1

Clement Throgmorton, Elizabeth's ambassador, who was executed on a charge of high treason, was cousin to Job Throkmorton. The latter entered Parliament when a young man of twenty-six, as member for East Retford; later he represented the town of Warwick. Known to be an advanced ecclesiastical reformer, he had gained for himself, in the advocacy of his views, a reputation for satirical wit. It was in his house that the Marprelate 'council of war' met-not, we may be sure, 'to take order for the distracting [distribution] of HAY ANY WORKE.' 2 That had been amply provided for by Humfrey Newman and his confederates in London. The question pressing for solution was how to get printed the next, and in design and extent the most important, of the Marprelate writings, the title of which we early learn is to be MORE WORK FOR THE COOPER. They had hoped Waldegrave would have printed it.

(16) JOHN HODGKINS, THE SECOND MARPRELATE PRINTER. -The squire of Haseley Manor, on Waldegrave's final refusal to meddle or be a dealer in this course,' commissioned Newman to seek a printer willing to undertake the dangerous work. In due course Newman discovered just the man required in John Hodgkins. This man's name does not appear in the registers of those regularly apprenticed and granted afterwards the freedom of the Stationers' Company. Curiously enough he is referred to as a 'saltpeterman.' We have evidence, however, that he was a competent printer, and the probability is that he gained his knowledge of the craft on the Continent. Hodgkins after some delay engaged two young assistants, Valentyne Simms and Arthur Thomlyn, both regularly licensed printers. Το Simms he agreed to pay 'xxl a yeare and meat and drink,' and to Tomlyn, apparently an inferior workman, ' viijl and meat and drink.' They were to go with Hodgkins 1 The distinction in the spelling of their surname is observed by the two families. 2 Matt Sutcliffe, Answer to Job Throkmorton, 70 vers.

3 Simms signs his name to his deposition, but Thomlyn can only make a mark; though Thomlyn may have been still suffering from the rack, when his deposition was taken. It is quite likely that Simms may have needed fewer turns of the rack to compel him to confess. That is the impression left upon our minds by his subsequent activities.

to the country to print 'accidents.'1 and took a solemn corporal oath' not to divulge any of the secrets concerning the work they were about to undertake. The printers met in London, about Thursday, July 10th, and having settled the terms of employment, they set out on foot for Warwickshire the same evening. Early on the Sunday following they reached the village of Adderbury, three miles south of Banbury, where Richard Simms, the father of Valentyne, lived. Leaving instructions to Simms to meet him next day at Warwick, and to Thomlyn to proceed to Coventry in the morning, the hardy Hodgkins set off on Sunday evening for Haseley, a walk of twenty-six miles. They travelled by night by choice, to avoid being seen.

(17) MARTIN JUNIOR' AND 'MARTIN SENIOR.'-AS Newman had advised him on leaving London, at Haseley Manor Hodgkins found Penry staying with Throkmorton. To him he delivered Newman's letter. He now learnt that the press had been removed from Coventry, and was at Wolston Priory, the residence of Roger Wigston. It will be remembered that the printed sheets of Penry's Supplication were brought, in the first place, by Newman from Coventry to the Priory. Hodgkins was further told by Penry that a booke [MS. copy] should come to his hands ready for the printe.' 2 Leaving Haseley with Penry after dinner on Monday, furnished with a letter from Throkmorton to Mistress Wigston, 'about one bird bowe shot from the said Master Throkmortons House,' sure enough Hodgkins found a roll of paper lying in the way. It proved to be

1 Thus, in the evidence of Simms and Thomlyn before the Lord Chancellor, Henry Sharpe says that Hodgkins invited him to help with the printing the new books on a press which he had sent into the North.' If I want worke [to be done] will you help me away with a stamp of Accidents?' Sharpe replied, When I see them I will tell you more.' When apprehended at Manchester, An Almond for a Parrat says that the printers pretended the printing of Accidences,' as though they were engaged in printing small grammatical primers. The probability is that accidents is a disused technical word. They were engaged like a 'jobbing printer' to print anything which might turn up.-Since writing this note we learn, through the kindness of Mr. J. D. Wilson, that the Swedes still retain the name 'accidenstryck' [tryck: a stamp] for a jobbing press.

2 Harl. MSS. 7042, 5; Arber's Sketch, 126.

not the promised MORE WORK FOR THE COOPER, which was not ready, but the first part of the copy of the THESES MARTINIANAE, generally referred to in contemporary documents as MARTIN JUNIOR. So the way was clear to set about printing. Proceeding on their way they soon reached Warwick, where Hodgkins found Simms awaiting him.1 By a cross-country road the two printers had now before them a journey of eleven or twelve miles, over Dunsmore Heath to the out-of-the-way village of Wolston, east of Coventry, a matter of six miles. Mrs. Wigston had prevailed upon her husband to allow Hodgkins to 'doe a peece of work in his Howse, which himself saw not.' The press had been many weeks lying at the Priory, in a low parlour,' Hales of Coventry having been nervously anxious to get it away from his premises. On their arrival at the house, in the absence of Mrs. Wigston, to whom their letter of introduction from Job Throkmorton was directed, Hodgkins and Simms found one Mrs. Moore was ready to receive them with a warm welcome, which they interpreted to mean that their arrival was not unexpected. To divert suspicion, they were installed in the house as embroiderers.

Having brought Thomlyn from Coventry, Hodgkins and his men on Tuesday, finding in the 'low parlour' paper, ink, and everything they needed, got to work at once. The same night they learnt that Mrs. Wigston had returned, and the next morning the lady came to give them a hearty welcome to her house. Subsequently, divers times during their stay, she kindly asked them to excuse 'theyr badd intirtaynment'; the secret nature of their proceedings subjected them, no doubt, to some inconvenience. On Thursday a Master Harrison, known also by the alias Bridges, who later proved to be Penry, arrived and welcomed them; and on Friday another gentleman appears on the scene whom Simms and Thomlyn since understand to be Job Throkmorton.' He also badd God speed them,' and at once examined their work. He found fault in some place wth the orthography,' and, referring to

1 Harl. MSS. 7042, 4; Arber, 134.

some interlineations in the copy, asked Simms 'yf he could read the sayd place.' Simms was doubtful in two places, and 'Master Throkmorton did p'sently read them distinctly and readily unto them.' Simms also overheard him asking Hodgkins, softly in his ear,' if his two assistants were good workmen and able to serve the turn,' and Hodgkins replying 'yea.' Moreover, learning from Hodgkins that 'Harrison' was the gentleman who had guaranteed them their wages, the assistants seized the opportunity on one of his visits of interviewing him on the subject. They received the necessary assurance on condition that they would be faithfull unto Hodgkins.' On the same occasion Simms 'agayne renewed his oath for his secrecy.'

With the arrival of Throkmorton the printers obtained possession of the remainder of the copy of MARTIN JUNIOR, which they finished printing on the Monday in the following week. The Epilogue to the tract is dated the next day -July 22nd. Newman, who arrived on the scene in anticipation of it being ready, respectfully presented the first copy to the lady of the house. Simms and Thomlyn had been told by Hodgkin, the Friday before, that the larger tract not yet being ready, to keep them employed they would be given the copy of THE JUST CENSURE AND REPROOFE, otherwise MARTIN SENIOR; which they now received and began forthwith to set up. They noted that it was in the same handwriting. Meanwhile Henry Sharpe, having found it prudent to leave Northampton and to stay with his father-in-law at Wolston, was induced to help. He was quartered at the Priory in a bedroom, and there folded and stitched the edition. Newman then trudged off to London with at the least 700 or 800 copies,' says Sharpe, who was always counting enviously the profit which others were getting from this contraband traffic.

On Tuesday in the next week-July 29th-the printers finished MARTIN SENIOR, the sheets of which were also made up by Sharpe. In this case the copies were packed into a bundle purporting to be leather, to be despatched by the Warwick carrier to Banbury and thence to London.

Lawrence Wood, 'a Taylor dwelling in the end of Fish Street,' stated in examination that Newman told him that 'a Packe of Leather,' which he knew to be a Packe of Books,' was lying at the Sarazins Head in Friday Street' -a narrow thoroughfare running south from Cheapside across Cannon Street. Newman gave him five shillings for its carriage, and sixpence to pay a porter to carry it to the Tilted Yard, near Whitehall.1

(18) THE CATASTROPHE AT MANCHESTER.-For prudent reasons Hodgkins, who had been led to find in an empty room at the Priory the desired copy of MORE WORK FOR THE COOPER—it was only the first part, and about a third of the complete volume of this substantial pamphlet, as we learn later-determined not to remain any longer at Wolston, although pressed by Mrs. Wigston to stay to print the new tract. He had some reasons to fear that they would be taken if they tarried longer. Therefore, as soon as the last sheet left the press, he ordered his men to take it down and to pack up the type in boxes, he in the meantime obtaining a cart and a teamster. Under a load of hay or straw they stowed away press, 'three payre of cases wth lettres of three sorts,' the remainder of the ink, and about 'twelve ream of pap(er).' That same night they were on their way to 'Warrington in Lancashire.' parting, the good-hearted Mrs. Wigston gave the men each half-a-crown; and her husband, though reported to have been very angry when he discovered what was being done under his roof, so far relented that he gave them two shillings.

On

The three men reached Warrington on the following Friday, having travelled on foot. The cart with the printing apparatus appeared three days later, on the Monday. But here a fatal accident befell them. As they were unloading the 'stuff,' some of the type fell out of the boxes and strewed the ground. The curious crowd that gathered to see what was going on, 'marvayling what they

1 Harl. MSS. 7042, 23 (ii.), 10 [Arber's Sketch, 103, 131. The latter reference gives the true account. Sharpe's hearsay is commonly incorrect].