After he had béene in the tower thrée weekes in a bad prison, he was lift vp into Nunnes bower, a bet|ter prison, where was put to him master Iohn Brad|ford. At the daie of quéene Maries coronation, their prison doore was set open, euer shut before. One ma|ster Michell his old acquaintance, who had béene prisoner before in the same place, came in to him and said: Master Sands, there is such a stur in the tower, that neither gates,Master Mi|chels counsell to D. Sands to make an escape. doores, nor prisoners are looked to this daie. Take my cloake, my hat and my rapier, and get you gone; you maie go out of the gates with|out questioning; saue your selfe, and let me doo as I maie. A rare friendship: but he refused the offer, sai|eng: I know no iust cause why I should be in prison. And thus to doo were to make my selfe guiltie, I will expect Gods good will, yet must I thinke my selfe most bound vnto you: and so master Michell de|parted.

While doctor Sands and master Bradford were thus in close prison togither nine and twentie wéeks, one Iohn Bowler was their keeper, a verie peruerse papist, yet by often persuading of him, for he would giue eare, and by the gentle vsing of him, at length he began to mislike poperie,Bowler of a p [...]uerse pa|pist becõmeth reformed in true religion. and to fauour the gospell, and so persuaded in true religion, that on a sundaie when they had masse in the chappell, he bringeth vp a seruice booke, a manchet and a glasse of wine, and there doctor Sands ministred the communion to Bradford and to Bowler. Thus Bowler was their sonne begotten in bonds when Wiat was in armes, & the old duke of Norffolke sent foorth with a power of men to apprehend him, that roome might be made in the tower for him and other his complices. Doctor Cranmer, doctor Ridleie, and master Bradford were cast into one prison,D. Sands remoued to the Mar|shalsea. & doctor Sands with nine other preachers were sent into the Marshalsea.

The kéeper of the Marshalsea appointed to euerie preacher a man to lead him in the stréet, he caused them go farre before, and he and doctor Sands came behind, whome he would not lead, but walked famili|arlie with him. Yet doctor Sands was knowne, and the people euerie where praied to God to comfort him, & to strengthen him in the truth. By that time the peoples minds were altered, poperie began to be vnsauerie. After they passed the bridge, the kéeper Thomas Waie said to doctor Sands: I perceiue the vaine people would set you forward to the fire, you are as vaine as they, if you being a yoong man will stand in your own conceit,Thomas Waie the kée|per preten|deth to per|suade doctor Sands to poperie. & prefer your own know|ledge before the iudgement of so manie worthie pre|lats, ancient, learned, and graue men, as be in this relme. If you so doo, you shal find me as strict a kéeper as one that vtterlie misliketh your religion. Doctor Sands answered; I know my yeares yoong, and my learning small, it is inough to know Christ cruci|fied, and he hath learned nothing that séeth not the great blasphemie that is in poperie, I will yeeld vn|to God and not vnto man: I haue read in the scrip|tures of manie godlie and courteous kéepers, God may make you one; if not, I trust he will giue me strength and patience to beare your hard dealing with me. Saith Thomas Waie; Doo you then mind to stand to your religion? Yea saith doctor Sands, by Gods grace. Trulie saith the keeper, I loue you the better, I did but tempt you. What fauor I can shew you, you shall be sure of, and I shall thinke my selfe happie if I may die at the stake with you.The frendship that doctor Sands found at his keepers hands. The said kéeper shewed doctor Sands euer after all friendship: he trusted him to go into the fields alone, and there met with maister Bradford, who then was remoued into the Bench, and there found like fauor of his kéeper. He laid him in the best chamber in the house: he would not suffer the knight marshals men to laie fetters on him, as others had. And at his re|quest, he put maister Sands in to him, to be his bed|fellow, and sundrie times suffered his wife, who was maister Sands daughter of Essex, a gentlewoman, beautifull both in bodie & soule to resort to him. There was great resort vnto doctor Sands, and maister Sanders: they had much monie offered them, but they would receiue none. They had the communion there thrée or foure times, and a great sort of com|municants. Doctor Sands gaue such exhortation to the people, for at that time being yoong, he was thought verie eloquent, that he mooued manie tears and made the people abhorre the masse, and defie all poperie.