ANSWER TO THE PETITIONS OF THE Traitors and rebels in Lyncolneshyre.  
ANNO. M.D.XXXVI.   

FIRST WE BEGIN and make answer to the four and vi articles, because upon them dependeth moche of the rest. Concerning choosing of counsellors, I never have red hard nor known, that princes counsellors and prelate's should be appointed by rude and ignorant common people, nor that they were persons meet or of ability to discern and choose meet and sufficient counsellors for a prince. How presumptuous than are ye the rude commons of one shire, and that one of the most brute and beastly of the hole realm, and of least experience, to find fault with your prince for the electing of his counsellors and prelatis? and to take upon you, contrary to God's law & man's law, to rule your prince, whom ye are bound by all laws to obey and serve with both your lives lands and goods, and for no worldly cause to withstand: the contrary whereof you like traitors and rebels have attempted, and not like true subjects as ye name yourselves.  
¶ AS TO THE suppression of religious houses ano monasteries, we will, that ye and all our subjects should well know, that this is granted us by all the nobles spiritual and temporal of this our realm, and by all the commons of the same, by act of parliament, and not set forth by any counsellor or counsellors upon their mere will and fantasy, as ye full falsely would persuade our realm to believe. And where ye allege, that the service of god is much thereby diminished, the troth thereof is contrary, for there be no houses suppressed, where god was well served, but where most vice mischief and abomination of living was used: And that doth well appear by their own confessions subscribed with their own hands, in the time of our visitations, and yet were suffered a great many of them (more than we needed by th'act) to stand: wherein if they amend not their living, we fear, we have more to answer for, than for the suppession of all the rest. And as for the hospitality, for the relief of poor people, we wonder ye be not ashamed to affirm, that they have been a great relief to our people, when a great many or the most part hath not past iiii. or .v. religious persons in them, & divers but one, which spent the substance of the goods of their houses in nourishing of vice and abominable living. Now what unkindness and unnaturalitie may we impute to you and all our subjects (that be of that mind) that had leaver such an unthrifty sort of vicious persons should enjoy such possessions profits & emolumentes, as grow of the said houses, to the maintenance of their unthrift life, than we your natural prince, sovereign lord, and king, which doth and hath spent more in your defences of our own, than vi times they be worth.  
¶ AS TOUCHING the act or dies, we marvel what madness is in your brain, or upon what ground ye would take authority upon you to cause us to break those laws & statutes, which by all the nobles knights and gentlemen of this realm (whom the same chiefly toucheth) hath been granted and assented to, saying in no manner of things it toucheth you the base commons of our realm. Also the grounds of those uses were false, and never admitted by any law: But usurped upon the prince, contrary to all equity and justice, as it hath been openly both disputed and declared by all the well learned men of England in westminster hall: whereby ye may well perceive, how mad and unreasonable your demands be, both in that and the rest, and how unmeet it is for us and dishonourable, to grant or assent unto, and less meet and decente for you in such rebellious sort to demand the same of your prince.  
¶ AS TOUCHING the xu which ye demand of us to be released, Think ye that we be so faint hearted, that perforce ye of one shire, were ye a great many more, could compel us with your insurrections and such rebellious demeanour, to remit the same? or think ye that any man will or may take you to be true subjects, that first make a show of a loving grant, and than perforce would compel your sovereign lord and king to 〈…〉 payment whereof is not yet comen: ye and seeing the same will not countervail the tenth penny of the charges, which we do and daily must susteygne for your tuition and safeguard. Make you sure, by your occasions of this your ingratitudes unnaturalness and unkindness to us now adminystred, ye give us cause, which hath always been as much dedicated to your wealths as ever was king, not so much to set our study for the setting forward of the same, seeing how unkindly and untruly ye deal now with us without any cause or occasion. And doubt ye not, though ye have no grace nor naturalness in you to consider your duty of allegiance to your king and sovereign lord, the rest of our realm we doubt not, hath. And we and they shall so look on this cause, that we trust it shall be to your confusion, if according to our former letters ye submit not yourselves.  
¶ AS TOUCHING the first fruits, we let you wite, it is a thing granted us by act of parliament also, for the supportation of part of the great and excessive charges, which we support and bear for the maintenance of your wealths and other our subjects. And we have known also that ye our commons have much complained in times passed, that the most of the goods lands and possessions of the realm, were in the spiritual men's hands: and yet bearing us in hand, that ye be as loving subjects to us as may be: ye can not find in your hearts, that your prince and sovereign lord should have any part thereof: and yet it is nothing prejudicial unto you our commons, but to rebel and unlawfully rise against your prince, contrary to your duty of allegiance and god's commandment. Wherefore sirs remember your follies and traitorous demeanours, and shame not your native country of England, nor offend no more so grievously your undoubted king and natural prince, which always hath showed himself most loving unto you: and remember your duty of allegiance, and that ye are bound to obey us your king, both by goods commandment and law of nature. Wherefore we charge you eftsoons upon the foresaid bonds and pains, that ye withdraw yourselves to your own houses every man, and no more to assemble contrary to our laws and your allegiances, & to cause the provokers of you to this mischief, to be delivered to our lieutenants hands or ours, & you yourselves to submit you to such condign punishment, as we and our nobles shall think you worthy: For doubt you not else that we and our nobles can nor will suffer this injury at your hands unrevenged, if ye give not place to us of sovereignty, and show yourselves as bound and obedient subiectis, and no more to intermeddle yourselves from henceforth with the weighty affairs of the realm, the direction whereof only appertaineth to us your king, and such noble men and counsellors, as we list to elect and choose to have the ordering of the same. And thus we pray unto almighty god, to give you grace to do your duties, to use yourselves toward us like true and faithful subjects, so as we may have cause to order you thereafter, and rather obedyentely to consent amongst you, to deliver into thandes of our lieutenant. C. persons, to be ordered according to their demerits at our will and pleasure, than by your obstinacy and wilfulness, to put yourselves your lives, wives, children, lands, goods, and chattels, besides the indignation of god, in thutter adventure of total destruction and utter ruin by force and violence of the sword.   

LONDINI IN AEDIBUS THOMAE BERTHELETI RECII IMPRESSORIS.  
CUM PRIVILEGIO.