Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/264

 256 A DECLARATION BEFORE THE April A Declaration before the Ecclesiastical Commission, 1562 THE following document once formed pages 28-30 of a manuscript volume, perhaps belonging to the ecclesiastical commission of 1562. It illustrates an episode in the life of the second earl of Bedford not recorded in the Dictionary of National Biography, but its chief interest is religious. It gives early evidence of the spirit of Elizabethan puritanism and of the growing familiarity of the people with the scriptural phraseology and atmosphere. W. P. M. KENNEDY. Bodleian MS. Tanner 50, fo. 16. The Declaracon of Elye otherwyse called Ellys Hawle the Carpenters sonn of Maunchester in the counte of Lane' before the right honorable the. . - 1 of bedford, the right Honorable lorde Clynton lorde great admyrall [of] l England, the lorde Cobham lorde warden of the syncke ports Sir Am[brose] l Cave chancellor of the duche of Lane'. And S r Rychard Sackfeld treasorer of the queenes Ma tiesj exchequer at the Savoy the xviij of June 1562. I Elye otherwyse called Ellys Hawle the Carpenters sonn of Maun- chester in the counte of Lane' was borne in the yeare of o r lorde god 1502 & contynued in my fathers howse vntill thage of vij yeares at w * 1 tyme I dyfired moche from all my fathers Children, for I was geven to solitarynes abstinence & prayer, and then was brought vp at a howse which is now M r Gerardes the Queenes Ma ties Ato r ney gen r all vntill thaige of xxvij yeares still contynuynge yn my vertuous lyvinge. and savinge yo r honors rever- ences all yn tournynge of the broche & toylinge for my levinge | at w ch tyme I toke a wyfe and began to have a covetous mynde in settinge all my hole mynde in worldlye thinges quyte forgettinge my former vertuous lyfe. for in the tyme of Kinge Edwarde the sixte when the great fale of money was so that almoste all occupacbns could scante save them selves from the sustaynynge of losse. I then beinge a drap gott clearlye that yeare & all charges borne the som of v hondred poundes. Thus still lyvinge in my covetous mynd & gatheringe of goodes. One nyght as I laye in my bed studyinge so sore vppon a great accompte that I could not slepe abowt mydnyght I heard a voyce spake vnto me sayinge. Elye thow Carpenters soun aryse & mak thine accompte quycklye faste and praye for the daye draweth nere. f w<> h spake these words vnto me thre tymes havinge a lyttle dystance betwene them. | After w h ther apearyd vnto me a light in my chamber so bright that myne eyes could not behoulde yt. ymedyatlye after the which me thought I saw as it weare a veale or courteyne drawne betwene me & the light, wher a non I saw a mann clothed in white havinge fyve woundes bleadinge & so me thought the heavens opened & receyved hym vp compassed aboute w e that bright light. & so saw hit- no more at that tyme. Notw^tanding I estemed that vysyon to be but a dreame or phantasye, still after contynued in my covetous & worldlye affayres almoste altogether neglectinge my dewtye towardes god for which I was not longe after vnplaged w fc a sore dysease in my syde as though I had
 * MS. torn away here.