court and Testamentary Business, 1633.      37

      had spoken wth mr Copley, who said he had, & that mr Coply Liber Z.

      had given him good satisfaction in it, & blamed much william

      Lewis for his contumelious speeches and ill-governd zeale and

      said it was fitt he should be punished. and ffrancis Gray asked

      him for the writing, and putt it vp, & were going with it to the

      chappell, when the Captaine called them in by the way. and

      ffrancis Gray being examined confessed that he did wish him

      to draw a writing, to be delivered to 2 or 3 of the freemen and

      his reason was because the said servants had no knowledge

      what to doe in it, nor could so well goe to the Governor to

      move for redresse as the freemen could. Then were the com

      plaints conteined in the writing agst william Lewis taken into

      examination. And touching the first, Ellis Beach, did depose

      that william Lewis coming into the roome where ffrancis Gray

      and Robt Sedgrave were reading of mr Smiths sermons, will.

      Lewis said that the booke was made by the instrument of the

      divell. and Robt Sedgrave being demanded whether william

      Lewis spake in generall of Protestants books, or of that booke

      in pticular said he could not well remember whether he spake

      of books in generall. And william Lewis being putt to his

      answere confessed that coming into the roome where they

      were reading of a book, they read it aloud to the end he should

      heare it, and that the matter being much reproachfull to his

      religion, vizt that the Pope was Antichrist, and the Jesuits,

      Antixpian ministers &c. he told them that it was a falsehood,

      & came from the Devill, as all lies did, & that he that writt

      it was an instrumt of the divell, & so he would approve it;

      and further he said not.

        touching the second, it was deposed by 2. witnesses that

      william Lewis said that their ministers (innuendo the Protest

      ants) were the ministers of the divell.

        touching the third, Robt Sedgrave said at first that william

      Lewis did forbid them to vse or have any Protestant books

      within his house; wch being denied by william Lewis, & that

      he had expressely given them leave to vse or have bookes, so

      they read them not to his offence or disturbance in his owne

      house; and that he spake onely touching that booke then in

      reading; Robt Sedgrave said that he was not certaine whether

      he forbad them that book onely, or all other books, and

      Richard duke (a witnesse produced by ffrancis Gray, and a

      Protestant) being sworne said, that william Lewis said that

      ffrancis Gray could not read that booke in the house, nor no

      such base fellowes as he was; but no more or further as he

      heard.

        then was xpofr Carnoll, and Ellis Beache examined vpon

      oath, and they likewise testified touching the forbidding of that

      book, but not any further as they heard.