majesty more obedience, and the poore people better knowledg. But the realme wantith light in souche churches, where as of right it owght most to be. I suppose ye had hard, that there shuld be a great spoyle made of this church hyre. For what can be so wel donne, that men of light conscience cannot make, by suggestion, to appere ivel? Doutles the things donne be no more then the express words of the kings majesties injunctions, commandyd to be donn. And I darre saye, there is not for a churche to preach Goddes word in, and to mynyster his holy sacraments, more godly within this realm. But, Mr. Secretarie, I see mouche myschefe in mens hartes by many tokens, and souch as speak very fere meanith crauftely, and nothing less then they speake. I have to good experience of it.

Thus God geve us wysdome and strength, wyselye and stronglye to serve in our vocations. There is none that eatith there bread in the swet of there face, but souch as serve in public vocation. Yours is wounderful, but myne passith. Now I perceave private labours be but playes, nor private trobles but ease and quietnys. God be our help, Amen. I pray you send me my jurisdiction assone as may be. Worcestre, 25 Octobris, 1552.

Yours, and so wil be whylles I live,

with my prayer JOHN HOPER, bushope of Worcestre.

Postscript. When that I perceavyd my request for jurisdiction made before unto you, upon further deliberation I thought it good to unrequest that againe; praying you to make no mention of it: and therupon wrote the letters to the Councel anew. The cause is, I send for a president, to se the jurisdiction, how it is gyven in the like state as I am. Which pleasith me not. Therefore, goodd Mr. Secretarye, let it pass til I write unto you again.

No. XLIX.

A Popish Rhime fastned upon a Pulpit in K. Edwards reigne.*

THIS pulpit was not here set,

For knaves to prate in and rayl.
But if no man may them let,
Mischef wil come of them, no fail.

If God do permit them for a tyme
To brabble and ly at their wyl,
Yet I trust or that be prime,
At their fal to laughe my fill.

Two of the knaves already we had,
The third is comyng as I understand,
In al the yerth ther is none so bad,

I pray God soon ryd them out of this land.

Prowder knaves was ther never none,

So false they are, that no man may them trust.
But if God do not send help sone,

They wil lay al in the dust.

Al Christen men at us now laugh and scorne

To se how they be taking of hie and lowe,
But the child that is yet unborn

Shal them curse al on a rowe.

Now God sped thee wel,

And I wil no more mell.

The Answer to the Enemy.

A rope is a fytt reward for such rysshe repers,

As have strowed this church ageinst the kings prechers.

THE pulpits are now replenished with them that prech the truthe, And popish traitors banished, which seemed to you great ruthe. But yf you and the freers were clean owt of this land,

This realme to the last years, ful firme and sure should stand.

When such as with you trust shal al ly in the dust,
And ryse thereout agayne unto perpetual payne,
With them that laugh and scorne eyther at hye or lowe,
Had better not been borne such evil seeds to sowe.

Yee pray God spede them wel, and ye wil no more mell;
Forsothe ye have said wel; but if ye may be knowen,
Ye are like for to be taken, and quartered like a baken,
And of your frends forsaken, for these sedis ye have sowen.
Like as the last yere traitors were knowen,

By standing in the felds with weapon and swordes,
So this year their treason is sowen,

In traiterous bills and railing words.

Some of their carcases standith on the gates,
And their heads most fyttely on London bridge.
Therefore, ye traytors, beware your pates,
For yf ye be founde, the same way must ye tridge.
God save the kings majestie long for to reigne,
To suppresse al rebells, and truthe to maynteyne.

An old Song of John Nobody.*

I.

IN December, when the dayes draw to be short,
After November, when the nights wax noysome and long ;
As I past by a place privily at a port,

I saw one sit by himself making a song.

* Privati MS.

His last talk of trifles, who told with his tongue,

That few were fast i'th' faith, I feyned that freake,
Whether he wanted wit, or some had done him wrong.
He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speak.

II.

John Nobody, quoth I, what news? thou soon note and tell,
What maner men thou mean, that are so mad.

He said, These gay gallants, that wil construe the Gospel,
As Solomon the sage with semblance ful sad,

To discus divinity they nought adread.

More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke.

Thou lyest, quoth I, thou losel, like a leud lad.

He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speak.

III.

Its meet for every man on this matter to talk,

And the glorious Gospel ghostly to have in mind,

It is sothe said that sect, but much unseemly scalk,

As boyes babble in books, that in Scripture are blind :
Yet to their fancy soon a cause wil find.

As to live in lust, in lechery to leyke.

Such caitives count to be come of Cains kind,
But that I little John Nobody durst not speak.

IV.

For our reverend father hath set forth an order,
Our service to be said in our seignours tongue :
As Solomon the sage set forth the Scripture,
Our suffrages, and service with many a sweet song,
With homilies and godly books us among.
That no stiff, stubborn stomacks we should freyke.
But wretches nere worse to do poor men wrong.
But that I little John Nobody dare not speak.

V.

For bribery was never so great, since born was our Lord,
And whoredom was never les hated, sith Christ harrowed hel:
And poor men are so sore punished commonly through the world.
Thus would it grieve any one, that good is, to hear tel.

For al the homilies and good books, yet their hearts be so quel,
That if a man do amiss with mischefe they wil him wreake.
The fashion of these new fellows, it is so vile and fell,

But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

VI.

Thus to live after their lust, that life would they have,
And in letchery to lyke al their long life;

For al the preaching of Paul, yet many a proud knave
Wil move mischiefe in their mind both to maid and wife;

To bring them in advoutry, or else they wil strife,

And in brawling about baudery, Gods commandments break,
But of these frantic il fellowes few of them do thrife,

Though I little John Nobody dare not speak.

VII.

If thou company with them they wil currishly carp, and not care,
According to their foolish fantacy, but fast wil they naught.
Prayer with them is but prating; therefore they it forbear.
Both almes deeds, and holiness, they hate it in their thought.
Therefore pray we to that prince, that with his bloud us bought :
That he wil mend that is amiss. For many a man ful freyke
Is sorry for these sects, though they say little or nought,
And that I little John Nobody dare not once speake,

VIII.

Thus in no place this Nobody in no time I met,

Where no man then nought was, nor nothing did appear;
Though the sound of a synagogue for sorrow I swett,
That Hercules through the eccho did cause me to hear.
Then I drew me down into a dale, wheras the dumb deer,
Did shiver for a shower, but I shunted from a freyke.
For I would no wight in this world wist who I were,
But little John Nobody, that dare not once speake.

No. L.

John a Lasco's Letter from Emden, signifying the dangerous Condition they were in, and the Persecutions they expected.* Clarissimo viro Domino Sicilio, a consilijs et libellis supplicibus illustrissimi Domini Protectoris: Domino et fratri meo obser

vandissimo.

S. CUM mihi ad alios scribendum istuc esset, facere non potui quin ad te quoque scriberem, vir clarissime, memor videlicet illius, quod te mihi istic delegerim, cui mea omnia nota præ alijs esse velim.` Volui itaque tibi de meo huc reditu significare: nempe me felicissimo itinere, gratia Domino, usum: et me ex Anglia in Frisiam Orientalem, intra triduum, trajecisse. Navis præfectum a domino protectore nobis additum habebamus, virum optimum et fidelissimum: qui dominum comitem Bremam usque est sequutus, ut certi aliquid, opinor, ab illo vobis adferat. Ego quæ scio ad dominum Cantuariensem omnia perscripsi, ut illustrissimo domino protectori exponat: quæ tibi quoque incognita non fore puto. Scripturus alioqui eadem ad te omnia, si non id parum necessarium, adeoque et supervacaneum esse judicarem. Nos hic crucem certissimam expectamus, et ad eam perferendam mutuo nos in Domino cohortamur, cum invocatione nominis sancti sui: ut per patientiam et fidem, ferendo, superemus omnia, quæcunque in nos permittere ille volet, ad nominis sui gloriam, et nostri probationem: certi * Sir W. H. MSS. [Lansd. MS. ii. 30]. 2 c

VOL. II.

His last talk of trifles, who told with his tongue,

That few were fast i'th' faith, I feyned that freake,
Whether he wanted wit, or some had done him wrong.
He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speak.

II.

John Nobody, quoth I, what news? thou soon note and tell,
What maner men thou mean, that are so mad.

He said, These gay gallants, that wil construe the Gospel,
As Solomon the sage with semblance ful sad,

To discus divinity they nought adread.

More meet it were for them to milk kye at a fleyke.

Thou lyest, quoth I, thou losel, like a leud lad.

He said, he was little John Nobody, that durst not speak.

III.

Its meet for every man on this matter to talk,

And the glorious Gospel ghostly to have in mind,

It is sothe said that sect, but much unseemly scalk,

As boyes babble in books, that in Scripture are blind :
Yet to their fancy soon a cause wil find.

As to live in lust, in lechery to leyke.

Such caitives count to be come of Cains kind,
But that I little John Nobody durst not speak.

IV.

For our reverend father hath set forth an order,
Our service to be said in our seignours tongue :
As Solomon the sage set forth the Scripture,
Our suffrages, and service with many a sweet song,
With homilies and godly books us among.
That no stiff, stubborn stomacks we should freyke.
But wretches nere worse to do poor men wrong.
But that I little John Nobody dare not speak.

V.

For bribery was never so great, since born was our Lord,
And whoredom was never les hated, sith Christ harrowed hel:
And poor men are so sore punished commonly through the world.
Thus would it grieve any one, that good is, to hear tel.

For al the homilies and good books, yet their hearts be so quel,
That if a man do amiss with mischefe they wil him wreake.
The fashion of these new fellows, it is so vile and fell,
But that I little John Nobody dare not speake.

VI.

Thus to live after their lust, that life would they have,
And in letchery to lyke al their long life;

For al the preaching of Paul, yet many a proud knave
Wil move mischiefe in their mind both to maid and wife;