Stephan Gardiner bishop of Winchester, sur|mising the ladie Katharine baronesse of Willough|bie and Cresbie, and duchesse Dowager of Suffolke, to be one of his ancient enimies, because he knew he had deserued no better of hir, deuised in the hol [...]e time of the first Lent in quéen Maries reigne, a holie practise of reuenge, first by touching hir in the per|son of hir husband maister Richard Bertie esquier, for whome he sent an attachment (hauing the great scale at his deuotion) to the shiriffe of Lincolnshire, with a speciall letter,Maister Richard Bertie hus|band to the dut|chesse, atta|ched by the bishop of Winchester. comanding most strictlie the same shiriffe to attach the said Richard immediatlie, and without baile to bring him vp to London to his great lordship. Maister Bertie hir husband being cleare in conscience, and frée from offense towards the quéene, could not coniecture anie cause of this strange processe, vnlesse it were some quarrell for religion, which he thought could not be so sore as the processe pretended.

The shiriffe, notwithstanding the commande|ment, aduentured onelie to take the bond of maister Bertie, with two suerties in a thousand pounds for his appéerance, to be made before the bishop on good fridaie following:Master Ber|tie appeareth before bishop Gardiner. at which daie maister Berti [...] ap|péered, the bishop then lieng at his house by [...]aint Marie Oueries. Of whose presence when the bishop vnderstood by a gentleman of his chamber, in a great rage he came out of his gallerie into his dining chamber, where he found a prease of suters, saieng he would not that daie heare anie: but came foorth onelie to know of maister Bertie, how he being a subiect durst so arrogantlie set at light two former processes of the quéenes. Maister Bertie answered, that albeit my lords words might séeme to the rest somewhat sharpe towards him,Ta [...]ke be|twéene bishop Gardiner and maister Bertie. yet he conceiued great comfort of them. For whereas he before thought it extremitie to be attached, hauing vsed no obstinacie or contumacie: now he gathered of those words, that my lord ment not otherwise but to haue vsed some ordinarie processe; albeit indeed none came to his hands. Yea Marie, quoth the bishop, I haue sent you two Sub poenas, to appéere immediatlie, and I am sure you receiued them: for I committed the trust of them to no worsse man but to maister so|licitor, and I shall make you an example to all Lin|colnshire for your obstinacie. Maister Bertie deni|eng the receipt of anie, humblie praied his lordship to suspend his displesure and the punishment, till he had good triall thereof: and then (if it pleased him) to dou|ble the paine for the fault, if anie were. Well (quoth the bishop) I haue appointed my selfe this daie (ac|cording to the holinesse of the same) for deuotion,The deuotion of bishop Gardiner to good fridaie. and I will not further trouble me with you: but I inioine you in a thousand pounds, not to depart without leaue, and to be here againe to morrow at seauen of the clocke.

Maister Bertie well obserued the houre, and no iot failed. At the which time the bishop had with him maister sergeant Stamford, to whome he mooued certeine questions of the said master Bertie, bicause master sergeant was towards the lord Wriothesleie late earle of Southampton, & chancellor of England, with whom the said master Bertie was brought vp. Master sergeant made verie friendlie report of ma|ster Bertie of his owne knowledge for the time of their conuersation togither. Wherevpon the bishop caused maister Bertie to be brought in; and first making a false traine (as God would, without fire) before he would descend to the quarrell of religion, he assaulted him in this maner. The quéenes plea|sure is (quoth the bishop) that you shall make present paiment of foure thousand pounds due to hir father by duke Charles,Maister Bertie atta|ched for debt of foure thou|sand pounds due to the quéene. late husband to the dutchesse your wife, whose executor she was. Pleaseth it your lordship (quoth maister Bertie) that debt is estalled, and is according to that estallment trulie answered. Tush (quoth the bishop) the quéene will not be bound EEBO page image 1143 to estallments,Ket capteine of the rebels in Norffolke in king Ed|wards time. in the time of Kets gouernment, for so I estéeme the late gouernment. The estallment (quoth maister Bertie) was appointed by king Hen|rie the eight; besides, the same was by speciall com|missioners confirmed in king Edwards time, and the lord treasuror being an executor also to the duke Charles solie and wholie, tooke vpon him before the said commissioners to discharge the same.