, and so we left the way to Rheimes, and went on strayte to Paris.

In Paris we mette with a French man, who coulde speake a little broken Englishe, and he conducted vs where my Lord the English Ambassador laie: to whome I gaue the Letters and after certaine talke he vsed with vs, he bestowed his Honourable lyberalitie vppon vs, wishing vs to returne backe againe into England.

Leauing my Lord, It is a good help, to meet a freend in a straunge Countrey, when a mā is in some neede. and walking into the Cittie, we met too certayne English Gentlemen, some of them for the knowledge they had of me in England, shewed them selues verie courteous to me, bothe in money, lodging, and other necessaries. And through them we became acquainted with a number of Englishe men more, who lay in the Cittie, some in Colledges, and some at their owne houses: where vsing dailie company among them, sometime at dinner, and sometime at supper, we heard many girdes and nippes against our Countrey of Eng­land, her Maiesty very vnreuerently handled in woords, and certayne of her honourable Counsell, vnduetifullie tearmed.

Great talke they had, about Doctor Saunders, who [Page 8] they sayde, eyther as then was, or shortlie would be, ar­riued in Ireland, howe he had an Armie of Spaniardes with him, and howe him selfe vnder the Popes Stan­darde, would giue such an attempt there, as soone after should make all England to quake, beside, there were certaine Englishe men gone to the Pope, for more ayde, if néede should be, at whose returne, certaine Noble men English men, then béeing in those partes, whose names I omitte for diuers causes, would prosecute the matter, with as much spéede as might be.

Any subiect, that hath ei­ther feare of God, or loue to his prince would quake to heare their Tray­terous de­uises. The Deuil wanteth no instruments to helpe his cause.The very same did the Préest at Amiens giue vs to vn­derstand of, almost in euerie point agréeing with this: which made vs to doubt▪ because in euerie mans mouth; her Maiesty styl was aimed at, in such māner as I trēble and shake to thinke on their woordes. All this tyme that we remained amongst them, diuerse of the Gentlemen and others (who were lyke factors for the Pope, as Mai­ster Woodward at Amiens, Doctor Bristowe at Doway, and Doctor Allen at Rheimes were, to encrease his Se­minaries with as many Englishe men as they might,) verie earnestlie perswaded vs to trauell to Roome, assu­ring vs, that we should be there entertained to our high contentment, beside, they would giue vs Letters for our better welcome thether.

We were soone entreated to take the iourney on vs, because we thought, if we could goe to Roome, and re­turne safelie againe into England, we should accomplish a great matter, the place béeing so farre of, and the voy­age so daungerous. Uppon our agréement to vnder­take the trauell, we receyued of euerie one lyberallie to­ward the bearing of our charges, By their perswasions and liberali­tie, they win a number daylie to them. and Letters we had to Maister Doctor Lewes in Roome, the Archdeacō of Cam­bra, and to Doctor Morris, then the Rector of the Eng­lish Hospital or Colledge in Roome, that we might there be preferred among the English Students. [Page 9] Taking our leaue of them, and yeelding them thankes for their greate courtesy, we iournied to Lyons, where in the house of one Maister Deacon, the wordes were spoken by Henry Orton, one of them condemned, and yet liuing in the Tower, which in my other booke I haue auouched. From thence wee went to Millaine, where in the Cardinall Boromehos Pallace, we found the lodging of a Welshman, named Doctor Ro­bert Griffin, a man there had in a good accoūt, and Cō ­fessor to the aforesaid Cardinal. By him we were very courteouslye entertained, There are English­men almoste in euery [...]ittie by the waye. and sent to the house of an Englishe Prieste in the Cittie, named Maister Harries, who likewise bestowed on vs very gentle acceptaunce, as also three English Gentlemē, who lay in his house, being very lately retourned frō Roome: they likewise both in cost and courtesie, behaued them selues like Gentlemen vnto vs, during the time that we made our abode in Millaine.

Our comming to Millayne was on Christmas euen, and hauing lyen that night at an Osteria where Mai­ster Harryes appoynted vs, on Christmas day we dy­ned with Doctor Griffin, where we had great cheere, and lyke welcome. The talke that Doctor Griffen had with vs, be­ing at din­ner with him. In the dinner time, he moued many questions vnto vs, as concerning the estate of Eng­land, if we heard of any warres towardes and howe the Catholiques thriued in Englande: and at the laste (quoth he) haue you not séene three Gentlemen that lye at Maister Harryes his house? Yes that we haue (quoth I) to vs they séeme meruailous curteous, and offer vs such freendshippe as we haue neuer deserued. Oh (quoth he) if all things had fallen right to their ex­pectation, they would haue béene iolly fellowes. I am sure you haue heard what credite Captaine Sukelye was in with the Pope, and howe he was appointed w ^t his Armie, to inuade England: he being slayne in the battaile of the King of Portugall, thinges went not [Page 10] forwarde according as they should haue done. These three Gentlemen came foorth of the North partes of England, An vnna­turall desire of men to seeke the ru­ine of theyr owne Country. taking vpon them to goe forward with that, which Stukely had enterprised, which was, to haue the Popes Armie committed to theyr conduction, and so they would ouerrun England at their pleasure, then they would make Kings and Dukes and Earles, eue­ry one that they thought well off. To helpe them for­warde in this matter, they purchased the Letters of Doctor Saunders, Doctor Allen, Doctor Bristow, and o­thers, who thought very well of their intent, & therfore furthered thē in their Letters so much as they might, to Doctor Lewes, The secret seducing Preestes, win a num­ber to ioyne in theyr trayterous intent, Doctor Morris, Doctor Moorton, and diuers other Doctors and Gentlemen at Roome, all of thē verye earnestly following y ^e sute hereof to y ^e Popes holines, informing him, how they had already wun such a nūber in England, to ioin with thē when y ^e mat­ter came to passe, y ^e graunting thē his holines Army, they would presently ouerrun all England, and yeelde it wholly into his hand. But when the Pope had scan­ned on this hasty busines, well noting the simple and arrogant behauiour of the men, and their vnlikeli­hoode, of performing these thinges: euen accordinge as they deserued, they were denyed theyr request, & sent away without any recompence. The Pope seeketh to accomplish his desire, by the Subject that must betray his owne Country. The Pope was not to truste to any such as they, he well knowes England is too strong yet, & till the people be secretely perswaded, as I doubt not but there is a good number, and more & more still shalbe, by y ^e Préests are sent ouer dayly, and they must war within, while other holds thē play with out: till then England will not be conquered any way.

Other talke we had, not heere to be rehearsed, but truly it would astonishe a heart of Adamant, to heare the horrible Treasons inuented againste her Maie­stie and this Realme, and so greedily followed by our owne Countrye men. But some perhaps will de­maunde [Page 11] howe wee behaued our selues to come to the knowledge of such trayterous intentions, iudging y ^t they would rather kéepe thē secret, then reueale them to any: to aunswer such as so doo question, thus it was.

When I was at Paris, The meane, wherby they made me ac­quainted with al their deuises. the Gentlemen tooke me to be a Gentlemans Sonne héere in England, whom I refuse héere to name, but as it séemed, they were some▪ what perswaded of him: I perceiuing they tooke mee for his Sonne, called my selfe by his name, where through I was the better estéemed, and beside, loued as I had béene he in deede. When they vnderstoode my fellowes name to be Thomas Nowell, they whispered among themselues, and sayd vndoubtedly, he was kin to Maister Nowell the Deane of Paules: and if they wist certainly that he were so, they woulde vse him in such gentle order, as they woulde keepe hym there, so that one day he shoulde stande and preache a­gainst his Kinseman. This suppose, seruing so wel our necessitye, we were glad to vse: which made vs well thought on of all, and kéeping company so familiarlye with them, we were made acquainted with a number more matters then may heere be expressed.

While we were in Millaine, The trea­son against England, was cōmon in euery English­mās mouth. wee visited Maister Doctor Parker, who likewise told vs the same tale that Doctor Griffin had before rehearsed, beside, he tolde vs that Préestes were appointed from Roome & Rheimes for Englande, and that ore long they should be sent. Soone after we departed thence, to Bologna, Florence, Scienna, and so to Roome, wher how we were receiued the Chapter following shall amply vnfolde. Thus, as well to certifie the incredulous, as also to content those desirous howe I attained to Roome: I haue breeflye doone my good wyll to please bothe.

You haue hearde heerein, howe at sundrye places, and by seuerall spéeches, there was a generall agree­ment of Treason, expected and daylye looked for, [Page 12] to the harme of our gracious Soueraigne, and hurte of her whole Realme. All these matters wee heard before we came to Roome, from whence the treason shoulde cheefely procéede: we séeing such deuillish deuises to be talked on by the way, we might well iudge Roome to be Hell it selfe, in that all thinges should goe forwarde, as it was there determined. You are not altogether ig­noraunt of their intentes at Roome, for that my other booke hath truely reueled some of their traiterous and disloyall practises: and such as modestie will suffer me to vtter, and you to reade, you shall here finde faithful­lye discoursed.

OUr entraunce into Roome, was vppon Candlemas euen, when as it drew somewhat towardes nighte: for which cause, we refused as then to goe to the English Colledge, taking vp our Lodging in an Osteria somewhat within the Cittie, and determining to visite the Englishe house on the next morning. On the morrowe by enquiring, we founde the Englishe Col­ledge, where after we were once entered, wee had a number about vs quicklye▪ to knowe what newes in [Page 13] England, and how all matters went there. Not long had we stoode talking with them, but one entred the Colledge, A present of holy Candls brought from the Pope to the English Students. with a great many of war Candles in hys hande: who gaue them to vnderstande, that the Pope had sent to euery Scholler in the Colledge a Candle, which that day at high Masse he had hallowed, for it was Candlemas day. They receiuing thē with great account, both of the Popes fauoure, as also the holines they credited to consist in the Candles, went euery one to lay them vp in their Chambers: in the meane time Maister Doctor Morris the Rector of the house came to vs, to whom we deliuered the Letter sent to him on our behalfe from Paris, which when he had read, he said we were welcōe, allowing vs y ^e eight dayes entertain­ment in the Hospitall, which by the Pope was graun­ted to such Englishmen as came thether. Then hee brought vs to Doctor Lewes, the Archdeacon of Cam­bra, to whom we deliuered his letter likewise, and with him we stayed dinner, ignorant whither he were an Englishman or no, for that he gaue vs our enter­tainment in Latine, demaunded a number of questi­ons of vs in Latine, and beside, dined with vs in La­tine: whereat we meruailed, till after dinner, he bad vs walke to the Colledge againe with Doctor Morris, in English. We were no sooner come to the Colledge, but the Schollers, who had already dined, and were walking together in the Court, came about vs, euerye one demaunding so many questions, that we knewe not which to aunswer first: at last, one of them tooke my fellow aside, and one of the Priestes lykewise desi­red to talke with me, because he sayd he knew my Fa­ther well enough, The talke one of the Priests had with me in the Garden. vsing the name that I did, so, he and I sitting together in the Garden, among other talke he asked of me, wherefore I came to Rome? Truste me Sir (quoth I) onely for the desire I had to see it, that when I came home againe, I might say, once in my life [Page 14] I haue béene at Roome. Then I perceiue (quoth he) you come more vpon pleasure then any deuotion, more desirous to see the Cittie, then to learne the vertues conteined in it: in sooth I see, you remaine in the same wildnes you did, when I lay at your Fathers house, but I doo not doubt now we haue you heere, to make you a stayed man ere you departe, that your Father may haue ioy of you, and all your freends receiue com­fort by you. In deede Sir (quoth I) I haue alwayes addicted my mind to so many youthfull deuises, Mine owne tale, which so well as I could, I made to a­gree with the Preests discourse. that I little regarded any religion, which my Parents séeing, and fearing I would neuer be bridled: sent me ouer to Paris, where I should remaine at my booke. But there I found Gentlemen of mine acquaintaunce, who wi­shed me to trauell hither, whereto I quickly gaue my consent, béeing (as I haue told you) desirous to see a thing so famous. I thinke very well (quoth he) of your woordes, aswell for your Parents sake as also your owne. But this I will say vnto you, there ought none to come hither, the place being so holy, auncient, and famous, but onely such as with earnest endeuour, séeke and thirst after the Catholique faith: beeing heere taught and mainteined, according as Christ ordeyned it, the Apostles deliuered it, Peter himselfe planted it, and all the Fathers of the Church since, haue followed it. Heere may you beholde, what vnre­uerent spee­ches they can affoorde her Maie­stie. They must denounce that damnable heresie, crept in to the Church of England, that proude vsurping Ieza­bell, (meaning our bread & gracious Princesse) whom (quoth he) God reserueth to make her a notable specta­cle to the whole world, for keeping y ^e good Queene of Scots frō her lawfull rule: but I hope ere long, y ^e Dogs shall teare her flesh, & those y ^t be her props & vpholders.

A paper of the names of such noble men of her MaiestiesThen drawing a paper out of his pocket, he sayd, I haue a Bead role of them heere, who little knowes what is prouiding for them, & I hope shall not know, till it fall vpon them. Then he read their names vnto [Page 15] me, Counsell▪ whom they meant to persecute, when their intent came to passe in England. which, that all may perceiue the villainous & tray­terous mindes of our owne Countriemen: so many of them as I can call to memory, I will set down, euen in the same manner as he read thē. But first I must craue pardon of those honourable personages, to whome the words doo offer great abuse, and whom I vnfeynedlye reuerence and honour: that they would not admit any euill conceite against mee, but in the noble nature wherewith they are dayly adorned, I, béeing but the reporter, I desire thee gentle Rea­der, to vse some reuere­nce in rea­ding these vndecent woords, be­cause they are truly set downe, after the order as they were there spoken may be pardoned and not reprooued. First, (quoth he) héere is my Lord Keeper, the Bacon hogge, the Butchers sonne, the great guts, oh he woulde fry well with a Faggot, or his head would make a fayre showe vpon London bridge, where I hope shortly it shall stand. Next is eloquent Maister Cecill, Lorde Treasorer, you shall shortly see if he can saue his owne life with all y ^e wit he hath: had it not béen for these two before named, England had gon to wracke long since. Then heere is the Earle of Leicester, the Queenes Ostler, & his brother Ambrose Dudly, a good fat whor­son, to make Bacon of: with other words of my Lorde of Leicester, not here to be rehearsed. My Lord of Bed­forde, he forsooth is y ^e Queenes Coozin, we will sée how finely his Coozin & he can hang together. Sir Fraunces Walsinghā, & Doctor Wilson, they be her Secretaries: for euery warrāt they haue suffered, to apprehend any of our Priestes, our fréends or other, by that time they haue coūted their reckoning, they shall find they haue a deere payment. Sir Christopher Hatton, he pleased y ^e Queene so wel, dauncing before her in a Maske, y ^t since y ^t time he hath risen to be one of y ^e Counsell: with other words, which I referre for modestie. Sir Fraunces Knowles, and other of the Counsell whose names I well remember not: he gaue them many a heauy threatning. Then opening the paper farder, at the end therof was a great many of names, of Magistrates & other be­longing [Page 16] to this Cittie, Euery one that was named in the paper, the manner and order of of their death was appoynted. among whome was Maister Recorder, Maister Nowell Deane of Paules, Maister Foxe, Maister Crowlye, & sundry other, whose names I cannot very well remember, and therefore am loth to set downe any thing, but that whereof I am certainly assured: but verye well I remember, there was no one named, but he had the order of his death appoyn­ted, eyther by burning, hanging, or quartering, and such like.

It is not vnlike, but that this vnreuerent matter will offende some in the reading, that men of honour, and worshippe, and those of credite and countenaunce, shoulde haue their names published in print in suche sorte: I haue had the iudgement of those, of worshippe and learning, on this behalfe, and they haue sayde, how it is necessary, that theyr owne wicked spéeches should be set downe, for an example to all men, howe they a­buse her Maiestie, her honourable Councell, and lear­ned and discréete Maiestrates, whereby their trayte­rous dealings may be the better discouered. And to them thus vndutifully regarded, it can not séeme an of­fence, considering, that Christe vnto his chosen vessels hath sayd. Math. 5.11. You shall be mocked, scorned, and reuiled for my sake: but doo you reioyce and be glad, for your re­warde is the greater in the kingdome of Heauen, and you remaine blessed.

There are other heere, to whom the like charge hath beene, giuen to iustifie that I doo not re­port any vntrueth.Then putting vp his Paper agayne, he began af­ter this manner. As I haue sayd before, so now I saye the same, such as come to this holy place, must faithful­ly bende his life and conuersasion, to honour and reue­rence our prouident and holy Father the Pope, in all thinges, that shall like him to commaund, to holde and confesse him the vniuersall supreme heade of Christes church, & embrace his decrees, as the onely ordenance & will of God. For he is the person of God on earth, and he can not sinne, because the spirite of diuine grace [Page 17] guideth him continuallie: he hath aucthoritie ouer all Kinges and Princes, to erect and suppresse whome he pleaseth, and that shall England well knowe ere long, that he hath such power and aucthoritie. To honour and obey him, to be a true and faithfull member of his Church, and to liue and die in his cause, this ought to be the intent of all that commeth héere.

This long Tale, contayning a number of more cir­cumstaunces than I can vnfolde: made me studie what aunswer I should make him, which after some pause, came foorth as thus. Credite me Sir, I am but a Nouesse in these matters, and therefore you might as well haue disputed with me, in the déepest Schoole points that is, and I should haue censured bothe alike. Nay (quoth he) I thinke not your ignoraunce so great, albeit it séemeth great enough, though you haue béene looselie brought vp, yet you haue béene with me, bothe at Masse, and at Confession diuers times, at such time as I serued my Lady B.

Beside, A number of places he tolde me heere in Englande, where pree­stes haue entertaine­ment. there are a great many of Priestes in Eng­land, as in Warwickshire, at Maister I. T. in Stafford­shire, at Maister G. of C. and at S. T. F. in the same shyre: all these be neere your Fathers, and not one of them but visiteth your Fathers house, three or fowre times euerie yéere, as they dyd when I was there (for there is no long tariaunce in one place for a Priest, but he must shifte styll, least he be taken,) and I am sure your Father would sée you duelie confessed.

Nowe I was put to so harde a shifte, that I knewe not well what to say, I knewe none of these men he named, but one, and he in deede had a Priest, who after his long raunging about his Maister the Popes busi­nesse heere in England, I thanke God, I haue caused to be stayed. Likewise, I knewe not the Gentleman, whome▪ bothe they at Paris, and he sayde, to be my Fa­ther, [Page 18] neither where he dwelt, It was on­ly God, that framed my aunswers to agree with the Preests demaunds. nor what he was: which made me stand in feare to be disprooued, hauing auou­ched my selfe before to be his Sonne. Wherfore, refer­ring my case to God, who had so prouided for me tyll that time, in his name I resolued my selfe on this aun­swer, not knowing howe it might happen to spéede.

In déede Sir, I can not denie, but that I haue often­times heard Masse, as also béene at Confession, but my deuotion thereto hath béene [...]ender, An excuse seruing very fit for my purpose, and lyked the Preest well enough. as you your selfe haue séene, knowing me to be so wilde, and, as it were, without gouernment: but when you departed from my Fathers, I taried there but a small time after you, for I obtayned leaue of my Father, to goe lye at Lon­don, at a Kinsemans house of his, because I would stu­die the French tongue, to haue some knowledge there­in against I went ouer, for my Father tolde me long before, that I should goe to Paris, and studie there. When I was at London, I grewe in acquaintaunce with diuers Gentlemen, in whose company I frequen­ted many delightfull pastimes: so that I could hardlie refraine them, when my Father sent for me, to the in­tent I should trauell to Paris.

Well (quoth he) and though you did goe to London so soone after I was gone, any of the Préestes that re­forted to your Fathers, or he him selfe could haue cer­tified you, of such places in London, where you might haue heard Masse, and béene Confest too, without suspect at all. A matter woorthy to be regarded. For at Maister S. his house on the backside of P. you might diuers times haue heard Masse, and béene Cōfest there likewise: I lay there an indifferent while, and sayd Masse there, wherat diuers were present, also in the after noone, when they haue béene at the Play, in all that time I haue Confessed many.

Likewise, you might haue gone to the Marshalse a, and enquired for Maister Fownd, & you should sildom [Page 19] haue missed, Euerarde Ducket, was taken, going into the Mar­shalsea, to speake with the Papists he beeing a Preest: and beeing there taken, behaued him selfe in such trayterous manner, that he was exe­cuted at Ti­borne, 1581. but haue found a Préest there with him: for sometime vnder y ^e habites of Gentlemen, Seruing­men, or what apparell they imagine most conuenient for them, Préestes doo daylie resorte vnto him, where they confesse him, and giue him such halowed things as are sent him from Roome, as Agnus Deis, Grana bene­dicta, and other things: there, if you had made him pri­uie to your intent, he would haue appointed one that should haue done it for you. He likewise would haue bestowed on you some of those holie thinges, for he fin­deth such meanes, what with the Préests that come to him, and other, whome he hyreth or infreateth to cary a Letter abroade now and then for him: that those ho­lie thinges are deliuered to their handes, who doo not a little reioyce in them. My selfe once, made Norris the Pursuiuant carie a Letter for me, to one of my Lady B. her Gentlewomen: and therin was two Agnus Deis, a hallowed Girdle, and aboue fortie or fiftie Grana bene­dicta, which maketh me to smile euerie time I thinke on it, that I could make him my man, when I durst not deliuer it my selfe.

Maister Norris béeing told this: offereth his life, if a­ny such thing can be prooued, for he sayth, he neuer deli­uered any thing to any of my Lady B. Gentlewomen. And for his faithfull seruice to her Maiestie, I haue to shewe vnder his owne hande, the penaltie he putteth him selfe too, if any vniust seruice can be layde to his charge.

By this time, the Bell rung for all the Studentes to come to Supper, which made the Préest to staye at this Periadus, else he would haue continued in dis­course, I know not how long: for what with the seue­ral charges wherwith he sounded me, my care styl how to shape a sufficient aunswer, and the tediousnesse of his tale, mixed with so many woordes, farre distaunt [Page 20] from ciuill and duetifull regarde, he was not so readie to goe to his Supper, as I was glad for that tyme to breake off company.

So after certaine familiar behauiour, vsed betweene him and I, he glad to see me at Rome, and well hoping in shorte time to make me a newe man, I appliable with thankes, for euerie thing; for that it stoode with wisedome to accept all thing: he went into the Refec­torium, which is the name of their dining Hall, & I to the Chamber appointed for me and my fellow, whome I found there sitting with Doctor Morris, [...]aying my comming, that we might sup togeather, which in deede we did, Maister Morris vsing vs verie courteouslie, pas­sing away the supper time with much variety of talke, among which, Maister Doctor sayde his pleasure of di­uers persons in England: which, for that it would ra­ther checke modestie, then challenge any respect of ho­nestie, I admit it to silence, the talke béeing so broade, that it would stand as a blemish to my Booke.

IT is vnpossible for me, to note down halfe the spéeches, that passed betwéen y ^e Schol­lers and me, as also my fel­lowe: but as for that was v­sed to him, I could seldome come acquainted with all, ex­cept I had stoode by & heard it▪ for either they had fullie perswaded him, or he ioyned [Page 21] into consent with them▪ so that he would neuer report any thing that had passed betwéene them, he lyked so well of euerie thing. But letting these matters passe a while, I thinke it expedient héere so set downe, before I goe any farder, the orders vsed in the Englishe Col­ledge, how the English men spende the time there, and within what compasse they limitte them selues, which so bréeflie as I can, I will passe ouer.

The Englishe Colledge, The place where the Englishe Colledge standeth in Roome. is a house bothe large and fayre, standing in the way to the Popes Pallace, not farre from the Castle Sante Angello: in the Colledge, the Schollers are deuided, by certaine nūber into euery Chāber, as in some foure, in some fix, or so many as the Rector thinketh cōuenient, as well for the health of the Schollers, The order for the English mennes lodging. as the troubling not much roome. Euerie man hath his Bed proper to him selfe, which is, two little Trestles, with sowre or flue boordes layde along ouer them, and thereon a quilted Mattresse, as we call it in England, which euerie morning after they are ry­sen, they solde vp their shéetes hansomelie, laying them in the middest of the Bed, & so rowle it vp to one ende, couering it with the Quilt, that is their Couerlet all the night time.

First in the morning, The orders obserued by the Schol­lers, euerie morning. he that is the Porter of the Colledge, ringeth a Bell, at the sound whereof euerie Student ariseth, and turneth vp his Bed, as I have sayde before. Not long after, the Bell ringeth againe, when as euerie one presentlie kneeling on his knées, prayeth for the spare of halfe an howre: at which time, the Bell béeing souled againe, they arise and bestowe a certaine time in Studie, euerie one hauing his Deske, Table, & Chayre to him selfe verie orderlie, and all the time of Studie, silence is vsed of euerie one in the Chā ­ber, not one offering molestation in speeche to an other.

The time of Studie expired, the Bell calleth them [Page 22] from their Chambers, downe into the Refectorium: where euerie one taketh a glasse of Wine, and a quar­ter of a Manchet, & so he maketh his Collatione. Soone after, the Bel is knouled againe, when as the Studēts two & two togeather, walke to the Romaine Colledge, which is the place of Schoole or instruction: where eue­rie one goeth to his ordinarie Lecture, some to Diuini­tie, some to Phisique, some to Logique, & some to Rhe­torique. There they remaine the Lecture time, which béeing done, they returne home to the Colledge againe: where they spend the time tyll dinner, in walking and talking vp and downe the Gardens.

And an order there is appointed by the Rector and the Iesuites, The diuer­sitie of pe­naunce ad­ioyned the Englishe Studentes: which they must doo o­penlie in the Hall, at din­ner tyme. and obeyed by all the Studentes, that who so­euer dooth not in the morning turne vp his Bed han­somlie, or is not on his knées at prayer time, or heareth not Masse before he goe to Schoole, or after he comes home, but forgetteth it: or else if he goe foorth, and put not the Peg at his name in the Table. For there is a Table hangeth by the doore, which hath a long Box ad­ioyned to it, wherein lyeth a great company of wooden Pegges, and against the name of euerie Scholler writ­ten in the Table (which is obserued by order of the Al­phabet) there is a hole made: wherein, such as haue oc­casion to goe abroade, must duelie put a Peg, to giue knowledge who is abroade, and who remaineth with­in.

Beside, diuers other orders they haue for slight mat­ters, the neglecting whereof, is publique penaunce at dinner time: when as all the Studentes are placed at the Tables, such as haue so transgressed, goeth vp into the Pulpit I which standeth there, because one readeth all the dinner tyme▪) and there he sayeth: Because I haue not fulfilled this or that, whatsoeuer order it be that he hath broken, I am adioyned such a penaunce. [Page 23] Eyther to knéele in the middest of the Hall on his bare knées, All these I haue beene forced to do, albeit it were with an yll will. and there to say his Beades ouer: Or to say cer­taine Pater nosters, and Aue Marias: Or to stand vpright and haue a dishe of potage before him on the grounde, and so to bring vp euerie spoonfull to his mouth: Or to loose, either one or two or thrée of his dishes appointed for his dinner: Or to stand there all dinner time, & eate no meate: and diuers other, which according as it is, ei­ther afterwarde he hath his dinner or supper, or else goes without it: And all these penaunces I haue béene forced to do, for that I was alway apt to breake one or­der or other. As for the priuate penaunces, it shall not be greatly amisse to rehearse them héere too: so long I shall desire you to stay, from hearing the manner of the Students dinner. The priuate penaunces, which are appointed by the ghostly Father. The priuate Penaunces, are ap­pointed by the ghostly Father at Confession: which are fulfilled without publique knowledge of the cause, and likewise of the person. If his penaunce be, to whip him selfe openlie in the Hall at dinner time: then the Rector ordereth it after this manner, that he shall not be kno­wen, to be reproched by any of his felowes, or that they shall certainlie saye, it is such a one. At the dinner or supper, that this penaunce is to be accomplished, the Rector causeth seuen or eight to kéepe their Chambers, and commonly but one that time in a Chamber: their doores must be made fast to them, & they, not so much as looke out at their windowe, to sée from which Chamber he comes that dooth the penaunce. The whip­ping them selues, pub­liquelie at dinner. When they are all set at the Tables, he commeth in, cloathed in a Canuas vesture downe to the grounde, a hood of the same on his head, with two holes where through he hath sight, and a good bigge round place bare, against the middest of his backe: in this order he goeth vp and downe the Hall, whipping him selfe at that bare place, in somuch, that the blood dooth trickle on the ground after him. [Page 24] The whip hath a verie short handle, not much aboue a handfull long, and fortie or fiftie Cordes at it, about the length of halfe a yarde: with a great many hard knots on euerie Corde, and some of the whippes hath through euerie knot at the ende crooked wiers, which will teare the fleshe vnmercifullie.

The māner of the Ie­suits whips wherewith they whip themselues.The Iesuites haue, some of them, to whip them sel­ues, whips with Cordes of wier, wherewith they will beate them selues, tyl with too much effuse of blood, they be readie to giue vp the ghost. And this they will doo in their Chambers, either before a Crucifix, or the image of our Ladie, turning their backes when they bléede to­warde the Image, that it may sée them. One of the Iesuites, because they could neuer gette me to whip my selfe, (for that I well knewe God sayde: Rent your hearts, Ioel. 2.13. Psal. 51.17 and not your skin: And that, A contrite and sob­bing heart, is more acceptable to God, then a bleeding body,) tooke me once with him into his Chamber, saying: I should sée (because I was so fearefull) what he would inflict vpon his owne body. The exāple one of the Iesuites gaue me, to whip my selfe. So when he was vnapparelled, he tooke a whip, the Cords whereof was wier, & before the Picture of our Lady, he whipped him selfe verie gréeuouslie, saying: Sancta Maria mater Dei, suscipe dolorem meum: Sancta Maria mater Dei, accipe Flagitium meum: Et ora prome, nunc et in hira mortis: Which is as much to say, Saint Marie mother of God, receiue my dolor: O mon­strous ig­noraunce. Saint Marie mother of God, accept my whipping, and pray for me, now and in the howre of death. These, with other like woordes, he vsed to the Picture a great many times: and then he went to the Crucifix, which stoode vpon his Deske, and whipping him selfe styll, he sayde these, or the verie lyke woordes. O Iesu obtestetur te virgo gloriosa Maria mater, quae (quod pro certo noui) pro me nunc tecum agit. Flagitistu [...], sangui­nolenti tui sudoris, Cruci [...] tuae, mortis ac passionis tuae, pro [Page 25] me passae memoriae, ad hoc me faciendum impulit: eo quod perpessus sis, his decies pro me grauiora: In English thus. O Iesus, Egregious impudency be thou intreated by that glorious virgin thy mother, who I am sure at this time maketh intercession to thee for me. The remembraunce of thy whipping, bloody sweat, Crosse, death and passion, maketh me do this, in somuch as thou hast suffered ten times more for me.

In these and such like acclamations, be continued whipping him selfe, almost the space of halfe an howre, bléeding so sore, as it gréeued me verie much to sée him. Afterward, he willed me to trie it once, and I shoulde not finde any paine in it, but rather a pleasure. For (quoth he) if Christe had his fleshe rent and torne with whips, his handes and féete nayled to the Crosse, his precious side gored with a Launce, his head so pricked with a Crowne of thorne, that his déere blood ran tril­ling downe his face, and all this for you: why should you feare to put your body to any torment, to recom­pence him that hath done so much for you? I desired him to beare with me a while, for I was not indued with that strength and fortitude, as to abide and suffer the paines he did: but yet in time I doubted not, to ful­fill any thing on my body, he would commaund me. My aunswer pleased him indifferentlie, so I left him in his Chamber, and went downe, lamenting to sée a spec­tacle of so great follie.

Now as for the other penaunces, Diuersity of penaunces, giuen them, all by their ghostly Cō ­fessor. as they be diuers, so be they diuers wayes fulfilled, eyther by Fasting, wearing a shyrt of heaire, trudging to the seuen Chur­ches, lying vpon the bare boardes, going into the darke vautes vnder the ground, or traueling on Pilgrimage, and a number more, which excéedeth my memorie to vnfolde, they haue amongst them, as there be diuers can beare me witnesse, and some of them my Confessor [Page 26] hath constrayned me to doo.

Returne we now to the Students, who béeing come from the schooles, and haue recreated them selues some what, either in the house or in the Gardens: are now at the sound of the Bel come into the Refectorium to din­ner. The maner of the Eng­lish mens dinner. The custome is, that dayly two of the Studentes take it by turnes, to serue all the other at y ^e Table, who to helpe them, haue the Butler, the Porter, and a poore Iesuite, that looketh to all the Schollers necessaries, to bring them their cleane shirtes, and foreséeeth, that nei­ther their Gownes, Cassocks, Dublets, Bréeches, Hose nor shooes want mending. These bring in their hands, eche of them a round boorde, which hath a staffe about halfe a yarde long, made fast through the middle of it: and round about that boord is set little Saucers, wher­in the Cooke shareth euery man a little quantity, which they bring, and holde ouer the Table, when as euerie man taketh his owne messe.

As for their fare, trust me it is very fine and delicate, for euery man hath his owne Trentcher, The varie­ty of dishes, and dainti­nesse of the Englishe mens fare▪ his Manchet, knife, spoone, and forke layde by it, & then a fayre white napkin couering it, with his glasse and pot of wine set by him. And the first messe, or Antepast (as they call it) that is brought to the Table, is some fine meat to vrge them haue an appetite: as sometime the Spanish An­chouies, and sometime stued Prunes and Raysons of the Sun togeather, hauing such fine tarte sirope made to them, as I promise you a weake stomacke would very wel digest them. The second, is a certaine messe of potage of that Countrey manner, no meat sod in them, but are made of diuers thinges, whose proper names I doo not remember: but me thought they were bothe good and wholsome. The thirde, is hoylde meate, as Kid, Mutton, Chickin, and such like: euerie man a pre­tie modicum of eche thing. The fourth, is rosted meat, [Page 27] of the daintiest prouision that they can get, and some­time stewde and bakte meate, according as pleaseth Maister Cooke to order it. The fift and last, is some time Chéese, some time preserued conceytes, some tyme Figges, Almonds and Raysons, a Limon and Sugar, a Pomegranate, or some such swéete géere: for they knowe that Englishmen looueth swéete meates.

And all the dinner whyle, The order that one of the Schol­lers obser­ueth, reading all the din­ner tyme. one of the Schollers, ac­cording as they take it by wéeklie turne, readeth: first a Chapter of their Bible, and then in their Martirilogi­um, he readeth the Martirdome of some of the Saintes, as Saint Fraunces, Saint Martin, Saint Longinus, that thrust the Speare into Christes side, Saint Aga­tha, Saint Barbara, Saint Cecilia, and diuers other: a­mong whome they haue imprinted the Martirdome of Doctor Storie, the two Nortons, Iohn Felton and o­thers, calling them by the name of Saintes, who were héere executed at Tiborne for high treason.

The dinner done, they recreate them selues for y ^e space of an howre, & then the Bell calleth them to theyr Chā ­bers, where they staye a while, studying on their Lec­tures giuen them in the forenoone: anon the Bel sūmo­neth them to Schoole again, where they stay not past an howre, They haue feeding e­nough, foure meales a day. but they returne home againe, and so soone as they be come in, they goe into the Refectorium, and there euerie one hath his glasse of wine, and a quarter of a Manchet againe, according as they had in the mor­ning.

Then they depart to their Chambers, from whence at conuenient time they are called to exercise of dispu­tation: the Diuines to a Iesuite appointed for them, and euerie Studie to a seuerall Iesuite, where they continue the space of an howre, and afterwarde tyll supper tyme, they are at theyr recreation.

[Page 28] Their exer­cise after Supper.After Supper, if it be in winter time, they goe with the Iesuites, and sit about a great fire talking, and in all their talke, they striue who shall speake wurst of her Maiesty, of some of her Councell, of some Bishop héere, or such lyke: so that the Iesuites them selues, will of­ten take vp their hands and blesse them selues, to beare what abhominable tales they will tell them. After they haue talked a good while, the Bell calleth them to their Chambers, the Porter going from Chamber to Chāber, & lighteth a Lampe in euerie one: so when the Schollers come, they alight their Lampes, lay downe their Beddes, and goe sit at their Deskes and studie a little, tyll the Bell ringes, when euerie one falles on his knées to Prayers. Then one of the Préestes in the Chamber, as in euerie Chamber there is some, be­ginneth the Latin Letany, all the Schollers in the Chamber aunswering him: and so they spend the time tyll the Bell ringes againe, which is for euerie one to goe to bed.

[Page 29] THe English Studentes eue­rie thirde or fowrth day, goe not to the Schooles, but haue accesse abroade; to sport and delight them selues: some­time they walks to theyr Uineyarde, and the Iesuites with them, where they passe away the day in diuers disportes, what game, what toy any one can deuise, they altogeather in pastime ioyne to performe it.

An other day they goe to the seuen Churches, which according as I remember their names, I will héere set them downe. The seuen Churches in Roome, wherto they goe on pyl­grimage. S. Peters, S. Paules, S. Iohn Lateranes, S. Maria maiore, S. Croce, S. Laurences, S. Sebasti­anes. In all these Churches, there be diuers Reliques, which make them haunted of a meruailous multitude of people: whereby the lazie lurden Friers that kéepe the Churches, gettes more ritches, then so many ho­nest men should doo. For eyther at the comming into the Church, or else at the Aultar where the Reliques be, there standeth a Basen, and the people cast money therein, with very great liberality. And there standeth a Frier, A craftie kinde of coo­sonage, wherby the igno­rant people are begui­led. with a forked sticke in his hand, and thervpon he taketh euerie bodies Beades, that layes them on the Aultar, and then he wipes them along a great propor­tioned thing of Christall and Golde, wherein are a number of rotten bones, which they make the people credite to be the bones of Saintes: so wiping them a­long the outside of this Tabernacle, the Beades steale a terrible deale of holynesse out of those bones, and God knowes, the people thinke they doo God good seruice in it: Oh monstrous blindnesse.

But because euery good Subiect may sée into the Ro­mishe [Page 30] iuglinges, and perceyue the subtiltie of Anti­christe the eldest childe of hell: I will rehearse some of these Reliques, as many of them as I can possiblie call to my remembraunce.

AMong a nūber of their inuen­tions, to vpholde and main­taine their wicked dealings: they haue certaine Uautes vnderneath the groūd, wher­in they say, how in the tyme that the persecuting Empe­rours lyued in Roome, Marke this good Rea­der, & thinke well theron. the Christians were glad to hide them selues: and there they liued many yéeres, hauing no foode or nourishment to maintaine them, but onelie that they were fed by An­gelles. Some time Christe him selfe came amongst them, and he fed them by his heauenlie Deitie, When as he could not come, but was busied about other af­faires: he sent his Mother the Uirgin Marie to them. At other times, the Archangell Michaell, the Angell Gabriell, or one Angell or other, was still sent vnto them: and Saintes that were liuing on earth, came daylie and preached to them. This our English men hath tolde to me & other, at diuers times: yea, and when they haue séene me to offer doubt of those matters, they haue béene ready to sweare it to be certaine and true.

At a Church there called Saint Pancratia, The Uau [...] at Saint Pancratias Church. there is a Uaute, whereinto I haue gone with the Iesuites of the [Page 42] Englishe Colledge and the Studentes: and there they haue shewed me in diuers places made on eyther side in the Uaut as we goe, that there lay such a Saint, and there lay such an other, there they were buried, & none was there, but they were all Saintes. Then (hauing euerie one of vs a wax light in our hands, because it is vnpossible to sée any light in the Uaute, and for those lights, the Friers that kéepe the Church must haue mo­ney, which we put into a Basen, that standeth at the going downe into the Uaute) they looke on the ground vnder their féete as they goe: and if they chaunce to finde a bone (as some sure are throwen in of purpose, to deceyue the people) whether it be of a Dog, a Hog, a Shéepe, or any Beast, they can tell presentlie what Saints bone it was, either Saint Fraunces, Saint An­thonie, Saint Blase, or some other Saint that pleaseth them to name. Then must no body touch it, without he be a Préest, and it must be brought home for an espe­ciall Relique: and thus (sauing your reuerence) encrea­seth the genealogie of the holy Reliques in Roome.

A meruai­lous history and one of the Romish miracles.In this aforesayde Uaute of Saint Pancratia, as one of the English Préestes in the Colledge gaue me to vn­derstand, there was some time a Franciscan Frier, who hauing long time liued among his brethren in the Mo­nasterie, in chastitie of life, and deuoutnes in Religion: walking one day without Roome, Saint Fraunces ap­peared to him in his Friers Cowle, and calling him by his name, sayd vnto him. I knowe my good Brother, thou hast long thus liued in my holy order, and hast o­beyed me in euerie thing: therfore I will, that thou be no longer a mortall man, but a Saint. And from this time foreward, thou shalt leaue thy Cloister, & go to the Uaute vnder the Church of Saint Pancratia: where thou shalt be woorshipped of euerie one that commeth into the sayde Uaute, and to them thou shalt giue the [Page 43] bones and Reliques of holie and blessed Saintes, which they in their Churches shal adore with great reuerēce: what thou wilt haue, shall be done, and what thou wilt not, shall not be done.

After these woordes, Saint Fraunces vanished from him, & he went home to the Monastery, to tell his Bre­thren what had happened: soone after, with burning Tapers, and great showes of holines they brought him to the Uaute of Saint Pancratia, Marke this. wherin béeing entred, they found a seate ready prepared for him, which shi­ned as bright as the Sun, so that it dimmed the light of all their Tapers: it was like vnto the Clowdes, verie thick beset with twinkling Starres, and ouer the head of it, it was couered with a goodly Rainbowe. Nothing could be séen wheron this seate depended, it neither tou­ched the groūd, the top of the Uaute ouer head, nor any part of the wall on eyther side, therefore it was suppor­ted by Angels, whome though they could not discerne, yet they heard them make verie mellodious hermony, to welcom this Saint to his new seat. Then the Frier béeing bashfull, to sée such a glorious seate prouided for him, O horrible and abho­minable blasphemie. withdrew him selfe, as though he were vnwoorthy to sit therein: but then out of one of the Clowds stret­ched a hand (which they sayde to be Christes) wherein they sawe the fresh bléeding wound, béeing pierced tho­row with the nayle on the Crosse, and this hand pulled the Frier to the Seat, & placed him very roially therin. At y ^e sight héerof, all his brethren fell downe & worship­ped him, whervpō, he deliuered vnto euery one of them diuers holy Reliques: as the head of such a Saint, and bones of diuers other Saints, which was put in to his hand to giue them. Some of them for pure zeale, would not depart frō him, but staied there many yéeres, béeing fed & nourished by Angels: the other, to looke to the good ordering of their Monastery, were forced to depart.

[Page 44]A long time this Saint remained in that Uaute, and many other that came to him, whome he daylie made Saintes: so that, as well on the behalfe of this Saint, as diuers other as good as he, this Uaute is worshipped as though it were a second heauen.

When he had ended this braue notorious Fable, de­liuered foorth with farre more reuerend iesture, then I can set downe, or you imagine: he sayde. If a man should tell this to the Heretiques of our Coūtrey, they would strayte way condemne it as a lye & vntrueth: so mightilie dooth the deuill preuayle with them, to deface the daylie miracles showne in the Catholique Church. Trust me (thought I) I know not whether they would estéeme it for a lye or no: but I doo allowe it for one of the notablest lyes that euer I heard in all my life.

O my déere Countreimen, thinke how God hath gi­uen ouer these men, that repose credite in such abhomi­nable vntruethes: whereby he is robbed of his glory, & the worship which we ought of duetie to giue to him, is bestowed on a rable of rascall Reliques, a dunghil of most irksom & noysom smell, & they themselues become spectacles to the world, following the whore of Roome, as her puddle of accursed filthinesse. Their impietie hath pierced the heauens, and offended the Almightie, to sée that his Creatures shall thus disdaine their Ma­ker: and therefore, while they are glorying and trium­phing in the middest of their wickednesse, he hath thro­wen them downe, accoumpted them as bastards, & not chyldren, that they might be an example to vs, howe to liue in his feare, and howe to behaue our selues lyke Christians, not to giue his honour to stockes & stones, not to lust after dreames and fantasies of the deuilles inuencion: but whyle we haue the light, to walke as becōmeth the chyldren of light, to kéepe our selues true and faithfull Subiectes, to her, by whome we enioy the [Page 45] light, and to pray to God, to blesse her and vs all, to con­tinue in the light. Amen.

I will set downe one discourse more, of an other lyke myracle, done in an other of their Uautes: and then I will trouble you no longer with such friuelous & foolish stuffe, which I will declare euen in the same manner, as a Préest of theirs, as yet not taken, yet he is héere in England, tolde me, when he, I, and two of the Schol­lers more, An other straunge hi­storie, of a Romishe miracle, doon in the Uaut of Saint Priscilla, without Roome. went into the sayde Uaute.

Without Roome, about the distaunce of halfe a myle from y ^e Cittie, there is a huge great Uaute, which they call S. Priscillaes Grote: and within this Uaute, there is a great many of seuerall places, turning one this way, an other that way, as in one stréete, there may be diuers stréetes and lanes, turning euerie way. So that when they goe into this Uaute, they tye the ende of a lyne at the going in, and so goe on by the lyne, else they might chaūce to loose them selues, and so misse of their euer comming out againe: or else if they haue not a lyne, they take Chalke with them, and make fi­gures at euerie turning, that at their comming againe, (béeing guided by Torch lyght, for Candles will goe out with the dampe in the Uaute) they may make ac­coumpt tyll they get foorth, but this is not so ready a way as by the lyne.

One day I was desirous to sée this Uaute, for my fel­lowe Thomas Nowell, in the company of the Iesuites and the Schollers, had béene therein, and I lying sicke in my Bed, bothe he and they made such a glorious re­port thereof to me, what a Heauenlie place it was, what a number of Saintes and Martirs had béene bu­ried there, and what precious Reliques was daylie found there: that I verie much desired to sée the thing, whereto they gaue such an admirable prayse. For in soothe, my fellow was euen all one with them, his com­pany [Page 46] was required of euerie one, & he as lewde in spée­ches against his Countrey as the best: so that I was estéemed I can not tell howe, they would not misdoubt me for my Parents sake, & yet they would giue me ma­ny shrewd nips. As when they demaunded any thing of me, as concerning our gratious Princesse, or any of her honourable Councell, I should aunswer: Her Maiestie, God blesse her, or, the right Honourable, such a Noble man, of whom they asked me: wherat they would check me verie much, for vsing any reuerence in naming her Maiesty, or any of the Lords of her honorable Coūcell.

And this I may say boldlie, for that it is true, as God is my witnes, I speake not this good Rea­der, eyther in pride or brauerie. that in all the time I was amōgst them: I neither offered moitie of misordred or vndecēt spéech, either of her Maiestie, or any Noble man in the Court, no, nor so much as thought yll of any of them, notwith­standing the woordes they vsed, sufficient (had not God ordred all my dooinges) to haue mooued a more stayed man then my selfe to an error. I appeale to God, who knoweth I set downe nothing but trueth, & to him that is my chéefest enimie, if he can iustlie report otherwise by me: for I thanke God, albeit I were so far from my Countrey, he gaue me the grace to consider, I was a Subiect, & I was bound by duety to regard and honour my Prince so long as I liued. And because my aduer­saries obiect against me, that I went to Masse, & helped the Préest my selfe to say Masse: so that (say they) who is wurst, I am as euill as he. I aunswer, I did so in déed, for he that is in Roome, especially in y ^e Colledge amōg the Schollers: must liue as he may, not as he will, fa­uour comes by conformitie, and death by obstinacie. These rash heads béeing in England, would doo many goodlie matters at Roome, they would tell the Pope of his lasciuious & vnchristian life, the Cardinals of their Sodomiticall sinnes, the Friers of their secret iugling [Page 47] with the Nunnes, & the Préestes of their painted Pur­gatorie, their wafer God, and their counterfeit blood in the Challice: all this they would doo, nowe they are in England, But I doubt if they were at Roome and be­helde the mercilesse tiranny executed on the members of Christe. God hauing not endued them with the spirit of perseuerannce, The will of God must be done in all thinges. to suffer and abide the like (for what can this frayle carkase endure, if God doo not say: I will that thou shalt suffer this?) I feare me, they would be as ready to doo any thing for the safegard of their liues, as I was. You maye note a speciall example, in these our Countreymen lately executed, that neither their cause was estéemed of God, nor perfectlie perswaded in them selues: yet they would die in a brauerie, to be ac­coumpted Martyres at Roome, and in the middest of their brauerie, all the world might note their false and faynt hearts.

Sherwood, Sherwood, executed in South­wark. he ranne downe the Ladder, when death should arest him, hauing killed one of his fellowe Pa­pistes. Campion, their glorious Captaine, he looked dead in the face, so soone as he sawe the place of Executi­on, and remained quaking & trembling vnto the death. Shert, would haue the people thinke, hée feared not death, and yet he catched holde on the halter, when the Cart was drawne away. Kirbie quaking when he felt the Cart goe away, looked styll how néere the ende of it was, tyl he was quite beside. And Cottom dismaying, died trembling & in great feare. These are the Martirs of y ^e Romish Church, not one of them patient, penitent▪ nor endued with courage to the extremitie of death: but dismaying, trembling & fearfull, as y ^e eye witnesses can beare me record. We may therfore-wel knowe, y ^• a good cause dooth animate y ^e Martir, which belonging to God: let Roome, Hell, & all the deuils set them selues against vs, they cā touch vs no farder, thē God wil suffer them. [Page 48] As Saint Lauraunce béeing broiles on the Gridiren, S. Lauraūce to witnesse the inuincible courage wherewith God indu­ed him, he sayde: Thou Tiraunt, this side is now roasted enough, S. Isidore. turne the other. And Saint Isidore likewise sayde to the Tiraunt: I knowe thou hast no further power ouer me, then my God will suffer thee from a­booue. But now to our matter.

As I haue sayde, through the great report they made of this Uaute, one of the Préests, two of the Schollers and I, tooke with vs a line, & two or three great lights, and so we went to this aforesayde Uaute: we going a long in farder and farder, there we sawe certaine pla­ces one aboue an other, thrée and thrée on either side, during a great way in length: and these places they sayde, to be some of them the graues of persecuted Saintes and Martires, where they hid them selues in the time of the cruell Emperours of Roome, and there they died.

Procéeding on forwarde, we came to an olde thing like an Aultar, wheron, in olde and auncient painting, (which was then almost cleane worne out) was Christ vpon the Crosse, and our Lady and Saint Iohn by him: there the Préest sayde, Saint Peter, Saint Paule, and many other Saintes, had sayde Masse to the Christians that hid them selues there. And besides this (quoth he) there chaunced not many yéeres since, a poore man of the Cittie to come into this Uaufe, and when he was come so farre as this Aultar, the light he caried in his hand, suddenlie went out, so that he was forced to syt downe, and stay héere.

A straunge and rare mi­racle, too straunge to be true.He béeing thus without any light, and ignoraunt of the way to get out againe: fell in prayer to our Lady, who presentlie appeared to him, hauing about her little Angelles, holding burning Lampes in their handes, where through, y ^e place was illumined verie gloriously. [Page 49] And there she questioned with him, & he with her, about many holy and Religious matters: then she departing, lefte him there accompanied with Angelles, so that he remained there ten dayes, at the ende whereof, he came foorth, and went and tolde the Pope what he had séene, for which, when he died, he was canonized a Saint, and in this order arise many of our Romish Saints.

As for the Pilgrimage to Saint Iames in Gallitia, The Pil­grimage to S. Iames in Gallitia. it is a thing that is vsuallie frequented all the yéere, by such a number of people, as you would scantlie iudge: among whome, diuers of our Englishmen be so holie, that they will not stick to beare them company. There they saye, lyeth the bode of Saint Iames the Apostle: Reliques at S. Iames in Gallitia. and there is the Cocke that crowed, when Peter denied Christe: some of the heaire of our Ladies head: cer­taine of the Thornes of the Crowne of Thorne: the Napkin that was about Christes head in y ^e graue: cer­tayne droppes of his blood: a péece of the Crosse wher­on he was crucified, and a number such lyke Reliques, which are honoured and worshipped, as if they were God him selfe.

Then one of the chéefe Pilgrimages, is to a place called Santa Maria di Loreto, Pilgrimage to Saint Maria di Loreto. where, within is an olde little bricke roome, which they name to be the house our Lady dwelt in: there is the Image of our Lady all in Golde and Siluer, the house round about her, beset with Challices of Golde and Siluer, which are oblati­ons and offeringes of diuers Pilgrimes, that come in whole companies thither. All this helpes to maintaine the Pope. And before her is a great barred Chest of iron, wherein they throwe money to our Lady, by whole goblets full at once: Within this little house, there is an Aultar made right before our Lady, & there is sayd euerie day, fortie or fiftie Masses, whereat the people will throng in great heapes, to get into the house, for they thinke them selues happie, if our [Page 51] Lady haue once séene them. And all the Church is like­wise hung with pictures, Tapers, and waxe Candles, which are the vowes of the Pilgrimes to our Lady. I haue heard of some, who by the counsaile of their ghost­lie Father, haue made money of all their householde stuffe, and haue come fiue or six hundred mile bare foote and bare legged, to giue it all to our Lady there: meane while, the holy Father hath had libertie, to play with y ^e mans wife, at &c. In all my life I neuer sawe a place more frequented with people, then this is dayly, onelie for the admirable Miracles y ^t be done there. Some haue come thither for theyr eye sight: and when they were there, The my­racles at our Lady of Loreto. they could sée a little (as they say) but they haue come away stark blind as they were before. A mā came thither, béeing gréeuouslie wounded on the Sea, by his enimies: and after he had séene our Lady, he went to the Hospitall, and within a quarter of a yéere after, at the furthest, the Chirurgions had healed him. When he was well againe, he went and hung vp his picture in the Church, that he was healed of his hurt, so soone as he looked vpon our Lady. Diuers haue béen brought thither in their Beds, some béeing sick, some wounded, or otherwise diseased and there they were set before our Lady, looking when she should say: Take vp thy bed and walke. And because she could not intend to speake to them, béeing troubled with so many other suters: they haue béen caried to the Hospitall, & there they haue béen either buried or cured, then such as recouer their health must goe set vp their picture in the Church, howe that the very looking on our Lady hath holpen them. Sūdry other holy Miracles, done by our Lady of Loreto, I could rehearse, but they be so straūge, that no wise body will care for the hearing them: neuerthelesse, the Pope finds her a good swéet Lady of Loreto, for y ^e pilgrimage to her, encreaseth his treasure, many thousāds in a yere.

[Page 50]To Mount Faulcon, The Pyl­grimage to Mount Faulcon, to see Saint Clare. there is an other Pilgrimage, to sée the body of S. Clare, which was buried I knowe not howe many hundred yéeres agoe, and yet the body remaineth whole and sound, without any perishing of bone or skin. I haue béene at this place, and there in a long ritch Tabernacle of glasse, lyeth, as they say, the same body of Saint Clare: the handes and féete are to be séene, which I can aptlie compare to the manner of the Anotomie, whereon the Chirurgions shewe euerie yéere their cunning, as for any flesh, there is none to be séene: but the bare bones, and the withered sinewes, which béeing kept so brauelie as that is, standing styll in one place and neuer mooned, I iudge will continue a great while, & truelie I take it to be some Anotomie, as diuers other haue done, that haue séene it as well as I. The whole body (if there be any) is couered with a gowne of blacke Ueluet, and the head couered, so that none can sée it. The Reli­ques of S. Clare. There lyeth by her, a thing which they say, was her heart, which béeing cleft a sun­der in the middest: the whole torment and passion of Christe, was there in liuelie forme to be séene. Then there is likewise by her, a glasse of her teares, that she shed daylie, in remembrance of the bitter passion of our Sauiour: which teares, they say, are as fresh and swéet, as they were on the first day.

There are a number other Pilgrimages, Other Pil­grimages to diuers places. as to Thu­rine, to sée the winding shéete wherin Christ was layd: wherein, as they say, he hath left the perfect Image of his body. This meruailous Relique, is neuer showen, but once in fouretéen yéere, & then to deceiue the people with the greater aucthority, there must six Cardinalles come thither, and they must holde it abroade for euerie one to sée it, no other but they may presume to touch it. To Paris, to Saint Dennis in Fraunce, to Poiters, and a nūber other places there be daylie Pilgrimages, to sée [Page 52] a number like Reliques, as I haue declared before: all these helpe to vpholde the Pope, least his kingdome should decay, and so his vsurping title be cleane worne out of memorie.

A newe Pilgrimage risen vp in Roome, cal­led Madon­na di Mōte.But now you shall heare of a newe prop and piller, wherewith the Pope is & will be meruailously streng­thened, that is risen vp little more then two yéere since: and at this newe holie place▪ is wrought miracles of great accoumpt. In the yéere of our Lord .1580. a­bout the time of Easter, a certayne poore man, one that sawe the simplicitie of the people, howe apt they were to beléeue euerie fayned inuention: he béeing a subtile and craftie fellowe, thought he would come in with some deuise of his owne, whereby he might yet a great deale of money, & beside, be canonized for a Saint when he dyed.

He hauing concluded his practise, with diuers other craftie companions, as subtile as him selfe, who should maintaine all that he did deuise: fayned him selfe to dreame in his Bed, that a vision appeared to him, wyl­ling him to make cleane his house, and to fall downe and reuerence an olde picture of our Lady, which stoode in his house, when presentlie there should be meruai­lous miracles accomplished there. His companions noised this abroade, adding thereto such admirable pro­testation of spéeche, as euerie one that heard thereof, conceiued no small cause of wundering. This afore­sayd vision appeared to this man twise, all in one man­ner, by which time it was spread abroade sufficientlie: so that when it came the thirde time, he did according as the voice bade him, he arose, made cleane his house, and fell downe and worshipped the Picture of our La­dy.

His companions had some of them, bound vp their legs, & went on Croutches, some of them fayned them [Page 53] selues to be blinde: Miracles very strāge­ly wrought. so that they came no sooner before our Lady, but the lame recouered his legges, and the blinde his sight. Then those fewe Croutches, that these counterfeit fellowes came withall, where hung vp by the Picture, and a number more, to make the people beléeue so many lame folkes were healed, and likewise the reporte of the blinde that receiued theyr sight, so that it was thought a meruailous number were healed, at this new found holie place.

Upon this, the resort of people thither, Note the meruailous ignoraunce of these people. was truelie incredible: Gentlemen would come thither, and there hang vp their veluet Cloakes, as an offering to our Lady: Gentlewomen, would come thither bare foote and bare legged, & there hang vp their veluet Gownes, their silke Gownes, with other costlie apparell, and goe home againe in their Peticoates. As for the money, Iuelles, and other treasure daylie offered there, it was most meruailous to sée: for therewith they haue builded a verie fayre Church where this house stoode. When they sawe they were growen so ritch, they made no ac­coumpt of the olde Picture, wherwith all the aforesayd miracles were done: but they erected a costly Aultar, and theron made a sumptuous new Picture of our La­dy, which the people doo daylie honour with meruailous resort. This is faithfully affirmed by one Iohn Young an Englishe man, who not long since came home from Roome, & while he was there, he well noted the impu­dencie of our English men, in landing & extolling this place, and the miracles there wrought: so that they as certainlie beléeue in those miracles, as any Christian dooth in God.

This Iohn Young, once questioned with one of the English Préestes, why God dyd not as well suffer such miracles to be done by his Son Iesus Christ, as altoge­ther by our Lady: wherto y ^e Préest aunswered. Because [Page 54] among the Heretiques, A wise aun­swer of an Englishe man. they vse little or no reuerende regard to our Lady, but rather despise & contempne her: therefore it is the will of God, to witnesse the power & heauenlie aucthoritie she hath, by these and many such miracles, bothe héere and in diuers other places, rather then by his sonne Christe. Héere may euerie good Chri­stian, beholde the horrible abuses, vsed among this Sa­thanicall crew: their Pilgrimages, their Reliques, and all their craftie inuentions, is to be meruailed, that people will be so fonde as to beléeue.

As for the Nayles wherwith our Sauiour was nai­led on the Crosse, it is euidentlie registred by learned writers, that they were no more in number then thrée: yet I am sure in Roome, there is aboue a dozen nayles, dispearsed there through diuers Churches, and they are not ashamed to say, that with euery one of those nailes, Christe was nayled vpon the Crosse.

Helena, the mother of Constātine, the Empe­rour, found the Crosse of Christe, and gaue the nailes to her sonne.And for those thrée Nayles, wherwith Christe was nayled on the Crosse, Platina recordeth, that Quéene Helena the mother of Constantine the Emperour, sear­ching in the ground, by chaunce found the Crosse wher­on Christ was crucified, & wherin the Nayles were stil sticking, for which cause she builded there a Temple in the same place, where she found the Crosse. All these Nayles she gaue to her sonne Constantine, which he be­stowed in this order. One of them he caused to be faste­ned in the bridle of his Horse, whereon he rode to the warres: an other he made to be wrought into his Hel­met, in the place where he set his Plume of Feathers: and the third he vsed to carie about with him, tyll on a tyme he sayling on the Hardriaticum Sea, a tempest a­rose, so that the Sea wexed verie rough, wherevpon he cast the Nayle therein, to asswage the rage thereof. Thus haue you heard what became of the thrée nailes, wherwith our Sauiour was nayled on the Crosse: and [Page 55] yet it may be, that the Nayle which Constantine threw into the Sea (according as Ambrose dooth likewise af­firme it was) tooke vpon it the nature of a Fishe, and spawned a great many of other Nayles, whereof those may be some, that are helde for such holy Reliques. And because you shall not doubt whether this be the opiniō of Platina or no: I will héere set downe the woords ac­cording as they be in his workes. Platina in vitis Ponti­ficum, et in vita Siluestri primi. Anno. 339. ab vrbe condi­ta. 1191. Helena vero aedificato, eo in loco Templo vbi Cru­cem repererat, abiens, clauos quibus Christi corpus Cruci affixum fuerat, secum ad filium portat. Horum ille vnum in froenos Equi transtulit, quibus in praelio vteretur: alio pro cono galia vicbatur: tertium in mare Hadriaticum (vt ait Ambrosius) ad compescendas saeuiētis maris procellas deiecit.

Bishoppe Iuell, Bishoppe of Salisburie, preaching at Paules Crosse, A Sermon of Bishop Iuell, at Pauls crosse. in the beginning of her Maiesties reigne, tooke occasion by his Text, to entreate of a company of the Popishe Reliques, where among he named the Nayles, that nailed Christe on the Crosse, what a com­pany the Papistes had of them: two in one place, two in an other, and héere one, and there an other, so that he could reckon to the number of seuentéen, that they had. And then he tolde, how at a Uisitation in his Diocesse, he found a Nayle at a Gentlemans house, which the Gentleman and diuers of his fréendes, did worship and reuerence, for one of y ^e Nayles wherwith Christe was nayled on the Crosse: from him he tooke it, and sayd, I haue already reckoned seuentéene in diuers places, and this is the eightéene, which he pulled foorth, and shewed it to all the people. This is the marchandize of Roome: from reposing any credite in them, or him that is the Capitoll maister of them, Good Lord deliuer vs.

HAuing promised before in my Booke, to rehearse after what māner the English men and Welshe men fell at variance in the Colledge: I thought good to driue off the time no further, but euen héere to set downe how and in what sort it was. The Pope when he erected the Colledge, gaue it the name of the Englishe Colledge, so that he suppo­sed the Welshe and Englishe, to be all as one, in that they came all out of one Countrey, allowing them his liberalitie ioyntlie togeather. Now, in déede there are sundrie Welsh Doctors in Roome, who haue béen lon­gest, & of greatest familiaritie with the Cardinall Mo­rone, who was the Protector of the English Colledge, to whome likewise he allowed greatest fauour, so that imboldening them selues vppon him, the Welsh men would be Lordes ouer the English men, and vse them according as they thought good.

Doctour Morris, fauoured more his own Coun­treymen then Eng­lishmen.Doctor Morris, béeing a Welsh man, and Custos of the Hospitall or Colledge, would allowe his owne Coūtreimen greater preheminence then English men: [Page 57] which indéede they began to stomack, and would not esteme him for their gouernour, but rather sought to haue the Iesuites to rule them, by whom they applied their studies, and beside, they woulde bee indifferent men on eyther parte.

When I had béene there a pretty while, I know not how Doctor Morris conceiued anger against me, but he would not suffer me to tarry any longer in y ^e Colledge. As for my fellow, his sinceritye in their religion was such, his naturall disposition so agréeable with theirs, and euery thing hee did esteemed so well: that Doctor Morris would suffer him willingly to remain there, but he could not abide me in any case. The Schollers vn­derstanding this, as well they that bare me affection, as they that made least account of me, agréed to take my parte, saying. That if Doctor Morris would put euery Englishman, he thought good on, out, in short time the Colledge would be all Welshmen: so they bad me stick to them and if I went away, they would goe away too.

Beside, they mooued a certaine spéech amongst them­selues, that if I were not receiued into the Colledge a­mongst them, The Eng­lish mens policce to keepe me there still. and vsed in euery respect according as they were▪ when I returned into Englande, being knowen to come from Roome, I might be compelled to tell the names of them that were there, and what confe [...]ence I had among them, so that their parentes and fréendes shoulde be discouered, and them selues be knowen against their comming into England. To auoyde therefore any such doubt, vntill they had mee sworne to Preesthood: they would kéepe me there, and th [...] I should be as déepe in any matter as they.

When I perceiued y ^e scope of their deuise, I behaued my selfe more frowardly to Doctor Morris, thē euer I did before: euery thing y ^t I hearde of him, I tolde vnto y ^e Schollers, and taried there dinner & supper in spight of his no [...]e. Where vpon he went and complayned to [Page 58] the Cardinall Morone, howe the Schollers vsed no regarde to him, being their Rector, but maintained one lately come foorth of England, both to scorn at him, and to offer him too much abuse.

This béeing come to the Schollers eare, and howe on the nexte daye they muste appeare before the Cardinall: they determined with themselues all one resolute opinion, which was, that Doctor Mor­ris shoulde bee Rector ouer them▪ no longer, but the Iesuites that were kept in the house for the pro­fite of theyre studies, and vppon this they woulde all stande, denyinge anye Rectorshippe to Doctor Morris,

The Schollers were sent for be­fore the Cardinal, vpon the complaint of Doctor Morris.On the morrowe they were sent for before the Cardinall Morone, where they founde Doctor Morris, and Doctor Lewes, they hauing made sounde theyre tale before they came. When they were come into the presence of the Cardinall and my selfe with them, these, or the verye like spéeches hee vsed vnto vs in Latine.

You Englishmen, what meaneth this great dis­obedience, and vnciuil behauioure you vse in your Colledge? Maister Doctor Morris, a man of aun­cient time, and well estemed heere in the Cittie, be­ing appoynted to bee your Rector, and to gouerne you in a good order, as a greate while hee hath done: you contrarye to looue and duetye, behaue your selues ridiculouslye againste him, and neyther re­specting his credite and countenaunce, nor your owne honestye, determine a mutenie or tumulte amonge your selues. What is the cause of this? you are sent for to manifeste it, wherefore lette mee heare howe you can excuse thys blame layde agaynste you.

Maister Sherwin ▪ who was executed with Campi­on, béeing there estéemed a singular Scholler, bothe for [Page 59] his eloquence, as also his learning: made aunswer for them all after this manner.

I truste my gratious Lorde, by that time you haue hearde, Mayster Sherwins aunswer to the Cardi­nal, on the behalfe of them all. the good cause we haue to stirre in this matter: you will neyther bee offended at our pro­céeding, nor displeased with vs, the cause tending to your owne honoure. It is not vnknowen to you, that the Colledge or Hospitall, which by the grati­ous prouidence of our deere Father the Popes holi­nesse, wee enioye our abydinge in at thys presente: hath béene alwayes allowed suche a sufficient sti­pende, that one shoulde not bee better then an o­ther, or excell his fellowe in common behaui­our.

This moste godlye and holye appointed estate: we both haue béene, and at this present are, content to obeye: but when hee that is the heade shall fayle in hys dutye, and vrge an inconuenience among a qui­et assemblie: no meruayle if the Woorme turne, bée­ing troden vppon, and wee speake, béeing vsed with too much spyght.

Maister Doctor Morris, whose age wee reue­rence, and obeye the title of hys authoritye: dea­ling with vs so vnfréendlye as hee dooth, we can hardlye beare it, muche lesse abyde it. For where his office dooth commaunde him to deale bothe iuste and vprightlye, and to vse no partialitye to eyther, for fauoure or alliaunce: he dooth not onelye abuse the cre­dite of hys authorytye, but also maliciouslye deale with vs, who haue not so much as vsed an euil thought against him.

When any Englishman commeth to the Hospi­tall, if hys learning bee neuer so good, or hys behaui­oure neuer so decent: excepte hee bee pleased, hee shall not be enterteyned. But if a Welshman come, yf hee bée neuer so vylde a Runnagate, neuer so [Page 60] lewde a person, be can not come so soone as he shall be [...] welcome to him, whither he haue any learning or no, it maketh no matter, Doctor Morris, kinde to his owne Coū ­teromen. he is a Welshman, and hee must be permitted. Then which of vs hath the beste gowne, he must receiue one that is all ragged and torne, and the newcome Welshman must haue the best, because he is the Custos Countreiman: and many nightes hee must haue the Welshmen in his chamber, where they must be merry at theyr good chéere, we glad to sitte in our studies, and haue an ill supper, because M. Doctor wasteth our Commons vpon his owne Countrymen, so that we must be content with a snatch and away.

If there be one bed better then an other, the Welsh­man must haue it, if there be any Chamber more han­some then an other, the Welshman must lodge there: in breefe, the thinges of moste account are the Welsh­mens at commaund.

This maketh many of vs to wish our selues Welshmen, because we woulde gladly haue so good prouision as they, & being Countrymen to our Custos, we should be all vsed a like: excepting Maister Doctors Nephew Morganus Clenokus, he must be in his silke, though all the rest goe in a sacke.

To mittigate therefore all inconueniences, that neither the Englishmen shall be despised▪ They desi­re the Iesu­its for their gouernours. nor the Welsh­men contemned: we desire that the Iesuites in our Col­ledge, may receiue the Rectorship, they labour for the profit of our studies, and they being none of our nation or country, will sée equity vsed to eyther side: so, our dis­corde shall be quietly reformed, our Colledge a great deale better gouerned, our selues be encouraged to im­ploye vs more willingly to our studies, and wee shall ioyntly liue together in quietnes. Where other wife, our emulation shall be knowen at home in our Coun­try, how we fall at variaunce héere, and can not agrée: and then shall our names bee knowen, our parentes [Page 61] and fréendes openly discouered, then what the end will be, I leaue to your honorable iudgement.

When the Cardinall had heard this discourse, (bée­ing greatly affected to Doctor Morris, The Car­dinall so af­fected Doc­tor Morris, that he shoulde not leaue his Rector­shippe. thorow his long abiding in Roome) he would not graunt that he should be put from his office, but bad thē depart home again; and shew themselues obedient to the Rector, that both the Pope and him selfe had appointed, promising if hee heard any more disturbaunce, hee would informe the Pope of it, which should bee but small to their profite.

So the Cardinall not minded to heare them any lon­ger at that time, they departed home to the Colledge, greatly offended with them selues that they had spedde no better. And now, I must out of the Colledge, there was no other remedy: but yet thorowe entreaty of the Iesuites, I had leaue for a fortnight to lye in a verye swéete Chamber, filled with old rusty Iron, and all the trash of the house was put into that Chamber, béeing a vacāt place, & seruing for no other purpose, because it was next to the cōmon house of office, which ayred the Chamber with so swéete a perfume: that but for names sake of a Chamber, and feare of catching some disease, I had rather haue lyen in the stréete amongst the Beg­gers. Well, froward as I was, so was I frowardlye serued, which I thinke Doctor Morris did, onely to tame my youthfulnesse: for in this place, not long be­fore my comming to Roome, there lay one tormented with a Deuill, and so distraught of hys wits, that they were fayne to binde him there in his bed.

So Doctor Morris, séeing I vsed my selfe, both care­lesse of him, Doctor Morris his prouision for my lodg­ing. and with little regarde to theyr Religion▪ yet in such an order as they coulde haue small aduaun­tage of me: chambred me there, where I thinke the Deuill was still left▪ for euery night there was such a coyle among the old Iron, such ratling and throwing downe the Boordes, that with the swéete smell came [Page 62] out of the counting house to my Beddes heade: I lay almost feared out of my wits, and almost choked with that pleasaunt perfume, so that when I was layd in my Bed, I durst not stirre till it was fayre broad day, that I might perceiue euerye corner of my Chamber, whither the Deuill were there or no.

Euery morning the Priests & the Schollers woulde come to visite me, giuing me money to send for my dinner and supper into the Towne: because Doctor Mor­ris myne olde fréende, watched them so néere, that I could not haue so muche as a draughte of Wine in the house. Then I tolde them of the noyse that was euery night in my Chamber, when they verily beléeued, that the Deuill, hauing possessed a Woman on the furder side of the Garden: dyd euery night take vp his lodge­ing in my Chamber among the olde Iron.

Wherefore one night, two of the Priestes came to hallow my Chamber, The preests come with holy water to hallowe my Cham­ber. and broughte their holy water, and their holy Candles, and sprinckled about in euery corner: giuing me also a pot of holy water, to hang by my Beds side, that when I heard the sturre agayne, I should with the sprinckling Brush, throw it about the Chamber. And they gaue me a payre of Beads, wheron I should say sixe Pater nosters, and sixe Aue Mariaes, then they would warraunt me, the noyse would be gon strayght way.

Night came, and supping so well as I coulde, with two Quatrines woorth of Léekes, one Quatrine bestowed in Ricoct, The man­ner of my supper at night. which is harde Cruds to make Chéese, a Bayock in bread, and a demie Boccale, of the Vine Ro­manesco, wherewith I supped so wel as I might, albe­it not so well as I would, yet a little thing serues to quench hunger. I had not béene in my Bedde full an hower and an halfe, not daring to sléepe for feare, nor kéepe my head out of the Bed, because of myne accusto­med ayre: but then began the noyse againe, more vehe­ment [Page 63] then the night before, the olde Iron was flung a­bout the Chamber, the Boordes that leaned against the Wall fell downe, and such a terrible coyle there was, that I thoughte the house woulde haue fallen on my head.

Then I put foorth my hand to throw the holy water about, which did as much good, as the thing is good of it selfe: which set me in such a chase, that to make vp the Musique among the olde Iron. I sent the potte and the holy water, with as much force as I could. As for my Beades, I was so impatient with my selfe, that I gaue them the place which they best deserued: and then I called to old Sir Robert a Welsh Priest, S. Robert a Welsh Prieste, comming to see what was the cause of the noyse, fell o­uer a thre­sholde and b [...]ra [...] hys knee. who lay in a prety Chamber hard by, but before he woulde come▪ the noyse was indifferently pacified. For hee comming with a Candle in his hād, which he vsed to kéepe a light in his Chamber, and béeing in haste, fell ouer a stone thresholde that laye in hys way: so that he burste hys knée verye sore, and coulde not lighte his Candle a­gaine in the spate of an hower, by whych time all was quiet.

The feare I tooke at thys noyse, brought me to bee very weake and sickly, so that I was very vnwillinge to lye there any longer. But Doctor Morris I thanke him was so gentle to me, that he sayde, and if I lyked not my lodgding goe hardly (quoth hee) and lye in the streete, for that place is more méete for thée then a­ny roome in the house.

Howe I receyued these churlishe woordes, I leaue to your iudgementes, but it suffyseth▪ I gaue hym my blessynge, and yf I coulde haue gotten hym foorth of Roome, I woulde haue bumd hym too.

On the nexte daye, vppon an other complaynte of Doctor Morris the Students were all sent for again before the Cardinall▪ who playnly sayd vnto them, that [Page 64] except they would liue in quietnes one with an other, (because there was one Hugh Griffin, a Welshman of a hote nature, and he would many times fall together by the eares with some of the Schollers, that somtime the blood ran about theyr eares) likewise, y ^t they should confesse Doctor Morris for theyr rightfull Rector, and be obedient to what he appoynted: or els to get them away out of Roome.

Well home they came againe, incensed with such anger and choller, that they were nowe more disobedi­ent then before: saying to Doctor Morris, that they would neuer consent vnto him, and therefore prouided them selues to be packing out of Roome ▪ Doctor Mor­ris thinking to bring them violently to his bowe, infor­med the Cardinall so seuerely against them: that they were sent for the third time, when he commaunded thē to prouide themselues, for they should stay no longer in the English Hospitall, but banished them all from the Cittie.

Doctor Morris be­ginneth to offer me gen­tlenes.When they were come to the Colledge, eueryman trussed vp his néedefull thinges, determining on the next morning to departs: then came Doctor Morris to me and my fellow, willing vs to stay, because the o­ther would be gon, and he would stand our fréend mer­uailously Trust me no Sir (quoth I) since you would not stand my fréende when I was in great neede, now I meane not to receiue your courtesie when I care not for it: for since the Students haue stoode my fréendes so much, and you mine enemy so greatly. I will beare a share in their trauaile how euer I spéede. As for my fellow, since you haue looued him all this while, looue him now soo if you please: and let him stay & doo what you thinke best, for I haue tolde you my minde.

The Eng­lishmen a­uoide the Colledge.Well, on the morrow morning wee went our way, with bag and baggage, to an Englishmans house in the Cittie, and as I remember, his name was M. Creede, [Page 65] Creed, where to make ready our dinner▪ euerie one tooke an office vpon him, one to fetch milke, an other to make ready Rice for the pottage, some to make the fire: so that euerie one was imployed till our dinner was dispatched. Then they concluded to buie euerie man an Asse, to carrie his Bookes and his cloathes vpon, as for money, there were Gentlemens sonnes of such credite amongst them, that Doctor Moorton, and the Gentle­men in the Cittie, would prouide them with as good as fiue hundred Crownes quicklie. Within one hower and a halfe after dinner, The Schollers sent for before the Pope. came Father Alfonso the Iesuit of the English Colledge, whome the Students had cho­sen, and made sute to be their Rector: he, I say, came running in such haste, that he could hardly tell his tale, because he was almost out of breath. But this was the summe of his newes, that the Popes holinesse had sent for them in all the haste, and they must delay no time, but come to him with all spéede possible.

Then we went with him to the Popes Pallace, where comming into the Popes Chamber, and hauing euerie one kissed his foote: we stayde to attende what was his pleasure. But before he spake any woorde, with a dissembling and hippocriticall countenaunce, he fell into teares, which trickled downe his white beard: and began in Latin with these, or the very like woords. O you English men, to whome my looue is such, as I can no way vtter, considering that for me you haue left your Prince, which was your duetie, and come so farre to me, which is more then I can deserue: yet as I am your refuge, when persecution dealeth straightly with you in your Countrey, by reason of the hereticall Reli­gion there vsed, so will I be your Bulwarke to defend you, your guide to protect you, your Father to nourish you, and your fréend with my hart blood to doo you any profite.

[Page 66]Beholde, what deceites the deuill hath to accomplish his desire? teares, smoothe spéeches, liberallitie, and a thousand meanes: to make a man carelesse of God, dis­obedient to his Prince, and more, to violate vtterlie the faith of a Subiect. These teares that he shed, these woordes that he spake, made diuers of them say within them selues, as one of them for example, presentlie to me sayde.

The words of one of the Schollers.Oh singuler Saint, whose life, looue, and liberalitie, may be a spectacle to the whole world. Who would liue in England, vnder the gouernment of so vile a Ie­zabell: and may rest in safetie▪ vnder the perfect Image of Iesus? who would not forsake Father, Mother, fréends, goods, yea, and the life it selfe: to haue the boun­tifull blessing of such a prouident Father? The Pope recouering his health againe from his wéeping: caused this deuout fellowe to stay his talke, because he began againe as thus.

What is the cause that you will depart from me, that haue so well prouided for you: to thrust your selues on the rocke of your owne destruction? Then Maister Sherwin began, and tolde him all the dealinges of Doc­tor Morris towarde them, according as he had done be­fore to the Cardinall, and how they would haue the Ie­suites for their Gouerneurs, for the causes before men­tioned. Upon these woordes the Pope started out of his Chayre. The Pope supposed Englishmē and Welshemen, all as one. Why (quoth he) I made the Hospitall for Englishe men, and for their sake I haue giuen so large exhibition: and not for the Welsh men. Returne to your Colledge againe, you shall haue what you will desire, and any thing I haue in the worlde to doo you good.

Then he commaunded one of the chéefe Gentlemen of his Chamber, to goe with vs, and to certifie the Popes minde to Doctor Morris, and so giuing vs his [Page 67] benedicton, we all went merilie againe to the Col­ledge.

The Gentleman gaue Doctour Morris to vnder­stande, he must be Rector no longer, the Iesuite named Father Alfonso, whom the Schollers had chosen, must haue his office, then were the Schollers glad, that they had gotten the victorie of the Welshmen.

On the morrowe, The Popes lyberallite. the Pope sent fowre hundred Crownes, to newe reparation the house, to buie the Students all néedefull thinges that they wanted, and the house must no longer be called a Colledge, but a Seminarie.

Then Cardinall Morone, because Doctor Morris should not loose all his dignitie, caused the house to be parted, and so made bothe a Seminarie for the Studi­entes, and an Hospitall for the entertainement of Eng­lishe Pilgrimes when they came, whereof Doctor Morris continued Custos, by the Popes appoint­ment.

Thus was the strife ended, and my selfe and my fel­lowe, admitted by the Popes owne consent, to be Schollers there: but yet the sicknesse I gotte, with lying in my former Chamber, hung styll vppon mée, so that I was then remooued to a verie fayre Chamber, where the Schollers euery daye would come and visite me, vntyll such tyme as I reco­uered my health againe.

DUring the time of Shroue­tide, there is in Roome kept a verie great coyle, which they vse to call the Carne va­le, which endureth the space of thrée or fowre dayes, all which time, the Pope kée­peth him selfe out of Roome, so great is the noyse and hur­lie burlie. The Gentlemen: will attire them selues in diuers formes of apparell, some lyke Women, other lyke Turkes, and euerie one almost in a contrarie order of disguising: and eyther they be on Horsebacke, or in Coatches▪ none of them on foote, for the people that stand on the grounde to sée this pastime, are in verie great daunger of their liues, by reason of the running of Coatches and great Hor­ses, as neuer in all my life did I sée the lyke sturre. And all this is done where the Courtezanes be, to shew them delight and pastime, The Burdella, helpes to maintaine the Pope. for they haue Couerlettes layde out at their windowes, whereon they stand lea­ning foorth, to receiue diuers deuises of Rosewater, and swéete odours in their faces, which the Gentlemen will throwe vp to their windowes.

During this time, euery one weareth a disguised visor on his face, so that no one knowes what or whēce they [Page 69] be: and if any one beare a secrete mallice to an other, he may then kill him, & no body will lay hands on him, for all this time they will obey no lawe. I sawe a braue Romaine, who rode there verie pleasant in his Coatch, and suddenlie came one, who discharged a Pistoll vpon him, yet no body made any accoumpt, eyther of the murderer, or the slaine Gentleman: beside, there were diuers slaine, bothe by villanie, and the Horsses or the Coatches, yet they continued on their pastime, not ma­king any regard of them.

The first daye of their Carne vale, the Iewes in Roome cause an Ensigne to be placed at the Capitoll, The Iewes haue small pa­stime in this. But it is an or­der that they must doo, whether they wyll or no. where likewise they appoint certaine wagers at their owne coastes: and then they runne starke naked from Porta populo vnto the Capitoll for them, the which I iudge aboue a myle in length. And all the way, they gallop their great Horsses after them, and carie goades with sharpe pointes of stéele in them: wherewith they will pricke the Iewes on the naked skin, if so be they doo not runne faster then their Horsses gallop, so that you shall sée some of their backs all on gore blood. Then he that is foremost, and soonest commeth to the Capi­toll, he is set on a Horse backe without any saddle, one going before him carying the Ensigne: but then you shall sée a hundred boyes, who haue prouided a number of Orrenges, they will so pelt the poore Iewe, that be­fore he can got vp to the Capitoll, he will be beaten be­side his Horse fowre or fiue times.

The next day, there are certaine of the Christians that runne naked likewise, but no body pursueth them, either with Horse or Coatch: and the wager they run for▪ the Iewes must pay likewise▪ Then the Buffell and the Asse runneth, but it is vnpossible for me to tell all the knauerie vsed about this: and therefore thus much shall suffise of the Carne vale, letting you vnder­stand, [Page 70] that they who were most knauishlie disposed in this sporte, on Ash wednesday came to take Ashes in such méeke order, as though it had neuer béene they.

ON Maunde Thursday, the Pope commeth into his Gallerie ouer Saint Peters, sitting in the Chayre wherwith he is caried on mennes shoulders: and there he hath a great painted holie Candle in his hande bur­ning, when as a Cardinall on eche side of him, the one in Latin, the other in Italian, sigeth the Popes gene­rall malediction.

There he cursseth the Turke, and her Maiestie, our most gratious Princesse and Gouernesse, The Popes cursses will returne to him selfe. affirming her to be farre wurse then the Turke, or the cruellest Ti­raunt that is. He cursseth likewise all Caluinians, Lutherans, Zwinglians, and all that are not according to his disposition. When he hath curssed all that he can, saying, Amen, he letteth the Candle fall: when as the people will skamble for it, and euerie one catch a lyttle péece if they can, yea, our English men will be as busie as the best, and one of them chaunced to gette a péece of the waxe of the Candle, whereof he made such a brag­ging when he came to the Colledge, UUas this the part of a Subiect? as you will not thinke, that he had got a péece of the Candle, wherwith the Quéene of England was curssed, and that he would kéepe it so long as he liued.

The man­ner of the Flagellāte.The same night a number of the basest people, and most wicked liuers that be amongst the people, gather them selues togeather in companies: as the company of the Holie Ghost, the companie of Charitie, the cōpany of Death, and such like, euerie company their Crucifix be­fore them, their singers following them, on eyther side a number of burning Torches, and thus they goe all whipping them selues.

First they go vp into the Popes Pallace, & then down [Page 71] into Saint Peters Church, which is all adorned with a number of waxe lyghtes: and there on the toppe of an Aultar standeth a couple of Cardinalles, who sheweth them the holie Handkercher, A fine peece of knauerie, to deceyue the people. or Vultus sanctus, (which in déede is nothing but a liuelie painted Picture, ouer­shaddowed with a couple of fine Lawnes, and no body must desire to sée it vncouered, because they say no body is able to endure the brightnesse of the fare, a number haue séene it, and haue béene the wurse a great whyle after) and all the while that bothe this, and the Speare head is showne, they will whippe them selues before them verie gréeuouslie, and giue a generall clamor tho­rowe the Church: Misericordia, Misericordia, Tu au­tem Domine miserere nobis: and in this order they con­tinue almoste the whole night. This is the glorie of the Pope, the blindnesse of the people, and the great follie of our English men, to bring them selues within the compasse of such wicked order of lyfe.

God continue his loouing and fatherlie countenaunce ouer Englande: blesse and preserue her Maiestie, and her Honourable Councell: and exercise vs all in feare to him, obedience to her, and faithfull and continuall looue to our neigh­bours, Amen.

ABout the time of Midsom­mer, in the yéere. 1581. one Richard Atkins, a Hartfoord shyre man, came to Roome, and hauing found the Eng­lishe Colledge, he knocked at the doore, when as diuers of the Studentes came to wel­come him, knowing that he was an Englishe man. A­mong other talke, they willed him to goe to y ^e Hospital, and there to receiue his meate and lodging, according as the order was appointed, whereto he aunswered. I come not (my Countreymen) to any such intent as you iudge, His coun­cell to his Countrey­men. but I come loouinglie, to rebuke the great misorder of your liues, which I gréeue to heare, and pittie to beholde. I come likewise to let your prowde Antechrist vnderstand, that he dooth offende the heauen­lie Maiestie, rob God of his honour, and poysoneth the whole world with his abhominable blasphemies: ma­king them homage Stocks and Stones, and that filthy Sacrament, which is nothing else but a foolish Idoll.

When they heard these woordes, one Hugh Griffin, a [Page 73] Welshe man, and a Student in the Colledge, caused him to be put in the Inquisition: where, howe they ex­amined him, and how he aunswered them, I know not, but after certayne dayes he was set at lybertie againe.

And one day going in the stréete, he met a Préest ca­rying the Sacrament, which offending his cōscience, to 1 sée the people so croutch and knéele to it: His at­tempt, to smite downe the Sacra­ment. he caught at it to haue throwne it downe, that all the people might sée what they worshipped. But missing his purpose, and béeing iudged by the people, that he did catch at the holinesse, that (they say) commeth from the Sacrament, vppon méere deuotion: he was let passe, and nothing sayde to him.

Fewe dayes after, he came to Saint Peters Church, 2 where diuers Gentlemen & other, were hearing Masse, and the Préest béeing at the eleuation: His at­tempte in S. Peters Church. he vsing no re­uerence, stepped amongst the people to the Aultar, and threwe downe the Challice with the Wine, striuing likewise to haue pulled the Cake out of the Préestes handes. For which, diuers rose vp, and beate him with their fystes, and one drew his Rapier, and would haue slaine him: so that in bréefe, he was caried to prison, where he was examined, wherefore he committed such an hainous offence: whereto he aunswered, that he came purposelie for that intent, to rebuke the Popes wickednesse, and their Idolatrie. Upon this, he was condempned to be burned: which sentence he sayde, he was right willing to suffer, and the rather, because the summe of his offence, pertayned to the glorie of God.

During the time he remained in prison, sundry Eng­lish men came vnto him, Our Eng­lish mennes labouring to him, and his perswa­ding them. willing him to be sory for that he had done, and to recant from his dampnable opiniō: but all the meanes they vsed were in vaine, he confuted their dealinges by diuers places of Scripture, & willed them to be sorie for their wickednesse, whyle God dyd [Page 74] permit them time, else they were in daunger of euer­lasting dampnation: these woordes made the Englishe men depart, for they could not abide to heare them.

3 Within a while after, he was set vpon an Asse, with­out any saddle, His going to execution. he béeing from y ^e middle vpward naked, hauing some English Préests with him, who talked to him, but he regarded them not, but spake to y ^e people in so good language as he could, and tolde them they were in a wrong way, and therfore willed them for Christes cause, to haue regard to the sauing of their soules.

All the way as he went, there were fowre did nothing else, but thrust at his naked body with burning Tor­ches: whereat he neither mooued nor shrunke one iote, but with a chéerefull countenaunce, laboured styll to perswade the people, Oh mer­uailous pa­tience, and Christian boldnesse. often bending his body to méete the Torches as they were thrust at him, & would take them in his owne hand, and holde them burning styll vppon his body, whereat the people not a little wun­dered. Thus he continued almost the space of halfe a mile, tyl he came before Saint Peters, where the place 4 of Execution was. When he was come to the place of Execution, there they had made a deuise, not to make the fire about him, but to burne his legges first, which they did, he not dismaying any whit, but suffe­red all meruailous chéerefully, which mooued the people to such a quandarie, as was not in Roome many a day. Then they offered him a Crosse, They offerd him a Cros to imbrace. and willed him to im­brace it, in token that he dyed a Christian: but he put it away with his hand, telling them, that they were euill men to trouble him with such paltrie, when he was preparing him selfe to God, whome he behelde in Ma­iestie and Mercie, ready to receaue him into the eternal rest. They séeing him styll in that minde, departed, saying: Let vs goe, and leaue him to the deuill, whome he serues. Thus ended this faithfull Soldier and Mar­tir [Page 75] of Christe: who is no doubt in glorie with his Mai­ster, whereto God graunt vs all to come. Amen.

THis is faithfullie auouched by the aforesayde Iohn Young, who was at that time, and a good while after in Roome, in seruice with Maister Doctor Moorton: who séeing the Martirdome of this man, when he came home to his house, in the presence of Maister Smithson, Maister Creed, and the sayd Iohn Young his seruaunt, spake as followeth. Surely, this fellow was meruai­lous obstinate, he nothing regarded the good councell was vsed to him, nor neuer shrunke all the way, when the Torches were thrust at his naked body. Beside, at the place of Execution, he did not faint or crie one iote in the fire, albeit they tormented him verie cruelly, and burned him by degrées, as his legges first, to put him to the greater pain, yet all this he did but smile at. Doubt­lesse, but that the woord of God can be but true, else we might iudge this fellowe to be of God: for who could haue suffered so much paine as he did? but truely I be­léeue the deuill was in him.

Beholde (good Reader) how they doubt among them selues, and because they will not speake against their Maister the Pope, they inferre y ^e mighty power of God, vpon the deuill: but he no doubt one day will scatter the chaffe, & gather his chosen Corne into his Garner. That we may be of this good Corne, let vs defie the Pope, his hellish abhominations, continue in our duetie to God, faithfull obedience to her Maiestie, and vnity among vs all as Brethren: and then no doubt but we shall enter the land of the liuing, to our eternall comfort and consolation.

The Picture heerin adioyned, dooth liuely decipher the order of the Martirdom, of the aforesaid Richard At­kins, at Roome.