BALE, 107 aggravate the charge. The episcopal seal was construed to be a counterfeiting of the king's seal ; the two letters were heretical ; and the council's letter a conspiracy against the queen. When the captain returned to the ship, it was proposed to send Bale to London ; but, after some consul- tation, they resolved to send two persons, with information to the privy council. This determination, however, was relinquished, upon Bale's strong remonstrances to the captain, and offering to pay fifty pounds for his ransom, on his arrival in Holland. He was carried into Zealand, and lodged in the house of one of the owners of the ship, who treated him with great civilityand kindness. Ho had only twenty-six days allowed him for raising the money agreed upon for his ransom, and could not obtain the liberty of going abroad to find out his friends. In this state of perplexity and distress, he was sometimes threatened to be thrown into the common gaol, sometimes to be brought before the magistrates, sometimes to be left to the examination of the clergy, at other times to be sent to London, or to be delivered to the queen's ambas- sador at Brussels. At length his kind host interposed, and desired the captain to consider, how far he had exceededthe limits of his commission, in thus using asubject of England, with which nation they were at peace. This produced the desired effect, and the captain was willing to take thirty pounds for his ransom, as he should be able to pay it, and so dischargedhim.. Dr. Bale having obtained his liberty, retired to Frankfort, where he and the other English exiles werefavoured by the magistrates with the use of one of their churches. Having obtained so great a privilege, their next object was to agree to certain forms of worship : driven from their own country, and now comfortably settled in aforeign land, they thought it their duty to make certain improvements upon the reformation of King Edward. They entered, therefore, 'into a mutual and friendly consultation upon the subject, and agreed to the following things :-" Having perused the " English liturgy, it was concluded among them, That the " answering aloud after the minister should not be used; the " litany, surplice, and many other things also omitted, " because in the reformed churches abroad such things " would seem more than strange. It was further agreed " upon, that the minister, in the room of the English con- * Biog. Briton. vol. i. p. 533.
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