and sayde: then there was brother in Christe, and brother in Christ, and mocked me and called me Hereticke, and asked me if I hadde the booke of hym in Newgate, and I sayde naye. and I tolde hym, as I went on my busynes in the streate I mette hym, and he asked me howe I did, and I hym also: and so we fell in communication, and he shewed me that booke, and I desyred hym that he would let me haue it, and he sayde nay. And in this examination Storie sayde: it was a great booke, and asked me whether I boughte it, or had it geuen me. And I tolde hym I bought it. and he sayde I was a thief, and had stollen my maisters mony, and I sayde: a litle monie serued. for I gaue hym but fowre pence. but I promysed hym at our next metyng, I would geue hym. xii. pēce more. And he sayde: that was boldely doone, for suche a booke as spake both treason and heresie. Then Story requyred me to bryng hym two suerties and watche for hym that I had the booke of, & I should haue no harme: and I made hym aunswere I would bryng no suerties, nor I could not tell where to fynde hym. And he sayd: this is but a lye, and so called for Clunye and bad hym laye me fast in the Colehouse, and sayde he wold make me tell another tale at my next commyng. And so I laye in the stockes daye and nyght, but onely when I eate my meate: and so I remayned x. dayes before I was called for agayne.
[Back to Top]And then Story sent for me agayne, and asked me if I would yet tell hym the truthe. And I sayde I could tell hym no other truthe then I had, nor would. And whyle I stode yet ther, there were two brought, whiche I tooke to be prysoners. Then maistres Story fel in a rage, and sware a great othe, that it were a good dede to put a hundred or two of these heretike knaues in a house, & I my self (sayth she) wold set it a fyre. And so I was cōmitted to pryson agayne. So there I remayned fourtene dayes and came to no aunswere.
[Back to Top]Then Story sent for me agayne, and called me into the garden, and there I founde wyth hym my Lord of Wyndsors Chaplayne, and two Gentlemen more. And he tolde them all what I had sayde and done, and they sayd: the booke was a wonderous euill boke, and hadde both treason and heresie in it, and they asked me what I sayde by the booke, and I saide: I knewe no euyll by it. And then Doctor Story chafed, and sayde he woulde hange me vp by the handes with a rope, and sayde also he wold cut my tongue out of my head, and myne eares of my head also: and then they alleaged two or three thynges vnto me out of the booke, and I aunswered, I hadde not read the booke thorowe out, and therfore I could geue no sentēce of the booke: and then my Lord of Wyndsores Chaplayne, and the other two Gentlemē toke
[Back to Top]me asyde, and required me very gently, saying: tell vs where you had the booke, and of whom. we will saue you harmeles. And I made them aunswere, I had tolde all that I coulde tell to Doctor Story, and I began to tell them, and they sayd: they knew that already. And so they lefte that talke, and went again to Story with me. Then Story burdened me of my faith, and sayde I was an heretike. And then my Lord of Wyndsors chaplayne did aske me howe I dyd beleue. And I began to reherse the articles of my beliefe, and he bad me let that alone. And he asked me howe I beleued in Christe whiche died and rose againe the thirde daye, & sytteth on the ryght hand of God the father. And then Story asked me mockingly: what is the ryght hand of God? and I made them aunswere, I thought it was his glorie. And Story sayde: so they saye al: and he asked me when he would be wery of sytting there. and my Lord of Wyndsors chaplayn asked me what I sayd by the masse. and I sayd: I neuer knewe what it was, nor what it ment. for I vnderstoode it not. for I neuer learned any latin. And since þe time that I had any knowledge, I haue beene brought vp in nothyng but in reading of Englyshe, and with suche men as haue taughte the same, with many mo questions, whiche I can not reherse. And then my Lord of Wyndsores chaplayne asked me if there were not the very body of Christe, flesh, bloude and bone in the masse, after the priest had cōsecrated it. And I made him aunswere: as for the masse I can not vnderstand it, but in the newe testament I reade, that as the Apostles stoode lokyng after the Lord, when he ascended vp into heauē, an anngell sayde to them: euen as you see him ascende vp, euen so shall he come agayne. And I tolde them an other sentence, where Christe sayeth: the poore shall you haue alwayes with you, but me shall you not haue alwayes. And so my Lorde of Wyndsores chaplayne put me many questions more, the which I could make hym no aunswere to. And among all other, he brought Chrisostome & saint Hierome for his purpose. And I neither myndimg, nor able to answere their Doctors, neither knowing whether they alleged thē right, said: I nether knew saint Ciryll nor saint Tertullian: but that whiche is written in the newe testament I vnderstode. And so they laughed me to scorne, & called me foole, and said: they would reason no more with me. And then Story called for Cluny, and bad hym take me away, and set me fast that no man spake with me: & so I was sent vnto the Colehouse: and I had not bene in the Colehouse a weke, but there came in xiiii. prisoners, and then I was kept styll alone without companye, in a pryson called the Salt house, hauing vpon my legge a bolt and a fetter, & my
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