I Thinke it a great grace and benefite of God M. Haddon , that your booke , which ye sette out against me a fewe yeres past , with much a doe at the length , this last daie came vnto my handes . Such care hath God put into the hart of Henrie the Cardinal , who is a most godly Prince and wise gouernour , to vse al possible diligence , that no such bookes , as may disteine the purenes of godly Religion , be brought in emongest vs . Had it not benne , that Emanuel Almada Bisshoppe of Angra , a man excellently wel furnished with al good qualities and vertues , to me moste intiere , both for the streight friendshippe , as also for the long acqueintaunce betwene vs begone and continued euen from our Auncestours , had accompaigned the most vertuous Ladie Marie Princesse of Parma , into the low Countries of Flaunders , I had not as yet heard any thing either of the booke , or of the Writer . But he , after his arriual into those parties , chauncing vppon the booke , thought he could no lesse doe of friendshippe , but take vpon him my cause , and confute your reprocheful wordes . Howbeit in the worke , which he wrote with singular diligence , he tooke vppon him the defence , not so muche of me , as of Religion , of pietie , of godlinesse .

After his returne into his countrie ( whiche was much later then we hoped ) it was rumored foorthwith , that an English man , whose name was vnknowen , had writen against Hieronymus Osorius , and that the Bishoppe of Angra had earnestly taken vpon him the defence of Osorius , and this much was signified vnto me by my friendes letters . At the same time , I was painfully occupied in visiting my Diocese , the which notwithstanding , I was not so letted , but that I found a time to salute my frind , and welcome him home by my letters , in the which I required of him , that he woulde send me your booke together with his defence . He answered me to euery point of my letters , as humanitie , courtesie and frindship required . But as touching your booke , he said he was moued in conscience not to send it , vntil he had obteined licence of the Cardinal . whereby ye may perceiue , how heinouse and wicked offence it is emongest vs , to reade the bookes of such men , as haue with many errours infected Religion .

This wise man , albeit he had had very exact and perfect tryal of my Religion by long experience , and saw that I was placed in the roome and dignitie of a Bishop , and therefore might of mine owne authoritie search and trie out what soeuer wilines or craft laie hidden vnder the couert of your writings : yet durst he in no wise make me partaker of your booke , before he vnderstoode our Cardinalles pleasure . You wil here peraduenture scorne and laugh at his ouermuch superstition . But I shal neuer thinke any diligence that is employed to put away the contagion of such a deadlie or mortal pestilence , to be ouermuch . After many moneths at the length when he vnderstoode the Cardinals pleasure , he sent me your booke willing me withal to spare some time from mine owne most earnest affaires , to answere you , and so did the rest of my friendes also counsel me to doe . And although it might seme a discourtesie not to regarde the request of my friendes , yet I would not haue yelded vnto them ▪ if in this your woorke my estimation only had ben touched , and not the puritie of the Catholike Religion violated . I was also moued thervnto so muche the more , bicause I thought it a point of Christian charitie to trie , whether you might be brought through my diligence , to laie downe somewhat of your engraffed lightnes . For doubtlesse I may wel gather of these your writinges , that in the writing thereof , ye stoode very much in your owne conceite , yea and that in some places as it were rauished with good liking of your selfe , ye stoode stil looking earnestly about you euen for the fauourable applause of your frinds . But how much your conceit hath deceiued you , it shal foorth with appeere .

First of al wheras ve say that I am a great framer of wordes and sentences : whether ye meane truely , or whether ye dissemble , I can not tel , but the praise that you geue me , I doe not acknowledge . If there be in me any commendable grace of speache , truly it is bicause I haue bestowed my time and studie , not so much in words , as to atteine the knowledge of the highest pointes of learning . Besides that , this qualitie of speach , how simple so euer it be in me ( if it be any thing at al ) I haue vsed , not to the damnable forging of false Religion , but with earnest and zealous good heart , to the setting foorth of true godlines .

In the very beginning of your booke ye laie to my charge a great crime of rashnes and presumption : for thus you saie . You tooke muche vpon you , that being a priuate man , separated from vs by land and sea , and vnacquainted with our affaires , durst so boldly speake vnto the Quenes Maiestie . Now Sir , I beseche you , let me learne this one thing of you . What meane you by this worde priuate ? Is it a worde of reproche only ? Or may it not be applied also to good , vertuous , and noble men ? Are there not emongest you many noble men that beare no office , neither serue in any place of the common weale ? Saie you so Sir ? Are al those that serue not in the Office of Requestes to be thrust out by you from the presence and speach of Kinges ? For so you laie the name of a priuate man to me , as though ye estemed it to be a woord of villanie and dishonour : as though you would saie , that my father were some vplandish man , and I brought vp in basenes , of so smal accompte , that I was neuer woorthie to looke any King in the face , and therefore had committed a fault woorthie of greuouse punishment , that durst in my letters to name Queene Elizabeth , ( whome I alwaies name for honours sake dewe vnto her Princely Maiestie ) . But admitte I were not ( as I am in deede ) of a verie auncient gentlemans howse : yet it was not the part of a man brought vp in liberal sciences , to esteme any kind of men , or any kind of honour more then the ornamentes of vertue . For al cognisaunces or Armes either of nobilitie , or of honour , although they be faire and goodlie in shewe , yet when true vertue is away , being false , vaine , and void of al sound fruict , are despised and holden as worthy of no account with euerie wise man . So that , if ye meane to speake to my rebuke , charge me with some crime or grieuous offence , laie not vnto me the name of a priuate man . For before I had the office of a Bishoppe , I was , both for fauour , authoritie , and worshippe , preferred before a great number of your calling . If the name of a priuate man did signifie dulnes or lumpishnes of witte , if it did importe any heinouse crime or dishonestie of life : then surely , he that shoulde obiect that name to me , should reprochfully speake of me , and contrary to my desertes . But for so much as we see oftentimes , that , emongest Princes those men are in the highest places of honor , which are of al honour most vnworthy , and contrariwise those voide of al honour , whiche could most faith fully and honorably serue their Princes : it commeth to passe , that the name of a priuate man signifieth not the vnworthines of the persons , but the vnluckines of the Princes . For they are so besette and holden with the seruice of lewd felowes that thei can not vse the vertue of good men . Now wheras you say , that it is nothing decent , that I being a straunger seperated from you by lande and sea , shoulde write a letter to your Queene : I beseke you Sir , teache me : were letters deuised to aduertise men of thinges behouesul , in their absence , or in their presence ? Doubtlesse in their absence . Whie then do ye blame me , that bearing very harty good wil vnto your Queene , I admonished her being absent and seperated from me by land and sea , of thinges apperteining vnto the establishmente of her estate ? If I had benne present , I wolde haue humblie besought her , not by letters , but by worde of mowth in presence , that , if she minded to saue her life and mainteine her honour , she should eschew the companie and familiaritie of infamous personnes .

You obiecte also vnto me , that I am not skilled in your affaires . As though I talked not of such matters as are most perfectly knowen of al men .

Last of al you increase the vnworthines of my fact with the name of a Princelie Maiestie : as though your Quene did excel rather in richesse and puissaunce , then in gentlenes and humanitie , and as though I were suche a man as could not by my letters aduertise the greatest Prince in the Christian worlde of things of greatest importaunce . Acknowledge nowe , I pray you , your most vnaduised rashnes in this your talke , for thus muche you seme to saie . Whereas you haue neuer had the practise of the Law , neuer borne in any common weale office ( I meane such office as apperteine to men of Law ) neuer offered supplications to any Prince : Who hath made you so arrogant and presumptuous , as to take vpon you to speake vnto the Queenes Maiestie , a thing graunted to me al only , and to suche as I am , and that for great good cause ? If you perceiue not M. Haddon , howe fonde and childish this your talke is , I must nedes deeme that you are bestraught of your senses . But if it greaueth you to see , that the Quene geueth eare to some other man that is not of your qualitie , I can not blame you . For whie , certaine it is , that you can not long enioy this your felicitie , if many wise and vertuous men shal vnto her good wil and authoritie ioyne their seruice and industrie . For the counterfeicted attendaunce of feined vertue , in the presence of true vertue vanisheth awaie . Wherfore , I geue you counsel to exclude al honest men ( of whom , as I vnderstand , there is no smal number in England ) from the familiaritie of the Prince , expel them , thrust them out , by proclamations force them to flee out of the Realme . As for me , that am so farre of , there is no cause whie ye should be greatly careful , for so much as it can not be suspected , that I shoulde take awaie from you your gaines , after which as you shew your selfe , you gape so greedilie . But by your pacience Sir , me thinketh ye are of nature very base and abiecte , that for so meane a promotion take so great stomake and courage . If ye can not beare so meane a condition , but that you must needes in respecte of your office , laie vnto me the name of a priuate man , what would you doe , if you were called to some higher degree of worshippe ?

You saie , that I do goe about to appaire the estimation of lawes , wheras in deede I doe thinke , that the good estate of a common weale standeth and is mainteined by lawes , and am hartily sorie , that through these pestilent sectes al good lawes customes and ordinaunces are fallen to ruine and decaie .

You saie that I appeache all the whole Realme of England , I can not tel , of what , hateful newfanglednes : the whiche is also false . For I haue heard of credible personnes , that the greatest part of that Iland doe continue in the Olde Religion .

Now wheras you require of me to beare with you , bicause you haue talked somewhat freelie with me , as being an English man , fostred and brought vp of the Queenes Maiestie , and of the affaires of England not ignorant : I commend your loue towardes your countrie , I commend your loyaltie towards your Prince , I commend your knowlege of things gotten by long experience , I commend also your freedom in speache . But beware you doe not ( so muche as in you lieth ) ouerthrow your Countrie , beware you bring not the Quene into daunger of her estate and life , and when you are pricked and yearked foorth with the goades of your owne madnes , beware you cloke not your erroneous beleefe and licentious life vnder the honest name of libertie . Ye promise assuredly that you meane to doe it , for no debate or dissension of minde , whereas there can not be deuised any greater dissension then this , you taking vpon you to mainteine , and I contrariwise to inuey against the most wicked and heinouse malefactours of the worlde .

And where you saie , that your purpose is to pul out of mens heartes certaine false opinions that they haue conceiued of the state of England : if you can so doe , you shal doe me a verie friendly pleasure . But this one thing I meruaile much at , that you say , that my writings might happen to cause this false rumor and infamie , that is now bruted of England . What say you Sir ? Are you only ignoraunt , how long time it is sence England was firste charged with this infamouse report ? How was it possible , when the holie men Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester , and S. Thomas More were openly put to death for their constancie in their faith and Religion : when the good Religiouse Fathers the Carthusians were with most cruel tormentes slaine and murdred : when the houses of Religion , in the whiche was appointed a mansion or dwelling place of perpetual chastitie , were laid wide open , and turned to prophane vses : when many other momentes of holines were vtterly ouerthrowen and defaced : how was it possible , I saie , that England shoulde be without a very exceding greate infamie ? But without cause , saie you . Be it so ( if it please you ) for I wil not as yet dispute for either part . Yet this muche I saie , that euen at that time there was a great brand of dishonestie burnt into the estimation of English men . But you forsooth , that shoulde haue defended al those thinges with maine pollicie and counsel , were not yet come to beare the swaie , and therfore the matter being destitute of such a spokesman as you are , that opinion that was by the constant reporte and brute of al men diuulged , tooke place in al the Realmes of Christendome . How is it then true , that I should caus● this infamie ( which is so olde ) by my writinges set out but the last daie ?

You commend my kinde of writing , the which is more then I requir● of you . For that I vse in matters we knowen , words not necessarie ( as yo● thinke ) you reproue me . But your reproch I am nothing offended withal for my desire is to talke of thinges mo● clere and plaine , and what were to b● put into my Oration , and what to be put out , I thinke it dependeth of my iudgement , and not of yours , whiche peraduenture knowe not , what my meaning is .

You saie that , whereas I pretended in the beginning to doe some other thing , I fel at the length to taunting and defacing of Religion . That is trew in deede , if most vile and seditions heresie may be called Religion . You say that it is to no purpose for me to goe about to discharge manie Inglish men of the enuie of the facte , for that , ( as you saie ) their case and cause is al one . And to proue that , you declare the manner of England to be such , that no law bindeth the people there , vnlesse it be first decreed by the whole communaltie , receiued of the nobilitie , approued by the Clergie , and last of al authorised by the King , and therfore can not stand , that a lawe being made by the ful consent and agreement of al , some men should susteine blame , and some others should be altogether void thereof . The law I like wel : But that it is not kept , I thinke itmuch to be misliked . If the geuing of voices were free , and not wrested and gotten out from men by threatning and punishment , I would like your saing wel . But here to passe ouer with silence the lightnes and inconstancie of the multitude , which may verie easilie be brought to any inconvenience either with the hatred of seueritie , either with the shew of gentlenes : and withal to leaue that point vntouched , howe it is a thing impossible for euerie particular man to geaue his voice , but of force they must geue ouer their authoritie of geuing voices vnto a few : I would you would teach me this one thing , ( for I confesse plainely , that I am a straunger , and nothing expert in matters of your common weale ) what horrible fact had the bishop of Rochester committed , that neither the grauitie of his person , neither the dignitie of a Bishop could saue him from death ? Went he about anie treason against his countrey ? Had he conspired the death of the Prince ? Had he entred into talke with foraine ennemies to betraie his owne common weale ? Nothing lesse . But bicause he most constantlie refused to yeeld his consent vnto a wicked statute , the holie and innocent man was so punished , as though he had ben the most detestable traitour in the worlde . What had Thomas More committed , a verie good man , and excellentlie well learned ? Had he forged the Kinges letters patentes ▪ Had he embeseled the Kinges treasure ? Had he kylled or greuously inuried any of the Kinges subiectes ? No suche matter . But onelie bicause ●e woulde not claw and flatter the ●ing , but rather woulde speake his ●inde freelie : they chopped of his head before al the people , as though he had ben a fellon or traitour . But now what saie you to the Carthusians , most vertuouse , godly , and religious Fathers , men in pleading at the barre vnacqueinted , in the common affaires and practises of the world vnskilful ? Why were thei so cruellie handled ? Why were they trussed and hanged vppon gibbets ? Whie were they dismembred and quartered in peaces ? Whie were they finally burned and consumed with fier ? dowbtlesse bicause they would not with their voice allow and make good a thing , that vnto them seemed wicked , heinouse , and vnworthie to be named . What shal I say of the holie bishops , whom you haue loden with yrons fetters and chaines , whom you haue shut vp in darke and close prisons , whom you haue robbed both of goods and honour ? Haue you any thing elles to laie to their charge , but that they would not geue their asfent to your statutes , which semed to them vniust ? And therfore it is no wonder , if other men being with such cruel and horrible punishments put in extreme feare be not ouer bold to declare their mind freelie in open place . For where the geuing of voices is not free , but forced of men by feare and terrour , there reigneth , not the counsel of the whole , but the lust and outrage of a few . You doe not therefore sufficiently proue , that those lawes were made and allowed by the common agreement and consent of al states . For it is manifest , that they were violently forced , and that who so euer did gainesaie them , was extremely punished .

As touching my humble suite vnto the Queene , wherein I besought her Maiestie , that , if I were able by good argument to proue , that these authours or brochers of newe fanglednes did most daungerously and perniciously erre , it might please her to esteme and hold their doctrine as vngodly and detestable : you say , that it is a false accusation without strength of argument : that it procedeth of stomake , and not of loue towardes the trewth : that it is grounded vpon a slaunder , and not vpon reason : that it is a reproch , and not a disputation laied vpon the ground worke of religion ▪ You require of me the verie same thing , as I required of your Quene : that is to wit , that if you were able to shew , that I had without good cause found fault with the gouernement of your common weale , I should repent me of myne offence .

First of al , I take Christ Iesus to witnes ( who only knoweth the secrettes of my hart ) that I wrote those my letters neither for hatred , neither for displeasure , neither for reproche ( as you say ) but for earnest good zeale and loue I beare to the trewth and to the welfare of the whole realme . For what haue Inglish men hurt me more then other men ? What wrong or displeasure haue thei done me ? Trulie neuer a whit . But contrarie wise I haue ben informed by the letters both of Antonius Augustinus Bishop of Ilerda , a man for his excellent vertues and singular knowledge in the liberal sciences , wel deseruing the dignitie of a bishop together with immortal fame ( who was sometime sent from the bishop of Rome legat vnto Quene Marie ) as also by the letters of Iohn Metellus a Burgonion , a man , whom for his courteous and swete conuersation ioyned with rare giftes of learning I loue verie intierly : that manie great learned men in England did geaue m● a verie honourable report . Wherefore there was good cause , whie I should rather loue English men , then malice or reuile them . Neither did I euer thinke to reprooue your common weale , but the corrupt lewdnes of a fewe , which disquieteth the whole realme . And whereas you charge me with curiositie for medling in a straunge common weale : I thinke it is no straunge common weale , but myne owne . For I did not reason of the lawes of your Realme and ciuile ordinaunces , but of Christian religion , for the which I am not afraid to loose my life . And therefore shal I neuer thinke any thing to be impertinent to me , whereby I may mainteine and set foorth the honour of this common weale . Consider now , M. Haddon , how iust your request is . This is your demaund . If you can conuince and manifestly prooue , not that I am in any errour ( for that were tolerable ) but that I wrote my epistle for hatred , euil wil , and reproch : you require of me to confesse my fault and to saie that I was ouer rash , when I tooke vpon me to control your matters , whiche I knew not . Can you on the other side prooue , whereas I meant louingly , frindly , and religiously , that it was done slaunderously , enuiously and vntruly ? But lest you should say , I deale to straightly with you , this much I promise you faithfully . If you be able to proue , not that I wrote for any euil intent ( for that is impossible ) but that the rearing vp of this your newly framed religion is without all fault and blamelesse , I wil repent me of my doyng . I am not ignorant , how daungerous a matter it is , to promise thus much to a man of law . But bicause I haue a good affiaunce , that you shal not be able to circumuent me with any malicious and crafty fetch of the law , and my desire is to discharge honest men of slaunderous reportes : I promise you thus much of myne honestie : if you be able to proue , that those felowes be honest , godlie , and religious men , whiche I take to be lewde and wicked verlettes , I will neuer speake one word against you .

You take it in snuffe M. Haddon , that I deale so boisteously with your new maisters , saing that I doo oftentimes thunder out against them most horrible and fyerie reproches , yea so much , that mans hart can not deuise any thing more detestable . Wherin I perceiue that you can not well discerne , what an argument , and what a reproch is . For I contended not with reprochful woordes , but with argumentes , such as you can not yet answere . Than you saie . Where are these monsters of Religion ? What are thei ? How long haue they continued ? Where are those misshapen felowes to be found ? If you thinke to shift the manifold argumentes which I haue vsed , with such a glittering shew of wordes , you are much deceiued . For I loke for reasons , and not for a vaine noise of wordes . But that , that you bring in vpon this , is a very toy and mockerie . Your woords be these . Declare the thinges , name the persones , note the times , adde the circumstances , that we may haue some certaintie , wherin to stand with you , as also to withstand you . I thinke , M. Haddon , it was longe , ere you were set to the Rhetorike schole , and that ye were not verie apte to learne it . You would be counted a Rhetorician , and yet you know not that Rhetorique is a prudencie or discretion in speaking : so that what so euer is against discretion , is not conuenient in this arte , whiche you went about to learne at an inconuenient time . There is a rule of the law , vsual in iūdgemētes , which is this . When the question is , not of the law , but of the facte , the offence being secrete , we must vse al argumentes and coniectures possible , to bring the truth of the facte to light . For it must be considered , of what conuersation , of what life , of what audacitie the partie arreined was : it must be weyed , what feare , what desire , what enuie , what hatred might moue him to committe the facte : it must be declared , what oportunitie he had , what time , what occasion , what pollicie to conceale , what hope to escape , what suspicion went before , what came after , with all other circumstances , which maie before the iudges increase the suspicion of the fact . Now sir when your maister ( which as it semeth , was but meanelie seene in these matters ) had taught you this rule : you thought it wolde serue in al causes , not only in iudgemente , but els where : and therfore you require of me such circumstances as the cause did nothing require . For my meaning was not to accuse any man , but to aduertise th● Quene , that she should not suffer her selfe to be brought to any inconuenience . If you or any such as you are were to be arreined , what ? should we , in a matter openlie knowen and not denied , but defended to be lawfully done , vse such argumentes , coniectures and circumstances as you require ? Not so . But it were sufficient to declare , that your doinges were heinouse and vngodlie . And he that should otherwise doe , might worthely be laught to scorne as a trifling and a foolish babler . Why then Sir ? If you neither vnderstande what is decent , neither consider what the cause requireth , neither perceiue the difference of thinges : is it meete , that I shoulde be punnished for your ignorance ? I thinke not so . But whereas my meaning was , not to arreine any man , but only to admonishe your Prince , that she would put awaie from her selfe and her realme the peril that hangeth ouer them : could I doo any lesse , but set the greatnes of the daunger before her eyes ? And bicause the greatest daunger in the wordle is , to take a false religion for a true : I shewed certaine markes , by the whiche a man might discerne false and diuelish heresie , from true and godly religion . Those markes , if they be false , reproue them : if they be not manifest , conuince me of ignorance : if they offend not you , hold your peace : if vnwares I touched you at the quicke , shew your greefe .

Monsters of Religion I know there are verie manie , if they be not yet come into England , I am glad for your countreis sake : and I confesse I was in an errour , when I thought that your Iland had ben pestered with diuers and sundrie kindes of such monsters . But your bare denyal is no sufficient Consutation . You must vse manifest proofes : you must declare by good reason , that I was in an errour , and then I will saie , that you are an eloquent felow . But if you can not doo this , but only prate and talke : I am not bounde to beleeue you . A litle after ye saie thus . You crie out against religion , you fight against the setters foorth of religion , in these two pointes you vse much bitter talke , and yet in neither of them both do you tel vs either what it is , or where it is . Sir either you haue not read my letters , or if you haue , the meaning of them , whiche is verie plaine , you vnderstande not ( suche is peraduenture the dulnes of your witte ) . Could any man set foorth more plainly with wordes , the infamous doinges of men , the great owtrage , and cruell impietie of their procedinges ? Anon after , ye take a peece as it maie appere out of some other mans oration , and set it in for your owne , in a place nothing to the purpose . these be your wordes . This your accusation is verie pitiful , the which if I answere but with one woord , ther is no remedie , you must needes hold your peace . It is euen so , sir , you haue made a great speake . The thinges that you haue done , the deuises and practises that you haue wrought , al was don in darkenes and huggermugger . Ther are no witnesses , ther remaineth no footesteps to tracke you ou● , no signes and tokens by the which a man might come to the knowledge of your doinges . Then you saie thus . You crie , yea with gaping mowth , and that verie lamentably : that this newly deuised Religion is to be shunned , abandoned , and abhorred , that the begynners of it were mischieuous persons , murderers , cutthrotes , poisoners , ouerthrowers of common weales , ennemies of mankind . Surely this talke that you ascribe vnto me , is yours , and not myne , how be it I am not angry with you for the deuising of it . For such heinouse offenses would be shaken vp with much sharper wordes then these be . But sir how answere you these thinges ? Full stowtly I warrant you , they can not be denied . Yet thus you saie . I constantly affirme , that ther is no such thing : I beleeue not you , I require to be instructed . What saie you ? What proue you ? Oh what an eloquent felow is this , that can so easily with one clause or sentence , and that verie short , shut vp the whole matter ? How manfully you stand to your defence ? How warily you kepe out your ennemie ? In good sooth I can not but muse at your , folie , to see , vpon how smal occasion ( when you haue said nothing at all ) you fal to crying out , as though you had vttered some excellent matter . I said in that my epistle , that the Virgins or Nunnes consecrated vnto God , were defiled with incostuous wedlocke : I said that the images of Saincts , and of the Crosse , yea and of Christ him selfe crucified , were pulled out of their places , and broken in peaces . I said , that the olde Religion was ouerthrowne , and a new set vp in the place of it . Other thinges I let passe , reseruing them to their conuenient places . What saieth M. Haddon to al this ? Al these thinges confuteth he , like an Oratour , with one word : and driueth me to the wall , that I can goe no farder . I beleue you not , saieth he , I require to be instructed . What saie you ? What proue you ? Whie then what shall I doo ? Whether shall I goe ? M Haddon an Inglish man , a man verie expert in the affaires of his countrey , ●aieth pla●inly , that thinges that are commonly reported to haue ben done in England , were neuer done . If it be so , I must bring witnesses . And principally I will ●ite you to geaue witnesse . If you will confesse so muche as I require of you , you shal ridde me of great trouble . If you denie it , then will I call other witnesses to testifie for me , if nede shall so require . Afterward yo bring in these wordes . You crie out as lowd as you can , heaping together all the villanous woordes in the worlde , whiche , it seemeth , you haue sorted out , and set a side for the nonce , to deface this your counterfaict religion , and to sticke and kill certaine personnes , which no man knoweth but your selfe . I praie you , M. Haddon , sobre your selfe a litle , but euen so longe , as you maie peruse , againe this your talke . You shall see your selfe , that you were starke madde , when you wrote these thinges . For you vtter suche matter , as neither I , nor you your selfe doo vnderstand .

You saie , that I doo deface my counterfaicte religion with woordes of villanie . I omitte the name of counterfaicte Religion , as though I had ben the authour or begynner of any newe Religion at all . But how should I my selfe deface myne owne Religion , which I doo mainteine and with dew praise set out ? This would I faine learne of you .

Then for the personnes , which you saie I sticke , I wold gladly vnderstand what they are . As for Luther with his adherentes and folowers I take them for most wicked and infamous persones , and such in dede I doo a litle pricke in my writinges . These are the persons , which you saie no man knoweth but I. And you for sooth , know them not : and yet you commend them highly , which is a point of meruelouse great ouersight in you to commend such as you know not . But you , will neither saie so , neither can you wel tell , what you wolde saie . Doubtlesse it were better , to be domme , then to vtter such matter , as no man neither sad nor mad can vnderstand .

You accuse me that I haue defamed your most noble Iland , being thervnto brought by pelting rumours of maliciouse persones . Whie then , sir , you graunt , that I haue deuised nothing , but what I haue spoken , I was moued to speake by common report . Moreouer I haue alreadie declared , that I spake not against the whole Iland , as you saie , but only against the brochers of your new fangled Religion .