that is a thing that they take a singular pride and glory in. They are like in this point unto certain arrant heretics, of whom Pliny makes mention, that daily sang antelucanos hymnos, praise unto God before the dawning of the day." Philpot hastened to accept the likeness between himself and the early Christians, who were indeed as arrant heretics as he: and the horrified Bourne interposed that they should go at once to whatever it was that was to be said. Philpot thereon strongly represented the illegal manner in which he had been taken out of his own diocese and imprisoned, demanding to be released: affirmed in the words of the Anglican Article that he could only answer upon matters of religion in ecclesia legitime vocatus, on a legal or formal invitation,* and with a just congregation to hear; but, not to appear obstinate, consented to enter somewhat into the question of unity, and promised to conform, if he were satisfied. by the Scriptures. "These heretics come always with their ifs," mourned Bonner, "if he be satisfied by the Scriptures! He will never be satisfied, though the matter be never so plainly proved. Will you promise to be satisfied, if their lordships take some pains about you?" he indignantly asked. "I will be by the Scriptures," was the too exclusive reply: and Bonner would have closed the conference, when Bourne requested that it might go on. It turned on the false question of which church; as if there had been two in the realm, instead of two parties or schools in one church: and on this issue much time was spent, the bishops labouring to prove that the Church of Rome was apostolic and had a succession of bishops, the archdeacon that nevertheless the Church of Rome was corrupt from the primitive Church as if the one or the other could affect the

* This was a curious application of the 24th of the 42 or Edwardian Articles, now Art. 23.

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Church of England. "It maketh nothing to the maketh_nothing pose whatsoever we bring," mourned Bonner, "you will never be satisfied." Pate of Worcester suggested that, as Philpot had been at Rome, he might have had his mind changed by the wickedness that he saw there: which was a curious remark (and he repeated it afterwards) to come from one who had spent so much of his life in the eternal city. Bonner then brought in that they were not to dispute of the faith: and at length the bishops departed in disgust.

On another occasion, in the gallery of his palace, Bonner tried his prisoner with other bishops: Griffin of Rochester, Baines of Lichfield, Goldwell of St. Asaph; and doctors Story, Curthop, Saverson and Pendleton, with his own chaplains and other gentlemen. The old contentions were repeated: that it was not lawful to dispute of the faith that there was no obligation to declare opinions privately, out of the congregation, unless it were for edification: the catholic church: and the rest. Little was got out of Curthop, though the bishops looked to him for much. Philpot explained the catholic church to be that which kept the catholic faith: and could not see that Peter's rock was Rome. "Thou art the veriest beast that ever I knew," mourned Bonner; "I must needs speak it: thou compellest me thereto." The other bishops concluded that he was a man who would never be satisfied, say what they would: that he was a vainglorious man: and departed, leaving him with the doctors, to continue the conversation. The vigorous Story defined the archdeacon as a fantastical man, a beast, and a heretic who purposed to be a stinking martyr: adding that he himself was come to signify to the Bishop of London that he must rid him out of the way out of hand.* Bonner, returning, spoke

Story, who was professor of civil law at Oxford, had an anecdote or

gently to Philpot, but made no change in his treatment of him.

So far from giving up the case however, he next invited some eminent laymen to inspect it: and Lord Ferrars, Lord Rich, Lord St. John, Lord Windsor, Lord Chandos, Sir John Bridges lieutenant of the Tower, with others assembled at the palace to make question of a repugnant ecclesiastic. The archdeacon allowed that Bonner had followed equity and the order of the primitive church in examining him first by himself, then with bishops, next with the laity: hoping that now at length he might be judged by God's law, and not otherwise. A long conversation ensued, in which the chief part among the laymen was sustained by Rich, with some show of viewing the matter largely, as it were, and from a height. Among other things he made mention of the unfortunate Joan Bocher, who was burnt in Edward's days: and in his answer Philpot well exampled the spirit of the age. "She," exclaimed he, "she was a heretic indeed, well worthy to be burned, because she stood against one of the manifest articles of the faith, contrary to the Scriptures." At the end of a long audience * two to relate. "Well," said he to Philpot, "you are like to go after your fathers, Latimer the sophister, and Ridley, who had nothing to allege for himself but that he had learned his heresy of Cranmer. When I came to him with a poor bachelor of arts, he trembled as though he had the palsy and these heretics have always some token of fear, whereby a man may know them; as ye may see this man's eyes do tremble in his head. But I despatched them: and I tell thee that there hath been never yet any one burnt, but I have spoken with him, and have been a cause of his despatch. Phil. You have the more to answer for, master doctor, as you shall find in another world." Story had been Master of Broadgate Hall, now Pembroke College.

* Among many other things, Philpot offered to stand against any ten of the best Romanensians in open disputation, and asked the lords to be a mean with the Queen for this end. Rich made a sort of ostentatious promise, that he doubted not it might be done but he had no real intention of moving it. R. I dare be bold to procure for you of the Queen's majesty that you shall have ten learned men to reason with you,

Bonner said that he was sorry to have troubled them with an obstinate man, with whom they could do no good and the lords departed, as Philpot thought, half amazed, almost without a word.

He

His next effort was to induce his obdurate inmate to go to mass in his chapel: and this he repeated more than once. He then became more severe; and sending Philpot to another building or outhouse, where he was separate from the other prisoners, he set him in the stocks. This was a piece of cruelty: but it was intended to save him from worse. Sending for him the next morning, he informed him that blame had been cast upon himself by the bishops in Pole's synod for not despatching the case long ago: that he had begged the Cardinal and the rest to take it before themselves, but that this had been prevented by White of Lincoln, Philpot's enemy: and that he was now commanded to take further order. now implored him to be conformable: and on meeting with another repulse seems to have lost his temper. "A pig was brought to thee the other day," cried he, "half a pig, a roast pig with a knife inside it. What was that knife for? To kill thyself, or to kill me? I fear thee not. I could tread thee under my feet! By sentence peremptory I pronounce that I pronounce that I am thine ordinary, and that thou art of my diocese. I charge thee to answer to my articles. I make my servant here my notary. Thou shalt swear to answer truly. Hold him a book! Fetch me his fellows, that they may be witnesses against him." The other prisoners were then

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and twenty or forty of the nobilty to hear, so you will promise to abide their judgment. How say you? will you promise here afore my lords so to do? P. I will be contented to be judged by them. R. Yea, but will you promise to agree to their judgment? P. There be causes why I may not so do, unless I were sure they would judge according to the Word of God. R. Oh, I perceive you would have no man judge but yourself, &c. Examinations, p. 58.

brought and Bonner read "a rabblement of articles," making the archdeacon to be an Anabaptist of the wildest kind. There seems to have been nothing in them that he might not have denied: and the aim of the bishop may have been to get him to deny them, and so let him off. But Philpot stood upon his old ground that Bonner had no right to minister articles to him, not being his ordinary. The other prisoners with one voice refused to be sworn as witnesses: and Bonner in a rage ordered all alike to sit in the stocks: from which Philpot, if not the rest, was released at night. In that painful confinement he wrote to his friend Careless, “I am put in the stocks in a place alone, because I would not answer to such articles as they would charge me withal in a corner at the bishop's appointment, and because I did not come to mass when the bishop sent for me. I will be all the days of my life in the stocks by God's grace rather than I will consent to the wicked generation. I have answered the bishop meetly plain already and if he will call me in open judgment, I will answer him as plainly as he shall require. Otherwise I have refused." *

On the Sunday evening following, the bishop removed him into Lollard's Tower by himself, telling him that the Queen and Council were greatly displeased that he had been kept so long, and allowed so much liberty.†

* Examinations, p. 232.

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+ Lollard's Tower, the reader is reminded, was not at Lambeth, but in old St. Paul's yard; at the west end of St. Paul's. "At either corner of this west end is, also of ancient building, a strong tower of stone, made for bell towers the one of them, to wit next the palace, is at the present to the use of the same palace: the other, toward the south, is called the Lollard's Tower, and hath been used as the bishop's prison for such as were detected for opinions in religion contrary to the faith of the Church. Adjoining to this Lollard's Tower is the parish church of St. Gregory." Stow's Survey, 138 or (708). The name has "only in recent times and quite improperly been applied to one of the towers of Lambeth Palace."