ABSTRACT
This examination was conducted by the two lord chief justices, Sir John Popham of the Queen’s Bench and Sir Edmund Anderson of the Court of Common Pleas. One ostensible purpose of the examination was to establish by testimony the authorship of three books by Barrow and Greenwood, although. the authorship was apparent to any who read the books. But another purpose was to secure damaging evidence against printers, publishers, and collaborating agents. Barrow readily admitted his part in compiling the two volumes which he and Greenwood had issued, and he testified that he had seen Greenwood when he was writing his answer to George Gifford. He was discreetly silent or honestly ignorant about printers and publishers, and divulged as little information as possible. The one exception is that he revealed the name of Ellyn Bowman as the agent who brought him a copy in prison, but inasmuch as she had died the testimony was not damaging.
