worth transcribing, though he appears himself to have had no pity for the Friar. One is sorry to record, in addition, that the good bishop Latimer preached on the occasion.

"In May" 30th, Hen. VIII. A. D. 1538. "there was a Friar, called friar Forest, one of the Observant Friars" of Greenwich, "but he might have been" says Hall "more truly named an Obstinate Friar. This obstinate Friar had secretly, in confessions, declared to many of the King's subjects that the King was not supreme Head, and being thereof accused and apprehended, he was examined how he could say that the King was not Supreme Head of the Church, when he himself had sworn to the contrary. He answered that he took his oath with the outward man, but his inward man never consented thereunto. At this answer the Lords who examined him looked very strangely at the dissimulation of the Friar; but being further accused of diverse heretical and damnable articles that he held, contrary to the Scripture of God, he was after sundry examinations convinced and confuted, and gladly submitted himself to abide the punishment of the Church. But upon this his submission, having more liberty than before he had, as well to talk with whom he would, as also who that would to talk with him; certain such outward men as he was, so talked with him, and so incensed him, that the outward Friar was as far from his open submission as ever he was, and when his abjuration was sent to him to read and look upon, he utterly refused it, and obstinately stood in all his heresies and treasons before conspired. All gentle means that were possible to be sought for his reconciliation were had, but the more gentler that the Magistrates were to him, the more obstinat was the Friar, and would neither argue nor answer: wherfore justly was he condempned; and after for him was prepared, in Smithfelde in London, a gallows on the which he was hanged in chaines by the middle and armholes all quicke, and under the gallows was made a fire, and he so consumed and brent to death. At his coming to the place of execution, there was prepared a great scaffold, on which sat the nobles of the realme, and the Kings Majesty's most honorable Council, only to have granted pardon to that wretched creature if any spark of repentance would have happened in him. Ther was also prepared a pulpit where a right reverend father in God and a renoumed and famous clerk, the bishop of Worcester, called Hugh Latimer, declared to him his errors and openly and manifestly by the Scripture of God confuted them, and with many and godly exhortations moved him to repentance, but such was his frowardness that he neither would hear nor speak.

"And a little before the execution, a huge and great Image was brought to the gallows, which Image was brought out of Wales, and of the Welshmen much sought and worshipped. This Image was called DARVELL GATHEREN, and the Welshmen had a prophecy that this Image should set a whole Forest a fire, which prophecy now took effect, for he set this friar

Forest on fire and consumed him to nothing. This Friar, when he saw the fire come, and that present death was at hand, caught hold upon the ladder, which he would not let go, but so unpaciently took his death, that no man that ever put his trust in God never so unquietly nor so ungodly ended his life. If men might judge him by his outward man, he appeared to have little knowledge of God and his sincere truth, and less trust in him at his ending.

66

Upon the Gallows that he died on, was set up in great letters these verses following:

David Darvell Gatheren,

As saith the Welshmen,

Fetched outlawes out of Hell.

Now is he come with spere and shilde
In harnes to burn in Smithfelde,

For in Wales he may not dwell.

And Forest the Frier

That obstinate lyer

That wilfully shalbe dead;

In his contumacie

The Gospell doth deny

The Kyng to be supreme head."

LETTER CXXXI.

Thomas Duke of Norfolk and Sir Roger Townshend, to Lord Cromwell, respecting the intended execution of a Friar at Norwich, for denying the King's Supremacy.

[MS. COTTON. CLEOP. E. IV. fol. 102. Orig.]

The burning of Friar Forest, though attended with circumstances of such uncommon and refined cruelty, was still thought a master stroke of terror: and accordingly another Observant friar of the same Convent, who had taken upon him the state and condition of a hermit in Norfolk, was laid hold of for the same crime, condemned by the Justices of Assize to the same punishment, and the bishop of Norwich requested to preach a Sermon to him, while the fire was preparing. All this the Duke of Norfolk and Sir Roger Townshend, in their joint Letter which follows, trusted" should be to the King's Highness's contentation:" although, even upon their own showing, the friar was acknowledged to be half witted, and of small learning.

a Hall, Chron. edit. 1809. pp. 825, 826,

My verie good Lord, with harty recommendations, these shalbe to advertise you that upon Thursday laste paste the Justices of Assize came to me the Duke of Norffolk hither to dynner, in ther way rydyng to the Assises at Burye, wher they declared unto me that one called Anthony Browne, somtyme a fryer Observaunte of Grenewiche, and of late takyng upon hym as an hermyte, was accused of Treason, and so commytted to warde by me Sir Roger Townsend tofore the commynge of the said Justices to these parties; and so brought before them to Norwiche did write his own confession with his haunde, whiche ye shall receyve with this. Wherupon, for his traytors opinions, he was indited of Treason, and so caste and had his Judgemente accordynglye, yevyng respyte to the Shryfe for his execusyon x. dayes folowyng; whiche they shewed me the said Duke they ded for this consyderation, whiche was, they thought it convenient that a Sermon sholde be made by the bisshopp of Norwiche, as was by the bisshopp of Worcestre at th'execusyon of Forreste. And in communyng bothe with them and the Shryf I perceyved well they had herde that som in these partes doubted whether the bisshopp here ded thorowly meane well, consernyng the opinions of the said Brown or not. Wherupon I asked theropinions whether they thought it beste that I shold send for the said bisshopp to fele his mynd

their opinions.

afore I shold will hym to preache or not; and also that forasmoche as I ded perceyve the said fryer had not be thoroughlye examynd with whome he hathe had communication, ayde, or comforte in his opinions, and of other thyngs that I shold thynke conveniente to examyn hym of, whether I wer beste to send for hym hyther to me or not; and ther mynds was that I shold send bothe for the bisshopp and the fryer, and so I ded: and becawse that Mer Townsend is onely of the Kyngs Highnes counsell in these parties I sente in lykewise for hym to be presente at all the examynacions. And this forenowne we so handled the said Fryer that we brought hym to this poynte that he wold not stycke upon the auctoryte of the bisshopp of Rome tobe suppryme Hed of the Churche, but in no wyse we cold bryng hym from th❜oppinion that the Kyng ought not tobe suppryme Hed of the Churche, sayng that no temperall Prynce was capax of that name and auctorite. I the said Duke had here with me Doctor Call, a gray frier, who handled hym right honestlye in defendyng the Kyngs Majesties parte aswell by reason as scripture: but all that wold not serve: and sythe dynner we have be efte sones in hand with hym. And in our communyng with hym came hither the Bisshopp of Norwiche, who undoubtedly by scripture handled the matter of sutche sorte that it was sufficient to have torned th❜oppinion of any man that was not yevyn to wilfulnes as this fole is, who in our opinions is smally

lerned and as litle reasonable; and suerly, to say the trouthe, the bisshopp for his parte, and the said Call for his, hathe shewed themselffs bothe to be lerned men, and trewe subjects to our Mera Wherupon consyderyng that by no meanes we two can get owt of hym any detection of any person to be of counsell with him, or of like opinion as he is of, we have delyvered hym to the Shryf, to be caryed to the gayle, and ther to suffer accordyng to his folishe doyngs upon Fryday nexte, affore whose dethe the said bisshopp shall make sutche a Sermon as we truste shalbe to the Kyngs Highnes contentation, and apparaunte to the people (whiche we thynke wolbe ther in great nombre) that this unhappy folyshe fryer is well worthy to suffer, and that his opinions be falls and untrewe. My lorde the cause of the sendyng of this man in so great haste unto you, is, be cause that and the Kyngs majestie and you shall thynke it convenient to have hym to be brought to the Towre there to be more streyghtlye examyned and to be put to torture, Ye may dispeache this berer or som other with commaundemente to the Shryf accordyngly; so that the same may be with hym at Norwiche by Fryday x. a cloke; for yf ye shold send to me the said Duke, I know not yet wher I shold be fownd at that tyme. And thus our Lord have you in his tuicion. From Kennyngale this iiij. day of Auguste 1538 at xj. at nyght.

A Master.