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1    In Dei nomine, Amen. This is the bocke of the life and generation
2of Simon, the sonn of William, the sonn of Richard, the
3sonne of Ser Thomas of Ledes, the sonn of Ser Thomas Forman,
4of Furnifales, and of An his wife, daughter of Ser Antony Smithe,
5&c. borne in the yeare from the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
61552, the 30. of December, beinge Saturday and new yere's eve, at
745 minutes after 9 of the clocke at nighte, of the naturalle bodie
8of Marie, wife of the said William Forman aforsaid, and daughter
9of Jhon Foster, esquier, by Marienne Hallom, his wife, in a
10village called Quidhampton, in the countie of Wilts, sytuate
11in the valley on the north side of the river betwene Wilton and
12Sarum, whose parents were well descended and of good reputation
13and fame, and havinge many childrene and they disposed
14diversly. He had by the saide Marie six sonnes and too daughters,

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15viz. William, the eldest: Jone, the second, which after
16married with William Hannom, gentleman, whose father was
17sometymes Maior of Sarum, by whom she had noe yssue; after
18his death, she maried on William Brincke, and died without yssue.
19The third child of the said William and Marie was Henrie, that
20after toke to wife An the daughter of Thomas Harte, and had by
21her yssue a daughter named An. The fowarth was Richard, whoe
22toke to wife Sissely Parlet, the sole ayer of Jhon Parlete, and she
23died in childbed, and after he toke to his second wife Jone
24Warum, by whom he had three children, Jhon, Dority and
25Richard, and she also died. The fifte child of the saide William
26and Mary was this Simon, whoe in the 47. yeare of his age toke
27to wife, through the grace and wil of God, Ane, the daughter of
28Jhon Baker, of Kente, a cyvilian, and of Dorytie Monninges, the
29daughter of Sir Edward Monninges, of Kente, knighte, to whom
30was alyed many howses of honor and worshipe, as the Cliffordes,
31the Sandes, the Lovelesses, the Chitches, the Finches, the Alifes,
32the Grindfordes, the Kempes, the Agers, and many knightes and
33ladies, as the Erelle of Comberlan, Sir James Clifford, Sir Michell
34Sandes, the Ladie Loveles, the Ladie Ashenden, and divers
35others, &c. The sixte childe of the said William and Mary was
36Robarte, whoe toke to wife Jon, the daughter of Steaven Pore,
37gentleman, of Dorsetshire, and the sam Robarte died leavinge his
38said wife with child. The seventh child of the said William and
39Marie was a daughter, alsoe named Jone. And the laste and
40yongeste was Johne, which too were not maried aft 40 yers of
41age. And this was specially to be noted in the children of the
42said William and Marie, there was never any of them did marry
43till they were at leste 34 yers of age. And it is recorded in auncient

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44bockes that ther ar three thinges specially noted in the name
45of the Formans, that is, ther was never any of them proud, covetouse,
46nor a traitor; and that may welbe seen to this daie in the
47generation. The father of this Simon died when he was but a xj.
48yers old; his mother lived after the death of his father 40 yeres
49a widdowe; when she was fowar score and xij. yers old, she was
50a lustie woman; but we will leave them all and speak of the
51wonderfull life of the sayd Symon.
52
53

OF VISIONS THAT THE SAID SYMON HAD, BEINGE YET A CHILDE.

54
55    Simon, beinge a child of six yers old, his father loved him
56above all the reste, but his mother nor brethren loved him not.
57His father, for the affecton he had to him, wold alwaies have him
58ly at his bedes feete in a lyttle bed for the nonce, and soe sone as
59he was alwaies laid downe to slepe, he should see in visions
60alwaies many mighti mountaines and hills com rowling againste
61him, although they wold overron him and falle on him and brust
62him, yet he gote upp alwaies to the top of them and with moch
63adoe wente over them. Then should he see many grete waters like
64to drowne him, boilinge and raginge against him as thoughe they
65wolde swallowe him up, yet he thought he did overpasse them.
66And thes dremes and visions he had every nighte continually for
673 or 4 yers space. Thes visions God did showe him in his youth,
68to signifie unto him his trobles in his riper years; for the mightie
69mountaines mighte signifie the great and mightie potentates that
70he had controversy with afterwards. And the waters mighte signifie
71the greate councells that were houlden againste hime, to
72overthrowe him; yet God, the only defendor of all that be His,
73wold never let him be overthrowen; but contynuallye gave him
74alwaies in the end the victory of alle his enimies, and he overpaste
75all with credite by the helpe of God, to whom be praise for
76evermore! Amen.

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77

HOWE SIMON WAS SET TO SCOLE, WITH WHOM AND WHER.

78
79    When Simon was almoste eyghte yers of age, in those daies
80when the souldiars came from Newe-Haven, which was aboute
81the yere of our Lord God, 1560, that the plague began in Salisbury,
82ther was a certain minister named William Ryddonte, alias
83Ridear, that by his trade and occupation was a cobler, byt after
84Quen Maries dayes, when the lawe did turne, he was made a
85minister, and soe withalle bacame a scholmaster and teacher of
86children. He was a man of som 50 yers, mean of stature, and
87a black grom sir. He could read English well, but he could noe
88Lattine more then the singell accidens, and that he lerned of his
89too sonnes that went daily to a free scolle. This person, when
90the plague began, fled from Salisbury for feare therof, and cam to
91dwelle at the priorie of St. Gilles, nere unto the father of this
92Simon, to whom this Simon was put to scolle at Michaelmas,
93wher he lerned his letters. And when he came to lerne "In the
94name of the Father," &c., because his capacity could not understand
95the mistery of spellinge, he prayed his master he mighte goe
96to scolle noe more, because he should never learne yt; but his
97said master beate him for yt, which made him the more diligent
98to his bocke, and after som four dais, when he had pondered theron
99well and had the reason thereof, he learned yt. And after that,
100his master never beate him for his bocke again. And he profited
101soe well, that in on yeare or lyttle more he had lerned his single
102accidentes and his rules clean out. And bording with this priste
103in the winter time, he wold make him lie alwaies naked, which
104kepte him in greete feare. And after this he was put to the free
105scolle in the Close at Salisbury, with on Doctor Booles, which was
106a very furiouse man, with whom he wente to scole som too yeares.
107Then did the said Simon bord at one Mr. Hauknightes, that somtyme

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108was register to the bishope, and nere unto this Mr. Hauknighte
109dwelt a cannon of the churche named Mr. Mintorne, to
110whom many tymes this Simon wente. And this cannon seldom
111or never kepte any fier in his house, but he had some lode of
112faggots lying in a house, and alwaies when he was a-cold, he wold
113goe and carry his faggots up into a lofte till he was hote; and
114when he had caried them all up, he wold fetch them downe again
115and burn none, and soe he made this Simon doe many a tyme and
116ofte to catch a heate, saying yt was better to heat himself soe then
117to syt by the fier. Soe he went to scolle som too years with
118Docter Bolles, and then aboute the yeare of our Lord God, 1563,
119at Christmas, his father had him, and on the new yeare's eave after
120at nighte the father of the said Simon died, for he had kepte a
121great Christmas, and on the day before new yer's eve he walked
122abrod to his ground with on of his men. And ther came a dove,
123and lighted before him, and alwaies rane before him, and many
124tymes they offered to catch yt, and yt wold rise up and falle downe
125againe, and so they folowed it till it ran into a neighbour's wodbine;
126and the same nighte aboute midnighte, after the dancing
127and sporte was almoste ended, he going into his chamber to goe
128to bed, on as he thoughte stroke him in the necke, and he toke
129his bed, and died just 24 howrs after.
130
131

HOWE SYMON AFTER HIS FATHERS DEATH WAS PUT TO SHIFTE FOR HIMSELFE,
132AND WENT TO DWELL WITH HIS AUNTE FOR TWO YERS.

133
134    After the father of Symon was dead, his mother, who never
135loved him, grudged at his beinge at hom; and what faulte soever
136was committed by any the reste, he was allwaies beaten for
137yt, and she suffred him to goo to scolle no longer, but set him to
138kepe shepe, and to plowe and gathering of stickes and such like.
139The boy beinge but a xj. yers old juste at the death of his father,
140yet having reasonable wit and discretion, and being nymber
141sprited and apte to any thinge, seeynge the hatred of his mother
142and of the reste of his brethren and sisters towardes him, and

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143that he could not followe his bocke nor be at quiete, he put himself
144an apprentice to on Mathewe Comins of Sarum at 14 yers,
145which useth many occupations. Firste he was a hosier, and
146therby he lerned to sowe and to make a hose; then he was a merchante
147of cloth, and of alle smalle wares, and sold hops, salte, oille,
148pitch, rosine, raisons, and all poticary drugs and grocery, wherby
149the said Simon learned the knowledge of alle wares and drugs,
150and howe to buy and selle, and grue soe apte, and had such good
151fortune, that in shorte tyme his master committed all to his charge.
152But ther fell out many controversyes betwen his mistres and
153him, and she wold often beate him, especially for on Jean Cole,
154her sister's daughter, which she kepte.
155
156

HOWE SYMON BEATE MARY ROBARTES, HIS MASTERS MAIDE.

157
158    Nowe when Symon had put himselfe an apprentice for 10 yers,
159as is said, with Mathewwe Connin, with condition that he should
160be 3 yeares at the grammer scole, the which his master performed
161not, which was a parte of the cause why he wente from his master
162afterwards, as hereafter shall followe. Symon at firste beinge the
163yongeste apprentice of four, was put to all the worste, and being
164little and smalle of stature and yong of yers, every on did triumphe
165over him, but especially a kitchen maid named Mary Robartes;
166and oftentymes she wold knock him that the blod should rone
167aboute his eares. Yt fell out in tracte of tyme, within the terme
168of five yeeres, alle the other apprentices went away, and Symon
169servyd by yt, and all thinges for the shope was committed to his
170charge. On a certain frosty morninge his master and mistress
171were both gon to the garden, and there kinswoman with them,
172leavinge non at home but Symon and Mary, willing Marye to locke
173into the shope and helpe, yf occasion served; they being gone, soe
174many customers came for ware that Simon could not attend them
175all, wherupon he calles Mary to stand in the shope. And she came
176forth and reviled him with many bitter wordes, and said shee wold
177anon have him by the ears, and soe went her way again. And

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178Simon put up all and said lyttle, but made the beste shift he could,
179and ryd them all awaie, and shut the shop dore, and toke a yerd and
180wente into Mary, who so sone as she sawe him was redy to have
181him by the eares, but Simon stroke her on the handes with his
182yerd, and belabored her soe or he wente that he made her black
183and blue alle over, and burst her head and handes, that he laid her
184alonge crying and roringe like a bulle, for he beat her thorowly for
185all her knavery before to him done.
186
187

OF THE QUANDARY AND FEAR THAT SIMON WAS IN WHEN HE HAD
188BEATON MARIE.

189
190    When this combat was ended between Simon and Marie, and
191that Symon had gotten the victorie of Marie, he was moch aferd,
192for he thoughte yf his mistres should com home first she wole
193take the maides parte, and then should Simon be well beaten; but
194yf his master cam firste, then he thoughte yt wold be so moch the
195better. And as God wold, his master came firste, and finding the
196maid cryinge and howlinge, demaunded the cause, and she told
197him that Simon had beaten her. That's well like, said he, but yf
198he had, said he, he had served thee well ynough, for thou haste
199beaten him full ofte. And with that he asked Simon the cause.
200Sir, said he, her came many customers that I could not serve them
201and loke to the shop to; wherefore I called Mary to helpe to attend
202in the shope, and see to things; and she came forth and scolded at
203me, and wente in again and wold not doe it, that people mighte
204stealle what they wold for her. And because therof, I did give her
205three or four lambskines with the yerd. Thou servedst her well
206ynough, said he, and yf she be soe obstinate serve her soe again,
207said he. Thes words mad the maid stark mad, for she thoughte
208he wolde have pitied her, but he toke Simon's parte. And then
209shee cryed the more, till her mistress came, and demanded of her
210the cause, and she told her. Then she cam into the shope with
211open mouth, but his master stopte her mouth and furie, and wold
212not suffer her to beate Simon, as she would have don; wherupon

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213she grudged at him moch, and kepte it in mind a long tyme after.
214But after this Simon and Marie agreed soe well that they never
215were at square after, and Mary wold doe for him all that she could.
216And many a pound of butter she yelded in the bottom after for
217Simon's breakfaste, which before that she wold never doe.
218
219

OF THE COMBATE BETWEN SIMON AND THE TOO GODFRIES.

220
221    In this proces of tyme, while Simon dwelte with his said master,
222they kepte a stannage at our Ladie faier, and ther were many
223knavishe boies which were at play behind the stannage, and thrue
224stones against the stannage, and often thruste downe their ware;
225and then on Richard Kinge, a jornayman, com to his master to
226helpe at that faire, sent Simon out to see who made that quarelle.
227And amonge alle the boies ther were too of Godfries sonnes of the
228Swane, an inholder, which gave Simon hard wordes, and said they
229wold have him by the eares, and he being somewhat ferful stode
230abashed, and the boies wolde not leave their knavery; at laste out
231came Kinge, and findinge thes boies to play the knaves soe with
232Simon, and threteninge him, hardned Symon to have them by the
233eares; soe to buffets they wente. And Simon beate them bothe,
234and made them both give of; and after that, Simon would not shrinke
235for a bluddi nose with any boye, for he was then thorowely fleshed
236by the means of Kinge.
237
238

HOW SIMON WAS GIVEN TO HIS BOCKE, AND LERNED BY NIGHTE ALL THAT
239HENRY GIRD LERNED IN THE DAIE.

240
241    Simon thus beinge with his said master was moch gyven continually
242to his bocke, for he wold never be ydelle, and many tymes
243his master chid him that he was soe moch gyven to his bocke, and
244in the end toke alle his Lattin bockes from him, which trobled
245Simon his mind moch. Soe it chaunsed that a kirsy man of
246Denshire, on Gird of Kirton, borded a sonn that he had with
247Simon's master, that wente every dai to the free scole, and he was
248bedfellowe to Simon; and loke whatsoever he lerned by day, that

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249did Simon learne of him alwaies at nighte, wherby, thoughe he
250profited himselfe but lyttle, yet he loste nothinge of that he had
251before-tyme lerned, for his mind was moste ardently set on his bocke.
252
253

HOW A. Y. LOVED SIMON.

254
255    Ther was a man of good reputation and wealth, that dwelte not
256far from Simon's master, that had a proper fine maiden to his only
257daughter, the which being but yonge of yeares and younger then
258Simon, that loved Simon wonderfull welle, and wold suerly see
259him once a daie, or ells she wold be sicke. And often she wold
260com to Simon's master, and entreat him very kindly on holly daies
261that she might see him or speake with him, and somtymes to goe
262to pastymes with her; and she loved him soe well that yf forty
263youth were at play before the dore, in a spacious place which ther
264was, yf Simon were not amonge them, she would not be ther; but
265yf he were there, none could kepe her from thence. Yf Simon stode
266by his master or mistress at the dore she wold com and stand by
267him, and wold not goe from him tille necessity did comple. And
268Simon's master well perceyvinge the grete affection of the gentlewoman
269towardes Simon, wold often say unto her, mistress An
270Yene love my boy welle methinkes; and she would aunswer, yea
271forsothe, yf yt will please youe to give him leave to go rone with
272us, wee shall give youe thankes, sir. Wherupon oftentymes he
273wold give him leave; and as for Simon, he loved her not but in
274kindnes, but because she was soe kind to Simon, he wold doe
275anythinge he could doe for her. And this love on her syde lasted
276longe, as herafter shalbe showed.
277
278

HOWE SIMON AND HIS MISTRES FELL AT CONTROVERSY, WHEREUPON SIMON
279AT SEVENTEEN YERES OLD AND A HALFE WENTE FROM HIS MASTER.

280
281    When Simon had dwelte with his master som six yeres and a
282halfe, ther fell out a controversye betwen Simon and his mistres

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283aboute a dossen of flax that his mistres loste from stanning in
284Simon's absence, and then wold have laid the blam on Simon, and
285have beaten him for yt, of the whiche Simon thoughte great scorne,
286because he knewe himselfe cleare of the matter, and when she
287wold have beaten Simon, as she had wonte to doe, with a yeard,
288Simon toke the yearde from his mistres, and thruste her up behind
289a dore, and put the dore on her, wherupon she durste not meddle
290with Simon again, but with weeping teares complained to his
291master, whoe for soe doinge, althoughe yt was moch againste his
292wille, beate Simon for yt; but he knewe his wife to be a wicked,
293hedstronge, and proud fantasticalle woman, a consumer and
294spender of his wealth, and oftentymes they too were also at square,
295insomoch that twise he had like to have killed hir by casting a
296peire of tailors shers at her, for once they went so nere her, that
297as she was going in at a dore, he nailled her clothes and smock at
298her buttockes to the dore, and the pointes of the shers wente clean
299throughe the dore, and she honge faste by the taille; wherupon
300he swore in his wrath that yf ever he died before her, he wold
301never give her anythinge. Thes controversies were often betwen
302them, and many tymes when Simon and his master wente to his
303farme together, some too milles of in the country, they wold on
304complain to another of his mistress and her pride. And his master
305wold say to him, Simon, thou moste suffer as well as I myselfe;
306thou seeste we cannote remadie yt as yet, but God will send a remadie
307on daie. Nowe because Simon's master had beaten him
308for his mistres sake, herselfe being in faulte, Symon told his said
309master flate that he had not performed his covenantes according
310to promise, and therfore he wold give of the trade and goe to his
311bocke againe, and he wepte sorely unto his master, and entreted
312him to have his good will; and his mastre seing he wold needes
313departe, consented therunto, and gave him his indenture, at the
314which his mistres toke on mightily, and they all wepte, some for
315joye and some for madnes and rage.

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316

HOWE SIMON, AFTER HE WAS GONE FROM HIS SAID MASTER, BECAME A
317SCOLLER AGAIN AT THE FRE SCOLE.

318
319    Nowe when Simon was gon from his said master, and was at
320his fre libertie to serve ells where, he mighte have had mani
321masters, but he wold dwell with none, but provided and wente to
322the free scolle every day for eight wickes' space, and folowed his
323bocke hard. Then his mother wold give him meate and drink no
324longer, nor any maintenance, wherupon he was dryven to make
325many hard shiftes, and he was soe gredy on his bocke, that yf his
326master wold not have beaten him, yf he could not say his lesson
327well, he wold have wepte and suobbed more than yf he had byne
328beaten. And yf his master gave him leave to play, that was death
329or a grete punishment to him, for he wold say, Play, play, her is
330nothing but play, I shall never be a good scoller; and alwaies
331when his fellowes wente to playe, he wold goe to his bocke, or into
332som secret place to muse and meditate, or into the church.
333
334

HOWE SIMON BECAME A SCOLMASTRE BEFORE HE WAS EIGHTEEN YERS OLD.

335
336    Simon, percevinge his mother wold doe nothinge for him, was
337dryven to great extremity and hunger, gave of to be a scoller any
338longer, for lacke of maintenance; and at the priorie of St. Jilles,
339wher he himselfe was first a scoller, ther became he a scolmaster,
340and taught som thirty boies, and their parentes among them gave
341him moste parte of his diet. And the money he gote he kept, to
342the some of som 40s., and after folowinge when he had bin scolmaster
343some halfe yere and had 40s. in his purse, he wente to Oxford
344for to get more lerninge, and soe left of from being scolmaster.
345
346

HOWE SIMON WITH ON OF HIS OLD SCOLLEFELLOWES WOLD GOE SEEK OUT
347OXFORD.

348
349    Nowe it befell in that in the yeare of our Lord God 1573, the
35010. daie of May, ther was an ardente desier in Simon of further
351lerninge and knowledg, and meeting with an old scollefellowe of
352his, whoe before were allway brought up together and love as

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353brethren, whose father-in-lawe was as moch againe him as Simon's
354mother was againste him. Thes too confederated together to goe
355to Oxford, and did soe, and ther they became both pore scollers,
356the on which was Thomas Ridear in Corpus Christie College, and
357Symon in Magdalen Colledge. And every day he wente to the
358free scolle for a tyme, and followed his boocke hard allwayes when
359he could have leysure. Nowe ther were too Bachelors of Arte
360that were too of his chife benefactors; the one of them was Sir
361Thornbury, that after was bishope of Limerike, and he was of
362Magdalen College; the other was Sir Pinckney his cossine of St.
363Mary Halle. Thes too loved him nying welle, and many tymes
364wold make Simon to goo forth tho Loes the keper of Shottofer for
365his houndes to goe on huntinge from morninge to nighte, and they
366never studied nor gave themselves to their bockes, but to goe to
367scolles of defence, to the daunceing scolles, to stealle dear and
368connyes, and to hunt the hare, and to woinge of wentches; to goe
369to Doctor Lawrence of Cowly, for he had too fair daughters, Besse
370and Martha. Sir Thornbury he woed Besse; and Sir Pinckley
371he woed Martha, and in the end he maried her; but Thornbury
372he deceyved Besse, as the mayor's daughter of Bracly, of which
373Ephues writes, deceyved him. But ther was their ordinary
374haunt alwaies, and thethere muste Symon rone with the bottell
375and the bage early and late.