The.xv. chapyter

The messenger moueth agaynst ye clergye / yt thoughe they haue made no law therof / yet they wyll in dede suffer non englysh byble in no mānꝭ hand / but vse to burne theym where they fynde theym / and somtyme to to burne the man to. And for ensample he layeth one Rychard hūne / shewyng that the chaūceler of Londō murdered hym in pryson and after hanged hym / faynyng yt he hanged hym self / & after cōdempned hym of heresye / bycause he had an englyshe byble / & so burned y• byble & hym together wherunto ye author āswereth I Suppose quod he that thys opynyon is rather growen another way / that ys to wytte by the reason yt the clergye though the law serue them not therfore / do yet in dede take all trā slacyons out of euery lay mannꝭ hand. And sometyme wyth those that be burned or cōuycted of heresye / they burne ye englysh byble wythout respecte / be ye translacyon olde or new / bad or good. Forsoth quod I yf thys were so / thā were yt in my mynde not well done. But I byleue ye mystake yt. Howe be yt what ye haue sene I can not saye. But my selfe haue sene and can shew you byblys fayre and olde wryten in englyshe / whyche haue ben knowen & sene by the byshop of the dyocyse / and lefte in laye mennys handys and womens to suche as he knewe for good and catholyke folk / that vsed yt wyth deuocyon and sobernes. But of trouth all suche as are founden in the handys of heretyques / they vse to take awaye But they do cawse none to be burned as farre as euer I cowlde wytte / but onely such as be foundē fawtye. Wher of many be set forth wyth euyll prologys or glosys malycyously made by wyclyf & other heretykes. For no good mā wold I wene be so mad to burne vp ye byble / wherī they foūd no faut / nor on law yt letted yt to be loked on & red. Mary quod he but I haue herd good men say that euen here in London not many yerys agoo / in the dayes of the bysshop that last dyed / they burned vp as fayre bybles in englysh as eny man hathe lyghly sene / and therto as fautlesse for awght that eny man cowlde fynde / as eny byble ys in laten. And yet bysydys thys they burned vppe the dede bodye of the man hym selfe / whome theym selfe hadde hanged in the byshoppys pryson before / makyng as though ye man had hāged hymselfe. And of the burnynge of hys body had they no colour / but onely bycause they founde englysshe bybles in hys howse. Wherin they neuer founde other faut / but bycause they were englyssh. who tolde you thys tale quod I? Forsothe dyuers honest mē quod he that saw yt / and specyall one that saw the man hangyng in ye bysshops pryson ere he was cutte downe. And he told me yt yt was well and clerely proued / yt the chaunceler & hys kepers had kylled the man fyrst / and thā hanged hym after. And that they had layd heresye to hym only for hatred yt he sued a pmunyre agaīst dyuers persons / for a suyt taken about a mortuary in the audyence of the archebysshop of cāterbury. And thā they proued the heresye by nothynge ellys / but by the possessyon of a good englysh byble. And vppon heresye so proued agaynst hym whome they had hanged / lest he sholde saye for hym selfe / they burned vppe the holy scrypture of god / and the body of a good man therwyth. For I haue herd hym called a very honest person and of a good substaunce. Forsothe quod I of good substaunce he was I thynke well worthe a. M. markys. And of hys worldly conuersacyon among the peple I haue herd non harme. But surely as towchynge hys fayth towarde Cryste / me thynketh I may be bold to say that he was not honest. And as touching trouth ī wordꝭ / he yt hath tolde you thys tale was not so honeste in dede as me thynketh ye take hym for. Why q he do ye know ye mater well? Forsoth q I so wel I know it frō top to too / yt I suppose ther be not very many mē yt know yt mych better. For I haue not only ben dyuers tymes present my selfe at certayn examynacyons therof / but haue also dyuers and many tymes sunderly talked wyth almost all such except the ded mā hym self / as moost knew of the mater. whych mater was many tymes in sundry placys examyned. But specyally at Baynardys castell one day was yt examyned at great length / and by a long tyme euery mā beyng sent for byfore / & redy there all yt could be founden yt eny thyng could tell or yt had sayd they could eny thyng tell in the mater. And thys examynacyō was had byfore dyuers grete lordys spyrytual and temporall and other of the kyngys honorable counsayll / sente thyther by his hyghnesse for the nonys of hys blyssed zele and pryncely desyre borne to the serchynge of the trouthe. Whervnto hys gracyous mynde was myche enclyned / & had ben by a ryghte honorable mā enformed / that there was one had shewed a frend of hys yt he could go take hym by the sleue yt kylled Hūne / for Rychard hūne was hys name whome ye speke of. I was also my self psent at the iudgement gyuē in Powlys / wher vppon hys bokys & hys body were burned. And by all these thyngys I very well knowe / that he of whom ye haue h[…]rd thys mater / hath tolde you talys far from ye trouth. In good fayth q your frende / he tolde me one thynge yt ye speke of nowe / that there was one that sayde he cowlde go take hym by the sleue that kylled Hunne / and that he dyd so in dede byfore the lordys / and came euen there to the chaunceler and sayd my lordys thys ys he. But whā he was asked how he knew it / he cōfessed yt yt was by suche and vnlawfull craft […] was not takē for a profe. For it was thei say by necromācie And the bysshops yt were there wolde haue had y• man burned to for wychecrafte. And told me also yt there was a nother whyche had sene meny men yt had hanged thē self / a man that had bē long in offyce vnder dyuers of the kyngys almoygners / to whom ye goodys of such men as kylled them self be appoynted by ye law / and hys offyce / as deodandes to be gyuen in almoyse This man as I haue herd saye / shewed vnto the lordys by suche experyence as he had good and playne tokēs / by whych they perceyued well that Hunne dyd neuer hange hym selfe. I haue herd also that a spyrytuall man and one that loued well the chaunceler / and was a laborer for that parte / yet coulde not deny before all the lordys but that he hadde tolde a temporall man and a frende of hys / that Hunne had neuer ben accused of heresye yf he had neuer sued the premunyre. And by saynt Mary that was a shrewd worde. How be yt in dede yt went not so nere the mater as the tother two thyngys dyd. Yes in good faythe quod I all thre lyke nere whan they were all herd. But of trouth many other thyngys were there layd / that vppon the herynge semed myche more suspycyouse than these. Whyche yet whan they were answered / alway loste more than halfe theyr strength. But as for these thre maters I promyse you proued very tryfles / and such as yf ye had herd theym ye wolde haue lawghed at theym seuen yere after. I beseche you quod he lette me here howe they proued. I am lothe quod I to lette you and lese youre tyme in suche tryfles. How be yt sythe ye longe so sore therfore / rather than ye sh[…]lde lese youre chylde for theym / ye shall haue theym all thre as shortely as I can. Fyrste ye muste vnderstande that bycawse the comynge together of the lordys from Grenewych to Baynardꝭ castell for the tryenge oute of the mater sholde not be frustrate / there was suche dylygence done before / that euery man that aughte hadde sayde therin / was redy there agaynste theyre cō mynge. where they began wyth the fyrste poynte that ye spake of / as the specyall mocyon whervppon the kyngys hyghnesse had sent theym thyther. Wherfore after the rehersall made of the cause of theyr comyng / the grettest temporal lord there present sayd vnto a certayn seruaūt of hys own stādyng there bysyde / syr ye told me ye one shewed you that he could go take hym by ye sleue yt kylled Hūne[…] haue ye brought hym hyther? Syr q he yf yt lyke your lordshyp this man yt was y• told me so / poyntyng to one that he had caused to come thither. Than my lord asked that man howe saye ye syr can ye do as ye sayd ye coulde? Forsothe my lorde quod he and yt lyke youre lordsshyp I sayd not so myche / thys gentylman dyd somwhat mys[…]e take me. But in dede I tolde hym that I had a neyghbour that tolde me that he cowlde do yt. Where ys that neyghboure quod my lorde? Thys man syr quod he / bryngynge forthe one whyche had also be warned to be there. Than was he asked whyther he had sayd that he could do yt. Nay forsothe quod he my lorde I sayde not that I cowlde do yt my self / but I sayde y• one told me that he could do yt. Well q my lord who tolde you so? Forsothe my lorde quod he my neyghbour here. Thā was ye mā askyd. Syr knowe you one that can tell who kylled Hunne? Forsoth quod he and yt lyke your lordshyppe I sayd not that I knew one surely yt could tell who h[…]d kylled hym / but I sayd in dede th[…]t I knowe one whyche I thought veryly coulde tell who kylled hym. Well quod the lordꝭ at last yet wyth mych worke we come to sōwhat. but wherby thyn[…] you yt he can tel? Nay forsoth my lorde q he yt is a womā / I wolde she were here wt your lordshyppis now. Well q my lord woman or man all is one / she shall be hadde where so euer she be. By my fayth my lordꝭ q he & she were wt you she wold tell you wōders. For by god I haue wyst her tell many maruylouse thyngꝭ ere now. Why q ye lordis what haue you herd her tolde? For so[…]h my lordꝭ quod he yf a thynge h[…]d bene stolen / she wold haue tolde who h[…]d yt / and therfore I thīke she could as well tell who kyld Hunne as who stale an horse. Surely sayd the lordys so thynke all we to I trow. But how could she tell yt by the deuyll? Nay by my trouth I trow quod he / for I could neuer se her vse eny worse waye than lokyng in onys hande. Therwyth the lordys laughed and asked what is she. Forsoth my lord quod he an egyp[…]yan / and she was lodged euen here at Lambeth / but she ys gone ouer see nowe. How be it I trow she be not ī her own countre / yet for they saye yt ys a grete waye hense / and she wente ouer lytell more than a moneth ago. Now forsoth q your frende thys processe came to a wyse purpose / here was a gret post well thywted to a puddyng pryk. But I pray you to what poynt came the second mater of hym th[…]t had ben in offyce vnder so many of the kyngys almoygners / that he knew by hys owne experyēce & ꝓued y• Hūne h[…]d not hanged hym selfe? Forsoth q I he was called in nexte. And than was he asked wherby he knewe yt. But wold god ye had sene his contenaūce. The mā had of lykelyhed sayd sūwhat to far & was myche amased / & loked as though hys eyen wolde haue fallen oute of hys hed in to the lordys lappys. But to ye questyō he answered and sayd / yt he saw y• very well / for he sawe hym both ere he was takē down & after. What than q ye lordys so dyd there many mo / whych yet vppon the syght could not tel that. No my lordys quod he but I haue a nother in syght insuche thyngꝭ thā other men haue. What in syghte quod they? Forsoth q he yt ys not vnknowen yt I haue occupyed a grete whyle vnder dyuers of ye kyngys almoygnyers / & haue sene & consydered many that haue hanged thē self / & therby yf I se one hange I can tell anon whyther he hanged hym self or not. By what tokē can you tell quod the lordys? Forsothe quod he I can not tell ye tokēs / but I perceyue yt well ynoughe by myn owne syghte. But whan they herd hym speke of hys owne syghte / and therwyth saw what syght he had / lokynge as thoughe hys eyen wold haue fallen in theyr lappꝭ / there coulde fewe forbere laughynge / and sayd we se wel surely that ye haue a syghte by your selfe. And than sayde one lorde meryly / peraduenture as […]om mā is s[…] cūnyng by experyēce of iewels that he can perceyue by hys owne eye why[…]er a stone be ryghte or counterf[…]te though[…] he can not well make a nother man to perceyue the tokens / so thys good felowe thowghe he can not tell vs the markys / yet hath suche an experyence in hangyng / that hymselfe perceyueth vppon the syght / whyther the man hanged hym selfe or no. Ye forsothe my lorde quod he euer as your lordysshyp sayth. For I knowe yt wel ynough my selfe / I haue sene so many by reason of myn offyce. Why quod a nother lorde meryly your offyce hathe no more experyence in hangyng than hath an hange mā. And yet he can not tell. Naye syr q he and yt lyke your lordshyp he medleth not wyth theym that hange theym selfe as I do. Well q one of the lordys how many of them haue ye medled wyth in youre dayes? Wyth many my lorde quod he / for I haue ben offycer vnder two almoygners and therfore I haue sene many. Howe many quod one of the lordys? I can not tell quod he howe many / but I wote well I haue seene many. Haue ye sene quod one an hundred? Naye quod he not an hundred. Haue ye sene foure score and ten? therat a lytell he studyed as one standynge in a doute and that were loth to lye and at laste he sayd / that he thoughte nay not fully foure score & ten. Than was he asked whither he hath sene twenty. And therto wythout eny styckynge he answered nay not twenty. Therat ye lordys lawhged well to se that he was so sure that he had not sene twentye / and was in dout whyther he had sene four score and ten. Than was he asked why ther he had sene.xv. And therto he sayd shortely nay / And in lykewyse of ten. And laste they came to fyue / & fro fyue to foure. And there he bygan to studye agayn. Thā cam they to thre / & thā for shame he was fayn to say yt he had sene so many & mo to. But whā he was asked / whā / whom / & in what place / necestyte draue him at last vnto y• trouth / wherby yt appered that he neuer had sene but one in all hys lyfe. And that was an yrysh felow called croke shank whome he hadde sene hangynge in an olde bar[…]e. And whā all hys connyng was come to thys / he was bad walke lyke hym self. And one sayd vnto hym that bycawse he was not yet cōnynge ynoughe in the crafte of hangynge / y[…] was pytye that he hadde no more experyence therof by one mo. Forsothe q youre frende thys was a mad felowe. Came ye thyrd tale to as wyse a poynt? Ye shall here quod I. The temporal man that had reported yt vpō ye mouth of the spyrytual mā / was a good worshypfull man / and for hys trouthe and worshyp was in grete credyte. And surely the spyrytuall man was a man of worshyp also / & wel knowē both for cō nyng & vertuouse. And therfore ye lordꝭ myche meruayled knowīg thē both for suche as they were / that they shold be lyke to fynde / eyther the tone or the tother eyther make an vntrewe reporte or vntrewly denye ye trouth. And fyrst the temporall mā before the lordys in the heryng of the spyrytuall person stā dyng by / sayd / my lordys as helpe me god and halydom mayster doctour here sayd vnto me hys owne mouth / that yf Hūne had not sued the premunyre he shold neuer haue bē accused of heresye. How say you master doctour quod the lordys was ye trewe or ellys why sayd ye so? Surely my lordys quod he I sayd not all thyng so / but ma[…]y thys I sayd in dede / that yf Hūne had not bē accused of heresye / he wold neuer haue sued the premunyre. Lo my lordys q the tother I am gladde ye fynde me a true man. Wyll ye commaunde me eny more seruyce? Nay by my trouth q one of ye lordꝭ not in this mater / by my wyl ye maye go whan ye wyll. For I haue espyed good mā so yt wordꝭ be […]l one yt maketh no mater to you whyche waye they stand / but all is one to you a horse myl & a myll horse / dīke ere ye go & go e[…]e ye drynke. Naye my lordys quod h[…] I wyll not drynke dod yelde you. And therwyth he made curteyse & wēt hys waye / leuynge some of the lordys lawghynge to se the good playne olde honest man / how that as contrary as theyr two talys were / yet whā he herd thē both agayne / he marked no dyfference bytwene theym / but toke theym bothe for one / bycause ye wordys were one. By my trouthe q your frend these thre thyngys came meryly to passe / and I wold not for a good thynge but I had herd theym. For here may a man se that mysse vnderstandynge maketh mysse reportyng. And a tale that […]eeth thorowe many mouthes / catcheth many new fethers / whyche whan they be pulled away agayne / leue hym as pylled as a coote and somtyme as bare as a byrdys ars. But I thyn[…]e veryly for all thys there was grete euydence gyuen agaynst the chaūceler / for he was at length endyghted of Hunnys deth / and was a grete whyle in pryson / and in cōclusyō neuer durst abyde the tryal of twelue men for hys acquytayle / but was fayn by frendshyp to gete a ꝑdō. But I beseche you for my myndys sake / shewe me what thought your selfe therin. Of trouth quod I there were dyuerse suspycyouse thyngys layd agaynst hym / and al those well and substā cyally answered agayn for hym. How be yt vppon the tellynge of a tale oftē tyme happeth / that wh[…] all […] that can be sayde therin / yet shall th[…] […] some thynke one way and some a nother. And therfore though I can not thynke but that the Iury whyche were ryght honest men / found the verd[…]cte as theym selfe thought in theyre owne conscyence to be trouthe / yet in myn owne mynde for oughte that eue[…] I herd therof in my lyfe as helpe god I could neuer thīk yt. Yf he had not ben gyltye quod your frende / he wolde neuer haue sued hys ꝑdon. Yes quod I ryght wyse men haue I herd say ere thys / that they wyll neuer refuse neyther goddys pardon nor the kyngys. It were no wysdom in a mater of many suspycyouse talys be they neuer so false / to stāde on twelue mennys mouthes where one may fynd a surer way. But I thynke veryly that yf he had bē gyltye / he sholde neuer haue goten hys pardon. For al be yt that th[…]re was neuer I trowe brought in thys worlde a prynce of more benygne nature / nor of more mercyfull mynde / than ys our souerayne lorde that now reygneth and longe mo[…]e reygne vppon vs / wherby neuer kynge coulde fynde in hys hart[…] more frely to forgyue and forgete offē cys done and cōmytted vnto hym self / yet hath hys hyghnesse suche a feruent affe[…]ciō to right & iustyce in other mēnꝭ causys / & such a tēder zele to the conseruaciō of hys subgectꝭ / of whose lyuys hys hygh wysedom consydereth many to stand in parell by the geuyng of perdon to a few wylfull murderers / that neuer was there kyng / I byleue yt euer ware the crown in thys realme whych hath in so many yerys geuē vnto such fol[…]e so fewe. And therfore I make my selfe sure that in such a wylfull purpē sed […] cruell dede as thys had bene yf hyt had bene trew / all the frendys that could haue bene founden for the chauncellour in thys world / could neuer haue goten hys pardon to passe in such wyse / had yt not be that vppon the reporte of all the cyrcumstancys / the kyng[…] hygh prudence whych wyth out flatery perceth as depe in to the bo […]ome of a dowtefull mater as euer I saw man in my lyfe / had well perceyued hys innocēcye ¹ And as for my selfe in good fayth as I told you byfore. I neuer hard in my lyfe (and yet haue I herd all I wen[…] yt well could be sayed) therin eny thing y• moued me after both the partyes herde / to thynke that he shold be gyltye. And bysydys al thys consyde[…]ing that Hunne was (as they that well knowe hym saye he was in dede) though he were a fayre dealer among hys neygbours[…] yet a man hygh mynded and set on the glory of a vyctory / whyche he hoped to haue in the premunyre / wherof he mych hosted as they sayed among hys famylyare frendys / that he trusted to be spokē of long after his dayes / and haue hys mater in the y[…]rys and termys called Hunnys case. whych whan he perceyued wolde go agaynst his purpose / and that in the temporall law he shold not wynne his spurrys / and ouer that in y• spyrytuall law perceyued so myche of hys secrete sorys vnwrapped & dyscouered that he begā to fall in fere of worldly shame / yt ys to me mych more lykely that for werynes of hys lyfe he rydde hym selfe out therof (whych maner of affectyon we se not seldom happē / specyally syth the deuyll myght peraduenture ioyne therwt a malycyouse hope of yt whyche after happed that the suspycyon of hys deth myth be layed to the charge and parell of the chauncellour) thys ys I say myche more lykely to me / than the thynge wherof I neuer herd the lyke byfore / that the bysshoppys chaunceler shold kyll in the lollardys towre a mā so sore suspect and cōvycte of heresye / wherby he myght brynge hym selfe in besynes / where as yf he hated the man (For kyll hym he wolde not ye wote well yf he loued hym) he myght easely brynge hym to shame and peraduēture to shamefull deth also.

In good fayth q your frend wyste I that yt were trew that he was an heretyque in dede / and in parell to be so proued / I wold well thynke that in malyce and dyspayre he hanged hym selfe. God quod I knoweth of all thynge the trouth. But what I haue herd therin that shall I shew you.

My selfe was presēt in poulys whā the bysshype in ye presence of ye Mayre and the aldremen of the cytye cōdempned hym for an heretyque after hys dethe. And then were there redde o[…]ē ly ye deposyons / by whych yt was well proued that he was conuyc[…]e as well of dyuerse other heresyes as of mysbyleue toward the holy sacrement of the […]wter. And thervppon was the iudgement geuen / that hys body sholde be burned / and so was yt. Now this is quod I to me a full profe. For I assure you the bysshop was a very wyse man a vertuouse and a cūnyng. By saynt mary quod he the profe is the better by so mych. I shall tell you quod I a nother thyng[…]/wh[…]che whan ye here ye shall peraduenture byleue yt yet the better. That wolde I gladly know quod he. For as farer as I can here neuer man had hym sus[…]ec[…]e of eny suche th[…]e byfore. Forsoth quod I that can I not tel. But so yt happ[…]d that as I remember syx or seuē yere after that Hūne was thus hanged and hys body burned for an heretyke / there was one in Essex a carpenter that vsed to make pumpes / whyche had entended wyth other suche as he was hym selfe to do grete robbery / and thervppon was he brought vnto the courte. Where by the cōmaundement of the kyngys grace / a grete honourable estate of thys realme and my selfe had hym in examynacyon. Wherin among other thyngys he confessed that he had longe holden dyuers heresyes / whych he sayd that hys brother beyng […] clerke of a chyrche had taught bothe hys father and hym. And I promyse you those heresyes were of an heygth. Than he shewed vs what other connynge maysters of that scole he had herd rede / & specyally in a place whych he named vs in Londō / where he sayd yt suche heretyques were wont […]o resorte to theyr redyngys in a chamber at mydnyght. And wh[…]n we asked hym ye namys of them that were wont to haunte those mydnyghte lecturis / he rehersed vs dyuers / & amonge other he named Rychard hunne. Wherof we somwhat meruayled in oure myndys / but nothynge sayde we therto / but let hym reherse on all such as he could call to mynde. And wh[…]n he stopped and could remember no[…]/than asked we of thē that he had named / what they were and where they dwelled. And he tolde vs of some of them that were cō uycted / & some yt were […]edde / and some that were yet at that tyme dwellynge […]yll in the town. And in the way whā we asked hym what man was yt Hūne that he spake of / he tolde vs hys person and hys howse. And where is he now sayd we? Mary q he I went to Tourney / and whan I cam thense agayne / than herd I say that he was hanged in the lollardys towre and hys body burned for an heretyque. And thus there lerned we longe after / that Hūne had haunted heretyques lectures by nyght long before / whych we declared vnto the kyngys hyghnesse as he had confessed. And hys hyghnesse though he was sory yt eny man shold be so lewd / yet hyghly dyd reioyce that ye goodnes of god broughte suche hyd myschyefe more and more to lyght. So after had we by the kyngys cōmaundement that mānys brother in examynacyō / which dyd in dede confesse nothyng / neyther of ye felonyes nor of the heresyes. But yet his brother dyd abyde by them and anowed theym in hys face / wyth suche markys and tokens as yt myghte well appere that he sayd treuth. And surely meruayle were it yf he wold fasly haue fayned such heyghnouse thyngꝭ agaīst hys owne brother / hys owne father & hym selfe / beynge therto nothynge cō pelled / nor put eyther in payne or fere. Now was the father dede / and other could we not come by / whō we myght ferther examyne of that nyght scole / sauynge that he whych as I told you cō fessed thys mater / shewed vs also at ye fyrst tyme of one man in London taken for good and honest / whyche was as he sayd a scoler also of hys brother in those heresyes / whych man for hys honestie we forbare to medle with / tyl we shold haue the tother brother. whō as sone we had in handys / and that he was cōmytted to the marshalsye / thys other man whych was as I tolde you de[…]cted vnto vs for an heretyque and a scoler of hys / came to me to labour & sue for hym / pretendynge that he dyd yt for cheryte. And for as mych as we thought we could not fayle of him whā we wold haue hym / we forbare therfore to examyne hym / tyll we sholde haue examyned the tother whom he labored for But than were we not ware in what wyse we shold be dysapoynted of hym. For so myshapped yt in dede / yt after hys beyng at me to labor for him whose scoler ī heresie he was detecte to be / he was in hys own howse sodaynly stryken & slayne. And that wreched ende had he. What consyence he dyed wyth god knoweth / for I can tell you no ferther. By saynt Iohn̄ quod your frend but vppon ye hole tale / yt semeth to me very clere that Hunne was hym selfe not clere of the mater. Surely quod I so semed yt as far as I cowlde wytte / vnto as many as euer herd yt / and wolde yet I wene haue semed so more clerely / yf they had bē present at thexamynacyōs / and sene vnder what maner the man came forthe therwith. But yet quod your frende as for his englysh byble / thoughe Hunne were hym selfe an heretyque / yet myght the boke be good ynough. And no good reason ys there why a good boke shold be burned wyth an euyll man. Ye call me well home quod I / & put me well in mynd. For yt was the thyng wherby ye toke occasyon to talke of Hunne / of whom we talked so longe / that at last I had forgoten wherfore & whervppō we entred in to that communycacyon. And yet make those bokys not a lytell to the mater that we had in hande / I meane toward the perceyuynge what opynyon that Hunne was of. For surely at suche tyme as he was denounced for an heretyque / there lay his englysh byble open / and som other englyshe bokys of hys / that euery man myghte sethe placys noted with his own hande / suche wordys / and in suche wyse / that there wold no wyse man yt good were / haue eny grete dowte after the syghte therof / what naughty myndys the mē had / both he that so noted theym / and he that so made them. I remember not now the specyaltees of the mater / nor the formall wordys as they were wryten. But thys I remember well that besydys other thyngys framed for the fauour of dyuers other heresyes / there were in the prologe of that byble such[…] wordys touchynge ye blyssed sacramēt / as good crysten mē dyd myche abhorre to here / and whych gaue the reders vndouted occasyō to thynke that the boke was wryten after […]yclyffs copy / and by hym translated in to our tonge. And yet whyther the boke be burned or secretely kept I can not surely saye. But truly were the clergye of my mynd / yt sholde be some where reserued / for the perpetual profe of the mater / ther hath gone so mych suspycyoꝰ rumor therof[…] Whych as I byleue were all well answered & the mynde fully satysfyed o[…] eny mā that wyse were & good therwt / that onys had ouerloked / red / and aduysedly consydered that boke.