THE COPIE OF A DOVBLE LETTER SENT BY AN ENGLISHE GENTILMAN from beyond the seas, to his frende in London, cōtaining the true aduises of the cause, and maner of the death, of one Richard Atkins, executed by FIRE in Rome, the second of Au­gust 1581.

GOOD SIR, I thanke you hartely for the two printed papers of maister Euerard Hanses executiō, bothe which, though penned by hys aduersaries, & in some pointes not agreeing together, yet giue sufficient testi­monie and knowledge to the indifferent rea­der of the trew causes, matter, and maner, of his death, neither the simplicitie of the former re­porter, nor the suttletie of the second, much darkening the light and truth thereof in any wisemans sense, though they bothe, and spe­cially the latter, as all such as had to do with the partie, either in iudgement or other wise, vn­iustly seeke, after their maner, by craftie questiō and collection, and by racking his speaches a­gainst [Page 4] equitie and his owne interpretation, to inforce the case to statute and treason, rather then to matter of faith & religion, for which only, and not for any other disloialtie to his prince, the world well wotteth, the innocent man suffred. Therfore I maruel not that the faithfull there amōg you should with so great diligence and deuotion as you write, gather vp such peeces of his body, or garmentes, as they could without daunger come by, for that was the maner of the first and best Christians towardes the Martyrs of their time, which caused their aduersaries, to throw their bones, and asshes into the sea, or other wise to desace them, Euseb. hist. li. 4 ca. 14. Sozom. li. 5. cap. 7. For my part, I thanke you vnfainedly for his tooth which came safely to my handes about tenne daies after the saide bookes and your frind ar­riued. Much they make of the matter in these partes I assure you, not Englishe only, but strā ­gers most of all, being so enamoured of the thing, that I shall haue inoughe a doe to keepe it for your sake as you desire me: some, at the sight thereof, that were lately his familiares & equals, with godly emulatiō in a sort enuying his incomparable preferment before them, and wondering at his so speedy felicitie, many be­wayling our contries calamitie that so often maketh Martyrs, other glorifying god, that by his grace it breedeth men fit to be Martyrs, one in Religious mirth saying, that they which had destroied the old memories would now make vs new: my selfe most admiring in the matter gods inscrutable choise in the giftes of his gra­ces [Page 5] to one rather then another, promoting al­most in a momente this poore, plaine, humble man, knowing nothing but Christ and the due­ties of his priesthod, to that dignitie, which diuers greater Clerkes of the same faith there among you after all their disputes and some ye­res trauaile, can not yet attaine vnto. Into these cogitations your new relike induceth vs now and then, of the leaping of his hart you talke of, whether it wer natural or miraculous: no great matter, for we neede no miracles to trye Martyrs. I promes yow I pray not for him, fol­lowing the knowen rule of S. Augustine hat we should not pray for such, but rather sesire them to pray for me. tract. 9. in Ioan. But now to requite your courtesie euē in the same kinde (though in the men and the matter there be great difference) I send you the copie of a letter lately written hither from Rome, con­taining the true causes, circumstances, and ma­ner of the execution, of a certain frantike or [...] possessed person, done in that Citie within two or three daies, of Maister Hanses suffering in London by which you shall plainely be [...] into what desperat miseries and fantasies, [...] may fall, that hath forsaken the Catho­ [...] Church: & therfore is forsaken of Christs spirit and protection, and giuen vp to the Diuils drift and all deception of error, and eftso­ [...]es see the great difference betwixt the cōstant patience of trew Confessors, and the peruers obstinacie of heretikes in all ages by Sathans subornatiō falsely imitating the same. To omit therfore other wordes of common courtesie [Page 6] in the beginning of my frindes letter, the soo­ner to come to the narration, thus it is written by one that I know will not for all the world wittingly report of the man an vntruth, and was present at the whole action, and if neede be, can iustifie euery worde by the recordes and publīcke actes of the Courts in which the matter passed.

BVT now Sir (saith he) for newes I can A Copie of the letter frō Rome. not forbeare to imparte vnto you the pitifull storie of the impious fact lately cōmitted here by a Contreiman of ours and the condigne punishment that he suffred for the same, and other his damnable purposes and opinions, the which I will tell you more partieularly, for that the report thereof may come vnto you as it commonly happith by same & farre carriage much altered and corrupted, the matter being euen here in the Citie diuersly of diucts men told, either of ignorance or ill meaning, and the rigor of the Iustice towardes the fellow com­pted of some also of our Contrey that come hither of bone viages very extreme, [...] dare say the like propositions of infidelit [...] England, where heresies be otherewise much priuileged, should yet at this day be [...]nished by fire, of late yeres certaine Douchmen being burned in London for sarre lesse matters and no Englishman in all this Popes time, not his predecessors euer touched for the protestāt vulgare errors onely, though great number both of Gentilmen, Marchantes and Mariners haue bene in the inquisitiō for the same: wher they all found as them selues will confesse, pas­sing [Page 7] extraordinarie courtesie and so small ri­gor, that a good fellow of our natiō not many monethes sithence, lacking meanes to liue, ac­cused him self of heresie, and put him self so into the inquisition, that there at lest for a sea­son he might haue his finding, till God sent better fortune. Where, if the reportes be trew that commeth out of England hither, the im­prisonned for the Catholike faith there, are often in great danger of staruing, through the feare the protestants put their charitable relie­uers in, for their almeses bestowed vpon them: but to the matter.

ABOVT two moneths since, there came to this Citie, one Richard Atkins borne or dwel­ling latly in a towne named Rosse, foure miles from Chepstow, one that perchance you haue heard of before, for he had bene whipped o­penly and either thrust into Bridewell or Bed­lem in London for certaine lewde speaches against the Quene, and had suffered death as is thought, had he not bene deemed a mad man. He was of no great yeres, of a meane stature, an alborne buss he, and readiss he bearde, by oc­cupation a nailer, or a nailesmithe, wherewith his handes were as hard and dried as might be, altogether vnlettered, sauing, that he could write his owne name, which it seemed he learned very lately, he did it so slowly and so rudely, and read a litle Englishe, specially of the booke which he was acquainted withall. which was a litle new testament tourned out of Beza his latin, into our tonge. For his reli­gion he said that till he was xix yeres old he [Page 8] was a Catholike or papist, for he vsed the ter­mes indifferently, after that xix yeres a pro­testant, after the Englishe vse, and now at last three yeres, of this forther faithe: some pointes whereof you shall heare anone. The mad fel­low made him self as a prophet, and partly for shew thereof, put himself into strange and figuratiue attire. Next his body he had a ragged wollen garment, then a dublet and breeches of hard bourned rude lether, aboue that a leuse wede of a calues skinne like to a Cas­sock, or rather like a scapuler of the religious, reaching no farther then his midback behynd, and his nauill before, hauing the figure of a paire of gallowes sowde fast vpon the same in redde clothe bothe on the backe and the brest, aswell for signification that he sought to be persecuted for the gospel, as for prophe­cie, that he should die vpon the gallowes for his faith. Aboue all this furniture he had a side beggers cloke of very course stuffe as a man should see. So that for this apparell only he was much gazed at in euery corner. And in that sort he went not long after his arriuall, into S. Pe­ters Church, where among all the people ther assembled he did raue and rage with lowe exclamations they could not tell against what or whom, and all in Englishe, none vnderstan­ding him, but euery one pitying him and con­ceiuing him to be distract of his wit, some coniecturing him to be an Englisheman, mads speedy relation thereof to the Cardinall. of S. Sixtus who is the protector of our nation that by his order the miserable man might be [Page 9] prouided for (as in this Citie thereis the spe­diest relief, for all sortes, that is in the world.) Immediatly the Cardinall commaunded he should be brought to the Englishe College, and so he was the same forenone, hauing at the same time besides his other maladies of mind, a very feruent feuet. Where they cheri­shed him with meate and other things plen­tifully, some of the elder sort also questioning with him of his meaning and the causes of his comming to Rome. To whom he vttered for answer many blasphemies against God, and furiously railed against the Pope and the Sa­craments and other holy things of our Chri­stianitie, professing that he came to that place purposely that he might be killed for Christ, and that he would from thence into Turkie if he could not attaine the same in Rome. All which the studentes attributed to furie and phrensie, and therfor made no matter of his execrable wordes, but made much of the miser till the next day towardes euenning, at which time order was giuen that he should be remo­ued for the better curing of his agew to the Hospitall of S. Spirit, as he was, where he was kept well for certaine daies, till his feuer was past. But being from thence dimissed and fully recouered of his disease, he walked the streates and haunted publike places of resorte continually crying out in his owne language against the Catholike religion, the Pope, and he Citie, affirming to Englishmē that he som­times mett with all, & others that vnderstoode our language, that he would tary so long in [Page 10] Rome till he had learned so much Italian, as to charge the Pope publikely with his sinnes, ashe said he had boldly reprehended the Quene of Englād also for her ill life, with such and such, whom the seditious sclanderer named. The which things bothe against God and his Mi­nisters in earthe being at sundry times heard of diuers, and the wise fearing the euent of the matter, and that it wold be sclanderous to the natiō, if remedie were not had, came vnto the College and namely to Maister william Good, the confessor of the house, a very graue godly father, praying him and the Rector of the College, to consider for the honor of the Contrey what way might best be taken with him, because the Italians began already to mut­ter and murmur that he was not kept in order, or punished: saying that the desperat villaine might be suborned or easely induced by wic­ked men of the new sect, to do some outrage or attempt some what against his holines per­son. The said fathers therefor thought best he should be put into the Hospital of the patzí which is for the cure and keeping of mad me and fooles, but after the rulers of that howse (who haue great experience in suche cases,) had by good triall discerned him not to be di­stracted, they refused plainly to take charge of him. Wherevpon pregnāt suspition more and more grew in all mēs mindes, that al that furie of the fellow, was but the phrenesie of here­sie, driuen by Sathan into that extraordinarie seruor of speach and behauior, to procure, his distructiō, & so the case was referred at lēgthe [Page 11] to the holy inquisition, which wold not for all this take knowledge of the matter, but still deemed it a distraction in the partie, notwith­standing the officers thereof were forewar­ned that some notorious scandale might very wel ensew thereof, if the man were not one way or other looked to, & restrained betimes: this was the xviij. of Iuly. They feared it not for all that, and the fellow wente abroade and plaied his partes as before, till sunday fol­lowing, being the xxiij. of the same Moneth, which day in the forenone he came into S. Pe­ters Church againe, and ther approched neare vnto a priest that was at Masse, a great number of gentilmen and other of all sortes assisting, and when the time of consecration was come and after the eleuation of the former kind, the diuel moued the wretches hart, and gaue him courage, to enter soddenly before them all within the rales or closure that the Altare was compassed with, and to seaze vpon the holy Chalice and to hurle it among the people, which he did to the great horror of all the as­sistāts, so barbarous and sacrilegious a crime not lightly reade nor heard of, but to be done in the cheef Church of Rome, among them that are so perfect Catholikes, and zelous of Gods honor, it was trewly deemed in maner inex­piable, though, otherwise then the damnable beast intended, the Chalice was not then con­secrated, because he tooke it immediatly after the eleuation of the former part, before the second sacerd wordes were said ouer it, not being so well acquainted with that diuine [Page 12] action, as to discerne the times thereof. This desperat facte thus done, the priest standing in great feare amazed, & much muttering through the whole Church, the commō people would haue torne the man of perdition in peeces, if certain gentilmen of the wiser sort had not staied them, who gaue counsel and tooke vpō them rather to deliuer him owt of hand to the Inquisition: and thither was he brought the same houre, the howse of the office and the commissaries lodging not far of. Thither also was the foresaid Confessor of the Englishe College with one other, called to be interpre­tors to bothe partes in the examination of the Heretike: where, as wel for his said notorious Sacrilege committed, as for diuers damnable speaches and opinions, which he auouched and in which he persisted euen before the sacred office, they proceded against him according to the holy Canons & had bene straight com­mitted to the secular power and executed (the people instantly vrging that the Citie might be deliuered of that monster and expiated of so impious an act by the death of the malefa­ctor) had not the good Cardinall of S. Seuerin of his charitable compassion humbly asked of his holines and obtained some daies of delay for the poore Caitife, that all meanes possible might be assaied for his repentance and salua­tion. He was conuicted of a number of he­reticall articles ouer and aboue all the heresies of the new Englishe Churche: as, that the Pope was a deuil: that there was no Sacramēts: that there ought to be no authoritie or supe­rioritie [Page 13] of one man ouer an other, among the faithfull: that a Christian man should not swe­are at all, neither in iudgement nor otherwise: that there should be no holy daies at all: that none should beare or vse weapē: that his heade being couered, he would not nor ought not put of his cap to any man, because, honor was due to God alone: that a man should not pray but in secret, not kneeling but prostrate or groue­ling: that none could be saued but such as suf­fred persecution: that both the people of the Este vnder the Turke, and the Catholikes in England, not with standing their errors, might be saued, because they suffer persecution: that [...] persecution was a proofe sufficient of the trew Church & of the elect. For all which sond absurdities, and other his fantasies, he al­leaged scriptures continually as the Caluinists do, and applied them with like grace: that is, as iust as Germans lippes, yet not lacking vulgar sleightes, shiftes, euasions, and winding of wordes, to auoide the Scriptures and reasons wherewith he was pressed by the learned of the nation, that earuestly dealt with him for conuersion from such pernicious illusions of the deuil. Mary within two sentences, and [...]rtē with one breath, he would contradict him [...] affirme, and deny, and start from one hole, to an other, for all the world, like the protestāts Fulk. [...]oft horse in England, that will passe you such answers without a bait to any Catholik booke that commeth in his way. When we asked him, how he knew that booke which he bare about with him to be gods worde, or to be [Page 14] treuly translated, or to haue that meaning, for which he so often and so confidently alleaged it, seing he was not learned to examine the translation or sense thereof, but should yeld to the learned in such matters, and giue ouer his owne fantasticall singularities. The more lear­ned (quoth he) the more damnation that you li­ue not accordingly, but are of ill life as the protestants, and puritans be: & that this booke is gods word & well translated I am warrāted by the spirit. When we opposed to his par­ticular spirit the generall spirit promised to the Catholik Church, he answered, that him self was the church: and often, that he knew no man to be of his faith but him self, that the Church could not be seene, nor knowē to any, sauing to God alone, being the hid cōpanie of the elect onely. And some times, that he was not assured whether him self was of the Church or no: other whiles, that the Church was in heauen onely, euer since Christes Ascen­sion, specially, sith the kinges of the earthe be came Christians, and endewed it with rich [...] for which they should be damned euery [...] as all other riche men should likewise [...] That the sword was put into their handes by God, as vnto wicked persons, that so wic­kednes, according to the scripture, might ha [...] the ouer hand (which sentence euen so trans­lated he often vsed) and the elect be persocuted by them, and by that persecution be faued: yet notwith standing, sodenly he would tourne his talke and alleage out of the old testament, that princes should vse their sword against [Page 15] malefactors: and contrary, streight out of the new, that no man should strike with the sword. When we cited S. Paule against him. he answered by the authoritie of S. Peter, that in Paules writings many things were hard which the ignorant abused: cite him Peter, I am (quoth he) Christes disciple, not Peters. Being demaunded of the number and force of the Sacraments: some time he affirmed there was none, no count to be made of baptisme or the supper, Christs passion only to be a Sacra­ment: otherwhiles, he said all the workes of the Iust were Sacraments: and that it was a small matter what faith a man were of, so that he liued well: and that euery Iust man was a priest, and might minister all Sacraments, pray, and do what els he list to saluation: that him self somtimes as a sinner could not pray, at O­ther times, that he could pray, fast, and tame his fles he. He affirmed that most part of the world (specially the learned) should be damned, for that they did not reproache and charge openly, he kinges with their faults, as he had done the Quene of England: and that he was ordeined of God to do it, as Iohn Baptist and the pro­phets were, and that he wold speake to the three tirants specially, the Turke, the Pope, & he Quene, whom he lightly named together: where vnto, whē some replied, that he should shortly see, it was not the spirit of trew pro­phesie, but the suggestion of the ennemie that droue him to these folies, for that he was not to be hāged as by the figure of the galowes on his coate, and by his wordes he prophetically [Page 16] professed, but should be bourned for an Here­tike, to which he said nothing, neither was any whit moued by the reasons, praiers, per­suasions, or teares of the godly priests and fa­thers that dealt with him cōtinually for seuen daies together, during his imprisonment in the inquisition, nor shewed all that while any si­gne of distraction otherewise then by that phrensie, which is incident to heresie, and piti­ful execation and obduration of hart, where­at, not only for the compassion of the wret­ches damnable miserie, but also for the disho­nor of our contrey, we all excedingly sorow­ed, seing the strangers measure the common condition of our state in England, by the bru­tishe calamitie of this one sauage man, of whose opinions iust (say they) though al there be not, because heretikes neuer agree, yet being all a like out of the Church of God, they are neither lesse sure of damnation, nor lesse sub­iect to fantasie, nor more ledde by reason and religion, then this forlorne fellow. Yea some of the vulgare, did talke broode against the college and nation, not letting to say, that such fellowes might be bolstered or couered by them, & that they marueled his holines would susteine so many of that contrey in the Citie: but others more discrete, that we were to be pitied rather then reprehended, that had to wrastle in our contrey with such intractable spirits, as this, who brought to Rome as they said, a paterne of our domestical miseries, not wel conceiued of before. But now the Magistrate of the inquisition after sufficient [Page 17] respite and triall of the prisoners disposition, the 29. of Iuly called for certaine English men of speciall knowne conscience and credite, and put them to a booke othe, what they thought of this mans state of mind, and, whe­ther they had any hope of his repentance ei­ther of the execrable Sacrilege cōmitted in the Church, or of his damnable opinons: where­vnto when they had answered according to their conscience, then the man was brought forth, and his said fact and hereticall assertions were publikly red, and to him in Englishe in­terpreted, where, by an interpreter likewise, he was demaūded whether he would repēt & re­cāt: he answered, that he would seale thē with his death: wherevpō he was deliuered imme­diatly to the secular officer, who was thē pour­posely present also, & he caused his sergeāts to seaze vpon his body, as they did, & straight put vpō him a black cassock with flāmes of fier pain ted vpō it: and caried him so from the house of the inquisitiō through the highe streat, inn̄me­rable people folowing him to Corta Sauella, which is a prison hard by the College, which they did, that such as were of the nation might more conueniently deale with him, the rem­nant of his litle time remaining for his repen­tance, he remained ther till wēsday folowing the godly Confessor and others of the nation, and strangers also, not ceasing night nor day to pray and do all duties towardes him, but what could man do with him, whom God had for his horrible factes and incredulitie forsaken? The day of his execution therfore came, being [Page 18] the second of August. And the malefactor was set vpon an asse, his body being naked to the girdel steede, so caried towardes the place where he did the sacrilege: bourning torches often thrust to his back and brest all the way as he went: whereathe shewed much more im­pacience and pucillanimitie, then was agreable to his former desperate pretended stoutnes and spirit, roring and crying out, kil me at a stroke: wherevnto the forsaid good father on the one hand, and an other that went of the other side him, ceased not to call vpon him, O Richard! for our Sauiours sake that bought the with his bloud, haue pitie vpon thy self, remember God his iudgements into which thou shalt by and by enter, and from which to recouer the to God, these torments are vsed towardes the, whiche yet are no more comparable to hell fire, then the sparkles of thy smythie forge are to this, thou now and anone shalt feele in thy body: repent for IESVS sake, repent in this last moment of hope and life. And sometimes he cried the Lord haue mercy vpon me: then the father, O man, there is no mercie out of the Church, retorne to Christs spouse and familie, from whence thou art fallen, and there thou shalt find grace in this thy extremitie, haue desire only to be vnited to the Catholik Church and to confesse thy self of thy offen­ses to Christes Ministers, and thou shalt yet be saued, and become of an example of God his iustice, a paterne of his mercie, and a saued soule in heauē. But the forsaken creature would not heare nor by any meanes, lift vp his eies to­wardes [Page 19] a great crucifix which the deuout fra­ternitie, by order, for the comfort of such men, carieth before the condemned. At leinth they came to S. Peters streate, where he was to be bourned. and first they cut of his right hand, with which he did the impious fact, then tied him to a stake and put fire about him, the ze­lous priest continually crying vpon him to call yet for mercie: but he feeling the torment to be long and vehemēt by reason the fire was slow, would haue strangled him self in the chaine wherewith he was leusely tied about the stake, at the sight whereof the good Father cried, Atkins, Atkins, take heede for the passion of our Sauiour, preuent not gods iudgement by violence and murder of thy self, thou hast yet time inough to call for grace & pardon for thy offences, aske with thy hart onely and our mercifull Lord will giue it the, and if thou so do, cease that violent wresting of thy throte with the chaine, and giue vs a signe with thy hand that thou repentest, whereat sodenly he quieted him self in the chaine, and lift vp, not onely his hand, but his stumpe arme also, aboue his heade, and so settled him self to quietnes till he was deade. All we that stoode neare and saw him mak that euidēt signe at the Con­fessors motion, conceiued gret hope of his sal­uation, pro hoc tamen non dico vt roget quis, though I doubt not but at the day of our Lord, we shall see many suche examples of his mer­cie to men as nere the doore of damnation as this seemed to be, for his life and death most desperate.

[Page 20]THE sight of this thing maketh me now lesse maruel at the Circumcellians, Anabaptists, and other heretikes deuilish obstinacie, and de­sire of their owne deathes, whereof S. Bernard writing of the like heretikes in his time, hath godly wordes which (though I be to long) I will set downe for some ease of my mind, that hath bene somewhat toiled in this poore mans lamentable case these daies past. These heretikes (saith he) can not be vanquished by reason, because In Cātic. ser. 66.they vnderstand not, nor are corrigible by authoritie, which they accept not, nor by any persuasion; for that they be subuerted, they make choise of death rather then conuersion, and many wonder to see them goe to death not only paciently, but also as it seamed iocantly, but such marueled that marked not what great po­wer the Deuill hath, not onely of the bodies, but of the hartes of them, that he hath by God his permission once possessed. Is it not a greater matter, that one should kill him self, then offer him self, to be killed by an other? but that we haue seene the Diuel driue diuers to haue hanged or drowned thē selues. To be short, Iudas hanged him self by the Diuels instigation no question whereat I maruel not so much, as that, he could driu him to deny his Maister: therfor the constancie of Mar­tyrs is nothing like the pertinacitie of heretikes, pietie in the former: obduration of hart in these, causing the contempt of death. So saith he, meaning, that the enemie once hauing wone so much of a man, as to make him forsake Christ and his holy Church, it shalbe then no maistrie for him to driue him to desperation and desire of death: of which kind, that forsake the Catholike Church & hate Gods priest. S. Cyprian saith [Page 21] Though they giue them selues to be bourned with De vnit. Eccles. flammes of fire, or to be deuoured of beastes, all that shall not be the crowne of faith, but a iust punishement for their faithlesnes, nor a glorious ende of religious fortitude, but the iss hew of damnable des­peration: such may suffer death, but such crowned can neuer be, he can not be a Martyr, that is not in ho­ly Church, be can not come to heauen, that forsaketh her (the Church) whith shall reigne in beauen. But my good deare frind I feare now Iwaxe tedious to you in so long a lamentable tale, but loue hath no measure, & needefull it is that you should know the whole truth of the matter: this my letter I giue vou leaue to im­part at your pleasure, as I often communicat yours.

AND now being ready to close vp, fre­she aduises are come by this last post of Paris, of the betraying and apprehension of Maister Campion and others through the filthy treason of one Eliot, who they say after certain other Eliot. infamous treacheries towardes his best Mai­sters and frendes, plaied Iudas part herein egre­gioussy. Quid vultis mihi dare & ego tradam vobis eum, God graunt we heare not shortly that he hange him self after his wages be paied. Iudas we shall not lack so long as Christ hath any disciples, and that the protestants are forced to vse such infamous fellowes it is their pollicie and necessitie, because they can not find honest men for that seruice, of Maister Campions dis­crete vsage all the way that he was caried vp­word, his ioyfull tolleration of the cōtumelies done him by the papers pinned to his hat, [Page 22] which one day shalbe the garlant of his glorie, of his humble behauiour before some of the cheefest, and his swete moderation in all his actions, we were here all edified: and the fa­thers of his order, reioyce in God thereat ex­cedingly, esteeming it a glorious ornament to their societie that he being but a punie among them, for age and learning vnder thousandes, should so mightely by his life, doctrine, and de­meanure, cōfound the aduersaries of the truthe, not doubting but his imprisonment and far­ther suffering as God shall appoint, will be much more glorious to Christ and his Church, the his seruice at libertie could euer haue bene. But of the sequel of these things, as of his rac­king & other durāce, whereof there is already likewise an vncertain rumor, I trust you will aduertise vs from time to time, and so I pray you hartely doe. Christ lesus be with you my good louing frend,

THESE newes loe Rome yeldeth at this present, if I had from thense or any other place better, with good will and good cheape (for recompense of yours) should you haue them, reliques would I send you also to be an­swerable in all pointes to your curtesies, but such martyrs as these, leaue no gratefull memo­ries behind them, as yours there doe, but, as the [Page 23] Cimes, bitte when they are aliue, and stincke when they are deade. But if you communicate the case to M. Fox, perhaps he can make some­thing of it, as he hath done of the martyr in Portugal, and of other as stincking stuff as this, cōmēd me to him I pray you as vnacquainted. Of your disputes in the tower welooke dai­ly to heare from you, of the first altercation we haue a copie, and at Maister B. childishe Grecum est non potest legi, many laughed hartely in their sleues I dare say: and he bloushed I trow, if he be not very black, when he hard him reade Basile rowndly. Farewell my most louing faithfull frend