I pray you, into the yard. So I went with him; and when he came down, al the yard was ful of people. What meaneth this people? said I to the keeper. Al these are come, said he, to se you suffer death. There be some here that are come as far as Hengston; but I trust their coming shal be in vain: be you of good cheer. Then go your way, said I, and gently desire them for to depart, and tel them, it is no reason any man should suffer death before that he be condemned; and so you shall easily avoyd them, and I wil go up again til you have done.

"When they were al gon, the keeper called me down to dine with him at his own table. And dinner being ended, we fell in talk again; and so, from time to time, had many conferences together; and I began to grow in great credit with him; insomuch, that whensoever he rid forth about any business, he committed al the charge of the whole house unto me, prisoners and al; and laboured unto the high sheriff for me, that I might be delivered. Notwithstanding, I remained there prisoner half a year in much misery, having sometime meat, and sometime none: yea, and many times glad, when I might get a peny loaf and my glas ful of fair water up to my lodging, being fast locked up every night. And at midnight alway, when they searched the prisoners' rooms, then one should come and knock at my door, and ask me, if I were within. To whom I answered always, Here I am, Mr. keeper. Good night then, said he and so they would go their ways.

"Now on a certain day, being mery, he brought home with him to se me divers honest men of the town; among whom there was one that I never saw before, nor he me, called Mr. Segar, a beerbrewer, dwelling at Magdalen-bridg; whose heart God had opened above the rest to shew mercy unto me: for he knew that the keeper would do much at his request. So that, or ever he went away, he promised him payment for my diet, desiring him to shew me favour for his sake, and I wil be bound for him he shal be true prisoner. Al this pleased Charlys the keeper wel: and it was no grief at al to me, to hear this bargain made between them: for otherwise, said I, it was not unlike, but that I should have perished here for lack of comfort. And here is not to be forgotten of my part, the mighty and fatherly providence of God, who never faileth any man that truly puts his trust in him. Who can kil him, Mr. Charlys, whom God wil keep alive? may I say now: and who can deliver him whom God wil destroy? His great

power delivered me once out of the lions' den, as he did his holy prophet Daniel: so I trust that he wil deliver me here out of al my troubles, if he so se it good; if not, his wil be don. And thus we parted for that time; my keeper being glad of these good assurances; I taking patiently mine indurance and my surety, hoping for my deliverance.

After this, within short time, the high sheriff sent for me home to his house beyond Huntington, to se whether I would relent or no; telling me, that he had written up to the council for me, and that it was their pleasure that I should be delivered, if that I would be a conformable man to the queen's proceedings, and forsake heresy, or els to remain in prison until the next sessions of gaol delivery. For your good-will do I thank your mastership most heartily; and wel contented I am so to remain as a prisoner, rather than to give over my faith for this vain life, which is but short. Wel, said he, I perceive that you are no changeling: you shal therfore return to the place from whence you came, and there abide your trial. So we took our leave of him, and came our ways back again to Huntington; and there we lay al that night, I having upon one of mine armes a great braslet of iron, of four fingers broad, fast locked on, and a fine chain of three yards long joyned thereunto. And being bid to supper of one Thomas Whype, merchant of London, with others, my keeper was desired to ease me for the time, and they would be bound for me, and he to be wel recompenced for so doing. This desire of my friends was scarce wel liked of my keeper, because they were Londoners; and graunt it he would not in no wise. So when supper was don, to our chamber we went; and anon comes in a smith, with a hammer and a great staple. Make you ready, said the keeper, I pray you, and go to bed. So I layd me down upon my bed. Then he called the smith unto him, and said, Make fast the staple and the chain together, and drive them fast in to some part of the bedsted: for I have heard, saide, Fast bind, fast find. Then he looked behind al the painted cloths, to se if there were any mo doors into the chamber than one. That don, he locked the door, and cast the key out of the window to the good man of the house, desiring him to keep it safe til the morning. Smal rest I took that night: I was so sore wrung about my wrist, that the blood was ready to spin out at my fingers ends. So, early in the morning we rise, and took our horse, and came to

Cambridge castel to dinner: and then my braslet was taken off mine arme.

"In August following was the sessions. Unto the which came my lord chief justice of England; one that before was recorder of London, and called Mr. Brook. With him there sat sir Thomas Dier, sir Clement Higham, sir Oliver Leader, high sheriff, Mr. Griffin, the queen's solicitor, Mr. Burgain, and a number of gentlemen mo. Now when they were come to the sessions hal, and there set, the keeper was commaunded to bring in his prisoners. I being first called for by name, then on went my braslet again; and there a priest, called Thomas Willyard, vicar of Babram, was fast locked unto me. We twain went foremost, and stood at the bar. Then said my lord chief justice unto me, sir, what make you here? Are you not a Londoner? Yes, and it like your lordship. How long have you been prisoner? Half a year, my lord. Who sent you hither? Forsooth, my lord, that did the council. Then said the high sheriff, My lord, this is the man that I told your lordship of. I beseech you be good lord unto him, for he hath been as quiet a prisoner as ever came within this jayl, and hath used himself as honestly towards his keeper. You speak wel for him, said my lord. Stand aside a while, till you be called. In the mean time Mr. Griffin had a cast at me, saying thus, Thou art both a traitor and an heretic. No, and it like your worship, I am neither of both. Is not thy name Mountain? Yes, forsooth, I will never deny it. And art not thou he that my lord chancellor sent hither with a writ? I am the same man. Wel, said he, if thou be not hanged I have marvel: thou wilt scape narrowly, I believe. Sir, I perceive that thou are my heavy friend: I beseech you be good master unto me: I have layn this three [quarters of a] year in prison, in irons. Never was there any man that laid any thing to my charge. Then he called for the writ: to whom the high sheriff said, that he had forgotten to bring it with him. O! wel, said sir Oliver, you are a good man, I warrant you. This man was not brought hither for building of churches, I dare say, nor yet for saying of our lady-psalter. Indeed, sir, these be things that I cannot wel like of.

"Then my lord chief justice called me to the bar again, and caused proclamation to be made, that whosoever could lay ought to my charge, to come in, and he should be heard, or els the prisoner to stand at his deliverance. This was don thrice, and

Then said my

no man came in to give evidence against me. lord chief justice unto the whole bench, I se no cause why but that this man may be delivered upon sureties, to be bound to appear at the next sessions, here holden, of gaol delivery: for you se that there is no man cometh in to lay any thing to his charge. We cannot but by the law deliver him, proclamation being once made, and no man coming in against him. What say you, Mr. Mountain, can you put in sureties here before the queen's justices to appear before us here at the next sessions? And if that you can so do, pay the charges of the house, and God be with you. If not, then must you needs remain still, until the next sessions. What say you? have you any sureties ready? No, and it like your lordship, I have none ready: but if it please you to be so good lord unto me as to give me leave, I trust in God to find sureties. Wel, said my lord, go your ways; make as good speed as you can, for we must away. Then he commanded the keeper to strike off my irons. That don, I was turned out of the gate to seek my venture, without any keeper at al, go where I would. And when I came abroad, I was so sore amazed, that I knew not where to become. At last I took the way into the town, and there I met a man unknown to me, who was not a little joyful when he saw me at liberty, saying unto me, Are you clean discharged from your bonds? No, said I, I lack two sureties. Truly, said he, I will be one, God willing: and I wil se if that I can get another to be bound with me. So we met with another honest man, called Mr. Blunt.

"And having these twain, I gave thanks to God for them, and with speed returned back again to the castel. And as I went, there met me two Essex men, which came to seek me themselves, to enter into bonds for me. I gave them most hearty thanks for their gentle offer, and told them that God had raised up a couple for me already. We are glad of it, said they; yet we will go with you, lest you do lack. And as I entred into the castel-yard, the judges were arising; and they seing me coming, sat down again. Then said my lord chief justice, Have you brought in your sureties? Yea, and it like your lordship: here they be. Let me se them, said he. Then they al four stood forth, and shewed themselves unto my lord. He said unto them, Are you contented to enter into bonds for this man? Yea, my lord, said they, if it please you to take us. Wel, said he, two of you shal serve. There were standing by two brethren, and they hearing my lord

say that two would serve, went with speed to him that writ the bond, and caused him to put in their names in iiil. iiiid. for each of them saying thus the one to the other, Let us not only bayl him out of bonds, but also relieve him with such part as God hath lent us. And so they did; I praise God for it.

"And when the people saw and understood that I was clearly discharged out of bonds, there was a great shout made among them; such joy and gladnes was in their hearts, as might right wel appear, for my deliverance. Then came Mr. Segar, of whom I have spoken a little before, and he payd al maner of charge that could be desired of the keeper for the time of my being there: and that don, had me home to his own house, 'wheras I had good entertainment. And after that I had remained there a fortnight, I took my leave, and so came to London."

Having thus far told the stories of this good man's sufferings, and brought him unto his delivery out of them, and shewn the kindness of the common people towards him, who generally loved the reformation, and the preachers of it, I cannot leave him till we have heard what further befell him, and have shewn the unsatiable malice of bishop Gardiner against him; relating, withal, his great dangers, and his escape beyond sea, and what course he took there for a livelihood. And all this I shall pursue out of his own commentaries, as I have done before.

Mountain, being newly arrived in the city, had the satisfaction of seeing king Philip and queen Mary, the cardinal, and the chancellor, ride in great state through the streets, placing himself at Soper-lane end in Cheapside: where some of the said bishop's servants espied him; which created him new troubles, as we shall see by and by.

"When al this sight was past," (for we now use his own words,) "I went my ways: for as yet I durst not go home to mine own house. And at night, when the bishop came home, one of his spials told him that he saw me stand in Cheapside, when the queen rid through the city. Here he fel into such a great rage, as was told me by one of his own men, as was unseeming for a bishop; and with great speed sent for the knight marshal. And when he came, he said unto him, Mr. Holcroft, how have you handled your self in your office? Did not I send unto you one Mountain, that was both a traitor and an heretic, to this end,