a princesse, to possess this imperial crown of England, and so are we all bounde highlye to thanke him therfore. Trustyng that the same God wil shortlye exalt her Grace, and set her in her perfect dignitie, and plucke downe that Iane, I can not nominate hir Quene, for that I know no other Quenes, but the good Lady Mary, hir Grace, whome God prosper. I heare say, faythfull Gilbard, that the true subject, Sir Edmond Peckhame, is gone, with al his power and treasure, to assist her Grace, Ex fructu scimus quid sit arbor, by the frute, we may knowe what the tree is: So by his frutes, that is by all his doinges we may knowe, what he is, howe true and faythful hath he shewed him selfe to be at al times to Henry theight, of famous memory. What man deserued more commendation then he? He neuer robbed his Grace, when he had al the rule of his treasure: he vsed not to bye siluer for fowre shillinges an once, and make the Kinge paye fiue shillinges fowre pence, as other false traitours did, but loke, what he payd, the Kinge payde no more. He was euer true and faythfull by reporte, aswell of al other, as of hys owne seruauntes. And now for the ful triall of his true hearte, howe hath he showed him selfe to her Grace? Left house, lands, and al, and gone to help her. Truly, we haue to few such faythfull men. I heare also, that ther is come more to helpe her Grace, the Erle of Darbey, the Erle of Oxford, the Erle of Bath, and diuerse other nobles, whiche I can not rehearse nominarly. The God of Hostes, the God of Abraham, prosper them, kepe them, and geue them power to withstand al their enemies, and the moost mighty Lord take part with them (as I do not mistrust for the right sake. I hear no other newes but that here is continually great preparation, and many cartes appoynted to cary harnes and artilery, God send them cuell to spede. The good Erle of Arundel and the Erle of Shrosburye be here still; but, as I am informed, the Erle of Arundel will not consent to none of their doynges. O God, I most hertelye desire thee, heare my praier, kepe and preserue the good Erle of Arundel from the tiranny of that deHouryng beare. For, as thou hast from the beginning endued him with al truth, so doth he stil continue stedfaste in the same, like a worthy noble; preserve hym, I beseche thee, O my God, and geue hym grace still to stande stedfaste. The Erle of Shrosburye beareth hymselfe equal, God kepe hym, and send alth ose, that wold the Ladye Mary to be Quene, long life and pleasure; and they which wold not, I wyshe them the paynes of Satan in hell. I have, faythful Gilbard, scattered abroad thre of the bokes more, aud two also haue I sent into the ragged beares campe; kepe that close which thou hast: The world is daungerons: The great deuell Dudley ruleth, Duke, I shuld haue sayde: wel, let that passe, seing it is oute, but I truste he shall not longe. I have proued, if I could get a M. of them imprinted in some straunge letter, and so a nomber of them to be disparsed abroade. Forasmuch, Gilbard, as I perceaue that thou art straytly kept, and not suffred to haue liberty, I shal brieuely visite the with my letters from time to time. And here, Gilbard, I exhort the to continue in praier, and to take in good parte this yoke, layd vpon thy shoulders, and beare this crosse patiently. For aduersity is a good thinge, and shall make thee to know God the better. For I trust in the Lord, to liue to se the

day her Grace to mary such one, as knoweth what aduersity meaneth, so shal we haue both a merciful Quene and King to their subiects. And wold to God that I might liue, if it so pleased her Grace, to haue an other vertuouse Edward: And God make her Grace fruteful, and send hir frute to inherite the kingdom after her. I promised you to salute your frend Robert in your name; accordingly I haue done, desired hym to pray with you for our Quene Mary, that it wold please the Lord to giue hir the crowne, which she oughte to haue of right. And thus, to breuiate my long processe, I end, desiryng the, my constant Gilbard, not to beholde the gorgiousnes of my letters, which be void of al, but to weygh in an equal payre of ballans the good wil of the writer, who beareth thee no worse wil, then to his owne soule, prayinge God to strengthen thee, and giue thee Grace, to abide faythfull towardes oure most excellent true and only Quene Mary; so shalt thou be assured to haue God thy faythfull frend againe, and, at the last, thou shalt inherit his kingdom: To the which kingdome, bringe both you and me, and vs all. Amen.

Fayre you well.

FINIS. QUOD POORE PRATTE.

Impryuted at London, in Temstrete, ouer agaynste the Stiliardes, at the Signe of the Dobbel Hood, by Hewghe Singelton.*

THE

COMMVNICATION

BETWENE

MY LORD CHAUNCELOR AND IUDGE HALES,

BEING

Among other Iudges to take his Oth in Westminster Hall, Anno 1553, the 6th of October.

Printed in Octavo, containing five Pages.

Queen Mary no sooner found herself secure on the throne, but she presently forgot both her promises to maintain the established religion, and the good services done her in that critical juncture by the Protestants, of which this small piece before us is a flagrant proof.

• At the time when Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen of England, who continued in that Royal State only nine days, in the beginning of July, 1553.

Judge Hales was the only one of that bench who refused to sign that instrument, which transferred the crown to Jane Grey, at the risque, not only of his estate, but of his life also. Yet he was immediately called in question, as you read in the following paper; and, as history further acquaints us, first cast into the Marshalsea, thence removed to the Compter, then to the Fleet, for charging the justices of Kent to conform to the laws of king Edward VI. concerning religion, not yet repealed, or properly for being a sincere protestant.

The Judge, tho', as it appears in this Communication between him and the Chancellor, he preferred a good conscience to his office, the queen's favour, his fortune, and even to his life, was so bitterly persecuted, and, when the warden informed him of the cruelties preparing for those who would not change their religion, his brains turned so, that he endeavoured to kill himself with a pen. knife; and, tho', in this condition, he was set at liberty, he never recovered his senses, and at last drowned himself. See Burnet, tom. II. P. 248.

Chauncelor.

MAS

TASTER HALES, ye shall vnderstand, that like as the Quenes Highnes hath hertofore receiuid good opinion of you, especiallic, for that ye stoode both faithfullie and laufulli in bir cause of iust succession, refusing to set your hande to the booke amonge others that were against hir Grace in that behalfe; so nowe through your owne late desertes, against certain hir Highnes dooinges, ye stande not well in hir Graces fauour. And, therfore, before ye take anie othe, it shall be necessarie for you to make your purgation.

Hales. I praie you, my Lorde, what is the cause?

Chauncelor. Information is geuen, that ye haue indicted certain pristes in Kent, for saling of masse.

Hales. Mi Lorde, it is not so; I indicted none, but indede certaine indictamentes of like matter wer brought before me at the laste assises there holden, and I gaue order therin as the lawe required. For I haue professed the lawe, against which, in cases of iustice, wil I neuer (God willinge) procede, nor in ani wise dissemble, but with the same shewe forth mi conscience, and, if it were to do againe, I wolde doe no lesse then I did.

Chauncelor. Yea, Master Hales, your conscience is knowne wel inough, I knowe ye lacke no conscience.

Hales. Mi Lord, ye mai do wel to serch your owne conscience, for mine is better knowne to mie selfe, then to you; and to be plainc, I did as well vse iustice in your saide masse case bi my conscience, as bi the lawe, wherin I am fulli bent to stand in trial to the vttermost that can be obiected. And, if I haue therin done ani iniuri or wrong, let me be judged bi the lawe, for I wil secke no better defence, considering cheiflie that it is mi profession.

Chauncelor. Whi, Master Hales, althoughe ye had the rigour of the lawe on your side, yet ye might haue hadde regard to the Quenes Highnes present doinges in that case. And further, although ye seme to be more then precise in the lawe; yet I thinke ye wolde be veri loth

to yelde to the extremitie of suche aduantage, as mighte be gathered againste your procedinges in the lawe, as ye haue some time taken vppon you in place of iustice. And, if it were well tried, I beleue ye shuld not be wel able to stand honestli therto.

Hales. Mi Lord, I am not so perfect, but I may err for lacke of knowledge; but both in conscience, and such knowledge of the lawe, as God hath geuen me, I wil do nothing but I wil maintain and abide in it. And if my goodes, and all that I haue, be not able to counterpoise the case, mi bodie shal be redi to serue the turne, for thei be all at the Quenes Highnesse pleasure.

Chauncelor. Ah, Sir, ye be veri quicke and stoute in your answers; but as it shoulde seme that which ye did was more of a wil, fauouring the opinion of your religion against the seruice nowe vsed, then for ani occasion or zeale of iustice, seinge the Quenes Highnes dooth set it furthe, as yet wishinge all hir faithful subjectes to imbrace it accordinglic; and, where ye offer both bodie and goodes in your triall, there is no suche matter required at youre handes, and yet ye shall not haue your owne wil neither.

Hales. Mi Lord, I seke not wilful wil, but to shew myself, as I am bound in loue to God, and obedience to the Quenes Maiestie, in whose cause willingly for iustice sake (al other respectes set apart) I did of late, as your Lordship knoweth, aduenture as much as I had. And as for my religion, I trust it to be suche as pleaseth God; wherin I am ready to aduenture as well mi life, as mi substance, if I be called therAnd so, in lacke of mine owne power and wil, the Lordes wil

unto.

be fulfilled.

Chauncelor. Seing ye be at this point, Master Hales, I wil presently make an end with you. The Quenes Highnes shall be enfourmed of youre opinion and declaration. And, as hir Grace shal therupon determine, ye shal haue knowledge, vnto which tyme ye may depart, as ye came, without your oth, for, as it appeareth, ye are scarse worthi the place appointed.

Hales. I thancke your Lordship, and as for my vocation, being both a burthen and a charge, more then euer I desired to take vpon me, whensoeuer it shall please the Quenes Hyghnes to ease me therof, I shall moost humbli with due contentation obei the same,

And so departed from the barre.*

See the Introduction.

THE

VOCACYON OF IOHAN BALE

ΤΟ

THE BISHOPRICK OF OSSORIE IN IRELANDE,

PERSECUCIÓNS IN THE SAME,

AND FINALL DELYUERAUNCE.

God hath delivered me from the Snare of the Hunter, and from the noysome Pestilence. Psal. xcj.

If I must nedes reioyce, I will reioyce of myne Infirmytees. ij Cor. xj. Imprinted in Rome, before the Castell of S. Angell, at the Signe of S. Peter, in Decembre, Anno D. 1553. In Twelves, black Letter, containing ninety-eight Pages.

THE PREFACE.

Johan Bale to the Followers of Christes Gospell.

FOR thre consyderacyons chefely (dere bretherne) have I put of urth thys Treatyse of my vocacyon te the churche of Ossorye in Irelande, of my harde chaunces therein, and of my fynall deliueraunce by the great goodnesse of God. The first of them is, for that men shulde wele knowe, that the office of a Christen Byshop is not to loyter in blas phemouse papistrie, but purely to preache the Gospell of God, to his christened flocke. The seconde is, that they shulde also vnderstande, that contynuall persecucyons, and no bodyly welthe, doeth folowe the same most godly office, in them which truly executeth it. The third is, that they myght beholde how gracyously our most mercyful God wyth hys power wayteth upon them, and fynally delyuereth them in most depe daungers.

These 3. thynges notable, concerninge the electe membres of Gods congregacyon in thys life, comprehendeth muche matter in the scriptures of both testamentes, with abundaunce of examples from Abel the First to Johan the Euangylist, which was the last lyver in the same.

The examples also therof are both lyuely and innumerable, in the first propagacion and longe contynuance of the Christen Churche from hys tyme to thys our tyme, as the chronycles and hystoryes most abundauntly specifieth.