went his waye in a fume, and for anger wolde not ones drinke with vs, so that I wente clere awaye in this prodygiouse conflict. The next daye, beinge Sondaye, I resorted to the temple, to see the fashions there. As the peales were all ended, they sange mattens, houres, holy watermakinge, and masse, all in Latine. Nothinge was there in Englishe but the poore Letanie, which the preste, a stought sturdie lubber, sayde with the least deuocion of all, muche of the people lamentinge to beholde so miserable a mutacion, and saienge, Afore time might we have learned sumwhat by our comminge to the churche, but now nothinge at all to our vnderstandynge: Alas! what shall become of vs ?

After dyner, that preste resorted vnto vs, as bolde as great Hercules, and, after a little talke, fell to flat raylinge of good Myles Couerdale, their bishop, after this sort: Where is that heretyke knaue now, sayth he, and other of his companions, vagabondes, apostates, and runnegates? with other vncomly wurdes. And, as I was bent to haue made him an answere, a gentilman of the countrey therabout rubbed me on the elbowe, and bad me, in mine eare, to lete him alone, and I shulde heare wonders: And the seyde gentilman brought him into an other talke of olde familiaritees: Wherin he confessed, that he had, in one daye, bygetten ii mennes wyues, of that parishe, with childe, to encreace the churches profyght in crisyms and offeringes, where as their husbandes were not able to do it. Yea, mary Sir Iames, sayth the gentleman, and ye haue done more miracles than that: Went ye not one daye a fishinge? sayth he. Yes, by the masse, ded I, sayde the preste againe, and made the fyshes more holye, than euer the whoresons were afore: For I sent out my Maker amonge them, whome I had that daye receyued at the aulter: By the masse, quoth he, I was able to holde him no longar. Sens that daye, I am sure, quoth he, that our fyshars hath had better lucke than euer they had afore.

Thus whan he had raged by the space of more than an houre, the last peale calling him thens to euensonge, the gentilman sayde vnto me, These are the ghostly fathers, which now are permitted to be our spiritual} gydes. Are not we, sayth he, wele apoynted, thynke yow? The Lorde be mercyfull to vs, for it is sure a plage for our vnthankefulnesse, whils we had the truthe. Suche lewde bawdie prestes as this is, sayde he, doth wonderfully now reioyce, not for any vertue they loke for, but in hope to be mainteined in libertie of all wickednesse, more than of late dayes. Whan supper was done, certen of the mariners resorted to vs, declaringe what an vncomly part the preste had played with their pypar, as that he pyssed in his mouthe, beinge gapinge a slepe in the churche after euensonge. This is the bewteouse face of our Irishe and English churches at this present.

The poore people are not taught, but mocked of their mynysters, their seruauntes abused, their wiues and doughters defyled, and all Christen ordre confounded.

As the wether waxed fayre, the captaine went awaye with the shippe, and was more than ii miles on his waie, mindinge, as it apeared, to have gone awaye with all that I had, moneye, apparell, and bokes, if the winde had scrued him wele. The costomers seruaunt, an Irishe man also, beinge admonished by his countreyman Walter, of my moneye in

the captaincs handes, came to my lodginge in the morninge, and tolde me therof, thinkinge, as I had bene in possession therof, if I had come to lande agayne therwith, to have raysed newe rumours vpon me, and so to haue depriued me therof; for he shewed himself very seruisable in prouidinge me a boate, and in bringinge me to the shippe. But whan he ones perceiued, that I wolde not demaunde my moneye of the captaine, and returne agayne with him, though I gaue him a crowne for his boate and paynes, yet went he awaye in great displeasure, with no small reproches. And, at that present, was the forseid Walter bannished the shippe for his only troublinge of me, so beniuolouse that houre was the captaine vnto me.

The next daye after, I demaunded my moneye of the captaine, and it was very honestly deliuered me, all scysmes, as I thought, pacified. Howbeit, that wretched mammon most strongely wrought in the vnquietouse harte of the captaine, so that, continually after that time, he threttened to sett vs on lande, and maruele it was that he threwe vs not both ouer the borde. Alwayes were we wele contented to haue gone to lande, but yet still he droue it of till we came into Douer roade, I not vnderstandinge the misterie concerning the seyd moneye, as that it was in my hande and not in the captaines, which marred all the whole

matter.

In the mean tyme they went a roauinge by a whole wekes space and more. And first they take an Englishe shippe of Totnes going towardes Britaine, and loaden with tinne, and that they spoiled both of ware and moneye vnder the colour of Frenche mennis goodes. The next daye in the afternoon, behelde they ii English shippes more, whom they chaced all that night longe, and the nexte daye also till x of the clocke; and of them they toke one, by reason that his topsaile brake, and that was a shippe of Lynne. In this had they nothinge but apples, for he went for his loadinge. After that, traced they the seas ouer more than halfe a weke, and found none there but their owne countrey men, beingc men of warre and sea robbers as they were.

At the last they came to Douer roade, and there wolde the captaine nedes to lande with his purser. My companion Thomas and I, takinge ourselfes for free passengers, desiered to go a lande with them, but that might not be, he sayde, till he had bene there afore. Yes, sayth Thomas, I will go a lande if any man go, for I have nothinge to do here. Thu shalt not go, sayth the captaine, but I will laye thee fast by the fete, if thu prate any more. With that one Cornelis stode fourth, and sayde, We are muche to blame, that we haue not dispatched him ere this, and throwne him ouer the borde. Than doubted I some myschefe in wurkinge amonge them; for one Martin, an English pyrate, but yet a French man borne, beinge sumtyme Tompsons man, and after that Stranguyshes man, and now one of their vnthriftie nombre, had made them beleue, that I was he which not only had put down the masse in Englande, but also I had caused Doctour Gardiner, the Bishopp of Winchestre, to be kepte so longe in the Tower, and that also I had poysened (whome I loued and reuerenced aboue all mortall men) the kinge, with many other most prodigiouse lyes.

So went the captaine and his purser with all these newes a lande,

hauinge also with them my bisshoppes seale, and ij. epistles sent me from Conradus Gesnerus and Alexander Alesius, with commendacions from Pellicanus, Pomeranus, Philippus Melancthon, Ioachimus Came rarius, Mathias Flacius, and other learned men, desierouse of the Englishe churches antiquytees and doctrines; which letters I had receyucd at Dublyne, the daye afore I came to the shippe, and not yet answered them. These epistles and scale, with an other letter sent to me from the counsell of Englande, concerninge my first callinge to that pastorall office, they had taken out of my male, vnknowinge to me. For that they had seane the kinges armes in my seale, as the maner is of byshoppes scales, they layde to my charge the counterfettinge of the kinges scale, upon the ij. epistles, heresic, and vpon the counsels letter, conspiricie against the quene; so wele were they ouerseane in that ma lice for moneye. In Douer, amonge all his cuppes, this captaine discouered these matters, as what a man he had gotten in the borders of Irelande, suspiciously passinge ouer from thens towardes Scotlande, with all the reest. And, as he had perceiued some of the hearers desierouse of that praie, he called a great pece of his tale backe againe, and sayde, that he had sett vs a lande at Southampton, and so letten vs go. His minde was to haue solde me, if any man wolde haue offered him a good somme of moneye.

After midnyght, he returned agayne to the shippe, pratinge amonge his cumpany, what he had done a lande, and how he had almost lost all, by his busye talke. But he had hearde of me, he sayde, muche more than he knewe afore, and he trusted that I shulde be to him, and to all the shippe, a profitable prise. The next daye in the morninge, after his first slepe, he arose, and, with stought countenance, boasted that he wolde strayght to London, with his most daungerouse carryage, which were we ij. poore innocent sowles, that had done ill to no man, sauinge that we coulde not beare with the blasphemics of the Papistes against God and his Christe. Muche to and fro was amonge them about that passage: In the ende they all concluded, that better it was to tarry still there with the shippe, whils one or ij. of them went to the counsell of Englande, in massage, and came againe, than thydre to trauaile with shippe and all. To lande goeth the purser and an other besides, to hyre their horses towardes London, for mountaines of golde wolde be gotten that wayes, they sayde.

As I behelde this madnesse, though I little than cared for my life, yet sayde I to the captaine, Maistre Captaine, What do yow meane by these strange turmoilinges? Thinke ye there is no God? Neither yet a reckeninge to be made, at the lattre day, of these mad procedinges? The time hath bene sens our first metinge, that ye haue taken me for an honestpassenger, and defended my innocencie against that cruel pyrate Walter: How standeth it with equity than, that ye now proclame me so haynouse a traitor? I am sure that ye knowe now no more by me, than ye ded afore. Your allegacions, that I had put downe the masse, emprisoned Doctour Gardiner, and poysened the kinge, are most false, as all the worlde knoweth. My scale, and my other letters, are plaine argumentes of my truthe and honest estimacion, and might be to your confusion, if I chaunced to haue righteouse hearers. I praie yow therfor in con

science, that ye tell me what euyll ye knowe els by me, that ye make here so terrible doynges? I can not see, sayth the captaine, that ye will be ordered after anye good sort. My only misordre was than, that my moneye was in my purse, and not in his. Wherunto I answered, with an hart full of dolour and heauinesse, to beholde mennis so dampnable practises of myschefe for fylthie lucres sake.

I am contented, Maistre Captaine, sayd I, to be ordered as ye will reasonably haue me. What will ye gyue than, sayde the captaine, to be deliuered into Flaunders, and our purser to be called againe? I answered, that I wolde gyue as his selfe wolde with reason and conscience require. If ye had told vs so much yester night, sayde he, this matter had bene at a point, and we by this tyme had bene in Zelande.

Than was all the rable of the shippe, hag, tag, and rag, called to the reckeninge, rusbelinge together as they had bene the cookes of -helle, with their great Cerberus, and an whole hundred pounde demaunded for my deliueraunce. In the ende it was concluded, that no lesse might aswage that hungrye heate, than fiftie pounde at the least, with this prouiso, that all the moneye, which I had in my purse, with part of my garmentes also, shulde be out of hande deuyded amonge them and the Captaine; whiche was xxj. pounde in the whole. I instantly desired, that it might be receyued in part of the other somme. They cried all, with one voice, naye, we will none of that. Than I besought them, that I might haue, at least, an honest porcion thereof, for payment of my charges, whils I shulde be prouidinge of so great a raunsome, as they had layde to me.

In fine, they assented, that I shulde haue vj. crownes of myne owne moneye allowed me for my costes, till I had founde out my frendes. Than caused the Captaine a pece of ordinaunce to be ficred, and a gunne to be lete, to call backe the purser and his companion; in whose returne there was muche to and fro; for some wolde nedes to London, thinkinge that waye to winne more, than to bringe me into Flaunders; and, of them which wolde into Flaunders, some wolde to lande for a barrell of drinke, for in the shippe, at that time, wa's neither breade, befe, nor beere. Some feared the comminge of the Mayre and captaine of the Castell for searchinge their shippe; so that our captaine commaunded them at the last to hoyse vp the sayles, and spedily to passe towardes Flaunders. In the mean tyme was I, poore sowle, compelled to set my hande to a false bylle of their deuisinge, as, that I had hyred their shippe in Irelande, for fiftie pounde, to bringe me, withoute delay or tarriaunce, into Zelande: which I neuer ded, as the Almightie Lorde wele knoweth, but came from thens with them against my will, and was tossed to and fro vpon the seas, by the space of xxiiij. dayes, in folowinge prises, as they call their roberies; and I was, by that time, so full of lyce, as I coulde swarme.

As we came ones thydre, they brought me into the howse of one of the iiij. owners of the shippe, which was a man fearinge God, and his wyfe a woman of muche godlynesse also; which was to me a carefull creature, a singular comfort prouided of God. The next daye were all the iiij. owners called to the reckeninge, and a Latyne interpretour wyth them, to knowe howe, where, and whan this raunsome of fiftye лаз

pounde shulde be payde; and more than xxvj. dayes of layser for the payment therof might not be graunted. I desiered to haue had libertie to go abroade to seke my frindes, but that could I not obtaine, though it were in my formar couenaunt, whan the vj. crownes were deliuered me. In the afternoone was it noysed abroade, by the dronken mariners all ouer, that they had brought suche a one with them out of Irelande, as payed halfe an hundred pounde for his passage, to the wonderinge of all the towne; so that my hoste was fayne to kepe me close in his howse, and to saye, both to the mariners and others, that I was gone to Andwerpe, the people there resorted so fast to see me; they reported there also, in their dronkennesse, that I was he which had put downe the masse in Englande, and had throwne Doctour Gardiner into the Tower, wyth a great sort of lyes and slaunders

more.

Thus continued I there, as a prisoner, by the space of iij. wekes, sumtyme threttened to be throwne in their commen iayle, sumtyme to be brought afore the magistrates, sumtyme to be left to the examinacion of the clergie, sumtyme to be sent to London, or els to be deliuered to the Quenes Embassadours at Brucels; but alwayes, by Gods prouysyon, I had myne hoste and hostesse to frendes. And, beholde a most wondrefull wurke of God! The persone of the towne, a most cruell monke, a maistre of Louayne, and an Iuquisitour of heretykes, as they call those rabycs, the next daye after my comminge sore syckened, and neuer came out of his bedde, so longe as I was there; which was greatly marked of some of the inhabitauntes, beinge godly affected: At the last, in deliberatinge the matter, that they requyred so muche moneye of me, and wolde not suffre me to go abroade to seke it, mine hoste bad the captaine and mariners considre how farre they had ronne beyonde the limites of their commission, in mysusynge the Englishe nacion, with whome they had no warre. It may chaunce herafter, sayth he, depely to be layde to your charges; therefore, by my assent, ye shall agree with this good man for lesse moneye; than were they contented to receyue xxx. pounde, as I shulde be able to paye it, and so to discharge me,

Thus hathe my Lorde God most miraculously deliuered me from all those daungerouse parels, and from the gredye mouthes of deuourynge lions, into the wurthie lande of Germanye yet ones againe, I hope to the glorie of his most holie name; euerlastinge praise be to him for it. Amen.

Here haue ye, dere frendes, a most lyuely and wondrefull example of Gods chastenynges, and of his most gracyouse deliueraunces agayue; for no chosen chylde receyueth he to enherytaunce without muche correction, Hebre. 12. The mercyfull Lorde throweth downe into helle, and bringeth from thens agayne, 1 Reg, 2. Though Sathan be suffred, as whete, to syfte vs for a time, yet faileth not our faythe, through Christes ayde, but that we are at all tymes readye to confirme the faythe of our weake bretherne, Luce 22. I thought my selfe now of late, for the cares of this lyfe, wele satteled in the Bishopricke of Ossorie in Irelande, and also wele quieted in the peceable possession of the pleasaunt Euphrates, I confesse it; but the Lorde of his mercye