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At his first departing out of the realm, he tooke his journey into the further parts of Germany, as

somuch as he being pursued by the said Cardinal, the said night that this tragedie was played, was compelled of force to voide his owne house, and so fled over the sea unto Tyndall. Upon occasion whereof the next yeare following, this booke (the Supplication of Beggars) was made (being about the yeare 1527), and so not long after, in the yeare (as I suppose) 1528, was sent over to the Ladie Anne Bulleine, who then lay at a place not far from the court. Which booke her Brother seeing in her hande, tooke it and read it, and gave it her again, willing her earnestly to give it to the King, which thing she so did.

The King after he had received the booke, demanded of her who made it. Whereunto she answered and said, a certain subject of his, one Fish, who was fled out of the realme for fear of the Cardinall. After the King had kept the booke in his bosom three or four daies, as is crediblie reported, such knowledge was given by the Kings Servantes, to the wife of the said Simon Fish, that she might boldly send for her husband without all perill or danger. Whereupon she thereby being incouraged, came first and made sute to the King for the safe return of her husband. Who understanding whose wife she was, shewed a mervellous gentle and cheareful countenance towards her, asking where her husband was. She answered, "If it like your Grace not farre off," Then said he, "Fetch him, and he shall come and go safe without perill, and no man shall do him harme:" saying moreover, that he had much wrong that he was from her so long; who had beene absent now the space of two yeares and a halfe. In the which meane time, the Cardinal was deposed, as was afore shewed, and Master More set in his place of the Chancellorship.

Thus Fish's wife, being emboldened by the Kings words, went immediately to her husband, being lately come over, and lying privily within a mile of the court, and brought him to the King, which appeareth to be about the yeare of our Lord 1530. When the King saw him, and understood he was the author of the booke, he came and embraced him with loving countenance; who after long talke, for the space of three or foure houres, as they were riding together on hunting, at length dimitted him, and bade him take home his wife, for she had taken great pains for him. Who answered the King

into Saxony, where he had conference with Luther, and other learned men in those quarters. Where after that he had continued a certain season, he came down from thence into the Neatherlands, and had his most abiding in the towne of Antwerpe, untill the time of his apprehension; whereof more shall be said God willing hereafter.

Amongst his other bookes wich he compiled, one worke he made also for the declaration of the sacrament (as it was then called) of the altar: the which he kept by him, considering how the people were not as yet fully perswaded in other matters tending to superstitious ceremonies and grosse idolatry. Wherefore he thought as yet time was not come, to put forth that worke; but rather that it should

againe, and said, "he durst not so do, for feare of Sir Thomas More then Chancellor, and Stokesley then bishop of London." The King taking his signet off his finger, willed him to have him recommended to the Lord Chancellor, charging him not to be so hardie as to worke him any harme. Master Fish receiving the Kings signet, went and declared his message to the Lord Chancellor, who took it as sufficient for his owne discharge; but he asked him if he had any thing for the discharge of his wife; for she a little before had by chance displeased the friers, for not suffering them to say their gospels in Latin in her house, unlesse they would say it in English. Whereupon the Lord Chancellour, although he had discharged the man, yet leaving not his grudge towards his wife, the next morning sent his man for her to appeare before him, who, had it not been for her young daughter, who then lay sicke of the plague, had been like to come to much trouble: of the which plague, her husband, the said Master Fish deceasing within halfe a yeare, she afterward married one Master James Bainham, Sir Alexander Bainhams Sonne, a worshipfull knight of Gloucestershire; the which foresaid Master James Bainham, not long after was burned, as incontinently after in the processe of this storie shall appeare.

"And thus much concerning Simon Fish, the authour of the booke of beggars; who also translated a booke called the Sum of the scripture out of the Dutch." Fox's Acts.

hinder the people from other instructions, supposing that it would seene to them odious to heare any such thing spoken, or set forth at that time, sounding against their great goddesse Diana, that is, against their masse, being had every where in great estimation, as was the goddesse Diana amongst the Ephesians whom they thought to come from heaven.

Wherefore M. Tindall being a man both prudent in his doings, and no lesse zealous in the setting forth of Gods holie truth, after such sort as it might take most effect with the people, did forbeare the putting forth of that worke, not doubting but by Gods mercifull grace, a time should come, to have that abhomination openly declared, as it is at this present day the Lord almightie be alwaies praised therefore, Amen!

These godlie bookes of Tindall, and especially the new Testament of his translation, after that they began to come into mens hands, and to spread abroad, as they wrought great and singular profit to the godlie, so the ungodlie envying and disdaining that the people should be any thing wiser than they, and againe fearing least by the shining beames of truth, their false hypocrisie and workes of darkenesse should be discerned; began to stir with no small adoo, like as at the birth of Christ, Herode and all Jerusalem was troubled with him. But especially Sathan the Prince of darkeness, maligning the happie course and successe of the gospell, set to his might also, how to impeach and hinder the blessed travailes of that man: as by this, and also by sundry other waics may appeare. For at what

time Tindal had translated the fift book of Moses called Deuteronomium, minding to print the same at Hamborough, he sailed thitherward; where by the way upon the coast of Holland, he suffered

shipwracke, by the which he lost all his bookes, writings and copies, and so was compelled to beginne all againe anew, to his hindrance and doubling of his labours. Thus having lost by that ship, both money, his copies and time, he caine in another ship to Hamborough, where at his appointment maister Coverdale taried for him, and helped him in the translating of the whole five bookes of Moses, from Easter till December, in the house of a worshipful widow, mistris Margaret Van Emmerson, anno 1529. a great sweating sicknesse being the same time in the towne. So having dispatched his businesse at Hamborough, he returned afterward to Antwerpe againe.

Thus as Sathan is, and ever hath been an enemie to all godlie endevors, and chiefely to the promoting and furtherance of Gods word, as by this and many other experiments may be seene; so his ministers and members following the like qualitie of their master, be not altogether idle for their parts; as also by the Popes Chaplaines and Gods enemies, and by their cruell handling of the said M. Tindall the same time, both here in England and in Flanders, may well appeare.

When Gods will was, that the newe Testament in the common tongue should come abroad, Tindall the Translator thereof added to the latter end a certaine Epistle, wherein he desired them that were learned to amend, if ought were found amisse. Wherefore if anie such default had beene, deserving correction, it had been the part of curtesie and gen tlenesse, for men of knowledge and judgment to have shewed their learning therein, and to have redressed that was to be amended. But the spirituall fathers then of the clergy being not willing to have that booke to prosper, cried out upon it, bearing men in hand, that there were a thousand heresies

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in it, and that it was not to be corrected, but ut terly to be suppressed. Some said "it was not possible to translate the scripture into English; some that it was not lawefull for the laie people to have it in their mother tongue; some that it would make them all heretikes. And to the intent to induce the temporall rulers also unto their purpose, they made matter, and saide that it would make the people to rebell and rise against the King." All this Tindall himselfe in his owne prologue before the first booke of Moses declareth: and addeth further, shewing what great paines was taken in examining that translation, and comparing it with their owne imaginations and tearms, that with lesse labor (hee supposeth) they might have translated themselves a great part of the Bible: Shewing moreover, that they scanned and examined every tittle and point in the saide translation, in such sort and so narrowlie, that there was not one i therein, but if it lacked a pricke over his head, they did note it, and numbred it unto the ignorant people for an heresie. So great were then the froward devises of the English Clergy (who should have beene the guides of light unto the people) to drive the people from the text and knowledge of the Scripture, which neither they would translate themselves, nor yet abide it to be translated of others: to the intent (as Tindall saith) that the word being kept still in darknesse, they might sit in the consciences of the people through vaine superstition and false doctrine, to satisfie their lusts, their ambition, and unsatiable covetousnesse, and to exalt their owne honor above King and Emperor, yea and above God himselfe.

The bishops and prelates of the realme, thus (as ye have heard) incensed and inflamed in their minds, although having no cause, against the olde and

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