any earthly desire. Wherfore when as yet he continued vnmouable in his former mynde, the prince commaunded him straight to be put againe into the Pype orTunne, and that he should not afterward loke for any grace or fauour. But as he could be allured by no rewardes, euen so was he nothing at al abashed at their tormentes, but as a valiaunt champiō of Christe, he perseuered inuincible vnto the ende. Not without a great and mooste cruell battaile, but with muche more greater triumphe of victory, the spirite of Christ hauing all wayes the vpperhande in his members, maugre the fury rage & power of þ^e whole world.

¶ Here cometh in the story of Syr Iohn Oldcastel knight, Lord Cobhā, who in this year of our lord M.iiii.C. xiii. was apprehendid and cast into the towre, also examined & condemned by the bishops, but for so muche as he suffred not vntill the yeare of our Lorde M. iiii. C.xviii. we will prosecute our Story with Sir Roger Acton & others, which suffered in the meane tyme.

Marginalia1413.AS sone as kyng Henry the fift, had begon his raigne euē at the same time when the Lord Cobham was caste into the towre, the bishoppes and the Diuines with importunate supplications and cries, renued a greuous complaint vnto the kinge as touching the state of the churche, whiche was then like to decaye. MarginaliaThe complaint of the clergye.For so muche said they, as the byshops and ecclesiasticall rulers, begin now to be had in contempt, no man will scarsely obey the suffragans, Archedeacons, Chaūcelors, doctors & comissaries, so that the lawes and ordinaunces of the holy churche ar nowe anihilate the Christiā faith with the true worshiping of God is in daunger. Little reuerēce or none is atributed vnto their spiritual iurisdiction autoritie, rytes, censures, keyes, and canonicall decrees, so that finally all do tende to vtter rewine and decay. Al these thinges come of none other cause then of the ouermuche sufferaunce of heretikes, which holde their assembles in secret places & corners, to wryte bokes and teache in Medowes, Woodes, & dennes, the which thinges if they were any longer suffered wold at the last vtterly subuert and ouer throwe the whole common wealth.

Where vpon the king holding a parliament at Lecester (the whiche peraduenture had not bene so wel holden at Londō, because of the fa-uourers of the Lorde Cobham, he set forth an act wherin he decreed most cruell punishment vnto such as hereafter would folow that kind of doctrine, yea he was so seuere against them that he decreed them not only to be heretikes,but also traitours. MarginaliaThe cruell decre of the king.And therfore he ordeined þ^t they should be tormented with a double kynde of torment. That is to say, with the Galloes & fier. And that neither þ^e hallowed sanctuaries neither any priuileges, should be any ayde or succor for them, in suche sorte had he bent his whole force and reason against the Wicklieffistes: for in those dayes whosoeuer did reade þ^e scriptures of god in their mother tongue were so called. MarginaliaWalden to Pope Martin in his 2 boke. 46. chapiter.The byshops being armed with this decree, exercised wonderful great crueltie and tyrannie against many good and giltles men, among the whiche nomber besides the Lorde Cobham whose story we haue differred, are to be remembred sir Roger Acton, knight of the same order, M. Iohn Broun Gentleman, and Iohn Beuerle a precher of þ^e gospel, who were put to death at þ^e same time. But before I wyll speake any more of them, it is necessary that I talke a litle with Pollidore Virgill, wryter of the storye of Englande, who in the. xxii. boke of his history accuseth the Lord Cobham