y disguisyng plaied at Greis inne, whiche
was compiled for the moste part, by Master Jhon Roo, seriant at the law.
[some] xx. yere past, and long before the Cardinall had any aucthoritie,
the effecte of the plaie was, that lord Gouernaunce was ruled by
Dissipacion and Negligence, by whose misgouernance and euil order, lady
Publike Wele was put from gouernance: which caused _Rumor Populi_, Inward
Grudge and Disdain of Wanton Souereignetie, to rise with a greate
multitude, to expell Negligence and Dissipacion, and to restore Publike
Welth again to her estate, which was so doen.

This plaie was so set furth with riche and costly apparel, with straunge
diuises of Maskes and morrishes [_morris dancers_] that it was highly
praised of all menne, sauing of the Cardinall, whiche imagined that the
plaie had been diuised of hym, and in a great furie sent for the said
master Roo, and toke from hym his Coyfe, and sent hym to the Flete, and
after he sent for the yong gentlemen, that plaied in the plaie, and them
highley rebuked and thretened, and sent one of them called Thomas Moyle of
Kent to the Flete. But by the meanes of frendes Master Roo and he were
deliuered at last.

This plaie sore displeased the Cardinall, and yet it was neuer meante to
hym, as you haue harde, wherfore many wisemen grudged to see hym take it
so hartely, and euer the Cardinall saied that the kyng was highly
displeased with it, and spake nothyng of hymself.

There is no question as to the date of this "disguisyng." Archbishop
WARHAM on the 6th February 1527, wrote to his chaplain, HENRY GOLDE, from
Knolle that he "Has received his letters, dated London, 6 Feb., stating
that Mr. Roo is committed to the Tower for making a certain play. Is sorry
such a matter should be taken in earnest." _Letters &c. HENRY VIII._ Ed.
by J. S. BREWER, _p._ 1277. _Ed._ 1872.

It would seem however that FISH either did not go or did not stay long
abroad at this time. STRYPE (_Eccles. Mem. I. Part II, pp. 63-5. Ed.
1822_) has printed, from the Registers of the Bishops of LONDON, the
Confession in 1528 of ROBERT NECTON (a person of position, whose brother
became Sheriff of Norwich in 1530), by which it appears that during the
previous eighteen months, that is from about the beginning of 1527, our
Author was "dwellyng by the Wight Friars in London;" and was actively
engaged in the importation and circulation of TYNDALE's _New Testaments_,
a perfectly hazardous work at that time.