II. BOOK Etsi vero non dubitem serenissimam reginam, et regni consiliarios habere suos excubitores, qui illos de omnibus, quæ alibi fiant, admoneant; quia tamen Angliam vestram magno suo merito, semper amavi, et eam nobis unius et 140 ejusdem fidei confessio arctissime conjunxit, me hoc ex officio vobis debere putavi, ne celarem quæ vobis struuntur insidias. Ut si forte nihil hujus ad vos pervenerit aliunde, per me hoc vobis innotesceret. Moveat me etiam, quod addebatur, Hispanum occasionem istam ex eo arripuisse, quod papistæ vestri in plurimis locis res novas moliantur. Scio quidem Deum esse regnorum omnium præsidem, et regem regum; Christum item regna ea conservare ac tueri, quæ ecclesiæ suæ hospitium tutum præbent; quod jam multis annis serenissima regina vestra fideliter fecit. Attamen nobis quoque vigilandum est adversus Antichristum, qui oculos hominis habet, et irrequieto studio occasiones omnes captat, quibus Christi reg‐ num evertat; aut saltem piis turbas det. Scripseram de hac re jam ad dignissimos præsules, Eboracensem et Eliensem. Sed quia ille procul a Londino habitat; hic vero per ætatem frequenter se domi continet, necessarium putavi ut tuæ etiam amplitudini ista significarem; et hanc meam pro vobis solicitudinem, etsi fortassis supervacanea sit, vobis tamen gratam et acceptam fore, non dubito. Epistolæ ep'ales. [Number XXVIII.] The content of a letter written by one Solomon Alfred, (sometime a hosier in Birching-lane, London,) from Lions or Rhemes; to Robert Downes, esq. now prisoner in the gaol of Norwich. IN the first part whereof was conteyned the great enterteynment, geven to the writer, his wyfe and her woman, by the pope his holiness (as he termed him) at his house, where he then lay; within twelve miles of Rome. Where at their first coming was a chamber prepared to them to dyne in; and six gentlemen, appointed by the pope II. himself, to attend upon them at dynner: and how the pope BOOK did send unto them a reward of every dish of meat that was upon his own table: and that when at their departure they came to take their leave of him, he gave unto him and his wife a pension of twelve pistoletts a moneth, during their lives: willing them, if they thought it too little, to ask more, and they should have it graunted: and dismyssed them with such courteous words, as there was none of them that departed without shedding of tears. Secondly, The writer wished Mr. Downes, that if he would take the benefit of a licence, which he heard he had, to go beyond the seas, he should now put it in execution : advising him, if he mynded so to do, that he should make means to his brother's factor at London, to take order for the exchange of his mony, to be delivered him agayne, either at Depe, or else where he would within France. And admonished him for his better securitie, to take shipping at Rye, and to land at Depe. And there to chuse, whether he would go to Rhemes, or else to Lyons: where he would procure his brother to meet him, and to brynge him to his house; where he and his wife should be very honourably received. But he willed hym in no wise to come by Paris, for feare of the ambassador. And if he would nedes see the city, he bade him then first, to leve his wyfe at his brother's house, and to go from thence to Paris for three or four dayes. And at his return agayne from thence, he would take such order with his brother as he should be placed in France, where he best lyked. Thirdly, He signified, that there was a bulle: whereof there were printed either iii score, or iii score and odd copies; I do not well remember whether: which should be delivered to Dr. Morton and to one Webbe. But what the contents of them were, or how to be employed, I do not remember it specified in the letter. Fourthly, He said, that there were two Jesuites, and other persons, that were to come over, to do the country good. Lastly, He certified, that there was at Rome, as I take 141 II. BOOK it, a nobleman, either of Turkie or Jurye, with xx persons more, christened, whilest he was there. And this is the whole content, as far as I can remember, which was written, as I hear, in April last. Ubi supra. of all the letter: Mychael Hare. An account of the abovesaid letter, given by Roger Martin, esq. and the occasion of his hearing it read, and of the burning of it. Our supper prepared by our keeper, I came owt of my chamber, and went into an entrye, which some termyth a gallerye, having lyght but on the one side, (where our sayd keeper was attending upon us,) towards the place where we should suppe. Where I saw Mr. Downes openyng and redying of a letter in the wyndow: which he sayd came from beyond the seas, from one that he dyd not see this xvi yeres. Wherein standing by, I hearde hym rede, what grete interteynment and pension the sender of the letter had of the pope, being then a xii myles from Rome. And also he dyd sygnifie what enterteynment the sayd Mr. Downes shold have, yf he wold come over and take the benefice of his lycense: wishyng him not to go to Paris, onless yt were for 3 or 4 dayes, for fere of the imbassador. And so red imperfectly for lack of lyght: that I could not in some places understand hym, tyll as I gesse he came to about half of the letter, or somewhat more. Then goyng into the place where the cloth was layd, and the candel brought in by our sayd keeper, Mr. Hare being there, Mr. Downes delyvered yt to hym. Who red yt somewhat openly unto the place, as I thynke, where he namyd, that yf Mr. Downes wold come over, as ys abovesayd, he shold be honorablye receyved. Whereat Mr. Syllyard and Mr. Bedyngfeld, standyng by the fyre, lawghyd and scoffyd. Then Mr. Hare coming to a place, where a bull, and certeyn copies were namyd, whether to be prynted, or was prynted, I know not, he red that saftely to hymself, I standyng by; yet here and there I myght heare hym: and dyd hear him name one Morton. But whether the copies shold, or were II. delyvered to hym, or to any other, or to whom, or what BOOK shold be done with them, or what was the effect of them, I do not remember that I heard hym rede that: neyther, to my knowlege, was that expressyd in the letter. Then, as I remember, he sayd, certeyn persons, namyng none; whereof there shold be one or two Jesuytes, as I remember, which shold come and do the countrey good, not namyng the countrey by name. And fynally, then he sygnyfyed, that a grett man, and a xx Jewes or Turkes, or Jewes and Turkes, were there chrystenyd. The letter I dyd not rede; neyther ever dyd see any the persons mencyoned, savyng my prison fellows. of Which letter before Mr. Hare had red yt to the full end, Mr. Downes seeyng them styll scoffyng at hym for his honorable receyving, (my self saying to hym, God send thee honestie, and let honour go,) did take yt of Mr. Hare, and sodenly threw yt into the fyre, and burnt yt. Which after Mr. Hare and I had told hym, that yt was to be detected and disclosyd, he repentyd: who in my conscience dyd not rede a word thereof, after he came into the chamber. Whereupon he and we beyng sorry that he had so rashly burnt yt, we callyd to our remembrance every man, what the effect of the letter was. And so did truly and plainly set yt down in wrytyng, accordyng to every man's knowledge. And was not quyett, tyl we had sent notice thereof to my lord. Which we dyd with all spede; without the advice, counsel, or pryvitie of any other person; voluntarily, and of our own minds: desyrous to shew our selves such subjects, as we have and do professe our selves to be: that ys to saye, not wylling to conceale any thyng which may prejudice the state, and be hurtful to thys our natural countrey of England. Of the which we agnise Elyzabeth to be our sove-142 raigne and lawful quene; and we her obedyent vassals and subjects: beseeching Almyghty God to preserve and defend her from al enemyes, foreyne or domestical. Amen. Your dayle orator, Roger Martyn. BOOK Number XXIX. A trewe note of certen artycles, confessed and allowed by Mr. D. Feckenam, as well in Christmas holiedays last past, as also at divers other tymes before that; by conference in lerning before the reverend father in God, the bisshoppe of Elye, and before D. Perne, dean of Elye, master Nicholas, master Stanton, master Crowe, Mr. Bowler, chapleines to my lord of Elye: and divers others, whose names be here subscribed. MSS. Burg. FIRST, That he doth believe in his conscience, and before God, that the xiiii. chapter of the First to the Corinthes is as truly to be understanded of the common service to be good in the mother tongue, to be understanded of the vulgar people, as of the preaching or prophesying in the mother tonge. Secondly, That he doth find no fault with any thinge that is set forth in the book of common service now used in the church of England: but his desyre is to have all the rest of the ould service, that was taken out, to be restored agayne: as the prayer to the saincts, and for the dead, and the seven sacraments, and external sacrifice and then he would most willingly come thereto. He liketh well to have the sacrament ministred under both kinds to the layepeople; so it were done by the aucthoritie of the church. Thirdly, He doth very well allowe of the interpretation of the othe for the quenes majesty her supremacie, as it is interpreted in her highness Injunctions; that is, that the quenes majesty under God have the soveraintie and rule over all manner of persons, born within these her realmes, dominions, and countries, of what estate, either ecclesiastical or temporal soever they be. The which othe he offereth himself to be at all tymes readie most willinglie to receave, whensoever it shall be demanded of him by aucthoritie. Fourthly, He being demaunded, whie he wyl not come to the service in the churche of England, as it is set forth this day, seing he doth find no fault with it, and doth think it in his conscience, that it may be lawful to have the |