parochia Omnium Sanctorum in Breadstreate in warda de Breadstreate Londoniæ advisate et cum maliciosa intentione versus dictam dominam Reginam nunc prædictum librum prædicti Willielmi Alleyne continentem prædictas falsas seditiosas et scandalosas materias in Anglicanis verbis superius recitatas et quamplurima alia ad defamationem dictæ dominæ Reginæ nunc et ad excitationem insurrectionis et rebellionis infra hoc regnum Angliæ diversis subditis dictæ dominæ Reginæ publicari et exponi causavit anglice, did cause to be published and sette forthe contra formam statuti prædicti in hoc casu provisi et contra pacem dictæ dominæ Reginæ nunc coronam et dignitatem suas.

The following account of the trial of Allfield, which took place on Monday, July 6th, 1585, is taken from Lansdowne M. S., (British Museum) 45, no. 74.

The effect and the substaunce of the matter that was done and spoken at the arraignement of Thomas Allfeild, a Jesuett Preiste, att Newgate, uppon Mondaie, the fifth Julie, 1585.

First he and his ffellowes were brought from Newgate and placed at the barre. My Lord Maior, My Lord Buckhurste, the Master of the Rolls, My Lord Anderson, Mr. Sackforth, Sir Rowland Hayward, Mr. Owen, Mr. Younge, and the Recorder, sett downe uppon the Benche. Mr. Towne Clarke redd the Commyssion of Oire and determiner; after this, a substaunciall jurie of the best commoners to the nosmber of twentie or there-abowtes, were sworne to enquire, &c.

Then the Recorder gave that speciall charge that belongeth to that commission; after that done, the enqueste of inquirie went upp into the Councell Chamber at the Sessions Hall: in which place Mr. Attorney and Mr. Solicitor did reade unto the enquest the three severall indictmentes, and there the offenders, uppon good evidence geven were indicted. Billa vera was sett uppon everye one of them. The enquest returned to the courte, and beinge called by name they presented the bylls to the courte; the Towne Clarke received them and delivered them to the Recorder, and he opened them and showed them to the rest of the Justices howe they were fownde. And thereuppon the Towne Clerke was willed to call them to the barr and soe to arraigne them, who begane first with Allfeilde, and the indictment redd, he was demaunded whether he were gyltie of the matter conteyned in that indictment, to the which he would make noe aunswere, and prayed that he might be hard speake, and thereuppon he used a certen ffrivolous speache conteyninge noe matter, the effect whereof was that the cause in question was such, that the same owght to be tryed before learned men in Divinitie, and not before layemen; and after with much adoe he pleded not gyltie. And being asked howe he would be tryed, and also beinge tolde that he owght to be tryed by God and the countrie, he made a longe staye, and saied that it was noe reason that xij ignorant men should trye a matter of religion, but that it owght to be tryed by learned men. And then was it told him, that a matter in ffact was laied to his charge, viz., for bringinge into the realme and utteringe of a certen slaunderous and lewed booke against her Majestie and the realme, devised by one Doctor Allen. To the which Allfeild aunswered and saied expresslie that the same booke was a loyall booke, a lawfull booke, a good and a true booke, and that the same was prynted in Parrys under the King's priviledge there; and was allowed for a good and a lawfull booke throwghowt all the universities in Christendome beyonde the seas, and that it towched nothing butt matters of religion. And beinge asked whether it were a matter of religion that the Pope had aucthoritie to depryve the Quene of England, and he aunswered that in generaltie it was a matter of Religion that the Pope had aucthoritie to deprive any Kinge yf he sawe cause, ffor that the Pope was a regall kinge and prince and that he might take armes in hand as well as other kinges might doe. Yt was aunswered him that the courte sate not to trye matters of religion, but a matter de facto, that whether he browght the said slaunderous bookes into the realme, and whether he had disparsed them. To the which he aunswered that he had brought ffyve or syx hundreth of the same bookes into the realme, and that he had disparced them as he sawe occasion. And further he affirmed expresslie, that the booke was a good booke and lawfull, and declared as he had before done, howe the same was allowed, &c. And after he was urged to put himselffe uppon his tryall, and was put in remembraunce what the punishment of the lawe was, yf judgement were geven against him, de payne fort et dure. And thereuppon yt was asked him howe he would be tryed, and he aunswered by God and the countrye; and then he was told by the courte, that uppon the evidence geven, he should be hard att large, and then was a jurye of verie sufficient commoners called, and he was especiallie warned by the Towne Clerke to take his challenges unto them as they should come to the booke to be sworne. The jurye beinge sworne, the indictment was redd, the which conteyned divers faulse, lewed, and slaunderous partes of Doctor Allen's booke, tendinge playnlye by expresse wordes, not onelie to treason, but most manifest and shamefull slaunders against her Majestie. Yet did Allfeild not sticke to saye, that it towched not the Quene any moore then it did the Frenche Kinge or Spanish Kinge. He travelled verie much to make the Commissioners to beleve that they understood not the slaunderous booke, addinge, this withall the same booke was especiallie devised and wrytten by Doctor Allen to aunswere him who had wrytten the booke of Justice of Englande, and not to slaunder the Quene. And after much speache used, and manye repeticions made all to one effecte, by Allfeilde, there was delivered to the jurye one of the bookes to compaire the wordes of the indictment with the booke and the examinacions, and they fyndinge them to agree, and hearinge him soe stowtlie to justifie the same to be a loyall booke. They retourned after a competent tyme, and beinge called by name and the prysoner beinge called to the barre, they were asked first of Allfeild, whether he were gyltye of the offence that was conteyned in the indictment. The fforeman sayed gyltie, &c.

And after beinge asked what he could saye whye judgment of deathe should not be geven against him, he aunswered that the offence was pardoned, the pardone was redd, and yt was told him that his offence was excepted out of the pardone. And then did the Recorder call him fourthe, and recyted the effecte of the indictment and howe that he was fownd gyltie; and told him that he wondered that his ffather in Kinge Henrie's daies, beinge an usher of Eaton, and of a good religion, and had brought upp many learned devynes, and other that served the Quene in temporall causes, whereof hundrethes, the Recorder himselffe was one of the meanest, and that the same prisoner passed thorough the same Colledge, and so to the Kinges Colledge, beinge both of the Quene's highnes foundacion: and nowe had he so unnaturallie and beastlie behaved himselffe that he was become the first that ever was arraigned of ffelonye of any that ever passed those Colledges by the space of these fiftie yeres and moore. And then saied the Recorder, ye knowe that Christ paied trybute to Cesor, and commaunded that Cesor should be obeyed, and that eche man should yeld to Cesor his dewties. And that St. Paule in the end of the Actes was accused for Religion by the Jewes, and it was told him that he should be sent to Jerusalem to be tryed before the Preist there. And he aunswered that he stoode before the Tribunall or Judgement seat of Cesor, and there he owght to be tryed. And