than the truth of Christ s gospel) was brought before the bishop, at his manor of Fulham, the 2d day of December, where in his chapel he examined him upon these articles, collected against him by Horsey and his accomplices :

1. That he had read, taught, preached, published, and obstinately defended, against the laws of Almighty God, that tithes, or paying tithes, was never ordained to be due, saving only by the covetousness of priests.

2. That he had read, taught, preached, published, and obstinately defended, that bishops and priests are the scribes and pharisees that crucified Christ and condemned him to death.

3. That he had read, taught, preached, &c., that bishops and priests are teachers and preachers, but no doers nor fulfillers of the law of God; but catching, ravening and taking all things, and ministering and giving nothing.

4. Where and when one Joan Baker was detected and abjured of many great heresies, as appears by her abjuration, the said Richard Hunne said, published, taught, preached, and obstinately took upon him to say, that he would defend her and her opinions, if it cost him five hundred marks.

5. Afterwards, when Joan Baker, after her abjuration, was enjoined open penance, according to her demerits, the said Richard Hunne said, published, taught, and obstinately defended her, saying, the bishop of London and his officers have done open wrong to Joan Baker in punishing her for heresy; for her sayings and opinions are according to the laws of God: wherefore the bishop and his officers are more worthy to be punished for heresy than she.

6. That the said Richard Hunne has in his keeping divers English Books, prohibited and condemned by the law; as the apocalypse in English, epistles and gospels in English, Wickliff's damnable works, and other books containing infinite errors, in which he has been for a long time accustomed to read, teach, and study daily.

Particular answer to these several objections in the register I find none, saving that under them there is written in his name, with a different hand, these words: "As to these articles, I have not spoken them as they are here laid; however I have unadvisedly spoken words somewhat sounding to the same effect, for which I am sorry, and ask God's mercy, and submit me to my Lord's charitable and favourable correction." Which they affirm to be written with Hunne's own hand: but how likely to truth that is, let the discreet wisdom of the reader judge by the whole sequel of this process. And further, if it were his own act, what occasion then had they so cruelly to murder him as they did, seeing he had already so willingly confessed his fault, and submitted himself to the charitable and favourable correction of the bishop?

This examination being ended, the bishop sent him back again the same day unto the Lollards' Tower; and then, by the appointment of Dr. Horsey his chancellor, he was committed from the custody of Charles Joseph the somner, to John Spalding the bell-ringer, a man by whose simpleness the subtle chancellor thought to bring his devilish homicide the easier to pass; which he most cruelly did, by his suborned ministers, within two nights after, as is proved, by the inquiry, and final verdict of the coroner of London and his inquest. But when this usual practice of the papists was once accomplished, there were wanted no secret shifts nor worldly-wiles for the crafty colouring of this mischief: and therefore the next morning after they had, in the night, committed this murder, Spalding got himself out of the way into the city, and leaving the keys of the prison with one of his fellows, desired him to deliver them to the somner's boy who used to carry to Hunne his meat and other necessaries; thinking that the boy, first finding the prisoner dead, and hanged as they left him, they might by his relation be thought free from having any hand in this matter. Which happened in the beginning almost as they wished. For the boy the same morning, accompanied with two of the bishop's somners, went about ten o'clock into the prison, to serve the prisoner as he was wont to do; and when they came up, they

found him hanged with his face towards the wall. They, astonished at this sight, immediately told the chancellor, who was then in the church, and watching, I suppose, for such news; he forthwith got certain of his colleagues, and went with them into the prison, to see that which his own wicked conscience knew full well before, as was afterwards plainly proved, although he then made a fair face to the contrary, blazing abroad among the people by their officers and servants, that Hunne had hanged himself. However the people having good experience of the honest life and godly conversation of the man, and also of the devilish malice of his adversaries the priests, judged rather, that he was secretly murdered by their procurement. On this there arose great conten tion; for the bishop of London on one side, taking his clergy's part, affirmed stoutly that Hunne had hanged himself: the citizens again on the other side, suspecting some secret murder, caused the coroner of London, according to law, to choose an inquest, and to take view of the dead body, and so to try the truth of the matter. As the bishop and his chaplains were then driven to extremity of shifts: and therefore wishing by some subtle show of justice to stop the mouths of the people, they determined, that while the inquest was occupied about their charge, the bishop should for his part proceed ex officio, in case of heresy against the dead person; supposing, that if the party were once condemned of heresy, the inquest durst not then but find him guilty of his own death, and so clearly acquit them from all suspicion of murder. This determination of theirs they immediately put in practice, in order as follows:

Besides the articles before mentioned, which they affirm were objected against him in his life-time, Dr. Horsey, the bishop of London's vicar general, now after his death collected others out of the prologue of his English Bible, which he diligently perused, not to learn any good thing, but to get thereout such matter as he thought might best serve their cursed purpose, as appears by the tenor of the articles, which are these:

1. The book condemns all holy canons, calling them ceremonies and statutes of sinful men, and calls the pope, Satan and antichrist.

2. It condemns the pope's pardons, saying they are but impositions.

3. The said book of Hunne saith, that kings and lords called christian in name, and heathen in conditions, defile the sanctuary of God, bringing clerks full of covetousness, heresy and malice, to stop God's law, that it cannot be known, kept, and freely preached.

4. The book saith, that lords and prelates pursue fully and cruelly them that would teach truly and freely the law of God, and cherish them that preach sinful men's traditions and statutes, by which he means the holy canons of Christ's church.

5. That poor and simple men have the truth of the holy scriptures, more than a thousand prelates, and religious men, and clerks of the school.

6. That christian kings and lords set idols in God's house, and excite the people to idolatry.

7. That princes, lords, and prelates so doing, are worse than Herod that pursued Christ, and worse than the Jews and heathen men that crucified Christ.

8. That every man, swearing by our lady, or any other saint or creature, gives more honour to the saints than to the Holy Trinity, and so they are idolaters.

9. He saith that saints ought not to be honoured. 10. He condemns adoration, prayer, kneeling, and offering to images, which he calls stocks and stones. 11. He saith, that the very body of the Lord is not contained in the sacrament of the altar, but that men receiving it shall thereby keep in mind that Christ's flesh was wounded and crucified for us.

12. He condemns the university of Oxford, with all degrees and faculties in it, as arts, civil and canon laws, and divinity; saying, that they hinder the true way to come to the knowledge of the laws of God and holy scripture.

13. He defends the translation of the Bible and holy scripture into the English tongue, which is prohibited by the laws of our holy mother church.

These articles thus collected, as also the others before specified, they caused, for a shew of their pretended justice and innocency, to be openly read the next Sunday, by the preacher at Paul's- Cross, and having now, as they thought, sufficient matter against him, they purposed to proceed to his condemnation.

Accordingly, the bishop of London, accompanied by the bishops of Durham and Lincoln, sat in judgment on Richard Hunne, the sixteenth day of December, taking as witnesses of their proceedings, six public notaries, his own register, and about twenty-five doctors, abbots, priors, and priests, with a great rabble of other common anointed catholics. Where after a solemn proclamation, that if there were any that would defend the opinions and books of Richard Hunne, they should presently appear and be heard according to law, he commanded all the articles and objections against Hunne openly to be read before the assembly: and then perceiving that none durst appear in his defence, by the advice of his assistants, he pronounced the sentence definitive against the dead carcase, condemning it of heresy, and therewith committed the same to the secular power, to be by them burned accordingly. Which ridiculous decree was accomplished in Smithfield the twentieth day of December, sixteen days after they had barbarously murdered him, to the great grief and indignation of all the people.

Notwithstanding after all this tragical and cruel handling of the dead body, and their fair show of justice, yet the inquest never stayed their diligent searching out of the true cause and means of his death. So that when they had been several times called before the king's privy council, (his majesty himself being sometimes present) and also before the chief judges and justices of the realm, and that the matter being thoroughly examined and perceived to be much bolstered up by the clergy, was wholly committed to their determination, they found by good proof and sufficient evidence, that Doctor Horsey, the chancellor; Charles Joseph, the somner; and John Spalding, the bell ringer, had privily and maliciously committed this murder, and therefore indicted them all three as wilful murderers. However, through the earnest suit of the bishop of London to Cardinal Wolsey, means were found that at the next sessions of gaol delivery, the king's attorney pronounced the indictment against Doctor Horsey to be false and untrue, and him not guilty of the murder, who, having yet a guilty conscience, durst never after for shame come again to London.

But now

that the truth of all this may seem more manifest and plain to all men's eyes, here shall follow word by word, the whole enquiry and verdict of the inquest, exhibited by them to the coroner of London, and so given up and signed with his own hand.

The Minutes of the Inquest.

The fifth and the sixth day of December, in the sixth year of the reign of our sovereign lord King Henry VIII. William Barnwell, coroner of London, the day and year above said, within the ward of Castle Baynard of London, assembled an inquest, whose names afterwards appear, and hath sworn them truly to enquire concerning the death of one Richard Hunne, who lately was found dead in the Lollards' Tower within St. Paul's church of London whereupon all we of the inquest together went up into the said tower, where we found the body of the said Hunne hanging upon a staple of iron, in a girdle of silk, with a fair countenance, his head fair combed, and his bonnet sitting right upon his head, with his eyes and mouth fair closed, without any staring, gaping, or frowning, also without any drivelling in any place of his body; whereupon by one assent we all agreed to take down the body of the said Hunne, and as soon as we began to heave the body it was loose, whereby we perceived that the girdle had no knot about the staple, but it was double cast, and the links of an iron chain, which did hang on the staple, were laid upon the girdle whereby he did hang: also the knot of the girdle that went about his neck, stood under his left ear, which caused his head to lean towards his right shoulder. Notwithstanding there

came out of his nostrils two small streams of blood to the quantity of four drops, save only these four drops of blood, the face, lips, chin, doublet, collar, and shirt of the said Hunne was clean from any blood. Also we found that the skin both of his neck and throat, beneath the girdle of silk, was fretted away, with that thing which the murderers had broken his neck with. Also the hands of the said Hunne were marked in the wrists, whereby we perceived that his hands had been bound. Moreover, we found that within the said prison there was no means whereby a man might hang himself, but only a stool, which stool stood upon a bolster of a bed, so unsteady that any man or beast might not touch it so little, but it was ready to fall, whereby we perceived, that it was not possible that Hunne could have hanged himself, the stool so standing. Also all the girdle from the staple to his neck, as well as the part which went about his neck, was too little for his head to come out thereat. Also it was not possible that the soft silken girdle should break his neck or skin beneath the girdle. Also we found in a corner, somewhat beyond the place where he did hang, a great parcel of blood. Also we found upon the left side of Hunne's jacket, from the breast downward, two great streams of blood. within the flap of the left side of his jacket we found a great cluster of blood, and the jacket folden down thereupon, which thing the said Hunne could never fold nor do after he was hanged. Whereby it appeareth plainly to us all, that the neck of Hunne was broken, and the great plenty of blood was shed before he was hanged. Wherefore we all find, by God and our consciences, that Richard Hunne was murdered. Also we acquit the said Richard Hunne of his own death.

Also

"Also there was an end of a wax candle, which, as John, the bell-ringer, saith he left in the prison burning with Hunne that same Sunday at night that Hunne was murdered, which wax candle we found sticking upon the stocks, fair put out, about seven or eight foot from the place where Hunne was hanged, which candle in our opinion was never put out by him, for many likelihoods which we have perceived. Also at the going up of Master Chancellor into the Lollards' Tower, we have good proof that there lay on the stocks a gown, either of murrey, or crimson in grain, furred with shanks, whose gown it was we never could prove, neither who carried it away. All we find, that Master William Horsey, chancellor to my lord of London, hath had at his commandment both the rule and guiding of the said prisoner. Moreover, we all find that the said Master Horsey, chancellor, hath put Charles Joseph out of his office, as the said Charles hath confessed, because he would not deal and use the said prisoner so cruelly, and do to him as the chancellor would have had him to do. Notwithstanding the deliverance of the keys to the chancellor by Charles on the Saturday at night before Hunne's death, and Charles riding out of the town on that Sunday in the morning ensuing, was but a convention made betwixt Charles and the chancellor to colour the murder. For the same Sunday that Charles rode forth, he came again to the town at night, and killed Richard Hunne, as in the depositions of Julian Little, Thomas Chicheley, Thomas Simonds, and Peter Turner, doth appear.

"After colouring of the murder betwixt Charles and the chancellor conspired, the chancellor called to him one John Spalding, the bell-ringer of St. Paul's, and delivered to the same bell-ringer the keys of the Lollards' Tower, giving to the said bell-ringer a great charge, saying, I charge thee to keep Hunne more straightly than he hath been kept, and let him have but one meal a day; moreover, I charge thee let no body come to him without my licence, neither to bring him shirt, cap, kerchief, or any other thing, but that I see it before it come to him.' Also before Hunne was carried to Fulham, the chancellor commanded to be put upon Hunne's neck a great collar of iron, with a great chain, which is too heavy for any man or beast to wear, and long to endure.

64

Moreover, it is well proved, that before Hunne's death the said chancellor came up into the said Lollards'

it that the other party was compelled to forsake the

house.

2. Also, that she spake against pilgrimages, and the worshipping of the blessed Virgin, and of all saints, affirming that there is none holy but one.

3. Also, at another time, in the hearing of one Margaret Anworth, when she and other women were invoking the blessed Virgin, she stood against them, and spake against such invocations.

4. Also, that she speaking against the pilgrimage of our lady of Wilsden (as she was then called) and of St. Saviour at Barmsey, called the said St. Saviour, Sym Sawyer.

5. She was also accused of having two books in English, one bigger, and another lesser, which she committed to one John Anstead, a cook; which books are not named in the register.

6. She was also accused, that once, at a supper, in the hearing of certain men, and of a certain widow, named Joan White, she spake openly in contempt of the sacrament of the altar, saying, that the priests were idolaters, who did lift up the bread over their heads, making the people to worship it, and making the people to believe that it was the Lord's body; and that it was better to eat the altar cloth, if it might be eaten and digested as easily as the other.

Then follow, in the registers, the names of thirty-five persons who were compelled to abjure.

It was objected against one John Southwick, that when a man, named William Rivelay, coming from the church of the Gray-Friars, in London, had said to his wife that he had heard mass, and had seen his Lord God in form of bread and wine over the priest's head; John Southwick answered, " Nay, William, thou sawest not thy Lord God, thou sawest but bread and wine and the chalice." And when Rivelay answered again in the same words as before, saying, "I trust verily that I saw my Lord God in form of bread and wine, and this I doubt not." The other replying again, answered and said as before; "Nay, I tell thee thou sawest but only a figure or sacrament of him, which is in substance bread and wine," &c. This was A.D. 1520. In which year he was compelled to abjure.

All these persons above-named, held and agreed together in one doctrine and religion, against whom five or six special matters were objected, namely, for speaking against worshipping of saints, against pilgrimage, against invocation of the blessed Virgin, against the sacrament of the Lord's body, and for having scripture books in English: which books especially I find to be named, as these, the book of the four evangelists, a book of the epistles of Paul and Peter, the epistle of St. James, the book of the Revelation, and of antichrist, of the ten commandments, and 'Wickliff's Wicket,' with such like.

John Stilman, Martyr.

It would be tedious to recite the great multitude and number of good men and women who, in those days, recanted and abjured about the beginning of King Henry's reign and before: among whom there were some whom the Lord brought back again, and made strong in the profession of his truth, and constant to death; of which number John Stilman was one, who, about the twenty-fourth of September, A.D. 1518, was apprehended and brought before Richard Fitzjames, then bishop of London, at his manor of Fulham, (notwithstanding his former recantation, oath, and abjuration, made about eleven years then past, before Edmund, then bishop of Salisbury,) and was there examined and charged, as well for speaking against the worshipping, praying, and offering unto images; as also for denying the carnal and corporal presence in the sacrament of Christ's memorial: also, that since his former abjuration he had fallen into the same opinions again, and so into the danger of relapse: and further had highly commended and praised John Wickliffe, affirming that he was a saint in heaven, and that his book, called the

"I. I object unto you, that you have confessed before my lord of London and me, Dr. Hed, his vicar-general, that about twenty years, past, one Stephen Moone, of the diocese of Winchester, (with whom you abode six or seven years after) did teach you to believe that the going on pilgrimage and the worshipping of images, as that of the lady of Walsingham and others, were not to be used. And also that afterwards one Richard Smart, who was burned at Salisbury about fourteen years past, did read unto you Wickliff's Wicket,' and likewise instructed you to believe that the sacrament of the altar was not the body of Christ: all which things you have erroneously believed.

"II. You have often read the said book, called Wickliff's Wicket,' and another book of the ten commandments, which Richard Smart did give you, and at the time of your first apprehension you did hide them in an old oak, and did not reveal them unto the bishop of Salisbury, before whom you were abjured of heresy about eleven years since; where you promised, by oath upon the evangelists, ever after to believe and hold as the Christian faith taught and preached, and never to offend again in the said heresies, or any other, upon pain of relapse. And further, you there promised to perform all such penance as the bishop of Salisbury did enjoin you: who then enjoined you upon the like pain, not to depart out of his diocese without his special licence.

"III. It is evident that you are relapsed, as well by your own confession, as also by your deeds, in that about two years after your abjuration you went into the said place where you had hidden your books; and then taking them away with you, you departed from the diocese of Salisbury, without the licence of the bishop, and brought them with you to London, where now being attached and taken with them upon great suspicion of heresy, you are brought to the bishop of London: by reason of your demeanour, you have shewed both your impenitent and dissembled conversion from your errors, and also your unfaithful abjuration and disobedience to the authority of our mother holy church, in that you performed not the penance; in which behalf you are voluntarily perjured, and also relapsed, in that you departed the same diocese without licence.

"IV. You are not only impenitent, disobedient, voluntarily perjured and relapsed by this your heretical demeanour, but also since your last attachment upon suspicion of heresy, you have maliciously spoken erroneous and damnable words, affirming before my lord of London, your ordinary, and me, judicially sitting at Fulham, that you were sorry that you ever abjured your opinions, and had not at first suffered manfully for them, for they were, and are good and true; and therefore you will now abide by them to die for it. And furthermore, you have spoken against our holy father the pope, and his authority, damnably saying that he is antichrist, and not the true successor of Peter, or Christ's vicar on earth; and that his pardons and indulgences, which he grants in the sacrament of penance, are taught, and that you will have none of them. And likewise that the college of cardinals are limbs of antichrist: and that all other inferior prelates and priests are the synagogue of Satan. And moreover you said, that the doctors of the church have subverted the truth of holy scripture, expounding it after their own minds, and therefore their works be naught, and they in hell; but that Wickliff is a saint in heaven, and that the book called his Wicket is good, for therein he shews the truth. Also you did wish that there were twenty thou sand of your opinion, against us scribes and pharisees, to see what you would do for the defence of your faith. All which heresies you did afterwards erroneously affirm