THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER

The Messenger moveth against the clergy that, though they have made no law thereof, yet they will indeed suffer none English bible in no man's hand; but use to burn them where they find them; and sometime to burn the man too. And for ensample he layeth one Richard Hunne, showing that the Chancellor of London murdered him in prison and after hanged him, fayning that he hanged himself, and after condemned him of heresy, because he had an English bible, and so burned the bible and him together. Whereunto the author answereth.

I suppose, quod he, that this opinion is rather growen another way; that is, to wit, by the reason that the clergy, though the law serve them not therefore, do yet indeed take all translations out of every layman's hand. And sometime, with those that be burned or convicted of heresy, they burn the English bible without respect, be the translation old or new, bad or good.