After the execution doone of sir Thomas Wiat, which was the eleuenth daie of Aprill, word was brought immediatlie to the lord maior sir Thomas White a little before dinner, how maister Wiat had cleared the ladie Elizabeth and lord Courtneie,The lord ma|iors iudgme [...] of D. West [...] and the words also which doctor Weston spake vnto the people. Wherevnto the lord maior answering; Is this true quoth he? Said Weston so? In sooth I ne|uer tooke him otherwise but for a knaue. Upon this the lord maior sitting downe to dinner (who dined the same daie at the Bridgehouse) commeth in sir Martine Bowes with the recorder, newlie come from the parlement house, who hearing of the maior and shiriffes this report of Wiats confession, both vpon the scaffold and also in the tower, maruelled thereat, declaring how there was another tale con|trarie to this, told the same daie in the parlement house, which was, that sir Thomas Wiat should de|sire the lord Courtneie to confesse the truth, so as he had doone before.

Upon this it followed not long after, that a cer|teine prentise dwelling in saint Laurence lane, na|med Cut, as he was drinking with one Denham a plaisterer being one of quéene Maries seruants, a|mongst other talke, made mention how sir Thomas EEBO page image 1102 Wiat had cleared the ladie Elizabeth, and the lord Courtneie, to be no consenters to his rising. Which words being brought to Gardiner (by what means I know not) incontinent vpon the fame, sir Andrew Iud was se [...]t by the said bishop to the lord maior, [...] commanding him to bring the said prentise to the Starchamber, which was accused of these words, that he should saie that Wiat was constreined by the councell to accuse the ladie Elizabeth, & the lord Courtneie. Which fellow when he was come to the Starchamber, the aforesaid Gardiner letting passe other matters that were in hand, began to declare to the whole multitude, how miraculouslie almightie God had brought the quéens maiestie to the crowne, the whole realme in a maner being against hir, and that he had brought this to passe for this singular in|tent & purpose,S [...]phã [...] tale in [...] Star|chamber a|gainst the la|die Elizabeth. that this realme being ouerwhelmed with heresies, she might reduce the same againe to the true catholike faith. And where she tooke the ladie Elizabeth into hir fauour, and loued hir so tenderlie, and also the lord Courtneie, who of long time had béene deteined in prison, and by hir was set at liber|tie, and receiued great benefits at hir hands; and not|withstanding all this, they had conspired most vn|naturallie and traitorouslie against hir with that heinous traitor Wiat, as by the confession of Wiat (said he) and the letters sent to and fro maie plainlie appeare: yet there was some in the citie of London, which reported that Wiat was constreined by the councell to accuse the ladie Elizabeth, and the lord Courtneie, & yet you my lord maior (quoth he) haue not seene the same punished.

The partie is here, said the lord maior. Take him with you (said Gardiner) and punish him according to his desert, and said further: My lord, take héed to your charge, the citie of London is a whirlepoole and a sinke of all euill rumors, there they be bred, and from thence spred into all parts of this realme. There stood by the same time the lord Shandois, who being then lieutenant of the tower,The Lord [...]handois [...] report in the Star|chamber, a|gainst the la|die Elizabeth and lord Courtneie. and now hea|ring the bishop thus speake, to sooth his tale, came in with these words as followeth: My lords (quoth he) this is a truth that I shall tell you, I being lieu|tenant of the tower when Wiat suffered, he desired me to bring him to the lord Courtneie; which when I had doone, he fell downe vpon his knees before him in my presence, and desired him to confesse the truth of himselfe, as he had doone before, and to submit him selfe vnto the quéenes mercie. And thus much of this matter I thought to declare, to the intent that the reader perceiuing the procéedings of the bishop in the premisses, & comparing the same with the true testimonie of Wiat himselfe, and with the testimo|nie of the shiriffes, the which were present the same time when sir Thomas Wiat asked the lord Court|neie forgiuenesse, maie the better iudge of the whole case and matter for the which the ladie Elizabeth and the lord Courtneie were so long in trouble.]