CHAPTER IV.

CARDINAL WOLSEY'S MEASURES TO SILENCE

TYNDALE.

It is not strange that a voice like this should sorely have disturbed those, whose treachery and oppression was thus laid open, in plain English, for all classes of the laity to read and comment on. No wonder that Cardinal Wolsey and his Bishops thought it necessary to silence this terrible censor, who, from his obscure retreat in a foreign land, could stretch forth his hand, and shake the very pillars of the hierarchy. From this time, it became one of their leading objects, by force or fraud, to compass his apprehension and death,

In June, 1528, the Lord Cardinal instructed Sir John Hackett, still envoy at the Court of Brabant, to procure from the Princess Regent his arrest, on the charge of heresy, and that of two other men, viz., Roye, erroneously supposed to be still engaged with him in translating the Bible, and Harman, a wealthy and honorable English merchant residing in Antwerp, who was known to have

been zealously engaged in bringing the New Testament into England. But Hackett was obliged to reply, that the Privy Council, after debating the case with him, had decided that it was unlawful, even for the Emperor himself, to deliver up a heretic, except after examination first held where he was; and not then, except by advice of Inquisitors of the faith there present. They promised, however, to apprehend the obnoxious persons if they could be found together with their books; and if, on being confronted with learned men from England-who it was requested might be sent over for the purpose-their guilt should appear, they were to be delivered to Wolsey, or punished there, "according to their deeds.

After fourteen days' search, Harman and his wife" as greatly suspected of such like faction as her husband is"

were taken and committed to prison, and an inventory of their goods delivered to the Emperor. Still, Hackett saw so little prospect of success in this case, that he suggests to Wolsey to drop the charge of heresy, and demand Harman as a traitor to the King of England.

"I would," writes this honorable ambassador, " that your Grace had this Richard Harman there in England; for, as I hear, he is a Roethe of great mischief. And to get him out of these countries, I know no better means, at this time, than, if the King's Highness have any action of treason at him, that his Highness, or your Grace, write a good letter to my Lady, that she should send you the foresaid Harman, as traitor to the King-leaving the heresy beside, to the correction of these countries, if your Grace think so good; and in this manner we may have two strings to our bow: for I doubt greatly, after the statutes of these countries, that, revoking his heresies, for the first time he will

escape with a slender punishment; but for treason to the King, they cannot pardon him in these parts, after the Statutes of our Intercourse, dated the year 1505. I certify your Grace, that it were a good deed, and very convenient, to chastise these Lutherans that be accused of heresy, that they were as well comprehended in the 'Inter course' as traitors be; for as soon as they be past the seas, they know no more God, neither King."

Wolsey seized on this hint, and obtained a letter from the King, requesting that Harman should be given up as a traitor. But the Princess required, in turn, specifications of his crime; and finally, Hackett informs his Grace, that, "notwithstanding the King's patent letters, the Lady Margaret would not deliver up the heretics." Mr. Harman was released, after an imprisonment of more than seven months the term for which he could be detained having expired, without any proof having been brought by Hackett of the charges made against him. But the Envoy soon found that he had been meddling with a game, at which two could play. Having gone to Antwerp a few weeks after, on some business for the King, he found himself arrested at Harman's suit for all the costs and charges of his imprisonment; since "the law of Antwerp [a free, imperial city,] had aforetime declared him, by their sentence, absolute, free and frank, of all such actions as the Margrave, or the Scout of Antwerp, as officers of the Prince, by my information laid to his charge." Next day, he was obliged to answer for himself before the city Senate; and after a mortifying detention, was only permittted to depart, on condition that he should appear in person, or by his Procurator, whenever summoned, for the farther prosecution of the cause. On arriving at Brussels, he made his com

plaint to the Princess and her Council, who professed themselves much displeased with the treatment he had received; but except a severe rebuke to the Lords of Antwerp, and a requisition that their Amant (the officer who had caused his arrest) should ask his pardon, no amend was made for the affront, and Hackett did not again find it expedient to be much in Antwerp. The British merchant had read him a lesson, which he long had cause to remember.

All efforts to discover Tyndale and Roye had been thus far unsuccessful; but Wolsey was not disheartened. It had been ascertained, that the Testaments with which Harman had been concerned, "were sent to him out of Germany”—a vexatious proof that Warham's expensive purchase had not exhausted the supply. But it might also furnish a clue to the translators. He therefore took into his confidence two Friars of Greenwich-West and Flegg by name and dispatched them secretly to Cologne, with a letter to Counsellor Rincke (the same who lent his influence to Cochlæus in 1525) soliciting his aid for the apprehension of these two men, as well as in buying up "all books printed in the English language." They were authorized by the Cardinal to draw on Hackett, for whatever money was necessary to effect these objects.

The honorable Councillor was prompt to meet the wishes of his great friend at the Court of England. He informs him that he had himself been to Frankfort on the business, and, "by gifts and presents," had so conciliated the Frankfort Consuls, as well as some of the Senators and Judges, as to secure, through their aid, possession of "all the books from every quarter," which, but for his labors, would soon have been brought over to England and Scotland, "enclosed in packages, artfully covered over with and concealed in flax.

I have," he adds, "lately brought the printer himself, John Schott [of Strasburg], before the Consuls, Judges, and Senators of Frankfort. I put him upon oath, that he should confess whatever books he had printed in the English language, the German, French, or any other idiom. Then, upon his said oath, he confessed that he had as yet printed only one thousand books (sex quaternionum) and one thousand (novem quaternionum) and this by the order of Roye and Hutchyn [Tyndale], who, wanting money, were not able to pay for the books printed.

Wherefore, I have purchased them almost all, and now have them in my house at Cologne." He then desires instructions how he shall dispose of them; and closes with the suggestion: "As to myself and mine, by the favor of God, possibly there may be an opportunity for his Royal Highness and your Grace to recompense us. May your Grace, therefore, prosper many happy years!"

Of Tyndale, Roye, or their accomplices, he could as yet find no trace; but he promises, with his " utmost diligence" to ferret out their haunts, and get them into custody.. For further consultation with his Grace on this important mission, he sent back West, together with his own son and a confidential servant, "who," he says, "will conceal and keep quiet the whole matter, whatsoever your Grace may commit to them-whom I specially send over into the presence of the King and your Grace, for the more convenient dispatch of this very business, that I may explain and execute the matter in a way, which may be acceptable to the King's grace and yours."

He seems, however, to have spent his labor, and the money of his employers, to but little profit. The two thousand books referred to in his letter, as purchased from