IF GOD ALMOST BY MIRAcle hath cast so terrible lightninges vpon Calece , as make , ether al mennes eares to glow , & tingle , or their hertes to tremble , & quake , that heare how sore that toune is sodainly plaged , what maiest thou loke for , ô England , whose most detestable , and most abominable horrible vices , so far excede the vices of Calece , as Sodome euer passed Sion in vilainous tragical actes . For to considre this matter thoroughly , and to beginne with the cheifest , the gouernor of Calece did beare in dede with idolatrie , and false religion , & therefore is iustly brought in to a captiues wretched state . But thy ruler England with raging madnes , and open tyrannie at hir first entraunce restored in hast idolatrie and false popish religion , being before luckely beaten dounne , thorough out the hole realme , and now continueth a shameles aduancer , and bloodie mainteiner of the same . The gouernor of Calece ioied not to see the people defile them selues with vile poperie , with idolatrious masse hearing , with crouching to domme stockes , & stones , with kissing of canferd crosses , with sprincling of enchaunted and exchaunted waters vpon their forloren bodies , with eating of charmed bread , in stede of Christes holie sacrament : Thy ruler compelleth al men to those , and manie other like horrible abominations , with thondring threates , and most violent flames of fier . The gouernor of Calece ernestly bewailed in his herte , the decaie of sound doctrine gratiously renued and repared in the daies of holie king Edwarde . Thy ruler reioiseth , and triumpheth in treading , and stamping it vndre hir fete . The gouernor of Calece reuerently spake , and thought of true religion . Thy ruler most blasphemously raileth vpon it , and most dedly hateth it . The gouernor of Calece kepte his handes pure from shedding of innocent blood . Thy ruler hath bathed hir selfe , and swimmeth in the holie blood of most innocent , vertuous , and excellent personages . Let the bloodie bodie of the courteous , modest , godlie , wise , and wel lerned Ladie Iane , and of the gilteles lord Giltford comme forth for witnesses . In noble Thomas Wiat perchaunce , and his companie thy ruler maie haue some pretence , and yet that valiaunt capitaine , & right vertuous man , with the rest of that band , without doubte put on armour , and rose vp in defence of their countree , which than beganne to be betraied . And the like maie be saide of the good duke of Suffolke , and of that worthie man my lorde Thomas Graie his brother .

Of whom if anie thing were don amisse , thy ruler was the verie autor , headspring , and principal cause of it , and therefore stained hir selfe with blood in killing them , whose faulte , if there were anie , she hir selfe caused , bred vp , & brought forth . But what color , or cloke can she haue , if I cal for the burnt bones & asshes , of the sobre lerned , and holie martyr Thomas grammer archbishop of Canterburie ? of the excellent , wise godlie , and skilful man Nicolas Ridleie bishop of London , of sondrie other vertuous and lerned bishoppes , and ministers of goddes worde , and of a nombre of good , simple , verie innocent , harmles , and right godlie men , and wemen , whom she hath most cruelly rosted , and fried in flames for mainteining the open truth , and keping of their conscience vpright before god . So that if thou compare hir with the old persequutors of goddes truth Nero , Decius , Diocletian , Domitian , Maximine , and such other thou shalt perceaue , that she hath matched the outragious crueltie of them , & that hir extreme tyrannie hath dured longer than the tyrannie of the most parte of thother , & in some pointes is gonne farther . For none of those persequuted the bones , & ashes of ded men , nor sought the further affliction , and famishment of such as by them were alreadie driuen out of their natiue countrees , as this , furious tyrannesse hath don most gredely vnnaturally , and vnmercifully . But to procede in our former comparison , whereby thy state shal be better knowen , the gouernor of Calece neuer condemned anie , whose cause he had not heard before , and perfectly vndrestanded . Thy ruler hath cast in to raging fiers more than three hundred vertuous , innocent , godlie men , whose cause she neuer heard , neuer vndrestode , neuer labored to know thoroughly . Yea lest hir conscience shuld condemne hir of most horrible murder , and lest hir bloodie desire might be dulled , she obstinately refuseth once to loke vpon the bokes of excellent good men , which plainly proue , that only the open truth hath ben the matter , for which so manie holie personages must suffre most cruel death . The gouernor of Calece mainteined an honest familie , godlie seruantes both men , & women .

Thy ruler hath aboute hir raueners , snatchers , flatterers , effoeminate Ganimedes , Alcinoes youth , and amonge hir women verie strompettes , and to wel knowen baudes , and witches . The gouernor of Calece what so euer is now forged to cloke the quenes trecherie , and to bleare the peoples eyes , bare a singular loue to the toune , and procured the welth of it to his power . Thy ruler not only being warned of imminent daunger left that toune purposely spoiled of good soldiars , and warlike stronge men , to make a waie to hir lust in meaning to giue it vp to another , but hath also studied these 4. yeres to betraie the ô Englande in to the handes of a straunger , and of a nation most defamed in al the world for pride , and crueltie . She hath sought meanes to make the fight against thy selfe ▪ whereby being enfeebled and weakened , thou mightest be lesse able to resist the force of the spaniard . She beganne warre with a mightie king , where peace was sought , and desired , only to satisfie hir wilful head , to encrease the force of the spaniard , & to maimme the of thi best capitaines , & soldiars . She hath spoiled the of thy artillarie , of thy treasure , and iuels sent in to a foraine countree , I thinke no more , for the loue of the straunger , than for the hate , that she beareth against thy people . For bicause she hath begonne a thing nawghtely vpon hir awne head , she wil now procede wickedly without staie and extremely hateth al them , as ether like not hir doinges , or by them stand in daunger of destruction . And she is so bereft of witte , that she thincketh it better , to do madly , and nawghtely stil a pease , than to seme to haue don madly , and nawghtely at the beginninge thorow wilful desire , & she is now sunke so far in follie , that she weeneth , that she maie wype awaie the blotte of hir first madnes with continual pursuite of the same Finally the gouernor of Calece , his cloking , and dissembling of goddes truth excepte , was a good man , gentle , louing , curteous , harmeles , plaine , temperate sobre , honest , and vertuous . Thy ruler is thoroughly spotted with papistrie , & idolatrie , a stocke worshipper , a cakeworshipper , a bold blasphemer of the true Christ , whose blessed bodie is gloriously placed in heauen , and not pinde in popes pixes . Thy ruler is disdainful , and so proude , that to be the wife of an emperors sonne , & for hope that she shal once be called my ladie emperesse , she is contente not only to make the as bare as a birdes taile , but also vnnaturally to betraie the hir natiue countree , & make the subiecte to a popish proude , vnmerciful , and vngodlie nation . She is despiteful , cruel , bloodie , wilful , furious , gileful , stuffed with painted processes , with simulation , & dissimulation , void of honestie , void of vpright dealinge , voide of al semelie vertues . I speake not this of hatred god I cal to recorde , nor for anie luste to recompte others lothesome euils , but only to cal hir to spedie repentaunce , by the vgle sight of hir most horrible sinnes . I iudge surely that of al other I ought most to lamente hir , as the most vnfortunate woman , that euer was . For whereas besides these detestable open , and wel knowen vices , and other more secrete fowle sores , she is giltie of the blood , & damnation of al those that haue perished , daily perish and shal perish thorough the most abominable grosse idolatrie , and false religion , that she hath sette vp , and thorough wante of the true knowlege of Christ , which she hath by al meanes possible quenched , and oppressed , yet she hath not one that wil warne hir , of the most miserable , and most terrible state that she standeth in . Wherefore sith al hir frendes , and louers , shauelinges , and other slaues of the poleshorē swarme with silence , and closed lippes , see hir runne hedlong in to the lake , that burneth with vnquenchable fier , I thought it my dutie to do good for euil , and by opening , and laying corrosies to hir piteful festred sores , to prepare them to a farther cure , that she perish not euerlastingly . And I beseche god most hertely to bring my desire to effecte , which is surely none other , but that hir sowle , thorough the great mercies of god , and hir humble knowleging , hating , and renouncing of hir sinnes in time , maie be saued from helfier . It maie wel be that for this my warning , she wil seke my death , but she shal surely seke the death of him , that loueth hir better , and wold do more for hir perpetual safetie , than al the fatte fed preistes , and papistes ether in the courte , or in the countree . And if she knew asmuch as I do she wold be gladder of the woundes that I haue giuen hir , than of al the kisses that euer she had in al hir life , first , or last . For what shuld it auaile hir , if with the losse of hir sowle for euer , she might a while possesse in this world al the ioies together , that ar conteined therein . Nothing erthlie wold be bought with euerlasting torment , which shal as certainly comme vpon hir , as god liueth , and is true of his worde , onles before corporal death she repente hir of these most detestable abominat●●●s , that I haue now laied forth , and turne 〈◊〉 time from the false pope , & patched poperie to the true Christ , and tru religion , & be purged , and sanctified , not by coniured waters , and mennes phantastical deuises , but by the holie spirite of god . Which grace if god of his infinite goodnes shal graunte hir , I wil seke no greater rewarde of my trauail . But lette vs procede in our consideration , and comme now to the counsel of Calece , one of the cheifest whereof , the greatest sembler , & dissembler , the subtilest flatterer that liueth , called to another office in the courte by the death of a vile nonnish papist , was absent at the subduyng of the toune . That Vlysses I saie , the deuiser of mischeife was absent , not to auoid , but to runne in to a more horrible plage , onles he preuente it with spedie repentance . This is he who in king Edwardes time putte on a maske , and visor of a protestant , and with his melie mouth , and flering lookes crepte in to good mennes bosomes . This is he , who thorough craftines of witte , and by the helpe of a mad calfe begiled the good lord wentworth , & drue him from a better purpose , and so was the occasion of al the mischeife , and miseries , that haue ensued sit●●ns . Besides this false traitor to god , to his srendes , and to his countree , who as I saide , was awaie at the ruine of the tounne , the rest of the counsel of Calece , were not notoriously nawghtie men . In the most parte of them , a man colde desire nothinge , saue more zeale to the truth , that thei knew , more strenghth of minde , more feare of god than of a woman . For this in dede was a commune faulte amonge them al , & worthie manie deathes , and vttre destruction , that thei stode not to the knowen truth , but for feare , and to satisfie the wil of an ignorant wilful woman , suffred them selues to be defiled with abominable masse idolatrie , and were contente with grudge of conscience to seme to drincke in againe al the popes filthie dregges . Certaine of them were papistes to , I wote wel , and yet thei retained some ciuilite , and outwarde honestie . Turne thyne eyes now to thy counsel England , how fierce tygres , how cruel wolues , how rauening beares , how lecherous goates how wilie foxes , or to speake plainly without figure , what periured traitors to god , and to the , what murderers , what oppressors of the poore , what voluptuous Sardanapales , what adulterers , how vile flatterers shalt thou finde amonge them ? It were a smal faulte , and a verie peccaduliā in them to dissemble the truth of religion . Thei raile vpon it , they tosse it with scoffes & mockes , thei bloodely , & tyrannously persequute it . It might be wicked at , if thei toke bribes , only to oppresse the cause of a few poore men , thei take bribes to betraie the hole realme . It might be passed ouer with silence if thei had murdered but one man a peece , the blood of innumerable sainctes crieth vp to heauen against them & the groninges of manie thousandes oppressed ar heard euerie where . It might perchaunce be perdoned , if they spent but some weekes in pleasures , they wallow continually in vile voluptuousnes , and wanton daliance , and waste al their vnhappie daies in beastlie delites , nether can chaunge of women , nor women only satisfie their filthie abominable desires . Breifely there be no vices in the world whereof you maie not see great buddes , or rather great bounnies , and bunches in them . Here I maie not lette scape the pristes of Calece , a foule broode of thy henne . Papistes they were and verie furies of hel . But if thei be compared to thy prelates and preistes , thei were but demipapistes , and demidiuels . For he that wold discouer the fowle inwarde partes of thy shauelinges , and filthie smered flocke , shuld seme to rake vp the botome of hel , yea he that wold shew the outwarde partes of them naked , shuld shew the fowlest sight , that euer was sene in the world . For what idolatrie , what pride , what couetousnes , what crueltie , what lecherie , what sodomitrie , was euer heard of in anie age , that thei haue not far exceded ? Thou canst not name a bishoppe , but thou shalt see his tounge swollen with blasphemie , his fingers dropping with the blood of innocentes , his bodie spotted with most filthie villanie , & the rest of thy AEgyptian shauelinges , striue which shal passe other farthiest in al kindes of beastlie abomination . And to speake as I thinke , amonge them , Weston , who hath worne , and weried himselfe in whoredom , these twentie yeres , and now for his late chast behauior is iudged to leese his stones , maie be compted an honest man . So manifolde , so execrable , so outragious is their filthines , and wickednes . Who can thinke on that bloodie beast Bonner , but a most grislie , vgle , & horrible monstre shal be presented before his eyes , such a one as no Polyphemus in boisteousnes , no furies of hel with their snakie heares in al pointes of mischeife , no Cerberus in blasphemous roaring , no find in raging , in tearing , and in deuouring innocentes , can ouermatche . But I wil leaue that botomeles sea , of most filthie stincking vices , & passe farther . The commons of Calece consisted partely of papistes , and partely of men reformed in religion . The papistes were there , as they be euerie where , murmurers against god gredie scrapers , enuious , lecherous , ful of secrete vices , but they were few in nombre , and lesse besprincled with innocent blood . The Christianes were weaklinges , dissemblers , quenepleasers , worldlinges , riotous , wanton , & giuen to al fleshlie lustes for the most parte . I comme now to thy commons England , of which some be gentle men , & those ether papistes , or protestantes . The papistical gentle men ar slaues to poleshorne preistes , to exequute their boucherie , folowing therein parte of thy nobilitee , in bloodie crueltie worse than Shythians , in oppressing the poore Neroes hellish ofspringe , in greedie conuetousnes verie Harpyes , in malice , and enuie yonge diuels , traitors to their countree , open deceauers , vile flatterers , filthie lechers , herteles cowardes , shameles braggers , godles Epicures . The gentle men ptotestantes for the most parte differ from thother in knowlege only , and not in life , in wordes , and not in worckes . The life conuetousnes , the like malice , and enuie , the like craftines , the like cowardise , and vnfaithfulnes in defending their countree , the like flatterie , the like lecherie , the like dronckennes in fleshlie pleasures , the like liynge is found in both sortes . And the commune people to be shorte so countrefaite the beastlie , and abominable maners of theyr superiors , that they maie be compted their awne children , their awne brode aswel as their countremen , I speake of the great multitude . For I know that in euerie sorte , and condition of men , there be some that truly feare god . But in the ordre of thy nobilitee al the godlie maie be grauen in one ringe . Amonge thy prelates , and preistes I know not one , and yet I exclude not al of that most filthie swinestie . Amonge thy gentlemen there be so few , that wold god the tithes , yea the twentithes , yea the hundrethes might be sanctified to god , as men endued with some litle sparcke of feare towardes him . Amonge the commune people vndoubtedly there be more , but thei ar oppressed , and drouned in the huge multitude , & infinite swarmes of nawghtie wicked men . Sith than that beiond nombre , and measure thou excedest Calece in outragiousnes , and multitude of most mischeuous factes , & horrible vices , what thought canst thou haue to escape the present dradful vengeance of god , which thou hast so manie waies deserued , and daily prouokest to be powred vpon the. For thou art not so witles , and starcke mad , as to thincke that welth , artillarie , or force of men can driue backe the vehement tempestes of plages , that hast to hurle the doune . For what power can staie god , whan he wil strike , or anie thinge at al draw backe his heauie hande . And besides that , though riches , and force might helpe , as thei can not , yet thou art altogether vnfurnished . For thou art brought to verie beggerie . Thy best ordinance is lost , giuen , or conueighed awaie . Thy capitaines ar purposely murdered , or pined awaie thorough thought of thy ruine . Thy noble men ar ether starcke cowardes , or starcke fooles for the most parte , and more meete for their effeminatenes to handle a spindle , than to beare a speare , Thy commune people thorough pouertie , and continual miserie ar hertles more readie to beare burthens , and packes on their wretched shulders , than harnesse on their manlie backes . What remaineth than ô most miserable countree ? Can anie other thinge be looked for , but wasting of fruteful fildes , burning of cities , & tounes , slawghter vpon slawghter , murdering of infantes in their mothers wombes , death before life , deflowring of virgines rauishing of wiues , a worse life than death it selfe in them that shal remaine vnmurdered , haling , harr●yng , & tugging hither , and thither by the heare of the head , miserable captiuitee , vile slauerie , and al kindes of extreme , and most intolerable oppressions . O yet notwithstanding the infinite heape of thy detestable desertes , heare what thy god saieth . For thus he speaketh vnto the , vnto the I saie , if thou wilt yet giue eare by the mouth of his holie prophete Ieremie in 3. chap. Returne thou backe slidden Israel , & I wil not make myn anger to fal vpon the. Some times thou wast goddes Israel , goddes holie congregation , and sanctified people . For the pure worde of god sounded euerie where in the , his sacramentes were rightly administred , image seruice , superstition , & al pilde pestilent poperie was clearely banished , newnes of life , and the goodlie fair blosomes of goddes spirite in manie were wel seen . But now thou art slidden , and hast taken a fowle fal . For in stede of goddes worde thou hast now mennes doting dreames , in stede of Christes swete gospel the popes sower draffe , instede of Christes reuerende supper , the popes toiy shapes plaie and monkisshe munming masse , in stede of goddes true seruice , thou hast stocke seruice , bone seruice , and wafer seruice . For right holines of spirite , thou hast a countrefaite popeholines , that standeth in butter forbearing , in fish feasting , in flesh fliyng , with mouth , not with minde , in wymple wearing , in graie coate gatting , in lowring , in whimpering , in howling , in prating to painted postes , in biyng of blasphemous bulles , breifely for al vertues , thou hast embraced al vices . The wittie poetes faine , that Ixion wold adulterously haue laine with Iuno , which thing Iuppiter hir husband perceauing turned a cloude in to hir likenes , which cloude Ixion hasted with great fond ioie , to embrase in stede of his peramour .

Hath not the like , or a thing far worse happened vnto the ? Hast not thou catched after clowdes , and vaine shadowes in stede of the truth not only whereby thou hast made thy selfe a lawghing stocke to al the world as Ixion , but also most furiously pulled vpon the , the heauie indignation of almightie god . Thou hast in dede gon a whoring and committed adulterie with stockes and stones , & thinne weerisch bread , while thou woldest seme to folow the true spouse , & to seke his spiritual embrasinges , and , thereby thou hast deserued confusion , and euerlasting damnation . And yet for al this thy god , and most louing husband , biddeth the turne againe to him , and he wil staie his iust indignation . O refuse not , as a desperate mad woman , to heare his swete confortable , and gratious voice . Repente , and deteste thy vnkindnes , thy filthines , & beastlie abomination , Awaie with thy wafergoddes , with thy masking masses , with thy latine mumbling , with thy lost liplabor .

Awaie with thy lies , and false sacrificing for the quicke & the ded , the greatest abomination before god that euer was deuised . Awaie with thy coniured water , and charmed bread . Awaie with thy proud pompous pope , and al his pestiferous poperie .

Awaie with thy stincking lecherie , bocherlie crueltie , greedie catching , wretched sparing . Awaie with thy pride hatred , enuie , and malice , that masse of a mischiefe , that hangeth on thy flesh , & turne at the last to thy most gratious husband whose fauor is as the due in the morning to drie withered herbes , whose displeasure is most doleful death . Dimnes , & darcknes desperation , and anguish , al horrible miseries , and calamities , death and destruction draw fast on , which al thou maiest yet auoide , if thou wilt turne at the louing calling of thy most merciful lorde . Calece was called , and wold not heare , and therefore is beaten low , and sore pressed with goddes plage , and shalt thou escape , if thou despice the like calling , in so great apparance of destruction . For there was no such likelihode of miserie hanging ouer Calece , whan she was called , as there is now a ful sight of vttre ruine hasting towardes the. Thou art now warned by me , and wast longe sithens warned by the notable prophete of god master Latimer , and thou art most liuely warned by the terrible oppression of Calece . The cuppe than must nedes be double mixte , that thou shalt drincke vp dregges and al , and in comparison of thy miserie the beating of Calece shal seme a benifite .