MY duetie remembred to your Lordship . I receyued your Lordships aunswere : why your Lordships performed not your promise sent vnto me , by Maister D. Caesar : for that the Archbishop saide : that I had written a booke slaunderous and erroneous . I must needes confesse , that your exception is sage : whyle the Archbishop is not forced to alter his wordes . And I might be holden dull , if demaunding recompence of twentie yeares trauels , with the principall approbation of the best , & the best learned in the Realme , I would take my Lordes Graces speaches for a gracious recompence , and full rewarde : or thinke such dealings honorable : or my Lord to be such a scholler , that one of my leasure in studie , should yeeld vnto . Wherefore I must craue leaue to call his Grace into iudgement . And your Honours shal be my iudges : I will seeke no better . Thus I pleade : His Grace denyed to my agent , that he saide , I had written erroneous : but said , that he sayde , I had written to the Queene vntruely . So , if his Grace doeth not stande to his wordes , his testimonie cannot in anie honour be my hinderance . Iudge , I pray your Lordship , whether I say true : or not . Nowe it remayneth , I aunswere for my writing to the Queene of his Graces determination , whether I can defende my selfe or not . First , this I hope will appeare by writing : that I sent vnto his Lordship ( by Maister Mulcaster ) a full declaration of the controuersie betwixt D. R. and my self : that determining vpon so much , the strife he should end . I layd downe the controversies in three sequeles . The first was : Whether Iudah was vnder Persia but an hundred and thirtie yeares , or two hundred yeares . Now therein seeing D. R. and I agreed that after Zerobabel built the temple : the time to Alexander was not an hundred yeares : so the time betwixt Babels fall and the Temple building , was to be tried : whether it were two and thirtie yeares , or 107. yeares , by both falling to newe particulars : That , I cleare by nyne and fortie thousand argumentes at once . For , 49000. thousand returned , Esr. 2. and in Esra 6. the returned buylt vp the Temple . D. R. must proue howe manie died : and if the greater halfe wholly had died , or almost all , yet two , only Zorobabel and Iosuah had bene enough for me : both named returners & aliue all the while . Thus much his Grace ( I trowe ) could not chuse but see . And all Oxford will graunt that thus much ouerturneth my aduersarie . So reason would warrant me to write of his Grace , that whiche he could not omit without eternal shame . I hope her Maiesty will not be angry with me , for speaking the best of her Archb. that which common entendement would require anie man to holde true . By this your temporall Honours will see , that his spirituall Grace disgraceth not me : but his owne grace , the Queenes Maiesty , & the maiesty of Gods grace : not acknowledging his goodnes : which in 49000. Iewes liues , in fewe wordes burnes all Heathen Libraries . Although his Grace hauing receyued 50000. poundes of the Church , at the least , knew not of him selfe , howe the onely life of Zorobabel , or the only of Iosuah , of Nehemiah , of Ezra , of Mardochai , of Aggai , of Zachari , ouerthrewe all Heathen study-glory : yet when he sawe that D. R. marked the sequell schollerlike : & was driuen to invent newe opinions against all the world and reason : I hope his Grace will not pleade that he sawe not which way the determination must passe : or seeing contemned his duetie . And if he doe , I trust her Maiestie will tell him what it is to holde the place of an Archb. vnable to perform that which is easie : that a Bachler of art would confidently iudge . And thus I hope your Lordships will not thinke it reason that I should lose all that recompence , which for twentie yeares paynes by the Queenes honour of Gouernement should befal me : for commending one of your owne ordre , and neare the Church : that he was not farre from God herein : but sharp-eyed , true , learned , and honorable . Truely , Syr , I thought it no great paynes to affoord a man of high place good wordes , with all aduantage of warrant : for honoring such as her Maiestie preferred , tendering the quietnes of the Church . Although in my conscience I knewe that his Grace had but small skill in difficulties about the Bible : as hee sheweth in complayning that he was commended . To countenance our common weale , I spoke that which his bodily eyes sawe : though not the eyes of this minde : and had three reporters from him , to speake that commendation , which of humanitie I would affoord him . My aduersarie D. R. affoordeth me as good wordes as anie can bestowe on anie scholler . And if I did not confesse that he was the first , that hazarded his fame to trye : whether the millions of christians , that folowed Iewes on the captiuitie bookes all sauing Daniel : and on him followed Heathen vnreconciliable : must burne all their agreement , either with the Iewes , or all their innumerable writings after the Heathen , if I giue not him this high commendation , I should doe him iniurie . All must confesse that hee shewed learning that carried an whole Vniuersitie sixe yeares after him : & an Archb. to deny his owne decree : and to be guiltie of denying all ancient grauntes : and common reason , for the space of the Temples building , a most famous diuinitie storie : & such as , of which a Church man could not with any honour be ignorant . The Pericles that so could lighten , thunder , & mingle Graecia , as D. R. did , must needes be holden pericles and full of glorie . As I must affoorde him all good speach : so I would haue affoorded vnto his Grace : but that he doeth plague me for commending his learning , care of trueth , and regard of his honour .

The second sequel , which followed vpon the first : or , as the vser will , the first vpon it , was for Daniels Chronicle of foure hundred and ninetie yeres . Thus it fasteneth vnto the other :

If it be but foure hundred and ninetie yeares from Daniels prayer vnto our Lordes death ,

Iudah was but an hundred and thirtie yeares vnder Persia : for we both agree vpon three hundred & sixtie yeares following , vnto the eighteenth yere of Tiberius .

But , Onely foure hundred & ninetie yeres are from Daniels prayer at the Euening offring vnto our Lords death : Therefore

Iuda was vnder Persia but hundred & thirtie yeares .

My aduersarie denied the assumption : for which I will tell a storie howe he was brought to graunt it . A modest learned man of Oxford came to me , with one Edward Phynees , a seruant of my honorable Patrone , whose reast is in Paradise , Henry the late Earle of Huntingdon : whom my pen must honour , for that he was so deepe for iudgement in the chiefe heads of all the Bible , so syncere for affection in the hart of Religion , that he is not like euer to be soone ouermatched by any . But for my syllogisme . A good scholer of Oxford came to be resolued in our controuersie : telling that he marked howe I vsed mine aduersarie reuerentlie , and was no worse vsed by him . But sayde to the matter : Our D. hath turned all against you : all of all degrees . Then sayde I , Your selfe shall turne to me against them presently : if you will speake your conscience . God forbid ( quoth he ) that I should striue against the light . Then I : Marke the narration whence my demaunde shall arise . Daniel prayeth at three a clocke : or Euening offering the nineth houre by Iewes , Act. 4. when Gabriel fleeth to him : and promiseth to teach him wisedome : and sayth : Seauentie seauens of yeares are pared out to bring in Eternall redemption . Herevpon followeth my demaunde : Speake before God and his Angels , whence must the beginning be taken : Doubtles , sayeth he , from Daniels prayer : And where endeth it ? Doubtles at our Lordes death . Then saide I : Commende me to your D. and tell him from me , that when he hath weyghed all , he will iudge that hee may as well denie all Religion , as make any other limites . Vpon his speach the learned man sayth in his lecture booke : That by all argumentes of Scripture , the time should begin from the first of Darius or Cyrus , as I taught : and Septuaginta septimanis completis excisus est Christus . So your Lordship seeth that he graunteth my assumption : and the whole controuersie . My Lords Grace hath seene his wordes in print : and may not pleade ignorance . Nowe the D. consydering what an infinite companie of bookes he should condemne , all the West for two thousand yeares recordes : and not seeing the millions of Iewes , and all Heathen in particulars to be with me , & all the Bibles frame : sought a kinde of cure , and sayde : Restat confirmandum per septuaginta septimanas non posse intelligi annos quadringentos nonaginta : sed alium aliquem numerum incertum per certum . Vpon this commeth a third sequell , which I was to fall into by the prouocation of D. R. his deniall . A chayning of yeares is from Adam to Cyrus : which sheweth that thence it must be propre : as no wise goldsmith beginneth a chaine but to make it vp : and breaking off in any one place , disannulleth the vse of all . Then saide he : The time is not chayned thither , from Adams fall to Babels . Vpon that I wrote a booke , prouing this proposition : He that denieth the Scripture to haue a certen recorde of times from the creation to the redemption , may as well denie that the sunne hath brightnes . And that booke I sent vnto his Grace , which he sawe , and sent me great thankes : with a promise that what so euer his worde could further me , I should haue it . Nowe your Lordship knoweth that duetie required him to determine , whether I was deceyued or not : and to haue taught me better , if I had bene deceyued . And his Grace knoweth that I stande resolute to defende this : that if he saye it is erroneous , in an Epistle to the Queene , he sawe alreadie a sharpe replie . In which Epistle I write these wordes : If it please your Maiestie to cause both your Archbishops and both Vniuersities to determine : I dare assure your Highnes , that , while the sunne shineth they will not denie ( seeing what profe is brought ) that God hath recorded the time certeinlie from the creation to the redemption . Here had bene a place for his Grace to haue foyled me , for euer : if by learning hee could shewe that I was deceyued . But he sawe that D.R. whom Oxford men thinke to be not his Graces inferiour , ( further comparison I will relinquish ) would full quicklie haue tryed , if learning could ouermatch the position set down . Thus by the matter your Lordship seeth what his Grace must buckle with . And whether he forgate his determination , or three commenders of his learned censure , & honorable speaches towards me , mistoke him : that little forceth , for the Queene to knowe : neyther is it trauersable , or matteriall for our state . This must be holden the substance of the matter : whether if his Grace deny that God hath recorded in scripture the worldes age from the creation to the redemption . I may iustly accuse him , for concluding against Christ his Religion . For euery mans hart can tell , it is good that the recorde were in scripture . And seeing nothing is omitted in the perfect booke which is good to be there : his Grace should think that there it was : though he can not tell where . And although it is made easie nowe to see , and soone learned : yet to cleare euery parcell , it was not an easie matter . And I knowe a King , to whom if I had dedicated such a trauel , I should haue had thankes : and so I should haue had of the Queene : but that the L. Chauncelour and his Grace both disgraced the worke whiche neither vnderstoode . Your Lordship promised me that you would cause his Grace to determine the controuersie , betwixt D. R. and my selfe . But I was sure that you would be deceyued . Likewise my Lord Keeper hauing seene the marrowe of all that which concerneth the bones of this strife , brought into an easie view and tast , promised that he also would cause his Grace to determine . And I knew that he should be no lesse deceyued . The matter was brought past all colour of strife : and confirmed for euery ioint by ancient vnbeleeuing Iewes testimonie , which vnvincible trueth forced to affoord . And nowe if it please your Lordships both to vrge his Grace to laye downe in writing the contradictorie to anie position of mine : then , if I make it not as easie for him to reackon all the tyles in Lambeth , euery one , as the erroures which will followe his Graces assertion : your Lordshippes may affirme , that I haue not dew regard of trueth : and , but small grace in study to marke sequelles and appendances in absurdities . This kinde of speach his G. must warrant : by a narration whiche may here be fitt . M. Mulcaster , who caryed the declaration of D.R. his cause and mine , with a full anatomy of the matter : returned to the right worshipful M. Peter Osborne this message : how his G. had determined : with what honorable speaches : how he said : that he knew my studies earnest , then twentie yeares , in a path vntroden since the Apostles time : to cleare the narrations of scripture : by time , place , & person : wherin he that crossed me once , would be caught in a thousand absurdities . They liue yet in the familie who heard him speake and doe all this well remember . Thus I thought good to defende his Graces censure euen against him selfe : as in my Epistle to the Queene I wrote as fearing no replier : That I refused not to abide al disgrace , if my paynes were not found true for the story , and profitable for the quietnes of the Realme . And thus your Honour may see , that I haue not written of his G. slaunderous , nor of the trueth erroneous . Neither did I commend him to countenance my cause , by his authoritie in learning : but to countenaunce her Maiesties high preferred scholler : and to shew that I envied not his lot , though he hath receyued fiftie thousande pounde more then one , whom fiftie thousand thinke to haue honored the originall trueth more then he with bare latin studies could doe possiblie .