lly and exclusively his own. I relate the
story without comment in the address of the injured person to More's
successor.[97]

[Sidenote: Case of John Field.]

"_To the Right Hon. the Lord Chancellor of England
(Sir T. Audeley) and other of the King's Council._

[Sidenote: Illegally imprisoned by More.]

"In most humble wise showeth unto your goodness your poor bedeman John
Field, how that the next morrow upon twelfth day,[98] in the
twenty-first year of our sovereign lord the King's Highness, Sir Thomas
More, Knight, then being Lord Chancellor of England, did send certain of
his servants, and caused your said bedeman, with certain others, to be
brought to his place at Chelsea, and there kept him (after what manner
and fashion it were now long to tell), by the space of eighteen
days;[99] and then set him at liberty, binding him to appear before him
again the eighth day following in the Star Chamber, which was Candlemas
eve; at which day your said bedeman appeared, and was then sent to the
Fleet, where he continued until Palm Sunday two years after, [in
violation of both the statutes,] kept so close the first quarter that
his keeper only might visit him; and always after closed up with those
that were handled most straitly; often searched, sometimes even at
midnight; besides snares and traps laid to take him in. Betwixt
Michaelmas and Allhalloween tide next after his coming to prison there
was taken from your bedeman a Greek vocabulary, price five shillings;
Saint Cyprian's works, with a book of the same Sir Thomas More's making,
named the _Supplication of Souls_. For what cause it was done he
committeth to the judgment of God, that seeth the souls of all persons.
The said Palm Sunday, which was also our Lady's day, towards night there
came two officers of the Fleet, named George Porter and John Butler, and
took your bedeman into a ward alone, and there, after long searching,
found his purse hanging at his girdle; which they took, and shook out
the money to the sum of ten shillings, which was sent him to buy such
necessaries as he lacked, and delivered him again his purse, well and
truly keeping the money to themselves, as they said for their fees; and
forthwith carried him from the Fleet (where he lost such poor bedding as
he then had, and could never since get it), and delivered him to the
Marshalsea, under our gracious sovereign's commandment and Sir Thomas
More's. When the Sunday before the Rogation week foll