350 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VIII. Queen 'breach of no law ; and as for the oath, they refufed it, not in contempt Elizabeth' of the court, but as contrary to the laws of God and nature. '59f w This anfwer not being fa,isfadory they were remanded to prifon, where They areAla they continued two years without any further procefs, or being admitted Pr, ara n `t` efS to bail ; in the mean time king James of Scotland interceeded for them, in a letter to the queen, dated June the i ith, 1591. in which he requefts her majefly to thew favour to Mr. Cartwright and his brethren, becaufe L. ofAyl- of their great learning and faithful travels in the gofpel. Cartwright nier, p. sal. himfelf petitioned for his liberty, as being of lid`ted with exceffive pains Fuller, of the gout and iiatica, which were much encreafed by lying in a cold B. ix. : . p. zo3. prifon ; he wrote a moll humble and pious letter to the lady Rufel, and another to ,he lord treafurer, befeeching them to procure his enlargement with the queen, though it were upon bond, expreffìng a very great con- cern that her majeffy fhould be fo lightly offended with him, fence he had printed no books for thirteen years paff that could give the leaft uneafinefs; fence he had declared his diflike of Martin Mar-Prelate; and that he never had a finger in any of the books under that name, nor in any other fatyrical pamphlets; and further, that in the courfe of his miniffry for five years paff at Warwick, he had avoided all con- L. of Whit- troverfy. Dr. Goad, Dr. Whitaker, and two others of the univerfity, gift, P. 370, wrote an excellent letter to the treafurer in favour of the prifoners, he- feeching his lordfhip that they might not be more hardly dealt with than papifis ; but this not prevailing, after fix months they petitioned the lords of the council [December the 4th.] to be enlarged upon hail, and wrote to the treafurer to fecond it, affuring his lordfhip of their loyalty to the queen, and peaceable behaviour in the church. " We doubt not (fay they) but your lordfhip is fenfible, that a year's imrifonment and more " which we have fuffered, muff (tike deeper into our healths, confi- " dering our education, than a number of years to men of a diffe- " rent occupation. Your lordfhip knows, that many papifis who deny " the queen's fupremacy have been enlarged, whereas we have all fworn " to it ; and if the government require, are ready to take the oath again." This was figned by Tho. Cartwright, Edward Lord, Humph. Fen, Edmund Snape, Andrew King, Win. Proudlove, Dan. Wright, Melanchton°fewel. John Payne, They alto applied to the archbifhop, who refufed to confent to their enlargement, unlefs they would under their hands declare the church of England,
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