beleued the corporal presence in the sacrament? And maister Hooper sayde plainlye that there was none suche, neither did he beleue any suche thynge.

Then woulde the Bishop of Duresme, haue redde oute of a booke, for hys purpose belyke, (what booke it was, I cānot tel:) but there was suche a noyse, and confuse talke on euerye syde, that he did not reade it. Then asked the bishop of Winchester of Hoper, what autoritie moued him not to beleue the corporal presence? He said the autority of goddes worde, and alleged thys texte: Quem oportet cœlum suscipere, vsq; ad tēpus restaurationis omnium, Whom heuen must receiue vntill the latter day.

Then the bishop of Winchester woulde haue made that texte to haue serued nothyng for hys purpose. And he said he might be in heauen, and in the sacrament also.

Hooper woulde haue said more, to haue opened the texte, but all men that stode next about the bishop, allowed so his saying with clamors, and cryes, that maister Hooper was not permitted to say any more against the bishop. Wherupon they that were Scribes, were commaunded to wryte, that maister Hooper was maried, and said that he would not go frome his wyfe. And that he beleued not the corporall presence in the Sacrament, wherfore he was worthy to be depriued from his bishoprike.

This is the truth of the matter, (as far as I can truly remēber,) of the confuse, and troublesome talke that was beetwene them. And excepte it were hasty and vncharitable wordes, this is the whole mater of their talke, at that tyme.

The true report of maister Hoopers entertainment in the fleete, writen with his owne hande the seuenth of Ianuary. 1554. 

Commentary    Close

This letter was printed in the Rerum (pp. 286-87), 1563; Letters of the Martyrs (pp. 128-30) and all subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments.

THe fyrste of September, 1553. I was committed vnto the fleete from Richemounte, to haue the libertye of the prison: and within syxe dayes after, I payed for my libertie fiue poundes sterlyng to the warden, for fees: who immediatly vpon the payment therof, cōplayned vnto Steuen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, and so was I committed to close prison one quarter of a yeare, in the Toure chamber of the fleete, vsed verye extremely. Then by the meanes of a good gentlewoman, I had lybertie to come downe to dinner, and supper, and not to speake with anye of my frendes: But as soone as dynner and supper was done, to repayre to my chamber again. Notwithstandyng whyles I came downe thys to dynner, and supper, the warden and hys wife piked quarels with me, and complayned vntrulye of me, to their great frende, the Bishoppe of Winchester.

After one quarter of a yeare, and somewhat more, the warden and hys wyfe, fell oute wyth me, for the wicked masse: And thereuppon the warden resorted to the Bishop of Winchester, and obteined to put me into the wardes, where I haue continued a long tyme, hauing nothing appoynted to me for my bedde, but a little pad of strawe, a rotten coueryng, with a tyke and a fewe fethers therein, the chamber beyng vile, and stynkyng, vntill by goddes meanes good people sent me beddyng to ly in: of the one syde of which prison is the synke, and fylthe of al the house, and on the other syde, the toune ditche: so that the stinche of the house hathe infected me with sondry diseases.

Duryng which tyme I haue bene sicke: and the dores, barres, haspes, and chaynes, beynge al closed and made fast vpon me, I haue mourned, called and cryed for helpe. But the warden, when he hath knowen me many tymes redy to dye, and when the poore men of the wardes haue called to helpe me, hathe commaunded the dores to be kept faste, and charged that none of hys men should come at me, sayeng: let hym alone, it were a good riddance of him. And among many other tymes, he did thus the 18. of October. 1553. as many can witnes.

I payed alwayes like a Baron, to the sayde warden, aswell in fees, as for my boorde, whiche was twentye shillinges a weeke, besydes my mans table: vntill I was wrongfullye depriued of my bishoprike. And sithens that time I haue payed hym, as the beste gentleman doth in hys house: yet hathe he vsed me worse, and more vily, then the veriest slaue that euer came to the hall commons.

The sayde warden hathe also emprisoned my man, Marginaliavv. Dovventon.Wylliam Downton, and strypped hym oute of hys clothes, to searche for letters, and coulde fynde none, but onely a little remembraunce of good peoples names that gaue me their almes to relieue me in prison. And to vndo thē also, the warden delyuered the same byll vnto the sayde Stephen Gardiner, gods enemye and myne.

I haue suffred emprisonement, almost eightene monthes, my goods, lyuyng, frendes, and comforte taken from me, MarginaliaQueene Mary indetted to maister Hoper.the Queene owyng me by iuste accompte foure score poundes or more. She hathe put me in prison, and geueth nothyng to fynde me, neither is there suffred anye to come at me, wherby I mighte haue reliefe, I am with a wicked man and woman: so that I see no remedy (sauyng gods helpe) but I shalbee caste awaye in prison, before I come to iudgemente. This muche wrote he hymselfe of that matter.