Froude examined the strange and startling allegation, cited by Macaulay in his introductory chapter, that during the reign of Henry VIII.

seventy-two thousand persons perished by the hand of the public executioner.

He traced it to the Commentaries of Cardan, an astrologer, not a very trustworthy authority, who had himself heard it, he said, from "an unknown Bishop of Lexovia." "Unknown," observed Freeman, with biting sarcasm, "to no one who has studied the history of Julius Caesar or of Henry II." Froude had not been aware that Lexovia was the ancient name for the modern Lisieux, and for twenty years he was periodically reminded of the fact.

Had he followed Freeman's methods, he might have asked whether his critic really supposed that there were bishops in the time of Julius Caesar.

Freeman failed to see that the point was not the modern name of Lexovia, but the number of persons put to death by Henry, on which Froude had shown the worthlessness of popular tradition.
Bishop Hooper was burnt at Gloucester in the Cathedral Close.