Note 32 — INTRODUCTION.

See Cal. Dom., 1633-4, 1634-5. Lady Eleanor Davies alias Douglas, (evidently insane) is mulcted to the extent of £3,000 for certain fanatical pamphlets. Richard Parry has a fine of £2,000 for disturbance of divine service and profane speeches, mitigated to 1,000 marks.—Cal. 1634-5, 176. A fine of £1,000, from Theophilus Brabourne, for maintaining and publishing heretical and Judaical opinions touching the Sabbath, is repeatedly mentioned, with notices of respites, suspension of sentence, and mitigation. A silk weaver was committed to the Gate House for fetching a parcel of schismatical books. The most preposterous suspicions were entertained, leading to outrageous injustice, as in the case of "two poor foolish boys, taken amongst others, at Francis Donwell's house, the aleholder, at Stepney," for "sitting at the table with Bibles before them." "They were, by order of the court, discharged," but not till after many days' imprisonment. "They were taken on Sunday last past was fortnight, the 1st of October, 1635."

The following entry occurs relating to Richard Walker Clerk, prisoner in the Gate House: "Defendant having lain a twelvemonth in prison for preaching a scandalous and offensive sermon here in London, and having promised by his subscription to carry himself peaceably and conformably to the orders of the Church of England, he was ordered to be enlarged." Cal. 1634-5, p. 544.