This man thus borne at Cirencester in Gloce|stershire, and made bishop of Durham,The bishop was one of K. Henrie the rights priuie councell. was after the death of king Henrie the seauenth, one of the pri|uie councell to king Henrie the eight, in whose court he was so continuallie attendant, that he could not steale anie time to attend the affaires of his bishop|rike. But yet not altogither carelesse (though not so much as he ought to haue béene) of the place and cause from whence and for which he receiued so great reuenues, as came vnto his hands from that see. He repaired the third part of Tine bridge next vnto the south, which he might well doo; for he was accompted the richest subiect through the realme.The king cõ|mandeth hi [...] to write a booke of the whole estate of y^e kingdo [...]. To whome (re|maining then at the court) the king gaue in charge to write a booke of the whole estate of the kingdome, bicause he was knowne to the king to be a man of sufficiencie for the discharge thereof, which he did ac|cordinglie.

Afterwards, the king commanded cardinall Woolseie to go to this bishop, and to bring the booke awaie with him to deliuer to his maiestie. But see the mishap! that a man in all other things so proui|dent, should now be so negligent: and at that time most forget himselfe, when (as it after fell out) he had most need to haue remembred himselfe. For this bi|shop hauing written two bookes (the one to answer the kings command, and the other intreating of his owne priuate affaires) did bind them both after one sort in vellame, iust of one length, bredth, and thick|nesse, and in all points in such like proportion an|swering one an other, as the one could not by anie e|speciall note be discerned from the other: both which he also laid vp togither in one place of his studie.

Now when the cardinall came to demand the booke due to the king:The bishops booke of his priuat [...] vnaduisedlie deliuered in+stead of the kings. the bishop vnaduisedlie com|manded his seruant to bring him the booke bound in white vellame lieng in his studie in such a place. The seruant dooing accordinglie, brought foorth one of those bookes so bound, being the booke intreating of the state of the bishop, and deliuered the same vnto his maister, who receiuing it (without further consi|deration or looking on) gaue it to the cardinall to beare vnto the king. The cardinall hauing the booke, went from the bishop, and after (in his studie by him|selfe) vnderstanding the contents thereof, he greatlie reioised, hauing now occasion (which he long sought for) offered vnto him to bring the bishop into the kings disgrace.