Search York

" place from whence you came, and there abide your trial.
" So we took our leave of him, and came our ways back
" again to Huntington ; and there we lay al that night, I
" having upon one of mine armes a great braslet of iron, of
" four fingers broad, fast locked on, and a fine chain of
" three yards long joyned thereunto. And being bid to
" supper of one Thomas Whype, merchant of London, with
" others, my keeper was desired to ease me for the time,
" and they would be bound for me, and he to be wel re-
" compenced for so doing. This desire of my friends was
" scarce wel liked of my keeper, because they were Lon-
" doners; and graunt it he would not in no wise. So
" when supper was don, to our chamber we went ; and
VOL. III. x

306 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP. " anon comes in a smith, with a hammer and a great staple.

" Make you ready, said the keeper, I pray you, and go to

Anno 1554. " bed. So I layd me down upon my bed. Then he called

" the smith unto him, and said, Make fast the staple and

" the chain together, and drive them fast in to some part of

" the bedsted : for I have heard, said he, Fast bind, fast

'¦'¦find. Then he looked behind al the painted cloths, to se

" if there were any mo doors into the chamber than one.

" That don, he locked the door, and cast the key out of

" the window to the good man of the house, desiring him

" to keep it safe til the morning. Smal rest I took that

" night : I was so sore wrung about my wrist, that the

" blood was ready to spin out at my fingers ends. So,

" early in the morning we rise, and took our horse, and

" came to Cambridge castel to dinner : and then my braslet

" was taken off mine arme.
Answers at a j n August following was the sessions. Unto the which
the sessions. ° -, ~, . n ^ • /> -r-i i i i -li?
" came my Lord Chief Justice or England ; one that before

" was Recorder of London, and called Mr. Brook. With

" him there sat Sir Thomas Dier, Sir Clement Higham,

" Sir Oliver Leader, high sheriff, Mr. Griffin, the Queen's

" solicitor, Mr. Burgain, and a number of gentlemen mo.

" Now when they were come to the sessions hal, and there

" set, the keeper was commaunded to bring in his prisoners.

" I being first called for by name, then on went my braslet

" again ; and there a priest, called Thomas Willyard, vicar

" of Babram, was fast locked unto me. We twain went.

193 " foremost, and stood at the bar. Then said my Lord

" Chief Justice unto me, Sir, what make you here ? Are

" you not a Londoner? Yes, and it like your Lordship.

" How long have you been prisoner ? Half a year, my

" Lord. Who sent you hither ? Forsooth, my Lord, that

" did the Council. Then said the High Sheriff, My Lord,

" this is the man that I told your Lordship of. I beseech

" you be good Lord unto him, for he hath been as quiet a

" prisoner as ever came within this jayl, and hath used him-

" self as honestly towards his keeper. You speak wel for

" him, said my Lord. Stand aside a while, til you be called.

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 30T

" In the mean time Mr. Griffin had a cast at me, saying CHAP.

" thus, Thou art both a traitor and an heretic. No, and it

"like your Worship, I am neither of both. Is not thy Anno 1554.

" name Mountain ? Yes, forsooth, I will never deny it.
" And art not thou he that my Lord Chancellor sent hither
" with a writ ? I am the same man. Wei, said he, if thou
" be not hanged I have marvel : thou wilt scape narrowly,
" I believe. Sir, I perceive that thou are my heavy friend :
" I beseech you be good master unto me : I have layn this
" three [quarters of a] year in prison, in irons. Never was
" there any man that laid any thing to my charge. Then
" he called for the writ : to whom the High Sheriff said,
" that he had forgotten to bring it with him. O ! wel, said
" Sir Oliver, you are a good man, I warrant you. This
" man was not brought hither for building of churches, I
" dare say, nor yet for saying of our Lady-psalter. Indeed,
" Sir, these be things that I cannot wel like of.
" Then my Lord Chief Justice called me to the bar Lord Chief

" again, and caused proclamation to be made, that who- ^f^ 5?

" soever could lay ought to my charge, to come in, and he trial.

" should be heard, or els the prisoner to stand at his deli-

" verance. This was don thrice, and no man came in to None come

" give evidence against me. Then said my Lord Chief i" n agains

" Justice unto the whole bench, I se no cause why but that

" this man may be delivered upon sureties, to be bound to

" appear at the next sessions, here holden, of gaol delivery:

" for you se that there is no man cometh in to lay any thing

" to his charge. We cannot but by the law deliver him,

" proclamation being once made, and no man coming in

" against him. What say you, Mr. Mountain, can you put

" in sureties here before the Queen's Justices to appear

" before us here at the next sessions ? And if that you can Ordered to

" so do, pay the charges of the house, and God be with ti " s sure "

" you. If not, then must you needs remain still, until the

" next sessions. What say you ? have you any sureties

"ready? No, and it like your Lordship, I have none

" ready : but if it please you to be so good Lord unto me

" as to give me leave, I trust in God to find sureties. Wel,
x 2

308 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CIR AP. « sa id m y Lord, go your ways; make as good speed as you

" can, for we must away. Then he commanded the keeper

Anno 1554. u tQ gtrike off my irong That ^^ j w&g turne d out of

" the gate to seek my venture, without any keeper at a], go

" where I would. And when I came abroad, I was so sore

" amazed, that I knew not where to become. At last I took

" the way into the town, and there I met a man unknown

" to me, who was not a little joyful when he saw me at

" liberty, saying unto me, Are you clean discharged from

" your bonds? No, said I, I lack two sureties. Truly,

" said he, I will be one, God willing: and I wil se if that I

" can get another to be bound with me. So we met with

" another honest man, called Mr. Blunt.

I94 " And having these twain, I gave thanks to God for
strangers " them, and with speed returned back again to the castle.
sureties. " " And as I went, there met me two Essex men, which

" came to seek me themselves, to enter into bonds for me.

" I gave them most hearty thanks for their gentle offer,

" and told them that God had raised up a couple for me

" already. We are glad of it, said they ; yet we wil go

" with you, lest you do lack. And as I entred into the

" castel-yard, the Judges were arising; and they seing me

" coming, sat down again. Then said my Lord Chief Jus-

" tice, Have you brought in your sureties ? Yea, and it

" like your Lordship : here they be. Let me se them,

" said he. Then they al four stood forth, and shewed them-

" selves unto my Lord. He said unto them, Are you con-

" tented to enter into bonds for this man ? Yea, my Lord,

" said they, if it please you to take us. Wei, said he, two

" of you shal serve. There were standing by two brethren,

" and they hearing my Lord say that two would serve,

" went with speed to him that writ the bond, and caused

" him to put in their names in iiiZ. mid. for each of them :

Bailed. " saying thus the one to the other, Let us not only bayl

" him out of bonds, but also relieve him with such part

" as God hath lent us. And so they did ; I praise God

" for it.

Discharged.- « And when the people saw and understood that I was
at which l L

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 309

" clearly discharged out of bonds, there was a great shout CHAP.

" made among them; such joy and gladnes was in their XXHI -

" hearts, as might right wel appear, for my deliverance. Anno 1554.

" Then came Mr. Segar, of whom I have spoken a little ^ u p t eople

" before, and he payd al maner of charge that could be de-

" sired of the keeper for the time of my being there : and,

" that don, had me home to his own house, wheras I had

" good entertainment. And after that I had remained there

" a fortnight, I took my leave, and so came to London. 1 ''

CHAP. XXIV.

What befell Mountain after- his deliverance from prison ; of

his great danger s^ and of his escape beyond sea.

.HAVING thus far told the stories of this good man's A further

sufferings, and brought him unto his delivery out of them, K^"* 1 . 011

and shewn the kindness of the common people towards him, tair »' s st ° r y«

who generally loved the Reformation, and the preachers of

it, I cannot leave him till we have heard what further befell

him, and have shewn the unsatiable malice of Bishop Gar-

diner against him ; relating, withal, his great dangers, and

his escape beyond sea, and what course he took there for a

livelihood. And all this I shall pursue out of his own Com-

mentaries, as I have done before.

Mountain, being newly arrived in the city, had the satis-

faction of seeing King Philip and Queen Mary, the Cardi-

nal, and the Chancellor, ride in great state through the

streets, (an account whereof was given before,) placing him-

self at Soper-lane end in Cheapside : where some of the

said Bishop's servants espied him; which created him new 1C)5

troubles, as we shall see by and by.
" When al this sight was past," (for we now use his own Winchester

words,) " I went my ways : for as yet I durst not go home °^\l he

"to mine own house. And at night, when the Bishop Marshal to

" came home, one of his spials told him that he saw me J^Mm*™ 11

" stand in Cheapside, when the Queen rid through the city.

" Here he fel into such a great rage, as was told me by one

x3

310

MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP.
XXIV.

Anno 1554,

Of which

Mountain

hath no-

tice ; and

flees.

Takes ship,

hut beat

back.

St. Osith's.

Flits from

place to

place.
Hemsteil.

Dedhani

Heath.

of his own men, as was unseeming for a bishop ; and with

great speed sent for the Knight Marshal. And when he

came, he said unto him, Mr. Holcroft, how have you

handled your self in your office ? Did not I send unto you

one Mountain, that was both a traitor and an heretic, to

this end, that he should have suffered death ? And this

day the villain knave was not ashamed to stand openly in

the street, looking the Prince in the face. Mine own men

saw him. I would counsil you to look him up, and that

there be diligent search made for him this night in the

city, as you wil answer afore the Council. Al this shal be

don, and it like your Honour ; and I trust there shal be

no fault found in me. Away then, said the Bishop, about

your business.
" Then came there one that was secretary unto the

Knight Marshal, who willed me with speed to depart out

of the city. For this night, saith he, shal the city be

searched for you : and if you be taken, surely ye dy for

it. Thus fare you wel. God deliver you out of their

hands, if it be his wil. Then went I over into Southwark,

and there lay al night. In the morning I rose early,

took a boat, and went to Limehouse ; and so from thence

to Colchester ; and there took shipping, thinking to have

gon into Zealand, and so up to the High Country: but we

were so weather-beaten, that of force we were glad to re-

turn back again. And this voyage was thrice attempted,

and always put back. And, at the last time, we were cast

aland at St. Osith's : wheras I durst not long tary, be-

cause of my Lord Darcy, who lay there, having a strait

commission sent to him from Q. Mary to make diligent

search for one, called, Trudge over the World, and for

all such like as he was. So that I was fain to fly to a

little parish called Hemsted, thinking there for to have

had some rest ; but the search was so strait, that at mid-

night, I having almost too short warning, Avas fain with

great speed to fly unto Dedham Heath, and to take my

coat in my neck, having an honest man with me, who had

a forest bil on his back ; and with the same he cut down

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 311

" a great sort of brakes, and that was my bed for a time. CHAP.

" And whensoever I might get into an hayloft, I thought

my self happy, and wel to be lodged. Anno 1554.

" At the last I was housed, I thank God, with an honest Gets to an

" man ; but having a wicked servant, not loving the gospel, man > s house

" the said servant went and complained of his master to the in Co1 -
Chester.
" bailif and constables ; saying unto them, that there was
" an heretic in his master's parlor. How know you that,
" said they ? Take heed of what thou sayst : thy master is
" an honest man ; and thou seest how troublesome a time it
" is ; and if we, upon thy report, should go search his
" house, and not find it so, what art thou worthy to have
" for slaundering thy master ? Tush, saith he, I am sure it
" is so ; for the house is never without one or other ; and
" most chiefly when there is a fire in the parlor. And
" therefore I know by the smoak, that there is one indeed.
" So the officers willed him to go about his business. For, 196
" said they, we wil prove it at night. In the mean time,
" they did his master to understand what his man had said
" unto them, and friendly bad him take heed, for they would
" search his house that night : and so they did indeed, but Flees
" the birds were flown. The next day the officers took his
" man, and set him in the stocks, to teach him to speak
" good of his master, and not to accuse him, and bring the
" smoke for a witness against him.
" Now while I was seeking a corner to hide my head in, Justice
" Justice Brown, that dwelleth beside Burntwood, cometh comes to
" me down to Colchester, and there played the devil, by the Colchester
ii •' 1 1 -i perse-
" counsil of one Mr. Tyrrel and Mr. Colson, inholder of cute.
" the same town, and Gylbert the lawyer : who caused
" divers honest men to be sent for before the said Justice,
U and sworn upon a book, to bring in the names of al those
" that were suspected of heresy, as he termed it. : and also
" gave unto the officers a great charge, that from time to
" time diligent search should be made in every house for al
" strangers, and to take them and bring them before a
" justice. For this town, said he, is an harbourer of all
" heretics, and ever was. So when he had bound them all
x 4

312

CHAP.

XXIV.

Anno 1554.

Whereupon

he escapes

to London.

Enters into

a ship for

Antwerp.

The pro-

vision he

makes a-

gainst the

searchers.

MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

in recognisances, he willed them to depart every man

home to his house.
" Then, upon their return, with speed was I conveyed

away to London ward forthwith. And when I came

there, I went over into Southwark again ; and there lay

two days and two nights. And the third night, when it

was somewhat dark, I entred into a ship of Antwerp, and

so we went down to Gravesend. There they cast anchor,

and went al a land, and left me aboard with a man and a

boy. I fearing the searchers, that they would have had

me to shore, and there being so wel known as I was, I

knew it was the next way to bring me afore a justice to be

examined, and so to be returned back again to London ;

and then sure I am, that I had dyed for it : I looked in

my purse, and there were three pistolets. I took one of

them, and gave it unto the man that was aboard with me,

and desired him to go ashore to the master of the ship,

and he to be a mean unto the searchers for me, when they

came a shipboard to search. And truly it pleased God so

to work in their hearts, that I found great favor at their

hands. For when one of them had examined me, and

that very straitly, he asked of me, what my name was :

Thomas Mountain is my name, said I. I wil never deny

it, nor never did, I praise God for it. Nay, said he, that

is not your name ; for I knew him wel enough. His fa-

ther and I were servants to K. Harry the VIII. and also

to K. Edward. And I am sure that Richard Mountain's

son was burnt since this Q. Mary came in. Sir, credit

me, I pray you, for I am the very same man, that now

talk with you. Indeed, God hath mightily dealt with me,

and most mercifully hath delivered me from the cruel

hands of bloudy men. And, now, behold ! my life is in

your hands. I may not resist you, nor wil not; but

gently submitting my self unto you, desire your lawful

favour, that I may pass this port, and God, I trust, that

is the high searcher above, and knoweth the secrets of al

mens hearts, shal one day reward you openly, according

as he hath promised.

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 313

" Then began he to water his plants; saying unto me, CHAP.

Sir, I thought once never to have seen you again : you are XXIV -

" grown out of my knowledg. And seing that it is the will Anno 1554.

" of God, that you should not dy by their cruelty, I trust, The ,
7 J . searcher
" that your bloud shall never be required at my hands. I his friend.
" wil not molest you : but this I warn you of in anywise, 1 97
" that you keep yourself as close as you can. For here is
" one of the promoters, that goeth in the same ship that you
" go in. Who is that ? said I. It is one Mr. Beard, said
" he, dwelling in Fleetstreet, a merchant tayler. I know
" him well, said I, and he me. Wei, said he, God be with
" you, for yonder he cometh, and al the passengers with
" him, and so we parted, and I went into the master's
" cabbin ; and there I lay, til that we were entred the main
" sea. Then came I forth to refresh my self: and Beard Beard the
,, , iii» o- 1 promoter,
" seeing me, began to blush, saying unto me, Sir, what in the ship

" make you here ? Truly, said I, I am of the same mind Wlth him "

" that you are of. You know not my mind, said he. What- Their dis "
•f J 7 course.
" soever yours is, I mean to go to Antwerp, God willing, said

" I. And so do you, I trow. What will you do there ? said

" he : you are no merchant-man, as I am, and the rest

" that be here. Mr. Beard, what the rest are that be here,

" I know not ; but as for your merchandize and mine, in

" some points I think they be much alike. But when that

" you and I shall meet in the English burse together, you

" shall see what cheer I can make you. In the mean time

" let us as friends be mery together, I pray you. Nay,

" said he, I would I had met you at Gravesend, that I

" might have made you some good cheer there ; but it was

" not my fortune so to do; and I am very sory for it,

" believe me and you will. Sir, I thank God, it is better as

" it is : 1 know your cheer wel enough. And then away I

" went.
" With that he went down under the hatches, and told Themer -
, , , 1 1 • -r 1-1 • • chants in
" al the passengers what a rank heretic I was. For it is the ship bid

" marvel, said he, that the ship doth not sink, having so b '™ be "" aie

" wicked a man in it as he is. And therfore, good gentlc-

" men, I pray you heartily, take heed, and beware of him.

314 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

CHAP. "I had rather than my velvet coat, that he and I were to-

" gether at Gravesend again. Then came the merchants up

Anno 1554." to me, and called for meat and wine, having good store

" there of their own provision. And they made me great

" cheer, bidding me in any wise to take heed of Beard.

" These were merchants of Danske, and had to do here in

" London with most of the aldermen, unto whom they gave

" a good report.
Lands at a N Q w I? thinking to prevent Beard of further trouble,
Dunkirk, to i 1 • •
avoid Beard, that by him, and his procurement, might hap unto me,
" upon my arrival at Antwerp, whispered the master in the
" ear, and desired him heartily to land us at Dunkirk. For
" I will ride the rest by waggon, God willing : and so shall
" I be rid of Mr. Beard's company. I am content, saith the
" master of the ship ; I am weary already, saith he, of his
" company. The whorson pape shall come no more in mine
" schepe. So to Dunkirk we came, and Beard went first a
" land, and bad us al welcome. For, said he, I wil be
" your steward, and we wil fare wel, if there be any good
" cheer in the town. Then came we to our hoste's house;
" supt al-together. That being don, we went to our lodg-
" ing : and so it fel out, that Beard and I should ly to-
" gether; and so did. But before he went to bed, he
" kneeled him down at the bedside, and made upon his
" body, as I think, forty crosses, saying as many Ave-
1^8" Maria's, but nother Creed nor Pater-noster. Then he
" shewed us what mony he had. The which was both gold
" and silver, and that plenty.
The ship a At midnight the master of the ship took his tyde, and
leaving' ail " went his way. Mr. Beard up in the morning betime,
a shore. « wen t down to the waterside to look for the ship, and when
" he saw it was gon, he came and told us, swearing and
" chafing like a madman, saying, that King Philip should
" know it, how he was used. Then sent he al about to
" know, if any went at the next tyde following. In the
" mean time I took my waggon, and went my ways ; and
Beard's mi- it t ] iat was the last time that ever I saw him. But after-
'" wards I was informed, by credible persons, that he had

UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 315

" spent all his mony, both his velvet coat, and also his chap.

" livery coat, that he had of Queen Mary : and so came XXIV>