298 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. books, or any doctrine therein contained ?-And whether they knew or had heard, that Mr. Stroud had observed or done any of the things above named?" Mr. Stroud being next called, and required to take the oath ex officio, to answer the inquiries of the court, he refused till he knew those inquiries. The following inter- rogatories were then read to him :--44 Have you now, or have you had in time past, any printingq3ress and letters, and where are they ?-Haveyou printed any contentious or rebellious books, and when, and where, and how long since, and what is become of them1-Have you any suspected or unlawful books leading to the contempt of the Book of Common Prayer ?"-Mr. Stroud refused to answer these interrogatories, whichwere evidently designed to make him accuse himself, and told the chancellor that these things belonged to her majesty's commissioners, and not to him. Upon this, the angry and cruel chancellor pronounced upon him the sentenceof excommunication, which he commanded to be publicly announced in the church of Yalding.* He, also, received the sentence of deprivation from the bishop. The good man being thus cast out of the church, and reduced to extreme poverty, was obliged to condescend to the low office of correcting the press, and of publishing books to obtain a livelihood. But even in this occupation, he was not suffered to enjoy quietness. For, having pub- lished Mr. Cartwright's Reply to Whitgift, he was sum- moned, November 25, 1573, before the Bishop of London and other high commissioners, when he underwent the following examination: Mr. Stroud being asked what became of Cartwright's books after they were printed, said he delivered thirty-four of them to the Bishop of London ; but the rest were dis- persed abroad. And being asked how he dared to print them a second time, seeing the queen's proclamation was against him, he said they were printed before the queen's proclamation came out, or he would not have printed them; upon which, the bishop thus addressed him: Bishop. Are Mr. Cartwright's books good and lawful, or not ? Arid will you defend them ? Stroud. As there is no book without its faults, the book of God excepted ; so will I not affirm that this book is altogether without faults ; but to defend it I will not. He MS. Register, p. 191-194.
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