the same, hath not desisted to travel in your own most Royal Person, to support and maintain, as well the Laws of Almighty God, as the Laws by your Highness made and ordained, by due and condign execution of the same Laws upon the Transgressors offending contrary to the same: and your Majesty hath always most vertuously studied and laboured, by all ways, and all means, to and for the setting forth thereof, in such wise as it might be most to the Honour, Glory, and Pleasure of Almighty God; and for the common accord and wealth of this your Realm, and other your Dominions: And, for the true execution of the same, hath elected, chosen, and made divers, as well of your Nobles, as others to be of your most honourable Council, as to the honour of a Noble Prince appertaineth. And where your Majesty bath had a special trust and confidence in your said most trusty Counsellors, that the same your Counsellors, and every of them, had minded and intended, and finally purposed to have followed and pursued your most Godly and Princely Purpose, as of truth the more number hath most faithfully done; Yet nevertheless Thomas Cromwell, now Earl of Essex, whom your Majesty took and received into your trusty Service, the same Thomas then being a Man of very base and low degree, and for singular favour, trust, and confidence, which your Majesty bare and had in him, did not only erect and advance the said Thomas unto the State of an Earl, and enriched him with many-fold Gifts, as well of Goods, as of Lands and Offices, but also him, the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, did erect and make one of your most trusty Counsellors, as well concerning your Grace's Supream Jurisdictions Ecclesiastical, as your most high secret Affairs Temporal. Nevertheless your Majesty now of late hath found, and tried, by a large number of Witnesses, being your faithful Subjects, and Personages of great Honour, Worship, and Discretion, the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, contrary to the singular trust and confidence which your Majesty had in him, to be the most false and corrupt Traitor, Deceiver, and Circumventor against your most Royal Person, and the Imperial Crown of this your Realm, that hath been known, seen, or heard of in all the time of your most Noble Reign; Insomuch that it is manifestly proved and declared, by the Depositions of the Witnesses aforesaid, That the same Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, usurping upon your Kingly Estate, Power, Authority, and Office; without your Grace's Commandment or Assent, hath taken upon him to set at liberty divers Persons, being convicted and attainted of Misprision of High Treason; and divers other being apprehended, and in Prison, for Suspection of High Treason; and over that, divers and many times, at sundry places, in this your realm, for manifold Sums of Mony to him given, most traiterously hath taken upon him, by several Writings, to give and

grant, as well unto Aliens, as to your Subjects, a great number of Licences for conveighing and carrying of Mony, Corn, Grain, Beans, Beer, Leather, Tallow, Bells, Mettals, Horses, and other Commodities of this your Realm, contrary to your Highness's most Godly and Gracious Proclamations made for the Common- Wealth of your People of this your Realm in that behalf, and in derogation of your Crown and Dignity. And the same Thomas Cromwell, elated, and full of pride, contrary to his most bounden Duty, of his own Authority and Power, not regarding your Majesty Royal; And further, taking upon him your Power, Sovereign Lord, in that behalf, divers and many times most traiterously hath constituted, deputed, and assigned, many singular Persons of your Subjects to be Commissioners in many your great, urgent, and weighty Causes and Affairs, executed and done in this your Realm, without the assent, knowledg, or consent of your Highness. And further also, being a Person of as poor and low degree, as few be within this your Realm; pretending to have so great a stroak about you, our, and his natural Sovereign Liege Lord, that he letted not to say publickly, and declare, That he was sure of you; which is detestable, and to be abhorred amongst all good subjects in any Christian Realm, that any Subject should enterprize or take upon him so to speak of his Sovereign Liege Lord and King. And also of his own Authority and Power, without your Highness's consent, hath made, and granted, as well to Strangers as to your own Subjects, divers and many Pass ports, to pass over the Seas with Horses, and great Sums of Mony, without any search. And over that, most Gracious Sovereign Lord, amongst divers other his Treasons, Deceits, and Falshoods, the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, being a detestable Heretick, and being in himself utterly disposed to sett and sow common Sedition and Variance among your true and loving Subjects, hath secretly set forth and dispersed into all Shires, and other Territories of this your Realm, and other your Dominions, great numbers of false Erroneous Books, whereof many were printed and made beyond the Seas, and divers other within this Realm, comprising and declaring, amongst many other Evils and Errors, manifest Matters to induce and lead your Subjects to diffidence, and refusal of the true and sincere Faith and Belief, which Christian Religion bindeth all Christian People to have, in the most Holy and Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, and other Articles of Christian Religion, most graciously declared by your Majesty, by Au thority of Parliament: And certain Matters comprised in some of the said Books, hath caused to be translated into our maternal and English Tongue: And upon Report made unto him by the Translator thereof, that the Matter so translated hath expressly been against the said most Blessed and Holy crament; Yet the said Thomas Cromwe

Earl of Essex, after he had read the same Translation, most heretically hath affirmed the same material Heresie so translated, to be good; and further hath said, that he found no fault therein; and over that, hath openly and obstinately holden Opinion, and said, That it was as lawful for every Christian Man to be a Minister of the said Sacrament, as well as a Priest. And where also your most Royal Majesty, being a Prince of Vertue, Learning, and Justice, of singular Confidence and Trust, did constitute and make the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, your Highness's Vicegerent within this your Realm of England; and by the same, gave unto him Authority and Power, not only to redress and reform all, and all manner of Errors, and Erroneous Opinions, insurging and growing among your loving and obedient Subjects of this your Realm, and of the Dominions of the same, but also to order and direct all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Causes within your said Realm and Dominions; the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, not regarding his Duty to Almighty God, and to your Highness, under the Seal of your Vicegerent, bath, without your Grace's assent or knowledg, licensed and authorized divers Persons, detected and suspected of Heresies, openly to teach and preach amongst your most loving and obedient Subjects, within this your Realm of England. And under the pretence and colour of the said great Authorities and Cures, which your Majesty hath committed unto him in the Premisses, hath not only of his corrupt and damnable Will and Mind, actually, at some time, by his own Deed and Commandment, and at many other times by his Letters, expressly written to divers worshipful Persons, being Sheriffs, in sundry Shires of this your Realm, falsly suggesting thereby your Grace's Pleasure so to have been, caused to be set at large many false Hereticks, some being there indicted, and some other being thereof apprehended, and in ward: and commonly, upon complaints made by credible Persons unto the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, of great and most detestable Heresies committed and sprung in many places of this your Realm, with declaration of the Specialities of the same Heresies, and the Names of the Offenders therein, the same Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, by his crafty and subtil means and inventions, hath not only defended the same Hereticks from Punishment and Reformation; but being a fautor, maintainer, and supporter of Hereticks, divers times hath terribly rebuked di. vers of the said credible Persons being their Accusers, and some others of them hath persecuted and vexed by Imprisonment and otherwise. So that thereby many of your Grace's true and loving Subjects have been in much dread and fear, to detect or accuse such detestable known Hereticks; the particularities and specialities of which said

abominable Heresies, Errors, and Offences, committed and done by the said Thomas Cromwell, being over-tedious, long, and of too great number here to be expressed, declared, or written. And to the intent to have those damnable Errors and Heresies, to be inculcated, impressed, and infixed in the Hearts of your Subjects, as well contrary to God's Laws, as to your Laws and Ordinances. Most Gracious Soveraign Lord, the same Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, hath allured and drawn unto him by Retainours, many of your Subjects sunderly inhabiting in every of your said Shires and territories, as well erroneously perswading and declaring to them the Contents of the false erroneous Books, above-written, to be good, true, and best standing with the most Holy Word and Pleasure of God; as other his false and heretical Opinions and Errors; whereby, and by his Confederacies therein, he hath caused many of your faithful Subjects to be greatly infected with Heresies, and other Errors, contrary to the right Laws and Pleasure of Almighty God. And the same Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, by the false and traiterous means above-written, supposing himself to be fully able, by force and strength, to maintain and defend his said abominable Treasons, Heresies, and Errors, not regarding his most bounden Duty to Almighty God, and his Laws, nor the natural Duty of Allegiance to your Majesty, in the last day of March, in the 30 year of your most gracious Reign, in the Parish of St. Peter the Poor, within your City of London, upon demonstration and declaration then and there made unto him, that there were certain new Preachers, as Robert Barnes Clerk, and other, whereof part been now committed to the Tower of London for preaching and teaching of Leud Learning against your Highness's Proclamations; the same Thomas affirming the said preaching to be good, most detestably, arrogantly, erroneously, wilfully, maliciously, and traiterously, expressly against your Laws and Statutes, then and there did not lett to declare, and say; these most traiterous and detestable words ensuing, amongst other words of like matter and effect; that is to say, that "If the King would turn from it, yet I would not turn; And if the King did turn, and all his People, I would fight in the Field in mine own Person, with my Sword in my hand, against him and all others;" and then, and there, most traiterously pulled out his Dagger, and held it on high, saying these words, "Or else this Dagger thrust me to the heart, if I would not die in that Quarrel against them all: And I trust, if I live one year or two, it shall not lie in the King's Power to resist or lett it if he would." And further, then and there swearing by a great Oath, traiterously affirmed the same his traiterous saying and pronunciation of words, saying, "I will do so indeed," extending up his Arm, as though he had had a Sword in his Hand;

to the most perilous, grievous, and wicked Example of all other your loving, faithful, and obedient Subjects in this your Realm, and to the peril of your most Royal Person. And moreover, our most Gracious Soveraign Lord, the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, hath acquired and obtained into his possession, by Oppression, Bribery, Extort, Power, and false promises made by him to your Subjects of your Realm, innumerable Sams of Mony and Treasure; and being so enriched, hath had your Nobles of your Realm in great disdain, derision, and detestation, as by express words by him most opprobriously spoken hath appeared. And being put in remembrance of others, of his estate, which your Highness hath called him unto, offending in like Treasons, the last day of January, in the 31 year of your Most noble Reign, at the Parish of St. Martin in the Field, in the County of Middlesex, most arrogantly, willingly, maliciously, and traiter ously, said, published, and declared, that "If the Lords would handle him so, that he would give them such a Break-fast as never was made in England, and that the proudest of them should know;" to the great peril and danger, as well of your Majesty, as of your Heirs and Successors: For the which his most detestable and abominable Heresies and Treasons, and many other his like Offences and Treasons, over-long here to be rehearsed and declared. Be it Enacted, Ordained, and Established by your Majesty, with the Assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, for his abominable and detestable Heresies and Treasons, by him most abominably, heretically, and traiterously practised, committed, and done, as well against Almighty God, as against your Majesty, and this your said Realm, shall be, and stand, by Authority of this present Parliament, convicted and attainted of Heresie and High Treason, and be adjudged an abominable and detestable Heretick and Traitor; and shall have and suffer such pains of death, losses, and forfeitures of Goods, Debts, and Chattels, as in cases of Heresie and High Treason, or as in cases of either of them, at the pleasure of your most Royal Majesty. And that the same Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, shall, by Authority abovesaid, lose and forfeit to your Highness, and to your Heirs and Successors, all such his Castles, Lordships, Mannors, Mesuages, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Reversions, Remainders, Services, Possessions, Offices, Rights, Conditions, and all other his Hereditaments, of what names, natures, or qualities soever they be, which he the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, or any other to his use had, or ought to have had, of any Estate of Inberitance, in Fee-Simple or Fee-Tail, in Reversion or Possession, at the said last day of

March, in the said thirtieth Year of your most Gracious Reign, or at any time sith or after, as in Cases of High Treason. And that all the said Castles, Lordships, Mannors, Lands, Mesuages, Tenements, Rents, Reversions, Remainders, Services, Possessions, Offices, and all other the Premisses forfeited, as is abovesaid, shall be deemed, invested, and adjudged, in the lawful, real, and actual possession of your Highness, your Heirs, and Successors for ever in the same, and such estate, manner, and form, as if the said Castles, Lordships, Mannors, Mesuages, Lands, l'enements, Rents, Reversions, Remainders, Services, Possessions, Offices, and other the Premisses, with their Appurtenances, and every of them, were specially or particularly founden, by Office or Offices, Inquisition or Inquisitions, to be taken by any Escheator, or Escheators, or any other Commissioner or Commissioners, by virtue of any Commission or Commissions to them, or any of them, to be directed in any County or Counties, Shire or Shires, within this your Realm of England, where the said Castles, and other the Premisses, or any of them, been, or do lay, and returned into any of your Majesties Courts. Saving to all and singular, Person and Persons, Bodies politick and corporate, their Heirs and Successors, and their Successors and Assignees of every of them, other than the said Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, and his Heirs, and all and every other Person and Persons, claiming by the same Thomas Cromwell, and to his use, all such Right, Title, Entrie, Possession, Interest, Reversions, Remainders, Lease, Leases, Conditions, Fees, Offices, Rents, Annuities, Commons, and all other Commodities, Profits, and Hereditaments whatsoever they or any of them might, should, or ought to have had, if this Act had never been had nor made. Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that this Act of Attainder, ne any Offence, ne other thing therein contained, extend not unto the Deanery of Wells, in the County of Sommerset; nor to any Mannors, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments thereunto belonging; nor be in any wise prejudicial or hurtful unto the Bishop of Bath and Wells, nor to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew of Wells, nor to any of them, nor to any of their Successors; but that the said Bishop, Dean, and Chapters, and their Successors, and every of them, shall and may have, hold, use, occupy, and enjoy, all and singular their Titles, Rights, Mannors, Lands, Tenements, Rents, Reversions, and Services, and all and singular other their Hereditaments, Commodities, and Profits, of what nature, kind, or quality, or condition soever they he, in as ample and large manner and form, as tho this Act of Attainder, or any Offence therein mentioned, had never been had, committed, nor made; and that from hence-forth the Dean, and his Successors, Deans of the said