[Sidenote: By that which followeth, written by GEORGE ELLIOT himself; consider the truth of this report. [A.M.]] This aforenamed GEORGE ELLIOT came home unto my lodging [? in Barbican, see page 221; and in February 1582]; where I shewed him the slanders that were used of him in the French book. Whereupon, taking good advice, and noting the circumstances that so highly touched him; upon his conscience, he delivereth this unreprovable Answer. _GEORGE ELLIOT his Answer, to clear himself of the former untrue Objections._ ABOUT three years since [? 1578] it was my fortune to serve Master THOMAS ROPER of [Orpington in] Kent. With whom I had not stayed past eleven weeks, but PAYNE the Priest (of whom mention is made [see page 205] in the _Discovery of CAMPION_ set forth by the Author of this book [_i.e._ ANTHONY MUNDAY]) inticed me [in November 1578] from thence to serve my Lady PETRE, to whom the said PAYNE served craftily as Steward of her house. [Sidenote: Who frequenteth their company shall find all their dealings disloyal and traitorous. [A.M.]] With her I continued almost two years [? Nov. 1578-Nov. 1580]. In which time, being myself bent somewhat to that religion, frequenting the company of a number of Papists, I perceived their dealings to be, as they are indeed, full of wicked treasons and unnatural dispositions, too bad to be named. The conceit whereof (examining first my duty to GOD, next my love to my Princess [_Sovereign_], and last the care of my country,) by the grace and permission of GOD, offered me so great disliking of their dealings that, so warily and conveniently as I might, I weaned my affection from their abominable infection: nevertheless using their companies still, for that it gave me the better occasion to see into the depth of their horrible inventions. From my Lady PETRE, in November was twelvemonth [1580], by entreaty I came to Master ROPER's again. With whom I continued till Whitsuntide last [14th May 1581], when my conscience hardly digesting such a weighty burden as with their devices and practices it was very sore ladened; I was constrained to give over that slavish kind of life, and humbly committed my reconciliation to the Right Honourable and my good Lord, the Earl of LEICESTER: to whom I made known the grievous estate of my life which, for the space of four years, I had endured amongst them. Now whereas it hath pleased my adversary to set down that I _committed a murder, and to avoid the danger of law offered to the aforesaid my good Lord to deliver unto him EDMUND CAMPION, thereby to obtain my pardon._ [Sidenote: It is very unlike[ly] that he, which never saw CAMPION in all his life, nor knew where he was, could make any promise to bring him forth. [A.M.]]