The copy of a pistle or letter sent to Gilbard Potter in the time when he was in prison, for speaking on our most true queens part the Lady Mary before he had his ears cut of.  
The xiij of july.  
Si deus nobiscum, quis contra nos.  
Anno. M. D. Liij. the first of August.   

Poor Pratte, unto his friend Gilbard Potter, the most faithful and true lover of queen Mary doth him salute with many salutations. S. P. D.  
WHereas thou haste of late showed thyself (most faithful Gilbard) to be a true subject to Mary queen of England, not only by words, but by deeds, and for the farther trial of thy true heart towards her did offer thy body to be slain in her quarrel, and offered up thyself into the hands of the ragged bear most rank, with whom is neither mer cy, pity, nor compassion, but his in dignation present death. Thy promise (Gilbarde) is faithful. Thy heart is true. Thy love is fervent towards her grace. And whereas you did promise me faithfully (when I last visited thee in prison) to be torn with wild horses, thou wouldst not deny mary our Queen, & to that which thou tofore did say, no denial shallbe found in thee, so still do thou continue in the same mind, have a respect of thy conscience. Fear not to say the truth, if thou die, thou shalt die in the right, pugna propatria, fight for thy country (sayeth the Philoso pher). For as it shallbe to thy great honour and praise in this world & in heaven to die in her grace's quarrel, & in the defence of thy coum trey, so would it be to the utter destruction, both of thy body & soul to do the contrary. But (o thou true Gilbard) stand stiffly in her cause, & do thou according to thy last promise made me (as I do not doubt but thou wilt) then will god keep thee and preserve thee. If thou should die, thou shalt die inno cent, so shall you be assured to possess the everlasting kingdom of heaven. If you fortune to live, then shall it be also accounted praise to thee. And fully persuade with thyself, that her grace will consider thy faithful & true heart (as she hath just occasion). For who could have been more faithfuller than thou haste been? What man could have showed himself bolder in her grace's cause, than thou hast showed? Or who did so valiantly in the proclamation time, when jane was published queen (unworthy as she was) & more to blame, I may say to thee, are some of the consenters thereunto. There were thousands more than thyself, yet durst they not (such is the fragility & weakness of the flesh) once move their lips to speak that, which thou did speak. Thou offerest thyself amongst the multitude of people to fight against them all in her quarrel, and for her honour did not fear to run upon the point of the sword. O faithful subject, O true heart to Mary our Queen, I can not but write of the conding praise that thou deservest for this thy boldness. I may compare thee to Sidrack, Misack, and Abdenago, which rather then they would forsake their master, were contented to suffer the torments in the hot burning oven. And as young Daniel when he was brought before such a ruler (as that false Duke of Northumberland) rather then to deny his Lord, would suffer the pains of imprisonment, and to be cast in the den of lions. Even so (faithful Gilbard) rather than thou wouldst consent to their false & traitorous proclamation for jane, when thou did hear it, having a clear conscience, would not consent to the same most traitorous fact. And so little regarded thy life, boldly stood in thy mistress cause, and offered thy body to be inprisoned, & to suffer death, then to deny our virtuous Mary to be queen. And therefore trust to it, (my faithful Gilbard) as the god of Sidrack, Misack, & Abdenago saved them from all hurt in the hot burning oven, that not so much as one hear of their head was perished. So shall the same God save thee out of the hands of the cruel bear, and give him no power of thy life. Again as God preserved Daniel when he was cast in the den amongst the lions at the commandment of the king Nabuchodonosor. And when he was in the midst of them, the lions played with him (which was admirable). So do thou trust to, albeit thou art now in the den amongst devourers (I mean under the power of the bear & the raged staff) yet the god of Daniel shall safely deliver thee out of all their hands, & thee rather, if thou dost still continue steadfast and hold on Mary our queen, and forsake thy master, no more than Daniel & the brethren did their God and master. Despair not, but live in hope to see a good day, & the sooner will it come, it we continue in prayer. For my part, faithful Gylbard, I will never seize day nor night from praying for our good Mary that her grace might once obtain the crown, & that it would please him of his omnipotent power to strengten & help her grace, Marry thy Queen & mine, so say I to the death, & to conquer that bear. So here I shall desire thee also to offer up to the almighty lord, god lie contemplations, that she may overcome her enemies.  
For as the inhabitors of the great city of Ninive continued in prayer, & clothed themselves in sackcloth, cast dust upon their heads, repent, & bewailed their manifold sins and offences, at what time as the Prophet jonas had preached to them the destruction of their city, knew that it was time to do all the same, else destruction would follow. So should we now not cease praying to God to send us quietness, & that the lady Mary might enjoy the kingdom.  
For we have had many Prophets & true preachers which did declare unto us, that our king shallbe taken away from us, & a tyrant shall reign, the Gospel shall be plucked away, the right heir shallbe dispossessed, & all for our unthankfulness, & thinkest thou not (Gilbard) the world is now come? Yea truly. And what shall follow if we repent not in times. The same God will take from us the virtuous Lady Marry our lawful queen, & send such a cruel Pharaoh as the ragged bear, to rule us, which shall pull & pol us, spoil us, & utterly destroy us, & bring us in great calamities and miseries. And this god will send us, & all for our iniquities. For if unto our queen Mary any evil should hap, let us fully persuade with ourselves, that it is not for her small sins only, but for our evil livings. And this little troubles (which be grievous to her grace) doth chance to her for thy sins and mine, let us so think. For truly (faithful Gilbard) god is displeased with us many ways. And here I dare be bold to say, that her grace is more sorrowful for the death of king Edward her brother, than she is glad that she is queen. For her part (good virtuous lady) she would have been as glad of her brother's life, as the ragged bear is glad of his death. Agamenon the heathen king was never more unquieted with his high estate, when he lamented for that he was king over so many people, as her grace is now troubled to rule & govern so many evil persons. Plato was never gladder, when he was exiled from the kings court, because his mind was more addict thereby and given to the study of Philosophy, as she would be, if she might once be exiled from the company of such traitors, whereby she might be more quieter, and possess this her kingdom peasablye. Even so I dare avouch, that her grace was far quieter, & better contented with her old estate, than now she is queen (if it had pleased God) But now praised be almighty god because he hath so provided us a right & lawful air, & so virtuous a princess, to possess this imperial crown of England, & so are we all bound highly to thank him therefore. Trusting that the same god will shortly exalt her grace, & set her in her perfect dignity, and pluck down that jane, I can not nominate her queen, for the I know no other queens, but the good lady Mary her grace, whom God prosper. I hear say (faithful Gilbard) that the true subject sir Edmond peckhame is gone with all his power & treasure to assist her grace. Ex fructu scimus quid sit arbour, By the fruit we may know what the tree is. So by his fruits, that is, by all his doings we may know, what he is, how true & faithful hath he showed himself to be at all times to Henry th'eight of famous memory. What man deserved more commendation than he? He never rob bed his grace, when he had all the rule of his treasure, he used not to buy silver for four shillings an once & made the king pay five shillings four pence (as other false traitors did) but look what he paid, the king paid no more. He was ever true & faithful by report aswell of all other as of his own servants. And now for the full trial of his true heart, how hath he showed himself to her grace, left house lands & all, and gone to help her. Truly we have to few such faithful men. I hear also, that theridamas is come more to help her grace, the Earl of Darbey, the Earl of Oxford, the Earl of Bath, & diverse other nobles, which I can not rehearse nominatly. The God of hosts, the God of Abraham prosper them, keep them, & give them power to withstand all their enemies, & the most mighty lord take part with them (as I do not mistrust) for the right sake. I hear no other news, but that here is con tinually great preparation, & many carts appointed to carry harness & artillery, God send them evil to speed. The good Earl of Arun del, and the Earl of Shrosburye be here still, but as I am informed, the Earl of Arundel will not consent to none of their doings. O God I most heartily desire thee, hear my prayer, keep & preserve the good Earl of Arundel from the tyranny of that devouring bear. For as thou hast from the beginning en dued him with all truth, so doth he still continue steadfast in that same, like a worthy noble, preserve him I be seche thee (o my god) & give him grace still to stand steadfast. The Earl of Shrosbury beareth himself equal god keep him, & send all those that would the lady Mary to be queen long life & pleasure, and they which would not, I wish them the pains of Satan in hell. I have (faithful Gilbard) scattered abroad three of the books more, and two also have I sent into the ragged bears camp, keep that close which thou hast: the world is dangerous the great devil Dudley ruleth, Duke I should have said, well let that pass, seeing it is out, but I trust he shall not long. I have proved if I could get a. M. of them in printed in some strange letter & so a number of them to be dispersed abroad. Forasmuch (Gilbard) as I perceive that thou art straightly kept, & not suffered to have liberty I shall brievely visit the with my letters from time to time. And here Gilbard I exhort the to continue in prayer, & to take in good part this yoke, laid upon thy shoulders & bear this cross patiently. For adversity is a good thing, & shall make thee to know god the better. For I trust in the lord to live to see the day her grace to marry such one, as knoweth what adversity meaneth, so shall we have both a merciful queen & king to their subjects. And would to god that I might live (if it so pleased her grace) to have an other virtuous Edward: & God make her grace fruitful, & send her fruit to inherit the kingdom after her. I promised you to salut your friend Robert in your name, accordingly I have done, desired him to pray with you for our queen Mary, that it would please the lord to give her the crown, which she ought to have of right. And thus to breviate my long process I end, desiring thee (my constant Gilbard) not to behold the gorgeousness of my letters, which be void of all, but to weigh in an equal pair of ballans the good will of the writer, who beareth the no worse will, then to his own soul, praying God to strengthen thee, & give thee grace, to abide faithful towards our most excellent true & only queen Mary, so shalt thou be assured to have god thy faithful friend again, & at the last thou shalt inherit his kingdom: to the which kingdom bring both you & me, and us all.  
Amen  
Fair you well. Quod Poor Pratte.  
Finis.   

Imprinted at London in Temstrete over against the Stiliardes, at the sign of the dobbel hood, by Hewghe Singelton.