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BR  1600  .F62  1S24 
Foxe,  John,  1516-1587. 
An  universal  history  of 
Christian  martyrdom 


►'^A 


Si    « 


/O'.liJ^      i-'O 


vi  o\.  ///.-r  r.fr^,',??-^ 


&3  a^i^'^h^^^i^ 

"^ UN  I V ER s ^biasreif Y 

OF 

CHRISTIAN  MARTYRDOM: 

BEIVG 

A  COMPLETE  AND  AUTHENTIC  ACCOUNT 

OF  THE 

LIVES,  SUFFERINGS,  AND  TRIUMPHANT  DEATHS 

OF  THE 

Priixiitive  as  well  as  Protestant 


IN  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD, 

FnOM    THE 

BIRTH  OF  OUR  BLESSED  SAVIOUR, 

TO   THE 

LATEST  PERIODS  OF  PAGAN  AND  POPISH  PERSECUTION. 


ORIGINALLY  COMPOSED   BT 

THE  REV.  JOHN  FOX,  M.A. 

AND  NOW  CORRECTED  THROUGHOUX,  WTTH  COPIOOS  AND  IMPORTANT  ADDITIONS 
RELATIVE  TO  THE  RECENT 

Pertfecutton?  of  t^^e  Prote^tantji  fn  t^c  <S>otttl&  of  jFrance. 


EMBELLISHED  WITH  NUMEROUS  ENGRAVINGS. 


ILontion : 

PRINTED  FOR  SHERWOOD,  JONES.  AND  CO. 

PATFRNOSTER-ROW. 


,^^^V   ••   ^^-^.:r  '■    v-v  ^v\ 


Jv  r;.  Barnard,  Skinner-street,  London. 


PREFACE. 


XjLT  a  period  when  the  fears  of  every  reHectiug  Protestant 
are  justly  exciteil  by  the  unceasing'  efforts  of  the  Papists  to 
extend  their  belief  throughout  tlie  kingdom,  and  to  obtain 
what  they  term  Emancipation,  but  which  in  reality  means 
the  power  of  overthrowing-  all  those  sacred  Institutions  to  esta- 
blish which  our  Ancestors  bled  on  the  Scaffold,  and  expired  at 
the  Stake ;  and  when  many  of  tnose  avIio  might  be  expected  to 
defend  the  Church  against  her  insidious  enemies,  have  ranged 
themselves  under  the  banners  of  those  enemies;  and,  from  a 
base  affectation  of  liberality,  or  a  criminal  indifference  to  reli- 
gion itself,  lend  their  voices  to  augment  the  ungrateful  clamour 
which  complains,  however  groundlessly,  of  oppression: — at 
such  a  period,  it  is  incumbent  on  every  well-wisher  to  ge- 
nuilie  Christianity,  to  give  some  "evidence  of  the  faith  that  is 
in  him" — to  testify  his  attachment  to  the  pure  and  holy  religion 
which  he  professes,  by  a  strict  performance  of  the  duties  which 
it  enjoins :  and  the  Proprietors  and  Editors  of  the  present 
volume  are  persuaded  that  they  could  not  have  better  fulfilled 
their  share  of  those  duties,  so  far  as  respects  that  portion  of 
their  Fellow-Christians  whose  circumstances  preclude  them  from 
the  purchase  of  expensive  Books,  than  by  presenting  them  with 
a  cheap  and  improved  Edition  of  the  inestimable  Work  now 
submitted  to  their  notice;  a  Work,  which,  by  laying'  before  them 
the  horrible  cruelties  practised  under  the  auspices  of  Popery, 
forms  the  best  antidote  to  the  insidious  poison  attempted  to  be 
infused  into  their  minds  by  the  professors  of  that  doctrine,  and 
by  their  self-styled  liberal  ?ibeitors  in  many  of  the  public  journals. 
It  is  useless  to  argue  that  the  persecuting  spirit  of  Popery  has 
passed  away — Persecution  is  inseparable  from  Popery 
— it  is  its  very  essence.  A  Church  which  pretends  U)  be  in- 
fallible, will  always  seek  the  destruction  of  those  wl'.o  dissent 
from  it;  and  as  a  proof  that  its  spirit  is  uncJiafirjed  ani]  tinchanqe- 
able,  we  may  refer  to  the  recent  persecutions  in  the  South  of 
France,  of  which  a  particular  account  will  be  found  in  this 
Volume.  What,  then,  have  we  to  expect,  should  we  weakly 
g-ive  way  to  the  importunity  of  those  who,  unthai*kful  for  the  to- 
leration which  has  already  granted  to  them  every  privilege,  but 

A  2 


iv  PREFACE. 

that  of  renewing  the  persecutions  wl)ith  always  have  and  always 
wiil  distinguisli  their  ascendency,  demand  that  privilege  also? 
What  but  a  renewal  of  the  bunungs,  and  hangings,  and  tortur- 
ings,  and  plunderings,  which  have  affixed  an  indelible  disgrace 
on  the  periods  of  Popish  power  in  this  country  ? 

In  preparing  the  present  Edition  lor  the  press,  the  greatest 
diligence  has  been  used  in  collecting  from  various  sources  the 
best  information  on  the  subjects  of  which  it  treats.  Well  aware 
how  difficult  it  is  to  fix  attention  by  a  tedious  account  of  theolo- 
gical disputations;  we  have  excluded  the  detail,  while  we  have 
carefully  preserved  the  spirit,  of  those  controversies  which  had 
for  their  object  the  establishment  of  truth,  or  the  refutation  of 
error.  The  language,  which  had  been  corrupted  and  barba- 
rized in  successive  impressions,  has,  in  this,  been  corrected  and 
polished;  and,  we  trust,  we  may  say,  without  the  imputation  of 
vanity,  that  it  is,  in  all  respects,  better  worthy  of  a  place  in 
the  library  of  every  Protestant  family  in  the  kingdom,  than  any 
of  its  predecessors.  Indeed,  if  the  unexampled  patronage  of 
the  public  be  a  proof  of  the  excellence  of  a  work,  our's  must 
rank  high  indeed;  to  state  the  real  number  of  the  weekly  circu- 
lation would  look  like  exaggeration;  we  shall  therefore  mt- rely 
say,  that  while  it  exceeded  our  most  sanguine  hopes,  it  gratified 
our  warmest  wishes,  by  demonstrating  that  there  still  exists  a 
truly  Protestant  spirit  among  our  countrymen — and  while  this 
spirit  survives,  we  know  that  they  can  never  become  the  dupes 
of  Popery  and  its  abettors. 

But  public  patronage  is  not  the  only  testimonial  of  our  useful- 
ness which  we  have  received:  but  a  few  weeks  had  elapsed 
from  our  first  publication,  when  the  enemies  of  the  Protestant 
religion,  alarmed  at  the  sensation  created  by  our  work,  set  their^ 
usual  engines  in  motion,  and  announced  a  "  Review"  of  what 
they  are  pleased  to  term  "  Fox's  Book  of  Lies."  Accordingly, 
in  due  time,  this  notable  performance  made  its  appearance ;  and 
although  it  is,  as  might  be  expected,  a  mass  of  vulgar  abuse, 
gross  perversion,  barefaced  falsehoods,  and  unsupported  asser- 
tions, yet,  such  is  the  influence  exercised  by  the  Popish  priests 
over  the  deluded  and  ignorant  creatures  whom  they  pretend  to 
teach,  that  the  jjublication  still  continues,  and  a  sufficient  number 
are  disposed  of  to  defray  the  expenses,  and  to  pay  the  wages  of 
the  miserable  hack  who  puts  together  this  farrago  of  trash,  des- 
tined (as  he  modestly  says)  to  enlighlen  the  Catholic  world! 

It  may  naturally  be  inquired,  If  this  book  be  so  utterly  un- 
worthy, how  does  it  meet  with  purchasers?  To  this  we  reply. 
Those  who  purchase  it,  are  compelled  to  do  so;  it  is  a  kind  of 
act  of  /aith,  enjoined  by  the  priests,  and,  of  course,  submitted 
to  by  their  flocks,  with  the  same  willingness  (though  with  less 
pleasure)  as  they  would,  had  they  the  power,   perform  a  real, 


PREFACE.  ▼ 

Inquisitorial  Auto  da  Fe,  in  which  the  Editors  of  the  Book  of 
Martyrs  should  be  consij^ned  to  the  flames,  amidst  the  savae^e 
yellings  of  the  bigoted  and  infuriated  multitude!  That  the  sale 
of  the  "  Review"  among  these  poor  creatures  arises  from  a  no- 
tion of  its  being  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  their  souls 
from  purgatory,  and  not  from  any  possibility  of  amusement  or 
instruction  to  be  derived  from  its  perusal,  is  evident  from  the 
fact,  that  three-fourths  of  its  '•  enlifjhtcnecV  purchasers  are  not 
sufficiently  skilful  to  recidM;  and  of  the  remaining  fourth,  if  ten 
persons  were  to  come  forward  and  swear  that  they  had  read  this 
erudite  performance  through,  we  should  certainly  suspect  that  the 
dispensing  power  of  his  "  Holiness"  had  been  exerted  to  relieve 
their  consciences  from  the  guilt  of  perjury.  We  have  ourselves 
tried  to  wade  through  it,  and  are  confident  that  it  would  be  al- 
most impossible  to  persevere  through  two  pages,  such  is  the  so- 
porific duhiess  of  the  matter,  were  it  not  that  the  attention  is 
ever  and  anon  aroused  by  a  daring  excursion  beyond  the  bounds 
of  truth,  or,  to  speak  in  plain  terms,  a  shameless  and  outrageous 
falsehood!  Sincerely  do  we  pity  those,  who  can  be  imposed  on 
by  so  gross  an  imposture;  and  we  consider  ourselves,  and  the 
cause  we  have  espoused,  doubly  honoured  by  this  attack;  for 
while  the  abuse  and  impotent  malignity  levelled  at  our  work, 
from  such  a  quarter,  is  its  highest  eulogium,  the  countenance 
afforded  to  our  adversary  by  the  Papists,  is  the  best  proof  of  the 
veracity  of  our  assertions  as  to  the  ignorance  and  besotted  bigotry 
of  the  present,  as  well  as  former,  professors  of  that  belief. 

This  is  the  first  and  last  notice  v.  e  shall  ever  take  of  this 
work,  although  we  are  personally  abused  in  almost  every  one  of 
its  pages.  The  intolerant  and  malignant  spirit  displayed  through- 
out the  whole,  should  be  an  additional  inducement  to  Protestants 
to  guard  against  the  possibility  of  power  being  intrusted  to  such 
persons  as  the  patrons  of  the  "Reviciv:'"  If  the  work  of  perse- 
cution were  to  do  again,  if  the  fires  of  Smithfield  were  to  be  re- 
lighted, never  could  filter  agents  be  employed  than  those  per- 
sons:  the  savage  fury  displayed  in  the  anonymous  letters  which 
we  have  received  from  some  of  the  faction,  v.ants  but  ability,  to 
re-enact  the  horrors  of  the  sixteenth  ceritury.  Let  us,  therefore, 
by  all  legal  means,  withhold  this  ability  ;  let  us  never  surrender 
the  outworks  erected  by  the  wisdom  and  foresight  of  our  ances- 
tors, to  defend  the  citadel  of  the  faith ;  for,  if  we  do,  we  shall 
assuredly  lament,  when  too  late  to  remedy  it,  the  too  generous 
confidence  which  allowed  an  insidious  but  irreconcileable 
enemy,  to  possess  himself  of  the  sword,  and  to  turn  it  against  the 
breast  of  his  defenceless  victim ! 

August  14,  1834. 


THE  LIFE 

OF    THE 

REV.    JOHN    FOX. 


t."  OHN  FOX  was  born  at  Boston,  in  Lincolnshire,  in  1517,  where 
his  parents  are  stated  to  have  lived  in  respectable  circumstances.  He 
was  deprived  of  his  father  at  an  early  age ;  and  notwithstanding  his 
mother  soon  married  again,  he  still  remained  under  the  paternal  roof. 
From  an  early  display  of  talents  and  inclination  to  learning,  his  friends 
were  induced  to  send  him  to  Oxford,  in  order  to  cultivate  and  bring 
them  to  maturity.  During  his  residence  at  this  place,  he  was  distin- 
guished for  the  excellence  and  acuteness  of  his  intellect,  which  was  im- 
proved by  the  emulation  of  his  fellow-collegians,  united  to  an  indefa- 
tigable zeal  and  industry  on  his  part.  These  qualities  soon  gained  him 
the  admiration  of  all;  and  as  a  reward  for  his  exertions  and  amiable 
conduct,  he  was  chosen  fellow  of  Magdalen  college;  which  was  ac- 
counted a  great  honour  in  the  university,  and  seldom  bestowed  unless 
in  cases  of  great  distinction.  It  appears  that  the  first  display  of  his  ge- 
nius was  in  poetry  ;  and  that  he  composed  some  Latin  comedies,  which 
are  still  extant.  But  he  soon  directed  his  thoughts  to  a  more  serious 
subject,  the  study  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  :  to  divinity,  indeed,  he  ap- 
plied himself  with  more  fervency  than  circumspection,  and  discovered 
his  partiality  to  the  Reformation,  Avhich  had  then  commenced,  before 
he  was  known  to  its  supporters  or  to  those  who  protected  them ;  a  cir- 
cumstance which  proved  to  him  the  source  of  his  first  troubles. 

He  is  said  to  have  often  affirmed,  that  the  first  matter  which  occa- 
sioned his  search  into  the  popish  doctrine,  was,  that  he  saw  diver.s 
things,  most  repugnant  in  their  nature  to  one  another,  forced  upon  men 
at  the  same  time  :  upon  this  foundation  his  resolution  and  intended  obe- 
dience to  that  church  were  somewhat  shaken,  and  by  degrees  a  dislike 
to  the  rest  took  place. 

His  first  care  was  to  look  into  both  the  ancient  and  modern  history 
of  the  church  ;  to  ascertain  its  beginning  and  progress ;  to  consider  the 
causes  of  all  those  controversies  which  in  the  mean'ime  had  sprung  up, 
and  diligently  to  weigh  their  eflects,  solidity,  infirmities,  &c. 

Before  he  had  attained  his  thirtieth  year,  he  had  studied  the  Greek 
and  Latin  fathers,  and  other  learned  authors,  the  transactions  of  the 
councils,  and  decrees  of  the  consistories,  and  had  acquired  a  very  com- 
j)elent  skill  in  the  Hebrew  language.  In  these  occupations  he  frequently 
spent  a  considerable  part,  or  even  the  whole  of  the  night;  and  in  order 
to  unbend  his  mind  after  such  incessant  study,  he  would  resort  to  a 
grove  near  the  college,  a  place  much  frequented  by  the  students  in  the 
pv«iing,  on  account  of  its  sequestered  gloominess.     In  these  solitary 


LIFE  OF  TJIE  REV.  JOHN  FOX.  vii 

walks  he  has  been  heard  to  ejaculate  heavy  sobs  and  sighs,  and  with 
tears  to  pour  forth  his  prayers  to  God.  These  nightly  retirements,  in 
the  sequel,  gave  rise  to  the  first  suspicion  of  his  alienation  from  the 
church  of  Rome.  Being  pressed  for  an  explanation  of  this  alteration 
in  his  conduct,  he  scorned  to  call  in  fiction  to  his  excuse ;  he  stated  his 
opinions ;  and  was,  by  the  sentence  of  the  college,  convicted,  condemned 
as  an  heretic,  and  expelled. 

His  friends,  upon  the  report  of  this  circumstance,  were  highly  of- 
fended, and  especially  his  father-in-law,  who  was  now  grown  altoge- 
ther implacable,  either  through  a  real  hatred  conceived  against  him  tor 
this  cause,  or  pretending  himself  aggrieved,  that  he  might  now,  with 
more  show  of  justice,  or  at  least  with  more  security,  withhold  from  Mr. 
Fox  his  paternal  estate;  for  he  knew  it  could  not  be  safe  for  one  pub- 
licly hated,  and  in  danger  of  the  law,  to  seek  a  remedy  for  his  injus- 
tice. 

When  he  was  thus  forsaken  by  his  own  friends,  a  refuge  offered 
itself  in  the  house  of  sir  Thomas  Lucy,  of  Warwickshire,  by  whom  he 
was  sent  for,  to  instruct  his  children.  In  this  house  he  afterwards  mar- 
ried. But  the  fear  of  the  popish  inquisitors  hastened  his  departure 
thence ;  as  they  were  not  contented  to  pursue  public  offences,  but  be- 
gan also  to  dive  into  the  secrets  of  private  families.  He  now  began  to 
consider  what  was  best  to  be  done  to  free  himself  from  further  in- 
convenience, and  resolved  either  to  go  to  his  wife's  father,  or  to  his  fa- 
ther-in-law. 

His  wife's  father  was  a  citizen  of  Coventry,  whose  heart  was  not 
aliena>ted  from  him,  and  he  was  more  likely  to  be  well  entreated,  for  his 
daughter's  sake.  He  resolved  to  go  first  to  him;  and,  in  the  mean- 
while, by  letters,  to  try  whether  his  father-in-law  would  receive  him  or 
not.  This  he  accordingly  did,  and  he  received  for  answer,  "  that  it 
seemed  to  him  a  hard  condition  to  take  one  into  his  house  whom  he 
knew  to  be  guilty,  and  condemned  for  a  capital  offence  :  neither  was  he 
ignorant  what  hazard  he  should  undergo  in  so  doing:  he  would,  how- 
ever, shew  himself  a  kinsman,  and  neglect  his  own  danger.  If  he 
would  alter  his  mind,  he  might  come,  on  condition  to  stay  as  long  as  he 
himself  desired :  but  if  he  could  not  be  persuaded  to  that,  he  must  con- 
tent himself  with  a  shorter  stay,  and  not  bring  him  and  his  mother  into 
danger." 

No  condition  was  to  be  refused;  besides,  he  was  secredy  advised  by 
his  mother  to  come,  and  not  to  fear  his  father-in-law's  severity;  "  for 
that^  perchance,  it  was  needful  to  write  as  he  did,  but  when  occasion 
should  be  offered,  he  would  make  recompense  for  his  words  with  his 
actions."  In  fact,  he  was  belter  received  by  both  of  them  than  he 
had  hoped  for. 

By  these  means  he  kept  himself  concealed,  for  some  time,  and  after- 
wards made  a  journey  to  London,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  VHI.  Here,  being  unknown,  he  was  in  much  distress,  and 
was  even  reduced  to  the  danger  of  being  starved  to  death,  had  not 
Providence  interfered  in  his  favour,  in  the  following  manner: 

One  day  as  Mr.  Fox  was  sitting  in  St.  Paul's  church,  exhausted  with 
long  fasting,  a  stranger  took  a  seat  by  his  side,  and  courteously  saluting 


aa  LIFIS  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN  FOX. 

hiiri,  thrust  a  sum  of  monty  into  his  hand,  and  bade  him  cheer  up  his 
spirits;  at  the  same  time  informing  him,  that  in  a  few  days  new  pros- 
pects would  present  themselves  for  his  future  subsistence.  Who  this 
stranger  was,  he  could  never  learn ;  but  at  the  end  of  three  days,  he  received 
an  invitation  from  the  duchess  of  Richmond  to  undertake  the  tuition  of 
the  children  of  the  earl  of  Surrey,  who,  together  with  his  father  the 
duke  of  Norfolk,  was  imprisoned  in  the  Tower,  by  the  jealousy  and  in- 
gratitude of  the  king.  The  children  thus  confided  to  his  care  were,  Tho- 
mas, who  succeeded  to  the  dukedom  ;  Henry,  afterwards  earl  of  Nor- 
thampton ;  and  Jane,  who  became  countess  of  Westmoreland.  In  the 
performance  of  his  duties  he  fully  satisfied  the  expectations  of  the 
duchess,  their  aunt. 

These  halcyon  days  continued  during  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  VHI.  and  the  five  years  of  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  till 
Mary  came  to  the  crown,  who,  soon  after  her  accession,  gave  all  power 
into  the  hands  of  the  papists. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Fox,  who  was  still  under  the  protection  of  his 
noble  pupil,  the  duke,  began  to  excite  the  envy  and  liatred  of  many, 
particularly  Dr.  Gardiner,  then  bishop  of  Winchester,  who,  in  the 
sequel,  became  his  most  violent  enemy. 

Mr.  Fox,  aware  of  this,  and  seeing  the  dreadful  persecutions  then 
commencing,  began  to  think  of  quitting  the  kingdom.  As  soon  as  the 
duke  knew  his  intention,  he  endeavoured  to  persuade  him  to  remain; 
and  his  arguments  were  so  powerful,  and  given  with  so  much  sincerity, 
that  he  gave  up  the  thought  of  -dbandoning  his  asylum  for  the  present. 

At  that  time  the  bishop  of  Winchester  was  very  intimate  with  the 
duke,  (by  the  patronage  of  whose  family  he  had  risen  to  the  dignity  he 
then  enjoyed),  and  frequently  waited  on  him  to  present  his  service; 
when  he  several  times  requested  that  he  might  see  his  old  tutor.  At 
first  the  duke  denied  his  request,  at  one  time  alleging  his  absence,  at 
another,  indisposition.  At  length  it  happened  that  Mr.  B^ox,  not  know- 
ing the  bishop  was  in  the  house,  entered  the  room  where  the  duke  and 
he  were  in  discourse;  and  seeing  the  bishop,  withdrew.  Gardiner  ask- 
ing who  that  was,  the  duke  answered  "  his  physician,  who  was  some- 
what uncourtly,  as  being  new  come  from  the  university." — "  I  like  his 
countenance  and  aspect  very  well."  replied  the  bishop,  "  and  when 
occasion  offers,  I  will  send  for  him."  The  duke  understood  that 
speech  as  the  messenger  of  some  approaching  danger;  and  now  he  him- 
self thought  it  high  time  for  Mr.  Fox  to  quit  the  city,  and  even  the 
country.  He  accordingly  caused  every  thing  necessary  for  his  flight  to 
be  provided  in  silence,  by  sending  one  of  his  servants  to  Ipswich  to 
hire  a  bark,  and  prepare  all  the  requisites  for  his  departure.  He  also 
fixed  upon  the  house  of  one  of  his  servants,  who  was  a  farmer,  where 
he  might  lodge  till  the  wind  became  favotuable;  and  every  thing  being 
in  readiness,  Mr.  Fox  took  leave  of  his  noble  patron,  and  with  H^  wife, 
who  was  pregnant  at  the  time,  secretly  departed  for  the  ship. 

The  vessel  was  scarcely  luider  sail,  when  a  most  violent  storm  came 
on,  which  lasted  all  day  and  night,  and  the  next  day  drove  them  back 
to  the  port  from  which  they  had  departed.  During  the  time  that  the 
vessel  had  been  at  sea,  an  officer,  dispatched  by  the  bishop  of  Win- 


LIFE  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN  FOX.  ik 

Chester,  had  broken  open  the  hou^e  of  the  farmer,  witii  a  warrant  to 
apprehend  Mr.  Fox  wherever  he  might  be  fouad,  and  bring  him  back 
to  the  city.  On  hearing  this  news,  he  hired  a  horse  under  the  pretence 
of  leaving  the  town  immediately  ;  but  secretly  returned  the  same  n'\"-[\\  and 
agreed  with  the  captain  of  the  vessel  to  sail  for  any  place  as  soon  as  the 
wind  should  shift,  only  desiring  him  to  proceed,  and  not  to  doubt  but  that 
God  would  prosper  his  undertaking.  The  mariner  suffered  himself  to  be 
persuaded,  and  within  two  days  landed  his  passengers  in  safety  at  Nieu- 
port. 

After  spending  a  few  days  at  that  place,  Mr.  Fox  set  out  for  Basle 
where  he  found  a  number  of  English  rc>fugees,  who  had  quitted  their 
country  to  avoid  the  cruelty  of  the  persecutors  ;  widi  these  he  asso- 
ciated, and  began  to  write  his  "  History  of  the  Acts  and  Monuments  of 
the  Church,"  which  was  first  published  in  Latin  at  Basle,  and  shortly- 
after  in  English. 

In  the  mean  time  the  reformed  religion  began  again  to  flourish  in 
England,  and  the  popish  faction  much  to  decline,  by  the  death  of 
queen  Mary ;  which  induced  the  greater  number  of  the  protestant 
exiles  to  return  to  their  native  country. 

Among  others,  on  the  accession  of  Elizabeth  to  the  tlirone,  Mr.  FoK 
returned  to  England;  where,  on  his  arrival,  he  found  a  faithful  and  ac- 
tive friend  in  his  late  pupil,  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  till  death  deprived 
him  of  his  benefactor:  after  which  event,  Mr.  Fox  inherited  a  pension 
bequeathed  to  him  by  the  duke,  and  ratified  by  his  son  the  earl  of  Suf- 
folk. 

Nor  did  the  good  man's  succe.sses  stop  here.  On  being  recom- 
mended to  the  queen,  by  her  secretary  of  state,  the  great  Cecil,  her  ma- 
jesty granted  him  the  prebendary  of  Shipton,  in  the  cathedral  of  Sa- 
lisbury, which  was,  in  a  manner,  forced  upon  him;  for  it  was  with  dif- 
ficulty that  he  could  be  persuaded  to  accept  of  it. 

On  his  re-Settlement  in  England,  he  employed  himself  in  revising-  and 
enlarging  his  admirable  Martyrology.  With  prodigious  paina,  and 
constant  study,  he  completed  that  celebrated  work  in  eleven  years. 
For  the  sake  of  greater  correctness,  he  wrote  every  line  of  this  vast 
book  with  his  own  hand,  and  transcribed  all  the  records  and  papers 
himself.  But,  in  consequence  of  such  excessive  toil,  leaving  no  part  of 
his  time  free  from  study,  nor  aflbrding  himself  either  the  repose  or  re- 
creation which  nature  required,  his  health  was  so  reduced,  and  his  per- 
son became  so  emaciated  and  altered,  that  such  of  his  friends  and  rela- 
tions, as  only  conversed  with  him  occasionally,  could  scarcely  recognise 
his  person.  Yet,  though  he  grew  daily  more  exhausted,  he  proceeded  in 
his  studies  as  briskly  as  ever,  nor  would  he  be  persuaded  to  diminish  his  ac- 
customed labours. — The  papists,  foreseeing  how  detrimental  his  history 
of  their  errors  and  cruelties  would  prove  to  their  cause,  had  recourse  to 
every  artifice  to  lessen  the  reputation  of  his  work;  but  their  malice  was 
of  signal  service,  both  to  Mr.  Fox  himself,  and  to  the  church  of  God  at 
large,  as  it  eventually  made  his  book  more  intrinsically  valuable,  by  in- 
ducing him  to  weigh,  with  the  most  scrupulous  attention,  the  certainty 
of  the  facts  which  he  recorded,  and  the  validity  of  the  authorities  from 
which  he  drew  his  information. 


X  LIFE  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN  FOX. 

Bat  while  he  was  thus  indefatigably  employed  in  promoting  the 
cause  of  truth,  he  did  not  neglect  the  other  duties  of  his  station :  he 
was  charitable,  humane,  and  attentive  to  the  wants  both  spiritual  and 
temporal,  of  his  neighbours.  With  the  view  of  being  more  extensively 
useful,  although  he  had  no  desire  to  cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  the 
rich  and  great  on  his  own  account,  he  did  not  decline  the  friendship  of 
those  in  a  higher  rank  who  proffered  it,  and  never  failed  to  employ  his 
influence  with  them  in  behalf  of  the  poor  and  needy.  In  consequence 
of  his  well-known  probity  and  charity,  he  was  frequently  presented 
with  sums  of  money  by  persons  possessed  of  wealth,  which  he  ac- 
cepted and  distributed  among  those  who  were  distressed.  He  would 
also  occasionally  attend  the  table  of  his  friends,  not  so  much  for  the 
sake  of  pleasure,  as  from  civility,  and  to  convince  them  that  his  absence 
was  not  occasioned  by  a  fear  of  being  exposed  to  the  temptations  of 
the  appetite.  In  short,  his  character,  as  a  man  and  as  a  Christian,  was 
without  reproach. 

Of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held,  the  names  of  the  following  re- 
spectable friends  and  noble  patrons,  will  afford  ample  proof.  It  has 
been  already  mentioned  that  the  attachment  of  the  duke  of  Norfolk  was 
so  great  to  his  tutor,  that  he  granted  him  a  pension  for  life;  he  also  en- 
joyed the  patronage  of  the  earls  of  Bedford  and  Warwick,  and  the  inti- 
mate friendship  of  sir  Francis  Walsingham  (secretary  of  state),  sir  Tho- 
mas and  Mr.  Michael  Hennage,  of  whom  he  was  frequently  heard  to 
observe,  that  sir  Thomas  had  every  requisite  for  a  complete  courtier, 
but  that  Mr.  Michael  possessed  all  the  merits  of  his  brother  besides  his 
own,  still  untainted  by  the  court.  He  was  on  very  intimate  and  affec- 
tionate terms  with  sir  Drue  Drury;  sir  Francis  Drake;  Dr.  Grindal, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury;  Dr.  Elmar,  bishop  of  London;  Dr.  Pil- 
kington,  bishop  of  Durham;  and  Dr.  Nowell,  dean  of  St.  Paul's. 
Others  of  his  most  intimate  acquaintances  and  friends  were.  Doctors 
Humphrey,  Whitaker,  and  Fulk;  Mr.  John  Crowly,  and  Mr.  Baldwin 
Collins.  Among  the  eminent  citizens,  we  find  he  was  much  venerated 
by  sir  Thomas  Gresham,  sir  Thomas  Roe,  alderman  Bacchus,  Mr. 
Smith,  Mr.  Dale,  Mr.  Sherrington,  &c.  &c. 

At  length,  having  long  served  both  the  church  and  the  world  by  his 
ministry,  by  his  pen,  and  by  the  unsullied  lustre  of  a  benevolent,  use- 
ful, and  holy  life,  he  meekly  resigned  his  soul  to  Christ,  on  the  18th  of 
April,  1587,  being  then  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  in- 
terred in  the  chancel  of  St.  Giles's,  Cripplegate;  of  which  parish  he  had 
been,  in  the  beginning  of  Elizabeth's  reign,  for  some  time  vicar. 

The  Lord  had  given  him  a  foresight  of  his  departure;  and  so  fully 
was  he  assured  that  the  time  was  just  at  hand  when  his  soul  should  quit 
the  body,  that  (probably  to  enjoy  unmolested  communion  with  God, 
and  to  have  no  worldly  interruptions  in  his  last  hours)  he  purposely 
sent  his  tM'O  sons  from  home,  though  he  loved  them  with  great  tender- 
ness; and,  before  they  returned,  his  spirit,  as  he  had  foreseen  would  be 
the  case,  had  flown  to  heaven. 

His  death  occasioned  great  lamentations  throughout  the  city,  and  his 
funeral  was  honoured  with  a  great  concourse  of  people,  each  of  whom 
appeared  to  bewail  the  loss  of  a  father  or  a  brother. 


iiNTRODUCTION, 


In  the  short  remaining  space  allotted  to  us,  Ave  purpose  to  give  a  few 
instances  of  the  pernicious  influence  exercised  by  the  popish  priests 
over  the  minds  of  tlieir  deluded  followers;  as  to  that  influence,  princi- 
pally, is  to  be  attributed  the  sanguinary  and  ferocious  persecutions  car- 
ried on  by  the  papists  against  the  prolestants,  which  form  the  subject  of 
the  greater  part  of  the  following  pages.  In  selecting  these  instances  we 
need  not  confine  ourselves  to  ancient  times;  the  character  of  the  llomish 
clergy  is,  and  always  has  been,  the  same;  proud,  insolent,  and  over- 
bearing, where  they  have  gained  the  power;  hypocritical  and  insidious 
where  they  have  it  yet  to  gain — they  afibrd  an  object  of  well-founded 
jealousy  to  every  government  and  nation;  their  influence  is  alike  inimi- 
cal to  the  people  and  to  the  prince;  for,  while  they  hold  the  former 
in  the  most  abject  ignorance  and  slavery,  they  allow  the  latter  only  to 
retain  the  semblance  of  authority,  and  are  ready  to  strip  him  of  even 
that,  should  he  presume  to  dispute  their  commands:  of  this,  the  follow- 
ing historical  facts  afford  ample  proof. 

When  pope  Gregory  VII.,  in  the  eleventh  century,  excommunicated 
Henry  IV.  emperor  of  Germany,  and  caused  his  subjects  to  rise  in 
rebellion  against  him,  bigotry  had  so  far  extinguished  reason  and  na- 
tural atfection  in  the  empress  Agnes  his  mother,  the  duchess  Beatrix  his 
aunt,  and  the  countess  Matilda  his  cousin-german,  that  they  joined  the 
party  of  the  haughty  pontiff,  to  deprive  their  nearest  relative  of  his 
throne;  and  contributed  money,  and  levied  troops,  for  that  purpose. 

Owing  to  the  influence  of  the  Catholic  priesthood,  John  Huss  was 
burned  at  Constance,  in  direct  violation  of  the  emperor's  protection; 
and  Luther  would  have  met  the  saine  fate  at  Worms,  but  that  Charles 
V.  was  too  firm.  At  the  instance  of  the  clergy,  Philip  III.  was  in- 
duced to  banish  the  Moors  from  Spain,  and  Louis  XIV.  to  expel  the 
protestanls  from  France,  which  materially  injured  those  kingdoms. 

Queen  Mary  gave  her  subjects  the  strongest  assurances,  by  an  open 
declaration  in  council,  that  she  would  permit  them  to  pursue  any  such 
religion  as  their  conscience  should  dictate:  and  yet,  when  firmly  esta- 
blished on  her  throne,  she  countenanced  the  burning  of  her  protestant 
subjects,  at  the  instance  of  the  popish  clergy. 

James  II.,  on  his  accession,  gave  the  most  solemn  assurances,  that  he 
would  maintain  the  established  government  in  church  and  state ;  and 
yet,  under  the  advice  and  influence  of  the  Jesuits,  in  direct  violation  of 
liis  oath,  he  immediately  began  to  pursue  arbitrary  measures,  and  to  sub- 
vert the  protestant  religion,  for  which  attempt  he  justly  lost  his  crown. 
In  his  memorial,  framed  at  St.  Germain,  after  his  abdication,  under  the 
direction  of  popish  priests,  by  whom  he  was  surrounded  and  influenced, 
he  declared,  "  That  the  justice  and  moderation  of  his  government  had 


xu  INTRODUCTION. 

been  such,  that  he  had  never,  since  his  accession  to  the  crown,  given 
any  reason  of  complaint,"  !     He  says,  his  desire  for  calling  a  free  par- 
liament was,  "  that  he  might  have  tho  best  opportunity  of  undeceiving 
his    people,  and   shewing   the  sincerity  of  tho-;e  protestalions   he   had 
often  made,  of  preserving   the   liberties  and  the  properties  of  his  sub- 
jects, and  the  protestant  religion,  more  es'peciallij  the  church  .>f  England, 
as  by  laic  establishecV     He  says,  "  thai   the  charges   made  against  him 
were  calumnies  and  stories,  and  that  it  was  now  time  for  them  (his  sub- 
jects) to  open  their  eyes,  when  they  were  reduced  to  slavery;"  alluding 
to  the  glorious  revolution,  by  which  the  conssitution  was  unquestionably 
ascertained  and  confirmed.    Though  he  had  lodged  the  government  of 
Ireland  in  the  hands  of  papists   exclusively,  had  disarmed  the  protes- 
tants,  and  had  given  his  assent  to  a  bill,  for  attainting  every  person  io 
thai  kingdom  of  the  established  church,  seized  of  landed  property,  his 
inconsistency  and  duplicity  were  such,  that  he  declared  in  that  iremo- 
rial,  "  thai  in  Ireland  the  defence  of  his  protestant  subjects,  and  of  the 
protestant  religion,  had  been  his  special  care,"  !     "  Whensoever,"  he 
saya,  "  the  nation's  eyes  shall  be  opened,  to  see  bow  they  have  been 
imposed  upon  by  the  specious  pretences  of  religion  and  property,  and 
that,  being  sensible  of  the  ill  condition  they  are  in,  they  shall  be  brought 
to  such  a  temper,  that  a  legal  parliament  maybe  called;  then  he  will 
return,  and  even  venture  his  life  to  redeem  them    from  the  slavery  thev 
are  fallen  under,  and  to  settle  liberbj  of  conscience."  \ 

In  his  declaration,  dated  Dublin  Castle,  May  8th,  1689,  and  ad- 
dressed to  all  his  subjects  in  the  kingdom  of  England,  (whicli  was  so 
replete  with  falsehood  and  inconsistencies,  that  it  was  ordered,  by  a 
vote  of  the  English  House  of  Commons,  to  be  burnt  by  the  common 
hangman)  he  says,  "that  nothing  but  his  own  inclinations  to  justice 
could  prevail  with  him  to  such  a  proceeding,  as  that  of  his  care  of  his 
protestant  subjects  in  Ireland;  and  hopes  his  protestant  subjects  in  Eng- 
land will  make  a  judgment  of  what  they  may  expect."  !  Thus  this  infa- 
tuated monarch  was  led,  by  his  spiritual  advisers,  to  violate  his  oath 
and  his  honour,  and  to  forfeit  his  crown;  and  yet,  so  blinded  by  bigotry 
was  he,  that  he  appears  to  have  been  scarcely  conscious  that  his  conduct 
was  at  direct  variance  with  his  professions. 

Sigismund,  king  of  Swaden,  in  whom  popish  influence  had  extin- 
guished all  principles  of  honour  and  good  faith,  lost  his  dominions  by 
attempting,  in  violation  of  his  coronation  oath,  to  introduce  the  Roinish 
superstition  into  them;  and  in  the  year  1607,  the  duke  of  Sudermania, 
his  uncle,  as  Charles  IX.  was  placed  on  the  throne. 

When  the  emperor  and  the  Roman  Catholic  princes  of  Germany  con- 
cluded the  peace  of  Westphalia,  in  the  year  1648,  with  the  protestant 
princes,  after  a  bloody  war  of  thirty  years,  they  mutually  bound  each 
other  to  its  observance,  by  a  solemn  oath;  on  which  the  pope  pub- 
lished a  bull,  declaring  it  to  be  null  and  void,  as  no  oath  could  bind  any 
of  his  sectaries  to  heretics  ! 

A  decretal  of  Gregory  II.  is  couched  in  the  following  words,  "  Those 
who  are  bound  by  any  compact,  however  strongly  confirmed,  to  persona 
manifestly  fallen  in  heresy,  shall  know  they  are  absolved  from  the  duty 
of  fidelity  and  homage,  and  all  obedience." 


INTRODUCTION.  xm 

In  the  preliminaries  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  between  the  emperor 
and  Louis  XIV.  it  was  agreed,  that  the  protestants  of  Germany  should 
enjoy  the  same  privileges  which  had  been  granted  to  them  by  the  treaty 
of  Westphalia;  on  which  the  pope  wrote  to  the  emperor  an  epistle,  ia 
which  he  declared  the  treaty  to  be  null  and  void,  though  it  had  been  ra- 
tified and  secured  by  an  oath.  This  epistle  is  found  among  the  briefs 
and  epistles  of  Clement  XI.  vol.  ii.  p.  179. 

The  people  of  England,  at  an  early  period,  were  so  convinced  of  the 
great  and  dangerous  influence  of  popish  priests  on  the  moral  and  politi- 
cal principles  of  their  sovereigns,  that  the  privy  council,  in  the  reign  of 
Richard  II.,  ordered  his  confessor,  in  that  monarch's  presence,  not  to  en- 
ter the  court  but  on  the  four  grand  festivals. 

During  the  progress  of  the  rebellion  of  1641,  cardinal  Pamfilio,  by 
the  pope's  orders,  wrote  to  Kinuncini,  his  holiness's  nuncio  in  Ireland, 
*'  that  the  holy  see  never  would,  by  any  positive  act,  approve  the  civil 
allegiance  which  Catholics  pay  to  an  heretical  prince." 

These  instances  might  easily  be  multiplied,  but  we  refrain  from  a 
task  at  once  tedious  and  unnecessary  ;  in  the  course  of  this  volume, 
scarcely  a  page  will  be  found,  which  does  not  exhibit  popery  in  the  same 
character  as  we  have  painted  it  above :  and  we,  therefore,  need  only  re- 
fer our  readers  to  any  part  of  the  work  now  laid  before  them,  for  an 
ample  justification  of  our  statements. 

We  cannot  more  appropriately  close  this  part  of  our  subject  than 
with  the  following  extracts  from  Mr.  Goriiig's  excellent  "  Thoughts  on 
the  Revelations,"  which  give  a  summary  of  Popisii  airogance,  cruelty, 
and  superstition. 

*'  Excess  of  pride  and  idolatry  have  been  the  bane  of  mankind  :  they 
preferred  a  carnal  to  a  spiritual  church  ;  and  thence  have  arisen  their 
miseries.  Tiie  gospel  dispensation  taught  them  a  lesson  they  could  not 
endure ;  war,  lust,  avarice,  and  ambition,  were  preferable  in  their  eyes 
to  peace,  happiness,  security,  good-will,  love,  and  order.  The  pomp 
and  blandishments  of  the  papal  church  so  effectually  dazzled  men's 
eye:<  and  captivated  their  understandings,  that  to  support  it,  the  barriers 
of  the  gospel  were  thrown  down,  and  the  popes  magnified  themselves 
above  the  God  of  Heaven,  and  doled  out  the  world  to  their  adherents, 
as  best  siiitcd  their  own  interests.  They  not  only  usurped  the  seat 
and  authority  of  their  master,  but  assumed  his  holy  name,  by  calling 
themselves  the  Universal  Father,  the  God  of  the  earth,  the  vicar  of  Je- 
sus Christ;  thus  sanctifying  their  cruel  and  bloody  deeds,  under  the 
sanction  of  the  name  of  the  most  merciful  God,  again  crucifyino-  their 
Saviour  by  exalting  the  Virgin  Mary  in  his  stead,  teaching  mankind  to 
worship  the  work  of  men's  hands,  and  to  confide  in  them  instead  of 
their  Creator  and  their  Saviour. 

"  History  will  testify  the  works  of  the  Popes,  when  they  arrived  to 
the  plenitude  of  their  power.  Let  us  judge  of  them  by  that  unerring 
rule  our  Saviour  left  us:  '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.'  It  is 
not  their  words,  but  their  works,  we  should  consider.  What  quarter  of 
the  globe  has  escaped  the  ravages  of  their  power?  If  we  look  to  the 
East  J  China  and  Japan,  where  they  once  bore  rule,  exhibit  the  most 
cruel  and  bloody  massacres  ever  heard  of,  because  their  satellites  aimed  at 
political  power,  to  the  overthrow  of  the  latvful  governments.     If  we  look 


x\v  INTRODUCTION. 

to  America,  where  their  power  was  supreme,  we  freeze  with  horror 
at  the  wanton  barbarities  inflicted  upon  the  heathens.  If  we  cast  our 
eyes  over  Europe,  the  seat  of  their  authority,  we  again  see  the  like  tra- 
gedies exhibited  ;  witness  in  France  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew, 
the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantz,  the  extermination  of  the  Waldenses 
and  Albigenses,  the  cruel  expulsions  in  Spain,  and  above  all,  the  cruel 
and  bloody  Inquisition,  a  court  which  they  call  holy,  but  surely  the 
most  accursed  on  earth.  If  we  turn  our  eyes  to  our  own  country,  we 
see  the  stakes  in  Smithfield,  and  the  fires  lighted  to  consume  the  bodies 
of  those  holy  martyrs,  who  gave  up  their  lives  courageously  in  de- 
fence of  their  religion  ;  we  see  the  vile  mysteries  of  iniquity  discovered 
at  the  suppression  of  the  monasteries,  and  the  shameful  practices  ex- 
posed, by  which  the  priests  deluded  the  people.  I  will  not  recur  to 
other  persecutions,  but  ask :  If  this  is  the  religion  of  the  meek  Jesus, 
or  if  it  is  not  rather  the  triumph  of  Satan  over  fallen  man  V 

Mr.  Goring  then  contrasts  the  characters  of  our  blessed  Saviour  and 
of  those  men  who  presume  to  call  themselves  his  "  substitutes  on 
earth,"  in  the  following  manner : 

"  Jesus  Christ,  as  one  of  his  last  acts,  left  mankind  this  new  law, 
*  Love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you  ;  by  this  shall  all  men  know 
that  ye  are  ony  disciples' — Popery  hates  all  that  are  not  of  its  communion, 
and  condemns  them  soul  and  body  to  the  pit. — The  blessed  Saviour 
declared  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  being  spiritual;  that  he 
judged  no  men,  but  that  the  words  he  uttered  should  judge  them  in  the 
last  day — The  Popes  claim  the  dominion  of  the  whole  earth,  spiritual  and 
temporal,  they  wear  a  triple  crown,  and  pretend  to  judge  all  men. — The  Sa- 
viour, previous  to  his  death,  condescended  to  wash  his  disciples'  feet,  assur- 
ing them  they  should  have  no  pan  in  him  unless  they  submitted  to  it — The 
Popes,  so  far  from  submitting  to  this  lesson  of  humility,  arrogantly  permit 
them  to  kiss  their  feet. — Our  blessed  Lord  claimed  not  a  spot  upon  earth, 
nor  had  he  a  place  where  to  lay  his  head ;  to  him,  sufficient  for  the  day  was 
the  evil  thereof,  both  with  respect  to  food  and  raiment — Not  so  the 
Popes ;  from  their  votaries  they  extort  the  scanty  gains  of  the  sweat  of 
their  brows,  go  gorgeously  attired,  and  feed  sumptuously  every  day. — 
Our  Saviour  freely  pardoned  the  sins  of  his  penitent  creatures,  without 
fee  or  reward — The  Popes  presume  to  pardon  sins ;  nay,  grant  indul- 
gences for  committing  more ;  bui  it  in  foi  luuuey  and  the  sordid  lucre 
of  gain. 

"  Can  any  man  find  a  resemblance  in  these  two  characters  ?  Is  not 
the  counterfeit  easily  discovered ;  and  will  not  men  blush  with  shame 
when  they  see  how  grossly  they  have  been  deluded  by  this  deceiver  ? 
Let  them  but  fairly  read  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ ;  they  will  there  find 
he  delegated  his  power  to  no  man,  in  the  way  the  Popes  claim  it,  and 
that  he  alone  is  the  intercessor  between  God  and  man,  and  no  man  can 
approach  God  but  through  him." 

We  are  convinced,  that  there  is  no  true  Christian,  who  will  not  agree 
unequivocally  in  the  justice  of  the  above  observations.  They  7nust  be 
convinced  that  Popery  is  absurd,  superstitious,  enthusiastic,  idolatrous, 
and  cruel ;  that  it  darkens  the  understanding,  and  enslaves  the  con- 
sciences of  its  votaries,  and  is  as  much  an  enemy  to  virtue  as  to  truth. 


LIST  OF  ENGRAVINGS. 


is  many  of  the  Engravings  in  this  Edition,  owing  to  the  mode  in  which  it  was  originally 
published,  are  distant  from  the  subjects  to  which  they  refer,  it  has  been  judged  advisable 
to  give  the  following  List,  by  7neans  of  which  the  Reader  will  be  enabled  to  obtain  at  once 
the'iivformation  he  may  require. 


See  p. 
No.     1,  Cruelties  of  the  Inquisition 124—126 

2.  Martyrdom  of  St.  Laurence SO 

3.  Martyrdom  of  a  Christian  Lady 35 

4.  Dreadful  Sufferings  of  the  Primitive  Martyrs 67 

5.  Horrible  Cruelties  inflicted  on  the  Primitive  Christians 15 

6.  Martyrdom  at  Arethusa  in  the  Fourth  Century — 6? 

7.  Primitive  Martyrdoms 27 

8.  Torture  of  Nicholas  Burton  by  the  Inquisitors 139 

9.  Method  of  torturing  the  Primitive  Christians "j 

10.  Cruelties  inflicted  on  the  Primitive  Christians V       l_5S 

11.  Tortares  of  tlie  early  Christian  Martyrs J 

12.  Massacre  of  the  Protestants  in  Piedmont 191 

13.  Martyrdom  of  St.  Stephen 4 

14.  Inhuman  Butchery  of  Seventy  Protestants  by  order  of  Pope  Pius  IV. 

in  1560 19S 

15.  Discovery  of  Guy  Fawkes  in  the  Vaults  of  the  House  of  Lords 797 

16.  Martyrdom  of  Archbishop  Cranmer 544 

17.  Martyrdom  of  Eulalia,  a  Spanish  Christian  Lady 45 

18.  Peter,  a  Chnstiati  of  i.nmpoamo,  E»vcr<»Iy  beaten  and  afterwards  put 

to  death,  for  refusing  to  sacrifice  to  Venus 24 

19.  Martyrdom  of  Irene,  a  Christian  Virgin,  at  Thessalonica 47 

20.  Cruel  treatment  o-f  Messrs.  King,  Wade,  and  others,  in  Lollards' 

Tower 454 

21.  The  Burning  of  the  Rev.  John  Rogers 388 

22.  Horrible  Cruelties  inflicted  by  order  of  the  Inquisition 117—127 

23.  Adalbert,  Bishop  of  Prague,   put  to  death  by  the  Pagans,   near 

Dantzic 91 

24.  Punishment  of  the  Primitive  Martyrs 2 

25.  Marcus,  Bishop  of  Arethusa,  hung  up  in  a  basket,  atid  stung  to  death 

by  wasps "7 

26.  A  Gentleman  of  Bohemia  inhumanly  murdered  by  Popish  RuflSans  ...  401 
27    John  Petty  cruelly  beaten  in  Lollards*  Tower,  by  order  of  Bishop 

Bonner,  while  his  Son  is  scourged  to  death  in  an  adjoining  Dun- 
geon  • ^^2 

3 


%v{  LIST  OF  ENGRAVINGS. 

Se«  p. 

No.   28.  Martyrdom  of  Rawlins  White,  at  Cardiff 417 

29.  A  Woman  with  her  Infant  drowned  in  Scotland;  and  Four  Men  hung 

for  eating  Flesh  on  a  Fast  Day 332 

30.  The  Burning  of  Bishops  Ridley  and  Latimer 477 

31.  Barbarities  exercised  by  the  Popish  Persecutors  on  the  Waldensesof 

Calabria 188 

32.  Dominico  Berto  cruelly  mangled  and  tortured  to  death,  by  the  Popish 

Persecutors - 113 

83.  Rochus.  a  carver  of  St.  Lucar,  in  Spain,  burnt  by  order  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion     128 

34.  Basil  ciTjelly  tortured  to  death  by  order  of  Julian  the  Apostate 66 

35.  A  Christian  flayed  alive  by  the  Heathen  Persecutors 2 

36.  Thirteen  Protestant  Martyrs  burnt  together  in  one  fire  at  Stratford  . . .  571 

37.  Burning  of  Dr.  Barnes,  the  Rev.  W.  Jerome,  and  the  Rev.  T.  Garret, 

in  Smithfield 279 

38.  Bishop  Latimer  examined  before  a  Popish  Tribunal 472 

39.  King  John  surrendering  his  Crown  to  Pandulph,  the  Pope's  Legate  . .  223 

40.  The  Burning  of  Julius  Palmer,  John  Gwin,  and  Thomas  Askine 589 

41.  The  Emperor  Henry  IV.,  with  his  Empress  andJSon,  waiting  three 

days  and  nights,  to  gain  admission  to  Pope  Gregory  VII 222 

42.  Murder  of  Sir  Edmundbury  Godfrey,  by  five  Popish  Ruftans 824 

43.  Inhuman  Executiou  of  a  Mother,  her  two  Daughters,  and  an  Infant,  at 

Guernsey 590 

44.  Horrible  Cruelties  exercised  on  the  Protestants  in  Ireland,  in  1641 . . .  807 

45.  Martyrdom  of  Five  Persons  at  Canterbury 688 

46.  Burning  of  Dr.  Farrar,  Bishop  of  St.  David's 415 

47.  The  cruel  Racking  of  Cuthbert  Symson  in  the  Tower  of  London 658 

48.  Tyrrel  burning  Rose  Allen's  hand,  while  fetching  drink  for  her  sick 

Mother 623 

49.  Dress  of  a  Male  Penitent  who  recants  to  the  Inquisition. — Dress  of  a 

Female  recanting  Penitent 128 

50.  Burning  of  Thomas  Badby,  in  Smithfield,  in  the  Reign  of  Henry  IV..  229 

51.  Dress  of  a  Female  condemned  by  the  Inquisition. — Dress  of  a  Man  in 

a  similar  situation 128 

52.  Assassination  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  by  Baltazar  CJerard 180 

53.  Pope  Alexander  treading  on  the  neck  of  the  Emperor  Frederic 223 

54.  A  Primitive  Christian' Sftyodttiiw- Vy«h»  H«a«iroHl*ersecutor9 2 


\ 


.0"    PSIITC. 


UNIVERSAL  HISTORY 


CHRISTIAN  MARTYRDOM. 


Cruelties  of  tlie  Jutjuisition, 


BOOK  I. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  FIRST  TEN  PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  PRIMITIVE  CHURCH, 
FROM  THE  YEAR  OF  OUR  LORD  67,  TILL  THE  TIME  OF  CONSTANTINE  THE 
great;  DETAILING  THE  LIVES  AND  ACTIONS  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  CHRIS- 
TIAN   MARTYRS   OF    BOTH    SEXES,   IN    EUROPE   AND    IN    AFRICA. 


J.  HE  dreadful  martyrdoms  which  we 
are  now  about  to  describe,  arose 
from  the  persecutions  of  the  Romans 
against  the  Christians,  in  the  pri- 
mitive ages  of  the  church,  during  the 
space  of  three  hundred  years,  or  till 
the  time  of  the  godly  Constantine. 

KOX's   MARTYRS. 


It  is  both  wonderful  and  horrible 
to  peruse  the  descriptions  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  these  godly  martyrs,  as 
they  are  described  by  the  ancient 
historians.  Their  torments  were  as 
various  as  the  ingenuity  of  man, 
tempted  by  the  devil,  could  devise; 


3 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  their  numbers  were  truly  in- 
credible. "Some,"  says  Hobanus, 
"  were  slain  with  the  sword ;  some 
burnt  with  fire ;  some  with  whips 
scourged ;  some  stabbed  with  forks 
of  iron ;  some  fastened  to  the  cross 
or  gibbet;  some  drowned  in  the  sea; 
some  had  their  skins  plucked  off; 
some  their  tongues  cut  off;  some 
stoned  to  death ;  some  killed  with 
cold;  some  starved  with  hunger; 
some  their  hands  cut  off,  or  other- 
wise dismembered,  have  been  so 
left  naked,  to  the  open  shame  of  the 
world,''  &:c.  Augustine,  speaking  of 
these  martyrs,  says,  that  allhongh 
their  punishments  were  various,  yet 
their  constancy  was  uniform.  And 
notwithstanding  the  sharpness  of  so 
many  and  sundry  torments,  and  the 
i;ruelty  of  ihe  tormentors,  such  was 
the  number  of  these  constant  saints 
that  suffered,  or  rather  such  was  the 
power  of  the  Lord  in  his  saints,  that 
as  Hierome  in  his  episfle  to  Cro- 
niatius  and  Heliodorus  observes, 
"  There  is  no  day  hi  the  whole  year, 
itnto  tvhich  the  number  of  Jive  thou- 
sand martyrs  cannot  he  ascribed, 
except  only  the  first  day  of  January  .^^ 
Tlie  first  martyr  to  our  holy  reli- 
gion was  its  blessed  Founder  him- 
self. His  history  is  sufficiently 
known,  as  it  hus  been  handed  down 
to  us  in  the  New  Testament;  ne- 
vertheless, it  will  be  proper  here  to 
give  an  outline  of  his  sufferings,  and 
more  particularly  as  they  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  those  of  the  apostles  and 
evangelists.  The  persecutions  by  the 
emperors  took  place  long  after  the 
death  of  our  Saviour. 

BRIEF   HISTORY  OF  OUR  SAVIOUR. 

It  is  known  that  in  the  reign  of 
Herod  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent 
by  divine  command  to  the  Virgin 
Mary.  This  maiden  was  betrothed 
to  a  carpenter  named  Joseph,  who 
resided  at  Nazareth,  a  city  of  Gall- 
lee  ;  but  the  consummation  had  not 
then  taken  place ;  for  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  eastern  nations  to  con- 
tract persons  of  each  sex  from  their 
childhood,  though  the  cohabitation 
was  not  permitted  till  years  of  ma- 


turity. The  angel  informed  Mary 
how  highly  she  was  favoured  of  God, 
and  that  she  should  conceive  a  son 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  happened 
accordingly :  for  travelling  to  Beth- 
lehem, to  pay  the  capitation-lax  then 
levied,  the  town  was  so  crowded 
that  they  could  only  get  lodgings  in 
a  stable,  where  the  Holy  Virgin  gave 
birth  to  our  Blessed  Redeemer, 
which  was  announced  to  the  world 
by  a  star  and  an  angel ;  the  wise  men 
of  the  east  saw  the  former,  and  the 
shepherds  the  latter. 

After  Jesus  had  been  circumcised, 
he  was  presented  in  the  temple  by 
the  Holy  Virgin;  upon  which  occa- 
sion Simeon  exclaimed  in  the  cele- 
brated words  mentioned  in  the  li- 
turgy: "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy 
servant  depart  in  peace,  according 
to  thy  word,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen 
thy  salvation."     Luke  ii.  29,  30.    - 

Jesus,  in  his  youth,  disputed  with 
the  most  learned  doctors  in  the 
temple,  and  soon  after  was  baptized 
by  John  in  the  river  Jordan,  when 
the  Holy  Ghost  descended  upon 
him  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  and  a 
voice  was  heard  audibly  to  pro- 
nounce these  words:  "This  is  my 
beloved  son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased." 

After  this  Christ  fasted  forty-days 
and  nights  in  the  wilderness,  where 
he  was  tempted  by  the  devil,  but 
resisted  all  his  allurements.  He 
performed  his  first  miracle  at  Caua, 
in  Galilee ;  he  likewise  conversed 
with  the  good  Samaritan,  and  re- 
stored to  life  a  nobleman's  dead 
child.  While  travelling  through  Ga- 
lilee, he  restored  the  blind  to  sight, 
and  cured  the  lame,  the  lepers,  &c. 
Among  other  benevolent  actions,  he 
cured,  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  a  pa- 
ralytic man,  who  had  been  lame  ' 
thirty-eight  years,  bidding  him  take 
up  his  bed  and  walk ;  and  he  after- 
wards cured  a  man  whose  right  hand 
was  shrunk  up  and  M'ithered ;  with 
many  acts  of  a  similar  nature. 

When  he  had  chosen  his  twelve 
apostles,  he  preached  the  celebrated 
sermon  upon  the  mount;  after  which 
he  performed  several  miracles,  par- 
ticularly the  feeding  of  the  multitude. 


OUR   BLESSED   SAVIOUR. 


and  the  walking  on  tJie  surface  of 
the  sea. 

On  the  celebration  of  the  pass- 
over,  Jesus  supped  with  his  disci- 
ples: he  informed  them  that  one  of 
them  would  betray  him  and  another 
deny  him,  and  preached  his  farewell 
sennon.  A  multitude  of  armed  men 
soon  afterwards  surrounded  him,  and 
Judas  kissed  him,  in  order  to  point 
him  out  to  the  soldiers,  who  were  not 
acquainted  with  his  person.  In  the 
scuflle  occasioned  by  the  apprehen- 
sion of  Jesus,  Peter  cut  oft"  the  ear 
of  Malchus,  the  servant  of  the  high 
priest,  for  which  Jesus  reproved  him, 
and,  by  touching  the  wound,  healed 
it.  Peter  and  John  followed  Jesus 
to  the  house  of  Annas,  who  refusing 
to  judge  him,  sent  him  bound  to  Cai- 
aphas,  where  Peter  denied  Christ,  as 
the  latter  had  predicted ;  but  on 
Christ  reminding  him  of  his  perfidy, 
Peter  went  out  and  wept  bittcrlj'. 

When  the  council  had  assembled 
in  the  morning,  the  Jews  mocked 
Jesus,  and  the  elders  suborned  false 
M'itnesses  against  him  ;  the  principal 
accusation  being,  that  he  had  said, 
"  I  win  destroy  this  temple  that  is 
made  with  hands,  and  within  three 
days  I  will  build  another  made  with- 
out hands."  Caiaphas  then  asked  him 
if  he  was  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
or  no  ;  being  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, he  was  accused  of  blasphemy, 
and  condemned  to  death  by  Pontius 
Pilate,  the  Roman  governor,  who, 
though  conscious  of  his  innocence, 
yielded  to  the  solicitations  bf  the  Jews, 
and  condemned  him  to  be  crucified. 
His  remarkable  expression  at  the 
time  of  passing  sentence,  proved  how 
much  he  was  convinced  that  the  Lord 
was  persecuted. 

Previous  to  the  crucifixion,  the 
Jews,  by  way  of  derision,  clothed 
Christ  in  a  regal  robe,  put  a  crown  of 
thorns  upon  his  head,  and  a  reed,  for 
a  sceptre,  in  his  hand ;  they  then 
mocked  him  with  ironical  compli- 
ments, spit  in  his  face,  slapped  his 
cheek,  and  taking  the  reed  out  of  his 
hand,  they  struck  him  with  it  upon 
the  head.  Pilate  would  fain  have  re- 
leased him,  but  the  general  cry  was, 
Crucify  him,  crucify  him  ;  which  oc- 


casioned the  governor  to  call  for  a 
basin  of  water,  and  having  washed 
his  hands,  he  declared  himself  inno- 
cent of  the  blood  of  Christ,  whom  he 
termed  a  just  person.  But  the  Jews 
said.  Let  his  blood  be  upon  us,  and 
our  children;  and  the  governor  found 
himself  obliged  to  comply  with  their 
wishes,  which  wish  has  manifestly 
taken  place,  as  they  have  never  since 
been  a  collected  people*. 

While  leading  Christ  to  the  place 
of  crucifixion,  they  obliged  him  to 
bear  the  cross,  which  being  afterwards 
nna'wle  to  sustain,  they  compelled  one 
Simon,  a  native  of  Cyrenia,  to  carry 
it  the  rest  of  the  way.  Mount  Cal- 
vary was  fixed  on  for  the  place  of 
execution,  where,  having  arrived,  the 
soldiers  offered  him  a  mixture  of  gall 
and  vinegar  to  drink,  which  he  re- 
fused. Having  stripped  him,  they 
nailed  him  to  the  cross,  and  crucified 
him  between  two  malefactors.  After 
being  fastened  to  the  cross,  he  uttered 
this  benevolent  prayer  for  his  ene- 
mies :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  for 
they  know  not  what  they  do."  The 
soldiers  who  crucified  him,  being  four 
in  number,  now  cut  his  mantle  to 
pieces,  and  divided  it  between  them ; 
but  his  coat  being  without  a  seam, 
they  cast  lots  for  it.  Whilst  Christ 
remained  in  the  agonies  of  death,  the 
Jews  mocked  him  and  said,  "  If  thou 
art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross."  The  chief  priests  and 
scribes  also  reviled  him,  and  said, 
"  He  saved  others,  but  cannot  save 
himself."     One  of  the  criminals  who 

*  The  Romans  aflFord  a  similar  exam- 
ple of  the  retributive  justice  of  God. 
For  nearly  three  hundred  years  subse- 
quently to  the  crucifixion  of  our  Sa- 
viour, they  were  the  prey  of  contend- 
ing factions,  and  of  despotic  and  blood- 
thirsty emperors.  Tiberius,  in  the 
seventeenth  year  of  whose  reign  Jesus 
Christ  suffered  martyrdom,  was  one  of 
the  most  severe  and  cruel  tyrants  by 
whom  they  were  oppressed.  In  one 
day,  according  to  Suetonius,  he  caused 
twenty  persons  to  be  put  to  death ;  and 
it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  by  his  or- 
ders Pilate  was  accused  at  Rome,  de- 
posed, and  banished  to  Lyons,  where 
he  at  length  committed  suicide. 


4 


BOOK   OF   MARTYRS. 


was  crucified  with  him,  also  cried  out, 
and  said,  "  If  you  are  the  Messiah, 
save  yourself  and  us:"  but  the  other 
malefactor,  having  great  faith,  ex- 
claimed, "  Lord,  remember  me  when 
thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."  To 
■which  Christ  replied,  **  This  day 
shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise." 

When  Christ  was  upon  the  cross 
the  earth  was  covered  with  darkness, 
and  the  stars  appeared  at  noon-day, 
which  struck  the  people  and  even  the 
Jews  with  terror. — In  the  midst  of 
his  tortures  Christ  cried  out,  "  My 
God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
mc?"  and  then  expressed  a  desire  to 
drink  ;  when  one  of  the  soldiers  gave 
him,  upon  the  point  of  a  reed,  a 
sponge  dipped  in  vinegar,  which,  how- 


ever, he  refused.  About  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  he  gave  up  the  ghost, 
and  at  that  time  a  violent  earthquake 
happened,  when  the  rocks  were  rent, 
the  mountains  trembled,  and  the 
dead  were  thrown  up  from  their 
graves.  These  signal  prodigies  at- 
tended the  death  of  Christ,  and  such 
was  the  mortal  end  of  the  Redeemer 
of  mankind.  It  is  not  a  subject  of 
wonder  that  the  heathens  who  lived 
so  long  after  him,  endeavoured  by 
persecution  and  the  most  horrid  cru- 
elties, to  prevent  the  propagation  of 
that  source  of  comfort  and  happiness 
in  all  aflliction  which  has  resulted 
from  the  blessed  system  of  faith  that 
our  Saviour  confirmed  with  his  blood. 


THE   LIVES,   SUFFERINGS,   AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   THE  APOSTLES,    EVAN- 
GELISTS,  &C. 


I.   ST.  STEPHEN. 

This  early  martyr  was  elected,  with 
six   others,   as   a  priest  out  of  the 
Lord's  seventy  disciples.      He  was 
an  able  and  successful  preacher.  The 
principal   persons  belonging  to   five 
Jewish  synagogues  entered  into  many 
altercations  with  him;  bui  he,  by  the 
soundness   of  his  doctrine,  and  the 
strength  of  his  arguments,  overcame 
them  all,  which  so   much  irritated 
them,  that  they  bribed  false  witnesses 
to  accuse  him  of  blaspheming  God 
and  Moses.    On  being  carried  before 
the  council,   he  made   a  noble   de- 
fence :  but  that  so  much  exasperated 
his  judges,  that  they  resolved  to  con- 
demn him.     At  this  instant  Stepiien 
saw  a  vision  from  heaven,  which  re- 
presented Jesus,  in  his  glorified  state, 
sitting  at  the    right  hand  of  God. 
This  vision  so  greatly  rejoiced  him, 
that  he  exclaimed,  in  raptures,  "  Be- 
hold 1  see  the  heavens  open,  and 
the   Son    of   Man  standing  on  the 
right  hand   of  God."    This  caused 
him  to  be  condemned,  and,  having 
dragged   him  out  of  the  city,  they 
stoned  him  to  death.     On  the  spot 
where  he  was  martyred,  Eudocia,  the 
empress  ot  the  emperor  Theodosius, 
erected   a   superb  church,   and   the 


memory  of  him  is  annually  celebrated 
on  the  26th  day  of  December. 

The  death  of  Stephen  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  severe  persecution  iij 
Jerusalem,  in  which  2000  Christians, 
with  Nicanor  the  deacon,  were  mar- 
tyred ;  and  many  others  obliged  to 
leave  that  country* 

n.   ST.  JAMES  THE  GREAT. 

He  was  a  Galilean,  and  the  son  of 
Zebedee,  a  fisherman,  the  elder  bro- 
ther of  St.  John,  and  a  relation  tO' 
Christ  himself;  for  his  mother  Salome 
was  cousin-german  to  the  Virgin  Ma- 
ry. Being  one  day  with  his  father 
fishing  in  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  and 
his  brother  John  were  called  by  our 
Saviour  to  become  his  disciples. 
They  cheerfully  obeyed  the  mandate, 
and  leaving  their  father,  followed  Je- 
sus. J t  is  to  be  observed,  that  Christ 
placed  a  greater  confidence  in  them 
than  in  any  other  of  the  apostles,  Pe- 
ter excepted. 

Christ  called  these  brothers  Boa- 
nerges, or  tlie  Sons  of  Thunder,  on 
account  of  their  vigorous  minds,  and 
impetuous  tempers. 

When  Herod  Agrippa  was  made 
governor  of  Judea  by  the  emperor 
Caligula,  he  raised  a  persecution 
against  the  Christians,  and  particu- 


THE   APOSTLES,   &c. 


tally  singled  out  James  as  an  object 
of  his  veng^eance.  This  martyr,  on 
being:  condemned  to  death,  showed 
such  an  intrepidity  of  spirit,  and  con- 
stancy of  mind,  that  even  his  accuser 
was  struck  with  admiration,  and  be- 
came a  convert  to  Christianit}'.  This 
transition  so  enraged  the  people  in 
power,  that  they  condemned  him 
likewise  to  death ;  when  James  the 
apostle  and  his  penitent  accuser  were 
both  beneaded  on  the  same  day,  and 
with  the  same  sword.  These  events 
took  place  in  the  year  of  Christ  44; 
and  the  25th  of  July  was  fixed  by  the 
church  for  the  commemoration  of 
this  saint's  martyrdom. 

About  the  same  period,  Timon  and 
Parmenas,  two  of  the  seven  deacons, 
suffered  martyrdom ;  the  former  at 
Corinth,  and  the  latter  at  Pbilippi,  in 
Macedonia. 

in.   ST.  PHILIP. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  born 
at  Bethsaida,  in  Galilee,  and  was  the 
first  called  by  the  name  of  Disciple. 
He  was  employed  in  several  import- 
ant commissions  by  Christ,  and  being 
deputed  to  preach  in  Upper  Asia, 
laboured  very  diligently  in  his  apos- 
tleship.  He  then  travelled  into  Phr}'- 
gia,  and  arriving  at  Heliopolis,  found 
the  inhabitants  so  sunk  in  idolatry  as 
to  worship  a  large  serpent.  St.  Phi- 
lip, however,  converted  many  of  them 
to  Christianity,  and  even  procured 
the  death  of  the  serpent.  This  so 
enraged  the  magistrates,  that  they 
committed  him  to  prison,  had  him 
severely  scourged,  and  afterwards 
crucified.  His  friend  St.  Bartholo- 
mew found  an  opportunity  of  taking 
down  the  body,  and  burying  it;  for 
which,  however,  he  wis  very  near 
suffering  the  same  fate.  His  martyr- 
dom happened  eight  years  after  that 
of  St.  James  the  Great,  a.d.  32;  and 
his  name,  together  with  that  of  St. 
James  the  Less,  is  commemorated  on 
the  1st  of  May. 

IV.    ST.  MATTHEW. 

This  evangelist,  apostle,  and  mar- 
tyr, was  born  at  Nazareth,  in  Galilee, 


but  resided  chiefly  at  Capernaum,  on 
account  of  his  business,  which  was 
that  of  a  toll-gatherer,  to  collect  tri- 
bute of  such  as  had  occasion  to  pass 
the  sea  of  Galilee.  On  being  called 
as  a  disciple,  he  immediately  com- 
plied, and  left  every  thing  to  follow 
Christ.  After  the  ascension  of  his 
master,  he  continued  preaching  the 
gospel  in  Judea  about  nine  years. 
Intending  to  leave  Judea,  in  order  to 
go  and  preach  among  the  Gentiles, 
he  wrote  his  gospel  in  Hebrew,  for 
the  use  of  the  Jewish  converts ;  but 
it  was  afterwards  translated  into 
Greek  by  St.  James  the  Less.  He 
then  went  to  Ethiopia,  ordained 
preachers,  settled  churches,  and  made 
many  converts.  He  afterwards  pro- 
ceeded to  Parthia,  where  he  had  the 
same  success ;  but  returning  to  Ethio- 
pia, he  was  slain  by  a  halberd,  in  the 
city  of  Nadabar,  about  the  year  of 
Christ  60 ;  and  his  festival  is  kept  by 
the  church  on  the  21st  day  of  Sep- 
tember. He  was  inoffensive  in  his 
conduct,  and  in  his  mode  of  living 
remarkably  temperate. 

V.    ST.  MARK. 

This  evangelist  and  martyr  was 
born  of  Jewish  parents,  of  the  tribe 
of  Levi.  It  is  imagined,  that  he  was 
converted  to  Christianity  by  St.  Pe- 
ter, whom  he  served  as  an  amanuen- 
sis, and  whom  he  attended  in  all  bis 
travels.  Being  entreated  by  the  con- 
verts at  Rome  to  commit  to  writing 
the  admirable  discourses  they  had 
heard  from  St.  Peter  and  himself,  he 
complied  with  this  request,  and  com- 
posed his  gospel  accordingly,  in  the 
Greek  language.  He  then  went  to 
Egypt,  and  constituted  a  bishopric 
at  Alexandria:  afterwards  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Lybia,  where  he  made 
many  converts.  On  returning  to 
Alexandria,  some  of  the  Egyptians, 
exasperated  at  his  success,  deter- 
mined on  his  death.  They  therefore 
tied  his  feet,  dragged  him  through  the 
streets,  left  him  bruised  in  a  dungeon 
all  night,  and  the  next  day  burned 
his  body.  This  happened  on  the  25th 
of  April,  on  which  day  the  church 
commemorates  his  martyrdom.    His 


BOOK    or   MARTYRS. 


bones  were  carefully  gathered  up  by 
the  Christians,  decently  interred,  and 
afterwards  removed  to  Venice,  where 
he  is  considered  as  the  tutelar  saint 
and  patron  of  the  state. 


VI.   ST.  JAMES  THE  LESS. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  called 
so  to  distinguish  him  from  St.  James 
the  Great.  He  was  the  son,  by  a 
first  wife,  of  Joseph,  the  reputed  fa- 
ther of  Christ:  he  was,  after  the 
Lord's  ascension,  elected  bishop  of 
Jerusalem :  he  wrote  his  general 
epistles  to  all  Christians  and  converts 
whatever,  to  suppress  a  dangerous 
error  then  propagating,  viz.  "  That  a 
faith  in  Christ  was  alone  suflBcient 
for  salvation,  without  good  works." 
The  Jews,  being  at  this  time  greatly 
enraged  that  St.  Paul  had  escaped 
their  fury,  by  appealing  to  Rome,  de- 
termined to  wreak  their  vengeance 
on  James,  who  was  now  ninety-four 
years  of  age  :  they  accordingly  threw 
him  down,  beat,  bruised,  and  stoned 
him  ;  and  then  dashed  out  his  brains 
with  a  club,  such  as  was  used  by 
fullers  in  dressing  cloths.  His  fes- 
tival, together  with  that  of  St.  Philip, 
is  kept  on  the  first  of  May. 

VII.  ST.  MATTHIAS. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  called 
to  the  apostleship  after  the  death  of 
Christ,  to  supply  the  vacant  place 
of  Judas,  who  had  betrayed  his  mas- 
ter, and  was  likewise  one  of  the 
seventy  disciples.  He  was  martyred 
at  Jerusalem,  being  first  stoned  and 
then  beheaded ;  and  the  24th  of  Fe- 
bruary is  observed  for  the  celebration 
of  his  festival. 

VIII.  ST.  ANDREW. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  the 
brother  of  St.  Peter,  and  preached 
the  gospel  to  many  Asiatic  nations. 
On  airivii;g  at  Edessa,  the  governor 
of  the  country,  named  Egeas,  threat- 
ened him  for  preaching  against  the 
idols  there  worshipped.  St.  Andrew 
persisting  in  the  propagation  of  his 


doctrines,  he  was  ordered  to  be  cru- 
cified on  a  cross,  two  ends  of  which 
were  transversely  fixed  in  the  ground. 
He  boldly  told  his  accusers,  that  he 
would  not  have  preached  the  glory 
of  the  cross,  had  he  feared  to  die  on 
it.  And  again,  when  they  came  to 
crucify  him,  he  said,  that  he  coveted 
the  cross,  and  longed  to  embrace  it. 
He  was  fastened  to  the  cross,  not 
with  nails  but  cords,  that  his  death 
might  be  more  slow. — In  this  ;^itun- 
tion  he  continued  two  days,  preach- 
ing the  greatest  part  of  the  time 
to  the  people;  and  expired  on  the 
30tli  of  November,  which  is  comme- 
morated as  his  festival. 

IX.    ST.  PETER. 

This  great  apostle  and  martyr  was 
born  at  Betbsaida,  in  GaHlee,  being 
the  son  of  Jonah,  a  fisherman,  which 
employment  St.  Peter  himself  fol- 
lowed. He  was  persuaded  by  his 
brother  to  turn  Christian,  when  Christ 
gave  him  the  name  of  Cephas,  im- 
plying, in  the  Syriac  language,  a 
rock.  He  was  called,  at  the  same 
time  as  his  brother,  to  be  an  apostle; 
gave  uncommon  proofs  of  his  zeal 
for  the  service  of  Christ,  and  always 
appeared  as  the  principal  speaker 
among  the  apostles. — He  had,  how- 
ever, the  weakness  to  deny  his  mas- 
ter after  his  apprehension,  though  he 
defended  him  at  the  time  ;  but  the 
sincerity  of  his  repentance  made  an 
atonement  for  the  atrociousuess  of 
his  crime. 

After  the  death  of  Christ,  the 
Jews  still  continued  to  persecute  the 
Christians,  and  ordered  several  of 
the  apostles,  among  whom  was  Pe- 
ter, to  be  scourged.  Thispunishraep* 
they  bore  with  the  greatest  fortitude, 
and  rejoiced  that  they  were  thought 
worthy  to  suffer  for  the  sake  of  their 
Redeemer. 

When  Herod  Agrippa  caused  St. 
James  the  Great  to  be  put  to  death, 
and  found  that  it  pleased  the  Jews, 
he  resolved,  in  order  to  ingratiate 
himself  with  the  people,  that  Peter 
should  fall  the  next  sacrifice.  He 
was  accordingly  apprehended,  and 
thrown  into  prison;  but  an  angel  of 


THE   APOSTLES,  &c. 


the  Lord  released  him,  which  so  en- 
raged Herod,  that  he  ordered  tlie 
ceiitinels  who  guarded  tlie  dungeon 
in  which  he  had  been  confined,  to 
be  put  to  death.  St.  Peter,  after 
various  other  miracles,  relit ed  to 
Rome,  where  he  defeated  all  the 
artifices,  and  confounded  the  magic, 
of  Simon,  the  magician,  a  great  fa- 
vourite of  the  emperor  Nero;  he 
likewise  converted  to  Chrislianify 
one  of  the  concubines  of  that  mo- 
narch, which  so  exaspciated  the  ty- 
rant, that  he  ordered  both  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  to  be  apprehended. 
During  the  time  of  their  confine- 
ment, they  converted  two  oi  the  cap- 
tains of  the  guards,  and  forty-seven 
other  persons,  to  Christianity.  Hav- 
ing been  nine  months  in  prison,  Pe- 
ter was  brought  out  from  thence  for 
execution,  when,  after  being  severe- 
ly scourged,  he  was  crucified  with 
his  head  downwards  ;  which  position, 
however,  was  at  his  own  request. 
His  festival  is  observed  on  the  29th 
of  June,  on  which  day  he,  as  well  as 
Paul,  suffered.  His  body  being  taken 
down,  embalmed,  and  buried  in  the 
Vatican,  a  church  was  erected  on 
the  spot ;  but  this  being  destroyed 
by  the  emperor  Heliogabalus,  the 
body  was  removed  till  the  20th  bishop 
of  Rome,  called  Cornelius,  conveyed 
it  again  to  the  Vatican :  afterwards 
Constant! ne  the  Great  erected  one 
of  the  most  stately  churches  in  the 
universe  over  the  place. «  Before  we 
quit  this  article,  it  is  requisite  to 
observe,  that  previous  to  the  death  of 
St.  Peter,  his  wife  suffered  martyr- 
dom for  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  was 
exhorted,  when  going  to  be  put  to 
death,  to  remember  her  Saviour. 

X.    ST.  PAUL. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  a  Jew 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  born  at 
Tarsus  in  Cilicia,  and,  before  his 
conversion,  was  called  Saul.  He  was 
at  first  a  great  enemy  to,  and  perse- 
cutor of  the  Christians  ;  and  a  prin- 
cipal promoter  of  the  death  of  Ste- 
phen. While  on  his  way  to  Damas- 
cus, the  glory  of  the  Lord  came  sud- 
denly upon  him,   he  was  struck  to 


the  earth,  and  was  afflicted  with 
blindness  during  three  days;  on  his 
recovery  from  which,  he  immediately 
became  a  professor,  an  apostle,  and 
ultimately  a  martjr  for  the  religion 
which  he  had  formerly  persecuted. 
Amongst  his  labours  in  spreading 
the  doctrine  of  Christ,  he  converted 
to  the  Faith  Sergius  Paulus,  the  pro- 
consul of  Cyprus,  on  which  he  took 
his  name,  and,  as  some  suppose,  was 
from  thence  called  Paulus  instead  of 
Saulus.  After  his  many  labours  he 
took  to  him  Barnabas,  and  went  up 
to  Jerusalem,  to  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  where  he  was  ordained,  and 
sent  out  with  Barnabas  to  preach  to 
the  Gentiles.  At  Iconium,  St.  Paul 
and  St,  Barnabas  were  near  being 
stoned  to  death  by  the  enraged  Jews  ; 
upon  which  they  fled  to  Lycaonia. 
At  Lystra,  St.  Paul  was  stoned, 
dragged  out  of  the  city,  and  left  for 
dead.  He,  however,  happily  revived, 
and  escaped  to  Derbe.  At  Philippi, 
Paul  and  Silas  were  imprisoned  and 
whipped ;  and  both  were  again  per- 
secuted at  Thessalonica.  Being  after- 
wards taken  at  Jerusalem,  he  was 
sent  to  Cajsarea,  but  appealed  to 
Caesar  at  Rome.  Here  he  continued 
a  prisoner  at  large  for  two  years  ; 
and  at  length  being  released,  he 
visited  the  churches  of  Greece  and. 
Rome,  and  preached  in  France  and 
Spain.  Returning  to  Rome,  he  was 
again  apprehended,  and,  by  the  order 
of  Nero,  martyred,  by  being  behead- 
ed, on  the  same  day  on  which  Peter 
was  crucified,  but  in  the  following 
year.  Two  days  are  dedicated  to 
the  commemoration  of  this  apostle  ; 
the  one  for  his  conversion,  on  the 
25th  of  January ;  and  the  other  for 
his  martyrdom,  on  the  29th  of  June. 

XI.    ST.  JUDE. 

This  apostle  and  martyr,  the  bro- 
ther of  James,  was  commonly  called 
Thaddaeus.  Being  sent  to  Edessa, 
he  wrought  many  miracles,  and  made 
many  converts,  which  stirring  up  the 
resentment  of  people  in  power,  he 
was  crucified,  a.  d.  72  ;  and  the  28th 
of  October  is,  by  the  church,  dedi- 
cated to  his  memory. 


BOOK   OF   MARTYRS. 


Xll.    ST.  BARTHOLOMEW. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  preaclied 
in  several  countries,  performed  many 
miracles,  and  healed  various  dis- 
eases. He  translated  St.  Matthew's 
gospel  into  the  Indian  language,  and 
propagated  it  in  that  country;  but  at 
length,  the  idolaters  growing  impa- 
tient with  his  doctrines,  severely 
beat,  cruciticd,  and  slew  him,  and 
then  cut  off  his  head.  The  anniver- 
sary of  his  martyrdom  is  ou  the  24ith 
of  August. 

XIII.    ST.  THOMAS. 

He  was  called  by  this  name  in 
Syriac,  but  Didymus  in  Greek ;  he 
was  an  apostle  arid  martyr,  and 
preached  in  Parthia  and  India,  where, 
displeasing  the  Pagan  priests,  he  was 
martyred  by  being  thrust  through  with 
a  spear. — His  death  is  commemorated 
on  the  21st  of  December, 

XIV.    ST.  LUKE  THE  EVANGELIST. 

This  martyr  was  the  author  of  a 
most  excellent  gospel. — He  travelled 
with  St.  Paul  to  Rome,  and  preached 
to  divers  barbarous  nations,  till  the 
priests  in  Greece  hanged  him  on 
an  olive  tree.  The  anniversary  of 
bis  martyrdom  is  on  the  18th  of  Oc- 
tober. 

XV.    ST.  SIMON. 

This  apostle  and  martyr  was  dis- 
tinguished, from  his  zeal,  by  the  name 
of  Zelotes.  He  preached  with  great 
success  in  Mauritania,  and  other 
parts  of  Africa,  and  even  in  Britain, 
where,  though  he  made  many  con- 
verts, he  was  crucified,  a.d.  74;  and 
the  church  joining  him  with  St.  Jude, 
commemorates  his  festival  on  the 
28th  of  October. 


XVI.    ST.  JOHX, 

He  was  distinguished  for  being  a 
prophet,  apostle,  divine,  evangelist, 
and  martyr.  He  is  called  the  beloved 
disciple,  and  was  brother  to  Jamed 
the  Great.  He  was  previously  a  dis- 
ciple of  John  the  Baptist,  and  after- 
wards not  only  one  of  the  twelve 
apostles,  but  one  of  the  three  to 
whom  Christ  communicated  the  most 
secret  passages  of  his  life.  He 
founded  churches  at  Smyrna,  Perga- 
ums,  Sardis,  Philadelphia,  Laodicea, 
and  Thyatira,  to  whom  he  directs  his 
book  of  Revelations.  Being  at  Ephe- 
sus,  he  was  ordered  by  the  emperor 
Domitian  to  be  sent  bound  to  Rome, 
where  he  was  condemned  to  be  cast 
into  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil.  But 
here  a  miracle  appeared  in  his  fa- 
vour; the  oil  did  him  no  injury,  and 
Domitian,  therefore,  not  being  able 
to  put  hiin  to  death,  banished  him  to 
Patmos,  to  work  at  the  mines.  He 
was,  however,  recalled  by  Nerva, 
who  succeeded  Domitian;  but  was 
deemed  a  martyr  on  account  of  his 
having  undergone  an  execution, 
though  it  did  not  take  effect.  He 
wrote  his  epistles,  gospel,  and  reve- 
lations, all  in  a  different  style;  but 
they  are  all  equally  admired.  He 
was  the  only  apostle  who  escaped  a 
violent  death,  and  lived  the  longest 
of  any  of  them,  being  nearly  100 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death; 
and  the  church  commemorates  the 
27th  day  of  December  to  his  me- 
mory. 

XVII.   ST.  baknabas. 

He  was  a  native  of  Cyprus,  but  of 
Jewish  parents:  the  time  of  his  death 
is  uncertain,  but  it  is  supposed  to 
be  about  the  year  of  Christ  73 ; 
and  his  festival  is  kept  on  the  iltb 
of  June. 


THE   FIRST   PRIMITIVE   PERSECUTION    UNDER   NERO. 


The  first  persecution,  in  the  primi- 
tive ages  of  the  church,  was  begun 
by  tbat  cruel  tyrant  Nero  Domitius, 
the  sixth  emperor   of   Rome,    and 


a.d.  67.  This  monarch  reigned,  for 
the  space  of  five  years,  with  tolera- 
ble credit  to  himself,  but  then  gave 
way  to  the  greatest  extravagancy  of 


FIRST  PRIMITIVE    PERSECUTION. 


9 


temper,  and  to  tlie  most  atrocious 
barbarities.  Among  olhor  diabolical 
outrages,  he  ordered  Uiat  the  city  of 
Rome  should  be  set  on  tire,  which 
was  done  by  his  officers,  guards,  and 
servants.  While  the  city  was  in 
tiames,  he  wont  up  to  the  tower  of 
Maecenas,  played  upon  his  harp,  sung 
the  song  of  the  burning  of  Troy,  and 
declared  "  That  he  wished  the  ruin  of 
all  things  before  his  death."  Among  the 
noble  buildings  burnt  was  the  circus, 
or  place  appropriated  to  horse-races. 
It  was  half  a  mile  in  length,  of  an 
oval  form,  with  rows  of  seats  rising 
above  each  other,  and  capable  of  re- 
ceiving, with  ease,  upwards  of  100,000 
spectators.  Many  other  palaces  and 
houses  were  consumed;  and  several 
thousands  of  the  people  perished  in 
the  tiames,  were  smothered,  or  buried 
beneath  the  ruins. 

This  dreadful  conflagrati^  conti- 
nued nine  dajs;  when  Ner^finding 
that  his  conduct  was  greatly  blamed, 
and  a  severe  odium  cast  upon  him, 
determined  to  lay  the  whole  upon  the 
Christians,  at  once  to  excuse  himself, 
and  have  an  opportunity  of  witness- 
ing new  cruelties.  The  barbarities 
exercised  upon  the  Christians,  during 
the  first  persecution,  were  such  as  eveu 
excited  the  commiseration  of  the  Ro- 
mans themseJves.  Nero  even  refined 
upon  cruelty,  and  contrived  all  man- 
ner of  punishments  for  the  Christians. 
In  particular,  he  had  some  sewed  up 
in  the  skins  of  wild  beasts,  and  then 
worried  by  dogs  till  they  expired;  and 
others  dressed  in  shirts  made  stiff 
with  wax,  fixed  to  axle-trees,  and  set 
on  fire  in  his  gardens.  This  persecu- 
tion was  general  throughout  the  whole 
Roman  empire ;  but  it  rather  increased 
than  diminished  the  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity. Besides  St.  Paul  and  St.  Pe- 
ter, many  otliers,  whose  names  have 
not  been  transmitted  to  posterity, 
and  who  were  some  of  their  converts 
and  followers,  suffered ;  the  facts  con- 
cerning the  principal  of  whom  we 
shall  proceed  to  describe. 

Erastus,  the  chamberlain  of  Co- 
rinth, was  converted  by  St.  Paul,  and 
determined  to  foliow  the  fortune  of 


that  apostle.  For  this  reason  he  re- 
signed his  office,  and  accompanied 
St.  Paul  in  his  voyages  and  travels, 
till  the  latter  left  him  in  Macedonia, 
where  he  was  first  made  bishop  of 
that  province  by  the  Christians;  and 
afterwards  suffered  martyrdom,  being 
tortured  to  death  by  the  pagans  at 
Philippi. 

Aristarchus,  the  Macedonian, 
was  born  in  Thessalonica,  and  being 
converted  by  St.  Paul,  became  his 
constant  companion. — He  was  with 
that  apostle  at  Ephesus,  during  a 
commotion  raised  in  that  city  by  De- 
metrius, the  silversmith.  They  both 
received  several  insults  upon  the  oc- 
casion from  the  populace,  which  they 
bore  with  christian  patience,  giving 
good  advice  in  return  for  ill-usage, 
and  not  in  the  least  resenting  any  in- 
dignity.——Aristarchus  accompanied 
St.  Paul  from  Ephesus  into  Greece, 
where  they  were  very  successful  in 
propagating  the  gospel,  and  bringing 
over  many  to  Christianity. — Having 
left  Greece,  they  traversed  a  great 
part  of  Asia,  and  made  a  considera- 
ble stay  in  Judea,  where  they  were 
very  successful  in  making  converts. — 
After  this,  Aristarchus  went  with  St. 
Paul  to  Rome,  where  he  suffered  the 
same  fate  as  the  apostle;  for,  being 
seized  as  a  Christian,  he  was  beheaded 
by  the  command  of  Nero. 

Trophimus,  an  Ephesian  by  birth, 
and  a  Gentile  by  religion,  was  con- 
verted by  St.  Paul  to  the  christian 
faith,  and  accompanied  his  master  in 
his  travels.  Upon  his  account  the 
Jews  raised  a  great  disturbance  in 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  the  last  time 
St.  Paul  was  in  that  city.  They  even 
attempted  to  murder  the  apostle  for 
havingintroduced  him,  being  a  Greek, 
into  the  temple.  Lysias,  the  captain 
of  the  guard,  however,  interposed, 
and  rescued  St.  Paul  by  force  from 
their  hands.  On  quitting  Jerusalem, 
Trophimus  attended  his  master  first 
to  Rome,  and  then  to  Spain ;  passing 
through  Gaul,  the  apostle  made  him 
bishop  of  that  province,  and  left  him 
in  the  city  of  Aries.    About  a  twelve- 


10 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


montli  affer,  he  paid  a  visit  to  St. 
Paul  iu  Asia,  and  went  with  him,  for 
the  last  time  to  Rome,  where  he  was 
witness  to  his  martyrdom ;  which  was 
but  the  forerunner  of  his  own;  for, 
being  soon  after  seized  on  account  of 
his  faith,  he  was  beheaded  by  order 
of  Nero. 

Joseph,  commonly  called  Barsa- 
BAS,  was  a  primitive  disciple,  and  is 
usually  deemed  one  of  the  seventy. 
He  was,  in  some  degree,  related  to 
the  Redeemer;  and  he  became  a  can- 
didate, togetlier  with  Matthias,  to  fill 
the  office  of  Judas  Iscariot.  The  ec- 
clesiastical writings  make  very  little 
other  mention  of  him;  but  Papias  in- 
forms us,  that  he  was  once  compelled 
to  drink  poison,  which  did  not  do 
him  the  least  injury,  agreeable  to  the 


promise  of  the  Lord,  to  those  who  be- 
lieve in  him. — He  was,  during  his  life, 
a  zealous  preacher  of  the  gospel ;  ancl 
having  received  many  insults  from 
the  Jews,  at  length  obtained  martyr- 
dom, being  murdered  by  the  pagans 
in  Judea. 


Ananias,  bishop  of  Damascus,  is 
celebrated  in  the  sacred  writings  for 
being  the  person  who  cured  St.  Paul 
of  the  blindness  with  which  he  was 
struck  by  the  amazing  brightness 
which  happened  at  his  conversion. 
He  was  one  of  the  seventy,  and  was 
martyred  in  the  city  of  Damascus. 
After  his  death  a  Christian  church 
was  built  over  the  place  of  his  burial, 
which  is  now  converted  into  a  Turk- 
ish mosque. 


THE  SECOND  PRIMITIVE  PERSECUTION,  UNDER  DOMITIAN. 


The  emperor  Domitian  was  natu- 
rally of  a  cruel  disposition:  he  first 
slew  his  brother,  and  then  raised  the 
second  persecution  against  the  Chris- 
tians. His  rage  was  such,  that  he 
even  put  to  death  some  of  the  Roman 
senators;  some  through  malice,  and 
others  to  confiscate  their  estates;  and 
lie  then  commanded  all  the  lineage 
of  David  to  be  extirpated.  Two 
Christians  were  brought  before  him, 
accused  of  being  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  line  of  David ;  but  from  their 
answers,  he  despised  them  as  idiots, 
and  dismissed  them  accordingly.  He, 
however,  was  determined  to  be  more 
secure  upon  other  occasions ;  for  he 
took  away  the  property  of  many  Chris- 
tians, put  several  to  death,  and  ba- 
nished others. 

Amongst  the  numerous  martyrs 
that  suffered  during  this  persecution 
was  Simeon,  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
who  was  crucified;  and  St.  John, 
who  was  boiled  in  oil,  and  afterwards 
banished  to  Patraos.  Flavia,  the 
daughter  of  a  Roman  senator,  was 
likewise  banished  to  Pontus ;  and  a 
law  was  made,  "  That  no  Christian, 
once  brought  before  their  tribanal, 


should  be  exempted  from  punishment 
without  renouncing  his  religion." 

During  this  reign  there  were  a  va- 
rietj'  of  tales,  composed  in  order  to 
injure  the  Christians.  Among  other 
falsehoods,  they  were  accused  of  in- 
decent nightly  meetings,  of  a  rebel- 
lious turbulent  spirit;  of  being  inimi- 
cal to  the  Roman  empire;  of  murder- 
ing their  children,  and  even  of  being 
cannibals  ;  and  at  this  time,  such  was 
the  infatuation  of  the  Pagans,  that  if 
famine,  pestilence,  or  earthquakes, 
afflicted  any  of  the  Roman  provinces, 
these  calamities  were  said  to  be  ma- 
nifestations of  the  divine  wrath  occa- 
sioned by  their  impieties.  These  per- 
secutions increased  the  number  of 
informers;  and  many,  for  the  sake  of 
gain,  swore  away  the  lives  of  the  in- 
nocent. When  any  Christians  were 
brought  before  the  magistrates,  a  test 
oath  was  proposed,  when,  if  they  re- 
fused it,  death  was  pronounced  against 
them ;  and  if  they  confessed  them- 
selves Christians,  the  sentence  was 
the  same.  The  various  kinds  of  pu- 
nishments and  inflicted  cruelties  were, 
imprisonment,  racking,  searing,  broil- 
ing,    burning,     scourging,    stoning. 


SECOND  PRIMITIVE  PERSECUTION. 


11 


hanging,  and  wonting.  Many  were 
torn  piecemeal  with  red-hot  pincers, 
and  others  were  thrown  upon  the 
horns  of  wild  bulls.  After  having 
suifered  these  cruelties,  the  friends 
of  the  deceased  were  refused  the  pri- 
vilege of  burning  their  remains. 

The  following  were  the  most  re- 
markable of  tJie  numerous  martyrs 
who  suffered  during  this  persecution. 

DioiVYSius,  the  A-reopagite:  he 
was  an  Athenian  by  birth,  and  edu- 
cated in  all  the  useful  and  ornament- 
al literature  of  Greece.  He  then 
travelled  to  Egypt  to  study  astrono- 
my, and  made  very  particular  obser- 
vations on  the  great  and  supernatural 
eclipse  which  happened  at  the  time 

of  our  Saviour's  crucifixion, On 

his  return  to  Athens,  he  was  highly 
honoured  by  the  people,  and  at  length 
promoted  to  the  dignity  of  senator  of 
that  celebrated  city.  Becoming  a 
convert  to  tlie  gospel,  he  changed 
from  the  worthy  pagan  magistrate  to 
the  pious  Christian  pastor;  for  even 
while  involved  in  the  darkness  of 
iddatry,  he  was  as  just  as  he  possibly 
coild  be  in  the  gross  errors  of  pagan- 
isn.  After  his  conversion  the  sanc- 
tity of  his  conversation,  and  purity 
of  his  manners,  recommended  him 
sc  strongly  to  the  Christians  in  gene- 
rjl  that  he  was  appointed  bishop  of 
jlthens.  He  discharged  his  duty  with 
the  utmost  diligence  till  the  second 
jear  of  this  persecution,  viz.  a.  d.  69, 
when  he  was  apprehended,  and  re- 
ceived the  crown  of  martyrdom  by 
being  beheaded. 

NicoMEDES,  a  Christian  of  some 
distinction  at  Rome,  during  the  reign 
of  Domitian,  made  great  efforts  to 
serve  the  afllicted;  comforting  the 
poor,  visiting  those  confined,  exhort- 
ing the  wavering,  and  confirming  the 
faithful.  For  those  and  other  pious 
actions  he  was  seized  as  a  Christian, 
and  being  sentenced,  was  scourged 
to  death. 

Protasius  and  Gervasius  were 
martyred  at  Milan;  but  the  particular 


circumstances  attending  their  deaths 
are  not  recorded. 

Timothy,  the  celebrated  disciple 
of  St.  Paul,  and  bishop  of  Ephesus, 
was  born  at  Lystra,  in  the  province 
of  Lycaonia:  his  father  was  a  Gen- 
tile, and  his  mother  a  Jewess;  but 
both  Jiis  parents  and  his  grandmother 
embraced    Christianity;     by    which 
means  he  was  taught  from  his  infancy 
the  precepts   of  the   gospel.     Upon 
St.  Paul's  arrival  at  Lycaonia,  he  or- 
dained Timothy,  and  then  made  him 
the   companion  of  his  labours.     He 
mentions  him  with  peculiar  respect, 
and  declares,  that  he  could  find  no 
one  so  truly  united  to  him,  both  in 
heart  and  mind.     Timothy  attended 
St.  Paul  to  Macedonia,  where,  with 
that  apostle  and  Silas,  he  laboured  in 
the  propagationof  the  gospel.   When 
St.  Paul  went  to  Achaia,  Timothy 
was  left  behind   to   strengthen   the 
faith  of  those  already  converted,  or  to 
induce  others  to  be  of  the  true  faith. 
St.  Paul  at  length  sent  for  him   to 
Athens,  and  then  dispatched  him  to 
Thessalonica,  to  preach  to  the  suffer- 
ing Christians  there  against  the  ter- 
rors of  the  persecution  which  then 
prevailed.      Having   performed    his 
mission,  he  returned  to  Athens,  and 
there  assisted  St.  Paul  and  Silas  in 
composing  the  two   epistles  to   the 
Thessalonians.     He   then   accompa- 
nied St.  Paul  to  Corinth,  'Jerusalem, 
and  Ephesus.     After  performing  se- 
veral other  commissions  for  St.  Paul, 
and  attending  him  upon  various  jour- 
nies,  the  apostle  constituted  him  bi- 
shop of  Ephesus,  though  he  was  only 
thirty  years  of  age ;  and  in  two  ad- 
mirable epistles  gave  him  proper  in- 
structions for  his  conduct.     He  was 
so  very  temperate  in  his  living,  that 
St.  Paul  blamed  him  for  being  too 
abstemious,  and  recommended  to  him 
the  moderate  use  of  wine,  to  recruit 
his  strength  and  spirits.     While  that 
great  apostle  was  in  his  confinement 
at  Rome,  he  desired  Timothy  to  come 
to   him;   he  afterwards  returned  to 
Ephesus,  where  he  zealously  governed 
the  church  till  a.  d.  97.     At  this  pe- 
riod the  pagans  were  about  to  cele- 


12 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


braid  a  feast  called  Catagogion,  the 
principal  ceremonies  of  which  were, 
that  the  people  should  carry  sticks  in 
their  hands,  go  masked,  and  bear 
about  the  streets  the  images  of  their 
gods.     When  Timothy  met  the  pro- 


cession, he  severely  reproved  them 
for  their  ridiculous  idolatry,  which  so 
exasperated  them,  that  they  fell  upon 
him  with  their  clubs,  and  beat  him  in 
so  dreadful  a  manner,  that  he  expired 
of  the  bruises  two  days  after. 


THE  THIRD  PRIMITIVE  PERSECUTION,  UNDER  THE  ROMAN  EMPKRORS. 


Between  the  second  and  the  third 
Roman  persecution  was  but  one  year. 
Upon  Nerva  succeeding  Domitian, 
be  gave  a  respite  to  the  Christians; 
but  reigning  only  thirteen  months, 
his  successor  Trajan,  in  the  tenth 
year  of  his  reign,  and  in  a.  d.  108, 
began  the  third  persecution  against 
them.  While  the  persecution  raged, 
Plinius  Secundus,  a  heathen  philoso- 
pher, wrote  to  the  emperor  in  favour 
of  the  Christians,  stating  that  he  found 
nothing  objectionable  in  their  con- 
duct; and  that  "the  whole  sum  of 
their  error  consisted  in  this,  that  they 
were  wont  at  certain  times  appointed, 
to  meet  before  day,  and  to  sing  cer- 
tain hymns  to  one  Christ  their  God : 
and  to  confederate  among  themselves, 
to  abstain  from  all  theft,  murder,  and 
adultery;  to  keep  their  faith,  and  to 
defraud  no  man:  which  done,  then 
to  depart  for  that  time,  and  after- 
wards to  resort  again  to  take  meat 
in  companies  together,  both  men  and 
women,  one  with  another,  and  yet 
without  any  act  of  evilj"  To  this 
epistle  Trajan  returned  this  indeci- 
sive answer:  "That  Christians  ought 
not  to  be  sought  after,  but  when 
brought  before  the  magistracy  they 
should  be  punished."  Provoked  by 
this  reply,  Tertullian  exclaimed,  "  O 
confused  sentence!  he  would  not 
have  them  sought  for  as  innocent 
men,  and  yet  would  have  them  pu- 
nished as  guilty."  The  emperor's 
incoherent  answer,  however,  occa- 
sioned the  persecution  in  some  mea- 
sure to  abate,  as  his  officers  were  un- 
certain, if  they  carried  it  on  with  se- 
verity, how  he  might  choose  to  wrest 
his  own  meaning. — Trajan,  however, 
soon  after  wrote  to  Jerusalem,  and 
gave  orders  to  exterminate  the  stock 
of  David ;  in  consequence  of  which, 


all  that  could  be  found  of  that  race 
were  put  to  death. 

About  this  period  the  emperor  Tra* 
jan  was  succeeded  by  Adrian ;  who 
continued  the  persecution  with  the 
greatest  rigour. 

Phocas,  bishop  of  Pontus,  refusing 
to  sacrifice  to  Neptune,  was,  by  the 
immediate  order  of  Trajan,  cast  first 
into  a  hot  limekiln,  and  being  drawn 
from  thence,  was  thrown  into  a  scald- 
ing bath  till  he  expired. 

Trajan  likewise  commanded  the 
martyrdom  of  Ignatius,  bishop  of  An- 
tioch.  This  holy  man  was  the  person 
whom,  when  an  infant,  Christ  took 
into  his  arms  and  showed  to  his  dis- 
ciples, as  one  that  would  be  a  pattern 
of  humility  and  innocence.  He  'e- 
ceived  the  gospel  afterwards  from  St. 
John  the  Evangelist,  and  was  exceed- 
ingly zealous  in  his  mission.  He 
boldly  vindicated  the  faith  of  Christ 
before  the  emperor,  for  which  he  wis 
cast  into  prison,  and  was  tormentei 
in  a  cruel  manner;  for,  after  being 
dreadfully  scourged,  he  was  compel- 
led to  hold  fire  in  his  hands,  and  at 
the  same  time,  papers  dipped  in  oil 
were  put  to  his  sides,  and  set  alight. 
His  flesh  was  then  torn  with  red-hot 
pincers,  and  at  last  he  was  dispatched 
by  being  torn  to  pieces  by  wild 
beasts. 

Ignatius  had  either  a  presentiment 
or  information  of  his  fate  ;  for  writing 
to  Poly  carpus  at  Smyrna,  he  says, 
*'  Would  to  God  I  were  once  come  to 
the  beasts  which  are  prepared  for  me  ; 
which  also  I  wish  with  gaping  mouths 
were  ready  to  come  upon  me,  whom 
also  I  will  provoke  that  they  without 
delay  may  devour  me.  And  if  they 
will  not,  unless  they  be  provoked,  I 
will  then  enforce  them  against  my- 
self." 


THIRD  PRIMITIVE  PERSECUTION. 


J3 


SYmphorosa,  a  widow,  and  bcr 
Beven  sons,  were  commanded  by 
Trajan  to  sacrifice  to  the  heathen 
deities.  Refusing?  to  comply  wi(h 
the  impious  request,  the  emperor, 
greatly  exasperated,  ordered  her  to 
be  carried  to  the  temple  of  Her- 
cules, where  she  was  scourged,  and 
hung  up  for  some  time  by  the  hair 
of  her  head:  then  a  large  stone 
was  fastened  to  her  neck,  and  she 
was  thrown  into  the  river.  Her 
sons  were  fastened  to  seven  posts, 
and  being  drawn  up  by  pulleys, 
their  limbs  were  dislocated;  these 
tortures  not  affecting  their  resolu- 
tion, they  were  thus  martyred. 
Crescentius,  the  eldest,  was  stabbed 
in  the  throat;  Julian,  the  second, 
in  the  breast;  Nemesius,  the  third, 
in  the  heart;  Primitius,  the  fourth, 
in  the  navel;  Justice,  the  fifth,  in 
the  back;  Ntactcus,  the  sixth,  in  tlie 
side  ;  and  Eugenius,  the  youngest, 
was  sawed  asunder. 

About  this  time  Alexander,  bishop 
of  Rome,  after  filling  that  office  ton 
years,  was  martyred,  as  were  his 
two  deacons;  and  also  Quirinus  and 
Hermes,  with  their  families ;  Zenon, 
a  Roman  nobleman,  and  about  ten 
thousand  other  Christians. 

Many  were  crucified  in  Mount 
Ararat,  crowned  with  thorns,  and 
spears  run  into  their  sides,  in  imi- 
tation of  Christ's  passion. — Eusta- 
chius,  a  brave  and  successful  Ro- 
man commander,  was  ordered  by 
the  emperor  to  join  in  an  idolatrous 
sacrifice,  to  celebrate  some  of  his 
own  victories;  but  his  faith  was 
so  great,  that  he  nobly  refused  it. 
Enraged  at  the  denial,  the  ungrate- 
ful emperor  forgot  the  services  of 
this  skilful  commander,  and  ordered 
him  and  his  whole  family  to  be 
martyred. 

During  the  martyrdom  of  Faus- 
tines  and  Jovita,  brothers  and  citi- 
zens of  Bressia,  their  torments  were 
so  many,  and  their  patience  so 
great,  that  Calocerius,  a  pagan,  be- 
holding them,  was  struck  with  ad- 
miration, and  exclaimed,  in  a  kind 
of  ecstacy,  "Great  is  the  God  of 
the  Christians!"  for  which  he  was 
apprehended  and  put  to  death. 


Many  other  cruelties  and  rigours 
were  exercised  against  the  Chris- 
tians, till  Quadratus,  bishop  of 
Athens,  made  a  learned  apology  in 
their  favour  before  the  emperor, 
who  happened  to  be  there;  and 
Aristides,  a  philosopher  of  the  same 
city,  wrote  an  elegant  epistle,  which 
caused  Adrian  to  relax  in  his  seve- 
rities, and  relent  in  their  favour. 
He  indeed  went  so  far  as  to  com- 
mand, that  no  Christian  should  be 
punished  on  the  score  of  religion  or 
opinion  only ;  but  this  gave  other 
handles  against  them  to  the  Jews 
and  pagans,  for  then  they  began  to 
employ  and  suborn  false  witnesses, 
to  accuse  them  of  crimes  against 
the  state  or  civil  authority.     , 

Nicephorus  makes  mention  of 
Anthia,  a  godly  woman,  «ho  com- 
mitted her  son  Eleutherius  to  Ani- 
cetus,  bishop  of  Rome,  to  be  brought 
up  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Christian 
faith,  who  afterwards,  being  bishop 
in  Apulia,  was  there  beheaded  With 
his  mother  Anthia.  Justus  also  and 
Pastor,  two  brethren,  with  like  mar- 
tyrdom, ended  their  lives  in  a  city 
of  Spain  called  Complutuni,  under 
the  before-mentioned  emperor. 

Adrian  died  in  the  year  138,  or 
139,  and  had  ordered  the  cessation 
of  the  persecutions  against  the  Chris- 
tians some  years  before  his  death. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Antoninus 
Pius,  so  amiable  a  monarch,  that 
his  people  gave  him  the  title  of 
"The  Father  of  Virtues."  Imme- 
diately upon  his  accession  to  the 
throne,  he  published  an  edict  con- 
cluding with  these  words:  "If  any 
hereafter  shall  vex  or  trouble  the 
Christians,  having  no  other  cause 
but  that  tliey  are  such,  let  the  ac- 
cused be  released,  and  the  accusers 
be  punished."  Th's  stopped  the  per- 
secution, and  the  Christians  enjoy- 
ed a  respite  from  their  sufferings 
during  this  emperor's  reign,  thouo-h 
their  enemies  took  every  occasion 
to  do  them  what  injuries  they  could. 
The  piety  and  goodness  of  Anto- 
ninus were  so  great,  that  he  used 
to  say,  that  he  had  rather  save  one 
citizen,  than  destroy  a  thousand  of 
his  adversaries. 


14 


BOOK  or  MARTYRS. 


THE    FOURTH    PRIMITIVE    PERSECUTION,   UNDER   THE   ROMAN    EMPERORS, 
WHICH    COMMENCED    A.  D.    162. 


Antoninus  Pius  Mas  succeeded  by 
Marcus  Aurelius  Antoninus  Verus, 
who  began  the  fourth  persecution, 
in  which  many  Christians  were  mar- 
tyred, particularly  in  several  parts 
of  Asia,  and  in  France.  Such  were 
the  cruelties  used  in  this  persecu- 
tion, that  many  of  the  spectators 
shuddered  with  horror  at  the  sight, 
and  were  astonished  at  the  intre- 
pidity of  the  sufferers.  Some  of  the 
martyrs  were  obliged  to  pass,  with 
their  already  wounded  feet,  over 
thorns,  nails,  sharp  shells,  &c.  others 
were  scourged  till  their  sinews  and 
veins  lay  bare ;  and  after  suffering 
the  most  excruciating  tortures,  they 
were  destroyed  by  the  most  terrrible 
deaths. 

Germanicus,  a  young  and  true 
Christian,  being  delivered  to  the 
wild  beasts  on  account  of  his  faith, 
behaved  with  such  astonishing  cou- 
rage, that  several  pagans  became 
converts  to  a  faith  which  inspired 
such  fortitude.  This  enraged  others 
so  much,  that  they  cried  out,  he 
merited  death;  and  many  of  the 
multitude  wondering  at  this  beloved 
martyr  for  his  constancy  and  virtue, 
began  suddenly  to  cry  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  "  Destroy  the  wicked 
men,  let  Polycarpus  be  sought  for." 
And  whilst  a  great  uproar  and  tu- 
mult began  to  be  raised  upon  those 
cries,  a  certain  Phrygian,  named 
Quintus,  lately  arrived  from  his  coun- 
try, was  so  afflicted  at  the  sight 
of  the  wild  beasts,  that  he  rushed 
to  the  judgment-seat  and  upbraided 
the  judges,  for  which  he  was  put  to 
death. 

Polycarpus  hearing  that  he  was 
sought  after,  escaped,  but  was  dis- 
covered by  a  child.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance, and  having  dreamed 
that  his  bed  suddenly  became  on 
file,  and  was  consumed  in  a  mo- 
ment, he  concluded  that  it  was 
God's  will  that  he  should  suffer  mar- 


tyrdom.    He  therefore  did  not  at- 
tempt   to    make    a    second   escape 
when  he  iiad  an  opportunity  of  so 
doing.       Those    who    apprehended 
him    were    amazed    at    his   serene 
countenance    and    gravity.       After 
feasting  them,  he  desired  an  hour 
for  prayer,  which  being  allowed,  he 
prayed  with  such  fervency,  that  his 
guards  repented  they  had  been  in- 
strumental in  taking  him.     He  was, 
however,    carried  before    the    pro- 
consul, condemned,  and  conducted 
to  the  market-place.     Wood  being 
provided,   the   holy    man   earnestly 
prayed  to  Heaven,  after  being  bound 
to   the    stake ;    and  as    the   flames 
grew    vehement,   the    executioners 
gave  way  on   both  sides,  the   heat 
now  becoming  intolerable.     In  the 
mean  time  the  bishop  sung  praises 
to  God  in  the  midst  of  the  flames, 
but  remained  unconsumed  therein, 
and  the  burning  of  the  wood  spread- 
ing a  fragrance  around,  the  ^u-  ds 
were  much  surprised.     Determined, 
however,  to  put  an  end  to  his  life, 
they    struck    spears  into  his  bpdy, 
when  the  quantity  of  blood  that  issued 
from  the  wounds  extinguished  the 
flames.    After  considerable  attempts, 
however,    they    put  him  to   death, 
and  burnt  his  body  when  dead,  not 
being  able  to  consume  it  while  alive. 
This   extraordinary  event  had  such 
an  effect  upon  the  people  that  they 
began   to    adore   the   martyr ;    and 
the  proconsul  was  admonished  not 
to  deliver  his  body,  lest  the  peo- 
ple should  leave  Christ,  and  begin 
to   worship    him*.       Twelve    other 
Christians,  who  had  been  intimate 
M'ith   Polycarpus,    were    soon   after 
martyred. 


*  Polycarpus  was  a  very  aged  man, 
who  hadserved  Christ  eighty-six  years, 
and  served  also  in  the  ministry  about 
the  space  of  seventy  years.  He  was 
the  scholar  and  hearer  of  John  the 
Evangelist,  and  was  placed  by  him  in 
Smyrna. 


FOURTH    PRIMITIVE    PERSECUTION. 


15 


Metkodorijs,  a  uiiiiister,  wbo 
preached  boldly,  and  Pionius,  Avho 
made  some  excellent  apologies  for 
the  Christian  faith,  were  likewise 
burnt.  Carpus  and  Papilus,  two 
worthy  Christians,  and  Agatho- 
nica,  a  pious  woman,  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom at  Pcrgamopoiis,  in  Asia, 
about  the  same  period. 

Felicitatas,   ail   illustrious  Ro- 
man lady  of  a  considerable  family, 
and   great    virtues,   was  a   devout 
Christian.      She   had    seven   sons, 
whom    she  had  educated  with   the 
most  exemplary  pietj'.    The  empire 
having  been  about  this  time  griev- 
ously  troubled   with    earthquakes, 
famine,  inundations,  Sec.  the  Chris- 
tians   were   accused  as  the  cause, 
and   Felici(atas    was    included    in 
the  accusation.     The  lady  and  her 
family   i'cing  seized,  the    emperor 
;^..,,o  orders  to  Publius,  the  Roman 
governor,  to  proceed   against    her. 
Upon  this  Publius   began  with  the 
mother,   thinking  that  if  he  could 
prevail  with  her  to  change   her  re- 
l'i<?ioi. .    ;he    example    would    have 
great  influence  with  her  sons.  Find- 
ing her   inflexible,   he    turned   his 
entrcities  to  menaces,  and  threat- 
ened hu-  with  destruction  to  herself 
and  famfy.  She  despised  his  threats 
as  she  hai  done  his  promises ;  he 
then  causel  her  sons  to  be  brought 
before    him,  whom   he    examined 
separately.     T,ey  all,  however,  re- 
mained steadfas  in  their  faith,  and 
unanimous   in   tl«ir    opinions,   on 
which  the   whole  umily  were   or- 
dered for   executioi       Januarius, 
the  eldest,  w  tis  scourgM  and  pressed 
to  death  with  weights ,  pelix  and 
Philip,  the  two  next,  had  i-ejj.  brains 
dashed  out  with  clubs;    wvjvanus, 
the  fourth,  was  murdered  b„  being 
thrown  from  a  prccipiee  ;  au  tjje 
three  younger  sons,  viz.  AlexaUg^^ 
Vitalis,    and    Martialis,    were  ,\\ 
leheaded.  The  mother  was  beheai 
ed  with  the   same    sword   as   the 
three  latter. 

Justin,  the  celebrated  philospher, 
fell  a  martyr  in  this  persecution. 
He   was  a  native  of  Ncapolis,  in 


Samaria,  and  was  born  A.  D.  103. 
He  had  the  best  education  those 
times  would  afl'ord,  and  travelled 
into  Egypt,  the  country  where  the 
polite  tour  of  that  age  was  made 
for  improvement.  At  Alexandria 
he  was  informed  of  every  thing 
relative  to  the  seventy  interpreters 
of  the  sacred  writings,  and  shewn 
the  rooms,  or  rather  cells,  in  "which 
their  work  was  performed.  Justin 
was  a  great  lover  of  truth,  and  an 
universal  scholar  ;  he  investigated 
the  Stoic  and  Peripatetic  philosophy, 
and  attempted  the  Pythagorean 
system  ;  but  the  behaviour  of  one 
of  its  professors  disgusting  him,  he 
applied  himself  to  the  Platonic,  in 
which  he  took  great  delight.  About 
the  year  133,  when  he  was  thirty 
years  of  age,  he  became  a  convert  to 
Christianity.  Justin  wrote  an  ele- 
gant epistle  to  the  Gentiles,  to 
convert  them  to  the  faith  he  had 
newly  acquired,  and  lived  in  so 
pure  and  innocent  a  manner,  that 
he  well  deserved  the  title  of  a 
Christian  philosopher.  He  like- 
wise employed  his  talents  in  con- 
vincing the  Jews  of  the  truth  of 
the  Christian  rites,  and  spent  much 
time  in  travelling,  till  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Rome,  and  fixed  his 
habitation  on  the  Viminal  mount. 
He  kept  a  public  school,  taught 
many  who  afterwards  became  great 
men,  and  wrote  a  treatise  to  con- 
fute heresies  of  all  kinds.  As  the 
pagans  began  to  treat  the  Chris- 
tians with  great  severity,  Justin 
wrote  his  first  apology  in  their 
favour,  and  addressed  it  to  the  em- 
peror Antoninus,  to  two  princes 
whom  he  had  adopted  as  his  sons,  and 
to  the  senate  and  people  of  Rome 
in  general.  This  piece,  which  oc- 
casioned the  emperor  to  publish  an 
edict  in  favour  of  the  Christians, 
displays  great  learning  and  genius. 
A  short  time  after,  he  entered 
into  frequent  contests  with  Cres- 
cens,  a  person  of  a  vicious  life,  but 
\  celebrated  cynic  philosopher  ;  and 
^  arguments  appeared  so  pow- 
^y-\,  yet  disgusting  to  the  cynic, 
that,g  resolved  on-his  destruction, 
whici  j„   jj,g   sequel,     he  accom- 


1j 


BOOK  OF  MARFVRS. 


plisiicd.  The  second  ajjology  of 
Justin  was  occasioned  by  the  fol- 
lowing circumstances:  a  man  and 
his  wife,  who  were  both  bad  livers, 
resided  at  Rome.  The  woman* 
however,  becoming  a  convert  to 
Christianity,  attempted  to  reclaim 
her  husband  ;  but  not  succeeding, 
she  sued  for  a  divorce,  which  so 
exasperated  him,  that  he  accused 
her  of  being  a  Christian.  Upon 
her  petition,  however,  he  dropped 
the  prosecution,  and  levelled  his 
malice  at  Ptolemeus,  who  had  con- 
verted her.  Ptolemeus  was  con- 
demned to  die ;  and  one  Lucius, 
with  another  person,  for  expressing 
themselves  too  freely  upon  the  occa- 
sion, met  with  the  same  fate.  Jus- 
tin's apology  upon  these  severities 
gave  Crescens  an  opportunity  of 
prejudicing  the  emperor  against  the 
writei  of  it :  upon  which  Justin  and 
six  of  his  companions  were  appre- 
hended. Being  commanded  as 
usual  to  deny  their  faith,  and  sacri- 
fice to  the  pagan  idols,  they  refused 
to  do  either;  they  were,  therefore, 
condemned  to  be  first  scourged,  and 
then  beheaded. 

It  appears  that  only  seven  pieces 
of  the  writings  of  this  celebrated 
martyr,  and  great  philosopher,  are 
now  extant:  viz.  the  Two  Apolo- 
gies; an  Exhortation  to  the  Gen- 
tiles; an  Oration  to  the  Greeks;  a 
Treatise  on  Divine  Monarchy;  a 
Dialogue  with  Trypho  the  Jew;  and 
an  Epistle  to  Diagnetus. 

About  this  time  many  were  be- 
headed for  refusing  to  sacrifice  to 
the  image  of  Jupiter;  in  particular 
Concordus,  a  deacon  of  the  city  of 
Spoleto,  being  carried  before  the 
image,  and  ordered  to  worship  it, 
not  only  refused,  but  spit  in  its 
face ;  for  which  he  was  severely  tor- 
mented, and  afterwards  had  his  head 
cut  ofl"  with  a  sword. 

MIRACULOUS  INTERFERENCE  OF  THE 
DIVINE  BEING. 

At  this  time  some  of  the  northern 
nations  having  armed  against  Rom* 
the  emperor  marched  to  encour*^*^ 
tbem,  at  the  head  of  975,000  '^"' 


he  was,  however,  drawn  into  an 
ambuscade,  and  dreaded  the  loss  of 
his  whole  army.  Surrounded  by 
mountains  and  enemies,  and  pe- 
rishing with  thirst,  the  troops  were 
driven  to  the  last  extremity.  All 
the  pagan  deities  were  invoked  in 
vain ;  when  the  men  belonging  to 
the  militine,  or  thundering  legion, 
who  were  ail  Christians,  were  com- 
manded to  call  upon  their  God  for 
succour;  they  immediately  with- 
drew from  the  rest,  prostrated  them- 
selves upon  the  earth,  and  prayed 
fervently.  A  miraculous  delive- 
rance immediately  ensued;  a  prodi- 
gious quantity  of  rain  fell,  which 
being  caught  by  the  men,  and  fill- 
ing the  dykes,  aflorded  a  sudden 
and  astonishing  relief.  The  empe- 
ror, in  his  epistle  to  the  Roman  se- 
nate, wherein  the  expedition  is  de- 
scribed, after  mentioning  Uie  diffi- 
culties to  which  he  had  been  driv  j.  - 
speaks  of  the  Christians  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner: — 

"  When  I  saw  myself  not  able 
to  encounter  with  the  enemies,  I 
craved  aid  of  our  country  gods ;  but 
finding  no  relief  at  their  hands,  SLfd 
being  cooped  up  by  the  enem',  I 
caused  those  men,  whom   we  call 
Christians,  to  be  sent  for;  wio  be- 
ing mustered,  I  found  a  coisidera- 
ble  number  of  them,  agai»st  wbon» 
I   was  more  incensed  tJan   I  had 
just  cause,  as  I  found  afterwards; 
for,   by  a  raarvellouy  power,  they 
forthwith    used   thef    endeavours, 
not  with  ammuni*t>n,  drums,  and 
trumpets,  abhorr"?  such  prepara- 
tions and  furni«re,  but  only  pray- 
ing unto,  and  <^usting  in  their  God, 
whom  they  ^Ty  about  with  them 
in  their  co-sciences.     It  is  there- 
fore to  I-  believed,  although  we 
call   the-'  wicked  men,  that  they 
worshi  .*^«jd  in   their  hearts;    for 
they >"•»?  prostrate  on  the  ground, 
pra^d,  not  only  for   me,  but  for 
ll,    army   also    which    was    with 
«c,  beseeching  God  to  help  me 
in  that  our  extreme  want  of  vic- 
tuals and  fresh  water  (for  we  had 
been  five  days  without  water,  and 
in    our    enemies'    land,    even     in 
the   midst    of   Germany);    I    say^ 


FOURTH  PRIMlTIVfi:   PERSECUTION. 


17 


fftUing'  on  their  faces,  they  prayRi! 
to  a  God  unkaftwn  to  me,  and  im- 
mediately thereupon  fell  from  hea- 
ven a  most  pleasant  and  cool  show- 
er ;  hnt  amongst  onr  enemies  great 
store  of  hail,  mixed  with  thunder 
and  liuhtning'  :  so  that  we  soon 
perceived  the  invincible  aid  of  the 
most  mighty  God  to  he  with  us; 
therefore  we  gave  these  men  leave 
to  profess  Christianity,  lest,  b)"^  their 


prayers,  we  be  punished  hy  the 
like:  and  I  hereby  make  myself  the 
author  of  all  the  evil  that  shall  :ic- 
crue  by  the  persecution  of  the  v  hris- 
tian  religion."  It  appears  that  this  • 
miraculous  storm  so  intimidated  the 
enemy,  that  part  deserted  to  the  Ro- 
man army,  the  rest  were  defeated, 
and  the  revolted  provinces  were  en- 
tirely recovered. 


Marttfrdom  of  St.  Laurence. 


PERSECUTIONS   IN    FRANCE. 

Although  this  manifest  interfe- 
rence of  the  Almighty  in  favour  of 
the  Christians  occasioned  the  per- 
secution to  subside  for  some  time, 
in  those  parts  immediately  under  the 
inspection  of  the  emperor,  yet  we 
find  that  it  soon  alter  raged  in 
France,  particularly  at  Lyons, 
where  the  tortures,  to  which  many 
of  them  Avere  put,  almost  exceed 
the  powers  of  description.  All 
manner  of  pimishments  were  adopt- 
ed, torments,  and  painful  deaths ; 
such  as  being  hanishetl,  plundered, 

fox's    MAttTYRS. 


hanged,  burnt,  kc;  and  even' the 
serv^ants  and  slaves  of  opulent 
Christians  were  racked  and  tor- 
tured, to  make  them  accuse  their 
masters  and  employers.  The  fol- 
lowing were  the  principal  of  these 
martyrs:  Vetius  A'gathus,  a  young 
man,"  who  having  pleaded  the  Chris- 
tian cause,  was  asked  if  he  was  a 
Christian  ;  to  which  answering  in 
the  affirmative,  he  was  condemned 
to  death.  Many,  animated  by  this* 
young  man's  intrepidity,  boldly 
()wned  their  faith,  and'  suflered 
likewise.       Blandinia,    a  Christian, 


li^ 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


but  of  a  weak  constitution,  being- 
seized  and  tortured  ou  account  of 
her  religion,  received  so  much 
strenjfth  from  Heaven,  that  her 
torturers  became  tired  frequently, 
and  H'ere  surprised  at  her  being 
able  to  bear  her  torments  for  so 
great  a  leuifth  of  time,  and  with 
such  resolution.  Sanctus,  a  deacon 
of  Vienne,  was  put  to  the  tortures, 
which  he  bore  with  great  fortitude, 
and  only  cried,  "  I  am  a  Chris- 
tian." Red  hot  plates  of  bra<is 
were  placed  upon  those  parts  of  the 
body  that  were  tenderest,  which  con- 
tracted the  sinews  ;  but  he  remain- 
ing inflexible,  was  re-conducted  to 
prison.  Being  brought  out  from  his 
place  of  confinement  a  few  days  af- 
terwards, his  tormentors  were  asto- 
nished to  tin  I  his  wounds  healed, 
and  his  person  pei-feot;  they  how- 
ever, again  proceeded  to  torture 
him  ;  but  not  being  able  at  that 
time,  to  take  his  life,  they  remand- 
ed hiiu  to  prison,  where  he  remain- 
ed for  some  time  after,  and  was  at 
length  beheaded.  Biblules,  a  weak 
woman,  had  been  an  apostate,  but 
having  returned  to  the  faith  was 
martyred,  and  bore  her  suffferiugs 
with  great  patience.  Attains,  of 
Pergamus,  was  another  sufferer  ; 
and  Pothinus,  the  venerable  bishop 
of  Lyons,  who  was  ninety  years  of 
age,  was  so  treated  by  the  enraged 
mob,  that  he  expired  two  days  after 
in  the  prison. 

At  Lyons,  exclusive  of  those  al- 
ready mentioned,  the  martyrs  were 
compelled  to  sit  in  red  hot  iron 
chairs  till  their  flesh  broiled^  This 
was  inflicted  with  peculiar  severity 
on  Sanctus,  already  mentionedfj 
and  some  others.  Some  were  sewed 
up  in  nets,  and  thrown  on  the  horns 
of  wild  bulls ;  and  the  carcases  of 
those  who  died  in  prison,  previous 
to  the  appointed  time  of  execution, 
were  thrown  to  dogs.  Indeed,  so 
far  did  the  malice  of  the  pagans 
proceed,  that  they  set  guards  over 
the  bodies  while  the  beasts  were 
devouring  them,  lest  the  friends  of 
the  deceased  should  get  them  by 
stealth  ;  and  the  oflTals  left  by  the 
dogs  were  ordered  to  be  burnt. 

The  martyrs  of  Ly/ons  are  saiJ  to 


have  been  torty-eight  in  number, 
and  their  executions  happened  in 
the  year  of  Christ  177.  They  all 
died  with  great  fortitude. 

Besides  the  above  martyrs  of 
Lyons,  many  others  suffered  in 
that  city,  and  different  parts  of  the 
empire,  soon  after.  Of  these,  the 
principal  were  :  Epipodius  and 
Alexander,  celebrated  for  their 
greatfriendship,  and  their  Christian 
union.  The  former  was  born  at 
Lyons,  the  latter  in  Greece ;  they 
were  of  mutual  assistance  to  each 
other,  by  the  continual  practice  of 
all  manner  of  Christian  virtues  and 
godliness.  At  the  time  the  perse- 
cution first  began  to  rag-e  at  Lyons, 
they  were  in  the  prime  of  life,  and 
to  avoid  its  severities  they  thought 
proper  to  withdraw  to  a  neighbour- 
ing village.  Here  they  were,  for 
some  time,  concealed  by  a  Chris- 
tian widow.  But  the  malice  of 
their  persecutors  sought  after  them 
with  indefatigable  industry,  and 
pursued  them  to  their  place  of  con^ 
cealment,  whence  they  were  com- 
mitted to  prison  without  examina- 
tion. At  the  expiration  of  three 
days,  being  brought  before  the  go- 
vernor, they  were  examined  in  the 
presence  of  a  crowd  of  heathens, 
when  they  confessed  the  divinity  of 
Christ  ;  on  which  the  g-overnor, 
being  eni'aged  at  what  he  termed 
their  insolence,  said,  "  What  sig- 
nify all  the  former  executions,  if 
some  yet  remain  who  dare  acknow- 
ledge Christ  ?" 

They  were  then  separated,  that 
they  should  not  console  with  each 
other,  and  he  began  to  tamper  with 
Epipodius,  the  youngest  of  the  two. 
He  pretended  to  pity  his  condition, 
and  entreated  him  not  to  ruin  him- 
self by  obstinacy.  "  Our  deities," 
continued  he,  *'  are  worshipped  by 
the  greater  part  of  the  people  in  the 
universe,  and  their  rulers;  we  adore 
them  with  feasting  and  mirth,  while 
you  adore  a  crucified  man  ;  we,  to 
honour  them,  launch  into  pleasures  ; 
you,  by  your  faith,  are  debarred 
from  all  that  indulges  the  senses. 
Our  religion  enjoins  feasting,  your's 
fasting ;  our's  the  joys  of  licentious 
blandishments,    your's    the    barfea^ 


FOURTH  PRIMlTrVK  PERSECUTION. 


19 


yirtue  of  chastity.  Can  you  expect 
protection  from  one  who  could  not 
secure  himself  from  the  .  perse- 
cutions of  a  contemptible  people? 
Then  quit  a  profession  of  such 
austerity,  and  enjoy  those  gratifi- 
cations which  the  world  affords, 
and  which  your  youtiiful  years  de- 
mand." Epipodius,  in  reply,  con- 
temning' his  compassion  :  "  Your 
pretended  tenderness,"  said  he,  "  is 
actual  cruelty  ;  and  the  agreeable 
life  you  describe,  is  replete  with 
everlasting  death.  Christ  suffered 
for  us,  that  our  pleasures  should  be 
immortal,  and  hath  prepared  for 
his  followers  an  eternity  of  bliss. 
The  frame  of  man  being  composed 
of  two. parts,  body  and  soul,  the 
tirst  as  mean  and  perishable,  should 
be  rendered  subservient  to  the 
latter.  Your  idolatrous  feasts  may 
gratify  the  mortal,  but  they  injure 
the  immortal  part  ;  that  cannot, 
therefore,  be  enjoying  life,  which  de- 
stroys the  most  valuable  moiety  of 
your  frame.  Your  pleasures  lead 
to  eternal  death,  and  our  pains  to 
eternal  happiness." 

For  this  rational  speech  Epipo- 
dius was  severely  beaten,  and  then 
pnttothe  rack,  upon  which  being 
stretched,  his  flesh  was  torn  witii 
iron  hooks.  Having  borne  his  tor- 
ments with  incredible  patience  and 
fortitude,  he  was  taken  from  the 
rack  and  beheaded.  Alexander,  his 
companion,  was  brought  before  the 
judge  two  days  after  his  execution  ; 
and  on  his  absolute  refusal  to  re- 
nounce Christianity,  he  was  placed 
on  the  rack  and  beaten  by  three  ex- 
ecutioners, who  relieved  each  other 
alternately.  He  bore  his  sufferings 
with  as  much  fortitude  as  his  friend 
had  done,  and  at  length  was  cru- 
cified. These  martyrs  suffered 
A.  D.  179  i  the  first  on  the  '20th  of 
April,  and  the  other  iu  two  days 
after. 

Valerian  and  Marcellus,  who 
were  nearly  related  to  each  other, 
were  imprisoned  at  Lyons,  ia  the 
year  177,  for  being  Christians.  By 
some  means,  however,  they  made 
their  escape,  and  travelled  different 
roads.  The  latter  made  several 
converts  ia  the  te;^ritories  of  B^- 


sancon  and  Chalons;  but  being  ap- 
prehended, was  carried  before 
Priscus,  the  governor  of  those 
parts.  This  magistrate,  knowing 
Marcellus  to  be  a  Christian,  ordered 
liim  to  be  fastened  to  some  branches 
of  a  tree,  which  were  drawn  for  that 
purpose.  When  he  was  tied  to 
different  branches,  they  were  let  go, 
with  a  design  to  tear  him  to  pieces 
by  the  suddenness  of  the  jerks. 
But  this  invention  failing,  he  was 
conducted  to  Chalons,  to  be  present 
at  some  idolatrous  sacrifices,  at 
which,  refusing  to  assist,  he  was 
put  to  the  torture,  and  afterwards 
fixed  up  to  the  waist  in  the  ground, 
in  which  position  he  expired,  a.  p. 
179,  after  remaining  three  days. 
Valerian  was  also  apprehended, 
and,  by  the  order  of  Priscus,  was 
first  brought  to  the  rack,  and  then 
beheaded  in  the  same  year  as  his 
relation  Marcellus. 

About  the  same  time  the  follow- 
ing mart3'rs  suffered  :  Benignus,  at 
Dijon  ;  Speusippus,  and  others,  at 
Langres ;  Androchus,  Thyrseus,  and 
Felix,  at  Salieu  ;  Sympoviam  and 
Floreila,  at  Autun;  Severinus,  Feli- 
cian,  and  Exuperus,  at  Vienne; 
Cecilia,  the  virgin,  at  Sicily  ;  and 
Thraseus,  bishop  of  Phrygia,  at 
Smyrna. 

In  the  year  180  the  Emperor  An- 
toninus died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Commodus,  who  did  not 
imitate  his  fatlier  in  any  respect. 
He  had  neither  his  virtues  nor  his 
vices  ;  he  was  without  his  learning 
and  his  morality,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  without  his  prejudices  against 
Christianity.  His  principal  weak- 
ness was  pride,  and  to  that  may  be 
chiefly  ascriberl  the  errors  of  his 
reign  ;  for  having  fancied  himself 
Hercules,  he  sacrificed  those  to  his 
vanity,  who  refused  to  subscribe  to 
his  absurd  opinion. 

In  this  reign  Appolonius,  a  Ro- 
man senator,  became  a  martyr^ 
This  eminent  person  was  skilled  ia 
all  the  polite  literature  of  those 
times,  and  in  all  the  purest  precepts 
taught  by  our  blessed  Redeemer. 
He  was  accused  by  his  own  slave 
Severus,  upon  an  imjust  and  con- 
iradictory,    but    uar«pQ<[led     edi«|t. 


•20 


BOOK.  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  the  cmppvor  Trajan.  This  law 
condemned  tJie  accused  to  die,  un- 
less he  recanted  his  opinion  ;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  ordered  the  exe- 
cution of  tlie  accuser  for  slander. — 
Apollonius,  upon  this  ridiculous  sta- 
tute, was  accused  ;  for  though  his 
slave,  Severus,  knew  he  must  die 
for  the  accusation,  yet  such  was 
his  diaboHcal  malice  and  desire  of 
revenge,  that  lie  courted  death  in 
order  to  invohe  his  nT-.ster  in  the 
same  destruction.  As  Apollonius 
refused  to  recant  his  opinions,  he 
was,  by  order  of  the  Roman  senat- 
ors, to  whom  he  had  appealed,  con- 
,  damned  to  be  beheaded.  The  sen- 
tence was  executed  on  the  I8th  of 
April,  A.  D.  IBG,  his  accuser  having 
previously  had  his  legs  broken,  and 
been  put  to  death. 

About  this  time  succeeded  Anice- 
tus,  Soter,   and    Eleutherius,  about 


the  year  of  our  Lord  189.  This 
Eleutherlu^:,  at  the  request  of  Lu- 
cius, King  of  Britain,  sent  to  him 
Damianus  and  Fugatius,  by  whorti 
the  king  was  converted  to  Christ's 
faith,  and  baptized  about  the  year 
179. 

Kusebius,  Vincentius,  Potentia- 
nus,  and  Peregrinus,  for  refusing 
to  worship  Coramodus  as  Hercules, 
were  likewise  martyred*. 

Julius,  a  Roman  senator,  becom- 
ing a  convert  to  Christianity,  was 
ordered,  by  the  emperor,  to  sacri- 
fice to  him  as  Hercules.  'J'his  Ju- 
lius absolutely  refused,  and  publicly 
professed  himself  a  Christian.  On 
this  account,  after  remaining  in 
prison  a  considerable  time,  he 
was,  in  the  year  190,  pursuant  to 
his  sentence,  beat  to  death  with 
cudgels. 


THE    FIFTH    GENEUAI.    PERSECUTION    L'NUER    THE    ROMAM    EMPERORS. 

boisterous      enemies.       TertuUian, 
who  lived   in  this  age,  informs  us, 

*  About  this  time,  among  other  pious 
teacliers  whom  God  raised  up  to  coiitbund 
the  persecutors  by  learning  and  writhig, 
as  tlie  martyrs  to  confirm  the  truth  wiili 
their  blood,  was  Seraphion,  bishop  of  Aii- 
tioch  ;  Egesippus,  a  writer  of  the  Eccle- 
siasticJil  History  from  CUrist's  passion  to 
his  time;  Heraclitus,  who  first  beg.iu  to 
write  annotations  upon  tlie  New  Testa- 
ment and  epistles  of  the  apostles;  Theo- 
piiilus,  bishop  of  Cesarea ;  and  Diony- 
sius,  bishop  of  Corinth,  who  wrote  divers 
epistles,  from  whence  we  learn  that  it 
was  then  the  practire  in  the  churches,  to 
read  the  letters  and  epistles,  sent  by 
learned  bishops  and  teaciiers,  to  the  con- 
gregations;  for,  writing  to  the  church  of 
the  Romans  and  to  Soter,  he  says — 
"  This  day  we  celebrate  the  holv  domi- 
nical day,  in  which  we  have  read  your 
epistle,  which  always  we  will  read  tor 
our  exhortation;  like  as  we  do  read  also 
the  epistle  of  Clement  sent  to  us  before," 
&c.  By  him  also  mention  is  made  of  the 
keeping  of  Sunday  holy,  of,>vhich  we 
find  no  mention  in  ancient  auttioi^  before 
his  time,  except  only  in  Justin  the  mar- 
tyr, who  in  his  description  declares  two 
times  most  especially  used  for  Christians 
to  congregate  together;  the  first,  when 
any  convert  was  to  be  baptized  ;  the  se- 
cond, upon  the  Sunday ;,  because,  says  he, 
upon  that  day  God  made  the  world,  and 
because  Christ  upon  that  day  first  showed 
himself,  after  his  resurrection,  to  his  dis- 
ciples, 8ic. 


The  emperor  Couunodus  dying 
in  the  year  191,  was  succeeded  by 
Pertma'x,  and  he  by  Julianus,  both 
of  whom  reigned  but  a  short  time. 
On  the  death  of  the  last,  Severus 
became  emperor  iu  the  year  192. — 
When  be  had  been  recovered  from 
a  severe  lit  of  sickness  by  a  Chris- 
tian, he  became  a  great  favourer  of 
Christians  in  general ;  and  even 
permitted  his  son  Caracalla  to  be 
nursed  by  a  female  of  that  persua- 
sion. Hence,  during-  the  reigns  of 
the  emperors  already  mentioned, 
who  successively  succeeded  Com- 
nwdus,  and  some  years  of  the  lalter's 
reign,  the  Christians  had  a  respite 
for  several  years  from  persecution. 
But  the  prejudice  and  fury  of  the 
ignorant  multitude  again  prevailed, 
and  the  obsolete  laws  were  put  in 
execution  against  the  Christians. — 
The.  pagans  were  alarmed  at  the 
progress  of  Christianity,  and  re- 
vived the  calumny  of  placing  acci- 
dental misfortunes  to  the  account 
of  its  professors.  Fire,  sword, 
wild  beasts,  and  imprisonments, 
~  were  resorted  to  ,'  and  even  the 
dead  bodies  of  Christians  were 
torn  from  their  graves,  and  sub- 
jecteti  to  every  insult;  yet  the 
,  gosjiel  W4thstoo3  the   attacks  of  its 


FIFTH  GEMillAL  FEKSKCUIION 


21 


that  if  the  Cliristians  liail  collect- 
ively v.itlulia\vn  tlieiiiselves  from 
the  Roman  territories,  the  empire 
woiikl  have  been  greatly  depopu- 
lattd . 

Victor,  bishoj)  of  Rome,  sufFert-d 
martyrdom  in  the  first  year  of  the 
third* century,  viz.  a.  d.  201,  though 
the  circumstances  are  not  ascer- 
tained 

Leonidas,  the  father  «if  the  cele- 
brated Origen,  was  beheaded  for 
beiny  a  Christian.  1  revious  to 
the  execution,  the  son,  in  order  to 
encDuraoe  him,  wrote  to  him  in 
these  rt^markable  words  :  "  Be- 
ware, Sir,  that  your  care  for  us 
does  not  make  you  chang-e  your 
resolution."  Many  of  Origen's 
bearers  likewise  suffered  martyr- 
dom ;  particularly  two  brothers, 
named  Plutarchus  and  Serenus  : 
another  Serenus,  Heron,  and  He- 
raelides,  were  beheaded  ;  ]lhais 
had  boiling  pitch  poured  upon  her 
head,  and  was  then  burnt,  as  was 
Marcella  her  mother. 

I'otamiena,  tlie  sister  of  Rhais, 
was  executed  in  the  same  maimer 
as  Rhais.  IJut  liasilides,  an  oth- 
cer  belonging-  to  the  army,  and 
one  ordered  to  attend  her  execu- 
tion, became  a  convert  on  wittiess- 
ing  her  fortitude.  When  he  was 
required  to  take  a  certam  oath,  lie 
refused,  saying,  that  he  could  not 
swear  by  the  Roman  Idols,  as  he 
was  a  Christian.  The  people 
rould  not,  at  first,  believe  what 
they  heard  ;  but  he  had  no  sooner 
confirmed  his  assertion,  than  he 
was  drag-ged  before  the  judg-e,  com- 
mitted to  prison,  and  beheaded  im- 
mediately. 

Irenna?us,  bishop  of  Lyons,  was 
born  in  Greece,  and  received  a 
Christian  education.  It  is  gene- 
rally &iipj)Osed  that  the  account  of 
ihe  perajcutions  at  Lyons  was 
writteiJ  by  himself.  He  succeeded 
the  martyr  Pothinus  as  bishop  of 
Lyons,  and  ruled  his  diocese  with 
great  propriety  :  he  was  a  zealous 
opposer  of  heresies  in  general, 
-and  wrote  a  celebrated  tract 
-against  heresy. about  A.  p,  187, 

Victor,  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
wanting    to    impose     a     particular 


mode  of  keeping  Easter  there,  it 
occasioned  some  disorders  among 
the  Christians.  In  particular,  Ire- 
nseus  wrote  him  a  synodical  epistle 
in  the  name  of  the  Gallic  churches. 
This  zeal  in  favour  of  Christianity, 
pointed  him  out  as  an  object  of 
resentment  to  the  emperor ;  and 
he  was  accordingly  beheaded  in 
A.  D.  202 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    AFRICA. 

■^Ihe  persecutions  about  this 
time  extended  to  Airica,  and 
many  were  martyred  in  that  part 
ol  the  globe  ;  the  most  particular 
of  whom  were  Per[)etua,  a  married 
lady  of  about  twenty -six  years  of 
age,  with  a  young  child  at  her 
breast  ;  she  was  seized  upon  (or 
being  a  Christian.  Her  father, 
wholendcriy  loved  her,  went  to  con- 
sole ht-r  during  her  continenicnt, 
and  attempted  to  persuade  her  to 
renounce  Christianity.  Perpetua, 
however,  resisted  every  entreaty. 
This  resolution  so  much  incensed 
her  father,  that  he  beat  her  se- 
verely, and  did  not  visit  her  for 
some  days  after  ;  and,  in  the  mean 
time,  she,  and  some  others  who 
were  confined,  were  baptized,  as 
they  were  before  only  catechu- 
mens. 

On  bf  ing  carried  before  the  pro- 
consul Minutius,  she  was  com- 
u^anded  to  sacrifice  to  the  idols  ; 
but  refusing,  she  was  ordered  to  a 
dark  dungeon,  and  was  deprived 
of  lier  child.  Two  deacons,  how- 
ever, Tertxus  and  Pompouious,  who 
had  tlie  care  of  j)ersecuted  Chris- 
tians, allowed  her  some  hours 
daily  to  inhale  the  fresh  air,  dur- 
ing which  time  she  had  the  satis- 
faction of  being  allowed  to  suckle 
her  child.  Foreseeing,  however, 
that  she  should  not  long  be  per- 
mitted to  take  care  of  ii,  she  re- 
commended it  strongly  to  her  mo- 
ther's attention.  Iler  father  at 
length  paid  her  a  second  visit,  and 
again  entreated  her  to  renounce 
Christianity.  His  behaviour  was 
now  all  tenderness  and  huUianity  ; 
but  ?\iHe.vible  to  all  thin;;^  but 
Christ,  she  knew  she  inusit  lenvf. 
every  thing  foi   his  sake  ;  and  she 


22 


b6ok  of  martyrs. 


only  said  to  hini,  «'  God's  will 
must  be  done."  He  then,  with  an 
almost  bursting-  heart  left  her. 

Perpetua  gave  the  strongest 
proof  of  fortitude  and  strength  of 
mind  on  her  trial.  The  judge  en- 
treated her  to  consider  her  father's 
tears,  her  infant's  helplessness, 
and  her  own  life  ;  but  triumphing 
over  the  softer  sentiments  of  na- 
ture, she  forgot  the  ideas  of  both 
mental  and  corporeal  pain,  and 
determined  to  sacritice  all  the  feel- 
ings of  human  sensibility,  to  that 
immortality  ottered  by  Christ.  In 
vain  did  tliey  attempt  to  persuade 
her  that  their  offers  were  gen- 
tle, and  her  own  religion  other- 
wise. Aware  that  she  must  die, 
her  father's  parental  tetiderness  re- 
turned, and  ill  his  anxiety  he  at- 
tempted to  carry  her  off,  on  which 
he  received  a  severe  blow  from 
one  of  the  officers.  Irritated  at 
this,  the  daughter  immediately  de- 
clared, that  she  felt  that  blow 
more  severely  than  if  she  had  re- 
ceived it  herself.  Being  conducted 
back  to  prison,  she  awaited  her  exe- 
cution with  several  other  persons, 
who  were  to  be  executed  at  the 
same  time  ;  one  of  these,  Felicitas, 
a  married  Christian  lad}',  was  big- 
with  child  at  the  time  of  her  trial. 
The  procurator,  when  he  examined 
her,  entreated  her  to  have  pity 
upon  herself  and  her  condition  ; 
but  she  replied,  that  his  compas- 
sion was  useless,  for  no  thought  of 
self-preservation  could  induce  her 
to  submit  to  any  idolatrous  propo- 
sition. She  was  dehvered  in  pri- 
son of  a  g;rl,  which  was  adopted 
by  a  Christian  woman  as  her  own. 

Revocatus  was  a  catechumen  of 
Carthage,  and  a  slave.  The 
names  of  the  other  prisoners,  who 
were  to  suHier  upon  this  occasion, 
were  Satur,  Saturnius,  and  Necun- 
dulus.  When  the  day  of  execu- 
tion arrived,  they  were  led  to  the 
amphitheatre.  Satur,  Saturnius, 
and  Revocatus,  having  the  forti- 
tude to  denounce  God's  judgments 
upon  their  persecutors,  were  or- 
dered to  run  the  gauntejope  be- 
tween the  hunters,  or  such  as  had 
the  care  of  the  wild   beasts.  — Th« 


huntei-s  being  drawn  up  in  two 
ranks,  they  ran  between,  and  as 
thev  passed  were  severely  lashed. 
Felicitas  and  Perpetua  were  strip- 
ped, in  order  to  be  thrown  to  a 
mad  bull  ;  but  some  of  the  specta- 
tors, through  decency,  dfsired  that 
they  might  be  jiermitted  to  put  on 
their  clothes,  which  request  was 
granted.  The  bull  made  his  first 
attack  upon  Perpetua,  and  stunned 
her :  he  then  attacked  Felicitas, 
and  wounded  her  much  ;  but  not 
killing-  them,  the  executioner  did 
that  office  with  a  .sword.  Revoca- 
tus and  Satur  were  destroyed  by 
wild  beasts ;  Saturnius  was  be- 
headed ;  and  Secundulus  died  in 
prison.  These  executions  took 
place  on  the  8th  of  March,  a.  d. 
205. 

The  crimes  and  false  accusations 
objected  against  the  Christians  at 
this  time  were,  sedition  and  rebel- 
lion against  the  emperor,  sacrilege, 
murdering  of  infants,  incestuous 
piliution,  eating  raw  flesh,  libidi- 
nous commixture,  for  which  many, 
called  then  ynostici,  were  dis- 
graced. It  was  objected  against 
them  that  they  worshipped  the 
head  of  an  ass  ;  which  calumny 
was  propagated  by  the  Jews. 
They  were  charged  also  with  wor- 
shipping the  sun,  because  before 
the  sun  rose  they  met  together, 
singing  their  morning  hymns  to 
the  Lord,  or  else  because  ihey 
prayed  towards  the  east,  but  parti- 
cularly because  they  would  not  with 
them  adore  their  idolatrous  gods. 

Speratus,  and  twelve  others, 
were  beheaded  ;  as  was  Androclusy 
in  France.  Asclepiades,  bishop 
of  Antioch,  suflfered  many  tortures, 
but  his  life  was  spared.  Cecilia, 
a  young-  lady  of  a  good  family  in 
Rome,  was  married  to  a  gentleman 
named  Valerian.  Being  a  Chris- 
tian herself,  she  soon  persuaded 
her  husband  to  ejnbrace  the  same 
faith;  and  his' ^conversion  was 
speedily  followed  by  that  of  Ti- 
burtius  his  brother.  'This  informa- 
tion drew  upon  them  all  the  ven- 
geance of  the  laws :  the  tsvo  bro- 
thers were  beheaded  ;  and  the  offi- 
cer,   who    led    thena  to  executioH, 


SIXTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


US 


becomiug  tlieir  convert,  suffVred  in 
a  similar  manner. 

When  the  lady  was  appre- 
hended, she  was  doomed  to  death 
in  tlie  following'  manner  :  she  was 
placed  naked  in  a  scalding^  bath, 
and  having'  continued  there  a  con- 
siderable time,  her  head  was  struck 
off  with  a  sword,  a.  d.  222.  Calis- 
tus,  bishop  of  Rome,  was  martyred 
A.  D.  224,  but  the  manner  of  his 
death  is  not  recorded  ;  and  in  a.  n. 
232,  Urban,  bishop  of  Rome,  met 
the  same  fate. 

THE   SIXTH    GENERAL   PERSF.CUTIO 

Maximus,  who  was  emperor  in 
A.  D.  235,  raised  a  persecution 
ag'ainst  the  Christians  ;  and  in  Cap- 
padocia,  the  president  Semiramus 
made  great  efforts  to  exterminate 
the  Christians  from  that  kingdom. 
A  Roman  soldier  who  refused  to 
wear  a  laurel  crown  bestowed  on 
him  by  the  emperor,  and  confessed 
himself  a  Christian,  was  scourged, 
imprisoned,  and  put  to  death. 
Pontianus,  bishop  of  Rome,  for 
preaching  against  idolatry,  was  ba- 
nished to  Sardinia,  and  there  de- 
stroyed. Anteros,  a  Grecian,  who 
succeeded  this  bishop  in  the  see  of 
Rome,  gave  so  much  offence  to  the 
government  by  collecting  tlie  acts 
of  the  martyrs,  that,  after  having 
held  his  dignity  only  forty  days,  he 
suffered  martyrdom  himself.  Pam- 
machius,  a  Roman  senator,  with 
his  family  and  other  Christians  to 
the  number  of  forty-two,  were,  on 
account  of  their  religion,  all  be- 
headed iu  one  day,  and  their  heads 
set  up  on  the  city  gates.  Simpli- 
cius,  another  senator,  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom in  a  similar  way.  Calepo- 
dius,  a  Christian  minister,  after  being 
inhumanly  treated,  and  barbarously 
dragged  about  the  streets,  was 
thrown  into  the  river  Tiber  with  a 
mill-stone  fastened  about  his  neck. 
Q,uiritus,  a  Roman  nobleman,  with 
liis  family  and  domestics,  were,  on 
account  of  their  Christian  princi- 
ples, put  to  most  excruciating  tor- 
tures, and  painful  deaths.  Mar- 
tina, a  noble  and  beautiful  virgin, 
suffered  martyrdom,  being  variously 
tortured,  and  afterwards  beheaded  ; 


Agapetus,  a  boy  of  Prteneste,  in 
Italy,  who  was  only  fifteen  years 
of  age,  absolutely  refusing  to  sacri- 
fice to  the  idols,  was  severely 
scourged,  and  then  hanged  up  by 
the  feel,  and  boiling  water  poured 
over  him.  He  was  afterwards  wor- 
ried by  wild  beasts,  and  at  last  be- 
headed. The  officer,  named  Antio- 
chus,  who  superintended  this  ext - 
cution,  while  it  was  performing",  fell 
suddenly  from  his  judicial  seat, 
cr3'ing  out  that  his  bowels  burned 
like  the  supposed  pains  of  hell. 

N    UXDER   THE    ROMAN    EMPERORS. 

and  Hippolitus,  a  Christian  prelate, 
was  tied  to  a  wild  horse,  and  drag- 
ged throug'h  fields,  stony  places, 
bushes,   &c.  till  he  died. 

While  this  persecution  continued, 
numerous  Christians  were  slain 
without  trial,  and  buried  indiscri- 
minately in  heaps  :  sometimes  fifty 
or  sixty  being  cast  into  a  pit  toge- 
ther. Maximus  died  in  a.  d.  238  ; 
he  was  succeeded  by  Gordian,  dur- 
ing whose  I'eign,  and  that  of  his 
successor  Philip,  the  church  was 
free  from  persecution  for  the  space 
of  more  tiian  ten  years ;  but  in  the 
year  249,  a  violent  persecution 
broke  out  iu  Alexandria.  It  is, 
however,  worthy  of  remark,  that 
this  was  done  at  the  instigation  of 
a  pagan  priest,  with'iut  the  em- 
peror's privity.  At  this  time  the 
fury  of  the  people  being  great 
against  the  Cliristians,  the  mob 
broke  open  their  houses,  carried 
away  the  best  of  their  property,  de- 
stroyed the  rest,  and  murdered  the 
Owners  ;  the  universal  cry  being, 
"  Burn  them,  burn  them  !  kill  them, 
kill  them  !"  'I'he  names  of  the  mar- 
tyrs have  not  been  recorded  ;  with 
the  exception  of  the  three  follow- 
ing :  Metrus,  an  aged  and  vene- 
rable Christian,  who  refusing  to 
blaspheme  his  Saviour,  was  beaten 
with  clubs,  pricked  with  sharp 
reeds,  and  at  length  stoned  to 
death.  Quinta,  a  Christian  woman, 
being  carried  to  the  temple,  and 
refusing  to  worship  the  idols  there, 
was  dragged  by  her  teet  over  sharp 
flint  stones,  scourged  Avith  whipe, 
and  at  last  dispatched   iu  the  same 


•24 


BOOK  OF  MAliTYKS. 


niannev  as  Motrus.  And  Apollonia, 
an  ancient  maiden  lady,  confessing 
herselfa  Chi-istian,  the  mob  dashed 
out  her  teeth  with  their  fists,  and 
tlireatened  to  burn  her  alive.  A 
lire  was  accordingly  prepared  for 
the  purpose,  and  slie  fastened  to  a 


stake ;  but  requestltig  to  be  un- 
loosed, it  was  {,'ranted,  on  a  sup- 
position that  she  meant  to  recant, 
when,  to  their  astonishment,  she 
immediately  threw  herself  into  the 
Hames,  and  was  consumed. 


THE    SEVENTH    GENERAL    PERSECUTION    UI^DER    THE    ROMAN    EMI'ERORS. 


In  the  year  249,   Decius   being' 
emperor  of  Rome,  a  dreadful  perse- 
cution was  begun  ag^ainst  the  Chris- 
tians,    This  was  occasioned   partly 
bj'  the  hatred  he  bore  to  his  prede- 
cessor. Philip,   who  was  deemed  a 
Christian,  and  partly  to  his  jealousy 
concerning  the  amazinij  increase  of 
Christianity  ;  for  the  heathen  tem- 
ples were  almost  forsaken,  and  the 
Christian    churches   crowded  with 
proselytes.      Decius,    provoked   at 
this,  attempted,  as  it  were,  to  ex- 
tirpate the  name  of  Christian  ;  and, 
unfortunately  for  the  cause  of  the 
gospel,  many  errors  had,  about  this 
time,  crept   into   the   church ;    the 
Christians   were   at   variance    with 
each  other  ;    and  a  variety  of  con- 
tentions   ensued   amongst    them. — 
The  heathens,  in  general,  were  am- 
bitious to  enforce  the  imperial  de- 
crees upon  this  occasion,  and  looked 
upon  the  murder  of  a  Christian  as  a 
merit  to  themselves.     The  martyrs 
were,  therefore,  innumerable. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    FABIAN,    AND 
OTHERS. 

Fabian,  bishop  of  Rome,  Avas  the 
fust  person  of  eminence  who  felt 
the  severity  of  this  persecution. — 
The  deceased  emperor,  Philip,  had, 
on  account  of  his  integrity,  com- 
mitted his  treasure  to  the  care  of 
this  good  man  ;  but  Decius,  not 
finding  as  much  as  his  avarice  made 
him  expect,  determined  to  wreak 
his  vengeance  on  the  good  prelate. 
He  was  accordingly  seized  :  and  on 
the  20th  of  January,  a.  d.  250,  suf- 
fered martyrdom,  by  decapitation. 
AbdoH  and.  Se^tien,  tyvo  Persians, 
were  seized  on  as  strangers J.  but 
being  found  Christians,  %vere  put  to 
«leath,  on  account  of  their  faith  ; 
and  Moysps,  a  priest,  was  beheaded 
for  the  same  reason. 

Julian,  a  native  of  Cilicia,  as  we 


are  informed  by  St.  Chrysostom, 
was  seized  upon  for  being  a  Chris- 
tian. He  was  frequently  tortured, 
but  still  remained  inflexible;  and 
though  often  brought  from  jirison 
for  execution,  was  again  remanded, 
to  suffer  greater  cruelties.  He,  at 
lenijtb,  was  obliged  to  travel  for 
twelve  months  together,  from  town 
to  town,  in  order  to  be  exposed  to 
the  insults  of  the  populace.  When 
all  endeavours  to  make  him  recant 
his  religion  were  found  ineffectual, 
lie  was  brought  before  his  judge, 
stripped,  and  whipped  in  a  dread- 
ful manner.  He  was  then  put  into 
a  leather  bag,  together  with  a  num- 
ber of  serpents,  scorjdons,  &c.  and 
in  that  condition  thrown  into  the 
sea. 

Peter,  a  young  man,  amiable  for 
the  superior  qualities  of  his  body 
and  mind,  was  apprehended  as  a 
Christian,  at  Lampsacus,  and  car- 
ried before  Optimus,  proconsol  of 
.4sia.  On  being-  commanded  to  sa- 
crifice to  Venus,  he  said  "  I  am 
astonished  that  you  should  wish  me 
to  sacrifice  to  an  infamous  woman, 
whose  debaucheries  even  your  own 
historians  record,  and  whose  life 
consisted  of  such  actions  as  your 
laws  would  punish. — No!  I  shall 
oft'er  to  the  true  God  the  sacrifice  of 
prayers  and  praise.'' 

Optimus,  on  hearing  this,  ordered 
him  to  be  stretched  upon  a  wheel, 
by  which  ail  his  bones  were  broken 
in  a  shocking-  manner  ;  but  his  tor- 
ments only  inspired  him  w  ith  fresh 
courage  ;  he  smiled  on  his  persecu- 
tors, and  seemed,  by  the  serenity  of 
his  countenance,  not  to  upbraid, 
but  to  applaud  his  tormentors.  At 
length,  the  proconsul  commanded 
him  to  be  beheaded;  which  was  im- 
mediately executed 

Niehomachus,  another  Christian, 
on  beiny  ordered  to  sacrifice  to  the 


SEVENTH  (JENKUAL  rERSECUTION. 


25 


paj,^an  idols,  answered,  "  I  cannot 
pay  that  respect  to  devils  which  is 
tinly  due  to  the  Almiii^hty."  This 
speech  so  much  enraged  Optimiis, 
that  Nicliomachus  was  put  to  the 
rack.  He  hore  the  torments,  tor 
some  time,  with  patience  and  great 
resolution  ;  hut,  at  length,  when 
ready  to  expire  with  pain,  he  had 
the  weakness  to  ahjure  his  faith, 
and  become  an  apostate.  He  had 
no  sooner  given  this  proof  of  his 
frailty,  than  he  fell  into  the  greatest 
agonies,  dropped  down,  and  ex- 
pired immedidtely. 

Denisa,  a  young  woman,  only 
sixteen  years  of  age,  who  beheld 
this  tcrrihlejudgment,  si?;ldelily  ex- 
claimed, "  O,  unhappy  wretch, 
why  would  you  buy  a  moment's 
ease,  at  the  expense  of  a  miserable 
eternity?"  Optimus  hearing  this, 
called  to  her,  aud  asked  if  she  was 
a  Christian  ?  She  replied  in  the 
affirmative  ;  and  refused  to  sacrifice 
to  the  idols.  Optimus,  enraged  at 
Iier  resolution,  gave  her  over  to  two 
libertines,  M'ho  took  her  to  their 
home,  and  made  many  attempts 
upon  her  chastity,  but  without  ef- 
fect. At  midnight,  however,  they 
wei-e  deterred  from  their  desig-n  by 
a  frightful  vision,  which  so  amazed 
them,  that  they  feil  at  the  feet  of 
Denisa,  and  implored  her  prayers 
that  they^  might  not  feel  the  effects 
of  divine  vengeance  for  their  bru- 
tality. But  this  event  did  not  di- 
minish the  cruelty  of  Optimus  ;  for 
the  lady  was  beheaded  soon  after 
by  his  order. 

Andrew  and  Paul,  two  compa- 
nions of  Nichomachus  the  martyr, 
on  confessing  themselves  Chris- 
tians, were  condemned  to  die,  and 
delivered  to  the  multitude  to  be 
stoned.  Accordingly,  a.  d.  251, 
they  suffered  martyrdom  by  ston- 
ing, and  expired,  calling  on  their 
blessed  Redeemer.  Alexander  and 
Epimacus,  of  Alexandria,  were  ap- 
prehended for  being  Christians  ; 
and  on  confessing  the  accusation, 
were  beat  with  staves,  torn  with 
hooks',  and  at  length  burnt ;  and  we 
are  informed  by  Eusebius,  that 
four  female  ;g»artyrs  suffered  on  the 
same  day,  and  at  the  same  place, 


but  not  in  the  same  manner  ;  for 
these  were  beheaded. 

Lucian  and  Marclan,  two  pagans, 
and  magicians,  becoming-  converts 
to  Christianity,  to  make  amends  for 
their  former  errors,  lived  the  lives 
of  hermits,  and  subsisted  on  bread 
and  water.  After  spending  some 
time  in  this  manner,  they  reflected 
that  their  lives  were  inefficacious, 
and  determined  to  leave  their  soli- 
tude in  order  to  make  converts  to 
Chvistianit}'.  With  this  pious  aud 
laudable  resolution  they  became 
zealous  preachers.  The  persecu- 
tion, however,  raging  at  this  time, 
they  were  seized  upon  and  carried 
before  Sabinus,  the  governor  of  Bi- 
thynia.  On  being  asked  by  what 
authority  they  took  upon  them- 
selves to  preach,  Lucian  answered, 
"  That  the  laws  of  charity  and  hu- 
manity obliged  all  men  to  endea- 
vour to  convert  their  neighbours, 
and  to  do  every  thing  in  their 
power  to  rescue  them  from  the 
snares  of  the  devil."  Marcian 
also  said,  that  "  Their  conversion 
was  by  the  same  grace  which  was 
given  to  St.  Paul,  who  from  a 
zealous  persecutor  of  the  church, 
became  a  preacher  of  the  gospel." 
When  the  proconsul  found  that 
he  could  not  prevail  on  them  to 
renounce  their  faith,  he  condemned 
them  to  be  burnt  alive,  which  sen- 
tence was  executed  soon  after. 

Trypho  and  Respicius,  two  emi- 
nent men,  were  seized  as^  Chris- 
tians, and  imprisoned  at  Nice. 
They  were  soon  after  put  to  the 
rack,  wliich  they  bore  with  admir- 
able patience  for  three  hours,  and 
uttered  the  praises  of  the  Almighty 
the  whole  time.  They  were  then 
exposed  naked  in  the  open  air, 
which  benumbed  all  their  limbs. 
When  remanded  to  prison,  they 
remained  there  for  a  considerable 
time  ;  and  then  the  cruelties  of 
their  persecutors  were  again 
evinced.  Their  feet  were  pierced 
with  nails;  they  were  dragged 
through  the  streets,  scourged, 
torn  with  iron  hooks,  '  scorched 
with  lighted  torches,  and  at  length 
beheaded,  on  the  1st  of  February) 
A.  D.  251. 


BOOK  OF   MARTYRS. 


Agtha,  a  Sicilian  lady,  was  re- 
markable for  her  beauty  and  en- 
dowments ;  her  beauty  was  indeed 
so  great,  that  Quintain,  governor 
of  Sicily,  became  enamoured  of 
her,  and  made  many  attempts 
upon  her  virtue.  The  governor 
being  known  as  a  great  Hbertine, 
and  a  bigotted  pagan,  the  lady 
thought  proper  to  withdraw  from 
the  town,  but  was  discovered  in 
her  retreat,  apprehended,  and 
brought  to  Catana  ;  when,  finding 
herself  in  the  power  of  an  enemy, 
both  to  her  soul  and  body,  she  re- 
commended herself  to  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Almighty,  and  prayed 
for  death.  In  order  to  gratify  his 
passion  with  the  greater  conve- 
niency,  the  governor  transferred 
the  virtuous  lady  to  .Aphrodica, 
an  infamous  and  licentious  wo- 
man, who  tried  every  artifice  to 
win  her  to  the  desired  prostitu- 
tion; but  all  her  efforts  were  in 
vain.  When  Aphrodica  acquaint- 
ed Quintain  with  the  inefficacy  of 
her  endeavours,  he  changed  his 
desire  into  resentment  ;  and,  on 
her  confessing  that  she  was  a 
Christian,  he  determined  to  gra- 
tify his  revenge.  He,  therefore, 
ordered  her  to  be  scourged,  burnt 
with  red  hot  irons,  and  torn  with 
sharp  hooks.  Having  borne  these 
torments  with  admirable  fortitude, 
she  was  next  laid  naked  upon  live 
coals,  intermingled  with  glass,  and 
being  carried  back  to  prison,  she 
there  expired  on  the  5th  of  Febru- 
ary, A.  D.  251. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   CYRIL. 

Cyril,  bishop  of  Gortyna,  was 
seized  by  order  of  Lucius,  the  go- 
vernor of  that  place,  who  first  ex- 
horted him  to  obey  the  imperial 
mandate,  perform  the  sacrifices, 
and  save  his  venerable  person  from 
destruction  ;  for  he  was  then  eighty- 
four  years  of  age.  The  good  pre- 
late replied,  that  he  could  not  agree 
to  any  such  requisitions  ;  but  as  he 
had  long  taught  others  to  save  their 
souls,  that  now  he  should  only  think 
of  his  own  salvation.  When  the 
governor  found  all  his  persuasion 
in  vain,    he  pronounced    sentence 


against  the  venerable  Christian,  in 
these  words  :  "  I  order  that  Cyril, 
who  has  lost  his  senses,  and  is  a 
declared  enemy  of  our  gods,  shall 
be  burnt  alive."  The  good  worthy 
prelate  heard  this  sentence  without 
emotion,  walked  cheerfully  to  the 
place  of  execution,  and  underwent 
martyrdom  with  great  resolution. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    CRETE. 

At  the  Island  of  Crete,  the  perse- 
cution raged  with  fury  ;  for  the  go- 
vernor being  exceedingly  active  in 
executing  the  imperial  decrees,  that 
place  streamed  wiih  the  blood  of 
many  Christians.  The  principal 
Cretan  martyrs,  whose  names  have 
been  transmitted  to  us,  are  as  foU 
low :  Theodulus,  Saturnius,  and 
Europus,  were  inhabitants  of  Gor- 
tyna, who  had  been  grounded  in 
their  faith  by  Cyril,  bishop  of  that 
city  ;  and  Eunicianus,  Zeticus, 
Cleomenes,  Ag-atbopas,  Bastides, 
and  Euaristus,  were  brought  from 
different  parts  of  the  island  on  accu- 
sations of  professing-  Christianity, 

At  the  time  of  their  trial,  they 
were  commanded  to  sacrifice  to 
Jupiter,  which  declining,  the  judge 
threatened  them  with  the  severest 
tortures.  To  these  menaces  they 
unanimously  answered,  "  That  to 
suffer  for  the  sake  of  the  Supreme 
Being'  would,  to  them,  be  the  sub- 
limest  of  pleasures."  The  judge 
then  attempted  to  gain  their  vene- 
ration for  the  heathen  deities,  by 
descanting  on  their  merits,  and  re- 
counting some  of  their  mythologi- 
cal histories.  This  gave  the  prison- 
ers an  opportunity  of  remarking  on 
the  absurdity  of  such  fictions,  and 
of  pointing  out  the  folly  of  paying 
adoration  to  ideal  deities,  and  real 
images.  Provoked  to  hear  his  fa- 
vourite idols  ridiculed,  the  governor 
ordered  them  all  to  be  put  to  the 
rack ;  the  tortures  of  which  they 
sustained  with  surprising  fortitude. 
They  at  length  suffered  martyrdom, 
A.  D.  251 ;  bring  all  beheaded  at  the 
same  tinae. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   EABYLftS,    BISHOP    OF 
ANTIOCH,    AND    OTHERS. 

Babylas,  a  Christian  of  a  liberal 
education,    became   bishop  of  An- 


SEVENTH   GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


ttoeh  in  a.  d.  237,  on  the  demise  of 
Zebinus.  He  governed  the  church 
during"  those  tempestuous  times 
with  admiral)le  zeal  and  prudence. 
The  first  misfortune  that  happened 
to  Antioch  dnrino-  his  mission,  was 
the  siege  of  it  by  Sapor,  king-  of 
Persia;  who,  having-  over-run  all 
Syria,  took  and  plundered  this  city 
among"  others,  and  used  the  Chris- 
tian inhabitants  with  greater  seve- 
rity than  the  rest.  His  cruelties, 
however,  were  not  lasting,  for 
Gordian,  the  emperor,  appearing" 
at  the  head  of  a  powerful  army, 
Antioch  was  retaken,  the  Persians 
driven  entirely  out  of  Sj^ria,  pur- 
sued into  their  own  country,  and 
several  places  in  the  Persian  territo- 
ries fell  into  the  hands  of  the  empe- 
ror. On  Gordian's  death,  in  the 
reign  of  Decius,  that  emperor  came 
to  Antioch,  where,  having  a  desire 
to  visit  an  assembly  of  Christians, 
Babylas  opposed  him,  and  refused 
to  let  him  come  in.  The  emperor 
dissembled  his  anger  at  that  time  ; 
but  soon  sending  for  the  bishop,  he 
sharply  reproved  him  for  his  inso- 
lence, and  then  ordered  him  to  sa- 
crifice to  the  pagan  deities  as  an  ex- 
piation for  his  supposed  crime. — 
Having  refused  this,  he  waa  coni- 
Kiitted  to  prison,  loaded  with  chains, 
treated  with  great  severities,  and 
then  beheaded,  together  with  three 
young  men  who  had  been  his  pupils. 
On  going"  to  the  place  of  execution, 
the  bishop  exclaimed,  "  Behold  me 
and  the  children  that  the  Lord  hath 
given  me."  They  were  martyred, 
A.  D.  251  ;  and  the  chains  worn  by 
the  bishop  in  prison  were  buried  with 
bim. 

Alexander,  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
about  this  time  was  cast  into  prison 
on  account  of  his  religion,  where  he 
died  through  the  severity  of  his  con- 
finement ;  or,  as  some  assert,  was 
burned  to  death,  with  several  other 
Christians  in  a  furnace. 

When  Serapion  was  apprehend- 
ed at  Alexandria,  he  had  all  his 
bones  broken,  and  Avas  then  thrown 
from  a  high  loft,  when  he  was  killed 
by  the  fall.  Julianus,  an  old  man, 
lame  with  the  gout,  and  Cronion, 
another  ChristiaD,  were  bound  on 


the  backs  of  camels,  severely 
scourged,  and  then  thrown  into  a 
fire  and  consumed.  A  spectator, 
who  seemed  to  commiserate  them, 
was  ordered  to  be  beheaded,  as  a 
punishment  for  his  sentiments  of 
tenderness.  Macar,  a  Lybiaa 
Christian,  was  burnt.  Horon-Ater 
and  Isodorus,  Egyptians,  with  Di- 
oschorus,  a  boy  of  fifteen,  after  suf- 
fering- many  other  torments,  met 
with  a  similar  fate  ;  and  Nemesion, 
another  Egyptian,  was  first  tried  as 
a  thief;  but  being  acquitted,  was 
accused  of  Christianity,  which  con- 
fessing, he  was  scourged,  tortured, 
and  finally  burnt.  Ischyrian,  the 
Christian  servant  of  an  Egyptian 
nobleman,  was  run  through  with  a 
pike  by  his  own  master,  for  refusing 
to  sacrifice  to  idols ;  Venatius,  a 
youth  of  fifteen,  was  martyred  in 
Italy,  and  forty  virgins,  at  Anti- 
och, after  being  imprisoned  and 
scourged,  were  destroyed  by  fire. 

The  emperor  Decius  having 
erected  a  pagan  temple  at  Ephesus, 
in  the  year  251,  he  commanded  all 
who  were  in  that  city  to  sacrifice  to 
the  idols.  This  order  was  nobly  re- 
fused by  seven  of  his  own  soldiers, 
viz.  Maximianus,  Martianus,  Joan- 
nes, Malchus,  Dionysius,  Constan- 
tinus,  and  Seraion.  The  emperor, 
wishing  to  prevail  on  the  soldiers  to 
prevent  their  fate  by  his  entreaties 
and  lenity,  gave  them  a  respite  till 
he  returned  from  a  journey.  But 
in  the  absence  of  the  emperor,  they 
escaped,  and  hid  themselves  in  a 
cavern ;  which  he  being  informed 
of  at  his  return,  the  mouth  of  the  ca- 
vern was  closed  up,  and  they  were 
all  starved  to  death. 

Theodora,  a  beautiful  young 
lady  of  Antioch,  on  refusing  to 
sacrifice  to  the  Roman  idols,  was 
condemned  to  the  brothel,  that 
her  virtue  might  be  sacrificed. — 
Didymus,  a  Christian,  then  dis- 
guised himself  in  the  habit  of  a 
Roman  soldier,  went  to  the  house, 
informed  Theodora  who  he  was, 
and  prevailed  on  her  to  make  her 
escape  in  his  dress.  Thus  being 
found  in  the  brothel,  instead  ot 
the  lady,  he  was  taken  before  the 
president,  to  whom  confessing  the 


28 


BOOR  OF  MARTYRS. 


truth,  sentence  of  deatli  was  im- 
mediately pronounced  against  liiin. 
In  the  mean  lime  Theodora,  hear- 
ing that  her  deUverer  was  hkely 
to  suffer,  came  to  the  judge,  threw 
herself  at  his  feet,  and  begged  that 
the  sentence  might  fall  only  on  her 
as  the  guilty  person  ;  hut  the  inflex- 
ible judge  condemned  both ;  and 
they  were  executed  accordingly, 
being  first  beheaded,  and  their  bodies 
afterwards  burnt. 

Secundianus  having  been  ac- 
cused as  a  Christian,  was  convey- 
ed to  prison  by  some  soldiers 
On  the  way,  Verianus  and  Mar- 
cellinus  said,  "  Where  are  you 
carrying  the  innocent?"  This  in- 
ter) ogatory  occasioned  them  to  be 
seized,  and  all  three,  after  having 
been  tortured,  were  hanged,  and 
their  heads  were  cut  off  when  they 
were  dead. 

ACCOUNT  OF  ORIGEN. 

Origen,  the  celebrated  jircsbyter 
and  catechist  of  Alexandria,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four,  was  seized, 
thrown  into  a  loathsome  prison, 
loaded  with  chains,  his  feet  placed 
in  the  stocks,  and  his  legs  ex- 
tended to  the  utmost  for  several 
days.  He  was  threatened  with  fire, 
and  tormented  by  every  means 
that  the  most  infernal  imagina- 
tions could  suggest.  But  his  Chris- 
tian fortitude  bore  him  through  all ; 
indeed  such  was  the  rigour  of 
his  judge,  that  liis  tortures  were 
ordered  to  be  lingering,  that  death 
migiit  not  too  soon  put  a  period  to 
his  miseries.  During  this  cruel 
temporising,  the  emperor  Decius 
died,  and  Callus,  who  succeeded 
him,  engaging  in  a  v^ar  with  the 
Goths,  the  Christians  met  with  a 
respite.  Jn  this  interim  Origen  ob- 
tained his  enlargement,  and  retiriitg 
to  Tyre,  he  there  remained  till 
his  death,  which  happened  when 
he  was  in  the  sixty-ninth  year  of 
his  age* . 

•  Origen  is  said,  by  his  biographers, 
to  have  been  learneil,  ingenious,  labo- 
rious,  temperate,  and  charitable.  The 
books  written  by  liiin,  according  to  St. 
Jeronae,  amounted  to  the  aMuobt  incre- 
dible number  of  seven  thousand  volvmes ; 


NUMEROUS    MARTYRS      IN      THE     HEION 
OF  DECIUS. 

In  the  country  of  Phrygia,  and 
in  the  town  of  LatHpsar,  one 
Peter  was  apprehended,  and  suf- 
fered bitter  torments  for  Christ's 
name,  under  Optimus  the  pro- 
consul :  and  in  Troada,  other 
martyrs  suffered,  whose  names 
were  Andrew,  Paul,  Nichoniachus, 
and  Dyonisia,  a  virgin.  Jn  Ba- 
bylon many  Christian  confessors 
were  found,  who  were  led  away 
into  Spain  to  be  executed. 

In  the  country  of  Cappadocia, 
at  the  city  of  Ca^sarea,  Germanus, 
Theophilus,  Cesarius,  A  italis,  Po- 
lychronius,  bishop  of  Babylon,  and 
Nestor,  suflered  martyrdom  for 
Christ. 

At  Perside,  in  the  town  of  Car- 
dalia,  Olympiadcs  and  Maxiraus ; 
In  Tyrus,  also,  Anatolia,  a  virgin, 
and  Audax,  gave  their  lives  for 
the  testimony  of  Christ's  name  ; 
as  did  innumerable  others  in  all 
parts  of  the  empire,  the  particulars 
of  whose  martyrdoms  have  not 
been  handed  down  to  us. 

The  empei'or  Gallus  having  con- 
cluded his  wars,  a  plague  broke 
out  in  the  empire  ;  and  sacrifices 
to  the  Pagan  deities  were  ordered 
by  the  emperor  to  appease  their 
wrath.  On  the  Christians  refus- 
ing to  comply  with  these  rites, 
they  were  chaiged  with  being  the 
authors  of  the  calamity:  and  thus 
the  persecution  spread  from  the 
interior  to  the  extreme  jtarts  of 
the  empire,  and  many  fell  mar- 
tyrs to  the  impetuosity  of  the 
rabble,  as  well  as  the  prejudice 
of  the  magistrates.  Cornelius, 
the  Christian  bishop  of  Rome, 
was,  among  others,  seized  upon 
this  occasion.  He  was  first  ba- 
nished to  Centum-Cellae,  now 
callen    Civita   Veccliia ;    and   after 

and  the  produce  of  their  sale,  added  to 
what  he  had  gained  by  the  instruction  of 
yonth,  enabled  him  to  support  his  mother 
and  six  brethren  after  the  martyrdom  of 
his  father  Leonidas  (see  p.  21).  His 
great  work,  called  the  JJexapla,  from  its 
presenting  six  versions  of  the  sacred,  test 
in  as  many  columns,  gave  the  first  hint 
for  the  compilatiou  of  our  Polvclyt 
Bibles. 


EltiHTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


2tf 


having-  l»cea  cnielly  scourged,  was 
(fa  the  14th  of  September,  A.  b. 
252,  beheaded,  after  havinj^  been 
bishop  fill-en  months  and  ten 
days.  Lucius,  who  succeeded 
Cornelius  as  bishop  of  Rome,  was 
the  son  of  Porphyrius,  and  a 
Roman  by  birth.  His  vig-ilance, 
as  a  pastor,  rendered  him  obuo.x- 
ious  to  the  foes  of  Christianity, 
which  occasioned  him  to  be  ba- 
nished ;  but  in  a  short  time  he  was 
permitted  to  return.  Soon  after, 
however,  he  was  apprehended, 
and  beheaded,  March  the  4th, 
.1.  D.  253.  This  bishop  was  suc- 
ceeded   by    Stephanus,    a  man  of 


fiery  temper,  wlio  held  the  dignity 
few  years,  and  might  probably 
have  fallen  a  martyr,  had  not  the 
emperor  been  murdered  by  his 
general  /Emilian,  when  a  profound 
j)eace  succeeded  throughout  the 
whole  empire,  and  the  persecution 
was  suft'ered  to  subside. 

Many  of  the  errors  which  crept 
into  the  church  at  this  time  arose 
from  placing  human  reason  in 
competition  with  revelation ;  but 
the  fallacy  of  such  arguments 
being  proved  by  the  most  able 
divines,  the  opinions  they  had 
created  vanished  before  the  sublimity 
of  truth. 


THE    EIGHTH    GENERAL   PERSECUTION    UNDER  THE    ROMAN    EMPERORS. 


After  the  death  of  Gallus,  IPavA- 
lian,  the  general,  having-  many 
enemies  in  the  army,  was  slain, 
aud  V^alerian  elected  to  the  em- 
pire. This  emperor,  for  the  space 
of  four  years,  governed  with  mo- 
deration, and  treated  the  Chris- 
tians with  peculiar  lenity  and 
respect ;  but  in  the  year  257,  an 
Egyptian  magician,  named  Macri- 
anus,  gained  a  great  ascendancy 
over  him,  and  persuaded  him  to 
persecute  them.  Edicts  were  ac- 
cordingly published,  and  the  per- 
secution, which  began  in  the  month 
of  April,  continued  for  three  years 
and  six  months. 

The  martyrs  that  fell  in  this 
persecution  were  innumerable, 
and  their  tortures  and  deaths  as  va- 
rious. The  most  eminent  were  the 
following : 

Rufina  and  Secunda  were  two 
beautiful  and  accomplished  ladies, 
daughters  of  Asterius,  a  g'entle- 
man  of  eminence  in  Rome. 
Rufina,  the  elder,  was  designed 
in  marriage  for  Armentarius,  a 
young"  nobleman :  and  Secunda, 
the  younger,  for  Yerinus,  a  person 
of  rank,  and  immense  wealth. 
These  suitors,  at  the  time  the  per- 
secution commenced,  were  both 
Christians  ;  but  'when  danger  ap- 
.peared,  to  save  their  fortunes, 
they  renounced  their  faith.  They 
,  took  great  pains  to  persuade  the 
ladies  to  do  the  same,  but  failed 
.  in  their  pyrjKjse  ;   and  as  a   method 


of  safety,  Rufina  and  Secunda 
left  the  kkigdom.  The  lovers, 
finding-  themselves  disappointed, 
informed  against  the  ladies,  who 
being  apprehended  as  Christians, 
were  brought  before  Junius  Do- 
natus,  governor  of  Rome.  After 
many  remonstrances,  and  having 
undergone  several  tortures,  they 
sealed  their  martyrdom  with  their 
blood,  by  being  beheaded  in  the 
year  257. 

In    the    saiije     year,     Stephen, 
bishop    of    Rome,     was    beheaded, 
and    about     that    time    Saturnius, 
bishop  of  Thoulouse,   was  attacked 
and  seized   by    the   rabble  of  that 
place,   for  preventing,  as   they   al- 
ledged,  their  oracles  fromspeakmg. 
On     refusing    to     sacrifice    to    the 
idols,  he    was    treated  with   many 
barbarous     indignities,      and     then 
fastened    by  the  feet  to  the  tail  of 
a   bull.      On   a    certain  signal  the 
enraged  animal    was    dfiven  down 
the  steps  of  the  temple,'  by  which 
the    martyr's    brains    were   dashed 
out ;     and    the     small    number    of 
Christians    in    Thoulouse    had    not 
for  some  time   courage  sufficient  to 
carry  off  the  dead  body  ;  at  length 
two    women     conveyed     it    away, 
and  deposited  it  in  a  ditch.      This 
mart\'r     was      an     orthodox      and 
learned     primitive    Christian,    and 
his     docU'ines    are    held    in    high 
estim^ion. 

Stephen      was      succeeded       by 
Sextus    as  bishop    of  Rome.       He 


99" 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


is  supposed  to  hare  been  a  Greek 
by  birth,  or  extraction,  and  had 
for  some  time  strved  in  the  capa- 
city of  a  deacon  under  Stephen. 
His  great  fidelity,  singular  wisdom, 
and  courage,  distinguished  him 
upon  many  occasions ;  and  the 
fortunate  conchision  of  a  contro- 
versy with  some  heretics,  is  gene- 
rally ascribed  to  his  prudence. 
Macrianus,  who  had  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Roman  government 
in  the  year  258,  having  procured 
an  order  from  the  emperor  Valerian, 
to  put  to  death  all  the  Christian 
clergy  in  Rome,  and  the  senate 
having  testified  their  obedience  to 
this  mandate,  Sextus  was  one  of 
the  first  who  felt  its  severity.  Cy- 
prian tells  us,  that  he  w  as  beheaded 
August  6,  A.  D.  258;  and  that  six 
of  his  deacons  suffered  with  him. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  ST.  LAURENCE. 

Laurentius,  generally  called  St. 
Laurence,  the  principal  of  the  dea- 
cons, who  taught  and  preached 
under  Sextus,  followed  him  to  the 
place  of  execution  ;  when  Sextus 
predicted  that  he  should  meet  him 
in  heaven  three  days  after.  Lau- 
rentius considering  this  as  a  cer- 
tain indication  of  his  own  ap- 
proaching martyrdom,  at  his  re- 
turn collected  all  the  Christian 
poor,  and  distributed  amongst 
them  the  treasures  of  the  church, 
which  had  been  committed  to  his 
care,  thinking  the  money  could 
not  be  better  disposed  of,  or  less 
liable  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
heathens.  His  conduct  alarmed 
the  persecutors,  who  seized  on 
him,  and  commanded  him  to  give 
au  immediate  account  to  the  em- 
peror of  the  church  treasures. 

Laurentius  promised  to  satisfy 
them,  but  begged  a  short  respite 
to  put  things  in  proper  order ;  when 
three  days  being  granted  him,  he 
was  suffered  to  depart,  whereupon 
with  great  diligence,  he  collected 
together  a  great  number  of  aged, 
helpless,  and  impotent  poor,  and 
repairing  to  the  magistrate,  pre- 
senting them  to  him,  saying, 
•'  These  are  the  true  treasures  of 
the  church." 


Provoked  at  the  disappointment, 
and  fancying  the  matter  meant  in 
ridicule,  the  governor  ordered  him 
to  be  immediately  scourged.  He 
was  then  beaten  with  iron  rods,  set 
upon  a  wooden  horse,  and  had  his 
limbs  dislocated.  He  endured  these 
tortures  with  such  fortitude  and 
perseverance  that  he  was  ordered 
to  be  fastened  to  a  large  gridiron, 
with  a  slow  fire  under  it,  that  his 
death  might  be  the  more  tedious. 
But  his  astonishing  constancy 
during  these  trials,  and  his  serenity 
of  countenance  while  under  such 
excruciating  torments,  gave  the 
spectators  so  exalted  an  idea  of  the 
dignity  and  truth  of  the  (Christian 
religion,  that  many  immediately  be- 
came converts. 

Having  lain  for  some  time  upon 
the  gridiron,  the  martyr  called  out 
to  the  emperor,  who  was  present, 
in  a  kind  of  jocose  Latin  distich, 
made  extempore,  which  may  be 
translated  thus : 

♦'  Tliis  side  enough  is  toasted, 
•'  Then  turn  me.  tyrant,  and  eat  j 

'•  And  see,  whether  raw  or  roasted, 
"  I  am  the  better  meat." 

On  this  the  executioner  turned 
him,  and  after  having  lain  a  consi- 
derable time  longer,  he  had  still 
strength  and  spirit  enough  to  tri- 
umph over  the  tyrant,  by  telling 
him,  with  great  serenity,  that  he 
was  roasted  enough,  and  only 
wanted  serving*  up.  He  then 
cheerfully  lifted  up  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  and  with  calmness  yield- 
ed his  spirit  to  the  Almighty. 
This  happened  on  August  10,  a.  d. 
258. 

Romanus,  a  soldier,  who  attend- 
ed the  martyrdom  of  Laurentius, 
became  one  of  the  converts  to  his 
sufferings  and  fortitude ;  and  when 
that  martyr  was  remanded  to  pri- 
son, Romanus  took  the  opportunity 
of  fully  inquiring  into  the  nature  of 
the  Christian  failh  ;  and  being  en- 
tirely satisfied  by  Laurentius,  be- 
came firmly  a  Christian,  and  re- 
ceived his  baptism  from  the  captive. 
On  his  sudden  change  becoming 
known,  he  was  apprehended, 
scourged  severely,  and  afterwards 
beheaded.         H^'politus,      another 


EIGHTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


3C 


Roman,  for  the   same  oft'ence,  was 
seized  aad  suffered  a  siiuilar  fate. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN      AFRICA. — ACCOUNT 
OF  CYPRIAN. 

Fourteen  years  previous  to  this 
period  the  persecution  raored  in 
Africa  with  peculiar  violence  ;  and 
many  thousands  received  the  crown 
of  martyrdom,  among  whom  the 
foilowinif  were  the  most  distiu- 
g-uished  characters : 

Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage, 
was  an  eminent  prelate,  and  a 
pious  ornament  of  the  church. 
His  doctrines  were  orthodox  and 
pure  ;  his  language  easy  and  ele- 
gant; and  his  manners  graceful. 
He  was  said  to  be  so  perfect  a 
master  of  rhetoric  and  iog-ic,  and 
so  complete  in  the  practice  of  elo- 
cution, and  the  principles  of  phi- 
losophy, that  he  was  made  pro- 
fessor of  those  sciences  in  his  na- 
tive city  of  Carthage,  where  he 
taught  with  great  success.  He 
was  educated  in  the  principles  of 
Gentilism,  and  having  a  considera- 
ble fortune  he  lived  in  great 
splendour  and  pomp.  Gorgeous 
in  attire,  luxurious  in  feasting', 
vain  of  a  numerous  retinue,  and 
fond  of  every  kind  of  fashionable 
parade,  he  seemed  to  fancy  that 
man  was  born  to  gratify  all  his 
appetites,  and  created  for  plea- 
sure only.  About  the  year  246, 
Coecilius,  a  Christian  minister  of 
Carthage,  became  the  instrument 
of  Cyprian's  conversion:  on  which 
account,  and  for  the  great  love 
that  he  always  afterwards  bore  for 
his  adviser,  he  was  termed  Cfficiiius 
Cyprian. 

Before  his  baptism  he  studied 
the  scriptures  with  care,  and 
being  struck  with  the  beauties  of 
the  truths  they  contained,  he  de- 
termined to  practise  the  virtues 
they  recommended.  He  sold  his 
estate,  distributed  the  money 
among  the  poor,  dressed  himself 
in  plain  attire,  and  commenced  a 
life  of  austerity  and  solitude. 
Soon  after  his  baptism  he  was 
made  a  presbyter;  and  beiQgf 
greatly  admired  for  his  virtues 
and  his  works,     on    the  death    of 


Donatus,  in  a.  d.  248,  he  was  al- 
most unanimously  elected  bishop 
of  Carthage.  The  care  of  Cypriaa 
not  only  extended  over  Carthage, 
but  to  Numidia  and  Mauritania. 
In  all  his  transactions  he  took 
great  care  to  ask  the  advice  of  hia 
clergy,  knowing  that  unanimity 
alone  could  be  of  service  to  the 
church :  this  being  one  of  his 
maxims,  "  That  the  bishop  Avas  in 
the  church,  and  the  church  in  the 
bishop  ;  so  that  unity  can  only  be 
preserved  by  a  close  connexion  be- 
tween the  pastor  and  his  flock." 

In  the  year  250,  he  was  publicly 
proscribed  by  the  emperor  Decius, 
under  the  appellation  of  Ccecilius 
Cyprian,  bishop  of  the  Christians; 
and  the  universal  cry  of  the  Pa- 
gans, was,  "Cyprian  to  the  lions! 
Cyprian  to  the  beasts  !  " 

The  bishop,  however,  withdrew 
from  the  rage  of  the  populace, 
and  his  effects  were  immediately 
confiscated.  During  his  retirement 
he  wrote  thirty  pious  letters  to  his 
flock  ;  but  several  schisms  that  then 
crept  into  the  church  gave  him 
great  uneasiness.  The  rigour  of 
the  persecution  abating,  he  returned 
and  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to 
expunge  erroneous  opinions  and 
false  doctrines.  A  terrible  plague 
now  breaking  out  at  Carthage,  it 
was,  as  usual,  laid  to  the  charge 
of  the  Christians  ;  and  the  magis- 
trates began  to  persecute  according- 
ly, which  occasioned  an  epistle  from 
them  to  Cyprian,  in  answer  to 
which  he  vindicates  the  cause  of 
Christianity*. 

Cyprian  was  brought  before  the 
proconsul  Aspasius  Paternus,  a.  d. 
257,  when  being  commanded  to 
conform  to  the  religion  of  the  em- 
pire,  he  boldly  made  a  confession 

*  Cyprian  was  of  an  uncommonly 
meek  and  amiable  disposition,  and 
though  he  neither  wanted  prudence  nor 
circumspection,  he  was  so  modest  that  he 
never  attempted  any  thing  without  first 
consulting  his  partisans.  He  used  to  de- 
clare that  he  had  visions  and  revelations 
concerning  the  events  that  were  to  affect 
the  Christian  church.  St.  Augustine 
says,  that  he  was  very  diligent  in  read- 
ing, especially  the  works  of  TertuUian, 
wbnm  h^  u*ed  to  call  his  "  a'.aster." 
3 


3-2 


BOOK  OF  MAKTYRS. 


of  his  faith.  This,  ho?rever,  did 
not  occasion  hi*  death,  but  an  or- 
der was  made  for  his  banishment, 
which  exiled  him  to  a  little  city 
on  the  Libyan  sea.  On  the  death 
of  the  proconsul  who  banished  him, 
he  returned  to  Carthage,  but  was 
soon  after  seized,  and  carried  be- 
fore the  new  governor,  who  con- 
demned him  to  be  beheaded  :  and 
on  the  14th  of  September,  a.  d.  258, 
this  sentence  was  executed. 

His  disciples  who  were  mar- 
tyred in  this  persecution,  were, 
Lucius,  Flavian,  Victoricus,  Re- 
mus, Montanus,  Donatian,  Julian, 
and  Primolus. 

MARTYRDOM   OF   300  CHRISTIANS. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  dread- 
ful events  in  the  history  of  mar- 
tyrdom was  that  which  took  place 
at  Utica,  where  300  Christians 
Avere,  by  the  orders  of  the  pro- 
consul, placed  around  a  burning- 
lime-kiln.  A  pan  of  coals  and  in- 
cense being^  prepared,  they  were 
commanded  either  to  sacrifice  to 
Jupiter,  or  be  thrown  into  the 
kiln.  Unanimously  refusing  they 
bravely  jumped  into  the  pit,  and 
were  suffocated  immediately. 

Fructuosus,  bishop  of  Tarragon, 
in  Spain,  and  his  two  deacons, 
Augurius  and  Eulogius,  for  avow- 
ing themselves  Christians,  were 
consimied  by  fire.  Malchus,  Alex- 
ander, and  Priscus,  three  Chris- 
tians of  Palestine,  with  a  woman 
of  the  same  place,  voluntarily  ac- 
cused themselves  of  being  Chris- 
tians :  lor  which  they  were  sen- 
tenced to  be  devoured  by  tigers, 
which  sentence  w  as  accordingly 
executed.  Donatilla,  Maxima,  and 
Secunda,  three  virgins  of  Tuburga, 
had  gall  and  vinegar  given  them  to 
drink,  were  then  severely  scourged, 
tormented  on  a  gibbet,  rubbed 
with  lime,  scorched  on  a  gridiron, 
worried  by  wild  beasts,  and  at  last 
beheaded. 

Pontius,  a  native  of  the  city  of 
Simela,  near  the  Alps,  being  ap- 
prehended as  a  Christian,  was  tor- 
tured on  the  rack,  worried  by  wild 
beasts,  half  burnt,  then  beheaded, 
and  lastlv  thro\A  n  into   the    river ; 


and  Protus  and  Ilyacinthus  like- 
wise suffered  martyrdom  about  the 
same  period. 

SINGULAR  ACCOUNT  OF    A    CHRISTIAN! 
LADY. 

Phillippus,  governor  of  Alexan- 
dria, had  a  daughter  named  Eu- 
genia, who  was  singHiIarly  beauti- 
ful, had  received  a  lilserul  educa- 
tion, and,  having  l)een  much  in  the 
company  of  Christians,  had  em- 
braced their  faith.  To  avoid  the 
persecutions  at  this  time  carried 
on,  she  eloped  from  her  father's 
house,  and  resorted  to  hear  the 
readings  of  Helenus,  an  aged  bi- 
shop. For  the  purpose  of  con- 
cealment, she  assumed  male  at- 
tire ;  and,  calling  herself  Euge- 
nius,  Avas  admitted  into  a  monas- 
tery, or  society  of  Christians,  in 
the  suburbs  of  Alexandria,  of 
which,  at  length,  by  her  learning 
and  virtue,  she  became  the  head. 

Here  she    |)er{ormed   many  mi- 
racles,    and     among     others     who 
were  cured   by  her,  was   a  certain 
matron  of  Alexandria,   named   Me- 
lancia,    who   supposing    her  to   be 
a   man,  conceived  a  criminal  pas- 
sion  for  her,     and    so   far    lost  all 
sense  of  virtue  and  decorum,    as  to 
solicit  her  to   gratify  her    desires.  ■ 
Eugenius  exhorted  her  to  continue 
in   the  paths   of   virtue ;    but  Me- 
lancia,   enraged  at  the  refusal,  and 
fearful  of  exposure,  determined  to 
anticipate     the      accusation,      and 
therefore       immediately       charged 
Eugenius,   and  the  other  members 
of  the  Christian   communily,  ^vith 
attempting  to  debauch   lier.      This 
matter  being  heard  before   Philip - 
pus,   and   Melancia  being  esteemed 
virtuous,    the     accusation      gained 
credit,  especiall}'  as  it  was  brought 
against  the  Christians.     Then  Eu- 
geniiis     perceiving    that    she    and 
her  fellow-believers  were  in  imaii- 
nent  danger  of   death    on  this  in- 
famous  charge,    and    that    it  was 
now   no  time  for  dissimulation,   de- 
sired of  the    judge    to    allow   her 
'fjnie  and   place    to    make  manifest 
tb  him     the  truth  ;    which     being 
granted,  she  disclosed  to   him.  that 
ibhe  was  his  daughter,  and  that   hei 


EIGHTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


33 


companions  were  Protheus  and 
lliacintlius,  two  pious  eunuchs; 
txplainiiig  to  him  and  to  her  breth- 
ren, tlie  cause  of  l>er  departure 
from  them.  By  tliis  iiarrati(;n 
they  were  conviiiced  of  her  inno- 
cence, and  her  maliijnant  accuser 
was  utterly  confoundeii.  Philip- 
pus  was  afterwards  converted  to 
Christianity,  made  bishop  of  Alex- 
andria, and  suffered  martyrdom. 

Eugenia,  after  the  death  of  her 
father,  returning  to  Rome  with  Pro- 
theus  and  Hiacinthus,  and  having 
there   converted    Baaiiia,   (a    lady 


who  was  to  have  Ijeen  married  to  a 
pagan,  but  now  refused,  in  conse- 
quence of  wliicli  she  was  beheaded), 
was  assailed  with  various  kinds  of 
death,  from  all  of  which  she  was 
delivered  by  the  miraculous  inter- 
ference of  Heaven;  first,  being 
tied  to  a  great  stone,  and  cast  into 
tlie  Tiber,  where  she  was  pre- 
vented from,  drowning;  then  put 
into  the  hot-baths,  when  the  fires 
were  extinguished,  and  she  pre- 
served ;  lastly,  being  cast  into  a 
prison  to  die  of  hunger,  she  was 
fed  by  a  supernatural  hand. 


Martyrdom  of  a  Christia7i  Lady. 


fATE  OF  THr   EMPEIIOK   VALEIUAN^ 

This  tyrant,  who  had  so  long 
and  so  terril>ly  persecuted  the 
Christians,  was  taken  prisoner  by 
Saphores,  king  of  Persia,  who 
carried  him  into  his  own  country, 
and  there  treated  him  with  the^ 
most  unexampled  indignity,  mak- 
ing him  kneel  down  as  the  mean- 
rOX'S  MARTYRS. 


est  slave,  and  treadifig  upon  him 
as  a  footstool  when  he  mounted 
his  horse,  saying,  in  a  vaunting 
manner,  "This  posture  is  a  greater 
proof  which  way  the  victory  went, 
than  all  the  pictures  the  Roman 
artists  can  draw. ' 

Having  kept  him  for  the  space 
of  seven  years  in  this  abject  state 
of  slavery,  he   at   last   caused  hi* 


34 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


eyes  to  be  put  out,  thoiiijh  he  was 
then  eighty-three  years  of  age : 
and  his  desire  of  revenge  not 
beins^  satisfied,  he  soon  after  or- 
dered his  body  to  be  fliiyed  ahve, 
and  rubbeti  with  salt,  under  which 
torments  he  expired. 

Gailienus,  the  son  of  Valerian, 
succeeded  him  a.  d.  260,  and  dur- 
ing his  reii^n,  the  empire  suffered 
many  commotions,  particularly 
earthqualves,  pestilence,  inunda- 
tions, intestine  broils,  and  incur- 
sions of  barbarians,  this  emperor 
reflectinn;,  tliat  when  liis  father  fa- 
voured tlie  Cliristians  lie  prosper- 
ed, and  that  when  he  persecuted 
them  iie  was  unsuccessful,  deter- 
mined to  relax  the  persecution ;  so 

THE    NINTH    GENERAL    PERSEOUTIO 

[n  the  year  274,  the  emperor 
Aurelian  commenced  a  persecution 
against  the  Christians;  the  princi- 
pal of  tlie  sufferers  was  Felix,  bi- 
shop of  Rome.  This  prelate  was 
advanced  to  the  Roman  see  in  274, 
and  was  beheadt-d  in  the  same  year, 
on  the  22(1  of  December.  Agape- 
tus,  a  young  gentleman,  wlio  sold 
his  estate,  and  gave  the  money  to 
the  poor,  was  seized  as  a  Chris- 
tian, tortured,  and  then  brought  to 
Prisneste,  a  city  within  a  day's 
journey  of  Rome,  where  he  was 
beheaded.  These  are  the  only 
martyr  left  upon  record  during  this 
reign,  as  it  was  soon  put  a  stop  to 
by  the  emperor  being  murdered  by 
his  own  domestics,  at  Byzantium. 
Aurelian  was  succeeded  by  Taci- 
tus, who  svas  foll(jv\ed  by  Probus, 
as  was  the  latter  by  Cams  :  this 
emperor  being  killed  by  a  thunder- 
storm, his  sons,  Carinus  and  Nu- 
merian,  succeeded  him ;  and  dur- 
ing all  these  I'eigns,  the  church  en- 
joyed rest. 

Diocletian  mounting  the  imperial 
throne,  a.  D;  284,  at  first  shewed 
great  favour  to  the  Christians.  In 
the  year  286,  he  associated  Maxi- 
mian  with  him  in  the  empire ;  and 
the  following  Christians  were  put 
to  death  before  any  general  perse- 
cution broke  out  —  Felician  and 
Primus,  two  brothers.  They  were 
seized  by  an  order  from  the  im- 


ihat  (a  few  martyrs  excepted)  the 
church  enjoyed  peace  lor  some 
years.  The  chief  of  those  few  mar- 
tyrs, was  Marnius,  a  centurion, 
who  being  apprehended  as  a  Chris- 
tian, had  but  three  hours  allowed 
him  to  deliberate,  whether  he 
would  sacrifice  to  the  pagan  dei- 
ties, or  become  a  martyr;  and  wa- 
vering during  this  interval,  a  Chris- 
tian prelate  placed  the  gospel  and 
a  sword  before  him,  and  demanded 
which  he  would  choose.  Marnius 
took  the  sword  without  hesitation. 
On  meeting  again  with  the  go- 
vernor, he  made  a  noble  confession 
of  his  faith,  and  was  soon  after  be- 
headed, in  the  year  262. 


N     UNDER    THE    KOMAN     EMPERORS, 

perial  court ;  and  owning  them- 
selves Christians,  were  accordingly 
scourged,  tortured,  and  finally  be- 
headed. Marcus  and  Marcellia- 
nus  were  twins,  natives  of  Rome, 
and  of  noble  descent.  Their  pa- 
rents were  heathens,  but  the  tutors 
to  wiiom  the  education  of  the  chil- 
dren was  intrusted,  brought  them 
up  as  Christians.  Being  appre- 
hended on  account  of  their  faith, 
they  were  severely  tortured,  and 
then  sentenced  to  be  beheaded. 
A  respite  of  a  montli  was  obtained 
for  them  by  their  friends,  when 
their  father,  mother,  and  all  their 
relations,  attempted  to  bring  them 
back  to  paganism,  but  in  vain. 
At  last  their  constancy  subdued 
their  persuaders,  and  their  parents 
and  whole  family  became  converts 
to  a  faith 'they  had  just  before  con- 
demned. 

Tranquillinus,  the  father  of  the 
two  young  men,  was  sent  for  by 
the  prefect,  to  give  him  an  account 
of  the  success  of  his  endeavours; 
when  he  confessed,  that  so  far 
from  having  persuaded  his  sons  to 
forsake  the  faith  they  had  em- 
braced, he  was  become  a  Chris- 
tian himself.  He  then  stopped  till 
the  magistrate  had  recovered  from 
his  surprise,  and  resuming  his  dis- 
course, leused  such  powerful  ar- 
guments, that  he  made  a  convert 
of  him,  who  soon  after  sold  his  es- 


NINTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


33 


tate,  rosis^iied  liis  coimuand,  and 
bpeiit  the  remainder  of  his  clays  in 
a  pious  rotiremtMit. 

Tlie  prefect  whu  succeeded  the 
above-mentioned  convert,  had  no- 
thing of  tlie  disposition  of  iiis  pre- 
decessor: he  was  morose  and  se- 
vere, anil  soon  seized  upon  the 
whole  of  tiiis  Christian  race,  wlio 
were  accordingly  martyred,  by  be- 
ing tied  to  posts,  and  having  their 
feet  pierceJ  with  nails.  After  re- 
maining in  this  situation  for  a  day 
and  night,  their  sufferings  were  put 
an  end  to  by  thrusting  lances 
tlirough  their  bodies. 

Zoe,  the  wife  of  the  gaoler  who 
liad  the  care  of  the  before-men- 
tioned martyrs,  being  greatly  edi- 
fied by  their  discourses,  had  a  de- 
sire to  become  a  Christian :  this, 
as  the  was  dumb  with  a  palsy,  slie 
could  only  express  by  gestures. 
They  gave  her  instructions  in  the 
faitii,  and  told  her  to  pray  in  her 
heart  to  God  to  relieve  her  from 
her  disorder.  She  did  so,  and  was 
at  length  relieved :  for  her  para- 
lytic disorder  by  degrees  left  her, 
and  her  speech  returned  again. 
This  enforced  her  belief,  and  con- 
firmed her  a  Christian  :  and  her 
husband,  finding  her  cured,  be- 
came a  convert  himself.  These 
conversiims  made  a  great  noise, 
and  the  proselytes  were  appre- 
hended. Zoe  was  commanded  to 
sacrifice  to  i\Iars,  whicli  refusing, 
she  was  hanged  upon  a  tree,  and 
a  fire  of  straw  lii^lited  under  her. 
When  her  bcjdy  wus  taken  down, 
it  was  thrown  into  a  river,  with  a 
large  stone  tied  to  it,  m  order  to 
bink  it. 

Tibertius,  a  native  of  Rome,  was 
of  a  family  of  rank  and  distinction. 
Being  accused  as  a  Christian,  he 
was  commanded  either  to  sacrifice 
to  idols,  or  to  walk  upon  burning 
coals.  He  chose  the  latter,  and 
passed  over  thetn  without  damage  ; 
when  Fabian  passed  sentence  upon 
him  that  he  should  be  beheaded : 
which  was  performed  in  the  month 
of  August,  A.  D.  286,  and  his  body 
was  afterwards  buried  by  some  pi- 
ous Christians. 


MASSACItE  OF   A  WlIoLF.    LEGION     OF 
CHiMSriAN    SOLDIEilS. 

A  very  re'niarkable  alfair  occurred 
in  a.  D.  236.  A  legion  of  soldiers, 
consisting  of  Gt)6fi  men,  coiUainecl 
none  but  Christians.  This  legion 
was  called  the  Thel)an  legion,  he- 
cause  the  men  had  been  raised  in 
Thebais :  they  were  (juartered  in 
the  East,  till  the  emperor  j\Iaximiaii 
ordered  them  to  march  to  Gaul,  to 
assist  him  against  the  rebels  of 
Burgundy;  when  passing  the  Alps 
under  the  commanil  of  Mauritius, 
Candidus,  and  Exnpernis,  they  at 
lengtii  joined  the  emperor.  About 
this  time,  Maximian  ordered  a  ge- 
neral sacrifice,  at  which  the  whole 
army  weie  to  assist;  and  he  com- 
manded, that  they  should  take 
oaths  of  allegiance,  Piid  swear,  at 
tlie  same  time,  to  assist  hiin  in  the 
extirp;ition  of  Christianity  in  Gaul. 

Terrified  at  these  ordeis,  each 
individual  of  tlie  Tlieban  legion 
absolutely  refused  eitlier  to  sacri- 
fice, or  take  the  oaths  prescribed. 
This  so  greatly  enraged  Maximian, 
that  he  ordered  the  legicjii  to  be 
decimated,  that  is,  every  tenth  man 
to  be  selected  from  the  rest,  and 
put  to  the  sword.  This  cruel  order 
having  been  put  into  execution, 
those  who  remained  alive  were  still 
inflexible,  when  a  second  decima- 
tion took  place,  and  again  every 
tenth  man  of  those  living  were  put 
to  the  svvoid. 

But  this  second  severity  made  no 
more  impression  than  the  first;  the 
soldiers  preserved  their  fortitude, 
and  their  principles;  but,  by  the 
advice  of  their  oiScers,  drew  up  a 
remonstrance  to  the  emperor,  in 
which  they  told  him,  "  that  they 
were  his  subjects  and  his  soldiers, 
but  could  not  at  the  same  time 
forget  the  Almighty ;  that  they  re- 
ceived their  pay  from  him,  and 
their  existence  from  God.  While 
your  commands  (said  they)  are  not 
contradictory  to  those  of  our  com- 
mon master,  we  shall  always  be 
ready  to  obey,  as  we  have  been  hi- 
therto; but  when  the  orders  of  our 
prince  and  those  of  the  Almighty 
differ,  we   must  always   obey   the 


36 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


latter.  Our  arms  are  devoted  to 
the  emperor's  use,  and  shall  be  di- 
rected against  his  enemies ;  but  we 
cannot  submit  to  stain  our  hands 
with  effusion  of  Christian  blood; 
and  how,  indeed,  could  you,  O 
emperor,  be  sure  of  our  allegiance 
and  fidelitj,  should  we  violate  our 
obhgation  to  our  God,  in  whose 
service  we  were  solemnly  engaged 
before  we  entered  the  arrwsy?  You 
commtMid  us  to  search  out,  and  to 
destroy  tlie  Christians:  ix  is  not 
necessary  to  Ioi>k  any  flirther  for 
persons  of  that  denomination  ;  we 
ourselves  are  such^  and  we  glory 
in  the  name.  We  saw  our  coiripa- 
nioiis  fell  without  the  least  oppo- 
sition or  murmuring,  and  thought 
them  happy  in  dying  for  the  sake 
of  Christ.  Nothing  shall  make  us 
lift  up  our  hands  against  our  sove- 
reign ;  we  had  rather  die  wrong- 
fully, and  by  that  means  preserve 
our  innocence,  than  live  under  a 
load  of  guilt  r  whatever  you  com- 
mand, we  are  ready  to  suffer:  we 
confess  ourselves  to  be  Christians, 
and  therefore  cannot  persecute 
Christians,  nor  sacrifice  to  idols." 

Such  a  declaration,  it  might  be 
presumed,  would  have  softened  the 
emperor,  but  it  had  a  contrary  ef- 
fect; f(jr,  enraged  at  their  perse- 
verance and  unanimity,  he  com- 
manded that  the  whole  legion 
should  be  put  to  death,  which  was 
accordingly  executed  by  the  other 
troops,  who  cut  them  to  pieces 
with  their  swords. 

This  barbarous  transaction  hap- 
pened on  the  22d  of  September, 
A.  D.  286  ;  and  such  was  the  inve- 
terate malice  of  Maximian,  that  he 
sent  to  destroy  every  inan  of  a  few 
detachments  that  had  been  drafted 
from  the  Theban  legion,  and  dis- 
patched to  Italy. 

A  veteran  soldier  of  another  le- 
gion, whose  name  was  Victor,  met 
the  executioners  of  this  bloody  bu- 
siness. As  they  appeared  rather 
merry,  he  inquired  into  the  cause 
of  their  jocularity,  and  being  in- 
formed of  the  whole  affair,  he 
sharply  reproved  them  for  their 
barbarity.    This  excited  their  cu- 


riosity to  ask  him  if  he  was  of  the 
same  faith  as  those  who  had  suf- 
fered. On  his  answering  in  the 
affirmative,  several  of  the  soldiers 
fell  upon  him,  and  dispatched  him. 

ALBAN,  THE  FIRST  BRITISH  MAR- 
TYR. 

Alban,  from  whom  St.  Alban's, 
in  Hertfordshire,  received  its  name, 
was  the  first  British  martyr.  He 
was  originally  a  pagan,  anxl  being 
of  a  very  liumane  disposition,  he 
sheltered  a  Christian  ecclesiastic, 
named  Amphibalus,  who  was  pur- 
sued on  account  of  his  religion. 
The  piotj*  example,  and  edifying 
discourses  of  the  refugee,  made  a 
great  impression  on  the  mind  of 
Aiban;  he  longed'  to  liecome  a 
member  of  a  religion  which  charm- 
ed him  ;  the  liigitive  minister,  happy 
in  the  opportunity,  took  greafi 
pains  to  instruct  him;  and,  before 
his  discovery,  perfected  Alban's 
conversion. 

Alban  now  took  a  firm  resolution 
to  preserve  the  sentiments  of  a 
Christian,  or  to  die  the  death  of  a 
martyr.  The  enemies  of  Amphi- 
balus having  intelligence  of  the 
place  where  he  was  secreted,  came 
to  the  house  of  Alban,  in  order  to 
apprehend  him.  The  noble  host, 
desirous  of  protecting  his  guest, 
changed  clothes  with  him,  in  order 
to  facilitate  his  escape;  and  whea 
the  soldiers  came,  offered  himself 
up  as  the  person  for  whom  they 
were  seeking.  Being  accordingly 
carried  before  the  governor,  the 
deceit  was  immerfiiitely  discover- 
ed; and  Amphrbalas  being  absent, 
that  officer  determined  to  wreafe 
his  vengeance  upon  Afban:  with 
this  view  he  commanded  the  pri- 
soner to  advance  to  the  aftar,  and 
sacrifice  to  the  pagan  deities.  The 
brave  Alban,  however,  refused  to 
comply  with  the  idolatrous  injunc- 
tion, and  boldly  professed  himself 
to  be  a  Christian.  The  governor 
therefore  ordered  him  to  be  scourg- 
ed, which  punishment  he  bore  with 
great  fortitude,  seeming  to  acquire 
new  resolution  from  his  sufferings : 
he  was  then  beheaded. 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


37 


The  venerable  Bede  states,  that, 
upon  tJiis  occasion,  the  executioner 
suddenly  became  a  convert  to 
Christianity,  and. entreated  pernnis- 
sion  either  to  die  farAiban  or  with 
him.  Obtaifliwg  the  Jatter  request, 
they  were  beheaded  by  a  soldier, 
who  voluntarily  undertook  the  task. 
This  happened  on  the  22d  of  June, 
A.  D.  287,  at  Verulam,  now  St. 
Alban's,  in  Hertfordshire,  where  a 
magnificent  church  was  erected  to 
liis  memory,  about  the  time  of 
Cojistantine  the  Great.  This  edi- 
fice was  destroyed  in  the  Saxon 
wars,  but  was  rebuilt  by  Offa,  king 
of  Mercia,  and  a  monastery  erected 
adjoining  to  it,  some  remains  of 
which  are  still  visible. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    ST.    FAITH,    AND 
OTHERS. 

Faith,  a  Christian  female,  of 
Aquitaine,  in  France,  being  in- 
formed that  there  was  a  design  to 
seize  her,  anticipated  the  intention, 
by  surrendering  herself  a  prisoner; 
and  being  inflexible  in  her  faith, 
was  ordered  to  be  broiled  upon  a 
gridiron,  and  then  beheaded,  which 
sentence  was  executed  a.  d.  287. — 
Capacius,  a  Chrdstiao,  concealed 
himself  from  the  persecutors,  but 
beiug  infoj-pied  of  tiie  fortitude  of 
Faith,  he  openly  avowed  his  reli- 


gion, and  delivered  himself  up  to 
the  governor,  who  had  him  first 
tortured,  and  then  beheaded. — 
Quintin  was  a  Christian,  and  a  na- 
tive of  Rome,  but  he  determined 
to  attempt  tiie  propagation  of  the 
gospel  ia  Gaul.  He  accordingly 
went  to  Picardy,  attended  by  one 
Lucian,  and  they  preached  together 
at  Amiens;  after  which,  Lucian 
went  to  Beauvais,  where  he  suf- 
fered martyrdom.  Quintin,  how- 
ever, remained  in  Picardy,  and 
was  very  zealous  in  his  ministry. 
His  continual  prayers  to  the  Al- 
mighty were  to  increase  his  faith, 
and  strengthen  his  faculties  to  pro- 
pagate the  gospel.  Being  seized 
upon  as  a  Christian,  he  was  stretch- 
ed with  pulleys  till  his  joints  were 
dislocated :  his  body  was  then  torn 
with  wire  scourges,  and  boilmg  oil 
and  pitch  poured  on  his  naked 
flesh  :  lighted  torches  were  applied 
to  his  sides  and  arm-pits ;  and 
after  he  had  heen  thus  tortured, 
he  was  remanded  back  to  prison. 
Varus,  tire  governor,  being  obliged 
to  repair  to  Vermandois,  ordered 
Quintin  to  be  conducted  thither 
under  a  strong  guard ;  and  here 
lie  died  of  tlije  barbarities  he  had 
suffered,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
A.  D.  287  ;  his  body  was  sunk  in 
the  Sororae. 


THE    TENTH    GENERAL    PERSECUTION    UNDER    THE    ROMAN    EMPEROBS. 


Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of 
tie  heathens  to  exterminate  the 
Christians,  and  abolish  their  mode 
of  faith,  yet  they  increased  so 
^peatly,  as  to  become  formidable 
by  their  numbers.  They,  however, 
forgot  the  precepts  of  their  meek 
prototype,  and  instead  of  adopting 
his  humility,  they  gave  themselves 
up  to  vanity,  by  dressing  gaily,  liv- 
ing sumptuously,  building  stately 
edifices  for  churches,  &c.  wbicjh 
<;i:£3ted  a  general  envy,  and  parti- 
cularly, excited  the  hatred  of  Gale- 
rms,  the  adopted  son  of  Diocletian, 
who,  stimulated  by  his  mother,  a 
bigoted  pagan,  persuaded  the  em- 
perQr  to  cptnmence  a  |>er6eciition. 
It  accprdit)gly  began  on  the  25d  of 
February,  a.  d-  S03,  that  being  the 
da.y  on  which  the  TerminaUa  were 


celebrated,  and  on  which,  as  the 
pagans  boasted,  theyjioped  to  put 
a  termination  to  Clifisti;inity. 

The  persecution  began  in  Nico- 
demia;  the  prefect  of  that  city  re- 
paired, with  a  great  number  of  offi- 
cers and  assistants,  to  the  church 
of  the  Christians,  where,  having 
forced  open  the  doors,  tliey  seized 
upon  all  the  sacred  books,  and 
committed  them  to  the  flames. 
This  transaction  to<xk  place  in  the 
presence  of  Diocletian  and  Gale- 
rius,  who  also  caused  the  church 
to  be  levelled  with  the  ground.  It 
was  fbUowed  by  a  severe  edict, 
commanding  the  destruction  of  all 
otherChristian  churches  and  books; 
and  an  order  soon  succeeded,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  render 
CbriitJans    of   all    denomiuations 


38 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


outlaws,  and,  conseqiienlly,  to  make 
them  incapable ot'lioldiiig  an^'  place 
of  trust,  profit,  or  di':nity,  or  of 
receiving  any  protection  from  the 
legal  institutions  of  the  realm.  An 
immediate  martyrdom  was  the  re- 
sult of  the  publication  of  this  edict ; 
for  a  bold  Christian  not  only  tore 
it  down  from  the  place  to  which 
it  was  affixed,  but  execrated  the 
name  of  the  emperor  for  his  in- 
justice and  cruelty:  he  was  in 
consequence  seized,  severely  tor- 
tured, and  then  burnt  alive.  The 
Christian  prelates  were  likewige 
apprehended  and  imprisoned;  and 
Galerius  privately  ordered  the  im- 
perial palace  to  be  set  on  fire,  that 
the  Christians  might  be  charged  as 
the  incendiaries,  and  a  plausible 
pretext  given  for  carrying  on  the 
persecution  with  the  greatest  se- 
verity. 

A    GENERAL    SACRIFICE    OF    TUE 
CHRISTIANS. 

A  general  sacrifice  was  then 
commanded,  which  occasioned  va- 
rious martyrdoms.  Among  others, 
a  Christian,  named  Peter,  was 
tortured,  broiled,  and  then  burnt; 
several  deacons  and  presbyters 
were  seized  upon,  and  executed 
by  various  means;  and  the  bishop 
of  Nicomedia,  named  Anthimus, 
was  beheaded. — So  great  was  the 
persecution,  that  t!  ere  was  no 
distinction  made  of  aye  or  sex, 
but  all  were  indiscriminately  mas- 
sacred. Many  houses  were  set  on 
fire,  and  v\hole  Christian  families 
perished  in  the  flames;  others  had 
stones  fastened  about  their  necks, 
and  were  driven  into  the  sea.  The 
persecution  became  general  in  all 
the  Roman  provinces,  but  more 
particularly  in  the  East;  and  as  it 
lasted  ten  years,  it  is  impossible  to 
ascertain  the  numbers  martyred,  or 
to  enumerate  the  various  modes  of 
martyrdom :  some  were  beheaded 
in  Arabia  ;  many  devotired  by  wild 
beasts  in  Phoenicia;  great  numbers 
were  broiled  on  gridirons  in  Syria ; 
others  had  their  bones  broken,  and 
in  that  manner  were  left  to  expire 
in  Cappadocia;  and  in  Mesopota- 
mia, several  were  hung  with  their 


heads  downwards  over  a  slow  fire 
and  suti'ocated. — In  Fontus,  a  va- 
riety ot  tortures  were  used,  in  par- 
ticular, pins  were  thrust  under  the 
nails  of  the  prisoners,  melted  lead 
was  poured  upon  them,  but  with- 
out effect.  In  Egypt,  some  Chris- 
tians were  buried  alive  in  the  earth, 
others  were  drowned  in  the  Nile, 
many  were  hung  in  the  air  till 
they  perished,  and  great  numbers 
were  thrown  into  large  fires,  &.c. 
Scourges,  racks,  daggers,  swords, 
poison,  crosses,  and  famine,  were 
made  use  of  in  various  parts  to 
dispatch  the  Christians;  and  inven- 
tion was  exhausted  to  devise  tor- 
tures against  them. 

A  town  of  Phrygia,  consisting 
entirely  of  Christians,  was  sur- 
rounfied  by  a  number  of  pagan 
soldiers,  to  prevent  any  from  es- 
caping; they  then  set  the  town  on 
fire,  and  all  the  inhabitants  pe- 
rished in  the  flames. 

PROVINCIVL  GOVERNORS  ADDRESS 
THE  EMPEROR  TO  Sl OP  THE  PER- 
SECUTION. 

At  last,  several  governors  of 
provinces  represented  to  the  im- 
perial court,  that  "  it  was  unfit  to 
pollute  the  cities  with  the  lilcjod  of 
the  inhabitants,  or  to  defame  the 
government  of  the  emperors  with 
the  death  of  so  many  snV;)ects." 
Hence  many  were  res;jited  from 
execution;  but  though  not  put  to 
death,  they  were  subjected  to  every 
species  of  indignity.  Many  had 
their  ears  cut  off,  their  noses  slit, 
their  right  eyes  put  out,  their  limbs 
dislocated,  and  their  flesh  scared 
in  conspicuous  places,  with  red-hot 
irons. 

ACCOUNT  OF  SOME  WHO    SUFFERED. 

Amongst  those  who  forfeited 
their  lives  during  this  bloody  per- 
secution, was  Sebastian,  a  cele- 
brated holy  man,  who  was  born  at 
Narbonne  in  Gaul,  instructed  in 
the  principles  of  Christianity  at 
Milan,  and  afterwards  became  an 
officer  of  the  emperor's  guard  at 
Rome.  He  remained  a  true  Chris- 
tian in  the  midst  of  idolatry;  un- 
allured    by    the   splendours    of   a 


TENTH  GEiNERAL  PERSECUTION. 


39 


court,  and  untainted  by  evil  ex- 
amples: esteemed  by  the  nicjst 
eminent,  beloved  by  his  equals, 
and  admired  by  liis  inferiors,  be 
lived  iiappily,  and  kept  his  faith 
and  place,  till  the  rii;our  of  the 
persecution  deprived  him  of  life. 
He  was  informed  against,  and  be- 
trayed to  Fabian,  the  Roman  prae- 
tor, l)y  Torquatus,  a  pretended 
Christian;  but  being  of  a  rank  too 
considerable  to  be  put  to  death 
without  the  emperor's  express  or- 
ders, Diocletian  was  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  circumstance. 

The  emperor,  on  hearing  the  ac- 
cusation, sent  for  Sebastian,  and 
charjied  him  with  ingratitude  in 
betraying  the  conlidence  reposed 
in  him,  and  being  an  enemy  to  the 
gods  of  the  empire  and  to  him- 
self:— To  this  he  answered,  that 
his  religion  was  of  a  good,  not  a 
pernicious  tendency,  and  that  it 
did  not  stimulate  him  to  any  thing 
against  the  welfare  of  the  empire, 
or  the  emperor;  and  that  the 
greatest  proof  he  could  give  of 
his  fidelity,  was  tiie  prayini'  to  the 
only  true  God  for  the  health  and 
prosperity  of  his  imperial  jjerson. 
Incensed  at  this  reply,  the  empe- 
ror ordered  him  to  be  taken  to  a 
field  near  the  ci'y,  termed  the 
Campus  Martius,  and  there  to  be 
shot  to  death  with  arrows :  which 
sentence  was  accordingly  exe- 
cuted. A  few  Christians  attend- 
ing at  the  place  of  execution,  in 
order  to  give  his  body  burial,  per- 
ceived signs  of  life  in  him,  and 
moving  him  to  a  place  of  security, 
they  in  a  short  time  elTected  his 
recovery,  and  prepared  him  for 
a  second  martyrdom;  for  as  soon 
as  he  was  able  to  walk,  he  placed 
himself  intentionally  in  the  empe- 
ror's way,  as  he  was  going  to  the 
temple.  The  unexpected  appear- 
ance of  a  person  supposed  to  be 
dead,  greatly  astonished  the  em- 
peror, nor  did  the  words  of  the 
martyr  less  surprise  him ;  for  be 
began  with  great  severity  to  re- 
prehend him  for  his  various  cruel- 
ties, and  for  his  unreasonable  pre- 
judices against  Christianity. 

When  Diocletian  had  overcome 


his  surprise,  he  ordered  Sebastian 
to  be  seiyed,  carried  to  a  place 
near  the  p;ilace,  and  beat  fo  death; 
and  that  the  Christian?  should  not 
either  use  means  again  to  recover, 
or  bury  his  body,  he  ordered  that 
it  should  be  thrown  into  the  com- 
mon sewer.  Nevertheless,  a  Chris- 
tian lady,  named  Luciiia,  found 
means  to  remove  it  from  the  sewer, 
and  bury  it  in  the  catacombs. 

THE  CHRISTIANS  REFUSE  TO  HEAR 
ARMS  UNDER  THE  ROMAN  EM- 
PERORS. 

At  this  time  the  Christians,  upon 
mature  consideration,  thought  it 
unlawful  to  bear  arms  tuider  an 
heathen  emperor.  Their  reasons 
were: 

1.  That  they  thereby  were  fre- 
quently under  the  necessity  (;f  pro- 
faning the  Christian  sabbath.— 2. 
That  they  were  obliged,  with  the 
rest  of  the  army,  frequently  to  be 
present  at  idolatrous  sacrifices,  be- 
fore the  ten  pies  of  idoU. — 3.  That 
they  were  compelled  to  follow  the 
imperial  standards,  which  were 
dedicated  to  heathen  deities,  and 
bore  their  representations. — Soch 
reasons  induced  many  to  refuse  to 
enter  into  the  imperial  army,  when 
called  upon  so  to  do;  for  the  Ro- 
man constitution  obliged  all  young 
men,  of  a  certain  stature,  to  make 
several  campaigns. 

Maximilian,  tlie  son  of  Fabius 
Victor,  being  pointed  out  as  a  pro- 
per person  to  bear  arms,  was  or- 
dered by  Dion,  the  proconsul,  to 
be  measured,  that  he  might  be  en- 
listed in  the  service.  Maximihan, 
however,  boldly  declared  himself  a 
Christian,  and  refused  to  do  mili- 
tary duty.  Being  found  of  the  pro- 
per height,  Dion  gave  directions 
that  he  should  be  marked  as  a  sol- 
dier, according  to  the  usual  custom. 
He,  however,  strenuously  opposed 
this  order,  and  told  Dion,  that  he 
could  not  possibly  engage  in  the 
service.  The  proconsul  instantly 
replied,  that  lie  should  either  serve 
as  a  soldier,  or  die  for  disobedience. 
"  Do  as  you  please  with  me,"  re- 
plied Maximilian;  ''behead  me,  if 
you  think  proper ;  1  am  already  a 


40 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


soldier  of  Christ,  and  cannot  serve 
any  otiier  power." 

Dion,  v\ishiiiJ,  however,  to  save 
the  young  man,  conimandeil  liis 
father  to  use  his  authority  over  him, 
in  order  to  persuade  him  to  com- 
ply ;  but  Victor  coolly  replied, 
"  My  son  knoweth  best  what  lie 
has  to  do."  Dion  again  demanded 
of  Maximilian,  with  some  acri{nony, 
if  he  was  yet  disposed  to  receive 
the  mark?  To  which  the  young  man 
replied,  he  iiad  already  received 
the  mark  of  Christ.  "  Have  you  !'' 
exclaimed  the  proconsul  in  a  rage, 
"  then  I  shall  quickly  send  you  to 
Christ."  "As  soon  as  you  please," 
answered  IMaximilian;  "  that  is  all 
I  wish  or  desire.''  Tlie  proconsul 
then  pronounced  this  sentence  up- 
on him  :  "  Tiiat  for  disobedience  in 
refusing  to  bear  arras,  and  for 
professing  the  Christian  faith,  he 
should  lose  his  head."  This  sen- 
tence he  heard  with  great  intrepi- 
dity, and  exclaimed,  with  apparent 
rapture,  "  God  be  praised." 

At  the  place  of  execution,  he  ex- 
horted those  who  were  Christians 
to  remain  so  ;  and  such  as  were 
not,  to  embrace  a  faith  which  led 
to  eternal  salvation.  Then  address- 
ing his  father  with  a  cheerful  coun- 
tenance, he  desired  that  the  mili- 
tary habit  intended  for  him  might 
be  given  to  the  executioner;  and, 
after  taking  leave  of  him,  said,  he 
hoped  they  should  meet  again  in 
the  other  world,  and  be  happy  to 
all  eternity.  He  then  received  the 
fatal  stroke,  which  separated  his 
head  from  his  body.  The  father 
beheld  the  execution  with  amazing 
fortitude,  and  saw  the  head  of  his 
son  severed  from  his  body  without 
any  emotions,  but  such  as  seemed 
to  proceed  from  a  conscious  plea- 
sure, in  being  the  parent  of  one 
whose  piety  and  courage  rendered 
him  so  great  an  example  for  Chris- 
tians to  imitate, 

A    PAGAN    FATUER  SEEKS  TO  SACRI»- 
FICE  HIS  OWN  SON. 

Vitus,  a  Sicilian  of  a  consider- 
able family,  was  brought  up  a 
Christian ;  his  virtues  increased 
pritb  his  years,  his  constancy  sup- 


ported him  under  all  his  afflictions, 
and  his  faith  was  superior  to  the 
most  dangerous  perils  and  misfor- 
tunes. Hylas,  his  father,  who  was 
a  pagan,  finding  that  he  had  been 
instructed  in  the  principles  of 
Christianity  by  tlie  nurse  who 
brought  him  up,  used  all  his  en- 
deavours to  bring  him  back  to  pa- 
ganism; but  finding  his  efforts  in 
vain,  he  forgot  all  the  feelings  of 
a  parent,  and  informed  against  his 
son  to  V^alerian,  governor  of  Sicily, 
who  was  very  active  in  persecuting 
the  Christians  at  this  period. 

This  youth,  when  apprehended 
upon  the  information  of  his  father, 
was  little  more  than  twelve  years 
of  age;  Valerian,  therefore,  on  ac- 
count of  his  tender  age,  thought  to 
frighten  him  out  of  his  faith:  he 
was  accordingly  threatened,  and 
ordered  to  be  severely  scourged. 

After  this,  tlie  governor  sent  him 
back  to  his  father,  thinking  that 
what  he  had  suffered  would  make 
him  change  his  principles;  but  in 
this  he  was  mistaken :  and  Hylas, 
finding  his  son  inflexible,  suffered 
nature  to  sink  under  superstition, 
and  determined  to  sacrifice  his 
son  to  the  idols.  On  being  appris- 
ed of  his  design,  V'itus  escaped 
to  Lucania,  where,  being  seized,  he 
was,  by  order  of  Valerian,  put  to 
death,  June  14,  a.  d.  303.  His 
nurse,  Crescentia,  who  brought  him 
up  as  a  Christian,  and  Modestus, 
a  person  who  escaped  with  him, 
were  martyred  at  the  same  time; 
but  the  manner  is  unknown. 

There  was  one  Victor,  a  Chris- 
tian of  a  good  family  at  Marseilles, 
in  France,  who  spent  a  great  part 
of  the  night  in  visiting  the  afflicted, 
and  confirming  the  weak,  which 
pious  work  he  could  not,  consist- 
ently with  his  own  safety,  perform 
in  the  day-time;  and  his  fortune 
he  spent  in  relieving  the  distresses 
of  poor  Christians.  His  actions 
becoming  known,  he  was  seized 
by  the  emperor's  orders,  and  being 
carried  before  two  prefects,  they 
advised  him  to  embrace  paganism, 
and  not  forfeit  the  favour  of  his 
prince,  on  accpunt  of  a  dead  man, 
as  they  styled  Christ:    in  jinswef 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


41 


Pi  which,  he  replied,  "  Tliat  he 
preferred  the  service  of  that  dead 
man,  wlio  was  in  reality  the  Son  ot 
God,  and  had  risen  from  tlie  grave, 
to  all  the  advantai^es  lie  could 
ireceive  from  the  eitiperur's  favour: 
that  he  was  a  soldier  of  Christ, 
and  would  therefore  take  care  that 
the  post  he  held  under  an  earthly 
prince,  should  never  interfere  with 
his  duty  to  the  King  of  Heaven." 
For  this  reply,  Victor  was  loaded 
with  reproaches;  but  being  a  man 
of  rank,  he  was  sent  to  the  empe- 
ror to  receive  his  final  sentence. 
When  brought  before  him,  Maxi- 
mian  coraiuanded  him,  under  the 
severest  penalties,  to  sacrifice  to 
the  Roman  idols;  and  on  his 
refusal,  ordered  him  to  be  bound 
and  dragged  through  the  streets. 
During  the  execution  of  this  order, 
be  was  treated  by  the  enraged 
populace  with  all  manner  of  indig- 
nities.—  Remaining,  however,  in- 
flexible, his  courage  was  deemed 
obstinacy :  to  which  he  replied, 
■"  riiat  the  ready  disposition  of  the 
disciples  of  Christ  to  undergo  any 
sufferings  on  that  score,  and  the  joy 
with  which  they  met  the  most  igno- 
minious and  painful  deaths,  were 
sufficient  proofs  of  their  assurance 
of  the  object  of  that  hope."  He 
added,  "  That  he  was  ready  to 
give  an  example  of  what  he  had 
said  in  his  own  person."  When 
stretched  upon  the  rack,  he  turned 
his  eyes  towards  heaven,  and  pray-, 
ed  to  God  to  give  him  patience; 
after  which  he  underwent  the  tor- 
tures with  admirable  fortitude. 
The  executioners  being  tired  with 
inflicting  the  torments,  he  was 
taken  from  the  rack,  and  conveyed 
to  a  dungeon.  During  his  con- 
finement, he  converted  the  gaolers, 
named  Alexander,  Fclieian,  and 
Longinus.  This  affair  comiag  t3 
the  knowledge  of  the  emperor,  he 
ordered  them  immediately  to  be 
put  to  death,  and  they  were  be- 
headed accordingly.  Victor  was 
afterwards  again  put  to  the  rack, 
beaten  with  clubs,  and  then  again 
sent  to  his  dungeon.  Being  a 
third  time  examined  concerning 
iiis  religion,  he  persevered  in  his 


principles  ;  n  small  altar  was  then 
brought,  and  he  was  commanded 
to  otter  incense  upon  it  immedi- 
ately ;  but  at  the  request,  he  boldly 
stepped  forward,  and  with  his  foot 
overthrew  both  altar  and  idol. 
The  emperor  Maximian,  who  was 
present,  was  so  enraged  at  this, 
that  he  ordered  the  foot  with  which 
he  had  kicked  the  altar,  to  be  im- 
mediately cut  off;  and  Victor  to 
be  thrown  into  a  mill,  and  crushed 
to  pieces  with  the  stones. — This 
horrid  sentence  was  put  into  exe- 
cution ;  but  part  of  the  apparatus 
breaking,  he  was  drawn  from  the 
mill,  terribly  bruised;  and  the  em- 
peror not  having  patience  to  stay 
till  it  was  mended,  ordered  his 
head  to  be  struck  off,  which  was 
executed  accordingly. 

FORTITUDE    AND    NOBLE    CONDUCT 
OF    THREE  CHRISTIAN   FRIENDS. 

While  Maximus,  governor  ot 
Cilicia,  was  at  Tarsus,  three  Chris- 
tians were  brought  before  him  by 
Demetrius,  a  military  officer.  Ta- 
rachus,  the  eldest,  and  first  in 
rank,  was  addressed  by  Maximus, 
who  asked  him  what  he  was  i 
The  prisoner  replied,  "  A  Chris- 
tian." This  reply  offending  the 
governor,  he  again  made  the  same 
demand,  and  was  answered  in  a 
similar  manner.  Hereupon  the  go- 
vernor told  him,  that  he  ought  to 
sacrifice  to  the  gods,  as  that  was 
the  only  way  to  promotion,  riches, 
and  honours ;  and  that  the  empe- 
rors themselves  did  what  he  re- 
commended to  him  to  perform : 
but  Tarachus  replied,  that  avarice 
was  a  sin,  and  gold  itself  an  idol 
as  abominable  as  any  other;  for  it 
promoted  frauds,  treacheries,  rob- 
beries, and  murders;  it  induced 
men  to  deceive  each  other,  by 
which  in  time  they  deceived  them- 
selves, and  bribed  the  weak  to  their 
own  eternal  destruction.  As  for 
promotion,  he  desired  it  not,  as  he 
could  not  in  conscience  accept  of 
any  place  which  would  subject  him 
to  pay  adoration  to  idols;  and 
with  regard  to  honours,  he  desired 
none  greater  than  the  honourable 
title  of  Christian.     As  to  the  em- 


4-1 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


perors  themselves  being  pag:\ns, 
he  added  \vitl>  the  same  undaunted 
and  determined  spirit,  tliat  tlicy 
^^■ere  siiperstiti.jubly  deceived  in 
adoring  senseless  idols,  and  evi- 
dently misled  by  the  machinations 
of  tiie  devil  himself.  For  tlie  bold- 
ness of  tiiis  speech,  his  jaws  were 
ordered  to  be  broken.  IJe  was  then 
stri|)ped,  scourj;ed,  loaded  with 
rhains,  and  thrown  into  a  dismrd 
dungeon,  to  remain  there  till  the 
trials  of  the  other  two  prisoners. — 
Probus  was  then  brought  before 
Maxinins,  who,  as  usual,  asked 
him  his  name.  Undauntedly  tlie 
prisoner  replied,  the  most  valuable 
name  he  could  boast  of  was  that 
of  a  Christian.  To  this  Maximus 
replied  in  the  following  words: 
"  Your  name  of  Cliristian  will  be 
of  little  service  to  you,  be  there- 
fore guided  by  me;  sacrifice  to  the 
gods,  engage  my  friendship,  and 
the  favour  of  the  emperor."  — 
Probus  nobly  answered,  "  that  as 
he  had  relinquished  a  considerable 
fortune  to  become  a  soldier  of 
Clirist,  it  might  appear  evident, 
(hat  he  neither  cared  for  his  friend- 
ship, nor  the  favour  of  the  empe- 
ror."— Probns  was  then  scourged  ; 
and  Demetrius,  the  officer,  observ- 
ing to  him  how  his  blood  flowed, 
advised  him  to  comply ;  but  his 
only  answer  was,  that  those  seve- 
rities were  agreeable  to  him. 
"  What !"  cried  Maximus,  "  does 
he  still  persist  in  his  madness .""' 
To  whicli  Probus  rejoined,  "  that 
character  is  badly  bestowed  on 
one  who  refuses  to  worship  idols, 
or,  what  is  worse,  devils."  After 
being  scourged  on  the  back,  he 
was  scourged  on  the  belly,  which 
he  suffered  with  as  much  intrepi- 
dity as  before,  still  repeating,  "  the 
more  ray  body  suffers  and  loses 
blood,  the  more  my  soul  will  grow 
vigorous,  and  be  a  gainer."  He 
was  then  committed  to  gaol,  load- 
ed with  irons,  and  his  hands  and 
feet  stretched  upon  the  stocks. — 
Andronicus  was  next  brought  up, 
when,  being  asked  the  usual  ques- 
tions, he  said,  *'  I  am  a  Christian, 
a  native  of  Ephesus,  and  descend- 
ed from  one  of  the  first  families  in 


that  city."  He  was  ordered  to  un- 
dergo punishments  similar  to  those 
of  Tarachus  and  I'robus,  and  then 
to  be  remanded  to  prise n. 

Having  been  confined  some  days, 
the  three  prisoners  were  aj;ain 
brought  before  Maximus,  who  be- 
gan first  to  reason  with  Tarachus, 
saying,  that  as  old  age  was  ho- 
noured from  the  supposition  of  its 
being  accompanied  by  wisdom,  he 
was  in  liopesthat  what  had  already 
past,  must,  upon  deliberation,  liave 
caused  a  change  in  his  sentiments. 
Finding  himself,  however,  mis- 
taken, he  ordered  him  to  be  tor- 
tured by  various  means;  particu- 
larly, fire  was  placed  in  the  palms 
of  his  liands;  he  was  hung  up  by 
his  feet,  and  smoked  with  wet 
straw;  and  a  mixture  of  salt  and 
vinegar  vvas  poured  into  his  nostrils; 
and  lie  was  then  again  remanded  to 
liis  dungeon. — Probus  being  again 
called,  and  asked  if  he  would 
sacrifice,  replied,  "  I  come  better 
prepared  than  before ;  for  what  I 
have  already  suffered,  has  only 
confirmed  and  strenghtened  me  in 
my  resolution.  Employ  your  whole 
power  upon  me,  and  you  will  find, 
that  neither  you,  nor  your  masters, 
the  emperors,  nor  the  gods  whom 
you  serve,  nor  the  devil,  who  is 
your  father,  shall  oblige  me  to 
adore  gods  whom  I  know  not." — 
The  governor,  however,  attempted 
to  reason  with  him,  paid  the  most 
extravagant  praises  to  the  pagan 
deities,  and  pressed  him  to  sacri- 
iice  to  Jupiter;  but  Probus  turned 
his  casuistry  into  ridicule,  and 
said,  "  Shall  I  pay  divine  honours 
to  Jupiter;  to  one  who  married  his 
own  sister;  to  an  infamous  de- 
bauchee ;  as  he  is  even  acknow- 
ledged to  have  been  by  your  own 
priests  and  poets  ?"  Provoked  at 
this  speech,  the  governor  ordered 
him  to  be  struck  upon  the  mouth, 
for  uttering  what  he  called  blas- 
phemy :  his  body  was  then  seared 
with  hot  irons,  he  was  put  to  the 
rack,  and  afterwards  scourged,  hi  s 
head  was  then  shaved,  and  red  hot 
coals  placed  upon  the  crown ;  and 
after  all  these  tortures,  he  was 
again  sent  to  prison. 


TENTH  GENER/vL  PERSECUTION. 


43 


When  Aiidrnnicus  was  again 
broiiirlit  before  Maximus,  tlie  latter 
attempted  to  deceive  him,  hy  pre- 
tendiiis:  that  Taraclius  aiifl  Probiis 
had  repented  of  tlieir  obstinacy, 
and  owned  tlie  ijods  of  the  empire. 
To  this  tlie  prisoner  answered, 
"  Lay  not,  O  i:;(jvernor,  such  a 
weakness  to  the  charije  of  those 
who  have  appeared  here  before  inc 
in  this  cause,  nor  imagine  it  to  be 
in  your  power  to  shake  my  fixed 
resolution  with  artful  speeches. 
I  cannot  believe  that  they  have 
disobeyed  the  laws  of  their  fathers, 
renounced  their  hopes  in  our  God, 
and  consented  to  your  extravagant 
orders:  nor  will  I  ever  fall  short 
of  them  in  faith  and  dependance 
upon  our  common  Saviour:  thus 
armed,  I  neither  know  your  gods, 
nor  fear  your  authority;  fulfil 
your  threats,  execute  your  most 
sanguinary  inventions,  and  employ 
every  cruel  art  in  your  power  on 
me ;  I  am  prepared  to  bear  it,  for 
the  sake  of  Christ." — For  this  an- 
swer he  was  cruelly  scourged,  and 
his  wounds  were  afterwards  rub- 
bed with  salt;  but  being  well 
again  in  a  short  time,  the  governor 
reproached  the  gaoler  for  having 
suffered  some  physician  to  attend 
to  him.  The  gaoler  declared,  that 
no  person  whatever  had  been  near 
him,  or  the  other  prisoners,  and 
that  lie  would  wiUingly  forfeit  his 
head,  if  any  allegation  of  the  kind 
could  be  proved  against  him. 
Andronicub  corroborated  the  tes- 
timony of  the  gaoler,  and  added, 
that  the  God  whom  he  served, 
was  the  most  powerful  of  phy- 
sicians. 

These  three  Christians  were 
brought  to  a  third .  examination, 
when  they  retained  their  con- 
stancy, were  again  tortured,  and 
at  length  ordered  for  execution. — 
Being  brought  to  the  amphitheatre, 
several  beasts  were  let  loose  upon 
them;  but  none  of  the  animals, 
though  hungry,  would  touch  them. 
Maximus  became  so  surprised  and 
incensed  at  this  circumstance,  that 
he  severely  reprehended  the  keep- 
er, and  ordered  him  to  produce 
a  beast   that  would   execute  the 


business  for  whicli  he  \\as  wanted. 
The  keeper  then  brought  out  a 
large  bear,  that  had  that  day  de- 
stroyed three  r  .en  ;  hut  this  crea- 
ture, and  a  fierce  lioness,  also  re- 
fused to  touch  the  Christians. 
Finding  the  design  of  destroying 
tliem  by  the  means  of  wild  beasts 
inelVectual,  Maximus  ordered  them 
to  be  slain  by  a  sword,  which  was 
accordingly  executed  on  the  11th 
of  October,  a.  d.  303.  1  hey  all 
declared,  previous  to  their  martyr- 
dom, that  as  death  was  the  com- 
mon lot  of  all  men,  they  wished  to 
meet  it  for  the  sake  of  Christ; 
and  to  resign  that  life  to  faith, 
which  must  otherwise  be  the  prey 
of  disease. 

HORRID  MARTYRDOM  OF  ROMANUS. 

Romanus,  a  native  of  Palestine, 
was  deacon  of  the  church  of 
Cffi^area  at  the  time  of  the  com- 
mencement of  Diocletian's  perse- 
cution. He  was  at  Antioch  when 
llie  imperial  order  arrived  for  sa- 
crificing to  idols,  and  was  greatly 
afflicted  to  see  many  Christians, 
through  fear,  submit  to  the  idola- 
trous mandate,  and  deny  their 
faith  to  preserve  their  existence. 
While  censuring  some  of  them 
for  their  conduct,  he  was  informed 
against,  and  soon  after  apprehend- 
ed. Being  brought  to  the  tribunal, 
he  confessed  himself  a  Christian, 
and  said  he  was  willing  to  suffer 
any  thing  which  they  might  be 
pleased  to  inflict  upon  him  for  his 
confession.  When  condemned,  he 
was  scourged,  put  to  the  rack,  his 
body  torn  with  hooks,  his  flesh  cut 
with  knives,  his  face  scarified,  his 
teeth  beat  from  tlieir  sockets,  and 
his  hair  plucked  up  by  the  roots. 
Thus  cruelly  mangled,  he  turned 
to  the  governor,  and  very  calmly 
thanked  him  for  what  he  had  done, 
and  for  having  opened  for  him  so 
many  mouths  to  preach  the  doc- 
trines of  Christianity;  "for,"  says 
he,  "  evefy  wound  is  a  mouth,  to 
sing  the  praises  of  the  Lord."— 
He  was  soon  after  ordered  to  be 
strangled;  which  sentence  was  ex- 
ecuted on  the  17  th  of  November, 
A.  D.  303. 


44 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


MAKTTKDOM     OF     M AUCFLLINUS 
AND    OTHERS. 

iMarcelliuHs  v\as  an  ecclesiastic 
rit  Rome ;  being  apprelienderl  on 
account  of  his  religion,  he  was  or- 
flered  to  be  privately  executed  in 
tlie  forest,  and  was  accordingly  be- 
lieaded  tliere. 

Peter,  a  Christian,  apprehended 
for  the  same  cause,  was  executed 
at  the  same  time  and  place.  Also 
about  this  period,  Smaragdus,  Lar- 
gus,  and  Cyriacus,  a  deacon  of  the 
Christian  ciiuich,  were  martyred ; 
but  the  mode  of  their  deaths  is  not 
specified. 

Susanna,  the  niece  of  Caius, 
bishop  of  Rome,  was  pressed  by 
the  emperor  Diocletian  to  marry  a 
noble  pagan,  who  was  nearly  re- 
lated to  him  :  but  she  refused  the 
honour,  on  account  of  her  being  a 
Christian;  which  so  enraged  the 
emperor,  tliat  she  was  immedi- 
ately afterwards  beheaded  by  his 
order. 

Dorotheus,  the  high  cliamberlain 
of  the  household  to  Diocletian, 
was  a  Christian,  and  took  great 
pains  to  make  converts;  and  he 
was  assisted  by  Gorgonius,  another 
Christian,  and  one  belonging  to  the 
palace :  they  were  both  Irigh  4n  the 
emperor's  favour,  but  they  soon 
proved  that  worldly  honours,  and 
temporary  pleasures,  were  nothing 
when  set  in  .competition  with  the 
joys  of  immortahty;  for  being  in- 
formed against,  they  were  first  tor- 
tured, and  then  strangled. 

There  was  one  Peter,  an  eunuch 
i)elonging  to  the  emperor,  who  was 
a  Christian  .of  singular  humility; 
insomuch,  that  li«  did  any  servile 
office  to  serve  the  afflicted,  and 
gave  whatever  he  possessed  to  those 
who  needed  assistance.  Having 
been  informed  against  as  a  Chris- 
tian, and  confessing  the  charge,  he 
was  scourged  till  his  flesh  was  torn 
in  a  terrible  manner;  and  then 
salt  and  vinegar  were  thrown  upon 
the  wounds;  and  after  suffering 
these  tortures  with  the  utmost 
tranquillity,  he  was  laid  on  a  grid- 
iron, and  broiled  over  a  slow  fire, 
till  he  expired  in  the  greatest 
agony. 


CONVERSION    AND    DEATH    OF 
CYPRIAN. 

Cyprian,  known  by  the  title  of 
the  nr.igicinn,  to  distinguish  him 
from  Cyprian,  bishop  of  Carthage, 
was  a  native  of  Antioch.  lie  re- 
ceived a  liberal  education  in  his 
youth,  and  applied  himself  to  as- 
trology ;  after  which  he  travelled 
through  India,  Et:ypt,  Greece,  tzc. 
He  afterwards  settled  near  Baby- 
lon, and  being  skilled  in  the  Chal- 
dean mysteries,  he  employed  his 
talents  in  endeavouring  to  draw 
women  from  chastity  and  conjugal 
faith,  and  in  persecuting  the  Chris- 
tians, and  ridiculing  Christianity. 
He  became  acquainted  withjustina, 
a  young  lady  of  Antioch,  of  liigh 
birth,  beauty,  and  accomplishments, 
who  had  been  educated  in  idolatry, 
but  being  converted  to  Christianity, 
she  induced  her  father  and  mother 
to  embrace  the  same  faith.  A 
pagan  gentleman  falling  in  love 
with  her,  and  not  being  able  to 
obtain  a  favourable  return  to  his 
addresses,  applied  for  assistance 
to  Cyprian,  who  undertook  the  de- 
sign, but  with  a  treacherous  intent; 
for,  under  the  pretence  of  acting 
for  his  friend,  he  determined,  if 
possible,  to  possess  the  lady  himself. 
To  effect  this,  he  employed  all  his 
skill ;  but  his  endeavours  proving 
ineffectual,  he  was  fully  convinced 
that  a  superior  ppwer  protected  her 
from  his  evil  intentions.  His  re- 
flections, on  this  account,  caused 
hira  to  search  into  the  truths  of 
Christianity;  and  his  inquiry  became 
so  beneficial,  that  he  renounced  the 
errors  of  paganism.  His  repent- 
ance was  truly  sincere;  he  deter- 
mined to  reform  his  conduct,  and 
to  make  every  amends  in  his  power 
for  the  crimes  he  had  committed. 
He  therefore  burnt  his  books  of 
astrology  and  magic,  received  bap- 
tism, and  bec<ime  animated  with  a 
powerful  spirit  of  grace.  His  con- 
version had  a  great  effect  on  the 
lover  of  .Tustina,  and  he  also  in  a 
short  time  embraced  Christianity. 

During  the  persecution  of  Dio- 
cletian, Cyprian  and  Justina  were 
seized  upon  as  Christians;  when 
the  foji?iier  was  torn  with  pincers. 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


45 


rikI  the  latter  chastised ;  and  after 
sutFering  otlier  torments,  both  were 
beheaded. 

OTHER    MARTYRS. 

Sergius  was  an  officer  in  the  Ro- 
man army,  and  attended  the  em- 
peror Maximian  into  Syria.  Being 
accused  as  a  Christian,  he  was  or- 
dered to  sacrifice  to  Jupiter;  hut 
refusing,  he  was  stripped  of  his 
mihtary  habit,  and,  by  way  of  de- 
rision, dressed  in  woman's  clothes. 
He  then  was  forced  to  walk  a 
considerable  way  with  nails  in  his 
sandals,  and  had  a  conclusion  put 
to  liis  suffering  by  being  beheaded. 
Bacchus,  an  officer  of  the  same 
rank  as  Sergius,  being  apprehended 
at  the  same  time,  underwent  similar 
sufferings,  and  was  beheaded  on 
the  same  day,  a.  d.  303. 

A  Spanish  lady,  of  a  Christian 
family,  named  Eulalia,  who  was  re- 
markable for  sweetness  of  temper 
and  solidity  of  understanding,  was 
apprehended  as  a  Christian.  The 
magistrate  attempted,  by  the  mild- 
est means,  to  bring  her  over  to 
paganism,  but  she  answered  him 
in  so  ironical  a  manner,  and  ridi- 
culed the  pagan  deities  with  such 
asperity,  that,  incensed  at  her  be- 
haviour, he  ordered  her  to  be  tor- 
tured. Accordingly,  her  sides  were 
torn  by  hooks,  and  her  breasts 
burnt  in  the  most  shocking  man- 
ner, till  the  fire  catching  her  head 
iind  face,  she  expired :  this  hap- 
pened in  December  a.  d.  303. 

The  emperor  Diocletian  falling 
ill  in  the  year  30 i,  the  persecution 
was  carried  on  by  Galeriug,  and 
the  governors  of  the  several  pro- 
vinces, when  many  fell  victims  to 
the  zeal  or  malice  of  the  persecu- 
tors; among  whom  the  following 
jjersons  are  enumerated ; 

Vincent,  a  Spanish  Christian, 
was  educated  by  Valerius,  bishop 
of  Saragossa,  who,  on  account  of 
his  great  merits,  ordained  him  a 
deacon.  When  the  persecution 
reached  Spain,  Dacian,  the  gover- 
nor of  Tarragona,  ordered  Valerius 
the  bishop,  and  Vincent  the  dea- 
con, to  be  seized,  loaded  with  irons, 
and  imprisoned.    Some  time  after, 


Dacian  exananed  them  with  great 
asperity,  and  threatened  them  with 
death,  unless  tiiey  renouncefl'  their 
principles.  Vincent  undertaking  to 
speak  for  both,  avowed  their  full 
determination  to-  persist  in  the 
faith.  Hereupon,  Daciany  in  a 
rage  at  his  freedom  of  speech',  de- 
clared, that  unless  he  imniediately 
burnt  incense  to  the  gods,  he  should 
fall  a  sacrifice.  But  the  prisonei^s 
being  firm  in  their  resolutions, 
Valerius  was  banished,  and  the 
whole  of  Dacian's  rage  directed 
against  Vincent,  who  was  racked, 
had  his  limbs  dislocated,  his  flesh 
torn  with  hooks,  and  he  was  laid 
on  a  gridiron,  which  had  not  only 
a  fire  placed  under  it,  but  spikes  at 
the  top,  which  run  into  his  flesh. 
In  this  situation,  while  one  side 
was  broiling  over  the  fire,  the  other 
was  tormented  with  red  hot  irons, 
or  salamanders;  and  then  salt  was 
thrown  over  the  wounds.  Tliese 
torments  neither  destroying  him,, 
nor  changing  his  resolutions,  he 
was  remanded  to  prison,  and  con- 
fined in  a  dark  dungeon,  which 
was  strewed  with  sharp  flints  and 
pieces  of  glass.  Orders  were  also 
given  not  to  suffer  him  to  have 
any  provisions  whatever,  and  that 
the  news  of  his  death  should  be 
carried  to  Dacian,  as  soon  as  that 
event  took  place.  When  the  keep- 
ers thought  nim  starved,  they  en- 
tered the  dungeon;  but  instead  of 
seeing  a  corpse,  as  they  expected, 
they  beheld  Vincent  at  prayers,  his 
wounds  healed,  and  his  body  ii> 
tolerable  health. 

TJiis  speedy  recovery  and  pre- 
servation had  such  an  effect  upon 
the  keepers,  that  it  became  the 
means  of  their  conversion.  Dacian, 
however,  instead  of  being  softened 
by  these  uncommon  circumstances, 
was  enraged  at  the  triumph  of 
Vincent  over  his  cruelties;  and 
gave  orders  for  new  tortures  to  be 
prepared  for  him,  of  so  severe  a 
nature,  as  to  make  him  sink  under 
them.  But  bis  malice  was  again 
disappointed;  for  before  the  in- 
struments could  be  prepared,  God 
took  him  to  himself,  and  he  died 
with  all   the   serenity   of  a  good 


46 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


conscience,  and  as  luucli  calmness 
as  if  he  liud  only  sank  into  a  gentle 
sleep. 

Daciiin  tlien  ordered  lliat  liis 
bfidy  should  be  exposed  in  tiie 
fields  to  tlie  birds  of  prey;  but 
they  not  ofterint^  to  touch  it,  he 
conimauded  that  it  siicjuid  he  thrown 
into  the  river,  which  was  di)ne  ac- 
cordingly, flis  deaili  happened  on 
the  U2d  of  January,  30  i. 

PfellSECUTIONS    IN    AFIIICA. 

It  was  in  this  year  the  persecu- 
tion of  Diocletian  attain  began  to 
prevail,  and  many  Christiana  were 
put  to  cruel  tortures,  and  the  most 
painful  deatlis.  I'he  most  eminent 
of  these  were,  Saturninus,  a  priest 
of  Albitina,  a  town  of  Africii :  he 
used  to  preach  and  administer  tfie 
sacrament  to  a  society  of  Chris- 
tians, who  privately  assembled  at 
the  house  of  Oclavius  Felix  :  hav- 
ing been  informed  against,  Satur- 
ninus,  with  four  of  his  children, 
and  several  other  persons,  were 
apprehended;  and  that  their  pu- 
nishment might  be  the  more  ex- 
emplary and  public,  they  were  sent 
to  Carthage,  the  capital  of  Africa, 
where  they  were  examined  bef<ire 
Anulinus,  the  proconsul  of  that 
quarter  of  the  globe. 

Saturninus,  on  the  examination, 
gave  such  spirited  answers,  and 
vindicated  the  Christian  religion 
with  such  eloquence,  as  shewed 
that  he  was  worthy  to  preside  over 
an  assembly  that  possessed  a  faith 
of  purity  and  truth.  Anulinus, 
enraged  at  his  arguments,  ordered 
him  to  be  stopped  from  saying  any 
more,  bv  being  put  to  a  variety  of 
tortures,  such  as  scourging,  tearing 
his  flesh  with  hooks,  burning  with 
hot  irons,  &c. — Having  been  thus 
inhumanly  tortured,  he  was  re- 
manded to  prison,  and  there  starved 
to  death.  Plis  four  children,  not- 
withstanding they  were  variously 
tormented,  remained  steady  m  their 
faith;  on  which  they  were  sent 
back  to  the  dungeon  in  which  their 
father  was  confined,  and  were  also 
starved  to  death  in  the  same 
innrmer. 

Tiiere   were  eight   other  Chris- 


tians tortured  on  the  s.iine  day  as 
Saturninus,  and  much  in  the  same 
manner.  Two  expired  on  the  spot, 
through  the  severity  of  their  sutfer- 
iiigs;  and  the  other  six  being  sent 
back  to  prison,  were  sufTocatt-d  for 
want  of  a  pure  air.  Thelico,  a 
pious  Christian  ;  Dativus,  a  noble 
Roman  senator;  Victoria,  a  young 
lady  of  considerable  family  and 
fortune,  with  some  others  of  less 
consideration,  who  had  been  all 
auditors  of  Saturninus,  were  seized 
at  the  time,  tortured  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  perished  by  the  same 
means. 

MAP.TYUDOM    OF    THUEE    SISTERS. 

Three  sisters,  Cliionia,  Agape, 
and  Irewe,  were  seized  u[)on  at 
Thessalonica.  I  bey  had  been 
educated  in  the  Christian  faith, 
but  had  taken  great  precautions  to 
remain  unknown.  I'hey  therefore 
retired  to  a  solitary  place,  and 
spent  their  hours  in  performing 
religious  duties.  Eeing,  howevei-, 
discovered  anl  seized,  ihey  re- 
nounced tlieir  former  timidity, 
blamed  themselves  lor  bemg  so 
fearful,  and  begged  of  God  to 
strengthem  them  against  the  great 
trial  they  had  to  undergo. 

When  Agape  was  examined  be- 
fore Dulcatius,  the  governor,  and 
was  asked,  Wliether  she  was  dis- 
posed to  comply  with  the  laws  of 
the  land,  and  obey  the  mandates 
of  the  emperor?  she  answered, 
"  That,  being  a  Christian,  she 
could  not  comply  with  any  laws 
which  recommended  the  worsiiip 
of  idols  and  devils;  that  her  reso- 
lution was  fixed,  and  nothing  should 
deter  her  from  continuing  in  it." — 
Her  sister  Chionia  replied  in  the 
same  manner:  when  the  governor, 
not  being  able  to  draw  them  from 
their  faith,  pronounced  sentence  of 
condemnation  on  them;  pursuant 
to  which  they  were  burnt,  March 
23,  A.  D,  304. 

Irene  was  then  brought  before 
the  governor,  who  fancied  that  the 
death  of  her  sisters  would  have  an 
effect  upon  her  fears,  and  that  the 
dread  of  similar  sufiferings  would 
engage  her  to  comply  with  his  pro- 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


47 


posals.  He  therefore  exhorted  her 
to  acknowledge  tlie  heathen  deities, 
to  sacrifice  t<>  tliem,  to  partake  of 
the  victims,  and  to  deliver  up  iier 
Looks  relative  to  Christianity. 
But  she  positively  refused  to  com- 
ply with  any  of  them:  the  f;overnor 
asked  her,  VVlio  it  was  tliat  per- 
suaded her  and  lier  sisters  to  keep 
those  hooks  and  writinjjs?  Sije 
answered,  It  was  that  God  who 
connnauded  tliem  to  love  him  to  the 
last;  for  wiiich  reason  slie  was  re- 
solved to  submit  to  he  buried  alive 
rather  than  i;ive  them  up  into  the 
hands  of  his  professed  enemies. 

When  tile  governor  found  that 
he  could  make  no  impression  on 
her,  he  ordered  her  to  be  exposed 
naked  in  the  streets;  which  shame- 
ful order  having  been  executed, 
she  was  burnt,  April  1,  A.  D.  i304, 
at  the  same  place  where  her  sisters 
had  suffered  before  iier. 

One  Ai;atiio,  a  man  of  a  pious 
turn  ofniind,wicii  Cassice,  Piiilippa, 
and  I'Lutycliia,  were  martyred  about 
the  same  time;  as  was  Marcellinus, 
bishop  of  Rome,  who  succeeded 
Caius  in  that  sec.  He  was  greatly 
perplexed  during  this  persecution; 
and  having  strongly  opposed  pay- 
ing divine  honours  to  Diocletian, 
who  wished  to  exact  them  from  the 
people,  and  to  appear  as  a  god,  he 
was  at  length  seized  and  committed 
to  a  dungeon.  He  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom, by  a  variety  of  tortiires, 
in  the  year  304. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    TUEODOTUS    AND 
OTHERS. 

Theotecnus,  the  governor  of 
Dalmatia,  whose  cruelty  could  be 
equalled  by  nothing  but  his  bigotry, 
received  the  mandate  for  persecut- 
ing the  Christians  with  great  satis- 
faction, and  wrote  the  emperor 
word  that  he  would  do  his  utmost 
endeavours  to  root  out  Christianity 
from  every  place  under  his  juris- 
diction. Thus  encouraged  by  the 
governor,  the  pagans  began  to  in- 
fonn  against,  abuse,  and  persecute 
the  Christians.  Great  numbers 
were  seized  upon,  and  imprisoned; 
their  goods  were  destroyed,  and 
their   estates  confiscated.     Many 


fled  into  the  woods,  or  retired  to 
caves,  wiiere  some  supported  theni- 
stlves  by  feeding  upon  roots,  and 
others  perished  by  famine.  iMany 
were  also  starved  in  the  city,  by 
means  of  the  following  singular 
stiatagem :  The  governor  gave  strict 
orders,  that  no  provisions  whatever 
should  be  exposed  U)  sale  in  the 
markets,  without  having  been  first 
consecrated  to  the  idols;  hence 
the  Christians  were  con}pelled  to 
eat  what  had  been  otTered  to  the 
devil,  or  t(j  retrain  from  food,  and 
perish.  i'he  latter  dreadful  alter- 
native was  chosen  by  many,  who, 
to  preserve  the  purity  of  their  faith, 
heroically  gave  up  their  lives. 

In  these  dreadful  times,  Theo- 
dotus,  a  Christian  innkeeper  of 
Ancyra,  did  all  that  he  could  to 
comfort  the  imprisoned,  and  buried 
the  bodies  of  several  who  had  been 
martyred,  though  it  was  forbidden 
on  pain  of  death.  He  likewise 
privately  assisted  many  with  food  ; 
for  having  lain  in  a  great  sto'  k  of 
corn  and  wine,  he  sold  it  at  prime 
cost. 

Polychronicus,  a  Christian,  being 
seized,  forfeited  his  faith,  in  order 
to  preserve  his  life,  and  informed 
against  his  friend  Theodotus,  who, 
hearing  of  this  treachery,  surren- 
dered himself  to  the  governor  of 
his  own  accord. 

On  his  arrival  in  the  court,  he 
surveyed  the  instruments  of  tor- 
ture with  a  smile,  and  seemed 
totally  regardless  of  their  effects. 
When  placed  at  the  bar,  the  go- 
vernor informed  him,  that  it  was 
still  in  his  power  to  save  himself, 
by  sacrificing  to  the  gods  of  the 
empire  ;  "  and,"  he  continued,  "  if 
you  renounce  your  faith  in  Christ, 
I  promise  you  my  friendship,  and 
the  emperor's  protection,  and  will 
constitute  you  one  of  the  magis- 
trates of  the  town." 

Theodotus  displayed  great  cou- 
rage and  eloquence  in  his  answer: 
he  absolutely  refused  to  renounce 
his  faith,  declined  the  friendship 
of  the  governor,  and  protection  of 
the  emperor,  and  treated  the  idols 
with  the  greatest  contempt.  The 
pagans   on    this   were   in    general 


48 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


extremely  clamorous  against  the  pri- 
soner, and  demanded  him  to  be  im- 
mediately punished;  the  priests  in 
particular  rent  their  clothes,  and 
tore' their  chaplets,  the  badges  of 
their  offices,  through  rage.  The 
governor  complied  with  their  desire, 
when  Theodotus  was  scourged,  torn 
with  hooks,  and  then  placed  upon 
the  rack.  After  this,  vinegar  was 
poured  into  his  wounds,  his  flesh 
was  seared  with  burning  torches, 
and  his  teeth  were  knocked  out  of 
their  sockets.  He  was  then  re- 
manded to  prison;  and  as  he  went, 
pointing  to  his  mangled  body,  he 
said  to  the  people,  "  It  was  hut 
just  that  Christians  should  suffer 
for  him  who  suffered  for  us  all." — 
Five  days  afterwards,  he  was  brought 
from  prison,  tortured,  and  then  be- 
headed. 

There  was  one  Victor,  a  native 
of  Ancyra,  accused  by  the  priests  of 
Diana  of  having  abused  their  god- 
dess. For  this  imputed  crime,  he 
was  seized  upon,  and  committed 
to  prison,  his  house  plundered,  his 
family  turned  out  of  doors,  and  his 
estate  forfeited.  When  put  to  the 
rack,  his  lesolution  failed,  and  he 
began  to  waver  in  his  faith,  through 
the  severity  of  his  torments.  Being 
carried  back  to  prison,  in  order  to 
make  a  full  recantation,  God  pu- 
nished him  for  his  intended  apos- 
tacy;  for  his  wounds  mortified,  and 
put  an  end  to  his  life. 

Seven  aged  women  of  Ancyra 
were  about  this  time  apprehended 
for  their  fuith;  they  were  examined 
before  the  governor,  who  reviled 
their  belief,  ridiculed  their  age, 
and  ordered  them  to  be  delivered 
over  to  some  young  libertines  :  on 
this,  one  of  the  fellows,  more  bold 
than  the  rest,  seized  upon  the 
eldest  of  the  women,  named  Tecusa, 
who  thus  addressed  him:  "What 
designs,  child,  can  you  have  on  us, 
who  are  worn  out  with  age  and  in- 
firmities? I  am  now  more  than 
threescore  and  ten  years  old,  my 
companions  are  not  much  younger; 
you  may  look  on  tis  as  so  many 
rotten  carcasses,  as  we  shall  soon 
be,  for  the  governor  after  death  re- 
fuses us  burial."    Then  lifting  up 


her  veil,  she  shewed  him  her  grey 
hairs,  and  added,  "  You  may, 
perhaps,  have  a  motlier,  of  nearly 
the  same  age  as  myself;  thiis 
should  give  yon  some  respect  for 
us." — The  young  men  were  so 
affected  with  this  speech,  that  they 
desisted,  and  immediately  returned 
to  their  homes. 

The  governor,  on  the  failure  of 
his  design  of  having  them  prosti- 
tuted, determined  to  compel  tlieni 
to  assist  in  the  idolatrous  rites  of 
washing  the  goddesses  Minerva 
and  Diana  :  for  in  Ancyra  it  was 
the  custom  annually  to  wash  the 
images  of  those  goddesses;  and 
the  washing  was  considered  as  a 
material  part  of  the  adoratioit  of 
the  idols. 

Accordingly,  they  were  forced  to' 
the  temple;  but  absolutely  refusing 
to  wash  the  idols,  the  governor  was 
so  enraged,  that  he  ordered  them 
all  to  have  stones  tied  about  their 
necks,  and  to  be  pushed  into  the' 
water  intended  for  the  washing,  in 
which  they  were  drowned. 

A  (Jhristian,  of  the  name  of  Ti- 
mothy, being  carried  before  Urban, 
governor  of  Palestine,  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  burnt  to  death  by  a 
slow  fire  ;  which  sentence  was  exe- 
cuted at  Gaza,  on  the  19th  day  of 
August,  A.  D.  304. 

ACTIONS    OF    PHILIP,    BISHOP    OF 
HEKACLEA. 

Philip,  bishop  of  Ileraclea,  had, 
in  every  act  of  his  life,  appeared 
as  a  good  Christian  ;  the  cliief  of 
his  disciples  were  Severus,  a  priest, 
and  Hermes,  a  deacon,  who  all 
did  much  to  promote  the  cause  of 
Christianity.  This  worthy  bishop 
was  advised  to  secrete  himself,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  persecution ; 
but  he  reproved  those  who  coun- 
selled him  so  to  do,  telling  them 
that  their  merit  would  be  en- 
hanced by  their  sufferings,  and  that 
death  had  no  terror  for  the  vir- 
tuous. He  therefore  publicly  per- 
formed his  duty. 

An  officer,  named  Aristomachus, 
being  employed  to  shut  up  the 
Christian  church  in  Heraclea,  Phi- 
lip took  great  pains  to  convince  him, 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUT[ON. 


49 


tliat  the  shutting^  iij)  buildings  made 
by  hands  could  not  destroy  Chris- 
tianity, while  the  living  temples  of 
the  Lord  remained  ;  for  the  true 
faith  consisted  not  in  the  places 
where  God  is  adored,  but  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  adore  God. 
But  being  denied  entrance  into  the 
church  where  he  used  to  preach, 
Philip  took  up  his  station  at  the 
door,  and  there  exhorted  the  people 
to  patience,  perseverance,  and 
godliness.  I'or  this  he  was  seized 
and  carried  before  the  governor, 
who  severely  reprimanded  him,  asid 
then  continued  to  speak  sternly  in 
these  words:  "Bring  ail  the  vessels 
used  in  your  worship,  and  the 
scriptures  which  you  read  and 
teach    the    people,    and     surrender 


them  to  me,  before  you  are  forced 
thereto  by  tortures."  "If,"  replied 
the  bishop,  "  you  take  any  pleasure 
in  seeing  us  sufler,  we  are  prepared 
for  the  worst  you  can  do.  This  in- 
firm body  is  in  your  power ;  use 
it  as  you  please.  The  vessels  you 
demand  shall  be  delivered  np,  for 
God  is  not  honoured  by  gold  and 
silver,  but  by  the  fear  of  his  power  ; 
but  as  to  the  sacred  books,  it  is  nei- 
ther proper  for  me  to  part  with  them, 
nor  for  you  to  receive  them."  This 
answer  so  much  incensed  the  go- 
vernor, that  he  ordered  him  to  the 
torture.  Hermes,  expressing  him- 
self freely  against  such  barbarities, 
was  ordered  to  be  scourged  at  the 
same  time. 


Dreadful  Suffering  of  the  Primitive  Martyrs. 


The     pagans    having    proceeded  the    plate,    and  burnt    the     scrip- 

to  the   place   where  the   scriptures  tures. 

and   the  church    plate    were    kept.  When   Philip  was  taken    to    the 

immediately     seized      them;      they  market    place,   he  was   ordered    to 

lifewise       unroofed       the       church,  sacrifice    to   the  Roman    deities   in 

walled    up    the     doors,    embezzled  general,  and   to  Hercules  in   parti- 

FOX'S    MARTYRS. 


50 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


cular;  in  answer  to  which  com- 
mand, he  made  an  animated  ad- 
dress on  the  real  nature  of  the 
Deity;  and  conchided,  that  from 
what  he  had  aheady  said,  it  ap- 
peared that  the  heathens  worsliip- 
ped  what  might  lawfully  be  trod- 
den on,  and  made  gods  of  such 
things  as  Providence  had  designed 
for  their  service. 

The  governor  then  tried  the  con- 
stancy of  Hermes,  but  tinding  him 
as  inflexible  as  the  bishop,  he  com- 
mitted them  both  to  prison.  Soon 
after  this,  a  new  governor,  named 
Justin,  arrived ;  but  he  was  equally 
cruel  as  his  predecessor. 

Philip  was  then  dragged  by  the 
feet  through  the  streets,  severely 
scourged,  and  brought  again  to 
the  governor,  who  charged  him 
with  obstinate  rashness,  in  conti- 
nuing disobedient  to  the  imperial 
decrees ;  but  he  boldly  replied, 
that  "he  was  obliged  to  prefer 
heaven  to  earth,  and  to  obey  God 
rather  than  man."  On  this  the 
governor  immediately  passed  sen- 
tence on  him  to  be  burnt,  which 
was  executed  accordingly,  and  he 
expired,  singing  praises  to  God  in 
the  midst  of  the  fire.  Hermes,  for 
behaving  in  a  similar  manner,  and 
Severus,  who  had  surrendered 
himself  up  in  order  to  suffer  with 
his  friends,  met  with  the  same 
fate. 

NUMEROUS  MARTYRDOMS. 

Agricola  was  a  Christian  of  so 
very  amiable  a  disposition,  that  he 
even  gained  the  esteem  and  admi- 
ration of  the  pagans.  Being  ap- 
prehended, however,  he  was  cru- 
cified, in  imitation  of  the  death  of 
our  Saviour;  and  his  body,  toge- 
gether  with  the  cross,  was  buried  at 
Bologna,  in  Italy. 
,  Vitalis,  the  servant  and  convert 
of  the  above  Agricola,  was  seized 
upon  the  same  account  as  his  mas- 
ter, and  being  put  to  the  severity 
of  the  torture,  died  under  the 
hands  of  his  tormentors. 

Carpophorus,  Victorius,  Seve- 
rus, and  Severianus,  were  bro- 
thers, and  ail  were  employed  in 
places  of  great  trust  and  honour  in 


the  city  of  Rome.  Having  ex- 
claimed against  the  worshipping  of 
idols,  they  were  apprehended,  and 
scourged  with  the  plumbetae,  or 
scourges,  to  the  ends  of  which 
were  fastened  leaden  balls.  This 
punishment  was  exercised  with 
such  cruelty,  that  the  pious  bro- 
thers fell  martyrs  to  its  severity. 

A  Christian  of  Aquileia,  named 
Chrysogonus,  was  beheaded  by  or- 
der of  Diocletian,  for  having  in- 
structed Anastasia,  a  young  lady 
of  that  city,  in  the  Christian  faith. 
This  young  lady  was  descended 
from  an  illustrious  Roman  family. 
Her  mother,  named  Flavia,  was  a 
Christian,  and  dying  while  her 
daughter  was  an  infant,  she  be- 
queathed her  to  the  care  of  Chry- 
sogonus, with  a  strict  injunction 
to  instruct  her  in  the  principles  of 
Christianity.  This  Chrysogonus 
punctually  performed  ;  but  the  fa- 
ther of  the  lady,  who  was  a  pagan, 
gave  her  in  marriage  to  a  person 
of  his  own  persuasion,  named  Pub- 
lius,  who  was  of  a  good  family, 
but  bad  morals,  and  having  spent 
his  wife's  and  his  own  patrimony, 
he  had  the  baseness  to  inform 
against  her  as  a  Christian. 

Publius  soon  after  dying,  his 
wife  was  released ;  but  continuing 
to  perform  many  charitable  actions 
to  Christians,  she  was  again  ap- 
prehended, and  delivered  up  to 
Florus,  governor  of  Illyricum. 
Florus  commanded  that  she  should 
be  put  to  the  torture,  when  finding 
her  constant  in  the  faith,  he  or- 
dered lier  to  be  burnt,  which  was 
executed  on  December  25,  a.d. 
304 ;  the  event  taking  place  about 
a  month  after  the  martyrdom  of 
Chrysogonus,  her  instructor. 

In  the  same  year,  Mouris  and 
Thea,  two  Christian  women  of 
Gaza,  were  martyred  in  that  city. 
The  former  died  under  the  hands 
of  her  tormentors,  and  the  latter 
perished  in  prison  of  the  wounds 
she  had  received  when  tortured. 

Timothy,  a  deacon  of  Maurita- 
nia, and  Maura  his  wife,  had  not 
been  married  above  three  weeks, 
when  they  were  separated  from 
each     other     by     the     persecution. 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


51 


Timothy  was  carried  before  Ar- 
riamis,  llie  governor  of  Tliebais, 
Aviio  did  all  in  his  power  to  induce 
him  to  embrace  the  pagan  super- 
stition. But  perceiving  his  en- 
deavoins  vain,  and  knowing  that 
Timothy  had  the  keeping  of  the 
holy  scriptures,  the  governor  com- 
manded him  to  deliver  them  up, 
that  they  might  be  burnt :  to  which 
Timothy  answered,  "  Had  I  chil- 
dren, I  would  sooner  deliver  them 
up  to  be  sacrificed,  than  part  from 
the  word  of  God."  The  governor, 
much  incensed  at  this  reply,  or- 
dered his  eyes  to  be  put  out  with 
red-hot  irons,  saying,  "  The  books 
shall  at  least  be  useless  to  you,  for 
you  shall  not  see  to  read  them." 
He  endured  the  punishment  with 
such  patience,  that  the  governor 
grew  more  exasperated,  and  or- 
dered him  to  be  hung  up  by  the 
feet,  with  a  weight  tied  about  his 
neck,  and  a  gag  in  his  mouth. 

This  treatment  he  underwent  with 
the  greatest  courage ;  when  some 
person  acquainted  the  governor 
that  he  liad  been  but  newly  mar- 
ried to  a  wife,  of  whom  he  was  ex- 
tremely fond.  Arrianus  accord- 
ingly ordered  Maura  to  be  sent 
for,  and  promised  a  handsome  re- 
ward, with  the  life  of  her  husband, 
if  she  could  prevail  upon  him  to 
sacrifice  to  the  idols.  Maura,  wa- 
vering in  her  faith,  tempted  by  a 
bribe,  and  impelled  by  an  un- 
bounded aflection  for  lier  husband, 
undertook  the  impious  atl'air. 

When  conducted  to  him,  she  as- 
sailed his  constancy  with  all  the 
persuasive  language  of  affection. 
When  the  gag  was  taken  out  of 
bis  mouth,  in  order  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  of  replying,  instead  of 
consenting  to  his  wife's  entreaties, 
as  they  expected,  he  greatly  blamed 
her  mistaken  love,  and  declared 
his  resolution  of  dying  for  the 
faith.  Maura  repeated  her  impor- 
tunities, till  the  martyr,  her  hus- 
band, reproached  her  so  strongly 
with  her  weakness,  that  she  re- 
turned to  his  way  of  thinking,  and 
resolved  to  imitate  his  courage 
and  fidelity,  and  either  to  accom- 
pany, or  follow  him  to  glory,  Ti- 
3 


mothy  advised  her  to  repair  her 
fault  by  declaring  that  resolution 
to  the  governor,  by  whose  order 
she  had  undertaken  the  sinful 
commission.  On  which,  being 
strengthened  by  his  exhortations, 
and  the  grace  of  God,  she  went  to 
Arrianus,  and  told  him,  that  she 
was  united  to  her  husband  in  opi- 
nion as  well  as  love,  and  was 
ready  to  suffer  any  thing  to  atone 
for  her  late  crime,  in  wishing  to 
make  him  an  apostate.  The  go- 
vernor immediately  ordered  her  to 
be  tortured,  which  was  executed 
M'ith  great  severity ;  and  after  this 
Timothy  and  Maura  were  crucified 
near  each  other,  a.d.  304. 

A  bishop  of  Assisium,  named 
Sabinus,  refusing  to  sacrifice  to 
Jupiter,  and  pushing  the  idol  from 
him,  had  his  hands  cut  off  by  the 
order  of  the  governor  of  Tuscany. 
After  patiently  sufiering  this  bar- 
barity, he  was  committed  to  pri- 
son, where  he  remained  a  consi- 
derable time,  without  any  assist- 
ance or  relief  but  what  he  received 
from  a  Christian  widow,  whose 
blind  grandson  had  been  by  him 
restored  to  sight. 

The  governor,  who  was  himself' 
afflicted  with  sore  eyes,  on  hearing 
this  intelligence,  began  to  consider 
the  behaviour  of  the  Christians, 
and  the  tenets  of  Christianity,  in  a 
more  favourable  light,  and  sending 
for  Sabinus,  he  informed  him  that 
he  now  entertained  very  different 
sentiments  to  what  he  had  hitherto 
done,  both  with  respect  to  him  and 
his  faith;  then  throwing  himself 
at  the  feet  of  Sabinus,  he  en- 
treated him  to  afford  him  assist- 
ance, and  to  undertake  the  cure  of 
his  body  and  soul. 

The  undissembled  fervency  with 
which  he  spoke,  convinced  Sabi- 
nus of  his  sincerity :  he  was  ac- 
cordingly baptized,  and  the  dis- 
order in  his  eyes  immediately  left 
them :  this  conversion  of  the  go- 
vernor was  followed  by  that  of  his 
whole  family,  and  some  of  his 
friends.  When  the  tyrant  Maxi- 
mian  was  informed  of  these  cir- 
cumstances, he  immediately  or- 
dered the  governor  and  all  liis  fa- 


52                                 BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 

uiily     to     be      belicadcd.        Imme-  dies   burned   to   asLes,    after   wbielr 

diately   after    their    execution,    Sa-  their  ashes  were  thrown  into  some 

biniis  was  scourged  to  death;   and  river." 

two  ecclesiastics,  named  Marce!-  Amphianiis,  of  Ljcia,  and  a 
lus  and  Experanlius,  who  ofiici-  scholar  of  Euscbius,  pressing 
ated  under  Sabiinis,  were  scourg-  through  the  crowd  while  the  pro- 
ed  in  a  most  dreadful  manner;  clamation  for  sacriiicing  to  idols 
but  remaining  constant  in  their  was  read,  he  caught  the  governor 
faith,  their  (lesh  was  torn  with  Urbianus  by  the  haiid,  and  se- 
hooks  till  they  expired.  This  took  verely  reproved  him  for  his  wick- 
place  in  December,  A.i>.  304.  edness.  On  which  the  governor. 
It  now  happened  that,  weary  of  incensed  at  the  freedom,  ordere^l 
the  toils  of  state,  Diocletian  aiid  him  to  be  put  to  the  torture,  and 
Maximiart  resigned  the  imperial  then  thrown  into  the  sea. 
diadem,  and  were  succeeded  by  ^desius,  brother  of  Amphianus, 
Constantius  and  Galerius ;  the  was,  about  the  same  time,  mar- 
former,  a  prince  of  the  most  mild  tyred  at  Alexandria,  in  a  terrible 
and   humane   disposition ;     and   the  manner, 

latter,  remarkable  for  his  tyranny  Jnlitta,  a  Lycaonian  of  royal 
and  cruelty.  These  divided  the  em-  descent,  was  a  Christian  lady  of 
pire  into  two  equal  governments;  great  humility,  constancy,  and  in- 
Galerius  ruling  in  the  East,  tegrity.  When  the  edict  for  sa- 
and  Constantius  in  the  West ;  crificing  to  idols  was  published  at 
and  the  people  in  the  two  govern-  Iconinm,  she  withdrew  from  that 
nients  felt  the  effects  of  the  differ-  city,  taking  with  her  only  her 
ent  dispositions  of  the  emperors;  young  sou  Cyricus,  and  two  fe- 
for  those  in  the  W^est  were  go-  male  servants.  She  was,  how- 
verned  in  the  mildest  manner,  but  ever,  seized  at  Tarsus,  and  being 
such  as  resided  in  the  East  felt  carried  before  Alexander,  the  go- 
all  the  miseries  of  cruelty  and  op-  vernor,  she  acknowledged  that  she 
pression.  was  a  Christian.  For  this  confes- 
sion her  son  was  taken  from  her,^ 
DREADFUL    PERSECUTIONS   BY  ,       ,                     •             ,•    ,    ,             .    . 

and    she    was    immediately   put   to 

the  rack,  and  tortured  with  great 
As  Galerius  bore  an  implacable  severity,  which  she  bore  with 
hatred  towards  the  Christians,  we  j)ious  resignation.  The  child, 
are  informed,  that  "he  not  only  however,  cried  bitterly  to  get  at 
condemned  them  to  tortures,  but  his  mother;  when  the  governor, 
to  be  burnt,  in  slow  fires,  in  this  observing  the  beauty,  and  being- 
horrible  manner :  they  were  first  melted  at  the  tears  of  the  infant, 
chained  to  a  post,  then  a  gentle  took  him  upon  his  knee,  and  en- 
fire  put  to  the  soles  of  their  feet,  deavoured  to  pacify  him.  No- 
which  contracted  the  callus  till  it  thing,  however,  could  quiet  Cy- 
feil  off  from  the  bone:  then  11am-  ricus ;  he  still  called  upon  his  mo- 
beaux  just  extinguished  were  put  ther,  and  at  length,  in  imitation  of 
to  all  parts  of  their  bodies,  so  that  her  words,  lisped  out,  "  I  am  a 
they  might  be  tortured  all  over ;  Christian."  TJiis  innocent  ex- 
and  care  was  taken  to  keep  them  pression  turned  the  governor's 
alive,  by  throwing  cold  water  in  compassion  into  rage;  and  throw- 
their  faces,  and  giving  them  some  ing  the  child  furiously  against  the 
to  wash  their  mouths,  lest  their  pavement,  he  dashed  out  its 
throats  should  be  dried  up  with  l)rains.  The  mother,  who  from 
thirst,  and  choke  them.  Thus  the  rack  Beheld  the  transaction, 
their  miseries  were  lengthened  out  thanked  the  Almighty  that  her 
•whole  days,  till,  at  last,  their  child  was  gone  before  her ;  and 
skins  being  consumed,  and  they  she  should  have  no  anxietj'  con- 
just  ready  to  expire,  were  thrown  cermng  his  future  welfare.  To 
into  a  great  fire,  and  had  their  bo-  complete  the  torture,  boiling    pitch 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


53 


■\v;is  poured  oii  lier  feet,  her  sides 
were  torn  with  hooks,  and  she  was 
finally  beheaded,  April  16,  A.  D. 
306. 

PanfaleoH,  a  native  of  Nicome- 
dia,  was  instructed  by  his  father 
in  the  learning  of  the  pagans,  and 
was  taught  the  precepts  of  the 
gospel  by  his  mother,  who  was  a 
Christian.  Applying  to  the  study 
of  medicine,  he  became  eminent  in 
that  science,  and  was  appointed 
physician  to  the  emperor  Gaierius. 
The  name  of  Pantaleon  in  Greek 
signifies  humane,  and  the  appella- 
tion well  suited  his  nature,  for  he 
was  one  of  the  most  benevolent 
men  of  his  time  ;  but  his  extraor- 
dinary reputation  roused  the  jea- 
lousy of  the  pagan  physicians,  who 
accused  him  to  the  emperor.  Ga- 
ierius, on  finding  him  a  Christian, 
ordered  him  to  be  tortured,  and 
then  beheaded,  which  sentence 
Avas  accordingly  executed  on  July 
27,  A.  D.  305. 

Hermolaus,  an  aged  and  pious 
Christian,  and  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance of  Pantaleon,  suifered  mar- 
tyrdom for  his  faith  on  the  same 
day,  and  in  the  same  manner. 

Julitta,  of  Cappadocia,  was  a 
lady  of  distinguished  abilities, 
great  virtue,  and  uncommon  cou- 
rage :  she  was  put  to  death  in  con- 
sequence of  the  accusation  of  a 
heathen  who  had  usurped  her 
estates,  and  bribed  the  judges  in 
his  favour.  Refusir.g  to  offer  in- 
cense to  the  pagan  deities,  she  was 
burnt  to  death. 

Eustratius,  secretary  to  the  go- 
vernor of  Armenia,  was  thrown  into 
a  furnace,  for  exhorting  some  Chris- 
tians, who  had  been  apprehended, 
to  persevere  in  their  faith.  Auxen- 
tius  and  Eugenius,  two  of  Eustra- 
tius's  adherents,  were  burnt  at 
Nicopolis  ;  Mardarius,  another 
friend  of  his,  expired  under  tor- 
ment ;  and  Orestes,  a  military  offi- 
cer, was  broiled  to  death  on  a 
gridiron,  for  .wearing  a  golden  cross 
at  his  breast.  Theodore,  a  Syrian 
by  birth,  a  soldier  and  a  Christian, 
set  fire  to  the  temple  of  Cybele,  in 
Amasia,  through  indignation  at  the 
idolatrous   worship   practised   in   it, 


for  which  he  was  scourged,  and  on 
February  18,  A.  D.  806,  burnt  to 
death. 

Dorothea,  a  Christian  of  Cappa- 
docia, was,  by  the  governor's  order, 
placed  under  the  care  of  two  wo- 
men, who  had  become  apostates  to 
the  faith,  in  order  that  she  might 
be  induced  to  follow  their  example. 
But  her  discourses  had  such  an 
effect  upon  the  two  apostates,  that 
they  were  reconverted,  and  put  to 
death  ;  soon  after  which,  Dorothea 
was  tortured,  and  then  beheaded. 

Pancratius  was  a  native  of 
Phrygia,  but  being  made  a  Chris- 
tian, and  brought  to  Rome,  by  his 
uncle,  he  there  suffered  martyrdom. 

Cyrinus,  Nazarius,  Nabor,  and 
Basilides,  four  Christian  officers, 
at  Rome,  were  thrown  into  prison 
for  their  faith,  scourged  with  rods 
of  wire,  and  then  beheaded. 

Two  Roman  military  officers, 
Nicander  and  Marcian,  were  ap- 
prehended on  the  same  account. 
As  they  were  both  men  of  great 
abilities,  the  utmost  endeavours 
were  made  to  induce  them  to  re- 
nounce Christianity  ;  but  being 
without  eff"ect,  they  were  ordered  to 
be  beheaded.  The  execution  was 
attended  by  vast  crowds  of  the 
populace,  among  whom  were  the 
wives  of  the  two  sulferers.  The 
consort  of  Nicander  was  a  Chris- 
tian, and  encouraged  her  hus- 
band to  meet  his  fate  with  fortitude  ; 
but  the  wife  of  Marcian  being  a 
pagau,  entreated  her  husband  to 
save  himself,  for  the  sake  of  her 
and  her  cliild.  Marcian,  however, 
reproved  her  for  her  idolatry  and 
folly,  but  tenderly  embraced  her 
and  the  infant.  Micander  likewise 
took  leave  of  his  wife  in  the  most 
affectionate  manner,  and  then  both, 
with  great  resolution,  received  the 
crown  of  martyrdom.  Besides 
these  there  were  many  others, 
whose  names  and  sufferings  arc 
not  recorded  by  the  ancient  his- 
torians. 

MARTYRDOMS    IN    NAPLES. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Naples  several 
martyrdoms  took  place :  in  particu- 
lar, Januarius,  bisliop  of  Benevcn- 


54 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


turn;  Sosius,  deacon  of  Miscne; 
Proculus,  another  deacon  ;  Eiity- 
ches  and  Acutins,  two  laymen  ; 
Festus,  a  deacon ;  and  Dcsideiins, 
a  curate,  were  all  condemned,  by 
tlie  governor  of  Campania,  to  be 
devoured  by  wild  beasts  for  pro- 
fessing Christianity.  The  animals, 
however,  not  touching  them,  they 
were  beheaded. 

Marcellus,  a  centurion  of  the 
Trajan  legion,  was  posted  at  Tan- 
gier, and  being  a  Christian,  suflered 
martyrdom,  under  the  following  cir- 
cumstances : 

While  he  was  there,  the  empe- 
ror's birth-day  was  kept,  and  the 
sacrifices  to  the  pagan  idols  made  a 
considerable  part  of  that  solemnity. 
All  the  subjects  of  the  empire  were 
expected,  on  that  occasion,  to  con- 
form to  the  blind  religion  of  their 
prince ;  but  Marcellus,  who  had 
been  well  instructed  in  the  duties 
of  his  profession,  expressed  his 
detestation  of  those  profane  prac- 
tices, by  throwing  away  his  belt, 
the  badge  of  his  military  character, 
at  the  head  of  his  company,  de- 
claring aloud  that  he  was  a  soldier 
of  Christ,  the  eternal  king.  He 
then  quitted  his  arms,  and  added, 
that  from  that  moment  he  ceased 
to  serve  the  emperor  j  and  that  he 
thus  expressed  his  contempt  of 
the  gods  of  the  empire,  which  were 
no  better  than  deaf  and  dumb 
idols.  "  If,"  coutinned  he,  "  their 
imperial  majesties  impose  the  obli- 
gation of  sacrificing  to  them  and 
their  gods,  as  a  necessary  condi- 
tion of  their  service,  I  here  throw 
up  my  commission,  and  quit  the 
army."  This  behaviour  occasioned 
an  order  for  his  being  beheaded. 
Cassian,  secretary  to  the  court 
which  tried  Marcellus,  express- 
ing liis  disapprobation  of  such 
proceedings,  was  ordered  into 
custody  ;  when  avowing  himself 
a  Christian,  he  met  with  the  same 
fate. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   QUIRINUS,    AND 
OTHERS. 

Quirinus,  bishop  of  Siscia,  being 
carried  before  Matenius,  the  go- 
vernor,   was  ordered  to  sacrifice  to 


the  pagan  deities ;  but  refusing', 
was  ordered  to  be  severely  scourg- 
ed. During  the  infliction  of  this 
punishment,  the  governor  urgently 
pressed  him  to  sacrifice,  and  oil'ered 
to  make  him  a  priest  of  Jupiter; 
to  which  Quirinus  replied,  "  I  am 
already  engaged  in  the  priestly 
office,  while  1  thus  offer  a  sacrifice 
to  the  true  God.  I  scarce  feel  my 
torments,  and  am  ready  to  suffer 
still  greater,  that  my  example  may 
shew  those  whom  God  lias  com- 
mitted to  my  care,  the  way  to  the 
glory  we  wish  for." 

The  governor  then  sent  him  to 
prison,  and  ordered  him  to  be  hea- 
vily ironed  ;  after  which  he  was  sent 
to  Amantius,  governor  of  Pannonia, 
who  loaded  him  wilh  chains,  and 
carried  him  through  the  principal 
towns  of  that  province,  exposing 
him  to  general  ridicule.  At  length, 
arriving  at  Sabaria,  and  finding 
that  Quirinus  would  not  renounce 
his  faith,  he  ordered  him  to  be  cast 
into  a  river,  with  a  stone  fastened 
to  his  neck.  This  sentence  was  ac- 
cordingly put  into  execution,  and 
Quirinus,  floating  about  for  some 
time,  exhorted  the  people  in  the 
most  pious  terms,  concluding  his 
admonitions  with  this  prayer: 

"  It  is  no  new  thing,  O  all  pow- 
erful Jesus !  for  thee  to  stop  the 
course  of  rivers,  or  to  cause  a  man 
to  walk  upon  the  water,  as  thou 
didst  thy  servant  Peter  :  the  people 
have  already  seen  the  proof  of  thy 
power  in  me  ;  grant  me  now  to  lay 
down  my  life  for  thy  sake,  O  my 
God !" 

After  uttering  these  words,  he 
immediately  sunk.  This  took  place 
June  4,  A.  D.  308 ;  and  his  body 
was  afterwards  taken  up,  and  bu- 
ried by  some  pious  Christians. 

Five  Egyptian  Christians  being 
on  a  visit  to  their  afllicted  brethren 
in  Caesaria,  were  apprehended  and 
carried  before  Firmilian,  the  gover- 
nor of  Palestine,  who,  on  question- 
ing them,  was  answered  by  one,  in 
the  name  of  the  rest,  that  they  were 
Christians,  and  belonged  to  the 
glorious  city  of  Jerusalem,  speak- 
ing allegorically  of  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem.        'Vhe     governor     was 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


55 


surprised  at  the  answer,  as  Le  knew 
Vespasian  and  his  son  Titus  bad  de- 
stroyed the  ancient  JcrHsalem  ;  and 
that  the  inconsiderable  town  erect- 
ed by  Adrian  upon  the  spot,  was 
called  ^lia  Capitolina :  he  there- 
fore inquired  more  particularly 
concerning  it.  The  Christian  who 
liad  spoken  before,  again  replied, 
and  pursuing  the  allegory,  describ- 
ed, with  great  force  of  imagination, 
tlie  beauty,  riches,  and  strength  of 
the  place.  Firmilian  still  mistak- 
ing his  meaning,  by  understanding 
his  words  in  a  literal  sense,  be- 
came much  alarmed  ;  for  not  dream- 
ing that  a  heavenly  city  was  allud- 
ed to,  he  fancied  that  the  Chris- 
tians were  strengthening  and  forti- 
fying some  place,  in  order  to  re- 
volt from  their  allegiance  to  the 
emperor.  Prejudiced  by  this  mis- 
take, and  enraged  at  their  supposed 
disloyalty,  he  condemned  the  five 
prisoners  to  be  cruelly  tormented, 
and  then  beheaded  ;  which  sentence 
was  executed  on  the  16th  of  Fe- 
bruary, A.  D.  309. 

PAMPHILIUS   AND    MANY   OTHERS 
PUT   TO    DEATH. 

Pamphilius,  a  native  of  Phoenicia, 
of  a  considerable  family,  was  a 
man  of  such  extensive  learning, 
that  he  was  called  a  second  Origen. 
— He  was  received  amongst  the 
clergy  at  Cagsarea,  wliere  he  spent 
his  time  in  the  practice  of  every 
Christian  virtue.  He  copied  the 
greatest  part  of  the  works  of 
Origen  with  his  own  liand,  and, 
assisted  by  Eusebius,  gave  a  cor- 
rect copy  of  the  Old  Testament, 
which  had  suffered  greatly  by  the 
ignorance  or  negligence  of  former 
transcribers.  He  likewise  gave 
public  lectures  on  religious  and 
literary  subjects,  in  an  academy 
which  he  had  erected  for  that  pur- 
pose, till  the  year  307,  when  he  was 
apprehended,  and  carried  before 
Urban,  the  governor  of  Palestine, 
who  exerted  himself  to  induce  him 
to  embrace  paganism.  Finding 
his  endeavours  vain,  he  began  to 
threaten  him  ;  but  Pamphilius 
maintained  his  resolution,  where- 
upon he  was  immediately  tortured 
severely,  and  then  sent  to  prison. 


Soon  after.  Urban  having  dis- 
pleased the  emperor,  was  displaced 
and  beheaded  ;  but  another  gover- 
nor was  appointed,  who  was  equally 
prejudiced  against  the  Christians. 

Pamphilius  sufl'ered  martyrdom 
under  the  new  governor,  by  being 
beheaded ;  together  with  Valens,  a 
deacon  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem  ; 
and  Paul,  a  layman,  of  Jamnia,  in 
Palestine.  Porphyrius,  the  ser- 
vant of  Pamphilius,  was  burnt  by 
a  straw  fire,  for  only  requesting 
leave  to  bury  the  body  of  his 
master  and  other  martyrs  who  suf- 
fered. Theodulus,  a  venerable  and 
faithful  servant  to  Firmilian  the 
governor,  being  accused  of  the 
Christian  faith,  confessed  the 
charge,  and  was,  by  order  of  his 
master,  crucified,  on  February  17, 
A.  D.  309 ;  and,  on  the  same  day, 
Julian,  a  Cappadocian,  was  burnt. 
Marcellus,  bishop  of  Rome,  being 
banished  on  account  of  his  faith, 
fell  a  martyr  to  the  miseries  he  suf- 
fered in  exile,  A.  D.  310,  on  the 
16th  of  January.  Peter,  the  six- 
teenth bishop  of  Alexandria,  was 
martyred  November  25,  A.  D.  311, 
by  order  of  Maximus  Caesar,  who 
reigned  in  the  East.  Lucian,  a 
learned  Syrian,  a  man  of  so  bene- 
volent a  temper,  that  he  disposed 
of  the  greatest  ])art  of  his  fortune 
in  charitable  actions,  was  appre- 
hended as  a  Christian,  imprisoned 
during  nine  years,  put  to  the  rack, 
rolled  upon  sharp  flints,  nails,  &c. 
and  then  being  tortured  to  death, 
his  body  was  thrown  into  the  sea ; 
but  it  was  afterwards  cast  on  shore, 
and  received  interment. 

Valentine,  a  priest,  suffered  the 
same  fate  at  Rome ;  and  Erasmus, 
a  bishop,  was  martyred  in  Cam- 
pania; Cosmus  and  Damiau,  Ara- 
bians, and  brothers,  were  put  to 
death  in  Cilicia;  Adrian,  an  im- 
perial officer,  was  beheaded ;  Bar- 
bara, a  young  lady,  was  martyred 
at  Nicomedia  ;  Lucy,  a  virgin,  was 
put  to  death  at  Syracuse  ;  and 
Serena,  the  empress  of  Diocletian, 
was  beheaded  for  avowing  herself 
a  Christian.  Innumerable  other 
persons,  of  all  ranks,  suffered  death 
for  the  love  of  Christ,   during  this 


66 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


most  dreadful  peisecufion,  but 
their  names  have  not  been  pre- 
served; indeed,  such  was  the  hor- 
rible cruelty  of  the  pagans,  that 
they  shut  up  the  doors  of  a  church 
in  which  a  Christian  congregation 
were  assembled,  and  having  set 
tire  to  the  building,  every  person 
perished. 

The     following     remarkable     in- 
stance is  a  proof   of  the    power  of 
the    Almighty  to  endue    those  who 
suffer    for    his    cause    with  fortitude 
sufficient    to    disappoint    the    mali- 
cious   expectiitions    of     their     per- 
secutors,   and   to  triumph,    even  in 
death,  over  the  arts  of  their  adver- 
saries.    B.'jrlaani,    a    noble    martyr. 
Laving     been     tortured     with     the 
utmost  severity,    even   to  the  point 
of    death,     the     tormentors    at   last 
laid  him  upon  the  pagan  altar,  and 
put    frankincense    into    his     hand, 
which  they  lighted,    imagining  that 
the  heat  and  force  of  the  iire  would 
oblige    him  to  scatter    the    burning 
incense    on     the    altar,     that    they 
might   thereby  say  that  he   had  sa- 
crificed ;  but  in  this  they  were  dis- 
appointed,     for     the     flame     went 
round  his  hand,  which  appeared  as 
if  it  had  been  covered  with  red  hot 
embers,    while   he    uttered  this  ex- 
clamation     of       the      psalmist:  — 
"  Blessed    is    the    Lord    my   God, 
who  teacheth  my  hands  to  war,  and 
my   fingers  to  fight."      After  which 
he    surrendered  his  soul  to  his  Re- 
deemer. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    ST.    GEORGK. 

George  was  born  in  Cappadocia, 
of  Christian  parents  ;  by  whom  he 
was  ii^tructed  in  the  tenets  of  the 
gospel.  His  father  dying  when  he 
was  young,  he  travelled  with  his 
mother  into  Palestine,  which  was 
her  native  country,  where  she  in- 
herited an  estate,  which  afterwards 
descended  to  her  son.  George 
being  active  and  spirited,  became 
a  soldier,  and  was  made  a  tribune 
or  colonel.  In  this  post  he  ex- 
hibited great  proofs  of  his  courage, 
and  was  promoted  in  the  army  of 
Diocletian.  During  the  persecu- 
tion, he  threw  up  his  command, 
went    boldly   to    the    senate-house. 


and  avowed  his  being  a  Christiaif., 
taking  occasion  at  the  same  lime  to 
remonstrate  against  paganism. 
This  conduct  so  greatly  provoked 
the  senate,  that  he  was  ordered  to 
be  tortured,  which  he  underwent 
with  great  constancy.  He  was 
afterwards,  by  the  emperor's  orders, 
dragged  through  the  streets,  and 
beheaded.  The  calendar  comme- 
morates his  martyrdom  on  the  23d 
of  April ;  many  churches  have  been 
dedicated  to  him,  and  he  is  con- 
sidered as  the  lulelar  saint  and 
patron  of  England*. 

CONSTANTINE    BECOMES     THE     CHAM- 
PION   OF    THE    CHRISTIANS. 

Constantine  the  Great  at  length 
determined  to  redress  the  griev- 
ances of  the  Christians,  for  which 
purpose  he  raised  an  army  of 
30,000  foot,  and  8000  horse,  with 
which  he  marched  towards  Rome, 
against  Maxentius,  the  emperor. 
But,  reflecting  on  the  fatal  miscar- 
riages of  his  predecessors,  who 
had  maintained  a  multiplicity  of 
gods,  and  reposed  an  entire  con- 
fidence in  their  assistance  ;  and 
considering  that  while  his  own  father 
adored  only  one  God  he  continu- 
ally prospered  ;  Constantine  re- 
jected the  adoration  of  idols,  and 
implored  the  assistance  of  the  Al- 
mighty ;  who  heard  his  prayers,  and 
answered  them  in  a  manner  so  sur- 
prising and  miraculous,  that  Euse- 
bius  acknowledges  it  would  not 
ha\e  been  credible,  had  he  not 
received  it  from  the  emperor's 
own  mouth,  who  publicly  and 
solemnly  ratified  the  truth  upon 
his  oath. 

THE    VISION    OF   CONSTANTINE. 

"  The  army  being  advanced  near 
Rome,   and  the  emperor   employed 

*The  Order  of  the  Garter,  instituted 
by  Edward  III.,  is  dedicated  to  the 
Holy  Trinity,  the  blessed  Virgin,  St. 
George,  and  St.  Edward  the  Confessor. 
In  the  badge  of  the  order,  St.  George  is 
represented  on  horseback,  tilting  at  a 
dragon,  which  is  only  allegorical,  and 
implies  that  he  had  conquered  the  devil, 
or  the  dragon,  by  his  faith  in  Chris- 
tianity, and  his  fortitude  in  adhering 
thereto. 


TENTH  GENERAL  PERSECUTION. 


57 


ill  liis  tlcvout  ejacnlalions,  on  the 
27th  day  of  October,  about  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the 
sun  was  declining:,  there  suddenly 
appeared  to  hiir.  a  pillar  of  light  in 
the  heavens,  in  the  form  of  a  cross, 
with  this  plain  inscription  on  or 
about  it,  Torrn  nika,  "  In  this 
overcome."  Constantine  was  great- 
ly surprised  at  this  strange  sight, 
which  was  visible  to  (he  whole 
army,  who  C(pially  wondered  at  it 
with  himself.  The  officers  and 
commanders,  prompted  by  the 
augurs  and  auspices,  or  sooth- 
sayers, looked  upon  it  as  an  inau- 
spicious omen,  portending-  an  un- 
fortunate expedition  ;  the  emperor 
himself  did  not  understand  it,  till 
at  length  our  Saviour  appeared  to 
him  in  a  vision,  with  the  cross  in 
his  hand,  commanding  him  to  make 
a  royal  standard,  like  that  he  had 
seen  in  the  heavens,  and  cause  it 
to  be  continually  carried  before  his 
army,  as  an  ensign  both  of  victory 
and  safety.  Early  the  next  morn- 
ing, Constantine  informed  his 
friends  and  officers  of  what  lie  had 
seen  in  the  night,  and  sending  for 
proper  workmen,  sat  down  by  them 
and  described  to  them  the  form  of 
the  standard,  which  he  then  ordered 
them  to  make  with  the  greatest  art 
and  magnificence ;  and  accordingly 
they  made  it  thus:  a  long  spear, 
plated  with  gold,  with  a  traverse 
piece  at  the  top,  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  to  which  was  fastened  a  four- 
square purple  banner,  embroidered 
with  gold,  and  beset  with  precious 
stones,  which  reflected  an  amazing 
lustre  :  towards  the  top  was  depict- 
ed the  emperor  between  his  two 
sons;  on  the  top  of  the  shaft, 
above    the    cross,    stood    a    crown, 


overlaid  with  gold  and  Jewels, 
within  which  was  placed  the  sacred 
symbol,  namely,  the  two  first  let- 
ters of  Christ  in  Greek,  x  and  P, 
struck  one  through  the  other:  this 
device  he  afterwards  bore  not  only 
npon  his  shields,  but  also  upon 
his  coins,  many  of  which  are  still 
extant." 

t»EATH   OF    MAXIMUS   AND    LrCINirS. 

Afterwards  engaging  Maxentius, 
he  defeated  him,  and  entered  the 
city  of  Rome  in  triumph.  A  law 
was  now  published  in  favour  of  the 
Christians,  in  which  Licinius  joined 
with  Constantine,  and  a  copy  of 
it  was  sent  to  Maximus  in  the  East. 
Maximus,  who  was  a  bigoted 
pagan,  greatly  disliked  the  edict, 
but  being  afraid  of  Constantine, 
did  not,  however,  openly  avow  his 
disapprobation  of  it.  At  length, 
he  invaded  the  territories  of  Lici- 
nius; but  being  defeated,  put  an 
end  to  his  life  by  poison.  1'he 
death  of  Maxentius  has  already 
been  described. 

Licinius  was  not  really  a  Chris- 
tian, but  afi'ected  to  appear  such, 
through  dread  of  Constantine's 
power  ;  for  even  after  publishing 
several,  edicts  in  favour  of  the 
Christians,  he  put  to  death  Blase, 
bishop  of  Sebaste,  several  bishops 
and  priests  of  Egypt  and  Lybia, 
who  were  cut  to  pieces,  and  thrown 
into  the  sea ;  and  forty  soldiers  of 
the  garrison  of  Sebaste,  who  suf- 
fered martyrdom  by  fire.  This 
cruelty  and  hypocrisy  greatly  in- 
censed Constantine;  he  marched 
against  Licinius,  and  defeated  him, 
and  that  commander  was  afterwards 
slain  by  his  own  soldiers. 


REMARKS    ON    THE    VENGliAXCE    OF    GOD    TOWARDS   THE    PERSECUTORS 
OF   THE   CHRISTIANS. 


We  cannot  close  our  account  of 
the  ten  persecutions  under  the  Ro- 
man emperors,  without  calling  the 
attention  of  the  Christian  reader  to 
the  manifestations  of  the  great  dis- 
pleasure of  the  Almighty  against 
the  persecutors.  History  evidently 
proves,  that  no  nation  or  individual 
can  ultimately  prosper,  by  whom 
Christ  Josus,    the    Son    of  God,  is 


contemned.  During  t'le  persecu- 
tions of  the  holy  martyrs  which  we 
have  related  above,  the  Roman 
people  were  the  victims  of  the 
cruelty  and  tyranny  of  their  rulers, 
and  the  empire  was  perpetually 
torn  and  distracted  by  civil  wars. 
In  the  reign  of  Tiberius,  five  thou- 
sand persons  were  crushed  to  death 
by  the  fall  of  a    theatre,    and    on 


58 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


many  other  occasions  the  divine 
wrath  was  evinced  against  that 
cruel  and  merciless  nation. 

Neither  did  the  emperors  them- 
selves escape  without  their  jnst  re- 
ward. Tiberius  was  murdered ; 
as  were  his  three  immediate  suc- 
cessors. Galba,  after  a  reign  of 
only  seven  months,  was  put  to 
death  by  Otho,  who  being  van- 
quished by  Vitellius,  killed  himself. 
Vitellius,  shortly  after,  was  tortured, 
and  his  body  thrown  into  the  Tiber. 
Titus  is  said  to  have  been  poisoned 
by  his  brother  Domitian,  who  was 
afterwards  slain  by  his  wife.  Com- 
modus  was  strangled.  Pertinax 
and  Didius  were  put  to  death; 
Severus  killed  himself;  Caracalla 
slew  his  brother  Geta,  and  was  in  his 
turn  slain  by  Macrinus,  who,  with 
his  sou,  was  afterwards  killed  by  his 
own  soldiers.  HeliogabaUis  was  put 
to  death  by  the  people.  Alexander 
Severus,  a  virtuous  emperor,  was 
murdered  by  Maximinus,  who  was 
afterwards  slain  by  his  own  army. 
Pupienus  and  Balbinus  were  mur- 
dered by  the  prsetorian  guards. 
Gordian  and  Philip  were  slain. 
Decius  was  drowned,  and  his  son 
killed  in  battle.  Gallus  and  Volu- 
sianus  were  murdered  by  ^mili- 
anus,  who  within  three  months 
afterwards  was  himself  slain.  Va- 
lerian was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Persians,  and  at  length  flayed  alive, 
and  his  son  Gallienus  was  assassi- 
nated. Aurelian  was  murdered ; 
as  were  Tacitus,  Florianus,  and 
Probus.  Galerius  died  in  a  miser- 
able manner,  as  did  Maximinus 
of  a  horrible  and  loathsome  disease. 
Maxentius,  being  conquered  by 
Constandne,  was  drowned  in  his 
attempt  to  escape;  and  Licinius  was 
deposed,  and  slain  by  his  soldiers. 

The  Jews,  also,  for  their  obstinacy 
and  wickedness  in  rejecting  the 
gospel  so  graciously  offered  to  fhem 
by  Jesus  Christ,  were  signally  pu- 
nished. Forty  years  had  scarcely 
elapsed  from  their  crucifixion  of 
our  Saviour,  when  Jerusalem  was 
levelled  with  the  ground,  and  more 
than  a  million  of  the  Jews  killed  ; 
innumerable  multitudes  sold  for 
slaves;  and  many  thousands  torn 
to  pieces   by  wild  beasts,   or  other- 


wise     cruelly       slain.  Indeed, 

the  nation  may  be  said  to  have 
been  annihilated — its  political  ex- 
istence was  terminated,  and  the 
descendants  of  that  people,  which 
was  once  peculiarly  favoured  of 
God,  are  now  scattered  over  the  face 
of  the  earth — a  by-word  and  a  re- 
proach among  the  nations. 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  wicked- 
ness and  infidelity  are  certainly, 
though  sometimes  slowly,  punish- 
ed by  Him  who  is  just,  although 
merciful :  and  if  he  has  hitherto 
graciously  refrained  from  visiting 
the  sins  of  this  nation  with  the  pu- 
nishment which  they  deserve,  let 
us  not  be  vain  of  that  exemption : 
let  us  not  attiibute  it  to  any  merit 
of  our  own;  but  rather  let  it  afford 
an  additional  motive  to  our  grati- 
tude and  praise  ;  let  us  unfeignedly 
thank  him  for  his  tender  mercies 
daily  vouchsafed  to  us;  and,  while 
we  bow  before  him  in  humble  adora- 
tion, let  us  earnestly  endeavour  to 
preserve  our  worship  of  him  free 
from  that  ungodliness  and  supersti- 
tion of  which  it  has  been  happily 
purged  and  cleansed  b}'  the  blood 
of  the  holy  martyrs.  So  shall  we 
not  only  secure  our  happiness  iu 
this  world,  but,  in  the  end,  attain 
everlasting  joy  and  felicity,  through 
the  merits  of  our  blessed  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  wlio  gave  up 
himself  as  a  precious  sacrifice  for 
our  transgressions. 

If  we  be  negligent  in  the  de- 
fence of  the  pure  religion  which  he 
has  vouchsafed  to  impart  unto  us; 
if  we  allow  that  glorious  fabric, 
which  cost  so  nnich  blood  to  raise, 
to  be  overturned  by  the  open  attack 
of  the  Infidel,  or  the  more  danger- 
ous sap  and  mine  of  the  Catholic 
Emancipator;  we  alone  are  justly 
blameable  for  the  consequences 
that  will  infallibly  ensue;  and  on 
our  heads  will  rest  the  dreadful  re- 
sponsibility of  having  surrendered 
the  citadel  of  our  security  to  those 
who  await,  in  anxious  expectation, 
the  moment  when  the  weakness  of 
some,  and  the  indifference  of  others, 
shall  allow  the  power  to  pass  from 
their  hands,  under  the  delusive 
hope  of  seeing  it  exercised  with 
moderation. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PERSIA. 


69 


BOOK  II. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PERSKCUTIONS  OF  THE  CHRISTIANS  IN  PERSIA  BY 
SAPORES  ;  IN  EGYPT,  &C.  BY  THE  ARIAN  HERETICS;  BY  JULIAN  THE 
apostate;   BY    THE    GOTHS,    VANDALS,   &C.   &C. 


SECTION  I. 

PERSECUTIONS   OF   THE    CHRISTIANS    IN    PERSIA. 


In  consequence  of  tlie  gospel 
having  spread  itself  into  Persia,  ilie 
pagan  priests  became  greatly  alarm- 
ed, dreading  the  loss  of  their  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  their  peo- 
ple. They  therefore  complained  to 
the  emperor,  that  the  Christians 
were  enemies  to  the  state,  and  held 
a  treasonable  correspondence  with 
tiie  Romans,  the  great  enemies  of 
Persia.  The  emperor,  being  him- 
self averse  to  Christianity,  gave 
credit  to  their  accusations,  and 
issued  orders  for  the  persecution 
of  tLe  Christians  throughout  his 
empire. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    SIMEON   AND 
OTHERS. 

In  consequence  of  this  mandate, 
Simeon,  archbishop  of  Seleucia,  with 
many  other  ecclesiastics,  to  the 
number  of  128,  were  apprehended 
and  accused  of  having  betrayed  the 
aflairs  of  Persia  to  the  Romans. 
The  emperor  being  greatly  exaspe- 
rated against  them,  ordered  Simeon 
to  be  brought  before  him.  The 
archbishop  in  his  presence  boldly 
acknowledged  his  faith,  and  de- 
fended the  cause  of  Christianity. 
The  emperor,  offended  at  his  free- 
dom, ordered  him  to  kneel  before 
him  as  he  had  heretofore  done. 
To  this  Simeon  answered,  "  That 
being  now  brought  before  him  a 
prisoner,  for  the  truth  of  his  reli- 
gion, it  was  not  lawful  for  him  to 
kneel,  lest  he  should  be  thought  to 
worship  a  man,  and  betray  his  faith 
to  his  God."  Whereupon  the  em- 
peror told  him,  that  if  he  did  not 
kneel,  he  and  all  the  Christians  in 
his  dominions  should  be  put  to 
death ;  but  Simeon  still  rejected  the 


command  with  disdain.  The  em- 
peror then  ordered  liim  to  be  sent 
to  prison. 

A  short  time  after,  Simeon,  with 
his  fellow-prisoners,  was  again  ex- 
amined, and  commanded  to  woiship 
the  sun,  agreeably  to  the  Persian 
custom  ;  but  this  they  unanimously 
refused.  The  emperor  then  sen- 
tenced them  to  be  beheaded,  which 
sentence  was  accordingly  executed. 

An  aged  eunuch,  named  Ustha- 
zares,  who  Jiad  been  tutor  to  the 
emperor,  and  was  in  great  estima- 
tion at  court,  meeting  Simeon  as 
he  was  led  to  prison,  saluted  him. 
Simeon,  however,  (as  Usthazares 
had  formerly  been  a  Christian,  and 
had  apostatized  to  oblige  the  em- 
peror) would  not  return  his  salute, 
but  reproved  him  for  his  apostacy. 
This  so  affected  the  eunuch,  that  he 
burst  into  tears,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Ah!  how  shall  I  hereafter  look 
upon  my  God,  whom  I  have  denied, 
when  Simeon,  my  old  companion 
and  familiar  acquaintance,  disdains 
to  give  me  a  gentle  word,  or  to  re- 
turn my  salute  !" 

The  emperor  learning  that  his 
ancient  tutor  was  greatly  afllicted, 
sent  for  him,  and  asked  him  whe- 
ther he  desired  any  thing  which 
could  be  procured  for  him;  to 
which  the  eunuch  replied,  "  That 
there  was  nothing  that  he  wanted, 
which  this  earth  could  afford  ;  but 
that  his  grief  was  of  another  kind, 
and  for  which  he  justly  mourned, 
namely,  that  to  oblige  his  sovereign 
he  had  denied  his  God,  and  had 
dissemblingly  worshipped  the  sun, 
against  his  own  conscience ;  for 
which,"  continued  he,    "    I   am  de- 


60 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


serving  of  a  double  death;  first 
for  denying  of  Christ;  and  secondly, 
for  dissembling  with  my  king." 

The  emperor,  greatly  offended  at 
this  speech,  ordered  Usthazares  to 
be  beheaded ;  who  therefore  re- 
quested that  it  might  be  proclaimed, 
"  That  Usthazares  did  not  die  for 
any  crime  against  the  emperor  or 
state  ;  but  only  that  being  a  Chris- 
tian, he  would  not  deny  his  God." 
This  petition  was  granted,  and  was 
a  great  satisfaction  to  Usthazares, 
whose  chief  reason  for  desiring  it 
was,  because  his  falling  off  from 
Christ  had  caused  many  others  to 
follow  his  example ;  who  now  hear- 
ing that  he  died  for  no  crime  but 
his  religion,  miglit,  like  him,  return 
to  Christ,  and  the  faith.  Usthazares 
then  cheerfully  yielded  his  neck  to 
the  sword. 

On  the  Good  Friday  after  the 
above  execution,  an  edict  was  pub- 
lished, ordering  that  all  who  con- 
fessed themselves  Christians,  should 
be  put  to  death;  which  caused  the 
destruction  of  multitudes.  About 
this  time  the  empress  of  Persia 
falling  sick,  the  sisters  of  Simeon, 
the  archbishop,  were  accused  by 
some  of  the  magi  of  causing  this 
calamity.  This  report  being  cre- 
dited, they  were,  by  the  emperor's 
orders,  sawed  in  quarters,  and 
their  limbs  fixed  upon  poles,  be- 
tween which  the  empress  passed 
as  a  charm  to  effect  the  restoration 
of  her  health. 

Acepsimus,  and  many  other  ec- 
clesiastics, were  seized  upon,  and 
ordered  to  adore  the  sun ;  which 
refusing,  they  were  scourged,  and 
then  tormented  to  death,  or  kept 
in  prison  till  they  expired.  Athaias, 
a  priest,  though  not  put  to  death, 
was  so  miserably  racked,  that 
his  arms  were  rendered  useless ; 
and  ho  was  ever  after  obliged  to 
be  fed  like  a  child.  In  short,  by 
this  edict,  above  16,000  jjcrsons 
either  suffered  horribly  by  torture, 
or  lost  their  lives. 


was  informed  of  the  persecutions 
in  Persia,  he  was  much  concerned, 
and  began  to  retlect  in  what  man- 
ner he  should  redress  their  griev- 
ances, when  an  ambassador  arrived 
from  the  Persian  emperor,  upon 
some  political  business.  Constan- 
tine  received  him  courteously, 
granted  his  demands,  and  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  Persian  monarch  in 
favour  of  the  Christians,  in  which 
he  alluded  to  the  vengeance  that 
had  fallen  on  persecutors,  and  (lie 
success  that  had  attended  those 
who  had  refrained  from  the  per- 
secution; and  then  referring  to 
the  tyrants  and  persecuting  em- 
perors of  his  own  time,  he  said, 
"  I  subdued  those  solely  by  faith 
in  Christ ;  for  which  God  Mas  my 
helper,  who  gave  me  victory  in 
battle,  and  made  me  triumph  over 
my  enemies ;  and  hath  so  enlarged 
to  me  the  bounds  of  the  Roman 
empire,  that  it  extends  from  the 
Western  Ocean,  almost  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  East :  for 
which  purpose  I  neither  offered 
sacritices  to  the  ancient  deities, 
nor  made  use  of  charm  or  divina- 
tion ;  but  only  offered  up  prayers 
to  the  Almighty  God,  and  followed 
the  cross  of  Christ :  and  how  glad 
should  I  be  to  hear  that  the  throne 
of  Persia  flourished,  by  embracing 
the  Christians !  that  so  you  with 
me,  and  they  with  you,  may  enjoy 
all  the  felicity  your  souls  could 
desire  ;  as  undoubtedly  you  would, 
God,  the  Almighty  Creator  of  all 
things,  becoming  your  protector  and 
defender.  These  men,  therefore,  I 
commend  to  your  honour;  I  com- 
mit them  unto  you,  desiring  you  to 
embrace  them  with  humanity ;  for 
in  so  doing,  you  will  procure  to 
yourself  grace  through  faith,  and 
bestow  on  me  a  benefit  worthy  of 
my  thanks." 

In  consequence  of  this  appeal, 
the  persecution  ended  during  the 
life  of  Sapores;  but  it  was  renewed 
under  his  successors. 


DEGRADATION    OF      A    CHRISTIAN 
NOBLEMAN. 


CONSTANTINE    WRITES    TO    THE     KING 
OF      PERSIA      IN      FAVOUR    OF    THE 

CHRISTIANS.  Hormisdas,  a   Persian    nobleman, 

When     Constantino     the     Great    being     convicted     of     Christianity, 


ARIAN  PERSECUTIONS. 


61 


was  ordered  to  attend  the  em- 
peror's elephants  naked.  Ti:is 
disg»stin<?  task  he  performed  for 
some  tiire,  when  tlie  emperor  one 
day  standing;  at  a  window  whicli 
overlooked  the  yard  where  (he  ele- 
phants were  kept,  saw  Hormisdas 
performing  his  ofiiee.  Determin- 
intc  lo  try  him  once  more,  he  gave 
orders  that  a  shirt  should  be  put  on 
him,  and  that  he  should  he  brouoht 
into  his  presence.  He  then  asked 
Iiim  if  he  would  now  deny  Cinist. 
On  which  Hormisdas  tore  oif  his 
shirt,  and  said,  "  If  you  think  I 
will  deny  my  faith  for  the  sake  of 
a  shirt,  take  your  gift  again." 
The  en)peror  then  banished  him 
from  Persia,  and  he  died  in  exile. 

Snenes,  a  Christian  nobleman, 
refusing  to  deny  Christ,  his  wife 
was  taken  from  Iiim,  and  given  to 
one  of  the  meanest  of  the  emperor's 
slaves  ;  while  he  was  ordered  to 
wait  upon  his  wife  and  the  slave, 
which  broke  his  heart. 

Theodoret,     a   deacon,     was  im- 

SECTION  II. 

PERSECUTIONS    BY    THE   ARIAN    HERETICS. 

The  sect  denominated  the  Arian  brated  Athanasius, 
Heretics,  had  its  origin  from  Arius*, 
a  native  of  Lybia,  and  priest  of 
Alexandria,  who,  in  a.  d.  318,  be- 
gan to  publish  his  errors.  He  was 
condemned  by  a  council  of  Lybian 
and  Egyptian  bishops,  and  the  sen- 
tence was  confirmed  by  the  coun- 
cil of  Nice,  A.  D.  325.  After  the 
death  of  Coustantine  the  Great,  the 
Arians  found  means  to  ingratiate 
themselves  into  the  favour  of  Con- 
stantius,  his  son  and  successor  in 
the  East ;  and  hence  a  persecution 
was  raised  against  the  orthodox 
bishops    and  clergyt.       The    cele- 


prisoned  for  two  years,  and  on 
being  released,  was  ordered  not  to 
preach  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  He, 
however,  did  his  utmost  to  pro- 
pagate the  gospel  ;  for  which  he 
was  miserably  tormented,  by  hav- 
ing sharp  reeds  thrust  under  his 
nails  ;  and  then  a  knotty  branch  of 
a  tree  was  forced  into  his  body, 
and  he  expired  in  the  most  excru- 
ciating agonj'. 

Bademus,  a  Christian  of  Meso- 
potamia, gave  away  his  fortune  to 
the  poor,  and  devoted  his  life  to 
religious  retirement.  He  was, 
however,  with  seven  others,  seized 
on  and  cruelly  tortured.  His  fel- 
low prisoners  immediately  received 
martyrdom,  though  the  manner  is 
not  recorded ;  and  Badennis,  after 
having  been  four  months  in  prison, 
was  beheaded  by  N arses,  an  apos- 
tate Christian,  who  acted  as  the 
executioner,  in  order  to  convince 
the  emperor  that  he  was  sincere 
in  the  renunciation  of  his  faith. 


and  other  bi- 
shops, were  banished  at  this  period, 
and  their  sees  filled  with  Arians. 

In  Egypt  and  Lybia,  thirty  bi- 
shops were  martyred,  and  many 
other  Christians  cruelly  tormented ; 
and  A.  D.  336,  George,  tiie  Arian 
bishop  of  Alexandria,  u;ider  the 
authority  of  the  emperor,  began  a 
persecution  in  that  city,  and  its  en- 
virons,  which   was   continued    with 


*  Arius,  the  founder  of  this  sect  of 
heretics,  and  the  first  cause  of  the  per- 
secutions which  are  related  in  this  sec- 
tion, died  miserably  at  Constantinople, 
just  as  he  was  about  to  enter  the  church 
in  triumph. 

f  How  humiliating  is  it  to  perceive 
that  the  Christians  had  scarcely  escaped 
from  the  persecutions  of  their  general 
enemy,  eretheybegantopersecuteeach 
other  with  the  most  unrelenting  fury! 
How  could  these  men  dare  to  arrogateto 


themselves  the  exclusive  title  of  Chris- 
tians, when  every  part  of  their  conduct 
was  at  direct  variance  with  the  precepts 
and  practice  of  the  Diviiae  Founder  of 
the  religion  which  they  professed  ?  How 
absurd  is  the  expectation  of  enforcing 
belief;  and  how  criminal  the  attempt  to 
effect  conviction  by  the  sword  !  How 
much  more  congenial  to  the  mild  and 
tolerant  spirit  of  genuine  Christianity, 
is  the  sentiment  conveyed  in  the  fol- 
lowing lines  : 

"  Let  not  this  weak,  unknowing  hand, 
Presume  thy  bolts  to  throw, 

And  deal  damnation  round  the  land 
On  each  I  judge  thy  foe." 


62 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  utmost  severity.  He  was  as- 
sisted by  Catoplionius,  governor  of 
Egypt ;  Sebastian,  general  of  the 
Egyptian  forces  ;  Faustinas,  the 
treasurer  ;  and  a  Roman  officer, 
named  Heraclius.  Indeed  so  fierce 
was  this  persecution,  that  the  clergy 
were  driven  from  Alexandria,  their 
churches  were  shut,  and  the  seve- 
rities practised  by  the  Arian  here- 
tics were  as  great  as  those  which 
Lad  been  exercised  by  the  pagan 
idolaters.  If  a  man  accused  of 
being  a  Christian  made  his  escape, 
his  whole  family  were  massacred, 
and  his  effects  forfeited.  By  this 
means  the  orthodox  Christians, 
being  deprived  of  all  places  of  pub- 
lic worship  in  the  city  of  Alex- 
andria, used  to  perform  their  devo- 
tions in  a  desert  at  some  distance 
from  it.  On  a  Trinity-Sunday, 
when  they  had  met,  George,  the 
Arian  bishop,  engaged  Sebastian, 
the  general,  to  fall  upon  them  with 
his  soldiers,  while  they  were  at 
prayers;  and  many  were  sacrificed  to 
the  fury  of  the  troops,  while  others 
were  reserved  for  more  cruel  and 
lingering  deaths ;  some  were  beaten 
on  their  faces  till  all  their  features 
were  disfigured  ;  or  were  lashed 
with  twigs  of  palm-trees,  with  such 
violence,  that  they  expired  under 
the  blows,  or  by  the  mortification 
of  the  wounds.  Several,  whose 
lives  had  been  spared,  were,  how- 
ever, banished  to  the  deserts  of 
Africa,  where,  amidst  all  their  suf- 
ferings, they  passed  their  time  in 
prayer. 

Secundus,  an  orthodox  priest, 
diflering  in  point  of  doctrine  from  a 
prelate  of  the  same  name,  the  bi- 
shop, who  had  imbibed  all  the  opi- 
nions of  Arianism,  determined  to 
put  Secundus  to  death,  for  reject- 
ing opinions  which  he  himself  had 
embraced.  He  therefore  went  with 
one  Stephen,  an  Arian  also,  sought 
out  Secundus  privately,  fell  upon 
and  murdered  him  ;  the  holy  mar- 
tyr, just  before  he  expired,  calling 
upon  Christ  to  receive  his  soul,  and 
to  forgive  his  enemies. 

At  this  time,  not  satisfied  with 
the  cruelties  exercised  upon  the 
orthodox  Christians  in  Alexandria, 


the  principal  persecutors  applied 
to  the  emperor  for  an  order  to  ba- 
nish them  from  Egypt  and  Lybia, 
and  to  give  up  their  churches  to 
the  Arians :  they  obtained  their  re- 
quest, and  an  order  was  sent  for 
that  purpose  to  Sebastian,  who  sig- 
nified the  emperor's  pleasure  to  all 
the  sub-governors  and  oflicers. — 
Hence  a  great  number  of  the  clergy 
were  seized  and  imprisoned  ;  and 
it  appearing  that  they  adopted  the 
opinions  of  Athanasius,  an  order 
was  signed  for  their  banishment 
into  the  desert.  While  the  ortho- 
dox clergy  were  thus  used,  many 
of  the  laity  were  condemned  to  the 
mines,  or  compelled  to  work  in  the 
quarries.  Some  few,  indeed,  es- 
caped to  other  countries,  and  se- 
veral were  weak  enough  to  re- 
nounce their  faith,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  severities  of  the  persecu- 
tors. 

rERSECUTION   OF  PAUL. 

Paul,  the  bishop  of  Constantino- 
ple, was  a  Macedonian,  and  had 
been  designed,  from  his  birth,  for  a 
clerical  life.  When  Alexander, 
the  predecessor  of  Paul,  was  on 
his  death-bed,  he  was  consulted  by 
some  of  the  clergy  on  the  choice  of 
a  successor :  when  he  told  them^ 
"  That  if  they  were  disposed  to 
choose  a  person  of  exemplary  life, 
and  thoroughly  capable  of  instruct- 
ing the  people,  Paul  was  the  man  ; 
but  if  they  had  rather  have  a  man 
acquainted  with  worldly  affairs,  and 
fit  for  the  conversation  of  a  court, 
they  might  then  choose  JVIacedo- 
nius."  This  latter  was  a  deacon  in 
the  church  of  Constantinople,  in 
which  office  he  had  spent  many 
years,  and  gained  great  expe- 
rience ;  and  the  dying  prelate  did 
both  him  and  Paul  justice  in  their 
different  characters.  Neverthe- 
less, the  Arians  gave  out,  that 
Alexander  had  bestowed  great 
commendations  on  Macedonius  for 
sanctity,  and  had  only  given  Paul 
the  reputation  of  eloquence,  and  a 
capacity  for  business  :  after  some 
struggle,  the  orthodox  party  car- 
ried their  point,  and  Paul  was  con- 
secrated.       Macedonius,     offended 


ARIAN  PERSECUTIONS. 


63 


at  fhis  lucfeiencc,  did  his  utmost 
to  calumniate  the  new  bishop  :  but 
Dot  gaining  belief,  he  dropped  the 
charge,  and  was  reconciled  to  him. 
'i'Jiis,  however,  was  not  the  case 
with  Eusebins  of  Nicomedia,  who 
accused  Paul  of  having  led  a  dis- 
orderly life  before  his  consecration ; 
and  of  having  been  placed  in  the 
see  of  Constantinople  without  the 
consent  of  the  bishops  of  Nico- 
media and  Heraclea,  two  metro- 
politans, who  ought  to  have  been 
consulted  upon  that  occasion. 

Eusebius,  to  support  these  accusa- 
tions, procured  the  emperor's 
authority,  by  representing,  that 
Paul  having  been  chosen  during 
the  absence  of  Constantius,  the 
imperial  dignity  had  been  insulted. 
This  artifice  succeeded,  and  Paul 
being  deposed,  Eusebius  succeeded 
him. 

Paul  liaving  thus  lost  all  autho- 
rity in  the  East,  retired  to  the  ter- 
ritories of  Constans,  in  the  West, 
where  he  was  well  received  by  the 
orthodox  prelates  and  clergy.  At 
Rome  he  visited  Athanasius,  and 
assisted  at  a  council  held  there,  by 
Julius,  the  bishop  of  that  see.  Let- 
ters being  written  by  this  council 
to  the  eastern  prelates,  Paul  re- 
turned to  Constantinople,  but  was 
not  restored  to  his  bishopric  till 
the  death  of  Eusebius.  The  Arians, 
however,  constituting  Macedonius 
their  bishop,  by  the  title  of  bishop 
of  Constantinople,  a  kind  of  civil 
war  ensued,  in  which  many  were 
put  to  death. 

Constantius,  the  emperor,  who 
was  then  at  Antioch,  hearing  of 
this  schism,  laid  the  whole  blame 
upon  Paul,  and  ordered  that  he 
should  be  driven  from  Constanti- 
nople. But  Hermogenes,  the  offi- 
cer who  had  received  the  em- 
peror's order,  attempted  in  vain  to 
put  it  into  execution ;  being  slain 
by  the  orthodox  Christians,  who 
had  risen  in  defence  of  Paul.  This 
event  greatly  exasperated  the  em- 
peror, who  left  Antioch,  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  and  returned  to 
Constantinople,  with  a  design  to 
punish  the  Christians.  He,  how- 
ever,   contented    himself    with  ba- 


nishing Paul,  and  suspending  Ma- 
cedonius, Paul  then  again  retired 
to  the  territories  of  Constans,  im- 
plored the  protection  of  that  em- 
peror, and,  by  his  intercession, 
was  again  vested  in  his  see.  His 
re-establishment  exasperated  his 
enemies,  who  made  many  attempts 
against  his  life,  against  which  the 
affections  of  his  people  were  his 
only  security  ;  and  being  convinced 
that  the  emperor  had  no  other  mo- 
tive for  allowing  his  stay  at  Con- 
stantinople, but  the  dread  of  diso- 
bliging his  brother,  Paul  could  not 
think  himself  wholly  restored  to 
his  bishoprick ;  and  being  very  much 
concerned  at  what  the  orthodox  bi- 
shops suffered  from  the  power  and 
malice  of  the  Arian  faction,  he 
joined  Athanasius,  who  was  then 
in  Italy,  in  soliciting  a  general 
council.  This  council  was  held  at 
Sardica,  in  lUyrium,  in  the  year 
347,  at  which  were  present  one 
hundred  bishops  of  the  western, 
and  seventy-three  of  the  eastern 
empire.  But  disagreeing  in  many 
points,  the  Arian  bishops  of  the 
East  retired  to  Philipoppolis,  in 
Thrace ;  and  forming  a  meeting 
there,  they  termed  it  the  council  of 
Sardica,  from  which  place  they 
pretended  to  issue  an  excommuni- 
cation against  Julius,  bishop  of 
Rome  ;  Paul,  bishop  of  Constanti- 
nople ;  Athanasius,  bishop  of  Alex- 
andria ;  and  several  other  prelates. 
In  the  year  350,  the  emperor  Con- 
stans died,  which  gave  the  Ariaus 
fresh  courage,  and  they  applied  to 
the  emperor  Constantius,  who, 
being  inclined  towards  the  Arians, 
wrote  an  order  to  the  prefect  Phi- 
lip, to  remove  Paul  from  the  bi- 
shopric of  Constantinople,  and  to 
restore  Macedonius.  Paul  was 
then  exiled  to  Cucucus,  confined  in 
a  dark  dungeon,  for  six  days,  with- 
out food,  and  then  strangled.  He 
met  death  with  uncommon  forti- 
tude. 

The  Arian  party  now  made  Gre- 
gory of  Cappadocia,  a  very  ob- 
scure person,  bishop  of  Alexandria, 
after  having  deposed  Athanasius. 
In  the  accomplishment  of  this  af- 
fair, they  were  assisted  by  Philage- 


64 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS, 


rius,  the  goveruor  of  Eg^pt,  who 
was  an  apostate,  and  wlio  author- 
ized them  to  commit  every  outrage. 
Hence  arming  themselves  with 
swords,  chibs,  &c.  they  broke  into 
one  of  the  principal  churches  of 
Alexandria,  wiiere  great  numbers 
of  orthodox  Christians  were  as- 
sembled at  their  devotions ;  and 
iiJiing  upon  them  in  a  most  bar- 
barous manner,  without  the  least 
respect  to  sex  or  age,  butchered 
the  greater  number.  Potamo,  a 
vcnenible  bishop  of  Heraciea,  who 
had  formerly  lost  one  of  his  eyes  in 
Di<icletiiin's      persecution,      fell      a 


martyr  upon  this  occasion  ;  being 
so  cruelly  scourged  and  beaten 
that  he  died  of  his  wounds.  The 
Arians  also  broke  into  many 
jtlaces,  public  and  private,  under  a 
pretence  of  searching  for  Athana- 
.sius,  and  conimifled  innumerable 
barbarities  ;  robbing  orphans, 
])lundering  the  houses  of  widows, 
dragging  virgins  to  private  places 
to  be  the  sacriticcs  of  desire,  im- 
prisoning the  clergy,  burning 
chnrciies  and  dwelling  houses  be- 
longing to  the  orthodox  Chris- 
tians ;  beaides  other  enormous  cru- 
elties. 


SECTION  IIT. 


PERSIiCUTIONS   UNDER  JULIAN  THE  APOSTATE. 


Julian  the  Apostate  was  the 
son  of  Julius  Constantius,  and  the 
nephew  of  Conslantine  the  Great. 
He  studied  the  rudiments  of  gram- 
mar under  the  inspection  of  Mar- 
donius,  a  eunuch,  and  a  heathen. 
His  father  sent  him  afterwards  to 
Nicomedia,  to  be  instructed  in  the 
Christian  religion,  by  Eusebius,  his 
kinsman  ;  but  his  principles  were 
corrupted  by  the  pernicious  doc- 
trines of  Maximus  the  magician, 
and  Ecebolius  the  professor  of  rhe- 
toric. 

Constantius  died  in  the  year  361, 
when  Julian  succeeded  him;  but 
he  had  no  sooner  attained  the  im- 
perial dignity,  tlian  he  renounced 
Christianity  and  embraced  pagan- 
ism. He  again  restored  idolatrous 
worship,  by  opening  the  several 
temples  that  had  been  shut  up,  re- 
building such  as  were  destroyed, 
and  ordering  the  magistrates  and 
people    to   follow  his   example;    but 


chief  (n  Christianity,  -than  the  most 
profiigaSe  of  his  |)redecessors. 

Accordingly,  this  persecution  was 
more  dangerous  than  any  of  the 
former,  as  Julian,  under  the  'mask 
of  clemenev,  practised  the  greatest 
cruelty,  in  seeking  to  delude  the 
true  believers ;  and  the  Christian 
faith  was  now  in  more  danger  of 
being  subverted  than  it  evor  liad 
been,  by  means  of  a  monarch  at 
once  witty  and  wicked,  learned  and 
hypocritical  ;  wJio,  at  first,  made 
his  attempts  by  flattering  gifts  and 
favours;  bestowing  offices  and  dig- 
nities ;  and  then,  by  prohibiting 
Christian  schools,  he  compelled  the 
children  either  to  become  idolaters, 
or  to  remain  illiterate. 

Julian  ordered  that  Christians 
might  be  treated  coldly  upon  all 
occasions,  and  in  all  parts  of  the 
empire,  and  employed  witty  per- 
sons to  turn  them  and  their  prin- 
ciples   into    ridicule.      Many  were 


he  did  not  issue  any  edicts  against     likewise  martyred  in  his  reign  ;  for 


Christianity.  He  recalled  all  ba 
nished  pagans,  allowed  the  free 
exercise  of  religion  to  every  sect, 
but  deprived  the  Christians  of  all 
offices,  civil  and  military,  and  the 
clergy  of  the  privileges  granted 
to  them  by  Constantine  the  Great. 
He  was  chaste,  temperate,  vigilant, 


though  he  did  not  publicly  perse- 
cute them  himself,  he  connived  at 
their  being  mindered  by  his  govern- 
ors and  officers  ;  and  though  he 
affected  never  to  reward  them  for 
those  cruelties,  neither  did  he  ever 
punish  them.  We  shall  recount  the 
names,   sufferings,   and  martyrdoms 


laborious,  and  apparently  pious ;  so     of  such  as  have  been  transmitted  to 
that  by  his  hypocrisy  and  pretended     posterity, 
virtues,  he  for  a  time  did  more  mis- 


PERSECUTIONS  BY  JULIAN. 


65 


MARTYRDOM    OF   BASIL. 

iBy  his  opposition  to  Arianism, 
Basil  made  iiimself  famous,  which 
brought  upon  him  tlie  vcnueance  of 
the  Arian  bishop  of  Constantinople, 
who  issued  an  order  to  prevent 
hiiu  from  preachinfi:.  He  conti- 
nued, liowever,  to  perform  his  duty 
at  Ancyra,  the  capital  of  Galatia, 
till  his  enemies  accused  him  of 
beinu;  an  incendiary,  and  a  dis- 
turber of  the  public  peace ;  Julian, 


however,  was  too  intent  on  an  ex- 
pedition to  Persia,  to  take  notice 
of  the  accusation,  and  the  malice  of 
his  enemies  at  that  time  bciuj^- 
wholly  frustrated,  he  continued  to 
preach  aojainst  the  idolatry  of  pa- 
ganism on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
errors  of  Arianism  on  tlie  other; 
earnestly  exhorting  the  people  to 
serve  Christ  in  the  purity  of  faith, 
and  fervency  of  truth. 


Horrible    Cruelties  injiicted  <m  the  Primiiive  Christiam, 


One  day  meetinej  with  a  number 
of  pao:ans  goinjj  in  procession  to  a 
sacrifice,  he  boldly  expressed  his 
abhorrence  of  such  idolatrous  pro- 
ceedings, and  inveig;hed  against 
such  absurd  woBhip.  This  liberty 
caused  the  people  to  seize  him, 
and  carry  him  before  Saturninus, 
the  governor,  where  they  accused 
him  of  reviling-  the  gods,  abusing 
the  emperor,  and  disturbing  the 
peace  of  the  city.  Having  heard 
these  accusations,  Saturninus  de- 
sired to  know  his  sentiments  from 

FOX'S    MARTYRS. 


his  own  mouth;  when  finding  him 
a  strenuous  Christian,  he  ordered 
him  to  be  put  to  the  rack,  and  then 
committed  to  prison.  The  governor 
wrote  an  account  of  his  proceed- 
ings to  the  emperor,  who  was  at 
this  time  very  busy  in  establishing 
the  worship  of  Cybele,  the  fictitious 
mother  of  the  fabulous  deities.  Ju- 
lian, on  receiving  the  letter,  sent 
Pagosus  and  Sllpidius,  two  apos- 
tates, to  Aucyra,  the  city  where 
Basil  was  confined,  to  employ  both 
promises    and    threats    to    engag;© 


66 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


him  to  renounce  his  faitJi,  and  in 
case  of  their  failure  they  had  or- 
ders to  give  him  up  to  the  poM  er 
of   the   governor.      The   emperor's 
agents  tampered  in  vain  with  Basil 
by  means  of  promises,  threats,  and 
tortures;  he  was  firm  in  the  faith, 
and  remained  in  prison  till  the  em- 
peror by  accident  came  to  Ancyra. 
As  soon  as  the  people  knew  of  Ju- 
lian's approach,   they  met  him  in 
grand  procession,  and  presented  to 
him  their  idol,  the  goddess  Hecate. 
The  two  agents  then  gave  the  em- 
peror an  account  of  v/liat  Basil  had 
suffered,  and  of  his  firm  resistance. 
Julian,  on  this,   determined  to  exa- 
mine Basil  himself,  when  that  holy 
man  being  brought  before  him,  the 
emperor    did    every  thing    in  his 
power  to  dissuade  him  from  perse- 
vering in  the  faith;  but  Basil  not 
only  continued   firm,    but    with    a 
prophetic  spirit  foretold  the  death 
of  the  emperor,  and  that  he  should 
be  tormented  in  the  other  world. 
Julian  on  this  lost  his  usual  affecta- 
tion of  clemency,  and  told  Basil,  in 
great  anger,  that  though  he  had  an 
inclination  to  pardon  him  at  first, 
yet  he  had  now,  by  the  i^isolence 
of  his  behaviour,  put  it  out  of  his 
power  to  save  his  life.     He   then 
commanded,  that  the  body  of  Basil 
should  be  torn  every  day  in  seven 
different  parts,     till   his   skin   and 
flesh  were  entirely  mangled. — The 
inhuman   sentence    was    executed 
with   rigour,    and  the   martyr  ex- 
pired  under  its  severities-  on  the 
28th  of  June,  a.  d.  362. 

NUMEROUS    MARTYRDOMS. 

About  the  same  time,  Donatus, 
bishop  of  Arezzo,  and  Hilarinus,  a 
hermit,  suffered  for  the  faith ;  the 
first  being  beheaded,  and  the  latter 
scourged  to  death.  Gordian,  a 
Roman  magistrate,  having  a 
Christian  before  him  for  examina- 
tion, was  so  charmed  with  the  con- 
fession of  his  faith,  that  he  not  only 
discharged  the  prisoner,  but  be- 
came himself  a  Christian.  This  so 
enraged  the  Roman  prefect,  that 
he  ordered  him  to  be  scourged  and 
beheaded. 

Two  brothers,  named  John  and 


Paul,  of  a  good  family,  and  in  high 
offices  under  the  emperor,  on  being 
accused  of  professing  Christianity, 
were  deprived  of  their  posts,  and 
allowed  ten  days  to  consider 
whether  they  would  renounce  their 
faith  and  be  promoted,  or  retain  it 
and  be  martyred.  Making  choice 
of  the  latter  alternative,  they  were 
both  beheaded. 

Artemius,  commander  in  chief  of 
the  Roman  forces  in  Egypt,  being 
a  Christian,  was  accused  of  hav- 
ing formerly  demolished  several 
idols,  and  of  having  assisted  the 
bishop  of  Alexandria  in  plundering 
the  temples.  Julian,  who  was  then 
at  Antioch,  on  hearing  of  these 
charge.s,  ordered  the  general  to 
repair  thither,  to  answer  to  them. 
On  his  arrival  he  owned  the 
charges,  when  he  was  first  de- 
prived of  his  commission,  then  of 
his  estate,  and,  lastly,  beheaded. 

Cassian,  a  school-master  of 
Imola,  in  the  province  of  Ro- 
magno,  for  refusing  to  sacrifice  to 
the  idols,  was  taken  before  the 
judge;  who  being  apprized  of  his 
profession,  and  informed  that  many 
of  the  boys  had  an  aversion  to  him, 
on  account  of  the  strictness  with 
which  he  kept  them  to  their  stu- 
dies, determined  that  they  should 
have  permission  to  murder  him. 
He  was  accordingly  bound  and  de- 
livered to  the  boys,  who  fell  upon 
him  with  rods,  whips,  sticks,  and 
stiles,  and  murdered  him.  This 
singular  martyrdom  happened  on 
the  13th  of  August,  a.  d.  362. 

Maximilian  and  Bonosus,  two 
officers  of  the  Herculean  guards, 
upon  Julian  taking  away  Constan- 
tino the  Great's  standard  of  the 
cross  of  Christ,  threw  up  their  com- 
missions. Being  apprehended, 
the  governor  had  them  separately 
examined,  and  finding  them  inflex- 
ible, he  ordered  Bonosus  to  be 
beaten  with  whips  that  had  leaden 
bullets  at  the  ends  of  the  thongs, 
and  Maximilian  to  be  scourged. 
When  remanded  to  prison,  they 
were  allowed  nothing  but  bread 
and  water,  and  the  bread  was 
marked  with  the  seal  of  the  em- 
peror, the  impression  of  which  was 


PERSECUTIONS  BY  JULIAN. 


67 


an  idol ;  on  which  account  they  re- 
fused to  eat  it.  They  were  soon 
afterwards  again  examined,  and 
then  beheaded. 

Bibiana  was  the  daughter  of  Fla- 
vian and  Dafrosa,  two  Christians. 
Flavian,  her  father,  held  a  consi- 
derable post  under  the  govern- 
ment, but  being  banished  for  his 
faith,  died  in  exile.  Dafrosa,  her 
mother,  was,  for  the  same  reason,  or- 
dered to  be  starved ;  but  Apronia- 
nus,  governor  of  Rome,  impatient 
for  her  death,  ordered  her  to  be 
beheaded.  Bibiana  and  her  sister 
Deraetria,  were  then  stripped  of 
all  their  efl'ects,  and  being  brought 
before  the  governor,  were  ordered 
to  renounce  their  religion.  .  De- 
metria  suddenly  dropped  down 
dead  in  the  governor's  presence, 
and  Bibiana  resolutely  refused  to 
renounce  her  faith,  on  which  ac- 
count she  was  scourged  to  death 
on  the  2d  of  December,  a.  d.  362. 

About  the  end  of  the  year  363, 
the  persecution  raged  with  more 
than  usual  violence.  In  Palestine 
many  were  burnt  alive,  others  were 
dragged  by  their  feet  through  the 
streets  naked  till  they  expired ; 
some  were  scalded  to  death,  many 
stoned,  and  great  numbers  had 
their  brains  beaten  out  with  clubs. 
In  Alexandria  innumerable  mar- 
tyrs suffered  by  the  sword,  burning, 
crucifixion,  and  stoning.  In  Are- 
thusa,  several  were  ripped  open, 
and  corn  being  put  into  their 
bellies,  swine  were  brought  to  feed 
therein,  wlio,  in  devouring  the 
grain,  likewise  devoured  the  en- 
trails of  the  victim  ;  and,  in  Thrace, 
Emilianus  was  burnt  at  a  stake  ; 
and  Domitius  murdered  in  a  cave, 
whither  he  had  fled  for  conceal- 
ment. 

Theodorus,  for  singing  the  praises 
of  God,  was  apprehended  and  put 
to  the  torture,  though  not  to  death. 
After  being  taken  from  the  rack, 
he  was  asked  how  he  could  so 
patiently  endure  such  exquisite 
pains :  to  whicli  he  returned  tliis 
remarkable  reply:  "  At  first  I  felt 
some  pain,  but  afterwards  there 
appeared  to  stand  by  me  a  young 
man,  who  wiped  the  sweat   from 


my  face,  and  frequently  refreshed 
me  with  cold  water,  which  so  de- 
lighted me,  that  I  regretted  being- 
let  down." 

Marcus,  bishop  of  Arethusa, 
having  destroyed  a  pagan  temple 
iu  that  city,  erected  a  Christian 
ciuircli  in  its  room,  on  which  ac- 
count he  was  accused  to  Julian* 
His  persecutors,  stripping  him 
naked,  cruelly  beat  him.  He  was 
then  thrust  into  a  fdthy  sewer,  or 
sink,  till  he  was  almost  sutJ'ocated  ; 
afterwards  he  was  goaded  with 
sharp-pointed  sticks ;  and  lastly, 
he  was  hung  up  in  a  basket  in  the 
heat  of  the  sun,  after  having  been 
smeared  over  with  honey,  in  order 
to  be  tormented  to  death  by  wasps. 
As  soon  as  he  was  hung  up,  they 
asked  him  if  he  v/ould  rebuild  their 
temple.  To  which  he  answered, 
that  he  would  neither  rebuild  it 
nor  contribute  in  the  smallest  de- 
gree towards  it  being  rebuilt; 
upon  which  they  left  him,  and  he 
fell  a  martyr  to  the  stings  of  the 
insects. 

Maxentius  and  Juventius,  two 
Christian  officers,  were  put  to 
death  about  the  same  time,  for 
reproving  the  emperor,  on  account 
of  his  idolatries.  Eusebius  and 
Nestabus,  two  brethren,  with 
Nestor  also,  being  Christians, 
were  dragged  through  the  streets 
and  murdered,  by  the  people  of 
Gaza. 

CHRISTIANS    FINED    FOR     REFUSING 
TO    SACRIFICE    TO    IDOLS. 

When  Julian  intended  an  expe- 
dition against  the  Persians,  he  im- 
posed a  large  fine  upon  every  one 
wlio  refused  to  sacrifice  to  the 
idols,  and  by  that  means  got  a 
great  sum  from  the  Christians  to- 
v/ards  defraying  his  expenses. 
Many  of  the  officers,  in  collecting 
these  fines,  exacted  more  than 
their  due,  and  some  of  them  tor- 
tured the  Christians  to  make  thcni 
pay  what  they  demanded,  at  the 
same  time  telling  them  in  derision, 
"  that  when  they  were  injured, 
they  ought  to  take  it  patiently, 
for  so  their  God  had  commanded 
them."    The  inhabitants  of  Ctesa- 


"&8 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


rea  were  fined  in  an  immense  sum, 
and  several  of  the  clergy  obliged 
to  serve  in  the  wars,  as  a  punish- 
ment for  having  overthrown  the 
temples  of  Jupiter,  Fortune  and 
Apollo.  The  governor  at  Meris, 
in  Phrygia,  having  cleansed  and 
opened  a  pagan  temple,  the  Chris- 
tians in  the  night  broke  in,  and 
demolished  the  idols.  Next  day 
the.  governor  ordered  all  Chris- 
tians that  accidentally  came  in 
the  way  to  be  seized,  that  he  might 
make  examples  of  them,  and  by 
this  means  would  have  executed 
several  innocent  persons ;  but 
those  who  really  perpetrated  the 
act,  being  too  just  to  sulVer  such 
retaliation,  voluntarily  delivered 
themselves  up;  when  they  were 
scourged  severely,  and  then  put 
upon  gridirons  and  broiled  to 
death. 

Julian  died  of  a  wound  which 
lie  received  in  his  Persian  expedi- 
tion, A.  D.  363,  and  even  while  ex- 
piring, uttered  the  most  horrible 
blasphemies.  He  was  succeeded 
by  Jovian,  who  restored  peace  to 
the  church.  After  the  decease  of 
Jovian,  Valentinian  succeeded  to 
the  empire,  and  associated  to  him- 
self Valens,  who  had  the  command 
in  the  East.  The  latter  was  a 
great  favourer  of  Arianism,  and 
so  incensed  against  the  Cliristians, 
that  he  ordered,  on  a  certain  day, 
all  who  were  found  in  Edessa  to  be 
slain,  while  they  were  at  their  de- 
votions in  the  churches.  The  offi- 
cers, however,  being  more  com- 
passionate than  the  emperor, 
privately  gave  notice  to  the  Chris- 
tians not  to  assemble  on  the  day 
appointed,  so  that  they  might 
escape  death. 


The  Christians  thanked  the  offi- 
cers for  their  advice,  but  resolved 
to  persevere  in  the  performance  of 
their  duty.  They  accordingly  re- 
paired to  the  church,  and  the  troops 
were  put  in  motion  to  destroy  them. 
As  they  marched  along,  a  woman,, 
with  a  child  in  her  arms,  broke 
through  the  ranks,  when  the  officer 
ordered  her  to  be  brought  before 
him,  and  asked  her  where  she  was 
going.  She  replied,  "  To  church." 
"  Have  you  not  heard,"  says  the 
officer,  "  of  the  emperor's  order,, 
to  put  to  death  all  who  are  found 
there  I"  "  I  have,"  said  she,  "  and 
for  that  cause  I  make  the  more 
haste."  "  And  whither,"  said  the 
officer,  "  do  you  lead  that  child  1" 
"  I  take  him,"  replied  she,  "with 
me,  that  he  also  may  be  reckoned  in 
the  number  of  the  martyrs."  Upon, 
this  the  humane  officer  returned  to 
the  emperor,  and  telling  him  that 
all  the  Christians  were  prepared 
to  die  in  defence  of  their  faith,  re- 
presented to  him  the  rashness  of 
murderirig  so  great  a  multitude, 
and  entreated  the  emperor  to  drop 
the  design,  at  least  for  the  present, 
with  which  he  at  length  complied. 
Urbanus,  Menedemus,  and 
Theodorus,  mth  several  other 
orthodox  clergymen,  to  the  num- 
ber of  fourscore,  at  Constantinople, 
petitioned  the  emperor  to  relieve 
them  from  the  oppressions,  per- 
secutions, and  cruelties  of  the 
Arians.  But  the  tyrant,  instead 
of  redressing  their  grievances,, 
ordered  them  all  to  be  embarked 
in  a  ship,  and  the  vessel  to  be  set 
on  fire ;  when  this  infernal  order 
being  executed,  they  all  perished 
in  the  flames. 


SECTION  IV. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF    THE   CHRISTIANS    BY    THE    GOTHS,    &C. 


During  the  reign  of  Constan- 
tine  the  Great  several  Scythian 
Goths  embraced  Christianity, 
the  light  of  the  gospel  having 
spread  considerably  in  Scythia, 
though  the  two  kings  of  that 
country,  and  the  majority  of  the 
people,  coutiuued  pagans.     Frite- 


gern,  king  of  the  Western  Goths, 
was  an  ally  of  the  Romans  ;  but 
Athanaric,  king  of  the  Eastern 
Goths,  was  at  war  with  them. 
The  Christians,  in  ihe  dominions 
of  the  former,  lived  unmolested ; 
but  the  latter,  having  been  defeat- 
ed  by  the  Romans,  wreaked  his 


PERSECUTIONS  BY  THE  GOTHS. 


69 


Tenpjeancc  on  his  Christian  sub- 
jects. 

Sabas,  a  Christian,  was  the  first 
•who  felt  the  enra<;ed  king's  re- 
sentment, Sabas  was  humble  and 
modest,  yet  fervent  and  zealous 
for  the  advancement  of  the  church. 
Indeed  the  sanctity  of  his  life, 
and  the  purity  of  his  manners, 
gave  the  greatest  force  to  his 
doctrines. 

In  the  year  370,  Athanaric  gave 
orders,  that  all  persons  in  his 
dominions  should  sacrifice  to  the 
pagan  deities,  and  eat  the  meat 
which  had  been  oft'ered  to  the 
idols,  or  be  put  to  death  for  dis- 
obedience. Some  humane  pagans, 
who  had  Christian  relations,  en- 
deavoured to  save  them  by  ofi'er- 
ing  them  meat  which  had  not  re- 
ceived the  idolatrous  consecration, 
while  the  magistrates  were  made 
to  believe  that  all  had  been  done 
according  to  their  direction.  But 
Sabas  too  well  knew  St.  Paul's 
principles  to  imagine,  that  the  sin 
lay  in  eating  ;  he  knew  that  giving 
the  enemies  of  the  faith  an  advan- 
tage over  the  weak  was  all  that 
made  that  action  criminal  in 
Christians.  He,  therefore,  not 
only  refused  to  comply  with  what 
was  proposed  to  him,  but  publicly 
declared,  that  those  who  sheltered 
themselves  under  that  artifice, 
were  not  true  Christians. 

Sabas  was  soon  after  appre- 
hended and  carried  before  a  ma- 
gistrate, who  inquired  into  his 
fortune  and  circumstances,  when 
finding  that  he  was  a  person  of 
obscure  station,  he  was  dismissed 
as  unworthy  of  notice. 

Sabas  went  to  spend  the  ensuing 
Easter  with  Sansala,  a  Christian 
priest  of  great  piety ;  but  on  the 
third  night  after  his  arrival  they 
were  both  seized  by  a  party  of  sol- 
diers. The  priest  was  allowed  to 
dress  himself,  and  to  ride,  but 
Sabas  was  obliged  to  leave  his 
clothes  behind  him,  and  to  walk  ; 
and,  during  the  journey,  they  drove 
him  through  thorns  and  briars, 
beating  him  severely.  This  cruelty 
he  bore  without  a  murmur,  and 
iu    the    evening    they    extended 


him  between  two  beams,  fastening 
his  legs  to  the  one  and  his  arms  to 
the  other  ;  and  in  that  posture  left 
him  for  the  night.  The  woman  of 
the  house,  however,  went  and  re- 
leased him;  but  though  he  was 
now  at  liberty,  he  did  not  avail 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  make 
his  escape.  The  next  morning 
the  persecutors  began  to  tamper 
with  him  and  his  fellow  prisoner 
to  renounce  their  religion,  and 
eat  the  meat  consecrated  to'  the 
idols.  Tiiey,  however,  positively 
declared,  that  they  were  ready  to 
sufl'er  the  most  cruel  death  rather 
than  comply.  Sansala  was  at 
length  discharged,  and  Sabas  was 
ordered  to  be  drowned  ;  which 
sentence  was  put  into  execution 
on  the  12th  of  April,  a.  d.  372. 

Nicetas  was  of  Gothic  extrac- 
tion ;  his  parents  lived  near  the 
Danube,  and  though  he  liad  long 
been  a  Christian,  he  had  hitherto 
remained  unmolested.  At  this 
time,  however,  Athanaric  directed 
an  idol  to  be  drawn  about  on  a 
chariot  through  every  place  in  his 
dominions  inhabited  by  Christians, 
who  were  ordered,  on  the  proces- 
sion stopping  at  their  door,  to  pay 
adoration  to  the  pretended  deity. 
On  a  refusal,  the  house  was  im- 
mediately set  on  fire,  and  every 
inmate  destroyed.  Nicetas,  there- 
fore, refusing  to  worship  the  idol, 
was  thus  consumed,  September 
15,  A.  D.  372. 

OPPOSITION     OF     EUSEBIUS     TO    THE 
ARIAN    HERESY. 

Eusebius,  bishop  of  Samosata? 
made  a  distinguished  figure  in  ec- 
clesiastical history,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  eminent  champions  of 
Christ  against  the  Arian  heresy. 
The  Arians  having  advanced 
Miletus  to  the  see  of  Antioch, 
thinking  him  of  their  party,  the 
document  of  his  advancement  was 
placed  in  the  care  of  Eusebius. 
When  Miletus  preached  his  first 
sermon,  the  Arians,  to  their  great 
surprise,  found  they  had  been 
mistaken  in  him,  for  his  doctrines 
were  pure.  They,  therefore,  per- 
suaded  the    emperor  to    displace 


70 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


him,  and  likewise  to  get  the  in- 
strument out  of  the  hands  of 
Euscbius.  Miletus  was  accord- 
ing:ly  deposed,  and  the  emperor 
sent  to  Eusebius  to  deliver  the 
instrument :  but  he  answered  that 
he  could  not  give  up  a  trust  re- 
posed in  him  by  so  great  a  number, 
without  the  consent  of  all  concern- 
ed in  it.  The  emperor,  incensed 
at  this  reply,  wrote  to  him,  that 
he  had  commissioned  the  bearer 
of  the  letter  to  cut  off  his  right 
hand,  if  he  refused  to  surrender 
the  instrument  in  question.  Euse- 
bius, however,  without  the  least 
emotion,  ofiered  his  hands,  and 
declared  he  would  lose  them  both 
rather  than  part  with  the  deed. 
The  emperor  applauded  his  reso- 
lution, and  professed  a  high  esteem 
for  him  ever  after. 

The  Arians  now  looked  upon 
Eusebius  as  a  dangerous  enemy. 
At  the  time  Jovian  restored  peace 
to  the  church,  Miletus  convened  a 
council  at  Antioch,  which  consisted 
of  Eusebius,  and  twenty-five  other 
prelates,  who  unanimously  con- 
firmed the  doctrines  of  the  council 
of  Nice.  About  this  time  the  see 
of  Caesarea  having  become  vacant, 
Eusebius  was  instrumental  in  pro- 
moting Basil  to  it,  on  which  occa- 
sion Gregory  the  younger  calls 
him,  "  The  pillar  of  truth,  the 
light  of  the  world,  the  fortress  of 
the  church,  the  rule  of  faith,  the 
support  of  the  faithful,  and  an  in- 
strument in  the  hands  of  God  for 
bestowing  favours  on  his  people." 
When  the  Arians  were  the  most 
vigilant  to  propagate  their  tenets, 
Eusebivis  was  assiduous  in  taking 
measures  to  prevent  their  success ; 
and  his  zeal  was  always  so  govern- 
ed by  prudence,  that  his  attempts 
seldom  failed,  till  at  length  the  em- 
peror, at  the  instigation  of  his 
enemies,  granted  an  order  for  ba- 
nishing him  into  Thrace.  He  was 
at  Samosata,  when  the  messenger 
came  with  his  commission ;  it  was 
late  in  the  evening ;  and  Eusebius, 
who  was  beloved  by  his  people, 
begged  he  would  make  no  noise, 
but  conceal  his  business ;  "  for," 
says  he,   "  if  it  becomes  known, 


the  people  will  fall  on  you,  throw 
you  into  the  river,  and  I  shall  be 
Ciiarged  with  your  death."  He 
then  went  through  his  usual  devo- 
tions ;  and,  when  tlie  night  was 
far  advanced,  left  bis  house  on 
foot,  attended  by  one  trusty  ser- 
vant, who  carried  a  pillow  and 
book  after  him.  Thus  accompanied 
he  took  a  boat,  and  proceeded  to 
Zeugma,  about  seventy  miles  dov/n 
the  river. 

The  people  next  day  i^.issing 
Eusebius,  and  hearing  which  way 
he  was  gone,  followed  in  a  great 
number  of  boats,  and  overtaking 
him,  entreated  him,  with  tears  in 
their  eyes,  not  to  abandon  them. 
Their  kindness  affected  Euscbius, 
but  he  determined  to  obey  the  em- 
peror's order;  and  his  flock  finding 
they  could  not  prevail,  accommo- 
dated him  with  necessaries  for 
his  journey,  and  left  him. 

Thrace  was  at  this  time  the 
seat  of  war  between  the  Goths 
and  the  Romans ;  and  in  these 
contests,  the  life  of  Eusebius  was 
in  great  danger.  At  length  the 
emperor,  in  order  to  terminate  the 
war  with  the  greatest  expedition, 
resolved  to  march  against  the  Goths 
in  person  ;  but  first,  to  engage  the 
prayers  of  the  Christians,  he  gave 
peace  to  the  church,  and  allowed 
the  Christian  prelates  to  return" to 
their  churches.  Thus  was  Euse- 
liius  restored  to  his  see,  which, 
however,  he  did  not  long  enjoy, 
for  an  Arian  woman  threw  a  tile 
at  him  from  the  top  of  a  house, 
which  fractured  his  sliuU,  and  ter- 
minated his  life.  This  happened 
in  the  year  380. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  A   PAGAN   TEMPLE. 

The  bishop  of  Apamea,  a  prelate 
of  great  merit,  was  very  active  in 
endeavouring  to  suppress  idolatry 
in  his  own  diocese,  on  which  ac- 
count ills  life  was  in  continual 
danger,  till  Cynegius,  the  prefect, 
arrived  with  a  considerable  body 
of  troops,  which  kept  the  pagans 
in  awe.  This  officer's  design  was 
totally  to  abolish  idolatry,  to  effect 
which  he  determined  to  destroy 
the  temple  of  Jupiter :   he,  how- 


PERSECUTIONS  BY  THE  ARIAN  VANDALS.         71 


ever,  found  this  a  difficult  attempt ; 
for  the  buildino^  was  so  strong,  that 
he  despaired  of  being  able  to  ac- 
complish the  work;  when  a  poor 
labouring  Christian,  recommended 
by  Marcellus,  undertook  to  go 
through  with  what  the  prefect  had 
given  up,  and  the  business  was 
executed  in  the  following  manner: 
This  person  examined  the  edifice, 
and  finding  it  surrounded  by  a  gal- 
lery, supported  by  stately  pillars, 
ten  yards  in  circumference,  he 
knew  it  would  be  more  to  his  pur- 
pose lirst  to  weaken  the  founda- 
tion than  to  attack  the  body  of  the 
building;  with  this  view  he  dug  at 
the  bottom  of  the  pillars,  and  shor- 
ed them  with  timber  beams.  When 


he  had  thus  undermined  three  of 
the  most  considerable  pillars,  he 
set  fire  to  the  wood,  which  burning, 
the  pillars  fell,  drew  twelve  more 
with  them,  and  brought  down  one 
whole  side  of  the  building;  upon 
which  the  Christians  Hocked  from 
all  parts  of  the  town,  and  praised 
God  for  the  demoli.tion  of  the  tem- 
ple. 

The  bishop  and  prefect  conti- 
nued destroying  a  great  number  of 
idol  temples,  when  being  at  a  town 
called  Aulo  upon  this  business, 
while  the  troops  were  busy  in  de- 
molishing the  buildings,  some  pa- 
gans privately  seized  upon  the 
bishop,  and  burnt  him,  a.  d.  393. 


„  SECTION  V. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF  THE  CHRISTIANS  BY   THE  ARIAN  VANDALS. 


The  Arian  Vandals  proceeding 
from  Spain  to  Africa  in  the  fifth  cen- 
tury, under  their  leader,  Geuseric, 
committed  many  horrible  cruelties. 
TJiey  persecuted  the  Christians 
vv-herever  they  came,  and  laid  waste 
the  country  as  they  passed,  in  or- 
der that  those  who  had  escaped  the 
sword,  might  be  destroyed  by  fa- 
mine. They  plundered  the  churches, 
and  murdered  the  bishops  and  mi- 
nisters by  a  variety  of  tortures;  in 
particular,  they  poured  fetid  oil 
and  vinegar  down  the  throats  of 
some  till  they  expired  ;  sutl'oeated 
others  by  filling  their  mouths  with 
mud,  and  martyred  many  by  stretch- 
ing their  limbs  with  cords  till  the 
veins  and  sinews  burst.  They  com- 
pelled some  of  the  nobility  to  carry 
their  baggage  ;  and  if  they  did  not 
travel  fast  enough,  they  pricked 
them  on  with  shai-p  goads,  inso- 
much that  several  died  under  their 
burdens.  Old  men  found  no  mercy, 
and  even  guiltless  infants  felt  the 
rage  of  their  barbarity.  Stately 
buildings  were  destroyed:  and  the 
principal  churches  in  Carthage  were 
employed  in  their  heretical  wor- 
ship, or  put  to  profane  uses  ;  and 
where  any  castles  held  out  against 
them,  they  brought  great  numbers 
of  Christians  and  slew  them,  leav- 
ing their  bodies  under  the  walls, 


that  the  besieged  might  be  forced 
to  surrender,  on  account  of  the  of- 
fensive stench  which  arose  from 
them. 

When  they  had  seized  and  plun- 
dered the  city  of  Carthage,  they 
put  the  bishop,  and  all  the  clergy, 
into  a  leaky  ship,  and  committed  it 
to  the  mercy  of  the  waves,  thinking 
that  they  must  all  perish  of  course  ; 
but  the  vessel,  through  Divine  Pro- 
vidence, arrived  safe  at  Naples. 

Several  Christians  were  beaten, 
scourged,  and  banished  to  Capsur, 
where  it  pleased  God  to  make  them 
the  means  of  converting  many  of 
the  Moors  to  Christianity  ;  but-  this 
coming  to  the  knowledge  of  Gen- 
seric,  he  sent  orders,  that  they  and 
their  converts  should  be  tied  by  the 
feet  to  chariots,  and  dragged  till 
they  were  dashed  to  pieces. 

Pampinian,  the  bishop  of  Man- 
suetes,  was  burnt  to  death  with 
plates  of  hot  iron;  the  bishop  of 
Urice  was  burnt ;  the  bishop  of 
Habensa  was  banished,  for  refusing 
to  deliver  up  the  sacred  books 
which  were  in  his  possession  ;  and 
a  whole  congregation,  who  were  as- 
sembled in  a  church  at  their  devo- 
tions, together  with  the  clergyman 
who  was  preacliing  to  them,  were 
murdered  by  those  barbarians,  who 
broke  in  upon  them. 
3 


72 


BOOK  OF  MAUTYRS. 


Archlnimus  w<i6  a  devout  Chris- 
tian, upon  whom  various  artifices 
w^re  employed  in  vain,  to  make 
him  renounce  his  faith.  At  length 
Genseric  himself  undertook  to  per- 
suade him,  but  finding  his  endea- 
vours ineffectual,  he  ordered  him 
to  be  beheaded.  He,  however,  pri- 
vately ordered  the  executioner  to 
perform  his  office,  if  the  prisoner 
seemed  intimidated  and  afraid ; 
"  for  then,"  said  he,  "  the  crown 
of  martyrdom  will  be  lost  to  him  ; 
but  if  he  seems  courageous,  and 
willing  to  die,  strike  not,  for  I  do 
not  intend  that  he  shall  have  the 
honour  of  being  deemed  a  martyr." 
The  executioner  finding  Archlni- 
mus happy  in  the  thought  of  dying 
for  the  sake  of  Christ,  brought  him 
back  again.  He  was  soon  after 
banished,  and  never  heard  of  riiore, 
though  it  is  conjectured  that  he  was 
murdered  privately  by  the  king's 
order. 

FIVE    THOUSAND    CHRISTIANS    BA- 
NISHED. 

Eugenius,    bishop   of    Carthage, 
was  eminent  for  his  learning  and 
piety,  which  brought  upon  him  the 
hatred  of  the  Arians,  who  took  great 
pains  to  set  the  king  Huneric  against 
him  and  the  orthodox  Christians  ; 
and  he  banished  above  five  thou- 
sand into   a   desert,   where   many 
perished.     He  also  sent  an  edict  to 
Eugenius,    which   he    commanded 
that  he  should  read  in  the  cathedral 
on  Ascension-day,  A.  D.   484.     By 
this  it  was  ordered  that  all  the  or- 
thodox bishops  should  meet  at  Car- 
thage on  the  first  of  the    ensuing 
February,  for  the   purpose  of  dis- 
puting with  the  Arian  prelates  ;  the 
king's    stratagem   was    discovered 
by   Eugenius,    and    several    other 
bishops,  particularly  Victor,  bishop 
of  Vita,  the  learned  author  of  the 
account  of   this   persecution;    and 
they  determined,  after  deliberation, 
to  send  a  petition  to  the  king  :    it 
was  accordingly  written  by  Euge- 
nius, and  prC'Sented  by   a  person 
who  had  great  interest  at  court.    It 
stated,   that  the  African   prelates 
did  not  decline  the  proposed  con- 
ference from  the  weakness  of  their 


cause,  or  a  distrust  of  their  oWrt 
abilities  to  maintain  their  mode;  ot" 
faith  ;  but  as  the  whole  church  was 
concerned  in  the  dispute,  they  were 
of  opinion  that  they  could  not  en- 
gage in  it  without  the  bishops  of 
Europe  and  Asia,  Huneric  an- 
SAvered,  that  what  they  desired 
was  impossible,  unless  the  whole 
world  was  in  his  hands.  Upon 
which  Eugenius  desired  his  majes- 
ty would  be  pleased  to  write  to 
Odoacer,  king  of  Italy,  and  other 
princes  in  his  interest ;  and  allow 
him  to  send  to  the  bishops,  that 
the  common  faith  might  be  thus  au- 
thentically published.  But  the  king, 
disregarding  this  remonstrance,  in- 
sisted upon  being  obeyed ;  and  then, 
previous  to  the  time  appointed, 
banished  several  of  the  most  learn- 
ed orthodox  prelates,  on  various 
pretences,  that  the  Arians  might 
have  the  advantage. 

At  the  appointed  time  for  the 
conference,  the  orthodox  clergy 
chose  ten  of  their  number  to  act  in 
the  name  of  the  rest.  Cyrilla,  an 
Arian,  took  the  title  of  patriarch 
upon  the  occasion,  and  was  seated 
on  a  magnificent  throne.  The  Ariaa 
prelates  were  allowed  to  sit  near 
him,  but  the  orthodox  bishops  were 
obliged  to  stand.  They  complain- 
ed of  this  partial  mode  of  beha- 
viour, as  an  infringement  of  their 
liberty;  and  Eugenius,  perceiving 
that  they  did  not  intend  to  come  to 
a  candid  decision,  proposed  to  ad- 
journ; but  instead  of  complying 
with  this,  each  orthodox  prelate,  by 
the  king's  order,  as  Cyrilla  assert- 
ed, received  an  hundred  blows  with 
a  stick.  Eugenius  protested  against 
such  violence,  but  in  vain ;  the  pre- 
lates were  driven  from  the  place, 
their  churches  were  shut  up,  and 
the  revenues  of  their  bishoprics 
were  confiscated.  Then  they  were 
compelled  to  quit  Carthage,  and 
were  exposed  without  the  walls  of 
that  city,  to  all  the  inclemencies  of 
the  weather.  The  king  passing 
out  of  one  of  the  gates,  the  ortho- 
dox clergy  presented  themselves 
before  him,  and  modestly  complain- 
ed of  the  treatment  they  had  met 
with :     but  instead   of   redressing: 


PERSECUTIONS  BY  THE  AUIAN  VANDALS. 


73 


thoir  p:rievances,  Iluncric  ordered 
liis  njuards  to  chastise  them.  The 
soldiers,  in  consequence,  treated 
them  unmercifully;  and  the  kin<^ 
ordered  them  to  appear  on  a  cer- 
tain day  at  a  place  which  he  then 
stated. 

At  the  time  appointed,  they  as- 
sembled, when  one  of  the  king's 
officers  shewed  them  a  paper,  and 
informed  them  that  the  king  was 
inclined  to  forget  what  was  past, 
and  to  restore  them  to  their  bene- 
fices, provided  they  would  swear 
to  the  truth  of  what  that  paper 
contained.  The  prelates,  surprised 
at  this  proposal,  declared  that  they 
could  not  in  conscience  swear  to 
the  truth  of  that  to  which  they  were 
total  strangers  ;  but  if  they  were 
suHered  to  read  the  writing,  and 
approved  of  the  contents,  they 
would  take  the  oath. 

The  officer  answered,  that  he 
would  tell  them  the  contents,  which 
were  of  apolitical  nature,  and  only 
required  them  to  swear  that  they 
were  willing  prince  Hilderic  should 
succeed  his  father  in  the  throne. 
Several  of  the  prelates,  innocently 
thinking  that  there  could  be  no 
harm  in  swearing  they  were  willing 
a  son  should  succeed  his  father, 
offered  to  comply  ;  but  the  rest, 
with  greater  precaution,  refused  to 
take  the  oath,  as  they  justly  judged 
so  simple  a  proposal  would  never 
bave  been  made  them,  unless  some 
artifice  was  in  contemplation. 

While  they  were  disputing  upon 
this  head,  the  officer  took  advan- 
tage of  their  discord,  and  com- 
mitted them  to  separate  prisons  ; 
those  who  were  willing  to  swear  to 
one,  and  those  who  were  unwilling 
to  another ;  but  they  had  not  been 
long  in  confinement  before  the  arti- 
fice was  explained  by  an  order 
from  the  king  for  the  banishment 
of  both  parties.  Those  who  had 
been  willing  to  swear  were  banish- 
ed, under  the  pretence  of  ofi'ering 
to  break  an  established  precept  of 
the  Scripture,  viz.  "  Swear  not  at 
all,"  Matt.  v.  34.  And  those  who 
had  refused  to  swear,  were  banish- 
ed as  enemies  to  the  legal  succes- 
sion.   The  former  were  obliged  to 


work  as  slaves  in  distant  colonies, 
and  the  latter  were  sent  to  the  is- 
land of  Corsica  to  cut  timber.  Eu- 
genius  was  banished  to  Tripoli; 
where  Anthony,  a  violent  xVrian 
bishop,  threw  him  into  a  dungeon, 
and  made  him  sufier  every  hard- 
ship, in  order  to  destroy  him  by  a 
lingering  death.  The  dampness  of 
the  place  gave  Eugenius  the  palsy, 
which  Anthony  hearing  of,  went  to 
the  gaol,  and  finding  him  very  weak 
and  lying  on  the  floor,  he  poured 
some  strong  vinegar  down  his 
throat,  with  a  design  to  choke  him. 
It  had,  however,  a  contrary  effect ; 
for  instead  of  suffocating,  it  pro- 
moted a  copious  perspiration, 
which  cured  his  palsy,  and  restored 
him  to  health. 

When  Huneric  died,  his  succes'- 
sor  recalled  Eugenius,  and  the  ;est 
of  the  orthodox  clergy :  the  Arians 
taking  the  alarm,  persuaded  him 
to  banish  them  again,  which  he 
complied  with ;  when  Eugenius, 
being  exiled  to  Languedoc  in 
France,  died  there  of  the  hard- 
ships he  had  undergone,  on  the  6th 
of  September,  in  the  year  505. 

A  widow  lady  of  fortune,  named 
Dionysia,  being  apprehended  as  an 
orthodox  Christian,  w^as  stripped 
naked,  exposed  in  a  most  indecent 
manner,  and  severely  scourged. 
Her  son,  a  lad,  being  seized  at 
the  same  time,  seemed  afraid  of 
the  torture,  and  looked  pitifully  at 
his  mother,  who  ordered  him  not  to 
fear  any  torments,  but  to  be  con- 
stant to  the  faith  in  which  she  had 
brought  him  up.  When  he  was 
upon  the  rack,  she  again  comforted 
him  with  her  pious  speeches. 
Whereupon  the  youth  patiently 
persevered,  and  resigned  his  soul 
to  his  Creator.  The  mother  saw 
the  death  of  her  son,  and  soon  af- 
ter herself  received  the  crown  of 
martyrdom. 

Cyrilla,  the  Arian  bishop  of  Car- 
thage, was  a  furious  heretic,  and  a 
very  great  enemy  to  those  Chris- 
tians who  professed  the  faith  in  its 
purity.  He  persuaded  the  king 
that  he  could  never  prosper  in  his 
undertakings,  or  enjoy  his  kingdom 
in  peace,  while  he  tolerated  the  or- 


74 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


thodox  Christians;  and  this  mo- 
narch, believing  what  Cyrilla  told 
him,  sent  for  several  of  those  who 
were  obnoxious  to  that  prelate. 
He,  at  hrst,  attempted  to  draw  them 
from  their  faith  by  flattery,  and  to 
bribe  them  by  the  promise  of  imme- 
diate worldly  rewards ;  but  they 
were  firm  and  constant,  declaring; 
resolutely  au,ainst  Arianism,  and 
saying,  "  We  acknowledge  but  one 
Lord,  and  one  faith;  you  may 
therefore  do  whatever  you  please 
with  our  bodies,  for  it  is  better  that 
we  should  sulier  a  few  temporary 
pains,  than  endure  everlasting  mi- 
sery." The  king,  being  greatly  ex- 
asperated by  this,  sent  them  to  pri- 
son. The  keeper,  however,  surter- 
ed  their  friends  to  have  access  to 
them ;  by  which  they  were  more  con- 
firmed in  their  resolution  of  dying 
for  the  sake  of  their  Redeemer, 


A  SHIP  LOAD  OF  MARTYRS  BURNT- 

When  the  king  heard  of  the  in- 
dulgence they  received,  he  was 
exceedingly  angry,  and  sent  orders 
that  they  should  be  closely  confin- 
ed, and  loaded  with  fetters.  He 
then  began  to  consider  by  what 
means  he  should  put  them  to  death, 
and  at  length  determined  to  imitate 
the  barbarity  of  the  emperor  Va- 
lens,  who,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  caused  fourscore  clergymen 
to  be  burnt  in  a  siiip.  He  there- 
fore ordered  these  Christians  to  be 
put  on  board  a  ship  filled  with  com- 
bustible materials,  and  the  vessel 
being  set  on  lire,  they  received 
martyrdom.  The  names  of  the 
principal  of  these  Christians  were, 
Rusticus,  Severus,  Liberatus,  Ro- 
gatus,  Servus,  Septimus,  and  Boni- 
face. 


BOOK  II. 

HISTORY    OF  THE  PERSECUTIONS  IN    VARIOUS     COUNTRIES,     BETWEEN    THE 
FIFTH  AND  THE  TEMTH  CENTURIES. 


SECTION  I. 

PERSECUTIONS  FROM  THE  FIFTH  TO  THE  SEVENTH  CENTURY. 


Proterius  was  madea  priest  by 
Cyril,  bishop  of  Alexandria.  On 
the  death  of  Cyril,  the  see  of  Alex- 
andria was  filled  by  Dioscorus,  an 
inveterate  enemy  both  to  the  me- 
mory and  family  of  his  predecessor. 
Dioscorus,  however,  knowing  the 
reputation  of  Proterius,  and  his 
great  interest,  did  the  utmost  in 
his  power  to  gain  his  confidence 
and  favour,  as  he  thought  he  might 
be  of  great  service  to  him  in  carry- 
ing on  his  evil  intentions  ;  but  Pro- 
terius was  not  to  be  corrupted,  and 
no  prospect  of  worldly  preferment 
could  bribe  him  to  forego  his 
duty.  At  length  Dioscorus  being 
condemned  by  the  council  of  Chal- 
cedon  for  having  embraced  the 
errors  of  Eutyches,  was  deposed, 
and  Proterius  chosen  to  fill  the 
see,  and  approved  of  by  the  em- 


peror. On  this  an  insurrection 
broke  out,  for  the  city  of  Alex- 
andria was  divided  into  two  fac- 
tions ;  the  one  to  espouse  the  cause 
of  the  old,  and  the  other  of  the  new 
prelate.  Proterius  was  in  immi- 
nent danger,  from  a  set  of  schis- 
matics, who  would  neither  obey 
the  decisions  of  a  council,  nor  the 
emperor's  commands. 

INSURRECTION  AT  ALEXANDRIA. 

These  disorders  becoming  se- 
rious, the  governor  of  Thebais 
marched  with  a  body  of  troops,  in 
order  to  quell  them.  The  people, 
however,  were  in  a  kind  of  frenzy: 
when  they  heard  of  the  approach 
of  the  governor  they  armed  them- 
selves, and  marched  out  of  Alex- 
andria,  gave  him  battle,  and  de- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  THE  FIFTH  CENTURY. 


75 


fcatcd  Lim.  The  intelligence  of 
this  affair  so  exasperated  the  em- 
peror, that  he  sent  a  detachment 
of  two  thousand  men  against  them  ; 
the  appearance  of  whom,  and  the 
prudence  of  the  governor  of  Alex- 
andria, whose  name  was  Floras, 
soon  restored  peace  to  the  city ; 
nevertheless,  the  discontented  par- 
ty beheld  Proterius  with  resent- 
ment ;  so  that  he  was  obliged  to 
have  a  guard  to  secure  his  per- 
sonal safety,  and  at  length,  though 
naturally  of  a  mild  temper,  was 
compelled  to  excommunicate  some 
of  them,  and  obtain  their  banish- 
ment from  Alexandria.  But  when 
the  emperor  Marcian's  death, 
which  tiappened  two  years  after, 
gave  anew  turn  to  affairs,  the  exiles 
returned  to  Alexandria,  renewed 
their  cabals  against  Proterius,  and 
seemed  resolved  to  be  revenged 
on  him  for  what  they  had  suUered. 
Timothy,  a  priest,  who  was  at  the 
head  of  all  the  designs  that  had 
been  formed  against  Proterius,  em- 
ployed every  art  to  ruin  his  credit, 
drawing  the  people  from  his  com- 
munion, and  raising  himself  to  that 
see.  At  last,  taking  advantage  of 
the  absence  of  Dionysius,  who  com- 
manded the  forces  of  that province, 
and  was  then  in  Upper  Egypt, 
he  seized  on  the  great  church,  and 
was  uncanonically  consecrated  by 
two  bishops  of  his  faction,  who  had 
been  deposed  for  heresy.  He  then 
continued  the  exercise  of  all  the 
episcopal  functions,  till  the  com- 
mander's return,  who,  upon  hear- 
ing the  disorders  that  had  been 
committed,  and  that  Timothy  was 
the  chief  author  of  them,  expelled 
him. 

This  affair  so  enraged  the  Euty- 
chians,  that  they  determined  to 
v?reak  their  vengeance  on  Prote- 
rius, who  fled  to  the  church  for 
sanctuary:  but  on  Good-Friday, 
A.  D.  457,  a  large  body  of  them 
rushed  into  the  church,  and  mur- 
dered the  prelate ;  after  which 
they  dragged  the  body  through 
the  streets,  cut  it  to  pieces,  burnt 
it,  and  dispersed  the  ashes. 

When  the  Vandals  sacked  Car- 
thage, a  lady,  named  Julia,  was 


taken  prisoner,  and  after  being 
sold  and  resold  as  a  slave,  she  be- 
came the  property  of  a  Syrian  pa- 
gan, named  Eusebius.  Her  mas- 
ter frequently  took  her  with  him 
upon  his  voyages :  in  one  of  these 
they  touched  upon  the  island  of 
Corsica,  where  Eusebius  joined  in 
an  idolatrous  festival;  but  Julia 
kept  from  it.  The  heathens  com- 
plained of  this  conduct  as  disre- 
spectful to  their  gods,  and  in- 
formed the  governor  Felix  of  it, 
who  sent  for  Eusebius,  and  de- 
manded what  young  woman  it  was 
who  had  refused  to  join  in  worship 
to  the  gods. 

Eusebius  replied,  that  the  young 
woman  was  a  Christian,  and  that 
all  his  authority  over  her  could  not 
induce  her  to  renounce  her  reli- 
gion ;  but  she  was  a  very  diligent 
and  faithful  servant. 

Felix  pressed  him  to  exert  him- 
self, either  to  oblige  her  to  assist 
at  the  pagan  worship,  or  to  part 
with  her  ;  and  offered  to  give  him 
his  own  price,  or  four  of  his  best 
female  slaves  in  exchange  for  her,  • 
which  Eusebius  refused.  When 
Felix  found  him  inflexible,  he  de- 
termined to  get  her  into  his  power 
by  artifice,  and  invited  Eusebius  to 
an  entertainment,  when  having  in- 
toxicated him,  he  sent  for  Julia  in 
the  name  of  her  master.  The  slave, 
not  suspecting  the  design,  imme- 
diately went;  when  the  governor 
told  her  that  he  would  procure  her 
liberty,  if  she  would  sacrifice  to 
the  heathen  gods  ;  but,  not  being 
able  to  prevail,  he  ordered  her  to 
be  severely  beaten,  and  finding 
her  still  resolute,  he  commanded 
that  the  hair  of  her  head  should  be 
pulled  up  by  the  roots.  This -bar- 
barity having  no  greater  eflect,  he 
sentenced  her  to  be  hanged.  Scarce- 
ly was  Julia  dead  when  Eusebius 
recovered  from  his  intoxication, 
and  understanding  what  had  past, 
he  in  the  first  transports  of  his  re- 
sentment thought  of  complaining 
to  the  emperor,  who  being  a  Chris- 
tian, would  have  punished  the  per- 
fidy of  the  governor;  but  reflecting 
that  Felix  had  only  acted  with  zeal 
for  the  deities  he  himself  adored, 


76 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


he  determined  to  put  up  with  the 
loss,  and  retire  from  the  place. 

CRUELTY    OF   A    KING    TO    HIS 
CHRISTIAN    SON. 

Hcrmenio^iklus,  a  Gothic  prince, 
was  the  eldest  son  of  Leovigildus, 
king  of  the  Goths,  in  Spain.  This 
prince,  who  was  originally  an 
Arian,  became  a  convert  to  the 
orthodox  faith,  by  means  of  his 
wife,  whose  name  was  Igonda. 
The  king,  on  hearing  that  his  son 
had  changed  his  religious  senti- 
ments, stripped  him  of  the  com- 
mand at  Seville,  where  he  was  go- 
vernor, and  threatened  to  put  him 
to  death,  unless  he  renounced  the 
new  faith.  On  this,  the  prince,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  execution  of 
his  father's  menaces,  began  to  pre- 
pare for  defence ;  and  many  of  the 
orthodox  persuasion  in  Spain  de- 
clared on  his  side.  The  king,  ex- 
asperated at  this  act  of  rebellion, 
began  to  punish  all  the  orthodox 
Christians  who  could  be  seized; 
and  thus  originated  a  very  severe 
persecution ;  he  marched  against 
his  son  at  the  head  of  a  very  pow- 
erful army  ;  and  knowing  that  he 
could  not  oppose  the  formidable 
force  that  his  father  was  bringing 
against  him,  he  implored  the  as- 
sistance of  the  Roman  troops  that 
were  left  to  garrison  tliose  parts  of 
Spain  which  the  emperor  still 
possessed.  The  Roman  com- 
mander undertook  to  assist  Her- 
menigildus,  but  being  bribed  by 
the  king,  he  broke  his  promise. 
Leovigildus  then  made  it  his  busi- 
ness, as  much  as  possible,  to  de- 
tach the  orthodox  Christians  from 
the  interest  of  his  son ;  and  in  this 
he  had  great  success,  for  it  was  ef- 
fected in  581,  by  convening  the 
Arian  prelates  at  Toledo,  who  abo- 
lished the  practice  of  re-baptizing 
those  who  came  over  to  their  sect; 
and  he  drew  up  a  captious  profes- 
sion of  faith,  which  deceived  many, 
and  prevailed  upon  them  to  quit 
the  interest  of  Hermenigildus. 
Hence  finding  himself  forsaken  by 
numbers  of  those  whom  he  most 
confided  in,  the  prince  was  obliged 
to    retreat    towards     Seville,     in 


which  city  he  soon  after  shut  him- 
self up,  and  sent  to  Constantinople 
for  assistance  from  the  emperor. 
The  death  of  that  monarch,  how- 
ever, prevented  him  from  receiving 
any  relief;  for  Maurice,  who  suc- 
ceeded him,  had  no  opportunity  of 
affording  any  succour  to  Hermeni- 
gildus. The  king  immediately 
laid  siege  to  Seville;  the  prince 
defended  the  place  with  great 
bravery,  and  held  out  for  twelve 
months  ;  but  finding  that  the  city 
must  soon  be  taken,  he  privately 
made  his  escape,  and  lied  to  the 
Roman  troops  to  beg  protection ; 
when  being  informed  that  they  in- 
tended to  give  him  up,  he  precipi- 
tately retired  to  Corduba,  and 
from  thence  to  Asseto,  which  he 
fortified.  On  the  escape  of  the 
prince  from  Seville,  that  city  sur- 
rendered, and  the  king  having  put 
a  garrison  in  it,  pursued  his  son, 
laid  siege  to  Asseto,  and  soon 
obliged  it  to  surrender.  The 
prince  being  thus  driven  to  extre- 
mities, flew  to  a  church  for  sanc- 
tuary, when  the  king  having  a  re- 
spect for  the  sanctity  of  the  place, 
sent  an  officer,  named  Reccaredus, 
to  assure  him  of  his  pardon,  upon 
his  submitting  to  ask  it.  The 
prince  believing  his  father  to  be 
sincere,  immediately  went  to  him, 
and  threw  himself  at  his  feet :  the 
king,  however,  instead  of  forgiving 
him,  loaded  him  with  chains,  and 
carried  him  to  Seville,  where  he 
endeaA'oured  to  make  him  re- 
nounce the  Christian  faith  both  by 
promises  and  menaces.  Neverthe- 
less, the  prince  remained  true,  and 
at  the  feast  of  Easter,  when  the 
king  sent  an  Arian  bishop  to  him 
to  administer  the  eucharist,  Her- 
menigildus refused  to  receive  it; 
which  so  enraged  the  king,  that  he 
caused  him  to  be  cut  to  pieces  by 
his  guards,  on  the  13th  of  April, 
A.  D.  586. 

ACCOUNT    OF    ANASTASIUS. 

Anastasius,  a  Persian,  was 
brought  up  a  pagan,  and  bore 
arms  as  a  soldier  under  Cosroes, 
king  of  Persia,  at  the  time  that 
monarch    plundered     Jerusalem, 


AN  ASTASIUS.— MARTIN. 


77 


and,  among;  other  things,  they  car- 
ried off  the  very  cross  on  which 
Christ  was  crucified.  Anastasius 
could  not  imapne  why  the  Chris- 
tians had  such  a  veneration  for  a 
person  who  had  died  so  mean  a 
deatli  as  that  of  being  cruciliod ; 
for  that  mode  of  death  was  held  by 
the  Persians  in  the  greatest  con- 
tempt. At  length  some  Christian 
captives  instructed  him  in  the 
whole  Christian  mystery,  and 
being  charmed  with  the  purity  of 
the  faith,  he  left  the  army,  and  re- 
tired to  Syria;  here  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  goldsmith,  and  then 
going  to  Jerusalem,  he  supported 
himself  by  that  business ;  was  bap- 
tized by  Modestus,  vicar-general 
of  Jerusalem ;  and  staid  a  week 
with  his  godfather  Elias.  Wlien 
that  time  was  over,  and  he  was  to 
quit  the  white  clothes  which  he 
wore  at  his  baptism,  according  to 
the  practice  of  the  church,  he  de- 
sired the  priest  would  put  him  in  a 
way  of  renouncing  the  world.  Elias 
recommended  him  to  Justin,  abbot 
of  a  seminary  four  miles  from  Je- 
rusalem, who  employed  a  person 
to  instruct  him  in  the  Greek 
tongue,  and  teach  him  the  Psalms ; 
and  then  admitted  him  into  his 
community.  Anastasius  passed 
seven  years  in  that  house,  dividing 
his  time  between  humble  domestic 
employments,  and  administering 
the  word  of  God ;  and  at  length 
he  conceived  a  strong  desire  to 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  Re- 
deemer. 

On  going  to  Caesarea,  which 
was  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Per- 
sians, he  was  taken  up  as  a  spy, 
and  brought  before  Marzabanes, 
the  governor,  to  whom  he  owned 
that  he  was  a  Christian,  and  was 
sent  to  prison.  Many  attempts 
were  made  to  convert  him,  and  at 
length  Justin,  being  apprized  of 
his  sufferings,  recommended  him 
to  the  prayers  of  the  whole  com- 
munity, and  sent  two  of  his  people 
to  encourage  him  to  perseverance. 
The  governor  at  length  m  rote  to 
the  king  concerning  Anastasius, 
and  the  sovereign  did  all  in  his 
power  to  engage  him  to  renounce 


his  religion,  but  finding  his  endea- 
vours in  vain,  he  ordered  him  to 
be  executed,  which  was  performed 
in  this  manner :  he  was  laid  upon  his 
back,  with  a  piece  of  wood  across 
his  legs,  pressed  down  with  the 
whole  weight  of  two  strong  men: 
he  was  then  severely  beaten,  hung 
up  by  one  hand,  with  a  weight  fas- 
tened to  his  foot ;  and  alter  being 
strangled,  his  head  was  cut  off, 
and  sent  to  the  king. 

BISHOP    MARTIN. 

Martin,  bishop  of  Rome,  was 
born  at  Lodi,  in  Italy.  He  was 
naturally  virtuous,  and  his  parents 
bestowed  on  him  an  excellent  edu- 
cation. He  took  orders,  and  on 
the  death  of  Theodore,  bishop  of 
Rome,  was  advanced  to  that  im- 
portant see,  by  an  unanimous 
election,  in  which  all  parties  gave 
him  the  fullest  praise,  and  ad- 
mitted, that  he  well  merited  a 
trust  of  such  importance. 

The  first  vexation  he  received  in 
his  episcopal  capacity,  was  from  a 
set  of  heretics,  called  Monothe- 
lites;  who  not  daring,  after  the 
express  decisions  of  the  council  of 
Chalcedon,  to  maintain  the  unity 
of  nature  in  Christ,  asserted  art- 
fully, that  he  had  but  one  will  and 
operation  of  mind.  This  sect  was 
patronized  by  the  emperor  Hera- 
clius;  and  the  first  who  attempted 
to  stop  the  progress  of  these  er- 
rors, was  Sophronius,  bishop  of 
Jerusalem.  Martin,  M'ho  on  this 
occasion  coincided  in  sentiments 
with  the  bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
called  a  council,  which  consisted 
of  105  bishops,  and  they  unani- 
mously condemned  the  errors  in 
question.  But  the  emperor,  pro- 
voked at  these  proceedings,  or- 
'  dered  Olympius,  his  lieutenant  in 
Italy,  to  repair  to  Rome,  and  seize 
the  bishop.  The  lieutenant  per- 
formed the  journey ;  but  on  his  ar- 
rival at  Rome,  he  found  the  pre- 
late too  much  beloved  to  induce 
him  to  attempt  any  open  violence  ; 
he  therefore  suborned  a  ruffian  to 
assassinate  him  at  the  altar;  but 
the  fellow,  after  promising  to  exe- 
cute the  deed,  was  seized  with  such 


78 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


horror  of  conscience,  that  he  had 
not  the  power  to  perform  his  under- 
taking;. Olympius  thus  finding  it 
would  be  very  difficult  to  destroy 
Martin,  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
his  troops,  and  marched  against  the 
Saracens,  wlio  had  made  some  in- 
roads into  Italy,  but  during  this  ex- 
pedition he  died.  His  successor 
was  Calliopas,who  received  express 
orders  to  seize  Martin,  which,  with 
the  assistance  of  a  considerable 
body  of  soldiers,  he  performed ; 
shewing  the  clergy  the  imperial 
mandate,  which  commanded  him 
to  dispossess  Martin  of  his  bi- 
shopric, and  carry  him  a  prisoner 
to  Constantinople.  Having  endur- 
ed various  hardships,  during  a  te- 
dious voyage,  he  reached  the  im- 
perial city  of  Constantinople,  and 
was  thrown  into  prison.  While  in 
confinement,  he  wrote  two  epistles 
to  the  emperor  to  refute  the  calum- 
nies forged  against  him  with  re- 
spect to  his  faith  and  loyalty ;  for 
a  proof  of  the  soundness  of  the 
former,  he  appeals  to  the  testimony 
of  the  whole  clergy,  and  his  own 
solemn  protestation  to  defend  the 
truth  as  long  as  he  lived;  and  in 
answer  to  the  objections  made 
against  the  latter,  he  declares'  he 
never  sent  either  money,  letters,  or 
advice  to  the  Saracens,  but  only  re- 
mitted a  sum  for  the  relief  of  poor 
Christians  among  those  people:  he 
concludes  with  saying,  that  nothing 
could  be  more  false  than  what  the 
heretics  had  alleged  against  him 
concerning  the  blessed  Virgin, 
whom  he  firmly  believed  to  be  the 
mother  of  God,  and  worthy  of  all 
honour  after  her  divine  Son.  In 
his  second  letter  he  gives  a  parti- 
cular account  of  his  being  seized 
at  Rome,  and  his  indisposition  and 
ill-usage  since  he  was  dragged  from 
that  city;  and  ends  with  wishing 
and  hoping  his  persecutors  would 
repent  of  their  conduct,  when  the 
object  of  their  hatred  should  be  re- 
moved from  this  world. 

The  fatigues  that  Martin  had  un- 
dergone, and  his  infirmities,  were 
so  great,  that  on  the  da}'  appointed 
for  his  trial,  he  was  brought  out 
of  prison  in  a  chair,  being  unable 


to  walk.  When  he  was  before  the 
court,  the  judge  ordered  him  to 
stand,  which  not  being  able  to  do, 
two  men  were  ordered  to  hold  him 
up.  Twenty  witnesses  were  pro- 
duced against  him,  who  swore  as 
they  were  directed,  and  charged 
him  with  pretended  crimes.  Marti  a 
began  his  defence,  but  as  t.oon  as 
he  entered  upon  an  investigation 
of  the  errors  which  he  had  com- 
bated, one  of  the  senators  stopped 
him,  and  said,  that  he  was  only 
examined  respecting  civil  affairs, 
and  consequently  that  ecclesiasti- 
cal matters  had  nothing  to  do  in 
his  defence.  The  judge  then  pre- 
vented him  from  going  on.  Mar- 
tin was  then  ordered  to  be  ex- 
posed in  the  most  public  places  of 
the  town,  and  to  be  divested  of  all 
marks  of  distinction  ;  but  all  these 
rigours  he  bore  with  Christian 
patience. 

After  lying  some  months  in  pri- 
son, he  was  sent  to  an  island  at 
some  distance,  and  there  cut  to 
pieces,  a.  d.  655. 

JOHN    OF   BERGAMO. 

John,  bishop  of  Bergamo,  in 
Lombardy,  a  learned  man,  and  a 
good  Christian,  did  his  utmost  to 
clear  the  church  from  the  errors 
of  Arianism,  and  joining  with 
John,  bishop  of  Milan,  he  was 
very  successful  against  the  here- 
tics. Grimoald,  however,  an  Arian, 
having  usurped  the  throne  of  Lom- 
bardj%  the  orthodox  Christians 
feared  that  heresy  would  rise  once 
more  in  that  country  ;  but  the 
bishop  of  Bergamo  used  such 
persuasive  arguments  with  Grimo- 
ald, that  he  brought  him  to  profess 
the  orthodox  faith.  On  the  death 
of  Grimoald,  and  his  son  who  suc- 
ceeded him,  Pantharit  came  to 
the  crown,  and  again  introduced 
those  errors  which  had  been  com- 
bated with  such  spirit  by  the  true 
clergy.  The  bishop  of  Bergamo 
exerted  himself  strenuously  to 
prevent  the  heresy  from  spread- 
ing, on  which  account  he  was 
assassinated  on  the  11th  of  July, 
A.  D.  683. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    KILIEN. 

Kilien  was  born  ia  Ireland,  and 


KILIEN. 


79! 


received  from  his  parents  a  Chris- 
tian   education.        His     favourite 
study  was  theology,  and  hence  he 
was    very    assiduous    in  bringing 
many   to  the  light  of  the  gospel. 
Afterwards    he    crossed    the    sea, 
witli  eleven  other  persons,  in  order 
to  make  converts  on  the  continent. 
On  landing,    they    directed    their 
route  to  the  circle  of  Franconia, 
in  Germany.     On  arriving   at  the 
city  of    Wurtzburgh,   they  found 
the   people  in   general,  and  their 
governor    Gozbert,    pagans  ;j   but 
conceived  g-reat  hopes  of  convert- 
ing them  to  the  gospel  faith.     Pre- 
vious   to    making     this     attempt, 
however,  he  deemed  it  necessary 
to  go  to  Rome,  in  order  to  obtain 
his  mission  from  the  pontiff.      He 
accordingly  went  thither,  attended 
by  Coloman  a  priest,  and  Totman 
a  deacon,  -who  had  accompanied 
him  from  Ireland,  and  found  Conon 
in  Peter's  chair.     He  gave  them  a 
favourable   reception,    and    being 
informed  of   Kilien's   business   at 
Rome,  after  some  questions  about 
bis  faith  and  doctrine,  consecrated 
him  bisiiop,  with  full  permission  to 
preach  to  the  infidels,  wherever  he 
found     them.       Tlius    authorized, 
Kilien   returned     to   Wurtzburgh, 
where  he  opened  his  mission  ;  but 
he  had  not  long  been  employed  in 
his  labours,  when  Gozbert  sent  for 
him,    and    desired    to    know    the 
nature  and  tendency  of  this   new 
religion,    which    he    recommended 
so   boldly.     The   new    bishop  had 
several    conferences  with  the  go- 
vernor on  that   subject,   and  God 
gave  such  a  blessing  to  his  endea- 
vours, that  Gozbert  not  only  re- 
ceived  the    faith,    but    gave    him 
leave  to  preach  wherever  he  pleas- 
ed in  his  dominions.     Gozbert  also 
commanded    the  attention    of  his 
pagan    subjects    to    Kilien's    doc- 
trines ;    and  the   greatest  part   of 
them   became    Christians    in    less 
than  two  years. 

Gozbert  had  married  his  bro- 
ther's widow,  for  which  Kilien, 
though  he  knew  the  sinfulness  of 
the  thing,  did  not  choose  to  rebuke 
him  till  he  Avas  thoroughly  con- 
firmed   in    his    faith.      When    he 


thought  him  fully  instructed  in  the 
principles  of  Christianity,  he  en- 
treated him,  as  the  last  proof  of the 
sincerity  of  his  conversion,  to  quit 
that  person  whom  he  had  hitherto 
looked  upon  as  a  wife,  as  he  could 
not  cohabit  v^ith  her  without  com- 
mitting sin.      Gozbert,    surprised 
at   the  proposal,   told  the   bishop 
this  was  the  hardest  demand   he 
had  ever  made  upon  him.    "  But," 
said  he,  "  since  I  have  renounced 
my  own  inclinations  and  pleasures 
in  so  many  particulars  for  the  love 
of  God,  I  will  make  the  work  com- 
plete, by  complying  with  your  ad- 
vice in  this  too."     The  wife  of  the 
governor,   in   consequence,    deter- 
mined to  be  revenged  on  those  who 
had  persuaded  Gozbert  into  such  a, 
resolution.     She   sent  accordingly 
to   the   place  where  they   usually 
assembled,   and  had  them  all  be- 
headed.    Kilien  and   his    compa- 
nions submitted  without  resistance, 
the  former  telling  them,  that  they 
need  not  fear  those  who  had  no 
power   over   the   soul,    but   could 
only  kill  the  body,  which,  in  a  short 
time,  would  of  itself  decay.     This 
happened  a.  d.  689,  and  the  mar- 
tyrs were  privately  buried  in  the 
night,  together  with  their  books, 
clothes,  &c    &c.     It  is  said,  that 
some  days  after  this  impious  tra- 
gedy was  acted,  Gozbert,  surprised 
that  he  had  not  seen  Kilien  lately, 
ordered  diligent  search  to  be  made 
for  him.     Geilana,  his  wife,  to  stop 
the  inquiry,  gave  cut,  that  he  and 
his  companions  had  left  the  town, 
without  giving  any  account  of  tlieir 
motions ;  but  the  executioner,  with 
remorse  of  conscience,  ran  about 
like  a  mad  man,  and  declared,  that 
Kilien    burned  him.     Thus    disor- 
dered, he  was  seized,  and  Gozbert  * 
was  considering  what  to  do,  when  a       ^ 
creature  of  his  wife's,  a  pretended 
convert,  advised  him  to  leave  the 
God  of  the  Christians,  to  do  him- 
self justice  on  his   enemies,   and 
proposed  the  event  as  a  test  of  his 
power. 

Gozbert  was  weak  enough  to 
tempt  God,  by  putting  it  on  that 
issue  ;  and  the  murderer  being  set 
at  liberty,  went  raving  mad,  tore 


80 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


liis  own  flesh  with  his  teeth,  and  expired  ;    and  Gozbert's  crinunal 

died    in    a    miserable    condition,  condescension  was  punished  by  a 

Geilana  was  so  perplexed  in  her  violent  death,  and  in  a  few  years 

conscience,    that    she    soon   after  his  whole  race  was  exterminated. 

SECTION  IT. 

PERSECUTIONS    FROM    THE    EIGHTH    TO    THE    TENTH    CENTURY. 


ACCOUNT    OF    BONIFACE. 

Boniface,  archbishop  of  Mentz, 
and  father  of  the  German  church, 
was  an  Englishman*,  and  is  looked 
opon  in  ecclesiastical  history,  as 
one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of 
his  country.  His  name  origi- 
nally was  Winfred,  or  Winfrith, 
and  he  was  born  at  Kirton,  in  De- 
vonshire, then  part  of  the  West- 
Saxon  kingdom.  When  only  about 
six  years  of  age,  he  discovered  a 
propensity  to  reflection,  and  seem- 
ed solicitous  to  gain  information  on 
religious  subjects  ;  and  some  evan- 
gelical missionaries  coming  by 
chance  to  Kirton,  happened  to  fix 
their  abode  at  his  father's  house, 
whose  discourse  determined  him 
to  devote  himself  to  a  religious 
life.  When  he  informed  his  fa- 
ther of  his  resolution,  he  would 
have  dissuaded  him  from  it;  but 
finding  him  fully  resolved,  he  per- 
mitted him  to  go  and  reside  at  a 
nvonastery  in  Exeter.  Wolfrad,  the 
abbot,  finding  that  he  possessed  a 
bright  genius,  had  him  removed  to 
Nutscelle,  a  seminary  of  learning, 
in  the  diocese  of  Winchester,  where 
he  would  have  a  much  greater  op- 
portunity of  attaining  improvement. 

*  As  we  are  speaking  of  a  celebrated 
English  martyr,  and  tiave  already  men- 
tioned the  first  person  who  was  martyred 
in  England  for  the  Christian  faith,  it  wilt 
be  interesting  to  the  reader  to  learn,  that 
l)efore  the  coming  of  St.  Austin  into  Eng- 
land, there  had  been  four  persecutions  in 
Britain. 

The  first,  under  Diocletian,  in  which 
many  Christians  suffered  in  fJritain,  in 
common  with  every  ottier  part  of  the  Ro- 
man empire. 

The  second,  by  the  Picts  and  Huns, 
who  devastated  the  southern  part  of  the 
island,  and  butchered.indiscriminately  all 
who  fell  in  their  way. 

The  third,  liy  the  Saxons,  under  Hen- 
gist,  about  A.  D.  450;  and  the  fourth,  by 
the  Saxons  and  other  pagans,  about  a  hun- 
dred years  after. 

3 


The  abbot  of  Nutscelle,  who  was 
celebrated  for  his  great  learning, 
took  uncommon  pains  with  the 
young  pupil,  who,  in  time,  became 
a  prodigy  in  divine  knowledge ; 
and  was,  at  length,  employed  at 
Nutscelle  as  a  principal  teacher. 

We  are  informed  by  the  ancient 
Saxon  historians,  that  those  who 
studied  under  him  had  no  need  to 
remove  to  any  other  place  to  finish 
what  they  had  begun,  for  he  gave 
them  lessons  in  grammar,  poetry, 
rhetoric  and  philosophy  ;  and  ex- 
plained the  holy  scriptures  in  the 
literal,  moral,  and  mystical  senses. 
But  his  example  was  as  instructive 
as  his  lectures,  and  while  he  form- 
ed his  scholars  to  learning  by  his 
dictates,  he  encouraged  them  to 
the  practice  of  virtue  by  his  con- 
duct. 

The  abbot  of  Nutscelle,  seeing 
him  qualified  for  the  priesthood, 
conferred  upon  him  that  holy  order, 
when  he  was  about  thirty  years  of 
age.  From  that  time  he  began  to 
labour  for  the  salvation  of  his  fel- 
low-creatures ;  in  the  progress  of 
which  he  gave  the  first  proofs  of 
that  apostolical  zeal,  which  after- 
wards made  such  glorious  con- 
quests in  a  most  savage  and  bar- 
barous part  of  the  world. 

There  being  an  important  occa- 
sion to  assemble  a  synod  of  bishops 
in  the  kingdom  of  the  West-Sax- 
ons, it  was  judged  expedient  to 
depute  one  of  their  body  to  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  to  in- 
form him  of  the  exigency  of  affairs  ; 
and  Boniface  being  proposed,  was 
unanimously  chosen  by  the  synod. 

Boniface  discharged  this  trust 
with  great  prudence,  and  obtained 
the  applause  of  every  member  of 
the  synod  ;  but  far  from  being  vain 
of  the  reputation  he  had  acijuired,. 
he  proposed  to  forsake  his  country, 
relations,  and  friends,  in  order  to 


BONIFACE. 


81 


be  of  service  to  the  faith,  and  ex- 
tend Christianity  on  the  continent. 
At  first,  the  abbot  and  monks  of 
Nutscelle  would  have  dissuaded 
him  from  his  purpose;  but  finding 
him  resolute,  two  of  their  number 
were  ordered  to  assist  him.  Boni- 
face accordinEjly  left  Nutscelle,  and 
arrived  in  Friesland  about  the  year 


716;  when  he  found  that  country 
in  the  utmost  disorder  and  confu- 
sion. It  had  belonged  to  the  crown 
of  France,  but  was  at  that  time  in 
the  possession  of  Prince  Radbord, 
who  had  established  paganism  in 
it,  persecuted  the  Christians,  and 
was  at  war  with  Charles  Martel. 


Mmiafi'dom  in  the  Fourth   CeDttury^ 


TRAVELS    OF    BONIFACE. 


He,  therefore,  went  to  Utrecht, 
where  he  found  the  infidel  prince, 
and  made  him  a  tender  of  tlie  gos- 
pel ;  but  he  being  obdurate,  Boni- 
face perceived  that  the  time  of  con- 
verting that  nation  was  not  yet 
come,  and  returned  to  his  monastery 
in  England.  But  he  had  not  been 
many  months  there  when  the  ab- 
bot died.  Boniface  undertook  to 
comfort  his  brethren  under  that  ca- 
lamity, and  discovered  so  much 
zeal  and  charity  in  the  transaction, 
that  they  desired  he  would  supply 
the  place  of  their  deceased  father 
and  friend ;  but  he  either  never 
accepted  of  that  post,  or  quitted  it 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


very  soon;  for  he  obtained  letters 
from  Daniel,  bishop  of  Winchester, 
his  diocesan,  which  recommended 
him  to  the  pope,  and  all  the  bishops, 
abbots,  and  princes,  he  should  find 
in  his  way  to  Rome,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
719.  He  was  received  by  Gregory 
the  Second  with  great  friendship, 
and  after  several  conferences  with 
him,  finding  him  full  of  zeal,  he  dis- 
missed him  with  a  commis^on  at 
large  to  preach  the  g«jp?el  to  the 
pagans,  wherever  he  wund  them. 
Having  passed  through  Lombardy 
and  Bavaria,  he  came  to  Thuringia, 
which  country  had  before  received 

6 


82 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  light  of  the  gospel ;  but  at  the 
time  that  Boniface  arrived  there, 
it  had  made  little  progress.     His 
first  exertions,  therefore,  were  to 
bring  the  corrupted  Christians  back 
to  the  purity  of  the  gospel;    and 
having  completed  this  pious  work 
with  great  assiduity,   and  hearing 
that  Radbord,   whom  he  formerly 
in  vain  attempted  to  convert,  was 
dead,  he  repaired  to  Utrecht,   to 
assist  Willebrod,  the  first  bishop  of 
that  city.       During  the    space   of 
three  years,  these  worthy  pastors 
laboured,  in  conjunction,  in  extir- 
pating   idolatry    and    propagating 
the  faith;    and  so  far  succeeded, 
that  most  of  tlie  people  received 
baptism,  and  many  of  the  pagan 
temples  were  converted  into  Chris- 
tian churches.     At  this  time  Wille- 
brod being  very  infirm,  thought  he 
could  not  do  better  than  to  appoint 
Boniface  to  succeed  him ;  but  this 
the  English  missionary    absolutely 
refused,  sa5'ing,  he  could  not  st?.y 
so  long  in  any  place,  as  he  had 
many  evangelical  labours  to  per- 
form.    Willebrod,  on  hearing  this, 
consented  to  his  departure ;    and 
Boniface  repaired  to  Hesse,  where 
he   brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth   two   brothers,    who,    thougli 
they  called  themselves  Christians, 
were  sunk  into  most  of  the  errors 
of  paganism.     They,  however,  be- 
came such  sincere  converts,   that 
they  gave  their  estate  to  Boniface, 
who,  instead  of  applying  its  reve- 
nues to  his  own  use,  built  and  en- 
dowed a  reUgious  community  with 
them;    after  which   he   proceeded 
to    Saxony,    where    he    converted 
some  thousands   to  the    Christian 
faith.      After   exerting   himself  in 
this  new  field  with  prodigious  suc- 
cess about  a  year,  he  dispatched 
one  of  his  companions  to   Rome, 
with  an  account  of  what  he  had 
done;     upon    which    Gregory    II. 
.sent  him  a  letter,  desiring  him  to 
repair  to  that  city  ;  and  he  set  out 
for   Rome.       On  his   arrival,    the 
bSshop  g^l*  him  all  marks  of  es- 
teem and^fl'ection,    and   was  re- 
solved not  to  let  him  return  to  his 
labours  without  the  episcopal  cha- 
racter, that  he  might  pursue  them 


with  more  authority,  and  to  greater 
advantage.  He  was  accordingly 
consecrated  on  the  last  day  of  No- 
vember, 723 ;  from  which  time  he 
took  upon  himself  the  name  of  Bo- 
niface. 

On  being  thus  qualified  for  form- 
ing his  new  church,  he  left  Rome, 
having  with  him  six  letters  from 
the  pope ;  one  to  Charles  Martel ; 
a  second  to  all  bishops,  priests, 
dukes,  counts,  &c. ;  a  third  to  the 
clergy  and  people  under  his  more 
immediate  direction;  a  fourth  to 
the  five  princes  of  Thuringia,  and 
their  Christian  subjects;  a  fifth  to 
the  pagans  in  their  dominions ; 
and  a  sixth  to  the  whole  body  of 
Saxons.  The  purport  of  all  these 
was,  to  recommend  him  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Christian  powers, 
and  exhort  the  pagans  to  hear  him, 
and  quit  their  errors  and  supersti- 
tion. 

Having  made  many  converts  in 
different  parts,  he  returned  to  his 
mission  in  Germany,  and  was  very 
successful,  though  he  met  with 
many  that  would  willingly  have 
been  Christians  only  by  halves ;  they 
were  ready  enough  to  acknow- 
ledge Christ,  but  did  not  care  to 
adhere  strictly  to  his  precepts: 
and  some  were  so  far  deluded,  as 
to  worship  a  large  oak-tree,  which 
was  dedicated  to  Jupiter.  This 
tree  Boniface  ordered  to  be  cut 
down;  when  the  pagans,  finding 
that  Jupiter  did  not  take  any  no- 
tice of  those  who  had  destroyed  it, 
owned  the  weakness  of  their  pre- 
tended deity,  and  desired  to  be 
baptized. 

Being  naturally  diffident  of  his 
own  abilities,  Boniface  had  fre- 
quent recourse  to  such  persons  as 
he  thought  might  be  of  service  to 
him  in  his  present  difficult  station. 
Pope  Gregory,  and  Daniel,  his  old 
diocesan,  were  his  most  consider- 
able counsellors;  but  by  the  care 
of  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  he 
received  from  England  numerous 
missionaries. 

SEVERAL    MONASTERIES    ERECTED 
BY    BONIFACE. 

In  the  year  731,    Gregory  the 


BONIFACE. 


83 


Third  suooeeded  to  the  papal 
chair,  upon  whose  accession  Boni- 
face sent  persons  to  Rome,  to  ac- 
quaint him  with  the  success  of  his 
labours,  testifying  his  obedience, 
and  desiring  assistance  in  some 
difficulties  which  occurred  in  his 
mission.  The  pope  not  only  an- 
swered the  message  by  assuring 
liim  of  the  communion  and  friend- 
ship of  the  see  of  Rome,  but,  as  a 
mark  of  respect,  sent  him  th&  pal- 
lium, granted  him  the  title  of  arch- 
bisho]^,  or  metropolitan  of  all  Ger- 
many, and  empowered  him  to  erect 
new  bishoprics.  Boniface,  in  con- 
sequence, not  only  erected  new 
bishoprics,  but  built  several  mo- 
nasteries. He  then  made  a  tliird 
journey  to  Rome,  in  738,  when  Gre- 
gory, who  had  much  affection  for 
him,  detained  him  there  the  great- 
est part  of  the  year. 

At  length  having  left  Rome,  he 
set  out  for  Bavaria,  upon  the  invi- 
tation of  Odillo,  duke  of  that  coun- 
try, to  reform  some  abuses  intro- 
duced by  persons  who  had  never 
received  holy  orders. 

At  this  time  Bavaria  had  only 
one  bishop  ;  he  therefore,  pursuant 
to  his  commission  from  Rome, 
erected  three  new  bishoprics,  one 
at  Saltzburg,  a  second  at  Freisi- 
gen,  and  a  third  at  Ratisbon,  and 
thus  all  Bavaria  was  divided  into 
four  dioceses.  This  regulation 
was  soon  after  confirmed  by  the 
pope. 

He  next  established  four  other 
bishoprics,  viz.  at  Erfurt,  Bara- 
bourg,  Wurtzbourg,  and  Achstat. 

In  the  year  741,  Gregory  the 
Third  was  succeeded  in  the  pope- 
dom by  Zachary,  who  conlirmed 
Boniface  in  his  power,  and  ap- 
proved of  all  he  had  done  in  Ger- 
many, making  him  at  the  same 
time  archbishop  of  Mentz,  and  me- 
tropolitan over  thirteen  bishoprics. 
He  did  not,  however,  lose  his  sim- 
plicity, or  forget  his  innocence  in 
his  ecclesiastical  dignity. 

During  the  ministry  of  this  pre- 
late, Pepin  was  declared  king  of 
France ;  and  it  being  that  prince's 
ambition  to  be  crowned  by  the 
most  holy  prelate  he  could  find, 


Boniface  was  solicited  to  perfbrm 
that  ceremony,  which  he  did  at 
Soissons  in  752.  The  next  year 
his  great  age,  and  many  infirmi- 
ties, so  afllicted  him,  that,  with  the 
consent  of  the  new  king,  the  bi- 
shops, &c.  of  his  diocese,  he  con- 
secrated Lullus,  his  countryman, 
and  faithful  disciple,  and  placed 
him  in  the  see  of  Mentz,  desiring 
Lullus  to  finish  the  church  at  Fuld, 
and  see  him  buried  in  it,  for  his 
end  was  approaching.  He  then 
went  to  Friesland,  where  he  con- 
verted and  baptized  several  thou- 
sands of  the  natives,  demolished 
the  temples,  and  raised  churches 
on  their  ruins.  Once  he  ajjpointed 
a  day  for  confirming  a  great  num- 
ber of  new  converts,  and  ordered 
them  to  assemble  in  an  open  plain 
near  the  river  Bourde,  whither  he 
repaired  the  day  before;  and 
pitching  a  tent,  determined  to  re- 
main on  the  spot  all  night,  in  order 
to  be  ready  in  the  morning  early. 
Several  pagans,  having  intelli- 
gence of  this  intention,  poured 
down  upon  him,  and  the  compa- 
nions of  his  mission,  in  the  night, 
with  a  view  to  massacre  them. 
The  servants  of  Boniface  would 
have  repelled  the  barbarians  by 
force  of  arms;  but  he  told  them 
and  his  clergy,  that  the  moment 
he  had  long  wished  for  was  now 
come,  and  exhorted  his  assistants 
in  the  ministry  to  prepare  them- 
selves for  martyrdom.  While  he 
was  thus  employed,  the  pagans 
rushed  in  upon  him,  and  killed 
him  and  fifty-two  of  his  compa- 
nions and  attendants.  This  hap- 
pened on  June  5,  a.  d.  755.  Thus 
fell  the  great  father  of  the  Ger- 
manic church,  the  honour  of  Eng- 
land, and  the  glory  of  his  barba- 
rous age  *. 


*  Having  given  the  fair  side  of  the 
character  of  Boniface,  the  archbishop,  it 
behoves  us  to  say,  that  he  was  a  great 
abettor  of  all  the  absui^kies  and  blas- 
phemies of  popery:  thotH^ur  this  lie((^ 
not  so  much  to  be  blam^^  because  in 
his  time  the  candle  of  the  true  gospel 
was  not  lighted.  By  his  authority  Chil- 
deric,  king  of  France,  was  deposed,  and 
Pepin,  the  betrayer  of  his  master,  was 


84 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


MASSACRnS    BY    THE    SARACENS. 

Forty-two  persons  of  Armorian, 
in  Upper  Phrygia,  were  martyred 
in  the  year  845,  by  the  Saracens, 
the  circumstances  of  which  are 
thus  related: 

In  the  reign  of  Theophilus,  the 
Saracens  ravaged  many  parts  of 
the  eastern  empire,  gained  con- 
siderable advantages  over  the 
Christians,  and  at  length  laid 
.siege  to  the  city  of  Armorian. 
The  garrison  bravely  defended  the 
place  for  a  considerable  time,  and 
would  have  obliged  their  enemies 
to  raise  the  siege,  but  the  place 
was  betrayed  by  a  renegado. 
Many  were  put  to  the  sword ;  and 
two  general  officers,  with  some 
persons  of  distinction;  were  carried 
prisoners  to  Bagdat^  where  they 
were  loaded  with  chains,  and 
thrown  into  a  dungeon.  They  con- 
tinued in  prison  for  some  time 
without  seeing  any  persons  but 
their  gaolers,  having  scarcely  food 
enough  for  their  subsistence.  At 
length  they  were  informed,  that 
nothing  could  preserve  their  lives 
but  renouncing  their  religion  and 
embracing  Mahometanism.  To 
induce  them  to  comply,  the  caliph 
pretended  zeal  for  their  welfare ; 
and  declared,  that  he  looked  upon 
converts  in  a  more  glorious  light 
than  conquests.  Agreeably  to  these 
maxims,  he  sent  some  of  the  most 
artful  of  the  Mahometans,  with 
m.oney  and  clothes,  and  the  pro- 
mise of  other  advantages  which 
they  might  secure  to  themselves 
by  an  abjuration  of  Christianity; 
which,  according  to  the  casuistry 
of  those  infidels,  might  be  made 
without  quitting  their  faith ;  but 
the  martyrs  rejected  the  proposal 

recognised  as  king.  From  Boniface 
proceeded  that  detestable  doctrine  which 
now  stands  registered  in  tlie  pope's  de- 
crees, (dis.  40.  cap.  si  papa;)  which 
states,  that  in  case  the  pope  were  of 
most  filthy  living,  and  forgetful  or  negli- 
gent of  himsd&and  of  Christianity,  in 
8'Ah  <i  degr^flphat  he  led  innumerable 
souls  with  hnWo  hell;  yet  ought  no  man 
to  rebuke  him  for  bo  doing,  "for  he 
hath,"  says  he,  "  power  to  judge  all 
men,  and  ought  of  no  man  to  be  judged 
Sgain." 


with  horror  and  contempt.  After 
this  they  were  attacked  with  that 
fallacious  and  delusive  argument 
which  the  Mahometans  still  use  in 
favour  of  themselves,  and  were 
desired  to  judge  of  the  merits  of 
the  cause  by  the  success  of  those 
that  were  engaged  in  it,  and 
choose  that  religion  which  they 
saw  flourished  most,  and  was  best 
rewarded  with  the  good  things  of 
this  life,  which  they  called  the 
blessings  of  Heaven.  Yet  the 
noble  prisoners  were  proof  against 
all  these  temptations ;  and  argued 
strenuously  against  the  authority 
of  the  false  prophet.  This  in- 
censed the  Mahometans,  and  drew 
greater  hardships  upon  the  Chris- 
tians during  their  confinement, 
which  lasted  seven  years.  Boidi- 
zius,  the  renegado  who  had  be- 
trayed Armorian,  then  brought 
them  the  welcome  news  that  their 
suflerings  would  conclude  in  mar- 
tyrdom the  next  day:  when  taken 
from  their  dungeon,  they  were 
again  solicited  to  embrace  the 
tenets  of  Mahomet;  but  neither 
threats  nor  promises  could  induce 
them  to  espouse  the  doctrines  of 
an  impostor.  Perceiving  that 
their  faith  could  not  by  any  means 
be  shaken,  the  caliph  ordered  them 
to  be  executed.  Theodore,  one 
of  the  number,  had  formerly  re- 
ceived priest's  orders,  and  offici- 
ated as  a  clergyman;  but  after- 
wards quitting  the  church,  he  had 
followed  a  military  life,  and  raised 
himself  by  the  sword  to  some  con- 
siderable posts,  which  he  enjoyed 
at  the  lime  he  was  taken  prisoner. 
The  officer  who  attended  the  ex- 
ecution, being  apprized  of  these 
circumstances,  said  to  Theodore, 
"  You  might,  indeed,  pretend  to 
be  ranked  amongst  the  Christians, 
while  you  served  in  their  church 
as  a  priest;  but  the  profession  you 
have  taken  up,  which  engages  you 
in  bloodshed,  is  so  contrary  to  your 
former  employment,  that  you 
should  not  now  think  of  passing 
upon  us  for  one  of  that  religion. 
When  you  quitted  the  altar 
for  the  camp,  you  renounced 
Jesus  Christ.     Why  then  will  you 


MASSACRES  BY  THE  SARACENS. 


85 


tlisserablo  any  longer?  Would 
you  not  act  more  conformably  to 
your  own  principles,  and  make 
your  conduct  all  of  a  piece,  if  you 
came  to  a  resolution  of  saving 
your  life  by  owning  our  great 
prophet?" 

Theodore,  covered  with  religious 
confusion  at  this  reproach,  but 
still  unshaken  in  his  faith,  made 
the  following  answer:  "  It  is  true," 
said  he,  "  I  did  in  some  measure 
abandon  mj^  God  when  I  engaged 
in  the  army,  and  scarce  deserve 
the  name  of  a  Christian.  But  the 
Almighty  has  given  me  the  grace 
to  see  myself  in  a  true  light,  and 
made  me  sensible  of  my  fault; 
and  I  hope  he  will  be  pleased  to 
accept  my  life  as  the  only  sacrifice 
I  can  now  offer  to  expiate  my 
guilt."  This  pious  answer  con- 
founded the  officer,  who  only  re- 
plied, that  he  should  presently  have 
an  opportunity  of  giving  that  proof 
of  his  fidelity  to  his  master. 
Upon  which,  Theodore  and  the 
rest,  forty-two  in  number,  were  be- 
headed. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   TWO    LADIES. 

Two  ladies  of  distinction,  Mary 
and  Flora,  sufl'ered  martyrdom  at 
the  same  time.  Flora  was  the 
daughter  of  an  eminent  Mahome- 
tan, at  Seville  ;  from  whence  he 
removed  to  Corduba,  where  the 
Saracen  king  resided,  and  kept 
his  court.  Her  father  dying  when 
she  was  young,  Flora  was  left  to 
the  care  of  her  mother,  who,  being 
a  Christian,  brought  her  up  in  the 
true  faith,  and  inspired  her  with 
sentiments  of  virtue  and  religion. 
Her  brother  being  a  professed 
enemy  to  Christianity,  and  of  a 
barbarous  and  savage  temper, 
Flora  was  for  some  time  obliged  to 
use  great  caution  in  the  practice 
of  such  virtues  as  must  have  ex- 
posed her  to  a  persecution.  She 
was  too  zealous  to  bear  this  re- 
straint long ;  for  which  reason  she 
left  Corduba,  in  company  with 
her  sister.  Her  departure  soon 
alarmed  her  brother,  who  guessed 
her  motives,  and,  in  revenge,  in- 
lojmed  against  several  Christians 


of  Corduba ;  for  as  he  did  not 
know  whither  his  sister  was  gone, 
he  determined  to  wreak  his  ven- 
geance on  such  Christians  as  were 
present.  When  Flora  was  in- 
formed of  these  proceedings,  she 
considered  herself  as  the  c^use  of 
what  the  Christians  had  suflered 
at  Corduba,  and  having  an  in- 
terior conviction  that  God  called 
her  to  fight  for  her  faith,  she  re- 
turned to  that  city,  and  proceeded 
to  the  persecutors,  among  whom 
she  found  her  brother.  "  If,"  said 
she,  "  I  am  the  object  of  your  in- 
quiry, if  the  servants  of  God  are 
tormented  on  my  account,  I  now 
freely  ofl'er  myself  to  your  dis- 
posal. I  declare,  that  I  believe  in 
Jesus  Christ,  glory  in  his  cross, 
and  profess  the  doctrine  which  he 
taught."  None  of  the  company 
seemed  so  much  enraged  at  this 
declaration  as  her  brother,  who 
after  some  threats,  struck  her;  but 
afterwards  endeavoured  to  gain 
her  by  expressions  of  pretended 
kindness.  Finding  her  insensible 
to  all  he  could  say,  he  insinuated, 
that  Flora  had  been  educated  in 
the  religion  of  Mahomet,  but 
had  renounced  it  at  the  suggestion 
of  some  Christians,  who  inspired 
her  with  the  utmost  contempt  for 
the  great  prophet.  When  she  was 
called  on  to  answer  to  the  charge, 
she  declared  she  had  never  owned 
Mahomet,  but  sucked  the  Chris- 
tian religion  in  with  her  milk,  and 
was  entirely  devoted  to  the  Re- 
deemer of  mankind.  The  magis- 
trate, finding  her  resolute,  deli- 
vered her  to  her  brother,  and  gave 
him  orders  to  use  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  make  her  a  Maho- 
metan. She,  however,  soon  fcund 
an  opportunity  of  escaping  over  a 
wall  in  the  night,  and  of  secreting 
herself  in  the  house  of  a  Chris- 
tian. She  then  withdrew  to  Tucci, 
a  village  of  Andalusia,  where  she 
met  with  her  sister,  and  they 
never  separated  agau|^ill  her  mar- 
tyrdom. ^B| 

Mary,  who  was  marked  at  the 
same  time,  was  the  daughter  of  a 
Christian  tradesman  at  Estrema- 
dura,  who  afterwards  removed  to  a 


80 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


towH  near  Corduba.  When  the 
persecution  began  under  Abderra- 
n)3,  kinj^of  the  Saracens,  in  Spain, 
Mary's  brother  was  one  who  fell  a 
victim  to  the  rage  of  the  infidels  on 
that  occasion.  Mary,  hearing  of 
his  martyrdom,  and  (illed  with  con- 
fusion at  being  left  behind  by  one 
so  much  younger  than  herself, 
■went  toCorduba,  where,  goingiuto 
a  church,  she  found  Flora,  who  had 
left  her  retreat  on  the  same  motive. 
On  conversing  together,  and  find- 
ing they  acted  upon  the  same  he- 
roic principles,  and  proposed  the 
same  glorious  end  of  their  labours, 
they  agreed  to  go  together,  and 
declare  their  faith  before  the  judge. 
Accordingly  they  proceeded  to  the 
magistrate,  when  Flora  boldly  told 
him,  she  looked  on  Mahomet  as  no 
better  than  a  false  prophet,  an 
adulterer,  and  magician.  Mary 
also  told  the  magistrate,  that  she 
professed  the  same  faith,  and  en- 
tertained the  same  sentiments  as 
Flora,  and  that  she  was  sister  to 
Walabonzns,  who  had  already  suf- 
fered for  being  a  Christian.  This 
behaviour  so  much  enraged  the 
magistrate,  that  he  ordered  them 
to  be  committed  to  prison  for  some 
time,  and  then  to  be  beheaded: 
which  sentence  was  executed  on 
the  4th  of  November,  a.  d.  8oO. 

ACCOUNT    OF    PERFECTUS. 

Perfectus  was  born  at  Corduba, 
and  brought  up  in  the  Christian 
faith.  He  made  himself  master  of 
all  the  useful  and  polite  literature 
of  that  age;  and  at  length  took 
priest's  orders,  and  performed  the 
duties  of  his  office  with  great  assi- 
duity and  punctuality.  One  day 
walking  in  the  streets  of  Corduba, 
some  Arabians  entered  into  con- 
versation with  him,  and,  among 
other  questions,  asked  him  his 
opinion  both  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
Mahomet.  Perfectus  gave  them  an 
exact  account  of  the  Christian  faith, 
respecting  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
and  the  redemption  of  mankind; 
but  would  Jtjk  deliver  his  senti- 
ments con^l^ng  Mahomet.  The 
Arabians  pressed  him  to  speak 
freely  ;  but  he  saying,  that  what  he 
should  utter  would  not  be  agreea- 
3 


bic  to  their  ideas,  and  therefore  he 
would  be  silent,  as  he  did  not  wish 
to  oflend  any  one ;  they  still  en- 
treated him  to  speak  his  thoughts, 
declaring  at  the  same  time  that 
they  would  not  be  offended  at  any 
thing  he  should  say.  Hence  be- 
lieving them  sincere,  and  hoping 
this  might  be  the  favourable  time 
allotted  by  God  for  their  conver- 
sion, Perfectus  told  them  that  the 
Christians  looked  on  Mahomet  as 
one  of  the  false  prophets  foretold 
in  the  gospel,  who  were  to  seduce 
and  deceive  great  numbers,  to  their 
eternal  ruin.  To  illustrate  this  as- 
sertion, he  descanted  on  some  of 
the  actions  of  that  impostor;  en- 
deavoured to  show  them  the  im- 
pious doctrines,  and  abominable 
absurdities  of  the  Alcoran;  and 
exhorted  them,  in  very  strong 
terms,  to  quit  the  miserable  state 
in  which  they  then  were,  and  which 
would  certainly  be  foUow^ed  by 
eternal  misery. 

The  infidels  could  not  hear  such 
a  discourse  without  conceiving  an 
indignation  against  the  speaker. 
They  thought  proper,  however,  to 
disguise  their  resentment,  but  were 
resolved  not  to  let  him  escape. 
At  first,  indeed,  they  were  unwilling 
to  use  any  violence  to  him,  because 
they  had  given  him  a  solemn  assu- 
rance he  should  come  to  no  harm: 
but  they  were  soon  eased  of  that 
scruple ;  and  watching  a  favoura- 
ble opportunity,  seized  on  him, 
hurried  him  away  to  one  of  their 
chief  magistrates,  and  accused 
him  of  blaspheming  their  great 
prophet;  on  which,  the  judge  or- 
dered him  to  be  put  in  chains,  and 
confined  in  prison,  till  the  fast  of 
their  Ramadan,  or  Lent,  when  he 
should  be  made  a  victim  to  Maho- 
met. He  heard  the  determination 
with  joy,  and  prepared  for  his  mar- 
tyrdom with  great  fervency.  At 
the  time  appointed  he  was  led  to 
the  place  of  execution,  where  he 
again  made  a  confession  of  his 
faith,  declared  Mahomet  an  impos- 
tor, and  insisted,  that  the  Alcoran 
was  filled  with  absurdities  and 
blasphemies.  In  consequence  of 
this    he  was   sentenced  to  be  be- 


WINCBSLAUS. 


87 


headed,  and  was  executed  a.  d. 
850;  after  wliicli  his  body  was  in- 
terred by  the  Christians. 

WINCESLAUS,    DUKE    OF    BOHEMIA. 

Winceslaus,  duke  of  Bohemia, 
was  educated  in  the  faith  of  Clirist, 
as  his  father  Wrattislaus,  the  pre- 
ceding;: duke,  was  a  good  Christian; 
but  Drahoniira,  his  mother,  was  a 
pagan,  whose  morals  were  as  bad  as 
her  religious  sentiments :  slie  con- 
sented, however,  to  intrust  her  mo- 
ther, Ludmilla,  with  the  education 
of  her  eldest  son.  That  holy  lady 
had  resided  at  Prague  ever  since 
the  death  of  Boriver,  her  husband, 
the  first  dtjke  of  Bohemia  who  em- 
braced the  faith  of  Christ;  and 
Winceslaus  was  sent  to  that  city, 
to  be  brought  up  under  her.  Lud- 
milla undertook  to  form  his  heart 
to  devotion  and  the  love  of  God, 
and  was  assisted  in  that  work  by 
Paul  her  chaplain,  a  man  of  great 
sanctity  and  prudence,  who  like- 
wise endeavoured  to  cultivate  his 
mind  in  other  respects.  The  young 
prince  corresponded  with  their  en- 
deavours; and  the  grace  of  God, 
who  had  prepared  him  for  t])eir 
instructions,  caused  him  to  make 
astonishing  progress  :  he  was  sent 
to  a  college  at  Budwcis,  about  six- 
ty miles  from  Prague,  where  seve- 
ral young  persons  of  the  first  rank 
were  placed,  and  studied  under  an 
excellent  master,  a  native  of  Neisse, 
in  Silesia. 

When  Wrattislaus  died,  his  son 
Winceslaus  was  very  young :  on 
which  account  Drahomira,  his  mo- 
ther, declared  herself  regent  dur- 
ing his  minority.  This  princess, 
now  not  having  any  one  to  controul 
her,  gave  vent  to  her  rage  against 
Christianity.  She  began  her  ad- 
ministration with  an  order  for 
shutting  up  the  churches ;  repeal- 
ed the  laws  in  favour  of  the  Chiis- 
tians,  and  removed  all  magistrates 
of  that  denomination,  supplying 
their  places  with  pagans.  Thus 
finding  themselves  encouraged,  the 
pagans,  upon  any  frivolous  pre- 
tence, murdered  the  Christians  with 
inipuaity ;  and  if  a  Christian  in 
his  own  defence  killed  a  pagan, 


his   life,    and   that  of    nine   other 
Chrisiians,  were  forfeited. 

Ludmilla  was  afflicted    at  these 
proceedings,   as  she  could  not  be- 
hold a  religion  despised  which  she 
professed,  and  which  her  consort 
had  established  with  so  much  diffi- 
culty and  zeal.     Yet  she  could  not 
think  of  any  expedient  to  prevent 
the  total  extirpation  of  Christianity 
in    Bohemia,     except    persuading 
Winceslaus,  young  as  he  was,  to 
assume   the  reins   of  government, 
Winceslaus  at  first  declined  engag- 
ing in  this  task ;  but  upon  his  grand- 
mother  promising    to    assist    him 
with  her  advice,  he  complied  with 
her  request;  and,  to  prevent  future 
disputes,  divided  the  country  be- 
tween himself  and  his  younger  bro- 
ther Bolislav/,   whose  name  is  still 
retained  by  a  town  and  a  consider- 
able district  of  that  country.     Dra- 
homira   now   attached   herself    to 
Bolislaw,  who  was   a  pagan,   and 
followed    implicitly    her  maxims. 
Concerning  the  behaviour  of  Win- 
ceslaus after  his  assuming  the  so- 
vereignty, and  tiie  fate  of  the  aged 
and  worthy  Ludmilla,  the  annals  of 
Bohemia   state   these   particulars: 
"  Winceslaus,  pursuant  to  the  im- 
pressions of  virtue  vv'hich  he  had 
received     from    his    grandmother, 
and  others  employed  ^in  his  edu- 
cation, was  more  careful  than  ever 
to   preserve   the  innocence   of  his 
morals,  and  acquired  some  new  de- 
gree of  perfection  every  day.     He 
was  as  humble,  sober,  and  chaste, 
when  master  of  his  own  motions, 
and  in  full  possession  of  sovereign 
autliority,  as  when  under  the  go- 
vernment of  those  on  whom  he  was 
taught  to  look  as  his  superiors.    He 
spent  great  part  of  the  night  in 
prayer,  and  the  whole  day  in  acts 
of  piety ;  directing  all  his  views  to 
the  establishment  of  peace,  justice, 
and  religion,  in  his  dominions.    He 
-was   assisted    in   these    charitable 
and  truly  Christian  labours  by  able 
ministers ;    and  nothing  of  conse- 
quence  was  donqifvithout  the  ad- 
vice of  Ludmilla^ljrhis  excellent 
princess  being  informed  that  Dra- 
homira,  transported   with  rage   at 
the   success  of  her  directions,  had 


88 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


formed  a  design  against  her  life, 
and  that  it  would  scarcely  be  in 
her  power  to  save  herself,  was  so 
far  from  being  disturbed  at  the 
apprehensions  of  death,  or  de- 
sisting from  what  had  made  her 
odious  to  that  wicked  woman, 
that  she  exerted  herself  more 
vigorously  than  ever  for  the  main- 
tenance of  religion,  and  confirm- 
ing the  prince  in  his  resolutions. 
Being  now  assured  that  her  death 
was  near,  and  that  several  persons 
were  actually  employed  to  dispatch 
her  the  first  convenient  opportunity, 
she  called  all  her  servants  together, 
acknowledged  their  fidelity  in  her 
service  with  a  liberal  hand,  and 
distributed  her  goods  and  money 
among  the  poor.  Thus  divested 
of  all  she  possessed  in  the  world, 
she  went  to  her  chapel,  received 
the  holy  eucharist,  and  then  em- 
ployed herself  in  prayer,  recom- 
mended her  soul  to  God,  and  ex- 
pected his  will  with  the  utmost 
tranquillity  and  resignation.  This 
was  her  situation,  when  two  ruf- 
fians entered  the  chapel,  seized  on 
her,  and  strangled  her  with  her 
own  veil." 

The  young  duke  severely  felt 
the  loss  of  his  grandmother,  yet 
he  did  not  punish  the  oflFenders, 
knowing  that  they  had  been  in- 
stigated to  what  they  did  by  his 
mother.  He  therefore  addressed 
himself  to  God  only,  entreated  the 
throne  of  grace  for  his  mother's 
pardon  and  conversion,  and  pa- 
tiently submitted  to  the  dispensa- 
tions of  Providence. 

TERRITOUIES    OF   WINCESLAUS    IN- 
VADED. 

As  many  factions  were  fomented 
in  his  dominions  by  means  of  his 
mother  and  brother,  and  as  Win- 
ceslaus  himself  seemed  of  an  un- 
warlike  disposition,  a  neighbour- 
ing prince,  Radislaus  of  Gurima, 
determined  to  invade  Bohemia. 
He  accordingly  entered  that 
country  at  the  head  of  a  con- 
siderable arnodP  Winceslaus,  on 
hearing  of  these  proceedings,  sent 
a  message  to  the  invader,  to  know 
what  ofl'ence  he  had  given  him, 
and    what  terms    he    required  to 


quit  his  dominions.  Radislatls^, 
mistaking  the  temper  of  Win- 
ceslaus, looked  upon  this  message 
as  arising  from  timidity ;  he  there- 
fore answered  in  a  haughty  man- 
ner, made  frivolous  excuses  for 
having  commenced  the  quarrel, 
and  concluded,  by  insisting  that 
Winceslaus  should  surrender  to 
him  all  his  dominions. 

This  insolent  demand  obliged 
Winceslaus  to  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  an  army  in  defence  of 
himself  and  his  people.  He  ac- 
cordingly raised  a  considerable 
body  of  forces,  and  marched 
against  the  enemy.  When  the 
two  armies  were  ready  to  engage, 
Winceslaus  obtained  a  conference 
with  Radislaus,  and  observed,  that 
as  it  would  be  unjust  to  hazard 
the  lives  of  so  many  innocent  men, 
the  most  eligible  method  of  putting 
an  end  to  the  dispute  would  be 
by  single  combat  between  them- 
selves. 

Radislaus  accepted  the  proposal 
with  joy,  thinking  that  he  was 
much  more  expert  in  the  use  of 
arms  than  his  antagonist.  They 
accordingly  engaged  in  sight  of 
the  two  armies,  and  the  victory 
seemed  doubtful  for  some  time, 
till,  at  length,  it  declared  in  favour 
of  Winceslaus :  when  his  antago- 
nist was  obliged  to  relinquish  his 
pretended  claim,  and  retire  into 
his  own  country. 

Winceslaus  being  thus  freed 
from  the  fears  of  a  foreign  enemy, 
turned  his  thoughts  to  domestic 
reformation.  He  removed  corrupt 
judges  and  magistrates,  and  filled 
their  places  with  persons  of  integ- 
rity ;  put  an  end  to  oppression, 
punished  such  nobles  as  tyrannized 
over  their  vassals,  and  made  other 
wise  regulations,  which,  though 
they  relieved  the  poor  and  helpless, 
gave  great  offence  to  the  great 
and  rich,  as  they  abridged  their 
power,  and  took  from  them  their 
self-importance  and  assumed  con- 
sequence. Hence  many  became 
factious,  and  the  malcontents  cen- 
sured all  his  best  actions,  and  spoke 
contemptuously  of  his  application 
to  prayer,  fasting,  arid  other  acts 


ADALBERT. 


89 


6f  religion,  which  they  insdiiuated 
were  low  employments  for  a  prince, 
and  incompatible  with  the  courage 
and  policy  necessary  for  the  go- 
vernment of  a  state.  His  mother 
and  brother  were  the  most  in- 
veterate of  his  enemies ;  and 
were  concerting  measures  for  mur- 
dering him,  when  they  understood 
that  he  had  desired  the  pope  to 
send  some  priests  into  his  domi- 
nions, with  whom  he  proposed  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
a  religious  retreat.  This  news 
suspended  the  execution  of  their 
conspiracy  for  some  time ;  but, 
perceiving  the  affair  did  not  come 
to  a  conclusion  so  soon  as  was 
necessary  for  their  ambitious 
views,  they  re-assumed  their 
practices  against  him,  and  gained 
their  ends  in  the  following  treache- 
rous manner : 

Bolislaw  having  been  some  time 
married,  his  princess  brought  him 
forth  a  son.  This  circumstance, 
which  should  have  diffused  joy 
throughout  the  family,  furnished 
Drahomira  and  Bolislaw  with  an 
idea  of  the  most  horrid  nature, 
and  the  innocent  infant  was  made 
the  object  for  perpetrating  a  deed 
of  unexampled  cruelty.  The 
scheme  concerted  between  them 
was  to  get  Winceslaus  into  their 
power.  The  birth  of  the  child  fur- 
nished them  with  a  pretence  ;  and 
a  message  was  dispatched  to  the 
unsuspecting  duke,  requesting  his 
company  at  an  entertainment  upon 
the  occasion.  Winceslaus,  not 
having  the  least  surmise  of  their 
intention,  repaired  to  the  court  of 
Bolislaw,  where  he  was  received 
with  the  greatest  appearance  of 
cordiality.  He  partook  of  the  en- 
tertainment, and  was  festive,  till 
it  grew  rather  late,  when  he  re- 
tired before  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany, as  he  was  not  fond  of  late 
hours,  and  never  neglected  his 
devotions  to  the  Almighty,  pre- 
vious to  lying  down  to  rest. 
When  he  had  withdrawn,  Draho- 
mira urged  Bolislaw  to  follow  his 
brother  instantly,  and  murder  him. 
The  prince  took  his  mother's  san- 
guinary advice,  and   repairing  to 


his  brotlicr's  cliamber,  he  found 
him  kneeling,  and  in  fervent  prayer, 
when  he  rushed  upon  him,  and 
plunged  a  dagger  to  his  heart. 
Thus,  in  a.  d.  929,  fell  Winceslaus, 
the  third  duke  of  Bohemia,  by  a 
most  infernal  act  of  treachery  and 
fratricide. 

ADALBERT,    BISHOP    OF    PRAGUE. 

Adalbert,  bishop  of  Prague,  was 
a  Bohemian  by  birth.  His  parents 
were  persons  of  rank,  but  more 
distinguished  for  their  virtue  and 
piety  than  for  their  opulence  and 
lineage.  They  had  the  highest 
expectations  of  their  son,  and 
gave  him  a  good  education ;  but 
their  joy  was  damped,  by  his  fall- 
ing into  a  dropsy,  from  which  he 
was  with  difficulty  recovered. 
When  cured,  they  sent  him  to 
Magdeburg,  and  committed  him 
to  the  care  of  the  archbishop  of 
that  city,  who  completed  his  edu- 
cation. The  rapid  progress  which 
Adalbert  made  in  human  and 
divine  learning,  made  him  dear  to 
the  prelate,  who,  to  the  authority 
of  a  teacher,  joined  all  the  ten- 
derness of  a  parent.  Having  spent 
nine  years  at  Magde-burg,  he  re- 
tired to  his  own  country  upon  the 
death  of  the  archbishop,  and  en- 
tered himself  among  the  clergy  at 
Prague.  Dithmar,  bishop  of 
Prague,  died  soon  after  the  re- 
turn of  Adalbert  to  that  city ; 
and,  in  his  last  moments,  expressed 
great  contrition  for  having  been 
ambitious  and  solicitous  of  worldly 
honours  and  riches  :  Adalbert,  who 
was  among  the  number  present, 
was  so  sensibly  aff"ected  at  the 
bishop's  dying  sentiments,  that  he 
received  them  as  an  admonition  to 
the  strict  practice  of  virtue,  which 
he  afterwards  exercised  with  the 
greatest  attention,  spending  his 
time  in  prayer,  and  relieving  the 
poor  with  his  fortune. 

Soon  after  the  decease  of  Dith- 
mar, an  assembly  was  held  for  the 
choice  of  a  succe^or,  which  con- 
sisted of  the  clergy  of  Prague, 
and  the  nobility  of  Bohemia. 
Adalbert's  character  determined 
them  to  raise  him  to  the  vacant 


90 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


see,  which  they  did  on  the  19th  of 
February,  083,  and  immediately 
dispatched  messengers  to  Verona, 
to  desire  Otho  II.  would  confirm 
the  election.  The  emperor  granted 
the  request,  ordered  Adalbert  to 
repair  to  court  for  investiture, 
gave  him  the  ring  and  crosier, 
and  tlien  sent  him  to  the  archbi- 
shop of  Mentz  for  consecration. 
That  ceremony  was  performed  on 
the  29th  of  June  the  same  year ; 
and  he  was  received  at  Prague 
with  great  demonstrations  of  pub- 
lic joy.  He  divided  the  revenue 
of  his  see  into  four  parts,  accord- 
ing to  the  direction  of  the  canons 
extant  in  the  fifth  century.  The 
first  was  employed  in  the  building 
and  ornaments  of  the  church  ;  the 
second  went  to  the  maintenance  of 
the  clergy  ;  the  third  was  laid  out 
for  the  relief  of  the  poor ;  and 
the  fourth  reserved  for  the  support 
of  himself  and  family  ;  which  was 
always  made  to  include  twelve 
indigent  persons,  to  whom  he 
allowed  daily  subsistence.  He 
performed  his  duty  with  the  utmost 
assiduity,  and  spent  a  great  por- 
tion of  his  time  in  preaching  to 
and  exhorting  the  people.  His 
conduct  was  discreet  and  humane  ; 
and  his  manner  neither  too  severe 
nor  too  indulgent.  Yet  some 
things  which  he  could  not  remedy 
gave  him  great  uneasiness,  par- 
ticularly"^ the  having  a  plurality  of 
wives,  and  selling  the  Christians 
to  the  Jews  for  trivial  oftences. 
Hence  he  determined  to  consult 
the  pope,  and  made  a  journey  to 
Rome.  John,  who  then  occupied 
the  papal  chair,  received  him  with 
cordiality,  and  advised  him  to 
give  up  his  bishopric,  rather  than 
be  the  witness  of  enormities  which 
he  could  not  remedy.  He,  in  con- 
sequence, determined  to  take  the 
pope's  advice,  and  to  devote  the 
remainder  of  his  days  to  mortifi- 
cation and  silence ;  and  began  b}' 
giving  all  his  treasures  to  the 
poor.  He  was,  however,  before 
he  entirely  secluded  himself  from 
mankind,  desirous  of  seeing  th.e 
Holy  Land,  and  set  off  accordingly 
in  company  with  three  persons. 


On  their  way  they  arrived  at 
Mount  Cassino,  where  the  chiefs 
of  the  monastery  of  that  place  re- 
ceived them  in  a  very  friendly  man- 
ner, and  being  apprized  of  the  cause 
of  their  journey,  when  they  were 
about  to  depart,  the  superior  of  the 
monastery  addressed  himself  to 
Adalbert,  and  observed  to  him, 
that  the  journey  he  had  undertaken 
would  give  him  more  trouble  and 
uneasiness  than  he  was  aware  of; 
that  the  frequent  desire  of  travel- 
ling, often  proceeded  more  from  a 
restless  disposition,  than  real  re- 
ligion. "  Therefore,"  said  he,  "  if 
you  will  listen  to  my  advice,  leave 
the  world  at  once  with  sincerity, 
and  settle  in  some  religious  com- 
munity, without  desiring  to  see 
more  than  you  have  already  seen." 
Adalbert  adopted  the  sentiments 
of  the  superior,  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  that  m^onastery,  where 
he  then  thought  he  might  live 
entirely  recluse  ;  but  he  was  mis- 
taken ;  for  the  priests,  by  accident, 
coming  to  a  knowledge  of  the  rank 
and  former  dignity  of  their  col- 
league, began  to  treat  him  with 
great  deference  and  respect,  w  hich 
occasioned  him  to  leave  the  place. 
Nilus,  a  Grecian,  being  then  at  the 
head  of  a  community  not  far  from 
Mount  Cassino,  Adalbert  went  to 
him,  and  begged  to  be  received 
into  his  monastery.  He  assured 
him  he  would  willingly  comply 
with  his  request,  if  the  practice  of 
his  religious  family  would  be  agree- 
able to  him  ;  he  told  him  that  the 
house  in  which  he  and  his  people 
lived  was  given  to  them  by  those 
of  Mount  Cassino  ;  and  therefore 
it  might  not  be  safe  for  him  to 
receive  one  that  had  left  that  com- 
munity, but  he  advised  him  to 
return  to  Rome,  and  apply  to  Leo, 
an  abbot  of  his  acquaintance  there, 
to  whom  he  gave  him  a  letter  of 
recommendation.  Adalbert  went 
to  Rome,  where  he  found  Leo, 
who,  after  putting  his  virtue  and 
courage  to  proper  trials,  conducted 
him  to  the  pope,  and,  with  the 
consent  of  that  pontiff  and  the 
"whole  college  of  cardinals,  gave 
him  the  habit  on  Holy  Thursday  in 


AITALBERT. 


91 


the  yenr  990.  We  have  already 
said,  that  he  had  been  attended 
only  by  three  select  persons  ever 
since  he  had  the  pope's  advice  for 
resif.';nin<;  his  bishopric;  two  of 
them  now  left  him  ;  but  the  third, 
who  was  his  brother,  Gaudentius, 
followed  his  example,  and  enjj^aged 
in  the  same  community.  Adalbert, 
full  of  humility,  took  a  particular 
pleasure  in  the  lowest  employments 
of  the  house,  and  lived  an  excel- 
lent pattern  of  Christian  simplicity 
and  obedience. 

The  archbishop  of  Mentz,  the 
metropolitan,  being  exceedingly 
afflicted  at  the  disorders  in  the 
church  of  Prague,  and  wishing  for 
the  return  of  the  bishop,  with 
whose  retreat  he  was  not,  for  some 
time,  acquainted,  after  five  years 
absence,  heard  that  Adalbert  was 
at  Rome,  when  he  sent  a  deputa- 
tion to  the  pope,  to  press  his  return 
to  his  diocese.  The  pope  sum- 
moned a  council  to  consider  of  the 
deputation,  and  after  a  warm  dis- 
pute between  the  monks  and  de- 
puties, the  latter  carried  their 
point,  and  Adalbert  was  ordered 
to  return  to  his  diocese  ;  but,  at 
the  same  time,  had  permission  to 
quit  his  charge  again,  if  he  found 
his  flock  as  incorrigible  as  before. 
The  inhabitants  of  Prague  met 
him,  on  his  arrival,  with  great  joy, 
and  promised  obedience  to  his  di- 
rections ;  but  they  soon  forgot  their 
promises,  and  relapsed  into  their 
former  vices,  which  obliged  him,  a 
second  time,  to  leave  them,  and 
return  to  his  monastery.  Never^ 
theless,  the  archbishop  of  Mentz 
sent  another  deputation  to  Rome, 


and  desired  that  his  suffragan 
might  be  again  ordered  back  to 
his  diocese.  Gregory  V.  who  was 
then  pope,  commanded  him  to  re- 
turn to  Prague  ;  and,  with  great 
reluctance,  he  obeyed. 

The    Bohemians,    however,    did 
not  look  upon  him  as  before,   but 
deemed   him   the    censor  of  their 
faults,    and    the    enemy   of    their 
pleasures,     and     threatened    him 
with  death   upon   his   arrival;  but 
not  having  him  yet  in  their  power, 
they  murdered  several  of  his  rela- 
tions, plundered  their  estates,  and 
set  fire  to  their  houses.     Adalbert 
liad    intelligence   of   these    outra- 
geous  proceedings,    and   did    not 
judge  it  prudent  to  proceed  on  his 
journey.      He   therefore    went    to 
the   duke  of  Poland,  who   had  a 
particular  respect  for  him,  and  en- 
gaged that  prince  to  sound  the  Bo- 
hemians  in  regard  to  his  return  ; 
but   could   get    no   better   answer 
from   that   wretched  people,  than 
"that  they  were  sinners,  hardened 
in  iniquity  ;  and  Adalbert  a  saint, 
and    consequently    not  fit  to   live 
among  them  ;  for  which  reason  he 
was  not  to  hope  for  a  tolerable  re- 
ception at  Prague."     The   bishop 
thought  this   message    discharged 
him  from   any  farther  concern  for 
that  church,  and  began  to   direct 
his  thoughts  to  the  conversion  of 
infidels  ;  for  which  purpose  he  re- 
paired to  Dantzic,  where  he  con- 
verted and  baptized  many,  which 
so  enraged  the  pagan  priests,  that 
they  fell  upon  him,  and  dispatched 
him  with  darts,  on  the  23d  of  April, 
A.  D.  997. 


93 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


BOOK  IV. 

rERSECUTIONS    IN    VARIOUS   COUNTRIES,    FROM    THE    ELEVENTH    TO    THE 
SIXTEKNTH    CENTURY. 


SECTION  T. 


PERSECUTIONS    IN    THE    ELEVENTH    CENTURY. 


ACCOUNT    OF   ARCHBISHOP    AL- 
PHAGE. 

Alphage,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, came  from  a  considerable 
family  in  Gloucestershire,  and  re- 
ceived an  education  suitable  to  his 
birth.  His  parents  were  Chris- 
tians, and  Alphage  inherited  all 
their  virtues.  He  was  prudent, 
bumble,  pious,  and  chaste  ;  and 
made  a  rapid  progress  both  in 
polite  literature  and  theological 
learning.  In  order  to  be  more  at 
leisure  to  contemplate  the  beauties 
of  divine  history,  he  determined  to 
renounce  his  fortune,  quit  his 
home,  and  become  a  recluse.  He 
accordingly  retired  to  a  monastery 
of  Benedictines,  at  Deerhurst,  in 
Gloucestershire,  and  soon  after 
took  the  habit.  Here  he  lived 
■with  the  utmost  temperance,  and 
spent  the  greatest  part  of  his  time 
in^prayer.  But  hot  thinking  the 
austerities  he  underwent  in  this 
monastery  sufficiently  severe,  he 
retired  to  a  lonely  cell  near  Bath, 
and  lived  in  a  manner  still  more 
rigid ;  but  some  devout  persons 
finding  out  his  retreat,  his  austere 
life  soon  became  the  subject  of 
conversation  in  the  neighbouring 
villages,  whence  many  flocked  to 
him,  and  begged  to  be  taken  under 
his  pastoral  care.  Consenting  to 
their  importunities,  he  raised  a 
monastery  near  his  cell,  by  contri- 
butions of  several  well-disposed 
persons ;  formed  his  new  pupils 
into  a  community,  and  placed  a 
prior  over  them.  Having  pre- 
scribed rides  for  their  regulation, 


he  again  retired  to  his  cell,  fer- 
vently wishing  to  pass  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  in  religious 
security;  when  the  following  affair 
again  drew  him  from  his  retreat. 

The  see  of  Winchester  being  va- 
cant by  the  death  of  Ethelwold,  a 
dispute  arose  respecting  a  suc- 
cessor to  that  bishopric.  The 
clergy  had  been  driven  out  of  the 
cathedral  for  their  scandalous 
lives,  but  were  admitted  again  by 
king  Ethelred,  upon  certain  terras 
of  reformation.  The  monks,  who 
had  been  introduced  upon  their 
expulsion,  looked  upon  themselves 
as  the  chapter  of  that  church;  and 
hence  arose  a  violent  contest  be- 
tween them  and  the  clergy  who 
had  been  re-admitted,  about  the 
election  of  a  bishop  ;  while  both 
parties  were  vigorously  deter- 
mined upon  supporting  their  own 
man.  This  dispute  at  last  ran  so 
high,  that  Dunstan,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  as  primate  of  all  Eng- 
land, was  obliged  to  interpose, 
and  he  consecrated  Alphage  to  the 
vacant  bishopric,  to  the  general 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned  in  the 
election. 

The  behaviour  of  Alphage  was  a 
proof  of  his  being  equal  to  the  dig- 
nity of  his  vocation.  Piety  flou- 
rished in  his  diocese ;  unity  was 
established  among  his  clergy  and 
people  ;  and  the  conduct  of  the 
church  of  Winchester  made  the 
bishop  the  admiration  of  the  whole 
kingdom.  Dunstan  had  an  extra- 
ordinary veneration  for  Alphage, 
and  when  at  the  point  of  death, 
made  it  his  ardent  request  to  God, 


ALPIIAGE. 


93 


tliat  he  might  succeed  him  in  the 
see  of  Canterbury  ;  which  accord- 
ingly happened,  thoug:h  not  till 
about  eighteen  years  after  Dun- 
stan's  death.  In  the  course  of  that 
period,  the  metropolitan  church 
Mas  governed  by  three  successive 
prelates  ;  the  last  of  whom  was 
Alfric ;  upon  whose  decease,  in 
1006,  Alphage  was  raised  to  the 
see  of  Canterbury.  The  people 
belonging  to  ihe  diocese  of  Win- 
chester were  too  sensible  of  the 
loss  they  sustained  by  his  transla- 
tion, not  to  re^et  his  removal  to 
Canterbury. 

Soon  after  he  M'as  made  arch- 
bishop, he  went  to  Rome,  and  re- 
ceived the  pall  from  pope  John 
XVIII. 

When  Alphage  had  governed 
the  see  of  Canterbury  about  four 
years  with  great  reputation,  the 
Danes  made  an  incursion  into  Eng- 
land. Ethelred,  who  then  reigned, 
was  a  prince  of  a  very  weak  mind, 
and  pusillanimous  disposition. 
Being  afraid  to  face  the  enemy 
himself,  and  too  irresolute  to  fur- 
nish others  with  the  means  of  act- 
ing, he  suffered  his  country  to  be 
ravaged  with  impunity,  and  the 
greatest  depredations  to  be  com- 
mitted by  the  enemy. 

Upon  this  occasion,  the  archbi- 
shop Alphage  acted  with  great  re- 
solution and  humanity ;  he  went 
boldly  to  the  Danes,  purchased  the 
freedom  of  several  whom  they  had 
made  captives  ;  found  means  to 
send  food  to  others,  whom  he  had 
not  money  enough  to  redeem,  and 
even  made  converts  of  some  of  the 
Danes  :  but  the  latter  circumstance 
made  the  Danes,  who  still  conti- 
nued pagans,  greater  enemies  to 
him  than  they  would  otherwise 
have  been,  and  they  were  deter- 
mined to  be  revenged  on  him. 
Edric,  an  English  malcontent  and 
traitor,  gave  the  Danes  every  en- 
couragement, and  assisted  them  in 
laying  siege  to  Canterbury.  When 
the  desigii  of  attacking  that  city 
was  known,  many  of  the  principal 
people  ma-Je  a  precipitate  flight 
from  it,  and  would  have  persuaded 
Alphage  to  follow  their  example  ; 


but  he  would  not  listen  to  such  a 
proposal  ;  assured  them  he  could 
not  think  of  abandoning  his  flock 
at  a  time  when  his  presence  was 
more  necessary  than  ever,  and  was 
resolved  to  hazard  his  life  in  their 
defence.  While  he  was  employed 
in  assisting  his  people,  Canterbury 
was  taken  by  storm  ;  the  enemy 
poured  into  the  town,  and  de- 
stroyed all  that  came  in  their  way. 
The  monks  endeavoured  to  detain 
the  archbishop  in  the  church, 
where  they  hoped  he  might  be 
safe.  But  his  concern  for  his  flock 
made  him  break  from  them,  and 
run  into  the  midst  of  the  danger. 
On  this  occasion  he  addressed  the 
enemy,  begging  the  people  might 
be  saved,  and  that  he  alone  might 
be  their  victim.  The  barbarians 
seized  him,  tied  his  hands,  insulted 
and  abused  him,  and  obliged  him 
to  remain  on  the  spot  till  his 
church  was  burnt,  and  the  monks 
massacred.  They  then  decimated 
all  the  inhabitants,  both  ecclesias- 
tics and  laymen,  leaving  only 
every  tenth  person  alive  :  so  that 
they  put  7236  persons  to  death, 
and  left  only  four  monks  and  800 
laymen  alive:  after  which  they 
confined  the  archbishop  in  a  dun- 
geon, where  they  kept  him  for  seve- 
ral months.  During  his  confinement, 
they  proposed  to  him  to  purchase 
his  liberty  with  the  sum  of  30001. 
and  to  persuade  the  king  to  pro- 
cure their  departure  out  of  the 
kingdom  with  a  farther  sum  of 
10,0001.  Alphage's  circumstances 
not  allowing  him  to  satisfy  the  ex- 
orbitant demand,  they  bound  him, 
and  put  him  to  severe  torments,  to 
oblige  him  to  discover  the  treasure 
of  his  church.  But  he  remaining 
inflexible,  they  remanded  him  to 
prison  again,  confined  him  six 
days  longer,  and  then  taking  him 
■with  them  to  Greenwich,  brought 
him  to  trial.  Here  he  exhorted 
them  to  forsake  their  idolatry, 
and  embrace  Christianity.  This 
so  enraged  them,  that  the  soldiers 
dragged  him  out  of  the  camp,  ind 
beat  him  unmercifully.  Alphage 
bore  this  treatment  patiently,  and 
even  prayed   for  his  persecutors. 


94 


BOOK  QF  MA^RTYRS. 


One  of  the  soldiers,  who  had  been 
converted  and  baptized  by  him, 
was  greatly  afflicted  that  his  pains 
should  be  so  lingering^,  as  he  knew 
his  death  was  determined  on  :  he, 
therefore,  in  a  kind  of  barbarous 
compassion,  cut  otf  his  head,  and 
thus  put  the  finishing  stroke  to  his 
martyrdom.  This  happened  on  April 
19,  A.  D.  1012,  on  the  very  spot 
where  the  church  of  Greenwich, 
which  is  dedicated  to  him,  now 
stands.  After  his  death,  his  body 
was  thrown  into  tlie  Thames,  but 
being  found  the  next  day,  it  was 
buried  in  the  catliedral  of  St.  Paul's, 
by  the  bishops  of  London  and  Lin- 
coln :  from  whence  it  was,  in  the 
year  1023,  removed  to  Canterbury 
by  ^Ethelnoth,  the  archbishop  of 
that  province. 

GERARD,   A    VENETIAN. 

Gerard,  a  Venetian,  having  de- 
voted himself  to  the  service  of  God 
from  a  youth,  entered  into  a  reli- 
gious house  for  some  time,  and  then 
determined  to  visit  the  Holy  Land. 
On  arriving  in  Hungary,  he  became 
acquainted  with  Stephen,  the  king 
of  that  country,  who  acted  the  parts 
of  prince  and  preacher,  and  not 
only  regulated  his  subjects  by 
wholesome  laws,  but  taught  them 
religious  duties.  Finding  Gerard 
qualified  to  instruct  his  people,  he 
tried  to  detain  him  in  his  kingdom  ; 
and,  at  length,  founding  several 
churches,  he  made  Gerard  bishop 
of  that  of  Chonad.  Here  the  new 
bishop  had  a  very  difficult  task  to 
perform,  the  people  of  his  diocese 
being  accustomed  to  idolatry.  The 
bishop,  however,  assiduous  in  his 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  his  ttock, 
laboured  to  bring  them  to  a  sense 
of  tlieir  duty,  and  soon  had  the 
pleasure  to  find  that  his  endeavours 
were  not  unsuccessful,  for  his 
sweetness  of  disposition  won  great- 
ly upon  the  people.  His  success 
was  not  confined  to  his  own  dio- 
cese, but  extended  to  the  adjacent 
country,  where  many  became  con- 
verts to  the  pure  faith  of  Christ. 
Wherever  the  faith  made  its  way 
by  his  ministry,  he  took  care  to 
establish  ecclesiastical  discipline  for 


the  preservation  of  religion,  and 
made  several  useful  regulations  in 
the  public  service  of  the  church. 
His  exemplary  conduct  was  as  in- 
structive as  his  exhortations,  and 
did  much  to  convince  his  converts 
of  the  truth  and  dignity  of  their  new 
profession.  He  was  remarkable  for 
an  uncommon  tenderness  for  the 
poor,  especially  such  as  were  sick, 
or  incapable  of  following  their  ac- 
customed employments.  During  the 
life  of  Stephen,  Gerard  received 
every  assistance  which  that  excel- 
lent monarch  could  afford  him ;  but 
on  his  demise,  his  nephew  Peter, 
who  succeeded  him,  was  of  so  dif- 
ferent a  temper,  that  Gerard  was 
greatly  perplexed.  At  length,  the 
tyranny  of  Peter,  exasperated  his 
subjects  so  much,  that  they  deposed 
him,  and  placed  Ouvo  on  the  throne. 
They,  however,  soon  found  that 
they  had  changed  from  bad  to 
worse  ;  for  Oavo  proved  a  greater 
monster  of  cruelty  than  his  prede- 
cessor. At  Easter,  Ouvo  repaired 
to  Chonad,  in  order  to  receive  the 
crown  from  the  hands  of  Gerard. 
When  he  arrived,  the  other  prelates 
of  the  kingdom,  who  were  assem- 
bled, assured  the  prince  of  their 
affection  for  his  person,  and  promis- 
ed to  concur  in  his  coronation  ;  but 
Gerard  refused  to  pay  that  compli- 
ment to  a  public  and  malicious  ene- 
my ;  and  told  him,  that  he  could 
not  look  on  Peter's  exclusion  as  re- 
gular, and  consequently  should  not 
proceed  to  do  any  thing  to  the  pre- 
judice of  his  title  :  he  then  told 
him,  that  if  he  persisted  in  his  usur- 
pation, the  Divine  Providence 
would  soon  put  an  end  to  his  life 
and  reign.  Ouvo,  growing  more 
insupportable  than  his  predecessor, 
was  brought  to  the  scaffold,  in  the 
year  1044  ;  upon  which  Peter  was 
recalled,  and  placed  on  the  throne 
a  second  time ;  but  his  deposition 
and  retirement  had  made  no  alte- 
ration in  his  temper,  so  that  he  was 
again  deprived  of  the  royal  dignity 
in  less  than  two  years. 

An  offer  was  then  made  of  the 
crown  to  Andrew,  son  of  Ladislaus, 
cousin-german  of  Stephen,  upon 
condition  that  he  would  em.ploy  his 


STANISLAUS. 


96 


authority  ia  extirpating  the  Chris- 
tian relig,ion  out  of  Hungary.  The 
ambitious  prince  came  into  the 
proposal,  and  promised  to  do  his 
utmost  in  re-establishing  the  idola- 
trous worship  of  his  ancestors.  Ge- 
rard, being  informed  of  this  impious 
bargain, undertook  to  go  to  Andrew, 
and  persuade  him  to  withdraw  his 
promise.  He  accordingly  set  out, 
attended  by  three  other  prelates, 
full  of  zeal  for  religion :  but  as  they 
were  about  to  cross  the  Danube, 
they  were  stopped  by  a  party  of 
soldiers  posted  there  by  a  noble- 
man, remarkable  for  his  aversion  to 
the  Christian  religion,  and  to  Ste- 
phen's memory.  They  were  attack- 
ed with  a  shower  of  stones,  cruelly 
beaten,  and  at  length  dispatched 
with  lances.  Their  martyrdoms  hap- 
pened in  the  year  1045. 

STANISLAUS. 

Stanislaus,  bishop  of  Cracow,was 
of  an  illustrious  family.    The  piety 
of  his  parents  was  equal  to  their 
opulence,  and  they  rendered  their 
wealth  subservient  to  all  the  pur- 
poses of  benevolence.     Stanislaus 
was  their  only  child,  he  possessed  a 
penetrating  genius,  retentive  me- 
mory,   and    solid    understanding  ; 
hence    study   became   his    amuse- 
ment.    His  disposition  was  not  in- 
ferior to  his  abilities  ;  and  he  volun- 
tarily gave  himself,  in  the  dawn  of 
youth,  to  such  austerities  as  might 
have  acquired  reputation  for  a  her- 
mit. In  process  of  time  he  was  sent 
to  a  seminary  of  learning  in  Poland, 
and  afterwards  to  the  university  of 
Paris ;  here   he  remained  several 
years,  and  then  returned  to  his  own 
country,  where,  on  the  demise  of 
Lis  parents,  he  became  possessed 
of  a  large  fortune,  of  which  he  de- 
voted the  greater  part  to  charitable 
uses.     His  views  were  now  solely 
directed  to  the  ministry ;  but  he  re- 
mained for  some  time  undetermined 
whether  he  should  embrace  a  mo- 
nastic life,  or  engage  among  the  se- 
cular   clergy.     He  was   at   length 
persuaded  to  the  latter  by  Lambert 
Zula,  bishop  of  Cracow,  who  gave 
him  holy  orders,  and  made  him  a 
canon  of  his  cathedral.    In  this  ca- 


pacity he  lived  in  a  most  exemplary 
manner,  and  performed  his  duties 
with  unremitting  assiduity.     Lam- 
bert was  charmed  with  tlie    many 
virtues  which  so  particularly  distin- 
guished Stanislaus,  and  would  fain 
have  resigned  his  bishopric  to  him, 
alleging  as  a  reason  his  great  age, 
but  Stanislaus  absolutely  rffusedto 
accept  of  the  see,  for  the  iontrary 
reason,  viz.  his  want  of  years ;  as 
being  then  only  36  years  old,  he 
deemed  that  too  early  a  time  of  life 
for  a  man  to  undertake  the  impor- 
tant care  of  a  diocese.     Lambert, 
however,  made  him  his  substitute 
upon  various  occasions,  and  dying 
on  November  25,  1071,  all  concern- 
ed in  the  choice  of  a  successor  de- 
clared for  Stanislaus:  but  he   de- 
clined the  acceptance  for  the  same 
reason  as   before.     At   length  the 
king,    clergy,  and  nobility  unani- 
mously joined  in  writing  to  pope 
Alexander   II.  who,    at  their  en- 
treaty, sent  an  express  order  that 
Stanislaus  should    accept  the   bi- 
shopric.    He  then  obeyed,  and  ex- 
erted himself  to  the  utmost  in  im- 
proving his  flock.     He  was  equally 
careful  with  respect  both  to  clergy 
and  laity,  kept  a  list  of  all  the  poor 
in  his  diocese,  and  by  feeding  the 
hungry,  clothing  the  naked,  and  ad- 
ministering  remedies  to  the  sick, 
he  proved  himself  not  only  the  god- 
ly  pastor,  but  the   physician  and 
benefactor  of  the  people. 

Bolislaus  the  second,  king  of  Po- 
land, had  many  good  qualities,  but 
giving  way  too  much  to  his  pas- 
sions, he  committed  many  enormi- 
ties, till  from  being  deemed  a  good 
king,  he  at  last  acquired  the  appel- 
lation of  CRUEL.  The  nobility  were 
shocked  at  his  conduct,  and  the 
clergy  saw  his  proceedings  with 
grief;  but  Stanislaus  alone  had  the 
courage  to  tell  him  of  his  faults. 
The  king  was  greatly  exasperated 
at  this  freedom ;  but  awed  by  the 
virtuesof  the  bishop,  he  dissembled 
his  resentment,  and  appearing  to 
be  convinced  of  his  errors,  promised 
to  reform  his  conduct.  He,  soon 
after,  attempted  the  chastity  of  a 
married  lady,  who  rejecting  his  of- 
fers with  disdain,  he  violated  her 


06 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


by  force.  This  iniquitous  act 
greatly  incensed  the  nobility  ;  they 
assembled,  and,  calling  the  clergy 
to  their  assistance,  entreated  Pe- 
ter, archbishop  of  Gresne,  to  re- 
monstrate to  the  king  on  the  im- 
propriety of  his  conduct.  The 
archbishop,  however,  declined  the 
task  ;  for  though  virtuous,  he  was 
timid.  Several  other  prelates  imi- 
tated his  example,  and  Stanislaus 
was,  as  before,  the  only  one  who 
had  courage  and  zeal  sufficient  to 
perform  what  he  looked  upon  as  an 
indispensable  duty.  He,  therefore, 
put  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
number  of  ecclesiastics,  noblemen, 
and  gentlemen  ;  and  solemnly 
addressed  the  king  on  the  heinous- 
ness  of  his  crime.  Bolislaus,  vio- 
lently irritated,  threatened  the  pre- 
late with  his  severest  vengeance  ; 
but  Stanislaus,  unintimidated  by 
his  menaces,  visited  him  twice 
more,  and  remonstrated  with  him 
in  a  similar  manner,  which  increas- 
ed his  wrath. 

The  nobility  and  clergy,  finding 
that  the  admonitions  of  the  bishop 
had  not   the   desired   elfect    upon 


the  king,  thought  proper  to  inter- 
pose. The  nobility  entreated  the 
bishop  to  refrain  from  any  further 
exasperating  a  monarch  of  so  fero- 
cious a  temper ;  and  the  clergy  en- 
deavoured to  persuade  the  king 
not  to  be  offended  with  Stanislaus 
for  his  charitable  remonstrances. 
But  the  haughty  sovereign  deter- 
mined at  any  rate  to  get  rid  of  a 
prelate,  who,  in  his  opinion,  was 
too  censorious ;  and  hearing  that 
the  bishop  was  alone,  in  the  chapel 
of  St.  Michael,  at  a  small  distance 
from  the  town,  he  dispatched  some 
soldiers  to  murder  him.  The  men 
readily  undertook  the  task ;  but 
when  they  came  into  the  presence 
of  Stanislaus,  the  venerable  aspect 
of  the  prelate  struck  them  with 
such  awe,  that  they  could  not  per- 
form what  they  had  promised.  On 
their  return,  the  king,  finding  they 
had  not  obeyed  his  orders,  snatch- 
ed a  dagger  from  one  of  them,  and 
ran  furiously  to  the  chapel,  where, 
finding  Stanislaus  at  the  altar, 
he  plunged  the  weapon  into  his 
heart.  This  took  place  on  the  8th 
of  May,  A.  D.  1079. 


SECTION  II. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF   THE   WALDENSES    IN    FRANCE. 


Before  this  time  the  church  of 
Christ  was  tainted  with  many  of 
the  errors  of  popery,  and  supersti- 
tion began  to  predominate  ;  but  a 
few,  who  perceived  the  pernicious 
tendency  of  such  errors,  deter- 
mined to  shew  the  light  of  the  gos- 
J^  pel  in  its  real  purity,  and  to  dis- 
*  perse  those  clouds  which  artful 
priests  had  raised  about  it,  in  order 
to  delude  the  people.  The  princi- 
pal of  these  worthies  was  Beren- 
garius,  who,  about  the  year  1000, 
boldly  preached  gospel  truths  ac- 
cording to  their  primitive  purity. 
Many,  from  conviction,  went  over 
to  his  doctrine,  and  were,  on  that 
account,  called  Berengarians.  Be- 
rengarius  was  succeeded  by  Peter 
Bruis,  who  preached  at  Toulouse, 
under  the  protection  of  an  earl, 
named  Hildephonsus ;  and  the 
whole  tenets  of  the  reformers,  with 
the    reasons    of   their    separation 


from  the  church  of  Rome,  were 
published  in  a  book  written  by 
Bruis  under  the  title  of  Antichrist. 

In  the  year  1140,  the  number  of 
the  reformed  was  very  great,  and 
the  probability  of  their  increasing 
alarmed  the  pope,  who  wrote  to  se- 
veral princes  to  banish  them  their 
dominions,  and  employed  many 
learned  men  to  write  against  them. 

In  1147,  Henry  of  Toulouse,  be- 
ing deemed  their  most  eminent 
preacher,  they  were  called  Henri- 
cians ;  and  as  they  would  not  ad- 
mit of  any  proofs  relative  to  reli- 
gion but  what  could  be  deduced 
from  the  scriptures  themselves,  the 
popish  party  gave  them  the  name 
of  Apostolics. — Peter  Waldo,  or 
Valdo,  a  native  of  Lyons,  at  this 
time  became  a  strenuous  opposer 
of  popery  :  and  from  him  the  re- 
formed received  the  appellation  of 
Waldoys,  or  Waldenses.     Waldo 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


97 


was  a  man  eminent  for  his  Icarninjj; 
and  benevolence  ;  and  his  doc- 
trines were  adopted  by  multitudes. 
Tiie  bishop  of  Lyons  takinif  um- 
brage at  the  freedom  with  which  he 
treated  tke  pope  and  the  Romish 
clergy,    sent   to   admonish  him  to 


refrain  in  future  from  such  dis- 
courses; but  Waldo  answered, 
"  That  he  could  not  be  silent  in  a 
cause  of  such  importance  as  the 
salvation  of  men's  souls  ;  wherein 
he  must  obey  God  rather  than 
man." 


Primitive  Martyrdoms, 


ACCUSATIONS  OF   PETER    WALDO 
AGAINST    POPERY. 

His  principal  accusations  against 
the  Roman  Catholics  were,  that 
they  affirm  the  church  of  Rome  to 
be  the  only  infallible  church  of 
Christ  upon  earth  ;  and  that  the 
pope  is  its  head,  and  the  vicar  of 
Christ;  that  they  hold  the  absurd 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  in- 
sisting that  the  bread  and  wine 
given  in  the  sacrament  is  the 
very  identical  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  which  was  nailed  to  the 
cross  i  that  they  believe  there  is  a 
place  called  purgatory,  where  the 
souls  of  persons,  after  this  life,  are 
purged  from  the  sins  of  mortality, 
and  that  the  pains  and  penalties 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


here  inflicted  mfiy  be  abated  ac- 
cording to  the  masses  said  by  and 
the  money  paid  to  the  priests ;  that 
they  teach,  the  communion  of  one 
kind,  or  the  receiving  the  wafer 
only,  is  sufficient  for  the  lay  peo- 
ple, though  the  clergy  must  be  in- 
dulged with  both  bread  and  wine ; 
that  they  pray  to  the  Virgin  Mary 
and  saints,  though  their  prayers 
ought  to  be  immediately  to  God  ; 
that  they  pray  for  souls  departed, 
though  God  decides  their  fate  im- 
mediately on  the  decease  of  the 
person  ;  that  they  will  not  perform 
the  service  of  the  church  in  a 
language  understood  by  the  people 
in  general ;  that  they  place  their  de- 
votion in  the  number  of  prayers. 

7 


98 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  not  in  the  intent  of  the  heart ; 
that  they  forbid  marriage  to  the 
clergy,  though  God  allowed  it ; 
and  that  they  use  many  things  in 
baptism,  though  Christ  used  only 
water.  When  pope  Alexander  the 
Third  was  informed  of  these  trans- 
actions, he  excommunicated  Wal- 
do and  his  adherents,  and  com- 
manded the  bishop  of  Lyons  to  ex- 
terminate them:  thus  began  the 
papal  persecutions  against  the 
Waldenses. 

TENETS    OF   THE   WALDENSES. 

1.  That  holy  oil  is  not  to  be 
mingled  in  baptism. 

2.  That  prayers  used  over  things 
inanimate  are  superstitious. 

3.  Flesh  may  be  eaten  in  Lent ; 
the  clergy  may  marry  ;  and  auricu- 
lar confession  is  unnecessary. 

4.  Confirmation  is  no  sacrament: 
we  are  not  bound  to  pay  obedience 
to  the  pope  ;  ministers  should  live 
upon  tithes  ;  no  dignity  sets  one 
clergyman  above  another,  for  their 
superiority  can  only  be  drawn  from 
real  worth. 

5.  Images  in  churches  are  ab- 
surd; image-v/orship  is  idolatry; 
the  pope's  indulgences  ridiculous  ; 
and  the  miracles  pretended  to  be 
done  by  the  church  of  Roine  are 
false. 

■  6.  Fornication  and  public  stews 
ought  not  to  be  allowed  ;  purga- 
tory is  a  Jiction;  and  deceased  per- 
sons, called  saints,  ought  not  to  be 
prayed  to. 

7,  Extreme  unction  is  not  a  sa- 
crament ;  and  masses,  indulgences, 
and  prayers,  are  of  no  service  to 
the  dead. 

8.  The  Lord's  prayer  ought  to  be 
the  rule  of  all  other  prayers. 

W  aldo  remained  three  years  un- 
discovered in  Lyons,  though  the 
utmost  diligence  was  used  to  ap- 
prehend him;  but  at  length  he  round 
an  opportunity  of  escaping  from 
the  place  of  his  concealment  to  the 
mountains  of  Dauphiny.  He.soijn 
after  found  means  to  propagate  his 
doctrines  in  Dauphiny  and  Picardy, 
which  so  exasperated  Philip,  king 
'  of  France,  that  he  pat  the  latter 
province,  tvhich  contained  most  of 


the  sectaries,  under  military  exe- 
cution ;  destroying  above  300  gen- 
tlemen's seats,  erasing  some  walled 
towns,  burning  many  of  the  reform- 
ed, and  driving  others  into  Flanders 
and  Germany.  « 

Notwithstanding  these  persecu- 
tions, the  reformed  religion  seemed 
to  flourish;  and  the  Waldenses,  in 
various  parts,  became  more  numer- 
ous than  ever.  At  length  the  pope 
accused  them  of  heresy,  and  the 
monks  of  immorality.  "These  slan- 
ders they,  however,  refuted ;  but 
the  pope,  incensed  at  their  increase, 
used  all  means  for  their  extirpa- 
tion;  such  as  excommunications, 
anathemas,  canons,  constitutions,^ 
decrees,  k.9.  by  which  they  were 
rendered  incapable  of  holding  places 
of  trust,  honour,  or  profit;  their 
lands  were  seized,  their  goods  con- 
fiscated, and  they  were  not  per- 
mitted to  be  buried  in  consecrated 
ground.  Some  of  the  Waldenses 
having  taken  refuge  in  Spain,  Al- 
dephonsus,  king  of  Arragon,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  pope,  published 
an  edict,  strictly  ordering  all  Ro- 
man Catholics  to  persecute  them 
wherever  they  could  be  found ;  and 
decreeing  that  all  who  gave  them 
the  least  assistance  should  be  deem- 
ed traitors. 

The  year  after  this  edict  Alde- 
phonsus  was  severely  punished  by 
the  hand  of  Providence ;  for  his 
son  was  defeated  in  a  great  battle, 
and  50,000  of  his  men  slain,  by 
which  a  considerable  portion  of 
his  kingdom  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Moors. 

The  reformed  ministers  continued 
to  preach  boldly  against  the  Ro- 
mish church ;  and  Peter  Waldo,  in 
particular,  wherever  he  went,  as- 
serted, that  the  pope  was  anti- 
christ, that  mass  was  an  abomina- 
tion, that  the  host  was  an  idol, 
and  that  purgatory  was  a  fable. 

ORIGIN    OF   THE    INQUISITION. 

These  proceedings  of  Waldo, 
and  his  reformed  companions,  oc- 
casioned the  origin  of  inquisitors; 
for  pope  Innocent  III.  authorized 
certain  monks  inquisitors,  to  find 
and  deliver  over  the  reformed   ta 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


99 


the  secular  power.  The  monks, 
upon  the  least  surmise  or  infurma- 
tion,  trave  up  the  reformed  to  the 
magistrate,  who  delivered  them 
to  the  executioner  ;  for  the  process 
was  short,  as  accusation  supplied 
the  place  of  evidence,  and  a  fair 
trial  was  never  granted  to  the  ac- 
cused. 

CRUELTIES    OF    THE    POPE,    AND    AR- 
TIFICES   OF    DOMINIC. 

When  the  pope  found  that  these 
cruel  meaDS  had  not  the  desired 
effect,  he  determined  to  try  others 
of  a  milder  nature;  he  therefore 
sent  several  learned  monks  to 
preach  among  the  Waldenses,  and 
induce  them  to  change  their  opi- 
nions. Among  these  monks  was 
one  Dominic,  who  appeared  ex- 
tremely zealous  in  the  cause  of 
popery.  He  instituted  an  order, 
which,  from  him,  was  called  the 
order  of  Dominican  friars ;  and 
the  members  of  this  order  have 
ever  since  been  the  principal  inqui- 
sitors in  every  country  into  which 
that  horrible  tribunal  has  been  in- 
troduced. Their  power  was  un- 
limited ;  they  proceeded  against 
whom  they  pleased,  without  any 
consideration  of  age,  sex,  or  rank. 
However  infamous  the  accusers, 
the  accusation  was  deemed  valid  ; 
and  even  anonymous  informations 
were  thought  sufficient  evidence. 
The  dearest  friends  or  kindred 
could  not,  without  danger,  serve 
any  one  who  was  imprisoned  on 
account  of  religion;  to  convey  to 
those  who  were  confined  a  little 
straw,  or  give  them  a  cup  of  water, 
was  called  favouring  the  heretics  ; 
no  lawyer  dared  to  plead  even  for 
his  own  brother,  or  notary  register 
any  thing  in  favour  of  the  reformed. 
The  malice  of  the  papists,  indeed, 
went  beyond  the  grave,  and  the 
bones  of  many  Waldenses,  who 
had  been  long  dead,  were  dug  up 
and  burnt.  If  a  man  on  his  death- 
bed were  accused  of  being  a  fol- 
lower of  Waldo,  his  estates  Mere 
confiscated,  and  the  heir  defrauded 
of  his  inheritance  ;  and  some  were 
even  obliged  to  make  pilgrimages 
to  the  Holy  Laad,  while  the  Domi- 


nicans took  possession  of  their 
houses  and  property,  which  they 
refused  to  surrender  to  the  owners 
upon  their  return. 

PRISONS    FILLED    WITH  CHRISTIANS. 

A  knight  named  Enraudus,  being 
accused  of  embracing  the  opinions 
of  Waldo,  was  burnt  at  Paris  a.  d. 
1201,  About  1228  such  numbers 
of  the  reformed  were  apprehended, 
that  the  archbishops  of  Aix,  Aries, 
and  Narbonne,  took  compassion  on 
them,  and  thus  expressed  them- 
selves to  the  inquisitors  :  "  We 
hear  that  you  have  apprehended 
such  a  number  of  Waldenses,  that 
it  is  not  only  impossible  to  defray 
the  charge  of  their  food  and  con- 
finement, but  to  provide  lime  and 
stone  to  build  prisons  for  them." 

AVARICE   AND    INJUSTICE    OF    BO- 
RALLI. 

In  1380,  a  monk  inquisitor, 
named  Francis  Boralli,  had  a  com- 
mission granted  him  by  pope  Cle- 
ment VII,  to  search  for,  and 
punish  the  Waldenses  in  Aix, 
Ambrune,  Geneva,  Savoy,  Orange, 
Aries,  Vienne,  Avignon,  &c.  He 
went  to  Ambrune,  and  summoned 
all  the  inhabitants  to  appear  before 
him  ;  when  those  who  were  found 
to  be  of  the  reformed  religion,  were 
delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power,  and  burnt ;  and  those  who 
did  not  appear,  were  excommuni- 
cated for  contumacy,  and  had  their 
eliects  confiscated.  In  the  distri- 
bntion  of  the  eifects,  the  clergy  had 
two-thirds  of  the  property  of  all 
who  were  condemned,  and  the  se- 
cular power  one  third.  All  the  re- 
formed inhabitants  of  the  other 
places,  named  in  the  commission 
of  this  ecclesiastic  were  equal 
sufl'erers. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    DAUPHINY. 

In  1400,  the  Waldenses  who  re- 
sided in  the  valley  of  Pragela, 
were,  at  the  instigation  of  some 
priests,  suddenly  attacked  by  a 
body  of  troops,  who  plundered 
their  houses,  murdered  many,  and 
drove  others  into  the  Alps,  where 
great  numbers  were  frozento  deatjj. 
it  being  in  the  depth  of  wiiiiei^ 
In  1460,  a  persecution  whs  cnrried 


100 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


or  in  DaupLiny  against  the  Wal- 
denses,  by  the  archbishop  of  Am- 
brune,  who  employed  a  monk, 
named  John  Vayleti,  who  pro- 
ceeded with  such  violence,  that  not 
only  the  Waldenses,  but  even  many 
papists,  were  sufferers :  for  if  any 
of  them  expressed  compassion  or 
pity  for  the  inoffensive  people,  who 
were  so  cruelly  treated,  they  Avere 
accused  of  favouring  the  Walden- 
ses, and  punished.  At  length 
Vayleti's  proceedings  became  so 
intolerable,  that  a  great  number  of 
the  papists  themselves  addressed  a 
petition  against  him  to  Louis  XI. 
king  of  France,  who  granted  the 
request  of  the  petitioners,  and 
sent  an  order  to  the  governor  of 
Daupliiny  to  stop  the  persecution. 
Vayleti,  however,  by  order  of  the 
archbishop,  still  continued  it ;  for, 
taking  advantage  of  the  last  clause 
of  the  edict,  he  pretended  that  he 
did  nothing  contrary  to  the  king's 
precept,  who  had  ordered  punish- 
ment to  such  as  affirmed  any  thing 
against  the  holy  catholic  faith. 
This  persecution  at  length  con- 
cluded with  the  death  of  the  arch- 
bishop, which  happened  in  1487. 

ATTEMPTS  OF  THE  POPE  TO  EX- 
TERMINATE THE  WALDENSES. 

Pope  Innocent  VIII.  in  1488, 
determined  to  persecute  the  Wal- 
denses. To  this  end  he  sent  Albert 
de  Capitaneis,  archdeacon  of  Cre- 
mona, to  France  ;  who,  on  arriving 
in  Daupliiny,  craved  the  assistance 
of  the  king's  lieutenant  to  exter- 
minate the  Waldenses  from  the 
valley  of  Loyse :  the  lieutenant 
readily  granted  :iis  assistance,  and 
marched  a  body  of  troops  to  the 
place  ;  but  when  they  arrived  at 
the  valley,  they  found  that  it  had 
been  deserted  by  the  inhabitants, 
who  had  retired  to  the  mountains, 
and  hid  tiiemselves  in  caverns,  &c. 
The  archdeacon  and  lieutenant 
innnediaiely  followed  them  with 
the  troops,  and  apprehending 
many,  they  cast  them  headlong 
from  the  precipices,  by  which  they 
were  dashed  to  pieces.  Several, 
*  however,  retired  to  the  innermost 
parts  of  the  caverns,  and  knowing 


the  intricacies,  were  able  to  conceal 
themselves.  The  archdeacon  and 
lieutenant,  not  being  able  to  come 
at  them,  ordered  the  mouths  of  the 
caves  to  be  Idled  with  faggots, 
which  being  lighted,  those  within 
were  suffocated.  On  searching  the 
caves,  400  infants  were  found  smo- 
thered, either  in  their  cradles  or  in 
their  mothers'  arras  ;  and,  upon  the 
whole,  about  3000  men,  women, 
and  children,  were  destroyed  in 
this  persecution. 

After  this  tragical  work,  the 
lieutenant  and  archdeacon  pro- 
ceeded with  the  troops  to  Pragela 
and  Frassanier,  in  order  to  per- 
secute the  Waldenses  in  those 
parts.  But  these  having  heard  of 
the  fate  of  their  brethren  in  the 
valley  of  Loyse,  thought  proper  to 
arm  themselves  ;  and  by  fortifying 
the  different  passes,  and  bravely 
disputing  the  passages  through 
them,  they  so  harassed  the  troops, 
that  the  lieutenant  was  compelled 
to  retire  without  effecting  his 
purpose. 

THE  KING  OF  FRANCE  FAVOURS 
THE  WALDENSES. 

In  1494,  Anthony  Fabri,  and 
Christopher  de  Salience,  having  a 
commission  to  persecute  the  AVal- 
denses  of  Dauphiny,  put  some  to 
death,  sequestered  the  estates  of 
others,  and  confiscated  the  goods 
of  many  ;  but  Louis  XII.  coming 
to  the  crown  in  1498,  the  Walden- 
ses petitioned  him  for  a  restitution 
of  their  property.  The  king  de- 
termined to  have  the  affair  impar- 
tially canvassed,  and  sent  a  com- 
missioner of  his  own,  together 
with  a  commissary  from  the  pope, 
to  make  the  proper  inquiries. 
The  witnesses  against  the  Wal- 
denses having  been  examined,  the 
innocence  of  those  poor  people 
evidently  appeared,  and  the  king's 
commissioner,  declared,  "  That  he 
only  desired  to  be  as  good  a  Chris- 
tian as  the  worst  of  them."  When 
this  favourable  report  was  made  to 
the  king,  he  immediately  gave 
orders  that  the  AValdeuses  should 
have  their  property  restored  to 
them.     The    archbishop    of   Am- 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


101 


fcrune,  havin«!;  the  f^reatest  quantity 
of  these  poor  people's  goods,  it 
Avas  generally  imagined  that  he 
would  set  a  laudable  example  to 
others,  by  being  the  first  to  restore 
them.  The  archbishop,  however, 
declared,  that  he  would  not  restore 
any  of  the  property,  for  it  was  in- 
corporated with,  and  become  part 
of  his  archbishopric.  He,  how- 
ever, with  an  aHectation  of  candour, 
oHered  to  relinquish  several  vine- 
yards, of  which  he  had  dispossessed 
the  Waldenses,  provided  the  lords 
of  Dauphiny  would  restore  all  they 
had  taken  from  those  poor  people  ; 
but  this  the  lords  absolutely  re- 
fused, being  as  desirous  of  keeping 
their  plunder  as  the  archbishop 
himself. 

The  Waldenses  finding  that  they 
were  not  likely  to  recover  any  of 
their  property,  again  appealed  to 
the  king  ;  and  the  monarch  having 
attended  to  their  complaints,  wrote 
to  the  archbishop  ;  but  that  artful 
and  avaricious  prelate  replied, 
"  That  at  the  commencement  of 
the  persecution  the  Waldenses  had 
been  excommunicated  by  the  pope, 
in  consequence  of  which  their 
goods  were  distrained ;  therefore, 
till  the  sentence  of  exconimunica- 
tion  was  taken  off,  which  had  oc- 
casioned them  to  be  seized,  they 
could  not  be  restored  with  pro- 
priety." This  plea  was  allowed  to 
be  reasonable ;  and  application 
was  inetlectually  made  to  the  pope 
to  remove  the  sentence  of  excom- 
munication; for  the  archbishop, 
supposing  tliis  would  be  the  case, 
had  used  all  his  interest  at  Rome  to 
prevent  the  application  from  suc- 
ceeding. 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 

At  length  this  sect  having  spread 
from  Dauphiny  into  several  other 
provinces,  became  very  numerous 
in  Provence.  At  their  first  arrival, 
Provence  was  almost  a  desert,  but 
by  their  great  industry  it  soon 
abounded  with  corn,  wine,  oil, 
fruit,  &,c.  The  pope,  by  being  often 
near  them  at  his  seat  at  Avignon, 
heard    occasionally    many    things 


concerning  their  differing  from  the 
church  of  Rome,  which  greatly  ex- 
asperated him,  and  he  determi  led 
to  persecute  them.  Proceeding  to 
some  extremities,  under  the  sanc- 
tion of  his  ecclesiastical  authority 
only,  without  consulting  the  king 
of  France,  the  latter  became 
alarmed,  and  sent  his  master  of 
requests,  and  his  confessor,  to  ex- 
amine into  the  affair.  On  their 
return  they  reported  that  the  Wal- 
denses were  not  such  dangerous  or 
bad  people  as  they  had  been  re- 
presented ;  that  they  lived  with 
perfect  honesty,  were  friendly  to 
all,  caused  their  children  to  be 
baptised,  had  them  taught  the 
Lord's  prayer,  creed,  and  ten  com- 
mandments ;  expounded  the  scrip- 
tures with  purity,  kept  the  Lord's 
day  sacred,  feared  God,  honoured 
the  king,  and  wished  well  to  the 
state.  "  Then,"  said  the  king, 
"  they  are  much  better  Christians 
thanmyself  ormy  catholic  subjects, 
and  therefore  they  shall  not  be  per- 
secuted. He  was  as  good  as  his 
word,  and  sent  orders  to  stop  the 
persecution. 

PUNISHMENT    OF   THE    MERINDO- 
LIANS    AND    OTHERS. 

It  happened  that  sometime  after, 
the  inhabitants  or  Merindol  receiv- 
ed a  summons,  that  the  heads  of 
the  families  of  tu"it  town  should 
appear  before  the  ecclesiastical 
court.  When  they  appeared,  and 
confessed  themselves  Waldenses, 
tiiey  were  ordered  to  be  burnt, 
their  families  outlawed,  their  ha- 
bitations laid  waste,  and  the  woods 
that  surrounded  the  town  to  be  cut 
down  two  hundred  paces  square, 
so  that  the  whole  should  be  render- 
ed desolate.  The  king,  however, 
being  informed  of  this  barbarous 
decree,  sent  to  countermand  the  ex- 
ecution of  it :  but  his  orders  were 
suppressed  by  cardinal  Tournon, 
and  the  greatest  cruelties  were 
consequently  exercised. 

The  president  of  Opede  sent  se- 
veral companies  of  soldiers  to  burn 
some  villages  occupied  by  protes- 
tants,  which  they  performed,  mur- 


102 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


dering  the  men,  ravishing  the  wo- 
men, cuttiiip;  oft"  the  breasts  of  mo- 
thers,  and  .suffering;  the  infants  to 
famish,  &c.  &c.    The  president  like- 
wise proclaimed,  that  none  should 
give  any  manner  of  assistance,  or 
sustenance,     to     the    Waldenses. 
On  reaching   another  small  town, 
the  president  found  there   only   a 
boy,  the  other  inhabitants  having 
deserted   the   place.     The  boy  he 
ordered  to  be  shot  by  the  soldier 
to  wliom  he  had  surrendered,  and 
then  destroyed  every  house  in  the 
place.     He  next  marched  against 
Cabiieres,  and  began  to  cannonade 
it.      At  this  time   there  w^ere  not 
above  sixty   poor  peasants,    with 
their   families,  in   the  town ;    and 
they  sent  him  word,  that  he  need 
not  expend  powder  and  shot  upon 
the  place,   as  they  were  willing  to 
open    the    gates    and     surrender, 
provided  they  might  be  permitted 
to  retire,  with  their  families,  to  Ge- 
neva, or  Germany.     This  was  pro- 
mised them  ;  but  the  gates  were  no 
sooner  opened,  than  the  president 
ordered  all  the  men  to  be  cut  to 
•  pieces,  which  cruel  command  was 
immediately    executed.       Several 
women  and  children  were  confined 
in  a  large  barn,  which  was  set  fire 
to,   and  every  one  perished  in  the 
flames.    Other  women  and  children 
having  taken  refuge  in  a  church, 
the  president  ordered  one  of   his 
ofiicers  to  go  in  and  kill  them  all: 
the  captain,  at  first,  refused,  saying, 
"Such  unnecessary  cruelty  is  un- 
becoming   a  military   man."     The 
president,  being  displeased  at  this 
reply,  said,     "  I   charge   you,    on 
pain   of  being  accused  of  mutiny, 
immediately  to  obey  my  orders." 
The  captain,  afraid  of  the  conse- 
quences, thought  proper  to  comply. 
The  president  then  sent  a  detach- 
ment  of  liis  troops  to  ravage  the 
town  of  Costa,  which  was  accom- 
plished with  the  greatest  barbarity. 
At  length  the  judgment  of  God 
overtook  this   monster  of  cruelty  ; 
for  he  was  alUicted  with  a  dreadful 
flux,  and  a  painful  strangury.     In 
this  extremity  he  sent  for  a  surgeon 
from  Aries,  who,  on  examining  his 
disorders,  told  him  they  were  of  a 


singular  nature,  and  much  worse 
than  he  liad  ever  seen  ihem  in  any 
other  person.  He  then  took  occa- 
sion to  reprehend  him  for  his 
cruelties,  and  told  him,  that  unlesa 
he  repented,  he  might  expect  that 
the  hand  of  Heaven  would  fall  still 
heavier  upon  him.  On  hearing 
these  words,  the  president,  vio- 
lently enraged,  ordered  his  attend- 
ants to  seize  upon  the  surgeon  as 
an  heretic.  The  surgeon,  how- 
ever, found  means  to  escape,  and 
soon  aftgr  the  president's  disorder 
increased  to  a  terrible  degree.  As 
he  had  found  some  little  ease  from 
the  operations  of  the  surgeon,  he 
again  sent  to  him,  for  he  had  been 
informed  of  the  place  of  his  retire- 
ment: his  message  was  accompa- 
nied with  an  apology  for  his  former 
behaviour,  and  a  promise  of  per- 
sonal security.  The  surgeon,  for- 
giving what  was  past,  went  to  him, 
but  too  late  to  be  of  any  service  ; 
for  he  found  him  raving  like  a 
madman,  and  crying  out,  that  he 
had  a  fire  within  him.  After  blas- 
pheming for  some  time,  he  expired 
in  the  most  dreadful  agonies. 

A    MONK    PUNISHED. 

John  de  Roma,  a  monk,  having 
a  commission  from  the  pope  to 
search  for  heretics,  executed  it 
with  great  severity  in  Provence. 
The  king  of  France  hearing  of  his 
proceedings,  sent  an  order  to  the 
pai'liament  of  Provence  to  appre- 
hend him :  the  monk,  however, 
made  his  escape  to  Avignon,  and 
thouglit  to  live  luxuriously  upon 
what  he  had  taken  from  the  Wal- 
denses. But  in  this  he  was  mis- 
taken, for  some  robbers  soon  after 
plundered  him  of  the  greatest  part 
of  his  treasure  ;  and  his  grief  on 
this  account  brought  on  a  violent 
disorder,  which  turned  him,  while 
living,  into  a  mass  of  putrefaction, 
and  soon  put  a  period  to  his  ex- 
istence. 

CRUELTY     OF    THE    BISHOP    OF   AIX. 

The  bishop  of  Aix  being  at 
Avignon,  with  some  priests,  they 
were  one  day  walking  along  the 
streets  with  some  courtesans,  and 
seeing  a    man  who  sold  obscene 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


103 


pictures,  they  purchased  several, 
and  presented  them  to  the  women. 
A  bookseller,  who  had  a  great 
number  of  Bibles  in  the  French 
language  i'or  sale,  lived  at  hand. 
The  bishop,  stepping  up  to  him, 
said,  '*  How  darest  thou  be  so  bold 
as  to  sell  French  merchandise  in 
this  town  ?"  The  bookseller  re- 
plied, with  a  kind  of  sneer,  "  My 
lord,  do  you  not  think  that  Bibles 
are  as  good  as  those  pictures 
which  you  have  bought  for  the 
ladies  \"  Enraged  at  the  sarcasm, 
the  bishop  "exclaimed,  "  I'll  re- 
nounce my  place  in  paradise  if  this 
fellow  is  not  one  of  the  Waldenses. 
Take  him  away,  take  him  away  to 
prison."  These  expressions  occa- 
sioned him  to  be  terribly  used  by 
the  rabble  ;  and  the  next  day  he 
v/as  brought  before  the  judge,  who, 
at  the  instigation  of  the  bishop, 
condemned  him  to  the  flames.  He 
was  accordingly  burnt,  with  two 
Bibles  hanging  from  his  neck,  the 
one  before  and  the  other  behind. 

The  principal  persecutor  of  the 
Merindolians  was  this  bishop  of 
Aix,  who  persuaded  the  president 
and  counsellors  of  the  court  of 
pai'liament  to  send  a  great  army 
through  all  Provence,  in  order  to 
destroy  those  who  professed  the 
reformed  religion.  These  poor 
people,  on  seeing  the  army,  re- 
commended themselves  to  God, 
and  prepared  for  death.  While 
they  were  in  this  grievous  distress, 
mourning  and  lamenting  together, 
nevvs  was  brought  that  the  array 
was  retired,  and  no  man  knew  at 
that  time,  how,  or  by  what  means  ; 
but  it  was  afterwards  known,  that 
the  lord  of  Alenc,  a  wise  and  good 
man,  declared  to  the  president 
Cassanee,that  he  ought  not  to  pro- 
ceed against  the  inhabitants  of 
Merindol  by  force  of  arms,  without 
judgment  or  condemnation ;  and 
used  many  arguments  to  this  ef- 
fect. 

The  president  was  at  length  per- 
suaded to  recall  the  commission 
which  he  had  given  out,  and  cause 
the  army  to  retire. 

The  Merindolians  understanding 
that   the   army    was  retired,  gave 


thanks  to  God,  comforting  one 
another  with  admonition  and  ex- 
hortation always  to  have  the  fear 
of  God  before  their  eyes. 

Sliortly  after,  the  bishop  of  Ca- 
vaillon    came    to    Merindol,     and 
calling   before    him    the   children, 
gave  them  money,  and  commanded 
them  to  learn  the  Paternoster  and 
the  Creed  in  Latin.     Most  of  them 
answered,  that  they  knew  the  Pa- 
ternoster  and  the    Creed  already 
in  Latin,  but  they  could  not  under- 
stand what  thejf  spake,   except  in 
the    vulgar  tongue.      The    bishop 
answered,  that  it  was  not  necessary 
they  should ;  it  being  sufficient  that 
they  knew  it  in  Latin  ;  and  that  it 
was  not  requisite  for  their  salvation 
to  understand  or  expound  the  ar- 
ticles of  their  faith  ;  for  there  were 
many  bishops  and  doctors  of  divi- 
nity whom  it  would  trouble  to  ex- 
pound the    Paternoster     and   the 
Creed.     The   baililf  of    Merindol, 
named    Andrew    Maynard,    asked 
what  purpose    it   would   serve   to 
say  the  Paternoster  and  the  Creed, 
and  not  to  understand  the  same  : 
for   in   so  doing   they    should  but 
niock     and     deride    God.       Then 
said  the  bishop,    "  Do  you  under- 
stand   what  is    signified  by   these 
words,  '  I  believe  in  God!'  "     The 
bailifl"  answered,    "  I  should  think 
myself  very  miserable  if  I  did  not 
understand  it :"  and  he  began  to 
give  an  account  of  his  faith.     Then 
said  the  bishop,  "  I  did  not  think 
there  had  been  such  great  doctors 
in    Merindol."       The     bailiff    an- 
swered, "  The  least  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Merindol  can  do   it  more 
readily   than   I  :    but  I    pray   you 
question  one  or  two  of  these  young 
children,  that  you  may  understand 
whether  they  be   well   taught     or 
no."    But  the  bishop  either  knew 
not    how    to    question     them,     or 
would    not.      On    this    a    person 
named  Pieron  Roy  said,  "Sir,  one 
of  these    children    may    question 
with    another,  if    you   think   fit ;" 
and  the  bishop  consented.     Then 
one  of  the  children  began  to  ques- 
tion with  his  fellows,  with  as  much 
grace   and   gravity    as   if    he   ha.d 
been  a  schoolmaster  ;  and  the  chil- 


104 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


dren,  one  after  another,  answered 
so  to  the  purpose,  that  it  was  won- 
derful to  hear  them. 

When  the  bishop  saw  he  could 
not  thus  prevail,  he  tried  another 
way,  and  went  about  by  flattering 
words  to  effect  his  purpose. 
Wherefore  he  said,  that  he  now 
perceived  they  were  not  so  bad  as 
many  thought  them  to  be  ;  notwith- 
standing, to  satisfy  their  persecu- 
tors, it  was  necessary  that  they 
should  make  some  small  abjura- 
tion, which  only  the  bailiff,  with 
two  officers,  might  make  in  his 
presence,  in  the  name  of  all  the 


rest,  without  any  notary  to  record 
the  same  in  writing ;  and  by  so 
doing  they  would  obtain  the  favour 
even  of  those  who  now  persecuted 
them :  and  that  this  proceeding 
might  not  be  misrepresented,  it 
should  be  reported  only  to  the 
pope,  and  to  the  high  court  of  par- 
liament of  Provence.  The  chil- 
dren, however,  unanimously  re- 
fused, and  said  that  they  conceived 
the  way  in  which  they  had  been 
instructed  was  the  pure  faith  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  that  in  abjuring 
it,  they  would  be  denying  their 
Redeemer. 


SECTION  III. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF   THE    ALBIGENSES. 


The  Albigenses  were  people  of 
the  reformed  religion,  who  inha- 
bited the  country  of  Albi.  They 
were  condemned  on  account  of  re- 
ligion, in  the  council  of  Lateran, 
by  order  of  pope  Alexander  III.  ; 
hut  they  increased  so  prodigiously, 
that  many  cities  were  inhabited  by 
persons  only  of  their  persuasion, 
and  several  eminent  nobleman  em- 
braced their  doctrines.  Among 
the  latter  were  Raymond,  earl  of 
Toulouse,  Raymond,  earl  of  Foix, 
the  earl  of  Bezieres,  &c.  The 
pope,  at  length,  pretended  that  he 
wished  to  draw  them  to  the  Rom- 
ish faith  by  sound  argument  and 
clear  reasoning,  and  for  this  end 
ordered  a  general  disputation ;  in 
which,  however,  the  popish  doctors 
were  entirely  overcome  by  the  ar- 
guments of  Arnold,  a  reformed 
clergyman,  whose  reasonings  were 
so  strong,  that  they  were  com- 
pelled to  confess  their  force. 

PERSECUTION    OF   THE    EARL    OF 
TOULOUSE. 

A  friar,  named  Peter,  having 
been  murdered  in  the  dominions 
of  the  earl  of  Toulouse,  the  pope 
made  the  murder  a  pretence  to 
persecute  that  nobleman  and  his 
subjects.  He  sent  persons  through- 
out all  Europe,  in  order  to  raise 
forces  to  act  coercively  against  the 
Albigenses,  and  promised  Para- 
dise to  all  who  would  assist  in  this 


war,  (which  he  termed  holy),  and 
bear  arms  for  forty  days.  The 
same  indulgences  were  held  out  to 
all  who  entered  for  this  purpose, 
as  to  such  as  engaged  in  crusades 
to  the  Holy  Land.  The  pope  like- 
wise sent  orders  to  all  archbishops, 
bishops,  &c.  to  excommunicate  the 
earl  of  Toulouse  every  Sabbath 
and  festival ;  at  the  same  time  ab- 
solving all  his  subjects  from  their 
oaths  of  allegiance  to  him,  and 
commanding  them  to  pursue  his 
person,  possess  his  lands,  destroy 
his  property,  and  murder  such  of 
his  subjects  as  continued  faithful 
to  him.  The  earl  of  Toulouse, 
hearing  of  these  mighty  prepara- 
tions against  him,  wrote  to  the 
pope  in  a  very  candid  manner,  de- 
siring not  to  be  condemned  un- 
heard, and  assuring  him  that  he 
had  not  the  least  hand  in  Peter's 
death :  for  that  friar  was  killed  by  a 
gentleman,  who,  immediately  after 
the  murder,  fled  out  of  his  terri- 
tories. But  the  pope,  being  de- 
termined on  his  destruction,  was 
resolved  not  to  hear  his  defence : 
and  a  formidable  army,  with  se- 
veral noblemen  and  prelates  at  the 
head  of  it,  began  its  march  against 
the  Albigenses.  The  earl  had  only 
the  alternative  to  oppose  force  by 
force,  or  submit :  and  as  he  de- 
spaired of  success  in  attempting 
the  former,  he  determined  on  the 
latter.     The  pope's  legate  being  at 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  ALBIGENSES. 


105 


Valence,  the  earl  repaired  thither, 
and  said,  "  He  was  surprised  that 
such     a    number   of    armed   men 
should  be  sent  a;2;ainst  him,  before 
the  least  proof  of  his    g;uilt  had 
been  deduced.    He  therefore  came 
voluntarily  to  surrender  himself, 
armed   only  with  the  testimony  of 
a  j;ood  conscience,  and  hoped  that 
the  troops    would    be    prevented 
from  plundering  his  innocent  sub- 
jects, as  he  thought  himself  a  suf- 
ficient pledge  for  any  vengeance 
they  chose  to  take  on  account  of 
the  death  of  the  friar."    The  legate 
replied,  that  he  was  very  glad  the 
earl  had  voluntarily  surrendered: 
but,  M'ith  respect  to  the  proposal, 
he  could  not  pretend  to  counter- 
mand  the   orders    to    the   troops, 
unless  he  would  consent  to  deliver 
up  seven  of  his  bestfortified  castles 
as   securities    for    his   future    be- 
haviour.    At  this  demand  the  earl 
perceived  his  error  in  submitting, 
but  it  was  too  late ;   he  knew  him- 
self to  be  a  prisoner,  and  therefore 
sent  an  order  for  the  delivery   of 
the    castles.       The    pope's    legate 
had   no    sooner    garrisoned  these 
places,  than  he  ordered  the  res- 
pective governors  to  appear  before 
liim.     When  they  came,  he  said, 
"  That  the  earl  of  Toulouse  hav- 
ing delivered  up  his  castles  to  the 
pope,  they  must  consider  that  they 
were  now  the  pope's  subjects,  and 
not  the  earl's  ;  and  that  they  must 
therefore  act  conformably  to  their 
new  allegiance."      The  governors 
were    greatly    astonished    to    see 
their  lord  thus  in  chains,  and  them- 
selves compelled  to  act  in  a  man- 
ner so  contrary  to  their  inclinations 
and  consciences.     But  the  subse- 
quent  treatment   of   the   earl    af- 
flicted them  still  more ;  for  he  was 
stripped    nearly  naked,   led  nine 
times    round   the    grave    of    friar 
Peter,      and     severely     scourged 
before  all  the  people.     Not  con- 
tented with  this,  the  legate  obliged 
him  to    swear  that  he  would   be 
obedient  to  the  pope  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  conform  to 
the   church    of  Rome,    and  make 
irreconcilable  war  against  the  Albi- 
genses;  and  even  ordered  him,  by 


the  oaths  he  had  newly  taken,  to 
join  the  troops,  and  inspect  the 
siege  of  Bezieres.  But  thinking 
this  too  hard  an  injunction,  he  took 
an  opportunity  privately  to  quit 
the  army,  and  determined  to  go  to 
the  pope  and  relate  the  ill  usage  he 
had  received. 

SIEGE    OF    BEZIERES. 

The  army,  however,  proceeded 
to  besiege  Bezieres ;  and  the  earl 
of  Bezieres,  who  was  governor  of 
that  city,  thinking  it  impossible  to 
defend  the  place,  came  out,  and 
presentinghimself  before  thelegate, 
implored  mercy  for  the  inhabit- 
ants ;  intimating,  that  there  were 
as  many  Roman  catholics  as  Albi- 
genses  in  the  city.  The  legate  re- 
plied, that  all  excuses  v.ere  useless; 
the  place  must  be  delivered  up  at 
discretion,  or  the  most  dreadful 
consequences  would  ensue. 

The  earl  of  Bezieres  returning 
into  the  city,  told  the  inhabitants 
he  could  obtain  no  mercy,  unless 
the  Albigenses  would  abjure  their 
religion,  and  conform  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  church  of  Rome.  The 
Roman  catholics  pressed  the  Albi- 
genses to  comply  with  this  request; 
but  the  Albigenses  nobly  answered, 
that  they  would  not  forsake  their 
religion  for  the  base  price  of  their 
frail  life:  that  God  was  able,  if  he 
pleased,  to  defend  them  ;  but  if  he 
would  be  glorified  by  the  confes- 
sion of  their  faith,  it  would  be  a 
great  honour  to  them  to  die  for  his 
sake.  They  added,  that  they  had 
rather  displease  the  pope,  who 
could  but  kill  their  bodies,  than 
God,  who  could  cast  both  body 
and  soul  into  hell.  On  this  the 
popish  party,  finding  their  importu- 
nities ineflFectual,  sent  their  bishop 
to  the  legate,  beseeching  him  not 
to  include  them  in  the  chastise- 
ment of  the  Albigenses ;  and  re- 
presenting, that  the  best  means 
to  win  the  latter  over  to  the  Ro- 
man catholic  persuasion,  was  by 
gentleness,  and  not  by  rigour. 
The  legate,  upon  hearing  this.  Hew 
into  a  violent  passion  with  the 
bishop,  and  declared  that,  "  If  all 
the  city  did  not  acknowledge  their 


106 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


fault,  tlicy  should  taste  of  one 
curse  without  distinction  of  religion, 
sex,  or  age." 

HORRID    CRUELTIES    ON    TAKING 
THE    TOWN. 

The  inhabitants  refusing-  to  yield 
upon  such  terms,  a  general  assault 
was  made,  and  the  place  taken  by 
storm,  vi'Iien  every  cruelty  that 
barbarous  superstition  could  de- 
vise was  practised ;  nothing  was 
to  be  heard,  but  the  groans  of  men, 
who  lay  weltering  in  their  blood, 
the  lamentations  of  mothers,  who, 
after  being  violated  by  the  soldiery, 
had  their  children  taken  from  them, 
and  dashed  to  pieces  before  their 
faces.  The  city  being  tired  in 
various  parts,  new  scenes  of  con- 
fusion arose;  in  several  places  the 
streets  were  streaming  with  blood. 
Those  who  hid  themselves  in  their 
dwellings,  had  only  the  dreadful  al- 
ternative to  remain  and  perish  in  the 
flames,  or  rush  out  and  fall  by  the 
swords  of  the  soldiers.  The  bloody 
legate,  during  these  infernal  pro- 
ceedings, enjoyed  the  carnage,  and 
even  cried  out  to  the  troops, 
"  Kill  them,  kill  them  all ;  kill 
man,  woman,  and  child;  kill  Ro- 
man Catholics  as  wellas  Albigenses, 
for  when  they  are  dead  the  Lord 
knows  how  to  pick  out  his  own." 
Thus  the  beautiful  city  of  Bezieres 
was  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins; 
and  60,000  persons  were  mur- 
dered. 

COURAGE    OF   THE    EARL    OF    BE- 
ZIERES. 

The  earl  of  Bezieres  and  a  few 
others  made  their  escape,  and  went 
to  Carcasson,  which  they  endea- 
voured to  put  into  the  best  posture 
of  defence.  The  legate,  not  will- 
ing to  lose  an  opportunity  of  spill- 
ing blood  during  the  forty  days 
which  the  troops  were  to  serve, 
led  them  immediately  against  Car- 
casson. As  soon  as  the  place  was 
invested,  a  furious  assault  was 
given,  but  the  besiegers  were  re- 
pulsed with  great  slaughter;  and 
upon  this  occasion  the  earl  of  Be- 
zieres gave  the  most  distinguished 
proofs  of  his  courage,  saying,  to 
encomage  the  besieged,  "  We  had 


better  die  fighting  than  fail  into 
the  hands  of  such  bigoted  and 
bloody  enemies." 

Two  miles  from  the  city  of  Car- 
casson there  was  a  small  town  of 
the  same  name,  which  the  Albi- 
genses had  likewise  fortified.  The 
legate,  being  enraged  at  the  repulse 
he  had  received  from  the  city  of 
Carcasson,  determined  to  wreak 
his  vengeance  upon  the  town:  the 
next  morning  he  made  a  general 
assault ;  and,  tliough  the  place  was 
bravely  defended,  be  took  it  by 
storm,  put  ail  within  it  to  the 
sword,  and  then  burnt  the  town. 

During  these  transactions  the 
king  of  Arragon  arrived  at  the 
camp,  and  after  paying  liis  obedi- 
ence to  the  legate,  toid  him,  he 
understood  the  earl  of  Bezieres, 
his  kinsman,  Mas  in  the  city  of 
Carcasson,  and  that,  if  he  would 
grant  him  perm.ission,  he  would  go 
thither,  and  endeavour  to  m.ake 
him  sensible  of  the  duty  he  owed 
to  the  pope  and  church:  the  legate 
acquiescing,  the  king  repaired  to 
the  earl,  and  asked  him  from  what 
motives  he  shut  himself  up  in  that 
city  against  so  great  an  army. 
The  ear!  answered,  it  was  to  de- 
fend his  life,  goods,  and  subjects; 
that  he  knew  the  pope,  under  pre- 
tence of  religion,  resolved  to  de- 
stroy his  uncle,  the  earl  of  Toulouse, 
and  himself;  that  he  saw  the  cru- 
elty which  they  had  used  at  Be- 
zieres, even  against  the  priests; 
and  at  the  town  of  Carcasson  ;  and 
that  tliey  must  look  for  no  mercy 
from  the  legate  or  his  army;  he, 
therefore,  rather  chose  to  die,  de- 
fending himself  and  his  subjects, 
than  fall  into  the  hands  of  so 
inexorable  an  enemy  as  the  legate ; 
that  though  he  had  in  his  city  some 
that  were  of  another  religion,  yet 
they  were  such  as  had  not  wronged 
any,  were  come  to  his  succour  in 
his  greatest  extremity,  and  for 
their  good  service  he  was  resolved 
not  to  abandon  them ;  that  his 
trust  was  in  God,  the  defender 
of  the  oppressed ;  and  that  he 
M^ould  assist  them  against  those 
ill-advised  men  who  forsook  their 
ovfn  homes,  to  burn,  ravage,   and 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  ALBIGENSES. 


lor 


murder,  without  reason,  judgment, 
«r  mercy. 

INTAMOUS  TRKACHF.RY  OF  THE 
LEGATE. 

The  king  reported  to  the  legate 
■whnt  the  earl  had  said:  the  legate, 
after  considering  for  some  time, 
replied,  "  For  jour  sake,  Sir,  I 
will  receive  the  earl  of  Bezieres  to 
mercy,  and  with  him  twelve  others 
shall  be  safe,  and  be  permitted  to 
retire  with  their  property :  but  as 
for  the  rest,  J  am  determined  to 
have  them  at  my  discretion."  This 
answer  displeased  the  king;  and 
when  the  earl  heard  it,  he  abso- 
lutely refused  to  comply  with  such 
terms.  The  legate  then  command- 
ed another  assault,  but  his  troops 
were  again  repulsed  with  great 
slaughter,  and  the  dead  bodies  oc- 
casioned a  stench  that  was  ex- 
ceedingly offensive  both  to  the  be- 
sieged and  besiegers.  The  legate, 
vexed  and  alarmed  at  this  second 
disappointment,  determined  to  act 
by  slratagejM.  He  therefore  sent 
a  person,  well  skilled  in  dissimuki- 
tion  and  artifice,  to  the  earl  of  Be- 
zieres, with  a  seeming  friendly 
message.  The  design  was,  by  any 
means,  to  induce  the  earl  to  leave 
the  city,  in  order  to  have  an  in- 
terview with  the  legate;  and  to 
this  end  the  messenger  was  to  pro- 
mise, or  swear,  whatever  he  thought 
proper;  for,  said  the  legate, 
"  swear  to  what  falsehoods  you  will 
in  such  a  cause,  I  will  give  you 
absolution." 

This  infamous  plot  succeeded: 
for  tiie  earl,  believing  the  promises 
made  him  of  personal  security,  and 
crediting  the  solemn  oaths  that  the 
perjured  agent  swore  upon  the  oc- 
casion, left  the  city  and  went  with 
him.  The  legate  no  sooner  saw 
him,  than  he  told  him  he  was  a  pri- 
soner, and  must  remain  so  till  Car- 
casson  was  surrendered,  and  the 
inhabitants  taught  their  duty  to  the 
pope.  The  earl,  on  hearing  this, 
cried  out  that  he  was  betrayed,  and 
exclaimed  against  the  treachery  of 
the  legate,  and  the  perjury  of  the 
person  he  had  employed.  But  he 
was  ordered  into  close  confinement, 


and   the  place   summoned  to  sur- 
render imnicdiately. 

The  people,  on  hearing  of  the 
captivity  of  the  earl,  were  thrown 
into  tiie  utmost  consternatimi, 
when  one  of  the  citizens  informed 
the  rest,  that  ise  had  been  formerly 
told  by  gome  old  men,  that  there 
was  a  very  capacious  subterraneous 
passage,  which  led  from  thence  to 
the  castle  of  Camaret,  at  three 
leagues  distance.  "  If,"  continued 
he,  "  we  can  f;nd  this  passage,  we 
may  all  escape  before  the  legate 
can  be  apprised  of  our  flight." 
This  information  was  joyfully  re- 
ceived; all  were  employed  to 
search  for  the  passage ;  and,  at 
length,  it  was  discovered.  Early 
in  the  evening  the  inhabitants 
began  their  flight,  taking  with  them 
their  wives,  children,  a  few  days' 
provisions,  and  such  property  as 
'I  as  most  valuable  and  portable. 
They  reached  the  castle  by  the 
morning,  and  escaped  to  Arragon, 
Catalonia,  and  such  other  places 
as  they  thought  would  secure  them 
from  the  power  of  the  sanguinary 
legate. 

Next  morning  the  troops  were 
astonished,  not  hearing  any  noise, 
nor  seeing  any  man  stir  in  the  city ; 
yet  they  approached  the  walls  with 
much  fear,  lest  it  should  be  but  a 
stratagem  to  endanger  them ;  but 
finding  no  opposition,  they  mounted 
the  walls,  crying  out,  that  the  Albi- 
genses  were  fled  ;  and  thus  was 
the  city.  Math  all  the  spoils,  taken, 
and  the  earl  of  Bezieres  committed 
to  prison  in  one  of  the  strongest 
towers  of  the  castle,  where  he  soon 
after  died. 

The  legate  now  called  all  the 
prelates,  and  great  lords  of  his 
army  together,  telling  them,  that 
though  it  was  requisite  there  should 
be  always  a  legate  in  the  army,  yet 
it  was  likewise  necessary  that  there 
should  be  a  secular  general,  wise 
and  valiant,  to  command  in  all 
their  afl'airs,  &cc.  This  charge  was 
first  oft'ered  to  the  duke  of  Bur- 
gogne,  then  to  the  earl  of  Enne- 
vers,  and,  thirdly,  to  the  earl  of  St. 
Paul ;  but  they  all  refused  it.  At 
length,  it  was  offered  to  Simon,  earl 


108 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  Montfort,  who,  after  some  ex- 
cuses, accepted  of  it.  Four  thou- 
sand men  were  left  to  garrison  Car- 
casson,  and  the  deceased  earl  of 
Bezieres  was  succeeded,  in  title 
and  dignity,  by  earl  Simon,  a  bigot- 
ed Roman  Catholic,  who  threatened 
vengeance  on  the  Albigenses,  un- 
less they  conformed  to  the  worship 
of  the  church  of  Rome.  But  the 
king  of  Arragon,  who  was  in  his 
heart  of  the  reformed  persuasion, 
secretly  encouraged  the  Albigen- 
ses, and  gave  them  hopes,  that  if 
they  acted  with  prudence,  they 
might  cast  off  the  yoke  of  the  ty- 
rannical earl  Simon.  They  took 
his  advice,  and  while  Simon  was 
gone  to  Montpellier,  they  surprised 
some  of  his  fortresses,  and  were 
successful  in  several  expeditions 
against  his  officers. 

CONDUCT   OF   SIMON. 

These  proceedings  so  enraged 
Simon,  that  returning  from  Mont- 
pellier, he  collected  together  some 
forces,  marched  against  the  Aibi- 
genses,  and  ordered  every  prisoner 
he  took  to  be  immediately  burnt. 
But  not  succeeding  in  some  of  his 
enterprises,  he  grew  disheartened, 
and  wrote  to  every  Roman  Catho- 
lic power  in  Europe  to  send  him 
assistance,  otherwise  he  should 
not  be  able  to  hold  out  against  the 
Albigenses.  He  soon  received 
some  succours,  with  which  he 
attacked  the  castle  of  Beron,  and 
making  himself  master  of  it,  or- 
dered the  eyes  to  be  put  out,  and 
the  noses  to  be  cut  off,  of  all  the 
garrison,  one  person  alone  ex- 
cepted, who  was  deprived  of  one 
eye  only,  that  he  miglit  conduct 
the  rest  to  Cabaret.  He  then  un- 
dertook the  siege  of  Menerbe, 
which,  on  account  of  the  want  of 
water,  was  obliged  to  yield  to  him. 
The  lord  of  Termes,  the  governor, 
was  put  in  prison,  where  he  died  ; 
his  wife,  sister,  daughter,  and 
180  others,  were  committed  to  the 
flames.  Many  other  castles  sur- 
rendered to  the  forces  of  this 
monster,  and  the  inhabitants  were 
butchered  in  a  manner  equally 
barbarous. 


EARL   OF   TOULOUSE    EXCOMMt/-' 
MCATED. 

In  the  mean  time  the  earl  of 
Toulouse,  by  means  of  letters  of 
recommendation  from  the  king  of 
France,  was  reconciled  to  the  pope : 
at  least  the  pope  pretended  to  give 
him  renussion  for  tlie  death  of  friar 
Peter,  and  to  absolve  him  from  all 
other  crimes  he  had  committed. 
But  the  legate,  by  the  connivance 
of  the  pope,  did  all  be  could  to 
ruin  the  earl.  Some  altercations 
Laving  passed  between  them,  the 
legate  excommunicated  the  earl; 
and  the  bishop  of  Toulouse,  upon 
this  encouragement,  sent  this  im- 
pudent message  to  the  earl,  "  That 
as  he  was  an  excommunicated  per- 
son, he  commanded  him  to  depart 
the  city;  for  an  ecclesiastic  could 
not  say  mass  with  propriety,  while 
a  person  of  such  a  description  was 
so  near  him." 

Being  greatly  exasperated  at  the 
bishop's  insolence,  the  earl  sent 
him  an  order  immediately  to  depart 
from  the  place  on  pain  of  death. 
This  order  was  all  the  prelate 
wanted,  as  it  would  give  him  some 
reason  to  complain  of  his  lord. 
The  bishop,  witli  the  canons  of  the 
cathedral  church,  marched  out  of 
the  city  in  solemn  procession,  bare- 
footed, and  bareheaded,  taking 
with  them  the  cross,  banner,  host, 
&c.  and  proceeded  in  that  manner 
to 'the  legate's  army,  where  they 
were  received  with  great  respect 
as  persecuted  saints,  and  the  legate 
thought  this  a  sufficient  excuse  to 
proceed  against  the  earl  of  Tou- 
louse for  liaving,  as  he  termed  it, 
relapsed  from  the  truth.  He  at- 
tempted to  get  the  earl  into  his 
power  by  stratagem,  but  the  latter 
being  apprized  of  the  design, 
escaped.  The  legate,  enraged  at 
this  disappointment,  laid  siege  to 
the  castle  of  Montferrand,  which 
belonged  to  the  earl,  and  was  go- 
verned by  Baldwin  his  brother. 
On  the  first  summons,  Baldwin  not 
only  surrendered,  but  abjured  his 
religion,  and  turned  papist.  This 
event,  which  severely  afflicted  the 
earl,  was  followed  by  another  that 
gave  him  still  greater  mortification; 


PERSF.CUTIONS  OF  THE  ALBIGENSES. 


109 


for  his  old  friend  the  king;  of  Arra- 
goii  forsook  his  interest ;  and  agreed 
to  give  Ills  daughter  in  marriage  to 
earl  Simon's  eldest  son: — the  le- 
gate's troops  were  then  joined  by 
lije  forces  of  Arragon  and  t!\ose  be- 
longing to  earl  Simon,  on  which 
tljey  jointly  laid  siege  to  Toulouse. 

SUCCESSES    OF   THE    ALBIGENSES. 

Nevertheless,  the  earl  determined 
to  interrupt  the  besiegers  by  fre- 
quent sallies.  In  the  first  attempt 
he  met  with  a  severe  repulse  ;  but 
in  the  second  he  took  Simon's  son 
prisoner,  and  in  the  third  he  un- 
horsed Simon  himself.  After  seve- 
ral furious  assaults  given  by  the 
popish  army,  and  some  successful 
sallies  of  the  Albigenses,  the  earl 
of  Toulouse  compelled  his  enemies 
to  raise  the  siege.  In  their  retreat 
they  did  much  mischief  in  the  coun- 
tries through  which  they  passed, 
and  put  many  defenceless  Albigen- 
ses to  death. 

The  earl  of  Toulouse  now  did  all 
he  could  to  recover  the  friendship 
of  the  king  of  Arragon ;  and  as  the 
marriage  ceremony  between  that 
monarch's  daughter,  and  Simon's 
son,  had  not  been  performed,  he  en- 
treated him  to  break  ofl'that  match, 
and  proposed  another  more  proper, 
viz.  that  his  own  eldest  son  and  heir 
should  wed  the  princess  of  AiTagon, 
and  that  by  this  match  their  friend- 
ship should  be  again  united  and 
n\ore  firmly  cemented.  His  majesty 
was  easily  persuaded  not  only  to 
agree  to  this  proposal,  but  to  form 
a  league  M'ith  the  principal  Albi- 
genses, and  to  put  himself  as  cap- 
tain-general at  the  head  of  their 
united  forces,  consisting  of  his  own 
people,  and  of  the  troops  of  the 
earls  of  Touloyse,  Foix,  and  Cora- 
minges.  The  papists  were  greatly 
alarmed  at  these  proceedings;  Si- 
mon sent  to  all  parts  of  Europe,  to 
engage  the  assistance  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  powers,  and  the  pope's  le- 
gate began  hostilities  by  entering 
the  dominions  of  the  earl  of  Foix, 
and  committing  the  most  cruel  de- 
predations. 

As  soon  as  the  army  of  Albigen- 
ses was  ready,  the  king  of  Arragon 


began  his  operations  by  laying 
siege  to  Murat,  a  strongly  fortified 
town  near  Toulouse,  belonging  to 
the  Roman  Catholics.  Earl  Simon, 
by  forced  marches,  came  to  the  as- 
sistance of  the  place,  at  a  time 
when  the  king  of  Arragon,  who 
kept  very  little  discipline  in  his 
army,  was  feastin<!j  and  revelling. 
Simon  suddenly  attacked  the  Albi- 
genses, while  they  were  in  confu- 
sion, when  the  united  forces  of  the 
reformed  were  defeated,  and  the 
king  of  Arragon  was  killed.  The 
loss  of  this  battle  was  imputed  to 
the  negligence  of  the  king,  who 
would  have  as  much  entertainment 
in  a  camp  as  if  he  had  been  secure- 
ly at  peace  in  his  capital.  This  vic- 
tory made  the  popish  commanders 
declare  they  would  entirely  extir- 
pate the  whole  race  of  the  Albigen- 
ses ;  and  Simon  sent  an  insolent 
message  to  the  earl  of  Toulouse, 
Foix,  and  Comminges,  to  deliver 
to  him  all  the  castles  and  fortresses 
of  which  they  were  possessed. 
Those  noblemen,  instead  of  answer- 
ing the  demand,  retired  to  their  re- 
spective territories,  to  put  them  into 
the  best  posture  of  resistance. 

SURRENDER    OF   TOULOUSE. 

Soon  after,  Simon  marched  to- 
wards the  city  of  Toulouse,  when 
the  earl  of  Toulouse,  who  had  retir- 
ed to  Montalban,  sent  word  to  the 
citizens  to  make  the  best  terms  they 
could  with  the  Roman  Catholics, 
as  he  was  confident  they  could  not 
hold  out  a  siege ;  but  he  recom- 
mended them  to  preserve  their 
hearts  for  him,  though  they  surren- 
dered their  persons  to  another.  The 
citizens  of  Toulouse,  upon  receiv- 
ing this  intimation,  sent  deputies  to 
Simon,  with  offers  of  immediate 
surrender,  provided  the  city  itself, 
and  the  persons  and  properties  of 
its  inhabitants,  should  be  protected 
from  devastation.  These  conditions 
were  agreed  to,  and  Simon,  in  order 
to  ingratiate  himself  at  court,  wrote 
a  letter  to  prince  Louis,  the  son  of 
Philip,  king  of  France,  informing 
him  that  the  city  of  Toulouse  had 
offered  to  surrender  to  him ;  but  be- 
ing willing  that  the  prince  should 


110 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


have  the  honour  of  receiving  the 
keys,  and  the  homage  of  the  peopld, 
he  begged  that  he  would  repair  to 
the  camp  for  that  purpose.  The 
prince,  pleased  with  the  invitation, 
went  directly  to  the  army,  and  had 
the  city  of  Toulouse  surrendered  to 
him  in  form.  The  pope's  legate, 
however,  was  greatly  displeased 
at  the  mild  conditions  granted  to 
the  people,  and  insisted,  thatthough 
the  prince  might  take  upon  him  the 
sovereignty  of  the  place,  and  re- 
ceive thf  liomage  of  the  people,  yet 
the  plunder  belonged  to  the  holy 
pUgrims  (for  so  the  popish  soldiers 
employed  in  these  expeditions 
were  called);  and  that  the  place, 
as  a  receptacle  of  heretics,  ought  to 
be  dismantled.  The  prince  and  earl 
Simon  in  vain  remonstrated  against 
proceedings  so  contrary  to  the  con- 
ditions granted  at  the  surrender : 
the  legate  was  peremptory,  when 
earl  Simon  and  the  prince,  unwil- 
ling to  come  to  an  open  rupture  with 
him,  gave  up  the  point.  Tiie  legate 
immediately  set  his  holy  pilgrims  to 
work,  when  they  presently  disman- 
tled the  city,  and  plundered  the  in- 
habitants of  ail  their  property,  in 
defiance  of  the  security  granted  to 
them  by  the  articles  of  the  sur- 
render. 

DISPUTE    BETWEEN    THE    LEGATE 
AND    PKINCE. 

Now  the  legate  tindiiig  that 
among  the  Albigenses  were  many 
lucrative  places  which  would  fall  to 
the  disposal  of  the  prince,  deter- 
mined, by  an  artifice,  to  deprive 
him  of  any  advantage  which  might 
accrue  from  them;  to  this  end  he 
gaye  absolution  to  the  Albigenses, 
which,  though  tliey  had  not  in  the 
least  changed  their  religious  opi- 
nions, he  called  reconciling  them  to 
the  church.  The  prince,  not  appriz- 
ed of  this  stratagem,  was  about  to 
give  his  officers  possession  of  some 
places  of  profit;  when,  to  his  great 
astonishment,  the  legate  informed 
him,  that  lie  had  no  power  to  dis- 
pose of  those  places.  The  prince 
demanded  aa  explanation  of  his 
meaning.  "  My  meaning,"  replied 
the  legate,  "  is,  that  the  people 
have  received  absolution,  and  being 


reconciled  to,  are  consequently  un- 
der the  protection  of,  the  cliurch; 
therefore,  all  places  among,  or  con- 
nected with  them,  are  in  the  dispo- 
sal of  the  church  only." 

The  prince,  offended  at  this  mode 
of  reasoning,  and  highly  displeased 
at  the  meanness  of  the  subterfuge, 
nevertheless  thought  proper  to  dis- 
semble his  resentment.  But  being 
determined  to  quit  the  legate,  he 
put  the  troops  that  Avere  under  his 
command  in  motion,  and  marched 
to  attack  some  other  fortresses;  but 
he  found,  wherever  he  came,  that 
the  legate  had  played  the  same 
trick,  and  plainly  perceived,  if  he 
continued  his  military  operations, 
that  when  unsuccessful,  he  should 
bear  all  the  blame,  and  when  suc- 
cessful, the  legate  would  steal  all 
the  profit;  he  therefore  left  the  ar- 
my in  disgust,  and  returned  to 
court. 

DEFEAT    OF    EARL   SIMON. 

On  this,  earl  Simon,  with  his  own 
forces,  those  the  prince  had  just 
quitted,  and  some  other  auxiliaries, 
undertook  the  siege  of  Foix,  being 
chiefly  provoked  to  it  by  the  death 
of  his  brother,  who  was  slain  by  the 
earl  of  Foix.  He  lay  before  the 
castle  of  Foix  for  ten  days,  during 
which  time  he  frequently  assaulted 
it,  but  was  as  often  repulsed.  Hear- 
ing than  an  army  of  Arragonese 
were  in  full  march  towards  him,  in 
order  to  revenge  the  death  of  their 
king,  he  raised  the  siege,  and  went 
to  meet  them.  The  earl  of  Foix  im- 
mediately sallied  out  and  harassed 
his  rear,  and  the  Arragonese  attack- 
ing his  front,  gave  him  a  total  de- 
feat, which  compelled  him  to  shnt 
hiniself  up  in  Carcasson. 

Soon  afterwards  the  pope's  le- 
gate called  a  council  at  Montpel- 
lier,  for  renewing  the  military  ope- 
rations against  the  Albigenses,  and 
for  doing  proper  honour  to  earl  Si- 
mon, who  was  present;  for  the  Ar- 
ragonese, not  taking  advantage  of 
their  victory,  had  neglected  to  Iplock 
up  Carcasson,  by  which  omission 
Simon  had  an  opportunity  of  re- 
pairing to  Montpellier.  On  meeting 
the  council,  the  legate,  in  the  pope'is 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  ALBIGENSES. 


lU 


name,  paid  many  compliments  to 
Simon,  and  declared,  that  he  should 
be  prince  of  all  the  countries  that 
niia,ht  in  future  be  taken  from  the 
Albis>enses:  at  the  same  time,  by 
order  of  the  poutiiV,  he  styled  him 
"  the  active  and  dexterous  soldier 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  invincible 
defender  of  the  Catholic  faith."  But 
just  as  the  earl  was  about  to  return 
thanks  for  these  s:;reat  honours  and 
fineencomiums,amessen«;erbroug;ht 
•word  that  the  people  having  heard 
earl  Simon  was  in  the  council,  had 
taken  up  arms,  and  were  coming 
thither  to  destroy  him  as  a  common 
disturber.  This  intelligence  threw 
the  whole  council  into  great  confu- 
sion; and  earl  Simon,  though  a 
minute  before  styled  an  invincible 
defender  of  the  faith,  jumped  out  of 
a  window,  and  stole  away  from  the 
city. 

COUNCIL   OF   LATERAN. 

The  disputes  becoming  serious, 
according  to  the  opinion  of  the  pa- 
pists, the  pope  himself  soon  after 
called  a  council,  to  be  held  at  Late- 
ran,  in  which  great  powers  were 
granted  to  Roman  Catholic  inquisi- 
tors, and  many  Albigenses  were  im- 
mediately put  to  death.  This  coun- 
cil of  Lateran  likewise  confirmed  to 
earl  Simon  all  the  honours  intended 
him  by  the  council  of  Montpellier, 
and  empowered  him  to  raise  another 
army  against  the  Albigenses.  Earl 
Simon  immediately  repaired  to 
court,  received  his  investiture  from 
the  French  king,  and  began  to  levy 
forces.  Having  now  a  considerable 
number  of  troops,  he  determined, 
if  possible,  to  exterminate  the  Albi- 
genses, when  he  received  advice, 
that  his  countess  was  besieged  in 
Narbonne  by  the  earl  of  Toulouse. 
He  proceeded  to  the  relief  of  his 
wife,  when  the  Albigenses  met  him, 
gave  him  battle,  and  defeated  him; 
but  he  found  means  to  escape  and 
get  into  the  castle  of  Narbonne. 

RECOVERY    OF   TOULOUSE    BY    THE 

ALBIGENSES. 

After  this,  Toulouse  was  recover- 
ed by  the  Albigenses ;  but  the  pope 
espousing  earl  Simon's  causCj  rais- 


ed forces  for  him,  and  enabled  him 
once   more  to  undertake  the  siege 
of  that   city.     The    eari   assaulted 
the  place  furiously,  but  being  re- 
pulsed with  great  loss,  he  seemed 
sunk  in  affliction  :  when  the  pope's 
legate  said,  to  comfort  him,  "  Fear 
nothing,  my  lord,  make  another  vi- 
gorous attack;  let  us  by  any  means 
recover  the  city,   and   destroy  tlie 
inhabitants  ;   and  those  of  our  men 
who  are  slain  in  the  fight,  I  will  as- 
sure you  shall  immediately  pass  in- 
to paradise."      One  of  the   earl's 
principal  officers,  on  hearing  this, 
said  with  a  sneer,  "  Monsieur  car- 
dinal,   you  talk   with  great  assu- 
rance ;  but  if  the  earl  believes  you, 
be  will,  as  heretofore,  pay  dearly 
for  his  confidence."     Earl  Simon, 
however,  took  the  legate's  advice, 
made    another   assault,    and    was 
again  repulsed.     To  complete  his 
misfortune,  before  the  troops  could 
recover  from   their  confusion,   the 
earl  of  Foix  made  his  appearance,^ 
at  the  head  of  a  formidable  body  of 
forces,    and   attacked   the  already 
dispirited  army  of  earl  Simon,  easi- 
ly put  them  to  the  route;  when  the 
earl     himself     narrowly     escaped 
drowning     in    the    Garonne,     into 
which  he  had  hastily  plunged,  in 
order  to  avoid  being  captured.  This 
miscarriage  almost  broke  his  heart; 
but  the  pope's  legate  continued  to 
encourage  him,  and  oflered  to  raise 
another  army,  which  pjomise,  with 
some  diificulty,  and  three  years  de- 
lay, he  at  length  performed,  and 
that   bigoted   nobleman  was   once 
more  enabled  to  take  the  field.     On 
this  occasion  he  turned  his  whole 
force   against  Toulouse,  which  he 
besieged    for    the    space    of    nine 
months,  when  in  one  of  the  sallies 
made  by  the  besieged,   his  horse 
was  wounded.     The  animal  being 
in  great  anguish,   ran  away  with 
him,  and  bore  him  directly  under 
the  ramparts  of  the  city,  when  an 
archer  shot  him  in  the  thigh  with  an 
arrow ;    and  a  woman  immediately 
after  throwing  a  large  stone  from 
the   wall,  it  struck  him  upon  the 
head,  and  killed  him;    thug  were 
the  Albigenses,  like  the  Israelites, 
delivered  by  the  hand  of  a  woman  j 


112 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  thus  this  atrocious  monster, 
who  had  so  long:  persecuted  the 
people  of  God,  was  at  length  him- 
self slain  by  one  of  those  whom  he 
had  intended  to  have  slaughtered 
if  he  had  been  successful.  The 
siege  was  raised ;  but  the  legate, 
enraged  to  be  disappointed  of  his 
vengeance  on  the  inhabitants,  en- 
gaged the  king  of  France  in  the 
cause,  who  sent  his  son  to  besiege 
it.  The  French  prince,  with  some 
chosen  troops,  furiously  assaulted 
Toulouse  ;  but  meeting  with  a  se- 
vere repulse,  he  abandoned  that 
city  to  besiege  Miromand.  This 
place  he  soon  took  by  storm,  and 
put  to  the  sword  all  the  inhabitants, 
consisting  of  6000  men,  women, 
and  children. 

The  bloodthirsty   legate,   whose 
name   was   Bertrand,    being    very 
old,  grew  weary  of  following  the 
army ;  but  his  passion  for  murder 
still  remained,  as  appears   by  his 
epistle  to  the  pope,  in  which  he 
begs  to  be  recalled  on  account  of 
age  and  infirmities  ;   but  entreats 
the  pontiff  to  appoint  a  successor, 
who  might  carry  on  the  war,  as  he 
had  done,  with  spirit  and  perseve- 
rance.    In  consequence,  the  pope 
recalled  Bertrand,  and  appointed 
Conrade,  bishop  of  Portua,  to  be 
legate   in    his  room.      The   latter 
determined  to  follow  the  steps  of 
his  predecessor,  and  to  persecute 
the    A.lbigenses   with  the   greatest 
severity.      Guido,    earl   of    Mont- 
fort,  the  son  and  heir  of  earl  Si- 
mon,   undertook  the    command  of 
the   troops,    and  immediately  laid 
siege  to  Toulouse,  before  the  walls 
of  which    he     was    killed.       His 
brother  Almeric  succeeded  to  the 
command,  but  the  bravery  of  the 
garrison  soon  obliged  him  to  raise 
the  siege.     On  this  the  legate  pre- 
vailed upon  the  king  of  France  to 
undertake    the  siege   of    Toulouse 
in  person,  and  reduce  to  the  obe- 
dience of  the  church  those  obsti- 
nate   heretics,    as    he   called    the 
brave   Albigenses.      The     earl    of 
Toulouse,    hearing    of    the     great 
preparations  made  by  the  king  of 
France,  sent  the  women,  children, 
cattle,  8tc.  UJto  secret  and  secure 


places  in  the  mountains,  ploughed 
up  the  land,  that  the  king's  forces 
should  not  obtain  any  forage,  and 
did  all  that  a  skilful  general  could 
perform    to    distress    the    enemy. 
By   these     wise     regulations     the 
French   array,  soon  after  entering 
the  earldom  of  Toulouse,  suffered 
all     the     extremities     of    famine, 
which   obliged  the  troops  to  feed 
on  the  carcasses  of  horses,   dogs, 
cats,  &c.  which  unwholesome  food 
produced   the    plague.      The   king 
died   of  grief;  but   his  son,   who 
succeeded      him,     determined     to 
carry   on   the  war:  he    was,  how- 
ever,  defeated   in    three    engage- 
ments,   by   the    earl  of    Toulouse. 
The  king,  the  queen-mother,   and 
three    archbishops    again  raised  a 
formidable  army,   and   had  the  art 
to  persuade  the  earl  of  Toulouse 
to    come    a    conference,  when   he 
was    treacherously    seized    upon, 
made  a  prisoner,  forced  to  appear 
barefooted  and  bareheaded  before 
his    enemies,     and    compelled    to', 
subscribe    the    following    ignomi- 
nious      conditions:      1.    That    he 
should  abjure  the  faith  that  he  had 
hitherto     defended.      2.    That    he 
should  be  subject  to  the  church  of 
Rome.      3.    That   he   should  give 
his  daughter  Joan  in  marriage  to 
one  of  the  brothers  of  the  king  of 
France.     4.  That  he  should  main- 
tain  in   Toulouse  six  popish  pro- 
fessors of  the  liberal  arts,  and  two 
grammarians.     5.  That  he  should 
take    upon    him    the    cross,    and 
serve  five  years  against  the  Sara- 
cens in  the  Holy  Land.     6.  That 
he  should  level  the  walls  of  Tou- 
louse with   the    ground.     7.  That 
he  should   destroy  the  walls   and 
fortifications  of  thirty  of  hi.s  other 
cities    and  castles,   as  the   legate 
should  direct.     8.  That  he  should 
remain  prisoner  at  Paris  till  his 
daughter    was    delivered   to    the 
king's  commissioners.    After  these 
cruel  conditions  a  severe  persecu- 
tion took  place  against  the  Albi- 
genses, many  of  whom  suffered  for 
the    faith ;     and    express     orders 
were   issued   that    the  laity   should 
not  be  permitted  to  read  the  sacred 
writinyi  ! 


PERSECUTIONS  OB'  THE  ALBIGENSES. 


113 


ANOTHER     PERSECUTION'. 

From  this  period  we  find  no 
further  account  of  the  Albifijenses 
till  the  commencement  of  the  se- 
venteenth century  :  but  althousfh 
they  are  not  distinctly  mentioned, 


they  sulTercd,  in  common  with  their 
protestant  brethren,  at  various 
times  ;  and  in  1620,  a  cruel  perse- 
cution was  commenced  against 
them. 


Torture  of  yicluiUis  Biirtoit  by  the  luquisiton. 


I 
At  a  town  called  Tell,  while  the 
minister  was  preaching  to  a  cous^re- 
gation  of  the  reformed,  the  papists 
attacked  and  murdered  many  of 
the  people.  A  lady  of  considera- 
ble eminence,  being  exhorted  to 
change  her  religion,  if  not  for  her 
own  sake,  at  least  for  that  of  the 
infant  she  held  in  her  arms,  said, 
with  undaunted  courage,  "  I  did 
not  quit  Italy,  my  native  country, 
nor  forsake  the  estates  I  had  there, 
for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  re- 
nounce him  here.  With  respect 
to  my  infant,  why  should  I  not  de- 
liver him  up  to  death,  since  God 
delivered  up  his  son  to  die  for 
us?"  As  soon  as  she  had  done 
speaking,  they  took  the  child  from 
her,  delivered  it  to  a  popish  nurse 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


to  bring  up,   and  then  cut  the  mo- 
ther to  pieces. 

Dominico  Berto,  a  youth  of  six- 
teen, refusing  to  turn  papist,  was 
set  upon  an  ass  with  his  face  to 
the  tail,  which  he  was  obliged  to 
hold  in  his  hand.  In  this  condi- 
tion he  was  led  to  the  market- 
place, amidst  the  acclamations  of 
the  populace ;  after  which  they 
cut  oir  his  nose,  ears,  and  cheeks, 
and  burnt  holes  in  several  parts  of 
his  body  till  he  at  last  died.  An 
Albigense  young  lady,  of  noble 
family,  was  seized  by  the  papists, 
and  carried  through  the  streets 
with  a  paper  mitre  upon  her  head. 
After  mocking,  beating  her,  and 
smearing  her  face  with  dirt,  they 
bade  her  call  upon   the  saints;  to 

8 


114 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


whieh  she  replied,  "  My  trust  and 
salvation  is  in  Christ  only ;  for 
even  the  virgin  Mary,  without  the 
merits  of  her  son,  could  not  be 
saved."  On  this  the  multitude  fell 
upon  and  destroyed  her. 

Many  other  horril)le  cruelties 
were  perpetrated  by  these  bigoted 
monsters  ;  and  the  pope  sent  them 


a  letter,  approving  what  tliey  had 
done,  and  commanding  them,  if 
possible,  not  to  leave  one  heretic 
alive  in  that  pare  of  the  country; 
which  command  they  strictly  ful- 
filled ;  butchering  all  the  protest- 
ants  in  the  Valtoline  and  neigh- 
bouring districts. 


SECTION  TV. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    FRANCE,    PREVIOUS   TO    AND    DURING    THE    CIVIL    WARS 
OF   THAT    NATION. 


In  the  year  1524,  at  a  town  in 
France  called  Melden,  one  John 
Clark  affixed  a  bill  on  the  church 
door,  in  which  he  called  the  pope 
Antichrist :  for  this  oil'ence  he  was 
repeatedly  whipped,  and  then 
branded  in  the  forehead.  His  mo- 
ther, who  saw  the  chastisement, 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Blessed 
be  Christ,  and  welcome  these 
marks  for  his  sake."  He  went  af- 
terwards to  Metz,  in  Lorraine, 
and  demolished  some  images,  for 
which  he  had  his  right  hand  and 
nose  cut  oil',  and  his  arms  and 
breast  torn  by  pincers  :  while  suf- 
fering these  cruelties,  he  sang  the 
,  115th  psalm,  which  expressly  for- 
bids superstition.  On  concluding 
the  psalm,  he  was  thrown  into  the 
fire  and  burnt  to  ashes. 

About  the  same  time  several 
persons  of  the  reformed  persua- 
sion were  beaten,  racked,  scourg- 
ed, and  burnt  to  death,  in  several 
parts  of  France ;  but  particularly 
at  Paris,  Limosin,  and  Malda. 

A  native  of  Malda  was  burnt  by 
a  slow  fire  for  saying  that  mass 
was  a  plain  denial  of  the  death 
and  passion  of  Christ.  At  Limo- 
sin, John  de  Cadurco,  a  clergy- 
man of  the  reformed  religion,  was 
apprehended,  degraded,  and  or- 
dered to  be  burnt.  When  under 
examination,  a  friar  undertook  to 
preach  a  sermon  upon  the  occa- 
sion ;  when  opening  the  New  Tes- 
tament he  pitched  upon  this  text, 
in  the  first  epistle  of  St.  Paul  to 
Timothy,  chap.  iv.  ver.  1.  "  Now 
the  spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that 
in  the  latter  times  some  shall  de- 
part from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 


seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of 
devils."  The  friar  began  to  ex- 
pound this  verse  in  favour  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  persuasion,  and 
in  condemnation  of  the  reformed 
religion,  when  John  de  Cadurco 
begged,  that  before  he  proceeded'  f 
in  his  sermon,  he  would  read  the 
two  verses  which  followed  his 
text: — the  friar  again  opened  the 
Testament,  but  on  casting  his  eye 
on  the  passage,  he  appeared  con- 
founded. Cadurco  then  desirjjjl 
that  the  book  might  be  handed  W 
him;  this  request  being  complied 
with,  he  read  thus,  "  Speaking 
lies  in  hypocrisy,  having  their  con- 
science seared  with  a  hot  iron,  for- 
bidding to  marry,  and  command- 
ing to  abstain  from  meats,  which 
God  hath  created  to  be  received 
with  thanksgiving  of  them  which 
believe  and  know  the  truth." 
The  Roman  Catholics,  irritated  at 
this  exposure,  condemned  him  to 
the  llames. 

At  Paris,  Alexander  Kanus,  a 
clergyman,  was  burnt  in  a  slow 
fire  ;  and  four  men  were  committed 
to  the  flames  for  distributing  pa- 
pers whicli  ridiculed  the  saying  of 
mass.  One  had  his  tongue  bored 
through  for  ridiculing  the  Romish 
superstitions.  Peter  Gaudet,  a 
Genoese,  was  burnt  on  the  accu- 
sation of  his  own  uncle,  a  bigoted 
Roman  Catholic  ;  and  John  Pointer, 
a  surgeon,  had  his  tongue  cut  out, 
and  was  then  burnt. 

MARTYRDOMS   AT    ARRAS,   &C. 

At  Arras,  Fontanis,  and  Rutiers, 
many  were  martyred  for  being  of 
the  reformed  religion  ;  at  the  lat- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE. 


115 


ter  place,  in  particular,  one  Ste- 
phen Brune  was  condemned  to  be 
burnt  for  refusing  to  attend  mass. 
When  the  fire  was  kindled,  the 
flames  were  driven  from  him  by  a 
brisk  wind,  which  occasioned  the 
executioner  to  heap  more  faggots 
round  him,  and  pour  oil  on  them. 
Still,  however,  the  wind  blew  the 
flames  in  a  contrary  direction, 
when  the  executioner  was  absurd- 
ly enraged  with  Brune,  and  struck 
him  on  the  head  ;  but  Brune  very 
calmly  said,  "  As  I  am  condemned 
only  to  be  burnt,  why  do  you 
strike  me  like  a  dog  ?"  This  ex- 
pre?nion  so  greatly  enraged  the  ex- 
ecutioner, that  he  ran  him  through 
with  a  pike,  and  then  burnt  the 
lifeless  body. 

Aymond  de  Lavoy,  a  minister  of 
Bourdeaux,  had  a  complaint 
lodged  against  him  by  the  Romish 
clergy  of  that  city.  His  friends 
advised  him  to  abscond,  but  he 
refused.  He  remained  nine 
months  in  prison.  Being  then 
brdtight  to  trial,  he  was  ordered  to 
be  racked;andwhen  in  the  extremity 
of  torture,  he  comforted  himself 
with  this  expression :  "  This  body 
must  once  die,  but  the  soul  shall 
live ;  for  the  kingdom  of  God  en- 
dureth  for  ever."  At  length  he 
swooned ;  but  on  recovering,  he 
prayed  for  his  persecutors.  The 
question  was  then  put  to  hiip, 
whether  he  would  embrace  thVi 
Roman  Catholic  persuasion;  which 
positively  refusing,  he  was  con- 
demned to  be  burnt.  At  the 
place  of  execution  he  said,  "  O 
Lord,  make  haste  to  help  me ; 
tarry  not ;  despise  not  the  work  of 
thy  hands."  And  perceiving  some 
who  used  to  attend  his  sermons, 
he  addressed  them  thus :  "  My 
friends,  I  exhort  you  to  study  and 
learn  the  gospel ;  for  the  word  of 
God  abideth  for  ever: — labour  to 
know  the  will  of  God,  and  fear  not 
them  that  kill  the  body,  but  have 
no  power  over  the  soul."  The  ex- 
ecutioner then  strangled  him,  and 
burnt  his  body  afterwards. 

Husson,  an  apothecary  of  Blois, 
went  to  Rouen,  and  there  privately 
distributed    several     small     pam- 


phlets, explaining  the  tenets  of  the 
reformed  church,  and  exposing  the 
Romish       superstitions.  These 

books  gave  a  general  alarm,  and  a 
council  being  called,  an  order  was 
issued  for  search  to  be  made  for 
the  author  and  distributor.  It 
was  discovered  that  Husson  had 
brought  them  to  Rouen,  and  that 
he  M  as  gone  to  Dieppe,  and  orders 
were  given  for  pursuing  him.  He 
was  brought  back  to  Rouen,  where 
he  confessed  he  was  both  autlior 
and  distributor  of  the  books.  This 
occasioned  his  condemnation,  and 
he  was  executed  in  the  following 
manner :  his  tongue  being  cut  out, 
his  hands  and  feet  were  tied  be- 
hind, and  he  was  drawn  up  by  a 
pulley  to  a  gibbet,  and  then  let 
down  into  a  fire  kindled  beneath  : 
in  which  situation  he  called  upon 
the  Lord,  and  soon  breathed  his 
last. 

Francis  Bribard,  secretary  to 
cardinal  de  Bellay,  for  speaking 
in  favour  of  the  reformed,  had  his 
tongue  cut  out,  and  was  burnt, 
A.  D.  1544.  James  Cobard,  a 
schoolmaster  in  the  city  of  St.  Mi- 
chael, was  burnt  a.  d.  1545,  for 
saying  the  mass  was  useless  and 
absurd  ;  and  about  the  same  time, 
fourteen  men  were  burnt  at  Malda, 
their  wives  being  compelled  to 
behold  their  martyrdom. 

Peter  Chapot  brought  a  number 
of  Bibles  in  the  French  tongue  to 
France,  and  publicly  sold  them 
there  in  the  year  1546,  for  which 
he  was  condemned  to  be  burnt;  as, 
soon  after,  were  a  cripple  of 
Meaux,  a  schoolmaster  of  Fera, 
named  Stephen  Polliot,  and  a  man 
named  John  English. 

NUMEROUS    MARTYRDOMS. 

Michael  Micbelot  being  told 
either  to  recant  and  be  beheaded, 
or  to  persevere  and  be  burned, 
chose  the  latter,  making  use  of 
these  words  :  "  God  has  given  me 
grace  not  to  deny  the  truth,  and 
will  give  me  strength  to  endure 
the  fire."  About  the  same  time 
many  were  burnt  at  Paris,  Bar, 
&c, ;  and  at  Langres  five  men  and 
two  women  suffered  for  being   of 


116 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  reformed  religion :  when  the 
youngest  woman  encouraged  the 
other,  saying,  "  This  day  shall  we 
be  married  to  Jesus  Christ,  and 
be  with  him  for  ever." 

Monsieur  Blondel,  a  rich  jewel- 
ler, was,  in  1549,  apprehended  at 
Lyons,  and  sent  to  Paris,  where 
he  suffered  death  for  the  faith. 
Hubert,  a  youth  of  nineteen  years 
of  age,  was  committed  to  the 
flames  at  Dijon ;  as  was  Florent 
Venote,  at  the  same  time. 

A  lady,  named  Ann  Audebert, 
who  designed,  on  account  of  her 
faith,  to  retire  to  Geneva,  was 
seized  and  sent  to  Paris.  She 
was  led  to  execution  by  a  rope 
placed  round  her  waist.  This 
rope  she  called  her  wedding  gir- 
dle ;  and  said,  "  I  was  once  mar- 
ried to  a  man  on  a  Saturday,  and 
now  I  shall  be  married  to  God  on 
the  same  day  of  the  week." 

Shortly  after  the  coronation  of 
Henry  the  Second,  a  tailor  was 
apprehended  for  working  on  a 
saint's  day ;  being  asked  why  he 
gave  such  an  offence  to  religion, 
his  reply  was,  "  I  am  a  poor  man, 
and  have  nothing  but  my  labour  to 
depend  upon;  necessity  requires 
that  I  should  be  industrious,  and 
my  conscience  tells  me  there  is  no 
day  but  the  Sabbath  which  I  ought 
to  keep  sacred  from  labour." 
Having  expressed  himself  thus,  he 
was  committed  to  prison,  and  the 
affair  being  soon  after  rumoured  at 
court,  some  of  the  nobles  per- 
suaded the  king  to  be  present  at 
the  trial.  On  the  day  appointed, 
the  monarch  appeared  in  a  superb 
chair  of  state,  and  the  bishop  of 
Mascon  was  ordered  to  interrogate 
the  prisoner.  The  tailor,  on  per- 
ceiving the  king,  paid  his  obedi- 
ence to  him  in  the  most  respect- 
ful manner.  The  king  was  much 
affected  with  his  arguments,  and 
seemed  to  muse  ;  on  which  the  bi- 
shop exclaimed,  *'  He  is  an  obsti- 
nate and  impudent  heretic;  let 
him  be  taken  back  to  prison,  and 
burnt  to  death."  The  prisoner  wlas 
accordingly  conveyed  to  prison ; 
and  the  bishop  artfully  insinuated, 
that  the  heretics,  as  he  called  the 


reformed,  had  many  specious  ar- 
guments, which,  at  first  hearing, 
appeared  conclusive  ;  but  on  exa- 
mination, they  were  found  to  be 
false.  He  then  endeavoured  to , 
persuade  the  king  to  be  present  at 
the  execution,  who  at  length  con- 
sented, and  repaired  to  a  balcony 
which  overlooked  the  place.  On 
seeing  the  king,  the  tailor  fixed  his 
eyes  steadfastly  upon  him,  and 
even  while  the  flames  were  con- 
suming him,  kept  gazing  in  such  a 
manner,  as  threw  the  monarch  into 
visible  confusion,  and  obliged  him 
to  retire  before  the  martyr  was 
dead.  He  was  so  much  shocked, 
that  he  could  not  recover  his 
spirits  for  some  time ;  and  what 
added  to  his  disquiet  was,  his  con- 
tinually dreaming,  for  many  nights, 
that  he  saw  the  tailor  with  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  him,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  during  the  execution. 

A  pious  man,  named  Claudius, 
was  burnt  at  Orleans  ;  a  Genoese 
youth,  called  Thomas,  having  re- 
buked a  Roman  Catholic  for  pro- 
fanely swearing,  was  informed 
against  as  an  heretic,  and  burnt  at 
Paris;  as  were  three  men.  at  Ly- 
ons, two  of  them  with  ropes  about 
their  necks;  but  the  third,  having 
been  an  oflicer  in  the  king's  ser- 
vice, was  exempted  from  that  dis- 
grace. He,  however,  begged  to 
be  treated  in  the  same  manner  as 
his  companions,  in  honour  of  the 
Lord :  his  request  was  complied 
with ;  and  after  having  sung  a 
psalm  with  great  fervency,  they 
were  all  consumed. 

A  citizen  of  Geneva,  Simon  La- 
loe  ;  Matthew  Dimonet,  a  converted 
libertine ;  and  Nicholas  Naile,  a 
bookseller  of  Paris,  were  burnt 
for  professing  the  reformed  reli- 
gion. Peter  Serre  was  originally 
a  priest,  but  reflecting  on  the  er- 
rors of  popery,  he,  at  length,  em- 
braced the  reformed  religion,  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker. 
Having  a  brother  at  Toulouse, 
who  was  a  bigoted  Roman  Catho- 
lic, Serre,  out  of  fraternal  love, 
made  a  journey  to  that  city,  in  or- 
der to  "dissuade  him  from  his  super- 
stitions :  the  brother's  wife  not  ap- 


THE  INQUISITION. 


117 


proving  of  his  design,  lodged  a 
complaint  against  him,  on  which 
he  was  apprehended,  and  made  a 
full  declaration  of  his  faith.  The 
judge  asked  him  concerning  his 
occupation,  to  which  he  replied, 
"  I  have  of  late  practised  the  trade 
of  a  shoemaker."  "  Of  late  !"  said 
the  judge,  "  and  what  did  you 
practise  formerly?" — "That  I  am 
almost  ashamed  to  tell  you,"  ex- 
claimed Serre,  "  because  it  was 
the  vilest  and  most  wicked  occu- 
pation imaginable."  The  judge, 
and  all  who  were  present,  from 
these  words,  supposed  he  had  been 
a  murderer  or  thief,  and  that  what 
he  spoke  was  through  contrition. 
He  was,  however,  ordered  to  ex- 
plain precisely  what  he  meant ; 
when,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  he 
exclaimed,  "  O  ;  I  was  formerly  a 
Popish  Priest  !"  This  reply  so 
much  exasperated  the  judge,  that 
he  condemned  Serre  to  be  first  de- 


graded, then  to  have  his  tongue 
cut,  and  afterwards  to  be  burnt. 

In  1554,  two  men  of  the  reformed 
religion,  with  the  son  and  daugh- 
ter of  one  of  them,  were  committed 
to  the  castle  of  Niverne.  On  exa- 
mination they  confessed  their 
faith,  and  were  ordered  for  execu- 
tion ;  they  were  first  smeared  with 
grease,  brimstone,  and  gunpowder ; 
their  tongues  were  then  cut  out, 
and  they  were  afterwards  commit- 
ted to  the  llames. 

Philip  Hamlin,  a  priest,  was  ap- 
prehended for  having  renounced 
the  errors  of  popery.  Being 
brought  to  tlie  stake,  he  began  to 
exhort  the  people  to  quit  the  er- 
rors of  the  church  of  Rome ;  on 
which  the  officer  who  presided  at 
the  execution  ordered  the  faggots 
to  be  lighted,  and  that  a  trumpet 
should  be  blown  while  Hamlin  was 
burning,  that  the  people  might  not 
hear  his  voice. 


BOOK  V. 


HISTORICAL   ACCOUNT    OF   THE    INQUISITION    IN    Sl'AlN,    PORTUGAL, 
ITALY,    kc. 


SECTION  I. 

ORIGIN,    PROGRESS,    AND    CRUELTIES    OF   THE    INQUISITION. 


When  the  reformed  religion  be- 
gan to  diffuse  the  pure  light  of  the 
gospel  throughout  Europe,  the  bi- 
goted Roman  Catholics,  fearing 
the  exposure  of  the  frauds  and 
abuses  of  their  church,  determined 
to  leave  nothing  unattempted  to 
crush  the  Reformation  in  its  in- 
fancy ;  pope  Innocent  III.  there- 
fore instituted  a  number  of  inqui- 
sitors, or  persons  who  were  to 
make  inquiry  after,  apprehend, 
and  punish  the  professors  of  the 
reformed  faith.  At  the  head  of 
these  inquisitors  was  one  Dominic, 
who  was  canonized  by  the  pope,  in 
order  to  render  his  authority  the 
more  respectable.  He  and  the 
other  inquisitors  visited  the  va- 
rious  Roman   Catholic  countries. 


and  treated  the  protestants  with 
the  utmost  severity  :  but  at  length 
the  pope,  not  finding  them  so  use- 
ful as  he  had  expected,  resolved 
upon  the  establishment  of  fixed 
and  regular  courts  of  inquisition ; 
the  first  office  of  which  was  esta- 
blished in  the  city  of  Toulouse, 
and  Dominic  became  the  first  in- 
quisitor. 

Courts  of  inquisition  were  also 
erected  in  several  other  countries  ; 
but  the  Spanish  inquisition  be- 
came the  most  powerful,  and  the 
most  dreadful  of  any. — Even  the 
kings  of  Spain  themselves,  though 
arbitrary  in  all  other  respects, 
were  taught  to  dread  its  power; 
and  the  horrid  cruelties  exercised 
by  the  inquisition,  compelled  mul  • 


118 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tudes,  who  differed  in  opinion 
from  the  Catholics,  carefully  to 
conceal  their  sentiments.  The 
Dominicans  and  Franciscans  were 
the  most  zealous  of  all  the  monks  : 
these,  therefore,  the  pope  invested 
with  an  exclusive  right  of  presid- 
ing over,  and  managing  the  diffei-- 
ent  courts  of  inquisition.  The 
friars  of  those  two  orders  were 
always  selected  from  the  very 
dregs  of  the  people,  and  therefore 
were  not  much  troubled  with  scru- 
ples of  conscience ;  they  were 
obliged,  by  the  rules  of  their  re- 
spective orders,  to  lead  very  au- 
stere lives,  which  rendered  their 
manners  unsocial,  and  better  quali- 
fied them  for  their  barbarous  em- 
ployment. 

The  pope  gave  the  inquisitors 
the  most  unlimited  powers,  as 
judges  delegated  by  him,  and  im- 
mediately representing  his  person : 
they  were  permitted  to  excommu- 
nicate, or  sentence  to  death,  whom 
they  thought  proper,  upon  the 
slightest  information  of  heresy ; 
were  allowed  to  publish  crusades 
against  all  whom  they  deemed  he- 
retics, and  enter  into  leagues  with 
sovereign  princes,  to  join  those 
crusades  with  their  forces.  About 
the  year  1244,  their  power  was 
further  increased  by  the  emperor 
Frederic  the  Second,  who  declared 
himself  the  protector  and  friend  of 
all  inquisitors,  and  published  two 
cruel  edicts,  viz.  that  all  heretics, 
who  continued  obstinate,  should 
be  burnt;  and  that  all  who  re- 
pented, should  be  imprisoned  for 
life.  This  zeal  in  the  emperor  for 
the  inquisitors,  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  persuasion,  arose  from  a 
report  which  had  been  propagated 
throughout  Europe,  that  he  in- 
tended to  turn  Mahometan ;  the 
emperor  therefore  judiciously  de- 
termined, by  the  height  of  bigotry 
and  cruelty,  to  shew  his  attach- 
ment to  popery. 

The  officers  of  the  inquisition 
are,  three  inquisitors  or  judges,  a 
proctor  fiscal,  two  secretaries,  a 
magistrate,  a  messenger,  a  re- 
reiver,  a  gaoler,  an  agent  of  con- 
^scated   possessions,    and   several 


assessors,  counsellors,  execution- 
ers, physicians,  surgeons,  door- 
keepers, familiars,  and  visitors, 
who  are  all  sworn  to  profound 
secrecy.  The  chief  accusation 
against  those  who  are  subject  to 
this  tribunal  is  heresy,  which  com- 
prises all  that  is  spoken  or  written 
against  any  of  the  articles  of  the 
creed,  or  the  traditions  of  the  Ro- 
mish church.  The  other  articles 
of  accusation  are,  renouncing  the 
Roman  Catholic  persuasion,  and 
believing  that  persons  of  any 
other  religion  may  be  saved,  or 
even  admitting  that  the  tenets  of 
any  but  papists  are  in  the  least 
reasonable.  There  are  two  other 
things  which  incur  the  most  severe 
punishments,  viz.  to  disapprove  of 
any  action  done  by  the  inquisition, 
or  disbelieve  any  thing  said  by  an 
inquisitor. 

Heresy  comprises  many  subdivi- 
sions ;  and  upon  a  suspicion  of 
any  of  these,  the  party  is  imme- 
diately apprehended.  Advancing 
an  oilensive  proposition ;  failing 
to  impeach  others  who  may  ad- 
vance such ;  contemning  church 
ceremonies;  defacing  idols;  read- 
ing books  condemned  by  the  in- 
quisition ;  lending  such  books  to 
others  to  read  ;  deviating  from  the 
ordinary  practices  of  the  Romish 
church  ;  letting  a  year  pass  with- 
out going  to  confession;  eating 
meat  on  fast  days ;  neglecting 
mass  ;  being  present  at  a  sermon 
preached  by  an  heretic;,  not  ap- 
pearing when  summoned  by  the 
inquisition  ;  lodging  in  the  house 
of,  contracting  a  friendship  with, 
or  making  a  present  to  an  heretic  ; 
assisting  an  heretic  to  escape  from 
confinement,  or  visiting  one  in  con- 
finement, are  all  matters  of  sus- 
picion, and  prosecuted  accord- 
ingly. All  Roman  Catholics  are 
commanded,  under  pain  of  excom- 
munication, to  give  immediate  in- 
formation, even  of  their  nearest 
and  dearest  friends,  if  they  judge 
them  to  be  heretics,  or  inclining  to 
heresy.  All  who  give  the  least 
assistance  to  protestants  are  called 
fautors,  or  abettors  of  heresy,  and 
the  accusations  against  these   arp 


THE  INQUISITION. 


110 


for  comforting;  such  as  the  inquisi- 
tion have  begun  to  prosecute;  as- 
sisting, or  not  informing  against 
such,  if  they  should  happen  to 
escape  ;  concealing,  abetting,  ad- 
vising, or  furnishing  heretics  with 
money  ;  visiting,  or  writing  to,  or 
sending  them  subsistence  ;  secret- 
ing, or  burning  books  and  papers, 
which  might  se.vve  to  convict  them. 
The  inquisition'  also  takes  cogni- 
zance of  such  as  are  accused  of 
being  magicians,  witches,  blas- 
phemers, soothsayers,  wizards, 
common  swearers ;  and  of  such 
who  read,  or  even  possess  the 
Bible  in  the  vulgar  tongues,  the 
Talmud  of  the  Jews,  or  the  Alcoran 
of  tiie  Mahometans. 

Upon  all  occasions  the  inquisitors 
carry  on  their  processes  with  the 
utmost  severity.  They  seldom 
show  mercy  to  a  protestant ;  and  a 
Jew,  who  turns  Christian,  is  far 
from  being  secure  ;  for  if  he  is 
known  to  keep  company  with 
another  new-converted  Jew,  a  sus- 
picion arises  that  they  privately 
practise  together  some  Jewish  ce- 
remonies ;  if  he  keep  company 
with  a  person  who  was  lately  a 
protestant,  but  now  professes 
popery,  they  are  accused  of  plot- 
ting together ;  but  if  he  associate 
with  a  Roman  Catholic,  an  accu- 
sation is  often  laid  against  him  for 
only  pretending  to  be  a  papist, 
and  the  consequence  is  a  confis- 
cation of  his  effects,  and  the 
loss  of  his  life  if  he  complain. 

A  defence  is  of  little  use  to  the 
prisoner ;  for  a  suspicion  only  is 
deemed  sufficient  cause  of  con- 
demnation, and  the  greater  his 
wealth  the  greater  his  danger. 
Most  of  the  inquisitors'  cruelties 
are  owing  to  their  rapacity :  they 
destroy  life  to  possess  the  property  ; 
and  under  pretence  of  zeal,  plunder 
individuals  of  their  rights.  A  pri- 
soner of  the  inquisitors  is  never 
allowed  to  see  the  face  of  his 
accuser,  or  any  of  the  witnesses 
against  him,  but  every  method  is 
taken,  by  threats,  and  tortures,  to 
oblige  him  to  accuse  himself.  If 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  inquisition 
be  not  fully  allowed^  vengeance  is 


denounced  against  such  as  call 
it  in  question ;  or  if  any  of  its 
officers  are  opposed,  those  who 
oppose  them  are  almost  certain  to 
be  sufferers  for  their  temerity  ;  the 
maxim  of  the  inquisition  being  to 
strike  terror,  and  awe  those  who 
are  the  objects  of  its  power,  into 
obedience.  High  birth,  distin- 
guished rank,  or  eminent  employ- 
ments, are  no  protection  from  its 
severities  ;  and  its  lowest  officers 
can  make  the  most  exalted  no- 
bleman tremble  at  their  autho- 
rity. 

Such  are  the  circumstances  which 
subject  a  person  to  the  rage  of  the 
in  juisition  ;  and  the  modes  of  be- 
ginning the  process  are,  1,  to  pro- 
ceed by  imputation,  or  prosecute 
on  common  report;  2.  by  the  in- 
formation of  any  indifl'erent  person 
who  chooses  to  impeach  another; 
3.  on  the  information  of  spies  who 
are  retained  by  the  inquisition ; 
and,  4,  on  the  confession  of  the 
prisoner  himself. 

The  inquisitors  never  forget  or 
forgive ;  lengtli  of  time  cannot 
eflace  their  resentments  ;  nor  can 
the  humblest  concessions,  or  most 
liberal  presents,  obtain  a  pardon : 
they  carry  the  desire  of  revenge  to 
the  grave,  and  wish  to  have  both 
the  property  and  lives  of  those 
who  have  offended  them.  Hence, 
when  a  person  once  accused  to  the 
inquisition,  after  escaping,  is  re- 
taken, pardon  is  next  to  an  impos- 
sibility. If  a  positive  accusation 
be  given,  the  inquisitors  direct  an 
order  to  the  executioner,  who 
takes  a  certain  number  of  familiars 
with  him  to  assist  in  the  execution. 
Father,  son,  brother,  sister,  hus- 
band, or  wife,  must  quietly  sub- 
mit ;  none  dare  resist  or  even 
speak ;  as  either  would  subject 
them  to  the  same  punishment  as 
the  devoted  victim.  No  respite  is 
allowed,  but  the  prisoner  is  instan- 
taneously hurried  away. 

This  dreadful  engine  of  tyranny 
may  at  any  time  be  introduced 
into  a  country  where  the  catholics 
have  the  upper  hand ;  and  hence, 
how  careful  ought  we  to  be,  who 
arc  not  cursed  with  such  an  arbi^ 


1%Q 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


trary  court,  to  prevent  its  intro- 
duction !  In  treating  of  this  sub- 
ject, an  elegant  author  patlietically 
says,  "  How  horrid  a  scene  of 
perfidy  and  inhumanity!  "What 
kind  of  coniAiunity  must  that  be 
whence  gratitude,  love,  and  mutual 
forbearance  with  regard  to  human 
frailties  are  banished  !  What  must 
that  tribunal  be,  which  obliges 
parents  not  only  to  erase  from  their 
minds  the  remembrance  of  their 
own  children,  to  extinguish  all 
those  keen  sensations  of  tender- 
ness and  affection  wherewith  nature 
inspires  them,  but  even  to  extend 
their  inhumanity  so  far  as  to  force 
them  to  commence  their  accusers, 
and  consequently  to  become  the 
cause  of  the  cruelties  inflicted 
upon  them  !  What  ideas  ought  we 
to  form  to  ourselves  of  a  tribunal 
which  obliges  children  not  only  to 
stitle  every  soft  impulse  of  grati- 
tude, love,  and  respect,  due  to 
those  who  gave  them  birth,  but 
even  forces  them,  and  that  under 
the  most  rigorous  penalties,  to  be 
spies  over  their  parents,  and  to  dis- 
cover to  a  set  of  merciless  inqui- 
sitors the  crimes,  the  errors,  and 
even  the  little  lapses  to  which  they 
are  exposed  by  human  frailty ! 
In  a  word,  a  tribunal  which  will  not 
permit  relations,  when  imprisoned 
in  its  horrid  dungeons,  to  give 
each  other  the  succours,  or  per- 
form the  duties  which  religion  en- 
joins, must  be  of  an  infernal  nature. 
What  disorder  and  confusion  must 
such  conduct  give  rise  to  in  a  ten- 
derly affectionate  family !  An  ex- 
pression, innocent  in  itself,  and, 
perhaps,  but  too  true,  shall,  from 
an  indiscreet  zeal,  or  a  panic  of 
fear,  give  infinite  uneasiness  to  a 
family;  shall  ruin  its  peace  en- 
tirely, and  perhaps  cause  one  or 
more  of  its  members  to  be  the  un- 
happy victims  of  the  most  barba- 
rous of  all  tribunals.  What  dis- 
tractions must  necessarily  break 
forth  in  a  house  where  the  husband 
and  wife  are  at  variance,  or  the 
children  loose  and  wicked!  Will 
sueh  children  scruple  to  sacrifice 
a  father,  who  endeavours  to  re- 
strain them  by  his  exhortations,  by 


reproofs,  or  paternal  corrections  ? 
Will  they  not  rather,  after  plun- 
dering his  house  to  support  their 
extravagance  and  riot,  readily 
deliver  up  their  unhappy  parent  to 
all  the  horrors  of  a  tribunal  found- 
ed on  the  blackest  injustice  ?  A 
riotous  husband,  or  a  loose  wife, 
has  an  easy  opportunity,  assisted 
by  means  of  the  ^persecution  in 
question,  to  rid  themselves  of  one 
who  is  a  check  to  their  vices,  by 
delivering  him,  or  her,  up  to  the 
rigours  of  the  inquisition." 

When  the  inquisitors  have  taken 
umbrage  against  an  innocent  per- 
son, all  expedients  are  used  to 
facilitate  his  condemnation  ;  false 
oaths  and  testimonies  are  employed 
to  prove  the  accused  to  be  guilty  ; 
and  all  laws  and  institutions  are 
sacrificed  to  the  bigoted  revenge 
of  papacy. 

When  a  person  accused  is  taken, 
his  treatment  is  deplorable.  The 
gaolers  first  begin  by  searching  him 
for  books  and  papers  which  might 
tend  to  his  conviction,  or  for  in- 
truments  which  might  be  em- 
ployed in  self-murder  or  escape, and 
on  this  pretext  they  even  rob  him 
of  his  wearing  apparel.  When 
he  has  been  searched  and  robbed, 
he  is  committed  to  prison.  In- 
nocence, on  such  an  occasion,  is 
a  weak  reed  ;  nothing  being  easier 
than  to  ruin  an  innocent  person. 

The  mildest  sentence  is  impri- 
sonment for  life;  yet  the  inquisitors 
proceed  by  degrees,  at  once  subtle, 
slow,  and  cruel.  The  gaoler  first 
of  all  insinuates  himself  into  the 
prisoner's  favour,  by  pretending  to 
wish  him  well,  and  advise  him 
well ;  and  among  other  pretended 
kind  hints,  tells  him  to  petition  for 
an  audit.  When  he  is  brought 
before  the  consistory,  the  first  de- 
mand is,  "  What  is  your  request?" 
To  this  the  prisoner  very  naturally 
answers,  that  he  would  have  a 
hearing.  Hereupon  one  of  the 
inquisitors  replies,  "  Your  hearing 
is  this  ;  confess  the  truth,  conceal 
nothing,  and  rely  on  our  mercy." 
Now,  if  the  prisoner  make  a  con- 
fession of  any  trifling  affair,  they 
immediately   found    an  indictment 


THE  INQUISITION. 


121 


©nit;  ifheismute,  they  shut  him 
up  without  light,  or  any  food  but  a 
scanty  allowance  of  bread  and 
water,  till  his  obstinacy  is  over- 
come ;  and  if  he  declare  he  is  in- 
nocent, they  torment  him  till  he 
either  die  with  the  pain,  or  confess 
himself  guilty. 

On  the  re-examinations  of  such 
as  confess,  they  continually  say, 
"  You  have  not  been  sincere,  you 
tell  not  all ;  you  keep  many  things 
concealed,  and  therefore  must  be 
remanded  to  your  dungeon." 
When  those  who  have  stood  mute 
are  called  for  re-examination,  if 
they  continue  silent,  such  tortures 
are  ordered  as  will  either  make 
them  speak,  or  kill  them ;  and 
when  those  who  proclaim  their 
innocence  are  re-examined,  a 
crucifix  is  held  before  them,  and 
they  are  solemnly  exhorted  to  take 
an  oath  of  their  confession  of 
faith.  This  brings  them  to  the 
test;  they  must  either  swear  they 
are  Roman  Catholics,  or  acknow- 
ledge they  are  not.  If  they  ac- 
knowledge they  are  not,  they  are 
proceeded  against  as  heretics.  If 
they  acknowledge  they  are  Roman 
Catholics,  a  string  of  accusations 
is  brought  against  them,  to  which 
they  are  obliged  to  answer  ex- 
tempore ;  no  time  being  given  even 
to  arrange  their  answers.  On  hav- 
ing verbally  answered,  pen,  ink, 
and  paper  are  given  them,  in  order 
to  produce  a  written  answer,  which 
must  in  every  degree  coincide 
with  the  verbal  answer.  If  the 
\erbal  and  written  answers  differ, 
the  prisoners  are  charged  with 
prevarication;  if  one  contain  more 
than  the  other,  they  are  accused 
of  wishing  to  conceal  certain  cir- 
cumstances; if  they  both  agree, 
they  are  charged  with  premeditated 
artifice. 

After  a  person  impeached  is 
condemned,  he  is  either  severely 
whipped,  violently  tortured,  sent  to 
the  galleys,  or  sentenced  to  death ; 
and  in  either  case  his  effects  are 
confiscated.  After  judgment,  a 
procession  is  performed  to  the 
place  of  execution,  which  ceremony 


is  called  an  Auto  da  FS,  or  Act  of 
Faith. 

AUTO    DA   FE    AT    MADRID. 

The  following  is  an  account  of 
an  Auto  da  Fe,  at  Madrid,  in  the 
year  1(582. 

The  officers  of  the  inquisition, 
preceded  by  trumpets,  kettle- 
drums, and  their  banner,  marched 
on  the  30th  of  May,  in  cavalcade, 
to  the  palace  of  the  great  square, 
where  they  declared  by  proclama- 
tion, that  on  the  30th  of  June  the 
sentence  of  the  prisoners  would 
be  put  in  execution.  There  had 
not  been  a  spectacle  of  this  kind 
at  Madrid  for  several  years,  for 
which  reason  it  was  expected  by 
the  inhabitants  with  as  much  im- 
patience as  a  day  of  the  greatest 
festivity  and  triumph. 

When  the  day  appointed  arrived, 
a  prodigious  number  of  people  ap- 
peared, dressed  as  splendidly  as 
their  circumstances  would  allow. 
In  the  great  square  was  raised  a 
high  scaffold ;  and  thither,  from 
seven  in  the  morning  till  the  even- 
ing, were  brought  criminals  of 
both  sexes;  all  the  inquisitions  in 
the  kingdom  sending  their  pri- 
soners to  Madrid.  Twenty  men 
and  women  of  these  prisoners, 
with  one  renegado  Mahometan, 
were  ordered  to  be  burnt;  fifty 
Jews  and  Jewesses,  having  never 
before  been  imprisoned,  and  re- 
penting of  their  crimes,  were  sen- 
tenced to  a  long  confinement,  and 
to  wear  a  yellow  cap;  and  ten 
others,  indicted  for  bigamy,  witch- 
craft, and  other  crimes,  were  sen- 
tenced to  be  whipped,  and  then 
sent  to  the  galleys :  these  last 
wore  large  pasteboard  caps,  with 
inscriptions  on  them,  having  a 
halter  about  their  necks,  and 
torches  in  their  hands. 

On  this  solemn  occasion  the 
whole  court  of  Spain  was  present. 
The  grand  inquisitor's  chair  was 
placed  in  a  sort  of  tribunal  far 
above  that  of  the  king.  The  nobles 
here  acted  the  part  of  the  sheriff's 
oflBcers  in  England,  leading  such 
criminals  as   were   to  be  burned, 


122 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  holding  them  when  fast  bound 
with  thick  cords:  the  rest  of  the 
criminals  were  conducted  by  the 
familiars  of  the  inquisition. 

Among  those  who  were  to  suffer, 
was  a  young  Jewess  of  exquisite 
beauty,  only  seventeen  years  of 
age.  Being  on  the  same  side  of 
the  scaffold  where  the  queen  was 
seated,  she  addressed  her,  in  hopes 
of  obtaining  a  pardon,  in  the  fol- 
lowing pathetic  speech:  "Great 
queen !  will  not  your  royal  pre- 
sence be  of  some  service  to  me  in 
my  miserable  condition?  Have  re- 
gard to  my  youth;  and,  oh!  con- 
sider that  I  am  about  to  die  for 
professing  a  religion  imbibed  from 
my  earliest  infancy!"  Her  ma- 
jesty seemed  greatly  to  pity  her 
distress,  but  turned  away  her  eyes, 
as  she  did  not  dare  to  speak  a 
word  in  behalf  of  a  person  who 
had  been  declared  an  heretic  by 
the  inquisition. 

Mass  now  began,  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  priest  came  from  the 
altar,  placed  near  the  scaffold,  and 
seated  himself  in  a  chair  prepared 
for  that  purpose.  Then  the  chief 
inquisitor  descended  from  the 
amphitheatre,  dressed  in  his  cope, 
and  having  a  mitre  on  his  head. 
After  bowing  to  the  altar,  he  ad- 
vanced towards  the  king's  balcony, 
and  went  up  to  it,  attended  by  some 
of  his  officers,  carrying  a  cross  and 
the  gospels,  with  a  book  containing 
the  oath  by  which  the  kings  of 
Spain  oblige  themselves  to  protect 
the  Catholic  faith,  to  extirpate 
heretics,  and  support,  with  all 
their  power,  the  prosecutions  and 
decrees  of  the  inquisition.  On 
the  approach  of  the  inquisitor,  and 
on  his  presenting  this  book  to  the 
king,  his  majesty  rose  up  bare- 
headed, and  swore  to  maintain  the 
oath,  which  was  read  to  him  by 
one  of  his  counsellors :  after  which 
the  king  continued  standing  till 
the  inquisitor  had  returned  to  his 
place  ;  when  the  secretary  of  the 
holy  office  mounted  a  sort  of  pulpit, 
and  administered  a  like  oath  to 
the  counsellors  and  the  whole  as- 
sembly.     The    mass    was   begun 


about  twelve  at  noon,  and  did  not 
end  till  nine  in  the  evening,  being 
protracted,  by  a  proclamation  of 
the  sentences  of  the  several  cri- 
minals, which  were  all  separately 
rehearsed  aloud  one  after  the  other. 
Next  followed  the  burning  of  the 
twenty-one  men  and  women,  whose 
intrepidity  in  suffering  that  horrid 
death  was  truly  astonishing:  some 
thrust  their  hands  and  feet  into  the 
flames  with  the  most  dauntless 
fortitude;  and  all  of  them  yielded 
to  their  fate  with  such  resolution, 
that  many  of  the  amazed  specta- 
tors lamented  that  such  heroic 
souls  had  not  been  more  enliffktened! 
The  situation  of  the  king  was  so 
near  to  the  criminals,  that  their 
dying  groans  were  very  audible  to 
him :  he  could  not,  however,  be 
absent  from  this  dreadful  scene,  as 
it  is  esteemed  a  religious  one  ;  and 
his  coronation  oath  obliges  him  to 
give  a  sanction  by  his  presence  to 
all  the  acts  of  the  tribunal. 

ANOTHER   AUTO    DA    F^. 

Another  Auto  da  Fe  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Geddes: — "  At  the 
place   of   execution  there   are   so 
many  stakes  set  as  there  are  pri- 
soners to  be  burned,  a  large  quan- 
tity  of  dry  furze   being  set  about 
them.     The  stakes  of  the  protest- 
ants,    or,    as   the   inquisitors   call 
them,     the  professed,     are    about 
four  yards  high,    and   have    each 
a  small  board,    whereon   the   pri- 
soner is  seated  within  half  a  yard 
of   the  top.       The  professed  then 
go  up  a  ladder  betwixt  two  priests, 
who  attend  the  whole  day  of  ex- 
ecution.      When  they  come  even 
with     the     fore-mentioned    board, 
they  turn  about  to  the  people,  and 
the  priests  spend  near  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  in  exhorting  them  to  be  re- 
conciled to  the  see  of  Rome.     On 
their    refusing,    the   priests    come 
down,     and    the    executioner    as- 
cending, turns  the  professed  from 
off  the  ladder  upon  the  seat,  chains 
their  bodies   close    to   the  stakes, 
and  leaves  them.     Then  the  priests 
go  up  a  second  time  to  renew  their 
exhortations,  and  if  they  find  them 


THE  INQUISITION. 


1?3 


ineffectual,  usually  tell  them,  a't 
parting;,  that  they  leave  them  to  the 
devil,  who  is  standing  at  their  el- 
bow ready  to  receive  their  souls, 
a)ul  carry  them  with  him  into  the 
flames  of  hell-fire,  as  soon  as  they 
arc  out  of  their  bodies. 

"  A  general  shout  is  then  raised, 
and  when  the  priests  get  off  the 
ladder,  the  universal  cry  is,  '  Let 
the  dog's  beards  be  made,'  which 
implies,  singe  their  beards  ;  this  is 
accordingly  performed  by  means 
of  ilaming  furzes  thrust  against 
their  faces  with  long  poles.  This 
barbarity  is  repeated  till  their  faces 
are  burnt,  and  is  accompanied  with 
loud  acclamations.  Fire  is  then 
set  to  the  furzes,  and  the  criminals 
are  consumed." 

INQUISITION    OF   PORTUGAL. 

The  inquisition  of  Portugal  is 
exactly  upon  a  similar  plan  to  that 
of  Spain,  having  been  instituted 
about  the  same  time,  and  put  un- 
der the  same  regulations,  and  the 
proceedings  nearly  resemble  each 
other.  The  house,  or  ra,ther  palace, 
of  the'inquisition,  is  a  noble  edifice. 
It  contains  four  courts,  each  about 
forty  feet  square,  round  which  are 
about  .300  dungeons  or  cells.  The 
dungeons  on  the  ground-floor  are 
for  the  lowest  class  of  prisoners, 
and  those  on  the  second  floor  are 
for  persons  of  superior  rank.  The 
galleries  are  built  of  freestone,  and 
hid  from  view  both  within  and  with- 
out by  a  double  wall  of  about  fifty 
feet  high.  So  extensive  is  the 
whole  prison,  which  contains  so 
many  turnings  and  windings,  that 
none  but  those  well  acquainted  with 
it  can  find  the  way  through  its  va- 
rious avenues.  The  apartments  of 
the  chief  inquisitor  are  spacious 
and  elegant;  the  entrance  is  through 
a  large  gate,  which  leads  into  a 
court-yard,  round  which  are  seve- 
ral chambers,  and  some  large  sa- 
loons for  the  king,  royal  family,  and 
the  rest  of  the  court  to  stand  and 
observe  the  executions  during  an 
Auto  da  Fe. 

A  testoon  (sevenpence  halfpenny 
English  money)  is  allowed  every 


prisoner  daily ;  and  the  principal 
gaoler,  accompanied  by  two  other 
officers,  monthly  visits  every  pri- 
soner to  inquire  how  he  would 
have  his  allowance  laid  out.  This 
visit,  however,  is  only  a  matter  of 
form,  for  the  gaoler  usually  lays 
out  the  money  as  he  pleases,  and 
commonly  allows  the  prisoner  daily 
a  porringer  of  broth,  half  a  pound 
of  beef,  a  small  piece  of  bread,  and 
a  trifling  portion  of  cheese. 

Centinels  walk  about  cc  itinually 
to  listen;  if  the  least  noise  is 
heard,  they  call  to,  and  threaten 
the  prisoner ;  if  the  noise  is  repeat- 
ed, a  severe  beating  ensues.  The 
following  is  a  fact :  a  prisoner  hav- 
ing a  violent  cough,  one  l^of  the 
guards  came  and  ordered  him  not 
to  make  a  noise ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied that  it  was  not  in  his  power 
to  forbear.  The  cough  increasing, 
the  guard  went  into  the  cell,  strip- 
ped the  poor  creature  naked,  and 
beat  him  so  unmercifully  that  he 
soon  after  died. 

Sometimes  a  prisoner  passes 
months  without  knowing  of  what 
he  is  accused,  or  having  the  least 
idea  of  when  he  is  to  be  tried.  The 
gaoler  at  length  informs  him,  that 
he  must  petition  for  a  trial.  This 
ceremony  being  gone  through,  he 
is  taken  for  examination.  When 
they  come  to  the  door  of  the  tribu- 
nal, the  gaoler  knocks  three  times, 
to  give  the  judges  notice  of  their 
approach.  A  bell  is  rung  by  one  of 
the  judges,  when  an  attendant 
opens  the  door,  admits  the  prisoner, 
and  seats  him  on  a  stool. 

The  prisoner  is  then  ordered  by 
the  president  to  kneel  down,  and 
lay  his  right  hand  upon  a  book, 
which  is  presented  to  him  close 
shut.  This  being  complied  with, 
the  following  question  is  put  to 
him:  "Will  you  promise  to  con- 
ceal the  secrets  of  the  holy  office, 
and  to  speak  the  truth?"  Should 
he  answer  in  the  negative,  he  is  re- 
manded to  his  cell,  and  cruelly 
treated.  If  he  answer  in  the  affir- 
mative, he  is  ordered  to  be  again 
seated,  and  the  examination  pro- 
ceeds; when  the  president  asks  a 


124 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


variety  of  questions,  and  the  clerk 
minutes  both  them  and  the  an- 
swers. 

When  the  examination  is  closed, 
the  bell  is  again  rung,  the  gaoler 
appears,  and  the  prisoner  is  order- 
ed to  withdraw,  with  this  exhorta- 
tion :  "Tax  your  memory,  recollect 
all  the  sins  you  have  ever  commit- 
ted, and  when  you  are  again 
brought  here,  communicate  them 
to  the  holy  office."  The  gaolers 
and  attendants,  when  apprised  that 
the  prisoner  has  made  an  ingenu- 
ous confession,  and  readily  an- 
swered every  question,  make  him 
a  low  bow,  and  treat  him  with  an 
affected  kindness,  as  a  reward  for 
his  candour. 

He  is  brought  in  a  few  days  to  a 
second  examination,  with  the  same 
formalities  as  before.     The  inqui- 
sitors often   deceive   prisoners   by 
promising  the  greatest  lenity,  and 
even    to   restore   their    liberty,    if 
they  will  accuse   themselves  ;   the 
unhappy  persons,  who  are  in  their 
power,     frequently    fall    into   this 
snare,  and  are  sacrificed  to  their 
own  simplicity.    Instances  have  oc- 
curred of  some,  who,  relying  on  the 
faith  of  the  judges,  have  accused 
themselves  of  what  they  were  to- 
tally innocent  of,  in  expectation  of 
obtaining   their  liberty ;    and  thus 
became  martyrs  to  their  own  folly. 
There   is  another   artifice   made 
use  of  by  the  inquisitors :  if  a  pri- 
soner has  too  much  resolution  to 
accuse    himself,     and     too     much 
sense   to  be  ensnared  by  their  so- 
phistry, they  proceed  thus  :  a  copy 
of  an  indictment  against  the  pri- 
soner is  given  him,  in  which,  among 
many    trivial    accusations,    he    is 
charged  with   the   most  enormous 
crimes,  of  which  human  nature  is 
capable.     This  rouses  his  temper, 
and  he  exclaims  against  such  false- 
hoods.    He  is  then  asked  which  of 
the  crimes  he  can  deny.     He  natu- 
rally mentions  the  most  atrocious, 
and  begins  to  express  his  abhor- 
rence of  them,   when  the    indict- 
ment being   snatched  out    of   his 
hand,    the    president    says,    "  By 
your  denying    only    those   crimes 


which  you  mention,  you  implicitly 
confess  the  rest,  and  we  shall  there- 
fore proceed  accordingly."  Some- 
times they  make  a  ridiculous  affec- 
tation of  equity,  by  pretending  that 
the  prisoner  may  be  indulged  with 
a  counsellor,  if  he  chooses  to  de- 
mand one.  Such  a  request  is 
sometimes  made,  and  a  counsellor 
appointed  ;  but  upon  these  occa- 
sions, as  the  trial  itself  is  a  mock- 
ery of  justice,  so  the  counsellor  is  a 
mere  cypher:  for  he  is  not  permit- 
ted to  say  any  thing  that  might  of- 
fend the  inquisition,  or  to  advance 
a  syllable  that  might  benefit  the 
prisoner. 

Though  the  inquisitors  allow  the 
torture  to  be  used  only  three  times, 
yet  at  those  three  it  is  so  severely 
inflicted,  that  the  prisoner  either 
dies  under  it,  or  continues  always 
after  a  cripple.  The  following  is  a 
description  of  the  severe  torments 
occasioned  by  the  torture,  from  the 
account  of  one  who  sufi'ered  it  the 
three  respective  times,  but  happily 
survived  its  cruelties. 

FIRST    TIME    OF   TORTURING. 

The  prisoner,  on  refusing  to  com- 
ply with  the  iniquitous  demands  of 
the  inquisitors,  by  confessing  all 
the  crimes  they  charged  him  with, 
was  immediately  conveyed  to  the 
torture-room,  which,  to  prevent  the 
cries  of  the  sufferers  from  being 
heard  by  the  other  prisoners,  is 
lined  with  a  kind  of  quilting,  which 
covers  all  the  crevices,  and  deadens 
the  sound.  The  prisoner's  horror 
was  extreme  on  entering  this  infer- 
nal place,  when  suddenly  he  was 
surrounded  by  six  wretches,  who, 
after  preparing  the  tortures,  strip- 
ped him  naked  to  his  drawers.  He 
was  then  laid  upon  his  back  on  a 
kind  of  stand,  elevated  a  few  feet 
from  the  floor.  They  began  by  put- 
ting an  iron  collar  round  his  neck, 
and  a  ring  to  each  foot,  which  fasten- 
ed him  to  the  stand.  His  limbs 
being  thus  stretched  out,  they 
wound  two  ropes  round  each  arm, 
and  two  round  each  thigh  ;  which 
ropes  being  passed  under  the  scaf- 
fold, through  holes  made  for  that 


THE  INQUISITION. 


135 


purpose,  were  all  drawn  tight  at 
the  same  instant  of  time,  by  four  of 
the  men,  on  a  given  signal.  The 
pains  which  immediately  succeeded 
were  intolerable  ;  the  ropes,  which 
were  of  the  small  size,  cut  through 
the  prisoner's  flesh  to  the  bone, 
making  the  blood  gush  out  at  eight 
different  places.  As  he  persisted 
in  not  making  any  confession  of 
what  the  inquisitors  required,  the 
ropes  were  drawn  in  this  manner 
four  times  successively. 

A  physician  and  surgeon  attend- 
ed, and  often  felt  his  temples,   in 
order  to  judge  of  the  danger   he 
might  be  in ;  by  which  means  his 
tortures  were  for  a  small  time  sus- 
pended, that  he  might  have  suffi- 
cient opportunity  of  recovering  his 
spirits  to  sustain  each  ensuing  tor- 
ture.    During  this  extremity  of  an- 
guish, while  the  tender  frame   is 
being  torn,  as  it  were,  in  pieces, 
while    at   every  pore   it  feels  the 
sharpest  pangs  of  death,   and  the 
agonized  soul  is  just  ready  to  burst 
forth,  and  quit  its  wretched  man- 
sion, the  ministers  of  the  inquisi- 
tion have  the  obduracy  to  look  on 
without  emotion,  and  calmly  to  ad- 
vise the  poor  distracted  creature  to 
confess  his  imputed  guilt,  on  doing 
which  they  tell  him  he  may  obtain 
a  free  pardon,  and  receive  absolu- 
tion.    All  this,  however,  was  inef- 
fectual with   the   prisoner,    whose 
mind  was  strengthened  by  a  sweet 
consciousness   of  innocence,    and 
the  divine  consolation  of  religion. 
While  he  was  thus  suffering,  the 
physician  and  surgeon  were  so  bar- 
barous as  to  declare,  that  if  he  died 
under  the  torture,  he  would  be  guil- 
ty, by  his  obstinacy,  of  self-murder. 
In  short,  at  the  last  time  of  the 
ropes  being  drawn  tight,  he  grew 
so  exceedingly  weak,  by  the  stop- 
page of  the  circulation  of  his  blood, 
and  the  pains  he  endured,  that  he 
fainted  away  ;  upon  which  he  was 
unloosed,  and  carried  back  to  his 
dungeon. 

SECOND   TIME    OF   TORTURING. 

These  inhuman  wretches,  finding 
that  the  torture  inflicted,  as  above 


described,  instead  of  extorting  a 
discovery  from  the  prisoner,  only 
served  the  more  fervently  to  excite 
his  supplication  to  Heaven  for  pa- 
tience and  power  to  persevere  ia 
truth  and  integrity,  were  so  barba- 
rous, in  six  weeks  after,  as  to  ex- 
pose him  to  another  kind  of  torture, 
more  severe,  if  possible,  than  the 
former;  the  manner  of  inflicting 
which  was  as  follows  :  they  forced 
his  arms  backwards,  so  that  the 
palms  of  his  hands  were  turned 
outward  behind  him  ;  when,  by 
means  of  a  rope  that  fastened  them 
together  at  the  wrists,  and  which 
was  turned  by  an  engine,  they  drew 
them  by  degrees  nearer  each  other, 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  back  of 
each  hand  touched  and  stood  ex- 
actly parallel  to  each  other.  In 
consequence  of  this  violent  contor- 
tion, both  his  shoulders  were  dislo- 
cated, and  a  considerable  quantity 
of  blood  issued  from  his  .mouth. 
This  torture  was  repeated  thrice  ; 
after  which  he  was  again  taken  to 
the  dungeon,  and  delivered  to  the 
physician  and  surgeon,  who,  in  set- 
ting the  dislocated  bones,  put  him 
to  the  most  exquisite  torment. 

THIRD    TIME    OF   TORTURING. 

About  two  months  after  the  se- 
cond torture,  the  prisoner,  being  a 
little  recovered,  was  again  ordered 
to  the  torture-room;  and  there 
made  to  undergo  another  kind  of 
punisliment.  The  executioners  fas- 
tened a  thick  iron  chain  twice 
round  his  body,  which,  crossing 
upon  his  stomach,  terminated  at 
the  wrists.  They  then  placed  him 
with  his  back  against  a  thick  board, 
at  each  extremity  whereof  was  a 
pulley,  through  which  there  run  a 
rope  that  caught  the  ends  of  the 
chain  at  his  wrists.  Then  the  exe- 
cutioner stretching  the  end  of  this 
rope,  by  means  of  a  roller  placed  at 
a  distance  behind  him,  pressed  or 
bruised  his  stomach  in  proportion  as 
the  ends  of  the  chain  were  drawn 
tighter.  They  tortured  him  in  this 
manner  to  such  a  degree,  that  his 
wrists,  as  well  as  his  shoulders, 
were  quite  dislocated.    They  were, 


126 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


however,  soon  set  by  the  surg^eons ; 
but  the  barbarians,  not  yet  satisfied 
with  this  infernal  cruelty,  made  him 
immediately  undergo  the  like  tor- 
ture a  second  time  ;  wliich  he  sus- 
tained (thousfh,  if  possible,  attend- 
ed with  keener  pains,)  with  equal 
constancy  and  resolution.  He  was 
then  again  remanded  to  his  dun- 
geon, attended  by  the  surgeon  to 
dress  his  bruises  and  adjust  the 
parts  dislocated ;  and  here  he  con- 
tinued till  their  Auto  da  Fe,  or  gaol 
delivery,  when  he  was  happily  dis- 
■charged. 

It  may  be  judged,  from  the  before- 
mentioned  reliation,  what  dreadful 
agony  the  sufferer  must  have  en- 
dured. Most  of  his  limbs  were  dis- 
jointed; so  much  was  he  bruised 
and  exhausted,  as  to  be  unable, 
for  some  weeks,  to  lift  his  hand  to 
his  mouth ;  and  his  body  became 
greatly  swelled  from  the  inflamma- 
tions caused  by  such  frequent  dis- 
locations. After  his  discharge  he 
felt  the  effects  of  this  cruelty  for 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  being  fre- 
quently seized  with  thrilling  and 
excruciating  pains,  to  which  he 
had  never  been  subject,  till  after 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  into 
the  power  of  the  merciless  and 
bloody  inquisition. 

The  unhappy  females  who  fall 
into  their  hands,  have  not  the  least 
favour  shown  them  on  account  of 
the  softness  of  their  sex,  but  are 
tortured  with  as  much  severity  as 
the  male  prisoners,  with  the  addi- 
tional mortification  of  having  the 
most  shocking  indecencies  added 
to  the  most  savage  barbarities. 

Should  the  above-mentioned 
modes  of  torturing  force  a  confes- 
sion from  the  prisoner,  he  is  re- 
manded to  his  horrid  dungeon, 
and  left  a  prey  to  the  melan- 
choly of  his  situation,  to  the  an- 
guish arising  from  what  he  has  suf- 
fered, and  to  the  dreadful  ideas  of 
future  barbarities.  Should  he  re- 
fuse to  confess,  he  is,  in  the  same 
manner,  remanded  to  his  dungeon  ; 
but  a  stratagem  is  used  to  draw 
from  him  what  the  torture  fails  to 
do.      A  companion  is  allowed  to 


attend  him,  under  the  pretence  of 
waiting  upon,  and  comforting  his 
mind  till  his  wounds  are  healed: 
this  person,  who  is  always  selected 
forjjhis  cunning,  insinuates  himself 
into  the  good  graces  of  the  pri- 
soner, laments  the  anguish  he 
feels,  sympathizes  with  him,  and, 
taking  an  advantage  of  the  hasty 
expressions  forced  from  him  by 
pain,  does  all  he  can  to  dive  into 
his  secrets.  This  companion 
sometimes  pretends  to  be  a  pri- 
soner like  himself,  and  imprisoned 
on  similar  charges.  This  is  to 
draw  the  unhappy  person  into  a 
mutual  confidence,  and  persuade 
him,  in  unbosoming  his  grief,  to 
betray  his  private  sentiments. 

Frequently  these  snares  succeed, 
as  they  are  the  more  alluring  by 
being  glossed  over  M'ith  the  ap- 
pearance of  friendship  and  sym- 
pathy. Finally,  if  the  prisoner 
cannot  be  found  guilty,  he  is  either 
tortured  or  harassed  to  death, 
though  a  few  have  sometimes  had 
the  good  fortune  to  be  discharged, 
but  not  without  having  suffered  the 
most  dreadful  cruelties. 

The  inquisition  also  takes  cog- 
nizance of  all  new  books ;  and  to- 
lerates or  condemns  with  the  same 
justice  and  impartialitij  by  which 
all  its  proceedings  are  distin- 
guished. 

When  a  book  is  published,  it  is 
carefully  read  by  some  of  the  fa- 
miliars ;  who,  too  ignorant  and  bi- 
goted to  distinguish  truth,  and  too 
malicious  to  relish  beauties,  searcli 
not  for  the  merits,  but  for  the  de- 
fects of  an  author,  and  pursue  the 
slips  of  his  pen  with  unremitting 
diligence.  They  read  with  preju- 
dice, judge  with  partiality,  pursue 
errors  with  avidity,  and  strain  that 
which  is  innocent  into  an  offensive 
meaning.  They  misapply,  con- 
found, and  pervert  the  sense ;  and 
when  they  have  gratified  the  ma- 
lignity of  their  disposition,  charge 
their  blunders  upon  the  author, 
that  a  prosecution  may  be  founded 
upon  their  false  conceptions,  and 
designed  misinterpretations. 
Any    trivial  charge   causes  the 


THE  INQUISITION. 


127 


censure  of  a  book ;  but  it  is  to  be 
observed,  that  the  censure  is  of  a 
three-fold  nature,  viz. 

1.  When  the  book  is  wholly  con- 
demned. 

2.  When  it  is  partly  condemned ; 
that  is,  when  certain  passages  are 
pointed  out  as  exceptionable,  and 
ordered  to  be  expunged. 

3.  When  it  is  deemed  incorrect; 
the  meaning  of  which  is,  that  a 
few  words  or  expressions  displease 
the  inquisitors.  These,  therefore, 
are  ordered  to  be  altered,  and  such 
alterations  go  under  the  name  of 
corrections. 

There  is  a  catalogue  of  con- 
demned books  annually  published 
under  the  three  diiferent  heads  of 
censures,  already  mentioned, 
which  being  printed  on  a  large 
sheet  of  paper,  is  hung  up  in 
the  most  public  and  conspicuous 
places.  After  which,  people  are 
obliged  to  destroy  all  such  books 
as  come  under  the  first  censure, 
and  to  keep  none  belonging  to  the 
other  two  censures,  unless  the  ex- 
ceptionable passages  have  been 
expunged,  and  the  corrections 
made,  as  in  either  case  disobe- 
dience would  be  of  tbe  most  fatal 
consequence ;  for  the  possessing  or 
reading  the  proscribed  books  are 
deemed  very  atrocious  crimes. 


The  publisher  of  such  books  is 
usually  ruined  in  liis  circum- 
stances, and  sometimes  obliged  to 
pass  the  remainder  of  his  life  in 
the  inquisition. 

Where  such  an  absurd  and  de- 
testable system  exercises  its  dead- 
ening influence  over  the  literature 
of  a  nation,  can  we  be  surprised 
tliat  the  grossest  ignorance  and 
the  most  bigoted  superstition  pre- 
vail? How  can  that  people  be- 
come enlightened,  among  whom 
the  finest  productions  of  genius  are 
prohibited,  all  discussion  pre- 
vented, the  most  innocent  in- 
quiries liable  to  misconstruction 
and  punishment,  the  materials  for 
thinking  proscribed,  and  even 
thought  itself  chained  down,  and 
checked  by  the  fear  of  its  escaping 
into  expression,  and  thus  bringing 
certain  and  cruel  punishment  on 
him  who  has  dared  to  exercise  his 
reason,  the  noblest  gift  of  his  Al- 
mighty Creator.  Surely  every 
well  wisher  to  the  human  race, 
must  rejoice  in  the  downfall  of  this 
most  barbarous  and  infernal  of  all 
tribunals  ;  and  must  view  with  in- 
dignation and  abhorrence  the  ini- 
quitous attempts  now  making  to 
re-establish  it  in  those  unhappy 
countries  which  so  long  groaned 
under  its  sway. 


SECTION  II. 

BARBARITIES    EXERCISED    BY   THE    INQUISITIONS    OF    SPAIN    AND    POR- 
TUGAL. 


Francis  Romanes,  a  native  of 
Spain,  was  employed  by  the  mer- 
chants of  Antwerp,  to  transact 
some  business  for  them  at  Bremen. 
He  had  been  educated  in  the  Rom- 
ish persuasion,  but  going  one  day 
into  a  protestant  church,  he  was 
struck  with  the  truths  which  he 
heard,  and  beginning  to  perceive 
the  errors  of  popery,  he  deter- 
mined to  search  farther  into  the 
matter.  Perusing  the  sacred 
scriptures,  and  the  writings  of 
some  protestant  divines,  he  per- 
ceived how  erroneous  were  the 
principles  which  he  had  formerly- 
embraced;  and  renounced  the  impo- 
sitions of  popery  for  the  doctrines 


of  the  reformed  church,  in  which 
religion  appeared  in  all  its  genuine 
purity.  Resolving  to  think  only 
of  his  eternal  salvation,  he  studied 
religious  truths  more  than  trade, 
and  purchased  books  rather  than 
merchandise,  convinced  that  the 
riches  of  the  body  are  trilling  to 
those  of  the  soul.  He  therefore 
resigned  his  agency  to  the  mer- 
chants of  Antwerp,  giving  them  an 
account  at  the  same  time  of  his 
conversion ;  and  then  resolving,  if 
possible,  to  convert  his  parents, 
he  went  to  Spain  for  that  purpose. 
But  the  Antwerp  merchants  writ- 
ing to  the  inquisitors,  he  was 
seized  upon,  imprisoned  for  some 


128 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tiaie,  ?.nd  then  condemned  to  be 
burnt  as  an  heretic.  He  was  led 
to  the  place  of  execution  in  a  gar- 
ment painted  over  with  devils, 
and  had  a  paper  mitre  put  upon 
his  head  by  way  of  derision.  As 
he  passed  by  a  wooden  cross,  one 
of  the  priests  bade  him  kneel  to  it; 
but  he  absolutely  refused  so  to  do, 
saying,  "  It  is  not  for  Christians  to 
•worship  wood."  Having  been 
placed  upon  a  pile  of  wood,  the 
fire  quickly  reached  him,  where- 
upon he  lifted  up  his  head  sud- 
denly ;  the  priests  thinking  he 
meant  to  recant,  ordered  him  to  be 
taken  down.  Finding,  however, 
that  they  were  mistaken,  and  that 
he  still  retained  his  constancy,  he 
was  placed  again  upon  the  pile, 
where,  as  long  as  he  had  life  and 
voice  remaining,  he  kept  repeat- 
ing the  seventh  psalm. 

A   CARVER   BURNT    FOR   INJURING 
AN    IMAGE. 

At  St.  Lucar,  in  Spain,  resided 
a  carver,  named  Rochus,  whose 
principal  business  was  to  make 
images  of  saints  and  other  popish 
idols.  Becoming,  however,  con- 
vinced of  the  errors  of  the  Romish 
persuasion,  he  embraced  the  pro- 
testant  faith,  left  off  carving 
images,  and  for  subsistence  fol- 
lowed the  business  of  a  seal  en- 
graver only.  He  had,  however, 
retained  one  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  for  a  sign;  when  an  inquisi- 
tor passing  by,  asked  if  he  would 
sell  it.  Rochus  mentioned  a 
price;  the  inquisitor  objected  to  it, 
and  offered  half  the  money.  Ro- 
chus replied,  "  I  would  rather 
break  it  to  pieces  than  take  such  a 
trifle." — "  Break  it  to  pieces !" 
said  the  inquisitor;  "break  it  to 
pieces  if  you  dare !"  Rochus,  pro- 
voked at  this  expression,  snatched 
up  a  chisel,  and  cut  off  the  nose 
of  the  image.  This  was  sufficient ; 
the  inquisitor  went  away  in  a  rage, 
and  soon  after  the  carver  was  ap- 
prehended. In  vain  did  he  plead 
that  what  he  had  defaced  was  his 
own  property;  his  fate  was  de- 
cided:   he  was  condemned  to  be 


burnt,  and  the  sentence  was  exe- 
cuted  accordingly. 

A  doctor  Cacalla,  his  brother 
Francis,  and  his  sister  Blanche, 
Mere  burnt  at  Valladolid,  for  hav- 
ing spoken  against  the  inquisi- 
tors. 

HORRID   TREACHERY    OF   AN    INQUI- 
SITOR. 

A  lady,  with  her  two  daughters 
and  her  niece,  were  apprehended 
at  Seville  for  professing  the  pro- 
testant  religion.  They  were  all 
put  to  the  torture :  and  when  that 
was  over,  one  of  the  inquisitors 
sent  for  the  youngest  daughter, 
pretended  to  sympathise  with  her, 
and  pity  her  sufferings ;  then  bind- 
ing himself  with  a  solemn  oath  not 
to  betray  her,  he  said,  "  If  you 
will  disclose  all  to  me,  I  pro- 
mise you  I  will  procure  the  dis- 
charge of  your  mother,  sister,  cou- 
sin, and  yourself."  Made  confi- 
dent by  his  oath,  and  entrapped 
by  promises,  she  revealed  the 
whole  of  the  tenets  they  professed  ; 
when  the  perjured  wretch,  instead 
of  acting  as  he  had  sworn,  imme- 
diately ordered  h.er  to  be  pat  to 
the  rack,  saying,  "  Now  you  have 
revealed  so  much,  I  will  make  you 
reveal  more."  Refusing,  how- 
ever, to  say  any  thing  farther, 
they  were  all  ordered  to  be  burnt, 
which  sentence  was  executed  at 
the  next  Auto  da  Fe. 

The  keeper  of  the  castle  of  Tri- 
ano,  belonging  to  the  inquisitors  of 
Seville,  happened  to  be  of  a  dispo- 
sition more  mild  and  humane  than 
is  usual  with  persons  in  his  situa- 
tion. He  gave  all  the  indulgence 
lie  could  to  the  prisoners,  and 
shewed  them  every  favour  in  his 
power,  with  as  much  secrecy  as 
possible.  At  length,  however,  the 
inquisitors  became  acquainted  with 
his  kindness,  and  determined  to 
punish  him  severely  for  it,  that 
other  gaolers  might  be  deterred 
from  shewing  the  least  traces  of 
that  compassion  which  ought  to 
glow  in  the  breast  of  every  human 
being.  With  this  view  they  imme- 
diately threw  him  into  a  dismal 
dungeon,  and  used  him  with  dread- 
4 


THE  INQUlSITIOrvT. 


123 


fill  fjarbarity  that  he  lost  his 
stMises.  His  deplorable  situation, 
however,  procured  him  no  favour; 
for,  frantic  as  he  was,  tliey  brouaiht 
him  from  prison,  at  an  Auto  da  Fe, 
to  the  usual  place  of  punishment, 
with  a  sanbenito  (or  garment  worn 
by  criminals)  on,  and  a  rope 
about  his  neck.  His  sentence  was 
then  read,  and  ran  thus :  that  lie 
should  be  placed  upon  an  ass,  led 
tlirough  the  city,  receive  200 
stripes,  and  then  be  condemned  for 
six  years  to  the  galleys.  This  un- 
happy, frantic  wretch,  just  as  tiiey 
were   about  to  begin   his  punish- 


ment, suddenly  sprung  from  the 
back  of  the  ass,  broke  the  cords 
that  bound  him,  snatched  a  sword 
from  one  of  the  guards,  and  dan- 
gerously wounded  an  officer  of  the 
inquisition.  Being  overpowered 
by  multitudes,  he  was  prevented 
from  doing  further  mischief,  seiz- 
ed, bound  more  securely  to  the 
ass,  and  punished  according  to  his 
Sentence.  But  so  inexorable  were 
the  inquisitors,  that,  for  the  rash 
effects  of  his  madness,  four  years 
were  added  to  his  slavery  iu  the 
galleys. 


Method  of  tiirtuniig  the  tnmitive  Christians. 


A  maid-servant  to  another  gaoler 
belonging  to  the  inquisition  was 
accused  of  humanity,  and  detected 
in  bidding  the  prisoners  keep  up 
their  spirits.  For  these  heinous 
crimes,  as  they  were  called,  she 
was  publicly  whipped,  banished 
her  native  place  for  ton  years,  and 
had  her  forehead  branded  with 
these  words,  "  A  favourer  and 
FOX'S  MAUTVRS. 


aider  of  heretics."  Near  the  same 
time,  John  Pontic,  a  protcslant 
gentleman,  was,  principally  oa  ac- 
count of  his  great  estate,  appre- 
hended by  the  inquisitors,  and 
charged  with  heresy.  On  this 
charge  all  his  effects  were  confis- 
cated to  the  use  of  the  inquisition, 
and  his  body  burnt  to  ashes. 

John     Gonsalvo,      origfiially     a 


130 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


priest,  but  who  had  embraced  the 
reformed  religion,  was,  with  his 
mother,  brother,  and  two  sisters, 
seized  upon  by  the  inquisitors. 
Beings  condemned,  they  were  led 
to  execution,  singing  part  of  the 
106th  psalm.  They  were  ordered 
at  the  place  of  execution  to  say 
the  creed,  which  they  immediately 
complied  with,  but  coming  to  these 
words,  "  the  holy  catholic  church," 
they  were  commanded  to  add  the 
monosyllables  "  of  Rome,"  which 
absolutely  refusing,  one  of  the  in- 
quisitors said,  "  Put  an  end  to 
their  lives  directly;"  when  the 
executioners  obeyed,  and  stran- 
gled them. 

Four  protestant  women  were 
seized  upon  at  Seville,  tortured, 
and  afterwards  ordered  for  execu- 
tion. On  the  way  they  began  to 
sing  psalms;  but  the  officeis  think- 
ing that  the  words  of  the  psalms 
reflected  on  themselves,  put  gags 
into  their  mouths  to  make  them  si- 
lent. They  were  then  burnt,  and 
the  houses  where  they  resided  or- 
dered to  be  demolished. 

A  protestant  schoolmaster,  nam- 
ed Ferdinando,  was  apprehended 
by  order  of  the  inquisition,  for  in- 
structing his  pupils  in  the  princi- 
ples of  protestantism;  and  after 
being  severely  tortured,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  flames. 

A  monk,  who  had  abjured  the 
errors  of  popeiy,  was  imprisoned 
at  the  same  time  as  Ferdinando  ; 
but  through  the  fear  of  death,  he 
said  he  was  willing  to  embrace  his 
former  communion.  Ferdinando 
hearing  of  this,  got  an  opportunity 
to  speak  to  him,  reproached  him 
with  his  weakness,  and  threatened 
him  v/ith  eternal  perdition;  when 
the  monk,  sensible  of  his  crime, 
returned  to  the  protestant  faith, 
and  declared  to  the  inquisitors 
that  he  solemnly  renounced  his  in- 
tended recantation.  Sentence  of 
death  was  therefore  passed  upon 
him,  and  he  was  burned  at  the 
same  time  as  Ferdinando. 

A  Spanish  Roman  Catholic, 
named  Juliano,  on  travelling  into 
Germany,  became  a  convert  to  the 
protestant  religion ;  and  undertook 


to  convey  from  Germany  into  his 
own  country  a  great  number  of 
Bibles,  concealed  in  casks,  and 
packed  up  like  Rhenish  wine. 
This  important  commission  he  suc- 
ceeded in,  so  far  as  to  distribute 
the  books.  A  pretended  protest- 
ant, however,  who  had  purchased 
one  of  the  Bibles,  betrayed  hirn, 
and  laid  an  account  of  the  aftair 
before  the  inquisition.  Juliano 
was  then  seized  upon,  and  all 
means  being  used  to  find  out  the 
purchasers  of  these  Bibles,  800 
persons  were  apprehended.  They 
were  all  tortured,  and  most  of 
them  sentenced  to  various  other 
punishments.  Juliano  was  burnt, 
twenty  were  roasted  upon  spits, 
several  imprisoned  for  life,  some 
publicly  whipped,  many  sent  to 
the  galleys,  and  very  few  indeed 
acquitted. 

A  protestant  tailor  of  Spain, 
named  John  Leon,  travelled  to 
Germany,  and  from  thence  to  Ge- 
neva, where  hearing  that  a  great 
number  of  English  protestants 
were  returning  to  their  native 
country,  he,  and  some  more  Spa- 
niards, determined  to  go  with 
them.  The  Spanish  inquisitors 
being  apprised  of  their  intentions, 
sent  a  number  of  familiars  in  pur- 
suit of  them,  who  overtook  them  at 
a  seaport  in  Zealand.  The  pri- 
soners were  heavily  fettered,  hand- 
cufied,  gagged,  had  their  heads 
and  necks  covered  with  a  kind  of 
iron  net-work,  and  in  this  misera- 
ble condition  they  were  conveyed 
to  Spain,  thrown  into  a  dungeon, 
almost  famished,  barbarously  tor- 
tured, and  then  burnt. 

A  young  lady  having  been  put" 
into  a  convent,  absolutely  refused 
to  take  the  veil ;  and  on  leaving 
the  cloister  she  embraced  the  pro- 
testant faith,  on  which  she  was  ap- 
prehended and  committed  to  the 
flames. 

An  eminent  physician  and  phi- 
losopher, named  Christopher  Lo- 
sada,  became  extremely  obnoxious 
to  the  inquisitors,  by  exposing  the 
errors  of  popery,  and  professing 
the  tenets  of  protestantism.  He 
was  apprehended,  imprisoned,  and 


THE  INQUISITION« 


131 


racked :  but  those  severities  not 
makinof  him  confess  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  to  be  the  only 
true  one,  he  was  sentenced  to  the 
fire ;  which  he  bore  with  exem- 
plary patience,  and  resigned  his 
soul  to  his  Creator. 

Arias,  a  monk  of  St.  Isidore's 
monastery  at  Seville,  was  a  man  of 
great  abilities,  but  of  a  vicious 
disposition.  He  sometimes  pre- 
tended to  forsake  the  errors  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  become  a 
protestant,  and  soon  after  turned 
Roman  Catholic.  Thus  he  conti- 
nued a  long  time  wavering  be- 
tween both  persuasions,  till  God 
thought  proper  to  touch  his  heart. 
He  now  became  a  true  protestant; 
and  the  sincerity  of  his  conversion 
being  known,  he  was  seized  by  the 
oflScers  of  the  inquisition,  severely 
tortured,  and  afterwards  burnt  at 
an  Auto  da  Fe. 

A  young  lady,  named  Maria  de 
Coceicao,  who  resided  with  her 
brother  at  Lisbon,  was  taken  up 
by  the  inquisitors,  and  ordered  to 
be  put  to  the  rack.  The  torments 
she  felt  made  her  confess  the 
charges  against  her.  The  cords 
were  then  slackened,  and  she  was 
re-conducted  to  her  cell,  where  she 
remained  till  she  had  recovered 
the  use  of  her  limbs;  she  was  then 
brought  again  before  the  tribunal, 
and  ordered  to  ratify  her  confes- 
sion. This  she  absolutely  refused 
to  do,  telling  them,  that  what  she 
had  said  was  forced  from  her  by 
the  excessive  pain  she  underwent. 
The  inquisitors,  incensed  at  this 
reply,  ordered  her  again  to  be  put 
to  the  rack,  when  the  weakness  of 
nature  once  more  prevailed,  and 
she  repeated  her  former  confes- 
sion. She  was  immediately  re- 
manded to  her  cell :  and  being  a 
third  time  brought  before  the  in- 
quisitors, they  ordered  her  to  sign 
her  first  and  second  confessions. 
She  answered  as  before,  but 
added,  "  I  have  twice  given  way 
to  the  frailty  of  the  flesh,  and  per- 
haps may,  while  on  the  rack,  be 
weak  enough  to  do  so  again ;  but 
depend  upon  it,  if  you  torture  me 
an  hundred  times,  as  soon  as  I  am 


released  from  the  rack  I  shall  deny 
what  was  extorted  from  me  by 
pain."  The  inquisitors  then  or- 
dered her  to  be  racked  a  third 
time;  and,  during  this  last  trial, 
she  bore  the  torments  with  the  ut- 
most fortitude,  and  could  not  be 
persuaded  to  answer  any  of  the 
questions  put  to  her.  As  her  cou- 
rage and  constancy  increased,  the 
inquisitors,  instead  of  putting  her 
to  death,  condemned  her  to  a  se- 
vere whipping  through  the  public 
streets,  and  banishment  for  ten 
years. 

A   lady   of    a    noble    family    in 
Seville,    named  Jane    Bohorquia, 
was  apprehended  on  the  informa- 
tion of  her  sister,  who  had  been 
tortured  and  burnt  for  professing 
the     protestant     religion.      Being 
pregnant,     they     let    her     remain 
tolerably    quiet    till    she   was   de- 
livered,    when    they    immediately 
took  away  the  child,  and  put  it  to 
nurse,  that  it  might  be  brought  up  a 
Romau  Catholic.     Soon  afterwards 
this  unfortunate  lady  was  ordered 
to  be  racked,  which  was  done  with 
such  severity,  that  she  expired  a 
week    after    of   the    wounds    and 
bruises.      Upon  this  occasion  the 
inquisitors  affected  some  remorse, 
and  in  one  of  the  printed  acts  of 
the  inquisition,  which  they  always 
publish   at   an   Auto    da   Fe,    this 
young    lady    is    thus   mentioned: 
"  Jane  Bohorquia  was  found  dead 
in  prison;    after  which,  upon  re- 
viving the  prosecution,  the  inqui- 
sitors discovered  she  was  innocent. 
— Be  it  therefore  known,   that  no 
further      prosecutions      shall      be 
carried  on  against  her;    and  that 
her  effects,  which  were  confiscated, 
shall  be  given  to  the  heirs  at  law." 
One  sentence  in  the  above  ridicu- 
lous passage,   wants  explanation, 
viz.   that   no   further  prosecutions 
shall   be    carried   on   against  her. 
This  alludes  to  the  absurd  custom 
of    prosecuting    and    burning    the 
bones   of  the   dead :    for  when   a 
prisoner   dies    in    the  inquisition, 
the  process  continues  the  same  as 
if  he  was   living;     the  bones  are 
deposited  in  a  chest,  and  if  sen- 
tence of  guilt  is  passed,  they  are 


132 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


brought  out  at  the  next  Auto  da 
Fe;  the  sentence  is  read  against 
them  with  as  much  solemnity  as 
against  a  living  prisoner,  and  they 
are  committed  to  the  flames. 
In  a  similar  manner  are  prosecu- 
tions carried  on  against  prisoners 
who  escape ;  and  when  their  per- 
sons are  far  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  inquisitors,  they  are  burnt  in 
effigy. 

Isaac   Orobio,    a   learned    phy- 
sician,  having  beaten   a  Moorish 
servant  for  stealing,  was  accused 
by  him  of  professing  Judaism,  and 
the    inquisitors   seized    him    upon 
the  charge.       He  w;is  kept  three 
years  in  prison  before  he  had  the 
least  intimation  of  what  he  was  to 
undergo,  and  then  suffered  the  fol- 
lowing six  modes  of  torture:  1.  A 
coarse   linen  coat    was   put  upon 
him,  and  then  drawn  so  tight  that  the 
circulation  of  the  blood  was  nearly 
stopped,    and    the   breath    almost 
pressed   out   of  his   body.      After 
this     the    strings    were    suddenly 
loosened,  when  the  air  forcing  its 
w  ay  hastily  into  his  stomach,  and 
the  blood  rushing  into  its  channels, 
he    suffered    the    most   incredible 
pain.     2.    His    thumbs   were    tied 
with  small  cords  so  hard  that  the 
blood  gushed  from  under  the  nails. 
.3.  He  was  seated  on  a  bench  with 
his  back  against  a  wall,  wherein 
small     iron     pulleys     were    fixed. 
Ropes   being   fastened  to  several 
parts  of  his  body  and  limbs,  were 
passed   through  the   pulleys,    and 
being  suddenly  drawn  with  great 
violence,     his    whole    frame    was 
forced    into   a  distorted  mass.     4. 
After  having  suffered  for  a  consi- 
derable time  the  pains  of  the  last- 
mentioned  position,  the  seat  was 
snatched  away,   aud   he  was  left 
suspended  against  the  wall.     5.  A 


little  instrument  with  five  knob.**,, 
and  which  went  with  springs,  being 
placed  near  his  face,  he  suddenly 
received  five  blows  on  the  cheek, 
which  put  him  to  such  pain  as 
caused  him  to  faint.  6.  The  ex- 
ecutioners fastened  ropes  round 
his  wrists,  and  then  drew  them 
about  his  body.  Placing  him  on 
his  back  with  his  feet  against  the 
wall,  they  pulled  with  the  utmost 
violence,  till  the  cord  had  pene- 
trated to  the  bone.  He  suffered 
the  last  torture  three  times,  and 
then  lay  seventy  days  before  his 
wounds  were  healed.  He  was 
afterwards  banished,  and  in  his 
exile  wrote  the  account  of  his  suf- 
ferings, from  which  the  foregoing 
particulars  are  chieffy  extracted. 

A  famous  writer  of  Toledo,  and~~ 
a  protestant,  was  fond  of  pro- 
ducing fine  specimens  of  writing, 
and  having  them  framed  to  adorn 
the  different  apartments  of  his 
house.  Among  other  curious  ex- 
amples of  penmanship,  was  a  large 
piece  containing  the  Lord's  prayer, 
creed,  and  ten  commandments,  in 
verse.  This  piece,  which  hung  in 
a  conspicuous  part  of  the  house, 
was  one  day  seen  by  a  person  be- 
longing to  the  inquisition,  who  ob- 
served that  the  versification  of  the 
commandments  was  not  according 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  but  accord- 
ing to  the  protestant  church :  for 
the  protestants  retain  the  whole  of 
the  commandments  as  they  are 
found  in  the  Bible,  but  the  papists 
omit  that  part  of  the  second  com- 
mandment which  forbids  the  wor- 
ship of  images.  The  inquisition 
soon  had  information  of  the  cir- 
cumstance, and  this  gentleman  was 
seized,  prosecuted,  and  burnt, 
only  for  ornamenting  his  house, 
with  a  specimen  of  his  skill. 


SECTION  III. 

TRIAL   AND    SUFFERINGS    OF    MR.    ISAAC    MARTIN. 


In  the  year  1714,  about  Lent, 
Mr.  Martin  arrived  at  Malaga, 
with  his  wife  and  four  children. 
On  the  examination  of  his  bag- 
gage, his  liible,  and  some  other 
iiooks,  were  seized.     He  was  ac- 


cused in  about  three  months  time 
of  being  a  Jew,  for  these  curious 
reasons,  that  his  own  name  was 
Isaac,  and  one  of  his  sons  was 
named  Abraham.  The  accusation 
was  laid  in  the  bishop's  court,  and 


THE  INQUISITION. 


133 


lie  informed  the  English  consul 
of  it,  who  said  it  was  nothing  but 
the  malice  of  some  of  the  Irish 
papists,  whom  he  advised  him  al- 
ways to  shun.  The  clergy  sent  to 
Mr.  Martin's  neighbours  to  know 
their  opinion  concerning  him :  the 
result  of  which  inquiry  was  this, 
*'  We  believe  him  not  to  be  a  Jew, 
but  an  heretic."  After  this,  being 
continually  pestered  by  priests, 
particularly  those  of  the  Irish 
nation,  to  change  his  religion,  he 
determined  to  dispose  of  what  he 
had,  and  retire  from  Malaga.  But 
when  his  resolution  became  known, 
at  about  nine  o'clock  at  night  he 
heard  a  knocking  at  his  door.  He 
demanded  who  was  there.  The 
persons  Avithout  said  they  wanted 
to  enter.  He  desired  they  would 
come  again  the  next  morning  ;  but 
they  replied,  if  he  would  not  open 
the  door  they  would  break  it  open; 
which  they  did.  Then  about  fif- 
teen persons  entered,  consisting  of 
a  commissioner,  with  several 
priests  and  familiars  belonging  to 
the  inquisition.  Mr.  Martin  would 
fain  have  gone  to  the  English 
consul ;  but  they  told  him  the  con- 
sul had  nothing  to  do  in  the  matter, 
and  then  said,  "  Where  are  your 
beads  and  fire-arms  V  To  which  he 
answered,  "I  am  an  English  pro- 
testant,  and  as  such  carry  no  pri- 
vate arms,  nor  make  use  of  beads." 
They  took  away  his  watch,  money, 
and  other  things,  carried  him  to  the 
bishop's  prison,  and  put  on  him  a 
pair  of  heavy  fetters.  His  dis- 
tressed family  waj,  at  the  same 
time,  turned  out  of  doors  till  the 
house  was  stripped  ;  and  when  they 
had  taken  every  thing  away,  they 
returned  the  key  to  his  wife. 

About  four  days  after  his  com- 
mitment, Mr.  Martin  was  told  he 
must  be  sent  to  Grenada  to  be 
tried :  he  earnestly  begged  to  see 
his  wife  and  children  before  he 
went,  but  this  was  denied.  Being 
doubly  fettered,  he  was  mounted 
on  a  mule,  and  set  out  towards 
Grenada.  By  the  way,  the  mule 
threw  him  upon  a  rocky  part  of 
tlie  road,  and  almost  broke  his 
back. 


On  his  arrival  at  Grenada,  after 
a  journey  of  tliree  days,  he  was 
detained  at  an  inn  till  it  was  dark, 
for  they  never  put  any  one  into  the 
inquisition    during  day-light.      At 
night  he  was   taken  to  the  prison, 
and  led  along  a  range  of  galleries 
till  he  arrived  at  a  dungeon.     The 
gaoler  nailed  up  a  box  of  books, 
belonging  to  him,  which  had  been 
brought  from  Malaga,  saying,  they 
must  remain  in  that  state  till  the 
lords  of    the    inquisition  chose   to 
inspect  them,    for   prisoners   were 
not   allowed  to   read  books.      He 
also    took   an   inventory  of  every 
thing,  which  Mr.  Martin  had  about 
him,  even  to  his  very  buttons  ;  and 
having  asked  him  a  great  number 
of  frivolous  questions,  he  at  length 
gave     him    these    orders :     *'  You 
must  observe  as  great  silence  here, 
as  if  you   were  dead  ;    you  must 
not  speak,   nor  whistle,   nor  sing, 
nor  make   any  noise   that  can   be 
heard ;    and  if  you  hear  any  body 
cry,      or      make      a     noise,     you 
must    be    still,    and    say    nothing, 
upon  pain  of  200   lashes."      Mr. 
Martin    asked    if  he    might  have 
liberty   to  walk  about  the   room  ; 
the   gaoler  replied    he   might,  but 
it  must  be  very  softly.     After  giv- 
ing him  some  wine,  bread,  and  a 
few  walnuts,  the  gaoler  left  him  till 
the  morning. — It  was  frosty  wea- 
ther, the  walls  of  the  dungeon  were 
between  two  and  three  feet  thick, 
the  floor  was  bricked,  and  a  great 
deal  of  wind  came  though  a  hole 
of  about  a  foot  in  length,  and  five 
inches  in  breadth,  which  served  as 
aAvindow.     The  next  morning  the 
gaoler  came  to  light  his  lamp,  and 
bade  him   light  a  fire  in   order  to 
dress   his   dinner.     He    then   took 
him  to  a  turn,  or  such  a  wheel  as 
is  found  at  the  doors  of  convents, 
where  a  person  on  the  other  side 
turns  the   provisions    round.      He 
had  then  given  him  half  a  pound  of 
mutton,  two  pouds  of  bread,  some 
kidney  beans,  a  bunch  of  raisins, 

and  a  pint  of  wine,  which  was  the 

allowance  for  three  days.     He  had 
likewise  two    pounds  of  charcoal, 

an  earthen  stove,  and  a  few  other 

articles. 


134 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


In  about  a  week  he  was  ordered 
to  an  audience ;  he  followed  the 
gaoler,  and  coming  to  a  large  room 
saw  a  man  sitting  between  two 
crucifixes;  and  another  with  a  pen 
in  his  hand,  who  was,  as  he  after- 
wards learned,  the  secretary.  The 
chief  lord  inquisitor  was  the  per- 
son between  the  two  crucifixes ;  and 
appeared  to  be  about  sixty  years  of 
age.  He  ordered  Mr.  M.  to  sit 
down  upon  a  little  stool  that  front- 
ed him.  A  frivolous  examination 
then  took  place;  the  questions 
related  to  his  family,  their  religion, 
&c.  and  his  own  tenets  of  faith. 
The  prisoner  admitted  that  he  was 
a  protestant,  told  the  inquisitor 
that  the  religion  of  Christ  admitted 
of  no  persecution,  and  concluded 
with  saying  that  he  hoped  to  re- 
main in  that  religion.  He  under- 
went five  examinations,  without 
any  thing  serious  being  alleged 
against  him. 

In  a  few  days  after,  he  was  called 
to  his  sixth  aiidience,  when  after 
a  few  immaterial  interrogatories, 
the  inquisitor  told  him  the  charges 
against  him  should  be  read,  and 
that  he  must  give  an  immediate 
and  prompt  answer  to  each  re- 
spective charge. 

The  accusations  against  him 
were  then  read  ;  they  amounted  to 
twenty-six,  but  were  principally  of 
the  most  trivial  nature,  and  the 
greater  number  wholly  false,  or, 
if  founded  on  facts,  so  distorted 
and  perverted  by  the  malice  of 
his  accusers,  as  to  bear  little  re- 
semblance to  the  real  occurrences 
to  which  they  related.  Mr.  Martin 
answered  the  whole  of  them  firmly 
and  discreetly,  exposing  their 
weakness,  and  detecting  their 
falsehood.. 

He  was  then  remanded  to  his 
dungeon;  was  shaved  on  Whit- 
sun-eve  (shaving  being  allowed 
only  three  times  in  the  year);  and 
the  next  day  one  of  the  gaolers 
gave  him  some  frankincense  to  be 
put  into  the  fire,  as  he  was  to  re- 
ceive a  visit  from  the  lords  of  the 
inquisition.  Two  of  them  accord- 
ingly came,  asked  many  trivial 
questions,     concluding    them,     as 


usual,  with,  "  We  will  do  you  all 
the  service  we  can."  Mr.  Martin 
complained  greatly  of  their  hav- 
ing promised  him  a  lawyer  to  plead 
his  cause;  "when,  instead  of  a 
proper  person,"  said  he,  "  there 
was  a  man  whom  you  called  a 
lawyer,  but  he  never  spoke  to  me, 
nor  I  to  him :  if  all  your  lawyers 
are  so  quiet  in  this  country,  they 
are  the  quietest  in  the  world,  for 
he  hardly  said  any  thing  but  yes 
and  no,  to  what  your  lordship 
said."  To  which  one  of  the  in- 
quisitors gravely  replied,  "  Law- 
yers are  not  allowed  to  speak 
here."  At  this  the  gaoler  and 
secretary  went  out  of  the  dungeon 
to  laugh,  and  Mr.  Martin  could 
scarce  refrain  from  smiling  in  their 
faces,  to  think  that  his  cause  was 
to  be  defended  by  a  man  who 
scarce  dared  to  open  his  lips. 
Some  time  after  he  was  ordered  to 
dress  himself  very  clean:  as  soon 
as  he  was  ready,  one  of  the  gaolers 
came  and  told  him,  that  he  must 
go  with  him :  but  that  first  he  must 
have  a.handkerchief  tied  about  his 
eyes.  He  now  expected  the 
torture;  but,  after  another  ex- 
amination, was  remanded  to  his 
dungeon. 

About  a  month  afterwards,  he 
had  a  rope  put  round  his  neck,  and 
was  led  by  it  to  the  altar  of  the 
great  church.  Here  his  sentence 
was  pronounced,  which  was,  that 
for  the  crimes  of  which  he  stood 
convicted,  the  lords  of  the  holy 
oflice  had  ordered  him  to  be  ba- 
nished out  of  the  dominions  of 
Spain,  upon  the  penalty  of  200 
lashes,  and  being  sent  five  years 
to  the  galleys;  and  that  he  should 
at  present  receive  200  lashes 
through  the  streets  of  the  city  of 
Grenada. 

Mr.  Martin  was  sent  again  to  his 
dungeon  that  night,  and  the  next 
morning  the  executioner  came, 
stripped  him,  tied  his  hands  toge- 
ther, put  a  rope  about  his  neck, 
and  led  him  out  of  the  prison.  He 
was  then  mounted  on  an  ass,  and 
received  his  200  lashes,  amidst  the 
shouts  and  peltings  of  the  people. 
He  remained  a  fortnight  after  this 


THE  INQUISITION. 


135 


in  gaol,  and  at  length  was  sent  to 
Malaga.  Here  he  was  put  in  gaol 
for  some  days,  till  he  could  be  sent 
on  board  an  English  ship  :  which 
had  no  sooner  happened,  than 
news  was  brought  of  a  rupture  be- 
tween England  and  Spain,  and  that 
ship,  with  many  others,  was  stop- 
ped. Mr.  Martin  not  being  con- 
sidered as  a  prisoner  of  war,  was 
put  on  board  of  a  Hamburgh 
trader,  and  his  wife  and  children 


soon  came  io  him ;  but  he  was 
obliged  to  put  up  with  the  loss  of 
his  effects,  which  had  been  em- 
bezzled by  the  inquisition. 

His  case  was  published  by  the 
desire  of  Secretary  Craggs,  the 
archbishops  of  Canterbury  and 
York,  the  bishops  of  London,  Win- 
chester, Ely,  Norwich,  Sarum, 
Chichester,  St.  Asaph,  Lincoln, 
Bristol,  Peterborough,  Bangor,  &c. 


SECTION  IV. 


DISCOVERY    OF    SOME    ENORMITIES   OF   THE    INQUISITION. 


In  the  beginning  of  the  last 
century,  when  the  crown  of  Spain 
was  contested  for  by  two  princes, 
France  espoused  the  cause  of  one 
competitor,  and  England  of  the 
other.  The  duke  of  Berwick,  (a 
natural  son  of  James  II.  of  Eng- 
land) commanded  the  Spanish 
and  French  forces,  and  defeated 
the  English,  at  the  battle  of  Al- 
manza.  The  army  was  then  divid- 
ed into  two  parts ;  the  one,  con- 
sisting of  Spaniards  and  French, 
headed  by  the  duke  of  Berwick, 
advanced  towards  Catalonia  ;  the 
other  body,  consisting  of  French 
troops  only,  commanded  by  the 
duke  of  Orleans,  proceeded  to  the 
conquest  of  Arragon.  On  the 
troops  appioaching  the  city  of 
Arragon,  the  magistrates  came 
to  offer  the  keys  to  the  duke  of 
Orleans  ;  but  be  told  them  haugh- 
tily they  were  rebels,  and  that  he 
would  not  accept  the  keys,  for  he 
had  orders  to  enter  the  city 
through  a  breach.  Accordingly,  he 
made  a  breach  in  the  walls  with 
his  cannon,  and  then  entered  the 
city  through  it,  together  with  his 
whole  aimy.  When  he  had  made 
regulations  here,  and  ordered  that 
heavy  contributions  should  be 
levied,  he  departed  to  subdue 
other  places,  leaving  a  strong  gar- 
rison under  the  command  of  his 
lieutenant-general  M.  De  Legal. 
This  gentleman,  though  brought  up 
a  Roman  catholic,  was  totally  free 
from  superstition  :  he  united  great 
talents  witli  great    bravery ;    and 


was,  at  once,  the  accomplished 
gentleman  and  skilful  officer. 

The  money  levied  upon  the  ma- 
gistrates and  principal  inhabitants, 
and  upon  every  house,  was  paid 
as  soon  as  demanded ;  but  when 
the  persons  applied  to  the  heads 
of  the  convents  and  monasteries, 
they  found  the  ecclesiastics  very 
unwilling  to  part  with  their  cash. 

M.  De  Legal  sent  to  the  Jesuits 
a  peremptory  order  to  pay  2000 
pistoles  immediately.  The  supe- 
rior of  the  Jesuits  returned  for 
answer,  that  for  the  clergy  to  pay 
money  to  the  army  was  against  all 
ecclesiastical  immunities ;  and 
that  he  knew  of  no  argument  that 
could  authorize  such  a  procedure. 
M.  De  Legal  then  sent  four  com- 
panies of  dragoons  to  quarter 
themselves  in  the  college,  with 
this  sarcastic  message :  "  To  con- 
vince you  of  the  necessity  of  pay- 
ing the  money,  I  have  sent  four 
substantial  arguments  to  your  col- 
lege, drawn  from  the  system  of 
military  logic ;  and,  therefore,  hope 
you  will  not  need  any  further  ad- 
monition to  direct  your  conduct." 

The  Jesuits,  greatly  perplexed 
at  these  proceedings,  dispatched 
an  express  to  court  to  the  king's 
confessor,  who  was  of  their  order  ; 
but  the  dragoons  were  much  more 
expeditious  in  plundering  and 
doing  mischief,  than  the  courier 
in  his  journey :  so  that  the  Jesuits, 
seeing  every  thing  going  to  ruin, 
thought  proper  to  adjust  the  mat- 
ter, and  paid  jthe  money  before  the 


136 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


return  of  the  messenger.  The 
Augustins  and  Carmelites,  taking 
•warning  by  what  had  happened  to 
the  Jesuits,  prudently  went  and 
paid  the  money,  and  by  that  means 
escaped  the  study  of  military  argu- 
ments, and  of  being  taught  logic  by 
the  dragoons. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Domini- 
cans, who  are  all  agents  of  the  in- 
quisition, imagined,  that  that  very 
circumstance  would  be  their  protec- 
tion ;  but  the}'  were  mistaken,  for 
M.  De  Legal  neither  feared  nor  re- 
spected the  inquisition.  The  chief 
of  the  Dominicans  sent  word  to  the 
military  commander,  that  his  order 
was  poor,  and  had  not  any  money 
whatever  to  pay  the  donative  ; 
•'  for,"  said  he,  "  the  whole  wealth 
of  the  Dominicans  consists  only  in 
the  silver  images  of  the  apostles 
and  saints,  which  are  placed  in  our 
church,  and  to  remove  which  would 
be  accounted  sacrilege." 

This  insinuation   was  meant  to 
terrify  the  French  commander  ;  he, 
however,  sent  word  that  the  silver 
images  would  make  admirable  sub- 
stitutes for  money,  and  would  be 
more  in  character  in  his   posses- 
sion than  in  that  of  the  Dominicans 
themselves  ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "  while 
you  possess  them,  they  stand  up  in 
niches,     useless    and    motionless, 
without  being  of  the  least  benefit  to 
niakind  ;  but  when  they  come  into 
my  possession,  they  shall  be  useful ; 
I  will  put  them  in  motion  ;  fOr  I  in- 
tend to   have   them  coined,  when 
they  may  travel  like  the  apostles." 
The  inquisitors  were  astonished 
at  this  treatment,  which  they  never 
expected    to    receive,    even   from 
crowned  heads  ;  they  therefore  de- 
termined to  deliver  their  precious 
images  in  a  solemn  procession,  that 
they  might  excite  the  people  to  an 
insurrection.  The  Dominican  friars 
were  accordingly  ordered  to  march 
to  De  Legal's  bouse,  with  the  silver 
apostles  and  saints,  in  a  mournful 
manner,  having  lighted  tapers  with 
them,  and   bitterly  crying  all   the 
way,  "  Heresy  !  heresy  !" 

\yhen  M.  De  Legal  heard  of 
these  proceedings,  he  ordered  four 
companies  of  grenadiers  to  lipe  the 


streets  which  led  to  his  house;  each 
grenadier  was  ordered  to  have  his 
loaded  fuzee  in  one  hand,  and  a 
lighted  taper  in  the  other:  so  that 
the  troops  might  either  repel  force 
with  force,  or  do  honour  to  the 
farcical  ceremony.  The  friars  did 
all  they  could  to  raise  a  tumult,  but 
the  people  were  too  much  afraid  of 
the  troops  ;  the  silver  images  were, 
therefore,  delivered  up  to  M.  De 
Legal,  who  sent  them  to  the  mint 
to  be  coined. 

The  inquisitors,  however,  deter- 
mined to  excommunicate  M.  De 
Legal,  unless  he  would  release 
their  precious  saints  from  imprison- 
ment in  the  mint  before  they  were 
melted  down.  The  French  com- 
mander absolutely  refused  to  do 
this,  upon  which  the  inquisitors 
drew  up  the  form  of  excommunica- 
tion, and  ordered  their  secretary  to 
go  and  read  it  to  him. 

This  commission  the  secretary 
punctually  performed,  and  read  the 
excommunication  deliberately  and 
distinctly.  The  French  commander 
heard  him  with  great  patience,  and 
politely  told  him  he  would  answer 
it  next  day.  As  soon  as  the  secre- 
tary was  gone,  M.  De  Legal  order- 
ed his  own  secretary  to  prepare  a 
form  of  excommunication  exactly 
like  that  sent  by  the  inquisition : 
but  instead  of  his  name,  to  put  in 
those  of  the  inquisitors. 

The  next  morning  he  ordered 
four  regiments  under  arms,  and 
commanded  them  to  accompany  his 
secretary,  and  act  according  to  his 
direction.  The  secretary  went  to 
the  inquisition,  and  insisted  upon 
admittance  ;  which,  after  a  great 
deal  of  altercation,  was  granted. 
As  soon  as  he  entered,  he  read,  in 
an  audible  voice,  the  excommuni- 
cation sent  by  M,  De  Legal  against 
the  inquisitors.  They  were  all  pre- 
sent, and  heard  it  with  astonish- 
ment. They  cried  out  against  De 
Legal,  as  an  heretic ;  and  said  this 
was  a  most  daring  insult  against 
the  Catholic  faith.  But,  to  surprise 
them  still  more,  the  French  secre- 
tary told  them,  they  must  remove 
from  their  present  lodgings  ;  for  the 
French  commander  wanted  to  quar- 


THE  INQUISITION. 


137 


Icr  his  troops  there,  as  it  was  the 
most  commodious  place  iu  the 
whole  city.  On  this  the  inquisitors 
exclaimed  loudly,  when  the  secre- 
tary put  them  under  a  strong  guard, 
and  sent  them  to  a  place  appointed 
by  M.  De  Legal  to  receive  them. 
Here,  finding  their  threats  disre- 
garded, they  begged  thatthey  might 
be  permitted  to  retire  from  the  city, 
taking  with  them  their  private  pro- 
perty, which  was  granted,  and  they 
immediately  set  out  for  Madrid, 
where  they  made  the  most  bitter 
complaints  to  the  king ;  but  the 
monarch  told  them,  he  could  not 
grant  them  any  redress,  as  the  in- 
juries they  had  received  were  from 
the  troops  of  his  grandfather,  the 
king  of  France,  by  whose  assistance 
alone  he  could  be  firmly  established 
in  his  kingdom. 

In  the  mean  time,  M.  De  Legal 
set  open  all  the  doors  of  the  inqui- 
sition, and  released  the  prisoners, 
who  amounted  in  the  whole  to  400; 
and  among  these  were  sixty  beauti- 
ful yoking  women,  who  formed  a  se- 
raylio  for  the  three  principal  inqui- 
sitors. 

This  discovery,  which  laid  open 
the  enormity  of  the  inquisitors, 
greatly  alarmed  the  archbishop, 
who  desired  M.  De  Legal  to  send 
the  women  to  his  palace,  and  he 
would  take  proper  care  of  them  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  he  published 
an  ecclesiastical  censure  against  all 
such  as  should  ridicule  or  blame 
the  holy  inquisition.  But  the  French 
commander  sent  word  to  the  arch- 
bishop, thatthe  prisoners  had  either 
ran  away,  or  were  securely  con- 
cealed by  their  friends,  or  his  own 
officers  ;  that  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  send  them  back  again  ;  and, 
therefore,  the  inquisition  having 
committed  such  atrocious  actions, 
must  now  put  up  with  their  expo- 
sure and  shame. 

One  of  the  ladies  thus  delivered 
from  captivity  was  afterwards  mar- 
ried to  the  French  officer  who  open- 
ed the  door  of  her  dungeon,  and  re- 
leased her.  She  related  many  sin- 
gular circumstances  respecting  the 
lioly  fathers,  to  her  husband,  and 
lo  M.  Gavin,  who  afterwards  made 


thera  public  in  his  work  entitled 
"  the  Master-Key  to  Popery." 

From  the  foregoing  narrative  it 
will  be  perceived,  that  the  inquisi- 
tors, under  the  exterior  garb  of 
sanctity  and  self-denial,  are  guilty 
of  the  greatest  enormities.  Lust, 
pride,  avarice,  and  cruelty,  are  their 
predominant  passions  ;  and  such  is 
the  blindness  and  bigotry  of  the  de- 
luded people  over  whom  they  ex- 
tend their  despotic  sway,  that  not 
a  voice  is  raised,  not  a  murmur 
heard,  against  the  most  horrible 
barbarities,  if  they  be  sanctified  by 
the  specious  pretext  of  zeal  for  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  executed  by  the 
familiars  of  the  Holy  Office. 

It  might  have  been  expected, 
that  their  influence  over  the  minds 
of  the  higher  orders  of  society, 
would  have  been  less  powerful ; 
and  that  some  one  would  have  been 
found,  among  the  sovereigns  of 
Spain  or  Portugal,  sufficiently  en- 
lightened to  see  through  the  im- 
posture, and  courageous  enough  to 
assert  his  own  rights  and  those  of 
his  subjects  against  the  hypocritical 
tyrants  who  trampled  on  both.  But 
such  is  the  benumbing  effect  of  this 
horrible  tribunal,  so  powerful  has 
it  become  by  the  weakness  and 
folly  of  the  people,  that  the  only 
prince  who  dared  to  threaten  its 
existence,  was  put  to  death  by  the 
machinations  of  the  inquisitors,  be- 
fore his  accession  to  the  throne 
gave  him  an  opportunity  of  execut- 
ing his  noble  purpose.  This  unfor- 
tunate prince  was  Don  Carlos,  son 
of  Philip  the  Second,  and  grandson 
of  Charles  the  Fifth. 

Don  Carlos  possessed  all  the 
good  qualities  of  his  grandfather, 
without  any  of  the  bad  ones  of  his 
father.  He  had  sense  enough  to 
see  into  the  errors  of  popery,  and 
abhorred  the  very  name  of  the  in- 
quisition. He  inveighed  publicly 
against  it,  ridiculed  the  affected 
piety  of  the  inquisitors,  and  declar- 
ed, that  if  he  ever  came  to  the 
crown,  he  would  abolish  the  inqui- 
sition, and  exterminate  its  agents. 
This  irritated  and  alarmed  the  in- 
quisitors ;  and  they,  accordingly, 
determined  on  his  destruction.  They 


138 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


therefore  employed  all  their  emis- 
saries to  spread  the  most  artful  in- 
sinuations against  the  prince;  and, 
at  length,  raised  such  a  spirit  of 
discontent  among  the  people,  that 
the  king  was  under  the  necessity 
of  removing  Don  Carlos  from 
court.  They  even  pursued  his 
friends,  and  obliged  the  king  to  ba- 
nish Don  John,  duke  of  Austria,  his 
brother,  together  with  his  own  ne- 
phew, the  prince  of  Parma,  be- 
cause both  these  illustrious  persons 
had  a  most  sincere  attachment  to 
their  kinsman,  Don  Carlos. 

Shortly  after,  the  prince  having 
shewn  great  lenity  and  favour  to 
the  protestants  in  the  Netherlands, 
the  inquisitors  gladly  seized  the 
opportunity  of  declaring,  that  as 
the  persons  in  question  were  here- 


tics, the  prince  himself  must  be 
one,  since  he  gave  them  counte- 
nance. Thus  they  gained  so  great 
an  ascendancy  over  the  mind  of 
the  king,  who  was  an  absolute 
slave  to  superstition,  that  he  sa- 
crificed the  feelings  of  nature  to  the 
force  of  bigotry,  and  from  fear  of 
incurring  the  auger  of  the  inquisi- 
tion, passed  sentence  of  death  on 
his  only  son. 

The  prince  had  what  was  termed 
an  indulgence  ;  that  is,  he  was  per- 
mitted to  choose  the  manner  of 
his  death.  He  chose  bleeding,  and 
the  hot-bath ;  when  the  veins  of 
his  arms  and  legs  being  opened, 
he  expired  gradually,  falling  a 
martyr  to  the  malice  of  the  inqui- 
sitors, and  the  besotted  bigotry  of 
his  father. 


SECTION  V. 

FURTHER  ACCOUNTS    OF   THE   PERSECUTIONS   OF  PROTESTANTS   IN 
FOREIGN   COUNTRIES. 


DR.   ^-GIDIO. 

Dr.  Mowio  was  educated  at  the 
university  of  Alcala,  and  applied 
himself  to  the  study  of  the  sacred 
scriptures.  The  professor  of  theo- 
logy dying,  he  was  elected  in  his 
place,  and  gave  great  satisfaction 
to  every  impartial  person  by  his 
learning  and  piety.  His  enemies, 
however,  laid  a  complaint  against 
him  to  the  inquisitors,  who  sent 
him  a  citation,  and  when  he  ap- 
peared to  it,  cast  him  into  a  dun- 
geon. 

As  the  greatest  part  of  those  who 
belonged  to  the  cathedral  at  Seville, 
and  many  persons  belonging  to  the 
bishopric  of  Dortois,  approved  of 
the  doctrines  of  ^gidio,  Avhich 
they  thought  persectly  consonant 
with  true  religion,  they  petitioned 
the  emperor  in  his  behalf.  Though 
the  monarch  had  been  educated  a 
Roman  catholic,  he  was  not  a 
bigot;  and  therefore  sent  an  im- 
mediate order  for  his  liberation. 
Soon  after,  he  visited  the  church  of 
Valladolid,  did  every  thing  he 
could  to  promote  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion, and  returning  home  he  fell 
sick,  and  died  in  an  extreme  old 
age. 

I 


The  inquisitors  having  been  dis- 
appointed of  gratifying  their  malice 
against  him  while  living,  deter- 
mined (as  the  emperor's  whole 
thoughts  were  engrossed  by  a 
military  expedition)  to  wreak  their 
vengeance  on  him  when  dead. 
They  therefore,  soon  after  he  was 
buried,  ordered  his  remains  to  be 
dug  up  ;  and  a  legal  process  being 
carried  on,  they  were  condemned 
to  be  burnt,  which  was  accordingly 
executed. 

DR.    CONSTANTINE. 

This  gentleman,  an  intimate  ac- 
quaintance of  Dr.  ^gidio,  was  a 
man  of  uncommon  natural  abilities 
and  profound  learning.  His  elo- 
quence, and  the  soundness  of  his 
doctrines  rendered  him  a  highly 
pleasing  and  popular  preacher. 

AVhen  fully  confirmed  in  pro- 
testantism by  Dr.  ^gidio,  he 
preached  boldly  such  doctrines  only 
as  were  agreeable  to  gospel  purity, 
and  uncontaminated  by  the  errors 
of  the  Romish  church.  This  cre- 
ated him  many  enemies  among  the 
Roman  catholics,  who  determined 
on  his  utter  ruin.  One  Scobarte,  a 
vvorthy  gentleman,  having  erected 


NICHOLAS  BURTON. 


J  39 


a  school  for  divinity  lectures,  ap- 
pointed Dr.  Constantiiie  to  be 
reader  therein.  He  immediately 
undertook  the  task,  and  read  lec- 
tures, by  portions,  on  the  Proverbs, 
Ecclesiastes,  and  Canticles ;  but 
while  beginning  to  expound  the 
book  of  Job,  the  inquisitors  seized 
him.  When  brought  to  examina- 
tion, he  answered  with  such  pre- 
caution that  they  could  not  find  any 
explicit  charge  against  him,  but 
remained  doubtful  in  what  manner 
to  proceed,  when  the  following 
circumstance  occurred. 

The  doctor  had  deposited  with  a 
woman,  named  Martin,  several 
books,  which  to  him  were  very 
valuable,  but  which  he  knew  were 
exceptionable  in  the  eyes  of  the  in- 
quisition. This  woman  was  appre- 
hended, and,  after  a  short  process, 
her  goods  were  ordered  to  be  con- 
fiscated. Previous,  however,  to 
the  oflBcers  coming  to  her  house, 
her  son  had  removed  several  chests 
full  of  the  most  valuable  articles, 
and  among  these  were  the  books  of 
Dr.  Constantine  ;  but  a  treacherous 
servant  having  given  intelligence 
of  this  to  the  inquisitors,  an  officer 
was  dispatched  to  the  son  to  de- 
mand the  chests.  The  son,  sup- 
posing the  officer  only  came  for 
Constantine's  books,  said,  "  I 
know  what  you  come  for,  and  I 
will  fetch  them  to  you  immedi- 
ately." He  then  fetched  the  books 
and  papers,  and  delivered  them  to 
the  officer,  who  was  greatly  sur- 
prised to  find  what  he  did  not  look 
for. 

The  inquisitors,  thus  possessed 
of  Constantine's  books  and  writ- 
ings, were  soon  enabled  to  form 
charges  against  him.  When  he 
was  brought  up  for  re-examina- 
tion, they  presented  one  of  his 
papers,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew 
the  hand  writing.  -Perceiving  it 
to  be  his  own,  he  confessed  the 
writing,  and  justified  the  doctrine 
it  contained,  saying,  "  In  that  and 
all  my  other  writings,  I  have  never 
departed  from  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  but  have  always  kept  in 
view  the   pare  precepts  of  Christ 


as  be  delivered  them  to  mankind." 
Having  been  detained  upwards  of 
two  years  in  prison,  he  was  at  last 
seized  with  a  bloody-fiux,  which 
put  an  end  to  his  miseries.  The 
process,  however,  was  carried  on 
against  his  body,  which  was  burnt 
at  the  ensuing  Auto  da  Fe. 

MARTYRDOM  OF   NICHOLAS  BURTON. 

Mr.  Burton  was  a  merchant  of 
London,  who  traded  into  Spain. 
Being  at  Cadiz,  a  familiar  of  the 
inquisition  called  upon  him  one 
day  at  his  lodgings,  pretending 
that  he  wanted  to  send  a  quantity 
of  merchandise  to  London.  Hav- 
ing asked  many  questions  he  de- 
parted, and  the  next  day  one  of 
the  inquisitorial  officers  took  Mr. 
Burton  into  custody.  The  presi- 
dent, on  his  examination,  demand- 
ed if  he  had  said  or  insinuated 
any  thing  disrespectful  to  the  Ro- 
man catholic  persuasion.  Mr. 
Burton  replied  in  the  negative, 
saying,  that  he  was  sensible,  in 
whatever  country  we  were,  respect 
ought  to  be  paid  to  its  established 
religion.  This  defence,  however, 
availed  him  nothing :  they  pro- 
ceeded to  torture  him,  in  the  most 
cruel  manner,  in  order  to  gain  in- 
formation. 

Failing  in  this,  they  condemned 
him  for  invincible  obstinacy,  and  at 
the  next  Auto  da  Fe  he  was  burnt. 
When  the  flames  first  touched  him, 
he  bore  tlie  torments  with  such  ex- 
emplary patience,  and  appeared 
with  so  smiling  a  countenance, 
that  one  of  the  priests,  enraged  at 
his  serenity,  said,  with  great  malice 
and  absurdity,  "The  reason  why 
he  does  not  seem  to  feel,  is  to  me 
very  evident ;  the  devil  has  already 
got  his  soul,  and  his  body  is  of 
course  deprived  of  the  usual  sen- 
sations." 

Several  other  Englishmen  in 
Spain  were,  about  the  time  of  Mr. 
Burton's  martyrdom,  put  to  death 
by  the  inquisition ;  particularly 
John  Baker,  William  Burgate,  and 
William  Burgess,  were  burnt,  and 
AVilliam  Hooker  was  stoned  to 
death. 


140 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


WILLIAM   GARDENER. 

William  Gardener  was  born  at 
Bristol,  received  a  good  education, 
and  was,  at  a  proper  age,  placed 
under  the  care  of  an  eminent  mer- 
chant. When  twenty-six  years  of 
age,  he  was  sent  to  Lisbon  as 
factor.  Here  he  applied  himself 
to  the  study  of  the  Portuguese  lan- 
guage, conversed  privately  with  a 
few,  whom  he  knew  to  be  zealous 
protestants  ;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
cautiously  avoided  giving  the  least 
offence  to  the  Roman  catholics ;  but 
hitherto  he  had  not  gone  into  any 
of  their  churches. 

A  marriage  being  concluded  be- 
tween the  king  of  Portugal's  son 
and  the  infanta  of  Spain,  upon  the 
wedding-day  the  bridegroom,bride, 
and  the  whole  court,  went  to  the 
cathedral  attended  by  multitudes 
of  all  ranks  of  people,  and  among 
the  rest  William  Gardener,  who 
stayed  during  the  whole  ceremony, 
and  was  greatly  shocked  at  the  su- 
perstitions he  beheld.  He,  there- 
fore, formed  the  noble,  though  in- 
considerate design  of  effecting  a 
reform  in  Portugal,  or  perishing  in 
the  attempt ;  and  determined  to 
sacrifice  his  prudence  to  his  zeal, 
even  though  it  should  cost  him  his 
life.  For  this  purpose  he  settled  all 
his  worldly  affairs,  paid  his  debts, 
closed  his  books,  and  consigned 
over  his  merchandise. 

On  the  ensuing  Sunday  he  went 
again  to  the  cathedral,  and  placed 
himself  near  the  altar  with  a  New 
Testament  in  his  hand.  In  a  short 
time  the  king  and  his  court  ap- 
peared, and  a  cardinal  began  mass: 
at  that  part  of  the  ceremony  in 
which  the  people  adore  the  wafer, 
Gardener,  springing  towards  the 
cardinal,  snatched  the  host  from 
him,  and  trampled  it  under  his 
feet.  The  whole  congregation  were 
thunderstruck,  and  one  person, 
drawing  a  dagger,  wounded  Gar- 
dener in  the  shoulder,  and  would, 
by  repeating  the  blow,  have  killed 
him,  had  not  the  king  ordered  him 
to  forbear.  Thinking  that  he  had 
been  stimulated  by  some  other 
person   to   act  as    he   had  done, 


the  king  demanded  who  was  hi« 
abettor,  to  which  he  replied,  *'  My 
own  conscience  alone.  I  would 
not  hazard  what  I  have  done 
for  any  man  living ;  but  I  owe 
that  and  all  other  services  to  my 
Creator." 

Hereupon  he  was  sent  to  prison, 
and  an  order  was  issued  to  appre- 
hend all  Englishmen  in  Lisbon. 
This  order  was  immediately  put  in 
execution  (very  few  escaping), 
and  many  innocent  persons  were 
tortured  to  make  them  confess  if 
they  knew  any  thing  of  the  mat- 
ter ;  in  particular,  a  person  who 
resided  in  the  same  house  with 
Gardener  was  treated  with  unpa- 
ralleled barbarity,  to  make  him 
confess  something  which  might 
throw  a  light  upon  the  business. 

Then  Gardener  himself  was  tor- 
mented in  the  most  excruciating 
manner  :  but  in  the  midst  of  all  his 
torments  he  gloried  in  the  deed. 
Being  condemned  to  death,  a 
large  fire  was  kindled  near  a  gib- 
bet ;  Gardener  was  drawn  up  to 
the  gibbet  by  pulleys,  and  then  let 
down  near  the  fire,  but  not  so  close 
as  to  touch  it;  for  they  burnt  or 
rather  roasted  him  by  slow  de- 
grees. Some  of  the  sparks  were 
blown  from  the  fire  which  con- 
sumed Gardener,  towards  the  ha- 
ven, burnt  one  of  the  king's  ships 
of  war,  and  did  other  considerable 
damage.  The  Englishmen  who 
were  taken  up  on  this  occasion 
were,  soon  after  Gardener's  death, 
all  discharged,  except  the  person 
that  resided  in  the  same  house 
with  him,  who  was  detained  two 
years  before  he  could  procure  his 
freedom. 

WILLIAM    HTHGOW. 

William  Lithgow  was  descended 
from  a  good  family,  and  having  a 
natural  propensity  to  travelling,  he 
rambled,  when  very  young,  over 
the  Northern  and  Western  Islands; 
after  which  he  visited  France, 
Germany,  Switzerland,  and  Spain. 
He  set  out  on  his  travels  in  March, 
1609,  and  went  to  Paris,  where  he 
stayed   for  some  time.     He  then 


WILLIAM  LITHGOW. 


141 


pl'osecuted  his  travels  through 
Germany  and  other  parts,  and  at 
length  arrived  at  Malaga  in  Spain. 
While  he  resided  here,  he  con- 
tracted with  the  master  of  a 
French  ship  for  his  passage  to 
Alexandria,  but  was  prevented 
from  going  by  the  following  cir- 
cumstances :  in  the  evening  of  the 
I7th  of  October,  1620,  the  English 
fleet,  at  that  time  on  a  cruise 
against  the  Algerine  rovers,  came 
to  anchor  before  Malaga,  which 
threw  the  people  of  the  town  into 
the  greatest  consternation,  as  they 
imagined  them  to  be  Turks,  The 
morning,  however,  discovered  the 
mistake  ;  and  the  governor  of  Ma- 
laga perceiving  that  they  bore  the 
English  flag,  went  on  board  the 
admiral's  ship,  and,  on  his  return, 
banished  the  fears  of  the  people. 

Many  persons  from  on  board  the 
fleet  came  ashore  the  next  day. 
Among  these  were  several  friends 
of  Mr.  Lithgow,  who  invited  him 
on  board,  which  invitation  he  ac- 
cepted, and  was  kindly  received 
by  the  admiral.  The  fleet  sailing 
for  Algiers  the  next  day,  he  re- 
turned on  shore,  and  proceeded 
towards  his  lodgings  by  a  private 
way  (being  to  embark  the  same 
night  for  Alexandria),  when,  in 
passing  through  a  narrow  uninha- 
bited street,  he  found  himself  sud- 
denly surrounded  by  nine  ser- 
geants, or  officers,  who  threw  a 
black  cloak  over  him,  and  forcibly 
conducted  him  to  the  governor's 
house.  After  some  little  time  the 
governor  appeared,  when  Mr. 
Lithgow  earnestly  begged  he 
might  be  informed  of  the  cause  of 
such  violent  treatment.  The  go- 
vernor only  shook  his  head,  and 
gave  orders  that  the  prisoner 
should  be  strictly  watched  till  he 
returned  from  his  devotions :  di- 
recting, at  the  same  time,  that  the 
captain  of  the  town,  the  alcaid  ma- 
jor, and  town  notary,  should  be 
summoned  to  appear  at  his  exami- 
nation, and  that  all  this  should  be 
done  with  the  greatest  secrecy,  to 
prevent  its  reaching  the  ears  of  the 
English  merchants  who  resided  in 
the  town. 

2 


These  orders  were  strictly  ful- 
filled ;  and  on  the  governor's  re- 
turn, Mr.  Lithgow  was  brought  be- 
fore him  for  examination.  The 
governor  began  by  asking  several 
questions,  as  to  what  country  he 
was  a  native  of,  whither  he  was 
going,  how  long  he  had  been  in 
Spain,  &c.  The  prisoner,  after 
answering  these  questions,  was 
conducted  to  a  closet,  where  he 
was  again  examined  by  the  town- 
captain,  who  inquired  whether  he 
had  lately  come  from  Seville  :  and, 
pretending  great  friendship,  con- 
jured him  to  tell  the  truth  ;  finding 
himself,  however,  unable  to  extort 
any  thing  from  Mr.  Lithgow,  he 
left  him. 

The  governor  then  proceeded  to 
inquire  the  quality  of  the  English 
commander,  and  the  prisoner's 
opinion  of  the  motives  that  pre- 
vented his  accepting  an  invitation 
from  him  to  come  on  shore.  He 
demanded,  likewise,  the  names  of 
the  English  captains  in  the  squad- 
ron, and  what  knowledge  he  had 
of  the  embarkation,  or  preparation 
for  it  before  its  departure  from 
England.  His  answers  were  set 
down  in  writing  by  the  notary ; 
but  the  junto,  particularly  the  go- 
vernor, seemed  surprised  at  his 
denying  any  knowledge  of  the  fit- 
ting out  of  the  fleet,  and  declared 
that  he  was  a  traitor  and  a  spy, 
and  came  directly  from  England 
to  favour  and  assist  in  the  designs 
of  that  country  against  Spain  ;  and 
that  he  had  been  for  that  purpose 
nine  months  in  Seville,  in  order  to 
procure  intelligence  of  the  time 
the  Spanish  navy  was  expected 
from  the  Indies.  They  exclaimed 
against  his  familiarity  with  the  offi- 
cers of  the  fleet,  and  many  other 
English  gentlemen,  between  whom, 
they  said,  unusual  civilities  had 
passed,  but  all  these  transactions 
had  been  noticed  with  peculiar  at- 
tention. In  short,  they  said,  he 
came  from  a  council  of  war  held 
that  morning  on  board  the  ad- 
miral's ship,  in  order  to  put  in  ex- 
ecution the  orders  assigned  him. 
Tliey  upbraided  him  with  being 
accessary    to    the   burning  of  the 


142 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


island  of  St.  Thomas,  in  the 
West  Indies;  "wherefore,"  said 
they,  "  these  Lutherans,  and  sons 
of  the  devil,  oug;ht  to  have  no  cre- 
dit given  to  what  they  say  or 
swear." 

Mr.  Lithgow  in  vain  endea- 
voured to  obviate  every  accusa- 
tion laid  against  him,  and,  in  order 
to  prove  his  innocence,  begged 
that  his  papers  might  be  examined ; 
this  request  was  complied  with  ; 
but  although  they  consisted  of 
passports  and  letters  of  recom- 
mendation from  persons  of  quality, 
the  prejudiced  judges  refused  all 
belief  to  them,  and  their  suspi- 
cions appeared  to  be  connrmed 
rather  than  weakened  by  the  peru- 
sal. A  consultation  was  then  held 
as  to  where  the  prisoner  should  be 
confined.  The  alcaid,  or  chief 
judge,  was  for  putting  him  in  the 
town  prison  ;  but  this  was  objected 
to  particularly  by  the  corregidore, 
who  said,  "  In  order  to  prevent 
the  knowledge  of  his  confinement 
from  reaching  his  countrymen,  I 
will  take  the  matter  on  myself, 
and  be  answerable  for  the  conse- 
quences ;"  upon  which  it  Avas 
agreed  that  he  should  be  confined 
in  the  governor's  house,  and  the 
greatest  secrecy  observed. 

He  was  then  stripped,  searched, 
and  robbed  of  a  large  sum  which 
he  had  about  him,  by  a  sergeant, 
and  confined  in  an  apartment  of 
the  governor's  house.  At  mid- 
night the  sergeant  and  two  Turk- 
ish slaves  released  him  from  his 
confinement,  but  it  was  to  intro- 
duce him  to  one  much  more  hor- 
rible. They  conducted  him 
through  several  passages  to  a 
chamber  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
palace,  towards  the  garden,  where 
they  loaded  him  with  irons,  and 
extended  his  legs  by  means  of  an 
iron  bar  above  a  yard  long,  the 
weight  of  which  was  so  great  that 
he  could  neither  stand  nor  sit, 
but  was  obliged  to  lie  continually 
on  his  back.  They  left  him  in  this 
condition  for  some  time,  when 
they  returned,  bringing  him  a 
pound  of  broiled  mutton  and  a  loaf, 
with   a   small   quantity   of  wine ; 


after  delivering  which,  they  again 
left  him. 

He  received  a  visit  from  the  go- 
vernor the  next  day,  who  promised 
him  his  liberty,  with  many  other 
advantages,  if  he  would  confess 
being  a  spy  ;  but  on  his  protesting 
that  he  was  entirely  innocent,  the 
governor  left  him  in  a  rage,  saying, 
he  should  see  him  no  more  till 
further  torments  constrained  him 
to  confess  ;  commanding  the  keep- 
er, to  whose  care  he  was  com- 
mitted, not  to  allow  his  sustenance 
to  exceed  three  ounces  of  musty 
bread,  and  a  pint  of  water  every 
second  day ;  and  that  he  should 
be  allowed  neither  bed,  pillow,  nor 
coverlet.  "  Close  up,"  said  he, 
"  this  window  in  his  room  with 
lime  and  stone  ;  stop  up  the  holes 
of  the  door  with  double  mats  ;  let 
him  have  nothing  that  bears  any 
likeness  to  comfort."  The  unfor- 
tunate Lithgow  continued  in  this 
melancholy  state,  without  seeing 
any  person,  for  several  days,  in 
which  time  the  governor  received 
an  ans\\er  to  a  letter  he  had  writ- 
ten, relative  to  the  prisoner,  from 
Madrid  ;  and,  pursuant  to  the  in- 
structions given  him,  began  to 
put  in  practice  the  cruelties  de- 
vised, which  they  hastened,  be- 
cause Christmas  approached,  it 
being  tlien  the  47th  day  since  his 
confinement. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  heard  the  noise  of  a  coach 
in  the  street,  and  some  time  after 
heard  the  opening  of  the  prison 
doors,  not  having  had  any  sleep 
for  two  nights.  Immediately  after 
the  prison  doors  were  opened,  the 
nine  sergeants,  who  had  first  seized 
him,  with  the  notary,  entered  the 
place  where  he  lay,  and  without 
uttering  a  Avord  conducted  him  in 
his  irons  into  the  street,  where  a 
coach  waited,  in  which  they  laid 
him  at  the  bottom  on  his  back, 
being  unable  to  sit.  Two  of  the 
sergeants  rode  with  him,  and  the 
rest  Avalked  by  the  coach  side,  but 
all  observed  the  most  profound 
silence.  They  drove  him  to  a  vine- 
press  house,  about  a  league  from  ' 
the  town,  to  which  place  a  rack  had 


WILLIAM  LITHGOW. 


143 


been  privately  conveyed  before ; 
and  here  they  shut  him  up  for  that 
night. 

About  day-break  the  next  morn- 
ing the  governor  and  the  alcaid 
arrived,  into  whose  presence  Mr. 
Lithgow  was  immediately  brought, 
to  undergo  another  examination. 
The  prisoner  desired  he  might  have 
an  interpreter,  but  was  refused ; 
nor  would  they  permit  him  to  ap- 
peal to  the  superior  court  of  judi- 
cature at  Madrid.  After  a  long  ex- 
amination, which  lasted  the  whole 
day, there  appeared  inallhisanswers 
so  exact  a  conformity  with  what 
he  had  before  said,  that  they  de- 
clared he  had  learned  them  by 
heart.  They,  however,  pressed 
him  again  to  make  a  full  discovery  ; 
that  is,  to  accuse  himself  of  crimes 
never  committed ;  the  governor 
adding,  "  You  are  still  in'  my 
power;  1  can  set  you  free  if  you 
comply:  if  not,  I  must  deliver  you 
to  the  alcaid."  Mr.  Litbgow  still 
persisting  in  his  innocence,  the  go- 
vernor ordered  him  to  be  tortured 
immediately. 

He  %vas  then  conducted  to  the 
end  of  a  stone  gallery,  where  the 
rack  was  placed.  The  executioner 
immediately  struck  off  his  irons, 
which  put  him  to  very  great  pain, 
the  bolts  being  so  closely  riveted, 
that  the  sledge  hammer  tore  away 
about  half  an  inch  of  his  heel  in 
forcing  off  the  bolt ;  the  anguish  of 
which,  together  with  his  weak  con- 
dition (not  having  had  the  least  sus- 
tenance for  three  days)  occasioned 
him  to  groan  bitterly  ;  upon  which 
the  merciless  alcaid  said,  "  Villain  ! 
traitor !  this  is  but  the  beginning  of 
what  you  shall  endure." 

As  soon  as  his  irons  were  off,  he 
fell  on  his  knees,  uttering  a  short 
prayer,  that  God  would  be  pleased 
to  enable  him  to  be  steadfast,  and 
undergo  courageously  the  trial  he 
had  to  encounter ;  he  was  then 
stripped  naked  and  fixed  upon  the 
rack. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
various  tortures  inflicted  upon  him. 
He  lay  on  the  rack  for  above  five 
hours,  during  which  time  he  re- 


ceived above  sixty  different  tor- 
tures of  the  most  infernal  nature  ; 
and  had  they  continued  them 
longer,  he  must  have  expired. 

On  being  taken  from  the  rack, 
and  his  irons  again  put  on,  he  was 
conducted  to  his  former  dungeon, 
having  received  no  other  nourish- 
ment than  a  little  warm  wine,  which 
was  given  him  rather  to  reserve  him 
for  future  punishments,  than  from 
any  principle  of  pity. 

In  this  horrid  situation  he  con- 
tinued, almost  starved,  till  Christ- 
mas-day, when  he  received  some 
relief  from  Marianne,  waiting- 
woman  to  the  governor's  lady. 
This  woman  having  obtained  leave 
to  visit  him,  carried  with  her  some 
refreshments,  consisting  of  honey, 
sugar,  raisins,  and  other  articles. 

Mr.  Lithgow  was  kept  in  this 
loathsome  dungeon  till  he  was  al- 
most devoured  with  vermin.  They 
crawled  about  his  beard,  lips,  eye- 
brows, &c.  so  that  he  could  scarce 
open  his  eyes  ;  and  his  mortifica* 
tion  was  increased  by  not  having 
the  use  of  his  hands  or  legs  to  de- 
fend himself. 

Mr.  Lithgow  at  length  received 
information  which  gave  him  little 
hopes  of  ever  being  released.  Tlie 
substance  of  this  information  was, 
that  an  English  seminary  priest, 
and  a  Scotch  cooper,  had  been  for 
some  time  employed  by  the  go- 
vernor to  translate  from  the  Eng- 
lish into  the  Spanish  language, 
all  his  books  and  observations  ;  and 
that  it  was  commonly  said  in  the 
governor's  house,  that  he  was  an 
arch  and  dangerous  heretic.  About 
two  days  after  he  had  received  the 
above  information,  the  governor, 
an  inquisitor,  and  a  canonical 
priest,  accompanied  by  tw  o  Jesuits, 
entered  his  dungeon,  and,  after 
several  idle  questions,  the  inquisi- 
tor asked  Mr.  Lithgow  if  he  was  a 
Roman  catholic,  and  acknowledged 
the  pope's  supremacy  ?  He  an- 
swered, that  he  neither  was  the 
one,  nor  did  the  other.  In  the 
bitterness  of  his  soul  he  made  use 
of  some  warm  expressions.  "  As 
you  have  almost  murdered  me," 


144 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


said  he,  "  for  pretended  treason, 
so  now  you  intend  to  make  a  mar- 
tyr of  me  for  my  religion." 

After  some  time,  the  inquisitor 
addressed  Mr.  Lithgow  in  the  fol- 
lowing words  ;  "  You  have  been 
taken  up  as  a  spy,  accused  of  trea- 
chery, and  tortured,  as  we  acknow- 
ledge, innocently ;  (which  appears 
by  the  account  lately  received  from 
Madrid  of  the  intentions  of  the 
English)  yet  it  was  the  divine 
power  that  brought  those  judg- 
ments upon  you,  for  presumptu- 
ously treating  the  blessed  miracle 
of  Loretto  wltn  ridicule,  and  ex- 
pressing yourself  in  your  writings 
irreverently  of  his  holiness,  Christ's 
vicar  upon  earth  ;  therefore  you  arc 
justly  fallen  into  our  hands  by  their 
special  appointment:  your  books 
and  papers  are  miraculously  trans- 
lated by  the  assistance  of  Provi- 
dence influencing  your  own  coun- 
trymen." 

When  this  harangue  was  ended, 
they  gave  the  prisoner  eight  days 
to  consider  and  resolve  whether  he 
would  become  a  convert  to  their  re- 
ligion ;  during  which  time  the  in- 
quisitor told  him,  he,  with  other 
religious  persons,  would  attend,  to 
give  him  assistance.  One  of  the 
Jesuits  said,  first  making  the  sign 
of  the  cross  upon  his  breast,  "  My 
son,  behold,  you  deserve  to  be 
burnt  alive  ;  but  by  the  grace  of 
our  Lady  of  Loretto,  whom  you 
have  blasphemed,  we  will  save 
both  your  soul  and  body." 

The  inquisitor,  with  the  three  ec- 
clesiastics, returned  the  next  morn- 
ing, when  the  former  asked  the 
prisoner  what  difficulties  he  had  on 
his  conscience,  that  retarded  his 
conversion  ;  to  which  he  answered, 
"  He  had  not  any  doubts  in  his 
mind,  being  confident  in  the  pro- 
mises of  Christ,  and  assuredly  be- 
lieving his  revealed  will  signified 
in  the  gospels,  as  professed  in  the 
reformed  church,  being  confirmed 
by  grace,  and  having  infallible  as- 
surance tSiereby  of  llie  true  Ciiris- 
tian  faith."  To  these  words  the 
inquisitor  replied,  "  Thou  art  no 
Christian,   but  an   absurd  iicrelic, 


and  without  conversion,  a  memb<?r 
of  perdition."  The  prisoner  then 
told  him,  it  was  not  consistent  with 
the  nature  of  religion  and  charity, 
to  convince  by  opprobrious  speech- 
es, racks,  and  torments,  but  by 
arguments  deduced  from  the  scrip- 
tures ;  and  that  all  other  methods 
would  with  him  be  totally  fruit- 
less. 

So  enraged  was  the  inquisitor  at 
the  replies  made  by  the  prisoner, 
that  he  struck  him  on  the  face, 
used  many  abusive  speeches,  and 
attempted  to  stab  him,  which  he 
had  certainly  done  had  he  not 
been  prevented  by  the  Jesuits :  and 
from  this  time  he  never  visited  the 
prisoner  again.  The  two  Jesuits 
returned  the  next  day,  and  the 
superior  asked  him,  what  resolu- 
tion he  had  taken.  To  which  Mr. 
Lithgow  replied,  that  he  was  al- 
ready resolved,  unless  he  could 
shew  substantial  reasons  to  make 
him  alter  his  opinion.  The  supe- 
rior, after  a  pedantic  display  of 
their  seven  sacraments,  the  inter- 
cessions of  saints,  transubstantia- 
tion.  Sec.  boasted  greatly  of  their 
church,  her  antiquity,  universality, 
and  uniformity ;  all  which  Mr. 
Lithgow  denied  :  "  For,"  said  he, 
"  the  profession  of  the  faith  I  hold 
hath  been  ever  since  the  first  days 
of  the  apostles,  and  Christ  had  ever 
his  own  church,  however  obscure, 
in  the  greatest  time  of  your  dark- 
ness.'' 

The  Jesuits  finding  their  argu- 
ments had  not  the  desired  efi'ect, 
and  that  torments  could  not  shake 
his  constancy,  after  severe  menaces, 
left  him.  On  the  eighth  day  after, 
being  the  last  of  their  inquisition, 
when  sentence  is  pronounced, 
they  returned  again,  but  quite  al- 
tered both  in  their  words  and  be- 
haviour. After  repeating  much 
the  same  kind  of  arguments  as 
before,  they,  with  seeming  grief, 
pretended  they  were  sorry  from 
their  hearts  he  must  be  obliged  to 
undergo  a  terrible  death  ;  but 
above  all,  for  the  loss  of  his  most 
precious  soul  ;  and  falling  on  their 
knees,  cried  out,    "  Convert,  con- 


WILLIAM  LITHGOW. 


145 


■vert,  O  dear  brother,  for  our  bless- 
ed lady's  sake,  convert  I*"  To 
which  he  answered,  "  I  fear  neither 
death  nor  fire,  being  prepared  for 
both." 

Lithgow  received  a  sentence 
that  night  of  eleven  different  tor- 
tures, and  if  he  did  not  die  in  the 
execution  of  them,  he  was,  after 


Easter  holidays,  to  be  carried  to 
Grenada,  and  there  burnt  to  ashes. 
The  first  part  of  the  sentenoe  was 
executed  with  great  barbarity  that 
night ;  and  it  pleased  God  to  give 
him  strength  both  of  body  and 
mind,  to  adhere  to  the  truth,  and 
to  survive  the  horrid  punishments. 


Cruelties  itijiictud  on  the  Primitive  Christians. 


After  these  cruelties,  they  again 
put  irons  on,  and  conveyed  him  to 
his  dungeon.  The  next  morning 
he  received  some  little  comfort 
from  a  Turkish  slave,  who  secretly 
brought  him  in  his  shirt  sleeve  some 
raisins  and  figs,  which  he  licked  up 
in  the  best  manner  his  strength 
would  permit  with  his  tongue.  It 
was  to  this  slave  Mr.  Lithgow  at- 
tributed his  surviving  so  long  in 
such  a  wretched  situation:  for  he 
found  means  to  convey  some  of 
these  fruits  to  him  twice  every 
week.  It  is  very  extraordinary, 
and  worthy  of  note,  that  this  poor 
slave,  bred  up  from  his  infancy, 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


according  to  the  maxims  of  his 
prophet,  in  the  greatest  detesta- 
tion of  the  followers  of  Christ, 
should  be  so  affected  at  the  situa- 
tion of  Mr.  Lithgow,  while  those 
who  called  themselves  Christians, 
not  only  beheld  his  sufiferings  with 
indifference,  but  even  inflicted  the 
most  horrible  tortures  upon  him. 
During  this  period,  he  was  attend- 
ed by  a  negro  slave,  who  found 
means  to  furnish  him  with  refresh- 
ments still  more  amply  than  the 
Turk,  being  conversant  in  the  house 
and  family.  She  brought  him  some 
victuals,  and  with  it  some  wine  in 
a  bottle,  every  day. 

10 


146 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


He  now  waited  with  anxious  ex- 
pectation for  the  day,  which,  by 
puttinjf  an  end  to  his  life,  would 
also  end  his  torments.  But  his  me- 
lancholy expectations  were,  by 
the  interposition  of  Providence, 
rendered  abortive,  and  his  deliver- 
ance obtained,  from  the  following 
circumstances. 

A  Spanish  gentleman  of  quality 
came  from  Grenada  to  Malaga ; 
who,  being  invited  to  an  entertain- 
ment by  the  governor,  he  informed 
him  of  what  had  befallen  Mr.  Lith- 
gow,  from  the  time  of  his  being 
apprehended  as  a  spy,  and  de- 
scribed the  various  sufferings  he 
had  endured.  He  likewise  told 
him,  that  after  it  was  known  the 
prisoner  was  innocent,  it  gave 
him  great  concern.  That  on  this 
account  he  would  gladly  have  re- 
leased him,  restored  his  money 
and  papers,  and  made  some  atone- 
ment for  the  injuries  he  had  re- 
ceived ;  but  that,  upon  an  inspec- 
tion into  his  writings,  several  were 
found  of  a  blasphemous  nature. 
That  on  his  refusing  to  abjure  these 
heretical  opinions,  he  was  turned 
over  to  the  inquisition,  who  finally 
condemned  him. 

While  the  governor  was  relating 
this  tale,  a  Flemish  youth,  servant 
to  the  Spanish  gentleman,  who 
waited  at  table,  was  struck  with 
amazement  and  pity  at  the  de- 
scription of  the  sufferings  of  the 
stranger.  On  his  return  to  his 
master's  lodging,  he  began  to  re- 
volve in  his  mind  what  he  had 
heard,  which  made  such  an  im- 
pression on  him  that  he  could  not 
rest  in  his  bed;  and  when  the 
morning  came,  without  disclosing 
his  intentions  to  any  person,  he 
went  into  the  town,  and  inquired 
for  an  English  factor.  He  was 
directed  to  the  house  of  one  Mr. 
Wild,  to  whom  he  related  the 
whole  of  what  he  had  heard  the 
preceding  evening,  between  his 
master  and  the  governor;  but 
could  not  tell  Mr.  Lithgow's  name. 
Mr.  Wild,  however,  conjectured  it 
was  he,  by  the  servant  remem- 
bering the  circumstance  of  his 
being  a  traveller. 


Mr.  Wild,  therefore,  on  the  de- 
parture of  the  servant,  immediately 
sent  for  the  other  English  factors, 
to  whom  he  related  all  the  parti- 
culars relative  to  their  unfortunate 
countryman.  After  a  short  con- 
sultation it  was  agreed,  that  in- 
formation of  the  whole  affair  should 
be  sent,  by  express,  to  sir  Walter 
Aston,  the  English  ambassador  at 
Madrid.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  and  the  ambassador  having 
presented  a  memorial  to  the  king 
and  council  of  Spain,  obtained  an 
order  for  Mr.  Lithgow's  enlarge- 
ment, and  his  delivery  to  the  Eng- 
lish factory.  This  order  was  di- 
rected to  the  governor  of  Malaga; 
and  was  received  by  the  whole  as- 
sembly of  the  bloody  inquisition 
with  the  greatest  surprise. 

Mr.  Lithgow  was  released  from 
his    confinement    on    the    eve    of 
Easter-Sunday,  when  he  was  car- 
ried from  his  dungeon  on  the  back 
of  the  slave  that  had  attended  him, 
to  the  house  of  one  Mr.  Busbicb, 
where  all  comforts  were  given  him. 
It  fortunately  happened,  that  there 
was    at  this   time    a  squadron    of 
English    ships  in   the  road,    com- 
manded by  sir  Richard  Hawkins, 
who  being  informed   of  the   past 
sufferings     and    present    situation 
of  Mr.    Lithgow,    came   the   next 
day  ashore,  with  a  proper  guard, 
and  received  him  from  the  mer- 
chants.    He  was  instantly  carried 
in  blankets  on  board  the  Vanguard, 
and  three  days  after  was  removed 
to   another  ship,    by   direction  of 
the   general,    sir    Robert  Mansel. 
The  factory    presented  him   with 
clothes,    and    all    necessary    pro- 
visions, besides  which  they  gave 
him  200  reals  in  silver;    and  sir 
Richard   Hawkins    sent  him   two 
double  pistoles.     Sir  Richard  also 
demanded    the     delivery     of    his 
papers,  money,  books,  &c.  before 
his    departure   from   the    Spanish 
coast,   but   could   not  obtain   any 
satisfactory  answer  on  that  head. 
By   such    secondary   means    does 
Providence     frequently    interfere 
in  behalf  of  the  virtuous  and  op- 
pressed. 
Having  lain  twelve  days  in  the 


MASSACRE  IN  FRANCE. 


147 


road,  the  ship  weiffhcd  anchor,  and 
in  about  two  months  arrived  safe  at 
Deptford.  The  next  morning  Mr. 
Lithgow  was  carried  on  a  feather 
bed  to  Theobalds,  in  Hertfordshire, 
where,  at  that  time,  were  the  king 
and  royal  family.  Mr.  Lithgow  was 
presented  to  him,  and  related  the 
particulars  of  his  sutferings,  and  his 
happy  delivery;  which  the  king 
was  so  affected  at,  that  he  express- 
ed the  deepest  concern,  and  gave 
orders  that  he  should  be  sent  to 
Bath.  By  these  means,  under  God, 
after  some  time,  Mr.  Lithgow  was 
restored,  from  the  most  wretched 
spectacle,  to  a  great  share  of  health 
and  strength  ;  but  he  lost  the  use  of 
his  left  arm,  several  of  the  smaller 
bones  being  so  crushed  and  broken. 


as  to  be  rendered  ever  after  unser- 
viceable. 

Notwithstanding  every  effort,  Mr. 
Lithgow  could  never  obtain  any  part 
of  his  money  or  eflects,  though  his 
majesty,  and  the  ministers,  interest- 
ed themselves  in  his  behalf.  Gon- 
damore,  the  Spanish  ambassador, 
indeed,  promised  that  all  his  effects 
should  be  restored,  with  the  addition 
of  10001.  English  money,  as  some 
atonement  for  the  tortures  he  had 
undergone,  which  last  was  to  be 
paid  him  by  the  governor  of  Malaga. 
These  engagements,  however,  were 
never  kept;  and  though  the  king 
was  a  kind  of  guarantee  for  the  per- 
formance of  them,  the  cunning 
Spaniard  found  means  to  elude  the 
order. 


BOOK  VI. 

FARTHER  HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PERSECUTIONS,  SUFFERINGS,  AND 
CRUEL  DEATHS  OF  PROTESTANT  MARTYRS  IN  FOREIGN  COUNTRIES, 
DURING    THE    SIXTEENTH    AND    SEVENTEENTH    CENTURIES. 


SECTION  L 

BRIEF   RELATION    OF   THE    HORRIBLE    MASSACRE    IN    FRANCE,    ANNO    1572. 


After  a  long  series  of  troubles  in 
France,  the  papists  seeing  nothing 
could  be  done  against  the  protest- 
ants  by  open  force,  began  to  devise 
how  they  could  entrap  them  by 
subtlety,  and  that  by  two  ways : 
first  by  pretending  that  an  army 
was  to  be  sent  into  the  lower  coun- 
try, under  the  command  of  the  ad- 
miral, prince  of  Navarre  and  Con- 
de ;  not  that  the  king  had  any  in- 
tention of  so  doing,  but  only  with  a 
view  to  ascertain  what  force  the  ad- 
miral had  under  him,who  they  were, 
and  what  were  their  names.  The 
second  was,  a  marriage  suborned 
between  the  prince  of  Navarre  and 
the  sister  of  the  king  of  France ;  to 
which  were  to  be  invited  all  the 
chief  protestants.  Accordingly  they 
first  began  with  the  queen  of  Na- 
varre ;  she  consented  to  come  to 
Paris,  where  she  was  at  length  won 


over  to  the  king's  mind.  Shortly 
after  she  fell  sick,  and  died  within 
five  days,  not  without  suspicion  of 
poison ;  but  her  body  being  opened, 
no  signs  thereof  appeared.  A  certain 
apothecary,  however,  made  his 
boast,  that  he  had  killed  the  queen 
by  venomous  odours  and  smells, 
prepared  by  himself. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  mar- 
riage still  proceeded.  The  admiral 
prince  of  Navarre  and  Conde,  with 
divers  other  chief  states  of  the  pro- 
testants, induced  by  the  king's  let- 
ters and  many  fair  promises,  came 
to  Paris,  and  were  received  with 
great  solemnity.  The  marriage  at 
length  took  place  on  the  18th  of 
August,  1572,  and  was  solemnized 
by  the  cardinal  of  Bourbon  upon 
an  high  stage  set  up  on  purposfe 
without  the  church  walls :  the  prince 
of  Navarre  and  Conde  came  down. 


148 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


waiting  for  the  kingf's  sister,  who 
was  then  at  mass.  This  done,  the 
company  all  went  to  the  bishop's 
palace  to  dinner.  In  the  evening 
they  were  conducted  to  the  king's 
palace  to  supper.  Four  days  after 
this,  the  admiral  coming  from  the 
council  table,  on  his  way  was  shot 
at  with  a  pistol,  charged  with  three 
bullets,  and  wounded  in  both  his 
arms.  Notwithstanding  Which,  he 
still  remained  in  Paris,  although 
the  Vidara  advised  him  to  flee. 

Soldiers  were  appointed  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  city  to  be  ready  at  a 
watch-word,  upon  which  they  rush- 
ed out  to  the  slaughter  of  the  pro- 
testants,  beginning  with  the  admi- 
ral, who  being  dreadfully  wounded, 
was  cast  out  of  the  window  into  the 
street,  where  his  head  being  struck 
off,  was  embalmed  with  spices  to 
be  sent  to  the  pope.  The  savage 
people  then  cut  off  his  arms  and 
privy  members,  and  drew  him  in 
that  state  through  the  streets  of 
Paris,  after  which,  they  took  him 
to  the  place  of  execution,  out  of  the 
city,  and  there  hanged  him  up  by 
the  heels,  exposing  his  mutilated 
body  to  the  scorn  of  the  populace. 

The  martyrdom  of  this  virtuous 
man  had  no  sooner  taken  place  than 
the  armed  soldiers  ran  about  slaying 
all  the  protestants  they  could  find 
within  the  city.  This  continued 
many  days,  but  the  greatest  slaugh- 
ter was  in  the  three  first  days,  in 
which  were  said  to  be  murdered 
above  10,000  men  and  women,  old 
and  young,  of  all  sorts  and  condi- 
tions. The  bodies  of  the  dead  were 
carried  in  carts  and  thrown  into  the 
river,  wlrich  was  all  stained  there- 
with ;  also  whole  streams  in  various 
parts  of  the  city  ran  with  the  blood 
of  the  slain.  In  the  number  that 
were  slain  of  the  more  learned  sort, 
were  Peter  Ramus,  Lambinus, 
Plateanus,  Ijomenius,  Chapesius, 
and  others. 

These  brutal  deeds  were  not  con- 
^ned  within  the  Walls  of  Paris,  but 
(extended  into  other  cities  and  quar- 
ters of  the  realm,  especially  to  Ly- 
ons, Orleans,  Toulouse,  and  Rouen, 
where  the  cruelties  were  unparal- 
leled.    Within  the   space   of  one 


month,  thirty  thousand  protestants, 
at  least,  are  said  to  have  been  slain, 
as  is  credibly  reported  by  those  who 
testify  of  the  matter. 

When  intelligence  of  the  massa- 
cre was  received  at  Rome,  the 
greatest  rejoicings  were  made.  The 
pope  and  cardinals  went  in  solemn 
procession  to  the  church  of  St. 
Mark  to  give  thanks  to  God.  A 
jubilee  was  also  published,  and  the 
ordnance  fired  from  the  castle  of 
St.  Angelo.  To  the  person  who 
brought  the  news,  the  cardinal  of 
Lorraine  gave  1000  crowns.  Like 
rejoicings  were  also  made  all  over 
France  for  this  imagined  overthrow 
of  the  faithful. 

The  following  are  among  the  par- 
ticulars recorded  of  the  above  enor- 
mities: 

The  admiral,  on  being  wounded 
in  both  his  arms,  said  to  Maure, 
preacher  to  the  queen  of  Navarre, 
"  O  my  brother,  I  now  perceive 
that  I  am  beloved  of  my  God,  see- 
ing that  for  his  most  holy  name's 
sake  I  do  suffer  these  wounds." 
He  was  slain  by  Bemjus,  who  after- 
wards reported  that  he  never  saw 
man  so  constantly  and  confidently 
suffer  death. 

Many  honourable  men,  and  great 
personages,  were,  at  the  same  time, 
murdered,  namely  Count  Roche- 
foucault;  Telinius,  the  admiral's 
son-in-law;  Antonius  Claromontus, 
marquis  of  Ravely,  Lewis  Bussius, 
Bandineus,  Pleuvialius,  Bernius, 
&c. 

Francis  Nompar  Caumontius, 
being  in  bed  with  his  two  sons,  was 
slain  with  one  of  them :  the  other 
was  strangely  preserved,  and  after- 
wards came  to  great  dignity.  Ste- 
phen Cevalerie  Prime,  chief  trea- 
surer to  the  king  in  Poictiers,  a  very 
good  man,  and  careful  of  the  com- 
monweath,  after  he  had  paid  for 
his  life  a  large  sum  of  money,  was 
cruelly  and  perfidiously  murdered. 

Magdalen  Brissonet,  an  excellent 
woman,  and  learned,  the  widow  of 
Ivermus,  master  of  requests  to  the 
king,  flying  out  of  the  city  in  poor 
apparel,  was  taken,  cruelly  mur- 
dered, and  cast  into  the  river. 

Two  thousand  were  murdered  in 


MASSACRE  IN  FRANCE. 


149 


one  day ;  and  the  same  liberty  of 
killing  and  spoiling  continued  se- 
veral days  after. 

At  Meldis,  two  hundred  were 
cast  into  prison,  and  being  brought 
out  as  sheep  to  the  slaughter,  were 
cruelly  murdered.  There  alsowere 
twenty-five  women  slain. 

At  Orleans,  a  thousand  men, 
women,  and  children,  were  mur- 
dered. 

The  citizens  of  Augustobona, 
hearing  of  the  massacre  at  Paris, 
shut  the  gates  of  their  town  that 
no  protestants  might  escape,  and 
cast  all  they  suspected  into  prisoe, 
who  were  afterwards  brought  forth 
and  murdered. 

At  Lyons  there  were  800  men, 
women,  and  children,  most  miser- 
ably and  cruelly  murdered.  Three 
hundred  were  slain  in  the  archbi- 
shop's house.  The  monks  would 
not  sufler  their  bodies  to  be  buried. 

AtToulouse  200  were  murdered. 

A.t  Rouen  500  were  put  to  death  ; 
and  as  Thuanus  writes,  "  This  ex- 
ample passed  unto  other  cities, 
and  from  cities  to  towns  and  villa- 
ges, so  that  it  is  by  many  publish- 
ed, that  in  all  the  kingdom  above 
30,000  were  in  these  tumults  divers 
ways  destroyed." 

A  little  before  this  massacre,  a 
man,  nurse,  and  infant,  carried  to 
be  baptized,  were  all  three  mur- 
dered. 

Bricamotius,  a  man  of  seventy 
years,  and  Cavagnius,  were  laid 
upon  hurdles  and  duawn  to  execu- 
tion: and  after  being  in  the  way 
reviled  and  defiled  with  dirt  cast 
upon  them,  they  were  hanged. 
The  first  might  have  been  pardon- 
ed, if  he  would  publicly  confess, 
that  the  admiral  had  conspired 
against  the  king,  which  he  re- 
fused to  do. 

At  Bourdeaux,  by  the  instigation 
of  a  monk,  named  Enimund  An- 
gerius,  264  persons  were  cruelly 
murdered,  of  whom  some  were 
senators.  This  monk  continually 
provoked  the  people  in  his  sermons 
to  this  slaughter. 

At  Agendicum,  in  Maine,  a  cruel 
slaughter  of  the  protestants  was 
-committed    by  the  instigation    of 


Amarus,  inquisitor  of  criminal 
causes.  A  rumour  being  spread 
abroad  that  the  protestants  had 
taken  secret  counsel  to  invade  and 
spoil  the  churches,  above  an  hun- 
dred of  every  estate  and  sex  were 
by  the  enraged  people  killed  or 
drowned  in  the  river  Igonna, 
which  runs  by  the  city. 

On  entering  Blois,  the  duke  of 
Guise,  (to  whom  the  city  had 
opened  its  gates)  gave  it  up  to  ra- 
pine and  slaughter;  houses  were 
spoiled,  many  protestants  who  had 
remained  were  slain  or  drowned 
in  the  river;  neither  were  women 
spared,  of  whom  some  were  ra- 
vished, and  more  murdered.  From 
thence  he  went  to  Mere,  a  town 
two  leagues  from  Blois,  where  the 
protestants  frequently  assembled 
at  sermons;  which  for  many  days 
together  was  spoiled,  many  of  its 
inhabitants  killed,  and  Cassebo- 
nius,  the  pastor,  drowned  in  the 
next  river. 

At  Anjou,  Albiacus,  the  pastor, 
was  murdered,  certain  women 
slain,  and  some  ravished. 

John  Burgeolus,  president  of 
Turin,  an  old  man,  being  sus- 
pected to  be  a  protestant,  having 
bought  with  a  great  sum  of  money 
his  life  and  safety,  was,  notwith- 
standing, taken  and  beaten  cruelly 
with  clubs  and  staves,  and  being 
stripped  of  his  clothes,  was 
brought  to  the  bank  of  the  rivey 
Liger,  and  hanged  with  his  head 
downward  in  the  water  up  to  his 
breast;  then  the  entrails  were  torn 
out,  while  he  was  yet  alive,  and 
thrown  into  the  river,  and  his 
heart  put  upon  a  spear,  and  carried 
about  the  city. 

The  town  of  Barre  being  taken 
by  the  papists,  all  kinds  of  cruelty 
were  there  used  ;  children  were  cut 
to  pieces,  and  their  bowels  and 
hearts  being  torn  out,  some  of  the 
barbarians,  in  their  blind  rage, 
gnawed  them  with  their  teeth. 

At  Albia  of  Cahors,  upon  the 
Lord's  day,  the  16th  of  December, 
the  papists,  at  the  ringing  of  a  bell, 
broke  open  the  houses  in  which 
the  protestants  were  assembled, 
and  killed    all    they    could    find ; 


15a 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


among  whom  was  one  Guacerius, 
a  rich  merchant,  whom  they  drew 
into  his  house,  and  then  murdered 
him,  with  liis  wife  and  children. 

In  a  town  called  Penna,  300 
persons  (notwithstanding  their 
lives  had  been  promised  them) 
were  murdered  by  Spaniards,  who 
were  newly  come  to  serve  the 
French  king. 

The  town  of  Nonne  having  capi- 
tulated to  the  papists,  upon  condi- 
tion that  the  foreign  soldiers  should 
depart  safe  with  horse  and  armour, 
leaving  their  ensigns,  that  the 
enemy's  soldiers  should  not  enter 
into  the  town,  and  that  no  harm 
should  be  done  to  the  inhabitants, 
who  (if  they  chose)  miglit  go  into 
the  castle  ;  after  the  yielding  of  it, 
the  gates  were  set  open,  when, 
without  any  regard  to  these  condi- 
tions, the  soldiers  rushed  in,  and 
began  murdering  and  spoiling  all 
around  them.  Men  and  women 
without  distinction  were  killed ; 
the  streets  resounded  with  cries 
and  groans,  and  flowed  with  blood. 
Many  were  thrown  down  headlong 
from  on  high.  Among  others,  the 
following  monstrous  act  of  cruelty 
is  reported:  a  certain  woman 
being  drawn  out  of  a  private  place, 
into  which  to  avoid  the  rage  of  the 
soldiers  she  had  fled  with  her  hus- 
band, was  in  his  sight  shamefully 
defiled;  and  then  being  commanded 
to  draw  a  sword,  not  knowing  to 
what  end,  was  forced  by  others, 
who  guided  her  hand,  to  give  her 
husband  a  wound,  whereof  he 
died. 

Bordis,  a  captain  under  the 
prince  of  Conde,  at  Mirabellum, 
was  killed,  and  his  naked  body 
cast  into  the  street,  that,  being  un- 
buried,  the  dogs  miglit  eat  it. 

The  prince  of  Conde  being 
taken  prisoner,  and  his  life  pro- 
mised him,  was  shot  in  the  neck 
by  Monti squius,  captain  of  the 
duke  of  Anjou's  guard.  Thuanus 
thus  speaks  of  him:  "This  was 
the  end  of  Lewis  Bourbon,  prince 
of  Conde,  of  the  king's  blood,  a 
man  above  the  honour  of  his  birth, 
most  honourable  in  courage  and 
virtue     who  in  valour,  constancy, 


wit,  wisdom,  experience,  courtesy, 
eloquence,  and  liberality,  all  which 
virtues  excelled  in  him,  had  few 
equals,  and  none,  even  by  the  con- 
fession of  his  enemies,  superior  to 
him." 

At  Orleans  100  men  and  women 
being  committed  to  prison,  were, 
by  the  furious  people,  most  cruelly 
murdered. 

The  enemies  of  the  truth,  now 
glutted  with  slaughter,  began 
every  where  to  triumph  in  the  fal- 
lacious opinion,  that  they  were  the 
sole  lords  of  men's  consciences; 
and,  truly,  it  might  appear  to  hu- 
man reason,  that  by  the  destruction 
of  his  people,  God  had  abandoned 
the  earth  to  the  ravages  of  his 
enemy.  But  he  had  otherwise  de- 
creed, and  thousands  yet,  who  had 
not  boived  the  knee  to  Baal,  were 
called  forth  to  (/lory  and  virtue. 
The  inhabitants  of  Rochelle,  hear- 
ing of  the  cruelties  committed  on 
their  brethren,  resolved  to  defend 
themselves  against  the  power  of 
the  king;  and  their  example  was 
followed  by  various  other  towns, 
with  which  they  entered  into  a 
confederacy,  exhorting  and  inspi- 
riting one  another  in  the  common 
cause.  To  crush  this,  tlie  king 
shortly  after  summoned  the  whole 
power  of  France,  and  the  greatest 
of  his  nobility,  among  whom  were 
his  royal  brothers;  he  then  in- 
vested Rochelle  by  sea  and  land, 
and  commenced  a  furious  siege, 
which,  but  for  the  immediate  hand 
of  God,  must  have  ended  in  its  de- 
struction. 

Seven  assaults  were  made 
against  the  town,  none  of  which 
succeeded.  At  one  time  a  breach 
was  made  by  the  tremendous  can- 
nonade; but  through  the  un- 
daunted valour  of  the  citizens,  as- 
sisted even  by  their  wives  and 
daughters,  the  soldiers  were  driven 
back  with  great  slaughter. 

The  siege  lasted  seven  months, 
when  the  duke  of  Anjou  being  pro- 
claimed king  of  Poland,  he,  in 
concert  with  the  king  of  France, 
entered  into  a  treaty  with  the 
people  of  Rochelle,  which  ended 
in  a  peace :  conditions,  containing 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &cc. 


151 


25  articles,  havin.r^  been  drawn  up 
by  the  latter,  cmbraeins  many  im- 
munities both  for  themselves  and 
other  protestants  in  France,  were 
confirmed  by  the  king,  and  pro- 
claimed with  2;reat  rejoicings  at 
Rochelle  and  other  cities. 

The  year  following  died  Charles 
IX.  of  France,  the  tyrant  who  had 
been  so  instrumental  in  the  cala- 
mities above  recorded.  He  was 
only  in  the  25th  year  of  his  age, 
and  his  death  was  remarkable  and 
dreadful.  When  lying  on  his  bed, 
the  blood  gushed  from  various 
parts  of  his  body,  and,  after  linger- 
ing in  horrible  torments  during 
many  months,  he  at  length  ex- 
pired. 

ROBERT   OGUIER,    HIS    WIFE.    AND 
TWO    SONS,    BURNED   AT    LISLE. 

On  March  6,  1556,  about  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  the  provost  of 
Lisle,  with  his  sergeants,  armed 
themselves,  and  went  to  seek  if 
they  could  find  any  protestants 
met  together  in  houses  ;  but  there 
was  then  no  assembly.  They 
therefore  came  to  the  house  of  Ro- 
bert Oguier,  which  was  a  little 
church,  where  both  rich  and  poor 
were  familiarly  instructed  in  the 
scriptures. 

Having  entered  into  the  said 
house,  and  seeking  for  their  prey, 
they  found  certain  books,  which 
they  carried  away.  But  he  whom 
they  principally  aimed  at  was  not 
there,  namely,  Baudicon,  the  son 
of  the  said  Robert  Oguier,  who  at 
that  time  was  gone  abroad  to  com- 
mune and  talk  of  the  work  of  God 
with  some  of  the  brethren.  On  his 
return  home,  he  knocked  at  the 
door,  when  Martin,  his  younger 
brother,  watching  his  coming,  bade 
him  be  gone  :  but  Baudicon,  think- 
ing his  brother  mistook  him  for 
some  other,  said,  "  It  is  I,  open 
the  door  :"  with  that  the  sergeants 
opened  the  same,  and  let  him  in, 
saying,  "  Ah,  sir,  you  are  well 
met;"  to  whom  he  answered,  "  I 
thank  you,  my  friends,  you  are 
also  welcome  hither."  Then  said 
the  provost,  "  I  arrest  you  all  in 
the  emperor's    name;"    and   with 


that  commanded  each  of  them  to 
be  bound,  viz.  the  husband,  his 
wife,  and  their  two  sons  (leaving 
their  two  daughters  to  look  to  the 
house),  and  confined  tliem  in  se- 
veral prisons.  A  few  days  after, 
the  prisoners  were  brought  before 
the  magistrates,  and  examined 
concerning  their  course  of  life. 
They  first  charged  Robert  Oguier 
with  not  only  absenting  himself 
from  the  celebration  of  mass,  but 
with  dissuading  others  from  at- 
tending it,  and  "  maintaining  con- 
venticles'' in  his  house. 

He  confessed  the  first  charge, 
and  justified  his  conduct  by  prov- 
ing from  the  Scriptures  that  the 
saying  of  mass  was  contrary  to  the 
ordinances  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  a 
mere  human  institution ;  and  he 
defended  the  religious  meetings  in 
his  house  by  showing  that  they 
were  authorized  and  commanded 
by  our  blessed  Saviour  himself. 

One  of  the  magistrates  demand- 
ed what  they  did  when  they  met 
together.  To  which  Baudicon,  the 
eldest  son,  answered,  "  If  it  please 
you  to  give  me  leave,  I  will  open 
the  whole  business  at  large  unto 
you." 

The  sheriffs,  seeing  his  prompt- 
ness, looking  upon  one  another, 
said,  "  Well,  let  us  hear  it." 
Baudicon  lifting  up  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  began  thus :  "  When  we 
meet  together  in  the  name  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  hear  the  word 
of  God,  we  first  of  all  prostrate 
ourselves  upon  our  knees  before 
God,  and  in  the  humility  of  our 
spirits  do  make  a  confession  of  our 
sins  before  his  Divine  Majesty. 
Then  we  pray  that  the  word  of 
God  may  be  rightly  divided,  and 
purely  preached  ;  we  also  pray  for 
our  sovereign  lord  the  emperor, 
and  for  all  his  honourable  counsel- 
lors, that  the  commonwealth  may 
be  peaceably  governed  to  the 
glory  of  God ;  yea,  we  forget  not 
you,  whom  we  acknowledge  our 
superiors,  entreating  our  good  God 
for  you,  and  for  this  whole  city, 
that  you  may  maintain  it  in  all 
tranquillity.  Thus  I  have  exactly 
related   unto    you  what   we    do : 


152 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


think  yoa  now,  whether  we  have 
offended  so  hiobly  in  this  matter  of 
our  assemblinr^-. 

While  they  were  thus  examined, 
each  of  them  made  an  open  con- 
fession of  their  faitli ;  and  being 
returned  again  to  prison,  they  not 
long  after  were  put  to  the  torture, 
to  make  them  confess  who  they 
were  that  frequented  their  house: 
but  they  would  discover  none,  un- 
less such  as  were  well  known  to 
the  judges,  or  else  were  at  that 
time  absent.  Four  or  live  days 
after,  the  father  and  his  two  sons 
were  again  brought  before  the  ma- 
•gistrates,  and  after  many  words 
passed,  they  asked  them  whether 
they  would  submit  themselves  to 
the  will  of  the  magistrates.  The 
father  and  his  eldest  son,  with 
some  deliberation,  said,  "Yea,  we 
will." 

Then  the  same  being  demanded 
of  the  younger  son,  he  answered. 
That  he  would  not  submit  himself 
thereto,  but  would  accompany  his 
mother  ;  so  he  was  sent  back  again 
to  prison,  whilst  the  father  and 
brother  were  sentenced  to  be 
burnt  to  ashes.  One  of  the  judges, 
after  sentence  was  pronounced, 
said,  "To-day  you  shall  go  to 
dwell  with  all  the  devils  in  hell- 
fire,"  which  he  spake  as  one  trans- 
ported with  fury  in  beholding  the 
great  patience  of  these  two  ser- 
vants of  Christ.  Having  received 
the  sentence  of  death,  they  were 
returned  to  the  prison  from  whence 
they  came,  being  joyful  that  the 
Lord  did  them  that  honour  to  be 
enrolled  in  the  number  of  his  mar- 
tyrs. They  no  sooner  entered  the 
prison,  than  a  band  of  friars  came 
thither  :  one  amongst  the  rest  told 
them,  the  hour  was  come  in  which 
they  must  finish  their  days.  Ro- 
bert Oguier  and  his  son  answered, 
"  We  know  it  well ;  but  blessed  be 
the  Lord  our  God,  who  now  deli- 
vering our  bodies  out  of  this  vile 
prison,  will  receive  our  souls  into 
his  glorious  and  heavenly  king- 
dom." 

One  of  the  friars  endeavoured  to 
torn  them  from  their  faith,  saying, 
"Father  Robert,  thou   art  an  old 


man,  let  me  entrfeat  thee  in  this  thy 
last  hour  to  think  of  saving  thine 
own  soul  r  and  if  thou  wilt  give  ear 
unto  me,  I  warrant  thee  tbou  shalt 
do  well." 

The  old  man  answered,  "  Poor 
man,  how  darest  thou  attribute 
that  to  thyself  which  belongs  to 
the  eternal  God,  and  so  rob  him  of 
his  honour  ?  For  it  seems  by  thy 
speech,  that  if  I  will  hearken  to 
thee,  thou  wilt  become  my  Saviour. 
No,  no,  I  have  one  only  Saviour, 
Jesus  Christ,  who  by  and  by  will 
deliver  me  from  this  miserable 
world.  I  have  one  doctor,  whom 
the  heavenly  Father  hath  com- 
manded me  to  hear,  and  I  purpose 
to  hearken  to  none  other." 

Another  exhorted  him  to  take 
pity  on  his  soul:  "Thou  wiliest 
me,"  said  Robert,  "to  pity  mine 
own  soul,  dost  thoa  not; see  what 
pity  I  have  on  it,  when  for  the 
name  of  Christ  I  willingly  abandon 
this  body  of  mine  to  the  fire,  hop- 
ing to-day  to  be  with  him  in  para- 
dise ?  I  have  put  all  my  confi- 
dence in  God,  and  my  hope  is 
wholly  fixed  upon  the  merits  of 
Christ,  his  death  and  passion  ;  he 
will  direct  me  the  right  way  to  his 
kingdom.  I  believe  what  the  holy 
prophets  and  apostles  have  writ- 
ten, and  in  that  faith  will  I  live 
and  die."  The  friar  hearing  this, 
said,  "  Out,  dog,  thou  art  not 
worthy  the  name  of  a  Christian  1 
thou  and  thy  son  with  thee  are 
both  resolved  to  damn  your  bodies 
and  souls  with  all  the  devils  in  the 
bottom  of  hell." 

As  they  were  about  to  separate 
Baudicon  from  his  father,  he  said, 
"  Let  my  father  alone,  and  trouble 
him  not  thus ;  he  is  an  old  man, 
and  hath  an  infirm  body,  hinder 
him  not,  I  pray  you,  from  receiv- 
ing the  crown  of  martyrdom." 
Baudicon  was  then  conveyed  into  a 
chamber  apart,  and  there  being 
stripped  of  his  clothes,  was  pre- 
pared to  be  sactiOced.  While  one 
brought  him  gunpowder  to  put  to 
his  breast,  a  fellow  standing  by, 
said,  "  Wert  thou  my  brother,  I 
would  sell  all  that  I  am  worth  to 
buy    fagots     to    burn    thee — thou 


PERSECUTIONS  IlSf  FRANCE,  &c. 


153 


findest  but  too  nmch  favour."  The 
younp;  man  answered,  "  Well,  Sir, 
the  Lord  shew  you  more  mercy." 
Whilst  they  spake  thus  to  Baudi- 
con,  some  of  the  friars  pressed 
about  the  old  man,  persuading  him 
at  least  to  take  a  crucifix  into  his 
hands,  "  lest  the  people,"  said 
they,  "  should  murmur  against 
you  ;"  adding  further,  that  he 
might  for  all  that  lift  up  his  heart 
to  God,  "  because  you  know," 
said  they,  "  it  is  but  a  piece  of 
wood."  They  then  fastened  it  be- 
tween his  hands,  but  as  soon  as 
Baudicon  came  down,  and  espied 
what  they  had  done  to  his  father, 
he  said,  "  Alas !  father,  what  do 
you  do  now  ?  will  you  play  the 
idolator  even  at  our  last  hour?" 
And  then  pulling  the  idol  out  of 
his  hands  which  they  had  fastened 
therein,  he  threw  it  away,  saying, 
"  What  cause  have  the  people  to 
be  ofl'euded  at  us  for  not  receiving 
a  Jesus  Christ  of  wood  ?  We  bear 
upon  our  hearts  the  cross  of  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  ever-living  God, 
feeling  his  holy  word  written  there- 
in in  letters  of  gold." 

A  band  of  soldiers  attended 
them  to  execution.  Being  come 
to  the  place  where  they  were  to 
suffer,  they  ascended  the  scaffold  ; 
when  Baudicon  asked  leave  of  the 
sherifi's  to  make  a  confession  of  his 
faith  before  the  people :  answer 
was  made,  that  he  was  to  look  unto 
his  spiritual  father  and  confessor  ; 
"  Confess  yourself,"  said  they, 
"  to  him."  He  was  then  dragged 
to  the  stake,  where  he  began  to 
sing  the  16th  Psalm.  The  friar 
cried  out,  "  Do  you  not  hear,  my 
masters,  what  wicked  errors  these 
heretics  sing,  to  beguile  the  people 
with  .'"  Baudicon,  hearing  him,  re- 
plied, "  How,  simple  idiot,  callest 
thou  the  psalms  of  the  prophet 
David  errors?  But  no  wonder,  for 
thus  you  are  wont  to  blaspheme 
the  Spirit  of  God."  Then  turning 
his  eyes  towards  his  father,  who 
was  about  to  be  chained  to  the 
stake,  he  said,  "  Be  of  good  cou- 
rage, father,  the  worst  will  be  past 
'*  by  and  by."  Then  he  often  reiter- 
ated these  short  breathings,  "  O 


God,   Father   everlasting,     accept 
the  sacrifice  of  our  bodies,  for  thy 
well    beloved    Son   Jesus    Christ's 
sake."     One  of  the  friars  cried  out, 
"  Heretic,  thou  liest,  he  is  none  of 
thy  father,  the  devil  is  thy  father." 
And   thus,   during   these  conflicts, 
he   bent  his    eyes  to  heaven,  and 
speaking  to  his  father,  said,  "  Be- 
hold, I   see  the  heavens  open,  and 
millions  of  angels  ready  to  receive 
us,  rejoicing  to  see  us  thus  wit- 
nessing the  truth  in  the  view  of  the 
world.     Father,  let  us  be  glad  and 
rejoice,  for  the  joys  of  heaven  are 
set   open  to  us."     Fire  was  forth- 
with   put  to  the  straw  and  wood, 
which  burnt  beneath,  whilst  they 
(not    shrinking    from     the    pains) 
spake  one  to    another ;   Baudicon 
often  repeating  this  in  his  father's 
ears,     "  Faint   not,  father,  nor  be 
afraid  ;  yet  a  very  little  while,  and 
we    shall  enter  into  the  heavenly 
mansions."     In   the  end,   the   fire 
growing   hot  upon  them,  the  last 
words   they    were    heard    to   pro- 
nounce, were,  "Jesus  Christ,  thou 
Son  of   God,   into   thy   hands  we 
commend   our  spirits."     And  thus 
these  two  slept  sweetly  in  the  Lord. 
Having    thus  put  to  death   the 
father  and    one   son,  the    bigoted 
monsters  next  determined  to  sacri- 
fice the  mother  and  the  other  son; 
but  before  doing  this,  all  arts  were 
employed  to  induce  them  to  quit 
the   faith,  and  embrace  the  errors 
of  popery.     The  mother,  at  length, 
induced  by  their  threats  and  pro- 
mises, abandoned  the  truth  ;  and 
was  then  exhorted  by  the  monks  to 
convert  her  son,  which    she    pro- 
mised to  do  ;  but  upon  his  being 
admitted  to  her  for  that  purpose, 
he  remonstrated  so  earnestly  with 
her  on  the  sinfulness  and  folly  of 
her   conduct,   that   she    was    con- 
vinced, and  turned  again   to    the 
Lord,  beseeching  him,   with  tears, 
to  grant  her   strength  to  maintain 
the  right.     And  she  continued  ever 
after  firm  in  the   faith  ;  which  so 
incensed  the  bigoted  monks,  that 
they  adjudged  her,  with  her  son,  to 
the  flames,  as  obstinate  heretics. 

Soon  after,  they  were  bound  and 
brought  to  the  place  of  their  mar^ 


154 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tyrdom :  his  mother  having  as- 
cended the  scaffold,  cried  to  Mar- 
tin, "  Come  up,  come  up,  my  son." 
And  as  he  was  speaking  to  the 
people,  she  said,  "  Speak  out, 
Martin,  that  it  may  appear  to  all 
that  we  do  not  die  heretics."  Mar- 
tin would  nave  made  a  confession 
of  his  faith,  but  was  not  suffered. 
His  mother  being  bound  to  the 
stake,  spake  in  the  hearing  of  the 
spectators,  "  We  are  Christians; 
and  that  which  we  now  sutler,  is 
not  for  murder  nor  theft,  but  be- 
cause we  will  believe  no  more 
than  that  which  the  word  of  God 
teacheth  us:  both  rejoicing  that 
they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer 
for  the  same.  The  fire  being  kin- 
dled, the  vehemency  thereof  did 
nothing  abate  the  fervency  of  their 
zeal,  but  they  continued  in  the  faith, 
and  with  lifting  up  their  hands  to 
heaven,  in  an  holy  accord  said, 
"  Lord  Jesus,  into  thy  hand  we 
commend  our  spirits."  And  thus 
they  blessedly  slept  in  the  Lord. 

THE    MASSACRE   AT    VASSY,    IN 
CHAMPAIGNF. 

The  duke  of  Guise,  on  his  ar- 
rival at  Joinville,  asked,  whether 
the  people  of  Vassy  used  to  have 
sermons  preached  constantly  by 
their  minister?  It  was  answered, 
they  had,  and  that  they  increased 
daily.  At  the  hearing  of  which  re- 
port, he  fell  into  a  violent  passion  ; 
and  upon  Saturday,  the  last  day 
of  February,  1562,  that  he  might 
the  more  covertly  execute  his  con- 
ceived wrath  against  the  protest- 
ants  of  Vassy,  he  departed  from 
Joinville,  accompanied  with  the 
cardinal  of  Guise,  his  brother 
and  those  of  their  train,  and  lodg- 
ed in  the  village  of  Damraartin, 
distant  about  two  miles  and  a 
half. 

The  next  day,  after  he  had  heard 
mass  very  early  in  the  morning, 
he  left  Dammartin,  with  about  two 
hundred  armed  men,  passing  along 
to  Vassy.  As  he  went  by  the 
village  of  Bronze val,  Avhich  is 
distant  from  Vassy  a  quarter  of 
a  mile,  the  bell  (after  the  usual 
manner)    rang    for    sermon.     The 


duke  hearing  it,  asked  those  he 
met,  why  the  bell  rang  so  loud. 
A  person  named  La  Montague  told 
him,  it  was  for  the  assembling  of 
the  Hugonots;  adding,  that  there 
were  many  in  the  said  Bronzeval 
who  frequented  the  sermons 
preached  at  Vassy ;  therefore, 
that  the  duke  would  do  well  to 
begin  there,  and  ofler  them  vio- 
lence. But  the  duke  answered, 
"  March  on,  march  on,  we  shall 
take  them  amongst  the  rest  of  the 
assembly." 

Now,  there  were  certain  soldiers 
and  archers  accompanying  the 
duke,  who  compassed  about  Vassy ; 
most  of  them  being  lodged  in  the 
houses  of  papists.  The  Saturday 
before  the  slaughter,  they  were 
seen  to  make  ready  their  weapons, 
arquebuses,  and  pistols;  but  the 
faithful  not  dreaming  of  such  a 
conspiracy,  thought  the  duke  would 
offer  them  no  violence,  being  the 
king's  subjects  ;  also,  that  not  above 
two  months  before,  the  duke  and 
his  brethren  passing  by  the  said 
Vassy,  gave  no  sign  of  their  dis- 
pleasure. 

The  duke  of  Guise  being  ar- 
rived at  Vassy,  with  all  his  troops, 
they  went  directly  towards  the 
common-hall  or  market-house,  and 
then  entered  into  the  monastery; 
where,  having  called  to  him  one 
Dessales,  the  prior  of  Vassy,  and 
another  whose  name  was  Claude  la 
Sain,  provost  of  Vassy,  he  talked 
a  while  with  them,  and  issued  has- 
tily out  of  the  monastery,  at- 
tended by  many  of  his  followers. 
Then  command  was  given  to  the 
papists,  to  retire  into  the  monas- 
tery, and  not  to  be  seen  in  the 
streets,  unless  they  would  venture 
the  loss  of  their  lives.  The  duke 
perceiving  others  of  his  retinue  to 
be  walking  to  and  fro  under  the 
town-hall,  and  about  the  church- 
yard, commanded  them  to  march 
on  towards  the  place  where  the 
sermon  was,  being  in  a  barn,  about 
an  hundred  paces  distant  from  the 
monastery.  This  command  was 
put  in  execution  by  such  of  the 
company  as  went  on  foot.  He 
that  marched  foremost  of  this  rab- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &c. 


155 


ble,  was  La  Brosse,  and  on  the 
side  of  these  marched  the  horse- 
men, after  whom  followed  the  duke 
with  another  company  of  his  own 
followers,  likewise  those  of  the 
cardinal  of  Guise,  his  brother. 
By  this  time,  Mr.  Leonard  Morel, 
the  minister,  after  the  first  prayer, 
had  begun  his  sermon  before  his 
auditors,  who  might  amount  to 
about  1200  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren. The  horsemen  first  ap- 
proaching to  the  barn  within  about 
twenty-five  paces,  shot  off  two  ar- 
quebuses Mght  upon  those  v/ho 
were  placed  in  the  galleries  join- 
ing to  the  windows.  The  people 
Avithin  perceiving  this,  endeavour- 
ed to  shut  the  door,  but  were  pre- 
vented by  the  ruffians  rushing  in 
upon  them,  who  drawing  their 
swords,  furiously  cried  out,  "  Death 
of  God,  kill,  kill  these  Hugonots." 
Three  persons  were  slain  at  the 
door;  and  the  duke  of  Guise, 
with  his  company,  rushed  in  among 
the  congregation,  striking  the  poor 
people  down  with  their  swords, 
daggers  and  cutlasses,  not  sparing 
any  age  or  sex :  besides,  they 
within  were  so  astonished,  that  they 
knew  not  which  way  to  turn  them, 
but  running  hither  and  thither,  fell 
one  upon  another,  flying  as  poor 
sheep  before  a  company  of  raven- 
ing wolves  entering  in  among  the 
flock.  Some  of  the  murderers  shot 
off  their  pieces  against  them  that 
were  in  the  galleries  ;  others  cut 
in  pieces  such  as  they  lighted 
upon ;  some  had  their  heads  cleft 
in  twain,  their  arms  and  hands 
cut  oft";  so  that  many  of  them  gave 
up  the  ghost  even  in  the  place. 
The  walls  and  galleries  of  the 
place  were  dyed  with  the  blood  of 
those  who  were  every  where  mur- 
dered: yea,  so  great  was  the  fury 
of  the  murderers,  that  part  of  the 
people  within  were  forced  to  break 
open  the  roof  of  the  house,  in 
hopes  to  save  themselves  upon  the 
top  thereof.  Being  got  thither,  and 
then  fearing  t©  fall  again  into  the 
hands  of  these  cruel  tigers,  some 
of  them  leaped  over  the  walls  of 
the  city,  which  were  very  high,  Hy- 
ing into  the   woods    and    amongst 


the  vines,  which  with  most  expe- 
dition they  could  soonest  attain 
unto ;  some  hurt  in  their  arms, 
others  in  their  heads,  and  other 
parts  of  their  bodies.  The  duke 
presented  himself  in  the  house  with 
his  ;?word  drawn  in  his  hand, 
charging  his  men  to  kill  especially 
the  young  men.  Only,  in  the  end, 
women  with  child  were  spared. 
And  pursuing  those  who  went  upon 
the  house  tops,  they  cried,  "  Come 
down,  ye  dogs,  come  down!" 
using  many  cruel  threatening 
speeches  to  them.  The  cause  why 
women  with  child  escaped,  was 
as  the  report  went,  for  the  duchess's 
sake,  his  wife,  who,  passing  along 
by  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  hear- 
ing so  hideous  outcries  amongst 
these  poor  creatures,  with  the  noise 
of  the  pieces  and  pistols  continu- 
ally discharging,  sent  in  all  haste 
to  the  duke  her  husband  with 
much  entreaties  to  cease  his  per- 
secution, for  frighting  women  with 
child. 

During  this  slaughter,  the  car- 
dinal of  Guise  remained  before 
the  church  of  Vassy,  leaning  upon 
the  walls  of  the  church-yard,  look- 
ing towards  the  place  where  his 
followers  were  busied  in  killing 
and  slaying  all  they  could.  Many 
of  this  assembly  being  thus  hotly 
pursued,  did  in  the  first  brunt  save 
themselves  upon  the  roof  of  the 
house,  not  being  discerned  by 
those  who  stood  without:  but  at 
length,  some  of  this  bloody  crew 
espying  where  they  lay  hid,  shot 
at  them  with  long  pieces,  where- 
with many  of  them  were  hurt  and 
slain.  The  household  servants  of 
Dessalles,  prior  of  Vassy,  shooting 
at  the  people  on  the  roof,  one  of 
that  wretched  company  was  not 
ashamed  to  boast,  after  the  mas- 
sacre was  ended,  that  he  for  his 
part  had  caused  six  at  least  to  tum- 
ble down  in  that  pitiful  plight,  say- 
ing, that  if  others  had  done  the 
like,  not  many  of  them  could  pos- 
sibly have  escaped. 

The  minister,  in  the  beginning  of 
the  massacre,  ceasednot  to  preach, 
till  one  discharged  his  piece 
against  the  pulpit  where  he  stood. 


13S 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


after  which,  falling  down  upon  his 
knees,  he  entreated  the  Lord  not 
only  to  have  mercy  upon  himself, 
but  also  upon  his  poor  persecuted 
flock.  Having  ended  his  prayer, 
he  left  his  gown  behind  him,  think- 
ing thereby  to  keep  himself  un- 
known ;  but  whilst  he  approached 
towards  the  door,  in  his  fear  he 
stumbled  upon  a  dead  body,  where 
he  received  a  blow  with  a  sword 
upon  his  right  shoulder.  Getting 
up  again,  and  then  thinking  to  get 
forth,  he  was  immediately  laid  hold 
of,  and  grievously  hurt  on  the  head 
with  a  sword,  whereupon  being 
felled  to  the  ground,  and  thinking 
him^ielf  mortally  wounded,  he 
cried,  "  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit,  for  thou  hast 
redeemed  me  thou  God  of  truth." 
While  he  thus  prayed  one  of  this 
bloody  crew  ran  upon  him,  with  an 
intent  to  have  ham-stringed  him  ; 
but  it  pleased  God  his  sword  broke 
in  the  hilt.  Two  gentlemen  know- 
ing him,  said,  "  He  is  the  minister, 
let  him  be  conveyed  to  my  lord 
duke."  These  leading  him  away 
by  both  the  arms,  they  brought  him 
before  the  gate  of  the  monastery, 
from  whence  the  duke,  and  the 
cardinal  his  brother,  coming  forth, 
said,  "Come  hither;"  and  asked 
him,  saying,  "Art  thou  the  minis- 
ter of  this  place  ?  Who  made  thee 
30  bold  to  seduce  this  people  thus?" 
"  Sir,"  said  the  minister,  "  I  am 
no  seducer,  for  I  have  preached  to 
them  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ." 
The  duke  perceiving  that  this  an- 
swer condemned  his  cruel  outrages, 
began  to  curse  and  swear,  saying, 
"  Peath  of  God,  doth  the  gospel 
preach  sedition?  Provost,  go  and 
let  a  gibbet  be  set  up,  and  hang  this 
fellow."  At  which  words  the  mi- 
nister was  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  two  pages,  who  misused  him 
vilely.  The  women  of  the  city, 
being  ignorant  papists,  caught  up 
dirt  to  throw  in  his  face,  and  with 
great  outcries,  said,  "Kill  him, 
kill  this  varlet,  who  hath  been  the 
cause  of  the  death  of  so  many."  In 
the  mean  time,  the  duke  went  into 
the  barn,  to  whom  they  presented 
a  great  Bible,  which  they  used  for 


the  service  of  God.  Tlie  duke 
taking  it  into  his  hands,  calling  his 
brother  the  cardinal,  said,  "  Lo, 
here  is  one  of  the  Hugonot  books." 
The  cardinal  viewing  it,  said, 
"  There  is  nothing  but  good  in  this 
book,  for  it  is  the  Bible,  to  wit,  the 
holy  scriptures."  The  duke  being 
offended,  that  his  brother  suited 
not  to  his  humour,  grew  into  a 
greater  rage  than  before,  saying, 
"  Blood  of  God,  how  now?  What ! 
the  holy  scripture?  It  is  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  years  ago  since 
Jesus  Christ  suffered  his  death 
and  passion,  and  it  is  but  a  year 
since  these  books  were  printed, 
how  then  say  you  that  this  is  the 
gospel?  You  say  you  know  not 
what."  This  unbridled  fury  of  the 
duke  displeased  the  cardinal,  so 
that  he  was  heard  secretly  to  mut- 
ter, "  An  unworthy  brother  !" 

This  massacre  continued  a  full 
hour,  the  duke's  trumpeters  sound- 
ing the  while  two  several  times. 
When  any  of  these  desired  to  have 
mercy  shewed  them  for  the  love  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  murderers  in  scorn 
would  say  unto  them,  "  You  use 
the  name  of  Christ,  but  where  is 
your  Christ  now  ?" 

There  died  in  this  massacre, 
Avithin  a  few  days,  threescore  per- 
sons ;  besides  these,  there  were 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty,  as  well 
men  as  women,  that  were  wounded, 
whereof  many  died.  The  poor's 
box,  which  was  fastened  to  the 
door  of  the  church  with  two  iron 
hooks,  containing  twelve  pounds, 
was  wrested  thence,  and  never 
restored. 

The  minister  was  closely  con- 
fined and  frequently  threatened  to 
be  sewed  up  in  a  sack  and  drown- 
ed. He  was,  however,  on  the  8th 
of  May,  1563,  liberated  at  the 
earnest  suit  of  the  prince  of 
Portien. 

MURDER    OF    DE    LA    PLACE. 

This  gentleman,  whose  piety 
equalled  his  courage,  was  president 
of  the  court  of  requests  at  Paris. 
On  Sunday  morning,  about  six 
o'clock,  captain  Michael,  arquebu- 
sier  to  the  king,  came  armed  into 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &c 


1A7 


lis  lodging,  and  presenting  him- 
self before  De  la  Place,  said, 
that  the  duke  of  Guise  had  slain 
the  admiral  of  France  by  the  king's 
orders,  with  many  Hugonots  :  and 
because  the  rest  of  them,  of  what 
quality  soever,  were  destined  to 
death,  he  was  come  to  his  lodging 
to  exempt  him  from  the  common 
destruction ;  and  that  he  desired 
to  have  a  sight  of  what  gold  and 
silver  was  in  his  possession.  De 
la  Place,  amazed  at  his  audacity, 
who,  in  the  midst  of  several  per- 
sons present  in  the  room,  durst 
presume  to  utter  such  language, 
asked  him  if  he  knew  where  he 
was,  or  whether  or  not  he  thought 
there  was  a  king  ?  To  this  the 
captain  roughly  answered,  that  he 
must  go  with  him  to  know  the  king's 
pleasure.  De  la  Place,  hearing 
this,  began  to  apprehend  some 
danger.  He,  therefore,  slipped 
out  at  a  back  door,  proposing  to 
secret  himself  in  a  neighbour's 
house.  Meanwhile,  most  of  his 
servants  disappeared ;  and  the  cap- 
tain having  enriched  himself  with 
a  thousand  crowns,  was  entreated 
by  the  lady  Marets,  daughter  to  De 
la  Place,  to  convey  her  father,  and 
her  husband,  into  the  house  of 
some  Roman  catholic ;  which  he 
consented  to  do,  and  performed  it. 

De  la  Place,  like  a  deer  singled 
out  for  death,  being  refused  admit- 
tance at  three  several  houses,  re- 
tired again  into  his  own,  where  he 
found  his  wife  overwhelmed  with 
grief;  but  he  being  strengthened 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  consoled  her 
with  the  scripture  promises.  He 
then  commanded  all  his  servants 
that  remained  to  be  called  together, 
when,  according  to  his  custom,  on 
the  Lord's  day,  he  made  an  exhor- 
tation, and  went  to  prayer. 

While  thus  employed,  word  was 
brought  him,  that  Seneca,  the  pro- 
vost-marshal, with  many  archers, 
were  at  the  door  demanding  ad- 
mittance in  the  king's  name,  say- 
ing, that  he  came  to  secure  the 
person  of  the  lord  De  la  Place, 
and  to  preserve  his  house  from 
being  pillaged  by  the  rabble.  De 
la  Place  immediately  commanded 


the  door  to  be  opened  to  him. 
Seneca,  on  entering,  declared 
the  great  slaughter  that  was 
made  upon  the  Hugonots  every 
where  in  the  city  by  the  king's 
command  ;  adding,  "  Yet  have  I 
express  charge  from  his  majesty  to 
see  you  sustain  no  wrong ;  only 
suffer  me  to  conduct  you  to  the 
Louvre,  because  the  king  is  desir- 
ous to  be  informed  about  the  af- 
fairs of  those  of  the  religion  which 
he  hath  now  in  hand."  De  la 
Place  answered,  that  it  had  always 
been  his  greatest  w^ish,  and  nothing 
could  render  him  more  happy,  than 
to  gain  any  opportunity  by  which 
he  might  give  an  account  to  his 
majesty  of  his  behaviour  and  ac- 
tions. But  that  such  horrible  mas- 
sacres were  every  where  commit- 
ted, it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
pass  to  the  Louvre,  without  danger 
of  his  life:  he  therefore  prayed 
him  to  assure  his  majesty  of  his 
willingness  to  come,  but  to  excuse 
his  appearance  until  the  fury  of 
the  people  was  somewhat  abated. 
The  provost  agreed  to  this  request, 
and  left  with  him  one  of  his  lieute- 
nants, and  four  archers. 

Soon  after,  came  president  Char- 
ron,  with  whom  the  provost  con- 
ferred a  little  in  secret,  and  then 
left  him  with  four  more  of  the  city 
archers.  The  whole  night  follow- 
ing was  spent  in  the  stopping  up, 
and  fortifying  all  the  passages  and 
windows  of  the  house,  with  logs 
and  flint  stones,  apparently  for  the 
defence  of  De  la  Place  and  his 
famil}'.  Next  day  Seneca  return- 
ing, declared  that  he  had  express 
charge  from  the  king  to  bring  him 
to  his  majesty  without  delay.  He 
replied  as  before,  that  it  was  dan- 
gerous as  yet  to  pass  through  the 
city.  But  Seneca  insisted  on  his 
compliance,  saying  that  he  should 
have  a  captain  of  Paris,  well 
known  to  the  people,  to  accompany 
him.  At  that  moment,  the  captain, 
named  Pazon,  a  principal  actor  in 
this  sedition,  entered  and  offered 
his  service  to  conduct  him  to  the 
king.  De  la  Place  refused,  telling 
Seneca,  that  Pazon  was  one  of  the 
most  cruel  and  bloody-minded  men 


158 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  all  the  city  ;  and  therefore,  see- 
ing that  he  must  go  to  the  kino:, 
he  entreated  him  to  be  his  guard. 
Seneca  answered  that  having  now 
other  affairs  to  look  unto,  he  could 
not  conduct  him  above  fifty  paces. 

The  lady  of  De  la  Place  then 
prostrated  herself  at  the  feet  of  Se- 
neca, beseeching  him  to  accompa- 
ny her  husband  to  the  king;  but 
her  husband,  who  never  shewed 
any  sign  of  a  dejected  spirit,  came 
to  her  and  lifting  her  from  the 
ground,  told  her,  tiiat  it  was  not  an 
arm  of  flesh  that  we  must  stoop 
to,  but  unto  God  only.  They  turn- 
ing round,  he  perceived  in  liis 
son's  hat  a  white  cross,  which  he 
had  placed  there  to  delude  the 
enemy ;  he  sharply  chid  him,  and 
commanded  him  to  pluck  that 
mark  of  apostasy  thence ;  telling 
him,  that  they  must  now  submit  to 
bear  the  true  crovs  of  Christ, 
namely,  those  afflictions  and  tribu- 
lations which  it  shall  please  God 
to  lay  upon  us,  as  pledges  of  that 
eternal  happiness,  which  he  hath 
treasured  up  for  his  servants. 
Being  now  pressed  by  Seneca,  to 
go,  as  he  foresaw,  to  death,  he 
took  his  cloak,  and  embracing  his 
wife,  earnestly  exhorted  her  above 
all  things  to  have  the  fear  of  God, 
and  his  honour,  in  precious  esteem; 
and  then  boldly  went  on  his  way. 
Coming  into  the  street,  certain 
murderers,  who  waited  his  ap- 
proach, with  their  daggers  in  rea- 
diness, killed  him,  as  an  innocent 
lamb  in  the  midst  of  Seneca's 
archers,  who  led  him  into  that 
butchery.  They  then  plundered 
his  house  of  all  they  could  find, 
while  his  body  being  dragged  into 
a  stable,  they  covered  his  face 
over  with  dung,  and  the  next  day 
threw  him  into  the  river. 

PETER    RAMUS. 

Peter  Ramus,  the  king's  profes- 
sor in  logic,  a  man  renowned  for 
his  learning,  was  not  forgotten. 
He  had  taken  refuge  in  the  college 
of  priests ;  but  being  discovered, 
he  offered  a  great  sum  of  money 
for  his  life ;  nevertheless,  he  was 
massacred,  and  cast  down  from  a 


high  chamber  window  upon  the 
ground,  so  that  his  bowels  issued 
out  on  the  stones,  and  were  after- 
wards trailed  through  the  streets, 
while  the  body  was  whipped  by 
certain  scholars,  instigated  by  the 
envy  and  malevolence  of  their  tu- 
tors*. 

INSTANCES    OF   HORRIBLE   BAR- 
BARITY. 

Philip  le  Doux,  a  jeweller,  on 
his  return  from  a  journey,  had 
gone  to  bed  ;  his  wife  at  that  time 
had  the  midwife  attending  upon 
her,  and  was  ready  to  be  delivered, 
when  she  heard  the  furies  below 
thundering  at  the  door,  and  com- 
manding it  to  be  opened  to  them 
in  the  king's  name.  Ill  as  she  was, 
she  ventured  down,  and  opened  it 
to  these  tigers,  who  presently  stab- 
bed her  husband  in  his  bed.  The 
midwife  seeing  them  bent  to  mur- 
der the  woman  also,  now  ready  to 
be  delivered,  entreated  them  to 
stay,  at  least  till  the  infant  was 
born.  They,  notwithstanding,  took 
this  poor  woman,  half  dead  with 
fear,  and  thrust  into  her  fundament 
a  dagger  to  the  very  hilt.  She, 
finding  herself  mortally  wounded, 
and  yet  desirous  to  give  birth  to  her 
infant,  ran  into  a  corn-loft,  whither 
they  pursued  her  and  stabbed  her 
likewise  in  the  belly,  then  threw 
her  out  of  a  window  into  the  street: 
upon  which  fall,  the  child  came 
from  her,  to  the  great  astonishment 
and  confusion  of  the  papists,  who 
were  constrained  to  confess  the 
cruelties  of  these  butchers. 

One  of  the  murderers  having 
snatched  up  a  little  child  in  his 
arms,  the  poor  innocent  babe  be- 
gan to  play  with  his  beard,  and  to 
smile  upon  him  ;  but  instead  of  be- 
ing moved  to  compassion,  the  bar- 
barian wounded  it  with  his  dagger, 
and  threw  it  into  the  river. 

PERSECUTIONS    AT   TROIS,  IN  CHAM- 
PAGNE. 

When  news  arrived  at  Trois  of 

*  It  is  remarkable,  that  in  this  exten- 
sive massacre,  not  more  than  two  minis- 
ters were  known  to  have  suffered. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &c. 


159 


the  massacre  at  Paris,  the  greater 
part  of  the  judges  and  officers  of 
the  king  went  to  the  bailiff,  and 
commanded  a  diligent  search  for 
those  of  the  reformed  religion,  and 
to  imprison  all  they  could  find. 

In  the  city,  was  a  merchant, 
named  Peter  Belin,  a  man  of  a  tur- 
bulent temper.  This  man  was  at 
the  massacre  in  Paris,  on  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's day, and  was  dispatched 
thence  with  letters  from  the  king, 
dated  the  28th  of  August,  to  the 
mayor  and  sheriffs  of  Trois,  to 
cause  all  persecutions  to  cease,  and 
the  prisoners  to  be  set  at  liberty. 
He  did  not,  however,  arrive  till  the 
3d  of  September,  and  on  entering 
Trois,  proceeded  to  the  house  of 
the  bailiff,  a  man  of  the  san>e  stamp 
as  himself.  They  agreed  before 
they  published  the  letters  to  mu^Jer 
all  the  Hugonots  who  were  in 
prison  ;  and  to  make  it  appear,  that 
this  act  was  sanctioned  by  autho- 
rity, they  requested  the  assistance 
of  the  city  executioner,  whose  name 
was  Charles. 

The  man,  however,  more  just 
and  humane  than  they,  perempto- 
rily refused  to  have  any  hand  in  an 
act  of  so  great  cruelty  ;  answering, 
that  it  was  contrary  to  his  office  to 
execute  any  man  before  sentence 
of  death  had  first  been  pronounced 
by  the  magistrates ;  and  that  he 
would  not  presume,  without  a  war- 
rant, to  deprive  any  man  of  his  life ; 
with  these  words,  he  left  them. 
Upon  this,  the  bailiff  sent  for  one 
of  the  gaolers  of  the  prison,  but  he 
being  confined  by  sickness,  Martin 
de  Bures  was  sent  to  know  his 
pleasure.  The  bailiff  told  him  what 
Belin  had  signified  to  him  in  pri- 
vate ;  as  also,  that  on  a  sudden  all 
the  prisoners  of  the  reformed  reli- 
gion must  die,  that  the  place  might 
be  purged  of  them ;  "  and  this," 
said  he,  "  you  must  do." 

De  Bures,  however,  made  no 
haste  to  execute  the  command,  ac- 
quainting no  man  with  aught  that 
passed  between  the  bailiff  and  him  ; 
not  even  Perennet  the  keeper,  then 
sick  in  bed. 

The  day  following  the  bailiff 
came  to  the  prison,  and  calling  for 


Perennet,  who  was  then  recovered, 
asked  him  with  a  smile,  "  Whether 
it  was  done?"  "What?"  said  Pe- 
rennet, knowing  nothing  of  it. 
"  Why,"  said  the  baililf,  "  are  not 
the  prisoners  dispatched  ?"  and  was 
ready  with  his  dagger  to  have 
stabbed  him.  But  coming  a  little 
to  himself,  he  told  Perennet  his 
purpose,  and  how  he  was  to  behave 
himself  concerning  the  execution 
thereof.  At  this,  Perennet  stand- 
ing amazed,  (though  otherwise  for- 
ward enough  to  commit  any  outra- 
ges against  the  protestants)  certified 
to  the  bailiff,  that  he  wou'Id  not  per- 
petrate such  an  inhuman  act,  ap- 
prehending, that  it  might  be  aveng- 
ed by  the  friends  of  the  prisoners. 
"  No,  no,"  said  the  bailiff,  "  fear 
not,  I  will  stand  between  you  and 
all  harms.  Others  of  the  justices 
have  consented  thereunto  besides 
myself,  and  would  you  have  better 
security  than  that  ?" 

In  a  short  time  after,  the  gaoler 
coming  into  the  court  of  the  prison, 
where  the  prisoners  were  walking, 
ordered   each  to  his  cabin,   "  be- 
cause, (said  he)  the  bailiff  is  com- 
ing to  see  whether  the  keepers  have 
done  their  duty."  Then  began  these 
poor  sheep  to  fear  they  were  des- 
tined to   the  slaughter,  and  there- 
fore   went    presently    to    prayers. 
Perennet   now   called  his  compa- 
nions about  him,  reported  to  them 
what   the  bailiff  had  given  him  in 
charge,  on  which  they  all  took  an 
oath  to  execute  the  same  ;  but  ap- 
proaching  near   to  the    prisoners, 
their  hearts  failed  them,  and  they 
stood   gazing    one    upon  another, 
having  no  courage  to    act  such   a 
deed :  they,  therefore,  returned  to 
the  lodge,  without  doing  any  thing. 
This  repugnance,  however,  was 
of  short  duration  ;   for    instead  of 
considering    it  as  a  warning  from 
above,  they  sent  for  sixteen  pints 
of  wine,   thereby  to  drown   every 
spark    of     conscience.         Having 
drank  which,   they  drew  a  list  of 
the  prisoners  ;  which  they  delivered 
to  one  who  was  to  call  them  forth 
in  order. 

The   first   that  came    forth   was 
MeurS;  who  was  no  sooner  in  their 


160 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


sight,  than  one  of  them  thrust  at 
him  with  the  point  of  his  halberd, 
redoubling  the  same  often  with  in- 
tent to  kill  him ;  on  which,  the 
poor  man  took  hold  of  the  point, 
and  pointing  it  himself  to  his 
heart,  cried  to  the  murderer, 
**  Here,  soldier,  here,  right  at  the 
heart,  right  at  the  heart !"  and  was 
instantly  slain. 

When  the  massacre  was  ended, 
the  murderers  made  a  great  pit  on 
the  back  side  of  the  chapel  of  the 
prison,  wherein  they  cast  the  bo- 
dies, some  of  them  yet  breathing. 
One  called  Maufere,  lying  in  the 
midst  of  them,  being  observed  to 
raise  himself  above  his  fellow  mar- 
tyrs, they  poured  earth  upon  him, 
until  they  had  stifled  him.  The 
l)loo<l  ran  in  such  abundance  out 
at  the  prison  door,  and  thence 
through  a  channel  into  a  river, 
that  it  was  turned  into  the  colour 
of  blood. 

Next  day,  the  sanguinary  bailiff 
of  Trois  caused  the  king's  letters 
to  be  published  in  all  corners  of 
the  .city  with  sound  of  trumpet. 

MASSACRE    AT    ORLEANS. 

Dechampeaux,  lord  of  Bouilli,  a 
counsellor  of  Orleans,  was  mur- 
dered in  the  following  manner: 
One  called  Texier  came  with  a 
small  troop  to  his  house,  inviting 
himself  and  company  to  supper 
with  him.  Dechampeaux  bid  them 
all  kindly  welcome,  being  ignorant 
of  what  had  happened  at  Paris. 
But  supper  being  ended,  Texier 
bade  him  deliver  his  purse,  at 
which  Dechampeaux  laughed, 
thinking  he  had  been  in  jest.  But 
this  cruel  guest,  with  blasphemous 
oaths,  told  him  in  a  few  words 
what  had  occured  at  Paris,  and 
what  preparations  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholics of  Orleans  were  making  to 
root  out  the  protestants  there. 
Dechampeaux  finding  it  in  vain  to 
contest  with  him,  gave  him  money : 
when,  to  requite  the  courtesy  and 
good  entertainment  he  had  re- 
ceived, Texier  embrued  his  hands 
in  his  blood,  and  afterwards  pil- 
laged the  house. 

On  the  26lh  of  August  following 


the  massacre  was  begun.  All 
night  was  heard  nothing  but  firing 
of  guns  and  pistols,  forcing  open 
of  doors  and  windows,  fearful  out- 
cries of  men,  women,  and  little 
children,  trampling  of  horses,  and 
rumbling  of  carts,  hurrying  oti' 
dead  bodies  to  and  fro. 

The  massacre  was  continued  the 
next  day,  and  to  the  end  of  the 
week:  "  Where  is  now  your  God?" 
cried  the  murderers  ;  "  What  is 
become  of  all  your  prayers  and 
psalms  now?  Let  your  God,  whom 
you  called  upon,  save  you  if  he 
can !"  Yea,  some  of  them,  who 
had  been  professors  of  the  same 
religion,  whilst  they  was  massa- 
cring the  poor  innocents,  sung, 
unto  them  in  scorn,  the  beginning 
of  the  43d  psalm:  "Judge  me,  O 
God,  and  plead  my  cause." 
Others,  striking  them,  said,  "  Sing 
now,  '  Have  mercy  on  me,  O 
God.'*'  But  these  execrable  out- 
rages by  no  means  daunted  the 
courage  of  the  Christians,  who 
died  steadfast  in  the  faith.  The 
murderers  boasted,  that  in  this 
city  they  caused  eighteen  thousand 
men  to  perish,  an  hundred  and 
fifty  women,  with  a  great  number 
ef  children  of  nine  years  old  and 
upwards.  The  manner  of  their 
death  was,  first  to  shoot  thera  with 
pistols,  then  to  strip  them,  and 
either  sink  their  bodies  in  the  river, 
or  bury  them  in  pits. 

At  night,  several  of  this  bloody 
crew  knocked  at  ■the  door  of  a 
doctor  of  civil  law,  called  Taille- 
bous :  who  came  down  imme- 
diately, and  opened  the  door  to 
them.  They  immediately  told  him 
he  must  die.  Whereupon  he  ut- 
tered a  prayer  to  heaven  with  such 
zeal  and  affection,  that  the  mur- 
derers, being  astonished,  and  re- 
strained by  a  secret  power,  con- 
tented themselves  with  taking  his 
purse,  and  so  left  him. 

The  day  following,  some  stu- 
dents resorting  to  his  lodging,  re- 
quested to  see  his  library,  into 
which  he  brought  them,  one  asked 
this  book  of  him,  and  another  that, 
which  he  gave  them.  At  length 
they  told  him  they  were  not  as  yet 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &c. 


satisfied,  their  purpose  being  to 
kill  him.  He,  prostrating  himself 
upon  the  ground,  and  having  ended 
his  prayer,  desired  them  to  kill 
him  there,  but  they  forced  him  out 
of  his  own  house,  from  one  place 
to  another,  and  at  length  dispatched 
liim. 

A  rich  burgess  of  the  city,  called 
Nicholas  Bougars,  Sieur  de  Nove, 
a   man     of    singular    worth,    and 


161 

highly  esteemed,  was  at  that  time 
dangerously  ill.  Some  of  the  mur- 
derers came  into  the  chamber  in- 
tending to  kill  him:  but  seeing 
him  in  that  case  spared  him  :  yet 
tinding  there  Noel  Chaperon,  an 
apothecary,  they  cutolf  one  of  his 
arms,  then  drew  him  into  the  mar^ 
ket-place,  where  they  made  an 
end  of  him. 


Tortures  nf  the  early  Christian  Marti/rs. 

[At  (lie  end  of  the  Voluuie,'a  Listof  ihc  Kn^railnijs,  with  rcfcrenrci  to  the  p»gcs  in  wbiib  iFity  arc  de- 
scribed, will  be  loutiJ.] 


The  next  day,  an  acquaintance 
came  to  the  lodging  of  Nicholas 
Bougars ;  as  he  was  entering,  he 
met  the  mother  of  Nicholas  at  the 
door.  He  then  proceeded  into  the 
chamber,  stabbed  the  sick  man 
with  a  dagger  in  mauy  places,  and 
so  killed  him.  Tliea  with  all  si- 
lence, ;is  if  he  had  done  no  such 
act,  wiping  his  dagger,  he  went 
down  stairs  again,  without  any 
change  in  his  beha\iour  or  counte- 
nance *. 

This  atrocious   deed  reminds  us  of 
_    FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


Francis  Stample,  a  rich  mer- 
chant, was  threatened  to  have  his 
throat  cut  if  he  refused  to  give  the 
murderers  money:  but  having  got 
none  about  him,  he  wrote  to  his 
wife  to  send  him  his  ransom  :  he 
had  no  sooner  sealed  the  letter,  but 

the  enormities  practised  by  the  Irish  Ro- 
man Catholics  in  their  massacre  of  the 
English  Protestants  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  1.,  when  every  social  tie  was 
banished  from  their  remorseiess  hearts, 
and  the  oldest  friends  were  murdered  by 
(he  hands  they  had  so  often  pressed  in 
amity  and  brotherhood. 

u 


162 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  monsters  put  him  to  death; 
and  though  they  got  from  his  wi- 
dov/  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
yet  could  she  not  obtain  from 
them  the  body  of  her  husband. 

Among  those  that  confessed  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  Francis  le 
Bossu,  a  merchant,  with  his  two 
sons,  well  deserve  our  notice ;  for 
whilst  he  trampled  in  the  blood  of 
his  brethren,  being  besmeared 
therewith,  he  encouraged  his  chil- 
dren to  take  their  death  willingly 
and  patiently.  When  he  saw  the 
murderers  come,  he  clasped  his 
arms  about  his  two  sons,  and  they 
likewise  embraced  their  father ; 
and  thus  embracing,  they  were  all 
three  found  dead. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  furious 
assault,  the  perpetrators  went  up 
and  down  the  city,  displaying  their 
white  doublets,  all  sprinkled  with 
blood;  some  boasting,  that  they 
had  killed  an  hundred,  some  more, 
some  less. 

THE  pope's  legate  ABSOLVES  THE 
MURDERERS  OF  THE  PROTEST- 
ANTS. 

Not  many  months  after,  when 
these  tragedies  were  ended,  the 
pope  sent  cardinal  Ursin,  as  legate 
to  the  king,  who  was  received  with 
great  solemnity  at  Lyons.  On  his 
return  from  St.  John's  church, 
where  he  had  been  to  hear  mass,  a 
great  number  of  persons  presented 
themselves  before  him,  at  the  door, 
and  kneeled  down  for  his  absolu- 
tion. But  the  legate  not  knowing 
the  reason  of  it,  one  of  the  leaders 
told  him,  they  were  those  who  had 
been  the  actors  in  the  massacre. 
On  which  the  cardinal  immediately 
absolved  them  all. 

MASSACRE    AT    ANGERS. 

As  soon  as  the  massacre  com- 
menced at  Paris,  a  gentleman, 
named  Monsoreau,  obtained  a 
passport  with  letters  to  massacre 
the  protestants  at  Angers.  Being 
disappointed  of  his  prey  in  one 
place,  he  came  to  the  lodging  of  a 
reverend  and  learned  minister, 
Mr.  John  M'ason.  Meeting  his 
iffife  at  the  eiiirance  of  the  house. 


he  saluted  her,  and  asked  her 
"  where  her  husband  was?"  She 
answered  him,  "  That  he  was 
walking  in  his  garden." 

He  immediately  went  in  search 
of  him ;  and  meeting  him,  em- 
braced liim,  and  said,  "  Do  you 
know  wherefore  I  am  come?  The 
king  hath  commanded  me  to  kill 
you  forthwith,  and  hath  given  me 
express  charge  to  do  it,  as  you 
shall  see  by  his  letters."  Upon 
which  he  shewed  him  a  pistol 
ready  charged.  Riviere  replied, 
"  That  he  knew  not  wherein  he 
had  oli'ended  the  king  ;  but  see- 
ing," said  he,  "  you  seek  my  life, 
give  me  a  little  time  to  recommend 
my  spirit  into  the  hands  of  God." 

Having  made  a  short  prayer,  he 
presented  his  body  to  the  murderer, 
who  shot  him  immediately.  His 
wife  was  soon  after  drowned,  with 
nine  others ;  and  six  thousand 
were  murdered  at  Rouen  in  much 
the  same  manner. 

The  king  of  France  proposed 
three  things  to  the  prince  of  Conde  : 
"  Either  to  go  to  mass,  to  die,  or 
else  to  be  perpetually  imprisoned  ; 
and  therefore  to  weigh  well  with 
himself  which  he  liked  best."  The 
prince  answered,  "  That  by  God's 
grace  he  would  never  choose  the 
first ;  as  for  the  latter,  he  referred 
himseif  to  the  king's  pleasure." 

About  three  hundred  were  bar- 
barously murdered  at  Thoulouse, 
and  after  taking  all  their  goods, 
their  bodies  were  stripped  naked, 
and  exposed  to  public  view  for 
two  days,  and  then  thrown  in 
heaps  into  great  pits.  Certain 
counsellors,  after  they  were  mas- 
sacred, w  ere  hung  up  in  their  long 
gowns,  upon  a  great  elm  which 
was  in  the  court  of  the  palace. 

MASSACRE   AT    BOURDEAUX. 

The  massacre  at  Bourdeaux  was 
begun  and  carried  on  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  those  before-men- 
tioned. But  their  ministers  found 
means  to  escape,  hiding  themselves 
in  the  rocks  and  marshes,  till  they 
had  an  opportunity  to  take  ship- 
ping for  England. 

One   thing   is  worthy  of  notice. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE,  &c. 


16§ 


The  house  of  a  counsellor  in  par- 
liament was  forced  open,  pillaged, 
and  spoiled.  His  clerk  seeing;  his 
master  about  to  suffer  a  cruel 
death,  embraced  and  comforted 
him:  and  being;  asked  whether  he 
were  of  the  same  religion,  he  an- 
swered, "  Yea,  and  would  die 
with  his  master  ior  the  same." 
And  they  were  slain  in  one  ano- 
ther's arms. 

Du  Tour,  a  deacon  of  the  re- 
formed church,  an  old  man,  who 
in  the  days  of  his  ig;norance  had 
been  a  priest  in  the  popish  church, 
being-  sick  in  his  bed,  v/as  dragged 
into  the  open  street,  and  was  asked, 
"  whether  he  would  go  to  mass, 
and  thereby  save  his  life?"  he 
freely  answered,  "  No,  particularly 
as  I  am  now  drawing  so  near  my 
end,  both  by  age  and  sickness :  I 
hope,"  continued  he,  "  I  shall  not 
so  far  forget  the  eternal  salvation 
of  my  soul,  as  for  fear  of  death  to 
prolong  this  life  for  a  few  days; 
for  thus  I  should  buy  a  short  term 
of  life  at  too  dear  a  rate :"  on 
which  they  slew  him  instantly. 

The  poor  protestants  wandered 
up  and  down,  not  knowing  where 
to  save  their  lives:  some  were  re- 
jected of  their  own  parents  and 
relations,  who  shut  their  doors 
against  them,  pretending  that  they 
knew  them  not ;  others  were  be- 
trayed and  delivered  up  by  those 
to  whose  friendship  they  had  com- 
mitted themselves :  many  were 
saved  even  by  priests  and  others, 
from  whom  they  had  little  reason 
to  expect  such  security  ;  but  whose 
hearts  abhorred  those  detestable 
outrages.  All  the  city  was  full  of 
terror  and  horrible  threats  against 
them,  saying,  that  the  king's  com- 
mandment was,  that  he  would  not 
have  so  much  as  one  one  of  them  left 
in  his  kingdom;  and  if  any  refused 
to  go  to  mass,  that  a  hole  should  be 
digged  for  him  in  the  earth,  in 
which  he  should  be  buried  without 
any  more  ado. 

The  judgment  of  God  was  mani- 
fested upon  one  of  these  inhuman 
murderers,  called  Vincent:  he  fell 
dangerously  sick,  but  in  the  end 
recovering  again  as  he  thought, 
1 


told  some  of  his  friends  that  he 
felt  his  arms  strong  enough  to 
handle  his  cutlass  as  well  as  ever 
But  shortly  after  he  was  overtaken 
by  the  hand  of  God,  with  such  a 
bleeding  at  his  nose,  as  could  not 
be  restrained  by  any  of  the  reme- 
dies that  were  used.  It  was  an 
hideous  sight  to  see  him  continually 
bowing  his  head  over  a  bason  full 
of  blood,  which,  without  ceasing, 
issued  out  of  his  nose  and  mouth, 
until  his  last  gasp. 

Another  was  taken  with  such 
a  swelling  in  all  the  parts  of  liis 
body,  that  there  was  scarcely  to  be 
discerned  the  form  of  a  man,  and 
thus  he  continued  swelling  till  at 
length  he  burst  asunder. 

Thus  during  the  extieme  afflic- 
tions of  the  reformed  churches  in 
many  parts  of  France,  there  were 
within  a  few  weeks  nigh  30,000  put 
to  death. 

SIEGE    OF   SANCERRE. 

In  1573,  Sancerre,  a  city  in- 
habited chiefly  by  protestants,  and 
to  which  many  fled  from  other 
places  for  refuge,  was  besieged  by 
the  catholic  army.  The  want  of 
provisions  was  soon  felt  by  the  in- 
habitants, and  they  were  compelled 
to  feed  on  the  flesh  of  horses, 
asses,  &c.  At  length  even  this 
failed;  and  they  were  then  re- 
duced to  devour  offal  and  excre- 
ments; and  some,  less  capable  of 
resisting  the  calls  of  hunger,  even 
had  recourse  to  the  horrible  expe- 
dient of  cannibalism.  This  outrage 
on  humanity  it  was  necessary  to 
punish,  and  accordingly  we  find 
that  on  the  29th  of  July,  a  man 
and  his  wife  were  executed  for 
having  eaten  the  head,  brains,  and 
entrails  of  a  child,  three  years 
old,  which  died  of  hunger;  having 
preserved  the  other  parts  to  eat 
at  another  meal.  An  old  woman, 
who  lodged  in  their  house,  and 
had  eaten  a  part,  died  a  few  hours 
after  her  im{)risonment.  The 
greater  part  of  the  children  died 
of  famine ;  and  many  afl'ecting  ac- 
counts are  given  of  their  patience 
and  fortitude,  among  which  the 
following  i^  worthy  of  record: 


164 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


A  boy  of  ten  years  old,  being 
ready  to  yield  up  the  ghost,  seeing 
his  father  and  mother  weeping 
over  him,  said  unto  them, 
"  Wherefore  weep  ye  thus,  in 
seeing  me  famished  to  death  ? 
Mother,  I  ask  you  no  bread,  I 
know  you  have  none  :  but  seeing 
it  is  God's  will  I  must  die  this 
death,  let  us  be  thankful  for  it. 
Did  not  the  holy  man  Lazarus  die 
of  famine  ?  have  1  not  read  it  in 
my  Bible  ?"  In  uttering  these, 
with  the  like  speeches,  he  expired, 
the  30th  of  July. 

Not  more  than  84  persons  died 
by  the  hand  of  the  enemy,  but  of 
the  famine  more  than  five  hundred. 
Many  soldiers,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  lingering  death  of  hunger,  fled 


from  the  city,  and  chose  rather 
to  die  by  the  sword  of  the  enemy  ; 
whereof  some  were  imprisoned, 
and  others  put  to  death. 

Every  hope  seemed  cut  off  from 
them,  and  death  appeared  both 
within,  and  without  their  walls ; 
and  so  far  was  the  king  of  France 
from  relenting  at  their  hapless 
state,  that,  enraged  at  their  cou- 
rage, he  swore  they  should  eat  up 
one  another.  But  the  King  of  kings 
had  ordained  it  otherwise;  for  the 
election  of  the  duke  of  Anjou  to 
the  throne  of  Poland,  caused  a 
general  pacification,  and  the  pro- 
testants  once  more  enjoyed  liberty 
of  conscience  and  freedom  from 
persecution- 


BOOK  VII. 


FARTHER    ACCOUNTS   OF   THE    PERSECUTIONS    IN    rOREIGN    COUNTRIES. 


SECTION  I. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    BOHEMIA    AND    GERMANY. 


The  severity  exercised  by  the 
Roman  catholics  over  the  reformed 
Bohemians,  induced  the  latter  to 
send  two  ministers  and  four  lay- 
men to  Rome,  in  the  year  977,  to 
seek  redress  from  the  pope.  After 
some  delay  their  request  was 
granted,  and  their  grievances  re- 
dressed. Two  things  in  particular 
were  permitted  to  them,  viz.  to 
have  divine  service  in  their  own 
language,  and  to  give  the  cup  in 
the  sacrament  to  the  laity.  The 
disputes,  however,  soon  broke  out 
again,  the  succeeding  popes  exert- 
ing all  their  power  to  resume  their 
tyranny  over  the  minds  of  the 
Bohemians ;  and  the  latter,  with 
great  spirit,  aiming  to  preserve 
their  religious  liberties. 

Some  zealous  friends  of  the 
gospel,  applied  to  Charles,  king 
of  Bohemia,  a,  d.  1375,  to  call 
a  council  for  an  inquiry  into  the 
abuaies   that   had    crept  into    the 


church,  and  to  make  a  thorough 
reformation.  Charles,  at  a  loss 
how  to  proceed,  sent  to  the  pope 
for  advice  ;  the  latter,  incensed  at 
the  affair,  only  replied,  "  Punish 
severely  those  presumptuous  and 
profane  heretics."  The  king,  ac- 
cordingly, banished  every  one 
who  had  been  concerned  in  the 
application  ;  and,  to  shew  his  zeal 
for  the  pope,  laid  many  additional 
restraints  upon  the  reformed  Chris- 
tians of  the  country. 

The  martyrdom  of  John  Huss 
and  Jerome  of  Prague  *,  greatly 
increased  the  indignation  of  the 
believers,  and  gave  animation  to 
their  cause.     These  two  great  and 

*  These  two  great  men  were  first 
brought  to  the  light  of  truth  by  reading 
the  doctrines  of  our  countryman  John 
Wickliffe,  who,  like  the  morning  star  of 
reformation,  first  burst  from  the  dark 
night  of  popish  error,  and  illuminated 
the  surrounding  world. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  BOHEMIA. 


165 


pious  men  were  condemned  by 
order  of  the  council  of  Constance, 
when  fifty-eiojlit  of  the  principal 
Bohemian  nobility  interposed  in 
their  favour.  Nevertheless  they 
were  burnt;  and  the  pope,  in  con- 
junction with  the  council  of  Con- 
stance, ordered  the  Romish  clergy, 
every  where,  to  excommunicate 
all  who  adopted  their  opinions,  or 
murmured  at  their  fate.  In  conse- 
quence of  these  orders  great  con- 
tentions arose  between  the  papists 
and  reformed  Bohemians,  which 
produced  a  violent  persecution 
against  the  latter.  At  Prague  it 
was  extrenily  severe,  till,  at 
length,  the  reformed,  driven  to 
desperation,  armed  themselves,  at- 
tacked the  senate-house,  and  cast 
twelve  of  its  members,  with  the 
speaker,  out  of  the  windows.  The 
pope,  hearing  of  this,  went  to  Flo- 
rence, and  publicly  excommuni- 
cated the  reformed  Bohemians,  ex- 
citing the  emperor  of  Germany, 
and  all  other  kings,  princes,  dukes, 
&c.  to  take  up  arms,  in  order  to 
extirpate  the  whole  race  ;  promis- 
ing, by  way  of  encouragement, 
full  remission  of  all  sins  to  the 
most  wicked  person  who  should 
kill  one  Bohemian  protestant. 
The  result  of  this  was  a  bloody 
war;  for  several  popish  princes 
undertook  the  extirpation,  or  at 
least  expulsion,  of  the  proscribed 
people  :  while  the  Bohemians,  arm- 
ing themselves,  prepared  to  repel 
them  in  the  most  vigorous  manner. 
The  popish  army  prevailing  against 
the  protestant  forces  at  the  battle 
of  Cuttenburgh,  the}'  conveyed 
their  prisoners  to  three  deep  mines 
near  that  town,  and  threw  several 
hundreds  into  each,  where  they 
perished  in  a  miserable  manner. 

A  bigoted  popish  magistrate, 
named  Picliel,  seized  tweuty-four 
protestants,  among  whom  was  his 
daughter's  husband.  On  their  all 
confessing  themselves  of  the  re- 
formed religion,  he  sentenced  them 
to  be  drowned  in  the  river  Abbis. 
On  the  day  of  the  execution  a 
great  concourse  of  people  attend- 
ed ;  and  Pichel's  daughter  threw 
herself  at  her  father's  feet,  bedewed 


them  with  tears,  and  implored  him 
to  pardon  her  husband.  The  ob- 
durate magistrate  sternly  replied, 
''  Intercede  not  for  him,  child  ;  he 
is  a  heretic,  a  vile  heretic."  To 
which  she  nobly  answered,  "What- 
ever his  faults  may  be,  or  however 
his  opinions  may  diller  fromyour's, 
he  is  still  my  husband,  a  thought 
which,  at  a  time  like  this,  should 
alone  employ  my  whole  considera- 
tion." Pichel  flew  into  a  violent 
passion,  and  said,  "  You  are  mad  ! 
cannot  you,  after  his  death,  have 
a  much  worthier  husband  ?" — "  No, 
Sir,"  replied  she,  "my  affections 
are  fixed  upon  him,  and  death  it- 
self shall  not  dissolve  my  marriage 
vow."  Pichel,  however,  continued 
inflexible,  and  ordered  the  prison- 
ers to  be  tied  with  their  hands  and 
feet  behind  them,  and  in  that  man- 
ner thrown  into  the  river.  This 
being  put  into  execution,  the 
young  lady  watched  her  opportu- 
nity, leaped  into  the  waves,  and 
embracing  the  body  of  I.er  husband, 
both  sunk  together. 

PERSECUTION    BY    THE    EMPEROR 
FERDINAND. 

The  emperor  Ferdinand,  whose 
hatred  to  the  protestants  was  unli- 
mited, not  thinking  he  had  suffi- 
ciently oppressed  them,  instituted 
a  high  court  of  reformers,  upon 
the  plan  of  the  inquisition,  with 
this  difference,  that  the  reformers 
were  to  remove  from  place  to 
place.  The  creater  part  of  this 
court  consisted  of  Jesuits,  and 
from  its  decisions  there  was  no 
appeal.  Attended  by  a  body  of 
troops,  it  made  the  tour  of  Bohe- 
mia, and  seldom  examined  or  saw 
a  prisoner ;  but  suffered  the  sol- 
diers to  murder  the  protestants  as 
they  pleased,  and  then  to  make 
report  of  the  matter  afterwards. 

The  first  who  fell  a  victim  to 
their  barbarity  was  an  aged  minis- 
ter, whom  they  killed  as  he  lay 
sick  in  bed.  Next  day  they  robbed 
and  murdered  another,  and  soon 
after  shot  a  third,  while  preaching 
in  his  pulpit. 

They  ravished  the  daughter  of 
a  protestant  before    his  face,  and 


166 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS, 


then  tortured  her  father  to  death. 
They  tied  a  minister  and  his  wife 
back  to  back,  and  burnt  them. 
Another  minister  they  hung  upon 
a  cross  beam,  and  making  a  fire 
under  him,  broiled  him  to  death. 
A  gentleman  they  hacked  into 
small  pieces;  and  they  filled  a 
young  man's  mouth  with  gun- 
powder, and  setting  fire  to  it,  blew 
his  head  to  pieces. 

But  their  principal  rage  being 
directed  against  the  clergy,*  they 
seized  a  pious  protestant  minister, 
whom  they  tormented  daily  for  a 
month  in  the  following  manner: 
they  placed  him  amidst  them,  and 
derided  and  mocked  him  ;  they 
spit  in  his  face,  and  pinched  him 
in  various  parts  of  his  body  ;  they 
hunted  him  like  a  wild  beast,  till 
ready  to  expire  with  fatigue  ;  they 
made  him  run  the  gauntlet,  each 
striking  him  with  a  twig,  their 
fists,  or  ropes ;  they  scourged  him 
with  wires;  they  tied  him  up  by 
the  heels  with  his  head  downwards, 
till  the  blood  started  out  of  his 
nose,  mouth,  &c.  ;  they  hung  him 
up  by  the  arm.s  till  they  were  dis- 
located, and  then  had  them  set 
again ;  burning  papers,  dipped  in 
oil,  were  placed  between  his  fin- 
gers and  toes  ;  his  flesh  was  torn 
with  red-hot  pincers  ;  he  was  put 
to  the  rack ;  they  pulled  off  the 
nails  of  his  fingers  and  toes;  he 
was  bastinadoed  on  his  feet;  a  slit 
was  made  in  his  ears  and  nose  ; 
they  set  him  upon  an  ass,  and 
whipped  him  through  the  to\vn ; 
his  teeth  were  pulled  out ;  boiling 
lead  was  poured  upon  his  fingers 
and  toes ;  and,  lastly,  a  knotted 
cord  was  twisted  about  his  fore- 
head in  such  a  manner  as  to  force 
out  his  eyes.  In  the  midst  of  these 
enormities,  particular  care  was  ta- 
ken lest  his  wounds  should  mortify, 
and  his  sufferings  be  thus  shortened, 
till  the  last  day,  when  the  forcing 
out  of  his  eyes  caused  his  death. 

The  other  acts  of  these  monsters 
.were  various  and  diabolical.  At 
length,  the  winter  being  far  advan- 
ced, the  high  court  of  reformers, 
with  their  military  ruffians,  thought 
proper  to  return  to  Prague  ;  but  on 


their  way  meeting  with  a  protest' 
ant  pastor,  they  could  not  resist 
the  temptation  of  feasting  their  bar- 
barous eyes  with  a  new  kind  of 
cruelty.  This  was  to  strip  him 
naked,  and  to  cover  him  alter- 
nately with  ice  and  burning  coals. 
This  novel  mode  of  torture  was 
immediately  put  in  practice,  and 
the  unhappy  victim  expired  be- 
neath the  torments,  which  delighted 
his  inhuman  persecutors. 

Some  time  after,  a  secret  order 
was  issued  by  the  emperor,  for  ap- 
prehending all  noblemen  and  gen- 
tlemen who  had  been  principally 
concerned  in  supporting  the  pro- 
testant cause,  and  in  nominating 
Frederick,  elector  palatine  of  the 
Rhine,  to  be  the  king  of  Bohemia. 
Fifty  of  these  were  suddenly 
seized  in  one  night,  and  brought 
to  the  castle  of  Prague  ;  while  the 
estates  of  those  who  were  absent 
were  confiscated,  themselves  made 
outlaws,  and  their  names  fixed 
upon  a  gallows  as  a  mark  of 
pub  lie  ignominy. 

The  high  court  of  reformers  af- 
terwards  proceeded  to  try  those 
who  had  been  apprehended,  and 
two  apostate  protestants  were  ap- 
pointed to  examine  them.  Their 
examiners  asked  many  unneces- 
sary and  impertinent  questions, 
which  so  exasperated  one  of  the 
noblemen,  that  he  exclaimed, 
opening  his  breast  at  the  same 
time,  "  Cut  here;  search  my  heart; 
you  shall  find  nothing  but  the  love 
of  religion  and  liberty  :  those  were 
the  motives  for  which  1  drew  my 
sword,  and  for  those  I  am  willing 
to  die." 

As  none  of  the  prisoners  would 
renounce  their  faith,  or  acknow- 
ledge themselves  in  error,  they 
were  all  pronounced  guilty ;  the 
sentence  was,  hoAvever,  referred  to 
the  emperor.  When  that  monarch 
had  read  their  names,  and  the  ac- 
cusations against  them,  he  passed 
judgment  on  all,  but  in  a  different 
manner ;  his  sentences  being  of 
four  kinds,  viz.  death,  banishment, 
imprisonment  for  life,  and  impri- 
sonment during  pleasure.  Twenty 
of  them  being  ordered  for  exccu- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  BOHEMIA. 


167 


tion,  were  informed  they  might 
send  for  Jesuits,  monks,  or  friars, 
to  prepare  for  their  awful  changje, 
but  that  no  communication  with 
protcstants  would  be  pern)itted 
them.  This  proposal  they  rejected, 
and  strove  all  they  could  to  com- 
fort and  cheer  each  other  upon  the 
solemn  occasion.  The  morning  of 
the  execution  being  arrived,  a 
cannon  was  iired  as  a  signal  to 
bring  the  prisoners  from  the  castle 
to  the  principal  market-place,  in 
which  scalFolds  were  erected,  and 
a  body  of  troops  drawn  up  to  at- 
tend. The  prisoners  left  the  castle, 
and  passed  with  dignity,  compo- 
sure, and  cheerfulness,  through 
soldiers,  Jesuits,  priests,  execu- 
tioners, attejidants,  and  a  prodi- 
gious concourse  of  people  assembled 
to  see  the  exit  of  these  devoted 
martyrs.  They  were  executed  in 
the  following  order: 

1.  Lord  Sc/iilik,  a  nobleman 
about  the  age  of  fifty.  He  pos- 
sessed great  abilities,  natural  and 
acquired.  On  being  told  he  was 
to  be  quartered,  he  smiled  with 
great  serenity,  and  said,  "  The 
loss  of  a  sepulchre  is  but  a  trifling 
consideration."  A  gentleman  who 
stood  by,  crying,  "  Courage,  my 
lord;"  he  replied,  "I  possess  the 
favour  of  God,  which  is  sufficient 
to  inspire  any  one  with  courage: 
the  fear  of  death  does  not  trouble 
me.  I  have  faced  him  in  fields  of 
battle  to  oppose  Antichrist."  After 
repeating  a  short  prayer,  he  told 
the  executioner  he  was  ready,  who 
cut  off  his  right  hand  and  head, 
and  then  quartered  him.  His  hand 
and  head  were  placed  upon  the 
high  tower  of  Prague,  and  his 
quarters  distributed  in  different 
parts  of  the  city. 

2  Lord  Winceslaus  :  this  vener- 
able nobleman,  exalted  by  his 
piety,  had  attained  the  age  of 
seventy,  and  was  respectable 
equally  for  his  learning  and  hos- 
pitality. He  was  so  little  affected 
by  the  loss  of  worldly  riches,  that 
on  his  house  being  broken  open, 
his  property  seized,  and  his  estates 
confiscated,  he  only  said,  with 
great  composure,  "  The  Lord  hath 


given,  and  the  Lord  Lath  taken 
away."  Being  asked  why  he  en- 
gaged in  a  cause  so  dangerous  as 
that  of  attempting  to  support  the 
elector  palatine  against  the  empe- 
ror, he  replied,  "  I  acted  according 
to  the  dictates  of  my  conscience, 
and,  to  this  day,  acknowledge  him 
my  king.  I  am  now  full  of  years, 
and  wish  to  lay  down  my  life,  that 
I  may  not  be  a  witness  of  the  evils 
which  await  my  country.  You 
have  long  thirsted  for  my  blood  ; 
take  it,  for  God  will  be  my  avenger." 
He  then  approached  the  block, 
stroked  his  grey  beard,  and  said, 
"  Venerable  hairs,  the  greater  ho- 
nour now  attends  you  ;  a  crown  of 
martyrdom  is  your  portion."  Then 
laying  down  his  head,  it  was  se- 
vered from  his  body,  and  afterwards 
placed  upon  a  pole  in  a  conspicuous 
part  of  the  town. 

3.  Lord  Harant.  He  was  a  noble- 
man whose  natural  abilities  were 
improved  by  travelling.  The  accu- 
sations against  him  were,  his  being 
a  protestant,  and  having  taken  an 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  elector 
palatine,  as  king  of  Bohemia.  When 
he  ascended  the  scaffold,  he  said, 
"  I  have  travelled  through  many 
countries,  and  traversed  many  bar- 
barous nations,  yet  have  I  never 
found  so  much  cruelty  as  at  home. 
I  have  escaped  innumerable  perils 
both  by  sea  and  land,  and  have 
surmounted  all  to  sufier  innocently 
in  my  native  place.  My  blood  is 
likewise  sought  by  those  for  whom 
I  and  my  ancestors  have  hazarded 
our  lives  and  fortunes;  but.  Al- 
mighty God !  forgive  them,  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do."  Tiien  ap- 
proaching the  block,  he  kneeled 
down,  and  exclaimed,  with  great 
energy,  "  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord! 
I  commend  my  spirit;  in  thee  have 
I  alwaystrusted;  receive  me,  there- 
fore, my  blessed  Redeemer."  The 
fatal  stroke  was  then  given. 

4.  Lord  Frederic  de  Bile,  suffered 
as  a  protestant,  and  as  an  insti- 
gator of  the  war:  he  met  his  fate 
with  firmness,  and  only  said,  he 
wished  well  to  the  friends  whom  he 
left  behind,  forgave  his  enemies, 
denied  the  authority  of  the  emperor 


168 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  that  country,  acknowledged 
Fr-edeiic  to  be  the  only  true  king  of 
JJolicmia,  and  trusted  for  salvation 
in  the  merits  of  his  Redeemer. 

5.  Lord  Henry  Otto,  on  first  com- 
ing upon  the  scaftold,  seemed 
greatly  agitated,  and  said,  as  if  ad- 
dressing himself  to  the  emperor, 
"  Thou  tyrant  Ferdinand,  thy  throne 
is  established  in  blood;  but  if  thou 
killest  my  body,  and  dispersest  my 
members,  they  shall  still  rise  up 
in  judgment  against  thee."  Then 
grawing  calm,  he  said  to  a  gentle- 
man, *'  A  few  minutes  I  was  great- 
ly discomposed,  but  now  I  feel  my 
spirits  revive;  God  be  praised, 
death  no  longer  appears  as  the  king 
of  terrors,  but  seems  to  invite  me 
to  participate  of  some  unknown 
joys."  Then  kneeling  before  the 
block,  h<!  said,  "  Almighty  God ! 
to  thee  I  commend  my  soul,  receive 
it  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  and  admit 
it  to  the  glory  of  thy  presence." 
The  pains  of  his  death  must  have 
been  severe,  the  executioner  making 
several  strokes  before  his  head  was 
separated  from  his  body. 

€.  The  Earl  of  Rugenia,  was  dis- 
tinguished for  his  great  accomplish- 
ments and  unaffected  piety.  On 
the  scaffold  he  said,  "  We,  who 
drew  our  swords,  fought  only  to 
preserve  the  liberties  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  to  keep  our  consciences  sa- 
cred. As  we  were  overcome,  how- 
ever, I  am  better  pleased  at  the 
sentence  of  death  than  if  the  empe- 
ror had  given  me  life ;  for  I  find  that 
it  pleases  God  to  have  his  truth  de- 
fended, not  by  our  swords,  but  by 
our  blood."  He  then  went  boldly 
to  the  block,  saying,  "  I  shall  now 
soon  be  with  Christ,"  and  was  in- 
stantly launched  into  the  ocean  of 
.eternity  and  glory. 

7.  Sir  Gasper  KapUtz.  This  gen- 
tieman  was  86  years  of  age.  On 
coming  to  the  place  of  execution, 
he  addressed  the  principal  officer 
thus:  "  Behold  a  miserable  ancient 
man,  who  hath  often  entreated  God 
to  take  him  out  of  this  wicked 
world,  but  could  not  till  now  obtain 
his  desire ;  for  God  reserved  me 
till  these  years  to  be  a  spectacle  to 
die  world,  and  a  sacrifice  to  him- 


self; therefore  God's  will  be  done. 
An  officer  told  him  that,  in  conside- 
ration of  his  great  age,  if  he  would 
only  ask  pardon,  he  would  immedi- 
ately receive  it.     "Ask  pardon!" 
exclaimed  he  ;  "  I  will  ask  pardon 
of  God  whom  T  have  frequently  of- 
fended,  but   not   of  the   emperor, 
whom  I  never  offended.     Should  I 
sue  for  pardon,  it  might  justly  be 
suspected  I  had  committed  some 
crime  for  which  i  deserved  this  fate. 
No,  no;     as   I   die  innocent,   and 
with  a  clear  conscience,  I  would 
not  be  separated  from  these  noble 
companions:"  so  saying,  he  cheer- 
fully resigned  his  neck  to  the  block. 
8.   Procopivs   Dorzecki,    said   on 
the  scaffold,  "  We  are  now  under 
the    emperor's  judgment;     but   in 
time  he  shall  be  judged,  and  we 
shall  appear  as  witnesses  against 
him."     Then  taking  a  gold  medal 
from  his  neck,   which  was  struck 
when    the    elector    Frederic     was 
crowned  king,  he  presented  it  to 
one  of  the  officers  with  these  words, 
"  As  a  dying  man  I  request,  that  if 
ever  king  Frederic  be  restored  to 
the  throne  of  Bohemia,   you  will 
give  him  this  medal.     Tell  him,  for 
his  sake  I  wore  it  till  death,   and 
that  now   I  willingly  lay  down  my 
life    for  God    and  my  king."     He 
then   cheerfully  submitted   to   the 
fatal  blow. 

9.  Dionysius  Zervkis.  This  gen- 
tleman had  been  educated  as  a 
Roman  Catholic,  but  had  embraced 
the  reformed  religion.  The  Jesuits 
used  their  utmost  endeavours  to 
make  him  recant  when  on  the 
scaffold,  and  return  to  his  former 
faith,  but  he  gave  not  the  least 
heed  to  their  exhortations.  Kiite!- 
ing  down,  he  said,  "  They  may  de- 
stroy my  body,  but  cannot  injure  my 
soul ;  that  I  commend  to  my  Re- 
deemer." 

10.  Valentine  Cockan,  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  great  fortune,  and  emi- 
nent for  his  piety  and  uprightness. 
His  talents  and  acquirements  were, 
however,  of  very  inferior  order; 
yethisimagination  seemed  to  bright- 
en, and  his  faculties  to  improve,  on 
the  approach  of  death,  and  just  be- 
fore he  was  beheaded,  he  express- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  BOHEMIA. 


169 


cd  himself  with  such  eloquence, 
energy,  and  precision,  as  amazed 
his  hearers. 

11.  Tobias  Steffick,  was  remarka- 
ble for  his  affability  and  the  sereni- 
ty of  his  temper;  whicli  did  not  de- 
sert him  in  this  awful  crisis.  A  few 
minutes  before  he  died,  he  said,  "  I 
liave  received,  during;  the  course  of 
my  life,  many  favours  from  God; 
ought  I  not  therefore  cheerfully  to 
take  one  bitter  cup,  when  he  thinks 
proper  to  present  it?  or  rather, 
ought  I  not  to  rejoice,  that  it  is  his 
will  I  should  give  up  a  corrupted 
life  for  that  of  immortality?" 

12.  Dr.  Jessenius.  This  gentle- 
man was  a  student  of  physic,  and 
was  accused  of  having  spoken  dis- 
respectfully of  the  emperor,  of  hav- 
ing sworn  allegiance  to  the  elector 
Frederic,  and  of  being  a  protestant : 
for  the  first  accusation  he  had  his 
tongue  cut  out;  for  the  second  he 
was  beheaded ;  and  for  the  last,  his 
body  was  quartered. 

13.  Christopher  Choher ;  no  sooner 
had  this  gentleman  stepped  upon 
the  scaffold,  than  he  said,  "  I  come, 
in  the  name  of  God,  to  die  for  his 
glory ;  I  have  fought  the  good  fight, 
and  finished  my  course  ;  so,  execu- 
tioner, do  your  office,"  On  this  he 
instantly  received  the  crown  of 
martyrdom. 

14.  John  Shultis,  was  by  all  who 
knew  him  beloved  in  his  life,  and 
regretted  at  his  death.  The  only 
words  he  spoke  before  his  martyr- 
dom were,  "  The  righteous  seem  to 
die  in  the  eyes  of  fools,  but  they 
only  go  to  rest.  Lord  Jesus  !  thou 
hast  promised  that  those  who  come 
to  thee  shall  not  be  cast  off'.  Behold, 
I  am  come;  look  on  me,  pity  me, 
pardon  my  sins,  and  receive  my 
soul." 

15.  Blaximilian  Hostialick,  was  ce- 
lebrated for  his  learning,  piety,  and 
humanity.  When  he  first  came  on 
the  scaffold,  he  seemed  terrified  at 
the  approach  of  death.  Soon  after 
he  said,  "  Christ  will  wash  me  from 
my  crimes."  He  then  told  the  offi- 
cer he  should  repeat  the  song  of 
Simeon;  at  the  conclusion  of  which 
the  executioner  might  do  his  duty. 
He  accordingly  said,  "  Lord!  now 


lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace,  according  to  thy  word,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  tliy  salvation :" 
after  uttering  these  words  his  head 
at  one  blow  was  severed  from  his 
body. 

IG.  John  Kutnaur,  not  having 
been  born  independent,  but  having 
acquired  a  fortune  by  trade,  was 
ordered  to  be  hanged.  Just  before 
he  was  turned  off',  he  said,  "  I  die, 
not  for  having  committed  any  crime, 
but  for  following  the  dictates  of 
my  conscience,  and  defending  my 
country  and  religion." 

17.  Simeon  Sussichey,  was  father- 
in-law  to  Kutnaur,  and  was  order- 
ed to  be  executed  in  the  same 
manner.  He  appeared  impatient 
to  be  gone,  saying,  "  Every  moment 
delays  me  from  entering  into  the 
kingdom  of  Christ." 

18.  Nathtmiel  Wodnianskey.     This 
gentleman   was  also   hanged.     At 
the    gallows,   the  Jesuits  used  all 
their  persuasions  to  make  uim  re- 
nounce his  ii'iih.     Finding  their  at- 
tempts   unavailing,    one    of    them 
said,  "  If  you  will  not  abjure  your 
heresy,  at  least  repent  of  your  re- 
bellion."    To  which  Wodnianskey 
replied,  *'  You  take  away  our  lives 
under  a  pretended  charge  of  rebel- 
lion;   and,  not  content  with  that, 
seek  to    destroy    our   souls:     glut 
yourselves  with  blood,  and  be  satis- 
fied, but  tamper  not  with  our  con- 
sciences."    His  own  son  then  ap- 
proached   the   gallows,    and    said, 
"  Sir,  if  life  should  be  offered  to  you 
on   condition   of   apostas)',    I    en- 
treat   you    to    remember    Christ." 
To  this  the  father  replied,    "  It  is 
very  acceptable,  my  son,  to  be  ex- 
horted to  constancy  by  you ;    but 
suspect  me  not;  rather  endeavour 
to  confirm  in  their  faith  your  bro- 
thers,  sisters,    and   children,    and 
teach  them  to  imitate  my  constan- 
cy."    He  had  no  sooner  concluded 
these  words,  than  he  received  his 
fate  with  great  fortitude. 

19.  Winceslaus  Gisbitzkey,  during 
his  whole  imprisonment,  had  great 
hopes  of  life  given  him,  from  which 
his  friends  became  very  apprehen- 
sive for  the  safety  of  his  soul.  He 
however,  continued  steadfast  in  his 


170 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


faith,  pra5'ed  fervently  at  the  gal- 
lows, and  met  his  end  like  a  Chris- 
tian hero. 

20.  Martin  Foster  was  an  unfor- 
tunate cripple  ;  the  chief  accusa- 
tions    against     wiiom     were,     his 


being  charitable  to  heretics,  and 
advancing  money  to  the  elector 
Frederic.  It  is  supposed,  how- 
ever, that  his  great  wealth  was  the 
principal  cause  of  his  death. 


SECTION  II. 

LIFE,    SUFFERINGS,    AND     MARTYRDOM    OF    JOHN    HUSS. 


John  Huss  was  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Hussenitz,  in  Bohemia, 
about  tlie  year  1380,  His  parents 
gave  him  the  best  education  they 
could  bestow,  and  having  acquired 
a  tolerable  knowledge  of  the  clas- 
sics, at  a  private  school,  he  was 
sent  to  the  university  of  Prague, 
where  the  powers  of  his  mind,  and 
his  diligence  in  study,  soon  ren- 
dered him  conspicuous. 

In  1408,  he  commenced  bachelor 
of  divinity,  and  was  successively 
chosen  pastor  of  the  clmrch  of 
Bethlehem,  in  Prague,  and  dean 
and  rector  of  the  university.  The 
duties  of  these  staL'  )ns  he  dis- 
charged with  great  iidelity,  and 
became  at  length  so  conspicuous 
for  the  boldness  and  truth  of  his 
preaching,  that  he  attracted  the 
notice,  and  raised  the  malignity  of 
the  pope  and  his  creatures. 

His  inliuence  in  the  university 
was  very  great,  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  liis  learning,  eloquence, 
and  exemplary  life,  but  also  on 
account  of  some  valuable  privi- 
leges lie  had  obtained  from  the 
king  in  belialf  of  that  seminary. 

Tlie  English  reformer,  Wickliffe, 
had  so  kindled  the  light  of  refor- 
mation, that  it  began  to  illumine 
the  darkest  corners  of  popery  and 
ignorance.  His  doctrines  were 
received  in  Bohemia  with  avidity 
and  zeal,  by  great  numbers  of  peo- 
ple, b»it  by  none  so  particularly  as 
John  Huss,  and  his  friend  and 
fellow-martyr,  Jerome  of  Prague. 

The  reformists  daiiy  increasing, 
tne  archbishop  of  Prague  issued  a 
decree  to  prevent  the  farther 
spreading  of  Wickliffe's  writings. 
This,  however,  had  an  effect  quite 
the  reverse  to  what  he  expected, 
for  it  stimulated  the  converts  to 
greater  zeal,  and,  at  length,  almost 


the  Miiole  university  united  in  pro- 
moting them. 

Strongly  attached  to  the  doctrines 
of  WickliH'e,  Huss  slrcnuously  op- 
posed the  decree  of  the  archbishop, 
who,  notwithstanding,  obtained  a 
bull  from  the  pope,  authorizing 
him  to  prevent  tlie  publishing  of 
Wicklifie's  w  ritings  in  his  province. 
By  virtue  of  this  bull,  he  pro- 
ceeded against  four  doctors,  who 
had  not  delivered  up  some  copies, 
and  prohibited  them  to  preach. 
Against  these  proceedings,  Huss, 
with  some  other  members  of  the 
university,  protested,  and  entered 
an  appeal  from  the  sentences  of 
the  archbishop.  The  pope  no 
sooner  heard  of  this,  than  he 
granted  a  commission  to  cardinal 
Colonna,  to  cite  John  Huss  to  ap- 
pear at  the  court  of  Rome,  to  an- 
swer accusations  laid  against  him, 
of  preaching  heresies.  From  this 
appearance,  Huss  desired  to  be 
excused,  and  so  greatly  was  he  fa- 
voured in  Bohemia,  that  king 
Winceslaus,  the  queen,  the  nobi- 
lity, and  the  university,  desired 
the  pope  to  dispense  with  such  an 
appearance;  as  also  that  lie  would 
not  sufier  the  kingdom  of  Bohemia 
to  lie  under  the  accusation  of  he- 
resy, but  permit  them  to  preach 
the  gospel  with  freedom  in  their 
places  of  worship. 

Three  proctors  appeared  for 
Huss  before  cardinal  Colonna. 
They  made  an  excuse  for  his  ab- 
sence, and  said,  they  were  ready 
to  answer  in  his  behalf.  But  the 
cardinal  declared  him  contuma- 
cious, and  accordingly  excomnm- 
nicated  him.  On  this  the  proctors 
appealed  to  the  pope,  who  ap- 
pointed four  cardinals  to  examine 
the  process:  these  commissioners 
confirmed  the  sentence  of  the  car- 


JOHN  HUSS. 


171 


dina!,  and  extended  the  excommu- 
nication, not  only  to  Huss,  but  to 
all  his  friends  and  followers.  Huss 
then  appealed  from  this  unjust 
sentence  to  a  future  council,  but 
without  success;  and,  notwith- 
standin;;^  so  severe  a  decree,  and 
an  expulsion  from  his  church  in 
Prague,  he  retired  to  Hussenitz, 
his  native  place,  where  lie  con- 
tinued to  promulgate  the  truth, 
both  from  the  pulpit,  and  with  the 
pen. 

He  here  compiled  a  treatise,  in 
which  he  maintained,  that  reading 
the  books  of  protestants  could  not 
be  absolutely  forbidden.  He  wrote 
in  defence  of  Wickliffe's  book  on 
the  Trinity;  and  boldly  declared 
against  the  vices  of  the  pope,  the 
cardinals,  and  the  clergy  of  those 
corrupt  times.  Besides  these,  he 
wrote  many  other  books,  all  of 
which  were  penned  with  such 
strength  of  argument,  as  greatly 
facilitated  the  spreading  of  his  doc- 
trines. 

In  England,  the  persecutions 
against  the  protestants  had  been 
carried  on  for  some  time  with  re- 
lentless cruelty.  They  now  ex- 
tended to  Germany  and  Bohemia, 
where  Huss,  and  Jerome  of 
Prague,  were  particularly  singled 
out  to  sufler  in  the  cause  of  reli- 
gion. 

In  the  month  of  November,  141 4, 
a  general  council  was  assembled 
at  Constance,  in  Germany,  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  a  dispute 
then  existing  between  three  per- 
sons who  contended  for  the  papal 
throne*. 

John  Huss  was  summoned  to 
appear  at  this  council ;  and  to  dis- 
pel any  apprehensions  of  danger, 
the  emperor  sent  him  a  safe-con- 

*  These  were,  John,  proposed  and  set 
up  by  the  Italians;  Gregory,  by  the 
I  rench ;  and  Benedict,  by  flie  Spaniards. 
The  council  continued  four  years,  in 
which  the  severest  laws  were  enacted  to 
crush  the  protestants.  Pope  John  was 
deposed  and  obliged  to  fly,  the  most  hei- 
nous crimes  being  proved  against  him; 
among  which  were,  his  attempt  to  poison 
his  predecessor,  his  being  a  gamester,  a 
liar,  a  murderer,  an  adulterer,  and  guilty 
of  unnatural  oflences. 


duct,  giving  him  permission  freely 
to  come  to,  and  return  from  the 
council.  On  receiving  this  infor- 
mation, he  told  the  persons  who 
delivered  it,  "  That  he  desired  no- 
thing more  than  to  purge  himself 
publicly  of  the  imputation  of  he- 
resy;  and  that  he  esteemed  him- 
self happy  in  having  so  fair  an  op- 
portunity of  it,  as  at  the  council  to 
wliich  he  was  summoned  to  at- 
tend." 

In  the  latter  end  of  November, 
he  set  out  to  Constance,  accompa- 
nied by  two  Bohemian  noblemen,  ' 
who  were  among  the  most  eminent 
of  his  disciples,  and  who  followed 
hi.ni  merely  through  respect  and 
alfection.  He  caused  some  pla- 
cards to  be  fixed  upon  the  gates  of 
the  churches  of  Prague,  in  which 
he  declared,  that  he  went  to  the 
council  to  answer  all  allegations 
that  might  be  made  against  him. 
He  also  declared,  in  all  the  cities 
through  which  he  passed,  that  he 
was  going  to  vindicate  himself  at 
Constance,  and  invited  all  his  ad- 
versaries to  be  present. 

On  his  way  he  met  with  every 
mark  of  affection  and  reverence 
from  people  of  all  descriptions. 
The  streets,  and  even  the  roads, 
were  thronged  with  people,  whom 
respect,  rather  than  cuiiosity,  had 
brought  together.  He  was  ushered 
into  the  towns  with  great  acclama- 
tions; and  he  passed  through  Ger- 
many in  a  kind  of  triumph.  "  I 
thought,"  said  he,  "  I  had  been 
an  outcast.  I  now  see  my  worst 
friends  are  in  Bohemia." 

On  his  arrival  at  Constance,  he 
immediately  took  lodgings  in  a  re- 
mote part  of  the  city.  Soon  after, 
came  one  Stephen  Paletz,  wlio 
was  engaged  by  the  clergy  at 
Prague  to  manage  the  intended 
prosecution  against  him.  Paletz 
was  afterwards  joined  by  Michael 
de  Cassis,  on  the  part  of  the  court 
of  Rome.  These  two  declared 
themselves  his  accusers,  and  drew 
up  articles  against  him,  which  they 
presented  to  the  pope,  and  the 
prelates  of  the  council. 

Notwithstanding  the  promise  of 
the  emperor,    to  give  him  a  safe- 


17^ 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


conduct  to  and  from  Constance,  lie 
regarded  not  his  word  ;  but,  ac- 
cording to  the  maxim  of  the  coun- 
cil, that  "Faith  is  not  to  be  kept 
with  heretics,"  when  it  was  known 
he  was  in  the  city,  he  was  imme- 
diately arrested,  and  committed 
prisoner  to  a  chamber  in  the  pa- 
lace. This  breech  was  particu- 
larly noticed  by  one  of  Huss's 
friends,  who  urged  tlie  imperial 
safe-conduct ;  but  the  pope  re- 
plied, he  never  granted  any  such 
thing,  nor  was  he  bound  by  that  of 
the  emperor. 

While  Huss  was  under  confine- 
ment, the  council  acted  the  part  of 
inquisitors.  They  condemned  the 
doctrines  of  Wicklifte,  and,  in 
their  important  malice,  ordered  his 
remains  to  be  dug  up,  and  burnt  to 
ashes  ;  which  orders  were  obeyed. 

In  the  mean  time  the  nobility  of 
Bohemia  and  Poland  used  all  their 
interest  for  Huss ;  and  so  far  pre- 
vailed as  to  prevent  his  being  con- 
demned uniieard,  which  had  been 
resolved  on  by  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  try  him. 

Before  his  trial  took  place,  his 
enemies  employed  a  Franciscan 
friar,  who  might  entangle  him  in 
his  words,  and  then  appear  against 
him.  This  man,  of  great  ingenuity 
and  subtlety,  came  to  him  in  the 
character  of  an  idiot,  and  with 
seem.ing  sincerity  and  zeal,  re- 
ques(ed  to  be  taught  his  doctrines. 
But  Huss  soon  discovered  him, 
and  told  him  that  his  manners 
wore  a  great  semblance  of  simpli- 
city ;  but  that  his  questions  disco- 
vered a  depth  and  design  beyond 
the  reach  of  an  idiot.  He  after- 
wards found  this  pretended  fool 
to  be  Didace,  one  of  the  deepest 
logicians  in  Lombardy. 

At  length,  he  was  brought  be- 
fore the  council,  when  the  articles 
exhibited  against  him  were  read  : 
they  were  upwards  of  forty  in 
number,  and  chiefly  extracted  from 
his  writings*. 

*That  the  reader  may  form  a  judg- 
ment of  his  writings,  we  here  give  one  of 
the  articles  for  which  he  was  condemned  : 
*' An  evil  and  a  wicked  pope  is  not  the 
successor  of  Peter,  but  of  Judas," 


On  his  examination  being  fi- 
nished, he  was  taken  from  the 
court,  and  a  resolution  was  formed 
by  the  council,  to  burn  him  as  an 
heretic,  unless  he  retracted.  He 
was  then  committed  to  a  filthy 
prison,  where,  in  the  day-time,  he 
was  so  laden  with  fetters  on  his 
legs,  that  he  could  hardly  move; 
and  every  night  he  was  fastened 
by  his  hands  to  a  ring  against  the 
walls  of  the  prison. 

He  continued  some  days  in  this 
situation,  in  which  time  many  no- 
blemen of  Bohemia  interceded  in 
his  behalf.  They  drew  up  a  peti- 
tion for  his  release,  which  was 
presented  to  the  council  by  several 
of  the  most  illustrious  nobles  of 
Bohemia  ;  notwithstanding  which, 
so  many  enemies  had  Huss  in  that 
court,  that  no  attention  was  paid 
to  it,  and  the  persecuted  reformer 
was  compelled  to  bear  with  the 
punishment  inflicted  on  him  by 
that  merciless  tribunal. 

Shortly  after  the  petition  was 
presented,  four  bishops,  and  two 
lords,  were  sent  by  the  emperor  to 
the  prison,  in  order  to  prevail  on 
Huss  to  make  a  recantation.  But 
he  called  God  to  witness,  that  he 
was  not  conscious  of  having 
preached,  or  written,  any  thing 
against  his  truth,  or  the  faith  of 
his  orthodox  church.  The  depu- 
ties then  represented  the  great 
wisdom  and  authority  of  the  coun- 
cil :  to  which  Huss  replied,  "  Let 
them  send  the  meanest  person  of 
that  council,  who  can  convince  me 
by  argument  from  the  word  of 
God,  and  I  will  submit  my  judg- 
ment to  him."  This  pious  answer 
had  no  eli'ect,  because  he  would 
not  take  the  authority  of  the  coun- 
cil upon  trust,  without  the  least 
shadow  of  an  argument  offered. 
The  deputies,  therefore,  finding 
they  could  make  no  impression  on 
him,  departed,  greatly  astonished 
at  the  strength  of  his  resolution. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  he  was,  for 
the  last  time,  brought  before  the 
council.  After  a  long  examina- 
tion, he  was  desired  to  abjure, 
which  he  refused,  without  the 
least    hesitation.     The   bishop    of 


JEROME  OF  PRAGUE. 


m 


Lodi  then  preached  a  sermon,  the 
text  of  which  was,  "  Let  the  body 
of  sin  be  destroyed,"  (concerninj^" 
the  destruction  of  heretics)  the 
prologue  to  his  intended  punish- 
ment. After  the  close  of  the  ser- 
mon his  fate  was  determined,  his 
vindication  rejected,  and  judgment 
pronounced.  The  council  cen- 
sured him  for  being  obstinate  and 
incorrigible,  and  ordained,  "  That 
he  should  be  degraded  from  the 
priesthood,  his  books  publicly 
burnt,  and  himself  delivered  to  the 
secular  power." 

He  received  the  sentence  with- 
out the  least  emotion  ;  and  at  the 
close  of  it  he  kneeled  down  with 
his  eyes  lifted  towards  heaven, 
and,  with  all  the  magnanimity  of  a 
primitive  martyr,  thus  exclaimed : 
"  May  thy  infinite  mercy,  O  my 
God  !  pardon  this  injustice  of  mine 
enemies.  Thou  knowest  the  in- 
justice of  my  accusations:  how 
deformed  with  crimes  I  have  been 
represented  ;  how  I  have  been  op- 
pressed with  worthless  witnesses, 
and  a  false  condemnation  ;  yet,  O 
my  God !  let  that  mercy  of  thine, 
which  no  tongue  can  express,  pre- 
vail with  thee  not  to  avenge  my 
wrongs."  These  excellent  sentences 
were  received  as  so  many  expres- 
sions of  heresy,  and  only  tended 
to  inflame  his  adversaries.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  bishops  appointed 
by  the  council,  stripped  him  of  his 
priestly  garments,  degraded  him, 
and  put  a  paper  mitre  on  his  head, 
on  which  were  painted  devils,  with 
this  inscription :  "  A  ringleader  of 
heretics." 

This  mockery  was  received  by 
the  heroic  martyr  with  an  air  of 
unconcern,  which  appeared  to 
give  him  dignity  rather  than  dis- 
grace. A  serenity  appeared  in 
his  looks,  which  indicated  that  his 
soul  had  cut  oft"  many  stages  of  a 
tedious  journey  in  her  way  to  the 
realms  of  everlasting  happiness. 


The  ceremony  of  degradation 
being  over,  the  bishops  delivered 
him  to  the  emperor,  who  commit- 
ted him  to  the  care  of  the  duke  of 
Bavaria.  His  books  were  burnt 
at  the  gate  of  the  church  ;  and  on 
the  6th  of  .luly  he  was  led  to  the 
suburbs  of  Constance,  to  be  burnt 
alive. 

When  he  had  reached  the  place 
of  execution,  he  fell  on  his  knees, 
sung  several  portions  of  the 
Psalms,  looked  steadfastly  to- 
wards heaven,  and  repeated, 
"Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord!  do  I 
commit  my  spirit :  thou  hast  re- 
deemed me,  O  most  good  and 
faithful  God." 

As  soon  as  the  chain  was  put 
about  him  at  the  stake,  he  said, 
with  a  smiling  countenance,  "  My 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  bound  with 
a  harder  chain  than  this,  for  my 
sake,  why  then  should  I  be  asham- 
ed of  this  old  rusty  one?" 

When  the  fagots  were  piled 
around  him,  the  duke  of  Bavaria 
desired  him  to  abjure.  "  No," 
said  he,  "I  never  preached  any 
doctrine  of  an  evil  tendency  ;  and 
what  I  taught  with  my  lips  I  now 
seal  with  my  blood."  He  then  said 
to  the  executioner,  "  You  are  now 
going  to  burn  a  goose,  (Huss  signi- 
fying goose  in  the  Bohemian  lan- 
guage) but  in  a  century  you  will 
have  a  swan  whom  you  can  neither 
roast  nor  boil."  If  this  were 
spoken  in  prophecy,  he  must  have 
meant  Martin  Luther,  who  flou- 
rished about  a  century  after,  and 
who  had  a  swan  for  his  arms. 

As  soon  as  the  fagots  were 
lighted,  the  heroic  martyr  sung  a 
hymn,  with  so  loud  and  cheerful  a 
voice,  that  he  was  heard  through 
all  the  cracklings  of  the  combusti- 
bles, and  the  noise  of  the  multi- 
tude. At  length  his  voice  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  flames,  which 
soon  put  a  period  to  his  life. 


SECTION  III. 

LIFE,    SUFFERINGS,    AND    MARTYRDOM,    OF   JEROME    OF    PRAGUE. 

This  hero  in  the  cause  of  truth,     in  its  university,  where  he  soon  be- 
was  bora  at  Prague,  and  educated     came  distinguished  for  his  learning 


l74 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  eloquence.  Having  completed 
his  studies,  he  travelled  over  great 
part  of  Europe,  and  visited  many 
of  the  seats  of  learning,  particu- 
larly the  universities  of  Paris, 
Heidelburg,  Cologne,  and  Oxford. 
At  the  latter  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  works  of  Wickliffe,  and 
translated  many  of  them  into  his 
own  language. 

On  his  return  to  Prague  he 
openly  professed  the  doctrines  of 
Wicklifie,  and  tinding  that  they 
had  made  a  considerable  progress 
in  Bohemia,  from  the  industry  and 
zeal  of  Huss,  he  became  an  as- 
sistant to  him  in  the  great  work  of 
reformation. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1415, 
Jerome  went  to  Constance.  This 
was  about  three  months  before  the 
death  of  Huss.  He  entered  the 
town  privately,  and  consulting 
with  some  of  the  leaders  of  his 
party,  was  easily  convinced  that 
he  could  render  his  friend  no 
service. 

Finding  that  his  arrival  at  Con- 
.stance  was  publicly  knovvn,  and 
that  the  council  intended  to  seize 
him,  he  retired,  and  went  to  Iberl- 
ing,  an  imperial  town,  a  short 
distance  from  Constance.  While 
here,  he  wrote  to  the  emperor,  and 
declared  liis  readiness  to  appear 
before  the  council,  if  a  safe-con- 
duct were  granted  to  him  ;  this, 
however,  was  refused. 

After  tliis,  he  caused  papers  to 
be  put  up  in  all  the  public  places 
in  Constance,  particularly  on  the 
doors  of  the  cardinals'  houses.  In 
these  he  professed  his  willingness 
to  appear  at  Constance  in  the  de- 
fence of  his  character  and  doc- 
trine, both  which,  he  said,  had 
been  greatly  falsided.  He  farther 
declared,  that  if  any  error  should 
be  proved  against  him,  he  would 
retract  it ;  desiring  only  that  the 
faith  of  the  council  might  be  given 
for  his  security. 

Receiving  no  answer  to  these 
papers,  he  set  ou-t  on  his  return 
to  Bohemia,  taking  the  precautisn 
to  carry  with  him  a  certificate, 
signed  by  several  of  the  Bohemian 
nobility  then  at  Constance,  testify- 


ing that  he  had  used  every  prudeirf 
means,  in  his  power,  to  procure  an 
audience. 

He  was,  however,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  seized  on  his  way,  with- 
out any  authority,  at  Hirsaw,  by 
an  officer  belonging  to  the  duke 
of  Sultzbach,  who  hoped  thereby 
to  receive  commendations  from 
the  council  for  so  acceptable  a 
service. 

The  duke  of  Sultzbach  immedi- 
ately wrote  to  the  council,  inform- 
ing them  what  he  had  done,  and 
asking  directions  how  to  proceed 
with  Jerome.  The  council,  after 
expressing  their  obligations  to  the 
duke,  desired  him  to  send  the 
prisoner  immediately  to  Constance. 
He  was,  accordingly,  conveyed 
thither  in  irons,  and,  on  his  way, 
was  met  by  the  elector  palatine, 
who  caused  a  long  chain  to  be 
fastened  to  him,  by  which  he  was 
dragged,  like  a  wild  beast,  to  the 
cloister,  whence,  after  an  exami- 
nation, he  was  conveyed  to  a 
tower,  and  fastened  to  a  block, 
with  his  legs  in  stocks.  In  this 
manner  he  remained  eleven  days 
and  nights,  till  becoming  danger- 
ously ill  in  consequence,  his  per- 
secutors, in  order  to  gratify  Iheir 
malice  still  farther,  relieved  hiui 
fro  .1  that  painful  state. 

He  remained  confined  till  the 
martyrdom  of  his  friend  Huss  ; 
after  which,  he  was  brought  forth, 
and  threatened  with  immediate 
torments  and  death  if  he  remained 
obstinate.  Terrified  at  the  prepa- 
rations which  he  beheld,  he,  in  a 
moment  of  weakness,  forgot  his 
resolution,  abjured  his  doctrines, 
and  confessed  that  Huss  merited 
his  fate,  and  that  both  he  and 
Wicklilfe  were  heretics.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  his  chains  were 
taken  off,  and  he  was  treated  more 
kindly  ;  he  was,  however,  still  con- 
fined, but  in  hopes  of  liberation. 
But  his  enemies,  suspecting  his 
sincerity,  proposed  another  form 
of  recantation  to  be  drawn  up 
and  proposed  to  him.  To  this, 
however,  he  refused  to  answer, 
except  in  public,  and  was,  accord- 
ingly, brought  before  the  council^ 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  GERMANY. 


175 


wlien,  to  the  astonishment  of  his 
auditors,  and  to  the  ^lory  of  truth, 
lie  renounced  his  recantation,  and 
requested  permission  to  plead  liis 
own  cause,  whicli  was  refused  ; 
and  the  charges  ag;ainst  him  were 
read,  in  which  he  was  accused  of 
being  a  derider  of  the  papal  dig- 
nity, an  opposer  of  the  pope,  an 
enemy  to  the  cardinals,  a  perse- 
cutor of  the  prelates,  and  a  hater 
of  the  Christian  religion. 

To  these  charges  Jerome  an- 
swered with  an  amazing  force  of 
elocution,  and  strength  of  argu- 
ment. After  which  he  was  re- 
manded to  his  prison. 

The  third  day  from  this,  his 
trial  was  brought  on,  and  witnesses 
were  examined.  He  was  prepar- 
ed for  his  defence,  although  he 
had  been  nearly  a  year  shut  up  in 
loatiisorae  prisons,  deprived  of  the 
light  of  day,  and  almost  starved  for 
want  of  common  necessaries.  But 
his  spirit  soared  above  these  dis- 
advantages. 

The  most  bigoted  of  the  assem- 
bly were  unwilling  he  should  be 
heard,  dreading  the  effect  of  elo- 
quence in  the  cause  of  truth,  on 
the  minds  of  the  most  prejudiced. 
At  length,  however,  it  was  carried 
by  the  majority,  that  he  should 
have  liberty  to  proceed  in  his  de- 
fence ;  which  he  began  in  such  an 
exalted  strain,  and  continued  in 
such  a  torrent  of  elocution,  that 
the  most  obdurate  heart  was   melt- 


ed, and  the  mind  of  superstition 
seemed  to  admit  a  ray  of  convic- 
tion. 

Bigotry,  however,  prevailed,  and 
his  trial  being  ended,  he  received  the 
same  sentence  as  had  been  passed 
upon  his  martyred  countryman, 
and  was,  in  the  usual  style  of 
popish  duplicity,  delivered  over  to 
the  civil  power;  but,  being  a  lay- 
man, he  had  not  to  undergo  the 
ceremony  of  degradation. 

Two  days  his  execution  was  de- 
layed, in  hopes  that  he  would  re- 
cant ;  in  which  time  the  cardinal 
of  Florence  used  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  bring  him  over.  But 
they  all  proved  ineffectual :  Jerome 
was  resolved  to  seal  his  doctrine 
with  his  blood. 

On  his  way  to  the  place  of  ex- 
ecution he  sung  several  hymns ; 
and  on  arriving  there,  he  knelt 
down,  and  prayed  fervently.  He 
embraced  the  stake  with  great 
cheerfulness  and  resolution ;  and 
when  the  executioner  went  behind 
him  to  set  fire  to  the  fagots,  he 
said,  "  Come  here,  and  kindle  it 
before  my  eyes  ;  for  had  I  been 
afraid  of  it,  I  had  not  come  here, 
having  had  so  many  opportunities 
to  escape." 

When  the  flames  enveloped 
him,  he  sung  an  hymn ;  and  the 
last  words  he  was  heard  to  say 
were, 

"  This  soul  in  flames  I  offer,  Christ,  to 
thee  *  !" 


SECTION  IV. 

GENERAL   PERSECUTIONS    IN    GERMANY. 


Martin  Luther,  by  unmasking 
popery,  and  by  the  vigour  with 
which  he  prosecuted  his  doctrines, 
caused  the  papal  throne  to  shake 
to  its  foundation.  So  terrified  was 
the  pope  at  his  rapid  success,  that 
he  determined,  in  order  to  stop  his 
career,  to  engage  the  emperor, 
Charles  V.  in  his  scheme  of  utterly 
extirpating  all  who  had  embraced 
the  reformation.  To  accomplish 
which,  he  gave  the  emperor  200,000 
crowns ;  promised  to  maintain 
12,000    foot,   and   5000  horse,  for 


six  months,  or  during  a  campaign  ; 
allowed  the  emperor  to  receive 
one  half  of  the  revenues  of  the 
clergy  in  Germany  during  the 
war  ;  and  permitted  him  to  pledge 
the  abbey-lands  for  500,000  crowns, 
to  assist  in  carrying  on  hostilities. 
Thus  prompted  and  supported,  the 

*  Jerome  was  of  a  fine  and  manly  form, 
and  possessed  a  strong  and  healthy  con- 
stitution, which  rendered  his  death  ex- 
tremely lingering  and  painful.  He,  how- 
ever, sung  till  his  aspiring  soul  took  its 
flight  from  its  mortal  habitation. 


176 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


emperor,  with  a  heart  eager,  both 
from  interest  and  prejudice,  for  the 
cause,  undertook  the  extirpation 
of  the  protestants  ;  and,  for  this 
purpose,  raised  a  formidable  army 
in  Germany,  Spain,  and  Italy. 

The  protestant  princes,  in  the 
mean  time,  were  not  idle ;  but 
formed  a  powerful  confederacy, 
in  order  to  repel  the  impending 
blow.  A  great  army  was  raised, 
and  the  command  given  to  the 
elector  of  Saxony,  and  the  land- 
grave of  Hesse.  The  imperial 
forces  were  commanded  by  the 
emperor  in  person,  and  all  Europe 
waited  in  anxious  suspense  the 
event  of  the  war. 

At  length  the  armies  met,  and 
a  desperate  engagement  ensued, 
in  which  the  protestants  were  de- 
feated, and  the  elector  of  Saxony, 
and  landgrave  of  Hesse,  both  taken 
prisoners.  This  calamitous  stroke 
was  succeeded  by  a  persecution, 
in  which  the  most  horrible  cruelties 
were  inflicted  on  the  Protestants, 
and  suffered  by  them  with  a  forti- 
tude which  only  religion  can  im- 
part. 

Among  others,  Henry  Voes  and 
Jolin  Esch,  were  apprehended 
and  brought  to  examination :  when, 
confessing  and  defending  their 
adoption  of  the  tenets  of  Luther, 
they  were  both  condemned  to  the 
flames,  and,  soon  after,'  suffered 
Avith  the  fortitude  of  real  Christians. 
An  eloquent  and  pious  preacher 
named  Henry  Stutphen,  was  taken 
out  of  his  bed  at  night,  and  com- 
pelled to  walk  barefoot  a  conside- 
rable way,  so  that  his  'feet  were 
terribly  cut.  On  desiring  a  horse, 
his  conductors  said,  in  derision, 
"  A  horse  for  an  heretic !  no,  no, 
heretics  may  go  barefoot."  On 
arriving  at  the  place  of  his  desti- 
nation, he  was  condemned  to  be 
burnt;  and  while  sufi'ering  in  the 
flames,  he  was  cut  aud  slashed,  in  a 
terrible  manner. 

Many  were  murdered  at  Halle. 
Middleburgh  being  taken  by  as- 
sault, all  the  protestants  were  put 
to  the  sword.  Great  numbers  were 
also  burned  at  Vienna. 

Peter  Spengler,  a  divine,  of  the 


town  of  Schalet,  was  thrown  int^ 
the  river,  and  drowned. 

Wolfgang,  Scuch  and  John  Hug- 
lin,  two  worthy  ministers,  were 
burned  ;  likewise  Leonard  Keyser, 
a  student  of  the  university  of  Wir- 
temburg;  and  George  Carpenter, 
a  Bavarian,  was  hanged. 

The  persecutions  in  Germany 
having  been  suspended  many 
years,  again  broke  out  in  1630,  on 
account  of  a  war  between  the  em- 
peror and  the  king  of  Sweden ; 
the  latter  being  a  protestant  prince, 
the  protestants  of  Germany,  in 
consequence,  espoused  his  cause, 
which  greatly  exasperated  the  em- 
peror against  them. 

The  imperial  army  having  laid 
siege  to  the  town  of  Passewalk, 
(then  defended  by  the  Swedes) 
took  it  by  storm,  and  committed  the 
most  monstrous  outrages  on  the 
occasion.  They  pulled  down  the 
churches,  pillaged  and  burnt  the 
houses,  massacred  the  ministers, 
put  the  garrison  to  the  sword, 
hanged  the  townsmen,  ravished 
the  women,  smothered  the  chil- 
dren, &c.  &c. 

In  1631,  a  most  bloody  scene 
took  place  at  the  protestant  city 
of  Magdeburg.  The  generals 
Tilly  and  Pappenheim,  having 
taken  it  by  storm,  upwards  of 
20,000  persons,  without  distinction 
of  rank,  sex,  or  age,  were  slain 
during  the  carnage,  and  6,000 
drowned  in  attempting  to  escape 
over  the  river  Elbe.  After  which, 
the  remaining  inhabitants  were 
stripped  naked,  severely  scourged, 
had  their  ears  cropped,  and  being 
yoked  together  like  oxen,  were 
turned  adrift. 

On  the  popish  army's  taking  the 
town  of  Hoxter,  all  the  inhabitants, 
with  the  garrison,  were  juit  to  the 
sword. 

When  the  imperial  forces  pre- 
vailed at  Griphenburgh,  they  shut 
up  the  senators  in  the  senate- 
chamber,  and,  surrounding  it  by 
lighted  straw,  suflocated  them. 

Franhendal,  notwithstanding  it 
surrendered  upon  articles  of  ca- 
pitulation, sufl'ered  as  cruelly  as 
other    places,  and   at   Heidelburg 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  GERMANY. 


177 


many   were  shot  up  in  prison   and 
starved. 

To  enumerate  the  various  spe- 
cies of  cruelty  practised  by  llie 
imperial  troops,  under  count  Tilly, 
would  excite  disgust  and  horror. 
That  sanguinary  monster,  in  his 
progress  through  Saxony,  not 
only  pernriitted  every  excess  in  his 
soldiers,  but  actually  commanded 
them  to  put  all  their  enormities  in 


practice.  Some  of  these  are  so 
unparalleled,  that  we  feel  our- 
selves obliged  to  mention  them. 

In  Hesse-Cassel  some  of  the 
troops  entered  an  hospital,  in 
which  were  principally  mad  wo- 
men, when  stripping  all  the  poor 
wretches  naked,  they  made  them 
run  about  the  streets  for  their  di- 
version, and  then  put  them  to 
death. 


Maisacre  o^' the  I'rolestants  in  Ftedmmt, 


In  Pomerania,  some  of  the  im- 
perial troops  entering  a  small 
town,  seized  upon  all  the  young 
women,  and  girls  of  upwards  of 
ten  years,  and  then  placing  their 
parents  in  a  circle,  they  ordered 
them  to  sing  psalms,  while  they 
ravished  their  children,  or  else  they 
swore  thej'  would  cut  them  to 
pieces  afterwards.  They  then  took, 
all  the  married  women  who  had 
young  children,  and  threatened,  if 
they  did  not  consent  to  the  gratifi- 
cation of  their  lusts,  to  burn  their 
children    before  their  faces,  iu  a 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


large  fire  which  they  had  kindled 
for  that  purpose. 

A  band  of  Tilly's  soldiers  met 
with  a  company  of  merchants  be- 
longing to  Basil,  who  were  return- 
ing from  the  great  market  of  Stras- 
bourg, and  attempted  to  surround 
them :  all  escaped,  however,  but 
ten,  leaving  their  property  behind. 
The  ten  who  were  taken  begged 
hard  for  their  lives;  but  the  sol- 
diers murdered  them,  saying, "  You 
must  die  because  you  are  heretics, 
and  have  got  no  money." 

Wherever  Tilly  came,  the   most 

12 


178 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


horrid  barbarities  and  cruel  de- 
predations ensued :  famine  and 
conflagration  marked  his  progress. 
He  destroyed  all  the  provisions  he 
could  not  take  with  him,  and  burnt 
all  the  towns  before  he  left  them  ; 
so  that  murder,  poverty,  and  deso- 
lation followed  him. 

Peace,  at  length,  chiefly  through 
the  mediation  of  England,  was  re- 
stored to  Germany,  and  the  pro- 
testants,  for  several  years,  enjoy- 
ed the  free  exercise  of  their  re- 
ligion. 


Even  as  late  as  1732,  above 
30,000  protestants  were,  contrary 
to  the  treaty  of  Westphalia,  driven 
from  the  archbishopric  of  Saltz- 
burg,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  with 
scarce  clothes  to  cover  them,  and 
without  provisions.  These  poor 
people  emigrated  to  various  pro- 
testant  countries,  and  settled  in 
places  where  they  could  enjoy  the 
free  exercise  of  their  religion,  free 
from  popish  superstition,  and  pa- 
pal despotism. 


SECTION  V. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    THE    NETHERLANDS. 


The  glorious  light  of  the  gospel 
spreading  over  every  part  of  the 
continent,  and  chasing  thence  the 
dark  night  of  ignorance,  increased 
the  alarm  of  the  pope,  who  urged 
the  emperor  to  commence  a  perse- 
cution against  the  protestants ; 
when  many  thousands  fell  martyrs 
to  superstitious  malice  and  barba- 
rous bigotry  :  among  whom  were 
the  following. 

A  pious  protestant  widow, 
named  Wendelinuta,  was  appre- 
hended on  account  of  her  religion, 
when  several  monks  unsuccess- 
fully endeavoured  to  persuade  her 
to  recant.  Their  attempts,  how- 
ever, proving  ineffectual,  a  Roman 
catholic  lady  of  her  acquaint- 
ance desired  to  be  admitted  to  the 
dungeon  in  which  she  was  con- 
fined, promising  to  exert  herself 
tow,ards  inducing  the  prisoner  to 
abjure  her  religion.  On  being  ad- 
mitted to  the  dungeon,  she  did 
her  utmost  to  perform  the  task  she 
had  undertaken ;  but  finding  her 
endeavours  fruitless,  she  said, 
"  Dear  Wendelinuta,  if  you  will 
not  embrace  our  faith,  at  least 
keep  the  things  which  you  profess 
secret  within  your  own  bosom,  and 
strive  to  prolong  your  life."  To 
whichthe  widow  replied,  "  Madam, 
you  know  not  what  you  say ;  for 
■with  the  heart  we  believe  to  righ- 
teousness, but  with  the  tongue 
confession  is  made  unto  salvation." 
Still  holding  her  faith  against 
every  effort  of  the  powers  of  dark- 


ness, her  goods  were  confiseated, 
and  she  was  condemned  to  be 
burnt.  At  the  place  of  execution 
a  monk  presented  a  cross  to  her, 
and  bade  her  kiss  and  worship 
God.  To  which  she  answered, 
"  I  worship  no  wooden  God,  but 
the  eternal  God,  who  is  in  heaven." 
She  was  then  executed,  but  at  the 
intercession  of  the  before-mention- 
ed lady,  it  was  granted,  that  she 
should  be  strangled  before  the 
fagots  were  kindled. 

At  Colon,  two  protestant  clergy- 
men were  burnt ;  a  tradesman  of 
Antwerp,  named  Nicholas,  was 
tied  up  in  a  sack,  thrown  into  the 
river,  and  drowned  ;  and  Pistorius, 
an  accomplished  scholar  and  stu- 
dent, was  carried  to  the  market  of 
a  Dutch  village,  and  burnt, 

A  minister  of  the  reformed 
church  was  ordered  to  attend  the 
execution  of  sixteen  protestants 
who  were  to  be  beheaded.  This 
gentleman  performed  the  melan- 
choly oflice  with  great  propriety, 
exhorted  them  to  repentance,  and 
gave  them  comfort  in  the  mercies 
of  their  Redeemer.  As  soon  as 
they  were  beheaded,  the  magis- 
trate cried  out  to  the  executioner, 
"  There  is  another  remaining; 
you  must  behead  the  minister:  he 
can  never  die  at  a  better  time  than 
with  such  excellent  precepts  in 
his  mouth,  and  such  laudable  ex- 
amples before  him."  He  was  ac- 
cordingly beheaded,  though  many 
of  the  Roman  catholics  themselves 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  THE  NETHERLANDS. 


179 


reprobated  this  piece  of  treacher- 
ous and  unnecessary  barbaritj\ 

Geora^e  Scherter,  a  minister  of 
Saltzhurg',  was  committed  to  pri- 
son for  instructin;^  his  flock:  in  the 
truth  of  the  gospel.  Wliile  in  con- 
lineraent  he  wrote  a  confession  of 
his  faith  ;  soon  after  which  he  was 
condemned,  first  to  be  beheaded, 
and  afterwards  to  be  burnt  to 
ashes,  which  sentence  was  accord- 
ing:ly  put  in  execution. 

Percival,  a  learned  man  of  Lou- 
viana,  was  murdered  in  prison ; 
and  Justus  Insparj?  was  beheaded, 
for  having  Luther's  sermons  in  his 
possession. 

Giles  Tolleman,  a  cutler  of 
Brussels,  was  a  man  of  singular 
humanity  and  piety.  He  was  ap- 
prehended as  a  protestant,  and 
many  attempts  were  made  by  the 
monks  to  persuade  iiim  to  recant. 
Once,  by  accident,  a  fair  opportu- 
nity of  escaping  from  prison  of- 
fered itself  to  liim,  but  of  which  he 
did  not  avail  himself.  Being 
as.ked  the  reason,  he  replied,  "  I 
would  not  do  the  keepers  so  much 
injury ;  as  they  must  have  an- 
swered for  my  absence  had  I  got 
away."  When  he  was  sentenced 
to  be  burnt,  he  fervently  thanked 
God  for  allowing  him,  by  martyr- 
dom, to  glorify  his  name.  Observ- 
ing at  the  place  of  execution  a  great 
quantity  of  fagots,  he  desired 
the  principal  part  of  them  might 
be  given  to  the  poor,  saying,  "  A 
small  quantity  will  suffice  to  con- 
sume me."  The  executioner  offered 
to  strangle  him  before  the  fire  was 
lighted,  but  he  would  not  consent, 
telling  him,  that  he  defied  the 
flames;  and,  indeed,  lie  gave  up 
the  ghost  with  such  composure 
amidst  them,  that  he  hardly  seem- 
ed sensible  of  pain. 

Jn  Flanders,  about  1543  and 
1544,  the  persecution  raged  with 
great  violence.  Many  were  doom- 
ed to  perpetual  imprisonment, 
others  to  perpetual  banishment ; 
but  the  greater  number  were  put 
to  death  either  by  hanging,  drown- 
ing, burning,  the  rack,  or  burying 
alive. 

John    de    Boscane,    a    zealous 


protestant,  was  apprehended  in  the 
city  of  Antwerp.  On  his  trial  he 
undauntedly  professed  himself  to 
be  of  the  reformed  religion,  on 
which  he  was  immediately  con- 
demned. The  magistrate,  how- 
ever, was  afraid  to  execute  the 
sentence  publicly,  as  he  was  popu- 
lar through  his  great  generosity, 
and  almost  universally  revered  for 
his  inoifcnsive  life  and  exemplary 
piety.  A  private  execution  was 
therefore,  determined  on,  for  which 
au  order  was  given  to  drown  him 
in  prison.  The  executioner,  ac- 
cordingly, forced  him  into  a  large 
tub ;  but  Boscane  struggling,  and 
getting  his  head  above  tlie  water, 
the  executioner  stabbed  him  in 
several  places  with  a  dagger  till 
be  expired. 

John  de  Buisons,  on  account  of 
his  religion,  was,  about  the  same 
time,  secretly  apprehended.  In 
this  city  the  number  of  protest- 
ants  being  great,  and  the  prisoner 
much  respected,  the  magistrates, 
fearful  of  an  insurrection,  ordered 
him  to  be  beheaded  in  prison. 

In  15G8  were  apprehended  at 
Antwerp,  Scoblaut,  Hues,  and 
Coomans.  The  first  who  was 
brought  to  trial  was  Scoblant,  who, 
persisting  in  his  faith,  received 
sentence  of  death.  On  his  return 
to  prison,  he  requested  the  gaoler 
not  to  permit  any  friar  to  come 
near  him  ;  saying,  "  They  can  do 
me  no  good,  but  may  greatly  dis- 
turb me.  I  hope  my  salvation  is 
already  sealed  in  Heaven,  and 
that  the  blood  of  Christ,  in  M'hich 
I  firmly  put  my  trust,  hath  washed 
me  from  my  iniquities.  I  am  now 
going  to  throw  ofl'  this  mantle  of 
clay,  to  be  clad  in  robes  of  eternal 
glory.  I  hope  1  may  be  the  last 
martyr  of  papal  tyranny,  and  that 
the  blood  already  spilt  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  quench  its  thirst  of  cru- 
elty ;  that  the  church  of  Christ 
may  have  rest  here,  as  his  servants 
will  hereafter."  On  the  day  of 
execution  he  took  a  pathetic  leave 
of  his  fellow-prisoners.  At  the 
stake  he  uttered  with  great  fer- 
vency the  Lord's  prayer,  and 
sung     the     fortieth    psalm ;     then 


180 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


commending  his  soul  to  God,  the 
flames  soon  terminated  liis  mortal 
existence. 

A  short  time  after,  Hues  died  in 
prison ;  upon  which  occasion  Coo- 
mans  thus  vents  his  mind  to  his 
friends ;  "  I  am  now  deprived  of 
my  friends  and  companions;  Scob- 
lant  is  martyred,  and  Hues  dead 
by  the  visitation  of  the  Lord ;  yet 
I  am  not  alone:  I  have  with  me 
the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac, 
and  of  Jacob;  he  is  my  comfort, 
and  shall  be  my  reward."  When 
broug;ht  to  trial,  Coomans  freely 
confessed  himself  of  the  reformed 
religion,  and  answered  with  a 
manly  firmness  to  every  charge 
brought  against  him,  proving  his 
doctrine  from  the  gospel.  "  But,'' 
said  the  judge,  "  will  you  die  for 
the  faith  you  profess?" — "I  am  not 
only  willing  to  die,"  replied  Coo- 
mans, "  but  also  to  suffer  the  utmost 
stretch  of  inventive  cruelty  for  it: 
after  which  my  soul  shall  receive 
its  confirmation  from  God  himself, 
in  the  midst  of  eternal  glory." 
Being  condemned,  he  went  cheer- 
fully to  the  place  of  execution,  and 
died  with  Christian  fortitude  and 
resignation. 

ASSASSINATION    OF   THE    PRINCE 
OF   ORANGE. 

Baltazar  Gerard,  a  native  of 
Franche  Compte,  a  bigoted  and 
furious  Roman  Catholic,  thinking 
to  advance  his  own  fortune  and 
the  popish  cause  by  one  desperate 
act,  resolved  upon  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  prince  of  Orange. 
Having  provided  himself  with  fire- 
arms, he  watched  the  prince  as  he 
passed   through  the  great  hall  of 


his  palaoe  to  dinner,  and  demanded 
a  passport.  The  princess  of  Orange, 
observing  in  his  tone  of  voice 
and  manner  something  confused 
and  singular,  asked  who  he  was, 
saying,  she  did  not  like  his  coun- 
tenance. The  prince  answered,  it 
was  one  that  demanded  a  passport, 
which  he  should  have  presently. 
Nothing  further  transpired  until 
after  dinner,  when  on  the  return  of 
the  prince  and  princess  through 
the  same  hall,  the  assassin,  from 
behind  one  of  the  pillars,  fired  at 
the  prince;  the  balls  entering  at 
the  left  side,  and  passing  through 
the  right,  wounded  in  their  pas- 
sage the  stomach  and  vital  parts. 
The  prince  had  only  power  to  say, 
"  Lord  have  mercy  upon  my  soul, 
and  upon  this  poor  people,"  and 
immediately  expired. 

The  death  of  this  virtuous  prince, 
who  was  considered  as  the  father 
of  his  people,  spread  universal 
sorrow  throughout  the  United  Pro- 
vinces. The  assassin  was  imme- 
diately taken,  and  received  sen- 
tence to  be  put  to  death  in  the 
most  exemplary  manner ;  yet  such 
was  his  enthusiasm  and  blindness 
for  his  crime,  that  while  suflering 
for  it,  he  coolly  said,  "  Were  I 
at  liberty,  I  would  repeat  the 
same." 

In  different  parts  of  Flanders, 
numbers  fell  victims  to  popish 
jealousy  and  cruelty.  In  the  city 
of  Valence,  in  particular,  fifty- 
seven  of  the  principal  inhabitants 
were  butchered  in  one  day,  for 
refusing  to  embrace  the  jRomish 
superstition;  besides  whom,  great 
numbers  suffered  in  confinement, 
till  they  perished. 


SECTION  VI. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    LITHUANIA. 


The  persecutions  in  Lithuania 
began  in  1648,  and  were  carried  on 
with  great  severity  by  the  Cossacks 
and  Tartars.  The  cruelty  of  the 
former  was  such,  that  even  the 
Tartars,  at  last,  revolted  from  it, 
and  rescued  some  of  the  intended 
.victims  from  their  hands. 

The  Russians  perceiving  the  de- 


vastations which  had  been  made 
in  the  country,  and  its  incapa- 
bility of  defence,  entered  it  with  a 
considerable  army,  and  carried 
ruin  wherever  they  went.  Every 
thing  they  met  with  was  devoted 
to  destruction.  The  ministers  of 
the  gospel  were  peculiarly  singled 
out  as  the  objects  of  their  hatred, 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  CHINA. 


181 


while  every  Christian  was  liable  to 
their  barbarity. 

Lithuania  no  sooner  recovered 
itself  from  one  persecution,  than 
succeeding;  enemies  again  reduced 
it.  The  Swedes,  the  Prussians, 
and  the  Courlanders,  carried  fire 
and  sword  through  it,  and  conti- 
nual calamities,  for  some  years,  at- 
tended tliat  unhappy  district.  It 
was  afterwards  attacked  by  the 
prince  of  Transylvania,  at  the 
head  of  an  army  of  barbarians, 
who  wasted  the  country,  destroyed 
the  churches,  burnt  the  houses, 
plundered  the  inhabitants,  mur- 
dered the  infirm,  and  enslaved  the 
healthy. 

In  no  part  of  the  world  have 
the  followers  of  Christ  been  ex- 
empt from  the  rage  and  bitterness 
of  their  enemies  ;  and  well  have 
they  experienced  the  force  of 
those  scripture  truths,  that  they 
who  will  live  godly  in  Christ,  shall 
suffer  persecution,  and  those  who 
are  born  after  the  flesh  have  al- 
ways been  enemies  to  such  as  are 
born  after  the  spirit:  accordingly 
the  protestants  of  Poland  suffered 


in  a  dreadful  manner.  The  minis- 
ters in  particular  were  treated  with 
the  most  unexampled  barbarity ; 
some  having  their  tongues  cut  out, 
because  they  had  preached  the 
gospel  truths ;  others  being  de- 
prived of  their  sight  on  account  of 
having  read  the  Bible  ;  and  great 
numbers  were  cut  to  pieces  for  not 
recanting.  Several  private  per- 
sons were  put  to  death  by  the 
most  cruel  means.  Women  were 
murdered  without  the  least  regard 
to  their  sex ;  and  the  persecutors 
even  went  so  far  as  to  cut  off  the 
heads  of  sucking  babes,  and  fasten 
them  to  the  breasts  of  their  unfor- 
tunate mothers. 

Even  the  silent  habitations  of  the 
dead  escaped  not  the  malice  of 
these  savages  ;  for  they  dug  up 
the  bodies  of  many  eminent  per- 
sons, and  either  cut  them  to  pieces 
and  exposed  them  to  be  devoured 
by  birds  and  beasts,  or  hung  them 
up  in  the  most  conspicuous  places. 
The  city  of  Lesna,  in  this  persecu- 
tion, particularly  suffered ;  for 
being  taken,  the  inhabitants  were 
totally  extirpated. 


SECTION  VII. 

PERSECUTIONS  IN  CHINA  AND  JAPAN. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  CHINA. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  16th 
century,  three  Italian  missionaries, 
namely,  Roger  the  Neapolitan, 
Pasis  of  Bologna,  and  Matthew 
Ricci  of  Mazerata,  entered  China 
with  a  view  of  establisliing  Chris- 
tianity there.  In  order  to  succeed 
in  this  important  commission,  they 
had  previously  made  the  Chinese 
language  their  constant  study. 

The  zeal  displayed  by  these  mis- 
sionaries in  the  discharge  of  their 
duty  was  very  great ;  but  Roger 
and  Pasis  in  a  few  years  returning 
to  Europe,  the  whole  labour  de- 
volved upon  Ricci.  The  perse- 
verance of  Ricci  was  proportioned 
to  the  arduous  task  he  had  under- 
taken. Though  disposed  to  in- 
dulge his  converts  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, he  disliked  many  of  their  ce- 
remonies, which  seemed  idola- 
trous.     At  length,  after  eighteen 


years  labour  and  reflection,  he 
thought  it  most  advisable  to  tole- 
rate all  those  customs  which  were 
ordained  by  the  laws  of  the  em- 
pire, but  strictly  enjoined  his  con- 
verts to  omit  the  rest ;  and  thus, 
by  not  resisting  too  much  the  ex- 
ternal ceremonies  of  the  country, 
he  succeeded  in  bringing  over 
many  to  the  truth.  In  1630,  how- 
ever, this  tranquillity  was  dis- 
turbed by  the  arrival  of  some  new 
missionaries ;  who,  being  unac- 
quainted with  the  Chinese  customs, 
manners,  and  language,  and  with 
the  principles  of  Ricci's  toleration, 
were  astonished  when  they  saw 
Christian  converts  fall  prostrate 
before  Confucius,  and  the  tables 
of  their  ancestors,  and  loudly  cen- 
sured the  proceeding  as  idolatrous. 
This  occasioned  a  warm  contro- 
versy ;  and  not  coming  to  any 
agreement,    the   new  missionaries 


182 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


•wrote  an  account  of  the  affair  to 
the  pope,  and  the  society -for  the 
propagation  of  the  Christian  faith. 
The  society  soon  pronounced,  that 
the  ceremonies  were  idolatrous 
and  intolerable,  which  sentence 
was  confirmed  by  the  pope.  In 
this  they  were  excusable,  the  mat- 
ter having  been  misrepresented  to 
them  ;  for  the  enemies  of  Ricci  had 
declared  the  halls,  in  which  the 
ceremonies  were  performed,  to  be 
temples,  and  the  ceremonies  them- 
selves the  sa,criSces  to  idols. 

The  sentence  was  sent  over  to 
China,  where  it  was  received  with 
great  contempt,  and  matters  re- 
mained in  the  same  state  for  some 
time.  At  length  a  true  represen- 
tation was  sent  over,  explaining 
that  the  Chinese  customs  and  ce- 
remonies alluded  to,  were  entirely 
free  from  idolatry,  but  merely  poli- 
tical, and  tending  only  to  the 
peace  and  welfare  of  the  empire. 
The  pope,  finding  that  he  had  not 
weighed  the  affair  with  due  consi- 
deration, sought  to  extricate  him- 
self from  the  difficulty  in  which  he 
had  been  so  precipitately  entan- 
gled, and  therefore  referred  the 
representation  to  the  inquisition, 
which  reversed  the  sentence  imme- 
diately. 

The  Christian  church,  notwith- 
standing these  divisions,  floarisbed 
in  China  till  the  death  of  the  first 
Tartar  emperor,  whose  successor, 
Cang-hi,  was  a  minor.  During  his 
minority,  the  regents  and  nobles 
conspired  to  crush  the  Christian 
religion.  The  execution  of  this 
design  was  accordingly  begun 
with  expedition  and  carried  on 
with  severity,  so  that  every  Chris- 
tian teacher  in  China,  as  well  as 
those  who  professed  the  faith, 
was  surprised  at  the  suddenness 
of  the  event.  John  Adam  Schall, 
a  German  ecclesiastic,  and  one  of 
the  principals  of  the  mission,  was 
thrown  into  a  dungeon,  and  nar- 
rowly escaped  with  his  life,  being 
then  in  the  74th  year  of  his  age. 

In  1665,  the  ensuing  year,  the 
ministers  of  state  published  the 
following  decree:  1.  That  the 
Christian    doctrines    were     false, 


2.  That  they  were  dangerous  to 
the  interests  of  the  empire.  3. 
That  they  should  not  be  practised 
under  pain  of  death. 

The  result  of  this  was  a  most  fu- 
rious persecution,  in  which  some 
were  put  to  death,  many  ruined, 
and  all  in  some  measure  oppressed. 
Previous  to  this,  the  Christians 
had  suffei-ed  partially  ;  but  the  de- 
cree being  general,  the  persecution 
now  spread  its  ravages  over  the 
whole  empire,  wherever  its  objects 
were  scattered. 

Four  years  after,  the  young  em- 
peror was  declared  of  age  ;  and 
one  of  the  first  acts  of  his  reign 
was  to  stop  this  peisecution. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    JAPAN. 

The  first  introduction  of  Chris- 
tianity into  the  empire  of  Japan 
took  place  in  1562,  when  some 
Portuguese  missionaries  com- 
meiiced  their  endeavours  to  make 
converts  to  the  light  of  the  gospel, 
and  met  with  such  success  as 
amply  compensated  their  laboursi. 
They  continued  to  augment  the 
number  of  their  converts  till  1G16, 
when  being  accused  of  having 
meddled  in  politics,  and  formed  a 
plan  to  subvert  the  government, 
and  dethrone  the  emperor,  great 
jealousies  arose,  and  subsisted  till 
1622,  when  the  court  commenced 
a  dreadful  persecution  against 
both  foreign  and  native  Christians, 
Such  was  the  rage  of  this  persecu- 
tion, that,  during  the  first  four 
years,  20,670  Christians  we/e  mas- 
sacred. Death  was  the  conse- 
quence of  a  public  avowal  of  their 
faitii,  and  their  churches  were  shut 
up  by  order  of  government.  Many, 
on  a  discovery  of  their  religion  by 
spies  and  informers,  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom v/ith  great  heroism.  The 
persecution  continued  many  years, 
when  the  remnant  of  the  innumer- 
able Christians  with  which  Japan 
abounded,  to  the  number  of  37,000 
souls,  retired  to  the  town  and  cas- 
tle of  Siniabara,  in  the  island  of 
Xinio,  where  they  determined  to 
make  a  stand,  to  continue  in  their 
faith,  and  to  defend  themselves  to 
the  very    last  extremity.    To  this 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  ABYSSINIA. 


183 


place  the  Japanese  army  followed 
their),  and  laid  siefi:e  to  the  place. 
The  Christians  defended  them- 
selves with  great  bravery,  and 
held  out  against  the  besiegers 
three  months,  but  were  at  length 
compelled  to  surrender,  when  men, 
women,  and  cliildren,  were  indis- 
criminately murdered;  and  Ciiris- 
tianity  from  that  time  ceased  in 
Japan. 


This  event  took  place  on  the  12th 
of  April,  1638,  since  wliich  time  no 
Christians  but  the  Dutch  have 
been  allowed  to  land  in  the  em- 
pire, and  even  they  arc  obliged  to 
conduct  themselves  with  the  great- 
est precaution,  to  submit  to  the 
most  rigorous  treatment,  and  to 
carry  on  their  commerce  with  the 
utmost  circumspection. 


BOOK  VIII. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF  THE    PUOTF.STANTS,     IN    VAKIOUS    FOREIGN    COUNTRIES, 
NOT    BEFORE    DESCRIBED. 


SECTION  I. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    ABYSSINIA. 


About  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  some  Portuguese  mission- 
aries made  a  voyage  to  Abyssinia, 
and  began  to  propagate  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  doctrines  among  the 
Abyssinians,  who  professed  Chris- 
tianity before  the  arrival  of  the 
missionaries. 

The  priests  gained  such  an  in- 
fluence at  court,  that  the  emperor 
consented  to  abolish  the  established 
rites  of  the  Ethiopian  church,  and 
to  admit  those  of  Rome;  and, 
soon  after,  consented  to  receive  a 
patriarch  from  the  pope,  and  to 
acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  the 
latter.  This  innovation,  however, 
did  not  take  place  without  great 
opposition.  Several  of  the  most 
powerful  lords,  and  a  majority  of 
the  people,  who  professed  the  pri- 
mitive Christianity  established  in 
Abyssinia,  took  up  arms,  In  their 
defence,  against  the  emperor. 
Thus,  by  the  artifices  of  the  court 
of  Rome  and  its  emissaries,  the 
whole  empire  was  thrown  into 
commotion,  and  a  war  commenced, 
■which  was  carried  on  through  thfc 
reigns  of  many  emperors,  and 
which  ceased  not  for  above  a  cen- 
tury. All  this  time  the  Roman 
Catholics    were    strengthened    by 


the  power  of  the  court,  by  means 
of  Avhich  conjunction,  the  primitive 
Christians  of  Abyssinia  were  se- 
verely persecuted,  and  multitudes 
perished  by  the  hands  of  their  in- 
human enemies. 


PERSECUTIONS    IN    TURKEY.- 
COUNT    OF    MAHOMET. 


-AC- 


Mahomet  was  born  at  Mecca,  in 
Arabia,    a.  d,    571.       His   parents 
were     poor,     and     his     education 
mean;  but  by  the  force  of  his  ge- 
nius, and   an  uncommon  subtlety, 
he  raised  himself  to  be  the  founder 
of  a  widely  spread  religion,  and  the 
sovereign  of  kingdoms.     His  Al- 
coran is  a  jumble  of  paganism,  Ju- 
daism, and  Christianity.     In  com- 
posing it,  he  is  said  to  have  been 
assisted  by  a  Jew  and  a  Roman 
Catholic  priest.     It  is  adapted  en- 
tirely to  the  sensual  appetites  and 
passions;    and  the  chief  promises 
held  out  by  it  to  its  believers  of 
the  joys   of  paradise   are   women 
and  wine.      Mahomet  established 
his  doctrine  by  the  power  of  the 
sword.       "  The   sword,"    says   he, 
"  is   the   key    of    heaven    and     of 
hell.     Whoever  falls  in  battle,  his 
sins  are  forgiven  him:  his  wounds 
shall  be  resplendent  as  vermilion 


1U4 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  odoriferous  as  musk;  the  loss 
of  his  limbs  shall  be  supplied  with 
the  wings  of  angels."  He  allowed 
that  Christ  was  a  great  prophet 
and  a  holy  man ;  that  he  was  born 
of  a  virgin,  received  up  into  glory, 
and  shall  come  again  to  destroy 
Antichrist. 

He  therefore,  in  his  early  career, 
affected  to  respect  tlie  Christians. 
But  no  sooner  was  his  power  esta- 
blished, than  he  displayed  him- 
self in  his  true  colours,  as  their 
determined  and  sanguinary  enemy. 
This  he  proved  by  his  persecutions 
of  them  in  his  life-time,  and  by 
commanding  those  persecutions  to 
be  continued  by  his  deluded  fol- 
lowers, in  his  Alcoran,  particularly 
in  that  part  entitled,  "  The  Chap- 
ter of  the  Sword."  From  him  the 
Turks  received  their  religion, 
which  they  still  maintain.  Maho- 
met and  his  descendants,  in  the 
space  of  thirty  years,  subdued 
Arabia,  Palestine,  Phoenicia,  Sy- 
ria, Egypt,  and  Persia.  They 
soon,  however,  broke  into  divisions 
and  war;i  amongst  themselves. 
But  the  princes  of  the  Saracens, 
assuming  the  title  of  sultan,  conti- 
nued their  rule  over  Syria,  Egypt, 
and  Africa,  for  the  space  of  about 
400  years,  when  the  Saracen  king 
of  Persia,  commencing  war  against 
the  Saracen  sultan  of  Babylon, 
the  latter  brought  to  his  aid  the 
Turks.  These  Turks,  feeling  their 
own  strength,  in  time  turned  their 
arras  against  their  masters,  and  by 
the  valour  of  Othman,  from  whom 
the  family  who  now  fill  the  Turkish 
throne  are  descended,  they  soon 
subdued  them,  and  established 
their  empire. 

Constantinople,  after  having 
been  for  many  ages  an  imperial 
Christian  city,  was  invested,  in 
1453,  by  the  Turks,  under  Mahomet 
the  Second*,  whose  army  con- 
sisted of  300,000  men,  and,  after  a 
siege  of  six  weeks,  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  infidels,  and  the  Turks 
have,  to  this  day,  retained  posses- 
sion of  it  f.    They  no  sooner  found 

*  He  was  the  ninlh  of  the  Ottoman 
face,  and  subdued  all  Greece. 

+  About  fifteen  years  before  this  fatal 


themselves  masters  of  it,  than  they 
began  to  exercise  on  the  inhabit- 
ants the  roost  unremitting  barbari- 
ties, destroying  them  by  every  me- 
thod of  ingenious  cruelty.  Some 
they  roasted  alive  on  spits,  others 
they  starved,  some  they  flayed 
alive,  and  left  them  in  that  horrid 
manner  to  perish ;  many  were 
sawn  asunder,  and  others  torn  to 
pieces  by  horses.  Three  days  and 
nights  was  the  city  given  to  spoil, 
in  which  time  the  soldiers  were  li- 
censed to  commit  every  enormity. 
Tiie  body  of  the  emperor  being 
found  among  the  slain,  Mahomet 
commanded  his  head  to  be  stuck 
on  a  spear,  and  carried  round  the 
town  for  the  mockery  of  the  sol- 
diers. 

ATTACK    ON    RHODES. 

About  the  year  1521,  Solyman 
the  First  took  Belgrade  from  the 
Christians.  Two  years  after,  he, 
with  a  fleet  of  450  ships,  and  an 
army  of  300,000  men,  attacked 
Rhodes,  then  defended  by  the 
knights  of  Jerusalem.  These  he- 
roes resisted  the  infidels  till  all 
their  fortifications  were  levelled 
with  the  ground,  their  provisions 
exhausted,  and  their  ammunition 
spent;  when,  finding  no  succours 
from  the  Christian  princes,  they 
surrendered,  the  siege  having 
lasted  about  six  months,  in  which 
the  Turks  suffered  prodigiously, 
no  less  than  30,000  of  thorn  having 


event  took  place,  the  chy  had  yielded 
the  liberties  of  its  church  to  the  pope  of 
Rome,  A  manifest  want  of  patriotism 
was  evidenced  in  the  inhabitanis,  who, 
instead  of  bringing  forlh  their  treasures 
to  the  public  service  and  defence  of  (he 
place,  buried  them  in  vast  heaps  ;  inso- 
much, that  when  Mahomet,  suspecting 
the  case,  commanded  the  earth  to  be  dug 
up,  and  found  immense  hoards,  he  ex- 
claimed, "  How  Mas  it  that  this  place 
lacked  ammunition  and  fortification, 
amidst  such  abundance  of  riches?" 
The  Turks  found  a  crucifix  in  the  great 
church  of  St.  Sophia,  on  the  head  of 
which  they  wrote,  "  This  is  the  God  of 
the  Christians,"  and  then  carried  it  with 
a  trumpet  around  the  city,  and  exposed 
it  to  the  contempt  of  the  soldiers,  who 
were  commanded  to  spit  upon  it.  Thus 
did  the  superstition  of  Rome  afford  a 
triumph  to  the  enemies  of  the  cross. 


SIEGE  OF  VIENNA, 


185 


died  by  the  bloody  llux.  After 
this,  Solyman  retook  Buda  from 
the  Christians,  and  treated  those 
who  were  found  there  with  great 
eruclty.  Some  had  their  eyes  put 
out,  others  their  hands,  noses,  and 
ears  cut  off.  Pregnant  women 
were  ripped  open,  and  their  fruit 
cast  into  the  tlames,  while  many 
children  were  buried  up  to  their 
necks  in  the  earth,  and  left  to  pe- 
rish. 

SIEGE    OF    VIENNA. 

Mad  with  conquest,  Solyman 
now  proceeded  westward  to  Vienna, 
glutting  himself  with  slaughter  on 
his  march,  and  vainly  hoping,  in  a 
short  time,  to  lay  all  Europe  at 
his  feet,  and  to  banish  Christianity 
from  the  earth. 

Having  pitched   his  tent   before 
the  walls  of  Vienna,  he  sent  three 
Christian  prisoners  into  the  town, 
to  terrify  the  citizens  with  an  ac- 
count of  the  strength  of  his  army, 
while  a  great  many   more,  whom 
he  had  taken  in  his  march,  were 
torn  asunder  by  horses.     Happily 
for  the  Germans,  three  days  only 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Turks,  the 
earl  palatine   Frederic,    to    whom 
was  assigned  the  defence  of  Vienna, 
had  entered  the  town  with  14,000 
chosen  veterans,   besides   a  body 
of  horse.      Solyman   sent   a  sum- 
mons for  the  city  to  surrender;  but 
the  Germans  defying  him,  he  in- 
stantly commenced  the  siege.  It  has 
before  been  observed,  that  the  reli- 
gion of  Mahomet  promises  to  all 
soldiers  who  die  in  battle,   what- 
ever be  their  crimes,    immediate 
admission  to  the  joys  of  paradise. 
Hence  arises  that  fury  and  teme- 
rity which  they  usually  display  in 
fighting.     They  began  with  a  most 
tremendous  cannonade,  and  made 
many  attempts  to  take  the  city  by 
assault.     But  the  steady  valour  of 
the   Germans  was  superior  to  the 
enthusiasm  of  their  enemies.     So- 
lyman,  filled   with   indignation  at 
this  unusual  check  to  his  fortune, 
determined  to  exert  every  power 
to  carry  his  project;  to  this  end  he 
planted  his  ordnance    before   the 
Jung's  gate,   and  battered  it  with 


such  violence,  that  a  breach  was 
soon  made ;  whereupon  the  Turks, 
under  cover  of  the  smoke,  poured 
in  torrents  into  the  city,  and  the 
soldiers  began  to  give  up  all  for 
lost.  But  the  officers,  with  admir- 
able presence  of  mind,  causing  a 
great  shouting  to  be  made  in  the 
city,  as  if  fresh  troops  had  just  ar- 
rived, their  own  soldiers  were  in- 
spired with  fresh  courage,  while 
the  Turks,  being  seized  with  a 
panic,  fled  precipitately,  and  over- 
threw each  other,  by  which  means 
the  city  was  freed  from  destruc- 
tion. 

VICTORY    OF   THE    CHRISTIANS. 

Grown  more  desperate  by  resist- 
ance, Solyman  resolved  upon  an- 
other attempt,  and  this  was  by  un- 
dermining    the     Corinthian     gate. 
Accordingly  he  set  his  Illyrians  to 
work,    who    were    expert    at   this 
mode  of  warfare.    They  succeeded 
in    coming   under    ground    to   the 
foundations  of  the  tower ;  but  being 
discovered  by    the   wary   citizens, 
they,    with   amazing   activity    and 
diligence,      countermined      them; 
and   having  prepared    a  train    of 
gunpowder,  even  to  the  trenches 
of  the  enemy,  they  set  fire  to  it, 
and  by  that  means  rendered  abor- 
tive  their  attempts,   and  blew  up 
about  8000   of   them.       Foiled   in 
every  attempt,  the  courage  of  the 
Turkish     chief    degenerated     into 
madness;     he  ordered  his  men   to 
scale  the  wails,   in  which  attempt 
they  were  destroyed  by  thousands, 
their     very    numbers    serving    to 
their    own   defeat,    till,    at  length, 
the  valour  of  his  troops  relaxed; 
and,    dreading    the    hardihood    of 
their    European  adversaries,   they 
began  to  refuse  obedience.     Sick- 
ness also  seized  their  camp,  and 
numbers    perished    from    famine ; 
for    the    Germans,    by    their   vigi- 
lance, had  found  means  to  cut  off 
their   supplies.      Foiled    in    every 
attempt,  Solyman  at  length,  after 
having  lost  above  80,000  men,  re- 
solved to  abandon  his  enterprise. 
He  accordingly  put  this  resolve  in 
execution,   and,  sending  his  bag-r 
gage  before  him,  proceeded  home-. 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


186 

wards  with  the  utmost  expedition, 
thus  freeing  Europe  from  the  im- 
pending terror  of  universal  Maho- 
raetanism. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    GEORGIA    AND 
MINGRELIA. 

The  Georgians  are  Christians, 
and  being  remarkable  for  their 
beauty,  tlie  Turks  and  Persians 
persecute  them  by  the  most  cruel 
method.  Instead  of  taking  money 
for  their  taxes,  they  compel  them 
to  deliver  up  their  children,  the 
females  for  concubines  in  the  se- 
raglios, maids  of  honour  to  sulta- 
nas, &c.  or  to  be  sold  to  merchants 
of  different  nations,  who  propor- 
tion their  price  to  the  beauty  of 
the  devoted  fair.  The  boys  are 
taken  for  mutes  and  eunuchs  in 
the  seraglio,  clerks  in  the  offices  of 
state,  and  soldiers  in  the  army. 

Westward  of  Georgia  is  Min- 
grelia,  a  country  likewise  inha- 
bited by  Christians,  who  undergo 
the  same  persecutions  and  rigours 
as  the  Georgians  by  the  Turks  and 
Persians,  their  children  being  torn 
from  them,  or  they  murdered  for  re- 
fusing to  consent  to  the  sale. 

PERSECUTIONS     IN     THE    STATES    OF 
BARBARY. 

In  no  part  of  the  globe  are 
Christians  so  hated,  or  treated 
with  such  severity,  as  at  Algiers. 
The  conduct  of  the  Algerines  to- 
wards them  is  marked  with  perfidy 
and  cruelty.  By  paying  a  most 
exorbitant  fine,  some  Christians 
are  allowed  the  title  of  Free  Chris- 
tians; these  are  permitted  to  dress 
in  the  fashion  of  their  respective 
countries,  but  the  Christian  slaves 
are  obliged  to  wear  a  coarse  grey 
suit,  and  a  seaman's  cap. 


The  following  are  the  various 
punishments  exercised  towards 
them:  1.  If  they  join  any  of  the 
natives  in  open  rebellion,  tbey  are 
strangled  with  a  bow-string,  or 
hanged  on  an  iron  hook.  2.  If 
they  speak  against  Maliomet,  tbey 
must  become  Mahometans,  or  be 
impaled  alive.  3.  If  they  profess 
Christianity  again,  after  having 
changed  to  the  Mahometan  persua- 
sion, they  are  roasted  alive,  or 
thrown  from  the  city  walls,  and 
caught  upon  large  sharp  hooks,  on 
which  they  hang  till  they  expire. 
4,  If  they  kill  a  Turk  they  are 
burnt.  6.  If  they  attempt  to  es- 
cape, and  are  retaken,  they  suffer 
death  in  the  following  manner: 
they  are  hung  naked  on  a  high  gal- 
lows by  two  hooks,  the  one  fastened 
quite  through  the  palm  of  one 
hand,  and  the  other  through  the 
sole  of  the  opposite  foot,  where 
they  are  left  till  death  relieves 
them.  Other  punishments  for 
crimes  committed  by  the  Chris- 
tians are  left  to  the  discretion  of 
the  judges,  who  usually  decree  the 
most  barbarous  tortures. 

At  Tunis,  if  a  Christian  is  caught 
in  attempting  to  escape,  his  limbs 
are  all  broken ;  and  if  he  slay  his 
master,  he  is  fastened  to  the  tail  of 
a  horse,  and  dragged  about  the 
streets  till  he  expires. 

Fez  and  Morocco  conjointly  form 
an  empire,  and  are  the  most  consi- 
derable of  the  Barbary  states.  The 
Christian  slaves  are  treated  with 
the  greatest  rigour :  the  rich  have 
exorbitant  ransoms  fixed  upon 
them;  the  poor  are  hard  worked 
and  half  starved,  and  sometimes, 
by  the  emperor,  or  their  brutal 
masters,  they  are  murdered. 


SECTION  II. 

PERSECUTIONS   IN    CALABRIA. 


About  the  fourteenth  century,  a 
great  many  Waldenses  of  Pragela 
and  Dauphiny  emigrated  to  Cala- 
bria, where,  haVing  received  per- 
mission to  settle  in  some  waste 
lands,  they  soon,  by  the  most  in-r 
du.strious    cultivation,      converted 


those  wild    and  barren  spots   into 
regions  of  beauty  and  fertility. 

The  nobles  of  Calabria  were 
highly  pleased  with  their  new  sub- 
jects and  tenants,  finding  them  ho- 
nest, quiet,  and  industrious;  but 
the    priests,    filled   with^  jealousy, 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  CALABRIA. 


187 


soon  exhibited  complaints  ag;ainst 
them,  charfring;  them  with  not  be- 
ing Roman  Catholics,  not  making 
any  of  their  boys  priests,  not  mak- 
ing any  oi"  their  girls  nuns,  not  go- 
ing to  mass,  not  giving  wax  tapers 
to  their  priests,  as  offerings,  not 
going  on  pilgrimages,  and  not  bow- 
ing to  images. 

To  these  the  Calabrian  lords  re- 
plied, that  these  people  were  ex- 
tremely harmless,  giving  no  offence 
to  the  Roman  Catholics,  but  clieer- 
fully  paying  the  tithes  to  the  priests, 
whose  revenues  were  considerably 
increased  by  their  coming  into  the 
countrj%  and  who,  consequently, 
ought  to  be  the  last  persons  to 
make  a  complaint. 

Those  enemies  to  truth  being 
thus  silenced,  things  went  on  in 
peace  for  a  few  years,  during 
which  the  Waldenses  formed  them- 
selves into  two  corporate  towns, 
annexing  several  villages  to  their 
jurisdiction.  At  length  they  sent 
to  Geneva  for  two  clergymen,  one 
to  preach  in  each  town.  This 
being  known,  intelligence  was  con- 
veyed to  pope  Pius  the  Fourth, 
who  determined  to  exterminate 
them  from  Calabria  without  further 
delay.  To  this  end  cardinal  Alex- 
andrino,  a  man  of  a  violent  tem- 
per, and  a  furious  bigot,  was  sent, 
together  with  two  monks,  to  Ca- 
labria, v/here  they  were  to  act  as 
inquisitors.  These  authorized  per- 
sons came  to  St.  Xist,  one  of  the 
towns  built  by  the  Waldenses, 
where,  having  assembled  the  peo- 
ple, they  told  them,  that  they  should 
receive  no  injury  if  they  would  ac- 
cept of  preachers  appointed  by  the 
pope ;  but  if  they  refused,  they 
should  be  deprived  both  of  their 
properties  and  lives;  and  that  to 
prove  them,  mass  should  be  pub- 
licly said  that  afternoon,  at  which 
they  must  attend. 

But  the  people  of  St.  Xist,  in- 
stead of  obeying  this,  fled  with 
their  families  into  the  woods,  and 
thus  disappointed  the  cardinal  and 
his  coadjutors.  Then  they  pro- 
ceeded to  La  Garde,  the  other 
town  belonging  to  the  Waldenses, 
where,    to   ayoid    the   like  disap- 


pointment, they  ordered  the  gates 
to  be  locked,  and  all  avenues 
guarded.  The  same  proposals 
were  then  made  to  the  inhabitants 
as  had  been  made  to  those  of  St. 
Xist,  but  with  this  artifice :  the 
cardinal  assured  them  that  the 
inhabitants  of  St.  Xist  had  imme- 
diately come  into  his  proposals, 
and  agreed  tliat  the  pope  should 
appoint  them  preachers.  This 
falsehood  succeeded  ;  for  the  peo- 
ple of  La  Garde,  thinking  what 
the  cardinal  had  told  them  to  be 
truth,  said,  they  would  exactly  fol- 
low the  example  of  their  brethren 
of  St.  Xist. 

Having  thus  gained  his  point  by 
a  lie,  he  sent  for  two  troops  of  sol- 
diers with  a  view  to  massacre  the 
people  of  St.  Xist.  He  accord- 
ingly commanded  them  into  the 
woods,  to  hunt  them  down  like 
wild  beasts,  and  gave  them  strict 
orders  to  spare  neither  age  nor 
sex,  but  to  kill  all  they  came  near. 
The  troops  accordingly  entered 
the  woods,  and  many  fell  a  prey 
to  their  ferocity,  before  the  Wal- 
denses were  apprised  of  their  de- 
sign. At  length,  however,  they 
determined  to  sell  their  lives  as 
dear  as  possible,  ■■  when  several 
conflicts  happened,  in  which  the 
half-armed  Waldenses  performed 
prodigies  of  valour,  and  manj-  were 
slain  on  both  sides.  At  length, 
the  greater  part  of  the  troops 
being  killed  in  the  different  ren- 
counters, the  remainder  were  com- 
pelled to  retreat;  which  so  enraged 
the  cardinal,  that  he  wrote  to 
the  viceroy  of  Naples  fur  rein- 
forcements. 

The  viceroy,  in  obedience  to  this, 
proclaimed  throughout  the  Neapo- 
litan territories,  that  all  outlaws, 
deserters,  and  other  proscribed 
persons,  should  be  freely  pardoned 
for  their  several  offences,  on  con- 
dition of  making  a  campaign 
against  the  inhabitants  of  St. 
Xist,  and  of  continuing  under 
arms  till  those  people  were  de- 
stroyed. On  this  several  per- 
sons of  desperate  fortune  came 
in,  and  being  formed  into  light 
companies,  were  sent  to  scour  the 
3 


188 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


woods,  and  put  to  death  all  they 
could  meet  with  of  the  reformed 
religion.  The  viceroy  himself  also 
joined  the  cardinal,  at  the  head  of 
a  body  of  regular  forces  ;  and,  in 
conjunction,  they  strove  to  ac- 
complish their  bloody  purpose. 
Some  they  caught,  and,  suspending 
them  upon  trees,  cut  down  boughs 
and  burnt  them,  or  ripped  them 
open  and  left  their  bodies  to  be 
devoured  by  wild  beasts  or  birds 
of  prey.  Many  they  shot  at  a 
distance ;  but  the  greatest  num- 
ber they  hunted  down  by  way  of 
sport.  A  few  escaped  into  caves  ; 
but  famine  destroyed  them  in  their 
retreat:  and  the  inhuman  chase 
was  continued  till  all  these  poor 
people  perished. 

The  inhabitants  of  St.  Xist  being 
exterminated,  those  of  La  Garde 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  car- 
dinal and  viceroy.  The  fullest 
protection  was  offered  to  them- 
selves, their  families,  and  their 
children,  if  they  would  embrace  the 
Roman  Catholic  persuasion  ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  if  they  refused 
this  mercy,  as  it  was  insolently 
termed,  the  most  cruel  deaths 
would  be  the  certain  consequence. 
In  spite  of  the  promises  on  one 
side,  and  menaces  on  the  other, 
the  Waldenses  unanimously  re- 
fused to  renounce  their  religion,  or 
embrace  the  errors  of  popery. 
The  cardinal  and  viceroy  were  so 
enraged  at  this,  that  they  ordered 
thirty  of  them  to  be  put  immedi- 
ately to  the  rack,  as  a  terror  to 
the  others.  Several  of  these  died 
under  the  torture  :  one  Charlin,  in 
particular,  was  so  cruelly  used, 
that  his  belly  burst,  his  bowels 
came  out,  and  he  expired  in  the 
greatest  agonies.  These  barbari- 
ties, however,  did  not  answer  the 
end  for  which  they  were  intended  ; 
for  those  who  survived  the  torments 
of  the  rack,  and  those  who  had 
not  felt  it,  remained  equally  con- 
stant in  their  faith,  and  boldly 
declared,  that  nothing,  cither  of 
pain  or  fear,  should  ever  induce 
them  to  renounce  their  God,  or 
bow  down  to  idols.  The  inhuman 
cg,rdinal  then  ordered   several  of 


them  to  be  stripped  naked,  and 
whipped  to  death  with  iron  rods: 
some  were  hacked  to  pieces  with 
large  knives ;  others  were  thrown 
from  the  top  of  a  high  tower ;  and 
many  were  cased  over  with  pitch 
and  burnt  alive. 

One  of  the  monks  who  attended 
the  cardinal,  discovered  a  most  in- 
human and  diabolical  nature.  He 
requested  that  he  might  shod  some 
of  the  blood  of  these  poor  people 
with  his  own  hands  ;  his  request 
being  granted,  the  monster  took 
a  large  sharp  knife,  and  cut  the 
throats  of  fourscore  men,  women, 
and  children.  Their  bodies  were 
then  quartered,  the  quarters  placed 
upon  stakes,  and  fixed  in  difl'erent 
parts  of  the  country. 

The  four  principal  men  of  La 
Garde  were  hanged,  and  the  cler- 
gyman was  thrown  from  the  top 
of  his  church  steeple.  He  was 
dreadfully  crushed,  but  not  quite 
killed  by  the  fall.  The  viceroy 
being  present,  said,  "  Is  the  dog 
yet  living  ?  Take  him  up,  and 
cast  him  to  the  hogs :"  which  bru- 
tal sentence  was  actually  put  in 
execution. 

The  monsters,  in  their  heHisIi 
thirst  of  cruelty,  racked  sixty  of 
the  women  with  such  severity, 
that  the  cords  pierced  their  limbs 
quite  to  the  bone.  They  were 
after  this  remanded  to  prison, 
where  their  wounds  mortified,  and 
they  died  in  the  most  miserable 
manner.  Many  others  were  put 
to  death  by  various  means  ;  and 
so  jealous  and  arbitrary  were  those 
monsters,  that  if  any  Roman  catho- 
lic, more  compassionate  than  the 
rest,  interceded  for  any  of  the  re- 
formed, he  was  immediately  appre- 
hended, and  sacrificed  as  a  favourer 
of  heretics. 

The  viceroy  being  obliged  to  re- 
turn to  Naples,  and  the  cardinal 
having  been  recalled  to  Rome,  the 
marquis  of  Butiane  was  commis- 
sioned to  complete  what  they  had 
begun  ;  which  he  at  length  effected 
by  acting  with  such  barbarous 
rigour,  that  there  was  not  a  single 
person  of  the  reformed  religion 
left  in  all  Calabria.     Thus  were  a 


3 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES.  Igg 


•freat  number  of  inoffensive  and 
harmless  people  deprived  of  their 
possessions,  robbed  of  their  pro- 
perty, driven  from  their  homes,  and, 
at  length,  murdered,  only  because 


they  would  not  sacrifice  their  con- 
sciences to  the  superstitions  fff' 
others,  embrace  doctrines  which 
they  abhorred,  and  attend  to  teach- 
ers whom  they  could  not  believe. 


SECTION  III. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    THE    VALLEYS   OF   PIEDMONT. 


The  Waldenses,  in  consequence 
of  the  continued  persecutions  they 
met  with  in  France,  fled  for  refuge 
to  various  parts  of  the  world ; 
among  other  places,  many  of  them 
sought  an  asylum  in  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont,  where  they  increased 
and  flourished  exceedingly  for  a 
considerable  time. 

Notwithstanding  their  harmless 
behaviour,  inoflensive  conversa- 
tion, and  their  paying  tithes  to  the 
Romish  clergy,  the  latter  could  not 
be  contented,  but  sought  to  give 
them  disturbance,  and  accordingly 
complained  to  the  archbishop  of 
Turin,  that  the  Waldenses  were 
heretics  ;  upon  which,  he  ordered 
a  persecution  to  be  commenced,  in 
consequence  of  which  many  fell 
martyrs  to  the  superstitious  rage  of 
the  monks  and  priests. 

At  Turin,  one  of  the  reformed 
had  his  bowels  torn  out  and  put 
into  a  bason  before  his  face,  where 
they  remained,  in  his  view,  till  he 
expired.  At  Revel,  Catelin  Girard 
being  at  the  stake,  desired  the  ex- 
ecutioner to  give  him  up  a  stone, 
which  he  refused,  thinking  that  he 
meant  to  throw  it  at  somebody  ; 
but  Girard  assuring  him  that  he 
had  no  such  design,  the  execu- 
tioner complied ;  when  Girard, 
looking  earnestly  at  the  stone, 
said,  "  When  it  is  in  the  power  of 
a  man  to  eat  and  digest  this  stone, 
the  religion  for  which  I  am  about 
to  suffer  shall  have  an  end,  and 
not  before."  He  then  threw  the 
stone  on  the  ground,  and  submitted 
cheerfully  to  the  flames.  A  great 
many  more  were  oppressed  or  put 
to  death,  till,  wearied  with  their 
sufl'erings,  the  Waldenses  flew  to 
arms  in  their  defence,  and  formed 
themselves  into  regular  bodies. 
Full  of  revenge  at  this,  the  arch- 


bishop of  Turin  sent  troops  against 
them ;  but  in  most  of  the  skirmishes 
the  Waldenses  were  victorious ; 
for  they  knew,  if  they  were  taken, 
they  should  not  be  considered  as 
prisoners  of  war,  but  be  tortured 
to  death  as  heretics. 

NOBLE    CONDUCT    OF   THE    DUKE   OF 
SAVOY. 

Philip  the  Seventh,  who  was  at 
this  time  duke  of  Savoy,  and  su- 
preme lord  of  Piedmont,  determin- 
ed to  interpose  his  authority,  and 
stop  these  bloody  wars,  which  so 
disturbed  his  dominions.  Never- 
theless, unwilling  to  offend  the 
pope  or  the  archbishop  of  Turin, 
he  sent  them  both  messages,  im- 
porting, that  he  could  not  any 
longer  tamely  see  his  dominions 
over-run  with  troops,  who  were 
commanded  by  prelates  in  the 
place  of  generals ;  nor  would  he 
suffer  his  country  to  be  depopu- 
lated, while  he  himself  had  not 
been  even  consulted  upon  the  oc- 
casion. 

The  priests,  perceiving  the  de- 
termination of  the  duke,  had  re- 
course to  their  usual  artifice,  and 
endeavoured  to  prejudice  his  mind 
against  the  Waldenses  ;  but  he 
told  them,  that  although  he  was 
unacquainted  with  the  religious 
tenets  of  these  people,  yet  he  had 
always  found  them  quiet,  faithful, 
and  obedient,  and  was  therefore 
determined  they  should  be  perse- 
cuted no  longer.  The  priests  then 
vented  the  mo94  palpable  and 
absurd  falsehoods :  they  assured 
the  duke  that  he  was  mistaken  in 
the  Waldenses,  for  they  were  a 
wicked  set  of  people,  and  highly 
addicted  to  intemperance,  unclean- 
ness,  blasphemy,  adultery,  incest, 
and  many  other  abominable  crimes; 


IQO 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  that  they  were  even  monsters 
in  nature,  for  their  children  were 
born  with  black  throats,  with  four 
rows  of  teeth,  »nd  bodies  covered 
with  hair.  But  the  duke  was  not 
so  to  be  imposed  upon,  notwith- 
standing the  solemn  affirmations  of 
the  priests.  In  order  to  come  at 
the  truth,  he  sent  twelve  gentle- 
men into  the  Piedmontese  valleys, 
to  examine  into  the  real  character 
of  the  people. 

These  gentlemen,  after  travelling 
through  all  their  towns  and  vil- 
lages, and  conversing  with  the 
Waldenses  of  every  rank,  returned 
to  the  duke,  and  gave  him  the 
most  favourable  account  of  them, 
affirming,  in  contradiction  to  the 
priests,  that  they  were  harmless, 
inoffensive,  loyal,  friendly,  indus- 
trious, and  pious  ;  that  they  ab- 
horred the  crimes  of  which  they 
were  accused  ;  and  that,  should  an 
individual,  through  his  depravity, 
fall  into  any  of  those  crimes,  he 
would,  by  their  laws,  be  punished 
in  the  most  exemplary  manner. 
With  respect  to  the  children,  of 
whom  the  priests  had  told  the  most 
gross  and  ridiculous  falsehoods, 
they  were  neither  born  with  black 
throats,  teeth  in  their  mouths,  nor 
hair  on  their  bodies,  but  were  as 
fine  children  as  could  be  seen. 
"  And  to  convince  your  highness 
of  what  we  have  said,"  continued 
one  of  the  gentlemen,  "  we  have 
brought  twelve  of  the  principal 
male  inhabitants,  who  are  come  to 
ask  pardon  in  the  name  of  the 
rest,  for  having  taken  up  arms 
without  your  leave,  though  even 
in  their  own  defence,  and  to  pre- 
serve their  lives  from  their  merci- 
less enemies.  We  have  likewise 
brought  several  women,  with  chil- 
dren, of  various  ages,  that  your 
highness  may  have  an  opportunity 
of  judging  for  yourself."  His 
highness  then  accepted  the  apology 
of  the  twelve  delegates,  conversed 
with  the  women,  examined  the 
children,  and  afterwards  graciously 
dismissed  them.  He  then  com- 
manded the  priests,  who  had  at- 
tempted to  mislead  him,  immedi- 
ately to  leave  the  court ;    and  gave 


strict  orders,  that  the  persecution 
should  cease  throughout  his  do- 
minions. 

During  the  remainder  of  the 
reign  of  this  virtuous  prince,  the 
Waldenses  enjoyed  repose  in  their 
retreats  ;  but,  on  his  Sdeath,  this 
happy  scene  changed,  for  his  suc- 
cessor was  a  bigoted  papist.  About 
the  same  time,  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal Waldenses  proposed,  that 
their  clergy  should  preach  in  pub- 
lic, that  every  one  might  know  the 
purity  of  their  doctrines  ;  for 
hitherto  they  had  preached  only  in 
private,  and  to  such  congregations 
as  they  well  knew  to  consist  of 
none  but  persons  of  the  reformed 
religion. 

When  this  reached  the  ears  of 
the  new  duke,  he  was  greatly  ex- 
asperated, and  sent  a  considerable 
body  of  troops  into  the  valleys, 
swearing  that  if  the  people  would 
not  conform  to  the  Romish  faith, 
he  would  have  them  flayed  alive. 
The  commander  of  the  troops  soon 
found  the  impracticability  of  con- 
quering them  with  the  number  of 
men  then  under  him :  he,  there- 
fore, sent  word  to  the  duke,  that 
the  idea  of  subjugating  the  Wal- 
denses with  so  small  a  force  was 
ridiculous ;  that  they  were  better 
acquainted  with  the  country  than 
any  that  were  with  him  ;  that  they 
had  secured  all  the  passes,  were 
well  armed,  and  determined  to  de- 
fend themselves.  Alarmed  at  this, 
the  duke  commanded  the  troops  to 
return,  determining  to  act  by  stra- 
tagem. He,  therefore,  ordered  re- 
wards for  taking  any  of  the  Wal- 
denses, who  might  be  found  stray- 
ing from  their  places  of  security  ; 
and  these,  when  taken,  were  either 
flayed  alive  or  burnt. 

Pope  Paul  the  Third,  a  furious 
bigot,  ascending  the  pontifical 
chair,  immediately  solicited  the 
parliament  of  Turin  to  persecute 
the  Waldenses,  as  the  most  per- 
nicious of  all  heretics.  To  this 
the  parliament  readily  assented, 
when  several  were  suddenly  seized 
and  burnt  by  their  order.  Among 
these  was  Bartholomew  Hector,  a 
bookseller  of  Turin.     He  had  been 


PERSECUTIONS  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


191 


brought  up  a  Roman  Catholic,  but 
some  treatises  written  by  the  re- 
formed clergy  havinsij  fallen  into 
his  hands,  he  was  fully  convinced 
of  their  truth,  and  of  the  errors  of 
the  church  of  Rome  ;  yet  his  mind 
was,  for  some  time,  wavering  be- 
tween fear  and  duty,  when,  after 
serious  consideration,  he  fully  em- 
braced the  reformed  religion,  and 
was  apprehended,  as  we  have  al- 
ready mentioned,  and  burnt. 

A  consultation  was  again  held 
by  the  parliament  of  Turin,  in 
which  it  was  agreed,  that  deputies 
should  be  sent  to  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont  with  the  following  pro- 
positions ;  1.  That  if  the  Wal- 
denses  would  return  to  the  bosom 
of  the  church  of  Rome,  they  should 
enjoy  their  houses,  properties,  and 
lands,  and  live  with  their  families, 
without  the  least  molestation.  2. 
That  to  prove  their  obedience, 
they  should  send  twelve  of  their 
principal  persons,  with  all  their 
ministers  and  schoolmasters,  to 
Turin,  to  be  dealt  with  at  discre- 
tion. 3.  That  the  pope,  the  king 
of  France,  and  the  duke  of  Savoy, 
approved  of,  and  authorized  the 
proceedings  of  the  parliament  of 
Turin,  upon  this  occasion.  4.  That 
if  the  Waldenses  of  Piedmont  re- 
jected these  propositions,  persecu- 
tion and  death  should  be  their  re- 
ward. 

In  answer  to  these  hostile  arti- 
cles, the  Waldenses  made  the  fol- 
lowing noble  replies:  1.  That  no 
consideration  whatever  should 
make  them  renounce  their  religion. 
2.  That  they  would  never  consent 
to  intrust  their  best  friends  to  the 
enstody  and  discretion  of  their 
worst  enemies.  3.  That  they  va- 
lued the  approbation  of  the  King 
of  Kings,  who  reigns  in  Heaven, 
more  than  any  temporal  authority. 
4,  That  their  souls  were  more  pre- 
cious than  their  bodies. 

As  may  be  conjectured,  these 
spirited  and  pointed  ansvj^ers 
greatly  exasperated  the  parliament 
of  Turin:  in  consequence  of  which 
they  continued,  with  more  avidity 
than  ever,  to  seize  such  Waldenses 
as  unfortuftately  had  strayed  from 


their  hiding-places,  and  put  them 
to  the  most  cruel  deaths. 

They  soon  after  solicited  from 
the  king  of  France  a  considerable 
body  of  troops,  in  order  to  extermi- 
nate the  reformed  from  Piedmont ; 
but  just  as  the  troops  were  about 
to  march,  the  protestaat  princes' of 
Germany  interposed,  and  threat- 
ened to  send  troops  to  assist  the 
Waldenses.  On  this,  the  king  of 
France,  not  wishing  to  enter  into  a 
war,  remanded  the  troops.  This 
greatly  disappointed  the  sangui- 
nary members  of  the  parliament, 
and  for  want  of  power  the  perse- 
cution gradually  ceased,  and  they 
could  only  put  to  death  such  as 
they  caught  by  chance,  which, 
owing  to  the  caution  of  the  Wal- 
denses, were  very  few. 

After  a  few  years'  tranquillity, 
they  were  again  disturbed  in  the 
following  manner  :  the  pope's  nun- 
cio, coming  to  Turin,  told  the  duke 
he  was  astonished  that  he  had  not 
yet  either  rooted  out  the  Wal- 
denses from  Piedmont  entirely,  or 
compelled  them  to  return  to  the 
church  of  Rome.  That  such  con- 
duct in  him  awakened  suspicion, 
and  that  he  really  thought  him  a 
favourer  of  those  heretics,  and 
should  accordingly  report  tire  af- 
fair to  the  pope.  Roused  by  this 
reflection,  and  fearful  of  being 
misrepresented  to  the  pope,  the 
duke  determined  to  banish  those 
suspicions  ;  and,  to  prove  his  zeal, 
resolved  to  persecute  the  unoffend- 
ing Waldenses.  He,  accordingly, 
issued  express  orders  for  all  to  at- 
tend mass  regularly,  on  pain  of 
death.  This  they  absolutely  re- 
fused to  do,  on  which  he  entered 
Piedmont  with  a  great  body  of 
troops,  and  began  a  most  furious 
persecution,  in  which  great  num- 
bers were  hanged,  drowned,  ripped 
open,  tied  to  trees,  pierced  with 
prongs,  thrown  from  precipices, 
burnt,  stabbed,  racked  to  death, 
worried  by  dogs,  and  crucified 
with  their  heads  downwards. 
Those  who  fled  had  their  goods 
plundered  and  their  houses  burnt. 
When  they  caught  a  minister  or  a 
schoolmaster,  they  put  him  to  such 


\m 


Book  of  martyrs. 


exquisite  tortures,  as  are  scarcely 
credible.  If  any  whom  they  took 
seemed  wavering  in  their  faith, 
they  did  not  put  them  to  death, 
but  sent  them  to  the  galleys,  to  be 
made  converts  by  dint  of  hard- 
ships. 

In  this  expedition  the  duke  was 
accompanied  by  three  men  who 
^resembled  devils,  viz.  1.  Thomas 
Incorael,  an  apostate,  brought  up 
in  the  reformed  religion,  but  who 
4iad  renonnced  his  faith,  embraced 
the  errors  of  popery,  and  turned 
monk.  He  was  a  great  libertine, 
given  to  unnatural  crimes,  and 
most  particularly  solicitous  for 
the  plunder  of  the  Waldenses.  2. 
Corbis,  a  man  of  a  very  ferocious 
and  cruel  nature,  whose  business 
was  to  examine  the  prisoners.  3. 
The  provost  of  justice,  an  avari- 
cious wretch,  anxious  for  the  exe- 
cution of  the  Waldenses,  as  every 
execution  added  to  his  hoards. 

These  three  monsters  were  un- 
merciful to  the  last  degree  ;  wher- 
ever they  came,  the  blood  of  the 
innocent  was  shed.  But,  besides 
ti-e  cruelties  exercised  by  the  duke 
■with  these  three  persons  and  the 
army  in  their  different  marches, 
many  local  barbarities  took  place. 
At  Pignerol  w  as  a  monastery,  the 
monks  of  which  finding  they  migiit 
injure  the  reformed  with  impunity, 
began  to  plunder  their  houses,  and 
pull  down  their  churches  ;  and  not 
meeting  with  opposition,  they  next 
seized  upon  the  persons  of  those 
unhappy  people,  murdering  the 
men,  confining  the  women,  and 
putting  the  children  to  Roman  Ca- 
tholic nurses. 

In  the  same  manner  the  Roman 
Catholic  inhabitants  of  the  valley 
of  St.  Martin  did  ail  they  could  to 
torment  the  neighbouring  Wal- 
denses ;  they  destroyed  their 
churches,  burnt  their  houses,  seized 
their  property,  carried  away  their 
cattle,  converted  their  lands  to 
their  own  use,  committed  their  mi- 
nisters to  the  flames,  and  drove 
the  people  to  the  woods,  where 
they  had  nothing  to  subsist  on  but 
wild  fruits,  the  bark  of  trees,  roots, 
.Sec.  &c. 


Some  Roman  Catholic  ruffians 
having  seized  a  minister,  as  he 
was  going  to  preach,  determined 
to  take  him  to  a  convenient  place, 
and  burn  him.  His  parishioners 
hearing  of  this,  armed  themselves, 
pursued  and  attacked  the  villains ; 
who,  finding  they  could  not  exe- 
cute their  first  intent,  stabbed  the 
poor  gentleman,  and,  leaving  him 
weltering  in  his  blood,  made  a 
precipitate  retreat.  His  parishion- 
ers did  all  they  could  to  recover 
him,  but  in  vain ;  for  he  expired  as 
they  were  carrying  him  home. 

The  monks  of  Pignerol  having  a 
great  desire  to  get  into  their  pos- 
session a  minister  of  the  town  of 
St.  Germain,  hired  a  band  of  ruf- 
fians for  the  purpose  of  seizing 
him.  These  fellows  were  con- 
ducted by  a  treacherous  servant  to 
the  clergyman,  who  knew  a  secret 
way  to  the  house,  by  which  he 
could  lead  them  without  alarming 
the  neighbourliood.  The  guide 
knocked  at  tlie  door,  and  being 
asked  who  was  there,  answered  in 
his  own  name.  The  clergyman, 
expecting  no  injury  from  a  person 
on  whom  he  had  heaped  favours, 
immediately  opened  the  door  ; 
perceiving  the  ruffians,  he  fled,  but 
they  rushed  in,  and  seized  him. 
They  then  murdered  all  his  family  ; 
after  which  they  proceeded  witli 
their  captive  towards  Pignerol, 
goading  him  all  the  way.  He  was 
confined  a  considerable  time  in  pri- 
son, and  then  burnt. 

The  murderers  continuing  their 
assaults  about  the  town  of  St.  Ger- 
main, murdering  and  plundering 
many  of  the  inhabitants,  the  re- 
formed of  Lucerne  and  Angrogne 
sent  some  armed  men  to  the  as- 
sistance of  tlieir  brethren.  These 
men  frequently  attacked  and 
routed  the  ruffians,  which  so 
alarmed  the  monks,  tliat  they  left 
their  monastery  of  Pignerol,  till 
they  could  procure  regular  troops 
for  their  protection. 

The  duke  of  Savoy,  not  finding 
himself  so  successful  as  he  at  fi.rst 
imagined  he  should  be,  augmented 
his  forces,  joined  to  them  the  ruf- 
fians, and  commanded   that  a  ge- 


PERSECUTION?  OF  THE  WALDENSES. 


1! 


neral  delivery  should  take  place-  in 
the  prisons,  provided  the  persons 
released  would  bear  arms,  and  as- 
sist in  the  extermination  of  tlxe 
Waklenses. 

No  sooner  were  tlie  Waldenses 
infonned  of  these  proceedins^s  than 
they  secured  as  much  of  their  pro- 
perty as  they  could,  and  quitting 
tlie  valleys,  retired  to  the  rocks 
and  caves  among  the  Alps. 

The  army  no  sooner  reached 
their  destination  than  they  began 
to  plunder  and  burn  the  towns  and 


villages;  but  they  could  not  force 
the  passes  of  the  Alps,  gallantly 
defended  by  the  Waldenses,  who 
in  those  attempts  always  repulsed 
tlieir  enemies ;  but  if  any  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  troops,  they  were 
treated  in  tlie  most  barbarous  man- 
ner. A  soldier  having  caught  one 
of  them,  bit  his  right  ear  off,  say- 
ing, "  I  will  carry  this  member  of 
that  wicked  heretic  with  me  into 
my  own  country,  and  preserve  it 
as  a  rarity.-"  He  Uien  stabbed  the 
man,  and  threw  him  into  a  ditch. 


Martyrdom  of  St.  Stephen, 


At  one  time,  a  party  of  troops 
found  a  venerable  man  upwards  of 
an  hundred  years  of  age,  accom- 
panied by  his  grand-daughter,  a 
maiden,  of  about  eighteen,  in  a 
cave.  They  murdered  the  poor 
old  man  in  a  most  inhuman  man- 
ner, and  then  attempted  to  ravish 
the  girl,  when  she  started  away, 
and  being  pursued,  threw  herself 
from  a  precipice  and  was  dashed 
to  pieces. 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


Determined,  if  possible,  to  expel 
their  invaders,  tlie  Waldenses  en- 
tered into  a  league  with  the  pro- 
testaat  powers  in  Germany,  and 
with  the  reformed  of  Dauphiny 
and  Pragela.  These  were  re- 
spectively to  furnish  bodies  of 
troops;  and  the  Waldenses  re- 
solved, when  thus  reinforced,  to 
quit  the  mountains  of  the  Alps, 
where  they  soon  must  have  pe- 
rished, as  the  winter  was  coming 

13 


194 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


on,  and  to  force  the   duke's  army 
to  evacuate  their  native  valleys. 

But  the  duke  of  Savoy  himself 
was  tired  of  t".  e  war,  it  having 
cost  him  great  fatigue  and  anxiety 
of  mind,  a  vast  number  of  men, 
and  very  considerahle  sums  of  mo- 
ney. It  had  been  much  more  te- 
dious and  bloody  than  he  expected, 
as  well  as  more  expensive  than  he 
at  first  imagined,  for  he  thought 
the  plunder  would  have  discharged 
the  expenses  of  the  expedition :  in 
this,  however,  he  was  mistaken; 
for  the  pope's  nuncio,  the  bishops, 
monks,  and  other  ecclesiastics, 
who  attended  the  army  and  en- 
couraged the  war,  sunk  the  great- 
est part  of  the  wealth  that  was 
taken,  under  various  pretences. 
For  these  reasons,  and  the  death 
of  his  duchess,  of  which  he  had 
just  received  intelligence,  and 
fearing    that    the  Waldenses,    by 


the  treaties  they  had  entered  into, 
would  become  too  powerful  for 
him,  he  determined  to  return  to 
Turin  with  his  army,  and  to  make 
peace  with  them. 

This  resolution  he  put  in  prac- 
tice, greatly  against  the  wish  of 
the  ecclesiastics,  who  by  the  war 
gratified  both  their  avarice  and  their 
revenge.  Before  the  articles  of 
peace  could  be  ratified,  the  duke 
himself  died;  but  on  his  death-bed 
he  strictly  enjoined  his  son  to  per- 
form what  he  had  intended,  and  to 
be  as  favourable  as  possible  to  the 
Waldenses. 

Charles-Emanuel,  the  duke's 
son,  succeeded  to  the  dominions 
of  Savoy,  and  fully  ratified  the 
peace  with  the  Waldenses,  accord- 
ing to  the  last  injunctions  of  his  fa- 
ther, though  the  priests  used  all 
their  arts  to  dissuade  him  from  his 
purpose. 


SECTION  IV. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    VENICE. 


Before  the  terrors  of  the  inqui- 
sition were  known  at  Venice,  a 
great  number  of  protestants  fixed 
their  residence  there,  and  many 
converts  were  made  by  the  purity 
of  their  doctrines,  and  the  inoffen- 
siveness  of  their  conversation. 

The  pope  no  sooner  learned  the 
great  increase  of  protestantism, 
than  he,  in  the  year  1542,  sent 
inquisitors  to  Venice,  to  appre- 
hend such  as  they  might  deem  ob- 
noxious. Hence  a  severe  persecu- 
tion began,  and  many  persons  were 
martyred  for  serving  God  with  sin- 
cerity, and  scorning  the  trappings 
of  superstition. 

Various  were  the  modes  by 
which  the  protestants  were  depriv- 
ed of  life  ;  but  one  in  particular, 
being  both  new  and  singular,  we 
shall  describe  :  as  soon  as  sentence 
was  passed,  the  prisoner  had  an 
iron  chain,  to  which  was  suspended 
a  great  stone,  fastened  to  his  body  ; 
he  was  then  laid  flat  upon  a  plank, 
with  his  face  upwards,  and  rowed 
between  two  boats  to  a  certain 
distance  at  sea,  when  the  boats 
separated,  and,  by  the  weight  of 


the   stone,   he   was    sunk    to    the 
bottom. 

If  any  dared  to  deny  the  juris- 
diction of  the  inquisitors  at  Venice, 
they  were  conveyed  to  Rome, 
where  being  committed  to  damp 
and  nauseous  dungeons,  their  flesh 
mortified,  and  a  most  miserable 
death  ensued. 

A'  citizen  of  Venice,  named  An- 
thony Ricetti,  being  apprehended 
as  a  protestant,  was  sentenced  to 
be  drowned  in  the  manner  above 
described.  A  few  days  previous 
to  his  execution,  his  son  went  to 
him,  and  entreated  him  to  recant, 
that  his  life  might  be  saved,  and 
himself  not  left  an  orphan.  To 
this  the  father  replied,  "  A  good 
Christian  is  bound  to  relinquish 
not  only  goods  and  children,  but 
life  itself  for  the  glory  of  his  Re- 
deemer." The  nobles  of  Venice 
likewise  sent  him  word,  that  if  "he 
would  embrace  the  Roman  catho- 
lic religion,  they  would  not  only 
grant  him  life,  but  redeem  a  con- 
siderable estate  which  he  had 
mortgaged,  and  freely  present  him 
with  it.    This,  however,  he  abso- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  ITALY. 


195 


lately  refused  to  comply  with,  say- 
ing that  he  valued  his  soul  beyond 
all  other  considerations.  Finding 
all  endeavours  to  persuade  him  in- 
effectual, they  ordered  the  execu- 
tion of  his  sentence,  which  took 
place  accordingly,  and  he  died 
recommending  his  soul  fervently  to 
his  Redeemer. 

Francis  Sega,  another  Venetian, 
steadfastly  persisting  in  his  faith, 
was  executed,  a  few  days  after 
Ricetti,  in  the  same  manner. 

Francis  Spinola,  a  protestant 
gentleman  of  very  great  learning, 
was  apprehended  by  order  of  the 
inquisitors  and  carried  before  their 
tribunal.  A  treatise  on  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  then  put  into  his  hands, 
and  he  was  asked  if  he  knew  the 
author  of  it.  To  which  he  replied, 
"  I  confess  myself  its  author;  and 
solemnly  affirm,  that  there  is  not  a 
line  in  it  but  what  is  authorized  by, 
and  consonant  to,  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures." On  this  confession  he  was 
committed  close  prisoner  to  a  dun- 


geon. After  remaining  there  seve- 
ral days,  he  was  brought  to  a 
second  examination,  when  he 
charged  the  pope's  legate,  and 
the  inquisitors,  with  being  merci- 
less barbarians,  and  represented 
the  superstition  and  idolatry  of 
the  church  of  Rome  in  so  strong 
a  light,  that,  unable  to  refute  hia 
arguments,  they  recommitted  him 
to  his  dungeon.  Being  brought  up 
a  third  time,  they  asked  him  if  he 
would  recant  his  errors,  to  which 
he  answered,  that  the  doctrines  he 
maintained  were  not  erroneous, 
being  purely  the  same  as  those 
which  Christ  and  his  apostles 
had  taught,  and  which  were  handed 
down  to  us  in  the  sacred  scriptures. 
The  inquisitors  then  sentenced  him 
to  be  drowned,  which  was  execut- 
ed in  the  manner  already  described. 
He  went  to  death  with  joy,  think- 
ing it  a  happiness  to  be  so  soon 
ushered  to  the  world  of  glory,  to 
dwell  with  God  and  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect. 


SECTION  V. 

MARTYRDOMS    IN    VARIOUS    PARTS    OF    ITALY. 


John  Mollius  was  born  at 
Rome  of  a  respectable  family.  At 
twelve  years  old  his  parents 
placed  him  in  a  monastery  of  grey 
friars,  where  he  made  so  rapid  a 
progress  in  his  studies,  that  he  was 
admitted  to  priest's  orders  at  the 
early  age  of  eighteen  years.  He 
was  then  sent  to  Ferrara,  where, 
after  six  years  further  study,  he 
was  appointed  theological  reader 
in  the  university  of  that  city. 
Here  he  began  to  exert  his  great 
talents  to  disguise  the  gospel 
truths,  and  to  varnish  over  the 
errors  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
Having  passed  some  years  here,  he 
removed  to  the  university  of  Bo- 
nonia,  where  he  became  a  pro- 
fessor. At  length,  happily  reading 
some  treatises  written  by  ministers 
of  the  reformed  religion,  he  was 
suddenly  struck  with  the  errors  of 
popery,  and  became  in  his  heart  a 
zealous  protestant.  He  now  deter- 
mined to  expound,  in  truth  and 
simplicity,  St.  Paul's  epistle  to  the 


Romans,  in  a  regular  course  of 
sermons;  at  each  of  which  he  was 
attended  by  a  vast  concourse  of 
people.  But  when  the  priests 
learned  his  doctrines,  they  dis- 
patched an  account  thereof  to 
Rome ;  upon  which  the  pope  sent 
Cornelius,  a  monk,  to  Bononia,  to 
expound  the  same  epistle,  accord-^ 
ing  to  his  own  tenets,  and  to  con- 
trovert the  doctrine  of  Mollius. 
The  people,  however,  found  such 
a  disparity  between  the  two  preach- 
ers, that  the  audience  of  Mollius 
increased,  while  Cornelius  preached 
to  empty  benches.  The  latter  on 
this  wrote  of  his  bad  success  to  the 
pope,  who  immediately  ordered 
Mollius  to  be  apprehended.  He 
was  seized  accoi'dingly,  and  kept 
in  close  confinement.  The  bishop 
of  Bononia  sent  him  word  that 
he  must  recant  or  be  burnt;  but 
he  appealed  to  Rome,  and  was  in 
consequence  removed  thither. 
Here  he  begged  to  have  a  public 
trial ;  but  this  the  pope  absolutely 


196 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


denied  liira,  and  commanded  him 
to  explain  his  opinions  in  writinoj, 
which  accordingly  he  did  on  scrip- 
ture authority.  The  pope,  for  rea- 
sons of  policy,  spared  him  for  the 
present;  but,  in  1553,  had  him 
hanged,  and  his  body  afterwards 
burnt  to  ashes, 

Francis  Gamba,  a  Lombard  and 
a  protestant,  was  apprehended, 
and  condemned  to  death  by  the 
senate  of  Milan,  in  the  year  1554. 
At  the  place  of  execution,  he  was 
presented  by  a  monk  with  a  cross. 
"My  mind,"  said  Gamba,  "  is  so 
full  of  the  real  merits  and  good- 
ness of  Christ,  that  I  want  not  a 
piece  of  senseless  stick  to  put  me 
in  mind  of  him."  For  this  expres- 
sion his  tongue  was  bored  through, 
after  which  he  was  committed  to 
the  flames. 

About  the  same  period  Algerius, 
a  learned  and  accomplished  student 
in  the  university  of  Padua,  em- 
braced the  reformed  religion,  and 
was  zealous  in  the  conversion  of 
others.  For  these  proceedings  he 
was  accused  of  heresy  to  the  pope, 
and  being  apprehended,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  prison  at  Venice, 
whence  he  wrote  to  his  converts  at 
Padua  the  following  celebrated 
and  beautiful  epistle. 

"Dear  Friends, 
"I  CANNOT  omit  this  opportunity 
of  letting  you  know  the  sincere 
pleasure  I  feel  in  my  confinement : 
to  sutt'er  for  Christ  is  delectable  in- 
deed ;  to  undergo  a  little  transitory 
pain  in  this  world,  for  his  sake,  is 
cheaply  purchasing  a  reversion  of 
eternal  glory,  in  a  life  that  is  ever- 
lasting. Hence  I  have  found  honey 
in  the  entrails  of  a  lion  ;  a  paradise 
in  a  prison ;  tranquillity  in  the 
house  of  sorrow :  where  others 
weep,  I  rejoice  ;  where  others 
tremble  and  faint,  I  find  strength 
and  courage.  The  Almighty  alone 
confers  these  favours  on  me ;  be 
his  the  glory  and  the  praise. 

"  How  different  do  I  find  tnyself 
from  what  I  was  before  I  embraced 
the  truth  in  its  purity  !  I  was  then 
dark,  doubtful,  and  in  dread;  I 
am  now  enlightened,  certain,  and 


full  of  joy.  He  that  was  far  from 
me  is  present  with  me  ;  he  comforts 
my  spirit,  heals  my  grief,  strength- 
ens my  mind,  refreshes  my  heart, 
and  fortifies  my  soul.  Learn, 
therefore,  how  merciful  anci  ami- 
able the  Lord  is,  who  supports  his 
servants  under  temptations,  expels 
their  sorrows,  lightens  their  af- 
flictions, and  even  visits  them  with 
his  glorious  presence  in  the  gloom 
of  a  dismal  dungeon. 

"  Your  sincere  friend, 
"  Algerius." 

The  pope  being  informed  of  Al- 
gerius's  great  learning  and  abili- 
ties, sent  for  him  to  Rome,  and 
tried,  by  every  means,  to  win  him 
to  his  purpose.  But  finding  his  en- 
deavours hopeless,  he  ordered  him 
to  be  burnt. 

In  1559,  John  Alloisius,  a  pro- 
testant teacher,  having  come  from 
Geneva  to  preach  in  Calabria,  was 
there  apprehended,  carried  to  ' 
Rome,  and  burnt,  by  order  of  the 
pope ;  and  at  Messina,  James  Bo- 
vellus  was  burnt  for  the  same  of- 
fence. 

In  the  year  1560,  pope  Pius  the 
Fourth  commenced  a  general  per- 
secution of  the  protestauts  through- 
out the  Italian  states,  when  great 
numbers  of  every  age,  sex,  and 
condition,  suflered  martyrdom. 
Concerning  the  cruelties  practised 
upon  this  occasion,  a  learned  and 
humane  Roman  catholic  thus 
speaks  in  a  letter  to  a  nobleman  : 

"  I  cannot,  my  lord,  forbear  dis- 
closing my  sentiments  with  respect 
to  the  persecution  now  carrying  on. 
I  think  it  cruel  and  unnecessary; 
I  tremble  at  the  manner  of  putting 
to  death,  as  it  resembles  more  the 
slaughter  of  calves  and  sheep,  than 
the  execution  of  human  beings.  I 
will  relate  to  your  lordship  a  dread- 
ful scene,  of  which  I  was  myself 
an  eye-witness :  seventy  protest- 
ants  were  cooped  up  in  one  filthy 
dungeon  together ;  the  executioner 
■went  in  among  them,  picked  out 
one  from  among  the  rest,  blindfold- 
ed him,  led  him  out  to  an  open 
place  before  the  prison,  and  cut  his 
throat  with  the  greatest  composure. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PIEDMONT. 


197 


He  then  calmly  walked  into  the 
prison  a^rain,  bloody  as  he  was, 
and  witli  the  knife  in  his  hand 
selected  another,  and  dispatched 
him  in  the  same  manner ;  and  this, 
my  lord,  he  repeated  till  the  whole 
number  were  put  to  death.  I  leave 
it  to  your  lordship's  feelinojs  to 
jud^e  of  my  sensations  upon  the 
occasion  ;  my  tears  now  wash  the 
paper  upon  wiiich  I  give  you  tlie 
recital.       Another    thins    I    must 


mention,  the  patience  with  which 
they  met  death :  they  seemed  all 
resignation  and  piety,  fervently 
praying  to  God,  and  cheerfully  en- 
countering their  fate.  I  cannot 
reflect  without  shuddering,  how 
the  executioner  held  the  bloody 
knife  between  his  teeth  ;  what  a 
dreadful  figure  he  appeared,  all 
covered  with  blood,  and  with  what 
unconcern  he  executed  his  barba- 
rous office !" 


SECTION  vr. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    THE    MARQUISATE    01?    SALUCES. 


The  marquisate  of  Saluces,  or 
Saluzzo,  is  situated  on  the  south 
side  of  the  valleys  of  Piedmont, 
and  in  the  year  1561  was  princi- 
pally inhabited  by  protestants ; 
when  the  marquis  began  a  persecu- 
tion against  them  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  the  pope.  He  commenced 
by  banishing  the  ministers ;  if  any 
of  whom  refused  to  leave  their 
flocks  they  were  imprisoned  and 
severely  tortured :  he  did  not,  how- 
ever, put  any  to  death. 

A  little  time  after,  the  marquisate 
fell  into  the  possession  of  the  duke 
of  Savoy,  who  sent  circular  letters 
to  all  the  towns  and  villages,  that 
he  expected  the  people  should  all 
go  to  mass.  Upon  this  the  inha- 
bitants of  Saluces  returned  a  sub- 
missive yet  manly  answer,  entreat- 
ing permission  to  continue  in  the 
practice  of  the  religion  of  their 
forefathers. 

This  letter  for  a  time  seemed  to 


pacify  the  duke,  but,  at  length,  he 
sent  them  word,  that  they  must 
either  conform  to  his  former  com- 
mands, or  leave  his  dominions  in 
fifteen  days.  The  protestants  upon 
this  unexpected  edict,  sent  a  de- 
puty to  the  duke  to  obtain  his  re- 
vocation, or  at  least  to  have  it 
moderated.  Their  petitions,  how- 
ever, were  vain,  and  they  were 
given  to  understand  that  the  edict 
was  peremptory. 

Some,  under  the  impulse  of  fear 
or  worldly  interest,  were  weak 
enough  to  go  to  mass,  in  order  to 
avoid  banishment,  and  preserve 
their  property ;  others  removed, 
with  all  their  effects,  to  difierent 
countries ;  many  neglected  the 
time  so  long,  that  they  were  obliged 
to  abandon  all  they  were  worth, 
and  leave  the  marquisate  in  haste ; 
while  some,  who  unhappily  staid 
behind,  were  seized,  plundered, 
and  put  to  death. 


SECTION  VII. 

PERSECUTIONS    IN    PIEDMONT,    IN    THE    SEVENTEENTH    CENTURY. 


Pope  Clement  the  Eighth  sent 
missionaries  into  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont,  with  a  view  to  induce 
the  protestants  to  renounce  their 
religion.  These  missionaries  erect- 
ed monasteries  in  several  parts  of 
the  valleys,  and  soon  became  very 
troublesome  to  the  reformed,  to 
whom  the  monasteries  appeared 
not  only  as  fortresses  to  curb, 
but  as  sanctuaries  for  all  such  to 
lly  to  as  had  injured  them  in  any 
degree. 


The  insolence  and  tyranny  of 
these  missionaries  increasing,  the 
protestants  petitioned  the  duke  of 
Savoy  for  protection.  But  instead 
of  granting  any  redress,  the  duke 
published  a  decree,  in  which  he 
declared  that  one  witness  should 
be  sufficient  in  a  court  of  law 
against  a  protestant;  and  that 
any  witness  who  convicted  a  pro- 
testant of  any  crime  whatever, 
should  be  entitled  to  a  hundred 
crowns  as  a  reward. 


r<)8 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


In  consequence  of  this,  as  may 
be  imagined,  many  protestants  fell 
martyrs  to  the  perjury  and  avarice 
of  the  papists,who  would  swear  any 
thing  against  them  for  the  sake  of 
the  reward,  and  then  fly  to  their 
own  priests  for  absolution  from 
their  false  oaths. 

These  missionaries  endeavoured 
to  get  the  books  of  the  protestants 
into  their  power,  in  order  to  burn 
them  ;  and  on  the  owners  conceal- 
ing them,  wrote  to  the  duke  of 
Savoy,  who,  for  the  heinous  crime 
tJf  not  surrendering  their  bibles, 
prayer-books,  and  religious  trea- 
tises, sent  a  number  of  troops  to 
he  quartered  on  them,  which  oc- 
casioned the  ruin  of  many  fa- 
liiilies. 

To  encourage,  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, the  apostacy  of  the  protest- 
Q.nts,  the  duke  published  a  procla- 
mation, granting  an  exemption  for 
five  years  from  all  taxes  to  every 
protestant  who  should  become  a 
catholic.  He  likewise  established 
a  court  called  the  council  for  ex- 
tirpating the  heretics ;  the  object 
and  nature  of  which  are  sufficiently 
evident  from  its  name. 

After  this,  the  duke  published 
several  edicts,  prohibiting  the 
protestants  from  acting  as  school- 
masters or  tutors;  from  teaching 
any  art,  science,  or  language ; 
from  holding  any  places  of  profit, 
trust,  or  honour;  and,  finally,  com- 
manding them  to  attend  mass. 
This  last  was  the  signal  for  a  per- 
secution, which,  of  course,  soon 
followed. 

Before  the  persecution  com- 
menced, the  missionaries  employ- 
ed kidnappers  to  steal  away  the 
children  of  the  protestants,  that 
they  might  privately  be  brought  up 
Roman  catholics ;  but  now  they 
took  away  the  children  by  open 
force,  and  if  the  wretched  parents 
resisted,  they  were  immediately 
murdered. 

The  duke  of  Savoy,  in  order  to 
give  force  to  the  persecution,  called 
a  general  assembly  of  the  Roman 
catholic  nobility  and  gentry, 
whence  issued  a  solemn  edict 
against  the  reformed,  coutaiuing 


many  heads,  and  including  seve- 
ral reasons  for  extirpating  them, 
among  which  the  following  were 
the  principal  :  the  preservation  of 
the  papal  authority;  that  the 
church  livings  might  be  all  under 
one  mode  of  government ;  to 
make  an  union  among  all  parties  ; 
in  honour  of  all  the  saints,  and 
of  the  ceremonies  of  the  church 
of  Rome. 

This  was  followed  by  a  most 
cruel  order,  published  on  January 
25,  1655,  which  decreed  that  every 
family  of  the  reformed  religion, 
of  whatever  rank,  residing  in  Lu- 
cerne, St.  Giovanni,  Bibiana,  Cam- 
piglione,  St.  Secondo,  Lucernetta, 
La  Torre,  Fenile,  or  Bricherassio, 
should,  within  three  days  after  the 
publication  thereof,  depart  from 
their  habitations  to  such  places  as 
were  appointed  by  the  duke,  on 
pain  of  death  and  confiscation. 

This  order  produced  the  great- 
est distress  among  the  unhappy 
objects  of  it,  as  it  was  enforced 
with  the  greatest  severity  in  the 
depth  of  a  very  severe  winter,  and 
the  people  were  driven  from  their 
habitations  at  the  time  appointed, 
without  even  sufficient  clothes  to 
cover  them  ;  by  which  many  pe- 
rished in  the  mountains  through 
the  severity  of  the  weather,  or  for 
want  of  food.  Those  who  remain- 
ed behind  after  the  publication  of 
the  decree,  were  murdered  by  the 
popish  inhabitants,  or  shot  by  the 
troops,  and  the  most  horrible  bar- 
barities were  perpetrated  by  these 
ruffians,  encouraged  by  the  Roman 
catholic  priests  and  monks,  of 
which  the  following  may  serve  as 
a  specimen. 

Martha  Constantine,  a  beautiful 
young  woman,  Avas  first  ravished, 
and  then  killed,  by  cutting  oft"  her 
breasts.  These  some  of  the  sol- 
diers fried,  and  set  before  their 
comrades,  who  eat  them  without 
knowing  what  they  were.  When 
they  had  done  eating,  the  others 
told  them  what  they  had  made  a 
meal  of,  in  consequence  of  which 
a  quarrel  ensued,  and  a  battle 
took  place.  Several  were  killed 
in  the  fray,  the    greater   part  of 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PIEDMONT. 


109 


wliom  were  those  concerned  in  the 
horrid  massacre  of  tlie  woman,  and 
the  inhuman  deception  on  their 
comrades. 

Peter  Simonds,  a  protestant,  of 
about  eig:hty  years  of  age,  was 
tied  neck  and  heels,  and  then 
thrown  down  a  precipice.  In  his 
fall  the  branch  of  a  tree  caught 
hold  of  the  ropes  that  fastened 
him,'  and  suspended  him  in  the 
mid-way,  so  that  he  languished 
for  several  days,  till  he  perished  of 
hunger. 

Bsay  Garcino,  refusing  to  re- 
nounce his  religion,  the  soldiers 
cut  him  into  small  pieces,  saying, 
in  ridicule,  they  had  minced  him. 
A  woman,  named  Armand,  was 
torn  limb  from  limb,  and  then  the 
respective  parts  were  hung  upon  a 
hedge. 

Several  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, were  flung  from  the  rocks, 
and  dashed  to  pieces.  Among 
others,  Magdalen  Bertino,  a  pro- 
testant woman  of  La  Torre,  was 
stripped  naked,  her  head  tied  be- 
tween her  legs,  and  she  was  then 
thrown  down  a  precipice.  Mary 
Raymondet,  of  the  same  town, 
had  her  flesh  sliced  from  her  bones 
till  she  expired  ;  Magdalen  Pilot, 
of  Villaro,  was  cut  to  pieces  in 
the  cave  of  Castolus :  Ann  Char- 
boniere  had  one  end  of  a  stake 
thrust  up  her  body,  and  the  other 
end  being  fixed  in  the  ground,  she 
was  left  in  that  manner  to  perish; 
and  Jacob  Perrin  the  elder,  of  the 
church  of  Villaro,  with  David, 
his  brother,  was  flayed  alive. 

Giovanni  Andrea  Michialin,  an 
inhabitant  of  La  Torre,  with  four 
of  his  children,  was  apprehended  ; 
three  of  them  were  hacked  to 
pieces  before  him,  the  soldiers 
asking  him,  at  the  death  of  every 
child,  if  he  would  recant,  which  he 
constantly  refused.  One  of  the 
soldiers  then  took  up  the  last  and 
youngest  by  the  legs,  and  putting 
the  same  question  to  the  father,  he 
replied  as  before,  when  the  inhu- 
man brute  dashed  out  the  child's 
brains.  The  father,  however,  at 
the  same  moment  started  from 
them,  and   fled;  the  soldiers  fired 


after  him,  but  missed  him ;  and  he 
escaped  to  the  Alps,  and  tncre  re- 
mained concealed. 

Giovanni  Pelanchion,  on  refusing 
to  abjure  his  faith,  was  tied  by 
one  leg  to  the  tail  of  a  mule,  and 
dragged  through  the  streets  of 
Lucerne,  amidst  the  acclamations 
of  an  inhuman  mob,  who  kept 
stoning  him,  and  crying  out,  "  He 
is  possessed  of  the  devil."  They 
then  took  him  to  the  river  side, 
chopped  ofl"  his  head,  and  left 
that  and  his  body  unburied,  upon 
the  bank  of  the  river. 

A  beautiful  child,  ten  years  of 
age,  named  Magdalene  Fontaine, 
was  ravished  and  murdered  by 
the  soldiers.  Another  girl,  of 
about  the  same  age,  they  roasted 
alive  at  Villa  Nova;  and  a  poor 
woman,  hearing  the  soldiers  were 
coming  towards  her  house,  snatch- 
ed up  the  cradle  in  which  her 
infant  son  was  asleep,  and  fled 
towards  the  woods.  The  soldiers, 
however,  saw  and  pursued  her, 
when  she  lightened  herself  by 
putting  down  the  cradle  and  child, 
which  the  soldiers  no  sooner  came 
to,  than  they  murdered  the  infant, 
and  continuing  the  pursuit,  found 
the  mother  in  a  cave,  where  they 
first  ravished,  and  then  cut  her  to 
atoms. 

Jacobo  Michelino,  chief  elder  of 
the  church  of  Bobbio,  and  several 
other  protestants,  were  hung  up  by 
hooks  fixed  in  their  flesh,  and  left 
so  to  expire.  Giovanni  Rostagnal, 
a  venerable  protestant,  upwards  of 
fourscore  years  of  age,  had  his 
nose  and  ears  cut  ofl",  and  the  flesh 
cut  from  his  body,  till  he  bled  to 
death. 

Daniel  Saleago  and  his  wife, 
Giovanni  Durant,  Lodwich  Durant, 
Bartholomew  Durant,  Daniel  Re- 
vel, and  Paul  Reynaud,  had  their 
mouths  stuff"ed  with  gunpowder, 
which  being  set  fire  to,  their  heads 
were  blown  to  pieces. 

Jacob  Birone,  a  schoolmaster  of 
Rorata,  was  stripped  naked  ;  and 
after  having  been  so  exposed,  had 
the  nails  of  his  toes  and  fingers 
torn  oft"  witli  red-hot  pincers,  and 
holes  bored  through  his  hands  with 


200 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  point  of  a  dagajer.  He  neslt 
had  a  cord  tied  round  his  middle, 
and  was  led  through  the  streets 
•with  a  soldier  on  each  side  of  him. 
At  every  turning  the  soldier  on  his 
Tight-hand  side  cut  a  gash  in  his 
flesh,  and  the  soldier  on  his  left- 
hand  side  struck  him  with  a  blud- 
geon, both  saying,  at  the  same  in- 
stant, "Will  you  go  to  mass? 
Will  yoa  go  to  mass?"  He  still 
replied  in  the  negative,  and  being 
at  length  taken  to  the  bridge,  they 
cut  off  his  head  on  the  ballustrades, 
and  threw  both  that  and  his  body 
into  the  river. 

Paul  Gamier,  a  protestant  be- 
loved for  his  piety,  had  his  eyes 
put  out,  was  then  flayed  alive,  and 
being  divided  into  four  parts,  his 
quarters  were  placed  on  four  of 
the  principal  houses  of  Lucerne. 
He  bore  all  his  sufferings  with  the 
most  exemplary  patience,  praised 
God  as  long  as  he  could  speak, 
and  plainly  evinced  the  courage 
arising  from  a  confidence  in  God. 

Daniel  Cardon,  of  Rocappiata, 
being  apprehended  by  some  sol- 
diers, they  cut  off  his  head.  Two 
poor  old  blind  women,  of  St.  Gio- 
vanni, were  burnt  alive;  and  a  wi- 
dow of  La  Torre,  with  her  daugh- 
ter, was  driven  into  the  river,  and 
stoned  to  death  there. 

A  man  named  Paul  Giles  at- 
tempting to  run  away  from  some 
soldiers,  was  shot  in  the  neck: 
they  then  slit  bis  nose,  sliced  his 
chin,  stabbed  him,  and  gave  his 
carcass  to  the  dogs. 

Some  of  the  Irish  troops  having 
taken  eleven  men  of  Garcigliana 
prisoners,  they  heated  a  furnace 
red  hot,  and  forced  them  to  push 
each  other  in  till  they  came  to  the 
last  man,  whom  they  themselves 
pushed  in. 

Michael  Gonet,  a  man  about  90 
years  old,  was  burnt  to  death; 
Baptista  Oudri,  another  old  man, 
was  stabbed ;  and  Bartholomew 
Frasche  had  his  heels  pierced, 
through  which  ropes  being  put,  he 
was  dragged  by  them  to  the  gaol, 
where,  inconsequence  of  his  wounds 
mortifying,  he  soon  died, 

Ma^alene    de  la  Peire    being 


pursued  by  some  of  the  soldiers, 
and  taken,  was  cast  down  a  preci- 
pice, and  dashed  to  pieces.  Mar- 
garet Revella  and  Mary  Pravil- 
lerin,  two  very  old  women,  were 
burnt  alive ;  Michael  Bellino,  with 
Ann  Bochardno,  were  beheaded; 
Joseph  Chairet,  and  Paul  Gar- 
ni ero,  were  flayed  alive. 

Cipriana  Bustia  being  asked  if 
he  would  renounce  his  religion, 
and  turn  Roman  Catholic,  replied, 
"  I  would  rather  renounce  life,  or 
turn  dog:"  to  which  a  priest  an- 
swered, "  For  that  expression  you 
shall  both  renounce  life,  and  be 
given  to  the  dogs."  They,  accord- 
ingly, dragged  him  to  prison, 
where  they  confined  him  till  he  pe- 
rished of  hunger,  after  which  they 
threw  his  corpse  into  the  street  be- 
fore the  prison,  and  it  was  de- 
voured by  dogs. 

Joseph  Pont  was  severed  in  two ; 
Margaret  Soretta  was  stoned  to 
death ;  and  Antonio  Bertina  had 
his  head  cleft  asunder. 

Daniel  Maria,  and  ail  his  family, 
being  ill  of  a  fever,  several  papist 
ruffians  broke  into  his  house,  tell- 
ing him  they  were  practical  physi- 
cians, and  would  give  them  all 
present  ease;  which  they  did,  by 
murdering  the  Avhole  family. 

Lucy,  the  wife  of  Peter  Besson, 
being  in  an  advanced  state  of 
pregnancy,  determined,  if  possible, 
to  escape  from  such  dreadful 
scenes  as  every  where  surrounded 
her:  she  accordingly  took  two 
young  children,  one  in  each  hand, 
and  set  off  towards  the  Alps.  But 
on  the  third  day  of  the  journey  she 
was  taken  in  labour  among  the 
mountains,  and  delivered  of  an 
infant,  who  perished  through  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather,  as  did 
the  other  two  children ;  for  all 
three  were  found  dead  by  her  side, 
and  herself  just  expiring,  by  the 
person  to  whom  she  related  the 
above  circumstances. 

Francis  Gross  had  his  flesh 
slowly  cut  from  his  body  into  small 
pieces,  and  put  into  a  dish  before 
him;  two  of  his  children  were 
minced  before  his  sight,  while  his 
wife  was  fastened  to  a  post,  to  b6- 


PERSECUTIONS    IN  PIEDMONT. 


201 


hold  these  cruelties  practised  on 
her  husband  and  offspring;.  The 
tormentors,  at  length,  tired  of  ex- 
ercising their  cruelties,  decapi- 
tated both  husband  and  wife. 

The  Sieur  Thomas  Margher  fled 
to  a  cave,  where  being  discovered, 
the  soldiers  shut  up  the  mouth, 
and  he  perished  with  famine.  Ju- 
dith Revelin,  with  seven  children, 
were  barbarously  murdered  in  their 
beds. 

Jacob  Roseno  was  commanded 
to  pray  to  the  saints,  which  he  re- 
fusing, the  soldiers  beat  him  vio- 
lently with  bludgeons  to  make  him 
comply,  but  he  continuing  steady 
to  his  faith,  they  fired  at  him. 
While  in  the  agonies  of  death, 
they  cried  to  him,  "  Will  you  pray 
to  the  saints?"  To  which  he  an- 
swered, "  No!"  when  one  of  the 
soldiers,  with  a  broad  sword,  clove 
his  head  asunder,  and  put  an  end 
to  his  suiTerings. 

A  young  woman,  named  Su- 
sanna Ciacquin,  being  attempted 
to  be  ravished  by  a  soldier,  made  a 
stout  resistance,  and  in  the  strug- 
gle, pushed  him  over  a  precipice, 
when  he  was  dashed  to  pieces  by 
the  fall.  His  comrades  imme- 
diately fell  upon  her  with  their 
swords,  and  cut  her  to  atoms. 

Giovanni  PuUius,  being  appre- 
hended as  a  protestant  by  the  sol- 
diers, was  ordered  by  the  marquis 
of  Pianessa  to  be  executed  in  a 
place  near  the  convent.  When 
brought  to  the  gallows,  several 
monks  attended,  to  persuade  him 
to  renounce  his  religion.  But 
finding  him  inflexible,  they  com- 
manded the  executioner  to  perform 
his  office,  which  he  did,  and  so 
launched  the  martyr  into  the  world 
of  glory. 

Paul  Clement,  an  elder  of  the 
church  of  Rossana,  being  appre- 
hended by  the  monks  of  a  neigh- 
bouring monastery,  was  carried  to 
the  market-place  of  that  town, 
where  some  protestants  had  just 
been  executed.  On  beholding  the 
dead  bodies,  he  said  calmly,  "  You 
may  kill  the  body,  but  you  cannot 
prejudice  the  soul  of  a  true  be- 
liever: with  respect  to  the  dreadful 


spectacles  which  you  have  here 
shewn  me,  you  may  rest  assured, 
that  God's  vengeance  will  overtake 
the  murderers  of  those  poor  people, 
and  punish  them  for  the  innocent 
blood  they  have  spilt."  The 
monks  were  so  exasperated  at 
this  reply,  that  they  ordered  him  to 
be  hung  up  directly:  and  while  he 
was  hanging,  the  soldiers  amused 
themselves  by  shooting  at  the 
body. 

Daniel  Rambaut,  of  Villaro,  the 
father  of  a  numerous  family,  was 
seized,  and,  with  several  others, 
committed  to  the  goal  of  Paysana. 
Here  he  was  visited  by  several 
priests,  who,  with  continual  impor- 
tunities, strove  to  persuade  him  to 
turn  papist;  but  this  he  perempto- 
rily refused,  and  the  priests  find- 
ing his  resolution,  and  enraged  at 
his  answers,  determined  to  put  him 
to  the  most  horrible  tortures,  in 
the  hope  of  overcoming  his  faith; 
they  therefore  ordered  one  joint  of 
his  fingers  to  be  cut  oft'  every  day, 
till  all  his  fingers  were  gone:  they 
then  proceeded  in  the  same  man- 
ner with  his  toes;  afterwards  they 
alternately  cut  off,  daily,  a  hand 
and  a  foot;  but  finding  that  he 
bore  his  suff"erings  with  the  most 
unconquerable  fortitude,  and  main- 
tained his  faith  with  steadfast  re- 
solution, they  stabbed  him  to  the 
heart,  and  then  gave  his  body  to 
be  devoured  by  dogs. 

Peter  Gabriola,  a  protestant 
gentleman,  of  considerable  emi- 
nence, being  seized  by  a  troop  of 
soldiers,  and  refusing  to  renounce 
his  religion,  they  hung  several 
bags  of  gunpowder  about  his  body, 
and  then  setting  fire  to  them,  blew 
him  up. 

Anthony,  the  son  of  Samuel  Ca- 
tieris,  a  poor  dumb  lad,  and  ex- 
tremely inoffensive,  was  cut  to 
pieces  by  a  party  of  the  troops: 
and  soon  after  the  same  ruflians 
entered  the  house  of  Peter  Moni- 
riat,  and  cut  ofl"  the  legs  of  the 
whole  family,  leaving  them  to 
bleed  to  death,  they  being  unable 
to  assist  each  other  in  that  melan- 
choly plight. 

Daniel    Benech    being    appre- 


202 


BOOK  OP  MARTYRS. 


bended,  had  his  nose  slit,  and  his 
ears  cut  off;  after  which,  he  was 
divided  into  quarters,  and  each 
quarter  hung  upon  a  tree.  Mary 
Monino  had  her  jaw-bones  broken, 
and  was  then  left  to  languish  till 
she  was  starved  to  death. 

Mary  Pelanchion,  a  widow,  of 
the  town  of  Villaro,  was  seized  by 
a  party  of  the  Irish  brigades,  who 
having  beat  her  cruelly,  and  ra- 
vished her,  dragged  her  to  a  high 
bridge  which  crossed  the  river, 
and  stripping  her  naked,  hung  her 
by  the  legs  to  the  bridge,  with  her 
head  downwards  towards  the  wa- 
ter, and  then  going  into  boats,  they 
shot  her. 

Mary  Nigrino,  and  her  daughter, 
a  poor  idiot,  were  cut  to  pieces  in 
the  woods,  and  their  bodies  left  to 
be  devoured  by  wild  beasts;  Su- 
sanna Bales,  a  widow  of  Villaro, 
was  immured  and  starved  to  death ; 
and  Susanna  Calvio,  running  away 
from  some  soldiers,  and  hiding 
herself  in  a  barn,  they  set  fire  to 
the  straw,  by  which  she  was  burnt 
to  death. 

Daniel  Bertino,  a  child,  was 
burnt;  Paul  Armand  was  hacked 
to  pieces ;  Daniel  Michialino,  hav- 
ing his  tongue  plucked  out,  was 
left  to  perish  in  that  condition ; 
and  Andreo  Bertino,  a  lame  and 
very  old  man,  was  mangled  in  a 
most  shocking  manner,  and  at 
length  had  his  belly  ripped  open, 
and  his  bowels  carried  about  on 
the  point  of  a  halbert. 

A  protestant  lady,  named  Con- 
Stantia  Bellione,  was  apprehended 
on  account  of  her  faith,  and  asked 
by  a  priest  if  she  would  renounce 
the  devil  and  go  to  mass ;  to  which 
she  replied,  "  I  was  brought  up  in 
a  religion  by  which  I  was  always 
taught  to  renounce  the  devil;  but 
should  I  comply  with  your  desire, 
and  go  to  mass,  I  should  be  sure 
to  meet  him  there,  in  a  variety  of 
shapes."  The  priest  was  highly 
incensed  at  this,  and  told  her  to 
recant,  or  she  should  suffer  cruelly. 
She,  however,  boldly  answered, 
**  That  she  valued  not  any  suffer- 
ings he  could  inflict,  and  in  spite 
of  all  th«  torments   he  could  in- 


vent, she  would  keep  her  faith  in- 
violate." The  priest  then  ordered 
slices  of  her  llesh  to  be  cutoff  from 
several  parts  of  her  body.  This 
she  bore  with  the  most  singular 
patience,  only  saying  to  the  priest, 
"  What  horrid  and  lasting  torments 
will  you  suffer  in  hell,  for  the  tri- 
fling and  temporary  pains  which  I 
now  endure!"  Exasperated  at 
this  expression,  the  priest  ordered 
a  file  of  musketeers  to  draw  up 
and  fire  upon  her,  by  which  she 
was  soon  dispatched. 

Judith  Mandon  was  fastened  to 
a  stake,  and  sticks  thrown  at  her 
from  a  distance.  By  this  inhuman 
treatment,  her  limbs  were  beat  and 
mangled  in  a  most  terrible  manner. 
At  last  one  of  the  bludgeons  strik- 
ing her  head,  she  was  at  once  freed 
from  her  pains  and  her  life. 

Paul  Genre  and  David  Paglia, 
each  with  his  son,  attempting  to 
escape  to  the  Alps,  were  pursued, 
and  overtaken  by  the  soldiers  in  a 
large  plain.  Here  they  hunted 
them  for  their  diversion,  goading 
them  with  their  swords,  and  mak- 
ing them  run  about  till  they  drop- 
ped down  with  fatigue.  When 
they  found  that  their  spirits  were 
quite  exhausted,  the  soldiers 
hacked  them  to  pieces,  and  left 
their  mangled  bodies  on  the  spot. 

Michael  Greve,  a  young  man  of 
Bobbio,  was  apprehended  in  the 
town  of  La  Torre,  and  being  led 
to  the  bridge,  was  thrown  over 
into  the  river.  Being  an  expert 
swimmer,  he  swam  down  the 
stream,  thinking  to  escape,  but  the 
soldiers  and  mob  followed  on  both 
sides,  and  kept  stoning  him,  till 
receiving  a  blow  on  one  of  his 
temples,  he  sunk  and  was 
drowned. 

David  Armand  was  forced  to  lay 
his  head  down  on  a  block,  when  a 
soldier,  with  a  large  hammer,  beat 
out  his  brains.  David  Baridona 
was  apprehended  at  Villaro,  and 
carried  to  La  Torre,  where  refus- 
ing to  renounce  his  religion,  he 
was  tormented  by  brimstone 
matches  being  tied  between  his 
fingers  and  toes,  and  set  fire  to, 
and  afterwards,  by  having  his  flesh 
1 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PIEDMONT. 


303 


plucked  off  with  red  hot  pincers, 
till  he  expired.  Giovanni  Baro- 
lina,  with  his  wife,  were  thrown 
into  a  pool  of  stagnant  water,  and 
compelled,  by  means  of  pitch-forks 
and  stones,  to  duck  down  their 
heads  till  they  were  suffocated  with 
the  stench. 

A  number  of  soldiers  assaulted 
the  house  of  Joseph  Garniero,  and 
before  they  entered,  fired  in  at  the 
window,  and  shot  Mrs.  Garniero, 
who  was  at  that  instant  suckling 
her  child.  She  begged  them  to 
spare  the  life  of  the  infant,  which 
they  promised  to  do,  and  sent  it 
immediately  to  a  Roman  Catholic 
nurse.  They  then  seized  the  hus- 
band and  hanged  him  at  his  own 
door,  and  having  shot  the  wife 
through  the  head,  left  her  body 
weltering  in  its  blood. 

Isaiah  Mondon,  an  aged  and 
pious  protestant,  fled  from  the 
merciless  persecutors  to  a  cleft  in 
a  rock,  wdiere  he  suffered  the 
most  dreadful  hardships ;  for,  in 
the  midst  of  the  winter,  he  was 
forced  to  lie  on  the  bare  stone, 
without  any  covering ;  his  food 
was  the  roots  he  could  scratch  up 
nearliis  miserable  habitation;  and 
the  only  way  by  which  he  could 
procure  drink,  was  to  put  snow  in 
his  mouth  till  it  melted.  Here, 
however,  some  of  the  soldiers 
found  him,  and  after  beating  him 
unmercifully,  they  drove  him  to- 
wards Lucerne,  goading  him  all 
the  way  with  the  points  of  their 
swords.  Being  exceedingly  weak- 
ened by  his  manner  of  living,  and 
exhausted  by  the  blows  he  had  re- 
ceived, he  fell  down  in  the  road. 
They  again  beat  him  to  make  him 
proceed;  till  on  his  knees,  he  im- 
plored them  to  put  him  out  of  his 
misery.  This  they  at  last  agreed 
to  do;  and  one  of  them  shot  him 
through  the  head,  saying,  "  There, 
heretic,  take  thy  request." 

To  screen  themselves  from  dan- 
ger, a  number  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  fled  to  a  large  cave, 
where  they  continued  for  some 
weeks  in  safety,  two  of  the  men 
going  by  stealth  to  procure  provi- 
sions.   These  were,  however,  one 


day  watched,  by  which  the  cave 
was  discovered,  and,  soon  after,  a 
troop  of  Roman  catholics  appeared 
before  it.  Many  of  these  were 
neighbours,  and  intimate  acquaint- 
ances, and  some  even  relations  to 
those  in  the  cave.  The  protest- 
ants,  therefore,  came  out,  and  im- 
plored them,  by  the  ties  of  hospi- 
tality and  of  blood,  not  to  murder 
them.  But  the  bigoted  wretches 
told  them,  they  could  not  shew  any 
mercy  to  heretics,  and,  therefore, 
bade  them  all  prepare  to  die.  Hear- 
ing this,  and  knowing  the  obduracy 
of  their  enemies,  the  protestants 
fell  on  their  knees,  lifted  their 
hearts  to  heaven,  and  patiently 
awaited  their  fate ;  which  the  pa- 
pists soon  decided,  by  cutting  them 
to  pieces. 

HEROIC    DEFENCE   OF   THE    PRO- 
TESTANTS   OF   RORAS. 

The  blood  of  the  faithful  being 
almost  exhausted  in  all  the  towns 
and  villages  of  Piedmont,  there 
remained  but  one  place  that  had 
been  exempted  from  the  general 
slaughter.  This  was  the  little 
commonalty  of  Roras,  which  stood 
upon  an  eminence.  Of  this,  one 
of  the  duke  of  Savoy's  oflicers 
determined,  if  possible,  to  make 
himself  master ;  with  that  view,  he 
detached  three  hundred  men  to 
surprise  it. 

The  inhabitants,  however,  had 
intelligence  of  the  approach  of 
these  troops,  and  captain  Joshua 
Gianavel,  a  brave  protestant  ofli- 
cer,  put  himself  at  the  head  of  a 
small  body  of  the  citizens,  and 
waited  in  ambuscade,  to  attack  the 
enemy  in  a  narrow  passage,  the 
only  place  by  which  the  town 
could  be  approached. 

As  soon  as  the  troops  appeared, 
and  had  entered  the  passage,  the 
protestants  commenced  a  well- 
directed  fire  against  them,  and 
kept  themselves  concealed  behind 
biishes.  A  great  number  of  the 
soldiers  were  killed,  and  the  rest, 
receiving  a  continual  fire,  and  not 
seeing  any  to  whom  they  might 
return  it,  made  a  precipitate  re- 
treat. 


204 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


The  members  of  this  little  com- 
munity immediately  sent  a  memo- 
rial to  the  marquis  of  Pianessa,  a 
general  officer  of  the  duke,  stating:, 
"  That  they  were  sorry  to  be  under 
the  necessity  of  taking  up  arms  ; 
but  that  the  secret  approach  of  a 
body  of  troops,  without  any  pre- 
vious notice  sent  of  the  purpose 
of  their  coming,  had  greatly  alarm- 
ed them ;  that  as  it  was  their  cus- 
tom never  to  sufl'er  any  of  the 
military  to  enter  their  little  com- 
munity, they  had  repelled  force  by 
force,  and  should  do  so  again; 
but  in  all  other  respects,  they  pro- 
fessed themselves  dutiful,  obedi- 
ent, and  loyal  subjects  to  their 
sovereign  the  duke  of  Savoy." 

The  marquis,  in  order  to  delude 
and  surprise  them,  answered, 
"  That  he  was  perfectly  satisfied 
with  their  behaviour,  for  they  had 
done  right,  and  even  rendered  a 
service  to  their  country,  as  the  men 
who  had  attempted  to  pass  the 
defile  were  not  his  troops,  but  a 
band  of  desperate  robbers,  who 
had,  for  some  time,  infested  those 
parts,  and  been  a  terror  to  the 
neighbouring  country."  To  give 
a  greater  colour  to  his  treachery, 
he  published  a  proclamation  to  the 
same  purpose,  expressive  of  thanks 
to  the  citizens  of  Roras. 

The  very  day  after,  however,  he 
sent  500  men  to  take  possession  of 
tiie  town,  while  the  people,  as  he 
thought,  were  lulled  into  security 
by  his  artifice. 

Captain  Gianavel,  however,  was 
not  thus  to  be  deceived  ;  he,  there- 
fore, laid  a  second  ambuscade  for 
these  troops,  and  compelled  them 
to  retire  with  great  loss. 

Foiled  in  these  two  attempts,  the 
sanguinary  marquis  determined  on 
a  third,  still  more  formidable  ;  but, 
with  his  usual  duplicity,  he  pub- 
lished another  proclamation,  dis- 
owning any  knowledge  of  the  se- 
cond attempt. 

He  soon  after  sent  700  chosen 
men  upon  the  expedition,  who,  in 
spite  of  the  fire  from  the  protest- 
ants,  forced  the  defile,  entered 
Roras,  and  began  to  murder  every 
person  they  met  with,  without  dis- 


tinction of  sex  or  age.  Captain 
Gianavel,  at  the  head  of  his  friends, 
though  he  had  lost  the  defile,  de- 
termined to  dispute  the  passage 
through  a  fortified  pass,  that  led  to 
the  richest  and  best  part  of  the 
town.  Here  he  succeeded,  by 
keeping  up  a  continual  fire,  which 
did  great  execution,  his  men  being 
all  good  marksmen.  The  Roman 
catholic  commander  was  astonish- 
ed and  dismayed  at  this  "opposi- 
tion, as  he  imagined  that  he  had 
surmounted  all  difficulties.  He, 
however,  strove  to  force  the  pass, 
but  being  able  to  bring  up  only 
twelve  men  in  front  at  a  time,  and 
the  protestants  being  secured  by  a 
breast-work,  he  saw  all  his  hopes 
frustrated. 

Enraged  at  the  loss  of  so  many 
of  his  troops,  and  fearful  of  dis- 
grace if  he  persisted  in  attempt- 
ing what  appeared  so  impractica- 
ble, he  thought  it  wiser  to  retreat. 
Unwilling,  however,  to  vvithdraw 
his  men  by  the  defile  at  which  he 
had  entered,  on  account  of  the 
danger,  he  designed  to  retreat  to- 
wards Villaro,  by  another  pass 
called  Piampra,  which,  though 
hard  of  access,  was  easy  of  de- 
scent. Here,  however,  he  again 
felt  the  determined  bravery  of 
captain  Gianavel,  who  having 
posted  his  little  band  here,  greatly 
annoyed  the  troops  as  they  passed, 
and  even  pursued  their  rear  till 
they  entered  the  open  country. 

The  marquis  of  Pianessa,  finding 
all  his  attempts  baflled,  and  all  his 
artifices  discovered,  resolved  to 
throw  ofiF  the  mask ;  and  there- 
fore proclaimed,  that  ample  re- 
wards should  be  given  to  any  who 
would  bear  arms  against  the  ob- 
durate heretics  of  Roras,  and  that 
any  officer  who  would  extermi- 
nate them,  should  be  honoured  ac- 
cordingly. 

Captain  Mario,  a  bigoted  Roman 
catholic,  and  a  desperate  ruffian, 
stimulated  by  this,  resolved  to  un- 
dertake the  enterprise.  He,  there- 
fore, levied  a  regiment  of  1000 
men,  and  with  these  he  resolved 
to  attempt  gaining  the  summit  of  a 
rock,  which  commanded  the  town. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PIEDMONT. 


205 


But  the  protestants,  aware  of  his 
desia^n,  suHered  his  troops  to  pro- 
ceed witliout  molestation  till  they 
had  nearly  reached  the  summit  of 
the  rock,  when  they  made  a  most 
furious  attack  upon  them ;  one 
party  keeping  up  a  well-directed 
and  constant  fire,  and  others  roll- 
ing down  large  stones.  Thus  were 
they  suddenly  stopped  in  their 
career.  Many  were  killed  by  the 
musketry,  and  more  by  the  stones, 
which  beat  them  down  the  preci- 
pices. Several  fell  sacrifices  to 
their  own  fears,  for  by  attempting 
a  precipitate  retreat,  they  fell 
down,  and  were  dashed  to  pieces  ; 
and  captain  Mario  himself,  having 
fallen  from  a  craggy  place  into  a 
river  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  was 
taken  up  senseless,  and  after  lin- 
gering some  time,  expired. 

After  this,  another  body  of  troops 
from  the  camp  at  Villaro,  made  an 
attempt  upon  Roras;  but  were 
likewise  defeated,  and  compelled 
to  retreat  to  their  camp. 

Captain  Gianavel,  for  each  of 
these  signal  victories,  made  a  suit- 
able discourse  to  his  men,  kneeling 
down  with  them  to  return  thanks  to 
the  Almighty  for  his  providential 
protection ;  and  concluding  with 
the  11th  psalm. 

The  marquis  of  Pianessa,  now 
enraged  to  the  highest  degree  at 
being  thus  foiled  by  a  handful  of 
peasants,  determined  on  their  ex- 
pulsion or  destruction. 

To  this  end  he  ordered  all  the 
Roman  catholic  militia  of  Piedmont 
to  be  called  out  and  disciplined. 
To  these  he  joined  eight  thousand 
regular  troops,  and  dividing  the 
whole  into  three  distinct  bodies, 
he  planned  thiee  formidable  attacks 
to  be  made  at  once,  unless  the 
people  of  Roras,  to  whom  he  sent 
an  account  of  his  great  prepara- 
tions, would  comply  with  the  fol- 
lowing conditions : 

To  ask  pardon  for  taking  up 
arms.  To  pay  the  expenses  of  all 
the  expeditions  sent  against  them. 
To  acknowledge  the  infallibility  of 
the  pope.  To  go  to  mass.  To 
pray  to  the  saints.  To  deliver  up 
their  ministers  and  school-masters. 


To  go  to  confession.  To  pay  loans 
for  the  delivery  of  souls  from  pur- 
gatory ;  and  to  give  up  captain 
Gianavel  and  the  elders  of  their 
church  at  discretion. 

The  brave  inhabitants,  indig- 
nant at  these  proposals,  answered, 
"  That  sooner  than  comply  with 
them  they  would  suffer  their  estates 
to  be  seized ;  their  houses  to  be 
burnt ;  and  themselves  to  be  mur- 
dered." 

Enraged  at  this,  the  marquis 
sent  them  the  following  laconic 
letter  : 

To  the  obstinate  Heretics  of  Roras. 
"  You  shall  have  your  request, 
for  the    troops    sent   against  you 
have  strict  injunctions  to  plunder, 
burn,  and  kill. 

"  PlANESSA." 

The  three  armies  were  accord- 
ingly put  in  motion,  and  the  first 
attack  ordered  to  be  made  by  the 
rocks  of  Villaro  ;  the  second  by 
the  pass  of  Bagnol ;  and  the  third 
by  the  defile  of  Lucerne. 

As  might  be  expected,  from  the 
superiority  of  numbers,  the  troops 
gained  the  rocks,  pass,  and  defile, 
entered  the  town,  and  commenced 
the  most  horrid  depredations. 
Men  they  hanged,  burnt,  racked 
to  death,  or  cut  to  pieces ;  women 
they  ripped  open,  crucified,  drown- 
ed, or  threw  from  the  precipices  ; 
and  children  they  tossed  upon 
spears,  minced,  cut  their  throats, 
or  dashed  ©ut  their  brains.  On 
the  first  day  of  their  gaining  the 
town,  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
suffered  in  thia  manner. 

Agreeably  to  the  orders  of  the 
marquis,  they  likewise  plundered 
the  estates,  and  burnt  the  houses 
of  the  people.  Several  protest- 
ants, however,  made  their  escape, 
under  the  conduct  of  the  brave 
Gianavel,  whose  wife  and  children 
were  unfortunately  made  prisoners, 
and  sent  to  Turin  under  a  strong 
guard. 

The  marquis  thinking  to  conquer 
at  least  the  mind  of  Gianavel, 
wrote  him  a  letter,  and  released  a 
protestant  prisoner,  that  he  might 
carry    it    to   him.      The   contents 


200 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


were,  that  if  the  captain  would  era- 
brace  the  Roman  catholic  religion, 
he  should  be  indemnified  for  all 
his  losses  since  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  his  wife  and  children 
should  be  immediatelj^  released, 
and  himself  honourably  promoted 
in  the  duke  of  Savoy's  army;  but 
if  he  refused  to  accede  to  the  pro- 
posals made  to  him,  his  wife  and 
children  should  be  put  to  death ; 
and  so  large  a  reward  should  be 
given  to  take  him,  dead  or  alive, 
that  even  some  of  his  own  con- 
fidential friends  should,  from  tlie 
greatness  of  the  sum,  be  tempted 
to  betray  him. 

To  this,  Gianavel  returned  the 
following  answer : 

"  My  Lord  Marquis, 
"  There  is  no  torment  so  great, 
or  death  so  cruel,  that  I  would  not 
prefer  to  the  abjuration  of  my  re- 
ligion :  so  that  promises  lose  their 
etfects,  and  menaces  do  but 
strengthen  me  in  my  faith. 

"  With  respect  to  my  wife  and 
children,  my  lord,  nothing  can  be 
more  afflicting  to  me  than  the 
thoughts  of  their  confinement,  or 
more  dreadful  to  my  imagination, 
than  their  sufl"ering  a  violent  death. 
I  keenly  feel  all  the  tender  sensa- 
tions of  a  husband  and  parent ;  I 
would  suffer  any  torment  to  rescue 
them;  I  would  die  to  preserve 
them. 

"  But  having  said  thus  much, 
my  lord,  I  assure  you  that  the  pur- 
chase of  their  lives  must  not  be  the 
price  of  my  salvation.  You  have 
them  in  your  power  it  is  true  ;  but 
my  consolation  is,  that  your  power 
is  only  a  temporary  authority  over 
their  bodies:  you  may  destroy  the 
mortal  part,  but  their  immortal 
souls  are  out  of  your  reach,  and 
will  live  hereafter,  to  bear  testi- 
mony against  you  for  your  cru- 
elties. I  therefore  recommend 
them  and  myself  to  God,  and 
pray  for  a  reformation  in  your 
heart. 

"  Joshua  Gianavel." 

He  then,  with  his  followers,  re- 
tired to  the  Alps,  where,  being 
afterwards  joined  by  several  pro- 


testant  officers,  with  a  considerable 
number  of  fugitive  protestants, 
they  conjointly  defended  them- 
selves, and  made  several  success- 
ful attacks  upon  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholic towns  and  forces;  carrying 
terror  by  the  valour  of  their  ex- 
ploits and  the  boldness  of  their  en- 
terprises. 

Nevertheless,  the  disproportion 
between  their  forces  and  those  of 
their  enemies  was  so  great,  that 
no  reasonable  expectations  could 
be  entertained  of  their  ultimate 
success;  which  induced  many  pro- 
testant  princes  and  states,  in  va- 
rious parts  of  Europe,  to  interest 
themselves  in  favour  of  these  cou- 
rageous sufferers  for  religious  and 
civil  liberty. 

Among  these  intercessors,  the 
protestant  cantons  of  Switzerland 
early  distinguished  themselves ; 
and  as  their  mediation  was  rejected 
by  the  duke  of  Savoy,  they  raised 
considerable  sums  of  money,  by 
private  subscriptions,  for  the  relief 
of  the  fugitives  and  the  assistance 
of  the  brave  defenders  of  their 
native  valleys.  Nor  did  they  li- 
mit their  kindness  to  pecuniary 
relief;  they  dispatched  a  messen- 
ger to  the  United  Provinces,  for 
the  purpose  of  procuring  subscrip- 
tions, and  the  interference  of  the 
Dutch  government  in  favour  of  the 
Piedmoutese,  both  of  which  they 
at  length  obtained.  They  then 
made  another  attempt  to  prevail 
on  the  duke  of  Savoy  to  grant  his 
protestant  subjects  liberty  of  con- 
science, and  to  restore  them  to 
their  ancient  pri^dleges;  but  this, 
after  much  evasion  on  the  part  of 
the  duke,  also  failed. 

But  that  God,  whom  they  wor- 
shipped in  purity  of  spirit,  now 
raised  them  up  a  more  powerful 
champion  in  the  person  of  Oliver 
Cromwell,  Lord  Protector  of  Eng- 
land. This  extraordinary  man, 
however  criminal  in  the  means  by 
which  he  obtained  power,  certainly 
deserves  the  praise  of  having  ex- 
ercised it  with  dignity  and  firm- 
ness ;  and  if  his  usurpation  be  cen- 
sured, it  must  be  acknowledged 
tliat   he  raised  this  country  to  a 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  PIEDMONT. 


207 


station  among  the  neighbouring 
powers  to  which  it  had  never  be- 
fore attained.  From  the  throne 
which  he  had  just  seized,  he  dic- 
tated to  the  most  potent  monarchs 
of  Europe ;  and  never  was  his  in- 
fluence more  justly  exercised  than 
in  behalf  of  the  persecuted  pro- 
testants  of  Piedmont.  He  caused 
subscriptions  to  be  set  on  foot 
throughout  England  in  their  fa- 
vour*; he  sent  an  envoy  to  the 
court  of  France,  and  wrote  to  all 
the  protestant  powers  of  Europe, 
to  interest  them  in  the  same  good 
cause.  He  dispatched  an  ambas- 
sador to  the  court  of  Turin,  who 
was  received  with  great  respect 
by  the  duke,  who  pretended  to  jus- 
tify his  treatment  of  the  Piedmont- 
ese,  under  the  pretence  of  their 
being  rebellious. 

But  Cromwell  would  not  suffer 
himself  to  be  trifled  with;  his  am- 
bassador gave  the  duke  to  under- 
stand that  if  negociation  failed, 
arms  would  be  had  recourse  to; 
and  as  the  kings  of  Denmark  and 
Sweden,  the  Dutch  government, 
and  many  of  the  German  states, 
encouraged  by  the  example  of  the 
Protector,  now  came  forward  in 
the  same  cause,  the  duke  found 
himself  under  the  necessity  of  dis- 
missing the  English  ambassador, 
with  a  very  respectful  message  to 
his  master,  assuring  him  that  "  the 
persecutions  had  been  much  mis- 
represented and  exaggerated ;  and 
that  they  had  been  occasioned  by 
his  rebellious  subjects  themselves: 
nevertheless,  to  show  his  great 
respect  for  his  highness,  he  would 
pardon  them,  and  restore  them  to 
their  former  privileges." 

This  was  accordingly  done ;  and 
the  protestants  returned  to  their 
homes,  grateful  for  the  kindness 
which  had  been  shown  to  them, 
and  praising  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
who  is  as  a  tower  of  strength  to 
those  who  put  their  trust  in  him. 

During  the  lifetime  of  Cromwell, 

*  They  amounted  in  England  and 
Wales  to  forty  thousand  pounds ;  a  very 
large  sum  in  those  days,  when  the  na- 
tion was  exhausted  and  impoverished  by 
a  long  civil  war. 


they  lived  in  peace  and  security; 
but  no  sooner  had  his  death  re- 
lieved the  papists  from  the  terror 
of  his  vengeance,  than  they  began 
anew  to  exercise  that  cruel  and  bi- 
goied  spirit  which  is  inherent  in 
popery:  and  although  the  perse- 
cutions were  not  avowedly  coun- 
tenanced by  the  court,  they  were 
connived  at,  and  unpunished;  in- 
somuch that  whatever  injury  had 
been  inflicted  on  a  protestant,  he 
could  obtain  no  redress  from  the 
corrupted  judges  to  whom  he  ap- 
plied for  that  protection  which  the 
laws  nominally  granted  to  him. 

At  length,  in  the  year  168G,  all 
the  treaties  in  favour  of  the  pro- 
testants were  openly  violated,  by 
the  publication  of  an  edict  prohi- 
biting the  exercise  of  any  religion 
but  the  Roman  Catholic,  on  pain 
of  death. 

The  protestants  petitioned  for  a 
repeal  of  this  cruel  edict;  and 
their  petitions  were  backed  by 
their  ancient  friends  the  protestant 
cantons  of  Switzerland.  But  the 
cries  of  his  subjects,  and  the  inter- 
cession of  their  allies,  were  equally 
unavailing;  the  duke  replied  that 
"  his  engagements  with  France 
obliged  him  to  extirpate  the  here- 
tics from  Piedmont." 

Finding  supphcations  useless^ 
the  protestants  flew  to  arms;  and 
being  attacked  by  the  duke's  army, 
and  some  French  troops,  on  the 
22d  of  April,  1686,  they,  after  an 
obstinate  engagement  of  several 
hours,  obtained  a  complete  vic- 
tory, killing  great  numbers  of  the 
French  and  Savoyards. 

Exasperated  by  this  defeat,  the 
duke  immediately  collected  a 
large  army,  which  he  augmented 
with  a  reinforcement  of  French 
and  Swiss  troops ;  and  w^as  so  suc- 
cessful in  several  engagements 
against  the  protestants,  that  the 
latter,  despairing  of  success,  con- 
sented to  lay  down  their  arms  and 
quit  the  country,  on  his  solemn 
promise  of  safety  for  themselves, 
their  families,  and  property. 

No  sooner  were  they  disarmed, 
than  the  treacherous  papists,  act- 
ing upon  their  maxiitt  that  no  faith 


209 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


is  to  be  kept  with  heretics,  massa- 
cred a  large  body  of  them  in  cold 
blood,  without  distinction  of  age  or 
sex;  and  burnt  and  ravaged  the 
country  in  every  direction. 

The  horrors  perpetrated  by 
these  faithless  and  bigoted  mon- 
sters slmost  exceed  belief.  We 
will  not  weary  and  disgust  our 
readers  with  the  recital ;  suffice  it 
to  say,  that  every  variety  of  ra- 
pine, lust,  and  cruelty,  was  ex- 
hausted by  these  demons  in  human 
shape.  Those  protestants  who 
were  fortunate  enough  to  escape, 
found  an  asylum  in  the  Swiss  can- 
tons, and  in  Germany,  where  they 
were  treated  kindly,  and  lands 
granted  to  them  for  their  resi- 
dence. 

The  natural  consequence  of  these 
horrible  proceedings  was,  that 
the  fruitful  valleys  of  Piedmont 
were  depopulated  and  desolate ; 
and  the  barbarous  monster,  who 
had  caused  this  devastation,  now 
feeling  its  ill  effects,  tried,  by  all 
means  in  his  power,  to  draw  Roman 
Catholic  families  from  all  parts  of 
Europe,  to  re-people  the  valleys, 
and  to  cultivate  the  tields  which 
had  been  blasted  by  the  malignant 
breath  of  bigotry. 

Some  of  the  exiles,  in  the  mean- 
while, animated  by  that  love  of 
country  which  glows  with  peculiar 
warmth  in  their  breasts,  deter- 
mined to  make  an  attempt  to  re- 
gain a  part  of  their  native  valleys, 
or  to  perish  in  the  attempt.  Ac- 
cordingly, nine  hundred  of  them, 
who  had  resided,  during  their 
exile,  near  the  lake  of  Geneva^ 
crossing  it  in  the  night,  entered 
Savoy  without  resistance,  and  seiz- 
ing two  villages,  obtained  provi-r 
sions,  for  which  they  paid,  and  im- 
mediately passed  the  river  Arve, 
before  the  duke  had  notice  of  their 
arrival  in  the  country. 

When  he  became  acquainted 
with  this,  he  was  astonished  at  the 
boldness  of  the  enterprise,  and  dis- 
patched troops  to  guard  the  defiles 
and  passes ;  which,  however,  were 
all  forced  by  the  protestants,  and 
great  numbers  of  the  Savoyard 
troops  defeated. 


Alarmed  by  this  intelligence,  and 
still  more  by  a  report  that  a  great 
body  of  the  exiles  was  advancing 
from  Brandenburg  to  support 
those  already  in  Savoy,  and  that 
many  protestant  states  meant  to 
assist  them  in  their  attempts  to  re- 
gain a  footing  in  their  native  coun- 
try, the  duke  published  an  edict  by 
which  he  restored  them  to  all  their 
former  privileges. 

This  just  and  humane  conduct 
was,  however,  so  displeasing  to 
that  bigoted  and  ferocious  tyrant, 
Louis  XIV.  of  France,  that  he  sent 
an  order  to  the  duke  of  Savoy  to 
extirpate  every  protestant  in  his 
dominions;  and  to  assist  him  iu 
the  execution  of  this  horrible  pro- 
ject, or  to  punish  him  if  he  were 
unwilling  to  engage  in  it,  M.  Cati- 
nat  was  dispatched  at  the  head  of 
an  army  of  16,000  men.  This  in- 
solent dictation  irritated  the  duke ; 
he  determined  no  longer  to  be  the 
slave  of  the  French  king,  and  soli- 
cited the  aid  of  the  emperor  of 
Germany  and  the  king  of  Spain, 
who  sent  large  bodies  of  troops  to 
his  assistance.  Being  also  joined, 
at  his  own  request,  by  the  protest- 
ant array,  he  hesitated  no  longer  to 
declare  war  against  France ;  and 
in  the  campaign  which  followed, 
his  protestant  subjects  were  of  infi- 
nite service  by  their  valour  and 
resolution.  The  French  troops 
were  at  length  driven  from  Pied- 
mont, and  the  heroic  protestants 
were    reinstated    in    their   former 

f»ossessions,  their  ancient  privi- 
eges  confirmed,  and  many  new 
ones  granted  to  them.  The  exiles 
now  returned  from  Germany  and 
Switzerland;  and  were  accompa- 
nied by  many  French  refugees, 
whom  the  cruel  persecutions  of 
Louis  had  driven  from  their  native 
land  in  search  of  the  toleration  de- 
nied to  them  at  home.  But  this 
infuriated  bigot,  not  yet  glutted 
with  revenge,  insisted  on  their 
being  expelled  from  Piedmont; 
and  the  duke  of  Savoy,  anxious 
for  peace,  was  compelled  to  com- 
ply with  this  merciless  demand, 
before  the  French  king  would  sign 
the  treaty.     The  wanderers,  thus 


MrCHA^EL  DE  MOLINOS. 


209 


driven  from  the  south  of  Europe, 
sought  and  found  an  asylum  from 
the  hospitality  of  the  elector  of 
Brandenburic,  and  consoled  tlieni- 
selves  for  the  loss  of  a  genial  cli- 


mate and  a  deliifhtful  country,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  the  more  sub- 
stantial blessings  of  liberty  of  con- 
science and  security  of  property. 


Inhuman  BiUchery  aj'  isaiealif  Fiotedants,  by  oidcr  of  I'upe  Fius  tha  i'ourtii, 
m  loOO, 


SECTION  VIII. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF    MICHAEL    DE    MOLINOS,    A    NATIVE    OF    SPAIN. 


MiCHAKL  DK  MoLiNos,  a  Spa- 
niard, of  a  rich  and  noble  family, 
entered,  at  an  early  age,  into 
priest's  orders,  but  would  accept  of 
no  preferment  in  the  church.  His 
talents  were  of  a  very  superior 
class,  and  he  dedicated  them  to 
the  service  of  his  fellow-creatures. 
His  life  was  uniformly  pious;  but 
he  did  not  assume  those  auste- 
rities so  common  among  the  re- 
ligious orders  of  the  Romish 
church. 

Being  of  a  contemplative  turn, 
he  pursued  the  track  of  the  mysti- 
cal divines,  and  having  acquired 
great  reputation  in  Spain,  lie  bc- 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


came  desirous  of  propagating  his 
mode  of  devotion,  and,  accord- 
ingly, left  his  own  country,  and 
settled  at  Rome.  Here  he  soon 
connected  himself  with  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  among  the  lite- 
rati, who,  approving  of  his  reli- 
gious maxims,  assisted  him  in  pro- 
pagating them.  His  followers 
soon  augmented  to  a  considerable 
number,  and,  from  the  peculiarity 
of  their  doctrine,  were  distin- 
guished by  the  name  of  Quietists. 

In  1675,  he  published  a  book, 
entitled,  //  Guida  Spi ritual e,  which 
soon  became  known,  and  was  read, 
with  great  avidity,   both   in  Ital/ 

14 


210 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  Spain.  His  fame  was  now 
blazed  abroad,  and  friends  (lowed 
in  upon  hira.  Many  letters  were 
written  to  him,  and  a  correspond- 
ence was  settled  l^etween  him  and 
those  who  approved  of  his  tenets, 
in  difTereut  parts  of  Europe.  Some 
secular  priests,  both  at  Rome  and 
Naples,  declared  themselves  openly 
in  his  favour,  and  consulted  him  as 
a  sort  of  oracle ;  but  those  who  at- 
tached themselves  to  him  with  the 
greatest  sincerity,  were  some  of 
the  fathers  of  the  Oratory,  the 
most  ejninent  of  whom  were,  Colo- 
redi,  Ciceri,  and  Petrucci.  Many 
of  the  cardinals  also  courted  his 
friendship.  Among  others  was  the 
cardinal  d'Estrees,  a  man  of  great 
learning,  to  whom  Molinos  opened 
his  mind  without  reserve. 

His  reputation  now  began  to 
alarm  the  Jesuits  and  Dominicans; 
they,  therefore,  exclaimed  against 
bi'.n  and  his  followers  as  heretics, 
and  published  several  treatises  in 
defence  of  their  charge,  which 
Molinos  answered  with  becoming 
spirit. 

These  disputes  occasioned  such 
a  disturbance  in  Rome,  that  the 
aliair  was  noticed  by  the  inquisi- 
tion. Molinos  and  his  book,  and 
father  Petrucci,  who  had  written 
some  treatises  and  letters  on  the 
same  subject,  were  brought  under 
a  severe  examination;  and  the  Je- 
suits were  considered  as  the  ac- 
cusers. In  the  course  of  the  exa- 
mination, both  Molinos  and  Pe- 
trucci acquitted  themselves  so 
ably,  that  their  books  were  again 
approved,  and  the  answers  which 
the  Jesuits  had  written  were  cen- 
sured as  scmdalous  and  unbecom- 
ing. 

Petrucci,  on  this  occasion,  was 
so  highly  applauded,  that  be  was 
soon  after  made  bishop  of  Jesis. 
Their  l)ooks  were  now  esteemed 
more  tlian  ever,  and  their  method 
was  more  followed. 

Thus  tlie  great  reputation  ac- 
quired by  Molinos  and  Petrucci, 
occasioned  a  daily  increase  of  the 
Quietists,  All  who  were  thought 
sincerely  devout,  or  at  least  aliected 
to  be  so,  were  reckoned  among  the 


number.  These  persons,  in  pro- 
portion as  their  zeal  increased  in 
their  mental  devotions,  appeared 
less  careful  as  to  the  exterior  parts 
of  the  church  ceremonies.  They 
were  not  so  assiduous  at  masses, 
nor  so  earnest  to  procure  them  to 
be  said  for  their  friends;  nor  were 
they  so  frequently  either  in  pro- 
cessions or  at  confession. 

Notwithstanding  the  approba- 
tion expressed  for  Molinos's  book 
bj'  the  inquisition,  had  checked  the 
open  hostility  of  his  enemies,  they 
were  still  inveterate  against  him  in 
their  hearts,  and  determined,  flf 
possible,  to  ruin  him.  They  there- 
fore secretly  insinuated  that  he 
had  ill  designs,  and  was  an  enemy 
to  Christianity:  that  under  pre- 
tence of  raising  men  to  a  subKnae 
strain  of  devotion,  he  intended  to 
erase  from  their  minds  a  sense  of 
the  mysteries  of  religion.  And 
because  he  was  a  Spaniard,  they 
gave  out  that  he  was  descendqd 
from  a  .Jewish,  or  Mahometan  race, 
and  that  he  might  carry  in  liis 
blood,  or  in  his  first  education, 
some  seeds  of  those  doctrines  lie 
had  since  cultivated  with  no  lehs 
art  than  zeal. 

Molinos  finding  himself  attacked 
with  such  unrelenting  malice,  took 
every  necessary  precaution  to  pre- 
vent its  elfect  upon  the  public 
mind.  He  wrote  a  treatise  en- 
titled, "■  Frequent  and  Daily  Com- 
munion," which  was  likewise  ap- 
proved by  some  of  the  most  learned 
of  the  Romish  clergy.  This,  with 
his  Spiritual  Guide,  was  printed  in 
the  year  16/5;  and  in  the  preface 
to  it  he  declared,  that  he  had  not 
written  it  with  any  design  to  en- 
gage in  matters  of  controversy,  but 
by  the  earnest  solicitations  of  many 
pious  people. 

Tlie  Jesuits  having  again  failed 
in  their  attempts  to  crush  his  in- 
fluence at  Rome,  applied  to  the 
court  of  France,  when  they  so  far 
succeeded,  that  an  order  was  sent 
to  cardinal  d'Estrees,  commanding 
him  to  prosecute  Molinos  with  all 
possible  rigour.  The  cardinal, 
notwithstanding  his  attachment  to 
Molinos,      resolved     to     sacrifice 


PERSECUTION  OF  THE  QUIETISTS. 


211 


friendship  to  interest.  Finding, 
however,  there  was  not  sufficient 
matter  for  an  accusation  against 
him,  he  determined  to  supply  that 
defect  himself.  He  therefore  went 
to  the  inquisitors,  and  informed 
them  of  several  particulars,  rela- 
tive to  Molinos  and  Pctrucci,  both 
of  whom,  with  several  of  their 
friends,  were  put  into  the  inquisi- 
tion. 

On  being-  brought  before  the  in- 
quisitors (which  was  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  1684),  Pelrucci 
answered  the  questions  put  to  him 
with  so  much  judgment  and  tem- 
per, that  he  was  soon  dismissed; 
but  with  regard  to  Molinos,  though 
the  inquisitors  had  not  any  just 
accusation  against  him,  yet  they 
strained  every  nerve  to  find  him 
guilty  of  heresy.  They  first  ob- 
jected to  his  holding  a  correspond- 
ence in  difierent  parts  of  Europe  ; 
but  of  this  he  was  acquitted,  as 
the  matter  of  that  correspondence 
could  not  be  considered  as  crimi- 
nal. They  then  directed  their  at- 
tention to  some  suspicious  papers 
found  in  his  chamber;  but  he  so 
clearly  explained  their  meaning, 
that  nothing  could  be  wrested  from 
tliem  to  bis  prejudice.  At  length, 
cardinal  d'Estrees,  after  producing 
the  order  sent  him  by  the  king  of 
France  for  prosecuting  Molinos, 
said,  he  could  convince  the  court 
of  his  heresy.  He  then  proceeded 
to  pervert  the  meaning  of  some 
passages  in  Molinos's  books  and 
papers,  and  related  many  false  and 
aggravating  circumstances  rela- 
tive to  ti)e  prisoner.  He  acknow- 
ledged he  had  lived  with  him  under 
the  appearance  of  friendship,  but 
that  it  was  only  to  discover  his 
principles  and  intentions;  that  he 
found  them  to  be  of  a  bad  nature, 
and  that  dangerous  consequences 
were  likely  to  ensue;  but  in  order 
to  make  a  full  discovery,  he  had 
assented  to  several  things,  which, 
in  his  heart,  be  detested;  and  that, 
by  these  means,  he  became  master 
of  all  his  secrets. 

In  Qonsequence  of  this  evidence, 
Molinos  was   closely    confined    in 


the  inquisition,  where  he  conti- 
nued for  some  time,  during  which 
period  all  was  quiet,  and  his  fol- 
lowers continued  their  mode  of 
worship  M'ithout  interruption.  But 
at  the  instigation  of  the  Jesuits,  a 
storm  suddenly  broke  out  upon 
them  with  the  most  inveterate 
fury. 

PERSECUTION    OF   THE    QUIETISTS. 

Count  Vespiniani  and  bis  lady, 
Don  Paulo  Rocchi,  and  nearly  se- 
venty other  persons,  among  whom 
many  were  highly  esteemed  both 
for  their  learning  and  piety,  were 
put  into  the  inquisition.  The  ac- 
cusation laid  against  the  clergy 
was,  their  neglecting  to  say  the 
breviary;  the  rest  were  accused  of 
going  to  communion  without  first 
attending  confession,  and  neglect- 
ing all  the  exterior  parts  of  reli- 
gion. 

The  countess  Vespiniani,  on  her 
examination  before  the  inquisitors, 
said,  that  she  had  never  revealed 
her  method  of  devotion  to  any  mor- 
tal but  her  confessor,  without 
whose  treachery  it  was  impossible 
they  should  know  it.  That,  there- 
fore, it  was  time  to  give  over  going 
to  confession,  if  priests  thus  abused 
it,  betraying  the  most  secret 
thoughts  intrusted  to  them;  and 
that,  for  the  future,  she  would 
only  make  her  confession  to  God. 

From  this  spirited  speech,  and 
the  great  noise  made  in  conse- 
quence of  the  countess's  situation, 
the  inquisitors  thuuglit  it  most 
prudent  to  dismiss  both  her  and 
her  husband,  lest  the  people  might 
be  incensed,  and  what  she  said 
might  lessen  the  credit  of  confes- 
sion. They  were,  therefore,  both 
discharged ;  but  bound  to  appear 
whenever  they  should  be  called 
upon. 

Such  was  the  inveteracy  of  the 
Jesuits  again;st  the  Quietists,  that 
within  the  space  of  a  month  up- 
wards of  200  persons,  besides  those 
already  mentioned,  were  put  into 
the  inquisition ;  and  that  method 
of  devotion  which  had  passed  in 
Italy  as  the  most  elevated  to  which 


212 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


mortals  could  aspire,  was  deemed 
heretical,  and  the  chief  promoters 
of  it  confined  in  dungeons. 

A  circular  letter,  urging  the  ex- 
tirpation of  the  Quietists,  was  sent, 
by  the  inquisitors,  through  cardinal 
Cibo,  the  pope's  chief  minister,  to 
the  Italian  bishops,  but  without 
much  effect,  as  the  greater  number 
of  them  were  inclined  to  Molinos's 
method.  It  was  intended  that  this, 
as  well  as  all  other  orders  from  the 
inquisitors,  should  be  kept  secret ; 
but  notwithstanding  all  their  care, 
copies  of  it  were  printed,  and  dis- 
persed in  most  of  the  principal 
towns  in  Italy.  This  gave  great 
uneasiness  to  the  inquisitors,  who 
use  every  method  they  can  to  con- 
ceal their  proceedings  from  the 
knowledge  of  the  world.  They 
blamed  the  cardinal,  and  accused 
Jiim  of  being  the  cause  of  it :  but 
lie  retorted  on  them,  and  his  secre- 
tary laid  the  fault  on  both. 

SENTENCE   AGAINST    MOLINOS. 

In  the  mean  time,  Molinos  suf- 
fered greatly  from  the  officers  of 
the  inquisition  ;  and  the  only  com- 
fort he  received  was,  being  some- 
times visited  by  father  Petrucci. 
Yet  although  he  had  lived  in  the 
highest  reputation  in  Rome  for 
.some  years,  he  was  now  as  much 
despised  as  he  had  been  admired. 
Most  of  his  followers,  who  had 
been  placed  in  the  inquisition, 
having  abjured  his  mode,  were  dis- 
missed ;  l)ut  a  harder  fate  awaited 
their  leader.    When  he  had  lain  a 


considerable  time  in  prison,  he  was 
brought  again  before  the  inquisi- 
tors, to  answer  to  a  number  of 
articles  exhibited  against  him  from 
his  writings.  As  soon  as  he  ap- 
peared in  court,  a  chain  was  put 
round  his  body,  and  a  wax-light  in 
his  hand,  when  two  friars  read 
aloud  the  articles  of  accusation. 
Molinos  answered  each  with  great 
steadiness  and  resolution ;  and 
notwithstanding  his  arguments 
totally  defeated  the  force  of  all, 
yet  he  was  found  guilty  of  heresy, 
and  was  condemned  to  imprison- 
ment for  life. 

Having  left  the  court,  he  was  at- 
tended by  a  priest,  who  had  borne 
him  the  greatest  respect.  On  his 
arrival  at  the  prison  he  entered  the 
cell  with  great  tranquillity  ;  and  on 
taking  leave  of  the  priest,  thus 
addressed  him:  "Adieu,  father; 
we  shall  meet  again  at  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  then  it  will  appear 
on  which  side  the  truth  is,  whether 
on  my  side,  or  on  your's." 

While  in  confinement  he  was 
several  times  tortured  in  the  most 
cruel  manner,  till,  at  length,  the 
severity  of  the  punishments  over- 
powered his  strength,  and  death 
released  him  from  his  cruel  per- 
secutors. 

The  followers  of  Molinos  were 
so  terrified  by  the  suflerings  of  their 
leader,  that  the  greater  part  of 
them  soon  abjured  his  mode  ;  and 
by  the  assiduity  of  the  Jesuits, 
Quietism  was  totally  extirpated. 


SECTION  IX. 

PERSECUTIONS    OF   THE    PROTESTANTS    IN    FRANCE,    DURING    THE   SIX- 
TEENTH   AND    SEVENTEENTH    CENTURIES. 


At  the  conclusion  of  our  sixth 
book  we  had  related  the  suH'erings 
of  the  French  protestants,  to  the 
period  of  the  siege  of  Sancerre  in 
1573 ;  from  which  time  we  will 
now  continue  the  narrative. 

The  persecutions  were  then  in- 
terrupted by  the  election  of  the 
duke  of  Anjou  to  the  throne  of 
Poland,  one  of  the  conditions  of 
that  election  being,  that  the  king 
of  France  should   cease  to  molest 


his  protestant  subjects  on  account 
of  their  faith.  But  this  state  of 
peace  did  not  continue  long ;  the 
wars  were  renewed  during  the  suc- 
ceeding reigns,  with  various  suc- 
cess ;  and  the  history  of  this  pe- 
riod is  filled  with  the  most  horrible 
relations  of  battles,,  sieges,  assassi- 
natiojis,  massacres,  and  treasons. 
At  length,  Henry  III.  favouring 
the  protestants,  although  more 
from   political   than  religious  mo- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE. 


213 


tifes,  was  assassinated  by  Cle- 
ment, a  friar  ;  and  was  succeeded 
by  the  king  of  Navarre,  under  the 
title  of  Henry  IV. 

This  prince,  after  strupojling  with 
his  numerous  enemies  during;  se- 
veral >  ears,  found  it  expedient  to 
declare  himself  a  Roman  Catholic, 
and  thus  to  obtain  the  suffrages  of 
the  majority  of  his  subjects.  This 
apostacy  was  a  severe  affliction  to 
the  faithful ;  but,  although  he 
abandoned  his  religion,  and  sacri- 
ficed an  heavenly  for  an  earthly 
crown,  he  did  not,  like  many 
apostates,  persecute  the  members 
of  the  church  which  he  had  quitted. 
He  was,  in  all  other  respects,  truly 
worthy  of  the  appellation  of  Great ; 
a  title  so  frequently  and  so  unjustly 
bestowed  on  men  -who  sacrifice 
the  lives  and  happiness  of  their 
fellow-creatures  at  the  shrine  of 
their  own  vanity  and  cruelty,  and 
deserve  rather  to  be  execrated 
than  admired,  and  regarded  as 
demons  than  as  demi-gods. 

Upon  the  restoration  of  tran- 
quillity in  his  dominions,  Henry 
applied  himself  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  arts  of  peace,  and  by  en- 
couraging agriculture,  manufac- 
tures, and  trade,  laboured  suc- 
cessfully to  recover  France  from 
the  desolation  and  misery  which 
thirty  years  of  civil  war  and  re- 
ligious persecution  had  brought 
upon  her.  Nor  was  he  unmindful 
of  his  ancient  friends  the  protest- 
ants.  By  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
issued  in  1598,  he  granted  then>  a 
full  toleration  and  protection  in 
the  exercise  of  their  religious  opi- 
nions. In  consequence  of  this,  the 
true  church  of  Christ  abode  in 
peace  during  many  years,  and 
flourished  exceedingly. 

Henry  was  at  length  assassinat- 
ed, in  1610,  by  Ravaillac,  a  Jesuit, 
filled  with  that  frantic  bigotry 
which  the  Roman  Catholic  religion 
has  so  peculiar  a  tendency  to  in- 
spire and  to  cherish. 

Louis  XIII.  being  a  minor  at  the 
death  of  his  father,  the  kingdom 
was  nominally  governed  by  the 
queen-mother,  but  really  by  her 
minion,  cardinal  Richelieu   a  man 


of  great  abilities,  which  were  un- 
happily perverted  to  the  worst 
purposes.  He  was  cruel,  bigoted, 
tyrannical,  rapacious,  and  sensual ; 
he  trampled  on  the  civil  and  reli- 
gious liberties  of  France  ;  and  he- 
sitated not  to  accomplish  his  in- 
tentions by  the  most  barbarous  and 
infamous  methods. 

The  protestants  at  length,  unable 
longer  to  endure  the  injuries  daily 
heaped  upon  them,  resolved  to 
take  arms  in  defence  of  their  re- 
ligion and  their  liberty.  But  the 
vigour  of  the  cardinal  defeated  all 
their  enterprises,  and  Rocliclle, 
the  last  fortress  which  remained  in 
their  possession,  was,  in  1G28, 
after  a  long  siege,  in  which  the 
defenders  were  reduced  to  the 
most  horrible  extremities  of  famine 
and  suffering,  surrendered  to  his 
victorious  arms.  He  immediately 
caused  the  walls  and  fortifications 
to  be  destroyed  ;  and  those  of  the 
garrison  who  survived,  were  either 
put  to  death  by  the  infuriated  sol- 
diery, or  condemned  to  the  galleys 
for  life. 

After    this   unhappy    event,    al- 
though the  power  of  the  protest- 
ants was  too  much  broken  to  per- 
mit them  to  assert  their  rights  in 
the  field,  and  they  therefore  appear- 
ed to  their  enemies  as  if  crushed 
and  extinguished,  there  yet  remain- 
ed many  thousands  who  "  refused 
to   bow   the  knee   to  Baal ;"  their 
God  upheld  them  by  his  gracious 
promises;  they  knew  that  He  with- 
out whose     orders    "  not    even    a 
sparrow   shall  perish,"  would   not 
allow  his  faithful   servants  to  fall 
unregarded  ;    and     they    consoled 
themselves  with  the  reflection,  that 
however  they  might  be  despised, 
contemned,     and     persecuted    on 
earth,  they  would  in  the  end  ar- 
rive   at   those  heavenly   mansions 
prepared  for  them  by  their  Father, 
where    "  all  tears   shall  be  wiped 
from    all    faces ;"    and  where    an 
eternity    of  glorious  and  celestial 
happiness  shall  infinitely  outweigh 
the  temporary  and  trivial  suflerings 
of  mortality. 

During  the  fifty  years  which  suc- 
ceeded the  reduction  of  Rocbelle 


214 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  protestants  suffered  every  in- 
dio:nity,  injustice,  and  cruelty, 
which  their  barbarous  persecotors 
could  devise.  They  were  at  the 
mercy  of  every  petty  despot,  who, 
"  drest  in  a  little  brief  authority," 
wished  to  gratify  his  malice,  or 
signalize  the  season  of  his  power, 
by  pimisiiing  the  heretics,  and 
evincing  his  attachment  to  the  in- 
fallible church.  The  consequences 
of  tliis  may  easily  be  imagined ; 
every  petty  vexation  which  can 
render  private  life  miserable,  every 
species  of  plunder  and  extortion, 
and  every  wanton  exertion  of  arbi- 
trary power,  were  employed  to 
harass  and  molest  the  protestants 
of  ail  ranks,  sexes,  and  ages. 

At  length,  in  1684,  the  impious 
and  blasphemous  tyrant  Louis 
XIV.,  who,  in  imitalion  of  the 
worst  Roman  emperors,  wished  to 
receive  divine  honours,  and  was 
flattered  by  his  abject  courtiers 
into  the  belief  that  he  was  more 
than  human,  determined  to  estab- 
lish his  claim  to  the  title  of  le 
(jrand,  which  their  fulsorue  adula- 
tion had  bestowed  on  him,  by  the 
extirpation  of  the  heretics  from 
his  dominions.  Pretending,  how- 
ever, to  wish  for  their  conversion 
to  the  true  faith,  he  gave  them  the 
alternative  of  voluntarily  becom- 
ing papists,  or  heing  compelled  to  it. 
On  their  refusal  to  apostatize, 
they  were  drayoimed ;  that  is.  the 
dragoons,  the  most  ruflianly  and 
barbarous  of  his  Christian  majesty's 
troops,  were  quartered  upon  them, 
with  orders  to  live  at  discretion. 
Their  ideas  of  discretion  may  easily 
be  conceived,  and  accordingly  the 
unhappy  protestants  were  exposed 
to  every  species  of  suiTering,  which 
lust,  avarice,  cruelty,  bigotry,  and 
brutality,  can  engender  iu  the 
breasts  of  an  ignorant,  depraved, 
and  infuriated  soldiery,  absolved 
from  all  restraint,  and  left  to  the 
diabolical  promptings  of  their 
worst  passions,  whose  flames  were 
fanned  by  the  assurances  of  the 
bishops,  priests,  and  friars,  that 
they  were  fulfilling  a  sacred  duty, 
by  punishing  the  enemies  of  God 
and  religion .' 


An  order  was  issued  by  the  king", 
for  the  demolition  of  the  protest- 
ant  churches,  and  the  banishment 
of  the  protestant  ministers.  Many 
other  reformers  were  also  ordered 
to  leave  the  kingdom  in  a  few 
days  ;  and  we  are  told  by  Monsieur 
Claude,  the  celebrated  author  of 
"  Les  Plaintes  des  Protestuns,"  who 
was  himself  banished  at  this  time, 
that  the  most  frivolous  pretexts 
were  employed  to  detain  those  who 
were  about  to  quit  France,  so  that 
by  remaining  in  that  country  be- 
yond the  time  allowed  by  the  edict, 
they  might  be  sent  to  the  galleys 
as  a  punishment  for  infringing  an 
order  which  they  were  thus  pre- 
vented from  complying  with. 

On  the  whole,  more  than  five 
hundred  thousand  persons  escaped 
or  were  banished.  And  these  indus- 
trious citizens,  whom  the  blind  bi- 
gotry of  a  besotted  tyrant  had  dri- 
ven from  their  native  land,  found 
shelter  and  protection,  in  Eng- 
land, Germany,  and  other  coun- 
tries, which  they  amply  repaid  by 
the  introduction  of  many  useful 
arts  and  processes  ;  in  particular, 
it  is  to  them  that  we  are  indebted 
for  the  commencement  of  the  silk 
manufacture  in  Great  Britain. 

In  the  meanwhile,  those  who 
either  were  purposely  detained, 
or  were  unable  to  escape,  were 
condemned  to  the  galleys ;  and 
after  being  imprisoned  in  the  most 
horrible  dungeons,  and  fed  only 
on  bread  and  water,  and  that  very 
scantily,  were  marched  off,  in  large 
bodies,  handculfed,  and  chained 
together,  from  one  extremity  of 
the  kingdom  to  another.  Their 
sufferings  during  this  dreadful 
journey  were  indescribable.  They 
were  exposed  to  every  vicissitude 
of  weather,  almost  without  cover- 
ing ;  and  frequently,  in  the  midst 
of  winter,  were  obliged  to  pass 
the  nights  on  the  bare  earth,  faint- 
ing from  hunger  and  thirst,  ago- 
nized by  disease,  and  writhing  from 
the  lash  of  their  merciless  conduc- 
tors. The  consequence  was,  that 
scarcely  half  the  original  number 
reached  their  place  of  destination  ; 
those   who    did,  were   immediately 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  FRANCE. 


215 


exposed  to  new  suiferings  and  ad- 
ditional calamities. 

They  were  put  on  board  the 
galleys,  where  they  were  subjected 
to  the  absolute  control  of  the 
most  inhuman  and  barbarous 
wretches  who  ever  disgraced  the 
human  form.  The  labour  of  row- 
ing, as  performed  in  the  galleys,  is 
described  as  being  the  most  ex- 
cessive that  can  be  imagined  ;  and 
the  sutterings  of  the  poor  slaves 
were  increased  a  hundred  fold  by 
the  scourgings  inllicted  on  them 
by  their  savage  taskmasters.  The 
recital  of  their  miseries  is  too  hor- 
rible to  be  dwelt  upon  :  we  shall 
therefore  pass  to  that  period  when 
the  Lord,  of  his  iuiinite  mercy, 
gave  ear  to  the  cries  of  his  afllicted 
servants,  and  graciously  raised 
them  up  a  deliverer  in  Anne,  queen 
of  England,  who,  filled  with  com- 
passion for  the  unhappy  fate  of  so 
many  of  her  fellow-proteslants, 
ordered  her  ambassador  iit  the 
court  of  France  to  make  a  spirited 
remonstrance  in  their  favour, 
which  Louis,  whose  affairs  were 
then  in  a  very  critical  situation, 
was  under  the  necessity  of  com- 
plying with;  and  he  accordingly 
dispatched  orders  to  all  the  sea- 
ports for  the  immediate  release  of 
every  galley  slave  condemned  for 
Lis  religion. 

A¥hcu  this  order  was  received  at 
Marseilles,  where  the  majority  of 
the  protestants  were  detained,  the 
priests,  and  most  particularly  the 
Jesuits,  were  much  chagrined  at 
the  prospect  of  thus  losing  their 
victims,  and  determined  to  use  all 
means  in  their  power  to  prevent 
the  order  from  being  carried  into 
effect.  They  prevailed  on  the  in- 
tendant,  a  violent  and  cruel  bigot, 
to  delay  its  execution  for  eight 
days,  till  they  could  receive  an 
answer  to  an  address  which  they 
immediately  dispatched  to  the 
king,  exhorting  him  to  abandon  his 
intention  of  releasing  the  heretics, 
and  representing  the  dreadful 
judgments  which,  they  asserted, 
might  be  expected  to  fall  on  him- 
self and  his  kingdom,  as  the  pu- 
nishment of  so  great  a  dereliction 


from  his  duty  as  the  eldest  son  of 
the  church.  At  least,  they  desired, 
if  his  majesty  were  determined  to 
release  the  protestants,  that  he 
would  not  allow  them  to  remain  in, 
or  even  pass  through,  France  ;  but 
would  compel  them  to  leave  the 
ports  by  sea,  and  never  again  to 
enter  his  dominions,  on  pain  of 
re-visiting  the  galleys. 

Although  Louis  could  not  com- 
ply with  the  first  part  of  the  peti- 
tion of  these  truly  Papistical 
bigots,  the  latter  part  was  too 
congenial  to  bis  own  inclinations, 
to  be  rejected.  The  protestants 
were  ordered  to  sail  from  the  ports 
at  which  they  had  been  confined  ; 
and  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  ves- 
sels for  their  conveyance,  which 
the  malignant  priests  used  all  their 
arts  to  augment,  occasioned  a  long 
delay,  during  which  the  poor  pri- 
soners were  suilering  all  the  ago- 
nies of  uncertainty — that  *'  hope 
deferred,  which  maketh  the  heart 
sick," — and  which  led  them  to  fear 
that  something  might  still  intei-vene 
to  prevent  their  so  much  desired 
emancipation.  But  their  heavenly 
Father,  ever  mindful  of  those  who 
suffer  for  his  sake,  at  length  re- 
moved every  obstacle  which  bi- 
gotry and  malice  could  interpose, 
and  delivered  them  from  the  hand 
of  the  oppressor.  They  went 
forth  rejoicing,  praising  and  bless- 
ing His  holy  name,  who  had 
wr  night  for  them  this  great  deli- 
verance. 

A  deputation  of  those  who  had 
been  released  by  the  interposition 
of  queen  Anne,  waited  upon  her 
majesty  in  London,  to  return  their 
most  grateful  thanks,  on  behalf  of 
themselves  and  their  brethren,  for 
her  Christian  interference  in  their 
favour.  She  received  them  very 
graciously,  and  assured  them  that 
she  derived  more  pleasure  from 
the  consciousness  of  having  lessen- 
ed the  miseries  of  her  fellow-pro- 
testants,  than  from  the  most  bril- 
liant events  of  her  reign. 

These  exiles  also  established 
themselves  in  England,  which  by 
their  industry  and  ingenuity  ac- 
quired new  riches  every  day,  while 


216 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Fronce,  by  cxpellinc:  them,  receiv- 
ed a  blow,  from  which  her  commer- 
rial  and  tradinj?  interests  never 
recovered.  Thus,  even  on  earth, 
did  tlie  Ahni;;hty  punish  the  bigot- 
ed and  cruel,  and  reward  the  pious 
and  beneficent.  But  how  fear- 
ful shall  be  the  judgement  of  the 
persecutors  in  that  ^reat  day  when 
every  action  shall  be  weighed  in 
the  balance  of  Eternal  Justice  ! 
How  awful  the  denunciation — 
"  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed !  I 
know  you  not  I"  Will  the  plea  of 
rebffums  zeal  be  then  allowed  ? 
Will  not  the  true  motives  of  their 
barbarity    be     exposed    to     Him 


"  from  whom  no  secTct  is  hid  ?'' 
Undoubtedly  they  will ;  and  la- 
mentably ignorant  are  they  of  the 
genuine  spirit  of  Christianity,  who 
imagine  that  cnjelty  and  perse- 
cution form  any  part  of  it.  Let 
them  look  to  the  conduct  of  its 
Divine  Founder;  to  his  meek- 
ness, his  charity,  liis  universal 
benevolence;  let  them  consider 
these,  and  blush  to  call  them- 
selves his  followers ;  and  trem- 
ble at  the  doom  which  his  jus- 
tice will  award  to  those  who  have 
perverted  his  maxims  of  mercy  and 
of  peace  into  denunciations  of 
hostility  and  extirpation. 


SECTION  X. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   JOHN    CALAS,   OF   THOULOUSE. 


By  this  interesting  story,  the 
truth  of  which  is  certified  in  his- 
torical records,  we  have  ample 
proofs,  if  any  were  requisite,  that 
the  abominable  spirit  of  perse- 
cution will  always  prevail  wher- 
ever popery  has  an  ascendancy. 
This  shocking  act  took  place  in  a 
polished  age,  and  proves,  that 
neither  experience,  nor  improve- 
ment, can  root  out  the  inveterate 
prejudices  of  the  Roman  catholics; 
or  render  them  less  cruel  or  inex- 
orable to  the  protestants. 

John  Calas  was  a  merchant,  of 
the  city  of  Thoulouse,  where  he 
had  settled,  and  lived  in  good  re- 
pute ;  and  had  married  an  Eng- 
lishwoman of  French  extraction. 

Calas  and  his  wife  were  both 
protestants,  and  had  five  sons, 
whom  they  educated  in  the  same 
religion ;  but  Lewis,  one  of  the 
sons,  became  a  Roman  catholic, 
having  been  converted  by  a  maid- 
servant, who  had  lived  in  the  fa- 
mily above  thirty  years.  The 
father,  however,  did  not  express 
any  resentment  or  ill-will  upon 
the  occasion,  but  kept  the  maid 
in  the  family,  and  settled  an  annu- 
ity upon  the  son.  In  October 
1761,  the  family  consisted  of  John 
Calas  and  his  wife,  one  woman 
servant,  Mark  Anthony  Calas,  the 
eldest  son,  and  Peter  Calas,  the 
second  son.     Mark   Anthony   was 


bred  to  the  law,  but  could  not  be 
admitted  to  practice,  on  account  of 
his  being  a  protestant:  hence  he 
grew  melancholy,  read  all  the 
books  which  he  could  procure  re- 
lative to  suicide,  and  seemed  de- 
termined to  destroy  himself.  To 
this  may  be  added,  that  he  led  a 
very  dissipated  life,  and  was  great- 
ly addicted  to  gaming.  On  this 
account  his  father  frequently  repre- 
hended him,  and  sometimes  in 
terms  of  severity,  which  consi- 
derably added  to  the  gloom  that 
oppressed  him. 

M.  Gober  La  Vaisse,  a  young 
gentleman  about  nineteen  years  of 
age,  the  son  of  a  celebrated  ad- 
vocate of  Thoulouse,  having  been 
some  time  at  Bourdeaux,  came 
back  to  Thoulouse  to  see  his  father, 
on  the  13th  of  October  1761 ;  but 
finding  that  he  was  gone  to  his 
country-house,  at  some  distance 
from  the  city,  he  went  to  several 
places,  endeavouring  to  hire  a  horse 
to  carry  him  thither.  No  horse, 
however,  was  to  be  obtained  ;  and 
about  iive  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
he  was  met  by  John  Calas  the  fa- 
ther, and  the  eldest  son  Mark  An- 
thony, who  w  as  his  friend.  Calas, 
the  father,  invited  him  to  supper, 
as  he  could  not  set  out  for  his 
father's  that  night,  and  La  Vaisse 
consented.  All  three,  therefore, 
proceeded  to  Calas's  house  toge- 


MARTYRDOM  OF  GALAS. 


217 


tlier,  and  when  they  came  tliltlier, 
imding  that  Mrs.  Galas  was  still 
in  her  own  room,  which  she  had  not 
quitted  that  da}-,  La  Vaisse  went 
up  to  see  her.  After  the  first  com- 
pliments, he  told  her  he  was  to 
sup  with  her,  by  her  husband's  in- 
vitation, at  which  she  expressed 
her  satisfaction,  and  a  few  minutes 
after  left  him,  to  give  some  orders 
to  Jier  maid.  When  that  was  done, 
slie  went  to  look  for  her  son  An- 
thony, whom  she  found  sitting 
alone  in  the  shop,  very  pensive: 
she  gave  him  some  money,  and 
desired  him  to  go  and  buy  some 
Roquefort  cheese,  as  he  was  a 
better  judge  of  the  quality  of 
cheese  than  any  other  person  in 
the  family.  She  then  returned  to 
her  guest  La  Vaisse,  who  very 
soon  after  went  again  to  the  livery- 
stable,  to  see  if  any  horse  was 
come  in,  that  he  might  secure  it 
for  the  next  morning. 

In  a  short  time  xVnthony  return- 
ed, having  bought  tlie  cheese,  and 
La  Vaisse  also  coming  back  about 
the  same  time,  the  family  and  their 
guest  sat  down  to  supper,  the 
whole  company  consisting  of  Galas 
and  his  wife,  Anthony  and  Peter 
Galas  the  sons,  and  La  Vaisse,  no 
other  person  being  in  the  house, 
except  the  maid-servant,  who  has 
been  mentioned  already.  This 
was  about  seven  o'clock :  the  sup- 
per was  not  long  ;  but  before  it 
was  over,  Anthony  left  the  table, 
and  went  into  the  kitchen,  (which 
was  on  the  same  floor)  as  he  was 
accustomed  to  do.  The  maid 
asked  him  if  he  was  cold?  He 
answered,  "  Quite  the  contrary, 
I  burn:"  and  then  left  her.  In 
the  mean  time  his  friend  and 
family  left  the  room  they  had  sup- 
ped in,  and  went  into  a  bed-cham- 
ber ;  the  father  and  La  Vaisse 
sat  down  together  on  a  sofa;  the 
younger  sou  Peter  in  an  elbow 
chair ;  and  the  mother  in  another 
chair;  and  without  making  any 
inquiry  after  Anthony,  continued 
in  conversation  together,  till  be- 
tween nine  and  ten  o'clock,  when 
La  Vaisse  took  his  leave,  and 
Peter,  who  had  fallen  asleep,  was 


awakened  to   attend   him   with    a 
light. 

There  was  on  the  ground  floor 
of  Galas's  house  a  shop  and  a  ware- 
house ;  the  latter  of  which  was  di- 
vided from  the  shop  by  a  pair  of 
folding-doors.  When  Peter  Galas 
and  La  Vaisse  came  down  stairs 
into  the  shop,  they  were  extremely 
shocked  to  see  Anthony  hanging 
in  his  shirt,  from  a  bar  which  he 
had  laid  across  the  top  of  the  two 
folding-doors,  having  half  opened 
them  for  that  purpose.  On  dis- 
covering this  horrid  spectacle,  they 
shrieked  out,  which  brought  down 
Galas  the  father,  the  mother  bein<»- 
seized  with  such  a  terror  as  kept 
her  trembling  in  the  passage  above. 
The  unhappy  old  man  rushed  for- 
ward, and  taking  the  body  in  his 
arms,  the  bar,  to  which  the  rope 
was  fastened,  slipped  off  from  the 
folding-door  of  the  warehouse,  and 
fell  down.  Having  placed  the 
body  on  the  ground,  he  loosed  and 
took  ofl"  the  cord  in  an  agony  of 
grief  and  anguish  not  to  be  expres- 
sed, weeping,  trembling,  and  de- 
ploring his  loss.  The  two  young 
men,  who  had  not  had  presence  of 
mind  to  attempt  taking  down  the 
body,  were  standing  by,  stupid 
with  amazement  and  horror.  In 
the  mean  time  the  mother,  hearing 
the  confused  cries  and  complaints 
of  her  husband,  and  finding  no 
one  come  to  her,  found  means  to 
get  down  stairs.  At  the  bottom 
she  saw  La  Vaisse,  and  hastily 
demanded  what  was  the  matter. 
This  question  roused  Galas  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  instead  of  answering  her, 
he  urged  her  to  go  again  up  stairs, 
to  which,  with  much  reluctance, 
she  consented ;  but  the  conflict  of 
her  mind  being  such  as  could  not 
be  long  borne,  she  sent  down  the 
maid  to  know  what  was  the  matter- 
When  the  maid  discovered  what 
had  happened,  she  continued  be- 
low, either  because  she  feared  to 
carry  an  account  of  it  to  her  mis- 
tress, or  because  she  busied  herself 
in  doing  some  good  oflice  to  her 
master,  who  was  still  embracing 
the  body  of  his  son,  and  bathing  it 
in  his  tears.     The  mother,  there- 


218 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


fore,  being  thus  left  alone,  went 
down,  and  mixed  in  the  scene 
that  has  been  already  described, 
with  such  emotions  as  it  must 
naturally  produce.  Tn  the  mean 
time  Peter  had  been  sent  for  La 
Moire,  a  surg:eon  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. La  Moire  was  not  at 
home,  but  his  apprentice,  named 
Grosse,  came  instantly.  Upon  ex- 
amination, he  found  the  body  quite 
dead ;  and  upon  takinsf  oil"  the 
neckcloth,  which  was  of  black 
tafl'eta,  he  saw  the  niarkof  the  cord, 
and  immediately  pronounced  that 
the  deceased  had  been  straQu,led. 
This  particular  had  not  been  told, 
for  the  poor  old  man,  when  Peter 
was  going  for  La  Moire,  cried  out, 
"  Save  at  least  the  honour  of  my 
family;  do  not  go  and  spread  a 
report  that  your  brother  has  made 
away  with  himself," 

A  crowd  of  people  by  this  time 
were  gathered  about  the  house, 
and  one  Casing,  with  another 
friend  or  two  of  the  family,  had 
come  in.  Some  of  those  who 
were  in  the  street  had  heard  the 
cries  and  exclamations  within,  but 
knew  not  the  occasion  ;  and  hav- 
ing by  some  means  heard  that  An- 
thony Galas  was  suddenly  dead, 
and  that  the  su'gcon,  who  had  ex- 
amined the  body,  declared  he  had 
been  strangled,  they  took  it  into 
their  heads  he  had  been  murdered  ; 
and  as  the  family  were  protestants, 
they  presently  supposed  that  the 
young  man  was  about  to  change 
his  religion,  and  had  been  put  to 
death  for  that  reason.  The  cries 
they  had  heard  they  fancied  were 
those  of  the  deceased,  while  he 
was  resisting  the  violence  done  to 
him.  The  tumult  in  the  street  in- 
creased every  moment :  some  said 
that  Anthony  Galas  was  to  have 
abjured  the  next  day  ;  others,  that 
protestants  are  bound  by  their  re- 
ligion to  strangle  or  cut  the  throats 
of  their  children  when  they  are 
inclined  to  become  catholics. 
Others,  who  had  found  out  that 
La  Vaisse  was  in  the  house  when 
the  accident  happened,  very  con- 
fidently affirmed,  that  the  protest- 
ants,  at  their   last  assembly,   ap- 


pointed a  person  to  be  their  com- 
mon executioner  upon  these  oc- 
casions, and  that  La  Vaisse  was 
the  man,  wlio,  in  consequence  of 
the  office,  to  which  he  had  been 
appointed,  had  come  to  Calas's 
house  to  hang  his  son. 

Now  the  poor  father,  who  was 
overwhelmed  with  grief  for  the 
loss  of  his  child,  was  advised  by 
his  friends  to  send  for  the  officers 
of  justice,  to  prevent  his  being 
torn  to  pieces  by  the  ignorant  and 
bigoted  mob.  A  messenger  was 
aecordinglj'  dispatched  to  the 
capitoul,  or  first  magistrate  of  the 
place ;  and  another  to  an  inferior 
officer,  called  an  assessor.  The 
capitoul  had  already  set  out,  hav- 
ing been  alarmed  by  the  rumour  of 
a  murder.  He  entered  Calas's 
house  with  forty  soldiers,  took  the 
father,  Peter  the  son,  the  mother. 
La  Vaisse,  and  the  maid,  all  into 
custody,  and  set  a  guard  over  them. 
He  sent  for  IM.  de  la  Tour,  a  phy- 
sician, and  M.  la  Marque  and  Per- 
ronct,  surgeons,  who  examined  the 
body  for  marks  of  violence,  but 
found  none  except  the  mark  of  the 
ligature  on  the  neck  :  they  found 
also  the  hair  of  the  deceased  done 
up  in  the  usual  manner,  perfectly 
smooth,  and  without  the  least  dis- 
order: his  clothes  -were  also  regu- 
larly folded  up,  and  laid  upon  the 
counter,  nor  wa^  his  sliirt  eitlier 
unbuttoned  or  torn. 

The  capitoul,  notwithstantling 
these  appearances,  thought  pro- 
per to  agree  with  the  opinion  of 
the  mob,  and  took  it  into  his  head 
that  old  Cnlas  had  sent  for  La 
Vaisse,  telling  him  he  had  a  son 
to  be  hanged  ;  that  La  Vaisse  had 
come  to  perform  the  office  of  ex- 
ecutioner; and  that  he  had  receiv- 
ed assistance  from  the  fa,ther  and 
brother. 

On  account  of  these  notions  the 
capitoul  ordered  the  body  of  the 
deceased  to  be  carried  to  the  town- 
house,  with  the  clothes.  The  father 
and  son  were  thrown  into  a  dark 
dungeon ;  and  the  mother.  La 
Vaisse,  the  maid,  and  Casing,  were 
imprisoned  in  one  that  admitted 
the  light.     The  next  day^  what  is 


MARTYRDOM  OF  GALAS. 


210 


called  the  verbal  process  was  taken 
at  the  town-house,  instead  of  the 
spot  where  the  body  was  found, 
as  the  law  directs,  and  was  dated 
at  Calas's,  house  to  conceal  the  ir- 
regularity. This  verbal  process  is 
somewhat  like  the  coroner's  inquest 
in  England ;  witnesses  are  exa- 
mined, and  the  magistrate  makes 
his  report,  similar  to  the  verdict  of 
a  coroner's  jury  in  England.  The 
witnesses  examined  by  the  capitoul 
■were,  the  physician  and  surgeon, 
who  proved  Anthony  Galas  to  have 
been  strangled.  The  surgeon  hav- 
ing been  ordered  to  examine  the 
stomach  of  the  deceased,  deposed 
also,  that  the  food  which  was  found 
there  had  been  taken  four  hours 
before  his  death.  Finding  that  uo 
proof  of  the  murder  could  be  pro- 
cured, the  capitoul  had  recourse  to 
a  monitory,  or  general  informa- 
tion, in  which  the  crime  was  taken 
for  granted,  and  all  persons  were 
required  to  give  such  testimony 
against  it  as  they  were  able,  par- 
ticularizing the  points  to  which 
they  were  lo  speak.  This  recites, 
that  La  Vaisse  was  commissioned 
by  the  protestants  to  be  their  ex- 
ecutioner in  ordinary,  when  any 
of  their  children  were  to  be  hanged 
for  changing  their  religion :  it 
recites  also,  that  when  the  protest- 
ants thus  bang  tlieir  children,  they 
compel  them  to  kneel,  and  one  of 
the  interrogatories  was,  whether 
any  person  had  seen  Anthony 
Galas  kneel  before  bis  father  when 
he  strangled  him :  it  recites  like- 
wise, tliat  Anthony  died  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  requires  evidence  of 
his  Catholicism. 

These  ridiculous  opinions  being 
adopted  and  published  by  the  prin- 
cipal magistrate  of  a  considerable 
city,  the  church  of  Geneva  thought 
itself  obliged  to  send  an  attestation 
of  its  abhorrence  of  opinions  so 
abominable  and  absurd,  and  of  its 
astonishment  that  they  should  be 
suspected  of  such  opinions  by  per- 
sons whose  rank  and  office  required 
them  to  have  more  knowledge  and 
better  judgment. 

However,  before  this  monitory 
was  published,  the  mob  had  got  a 


notion,  that  Anthony  Galas  Vas  the 
next  day  to  have  entered  into  the 
fraternity  of  the  White  Penitents. 
The  capitoul  immediately  adopted 
this  opinion  also,  without  the  least 
examination,  and  ordered  An- 
thony's body  to  be  buried  in  the 
middle  of  St.  Stephen's  church, 
which  was  accordingly  done;  forty 
priests,  and  all  the  white  peni- 
tents, assisting  in  the  funeral  pro- 
cession. 

A  short  time  after  the  interment 
of  the  deceased,  the  white  peni- 
tents performed  a  solemn  service 
for  liim  in  their  chapel:  the  church 
was  liung  with  white,  and  a  tomb 
was  raised  in  the  middle  of  it,  on 
the  top  of  which  was  placed  a  hu- 
man skeleton,  holding  in  one  hand 
a  paper,  on  which  was  written, 
"  Abjuration  of  heresy,"  and  in  the 
other  a  palui,  the  emblem  of  mai-- 
tyrdom. 

The  Franciscans  performed  a 
service  of  the  same  kind  for  him 
the  next  day;  and  it  is  easy  to 
imagine  how  jnuch  the  minds  of 
the  people  were  inflamed  by  this 
strange  folly  of  their  magistrates 
and  priests. 

Still  the  capitoul  continued  the 
prosecution  with  unrelenting  seve- 
rity ;  and  though  the  grief  and  dis- 
traction of  the  family,  when  he  first 
came  to  the  house,  were  alone  suf- 
ficient to  have  convinced  any  rea- 
sonable being  that  they  were  not 
the  authors  of  the  event  which  they 
deplored,  yet  having  publicly  at- 
tested that  they  were  guilty,  in  his 
monitory,  without  proof,  and  no 
proof  coming  in,  he  thought  fit  to 
condemn  the  unhappy  father,  mo- 
ther, brother,  friend,  and  ser*ant, 
to  the  torture,  and  put  them  all 
into  irons,  on  the  ISth  of  Novem- 
ber. Gasing  was  released,  upon 
proof  that  he  was  not  in  Galas's 
house  till  after  Anthon}'  was  dead. 

From  these  dreadful  proceedings 
the  sufferers  appealed  to,  the  par- 
liament, which  immediately  took 
cognisance  of  the  affair,  and  an- 
nulled the  sentence  of  the  capitoul 
as  irregular;  but  the  prosecution 
still  continued. 

As  soon  as  the  trial  came  on,  the 
3 


220 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


hangman,  who  had  been  taken  to 
Calas's  house,  and  shewn  the  fold- 
iug-doors  and  the  bar,  deposed, 
that  it  was  impossible  Anthony 
should  bang  himself  as  was  pre- 
tended. Another  witness  swore, 
that  he  looked  through  the  key- 
hole of  Calas's  door  into  a  room, 
where  he  saw  men  running  hastily 
to  and  fro.  A  third  swore,  that  his 
wife  had  told  him,  a  woman  named 
Maundrill  had  told  her,  that  a  cer- 
tain woman  unknown  bad  declared, 
she  beard  the  cries  of  Anthony 
Calas  at  the  further  end  of  the 
city. 

From  this  absurd  evidence  the 
majority  of  the  parliament  were  of 
opinion,  that  the  prisoners  were 
guilty,  and  therefwe  ordered  them 
to  be  tried  by  the  criminal  court  of 
Tboulouse. 

There  was  among  those  who 
;  presided  at  the  trial  one  La 
JBorde,  who  bad  zealously  espous- 
ed the  popular  prejudices;  and 
though  it  was  manifest  to  demon- 
stration that  the  prisoners  were 
either  all  innocent  or  all  guilty, 
he  voted  that  the  father  should  first 
suffer  the  torture,  ordinary  and  ex- 
traordinary, to  discover  his  accom- 
plices, and  be  then  broken  alive 
upon  the  wheel;  to  receive  the  last 
stroke  when  he  had  lain  two  hours, 
and  then  to  be  burnt  to  ashes.  In 
this  opinion  he  bad  the  concurrence 
of  six  others;  three  were  for  the 
torture  alone ;  two  were  of  opinion 
that  they  should  endeavour  to  as- 
certain on  the  spot  whether  An- 
thony could  hang  himself  or  not; 
and  one  voted  to  acquit  the  pri- 
soner. After  long  debates  the  ma- 
jority was  for  the  torture  and 
wheel,,  and  probably  condemned 
the  father  by  way  of  experiment, 
whether  he  was  guilty  or  not,  hop- 
ing he  would,  in  the  agony,  confess 
the  crime,  and  accuse  the  other 
prisoners,  whose  fate,  therefore, 
they  suspended.  It  is,  however, 
certain,  that  if  they  bad  evidence 
against  the  father  that  would  have 
justified  the  sentence  they  pro- 
nounced against  him,  that  very 
evidence  would  have  justified  the 
same   sentence    against  the   rest ; 


and  that  they  could  not  justly  con- 
demn him  alone,  they  being  all  in 
the  house  together  when  Anthony 
died. 

However,  poor  Calas,  who  was 
68  years  of  age,  was  condemned  to 
this  dreadful  punishment.  He 
suffered  the  torture  with  great  con- 
stancy, and  was  led  to  execution 
in  a  frame  of  mind  which  excited 
respect  and  admiration. 

Father  Bourges  and  father  Col- 
dagues,  the  two  Dominicans,  who 
attended  him  in  his  last  moments, 
wished  their  latter  end  might  be 
like  his,  and  declared,  that  they 
thought  him  not  only  wholly  inno- 
cent of  the  crime  laid  to  his  charge, 
but  an  exemplary  instance  of  true 
Christian  patience,  charity,  and 
fortitude. 

He  gave  but  one  shriek,  when 
he  received  the  first  stroke ;  after 
which  he  uttered  no  complaint. 
Being  at  length  placed  on  the 
wheel,  to  wait  for  the  moment 
which  was  to  end  bis  life  and  his 
misery  together,  he  declared  him- 
self full  of  an  humble  hope  of  a 
glorious  immortality,  and  a  com- 
passionate regard  for  the  judges 
who  had  condemned  him.  When 
be  saw  the  executioner  prepared 
to  give  him  the  last  stroke,  he 
made  a  fresh  declaration  of  his  in- 
nocence to  father  Bourges;  but 
while  the  words  were  yet  in  his 
mouth,  the  capitoul,  the  author  of 
this  catastrophe,  and  who  came 
upon  the  scaffold  merely  to  gratify 
his  desire  of  being  a  witness  of  his 
punishment  and  death,  ran  up  to 
him,  and  bawled  out,  "  Wretch, 
there  are  the  faggots  which  are  to 
reduce  your  body  to  ashes;  speak 
the  truth."  M.  Calas  made  no  re- 
ply, but  turned  his  head  a  little 
aside,  and  tliat  moment  the  execu- 
tioner did  his  office. 

Donat  Calas,  a  boy  of  fifteen 
years  of  age,  the  youngest  son  of 
the  unfortunate  victim,  was  ap- 
prentice to  a  merchant  at  Nismes, 
when  he  heard  of  the  dreadful  pu- 
nishment by  which  seven  preju- 
diced judges  of  Tboulouse  had  put 
his  worthy  father  to  death. 

So  violent  was  the  popular  out- 


PAPAL  USURPATIONS. 


221 


ery  against  this  family  in  Langue- 
doc,  that  every  body  expected  to 
see  the  children  of  Galas  broke 
upon  the  wheel,  and  the  mother 
burnt  alive.  So  weak  had  been 
the  defence  made  by  this  innocent 
family,  oppressed  by  misfortunes, 
and  terrified  at  the  sight  of  lighted 
piles,  racks,  and  wheels.  Young 
Donat  Galas  dreading  to  share  the 
fate  of  the  rest  of  his  family,  was 
advised  to  fly  into  Switzerland. 
He  did  so,  and  there  found  a  gen- 
tleman, who,  at  fust,  could  only 
pity  and  relieve  him,  without  dar- 
ing to  judge  of  the  rigour  exercised 
against  his  father,  mother,  and 
brothers.  Shortly  after,  one  of 
the  brothers,  who  was  only  ba- 
nished, likewise  threw  himself  into 
the  arms  of  the  same  person,  who, 
for  more  than  a  mouth,  took  all 
possible  means  to  be  assured  of 
the  innocence  of  this  family.  But 
when  he  was  once  couvinced,  he 
thought  himself  obliged,  in  con- 
science, to  employ  his  friends,  his 
purse,  his  pen,  and  his  credit,  to 
repair  the  fatal  mistake  of  the  se- 


ven judges  of  ThouJouse,  and  to 
have  the  proceedings  revised  by 
the  king's  counsel.  This  revision 
lasted  three  years,  and  at  the  end 
of  that  time,  fifty  masters  of  the 
Court  of  Requests  unanimously 
declared  the  whole  family  of  Galas 
innocent,  and  recommended  them 
to  the  benevolent  justice  of  his  ma- 
jesty. The  duke  de  Ghoiseul,  who 
never  let  slip  an  opportunity  of 
signalizing  the  greatness  of  his 
character,  not  only  assisted  this 
unfortunate  family  with  money 
from  his  own  purse,  but  obtained, 
for  them  a  gratuity  of  3G,000  livres 
from  the  king. 

The  arret  which  justified  the  fa- 
mily of  Galas,  and  changed  their 
fate,  was  signed  on  the  9th  of 
March,  17G5.  The  9th  of  March, 
17G2,  was  the  very  day  on  which 
the  innocent  and  virtuous  father  of 
that  family  had  been  executed. 
AH  Paris  ran  in  crowds  to  see 
them  come  out  of  prison,  and 
clapped  their  hands  for  joy,  while 
the  tears  streamed  down  their 
cheeks. 


BOOK  VIII. 

CONTAINING  A  BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  REFORMATION,  AND  THE  RE- 
MARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCES  WHICH  PRECEDED  IT,  FROM  THE  TIME  OF 
WICKLIFFE   TO    THE    REION    OF   QUEEN    MARY. 


SECTION  I. 


PARTICULARS     RELATIVE     TO     THE     G 
THROUGHOUT    CHRISTENDO 

In  the  Introduction  will  be  found 
an  account  of  the  rise  and  progress 
of  popery,  from  the  commencement 
of  its  usurpations  to  the  tenth  cen- 
tury. From  this  period,  till  the 
reformation  was  attempted  by 
Wicklitle,  the  abominations  of 
these  arch  and  unchristian  heretics 
increased  with  rapid  strides,  till  at 
length  all  the  sovereigns  of  Europe 
were  compelled  to  do  them  the 
most  servile  homage.  It  was  in 
the  reign  of  Edgar,  king  of  Eng- 


REAT  ASCENDANCY  OF  THE  POPES 
M,    IN    THE    MIDDLE   AGES. 

land,  that  monks  were  first  made 
spiritual  ministers,  though  con- 
trary to  the  decrees  and  custom  of 
the  church;  and  in  the  time  of  this 
sovereign  they  were  allowed  to 
marry,  there  being  no  law  forbid- 
ding it,  before  the  papacy  of  Gre- 
gory VII. 

To  relate  the  tyrannical  innova- 
tions upon  the  religion  of  Christ 
during  the  space  of  more  than 
three  hundred  years,  would  be  the 
province  of   a  writer   ou  church 


222 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


history,  and  is  qnite  incompatible 
■with  our  limits.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  scarcely  a  foreign  war  or  civil 
broil  convulsed  Europe  during  that 
period,  which  did  not  originate  in 
the  infernal  artifices  of  popes, 
monks,  and  friars.  They  fre- 
quently fell  victims  to  their  own 
machinations;  for,  from  the  year 
1004,  many  popes  died  violen-t 
deaths:  several  were  poisoned; 
Sylvester  was  cut  to  pieces  by  his 
own  people ;  and  the  reigns  of  bis 
successors  were  but  short.  Bene- 
dict, who  succeeded  John  XXI. 
thought  proper  to  resist  the  em- 
peror Henry  III.  and  place  in  his 
room  Peter,  king  of  Hungary  ;  but 
afterwards  being  alarmed  by  the 
success  of  Henry,  he  sold  his  seat 
to  Gratianus,  called  Gregory  VI. 
At  this  time  there  were  three 
popes  in  Rome,  all  striving  against 
each  other  for  the  supreme  power, 
viz.  Benedict  IX.  Silvester  III. 
and  Gregory  VI.  But  the  empe- 
ror, Henry,  coming  to  Rome,  dis- 
placed these  three  monsters  at 
once,  and  appointed  Clement  the 
Second,  enacting  that  henceforth 
no  bishop  of  Ko)ne  should  be 
chosen  but  by  the  consent  of  the 
emperor.  Though  this  law  was 
necessary  for  public  tranquillity, 
yet  it  interiered  too  niuch  with  the 
ambitious  views  of  the  cardinals, 
■\*ho  accordingly  e,\ertcd  them- 
selves to  get  it  repealed  ;  and  fail- 
ing in  this,  on  the  departure  of  the 
emperor  for  Germany,  they  poi- 
soned Clement,  and  ?,t  once  vio- 
lated the  law  by  choosing  another 
pope,  without  the  imperial  sanc- 
tion. 

This  w  as  Damasus  II.  who  being 
also  poisoned,  within  a  few  days 
from  his  appointment,  much  con- 
tention took  place.  Whereupon 
the  Romans  sent  to  the  em- 
peror, desiring  Iiim  to  give  them  a 
bishop ;  upon  which  he  selected 
Bruno,  a  German,  called  Leo  IX. 
This  pope  was  also  poisoned,  in 
the  first  year  of  his  popedom. 

After  his  death  Theophylactus 
made  an  eflort  to  be  pope,  but 
Hildebrand,  to  defeat  him,  went  to 
the  emperor,  and  persuaded  him  to 


assign  another  bishop,  a  German, 
who  ascended  the  papal  chair 
under  the  title  of  Victor  II. 

The  second  year  of  his  papacy, 
this  pope  also  followed  his  prede- 
cessors, like  them  being  poisoned. 

On  the  death  of  Victor,  the  car- 
dinals elected  Stephen  IX.  for 
pope,  contrary  to  their  oath,  and 
the  emperor's  assignment.  From 
this  period,  indeed,  their  ascend- 
ancy was  so  great,  that  the  most 
powerful  sovereigns  of  Europe 
were  obliged  to  do  them  homage  ; 
and  Nicholas,  who  succeeded  Ste- 
phen, established  the  Council  of 
the  Lateran. 

In  this  council  first  was  promul- 
gated the  terrible  sentence  of  ex- 
communication against  all  such  as 
"  do  creep  into  the  seat  of  Peter  by 
money  or  favour,  without  the  full 
consent  of  the  cardinals;"  cursing 
them  and  their  children  with  the 
anger  of  Almighty  God  ;  and  giv- 
ing authoiity  and  power  to  cardi- 
nals, with  the  clergy  and  laity,  to 
depose  all  such  persons,  and  call  a 
couBciJ-general,  wheresoever  they 
will,  against  them. 

Pope  Nicholas  only  reigned 
three  years  and  a  half,  and  then, 
like  his  predecessors,  was  poi- 
soned. 

SUBMISSION     OF     THE     EMPEROR 
HENRY    IV.    TO    THE    POPE. 

To  such  a  height  had  papal  in- 
solence now  attained,  that,  on  the 
emperor  Henry  IV.  refusing  to 
submit  to  some  decrees  of  pope 
Gregoiy  VII.  the  latter  excommu- 
nicated him,  and  absolved  all  his 
subjects  from  their  oath  of  allegi- 
ance to  him:  on  this  he  was  de- 
serted by  his  nobility,  and  dreading 
the  consequences,  though  a  brave 
man,  he  found  it  necessary  to  make 
his  submission.  He  accordingly 
repaired  to  the  city  of  Cauusium, 
w  here  the  pope  then  w  as,  and  w  cnt 
barefooted  with  his  wife  and  child 
to  the  gate  ;  where  he  remained 
from  morning  to  night, fasting,  hum- 
bly desiring  absolution,  and  craving 
to  be  let  in.  But  no  ingress  being 
given  him,  he  continued  thus  three 
days  together;  at  length,  answer 


PAPAL  USURPATIONS. 


223 


came,  that  his  holiness  had  yet  no 
leisure  to  talk  with  liiin.  The  em- 
peror patiently  waited  without  the 
walls,  altl)ou;j,h  in  the  depth  of 
winter.  At  leuj!;th  his  request  was 
granted,  through  the  entreaties  of 
Matilda,  the  pope's  paramour.  On 
the  fourth  day,  being:  let  in,  for  a 
token  of  his  true  repentance,  he 
yielded  to  the  pope's  hands  his 
crown,  and  confessed  himself  un- 
worthy of  the  empire,  if  he  ever 
again  offended  against  the  pope, 
desiring  for  that  time  to  he  absolv- 
ed and  forgiven.  The  pope  an- 
swered, he  would  neither  forgive 
liim,  nor  release  the  bond  of  his 
excommunication,  but  upon  con- 
dition, that  he  would  abide  by  his 
arbitrement  in  the  council,  and 
undergo  such  penance  as  he  should 
enjoin  him;  that  he  should  answer 
to  all  objections  and  accusations 
laid  against  him,  and  lliat  be  should 
never  seek  revenge  ;  that  it  should 
be  at  (be  pope's  pleasure,  whetlicr 
his  kina;doin  should  be  restored,  or 
not.  Finally,  that  before  the  trial 
of  his  cause,  he  should  neither  use 
his  kingly  ornaments,  nor  usurp 
the  aulljority  to  govern,  nor  to 
exact  any  oath  of  allegiance  from 
Lis  subjects,  &c.  These  things 
being  jirou.ised  to  the  pope  by  an 
oath,  the  emperor  was  only  releas- 
ed from  excommunication. 

KING    JOHN    SURRENDERS    HIS 
CROWN    TO    THE    POPE. 

The  ascendancy  of  the  popes 
was  never  more  fully  evinced  ihan 
by  a  remarkuble  fact  in  (he  history 
of  our  own  country.  King  John, 
having  incurred  the  hatred  of  bis 
barons  and  people  by  bis  cruel  and 
tyrannical  measures,  tl)ey  took 
arms  against  him,  and  ollered  the 
crown  to  Louis,  son  of  the  French 
king.  Bj'  seizing  tlie  possessions 
of  the  clergy,  John  had  also  fallen 
under  the  displeasure  of  the  pope, 
who  accordingly  laid  the  kingdom 
under  an  interdict,  and  absolved 
his  subjects  from  their  allegiance. 
Alarmed  at  this,  the  tyrant  ear- 
nestly sued  for  peace  with  his  holi- 
ness, hoping,  by  his  mediation,  to 


obtain  favourable  tern>s  from  the 
barons,  or,  by  his  thunders,  to 
terrify  them  into  submission.  He 
made  the  most  abject  supplications, 
and  the  pope,  ever  willing  to  in- 
crease the  power  of  the  church, 
sent  cardinal  Pandulf  as  legate  to 
the  king  at  Canterbury ;  to  whom 
John  resigned  his  crown  and  do- 
minions ;  and  the  cardinal,  after 
retaining  the  crown  five  days, 
in  token  of  possession,  returned 
it  to  the  king,  on  condition  of 
his  making  a  yearly  payment  of 
1000  marks  to  the  court  of  Rome, 
and  holding  the  doiiiinions  of  Eng- 
land and  Ireland  m  farm  from  the 
pope. 

But  if  John  expected  any  be- 
nefit from  this  most  disgraceful 
transaction,  he  was  disappointed; 
and  instead  of  enjoying  the  crown 
which  he  had  so  basely  surrendered 
and  received  again,  the  short  re- 
mainder of  his  life  was  disturbed 
by  continual  insurrections,  and  he 
at  last  died  either  of  grief,  or  by 
poison  administered  to  him  by  a 
monk  of  the  convent  of  S wines- 
bead  in  Lincolnshire.  The  latter 
cause  is  assigned  by  many  histori- 
ans, and  we  are  told  that  the  king, 
suspecting  some  fruit,  which  was 
presented  to  him  at  the  above  con- 
vent, to  be  poisoned,  ordered  the 
monk  wiio  brought  it,  to  eat  of  it; 
which  he  did,  and  died  in  a  few 
hours  after. 

AN  EMPEROR  TRODDEN  ON  BY  THE 
POPE, 

The  papal  usurpations  were  ex- 
tended to  every  part  of  Europe. 
In  Germany,  the  emperor  Frederic 
was  conipelledto  sul)mii  to  be  trod- 
den under  the  feet  of  pope  Alexan- 
der, and  dared  not  make  any  resist- 
ance. In  England,  how  ever,  a 
spirit  of  resentment  broke  out  in  va- 
rious reigns,  in  consequence  of  the 
oppressions  and  horrible  conduct  of 
those  anti-christian  blasphemers, 
which  continued  with  more  or  less 
violence  till  the  time  of  the  great 
Wickliife,  of  whom  we  shall  speak 
more  fully  in  the  following 
pages. 


224 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


SECTION  II. 

ACCOUNT    OF    WICKLIFFE,     AND    OF    THE    MARTYRS     WHO    SUFFERED    IN    DE- 
FENCE   OF    HIS    DOCTRINES. 


The  first  attempts  made  in  Eng- 
land towards  the    reformation    of 
the  church,  took  place  in  the  reij^n 
of  Edward   III.  about  A.   D.  1350, 
•when    John     Wicklifle    appeared. 
This    early    star    of    the    Enojlish 
church  was  public  reader  of  divinity 
in  the  university  of  Oxford,  and, 
by  the  learned  of  his  day,  was  ac- 
counted deeply  versed  in  theology, 
and  all  kinds  of  philosophy.     This 
even   his    adversaries    allowed,   as 
Walden,  his  bitterest  enemy,   writ- 
ing to  pope  Martin,  says,  that  he 
was  wonderfully  astonished  at  his 
strong  arguments,  with  the  places 
of  authority  which  he  had  gathered, 
with  the   vehemency  and  force  of 
his  reasons,  &c.     At  tlie  time  of  his 
appearance,  the  greatest  darkness 
pervaded     the     church.      Scarcely 
any  thing  but  the  name  of  Christ 
remained  ;  his  true  doctrine  being 
as  far  unknown  to  the  most  part, 
as   his   name   was  common  to  all. 
As  to  faith,  consolation,  the    end 
and  use  of  the  law,  the   office  of 
Christ,  our  impotency   and  weak- 
ness, the  greatness  and  strength  of 
sin,  of  true  works,  grace,  and  free 
justification  by  faith,  wherein  Chris- 
tianity  consists,   they    were  either 
unknown   or    disregarded.     Scrip- 
ture learning,  and  divinity,   were 
known  but  to  a  few,  and  that  in  the 
schools    onl}',    where    they    were 
turned  and  converted  into  sophistry. 
Instead  of  Peter  and    Paul,  men 
occupied   their    time    in    studying 
Aquinas  and  Scolus  ;  and,  forsak- 
ing the  lively  power  of  God's  spiri- 
tual word  and  doctrine,  were  alto- 
gether led  and   blinded  with  out- 
ward ceremonies  and  human  tradi- 
tions, insomuch  that  scarcely  any 
other     thing     was     seen     in    the 
churches,  taught   or  spoken  of  in 
sermons,  or  intended  or  sought  af- 
ter in  their  whole    lives,    but  the 
heaping  up  of  ceremonies  upon  ce- 
remonies;    and    the    people  were 
taught  to   worship   no  other  thing 
but  that  which  they  saw,  and  al- 


most all  they  saw  they  worshipped. 
But  Wicklilfc  was  inspired  with  a 
purer  sense  of  religion;  and  know- 
ing it  to  be  his  duty  to  impart  the 
gracious  blessing  to  others,  he  pub- 
lished his  belief  with  regard  to  the 
several   articles     of     religion,     in 
which  he  difi'ered  from  the  common 
doctrine.     Pope  Gregory  XI.  hear- 
ing this,  condemned   some  of  his 
tenets,  and  commanded  the  archbi- 
shop of  Canterbury,  and  the  bishop 
of  London,  to  oblige  him  to  sub- 
scribe the  condemnation  of  them ; 
and,  in  case  of  refusal,  to  summon 
him  to   Rome.      This   commission 
could    not    easily     be     executed, 
Wicklifle  liaving  powerful  friends, 
the  chief  of   whom    was    .John   of 
Gaunt,  duke  of  Lancaster,  son  of 
Edward  III.     The  archbishop  hold- 
ing a  synod  at  St.  Paul's,  Wick- 
lili'e  appeared,  accompanied  by  the 
duke  of  Lancaster  and  lord  Percy, 
marshal  of  England,  when   a  dis- 
pute     arising    whether    Wicklifle 
should  answer  sitting  or  standing, 
the  duke   of  Lancaster  proceeded 
to  threats,  and  treated   the  bishop 
with   very    little    ceremony.       The 
people  present  thinking  the  bishop 
in  danger,  sided  with  him,  so  that 
the    duke    and    the   earl    marshal 
thought  it  prudent  to  retire,  and  to 
take  Wicklifle   with    them.     After 
this    an     insurrection  ensued,   the 
clergy  and  their  emissaries  spread- 
ing a  report  that  the  duke  of  Lan- 
caster had  persuaded   the  king  to 
take  away  the  privileges  of  the  city 
of  London,  &c.  which  fired  the  peo- 
ple to  such  a  degree  that  they  broke 
open  the  Marshalsea,  and  freed  all 
the  prisoners  :    and  not  contented 
with  this,  a  vast  number  of  them 
went  to  the   duke's  palace  in  the 
Savoy,  when   missing  his  person, 
they  plundered  his  house.     For  this 
outrage    the    duke    of    Lancaster 
caused  the  lord  mayor  and  alder- 
men to  be  removed  from  their  of- 
fices, imagining  that  they  had  not 
used  their  authority  to  tjuell   the 


SCHI&M  IN  THE  CHURCH  OF  ROME. 


225 


mutineers.  After  this,  tlie  bishops 
meeting-  a  second  time,  Wickiiilo 
explained  to  them  his  sentiments 
M'ith  regard  to  the  sacrament  of  the 
eucharist,    in    opposition    to     the 


belief  of  the  papists ;  for  whieh 
the  bisliops  only  enjoined  him 
silence,  not  daring-,  at  tliat  time  to 
proceed  to  greater  extremities 
against  him. 


Discovery  o/'  &uy  Fawkes  in  the   VaulU  of  the  House  nf  Lords. 


GKEAT    SCHISPJ    IN    THE    CHURCH    Ol' 
ROME. 

A  circumstance  occurred  at  this 
period,  by  the  providence  of  God, 
which  greatly  tended  to  facilitate 
the  progress  of  truth.  This  was  a 
great  schism  in  the  church  of 
Rome,  which  originated  as  follows: 
After  the  death  of  Gregory  XI. 
who  expired  in  the  midst  of  his 
anxiety  to  crush  Wicklifte  and  his 
doctrines,  Urban  the  Sixth,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  papal  chair.  This 
pope  was  so  proud  and  insolent, 
and  so  intent  on  the  advancement 
ef  his  nephews  and  kindred,  which 
he  frequently  accomplished  by  in- 
juring other  princes,  that  the 
greatest  number  of  his  cardinals 
and  courtiers  deserted  him,  and  set 
up  another  pope  against  him,  nam- 
FOX'S  MAKTVRS. 


ed  Clement,  who  reigned  eleven 
years.  After  him  Benedict  the 
Tiiirteenth,  who  reigned  twenty- 
six  years.  Again,  on  the  contrary 
side,  after  Urban  the  Sixth,  suc- 
ceeded Boniface  the  Ninti),  In- 
nocent the  Eightli,  Gregory  the 
Twelfth,  Alexander  the  Fifth,  and 
John  the  Tiiirteenth.  To  relate  all 
the  particulars  of  this  miserable 
schism,  would  require  volumes  ; 
we  shall  merely  take  notice  of  a 
few  of  the  principal  occurrences 
from  which  the  reader  may  form 
an  idea  of  the  bloodshed  and 
misery  brought  on  the  Christian 
world  by  t!ie  ambition  and  wicked- 
ness of  these  pretended  represen- 
tations of  our  blessed  Saviour ; 
and  may  judge  how  widely  they 
departed  from  his  blessed  maxims 

15 


115 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  peace  and  goochvill  to  all  men. 
Otho,  dv.ke  of  Brunswick  and 
prince  of  Tareatum,  was  taken 
and  murdered.  Joan,  his  wife, 
queen  of  Jerusalem  and  Sicily, 
who  had  sent  to  pope  Urban,  be- 
side other  gifts,  40,000  ducats  in 
gold,  was  afterwards,  by  his  order, 
committed  to  prison,  and  there 
strane^led.  Many  cardinals  were 
racke'd,  and  tortured  to  death ; 
battles  were  fought  between  the 
rival  popes,  in  which  great  multi- 
tudes Avcre  slain.  Five  cardinals 
were  beheaded  together,  after  long 
torments.  The  bishop  of  Aquilo- 
nensis,  heing  suspected  by  pope 
fjrban,  for  not  riding  faster  when 
in  his  company,  was  slain  on  the 
spot  by  the  pope's  order.  Thus 
did  these  demons  in  human  form 
torment  each  other  for  the  space 
of  thirty-nine  years,  until  the 
council  of  Constance. 

WICKLIFFE  TRANSLATES  THE   BIBLE. 

Wickliffe,  paying  less  regard  to 
the  injunctions  of  the  bishops  than 
to  his  duty  to  God,  continued  to 
promulgate  his  doctrines,  and 
gradually  to  unveil  the  truth  to 
the  eyes  of  men.  He  wrote  se- 
veral books,  which,  as  maybe  sup- 
posed, gave  great  alarm  and  of- 
fence to  the  clergy.  But  God 
raising  him  up  a  protector  in  the 
duke  of  Lancaster,  he  was  secure 
from  their  malice.  He  translated 
the  Bible  into  English,  which, 
amidst  the  ignorance  of  the  times, 
may  be  compared  to  the  sun  break- 
ing forth  in  a  dark  night.  To  this 
Bible  he  prefixed  a  bold  preface, 
wherein  he  reflected  on  the  im- 
moralities of  the  clergy,  and  con- 
.  demned  the  worship  of  saints, 
images,  and  the  corporal  presence 
of  Christ  in  the  sacrament:  but 
what  gave  the  greatest  offence  to 
the  priests,  was,  his  exhorting  all 
people  to  read  the  scriptures,  in 
which  the  testimonies  against  all 
those  corruptions  appeared  so 
strongly. 

About  the  same  time  tlie  common 
people,  goaded  to  desperation  by 
the  oppressions  of  the  nobility  and 
elergy,  rose  in  arms,  and  committed 


great  devastations ;  and,  among 
other  persons  of  distinction,  they 
put  to  death  Simon  of  Sudbury, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He 
was  succeeded  by  William  Court- 
ney, who  was  no  less  diligent  than 
his  predecessor  had  been,  in  at- 
tempting to  root  out  heretics.  Not- 
withstanding all  opposition,  how- 
ever, Wickliiie's  sect  increased, 
and  daily  grew  to  greater  force, 
until  the  time  that  William  Barton, 
vice-chancellor  of  Oxford,  who  had 
the  whole  rule  of  that  university, 
assisted  by  some  monastic  doctors, 
issued  an  edict,  prohibiting  all 
persons,  under  a  heavy  penalty, 
from  associating  themselves  with 
any  of  Wickiiffe's  favourers ;  and 
threatening  WicIMifie  himself  with 
excommunication  and  imprison- 
ment, unless  he,  after  three  days 
canonical  admonition  or  warning, 
did  repent  and  amend.  Upon  this, 
Wicklifte  wished  to  appeal  to  the 
king:  but  the  duke  of  Lancaster 
forbade  him ;  whereupon  he  was 
forced  again  to  make  confession  of 
his  doctrine ;  in  which  confession, 
by  qualifying  his  assertions,  he  miti- 
gated the  vigour  of  his  enemies. 

Still  his  followers  greatly  mul- 
tiplied. Many  of  them, .  indeed, 
were  not  men  of  learning ;  but 
being  wrought  upon  by  the  con- 
viction of  plain  reason,  they  were 
the  more  steadfast  in  their  persua- 
sion. In  a  short  time  his  doctrines 
made  a  great  progress,  being  not 
only  espoused  by  vast  numbers  of 
the  students  of  Oxford,  but  also 
by  many  of  the  nobility,  particularly 
by  the  duke  of  Lancaster  and  lord 
Percy,  earl  marshal,  as  before 
mentioned. 

Wickliffe  may  thus  be  consider- 
ed as  the  great  founder  of  the  re- 
formation in  this  kingdom.  He 
was  of  Merton  college  in  Oxford, 
wliere  he  took  his  doctor's  degree, 
and  became  so  eminent  for  his  fine 
genius  and  great  learning,  that 
Simon  Islip,  archbisuop  of  Can- 
terbury, having  founded  Canter- 
bury college,  now  Christ  Church, 
in  Oxford,  appointed  him  rector  ; 
Avhich  employment  he  filled  with 
universal     approbation,     till     the 


BURNING  OF  THE  WICKLTFFITES. 


227 


dcalli  of  tlie  archbishop.  Lang- 
holm, successor  to  Islip,  being  de- 
sirous of  favouiing  the  monks,  and 
introducing  them  into  the  college, 
attempted  to  remove  AVickliffe, 
and  put  Woodhall,  a  monk,  in  his 
place.  But  the  fellows  of  the 
college  being  attached  to  Wickliffe, 
would  not  consent  to  this.  Never- 
tlieless,  the  affair  being  carried  to 
Rome,  Wickliffe  was  deprived  in 
favour  of  Woodhall.  This  did  not 
at  all  lessen  the  reputation  of  the 
farmer,  every  one  perceiving  it 
was  a  general  affair,  and  that  the 
monks  did  not  so  much  strike  at 
Wickliile's  person,  as  at  all  the 
.secular  priests  who  were  members 
of  the  college.  And,  indeed,  they 
were  all  turned  out,  to  make  room 
for  the  monks.  Shortly  after,. 
Wicklilfe  was  presented  to  the 
living  of  Lutterworth,  in  the 
county  of  Leicester,  where  he  re- 
mained unmolested  till  bis  death, 
which  happened  December  31, 
1.385,  But  after  the  body  of  this 
good  man  had  Iain  in  the  grave 
forty-one  years,  his  bones  were 
taken  up  by  the  decree  of  the 
synod  of  Constance,  publicly  burnt, 
and  his  ashes  thrown  into  a  river. 
The  condemnation  of  his  doctrine 
did  not  prevent  its  spreading  all 
over  the  kingdom,  and  with  such 
success,  that,  according  to  S pel- 
man,  "two  men  could  not  be  found 
together,  and  one  not  a  Lollard,  or 
WickliRite." 

TENETS    OF    WICKLIFFE. 

The  following  are  among  the  ar- 
ticles of  Wickliffe  which  were  con- 
demned as  heretical : 

The  substance  of  material  bread 
and  wine  doth  remain  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  after  the  conse- 
cration. 

The  accidents  do  not  remain 
without  the  subject  in  the  same 
sacrament,  after  the  consecration. 

That  Christ  is  not  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  truly  and  really, 
in  his  proper  and  corporal  person. 

That  if  a  bishop  or  a  priest  be  in 
deadly  sin,  he  doth  not  order,  con- 
secrate, nor  baptize. 


That  if  a  man  be  duly  and  truly 
contrite  and  penitent,  all  exterior 
and  outer  confession  is  but  super- 
fluous and  unprofitable  unto  him. 

That  it  is  not  found  or  established 
by  the  gospel,  that  Christ  did  make 
or  ordain  mass. 

If  the  pope  be  a  reprobate  and  evil 
man,  and  consequently  a  member 
of  the  devil,  he  hath  no  power  by 
any  manner  of  means  given  unto 
him  over  faithful  Christians. 

That  since  the  time  of  Urban 
the  Sixth,  there  is  none  to  be  re- 
ceived for  pope,  but  every  man  is 
to  live  after  the  manner  of  the 
Greeks,  under  bis  own  law. 

That  it  is  against  the  scriptures, 
that  ecclesiastical  ministers  should 
have  any  temporal  possessions. 

That  no  prelate  ought  to  excom- 
municate any  man  except  he  knew 
him  first  to  be  excommunicate  of 
God. 

That  he  who  dot'i  so  excommu- 
nicate any  man,  is  thereby  himself 
either  an  heretic  or  excommuni- 
cated. 

That  all  such  which  do  leave  off 
preaching  or  hearing  the  word  of 
God,  or  preacliiug  of  the  gospel 
for  fear  of  excommunication,  they 
are  already  excommunicated,  and 
in  the  day  of  judgment  shall  be 
counted  as  traitors  unto  God. 

That  it  is  lawful  for  any  man, 
either  deacon  or  priest,  to  preach 
the  word  of  God,  without  authority 
or  licence  of  the  apostolic  see  or 
any  other  of  his  Catholics. 

That  so  long  as  a  man  is  in 
deadly  sin,  he  is  neither  bishop 
nor  prelate  in  the  church  of  God. 

Wickliffe  wrote  several  works, 
which,  in  the  year  1410,  were  burnt 
at  Oxford,  the  abbot  of  Shrews- 
bury being  then  commissary.  And 
in  Bohemia  likewise,  his  books 
were  burnt  by  the  archbishop  of 
Prague. 

BURNING    OF    THE    WICKLIFFITES. 

In  the  council  ef  the  Lateran,  a 
decree  was  made  with  regard  lo 
heretics,  which  required  all  ma- 
gistrates to  extirpate  them  upon 
pain  of  forfeiture  and  deposition. 


2^28 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


The   canons  of  iHis  council  being 
received  in  England,  the  prosecu- 
tion of  heretics  became  a  part  of 
the  common  law ;  and  a  writ  (styled 
da  hcrctico  comhurendo )  was  issued 
under  king  Henry  IV.  for  burning 
them  upon  their  conviction;  and  it 
was  enacted,  that  all  who  presumed 
to  preach   without  the  licence   of 
the  bishops,  should  be  imprisoned, 
and  be  brought  to  trial  within  three 
months.     If,  upon  conviction,  they 
offered  to  abjure,   and  were  not  re- 
lapses, they  were  to  be  imprisoned 
and  fined  at  pleasure  ;  but  if  they 
refused  to  abjure,  or  were  relapses, 
they  were  to  be  delivered  over  to 
the  secular  arm;    and  the  magis- 
trates were  to  burn  them  in  some 
public    place.       About    this    time 
William   Sautre,    parish  priest  of 
St.  Osith  in    London,   being   con- 
demned as  a  relapse,  and  degraded 
by  Arundel,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury,  a  writ  was  issued,  wherein 
burning  is  called  the  common  pu- 
nishment, and  referring  to  the  cus- 
toms of  other  nations.     This  was 
the   first   example    of  that  sort  in 
England. 

The    clergy,    alarmed    lest    the 
doctrines  of  Wicklifie  should  ulti- 
mately become    established,    used 
every  exertion  in   their  power  to 
check  them.     In  the  reign  of  Ri- 
chard II.  the  bishops  had  obtained 
a  general  licence  to  imprison  here- 
tics, without  being  obliged  to  pro- 
cure   a   special  order  from  court, 
which,  however,  the  house  of  com- 
mons caused  to  be  revoked.     But 
as  the  fear  of  imprisonment  could 
not    check    the     pretended      evil 
dreaded  by  the  bishops,  Henry  IV. 
whose  particular  object  was  to  se- 
cure  the  aff"ection   of  the   clergy, 
earnestly     recommended     to     the 
parliament    the    concerns    of   the 
church.     How  reluctant  soever  the 
house   of    commons    might  be    to 
prosecute  the  Lollards,  the  credit 
of  the  court,  and  the  cabals  of  the 
clergy,  at  last  obtained  a  most  de- 
testable act,  for  the  burning  of  ob- 
stinate heretics;   which  bloody  sta- 
tute was  not  repealed  till  tlie  year 
1077.      It  was  immediately   after 


the  passing  of  this  statute  that  the 
ecclesiastical  court  condemned 
William  Sautre  abovementioned. 


INCREASE    OF    WICKLIFFE's    DOC- 
TRINE. 

Notwithstanding   the  opposition 
of  the   popish    clergy,   Wickliffe's 
doctrine      continued      to     spread 
greatly  in  Henry  the  IVth's  reign, 
even   to   such    a  degree,   that  the 
majority  of  the  house  of  commons 
were  inclined  to  it;  whence  they 
presented    two    petitions     to     the 
king,   one  against  the  clergy,  the 
other    in  -favour  of  the   Lollards. 
The  first  set  forth,  that  the  clergy 
made     ill    use     of    their    wealth, 
and  consumed  their  income   in   a 
manner  quite  different  from  the  in- 
tent of  the  donors.     That  their  re- 
venues were  excessive,  and  conse- 
quently that  it  would  be  necessary 
to    lessen    them;     that    so    many 
estates  might  easily  be  seized  as 
would  provide  for  150  earls  at  the 
rate  of  3000  marks  a  year  each, 
1500   barons   at   100  marks    each, 
6200  knights  at  40  marks,   and  100 
hospitals ;  that  by  this  means  the 
safety   of  the   kingdom    might  be 
better  provided  for,  the  poor  better 
maintained,  and  the   clergy   more 
devoted  to  their  duty. — In  the  se- 
cond petition  the  commons  prayed, 
that  the  statute  passed  against  the 
Lollards,  in  the  second  year  of  this 
reign,  might  be  repealed,  or  quali- 
fied with  some  restrictions.     As  it 
was  the  king's   interest  to  please 
the  clergy,  he  answered  the  com- 
mons very  sharply,  that  he  neither 
could  nor  would  consent  to  their 
petitions.     And  with  regard  to  the 
Lollards,  he  declared  he  wished  the 
heretics  were  extirpated  out  of  the 
land.     To  prove  the  truth  of  this, 
he   signed    a  warrant  for  burning 
Thomas  Badby. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    THOMAS    BADBY. 

Thomas  Badby  was  a  layman, 
and  by  trade  a  tailor.  He  was  ar- 
raigned in  the  year  1409  before 
the  bishop  of  AVorcester,  and  con- 
victed of  heresy.  On  his  examina- 
tion he  said,  that  it  was  impossible 


SIR  JOHN  OLDCASTLE. 


n9 


any  priest  could  make  the  body  of 
Christ   sacramentaHy,    nor   would 
he  believe  it,  unless  he  saw,  mani- 
festly,  the  corporal    body    of  the 
Lord  to  be  handled  by  the  priest  at 
the  altar;  that  it  was  ridiculous  to 
imagine  that  at  the  supper  Clirist 
held  in  his  own  hand  his  own  body, 
and  divided  it  among  his  disciples, 
and  yet  remained  whole.     "  I  be- 
lieve," said  he,    "the  omnipotent 
God  in  trinity ;  but  if  every  conse- 
crated host  at  the  altars  be  Christ's 
body,  there  must  then  be  in  Eng- 
land   no   less   than   20,000   gods." 
After  this  he  was  brought  before 
the   archbishop    of    Canterbury    at 
St.  Paul's  church,   and  again  exa- 
mined in  presence  of  a  great  num- 
ber of  bishops,  the  duke  of  York, 
and    several   of  the    first  nobility. 
Great  pains   were  used    to  make 
him  recant ;    but  he  courageously 
answered,  that  he  would  still  abide 
by  his  former  opinions,  which  no 
power  should  force  him  to  forego. 
On  this  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury ratified  the  sentence  given  by 
the  bishop  of  Worcester.     When 
the  king  had  signed  the  warrant 
for  his  death,   he  was  brought  to 
Smithfield*,    and  there  being  put 
in  an  empty  tub,  was  bound  with 
iron  chains  fastened    to    a  stake, 
and  had  dry  wood  piled   around 
him.     And  as  he  was  thus  standing 
in  the  tun,   it  happened  that  the 
prince  of  Wales,  the  king's  eldest 
son,  was  there  present;  who  being 
moved    with    compassion,    endea- 
voured to  save  the  life  of  him  whom 
the  hypocritical  Levites  and  Pha- 
risees sought  to  put  to  death.     He 
admonished    and   counselled  him, 
that  having  respect  unto  himself, 
he  should  speedily  withdraw  him- 
self out  of  these  dangerous  laby- 
rinths  of  opinions,   adding   often- 


*  It  will  not  be  uninteresting  to  our 
town  readers,  to  be  informed,  that  that 
part  of  Smithfield  wliere  the  large  board 
containing  the  laws  and  regulations  of  the 
market  formerly  stood,  is  the  very  spot 
on  wkich  their  forefathers  suffered  for 
the  cause  of  Christ.  There  many  an 
English  martyr's  body  mingled  with  dust ; 
from  thence  ascended  many  a  souj  to  in- 
herit everlasting  glory. 


times  threatenings,  which  might 
have  daimted  any  man  not  sup- 
ported by  the  true  faith.  Also 
Courtney,  at  that  time  chancellor 
of  Oxford,  preached  unto  him,  and 
informed  him  of  the  faith  of  holy 
church. 

In  the  mean  time  the  prior  of 
St.   Bartholomew's,  in  Smithfield, 
brought  with  all  solemnity  the  sa- 
crament    of    God's     body,      with 
twelve  torches  borne  before,   and 
shewed  the  sacrament  to  the  poor 
man  at  the  stake.     And  then  they 
demanded  of  him  how  he  believed 
in  it,  he  answered,  that  he  knew 
well  it  was   hallowed   bread,    and 
not   God's  body.      And  then  was 
the  tun  put  over  him,   and  fire  put 
unto  him.     And  when  he  felt  the 
fire,   he  cried,  "  Mercy !"    (calling 
upon  the   Lord),    when  the  prince 
immediately   commanded   to   take 
away    the    tun,    and    quench   the 
fire.      He   then   asked   him   if    he 
would    forsake    heresy,    and  take 
the  faith  of  holy  church,  which,  if 
he  would  do,  he  should  have  goods 
enough,     promising    him     also     a 
yearly   pension  out  of  the  king's 
treasury.     But  this  valiant  cham- 
pion   of    Christ,      neglecting    the 
prince's  fair  words,    as   also  con- 
temning all  men's  devices,  refused 
the  ofl'er  of  worldly  promises,  being 
more  inflamed  by  the  spirit  of  God, 
than  by  any  earthly  desire.  Where- 
fore,   as  he  continued   immovable 
in  his  former  mind,  the  prince  com- 
manded  him   straight    to    be   put 
again  into   the   tun,    and  that  he 
should  not  afterwards  look  for  any 
grace  or  favour.     But  as  he  could 
be  allured  by  no  rewards,  he  was 
not   at  all    abashed    at  their  tor- 
ments, but,  as  a  valiant  soldier  of 
Christ,    persevered   invincibly   till 
his  body   was   reduced    to    ashes, 
and  l^is  soul  rose  triumphant  unto 
him  who  gave  it. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    SIR    JOHN    OLD- 
CASTLE. 

The  persecutions  of  the  Lollards 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  V.  v.ere 
owing  to  the  cruel  instigations  of 
the  clergy,  who  thought  that  the 
most  effectual  way  to   check  the 


230 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


progress  of  Wicklifle's  doctrii^e, 
would  be  to  attack  the  then  chief 
protector  of  it,  viz.  Sir  John  Old- 
castle,  baron  of  Cobham  ;  and  to 
persuade  the  king  that  the  Lol- 
lards were  engaged  in  conspiracies 
to  overturn  the  state.  It  was  e^en 
reported,  that  they  intended  to 
murder  the  king,  together  with  the 
princes,  his  brothers,  and  most  of 
the  lords  spiritual  and  temporal, 
in  hopes  that  the  confusion  which 
must  necessarily  arise  in  the  king- 
dom, after  such  a  massacre,  would 
prove  favourable  to  their  religion. 
Upon  this  a  false  rumour  was 
spread,  that  Sir  John  Oldcastle 
had  got  together  20,000  men  in  St. 
Giles's  in  the  Fields,  a  place  then 
overgrown  with  bushes.  The  king 
himself  went  thither  at  midnight, 
and  finding  no  more  than  fourscore 
or  a  hundred  persons,  who  were 
privately  met  upon  a  religious  ac- 
count, he  fell  upon  them  and  killed 
many.  Some  of  them  being  after- 
wards examined,  were  prevailed 
upon,  by  promises  or  threats,  to 
confess  whatever  their  enemies  de- 
sired ;  and  these  accused  Sir  John 
Oldcastle, 

The  king  hereupon  thought  him 
guilty  ;  and  in  that  belief  set  a 
thousand  marks  upon  his  head, 
with  a  promise  of  perpetual  ex- 
emption from  taxes  to  any  town 
which  should  secure  him.  Sir 
John  was  apprehended  and  impri- 
soned in  the  Tower;  but  escaping 
from  thence,  he  fled  into  Wales, 
where  he  long  concealed  himself. 
But  being  afterwards  seized  in 
Powislaud,  in  North  Wales,  by 
Lord  Powis,  he  was  brought  to 
London,  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
clergy,  who  were  highly  incensed 
against  him,  and  resolved  to  sa- 
crifice him,  to  strike  a  terror  into 
the  rest  of  the  Lollards.  Sir  John 
was  of  a  very  good  family,  had 
been  sherifl'  of  Hertfordshire  under 
Henry  IV.  and  summoned  to  par- 
liament among  the  barons  of  the 
realm  in  that  reign.  He  had  been 
sent  beyond  the  sea,  with  the  earl 
of  Arundel,  to  assist  the  duke  of 
Burgundy  against  the  French.  In 
a  word,  he  was  a  man  of  extraor- 


dinary merit,  notwithstaniHng 
which  he  was  condemned  to  be 
hanged  up  by  the  waist  with  a 
chain,  and  burnt  alive.  This  most 
barbarous  sentence  was  executed 
amidst  the  curses  and  imprecations 
of  the  priests  and  monks,  who 
used  their  utmost  endeavours  to 
prevent  the  people  from  praying 
for  him.  Such  was  the  tragical 
end  of  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  who 
left  the  world  with  a  resolution  and 
constancy,  that  answered  perfectly 
to  the  brave  spirit  with  which  he 
had  ever  maintained  the  cause  of 
truth  and  of  his  God. 

Not  satisfied  with  his  single 
death,  the  clergy  induced  the  par- 
liament to  make  fresh  statutes 
against  the  Lollards.  It  was  en- 
acted, among  other  things,  that 
whosoever  read  the  scriptures  in 
Englis!?,  should  forfeit  land,  chat- 
tels, goods,  and  life  ;  and  be  con- 
demned as  heretics  to  God,  ene- 
mies to  the  crown,  and  traitors  to 
the  kingdom ;  that  they  should 
not  have  the  benefit  of  any  sanc- 
tuary ;  and  that,  if  they  continued 
obstinate,  or  relapsed  after  being 
pardoned,  they  should  first  be 
hanged  for  treason  against  the 
king,  and  then  burned  for  heresy 
against  God.  This  act  was  no 
sooner  passed,  but  a  violent  per- 
secution was  raised  against  the 
Lollards ;  several  of  them  were 
burnt  alive,  some  fled  the  king- 
dom, and  others  were  weak  enough 
to  abjure  their  religion,  to  escape 
the  torments  prepared  for  them. 

CONFESSION    OF    SIR    JOHN    OLD- 
CASTLE. 

The  following  is  the  confession 
of  this  virtuous  and  true  Christian, 
which,  from  its  clearness  and  sim- 
plicity, is  well  worthy  of  remem- 
brance. He  commences  with  the 
apostles  creed  thus : 

"  I  believe  in  God  the  Father 
Almighty,  maker  of  heaven  and 
earth :  and  in  Jesus  Christ  his 
only  son  our  Lord,  which  was  con- 
ceived by  the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of 
the  virgin  Mary,  suftered  under 
Pontius  Pilate,  crucified,  dead, 
and  buried,  went  down  to  hell,  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


231 


third  day  rose  ag^ain  from  death, 
ascended  up  to  Heaven,  sitteth 
on  the  ri<z;ht  hand  of  God  tlie 
Father  AImig,hty  ;  and  from  tlience 
shall  come  again  to  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead.  I  believe  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  universal  holy 
church,  the  communion  of  saints, 
the  forgiveness  of  sins,  the  uprising 
of  the  tlesh,  and  everlasting  life, 
amen. 

"  And  for  a  more  large  declara- 
tion of  this  my  faith  in  the  catholic 
churcii,  I  steadfastly  believe,  that 
there'  is  but  one  God  Almighty,  in 
and  of  whose  godhead  are  these 
three  persons,  the  Father,  the  Sou, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  those 
three  persons  are  the  self-same 
God  Almighty.  I  believe  also, 
that  the  second  person  in  this  most 
blessed  trinity,  in  most  convenient 
time  appointed  thereunto  before, 
took  llesh  and  blood  of  the  most 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  for  tlie  safe- 
guard and  redemption  of  the  uni- 


versal   kind    of   man,  which   was 
before  lost  in  Adam's  offejice. 

"  Moreover  I  believe,  that  the 
same  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  thus 
being  both  God  and  man,  is  the 
only  head  of  the  whole  Christian 
church,  and  that  all  those  that 
have  been  or  shall  be  saved,  be 
members  of  this  most  holy  church. 

"  Whereof  the  first  sort  be  now 
in  Heaven,  and  they  are  the  saints 
from  hence  departed.  These  as 
they  were  here  conversant,  con- 
formed always  their  lives  to  the 
most  holy  laws  and  pure  examples 
of  Christ,  renouncing  Satan,  the 
world,  and  the  flesh  with  all  their 
concupiscence  and  evils. 

"  The  other  sort  are  here  upon 
earth,  and  called  the  church  mili- 
tant. For  day  and  night  they 
contend  against  crafty  assaults  of 
the  devil,  the  flattering  prosperities 
of  this  world,  and  the  rebellious  fil- 
thiness  of  the  flesh." 


SECTION  III. 

PROGRESS    OF   THK    REFORMATION    IN    THE    REIGN    OF    HENRY    VIH. 


The  reader  will,  doubtless,  attend 
to  the  transactions  recorded  in  this 
reign,  with  peculiar  interest.  It 
was  in  this  period  that  God,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  king, 
liberated  this  country  from  the 
papal  yoke,  when  England  became, 
as  it  were,  a  religious  world  de- 
pendant on  itself. 

The  wars  between  the  two  houses 
of  York  and  Lancaster,  had  pro- 
duced such  fatal  revolutions,  and 
thrown  England  into  such  frequent 
convulsions,  that  the  nation,  with 
great  joy,  liailed  the  accession  of 
Henry  the  Seventh  to  the  throne, 
who  being  himself  decended  from 
the  house  of  Lancaster,  by  his  mar- 
riage with  the  heiress  of  the  house 
of  York,  freed  them  from  the  fear 
of  any  further  civil  wars.  Bat  the 
covetousiiess  of  his  temper,  the 
severity  of  his  ministers,  and  his 
jealousy  of  the  house  of  York, 
made  him  so  generally  odious  to 
his  people,  that  his  death  was 
little  lamented. 

Henry    the    Eighth    succeeded, 


with  all  tlie   advantages  he   could 
have    desired ;  and  his   disgracing 
Empson    and   Dudley,    the    cruel 
ministers  of  his  fatlier's  avaricious 
designs,  his  appointing  restitution 
to  be  made  of  the  sums  that  had 
been  unjustly  exacted  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  his  ordering  justice  to  be 
done  on  those  rapacious  ministers, 
gave    all    people   hopes   of  happy 
times ;  and  when  ministers,  by  the 
king's  orders,  were  condemned  and 
executed  for  invading  the  liberMes 
of  the   people,  under  the  covert  of 
the  king's  prerogative,  it  made  the 
nation  coiclude,  that  they  should 
hereafter   live   secure,    under    the 
protection  of    such  a  prince,    and 
that  the  violent  remedies  of  par- 
liaraentary  judgments  should  be  no 
more  necessary,  except  as  in  this 
case,    to   confirm    what   had   been 
done  before  in  the  ordinary  courts 
of  justice. 

The  king  also,  either  from  the 
magnificence  of  his  own  temper, 
or  the  observation  he  had  made  of 
the  ill  effects  of  his  father's  par- 


^32 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


simony,  distributed  bis  rewards 
and  largesses  with  an  unmeasured 
bounty  ;  so  that  he  quickly  expend- 
ed those  treasures,  which  his  father 
had  left ;  but  tiil  the  ill  eflects  of 
this  appeared,  it  raised  in  his  court 
and  subjects  the  greatest  hopes 
possible  of  a  prince,  whose  lirst 
actions  shewed  an  equal  mixture 
of  justice  and  generosity. 

The  iwing  had  been  educated  with 
more  than  ordinary  care  :  Teaming 
being  then  in  its  dawning,  after  a 
night  of  long  and  gross  ignorance, 
his  father  having  given  orders  that 
both    his    elder    brother    and    he 
should  be  well  instructed  in  mat- 
ters of  knowledge.     The  learning 
then  most    in    credit    among    the 
clergy  was  the  scholastical  divinity, 
which,  by  a  shev/  of  subtilty,  re- 
commended itself  to  curious  per- 
sons ;  and  being  very  suitable  to  a 
vain  and  contentious  temper, agreed 
best     with    his    disposition;    and 
further,  it    being    likely    to    draw 
the  most  flattery,  became  the  chief 
subject  of  his  studies,  in  which  he 
grew   not  only  to   be  eminent  for 
a  prince,  but  he  might  really  have 
past  for   a   learned  man    had   his 
quality  been  never  so  mean.     He 
delighted     in    the    purity    of   the 
Latin     tongue,     and     understood 
philosophy,   and    v;as    so    great   a 
master  in  music,  that  he  composed 
well.     He  was  a  bountiful  patron 
to    all  learned  men,  move  particu- 
larly   to    Erasmus    and    Polydore 
Virgil,     and     delighted    much    in 
those  returns  which  hungry  scho- 
lars  make  to  liberal   princes ;  for 
he  loved  flattery  out  of  measure, 
and  he  had  enough  of  it  to  have 
surfeited  a  man  of  any  modesty  ; 
for  all  the  world,  both  at  home  and 
abroad,    contended     who     should 
exceed  most  indecently  in  setting 
out  his  praises.     The  clergy  car- 
ried it ;    for    as    he    had  n\erited 
most  at  their  hands,  both  by  es- 
pousing  the   interests   of  the   pa- 
pacy, and  by  his  entering  the  lists 
with  Luther  *,  so  those  that  hoped 

*  It  was  for  his  writings  against  Luther, 
in  defence  of  papacy,  that  the  pope  be- 
stowed upon  liim  the  title  of  Defender 


to  be  advanced  by  those  arts, 
were  as  little  ashamed  in  magni- 
fying him  out  of  measure,  as  he 
was  in  receiving  their  gross  com- 
mendations. 

CHARACTER    OF    CARDINAL    WOLSEY. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable 
men  of  this,  or  perhaps  of  any 
other  age,  was  Cardinal  Wolsey. 
He  was  of  mean  extraction,  but 
possessed  great  abilities,  and  had 
a  wonderful  dexterity  in  insinuat- 
ing himself  into  men's  favour. 
He  had  but  a  little  time  been  intro- 
duced to  the  king  before  he  obtain- 
ed an  entire  ascendancy  over  him, 
and  the  direction  of  all  his  aflairs, 
and  for  fifteen  years  continued  to  be 
the  most  absolute  favourite  ever 
known  in  England.  He  saw  the 
king  was  much  set  on  his  pleasures, 
and  had  a  gretit  aversion  to  busi- 
ness, and  the  other  counsellors 
being  unwilling  to  bear  the  load 
of  affairs,  were  troublesome  to 
him,  by  pressing  him  to  govern  by 
his  own  counsels ;  but  Wolsey 
knew  the  methods  of  favourites 
better,  and  so  was  not  only  easy, 
but  assistant  to  the  king  in  his 
pleasures,  and  undertook  to  free 
lum  from  the  trouble  of  govern- 
ment, and  to  give  him  leisure  to 
follow  his  appetites. 

He  was  master  of  all  the  offices 
at  home,  and  treaties  abroad,  so 
that  all  affairs  went  as  he  directed 
them.  He  soon  became  obnoxious 
to  parliaments,  and  therefore  tried 
but  one  during  his  ministry,  where 
the  supply  was  granted  so  scantily, 
that  afterwards  he  chose  rather  to 
raise  money  by  loans  and  benevo- 
lences, than  by  the  free  gift  of  the 
people  in  parliament.  He  in  time 
became  so  scandalous  lor  his  ill 
life,  that  he  grew  to  be  a  disgrace 
to  his  profession ;  for  he  not  only 
served  the  king,  but  also  shared 
with  him  in  his  pleasures.  He 
was  first  made  bishop  of  Tournay 
in  Flanders,  then  of  Lincoln,  after 
that  he  was  promoted  to  the  see  of 
York,  and  had  both  the  abbey  Of 

OF  THE  Faith,  which  the  British  mo- 
nanhs  have,  absurdly  enough,  retained 
to  this  day. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


233 


St.  Albans,  and  the  bislioprio  of 
Bath  and  Wells  in  commendam  ; 
the  last  he  afterwards  exchanged 
for  Diiresm,  and  upon  Fox's  death 
he  quitted  Duresm,  that  he  might 
take  Winchester ;  and  besides  all 
this,  the  king,  by  a  special  grant, 
gave  him  power  to  dispose  of  all 
the  ecclesiastical  preferments  in 
England  ;  so  that  in  effect  he  was 
the  pope  of  the  British  world,  and 
no  doubt  but  he  copied  skilfully 
enough  after  those  patterns  that 
were  set  him  at  Rome.  Being 
made  a  cardinal,  and  setting  up  a 
legatine  court,  he  found  it  fit  for 
liis  ambition  to  have  the  great  seal 
likewise,  that  there  might  be  no 
clashing  between  those  two  juris- 
dictions. He  had,  in  one  word, 
all  the  qualities  necessary  for  a 
great  minister,  and  all  the  vices 
usual  in  a  great  favourite. 

The  manner  of  promotion  to 
bishoprics  and  abbeys  was  then 
the  same  that  had  taken  place  ever 
since  the  investitures  by  the  ring 
and  stall"  were  taken  out  of  the 
hands  of  princes.  Upon  a  vacancy 
the  king  seized  on  all  the  tenipo- 
ralties,  and  granted  a  licence  for 
an  election,  with  a  special  recom- 
mendation of  the  person;  who 
being  returned,  the  royal  assent 
was  given,  and  it  was  sent  to 
Rome,  that  bulls  might  be  procured, 
and  then  the  bishop  elect  was  con- 
secrated :  after  that  he  came  to  the 
king,  and  renounced  every  clause 
in  his  bulls  that  was  contrary  to  the 
king's  prerogative,  or  to  the  law, 
and  swore  fealty ;  and  then  were 
the  temporalties  restored.  Nor 
could  bulls  be  sued  out  at  Rome 
without  a  licence  under  the  great 
seal;  so  that  the  kings  of  England 
had  reserved  the  power  to  them- 
selves of  promoting  to  ecclesiasti- 
cal benefices,  notwithstanding  all 
the  invasions  the  popes  had  made 
on  the  temporal  power  of  princes. 

CONTEST     CONCERNING    ECCLESIAS- 
TICAL  IMMUNITY. 

The  immunity  of  churchmen  for 
crimes  committed  by  them  till  they 
were  first  degraded  by  the  spiritual 
court,  occasioned  a  contest  in  the 
beginning   of   this  reign  between 


the  secular  and  ecclesiastical  courts. 
A   law   was  passed,   under  Henry 
VII.  that  clerks  convict  should  be 
burnt  in   the  hand.     A  temporary 
law  was  also  made  in  the  begin- 
ning of  Henry  VIII's.  reign,  that 
murderers  and   robbers,  not  being 
l)i.shops,      priests,      nor      deacons, 
should    be    denied    the    benefit  of 
clergy  :  but  this  Mas  to  last   only 
till   the    next   parliament,    and    so 
being  not  continued   by  it,  the  act 
determined.     The    abbot  of  Win- 
chelcomb        preached        severely 
against  it,  as  being  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  God,   and  the  liberties  of 
the  holy  church,   and  said,  that  all 
who    assented    to    it,    had    fallen 
under  the  censures  of  the  church. 
And    afterwards    he    published    a 
book,  to  prove  that  all  clerks,  even 
of  the  lower  orders,  were  sacred, 
and  could   not   be  judged  by   the 
temporal  courts.     This  being  done 
during   the  sitting  of  parliament, 
the  temporal  lords,  with  the  com- 
mons, addressed  the  king,  desiring 
him  to  repress  the  insolence  of  the 
clergy.       Accordingly,    a     public 
hearing  was  appointed  before  the 
king,    and    all    the    judges:     Dr. 
Standish,     a    Franciscan,     argued 
against  the  immunity,  and  proved 
that  clerks,   equally  with  laymen, 
had  been  in  all  times  brought  to 
trial  in  England  ;  and  that  it  was 
necessary  for  the  peace  and  safety 
of    mankind,     that    all    criminals 
should  be    punished.      The   abbot 
argued  on  the  other  side,  and  said, 
it  was  contrary  to  a  decree  of  the 
church,    and     was     a    sin     itself. 
Standish  answered,  that  all  decrees 
were  not   observed ;    for,  notwith- 
standing the  decrees  for  residence, 
bishops  did    not    reside    at    their 
cathedrals  :  and  since  no  decree  did 
bind  till  it  was  received,  this  con- 
cerning immunity,  which  was  never 
received  in  England,  did  not  bind. 
After   they  had   fully    argued  the 
matter,  the  laity  were  of  opinion 
that  Standish  had  the  best  of  the 
argument:    and,  therefore,  moved 
the  king,  that  the   bishops  might 
be    ordered    to    make    the    abbot 
preach     a     recantation       sermon. 
But  they  refused  to  do  it,  and  said 


234 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ttiey  were  bound  by  their  oaths  to 
maintain  his  opinion.  Slandish 
Avas  upon  this  much  hated  by  the 
clergy,  but  the  m.utter  was  let  fall ; 
yet  the  clergy  carried  the  point,  for 
the  law  was  not  continued. 

HUN    IMPRISONED    FOR    HERESY, 
AND    MURDERED. 

Not  long  after  this,  an  event  oc- 
curred, that  was  productive  of  great 
consequences.  Richard  Hun,  a 
merchant  in  London,  was  sued  by 
his  parish-priest  for  a  mortuary  in 
the  legate's  court;  on  this,  liis 
friends  advised  him  to  sue  the 
priest  iu  the  temporal  court  for  a 
pncraunire  for  bringing  the  king's 
subjects  before  a  foreign  and  ille- 
gal court.  This  incensed  the 
clergy  so  much  that  they  contrived 
his  destruction.  Accordingly, 
hearing  that  he  had  Wicklifle's 
Bible  in  his  house,  he  was  upon 
that  put  in  the  bishop's  prison  for 
heresy  ;  but  being  examined  upon 
sundry  articles,  he  confessed  some 
things,  and  submitted  himself  to 
mercy ;  upon  which  they  ought, 
according  to  the  law,  to  have  en- 
joined him  penance,  and  discharg- 
ed him,  this  being  his  first  crime  ; 
but  he  could  not  be  prevailed  on  by 
the  terror  of  this  to  let  his  suit  fall 
in  the  temporal  court;  so  one 
night  his  neck  was  broken  with  an 
iron  chain,  and  he  was  wounded  in 
other  parts  of  his  body,  and  then 
knit  up  in  his  own  girdle,  and.it 
was  given  out  that  he  had  hanged 
himself;  but  the  coroner's  inquest, 
by  examining  the  body,  and  by  se- 
veral other  evidences,  particularly 
by  the  confession  of  the  sumner,gave 
tiieir  verdict,  that  he  was  murdered 
by  the  bishop's  chancellor,  Dr. 
Horsey,  and  the  sumner,  and  the 
bell-ringer.  The  spiritual  court 
proceeded  against  the  dead  body, 
and  charged  Hun  with  all  the  he- 
resy in  Wickliffe's  preface  to  the 
Bible,  because  that  was  found  in 
his  possession ;  so  he  was  con- 
demned as  an  heretic,  and  his  body 
was  burnt.  The  indignation  of  the 
people  was  raised  to  the  highest 
pitch  against  this  action,  in  v/hicii 
they  implicated  the  whole  body  of 


the  clergy,  wiwrn  they  esteemed 
no  more  their  pastors,  but  barba- 
rous murderers.  The  rage  went  so 
high  that  tlie  bishop  of  London 
complained,  that  he  was  not  safe 
in  his  own  house.  The  bishops, 
chancellor,  and  sumner  were  in- 
dicted as  principals  in  the  murder. 
In  parliament  an  act  passed,  re- 
storing Hun's  children ;  but  the 
commons  sent  up  a  bill  concerning 
his  murder,  which  was  laid  aside 
by  the  peers,  where  the  spiritual 
lords  had  the  majority. 

The  clergy  looked  on  the  oppo- 
sition that  Standish  had  made  to 
their  immunities,  as  that  which 
gave  rise  to  Hun's  first  suit;  and 
the  convocation  cited  him  to  an- 
swer for  his  conduct ;  but  he 
claimed  the  king's  protection, 
since  he  had  done  nothing,  but 
only  pleaded  in  the  king's  name. 
The  clergy  pretended  they  did  not 
prosecute  him  for  his  pleading,  but 
for  some  of  his  divinity  lectures, 
contrary  to  the  liberty  of  the 
church,  which  the  king  was  bound 
to  maintain  by  his  coronation  oath : 
but  the  temporal  lords,  the  judges, 
and  the  commons,  prayed  the  king 
also  to  maintain  the  lavvs  accord- 
ing to  his  coronation  oath,  and  to 
give  Standish  his  protection.  The 
king  upon  this  being  in  great  per- 
plexity, required  Veysy,  after- 
wards bishop  of  Exeter,  to  declare 
upon  his  conscience  and  allegiance 
the  truth  in  that  matter.  His  opi- 
nion was  against  the  immunity  ;  so 
another  public  hearing  being  ap- 
pointed, Standish  was  accused  for 
teaching,  "  That  the  inferior  orders 
of  the  clergy  were  not  sacred;  that 
their  exemption  was  not  founded 
on  a  divine  right,  but  tliat  the  laity 
might  punish  them ;  that  the  ca- 
nons of  the  church  did  not  bind  till 
they  were  received;  and  that  the 
study  of  the  canon  law  was  useless." 
Of  these  he  denied  some,  and  jus- 
tified other  particulars.  Veysy 
being  required  to  give  his  opinion, 
alleged,  "  That  the  laws  of  the 
church  did  only  oblige  where  they 
were  received:  as  the  law  of  the 
celibacy  of  the  clergy,  received  in 
the  West,  did  not  bind  the  Greek 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


235 


churches,  that  never  receiyed  it: 
so  the  exemption  ol"  the  clerks  not 
being;  received,  did  not  bind  in 
England."  The  judges  gave  their 
opinion  next,  which  uas,  "  That 
those  who  prosecuted  Standish 
were  all  in  a  praemunire."  So  the 
court  broke  up.  But  in  another 
hearing,  in  the  presence  of  the 
greatest  part  of  both  houses  of  par- 
liament, the  cardinal  said,  in  the 
name  of  the  clergy,  "  That  though 
they  intended  to  do  nothing  against 
t)ie  king's  prerogative,  yet  the  try- 
ing of  clerks  seemed  to  be  contrary 
to  the  liberty  of  the  church,  which 
they  were  bound  by  their  oaths  to 
maintain."  So  they  prayed  that 
the  matter  might  be  referred  to  the 
pope. 

The  king  answered,  that  he 
thought  Standish  had  answered 
them  fully :  tlie  bishop  of  Win- 
chester said,  he  would  not  stand 
to  his  opinion  at  his  peril.  Stand- 
ish upon  that  said,  "  What  can 
one  poor  friar  do  against  all  the 
clergy  of  England  V  The  archbi- 
shop of  Canterbury  said,  "  Some 
of  the  fathers  of  the  church  had 
suffered  martj'rdom  upon  that  ac- 
count;" but  the  chief  justice  re- 
plied, "  That  many  holy  kings  had 
maintained  that  law,  and  many 
holy  bishops  had  obeyed  it."  In 
conclusion,  the  king  declared,  that 
he  would  maintain  his  rights,  and 
would  not  submit  them  to  the  de- 
crees of  the  church,  otherwise  than 
as  his  ancestors  had  done.  Horsey 
was  appointed  to  be  r>rought  to  his 
trial  for  Hun's  murder,  and  upon 
Lis  pleading  not  guilty,  no  evi- 
dence was  to  be  brought,  and  so 
he  was  to  be  discharged.  The 
discontents  of  the  people  greatly 
increased  at  this,  and  very  much 
disposed  them  to  all  that  was  done 
afterwards,  for  overthrowing  the 
ecclesiastical  tyranny. 

This  was  the  first  disagreement 
between  the  clergy  and  laity  in 
this  king's  reign.  In  all  other 
points  he  was  at  this  time  attached 
to  the  pope's  interests,  who  sent 
him  the  common  compliments  of 
roses,  and  such  other  trifles,  by 
which  that  see  had  treated  princes 


so  long  as  children.  But  no  com- 
pliment wrought  so  much  on  the 
king's  vanity,  as  the  title  of  "  De- 
fender of  the  Faith,"  sent  him  by 
pope  Leo  upon  the  book  which  he 
wrote  against  Luther  concerning 
the  sacraments. 

PERSECUTION    OF    THE    LOLLARDS. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  reign, 
several  persons  Vv'ere  brought  into 
the  bishops'  courts  for  heresy,  or 
Lollardism.  Forty-eight  were  ac- 
cused: but  of  these,  forty-three 
abjured,  twenty-seven  men  and 
sixteen  women,  most  of  them  being 
of  Teuterden ;  and  five  of  them, 
four  men  and  one  woman,  were 
condemned  ;  some  as  obstinate  he- 
retics, and  others  as  relapses  :  and, 
against  the  common  laws  of  na- 
ture, the  woman's  husband,  and 
her  two  sous,  were  brought  as  wit- 
nesses against  her.  Upon  their 
conviction,  a  certificate  was  made 
by  the  archbishop  to  the  chancery: 
upon  which,  since  there  is  no  par- 
don upon  record,  the  writs  for 
burning  them  must  have  been  is- 
sued in  course,  and  the  execution 
of  them  is  little  to  be  doubted. 
The  articles  objected  to  them  were, 
that  they  believed  that  in  the  eu- 
charist  there  was  nothing  but  ma- 
terial bread;  that  the  sacraments 
of  baptism,  confirmation,  confes- 
sion, matrimony,  and  extreme 
unction,  were  neither  necessary 
nor  profitable ;  that  priests  had  no 
more  power  than  laymen;  that  pil- 
grimages were  not  meritorious, 
and  that  the  money  and  labour 
spent  in  them  were  spent  in  vain; 
that  images  ought  not  to  be  wor- 
shipped, and  that  they  were  only 
stocks  and  stones ;  that  prayers 
ought  not  to  be  made  to  saints,  but 
only  to  God;  that  there  was  no 
virtue  in  holy  water,  or  holy  bread. 
By  this  it  will  appear,  that  many 
in  this  nation  were  prepared  to  re- 
ceive those  doctrines,  which  were 
afterwards  preached  by  the  re- 
formers, even  before  Luther  began 
first  to  oppose  indulgences. 

PROGRESS   OF    LUTHER'S  DOCTRINE. 

The  rise  and  progress  of  the  doc- 
3 


236 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


trines  of  Luther  are  well  known; 
the  scandalous  Sale  of  indulo;ences 
gave  the  first  occasion  to  all  that 
tbllowed  between  liim  and  the 
church  of  Rome ;  in  which,  had  not 
the  corruptions  and  cruelties  of  the 
clergy  been  so  visible  and  scandal- 
ous, so  small  a  cause  could  never 
have  produced  so  great  a  revolu- 
tion. 

The  bishops  v.ere  grossly  igno- 
rant; they  seldom  resided  in  their 
dioceses,  except  on  great  festivals  ; 
and  all  the  effect  their  residence  at 
such  times  could  have,  was  to  cor- 
rupt others  by  their  ill  example. 
They  attached.themselvesto  princes, 
and  aspired  to  the  greatest  offices. 
The  abbots  and  monks  were 
wholly  given  up  to  luxury  and 
idleness ;  and  their  unmarried  state 
gave  infinite  scandal  to  the  world  : 
for  it  appeared,  that  the  restrain- 
ing them  from  having  wives  of 
their  own,  made  them  conclude 
that  they  had  a  right  to  all  other 
men's.  The  inferior  clergy  were 
no  better:  and  not  having  places 
of  retreat  to  conceal  their  vices  in, 
as  the  monks  had,  they  became 
more  public.  In  short,  all  ranks 
of  churchmen  were  so  universally 
despised  and  hated,  that  the  world 
was  very  easily  possessed  with 
prejudice  against  the  doctrines  of 
men  whom  they  knew  to  be  ca- 
pable of  every  vice;  and  the  wor- 
ship of  God  was  so  defiled  with 
gross  superstition,  that  all  men 
were  easily  convinced,  that  the 
church  stood  in  great  need  of  a 
reformation.  This  was  much  in- 
creased when  the  books  of  the  fa- 
thers began  to  be  read,  in  which 
the  difference  between  the  former 
and  latter  ages  of  the  church,  did 
very  evidently  appear.  It  was 
found  that  a  blind  superstition 
came  first  in  the  room  of  true 
piety;  and  when  by  its  means  the 
wealth  and  interest  of  the  clergy 
were  highly  advanced,  the  popes 
had  upon  that  established  their  ty- 
ranny ;  under  which  all  classes  of 
people  had  long  groaned.  All 
these  things  concurred  to  make 
way  for  the  advancement  of  the 
reformation:  and,  the  books  of  the 


German  reformers  being  brought 
into  England,  and  translated, 
many  were  prevailed  on  by  them. 
Upon  this,  a  furious  persecution 
was  set  on  foot,  to  such  a  degree, 
that  six  men  and  women  were 
burnt  in  Coventry  in  passion-week, 
only  for  teaching  their  children 
the  creed,  the  Lord's  prayer,  and 
the  ten  commandments  in  English, 
Great  numbers  were  every  where 
brought  into  the  bishops'  courts;  of 
whom  some  were  burnt,  but  the 
greater  part  abjured. 

The  king  laid  hold  on  this  occa- 
sion to  become  the  champion  of 
the  church,  and  wrote  against  Lu- 
ther, as  mentioned  above.  His 
book,  besides  the  title  of  "De- 
fender of  the  Faith,"  drew  upon 
him  all  that  flattery  could  invent  to 
extol  it;  yet  Luther,  not  daunted 
by  such  an  antagonist,  answered 
it,  and  treated  him  as  much  below 
the  respect  that  was  due  to  a  king, 
as  his  flatterers  had  raised  him 
above  it.  Tindal's  translation  of 
the  New  Testament,  with  notes, 
drew  a  severe  condemnation  from 
the  clergy,  there  being  nothing  in 
which  they  were  more  concerned, 
than  to  keep  the  people  unac- 
quainted with  that  book.  Thus 
much  may  serve  to  shew  the  con- 
dition of  aff"airs  in  England  both  in 
church  and  state,  when  the  process 
of  the  king's  divorce  was  first  set 
on  foot. 

HISTORY   OF   henry's    MARRIAGE 
WITH    CATHERINE. 

As  this  incident  is  so  replete 
with  consequences,  a  particular  re- 
lation of  its  cause  will  not,  it  is 
presumed,  be  unacceptable  to  the 
reader. 

Henry  the  Seventh  had  entered 
into  a  firm  alliance  with  Ferdinand 
of  Spain,  aad  agreed  on  a  match 
between  his  son  prince  Arthur, 
and  Catherine  the  Infanta  of  Spain. 
She  came  into  England,  and  was 
married  in  November;  but  on  the 
second  of  April  after,  the  prince 
died.  They  were  not  only  bedded 
in  ceremony  the  night  of  the  mar- 
riage, but  continued  still  to  lodge 
together;  and  the  prince  gave  occa- 
4 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


237 


sion  to  believe,  that  the  marriage 
was  consummated. 

The  king  being  nmvilling  to 
restore  so  great  a  portion  as 
2tK),000  dueats,  which  the  princess 
brought  as  her  dowry,  proposed  a 
second  match  for  her  with  his 
younger  son  Henry.  Warham  ob- 
jected against  the  lawfulness  of 
it ;  but  Fox,  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, was  for  it,  and  the  opinion  of 
the  pope's  authority  was  then  so 
well  established,  that  it  was 
thought  a  dispensation  from  Rome 
was  sufficient  to  remove  all  ob- 
jections. Accordingly,  one  was 
obtained,  grounded  upon  the  desire 
of  the  two  young  persons  to  marry 
together,  for  the  preservation  of 
peace  between  the  crowns  of  Eng- 
land and  Spain. 

The  pope  was  then  at  war  with 
Lewis  the  Twelfth  of  France,  and 
so  would  refuse  nothing  to  the 
king  of  England,  being  perhaps 
not  unwilling  that  princes  should 
contract  such  marriages,  by  which 
the  legitimation  of  their  issue  de- 
pending on  the  pope's  dispensa- 
tion, they  would  be  thereby  obliged 
in  interest  to  support  that  autho- 
rity. Upon  this  a  marriage  fol- 
lowed, the  prince  being  yet  under 
age  ;  but  the  same  day  in  which  he 
came  to  be  of  age,  he  did,  by  his 
father's  orders,  make  a  protesta- 
tion that  he  retracted  and  annulled 
his  marriage. 

Henry  the  Seventh,  on  his  death- 
bed, charged  his  son  to  break  it  off 
entirely,  being  perhaps  apprehen- 
sive of  such  a  return  of  confusion 
upon  a  controverted  succession  to 
the  crown,  as  had  been  during  the 
wars  of  the  houses  of  York  and 
Lancaster  ;  but  after  his  father's 
death,  Henry  the  Eighth  being 
then  eighteen  years  of  age,  mar- 
ried her :  she  bore  him  two  sons, 
who  died  soon  after  they  were 
born ;  and  a  daughter,  Mary, 
afterwards  queen  of  England. 
After  this  the  queen  contracted 
some  diseases  that  made  her  un- 
acceptable to  the  king ;  who,  at 
tlie  same  time  beginning  to  have 
some  scruples  of  conscience  with 
Regard   to    the    lawfulness    of  his 


marriage,  determined  to  have  the 
affair  investigated. 

THE    king's   scruples    CONCERNING 
HIS    MARRIAGE. 

He  seemed  to  lay  the  greatest 
weight  on  the  prohibition,  in  the 
levitical  law,  of  marrying  the  bro- 
ther's wife,  and  being  conversant 
in  Thomas  Aquinas's  writings,  he 
found,  that  he  and  the  other  school- 
men looked  on  those  laws  as  moral, 
and  for  ever  binding ;  and  conse- 
quently the  pope's  dispensation 
was  of  no  force,  since  his  authority 
went  not  so  far  as  to  dispense  with 
the  laws  of  God.  All  the  bishops 
of  England,  Fisher  of  Ilochester 
only  excepted,  declared  under 
their  hands  and  seals,  that  they 
judged  the  marriage  unlawful. 
The  ill  consequences  of  wars  that 
might  follow  upon  a  doubtful  title 
to  the  crown,  were  also  much  con- 
sidered. It  is  not  probable  that 
Henry's  affection  for  any  other 
lady  was  the  origin  of  these  pro- 
ceedings ;  but  rather,  that,  con- 
ceiving himself  upon  the  point  of 
being  freed  of  his  former  marriage, 
he  gave  free  scope  to  his  afiections, 
which  settled  on  Anne  Boleyn. 

This  lady  was  born  in  the  year 
1507,  and  at  seven  years  of  age 
was  sent  to  France,  where  she  re- 
mained twelve  years,  and  then  re- 
turned to  England.  She  was  much 
admired  in  both  courts,  was  more 
beautiful  than  graceful,  and  more 
cheerful  than  discreet.  She  want- 
ed none  of  the  charms  of  wit  or 
person,  and  must  have  had  extra- 
ordinary attractions,  since  she 
could  so  long  retain  her  place  in 
such  a  king's  affection. 

Knight,  then  secretary  of  state, 
was  sent  to  Rome  to  prepare  the 
pope  to  grant  a  dispensation  from 
the  former  marriage.  Knight  made 
application  to  the  pope  in  the  most 
secret  manner  he  could,  and  had 
a  very  favourable  answer  ;  for  the 
pope  promised  frankly  to  dissolve 
the  marriage  :  but  another  promise 
being  exacted  of  him  by  the  em- 
peror Charles  V.  nephew  of  Cathe- 
rine, not  to  proceed  in  that  affair, 
he  was  reduced   to    great  straits, 


238 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


being  then  at  his  mercy,  and  yet 
unwilling  to  offend  the  king  of 
England :  he  therefore  studied  to 
gain  time,  and  promised  that  if  the 
king  would  have  a  little  patience, 
he  should  not  only  have  that  which 
he  asked,  but  every  thing  that  was 
in  his  power  to  grant. 

Some  scruples  were  made  con- 
cerning the  bull  that  was  de- 
manded, till,  by  great  presents  it 
was  at  length  obtained,  and  then 
the  pope  signed  a  commission  for 
Wolsey  to  try  the  cause,  and  judge 
in  it,  and  also  a  dispensation,  and 
put  them  in  Knight's  hands ;  but 
with  tears  prayed  him  that  there 
might  be  no  proceedings  upon 
them,  till  the  emperor  were  pnt  out 
of  a  capacity  of  executing  his  re- 
venge upon  him,  and  whenever 
that  was  done  he  would  own  this 
act  of  justice  which  he  did  in  the 
king's  favour. 

The  pope  was  at  tliis  time  of- 
fended with  Cardinal  Wolsey ;  for 
he  understood,  that  during  his 
captivity,  Wolsey  had  been  in  an 
intrigue  to  get  himself  chosen  vicar 
of  the  papacy,  and  was  to  have  sate 
at  Avignon,  which  might  have  pro- 
duced a  new  schism.  Staphileus, 
dean  of  the  Rota,  being  then  in 
England,  was  prevailed  on  by  the 
promise  of  a  bishopric,  and  a  re- 
commendation to  a  cardinal's  hat, 
to  promote  the  king's  ail'air ;  and 
by  him  the  cardinal  wrote  to  the 
pope,  in  a  most  earnest  strain,  for 
a  dispatch  of  this  business  ;  and 
he  desired,  that  an  indifferent  and 
tractable  cardinal  might  be  sent 
over,  with  a  full  commission  to 
join  with  him,  and  to  judge  the 
matter;  proposing  to  the  king's 
ambassadors,  Campegio,  who  was 
the  fittest  man. 

The  cardinal,  in  his  letters  to 
Cassali,  who  was  in  great  favour 
with  the  pontiff,  offered  to  take  the 
blame  on  his  own  soul,  if  the  pope 
would  grant  this  bull ;  and  with  an 
earnestness,  as  hearty  and  warm 
as  can  be  expressed  in  words,  he 
pressed  the  thing,  and  added,  that 
if  the  pope  continued  inexorable, 
he  perceived  tlse  king  would  pro- 
ceed another  way. 


These  entreaties  had  such  an 
effect,  that  Campegio  was  declared 
legate,  and  ordered  to  go  for  Eng- 
land, and  join  in  commission  with 
AVoIsey  for  judging  this  matter. 
He  accordingly  set  out  from  Rome, 
and  carried  with  him  a  decretal 
bull,  for  annulling  the  marriage, 
which  he  was  authorized  to  shew 
to  the  king  and  Wolsey  ;  but  was 
required  not  to  give  it  out  of  his 
hands  to  either  of  them. 

CAMPEGIO    COMES    INTO    ENGLAND. 

In  October  he  arrived  in  Eng- 
land, and  advised  the  king  to  relin- 
quish the  prosecution  of  his  suit ; 
and  then  counselled  the  queen,  in 
the  pope's  name,  to  enter  into  a 
religious  community ;  but  both 
were  in  vain  ;  and  he,  by  affecting 
an  impartiality,  almost  lost  both 
sides.  But  he  in  great  measure 
pacified  the  king,  when  he  shewed 
him  the  bull  he  had  brought  over 
for  annulling  the  maniage ;  yet 
he  would  not  part  with  it  out  of 
his  hands,  neither  to  the  king,  nor 
the  cardinal ;  upon  which,  great 
solicitation  was  employed  at 
Rome,  that  Campegio  might  be 
ordered  to  shew  it  to  some  of  the 
king's  counsellors,  and  to  go  on 
and  end  the  business,  otherwise 
Wolsey  would  be  ruined,  and 
England  lost :  yet  all  this  did  not 
prevail  or  the  pope,  who  knew 
that  the  king  intended  to  get  the 
bull  out  of  Campegio's  hands,  and 
then  to  leave  the  pontiff  to  the  em- 
peror's indignation  :  but  though 
he  positively  refused  to  grant  that, 
yet,  he  said,  he  left  the  legates  in 
England  free  to  judge  as  they  saw 
cause,  and  promised  that  he  would 
confirm  their  sentence. 

The  affair  proceeding  very 
slowly,  ambassadors  were  dis- 
patched to  Rome  with  new  propo- 
sitions, for  a  speedy  termination. 
On  this,  the  pope  gave  new  assur- 
ances, that  though  he  would  not 
grant  a  bull,  by  which  the  divorce 
should  be  immediately  his  own 
act,  yet  he  would  confirm  the 
legate's  sentence. 

About  this  time,  the  pope  was 
taken   suddenly   ill,   upon    which, 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


239 


the  Imperialists  bec^au  to  prepare 
for  a  conclave  :  but  Farnese,  and 
the  cardinal  of  Mantua,  opposed 
them,  and  seemed  to  favour  Wol- 
sey  ;  whom,  as  his  correspondents 
wrote  to  him,  "  they  reverenced  as 
a  Deity."  Upon  this  he  dispatched 
a  courier  to  Gardiner,  then  on  his 
way  to  Rome,  with  large  directions, 
how  to  manage  the  election ;  it 
was  reckoned,  that  on  the  kin<5  of 
France  joining  heartily  with  Henry, 
of  which  he  seemed  confident,  tliere 
M^ere  only  six  cardinals  wanting  to 
make  the  election  sure,  and  besides 
sums  of  money,  and  other  rewards, 
that  were  to  be  distributed  among 
them,  he  was  to  give  them  assur- 
ance, that  the  cardinal's  prefer- 
ments should  be  divided  among 
them.  These  were  the  secret  me- 
thods of  attaining  that  chair :  and 
indeed  it  would  puzzle  a  man  of  au 
ordinary  degree  of  credulity,  to 
think,  that  one  chosen  by  such 
means  could  presume  to  be  Christ's 
vicar,  and  the  infaliible  judge  of 
controversies.  The  recovery,  how- 
ever, of  the  pope,  put  an  end  to 
those  intrigues. 

THE  QUEEN  APPEALS  TO  THE  POPE. 

At  length  the  legates  began  the 
process,  when  the  queen  protested 
against  them  as  incompetent  judg- 
es. They,  however,  proceeded  ac- 
cording to  the  forms  of  law,  although 
the  queen  had  appealed  from  them 
to  the  pope,  and  objected  both  to 
the  place,  to  the  judges,  and  her 
lawyers :  yet  they  pronounced  her 
contumacious,  and  went  on  to  ex- 
amine witnesses,  chiefly  as  to  the 
consummation  of  her  mamage  with 
prince  Arthur.  But  now  since  the 
process  was  thuB  going  on,  the 
emperor's  agents  pressed  the  pope 
vehemently  for  an  avocation ;  and 
all  possible  endeavours  were  used 
by  the  king's  agents  to  hinder  it; 
it  was  told  him,  that  there  was  a 
treaty  on  foot  between  the  king  and 
the  Lutheran  princes  of  Germany  ; 
and  that  upon  declaring"  himself  so 
partial  as  to  grant  the  avocation, 
this  would  certainly  be  concluded. 
But  the  pope  tliought  the  king  so 
far  engaged  in  houour  ia  the  points 


of  religion,  that  he  would  not  be 
prevailed  with  to  unite  with  Lu- 
ther's followers  ;  he  did  not  there- 
fore imagine,  that  the  eflects  of  his 
granting  the  avocation  would  be  so 
fatal  as  was  represented.  In  con- 
clusion, therefore,  after  the  empe- 
ror had  enpaged  to  him  to  re- 
store his  family  to  the  government 
of  Florence,  the  pope  resolved  to 
publish  his  treaty  with  him:  he 
told  the  English  ambassadors,  that 
he  was  forced  to  it;  both  because 
all  the  lawyers  told  him,  it  could 
not  be  denied,  and  that  he  could 
not  resist  the  emperor's  forces, 
which  surrounded  him  on  all  hands. 
Their  endeavours  to  gain  a  little 
time  by  delays  were  as  fruitless  as 
their  other  arts  had  been,  for  on 
the  15tii  of  July,  the  pope  signed 
it,  and  on  the  19th,  sent  it  by  an 
express  messenger  to  England. 

The  legates,  Campegio  in  parti- 
cular, drew  out  the  matter,  by  all 
the  delays  they  could  contrive,  and 
gained  much  time.  At  last,  sen- 
tence being  to  be  pronounced, 
Campegio,  instead  of  pronoucing 
it,  adjourned  the  court  till  October, 
and  said,  that  they  being  a  part  of 
the  consistory,  must  observe  their 
times  of  vacation.  This  gave  the 
king  and  his  court  great  offence, 
wheal  they  saw  what  was  like  to  be 
the  issue  of  a  process,  on  which 
his  majesty  was  so  much  bent,  and 
in  which  he  was  so  far  engaged, 
both  in  honour  and  interest.  The 
king  governed  himself  upon  this 
occasion  with  more  temper  than 
was  expected  :  he  dismissed  Cam- 
pegio civilly,  only  his  officers 
searched  his  coffers  when  he  went 
beyond  sea,  with  design,  as  was 
thought,  to  see  if  the  decretal  bull 
could  be  found.  Wolsey  was  now 
upon  the  point  of  being  disgraced, 
though  the  king  seemed  to  treat 
him  with  all  his  former  confidence. 

ACCOUNT    OF   CRANMER. 

At  this  period.  Dr.  Cranmer,  a 
fellow  of  .Jesus  College  in  Cam- 
bridge, meeting  accidentally  with 
Gardiner  and  Fox  at  Walthara,  and 
entering  into  discourse  upon  the 
royal  marriage,  suggested,  that  the 


240 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


king  should  engage  the  cliief  uni- 
versities and  divines  of  Europe,  to 
examine  the  lawfulness  of  his  mar- 
riage; and  if  they  gave  their  reso- 
lutions against  it,  then  it  being 
certain  that  the  pope's  dispensation 
could  not  derogate  from  the  law  of 
God,  the  marriage  must  be  declared 
null.  This  novel  and  reasonable 
scheme  they  proposed  to  the  king, 
who  was  much  pleased  with  it,  as 
he  saw  this  way  was  better  in  itself, 
and  would  mortify  the  pope.  Cran- 
mer  was  accordingly  sent  for,  and 
on  conversing  with  him,  the  king 
conceived  an  high  opinion  both  of 
his  learning  and  prudence,  as  well 
as  of  his  probity  and  sincerity, 
which  took  such  root  in  his  mind, 
that  no  artifices,  nor  calumnies, 
were  ever  able  to  remove  it. 

WOLSEY    IS    DISGRACED. 

From  this  moment  began  the  de- 
cline of  Wolsey.  The  great  seal 
was  taken  from  him,  and  given  to 
Sir  Thomas  More:  and  he  was 
sued  in  a  priemunire,  for  having 
held  the  legatiue  courts  by  a  foreign 
authority,  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
England:  he  confessed  the  indict- 
ment, pleaded  ignorance,  and  sub- 
mitted himself  to  the  king's  mercy ; 
so  judgment  passed  on  him:  then 
was  his  rich  palace  and  royal  fur- 
niture seized  on  for  the  royal  use  ; 
yet  the  king  received  him  again 
into  his  protection,  and  restored  to 
him  the  temporalties  of  the  sees  of 
York  and  Winchester,  and  above 
60001.  in  plate,  and  other  goods. 
Articles  were,  however,  preferred 
against  him,  in  the  house  of  lords, 
where  he  had  but  few  friends  ;  but 
Cromwell,  who  had  been  his  secre- 
tary, did  so  manage  the  matter  in 
the  house  of  commons,  that  it  came 
to  nothing.  This  failing,  his  ene- 
mies procured  an  order  to  be  sent 
to  him,  to  go  into  Yorkshire  :  thi- 
ther he  went  in  great  state,  with 
160  horses  in  his  train,  and  72  carts 
following  him.  There  he  lived 
some  time  ;  but  the  king  being 
informed,  that  he  v/as  practising 
with  the  pope  and  the  emperor, 
sent  the  earl  of  Northumberland  to 
arrest  him  for   high   treason,   and 


bring  him  up  to  Loudon.  On  the 
way  he  sickened,  and  died  at  Lei- 
cester, making  great  protestations 
of  his  constant  fidelity  to  the  king, 
particularly  in  the  matter  of  his 
divorce  :  and  "  wishing  he  had 
served  God  as  faithfully  as  he  had 
done  the  king ;  for  then  he  would 
not  have  cast  him  off  in  his  grey 
hairs,  as  the  king  had  done :" 
words  that  declining  favourites  are 
apt  to  reflect  on,  but  seldom 
remember  in  the  height  of  their 
fortune. 

THE      UNIVERSITIES       DECLARE      A- 
GAINST   THE  KlNO's  MARRIAGE. 

The  king  now  intending  to  pro- 
ceed in  the  method  proposed  by 
Cranmer,  sent  to  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge, to  procure  their  conclu- 
sions. At  Oxford,  it  was  referred 
by  the  major  part  of  the  convo- 
cation to  tliirty-three  doctors  and 
bachelors  of  divinity,  whom  that 
faculty  was  to  name :  they  were 
empow  ered  to  determine  the  ques- 
tion, and  put  the  seal  of  the  uni- 
versity to  their  conclusion.  And 
they  gave  their  opinions,  that  the 
marriage  of  the  brother's  wife  was 
contrary  botli  to  the  laws  of  God 
and  nature.  At  Cambridge  the 
convocation  referred  tiie  question 
to  twenty-nine  ;  of  which  number, 
two  thirds  agreeing,  they  were  era- 
powered  to  put  the  seal  of  the 
university  to  their  determination. 
These  agreed  in  opinion  with  those 
of  Oxford.  The  jealousy  of  Dr. 
Cranmer's  favouring  Lutheranism, 
caused  the  fierce  popish  party  to 
oppose  every  thing  in  which  he  was 
engaged.  'They  were  also  afraid 
of  Anne  Boleyn's  advancement, 
who  was  believed  to  be  tinctured 
with  these  opinions.  Crook,  a 
learned  man,  was  employed  in 
Italy,  to  procure  the  resolution  of 
divines  there  ;  in  which  he  was  so 
successful,  that  besides  the  great 
discoveries  he  made  in  searching 
the  manuscripts  of  the  Greek  fa- 
thers concerning  their  opinions  in 
this  point,  he  engaged  several  per- 
sons to  write  fur  the  king's  cause  : 
and  also  got  the  Jews  to  give  their 
o^jinions  of  the  laws  in  Leviticus, 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


Ul 


that  they  were  moral  and  oblif^a- 
torj'^;  yet,  when  a  brother  died 
■H'itliout  issue,  his  brotlier  might 
marry  his  widow  within  Judea,  for 
preservings  their  families  and  suc- 
cession ;  but  they  tliou2:ht  that 
mifi^ht  not  be  done  out  of  Judea. 
The  state  of  Venice  would  not  de- 
clare themselves,  but  said  they 
M'ould  be  neutral,  and  it  was  not 
easy  to  persuade  the  divines  of 
the  republic  to  give  their  opinions, 
till  a  brief  was  obtained  of  the  pope, 


permitting  all  divines  and  canon- 
ists to  deliver  their  opinions  ac- 
cording to  their  consciences.  The 
pope  abhorred  this  way  of  pro- 
ceeding, though  he  could  not  de- 
cently oppose  it :  but  he  said,  in 
great  scorn,  that  no  friar  should  set 
limits  to  his  power.  Crook  was 
ordered  to  give  no  money,  nor 
make  promises  to  any,  till  they  had 
freely  delivered  their  opinion ; 
which  he  is  said  to  have  faithfully 
observed. 


Martyrdom  of  Archbishop  Cramner  at  Oxford,  March  21,  1356. 


He  sent  over  to  England  an  hun- 
dred several  books,  and  papers, 
with  many  subscriptions ;  all  con- 
demning the  king's  marriage  as  un- 
lawful in  itself.  At  Paris,  the 
Sorbonne  made  their  determination 
with  great  solemnity ;  after  mass, 
all  the  doctors  took  an  oath  to 
study  the  question,  and  to  give 
their  judgment  according  to  their 
consciences ;  and  after  three  weeks 
study,  the  greater  part  agreed  on 
this :  "  that  the  king's  marriage 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


was  unlawful,  and  that  the  pope 
could  not  dispense  with  it."  At 
Orleans,  Anglers,  and  Toulouse, 
they  determined  to  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

Calvin  thought  the  marriage 
null,  and  all  agreed  that  the  pope's 
dispensation  was  of  no  force. 
Osiander  was  employed  to  engage 
the  Lutheran  divines,  but  they  were 
afraid  of  giving  the  emperor  new 
grounds  of  displeasure. 

Melancthon  thought  the  law  in 

16 


242 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Leviticus  was  dispensable,  and 
that  the  marriage  niiojht  be  law- 
ful ;  and  that,  in  those  matters, 
states  and  princes  mi<!,ht  make 
what  laws  they  pleased ;  and 
though  the  divines  of  Leipsic, 
after  mucli  disputing  about  it,  did 
agree,  that  tliose  laws  were  moral, 
yet  they  could  never  be  brought  to 
justify  the  divorce,  with  the  sub- 
sequent marriage ;  but  the  pope 
was  more  compliant,  for  he  oll'ered 
to  Cassali,  to  grant  the  king  dis- 
pensation for  having  anotlier  wife, 
with  which  the  Imperialists  seemed 
not  dissatisfied. 

The  king's  cause  being  thus  for- 
tified, by  so  many  resolutions  in 
liis  favour,  he  made  many  members 
of  parliament,  in  a  prorogation 
time,  sign  a  letter  to  the  pope, 
complaining,  that  notwithstanding 
the  great  merits  of  the  king,  the 
justice  of  his  cause,  and  the  im- 
portance of  it  to  the  safety  of  the 
kingdom,  yet  the  pope  made  still 
new  delays  ;  they  therefore  pressed 
him  to  dispatch  it  speedily,  other- 
wise they  would  be  forced  to  seek 
other  remedies,  though  they  were 
not  willing  to  drive  things  to  ex- 
tremities, till  it  was  unavoidable. 
The  letter  was  signed  by  the  car- 
dinal, the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, four  bishops,  twenty-two 
abbots,  forty-two  peers,  and  eleven 
commoners. 

To  this  the  pope  wrote  an  an- 
swer :  he  took  notice  of  the  vehe- 
mence of  their  style :  he  freed 
himself  from  the  imputations  of 
ingratitude  and  injustice  :  he  ac- 
knowledged the  king's  great  merits; 
and  said,  he  had^done  all  he  could 
in  his  favour:  he  had  granted  a 
commission,  but  could  not  refuse 
to  receive  the  queen's  appeal ;  all 
the  cardinals  with  one  consent 
judged,  that  an  avocation  was 
necessary.  Since  that  time,  the 
delays  lay  not  with  him,  but  with 
the  king ;  that  he  was  ready  to 
proceed,  and  would  bring  it  to  as 
speedy  an  issue  as  the  importance 
of  it  would  admit  of ;  and  for  their 
thieatenings,  they  were  neitlier 
agreeable  to  their  wisdom,  nor 
tiunr  religion. 


The  king,  now  disgusted  at  his 
dependence  on  the  pope,  issued  a 
proclamation  against  any  that 
should  purchase,  bring  over,  or 
publish  any  bull  from  Home,  con- 
trary to  his  authority :  and  after 
that  he  made  an  abstract  of  all  the 
reasons  and  authorities  of  thefathers, 
or  modern  writers,  against  his  mar- 
riage, to  be  published  both  in  Latin 
and  English. 

Both  sides  having  produced  the 
strength  of  their  cause,  it  evidently 
appeared,  that,  according  to  the 
authority  given  to  the  tradition  in 
the  church  of  Rome,  the  king  had 
clearly  the  right  on  his  side. 

Amidst  these  disputes  the  queen 
continued  firm  to  her  resolution  of 
leaving  the  matter  in  the  pope's 
hands,  and  would  not  listen  to  any 
propositions  for  referring  the  mat- 
ter to  the  arbitration  of  a  number 
chosen  on  both  sides. 

The  kings  of  England  claimed 
the  same  latitude  of  power  in  ec- 
clesiastical matters,  as  the  Roman 
emperors  had  exercised  before  the 
fall  of  that  empire  :  anciently  they 
had  by  their  authority  divided  bi- 
shoprics, granted  the  investitures, 
and  made  laws  relating  both  to  ec- 
clesiastical causes  and  persons. 
When  the  popes  began  to  extend 
their  power  beyond  the  limits  as- 
signed them  by  the  canons,  great 
opposition  arose  to  them  in  Eng- 
land ;  but  they  managed  the  ad- 
vantages they  found,  either  from 
the  v.eakness,  or  ill  circumstances 
of  princes,  so  steadily,  that  at 
length  they  subdued  the  world : 
and  if  they  had  not  by  their  cruel 
exactions  so  oppressed  the  clergy, 
that  they  were  driven  to  seek 
shelter  under  the  covert  of  the 
temporal  authority,  the  world  was 
so  overwhelmed  by  superstition 
and  credulity,  that  not  only  the 
whole  spiritual  power,  but  even 
the  temporal  authority  of  the 
princes,  was  likely  to  have  fallen 
under  popish  tyranny.  But  the 
discontented  clergy  supported  the 
secular  power  as  much  as  they  had 
before  advanced  that  of  the  papal. 
Bonifiice  YIII.  had  raised  his  pre- 
tensions   to  that    impudent    pitch, 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


24S 


that  he  declared  all  power,  both 
ecclesiastical  and  civil,  was  derived 
from  him ;  and  this  he  established 
as  an  article  of  faith,  necessary  to 
salvation  ;  on  which  he,  and  his 
successors,  took  upon  them  to  dis- 
pose of  all  ecclesiastical  benefices 
by  their  bulls  and  provisions.  To 
restrain  these  invasions  of  the 
rij^hts  of  princes,  laws  were  made 
in  En<;;]and,  which  condemned  them 
for  the  future :  but  no  punishment 
being,-  declared  for  the  transgres- 
sors, the  courtiers  at  Rome  were 
not  frighted  at  so  general  a  law :  so 
that  these  abuses  still  continued : 
but  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  a 
more  severe  act  was  made,  by 
which,  all  that  transgressed  were 
to  be  imprisoned,  to  be  fined  at 
pleasure,  and  to  forfeit  all  their 
benefices. 

THE    CLERGY    SUED    IN    A    PR.E- 
MUNIRE. 

These  long  forgotten  statutes 
were  now  revived,  to  bring  the 
clergy  into  a  snare  :  it  was  design- 
ed, by  the  terror  of  this,  to  force 
them  into  an  entire  submission, 
and  to  oblige  them  to  redeem  them- 
selves by  the  grant  of  a  consider- 
able subsidy.  They  pleaded  igno- 
rance; it  was  a  pxiblic  error,  and 
they  ought  not  therefore  to  be  pu- 
nished for  it.  To  this  it  was  an- 
swered, that  the  laws  which  they 
had  transgressed  were  still  in  force, 
and  so  no  ignorance  could  excuse 
the  violation  of  them.  The  con- 
vocation of  Canterbury  made  their 
submission,  and  in  their  address  to 
the  king,  he  was  called  the  pro- 
tector and  supreme  head  of  the 
church  of  England  ;  but  some  ob- 
jecting to  that,  it  was  added,  "in  so 
far  as  it  is  agreeable  to  the  law  of 
Christ."  This  was  signed  by  nine 
bishops,  fifty  abbots  and  priors, 
and  the  greatest  part  of  the  lower 
house;  and  with  it  they  offered 
the  king  a  subsidy  of  £100,000,  to 
procure  his  favour,  and  promised 
for  the  future  not  to  make  nor 
execute  any  constitutions  without 
his  licence. 

The    convocation    of   York  did 
not  pass  this  so  easily ;  they  ob- 


jected to  the  word  head,  as  agree- 
ing to  none  but  Christ;  whereupon 
the  king  wrote  them  a  long  ex- 
postulatory  letter,  and  told  them 
with  what  limitations  those  of  Can- 
terbury had  passed  that  title  ;  upon 
which  they  all  submitted,  and  of- 
fered £18,840,  which  was  accept- 
ed ;  and  thus  the  clergy  were  again 
received  into  the  king's  protection, 
and  pardoned. 

THE    K!NG    LEAVES    THE    QUEEN. 

After  the  prorogation  of  this 
session  of  parliament,  new  appli- 
cations were  made  to  the  queen 
to  persuade  her  to  depart  from  her 
appeal ;  but  she  remained  fixed  in 
her  resolution,  and  said  she  was 
the  king's  lawful  wife,  and  would 
abide  by  it  till  the  court  of  Rome 
should  declare  the  contrary. 
Upon  that,  the  king  desired  her 
to*  choose  any  of  his  houses  in  the 
country  to  live  in,  and  resolved 
never  to  see  her  rnore. 

THE   POPE    WRITES   TO    THE    KING, 
AND    IS    ANSWERED. 

In  January  1532,  the  pope,  upon 
the    motion    of   the    Imperialists, 
wrote    to    the   king,    complaining 
that    notwithstanding    a  suit  was 
depending     concerning    his    mar- 
riage,   yet   he   had   put  away   his 
queen,   and  kept  one  Anne  as  his 
wife,     contrary    to    a    prohibition 
served  on  him;    he   therefore   ex- 
horted him  to  live  with  his  queen 
again,    and    to    put   away    Anne. 
Upon  this  the  king  sent  Dr.  Bennet 
to  Rome  with  a  large  dispatch,  in 
which  he  complained  that  the  pope 
proceeded     in   that  matter    upon 
the  suggestion  of  others,  who  were 
ignorant  and  rash  men,    and   had 
carried   himself   inconstantly   and 
deceitfully   in  it,   and  not  as  be- 
came Christ's  vicar:  he  had  granted 
a  commission,  had  promised  never 
to  recall  it,   and  had  sent  over  a 
decretal   bull   defining   the  cause. 
Either  these  were  unjustly  granted, 
or  unjustly  recalled.     It  was  plain 
that  he  acted  more  with  regard  to 
his    interests,    than    according    to 
conscience ;  and  that,  as  the  pope 
had  often  confessed  his  own  igno- 


244 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


rant  in  these  matters,  so  he  was 
not  furnished  with  learned  men  to 
advise  him,  otherwise  he  would  not 
defend  a  marriage  which  almost  all 
the  learned  men  and  universities 
in  England,  France,  and  Italy, 
had  condemned  as  unlawful.  He 
would  not  question  his  autho- 
rity, unless  he  were  compelled 
to.  it,  and  would  do  nothing  but 
reduce  it  to  its  first  and  ancient 
limits. 

This  haughty  letter  made  the 
pope  resolve  to  proceed  and  end 
this  matter,  either  by  a  sentence 
or  a  treaty.  The  king  was  cited  to 
answer  to  the  queen's  appeal  at 
Rome  in  person,  or  by  proxy :  ac- 
cordingly, Sir  Edward' Karne  was 
sent  thither  in  the  new  character 
of  the  king's  excusator,  to  excuse 
the  king's  appearance,  upon  such 
grounds  as  could  be  founded  on 
the  canon  law,  and  upon  the  privi- 
leges of  the  crown  of  England. 
The  Imperialists  pressed  the  pope 
to  give  sentence,  but  the  wiser  car- 
dinals, who  observed  that  the  na- 
tion would  adhere  to  the  king,  if 
he  should  be  provoked  to  shake  otf 
the  pope's  yoke,  suggested  milder 
counsels. 

In  conclusion,  the  pope  seemed 
to  favour  the  king's  excusatory 
plea,  upon  which  the  Imperialists 
made  great  complaints.  But  this 
amounted  to  no  more,  than  that 
the  king  was  not  bound  to  appear 
in  person:  therefore  the  cardinals, 
who  were  in  his  interest,  advised 
the  king  to  send  over  a  proxy  for 
answering  to  the  merits  of  the 
cause.  Bonner  was  also  sent  to 
England  to  assure  the  king,  that 
the  pope  was  now  so  much  in  the 
French  interest,  that  he  might 
confidently  refer  his  matter  to 
Lim. 

At  that  time  the  king  sent  for 
the  speaker  of  the  house  of  com- 
mons, and  told  him  he  found  the 
prelates  were  but  half  subjects; 
lor  they  swore  at  their  consecra- 
tion an  oath  to  the  pope,  inconsist- 
ent with  their  allegiance  and  oath 
to  him.  By  their  oath  to  the  pope, 
they  swore  to  be  in  no  council 
against  him,  nor  to  disclose  his  se- 


crets ;  but  to  maintain  the  papacy, 
and  the  rights  and  authorities  of 
the  church  of  Rome,  against  all 
men.  In  their  oath  to  the  king, 
they  renounced  all  clauses  in  their 
bulls  contrary  to  the  king's  royal 
dignity,  and  swore  to  be  faithful  to 
him,  and  to  live  and  die  with  him 
against  all  others,  and  to  keep  his 
counsel;  acknowledging  that  they 
held  their  bishoprics  only  of  him. 
It  was  evident  they  could  not  keep 
both  those  oaths,  in  case  of  a 
breach  between  the  king  and  the 
pope.  But  the  plague  broke  oft 
the  consultations  of  parliament  at 
this  time.  Soon  after,  Sir  Thomas 
More,  seeing  a  rupture  with  Rome 
coming  on  so  fast,  desired  leave  to 
lay  down  his  office,  which  was 
upon  that  conferred  on  Sir  Thomas 
Audley.  More  was  satisfied  with 
the  king's  keeping  up  the  laws 
formerly  made  in  opposition  to  the 
papal  encroachments,  and  so  had 
concurred  in  the  suit  of  the  prae- 
munire ;  but  now  the  matter  went 
farther,  and  not  being  able  to  keep 
pace  with  the  king's  measures,  he 
returned  to  a  private  life. 

INTERVIEW  OF  THE  KINGS  OF 
ENGLAND  AND  FRANCE. 

An  interview  soon  followed  be- 
tween the  kings  of  France  and 
England;  in  which,  Francis  pro- 
mised Henry  to  second  him  in  his 
suit;  encouraged  him  to  proceed 
to  a  second  marriage  without  de- 
lay ;  and  assured  him  of  his  assist- 
ance and  support:  meantime,  the 
pope  offered  to  the  king,  to  send  a 
legate  to  any  indifl'erent  place  out 
of  England,  to  form  the  process, 
reserving  only  the  giving  sentence 
to  himself;  and  proposed  to  him, 
and  all  princes,  a  general  truce,  to 
be  followed  by  a  general  council. 

The  king  answered,  that  such 
was  the  present  state  of  the  affairs 
of  Europe,  that  it  was  not  season- 
able to  call  a  general  council;  and 
that  it  was  contrary  to  his  prero- 
gative to  send  a  proxy  to  appear 
at  Rome ;  that  by  the  decrees  of 
general  councils,  all  causes  ought 
to  be  judged  on  the  place  and  by  a 
provincial  council;  and  that  it  was 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


245 


fitter  to  judge  it  in  England,  than 
any  where  else:  and  that  by  his 
coronation  oath  he  was  bound  to 
maintain  the  dignities  of  his  crown, 
and  the  rights  of  his  subjects ;  and 
not  to  appear  before  any  foreign 
court.  Sir  Thomas  Elliot  was, 
therefore,  sent  over  with  instruc- 
tions, to  move  that  the  cause  might 
be  judged  in  England. 

THE    KING    MARRIES    ANNE    BOLEYN. 

.  Soon  after  this,  the  king  married 

t  Anne  Boleyn;  Rowland  Lee  (af- 
terwards bishop  of  Coventry  and 
Lichfield)  officiated,  none  being 
present  but  the  duke  of  Norfolk, 
and  her  father,  mother,  brother, 
and  Cranmer.  It  was  thought  that 
the  former  marriage  being  null, 
the  king  might  proceed  to  another: 
and  perhaps,  they  hoped,  that  as 
the  pope  had  formerly  proposed 
this  method,  so  he  would  now  ap- 
prove of  it.  But  though  the  pope 
had  joined  himself  to  France,  yet 
he  was  still  so  much  in  fear  of  the 
emperor,  that  he  dared  not  pro- 
voke him.  A  new  citation  was 
therefore  issued  out,  for  the  king 
to  answer  to  the  queen's  com- 
plaints; but  Henry's  agents  pro- 
tested, that  their  master  was  a  so- 
vereign prince,  and  England  a 
free  church,  over  which  the  pope 
had  no  just  authority;  and  that 
the  king  could  expect  no  justice  at 
Rome,  where  the  emperor's  power 
was  so  great. 

THE    PARLIAMENT    CONDEMNS   AP- 
PEALS   TO    ROME. 

At  this  time,  the  parliament  met 
again,  and  passed  an  act,  con- 
demning all  appeals  to  Rome ;  and 
enacting,  that  thenceforth  all 
causes  should  be  judged  within  the 
kingdom,  and  that  sentences  given 
in  England  were  to  have  full  effect: 
and  all  that  executed  any  censures 
from  Rome,  were  to  incur  the  pain 
of  praemunire. 

CRANMER  MADE  ARCHBISHOP  OF 
CANTERBURY. 

Warham,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, having  died  the  preceding 


year,  was  succeeded  by  Cranmer, 
wbo  was  then  in  Germany,  disput- 
ing in  the  king's  cause  with  some 
of  the  emperor's  divines.  The 
king  resolved  to  advance  him  to 
that  dignity,  and  sent  him  word  of 
it,  thatso  hemightmake  haste  over: 
but  a  promotion  so  far  above  his 
thoughts,  had  not  its  common  ef- 
fects on  him:  he  had  a  true  and 
primitive  sense  of  so  great  a 
charge  ;  and  instead  of  aspiring  to 
it,  feared  it;  and,  returning  very 
slowly  to  England,  used  all  his  en- 
deavours to  be  excused  from  that 
advancement.  Bulls  were  sent 
for  to  Rome,  in  order  to  his  conse- 
cration, which  the  pope  granted, 
anC  on  the  30th  of  March,  Cranmer 
was  consecrated  by  the  bishops  of 
Lincoln,  Exeter,  and  St.  Asaph. 
The  oath  to  the  pope  was  of  hard 
digestion  to  him.  He  therefore 
made  a  protestation,  before  he  took 
it,  that  he  conceived  himself  not 
bound  up  by  it  in  any  thing  that 
was  contrary  to  his  duty  to  God, 
to  his  king,  or  to  his  country ;  and 
this  he  repeated  when  he  took  it. 

THE    king's  MARRIAGE   CONDEMNED 
BY    THE    CONVOCATION. 

The  convocation  had  then  two 
questions  before  them;  the  first 
was,  concerning  the  lawfulness  of 
the  king's  marriage,  and  the  valid- 
ity of  the  pope's  dispensation  ;  the 
other  was,  of  matter  of  fact,  whe- 
ther Prince  Arthur  had  consum- 
mated the  marriage.  For  the  first, 
the  judgments  of  nineteen  uni- 
versities were  read;  and  after  a 
long  debate,  there  being  twenty- 
three  only  in  the  lower  house,  four- 
teen were  against  the  marriage, 
seven  for  it,  and  two  voted  du- 
biously. In  the  upper  house, 
Stokesly,  bishop  of  London,  and 
Fisher,  maintained  the  debate 
long:  the  one  for  the  affirmative, 
and  the  other  the  negative  :  at  last 
it  was  carried  nemine  contradicente, 
(the  few  that  were  of  the  other 
side  it  seems  withdrawing)  against 
the  marriage,  216  being  present. 
The  other  question  was  referred  to 
the  canonists  J    and  they  all,   ex- 


246 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


cept  five  or  six,  reported,  that  the 
presumptions  were  violent ;  and 
these,  in  a  matter  not  capable  of 
plain  proof,  were  always  received 
in  law. 

The  conAOcation  having  thus 
judged  in  the  matter,  the  ceremony 
of  pronouncing  the  divorce  judi- 
cially was  now  only  wanting.  The 
new  queen  being  pregnant,  was  a 
great  evidence  of  her  having  pre- 
served her  chastity  previously  to 
her  marriage.  On  Easter  eve  she 
was  declared  queen  of  England ; 
and  soon  after,  Cranmer,  with 
Gardiner,  who  had  been  made 
upon  Wolsey's  death  bishop  of 
Winchester,  and  the  bishops  of 
London,  Lincoln,  Bath  and  Wells, 
with  many  divines  and  canonists, 
went  to  Dunstable;  queen  Cathe- 
rine living  then  near  it,  at  Ampt- 
hill.  The  king  and  queen  were 
cited ;  he  appeared  by  proxy,  but 
the  queen  refused  to  take  nuy  no- 
tice of  the  court:  so  after  three  ci- 
tations she  was  declared  contuma- 
q|ous,  and  the  merits  of  the  cause 
were  examined.  At  last,  on  the 
23d  of  May,  sentence  was  given, 
declaring  the  marriage  to  have 
been  null  from  the  beginning. 

CORONATION   OF   ANNE    BOLEYN. 

Some  days  after  this,  another 
judgment  was  given,  confirming 
the  king's  marriage  with  queen 
Anne,  and  on  the  iirst  of  June  she 
was  crowned.  All  people  admired 
her  conduct,  who,  during  so  many 
years,  managed  the  spirit  of  so 
violent  a  king  in  such  a  manner, 
as  neither  to  surfeit  him  with  too 
many  favours,  nor  to  provoke  him 
with  too  much  rigour.  They 
that  loved  the  reformation,  looked 
for  better  days  under  her  protec- 
tion; but  many  priests  and  friars, 
both  in  sermons  and  discourses, 
condemned  the  king's  proceedings. 
Henry  sent  ambassadors  to  the  va- 
rious courts  of  Europe,  to  justify 
what  he  had  done:  he  sent  also 
to  queen  Catherine,  charging  her 
to  assume  no  other  title  but  that  of 
princess  dowager;  but  to  this  she 
refused    obedience,    saying,    ske 


would  not  take  that  infamy  on  her- 
self; and  so  resolved,  that  none 
should  serve  about  her  who  did  not 
treat  her  as  queen. 

At  Rome  the  cardinals  of  the 
Imperial  faction  complained  much 
of  the  attempt  made  on  the  pope's 
power,  and  urged  him  to  proceed 
to  censures.  But  there  was  only 
sentence  given,  annulling  all  that 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  had 
done;  and  the  king  was  required, 
under  pain  of  excommunication,  to 
place  things  aj^ain  in  the  state  in 
which  they  formerly  were ;  and 
this  notification  was  affixed  at 
Dunkirk.  The  king  sent  an  em- 
bassy to  the  French  monarch,  avIio 
was  then  setting  out  to  Marseilles, 
to  meet  the  pope;  their  errand  was 
to  dissuade  him  from  the  journey, 
unless  the  pope  promised  Henry 
satisfaction:  Francis  said,  he  was 
engaged  in  honour  to  go  on;  but 
assured  them,  he  would  mind  the 
king's  concerns  with  as  much  zeal 
as  if  thej'  were  his  own. 

BIRTH    OF   THE   PRINCESS    ELIZA- 
BETH. 

In  September  the  queen  brought 
forth  a  daughter,  afterwards  the 
renowned  queen  Elizabeth;  and 
the  king  having  before  declared 
lady  Mary  princess  of  Wales,  did 
now  the  same  for  her:  though, 
since  a  son  might  exclude  her  from 
it,  she  could  not  be  heir  apparent, 
but  only  heir  presumptive  to  the 
crown. 

The  eventful  moment  was  now 
at  hand,  when  the  incident  should 
take  place  that  would  cause  the 
separation  of  England  from  the 
church  of  Rome.  There  was  a  se- 
cret agreement  between  the  pope 
and  Francis,  that  if  king  Henry 
would  refer  his  cause  to  the  consis- 
tory, excepting  only  the  cardinals 
of  the  Imperial  faction,  as  partial, 
and  would  in  all  other  things  re- 
turn to  his  obedience  to  the  see  of 
Rome,  the  sentence  should  be 
given  in  his  favour.  When  Fran- 
cis returned  to  Paris,  he  sent  over 
the  bishop  of  that  city  to  the  king, 
to  tell  what  he  had  obtained  of  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


247 


))opc  in  liis  favour,  and  llie  Icrms 
on  which  it  m  as  pioiuistd:  tliis 
wrought  so  much  on  the  kiup;,  that 
lie  presently  consented  to  them: 
upon  which,  the  bishop  of  Paris, 
though  it  was  now  in  the  middle  of 
winter,  went  to  Rome  in  conse- 
quence. Upon  his  arrival  there, 
tiie  matter  seemed  ag^reed;  for  it 
was  promised,  that  upon  the  kind's 
sendin«:  a  promise  under  his  hand, 
to  place  things  in  their  former 
state,  and  his  ordering  a  proxy  to 
appear  for  him,  judges  should  be 
sent  to  Cambray  for  making  the 
jHOcess,  and  then  sentence  should 
l)e  given.  Upon  the  notice  given 
of  this,  and  of  a  day  fixed  for  the 
return  of  the  courier,  the  king  dis- 
patched him  with  all  possible 
haste ;  and  now  the  business 
.seemed  at  an  end.  But  the  cou- 
rier had  the  sea  and  the  Alps  to 
,  pass,  and  in  winter  it  was  not  easy 
t  to  observe  a  limited  day  so  ex- 
actly. The  appointed  day  came, 
and  no  courier  arrived ;  upon 
which  the  Imperialists  gave  out, 
that  the  king  was  abusing  the 
l)ope's  easiness;  and  pressed  him 
vehemently  to  proceed  to  a  sen- 
tence: the  bishop  of  Paris  re- 
quested only  a  delay  of  six  days. 
But  the  design  of  the  Imperialists 
was  to  hinder  a  reconciliation ;  for 
if  the  king  had  been  set  right  with 
the  pope,  there  would  have  been 
so  powerful  a  league  formed 
against  the  emperor,  as  would 
have  frustrated  ail  his  measures: 
and  therefore  it  was  necessary  for 
liis  politics  to  embroil  them.  Se- 
duced by  the  artifice  of  this  intri- 
guing prince,  the  pope,  contrary 
to  his  ordinary  prudence,  brought 
the  matter  before  the  consistory ; 
and  there  the  Imperialists  having 
the  majority,  it  was  driven  on  with 
so  much  precipitation,  that  they 
did,  in  one  day,  that  which,  accord- 
ing to  form,  should  have  occupied 
three. 

They  gave  the  final  sentence, 
declared  the  king's  marriage  with 
(jueen  Catherine  good,  and  re- 
quired him  to  live  w  ith  her  as  his 
wife,  otherwise  they  would  pro- 
ceed to  censures.     Two  days  after 


this,  the  courier  came  with  the 
king's  submission  in  due  form;  he 
also  brought  earnest  letters  from 
Francis  in  the  king's  favour.  This 
wrought  on  all  the  indifferent  cardi- 
nals, as  well  as  those  of  the  French 
faction,  so inach  that  tljey  pray  ed  the 
pope  to  recall  what  was  done.  A 
new  consistory  was  cali'jd;  but  the 
Imperialists  urged,  with  greater 
vehemence  than  ever,  that  they 
would  not  give  such  scandal  to  the 
world  as  to  recall  a  definitive  sen- 
tence past  of  the  validity  of  a  mar- 
riage, and  give  the  heretics  such 
advantages  by  their  unsteadiness 
in  matters  of  that  nature;  it  was 
therefore  carried,  that  the  former 
sentence  should  take  place,  and 
the  execution  of  it  committed  to 
the  emperor.  When  this  was 
known  in  England,  it  determined 
the  king  in  his  resolution  of  shak-  ' 
ing  olf  the  papal  yoke,  in  which  he 
had  made  so  great  a  progress,  that 
the  parliament  had  passed  all  the 
acts  concerning  it,  before  he  re- 
ceived the  news  from  Rome ;  for 
he  judged  that  the  best  way  to  se- 
cure his  cause  was  to  let  Rome 
see  his  power,  and  with  wiiat  vi- 
gour he  could  make  war. 

arguments    for    rejecting    the 
pope's  power. 

Tn  England  the  foundations  on 
which  the  papal  autiiority  was 
built,  had  been  examined  with  ex- 
traordinary care  of  late  years; 
and  several  books  were  written  on 
that  subject.  It  was  demonstrated 
that  all  the  apostles  were  made 
equal  in  the  powers  that  Christ 
gave  them,  and  he  often  con- 
demned their  contests  about  supe- 
riority, but  never  declared  iu  St, 
Peter's  favour.  St.  Paul  with- 
stood him  to  his  face,  and  reckoned 
himself  not  inferior  to  him.  If  the 
dignity  of  a  person  left  any  autho- 
rity with  the  city  in  which  he  sat, 
then  Antioch  must  carry  it  as  well 
as  Rome;  and  Jerusalem,  where 
Christ  suifered,  w  as  to  be  preferred 
to  all  the  world,  for  it  was  truly 
the  mother-church.  Tlie  other 
privileges  ascribed  to  St.  Peter, 
w  ere  either  only  a  precedence  of 


248 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


order,  or  were  occasioned  by  his 
fall,  as  that  injunction,  "  Feed  my 
sheep,"  it  being  a  restoring  him 
to  the  apostolical  function.  St. 
Peter  had  also  a  limited  province, 
the  circumcision,  as  St.  Paul  had 
the  uncircumcision,  of  far  greater 
extent;  which  shewed  that  Peter 
was  not  considered  as  the  universal 
pastor. 

Several  sees,  as  Ravenna,  Milan, 
and  Aquileia,  pretended  exemp- 
tion from  the  papal  authority. 
Many  English  bishops  had  asserted 
that  the  popes  had  no  authority 
against  the  canons,  and  to  that 
day  no  canon  the  pope  made  was 
binding  till  it  was  received  ;  which 
shewed  the  pope's  authority  was 
not  believed  to  be  founded  on  a 
divine  authority  :  and  the  contests 
which  the  kings  of  England  had 
had  with  the  popes  concerning  in- 
vestitures, bishops  doing  homage, 
appeals  to  Rome,  and  the  autho- 
rity of  papal  bulls  and  provisions, 
shewed  that  the  pope's  power  was 
believed  to  be  subject  to  laws  and 
custom,  and  so  not  derived  from 
Christ  and  St.  Peter ;  and  as  laws 
had  given  them  some  power,  and 
princes  had  been  forced  in  igno- 
rant ages  to  submit  to  their  usur- 
pations, so  they  might,  as  they  saw 
cause,  change  those  laws,  and  re- 
sume their  rights. 

The  next  point  inquired  into 
was,  the  autliority  that  kings  had 
in  matters  of  religion  and  the 
church.  In  the  New  Testament, 
Christ  was  himself  subject  to  the 
civil  powers,  and  charged  his  dis- 
ciples not  to  afl'ect  temporal  do- 
minion. They  also  wrote  to  the 
churches  to  be  subject  to  the 
higher  powers,  and  call  them  su- 
preme, and  charge  every  soul  to 
be  subject  to  them:  so  in  scripture 
the  king  is  called  head  and  su- 
preme, and  every  soul  is  said  to 
be  under  him,  which  joined  toge- 
ther makes  up  his  conclusion,  that 
he  is  the  supreme  head  over  all 
persons.  In  the  primitive  church 
the  bishops  only  made  rules  or 
canons,  but  pretended  to  no  com- 
pulsive authority,  but  what  came 
jfom  the    civil  magistrate.    Upon 


the  whole  matter,  they  concluded 
that  the  pope  had  no  power  in 
England,  and  that  the  king  had 
an  entire  dominion  over  all  his 
subjects,  which  extended  even  to 
the  regulation  of  ecclesiastical 
matters. 

These  questions  being  fully  dis- 
cussed in  many  disputes,  and  pub- 
lished in  several  books,  all  the 
bishops,  abbots,  and  friars  of 
England,  Fisher  only  excepted, 
were  so  far  satisfied  with  them, 
that  they  resolved  to  comply  with 
the  changes  the  king  was  resolved 
to  make. 

THE     pope's     power     REJECTED    BY 
PARLIAMENT. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  parlia- 
ment there  were  but  seven  bishops 
and  twelve  abbots  present,  the 
rest  being  unwilling  to  concur  in 
making  this  change,  though  they 
complied  with  it  when  it  was  made. 
Every  Sunday  during  the  session 
a  bishop  preached  at  St.  Paul's, 
and  declared  that  the  pope  had  no 
authority  in  England:  before  this, 
they  had  onl}^  said  that  a  general 
council  was  above  him,  and  that 
the  exactions  of  his  court,  and 
appeals  to  it,  were  unlawful;  but 
now  they  went  a  strain  higher,  to 
prepare  the  people  for  receiving 
the  acts  then  in  agitation.  On  the 
9th  of  March  the  commons  began 
the  bill  for  taking  away  the  pope's 
power,  and  sent  it  to  the  lords  on 
the  14th,  who  passed  it  on  the  20th 
without  any  dissent.  In  it  they 
set  forth  the  exactions  of  the 
court  of  Rome,  grounded  on  the 
pope's  power  of  dispensing ;  and 
that  as  none  could  dispense  with 
the  laws  of  God,  so  the  king  and 
parliament  only  had  the  authority 
of  dispensing  with  the  laws  of  the 
land ;  and  that  therefore  such 
licences  or  dispensations  as  were 
formerly  in  use,  should  be  for  the 
future  granted  by  the  two  arch- 
bishops ;  some  of  these  were  to  be 
confirmed  under  the  great  seal ; 
and  they  appointed  that  thereafter 
all  intercourse  with  Rome,  on  those 
subjects,  should  cease.  They  also 
declared  that  they  did  not  intend 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


249 


to  alter  any  article  of  the  catholic 
faith  of  Christendom,  or  of  that 
which  was  declared  in  the  scrip- 
ture necessary  to  salvatian.  They 
confirmed  all  the  exemptions  grant- 
ed to  monasteries  by  the  popes, 
but  subjected  them  to  the  king's 
■visitation,  and  gave  the  king  and 
his  council  power  to  examine  and 
reform  all  indulgences  and  privi- 
leges granted  by  the  pope.  This 
act  subjected  the  monasteries  en- 
tirely to  the  king's  authority, 
and  put  them  in  no  small  con- 
fusion. Those  who  loved  the  re- 
formation rejoiced  both  to  see  the 
pope's  power  rooted  out,  and  to 
tind  the  scripture  made  the  stand- 
ard of  religion. 

After  this  act,  another  passed  in 
both  houses  in  six  days  time  with- 
out any  opposition,  settling  the 
succession  of  the  crown,  confirm- 
ing the  sentence  of  divorce,  and 
the  king's  marriage  with  queen 
Anne,  and  declaring  all  marriages 
within  the  degrees  prohibited  by 
Moses  to  be  unlawful :  all  that  had 
married  within  them  were  appoint- 
ed to  be  divorced,  and  their  issue 
illegitimated ;  and  the  succession 
to  the  crown  was  settled  upon  the 
king's  issue  by  the  present  queen, 
or,  in  default  of  that,  to  the  king's 
right  heirs  for  ever.  All  were  re- 
quired to  swear  to  maintain  the 
contents  of  this  act ;  and  if  any  re- 
fused to  swear  to  it,  or  should  say 
any  thing  to  the  slander  of  the 
king's  marriage,  he  was  to  be 
judged  guilty  of  misprision  of 
treason,  and  to  be  punished  ac- 
cordingly. 

About  this  time  one  Phillips 
complained  to  the  house  of  com- 
mons of  the  bishop  of  London  for 
using  him  cruelly  in  prison  upon 
suspicion  of  heresy  ;  the  commons 
sent  up  his  petition  to  the  lords, 
but  received  no  answer :  they 
therefore  sent  some  of  their  mem- 
bers to  the  bishop,  desiring  him  to 
answer  the  complaints  put  in 
against  him:  but  he  acquainted 
the  house  of  lords  with  it ;  and 
they  with  one  consent  voted  that 
none  of  their  house  ought  to  ap- 
pear or  answer  to  any  complaint 


at  the  bar  of  the  house  of  com- 
mons. On  which  the  commons  let 
this  particular  case  fall,  and  sent 
up  a  bill,  to  which  the  lords  agreed, 
regulating  the  proceedings  against 
heretics ;  repealing  the  statute  of 
Henry  IV.;  and  declaring  that  none 
were  to  be  committed  for  heresy 
but  upon  a  presentment  made  by 
two  witnesses ;  none  were  to  be 
accused  for  speaking  against  things 
that  were  grounded  only  upon  the 
pope's  canons  ;  bail  was  to  be 
taken  for  heretics,  and  they  were 
to  be  brought  to  trial  in  open  court; 
and  if  upon  conviction  they  did 
not  abjure,  or  were  relapses,  they 
were  to  be  burnt ;  the  king's  writ 
being  first  obtained.  This  was 
a  great  check  to  the  bishops'  ty- 
ranny, and  gave  great  satisfaction 
to  the  friends  of  the  reformation. 

The  convocation  sent  in  a  sub- 
mission at  the  same  time,  by  which 
they  acknowledged,  that  all  the 
convocations  ought  to  be  assem- 
bled by  the  king's  writ ;  and  pro- 
mised never  to  make  nor  execute 
any  canons  without  the  king's  as- 
sent. They  also  desired,  that  since 
many  of  the  received  canons  were 
found  to  be  contrary  to  the  king's 
prerogative  and  the  laws  of  the 
land,  there  might  be  a  committee 
named  by  the  king  of  thirty-two, 
the  one  half  out  of  both  houses  of 
parliament,  and  the  other  of  the 
clergy,  empowered  to  abrogate  or 
regulate  them,  as  they  should  see 
cause.  This  was  confirmed  in 
parliament ;  the  act  against  appeals 
was  renewed  ;  and  an  appeal  was 
allowed  from  the  archbishop  to  the 
king,  upon  which  the  lord  chancel- 
lor was  to  grant  a  commission  for 
a  court  of  delegates. 

Another  act  passed  for  regulat- 
ing the  elections  and  consecrations 
of  bishops,  condemning  all  bulls 
from  Rome,  and  appointing  that 
upon  a  vacancy  the  king  should 
grant  a  licence  for  an  election, 
and  should  by  a  missive  letter 
signify  the  person's  name  whom  he 
would  have  chosen;  and  within 
twelve  days  after  these  were  de- 
livered, the  dean  and  chapter,  or 
prior  and  convent,  were  required 


250 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  return  an  election  of  the  person 
named  by  the  king-,  under  their 
seals.  The  bishop  elect  was  upon 
that  to  swear  fealty,  and  a  writ 
was  to  be  issued  out  for  his  conse- 
cration in  the  usual  manner  ;  after 
that  he  was  to  do  homage  to  the 
king,  upon  which  bot'i  the  tempo- 
ralties  and  spiritualties  were  to  be 
restored,  and  bishops  were  to  ex- 
ercise their  jurisdictions  as  they 
had  done  before.  All  who  trans- 
gressed this  act  were  made  guilty 
of  a  praemunire. 

A  private  act  passed,  depriving 
cardinal  Campegio  and  Jerome  de 
Gianuccii  of  the  bishoprics  of  Sa- 
lisbury and  Worcester:  the  reasons 
given  for  it  were,  because  they  did 
not  reside  in  their  dioceses,  for 
preaching  the  laws  of  God,  and 
keeping  hospitality,  but  lived  at  the 
court  of  Rome,  and  drew  £3000  a 
year  out  of  the  kingdom. 

The  last  act  of  a  public  nature, 
though  relating  only  to  private  per- 
sons, was  concerning  the  nun  of 
Kent  and  her  accomplices.  It  was 
the  first  occasion  of  shedding  any 
blood  in  this  quari-jl,  and  the  im- 
posture was  much  cherished  by  all 
the  superstitious  clergy  who  ad- 
hered to  the  interests  of  the  queen 
and  the  pope.  The  nun,  and  many  of 
her  accomplices,  were  brought  to 
the  bar  of  the  house  of  lords,  where 
they  confessed  the  whole  matter. 

Sir  Thomas  More  and  bishop 
Fisher  were  charged  with  having 
concealed  their  knowledge  of  the 
affair;  the  former  wrote  a  long 
letter  upon  the  subject  to  Cromwell, 
giving  him  a  particular  account  of 
all  the  conversations  he  had  had 
with  the  nun:  he  acknowledged 
that  he  had  esteemed  her  highly, 
not  so  much  out  of  any  regard  to 
her  prophecies,  as  for  the  opiiiion 
he  conceived  of  her  holiness  and 
humility.  But  he  added,  that  "  he 
was  then  convinced  tliat  she  was 
the  most  false  dissembling  hypo- 
crite that  had  ever  been  known, 
and  guilty  of  the  most  detestable 
hypocrisy  and  devilish  dissembled 
falsehood:"  he  also  believed  that 
she  had  communication  with  an 
evil  spirit.     More's  justification  of 


his  conduct  prevailed  so  far,  that 
his  name  was  struck  out  of  the  bill. 

STORY    OF   THE    NUN    OF    KENT. 

Elizabeth  Barton,  of  Kent,  fell 
into  some  hysterical  fits,  and  spake 
such  things  as  made  those   about 
her  think  she  was  inspired  by  God. 
The  parson  of  the  parish,  named 
Master,  hoping  to  draw  advantages 
from     this,     inlormed    archbishop 
Warham  of  it,  who  ordered  him  to 
watch  her  carefully,  and  bring  him 
an  account  of  what  he  sliould  ob- 
serve.    But  it  seems  she  forgot  all 
that  she  said  in  her  fits  when  they 
were  over.     But  the  artful  priest 
would  not  sufier  his  hopes  thus  to 
pass  away,  but  persuaded  her  she 
was  inspired,  and  taught  her  so  to 
counterfeit  those  trances,  that  she 
became  very  expert  at  it,  and  could 
assume  them  at  her  pleasure.     The 
matter    was    soon   noised    about ; 
and  the  priest  intended  to  raise  the 
credit  of  an  image  of  the  blessed 
virgin,  which  stood  in  his  church, 
that  so  pilgrimages  and  oflerings 
might  be  made  to  it  by  her  means. 
He  accordingly  associated  to  him- 
self one  Bocking,  a  monk  of  Can- 
terbury,   and  they  taught  the  nun 
to  say,   in  her  fits,  timt  the  blessed 
virgin    appeared  to  her,  and  told 
her,  she  could  not  be  w  ell  till  she 
A'isited    that    image.      She    spake 
many  good  v/ords  against  ill  life, 
and  also  against  heresy,  and  the 
king's  suit  of  divorce  then  depend- 
ing; and  by  many  strange  motions 
of  her  body,  she  seemed,  to  the  ig- 
norant multitufle  of  that  age,  to  be 
inwardly  possessed. 

Soon  after  this,  a  day  was  ap- 
pointed for  her  cure  ;  and  before 
an  assemblage  of  two  thousand 
people,  she  was  carried  to  the 
image ;  and  after  she  had  acted 
over  her  fits,  she  seemed  suddenly 
to  recover,  which  was  ascribed  to 
the  intercession  of  the  virgin,  and 
the  virlne  of  her  image.  She  then 
took  the  veil,  and  Bocking  was  her 
confessor. 

Her  popularity  increased  daily, 
and  many  thought  her  a  prophetess, 
among  A\hom  was  archbishop  W'ar- 
ham   himself.     A    book    was    also 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


251 


wrilten  of  her  revelations,  and  a 
letter  was  shewn,  all  in  letters  of 
^old,  pretended  to  be  written  to 
iier  from  Heaven  by  Mary  Magda- 
len !  She  said,  that  when  tlie  kin^ 
was  last  at  Calais,  she  was  carried 
invisibly  beyond  sea,  and  brought 
back  again;  and  that  an  angel 
gave  her  the  sacrament ;  and  that 
God  revealed  to  her,  that  if  the 
king  went  on  in  his  divorce,  and 
married  another  wife,  he  should 
fall  from  his  crown,  and  not  live  a 
month  longer,  but  should  die  a  vil- 
lain's death. 

Several  monks   of  the   Charter- 
house,   and   the    observant    friars, 
with  many  nuns,  and  bishop  Fisher, 
gave    credit  to   this,    set   a  great 
value  on  her,  and  grew  very  inso- 
lent    upon    it;      for    friar    Peyto 
preaching   in  the  king's  chapel  at 
Greenwich,   denounced   the  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  him  ;  and  said, 
though  others  as  lying  propliets  de- 
ceived him,  yet  he,  in  the  name  of 
God,    told   him,   that  dogs   shovild 
lick  his  blood,  as  they  had  done 
Ahab's.     The   king   bore   this   pa- 
tiently, contenting  himself  with  or- 
dering Dr.   Corren  to  preach  nest 
Sunday,   and  to  answer  all  that  he 
had  said  ;  who  railed  against  Pey- 
to as  a  dog  and  a  traitor.     Peyto 
had  gone  to  Canterbury ;   but  El- 
ston,    a  Franciscan   of    the    same 
house,  interrupted  him,  and  called 
him  one  of  the  lying  prophets  that 
went  about  to  establish  the  succes- 
sion of  the  crown  by  adultery  ;  and 
spoke    with   so   much   vehemence, 
that  the  king  himself  was  forced  to 
command   silenceT"     So   unwilling 
was  the   king  to  go  to  extremities, 
that  all  that  was  done  upon  so  high 
a  provocation,  was,  that  they  were 
summoned  before  the  council,  and 
rebuked   for  their  insolence.     But 
the  nun's  confederates  proceeding 
to   publish   her  revelations  in   all 
parts  of  the  kingdom,  she  and  nine 
of  her    accomplices    were  appre- 
hended, when  they  all,  without  any 
rack    or    torture,    discovered  the 
whole  conspiracy.     Upon  this  con- 
fession they  were  appointed  to  go 
to  St.  Paul's,  where,  after  a  sermon 
preached  by  the  bishop  of  Bangor, 
2 


tjjcy  repeated  their  confession  in 
the  hearing  of  the  people,  and  were 
sent  as  prisoners  to  the  Tower. 
But  it  was  given  out  that  all  was 
extorted  from  them  by  violence, 
and  messages  were  sent  to  the  nun, 
desiring  her  to  deny  all  that  she 
had  confessed.  The  king,  on  this, 
judged  it  necessary  to  proceed  to 
further  extremities ;  accordingly 
she  and  six  of  her  chief  accompli- 
ces were  attainted  of  treason,  and 
the  bishop  of  Rochester  and  five 
more  were  attainted  of  misprision 
of  treason.  But  at  the  intercession 
of  queen  Anne  (as  is  expressed  in 
the  act)  all  others  that  had  been 
concerned  Avith  her  were  pardoned. 
After  this,  the  nun  and  her  coad- 
jutors were  executed  at  Tyburn. 
There  she  voluntarily  confessed 
herself  to  be  an  impostor,  and  ac- 
knowledged the  justice  of  her  sen- 
tence, laying  the  blame  on  those 
who  suffered  with  her,  by  whom  she 
had  been  seduced  into  the  crime  ; 
adding,  that  they  had  exalted  her 
for  no  other  cause  than  for  her 
having  been  of  great  profitto  them, 
and  that  they  had  presumed  to  say, 
that  all  she  had  done  was  through 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
when  they  were  sensible  the  whole 
was  a  trick.  She  then  begged  par- 
don of  God  and  the  king,  and  re- 
signed herself  to  her  fate. — Thus 
ended  one  of  the  vilest  impostures 
ever  known  in  this  country. 

Had  this  fallen  out  in  a  darker 
age,  the  king  might  have  lost  his 
crown  by  it.  But  at  the  present 
era,  the  discovery  of  it  disposed 
men  to  look  on  older  stories  of 
trances,  &c.  as  contrivances  to 
serve  base  ends,  and  made  way 
for  the  ruin  of  the  monastic  order  in 
England ;  but  all  that  followed  at 
present  upon  it  was,  that  the  ob- 
servants were  put  out  of  their 
houses,  and  mixed  with  the  other 
Franciscans,  and  the  Austin  friars 
wore  put  in  their  room. 

Upon  the  first  discovery  of  the 
above  imposture,  Cromwell  sent 
Fisher's  brother  to  him  to  reprove 
him  for  his  carriage  in  that  busi- 
ness, and  to  advise  him  to  ask  the 
king's  pardon  for  the  encourage- 


252 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ment  he  had  given  to   the   nun, 
■which  he  was  confident  the  king 
would  grant  him.     But  Fisher  ex- 
cused  himself,    and  said,  he  had 
only  tried  whether  her  revelations 
were  true  or  not.     He  confessed, 
that  upon  the  reports  he  had  heard, 
he  was  induced  to  have  a  high  opi- 
nion of  her,  and  that  he  had  never 
discovered  any  falsehood  in  her. 
It  was   true,   she   had  said  some 
things  to  him  concerning  the  king's 
death  which  he  had  not  revealed, 
but  he  thought  it  was  not  necessary 
to  do  it,  because  he  knew  she  had 
told  them  to  the  king  herself ;  she 
had  named  no  person  that  should 
kill  the   king,   but  had   only   de- 
nounced it  as  a  judgment  of  God 
upon  him ;    and  he  had  reason  to 
think  that  the    king   would   have 
been  offended  with  him  if  he  had 
spoken  of  it  to  him ;  he  therefore 
desired   to    be   no  more   troubled 
with  the  matter.     But,  upon  that, 
Cromwell  wrote  him  a  sharp  letter, 
wherein  he  shewed  him  that  he  had 
proceeded  rashly   in    that   affair ; 
being  so  partial  in  the  matter  of 
the  king's  divorce,  that  he  easily 
believed  every  thing  that  seemed 
to  make  against  it ;  he  shewed  him 
how  necessary  it  was  to  use  great 
caution  before  extraordinary  things 
should    be     received,     or    spread 
about  as  revelations,  since  other- 
wise the  peace  of  the  world  would 
be  in  the  hands  of  every  bold  or 
crafty  impostor;  yet,  in  conclusion, 
he  advised  him  again  to   ask  the 
king's  pardon  for  his  rashness,  and 
assured  him   that    the    king  was 
ready  to  forgive  him.     But  Fisher 
would   make   no  submission,    and 
was  in  consequence  included  in  the 
act ;  yet  it  was  not  executed  till  a 
new    provocation    drew  him  into 
farther  trouble.     The  secular  and 
regular  clergy   did    every    where 
swear  the  oath  of  succession,  which 
none  more  zealously  promoted  than 
Gardiner,   who  before   the  6th  of 
May  prevailed  on  all  his  clergy  to 
swear  it:    and    the    religious   or- 
ders being   apprehensive    of   the 
king's    jealousies    of   them,    took 
care  to  remove  them  by  sending  in 
declarations,    under  the  seals   of 


their  houses,  that  in  their  opinion 
the  king's  present  marriage  wa3 
lawful,  and  that  they  would  always 
acknowledge  him  head  of  the 
church  of  England. 

The  council  met  at  Lambeth,  to 
which  many   were    cited   for  the 
purpose  of  taking  the  oath,  among 
whom  was  sir  Thomas  More  and 
bishop  Fisher.    More  was  first  call- 
ed on  to  take  it :  he  answered,  that 
he  neither  blamed  those  that  made 
the  acts,  nor  those  that  swore  the 
oath;    and  that  lie  was  willing  to 
swear  to  maintain  the  succession 
to  the  crown,  but  could  not  take 
the    oath    as    it    was    conceived. 
Fisher  made  the  same  answer,  but 
all  the  rest  that  were  cited  before 
them  took  it.     More  was  pressed 
to  give  his  reasons  against  it;  but 
he  refused,  for  it  might  be  called 
disputing  against  law,  yet  he  would 
put  them  into  writing  if  the  king 
would    command    him    to    do    it. 
Cranmer  said,  if  he  did  not  blame 
those  that  took  it,  it  seems  he  was 
not  persuaded  it  was  a  sin,  and  so 
was  only  doubtful  of  it ;  but  he  was 
sure  he  ought  to  obey  the  law,  if  it 
was  not  sinful ;  so  there  was  a  cer- 
tainty on  the  one  hand,  and  only  a 
doubt  on  the  other,  and  therefore 
the  former  ought  to  determine  him: 
this  he  confessed  did  shake  him  a 
little,  but  he  said  he  thought  in  his 
conscience  that  it  would  be  a  sin  to 
comply.      In   conclusion,  both  he 
and    Fisher     declared    that    they 
thought  it  was  in  the  power  of  the 
parliament  to  settle  the  succession 
to  the  crown,  and  so  were  ready  to 
swear  to  that ;  but  they  could  not 
take  the  oath  that  was  tendered  to 
them,  for  by  it  they  must  swear 
that   the   king's    former    marriage 
was  unlawful,  to  which  they  could 
not    assent ;     so    they   were   both 
committed  to  the  Tower,  and  de- 
nied the  use  of  pen,  ink,  and  paper. 
The   old   bishop   was   also   hardly 
used  both  in  his  clothes  and  diet ; 
he    had  only   rags  to   cover  him, 
and  fire  was  often  denied  him  ;  a 
cruelty  not  capable  of  excuse,  and 
as  barbarous  as  it  was  undeserved. 
In  the   winter    parliament  met 
again,  and  the  first  act  that  passed 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


253 


declared  the  king  to  be  the  su- 
preme head  on  earth  of  the  church 
of  Eoofland,  which  was  ordered  to 
be  prefixed  to  his  other  titles ;  and  it 
was  enacted,  that  he  and  his  suc- 
cessors should  have  full  authority 
to  reform  all  heresies  and  abuses  in 
the  spiritual  jurisdiction.  By  ano- 
ther act  the  parliament  confirmed 
the  oath  of  succession,  whicli  had 
not  been  specified  in  the  former 
act,  though  agreed  to  by  the  lords. 
They  also  gave  the  king  the  first- 
fruits  and  tenths  of  ecclesiastical 
benefices,  as  being  the  supreme 
head  of  the  church.  Another  act 
passed,  declaring  some  things  trea- 
son; one  of  these  was  the  denying 
the  king  any  of  his  titles,  or  the 
calling  him  heretic,  schismatic,  or 
usurper  of  the  crown.  By  another 
act,  provision  was  made  for  setting 
up  twenty-six  suffragan  bishops 
over  England,  for  the  more  speedy 
administration  of  the  sacraments, 
and  the  better  service  of  God. 
The  bishop  of  the  diocese  was  to 
present  two  to  the  king,  and  upon 
the  king's  declaring  his  choice,  the 
archbishop  was  to  consecrate  the 
person,  and  then  the  bishop  was  to 
delegate  such  parts  of  his  charge 
to  his  care  as  he  thought  fitting, 
during  his  pleasure.  The  great 
extent  of  the  dioceses  in  England 
made  it  hard  for  one  bishop  to  go- 
vern them  with  that  exactness  that 
was  necessary;  these  were  there- 
fore appointed  to  assist  in  the  dis- 
charge of  the  pastoral  functions. 

Bishop  Fisher  and  sir  Thomas 
More,  by  two  special  acts,  were 
attainted  of  misprision  of  treason ; 
five  other  clerks  were  in  like  man- 
ner condemned,  all  for  refusing  to 
swear  the  oath  of  succession.  The 
see  of  Rochester  was  declared 
void ;  and  continued  vacant  two 
years. 

But  now  a  new  scene  commenc- 
ed ;  before  we  enter  upon  which 
it  will  be  necessary  to  state  the 
progress  that  the  new  opinions  had 
made  in  England  during  the  king's 
suit  of  divorce.  Under  Wolsey's 
ministry,  the  reformed  preachers 
were  gently  used  ;  and  it  is  proba- 
ble the  king  ordered  the  bishops 


to  cease  inquiring  after  them,  when 
the  pope  began  to  use  him  ill;  for 
the  progress  of  heresy  was  always 
reckoned  at  Rome  among  the  mis- 
chiefs that  would  follow  upon  the 
pope's  rejecting  the  king's  suit. 
But  sir  Thomas  More,  coming  into 
favour,  offered  new  counsels,  and 
thought  the  king's  proceeding  se- 
verely against  heretics  would  be  so 
meritorious  at  Rome,  that  it  would 
work  more  effectually  than  all  his 
threatenings  had  done.  Upon  this, 
a  severe  proclamation  was  issued 
out  both  against  their  books  and 
persons,  ordering  all  the  laws 
against  them  to  be  put  in  execution. 

TRANSLATION    OF   THE    NEW   TESTA- 
MENT   INTO    ENGLISH. 

Tindal  and  others  at  Antwerp 
were  every  year  either  translating 
or  writing  books  against  some  of  the 
received  errors,  and  sending  them 
over  to  England.  But  the  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament,  by 
Tindal,  gave  the  greatest  offence, 
and  was  much  complained  of  by 
the  clergy  as  full  of  errors.  Ton- 
stall,  then  bishop  of  London,  re- 
turning from  Cambray,  to  which 
place  More  and  he  had  been  sent 
by  the  king,  as  he  came  through 
Antwerp,  bargained  with  an  Eng- 
lish merchant  who  was  secretly  a 
friend  of  Tindal,  to  procure  him  as 
many  of  his  New  Testaments  as 
could  be  had  for  money.  Tindal 
gladly  received  this ;  for  being 
about  a  more  correct  edition,  he 
found  he  would  be  better  enabled 
to  proceed  if  the  copies  of  the  old 
were  sold  off;  he  therefore  gave  the 
merchant  all  he  had,  and  Tonstall, 
paying  for  them,  brought  them 
over  to  England,  and  burnt  them 
publicly  in  Cheapside.  This  was 
called  a  burning  of  the  word  of 
God  ;  and  it  was  said  the  clergy 
had  reason  to  revenge  themselves 
on  it,  for  it  had  done  them  more 
mischief  than  all  other  books  what- 
soever. But  a  year  after  this,  the 
second  edition  being  finished,  great 
numbers  were  sent  over  to  Eng- 
land, when  Constantine,  one  of 
Tindal's  partners,  happened  to  be 
taken:  believing  that  some  of  the 
London  merchants  furnished  them 


254 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


with  money,  he  was  promised  his 
liberty  if  he  would  discover  who 
they  were :  upon  this  he  said  the 
bishop  of  London  did  more  than 
all  the  world  besides,  for  he  bought 
up  the  greatest  part  of  a  faulty 
impression.  The  clergy,  on  their 
condemning  Tindal's  translation, 
promised  a  new  one :  but  a  year 
after,  they  said,  that  it  was  not  ne- 
cessary to  publish  the  scripture  in 
English,  and  that  the  king  did  well 
not  to  set  about  it. 

About  this  time  a  book,  written 
by  Fish,  of  Gray's  Inn,  was  pub- 
lished. It  was  entitled,  "  The 
Supplication  of  the  Beggars,"  and 
had  a  vast  sale.  In  it,  the  beggars 
were  made  to  complain  that  the 
alms  of  the  people  were  intercepted 
by  the  mendicant  friars,  who  were 
a  useless  burden  to  the  govern- 
ment; and  to  tax  the  pope  with 
cruelty  for  taking  no  pity  on  the 
poor,  since  none  but  those  who 
could  pay  for  it  were  delivered  out 
of  purgatory.  The  king  was  so 
pleased  with  this,  that  he  would 
not  suffer  any  thing  to  be  done 
against  the  author.  Sir  Thomas 
More  answered  it  by  another  sup- 
plication in  behalf  of  the  souls  in 
purgatory  ;  setting  forth  the  mise- 
ries they  were  in,  and  the  relief 
which  they  received  by  the  masses 
that  were  said  for  them ;  and 
therefore  they  called  upon  their 
friends  to  support  the  religious  or- 
ders, which  had  now  so  many 
enemies. 

Frith  published  a  serious  an- 
swer to  the  last  mentioned  work, 
in  which  he  shewed  that  there  was 
no  mention  made  of  purgatory  in 
scripture  ;  that  it  was  inconsistent 
with  the  merits  of  Christ,  by 
which,  upon  sincere  repentance, 
all  sins  were  pardoned  ;  for  if 
they  were  pardoned,  they  could 
not  be  punished  :  and  though  tem- 
porary judgments,  either  as  medi- 
cinal corrections  or  a  warning  to 
others,  do  sometimes  fall  even  on 
true  penitents,  yst  terrible  punisli- 
ments  in  another  state  cannot  con- 
sist with  a  free  pardon,  and  the 
remembering  of  our  sins  no  more. 
In   expounding  many  passages  of 


the  New  Testament,  he  appealed 
to  More's  great  friend  Erasmus, 
and  shewed,  that  the  fire  which 
was  spoken  of  by  St.  Paul,  as  that 
which  would  consume  the  wood, 
hay,  and  stubble,  could  only  be 
meant  of  the  fiery  trial  of  persecu- 
tion. He  shewed  that  the  primi- 
tive church  received  it  not ;  Am- 
brose, Jerome,  and  Austin  did  not 
believe  it;  the  last  had  plainly 
said,  that  no  mention  was  made  of 
it  in  scripture.  The  monks  alone 
brought  it  in  ;  and  by  many  won- 
derful stories  persuaded  their  ig- 
norant followers  of  the  truth  of  it, 
and  so  made  a  very  profitable  trade. 
This  book  so  provoked  the  clergy, 
that  they  resolved  to  make  the 
author  feel  a  real  fire,  for  endea- 
vouring to  extinguish  their  imagi- 
nary one.  Sir  Thomas  More  ob- 
jected poverty  and  want  of  learn- 
ing to  the  new  preachers  ;  but  it 
was  answered,  the  same  was  made 
use  of  to  reproach  Christ  and  his 
apostles;  but  a  plain  simplicity  of 
mind,  without  artificial  improve- 
ments, was  rather  thought  a  good 
disposition  for  men  that  were  to 
bear  a  cross,  and  the  glory  of  God 
appeared  more  eminently  when 
the  instruments  seemed  contempt- 
ible. 

But  the  pen  being  thought  too 
feeble  and  gentle,  tJie  clergy  be- 
took themselves  to  persecution. 
Many  were  vexed  with  imprison- 
ments for  teaching  their  children 
the  Lord's  prayer  in  English,  for 
harbouring  the  reformed  preachers, 
and  for  speaking  against  the  cor- 
ruptions and  vices  of  the  clergy. 

Hinton,  formerly  a  curate,  who 
had  gone  over  to  Tinda!,  was  seiz- 
ed on  his  way  back  with  some 
books  he  was  conveying  to  Eng- 
land, and  was  condemned  by  arch- 
bishop Warham.  He  was  kept 
long  in  prison  ;  but  remaining  firm 
in  the  truth,  he  was,  at  length, 
burned  at  Maidstone. 

STORY    AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   THO- 
MAS   BILNEY. 

Thomas  Bilney  was  brought  up 
at  Cambridge  from  a  child.  Oa 
leaving  the  university,  he  preached 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


255 


in  several  places  ;  and  in  his  ser- 
mons spoke  with  great  boldness 
against  the  pride  and  insolence  of 
the  clergy.  This  was  during  the 
ministry  of  cardinal  Wolsey,  who, 
hearing  of  his  attacks,' caused  him 
to  be  seized  and  imprisoned.  Over- 
come with  fear,  Bilney  abjured, 
was  pardoned,  and  returned  to 
Cambridge  in  tl-.e  year  1530.  Here 
he  fell  into  great  horror  of  mind, 
in  consequence  of  his  instability 
and  denial  of  the  truth.  He  be- 
came ashamed  of  himself,  bitterly 
repented  of  his  sin,  and,  growing 
strong  in  faith,  resolved  to  make 
some  atonement  by  a  public  avowal 
of  his  apostacy,  and  confession  of 
his  sentiments.  To  prepare  him- 
self for  his  task,  he  studied  the 
scriptures  with  deep  attention  for 
two  years ;  at  the  expiration  of 
which  he  again  quitted  the  uni- 
versity, went  into  Norfolk,  where 
he  was  born,  and  preached  up  and 
down  that  county  against  idolatry 
and  superstition ;  exhorting  the 
people  to  a  good  life,  to  give  alms, 
to  believe  in  Christ,  and  to  oiler 
up  their  souls  to  him  in  the  sacra- 
ment. He  openly  confessed  his 
own  sin  of  denying  the  faith  ;  and 
using  no  precaution  as  he  went 
about,  was  soon  taken  by  the 
bishop's  ollicers,  condemned  as  a 
relapse,  and  degraded.  Sir  Tho- 
mas More  sent  down  the  writ  to 
burn  him.  Parker,  afterwards 
archbishop,  was  an  eye-witness  of 
his  sullerings  ;  and  allirms,  that  he 
bore  all  his  hardships  with  great 
fortitude  and  resignation,  and  con- 
tinued very  cheerful  after  his  sen- 
tence. He  eat  up  the  poor  provi- 
sion that  was  brought  him  heartily, 
saying,  he  must  keep  up  a  ruinous 
cottage  till  it  fell.  He  had  these 
words  of  Isaiah  often  in  his  mouth, 
"  When  thou  Avalkest  through  the 
fire,  tljiOU  shalt  not  be  burnt:"  and 
^by  burning  his  linger  in  the  candle, 
'he  prepared  himself  for  the  stake  ; 
saying,  the  tire  would  only  consume 
the  stubble  of  his  body,  and  would 
purify  his  soul. 

On  the  loth  of  November  he  Avas 
brought  to  the  stake,  where  he  re-" 
peated  the  creed,  prayed  earnestly, 


and  with  the  deepest  sense  repeated 
these  words,  "  Enter  not  into  judg- 
ment with  thy  servant,  oh  Lord '." 
J)r.  Warner,  who  attended,  em- 
braced him,  shedding  many  tears, 
and  wishing  he  might  die  in  as 
good  a  frame  of  mind  as  Bilney 
then  was.  The  friars  requested 
him  to  inform  the  people,  that  they 
were  not  instrumental  to  his  death, 
which  he  did;  so  that  the  last  act 
of  his  life  was  one  of  charity  and 
forgiveness. 

The  officers  then  put  the  reeds 
and  fagots  about  his  body,  and 
set  fire  to  the  first,  which  made  a 
great  flame,  and  disfigured  his 
face :  he  held  up  his  hands,  and 
struck  his  breast,  crying  sometimes 
''  Jesus  ;"  sometimes  "  Credo  !'' 
but  the  flame  was  blown  away 
from  him  several  times,  the  wind 
being  very  high,  till  at  length  the 
wood  taking  fire,  the  flame  was 
stronger,  and  so  he  yielded  up  the- 
ghost. 

His  body  being  shrunk  up,  lean- 
ed down  on  the  chain,  till  one  of 
the  officers  with  his  halbert  struck 
out  the  staple  of  the  chain  behind 
him,  on  which  it  fell  down  into  the 
bottom  of  the  fire,  when  it  was 
covered  with  wood,  and  consumed. 

The  sufferings,  the  confession, 
and  the  heroic  death  of  this  mar- 
tyr, inspirited  and  animated  others 
to  imitate  his  conduct. 

r.YFlELD    AND    OTHERS    BURNT. 

Byfield,  who  had  formerly  ab- 
jured, was  taken  dispersing  Tin- 
dal's  books;  and  he,  with  one 
Tewkesbury,  were  condemned  by 
Stokesly,  and  burnt.  Two  men  and  a 
woman  suffered  also  the  same  fate 
at  York.  Upon  these  proceed- 
ings, the  parliament  complained 
to  the  king;  but  this  did  not  check 
the  sanguinary  proceedings  of  the 
clergy.  One  Bainham,  a  coun- 
sellor of  the  Temple,  was  taken  on 
suspicion  of  heresy,  whipped  in 
the  presence  of  sir  T.  More,  and 
afterwards  racked  in  the  Tower, 
yet  he  could  not  be  wrought  on  to 
accuse  any,  but  through  fear  he 
abjured.  After  this,  however, 
being  discharged,  he  was  in  great 


256 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


trouble  of  mind,  and  could  find  no 
quiet  till  he  went  publicly  to 
church,  where  he  openly  confessed 
his  sins,  and  declared  the  torments 
he  felt  in  his  conscience  for  what 
he  had  done.  Upon  this  he  was 
again  seized  on,  and  condemned 
for  having  said  that  Thomas  Becket 
was  a  murderer,  and  was  damned 
if  he  did  not  repent ;  and  that  in 
the  sacrament,  Christ's  body  was 
received  by  faith,  and  not  chewed 
with  the  teeth.  Sentence  was 
passed  upon  him,  and  he  was 
burnt.  Soon  after  this  More  deli- 
vered up  the  great  seal,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  the  reformed 
preachers  had  a  short  respite. 

But  the  persecution  was  soon 
revived,  and  its  rage  stopped  not 
at  the  living,  but  vented  itself  even 
on  the  dead.  Lord  Tracy  made  a 
will,  by  which  he  left  his  soul  to 
God,  (in  hopes  of  mercy  through 
Christ,  without  the  help  of  any 
saint;  and  therefore  he  declared 
that  he  would  leave  nothing  for 
soul-masses.  This  will  being 
brought  to  the  bishop  of  London's 
court  to  be  proved,  after  his 
death,  provoked  the  clergy  so 
much*,  that  he  was  condemned  as 
an  heretic,  and  an  order  was  sent 
to  the  chancellor  of  Worcester  to 
raise  his  body ;  but  he  went  be- 
yond his  instructions,  and  burnt  it, 
which  could  not  be  justified,  since 
the  deceased  was  not  a  relapse. 
Tracy's  heir  sued  him  for  it,  and 
he  was  turned  out  of  his  place, 
and  fined  £400. 

The  clergy  proclaimed  an  in- 
dulgence of  forty  days  pardon  to 
any  that  carried  a  fagot  to  the 
burning  of  an  heretic,  that  so 
cruelty  might  seem  the  more  me- 
ritorious. 

The  reformed  now  enjoyed  a  re- 
spite of  two  years,  when  the  crafty 

*  We  shall  not  be  surprised  at  their 
anger,  if  we  consider,  that  they  foresaw, 
in  the  event  of  Lord  Tracy's  example 
being  followed,  the  abolition  of  the  most 
profitable  part  of  their  traffic.  They 
railed  against  hira  on  the  same  grounds 
as  Demetrius  the  silversmith  did  against 
Paul  at  Ephesus — they  feared  that 
♦*  their  crafl  was  in  danger," 


Gardiner  represented  to  the  kins:, 
that  it  would  tend  much  to  his  ad- 
vantage, if  he  would  take  some 
occasion  to  shew  his  hatred  of  he- 
resy. Accordingly  a  young  man 
named  Frith  was  chosen  as  a  sa- 
crifice to  this  afiected  zeal  for  reli- 
gion. 

STORY    AND    MARTYRDOM    OF 
FRITH. 

He  was  a  young  man  much 
famed  for  learning,  and  was  the 
first  who  wrote  in  England  against 
the  corporeal  presence  in  the  sa- 
crament. He  followed  Zuinglius's 
doctrine  on  these  grounds :  Christ, 
received  in  the  sacrament,  gave 
eternal  life,  but  this  was  given 
only  to  those  who  believed,  from 
which  he  inferred  that  he  was 
received  only  by  faith.  St.  Paul 
said,  that  the  fathers  before  Christ 
eat  the  same  spiritual  food  with 
Christians ;  from  which  it  appears, 
that  Christ  is  now  no  more  corpo- 
really present  to  us  than  he  was  to 
them ;  and  he  argued,  from  the 
nature  of  sacraments  in  general, 
and  the  end  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
that  it  was  only  a  commemoration. 
Yet,  upon  these  premises,  he  built 
no  other  conclusion  but  that 
Christ's  presence  was  no  article  of 
faith.  These  reasons  he  put  in 
writing,  which  falling  into  the 
hands  of  Sir  Thomas  More,  were 
answered  by  him:  but  Frith  never 
saw  the  answer  till  he  was  put  in 
prison;  and  then,  though  he  was 
loaded  with  irons,  and  had  bo 
books  allowed  him,  he  replied. 

In  his  reply  he  insisted  much  on 
the  argument,  that  the  Israelites 
did  eat  the  same  food,  and  drank 
of  the  same  rock,  and  that  rock 
was  Christ;  and  since  Christ  was 
only  mystically  and  by  faith  re- 
ceived by  them,  he  concluded  that 
he  was  at  the  present  time  also  re- 
ceived only  by  faith.  He  shewed 
that  Christ's  words,  "  This  is  my 
body,"  were  accommodated  to  the 
Jewish  phrase  of  calling  the  lamb 
the  Lord's  passover;  and  confirmed 
his  opinion  with  many  passages 
out  of  the  fathers,  in  which  the 
elements  were  called  signs  and  fi- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


2&7 


gures  of  Christ's  body;  and  they 
said,  that  upon  consecration  they 
did  not  cease  to  be  bread  and  wine, 
but  remained  still  in  their  own 
proper  natures.  He  also  shewed 
that  the  fathers  were  strangers  to 
all  the  consequences  of  that  opi- 
nion, as  that  a  body  could  b(?   in 


more  places  than  one  at  the  same 
time,  or  could  be  in  a  place  in  the 
manner  of  a  spirit :  yet  he  con- 
cluded, that  if  that  opinion  were 
held  only  as  a  speculation,  it  might 
be  tolerated,  but  he  condemned  the 
adoration  of  the  elements  as  gross 
idolatry. 


Marti/rdom  of   EaUdia,  a  Spanislc  Christian   Lady,   A,   D.  303. 


For  these  opinions  he  was  seiz- 
ed on,  in  May,  1533,  and  brought 
before  Stokesly,  Gardiner,  and 
Longland.  They  charged  him  with 
not  believing  in  purgatory  and 
transubstantiation.  He  gave  the 
reasons  that  determined  him  to 
look  on  neither  of  these  as  articles 
of  faith  ;  but  thought  that  neither 
the  affirming  nor  denying  them 
ought  to  be  determined  positively. 
The  bishops  seemed  unwilling  to 
proceed  to  sentence  ;  but  he  con- 
tinuing resolute,  Stokesly  pro- 
nounced it,  and  so  delivered  him 
to  the  secular  arm,  desiring  that  his 
punishment  might  be  moderated. 
This  request  was  thought  a  mock- 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


ery,  when  all  the  world  knew  that 
it  was  intended  to  burn  him.  One 
Hewet,  an  apprentice  of  London, 
was  also  condemned  with  him  on 
the  same  account. 

They  were  brought  to  the  stake 
at  Smithfield  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1533.  On  arriving  there.  Frith  ex- 
pressed great  joy,  and  hugged  the 
fagots  with  transport :  a  priest, 
named  Cook,  who  stood  by,  called 
to  the  people  not  to  pray  for  them 
more  than  they  would  do  for  a  dog: 
at  this  Frith  smiled,  and  prayed 
God  to  forgive  him:  after  which 
the  fire  was  kindled,  which  con- 
sumed them  to  ashes. 

This  was  the  last  instance  of  the 

17 


258 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


cruelty  of  the  clergy  at  that  time  ; 
for  the  act,  formerly  mentioned, 
regulating  their  proceedings,  fol- 
lowed soon  after.  Philips,  at 
whose  complaint  that  bill  was  be- 
gun, was  committed  upon  suspi- 
cion of  heresy,  a  copy  of  Tracy's 
will  being  found  about  him  ;  but 
he  being  required  to  abjure,  ap- 
pealed to  the  king  as  supreme 
head,  and  upon  that  was  set  at  li- 
berty ;  but  whether  he  was  tried  by 
the  king  or  not,  is  not  upon  re- 
cord. 

The  act  gave  the  new  preachers 
and  their  followers  some  respite. 
The  king  was  also  empowered  to 
reform  all  heresies  and  idolatries  : 
and  his  affairs  obliged  him  to  unite 
himself  to  the  princes  of  Germany, 
that,  by  their  means,  he  might  so 
embroil  the  emperor's  affairs,  as 
not  to  give  him  leisure  to  turn  his 
arms  against  England  ;  and  this 
produced  a  slackening  of  all  seve- 
rities against  them  :  for  those  prin- 
ces, in  the  first  fervour  of  the  re- 
formation, made  it  an  article  in  all 
their  treaties,  that  none  should  be 
persecuted  for  favouring  their  doc- 
trine. The  queen  also  openly  pro- 
tected the  reformers;  she  took 
Latimer  and  Shaxton  to  be  her 
chaplains,  and  promoted  them  to 
the  bishoprics  of  Worcester  and 
Salisbury. 

Cranmer  was  fully  convinced  of 
the  necessity  of  a  reformation,  and 
that  he  might  carry  it  on  with  true 
judgment,  and  justify  it  by  good 
authorities,  he  made  a  good  collec- 
tion of  the  opinions  of  the  ancient 
fathers,  and  later  doctors,  in  all  the 
points  of  religion,  comprising  six 
folio  volumes.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  candour,  and  much  patience 
and  industry ;  aiid  so  was  on  all 
accounts  well  prepared  for  that 
work,  to  which  the  providence  of 
God  now  called  him  :  and  though 
he  was  in  some  things  too  much 
subject  to  the  king's  imperious 
temper,  yet  in  the  matter  of  the 
.six  articles,  he  shewed  that  he 
wanted  not  the  courage  that  became 
a  bishop  in  so  critical  an  affair. 
Cromwell  was  his  great  and  con- 
stant friend  ;  a  man  of  mean  birth. 


but  of  excellent  qualities,  as  ap- 
peared in  his  adhering  to  his  mas- 
ter Wolsey  after  his  fall :  a  rare 
demonstration  of  gratitude  in  a 
courtier  to  a  disgraced  favourite. 

As  Cranmer  and  Cromwell  set 
themselves  to  cairy  on  a  reformation, 
another  party  was  formed  who  as 
vigorously  opposed  it.  This  was 
headed  by  the  duke  of  Norfolk  and 
Gardiner ;  and  almost  all  the  clergy 
lent  their  strength  to  it.  They 
persuaded  the  king  that  nothing 
would  give  the  pope  or  the  empe- 
ror so  much  advantage,  as  his 
making  any  changes  in  religion  ; 
and  it  would  reflect  much  on  him, 
if  he,  who  had  written  so  learnedly 
for  the  faith,  should,  from  spite  to 
the  pope,  make  any  changes  in  it. 
Nothing  would  encourage  other 
princes  so  much  to  follow  his  ex- 
ample, or  keep  his  subjects  so 
faithful  to  him,  as  his  continuing 
steadfast  in  the  ancient  religion. 

These  reasonings  made  great 
impression  on  him.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  Cranmer  represented 
to  him  that,  if  he  rejected  the 
pope's  authority,  it  was  very  ab- 
surd to  let  such  opinions  or  prac- 
tices continue  in  the  church,  as 
had  no  other  foundation  but  papal 
decrees :  he  exhorted  the  king  to 
depend  on  God,  and  hope  for  good 
success  if  he  proceeded  in  this 
matter  according  to  the  duty  of  a 
Christian  prince.  England,  he 
said,  was  a  complete  body  within 
itself;  and  though  in  the  Roman 
empire,  when  united  under  one 
prince,  general  councils  were  ea- 
sily assembled,  yet  now  many  dif- 
ficulties were  in  the  way,  for  it 
was  evident,  that  though  both  the 
emperor  and  the  princes  of  Ger- 
many had  for  twenty  years  desired 
a  general  council,  it  could  not  be 
obtained  of  the  pope  ;  he  had  in- 
deed offered  one  at  Mantua,  but 
that  was  only  an  illusion.  Every 
prince  ought,  therefore,  to  reform 
the  church  in  his  dominions  by  a 
national  synod. 

Upon  this,  the  king  desired  some 
of  the  bishops  to  give  their  opinion 
concerning  the  emperor's  power  of 
calling  councils:  so  Cranmer,  Ton- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


259 


stal,  Clark,  and  Goodiick,  made 
answer,  that  though,  anciently, 
councils  were  called  by  the  Roman 
emperors,  yet  that  was  done  by 
reason  of  the  extent  of  their  mo- 
narchy, which  had  now  ceased, 
and  other  princes  had  an  entire 
monarchy  within  their  own  domi- 
nions. 

THE     REFORMERS     FAVOURED     BY 
THE    COURT. 

The  nobility  and  gentry  were  ge- 
nerally well  satisfied  with  the 
change  in  ecclesiastical  affairs; 
but  the  body  of  the  people,  being 
more  under  the  power  of  the 
priests,  were  filled  with  great  fears 
on  the  subject.  It  was  said, 
amongst  them,  that  the  king  now 
joiaed  himself  to  heretics  ;  that  the 
queen,  Cr'anmer,  and  Cromwell,  fa- 
voured them.  It  was  left  free  to 
dispute  what  were  articles  of  faith, 
and  what  were  only  the  decrees  of 
popes ;  and  the  most  important 
changes  might  be  made,  under  the 
pretence,  that  they  only  rejected 
those  opinions  which  were  support- 
ed by  the  papal  authority. 

The  monks  and  friars  saw  them- 
selves left  at  the  king's  mercy. 
Their  bulls  could  be  no  lon_ger  use- 
ful to  them.  The  trade  of  new 
saints,  or  indulgences,  v/as  now  at 
an  end  ;  they  had  also  some  inti- 
mations that  Cromwell  was  form- 
ing a  project  for  suppressing  them  ; 
so  they  thought  it  necessary  for 
their  own  preservation  to  embroil 
the  king's  affairs  as  much  as  was 
possible  :  therefore,  both  in  confes- 
sions and  discourses,  they  labour- 
ed to  infuse  into  the  people  a  dis- 
like of  his  proceedings :  but  these 
practices  at  home,  and  the  in- 
trigues of  cardinal  Pole  abroad, 
the  libels  that  were  published,  and 
the  rebellious  that  were  raised  in 
England,  wrought  so  much  on  the 
king's  temper,  naturally  imperious 
and  boisterous,  that  he  became  too 
prone  to  acts  of  severity,  and  his 
new  title  of  head  of  the  dairch 
seemed  to  have  increased  his 
former  vanity,  and  made  him 
fancy  that  all  his  subjects  were 
bound  to  regulate   their  belief  by 


the  measures  he  set  them.  The 
bishops  and  abbots  did  what  they 
could  to  free  the  king  of  any  jea- 
lousies he  might  have  of  tlicm ; 
and  of  their  own  accord,  before 
any  law  was  made  about  it,  swore 
to  maintain  his  supremacy. 

CROMWELL   MADE    VICAR-GENERAL. 

The  first  act  of  his  new  power 
■was  the  making  Cromwell  vicar- 
general,  and  visitor  of  all  the 
monasteries  and  churches  of  Eng- 
land, with  a  delegation  of  the 
king's  supremacy  to  him ;  he  was 
also  empowered  to  give  commis- 
sions subaltern  to  himself;  and  all 
wills,  where  the  estate  was  in  value 
above  £200,  were  to  be  proved  in 
his  court.  This  was  afterwards  en- 
larged :  he  was  made  the  king's 
vicegerent  in  ecclesiastical  mat- 
ters, had  the  precedence  of  all 
persons  except  the  royal  family  ; 
and  his  authority  was  in  all  points 
the  same  as  had  been  formerly  ex- 
ercised by  the  pope's  legates. 

Pains  were  taken  to  engage  all 
the  clergy  to  declare  for  the  su- 
premacy. At  Oxford  a  public  de- 
termination was  made,  to  which 
every  member  assented,  that  the 
pope  had  no  more  authority  in 
England  than  any  other  foreign 
bishop.  The  Franciscans  at  Rich- 
mond made  some  opposition  ;  they 
said,  by  the  rule  of  St.  Francis, 
they  were  bound  to  obey  the  holy 
see.  The  bishop  of  Lichfield  told 
them  that  all  the  bishops  in  Eng- 
land, all  the  heads  of  houses,  and 
the  most  learned  divines,  had  sij-n- 
ed  that  proposition.  St.  Fran'cis 
made  his  rule  in  Italy,  where  the 
bishop  of  Rome  was  metropolitan, 
but  that  ought  not  to  extend  to 
England  :  and  it  was  shewn  that 
the  chapter  cited  by  them,  was 
not  written  by  him,  but  added 
since ;  yet  they  continued  positive 
in  their  refusal  to  sign  it. 

GENERAL    VISITATION    OF   THE 
MONASTERIES. 

It  was  well  known  that  the 
monks  and  friars,  though  they  com- 
plied with  the  time,  yet  hated  this 
new  power  of  the  king's  ;  the  peo- 
ple were  also  startled  at  it :  so  one 


260 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Dr.  Leighton,  who  had  been  in 
Wolsey's  service  with  Cromwell, 
proposed  a  general  visitation  of 
all  the  religious  houses  in  Eng- 
land;  and  thought  that  nothing 
would  reconcile  the  nation  so 
much  to  the  king's  supremacy,  as 
to  see  some  good  ett'ect  flow  from 
it.  Others  deemed  this  was  too 
bold  a  step,  and  feared  it  would 
provoke  the  religious  orders  too 
much.  Yet  it  was  known  that  they 
were  guilty  of  such  disorders,  as 
nothing  could  so  effectually  check 
as  inquiry.  Cranmer  led  the  way 
to  this  by  a  metropolitical  visita- 
tion, for  which  he  obtained  the 
king's  licence  ;  he  took  care  to  see 
that  the  pope's  name  was  struck 
out  of  all  the  offices  of  the  church, 
and  that  the  king's  supremacy  was 
generally  acknowledged. 

In  October  the  general  visitation 
of  the  monasteries  was  begun  ;  and 
the  visitors  were  instructed  to  in- 
quire, whether  the  houses  had  the 
full  number  according  to  their 
foundation?  if  they  performed 
divine  worship  at  the  appointed 
hours?  what  exemptions  they  had? 
what  were  their  statutes  ?  how  their 
superiors  were  chosen?  whether 
they  lived  according  to  the  seve- 
rities of  their  orders?  how  their 
lands  and  revenues  were  managed? 
what  hospitality  was  kept?  what 
care  was  taken  of  the  novices  ? 
what  benefices  were  in  their  gift, 
and  how  they  disposed  of  them  ? 
how  the  inclosures  of  the  nunneries 
were  kept?  whether  the  nuns  went 
abroad,  or  if  men  were  admitted 
to  come  to  them  ?  >how  they  em- 
ployed their  time,  and  what  priests 
they  had  as  their  confessors  ? 

The  visitors  were  also  ordered 
to  deliver  some  injunctions  in  the 
king's  name,  as  to  his  supremacy, 
and  the  act  of  succession ;  and 
were  authorized  to  absolve  every 
one  from  any  rules  or  oaths  of  obe- 
dience to  the  pope. 

They  were  also  ordered  to  take 
care  that  the  abbots  should  not 
have  choice  dishes,  but  plain  tables 
for  hospitality  ;  and  that  the  scrip- 
tures should  be  read  at  meals ; 
ilisd  they  should  have  daily  lectures 


of  divinity  ;  and  maintain  some  of 
every  house  at  the  university,  and 
to  require  that  the  abbot  of  each 
monastery  should  instruct  the 
monks  in  true  religion,  and  shew 
them  that  it  did  not  consist  in 
outward  ceremonies,  but  in  clear- 
ness of  heart,  purity  of  life,  and 
the  worshipping  of  God  in  spirit 
and  truth.  Rules  were  given  about 
their  revenues,  and  against  ad- 
mitting any  under  twenty  years  of 
age;  and  the  visitors  were  em- 
powered to  punish  offenders,  or  to 
bring  them  to  answer  before  the 
visitor-general. 

The  visitors  went  over  England, 
and  found  in  many  places  mon- 
strous disorders.  The  most  hor- 
rible and  disgusting  crimes  were 
found  to  be  practised  in  many  of 
the  houses ;  and  vice  and  cruelty 
were  more  frequently  the  inmates 
of  these  pretended  sanctuaries  than 
religion  and  piety.  The  report 
contained  many  abominable  things, 
not  fit  to  be  mentioned :  some  of 
these  were  printed,  but  the  greatest 
part  was  lost. 

The  first  house  that  was  surren- 
dered to  the  king  was  Langden, 
in  Kent ;  the  abbot  of  which  was 
found  in  bed  with  a  woman,  who 
went  in  the  habit  of  a  lay  brother. 
To  prevent  greater  evil  to  himself, 
he  and  ten  of  his  monks  signed  a 
resignation  of  their  house  to  the 
king.  Two  other  monasteries  in 
the  same  county,  Folkstone  and 
Dover,  followed  their  example. 
And  in  the  following  year,  four 
others  made  the  like  surren- 
ders. 

DEATH    OF    QUEEN    CATHERINE. 

On  January  8,  1536,  queen  Ca- 
therine died.  She  had  been  resolute 
in  maintaining  her  title  and  state, 
saying,  that  since  the  pope  had 
judged  her  marriage  was  good, 
she  would  die  rather  than  do  any 
thing  to  prejudice  it.  She  desired 
to  be  buried  among  the  Observant 
friars,  who  had  most  strongly  sup-~ 
ported  her,  and  suflered  for  her 
cause.  She  ordered  500  masses 
to  be  said  for  her  soul ;  and  that 
one  of  her  women  should  go  a 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


261 


pilgrimage  to  our  lady  of  Walsing- 
iiam,  and  give  two  hundred  nobles 
on  her   way   to  the   poor.     When 
she  found  death  approaching,  she 
wrote  to  the  emperor,  recommend- 
ing her  daughter  to  his  care  :  also 
to  the    king,  with   this  inscription, 
"  My   dear   lord,    king,    and   hus- 
band."    She    forgave   him  all   the 
injuries    he    had    done    her;      and 
wished  him  to  have  regard  to  his 
soul.        She     recommended      her 
daughter    to    his    protection,    and 
desired   him    to   be    kind    to   her 
three   maids,  and  to  pay  her  ser- 
vants  a  year's  wages ;    and   con- 
cluded  with,     "  Mine  eyes  desire 
you    above   all  things."      She    ex- 
pired at  Kimbolton,  in  the  fiftieth 
year    of    her     age,    having    been 
thirty-three  years  in  England.    She 
was    devout  and  exemplary  ;    pa- 
tient and  charitable.     Her  virtues 
and   her  suflerings  created  an  es- 
teem for  her  in  all  ranks  of  people. 
The  king  ordered  her  to  be  buried 
in  the  abbey  of  Peterborough,  and 
was    somewhat    afiected      at     her 
death ;    but  the   natural   barbarity 
of  his  temper  prevented  him  from 
feeling   much   remorse    on  the  re- 
flection    that    he   had    embittered 
the    existence   of    a    woman    who 
loved  and  reverenced  him. 

The  same  year  the  parliament 
confirmed  the  act  empowering 
thirty-two  persons  to  revise  the 
ecclesiastical  laws  ;  but  no  time 
being  limited  for  finishing  it,  it 
had  no  effect.  The  chief  business 
of  this  session,  was  the  suppress- 
ing of  all  monasteries  whose  re- 
venues did  not  exceed  £200  a 
year.  The  act  sets  forth  the  great 
disorders  of  those  houses,  and  the 
many  unsuccessful  attempts  made 
to  reform  them.  The  religious 
that  were  in  them,  were  ordered  to 
be  placed  in  the  greater  houses, 
and  the  revenues  given  to  the 
king.  The  king  was  also  em- 
powered to  make  new  foundations 
of  such  of  the  suppressed  houses 
as  he  pleased,  which  were  in  all 
three  hundred  and  seventy.  This 
parliament,  after  six  years  con- 
tinuance, was  now  dissolved. 


A    TRANSLATION    OF   THE    BIBLE 
PKOPOSIiD. 

In  a  convocation  which  sat  at 
this  time,  a  motion  was  made  for 
translating  the  Bible  into  English, 
which  had  been  promised  when 
Tindal's  translation  was  condemn- 
ed, but  was  afterwards  laid  aside 
by  the  clergy,  as  neither  necessary 
nor  expedient.  It  was  said,  that 
those  whose  office  it  was  to  teach 
the  people  the  word  of  God,  did  all 
they  could  to  suppress  it.  Moses, 
the  prophets,  and  the  apostles, 
wrote  in  the  vulgar  tongue:  Christ 
directed  the  people  to  search  the 
scriptures  ;  and  as  soon  as  any 
nation  was  converted  to  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  the  Bible  was  trans- 
lated into  their  language  ;  nor  was 
it  ever  taken  out  of  the  hands  of 
the  people,  till  the  Christian  re- 
ligion was  so  corrupted,  that  it  was 
deemed  impolitic  to  trust  them 
with  a  book,  which  would  so  mani~ 
festly  discover  those  errors  ;  and 
the  legends,  as  agreeing  better 
with  those  abuses,  were  read  in- 
stead of  the  word  of  God. 

Cranmer  thougiit,  that  putting 
the  Bible  in  the  people's  hands 
would  be  the  most  effectual  means 
for  promoting  the  reformation  ; 
and  therefore  moved,  that  the  king 
might  be  prayed  to  order  it.  But 
Gardiner,  and  all  the  other  party, 
opposed  this  vehemently.  They 
said,  all  the  extravagant  opinions 
lately  broached  in  Germany  arose 
from  the  indiscreet  use  of  the 
scriptures.  Some  of  those  opin- 
ions were  at  this  time  disseminated 
in  England,  both  against  the  divi- 
nity and  incarnation  of  Christ, 
and  tl'.e  usefulness  of  the  sacra- 
ments. They  therefore  argued, 
that  during  the,«e  distractions  the 
use  of  the  scriptures  would  prove 
a  great  snare,  and  proposed,  that 
instead  of  them,  there  might  be 
some  short  exposition  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  put  into  the  people's 
hands,  which  might  keep  them  in 
a  certain  subjection  to  the  king 
and  the  church.  But,  in  spite  of 
their  arguments,  the  question  of  the 


262 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


translation  was  carried  in  the  con- 
vocation in  the  affirmative. 

The  courtiers  v/ere  much  divided 
on  this  point  ;  some  said,  if  the 
kin^  gave  way  to  it,  he  would 
never  be  able  after  that  to  govern 
his  people,  and  that  they  would 
break  into  many  divisions.  But  on 
the  other  hand,  it  was  maintained, 
that  nothing  would  make  the  dif- 
ference between  the  pope's  power 
and  the  king's  supremacy  appear 
more  eminently,  than  for  the  one 
to  give  the  people  the  free  use  of 
the  word  of  God ;  while  the  other 
kept  them  in  darkness,  and  ruled 
them  by  a  blind  obedience.  It 
would  do  much  also  in  extinguish- 
ing the  interest  that  either  the 
pope  or  the  monks  had  among  the 
people.  The  Bible  would  teach 
them,  that  they  had  been  long  de- 
ceived by  impostures,  which  had 
no  foundation  in  the  scriptures. 
These  reasons,  strengthened  by 
the  queen's  representations  to  the 
king,  prevailed  so  far  with  him, 
that  he  gave  order  for  setting  about 
this  important  affair  with  all  pos- 
sible haste  ;  and  within  three  years 
the  impression  of  it  was  finished. 

The  popish  party  saw,  with  dis- 
appointment and  concern,  that  the 
(jueen  was  the  great  obstacle  to 
their  designs.  She  grew  not  only 
in  the  king's  esteem,  but  in  the 
love  of  the  nation.  During  the 
last  nine  months  of  her  life  she 
bestowed  above  £14,000  in  alms 
to  the  poor,  and  seemed  to  delight 
in  doing  good.  Soon  after  Cathe- 
rine's death,  Anne  bore  a  dead 
son,  which  was  believed  to  have 
made  an  unfavourable  impression 
on  the  king's  mind.  It  was  also 
considered,  that  now  queen  Cathe- 
rine was  dead,  the  king  might 
marry  another,  and  regain  the 
friendship  of  the  pope  and  the 
emperor,  and  that  the  issue  by  any 
other  marriage  would  never  be 
questioned.  With  these  ^reasons 
of  state  the  king's  affections  joined; 
for  he  was  now  in  love  (if  so  heart- 
less a  monster  was  capable  of  feel- 
ing love)  with  Jane  Seymour,  whose 
disposition  was  tempered  .between 


the  gravity  of  Catherine  and  the 
gaiety  of  Anne.  The  latter  used 
all  possible  arts  to  re-inflame  his 
dying  affection  ;  but  he  was  weary 
of  her,  and  therefore  determined 
on  her  destruction  ;  to  effect  which 
he  soon  found  a  pretence.  Lady 
Rochford,  wife  to  the  brother  of 
Anne,  basely  accused  her  huband 
of  a  criminal  intercourse  with  his 
sister ;  and  Norris,  Weston,  and 
Brereton,  the  king's  servants,  with 
Smeton,  a  musician,  were  accused 
of  the  same  crime. 

She  was  confined  to  her  cham- 
ber, and  the  live  persons  before 
mentioned  were  sent  to  the  Tower, 
whither,  the  next  day,  she  also  was 
carried.  On  the  river  some  privy 
counsellors  came  to  examine  her, 
but  she  made  deep  protestations  of 
her  innocence  ;  and  on  landing  at 
the  Tower  she  fell  on  her  knees 
and  prayed  God  to  assist  her,  pro- 
testing her  innocence  of  the  crimes 
laid  to  her  charge.  Those  who 
were  imprisoned  on  her  account 
denied  every  thing,  except  Smeton, 
who,  from  hopes  of  favour  and  ac- 
quittal, confessed  that  he  had  been 
criminally  connected  with  her ;  but 
denied  it  when  he  was  afterwards 
brought  to  execution. 

The  queen  was  of  a  lively  tem- 
per, and  having  resided  long  in 
the  French  court,  had  imbibed 
somewhat  of  the  levities  of  that 
people.  Siie  was  also  free  from 
pride,  and  hence,  in  her  exterior, 
she  might  have  condescended  too 
much  to  her  familiar  servants. 

Every  court  sycophant  was  now 
her  enemy ;  and  Cranmer  formed 
the  only  and  honourable  exception. 
An  order  was  therefore  procured, 
forbidding  him  to  come  to  court; 
yet  he  wrote  the  king  a  long  letter 
upon  this  critical  juncture,  wherein 
he  acknowledged,  that  "  if  the 
things  reported  of  the  queen  were 
true,  it  was  the  greatest  affliction 
that  ever  befel  the  king,  and  there- 
fore exhorted  him  to  bear  it  with 
patience  and  submission  to  the  will 
of  God;  he  confessed  he  never 
had  a  better  opinion  of  any  woman 
than   of  her;    and  that,   next  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


263 


king,  he  was  more  bound  to  her 
than  to  all  persons  liviuj?,  and 
therefore  he  be2:ged  the  kins,'s 
leave  to  pray  that  she  might  be 
1  found  innocent;  he  loved  her  not  a 
little,  because  of  the  love  which 
she  seemed  to  hear  to  God  and  his 
a;ospel;  but  if  she  was  a^uilty,  all 
that  loved  the  gospel  must  hate 
her,  as  having  been  the  greatest 
slander  possible  to  the  gospel ;  but 
he  prayed  the  king  not  to  entertain 
any  prejudice  to  the  gospel  on  her 
account,  nor  give  the  world  to  say, 
that  his  love  to  that  was  founded 
on  the  influence  she  had  with  him." 
But  the  king  was  inexorable.  The 
prisoners  were  put  on  their  trial ; 
when  Smeton  pleaded  guilty,  as 
before;  the  rest  pleaded  not 
guilty;  but  all  v/ere  condemned. 

TRIAL  AND  EXECUTION  OF  THE 
QUEEN. 

On  the  15th  of  May  the  queen 
and  her  brother,  lord  Rochford, 
were  tried  before  the  duke  of  Nor- 
folk, as  high  steward,  and  a  court 
of  twenty-seven  peers.  The  crime 
charged  on  her  was,  that  she  had 
procured  her  brother  and  four 
others  to  lie  with  her ;  and  had 
often  said  to  them,  that  the  king- 
never  had  her  heart;  and  this  was 
to  the  slander  of  the  issue  begotten 
between  the  king  and  her,  which 
was  treason  by  the  act  that  con- 
firmed her  marriage,  so  that  the 
act  made  for  the  marriage  was 
now  turned  to  her  ruin.  They 
r  would  not  now  acknowledge  her 
U:',  the  king's  lawful  wife,  and  there- 
fore  did  i;ot  found  the  treason  on 
the  statuie  2oth  Edward  III.  It 
does  not  appear  what  evidence 
was  brought  against  her;  for  Sme- 
ton being  already  condemned, 
could  not  be  made  use  of;  and  his 
never  being  brought  face  to  face 
with  her,  gave  just  suspicion  that 
he  was  persuaded  to  his  confes- 
sion by  base  practices.  There 
was  no  other  evidence  than  a  de- 
claration said  to  have  been  made 
by  the  lady  Wingfield,  who  died 
before  the  trial  took  place;  so  that 
whether  this  declaration  were  real 


or  a  forgery   must  be  very  doubt- 
ful. 

The  earl  of  Northumberland  was 
one  of  the  judges.  He  had  for- 
merly been  in  love  with  the  queen, 
and,  either  from  a  return  of  his 
passion,  or  from  some  other  cause, 
he  became  suddenly  so  ill,  that  he 
could  not  stay  out  the  trial.  It 
was  remembered  tliat  this  earl  had 
said  to  cardinal  Wolsey,  that  lie 
had  engaged  himself  so  far  with 
her,  that  he  could  not  go  back, 
which  was  perhaps  done  by  some 
promise,  conceived  in  words  of  the 
future  tense ;  but  no  promise,  un- 
less in  the  words  of  the  present 
tense,  could  annul  the  subsequent 
marriage.  Perhaps  the  queen  did 
not  understand  that  difference,  or 
probably  the  fear  of  a  terrible 
death  wrought  so  much  on  her, 
that  she  confessed  the  contract; 
but  the  earl  denied  it  positively, 
and  took  the  sacrament  upon  it, 
wishing  that  it  might  turn  to  his 
damnation  if  there  was  ever  either 
contract  or  promise  of  marriage 
betweenthem.  Upon  Iier  own  con- 
fession, however,  her  marriage 
with  the  king  was  judged  null 
from  the  beginning,  and  she  was 
condemned,  although  nothing 
could  be  more  contradictory ;  for 
if  she  wa^s  never  the  king's  wife, 
she  could  not  be  guilty  of  adultery, 
there  being  no  breach  of  the  faith 
of  wedlock,  if  they  were  never 
truly  married.  But  the  king  was 
resolved  both  to  be  rid  of  her,  and 
to  illegitimatize  his  daughter  by 
her. 

The  day  before  her  death,  she 
sent  her  last  message  to  the  king, 
asserting  her  innocence,  recom- 
mended her  daughter  to  his  care, 
and  thanking  him  for  his  advanc- 
ing her  first  to  be  a  marchioness, 
then  a  queen,  and  now,  when  he 
could  raise  her  no  higher  x>u  earth, 
for  sending  her  to  be  a  saint  in 
Heaven.  The  lieutenant  of  the 
Tower  wrote  to  Cromwell,  that  it 
was  not  fit  to  publish  the  time  of 
her  execution,  for  the  fewer  tliat 
were  present  it  would  be  the  bet- 
ter,  since  he  believed   she   would 


2€4 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


declare  her  innocence  at  the  hour 
of  her  death  ;  for  that  morning  she 
had  made  great  protestations  of 
it  when  she  received  the  sacra- 
ment, and  seemed  to  long  for 
death  with  great  joy  and  pleasure. 
On  being  told  that  the  executioner, 
who  had  been  sent  for  expressly 
from  France,  was  very  skilful,  she 
expressed  great  happiness;  for 
she  said  she  had  a  very  short  neck, 
at  which  she  laughed. 

A  little  before  noon,  she  was 
brought  to  the  place  of  execution ; 
there  were  present  some  of  the 
chief  officers  and  great  men  of  the 
court.  She  was,  it  seems,  pre- 
vailed on,  out  of  regard  to  her 
daughter,  to  make  no  reflections 
on  the  cruel  treatment  she  met 
with,  nor  to  say  any  thing  touching 
the  grounds  on  which  sentence 
passed  against  her.  She  only  de- 
sired that  all  would  judge  the  best; 
she  highly  commended  the  king, 
and  then  took  her  leave  of  the 
world.  She  remained  for  some 
time  in  her  private  devotions,  and 
concluded,  "  To  Christ  I  commend 
my  soul ;"  upon  which  the  execu- 
tioner struck  oft"  her  head:  and  so 
little  respect  was  paid  to  her  body, 
that  it  Mas  with  brutal  insolence 
put  in  a  chest  of  elm-tree,  made  to 
send  arrows  into  Ireland,  and  then 
buried  in  the  chapel  in  the  Tower. 
Norris  then  had  his  life  promised 
him  if  he  would  accuse  her.  But 
this  faithful  and  virtuous  servant 
said  he  knew  she  was  innocent, 
and  would  die  a  thousand  deaths 
rather  than  defame  her;  so  he  and 
the  three  others  were  beheaded, 
and  all  of  them  continued  to  the 
last  to  vindicate  her.  The  day 
after  queen  Anne's  death  the  king 
married  Jane  Seymour,  who  gained 
more  upon  him  than  all  his  wives 
ever  did ;  but  she  was  fortunate  that 
she  did  not  outlive  his  love  to  her. 

THE   POPE   PROPOSES   A    RECONCILI- 
ATION   WITH    THE    KING. 

Pope  Clement  the  Seventh  was 
now  dead,  and  cardinal  Farnese 
succeeded  him  by  the  name  of 
Paul  the  Third,  who  made  an  at- 


tempt to  reconcile  himself  with  the 
king ;  but,  when  that  was  rejected, 
thundered  out  a  most  terrible  sen- 
tence of  deposition  against  him. 
Yet  now,  since  the  two  queens 
upon  whose  account  the  breach 
was  made  were  out  of  the  way,  he 
thought  it  a  fit  time  to  attempt  the 
recovery  of  the  papal  interest,  and 
ordered  Cassali  to  let  the  king 
know  that  he  had  been  driven, 
very  much  against  his  mind,  to 
pass  sentence  against  him,  and 
that  now  it  would  be  easy  for  him 
to  recover  the  favour  of  the  apos- 
tolic see. 

But  the  king,  instead  of  hearken- 
ing to  the  proposition,  caused  two 
acts  to  be  passed,  by  one  of  which 
it  was  made  a  praemunire  for  any 
one  to  acknowledge  the  authority  of 
the  pope,  or  to  persuade  others  to 
it;  and  by  the  other,  all  bulls,  and 
all  privileges  flowing  from  them, 
were  declared  null  and  void  ;  only 
marriages  or  consecrations  made 
by  virtue  of  them  were  excepted. 
All  who  enjoyed  privileges  by 
these  bulls  were  required  to  bring 
them  into  the  chancery,  upon 
which  the  archbishop  was  to  make 
a  new  grant  of  them,  which,  being 
confirmed  under  the  great  seal, 
was  to  be  of  full  force  in  law. 

DEBATES    OF    THE    CONVOCATION. 

The  convocation  sat  at  the  same 
time,  and  was  much  employed. 
Latimer  preached  a  Latin  sermon 
before  them ;  he  was  the  most  ce- 
lebrated preacher  of  that  time  ;  the 
simplicity  of  his  matter,  and  his 
zeal  in  expressing  it,  being  pre- 
ferred to  more  elaborate  composi- 
tions. The  convocation  first  con- 
firmed the  sentence  of  divorce  be- 
tween the  king  and  queen  Anne. 
Then  the  lower  house  made  an  ad- 
dress to  the  upper  house,  com- 
plaining of  sixty-seven  opinions, 
which  they  found  were  very  much 
spread  in  the  kingdom.  These 
were  either  the  tenets  of  the  old 
Lollards,  or  of  the  new  Reformers, 
or  of  the  Anabaptists;  and  many 
of  them  were  only  indiscreet  ex- 
pressions, which  might  have  flowed 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


265 


from  the  heat  and  folly  of  some 
rash  zealots,  who  had  endeavoured 
to  disgrace  both  the  received  doc- 
trines and  rites.  They  also  com- 
plained of  some  bishops  who  were 
wanting  in  their  duty  to  suppress 
such  abuses.  This  was  understood 
as  a  reflection  on  Cranmer,  Shax- 
ton,  and  Latimer,  the  first  of 
whom  it  was  thought  was  now  de- 
clining, in  consequence  of  the  fall 
of  queen  Anne. 

But  all  these  projects  failed,  for 
Cranmer  was  now  fully  established 
in  the  king's  favour;  and  Cromwell 
was  sent  to  the  convocation,  with 
a  message  from  his  majesty,  that 
they  should  reform  the  rites  and 
ceremonies  of  the  church  accord- 
ing to  the  rules  set  down  in  scrip- 
ture, which  ought  to  be  preferred 
to  all  glosses  or  decrees  of  popes. 

There  was  one  Alesse,  a  Scotch- 
man, whom  Cromwell  entertained 
in  his  house,  who  being  appointed 
to  deliver  his  opinion,  shewed  that 
there  was  no  sacrament  insti- 
tuted by  Christ  but  baptism  and 
the  Lord's  supper.  Stokesly  an- 
swered him  in  a  long  discourse 
upon  the  principles  of  the  school- 
divinity;  upon  which  Cranmer 
took  occasion  to  shew  the  vanity 
of  that  sort  of  learning,  and  the 
uncertainty  of  tradition :  and  that 
religion  had  been  so  corrupted  in 
the  latter  ages,  that  there  was  no 
finding  out  the  truth  but  by  resting 
on  the  authority  of  the  scriptures. 
Fox,  bishop  of  Hereford,  seconded 
him,  and  told  them  that  the  world 
was  now  awake,  and  would  be  no 
longer  imposed  on  by  the  niceties 
and  dark  terms  of  the  schools  ;  for 
the  laity  now  did  not  only  read  the 
scriptures  in  the  vulgar  tongues, 
but  searched  the  originals  them- 
selves ;  therefore  they  must  not 
think  to  govern  them  as  they  had 
been  governed  in  the  times  of  ig- 
norance. Among  the  bishops, 
Cranmer,  Goodrick,  Shaxton,  La- 
timer, Fox,  Hilsey,  and  Barlow, 
pressed  the  reformation ;  but  Lee, 
archbishop  of  York,  Stokesly, 
Tonstall,  Gardiner,  Longland,  and 
several  others,  opposed  it  as  much. 
The  contest  would  have  been  much 


sharper,  had  not  the  king  sent 
some  articles  to  be  considered  of 
by  them,  when  the  following  mix- 
ture of  truth  and  error  was  agreed 
upon. 

1.  That  the  bishops  and  preach- 
ers ought  to  instruct  the  people  ac- 
cording to  the  scriptures,  the  three 
creeds, ^  and  the  four  first  general 
councils. 

2.  That  baptism  was  necessary 
to  salvation,  and  that  children 
ought  to  be  baptized  for  the  pardon 
of  original  sin,  and  obtaining  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

3.  That  penance  was  necessary 
to  salvation,  and  that  it  consisted 
in  confession,  contrition,  and 
amendment  of  life,  with  the  ex- 
ternal works  of  charity,  to  which  a 
lively  faith  ought  to  be  joined ; 
and  that  confession  to  a  priest  was 
necessary  where  it  might  be  had. 

4.  That  in  the  eucharist,  under 
the  forms  of  bread  and  wine,  the 
very  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ  was 
received. 

5.  That  justification  was  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  a  perfect  re- 
novation in  Christ;  and  that  not 
only  outward  good  works,  but  in- 
ward holiness,  was  absolutely  ne- 
cessary. As  for  the  outward  cere- 
monies, the  people  were  to  be 
taught,  1.  That  it  was  meet  to 
have  images  in  churches,  but  they 
ought  to  avoid  all  such  superstition 
as  had  been  usual  in  times  past, 
and  not  to  worship  the  image,  but 
only  God.  2.  That  they  were  to  ho- 
nour the  saints,  but  not  to  expect 
those  things  from  them  which  God 
only  gives.  3.  That  they  might  pray 
to  them  fortheirjintercession,  but  all 
superstitious  abuses  were  to  cease  ; 
and  if  the  king  should  lessen  the 
number  of  saint's  days,  they  ought 
to  obey  him.  4.  That  the  use  of  the 
ceremonies^was  good,  and  that  they 
contained  many  mystical  significa- 
tions that  tended  to  raise  the  mind 
towards  God;  such  were  vestments 
in  divine  worship,  holy  water,  holy 
bread,  the  carrying  of  candles,  and 
palms  and  ashes,  and  creeping 
to  the  cross^  and  hallowing  the 
font,  with  other  exorcisms.  5. 
That  it  was  good  to  pray  for  de- 


266 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


parted  souls,  and  to  have  masses 
and  exequies  said  for  them  ;  but 
the  scriptures  having  neither  de- 
clared in  what  place  they  were, 
nor  what  torments  they  sullered, 
that  was  uncertain,  and  to  be  left 
to  God  ;  therefore  all  the  abuses 
of  the  pope's  pardons,  or  saying- 
masses  in  such  and  such  places, 
or  before  such  images,  were  to  be 
put  awaj\ 

These  articles  were  signed  by 
Cromwell,  the  two  archbishops, 
sixteen  bishops,  forty  abbots  and 
priors,  and  fifty  of  the  lower  house. 
The  king  afterwards  added  a  pre- 
face, declaring  the  pains  that  he 
and  the  clergy  had  been  at  for  the 
removing  the  ditterences  in  reli- 
gion whicJi  existed  in  the  nation, 
and  that  he  approved  of  these  arti- 
cles, and  required  all  liis  subjects 
to  accept  them,  and  he  would  be 
thereby  encouraged  to  taice  furtlier 
pains  in  the  like  matters  for  the 
future. 

On    the    publication     of    these 
things,  the  favourers  of  the  refor- 
mation,   though  they   did  not  ap- 
prove of  every  particular,  yet  were 
well  pleased  to  see  things  brought 
under    examination ;      and     since 
some    things    were    at    this    time 
changed,   they  did  not  doubt  but 
more  changes  would  follow  ;  they 
were  glad  that  the  scriptures  and 
the  ancient  creeds  were  made  the 
standards   of  the     faith,     without 
adding    tradition,    and     that    the 
nature    of    justiiication     and    the 
gospel-covenant  was  rightly  stated; 
that    the    immediate     worship    of 
images  and  saints  was  condemned, 
and  that  purgatory   was   left  un- 
certain :  but  the  necessity  of  auri- 
cular confession,  and  the  corporeal 
presence,  the  doing  reverence   to 
images,    and    praying    to    saints, 
were  of  hard   digestion  to   them  ; 
yet   they     rejoiced     to    see    some 
grosser  abuses  removed,  and  a  re- 
formation once  set  on  foot.     The 
popish   party,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  sorry  to  see  four  sacraments 
passed  over    in   silence,   and    the 
trade  in  masses  for  the  dead  put 
down. 
At  the   same   time  other  things 


were  in  consultation,  though  not 
finished.  Cranmer  oflered  a  paper 
to  the  king,  exhorting  him  to  pro- 
ceed to  further  reformation,  and 
that  nothing  should  be  determined 
without  clear  proofs  from  scripture, 
the  departing  from  which  had  been 
the  occasion  of  all  the  errors  that 
had  been  in  the  church.  Many 
things  were  now  acknowledged  to 
be  erroneous,  for  which  some  not 
long  before  had  sullered  death. 
He  therefore  proposed  several 
points  to  be  discussed,  as,  Whe- 
ther there  were  a  purgatory  1  Whe- 
ther departed  saints  ought  to  be  in- 
vocated,  or  tradition  to  be  believ- 
ed? Whether  images  ought  to  be 
considered  only  as  representations 
of  history  J  and  Whether  it  was 
lawful  for  the  clergy  to  marry .' 
He  prayed  the  king  not  to  give 
judgment  in  these  points  till  he 
heard  them  well  examined:  but 
all  this  was  carried  no  further  at 
that  period. 

At  this  time  visitors   were   ap- 
pointed  to    survey    all  the   lesser 
monasteries :    they   were    to   exa- 
mine the    state  of  their  rcfcnues 
and  goods,  and  take  inventories  of 
them,  and  to  take   their  seals  into 
their   keeping ;    they  were   to  try 
how  many   of  the  religious  would 
return   to  a  secular  course  of  life  ; 
and  these  were  to  be  sent  to  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  or   the 
lord  chancellor,  and  an  allowance 
was   to    be    given  them    for  their 
journey;  but  those  who   intended 
to  continue  in  that  state  were  to 
be  removed  to  some  of  the  great 
monasteries.     A  pension  was  also 
to   be    assigned    to    the  abbot   or 
prior  during  life ;  and  the  visitors 
were  particularly  to  examine  what 
leases   had  been  made  during  the 
last  year.      Tea   thousand   of  the 
religious  were  by  this  means  driven 
to  seek  for  their  livings,  with  forty 
shillings,    and    a    gown    a     man. 
Their  goods  and  plate  were  estimat- 
ed at£100,000.  and  the  valued  rents 
of  their  houses  was  £32,000  ;   but 
they  weie  above  ten  times  as  much. 
The  churches  and  cloisters  were  in 
most  places  pulled  down,  and  the 
materials  sold. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


267 


This  procedure  gave  great  dis- 
conlent  ;  and  the  monks  were  now 
as  niucli  pitied,  as  they  were  for- 
merly hated.  The  no!)iiity  and 
gentry,  who  provided  lor  their 
younger  children  or  friends  by 
putting  tliem  in  those  sanctuaries, 
were  sensible  of  their  loss.  The 
people,  who  as  they  travelled  over 
the  country  found  abbeys  to  be 
places  of  reception  to  strangers, 
_  saw  what  they  were  to  lose.  But 
the  superstitious,  who  thought 
their  friends  must  now  lie  still  in 
purgatory,  without  relief  from  tlie 
masses,  were  out  of  measure  of- 
fended. But  to  remove  this  dis- 
content, Cromwell  advised  the  king 
to  sell  the.se  lands  at  very  easy 
rates  to  the  nobility  and  gentry, 
and  to  oblige  them  to  keep  up  the 
wonted  hospitality.  This  would 
both  be  grateful  to  them,  and  would 
engage  them  to  assist  the  crown  in 
the  maintenance  of  the  changes 
that  had  been  made,  since  their 
own  interests  would  be  interwoven 
with  those  of  their  sovereign. 
And,  a  clause  in  the  act  empower- 
ing the  king  to  found  anew  such 
houses  as  he  should  think  fit,  there 
were  fifteen  monasteries  and  six- 
teen nunneries  newly  founded. 
These  were  bound  to  obey  such 
rules  as  the  king  should  send  them, 
and  to  pay  him  tenths  and  first- 
fruits.  But  all  this  did  not  pacify 
the  people,  for  there  was  still  a 
great  outcry.  The  clergy  studied 
much  to  intlame  the  nation,  and 
urged,  that  an  heretical  prince, 
deposed  by  the  pope,  was  no  more 
to  be  acknowledged ;  and  that  it 
was  a  part  of  the  papal  power  to 
depose  kings,  and  give  away  their 
dominions. 

There  were  some  injunctions 
given  out  by  Cromwell,  which  in- 
creased this  discontent.  All 
churchmen  were  required,  every 
Sunday  for  a  quarter  of  a  year, 
and  twice  every  quarter  after  that, 
to  preach  against  the  pope's  power, 
and  to  explain  the  six  articles  of 
the  convocation.  They  were  for- 
bidden to  extol  images,  relics,  or 
pilgrimages ;  but  to  exhort  to 
works  of  charily.     They  were  alsy 


required  to  teach  the  Lord's  prayer, 
the  creed,  and  the  ten  command- 
ments in  English,  and  to  explain 
these  carefully,  and  instruct  the 
children  well  in  them.  They  were 
to  perform  the  divine  ofiices  reve- 
rently, to  study  the  scriptures 
much,  and  be  exemplary  in  their 
lives.  Those  who  did  not  reside 
were  to  give  the  fortieth  part  of 
their  income  to  the  poor,  and  for 
every  hundred  pounds  a  year  they 
were  to  maintain  a  scholar  at  some 
gramniar-school,  or  the  university  ; 
and  if  the  parsonage-house  was 
in  decay,  they  were  ordered  to 
apply  a  fifth  part  of  their  benefice 
for  repairing  it. 

REBELLIONS   IN   LINCOLNSHIRE    AND 
IN    YORKSHIRE. 

The  people  continued  quiet  till 
they  had  got  in  their  harvest ;  but 
in  the  beginning  of  October  20,000 
rose  in  Lincolnshire,  led  by  a 
priest  in  the  disguise  of  a  cobbler. 
They  took  an  oath  to  be  true  to 
God,  the  king,  and  the  common- 
wealth, and  sent  a  statement  of 
their  grievances  to  the  king.  They 
complained  of  some  acts  of  parlia- 
ment, of  suppressing  of  many  re- 
ligious houses,  of  mean  and  ill 
counsellors,  and  bad  bishops  ;  and 
prayed  the  king  to  redress  their 
grievances  by  tlie  advice  of  the 
nobility.  The  king  sent  the  duke 
of  Suffolk  to  raise  forces  against 
them,  and  gave  an  answer  to  their 
petition,  in  which  he  treated  them 
with  his  usual  haughtiness,  saying 
that  "  it  belonged  not  to  the  rabble 
to  direct  princes  what  counsellors 
they  should  choose.  The  religious 
houses  had  been  suppressed  by  law, 
and  the  heads  of  them  had  undey 
their  hands  confessed  such  horrid 
scandals,  that  they  were  a  reproach 
to  the  nation  ;  and  as  they  wasted 
their  rents  in  riotous  living,  it  was 
much  better  to  apply  them  to  the 
common  good  of  the  nation ;" 
finally,  he  required  the  insurgents 
to  submit  to  his  mercy,  and  to  de- 
liver up  two  hundred  of  their 
leaders  into  the  hands  of  his  lieu- 
tenants. 

At  the  same  time  there  was  a 


268 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


more  formidable  rising  in  York- 
shire,  which    being  not   far  from 
Scotland,  it  was  feared  the  rebels 
would  draw  assistance    from  that 
kingdom ;  this   inclined  Henry  to 
malEe  more  haste  to  settle  matters 
in    Lincolnshire.      He   sent    them 
secret  assurances  of  mercy,  which 
wrought  on   the  greatest  part,  so 
that    they    dispersed    themselves, 
while    the    most     obstinate    went 
over  to  those  in  Yorkshire.     The 
leader  and  some  others  were  taken 
and    executed.      The    distance   of 
those  in  the  North  gave  them  time 
to  rise,  and  form  themselves   into 
some    method :     one    Aske    com- 
manded   in  chief,   and  performed 
his  part  with  great  dexterity  :  their 
march  was  called  "  the  Pilgrimage 
of  Grace;"  they  had  in  their  ban- 
ners and  on  their  sleeves,  a  repre- 
sentation of  the   five    wounds    of 
Christ;  they  took  an  oath  that  they 
would     restore    the    church,    sup- 
press heretics,   preserve  the   king 
and  his  issue,  and  drive  base-born 
men  and  ill  counsellors  from  him. 
They  became  40,000   strong   in   a 
few   days,  and    forced   the    arch- 
bishop   of    York    and    the      lord 
Darcy  to  swear  to  their  covenant, 
and  to  go  along  with  them.     They 
besieged  Skipton,  but  the  earl   of 
Cumberland  made  it  good  against 
them :    sir  Ralph   Evers  held   out 
Scarborough     castle,     though    for 
twenty  days  he  and   his  men  had 
no  provisions  but  bread  and  water. 
There   was   also    a  rising   in  all 
the  other  northern  counties,  against 
whom  the  earl  of  Shrewsbury  made 
head  ;    and  the  king  sent  several 
of  the   nobility   to   his   assistance, 
and  within  a  few  days  the  duke  of 
Norfolk  marched  with  some  troops, 
and  joined  him.     They  possessed 
themselves  of  Doncaster,   and  re- 
solved  to   keep   that  pass  till  the 
rest  of  the  king's  forces  should  join 
them  ;  for  they  were  not  in  a  con- 
dition to  engage  with  such   num- 
bers   of  desperate    men ;    and    it 
was  very  likely  that  if  they  were 
beaten,   the    people  who   had   not 
yet  taken    part    with    the   rebels, 
might  have  been   emboldened   by 
their  success  to  do  so.    The  duke 
4 


of  Norfolk  resolved,  therefore,  to 
keep  close  at  Doncaster,  and  let 
the  provisions  and  courage  of  his 
adversaries  melt  away  in  inaction. 
They  were  now  reduced  to  10,000, 
but  the  king's  army  was  not  above 
5000.  The 'duke  of  Norfolk  pro- 
posed a  treaty  ;  the  insurgents 
were  persuaded  to  send  their  peti- 
tions to  the  court,  and  the  king 
sent  them  a  general  pardon,  ex- 
cepting six  persons  by  name,  and 
reserving  four  to  be  afterwards 
named  ;  but  this  last  demand,  in- 
stead of  satisfying  them,  made 
them  more  desperate.  However, 
they,  in  their  turn,  made  demands, 
which  were,  that  a  general  pardon 
should  be  granted  to  them ;  that  a 
parliament  should  be  held  at  York, 
and  that  courts  of  justice  should 
be  set  up  there ;  that  the  princess 
Mary  might  be  restored  to  her 
right  of  succession,  and  the  pope 
to  his  wonted  jurisdiction ;  that 
the  monasteries  might  be  again 
set  up  ;  that  Audley  and  Cromwell 
might  be  removed  from  the  king, 
and  that  some  of  the  visitors  might 
be  imprisoned  for  their  bribery  and 
extortion. 

These  demands  being  rejected, 
the  rebels  resolved  to  fall  upon 
the  royal  troops,  and  drive  them 
from  Doncaster :  but  heavy  rains 
made  the  river  impassable.  The 
king,  at  length,  sent  a  long  an- 
swer to  their  demands  ;  he  assured 
them  he  would  live  and  die  in  the 
defence  of  the  Christian  faith : 
but  "  the  rabble  ought  not  to  pre- 
scribe to  him  and  to  the  convoca- 
tion in  that  matter."  He  answered 
that  which  concerned  the  monaste- 
ries as  he  had  done  to  the  men  of 
Lincolnshire.  If  they  had  any 
just  complaints  to  make  of  any 
about  him,  he  was  ready  to  hear 
them  ;  but  he  would  not  suffer 
them  to  direct  him  what  coun- 
sellors he  ought  to  employ :  nor 
could  they  judge  of  the  bishops 
who  had  been  promoted,  they  not 
being  known  to  them  ;  he  charged 
them  not  to  believe  lies,  nor  be 
led  away  by  incendiaries,  but  to 
submit  to  his  mercy.  On  the  9th 
eV  December  he  signed  a  procla- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


269 


mation  of  pardon  without  any  re- 
strictions. 

As  soon  as  this  rebellion  was 
quelled,  the  king  went  on  more  re- 
solutely in  his  design  of  suppress- 
ing the  monasteries ;  for  his  suc- 
cess in  crushing  so  formidable  a 
sedition  made  him  less  apprehen- 
sive of  any  new  commotion. 

A  new  visitation  was  appointed, 
and  many  houses  which  had  not 
been  before  dissolved,  were  now 
suppressed,  and  many  of  the  great- 
er abbots  were  induced  to  surrender 
by  several  motives.  Some  had 
been  engaged  in  the  late  rebellion, 
and  so,  to  prevent  a  storm,  offered 
a  resignation.  Others  liked  the 
reformation,  and  did  it  on  that  ac- 
count; some  were  found  guilty  of 
great  disorders  in  their  lives,  and 
to  prevent  a  shameful  discovery, 
offered  their  houses  to  the  king ; 
while  others  had  made  such  wastes 
and  dilapidations,  that  having 
taken  care  of  themselves,  they 
were  less  concerned  for  others. 

By    these   means    one    hundred 
and  twenty-one  houses  were  this 
year    resigned    to   the    king.       In 
most  houses  the  visitor  made  the 
monks   sign  a  confession  of  their 
vices  and  disorders,  in  which  some 
of  them  acknowledged  their  idle- 
ness,    gluttony,     and    sensuality ; 
and  others,  that  they  were  sensible 
that   the    manner   of  their  former 
pretended    religion     consisted     in 
some  dumb  ceremonies,  by  which 
they  were  blindly  led,  having  no 
true    knowledge    of    God's    laws. 
Some  resigned  in  hopes  that  the 
king    would    found     them    anew ; 
these    favoured     the    reformation, 
and    intended     to    convert     their 
houses  to  better  uses,  for  preach- 
ing, study,  and  prayer ;    and  Lati- 
mer  pressed  Cromwell   earnestly, 
that  two  or  three  houses  might  be 
reserved     for    such    purposes     in 
every  county.     But  it  was  resolved 
to  suppress    all;    and   although  it 
was  thought  that  these  resignations 
could  not  be  valid,  since  the  in- 
cumbents  had   not    the    property, 
but  only  the  trust  for  life  of  those 
houses,  the  parliament  afterwards 
declared  them  good  in  law. 
But  some  of  the  clergy  escaped 


not  with  the  surrender  of  their 
houses;  the  abbots  of  Whalley, 
Jervaux,  Sawley,  and  Glastonbury, 
with  the  priors  of  Woburn  and 
Burlington,  having  been  deeply 
implicated  in  the  late  commotions, 
were  executed  for  treason;  and 
many  of  the  Carthusians  were  put 
to  death  for  denying  the  king's  su- 
premacy ;  others,  suspected  of  fa- 
vouring them  and  of  receiving 
books  sent  from  beyond  sea, 
against  the  king's  proceedings, 
were  imprisoned,  and  many  of 
them  perished  in  their  dungeons. 

Great  complaints  were  made  of 
the  visitors ;  and  it  was  said,  that 
they  had  in  many  places  embezzled 
much  of  the  plate  to  their  own  use ; 
and  had  been  guilty  of  various 
enormities  under  the  pretext  of 
discharging  their  duty.  They,  on 
the  other  hand,  published  accounts 
of  many  of  the  vile  practices  which 
they  found  in  those  houses,  so  that 
several  books  were  printed  upon 
this  occasion.  Yet  all  these  ac- 
counts had  not  much  weight  with 
the  people.  They  deemed  it  un- 
reasonable to  extinguish  noble 
foundations  for  the  fault  of  some 
individuals:  therefore  another 
way  was  taken,  which  had  a  better 
effect. 

IMPOSTURES     OF     IMAGES     AND    RE- 
LICS   DISCOVERED. 

They  disclosed  to  the  world 
many  impostures  about  pretended 
relics,  and  wonderful  images,  to 
which  pilgrimages  had  been  made. 
At  Reading  was  preserved  the 
wing  of  an  angel,  who,  according 
to  the  monks,  brought  over  the 
point  of  the  spear  that  pierced  our 
Saviour's  side ;  and  as  many 
pieces  of  the  real  cross  were  found, 
as  when  joined  together  would 
have  made  half  a  dozen. 

The  "  Rood  of  Grace"  at  Boxley 
in  Kent,  had  been  much  esteemed, 
and  drawn  many  pilgrims  to  it,  on 
account  of  its  possessing  the  won- 
derful powers  of  bowing  its  head, 
rolling  its  eyes,  smiling,  and 
frowning,  to  the  great  astonishment 
and  terror  of  the  credulous  multi- 
tude, who  imputed  it  to  a  divine 
power:  but  all  this  was  now  disco- 


270 


BOOK  OF  Mx\RTYRS. 


vered  to  be  a  cheat,  and  it  was 
broiiglit  up  to  SL  Paul's  cross; 
where  all  the  springrs  were  shown 
by  which  its  motions  were  go- 
verned. 

At  Hales,  in  Gloucestershire, 
some  of  the  blood  of  Christ  was 
shown  in  a  vial ;  and  it  was  be- 
lieved, that  none  could  see  it  who 
were  in  mortal  sin.  Those  who 
could  bestow  liberal  presents  were, 
of  course,  gratified,  by  bein^  led  to 
believe,  that  they  were  in  a  state 
of  grace.  This  miracle  consisted 
in  the  blood  of  a  duck  renewed 
every  week,  put  in  a  vial  very 
thick  on  one  side,  and  thin  on  the 
other;  and  either  side  turned  to- 
wards the  pilgrim,  as  the  priests 
were  satisfied  or  not  with  his  obla- 
tions. Several  other  similar  im- 
postures were  discovered,  which 
contributed  much  to  the  undeceiv- 
ing of  the  people. 

The  rich  shrine  of  Thomas  k 
Becket  at  Canterbury  was  de- 
stroyed, and  an  immense  quantity 
of  gold  and  precious  stones,  of- 
fered by  the  deluded  victims  of  su- 
perstition in  honour  of  that  fac- 
tious priest,  and  "  saint  after  the 
pope's  own  heart,"  were  confis- 
cated and  carried  avv^ay. 

When  these  proceedings  were 
known  at  Rome,  the  pope  imme- 
diately fulminated  against  the  king 
all  the  thunders  of  his  spiritual 
store-house ;  absolved  his  sub- 
jects from  their  allegiance,  and  his 
allies  from  their  treaties  with  him ; 
and  exhorted  all  Christians  to 
make  war  against  and  extirpate 
him  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 
But  the  age  of  crusades  was  past, 
and  this  display  of  impotent  malice 
produced  only  contempt  in  the 
minds  of  the  king  and  his  advisers, 
who  steadily  proceeded  in  the 
great  work  of  reformation;  and, 
the  translation  of  the  Bible  into 
English  being  now  completed,  it 
was  printed,  and  ordered  to  be 
read  in  all  clinrches,  with  permis- 
sion for  every  person  to  read  it, 
who  might  be  so  disposed. 

Biit,  notwithstanding  the  king's 
disagreement  with  tlie  pope  on 
many     subjects,     there    was    one 


point  on  which  they  were  alike — 
they  were  both  intolerant,  furious 
bigots;  and  while  the  former  was 
excommunicated  as  an  heretic,  he 
was  himself  equally  zealous  in 
rooting  out  heresy,  and  burning  all 
who  presumed  to  depart  from  the 
standard  of  faith  which  he  had 
established. 

Gardiner,  bishop  of  Winchester, 
strengthened  this  disposition  of 
the  king,  and  persuaded  him,  under 
the  pretext  of  a  zeal  for  religion, 
to  persecute  the  Sacramentarists, 
or  those  who  denied  the  corporeal 
presence  in  the  sacrament. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  JOHN  LAMBERT. 

In  consequence  of  this  determi- 
nation, .John  Lambert,  a  teacher  of 
languages  in  London,  who  had 
drawn  up  ten  arguments  against 
the  tenets  of  Dr.  Taylor,  on  the 
above  subject,  as  delivered  in  a 
sermon  at  St.  Peter's  church,  and 
presented  them  to  the  Doctor,  was 
brought  before  the  archbishop's 
court  to  defend  his  writings  ;  and, 
having  appealed  to  the  king,  the 
royal  theologian,  who  was  proud 
of  every  occasion  of  displaying  his 
talents  and  learning,  resolved  to 
hear  him  in  person.  He  therefore 
issued  a  commission,  ordering  all 
his  nobility  and  bishops  to  repair 
to  London,  to  assist  him  against 
heretics. 

A  day  was  appointed  for  the 
disputation,  when  a  great  number 
of  persons  of  all  ranks  assembled 
to  witness  the  proceedings,  and 
Lambert  was  brought  from  his  pri- 
son by  a  guard,  and  placed  di- 
rectly opposite  to  the  king. 

Henry  being  seated  on  his 
throne,  and  surrounded  by  the 
peers,  bishops,  and  judges,  re- 
garded the  prisoner  with  a  stern 
countenance,  and  then  commanded 
Day,  bishop  of  Chichester,  to  state 
the  occasion  of  the  present  assem- 
bly. 

The  bishop  made  a  long  oration, 
stating  that,  although  the  king  had 
abolished  the  papal  authority  in 
England,  it  was  not  to  be  supposed 
that  he  would  allow  heretics  with 
impunity  to  disturb  and  trouble  the 
3  '^ 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


271 


church  of  which  he  was  the  head. 
He  had  therefore  determined  to 
punish  all  schismatics;  and  being 
willing  to  have  the  advice  of  his 
bishops  and  counsellors  on  so  great 
an  occasion,  Had  assembled  them  to 
hear  the  arguments  in  the  present 
case. 

The  oration  being  concluded,  the 
king  ordered  Lambert  to  declare 
his  opinion  as  to  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  which  he  did, 
by  denying  it  to  be  the  body  of 
Christ. 

The  king  then  commanded  Cran- 
mer  to  refute  his  assertion,  which 
the  latter  attempted:  but  was  in- 
terrupted by  Gardiner,  who  vehe- 
mently interposed,  and,  being  un- 
able to  bring  argument  to  his  aid, 
sought  by  abuse  and  virulence  to 
overpower  his  antagonist,  who  was 
not  allowed  to  answer  the  taunts 
and  insults  of  the  bishop. 

Tonstal  and  Stokesly  followed 
in  the  same  course,  and  Lambert, 
beginning  to  answer  thera,  was  si- 
lenced by  the  king.  The  other  bi- 
shops then  each  made  a  speech  in 
confutation  of  one  of  Lambert's  ar- 
guments, till  the  whole  ten  were  an- 
swered, or  rather,  railed  against; 
for  he  was  not  permitted  to  defend 
them,  however  misrepresented. 

At  last,  when  the  day  was 
passed,  and  torches  began  to  be 
lighted,  the  king  desiring  to  break 
up  this  pretended  disputation,  said 
to  Lambert,  "  What  sayest  thou 
now,  after  all  these  great  labours 
which  thou  hast  taken  upon  thee, 
and  all  the  reasons  and  instruc- 
tions of  these  learned  men?  Art 
thou  not  yet  satisfied?  Wilt  thou 
live  or  die?  What  sayest  thou? 
Thou  hast  yet  free  choice." 

Lambert  answered,  "  I  yield 
and  submit  myself  wholly  unto  the 
will  of  your  majesty."  "  Then," 
said  the  king,  ''  commit  thyself 
unto  the  hands  of  God,  and  not 
unto  mine." 

Lambert  replied,  "  I  commend 
my  soul  unto  the  hands  of  God, 
but  my  body  I  wholly  yield  and 
submit  unto  your  clemency."  To 
which  the  king  answered,  "  If  you 
do  commit  yourself  unto  my  judg- 


ment, you  must  die,  for  I  will  not 
be  a  patron  unto  heretics  ;"  and, 
turning  to  Cromwell,  he  said, 
"  Read  the  sentence  of  condem- 
nation against  him,"  which  he  ac- 
cordingly did. 

Upon  the  day  appointed  for  this 
holy  martyr  to '  suller,  he  was 
brought  out  of  the  prison  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  to  the  house 
of  Cromwell,  and  carried  into  his 
inner  chamber,  where,  it  is  said, 
Cromwell  desired  his  forgiveness- 
for  what  he  had  done.  Lambert 
being  at  last  admonished  that  the 
hour  of  his  death  was  at  hand,  and 
being  brought  out  of  the  chamber, 
into  the  hall,  saluted  the  gentle- 
men present,  and  sat  down  to 
breakfast  with  them,  shewing  nei- 
ther sadness  nor  fear.  When 
breakfast  was  ended,  he  was  car- 
ried straight  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion at  Sraithfieid. 

The  rjanner  of  his  death  was 
dreadful ;  for  after  his  legs  were 
consumed  and  burned  up  to  the 
stumps,  and  but  a  small  fire  was 
left  under  him,  two  of  the  inhuman 
monsters  who  stood  on  each  side 
of  him,  pierced  him  vdth  their 
halberts,  and  lifted  him  up  as  far 
as  the  chain  would  reach ;  while 
he,  raising  his  half  consumed 
hands,  cried  unto  the  people  in 
these  words  :  "  None  but  Christ, 
none  but  Christ ;"  and  so  being  let 
down  again  from  their  halberts, 
fell  into  the  fire  and  there  ended 
his  life. 

The  popish  party  greatly  tri- 
umphed at  this  event,  and  endea- 
voured to  improve  it.  They  per- 
suaded the  king  of  the  good  eflects 
it  would  have  on  his  people,  who 
would  in  this  see  his  zeal  for  the 
faith  ;  and  they  forgot  not  to  mag- 
nify all  that  he  had  said,  as  if  it 
had  been  uttered  by  an  oracle, 
which  proved  him  to  be  both  "  De- 
fender of  the  Faith,  and  Supreme 
Head  of  the  Church."  All  this 
wrought  so  much  on  the  king,  that 
he  resolved  to  call  a  parliament 
for  the  contradictory  purposes  of 
suppressing  the  still  remaining 
monasteries,  and  extirpating  the 
"  new  opinions/' 


274 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


THE    ACT    OF  THE    SIX     ARTICLES. 

The  parliament  accordingly  met 
on  the  28th  of  April,  1538 ;  and 
after  long  debates,  passed  what  was 
called  "  a  bill  of  religion,"  con- 
taining six  articles,  by  which  it 
was  declared,  that  the  elements 
in  the  sacrament  were  the  real 
body  and  blood  of  Christ;  that 
communion  was  necessary  only  in 
one  kind  ;  that  priests  ought  not 
to  marry ;  that  vows  of  chastity 
ought  to  be  observed  ;  that  private 
masses  were  lawful  and  useful  ; 
and  that  auricular  confession  was 
necessary. 

This  act  gave  great  satisfaction 
to  the  popish  party,  and  induced 
them  to  consent  more  readily  to 
the  act  for  suppressing  the  monas- 
teries, which  immediately  followed; 
by  virtue  of  which,  their  total  dis- 
solution soon  after  took  place. 
The  king  founded  six  new  bishop- 
rics from  a  small  portion  of  their 
immense  revenues,  and  lavished 
the  remainder  on  his  profligate 
courtiers  and  favourites. 

In  1540  a  bill  was  passed  for  the 
suppression  ©f  the  knights  of  St. 
John  of  Jerusalem,  both  in  Eng- 
land and  Ireland. 

FALL   OF   CROMWELL. 

In  this  year  also,  Cromwell,  who 
bad  so  long  been  a  favourite  of  the 
king,  and  had  held  the  highest 
offices,  was  suddenly  disgraced, 
and  committed  to  the  Tower.  He 
had  many  enemies;  the  nobility, 
from  jealousy  at  beholding  a  man 
of  obscure  birth  promoted  to  the 
peerage,  and  enjoying  great  power 
and  influence ;  and  the  popish 
clergy,  from  the  belief  that  the 
suppression  of  the  monasteries  and 
the  innovations  on  their  religion 
were  principally  produced  by  his 
counsels.  The  fickle  tyrant  whom 
he  had  so  long  and  faithfully  serv- 
ed, was  also  displeased  with  him 
as  the  adviser  of  his  marriage 
with  Anne  of  Cleves,  whom  he  was 
now  anxious  to  get  rid  of,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  hand  of  Catherine 
Howard,  niece  of  the  duke  of  Nor- 
folk. He  suspected  him  likewise 
of  secretly  encouraging   an  oppo- 


sition to  the  six  articles,  and  hoped, 
by  sacrificing  a  man  who  was  ob- 
noxious to  the  Catholics,  to  regain 
their  afiections,  forfeited  by  his 
sanguinary  and  rapacious  proceed- 
ings. 

Cromwell  experienced  the  com- 
mon fate  of  fallen  ministers ;  his 
pretended  friends  forsook  him,  and 
his  enemies  pursued  their  revenge 
against  him  without  opposition,  ex- 
cept from  Cranmer,  who,  with  a 
rare  fidelity,  dared  to  avow  an  at- 
tachment to  him,  even  at  this  time,- 
and  wrote  a  very  earnest  letter  to 
the  king  in  his  favour.  But  Henry 
was  not  easily  turned  from  his 
purpose,  and  being  resolved  on  the 
ruin  of  Cromwell,  was  not  to  be 
dissuaded  from  his  design. 

In  the  house  of  lords  a  bill  of 
attainder  was  passed  with  the  most 
indecent  haste  ;  but  in  the  com- 
mons it  met  with  opposition,  and 
after  a  delay  of  ten  days,  a  new 
bill  was  framed,  and  sent  up  to  the  . 
lords,  in  which  Cromwell  was  de- 
signated as  "  the  most  corrupt  trai- 
tor ever  known  ;"  his  treasons,  as  af- 
terwards specified,  consisting  in 
the  countenance  and  favour  he  had 
shown  to  the  reformers.  On  these 
grounds  he  was  attainted  both  for 
treason  and  heresy. 

The  king  now  proceeded  with 
his  divorce  ;  and,  although  there 
was  no  reason  to  dispute  the  le- 
gality of  his  marriage  with  Anne 
of  Cleves,  still,  as  she  was  disa- 
greeable to  his  royal  taste,  his 
sycophants  were  too  well  taught 
to  olfer  the  least  opposition  to  his 
wishes.  The  convocation  unani-^ 
uiously  dissolved  the  marriage, 
and  gave  him  liberty  to  marry 
again  ;  indeed  it  is  probable  that 
if  he  had  desired  to  have  two  or 
more  wives  at  once,  the  measure 
would  have  been  sanctioned,  so 
base  and  servile  were  the  courtiers 
and  priests  by  whom  this  monstrous 
tyrant  was  surrounded.  The  queen 
continued  to  reside  in  England, 
being  declared  "  the  adopted  sis- 
ter" of  the  king,  and  having  a  pen- 
sion of  £4000  per  annum. 

Cromwell  was  executed  on  the 
28th  of  July,  and  his  fall  gave  a 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


273 


great  check  to  the  reformation  in 
England  ;  Cranmer  beina^  left  al- 
most alone  to  struggle  against  a 
host  of  enemies. 

The  bishops  now  published  a 
new  "  book  of  religion,"  in  which 
they  settled  the  standard  of  the 
national  faith ;  and  althougii  the 
reformers  were  justly  dissatislicd 
with  many  parts  of  it,  yet  with 
other  parts  they  saw  more  reason 
to  be  content:  many  superstitious 
practices  were  condemned  in  it, 
and  the  gospel  covenant  was  right- 
ly stated ;    every   national  church 


was  also  declared  to  be  a  complete 
body  in  itself,  with  power  to  reform 
heresies,  and  do  every  thing  ne- 
cessary for  the  preservation  of  its 
purity,  and  the  government  of  its 
members. 

The  clergy  now,  elated  by  the 
victory  which  they  had  gained  by 
the  death  of  Cromwell,  persuaded 
the  king  to  new  severities  against 
the  reformers  ;  and  three  eminent 
preachers.  Dr.  Barnes,  Gerard, 
and  Jerome,  were  picked  out  for 
sacrifices  on  this  occasion. 


Peter,  a  Christian  of'  Lampsaciis,  snrrely  h&itni  and  iifteru^ards  put  to  death,  for  refusing 
to  sacrifice  to  Venus,  A,  D.  250. 


MARTYRDOM     OF     DR.     RORERT 
BARNES. 

Pr.  Barnes  was  educated  in  the 
university  of  Louvain,  in  Brabant. 
On  his  return  to  England  he  went 
to  Cambridge,  where  he  was  made 
prior  and  master  of  the  house  of 
the  Augustiues.  The  darkest  ig- 
norance pervaded  the  university, 
at  the  time  of  his   arrival  there  ; 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


but  he,  zealous  to  promote  know- 
ledge and  truth,  began  to  instruct 
the  students  in  the  classical  lan- 
guages, and,  with  the  assistance  of 
Parnel  his  scholar,  whom  he  had 
brought  from  Louvain,  soon  caus- 
ed learniiig  to  llourish,  and  the 
university  to  bear  a  very  diflerent 
aspect. 

These    foundations    being    laid, 
he  began  to  read  openly  the  epis- 

18 


274 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ties  of  St.  Paul,  and  to  teach  in 
j!;reater  purity  the  doctrine  of 
Christ.  He  preached  and  disputed 
with  great  warmth  against  the  lux- 
uries of  the  higher  clergy,  particu- 
larly against  cardinal  Wolsey,  and 
the  lamentable  hypocrisy  of  the 
times.  But  still  he  remained  igno- 
rant of  the  great  cause  of  these 
evils,  namely,  the^  idolatry  and  su- 
perstition of  the  church  ;  and  while 
he  declaimed  against  the  stream, 
he  himself  drank  at  the  spring, 
and  bowed  down  to  idols.  At 
length,  happily  becoming  acquaint- 
ed with  Bilney,  he  was  by  that 
martyr  wholly  converted  unto 
Christ. 

The  first  sermon  he  preached  of 
this  truth  was  on  the  Sunday  before 
Christmas-day,  at  St.  Edward's 
church,  in  Cambridge.  His  theme 
was  the  epistle  of  the  same  Sun- 
day, "  Gaudete  in  Domino,"  &c. 
For  this  sermon  he  was  immedi- 
ately accused  of  heresy  by  two 
fellows  of  King's  Hall,  before  the 
vice-chancellor.  Then  Dr.  Notto- 
ris,  a  bitter  enemy  to  Christ, 
moved  Barnes  to  recant;  but  he 
refused,  as  appears  in  his  book 
which  he  wrote  to  king  Henry  in 
English,  confuting  the  judgment  of 
cardinal  Wolsey,  and  the  residue 
of  the  papistical  bishops. 

After  preaching  some  time, 
Barnes  vpas  arrested  openly  in 
the  convocation-house ;  brought 
to  London,  and  the  next  morning 
carried  to  the  palace  of  cardinal 
Wolsey,  at  Westminster,  where, 
after  waiting  the  whole  day,  he 
was  at  night  brought  before  the 
cardinal  in  his  chamber  of  state. 
"Is  this,"  said  Wolsey,  "Dr. 
Barnes,  who  is  accused  of  heresy?" 
— "  Yes,  and  please  your  grace," 
replied  the  cardinal's  secretary, 
"  and  T  trust  you  will  find  him  re- 
formable,  for  he  is  learned  and 
wise." 

"  What,  Mr.  Doctor,"  said  Wol- 
sey, "  had  you  not  a  sufficient 
scope  in  the  scriptures  to  teach 
the  people,  but  that  my  golden 
shoes,  my  poll-axes,  my  pillars,  my 
golden  cushions,  my  crosses,  did 
BO  sore  offend  you,  that  you  must 
3 


make  us  ridiculum  caput  amongst 
the  people,  who  that  day  laughed 
us  to  scorn?  Verily  it  was  a  ser- 
mon fitter  to  be  preached  on  a 
stage  than  in  a  pulpit ;  for  at  last 
you  said,  '  I  wear  a  pair  of  red 
gloves,  I  should  say  bloody  gloves,' 
quoth  you,  '  that  I  should  not  be 
cold  in  the  midst  of  my  ceremo- 
nies.' " 

Dr.  Barnes  answered,  "  I  spake 
nothing  but  the  truth,  out  of  the 
scriptures,  according  to  my  con- 
science, and  according  to  the  old 
doctors."  And  then  he  delivered 
him  six  sheets  of  paper  written, 
to  confirm  and  corroborate  his  sen- 
timents. 

The  cardinal  received  them 
smiling,  saying,  "  We  perceive 
then  that  you  intend  to  stand  to 
your  articles,  and  to  shew  your 
learning." 

"  Yea,"  said  Barnes,  "  that  I  do 
by  God's  grace,  with  your  lord- 
ship's favour." 

He  answered,  "  Such  as  you 
bear  us  little  favour  and  the  catho- 
lic church.  I  will  ask  you  a  ques- 
tion ;  whether  do  you  think  it  more 
necessary  that  1  should  have  all 
this  royalty,  because  I  represent 
the  king's  majesty  in  all  the  high 
courts  of  this  realm,  to  the  terror 
and  keeping  down  of  all  rebellious 
treasons,  traitors,  all  the  wicked 
and  corrupt  members  of  this  com- 
monwealth, or  to  be  as  simple  as 
you  would  have  us,  to  sell  all  these 
things,  and  to  give  them  to  the 
poor,  who  shortly  will  cast  them  in 
the  dirt;  and  to  pull  away  this 
princely  dignity,  which  is  a  terror 
to  the  wicked,  and  to  follow  your 
counsel  ?" 

"  I  think  it  necessary,"  said 
Barnes,  "  to  be  sold  and  given  to 
the  poor.  For  this  is  not  becoming 
your  calling  ;  nor  is  the  king's  ma- 
jesty maintained  by  your  pomp 
and  poll-axes,  but  by  God,  who 
saith,  kings  and  their  majesty  reign 
and  stand  by  me." 

Then  answered  the  cardinal, 
"  Lo,  master  doctors,  here  is  the 
learned  wise  man  that  you  told  me 
of."  Then  they  kneeled  down  and 
said,  "  We  desire  your  grace  to  be 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


375 


good  unto  him,  for  he  will  be  re- 
I'oruiable." 

"Then,"  said  he,  "stand  you  up; 
for  your  sakes  and  the  university 
we  will  be  good  unto  him. — How 
say  you,  master  doctor,  do  you  not 
know  that  I  am  able  to  dispense  in 
all  matters  concerning  religion 
within  this  realm,  as  much  as  the 
pope  may  ?"  He  said,  "  I  know  it 
to  be  so." 

"  Will  you  then  be  ruled  by  us  ? 
and  we  will  do  all  things  for  your 
honesty,  and  for  the  honesty  of  the 
university." 

He  answered,  "  I  thank  your 
grace  for  your  good  will ;  I  will 
stick  to  the  holy  scripture,  and 
to  God's  book,  according  to  the 
simple  talent  that  God  hath  lent 
me." 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  thou  shalt 
have  thy  learning  tried  at  the 
uttermost,  and  thou  shalt  have  the 
law." 

He  was  then  committed  to  the 
custody  of  the  sergeant  at  arms 
who  had  brought  him  to  London, 
and  by  whom  he  was  the  next 
morning  broughtbefore  the  bishops ; 
who,  on  examining  the  articles  of 
his  faith,  which  he  had  delivered 
to  the  cardinal,  asked  him  if  he 
would  sign  them,  which  he  did, 
and  was  thereupon  committed  to 
the  Fleet. 

On  the  Saturday  following  he 
was  again  brought  before  the  bi- 
shops, who  called  upon  him  to 
know  whether  he  would  abjure  or 
burn.  He  was  then  greatly  agi- 
tated, and  felt  inclined  rather  to 
burn  than  abjure ;  but  was  per- 
suaded by  some  persons  to  abjure, 
which  he  at  length  consented  to 
do,  and  the  abjuration  being  put 
into  his  hand,  he  abjured  as  it  was 
there  written,  and  then  he  sub- 
scribed it  with  his  own  hand  ;  yet 
his  judges  would  scarcely  receive 
him  into  the  bosom  of  the  church,  as 
they  termed  it.  Then  they  put 
him  to  an  oath,  and  charged  him  to 
do  all  that  they  commanded  him, 
which  he  accordingly  promised. 

He  was  then  again  committed  to 
the  Fleet ;  and  the  next  morning 
was  brought  to  St.  Paul's  church, 


with  five  others  who  had  abjured. 
Here  the  cardinal,  bishops,  and 
clergy  being  assembled  in  great 
pomp,  the  bishop  of  Rochester 
preached  a  sermon  against  the 
doctrines  of  Luther  and  Barnes, 
during  which  the  latter  was  com- 
manded to  kneel  down  and  ask 
forgiveness  of  God,  and  the  Ca- 
tholic church,  and  the  cardinal's 
grace  ;  after  which  he  was  ordered, 
at  the  end  of  the  sermon,  to  de- 
clare that  he  was  used  more  cha- 
ritably than  he  deserved,  his  here- 
sies being  so  horrible  and  so  de- 
testable :  once  more  he  kneeled, 
desiring  of  the  people  forgiveness, 
and  to  pray  for  him.  This  farce 
being  ended,  the  cardinal  departed 
under  a  canopy,  with  the  bishops 
and  mitred  abbots,  who  accom- 
panied him  to  the  outer  gate  of  the 
church,  when  they  returned.  Then 
Barnes,  and  the  others  who  had 
abjured,  were  carried  thrice 
about  the  fire,  after  which  they 
were  brought  to  the  bishops,  and 
kneeled  down  for  absolution.  The 
bishop  of  Rochester  standing  up, 
declared  that  Dr.  Barnes  with  the 
others  were  received  into  the 
church  again.  After  which  they 
were  recommitted  to  the  Fleet 
during  the  cardinal's  pleasure. 

Dr.  Barnes  having  remained  in 
the  Fleet  half  a  year,  was  placed 
in  the  custody  of  the  Austin  Friars 
in  London  ;  from  whence  he  was 
removed  to  the  Austin  Friars  of 
Northampton,  there  to  be  burned  ; 
of  which  intention,  however,  he 
was  perfectly  ignorant.  Being  in- 
formed of  the  base  designs  of  his 
enemies,  however,  he,  by  a  stra- 
tagem, escaped,  and  reached  Ant- 
werp, where  he  dwelt  in  safety, 
and  was  honoured  with  the  friend- 
ship of  the  best  and  most  eminent 
reformers  of  the  time,  as  Luther, 
Melancthon,  the  duke  of  Saxony, 
and  others.  Indeed,  so  great  was 
his  reputation,  that  the  king  of 
Denmark  sent  him  as  one  of  his 
ambassadors  to  England  ;  when 
sir  Thomas  More,  at  that  time 
lord  chancellor,  wished  to  have 
him  apprehended  on  the  former 
charge.     Henry,    however,  would 


276 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


not  allow  of  this,  considering  it 
as  a  breach  of  the  most  sacred 
laws,  to  oflfer  violence  to  the 
person  of  an  ambassador,  under 
any  pretence.  Barnes  therefore 
remained  in  England  unmolested  ; 
and  departed  again  without  re- 
straint. He  returned  to  Wittem- 
berg,  where  he  remained  to  for- 
ward his  works  in  print  which  he 
had  begun,  after  which  he  returned 
again  to*  England,  and  continued 
a  faithful  preacher  in  London, 
being  well  entertained  and  pro- 
moted during  the  ascendency  of 
Anne  Boleyn.  He  was  afterwards 
sent  ambassador  by  Henry  to  the 
duke  of  Cleves,  upon  the  business 
of  the  marriage  between  Anne  of 
Cleves  and  the  king ;  and  gave 
great  satisfaction  in  every  duty 
which  was  intrusted  to  him. 

Not  long  after  the  arrival  of  Gar- 
diner from  France,  Dr.  Barnes  and 
other  reformed  preachers,  were  ap- 
prehended and  carried  before  the 
king  'at  Hampton  Court,  where 
Barnes  was  examined.  The  king 
being  desirous  to  bring  about  an 
agreement  between  him  and  Gar- 
diner, granted  him  leave  to  go 
home  with  the  bishop  to  confer 
with  him.  But  they  not  agreeing, 
Gardiner  and  his  party  sought  to 
entangle  and  entrap  Barnes  and 
his  friends  in  further  danger,  which 
not  long  after  was  brought  to  pass. 
For,  by  certain  complaints  made  to 
the  king  of  them,  they  were  en- 
joined to  preach  three  sermons  the 
following  Easter  at  the  Spittle  ;  at 
which  sermons,  besides  other  re- 
porters which  were  sent  thither, 
Stephen  Gardiner  also  was  there 
present,  sitting  with  the  mayor, 
either  to  bear  record  of  their  re- 
cantation, or  else,  as  the  Pharisees 
came  to  Christ,  to  ensnare  them  in 
their  talk,  if  they  should  speak 
any  thing  amiss.  Barnes  preached 
first ;  and  at  the  conclusion  of  his 
sermon,  requested  Gardiner,  if  he 
thought  he  had  said  nothing  con- 
tradictory to  truth,  to  hold  up  his 
hand  in  the  fece  of  all  present; 
upon  which  Gardiner  immediately 
held  up  his  finger.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  they  were  all  three  sent 


for  to  Hampton  Court,  whence  they 
were  conducted  to  the  Tower,  where 
they  remained  till  they  were  brought 
out  to  death. 

STORY   OF    THOMAS    GARRET. 

Thomas  Garret  was  a  curate  of 
London.  About  the  year  1526,  he 
came  to  Oxford,  and  brought  with 
him  sundry  books  in  Latin,  treat- 
ing of  the  Scriptures,  with  the  first 
part  of  Unio  dissidentium,  and  Tin- 
dal's  first  translation  of  the  New 
Testament  in  English,  which  books 
he  sold  to  several  scholars  in  Ox^ 
ford. 

After  he  had  been  there  awhile, 
and  had  disposed  of  those  books, 
news  came  from  London  that  he 
was  sought  for  in  that  city,  to  be 
apprehended  as  a  heretic,  and  to 
be  imprisoned  for  selling  those  he- 
retical publications,  as  they  were 
termed.  For  it  was  not  unknown 
to  cardinal  Wolsey,  the  bishop  of 
London,  and  others,  that  Mr.  Gar- 
ret had  a  great  number  of  those 
books,  and  that  he  was  gone  to 
Oxford  to  sell  them,  to  such  as  he 
knew  to  be  lovers  of  the  gospel. 
Wherefore  they  determined  to  make 
a  privy  search  through  all  Oxford, 
to  apprehend  and  imprison  him, 
and  to  burn  all  his  books,  and  him 
too  if  they  could.  But,  happily, 
one  of  the  proctors  gave  Mr.  Gar- 
ret secret  warning  of  this  privy 
search,  and  advised,  that  he  should 
immediately  and  privately  depart 
from  Oxford. 

By  means  of  another  friend,  a  cu- 
racy was  procured  for  him  in  Dor- 
setshire, and  he  set  out  for  that 
county,  but  being  waylaid  by  his 
enemies,  was  unable  to  proceed, 
and  therefore  returned  to  Oxford, 
where  he  was,  on  the  same  night, 
apprehiended  irx  his  bed,  and  was 
ordered,  by  the  commissary  of  the 
University,  to  be  confined  in  his 
own  chamber,  till  further  directions 
were  received  respecting  him.  He 
escaped  in  disguise,  but  was  re- 
taken, and  being  convicted  as  a 
heretic,  carried  a  fagot  in  token  of 
his  abjuration,  at  St.  Mary's  church 
in  Oxford ;  after  .vhich  we  meet 
with  nothing  further  respecting  hivar 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


277 


till    his     apprehension    with     Dr. 
Barnes. 

STORY   OF    WILLIAM  JEROME. 

William  Jerome  was  vicar  of 
Stepney,  and  being  convinced  of, 
and  disgusted  at,  the  errors  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  he  preached  with 
great  zeal,  and  set  up  the  pure  and 
simple  doctrines  of  the  gospel 
against  the  perversions  and  tradi- 
tions of  man.  Thus  proceeding,  he 
soon  became  known  to  the  enemies 
of  truth,  who  watched  him  with  ma- 
lignant jealousy. 

At  length,  in  a  sermon  at  St. 
Paurs,on  the  fourth  Sunday  in  Lent, 
wherein  he  dwelt  upon  the  justifi- 
cation by  faith,  he  so  offended  the 
legal  preachers  of  the  day,  that  he 
was  summoned  before  the  king  at 
Westminster,  and  there  accused  of 
heresy. 

It  was  urged  against  him,  that 
he  had  insisted,  according  to  St. 
Paul,  in  Galatians  iv.  "  That  the 
children  of  Sara  (allegorically  used 
for  the  children  of  the  promise) 
were  all  born  free,  and,  indepen- 
dent of  baptism,  or  of  penance, 
were,  through  faith,  made  heirs  of 
God."  A  r>r.  Wilson  argued 
against  him,  and  strongly  opposed 
this  doctrine.  But  Jerome  defend- 
ed it  with  all  the  force  of  truth,  and 
said,  "  that  although  good  works 
were  the  means  of  salvation,  yet 
that  they  followed  as  a  consequence 
of  faith,  whose  fruits  they  were, 
and  which  discovered  their  root, 
even  as  good  fruit  prove  a  good 
tree." 

Notwitlistanding  his  arguments, 
so  inveterate  were  his  enemies, 
and  so  deluded  was  the  king,  that 
he  M  as  committed  to  the  Tower,  in 
company  with  the  other  two  sol- 
diers of  Christ,  Barnes  and  Garret. 

BURNING  OF  BARNES,    GARRET,   AND 
JEROME. 

Here  they  remained,  while  a  pro- 
cess ensued  against  them  by  the 
king's  council  in  parliament,  by 
whom,  without  any  hearing,  or 
knowledge  of  their  fate,  they  were 
attainted  of  heresy,  and  sentenced 
to  be  burned.     On  the  30th  of  the 


following  June,  therefore,  they  were 
brought  from  the  Tower  to  Smith- 
field,  where,  before  they  were  com- 
mitted to  the  fire,  they  addressed 
the  peeple. 

"  I  am  come  hither,"  said  Dr. 
Barnes,  "  to  be  burned  as  a  he- 
retic, and  you  shall  hear  ray  belief, 
whereby  you  may  perceive  what 
erroneous  opinions  I  hold.  God  I 
take  to  record,  I  never  (to  my 
knowledge)  taught  any  erroneous 
doctrine,  but  only  those  things 
which  scripture  led  me  unto  ;  nei- 
ther in  my  sermons  have  I  ever 
maintained  or  given  occasion  for 
any  insun-ection  ;  but  with  all  dili- 
gence evermore  did  I  study  to  set 
forth  the  glory  of  God,  ihe  obedi- 
ence to  our  sovereign  lord  the  king, 
and  the  true  and  sincere  religion 
of  Christ ;  and  now  hearken  to  my 
faith. 

"  I  believe  in  the  holy  and  bless- 
ed Trinity,  three  persons,  and  one 
God,  that  created  and  made  all 
the  world ;  and  that  this  blessed 
Trinity  sent  down  the  second  per- 
son, Jesus  Christ,  into  the  womb  of 
the  most  blessed  and  purest  virgin 
Mary.  I  believe,  that  he  was  con- 
ceived by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  took 
flesh  of  her,  and  that  he  sufiered 
hunger,  thirst,  cold,  and  other  pas- 
sions of  our  body,  sin  excepted, 
according  to  the  saying  of  St.  Pe- 
ter, '  He  was  made  in  all  things 
like  to  his  brethren,  except  sin.' 
And  I  believe  that  this  his  death 
and  passion  was  the  sufficient  ran- 
som for  sin.  And  I  believe  that 
tlvrough  his  death  he  overcame  sin, 
death,  and  hell;  and  that  there  is 
none  other  satisfaction  unto  the 
Father,  but  this  his  death  and  pas- 
sion only;  and  that  no  work  of  man 
did  deserve  any  thing  of  God,  but 
his  passion  only,  as  touching  our 
justification ;  for  I  know  the  best 
work  that  ever  I  performed  is  im- 
pure and  imperfect." 

He  then,  lifting  up  his  hands, 
prayed  God  to  forgive  him  his  tres- 
passes, saying,  "  I  confess,  that 
my  evil  thoughts  and  cogitations 
are  innumerable  ;  wherefore  I  be- 
seech thee,  O  Lord,  not  to  enter 
into  judgment  with  me,  for,  if  thpu 


278 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


straitly  mark  our  iiuquities,  who 
is  able  to  abide  thy  judgment  ? 
Wherefore,  I  trust  in  no  good  work 
that  ever  I  did,  but  only  in  the 
death  of  Christ.  I  do  not  doubt 
but  through  him  to  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  But  imagine  not, 
that  T  speak  against  good  works, 
for  they  are  to  be  done,  and  verily 
they  that  do  them  not,  shall  never 
come  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
We  must  do  them,  because  tliey 
are  commanded  us  of  God,  to  sliew 
and  set  forth  our  profession,  not  to 
deserve  or  merit ;  for  that  is  only  by 
the  death  of  Christ. 

"  I  believe  that  there  is  a  holy 
church,  and  a  company  of  all  them 
that  do  profess  Christ;  and  that  all 
who  have  suffered  and  confessed 
his  name,  are  saints,  and  that  they 
praise  and  laud  God  in  heaven, 
more  than  I  or  any  man's  tongue 
can  exj)ress," 

A  person  present  asked  him  his 
opinion  upon  praying  to  saints. 
"  I  believe,"  said  he,  "  they  are  in 
heaven  with  God,  and  that  they 
are  worthy  of  all  the  honour  that 
scripture  willeth  them  to  have. 
But  I  say,  throughout  scripture  we 
arc  not  commanded  to  pray  to  any 
saints.  Therefore  I  neither  can 
nor  will  preach  to  you  that  saints 
ought  to  be  prayed  unto  ;  for  then 
should  I  preach  unto  you  a  doc- 
trine of  mine  own  head.  Notwith- 
standing, whether  they  pray  for  us 
or  no,  that  I  refer  to  God.  And  if 
saints  do  pray  for  ns,  then  I  trust 
to  pray  for  you  within  this  half 
hour,  Mr.  Sheriff,  and  for  every 
Christian  living  in  the  faith  of 
Christ,  and  dying  in  the  same  as  a 
saint.  Wherefore,  if  the  dead  may 
for  the  quick,  I  will  surely  pray  for 
you." 

Then  said  he  to  the  sheriff, 
*'  Have  ye  any  articles  against  me 
for  which  I  am  condemned  V  The 
sheriff  answered,  "  No."  Then 
said  he,  "  Is  there  here  any  man 
else  that  knoweth  wherefore  I  die, 
or  that  by  my  preaching  hath  taken 
any  error?  Let  them  now  speak, 
and  I  will  make  them  answer." 
Bufejio  man  answered.  Then  said 
he,  ^'  Well;,  I   am  condemned  by 


the  law  to  die,  and  as  I  understand 
by  an  act  of  parliament,  but  where- 
fore I  cannot  tell ;  perhaps  it  is  for 
heresy;  for  we    are   like  to  burn. 
But  they  that  have  been  the  occa- 
sion of  it,  I  pray  God  forgive  them, 
as   I    would    be    forgiven  myself. 
And  Dr.  Stephen,  bishop  of  Win- 
chester,    if    he    have    sought    or 
wrought  this  my  death,  either  by 
word  or  deed,  I  pray  God  to  for- 
give him  as  heartily,  as  freely,  as 
charitably,    and  as    sincerely,    as 
Christ  forgave  them  that  put  him 
to  death.     And  if  any  of  the  coun- 
cil, or  any  other,  have  sought  or 
wrought  it  through  malice  or  ig- 
norance, I  pray  God  forgive  their 
ignorance,     and    illuminate     their 
eyes,  that  they  may  see  and  ask 
mercy  for  it.      I  beseech  you  all  to 
pray  for  the  king's  grace,  as  I  have 
done  ever  since  T  was  in  prison, 
and  do  now,  that  God  may  give  him 
prosperity,  and  that  he  may  long 
reign  among  you;   and  after  him 
that  godly  prince  Edward,  that  he 
may  finish   those  thing?;  which  his 
father  hath  begun.     I  have  been 
reported  to  be  a  preacher  of  sedi- 
tion,   and  disobedience   unto    the 
king ;  but  here  I  say  to  you,  that 
you  are  all  bound  by  the  command- 
ment of  God  to  obey  your  prince 
with  all  humility,  and  with  all  your 
heart,  and  that  not  only  for  fear  of 
the  sword,  but  also  for  conscience 
sake  before  God." 

He  then  begged  all  men  to  for- 
give him ;  to  bear  witness  that  he 
detested  and  abhorred  all  evil  opi- 
nions and  doctrines  against  the 
word  of  God,  and  that  he  died  in 
the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom 
he  doubted  not  but  to  be  saved. 
With  these  words,  he  desired  all 
the  spectators  to  pray  for  him,  and 
then  he  prepared  himself  to  suffer. 

Jerome  and  Garret,  professed  in 
like  manner  their  belief,  reciting  all 
the  articles  of  the  Christian  faith, 
briefly  declaring  their  minds  upon 
every  article,  as  the  time  would  suf- 
fer,whereby  the  people  might  under- 
stand that  there  was  no  cause  nor 
error  in  their  faith  for  which  they 
could  justly  be  condemned  ;  pro- 
testing, moreover,  that  they  denied 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


279 


nothing  that  was  either  in  the  Old 
or  New  Testament,  set  forth  by  the 
king,  wlioni  tliey  prayed  the  Lord 
long  to  continue  amongst  them, 
with  his  son  prince  Edward. 

Jerome  then  addressed  the  peo- 
ple as  follows  :  "  I  say  unto  you, 
good  brethren,  that  God  hath 
bought  us  all  with  no  small  price, 
neither  with  gold  nor  silver,  orotiier 
such  things  of  small  value,  but  with 
his  most  precious  blood.  Be  not 
unthankful  therefore  to  him  again, 
but  do  as  much  as  to  Christian  men 
belongeth  to  fulfil  his  command- 
ments ;  that  is,  love  your  brethren. 
Love  hurteth  no  man,  love  fulfilleth 
all  things.  If  God  hath  sent  thee 
plenty,  help  thy  neighbour  that 
hath  need.  Give  him  good  coun- 
sel. If  he  lack,  consider,  if  tiiou 
wert  in  necessity,  thou  wouldst 
gladly  be  refreshed.  And  again, 
iiear  your  cross  with  Christ.  Con- 
sider what  reproof,  slander,  and  re- 
proach, he  suffered  of  his  enemies, 
and  how  patiently  he  suffered  all 
things.  Consider,  that  all  that 
Christ  did  was  of  his  mere  good- 
ness, and  not  of  our  deserving. 
For  if  we  could  merit  our  own  sal- 
vation, Christ  would  not  have  died 
for  us.  But  for  Adam's  breaking 
of  God's  precepts,  we  had  been  all 
lost,  if  Christ  had  not  redeemed  us 
again.  And  like  as  Adam  broke 
the  precepts,  and  was  driven  out  of 
Paradise,  so  we,  if  we  break  God's 
commandments,  shall  have  damna- 
tion, if  we  do  not  repent  and  ask 
mercy.  Now,  therefore,  let  all 
Christians  put  no  trust  nor  confi- 
dence in  tlieir  works,  but  in  the 
blood  of  Christ,  to  whom  I  commit 
my  soul  to  guide,  beseeching  you 
all  to  pray  to  God  for  me,  and  for 
my  brethren  here  present  with  me, 
that  our  souls,  leaving  these  wretch- 
ed bodies,  may  constantly  depart  in 
the  true  faith  of  Christ." 

After  he  had  concluded.  Garret 
thus  spoke:  "  I  also  detest  and  re- 
fuse all  heresies  and  errors,  and  if, 
either  by  negligence  or  ignorance, 
I  have  taught  or  maintained  any, 
I  am  sorry  for  it,  and  ask  God 
mercy.  Or  if  I  have  been  vehe- 
ment or  rash  in  preaching,  whereby 


any  person  hath  taken  any  offence, 
error,  or  evil  opinion,  L  desire  of 
him,  and  all  other  persons  whom  I 
have  any  way  offended,  forgive- 
ness. Notwithstanding,  to  my  re- 
membrance, I  have  never  preached, 
wittingly  or  willingly,  any  thing 
against  God's  holy  word,  or  con- 
trary to  the  true  faith.;  but  have 
ever  endeavoured,  with  my  little 
learning  and  wit,  to  set  forth  the 
honour  of  God  and  the  right  obe- 
dience to  his  laws,  and  also  the 
king's:  if  I  could  have  done  better, 
I  would.  Wherefore,  Lord,  if  I 
have  taken  in  hand  to  do  that  thing 
which  I  could  not  perfectly  per- 
form, I  desire  thy  pardon  for  my 
bold  presumption.  And  I  pray 
God  send  the  king's  grace  good  and 
godly  counsel,  to  his  glory,  to  the 
king's  honour,  and  the  increase  of 
virtue  in  this  realm.  And  thus  do 
I  now  yield  my  soul  up  unto  Al- 
mighty God,  trusting  and  believ- 
ing, that  he,  of  his  infinite  mercy, 
according  to  his  promise  made  in 
the  blood  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ, 
will  take  it,  and  pardon  all  my 
sins,  of  which  I  ask  him  mercy, 
and  desire  you  all  to  pray  with  and 
for  me,  that  I  may  patiently  suffer 
this  pain,  and  die  in  true  faith, 
hope,  and  charity." 

The  three  martyrs  then  toojc 
each  other  by  the  hand,  and,  after 
embracing,  submitted  themselves 
to  the  tormentors,  who,  fastening 
them  to  the  stake,  soon  lighted  the 
fagots,  and  terminated  their  mortal 
life  and  care. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    BERNARD    AND 
MERTON. 

About  this  time  also  sufiered 
Thomas  Bernard  and  James  Mer- 
ton.  The  offence  of  Bernard  was 
the  teaching  the  Lord's  Prayer  iu 
English;  that  of  Merton,  his  keep- 
ing an  English  translation  of  the 
epistle  of  St.  James.  They  were 
taken  up  at  the  instigation  of  Long- 
land,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  condemn- 
ed, and  burned. 

EXECUTION     OF    QUEEN    CATHERINE 
HOWARD. 

The  king  was  greatly  delighted 


280 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


with  the  cbarms  of  Catl)«rine 
Howard,  his  fifth  wife,  and  even 
gave  public  thanks  to  God  for  the 
excellent  choice  he  had  made. 
But  his  opinion  was  soon  altered, 
and  not  without  reason;  for  she 
was  convicted,  on  the  clearest  evi- 
dence, and  bj'  her  own  confession, 
of  gross  lewdness  and  debauchery, 
with  several  persons  ;  and  was  be- 
headed, with  lady  Rochford,  her 
principal  accomplice  and  confi- 
dant, February  14th,  1541.  The 
latter,  it  will  be  recollected,  was 
the  chief  instrument  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  Anne  Boleyn,  and  her  fate 
was  considered  as  a  divine  judg- 
ment on  her  baseness  and  false- 
hood to  that  injured  queen. 

The  king,  exasperated  by  the 
disappointment  of  his  hopes,  pro- 
cured an  attainder  against  the  pa- 
rents and  relatives  of  Catherine, 
for  not  informing  him  of  what  they, 
perhaps,  were  themselves  ignorant 
of;  and  it  was  made  treason  to  con- 
ceal any  matter  of  the  kind  from  the 
king  in  future,  as  well  on  the  part 
of  relatives  and  other  persons,  as 
by  the  lady  herself,  whom  he 
might  intend  to  honour  with  his 
hand.  The  barbarous  severity 
and  injustice  of  these  acts  was 
felt,  but  durst  not  be  murmured 
against,  so  absolute  a  tyranny  had 
Henry  established  in  his  kingdom. 
After  remaining  a  widower  about 
two  years,  he  contracted  a  sixth 
marriage,  M'ith  Catherine  Parr, 
widow  of  lord  Latimer,  who  was 
in  secret  a  friend  to  the  reforma- 
tion, but,  dreading  the  fate  of  her 
predecessors,  dissembled  her  par- 
tiality for  the  true  faith. 

ATTEMPTS    TO    SUPPRESS    THE 
BIBLE. 

Great  pains  had  been  taken  by 
the  bishops  to  suppress  the  Eng- 
lish Bible.  The  king  refused  to 
call  it  in,  and  they  therefore  com- 
plained much  of  the  translation, 
which  they  wished  to  have  con- 
demned, and  a  new  one  promised, 
which  might  have  been  delayed 
during  several  years.  Cranmer 
perceiving  that  the  Bible  was  the 
great  eye-sore  of  the  popish  party, 


and  that  they  were  resolved  to  op- 
pose it  by  all  the  means  they  could 
think  of,  procured  an  order  from 
the  king,  referring  the  correction 
of  the  translation  to  the  two  uni- 
versities. The  bishops  took  this 
very  ill,  and  all  of  them,  except 
those  of  Ely  and  St.  David's,  pro- 
tested against  it. 

METHOD    OF  PREACHING. 

In  former  times  there  had  been 
few  or  no  sermons,  except  in 
Lent;  for  on  holy  days  the  ser- 
mons were  panegyrics  on  the 
saints,  and  on  the  virtues  of  their 
pretended  relics.  But  in  Lent 
there  was  a  more  solemn  way  of 
preaching;  and  the  friars  main- 
tained their  credit  much  by  the 
pathetic  sermons  they  preached  in 
that  time,  and  by  which  they 
wrought  much  on  the  passions  of 
the  people  ;  yet  even  these  for  the 
most  part  tended  to  extol  fasting, 
confession,  and  other  austerities, 
with  very  little  of  the  true  simpli- 
city of  Christianity,  or  the  Scrip- 
tures; and  were  designed  rather 
to  raise  a  sudden  heat,  than  to 
work  a  real  change  in  their  audi- 
tors. They  had  also  mixed  so 
much  out  of  the  legends  with  their 
sermons,  that  the  people  at  length 
disbelieved  all  they  said,  on  ac- 
count of  those  fabulous  things 
with  which  their  sermons  were  de- 
based. 

The  reformers,  on  the  other 
hand,  took  great  care  to  instruct 
their  hearers  in  the  fundamentals 
of  religion,  of  which  they  had 
known  little  formerly:  this  made 
the  nation  follow  those  teachers 
with  a  wonderful  zeal;  but  some 
of  them  mixed  more  sharpness 
against  the  friars  in  their  sermons, 
than  was  consistent  with  the  mild 
spirit  of  Christianity,  although  the 
hypocrisy  and  cheats  of  their  an- 
tagonists did  in  a  great  measure 
excuse  those  heats;  and  it  was 
observed  that  our  Saviour  had  ex- 
posed the  Pharisees  in  so  plain  a 
manner,  that  it  justified  the  treat- 
ing them  with  some  roughneiss. 
This  made  it  seem  necessary  to 
sufler  none  to  preach,  at  least  out 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


281 


of  t!ieir  own  parishes,  without  li- 
cence, and  many  were  licensed  to 
preach  as  itinerants.  There  was 
also  a  book  of  homilies  on  all  the 
epistlesand  ^ospels.in  the  year,  pub- 
lished, which  contained  a  plain  para- 
phrase of  those  parts  of  scripture, 
tO!j;ethcr  with  some  practical  exhor- 
tations founded  on  them.  Many 
complaints  were  made  of  those  who 
were  licensed  to  preach,  and  that 
they  mif^ht  be  able  to  justify  them- 
selves, they  began  o^enerally  to  write 
and  read  their  sermons ;  and  thus 
did  this  custom  begin. 

AN    ACT    CONCERNING    RELIGION. 

In  1543,  a  bill  was  proposed  by 
Cranmer,  for  the  advancement  of 
true  religion,  which  was  much  op- 
posed, and  those  who  at  first  joined 
him  afterwards  forsook  him;  so  that 
it  was  much  altered  for  the  worse  in 
its  progress.  By  it  Tindal's  trans- 
lation of  the  Bible  was  condemned, 
and  also  all  other  books  contrary 
to  the  doctrine  set  forth  by  the 
bishops.  Bibles,  of  another  transla- 
tion, were  still  allowed  to  be  kept, 
but  all  prefaces  or  annotations  to 
them,  were  to  be  expunged ;  all  the 
king's  injunctions  were  confirmed  ; 
no  books  of  religion  were  to  be 
printed  without  licence;  there  was 
to  be  no  exposition  of  scripture  in 
plays  or  interludes*  ;  none  of  the 
laity  might  read  the  scripture,   or 

*  It  had  been,  during  several  centuries, 
a  custom  to  dramatize  certain  portions  of 
scripture,  which  were  represented  by  the 
monks  themselves,  as  well  as  by  other  per- 
sons, under  the  title  of  Mysteries;  and 
many  of  these  performances  were  highly 
profane  and  indecorous.  Butthe  "plays 
and  interludes"  alluded  to  in  the  above- 
mentioned  act,  appear  to  have  been  bur- 
lesque representations  of  the  mummeries 
of  the  church  of  Rome,  ridiculous  enough 
in  themselves,  but  rendered  more  palpa- 
bly so  by  this  method  of  treating  them.  As, 
however,  the  ridicule  which  was  pointed 
at  the  abuses  of  religion,  might,  by  malice 
or  ignorance,  be  transferred  to  what  is 
really  sacred,  these  representations  were 
properly  condemned,  both  by  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  and  the  Reformers  trusted 
to  the  growing  intellect  of  the  age  for  the 
condemnation  of  what  was  blamable,  and 
the  preservation  of  what  was  praisewor- 
thy, in  the  ritual  of  the  church. 


explain  it  in  any  public  assembly  ; 
but  a  proviso  was  made  for  public 
speeches,  which  then  began  gene- 
rally with  a  text  of  scripture,  and 
were  like  sermons.  Noblemen,  gen- 
tlemen and  their  wives,  or  mer- 
chants, might  have  Bibles  ;  but  no 
ordinary  woman,  tradesman,  ap- 
prentice, or  husbandman,  was  al- 
lowed to  retain  any*.  Every  per- 
son might  have  the  book  published 
by  the  bishops,  the  psalter,  and 
other  rudiments  of  religion,  in  Eng- 
lish. All  churchmen,  who  preached 
contrary  to  that  book,  for  the  first 
oflience,  were  required  to  recant  ; 
for  the  second,  to  abjure  and  carry 
a  fagot;  but,  for  the  third,  they 
were  to  be  burnt.  The  laity,  f(V, 
the  third  oflfence,  were  to  forfe;,* 
their  goods  and  chattels,  and  to  be 
liable  to  perpetual  imprisonment. 
The  parties  accused  were  not  al- 
lowed witnesses  for  their  purgation. 
The  act  of  the  six  articles  was  con- 
firmed, and  it  was  left  free  to  the 
king,  to  change  this  act,  or  any  pro- 
viso in  it.  There  was  also  a  new 
act  passed,  giving  authority  to  the 
king's  proclamations,  and  any  nine 
privy  counsellors  were  empowered 
to  proceed  against  offenders. — 
Against  this  the  lord  Mountjoy  dis- 
sented, and  it  is  the  only  instance 
of  any  nobleman  having  the  courage 
to  protest  against  the  innumerable 
legislative  iniquities  of  this  reign. 

*  By  this  proviso  it  would  appear  that 
these  bigots  wished  religion  to  be  confined 
to  the"  nobility,  gentry,  and  merchants," 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  poor  and  bumble 
mechanic  and  labourer.  Did  they  ima- 
gine that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  the 
exclusive  property  of  those  favoured  be- 
ings ;  and  that,  because  they  dwelt  in 
earthly  palaces,  they  must  of  necessity 
be  received  into  heavenly  mansions  ?  Did 
they  not  know  that  our'  blessed  Saviotr 
selected  his  most  eminent  apostles  and 
disciples  from  among  those  despised 
classes,  whom  they  considered  unworthy 
even  to  hear  his  gracious  word  ?  Let  us,  of 
the  present  generation,  praise  our  hea- 
venly Father,  who  has  cast  our  lot  in  a 
period  when  the  knowledge  of  his  pro- 
mises,and  the  possession  of  his  Scriptures 
are  not  confined  to  the  "  mighty  of  this 
earth,"  but  form  the  treasure  of  every  coU 
tage,  and  the  solace  and  support  of  the 
lowliest  of  mankind. 


282 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


.   PERfiECUTION    OF    ROBEKT   TE&T- 
WOOD. 

Robert  Testwoop,  a  musician, 
of  London,  had,  by  his  great  skill 
in  that  science,  attained  so  great  a 
name,  that  he  was  admitted  among 
the  choir  of  the  college  of  Windsor, 
and  was,  for  some  time,  much  es- 
teemed by  the  dean  and  canons  ; 
but  when  they  perceived  that  he 
leaned  to  Luther's  sect,  they  began 
to  dislike  him.  He  happened  one 
day  to  be  at  dinner  with  Dr.  Raw- 
son,  one  of  the  canons,  at  which 
dinner  was  a  Mr.  Ely,  an  old  ba- 
chelor of  divinity.  Mr.  Ely  began 
to  rail  against  laymen,  who  took 
upon  them  to  meddle  with  the  scrip- 
lo^es,  and  to  be  better  learned, 
k 'lowing  only  the  English  tongue, 
thkh  they  who  had  been  students 
in  the  universities  of  Oxford  and 
Cambridge.  Testwood,  perceiving 
his  allusion,  said,  "  Mr.  Ely,  by 
your  patience,  I  think  it  be  no  hurt 
for  laymen,  as  I  am,  to  read  and  to 
know  the  scriptures." 

"  Which  of  you,"  cried  Ely,  "  that 
be  unlearned,  knowcth  them,  orun- 
derstandeth  them?  St.  Paul  saith, 
'  If  thine  enemy  hunger,  feed  him  ; 
if  hethirst,  give  him  drink  ;  and  in 
so  doing  thou  shalt  heap  coals  of 
lire  upon  his  head.'  Now,  sir," 
continued  he,  "  what  meaneth  St. 
Paul  by  those  coals  of  fire?" — 
*'  Marry,  sir,"  replied  Testwood, 
"  he  meaneth  nothing  else  by  them 
(as  I  have  learned)  but  burning 
charity,  that  by  doing  good  to  our 
enemies  we  should  thereby  win 
them." — "  Ah,  sirrah,"  said  Ely, 
**  you  are  an  old  scholar  indeed  !" 

After  this  they  conversed  about 
the  pope,  whose  supremacy  was 
much  spoken  of  at  that  time,  and 
ETy  demanded  of  Testwood,  whe- 
ther the  pope  ought  to  be  the  head  of 
their  church  or  no  ?  when  the  latter, 
after  some  argument,  said,  "  That 
every  king,  in  his  own  realm  and 
dominion,  ought  to  be  the  head  of 
the  church  under  Christ."  At  which 
words  Ely  rose  from  the  table  in  a 
great  passion,  calling  him  heretic; 
and  so  left  the  room. 

Testwood  was  very  sorry  to  see 


him  so  much  disturbed ;  and  after 
dinner  he  went  and  sought  him,  and 
found  him  walking  in  the  body  of 
the  church.  Testwood  wisLed  to 
have  reasoned  the  matter  coolly 
with  him,  but  the  other  shunned 
him,  and  would  not  come  nigh  him, 
but  spit  at  him  ;  saying  to  others 
that  walked  by,  "  Beware  of  this 
fellow,  for  he  is  the  greatest  here- 
tic and  schismatic  that  ever  came 
into  Windsor." 

Ely  made  his  complaint  to  the 
other  canons,  who  were  all  against 
Testwood,  and  intended,  at  the 
dean's  coming  home,  to  have  ac- 
cused him  ;  but  in  a  few  days  after, 
the  act  confirming  the  king's  supre- 
macy, passed  in  the  parliament. 
Whereupon  the  dean.  Dr.  Sampson, 
returned  suddenly  in  the  night,  and 
sent  his  verger  about  to  all  the  ca- 
nons, and  ministers  of  the  college, 
commanding  them  to  be  in  the  Chap- 
ter-house bj'  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Then  Ely  consulted  with 
the  canons,  and  they  agreed  the 
next  day  to  accuse  Testwood.  "But 
he  that  layeth  a  snare  for  another 
man,"  saith  Solomon,  "  shall  be 
taken  in  it  himself."  And  so  it  hap- 
pened in  this  instance.  For  when 
all  were  assembled  in  the  Chapter- 
house, the  dean  began,  contrary  to 
every  man's  expectation,  to  inveigh 
against  the  bishop  of  Rome's  su- 
premacy and  usurped  authority, 
confounding  the  same  by  scripture 
and  reason  ;  and  at  length  declared 
openly,  that,  by  consent  of  the  par- 
liament, the  pope's  supremacy  was 
utterly  abolished  out  of  England 
for  ever  ;  and  so  commanded  every 
man  there,  upon  his  allegiance,  to 
call  him  pope  no  more,  but  bishop 
of  Rome,  and  whoever  would  not 
do  so,  or  did  henceforward  maintain 
or  favour  his  cause  in  any  manner 
should  not  only  lose  the  benefit  of 
that  house,  but  be  reputed  as  an 
utter  enemy  to  God,  and  to  the  king. 
The  canons  hearing  this,  were  all 
thunderstruck.  Yet,  notwithstand- 
ing this,  Ely  was  so  incensed 
against  Testwood,  that  he  began  to 
tell  his  tale ;  but  the  dean,  interrupt- 
ing him,  called  him  an  old  fool,  and 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


283 


obligred  likn  to  hold  his  peace.  He 
then  caused  all  the  pope's  pardons 
wliich  hung  about  the  church  to  be 
brought  into  tlie  Chapter-house, 
and  burnt. 

After  this,  as  Testwood  was  one 
day  walking  in  the  church,  he  be- 
held many  pilgrims  making  their 
offerings  to  certain  images  and 
shrines  ;  upon  which  he  reproved 
them  for  their  idolatry,  and  exhorted 
them  to  worship  the  true  God  ;  and 
to  shew  them  the  utter  helpnessness 
of  those  deities  of  wood  and  stone, 
whom  they  looked  upon  as  so  pow- 
erful, he  stmck  off  the  nose  of  one 
of  the  images,  and  showing  it  to  the 
credulous  worshippers,  '*  Lo,  good 
people,  said  he,  "  you  see  what  it  is, 
nothing  but  earth  and  dust,  and  can- 
not help  itself :  and  how  then  will 
you  have  it  to  help  you?  For  God's 
sake,  brethren,  be  no  more  de- 
ceived." 

This  action  gave  great  offence  to 
the  priests,  and  not  less  to  the  image 
dealers,  for  both  foresaw  the  ruin 
of  their  trade,  if  such  conduct  went 
unpunished.  They  even  threat- 
ened Testwood's  life,  who  there- 
upon refused  to  quit  his  house,  but 
wrote  an  account  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter to  Cromwell,  then  high  in  favour 
with  the  king.  The  canons,  fearing 
the  resentment  of  Cromwell,  used 
all  means  to  be  reconciled  with 
Testwood,  and  at  length  prevailed, 
by  the  intercession  of  Mr.  Ward,  a 
magistrate,  so  that  no  further  no- 
tice was  taken  of  the  affair,  and 
Testwood  did  his  duty  in  the  church 
as  before.  He  was  still,  however, 
looked  upon  as  a  heretic,  and  his 
resolute  manifestation,  on  various 
occasions,  of  his  abhorrence  of  po- 
pery and  idolatry,  and  his  love  for 
the  doctrines  of  the  reformers,  kept 
alive  the  resentment  of  his  enemies, 
and  at  length  produced  his  martyr- 
dom, as  will  be  shewn  hereafter. 

PERSECUTION    OF     ANTHONY     PEAR- 
SON,  AND    OTHERS. 

Anthony  Pearson  was  a  priest, 
who,  about  1540,  preached  at  Wind- 
sor, and  the  neighbourhood,  and 
was  much  esteemed  by  the  lovers 
of  the  Gospel,  who  resorted  in  grecCt 


numbers  to  hear  him.  This  gave 
offence  to  the  popish  priesls  and 
their  followers  ;  and  Dr.  London, 
a  violent  bigot,  one  of  the  preben- 
daries of  Windsor,  with  Simons,  an 
attorney,  who  had  before  accused 
Testwood,  for  defacing  the  image, 
particularly  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  unceasing  efforts  to 
establish  a  charge  of  heresy  against 
Pearson,  and  his  friends.  With 
this  view,  they  made  notes  of  some 
of  his  sermons  against  the  idolatry 
of  the  mass,  and  other  abomina- 
tions of  the  church  of  Rome ;  they 
then  fixed  on  several  persons  to  be 
accused  as  the  principal  abettors  of 
what  they  call  ed  his  heretical  do- 
trines,  among  whom  were  sir  W. 
Hobby,  sir  T.  Cardine,  Dr.  Haynes, 
dean  of  Exeter,  and  others ;  they 
also  employed  spies  to  report  the 
names  of  those  persons  who  did 
not  kneel  at  the  elevation  of  the 
host,  &c. ;  and  having  collected  all 
these-particulars.  Dr.  London  for- 
warded the  account  to  Gardiner, 
bishop  of  Winchester,  with  a  com- 
plaint of  "  the  great  disquietude, 
brought  upon  the  members  of  the 
true  chureh,  by  the  evil  doctrines 
and  example  of  these  pernicious 
heretics,"  and  a  request,  that  his 
lordship  would  "  assist  them  in  purg- 
ing the  town  and  castle  of  such 
wicked  persons." 

The  bishop  commended  their  zeal, 
and  promised  his  assistance  ;  and, 
in  pursuance  of  his  promise,  repre- 
sented to  the  king,  that  the  heretics 
had  spread  throughout  the  realm, 
and  were  to  be  found  even  in  his 
own  chapel;  he,  therefore,  be- 
sought his  majesty,  that  he  might 
have  leave  to  enforce  the  laws 
against  them ;  to  which  the  king 
consented.  The  bishop  immedi- 
ately procured  a  commission  for 
searching  the  houses  of  those  who 
had  been  accused  by  Dr.  London, 
with  the  view  of  finding  prohibited 
books  and  papers.  Commissioners 
were  appointed,  and  commenced 
their  search ;  in  the  course  of  which, 
finding  certain  books  and  writings 
against  the  six  articles  in  the  houses 
of  Testwood,  Benet,  Marbeck,  and 
Filmer,  those  persons  were  appre- 


284 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


bended,  jsent  to  London,  (except 
Testwood,  who  was  confined  to  his 
room  by  illness,)  examined  before 
the  council,  and  committed  to  pri- 
son. 

Marbeck  was  five  times  exa- 
mined, before  the  council ;  the  bi- 
shop of  Winchester  ;  one  of  the 
bishop's  gentlemen  ;  the  bishops  of 
Salisbury,  Hereford,  and  Ely;  Dr. 
Knight,  and  the  bishop  of  Win- 
chester's secretary.  Throughout 
these  examinations  he  defended 
the  cause  of  truth  with  a  spirit  and 
boldness  which  confounded  his  ac- 
curers,  but  could  not  turn  them  from 
their  cruel  and  bigoted  purposes. 

Marbeck  had  begun  a  Concord- 
ance of  the  Bible,  in  English,  which 
was  taken  with  his  other  papers, 
and  laid  before  the  council.  The 
bishop  ot  Winchester  asked  him  if 
he  understood  Latin,  and  would 
scarcely  believe  that  he  did  not ; 
telling  the  other  lords  of  the  coun- 
cil, that  it  was  probable  his  Con- 
cordance was  a  translation  from 
the  Latin,  and  asserting  that  "  if 
such  a  book  should  go  forth  in 
English,  it  would  destroy  the  Latin 
tongue." 

Marbeck  was  much  pressed  to 
diclose  "  the  secrets  of  his  party," 
and  promised  great  rewards  and 
preferment,  if  he  would  betray 
what  he  had  heard  of  the 
opinions  of  Testwood,  Pearson, 
and  Haynes,  on  the  mass,  &c.  He 
steadily  refused  all  these  oflFers, 
declaring  that  he  knew  nothing 
against  them. 

On  his  fourth  examination,  he 
was  told  by  the  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury that  he  must  answer  on  oath, 
faithfully  and  truly,  to  such  ques- 
tions as  the  commissioners  should 
judge  it  necessary  to  put  to  him  ; 
which  he  promised  to  do,  and  was 
accordingly  sworn. 

Then  the  bishop  laid  before  him 
his  three  books  of  notes,  demanding 
whose  hand  they  were.  He  an- 
swered they  were  his  own  hand, 
and  notes  which  he  had  gathered 
out  of  other  men's  works  six  years 
ago.  "  For  what  cause,"  said  the 
bishop,  "  didst  thou  gather  them  ?" 
— "  For  no  other  cause,  my  lord, 
4 


but  to  come  to  knowledge.  For 
I  being  unlearned,  and  desirous 
to  understand  some  part  of  scrip- 
ture, thought  by  reading  of  learned 
men's  works  to  come  the  sooner 
thereby :  and  where  I  found  any 
place  of  scripture  opened  and  ex- 
pounded by  them,  that  I  noted,  as 
ye  see,  with  a  letter  of  his  name 
in  the  margin,  that  had  set  out  the 
work." — "  So  methinks,"  said  the 
bishop  of  Ely,  who  had  one  of  the 
books  of  notes  in  his  hand  all  the 
time  of  their  sitting,  "thou  hast 
read  of  all  sorts  of  books,  both 
good  and  bad,  as  seemeth  by  the 
notes." — "  So  I  have,  my  lord," 
said  Marbeck.  "  And  to  what  pur- 
pose 1"  said  the  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury. "  By  my  troth,"  replied  Mar- 
beck, "  for  no  other  purpose  but 
to  see  every  man's  mind."  Then 
the  bishop  of  Salisbury  drew  out  a 
quire  of  the  Concordance,  and 
laid  it  before  the  bishop  of  Here- 
ford, who  looking  upon  it  awhile, 
lifted  up  his  eyes  to  Dr.  Oking, 
standing  next  him,  and  said,  "  This 
man  hath  been  better  occupied 
than  a  great  many  of  our  priests." 

Then  said  the  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury, "  Whose  help  hadst  thou  in 
setting  forth  this  book?"—"  Truly, 
my  lord,"  replied  Marbeck,  "  no 
help  at  all." — "  How  couldst  thou," 
said  the  bishop,  "invent  such  a 
book,  or  know  what  a  Concordance 
meant,  without  an  instructor?" — 
"  I  will  tell  you,  my  lord,"  said 
the  prisoner,  "what  instructor > I 
had  to  begin  it.  When  Thomas 
Matthew's  Bible  came  out  in  print, 
I  was  much  desirous  to  have  one 
of  them  ;  and  being  a  poor  man, 
not  able  to  buy  one  of  them,  de- 
termined with  myself  to  borrow 
one  amongst  my  friends,  and  to 
write  it  forth.  And  when  I  had 
written  out  the  five  books  of  Moses 
in  fair  great  paper,  and  was  en- 
tered into  the  book  of  Joshua,  my 
friend  Mr.  Turner  chanced  to  steal 
upon  me  unawares,  and  seeing  me 
writing  out  the  Bible,  asked  me 
what  I  meant  thereby.  And  when 
I  had  told  him  the  cause,  '  Tush,' 
quoth  he,  '  thou  goest  about  a  vain 
aud  tedious  labour.     But  this  were 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


285 


a  profitable  work  for  thee,  to  set 
out  a  Concordance  in  English.' — 
'  A  Concordance/  said  I,  '  what  is 
that?'  Then  he  told  me  it  was  a 
book  to  find  out  any  word  in  the 
Bible  by  the  letter,  and  that  there 
was  such  an  one  in  Latin  already. 
Then  I  told  hira  I  had  no  learnings 
to  go  about  such  a  thing.  '  Enough,' 
quoth  he,  'for  that  matter,  for  it 
requireth  not  so  much  learning  as 
diligence.  And  seeing  thou  art 
so  industrious  a  man,  and  one  that 
cannot  be  unoccupied,  it  were  a 
good  exercise  for  thee.'  And  this, 
my  lord,  is  all  the  instruction  that 
ever  I  had,  before  or  after,  of  any 
man." 

•'And  who  is  that  Turner?" 
asked  the  bishop  of  Salisbury. 
"  Marry,"  said  Dr.  May,  "  an 
honest  and  learned  man,  and  a 
bachelor  of  divinity,  and  some 
time  a  fellow  in  Magdalen  College, 
in  Oxford." — "  How  couldstthou," 
said  the  bishop  of  Salisbury, 
"  with  this  instruction,  bring  it  to 
this  order  and  form,  as  it  is  ?" — 
"  I  borrowed  a  Latin  Concord- 
ance," replied  he,  "  and  began  to 
practise,  and  at  last,  with  great 
labour  and  diligence,  brought  it 
into  this  order,  as  your  lordship 
doth  see." — "  It  is  a  great  pity," 
said  the  bishop  of  Ely,  "  he  had 
not  the  Latin  tongue." — "  Yet  T 
cannot  believe,"  said  the  bishop  of 
Salisbury,  "  that  he  hath  done 
any  more  in  this  work  than  written 
it  out  after  some  other  that  is 
learned." 

"  My  lords,"  said  Marbeck,  "  I 
shall  beseech  you  all  to  pardon  me 
what  I  shall  say,  and  grant  ray  re- 
quest if  it  shall  seem  good  unto 
you." — "  Say  what  thou  wilt,"  said 
the  bishop. — "  I  do  marvel  greatly 
whereof  I  should  be  so  much  ex- 
amined for  this  book,  and  whether 
I  have  committed  any  off"ence  in 
doing  of  it,  or  no.  If  I  have,  then 
were  I  Joth  for  any  other  to  be 
molested  or  pr  ished  for  my  fault. 
Therefore,  to  clear  all  men  in  this 
matter,  this  is  my  request,  that  ye 
■^ill  try  me  in  the  rest  of  the  book 
that  is  undone.  Ye  see  that  I  am 
yet  but  at  the  letter  L,  beginning 


now  at  M,  and  take  out  what  word 
ye  will  of  that  letter,  and  so  in 
every  letter  following,  and  give  me 
the  words  in  a  piece  of  paper,  and 
set  me  in  a  place  alone  where 
it  shall  please  you,  with  ink  and 
paper,  the  English  Bible,  and  the 
Latin  Concordance ;  and  if  I  bring 
you  not  these  words  written  in  the 
same  order  and  form,  tliat  the  rest 
before  is,  then  was  it  not  I  that  did 
it,  but  some  other." 

"  By  my  truth,  Marbeck,"  cried 
the  bishop  of  Ely,  "  that  is  ho- 
nestly spoken,  and  then  shalt  thou 
bring  many  out  of  suspicion." — 
This  being  agreed  to  by  the  com- 
missioners, they  bade  Dr.  Okiug 
draw  out  such  words  as  he  thought 
best  in  a  piece  of  paper,  which  he 
did ;  and  while  the  bishops  were 
perusing  them.  Dr.  Oking  said  to 
Marbeck,  in  a  very  friendly  man- 
ner, "  Good  Mr.  Marbeck,  make 
haste,  for  the  sooner  you  have 
done,  the  sooner  you  shall  be  de- 
livered." And  as  the  bishops  were 
going  away,  the  bishop  of  Here- 
ford (who,  as  well  as  the  bishop  of 
Ely,  had  formerly  known  the  pri- 
soner, and  was  in  secret  his  friend) 
took  Marbeck  a  little  aside,  and 
informed  him  of  a  word  which  Dr. 
Oking  had  written  false,  and  also, 
to  comfort  him,  said,  "  Fear  not, 
there  can  no  law  condemn  you  for 
any  thing  that  ye  have  done  ;  for 
if  you  have  written  a  thousand 
heresies,  so  long  as  they  be  not 
your  sayings  nor  your  opinions, 
the  law  cannot  hurt  you."  And  so 
they  all  went  with  the  bishop  of 
Salisbury  to  dinner,  taking  Mar- 
beck with  them,  who  dined  in  the 
hall  at  the  steward's  board,  and 
had  wine  and  meat  sent  down  from 
the  bishop's  table. 

When  dinner  was  done,  the 
bishop  of  Salisbury  came  down 
into  the  hall,  commanding  ink  and 
paper  to  be  given  to  Marbeck,  and 
the  two  books  to  one  of  his  men  to 
go  with  him ;  at  whose  going  he 
demanded  of  the  bishop,  what 
time  his  lordship  would  appoint 
him  to  do  it  in.  "  Against  to-mor- 
row this  time,"  replied  the  bishop, 
and  so  departed. 


286 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Mai-beck,  now  beinp  in  his  pri- 
son-cliamber,  fell  to  his  business, 
and  so  applied  himself,  that  by  the 
next  day,  when  the  bishop  sent  for 
him  again,  he  had  written  so  much, 
in  the  same  order  and  form  he 
had  done  the  rest  before,  as  filled 
three  sheets  of  paper  and  more, 
which,  when  he  had  delivered  to 
the  bishop,  Dr.  Oking  standing  by, 
he  said,  "  Well,  Marbeck,  thou 
hast  put  me  out  of  all  doubt.  I 
assure  thee,"  said  he,  putting  up 
the  paper  into  his  bosom,  "  the 
king  shall  see  this  ere  I  be  twenty- 
four  hours  older."  But  he  dissem- 
bled in  every  word,  and  did  not 
shew  it  to  the  king ;  but  afterwards, 
the  king  being  informed  of  the 
Concordance  which  Marbeck  had 
written,  said,  that  he  was  better 
occupied  than  those  who  perse- 
cuted him. 

Marbeck  was  again  committed 
to  prison,  and  upon  Whit-Sunday 
following,  in  the  afternoon,  was 
sent  for  again  to  St.  Mary  Overy's, 
where  he  found  Dr.  Oking,  v/ith 
another  gentleman  in  a  gown  of 
damask,  with  a  chain  of  gold  about 
his  neck,  sitting  together  in  one  of 
the  stalls,  their  backs  towards  the 
church  door,  looking  upon  an  epis- 
tle of  John  Calvin's,  which  Mar- 
beck had  written  out;  and  when 
they  saw  the  prisoner  come,  they 
rose  and  had  him  up  to  a  side 
altar,  leaving  his  keeper  in  the 
body  of  the  church  alone.  As  soon 
as  Marbeck  saw  the  face  of  the 
gentleman,  he  saw  it  was  the  same 
person  that  first  examined  him  in 
the  Marshalsea,  but  knew  not  his 
name  till  he  heard  Dr.  Oking  call 
him  Mr.  Knight.  This  person 
held  the  paper  to  Marbeck,  and 
said,  "  Look  upon  this,  and  tell  me 
whose  hand  it  is." 

When  Marbeck  had  taken  the 
paper  and  seen  what  it  Mas,  he 
confessed  it  to  be  all  his  hand,  sav- 
ing the  first  leaf  and  the  notes  in 
the  margin.  "  Then  I  perceive," 
said  Knight,  "  thou  wilt  not  go 
from  thine  own  hand." — "  No, 
Sir,"  replied  he,  "  I  will  deny 
nothing  that  I  have  done." — 
"  Thou   dost  well  in  that,"   said 


Knight ;  "  for  if  thou  shouldst,  we 
have  testimonies  enough  besides  to 
try  out  thy  hand   by  :  but  I  pray 
thee  tell  me  whose  hand  is  the  first 
leaf  J"—"  That  I  cannot  tell  you," 
said  Marbeck.  "  Then  how  earnest 
thou  by  it  1"  asked  Knight.  "  There 
was     a     priest,"      answered     he, 
"  dwelling  with  us  five  or  six  years 
ago,  called  Marshall,  who  sent  it 
unto  me  with  the  first  leaf  written, 
desiring  me  to  write   it  out  with 
speed,  because  the  copy  could  not 
be  spared  but  an  hour  or  two,  and 
so  I  wrote  it  out,  and  sent  him  both 
the    copy  and   it   again." — "  And 
how  came  this  hand  in  the  margin .'" 
said  Knight,  "  which  is  a  contrary 
hand  to  both  the  others." — "  That 
I  will  tell  you,"  replied  Marbeck. 
"  When  I  wrote  it  out  at  the  first, 
I  made  so  much  haste,  that  I  un- 
derstood not  the  matter,  wherefore 
I  was  desirous  to  see  it  again,  and 
to  read  it  with  more  deliberation  ; 
and  being  sent  to  me  the  second 
time,    it  was  thus    quoted  in   the 
margin  as  you  see.     And  shortly 
after  this  it  was  his  chance  to  go 
beyond  the   seas   (where   he   lived 
not  long),  by  reason  whereof  the 
epistle    remaineth  with    me ;    but 
whether  the  first  leaf  or  the  notes 
in  the  margin  were   his  hand,   or 
whose  hand  else,  that  I  cannot  tell." 
"  Tush  !"    cried    Dr.  Oking    to 
Mr.  Knight,    "  he    knoweth    well 
enough  that  the  notes  be  Ha5nes's 
own   hand." — "  If   you    know    so 
much,"  said  Marbeck,  "  ye  know 
more  than  I  do  ;  for  T  tell  you  tru- 
ly, I  know  it  not." — "  By  my  faith, 
Marbeck,"  said  Knight,  "  if  thou 
wilt  not  tell   by  fair  means,  those 
fingers  of  thine  shall  be  made  to 
tell." — •'  By  my  truth.  Sir,"  replied 
Marbeck,    "   if  you   do   tear   the 
whole  body  in    pieces,  I  trust  in 
God  you  shall  never  make  me  at>- 
cuse   any   man  wrongfully." — "  If 
thou   be   so   stubborn,"   cried  Dr. 
Oking,  "  thou   wilt  die  for  it." — 
"  Die  I"    cried    he  ;    "   wh(  refore 
should  I  die  ?     You  told  me,  the 
last  day  before  the  bishops,  that  as 
soon  as  I  had  made  an  end  of  the 
piece    of  Concordance   they   took 
me,   I  should   be   delivered ;   and 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


287 


shall  I  now  die  ?  This  is  a  sudden 
mutation.  You  seemed  then  to  be 
my  friend,  but  I  know  the  cause  ; 
ye  have  read  the  ballad  I  made  of 
Moses'  chair,  and  that  hath  set  you 
ap;ainst  me  ;  but  m  hensoever  ye 
shall  put  me  to  death,  I  doubt  not 
but  I  shall  die  God's  true  man  and 
the  king's." — "  How  so  ?"  inquired 
Knight.  "  How  canst  thou  die 
a  true  man  unto  the  king,  when 
thou  hast  offended  his  laws  ?  Is 
not  this  epistle,  and  most  of  thy 
notes  thou  hast  written,  directly 
against  the  six  articles  1" — "  No, 
Sir,"  replied  Marbeck ;  "  I  have 
not  offended  the  king's  laws  there- 
in ;  for  since  the  first  time  I  began 
with  the  Concordance,  which  is 
almost  six  years  ago,  I  have  been 
occupied  in  nothing  else  ;  so  that 
both  this  epistle,  and  all  the  notes 
I  have  gathered,  were  written  a 
great  while  before  the  six  articles 
came  forth,  and  are  clearly  remit- 
ted by  the  king's  general  pardon.'' 
— "  Trust  not  to  that,"  said  Knight, 
*'  for  it  will  not  help  thee."  And 
so  going  down  to  the  body  of  the 
church,  they  committed  Marbeck 
to  his  keeper,  who  led  him  away  to 
prison  again. 

TRIAL    OF    PEARSON,    TESiWOOD, 
AND    THEIR    COMPANIONS. 

Some  time  after  this,  Anthony 
Pearson,  Henry  Filmer,  and  John 
Marbeck,  Mere  sent  to  Windsor, 
and  committed  to  the  town  jail; 
and  Testwood,  who  had  kept  his 
bed,  was  brought  out  of  his  house 
upon  crutches,  and  confined  with 
them :  but  Benet,  who  had  been 
apprehended  with  them,  was  now 
sick  of  the  pestilence,  and  was 
therefore  left  behind  in  the  bishop 
of  London's  jail,  whereby  he  es- 
caped the  cruel  death  which  the 
others  suffered. 

These  men  being  brought  to 
Windsor,  there  was  a  sessions  spe- 
cially procured  to  be  holden  the 
Thursday  following.  Against  which 
sessions,  by  the  counsel  of  Dr.  Lon- 
don and  Simons,  all  the  fara.ers 
belonging  to  the  college  of  Wind- 
sor, were  warned  to  appear,  be- 
cause they  could  not  pick  out  pa- 


pists enough  in  the  town  to  go  upon 
the  jury. 

When  the  judges  had  taken  their 
places,  and  the  prisoners  were 
brought  before  them,  Anthony 
Pearson  was  called,  and  his  indict- 
ment was  read,  wherein  he  was 
charged  with  having  preached,  two 
years  before,  in  a  place  called  Wing- 
field,  and  there  having  said,  that 
"  like  as  Christ  was  hanged  be- 
tween two  thieves,  even  so  when 
the  priest  is  at  mass,  and  hath  con- 
secrated and  lifted  him  over  his 
head,  there  he  hangeth  between 
two  thieves,  except  he  preach  the 
word  of  Godtmly,  as  he  hath  taken 
upon  him  to  do." 

Also  that  he  said  to  the  people 
in  the  pulpit,  "  Ye  shall  not  eat  the 
body  of  Christ,  as  it  did  hang  upon 
the  cross,  gnawing  it  with  your 
teeth,  that  the  blood  may  run  about 
your  lips  ;  but  you  shall  eat  him 
this  day  as  ye  eat  him  to-morrow, 
the  next  day,  and  every  day  ;  for 
it  refresheth  not  the  body,  but  the 
soul." 

Also,  that  after  he  had  preached 
and  commended  the  scripture,  call- 
ing it  the  word  of  God,  he  said  as  fol- 
lows :  "  This  is  the  word,  this  is  the 
bread,  this  is  the  body  of  Christ." 

Farther,  that  he  said,  that 
"  Christ,  sitting  with  his  disciples, 
took  bread,  and  blessed,  and  brake 
it,  and  gave  it  to  his  disciples,  say- 
ing, '  Take  and  eat,  this  is  my 
body.'  What  is  this  to  us,  but  to 
take  the  scripture  of  God,  and  to 
break  it  to  the  people?" 

To  this  Pearson  answered,  "  I 
will  be  tried  by  God  and  his  holy 
word,  and  by  the  true  church  of 
Christ,  wiiether  this  be  heresy  or 
no,  whereof  you  have  indicted  me 
this  day.  So  long  as  I  preached 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  and  his  filthy 
traditions,  I  v/as  never  troubled  ; 
but  since  I  have  taken  upon  me  to 
preach  Christ  and  his  gospel,  ye 
have  always  sought  my  life.  But 
it  maketh  no  matter,  for  when  you 
have  taken  your  pleasure  of  my 
body,  I  trust  it  shall  not  lay  in  your 
powers  to  hurt  my  soul."  "  Thou 
callest  us  thieves,"  said  the  bishop 
of  Salisbury,  who  was  one  of  the 


288 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


judges.  "  I  say,"  said  the  prison- 
er, "  ye  are  not  only  thieves,  but 
murderers,  except  ye  preach  and 
teach  the  word  of  God  purely  and 
sincerely  to  the  people,  which  ye 
do  not,  nor  ever  did,  but  have  al- 
lured them  to  all  idolatry,  supersti- 
tion and  hypocrisy,  for  your  own 
lucre  and  glory's  sake,  through 
which  ye  are  become  rather  bite- 
sheeps  than  true  bishops  ;  biting  and 
devouring  the  poor  sheep  of  Christ, 
like  ravening  wolves,  never  satisfied 
with  blood  ;  which  God  will  require 
at  your  hands  one  day,  doubt  it  not." 
Then  Simons,  his  accuser,  standing 
within  the  bar,  said,  "It  is  a  pity 
this  fellow  had  not  been  burnt  long 
ago,  as  he  deserved."  "  In  faith," 
said  Pearson,  "  if  you  had  as  you 
deserved,  you  are  more  worthy  to 
stand  in  this  place  than  I :  but  I 
trust,  in  the  last  day,  when  we  shall 
both  appear  before  the  tribunal  seat 
of  Christ,  that  then  it  will  be  known 
which  of  us  two  hath  best  deserved 
this  place."  *'  Shall  I  have  so  long 
a  day  J"  cried  Simons,  holding  up 
his  finger;  '*  nay,  then  I  care  not ;" 
and  so  this  awful  matter  was  turned 
into  a  jest  by  the  papists. 

Then  Testwood  was  called,  and 
his  indictment  read,  which  charged 
him  with  having  said,  in  the  time 
the  priest  was  lifting  up  the  sacra- 
ment, "  What,  wilt  thou  lift  up  so 
high!  what,  higher?  take  heed,  let 
him  not  fall." 

To  this  Testwood  answered,  it 
was  but  a  thing  maliciously  forged 
by  his  enemies  to  bring  him  to  his 
death.  "  Yes,"  said  the  bishop, 
"  thou  hast  been  seen,  when  the 
priest  should  lift  up  the  sacrament 
over  his  head,  then  wouldst  thou 
look  down  upon  thy  book,  or  some 
other  way,  because  thou  wouldst 
not  abide  to  look  upon  the  blessed 
sacrament."  "  I  beseech  you,  my 
lord,"  asked  Testwood,  "  whereon 
did  he  look  that  marked  me  so 
well?"  "Marry,"  replied  the 
king's  attorney,  "  he  could  not  be 
better  occupied,  than  to  mark  such 
heretics  that  so  despised  the  blessed 
sacrament." 

Filmer  was  called,  and  accused 
of  saying,  that  the  sacrament  of 


the  altar  is  nothing  else  but  a  si- 
militude and  a  ceremony ;  and 
also,  "  if  God  be  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  /  have  eaten  twenty 
Gods  in  my  days." 

This  accusation  was  founded  on 
a  conversation  which  had  taken 
place  between  the  prisoner  and  his 
brother,  which  happened  as  fol- 
lows: 

Henry  Filmer  coming  upon  a 
Sunday  from  Clewer,  his  parish 
church,  in  the  company  of  one  or 
two  of  his  neighbours,  chanced  in 
his  way  to  meet  his  brother,  who 
was  a  poor  labouring  man,  and 
asked  him  whither  he  was  going. 
"  To  the  church,"  said  he.  "  And 
what  to  do?"  asked  Filmer.  "  To 
do!"  cried  the  brother,  "  as  other 
men  do."  "  Nay,"  said  Filmer, 
*'  you  go  to  hear  mass,  and  see 
your  God ;  and  if  that  be  God,  I 
have  eaten  twenty  Gods  in  my 
days.  Turn  again,  fool,  and  go 
home  with  me,  and  I  will  read  thee 
a  chapter  out  of  the  Bible,  that 
will  be  better  than  ail  that  thou 
shalt  see  or  hear  there." 

This  tale  being  told  to  Dr.  Lon- 
don, by  Simons,  the  general  ac- 
cuser and  spy,  he  sent  for  the  poor 
man  home  to  his  house,  telling  him 
he  should  never  want  so  long  as  he 
lived,  if  he  would  swear  against 
his  brother,  as  he  should  be  or- 
dered. To  this  the  ignorant  and 
needy  wretch  consented,  and 
being  taken  into  Dr.  London's  ser- 
vice, he  was  brought  forward  on 
the  trial  against  Henry  Filmer, 
who,  however,  utterly  denied  the 
truth  of  the  story,  and  said, 
"  Wherefore,  my  lord,  I  beseech 
your  lordship,  weigh  the  matter  in- 
difl'erently,  forasmuch  as  there  is 
no  man,  in  all  thi'S  town,  that  can 
or  will  testify  with  him,  that  ever 
he  heard  any  such  talk  between 
him  and  me;  and  if  he  can  bring 
forth  any  that  will  witness  with 
him,  I  refuse  not  to  die."  But  all 
he  could  say  had  no  effect. 

Then  Filmer,  seeing  that  he  was 
to  be  condemned  on  his  brother's 
accusation,  said,  "  Ah,  brother, 
what  cause  hast  thou  to  shew  me 
this  unkindness?      I  have  always 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


289 


been  a  natural  brother  unto  thee 
and  thine,  and  helped  you  all  in 
my  power,  from  time  to  time,  as 
thou  thyself  knowest;  and  is  this  a 
brotherly  part,  thus  to  reward  me 
now  for  my  kindness?  God  for- 
give thee,  my  brother,  and  give 
thee  grace  to  repent."  Then,  look- 
ing over  his  shoulder,  he  desired 
some  person  to  let  him  see  the 
book  of  statutes.  His  wife,  being 
in  the  hall,  and  hearing  her  hus- 
band call  for  the  book  of  statutes, 
ran  down  to  the  keeper,  brought 
up  the  book,  and  got  it  conveyed  to 
her  husband. 


The  bishop,  seeing  the  book  in 
his  hand,  started  up  from  the 
bench  in  a  great  passion,  and  de- 
manding who  had  given  the  prisoner 
that  book,  commanded  it  to  be 
taken  from  him,  and  to  make 
search  who  had  brought  it,  swear- 
ing, by  the  faith  of  his  body,  he 
should  go  to  prison.  Some  said  it 
was  his  wife,  some  said  the  keeper; 
'*  Like  enough,  my  lord,"  said  Si- 
mons, '*  for  he  is  one  of  the  same 
sort,  and  as  worthy  to  be  here  as 
the  others,  if  he  were  rightly 
served." 


Martyrdom  of  Irene,  a  Cttristian  Virgin,  at  ThesMlonica,  April  1,  A.  D.  304.. 


Then  said  Filmer,  "  O  my  lord, 
I  am  this  day  judged  by  a  law, 
and  why  should  I  not  see  the  law 
that  I  am  judged  by?  The  law  is, 
I  should  have  two  lawful  wit- 
nesses, and  here  is  but  one,  which 
would  not  do  as  he  doth,  but  that 
be  is  forced  thereunto  by  the  sug- 
gestion of  mine  enemies."  "  Nay," 
said  the  king's  attorney,  "  thine  he- 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


resy  is  so  heinous,  and  abhorreth 
thineown  brother  so  much,  that  it 
forceth  him  to  witness  against  thee, 
which  is  more  than  two  other  wit- 
nesses." 

Thus  was  Filmer  brought  to  his 
death  by  the  malice  of  Simons  and 
London,  who  had  incited  his 
wretched  brother  to  work  his  con- 
fusion.    But  God,  the  avenger  of 

19 


290 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


all  wrongs,  punished  this  unna- 
tural brother;  lor  he,  the  next 
year,  being  sent  as  a  labourer  to 
Boulogne,  had  not  been  there 
three  days,  when  a  cannon  burst- 
ing, shattered  his  body  all  to  pieces. 
And  so  were  the  words  of  Solo- 
mon fulOlled,  "A  false  witness 
shall  not  remain  unpunished." 

John  Marbeck  was  now  called, 
and  his  indictment  read ;  which 
charged  him  with  "saying,  that 
the  holy  mass,  when  the  priest 
consecrates  the  body  of  our  Lord, 
is  polluted,  deformed,  sinful,  and 
open  robbery  of  the  glory  of  God, 
which  a  Christian  heart  ought  both 
to  abhor  and  flee  from.  And  the 
elevation  of  the  sacrament  is  the 
similitude  of  setting  up  of  images 
of  the  calves  in  the  temple  built 
by  Jeroboam  •.  and  that  it  is  more 
abomination  than  the  sacrifices 
done  by  the  Jews  in  Jeroboam's 
temple  to  those  calves.  And  that 
certain  and  sure  it  is,  that  Christ 
himself  is  made,  in  the  mass,  man's 
laughing-stock." 

To  this  he  answered,  that  these 
words  were  not  his,  but  the  words 
of  a  learned  man  called  John 
Calvin,  drawn  out  of  a  certain 
epistle  which  the  said  Calvin  had 
made,  which  epistle  he  had  only 
written  out,  and  that  long  before 
the  six  articles  were  made  public  ; 
so  that  he  was  discharged  of  that 
oHence  by  the  king's  general  par- 
don. 

Then  the  jury  was  called,  who 
were  all  farmers  belonging  to  the 
college  of  Windsor,  and  therefore 
biassed  by  their  interests  in  favour 
of  the  accusers.  The  prisoners, 
aware  of  this,  desired  to  have  a 
jury  of  the  townsmen,  or  such  as 
knew  them,  and  had  seen  their 
daily  conversation,  instead  of  the 
farmers,  or  equally  chosen  from 
both  ;  but  that  was  not  allowed. 

After  the  jury  had  been  sworn, 
Bucklayer,  the  king's  attorney, 
began  to  speak  ;  and  first  he  al- 
leged many  things  against  An- 
thony Pearson,  to  prove  him  an 
heretic ;  which,  when  Pearson 
oflered  to  disprove,  the  bishop 
said,     "  Let    him    alone,    sir^    he 


speaketh  for  the  king :"  and  so 
Bucklayer  went  on,  making  every 
man's  cause  as  heinous  to  the 
hearers  as  he  could. 

When  he  had  finished  his  ha- 
rangue, sir  Humphrey  Foster 
spake  in  favour  of  Marbeck,  as 
follows  :  "  Masters,  you  see  there 
is  no  man  here  that  accuseth  or 
layeth  any  thing  to  the  charge  of 
this  poor  man,  Marbeck ;  saving 
that  he  hath  writ  certain  things  of 
other  men's  sayings,  with  his  own 
baud,  whereof  he  is  discharged  by 
the  king's  general  pardon ;  there- 
fore ye  ought  to  have  a  conscience 
therein."  Then  started  up  Fache!, 
one  of  the  commissioners,  and  said, 
''  What,  can  we  tell  whether  they 
were  written  before  the  pardon, 
or  after  ?  they  may  as  well  be 
written  since  as  before,  for  any 
thing  we  know."  These  words  of 
Fachel,  it  was  generally  thought, 
were  the  cause  of  Marbeck's  con- 
demnation. 

The  jury  then  retired,  and  when 
they  had  been  together  about  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour,  Simons  went  to  them. 
After  that  one  of  the  jurymen 
came  down  to  the  bishop,  and 
talked  with  him  and  the  other 
commissioners  a  good  while ; 
whereby  many  conjectured  that 
the  jury  could  not  agree.  But 
soon  after  his  going  up  again, 
they  came  down  and  delivered 
their  verdict :  which  was,  that  the 
prisoners  were  all  guilty. 

The  commissioners  now  could 
not  agree  who  should  give  judg- 
ment. All  the  others  declining, 
Fachel  said,  "It  must  be  done, 
one  must  do  it,  and  if  no  other 
man  will,  then  will  I."  And  so 
he,  the  lowest  in  degree  of  all  the 
commissioners,  gave  judgment. 

Marbeck,  being  the  last  upon 
whom  sentence  was  passed,  cried 
out  to  the  bishop,  "  Ah,  my  lord, 
you  told  me  otherwise  when  I  was 
before  you  and  the  other  two 
bishops.  You  said  that  I  was  ia 
better  case  than  any  of  my  fel- 
lows ;  and  is  your  saying  come  to 
this?  Ah,  my  lord,  you  have  de- 
ceived me  I" 

The  prisoners  being  condemned 


PROGRESS  OP  THE  REFORMATION. 


291 


and  led  away,  prepared  to  die  on 
the  morrow,  comforting  one  an- 
other in  the  death  and  passion  of 
their  blessed  Saviour,  who  had 
led  the  way  before  them  ;  trusting 
that  the  same  Lord,  which  had 
made  them  worthy  to  suifer  so  far 
for  his  sake,  would  not  now  with- 
draw his  strength  from  them,  but 
give  them  faith  and  power  to 
overcome  the  fiery  torments  to 
which  they  were  to  be  exposed, 
and  of  his  free  mercy  and  good- 
ness, for  his  promise  sake,  receive 
their  souls. 

Tims  they  lay  all  the  night, 
calling  on  God  for  his  aid  and 
assistance,  and  praying  for  their 
persecutors,  that  He  of  his  mer- 
ciful goodness  would  forgive  them 
the  cruelties  which  blind  zeal  and 
ignorance  led  them  to  the  commis- 
sion of,  and  turn  their  hearts  to 
the  knowledge  and  love  of  his 
blessed  and  holy  word ;  indeed, 
such  heavenly  talk  was  amongst 
them  that  night,  that  the  hearers, 
of  whom  the  sherilT  himself  was 
one,  with  many  other  gentlemen, 
were  constrained  to  shed  tears, 
as  they  themselves  confessed. 

On  the  morrow,  which  was  Fri- 
day, as  the  prisoners  were  all  pre- 
paring themselves  to  go  to  sutler, 
word  was  brought  them  that  they 
should  not  die  that  day.  The 
cause  was  this :  tlio  bishop  of 
Sarum  had  sent  a  letter  to  the 
bishop  of  Winchester  in  favour 
of  Marbeck  ;  upon  receiving  which 
the  bishop  went  to  the  king, 
and  obtained  his  pardon ;  where- 
upon he  caused  a  warrant  to  be 
made  for  his  discharge,  delivering 
the  same  to  the  messenger,  who 
returned  with  speed,  bringing  news 
of  Marbeck's  pardon,  whereat  many 
rejoiced. 

EXECUTION    OF    PEAllSON,    TEST- 
WOOD,    AND    FILMEU. 

On  Saturday  morning,  when  the 
prisoners  were  to  go  to  execu- 
tion. Dr.  Blithe,  and  Mr.  Arch, 
two  of  the  canons  of  the  college, 
came  to  them.  Mr.  Arch  asked 
them,  "  If  they  Mould  be  con- 
fessed ?"  to  which  they   answered 


in  the  afflnnative.  Then  he  de- 
manded,   "  If  they  would  receive 

the    sacrament?" "Yea,"   said 

they,  "  with  all  our  hearts."  "  I 
am  glad,"  said  Arch,  "to  hear 
you  say  so ;  but  the  law  is,  that  it 
may  not  be  administered  to  any 
that  are  condemned  of  heresy. 
However,  it  is  enough  for  you  that 
ye  desire  it."  They  were  then 
taken  to  the  hall  to  confess,  be- 
cause the  prison  was  full  of  people. 
Dr.  Blithe  took  Anthony  Pearson 
to  him  to  confess,  and  Mr.  Arch 
the  other  two.  But  Pearson  staid 
not  long  with  the  doctor,  but  came 
down  again,  saying,  "  He  would 
have  no  more  of  his  doctrine." 
And  soon  after  the  other  two  came 
down  also. 

Then  Pearson  seeing  many  peo- 
ple in  the  prison,  began  to  say  the 
Lord's  prayer,  wherein  he  conti- 
nued till  the  ofBcers  came  to  fetch 
him  and  his  fellow-prisoners  away; 
then  taking  their  leave  of  Mar- 
beck  they  praised  God  for  his  de- 
liverance, wishing  to  him  an  in- 
crease of  godliness  and  virtue, 
beseeching  him  heartily  to  help 
them  with  his  prayers  to  God,  to 
make  them  strong  in  their  afflic- 
tions ;  and  so  they  departed. 

As  the  prisoners  passed  through 
the  street,  they  desired  all  the  peo- 
ple to  pray  for  them,  and  to  stand 
fast  in  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and 
not  to  be  moved  at  their  seeming 
afflictions,  for  it  was  the  happiest 
event  that  ever  happened  to  them. 
And  as  Dr.  Blithe  and  Mr.  Arch 
(who  rode  on  each  side  the  pri- 
soners), attempted  to  persuade 
them  to  turn  to  their  "  holy  mother 
church,"  "  Away,"  cried  Pearson, 
"  away  with  your  Romish  doctrine, 
and  all  your  trumpery,  for  we  will 
have  no  more  of  it." 

When  Filmer  came  to  his  bro- 
ther's door,  he  wished  to  see  him,  , 
but  Dr.  London  kept  him  out  of 
sight ;  so  when  he  had  called  for 
him  three  or  four  times,  and 
found  he  came  not,  he  said,  "  And 
will  he  not  come  ?  Then  God  for- 
give him,  and  make  him  a  good 
man." 

Being  at  length  arrived  at  the 


292 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


place  of  execution,  Anthony  Pear- 
son, with  a  cheerful  countenance, 
embraced  the  post  in  his  arms, 
and  kissing  it,  said,  "Now  wel- 
come, mine  own  sweet  wife  ;  for 
this  day  shalt  thou  and  I  be  mar- 
ried together  in  the  love  and  peace 
of  God." 

Being  all  three  bound  to  the 
post,  a  young  man  of  Filraer's  ac- 
quaintance brought  him  a  pot  of 
drink,  asking,  '•  If  he  would 
drink?" — "Yea,"  cried  Filmer,  "  T 
thank  you ;  and  now  my  brother," 
continued  he,  "  I  desire  you,  in 
the  name  of  the  living  Lord,  to 
stand  fast  in  the  truth  of  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  which  you  have 
received  ;"  and  so  taking  the  pot 
into  his  hand,  he  asked  Pearson  if 
he  would  drink. — "  Yea,  brother 
Filmer,"  replied  he,  "  I  pledge  you 
in  the  Lord." 

Then  all  three  drank ;  and  Fil- 
mer, rejoicing  in  the  Lord,  said, 
"  Be  merry,  my  brethren,  and  lift 
up  your  hands  unto  God,  for  after 
this  sharp  breakfast  I  trust  we 
shall  have  a  good  dinner  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  our  Lord  and 
Redeemer."  At  which  words  Test- 
wood,  lifting  up  his  hands  and  eyes 
to  heaven,  desired  the  Lord  above  to 
receive  his  spirit, and  Anthony  Pear- 
son joined  in  the  same  prayer.  Thus 
they  yielded  up  their  souls  to  the 
Father  of  Heaven,  in  the  faith  of 
his  dear  Son  Jesus  Christ,  with 
such  humility  and  steadfastness, 
that  many,  who  saw  their  patient 
suffering,  were  convinced  that 
nothing  but  real  religion  could  be- 
stow so  much  constancy  and  Chris- 
tian courage. 

HISTORY   AND    MARTYRDOM    OF 
ADAM    DAMLIP. 

In  1539,  there  came  to  Calais, 
Adam  Damlip,  who  had  formerly 
been  a  zealous  papist,  and  chap- 
lain to  Fisher,  bishop  of  Rochester. 
After  the  death  of  the  bishop  he 
travelled  through  France,  Holland, 
and  Italy,  and  as  he  went  conferred 
with  learned  men  concerning  mat- 
ters of  controversy  in  religion,  and 
proceeded  at  last  to  Rome,  where 
he  thought  to  have  found  all  godli- 
ness and  sincere  religion ;  but  in- 


stead of  which  he  found  there  sucli 
blasphemy  of  God,  contempt  of 
Christ's  true  religion,  looseness 
of  life,  and  abundance  of  all  abo- 
minations and  filthiness,  that  his 
heart  abhorred  any  longer  to  re- 
main there, although  greatly  request- 
ed to  do  so  by  cardinal  Pole,  who 
wished  him  to  read  three  lectures 
in  the  week  in  his  house,  for 
which  he  offered  him  considerable 
remuneration.  Damlip,  however, 
was  determined  to  return  to  Eng- 
land, and  accordingly  proceeded 
to  Calais. 

As  he  was  waiting  without  the 
gate  of  tBtit  town  for  a  passage  to 
England,  Stevens  and  Lancaster, 
two  of  the  inhabitants,  discovered 
by  his  conversation  that  he  was  a 
learned  and  pious  man,  who,  hav- 
ing seen  the  errors  of  popery,  now 
had  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
true  religion ;  they  therefore  ear- 
nestly entreated  him  to  stay  at  Ca- 
lais a  while,  and  to  preach  there, 
with  the  hope  of  doing  some  good, 
after  his  painful  travel.  To  this 
request  Adam  gladly  consented,  if 
he  could  be  licensed  by  such  as 
were  in  authority. 

Whereupon  Stevens  brought 
him  to  lord  Lisle,  the  king's  de- 
puty of  the  town  and  marches, 
unto  whom  he  declared  what 
conversation  had  been  between 
Damlip  and  him;  upon  which, 
the  lord  deputy  desired  Damlip 
to  stay  there,  and  to  preach 
three  or  four  days  or  more  ,  at 
pleasure,  saying  that  he  should 
have  both  his  licence,  and  the  com- 
missary's also. 

Having  preached  three  or  four 
times,  Damlip  was  so  liked,  both 
for  his  learning,  his  eloquence, 
and  the  truth  of  his  doctrine,  that 
not  only  the  soldiers  and  towns- 
people, but  the  lord  deputy  and  a 
great  part  of  the  council,  gave  him 
great  praise  and  thanks  for  it,  and 
the  lord  deputy  offered  him  board 
and  lodging  in  his  own  house,  with 
a  man  or  two  of  his  to  wait  upon 
him,  and  whatever  else  he  might 
require;  he  also  offered  him  his 
purse  to  buy  books,  if  he  would 
remain  with  them,  and  preach  so 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


293 


long  as  it  should  seem  good  to  him- 
self. 

He  refused,  with  much  grati- 
tude, these  liberal  offers  of  his 
lordship,  requesting  him  "  only  to 
be  so  good,  as  to  appoint  him  some 
quiet  and  decent  place  in  the  town 
where  he  might  not  be  disturbed 
or  molested,  but  have  opportunity 
for  study ;  and  he  would  daily, 
once  in  the  forenoon,  and  again  in 
the  afternoon,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
preach  among  them  according  unto 
that  talent  that  God  had  lent  him." 
With  this  determination  the  lord 
deputy  was  greatly  pleased,  and 
sent  for  William  Stevens,  whom 
he  earnestly  required  to  lodge 
Damlip  in  his  house,  promising 
whatsoever  he  should  demand  to 
see  it  paid;  and  moreover  that  he 
would  send  at  every  meal  from  his 
own  table,  a  dish  of  the  best  unto 
them;  which  he  did,  although 
Damlip  refused  to  partake  of  it, 
assuring  his  lordship  that  thin  diet 
was  most  proper  for  students. 

This  godly  man,  during  about 
twenty  days,  every  morning  at 
seven  o'clock,  preached  very  learn- 
edly and  plainly  the  truth  of  the 
blessed  sacrament  of  Christ's  body 
and  blood,  inveighing  against  all 
papistry,  and  confuting  the  same, 
(but  especially  those  two  most 
pernicious  errors — transubstantia- 
tion,  and  the  propitiatory  sacrifice 
of  the  Romish  Mass),  by  the  scrip- 
tures, and  from  the  ancient  doc- 
tors; earnestly  exhorting  the  peo- 
ple to  return  from  their  delusion, 
declaring  how  zealous  a  papist  he 
himself  had  been,  and  how,  by  the 
detestable  wickedness  that  he  saw 
universally  inRome,he  was  returned 
so  far  towards  the  truth,  and  now 
become  an  enemy,  through  God's 
grace,  to  all  papistry;  shewing 
them  that  if  gain  or  ambition  could 
have  moved  him  to  the  contrary, 
he  might  have  been  entertained  by 
cardinal  Pole,  but  for  conscience 
sake  he  joined  the  true  church, 
and  now  utterly  abhorred  the  su- 
perstition which  he  had  once  igno- 
rantly  followed,  and  entreated  them 
most  earnestly  to  do  the  same. 

Thus  he  continued  awhile  read- 
4 


ing  in  the  Chapter-house  of  the 
White  Friars ;  but  the  place  being 
not  big  enough,  he  was  desired  to 
read  in  the  pulpit,  and  so  proceed- 
ing in  his  lectures,  he  came  at 
length  to  speak  against  the  pa- 
geant, or  picture  of  the  resurrec- 
tion in  St.  Nicholas's  church,  de- 
claring the  same  to  be  mere  idola- 
try, and  an  illusion  of  the  French- 
men, before  Calais  was  taken  by 
the  English. 

After  this  sermon,  there  came  a 
commission  from  tlie  king  to  the 
lord  deputy,  ordering  search  to  be 
made  whether  there  were  three 
hosts  lying  upon  a  marble  stone 
besprinkled  with  blood;  and  if  they 
found  it  not  so,  that  immediately  it 
should  be  pulled  down.  In  the 
search,  instead  of  three  hosts,  they 
found  soldered,  in  the  cross  of 
marble  lying  under  the  sepulchre, 
three  plain  white  counters,  painted 
like  hosts,  and  a  bone ;  all  which 
trumpery  Damlip  shewed  to  the 
people  the  Sunday  following,  out 
of  the  pulpit;  after  which  they 
were  sent  by  the  deputy  to  the 
king. 

This  exposure  of  their  frauds 
did  not,  as  may  easily  be  supposed, 
tend  to  render  the  priests  more  fa- 
vourable to  Damlip;  on  the  con- 
trary it  increased  their  malice; 
and  Dove,  prior  of  the  White  Fri- 
ars, with  Buttoll,  the  lord  deputy's 
chaplain,  began  to  speak  against 
him.  Yet,  after  he  had  in  three  or 
four  sermons  confuted  the  friar's 
erroneous  doctrine  of  transubstan- 
tiation,  and  the  propitiatory  sacri- 
fice of  the  mass,  the  latter  seemed 
to  be  convinced  of  his  error,  ceas- 
ing openly  to  inveigh,  but  endea- 
vouring to  impeach  him  by  letters 
sent  to  the  clergy  in  England;  so 
that,  within  eight  or  ten  days  after, 
Damlip  was  ordered  to  appear  be- 
fore the  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  bishop 
of  Chichester,  and  others,  before 
whom  he  steadily  affirmed  and  de- 
fended the  doctrine  which  he  had 
taught,  answering,  confuting,  and 
removing  the  objections  which  had 
been  brought  against  it,  so  that  his 
adversaries,    among  the  rest    the 


294 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


learned  and  pious  Cianmer,  mar- 
velled at  it,  and  said  plainly  "that 
the  scriptures  knew  not  that  term  of 
"  transubstantiation." 

Then  the  other  bishops  began  to 
threaten  him,  that  they  would 
shortly  confute  him  with  those  un- 
answerable arguments,  fire  and 
fagot,  if  he  stood  to  the  defence  of 
what  he  had  spoken.  To  which 
he  answered,  that  '*  he  would  the 
next  day  deliver  unto  them  fully 
so  much  in  writing  as  he  had  said, 
whereunto  also  he  would  stand;" 
and  so  he  was  dismissed. 

The  next  day,  at  the  appointed 
hour  for  his  appearance,  he  came 
not;  for  he  had  secret  intimation 
from  Cranraer,  that  if  he  any  more 
personally  appeared,  he  would  be 
committed  to  prison,  and  consigned 
to  a  cruel  death ;  whereupon  he 
sent  to  the  bishops  four  sheets  of 
paper,  written  in  the  Latin  tongue, 
containing  his  faith,  with  his  argu- 
ments, drawn  from  the  scriptures, 
and  writings  of  the  doctors;  which 
done,  he  fled  into  the  west  country ; 
here  he  continued  teaching  a 
school  about  a  year  or  two,  after 
which  he  was  again  apprehended, 
and  brought  to  London;  where, 
by  Gardiner,  ho  was  committed  to 
the  Marshalsea,  where  he  was  con- 
fined about  two  years. 

During  his  imprisonment  in  the 
Marshalsea,  John  Marbeck  also 
was  committed  to  the  same  prison; 
they  met  at  confession,  and  Mar- 
beck,  who  had  never  seen  him  be- 
fore, entering  into  conference  with 
him,  became  acquainted  with  his 
story,  from  Damlip  himself,  who 
concluded  by  saying,  "  And  now, 
because  I  think  they  have  forgot- 
ten me,  I  am  fully  minded  to  make 
my  humble  suit  to  the  bishop  of 
Winchester,  in  an  epistle,  declar- 
ing therein  mine  obedience,  hum- 
ble submission,  and  earnest  desire 
to  come  to  examination.  I  know 
the  worst ;  I  can  but  lose  my  life, 
■which  I  had  rather  do,  than  re- 
main here  and  not  be  suilered  to 
use  my  talent  to  God's  glory ; 
wherefore,  God  willing,  I  will 
surely  put  it  to  the  proof." 

Damlip   was  beloved  by   every 


person  in  the  prison;  but  espe- 
cially by  the  keeper  himself,  whose 
name  was  Massy;  and  being  suf- 
fered to  go  at  liberty  within  the 
walls,  he  did  much  good  among 
the  common  and  dissolute  sort  of 
prisoners,  in  rebuking  vice  and  sin, 
and  kept  them  in  such  good  order 
and  awe,  that  the  keeper  thought 
him  a  great  treasure. 

When  he  had  drawn  out  his 
epistle,  he  delivered  it  to  the 
keeper,  desiring  him  to  deliver  it 
to  the  bishop  of  Winchester.  The 
keeper  said  he  would.  He  accord- 
iiigly  waited  upon  the  bishop,  and 
came  home  at  night  very  late;  and 
when  the  prisoners  saw  him  so  sad 
and  heavy,  they  concluded  some- 
thing was  amiss.  At  last,  casting 
his  eyes  upon  Damlip,  he  said, 
"0  George*,  I  can  tell  thee  ti- 
dings."— "  What  is  that,  master?" 
said  Damlip. — "  Upon  Monday 
next,  thou  and  I  must  go  to  Ca- 
lais."— "  To  Calais,  what  to  do.'" 
"  I  know  not,"  replied  the  keeper, 
and  pulled  out  of  his  purse  a  piece 
of  wax,  with  a  little  label  of  parch- 
ment attached  to  it,  which  seemed 
to  be  a  precept.  And  when  Dam- 
lip saw  it,  he  said,  "  Well,  well, 
master,  now  I  know  what  the  mat- 
ter is."—"  What?"  asked  the  keep- 
er.— "  Truly,  master,  I  shall  die  in 
Calais." — "  Nay,"  said  the  keeper, 
"  I  trust  it  will  not  be  so." — "  Yes, 
yes,  master,  it  is  most  true;  and  I 
praise  God  for  his  goodness  there- 
in." And  so  the  keeper  and  they 
went  together  to  supper,  much  af- 
ilicted  on  account  of  Damlip,  who, 
notwithstanding,  was  merry  him- 
self, and  supped  as  heartily  as 
ever;  whereupon  some  at  the 
board  told  him,  that  they  marvel- 
led how  he  could  eat  his  meat  so 
well,  knowing  he  was  so  near  his 
death.  "  Ah,  masters,"  replied 
he,  "  do  you  think  that  I  have 
been  God's  prisoner  so  long  in  the 
Marshalsea,  and  have  not  yet 
learned  to  die?  Yes,  yes,  and  I 
doubt  not  but  God  will  strengthen 
me  therein." 

*  He  was  called  indifferendy,  for 
some  reason  not  now  known,  eithsr 
George  Budcer  or  Adam  Damlip. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


295 


On  the  followitif?  Monday,  early 
ill  tlie  morning-,  the  keeper,  with 
lliree  others  of  the  knight  marshal's 
servants,  conveyed  Adam  Danilip 
to  Calais,  and  there  committed  him 
to  the  mayor's  prison.  Upon  which 
day,  John  Butler,  tlie  commissary, 
and  the  curate  of  St.  Peter's,  were 
also  committed  to  the  same  prison, 
and  orders  given,  that  no  man 
should  speak  with  Butler. 

The  following  Saturday,  was  the 
day  appointed  for  the  execution 
of  Damlip.  The  offence  which 
his  persecutors  laid  to  liis  charge 
was  heresy ;  but,  because  by  an 
act  of  parliament  all  such  offences, 
done  before  a  certain  day,  were 
pardoned,  yet,  for  receiving  a 
trilling  sum  of  cardinal  Pole, 
which  he  gave  him  merely  to  as- 
sist him  in  his  travelling  expenses, 
he  was  condemned  of  treason. 

The  day  before  his  execution, 
came  unto  hira  one  Mr.  Mote,  a 
priest,  saying,  "  Your  four  quar- 
ters shall  be  lianged  at  four  parts 
of  the  town."  "  And  where  shall 
my  head  be  ?"  asked  Damlip. 
"  Upon  the  Lantern  gate,"  said 
Mote.  "  Then,"  answered  Dam- 
lip, "  shail  I  not  need  to  provide 
for  my  burial." 

At  the  place  of  execution  Sir 
R.  Ellerker,  then  knight-marshal 
there,  would  not  suffer  the  inno- 
cent and  godly  man  to  declare 
either  his  faith,  or  the  cause  he 
died  for,  but  said  to  the  execu- 
tioner, "  Dispatch  the  knave,  have 
done."  And  Mote,  appointed  to 
preach  there,  declared  to  the  peo- 
ple, that  he  had  been  a  sower  of 
seditious  doctrine ;  and  although 
he  was  for  that  pardoned  by  the 
general  pardon,  yet  he  was  con- 
demned for  being  a  traitor  against 
the  king.  To  which,  when  Adam 
Damlip  would  have  replied,  sir  R. 
Ellerker  would  not  suffer  him  to 
speak  a  word,  but  commanded  him 
to  be  had  away,  declaring  he  would 
not  leave  the  place  till  he  had  seen 
the  traitor's  heart  out.  And  so 
most  meekly,  patiently,  and  joy- 
fully, the  blessed  and  innocent 
martyr   submitted    to    his    death, 


being  hanged,   drawn,  Mid  quar- 
tered. 

The  providence  of  God,  shortly 
after,  overtook  the  sanguinary 
monster,  sir  R.  Ellerker,  with  a 
just  punishment ;  for,  in  a  skirmish 
with  the  French  at  Boulogne,  he 
was  slain;  and,  after  the  enemy 
had  stripped  him  naked,  they  cut 
the  heart  out  of  his  body,  and  so 
left  him  a  terrible  example  to  all 
bloody  and  merciless  men. 

Some  time  after  this,  a  certain 
scholar,  said  to  be  a  Scotchman, 
named  Dod,  coming  out  of  Ger- 
many, was  taken  at  Calais,  with 
certain  German  books  about  him, 
and  being  examined  thereupon, 
and  remaining  steadfastly  in  the 
truth  that  he  had  learned,  was 
condemned  to  death,  and  burned 
in  the  town. 

ATTEMPTS  TO  RUIN  CRANMER. 

The  chief  thing  now  aimed  at, 
by  the  whole  popish  party,  was 
Cranmer's  ruin.  Gardiner  em- 
ployed many  to  infuse  the  belief 
into  the  king,  that  he  gave  the 
chief  encouragement  to  heresy  in 
England,  and  that  it  was  in  vain 
to  lop  off"  the  branches,  and  leave 
the  root  still  growing.  The  king, 
before  this,  would  never  hear  the 
complaints  that  were  made  of 
hiin:  but  now,  to  be  informed  of 
the  depth  of  this  design,  he  was 
willing  to  make  himself  acquainted 
with  all  that  was  to  be  said  against 
him. 

Gardiner  reckoned,  that  this 
point  being  gained,  all  the  rest 
would  follow,  and  judging  that  the 
king  was  now  alienated  from  him, 
more  instruments  and  artiiices  than 
ever  were  made  use  of.  A  long 
paper,  containing  many  particulars 
against  both  Cranmer  and  his  chap- 
lains, was  put  into  the  king's 
hands.  Upon  this  the  king  sent 
for  him ;  and  after  he  had  com- 
plained much  of  the  heresy  in 
England,  he  said,  he  resolved  to 
lind  out  the  chief  p'omoter  of  it, 
and  to  make  him  an  example. 

Cranmer   advised    him     first    to 
consider    well    what    heresy   was. 


996 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


that  so  be  might  not  condemn  those 
as  heretics,  who  maintained  the 
true  word  of  God  ag;ainst  human 
inventions.  Then  the  king  told 
him  frankly,  that  he  was  the  man 
complained  of,  as  most  guilty  ;  and 
shewed  him  all  the  informations 
that  he  had  received  against  him. 

Cranmer  avowed  that  he  was 
still  of  the  same  mind  as  when  he 
opposed  the  six  articles,  and  sub- 
mitted himself  to  a  trial ;  he  con- 
fessed many  things  to  the  king ; 
in  particular,  that  he  had  a  wife ; 
but  he  said  he  had  sent  her  out 
of  England,  when  the  act  of  the 
six  articles  was  passed ;  and  ex- 
pressed so  great  a  sincerity,  and 
put  so  entire  a  confidence  in  the 
king,  that,  instead  of  being  ruined, 
he  was  now  better  established  with 
him  than  ever. 

The  king  commanded  him  to  ap- 
point some  persons  to  examine 
the  contrivance  that  had  been 
laid  to  destroy  him  ;  he  answered, 
that  it  was  nut  decent  for  him  to 
nominate  any  to  judge  in  a  cause, 
in  which  himself  was  concerned ; 
but  the  king  being  positive,  he 
named  some  to  go  about  it,  and 
the  whole  secret  was  discovered. 
It  appeared  that  Gardiner  and 
Dr.  London  had  been  the  chief 
instruments,  and  had  encouraged 
informers  to  appear  against  him. 
Cranmer  did  not  press  the  king 
for  any  reparation  ;  for  he  was  so 
noted  for  his  readiness  to  forgive 
injuries,  and  to  return  good  for  evil, 
that  it  was  commonly  said,  the  best 
way  to  obtain  his  favour,  was  to  do 
him  an  injury  ;  of  this  he  gave  sig- 
nal instances  at  this  time,  both  in 
relation  to  the  clergy  and  laity ; 
by  which  it  appeared  that  he  was 
actuated  by  that  meek  and  lowly 
spirit,  which  becomes  all  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ,  but  more  particu- 
larly one,  who  was  so  great  an  in- 
strument in  reforming  the  Chris- 
tian religion  ;  and  did,  by  such 
eminent  acts  of  charity,  shew  that 
he  himself  practised  that  which  he 
taught  others  to  do. 

A  parliament  was  now  called, 
in  which  an  act  providing  for  the 


succession  of  tlie  crown  was  pass- 
ed. By  it  prince  Edward  and 
his  heirs,  or  the  heirs  by  the  king's 
present  marriage,  were  to  succeed 
on  the  decease  of  the  king ;  after 
them  the  lady  Mary,  and  lady 
Elizabeth ;  and  in  case  they  had 
no  issue,  or  did  not  observe  such 
limitations  or  conditions  as  the 
king  should  appoint,  then  it  was 
to  fall  to  any  other  whom  the  king 
should  name,  either  by  his  letters 
patent,  or  by  his  last  will  signed 
with  his  hand.  An  oath  was  ap- 
pointed both  against  the  pope's 
supremacy,  and  for  the  maintain- 
ing the  succession  according  to 
this  act,  which  all  were  required  to 
take,  under  the  pains  of  treason. 
It  was  made  treason  to  say  or 
write  any  thing  contrary  to  this 
act,  or  to  the  slander  of  any  of  the 
king's  heirs  named  in  it. 

Another  bill  was  passed,  quali- 
fying the  severity  of  the  six  arti- 
cles ;  by  which  it  was  enacted 
that  none  should  be  imprisoned 
but  upon  a  legal  presentment,  ex- 
cept upon  the  king's  warrant. 
None  was  to  be  challenged  for 
words  spoken,  except  the  accusa- 
tion were  brought  within  a  year 
after  the  commission  of  the  of- 
fence ;  nor  for  a  sermon,  but 
within  forty  days.  This  was 
made  to  prevent  such  conspiracies 
as  had  been  discovered  during  the 
former  year. 

Another  act  w  as  passed,  renew- 
ing the  authority  given  to  thirty- 
two  commissioners  to  reform  the 
ecclesiastical  law,  which  Cranmer 
promoted  much  ;  and  to  advance 
so  good  a  purpose,  he  drew  out 
of  the  canon  law,  a  collection  of 
many  things  against  the  regal,  and 
for  the  papal  authority,  with  se- 
veral other  very  extravagant  pro- 
positions, to  shew  how  improper 
it  was,  to  let  a  book,  in  which  such 
things  were,  continue  still  in  any 
credit  in  England:  but  he  could 
not  bring  this  to  any  good  issue. 
A  general  pardon  also  was  grant- 
ed, out  of  which  heresy  was  ex- 
cepted. 

Audlcy,    the   chancellor,    dying 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


297 


at  this  time,  Wriothesly,  wlio  was 
of  the  popish  party,  was  put  in  his 
place:  and  Dr.  Petre,  Cranmer's 
friend,  was  made  secretary  of 
state:  so  equally  did  the  king 
keep  the  balance  between  both 
parties.  He  gave  orders  also  to 
translate  the  prayers,  and  litanies, 
into  the  English  tongue,  which 
gave  the  reformers  some  hopes 
that  he.  had  not  quite  cast  off  his 
design  of  reforming  such  abuses  as 
had  crept  into  the  worship  of  God. 
And  they  hoped  that  the  reasons 
which  prevailed  with  the  king  to 
order  this,  would  also  induce  him 
to  order  a  translation  of  all  the 
other  oflSces  into  the  English 
tongue. 

Lee,  archbishop  of  York,  died 
about  this  time;  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Holgate,  bishop  of  Lan- 
daff,  who,  in  his  heart,  favoured 
the  reformation.  Kitchin,  who 
turned  with  every  change,  was 
made  bishop  of  Landafi';  Heath  was 
removed  from  Rochester  to  Wor- 
cester; Holbeck  was  promoted  to 
the  see  of  Rochester;  and  Day  to 
that  of  Chichester.  All  these  were 
moderate  men,  and  well  disposed 
to  a  reformation,  or  at  least  to 
comply  with  it. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   KERBY   AND 
CLARKE. 

The  next  English  martyrs  who 
stand  upon  record,  are  Kerby  and 
Clarke.  These  men  were  appre- 
hended at  Ipswich,  and  committed 
to  the  care  of  the  gaoler  there, 
named  Bird,  a  very  humane  man. 
While  they  were  in  custody,  Kerby 
was  visited  by  Mr.  Robert  Wing- 
field,  and  a  Mr.  Bruess.  Wing- 
field  said  to  him,  "  Remember  the 
fire  is  hot,  take  heed  of  thine  en- 
terprise, that  thou  take  no  more 
upon  thee  than  thou  shalt  be  able 
to  perform.  The  terror  is  great, 
the  pain  will  be  extreme,  and  life 
is  sweet.  Better  it  were  betime  to 
stick  to  mercy,  while  there  is  hope 
of  life,  than  rashly  to  begin,  and 
then  to  shrink." 

Kerby  answered,  "  Ah,  Mr. 
Wingfield,  be  at  my  burning,  and 
you  shall  say,  there  standeth  a 
Christian  soldier  in  the  firs :  for  I 


know  that  fire  and  water,  sword, 
and  all  other  things,  are  in  the 
hands  of  God,  and  he  will  sufter 
no  more  to  be  laid  upon  us  than  he 
will  give  strength  to  bear." — "  Ah, 
Kerby,"  replied  Mr.  Wingfield, 
"  if  thou  be  at  that  point,  I  will 
bid  thee  farewell;  for  I  promise 
thee  I  am  not  so  strong  that  I  am 
able  to  burn."  And  so  both  the 
gentlemen  saying  that  they  would 
pray  for  him,  shook  hands  with  him 
and  departed.    . 

When  Kerby  and  Clarke  were 
brought  up  for  examination,  before 
lord  Wentworth  and  the  other 
commissioners,  they  lifted  up  their 
eyes  and  hands  to  heaven,  with 
great  devotion,  making  their 
prayers  secretly  to  God. 

The  articles  of  accusation  were 
then  read  to  them,  and  it  was  de- 
manded of  them,  "  Whether  they 
believed,  that  after  the  words 
spoken  by  a  priest,  as  Christ 
spake  them  to  his  apostles,  the 
bread  and  wine  were  not  the  very 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  flesh, 
blood,  and  bone,  as  he  was  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  and  no  bread 
after." 

To  which  they  answered,  "  No, 
they  did  not  so  believe,  but  that 
they  believed  the  sacrament  which 
Christ  Jesus  instituted  at  his  last 
supper  to  his  disciples,  was  only 
to  put  men  in  remembrance  of  his 
precious  death,  and  blood-shed- 
ding for  the  remission  of  sins ;  and 
that  there  was  neither  flesh  nor 
blood  to  be  eaten  with  the  teeth, 
but  bread  and  wine,  and  yet  more 
than  bread  and  wine,  for  that  it  is 
consecrated  to  a  holy  use." 

Then  many  persuasions  and 
threats  were  used  to  induce  them 
to  abjure ;  but  they  both  continued 
faithful  and  constant,  choosing  ra- 
ther to  die  than  to  live,  if  life  were 
to  be  purchased  by  professing 
what  they  could  not  believe  to  be 
true. 

Sentence  was  then  passed  upon 
them;  Kerby  to  be  burnt  in  Ips- 
wich on  the  next  Saturday,  and 
Clarke  to  be  burned  at  Bury  on 
the  Monday  after.  Kerby,  when 
his  judgment  was  given  by  lord 


2D8 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Wentworth,  will)  most  humble  re- 
verence holdinj;:  op  his  hands  and 
bowing  himself  devoutly,  said,. 
"  Praised  be  Almighty  God." 

Then  lord  Wentworth  spoke  se- 
cretly to  another  commissioner 
who  sat  near  him.  Clarke,  per- 
ceiving this,  said  "with  a  loud 
voice,  "  Speak  out,  my  lord,  and 
if  you  have  any  thing  contrary  to 
your  conscience,  ask  God  mercy, 
and  we  for  our  parts  forgive  you: 
and  speak  not  in  secret,  for  ye 
shall  come  before  a  judge,  and 
then  make  answer  openly,  even 
before  Him  that  shall  judge  ail 
men." 

Lord  Wentworth  changing  co- 
lour, perhaps  from  remorse,  an- 
swered, "  I  spoke  nothing  of  you, 
nor  have  1  done  any  thing  unto  you, 
but  as  the  law  is." 

The  prisoners  were  then  led  to 
their  destinations ;  Kerby  to  prison 
at  Ipswich,  and  Clarke  to  Bury 
St.  Edmund's. — On  quitting  the 
court,  the  latter  exclaimed  aloud, 
"  Fight  for  your  God,  for  he  hath 
not  long  to  continue." 

On  the  following  Saturday, 
about  ten  o'clock,  Kerby  was 
brought  to  the.  market-place, 
where  a  stake  was  ready,  with 
wood,  straw,  &c.  He  was  then 
fastened  to  the  stake  with  irons, 
lord  Wentworth,  with  many  other 
noblemen  and  gentlemen  of  the 
neighbourhood,  being  in  the  gal- 
lery, where  they  might  see  his  ex- 
ecution, and  hear  what  he  might 
say;  there  was  also  a  great  num- 
ber of  people.  In  the  gallery  also, 
by  lord  Wentworth,  stood  Dr. 
Rugham,  formerly  a  monk  of  Bury, 
having  on  a  surplice,  and  a  stole 
about  his  neck. 

Silence  being  proclaimed,  the 
doctor  began  to  speak  to  the  as- 
sembly, and  in  his  discourse,  as 
often  as  he  quoted  the  Scriptures, 
and  applied  them  rightly,  Kerby 
told  the  people  that  he  was  right, 
and  bade  them  believe  him.  But 
when  he  did  otherwise,  he  told 
him  again,  "  You  say  not  true ;  be- 
lieve him  not,  good  people." 
When  the  doctor  had  ended,  he 
said  to  Kerby,  "  Thou,  good  man, 


dost  not  thou  believe  that  Uie 
blessed  sacrament  of  the  altar  is 
the  very  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ, 
and  no  bread,  even  as  he  was  born 
of  the  Virgin  Mary?"  Kerby  an- 
swering boldly,  said,  "  I  do  not  so 
believe."  "  How  dost  thou  be- 
lieve?" asked  the  doctor.  Kerby 
answered,  "  I  believe  that  in  the 
sacrament  that  Jesus  Christ  insti- 
tuted at  his  last  supper  to  his  dis- 
ciples (which  ought  of  us  likewise 
to  be  done)  is  his  death  and  pas- 
sion, and  bis  bloodshedding  for  the 
redemption  of  the  world,  to  be  re- 
membered; and,  as  I  said  before, 
yet  bread,  and  more  than  bread, 
for  that  it  is  consecrated  to  a  holy 
use."  After  this  the  doctor  said 
no  more  to  Kerby. 

Then  the  under-sheriff  de- 
manded of  Kerby  whether  he  had 
any  thing  miOre  to  say?  "Yea, 
sir,"  said  he,  "  if  you  will  give 
me  leave."  "  Say  on  then,"  said 
the  sheriff. 

Then  Kerby,  taking  his  cap  from 
his  head,  cast  it  from  him,  and  lift- 
ing up  his  hands,  repeated  the 
hymn,  Te  De%im,  and  the  Apostles' 
creed,  with  other  prayers  in  the 
English  tongue.  Lord  Wentworth, 
whilst  Kerby  was  thus  doing,  con- 
cealed himself  behind  one  of  the 
posts  of  the  gallery,  and  wept,  and 
so  did  many  others.  "  Now,"  said 
Kerby,  "I  have  done:  you  may 
execute  your  office,  good  sheritt." 
On  this,  fire  was  set  to  the  wood, 
and  with  a  loud  voice  the  holy 
martyr  commended  his  soul  to  his 
heavenly  Father;  striking  his 
breast,  and  holding  up  his  hands 
as  long  as  his  senses  remained ; 
and  so  ended  his  life,  the  people 
being  filled  with  great  admiration 
of  so  much  constancy,  in  one  so 
simple  and  unlettered. 

On  the  following  Monday,  about 
ten  o'clock,  Roger  Clarke  was 
brought  out  of  prison,  and  led  on 
foot  to  the  gate,  called  Southgate, 
in  Bury.  By  the  w  ay  he  met  the 
procession  of  the  host,  but  he  went 
on,  and  would  not  bow,  or  kneel, 
but  vehemently  rebuked  that  idola- 
try and  superstition. 

On  arriving  at  the  place  of  exe  • 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


299 


ration,  the  stake  lieing  ready,  and 
the  wood  Ijinj?  by,  lie  kneeled 
down,  and  said  tlie  Marjuijicat  in 
the  English  tongue,  making  a  pa- 
raphrase upon  it,  wherein  he  de- 
clared that  the  blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  who  might  rejoice  in  her 
pureness,  with  as  much  reason  as 
any  other,  yet  humbled  herself  to 
our  Saviour.  "  And  what  says 
John  Baptist,"  continued  he,  "  the 
greatest  of  all  tlie  children  I  *  Be- 
hold the  lamb  of  God  which  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world.'"  And 
thus  with  a  loud  voice  he  cried 
unto  the  people,  while  they  were 
fastening  hiai  to  the  stake,  and 
then  fire  was  set  to  him.  His  suf- 
ferings were  dreadful,  for  the 
wood  was  green,  and  would  not 
burn,  so  that  he  was  choked  with 
smoke:  and  moreover,  being  set 
in  a  pitch-barrel,  with  some  pitch 
sticking  still  by  the  sides,  he  was 
thereby  much  pained,  till  he  got 
liis  feet  out  of  the  barrel.  At 
length  a  person  standing  by  took  a 
fagot,  and  striking  at  the  ring  of 
iron  about  his  neck,  and  then 
upon  his  head,  he  fell  down  on  one 
side  into  the  fire,  and  so  was  de- 
stroyed. 

This  year  it  was  ordained  by 
proclamation,  in  the  name  of  the 
king  and  his  council,  that  the  Eng- 
lish form  of  prayer,  as  ordained  by 
the  said  council,  should  be  used 
throughout  all  England,  and  none 
other. 

In  the  month  of  November,  the 
king  summoned  his  parliament. 
Early  in  the  session  they  granted 
to  him,  besides  subsidies  of  money, 
"  all  colleges,  chantries,  free  cha- 
pels, hospitals,  fraternities,  bro- 
therhoods, guilds,  and  perpetuities 
of  stipendiary  priests,  to  be  dis- 
posed of  at  his  will  and  pleasure." 
Whereupon,  shortly  after,  he  came 
to  the  parliament-house  to  give  his 
assent  to  such  acts  as  were  there 
passed:  where,  after  an  eloquent 
oration  made  to  him  by  the  speak- 
er, he  answered,  not  by  the  lord 
chancellor,  as  the  usual  manner 
was,  but  by  himself. 

He  first  declared  his  gratitude  to 
his  subjects  for  their  grants  and 
3 


subsidies  to  hira;  and  then,  with 
much  apparent  earnestness,  ex- 
horted them  to  concord,  peace, 
and  unity.  But  while  he  recom- 
mended charity  by  his  speeches, 
his  conduct  showed  that  he  was 
incapable  of  exercising  it  towards 
those  who  dillered  from  him;  and 
the  case  of  Anne  Askew  will 
prove,  that  his  own  disposition 
was  not  altered,  whatever  his  pro- 
fessions might  be. 

STORV    AND    MARTYRDOM     OF   ANNE 
ASKEW. 

This  lady  v/as  descended  from  a 
good  family,  and  had  received  an 
accomplished  education:  she  had 
embraced  the  doctrines  of  the  re- 
formers with  zeal,  and  was  taken 
into  custody  for  her  opinions,  in 
March,  1545.  She  underwent  se- 
vei"al  examinations  touching  thQ 
points  of  dillereuce  between  the 
papists  and  the  protestants ;  in 
which  she  answered  the  insidious 
questions  of  her  examiners  with 
boldness  and  discretion.  After 
remaining  some  time  in  prison, 
application  was  made  by  her  rela- 
tives for  her  enlargement.  The 
bishop  of  London,  on  this,  ordered 
that  she  should  be  bi'ought  before 
him,  at  three  o'clock  the  next  day, 
attended  by  her  friends.  Her  own 
account  of  this  matter  is  so  inte- 
resting that  we  cannot  do  better 
than  present  it  to  our  readers. 
After  narrating  what  we  have  al- 
ready mentioned,  she  proceeds: 

"  Next  day  in  the  forenoon,  the 
bishop  of  London  sent  for  me,  and 
as  I  came  before  him,  he  said  he 
was  sorry  for  my  trouble,  and  de- 
sired to  know  my  opinions  in  such 
matters  as  were  laid  against  me. 
He  required  me  in  any  wise 
boldly  to  utter  the  secrets  of  my 
heart,  bidding  me  not  to  fear  in 
any  points,  for  whatever  I  said  in 
his  house,  no  man  should  hurt  mo 
for  it.  I  ansvv'ered,  '  As  your  loid- 
ship  appointed  three  o'clock,  my 
friends  will  not  come  till  that 
hour;  I  desire  you  to  pardon  ray 
giving  answers  till  they  arrive.* 
Then  he  said  that  he  thought  it 
meet  to  send  for  those  who  were 


300 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


before  named  and  appointed  *.  I 
desired  him  not  to  put  them  to  the 
trouble,  because  the  two  gentle- 
men who  were  my  friends,  were 
able  enough  to  testify  what  I  should 
say. 

"Afterwards  he  went  into  his 
gallery  with  Mr.  Spilraan,  and  told 
him  in  any  wise  that  he  should  ex- 
hort me  to  utter  all  I  thought.  In 
the  mean  while  he  commanded  his 
archdeacon  to  commune  with  me, 
who  said,  '  Mistress,  wherefore 
are  you  accused  and  thus  troubled 
here  before  the  bishop?'  1  an- 
swered, '  Sir,  ask  my  accusers,  for 
I  know  not  as  yet.'  Then  he  took 
my  hand,  and  said,  'Such  books 
as  this  have  brought  you  to  the 
trouble  you  are  in.  Beware,'  said 
he,  '  beware,  for  he  that  made  this 
book,  and  was  the  author  there- 
of, was  an  heretic  and  burned  in 
Smithfield.' 

"  I  asked  him  if  he  was  certain 
and  sure  that  it  was  true  what  he 
had  spoken.  He  said  he  knew 
well  the  book  was  of  John  Frith's 
making.  Then  I  asked  him  if  he 
were  not  ashamed  to  judge  of  the 
book  before  he  saw  it  within,  or 
yet  knew  the  tiath  thereof.  I 
said  also,  that  such  unadvised 
hasty  judgment  is  an  apparent 
token  of  a  very  slender  wit.  Then 
I  opened  the  book  and  showed  it 
him.  He  said  he  thought  it  had 
been  another,  for  he  could  find  no 
fault  therein.  Then  I  desired  him 
no  more  to  be  so  unadvisedly  rash 
and  swift  in  judgment,  till  he 
thoroughly  knew  the  truth,  and  so 
he  departed  from  me. 

"  Immediately  after  came  my 
cousin  Britain,  with  divers  others, 
among  whom  was  Mr.  Hall  of 
Gray's-inn.  Then  my  lord  of  Lon- 
don persuaded  my  cousin,  as  he 
had  done  often  before,  that  I 
should  utter  the  bottom  of  my 
heart  in  any  wise.  My  lord  said 
after  that  unto  me,  that  he  would 
I  should  credit  the  counsel  of  such 
as  were  my  friends  and  well-wish- 


•  Dr.  Crome,  Sir  Guillam  Whitehead, 
and  Mr.  Huntington,  reformers,  and 
fricndb  of  Mrs.  Askew. 


ers  in  this  behalf,  which  was,  that 
I  should  utter  all  things  that  bur- 
thened  my  conscience  ;  for  he  as- 
sured me,  that  I  should  not  need 
to  stand  in  doubt.  For  as  he  pro- 
mised them  (he  said)  he  promised 
me,  and  would  perform  it ;  namely, 
that  neither  he,  nor  any  man  for 
him,  should  take  me  at  advantage 
of  any  word,  and  therefore  he 
bade  me  say  my  mind  without 
fear,  T  answered  him,  that  I  had 
nought  to  say,  for  my  conscience 
(I  thanked  God)  was  burdened  with 
nothing. 

"Then  brought  he  forth  this 
unsavoury  similitude  : — '  that  if  a 
man  had  a  wound,  no  wise  sur- 
geon would  minister  help  unto  it 
before  he  had  seen  it  uncovered. 
In  like  case,'  saith  he,  '  can  T  give 
you  no  good  counsel,  unless  I  know 
wherewith  your  conscience  is  bur- 
dened.'— '  My  conscience,'  said  I, 
'  is  clean  in  all  things,  and  to  lay  a 
plaster  unto  the  whole  skin  would 
appear  much  folly.' 

"  '  Then  you  drive  me,'  saith  he, 

*  to  lay  to  your  charge  your  own 
report,  which  is  this — You  did  say, 
he  that  doth  receive  the  sacrament 
by  the  hands  of  an  ill  priest,  or  a 
sinner,  receiveth  the  devil,  and  not 
God.'  I  answered,  '  That  I  never 
spake  such  words  :  but,  as  I  said 
before,  that  the  wickedness  of  the 
priest  did  not  hurt  me,  but  in  spirit 
and  faith  I  received  no  less  than 
the  body    and  blood  of  Christ.' — 

*  What  saying  is  this  in  spirit  V 
demanded  he,  '  I  will  not  take  you 
at  the  advantage.'  Then  answer- 
ed I,  '  My  lord,  without  faith  and 
spirit,  I  cannot  receive  him  wor- 
thily.' 

"  Then  he  said  that  I  had  affirm- 
ed, 'That  the  sacrament  remain- 
ing in  the  pix  was  but  bread.'  I 
answered,  '  That  I  never  said  so.' 
But  indeed  the  quest  had  asked  a 
question,  whereunto  I  would  not 
reply  till  they  had  answered  my 
question,  '  Wherefore  Stephen 
was  stoned  to  death  ?' 

"Then  my  lord  said,  'That  I 
had  alleged  a  certain  text  of  the 
scripture.'  I  answered,  '  That  I 
alleged  none  other  but  St.  Paul's 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


301 


own  saying  to  the  Athenians,  in 
the  I8th  chapter  of  the  Acts,  That 
God  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made 
with  hands.'  Then  he  asked  me, 
'  What  my  faith  and  belief  was  in 
that  matter  V  I  answered  him,  '  I 
believe  as  the  scripture  doth  teach 
me.' 

"  Then  inquired  he  of  me, 
'What  if  the  scripture  doth  say, 
that  it  is  the  body  of  Christ?' — '  I 
believe,'  said  I,  '  as  the  scripture 
doth  teach.'  Then  he  asked  again, 
'What  if  the  scripture  doth  say  that 
it  is  not  the  body  of  Christ?'  My 
answer  was  still,  '  I  believe  as  the 
scripture  informeth  me.'  And  upon 
this  argument  he  tarried  a  great 
while,  to  have  driven  me  to  make 
him  an  answer  to  his  mind.  How- 
beit  I  would  not,  but  concluded 
this  with  him,  '  That  I  believe 
therein,  and  in  all  other  things,  as 
Christ  and  his  apostles  did  leave 
them.' 

"  Then  he  asked  me,  '  Why  I 
had  so  few  words?'  and  I  answer- 
ed, '  God  hath  given  me  the  gift 
of  knowledge,  but  not  of  utter- 
ance; and  Solomon  saith,  A  wo- 
man of  few  words  is  the  gift  of 
God.' 

"  He  next  laid  to  my  charge, 
that  I  had  said  that  the  mass  was 
superstitious,  wicked,  and  no  bet- 
ter than  idolatry.'  I  answered  him, 
'that  I  had  said  not  so.  Howbeit 
the  quest  asked  me.  Whether  pri- 
vate mass  did  relieve  departed 
souls?  Unto  whom  I  had  answer- 
ed, O  Lord,  what  idolatry  is 
this,  that  we  should  rather  believe 
in  private  masses,  than  in  the  death 
of  the  dear  son  of  God!'  Then 
said  my  lord  again,  '  What  an  an- 
swer is  that?' — 'Though  it  be  but 
mean,'  said  I,  '  yet  is  it  good 
enough  for  the  question  ;  and  there 
is  a  priest,'  said  I,  '  who  was  pre- 
sent before  the  mayor.' 

"  The  chancellor  then  asked  the 
priest,  who  said,  '  She  spake  it  in 
very  deed,  before  my  lord  mayor 
and  myself.' 

"  Then  were  there  certain  priests, 
as  Dr.  Standish  and  others,  which 
tempted  me    much    to   know  my 


mind.  I  answered  them  always 
thus  : — '  What  I  said  to  my  lord 
of  London,  I  have  said.'  Then 
Dr.  Standish  desired  my  lord  to 
bid  me  speak  my  mind  concerning 
the  text  of  St.  Paul's  learning, 
that  I  being  a  woman  should  in- 
terpret the  scriptures,  especially 
where  so  many  wise  and  learned 
men  were. 

"  My  lord  of  London  then  said, 
'  He  was  informed  that  one  had 
asked  me  if  I  would  receive  the 
sacrament  at  Easter,  and  I  made  a 
mock  of  it.' 

"  I  desired  that  my  accuser  might 
come  forth,  which  he  would  not 
allow.  But  he  said  again  unto  me, 
'  I  sent  one  to  give  you  good  coun- 
sel, and  at  the  first  word  you  called 
him  Papist.' — That  I  denied  not, 
for  I  perceived  he  was  no  less,  yet 
I  made  him  no  answer  to  it. 

"  Then  he  rebuked  me,  and  said 
that  '  I  had  reported  that  there 
were  sent  against   me   threescore 

priests    at    Lincoln.' '  Indeed,' 

quoth  I,  '  I  said  so  ;  for  my  friends 
told  me,  if  I  did  come  to  Lincoln, 
the  priests  would  assault  me,  and 
put  me  to  great  trouble,  as  thereof 
they  had  made  their  boast ;  and 
when  I  heard  it  I  went  thither, 
indeed,  not  being  afraid,  because 
I  knew  my  matter  to  be  good. 
Moreover  I  remained  there  nine 
days,  to  see  what  would  be  said  to 
me  ;  and  as  I  was  in  the  Minster, 
reading  upon  the  Bible,  they  re- 
sorted unto  me  by  two  and  two, 
by  five  and  by  six,  minding  to  have 
spoken  unto  me ;  yet  went  they 
their  ways  again  without  once 
speaking.' 

"  He  next  asked  me,  '  If  there 
were  not  one  who  had  spoke  to 
me  ?'  I  told  him,  '  Yes,  that  there 
was  one  of  them  at  the  last  which 
did  speak  indeed,  but  that  his 
words  were  of  small  elfect,  so  that 
I  did  not  now  remember  them.' 
Then  said  my  lord,  'there  are  many 
that  read  and  know  the  scripture, 
and  yet  follow  it  not,  nor  live 
thereafter.'  I  said  again,  '  My 
lord,  I  would  wish  that  all  men 
knew  my  conversation  and  living 


302 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  all  points  ;  for  I  am  sure  myself 
this  hour  that  there  are  none  able 
to  prove  any  dishonesty  against 
me.  If  you  know  that  any  can 
do  it,  I  pray  you  bring-  them  forth.' 
Then  my  lord  went  away,  and 
said  he  would  entitle  some  of  my 
meaning  in  writing  ;  but  what  it 
was  I  have  not  in  my  memory, 
for  he  would  not  sufl'er  me  to  have 
tlie  copy  thereof,  only  I  remember 
this  small  portion  of  it. 

"  ♦  Be  it  known  of  all  men,  that 
I,  Anne  Askew,  do  confess  this  to 
be  my  faith  and  belief,  notwith- 
standing many  reports  made  afore 
to  the  contrary.  I  believe  that 
they  which  are  houseled  at  the 
hands  of  a  priest,  whether  his  con- 
versation be  good  or  not,  do  re- 
ceive the  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
in  substance  really.  Also  I  do 
believe,  that  after  the  consecra- 
tion, whether  it  be  received  or  re- 
served, it  is  no  less  than  the  very 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  in  sub- 
stance. Finally,  I  do  believe  in 
this  and  in  all  other  sacraments 
of  holy  church  in  all  points,  ac- 
cording to  the  catholic  faith  of 
the  same.  In  witness  whereof  I 
the  said  Anne  have  subscribed  my 
name.' 

"  There  was  somewhat  more  in 
it,  which  because  I  had  not  the 
copy,  I  cannot  now  remember. 
Then  he  read  it  to  me,  and  asked 
me  '  if  I  did  agree  to  it.'  And  I  said 
again,  '  I  believe  so  much  there- 
of, as  the  holy  scripture  doth  agree 
unto;  wherefore  I  desire  you,  that 
you  will  add  that  thereunto.'  Then 
he  answered,  '  That  I  should  not 
teach  him  what  he  should  write.' 
Witli  that  he  went  forth  into  his 
great  chamber,  and  read  the  same 
bill  before  the  audience,  which  in- 
veigled and  willed  me  to  set  to 
my  hand,  saying  also,  '  that  I  had 
favour  shewed  me.' — Then  the 
bishop  said,  '  I  might  thank  others, 
and  not  myself,  for  the  favour  I 
found  at  his  hand ;  for  he  consi- 
dered,' he  said,  '  that  I  had  good 
friends,  and  that  I  came  of  a  good 
family.' 

*'  Christopher,  a  servant  to  Mr. 


Denny,  said  to  his  lordship,  '  Ra- 
ther ought  you,  my  lord,  to  have 
done  it  in  such  case  for  God's 
sake,  than  for  man's.'  Then  my 
lord  sat  down,  and  took  me  the 
writing  to  set  thereto  my  hand, 
and  I  wrote  after  this  manner: — 
'  I  Anne  Askew  do  believe  all  man- 
ner of  things  contained  in  the  faith 
of  the  catholic  church.' 

"  Then  because  I  did  add  unto 
it  'the  catholic  church,'  he  flung 
into  his  chamber  in  a  great  fury. 
With  that  my  cousin  Britain  fol- 
lowed, desiring  him  for  God's  sake 
to  be  a  good  lord  unto  me.  He 
answered,  that  '  I  was  a  woman, 
and  that  he  was  nothing  deceived 
in  me.*  Then  my  cousin  Britain 
desired  him  to  take  me  as  a  wo- 
man, and  not  to  set  my  weak  wo- 
man's wit  to  his  lordship's  great 
wisdom. 

"  Then  went  in  unto  him  Dr. 
Weston,  ami  said,  '  That  the  cause 
why  I  did  write  tViere  the  catholic 
church,  was,  that  I  understood  not 
the  church  written  afore.'  So, 
with  much  ado,  they  persuaded  my 
lord  to  come  out  again,  and  to  take 
my  name,  with  the  names  of  my 
sureties,  which  were  my  cousin 
Britain  and  master  Spilman  of 
Gray's-inn. 

"  This  being  done,  we  thought 
that  I  should  have  been  put  to  bail 
immediatel}',  according  to  the 
order  of  the  law.  Howbeit  he 
would  not  suffer  it,  but  committed 
me  from  thence  to  prison  again 
until  the  morrow,  and  then  he 
willed  me  to  appear  in  the  Guild- 
hall, and  so  I  did.  Notwithstand- 
ing they  would  not  put  me  to  bail 
there  neither,  but  read  the  bishop's 
writing  unto  me,  as  before,  and 
commanded  me  again  to  prison. 
Then  were  my  sureties  appointed 
to  come  before  them  on  the  next 
morrow  in  Paul's  church,  who  did 
so  indeed.  Notwithstanding,  they 
would  once  again  have  broken  off 
with  them,  because  they  would  not 
be  bound  also  for  another  woman 
at  their  pleasure,  whom  they  knew 
not,  nor  yet  what  matter  was  laid 
unto  her  charge.     Notwithstanding 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


303 


ai  the  Ifist,  after  much  ado  and 
reasoning-  to  and  fro,  they  took  a 
bond  of  theui  of  recognisance  for 
my  fortlicomin^:  and  thus  I  was 
at  the  last  delivered. 

"  Written  by  me  Anne  Askew." 
Thus  ended  her  first  persecution, 
from  which,  for  a  time,  she  escap- 
ed, but  not  conforming  to  their  er- 
roneous doctrine  of  the  sacrament, 
she  was,  in  1546,  again  appre- 
hended ;  of  which,  before  her  mar- 
tyrdom, she  wrote  the  following 
account  to  some  of  her  friends. 

"the    sum    of   my    examination 

BEFORE    THE    KING's    COUNCIL    AT 
GREENWICH. 

"Your request as'concerning  my 
prison-fellows  I  am  not  able  to  sa- 
tisfy, because  I  heard  not  their  ex- 
aminations. But  the  eflect  of  mine 
was  this.  I  being  before  the  coun- 
cil, was  asked  of  Mr.  Kyme.  I 
answered,  that  my  lord  chancellor 
knew  already  my  mind  in  that 
matter.  They  with  that  answer 
were  not  contented,  but  said  it 
was  the  king's  pleasure  that  I 
should  open  the  matter  unto  them. 
I  answered  them  plainly,  I  would 
not  do  soj;  but  if  it  were  the  king's 
pleasure  to  hear  me,  I  would  shew 
him  the  truth.  Then  they  said  it 
was  not  meet  for  the  king  to  be 
troubled  with  me.  I  answered, 
that  '  Solomon  was  reckoned  the 
wisest  king  that  ever  lived,  yet 
misliked  he  not  to  hear  two  poor 
common  women,  much  more  his 
grace  a  simple  woman  and  his 
faithful  subject.'  So  in  conclusion, 
I  made  them  none  other  answer  in 
that  matter. 

"  Then  my  lord  chancellor  asked 
of  me  my  opinion  in  the  sacrament. 
My  answer  was  this,  *  I  believe 
that  so  oft  as  I  in  a  Christian  con- 
gregation do  receive  the  bread  in 
remembrance  of  Christ's  death, 
and  with  thanksgiving,  according 
to  his  holy  institution,  I  receive 
therewith  the  fruits  also  of  his  most 
glorious  passion.'  The  bishop  of 
Winchester  bade  me  make  a  direct 
answer :  I  said  '  I  would  not  sing 
a  new  song  of  the  Lord  in  a  strange 
land.'     Then  the  bishop  said   '  I 


spake  in  parables/  I  answered, 
'  It  was  best  for  him  ;  for  if  I  shew 
the  open  truth,'  quoth  I,  '  ye  will 
not  accept  it.'  Then  he  said  I  was 
a  parrot.  I  told  him  again,  '  I 
was  ready  to  sull'er  all  things  at  his 
hands,  not  only  his  rebukes,  but 
all  that  should  follow  besides,  yea, 
and  all  that  gladly.' 

"  Then  had  I  divers  rebukes 
of  the  council,  because  I  would 
not  express  my  mind  in  all  things 
as  they  would  have  me.  But  they 
were  not  in  the  mean  time  unan- 
swered for  all  that,  which  now  to 
rehearse  were  too  much,  for  I  was 
with  them  about  five  hours.  Then 
the  clerk  of  the  council  conveyed 
me  from  thence  to  my  lady  Gar- 
nish. 

"  The  next  day  I  was  brought 
again  before  the  council,  which 
would  needs  know  what  I  said 
to  the  sacrament.  I  answered, 
'  That  I  had  already  said  what  I 
could  say.'  Then  after  many  words 
they  bid  me  go  aside;  then  came 
lord  Lisle,  lord  Essex,  and  the 
bishop  of  Winchester,  requiring 
me  earnestly  '  that  I  should  con- 
fess the  sacrament  to  be  flesh, 
blood,  and  bone.'  I  told  these 
noblemen  that  it  was  a  great  shame 
for  them  to  counsel  contrary  to 
their  knowledge ;  whereunto  in 
few  words  they  said,  '  That  they 
would  gladly  ail  things  were  well.' 

"  The  bishop  said,  '  He  would 
speak  with  me  familiarly  ;'  I  said, 
'  So  did  .Judas,  when  he  betrayed 
Christ.'  Then  he  desired  to  speak 
with  me  alone  ;  but  that  I  refused. 
He  asked  me  why;  I  said,  'That 
in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  wit- 
nesses every  matter  should  stand 
after  Christ's  and  Paul's  doctrine.' 
Matth.  xviii.     2  Cor.  xiii. 

"  Then  my  lord  chancellor  began 
to  examine  me  again  on  the  sacra- 
ment. I  asked  him,  '  How  long 
he  would  halt  on  both.'  He  asked 
where  I  found  that ;  I  said,  '  In 
the  scripture.  1  Kings,  xviii.  21.' 
Then  he  went  his  waj'.  The  bishop 
said,  '  I  should  be  burnt.'  I  an- 
swered, '  That  I  had  searched  all 
the  scriptures,  yet  could  I  never 
find  that  either  Christ  or  his  apos- 


304 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ties  put  any  creature  to  death. 
Well,  well,'  said  I,  'God  will 
laugh  your  threatenings  to  scorn.' 
Then  was  I  commanded  to  stand 
aside  ;  after  which  came  Dr.  Cox 
and  Dr.  Robinson.  In  conclusion 
we  could  not  agree. 

"  They  then  drew  out  a  confes- 
sion respecting  the  sacrament, 
urging  me  to  set  my  hand  there- 
unto ;  but  this  I  refused.  On  the 
following  Sunday  I  was  so  ex- 
tremely ill,  that  I  thought  death 
was  upon  me,  upon  which  I  de- 
sired to  see  Mr.  Latimer,  but  this 
was  not  granted.  In  the  height  of 
ray  illness  I  was  conveyed  to  New- 
gate, where  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  renew  my  strength. 

"  THE   SUM     OF   MY   CONDEMNATION 
AT    GUILDHALL. 

"  They  said  to  me  there,  '  that  I 
was  a  heretic,  and  condemned  by 
the  law,  if  I  would  stand  in  mine 
opinion.'  I  answered,  '  That  I 
was  no  heretic,  neither  yet  de- 
served I  any  death  by  the  law  of 
God.  But  as  concerning  the  faith 
which  I  uttered  and  wrote  to  the 
council,  I  would  not  deny  it,  be- 
cause I  knew  it  true.'  Then 
would  they  needs  know  if  I  would 
deny  the  sacrament  to  be  Christ's 
body  and  blood.  I  said, 'Yea;  for 
the  same  son  of  God,  who  was  born 
of  the  Virgin  Mary,  is  now  glorious 
in  heaven,  and  will  come  again 
from  thence  at  the  latter  day  like 
as  he  went  up — Acts  i.  And  as 
for  that  ye  call  your  God,  it  is  a 
piece  of  bread.  For  a  more  proof 
thereof,  mark  it  when  you  list,  let 
it  but  lie  in  the  box  three  months, 
and  it  will  be  mouldy,  and  so  turn 
to  nothing  that  is  good.  Where- 
upon I  am  persuaded  that  it  cannot 
be  God.' 

*'  After  that  they  willed  me  to 
have  a  priest;  at  this  I  smiled. 
Then  they  asked  me  if  it  were  not 
good;  I  said,  'I  would  confess 
my  faults  unto  God,  for  I  was  sure 
he  would  hear  me  with  favour.' 
And  so  we  were  condemned. 

"  My  belief,  which  I  wrote  to 
the  council,  was  this,  that  the  sa- 
cramental bread  was  left  us  to  be 


received  with  tiianksgiving,  in  re- 
membrance of  Christ's  death,  the 
only  remedy  of  our  souls'  reco- 
very; and  that  thereby  we  also 
receive  the  whole  benefits  and 
fruits  of  his  most  glorious  passion. 
Then  would  they  know  whether 
the  bread  in  the  box  were  God  or 
no:  I  said,  '  God  is  a  spirit,  and 
will  be  worshipped  in  spirit  and 
truth.  John  iv.'  Then  they  de- 
manded, '  Will  you  plainly  deny 
Christ  to  be  in  the  Sacrament.'' 
15 answered,  'that  I  believe  faith- 
fully the  eternal  Son  of  God  not  to 
dwell  there  ;'  in  witness  whereof  I 
recited  the  19th  chapter  of  Daniel, 
the  7th  and  17th  of  the  Acts,  and 
the  24th  of  Matthew,  concluding 
thus, — '  I  neither  wish  death,  nor 
yet  fear  his  might;  God  have  the 
praise  thereof  with  thanks.' 

"  MY  FAITH  BRIEFLY  WRITTEN  TO 
THE  king's  GRACE,  AND  SENT 
BY  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  CHAN- 
CELLOR. 

"  I,  Anne  Askew,  of  good  me- 
mory, although  God  hath  given 
me  the  bread  of  adversity,  and  the 
water  of  trouble,  yet  not  so  much 
as  my  sins  have  deserved,  desire 
this  to  be  known  unto  your  grace, 
that  forasmuch  as  I  am  by  the  law 
condemned  for  an  evil  doer,  here 
J  take  heaven  and  earth  to  record, 
that  I  shall  die  in  my  innocency ; 
and  according  to  that  I  have  said 
first,  and  will  say  last,  I  utterly 
abhor  and  detest  all  heresies. 
And  as  concerning  the  supper  of 
the  Lord,  I  believe  so  much  as 
Christ  hath  said  therein,  which  he 
confirmed  with  his  most  blessed 
blood ;  I  believe  so  much  as  he 
willed  me  to  follow ;  and  believe 
so  much  as  the  Catholic  church  of 
him  doth  teach.  For  I  will  not 
forsake  the  commandment  of  his 
holy  lips.  But  look  what  God 
hath  charged  me  with  his  mouth, 
that  have  I  shut  up  in  my  heart. 
And  thus  briefly  I  end,  for  lack  of 
learning.  Anne  Askew. 

"  MY  examination  AND  TREAT- 
MENT AFTER  MY  DEPARTURE 
FROM  NEWGATE. 

"  On  Tuesday  I  was  sent  from 
Newgate  to  the  sigp  of  the  Crowp^ 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


303 


where  Mr.  Rich,  and  the  bishop  of 
London,  with  all  their  power  and 
nattering  words,  went  about  to 
persuade  me  from  God;  but  I  did 
not  esteem  their  glossing  pre- 
tences. 


"Then  came  to  nie  Nidialas 
Shaxton,  and  counselled  me  to 
recant,  as  he  had  done.  I  said 
to  hiui,  '  That  it  had  been  good  for 
him  never  to  have  been  born;'  witU 
ciiany  other  like  >rordsi 


Cruel  treatment  of  Messrs.  King,  Wade,  I.cyes,  and  Andreiv,  in  Lollard'i  Toiler,  Lumbelli, 
Palace,  A.  D.  1555. 


"  Then  Mr.  Rich  sent  me  to  the 
Tower,  where  I  remained  till 
three  o'clock,  when  Rich  came, 
and  one  of  the  cdilncil,  charging 
me  upon  my  obedience  to  shettr 
unto  them  if  I  knew  any  man  or 
woman  of  my  sect.  My  answer 
was,  '  That  I  knew  none.'  Theii 
they  asked  me  of  lady  Suffolk^ 
lady  Sussex,  lady  Hertford,  lady 
Denny,  and  lady  Fitzwilliaras. 
To  whom  I  answered,  '  If  I 
should  pronounce  any  thing 
against  them,  that  I  were  not  able 
to  prove  it.'  Then  said  they  unto 
me,  '  That  the  king  was  informed 
that  I  could  name,  if  I  would,  a 
great  immber  of  my  sect.'  I  an- 
.swered,     '  That  the  king  was   as 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


well  deceived  in  that  behalf,  as  lie 
was  dissembled  with  by  them  in 
other  matters.' 

"  Then  they  commanded  me  to 
shew  how  I  was  maintained  in  the 
Compter,  and  who  willed  me  to 
stick  to  my  opinion.  I  said,  '  that 
there  was  no  creature  that  therein 
did  strengthen  me.  And  as  for 
the  help  that  I  had  in  the  Compter, 
it  was  by  the  means  of  my  maid. 
For  as  she  went  abroad  in  the 
streets,  she  told  my  case  to  the  ap- 
prentices*,   and  they  by  her  did 


*  How  gratifying  is  it  (o  fiiid  tliesa 
young  men  assisting  this  afflicted  saint  ia 
prison!  How  worthy  of  imitation  is 
their  condact!     For  although.  hap[}ily,- 

20 


306 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


send    ir.e  money;    but   who   they 
weie  I  never  knew. 

"Then  they  said,  'That  there 
were  several  ladies  that  had  sent 
«ie  money.'  I  answered,  '  That 
there  was  a  man  in  a  blue  coat 
who  delivered  me  ten  shillings, 
and  said  that  my  lady  of  Hertford 
sent  it  me :  and  another  in  a  violet 
coat  gcL\e  me  eight  shillings,  and 
said  my  lady  Denny  sent  it  me. 
Whether  it  were  true  or  no  I 
cannot  tell;  for  I  am  not  sure  who 
sent  it  me,  but  as  the  maid  did  say.' 
Then  they  said,  'There  were  some 
of  the  council  who  maintained  me.' 
I  said,  '  No.' 

"Then  did  they  put  me  on  the 
rack,  because  I  confessed  no  la- 
dies or  gentlewomen  to  be  of  my 
opinion,  and  thereon  they  kept  me 
a  long  time,  and  because  I  lay 
still  and  did  not  cry,  my  lord  chan- 
cellor and  Mr.  Rich  took  pains  to 
rack  me  with  their  own  hands  till 
I  was  nigh  dead. 

"  The  lieutenant  then  caused  me 
to  be  loosed  from  the  rack,  when  I 
immediately  swooned,  and  they 
recovered  me  again.  After  that  I 
sat  two  hours  reasoning  with  my 
lord  chancellor  upon  the  bare  floor, 
where  he  with  many  flattering 
words  persuaded  me  to  leave  my 
opinion;  but  my  Lord  God,  I 
thank  his  everlasting  goodness, 
gave  me  grace  to  persevere,  and 
will  do,  I  hope,  to  the  very  end. 

"  Then  was  I  brought  to  an 
house  and  laid  in  a  bed,  with  as 
weary  and  painful  bones  as  ever  had 
patient  Job,  I  thank  my  Lord  God 
therefore.  Then  my  lord  chancel- 
lor sent  me  word,  if  I  would  leave 
my  opinion  I  should  want  for  no- 
thing; if  I  would  not,  I  should 
forthwith  to  Newgate,  and  so  be 
burned.  I  sent  him  again  word, 
that  I  would  rather  die  than  break 
my  faith. 

there  is  not  now  the  same  occasion  for 
the  exercise  of  their  charity,  there  are 
iunumerable  ways  in  which  they  may 
administer  comfort  to  the  distressed 
among  God's  people ;  and  they  sliould 
always  remember  that  they  are  eAborted 
hy  the  apostle  to  "  do  good  nnto  all 
nif  n,  but  especially  unto  them  who  are 
of  ihv-  liouiehold  of  faith."  Gal.  vl.  10. 


"  Thus  the  Lord  open  the  eye*, 
of  their  blind  hearts,  that  the  truth 
may  take  place.  Farewell,  dear 
friend,  and  pray,  pray,  pray." 

Her  racking  in  the  Tower,  men- 
tioned above,  is  thus  described. 
She  was  led  down  into  a  dungeon, 
where  sir  Anthony  Knevet,  the 
lieutenant,  commanded  his  gaoler 
to  pinch  her  with  the  rack;  which 
being  done,  as  much  as  he  thought 
suflicient,  he  was  about  to  take  her 
down,  supposing  that  he  had  done 
enough.  But  Wriothesley,  the 
chancellor,  not  contented  that  she 
should  be  loosed  so  soon,  having 
confessed  nothing,  commanded 
the  lieutenant  to  strain  her  on  the 
rack  again,  which  because  he  de- 
nied to  do,  he  was  threatened  by 
the  chancellor,  "  That  he  Mould 
signify  his  disobedience  to  the 
king;"  but  remaining  unmoved  by 
their  threats,  Wriothesley  and 
Rich,  throwing  off  their  gowns, 
would  needs  play  the  tormentors 
themselves,  first  asking  her  "  If 
she  Mere  with  child?"  to  M'hich 
she  answered,  "  Ye  shall  not  need 
to  spare  for  that,  but  do  your  wills 
upon  me;"  and  so  quietly  and  pa- 
tiently praying  unto  the  Lord,  she 
sustained  their  cruelty,  till  her 
bones  and  joints  were  almost  torn 
asunder,  so  that  she  was  obliged 
to  be  carried  aMay  in  a  chair. 
When  the  racking  was  past,  the 
chancellor  and  Mr.  Rich  rode  oil 
to  the  court. 

In  the  mean  time,  while  they 
were  making  their  way  by  land, 
the  good  lieutenant,  taking  boat, 
hastened  to  the  court  to  speak 
with  the  king  before  the  others, 
which  he  did;  and  desiring  his 
pardon,  told  him  the  whole  matter 
respecting  the  racking  of  Mrs. 
AskeM',  and  the  threats  of  the  lord 
chancellor,  "  because  at  his  com- 
mandment, not  knowing  his  high- 
ness's  pleasure,  he  refused  to  rack 
her,  Mhich  he  for  compassion 
could  not  find  in  his  heart  to  do, 
and  therefore  desired  his  high- 
ness's  pardon;"  M'hich  when  the 
king  had  heard,  he  seemed  not 
much  to  approve  their  severity;  and 
granted  the  lieutenant  his  pardon. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


30y 


While  Mrs.  Askew  was  confined 
iu  Newcfate,  she  made  the  follow- 
ing- confession  of  her  faith.  "  I 
Anne  Askew,  of  good  memory, 
although  my  merciful  Father  hath 
given  me  the  bread  of  adversity, 
and  the  water  of  trouble,  yet  not 
so  much  as  my  sins  have  deserved, 
do  confess  myself  here  a  sinner 
before  the  throne  of  his  heavenly 
majesty,  desiring  his  forgiveness 
and  mercy.  And  for  so  much  as 
I  am  by  the  law  unrighteously  con- 
demned for  an  evil  doer,  concern- 
ing opinions,  I  take  the  same  most 
merciful  God  of  mine,  which  hath 
made  both  heaven  and  earth,  to  re- 
cord that  I  hold  no  opinions  con- 
trary to  his  most  holy  word  ;  and  I 
trust  in  my  merciful  Lord,  which  is 
the  giver  of  all  grace,  that  he  will 
graciously  assist  me  against  all 
evil  opinions  which  are  contrary 
to  his  blessed  verity  ;  for  I  take 
him  to  witness  that  I  have  done, 
and  will,  unto  ray  life's  end,  utterly 
abhor  them  to  the  uttermost  of  my 
power. 

"  But  this  is  the  heresy  which 
they  report  me  to  hold,  that  after 
the  priest  hath  spoken  the  words 
of  consecration,  there  remaineth 
bread  still.  They  both  say,  and 
also  teach  it  for  a  necessary  article 
of  faith,  that  after  these  words  be 
once  spoken,  there  remaineth  no 
bread,  but  even  the  self-same  body 
that  hung  upon  the  cross  on  Good 
Friday,  both  flesh,  blood,  and  bone. 
To  this  belief  of  their's  say  I,  Nay. 
For  then  were  our  common  creed 
false,  which  saith,  that  he  sitteth 
on  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Fa- 
ther Almighty,  and  from  thence 
shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and 
the  dead.  Lo,  this  is  the  heresy 
that  I  hold,  and  for  it  must  suffer 
the  death.  But  as  touching  the 
holy  and  blessed  supper  of  the 
Lord,  I  believe  it  to  be  a  most  ne- 
cessary remembrance  of  his  glo- 
rious suflferings  and  death.  More-  ^ 
over  I  believe  as  much  therein  as 
my  eternal  and  only  Redeemer 
Jesus  Christ  would  I  should  be- 
lieve. 

"Finally,  I  believe  all  those 
scriptures  to  be  true,  which  he  hath 


confirmed  with  his  most  precious 
blood  ;  yea,  and  as  St.  Paul  saith< 
those  scriptures  are  sufficient  for 
our  learning  and  salvation,  that 
Christ  hath  left  here  with  us  ;  so 
that,  I  believe,  we  need  no  unwrit- 
ten verities  to  rule  his  church  with. 
Therefore  look  what  he  hath  said 
unto  me  with  his  own  mouth  in  his 
holy  gospel,  that  I  have  with  God's 
grace  closed  up  in  ray  heart,  and 
my  full  trust  is  (as  David  saith) 
that  it  shall  be  a  lantern  to  ray  foot- 
steps, Psalm  xxviii. 

"  There  be  some  that  say  I  deny 
the  eucharist,  or  sacrament  of 
thanksgiving ;  but  those  people 
untruly  report  of  me  ;  for  I  both 
say  and  believe  it,  that  if  it  were 
ordered  as  Christ  instituted  it  and 
left  it,  a  most  singular  comfort  it 
were  unto  us  all.  But  as  concern- 
ing the  mass  as  it  is  now  used  in 
our  days,  I  say  and  believe  it  to  be 
the  most  abominable  idol  that  is  in 
the  world.  For  my  God  will  not 
be  eaten  with  teeth,  neither  yet 
dieth  he  again  ;  and  upon  these 
words  that  I  have  now  spoken,  will 
I  suffer  death. 

"  O  Lord  !  I  have  more  enemies 
now  than  there  be  hairs  on  my 
head ;  yet,  Lord !  let  them 
never  Overcome  me  with  vain 
words,  but  fight  thou,  Lord !  iu 
my  stead,  -for  on  thee  cast  I  ray 
care.  With  all  the  spite  they 
can  imagine,  they  fall  upon  me, 
who  am  thy  poor  creature.  Yet, 
sweet  Lord !  let  me  not  set  by 
them  which  are  against  me,  for  in 
thee  is  my  whole  delight;  and. 
Lord !  I  heartily  desire  of  thee, 
that  thou  wilt  of  thy  most  merciful 
goodness  forgive  them  that  vio- 
lence which  they  do,  and  have 
done  unto  me.  Open  also  thou 
their  blind  hearts,  that  they  may 
hereafter  do  that  thing  in  thy  sight, 
which  is  only  acceptable  before 
thee,  and  to  set  forth  thy  verity 
aright,  without  all  vain  fantasy  of 
sinful  men.  So  be  it,  O  Lord !  so 
be  it, 

"  Anne  Askew." 

We  have  thought  it  advisable  to 
give  so  much   of    this  lady's  own 


308 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


writings,  as  they  afford  very  strong 
evidence  of  her  faith,  and  zeal  for 
the  cause  of  truth.  To  this  sacred 
cause  she  was  now  about  to  give 
the  last  and  highest  proof  of  her 
attachment,  by  yielding  up  her  life 
at  the  stake,  as  a  token  of  her  de- 
votion to  the  pure  religion  of 
Jesus, and  her  abhorrence  of  the  de- 
vices and  inventions  of  the  papists. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  her 
execution,  she  was  brought  to 
Smithfield  in  a  chair,  being  unable 
to  walk,  from  the  effects  of  the  tor- 
tures which  she  had  undergone. 
When  she  arrived  at  the  stake,  she 
was  fastened  to  it  by  a  chain  round 
her  body.  Three  other  persons 
were  brought  to  suffer  with  her, 
for  the  same  offence.  These  were, 
Nicholas  Belenian,  a  priest  of 
Shropshire  ;  John  Adams,  a  tailor  ; 
and  John  Lacels,  a  gentleman  of 
the  king's  household. 

The  martyrs  being  all  chained  to 
the  stake,  Dr.  Shaxton,  who  was 
appointed  to  preach,  began  his 
sermon;  and  as  he  proceeded, 
Anne  Askew,  with  undiminished 
spirit,  either  confirmed  or  contra- 
dicted him,  according  to  the  truth 
or  falsehood  of  bis  quotations  and 
inferences. 

The  sermon  being  concluded, 
the  martyrs  began  their  prayers. 
The  concourse  of  spectators  was 
immense,  and  on  a  bench  near  the 
stake  sat  the  lord  chancellor,  the 
duke  of  Norfolk,  the  earl  of  Bed- 
ford, the  lord  mayor,  and  other 
persons  of  consideration.  The 
chancellor  sent  to  Anne  Askew 
letters,  offering  to  her  the  king's 
pardon  if  she  would  recant;  but 
she,  refusing  even  to  look  upon 
them,  made  this  answer,  "  That 
she  came  not  thither  to  deny  her 
Lord  and  master."  Then  the  let- 
ters were  likewise  offered  to  the 
others,  who  imitating  the  constancy 
of  the  woman,  refused  not  only  to 
receive  them,  but  also  to  look  upon 
them,  and  continued  to  cheer  and 
exhort  each  other  to  be  firm  to  the 
end  of  their  sufferings,  and  so  to 
deserve  the  glory  they  were  about 
to  enter;  whereupon  the  lord 
mayor,   commanding  fire  to  be  put 


to  them,  cried,  with  a  loud  voice, 
''^Jidt  justitia." 

And  thus  these  blessed  martyrs 
were  compassed  in  with  flames  of 
fire,  and  offered  up  as  sacrifices 
unto  God. 

DESIGNS    AGAINST   CRANMER. 

These  events  were  so  many 
triumphs  to  the  popish  party,  who, 
stimulated  by  fresh  hopes,  sought 
to  complete  their  victory  by  ef- 
fecting the  ruin  of  Cranmer  and 
the  queen,  whom  they  considered 
the  greatest  obstacles  to  their  suc- 
cess. They  persuaded  the  king 
that  Cranmer  was  the  source  of 
all  the  heresies  in  England;  but 
Henry's  esteem  for  him  was  such, 
that  no  one  would  appear  to  give 
evidence  against  him  ;  they  there- 
fore desired  that  he  might  be  com- 
mitted to  the  Tower,  and  then  it 
would  appear  how  many  would  in- 
form against  him. 

The  king  seemed  to  approve  this 
plan,  and  they  resolved  to  execute 
it  the  next  day:  but  in  the  night 
Henry  sent  for  Cranmer,  and  told 
him  what  was  resolved  concerning 
him.  Cranmer  thanked  the  king 
for  giving  him  notice  of  it,  and 
submitted  to  it,  only  desiring  that 
he  might  be  heard  in  answer  for 
himself;  and  that  he  might  have 
impartial  judges,  competent  to 
decide.  Henry  was  surprised  to 
see  him  so  little  concerned  in  his 
own  preservation  :  but  told  him, 
since  he  took  so  little  care  of  him- 
self, that  he  must  take  care  of  him. 
He  therefore  gave  him  instructions 
to  appear  before  the  council,  and 
to  desire  to  see  his  accusers  before 
he  should  be  sent  to  the  Tower ; 
and  that  he  might  be  used  by  them, 
as  they  would  desire  to  be  used  in 
a  similar  case ;  and,  if  he  could 
not  prevail  by  the  force  of  reason, 
then  he  was  to  appeal  to  the  king 
in  person,  and  was  to  shew  the 
royal  seal  ring,  which  he  took  from 
his  finger,  and  gave  him,  which 
they  would  know  so  well  that  they 
would  do  nothing  after  they  once 
saw  it. 

Accordingly,  on  being  summon- 
ed next  morning,  he  came  over  to 
Whitehall ;  there  he  was  detained, 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


309 


■with  great  insolence,  in  the  lobby 
of  the  council  chamber  before  he 
was  called  in ;  but  when  that  was 
done,  and  he  had  acted  as  the  king 
had  ordered  him,  and  at  last  shew- 
ed the  ring,  his  enemies  rose  in 
great  confusion,  and  went  to  the 
king.  He  upbraided  them  severely 
for  what  they  had  done,  and  ex- 
pressed his  esteem  and  kindness 
for  Cranmer,  in  such  terms,  that 
they  were  glad  to  get  otF,  by  pre- 
tending that  they  had  no  other  de- 
sign but  that  of  having  his  inno- 
cence declared  by  a  public  trial. 
From  this  vain  attempt  they  were 
so  convinced  of  the  king's  unalter- 
able favour  to  him,  that  they  for- 
bore any  further  designs  against 
him. 

But  what  they  could  not  effect 
against  Cranmer,they  thought  might 
be  more  safely  tried  against  the 
queen,  who  was  known  to  love  the 
"new  learning,"  as  the  reformation 
was  then  called.  She  used  to  have 
sermons  in  her  privy  chamber, 
which  could  not  be  so  secretly  car- 
ried, but  that  it  came  to  the  know- 
ledge of  her  royal  spouse  ;  yet  her 
conduct  in  all  other  things  was  so 
exact,  and  she  expressed  such  a 
tender  care  of  the  king's  person, 
that  it  was  observed  she  had  gain- 
ed much  upon  him  ;  but  his  peev- 
ishness growing  Avith  his  distem- 
pers, .made  him  sometimes  impa- 
tient even  to  her. 

He  used  often  to  talk  with  her 
of  matters  of  religion,  and  some- 
times she  sustained  the  argument 
for  the  reformers  so  strenuously, 
that  he  was  offended  at  it ;  yet  as 
soon  as  that  appeared  she  let  it 
fall.  But  once  the  debate  conti- 
nuing long,  the  king  expressed  his 
displeasure  at  it  to  Gardiner,  when 
she  went  away.  The  crafty  bishop 
took  hold  of  this  opportunity  to 
persuade  the  king  that  she  was  a 
great  cherisher  of  heretics.  Wrio- 
thesley  joined  with  him  in  the  same 
artifice  ;  and  filled  the  angry  king's 
head  with  suspicions,  insomuch  that 
he  signed  the  articles  upon  which 
she  was  to  be  impeached.  But 
the  chancellor  carelessly  dropping 
the  paper,  it  happened  to  be  taken 


up  by  one  of  the  queen's  fViends, 
who  carried  it  to  her. 

The  next  night,  after  supper, 
she  went  into  the  king's  bedcham- 
ber, where  she  found  him  sitting 
and  talking  with  certain  gentlemen. 
He  very  courteously  welcomed 
her,  and  breaking  off  his  talk  with 
the  gentlemen,  began  of  himself, 
contrary  to  his  usual  manner,  to 
enter  into  talk  of  religion,  seem- 
ing, as  it  were,  desirous  to  hear 
the  queen's  opinion  on  certain 
matters  which  he  mentioned. 

The  queen,  perceiving  to  what 
this  tended,  mildly,  and  with  much 
apparent  deference,  answered  him 
as  follows : 

"  Your  Majesty,"  says  she, 
"  doth  right  well  know,  neither 
am  I  myself  ignorant,  what  great 
imperfection  and  weakness  by  our 
first  creation  is  allotted  unto  us 
women,  to  be  ordained  and  ap- 
pointed as  inferior,  and  subject 
unto  man  as  our  head,  from  which 
head  all  our  direction  ought  to 
proceed  ;  and  that  as  God  made 
man  to  his  own  shape  and  likeness, 
whereby  he,  being  endued  with 
more  special  gifts  of  perfection, 
might  rather  be  stirred  to  the  con- 
templation of  heavenly  things,  and 
to  the  earnest  endeavour  to  obey 
his  commandments ;  even  so  also 
made  he  woman  of  man,  of  whom, 
and  by  whom,  she  is  to  be  govern- 
ed, commanded,  and  directed; 
whose  womanly  weaknesses  and 
natural  imperfection  ought  to  be 
tolerated,  aided,  and  borne  withal, 
so  that  by  his  wisdom  such  things 
as  be  lacking  in  her  ought  to  be 
supplied. 

"  Since  thence,  therefore,  that 
God  hath  appointed  such  a  natural 
difference  between  man  and  wo- 
man, and  your  majesty  being  so 
excellent  in  gifts  and  ornaments 
of  wisdom,  and  I  a  silly  poor  wo- 
man, so  much  inferior  in  all  re- 
spects of  nature  unto  you,  how 
then  cometh  it  now  to  pass  that 
your  majesty,  in  such  diffuse 
causes  of  religion,  will  seem  to 
require  my  judgment  ?  which,  when 
I  have  uttered  and  said  what  I 
can,  yet  must  I,  and  will  I,  refer 


310 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


my  jufl^ment  in  thissi  and  in  all 
other  cases,  to  j'our  majesty's  wis- 
dom, as  my  only  anchor,  supreme 
head  and  governor  here  on  earth, 
next  under  God  to  lean  unto." 

"  Not  so,  by  Saint  Mary,"  replied 
the  king  ;  '*  you  are  become  a  doc  • 
tor,  Kate,  to  instruct  us  (as  we  take 
it)  and  not  to  be  instructed  or  di- 
rected by  us." 

"  If  your  majesty  take  it  so," 
said  the  queen,  "  then  hath  your 
majesty  very  much  mistaken,  who 
have  ever  been  of  the  opinion,  to 
think  it  very  unseemly  and  prepos- 
terous for  the  woman  to  take  upon 
her  the  office  of  an  instructor,  or 
teacher  to  her  lord  and  husband, 
but  rather  to  learn  of  her  husband, 
and  to  be  taught  by  him ;  and  where 
I  kave,  with  3^our  majesty's  leave, 
heretofore  been  bold  to  hold  talk 
with  your  majesty,  wherein  some- 
times in  opinions  there  hath  seem- 
ed some  difference,  T  have  not  done 
it  so  imich  to  maintain  opinion,  as 
I  did  it  rather  to  minister  talk,  not 
only  to  the  end  your  majesty  might 
with  less  grief  pass  over  this  pain- 
ful time  of  your  infirmity,  being  in- 
tentive  to  our  talk,  and  hoping  that 
your  majesty  should  reap  some  ease 
thereby  ;  but  also  that  I,  hearing 
your  majesty's  learned  discourse, 
might  receive  to  myself  some  profit 
thereby;  wherein,  I  assure  your 
majesty,  I  have  not  missed  any  part 
of  my  desire  in  that  behalf,  always 
referring  myself  in  all  such  matters 
unto  your  majesty,  as  by  ordinance 
of  nature  it  is  convenient  for  me  to 
do." 

"  And  is  it  even  so,  sweetheart?" 
cried  the  king ;  "  and  tended  your 
arguments  to  no  worse  end?  Then 
perfect  friends  we  are  now  again, 
as  ever  at  any  time  heretofore."  And 
as  he  sat  in  his  chair,  embracing 
her  in  his  arms,  and  kissing  her,  he 
added,  that  "  it  did  him  more  good 
at  that  time  to  hear  those  words  of 
her  own  mouth,  than  if  he  had  heard 
present  news  of  an  hundred  thou- 
sand pounds  in  money  fallen  unto 
him  ;"  and  with  tokens  of  great 
joy,  and  promises  and  assurances 
never  again  to  mistake  her,  he  en- 
tered into  very  pleasant  discourse 


with  the  queen,  and  the  lords  mid 

gentlemen  standing  by  ;  and  at  last 
(the  night  being  far  advanced),  he 
gave  her  leave  to  depart.  And  af- 
ter she  was  gone,  he  greatly  com- 
mended and  praised  her. 

The  time  formerly  appointed  for 
her  being  taken  into  custody,  being 
come,  the  king,  waited  upon  by 
two  gentlemen  only  of  his  bedcham- 
ber, went  into  the  gaj;den,  whither 
the  queen  also  cam6,  (being  sent 
for  by  the  king  himself)  with  three 
ladies  attending  her.  Henry  im- 
mediately entered  into  pleasant 
conversation  with  the  queen  and  at- 
tendants ;  when  suddenly,  in  the 
midst  of  their  mirth,  the  lord  chan- 
cellor came  into  the  garden  with 
forty  of  the  king's  guards,  intend- 
ing to  have  taken  the  queen,  toge- 
ther with  the  three  ladies,  to  the 
Tower.  The  king,  sternly  behold- 
ing them,  broke  off  his  mirth  with 
the  queen,  and  stepping  a  little 
aside,  called  the  chancellor  to  him, 
who  upon  his  knees  spake  to  the 
king,  but  what  he  said  is  not  well 
known  :  it  is,  however,  certain  that 
the  king's  reply  to  him  was, "  Knave ! 
yea,  arrant  knave,  beast,  and  fool !" 
and  then  he  commanded  him  pre- 
sently to  begone  out  of  his  pre- 
sence ;  which  words,  being  vehe- 
mently spoken  by  the  king,  the 
queen  and  her  ladies  overheard 
them. 

The  king,  after  the  departure  of 
the  chancellor  and  his  guards,  im- 
mediately returned  to  the  queen; 
when  she,  perceiving  him  to  be 
very  much  irritated,  endeavoured 
to  pacify  him  with  kind  words,  in 
behalf  of  the  lord  chancellor,  with 
whom  he  seemed  to  be  offended, 
saying,  "  That  albeit  she  knew  not 
what  just  cause  his  majesty  had  at 
that  time  to  be  offended  with  him  ; 
yet  she  thought  that  ignorance,  not 
wilfulness,  was  the  cause  of  his 
error." 

"  Ah,  poor  soul,"  replied  the  king, 
"  thou  little  knowest  how  ill  he  de- 
serveth  this  grace  at  thy  hands.  On 
my  word,  sweetheart,  he  hath  been 
towards  thee  an  arrant  knave,  and 
so  let  him  go."  Thus  the  design 
against   her   was    frustrated,    and 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


311 


(CJaidiiier,    avIio   had   promoted   it, 
lost  the  king's  favour  entirely. 

THE    king's    sickness,    AND  DEATH. 

The  kinp:'s  distemper  had  been 
long  growing-  upon  him.  He  was 
become  so  corpulent  that  he  could 
not  go  up  and  down  stairs,  but  was 
let  down  and  drawn  up  by  an  en- 
gine, when  he  intended  to  walk  in 
his  garden.  He  had  an  ulceration 
in  his  leg,  which  gave  him  much 
pain,  the  humours  of  his  body  dis- 
charging themselves  that  way,  tail 
at  last  a  dropsy  came  on.  He  had 
grown  so  tierce  and  cruel,  that 
those  about  him  were  afraid  to  let 
him  know  that  his  death  seemed 
near,  lest  they  might  have  been  ad- 
judged guilty  of  treason,  in  foretell- 
ing his  death ! 

His  will  was  made  ready,  and 
signed  by  him  on  the  30th  of  De- 
cember. He  ordered  Gardiner's 
name  to  be  struck  out  from  the  list 
of  his  executors.  When  sir  An- 
thony Brown  endeavoured  to  per- 
suade him  not  to  put  that  disgrace 
on  an  old  servant,  he  continued 
positive  in  it ;  for  he  said  "  he  knew 
his  temper,  and  could  govern  him  ; 
but  it  would  not  be  in  the  power  of 
others  to  do  it,  if  he  were  put  in  so 
high  a  trust."  The  most  material 
thing  in  the  will,  was,  the  prefer- 
ring the  children  of  his  second  sis- 
ter, by  Charles  Brandon,  duke  of 
Suffolk,  to  the  children  of  his  eldest 
sister  the  queen  of  Scotland,  in  the 
succession  to  the  crown.  On  his 
death-bed  he  finished  the  founda- 
tion of  Trinity-college  in  Cam- 
bridge, and  of  Christ's-hospital, 
near.  Newgate ;  yet  this  last  was 
not  fully  settled,  till  his  son  com- 
pleted what  he  had  begun. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1547,  his 
spirits  sunk,  and  it  was  evident  that 
he  had  not  long  to  live.  Sir  An- 
thony Denny  took  the  courage  to 
tell  him  that  death  was  approach- 
ing, and  desired  him  to  call  on  God 
for  his  mercy.  He  expressed  in 
general  his  sorrow  for  his  past  sins, 
and  his  trust  in  the  mercies  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesus.  He  ordered  Cran- 
mer  to  be  sent  for,  but  was  speech- 
less before  he  arrived  ;  yet  he  gave 


a  sign  that  he  understood  what  lie 
said  to  him,  and  soon  alter  died,  in 
the  5Gth  year  of  his  age,  after  he 
Jiad  reigned  thirty-seven  years,  and 
nine  months.  His  death  was  con- 
cealed three  days  ;  and  the  parlia- 
ment continued  to  sit  till  the  31st 
of  January,  when  his  decease  was 
made  public.  It  is  probable  the 
Seymours,  uncles  to  the  young 
king,  concealed  it  so  long,  till  they 
made  a  party  for  securing  the  go- 
vernment in  their  own  hands. 

The  severities  Henry  used  against 
many  of  his  subjects,  in  matters  of 
religion,  made  both  sides  write  with 
great  sharpness  against  him  ;  his 
temper  was  imperious  and  cruel ; 
he  was  sudden  and  violent  in  his 
passions,  and  hesitated  at  nothing 
by  which  he  could  gratify  either 
his  lust  or  his  revenge.  This  was 
much  provoked  by  the  sentence  of 
the  pope  against  him,  by  the  viru- 
lent books  cardinal  Pole  and  others 
published,  by  the  rebellions  that 
were  raised  in  England  by  the  po- 
pish clergy,  and  the  apprehensions 
he  was  in  of  the  emperor's  great- 
ness, together  with  his  knowledge 
of  the  fate  of  those  princes,  against 
whom  the  popes  had  thundered  in 
former  times  ;  ail  which  made  him 
think  it  necessary  to  keep  his  peo- 
ple under  the  terror  of  a  severe  go- 
vernment ;  and  by  some  public  ex- 
amples to  secure  the  peace  of  the 
nation,  and  thereby  to  prevent  a 
more  profuse  ellusion  of  blood, 
which  might  have  otherwise  follow- 
ed if  he  had  been  more  gentle  ;  and 
it  was  no  wonder,  if  after  the  pope 
deposed  him,  he  proceeded  to  great 
severities  against  all  who  supported 
the  papal  authority. 

Almost  the  last  act  of  his  life  was 
one  of  barbarous  ingratitude  and 
monstrous  tyranny.  This  was  the 
execution  of  the  earl  of  Surrey,  a 
brave  and  accomplished  nobleman, 
Avho  had  served  him  with  zeal  and 
fidelity,  but  was  now  sacrificed  to 
the  groundless  suspicions  of  this 
gloomy  tyrant,  on  the  pretence  of 
his  having  assumed  the  arms  of  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor,  which,  from  his 
being  related  to  the  royal  family, 
he  hxid  a  right  to  do,  and  which  he 


312 


BDOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


had  done,  durinj^  many  years,  with- 
out ofl'ence.  Not  satisfied  witli  the 
deatli  of  tliis  nobleman,  the  blood- 
thirsty despot,  now  tottering^  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave,  determined  to 
complete  bis  worse  tlian  savage 
barbarity,  by  bringing  to  the  block 
the  aged  dnke  of  Norfolk,  father  of 
his  former  victim^  who  bad  spent  a 
iong  life,  and  expended  a  princely 
fortune,  in  his  service.  There  b^ing 
no  charge  on  which  to  found  an  im- 
peachment against  him,  a  parlia- 
ment was  summoned  to  attaint  him  ; 
and  so  well  did  these  servile 
wretches  fulfil  their  inhuman  masv 
ter's  expectations,  that  the  bjU  of 
attainder  was  passed  in  both  houses 
in  the  short  space  of  seven  days; 
and  the  voyal  assent  being  given  by 
commission,  January  27,  the  duke 
was  ordered  for  execution  on  the 
next  morning  ;  but  in  the  course  of 
the  night,  the  king  was  himself 
summoned  before  the  tribunal  of  the 
eternal  Judge, 

Beside  the  martyrdoms  which  we 
have  already' recorded,  there  are 
some  others  which  have  not  been 
placed  in  their  chronological  order. 
We  therefore  insert  ^em  here, 
which  will  complete  this  important 
period  of  church  history. 

BURNING    OF   BENT   AND    TRAPNEE. 

John  Bent  and —  Trapnel  suffer- 
ed shortly  after  the  martyrdom  of 
Thomas  Bilney,  of  which  we  have 
given  an  account  at  pages  254,  255. 
The  particulars  of  their  examina- 
tions and  trials  are  not  extant ;  but, 
having  sealed  their  profession  by 
their  death,  their  names  ought  to  be 
held  in  remembrance  among  those 
of  their  brethren.  Bent  was  a  tai- 
lor in  the  village  of  Urchevant,  and 
was  burned  in  the  town  of  Devizes, 
in  the  county  of  Wiltshire.  Trap- 
nel suffered  the  same  fate  at  Brad- 
ford in  the  same  county,  Their 
offence  consisted  in  having  denied 
the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation. 

THREE  MEN  HANGED  FOR  BURNING 
THE  ROOD  OF  DOVER-COURT. 

In  the  year  1532,  there  was  an 
idol  called  the  Rood  of  Dover-court, 
to  which  great  numbers  of  people 
constantly  resorted.      For  at  that 


time  there  was  a  (irm  belief  amongst 
the  ignorant  multitude,  that  tlie 
power  of  this  idol  was  so  great, 
that  no  man  could  shut  the  door  of 
the  church  where  it  stood,  and 
therefore  the  priests  let  it  continu- 
ally stand  open,  to  obtain  the  more 
credit  to  their  false  report. 

This  belief  being  conceived  in  the 
heads  of  the  rabble,  seemed  a  great 
miracle  unto  many  j  but  by  others, 
whom  God  had  blessed  with  his 
spirit,  was  greatly  suspected,  espe- 
cially by  these,  whose  names  here 
follow  :  Robert  King  of  Dedham, 
Robert  Debnam  of  Eastbergholt, 
Nicholas  Marsh  of  Dedham,  and 
Robert  Gardiner  of  Dedham,  who 
were  much  grieved  to  see  the  ho- 
nour and  power  of  the  Almighty 
God  soblasphemed.  Wherefore  they 
were  moved  by  the  spirit  of  God,  to 
travel  out  of  Dedham  in  a  night 
suitable  iot  their  purpose,  it  being 
a  .hard  frost,  and  moonlight.  It 
was  from  the  town  of  Dedham,  to 
the  place  where  the  Rood  stood, 
ten  miles.  Notwithstanding,  they 
were  so  earnest  in  their  enterprise, 
that  they  went  these  ten  miles 
cheerfully,  and  found  the  church- 
door  open,  according  to  custom. 
This  happened  well  for  their  pur^ 
pose  ;  for  it  gave  them  an  opportu- 
nity of  easily  approaching  the  idol ; 
which  had  as  much  power  to  keep 
the  door  shut  as  to  keep  it  open. 
They  took  this  helpless  god  from 
his  shrine,  and  carried  him  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  the  place  where 
he  stood  ;  then  they  struck  tire  with 
a  flint-stone,  and  suddenly  setting 
him  in  a  blaze,  walked  home  by  the 
light  of  it. 

A  great  clamour  was  immediately 
raised  by  the  priests  of  this  injured 
wooden  deity  ;  and  three  of  the  de- 
stroyers of  the  idol  were  indicted 
of  felony,  and  hanged  in  chains  in 
a  short  time  after.  Robert  King 
was  hanged  in  Dedham  ;  Debnam 
at  Cataway-causeway ;  Nicholas 
Marsh  at  Dover-court.  They  all, 
through  the  spirit  of  God,  at  their 
death,  said  more  to  edify  the  peor 
pie  in  godly  learning,  than  all  the 
friars  and  monks  who  had  preached 
tliere  during  centuries  before. 


PUOGFiESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


313 


Robert  Gardiner  escaped  by  flight, 
and  although  greatsearch  was  made 
after  him,  the  living  Lord  preserved 
him. 

About  the  same  time  there  were 
many  images  cast  down  and  de- 
stroyed in  various  places  :  as  the 
image  of  the  crucifix  in  the  high- 
way by  Coggeshall,  the  image  of  St, 
Petronil  in  the  church  of  Great 
Horksleigh,  the  image  of  St.  Chris- 
topher near  Sudbury,  and  another 
image  of  St.  Petronil  in  a  chapel 
at  Ipswich. 

Also  .John  Seward  of  Dedham, 
overthrew  the  cross  in  Stoke-park, 
and  took  two  images  out  of  a  chapel 
there,  and  cast  them  into  the  water. 

PERSECUTION    AN'D    MARTYRDOM    OF 
THOMAS   BENET. 

Thomas  Benet  was  bom  in  Cam- 
bridge; became  M.A.  there;  and 
(as  some  think)  was  also  a  priest ; 
he  was  a  very  learned  man,  and  of 
a  godly  disposition,  being  intimate- 
ly acquainted  with  Thomas  Bilney, 
the  glorious  martyr  of  Christ.  The 
more  he  grew  and  increased  in  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  his  holy 
work,  the  more  he  disliked  the  cor- 
rupt state  of  religion  then  preva- 
lent;  and  therefore  being  desirous 
to  live  in  more  freedom  of  consci- 
ence, he  quitted  the  university,  and 
went  into  Devonshire,  in  the  year 
1324,  and  resided  in  Torrington,  a 
market-town,  where,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  himself  and  his  wife,  he 
kept  a  school.  But  that  town  not 
answering  his  expectation,  after 
remaining  there  one  year,  he  went 
to  Exeter,  and  resumed  his  teach- 
ing. He  was  of  a  quiet  behaviour, 
of  a  godly  conversation,  and  of  a 
very  courteous  nature,  humble  to 
all  men,  and  giving  offence  to  none. 
His  greatest  delight  was  to  attend 
sermons  and  preachings,  whereof 
he  was  a  diligent  and  attentive 
hearer,  and  he  devoted  all  his  lei- 
sure to  the  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
3.nd  the  company  of  such  as  he 
found  to  be  favourers  of  the  gospel. 
Therefore  understanding  that  Mr. 
Strowd,  of  Newnham,  was  com- 
piitted  to  the  bishop's  prison  in 
^xeter  upon  suspicion  of  heresy, 


altltough  unacquainted  with  him, 
yet  he  sent  him  letters  of  consola- 
tion ;  wherein,  speaking  of  himself, 
he  said,  "  Because  I  would  not  be 
a  whoremonger,  or  an  unclean  per- 
son, I  married  a  wife,  with  whom  I 
have  hidden  myself  in  Devonshire 
from  the  tyranny  of  the  antichris- 
tians,  these  six  years." 

But  although  he  had  hitherto 
avoided  any  public  expression  of 
his  sentiments,  yet  now,  daily  see- 
ing the  glory  of  God  blasphemed, 
idolatrous  religion  embraced  and 
maintained,  and  the  usurped  power 
of  the  bishop  of  Rome  extolled,  he 
was  so  grieved  in  conscience,  and 
troubled  in  spirit,  that  he  could  not 
rest  till  he  gave  utterance  to  his 
thoughts  on  these  subjects.  Where- 
fore, speaking  privately  with  his 
friends,  he  plainly  told  them  how 
blasphemously  and  abominably  God 
was  dishonoured,  his  word  con- 
temned, and  the  people,  by  blind 
guides,  carried  headlong  to  everlast- 
ing damnation:  and  therefore,  he 
said,"  he  could  no  longer  endure,  but 
must  needs,  and  would  utter  their 
abominations ;  and  for  his  own  part, 
for  the  testimony  of  his  conscience, 
and  for  the  defence  of  God's  true 
religion,  would  yield  himself  most 
patiently  (as  near  as  God  would 
give  him  grace)  to  die  and  to  shed 
his  blood  therein  ;  alleging  that  his 
death  should  be  more  profitable  to 
the  church  of  God,  and  for  the  edi- 
fying of  his  people,  than  his  life 
should  be." 

To  these  persuasions  his  friends 
at  length  yielded,  and  promised  to 
pray  to  God  for  him,  that  he  might 
be  made  strong  in  the  cause,  and 
continue  a  faithful  soldier  to  the 
end.  He  then  gave  directions  for 
the  distribution  of  such  books  as  he 
had ;  and  shortly  after,  in  the  month 
t)f  October,  he  wrote  his  mind  on 
some  scrolls  of  paper,  which  in  the 
night  he  affixed  upon  the  doors 
of  the  cathedral  church  of  the  city  : 
on  these  papers  was  written ;  "  The 
pope  is  antichrist,  and  we  ought  to 
worship  God  only,  and  no  saints." 

These  bills  being  found,  the 
clergy  were  all  in  alarm,  and 
great   search    was    made    for  the 


314 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


"  heretic"  who  had  set  them  up. 
Orders  were  ajiven  that  sermons 
should  be  preached  every  day  to 
confute  this  heresy.  Nevertheless 
Benet,  keeping  his  own  secret, 
went  the  Sunday  following  to  the 
cathedral,  and  by  chance  sate 
tlown  by  two  men  who  had  been 
the  busiest  in  all  the  city  in  seek- 
ing and  searching  for  heretics; 
and  they  beholding  Benet,  said 
one  to  the  other,  "  Surely  this  fel- 
low is  the  heretic  that  hath  set  up 
the  bills,  and  it  were  good  to  exa- 
mine him."  Nevertheless,  when 
they  had  well  beheld  him,  and  saw 
the  quiet  and  sober  behaviour  of 
the  man,  his  attentiveness  to  the 
preacher,  his  godliness  in  the 
church,  being  always  occupied  in 
his  book,  which  was  a  Testament 
in  the  Latin  tongue,  they  were  as- 
tonished, and  had  no  power  to 
speak  to  him,  but  departed,  and 
left  him  reading  his  book. 

The  priests  being  unable  to  dis- 
cover the  perpetrator  of  this  horri- 
ble deed,  at  length  determined,  to 
make  his  damnation  sure,  to  curse 
him,  whoever  h^niight  be;  which 
was  accordingly  performed,  with 
much  mummery ;  and  as  the 
whole  proceeding  affords  a  just 
view  of  the  pietij,  charity,  and 
mercij  of  the  Romish  church,  we 
give  it  here,  for  the  edification  of 
our  readers. 

One  of  the  priests,  apparelled 
all  in  white,  ascended  into  the 
pulpit.  The  rabble,  with  some  of 
the  two  orders  of  friars  and 
monks,  standing  round  about,  and 
the  cross  beii>g  hoi  den  up  with 
holy  candles  of  wax  fixed  to  the 
same,  he  began  his  sermon  with 
this  text  from  the  book  of  .Joshua; 
Est  hiasphemia  in  eastris:  "  there  is 
blasphemy  in  the  camp:"  and 
after  making  a  long,  tedious,  and 
superstitious  preachment,  con- 
cluded, that  "  that  foul  and  abo- 
minable heretic  which  had  put  up 
such  blasphemous  bills,  was  for 
that  his  blasphemy  damnably 
cursed;  and  besought  God,  our 
lady,  St.  Peter,  patron  of  that 
church,  with  all  the  holy  company 
of   martyrs,   confessors,   and   vir- 


gins, that  it  might  be  known  what 
heretic  had  put  up  such  blasphem- 
ous bills."  Then  followed  the 
curse,  uttered  by  the  priest  in  these 
words : 

"  By  the  authority  of  God  the 
Father  Almighty,  and  of  the  bless- 
ed Virgin  Mary,  of  St.  Peter  and 
Paul,  and  of  the  holy  saints,  we 
excommunicate,  we  utterly  curse 
and  ban,  commit  and  deliver  to  the 
devil  of  hell,  him  or  her,  whatso- 
ever he  or  she  be,  that  have,  in 
spite  of  God  and  of  St.  Peter, 
whose  church  this  is,  in  spite  of  all 
holy  saints,  and  in  spite  of  our 
most  holy  father  the  pope,  God's 
vicar  here  on  earth,  and  in  spite  of 
the  reverend  Father  in  God,  John 
our  diocesan,  and  the  worshipful 
canons,  masters,  and  priests,  and 
clerks,  which  serve  God  daily  in 
this  cathedral  church,  fixed  up 
with  wax  such  cursed  and  here- 
tical bills  full  of  blasphemy,  upon 
the  doors  of  this  and  other  holy 
churches  within  this  city.  Ex- 
communicate plainly  be  he  or  she 
plenally,  or  they,  and  delivered 
over  to  the  devil,  as  perpetual  ma- 
lefactors and  schismatics.  Ac- 
cursed might  they  be,  and  given 
body  and  soul  to  the  devil.  Cursed 
be  they,  he  or  she,  in  cities  and 
towns,  in  fields,  in  ways,  in  paths, 
in  houses,  out  of  houses,  and  in  all 
other  places,  standing,  lying,  or 
rising,  walking,  running,  waking, 
sleeping,  eating,  drinking,  and 
whatsoever  thing  they  do  besides. 
We  separate  them,  him  or  her, 
from  the  threshold,  and  from  all 
the  good  prayers  of  the  church, 
from  the  participation  of  the  holy 
mass,  from  all  sacraments,  cha- 
pels, and  altars,  from  holy  bread, 
and  holy  water,  from  all  the  merits 
of  God's  priests,  and  religious 
men,  and  from  all  their  cloisters, 
from  all  their  pardons,  privileges, 
grants,  and  immunities,  which  all 
the  holy  fathers,  popes  of  Rome, 
have  granted  to  them:  and  we  give 
them  over  utterly  to  the  power  of 
the  fiend,  and  let  us  quench  their 
souls,  if  they  be  dead,  this  night 
in  the  pains  of  hell  fire,  as  this 
candle  is  now  quenched  and  put 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


315 


out" — (and  with  tljat  he  put  out 
one  of  the  candles:) — "  and  let  us 
pray  to  God  (if  they  be  alive)  that 
tiieir  eyes  may  be  put  out,  as  this 
caudle  light  is" — (he  then  put  out 
the  other  eandle:)  "and  let  us 
pray  to  God,  and  to  our  lady,  and 
to  St.  Peter  and  Paul,  and  all 
holy  saints,  that  all  the  senses  of 
their  bodies  may  fail  them,  and 
that  they  may  have  no  feeling,  as 
now  the  light  of  this  candle  is 
gone" — (he  put  out  the  third  can- 
dle)—" except  they,  he  or  she, 
come  openly  now  and  confess  their 
blasphemy,  and  by  repentance  (as 
in  them  shall  lie)  make  satisfaction 
unto  God,  our  lady,  St.  Peter,  and 
the  worshipful  company  of  this  ca- 
thedral church;  and  as  this  holy 
cross  staff  now  falleth  down,  so 
might  they,  except  they  repent, 
and  shew  themselves."  Then,  the 
cross  being  first  taken  away,  the 
start"  fell  down.  And  the  ignorant 
people  were  almost  petrified  with 
fear,  at  hearing  this  terribfe  de- 
nunciation. 

Now  this  foolish  fantasy  and 
mockery  being  ended,  which  was 
to  a  Christian  heart  utterly  ridicu- 
lous, Benet  could  no  longer  re- 
strain his  laughter;  upon  which, 
those  who  were  next  to  him,  in 
great]  surprise,  asked  him,  "  For 
what  cause  he  should  so  laugh?" 
— "  My  friends,"  said  he,  "  who 
can  forbear,  seeing  such  merry 
conceits  and  interludes  V  Imme- 
diately there  was  a  cry,  "  Here  is 
the  heretic,  here  is  the  heretic! 
hold  him  fast,  hold  him  fast,  hold 
him  fast!"  He  was  accordingly 
seized;  but  his  enemies,  being  un- 
certain of  him,  released  him,  and 
left  him  to  go  home  to  his  house. 

However,  being  still  more  dis- 
gusted by  the  scene  he  had  just 
witnessed,  he  renewed  his  former 
bills,  and  caused  his  boy,  early  in 
the  following  morning,  to  replace 
them  upon  the  gates  of  the  church- 
yard. As  the  boy  was  doing  this, 
he  was  seen  by  a  person  going  to 
early  mass,  who  asking  him, 
"whose  boy  he  was,"  charged 
him  as  the  heretic  who  had  set  up 
the  bills  upon  the  gates;   where- 


fore, pulling  down  the  bill,  he 
brought  it,  together  with  the  boy, 
before  the  mayor;  and  thereupon 
Benet,  being  known  and  taken, 
was  committed  to  prison. 

The  next  day,  the  canons  of  the 
cathedral,  and  magistrates  of  the 
city  jointly  examined  him.  To 
them  he  confessed  what  he  had 
done,  saying,  "  It  was  even  I  that 
put  up  those  bills,  and  if  it  were 
to  do,  I  would  do  it  again;  for  in 
them  I  have  written  nothing  but 
what  is  very  truth."—"  Couldest 
not  thou,"  asked  they,  "  as  well 
have  declared  thy  mind  by  word  of 
mouth,  as  by  putting  up  bills  of 
blasphemy?" — "No,"  said  he;  "I 
put  up  the  bills,  that  many  should 
read  and  hear  what  abominable 
blasphemers  ye  are,  and  that  they 
might  know  your  antichrist,  the 
pope,  to  be  that  boar  out  of  the 
wood,  which  destroyeth  and  throw- 
eth  down  the  hedges  of  God's 
church  ;  for  if  I  had  been  heard  to 
speak  but  one  word,  I  should  have 
been  clapped  fast  in  prison,  and 
the  matter  of  God  hidden.  But 
now  I  trust  more  of  your  blasphe- 
mous doings  will  thereby  be  opened 
and  come  to  light;  for  God  will  so 
have  it,  and  no  longer  will  suffer 
you." 

The  next  day  he  was  sent  to  the 
bishop,  who  committed  him  to 
prison,  where  he  was  kept  in 
stocks  and  strong  irons.  Then  the 
bishop,  with  Dr.  Brewer,  his  chan- 
cellor, and  others  of  his  clergy  and 
friars,  began  to  examine  him,  and 
charge  him,  that,  contrary  to  the 
Catholic  faith,  he  denied  praying 
to  saints,  and  the  supremacy  of  the 
pope.  To  whom  he  answered  in 
so  correct  a  manner,  and  so  learn- 
edly proved  and  defended  his  as- 
sertions, that  he  not  only  con- 
founded and  put  to  silence  his  ad- 
versaries, but  also  filled  them  with 
great  admiration  of  his  abilities, 
and  pity  and  compassion  for  his 
situation.  The  friars  took  great 
pains  with  him  to  persuade  him  to 
recant  and  acknowledge  his  fault, 
concerning  the  bills;  but  it  was  in 
vain,  for  God  had  appointed  him 
to  be  a  witness  of  his  holy  name. 


316 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


His  house  was  then  searched  for 
books  and  papers;  and  his  wife 
much  ill-treated  by  the  officers  em- 
ployed; but  she,  being,  like  her 
husband,  a  member  of  Christ's 
true  church,  bore  all  their  insults 
patiently,  and  "  when  they  reviled 
her,  answered  them  not  again." 

Benet  was  now,  during  eight 
days,  constantly  beset  by  priests 
and  friars,  who  tried  all  arts  to  in- 
duce him  to  be  "  reconciled"  with 
the  church  of  Rome  ;  but  all  their 
efforts  were  vain;  he  remained 
firm  in  the  faith,  and  would  not  re- 
linquish ;the  cross  which  he  had 
taken  up. 

The  principal  point  between  him 
and  his  opponents  was  touching  the 
supremacy  of  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
whom  in  his  bills  he  had  named, 
^*  Antichrist,  the  thief,  the  mercena  - 
ry,  and  murderer  of  Christ's  flock." 
They  who  had  some  learning  per- 
suaded him  to  believe  the  church, 
and  shewed  by  what  tokens  she  is 
known.  The  unlearned  railed,  and 
said,  "That  the  devil  tempted  him," 
and  spit  upon  him,  calling  him  he- 
retic. He  prayed  God  to  give  them 
a  better  mind,  and  to  forgive  them : 
I  "For,"  said  he,  "  I  will  rather  die, 
than  worship  such  a  beast,  the  very 
whore  of  Babylon,  and  a  false  usur- 
per, as  manifestly  doth  appear  by 
Ms  doings."  They  asked,  "  What 
he  did,  that  he  had  no  power  and 
authority  to  do,  being  God's  vicar  1" 
— "  He  doth,"  replied  he,  "sell  the 
sacraments  for  money,  he  selleth 
remission  of  sins  daily  for  money, 
and  so  do  you  likewise :  for  there 
is  no  day  but  ye  say  divers  masses 
for  souls  in  purgatory  :  yea,  and  ye 
spare  not  to  make  lying  sermons  to 
the  people,  to  maintain  your  false 
traditions,  and  foul  gains.  The 
whole  world  begins  now  to  note 
your  doings,  to  your  utter  confu- 
sion and  shame." — "  The  shame," 
cried  they,  "  shall  be  to  thee,  and 
such  as  thou,  foul  heretic.  Wilt 
thou  allow  nothing  done  in  holy 
church?" — "I  am,"  said  he,  "no 
heretic;  but  a  Christian,  I  thank 
Christ  ;  and  with  all  my  heart  will 
allow  ail  things  done  and  used  in 
the  church  to  the  glory  of  God,  and 


edifying  of  my  soul :  but  I  see  no- 
thing in  your  church,  but  that  main- 
taineth  the  devil." — "  What  is  our 
church  ?"  asked  they.  "  It  is  not 
my  church,"  replied  Benet.  "  God 
give  me  grace  to  be  of  a  better 
church ;  for  verily  your  church 
is  the  church  of  antichrist,  the 
malignant  church,  the  second 
church,  a  den  of  thieves,  and  as  far 
wide  from  the  true  universal  and 
apostolic  church  as  heaven  is  dis- 
tant from  the  earth." 

"  Dost  thou  not  think,"  said  they, 
"  that  we  pertain  to  the  universal 
church?" — "  Yes,"  answered  he, 
"  but  as  dead  members,  unto 
whom  the  church  is  not  beneCcial: 
for  your  works  are  the  devices  of 
man,  and  your  church  a  weak 
foundation  ;  for  ye  say  and  preach, 
that  the  pope's  word  is  equal  with 
God's  in  every  degree." — "  Why," 
asked  they,  "  did  not  Christ  say 
to  Peter,  To  thee  I  will  give  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven?" 
— "  He  said  that,"  replied  he,  "  to 
all  as  well  as  to  Peter,  and  Peter 
had  no  moreauthority  given  him  than 
they,  or  else  the  churches  planted 
in  every  kingdom  by  their  preach- 
ing are  no  churches.  Doth  not  St. 
Paul  say,  '  Upon  the  foundations 
of  the  apostles  and  prophets?' 
Therefore,  I  say  plainly,  that  the 
church  that  is  built  upon  a  man,  is 
the  devil's  church,  or  congregation 
and  not  God's.  And  as  every 
church  this  day  is  appointed  to  be 
ruled  by  a  bishop  or  pastor,  or- 
dained by  the  word  of  God  in 
preaching  and  administration  of 
the  sacraments  under  the  prince, 
the  supreme  governor  under  God  ; 
so  to  say,  that  all  the  churches, 
with  their  princes  and  governors, 
be  subject  to  one  bishop,  is  detest- 
able heresy  ;  and  the  pope,  your 
God,  challenging  this  power  to 
himself,  is  the  greatest  schismatic 
that  ever  was." 

"  O  thou  blind  and  unlearned 
fool!"  cried  they,  "  is  not  the  con- 
fession and  consent  of  all  the 
world  as  we  confess  and  consent; 
that  the  pope's  holiness  is  the  su- 
preme head  and  vicar  of  Christ?" 
"  That  is,"  said  Benet,   "  because 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


317 


they  are  blinded,  and  know  not 
the  scriptures  ;  but  if  God  would 
of  his  mercy  open  the  eyes  of 
princes  to  know  their  office,  his 
false  supremacy  would  soon  de- 
cay."— "  We  think,"  said  they, 
"  thou  art  so  malicious,  that  thou 
wilt  confess  no  church." — "  Look," 
said  he,  "  where  they  are  that 
confess  the  true  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  where  only  Christ  is  the 
head,  and  under  him  the  prince  of 
the  realm,  to  order  bishops,  mi- 
nisters, and  preachers,  and  to  see 
them  do  their  duties  in  setting 
forth  the  glory  of  God  by  preach- 
ing his  ward ;  and  where  it  is 
preached,  that  Christ  is  our  only 
advocate,  mediator,  and  patron 
before  his  Father,  making  inter- 
cession for  us ;  and  where  the 
true  faith  and  confidence  in 
Christ's  death  and  passion,  and 
his  only  merits  and  deservings 
are  extolled,  and  our  own  de- 
pressed ;  where  the  sacrament  is 
duly,  without  superstition  or  ido- 
latry, administered  in  remembrance 
of  his  blessed  passion,  and  only 
sacrifice  uponthe  cross  once  for  all, 
and  where  no  superstition  reigu- 
eth  ;  of  that  church  will  I  be." 

"  Doth  not  the  pope,"  asked 
they,  "confess  the  true  gospel? 
do  not  we  all  the  same  T" — "  Yes," 
said  he,  "  but  ye  deny  the  fruits 
thereof  in  every  point.  Ye  build 
upon  the  sands,  not  upon  the  rock." 
— "  And  wilt  thou  not  believe  in- 
deed," said  they,  "  that  the  pope 
is  God's  vicar?" — "  No,"  said  he, 
"  indeed!" — "  And  why?" — "  Be- 
cause he  usurpeth  a  power  not 
given  him  of  Cbrist,  no  more  than 
to  other  apostles ;  also,  because, 
by  force  of  that  usurped  suprema- 
cy, he  blinds  the  whole  world,  and 
doth  contrary  to  all  that  e^er 
Christ  ordained  or  commanded." 
"  What,"  said  they,  "  if  he  do  all 
things  after  God's  ordinance  and 
commandment,  should  he  then  be 
his  vicar?" — "  Then,"  said  he, 
"  would  I  believe  him  to  be  a 
good  bishop  at  Rome  over  his  own 
diocese,  and  to  have  no  further 
power.  And  if  it  pleased  God,  I 
would    every  bishop    did   this   in 


their    diocese :     then    should    we 
live  a  peaceable  life  in  the  church 
of  Christ,  and  there  should  be  no 
seditions  therein.     If  every  bishop 
would   seek  no  further  power,  it 
were   a  goodly  thing.      But  now, 
because  all  are  subject  to  one,  all 
must      do     and     consent    to     all 
wickedness  as  he  doth,  or  be  none 
of  his.     This  is  the  cause  of  great 
superstition    in     every    kingdom ; 
and  what  bishop  soever  he  be  that 
preacheth  the   gospel,  and  main- 
tained the  truth,  is  a  true  bishop 
of  the  church." — "  And  doth  not," 
said   they,  "  our  holy   father   the 
pope      maintain     the    gospel  ?" — 
"  Yea,"  said  he,  "  I  think  he  doth 
read  it,  and  peradventure  believe 
it,  and  so  do  you  also  ;  but  neither 
he  nor  you  do   fix  the   anchor  of 
your   salvation   therein.      Besides 
that,  ye  bear  such  a  good  will  to  it, 
that  ye  keep  it  close,  that  no  man 
may  read  it  but  yourselves.     And 
when  you  preach,   God  knows  how 
you  handle  it :  insomuch,  that  the 
people  of  Christ  know  no  gospel 
but  the  pope's  ;  and  so  the   blind 
lead  the  blind,  and  both  fall  into 
the  pit." 

Then  said  a  black  friar  to  him, 
"Thou  blockhead!  do  we  not 
preach  the  gospel  daily?" — "  Yes," 
replied  Benet,  "  but  what  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel  is  that,  when  you 
extol  superstitious  things,  and 
make  us  believe  that  we  have  re- 
demption through  pardons  and 
bulls  from  Rome,  a  poena  ^-  culpa, 
as  ye  term  it?  and  by  the  merits 
of  your  orders  ye  make  many 
brethren  and  sisters,  ye  take  year- 
ly money  of  them,  ye  bury  them  in 
your  coats,  and  in  shrift  ye  beguile 
them  :  yea,  and  do  a  thousand  su- 
perstitious things  more  ;  a  man 
may  be  weary  to  speak  of  them." — 
"  I  see,"  cried  the  liberal  friar, 
"  thou  art  a  damned  wretch !  I 
M'ill  have  no  more  talk  with  thee." 

After  thi^,  another  of  the  same 
order  addressed  him,  and  endea- 
voured to  shake  his  faith  by  repre- 
senting to  him  the  great  dangers 
to  which  he  exposed  himself.  "  I 
take  God  to  record,"  said  Benet, 
"  my  life  is  not  dear  to  me  ;  I  am 


31B 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


content  to  depart  from  it ;  for  I  am 
weary  of  it,  seeing  your  detestable 
doings,  to  the  utter  destruction  of 
God's  flock;  and,  for  my  part,  I 
can  no  longer  forbear ;  I  had  rather, 
by  death,  which  I  know  is  not  far 
off,  depart  this  life,  that  I  may  no 
longer  be  partaker  of  your  idola- 
tries, or  be  subject  to  antichrist, 
your  pope." — "  Our  pope,"  said 
the  friar,  "  is  the  vicar  of  God, 
and  our  ways  are  the  ways  of  God." 
— "  T  pray  you,"  cried  Benet,  "  de- 
part from  me,  and  tell  not  me  of 
your  ways.  He  is  only  my  way 
which  saith,  '  I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life.'  In  this  way 
will  I  walk,  his  doings  shall  be  my 
example,  not  your's,  nor  your 
pope's.  His  truth  will  I  embrace, 
not  your  falsehood.  His  everlast- 
ing life  will  1  seek,  the  true  re- 
ward of  all  faithful  people.  Vex 
my  soul  no  longer  ;  ye  will  not  pre- 
vail. There  is  no  good  example 
in  you,  no  truth  in  you,  no  life  to 
be  hoped  for  at  your  hands.  Ye 
are  more  vain  than  vanity  itself. 
If  I  should  hear  and  follow  you, 
everlasting  death  would  hang  over 
me,  a  just  reward  for  all  that  love 
the  life  of  this  world." 

His  enemies,  at  length,  finding 
both  their  threats  and  their  persua- 
sions equally  useless,  proceeded 
to  judgment,  and  condemned  him 
to  the  flames  ;  which  being  done, 
and  the  writ  which  they  had  pro- 
cured being  brought  from  London, 
they  delivered  him,  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1531,  to  sir  Thomas  Den- 
nis, knight,  then  sheriff  of  Devon- 
shire, to  be  burned. 

The  holy  martyr,  rejoicing  that 
his  end  approached  so  near,  yield- 
ed himself,  with  all  humbleness, 
to  abide  and  suffer  the  cross  of 
persecution.  And  being  brought 
to  the  place  of  execution,  near 
Exeter,  he  made  his  humble  con- 
fession and  prayer  unto  Almighty 
God,  and  requested  all  the  people 
present  to  pray  for  him  ;  exhorting 
them,  at  the  same  time,  with  such 
gravity  and  sobriety,  and  with 
such  force  of  language,  to  seek  the 
true  knowledge  and  honour  of  God, 
and  to  leave  the  vain  imaginations 


of  man's  invention,  that  all  the 
hearers  were  astonished,  and  in 
great  admiration  ;  and  most  of  them 
confessed  that  he  was  God's  ser- 
vant, and  a  good  man. 

Nevertheless,  two  gentlemen, 
named  Thomas  Carcw  and  John 
Barnehouse,  standing  at  the  stake 
by  him,  first  with  promises  and  fair 
words,  but  at  length  with  threat- 
enings,  urged  him  to  revoke  his  er- 
rors, to  call  to  our  lady  and  the 
saints,  and  to  say,  "  Precor  sanctam 
Mariam,  S:  omnes  sanctos  Dei,"  &c. 
To  whom  he,  with  all  meekness, 
answered,  saying,  "  No,  no ;  it  is 
God  only  upon  whose  name  we 
must  call,  and  we  have  no  other 
advocate  to  him  but  Jesus  Christ, 
Mho  died  for  us,  and  now  sitteth  at 
the  right  hand  of  the  Father  to  be 
an  advocate  for  us,  and  by  liim 
must  we  ofler  and  make  our  pray- 
ers to  God,  if  we  will  have  them  to 
take  place  and  be  heard."  With 
which  answer  Barnehouse  was  so 
enraged,  that  he  took  a  furze-bush 
upon  a  pike,  and  setting  it  on  fire, 
thrust  it  into  his  face,  saying, 
"  Heretic !  pray  to  our  lady,  and 
say,  Sancta  Maria,  ora  pro  nobis, 
or  by  God's  wounds  I  will  make 
thee  do  it." 

To  whom  the  martyr  meekly  and 
patiently  answered,  "  Alas,  Sir, 
trouble  me  not;"  and  holding  up 
his  haiids,  he  said,  "  Pater  ignosce 
illis."  Whereupon  the  persecutors 
caused  the  wood  and  furze  to  be 
set  on  fire,  and  Benet,  lifting  up 
his  eyes  and  hands  to  Heaven, 
cried  out,  "  O  Doniine,  recipe  spi- 
ritum  meum."  And  so  co'ntinued  in 
his  prayers,  until  his  life  was  ended. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    LAUNCELOT,   JOHN, 
A    PAINTER,    AND    GILES    GERMAN. 

About  the  year  1539,  John,  a 
painter,  and  Giles  German,  were 
accused  of  heresy  ;  and  whilst  they 
were  in  examination  at  London  be- 
fore the  bishop  and  other  judges, 
by  chance  there  came  in  one  of  the 
king's  servants,  named  Launcelot,  a 
very  tall  man,  and  of  a  godly  mind 
and  disposition. 

This  man  standing  by,  seemed, 
by  his  countenance  and  gestures, 
to  favour  both  the  cause  and  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


3ig 


poor  prisoners,  who  were  his  friends. 
Whereupon,  he  being  apprehended, 
was  examined  and  condemned  to- 
gether with  them  ;  and  tlie  next 
day,  at  Jive  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
all  three  were  carried  together  to 
St.  Giles's  in  the  Fields,  and  there 
burned  ;  there  being  but  a  small 
number  of  people  present  at  their 
death. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    STILE. 

Among  other  blessed  saints  and 
-martyrs  of  Christ,  who  innocently 
suffered,  and  were  burned  in  Smith- 
field  about  the  latter  end  of  Cuth- 
bert  Tonstall's  time,  (bishop  of 
London)  was  one  called  Stile.  With 
him  there  was  burned  also  a  book 
of  the  Apocalypse,  which  he  was 
known  frequently  to  read.  When 
he  saw  this  book  fastened  to  lihe 
stake  to  be  burned  with  him,  lift- 
ing up  his  voice,  "  O  blessed  Apo- 
calypse," cried  he,  "  how  happy 
am  I  that  I  shall  be  burned  with 
thee  !"  And  so  this  good  man  and 
the  blessed  Apocalypse  were  both 
together  consumed  in  the  fire. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   JOHN    BROWN. 

Even  so  early  as  the  second  year 
of  Henry  VIII. 's  reign,  one  John 
Brown  was  burned  at  Ashford,  in 
Kent,  by  order  of  archbishop  War- 
ham,  on  the  following  grounds. 
Passing  down  to  Gravesend  in  the 
common  barge,  a  priest  was  amongst 
other  passengers,  who,  disdaining 
that  Brown  should  sit  so  near  him 
in  the  barge,  asked  him,  with  a  loud 
voice  and  disdainful  countenance, 
"  Dost  thou  know  who  I  am  ?  Thou 
sittest  too  near  me,  and  sittest  on 
my-  clothes." — "  No,  Sir,"  said 
Brown,  "  I  know  not  what  you  are." 
— "  I  tell  thee,"  quoth  he,  "  I  am  a 
priest." — "  What,  Sir,  are  you  a 
parson,  or  vicar,  or  some  lady's 
chaplain  ?" — "  No,  I  am  a  soul 
priest,  I  sing  for  a  soul." — "  Do 
you  so,  Sir,"  cried  Brown,  "  that  is 
well  done  ;  I  pray  you.  Sir,  where 
find  you  the  soul  when  you  go  to 
mass  ?" — "  I  cannot  tell  thee,"  said 
the  priest.  "  I  pray  you,  where  do 
you  leave  it.  Sir,  when  the  mass  is 
done?" — "  I  cannot  tell  thee,"  re- 


plied the  priest — "  You  cannot 
tell  where  to  find  it  when  you  go  to 
mass,  nor  where  you  leave  it  when 
the  mass  is  done? — how  can  you 
then  save  the  soul  ?"  asked  Brown, 
— ,"  Go  thy  ways,"  said  the  priest, 
unable  to  answer  him;  "  I  perceive 
thou  art  an  heretic,  and  I  will  be 
even  with  thee." 

On  landing,  the  priest  rode 
straight  to  archbishop  Warliam ; 
and  John  Brown,  within  three  days 
after,  was  sent  for  by  the  archbi- 
shop. The  messengers  who  were 
sent  for  him,  came  suddenly  into 
his  house  ;  and  laying  hands  upon 
him,  they  set  him  upon  his  own 
horse,  and  binding  his  feet  under 
the  belly  of  the  beast,  carried  him 
away  to  Canterbury,  (neither  he, 
nor  his  wife,  nor  any  of  his  friends, 
knowing  whither  he  was  going)  and 
there  confined  him  for  forty  days. 
The  archbishop  finding  him,  on  exa- 
mination, to  be  a  friend  to  the  doc- 
trines of  those  who  preached  pure 
Christianity,  in  opposition  to  po- 
pery and  priestcraft,  caused  his 
bare  feet  to  be  set  upon  hot  burn- 
ing coals,  to  make  him  deny  his 
faith  ;  which,  however,  he  would 
not  do,  but  patiently  abiding  the 
pain,  continued  unshaken  in  his 
profession.  At  length,  after  this 
cruelty,  he  was,  on  the  Friday  be- 
fore Whit-sunday,  sent  to  Ashford, 
(where  his  wife  still  dwelt,)  with 
orders  that  he  should  be  burned  the 
next  day. 

His  wife,  who  was  hitherto  igno- 
rant of  all  that  had  happened  to 
liim,  being  now  informed  of  his 
coming,  hastened  to  him,  and  find- 
ing him  in  the  stocks,  and  ap- 
pointed to  be  burned  the  next 
morning,  sat  by  him  all  night  long. 
To  her  he  then  declared  how  he 
had  been  treated,  and  how  his  feet 
were  burned  to  the  bones  by  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury  and 
bishop  of  Rochester,  "  and  all  to 
make  me,"  said  he,  "to  deny 
my  Lord,  which  I  will  never  do; 
for  should  I  deny  him  in  this 
world,  he  would  deny  me  here- 
after. And,  therefore,  I  pray 
thee,  good  Elizabeth,  continue  as 
thou  hast  begun,  and  bring  up  thy 
3 


320 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


children  virtuously  in  the  fear  of 
God." 

On  the  next  day,  being  Whitsun- 
eve,  this  godly  martyr  was  burned, 
according  to  his  sentence ;  and, 
standing  at  the  stake,  he  uttered 
this  prayer,  holding  up  his  hands  : 

I  yield,  O  Lord,  unto  thy  grace, 
O,  let  thy  mercy  crown  my  race. 
Let  not  the  fiend  my  soul  pursue, 
"When  death  is  near,  and  just  in  view  \ 
But  while  by  envious  foes  I'm  driven^ 
Save  me  from  hell,  and  give  me  Heavefl* 

We  shall  conclude  our  account 
of  the  persecutions  under  Henry 
VIII.  with  the  story  and  martyr- 
dom of  William  Tiadall,  who,  al- 
though he  did  not  sufler  in  Eng- 
land, ought  to  be  ranked  with  the 
martyrs  of  our  country,  of  which, 
from  his  great  zeal  and  perse- 
verance in  the  dispersion  of  truth, 
he  may  properly  bo  esteemed  the 
apostle, 

LIFE   AND  MARTYRDOM   OF    WILLIAM 
TINDALL. 

William  Tindall  was  born  about 
the  borders  of  Wales,  and  brought 
up,  from  a  child,  in  the  university 
of  Oxford,  where,  by  long  conti- 
nuance, he  grew  up,  and  increased 
as  well  in  the  knowledge  of  tongues 
and  other  liberal  arts,  as  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  scriptures,  to 
the  study  of  which  he  was  much 
addicted ;  insomuch,  that  being 
then  in  Magdalen-hall,  he  read  pri- 
rately  to  some  of  the  students 
and  fellows  of  Magdalen  college, 
in  divinity;  instructing  them  in 
the  knowledge  and  truth  of  the 
scriptures  ;  and  all  that  knew  him 
reputed  and  esteemed  him  to  be  a 
man  of  most  virtuous  disposition, 
and  of  unspotted  life. 

Having  remained  some  time  at 
Oxford,  he  removed  to  the  univer- 
sity of  Cambridge,  where,  having 
made  great  progress  in  his  studies, 
he  quitted  that  place,  and  going  to 
Gloucestershire,  engaged  himself 
to  a  knight  named  Welch,  as  tutor 
to  his  children.  To  this  gentle- 
man's hospitable  table  used  to  re- 
sort several  abbots,  deans,  and 
other    beneficed    clergymen,  with 


whom  Tindall  used  to  converse  on 
the  subjects  which  at  that  time 
principally  occupied  the  attention 
of  all  persons — viz.  divinity,  and 
the  scriptures. 

Tindall,  being  learned  and  Well 
acquainted  with  tlie  sacred  writ- 
ings, would  at  first  simply  avow 
his  opinions,  and  if  those  with 
whom  he  discoursed  objected  to 
his  reasonings,  he  would  shew 
them  the  book,  and  lay  plainly 
before  them  the  open  and  manifest 
language  of  the  scriptures^  to" 
confute  their  errors,  and  confirm 
his  sayings.  And  thus  they  con- 
tinued for  a  time,  reasoning  and 
contending  togetlrer,  till  at  leiigth 
his  opponents  became  envious,  and 
bore  a  secret  grudge  in  their  hearts 
against  him. 

Not  long  after  this,  it  happened 
tliat  some  of  these  doctors  invited 
Mr.  Welch  and  his  wife  to  a  ban- 
quet, where  they  spoke  to  them 
without  the  fear  of  contradiction, 
uttering  their  blindness  and  igno- 
rance. Then  Welch  and  his  wife 
coming  home,  and  calling  for  Mr. 
Tindall,  began  to  reason  with  him 
about  those  matters  ;  when  Tin- 
dall, as  usual,  answered  by  scrip- 
tures, maintained  the  truth,  and 
reproved  their  false  opinions.  Then 
said  the  lady  Welch,  a  worldly- 
wise  woman,  "  Well,  there  was 
such  a  doctor,  which  may  spend  an 
hundred,  another  two  hundred, 
and  another  three  hundred  pounds' 
and  were  it  reason,  think  you,  that 
we  should  believe  you  before 
them  ?"  Tindall  gave  no  answer  to 
this  display  of  purse-proud  igno- 
rance at  that  time,  and  after  that, 
as  he  saw  it  would  not  much  avail, 
he  talked  but  little  of  those  matters. 
At  that  time  he  was  about  the 
translation  of  a  book  called  Enc/ii^ 
ridion  mllitis  Christiani,  wh\c\\  being 
finished,  he  delivered  to  Mr.  Welch 
and  his  lady:  and  after  they  had 
well  perused  the  same,  they  were 
awakened,  in  some  measure  ;  and 
the  prelates  and  abbots  were  not 
so  often  invited  to  their  house, 
neither  were  they  so  heartily  wel- 
comed when  they  came,  as  before  ; 
which  they   perceiving,   and   con- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


321 


eluding  that  it  came  by  the  means 
of  Tindall,  at  last  entirely  absented 
themselves  from  the  house. 

Upon  this,  the  priests  of  the 
country  concerting  together,  began 
to  rail  against  Tindall,  in  ale- 
houses and  other  places.  Tindall 
himself,  in  his  prologue  before  the 
first  book  of  Moses,  thus  mentions 
their  ill-treatment  of  him.  "  I 
suffered  much,"  says  he,  "  in  that 
ceuntry  by  a  sort  of  unlearned 
priests,  being  rude  and  ignorant, 
God  knoweth ;  which  have  seen 
no  more  Latin  than  that  only 
which  they  read  in  their  portesses 
and  missals ;  which  yet  many  of 
them  can  scarcely  read,  except  it 


be  Albertus  de  secrctis  muHernm^  in 
which  yet,  though  they  be  never 
so  sorrily  learned,  they  pore  day 
and  night,  and  make  notes  therein, 
and  all  to  teach  the  midwives,  a» 
they  say  ;  and  also  another  called 
Lindwood,  a  book  of  constitutions 
to  gather  tithes,  mortuaries,  offer- 
ings, customs,  and  other  pillage, 
which  they  call  not  theirs,  but 
God's  part,  the  duty  of  holy- 
church,  to  discharge  their  con- 
sciences withal.  For  they  are 
bound  that  they  shall  not  diminish 
but  increase  all  things  unto  the  ut- 
termost of  their  powers,  which  per- 
tain to  holy-church." 


The  burning  cf  the  Rev.  John  Rogers,  Vicar  of  St.iSepulchre's,  in  Smithfield, 


A.  D.  1555. 


But  these  blind  priests  did  not 
only  revile  him  ;  but,  by  perverting 
what  he  really  said,  and  adding 
many  false  and  malicious  lies  of 
their  own,  made  out  a  charge  of  he- 
resy against  him,  on  which  he  was 
accused,  and  summoned  before  the 
bishop's  chancellor. 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


When  he  appeared  before  the 
chancellor,  that  officer  "  threatened 
him  grievously,  reviling  and  rating 
at  him  as  though  he  had  been  a 
dog,  and  laid  to  his  charge  many 
things  whereof  no  accuser  yet 
could  be  brought  forth,  notwith- 
standing    that  the   priests   of  the 

21 


322 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


country  were  there  present."  As 
thej'  were  unable  to  substantiate 
their  charges,  Tindall  returned 
home  again. 

Not  long  after,  Tindall  happened 
to  be  in  company  with  a  certain  di- 
viiie,  who  was  accounted  a  learned 
man,  and  in  disputing  with  him, 
the  doctor,  overcome  by  passion, 
burst  out  with  these  blasphemous 
words,  "  We  were  better  to  be 
without  God's  laws  than  the  pope's." 
Mr.  Tindall  hearing  this,  full  of 
f^odly  zeal,  and  shocked  by  that 
blasphemous  saying,  replied,  "  I 
defy  the  pope,  and  all  his  laws ;" 
and  added,  "  If  God  spare  my  life, 
ere  many  years,  I  will  cause  a  boy 
that  driveth  the  plough  to  know 
more  of  the  Scripture  than  you 
do." 

After  this,  the  grudge  of  the  ' 
priests  increasing  more  and  more 
against  Tindall,  they  never  ceased 
railing  at  him,  and  laid  many 
things  to  his  charge,  saying,  "  That 
he  was  an  heretic  in  sophistry,- in 
logic,  and  in  divinity ;"  and,  "  That, 
although  he  conducted  himself 
boldly  to  the  gentlemen  in  that 
county,  shortly  he  should  be  other- 
wise talked  withal."  To  whom 
'  Tindall  replied,  "  That  he  was  con- 
tented they  should  bring  him  into 
any  county  in  England,  giving  him 
ten  pounds  a  year  to  live  with,  and 
binding  him  to  no  more,  but  to 
teach  children,  and  to  preach." 

In  short,  being  constantly  molest- 
ed  and  vexed  by  the  priests,  he 
was  constrained  to  leave  that  part 
of  the  country,  and  to  seek  another 
residence ;  and  so  coming  to  Mr. 
Welch,  he  requested  his  permission 
to  depart,  saying,  "  Sir,  I  perceive 
that  1  shall  not  be  suffered  to  tarry 
long  here  in  this  country,  neither 
shall  you  be  able,  thoug*!!  you  would, 
to  keep  me  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
spiritualty ;  and  also  what  displea- 
sure might  grow  thereby  to  you  by 
keeping  me,  God  knoweth,  for  the 
which  I  should  be  sorry."     He  ac- 
cordingly departed,  and  came  up  to 
London,  and  there  preached  awhile. 
At  length,  recollectingthegreat  com- 
mendations bestowed  by  Erasmus 
on  Tonstall,  then  bishop  of  London, 


he  thought  that  it  miglit  be  very  ad- 
vantageous for  him,  if  he  could  ob- 
tain a  situation  in  his  service.  He 
accordingly  waited  on  sir  Henry 
Gilford,  the  king's  comptroller,  and 
bringing  with  him  an  oration  of 
Isocrates,  which  he  had  translated 
out  of  Greek  into  English,  he  de- 
sired him  to  speak  to  the  bishop 
for  him  ;  which  he  did ;  and  de-' 
sired  Tindall  to  write  to  Tonstall, 
who  accordingly  did  so,  and  de- 
livered his  epistle  to  a  servant. 
But  God,  who  secretly  disposes  all 
things,  saw  that  was  not  the  best 
for  Tindall's  purpose,  nor  for  the 
profit  of  his  church,  and  therefore 
allowed  him  not  to  find  favour  in 
the  bishop's  sight,  who  said,  "  That 
his  house  was  full ;  he  had  more 
than  he  could  well  maintain  ;  and 
advised  him  to  seek  elsewhere  in 
London  ;  "  where,"  he  said,  "  he 
could  lack  no  service." 

Tindall,  therefore,  remained  in 
London  almost  a  year,  during  which 
time  he  remarked  the  demeanour 
of  the  preachers,  how  they  boasted 
of  themselves,  and  set  up  their  au- 
thority and  kingdom ;  also  the 
pomp  of  the  prelates,  with  many 
other  things  which  greatly  vexed 
him,  and  plainly  convinced  him, 
that  England  was  no  place  for  him 
to  translate  the  New  Testament. 
Having,  therefore,  obtained  some 
assistance  from  his  friend  Humfry 
Munmouth,  and  other  good  men, 
he  departed  to  Germany  ;  where, 
being  inflamed  with  zeal  for  his 
country,  he  studied,  by  all  possible 
means,  to  bring  his  countrymen  to 
the  same  understanding  of  God's 
holy  word  and  verity,  as  he  him- 
self, by  God's  blessing,  enjoyed. 

He  perceived,  that  the  principal 
cause  of  the  people's  blindness, 
and  of  the  gross  errors  of  the  church, 
with  all  their  evils,  was  the  scrip- 
tures being  concealed  in  an  un- 
known tongue,  by  which  the  truth 
was  kept  out  of  sight,  and  the  cor- 
ruptions of  the  priests  remained' 
undetected;  and  therefore  all  the 
labour  of  these  m.en  was  to  keep 
it  down,  so  that  either  it  should 
not  be  read  at  all,  or  if  it  were, 
they  would  darken  the  right  sense 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION; 


323 


with  the  mist  of  tJieir  sophistry, 
"and  so  entangle  those  who  rebuked 
or  despised  their  abominations, 
worldly  similitudes,  and  appa- 
rent reasons  of  natural  wisdom, 
and  by  wresting  the  Scripture  to 
their  own  purpose,  contrary  to  the 
meaning  of  the  text,  would  so  de- 
lude and  amaze  the  unlearned 
people,  that  though  they  were 
sure  that  all  were  false,  yet  could 
they  not  solve  those  subtle  riddles. 

By  these  and  such  other  consi- 
derations this  good  man  was 
moved  and  stirred  up  of  God,  to 
translate  the  Scripture  into  his 
mother  tongue,  for  the  utility  and 
profit  of  the  simple  people  of  the 
country.  He  began  with  the  New 
Testament,  which  he  translated 
about  the  year  1527.  After  that 
he  took  in  hand  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, finishing  the  five  books  of 
Moses,  with  learned  and  godly 
prefaces  to  every  book,  as  he  had 
also  done  upon  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

He  also  wrote  various  other 
works,  amongst  which  was,  "  The 
Obedience  of  a  Christian  man," 
wherein  with  singular  dexterity  he 
instructed  all  men  in  the  office  and 
duty  of  Christian  obedience;  ano- 
ther treatise  was  entituled,  "  The 
wicked  Mammon,  the  practice  of 
Prelates;"  with  expositions  upon 
certain  parts  of  Scripture,  and 
other  books,  in  answer  to  sir  Tho- 
mas More,  and  other  adversaries 
of  the  truth. 

His  books  being  published,  and 
sent  over  to  England,  it  cannot  be 
imagined,  what  a  door  of  light 
they  opened  to  the  eyes  of  the 
■whole  nation,  which  before  had 
been  during  several  centuries  shut 
up  in  darkness. 

At  his  first  departure,  he  had 
journeyed  into  Saxony,  where  he 
had  a  conference  with  Luther,  and 
other  learned  men;  and  after 
making  a  short  stay  there,  he  went 
into  the  Netherlands,  and  resided 
mostly  in  the  town  of  Antwerp. 

An  unfortunate  accident  occa- 
sioned a  considerable  delay  in  the 
publication  of  his  Old  Testament. 
Having  finished  the  five  books  of 


Moses,  he  set  sail  to  Hamburgh, 
with  the  intention  of  printing  them 
there.  But,  on  his  voyage,  he 
was  shipwrecked,  and  lost  all  his 
manuscripts,  with  almost  all  he 
possessed.  He,  however,  in  ano- 
ther vessel,  pursued  his  voyage, 
and  arriving  at  -Hamburgh,  Mr. 
Coverdale  helped  him  in  the  re- 
translating what  had  been  lost, 
which  occupied  them  from  Easter 
till  December,  1629,  in  the  house 
of  a  Miss  Margaret  Van  Emmer- 
sou.  Having  dispatched  his  busi- 
ness, he  returned  to  Antwerp. 

When  the  New  Testament  was 
ready  for  publication,  Tindall 
added  at  the  end,  a  letter,  wherein 
he  desired  the  learned  to  amend 
whatever  they  found  in  it  amiss. 
But  the  bishops  and  other  clergy, 
not  willing  to  have  that  book  to 
prosper,  cried  out  against  it,  as- 
serting that  there  were  a  thousand 
heresies  in  it,  and  that  it  was  not 
to  be  corrected,  but  utterly  sup- 
pressed. Some  said  it  was  not 
possible  to  translate  the  Scripture 
into  English;  others,  that  it  was 
not  lawful  for  the  laity  to  have  it 
in  their  mother  tongue,  as  it  would 
make  them  all  heretics.  And  to 
induce  the  temporal  rulers  to  as- 
sist them  in  their  purpose,  they 
said  that  it  would  make  the  people 
rebel,  and  rise  against  the  king. 

The  bishops  and  prelates  of  the 
realm,  thus  incensed  and  inflamed 
in  their  mindSj  and  conspiring  to- 
gether, how  to  suppress  the  cause 
of  their  alarm,  never  rested,  till 
they  had  brought  the  king  at  last 
to  issue  a  proclamation  ordaining 
that  the  Testament  of  Tindall's 
translation,  with  his  other  works, 
And  those  of  other  reformed  wri- 
ters, should  be  suppressed  and 
burnt.  This  was  about  the  year 
-1527.  But,  not  contented  with 
this,  the  bloodthirsty  crew  pro- 
ceeded further,  and  strove  to  en- 
tangle him  in  their  nets,  and  to 
bereave  him  of  his  life. 

Whenever  the  bishops,  or  sir 
Thomas  More  had  any  poor  man 
under  examination  before  them, 
who  had  been  at  Antwerp,  they 
most  studiously  would  search  and 
3 


324 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


examine  into  every  thing  relating 
to  Tindali;  as,  where  and  with 
whom  he  lodged ;  what  was  his 
stature;  in  what  apparel  he  went; 
what  company  he  liept,  &c. ;  and 
when  they  had  made  themselves 
acquainted  with  all  these  things, 
they  then  began  their  work  of  dark- 
ness. 

Tindali  being  in  the  town  of 
Antwerp,  had  lodged,  about  a 
year,  in  the  house  of  Thomas 
Pointz,  an  Englishman,  who  kept 
there  an  house  for  English  mer- 
chants, when  Henry  Philips,  in  ap- 
pearance a  gentleman,  and  having 
a  servant  with  him,  arrived  there ; 
but  wherefore  he  came,  or  for 
what  purpose  he  was  sent  thither, 
no  man  could  tell. 

Tindali  was  frequently  invited 
to  dinner  and  supper  amongst 
merchants,  by  which  means,  this 
Henry  Philips  became  acquainted 
with  him;  so  that  in  a  short  time 
Tindali  conceived  a  great  friend- 
ship and  confidence  for  him, 
brought  him  to  his  lodging  in  the 
house  of  Pointz,  and  had  him  also 
once  or  twice  to  dinner  and  sup- 
per, and  further  entered  into  such 
friendship  with  him,  that  he 
brought  him  to  lodge  in  the  house 
of  Pointz.  He  also  shewed  him 
his  books  and  papers;  so  little  did 
he  then  mistrust  this  traitor. 

But  Pointz  having  no  great  con- 
fidence in  the  fellow,  asked  Tindali 
how  he  came  acquainted  with  him. 
Tindali  answered,  that  he  was  an 
honest  man,  tolerably  learned,  and 
\ery  agreeable.  Then  Pointz, 
perceiving  that  he  was  so  partial 
to  him,  said  no  more,  thinking  that 
he  was  brought  acquainted  with 
him  by  some  friend  of  his. 

Philips  being  in  the  town  three 
or  four  days,  desired  Pointz  to 
walk  out  with  him;  and  in  walk- 
ing together  without  the  town, 
they  conversed  on  various  sub- 
jects, and  on  some  of  the  king's 
aflairs;  by  which  talk  Pointz  as 
yet  suspected  nothing,  but,  by  the 
sequel,  he  perceived  what  had 
been  intended.  In  the  mean  time 
he  learned,  that  he  bore  no  great 
good  will  to  the  raformation,  or  to 


the  proceedings  of  the  king  of  Eng'- 
land,  and  perceived  about  him  a 
deal  of  mystery  and  a  sort  of  court- 
ing him  to  make  him  subservient 
to  his  designs,  by  the  hopes  of  re- 
ward, he  always  appearing  very 
full  of  money.  But  Pointz  kept  at 
a  distance. 

Philips,  finding  that  he  could 
not  bring  him  'over  to  his  designs, 
went  from  Antwerp  to  the  court  at 
Brussels;  and,  although  the  king 
had  then  no  ambassador  there, 
being  at  variance  with  the  em- 
peror, this  traitor  contrived  to 
bring  from  thence  with  him  to  Ant- 
werp, the  procurator-general,  (the 
emperor's  attorney),  with  other  of- 
ficers ;  which  was  done  at  great 
expence. 

A  short  time  after,  Pointz  sit- 
ting at  his  door,  Philips's  servant 
came  to  him,  and  asking  whether 
Mr.  Tindali  were  there,  said,  his 
master  would  come  to  him,  and  so 
departed.  But  whether  Philips 
were  then  in  the  town  or  not,  was 
not  known ;  for  at  that  time  Pointz 
saw  no  more  either  of  the  master  or 
of  the  man. 

Within  three  or  four  days  after, 
Pointz  went  on  business  to  the 
town  of  Barrow,  eighteen  English 
miles  from  Antwerp,  and  in  the 
time  of  his  absence,  Philips  came 
again  to  the  house  of  Pointz,  and 
coming  in,  asked  Mrs.  Pointz  for 
Mr.  Tindali,  and  whether  he  would 
dine  there  with  him,  saying,  "What 
good  meat  shall  we  have?"  She 
answered,  "  Such  as  the  market 
will  give."  Then  he  went  out 
again,  and  set  the  oflScers  which 
he  brought  with  him  from  Brussels, 
in  the  street,  and  about  the  door. 
About  noon  he  returned,  and  went 
to  Mr.  Tindali,  and  desired  him  to 
lend  him  forty  shillings ;  "  for," 
said  he,  "  I  lost  my  purse  this 
morning,  coming  over  at  the  pas- 
sage between  this  and  Mechlin." 
So  Tindali  gave  him  forty  shillings, 
being  very  easily  imposed  upon, 
and  entirely  unskilled  in  the  wiles 
and  subtleties  of  this  world. 

Philips  then  said,  "  Mr.  TindalJ, 
you  shall  be  my  guest  here  to-day." 
"  No,"  said  Tindali,    "  I  am  en- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


325 


ga^ed  this  day  to  dinner,  and  you 
shall  go  with  me,  and  be  my  guest, 
where  you  shall  be  welcome."  So 
when  it  was  dinner  time,  they 
went. 

At  the  going  out  of  Pointz's 
house,  was  a  long  narrow  entry, 
so  that  two  could  not  go  in  front. 
Tindall  would  have  put  Philips 
before  him,  but  Philips  would  not 
go,  but  insisted  on  Tindall's  going 
before.  So  Tindall,  being  a  man 
of  no  great  stature,  went  before, 
and  Philips,  a  tall,  comely  person, 
followed  him  ;  and  having  set  ofli- 
cers  on  each  side  of  the  door  on 
coming  through.  Philips  pointed 
with  his  finger  over  Tindall's  head 
down  to  him,  that  the  officers  might 
see  that  it  was  he  whom  they 
should  take,  as  they  afterwards 
told  Pointz,  and  said,  that  when 
they  had  laid  him  in  prison,  "they 
pitied  his  simplicity  when  they 
took  him."  They  accordingly 
seized  him,  and  brought  him  to 
the  emperor's  procurator-general, 
where  he  dined.  Then  came  the 
procurator-general  to  the  house  of 
Pointz,  and  sent  away  all  that  was 
there  of  Mr.  Tindall's,  as  well  his 
books  as  other  things,  and  from 
thence  Tindall  was  conveyed  to 
the  castle  of  Filford,  eighteen 
miles  from  Antwerp,  where  he  re- 
mained until  he  was  put  to  death. 

Some  Englisli  merchants  hearing 
lOf  his  apprehension,  sent  letters 
in  his  favour  to  the  court  of  Brus- 
sels. Also,  not  long  after,  letters 
were  sent  from  England  to  the 
council  at  Brussels,  and  to  the 
merchant  adventurers  at  Antwerp, 
commanding  them  to  see  that  those 
for  the  council  were  instantly  de- 
livered. Then  such  of  the  chief 
of  the  merchants  as  were  there  at 
that  time,  being  called  together, 
required  Pointz  to  deliver  those 
letters,  with  letters  also  from  them 
in  favour  of  Tindall,  to  the  lord  of 
Barrow  and  others. 

The  lord  of  Barrow  at  that  time 
had  departed  from  Brussels,  as  the 
chief  conductor  of  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  the  king  of  Denmark,  to  be 
married  to  the  palsgrave,  whose 
mother  was  sister  to  the  emperor. 


Pointz,  when  he  heard  of  his  de- 
parture, rode  after  and  overtook 
him  at  Achon,  where  he  delivered 
to  him  his  letters ;  to  which  he 
made  no  direct  answer,  but  some- 
what objecting,  said,  "  There  were 
some  of  his  countrymen  who  had 
been  burned  in  England  not  long 
before ;"  as  indeed  there  were 
anabaptists  burned  in  Smithfield, 
which  Pointz  acknowledged. 
"  Howbeit,"  said  he,  "  whatsoever 
the  crime  was,  if  your  lordship  or 
any  other  nobleman  had  written, 
requiring  to  have  had  them,  I  think 
they  should  not  have  been  denied." 
— "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  have  no 
leisure  to  write,  for  the  princess  is 
ready  to  ride." 

Then  said  Pointz,  "  If  it  please 
your  lordship,  I  will  attend  upon 
you  unto  the  next  baiting  place," 
which  was  at  Maestricht.  "  If  you 
will,"  replied  he,  "  I  will  advise 
myself  by  the  way  what  to  write." 
Upon  this,  Pointz  followed  him 
from  Achon  to  Maestricht,  fifteen 
English  miles,  and  there  he  receiv- 
ed letters  of  him,  one  to  the  council 
at  Brussels,  another  to  the  com- 
pany of  the  merchant  adventurers, 
and  a  third  to  the  lord  Cromwell  in 
England. 

Pointz  then  rode  to  Brussels, 
and  there  delivered  to  the  council 
the  letters  from  England,  with  the 
lord  of  Barrow's  letters  also,  and 
received  answers  for  England, 
which  he  brought  to  Antwerp  to 
the  English  merchants,  who  re- 
quired him  to  carry  them  into  Eng- 
land. He,  very  desirous  to  have 
Mr.  Tindall  out  of  prison,  forbore 
no  pains,  nor  regarded  the  loss  of 
time  in  his  own  business,  but  im- 
mediately sailed  with  the  letters, 
which  he  delivered  to  the  council, 
and  was  commanded  by  them  to 
wait  until  he  had  answers,  which 
was  not  till  a  month  after.  At 
length  receiving  them,  he  returned 
again,  and  delivered  them  to  the 
emperor's  council  at  Brussels,  and 
there  waited  for  their  answer. 

When  he  had  remained  there 
three  or  four  days,  he  was  told 
by  a  person  who  belonged  to  the 
chanc«ry,  that  Tindall  should  have 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


326 

be^n  delivered  to  him  according 
to  the  tenor  of  the  letters ;  but 
Philips  being:  there,  followed  the 
suit  against  Tindall,  and  hearing 
that  he  was  to  be  delivered  to 
Pointz,  and  doubting  lest  he  should 
thus  lose  his  victim,  determined 
to  accuse  Pointz  also,  saying, 
"  That  he  was  a  dweller  in  the 
town  of  Antwerp,  and  there 
had  been  a  succourer  of  Tindall, 
and  was  one  of  the  same  opinion  ; 
and  that  all  this  was  only  his  own 
labour  and  sr.it,  to  have  Tindkll  at 
liberty,  and  no  man  else." 

Thus,  upon  his  information  and 
accusation,    Pointz   was   attached 
by    the    procurator-general,     deli- 
vered to  the  custody  of  two  scr» 
jeants  at  arms ;  and  the  same  even- 
ing was  examined  by  a  person  be- 
longing to  the  chancery,  with  the 
procurator-general,  who  put  him  to 
his  oath,  that  he  should  truly  make 
answer  to  all  such  things  as  should 
be  inquired  of  him.    The  next  day 
likewise    they    came     again,    and 
farther  examined  him  ;  and  so  five 
or  six  days  one  after  another,  upon 
more  than  an  hundred  articles,  as 
well  of  the  king's  affairs,  as  of  the 
messages  concerning    Tindall,    of 
his   aiders,   and    of    his    religion. 
Out  of   which  examinations,    the 
procurator-general  drew  up  twen- 
ty-three   or    twenty-four     articles 
against  Pointz,  the  copy  whereof 
he  delivered  to  him  to  make  an- 
swer to,  and  permitted  him  to  have 
an  advocate  and  proctor  ;    and   it 
was  ordered  that  eight  days  after 
he  should  deliver  to  them  his  an- 
swer ;  also  tliat  he  should  send  no 
messenger  to  Antwerp,  nor  to  any 
other  place,  but  by  the  post  of  the 
town   of  Brussels;    nor  send  any 
letters,  nor  any  to  be  delivered  to 
him,  but  such  as  were  written  in 
Dutch,  and  the  procurator-general, 
who    was  party  against  him,   was 
to    peruse      and    examine    them 
thoroughly,    contrary   to    all  right 
and  equity,  before  they  were  sent 
or  delivered  :  neither  was  any  per- 
son sufl'ered  to  speak  or  talk  with 
him   in  any  other  tongue   or  lan- 
guage, except  the  Dutch,  so  that 
his  keepers,  who  were  Dutchmen, 


might  understand  what  was  said. 
After  this,  Pointz  delivered  his  an- 
swer to  the  procurator-general,  and 
afterwards,  at  intei-vals  of  eight 
days  each,  replications  and  answers 
were  made  by  both  parties. 

When  the  commissioners  came 
to  Pointz,  the  traitor  Philips*  ac- 
companied them  to  the  door,  as 
following  the  process  against  him : 
as  he  also  did  against  Tindall. 

Thus  Pointz  was  exposed  to 
much  trouble  and  suflering,  on 
account  of  his  generous  exertions 
ia  favour  of  Tindall.  He  was 
long  kept  in  prison  ;  but  at  length, 
when  he  saw  no  other  remedy, 
by  night  he  made  his  escape.  But 
the  pious  Tindall  could  not  so 
escape,  but  remained  during  a 
year  and  a  half  in  prison;  and 
then  being  brought  to  his  trial,  was 
offered  to  have  an  advocate  and  a 
proctor.  But  he  refused  the  offer, 
saying,  "That  he  would  answer 
for  himself;"  and  so  he  did. 

At  last,  after  much  reasoning, 
where  all  reason  was  disregarded, 
he  was  condemned  by  virtue  of  the 
emperor's  decree,  made  in  the  as- 
sembly at  Augsburgh,  and  brought 
to  the  place  of  execution,  where 
he  was  tied  to  the  stake,  and  then 
strangled  first  by  the  hangman, 
and  afterwards  consumed  with  fire 
in  the  town  of  Filford,  a.  d.  1536  ; 
crying  thus  at  the  stake  with  a 
fervent  zeal,  and  a  loud  voice, 
"  Lord,  open  the  king  of  England's 
eyes." 

Such  was  the  pov/er  of  the  doc- 
trine, and  sincerity  of  the  life  of 
this  amiable  man,  and  glorious 
martyr,  that  during  his  imprison- 
ment, he  converted  the  keeper,  his 
daughter,  and  others  of  his  house- 
hold. Also  all  that  were  conver- 
sant with  him  in  the  castle  ac- 
knowledged that  "if  he  were  not 
a  good  Christian,  they  could  not 
tell  whom  to  trust." 

Even  the  procurator-general 
left  this  testimony  of  him,  that  "he 

*  It  is  said  that  Philips,  who  betrayed 
Tindall  and  Pointz,  died  of  a  loathsome 
disease,  being  consumed  by  vermin,  who 
preyed  upon  his  living  carcass. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


^27 


was  a  learned,  an  excellent,  and  a 
godly  man." 

To  enmncrate  the  virtues  and 
actions  of  tliis  blessed  martyr, 
would  require  much  time,  and 
many   pages.       Suffice        to   say, 


that  he  was  one  of  those  who  by 
his  works  shone  as  a  sun  of  light 
amidst  a  dark  world,  and  gave 
evidence,  that  he  was  a  faithful 
servant  of  his  master  and  saviour, 
Jesus  Christ. 


SECTION  IV. 


PERSECUTIONS    IN    SCOTLAND,   DURING    THE   FIFTEENTH    AND    PART    OF 
THE    SIXTEENTH    CENTURY. 


Having  brought  our  account  of 
the  sufferings  and  martyrdoms  of 
the  English  reformers  down  to  the 
death  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  we 
shall  now  proceed  to  relate  the 
cruel  persecutions  of  God's  faith- 
ful servants  in  Scotland,  to  the 
,same  period  ;  but  it  will  previously 
be  necessary  to  give  a  short  sketch 
of  the  progress  of  the  reformation 
in  that  country. 

The  long  alliance  between  Scot- 
land and  France,  had  rendered  the 
two  nations  extremely  attached  to 
each  other ;  and  Paris  was  the 
place  where  the  learned  of  Scot- 
land had  their  education.  Yet 
early  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
learning  was  more  encouraged  in 
Scotland,  and  universities  were 
founded  in  several  episcopal  sees. 
About  the  same  time  some  of 
Wickliffe's  followers  began  to  show 
themselves  in  Scotland ;  and  an 
Englishman,  named  Resby,  was 
burnt  in  1407  for  teaching  some 
opinions  contrary  to  the  pope's 
authority. 

Some  years  after  that,  Paul 
Craw,  a  Bohemian,  who  had  been 
converted  by  Huss,  was  burnt 
for  infusing  the  opinions  of  that 
martyr  into  some  persons  at  St. 
Andi-ew's. 

About  the  end  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  LoUardy,  as  it  was  then 
called,  spread  itself  into  many 
parts  of  the  diocese  of  Glasgow, 
for  which  several  persons  of  quality 
were  accused;  but  they  answered 
the  archbishop  of  that  see  with  so 
much  boldness  and  tnith,  that  he 
dismissed  tiKjm,  having  admo- 
nished them  to  content  themselves 
with  the  faith  of  the  church,  and  to 
beware  of  new  doctrines. 

The   same    spirit   of   ignorance, 


immorality,  and  superstition,  had 
over-run  the  church  of  Scotland 
that  was  so  much  complained  of 
in  other  parts  of  Europe.  The 
total  neglect  of  the  pastoral  care, 
and  the  scandalous  lives  of  the 
clergy,  filled  the  people  with  such 
prejudices  against  them,  that  they 
were  easily  disposed  to  hearken  to 
new  preachers,  among  the  most 
conspicuous  of  whom  was  Patrick 
Hamilton. 

STORY    AND    MARTYRDOM    OF    PA- 
TRICK   HAMILTON. 

This  noble  martyr  was  nephew, 
by  his  father,  to  the  earl  of  Arran, 
and  by  his  mother,  to  the  duke  of 
Albany.  He  was  educated  for  the 
church,  [and  would  have  been 
highly  preferred,  having  an  abbey 
given  him  for  prosecuting  his 
studies.  But,  going  over  to  Ger- 
many, and  studying  at  the  univer- 
sity of  Marpurg,  he  soon  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  zeal,  as- 
siduity, and  great  progress,  par- 
ticularly in  the  scriptures,  which 
were  his  grand  object,  and  to  which 
he  made  every  thing  else  subser- 
vient. He  also  became  acquainted 
with  Luther  and  Melancthon  ;  and 
being  convinced,  from  his  own 
researches,  of  the  truth  of  their 
doctrines,  he  burned  to  impart  the 
light  of  the  gospel  to  his  ov.n 
countrymen,  and  to  shew  them  the 
errqrs  and  corruptions  of  their 
church.  For  tliis  great  purpose  he 
returned  to  Scotland. 

After  preaching  some  time,  and 
holding  up  the  truth  to  his  deluded 
countrymen,  he  was,  at  length,  in- 
vited to  St.  Andrew's,  to  confer 
upon  the  points  in  question.  But 
his  enemies  could  not  stand  the 
light,  and  finding  they  could  not 


328 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


defend  themselves  by  argument, 
resolved  upon  revenge.  Hamilton 
•was  accordingly  imprisoned.  Ar- 
ticles were  exhibited  against  him, 
iu  which  he  was  charged  with  hav- 
ing denied  free-will ;  advocated 
justification  by  faith  alone;  and 
declared  that  faith,  hope,  and  cha- 
rity, are  so  linked  together,  that 
one  cannot  exist  in  the  breast  with- 
out the  other. 

Upon  his  refusing  to  abjure  these 
doctrines,  Beaton,  archbishop  of 
St.  Andrew's,  with  the  archbishop 
of  Glasgow,  three  bishops,  and 
five  abbots,  condemned  him  as  an 
obstinate  heretic,  delivered  him  to 
the  secular  power,  and  ordered 
bis  execution  to  take  place  that 
very  afternoon  ;  for  the  king  had 
gone  in  pilgrimage  to  Ross,  and 
they  weie  afraid,  lest,  upon  his 
return,  Hamilton's  friends  might 
have  interceded  effectually  for  him. 
When  he  was  tied  to  the  stake,  he 
expressed  great  joy  in  his  sufier- 
ings,  since  by  these  he  was  to  enter 
into  everlasting  life. 

A  train  of  powder  being  fired,  it 
did  not  kindle  the  fuel,  but  only 
burnt  his  face,  which  occasioned 
a  delay  till  more  powder  was 
brought;  and  iu  that  time  the 
friars  continually  urged  him  to 
recant,  and  pray  to  the  Virgin, 
saying  the  Salve  Reyina.  Among 
the  rest,  a  friar  named  Campbel, 
who  had  been  often  with  him  in 
prison,  was  very  officious.  Hamil- 
ton answered  him,  that  he  knew 
he  was  not  a  heretic,  and  had 
confessed  it  to  Mm  in  private,  and 
charged  him  to  answer  for  that 
at  the  throne  of  Almighty  God*. 
By  this  time  the  gunpowder  was 
brought,  and  the  fire  being  kindled, 
he  died,  repeating  these  words, 
"Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit! 
How  long,  oh  Lord !  how  long 
shall  darkness  overwhelm  this 
kingdom?  and  how  long  wilt  thou 
suffer  the  tyranny  of  these  men  ?" 
He  suffered  death  in  the  year 
1627. 
The  views  and  doctrines  of  this 

*  A  short  time  after  this,  Campbel  be- 
came mad,  and  died  irithin  a  year. 


glorious  martyr  were  such  as  could 
not  fail  to  excite  the  highest  admi- 
ration of  every  real  believer  ;  and 
they  were  expressed  with  such 
brevity,  such  clearness,  and  such 
peculiar  vigour  an.d  beauty  (form- 
ing in  themselves  a  complete  sum- 
mary of  the  gospel)  that  they  af- 
forded instruction  to  all  who  sought 
to  know  more  of  God. 

The  force  of  the  truths  preached 
by  Hamilton,  the  firmness  of  his 
death,  and  the  singular  catastrophe 
of  friar  Campbel,  made  strong  im- 
pressions on  the  people;  and  many 
received  the  new  opinions.  Sea- 
ton,  a  Dominican,  the  king's  con- 
fessor, preaching  in  Lent,  set  out 
the  nature  and  method  of  true  re- 
pentance, without  mixing  the  di- 
rections which  the  friars  commonly 
gave  on  that  subject;  and  when 
another  friar  attempted  to  shew 
the  defectiveness  of  what  he  had 
taught,  Seaton  defended  himself 
in  another  sermon,  and  reflected 
on  those  bishops  who  did  not 
preach,  calling  them  dumb-dogs. 
But  the  clergy  dared  not  meddle 
with  him,  till  they  had  by  secret 
insinuations  ruined  his  credit  with 
the  king  ;  and  the  freedom  he  used 
in  reproving  him  for  his  vices, 
quickly  alienated  James  from  him  ; 
upon  which  he  withdrew  into  Eng- 
land, and  wrote  to  the  king,  taxing 
the  clergy  for  their  cruelty,  and 
praying  him  to  restrain  it. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   HENRY    FOREST. 

Within  a  few  years  after  the 
martyrdom  of  Patrick  Hamilton, 
Henry  Forest,  a  young  friar  of 
Lithgow,  said,  that  Hamilton  died 
a  martyr,  and  that  the  doctrines, 
for  preaching  which  he  sufiered, 
were  true.  For  this  he  was  ap- 
prehended and  committed  to  pri- 
son by  James  Beaton,  archbishop 
of  St.  Andrew's  ;  who,  shortly  after, 
caused  a  friar,  named  Walter 
Laing,  to  hear  his  confession. 

Henry  Forest,  in  secret  confes- 
sion, declared  on  his  conscience, 
that  he  thought  Hamilton  to  be  a 
good  man,  and  wrongfully  put  to 
death,  and  that  his  doctrines  were 
tnie,     and    not     heretical ;    upon 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


329 


which  the  friar  came  and  related 
to  the  bishop  the  confession  which 
he  had  received. 

This  was  taken  as  sufficient  evi- 
dence against  him ;  and  he  was 
accordingly  declared  to  be  "  an 
heretic,  equa'l  in  iniquity  with 
Patrick  Hamilton,"  and  sentenced 
to  sutler  death. 

When  the  day  for  his  execution 
arrived,  he  was  brought  before  the 
clergy  in  a  place,  between  the 
castle  of  St.  Andrew's  and  Mony- 
maill.  As  soon  as  he  entered,  and 
saw  the  faces  of  the  clergy,  he 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Fie  on 
falsehood,  fie  on  false  friars,  re- 
vealers  of  confession :  after  this 
day  let  no  man  ever  trust  any  false 
friars,  contemners  of  God's  word, 
and  deceivers  of  men." 

They  then  proceeded  to  degrade 
him  of  his  friar's  orders,  and  he 
said,  with  a  loud  voice,  *'  Take 
from  me  not  only  your  own  orders, 
but  also  your  own  baptism  ;"  mean- 
ing thereby  whatever  had  been 
added  by  papistry  to  that  which 
Christ  himself  instituted.  Then, 
after  his  degradation,  they  con- 
demned him  "  as  an  heretic  equal 
with  Patrick  Hamilton :"  and  so 
he  suffered  death  for  his  faithful 
testimony  of  the  truth  of  Christ 
and  his  gospel,  near  the  abbey 
church  of  St.  Andrew. 

Several  others  were  brought  into 
the  bishops'  courts,  of  whom  the 
greatest  part  abjured ;  but  two 
suffered  in  the  year  1534.  These 
were 

NORMAN    GOURLAY,   AND    DAVID 
STRATTON. 

Gourlay  had  said,  that  there  was 
no  such  place  as  purgatory,  and 
that  the  pope  was  not  a  bishop, 
but  Antichrist,  and  had  no  juris- 
diction in  Scotland. — David  Strat- 
ton  was  a  fisherman  ;  he  also  said 
there  was  no  purgatory  ;  that  the 
passion  of  Christ  was  the  only  ex- 
piation for  sin,  and  that  the  tribu- 
lations of  this  world  were  the  only 
sufferings  that  the  saints  under- 
went. When  the  vicar  asked  him 
for  his  tithe-fish,  Stratton  cast  them 
to  him  out  of  the  boat,  so  that  some 


fell  into  the  sea ;  on  which  the 
other  accused  him  as  having  said, 
that  no  tithes  should  be  paid. 

These  two,  although  greatly  so- 
licited by  the  archbishop  and 
others  of  the  clergy,  refused  to  re- 
cant, and  were,  accordingly,  con- 
demned as  obstinate  heretics,  and 
sentenced  to  be  burned  upon  the 
green  side  between  Leith  and 
Edinburgh,  with  a  view  to  strike 
terror  into  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. In  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day,  they  were  taken  to  the  place 
of  execution ;  and,  kneeling  down, 
they  prayed  with  great  fervency 
for  some  time.  Then  Stratton, 
addressing  himself  to  the  specta- 
tors, exhorted  them  to  lay  aside 
their  superstitious  and  idolatrous 
notions,  and  employ  themselves  in 
seeking  the  true  light  of  the  gos- 
pel. He  wished  to  have  said 
more,  but  was  prevented  by  the 
officers. 

The  sentence  was  then  put  into 
execution,  and  the  martyrs  cheer- 
fully yielded  up  their  bodies  to  the 
flames,  commending  their  souls  to 
the  mercy  of  their  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, and  hoping  for  immortality, 
through  the  merits  of  their  blessed 
Redeemer. 

Several  others  were  accused,  of 
whom  some  fled  to  England,  and 
others  to  Germany. 

The  changes  made  in  England, 
raised  in  all  the  people  a  wish  to 
search  into  matters  of  religion, 
which  was  always  fatal  to  super- 
stition; and  pope  Clement  the 
Seventh,  well  aware  that  the  papal 
religion  would  not  bear  investiga- 
tion, wrote  earnestlj'  to  the  king 
of  Scotland,  to  continue  firm  to 
the  Catholic  faith,  resisting  all  at- 
tempts at  innovation.  Upon  this, 
the  king  called  a  parliament,  in 
which  new  laws  were  made  for 
maintaining  the  pope's  authority, 
and  proceeding  against  heretics. 
King  Henry  sent  Barlow,  bishop 
of  St.  David's,  to  James,  with 
some  books  that  were  written  in 
defence  of  his  proceedings,  and 
desired  him  to  examine  them  im- 
partially. He  also  proposed  an 
interview  at  York,  and  a  marriage 


330 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


between  kittg  James  and  lady 
Mary,  his  eldest  dauo:hter.  James 
was  not  unwilling  to  listen  to  these 
proposals,  but  the  clergy  per- 
suaded him  to  go  in  person  to 
France,  and  court  Magdalene, 
daughter  of  the  French  king.  He 
accordingly  gratified  their  wishes, 
and  married  her  in  January,  1537  ; 
but  she  died  in  the  following  May. 
'Upon  her  death,  the  king  married 
Mary  of  Guise ;  she  was  a  branch 
of  the  family  that  was  most  zeal- 
ously addicted  to  the  old  supersti- 
tion of  any  in  all  Europe ;  and  her 
interest,  joined  with  that  of  the 
clergy,  engaged  the  king  to  be- 
come a  violent  persecutor  of  all 
who  were  of  another  mind. 

The  king  was  very  expensive, 
both  in  his  pleasures  and  build- 
ings; so  that  he  was  always  in 
want  of  money.  The  nobility  pro- 
posed to  him  the  seizing  on  the 
abbey -lands,  as  his  uncle,  king 
Henry,  had  done.  The  clergy,  on 
the  other  hand,  advised  him  to 
proceed  severely  against  all  sus- 
pected of  heresy ;  by  which  means, 
according  to  the  lists  tliey  shewed 
him,  he  might  raise  100,000  crowns 
a  year:  they  also  advised  him  to 
provide  his  illegitimate  children 
with  abbeys  and  priories;  and  re- 
presented to  him,  that  if  he  conti- 
nued steadfast  in  the  "  old  reli- 
gion," he  would  have  a  great 
party  in  ^England,  and  might  be 
made  the  head  of  a  league,  which 
was  then  projected  against  king 
Henry. 

This  so  far  prevailed  with  him, 
that  he  made  four  of  his  sons  ab- 
bots and  priors,  and  he  gave  way 
to  the  persecuting  spirit  of  the 
clergy;  upon  which,  many  were 
cited  to  answer  for  heresy ;  some 
of  whom  abjured,  and  some  were 
banished. 

Among  those  who  were  in  trou- 
ble was  George  Buchanan,  who, 
at  the  king's  instigation,  had  writ- 
ten a  very  satirical  poem  against 
the  Franciscans,  but  was  now 
abandoned  by  his  royal  friend. 
He  made  his  escape,  and  after  liv- 
ing twenty  years  in  foreign  coun- 
tries,  returned  to  do  his  country 


honour ;  and  by  his  poems,  and 
his  history  of  Scotland,  shewed 
how  great  a  master  he  was  of  the 
Latin  language,  and  how  well 
skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  human 
affairs. 

Not  long  after  the  burning  of 
Stratton  and  Gourlay,  dean  Tho- 
mas Forret  was  accused  to  the  bi- 
shop of  Dunkeld,  as  "  an  heretic, 
and  one  that  shewed  the  mysteries 
of  the  Scriptures  to  the  vulgar  peo- 
ple, in  their  own  language,  to 
make  the  clergy  detestable  in  their 
sight." 

The  bishop  of  E^unkeld  said  to 
him,  "  I  love  you  well,  and  there- 
fore I  must  give  you  my  counsel, 
how  you  shall  rule  and  guide  your- 
self. 

"  My  dear  dean  Thomas,  I  am 
informed  that  you  preach  the  epis- 
tle or  gospel  every  Sunday  to  your 
parishioners,  and  that  you  take  not 
the  cow,  nor  the  uppermost  cloth, 
from  your  parishioners,  which  is 
very  prejudicial  to  the  churchmen ; 
and,  therefore,  I  would  you  took 
your  cow,  and  your  uppermost 
cloth,  as  other  churchmen  do,  or 
else  it  is  too  much  to  preach  every 
Sunday ;  for,  in  so  doing,  you  may 
make  the  people  think  that  we 
should  preach  likewise.  But  it  is 
enough  for  you,  when  you  find  any 
good  epistle,  or  any  good  gospel, 
that  setteth  forth  the  liberty  of  the 
holy  church,  to  preach  that,  and 
let  the  rest  be." 

FoiTet  answered,  "  My  lord,  I 
think  that  none  of  my  parishioners 
will  complain,  that  I  take  not  the 
cow,  nor  the  uppermost  cloth,  but 
will  gladly  give  me  the  same,  to- 
gether with  any  other  thing  that 
they  have;  and  I  will  give  and 
communicate  with  them  any  thing 
that  I  have  ;  and  so,  my  lord,  we 
agree  right  well,  and  there  is  no 
discord  among  us.  And  where 
your  lordship  saith,  '  it  is  too  much 
to  preach  every  Sunday,'  indeed  I 
think  it  is  too  little;  and  also 
would  wish  that  your  lordship  did 
the  like." 

"  Nay,  nay,  dean  Thomas," 
cried  the  bishop,  "  let  that  be,  for 
we  are  not  ordained  to  preach." 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCX)TLAND. 


331 


Then  said  Forret,  "  Where 
your  lordship  biddeth  me  preach, 
when  I  find  any  good  epistle,  or  a 
good  gospel;  truly,  my  lord,  I 
have  read  the  New  Testament, 
and  the  Old,  and  all  the  epistles 
and  gospels,  and  among  them  all 
I  could  never  find  an  evil  epistle, 
or  an  evil  gospel ;  b«t  if  your  lord- 
ship will  shew  me  the  good  epistle, 
and  the  good  gospel,  and  the  evil 
epistle,  and  the  evil  gospel,  then  I 
shall  preach  the  good  and  omit  the 
evil." 

The  bishop  replied,  "  /  thank 
God  that  I  never  knew  what  the  Old 
and  New  Testament  was ;  therefore, 
dean  Thomas,  I  will  know  nothing 
but  my  portuise  and  pontifical. 
Go  your  way,  and  let  be  all  these 
fantasies,  for  if  you  persevere  in 
these  eiToneous  opinions,  ye  will 
repent  when  you  may  not  mend  it." 

Forret  said,  '*  I  trust  my  cause 
is  just  in  the  presence  of  God; 
and,  therefore,  I  heed  not  much 
what  may  follow  thereupon;"  and 
so  he  departed. 

A  short  time  afterwards,  he  was 
summoned  to  appear  before  car- 
dinal Beaton,  archbishop  of  St. 
Andrew's ;  and,  after  a  short  exa- 
mination, he  was  condemned  to  be 
burnt  as  a  heretic.  A  similar  sen- 
,  tence  was  pronounced,  at  the 
same  time,  on  four  other  persons, 
named  Killor,  Beverage,  Simson, 
and  Foster;  and  tliey  were  all 
burnt  together  on  the  castle-hill, 
at  Edinburgh,  February  28,  1538. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    RUSSEL   AND    KEN- 
NEDY. 

The  year  following  the  martyr- 
doms of  the  beforementioned  per- 
sons, viz.  1539,  two  others  were 
apprehended  on  a  suspicion  of 
heresy ;  namely,  Jerom  Russel, 
and  Alexander  Kennedy,  a  youth 
about  eighteen  years  of  age. 

These  two  persons,  after  being 
some  time  confined  in  prison,  were 
brought  before  the  archbishop  for 
examination.  Kennedy's  tender 
years  inclining  him  to  pusillani-. 
mity,  he  would  at  first  have  re- 
canted ;  but  being  suddenly  re- 
freshed by  divine  inspiration,  and 


feeling  himself,  as  it  were,  a  new 
creature,  his  mind  was  changed, 
and  failing  on  his  knees,  he,  with  a 
cheerful  countenance,  thus  ex- 
pressed himself: 

*'  O  eternal  God !  how  wonder- 
ful is  that  love  and  mercy  thou 
bearest  uiilo  mankind,  and  to  me, 
a  miserable  wretch,  above  all 
others !  for  even  now,  when  I 
would  have  denied  thee,  and  thy 
Son  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my 
only  Saviour,  and  so  have  cast 
myself  into  everlasting  damnation, 
thou,  by  thine  own  hand,  hast 
pulled  me  from  the  very  bottom  of 
hell,  and  made  me  to  feel  that 
heavenly  comfort  which  has  taken 
from  me  that  ungodly  fear  where- 
with I  was  before  oppressed.  Now 
I  defy  death."  Then  rising,  he 
cried  to  his  persecutors,  "  Do  with 
me  as  you  please  ;  I  praise  God  I 
am  ready." 

In  the  course  of  their  examina- 
tion!, Russel,  being  a  very  sensible 
man,  reasoned  learnedly  against 
his  accusers.  They,  in  return,  made 
use  of  very  opprobrious  language  ; 
to  which  Russel  replied,  "  This 
is  your  hour  and  power  of  dark- 
ness :  now  ye  sit  as  judges,  and 
we  stand  wrongfully  accused,  and 
more  wrongfully  to  be  condemned  ; 
but  the  day  will  come  when  our 
innocence  will  appear,  and  ye  shall 
see  your  own  blindness,  to  your 
everlasting  confusion.  Go  on, 
and  fill  the  measure  of  your  ini- 
quity." 

The  examination  being  over, 
and  both  of  them  declaied  iiere- 
tics,  the  archbishop  pronounced 
the  dreadful  sentence  of  death, 
and  they  were  immediately  deli- 
vered over  to  the  secular  power 
for  execution. 

The  next  day  they  were  led  to 
the  place  appointed  for  them  to 
sufl'er ;  in  their  way  to  which 
Russel,  observing  that  his  fellow- 
sufferer  had  the  appearance  of 
timidity  in  his  countenance,  thus 
addressed  him:  "  Brother,  fear  not; 
greater  is  he  that  is  in  us,  than  he 
that  is  in  the  world.  The  pain  that 
we  are  to  suffer  is  short,  and  shall 
bo  light ;  but  our  joy  and  consola- 


332 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tion  shall  never  have  an  end.  Let 
us,  therefore,  strive  to  enter  into 
our  Master  and  Saviour's  joy,  by 
the  same  strait  way  which  he  hath 
taken  before  us.  Death  cannot 
hurt  us,  for  it  is  already  destroyed 
by  him,  for  whose  sake  we  are  now 
goin{^  to  suffer." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  fatal 
spot  they  both  kneeled  down  and 
prayed  for  some  time;  after  which, 
being  fastened  to  the  stake,  and 
the  fagots  lighted,  they  cheerfully 
resigned  their  souls  into  the  hands 
of  him  who  gave  them,  in  full 
hopes  of  an  everlasting  reward  in 
the  heavenly  mansions. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   SIX    PERSONS. 

In  1543,  the  archbishop  of  St. 
Andrew's  making  a  visitation  into 
various  parts  of  his  diocese,  several 
persons  were  accused  at  Perth  of 
heresy.  Among  these  the  six 
following  were  condemned  to  die  : 
William  Anderson,  Robert  Lamb, 
James  Finlayson,  James  Hunter, 
James  Raveleson,and  Helen  Stark. 

The  accusatio«nslaid  against  them 
were  to  the  following  effect : 

The  four  first  were  accused  of 
having  hung  up  the  image  of  St. 
Francis,  nailing  ram's  horns  on  his 
head,  and  fastening  a  cow's  tail 
to  his  rump ;  but  the  principal 
matter  on  which  they  were  con- 
demned was,  having  regaled  them- 
selves with  a  goose  on  Allhallows 
eve,  a  fast  day,  according  to  the 
Romish  superstition. 

James  Raveleson  was  accused 
of  having  ornamented  his  house 
with*  the  three-crowned  diadem 
of  Peter,  carved  in  wood,  which 
the  archbishop  conceived  to  be 
done  in  mockery  to  his  cardinal's 
hat. 

Helen  Stark  was  accused  of  not 
having  accustomed  herself  to  pray 
to  the  Virgin  Mary,  more  especially 
during  the  time  she  was  in  child- 
bed. 

On  these  accusations  they  were 
all  found  guilty,  and  immediately 
received  sentence  of  death ;  the 
four  men  for  eating  the  goose  to 
be  hanged ;  James  Raveleson  to 
be  burnt ;  and  the  woman,  with  her 


sucking  infant,   to  be    put  into  a 
sack,  and  drowned. 

The  four  men,  with  the  woman 
and  child,  suffered  at  the  same 
time  ;  but  James  Raveleson  was 
not  executed  till  some  days  after. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  the 
execution  of  the  former,  they 
were  all  conducted,  under  a  proper 
guard,  to  the  place  where  they 
were  to  suffer,  and  were  attended 
by  a  prodigious  number  of  spec- 
tators. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the 
place  of  execution,  they  all  fer- 
vently prayed  for  some  time  ;  after 
which  Robert  Lamb  addressed 
himself  to  the  spectators,  exhorting 
them  to  fear  God,  and  to  quit  the 
practice  of  papistical  abomina- 
tions. 

The  four  men  were  all  hanged 
on  the  same  gibbet ;  and  the  wo- 
man, with  her  sucking  child,  were 
conducted  to  a  river  adjoining, 
when  being  fastened  in  a  large 
sack,  they  were  thrown  into  it, 
and  drowned. 

They  all  suffered  their  fate  with 
becoming  fortitude  and  resigna- 
tion, committing  their  departing 
spirits  to  that  Redeemer  who  was 
to  be  their  final  judge,  and  who, 
they  had  reason  to  hope,  would 
usher  them  into  the  realms  of 
everlasting  bliss. 

When  we  reflect  on  the  suf- 
ferings of  these  unhappy  persons, 
we  are  naturally  induced,  both  as 
men  and  Christians,  to  lament 
their  fate,  and  to  express  our 
feelings  by  dropping  the  tear  of 
commiseration.  The  putting  to 
death  four  men,  for  little  other 
reason  than  that  of  satisfying 
nature  with  an  article  sent  by 
Providence  for  that  very  purpose, 
merely  because  it  was  on  a  day 
prohibited  by  ridiculous  bigotry 
and  superstition,  is  shocking 
indeed ;  but  the  fate  of  the  inno- 
cent woman,  and  her  still  more 
harmless  infant,  makes  human 
nature  tremble  at  the  contempla- 
tion of  what  mankind  may  become, 
when  incited  by  bigotry  to  the 
gratification  of  the  most  diabolical 
cruelty. 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


333 


Besides  the  abovementioned 
persons,  many  others  were  cruelly 
persecuted  during  the  archbishop's 
stay  at  Perth,  some  being  banish- 
ed, and  others  confined  in  loath- 
some dungeons.  In  particular, 
John  Rogers,  a  pious  and  learned 
man,  was,  by  the  archbishop's  or- 
ders, murdered  in  prison,  and  his 
body  thrown  over  the  walls  into 
the  street ;  after  which  the  arch- 
bishop caused  a  report  to  be 
spread,  that  he  had  met  with  his 
death  in  an  attempt  to  make  his 
escape. 

tlFE,    SUFFERINGS,     AND      MARTYR- 
DOM   OF   GEORGE    WISHART. 

Mr.  George  Wishart  was  born  in 
Scotland,  and  after  receiving  a 
grammatical  education  at  a  private 
school,  he  left  that  place,  and  finish- 
ed his  studies  at  the  university  of 
Cambridge. 

The  following  character  of  him, 
during  his  residence  in  that  uni- 
versity, was  written  by  one  of  his 
scholars,  and  contains  so  just  a 
picture  of  this  excellent  man,  that 
we  give  it  at  length. 

"  About  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1543,  there  was  in  the  university  of 
Cambridge  one  Mr.  George  Wish- 
art,  commonly  called  Mr.  George 
of  Bennet's  college,  who  was  a 
man  of  tall  stature,  bald-headed, 
and  on  the  same  wore  a  round 
French  cap;  judged  to  be  of  me- 
lancholy complexion  by  his  physi- 
ognomy, black-haired,  long-beard- 
ed, comely  of  personage,  well 
spoken  after  his  country  of  Scot- 
land, courteous,  lowly,  lovely,  glad 
to  teach,  desirous  to  learn,  and  was 
well  travelled :  having  on  him  for 
his  habit  or  clothing,  never  but  a 
mantle  or  frieze  gown  to  the  shoes, 
a  black  millian  fustian  doublet, 
and  plain  black  hose,  coarse  new 
canvass  for  his  shirts,  and  white 
falling  bands  and  cuffs  at  his 
hands.  All  the  which  apparel  he 
gave  to  the  poor,  some  weekly, 
some  monthly,  some  quarterly,  as 
he  liked,  saving  his  French  cap, 
which  he  kept  the  whole  year  of 
my  being  with  him. 

*'  He  was  a  man  modest,  tempe- 


rate, fearing  God,  hating  covetons- 
ness ;  for  his  charity  had  never 
end,  night,  noon,  nor  day  ;  he  for- 
bare  one  meal  in  three,  one  day  in 
four,  for  the  most  part,  except 
something  to  comfort  nature.  He 
lay  hard  upon  a  puff  of  straw,  and 
coarse  new  canvass  sheets,  which 
when  he  changed  he  gave  away. 
He  had  commonly  by  his  bed-side 
a  tub  of  water,  in  the  which  (his 
people  being  in  bed,  the  candle 
put  out  and  all  quiet)  he  used  to 
bathe  himself,  as  I  being  very 
young,  being  assured,  often  heard 
him,  and  in  one  light  night  dis- 
cerned him.  He  loved  me  ten- 
derly, and  I  him,  for  my  age,  as 
effectually.  He  taught  with  great 
modesty  and  gravity,  so  that  some 
of  his  people  thought  him  severe, 
and  would  have  slain  him,  but  the 
Lord  was  his  defence.  And  he, 
after  due  correction  for  their 
malice,  by  good  exhortation  a- 
mended  them  and  went  his  way. 
O  that  the  Lord  had  left  him  to 
me  his  poor  boy,  that  he  might 
have  finished  that  he  had  begun ! 
for  in  his  religion  he  was  as  you 
see  here  in  the  rest  of  his  life, 
when  he  went  into  Scotland  with 
divers  of  the  nobility,  that  came 
for  a  treaty  to  king  Henry  the 
Eighth.  His  learning  was  no  less 
sufficient,  than  his  desire  ;  always 
pressed  and  ready  to  do  good  in 
that  he  was  able,  both  in  the  house 
privately,  and  in  the  school  pub- 
licly, professing  and  reading  divers 
authors. 

"  If  I  should  declare  his  lore  to 
me,  and  all  men,  his  charity  %  the 
poor,  in  giving,  relieving,  caring, 
helping,  providing,  yea,  infinitely 
studying  how  to  do  good  unto  all, 
and  hurt  to  none,  I  should  sooner 
want  words  than  just  cause  to 
commend  him. 

"  All  this  I  testify  with  my 
whole  heart,  and  truth,  of  thi^ 
godly  man.  He  that  made  all, 
governeth  all,  and  shall  judge  all, 
knoweth  that  I  speak  the  truth, 
that  the  simple  may  be  satisfied, 
the  arrogant  confounded,  the  hy- 
pocrite disclosed. 

"  Emery  Tylney." 


334 


BOOK  OP  MARTYRS. 


In  ordei'  to  improve  himself  as 
mucli  as  possible  in  the  knowledge 
of  literature,  he  travelled  into  va- 
rious foreign  countries,  where  he 
distinguished  himself  for  his  great 
learning  and  abilities,  both  in  phi- 
losophy and  divinity.  His  desire 
to  promote  true  knowledge  and 
science  among  men,  accompanied 
the  profession  of  it  himself.  He 
was  very  ready  to  communicate 
what  he  knew  to  others,  and  fre- 
quently read  various  authors,  both 
in  his  own  chamber,  and  in  the 
public  schools. 

After  being  some  time  abroad, 
he  returned  to  England,  and  took 
up  his  residence  at  Cambridge, 
where  he  was  admitted  a  member 
of  Bennet  college.  Having  taken 
his  degrees,  he  entered  into  holy 
orders,  and  expounded  the  gospel 
in  so  clear  and  intelligible  a  man- 
ner, as  highly  to  delight  his  nu- 
merous auditors. 

Being  desirous  of  propagating 
the  true  gospel  in  his  own  coun- 
try, he  left  Cambridge  in  1544,  and 
in  his  way  to  Scotland  preached  in 
most  of  the  principal  towns,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  his  hearers. 

On  his  arrival  in  his  native  land, 
he  first  preached  at  Montrose,  and 
afterwards  at  Dundee.  In  this 
last  place  he  made  a  public  expo- 
sition of  the  epistle  to  the  Romans, 
which  he  went  through  with  so 
much  grace,  eloquence,  and  free- 
dom, as  delighted  the  reformers, 
and  alarmed  the  papists. 

In  consequence  of  this  exposi- 
tion, one  Robert  Miln,  a  principal 
man^f  Dundee,  went,  by  com- 
mand of  cardinal  Beaton,  to  the 
church,  where  Wishart  preached, 
and  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse 
publicly  told  him  "  not  to  trouble 
the  town  any  more,  for  he  was  de- 
termined not  to  suffer  it." 

This  treatment  greatly  surprised 
Wishart,  who,  after  a  short  pause, 
looking  sorrowfully  on  the  speaker 
and  the  audience,  said,  "  God  is 
my  witness,  that  I  never  intended 
your  trouble,  but  your  comfort ; 
yea,  your  trouble  is  more  grievous 
to  me,  than  it  is  to  yourselves;  but 
J    am  assured,  to    refuse    God's 


word,  and  to  clmse  from  you  his 
messenger,  shall  not  preserve  you 
from  trouble,  but 'shall  bring  you 
into  it;  for  God  shall  send  you 
ministers  ,that  shall  neither  fear 
burning  nor  banishment.  I  have 
oflered  you  the  word  of  salvation. 
With  the  hazard  of  my  life  I  have 
remained  among  you:  now  ye 
yourselves  refuse  me;  and  I  must 
leave  my  innocence  to  be  declared 
by  my  God.  If  it  be  long  prosper- 
ous with  you,  I  am  not  led  by  the 
spirit  of  truth;  but  if  unlooked-for 
trouble  come  upon  you,  acknow- 
ledge the  cause,  and  turn  to  God, 
who  is  gracious  and  merciful. 
But  if  you  turn  not  at  the  first 
warning,  he  will  visit  you  with 
fire  and  sword."  At  the  close  of 
this  speech  he  left  the  pulpit,  and 
retired. 

After  this  he  went  into  the  west 
of  Scotland,  where  he  preached 
God's  word,  which  was  gladly  re- 
ceived by  many;  till  the  archbi- 
shop of  Glasgow,  at  the  instigation 
of  cardinal  Beaton,  came,  with  his 
train,  to  the  town  of  Ayr,  to  sup- 
press Wishart,  and  insisted  on 
having  the  church  to  preach  in 
himself.  Some  opposed  this ;  but 
Wishart  said,  "  Let  him  alone,  his 
sermon  will  not  do  much  hurt;  let 
us  go  to  the  market-cross."  This 
was  agreed  to,  and  Wishart 
preached  a  sermon  that  gave  uni- 
versal satisfaction  to  his  hearers, 
and  at  the  same  time  confounded 
his  enemies. 

He  continued  to  propagate  the 
gospel  with  the  greatest  alacrity, 
preaching  sometimes  in  one  place, 
and  sometimes  in  another ;  but 
coming  to  Macklene,  he  was,  by 
force,  kept  out  of  the  church. 
Some  of  his  followers  would  have 
broken  in;  upon  which  he  said  to 
one  of  them,  "  Brother,  Jesus 
Christ  is  as  mighty  in  the  fields  as 
in  the  church  ;  and  himself  often 
preached  in  the  desert,  at  the  sea- 
side, and  other  places.  The  like 
word  of  peace  God  sends  by  me : 
the  blood  of  none  shall  be  shed  this 
day  for  preaching  it." 

He  then  went  into  the  fields, 
where  he  preaclied  to  the  people 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


335 


for  above  three  hours ;  and  such  an 
impression  did  his  sermon  make 
on  the  minds  of  his  hearers,  that 
many  of  the  most  vicked  men  in 
the  country  became  converts  to  the 
truth  of  the  gospel. 

A  short  time  after  this,  Mr. 
Wishart  received  intelligence,  that 
the  plague  was  broke  out  in  Dun- 
dee. It  began  four  days  after  he 
was  prohibited  from  preaching 
there,  and  raged  so  extremely, 
that  incredible  numbers  died  in 
the  space  of  twenty-four  hours. 
This  being  related  to  him,  he,  not- 
withstanding the  persuasions  of 
his  friends,  determined  to  go  thi- 
ther, saying,  "  They  are  now  in 
troubles,  and  need  comfort.  Per- 
haps this  hand  of  God,  will  make 
them  now  to  magnify  and  reve- 
rence the  word  of  God  which  be- 
fore they  lightly  esteemed." 

Here  he  was  with  joy  received 
by  the  godly.     He  chose  the  East- 
gate  for  the  place  of  his  preach- 
ing;    so    that    the    healthy    were 
witiiin,   and  the  sick  without  the 
gate.     He  took  his  text  from  these 
words,    "  He   sent  his   word   and 
healed  them,"  &c.     In  this  sermon 
he  chiefly  dwelt  upon  the  advan- 
tage and  comfort  of  God's  word, 
the  judgments  that  ensue  upon  the 
contempt  or  rejection  of  it,    the 
freedom  of  God's  grace  to  all  his 
people,  and  the  happiness  of  those 
of  his    elect,    whom   he  takes   to 
himself  out  of  this  miserable  world. 
The  hearts  of  his  hearers  were  so 
raised  by  the  divine  force  of  this 
discourse,  as  not  to  regard  death, 
but  to  judge  them  the  more  happy 
who   should  then  be   called,    not 
knowing  whether  they  might  have 
such  a  comforter  again  with  them. 
After  this   the   plague    abated ; 
though,  in  the  midst  of  it,  Wishart 
constantly  visited  those  that  lay  in 
the  greatest  extremity,  and  com- 
forted them  by  his  exhortations. 

When  he  took  his  leave  of  the 
people  of  Dundee,  he  said,  "  That 
God  had  almost  put  an  end  to  that 
plague,  and  that  he  was  now  called 
to  another  place." 

He  went  from  thence  to 'Mont- 
rose, where  be  sometimes  preach- 


ed, but  spent  most  of  his  time  in 
private  meditation  and  prayer. 

It   is   said,   that   before    he   left 
Dundee,  and  while  he  was  engaged 
in  the  labours  of  love  to  the  bo- 
dies,  as  well  as  to  the  souls,   of 
those  poor  afficted  people,   cardi- 
nal Beaton  engaged   a   desperate 
popish  priest,  called  John  Weigh- 
ton,  to  kill  him ;    the  attempt  to 
execute    which    was    as    follows: 
one  day,  after  Wishart  had  finished 
his   sermon,    and  the  people   de- 
parted, the  priest  stood  waiting  at 
the  bottom  of  the    stairs,  with   a 
naiced  dagger  in  his  hand    under 
his  gown.     But  Mr.  Wishart,  hav- 
ing a  sharp,  piercing  eye,  and  see- 
ing the  priest  as  he  came  from  the 
pulpit,   said  to  him,    "  My  friend, 
what  would  you  have?"     And^ im- 
mediately clapping  his  hand  upon 
the  dagger,  took  it  from  him.     The 
priest,  being  terrified,  fell  on  his 
knees,  confessed  his  intention,  and 
craved    pardon.      A    noise    being 
hereupon  raised,  and  it  coming  to 
the  ears  of  those  who  were  sick, 
they  cried,  "  Deliver  the  traitor  to 
us,   we  will  take  him   by  force;" 
and  they  burst  in  at  the  gate.     But 
Wishart,  taking  the  priest  in  his 
arms,    said,     "  Whatsoever   hurts 
him,  shall  hurt  me ;    for  he   hath 
done   me   no   mischief,   but  much 
good,  by  teaching  me  more  heed- 
fulness  for  the  time  to  come."     By 
this  conduct  he  appeased  the  peo- 
ple, and  saved  the  life  of  the  wicked 
priest. 

Soon  after  his  return  to  Mont- 
rose, the  cardinal  again  conspired 
his  death,  causing  a  letter  to  be 
sent  to  him  as  if  it  had  been  from 
his  familiar  friend,  the  laird  of 
Kinnier,  in  which  he  was  desired, 
with  all  possible  speed,  to  come  to 
him,  because  he  was  taken  with  a 
sudden  sickness.  In  the  mean 
time  the  cardinal  had  provided 
sixty  armed  men,  to  lie  in  wait 
within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  Mont- 
rose, in  order  to  murder  him  as  he 
passed  that  way. 

The  letter  coming  to  Wishart's 
hand  by  a  boy,  who  also  brought 
him  a  horse  for  the  journey,  Wish- 
art,  accomp-anied  by  some  of  his 


336 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


friends,  set  forward ;  but  some- 
thing particular  striking  his  mind 
by  the  way,  he  returned  back, 
which  they  wondering  at,  asked 
hira  the  cause ;  to  whom  he  said, 
"  I  will  not  go  ;  I  am  forbidden  of 
God ;  I  am  assured  there  is  trea- 
son. Let  some  of  you  go  to  yon- 
der place,  and  tell  me  what  you 
find."  They  accordingly  went, 
discovered  the  assassins,  and  has- 
tily returning,  they  told  Mr.  Wish- 
art  :  whereupon  he  said,  "  I  know 
I  shall  end  my  life  by  that  blood- 
thirsty man's  hands,  but  it  will  not 
be  in  this  manner." 

A  short  time  after  this  he  left 
Montrose,  and  proceeded  to  Edin- 
burgh, in  order  to  propagate  the 
gospel  in  that  city.  By  the  way 
he  lodged  with  a  faithful  brother, 
called  James  Watson,  of  Inner- 
Goury.  In  the  middle  of  the  night 
he  got  up,  and  went  into  the  yard, 
which  two  men  hearing,  they  pri- 
vately followed  him. 

While  in  the  yard  he  fell  on  his 
knees,  and  prayed  for  some  time 
with  the  greatest  fervency ;  after 
which  he  arose,  and  returned  to 
his  bed.  Those  who  attended  him, 
appearing  as  though  they  were 
ignorant  of  all,  came  and  asked 
him  where  he  had  been?  But  he 
would  not  answer  them.  The  next 
day  they  importuned  him  to  tell 
them,  saying,  "  Be  plain  with  us, 
for  we  heard  your  mourning,  and 
saw  your  gestures." 

On  this  he,  with  a  dejected  coun- 
tenance, said,  "  I  had  rather  you 
had  been  in  your  beds."  But  they 
still  pressing  upon  him  to  know 
something,  he  said,  '*  I  will  tell 
you  ;  I  am  assured  that  my  war- 
fare is  near  at  an  end,  and  there- 
fore pray  to  God  with  me,  that  I 
shrink  not  when  the  battle  waxeth 
most  hot." 

When  they  heard  this  they  wept, 
saying,  "  This  is  small  comfort  to 
vs." — "  Then,"  said  he,  "  God 
shall  send  you  comfort  after  me. 
This  realm  shall  be  illuminated 
with  the  light  of  Christ's  gospel, 
as  clearly  as  any  realm  since  the 
days  of  the  apostles.  The  house 
of  God  shall  be  built  in  it ;    yea, 


it  shall  not  lack,  in  despite  of  all 
enemies,  the  top-stone ;  neither 
will  it  be  long  before  this  be  ac- 
complished. Many  shall  not  suf- 
fer after  me,  before  the  glory  of 
God  shall  appear,  and  triumph  in 
despite  of  Satan.  But,  alas,  if 
the  people  afterwards  shall  prove 
unthankful,  then  fearful  and  ter- 
rible will  be  the  plagues  that  shall 
follow." 

The  next  day  he  proceeded  on 
his  journey,  and  when  he  arrived 
at  Leith,  not  meeting  with  those 
he  expected,  he  kept  himself  re- 
tired for  a  day  or  two.  He  then 
grew  pensive,  and  being  asked 
the  reason,  he  answered,  "  What 
do  I  differ  from  a  dead  man? 
Hitherto  God  hath  used  my  labours 
for  the  instruction  of  others,  and  to 
the  disclosing  of  darkness;  and  now 
I  lurk  as  a  man  ashamed  to  shew 
his  face."  His  friends  perceived 
that  his  desire  was  to  preach, 
whereupon  they  said  to  him,  "  It 
is  most  comfortable  for  us  to  hear 
you,  but  because  we  know  the 
danger  wherein  you  stand,  we  dare 
not  desire  it."  He  replied,  "  If 
you  dare  hear,  let  God  provide  for 
me  as  best  pleaseth  him  ;"  after 
which  it  was  concluded,  that  the 
next  day  he  should  preach  in  Leith. 
His  text  was  from  the  parable  of 
the  sower.  Matt.  xiii.  The  ser- 
mon ended,  the  gentlemen  of  Lo- 
thian, who  were  earnest  professors 
of  Jesus  Christ,  would  not  suffer 
him  to  stay  at  Leith,  because  the 
governor  and  cardinal  were  shortly 
to  come  to  Edinburgh  ;  but  took 
him  along  with  them ;  and  be 
preached  at  Branstone,  Long- 
niddry,  and  Ormistone.  He  also 
preached  at  Iveresk,  near  Musel- 
burg  :  he  had  a  great  concourse  of 
people,  and  amongst  them  Sir 
George  Douglas,  who  after  sermon 
said  publicly,  "  I  know  that  the 
governor  and  cardinal  will  hear 
that  I  have  been  at  this  sermon ; 
but  let  them  know  that  I  will  avow 
it,  and  will  maintain  both  the  doc- 
trine, and  the  preacher,  to  the  ut- 
termost of  my  power." 

Among  others  that  came  to  hear 
him  preach,  there  were  two  gray- 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


337 


friars,  who,  standing  at  the  church 
door,  whispered  to  such  as  carae 
in ;  which  Wishart  observing,  said 
to  the  people,  "  I  pray  you  make 
room  for  these  two  men,  it  may  be 
they  come  to  learn  ;"  and  turning 
to  them,  he  said,  "  Come  near,  for 
I  assure  you  you  shall  hear  the 
word  of  truth,  which  this  day  shall 
seal  up  to  you  either  your  salva- 
tion or  damnation :"  after  which 
Le  proceeded  in  his  sermon,  sup- 
posing that  they  would  be  quiet ; 
but  when  he  perceived  that  they 
still  continued  to  disturb  the  people 
that  stood  near  them,  be  said  to 
them  the  second  time,  with  an  angry 


countenance,  ♦'  O  ministers  of 
Satan,  and  deceivers  of  the  souls 
of  men,  will  ye  neither  hear  God's 
truth  yourselves,  nor  suffer  others 
to  hear  it  ?  Depart,  and  take  this 
for  your  portion  ;  God  shall  shortly 
confound  and  disclose  your  hypo- 
crisy within  this  kingdom;  ye  shall 
be  abominable  to  men,  and  your 
places  and  habitations  shall  be  de- 
solate." He  spoke  this  with  much 
veJieraenoy ;  then  turning  to  the 
people,  said,  "  Those  men  have 
provoked  the  spirit  of  God  to 
anger ;"  after  which  he  proceeded 
in  his  Hermon,  highly  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  hearers. 


Horrible  Cruelties  inflicted  by  order  of  the  Inquisition. 


From  hence  he  went  and  preach- 
ed at  Branstone,  Languedine,  Or- 
mistone,  and  Inveresk,  where  he 
was  followed  by  a  great  concourse 
of  people.  He  preached  also  in 
many  other  places,  the  people 
flocking  after  him ;  and  in  all  his 
sermons  he  foretold  the  shortness 
of  the  time  he  had  to  travel,  and 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


the  near  approach  of  his  death. 
When  he  came  to  Haddington, 
his  auditory  began  much  to  de- 
crease, which  was  thought  to  hap- 
pen through  the  influence  of  the 
earl  of  Bothwell,  who  was  moved 
to  oppose  him  at  the  instigation 
of  the  cardinal.  Soon  after  this, 
as  he  was  going  to  church,  he  re- 
22 


338 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


celred  a  letter  froni  the  west  coun- 
try gentlemen,  which  having  read, 
he  called  John  Knox,  who  had  dili- 
gently waited  upon  him  since  his 
arrival  at  Lothian ;  to  whom  he 
said,  "  He  was  weary  of  the  world, 
because  he  saw  that  men  began  to 
be  weary  of  God :  for,"  said  he, 
"  the  gentlemen  of  the  west  have 
sent  me  word,  that  they  cannot 
keep  their  meeting  at  Edinburgh." 

Knox,  wondering  he  should  enter 
into  conference  about  these  things, 
immediately  before  his  sermon, 
contrary  to  his  usual  custom,  said 
to  him,  "  Sir,  sermon-time  ap- 
proaches ;  I  will  leave  you  for  the 
present  to  your  meditations." 

Wishart's  sad  countenance  de- 
clared the  grief  of  his  mind.  At 
length  he  went  into  the  pulpit,  and 
his  auditory  being  very  small,  he 
introduced  his  sermon  with  the 
following  exclamation  :  "  O  Lord  ! 
how  long  shall  it  be,  that  thy  holy 
word  shall  be  despised,  and  men 
shall  not  regard  their  own  salva- 
tion? I  have  heard  of  thee,  O 
Haddington,  that  in,  thee  there 
used  to  be  two  or  three  thousand 
persons  at  a  vain  and  wicked  play ; 
and  now,  to  hear  the  messenger  of 
the  eternal  God,  of  all  the  parish 
can  scarce  be  numbered  one  hun- 
dred present  Sore  and  fearful 
shall  be  the  plagues  that  shall 
ensue  upon  this  thy  contempt. 
With  fire  and  sword  shalt  thou  be 
plagued  ;  yea,  thou  Haddington 
in  special,  strangers  shall  possess 
thee ;  and  ye,  the  present  inha- 
bitants, shall  either  in  bondage 
serve  your  enemies,  or  else  ye 
shall  be  chased  from  your  6wn 
habitations;  and  that  because  ye 
have  not  known,  nor  will  know,  the 
time  of  your  visitation." 

This  prediction  was,  in  a  great 
measure,  accomplished  not  long 
after,  when  the  English  took  Had- 
dington, made  it  a  garrison,  and 
forced  many  of  the  inhabitants  to 
ilce.  Soon  after  this,  a  dreadful 
plague  broke  out  in  the  town,  of 
which  such  numbers  died,  that 
the  place  became  almost  depopu- 
lated. 

Cardinal  Beaton,  b  eing  informed 


that  Wishart  was  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Cockburn,  of  Ormiston,  in 
East-Lothian,  applied  to  the  re- 
gent to  cause  him  to  be  appre- 
hended; with  which,  after  great 
persuasion,  and  much  against  his 
will,  he  complied. 

The  earl  accordingly  went,  with 
proper  attendants,  to  the  house 
of  Mr.  Cockburn,  which  he  beset 
about  midnight.  The  master  of 
the  house  being  greatly  alarmed, 
put  himself  in  a  posture  of  defence, 
when  the  earl  told  him  that  it  was 
in  vain  to  resist,  for  the  governor 
and  cardinal  were  within  a  mile, 
with  a  great  power ;  but  if  he 
would  deliver  Wishart  to  him,  he 
would  promise  upon  his  honour, 
that  he  should  be  safe,  and  that 
the  cardinal  should  not  hurt  him. 
Wisbart  said,  "  Open  the  gates, 
the  will  of  God  be  done  ;"  and 
Bothwell  coming  in,  Wishart  said 
to  him,  "  I  praise  my  God,  that  so 
honourable  a  man  as  you,  my  lord, 
receive  me  this  night ;  for  I  am 
persuaded  that  for  your  honour's 
sake  you  will  suifer  nothing  to  be 
done  to  me  but  by  order  of  law : 
I  less  fear  to  die  openly,  than  se- 
cretly to  be  murdered."  Bothwell 
replied,  "  I  will  not  only  preserve 
your  body  from  all  violence  that 
shall  be  intended  against  you  with- 
out order  of  law ;  bait  I  also  pro- 
mise, in  the  presence  of  these  gen- 
tlemen, that  neither  the  governor 
nor  cardinal  shall  have  their  will 
of  you ;  but  I  will  keep  you  in 
my  own  house,  till  I  eitlier  set 
you  free,  or  restore  you  to  the  same 
place  where  I  receive  you."  Then 
said  Mr.  Cockburp,  "My  lord,  if 
you  make  good  your  promise; 
which  we  presume  you  will,  we 
ourselves  will  not  only  serve  you, 
but  we  will  procure  all  the  pro- 
fessors in  Lothian  to  do  the  same." 

This  agreement  being  made,  Mr. 
Wishart  was  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  the  earl,  who  imme- 
diately conducted  him  to  Edin- 
burgh. 

As  soon  as  the  earl  arrived  at 
that  place,  he  was  sent  for  by  the 
queen^  who  being  an  inveterate 
enemy  to  Wishart,  prevailed   on 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


S39 


the  earl  (notwithstanding  the  pro- 
mises he  had  made)  to  commit  him 
a  prisoner  to  the  castle. 

The  cardinal  being  informed  of 
Wishart's  situation,  went  to  Edin- 
bur-gh,  and  immediately  caused  him 
to  be  removed  from  thence  to  the 
castle  of  St.  Andrew's. 

The  inveterate  and  persecuting 
prelate,  having  now  got  our  mar- 
tyr fully  at  his  own  disposal,  re- 
solved to  proceed  immediately  to 
try  him  as  a  heretic  :  for  which 
purpose  he  assembled  the  pre- 
lates at  St.  Andrew's  church  on 
the  27th  of  February,  1546. 

At  this  meeting  the  archbisliop 
of  Glasgow  gave  it  as  his  opinion, 
that  application  should  be  made  to 
the  regent,  io  grant  a  commission 
to  some  nobleman  to  try  the  pri- 
soner, that  all  tlie  odium  of  put- 
ting so  popular  a  man  to  death 
might  not  lie  on  the  clergy. 

To  this  the  cardinal  readily 
agreed;  but  upon  sending  to  the 
regent,  he  received  the  following 
answer  :  "  That  he  would  do  well 
not  to  precipitate  this  man's  trial, 
but  delay  it  until  his  coming ;  for 
as  to  himself,  he  would  not  consent 
to  his  death  before  the  cause  was 
very  well  examined  ;  and  if  the 
cardinal  should  do  otherwise,  he 
would  make  protestation,  that  the 
blood  of  this  man  should  be  re- 
quired at  his  hands." 

The  cardinal  was  extremely 
chagrined  at  this  message  from  the 
regent ;  however,  he  determined 
to  proceed  in  the  bloody  business 
he  had  undertaken ;  and  there- 
fore sent  the  regent  word,  "That 
he  had  not  written  to  him  about 
this  matter,  as  supposing  himself 
to  be  any  way  dependant  upon  his 
authority,  but  from  a  desire  that 
the  prosecution  and  conviction  of 
heretics  might  have  a  shew  of 
public  consent ;  which,  since  he 
could  not  this  way  obtain,  he 
would  proceed  in  that  way  whicli 
to  him  appeared  the  most  pro- 
per." 

In  consequence  of  this,  the  car- 
dinal immediately  proceeded  to 
the  trial  of  Wishart,  against  \\'hom 
no  less  than  eighteen  articles  w^ere 


exhibited,    which    were,    in    sub- 
stance, as  follows : 

That  he  had  despised  the  "  holy 
mother-church  ;"  had  deceived  the 
people  ;  had  ridiculed  the  mass  ; 
had  preached  against  the  sacra- 
ments, saying  that  there  were  not 
seven,  but  two  only,  viz.  baptism 
and  the  supper  of  the  Lord  ;  had 
preached  against  confession  to  a 
priest;  had  denied  transubstantia- 
tion  and  the  necessity  of  extreme 
unction  ;  would  not  admit  the  au- 
tliority  of  the  pope  or  the  councils; 
allowed  the  eating  of  flesh  on 
Friday ;  condemned  prayers  to 
saints ;  spoke  against  the  vows 
of  monks,  &c.  saying  that  "  who- 
ever was  bound  to  such  vows,  had 
vowed  themselves  to  the  state  of 
damnation,  and  that  it  was  lawful 
for  priests  to  marry ;"  that  he  had 
said,  "  it  was  in  vain  to  build 
costly  churches  tO  the  honour  of 
God,  seeing  that  he  remained  not 
in  churches  made  with  men's 
hands  ;  nor  yet  could  God  be  in  so 
small  a  space  as  between  the 
priest's  hands  ;" — and,  finally,  that 
he  had  avowed  his  disbelief  of  pur- 
gatory, and  had  said,  "  the  soul 
of  man  should  sleep  till  the  last 
day,  and  should  not  obtain  immor- 
tal life  till  that  time." 

Mr.  Wishart  answered  these 
respective  articles  with  great  com- 
posure of  mind,  and  in  so  learned 
and  clear  a  manner,  as  greatly  sur- 
prised most  of  those  who  were 
present. 

A  bigoted  priest,  named  Lau- 
der, at  the  instigation  of  the 
archbishop,  not  only  heaped  a 
load  of  curses  on  him,  but  treated 
him  with  the  most  barbarous  con- 
tempt, calling  him  "  runagate, 
false  heretic,  traitor,  and  thief;" 
and,  not  satisfied  with  that,  spit 
in  his  face,  and  otherwise  mal- 
treated him. 

On  this  Mr.  Wishart  fell  on 
his  knees,  and  after  making  a 
prayer  to  God,  thus  addressed  his 
judges : 

"  Many  and  horrible  sayings 
unto  me  a  Christian  man,  many 
words  abominable  to  hear,  have 
ye  spoken  here   this  day  ;   which 


340 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


not  only  to  teach,  but  even  to 
think,  I  ever  thought  a  great  abo- 
mination." 

After  the  examination  was  finish- 
ed, the  archbishop  endeavoured  to 
prevail  on  Mr.  Wishart  to  recant ; 
but  he  was  too  firmly  fixed  in  his 
religious  principles,  and  too  much 
enlightened  with  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  to  be  in  the  least  moved. 

In  consequence  of  this  the  arch- 
bishop pronounced  on  him  the 
dreadful  sentence  of  death,  which 
lie  ordered  should  be  put  into  ex- 
ecution on  the  following  day. 

As  soon  as  this  cruel  and  me- 
lancholy ceremony  was  finished, 
our  martyr  fell  on  his  knees  and 
thus  exclaimed : 

"  O  immortal  God,  how  long 
trilt  thou  suffer  the  rage,  and 
great  cruelty  of  the  ungodly,  to 
exercise  their  fury  upon  thy  ser- 
vants, which  do  further  thy  word 
in  this  world  1  Whereas  tlaey,  on 
the  contrary,  seek  to  destroy  the 
truth,  whereby  thou  hast  revealed 
thyself  to  the  world.  O  Lord,  we 
know  certainly  that  thy  true  ser- 
vants must  needs  suffer,  for  thy 
name's  sake,  persecutions,  afllic- 
tions,  and  troubles,  in  this  pre- 
sent world ;  yet  we  desire,  that 
thou  wouldest  preserve  and  defend 
thy  church,  which  thou  hast  chosen 
tefore  the  foundation  of  the  world, 
and  give  thy  people  grace  to  hear 
Ihy  word,  and  to  be  thy  true  ser- 
vants in  this  present  life." 

Having  said  this,  he  arose,  and 
was  immediately  conducted  by  the 
officers  to  the  prison  from  whence 
he  had  been  brought,  in  the  castle. 

In  the  evening  he  was  visited  by 
two  friars,  who  told  him  he  must 
make  his  confession  to  them ;  to 
whom  he  replied,  "  I  will  not 
make  any  confession  to  you ;"  on 
■which  they  immediately  departed. 

Soon  after  this  came  the  sub- 
prior,  with  whom  Wishart  con- 
versed in  so  feeling  a  manner  on 
religious  matters,  as  to  make  him 
weep.  When  this  man  left  Wish- 
art, he  went  to  the  cardinal,  and 
told  him,  he  came  not  to  intercede 
for  the  prisoner's  life,  but  to  make 
known  his  innocence  to   all  men. 


At  these  words,  the  cardinal  eX" 
pressed  great  dissatisfaction,  and 
forbid  the  sub-prior  from  again 
visiting  Wishart. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  even- 
ing, our  martyr  was  visited  by  the 
captain  of  the  castle,  with  several 
of  his  friends ;  who  bringing  with 
them  some  bread  and  wine,  asked 
him  if  he  would  eat  and  drink  with 
them.  "Yes,"  said  Wishart,  "very 
willingly,  for  I  know  you  are  honest 
men."  In  the  mean  time  he  de- 
sired them  to  hear  him  a  little, 
when  he  discoursed  with  them  on 
the  Lord's  Supper,  his  »uflerings 
and  death  for  us,  exhorting  them 
to  love  one  another,  and  to  lay 
aside  all  rancour  and  malice,  as 
became  the  members  of  Jesus 
Christ,  who  continually  interceded 
for  them  with  his  father.  After 
this  he  gave  thanks  to  God,  and 
blessing  the  bread  and  wine,  he 
took  the  bread  and  brake  it,  giv- 
ing some  to  each,  saying,  at  the 
same  time,  "Eat  this,  remember 
that  Christ  died  for  us,  and  feed 
on  it  spiritually.  Then  taking  the 
cup,  he  drank,  and  bade  them 
"  remember  that  Christ's  blood 
was  shed  for  them."  After  this 
he  gave  thanks,  prayed  for  some 
time,  took  leave  of  his  visitors,  and 
retired  to  his  chamber. 

On  the  morning  of  his  execu- 
tion there  came  to  him  two  friars 
from  the  cardinal ;  one  of  whom 
put  on  him  a  black  linen  coat, 
and  the  other  brought  several  bags 
of  gunpowder,  which  they  tied 
about  different  parts  of  his  body. 

In  this  dress  he  was  conducted 
from  the  room  in  which  he  had 
been  confined,  to  the  outer  cham- 
ber of  the  governor's  apartments, 
there  to  stay  till  the  necessary 
preparations  were  made  for  his 
execution. 

The  windows  and  balconies  of 
the  castle,  opposite  the  place 
where  he  was  to  suffer,  were  all 
hung  with  tapestry  and  silk  hang- 
ings, with  cushions  for  the  cardinal 
and  his  train,  who  were  from 
thence  to  feast  their  eyes  with  the 
torments  of  this  innocent  man. 
There  was  also  a  large  guard  of 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


341 


soldiers,  not  so  much  to  secure  the 
execution,  as  to  shew  a  vain  os- 
tentation of  power;  besides  which, 
cannon  were  placed  on  diflerent 
parts  of  the  castle. 

All  the  preparations  being  com- 
pleted, Wishart,  after  having  his 
hands  tied  behind  him,  was  con- 
ducted to  the  fatal  spot.  In  his 
way  thither  he  was  accosted  by 
two  friars,  who  desired  him  to  pray 
to  the  Virgin  Mary  to  intercede 
for  him.  To  whom  he  meekly 
said,  "  Cease;  tempt  me  not,  I  en- 
treat you." 

As  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the 
stake,  the  executioner  put  a  rope 
round  his  neck,  and  a  cliain  about 
his  middle;  upon  which  he  fell  on 
his  knees,  and  thus  exclaimed: 

*'  O  thou  Saviour  of  the  world, 
have  mercy  upon  me!  Father  of 
heaven,  I  commend  my  spirit  into 
thy  holy  hands." 

After  repeating  these  words 
three  times  he  arose,  and  turning 
himself  to  the  spectators,  addressed 
them  as  follows: 

"  Christian  brethren  and  sisters, 
I  beseech  you,  be  not  offended  at 
the  word  of  God  for  the  torments 
which  you  see  prepared  for  me ; 
but  I  exhort  you,  that  ye  love  the 
word  of  God  for  your  salvation, 
and  suffer  patiently,  and  with  a 
comfortable  heart,  for  the  word's 
sake,  which  is  your  undoubted  sal- 
vation, and  everlasting  comfort. 
I  pray  you  also,  shew  my  brethren 
and  sisters,  who  have  often  heard 
me,  that  they  cease  not  to  learn 
the  word  of  God,  which  I  taught 
them  according  to  the  measure  of 
grace  given  me,  but  to  hold  fast  to 
it  with  the  strictest  attention ;  and 
shew  them,  that  the  doctrine  was 
no  old  wives'  fables,  but  the  truth 
of  God  ;  for  if  I  had  taught  men's 
doctrine,  I  should  have  had  greater 
thanks  from  men:  but  for  the  word 
of  God's  sake  I  now  suffer,  not 
sorrowfully,  but  with  a  glad  heart 
and  mind.  For  this  cause  I  was 
sent,  that  I  should  sufler  this  fire 
for  Christ's  sake  ;  behold  my  face, 
you  shall  not  see  me  change  my 
countenance ;  I  fear  not  the  fire ; 
and  if  persecution  come  to  you  for 


the  word's  sake,  I  pray  you  fear 
not  them  that  can  kill  the  body, 
and  have  no  power  to  hurt  the 
soul." 

After  this  he  prayed  for  his  ac- 
cusers, saying,  '*  I  beseech  thee, 
Father  of  heaven,  forgive  them 
that  have,  from  ignorance,  or  an 
evil  mind,  forged  lies  of  me :  I  for- 
give them  with  all  my  heart.  I 
beseech  Christ  to  forgive  them, 
that  have  ignorantly  condemned 
me." 

Then,  again  turning  himself  to 
the  spectators,  he  said,  "  I  beseech 
you,  brethren,  exhort  your  pre- 
lates to  learn  the  word  of  God, 
that  they  may  be  ashamed  to  do 
evil,  and  learn  to  do  good;  or 
there  will  come  upon  them  the 
wrath  of  God,  which  they  shall  not 
eschew." 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished  this 
speech,  the  executioner  fell  on  his 
knees  before  him,  and  said,  "  Sir, 
I  pray  you  forgive  me,  for  I  am 
not  the  cause  of  your  death." 

In  return  to  this,  Wishart  cor- 
dially took  the  man  by  the  hand, 
and  kissed  him,  saying,  "  Lo,  here 
is  a  token  that  I  forgive  thee ;  my 
heart,  do  thine  office." 

He  was  then  fastened  to  the 
stake,  and  the  fagots  being  lighted, 
immediately  set  fire  to  the  powder 
that  was  tied  about  him,  and 
which  blew  into  a  flame  and 
smoke. 

The  governor  of  the  castle,  who 
stood  so  near  that  he  was  singed 
with  the  flame,  exhorted  our  mar- 
tyr, in  a  few  words,  to  be  of  good 
cheer,  and  to  ask  pardon  of  God 
for  his  offences.  To  which  he  re- 
plied, "  This  flame  occasions  trou- 
ble to  my  body,  indeed,  but  it  hath 
in  no  wise  broken  my  spirit.  But 
he  who  now  so  proudly  looks  down 
upon  me  from  yonder  lofty  place," 
pointing  to  the  cardinal,  "  shall, 
ere  long,  be  as  ignominiously 
thrown  down,  as  now  he  proudly 
lolls  at  his  ease." 

When  he  had  said  this,  the  exe- 
cutioner pulled  the  rope  which 
was  tied  about  his  neck  with  great 
violence,  so  that  he  was  soon 
strangled;    and    the    fire   getting 


^sn 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


strength,  burnt  with  such  rapidity 
that  in  less  than  an  hour  his  body 
was  totally  cousuined. 

Thus  died,  in  confirmation  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  a  sincere  belieyer, 
■whose  fortitude  and  constancy, 
'during  his  sufferings,  can  only  be 
imputed  to  the  support  of  divine 
aid,  in  order  to  fulfil  that  memora- 
ble promise,  "As  is  thy  day,  so 
shall  thy  strength  be  also." 

CARDINAL   BEATON    PCT   TO    DEATH. 

The  prediction  of  Mr.  Wishart, 
concerning  cardinal  Beaton,  is  re- 
lated by  Buchanan,  and  others ; 
but  it  has  been  doubted,  by  some 
later  writers,  whether  he  really 
made  such  prediction  or  not.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  however,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  death  of  Wishart  did, 
in  a  short  time  after,  prove  fatal 
to  the  cardinal  himself;  the  parti- 
culars of  which  we  subjoin. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Wishart,  the  cardinal  went  to  Fin- 
haven,  the  seat  of  the  earl  of 
Crawford,  to  solemnize  a  maniage 
between  the  eldest  son  of  that  no- 
bleman, and  his  own  natural 
daughter,  Margaret,  Whilst  he 
was  thus  employed,  he  received 
intelligence  that  an  English  squad- 
ron was  upon  the  coast,  and  that 
consequently  an  invasion  was  to 
be  feared.  Upon  this  he  imme- 
diately returned  to  St.  Andrew's, 
and  appointed  a  day  for  the  nobi- 
lity and  gentry  to  meet,  and  con- 
sult what  was  proper  to  be  done 
on  this  occasion.  But  as  no  far- 
ther news  was  heard  of  the  Eng- 
lish fleet,  their  apprehensions  of 
an  invasion  soon  subsided. 

In  the  mean  time  Norman  Les- 
ley, eldest  son  of  the  earl  of 
Rothes,  who  had  been  treated  by 
the  cardinal  with  injustice  .and 
contempt,  formed  a  design,  in 
conjunction  with  his  uncle  John 
Lesley,  who  hated  Beaton,  and 
others  who  were  inflamed  against 
him  on  account  of  his  persecution 
of  the  protestants,  the  death  of 
Wishart,  and  other  causes,  to  as- 
sassinate the  prelate,  though  he 
now  resided  in  the  castle  of  St. 
Andrew's,  which    he   was   fortifj'- 


ing  at  great  experwe,  and  tad,  in 
the  opinion  of  that  age,  already 
rendered  it  almost  impregnable. 

The  cardinal's  retinue  was  nu- 
merous, the  town  was  at  his  de- 
votion, and  the  neighbouring  coun- 
try full  of  his  dependents.  How- 
ever, the  conspirators,  who  were 
in  number  ordy  sixteen,  having 
concerted  their  plan,  met  together 
early  in  the  morning,  on  Saturday 
the  29th  of  May.  The  first  thing 
they  did,  was  to  seize  the  porter 
of  the  castle,  from  whom  they  took 
the  keys,  and  secured  the  gate. 
They  then  sent  four  of  their  party 
to  watch  the  cardinal's  chamber, 
that  he  might  have  no  notice  given 
him  of  what  was  doing;  after 
which  they  went  and  called  up  the 
servants  and  attendants,  to  whom 
they  were  well  known,  and  turned 
them  out  of  the  gate,  to  the  num- 
ber of  fifty,  as  they  did  also  up- 
wards of  an  hundred  workmen, 
who  were  employed  in  the  fortifi- 
cations and  buildings  of  the  castle ; 
but  the  eldest  son  of  the  regent, 
(whom  the  cardinal  kept  with  him, 
under  pretence  of,  superintending 
his  education,  but  in  reality  as  an 
hostage,)  they  kept  for  their  own 
security. 

All  this  was  done  with  so  little 
noise,  that  the  cardinal  was  not 
waked  till  they  knocked  at  his 
chamber  door;  upon  which  he 
cried  out,  "  Who  is  there?"  John 
Lesley  answered,  "  My  name  is 
Lesley."  "  Which  Lesley !"  in- 
quired the  cardinal ;  "  is  it  Nor- 
man?" It  was  answered,  that  he 
must  open  the  door  to  those  who 
were  there ;  but  instead  of  this,  he 
barrieadoed  it  in  the  best  manner 
he  could.  However,  finding  that 
they  had  brought  fire  in  order  to 
force  their  way,  and  they  having, 
as  it  is  said  by  some,  made  him  a 
promise  of  his  life,  he  opened  the 
door.  They  immediately  entered 
with  their  swords  drawn,  and  John 
Lesley  smote  him  twice  or  thrice, 
as  did  also  Peter  Carmichael ;  but 
James  Melvil,  (as  Mr.  Knox  re- 
lates the  affair)  perceiving  them 
to  be  in  choler,  said,  "  This  work, 
and  judgment  of  God,  although  it 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


343 


be  seftret,  ouf;:lit  to  he  done  with 
J!:reater  ^raxity."  and  presenting 
the  point  of  his  sword  to  the  car- 
dinal, said  to  him,  "  Repent  thee 
4)f  thy  wicked  life,  but  especially 
of  the  shcddinpj  of  the  blood  of  that 
notable  instrument  of  God,  Mr. 
Georg-e  Wishart,  which  albeit  the 
flame  of  fire  consumed  before  men, 
yet  cries  it  for  vengeance  upon 
thee ;  and  we  from  God  are  sent  to 
revenge  it.  For  here,  before  my 
God,  I  protest,  that  neither  the 
hatred  of  thy  person,  the  love  of 
thy  riches,  nor  the  fear  of  any  trou- 
ble thou  couldst  have  done  to  me 
in  particular,  moved  or  moveth  me 
to  strike  thee;  but  only  because 
thou  hast  been,  and  remarnest,  an 
obstinate  enemy  of  Christ  Jesus, 
and  his  holy  gospel."  Having 
said  this,  he  with  his  sword  run 
the  cardinal  twice  or  thrice 
through  the  body;  who  only  said, 
"I  am  a  priest!  Fie!  fie!  all  is 
gone!"  and  then  expired,  being 
about  fifty-two  years  of  age. 

Thus  fell  cardinal  Beaton,  who 
had  been  as  great  a  persecutor 
against  the  protestauts  in  Scot- 
land, as  Bonner  was  in  England; 
and  whose  death  was  as  little  re- 
gretted by  all  true  professors  of 
Christ's  gospel. 

The  character  of  this  distin- 
guished tyrant  is  thus  given  by  a 
celebrated  writer: 

"  Cardinal  Beaton  had  not  used 
his  power  with  moderation  equal 
to  the  prudence  by  which  he  ob- 
tained it.  Notwithstanding  his 
great  abilities,  he  had  too  many  of 
the  passions  and  prejudices  of  an 
angrj  leader  of  a  faction,  to  go- 
vern a  divided  people  with  temper. 
His  resentment  against  one  part  of 
the  nobility,  his  insolence  towards 
the  rest,  his  severity  to  the  re- 
formers, and,  above  all,  the  bar- 
barous and  illegal  execution  of 
the  famous  George  Wishart,  a  man 
of  honourable  birth,  and  of  primi- 
tive sanctity,  wore  out  the  pa- 
tience of  a  fierce  age ;  and  nothing 
but  a  bold  hand  was  wanting,  to 
gratify  the  public  wish  by  Ijis  de- 
struction." 

The   death   of  cardinal   Beaton, 


for  a  short  time,  gave  new  spirits 
to  the  reformed  in  all  parts  of 
Scotland;  but  their  pleasing  ex- 
pectations were  damped,  when 
they  discovered  the  disposition  of 
his  successor,  John  Hamilton,  who 
was  no  less  a  rigid  papist,  and  vio- 
lent persecutor  of  the  protestauts, 
than  his  predecessor. 

No  sooner  did  he  assume  tbe  ar- 
chiepiscopal  dignity,  than  he  dedi- 
cated the  principal  part  of  his  time 
to  the  oppression  of  those  who  fa- 
voured the  reformed  doctrine; 
many  of  whom  he  caused  to  be  im- 
prisoned till  (hey  recanted;  and 
others,  who  would  not,  were  ba- 
nished the  kingdom. 

MARTYRDOM    OF   ADAM    WALLACE. 

The  first  person  who  fell  a  mar- 
tyr to  the  rancorous  passions  of 
this  bigoted  tyrant,  was  one  Adam 
Wallace,  of  Winton,  in  East-Lo- 
thian, who  having  obtained  a  true 
knowledge  of  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
in  endeavouring  to  propagate  it 
among  his  fellow-creatures. 

His  conduct  being  noticed  by 
some  bigoted  papists,  an  informa- 
tion was  laid  against  him  for  he- 
resy, on  which  he  was  apprehend- 
ed, and  committed  to  prison. 

A  few  days  after  he  was  brought 
before  the  archbishop  of  St.  An- 
drew's, and  several  other  prelates, 
assembled  at  the  church  of  the 
Black-friars  in  Edinburgh,  in  order 
to  be  examined  relative  to  his  reli- 
gious opinions,  when  three  sepa- 
rate articles  were  exhibited  against 
him : 

1st.  "That  he  had  said  and 
taught,  that  the  bread  and  wine  on 
the  altar,  after  the  words  of  conse- 
cration, were  not  the  real  body  and 
blood  of  Christ." 

To  this  he  replied,  "I  never 
said,  or  taught,  any  thing  but  what 
I  found  in  this  book,"  (pofnting  to 
a  bible  that  hung  by  his  side) 
"  which  contains  the  word  of  God. 
From  this  I  am  informed,  (as  you 
may  likewise  be)  that  after  our 
Lord  had  eaten  the  paschal  lamb, 
at  his  last  supper  with  his  apostles, 
and  fulfilled  the  ceremonies  of  the 
old  laAv,  he  instituted  a  new  sacra- 


344 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ment,  in  remembrance  of  his 
death,  then  to  come.  He  took 
bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake  it, 
and  gave  it  to  his  disciples,  and 
said,  '  Take,  eat;  this  is  my  body.' 
And  he  took  the  cup  and  gave 
thanks,  and  gave  it  to  them,  say- 
ivrg,  '  Drink  ye  all  of  it:  for  this  is 
my  blood  of  the  New  Testament, 
■which  shall  be  shed  for  the  remis- 
sion of  many.  As  oft  as  ye  do 
this,  do  it  in  remembrance  of  me.'" 

The  earl  of  Huntley,  addressing 
bimself  to  Wallace,  said,  "  Thoa 
answerest  not  to  that  which  is  laid 
against  thee;  say,  either  yes  or 
no." 

To  this  our  martyr  replied,  "  If 
ye  will  admit  God,  and  his  word, 
spoken  by  his  blessed  Son,  ye  will 
admit  what  I  have  said ;  for  I 
have  said  and  taught  nothing  bnt 
what  the  word,  which  is  the  trial 
and  touchstone,  saith,  and  which 
ought  to  be  judge  to  me,  and  all 
the  world." 

"Why,"  said  the  earl,  "hast 
thou  not  a  good  judge  here?  And 
thinkest  thou  that  we  know  not 
God  and  his  word?  Answer  to  the 
accusation  laid  against  thee." 

"  I  never  taught,"  replied  Wal- 
lace, "  more  than  the  writ  saith ; 
nor  yet  more  than  I  have  before 
said.  I  know  well  what  St.  Paul 
meaneth,  when  he  saith,  '  Whoso- 
ever eateth  this  bread,  and  drink- 
eth  of  this  cup  unworthily,  receiv- 
eth  to  himself  damnation.'  There- 
fore, when  I  taught  (which  was 
but  seldom,  and  to  those  only  who 
required  it  of  nie)  I  said,  that  if 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar  were 
truly  ministered  and  used,  as  the 
Son  of  the  living  God  instituted  it; 
where  that  was  done,  there  was 
God  himself,  by  his  Divine 
Power." 

The  bishop  of  Orkney  then  asked 
Wallace,  "  If  he  believed  that  the 
bread  and  wine  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  after  the  words  of 
consecration,  was  the  very  body  of 
God,  flesh  and  blood!" 

To  this  he  replied,  "  I  believe 
that  the  Son  of  God  was  conceived 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary ;  that  he  had  a  natu- 


ral body,  with  hands,  feet,  and 
other  members,  and  that  he  walked 
about  in  the  world  preaching  to 
the  people  :  that  he  suffered  death 
under  Pontins  Pilate,  was  cruci- 
fied, dead  and  buried  ;  and  that, 
by  his  godly  power,  he  raised  that 
same  body  again  the  third  day : 
that  he  afterwards  ascended  into 
heaven,  where  he  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father,  who  shall 
come  again  to  judge  both  the  quick 
and  the  dead." 

He  then  quoted  several  texts  of 
scripture,  tending  to  prove  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  popish  doctrine ; 
which  not  being  agreeable  to  his 
judges,  they  desisted  from  ask- 
ing any  farther  questions  relative 
to  the  first  article  ;  and  therefore 
proceeded  to  state  the  second, 
which  was,  "  That  he  had  said, 
and  openly  taught,  that  the  mass 
was  very  idolatry,  and  an  abomi- 
nation in  the  sight  of  God." 

To  this  he  replied,  that  he  had 
read  the  Bible  in  three  difl'erent 
tongues,  and  never  met  with  the 
word  mass  in  either ;  therefore  he 
thought  it  idolatry,  and  an  abo- 
mination in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  third  accusation  was,  "  That 
he  had  said,  and  openly  taught, 
that  the  God  which  was  worship- 
ped by  the  members  of  the  holy 
mother-church,  was  but  bread  made 
from  corn  growing  on  the  earth, 
and  that  it  was  brought  to  the 
form  in  which  it  was  used  by  the 
hands  of  men." 

Wallace,  in  answer  to  this,  said, 
"  I  worship  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  three  persons 
in  one  Godhead,  which  made  and 
fashioned  the  heaven  and  earth, 
and  all  that  is  therein.  I  know  of 
no  other  God,  and  him  only  will  I 
worship  so  long  as  I  live." 

The  archbishop,  after  telling 
Wallace  he  had  been  gnilty  of 
many  other  errors,  which  he  should 
pass  over,  asked  him  whether  he 
granted  or  denied  the  articles  pro- 
pounded. To  which  be  answered 
in  the  aflBrmative. 

He  then  pronounced  sentence  of 
death  on  him  as  a  heretic ;  and  he 
was    immediately   delivered  over 


PERSECUTIONS  IN  SCOTLAND. 


345 


to  the  secular  power,  in  order  for 
execution. 

In  the  evening  of  the  same  day. 
Wallace  was  visited  by  several 
Romish  priests,  who  endeavoured 
to  prevail  on  him  to  recant ;  but  he 
stood  so  steadfastly  in  the  faith  he 
professed,  and  used  such  forcible 
arguments  in  vindication  of  the 
true  gospel,  that  they  left  him  with 
some  wrath,  saying,  "  he  was  too 
abandoned  to  receive  any  impres- 
sion." 

The  next  morning  he  was  con- 
ducted to  the  Castle-Hill  at  Edin- 
burgh, when,  being  chained  to  the 
stake,  and  the  fagots  lighted,  he 
cheerfully  resigned  up  his  soul 
into  the  hands  of  him  who  gave 
it,  in  full  assurance  of  receiving  a 
crown  of  glory  in  the  heavenly 
mansions. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  per- 
secutors of  Wallace  were  more 
violent  against  him  than  they 
would  otherwise  have  been,  on  ac- 
count of  his  wife,  who,  being  em- 
ployed as  tutoress  to  the  children 
of  lady  Ormiston,  instructed  them 
in  the  principles  of  the  reformed 
religion. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  WALTER  MILLE. 

The  next,  and  last  person  who 
suffered  martyrdom  in  Scotland, 
for  the  cause  of  Christ,  was  one 
Walter  Mille,  who  was  burnt  at 
Edinburgh  in  the  year  1558. 

This  person,  in  his  younger 
years,  had  travelled  into  Germany', 
and  on  his  return  was  installed  a 
priest  of  the  church  of  Lunan  in 
Angus ;  but,  on  an  information  of 
heresy  against  him,  in  the  time  of 
cardinal  Beaton,  he  was  forced  to 
abandon  his  charge,  and  abscond. 

After  the  death  of  that  prelate 
he  returned,  not  knowing  the  per- 
secuting spirit  of  his  successor. 
Being  well  known  by  several  bi- 
goted papists  in  the  neighbourhood, 
they  accused  him  of  heresy ;  in 
consequence  of  which  he  waa 
apprehended,  and  committed  to 
prison. 

A  few  days  after,  he  was  brought 
before  the  archbishop  and  his  suf- 
Iragans,  in  order  to  be  examined 


relative  to  his  religious  opinions  ; 
when  sir  Andrew  Oliphant,  by 
order  of  the  archbishop,  interro- 
gated him  as  follows : 

Oliphant. — What  think  you  of 
priest's  marriage  ? 

Mille. — I  hold  it  a  blessed  band : 
for  Christ  himself  maintained  it, 
and  approved  the  same,  and  also 
made  it  free  to  all  men  ;  but  yoa 
think  it  not  free  to  you,  ye  abhor 
it,  and  in  the  mean  time  take  other 
men's  wives  and  daughters,  and 
will  not  keep  the  band  God  hath 
made.  Ye  vow  chastity,  and  break 
the  same.  St.  Paul  had  rather 
marry  than  burn  ;  the  which  I  have 
done,  for  God  never  forbade  mar- 
riage to  any  man,  what  state  or  de- 
gree soever  he  were. 

Oliphant. — Thou  sayest  there  be 
not  seven  sacraments. 

Mille. — Give  me  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per and  Baptism,  and  take  you  the 
rest,  and  part  them  among  you. 
For  if  there  be  seven,  why  have 
you  omitted  one  of  them,  to  wit, 
marriage,  and  given  yourself  to 
whoredom? 

Oliphant. — Thou  art  against  the 
blessed  sacrament  of  the  altar,  and 
sayest  that  the  mass  is  wrong,  and 
is  idolatry. 

Mille. — A  lord  or  a  king  sendeth 
and  calleth  many  to  a  dinner,  and 
when  the  dinner  is  in  readiness, 
he  causeth  to  ring  a  bell,  and  the 
men  come  to  the  hall,  and  sit  down 
to  be  partakers  of  the  dinner,  but 
the  lord,  turning  his  back  unto 
them,  eateth  all  himself,  and  mock- 
eth  them;  so  do  ye. 

Oliphant. — Thou  deniest  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  to  be  the  very 
body  of  Christ  really  in  flesh  and 
blood. 

Mille. — The  scripture  of  God  is 
not  to  be  taken  carnally,  but  spi- 
ritually, and  standeth  in  faith  only; 
and  as  for  the  mass  it  is  wrong,  for 
Christ  was  once  offered  on  the  cross 
for  man's  trespass,  and  will  neverbe 
offered  again,  for  then  he  ended  all 
sacrifices. 

Oliphant. — Thou  deniest  the  oflBce 
of  a  bishop. 

Mille. — I  affirm  that  they,  whom 
ye  call  bishops,    do    no  bishops' 


346 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


works  ;  nor  ukc  tl>e  odicc  of  bi- 
shops, as  Paul  biddeth,  writinjj;  to 
Timothy,  but  live  after  their  own 
sensual  pleasure,  and  lake  no  care 
of  the  flock  ;  nor  yet  regard  they 
the  word  of  God,  but  desire  to 
be  honoured  and  called  my  lords. 

Oliphant. — Tliou  spakest  against 
pilgrimage,  and  calledst  it  a  pil- 
grimage to  whoredom. 

MiUc. — I  affirm  and  say,  that  it 
is  not  commanded  in  the  scripture, 
and  that  there  is  no  greater  whore- 
dom in  any  place,  than  at  your  pil- 
grimages, except  it  be  in  common 
brothels. 

Oliphant. — Thou  preachedst  se- 
cretly and  privately  in  liouses,  and 
openly  in  the  lields. 

Mille. — Yea,  man,  and  on  the 
sea  also,  sailing  in  a  sjiip. 

Oliphant. — Wilt  thou  not  recant 
thy  erroneous  opinions?  and  if 
thou  wilt  not,  I  will  pronounce  sen- 
tence against  thee. 

Mille. — I  am  accused  of  my  life  ; 
I  know  I  must  die  once,  and  there- 
fore, as  Christ  said  to  Judas,  quod 
facisfac  citing.  Ye  shall  know  that 
I  will  not  recant  the  truth,  for  I 
am  corn,  I  am  no  chaflF;  I  will  not 
be  blown  away  with  the  wind,  nor 
burst  with  the  flail ;  but  I  will 
abide  both. 

In  consequence  of  this,  sentence 
of  condemnation  was  immediately 
passed  on  him,  and  he  was  con- 
ducted to  prison  in  order  for  ex- 
ecution the  following  day. 

This  steadfast  believer  in  Christ 
"was  eighty-two  years  of  age,  and 
very  inlirm;  from  whence  it  was 
supposed,  that  he  could  scarcely 
be  heard.  However,  when  he  was 
led  to  the  place  of  execution,  he 
expressed  his  religious  sentiments 
with  such  courage,  and  at  the 
same  time  composure  of  mind,  as 
astonished  even  his  enemies.  As 
soon  as  he  was  fastened  to  the 
stake,  and  the  fagots  lighted, 
be  addressed  the  spectators  as 
follows : 

**  The  cause  why  I  suffer  this 
day  is  not  for  any  crime,  (though  I 
acknowledge  myself  a  miserable 
sinner,)  but  only  for  the  defence  of 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  Christ; 


and  I  praise  God  who  hath  called 
me,  by  his  mercy,  to  seal  the  truth 
with  my  life;  which,  as  I  received 
it  from  him,  so  I  willingly  ofler 
it  up  to  his  glory.  Therefore,  as 
you  would  escape  eternal  death, 
be  no  longer  seduced  by  the  lies 
of  the  seat  of  antichrist:  but  de- 
pend solely  on  Jesus  Christ,  and 
his  mercy,  that  you  may  be  de- 
livered from  condemnation."  He 
then  added,  "  That  he  trusted  he 
should  be  the  last  who  would  suf- 
fer death  in  Scotland,  upon  a  re- 
ligious account." 

Thus  did  this  pious  Christian 
cheerfully  give  up  his  life,  in  de- 
fence of  the  truth  of  Christ's 
gospel,  not  doubting  but  he  should 
be  made  a  partaker  of  his  heavenly 
kingdom. 

The  people  were  so  grieved  at 
the  death  of  this  good  man,  that, 
as  a  monument  of  it  to  future 
ages,  they  raised  a  pile  of  stones 
on  the  spot  where  he  suffered. 
This,  however,  was  removed  by 
order  of  the  popish  clergy,  but 
replaced  again  by  the  people  se- 
veral times,  till  at  length  a  guard 
was  appointed  to  apprehend  all 
persons  who  should  carry  stones  to 
that  place. 

It  is  remarkable  that  from  the 
universal  esteem  in  which  this  man 
was  held  by  the  people,  a  cord 
could  not  be  found  to  tie  him  with 
after  Ills  condemnation ;  and  on 
that  very  account  his  execution 
was  postponed  till  the  next  morn- 
ing, when  they  were  reduced  to 
the  necessity  of  using  the  cords 
belonging  to  the  archbishop's  pa- 
vilion. 

The  death  of  Walter  Mille  proved 
the  overthrow  of  popery  in  Scot- 
land. The  clergy  were  so  sen- 
sible that  their  affairs  were  falling 
to  decay,  that  they,  from  that  time, 
never  dared  to  proceed  to  a  capi- 
tal punishment,  on  account  of  re- 
ligion:  insomuch,  that  in  the  synod 
held  in  Edinburgh,  in  July  this 
year,  1558,  some  persons  who  had 
been  impeached  of  heresy  were 
only  condemned,  upon  their  non- 
appearance, to  make  a  public  re- 
cantation   at  the   market-cross  of 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


347 


that  city,  on  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember following,  being  St.  Giles's 
Day,  the  tutelar  saint  of  that 
place. 

It  was  nsHal,  at  the  feast  of  this 
saint,  which  now  nearly  approach- 
ed, to  carry  his  image  in  proces- 
sion through  tiie  town,  and  the 
queen-regent  was  to  honour  the 
solemnity  with  her  presence.  But 
when  the  time  was  come,  the 
image  was  missing :  it  having 
been  stolen  from  its  station,  by 
some  w!io  were  too  wise  to  pray 
to  it. 

This  caused  a  halt  to  be  made, 
till  another  image  was  borrowed 
from  the  Grey-friars,  with  which 
they  set  forward ;  and  after  the 
queen  had  accompanied  them  a 
considerable  way,  she  withdrew 
into  the  castle,  where  she  was  to 
dine.  But  no  sooner  was  she  gone, 
than  some  persons,  who  had  been 
purposely  appointed,  tore  the 
picture  from  oif  the  shoulders  of 
those  who  carried  it,  threw  it  into 
the  dirt,  and  totally  destroyed  it. 

This  gave  such  universal  satis- 
faction to  the  people,  that  a  gene- 
ral shout  ensued,  and  a  riot  con- 
tinued in  the  street  during  some 
hours  ;  which  was  at  length  sup- 
pressed by  the  vigilance  of  Uie 
magistrates. 

About  the  same  time  a  great 
disturbance  happened  at  Perth, 
the  circumstances  attending  which 
were  as  follow :  a  celebrated  re- 
formist minister  having  preached 
to  a  numerous  congregation,  after 
sermon  was  over,  some  godly  per- 
sons remained  in  the  church,  when 
a  priest  was  so  imprudent   as  to 


open  a  case,  in  which  was  curi- 
ously engraved  the  figures  of 
many  saints;  after  which  he  made 
preparations  for  saying  mass.  A 
young  man  observing  this,  said 
, aloud,  "  This  is  intolerable  !  As 
God  plainly  condemns,  in  scripture, 
idolatry,  shall  we  stand  and  see 
such  an  insult?"  The  priest  was 
so  offended  at  this,  that  he  struck 
the  youth  a  violent  blow  on  the 
head,  on  which  he  broke  one  of 
the  figures  in  the  case,  when  im- 
mediately all  the  people  fell  on 
the  priest  and  destroyed  every 
thing  in  the  church  that  tended  to 
idolatry.  This  being  soon  known 
abroad,  the  people  assembled  in 
large  bodies,  and  proceeded  to  the 
monasteries  of  the  Grey  and  Black 
Friars,  both  of  which  they  strip- 
ped; and  then  pulled  down  the 
house  of  the  Carthusians  ;  so  that 
in  the  space  of  two  days  nothing 
remained  of  those  noble  buildings 
but  the  bare  walls.  The  like  kind 
of  outrages  were  committed  in 
many  other  towns  in  the  kingdom. 

At  this  time  there  were  many 
persons  who  made  it  their  business 
to  solicit  subscriptions  in  order  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  reformation, 
and  to  abolish  popery.  Among 
these  were  several  of  the  nobility, 
particularly  the  earl  of  Argyle,  the 
lord  James  Stewart,  the  earl  of 
Glencairn,  he. 

The  endeavours  of  these  noble 
reformists  were  attended  with  such 
success  that  they  at  length  efiected 
a  complete  reformation  in  the 
kingdom ;  though  they  met  with 
many  obstacles  from  their  inve- 
terate enemies  the  papists. 


BOOK  IX. 


PROGRESS    OF   THE    REFORMATION    IN    THE   REIGN    OF   EDWARD    VI. 


Edward  was  the  only  son  of 
king  Henry,  by  his  beloved  wife 
Jane  Seymour,  who  died  the  day 
after  his  birth,  which  took  place 
on  the  twelfth  of  October  15.37,  so 
that,  when  he  came  to  the  throne 
in  1547,  he  was  but  ten  years  old. 

At  six  years  of  age  he  was  put 


into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Cox  and  Mr. 
Cheke  ;  the  one  was  to  form  his 
mind,  and  teach  him  philosophy 
and  divinity  ;  the  other,  to  teach 
him  languages  and  mathematics: 
other  masters  were  also  appointed 
for  the  various  parts  of  his  educa- 
tion.    He  discovered  very  early  a 


348 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


good  disposition  to  religion  and 
virtue,  and  a  particular  reverence 
for  the  scriptures  ;  and  was  once 
greatly  offended  with  a  person, 
who,  in  order  to  reach  something 
hastily,  laid  a  great  Bible  on  the 
floor,  and  stood  upon  it.  He  made 
great  progress  in  learning,  and  at 
the  age  of  eight  years,  wrote 
Latin  letters  frequently  both  to 
the  king,  to  queen  Catherine  Parre, 
to  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
and  his  uncle  the  earl  of  Hert- 
ford. 

Upon  his  father's  decease,  the 
earl  of  Hertford  and  sir  Anthony 
Brown  were  sent  to  bring  him  to 
the  Tower  of  London  :  and  when 
Henry's  death  was  published,  he 
was  proclaimed  king. 

At  his  coming  to  the  Tower,  his 
father's  will  was  opened,  by  which 
it  was  found  that  he  had  named 
sixteen  noblemen  and  gentlemen 
to  be  the  governors  of  the  king- 
dom, and  of  his  son's  person  till 
he  should  be  eighteen  years  of 
age.  These  were,  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury  ;  lords  Wriothesly, 
St.  John,  Russel,  Hertford,  and 
Lisle  ;  Tonstall,  bishop  of  Durham; 
sir  Anthony  Brown,  sir  William 
Paget,  sir  Edward  North,  sir  Ed- 
ward Montague,  lord  chief  justice 
of  the  common  pleas;  judge  Brom- 
ley, sir  Anthony  Denny,  sir  Wil- 
liam Herbert,  sir  Edward  Wotton, 
and  Dr.  Wotton,  dean  of  Canter- 
bury and  York.  They  were  also 
to  give  the  king's  sisters  in  mar- 
riage ;  who,  if  they  married  with- 
out their  consent,  were  to  forfeit 
their  right  of  succession.  A  privy 
council  was  also  named  to  be  their 
assistants  in  the  government. 

As  might  have  been  expected, 
dissensions  soon  arose  among  so 
numerous  a  party  ;  and,  on  its  being 
proposed  that  one  should  be  cho- 
sen out  of  the  sixteen  to  whom 
ambassadors  should  address  them- 
selves, and  who  should  have  the 
chief  direction  of  affairs ;  lord 
Wriothesly,  the  chancellor,  who 
thought  the  precedence  fell  to  him 
by  his  office,  since  the  archbishop 
did  not  meddle  much  in  secular 
affairs,  opposed   this    much,   and 


said,  "  It  was  a  change  of  the 
king's  will ;  who  had  made  them 
all  equal  in  power  and  dignity; 
and  if  any  were  raised  above  the 
rest  in  title,  it  would  not  be  pos- 
sible to  keep  him  within  due 
bounds,  since  great  titles  make 
way  for  high  power."  Notwith- 
standing this,  the  earl  of  Hert- 
ford was  declared  governor  of  the 
king's  person,  and  protector  of  the 
kingdom ;  with  this  restriction, 
that  he  should  do  nothing  but  by 
the  advice  and  consent  of  the  rest. 
Upon  this  advancement,  and  the 
opposition  made  to  it,  two  parties 
were  formed,  the  one  headed  by 
the  protector,  and  the  other  by 
the  chancellor :  the  favourers  of 
the  reformation  were  of  the  former, 
and  those  that  opposed  it  of  the 
latter. 

The  chancellor  was  ordered  to 
renew  the  commissions  of  the 
judges  and  justices  of  peace,  and 
king  Henry's  great  seal  was  to 
be  made  use  of,  till  a  new  one 
should  be  made.  The  day  after 
this,  all  the  executors  took  oaths 
to  execute  their  trust  faithfully, 
the  privy  counsellors  were  also 
brought  into  the  king's  presence, 
who  all  expressed  their  satisfac- 
tion in  the  choice  of  the  protector  : 
and  it  was  ordered  that  all  dis- 
patches to  foreign  princes  should 
be  signed  only  by  him.  All  that 
held  offices  were  required  to  come 
and  renew  their  commissions,  and 
to  swear  allegiance  to  the  king: 
among  the  rest,  came  the  bishops, 
and  took  out  such  commissions  as 
were  granted  in  the  former  reign, 
by  which  they  were  to  hold  their 
bishoprics  only  during  the  king's 
pleasure.  Cranmer  set  an  exam- 
ple to  the  rest  in  taking  out  one  of 
these.  This  check  upon  the  bi- 
shops was  judged  expedient  in  case 
they  should  oppose  the  reforma- 
tion ;  but  the  ill  consequences  of 
such  an  unlimited  power  being 
foreseen,  the  bishops,  who  were 
afterwards  promoted,  were  not  so 
fettered,  but  were  to  hold  their  bi- 
shoprics during  life. 

An  accident  soon  occurred,  which 
made  way  for  great  changes  in  the 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


349 


diurch.    The  curate  and    church- 
wardens of  St.  Martin's  in   Lon- 
don, were  brought  before  the  coun- 
cil for  removing  the  crucifix,  and 
other  images,  and    putting    some 
texts  of  Scripture  on  the  walls  of 
their  church,  in  the  places  where 
they   stood ;    they  answered,   that 
in  repairing  their  church,  they  had 
removed  the  images,  which  being 
rotten  they  did    not  renew  them, 
but  put  the  words  of  Scripture  in 
their  room  :  they  had  also  remov- 
ed others,  which  they   found   had 
been   abused  to    idolatry.      Great 
pains   were    taken   by  the  popish 
party  to  punish  them  severely,  in 
order  to  strike  a  terror  into  others  ; 
but  Cranmer  was  for  the  removing 
of  all  images  set  up  in  churches,  as 
being  expressly   contrary  both  to 
the  second  commandment,  and  the 
practice  of  the  purest   Christians 
for  many    ages:    and   though,   in 
compliance  with  the  gross  abuses 
of  paganism,  much   of   the  pomp 
of  their   worship    was  very  early 
brought  into  the  Christian  church, 
yet  it  was  long  before  images  were 
introduced.     At    first    all    images 
were  condemned  by  the   fathers ; 
then  they  allowed  the  use,  but  con- 
demned the  worshipping  of  them ; 
and  afterwards,  in  the  eighth  and 
ninth   centuries,  the    worshipping 
of  them  was,  after  a  long  contest, 
both  in  the  East  and  West,  at  last 
generally  received.     Some,  in  par- 
ticular, were  believed  to  be  more 
wonderfully  endowed,  and  this  was 
much  improved  by  the  cheats  of 
the  monks,  who  had  enriched  them- 
selves by  such  means.    And   this 
abuse  had  now   grown  to  such  a 
height,  that  heathenism  itself  had 
not  been  guilty  of  greater  absur- 
dities towards  its  idols.     Since  all 
these  abuses  had  risen  out  of  the 
use  of  them,  and  the  setting  them 
np  being  contrary  to  the  command 
of   God,    and  the   nature  of   the 
Christian  religion,  which  is  simple 
and  spiritual ;  it  seemed  most  rea- 
sonable to  cure  the   disease  in  its 
root,  and  to  clear  the  churches  of 
images,  that  the  people  might  be 
preserved  from  idolatry. 
Tbese  reasons  preyailed  so  far, 


that  the  curate  and  church-war- 
dens were  dismissed  with  a  repri- 
mand ;  they  were  ordered  to  be- 
ware of  such  rashness  for  the 
future,  and  to  provide  a  crucifix, 
and,  till  that  could  be  had,  were 
ordered  to  cause  one  to  be  painted 
on  the  wall.  Upon  this.  Dr.  Rid- 
ley, in  a  sermon  preached  before 
the  king,  inveighed  against  the 
superstition  towards  images  and 
holy-water,  and  spread  over  the 
whole  nation  a  general  disposi- 
tion to  pull  them  down ;  which 
soon  after  commenced  in  Ports- 
mouth. 

Upon  this,  Gardiner  made  great 
complaints  ;  he  said,  the  Lutherans 
themselves  went  not  so  far,  for  he 
had  seen  images  in  their  churches. 
He  distinguished  between  image 
and  idol,  as  if  the  one,  which,  he 
said,  only  was  condemned,  was 
the  representation  of  a  false  God, 
and  the  other  of  the  true ;  and  he 
thought,  that  as  words  conveyed 
by  the  ear  begat  devotion,  so 
images,  by  the  conveyance  of  the 
eye,  might  have  the  same  effect  on 
the  mind.  He  also  thought  a 
virtue  might  be  both  in  them  and 
in  holy-water,  as  well  as  there 
was  in  Christ's  garments,  Peter's 
shadow,  or  Elisha's  staff:  and 
there  might  be  a  virtue  in  holy- 
water,  as  well  as  in  the  water  of 
baptism. 

To  these  arguments,  which  Gar- 
diner wrote  in  several  letters,  the 
protector  answered,  that  the  bi- 
shops had  formerly  argued  much 
in  another  strain,  namely,  that  be- 
cause the  Scriptures  were  abused 
by  the  vulgar  readers,  therefore 
they  were  not  to  be  trusted  to 
them;  and  so  made  a  pretended 
abuse  the  ground  of  taking  away 
that  which,  by  God's  special  ap- 
pointment, was  to  be  delivered  to 
all  Christians.  This  held  much 
stronger  against  images  forbidden 
by  God.  The  brazen  serpent  set 
up  by  Moses,  by  God's  own  direc- 
tion, was  broken  when  abused  to 
idolatry ;  for  that  was  the  greatest 
corruption  of  religion  possible: 
but  yet  the  protector  acknowledged 
there  was  reason  to  complain  of 


350 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  forwardness  af  the  people,  wlio 
broke  down  images  without  autho- 
rity; to  prevent  which,  in  future, 
orders  were  sent  to  the  justices  of 
peace  to  look  well  to  the  peace 
and  government  of  the  nation. 

The  funeral  of  the  deceased  king 
was  performed,  with  the  usual  ce- 
remonies, at  Windsor.  He  had 
left  six  hundred  pounds  a  year  to 
the  church  of  Windsor,  for  priests 
to  say  mass  for  his  soul  every  day, 
and  for  four  obits*  a  year,  and 
sermons,  and  distribution  of  alms 
at  every  one  of  thera,  and  for  a 
sermon  every  Sunday,  and  a 
maintenance  for  thirteen  poor 
knights,  which  was  settled  upon 
that  church  by  his  executors  in  due 
form  of  law. 

The  pomp  of  this  endowment  led 
people  to  examine  into  the  useful- 
ness of  soul-masses  and  obits. 
Christ  appointed  the  sacrament 
for  a  commemoration  of  his  death 
among  the  living,  but  it  was  not 
easy  to  conceive  how  that  was  to 
be  applied  to  departed  souls ;  and 
it  was  evidently  a  project  for 
drawing  the  wealth  of  the  world 
into  tlieir  hands.  In  the  primitive 
church  there  was  a  commemora- 
tion of  the  dead,  or  an  honourable 
remembrance  of  them  made  in  the 
daily  offices.  But  even  this  cus- 
tom grew  into  abuse,  and  some  in- 
ferred from  it,  that  departed 
souls,  unless  they  were  signally 
pure,  passed  through  a  purgation 
in  the  next  life,  before  they  were 
admitted  to  Heaven;, of  which  St. 
Austin,  in  whose  time  the  opinion 
began  to  be  received,  says,  that  it 
was  taken  up  without  any  sure 
ground  in  Scriptuie.  But  what 
was  wanting  in  Scripture-proof 
was  supplied  by  visions,  dreams, 
and  tales,  till  it  was  generally  re- 
ceived. King  Henry  had  acted 
like  one  who  did  not  much  belj,eve 
it,  for  he  had  deprived  innumera- 
ble souls  of  the  masses  that  were 
said  for  them  in  monasteries,  by 
destroying  those  foundations.     Yet 

*  Obit  was  the  anniversary  of  a  per- 
son's death,  and  to  obsei  ve  such  a  day 
with  prayers,  alms,  or  other  commemo- 
ration, was  termed  keeping  of  the  oiit. 


he  seems  to  have  intended,  that  if 
masses  could  avail  the  departed 
souls,  he  would  himself  be  secure; 
and  as  he  gratified  the  priests  by 
this  part  of  his  endowment,  so  he 
pleased  the  people  by  appointing 
sermons  and  alms  to  be  given  on 
such  days.  Thus  he  died  as  he 
had  lived,  wavering  between  both 
persuasions. 

But  now  the  ceremony  of  the  co- 
ronation took  off  the  attention  of 
the  multitude  from  more  serious 
thoughts.  The  protector  was 
made  duke  of  Somerset;  the  earl 
of  Essex,  marquis  of  Northampton; 
the  lords  Lisle  and  Wriothesly, 
earls  of  Warwick  fand  Southamp- 
ton; Seymour,  Rich,  Willoughby, 
and  Sheffield,  were  made  barons.  In 
order  to  the  king's  coronation,  the 
office  for  that  ceremony  was  re- 
viewed, and  much  shortened ;  one 
remarkable  alteration  was,  that 
formerly  the  king  used  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  people  at  the  comers 
of  the  scaffold,  and  they  were  ask- 
ed if  they  would  have  him  to  be 
their  king?  Which  looked  like  an 
election,  rather  than  a  ceremony  of 
investing  one  that  was  already 
king.  This  was  now  changed,  and 
the  people  were  desired  only  to 
give  their  assent  and  good  will  to 
his  coronation,  as  by  the  duty  of 
allegiance  they  were  bound  to  do. 
On  the  twentieth  of  February, 
1547,  he  was  crowned,  and  a  gene- 
ral pardon  was  proclaimed,  out  of 
which  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  cardi- 
nal Pole,  and  some  others,  were 
excepted. 

The  chancellor,  who  was  looked 
on  as  the  head  of  the  popish  party, 
now  lost  his  place,  by  granting  a 
commission  to  the  master  of  the 
rolls,  and  three  masters  of  chan- 
cery, of  whom  two  were  civilians, 
to  execute  his  office  in  the  court  of 
chancery,  as  if  he  were  present, 
only  their  decrees  were  to  be 
brought  to  htm  to  be  signed  be- 
fore they  should  be  enrolled. 

The  first  business  of  consequence 
that  required  great  consideration 
was  the  Smalcaldic  war,  then  be- 
gun between  the  emperor  and  the 
princes  of  the  protestant  league : 
3 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


351 


the  effects  of  which,  if  the  emperor 
prevailed,  were  like  to  be,  not 
ouly  the  extirpating  of  Lutheran- 
ism,  but  his  becoming  the  absolute 
master  of  Germany:  which  he 
chielly  wished,  as  the  first  step  to 
an  universal  monarchy,  but  dis- 
guised it  to  other  princes:  to  the 
pope  he  pretended  that  his  design 
was  only  to  extirpate  heresy;  to 
other  sovereigns  he  pretended  it 
was  to  repress  a  rebellion,  and  de- 
nied all  design  of  suppressing  the 
new  doctrines;  which  he  managed 
so  artfully,  that  he  divided  Ger- 
many against  itself,  and  got  some 
Lutheran  princes  to  declare  for 
him,  and  others  to  be  neutrals: 
and  having  obtained  a  very  liberal 
supply  for  his  wars  with  France 
and  the  Turks,  for  which  he  grant- 
ed an  edict  for  liberty  of  consci- 
ence, he  made  peace  with  both 
these  princes,  and  resolved  to  em- 
ploy that  treasure  which  the  Ger^ 
mans  had  given  him,  against  them- 
selves. That  he  might  deprive 
them  of  their  chief  allies,  he  used 
means  to  engage  king  Henry  and 
Francis  the  First  in  a  war;-  but 
that  was,  chieily  by  their  interpo- 
sition, composed.  And  now,  when 
the  war  was  likely  to  be  carried 
on  with  great  vigour,  both  those 
princes  died ;  Henry  in  .January, 
and  Francis  in  Majch  following. 
Many  of  their  confederates  began 
to  capitulate  and  forsake  them; 
and  the  divisions  among  their  own 
commanders  very  much  hindered 
their  success. 

The  pope  wished  to  engage  the 
emperor  in  a  war  in  Germany, 
that  so  Italy  might  be  at  peace  : 
and  in  order  to  accomplish  this 
object,  he  published  the  treaty 
which  had  been  made  between 
them,  that  so  it  might  appear  that 
the  design  of  the  war  was  to  ex- 
tirpate heresy,  though  the  em- 
peror was  making  great  protesta- 
tions to  the  contrary  in  Germany. 
He  also  opened  the  council  of 
Trent,  which  Charles  had  long 
desired  in  vain;  but  it  was  now 
brought  upon  him  wlien  he  least 
wished  for  it;  for  the  protestants 
all  declared,  that  they  could  not 


look  upon  it  as  a  free  general 
council,  since  it  was  so  entirely  at 
the  pope's  devotion,  that  not  so 
much  as  a  reformation  of  the 
grossest  abuses  was  likely  to  be 
obtained.  Nor  could  the  emperor 
prevail  with  the  council  not  to 
condemn  the  "  new  doctrines"  as 
heresy ;  but  the  more  he  attempted 
to  obstruct  its  proceedings,  the 
more  did  the  pope  urge  it  on,  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  Germans,  and 
engage  them  all  vigorously  against 
the  emperor;  who,  on  his  part, 
gave  them  such  secret  assurances 
of  tolerating  the  Augsburgh  con- 
fession, that  the  marquis  of  Bran- 
denburgh  declared  for  him,  and 
his  example  was  followed  by  seve- 
ral other  princes.  This  was  the 
state  of  affairs  in  Germany ;  which 
rendered  it  very  diflicnlt  to  deter- 
mine what  answer  the  protector 
should  give  the  duke  of  Saxony's 
chancellor,  whom  he  had  sent  over 
to  obtain  money  for  carrying 
on  the  war.  It  was,  on  the  one 
hand,  of  great  importance  to  the 
safety  of  England  to  preserve  the 
German  princes,  and  yet  it  was 
very  dangerous  to  begin  a  war  of 
such  consequence  under  an  infant 
king.  At  present  the  government 
only  promised,  within  three 
months,  to  send  50,000  crowns  t» 
Hamburgh,  and  would  do  no  more 
till  new  emergencies  should  lead 
them  to  new  counsels. 

The  nation  was  in  an  ill  condi- 
tion for  a  war  with  such  a  mighty 
prince ; — labouring  under  great  dis- 
tractions at  home;  the  people  ge- 
nerally crying  out  for  a  reforma- 
tion, despising  the  clergy,  and  lov- 
ing the  new  preachers.  The 
priests  were,  for  the  most  part, 
very  ignorant,  and  scandalous  in 
their  lives:  many  of  them  had 
been  monks,  and  those  who  were 
to  pay  them  the  pensions  which 
were  reserved  to  them  at  the  de- 
struction of  the  monasteries,  till 
they  should  be  provided,  took  care 
to  get  them  into  some  small  bene- 
fice. The  greatest  part  of  the  par- 
sonages were  impropriated,  for 
they  belonged  to  the  monasteries, 
and  the  abbots  had  only  granted 


332 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  incumbents,  either  the  vicar- 
age, or  some  small  donative,  and 
left  them  the  perquisites  raised  by 
masses  and  other  offices.  At  the 
suppression  of  those  houses  there 
was  no  care  taken  to  make  provi- 
sion for  the  incumbents;  so  that 
they  were  in  some  measure  com- 
pelled to  continue  in  their  idola- 
trous practices  for  subsistence. 

Now  these  persons  saw  that  a 
reformation  of  those  abuses  would 
deprive  them  of  their  means  of  ex- 
istence ;  and,  therefore,  they  were 
at  first  zealous  against  all  changes; 
but  the  same  principle  made  them 
comply  with  every  change  which 
was  made,  rather  than  lose  their 
benefices.  The  clergy  were  en- 
couraged in  their  opposition  to  the 
reformation  by  the  protection  they 
expected  from  Gardiner,  Bonner, 
and  Tonstall,  men  of  great  reputa- 
tion, and  in  power;  and,  above  all, 
the  lady  Mary,  the  next  heir  to  the 
crown,  openly  declared  against  all 
changes  till  the  king  should  be  of 
age. 

On  the  other  hand,  Cranmer  re- 
solved to  proceed  more  vigorously: 
the  protector  was  firmly  united  to 
him,  as  were  the  young  king's  tu- 
tors, and  Edward  himself  was  as 
much  engaged  as  could  be  ex- 
pected from  so  young  a  person; 
for  both  his  knowledge  and  zeal 
for  true  religion  were  above  his 
age.  Several  of  the  bishops  also 
declared  for  a  reformation,  but 
Ridley,  bishop  of  Rochester,  was 
the  person  on  whom  Cranmer  most 
depended.  Latimer  remained 
with  him  at  Lambeth,  and  did 
great  service  by  his  sermons, 
which  were  very  popular;  but  he 
would  not  return  to  his  bishopric, 
choosing  rather  to  serve  the 
church  in  a  more  disengaged  man- 
ner. Assisted  by  these  persons, 
Cranmer  resolved  to  proceed  by 
degrees,  and  to  give  the  reasons 
of  every  advance  so  fully,  that  he 
hoped,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  to 
convince  the  nation  of  the  fitness 
of  whatsoever  should  be  done,  and 
thereby  prevent  the  dangerous  op- 
position that  might  otherwise  be 
apprehended. 


A   VISITATION   OF  ALL   THE 
CHURCHES. 

The  power  of  the  privy  council 
had  been  much  exalted  in  the  last 
reign,  by  act  of  parliament;  and 
one  proviso  made  was,  that  the 
king's  council  should  have  the 
same  authority  when  he  was  under 
age  that  he  himself  had  at  full  age : 
it  was,  therefore,  resolved  to  begin 
with  a  general  visitation  of  all 
England,  which  was  divided  into 
six  precincts:  and  two  gentlemen, 
a  civilian,  a  divine,  and  a  register, 
were  appointed  for  each  of  these. 
But  before  they  were  sent  out,  a 
letter  was  written  to  all  the  bi- 
shops, giving  them  notice  of  it, 
suspending  their  jurisdiction  while 
it  lasted,  and  requiring  them  to 
preach  no  where  but  in  their 
cathedrals,  and  that  the  other 
clergy  should  not  preach  but  in 
their  own  churches,  without  li- 
cence ;  by  which  it  was  intended 
to  restrain  such  as  were  not  ac- 
ceptable, to  their  own  parishes, 
and  to  grant  the  others  licences  to 
preach  in  any  church  of  England. 
The  greatest  difficulty  the  reform- 
ers found,  was  in  the  want  of  able 
and  prudent  men;  most  of  the  re- 
formed preachers  being  too  hot 
and  indiscreet,  and  the  few  who 
were  otherwise,  were  required  in 
London  and  the  universities. 

The  only  thing  by  which  the 
people  could  be  universally  in- 
structed, was  a  book  of  homilies: 
therefore,  the  twelve  first  homilies, 
in  the  book  still  known  by  that 
name,  were  compiled;  in  framing 
which  the  chief  design  was  to  ac- 
quaint the  people  rightly  with  the 
nature  of  the  gospel-covenant. 
Orders  were  also  given,  that  a 
Bible  should  be  in  every  church, 
which,  though  it  had  been  com- 
manded by  Henry,  yet  had  not 
been  generally  obeyed;  and  for 
understanding  the  New  Testa- 
ment, Erasmus's  paraphrase  was 
translated  into  English,  and  ap- 
pointed to  be  placed  with  it.  His 
great  reputation  and  learning,  and 
his  dying  in  the  communion  of  the 
Roman  church,  made  this  book 
preferable  to  any  other  of  the  kind. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


353 


The  injunctions  made  by  Crom- 
well in  the  former  reign,  for  in- 
structing the  people,  for  removing 
images,  and  putting  down  all  other 
customs  abused  to  superstition; 
for  reading  the  Scriptures,  saying 
the  litany  in  English,  for  frequent 
sermons  and  catecliising,  for  the 
exemplary  lives  of  the  clergy, 
their  labours  in  visiting  the  sick, 
reconciling  differences,  and  ex- 
horting the  people  to  charity,  &;c. 
were  now  renewed;  and  all  who 
gave  livings  by  simoniacal  bar- 
gains, were  declared  to  have  for- 
feited their  right  of  patronage  to 
the  king.  A  great  charge  was  also 
given  for  the  strict  observation  of 
the  Lord's  day,  which  was  ap- 
pointed to  be  spent  wholly  in  the 
service  of  God,  it  not  being  enough 
to   hear    mass   or    matins    in    the 


morning,  and  spend  the  rest  of  the 
day  in  drunkenness  and  <iuarrel- 
liug,  as  was  commonly  practised ; 
but  it  ought  to  be  all  employed, 
either  in  the  duties  of  religion,  or 
in  acts  of  charity.  Direction  was 
also  given  for  the  saying  of 
prayers,  in  which  the  king,  as  su- 
preme head,  the  queen,  and  the 
king's  sisters,  the  protector  and 
council,  and  all  orders  of  persons 
in  the  kingdom,  were  to  be  men- 
tioned. Injunctions  were  also 
given  for  the  bishops  to  preach 
four  times  a  year  in  all  their  dio- 
ceses, once  in  their  cathedral,  and 
thrice  in  any  other  church,  udIcsh 
they  had  a  good  excuse  to  the  con- 
trary: that  their  chaplains  should 
preach  often :  and  that  they  should 
give  orders  to  none,  but  to  such  as 
were  duly  qualihed. 


Adalbert,  Bishop  of  Prague,  p'.ct  to  death  by  the  Pagans,  near  Dantzic,  A.  D.  99r. 


The  visitors  at  length  ended  the 

visitation,     and    in    London     and 

every  part  of  England,  th«  images, 

for  refusing  to  bow  down  to  which 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


many  a  saint  had  be«D  burnt, 
were  now  committed  to  the  flames. 
Bonner  at  first  protested  that  he 
would  obey  the  injunctions,  if  they 

23 


354 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


were  not  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
God  and  the  ordinances  of  the 
church;  but  being  called  before 
the  council,  he  retracted,  and 
asked  patrdon ;  yet,  for  an  exam- 
ple to  others,  he  was  for  some  time 
confined.  Gardiner  wrote  to  one 
of  the  visitors,  before  they  came  to 
Winchester,  that  he  could  not  re- 
ceive the  homilies;  and  if  he  must 
either  quit  his  bishopric,  or  sin 
against  his  conscience,  he  resolved 
to  choose  the  former. — Upon  this 
he  was  called  before  the  council, 
and  required  to  receive  the  book  of 
homilies:  but  he  objected  to  one 
of  them,  which  taught  that  charity 
did  not  justify,  contrary  to  the 
book  published  by  the  late  king, 
and  confirmed  in  parliament.  He 
also  complained  of  many  things  in 
Erasmus's  paraphrase ;  and  being 
pressed  to  declare  whether  he 
would  obey  the  injunctions,  or  not, 
he  refused  to  promise  it,  and  was, 
in  consequence,  sent  to  the  Fleet. 
Cranmer  treated  in  private  with 
him,  and  they  argued  much  about 
justification.  Gardiner  thought 
the  sacraments  justified,  and  that 
charity  justified  as  well  as  faith. 
Cranmer  urged,  that  nothing  but 
the  meritj  of  Christ  justified,  as 
they  were  applied  by  faith,  which 
could  not  exist  without  charity*. 

Gardiner  lay  in  prison  till  the 
act  of  general  pardon  set  him  at 
liberty.  Manyblamedtheseverity of 
these  proceedings,  as  contrary  both 
to  law  and  equity,  and  said,  that  all 
people,  even  those  who  complained 
most  of  arbitrary  power,  were  apt 
to  usurp  it  when  in  authority. 
Lady  Mary  was  so  much  alarmed, 
that  she  wrote  to  the  protector, 
that  such  changes  were  contrary  to 
the  honour  due  to  her  father's  me- 
mory, and  it  was  against  their 
duty  to  the  king  to  enter  upon 
such  points,  and  endanger  the 
public  peace  before  he  was  of  age. 
To  which  he  answered,  "  That  her 

*  Nothing  can  be  more  correct  than 
this:  for  what  is  faith  but  the  love  of  God 
shed  abroad  in  the  heart?  filling  the  be- 
liever with  benevolence,  and  the  desire 
of  imparting  the  happiness  he  feels  to  all 
arouod  him. 


father  had  died  before  he  could 
finish  the  good  things  he  had  in- 
tended concerning  religion  ;  and 
had  expressed  his  regret,  both 
before  himself  and  many  others, 
that  he  left  things  in  so  unsettled 
a  state  ;  and  assured  her,  "  that 
nothing  should  be  done  but  what 
would  turn  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  king's  honour." 

NEW    ACTS    OF   PARLIAMENT. 

The  parliament  was  opened  the 
fourth  of  November,  and  the  pro- 
tector was  by  patent  authorized  to 
sit  under  the  cloth  of  state,  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  throne  ;  and  to 
have  all  the  honours  and  privileges 
that  so  near  a  relative  of  the  sove- 
reign had  ever  had.  Rich  was 
lord  chancellor.  The  first  act  that 
was  passed,  five  bishops  only  dis- 
senting, was,  a  repeal  of  all  statutes 
in  the  late  reign,  that  had  made 
any  thing  treason  or  felony  which 
was  not  so  before,  and  of  the  six 
articles,  and  the  authority  given  to 
the  king's  proclamations,  as  also 
of  the  acts  against  Lollards.  By 
this  act,  all  who  denied  the  king's 
supremacy,  or  asserted  the  pope's, 
for  the  first  oflence  were  to  forfeit 
their  goods;  for  the  second,  were 
to  be  in  a  praemunire  ;  and  were  to 
be  attainted  of  treason  for  the 
third.  If  any  one  attempted  to 
deprive  the  king  of  his  estate  or 
title,  he  was  adjudged  guilty  of 
treason ;  but  none  were  to  be  ac- 
cused of  words,  but  within  a 
month  after  they  were  spoken. 
The  king's  power  of  annulling  all 
laws  made,  before  he  was  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  was  also  repeal- 
ed, and  restricted  to  the  annulling 
them  for  the  time  to  come. 

Another  act  passed,  with  the 
same  dissent,  for  the  laity  receiv- 
ing the  sacrament  in  both  kinds, 
and  that  the  people  should  always 
communicate  with  the  priest ;  and 
by  it  irreverence  to  the  sacrament 
was  condemned  under  severe  pe- 
nalties. 

Another  act  was  passed  without 
any  dissent,  ordaining  that  the 
congi  d'Hire,  and  the  election  pur- 
suant to  it,  should  cease  for  the 


PROGRESS  OF  TFIE  REFORMATION. 


3^5 


fufure,  ajid  that  bishops  should  be 
named  by  the  king's  letfers  patent, 
and  thereupon  be  consecrated ; 
and  should  hold  their  courts  in  the 
king's  name,  and  not  in  their  own, 
excepting-  only  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury's  court :  and  they  were 
to  use  the  king's  seal  in  all  their 
writings,  except  in  presentations, 
collations,  and  letters  of  orders,  in 
which  they  might  use  their  own 
seals. 

Another  act   was   made   against 
rogues  and  vagabonds,   decreeing 
tliat  they  should  be  made  slaves  for 
two  years,  by  any  who  should  seize 
on  them  :  this  was  chiefly  intended 
to  operate   against  some    vagrant 
monks,  who  went  about  the  country 
infusing  into  the  people  a  dislike  of 
the  government.     But   a   state    of 
slavery  is  so  contrary  to  the  feel- 
ngs   of  every   English   heart,   that 
no  person   could  be   found  to   act 
upon  it ;    and  the   odious    statute 
was    virtually  repealed.      An   act 
was  next  proposed,  for  giving  the 
king  all  those  chauntries  which  his 
father  had  not  seized  on.    Cranmer 
much    opposed    this  ;     "  for,"    he 
said,    '*  the  poverty  of  the   clergy 
was  such  that  the  state  of  learning 
and   religion    was    like    to    suffer 
greatly    if   it    should    not  be  re- 
lieved ;  and  yet  he  saw  no  proba- 
ble fund  for  that,  but  the  preserv- 
ing these  till  the  king  should  come 
to  age,  and  allow  the  selling  them, 
for   buying  in  of  at  least  such  a 
share     of    the    impropriations    as 
might  afford  them  some  more  com- 
fortable subsistence  '."yet,  notwith- 
standing  the   dissent    of   hrmself, 
and   seven  other   bishops,   it  was 
passed.      The    last    act    was    for 
granting  a    general    pardon,    but 
clogged  with  some  exceptions. 

The  convocation  sat  at  the  same 
time  ;  and  moved  that  the  com- 
mission begun  in  the  late  reign  for 
reforming  the  ecclesiastical  laws, 
might  be  revived,  and  that  the  in- 
ferior clergy  might  be  admitted  to 
sit  in  the  house  of  commons,  for 
which  they  alleged  a  clause  in  the 
bishop's  writ,  and  ancient  custom  ; 
and  since  some  prelates  had,  under 
the  former  reigii,  begun  to  alter 
3 


the  service  of  the  church,  they 
desired  it  might  be  brought  to 
perfection ;  and  that  some  care 
might  be  taken  for  supplying  the 
poor  clergy,  and  relieving  them 
from  the  taxes  that  lay  so  heavily 
on  them.  The  claim  of  the  infe- 
rior clergy  to  sit  in  the  house  of 
commons  occasioned  some  debate, 
but  to  no  efl"ect. 

It  was  resolved  that  some  bi- 
shops and  divines  should  be  sent 
to  Windsor,  to  finish  some  reform- 
ations in  the  public  oifices ;  for 
the  whole  lower  house  of  convoca- 
tion, without  a  contradictory  vote, 
agreed  to  the  bill  about  the  sa- 
crament. A  proposition  being  also 
set  on  foot  concerning  the  law- 
fulness of  the  marriage  of  the 
clergy,  thirty-five  subscribed  to 
the  affirmative,  and  only  fourteen 
dissented. 

Gardiner,  being  included  in  the 
act  of  pardon,  was  set  at  liberty  : 
he  promised  to  receive  and  obey 
the  injunctions,  objecting  only  to 
the  homily  of  justification  ;  yet  he 
complied  in  that  likewise :  but  it 
was  visible  that  in  his  heart  he 
abhorred  all  these  proceedings, 
though  he  outwardly  conformed. 

CEREMONIES    ABOLISHED. 

Candlemas  and  Lent  were  now 
approaching,  and  the  clergy  and 
people  were  much  divided  with 
respect  to  the  ceremonies  usual 
at  those  times.  By  some  injunc- 
tions in  Henry's  reign  it  had  been 
declared  that  fasting  in  Lent  was 
only  binding  by  a  positive  law. 
Wakes  and  Plough-Mondays  were 
also  suppressed,  and  hints  were 
given  that  other  customs,  which 
were  much  abused,  should  be 
shortly  done  away.  The  rabble 
loved  these  things,  as  matters  of 
diversion,  and  thought  divine  wor- 
ship without  them  would  be  but  a 
dull  business.  But  others  looked 
on  them  as  relics  of  heathenism, 
and  thought  they  did  not  become 
the  gravity  and  simplicity  of  the 
Christian  religion. 

Cranmer  procured  an  order  of 
council  against  the  carrying  of 
caudles     on     Candlemas-day,    of 


356 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ashes  on  Ash-Wcdnesday,  and 
palms  qn  Palni-Suuday ;  which 
was  directed  to  Bonner  to  be  in- 
timated to  the  bishops  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Canterbury,  and  was  ex- 
ecuted by  him.  But  a  proclama- 
tion followed  against  all  who 
should  make  changes  without  au- 
thority. The  creeping  to  the  cross, 
and  taking  holy  bread  and  water, 
were  put  down,  and  power  was 
given  to  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury to  certify,  in  the  king's  name, 
what  ceremonies  should  be  after- 
wards laid  aside  ;  and  none  were 
to  preach  out  of  their  own  parishes 
without  licence  from  the  king  or 
the  visitors,  the  archbishop,  or  the 
bishop  of  the  diocese.  Soon  after 
this,  a  general  order  followed  for 
a  removal  of  all  images  out  of 
churches,  which  occasioned  great 
contests  whether  the  images  had 
been  abnsed  to  superstition  or  not. 
Some  thought  the  consecration  of 
them  was  an  abuse.  Those  also 
which  represented  the  Trinity  as  a 
man  with  three  faces  in  one  head; 
or  as  an  old  man  with  a  young 
man  before  him,  and  a  dove  over 
his  head ;  and  some  where  the 
blessed  Virgin  was  represented  as 
admitted  into  it,  gave  so  great 
scandal,  that  it  was  no  wonder, 
if  men,  as  they  grew  more  en- 
lightened, could  no  longer  endure 
them.  The  only  occasion  given  to 
censure  in  this  order,  was,  that 
all  shrines,  and  the  plate  belonging 
to  them,  were  appointed  to  be 
brought  in  for  the  king's  use. 

A   NEW    OFFICE   FOR   THE   COMMU- 
NION. 

Eighteen  bishops,  and  some 
other'  divines,  were  now  employed 
to  examine  and  amend  the  ollices 
of  the  church.  They  began  with 
the  Eucharist,  and  proceeded  in 
the  same  manner  as  in  the  former 
veio-n.  It  was  clearly  found  that 
the"^  plain  institution  of  the  sacra- 
ment was  much  vitiated,  with  a 
mixture  of  many  heathenish  rites 
and  pomps,  to  raise  the  credit  of 
the  priests,  in  whose  hands  that 
great  performance  was  lodged. 
This  was  at  iirst  done  to  draw  over 
the  heathen  shy  those  splendid  rites 


to   Christianity ;    but  superstition^ 
once  begun,  has  no  bounds ;    and 
ignorance  and  barbarity  increasing 
in  the  middle  ages,  there  was  no 
regard  had  to  any  thing  in  religion, 
but  as  it  was  set  otf  with  pageant- 
ry ;   and    the  belief  of  the  corpo- 
real presence  raised  tb.is  to  a  still 
greater  height.     The  office  was  in 
an  unknown  tongue ;  all  the  ves- 
sels and  garments  belonging  to  it, 
were   consecrated   with  much   de- 
votion;   a  great  part  of  the    ser- 
vice was  secret,  to  make  it   look 
like  a  wonderful  charm  ;  the  con- 
secration   itself  was   to    be    said 
very   softly,  for    words  that  were 
not  to  be   hoard  agreed  best  with 
a  change  that  was  not  to  be  seen : 
the   many  gesticulations,  and  the 
magnificent  processions,  all  tended 
to   raise    this    pageantry     higher. 
Masses   were  also  said  for  all  the 
afl'airs  of  human  life.     Trentals,  a 
custom  of  having  thirty  masses  a 
year  on  the  chief  festivals  for  re- 
deeming  souls   out  of    purgatory, 
was  that  which  brought  the  priests 
most     money,     for      these     were 
thought  to  be   God's  best  days,  in 
which  access  was    easier  to  him ! 
On    saint's   days,   in    the   mass  it 
was  prayed,   that  by  the  saint's  in- 
tercession the  sacrifice  might   be- 
come   the   more    acceptable,    and 
procure  a  more  ample  indulgence  ; 
which  could  not  be  easily  explain- 
ed, if  the  sacrifice  was  the  death 
of   Christ.       Besides    the    before- 
mentioned,    a  numberless    variety 
of    other     rites    and    ceremonies, 
borrowed  from  the  heathens,  were 
made   use    of    for   corrupting  the 
holiest  institutions  of  the  Christian 
religion. 

The  first  step  that  was  now 
taken  was  to  make  a  new  office 
for  the  communion,  that  is,  the 
distribution  of  the  sacrament,  for 
the  office  of  consecration  was  not 
at  this  time  touched.  In  the  ex- 
hortation, auricular  confession  to 
a  priest  is  left  free  to  be  done  or 
omitted,  and  all  were  required  not 
to  judge  one  another  in  that 
matter.  There  was  also  a  denun- 
ciation made,  requiring  impenitent 
sinners   to   withdraw.    The  bread 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


357 


•was  to  be  still  of  the  same  form 
as  that  formerly  used.  In  the  dis- 
tribution it  was  said,  ''The  body 
of  our  Lord,  &c.  preserve  thy 
body  ;  and  the  blood  of  our  Lord, 
&c.  preserve  thy  soul."  This  wa.s 
printed,  with  a  proclamation,  re- 
quiring^ all  to  receive  it  with  such 
reverence  and  uniformity  as  miajht 
encourage  the  king  to  proceed 
further,  and  not  to  run  to  other 
things  before  tJie  king  gave  direc- 
tion, assuring  the  people  of  his 
earnest  zeal  to  set  forth  godly 
orders ;  and  therefore  it  was 
hoped  they  would  wait  for  it :  the 
books  were  sent  all  over  England, 
and  the  clergy  were  appointed  to 
administer  the  communion  at  the 
following  Easter  according  to 
them. 

AURICULAR    CONFESSION  EXAMINED. 

Confession  was  next  examined; 
and  it  was  found  that  the  practice 
had  commenced  in  the  early  ages 
of  the  church;  and  penances  had 
been  imposed  by  the  priests.  Af- 
terwards, pilgrimages,  and  cru- 
sades against  heretics,  or  princes 
deposed  by  the  pope,  were  com- 
manded instead  of  all  other  pe- 
nances :  the  priests  also  managed 
confession  and  absolution,  so  as  to 
enter  into  all  men's  secrets,  and  to 
govern  their  consciences  by  them  ; 
many  reserved  cases  were  made, 
in  which  the  pope  only  gave  abso- 
lution ;  this  occasioned  the  trade 
of  indulgences  to  be  put  in  their 
hands,  which  they  managed  with 
as  much  confidence  as  mountebanks 
use  in  selling  their  medicines,  with 
this  superior  advantage  over  other 
quacks,  that  the  inellicacy  of  their 
devices  was  not  so  easily  disco- 
vered- 
Gardiner  was  uow  again  brought 
into  trouble  ;  many  complaints 
were  made  of  him,  that  he  dis- 
paraged the  preachers  sent  with 
the  king's  licence  into  his  diocese, 
and  that  he  secretly  opposed  all 
reformation.  On  being  brought  be- 
fore the  council,  he  denied  most  of 
the  things  objected  to  him,  and  of- 
fered to  explain  himself  openly  in 
a  sermoij  before   the   king.     This 


being  granted,  he  justified  many 
of  the  changes  that  had  been 
made  ;  but  when  he  came  to  tlie 
sacrament,  he  contended  so  stron"-- 
ly  for  the  corporeal  presence,  that 
a  great  disturbance  took  place  in 
the  church.  This  conduct  being 
deemed  seditious,  he  was  sent  to 
the  Tower. 

A    NEW    LITURGY    COMPOSED. 

But  now  a  more  general  refor- 
mation of  the  whole  liturgy  was 
under  consideration,  that  all  the 
nation  might  have  an  uniformity 
in  the  worship  of  God.  Anciently 
the  liturgies  were  short,  and  had 
few  ceremonies  in  them :  every 
bishop  had  one  for  his  diocese  ; 
but  in  the  African  churches  they 
began  iirst  to  put  them  into  a 
more  regular  form.  Gregory  the 
great  laboured  much  in  this;  yet 
he  left  Augustine,  when  he  sent 
him  into  Britain,  to  his  choice, 
either  to  use  the  Roman  or  French 
forms  in  England,  as  he  found  they 
were  like  to  tend  most  to  edifica- 
tion. Great  additions  had  been 
made  to  the  liturgy  in  every  age ; 
for  the  private  devotions  of  some 
who  were  reputed  saints,  were 
added  to  the  public  offices :  and 
mysterious  signilieations  were  in- 
vented for  every  new  rite,  which 
swelled  them  lo  a  vast  bulk.  It 
was  now  resolved  to  have  a  li- 
turgy, which  should  bring  the 
woiship  to  a  proper  mean  between 
the  pomp  of  superstition,  and 
naked  simplicity.  It  was  resolved 
to  change  nothing,  merely  in  op- 
position to  received  practices, 
but  rather  (in  imitation  of  what 
Christ  did  in  the  institution  of 
the  two  sacraments  of  the  gospel, 
that  consisted  of  rites  used  among 
the  Jews,  but  sanctified  by  him  to 
higher  purposes)  to  comply  with 
what  had  been  formerly  in  use,  as 
much  as  was  possible,  thereby  to 
gain  the  people. 

All  the  consecrations  of  water, 
salt,  &c.  in  the  church  of  Kome, 
being  relics  of  heathenism,  were 
laid  aside.  The  absolutions  on  ac- 
count of  the  merits  of  the  blessed 
virgin  and  the  saints,  the  sprink- 
lings  of  water,  fastings,  and  pjl- 


358 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


grimages,  with  many  otlner  things ; 
and  the  absolution  given  to  dead 
bodies,  were  looked  upon  as  gross 
impostures,  tending  to  make  the 
world  think,  that  the  priests  had 
the  keys  of  Heaven  in  their  hands, 
and  could  carry  people  thither  on 
easier  terms  than  the  gospel  pre- 
scribes. This  induced  the  people 
to  purchase  their  favour,  especially 
when  they  were  dying  ;  so  that,  as 
their  fears  were  then  heightened, 
there  was  no  other  way  left  them, 
in  the  conclusion  of  an  ill  life,  to 
die  with  any  hopes  of  eternal  hap- 
piness, but  as  they  bargained  with 
their  priests  ;  all  this  was  now  re- 
jected. 

It  was  resolved  to  have  the 
whole  worship  in  the  vulgar  tongue  ; 
as  enabling  all  persons  to  join  in 
"  praising  God  with  understand- 
ing." As  white  had  been  the  co- 
lour of  the  priest's  vestments,  un- 
der the  mosaical  law,  had  early 
been  brought  into  the  Christian 
churches,  and  was  a  proper  ex- 
pression of  innocence,  and  it 
being  fit  that  the  worship  of  God 
should  be  performed  in  a  decent 
habit,  it  was  continued. 

The  morning  and  evening  pray- 
ers were  put  almost  in  the  same 
form  as  that  in  which  they  now 
stand,  only  there  was  neither  con- 
fession nor  absolution.  In  the  of- 
fice for  the  communion,  there  was 
a  commemoration  of  thanksgiving 
for  the  blessed  virgin  and  all  de- 
pai-ted  saints,  and  they  were  com- 
mended to  God's  mercy  and  peace. 
In  the  consecration,  the  use  of 
crossing  the  elements  was  retain- 
ed ;  but  there  was  no  elevation, 
which  was  at  first  used  as  an  his- 
torical rite,  to  shew  Christ's  being 
lifted  up  on  the  cross ;  but  it  was 
afterwards  done,  to  excite  the 
people  to  adore  it.  No  stamp  was 
to  be  on  the  bread,  and  it  was  to 
be  thicker  than  ordinary.  It  was 
to  be  put  in  the  people's  mouths  by 
the  priests,  though  it  had  been  an- 
ciently put  in  their  hands  ;  but 
after  the  corporeal  presence  was 
acknowledged,  the  people  were 
not  suffered  to  touch  it,  and  the 
priest's   thumbs  and   fingers  were 


peculiarly  anointed,  to  qualify 
them  for  that  contact.  In  baptism 
the  child's  head  and  breast  were 
to  be  crossed,  and  adjuration  was 
to  be  made  of  the  devil  to  depart 
from  him :  children  were  to  be 
thrice  dipped,  or,  in  case  of  weak- 
ness, water  was  to  be  sprinkled  on 
their  faces,  and  then  they  were  to 
be  anointed.  The  sick  might  also 
be  anointed  if  they  desired  it.  At 
funerals,  the  departed  soul  was  re- 
commended to  God's  mercy. 

The  sacraments  were  formerly 
belicTed  of  such  virtue,  that  they 
conferred  grace  by  the  very  re- 
ceiving them.  Acting  on  this  be- 
lief, the  early  Christians  used  to 
send  portions  of  the  eucharist  to 
the  sick,  but  without  any  pomp ; 
which  was  a  corruption  of  later 
times.  But  instead  of  the  proces- 
sion with  the  host,  it  was  now  ap- 
pointed that  the  sacraments  should 
be  ministered  to  the  sick,  being 
consecrated  by  their  bedsides ; 
and,  in  case  of  weakness,  children 
were  allowed  to  be  baptized  in 
houses  ;  though  it  was  more  suit- 
able to  the  design  of  baptism, 
which  was  the  admission  of  a  new 
member  to  the  church,  to  do  it  be- 
fore the  whole  congregation. 

The  liturgy  thus  compiled  was 
published,  with  a  preface  concern- 
ing ceremonies. 

When  the  book  came  before  the 
public,  several  things  were  cen- 
sured: as  particularly  the  frequent 
use  of  the  cross,  and  anointing. 
The  former  was  at  first  used  as  a 
badge  of  a  crucified  Saviour,  but  was 
much  corrupted  by  the  priests  in 
after-ages,  so  that  it  was  at  length 
believed  to  have  a  virtue  for  driv- 
ing away  evil  spirits,  and  preserv- 
ing one  from  dangers  ;  and  acquir- 
ed a  kind  of  sacramental  charac- 
ter, entirely  unfounded  in  Scrip- 
ture or  reason ;  but  the  using  it  as 
a  ceremony,  expressing  the  believ- 
ing in  a  crucified  Saviour,  could 
imply  no  superstition. 

The  protestant  religion  now  ap- 
peared almost  ruined  in  Germany, 
and  this  made  the  reformers  turn 
their  eyes  to  England.  Calvin 
wrote  to  the  protector,  and  pressed 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


350 


him  to  go  on  to  a  more  complete 
reformation,  .and  that  prayers  for 
the  dead,  the  chrism,  and  extreme 
unction,  might  be  laid  aside.  He 
desired  him  to  trust  in  God,  and 
go  on,  and  wished  there  were  more 
preaching,  and  in  a  more  lively 
way  than  he  heard  was  then  in  Eng- 
land :  but  above  all  things  he 
prayed  him  to  suppress  that  im- 
piety and  profanity  that,  as  he 
heard,  abounded  in  the  nation. 

In  February  1549,  an  act  passed, 
allowing  the  clergy  to  marry.  It 
was  declared,  "  that  it  were  better 
for  priests  to  live  unmarried,  free 
of  all  worldly  cares  ;  yet,  since  the 
laws  compelling  it  had  occasioned 
great  debauchery,  they  were  all  re- 
pealed." The  pretence  of  chastity 
in  the  Romish  priests  had  possess- 
ed the  world  with  a  high  opinion 
of  them,  and  had  been  a  great  re  - 
flection  on  the  reformers,  if  the 
world  had  not  clearly  seen  through 
it,  and  been  made  very  sensible  of 
the  ill  effects  of  it,  by  the  defile- 
ment it  brought  into  their  own  fa- 
milies. Nor  was  there  any  point 
in  which  the  reformers  had  search- 
ed the  Scriptures  more,  to  remove 
the  prejudice  that  lay  against 
them.  In  the  Old  Testament  all 
the  priests  were  not  only  married, 
but  the  office  descended  by  inhe- 
ritance. In  the  New  Testament, 
marriage  was  declared  honourable 
in  all:  among  the  qualifications  of 
bishops  and  deacons,  their  being 
the  husbands  of  one  wife,  are 
reckoned  up.  Many  of  the  apos- 
tles were  married,  and  carried 
their  wives  about  with  them,  as 
also  Aquila  did  Priscilla. 

Another  act  was  passed,  confirm- 
ing the  liturgy,  which  was  now  fi- 
nished ;  eight  bishops  and  three 
temporal  lords  only  protesting 
against  it.  There  was  a  long  pre- 
amble, setting  forth  the  inconve- 
nience of  the  former  oflices,  and 
the  pains  that  had  been  taken  to 
reform  them ;  and  that  divers  bi- 
shops and  divines  had,  by  the  aid 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with  an  uniform 
agreement  concluded  on  the  new 
book  :  therefore  they  enacted  that 
by  Whitsunday  next,  all  divine  of- 


fices should  be  performed  accord- 
ing to  it ;  and  if  any  persons  used 
other  offices,  for  the  first  offence 
they  should  be  imprisoned  six 
months,  lose  their  benefices  for  the 
second,  and  be  imprisoned  during 
life  for  the  third. 

Another  act  was  also  passed  rci- 
specting  fasting,  declaring,  "  That 
though  all  days  and  meats  were  in 
themselves  alike,  yet  fasting,  being 
a  great  help  to  virtue,  and  to  the 
subduing  the  body  to  the  mind,  it 
was  enacted,  that  Lent,  and  aM 
Fridays  and  Saturdays,  and  em- 
ber-days, should  be  fish-days,  un- 
der several  penalties,  excepting 
the  weak,  or  those  that  had  the 
king's  licence."  Christ  had  told 
his  disciples,  that  when  he  was 
taken  from  them,  they  should  fast : 
so  in  the  primitive  church  they 
fasted  before  Easter  ;  but  the  same 
number  of  days  was  not  observed 
in  all  places ;  afterwards,  other 
rules  and  days  were  established  : 
but  St.  Austin  complained,  that 
many  in  his  time  placed  all  their 
religion  ia  observing  them.  Fast- 
days  are  turned  to  a  mockery  in 
the  church  of  Rome,  in  which  they 
dine  on  fish  exquisitely  drest,  and 
drink  wine. 

A    NEW   VISITATION. 

Both  the  laity  and  clergy  gave 
the  king  subsidies,  upon  which  the 
parliament  was  prorogued.  The 
first  thing  attended  to  was  the  en- 
forcing the  act  of  uniformity. 
Some  complaints  were  made  of 
the  priests'  manner  of  ofliciating  ; 
who  did  it  with  such  a  tone  of 
voice  that  the  people  could  not  un- 
derstand what  was  said,  any  more 
than  when  the  prayers  were  said 
in  Latin.  Prayers  were,  therefore, 
ordered  to  be  said  in  parish 
churches  in  a  plain  voice,  but  in 
cathedrals  the  old  way  was  still 
kept  up,  as  agreeing  better  with 
the  music  used  in  them  ;  though 
this  seemed  not  very  decent  in  the 
confession  of  sins,  nor  in  the  litany, 
where  a  simple  voice,  gravely  ut- 
tered, agreed  better  with  those  de- 
votions tlian  cadences  and  musical 
notes.     Others  continued  to  use  all 


360 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  gesticulations,   crossings,   and 
kneeljugs,  to  wliich  they  had  for- 
merly been  accustomed.     The  peo- 
ple also  continued  the  use  of  their 
beads,  which  had  been  brought  in 
by  Peter  the  Hermit,  in  the  eleventh 
century,   by  which   the    repeating 
the  angel's  salutation  to  the  Vir- 
gin was  made  a  great  part  of  their 
devotion,  and  was  ten  times  said 
for  one  Paternoster.     Instructions 
were  given  to  the  visitors  to  put  all 
these  down,  and  to  inquire  if  any 
priests  continued  their  trentals  or 
masses  for  departed  souls.     Orders 
were  also  given,  that  there  should 
be  no  private  masses  at  altars  in 
the  corners  of  churches ;  also  that 
there  should  be  but  one  communion 
in  a  day,  unless  in  great  churches, 
and  at  high  festivals,  in  which  they 
were  allowed  to  have  two,  One  in 
the  morning,  and  another  at  noon. 
The   visitors  made  their  report, 
that  they  found  the  book  of  com- 
mon-prayer   received    universally 
over  the  kingdom,  except  that  the 
lady  Mary  continued  to  have  mass 
said   according  to    the    abrogated 
forms.       Upon    this,    the    council 
Avrote   to  her  to   conform  to    the 
laws;  "  for,  the  nearer  she  was  to 
the  king  in  blood,  she  was  so  much 
the  more  obliged  to  give  example 
to  the  rest  of  the  subjects."    She 
refused  to   comply  with  their  de- 
sires, and  sent  to  the  emperor  for 
bis    protection ;    upon    which    he 
pressed  the  English  ambassadors, 
who  promised,  that  she  should  be 
dispensed  with,  at  least  for  the  pre- 
sent.   The  emperor  pretended  af- 
terwards that  they  had  made  him 
an  absolute  promise  that  she  should 
never  more  be  troubled  about  it, 
but  they  said  it  was  only  a  tempo- 
rary one.     She  refused  to  acknow- 
ledge the  laws  made  when  the  king 
was  under  age,  and  carried  herself 
very  haughtily*  ;  for  she  well  knew 

*  She  obstinately  refused  to  hear  any 
of  the  bishops  speax.  before  her  in  favour 
of  the  reformation.  Upon  this  the  council 
returned  an  answer  to  her,  "  that  her 
objections  were  more  the  result  of  wili, 
than  of  reason;  and  therefore  her  grace 
must  be  admonished  neither  to  trust  her 
own  opinion  without  ground,  nor  to  mis- 


that  the  protector  was  then  fcarfol 
of  a  war  with  France,  which  made 
the  emperor's  alliance  more  neces- 
sary to  England;  yet  the  council 
sent  for  the  officers  of  her  house- 
hold, and  required  them  to  let  her 
know,  that  the  king's  authority  was 
the  same  while  he  was  a  child,  as 
if  he  were  at  full  age;  and  that  it 
was  now  lodged  in  them,  and 
though,  as  single  persons,  they 
were  all  inferior  to  her,  yet,  as 
they  were  the  king's  council,  she 
was  bound  to  obey  them,  especially 
when  they  executed  the  law ; 
which  all  subjects,  of  what  rank 
soever,  were  bound  to  obey.  At 
present,  however,  they  durst  go  no 
further,  for  fear  of  the  emperor's 
displeasure. 

DISPUTES      CONCERNING       CHUISt'S 
PRESENCE    IN    THE   SACRAMENTS. 

The  reformation  of  the  greatest 
errors  in  divine  worship  being  thus 
established,  Cranmer  proceeded 
next  to  establish  a  form  of  doc- 
trine. The  chief  point  hitherto 
untouched,  was  the  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament,  which  the 
priests  magnified  as  the  greatest 
mystery  of  the  Christian  religion, 
and  the  chief  privilege  of  Chris- 
tians; with  which  the  simple  and 
credulous  vulgar  were  much  af- 
fected. The  Lutherans  received 
that  which  had  been  for  some  ages 
the  doctrine  of  the  Greek  church, 
that  in  the  sacraments  there  was 
both  bread  and  wine,  and  also  the 
substance  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ.  The  Helvetians  looked  on  it 
only  as  a  commemoration  of  the 
death  of  Christ.  The  princes  of  Ger- 
many were  at  great  pains  to  have 
these  reconciled,  in  which  Bucer 
had  laboured  with  great  industry. 
Some  took  a  middle  way,  and  as- 
serted a  real  presence ;  but  it  was 
not  easy  to  understand  what  was 
meant  by  that  expression,  unless  it 
was  a  real  application  of  Christ's 

like  all  others  havina;  ground.  If  her's 
be  good,  it  is  no  hurt  if  she  hear  the  worse. 
If  it  be  ill,  she  shall  do  well  to  hear  the 
better.  She  shall  not  alter  by  hearing, 
but  by  hearing  the  better." 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


361 


death;  so  that  the  meaning  of 
really  was  effectually.  But  though 
Bucer  followed  this  method,  Peter 
Martyr,  in  his  lectures,  declared 
plainly  for  the  Helvetians.  Dr. 
Smith,  and  some  others,  intended 
publicly  to  oppose  him ;  and  chal- 
lenged him  to  a  dispute  about  it, 
which  he  readily  accepted,  on 
these  conditions,  that  the  king's 
council  should  first  approve  of  it, 
and  that  it  should  be  managed  in 
scripture  terms:  for  the  strength  of 
those  doctors  lay  in  a  nimble  ma- 
naging of  those  barbarous  and  un- 
intelligible terms  of  the  schools, 
which,  though  they  sounded  high, 
yet  really  had  no  meaning:  so  that 
all  the  protestants  resolved  to  dis- 
pute in  scripture  terms,  which  was 
certainly  more  proper  in  matters  of 
divinity  than  the  metaphysical  lan- 
guage of  schoolmen. 

The  council  having  appointed 
Dr.  Cox,  and  some  others,  to  pre- 
side in  the  dispute,  Dr.  Smith 
went  out  of  the  way,  and  a  little 
after  fled  out  of  England :  but  be- 
fore he  went  he  wrote  a  very  mean 
submission  to  Cranmer.  Other 
doctors  disputed  with  Peter  Mar- 
tyr concerning  transubstantiation, 
but  that  had  the  common  fate  of  all 
public  disputes,  for  both  sides  con- 
tended that  they  had  the  better. 
At  the  same  time  there  were  also 
disputes  at  Cambridge,  which 
were  moderated  by  Ridley,  who 
had  been  sent  down  by  the  coun- 
cil. He  had  fallen  on  Bertram's 
book,  of  the  Sacrament,  and  won- 
dered much  to  find  so  celebrated  a 
writer  in  the  ninth  century,  engage 
so  plainly  against  the  corporeal 
presence.  This  disposed  him  to 
think  that  at  that  time  it  was  not 
the  received  belief  of  the  church : 
he  communicated  this  to  Cranmer, 
and  they  together  made  great  col- 
lections out  of  the  fathers  on  this 
head,  and  both  of  them  wrote  con- 
cerning it. 

The  substance  of  their  argu- 
ments was,  that  as  Christ  called 
the  cup  "  the  fruit  of  the  vine,"  so 
St.  Paul  called  the  other  element 
"  bread,"  after  the  consecration  ; 
which    shews    that   their   natures 


Were  not  changed,     Christ,  speak- 
ing to  the  Jews,  and  substituting 
the  eucharist  for  the  paschal  lamb, 
used  such  expressions  as  had  been 
customary  among  the  Jews  on  that 
occasion ;    who    called    the    lamb 
"the     Lord's    passover;"      which 
could  not  be  meant  literally,  since 
the  passover  was  the  angel's  pass- 
ing by  their  houses,  when  the  first- 
born of  the  Egyptians  were  killed. 
It,  therefore,  being  a  commemora- 
tion  of    that,     was    called     "  the 
Lord's  passover:"  and  in  the  same 
sense    did   Christ    call   the   bread 
"  his  body:"  figurative  expressions 
being  ordinary   in  Scripture,    and 
not  improper  in  sacraments,  which 
may   be  called  figurative  actions. 
It  was  also  appointed  for   a  re- 
membrance   of    Christ,    and    that 
supposes  absence.     The  elements 
were  also  called  by  Christ  his  body 
broken,  and  his  blood  shed;  so  it 
is  plain  they  were  his  body,  not  as 
it  is  glorified  in  Heaven,  but  as  it 
suffered  on  the  cross;    and  since 
the  Scriptures  speak  of  Christ's  con- 
tinuance in   Heaven   till  the   last 
day,    from  thence    they  inferred, 
that  he  was  not  corporeally  pre- 
sent.    And  it  was  shewed,  that  the 
eating  Christ's  flesh,  mentioned  by 
St.  John,  was  not  to  be  understood 
of  the  sacrament,  since,  of  every 
one  who  eat,  it  is  said,  that  he  has 
eternal  life  in  him.     It  was,  there- 
fore,   to    be    understood    only    of 
receiving  Christ's  doctrine,   as  he 
himself  explained,  when  he  said, 
"  that  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing, 
but    his    words    were    spirit   and 
Ufe." 

ANABAPTISTS    IN    ENGLAND. 

There  were  some  anabaptists  at 
this  time  in  England,  who  came 
from  Germany.  Of  these  there 
were  two  sorts;  the  first  only  ob- 
jected to  the  baptizing  of  children, 
and  to  the  manner  of  it,  by  sprink- 
ling instead  of  dipping.  The  other 
held  many  opinions,  anciently  con- 
demned as  heresies:  they  had 
raised  a  war  in  Germany,  and  had 
set  up  a  new  king  at  Munster;  but 
all  these  were  called  Anabaptists, 
from  their  opposition  to  infant  bap- 


362 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


lism,  though  it  was  one  of  the 
mildest  opinions  they  held.  When 
they  came  to  England,  a  commis- 
sion was  granted  to  some  bishops, 
and  others,  to  search  thera  out, 
and  to  proceed  against  them.  Se- 
veral of  these  persons,  on  heing 
taken  up  and  brought  before  them, 
abjured  their  errors,  some  of  which 
were,  "  That  there  was  not  a  tri- 
nity of  persons;  that  Christ  was 
not  God,  and  took  not  fiesh  of  the 
Virgin ;  and  that  a  regenerate  man 
could  not  sin." 

Joan    Bocher,     called    Joan    of 
Kent,  one  of  their  proselytes,  per- 
sisted in  her  error,  and  denied  that 
Christ  took  flesh  of  the  substance 
of  his  mother;  she  was  intolerably 
vain  of  her  notions,  and  rejected 
with  scorn  all  the  instruction   of- 
fered   her:     she    was,     therefore, 
condemned  as  an  obstinate  heretic, 
and  delivered  to  the  secular  power. 
But  it  was  with  the  most  extreme 
reluctance  that  the  king  signed  the 
warrant    for    her    execution;     he 
thought  it  was  an  instance  of  the 
same  spirit  of  cruelty  for  which  the 
reformers  condemned  the  papists; 
and  notwithstanding  all  the  argu- 
ments that  were  used  with  him,  he 
was  rather  silenced  than  satisfied, 
and  signed  the  warrant  with  tears 
in    his    eyes,   saying  to    Cranmer, 
that  since  he  resigned  up  himself 
to  his  judgment,  if  he  sinned  in  it, 
it  should   lie   at   his    door.       This 
ptruck  the  archbishop ;     and  both 
he   and   Ridley   took  great   pains 
with   her,  and  tried  M'hat  reason, 
joined  with  gentleness,  could  do. 
But  she    growing   still  more    and 
more  insolent,  at  last  was  burnt, 
and  ended  her  life  very  indecently, 
breaking  out  often  in  jeers  and  re- 
proaches. 

Some  time  after  this,  George 
van  Parre,  a  Dutchman,  was  also 
condemned  and  burnt  for  denying 
the  diviuity  of  Christ,  and  saying, 
that  the  Father  only  was  God.  He 
had  led  a  very  exemplary  life, 
both  for  fasting,  devotion,  and  a 
good    conversation,    and    suffered 


used :  but  several  books  werfc  writ- 
ten to  justify  infant  baptism ;  and 
the  practice  of  the  church,  so 
clearly  begun,  and  so  universally 
spread,  was  thought  a  good  plea, 
especially  being  grounded  on  such 
arguments  in  Scripture  as  demon- 
strated at  least  its  lawfulness. 

REBELLION    IN    DEVONSHIRE    AND 
OTHER,  PARTS. 

About  this  time  a  rebellion 
broke  out  in  many  parts  of  Eng- 
land, partly  arising  from  a  jealousy 
in  the  commons  against  the  nobi- 
lity and  gentry,  who  finding  more 
advantage  by  the  trade  of  wool 
than  by  that  of  corn,  generally  en- 
closed their  grounds,  and  turned 
thera  to  pasture,  by  which  a  great 
number  of  persons  were  thrown 
out  of  employment,  and  a  general 
consternation  was  spread  through- 
out the  country.  The  other  cause 
was  the  unquenched  enmity  of  the 
popish  priests  to  the  reformation, 
and  their  endeavours  to  revive  in 
the  minds  of  the  blinded  multitude 
their  former  errors. 

In  Devonshire,  the  insurrection 
was  very  formidable;  and  the  re- 
bels became  quickly  ten  thousand 
strong.       Lord    Russel    was    sent 
against  them  with    a  small  force, 
and  ordered  to  endeavour  to  pre- 
vail  on  them  to  disperse  without 
shedding  blood:    but   Arundel,   a 
man    of    quality,    being    at    their 
head,  theyT  were  not  a  mere  rabble, 
easily  scattered,  but  had  more  of 
the     discipline     and     consequent 
strength  of  a  regular  anny.     They, 
however,   consented  to  treat  with 
lord  Russel,  and  by  him  forwarded 
the  following  demands  to  the  court : 
"■  That  the  old  service  and  ceremo- 
nies might  be  set  up  again;    that 
the  act  of  the  six  articles,  and  the 
decrees  of  general  councils,  might 
be  again  in  force ;  that  the  Bible 
in   English    should   be   called  in; 
that  preachers  should  pray  for  the 
souls  in  purgatory;    that  cardinal 
Pole  should  be  recalled ;  that  the 
half  of  the  abbey  lands  should  be 


with  cxtraorilinary  composure  of  restored,  to  found  two  abbeys  in 
mind.  Against  the  other  sort  of  every  county;  and  that  gentlemen 
anabaptists     no     severities     were     of  100  marks  a  year   might  have 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


363 


but  one  servant:"  and  they  desired 
a  safe-conduct  for  their  chief  lead- 
ers, in  order  to  the  redress  of  their 
particular  grievances:  they  after- 
wards reduced  their  demands  to 
those  only  which  related  to  reli- 
gion. 

Cranmer  wrote  an  answer  to 
these,  shewing  "  the  novelty  and 
superstition  of  those  rites  and  ce- 
remonies, and  of  all  that  method 
of  worship  of  which  they  were  so 
fond:  and  that  the  amendments 
and  changes  had  been  made  ac- 
cording to  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
customs  of  the  primitive  church : 
that  their  being  partial  to  a  wor- 
ship Avhich  they  understood  not, 
and  being  desirous  to  be  kept  still 
in  ignorance,  without  the  Scrip- 
tures, proved,  that  their  priests 
had  greater  power  over  them  than 
the  common  reason  of  all  mankind 
had :  as  for  the  six  articles,  that 
act  had  never  passed  if  the  late 
king  had  not  gone  in  person  to  the 
parliament,  and  argued  for  it:  yet 
he  soon  saw  his  error,  and  was 
slack  in  executing  it." 

After  this,  a  threatening  letter 
was  sent  to  them,  in  the  king's 
name,  upbraiding  them  for  their 
rebellion  and  blind  obedience  to 
their  priests.  In  it  the  authority 
of  the  king,  although  under  age, 
was  shown  at  large ;  for  by  the 
pretence  of  the  king's  minority  the 
people  generally  were  taught  to 
believe  that  their  rising  in  arms 
was  not  rebellion.  In  conclusion, 
they  were  earnestly  invited  to  sub- 
mit to  the  royal  mercy,  as  others 
had  done,  whom  the  king  had  not 
only  pardoned,  but  had  redressed 
their  just  grievances. 

A  fast  was  proclaimed  at  court, 
where  Cranmer  preached  with 
great  freedom  and  vehemence :  he 
reproved  the  assembly  for  their  vi- 
cious lives,  particularly  those  who 
pretended  a  love  to  the  gospel  -, 
and  set  before  them  the  judgments 
of  God,  which  they  might  expect 
would  overtake  their  misdeeds,  if 
they  did  not  repent  and  amend 
their  lives. 

The  rebels  still  continuing  in 
arms,    troops    were    sent    against 


them,  and  after  some  resistance  in 
Oxfordshire,  Devonshire,  and 
Norfolk,  they  were  at  length  every 
where  routed,  their  leaders  pu- 
nished, and  tranquillity  restored. 

VISITATION    OF   CAMBRIDGE. 

A  visitation  of  Cambridge  fol- 
lowed soon  after  this.  Ridley  was 
the  chief  of  the  visitors  ;  but  when 
he  found  that  a  design  was  laid  to 
suppress  some  colleges,  under  pre- 
tence of  uniting  them  to  others, 
and  to  convert  some  fellowships 
that  were  provided  for  divines,  to 
the  study  of  the  civil  law,  he  re- 
fused his  assent.  He  said  "  the 
church  was  already  too  much  rob- 
bed, and  yet  some  men's  ravenous- 
ness  was  not  yet  satisfied.  It 
seemed  a  design  was  laid  to  drive 
both  religion  and  learning  out  of 
the  land;  therefore  he  desired 
leave  to  be  gone."  The  other  vi- 
.sitors  complained  of  him  to  the 
protector,  who  wrote  him  a  re- 
proving letter:  but  he  answered  it 
with  the  freedom  that  became  a 
bishop,  who  was  resolved  to  suffer 
all  things  rather  than  sin  against 
his  conscience :  and  the  protector 
was  so  well  satisfied  with  him, 
that,  for  bis  sake,  the  college  of 
Clare-hall,  the  suppression  of 
which  he  had  strongly  objected  to, 
was  preserved. 

BONNER    PROSECUTED, 

Bonner  was  now  brought  into 
trouble.  It  was  not  easy  to  know 
how  to  deal  with  him,  for  he  obey- 
ed every  order  that  was  sent  him, 
and  yet  it  was  known  that  he  se- 
cretly hated  and  condemned  all 
that  was  done ;  and  as  often  as  he 
could  declare  that  safely,  he  did 
so,  and  by  such  means  preserved 
his  interest  with  the  papists:  and 
though  he  obeyed  the  orders  of  the 
council,  yet  he  did  it  in  so  remiss 
a  manner,  that  it  was  visibly 
against  his  inclination.  He  was, 
therefore,  called  before  the  coun- 
cil, and  charged  with  several  par- 
ticulars, that  "  whereas  he  used  to 
ofliciate  himself  on  the  great  festi- 
vals, he  had  not  done  it  since  the 
new  service  was  set  out;   that  he 


364 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


took  no  care  to  repress  adultery, 
and  that  he  never  preached."  On 
examination,  proving  very  refrac- 
tory and  violent,  he  was  deprived 
of  his  bishopric,  and  cominitted  to 
prison  during  the  king's  pleasure. 

FALL   OF   THE   PROTECTOR. 

The  English  affairs  upon  the 
continent  this  year  were  extremely 
unsuccessful,  and  the  fault  being 
laid  on  the  protector,  heavy  com- 
plaints were  made  against  him ;  and 
his  enemies,  who  were  very  nu- 
merous and  powerful,  openly  de- 
clared their  hostility.  The  earls 
of  Southampton  and  of  Warwick 
•were  the  chief;  the  one  hated  Lim 
for  dismissing  him  from  the  chan- 
cellorship, and  the  other  because 
he  was  his  rival  in  power  and  dig- 
nity. 

The  privy  counsellors  complain- 
ed, that  he  was  become  so  arbi- 
trary in  his  proceedings,  that  he 
little  regarded  the  opposition  that 
was  made  by  the  majority  of  the 
council,  to  any  of  his  designs.  All 
these  things  concurred  to  create 
him  many  enemies;  and,  except 
Cranmer,  Paget,  and  Smith,  all 
turned  against  him. 

The  protector  conducted  the  king 
to  Hampton  court,  and  put  many 
of  his  own  people  about  him, 
which  increased  the  jealousies  of 
the  opposite  party ;  upon  which, 
nine  of  the  privy  council  met  at 
Ely-house,  and  assumed  to  them- 
selves the  authority  of  the  council; 
and  secretary  Petre  being  sent  by 
the  king,  to  ask  an  account  of  their 
meeting,  instead  of  returning,  join- 
ed himself  to  them.  They  made  a 
full  declaration  of  the  protector's 
ill  government ;  and  stated  that 
"  therefore  they  resolved,  them- 
selves, to  see  the  safety  of  the 
king  and  kingdom."  Both  the 
city  of  London,  and  the  lieute- 
nant of  the  Tower  declared  for 
them:  they  also  sent  letters  all 
over  England,  desiring  the  assist- 
ance of  the  nobility  and  gentry, 
and  seven  more  of  the  privy  coun- 
cil joined  them. 

The  protector  had  removed  the 
king  from  Hampton-court  to  Wind- 


sor-castle, which  was  capable  of 
some  defence ;  and  had  armed 
some  of  his  own  servants;  yet, 
seeing  himself  abandoned  by 
nearly  all  his  friends,  and  finding 
the  party  against  him  growing  to 
such  a  strength,  that  it  would  be 
in  vain  to  struggle  any  longer,  he 
offered  to  submit  himself  to  the 
council.  A  proposition  for  a  treaty 
was  accordingly  set  on  foot ;  and 
the  lords  at  London  were  desired 
to  send  two  of  their  number  with 
their  proposals.  Cranmer,  and  the 
other  two,  wrote  to  the  council,  to 
persuade  them  to  an  agreement, 
and  not  to  follow  cruel  sugges- 
tions. 

Many  false  reports  of  the  pro- 
tector were  spread  abroad,  as, 
that  he  had  threatened,  if  they  in- 
tended ^to  put  him  to  death,  the 
king  should  die  first ;  which  served 
to  increase  the  prejudices  against 
him.  The  council  wrote  to  Cran- 
mer and  Paget,  charging  them  "to 
look  well  to  the  king's  person,  that 
he  should  not  be  removed  from 
Windsor;  and  that  the  duke  of 
Somerset's  dependants  might  be 
put  from  him,  and  his  own  sworn 
servants  admitted  to  wait :"  they 
also  protested  that  they  would 
proceed  with  all  the  moderation 
and  favour  that  was  possible  to- 
wards the  duke.  The  council  un- 
derstanding that  all  things  were 
prepared  as  they  had  desired,  sent 
three  of  their  number,  to  see  that 
the  duke,  and  five  of  his  followers, 
should  be  confined  to  their  apart- 
ments ;  and  on  the  12th  of  October, 
the  whole  council  went  to  Wind- 
sor, and  made  great  protestations 
of  their  duty  to  the  king,  which  he 
received  favourably,  and  assured 
them  he  took  all  that  they  had  done 
in  good  part. 

Accordingly,  the  duke  of  Somer- 
set, with  four  of  those  who  had 
been  confined,  were  sent  to  the 
Tower,  and  many  articles  were 
objected  to  the  duke,  "that  he 
being  made  protector,  with  this 
condition,  that  he  should  do  no- 
thing but  by  the  consent  of  the 
other  executors,  had  treated  with 
ambassadors  apart;  had  made  bi- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


365 


shops  and  lord-lieutenants  with- 
out their  knowledge;  had  held  a 
court  of  requests  la  his  house ; 
embased  the  coin  ;  neglected  the 
places  the  king  had  in  France  ; 
encouraged  the  commons  in  their 
late  insurrections ;  and  had  given 
out  commissions,  and  proclaimed 
a  pardon  without  their  consent : 
that  he  had  animated  the  king 
against  the  rest  of  the  council,  and 
had  proclaimed  them  traitors,  and 
had  put  his  own  servants  armed 
ahout  the  king's  person." 

By  these  charges,  it  appears, 
that  the  crimes  alleged  against 
him  were  the  effects  of  his  sudden 
exaltation,  which  had  made  him 
forget  that  he  was  a  subject.  He, 
however,  had  carried  his  greatness 
with  much  innocence,  since,  in  all 
the  studied  charges  brought  against 
him  by  his  numerous  enemies,  no 
acts  of  cruelty,  rapine,  or  bribery, 
were  objected  to  him.  His  faults 
were  rather  errors  and  weaknesses, 
than  crimes.  His  "  embasing  the 
coin"  was  done  upon  a  common 
mistake  of  weak  governments, 
who  lly  to  that  as  their  last  refuge 
in  the  necessity  of  their  affairs. 
In  his  imprisonment,  he  set  him- 
self to  the  study  of  moral  philo- 
sophy and  divinity,  and  wrote  a 
preface  to  a  book  on  patience, 
which  had  made  a  great  impres- 
sion on  his  mind.  His  fall  was  a 
great  affliction  to  all  v/ho  loved  the 
reformation,  and  this  was  much  in- 
creased, by  their  fears  of  two  of  his 
greatest  enemies  ;  of  whom  South- 
ampton was  a  known  papist,  and 
Warwick  was  looked  on  as  a  man 
of  no  religion. 

But  this  event,  while  it  depress- 
ed the  reformers,  raised  the  spirits 
of  the  papists  :  the  duke  of  Nor- 
folk and  Gardiner  hoped  to  be 
discharged.  Bonner  expected  to 
be  re-established  in  his  bishop- 
ric ;  and  the  new  service  was 
neglected  in  many  places :  but 
the  earl  of  Warwick,  finding  the 
king  zealously  attached  to  the  re- 
formation, and  affected  to  be 
a  great  promoter  of  that  cause. 
A  court  of  civilians  was  appointed 
to  examine  Bonner's  appeal,  and 


upon  their  report  the  council  t-eject- 
ed  it,  and  confirmed  his  sentence. 

In  November,  the  parliament 
met:  in  which  a  kind  of  riot  act 
was  passed,  declaring  it  treason  in 
any  persons  to  assemble  to  the 
number  of  twelve,  if,  on  being  re- 
quired, they  did  not  disperse.  The 
bishops  made  a  heavy  complaint 
of  the  growth  of  vice  and  impiety, 
and  that  their  power  was  so  much 
abridged,  that  they  could  not  re- 
press it.  Accordingly,  a  bill  was 
read,  enlarging  their  authority, 
which  was  passed  by  the  lords ; 
but  the  commons  rejected  it,  and 
instead  of  it,  sent  up  a  bill  that 
empowered  thirty-two  persons, 
who  were  to  be  named  by  the  king, 
"  the  one  half  of  the  temporally, 
and  the  other  of  the  spiritualty, 
to  compile  a  body  of  ecclesiastical 
laws  within  three  years  ;  and  that 
these,  not  being  contrary  to  the 
common  or  statute  law,  and  ap- 
proved of  by  the  king,  should  have 
the  force  of  ecclesiastical  laws." 

Six  bishops,  and  six  other  cler- 
gymen, were  empowered  to  pre- 
pare a  new  form  of  ordination ; 
which  being  confirmed  under  the 
great  seal,  should  take  place  after 
April  next.  Articles  were  also 
presented  against  the  duke  of 
Somerset,  with  a  confession  signed 
by  him,  in  which  he  protested  that 
his  errors  had  flowed  rather  from 
indiscretion  than  malice,  and  de- 
nied all  treasonable  designs 
against  the  king,  or  the  realm. 
He  was  fined  in  £2000  a-year  in 
land,  and  was  deprived  of  all  his 
goods  and  offices.  He  complained 
of  the  heaviness  of  this  sentence, 
and  "  desired  earnestly  to  be  re- 
stored to  the  king's  favour,  trusting 
that  he  should  make  amends  for 
his  past  follies."  He  was  dis- 
charged in  the  beginning  of  Fe- 
bruary, soon  after  which,  he  was 
pardoned,  and  was  again  brought 
both  to  the  court  and  council  in 
April. 

The  reformation  now,  after  this 
confusion,  recommenced  with 
fresh  vigour.  The  council  sent 
orders  throughout  England,  to 
require  all  to  conform  themselves 


366 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  the  new  service,  and  to  call  in 
all  the  books  of  the  old  offices. 
An  act  was  passed  in  paliament  to 
the  same  effect.  All  the  old  books 
and  images  were  appointed  to  be 
defaced,  and  all  prayers  to  saints 
were  to  be  struck  out  of  the  books 
of  devotion  published  by  the  late 
king. 

The  committee  appointed  to  pre- 
pare the  book  of  ordinations,  finish- 
ed their  work  with  unanimity. 
They  found,  that  in  the  ancient 
church,  there  was  nothing  used  in 
ordinations,  but  prayer  and  impo- 
sition of  hands  ;  the  anointing 
and  giving  consecrated  vestments 
being  additions  of  later  ages.  In 
the  council  of  Florence  it  was  de- 
clared, that  the  rite  of  ordaining 
a  priest,  was  the  delivering  the 
vessels  for  the  eucharist,  with  a 
power  to  offer  sacrifices  to  God 
for  the  dead  and  living,  which 
was  a  novelty  invented  to  support 
the  belief  of  transubstautiation. 
All  these  additions  were  now  cut 
off,  ordination  was  restored  to  a 
greater  simplicity ;  and  the  form 
was  almost  the  same  as  that  still 
in  use  in  the  church  of  England  ; 
only  then,  in  ordaining  a  priest, 
the  bishop  was  to  lay  one  hand  on 
his  head,  and  with  the  other  to 
give  him  a  Bible,  and  a  chalice, 
and  bread  in  it.  In  the  consecra- 
tion of  a  bishop,  the  form  was  the 
same  that  we  still  employ,  only 
then  they  retained  the  custom  of 
giving  the  bishop  a  staff,  saying 
these  words,  "Be  to  the  flock  of 
Christ  a  shepherd." 

At  this  time  pope  Paul  the  third 
died.  In  the  conclave  that  fol- 
lowed, cardinal  Farnese  promoted 
the  interest  of  cardinal  Pole,  whose 
wise  behaviour  at  Trent  had  great- 
ly raised  him  in  the  opinion  of  his 
contemporaries.  It  also  appeared, 
that  though  he  was  of  the  emperor's 
faction,  yet  he  did  not  serve  him 
blindly.  Some  loaded  him  with 
the  imputations  of  Lutlieranism, 
and  of  incontinence ;  the  last 
would  not  have  hindered  his  ad- 
vancement much,  though  true,  yet 
he  fully  cleared  himself  from  it : 
but  the  former  lay  heavier  ;  for  in 


his  retirement  at  Viterbo,  where 
he  was  legate,  he  had  given  him- 
self much  to  the  study  of  contro- 
versies ;  and  Tranellius,  Flaminio, 
and  others  suspected  of  Lutheran- 
ism,  had  lived  in  his  house;  and 
in  the  discussions  at  the  council  of 
Trent  he  seemed  favourable  to 
some  of  their  opinions.  But  the 
great  sufferings  both  of  himself 
and  family  in  England,  seemed  to 
set  him  above  all  suspicions. 

When  his    friends    had    almost 
gained  a  sufficient  number  of  suf- 
frages, he  seemed  little  concerned 
at  it,  and  rather  declined  than  as- 
pired to  the  dignity.     When  a  full 
number     of     the     cardinals     had 
agreed,  and  came   to  adore  him, 
according    to    the    ordinary    cere- 
mony,   he    received     it    with    his 
usual  coldness  ;  and  as  they  came 
in  the  night,  he  said,  "  God  loved 
light,"  and  therefore  advised  them 
to    delay    the    adoration   till  day. 
The   Italians,  among  whom  ambi- 
tion is  thought  to  be  the   charac- 
teristic of  a  great  mind,  looked  on 
this    as   an    insufferable    piece   of 
dulness  ;  so  that  the  cardinals  de- 
serted him  before  day,  and  chose 
de  Monte  pope,  who  assumed  the 
papal  crown  by  the  name  of  Julius 
the    Third.      His    first    promotion 
was  very  extraordinary,  for  he  gave 
his  own  cardinal's  hat  to  a  servant 
who  kept  his  monkey  ;  and  being- 
asked  the    reason   of  it,   he   said, 
"he  saw  as  much  in  his  servant  to 
recommend  him  to  be  a  cardinal, 
as  the  conclave  saw  in  him  to  in- 
duce them  to  choose  him  pope." 

In  February,  Ridley  was  made 
bishop  of  London  and  Westmin- 
ster, with  licence  to  hold  two  pre- 
bends; and  his  patent  was  not 
during  pleasure,  but  during  life. 

About  this  time  there  was  a 
rumour  of  a  marriage  between  the 
king,  and  a  French  princess,  which 
grieved  the  reformers,  who  rather 
wished  him  to  marry  the  daughter 
of  the  emperer  Maximilian,  who 
was  believed  to  favour  the  reforma- 
tion, and  was  esteemed  one  of  the 
best  men  of  the  age.  Dr.  Latimer 
preached  at  court,  and  warned  the 
king  of  the  ill  effects  of  bad  mar- 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REf*ORMATION. 


367 


riages,  which  were  made  up  only 
as  bargains,  without  alleetion  be- 
tween the  parties  ;  and  that  they 
occasioned  so  much  iniquity,  and  so 
many  divorces  :  he  also  complained 
of  the  luxury  and  vanity  of  the 
age,  and  pressed  the  setting  up 
a  primitive  discipline  in  the  church. 
He  preached  this  as  his  last  ser- 
mon, and  therefore  used  great 
freedom. 

The  see  of  Gloucester  now  be- 
came vacant,  and  Hooper  was 
named  to  it.  He  had  some  scru- 
ples about  the  episcopal  vestments, 
and  thought  all  those  garments, 
having  been  consecrated  with  much 
superstition,  were  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  elements  condemned 
by  St.  Paul:  but  Ridley  justified 
the  use  of  them,  and  said,  "the 
elements  condemned  by  St.  Paul, 
were  only  the  Jewish  ceremonies  ; 
which  he  condemned,  when  they 
were  imposed  as  essential  ;  as  that 
imported  that  the  Mosaical  law 
was  not  abrogated,  and  that  the 
Messiah  was  not  come." 

Cranmer  desired  Bucer's  opinion 
concerning  the  lawfulness  of  those 
habits,  and  the  obligation,  lying  on 
subjects  to  obey  the  laws  about 
them.  His  opinion  was,  that 
"  Every  creature  of  God  was  good, 
and  that  no  former  abuse  could 
make  a  thing,  indifferent  in  itself, 
become  unlawful.  Yet,  since  those 
garments  had  been  abused  to  su- 
perstition, and  were  like  to  be- 
come a  subject  of  contention,  he 
wished  they  might  be  taken  away 
by  law ;  and  that  ecclesiastical 
discipline,  and  a  more  complete 
reformation,  might  be  pursued,  and 
a  stop  put  to  the  robbing  of 
churches ;  otherwise  they  might 
see,  in  the  present  state  of  Ger- 
many, a  dreadful  prospect  of  that 
which  England  ought  to  look  for. 
He  wished  that  all  good  men 
would  unite  against  the  greater 
corruptions,  and  then  lesser  abuses 
would  easily  be  redressed,"  Peter 
Martyr  also  delivered  his  opinion 
to  the  same  purpose. 

Hooper  was  suspended  from 
preaching  ;  but  the  earl  of  War- 
wick wrote  to  Cranmer  to  dispense 


with  liim  in  that  matter;  who  an- 
swered, that  while  the  law  con- 
tinued in  force,  he  could  not  do 
it  without  incurring  a  pramunire. 
Upon  which  the  king  wrote  to  the 
archbishop,  allowing  him  to  do  it, 
and  dispensing  with  the  law. 

THE    COMMON    PRAYER    BOOK    RE- 
VISED. 

A  design  was  now  set  on  foot 
for  a  revision  of  the  common 
prayer  book :  in  order  to  which 
the  opinion  of  that  eminent  re- 
former Bucer  was  asked.  He  re- 
plied that  "  he  approved  the  main 
parts  of  the  former  book,  and 
wished  there  might  be  not  only 
a  denunciation  against  scandalous 
persons  who  came  to  the  sacra- 
ment, but  a  discipline  to  exclude 
them ;  that  the  habits  might  be 
Iai.d  aside;  that  no  part  of  the 
communion  office  might  be  used, 
except  when  there  was  a  sacra- 
ment ;  that  communions  might  be 
more  frequent ;  that  the  prayers 
might  be  said  in  a  plain  voice ; 
the  sacrament  put  in  the  people's 
hands  ;  and  that  there  might  be  no 
prayers  for  the  dead."  He  also 
advised  "  a  change  of  several 
phrases  in  the  office  of  the  com- 
munion, that  favoured  transubstan- 
tiation  too  much  ;  and  that  baptism 
might  be  performed  only  in 
churches ;"  he  thought  "  the  hal- 
lowing the  water,  the  chrism,  and 
the  white  garment,  were  too  sce- 
nical;  nor  did  he  approve  of  ad- 
juring the  devil,  nor  of  the  god-fa- 
ther's answering  in  the  child's 
name:  he  thought  confirmation 
should  be  delayed  till  the  person 
was  of  age,  and  came  sincerely 
to  renew  the  baptismal  covenant; 
and  catechising  should  take  place 
every  holy  day,  both  of  children 
and  adults.  He  disliked  private 
marriages,  extreme  unction,  and 
making  offerings  at  the  churching 
of  women :  and  thought  there 
ought  to  be  greater  strictness  used 
in  the  examination  of  those  per- 
sons who  came  to  receive  orders." 

At  the  same  time  he  understood 
that  the  king  expected  a  new- 
year's   gift  from  him,   of  a  book 


368 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Written  particularly  for  his  own 
use :  he,  therefore,  prepared  a 
book  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
Christ;  in  which  he  pressed  much 
the  setting  up  a  strict  discipline, 
the  sanctification  of  the  Lord's 
day,  the  appointing  days  of  fast- 
ing, and  that  pluraHties  and  non- 
residence  of  the  clergy  might  be 
condemned;  that  children  might 
be  catechised  ;  that  the  reverence 
due  to  churches  might  be  pre- 
served ;  that  the  pastoral  function 
might  be  restored  to  what  it  ought 
to  be ;  that  bishops  might  throw- 
off  secular  afifairs,  take  care  of 
their  dioceses,  and  govern  them 
by  the  advice  of  their  presbyters  ; 
that  there  might  be  rural  bishops 
over  twenty  or  thirty  parishes, 
and  that  provincial  councils  might 
meet  twice  a  year;  that  church- 
lands  should  be  restored,  and  that 
a  fourth  part  should  be  assigned 
to  the  poor ;  that  marriage,  with- 
out consent  of  parents,  should  be 
annulled  ;  that  a  second  marriage 
might  be  declared  lawful,  after  a 
divorce  for  adultery,  and  for  some 
other  reasons  ;  that  care  should  be 
taken  of  the  education  of  youth, 
and  for  repressing  luxury ;  that 
the  law  might  be  reformed ;  that 
no  office  might  be  sold,  but  given 
to  the  most  deserving :  that  none 
should  be  put  in  prison  for  slight 
offences  ;  and  that  the  severity  of 
some  laws,  as  that  which  made 
theft  capital,  might  be  mitigated. 

Edward  was  much  pleased  with 
these  counsels ;  and  upon  them 
began  to  form  a  scheme  for  amend- 
ing many  things  that  were  amiss 
in  the  government.  This  he  wrote 
out  with  his  own  hand,  and  in  a 
style  and  manner  which  was  rather 
childish,  though  the  thoughts  were 
manly.  He  also  wrote  a  journal  of 
every  thing  that  passed  at  home, 
and  of  the  news  from  beyond 
sea.  It  has  clear  marks  of  being 
his  own  composition.  He  also 
wrote  another  book  in  French, 
being  a  collection  of  all  the  places 
of  scripture  against  idolatry,  with 
a  preface,  and  a  dedication  to  the 
protector. 

At  this   time   Ridley   made   his 


first  visitation  of  his  diocese ;  the 
articles  upon  which  he  proceeded 
were  chiefly  relating  to  the  service 
and  ceremonies  that  were  abolish- 
ed. He  also  carried  with  him  in- 
junctions against  some  remainders 
of  the  former  superstition,  and  ex- 
hortations to  the  people  to  be  chari- 
table, and  to  come  frequently  to  the 
sacrament;  and  he  expressed  a  wish 
that  altars  in  the  churches  should 
be  removed,  and  tables  put  in  their 
room,  in  the  most  convenient  place 
of  the  chancel.  In  the  ancient 
church  their  tables  were  of  wood  ; 
but  the  sacrament  being  afterwards 
called  a  sacrifice,  they  came  to  be 
called  altars.  This  gave  rise  to 
the  opinion  of  an  expiatory  sacri- 
fice in  the  mass,  and  therefore  it 
was  now  thought  fit  to  take  away 
both  the  name  and  form  of  altars. 
Ridley  only  advised  the  curates  to 
do  this  ;  but  upon  some  contests 
arising  concerning  it,  the  council 
interposed,  and  ordered  it  to  be 
done;  sending  with  their  order 
six  reasons  in  justification  of  it,  in 
which  they  showed  that  a  table  was 
more  proper  than  an  altar ;  es- 
pecially since  the  opinion  of  an  ex- 
piatory sacrifice  was  supported  by 
the  latter. 

The  government  was  now  free  of 
all  disturbance  :  the  coinage  was 
reformed,  and  trade  was  encou- 
raged. The  factions  in  the  coart 
seemed  also  to  be  extinguished  by 
a  marriage  between  the  earl  of 
Warwick's  son  and  the  duke  of 
Somerset's  daughter. 

The  popish  clergy  now  complied 
with  every  change  that  was  made. 
Oglethorpe,  afterwards  bishop  of 
Carlisle,  being  informed  against  as 
a  favourer  of  the  old  superstition, 
made  a  declaration,  that  "he 
thought  the  order  of  religion  then 
settled,  was  nearer  the  use  of  the 
primitive  church  than  that  which 
was  formerly  received ;  and  that 
he  condemned  tran&ubstantiation 
as  a  late  invention,  and  approved 
the  communion  in  both  kinds  ;  also 
the  people's  receiving  it  always 
with  the  priest." 

Smith,  who  had  written  against 
the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  and  had 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


369 


been  imprisoned,  but  was  dis- 
charged by  Cranmer's  intercession, 
wrote  a  submission  to  him,  ac- 
knowledging the  mistakes  he  had 
committed  in  his  book,  and  the 
archbishop's  kindness  towards 
him:  concluding  with  a  wish  that 
"  he  might  perish,  if  he  was  not 
sincere,"  and  calling  on  "  God,  as 
a  witness  against  his  soul  if  he 
lied." 

Day,  the  bishop  of  Chichester, 


preached  at  court  against  transub- 
stantiation,  and  all  opposition  to 
the  reformation  seemed  to  have 
melted  away ;  but  the  calm  was 
deceitful;  the  papists  still  abhor- 
red the  changes  which  had  been 
made,  and  although  they  thought 
it  prudent  at  present  to  comply 
with  them,  they  resolved  to  seize 
the  earliest  opportunity  of  throw- 
ing oft"  the  mask. 


Punishment  of  the  Primitive  Martyrs^ 


Martin  Bucer  died  in  tlie  begin- 
ning of  this  year.  He  had  enter- 
tained great  apprehensions  of  a 
fatal  revolution  in  England,  on  ac- 
count of  the  bad  lives  of  the  peo- 
ple, the  want  of  ecclesiastical  dis- 
cipline, and  the  neglect  of  the 
pastoral  charge.  Orders  were 
sent  from  the  court  to  Cambridge, 
to  bury  him  with  all  the  public  ho- 
nour to  his  memory  that  could  be 
devised.  Speeches  and  sermons 
were  made  by  Haddon,  the  uni- 
versity orator,  and  by  Parker  and 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


Redmayn.  Tlie  hist  of  these  was 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  men 
both  for  learning  and  judgment  in 
his  time :  he  had  differed  in  some 
points  from  Buccr,  and  yet  he  ac- 
knowledged, that  tliere  was  none 
alive  of  whom  he  hoped  to  learn  so 
much  as  he  had  done  by  his  con- 
vci-sation  with  him.  iJucer  was 
inferior  to  none  of  all  the  reform- 
ers in  learning,  and  had  a  great 
zeal  for  the  interests  of  the  church  r 
but  he  had  not  tliat  fluency  in  dis- 
puting   for    which    Peter    Martyr 

24 


370 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


was  fvdnrtred,  aiid  the  popish  doc- 
tors took  advantage  from  that  to 
treat  him  with  more  insolence. 

Soon  after  this,  the  process 
against  Gardiner  was  brought  to  a 
conclusion  :  a  commission  was  is- 
sued out  to  Cranraer,  three  bi- 
shops, and  some  civilians,  to  pro- 
ceed against  him,  on  the  following 
charges:  that  "he  had  refused  to 
set  out  in  his  sermon  the  king's 
power,  when  he  was  under  age, 
and  had  affronted  the  preachers, 
whom  the  king  had  sent  to  his  dio- 
cese; that  he  had  been  negligent 
in  executing  the  king's  injunctions, 
and  refused  to  confess  his  fault,  or 
ask  the  king's  pardon;  and  that 
the  rebellions  raised  in  England 
might  have  been  prevented,  if  he 
had  in  time  set  forth  the  king's  au- 
thority." 

To  this  he  answered,  that  "  he 
was  not  required  to  do  it  by  any 
order  of  council,bat  only  in  a  private 
discourse:"  but  witnesses  being 
examined  upon  these  particulars, 
the  delegates  proceeded  to  sen- 
tence of  deprivation  against  him, 
notwithstanding  his  appeal  to  the 
king  in  person;  and  he  was  re- 
manded to  the  Tower,  where  he 
continued  till  queen  Mary  dis- 
charged him. 

THE    THIRTY-NINE    ARTICLES     PUB- 
LISHED. 

By  this  time  the  greater  number 
of  the  bishops  were  sincere  friends 
to  the  reformation :  it  was,  there- 
fore, resolved  to  proceed  to  a  set- 
tlement of  the  doctrine  of  the 
church.  Many  persons  thought  that 
should  have  beer  done  in  the  first 
place ;  but  Cranmer  judged  it  better 
to  proceed  slowly  in  that  matter:  he 
thought  the  corruptions  in  the  wor- 
ship were  to  be  first  abolished; 
"  since,  while  they  remained,  the 
addresses  to  God  were  so  defiled 
that  all  people  were  involved  in 
unlawful       compliances."  He 

thought  speculative  opinions  might 
be  reformed  last,  since  errors  in 
them  were  not  of  such  ill  conse- 
quence: and  he  judged  it  neces- 
sary to  explain  these  in  many 
treatises  and  disputes,  before  al- 


terations were  made,  in  order  that 
every  one  might  be  acquainted 
with  what  was  intended  to  be 
done.  Accordingly  the  bishops 
and  clergy  framed  a  body  of  arti- 
cles, which  coiitained  the  doctrine 
of  the  church  of  England :  they  di- 
vided them  into  forty-two,  and  af- 
terwards, some  few  alterations 
being  made  in  the  beginning  of 
queen  Elizabeth's  reign,  they  were 
reduced  to  their  present  number, 
thirty-nine. 

THE    COMMON   PRAYER    BOOK    RE- 
VISED. 

When  this  was  settled,  they 
commenced  the  review  of  the  com- 
mon prayer  book.  In  the  daily 
service  they  added  the  confession 
and  absolution,  "  that  so  the  wor- 
ship of  God  might  begin  with  a 
grave  and  humble  confession;  af- 
ter which  a  solemn  declaration  of 
the  mercy  of  God,  according  to  the 
terms  of  the  gospel,"  was  to  be 
pronounced  by  the  priest.  This 
was  thought  much  better  than  the 
giving  absolution  in  such  formal 
words  as,  "  I  absolve  thee ;"  which 
raised,  in  superficial  worshippers, 
an  opinion,  that  the  priest  had  au- 
thority to  pardon  sin,  and  made 
them  think  of  nothing  so  much  as 
how  to  purchase  it  at  his  hands. 
In  the  communion  service  they  or- 
dered a  recital  of  the  command- 
ments, with  a  short  devotion  be- 
tween every  one  of  them.  The 
chrism,  the  use  of  the  cross  in  con- 
secrating the  eucharist,  prayers  for 
the  dead,  and  some  expressions 
that  favoured  transubstantiation, 
were  rejected,  and  the  book  was 
put  in  the  same  order  and  method 
as  that  in  which  it  continues  to 
this  day,  with  the  exception  of 
some  inconsiderable  variations. 
A  rubric  was  added  to  the  office  of 
the  communion,  explaining  the 
reason  of  kneeling  in  it,  that  it  was 
only  as  an  expression  of  rever- 
ence and  gratitude,  upon  the  re- 
ceiving so  particular  a  mark  of 
the  favour  of  God:  but  that  no 
adoration  was  intended  by  it,  and 
that  they  did  not  think  Christ  was 
corporeally  present  in  it.  Jn  queen 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


371 


Elizabetli's  time  this  was  omitted, 
that  such  as  conformed  in  other 
things,  but  still  retained  the  belief 
of  the  corporeal  presence,  might 
not  be  ofleuded  at  such  a  declara- 
tion: it  was  again  inserted  on  the 
restoration  of  Charles  II,  for  re- 
moving the  scruples  of  those  who 
excepted  to  that  posture. 

At  this  time  six  of  the  most  emi- 
nent preachers  were  appointed  to 
reside  at  court  by  turns,  two  at  a 
time,  and  the  other  four  were  sent 
as  itinerant  preachers,  into  all 
the  counties  of  England,  for  sup- 
plying the  defects  of  the  clergy, 
who  were  generally  very  weak  and 
faulty. 

The  mass,  which  was  still  continu- 
ed in  lady  Mary's  chapel,  was  now 
again  complained  of.  The  court 
was  less  afraid  of  the  emperor's 
displeasure  than  formerly,  and 
therefore  would  no  longer  bear 
with  so  public  a  breach  of  law : 
and  the  promise  they  had  made 
being  but  temporary,  they  thought 
they  were  not  bound  by  it.  But 
the  emperor  asserted  that  he  had 
an  absolute  promise  for  that  pri- 
vilege being  continued  to  her ; 
and  this  encouraged  her  so  much, 
that  when  the  council  wrote  to  her, 
she  answered,  "  she  would  follow 
the  catholic  church,  and  adhere  to 
her  father's  religion."  A  letter 
was  then  written  in  the  king's 
name,  requiring  her  **  to  obey  the 
law,  and  not  to  pietend  that  the 
king  was  under  age,  since  the  late 
rebels  had  justified  themselves  by 
that."  The  way  of  worship  then 
established,  was  also  vindicated, 
as  most  consonant  to  the  word  of 
God.  But  she  refused  to  engage 
in  any  disputes,  and  said  she 
would  continue  in  her  former 
courses. 

She  then  intended  to  leave  Eng- 
land, and  the  emperor  ordered  a 
ship  to  lie  near  the  coast  for  her 
transportation,  and  threatened  to 
make  war,  if  she  should  be  severe- 
ly used.  Dr.  Wotton  was  sent  to 
him,  to  convince  him  that  no  ab- 
solute promise  was  ever  made. 
Bat  Charles  replied,  that  he  had 


promised  to  her  mother  at  her 
death,  to  protect  her,  and  was 
therefore  bound  in  honour  to  do  so. 
However,  the  council  not  much 
fearing  the  emperor's  displeasure, 
sent  to  seize  on  two  of  her  chap- 
lains, who  had  said  mass  in  her 
house,  when  she  was  absent;  but 
the  priests  concealed  themselves, 
kept  out  of  the  way,  and  Mary 
wrote  to  the  council  to  stop  the 
prosecution,  still  urging  the  pro- 
mise made  to  the  emperor.  A  long 
answer  was  returned  to  her  by  the 
council,  in  which,  after  the  pro- 
mise was  explained,  they  repre- 
sented "the  absurdity  of  prayers 
in  an  unknown  tongue,  ollering 
the  sacrament  for  the  dead,  and 
worshipping  images^  all  the  an- 
cients appealed  upon  all  occasions 
to  the  scriptures;  by  these  she  might 
easily  discover  the  en-ors  and 
cheats  of  the  old  superstition,  that 
were  supported  only  by  false  mira- 
cles and  lying  stories.'  Th,ey  con- 
cluded by  saying,  that  "they,  being 
trusted  with  the  execution  of  the 
laws,  were  obliged  to  proceed 
equally."  Mallet,  one  of  the  chap- 
lains, was  taken,  and  although  she 
earnestly  desired  that  he  might  be 
set  at  liberty,  it  was  denied  her. 
The  council  sent  for  the  chief  offi- 
cers of  her  household,  and  required 
them  to  let  her  know  the  king's 
pleasure,  that  she  must  have  the 
new  service  in  her  family. 

This  grieved  her  much;  she  said, 
she  would  obey  the  king  in  every 
thing  in  which  her  conscience  was 
not  touched  ;  but  could  not  comply 
on  the  points  in  question.  Upon 
that,  the  lord  chancellor,  Petre  and 
Wingfield,  were  sent  with  the  same 
orders  to  her ;  and  carried  to  her  a 
letter  from  the  king,  which  she  re- 
ceived on  her  knees  ;  but  when  she 
read  it,  she  cast  the  blame  of  it  on 
Cecil,  then  secretary  of  state.  The 
chancellor  told  her,  the  whole 
council  were  of  one  mind,  that  they 
could  not  sufiFer  her  to  use  a  form 
of  worship  against  law :  and  had 
ordered  them  to  intimate  this  both 
to  herself  and  her  family.  She 
made  great  protestations  of  duty 


372 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  the  king  ;  but  said,  "  she  would 
die  rather  than  use  any  form  of 
worship  but  that  which  was  left  by 
her  father,  only  she  was  afraid  she 
was  not  worthy  to  suller  on  so  good 
an  account.  If  her  chaplains  re- 
fused to  say  mass,  she  could  have 
none  ;  but  for  the  new  service,  she 
was  resolved  against  it,  and  if  it 
were  forced  on  her,  she  would  leave 
her  house."  She  insisted  on  the 
promise  made  to  the  emperor, 
"who,"  she  said,  "wrote  of  it  to 
her,  and  she  believed  him  more 
than  them  all."  She  gave  them  a 
token,  to  be  carried  to  the  king, 
and  so  dismissed  them.  As  she 
manifested  so  much  resolution, 
the  council  went  no  further ;  but, 
after  this,  her  mass  was  said  so 
secretly,  that  no  public  oflence  was 
given  by  it.  ii^ie  removed  from 
Copthall,  and  lived  at  Hunsden, 
where  Ridley  went  to  see  her. 
There  is  something  so  curious  in 
the  account  of  this  visit  and  dia- 
logue between  the  bishop  and 
Mary,  that  we  give  it  verbatim, 

"  About  the  eighth  of  Septem- 
ber, Dr.  Ridley,  then  bishop  of 
London,  lying  at  his  house  at 
Hadham,  in  Hertfordshire,  went  to 
visit  the  lady  Mary  then  lying  at 
Hunsden,  two  miles  off;  and  was 
gently  entertained  of  sir  Thomas 
Wharton,  and  other  her  officers, 
till  it  was  almost  eleven  o'clock, 
about  which  time  the  said  lady 
Mary  came  forth  into  her  chamber 
of  presence,  and  then  the  said 
bishop  there  saluted  her  grace, 
and  said,  '  That  he  was  come  to  do 
his  duty  to  her  grace.'  Then  she 
thanked  him  for  his  pains,  and  for 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  talked  with 
him  very  pleasantly,  and  said, 
*  That  she  knew  him  in  the  court 
when  he  was  chaplain  to  her  fa- 
ther, and  could  well  remember  a 
sermon  that  he  made  before  king 
Henry  her  father,  at  the  marriage 
of  my  lady  Clinton,  that  now  is, 
to  sir  Anthony  Brown,  &c.,'  and 
so  dismissed  him  to  dine  with  her 
officers. 

"  After  dinner  was  done,  the 
bishop  bein^  called  for  by  the  said 


lady  Mary,  resorted  again  to  her 
grace,  between  whom  this  commu- 
nication was;  first  the  bishop  be- 
ginneth  in  manner  as  foUoweth  : 

"  Bishop.  Madam,  I  came  not 
only  to  do  my  duty  to  see  your 
grace,  but  also  to  offer  myself 
to  preach  before  you  on  Sunday 
next,  if  it  will  please  you  to  hear 
me.  At  this  her  countenance 
changed,  and,  after  silence  for  a 
space,  she  answered  thus  : 

"  Blarij.  My  lord,  as  for  this 
last  matter  I  pray  you  make  the 
answer  to  it  yourself. 

"  Bishop.  Madam,  considering 
mine  office  and  calling,  I  am  bound 
in  duty  to  make  to  your  grace  this 
offer,  to  preach  before  you. 

"i>/rtrj/.  Well,  I  pray  you  make 
the  answer  (as  I  have  said)  to  this 
matter  yourself;  for  you  know  the 
answer  well  enough.  But  if  there 
be  no  remedy  but  I  must  make  you 
answer,  this  shall  be  your  answer  ; 
the  door  of  the  parish-church  ad- 
joining shall  be  open  for  you  if  you 
come,  and  ye  may  preach  if  you 
list ;  but  neither  I  nor  any  of  mine 
shall  hear  you. 

"  Bishop.  Madam,  T  trust  you 
will  not  refuse  God's  word. 

"  Mary.  I  cannot  tell  what  ye 
call  God's  word  ;  that  is  not  God's 
word  now,  that  was  God's  word  in 
my  father's  days. 

"  Bishop.  God's  word  is  all  one 
in  all  times,  but  hath  been  better 
understood  and  practised  in  some 
ages  than  in  other. 

"  Mary.  You  durst  not  for  your 
ears  have  avouched  that  for  God's 
word  in  my  father's  days,  that 
now  you  do.  And  as  for  your  new 
books,  I  thank  God  I  never  read 
any  of  them  ;  I  never  did,  nor  ever 
will  do. 

"  And  after  many  bitter  words 
against  the  form  of  religion  then 
established,  and  against  the  go- 
vernment of  the  realm,  and  the 
laws  made  in  the  young  years  of  her 
brother,  which  she  said  she  was 
not  bound  to  obey  till  her  brother 
came  to  perfect  age,  and  then  she 
affirmed  she  would  obey  them  ;  she 
asked  the  bishop  '  whether  he  were 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


373 


one  of  the  council?'  he  answered, 
'No.' — 'You  might  well  enoug^h/ 
said  she,  '  as  the  council  goeth 
now-a-days.' 

"  And  so  she  concluded  with 
these  words:  'My  lord,  for  your 
gentleness  to  come  and  see  me,  I 
thank  you  ;  but  for  your  oflering  to 
preach  before  me,  I  thank  you 
never  a  whit.' 

"  Then  the  said  bishop  was 
brought  by  sir  Thomas  Wharton  to 
the  place  where  they  dined,  and 
was  desired  to  drink.  And  after 
he  had  drunk,  he  paused  awhile, 
looking  very  sadly,  and  suddenly 
brake  out  into  these  words:  '  Sure- 
ly, I  have  done  amiss.' — '  Why  so?' 
quoth  sir  Thomas  Wharton.  '  For 
I  have  drunk,'  said  he,  'in-  that 
place  where  God's  word  offered 
hath  been  refused:  whereas,  if  I 
had  remembered  my  duty,  I  ought 
to  have  departed  immediately,  and 
to  have  shaken  off  the  dust  of  my 
shoes  for  a  testimony  against  this 
house.'  These  words  were  by  the 
said  bishop  spoken  with  such  a  ve- 
hemency,  that  some  of  the  hearers 
afterwards  confessed  their  hair  to 
stand  upright  on  their  heads.  This 
done,  the  said  bishop  departed,  and 
so  returned  to  his  house." 

FALL   AND    DEATH    OF   THE    DUKE 
OF    SOMERSET. 

About  this  time,  the  earl  of 
Warwick,  to  strengthen  his  party 
against  Somerset,  prevailed  on  the 
king  to  confer  new  titles  on  several 
noblemen,  and  to  raise  some  com- 
moners to  the  peerage.  He  was 
himself  created  duke  of  Northum- 
berland ;  the  marquis  of  Dorset 
"was  made  duke  of  Suffolk  ;  Paulet, 
marquis  of  Winchester  ;  Herbert, 
earl  of  Pembroke  ;  Russel,  earl  of 
Bedford  ;  and  Darcy,  lord  Darcy. 
An  apparent  reconciliation  had 
taken  place  between  Somerset 
and  Northumberland ;  but  each 
distrusted  the  other,  and  was  pre- 
pared to  seize  the  first  opportunity 
of  crushing  his  rival.  Northum- 
berland's superior  skill  gave  him 
the  advantage  ;  and  upon  informa- 
tion of  a  pretended  plot  to  assassi- 
nate him  and  some  of  his  friends, 


the  duke  and  duch»ss  of  Somerset, 
with  several  other  persons,  were 
committed  to  the  Tower.  On  the 
first  of  December,  1551,  the  duke 
was  brought  to  his  trial :  the  mar- 
quis of  Winchester  presided,  and 
twenty-seven  peers  sat  as  judges, 
among  whom  were  the  dukes  of 
Suffolk  and  Northumberland,  and 
the  earl  of  Pembroke.  He  was 
charged  with  a  design  to  seize  on 
the  king's  person,  to  assassinate 
Northumberland,  to  take  posses- 
sion of  the  Tower  and  city  of  Lon- 
don, and  to  destroy  the  king's 
guards.  It  seemed  a  gross  dere- 
liction of  justice  for  Northumber- 
land to  sit  as  a  judge,  when  the 
crime  objected,  was  a  design 
against  his  life  :  but  hatred  of  his 
rival  carried  him  beyond  the 
bounds  of  decency.  Somerset,  in 
his  defence,  denied  all  designs  to 
raise  the  people,  or  to  kill  Nor- 
thumberland; "or,  if  he  had  talk- 
ed of  it,  it  was  in  passion,  without 
any  intention  of  doing  so  :  and  it 
Avas  ridiculous  to  think,  that  he 
with  a  small  troop  could  destroy 
the  guards,  who  were  900  strong. 
The  few  armed  men  he  had  about 
him,were  only  for  his  own  defence  ; 
he  had  done  no  mischief  to  his  ene- 
mies, though  it  was  once  in  his 
power  to  have  done  it ;  and  he  had 
surrendered  himself  without  any 
resistance."  He  desired  the  wit- 
nesses might  be  brought  face  to 
face  with  him  ;  but  this  common 
act  of  justice  was  denied,  and  their 
depositions  were  only  read.  Dur-* 
ing  the  trial,  he  behaved  with  great 
temper,  and  all  the  abuse  which 
the  king's  counsel  made  use  of 
in  pleading  against  him,  did  not 
provoke  him  to  any  indecent  pas- 
sion. 

When  sentence  was  given,  his 
courage  sunk  a  little,  and  he  beg- 
ged pardon  of  the  three  lords,  who 
were  his  enemies,  and  entreated 
them  to  solicit  the  king  in  his  fa- 
vour, or  at  least  to  protect  his  wife 
and  children.  But  instead  of  in- 
terceding for  him,  Northumber- 
land determined  to  free  himself 
from  all  further  fear,  by  the  sacri- 
fice  of  his  ancient  rival,  and   ac- 


374 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


coidiugly  employed  his  emissaries 
to  prejudice  the  king  as^ainst  his 
uncle,  by  pretending  that,  while 
in  the  Tower,  he  had  confessed  a 
design  to  employ  some  persons  to 
assassinate  Northumberland,  Nor- 
thampton, and  Pembroke.  This 
being  believed  by  the  king,  he 
gave  him  up  to  his  enemies. 

Stanhope,  Partridge,  Arundel, 
and  Vane,  the  duke's  friends  and 
pretended  accomplices,  were  nest 
tried:  the  two  first  were  not  much 
pitied,  for  they  hacV  made  an  ill 
use  of  their  interest  with  the  duke 
while  in  power  :  the  last  two  were 
much  lamented.  They  were  all 
condemned  ;  Partridge  and  Vane 
were  hanged,  the  other  two  were 
bel>€aded. 

Six  weeks  after  his  trial,  the 
unfortunate  duke  was  brought  to 
the  scafibld,  and  as  Mr.  Fox,  the 
author  of  this  work,  was  present 
at  his  execution,  we  shall  give  his 
account  of  it  in  his  own  words. 

"In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1552, 
the  two  and  twentieth  of  January, 
the  duke  of  Somerset,  uncle  to 
king  Edward,  was  brought  out  of 
the  Tower  of  London,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  manner  delivered  to  the 
sheriffs  of  the  city,  and  compassed 
about  with  a  great  number  of  armed 
men  both  of  the  guard  and  others. 
He  was  brought  unto  the  scaffold 
on  Tower-hill,  where  he,  nothing 
changing  either  voice  or  counten- 
ance, but  in  a  manner  with  the 
same  gesture  which  he  commonly 
used  at  home,  kneeling  upon  both 
his  knees,  and  lifting  up  his  hands, 
commended  himself  unto  God. 

"  After  he  had  ended  a  few  short 
prayers,  standing  up  again,  and 
turning  himself  toward  the  east 
side  of  the  scaffold,  nothing  at  all 
abashed  (as  it  seemed  tome,  stand- 
ing about  the  midst  of  the  scaffold, 
and  diligently  marking  all  things) 
either  with  the  sight  of  the  axe,  or 
yet  of  the  executioner,  or  of  pre- 
sent death ;  but  with  the  same 
alacrity  and  cheerfulness  of  mind 
and  countenance  as  he  was  ac- 
customed to  shew  when  he  heard 
the  causes  and  supplication  of 
others,    and   especially     the    poor 


(towards  whom,  as  it  were  with  a 
certain  fatherly  love  to  his  chil- 
dren, he  always  shewed  himself 
most  attentive)  he  uttered  these 
words  to  the  people  : 

"  '  Dearly  beloved  friends,  I  am 
brought  hither  to  suffer  death, 
albeit  that  I  never  offended  against 
the  king,  neither  by  word  nor  deed, 
and  have  been  always  as  faithful 
and  true  unto  this  realm  as  any 
man.  But  forsomuch  as  I  am  by 
a  law  condemned  to  die,  I  do  ac- 
knowledge myself  as  well  as  others 
to  be  subject  thereunto.  Where- 
fore, to  testify  my  obedience  which 
I  owe  unto  the  laws,  I  am  come 
hither  to  suffer  death ;  whereunto 
I  willingly  offer  myself,  with  most 
hearty  thanks  unto  God,  that  hath 
given  me  this  time  of  repentance, 
who  might  through  sudden  death 
have  taken  away  my  life,  that 
neither  I  should  have  acknowledg- 
ed him  nor  myself. 

"  '  Moreover,  dearly  beloved 
friends,  there  is  yet  somewhat  that 
I  must  put  you  in  mind  of,  as  touch- 
ing Christian  religion ;  which  so 
long  as  I  was  in  authority,  I  al- 
ways diligently  set  forth  and  fur- 
thered to  my  power.  Neither  do 
I  repent  me  of  my  doings,  but  re- 
joice therein,  sith  that  now  the 
state  of  Christian  religion  cometh 
most  near  unto  the  form  and  order 
of  the  primitive  church.  Which 
thing  I  esteem  as  a  great  benefit 
given  of  God  both  unto  you  and 
me  ;  most  heartily  exhorting  you 
all,  that  this,  which  is  most  purely 
set  forth  unto  you,  you  will  with 
like  thankfulness  accept  and  em- 
brace, and  set  out  the  same  in 
your  living.  Which  thing  if  you 
do  not,  without  doubt  greater  mis- 
chief and  calamity  will  follow.' 

'*  When  he  had  spoken  these 
words,  there  was  suddenly  a  ter- 
rible noise  heard  ;  whereupon  there 
came  a  great  fear  upon  all  men. 
This  noise  was  as  it  had  been  the 
noise  of  some  great  storm  or  tem- 
pest, which  to  "some  seemed  to  be 
from  above  ;  as  if  a  great  deal  of 
gunpowder  being  inclosed  in  an 
armoury,  and  having  caught  fire, 
had  violently  broken  out.  But 
3 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  REFORMATION. 


375 


uuto  some  it  seemed  as  though  it 
had  been  a  o-ieat  multitude  of 
horsemen  running  together,  or 
coming  upon  them.  Such  a  noise 
then  was  in  the  ears  of  all,  although 
they  saw  nothing.  Whereby  it 
happened  that  all  the  people  being 
amazed  without  any  evident  cause, 
they  ran  away,  some  into  the 
ditches  and  puddles,  and  some 
into  the  houses  thereabouts  ;  others 
fell  down  groveling  unto  the 
ground,  with  their  pollaxes  and 
halberds  ;  and  most  of  them  cried 
out,  '  Jesus  save  us  !  Jesus  s.nve 
us  !'  Those  who  remained  in  their 
places,  for  fear  knew  not  where 
they  were  ;  and  I  myself,  who  was 
there  among  the  rest,  being  also 
afraid  in  this  hurly  burly,  stood 
still  amazed.  It  happened  here, 
as  the  evangelist  wrote  of  Christ, 
when  as  the  officers  of  the  high 
priests  and  pharisees,  coming  with 
weapons  to  take  him,  being  asto- 
nished, ran  backwards  and  fell  to 
the  ground. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  whilst  these 
things  were  thus  in  doing,  the 
people  by  chance  espied  one  sir 
Anthony  Brown  riding  under  the 
scaffold  ;  which  was  the  occasion 
of  a  new  noise.  For  when  they 
saw  him  coming,  they  conjectured 
that  which  was  not  true,  but  which 
they  all  sincerely  wished  for,  that 
the  king  by  that  messenger  had 
sent  his  uncle  pardon:  and  there- 
fore with  great  rejoicing  and  cast- 
ing up  their  caps,  they  cried  out, 
'  Pardon,  pardon  is  come  !  God 
save  the  king.'  Thus  this  good 
duke,  although  he  was  destitute 
of  all  men's  help,  yet  he  saw, 
before  his  departure,  in  how  great 
love  and  favour  he  was  with  all 
men.  And  truly  I  do  not  think 
that  in  so  great  slaughter  of  dukes 
as  hath  been  in  England  within 
these  few  years,  there  were  so 
many  weeping  eyes  at  one  time; 
and  not  without  cause.  For  all 
men  saw  in  his  fall  the  public  ruin 
of  England,  except  such  as  indeed 
did  perceive  nothing. 

"But  to  return  from  whence  we 
have  strayed;  the  duke  in  the 
mean  time    standing  still  in   the 


same  place,  modestly  and  with  a 
grave  countenance  made  a  sign 
to  the  people  with  his  hand,  that 
they  would  keep  themselves  quiet. 
Which  done,  and  silence  obtained, 
he  spake  unto  them  in  this  manner. 

"  '  Dearly  beloved  friends,  ^there 
is  no  such  matter  here  in  hand  as 
you  vainly  hope  or  believe.  It 
seemeth  thus  good  unto  Almighty 
God,  whose  ordinance  it  is  meet 
and  necessary  that  we  all  be  obe- 
dient unto.  Wherefore  I  pray 
you  all  to  be  quiet,  and  to  be  con- 
tented with  my  death,  which  I  am 
most  willing  to  suffer  ;  and  let  ua 
now  join  in  prayer  unto  the  Lord 
for  the  preservation  of  the  king's 
majesty,  unto  whom,  hitherto,  I 
have  always  shewed  myself  a  most 
faithful  and  true  subject.  I  have 
always  been  most  diligent  about 
his  majesty  in  his  affairs  both  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  no  less  di- 
ligent in  seeking  the  common  good 
of  the  whole  realm.'  At  which 
words  all  the  people  cried  out,  '  It 
is  most  true.' 

"Then  the  duke  proceeding, 
said,  '  Unto  whose  majesty  I  wish 
continual  health,  with  all  felicity, 
and  all  prosperous  success.' 
Whereunto  the  people  again  cried 
out  *  Amen.' 

"  '  Moreover,  I  do  wish  unto  all 
his  counsellors  the  grace  and  favour 
of  God,  whereby  they  may  rule  in 
all  things  uprightly  with  justice. 
Unto  whom  I  exhort  you  all  in 
the  Lord  to  shew  yourselves  obe- 
dient, as  it  is  your  bounden  duty, 
under  the  pain  of  condemnation, 
and  also  most  profitable  for  the 
preservation  and  safeguard  of  the 
king's  majesty. 

" '  Moreover,  as  heretofore  I 
have  had  oftentimes  affairs  with 
divers  men,  and  hard  it  is  to  please 
every  man,  therefore,  if  there  be 
any  who  hath  been  offended  and 
injured  by  me,  I  most  humbly  re- 
quire and  ask  him  forgiveness ; 
but  especially  Almighty  God, 
whom  throughout  all  my  life  I 
have  most  grievously  offended  : 
and  all  other  whatsoever  they  be 
that  have  offended  me,  I  do  with 
my  whole  heart  forgive  tiiem.  Now 


376 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


I  once  again  require  you,  dearly 
beloved  in  the  Lord,  that  you  will 
keep  yourselves  quiet  and  still, 
lest  through  your  tumult  you  might 
trouble  me.  For  albeit  the  spirit 
be  willing  and  ready,  the  flesh  is 
frail  and  wavering,  and  through 
your  quietness  I  shall  be  much 
more  composed.  Moreover,  I  de- 
sire you  all  to  bear  me  witness  that 
I  die  here  in  the  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  desiring  you  to  help  me 
with  your  prayers,  that  I  may  per- 
severe constantly  in  the  same  unto 
my  end.' 

"  After  this,  turning  himself 
again  he  kneeled  down.  Then  Dr. 
Cox,  who  was  present  to  counsel 
and  advise  him,  delivered  a  certain 
scroll  into  his  hand,  wherein  was 
contained  a  brief  confession  unto 
God.  Which  being  read,  he  stood 
up  again  upon  hi.s  feet,  without 
any  trouble  of  mind  (as  it  appear- 
ed) and  first  bade  the  sheriffs  fare- 
well, then  the  lieutenant  of  the 
Tower,  and  others,  taking  them 
all  by  the  hands  which  were  upon 
the  scaffold  with  him.  Then  he 
gave  money  to  the  executioner; 
which  done,  he  put  off  his  gown, 
and  kneeling  down  again  in  the 
straw,  untied  his  shirt-strings. 
After  that,  the  executioner  coming 
to  him  turned  down  his  collar 
about  his  neck,  and  all  other  things 
which  hindered  him.  Then  lifting 
up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  covering 
his  face  with  his  own  handkerchief, 
he  laid  himself  down  along,  shew- 
ing no  trouble  or  fear,  neither  did 
his  countenance  change. 

"  Thus  this  meek  and  gentle 
duke  lying  along,  and  looking  for 
the  stroke,  because  his  doublet 
covered  his  neck,  he  was  com- 
manded to  rise  up  and  put  it  off ; 
and  then  laying  himself  down 
again  upon  the  block,  and  calling 
thrice  upon  the  name  of  Jesus, 
saying,  '  Lord  Jesus,  save  me,'  as 
he  was  the  third  time  repeating 
the  same,  even  as  the  name  of 
Jesus  was  in  uttering,  in  a  moment 
he  was  bereft  both  of  nead  and 
life,  and  slept  ir  the  Lord  ;  being 
taken  away  from  ali  dangers  and 
evils  of  this  life,  and  resting  now 


in  the  peace  of  God ;  in  the  pre- 
ferment of  Avhose  truth  and  gospel 
he  always  shewed  himself  an  ex- 
cellent instrument  and  member, 
and  therefore  hath  received  the 
reward  of  his  labours." 

Somerset  was  a  man  of  extraor- 
dinary virtues,  great  candour,  and 
eminent  piety  :  he  was  always  a 
promoter  of  justice,  and  a  patron 
of  the  oppressed.  He  was  a  bet- 
ter soldier  than  a  statesman,  being 
too  easy  and  open-hearted  for  his 
situation.  The  people  saw,  that 
the  conspiracy  for  which  he  and 
the  other  four  suffered,  was  merely 
a  pretence  for  their  murder:  the 
other  accomplices  were  soon  dis- 
charged, and  Palmer,  the  chief 
witness,  became  Northumberland's 
particular  confidant.  The  whole 
affair  was  looked  on  as  a  contriv- 
ance of  the  latter,  by  which  he  en- 
tirely lost  the  affections  of  the 
people.  The  chief  objection  to 
Somerset  was,  his  having  raised 
much  of  his  estate  out  of  the  spoils 
of  church  lands,  and  his  palace  of 
Somerset  house  in  the  Strand,  out 
of  the  ruins  of  some  churcheii  and 
bishops'  palaces. 

The  day  after  the  duke  of  Somer- 
set's execution,  parliament  assem- 
bled. The  first  act  they  passed 
was  the  established  common  pray- 
er book,  as  it  was  then  amended. 
Another  law  was  passed,  by  which 
it  was  enacted  that  "  No  days  were 
to  be  esteemed  holy  in  their  own 
nature,  but  by  reason  of  those  holy 
duties  which  ought  to  be  done  in 
them,  for  which  they  were  dedicat- 
ed to  the  service  of  God.  Days 
were  esteemed  to  be  dedicated 
only  to  the  honour  of  God,  even 
those  in  which  the  saints  were 
commemorated  ;  Sundays,  and  the 
other  holy-days,  were  to  be  reli- 
giously observed,  and  the  bishops 
were  to  proceed  to  censures  against 
offenders.  The  eves  before  them 
were  to  be  fasts,  and  abstinence 
from  flesh  was  ordered  both  in 
Lent,  and  on  every  Friday  and 
Saturday."  An  act  likewise 
passed  for  the  marriage  of  the 
clergy,  in  which  it  was  stated, 
"  That    whereas    the    former    act 


REFORMATION  IN  IRELAND. 


377 


about  it  was  thought  only  a  per- 
mission of  it,  as  some  other  un- 
lawful things  were  connived  at  ; 
upon  which  the  wives  and  children 
of  the  clergy  were  reproachfully 
used,  and  the  word  of  God  was 
not  heard  with  due  reverence ; 
therefore  their  marriages  were  de- 
clared good  and  valid."  The  bi- 
shopric of  Westminster  was  re- 
united to  London,  only  the  colle- 
giate church  was  still  continued. 

The  convocation  now  confirmed 
the  articles  of  religion  which  had 
been    prepared   the    former  year, 
and  thus   was  the   reformation  of 
worship  and   doctrine    brought   to 
such    a  degree  of  perfection,  that 
since  that  time  there  has  been  very 
little    alteration    made.       Another 
branch   of  it  was  still   unfinished, 
but  was   now  under  consultation, 
touching   the    government  of    the 
church     and      the      ecclesiastical 
courts.     This  matter   had  been  at- 
tempted several  times  during  the 
last  and  present  reigns ;    but  the 
changes   in   the    government    had 
caused  it  to  be  laid  aside.     It  wa.s 
now  revived,    and   eight   eminent 
bishops,  and  others,  were  appointed 
to  draw  up  a  plan,  which  was  af- 
terwards to  be  submitted  to  thirty- 
two  commissioners.     Tt  was  gene- 
rally believed  that  Cranmer  drew 
it   entirely  by   himself,   while   the 
others  only  corrected  what  he  de- 
signed.    Haddon  and  Cheek  trans- 
lated it  into  Latin  ;  which  they  did 
with  great  ability.     The  work  was 
divided  into  fifty-one   titles ;    and 
being  laid  before  the  commission- 
ers, was  by  them  to  have  been  pre- 
sented to  the  king  for  his  confirma- 
tion ;    but  he  died    before   it  was 
quite  finished,  nor  was  it  ever  af- 
terwards resumed. 

About  this  time  the  dilapidated 
state  of  the  church  revenues  en- 
gaged the  attention  of  the  council, 
but  so  many  persons  of  power  and 
influence  were  interested  to  pre- 
vent a  remedy  being  aflorded,  that 
the  affair  was  dropped.  In  every 
see,  as  it  became  vacant,  the  best 
manors  were  laid  hold  of  by  such 
hungry  courtiers  as  could  procure 
the  grant  of  them.     They  seemed 


to  think,  that  the  bishops'  sees 
were  so  rich  that  they  could  never 
be  made  poor  enough :  but  they 
were  soon  reduced  to  so  low  a  con- 
dition that  it  was  hardly  possible 
for  a  bishop  to  subsist  in  them. 
If  what  had  been  thus  taken  from 
them  had  been  converted  to  good 
uses,  such  as  the  maintenance  of 
the  poor  and  inferior  clergy,  it 
would  have  been  some  excuse  for 
the  violence,  but  the  lands  were 
laid  hold  of  by  laymen,  who  made 
no  compensation  for  the  spoils 
thus  gained  by  them. 

REFORMATION    IN    IRELAND. 

This  year  the  reformation  had 
gained  more  ground  in  Ireland 
than  formerly.  Henry  VIII.  had 
assumed  to  himself,  by  consent  of 
the  parliament  of  that  kingdom, 
the  title  of  king  of  it :  the  former 
kings  of  England  having  only 
been  called  Lords  of  Ireland  ;  and 
though  they  were  obeyed  within 
the  English  pale,  yet  the  native 
Irish  continued  barbarous  and  un- 
civilized, were  governed  entirely 
by  the  heads  of  their  names  or 
tribes,  and  were  obedient  or  re- 
bellious, as  they  directed  them. 

The  reformation  was  set  on  foot 
in  the  English  pale,  but  made 
small  progress  among  the  Irish. 
At  length  Bale  was  sent  over  to 
labour  among  them.  He  was  an 
eager  writer,  and  a  learned  zea- 
lous man.  Goodacre  was  made 
primate  of  Armagh,  and  Bale  was 
to  be  bishop  of  Ossory.  Two 
Irishmen  were  also  promoted  with 
them  ;  who  undertook  to  advance 
the  reformation  there.  The  arch- 
bishop of  Dublin  intended  to  have 
ordained  them  by  the  old  pontifical, 
and  all,  except  Bale,  were  willing 
it  should  be  so,  but  he  prevailed 
that  it  should  be  done  according  to 
the  new  book  of  ordinations :  he 
then  went  into  his  diocese,  but 
found  all  there  in  dark  popery,  and 
before  he  could  make  any  progress 
the  king's  death  put  an  end  to  hi.s 
designs. 

The  world  had  long  been  anxi- 
ously looking  for  the  result  of  the 
council  of  Trent,  trusting  that  it 


378 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


might  leard  to  the  establishment  of 
order  throughout  the  European 
countries,  and  it  appeared  no  less 
to  have  been  desired  both  by  prin- 
ces and  bishops,  in  hopes  that  dif- 
ferences of  religion  would  have  been 
composed,  and  the  corruptions  of 
the  court  of  Rome  reformed  by  it. 
This  had  made  the  pope  very  ap- 
prehensive of  it :  but  such  was  the 
cunning  of  the  legates,  the  number 
of  Italian  bishops,  and  the  dissen- 
tions  of  the  princes,  that  it  had  ef- 
fects quite  contrary  to  what  all 
parties  expected.  The  breach  in 
religion  was  made  past  reconciling, 
by  the  positive  decisions  of  the 
council :  the  abuses  of  the  court  of 
Rome  w^ere  confirmed  by  the  provi- 
sos made  in  favour  of  the  privi- 
leges of  the  apostolic  see ;  and  all 
men  were  at  length  so  cured  of 
their  longings  for  a  general  coun- 
cil, that  none  has  been  since  that 
time  desired.  The  history  of  that 
council  was  written  with  great  ex- 
actness and  judgment  by  Father 
Paul  of  Venice,  while  it  was  yet 
fresh  in  all  men's  memories  ;  and 
though  it  discovered  the  whole  se- 
cret of  the  transactions  there,  yet 
no  one  ventured  to  contradict  it  for 
forty  years  :  till  Pallavicini  at  last 
undertook  it,  and,  upon  the  credit 
of  memorials,  he,  in  many  things, 
contradicts  Father  Paul ;  but  in 
the  principal  events  of  the  history, 
they  both  agree  so  far,  that  it  is 
manifest  things  were  not  fairly  con- 
ducted, and  that  all  matters  were 
managed  by  intrigues  and  secret 
practices. 

LIBERATION    OF    GERMANY. 

Prince  Maurice  declared  for  the 
liberty  of  Germany,  and  took  Augs- 
burgh,  and  several  other  towns. 
The  king  of  France  also  entered 
the  empire  with  a  large  army,  and 
by  surprise  made  himself  master  of 
Metz,  Toul,  and  Verdun. 

Maurice  demanded  that  the  land- 
grave should  be  set  at  liberty,  and 
that  freedom  of  religious  worship 
should  be  secured  throughout  the 
empire.  The  emperor  being  slow 
in  making  answer,  the  prince 
marched  on  to  Inspruck,  where  he 


surprised  a  post,  and  was  within 
two  miles  of  Charles  before  he  was 
aware  of  his  approach  ;  so  that  he 
was  obliged  to  escape  by  torch- 
light, and  went  to  Italy.  Thus'the 
very  army  and  prince  that  had  been 
chiefly  instrumental  in  the  ruin  of 
the  empire,  now  asserted  its  free- 
dom ;  and  all  the  emperor's  great 
designs  were  frustrated,  he  was 
forced  to  discharge  his  prisoners, 
to  recall  his  proscriptions,  and, 
after  some  treaty,  to  grant  the  edict 
of  Passaw,  by  which  the  free  exer- 
cise of  the  protestant  religion  was 
granted  to  the  princes  and  towns ; 
and  thus  that  storm  which  had  al- 
most over  A  helmed  the  princes  of 
the  protestant  religion,  subsided, 
without  any  considerable  eflect, 
except  the  transference  of  the  elec- 
toral dignity  from  John  to  Mau- 
rice. 

The  emperor's  misfortunes  in- 
creased ;  for,  against  all  reason, 
he  besieged  Metz  in  December, 
but  after  he  had  lost  almost  the 
whole  of  his  army  in  the  siege,  he 
was  forced  to  raise  it.  Upon  that 
he  retired  into  Flanders  in  such 
discontent,  that  for  some  time  he 
would  not  admit  any  to  approach 
him.  Here  it  was  believed  he  first 
formed  that  design,  which  some 
years  after  he  put  in  execution,  of 
forsaking  the  world,  and  exchang- 
ing the  pomp  of  a  court  for  the  re- 
tirement of  a  monastery.  This 
strange  and  unlooked-for  turn  in 
his  affairs  gave  a  great  demonstra- 
tion of  an  over-ruling  Providence 
that  governs  all  human  aflairs,  and 
of  that  paiticular  care  that  God 
had  of  the  Reformation,  in  recover- 
ing it,  when  it  seemed  to  be  lost 
beyond  all  hope,  in  Germany. 

In  the  year  1553,  another  visita- 
tion took  place  in  England.  The 
visitors  were  sent  to  examine  what 
plate  was  in  every  church,  with  or- 
ders to  leave  only  one  or  two  cha- 
lices of  silver,  with  linen  for  the 
communion-table  and  for  surplices, 
and  to  bring  in  all  other  things  of 
value  to  the  treasurer  of  the  king's 
household. 

THE    king's    sickness. 

We  now  draw  to  the  conclusion 


SICKNESS  OF  EDWARD  VL 


379 


of  the  reign  of  fhis  youthful  king  ; 
who  while  he  was  a  child  in  age 
was  a  man  in  wisdom. 

He  had  contracted  great  colds 
by  violent  exercises,  which,  in 
January  settled  into  so  obstinate 
a  cough  that  all  tlie  skill  of  phy- 
sicians, and  the  aid  of  medicine 
proved  ineflectual.  There  was  a 
suspicion  over  all  Europe,  that  he 
was  poisoned :  but  no  certain 
grounds  appear  for  justifying  it. 

During  his  sickness,  Ridley 
preached  before  him,  and  among 
other  things  spoke  much  on  works 
of  charity,  and  the  duty  of  men  of 
high  condition,  to  be  eminent  in 
good  works.  The  king  was  much 
touched  with  this  ;  and  after  the 
•sermon,  he  sent  for  tlie  bishop,  and 
treated  him  with  such  respect,  that 
he  made  him  sit  down  and  be 
covered :  he  then  told  him  what 
impression  his  exhortation  had 
made  on  him,  and  therefore  he 
desired  to  be  directed  by  him, 
how  to  do  his  duty  in  that  matter. 

Ridley  took  a  little  time  to  con- 
sider of  it,  and  after  some  consul- 
tation with  the  lord  mayor  and  al- 
dermen of  London,  he  brought  the 
king  a  scheme  of  several  founda- 
tions ;  one  for  the  sick  and  wound- 
ed, another  for  such  as  were  wil- 
fully idle,  or  were  mad ;  and  a 
third  for  orphans.  Edward,  acting 
on  this  suggestion,  endowed  St. 
Bartholomew's  hospital  for  the 
first,  Bridewell  for  the  second,  and 
Christ's  hospital,  near  Newgate,  for 
the  third  ;  and  he  enlarged  the 
grant  which  he  had  made  the  year 
before,  for  St.  Thomas's  hospital, 
in  Southwark.  The  statutes  and 
warrants  relating  to  these  were 
not  finished  till  the  26th  of  .Tune, 
though  he  gave  orders  to  make  all 
the  haste  that  was  possible  :  and 
when  he  set  his  hand  to  them  he 
blessed  God  for  having  prolonged 
his  life  till  he  had  finished  his  de- 
.signs  concerning  them.  These 
houses  have,  by  the  good  govern- 
ment and  the  great  charities  of  the 
city  of  London,  continued  to  be 
so  useful,  and  grown  to  be  so  well 
endowed,  that  now  they  may  be 


reckoned  among  the  noblest  in 
Europe. 

The  king  bore  his  sickness  with 
great  submission  to  the  will  of 
God ;  and  seemed  concerned  in 
nothing  so  much  as  the  state  that 
religion  and  the  church  would  be 
in  after  his  death.  The  duke  of 
Northumberland,  who  was  at  the 
head  of  aflairs,  resolved  to  im- 
prove the  fears  the  king  was  in 
concerning  religion,  to  the  advan- 
tage of  lady  Jane  Grey,  who  was 
married  to  his  son,  lord  Guildford 
Dudley.  Edward  was  easily  per- 
suaded by  him  to  order  the  judges 
to  put  some  articles,  which  he  had 
signed,  for  the  succession  of  the 
crown,  in  the  common  form  of  law. 
They  answered,  that  the  succession 
being  settled  by  act  of  parliament, 
could  not  be  taken  away,  except 
by  parliament:  yet  the  king  per- 
sisted in  his  orders. 

The  judges  then  declared,  before 
the  council,  that  it  had  been  made 
treason  by  an  act  passed  in  this 
reign,  to  change  the  succession  ;  so 
that  they  could  not  meddle  with  it. 
Montague  was  chief  justice,  and 
spake  in  the  name  of  the  rest. 

On  this,  Northumberland  fell 
into  a  violent  passion,  calling  hkn 
traitor,  for  refusing  to  obey  the 
king's  commands.  But  the  judges 
were  not  moved  by  his  threats ; 
and  they  were  again  brought  before 
the  king,  who  sharply  rebuked 
them  for  their  delays.  They  re- 
plied that  all  they  could  do  would 
be  of  no  force  without  a  parlia- 
ment: yet  they  were  required  to 
perform  it  in  the  best  manner  they 
could. 

At  last  Montague  desired  they 
might  first  have  a  pardon  for  what 
they  were  to  do,  which  being 
granted,  all  the  judges,  except 
Cosnaid  and  Hales,  agreed  to  the 
patent,  and  deliveredtheir  opinions, 
that  the  lord  cTiancellor  might  put 
the  seal  to  the  articles,  drawn  up 
by  the  king,  and  that  then  they 
would  be  good  in  law.  Cosnaid 
was  at  last  prevailed  on  to  join  in 
the  same  opinion,  so  that  Hales, 
who  was  a  zealous  protestant,  was 


380 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tbe  only  man  who  stood  out  to  the 
last. 

The  privy  counsellors  were  next 
required  to  sign  the  paper.  Ce- 
cil, in  a  relation  he  wrote  of  this 
transaction,  says,  that  "  hearing 
some  of  the  judges  declare  so  po- 
sitively that  it  was  against  law,  he 
refused  to  set  his  hand  to  it  as  a 
privy  counsellor,  but  signed  it 
only  as  a  witness  to  the  king's  sub- 
scription." 

Cranmer  came  not  to  the  council 
when  it  was  passed  there,  and 
refused  to  consent  to  it,  when  he 
was  pressed  to  it;  saying,  "he 
Mould  never  have  a  hand  in  dis- 
inheriting his  late  master's  daugh- 
ters." The  dying  king  at  last  by 
his  importunity  prevailed  with  him 
to  do  it ;  upon  which  the  great 
seal  was  put  to  the  patents. 

The  king's  distemper  continued 
to  increase,  so  that  the  physicians 
despaired  of  his  recovery.  A  con- 
fident woman  undertook  his  cure, 
and  he  was  put  into  her  hands,  but 
she  left  him  worse  than  she  found 
him  ;  and  this  heightened  the  jea- 
lousy against  the  duke  of  Northum- 
berland, who  had  introduced  her, 
and  dismissed  the  physicians.  At 
last,  to  crown  his  designs,  he  got 
the  king  to  write  to  his  sisters  to 
come  and  divert  him  in  his  sick- 
ness :  and  the  exclusion  had  been 
conducted  so  secretly,  that  they, 
apprehending  no  danger,  began 
their  journey. 

On  the  6th  of  July  the  king  felt 
the  approach  of  death,  and  prepar- 
ed himself  for  it  in  a  most  devout 
manner.  He  was  often  heard  offer- 
ing up  prayers  and  ejaculations  to 
God :  particularly  a  few  moments 
before  he  died  he  prayed  earnest- 
ly that  the  Lord  would  take  him 
out  of  this  wretched  life,  and  com- 
mitted his  spirit  to  him  ;  he  inter- 
ceded very  fervently  for  his  sub- 
jects, that  God  would  preserve 
England  from  popery,  and  main- 
tain his  true  religion  among  them. 
The  last  words  he  uttered  were 
these,  "  I  am  faint ;  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  me,  and  take  ray  spi- 
rit."    Soon  aft«r  that  he  breathed 


out  his  innocent  soul  in  sir  Henry 
Sydney's  arms. 

Bishop  Burnet,  in  his  History 
of  the  Reformation,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing character  of  this  excellent 
young  prince. 

"  Thus  died  Edward  the  Sixth 
in  the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age. 
He  was  covmted  the  wonder  of  that 
time  ;  he  was  not  only  learned  in 
the  tongues,  and  the  liberal 
sciences,  but  knew  well  the  state 
of  his  kingdom.  He  kept  a  table- 
book,  in  which  he  had  written  the 
characters  of  all  the  eminent  men 
of  the  nation  ;  he  studied  fortifica- 
tion, and  understood  the  mint  well  : 
he  knew  the  harbours  in  all  his 
dominions,  with  the  depth  of  wa- 
ter, and  way  of  coming  into  them. 
He  understood  foreign  aflairs  so 
well,  that  the  ambassadors  who 
were  sent  into  England  published 
very  extraordinary  things  of  him, 
in  all  the  courts  of  Europe.  He 
had  great  quickness  of  apprehen- 
sion, but  being  distrustful  of  his 
memory,  he  took  notes  of  «very 
thing  he  heard,  that  was  consider- 
able, in  Greek  characters,  that 
those  about  him  might  not  under- 
stand what  he  wrote,  which  he  af- 
terwards copied  out  fair  in  the  jour- 
nal that  he  kept.  His  virtues  were 
wonderful  ;  when  he  was  made  to 
believe,  that  his  uncle  was  guilty 
of  conspiring  the  death  of  the 
other  counsellors,  he  upon  that 
abandoned  him. 

*'  Barnaby  Fitzpatrick  was  his  fa- 
vourite, and  when  he  sent  him  to 
travel,  he  often  wrote  to  him,  to 
keep  good  company,  to  avoid  ex- 
cess and  luxury,  and  to  improve 
himself  in  those  things  that  might 
render  him  capable  of  employment 
at  his  return.  He  was  afterwards 
made  lord  of  Upper  Ossory  in  Ire- 
land, by  queen  Elizabeth,  and  an- 
swered the  hopes  which  this  excel- 
lent prince  had  of  him.  Edward  was 
very  merciful  in  his  nature,  which 
appeared  in  his  unwillingness  to 
sign  the  warrant  for  burning  the 
Maid  of  Kent.  He  took  great  care 
to  have  his  debts  well  paid,  reckon- 
ing that  a  prince  who  breaks  his 


CHARACTER  OF  EDWARD  VI. 


381 


faith,  and  loses  his  credit,  has 
thrown  up  that  which  he  can  never 
recover,  and  made  himself  liable 
to  perpetual  distrust,  and  extreme 
contempt.  lie  took  special  care  of 
the  petitions  that  were  given  him 
by  poor  and  oppressed  people. 
But  his  great  zeal  for  religion 
crowned  all  the  rest.  It  was  not  a 
temporary  heat  about  it  that  actuat- 
ed him,  but  it  was  a  true  tender- 
ness of  conscience,  founded  on  the 
love  of  God  and  his  neighbours. 

"  These   extraordinary  qualities, 
set  off  with  great   sweetness  and 
aifability,  made  him  universally  be- 
loved by    all  his    people.      Some 
called  him  their  Josias,  others  Ed- 
ward the  Saint,  and  others  called 
him  the  Phoenix  that  rose  out  of 
his  mother's  ashes  ;  and  all  people 
concluded,  that  the  sins  of  Eng- 
land must  have  been  very  great, 
since  they  provoked  G  od  to  deprive 
the  nation  of  so  signal  a  blessing, 
as  the  rest  of  his  reign  would,  to 
all  appearance,  have  proved.     Bi- 
shop Ridley,  and  the  other  good 
men  of  that  time,  made  great  la- 
mentations of  the  vices  which  were 
grown  tlien  so  common,  that  men 
had  past  all  shame  in  them.    Lux- 
ury, oppression,  and  a  hatred  of 
religion   had  over-run  the  higher 
rank  of  people,  who  gave  a  coun- 
tenance to  the  reformation  merely 
to  rob  the  church  ;  but  by  that,  and 
their  other  practices,  were  become 
a  great  scandal  to  so  good  a  work. 
The  inferior  sort  were  so  much  in 
the  power  of  the  priests,  who  were 
still,  notwithstanding  their  outward 
compliance,     papists,    and    were 
so  much  offended  at  the  spoil  they 
saw  made  of  all  good  endowments, 
without   putting    other   and  more 
useful  ones  in  their  room,  that  they 
who  understood  little  of  religion, 
laboured    under    great    prejudices 
against  every  thing  that  was  ad- 
\anced  by  such  tools.     And  these 
things,  as  they  provoked  God  high- 
ly,   so  they  disposed  the    people 
much    to     that    sad    catastrophe, 
which  was  experienced  in  the  fol- 
lowing reign." 

In  1552,  Cardan,  the  great  philo- 
sopher of  that  age,  passed  through 


England  on  his  return  from  Scot- 
land to  the  Continent.  He  waited 
on  Edward,  and  was  so  charmed 
with  his  great  knowledge  and  rare 
qualities,  that  he  always  spake  of 
him  as  the  most  wonderful  person 
he  had  ever  seen ;  and  after  the 
death  of  the  king,  he  wrote  the  fol- 
lowing character  of  him : 

"  All  the  graces  were  in  him : 
he  understood  many  tongues,  when 
he  was  yet  but  a  child ;  together 
with  the  English,  his  natural 
language,  he  knew  both  Latin  and 
French;  nor  was  he  ignorant  of 
the  Greek,  Italian,  and  Spanish, 
and  perhaps  some  more  ;  but  for 
the  English,  French,  and  Latin,  he 
was  exact  in  them,  and  was  apt  to 
learn  every  thing.  Nor  was  he  ig- 
norant of  logic,  of  the  principles 
of  natural  philosophy,  nor  of  mu- 
sic ;  the  sweetness  of  his  temper 
was  such  as  became  a  mortal,  his 
gravity  becoming  the  majesty  of  a 
king,  and  his  disposition  was  suit- 
able to  his  high  degree :  in  sum, 
that  child  was  so  bred,  had  such 
parts,  and  was  of  such  expecta- 
tion, that  he  looked  liki"!  a  miracle 
of  a  man.  These  things  are  not 
spoken  rhetorically,  and  beyond 
the  truth,  but  are  indeed  short  of  it. 

"  When  I  was  with  him,  he  was 
in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  age,  in 
which  he  spake  Latin  as  politely, 
and  as  promptly  as  I  did  :  he  ask- 
ed me,  what  was  the  subject  of  my 
book,  De  rerum  varietate,  which  I 
dedicated  to  him  ?  I  answered,  that 
in  the  first  chapter,  I  gave  the  true 
cause  of  comets,  which  had  been 
long  inquired  into,  but  was  never 
found  out  before.' — '  What  is  it?' 
said  he.  I  said,  '  It  was  the  con- 
course of  the  light  of  wandering 
stars.'  He  answered,  '  How  can 
that  be,  since  the  stars  move  in  dif- 
ferent motions  ?  How  comes  it  that 
the  comets  are  not  soon  dissipated, 
or  do  not  move  after  them,  accord- 
ing to  their  motions  V  To  this  I  an- 
swered, '  They  do  move  after  them, 
but  much  quicker  than  they,  by 
reason  of  the  different  aspect ;  as 
we  see  in  crystal,  or  when  a  rain- 
bow rebounds  from  a  wall :  for  a 
little  change  makes  a  great  diflcr- 


983 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ence  of  place.'  But  the  king  said, 
'  How  can  that  be,  where  there  is 
no  subject  to  receive  that  light,  as 
the  wall  is  the  subject  for  the  rain- 
bow I'  To  this  I  answered,  '  That 
this  was  as  in  the  milky-way,  or 
where  many  candles  were  lighted, 
the  middle-place,  where  their  shin- 
ing met,  was  white  and  clear. 
"  From  this  little  taste,  it  may  be 
imagined  what  he  was.  And  in- 
deed the  ingenuity,  and  sweetness 
of  his  disposition,  had  raised  in  all 
good  and  learned  men,  the  greatest 
expectation  of  him  possible.  He 
began  to  love  the  liberal  arts  be- 
fore he  knew  them,  and  to  know 
them  before  he  could  use  them: 
and  in  him  there  was  such  an 
attempt  of  nature,  that  not  only 
England,  but  the  world,  hath  rea- 
son to  lament  his  being  so  early 
.snatched  away.     How  truly  was  it 


said  of  such  extraordinary  persons, 
that  their  lives  are  short,  and  sel- 
dom do  they  come  to  be  old!  He 
gave  us  an  essay  of  virtue,  though 
he  did  not  live  to  give  a  pattern  of 
it.  When  the  gravity  of  a  king 
was  needful,  he  carried  himself 
like  an  old  man,  and  yet  he  was 
always  aflable  and  gentle,  as  be- 
came his  age.  He  played  on  the 
lute  :  he  meddled  in  affairs  of  state: 
and  for  bounty,  he  did  in  that  emu- 
late his  father:  though  he,  even 
when  he  endeavoured  to  be  too 
good,  might  appear  to  have  been 
bad  :  but  there  was  no  ground  of 
suspecting  any  such  thing  in  the 
son." 

These  extraordinary  blossoms 
gave  but  too  good  reason  to  fear, 
that  a  fruit  wliich  ripened  so  fast, 
could  not  last  Ions. 


BOOK  X. 

ACCESSION  OF  QUEEN  MARY,  SUBVERSION  OF  RELIGION',  AND  PERSECUTIONS 
OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND,  DURING   HER  REIGN. 


We  now  call  the  attention  of  the 
British  protestants  to  a  period  of 
their  church  history  that  cannot  fail 
to  awaken  in  their  heartsthat  love  for 
their  ancestors,  which,  at  present, 
we  fear,  lies  dormant  in  too  many. 
A  long  career  of  ease  appears  to 
have  obliterated  from  their  minds 
the  troubles  of  their  generous  fore- 
fathers, who,  for  them,  bled  in 
every  vein — for  them,  were  con- 
signed to  the  devouring  flames  in 
every  part  of  their  country ;  pre- 
paring and  establishing  for  their 
descendants,  by  the  sacrifice  of 
themselves,  political  and  religious 
libei-ty.  And,  while  we  behold,  with 
gratitude  and  admiration,  the  ef- 
fects of  their  noble  self-devotion, 
let  us  thenee  learn  to  appreciate 
those  blessings  which,  by  the  con- 
tinued providence  of  God,  we  have 
so  long  enjoyed  ;  and  let  us  be 
confirmed  more  and  more  in  our 
determination  to  resist  every  at- 
tempt, whether  by  open  force  or 
secret  fraud,  to  deprive  us  and  onr 


descendants  of  the  privileges   so 
dearly  purchased. 

It  has  been  asserted  by  the  Ro- 
man catholics,  "  That  all  those 
who  suflered  death,  during  the  reign 
of  queen  Mary,  had  been  adjudged 
guilty  of  high  treason,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  rising  in  de- 
fence of  lady  Jane  Grey's  title  to 
the  crown."  To  disprove  this,  how- 
ever, is  no  difflcult  matter,  since 
every  one,  conversant  in  English 
history,  must  know,  that  those  who 
are  found  guilty  of  high  treason 
are  to  be  hanged  and  quartered. 
But  how  can  even  a  papist  affirm, 
that  ever  a  man  in  England  was 
burned  for  high- treason  ?  We  ad- 
mit, that  some  few  suffered  death 
in  the  ordinary  way  of  process  at 
common  law,  for  their  adherence 
to  lady  Jane ;  but  none  of  those 
were  burned.  Why,  if  traitors, 
were  they  taken  before  the  bishops, 
who  have  no  power  to  judge  in  cri- 
minal cases  ?  Even  allowing  the 
bishops    to    have    had   power    to 


ACCESSION  OF  MARY. 


383 


judge,  yet  their  own  bloody  statute 
did  not  empower  them  to  execute. 
The  proceeding;s  against  the  mar- 
tyrs are  still  extant,  and  they  are 
carried  on  directly  according  to  the 
forms  prescribed  by  their  own  sta- 
tute. Not  one  of  those  Mho  were 
burned  in  England,  was  ever  ac- 
cused of  high-treason,  much  less 
were  they  tried  at  common  law. 
And  this  should  teach  the  reader 
to  value  a  history  of  transactions  in 
his  own  country,  particularly  as  it 
relates  to  the  sufferings  of  the 
blessed  martyrs  in  defence  of  tlie 
religion  he  professes,  in  order  that 
he  may  be  able  to  remove  the  veil 
which  falsehood  has  cast  over  the 
face  of  truth.  Having  said  thus 
much,  by  way  of  introduction,  we 
shall  proceed  with  the  Acts  and 
Monuments  of  the  British  Martyrs. 

By  the  death  of  king  Edward,  the 
crown  devolved,  according  to  law, 
on  his  eldest  sister  Mary,  who  was 
within  half  a  day's  journey  to  the 
court,  when  she  had  notice  given 
her  by  the  earl  of  Arundel,  of  her 
brother's  death,  and  of  the  patent 
for  lady  Jane's  succession.  Upon 
this  she  retired  to  Framlingham,  in 
Suffolk,  to  be  near  the  sea,  that  she 
might  escape  to  Flanders,  in  case 
of  necessity.  Before  she  arrived 
there,  she  wrote,  on  the  9th  of  July, 
to  the  council,  telling  them,  that 
"  she  understood,  that  her  brother 
was  dead,  by  which  she  succeeded 
to  the  crown,  but  wondered  that 
she  heard  not  from  them  ;  she  well 
understood  what  consultations  they 
had  engaged  in,  but  she  would  par- 
don all  such  as  would  return  to 
their  duty,  and  proclaim  her  title 
to  the  crown." 

It  was  now  found,  that  the  king's 
death  could  be  no  longer  kept 
a  secret ;  accordingly  some  of  the 
privy  council  went  to  lady  Jane, 
and  acknowledged  her  as  their 
queen*.  The  news  of  the  king's 
death  afflicted  her  much,  and  her 

*  The  lady  Jane  was  daughter  to  the 
duke  of  Suffolk,  and  grand-daughter  to 
Mary,  sister  to  Henry  VIII,  who,  on  the 
death  of  her  first  husband,  the  king  of 
France,  married  Charles  Brandon,  after- 
wards created  duke  of  Suffolk. 


being  raised  to  the  throne,  rather 
increased  than  lessened  her  trou- 
ble. She  was  a  person  of  extraor- 
dinary abilities,  acquirements,  and 
virtues.  She  was  mistress  both  of 
the  Greek  and  Latin  tongues,  and 
delighted  much  in  study.  As  she 
was  not  tainted  with  the  levities 
which  usually  accompany  her  age 
and  station,  so  she  seemed  to  have 
attained  to  the  practice  of  the 
highest  fortitude  ;  for  in  those  sud- 
den turns  of  her  condition,  as  she 
was  not  exalted  with  the  prospect 
of  a  croA^Si,  so  she  was  little  cast 
down,  when  her  palace  was  made 
her  prison.  The  only  passion  she 
shewed,  was  that  of  the  noblest 
kind,  in  the  concern  she  expressed 
for  her  father  and  husband,  who 
fell  with  her,  and  seemingly  on 
her  account ;  though,  in  reality, 
Northumberland's  ambition,  and 
her  father's  weakness,  ruined  her. 

She  rejected  the  crown,  when  it 
was  first  offered  her;  she  said,  she 
knew  that  of  right  it  belonged  to 
the  late  king's  sisters,  and  there- 
fore could  not  with  a  good  con- 
science assume  it ;  but  she  was 
told,  that  both  the  judges  and  privy 
counsellors  had  declared,  that  it 
fell  to  her  according  to  law.  This, 
joined  with  the  importunities  of 
her  husband,  her  father,  and  fa- 
ther-in-law, made  her  submit. — 
Upon  this,  twenty-one  privy-coun- 
sellors set  their  hands  to  a  letter 
to  Mary,  telling  her  that  queen 
Jane  was  now  their  sovereign,  and 
that  as  the  marriage  between  her 
father  and  mother  had  been  de- 
clared null,  so  she  could  not  suc- 
ceed to  the  crown  ;  they  therefore 
required  her  to  lay  down  her  pre- 
tensions, and  to  submit  to  the  set- 
tlement now  made  ;  and  if  she  gave 
a  ready  obedience  promised  her 
much  favour.  The  day  after  this 
they  proclaimed  Jane. 

Northumberland's  knovra  enmity 
to  the  late  duke  of  Somerset,  and 
the  suspicions  of  his  being  the  au- 
thor of  Edward's  untimely  death, 
begot  a  great  aversion  in  the  peo- 
ple to  him  and  his  family,  and  dis- 
posed them  to  favour  Mary  ;  who, 
in  the  mean  time,  was  very  active 


384 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  raising  forces  to  support  her 
claim.  To  attach  the  protectants 
to  her  cause,  she  promised  not  to 
make  any  chano^e  in  the  reformed 
worship,  as  established  under  her 
brother  ;  and  on  this  assurance  a 
large  body  of  the  men  of  Suflolk 
joined  her  standard. 

Northumberland  was  now  per- 
plexed between  his  wish  to  assume 
the  command  of  an  army  raised  to 
oppose  Mary,  and  his  fear  of  leav- 
ing London  to  the  government  of 
the  council,  of  whose  fidelity  he 
entertained  great  doubts,.^  He  was, 
however,  at  lengthobligea  to  adopt 
the  latter  course,  and  before  his 
departure  from  the  metropolis  he 
adjured  the  members  of  the  coun- 
cil, and  all  persons  in  authority,  to 
be  steadfast  in  their  attachment  to 
the  cause  of  queen  Jane,  on  whose 
success,  he  assured  them,  depend- 
ed the  continuance  of  the  protes- 
tant  religion  in  England.  They 
promised  all  he  required,  and  he 
departed,  encouraged  by  their  pro- 
testations and  apparent  zeal. 

Mary's  party  in  the  mean  time 
continued  daily  to  augment. 
Hastings  went  over  to  her  with 
4000  men  out  of  Buckinghamshire, 
and  she  was  proclaimed  queen  in 
many  places.  At  length  the  privy 
council  began  to  see  their  danger, 
and  to  think  how  to  avoid  it ;  and 
besides  fears  for  their  personal 
safety,  other  motives  operated  with 
many  of  the  members.  To  make 
their  escape  from  the  Tower, 
where  they  were  detained,  osten- 
sibly to  give  dignity  to  the  court 
of  queen  Jane,  but  really  as  pri- 
soners, they  pretended  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  give  an  audience  to  the 
foreign  ambassadors,  who  would 
not  meet  them  in  the  Tower;  and 
the  earl  of  Pembroke's  house  was 
appointed  for  the  audience. 

When  they  met  there  they  re- 
solved to  declare  for  queen  Mary, 
and  rid  themselves  of  Northumber- 
land's yoke,  which  they  knew  they 
must  bear,  if  he  were  victorious. 
They  sent  for  the  lord  mayor  and 
aldermen,  and  easily  gained  their 
concurrence ;  and  Mary  was  pro- 
claimed queen  on  the  19th  of  July. 


They  then  sent  to  the  Tower,  re- 
quiring the  duke  of  Suflolk  to  quit 
tiie  government  of  that  place,  and 
the  lady  Jane  to  lay  down  the 
title  of  queen.  To  this  she  sub- 
mitted with  much  greatness  of 
mind,  and  her  father  with  abject- 
ness. 

The  council  next  sent  orders  to 
Northumberland  to  dismiss  his 
forces,  and  to  obey  the  queen. 
When  Northumberland  heard  this, 
he  disbanded  his  forces,  went  to 
the  market-place  at  Cambridge, 
where  he  then  was,  and  proclaimed 
Mary  as  queen.  The  earl  of  Arun- 
del was  sent  to  apprehend  him, 
and  when  Northumberland  was 
brought  before  him,  he,  in  the 
most  servile  manner,  fell  at  his 
feet  to  beg  his  favour.  He,  with 
three  of  his  sons  and  sir  Thomas 
Palmer,  (his  wicked  tool  in  the  de- 
struction of  the  duke  of  Somerset) 
were  all  sent  to  the  Tower. 

Every  one  now  flocked  to  im- 
plore the  queen's  favour,  and  Rid- 
ley among  the  rest,  but  he  was 
committed  to  the  Tower  ;  the  queen 
being  resolved  to  put  Bonner  again 
in  the  see  of  London.  Some  of 
the  judges,  and  several  noblemen, 
were  also  sent  thither,  among  the 
rest  the  duke  of  Suffolk;  who  was, 
however,  three  days  after,  set  at 
liberty.  He  was  a  weak  man, 
could  do  little  harm,  and  was  con- 
sequently selected  as  the  first  per- 
son towards  whom  the  queen 
should  exert  her  clemency. 

Mary  came  to  London  on  the  3d 
of  August,  and  on  the  way  was 
met  by  her  sister,  lady  Elizabeth, 
with  a  thousand  horse,  whom  she 
had  raised  to  assist  the  queen. 
On  arriving  at  the  Tower,  she 
liberated  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  the 
duchess  of  Somerset,  and  Gardiner; 
also  the  lord  Courtney,  son  to  the 
marquis  of  Exeter,  who  had  been 
kept  there  ever  since  his  father's 
attainder,  and  whom  she  now  made 
earl  of  Devonshire. 

Thus  was  seated  on  the  throne 
of  England  the  lady  Mary,  who, 
to  a  disagreeable  person  and  weak 
mind,  united  bigotry,  superstition, 
and  cruelty.     She  seems   to  have 


CHARACTER  OF  MARY. 


38d 


inherited  more  of  hor  mother's 
than  her  father's  qualities.  Henry 
was  impatient,  rough,  and  ung^o- 
vernable  ;  but  Catherine,  while  she 
assumed  the  character  of  a  saint, 
harboured  inexorable  rancour  and 
hatred  against  the  protestants.  It 
was  the  same  with  her  daughter 
Mary,  as  appears  from  a  letter  in 
her  own  hand-writing,  now  in  the 
British  Museum.  In  this  letter, 
which  is  addressed  to  bishop  Gar- 
diner, she  declares  her  fixed  in- 
tention of  burning  every  protest- 
ant  ;  and  there  is  an  insinuation, 


that  as  soon  as  circumstances 
would  permit,  she  would  restore 
back  to  the  church  the  lands  that 
had  been  taken  from  the  convents. 
This  was  the  greatest  instance  of 
her  weakness  that  she  could  shew: 
for  in  the  first  place  the  convents 
had  been  all  demolished,  except 
a  few  of  their  churches ;  and  the 
rents  were  in  the  hands  of  the  first 
nobility,  who,  rather  than  part  with 
them,  would  have  overturned  the 
government  botli  in  church  and 
state. 


Mitreus,  JBis/uij)  p/Aretltusa,  hung  up  in  a  badiet,  and  3tung  lo  death  by  uasps,  A.  D. 363. 


Mary  was  crowned  at  West- 
minster in  the  usual  form ;  but 
dreadful  were  the  consequences 
that  followed.  The  narrowness  of 
spirit  which  always  distinguishes 
a  weak  mind  from  one  that  has 
been  enlarged  by  education,  per- 
vaded all  the  actions  of  this 
princess.  Unacquainted  with  the 
constitution  of  the  countrj',  and  a 
slave  to  superstition,  ahe  thought 
FOX'S    MARTYRS. 


to  domineer  over  the  rights  of  pri 
vate  judgment,  and  trample  on  the 
privileges  of  mankind. 

The  first  exertion  of  her  regal 
power  was,  to  wreak  her  vengeance 
upon  all  those  who  had  supported 
the  title  of  lady  Jane  Grey. 

The  first  of  these  was  the  duke 
of  Northumberland,  who  was  be- 
headed on  Tower-hill,  and  who,  in 
consequence  of  his  crimes,  arising; 

25 


386 


DOOK  OF  MA.RTYRS. 


from  aitfWtlfNfili,  <fia(l  unpitled :  nay, 
he  was  even  taunted  on  the  scaf- 
fold hy  the  spectators,  who  knew 
hi  what  manner  he  had  acted  to 
the  good  duke  of  Somerset. 
•  The  other  executions  that  fol- 
lowed were  numerous  indeed,  but 
as  they  were  all  upon  the  statute 
of  high  treason,  they  caimot,  with 
any  degree  of  propriety,  be  ap- 
plied to  protestants,  or,  as  they 
were  then  called,  heretics.  The 
parliament  was  pliant  enough  to 
comply  with  all  the  queen's  re- 
quests, and  an  act  passed  to  estab- 
lish the  popish  religion.  This  was 
what  the  queen  waited  for,  and 
power  being  now  put  into  her 
hands,  she  was  determined  to  ex- 
ercise it  in  the  most  arbitrary 
manner.  She  was  destitute  of 
humao   compassion,  and   without 


the  least  reluotance  ooald  tyrannize 
over  the  consciences  of  men. 

This  leads  us  to  the  conclusion 
of  the  first  year  of  her  reign;  and 
we  consider  it  the  more  necessary 
to  take  notice  of  these  transac- 
tions, although  not,  strictly  speak- 
ing, martyrdoms,  that  our  readers 
might  be  convinced  of  the  great 
difference  there  is  between  dying 
for  religion,  and  for  high  treason. 
It  is  history  alone  that  can  teach 
them  such  things,  and  it  is  reflec- 
tion only  that  can  make  history 
useful.  We  frequently  read  with- 
out reflection,  and  study  without 
consideration  ;  but  the  following 
portions  of  our  history ,in  particular, 
will  furnish  ample  materials  for 
serious  thought  to  our  readers,  and 
we  entreat  their  attention  to  them. 


SECTION  I. 

MARTYRDOMS   IN    THE    SECOND   YEAR    OF   QUEEN    MARY'.S    BXIGN. 


The  queen  having  satiated  her 
malice  upon  those  persons  who 
had  adhered  to  lady  Jane  Grey, 
she  had  next  recourse  to  those  old 
auxiliaries  of  popery,  fire,  fagot, 
and  the  stake,  in  order  to  convert 
her  heretical  subjects  to  the  true 
catholic  faith. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN 
ROGERS. 

Mr.  John  Rogers,  the  aged 
minister  of  St.  Sepulchre's  church, 
Snow  Hill,  London,  was  the  proto- 
martyr:  he  was  the  first  sacrifice, 
strictly  speaking,  offered  up  in  this 
reign  to  popery,  and  led  the  way 
for  those  suflerers,  whose  blood 
has  been  the  foundation,  honour, 
and  glory  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land. 

This  Mr.  Rogers  had  been  sOme 
time  chaplain  to  the  English  fac- 
tory at  Antwerp.  There  he  be- 
canie  acquainted  with  Mr.  Tindal, 
and  assisted  him  in  his  translation 
of  the  New  Testament.  There 
were  several  other  worthy  pro- 
testants there  at  that  time,  most 
of  whom  had  been  driven  out  of 
England,  on  account  of  the  per- 
secutions   for   tho    six    articles  in 


the  latter  end  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  Mr.  Rogers,  know- 
ing that  marriage  was  lawful,  and 
even  enjoined  in  scripture,  entered 
into  that  state  with  a  virtuous 
woman,  and  soon  after  set  out  for 
Saxony,  in  consequence  of  an  in- 
vitation to  that  effect. 

When  Edward  ascended  the 
throne  of  England,  Mr.  Rogers 
returned  to  his  native  country, 
and  was  promoted  by  bishop  Rid- 
ley to  a  prebendary  of  St.  Paul's. 
He  was  also  appointed  reader  of 
the  divinity  lecture  in  that  cathe- 
dral, and  vicar  of  St,  Sepulchre's. 

In  this  situation  he  continued 
some  years :  and  as  queen  Mary 
was  returning  from  the  Tower, 
where  she  had  been  imbibing 
Gardiner's  pernicious  counsels,  Mr. 
Rogers  was  preaching  at  St.  Paul's 
Cross.  He  inveighed  much  against 
popery,  expatiated  on  the  many 
virtues  of  the  late  king  Edward, 
and  exliorted  the  people  to  abide 
in  the  protestant  religion. 

For  this  sermon  he  was  summon- 
ed before  the  council ;  but  he  vin- 
dicated himself  so  well,  that  he 
was  dismissed. 

This  lenity  shewn  by  the  council 


REV.  JOHN  ROGERS. 


387 


was  rather  dkpJcasinf?  to  tbe 
queen ;  and  Mr.  Rogers's  zeal 
against  popery  being  equal  to  his 
knowledge  and  integrity,  he  was 
considered  as  a  person  who  would 
prevent  the  re-establishment  of 
popery. 

For  this  reason  it  was,  that  he 
was  summoned  a  second  time 
before  the  council ;  and  although 
there  were  many  papists  among 
the  members,  yet  such  was  the 
respect  almost  universally  felt  for 
Mr.  Rogers,  that  he  was  again  dis- 
missed, but  was  commanded  not 
to  go  out  of  his  own  house.  This 
order  he  complied  with,  although 
he  might  have  made  his  escape  if 
he  would.  He  knew  he  could 
have  had  a  living  in  Germany, 
and  he  had  a  wife  and  ten  chil- 
dren :  but  all  these  things  did  not 
move  him  ;  he  did  not  court  death, 
but  met  it  with  fortitude  when  it 
came. 

He  remained  confined  in  his 
own  house  several  weeks,  till 
Bonner,  bishop  of  London,  pro- 
cured an  order  to  have  him  com- 
mitted to  Newgate,  where  he  wa3 
lodged  among  thieves  and  mur- 
derers. 

He  was  afterwards  brought  a 
third  time  before  the  council, 
where  Gardiner,  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, presided.  It  was  not 
with  any  view  of  shewing  lenity 
to  the  prisoner;  it  was  not  with  a 
view  of  convincing  hira  of  error, 
supposing  him  to  be  guilty  of  any  s 
it  was  liot  to  recall  him  to  the 
Romish  church  that  he  was  brought 
there  :  no,  his  destruction  was  de  - 
signed,  and  he  was  singled  out  to 
be  an  example  to  all  those  who 
should  refuse  to  comply  with  Rom- 
ish idolatry. 

The  questions  asked  him  were 
of  a  very  frivolous  nature,  but 
still  they  were  such,  that  an- 
swers to  them  served  to  criminate 
the  man.  It  is  a  maxim  in  com- 
mon law,  that  no  man  is  to  be  his 
own  accuser ;  by  which  is  meant, 
i^hat  he  is  not  to  answer  any  ques- 
tions which  may  bring  the  guilt 
home  to  him,  unless  he  chooses  to 
answer,  leaving  his  enemies  to 
prove  the  assertions. 


On  the  otiief  haod,  it  i«  laid 
down  as  a  maxim  by  divines,  and 
certainly  it  is  a  good  one,  that 
no  man  should  tell  a  falsehood. 
Christ  said,  "  He  that  denies  me 
before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny 
before  my  father,  tvho  is  in  heaven." 
We  know  the  weakness  of  human 
nature,  but  we  ought  to  be  much 
upon  our  guard  against  speaking 
any  thing  that  is  false.  This  shews 
us  to  be  •owards :  let  us,  like  Chris^ 
Jesus,  witness  a  true  confession ; 
let  us  not  shrink  back  at  the  thought 
of  suffering  for  the  truth,  as  it  is  in 
Jesus ;  but  let  us  remember  that 
the  pleauares  of  sin  are  moment- 
ai-y ;  the  punishment  of  them, 
eternal. 

Such  sentiments  as  these  took 
place  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Rogers, 
when  he  was  brought  before  the 
chancellor  and  council.  He  freely 
acknowledged,  that  he  had  been 
fully  convinced,  in  hig  own  mind, 
that  the  pope  was  Anti-Christ,  and 
that  his  religion  wa*  contrary  to 
the  gospel. 

He  made  a  most  elaborate  de- 
fence, which,  however,  did  not 
avail  him  in  the  minds  of  his 
persecutors.  He  shewed  them, 
that  the  statute  npon  which  he 
was  prosecuted  had  never  legally 

{>assed,  and  even  if  it  had,  it  was 
n  all  respects  contrary  to  the 
word  of  God :  for  whatever  emo- 
luments might  have  been  bestowed 
upon  the  clergy  from  time  to  time, 
they  had  no  right  to  persecute 
those  who  differed  from  them  in 
sentiment. 

After  he  had  been  examined 
several  times  before  the  council, 
which  was  a  mere  mockery  of 
justice,  he  was  tamed  over  to  Bon- 
ner, bishop  of  London,  who  caused 
him  to  go  through  a  second  mock 
examination;  and,  at  last,  de- 
clared him  to  be  an  obstinate  he- 
retic. A  certificate  of  this  was, 
in  the  ordinary  course,  sent  into 
chancery,  and  a  writ  was  issued 
for  the  burning  of  Mr,  Rogers  in 
Smithfield.  This  sentence  did  not 
in  the  least  frighten  our  martyr, 
who,  by  faith  in  the  blood  of 
Christ,  was  ready  to  go  through 
with  his   attachment  to  the  tiuth 


388 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


without  paying  any  regard  to  the 
malice  ot  liis  enemies. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1555, 
Mr.  Rogers  was  taken  out  of  New- 
gate, to  be  led  to  the  place  of  exe- 
cution, when  the  sheriff  asked  him 
if  he  would  recant  his  opinions  ? 
To  this  he  answered,  "■  That  what 
he  had  preached  he  would  seal 
with  his  blood."  "  Then,"  said 
the  sheriff,  '*thou  art  an  heretic." 
To  which  Mr.  Rogers  answered, 
"  That  will  be  kn®wn  when  we 
meet  at  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ." 

As  they  were  taking  him  to 
Smithfield,  his  wife  and  eleven 
children  went  to  take  their  last 
farewell  of  a  tender  husband,  and 
an  indulgent  parent.  The  sheriffs, 
however,  would  not  permit  them 
to  speak  to  him  ;  so  unfeeling  is 
bigotivy,  so  merciless  is  supersti- 
tion !  When  he  was  chained  to 
the  stake  he  declared  that  God 
would  in  his  own  good  time  vin- 
dicate the  truth  of  what  he  had 
taught,  and  appear  in  favour  of 
the  protestant  religion.  Fire  was 
then  set  to  the  pile,  and  he  was 
consumed  to  ashes. 

He  was  a  very  pious  and  hu- 
mane man,  and  his  being  singled 
out  as  the  first  victim  of  super- 
stitious cruelty,  can  only  entitle 
hini  to  a  higher  crown  of  glory  in 
heaven. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  LAURENCE  SAUN- 
DERS. 

The  next  person  who  suffered  in 
this  reign  was  the  reverend  Mr. 
Laurence  Saunders,  of  whose 
former  life  we  have  collected  the 
following  particulars :  his  father 
had  a  considerable  estate  in  Ox- 
fordshire, but  dying  young,  left 
a  large  family  of  children.  Lau- 
rence was  sent  to  Eton  school  as 
one  of  the  king's  scholars. 

From  Eton  he  was,  according 
to  the  rules  of  the  foundation, 
sent  to  King's  college  in  Cam- 
bridge, where  he  studied  three 
years,  and  made  great  progress 
in  the  different  sorts  of  learning 
then  taught  in  the  schools.  At 
the  end  of  the  three  years  he  left 
llic  university,  and  returning  to  his 


mother,    prevailed    upon     her    to 
place  him  with  a  merchant. 

He  was  ^accordingly  articled  to 
sir  William  Chester,  a  rich  mer- 
chant in  London,  who  was  after- 
wards sheriff  of  that  city.  He 
had  not  been  long  in  this  employ- 
ment, when  he  became  weary  of 
a  life  of  trade.  He  sunk  into  a 
deep  melancholy,  and  afterwards 
went  into  a  retired  chamber,  to 
mourn  for  his  imprudence,  and  to 
beg  of  God  that  he  would,  in  some 
manner  or  other,  deliver  him  from 
a  life  so  disgustful. 

His  master,  who  was  a  worthy 
man,  took  notice  of  this,  and  asked 
Saunders  his  reasons  for  being  in 
that  desponding  condition?  The 
young  gentleman  candidly  told  him ; 
upon  which  he  immediately  gave 
him  up  his  indentures,  and  sent 
him  home  to  his  relations. 

This  Saunders  considered  as  a 
happy  event,  and  that  no  time 
might  be  lost,  he  returned  to  his 
studies  at  Cambridge  ;  and,  what 
was  very  uncommon  in  that  age, 
he  learned  the  Greek  and  Hebrew 
languages.  After  this  he  dc\oted 
himself  wholly  to  the  study  of 
the  sacred  scriptures,  in  order  to 
qualify  himself  for  preaching  the 
gospel. 

In  study  he  was  diligent,  and 
practical  in  holiness  of  life ;  in 
doing  good  few  equalled  him,  and 
he  seemed  to  have  nothing  in  view 
but  the  happiness  of  immortal 
souls. 

In  the  beginning  of  king  Edward's 
reign,  when  the  true  religion  began 
to  be  countenanced,  he  entered  into 
orders,  and  preached  with  great 
success.  His  first  appointment 
was  at  Fotheringham,  wliete  he 
read  a  divinity  lecture ;  but  that 
college  having  been  dissolved,  he 
was  appointed  a  preacher  in 
Lichfield.  In  that  new  station 
his  conduct  entitled  him  to  great 
respect ;  for  such  was  his  sweet- 
ness of  temper,  his  knowledge  in 
his  profession,  his  eloquent  man- 
ner of  addressing  his  hearers,  the 
purity  of  his  manners,  and  his 
affectionate  addresses  to  the  heart, 
that  he  M'as  universally  respected 
and  his  ministry  was  very  useful. 


REV.  LAURENCE  SAUNDERS. 


38& 


After  beinf^  some  months  in 
Lichfield,  he  removed  to  the 
living  of  Cburch-Langton,  in 
Leicestershire :  there  he  resided 
with  his  people,  and  instructed 
many  who  before  were  ignorant  of 
the  true  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion.  He  was  the  same  to 
men's  bodies  as  to  their  souls.  AH 
that  he  received,  besides  the  small 
pittance  that  supported  his  person, 
was  given  away  to  feed  the  hun- 
gry, and  clothe  the  naked.  Here 
was  the  Christian  minister  indeed  ! 
for  no  instructions  will  make  a  last- 
ing impression  on  the  mind,  while 
the  example  is  contrary. 

His  next  removal  was  to  Alhal- 
lows,  in  Bread-street,  London  ; 
and  when  he  had  taken  possession 
of  it,  he  went  down  to  the  country, 
to  part,  in  an  affectionate  manner, 
with  his  friends. 

While  he  was  in  the  country 
king  Edward  died,  and  Mary  suc- 
ceeding, published  a  proclama- 
tion, commanding  all  her  subjects 
to  attend  mass.  Many  pious  mi- 
nisters refused  to  obey  the  royal 
proclamation,  and  none  was  more 
forward  in  doing  so  than  Mr.  Saun- 
ders. He  continued  to  preach 
whenever  he  had  an  opportunity, 
and  read  the  prayer-book,  with  the 
scriptures,  to  the  people,  till  he 
was  apprehended  in  the  following 
manner : 

Mr.  Saunders  was  ad\ised  to 
leave  the  nation,  as  pious  Dr. 
Jewel  and  many  others  did ;  but 
he  would  not,  declaring  to  his 
friends,  that  he  was  willing  to  die 
for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
Accordingly,  he  left  his  people  in 
Leicestershire,  and  travelled  to- 
wards London,  on  his  arrival  near 
which,  he  was  met  by  sir  John 
Mordant,  a  privy  counsellor  to 
qu'jen  Mary,  who  asked  him  where 
he  was  going  ?  Mr.  Saunders  said, 
to  his  living  in  Bread-street,  to 
instruct  his  people.  Mordant  de- 
sired him  not  to  go  :  to  which  Mr. 
Saunders  answered,  "  How  shall 
I  then  be  accountable  to  God  ?  If 
any  be  sick  and  die  before  con- 
solation, then  what  a  load  of  guilt 
will  be  upon  ray  conscience,  as  an 


unfaithful    shepherd,     an     unjust 

steward !" 

Mordant  asked  him  whether  he 
did  not  frequently  preach  in  Bread- 
street;  and  being  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  he  endeavoured  to  dis- 
suade him  from  doing  so  any  more. 
Saunders,  however,  was  resolute, 
and  told  him  he  would  continue 
to  preach  as  long  as  he  lived,  and 
invited  the  other  to  come  and  hear 
him  the  next  day  ;  adding,  that 
he  would  confirm  him  in  the  truth  of 
those  sentiments  which  he  taught. 
Upon  this  they  parted,  and  Mor- 
dant went  and  gave  information 
to  bishop  Bonner,  that  Saunders 
would  preach  in  his  church  the 
next  Sunday. 

In  the  mean  time  Saunders  went 
to  his  lodgings,  with  a  mind  resolv- 
ed to  do  his  duty  ;  when  a  person 
came  to  visit  him,  and  took  notice 
to  him  that  he  seemed  to  be  in  trou- 
ble. He  said  he  was  ;  adding,  "  I 
am,  as  it  were,  in  prison,  till  I 
speak  to  my  people."  So  earnest 
was  his  desire  to  discharge  his 
duty,  and  so  little  did  he  regard 
the  malice  of  his  enemies. 

The  next  Sunday  he  preached  in 
his  church,  and  made  a  most  elabo- 
rate discourse  against  the  errors 
of  popery  ;  he  exhorted  the  peo- 
ple to  remain  steadfast  in  the 
truth ;  not  to  fear  those  who  can 
only  kill  the  body,  but  to  fear  Him 
who  can  throw  both  body  and  soul 
into  hell.  He  was  attended  by  a 
great  concourse  of  people,  which 
gave  much  ottence  to  the  clergy, 
particularly  to  bishop  Bonner. 

No  notice,  however,  v/as  taken 
of  him  in  the  forenoon,  but  in  the 
afternoon,  when  he  intended  to 
have  preached  again,  Bonner  sent 
an  oliicer  to  apprehend  him ;  ac- 
cordingly, he  went  with  the  olKcer, 
and  sir  John  Mordant  appeared  to 
give  evidence  against  him.  It 
was  certainly  unbecoming  the 
character  of  a  gentleman  of  rank, 
thus  to  become  a  common  informer ; 
but  bigotry  so  infatuates  the  minds 
of  its  votaries,  that  they  forget 
eveiy  other  consideration  in  order 
to  gratify  their  hatred  against 
those    who    differ    from    them    in 


390 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


op!n$oi>>  P«r1Iopa,  however,  str 
John  migli'tbe  actuated  by  ivorWly 
motives  ;  and,  by  thas  ingratiating; 
himself  with  the  bishop,  who  then 
enjoyed  great  power,  he  might  hope 
to  obtain  the  favour  of  the  queen. 

Mr.  Saunders  was  charged  with 
treason  and  sedition,  for  having 
disobeyed  the  queen's  proclama- 
tion ;  bat  Bonner  had  other  ob- 
jects in  view  than  that  of  bringing 
this  man  to  a  trial  at  common  law. 
Heresy  was  the  main  charge  he 
wished  to  punish  him  on. 

After  much  conversation  on  dif- 
ferent points  of  religion,  the  bi- 
shop desired  him  to  write  his  sen- 
timents concerning  transubstantia- 
tion.  To  this  request  Mr.  Saun- 
ders replied,  "  My  lord,  I  know 
yoa  waat  to  ensnare  me  j  yon  seek 
for  my  blood,  and  you  shall  have 
it.  Perhaps  the  reflection  of  tak- 
ing my  life  without  cause  may 
bring  you  to  a  sense  of  guilt,  and 
make  you  a  better  man." 

The  bishop,  on  this,  sent  Mr. 
Saunders,  under  the  care  of  sir 
John  Mordant,  to  the  house  of  the 
chancellor,  who  happened  not  to 
be  at  home  ;  so  that  he  was  obliged 
to  wait  for  him  four  hours  in  the 
servants'  hall.  During  the  whole 
of  this  time,  Mr.  Saund&rs  stood 
bareheaded,  while  Mordant  kept 
walking  backwards  and  forwards 
across  the  room. 

At  length  the  chancellor  arrived, 
and  sending  for  Mr.  Saunders  into 
his  chamber,  asked  him  how  he 
eould  be  so  bold  as  to  disobey  the 
queen's  proclamation.  Saunders 
acknowledged  that  "  he  had 
preached  contrary  to  the  procla- 
mation, and  that  he  thought  it 
his  duty  to  do  so,  even  although 
it  should  cost  him  his  life.  He 
added,  that  what  he  did  arose  from 
the  dictates  of  his  heart,  which 
commanded  him  to  preach  the 
gospel,  in  season  and  out  of 
season  ;  and  that  he  must  be  ac- 
countable at  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ,  if  he  neglected  any  part  of 
his  duty  in  teaching  and  comfort- 
ing his  people  in  their  most  holy 
faith,  so  as  to  meet  them  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  jxjdge." 


The  cbanoelior  poured  out  much 
abuse  on  Mr.  Saunders,  telling 
him  he  was  a  hypocrite  and  a  he- 
retic, notwithstanding  all  his  pre- 
tensions to  a  tender  conscience. 
He  accused  him,  farther,  of  having 
called  the  queen  a  bastard,  or  ra- 
ther worse,  namely,  that  she  had 
been  born  in  a  state  of  incest. 

It  was  well  known  that  Henry's 
marriage  with  Catherine  had  beea 
declared  inconsistent  with  the 
canons  of  tbe  church  ;  and,  there- 
fore, had  Mr.  Saunders  called  her 
by  such  names,  he  might,  accord- 
ing to  law,  have  sheltered  himself 
under  an  act  of  parliament.  But 
the  truth  is,  he  never  traduced  her 
character ;  but  in  speaking  to  Gar- 
diner he  made  use  of  a  most  severe 
earcasm,  by  telliug  him  that  "there 
need  not  to  be  much  dispute  con- 
cerning this  matter  with  his  lord- 
ship, who  had  actually  signetl  the 
declaration  concerning  the  illegiti- 
macy of  Mary's  birth."  This  was 
bringing  the  argument  home  to 
him  ;  but  the  severity  of  the  satire 
augmented  Gardiner's  desire  of 
revenge. 

Saunders  told  the  chancellor, 
"he  had  no  objection  to  suffer  for 
that  God  who  had  given  him  cou- 
rage to  declare  his  sentiments 
without  fear,  and  would  support 
him  under  all  sorts  of  afflictions  ; 
and  although  he  would  never  give 
intentional  offence,  yet  he  would 
not,  by  any  means,  injure  his  con- 
science, by  giving  up  the  truth  as 
it  was  revealed  in  the  word  of  God." 

Gardiner,  upon  this,  remanded 
Mr.  Saunders  to  prison;  but  first 
told  him  he  was  out  of  his  mind, 
and  a  disturbed  madman,  without 
the  use  of  sense  or  reason. 

Saunders  continued  in  prison  a 
year  and  three  months,  during 
which  time  he  wrote  several  let>- 
ters  to  those  great  and  worthy  per- 
sons, who  afterwards  suffered  for 
the  truth. 

As  this  pious  minister  saw  no 
hopes  of  being  released  from  pri- 
son, he  drew  up  a  paper  which 
he  sent  to  the  cliancellor,  in  which 
he  stated,  "  that^he  did  not  believe 
he  had  transgressed     against    the 


REV.  LA.U.RENCE  SAUNDERS. 


391 


pyocIamaUon,  for  it  did  not  oora- 
mand  ministers  to  preach  ag^ainst 
the  dictates  of  their  consciences. 

"  As  for  his  religion,"  he  said, 
"  it  was  the  same  as  that  taught 
in  the  New  Testament.  He  wor- 
shipped the  God  of  his  fathers, 
after  the  manner  they  called  he- 
resy :  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
call  people  heretics,  and  to  proceed 
ag^aiust  them  by  the  assistance  of 
the  civil  power  ;  but  the  best  way 
was  to  attempt,  and,  if  possible,  to 
confute,  their  notions  by  solid  ar- 
f^ument." 

.  His  next  observations  were  of 
a  very  striking  nature.  He  de- 
clared, that  no  man  could  be  a 
faithful  servant  of  Christ,  who 
acknowledged  the  papal  suprem- 
acy. He  observed  that  traditions 
were  not  commanded  by  the  word 
of  God,  nor  did  they  make  any 
part  of  religion.  Such  sentiments 
as  these  did  honour  to  the  man 
who  employed  them,  but  they 
availed  liira  nothing ;  Gardiner 
bad  been  stung  to  the  quick  by  the 
sarcasm  of  Saunders,  and  medi- 
tated a  severe  revenge. 

Saunders  was  a  married  man, 
and  in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  he  de- 
clared his  firm  attachment  to  the 
truth  of  the  gospel,  according  to 
the  reformed  religion,  as  it  had 
been  set  forth  in  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  VI.  The  sentiments  in 
this  letter  are  truly  evangelical, 
and  such  as  would  have  done  ho- 
nour to  one  of  the  primitive  mar- 
tyrs. 

He  told  her,  there  could  be  no 
confidence  in  the  Divine  Being, 
where  a  fixed  faith  was  not  placed 
in  the  righteousness  of  the  Re- 
deemer. He  added  further,  that 
she  must  not  consider  him  any 
loiiger  as  a  husband  for  her  in 
this  world,  but  that  he  hoped  to 
spend  an  eternity  with  her.  He 
told  her,  that  if  she  should  be  mo- 
lested for  the  truth,  that  it  was  her 
duty  to  examine  her  own  mind, 
and  attend  to  every  thing  that 
could  lead  her  to  happiness.  That 
the  blessings  of  the  everlasting 
covenant  could  only  be  insured  to 
believers  in     consequence   of  the 


death  of  Christ,  and  thrA  flie  firm 
persuasion  of  the  resurrection  of 
our  Redeemer,  was  the  means 
contrived  by  infinite  Wisdom  in 
order  to  bring  us  to  a  state  of  hap- 
piness. 

In  one  of  his  letters  to  Cranmer, 
who  was  then  a  prisoner  as  well 
as  himself,  he  expresses  a  firm 
belief  of  the  immortality  of  the 
soul  and  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  according  to  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation. At  file  same  time,  he 
laments  that  darkness  which  the 
corruption  of  human  nature  has 
thrown  over  our  understandings'^: 
that  "  a*  we  see  here  but  through 
a  glass  darkly,  so  our  faith  should 
increase  in  strength,  in  consequence 
of  a  longing  desire  for  immortality." 
He  added  much  concerning  the 
vast  importance  of  the  ministerial 
office,  and  "  the  necessity  for  mi- 
nisters to  keep  themselves  from 
giving  off'ence,  lest  the  gospel 
should  be  blamed." 

In  another  letter,  to  his  wife, 
he  said  much  concerning  that  long 
friendship  and  happiness  which 
he  had  enjoyed  with  her.  He  ex- 
pressed his  earnest  desire  still  to 
have  enjoyed  her  company,  had  it 
been  consistent  with  the  will  of 
God.  But  as  he  knew  his  death 
was  resolved  on,  he  begged  she 
would  pray  that  God  would  enable 
her  to  bear  with  such  an  event, 
and  that  he  might  likewise  be  en- 
abled to  go  through  with  it  as  be- 
came a  good  soldier  of  Christ 
Jesus.  He  gave  her  the  utmost 
encouragement  to  trust  in  the  merits 
and  mercies  of  the  Redeemer;  to 
make  him  her  only  friend,  and 
then  he  would  never  leave  her  nor 
forsake  her. 

In  a  second  letter  to  his  wife,  he 
reminds  her  of  those  consolations 
v/hich  God  gives  to  such  as  suffer 
for  his  name's  sake.  He  tells  her 
that  the  whole  of  human  life  is  one 
continual  trial  of  our  patience  and 
faith  ;  and  therefore,  when  we  are 
just  going  to  take  possession  of  a 
glorious  and  eternal  inheritance, 
we  should  not  repine  at  a  few  tor- 
ments ;  and  what  are  these  tor- 
ments,  inflicted   by   wien«iid   men, 


dos 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


•when  coiflpared  Wifti  the  dreadful 
punishments  which  God  will  in- 
flict on  apostates  hereafter  ? 

He  was  confined  in  the  Marshal- 
sea  prison,  and  strict  orders  were 
given  to  the  keepers,  not  to  suffer 
any  person  to  converse  with  him. 
His  wife,  however,  came  to  the 
prison  with  her  young  child  in  her 
arms,  and  the  keeper  had  so  much 
compassion,  that  he  took  the  child 
and  carried  it  to  its  father. 

Mr.  Saunders  seeing  the  child, 
rejoiced  greatly,  saying,  it  was  a 
peculiar  happiness  for  him  to  have 
such  a  boy.  And  to  the  standers- 
by,  who  admired  the  beauty  of  the 
child,  he  said,  "  What  man,  fear- 
ing God,  would  not  lose  his  life, 
sooner  than  have  it  said  that  the 
mother  of  this  child  was  an  har- 
lot?" 

He  said  these  words,  in  order  to 
point  out  the  woful  effects  of 
popish  celibacy ;  for  the  priests 
being  denied  the  privilege  of  mar- 
riage, seduced  the  wives  and 
daughters  of  many  of  the  laity, 
and  filled  the  nation  with  bastards, 
who  were  left  exposed  to  all  sorts 
of  hardships. 

After  all  these  afflictions  and 
sufferings,  Mr.  Saunders  was 
brought  before  the  council,  where 
the  chancellor  sat  as  president ; 
and  there  he  was  asked  a  great 
number  of  questions  concerning 
his  opinions.  These  questions  were 
proposed  in  so  artful  and  ensnar- 
ing a  manner,  that  the  prisoner, 
by  telling  the  truth,  must  crimi- 
nate himself;  and  to  have  stood 
mute  would  havo  subjected  him  to 
the  torture. 

Under  such  circumstances  God 
gave  him  fortitude  to  assert  the 
truth,  by  declaring  his  abhorrence 
«f  all  the  doctrines  of  popery. 

The  examination  being  ended, 
the  officers  led  him  out  of  the 
place,  and  then  waited  till  some 
other  prisoners  were  examined. 
While  Mr.  Saunders  was  standing 
among  the  officers,  seeing  a  great 
number  of  people  assembled,  as 
is  common  on  such  occasions,  he 
exhorted  them  to  beware  of  falling 
,off  from  Christ  to  Anti- Christ,  as 


many  were  tl»€tt  re1.arnir>g  to  po- 
pery, because  they  had  not  forti- 
tude to  suffer. 

The  chancellor  ordered  him  to 
be  excommunicated,  and  commit- 
ted him  to  the  Compter.  This  was 
a  great  comfort  to  him,  because  he 
was  visited  by  many  of  his  people, 
whom  he  exhorted  to  constancy; 
and  when  they  were  denied  ad- 
mittance, he  spoke  to  them  through 
the  grate. 

On  the  4th  of  February  the  she- 
riff of  London  delivered  him  to  the 
bishop,  who  degraded  him;  and 
Mr.  Saunders  said,  "  Thank  God, 
I  am  now  out  of  your  church." 

The  day  following  he  was  given 
up  to  some  of  the  queen's  officers, 
who  were  appointed  to  convey  him 
down  to  Coventry,  there  to  be 
burned.  The  first  night  they  lay 
at  St.  Alban's,  where  Mr.  Saun- 
ders took  an  opportunity  of  rebuk- 
ing a  person  who  had  ridiculed  the 
Christian  faith. 

After  they  arrived  at  Coventry, 
a  poor  shoemaker,  who  had  for- 
merly worked  for  Mr.  Saunders, 
came  to  him,  and  said,  "  O,  my 
good  master,  may  God  strengthen 
you."  "  Good  shoemaker,"  an- 
swered Mr.  Saunders,  "  I  beg  you 
will  pray  for  me,  for  I  am  at  pre- 
sent in  a  very  weak  condition;  but 
I  hope  my  gracious  God,  who 
hath  appointed  me  to  it,  will  give 
me  strength." 

The  same  night  he  spent  in  the 
common  prison,  praying  for,  and 
exhorting  all  those  who  went  to 
hear  him. 

The  next  day,  which  was  the  8th 
of  February,  he  was  led  to  the 
place  of  execution,  in  the  Park 
without  the  gate  of  that  city,  going 
in  an  old  gown  and  a  shirt,  bare- 
footed, and  often  fell  on  the 
ground  and  prayed.  When  he 
approached  the  place  of  execution, 
the  under-sheriff  told  him  he  was 
an  heretic,  and  that  he  had  led  the 
people  away  from  the  true  reli- 
gion; but  yet,  if  he  would  recant, 
the  queen  would  pardon  him.  To 
this  Mr.  Saunders  answered, 
"  That  he  had  not  filled  the  realm 
witli  heresy,  for  he  had  taught  th& 


BISHOP  HOOPER. 


393 


people  the  pure  truths  of  tlie  gos- 
pel; and  in  all  his  sermons,  while 
he  exhorted  the  people  firmly,  de- 
sired his  hearers  to  be  obedient  to 
the  queen." 

When  brought  to  the  stake  he 
embraced  it,  and  after  being;  fas- 
tened to  it,  and  the  fag;ots  lighted, 
he  said,  *'  Welcome  the  cross  of 
Christ,  welcome  everlasting  life;" 
soon  after  which  he  resigned  his 
soul  into  the  hands  of  him  who 
gave  it. 

Well  might  the  apostle  say,  that 
if  we  only  in  this  life  have  hope, 
we  are,  of  all  men,  the  most  mi- 
serable. This  martyr  was  natu- 
rally of  a  timid  disposition;  and 
yet  here  we  see  with  what  con- 
stancy he  died.  This  is  a  strong 
proof  that  there  must  be  an  al- 
mighty power,  working  through 
faith  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
are  punished  for  the  truth. 

Mr.  Saunders  often  told  his 
friends,  that  many  would  suffer  if 
ever  Mary  ascended  the  throne. 
He  knew  the  temper  of  that  prin- 
cess, and  had  reason  to  expect  per- 
secution under  her  influence.  It  is 
for  the  benefit  of  succeeding  ages, 
that  God  gives  strength  to  the 
heart  of  man  to  suffer.  It  is  to 
promote  many  valuable  purposes, 
by  teaching  us  to  set  a  proper  va- 
lue on  the  many  national  bless- 
ings we  enjoy  in  the  present  age ; 
and  in  return  for  so  many  mercies. 


we  ought  to  live  in  tlie  practice  of 
every  virtuous  and  religious  duty ; 
and  to  bless  the  Almighty  for  hav- 
ing delivered  us  from  a  worse 
than  Egyptian  darkness  ;  for  po- 
pery, both  in  its  spirit  and  ten- 
dency, can  be  properly  considered 
as  no  other.  But,  alas!  instead  of 
tiiis,  how  opposite  is  our  conduct! 
How  justly  may  God  be  provoked 
by  the  wickedness  of  this  genera- 
tion, to  sulVcr  the  enemy  to  sow 
tares  among  our  wheat ! 

To  what  other  cause  can  we  as- 
cribe the  increase  of  popery,  of 
late  years,  which  has  not  been 
confined  to  the  capital,  but  has 
even  extended  to  the  remotest 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  In  Scot- 
land, where,  fifty  years  ago,  there 
was  scarcely  a  papist,  there  arc 
now  many  thousands. 

We  must  impute  much  of  this  io 
our  own  remissness  in  our  duty. 
The  popish  priests  use  all  the 
means  they  can  devise  to  seduce 
our  people;  why  should  not  we  be 
as  vigilant  in  preserving  our  flocks 
from  these  wolves  in  sheep's 
clothing?  Let  us  take  an  exatuple 
from  the  pious  martyr  whose  suf- 
ferings we  have  just  related, 
whose  life  was  a  comment  on  his 
doctrine,  and  who  lived  as  he 
preached.  This  will  do  more  to- 
wards suppressing  popery  and  in- 
fidelity, than  the  best  arguments 
that  can  be  framed. 


SECTION  II. 

SUFFERINGS    AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   BISHOP   HOOPER. 


We  have  seen,  in  our  account  of 
the  pious  Mr.  Saunders,  that  a 
man  by  nature  weak  and  timorous, 
could  bear,  with  an  undaunted 
boldness,  all  those  torments  which 
were  prepared  for  him  by  his  ene- 
mies, and  by  the  enemies  of 
Christ  Jesus;  and  we  have  seen 
that  gracious  Being,  for  whose 
name's  sake  he  sufiered,  support- 
ing him  under  all  his  afflictions. 

We  shall  now  bring  forth  ano- 
ther martyr,  whose  name  will  ever 
be  esteemed  for  his  sincere  attach- 
ment to  the  protestant  religion, 
and  for  the  little  regfard  h«  paid  to 


ceremonies,  about  which  there  has 
been  much  unnecessary,  and  in- 
deed angry  contention. 

The  person  to  whom  we  allude 
was  Dr.  John  Hooper,  a  man  of 
eminence  in  his  profession.  He 
was  educated  in  Oxford,  but  in 
what  college  does  not  appear; 
probably  it  was  in  Queen's  college, 
because  he  was  a  north  country- 
man, that  seminary  of  learning 
being  appropriated  for  those  of  the 
northern  counties. 

He  made  a  great  progress  in  his 
studies,  and  was  remarkable  for 
early  pietv.     He  studied  the  sacred 


394 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Scriptures  ivlth  th€  n>ost  unremit- 
ting assiduity,  and  was.  for  some 
time,  an  ornaroeut  to  the  univer- 
sity.   ' 

His  spirit  was  fervent,  and  he 
hated  every  thing  in  religion  that 
was  not  of  an  essential  nature. 
When  the  six  articles  were  pub- 
lished. Hooper  did  all  he  could  to 
oppose  them,  as  maintaining  every 
thing  in  the  popish  system,  except 
the  supremacy.  He  preached 
frequently  against  them,  which 
created  him  many  enemies  in  Ox- 
ford; but  Henry  VIII.  had  such 
an  opinion  of  him,  that  he  would 
not  suffer  him  to  be  molested. 
Soon  after  this  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  the  university,  and  assuming 
a  lay  character,  became  steward 
to  sir  Thomas  Arundel,  who,  at 
first,  treated  him  with  great  kind- 
ness, till,  having  discovered  his 
sentiments  as  to  religion,  he  be- 
came his  most  implacable  enemy. 

Mr.  Hooper  having  received  in- 
telligence that  some  mischief  was 
intended  against  him,  left  the 
house  of  sir  Thomas  Arundel,  and 
borrowing  a  horse  from  a  friend, 
whose  life  he  had  saved,  rode  off 
towards  the  sea-side,  intending  to 
go  to  France,  sending  back  the 
horse  by  a  servant.  He  resided 
some  time  at  Paris,  in  as  private 
a  manner  as  possible.  Returning 
again  to  England  he  was  informed 
against,  and  obliged  to  leave  his 
native  country  a  second  time. 

He  went  over  again  to  France, 
but  not  being  safe  there,  he  travel- 
led into  Germany:  from  thence  he 
went  to  Basil,  where  he  married  a 
pious  woman,  and  afterwards  set- 
tled some  time  at  Zurich,  in  Switz- 
erland :  there  he  applied  closely  to 
his  studies,  and  made  himself  mas- 
ter of  the  Hebrew  language. 

At  length,  when  the  true  religion 
was  set  up  after  the  death  of  king 
Henry  V  III.  amongst  other  Eng- 
lish exiles  that  returned  was  Mr. 
Hooper.  In  the  most  grateful 
manner  he  returned  thanks  to  all 
his  friends  abroad,  who  had  shewn 
him  so  much  compassion ;  parti- 
cularly to  the  learned  Bullinger, 
who  was  a  great  friend  to  all  thos« 


who  were  pcrseouted  for  the  gos- 
pel. When  he  took  an  affection- 
ate leave  of  Bullinger,  he  told  him 
that  he  would  write  to  him  as  often 
as  he  could  find  an  opportunity, 
but  added,  "  probably  I  shall  be 
burned  to  ashes,  and  then  some 
friend  will  give  you  information." 
Another  circumstance  should  not 
be  omitted  in  this  place,  and  that 
is,  that  when  he  was  appointed  bi- 
shop of  G-loucester  and  Worcester, 
the  herald,  who  emblazoned  his 
arms,  put  the  figure  of  a  lamb  in 
a  fiery-bush,  with  the  rays  of  glory 
descending  from  heaven  on  the 
lamb,  which  had  such  an  effect 
on  Dr.  Hooper,  that  he  said  he 
knew  he  should  die  for  the  truth  ; 
and  this  consideration  inspired  him 
with  courage.  But  to  return  to 
our  narrative. 

When  Dr.  Hooper  arrived  in 
London,  he  was  so  much  filled 
with  zeal  to  promote  the  gospel, 
that  he  preached  every  day  to 
crowded  congregations.  In  his 
sermons  he  reproved  sinners  in 
general,  but  particularly  directed 
his  discourse  against  the  peculiar 
vices  of  the  times. 

The  abuses  he  complained  of 
were  owing  to  a  variety  of  causes  : 
the  nobility  had  got  the  church 
lands,  and  the  clergy  were  not 
only  seditious  in  their  conduct, 
but  ignorant  even  to  a  proverb. 
This  occasioned  a  scene  of  general 
immorality  among  all  ranks  and 
degrees  of  people,  which  furnished 
pious  men  with  sufiRcient  matter 
for  reproof. 

In  his  doctrine.  Hooper  was 
clear,  plain,  eloquent,  and  persua- 
sive, and  so  much  followed  by  all 
ranks  of  people,  that  the  churches 
could  not  contain  them. 

Although  no  man  could  labour 
more  indefatigably  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard,  yet  Hooper  had  a  most 
excellent  constitution,  which  he 
supported  by  temperance,  and  was 
therefore  enabled  to  do  much  good. 
In  the  whole  of  his  conversation 
with  those  who  waited  on  him  in 
private,  he  spoke  of  the  purity  of 
the  gospel,  and  of  the  great  things 
of   God,     cautioning     the    people 


BISHOP  HOOPER. 


395 


against  icturniij^  to  pope-ry,  if  any 
change  in  the  government  should 
take  place.  'I'his  was  the  more 
necessary,  as  the  people  in  gene- 
ral were  but  ill  grounded,  though 
Cranmer,  Ridley,  and  many  other 
pious  men  were  using  every  means 
in  their  power  to  make  them  ac- 
quainted with  the  principles  of 
the  christian  religion.  In  this 
pious  undertaking,  no  one  was  more 
forward  than  Dr.  Hooper;  at  all 
limes,  "in  season,  and  out  of  sea- 
son," he  was  ready  to  discharge 
his  duty  as  a  faithful  minister  of 
the  gospel. 

After  he  had  preached  some 
time,  with  great  success,  in  the 
city,  he  was  sent  for  by  Edward 
VI.  who  appointed  him  one  of  his 
chaplains,  and  soon  after  made 
him  bishop  of  Gloucester,  by  let- 
ters-pat»nt  under  the  great  seal; 
having  at  the  same  time  the  care 
of  the  bishopric  of  Worcester  com- 
mitted to  him. 

As  Dr.  Hooper  had  been  some 
time  abroad,  he  had  contracted  an 
aversion  to  the  popish  ceremonies, 
and  before  he  went  to  his  bishop- 
ric, he  requested  of  the  king  that 
he  might  not  be  obliged  to  ^give 
countenance  to  them,  which  re- 
quest the  monarch  complied  with, 
though  much  against  the  inclina- 
tions of  the  other  bishops.  Dr. 
Hooper  and  his  brethren  of  the 
reformed  church  had  many  dis- 
putes about  the  Romish  tenets, 
which  shews  that  there  are  some 
remains  of  corruption  in  the  best 
of  men.  Some  persons  seek  ho- 
nours with  unwearied  zeal,  and 
seem  to  take  more  pleasure  in 
titles,  than  in  considering  that  an 
elevated  rank  only  increases  the 
necessity  of  being  more  observant 
of  our  duty. 

Dr.  Hooper  diiTered  from  these 
men,  for  instead  of  seeking  pre- 
ferments, he  would  never  have 
accepted  of  any,  had  they  not 
been  pressed  on  him.  Having  the 
care  of  two  dioceses,  he  held  and 
guided  thera  both  together,  as  if 
they  had  been  but  one.  His  lei- 
sure i;ime,  which  was  but  little,  he 
spent  in  hearing  cansea,  in  private 


prayer,  and  reading  the  scriptures. 
He  likcv.ise  visited  the  schools, 
and  encouraged  youth  in  the  pur- 
suit of  learning.  He  had  children 
of  his  own,  whom  he  likewise  in- 
structed, and  treated  them  with 
all  the  tenderness  of  a  good  pa- 
rent, but  without  the  indulgence  of 
a  weak  one. 

He  kept  open  house,  with  pro- 
visions for  the  poor,  which  was  a 
very  pious  and  necessary  action 
in  those  times,  because  many  per- 
sons who  had  been  driven  out  of 
the  convents  roved  up  and  down 
the  country  starving.  He  relieved 
a  certain  number  of  these  every 
day,  and  when  they  had  satisfied 
tiieir  hunger  he  delivered  a  dis- 
course to  them  on  the  principles  of 
the  christian  religion. 

After  this  manner,  bishop  Hooper 
continued  to  discharge  his  duty  as 
a  faithful  pastor,  during  the  whole 
of  king  Edward's  reign.  But  no 
sooner  was  Mary  proclaimed,  than 
a  Serjeant  at  arms  was  sent  to 
arrest  our  bishop,  in  order  to  an- 
swer to  two  charges : 

First,  to  Dr.  Heath,  who  had 
been  deprived  of  the  diocese  of 
Gloucester  for  his  adherence  to 
popery,  but  was  now  restored  by 
the  queen  :  secondly,  to  Dr.  Bon- 
ner, bishop  of  London,  for  having 
given  evidence  to  king  Edward 
against  that  persecuting  prelate. 

Bishop  Hooper  was  desired,  by 
some  of  his  friends,  to  make  his 
escape,  but  his  answer  was,  "  I 
once  fled  for  my  life,  but  I  am  now 
determined,  through  the  strength 
and  grace  of  God,  to  witness  the 
truth  to  the  last." 

Being  brought  before  the  queen 
and  council,  Gardiner,  sitting  as 
president,  accused  bishop  Hooper 
of  heresy,  calling  him  by  the  most 
opprobrious  names.  This  was  in 
September,  1553,  and  although  he 
satisfactorily  answered  the  charges 
brought  against  him,  he  was  com- 
mitted to  prison  on  the  pretence 
of  being  indebted  to  the  queen  in 
several  sums  of  money.  On  the 
19th  of  March,  1654,  when  he  was 
called  again  to  appear  before  Gar- 
diner, the   chancellor,  and  several 


396 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


other  bishops,  would  not  suffer  liim 
him  to  plead  his  cause,  but  deprived 
him  of  his  bishopric. 

Being  asked  whether  he  was  a 
married  man,  he  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  and  declared  that  he 
would  not  be  unmarried,  till  death 
occasioned  the  separation  ;  because 
he  looked  upon  the  marriage  of  the 
clergy  as  necessary,  and  legal. 

The  more  they  attempted  to 
brow-beat  him,  the  more  resolute 
he  became,  and  the  more  pertinent 
in  his  answers.  He  produced  the 
decrees  of  the  council  of  Nice, 
which  first  ascertained  the  canon  of 
scripture,  where  it  was  ordained  to 
be  lawful,  as  well  as  expedient,  for 
the  clergy  to  marry.  These  argu- 
ments were,  to  little  purpose  with 
men  who  had  their  instructions  from 
the  queen,  and  were  previously  de- 
tennined  to  punish  him ;  the  good 
bishop  was  therefore  committed  to 
the  Tower,  but  afterwards  removed 
to  the  Fleet. 

As  the  determination  for  burning 
him  was  not  agreed  on,  he  was  only 
considered  as  a  debtor  to  the  queen, 
for  the  rents  of  his  bishopric,  which 
was  the  reason  of  his  being  sent  to 
the  Fleet.  This,  however,  was  a 
most  unjust  charge ;  for  the  pro- 
testant  religion  had  been  establish- 
ed in  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of 
her  brother  Edward,  by  act  of  par- 
liament; so  that  Dr.  Hooper's  ac- 
ceptance of  a  bishopric  was  in 
all  respects  legal  and  constitu- 
tional. 

As  a  debtor,  he  was  to  have  the 
rules  of  ihe  Fleet,  which  the  warden 
granted  him  for  five  pounds  ster- 
ling ;  but  went  immediately  and  in- 
formed Gardiner,  who,  notwith- 
standing he  had  paid  the  money, 
ordered  him  to  be  closely  con- 
fined. 

The  following  account  of  his  cruel 
treatment  while  confined  here,  was 
written  by  himself,  and  affords  a  pic- 
ture of  popish  barbarity,  which  can- 
not fail  to  make  a  due  impression 
on  our  readers. 

"  The  first  of  September  1553,  I 
was  committed  unto  the  Fleet,  from 
Richmond,  to  have  the  liberty  of 
the  prison ;    and  within  six   days 


after  I  paid  five  pounds  sterling  to 
the  warden  for  fees,  for  my  li- 
berty ;  who  immediately  upon  pay- 
ment thereof  complained  unto 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  upon 
which  I  was  committed  to  close 
prison  one  quarter  of  a  year  in  the 
Tower-chamber  of  the  Fleet,  and 
used  extremely  ill.  Then  by  the 
means  of  a  good  gentlewoman,  I 
had  liberty  to  come  down  to  dinner 
and  supper,  not  sufi"ered  to  speak 
with  any  of  my  friends  ;  but  as  soon 
as  dinner  and  supper  was  done,  to 
repair  to  my  chamber  again.  Not- 
withstanding, whilst  I  came  down 
thus  to  dinner  and  supper,  the  war- 
den and  his  wife  picked  quarrels 
with  me,  and  complained  untruly  of 
me  to  their  great  friend  the  bishop 
of  Winchester. 

"  After  one  quarter  of  a  year, 
Babington  the  warden,  and  his  wife, 
fell  out  with  me,  respecting  the 
wicked  mass  :  and  thereupon  the 
warden  resorted  to  the  bishop  of 
Winchester,  and  obtained  to  put 
me  into  the  wards,  where  I  have 
continued  a  long  time,  having  no- 
thing appointed  to  me  for  my  bed, 
but  a  little  pad  of  straw  and  a  rot- 
ten covering,  with  a  tick  and  a  Tew 
feathers  therein,  the  chamber  being 
vile  and  stinking,  until  by  God's 
means  good  people  sent  me  bedding 
to  lie  on.  On  one  side  of  the  pri- 
son, is  the  sink  and  filth  of  the 
house,  and  on  the  other  the  town 
ditch,  so  that  the  stench  of  the  house 
hath  infected  me  with  sundry  dis- 
eases. 

"  During  which  time  I  have  been 
sick,  and  the  doors,  bars,  hasps,  and 
chains  being  all  closed  upon  me,  I 
have  mourned,  called  and  cried  for 
help;  but  the  warden,when  he  hath 
known  me  many  times  ready  to  die, 
and  when  the  poor  men  of  the 
wards  have  called  to  help  me,  hath 
commanded  the  doors  to  be  kept 
fast,  and  charged  that  none  of  his 
men  should  come  at  me,  saying, 
'  Let  him  alone,  it  were  a  good  rid- 
dance of  him.' 

"  I  paid  always  like  a  baron  to 
the  said  warden,  as  well  in  fees, 
as  for  my  board,  which  Avas  twenty 
shillings  a  week,  besides  my  man's 


mSHOP  HOOPER. 


397 


table,  until  I  was  wrongfully  de- 
prived of  my  bishoprics,  and  since 
that  time,  I  have  paid  him  as  the 
best  gentleman  doth  in  his  house  ; 
yet  hath  he  used  me  worse,  and 
more  vilely,  than  the  veriest  slave 
that  ever  came  to  the  common  side 
of  the  prison. 

"  The  warden  hath  also  impri- 
soned my  man,  William  Downton, 
and  stri])ped  him  out  of  his  clothes 
to  search  for  letters,  and  could  find 
none,  but  a  little  remembrance  of 
good  people's  names  who  had  j^iven 
uie  their  alms  to  relieve  me  in  pri- 
son ;  and  to  undo  them  also,  the 
warden  delivered  the  same  bill  un- 
to the  said  Stephen  Gardiner,  God's 
enemy  and  mine. 

"  I  have  suffered  imprisonment 
almost  eighteen  months,  my  goods, 
livings,  friends,  and  comfort  taken 
from  me ;  the  queen  owing  me,  by 
just  account,  fourscore  pounds  or 
more.  She  hath  put  me  in  prison, 
and  giveth  nothing  to  keep  me,  nei- 
ther is  there  sulfered  anj"^  one  to 
come  at  me,  whereby  I  might  have 
relief.  I  am  with  a  wicked  man 
and  woman,  so  that  I  see  no  reme- 
dy (saving  God's  help)  but  I  shall 
be  cast  away  in  prison  before  I 
come  to  judgment.  But  I  commit 
my  just  cause  to  God,  whose  will  be 
done,  whether  it  be  by  life  or  death." 
After  he  had  been  eighteen 
months  in  prison,  on  the  22d  of  Ja- 
nuary, 1555,  the  warden  of  the  Fleet 
was  ordered  to  bring  him  before  the 
chancellor  Gardiner,  who,  with 
other  bishops,  were  appointed  to 
examine  him  a  second  time,  at 
Gardiner's  palace  in  Southwark. 

When  brought  before  these  mer- 
ciless persecutors,  the  chancellor 
made  a  long  speech  to  him,  desir- 
ing him  to  forsake  the  opinions  he 
had  embraced,  and  return  to  the 
bosom  of  the  church  ;  adding,  that 
as  the  pope  was  the  head  of  the 
church,  so  it  was  breaking  through 
her  unity  to  separate  from  her.  He 
promised  to  procure  him  the  pope's 
absolution  if  he  would  recant  his 
opinions ;  but  this  was  merely  an 
ostentatious  pretence  to  mercy ;  for 
Gardiner  knew,  that  Hooper  was 
too  well  g-rounded  in  his  religious 


opinions,   to  comply  with  his    re- 
quest. 

To  this  Dr.  Hooper  answered, 
that  as  the  pope's  doctrine  Avas 
contrary  to  the  sacred  scriptures, 
and  as  he  could  not  be  the  head 
of  the  church,  because  there  was 
no  head  of  it  but  Clirist,  so  he 
would  live  and  die  asserting  the 
doctrines  he  had  taught. 

Gardiner  replied,  that  the  queen 
would  never  shew  any  mercy  to 
the  enemies  of  the  pope  ;  where- 
upon Babington,  the  warden,  was 
commanded  to  take  him  back  to 
the  Fleet.  It  was  likewise  or- 
dered, that  he  should  be  shift- 
ed from  his  former  chamber, 
which  w?.s  done ;  and  he  was 
searched,  to  find,  if  possible, 
whether  he  had  any  books  con- 
cealed about  him,  but  none  were 
found. 

On  the  '25th  of  January  he  was 
again  brought  before  the  chancel- 
lor to  be  examined,  and  was  again 
asked  whether  or  not  he  would 
recant ;  but  nothing  could  shake 
his  constancy. 

On  Monday  morning,  February 
4,  the  bishop  of  London  went  to 
the  prison  to  degrade  him,  which 
was  done  in  the  usual  form,  by 
putting  the  different  robes  upon 
him  worn  by  priests,  and  then 
taking  them  off.  They  did  not 
put  on  him  the  bishop's  robes, 
because  they  did  not  admit  of  the 
validity  of  his  ordination.  While 
they  were  stripping  him  of  these 
Romish  rags,  he  told  them  he  "was 
glad  to  part  with  them,  because 
his  mind  had  been  always  against 
them,  and  considered  them  as  no 
better  than  heathenish  relics  ;  as 
in  fact  they  were,  for  the  same 
kind  of  robes  were  worn  by  the 
priests  before  the  time  of  Constan- 
tine  the  Great. 

A  few  hours  after  he  was  degrad- 
ed, the  keeper  came  to  him  and  told 
him,he  was  to  be  sent  down  to  Glou- 
cester to  suffer  death.  Upon  this 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  hands  to 
heaven,  praising  God  that  he  was 
to  die  among  his  people,  as  it 
would  be  the  means  of  confirming 
them  in  the  truth  of  what  he  had 


3DS 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


taught  them.  He  intuicdiately  sent 
to  his  servant  for  his  boots  and 
cloak,  that  h»  miglit  be  in  readiness 
to  attend  the  officers  whenever  they 
should  come  for  him. 

About  four  in  the  morning  he  was 
taken  out  of  prison  by  the  sherilF, 
and  conducted  to  the  sign  of  the 
Angel,  near  St.  Dunstan's  chuich, 
Fleet-street.  There  he  was  re- 
ceived by  the  queen's  officers,  who 
had  the  warrant  for  his  execution  ; 
after  which  they  permitted  him  to 
take  some  refreshment. 

About  break  of  day  he  cheerfully 
mounted  on  horseback  without  help, 
having  a  hood  on  his  head  under 
his  hat,  that  he  should  not  be 
known;  and  thus  equipped,  with  a 
serene  and  cheerful  countenance, 
proceeded  on  the  road  for  Glou- 
cester, attended  by  his  keepers. 
The  guards  asked  him  what  houses 
he  was  accustomed  to  use  on  the 
road ;  and  when  they  were  In- 
formed, in  order  to  perplex  him, 
they  took  him  to  others. 

On  the  Thursday  following  they 
arrived  at  Cirencester,  a  town  in 
his  own  diocese,  and  about  eleven 
eailes  from  Gloucester,  where  they 
dined  at  the  house  of  a  woman  who 
had  always  hated  the  protestants, 
and  traduced  bishop  Hooper's  cha- 
racter as  much  as  possible.  This 
woman,  seeing  his  constancy,  was 
so  affected,  that  she  lamented  his 
case  with  tears,  and  begged  his 
pardon  for  the  manner  in  which  she 
had  spoken  of  him. 

Dinner  being  over,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Gloucester,  where  they 
arrived  about  five  in  the  afternoon. 
A  great  crowd  of  people  v/ere  as- 
sembled about  a  mile  without  the 
town;  so  that  one  of  the  guard, 
fearing  a  rescue,  rode  up  to  the 
mayor's  house,  to  demand  aid  and 
assistance.  This  being  granted,  the 
people  dispersed. 

Hooper  was  that  night  lodged  in 
the  house  of  one  Ingram,  where  he 
ate  his  supper  with  a  good  appetite, 
and  slept  very  quietly,  as  the  guard 
declared,  for  they  continued  in  the 
chamber  with  him  all  the  night.  In 
the  morning  he  got  up,  and  having 
prayed  most  fervently,  was  visited 


by  sir  Anthony  Kingston,  who  was 
one  of  the  persons  appointed  to  see 
him  executed.  When  sir  Anthony 
came  into  the  chamber  he  found 
him  at  his  prayers,  and  waiting  till 
he  had  done,  asked  if  he  did  not 
know  him.  To  this  bishop  Hooper 
answered,  that  he  did  know  him, 
and  was  glad  to  see  him  in  good 
health.  He  added,  that  he  was 
come  there  to  end  his  life,  and 
blessed  God  that  it  was  to  be  in 
the  midst  of  his  own  diocese.  He 
said  he  loved  life  as  well  as  it  ought 
to  be  loved,  but  he  was  not  to  enjoy 
it  at  the  expence  of  his  future  wel- 
fare. He  was  not  to  blaspheme 
his  Saviour  by  denying  his  name, 
through  which  alone  he  looked  for 
salvation  ;  but  trusted  that  he  should 
be  endowed  with  fortitude  sufficient 
to  bear  all  the  torments  his  enemies 
could  inflict  upon  him. 

Sir  Anthony  Kingston  had  pro- 
fited much  from  the  preaching  of  bi- 
shop Hooper,  and  taking  his  leave, 
told  him,  with  tears,  that  he  was 
extremely  sorry  to  lose  so  worthy  a 
person.  Dr.  Hooper  answered,  that 
it  was  his  duty  to  persevere  in  the 
truth,  and  not  to  be  ashamed  of  the 
gospel,  lest  Christ  should  refuse  to 
acknowledge  him  before  his  Father 
in  heaven. 

The  same  day,  in  the  afternoon, 
a  poor  blind  boy  came  to  visit  bi- 
shop Hooper,  and  falling  on  his 
knees  before  him,  said,  "Ah,  my 
lord,  I  am  blind  in  my  eyes,  but 
your  pious  instructions  have  re- 
moved a  spiritual  blindness  from 
my  heart.  May  God  support  j^ou 
under  all  your  sufferings,  and  bring 
you,  even  through  flames,  to  hea- 
ven '." 

Several  other  persons  visited  the 
bishop,  amongst  whom  was  a  very 
wicked  man,  a  bigoted  papist,  who 
had  known  him  formerly.  This 
man  upbraided  him  with  what  he 
called  his  heresy;  but  Hooper  bore 
all  his  insults  with  patience  and 
meekness. 

The  time  appointed  for  the  exe- 
cution of  this  pious  bishop  drawing 
nigh,  he  was  delivered  to  the  she- 
riffs of  Gloucester,  who,  with  the 
mayor  and  aldermen,  repaired  to 


BISHOP  BOOPER. 


399 


his  lodging^s,  and  at  the  first  meet- 
ing, having  saluted  him,  took  him 
by  the  hand.  The  resigned  martyr 
thanked  the  mayor,  with  the  rest  of 
the  officers,  for  taking  a  condemned 
man  by  the  hand,  and  for  all  the 
friendship  that  had  formerly  sub- 
sisted between  them,  for  he  had 
long  been  acquainted  with  them. 
He  begged  of  the  sheriifs  that  they 
would  make  the  fire  as  violent  as 
possible,  that  his  pains  might  be  of 
the  shorter  duration ;  adding,  that 
he  might  have  had  his  life  if  he 
chose  it,  but  could  not,  consistently 
with  that  duty  he  owed  to  God,  and 
his  own  conscience.  He  said,  he 
knew  the  bishop  of  Rome  was  Anti- 
christ, and  therefore  he  could  not 
be  obedient  to  him.  He  desired 
they  would  not  deny  his  request, 
but  let  him  suffer  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, without  exercising  any  un- 
necessary cruelty,  which  was  un- 
becoming the  dignity  of  men  of 
honour. 

A  consultation  was  held  by  the 
sheriffs,  whether  or  not  they  should 
lodge  him,  the  evening  before  his 
execution,  in  the  common  gaol 
over  the  north  gate  of  the  city ; 
but  the  guards  who  had  brought 
him  from  London,  interceded  so 
earnestly  in  his  favour,  that  he  was 
permitted  to  remain  in  his  former 
lodgings  ;  and  he  spent  the  evening 
in  prayer,  together  with  as  much  of 
the  night  as  he  could  spare  from 
his  ordinary  rest.  The  believer, 
who  is  to  rest  in  Christ  Jesus 
throughout  the  endless  ages  of 
eternity,  may  well  enjoy  an  hour's 
sleep,  before  the  commencement  of 
even  the  most  excruciating  tortures. 

When  bishop  Hooper  arose  in 
the  morning,  he  desired  that  no 
person  whatever  should  disturb 
him  in  his  devotions,  till  the  officers 
came  to  lead  him  out  to  execution. 

About  eight  o'clock,  the  lord 
Chandois,  attended  by  several 
other  noblemen  and  gentlemen, 
came  to  conduct  him  to  the  place 
of  execution ;  and  at  nine  Dr. 
Hooper  was  ready.  Being  brought 
down  from  his  chamber,  when  he 
saw  the  guards,  he  told  the  sheriffs 
he  was  no  traitor,  but  one  who  was 
3 


willing  to  die  for  tiie  truth  ;  and 
that  if  they  would  have  permitted 
him,  he  would  have  willingly  gone 
unguarded  to  the  stake,  without 
troubling  any  officers.  Afterwards, 
looking  upon  the  multitude  of  peo- 
ple that  were  assembled,  above 
seven  thousand  in  number,  he  said, 
"Alas!  why  are  so  many  people 
assembled?  I  dare  not  speak  to 
them  as  formerly." 

He  was  led  forward  between  the 
two  skerifi's,  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter,  having  on  a  gown  which 
the  man  of  the  house,  where  he 
was  confined,  had  lent  him;  and 
being  much  afflicted  with  an  illness 
he  had  contracted  in  prison,  he 
was  obliged  to  walk  with  a  staff  in 
his  hand.  The  sheriffs  having 
commanded  him  not  to  speak  one 
word,  he  was  not  seen  to  open  hi* 
mouth,  but  beholding  the  people, 
who  mourned  bitterly,  he  some- 
times lifted  up  his  eyes  towards 
heaven,  and  looked  cheerfully  upon 
such  as  he  knew ;  and,  indeed,  his 
countenance  was  more  cheerful 
than  it  had  been  for  a  long  time 
before. 

When  he  was  brought  to  the 
stake,  he  embraced  it,  and  looked 
smilingly  at  a  place  where  he  used 
formerly  to  preach.  He  then 
kneeled  down  to  pray,  and  beck- 
oned several  times  to  one  whom  he 
knew  well,  to  come  near  to  hear 
him,  that  he  might  give  a  faithful 
account  of  what  he  said,  after  his 
death,  as  he  was  not  permitted  to 
speak  aloud.  When  he  had  been 
some  time  at  prayer,  a  pardon  was 
brought,  and  offered  to  him,  on 
condition  that  he  would  recant; 
but  neither  promises  of  pardon, 
nor  threatenings  of  punishment, 
had  any  effect  on  him ;  so  immov- 
able was  he  in  the  faith,  and  so 
well  established  in  the  principles 
of  the  gospel. 

Prayers  being  ended,  he  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  stake,  by 
taking  off  his  landlord's  gown, 
which  he  delivered  to  the  sheriffs, 
requesting  them  to  see  it  restored 
to  the  owner.  He  then  took  off 
the  rest  of  his  clothes,  except  his 
doublet  and  hose,  in  which  he  in- 


400 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tended  to  bo  burned;  but  the  she- 
rill's  not  permitting  that,  he  pa- 
tiently submitted.  Alter  this,  a 
pound  ol"  gunpowder  was  placed 
between  his  legs,  and  the  same 
quantity  under  each  arm ;  three 
chains  were  then  lixed  round  him, 
one  to  his  neck,  another  to  his 
middle,  and  a  third  to  his  legs; 
and  with  these  he  Mas  fastened  to 
the  stake. 

This  being  done,  fire  was  put  to 
the  fagots;  but  they  being  green, 
he  suliered  inexpressible  torment. 
Soon  after  this,  a  load  of  dry  fa- 
gots was  brought,  but  still  the 
wind  blew  away  the  flames;  so 
that  he  begged  fbr  more,  that  he 
might  be  put  out  of  his  misery. 
At  length   the   fire   took  efiect, 


and  the  martyr  triumphantly  as- 
cended into  heaven,  after  such  a 
fiery  trial  as  almost  exceeds  any 
thing  we  meet  with  in  the  primi- 
tive ages.  His  last  words  were, 
"  Lord  Jesus  have  mercy  upon 
me ;  enable  me  to  bear  my  sutt'er- 
ings  for  thy  name's  sake,  and  re- 
ceive my  spirit." 

Such  was  the  end  of  one  of  the 
most  eminent  fathers  of  the  church 
of  England ;  and  surely  that  reli- 
gion which  could  support  him  un- 
der such  dreadful  tortures  must  be 
of  God.  Fanaticism  and  supersti- 
tion may  give  resolution;  but  it  is 
only  the  divine  influence  of  pure 
religion  which  can  bestow  calm- 
ness in  the  hour  of  death. 


SECTION  III. 

SUFFERINGS    AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   DR.    ROWLAND    TAYLOR. 


Dr.  Rowland  Taylor  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Hadleigh,  in  Suf- 
folk,  which  was  one   of  the   first 
places   in  England    that  received 
the  gospel;  and  here  he  preached 
constantly  during  the  reign  of  king 
Edward.        Archbishop    Cranmer, 
who  was  a  good  judge  of  merit, 
and  loved  to  reward  it  in  learned 
men,  took  him  into  his  family,  and 
presented  him  to  the  living  of  Had- 
leigh.    Here  he  proved  himself  a 
most  excellent  preacher  and  a  faith- 
ful pastor.     He  made  himself  ac- 
quainted with  every  individual  in 
his  parish;    he   taught  them   like 
the  apostles  and  primitive  Chris- 
tians,   who   went    from    house    to 
house,     The  love  of  Christ  wrought 
so  strongly  on  his  mind,  that  every 
Sunday  and  holiday,  he  preached 
in  the  most  fervent  manner  to  his 
people. 

Nor  did  he  restrict  himself  to 
preaching :  his  life  was  one  conti- 
nued comment  on  his  doctrine:  it 
was  a  life  of  holiness:  he  studied 
nothing  so  much  as  to  do  good; 
was  a  stranger  to  pride ;  and  was 
clothed  with  humility.  He  was 
particularly  attentive  to  the  poor, 
and  his  charity  was  bounded  only 
by  his  ability.  While  he  rebuked 
sinners    for    their   enormities,    he 


was  ready  to  relieve  their  want*. 
This  was  a  godlike  disposition, 
and  the  characteristic  of  a  true 
Christian. 

In  the  course  of  his  ministerial 
labours  he  often  met  with  opposi- 
tion, and  even  with  abuse  ;  but  he 
attended  to  the  maxim  laid  down 
by  the  apostle,   that  we  must  go 
through   evil,   as   well    as  through 
good  report.      He  was  a  married 
man,  but  never  sat  down  to  dinner 
with   his  family,   without  first  in- 
quiring whether  the  poor  wanted 
any   tiling.       To  those   who   were 
distressed,   he   gave   relief  before 
he  ate  any  thing  himself.     He  fa- 
miliarized himself  with  all  ranks 
of  men,  in  order  that  he  might  win 
them  to  the  knowledge   and  prac- 
tice of  the  truth.     He  was  an  in- 
dulgent, tender,    ali'ectionate  hus- 
band, and  brought  up  his  children 
in   the   fear  of    God,    well  know- 
ing, that  to  lay  a  good  foundation 
is  the  only  way  to  secure  a  beau- 
tiful superstructure. 

In  this  excellent  manner,  Dr. 
Taylor  continued  to  discharge  his 
duty  at  Hadleigh,  as  long  as  king 
Edward  lived;  but  no  sooner  was 
that  pious  monarch  dead,  than  af- 
fairs took  a  ditterent  turn. 
And  here  we  may  observe,  that 


DR.  ROWLAND  TAYLOR. 


401 


if  a  man  be  ever  so  pious;  if  he  be 
ever  so  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty,  yet  he  will  meet  with 
many  enemies  :  this  was  the  case 
with  Dr.  Taylor.  In  his  parish, 
notwithstanding  all  his  endeavours 
to  suppress  popery,  yet  some  pa- 
pists remained  ;  and  their  hatred 
of  his  doctrine  was  extended  to 
the  preacher,  and  rendered  them 
blind  to  his  excellencies. 

Two   of    these    persons,    named 


Clarke  and  Foster,  hired  a  Rom- 
ish priest  to  come  to  Hadloigh  to 
say  mass.  For  this  purpose,  they 
ordered  an  altar  to  be  built  with 
all  convenient  speed,  and  appoint- 
ed that  mass  should  be  said  on 
Palm  Sunday.  But  the  reformers 
met  together  in  the  evening,  and 
pulled  down  the  altar  ;  it  was,  how- 
ever, built  up  again,  and  a  watch 
was  appointed,  lest  it  should  be  de- 
molished a  second  time. 


A  Gentieman  of  Bohemui  inhumanly  murdered  by  a  band  of  Popish  liuffians,  for  having 
assisted  the  persecuted  Protestants  of  that  Country, 


The  day  following,  Clarke  and 
Foster  came,  bringing  along  with 
them  their  popish  priest,  who  was 
to  perform  the  service  of  mass. 
The  priest  was  dressed  in  his  robes 
for  the  occasion,  and  had  a  guard 
with  him,  lest  he  should  be  inter- 
rupted by  the  populace. 

When  Dr.  Taylor  heard  the  bells 
ring,  he  went  into  the  church  to 
know  the  reason,  but  found  the 
doors  of  the  chancel  barred  against 
him.  However,  getting  within  the 
chancel,  he  saw  the  popish  priest 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


at  the  altar,  attended  by  a  great 
number  of  people,  with  their 
swords  drawn.  The  doctor  ac- 
cused the  priest  of  idolatry,  but 
the  priest  retorted  upon  him,  and 
called  him  traitor,  for  disobeying 
the  queen's  proclamation.  Dr, 
Taylor  said  he  was  no  traitor,  but 
a  minister  of  the  gospel,  command- 
ed to  teach  the  people;  and  then 
ordered  the  popish  priest  to  retire, 
as  one  who  came  in  there  to  poison 
the  Hock  of  Christ  with  his  most 
abominable     doctrines.        Foster, 

26 


402 


-BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


who  was  principally  concerned  in 
this  affair,  called  Dr.  Taylor  a 
traitor,  and  violently  dragged  him 
out  of  the  church  ;  while  his  wife, 
on  her  knees,  begged  that  God 
would  vindicate  his  innocence,  and 
avenge  the  injuries  so  wrongfully 
inflicted  on  him. 

Foster  and  Clarke  next  exhibit- 
ed a  charge  of  heresy  against  Dr. 
Taylor,  to  the  chancellor  Gardiner, 
who  sent  a  messenger,  command- 
ing Dr.  Taylor  to  appear  before 
him,  in  order  to  answer  to  the 
charge. 

When  Dr.  Taylor's  friends  heard 
of  this  they  were  much  grieved, 
and  fearing  what  would  be  the  re- 
sult, as  justice  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected from  the  furious  bigots  then 
in  power,  advised  him  to  go  abroad 
to  save  his  life.  But  this  he  would 
by  no  means  comply  with  ;  saying 
that  it  was  more  honourable  to 
suffer  for  the  cause  of  God,  than 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  of  wicked 
men.  "  God,"  said  he,  "  will 
either  protect  me  from  sufferings, 
or  he  will  enable  me  to  bear  them." 
He  added,  "  That  he  knew  his 
dying  fear  the  truth  would  be  of 
more  service  to  the  cause  of  Christ, 
than  his  flying  away  from  the  ma- 
lice of  his  persecutors." 

When  his  friends  saw  that  no- 
thing could  prevail  upon  him,  they 
took  leave  of  him  with  tears  ;  after 
which  he  set  out  for  London,  ac- 
companied by  a  servant,  named 
John  Hull,  who  had  been  a  consi- 
derable time  in  his  family.  This 
faithful  servant  advised  him  to  make 
his  escape,  but  to  no  purpose  ;  for 
Taylor  said,  that  the  good  shepherd 
should  never  leave  his  sheep,  till  he 
was  torn  from  them  by  force.  In  the 
same  heavenly  manner  he  exhorted 
John  to  be  constant  in  the  profession 
of  Christianity,  and  not  to  return 
to  popery.  He  said,  that  worldly 
wisdom  was  apt  to  take  too  deep 
a  root  in  our  hearts,  and  that  it 
was,  therefore,  our  duty  to  do  all 
we  could  to  triumph  over  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil;  to  be  consist- 
ent in  our  attachment  to  the  truth  ; 
to  keep  in  view  the  glorious  eter- 
nity provided  for   the  faithful ;  to 


despise  earthly  enjoyments,  while 
we  strive  to  render  ourselves  wor- 
thy of  heaven  ;  to  fear  God  more 
than  men  ;  to  believe  that  he  will 
sweeten  all  our  sufferings,  by  the 
influences  of  his  holy  spirit ;  to 
think  nothing  too  hard  to  endure, 
in  order  to  obtain  a  blessed  immor- 
tality; and,  with  a  Christian  cou- 
rage, to  trample  on  death,  and 
triumph  over  the  grave. 

When  Dr.  Taylor  was  brought 
before  the  chancellor  Gardiner, 
that  prelate  reviled  him  in  the 
most  shocking  manner,  calling  him 
a  traitor  and  an  heretic ;  all  which 
our  pious  martyr  patiently  sub- 
mitted to.  In  the  opinion  of  Gar- 
diner he  might  have  been  an  he- 
retic, but,  according  to  law,  he 
could  not  have  been  a  traitor ;  for 
the  statute  of  high  treason,  and 
the  statute  of  heresy,  enforced 
different  punishments  :  for  treason 
the  oHending  party  was  to  be  hang- 
ed and  quartered  ;  for  heresy  he 
was  to  be  burned  alive.  Had  queen 
Mary  proceeded  against  this  man, 
and  many  others,  on  the  statute  of 
high-treason,  they  must  have  been 
acquitted,  as  the  trial  would  have 
been  conducted  according  to  the 
principles  of  common  law.  But 
this  she  had  no  intention  to  do ; 
her  design  was  to  gratify  the 
clergy,  by  causing  all  those  who 
opposed  their  sentiments,  to  be 
put  to  death  in  the  most  barbarous 
manner. 

Dr.  Taylor  answered  the  chan- 
cellor with  a  becoming  firmness : 
he  told  him,  that  he  was  the  per- 
secutor of  God's  people,  and  that 
he,  himself,  had  adhered  to  our 
Saviour  and  his  word :  he  put  bi- 
shop Gardiner  in  mind  of  the  oath 
he  had  taken  in  the  beginning  of 
king  Edward's  reign,  to  maintain 
the  protestant  religion,  and  oppose 
the  papal  supremacy  ;  but  Gardiner 
answered  that  the  oath  had  been 
extorted,  so  that  he  was  not  obliged 
to  abide  by  it. 

It  is  certain,  that  every  oath  ex- 
torted by  the  threatening  of  pu- 
nishment, can  have  no  moral  force; 
and  the  man  who  has  been  weak 
enough  to  swear,  may  recede  from 


DR.  ROWLAND  TAYLOR. 


403 


the  obligatory  part  as  soon  as  he 
has  an  opportunity.  But  this  was 
not  the  case  with  Gardiner;  had  he 
refused  the  oath,  all  tlie  punishment 
inflicted  upon  him  would  have  been 
the  loss  of  his  bishopric.  And 
surely  he  who  pays  the  least  regard 
to  the  sacred  Name  invoked  to  wit- 
ness his  sincerity,  will  not  choose 
to  enjoy  a  temporal  subsistence  at 
the  expense  of  a  guilty  conscience. 

Dr.  Taylor  explained  to  tlie  bi- 
shop the  nature  of  an  oath,  and 
told  him,  that  as  he  had  not  been 
forced  to  take  one  contrary  to  the 
dictates  of  conscience,  so  he  was 
either  prejudiced  in  what  he  did, 
or,  what  was  stiil  worse,  he  trilled 
with  a  sacred  obligation  :  that  no 
man  whatever  could  dispense  with 
an  oath,  unless  he  knew  :«t  was  his 
duty  to  do  so,  in  consequence  of 
its  having  been  imposed  on  him  by 
violence. 

Gardiner,  who  was  self-convict- 
ed, turned  the  subject  to  the  dis- 
puted points  coucerning  the  real 
presence,  and  some  other  things  in 
popery. 

With  respect  to  the  real  presence 
in  the  sacrament.  Dr.  Taylor  told 
him,  that  it  had  no  foundation  in 
scripture,  but  had  been  first  taught 
about  the  tenth  century.  He  quot- 
ed the  book  of  Bertram,  which  was 
written  about  that  time,  wherein 
the  real  presence  was  denied,  and 
transubstan-tiation  considered  as  no 
better  than  a  novel  doctrine.  He 
made  it  appear,  that  Christ  only 
commanded  his  followers  to  keep 
the  feast  of  the  eucharist,  in  re- 
membrance of  his  last  sapper  with 
them.  That  as  Christ  broke  bread, 
and  drank  wine  with  his  disciples 
in  a  friendly  manner,  before  he 
was  dragged  to  prison,  to  judgment, 
and  to  execution,  consequently  his 
followers  should  observe  it  as  a 
feast  of  unity  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Such  were  the  sentiments  of  this 
pious  man,  concerning  a  very  dis- 
puted point.  He  was  clear  in  his 
conceptions  concerning  the  scrip- 
ture account  of  the  last  supper,  f<"f 
all  the  primitive  fathers  have  tai'ght 
HS  to  consider  it  in  the  same  light. 


When  Christ  said,  "This  is  my 
body,"  he  could  only  mean  the 
atonement  that  was  to  be  made  for 
sin,  and  surely  that  could  not  be  the 
bread  he  took  in  his  hand.  The 
body  of  Christ,  joined  to  his  hu- 
man soul,  and  both  united  to  the 
divine  nature,  are  now  in  a  state 
of  glory  in  heaven ;  and  how  then 
can  the  priest  turn  a  morsel  of 
bread  into  the  body  of  our  Divine 
Kedeemer?  The  bare  thought  puts 
common  sense  to  the  blush.  It  is 
full  of  absurdity,  and  can  only  im- 
pose on  the  grossest  credulity,  for 
the  purpose  of  increasing  the  in- 
fluence of  artful  and  designing 
priests. 

Dr.  Taylor,  after  being  interro- 
gated by  the  chancellor  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  was  at  length  com- 
mitted to  prison ;  for  bigotry 
knows  no  feeling  ;  persecution  no 
resting-place. 

While  he  was  in  prison,  he  spent 
the  greatest  part  of  his  time  in 
prayer,  in  reading  the  sacred  scrip- 
tures, and  in  exhorting  the  poor 
prisoners,  confined  with  him,  to  a 
sense  of  their  duty.  This  was  ths 
more  necessary,  as  the  people  at 
that  time  were  extremely  ignorant; 
light  indeed  was  beginninsr  to 
break  in  upon  them,  hut  they 
knew  not  how  to  walk.  The  pri- 
son in  which  Dr.  Taylor  was  con- 
fined, was  that  commonly  called 
the  King's  Bench,  and  there  he 
met  with  that  holy  and  p/ous  man 
Mr,  Bradford,  whose  alfjflity  in  re- 
ligious sentiments  couiributed  to 
mitigate  his  sufiTeririjfi''  If  two 
virtuous  or  pious  p-rsons  are  of 
the  same  opinion  and  under  the 
same  circumsta«ces,  they  gene- 
rally syrapathi?^  with  each  other. 
This  was  thf  case  with  Dr.  Taylor 
and  Mr.  Badford  ;  for  no  sooner 
did  they  j^^eet  each  other  in  prison  ; 
than  t^^y  blessed  God  who  had 
broa^^tit  them  together,  to  suflFer 
for<he  truth  of  the  gospel. 

After  Dr.  Taylor  had  lain  a  con- 
siderable time  in  prison,  he  was 
cited  to  appear  at  Bow  church,  in 
Cheapside,  to  answer  to  the  dean 
of  the  arches  eoncerniug  bis  mar- 
riage. 


404 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


When  he  was  brought  before 
this  officer,  he  defended  marriage 
in  such  a  masterly  manner,  that 
the  dean  would  not  venture  to  pro- 
nounce a  divorce,  but  only  depriv- 
ed him  of  his  benefice.  He  was 
then  remanded  to  prison,  and  kept 
there  above  a  year  and  a  half; 
when  he  and  several  others  were 
brought  to  be  again  examined  be- 
fore the  chancellor. 

Gardiner  asked  him  whether  he 
adhered  to  the  form  of  religion, 
as  established  by  king  Edward 
VI.  ?  Whether  he  approved  of  the 
English  book  of  common  prayer? 
Whether  he  was  married  ?  and 
many  other  questions.  To  all  these 
Dr.  Taylor  gave  clear  and  satis- 
factory answers,  justifying  his  con- 
duct ;  but  these  were  not  sufficient, 
seeing  his  death  was  resolved  on. 

Concerning  marriage.  Dr.  Taylor 
proved,  not  only  from  the  sacred 
scriptures,  but  likewise  from  the 
primitive  writers,  that  the  clergy 
were  not  prohibited  from  it.  As 
he  was  a  learned  civilian  and  ca- 
nonist, he  proved  from  the  Justi- 
nian institutions,  that  all  oaths  of 
celibacy  were  then  condemned, 
and  that  the  priests  were  exhorted 
to  Marry.  Nay,  so  strict  was  the 
emperor  in  this  particular,  that  if 
a  man  made  over  a  legacy  to  his 
•wife,  on  condition  of  her  not  mar- 
rying again,  the  will  was  to  be 
void. 

He  aided  further,  that  it  was 
contained  in  the  pandects,  that  if 
a  man  had  a  female  slave,  and 
made  her  t-ee  on  condition  she 
should  nevCi  marry,  the  condition 
should  not  bt  binding,  and  she 
might  marry,  no.  should  her  for- 
mer master  be  perbitted  to  reclaim 
her.  It  was  the  n^re  proper  to 
quote  the  pandects,  u^cause  they 
were  written  in  the  sixj^  century 
and  although  many  abuses  had 
then  crept  into  the  churCi,  yet 
celibacy  was  not  in  the  numbe:. 

The  next  time  he  was  brought 
before  the  chancellor,  was  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Saunders,  whose 
martyrdom  we  have  already  de- 
scribed, and  Mr.  Bradford.  Dr. 
Taylor  was  charged  with  heresy  by 


the  chancellor,  and  the  other  bi- 
shops who  were  present.  He  ac- 
knowledged that  he  abhorred  all 
the  popish  doctrines  of  the  church 
of  Rome  ;  that  the  pope  was  Anti- 
christ;  that  to  deny  the  clergy  the 
privilege  of  marriage  was  the  doc- 
trine of  devils ;  that  there  were 
but  two  sacraments  in  the  New 
Testament ;  that  the  mass  was 
idolatry,  the  body  of  Christ  being 
in  heaven  ;  and  last  of  all,  that  he 
would  abide  by  these  sentiments 
to  the  last,  being  convinced  that 
they  were  consistent  with  the  doc- 
trines laid  down  by  Christ  and  his 
apostles. 

One  may  easily  imagine  what 
would  be  the  consequences  of  such 
a  free  and  open  declaration.  The 
papists  could  not  bear  to  hear  their 
favourite  notions  thus  called  in 
question,  and  even  condemned  as 
idolatry. 

Tlie  chancellor  therefore  pro- 
nounced sentence  on  him,  and  he 
was  taken  to  a  prison  in  South- 
wark,  called  the  Clink,  where  he 
remained  till  night,  and  then  was 
sent  to  the  Compter  in  the  Poultry. 
Here  he  remained  seven  days ; 
when  on  the  4th  of  February,  1555, 
Bonner,  bishop  of  London,  with 
others,  came  to  the  said  Compter  to 
degrade  him,  bringing  with  them 
the  popish  habits  *. 

The  last  part  of  the  ceremony  of 
degradation  is  for  the  bishop  to 
strike  the  person  degraded  on  the 
breast ;  but  Bonner's  chaplain  ad- 
vised hita  not  to  strike  Dr.  Taylor, 
for  he  would  surely  strike  again. 
"  Yes,  that  I  will,  by  St.  Peter," 
said  the  doctor,  "  for  the  cause  is 
Christ's,  and  I  should  not  be  a  good 
soldier,  if  I  did  not  fight  my  mas- 
ter's battles." 

*  Superstition  had  risen  to  such  a  pitch 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  that  the  clergy 
were  exempted  from  corporeal  punish- 
ments; but  his  grandson  Henry  ll.,  in 
the  constitutions  of  Clarendon,  ordained, 
that  they  should  suffer  the  same  punish- 
ments as  the  laity ;  and  therefore  the 
clergy,  that  it  might  not  be  said  that  a 
priest  suffered  death,  always  degraded 
•"m  before  execution ;  thus  by  a  pitiful 
quJ,i,le  maintaining  the  shadow  of  ex- 
empr^n,when  they  had  lost  the  substance. 


DR.  ROWLAND  TAYLOR. 


405 


The  bishop  therefore  contented 
himself  with  pronouncing  a  curse 
upon  Dr.  Taj  lor;  to  which  the 
doctor  answered,  "  You  may 
curse  as  long  as  you  please,  but  I 
am  confident  God  will  support  me: 
I  have  the  witness  of  a  good  con- 
science, that  I  am  standing  in  de- 
fence of  the  truth;  whereas  you 
dare  not  say  that  you  are  doing  so: 
but  I  will  pray  for  you." 

When  he  was  brought  up  to  his 
chamber,  he  told  Mr.  Bradford 
that  he  had  made  the  bishop  of 
London  afraid;  "for,"  said  he, 
"his  chaplain  advised  him  not  to 
strike  me,  lest  I  should  strike  him 
again,  which  I  made  him  believe  I 
would,  although  I  never  intended 
to  do  so." 

To  strike  an  enemy  is  strictly 
forbidden  in  the  gospel ;  but  even 
had  Dr.  Taylor  been  so  unguarded 
as  to  strike  the  bishop,  it  could 
only  have  been  imputed  to  the  ig- 
norance which  at  tliat  time  pre- 
vailed, even  over  the  minds  of 
pious  men. 

The  night  after  he  was  degraded, 
his  wife,  with  his  son  Thomas, 
caoie  to  see  him;  and  such  was 
the  good-nature  of  the  keeper,  that 
he  permitted  them  to  go  into  his 
apartment  and  sup  with  him. 
Thus  Dr.  Taylor  found  a  great  dif- 
ference between  the  keeper  of  the 
bishop's  prison,  and  the  keeper  of 
the  Compter.  The  bishop's  keep- 
ers were  ever  cruel,  blasphemous, 
and  tyrannical,  like  their  master; 
but  the  keepers  of  the  royal  pri- 
sons, for  the  most  part,  shewed  as 
much  favour  as  could  be  granted, 
to  those  whom  they  had  in  cus- 
tody. John  Hull,  the  servant, 
came  with  the  wife  and  son  of  Dr. 
Taylor;  and  at  their  first  coming 
in,  they  all  kneeled  down  and 
prayed. 

After  supper  the  doctor  walked 
two  or  three  times  across  the 
room,  blessing  God  that  he  had 
singled  him  out  to  bear  witness  to 
the  truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus;  that  he 
had  been  thought  worthy  to  suft'er 
for  his  name's  sake;  and  then 
turning  to  his  son,  he  said,  "  My 
dear  son,  God  Almighty  bless  you, 


and  give  you  his  holy  spirit,  to  be 
a  true  servant  of  Christ ;  to  hear 
his  word,  and  constantly  to  stand 
by  the  truth  all  thy  life  long;  and, 
my  son,  see  that  thou  fear  God  al- 
ways ;  flee  from  all  sin  and  wicked 
living;  be  virtuous;  attend  closely 
to  thy  book,  and  pray  to  Go<4  sin- 
cerely. In  all  things  that  are  law- 
ful, see  that  thou  be  obedient  to 
thy  mother;  love  her  and  serve 
her;  be  ruled  and  directed  by  her 
now  in  thy  youth,  and  follow  her 
good  counsel  in  all  things.  Be- 
ware of  lewd  company,  of  young 
men  that  fear  n®t  God,  but  in- 
dulge their  vain  appetites  and 
lusts.  Fly  from  whoredom,  and 
abhor  all  filthy  living;  remember- 
ing that  I,  thy  father,  am  to  die  in 
defence  of  holy  marriage.  Ano- 
ther day,  when  God  shall  bless 
thee,  love  and  cherish  the  poor 
people,  and  count  that  thy  chief 
riches  is  to  be  rich  in  alms:  and 
when  thy  mother  is  far  advanced 
in  years,  forsake  her  not,  but  pro- 
vide for  her  according  to  thy  abili- 
ties, and  see  that  she  want  for  no- 
thing. And  God  will  bless  thee, 
and  give  thee  long  life  upon  earth, 
and  prosperity :  for  which  now, 
upon  my  knees,  I  pray  through  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Then  turning  to  his  wife,  he 
said,  "  My  dear  wife,  continue 
steadfast  in  the  faith,  fear,  and 
love  of  God.  Keep  yourself  unde- 
filed  by  popish  idolatries  and  su- 
perstition. I  have  been  unto  you  a 
faithful  yoke-fellow;  and  so  have 
you  been  unto  me;  for  the  which 
I  pray  God  to  reward  you,  and 
doubt  not,  my  dear,  but  God  will 
reward  you.  Now  the  time  is 
come  that  I  shall  be  taken  from 
you,  and  you  discharged  of  the 
wedlock  bond  towards  me :  there- 
fore I  M'ill  give  you  my  counsel, 
that  I  think  most  expedient  for 
you.  You  are  yet  a  child-bearing 
woman,  and,  therefore,  it  will  be 
most  convenient  for  you  to  marry ; 
for,  doubtless,  you  will  not  ot 
yourself  be  able  to  support  our 
dear  children,  nor  be  out  of  trou- 
ble, till  you  be  married.  There- 
fore, as  soon  as  iProvidence  shall 


406 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


point  out  some  pious,  honest  man, 
who  you  think  will  support  the 
poor  children,  be  sure  to  marry 
him,  and  live  in  the  fear  of  God ; 
but  by  all  means  avoid  idolatry 
and  superstition." 

Having  said  these  words,  he  fell 
down  and  prayed  for  his  family; 
and  then  he  gave  his  wife  an  Eng- 
lish prayer-book,  as  set  forth  by 
king  Edward  VI.;  and  to  his  son 
Thomas  he  gave  a  Latin  book, 
containing  a  collection  of  senti- 
ments from  the  writings  of  the  pri- 
mitive fathers,  relating  to  the  cou- 
rage and  constancy  of  the  ancient 
martyrs. 

The  reader  who  attends  to  the 
conduct  of  this  dying  martyr,  will 
find  that  there  is  something  in  true 
religion  far  superior  to  deception. 
In  the  primitive  times  it  was  com- 
mon for  the  martyrs,  previous  to 
their  sufferings,  to  converse  with 
their  friends,  and  also  to  write 
epistles  to  the  churches  at  a  dis- 
tance. Some  of  those  epistles  are 
Still  extant,  and  we  know  that  they 
were  frequently  read  in  the 
churches  afterwards:  but  no  elo- 
quence ca,n  exceed  that  of  Dr. 
Taylor,  in  taking  leave  of  his 
wife  and  son.  How  sweetly  do  his 
expressions  flow  from  the  heart! 
What  a  manly  dignity  under  his 
sufferings  does  he  display !  What 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
what  a  firm  reliance  on  divine 
Providence  !  Here  indeed  grace 
triumphed  over  human  nature,  and 
the  soul  shewed  its  native  splen- 
dour, although  confined  within  a 
mortal  body. 

The  next  morning,  the  5th  of  Fe- 
bruary, so  early  as  two  o'clock, 
the  sheriff  of  London,  attended  by 
his  officers,  came  to  the  Compter, 
and  took  Dr.  Taylor  to  the  Wool- 
pack,  near  Aldgate.  His  wife, 
having  some  suspicion  that  he  was 
~  to  be  taken  out  that  morning, 
waited  all  night  in  the  church  of 
St.  Botolph,  near  Aldgate,  having 
with  her  a  poor  orphan  girl,  whom 
the  doctor  had  brought  up  from 
infancy,  and  one  of  her  own  chil- 
dren. When  the  sheriff  and  his 
company  came  opposite  the  church. 


the  orphan  girl  cried  out,  "  O,  my 
dear  father;  mother,  mother,  here 
is  my  father  led  out."  Then  Mrs. 
Taylor  cried  out,  "  Rowland ! 
Rowland!  where  art  thou?"  for 
the  morning  was  extremely  dark. 
To  this  Dr.  Taylor  answered, 
"  Here  I  am,  but  I  am  confined." 
The  sheriff's  officers  wanted  to 
hurry  him  away ;  but  the  sherifi", 
who  had  more  humanity,  ordered 
them  to  let  him  speak  with  his 
wife. 

She  then  came  to  him,  when, 
taking  his  wife  and  daughter,  with 
the  orphan  girl,  by  the  hands,  he 
kneeled  down,  and  prayed  with 
them ;  which  when  the  sheriff,  and 
the  other  persons  present,  saw, 
they  shed  tears.  Prayers  being 
over,  he  rose  up,  and  taking  his 
wife  by  the  hand,  bid  her  have 
good  comfort,  for  he  had  a  clear 
conscience.  "  God,"  said  he, 
"  will  provide  a  father  for  my 
children,  but  let  them  be  steadfast 
in  the  faith."  To  which  his  wife 
answered,  "  God  be  with  you,  my 
dear  Rowland,  and  I  will,  with  his 
grace,  meet  you  at  Hadleigh." 

He  was  then  put  into  a  chamber, 
with  four  of  the  yeomen  of  the 
guard,  and  the  sheriff's  officers. 
As  soon  as  he  entered  the  chamber 
he  knelt  down,  and  gave  himself 
wholly  to  prayer.  There  the  she- 
rifli',  seeing  Mrs.  Taylor,  told  her 
that  she  must  not  speak  to  her 
husband ;  but  that  she  might  go  to 
his  house,  and  he  would  provide 
for  her,  so  that  slie  should  not 
want  for  any  thing.  To  this  she 
answered,  that  "  she  Avould  rather 
go  to  her  mother's  house,"  and 
two  officers  were  sent  to  conduct 
her  thither. 

This  part  of  the  sheriflF's  conduct 
doubtless  arose  from  principles  of 
humanity;  for  what  man  can  see 
a  wife  and  children  weeping  over 
a  father  and  husband,  condemned 
to  a  cruel  death,  for  a  disputable 
ofi'ence,  without  shedding  a  tear  of 
compassion? 

Dr.  Taylor  remained  at  the 
Woolpack  till  eleven  in  the  fore- 
noon, Avhen  the  sheriff  of  Essex 
came  to  receive  him,  and  they  pre- 


DR.  ROWLAND  TAYLOR. 


407 


pared  to  set  oat  on  horseback.  As 
they  came  out  of  the  gate  of  the 
iun,  John  Hull,  his  old  servant, 
whom  we  have  mentioned  before, 
was  there  waiting,  having  with  him 
Dr.  Taylor's  son  Thomas ;  John 
lifted  up  the  boy  that  he  might  see 
his  father,  and  then  set  him  on  the 
horse  before  him.  Dr.  Taylor, 
taking  olV  his  hat,  said,  "  Good 
people,  this  is  my  own  sou,  be- 
gotten in  lawful  wedlock,  and  I 
bless  God  for  lawful  matrimony." 
He  then  lifted  up  his  eyes  towards 
heaven,  and  prayed  for  his  son  ; 
laid  his  hat  upon  the  boy's  head, 
and  blessed  him.  After  this  he 
delivered  him  to  John  Hull,  whom 
he  shook  by  the  hand,  and  said, 
"  thou  hast  been  the  faithfulest 
servant  ever  man  had." 

When  they  arrived  at  Brentwood, 
they  made  a  close  hood  for  Dr. 
Taylor,  having  two  holes  for  his 
eyes,  and  one  for  his  mouth  to 
breathe  at.  They  did  this,  that  no 
man  should  know  him  or  speak 
to  him  ;  which  practice  was  fre- 
quently used  in  such  cases.  The 
evidence  of  their  own  consciences 
corrvinced  them  that  they  were 
leading  innocent  people  to  the 
slaughter.  Guilt  creates  fear,  and 
thus  does  Satan  reward  iiis  vas- 
sals. 

All  the  way  Dr.  Taylor  was  as 
joyful  as  if  he  had  been  going  to 
take  possession  of  an  estate  ;  and, 
indeed,  how  could  it  be  othei-wis.e  ? 
He  knew  he  was  sufl'ering  for  the 
faith,  and  that  the  truth  was  able 
to  support  him  ;  and  he  anticipated 
a  glorious  reward  from  Him  for 
whose  cause  he  suffered. 

At  Chelmsford  they  were  met  by 
the  sheriff  of  Suffolk,  who  was  to 
take  him  into  that  county  to  be  ex- 
ecuted. While  they  were  at  sup- 
per, the  sheriff  of  Essex  laboured 
earnestly  with  him  to  return  to 
the  popish  religion.  He  told  him, 
''  that  as  he  was  a  man  of  universal 
learning,  so  his  death  would  be  a 
great  loss  to  the  nation."  The 
sheriff,  whatever  his  own  opinions 
were,  said  a  great  deal  to  Dr.  Tay- 
lor, and  falling  before  him  on  his 
knees,  with  the  tears  running  down 


his  cheeks,  earnestly  begged  of 
him  to  recant  his  opinions,  and  be 
reconciled  to  the  church  ;  promising 
that  he,  and  all  his  friends,  would 
procure  his  pardon. 

Dr.  Taylor  then  took  the  cup  in 
his  hand,  and  looking  to  the  com- 
pany, particularly  to  the  sheriff  of 
Essex,  said,  "  I  heartily  thank  you 
for  your  good  will ;  I  have  heark- 
ened to  your  words,  and  minded 
well  your  counsels  ;  and,  to  be 
plain  with  you,  I  do  perceive  that 
I  have  been  deceived  myself,  and 
am  likely  to  deceive  a  great  many 
in  Hadleigh  of  their  expectations." 
At  these  words  the  whole  company 
clapped  their  hands  with  joy : 
"  God  bless  you,"  said  the  sheriff 
of  Essex,  "  keep  to  that,  it  is  the 
most  comfortable  word  we  have 
heard  from  you.  Why  should  you 
cast  away  yourself?  Play  a  wise 
man's  part,  and  then  I  am  certain 
you  will  find  favour.''  Upon  this 
Dr.  Taylor  replied,  "  I  am,  as  you 
see,  a  man  of  a  very  large  body, 
which  I  thought  should  have  lain 
in  Hadleigh  churchyard,  and  there 
are  a  great  number  of  worms  there 
who  would  have  had  the  feasting, 
which  no  doubt  they  wished  for 
many  a  day  ;  but  I  know  I  am  de- 
ceived," said  he,  "and  the  worms 
are  so  too,  for  my  body  is  to  be 
burned  to  ashes,  and  they  will  lose 
their  feast." 

When  the  sheriff  and  his  com- 
panions heard  him  saj^  this,  they 
were  amazed  at  his  constancy  ;  for 
the  nearer  his  sufferings  approach- 
ed, the  more  he  was  strengthened 
to  endure  them.  In  this  he  imi- 
tated our  blessed  Redeemer,  who, 
when  he  felt  his  father's  wrath  be- 
ginning to  be  inflicted  upon  him, 
sweated,  as  it  were,  great  drops 
of  blood  ;  but  when  led  forth,  and 
nailed  to  the  cross,  he  looked  round 
with  complacency,  and  convinced 
the  spectators,  that  the  glory  of 
God  shone  through  his  human  na- 
ture. 

Such  has  been  the  case  of  the 
martyrs  in  all  ages  and  nations. 
Human  nature  might,  at  first,  shud- 
der, and  shrink  back  at  the  thought 
of  the  sufferings  they  were  exposed 


408 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  ;  but  their  constancy  increased 
as  the  fiery  trial  drew  near. 

When  the  procession  arrived  at 
Aldham  Common,  where  Dr.  Tay- 
lor was  to  be  burnt,  he  lifted  up 
his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  thanked 
God  that  the  last  struggle  was 
come,  and  he  hoped  he  should  be 
enabled  to  go  through  with  it. 

He  tore  the  hood  from  his  face, 
that  he  might  be  seen  by  the  nu- 
merous spectators,  many  of  whom 
had  formerly  been  his  parishion- 
ers. He  then  began  to  speak  to 
the  people  who  were  praying  for 
him;  but  the  officers  thrust  sticks 
into  hia  mouth,  and  threatened  to 
cut  his  tongue  out,  unless  he  would 
promise  to  keep  silence  at  the  place 
of  execution. 

When  he  had  prayed  he  kissed 
the  stake,  and  got  into  a  barrel 
partly  filled  with  pitch,  which  was 
placed  for  that  purpose.  Fire 
being  set  to  the  pitch,  Dr.  Taylor 
continued  praying  in  the  most  de- 
vout manner,  till  one  of  the  offi- 
cers, more  humane  than  the  rest, 
knocked  out  his  brains  with  a 
halberd ;  which  put  an  end  to  his 
misery. 


We  have  in  this  case  an  instance 
of  popish  superstition,  in  some  re- 
spects more  violent  than  any  we 
have  yet  taken  notice  of.  Dr. 
Taylor  was  not  only  a  pious  man, 
but  he  had  been,  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  canon  and  civil  laws,  long 
esteemed  as  the  glory  of  Cam- 
bridge. He  had,  from  his  distin- 
guished abilities  and  learning,  con- 
futed the  chancellor  in  his  argu- 
ments concerning  the  marriage  of 
the  clergy ;  and,  indeed,  in  all 
other  respects,  he  was  so  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  ancient  fathers, 
that  he  was  with  great  propriety 
called  "The  Walking  Library." 
But  no  mercy  can  be  shewn,  where 
religious  rancour  takes  place. 
There  is  something  in  such  perse- 
cutions that  shuts  up  the  bowels  of 
compassion,  even  towards  the  near- 
est relations.  Civil  persecutors 
may  occasionally  relax  into  com- 
passion ;  but  those  who  persecute 
from  erroneous  notions  of  religion, 
are  strangers  to  every  humane 
sensation  ;  and  pant  for  the  blood 
of  those  who  difl'er  from  them, 
"  even  as  the  hart  doth  for  the 
water-brooks." 


SECTION  IV. 

MARTYRDOMS    OF    NUMEROUS    PERSONS    IN    VARIOUS    PARTS    OF    ENGLAND. 


THOMAS   TOMKINS. 

The  first  person  we  have  to  men- 
tion on  the  bloody  list  contained 
in  this  section,  was  named  Thomas 
Tomkins,  a  weaver,  who  lived, 
with  great  reputation,  in  the  parish 
of  St.  Leonard,  Shoreditch.  Being 
accused  of  heresy,  he  was  sum- 
moned before  that  merciless  per- 
secutor bishop  Bonner,  who  con- 
fined him,  with  many  others,  in 
the  dungeons  of  his  palace  at 
Fulham. 

During  his  imprisonment  he  was 
treated  by  the  bishop  in  a  manner 
not  only  unbecoming  a  prelate, 
but  a  man :  he  several  times  beat 
him  with  peculiar  cruelty,  and  tore 
the  greatest  part  of  his  beard  from 
his  face,  for  no  other  reason  but 
his  refusing  his  assent  to  the  doc- 
trine of  transubstantiation. 

Another   instance  of   this   cruel 


bishop's  inhumanity  to  Mr.  Tom- 
kins.,  was  exhibited  before  several 
gentlemen  who  came  to  visit  him. 
The  bishop,  finding  him  inflexi- 
ble, took  hold  of  him  by  the  wrist, 
and  held  his  hand  over  the  flame  of 
a  wax  candle,  in  order,  if  possible, 
to  make  him  deviate  from  those  un- 
corrupted  truths  of  the  gospel  he 
had  so  strongly  preserved.  This 
punishment  Mr.  Tomkins  submitted 
to  with  great  fortitude,  till  the 
veins  burst,  and  water  issuing  from 
the  hand,  flew  into  the  face  of  a 
by-stander,  who  was  so  affected, 
that  he  requested  the  bishop  to  for- 
bear, saying,  he  had  sufficiently  pu- 
nished the  prisoner. 

A  few  days  after  this,  Mr.  Tom- 
kins was  brought  before  the  bishop, 
at  his  consistory  court  at  St.  Paul's, 
to  whom  he  delivered  the  following 
articles  of  confession  in   writing, 


THOMAS  TOMKINS. 


409 


scaled  up,  and  signed  with  bis  own 
hand : 

"  I  Thomas  Tomkins,  of  the 
parish  of  St.  Leonard,  Shoreditch, 
in  the  diocese  of  London,  having 
confessed,  and  declared  openly, 
heretofore  to  Edmund  Bonner, 
bishop  of  London,  mine  ordinary, 
that  my  belief  hath  been  many 
years  past,  and  is  at  this  present, 
that  the  body  of  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Clirist  is  not  truly,  and  in  very 
deed,  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
but  only  in  heaven  ;  and  so  in  hea- 
ven, that  it  cannot  now  indeed  be 
really  and  truly  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar : 

"  And  moreover,  having  likewise 
confessed  and  declared  to  my  said 
ordinary  openly  many  times,  that 
although  the  church,  called  the 
Catholic  church,  hath  allowed,  and 
doth  allow  the  mass  and  sacrifice 
made  and  done  therein,  as  a  whole- 
some, profitable,  and  godly  thing  ; 
yet  my  belief  hath  been  many  years 
past,  and  is  at  this  present,  that 
the  said  mass  is  full  of  supersti- 
tion, plain  idolatry,  and  unprofita- 
ble for  the  soul ;  and  so  I  have 
called  it  many  times,  and  take  it  at 
this  present : 

"  Having  also  confessed  and  de- 
clared to  my  said  ordinary,  that 
the  sacrament  of  baptism  ought 
to  be  only  in  the  vulgar  tongue, 
and  not  otherwise  ministered  ;  and 
also  without  such  ceremonies  as 
are  generally  used  in  the  Latin 
church,  and  otherwise  not  to  be 
allowed : 

"  Finally,  being  many  and  often- 
times called  before  my  said  ordin- 
ary, and  talking  witlial,  touching 
all  my  said  confessions  and  decla- 
rations, both  by  my  said  ordinary, 
and  divers  other  learned  men,  as 
well  his  chaplains  as  others,  and 
counselled  by  them  all  to  embrace 
the  church,  and  to  recant  mine 
error,  in  the  premises,  which  they 
told  me  was  plain  heresy,  and 
manifest  error ;  do  testify  and  de- 
clare hereby,  that  I  do  and  will 
continually  stand  to  my  said  con- 
fession, declaration,  and  belief,  in 
all  the  premises,  and  every  part 
thereof ;  and  in  no  wise  recant,  or 


go  from  any  part  of  the  sanie.  In 
witness  whereof,  I  have  subscribed 
and  passed  the  writing,  this  26th  of 
September,  1554." 

Bishop  Bonner,  and  the  rest  of 
the  tribunal,  strongly  pressed  Mr, 
Tomkins  to  recant  his  errors,  and 
return  to  the  mother-church  ;  but 
he  only  answered,  "  I  was  born 
and  brought  up  in  ignorance  till 
of  late  years,  and  now  1  know  the 
truth,  I  will  continue  therein  unto 
death." 

Finding  him  inflexible,  they  de- 
clared him  an  heretic,  and  ordered 
the  sheriff  of  London,  who  attend- 
ed, to  conduct  him  immediately  to 
Newgate.  Here  he  remained  till 
the  16th  of  March,  1555,  when  he 
was  conducted  to  Smithfield,  and 
there  burnt,  triumphing  in  the 
midst  of  the  flames,  and  adding  to 
the  number  of  those  martyrs  who 
had  preceded  him  through  the 
path  of  the  fiery  trial  to  the  realms 
of  immortal  glory. 

WILLIAM    HUNTER. 

This  pious  young  man  was  the 
son  of  poor,  but  honest  and  re- 
ligious parents,  who  trained  him 
up  in  the  doctrines  of  the  reforma- 
tion, and  when  at  a  proper  age 
put  him  apprentice  to  one  Thomas 
Taylor,  a  silk-weaver,  in  Colemau- 
street,  London. 

On  the  accession  of  queen  Mary, 
orders  were  issued  to  the  priests  of 
every  parish  to  summon  all  their 
parishioners  to  receive  the  commu- 
nion at  mass  the  Easter  following, 
when  young  Hunter,  who  was  then 
only  nineteen  years  of  age,  refusing 
to  obey  the  summons,  was  threat- 
ened with  being  brought  before  the 
bishop  to  answer  for  his  disobe- 
dience. 

In  consequence  of  this,  his  mas- 
ter, fearful  of  incurring  ecclesias- 
tical censure,  desired  he  would 
leave  him,  at  least  for  a  time  ;  upon 
which  he  quitted  his  service,  and 
went  to  his  fatlier  at  Brentwood, 
in  Essex. 

During  his  stay  here  he  one  day 
went  into  the  chapel,  and  seeing 
the  bible  lie  on  the  desk,  he  open- 
ed it,  and  began  to  read.    Being 


4  It) 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


observed  by  an  officer  of  the  bi- 
shop's court,  he  severely  repri- 
manded him,  and  said,  "  Why 
sneddlest  thou  with  the  bible  ?  un- 
derstandest  thou  what  thou  read- 
est  ?  canst  thou  expound  the  scrip- 
tures 1"  To  which  Hunter  replied, 
"  I  do  not  presume  to  do  it  ;  but 
finding  the  bible  here,  I  read  it  for 
my  comfort  and  edification." 

The  officer  then  informed  a  neigh- 
bouring priest  of  the  liberty  Hunter 
had  taken  in  reading  the  bible,  who 
immediately  sent  for  him,  and  se- 
verely chid  him,  saying,  "  Sirrah, 
who  gave  thee  leave  to  read  the 
bible,  and  expound  it?"  He  an- 
swered as  he  had  done  to  the  offi- 
cer ;  and  on  the  priest's  saying,  it 
became  him  not  to  meddle  with 
the  scriptures,  he  frankly  declared 
his  resolution  to  read  them  as  long 
as  he  lived.  The  priest  upbraided 
him  as  an  heretic;  but  he  boldly 
denied  the  charge.  Being  asked 
his  opinion  concerning  the  corpo- 
real presence  in  the  sacrament,  he 
replied,  that  he  esteemed  the  bread 
and  wine  but  as  figures,  and  looked 
upon  the  sacrament  as  an  insti- 
tution in  remembrance  of  the 
death  and  sufferings  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  On 
this  the  priest  openly  declared  him 
an  heretic,  and  threatened  to  com- 
plain of  him  to  the  bishop. 

A  neighbouring  justice,  named 
Brown,  having  heard  that  young 
Hunter  maintained  heretical  prin- 
ciples, sent  for  his  father  to  in- 
quire into  the  particulars.  The 
old  man  told  him,  that  his  son  had 
left  him,  and  that  he  knew  not 
whither  he  was  gone.  The  jus- 
tice, not  believing  what  he  said, 
threatened  to  commit  him  to  pri- 
son, unless  he  would  immediately 
cause  his  son  to  be  apprehended, 
and  brought  before  him.  To  this 
he  replied,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
"  Would  you  have  me  seek  out 
my  son  to  be  burned  ?" 

He  was,  however,  obliged  to  go 
in  quest  of  his  son  ;  when  meeting 
him  by  accident,  William  asked 
his  father  if  he  was  seeking  for  him ; 
to  which  llic  old  man  answered, 
with  tears,  in  the  affirmative,  and 


that  it  was  by  order  of  the  justice, 
who  threatened  to  put  him  in  pri- 
son. The  son,  to  secure  his  father 
from  any  danger  on  his  account, 
said,  he  was  ready  to  accompany 
him  home,  which  he  accordingly 
did. 

The  next  day  he  was  apprehend- 
ed by  the  constable  of  the  parish, 
who  put  him  in  the  stocks  for 
twenty-four  hours,  and  then  took 
him  before  the  justice.  On  his 
arrival  the  justice  called  for  a 
bible,  turned  to  the  sixth  chapter 
of  St.  .John,  and  desired  him  to 
give  his  opinion  of  the  meaning  of 
it,  as  it  related  to  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

Hunter  gave  the  same  explana- 
tion as  he  had  done  to  the  priest ; 
and  persisting  in  his  denial  of  the 
corporeal  presence  in  the  eucha- 
rist,  the  justice  upbraided  him  with 
heresy,  and  wrote  an  account  of 
his  conduct  to  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don. 

In  consequence  of  this,  young 
Hunter  was  summoned  to  appear 
at  the  consistory  court  held  at  St. 
Paul's.  He  accordingly  attended 
at  the  time  appointed,  when  he 
was  severely  reproved  for  having 
fallen  fr»m  the  Catholic  faith,  and 
was  exhorted  to  return  to  the  same. 

To  this  he  boldly  answered,  that 
he  had  not  fallen  from  the  Catholic 
faith,  but  believed  and  confessed  it 
with  all  his  heart. 

He  was  then  desired  by  the  bi- 
shop to  recant  what  he  had  said 
concerning  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar  ;  but  he  declared,  (.hat  by  the 
help  of  God  he  would  still  con- 
tinue to  persist  in  the  faith  he  had 
hitherto  maintained,  and  avowed. 

Being  urged  still  farther,  and 
promised  that  if  he  would  recant 
he  should  go  home  unhurt,  he 
said  to  the  bishop,  "  My  lord,  if 
you  will  let  me  alone,  and  leave 
mc  to  ray  own  conscience,  I  will 
return  to  my  father,  and  dwell 
with  him,  or  else  with  my  master 
again,  and  will  keep  my  opinion 
to  myself." 

The  bishop  answered,  "  I  am 
content,  so  that  thou  vyilt  go  to 
church,  receive,  and  be  confessed." 


WILLIAM  HUNTER. 


411 


This  Hunter  peremptorily  refused  ; 
upon  which,  after  several  far- 
ther ellorts  to  bring-  him  over,  the 
bishop  ordered  him  to  be  put  in 
the  stocks,  where  lie  continued  two 
days  and  nights,  having  only  a  crust 
of  brown  bread,  and  a  cup  of  water, 
given  to  hira  for  refreshment. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  two 
days  the  bishop  went  to  him,  and 
lindiug  the  bread  and  water  lay 
by  him  untonched,  he  ordered 
some  of  his  servants  to  take  him 
out  of  the  stocks,  and  let  him 
breakfast  with  them ;  but  they 
evaded  the  bishop's  request,  think- 
ing it  great  profanation  that  such 
excellent  christians  as  they  were, 
should  eat  with  a  vile  heretic. 

After  this  he  was  repeatedly 
brought  before  the  bishop,  who, 
sometimes  by  soothing  him,  and 
sometimes  by  threats,  endeavoured 
to  bring  him  to  a  recantation  ;  but 
all  his  efl'orts  proved  inefl'ectual. 
In  consequence  of  this  the  perse- 
cuting prelate  passed  sentence  on 
him,  which  was,  that  he  should  be 
remanded  to  Newgate  for  a  time, 
from  whence  he  should  be  removed 
to  Brentwood  ;  "  where,"  said  the 
bishop,  "  thou  shalt  be  burned." 

A  few  days  after  this  the  bishop 
sent  for  him  again,  and  promised 
him  preferment  if  he  would  recant: 
to  which  he  replied,  "  My  lord,  I 
thank  you  for  your  great  olfer  ;  but 
if  you  cannot  enforce  my  recanta- 
tion from  scripture,  I  cannot,  in  ray 
conscience,  turn  from  God  for  the 
love  of  the  world,  for  I  count  all 
things  but  dung  and  dross  for  the 
love  of  Christ." 

He  was  then  caiTied  back  to 
Newgate,  and  in  a  few  days  re- 
moved to  Brentwood,  where  he 
was  confined  in  an  inn  till  the  day 
of  his  execution.  During  this  time 
he  was  visited  by  many  of  his 
neighbours  and  acquaintances,  all 
of  whom  he  exhorted  to  beware  of 
popish  superstition  and  idolatry. 

On  the  morning  of  the  27th  of 
March,  1555,  the  slierift'  gave  or- 
ders for  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions to  be  made  for  his  execution. 
In  the  mean  time  the  sherift's  son, 
who  was  his  friend,  visited  him  at 


the  inn,  and  encouraged  him  not 
to  fear  the  men  who  were  making 
preparations  for  his  death  ;  to 
whom  he  said,  "  that,  thank  God, 
he  was  not  in  the  least  intimidated, 
for  that  he  had  cast  up  his  account, 
and  well  knew  the  happy  conse- 
quences that  would  attend  his 
strict  adherence  to  the  cause  of 
Christ." 

A  short  time  after  this  he  was 
led  from  the  inn  to  the  stake,  be- 
tween one  of  the  sheriil's  officers, 
and  his  brother  Robert.  In  their 
way  he  was  met  by  his  father, 
who,  with  tears  flowing  from  his 
eyes,  said  to  him,  "God  be  with 
thee,  sou  William."  To  which  he 
repHed,  "  God  be  with  you,  good 
father,  and  be  of  good  cheer,  for 
I  trust  we  shall  meet  again,  with 
exceeding  great  joy." 

When  he  arrived  at  the  place  of 
execution,  he  kneeled  on  a  fagot, 
and  repeated  the  51st  psalm,  till  he 
came  to  these  words:  "  The  sacri- 
fice of  God  is  a  contrite  spirit :  a 
contrite  and  a  broken  heart,  O  God, 
thou  wilt  not  despise."  He  was  then 
interrupted  by  one  of  the  officers, 
who  told  hira  the  translation  was 
wrong,  the  words  being  "  an  hum- 
ble spirit ;"  but  he  said  the  transla- 
tion was  "  a  contrite  heart,"  on 
which  he  was  told  that  the  heretics 
translated  books  as  they  pleased. 

The  sherifl"  then  showed  him  a 
letter  from  the  queen,  containing 
his  pardon  if  he  would  recant;  but 
he  refused  life  on  such  terms,  went 
up  to  the  stake,  and  was  chained  to 
it,  saying  to  the  spectators,  "  Good 
people,  pray  for  me,  and  make 
quick  despatch  ;  pray  for  me,  while 
you  see  me  alive,  and  I  will  pray 
for  you." 

He  then  took  a  fagot,  and  em- 
braced it  in  his  arms ;  and  on  a 
priest's  oflering  him  a  book,  said, 
"  Away,  thou  false  prophet!  beware 
of  him,  good  people,  and  come 
away  from  their  abominations,  lest 
ye  be  partakers  of  their  plagues." 
The  priest  cried  out,  "  As  thou 
burnest  here,  so  shalt  thou  burn  in 
hell!"  "Thou  liest,  thou  false  pro- 
phet!" exclaimed  Hunter;  "away 
with  thee !" 


412 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


As  soon  as  the  fire  was  kindled, 
our  martyr  gave  his  prayer  book  to 
Lis  brother,  who,  to  encourage  him, 
reminded  him  of  the  passion  of  his 
dear  ;Redeemer,  and  bid  him  be  of 
good  cheer:  to  which  he  replied, 
"  I  fear  neither  torture  nor  death  ; 
Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  departing 
spirit !"  The  fire  burning  rapidly, 
he  was  soon  consumed,  yielding 
up  his  life,  with  patience  and  hu- 
mility, to  Him  who  gave  it,  and  in 
testimony  of  the  truth  of  that  God 
who  cannot  change,  but  whose  word 
is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
for  ever. 

On  the  same  day  that  Hunter 
was  executed,  Thomas  Higbed 
and  Thomas  Causton,  two  gen- 
tlemen of  Essex,  suffered  the  like 
fate ;  the  former  being  burnt  at 
Horndon  on  the  Hill,  and  the  lat- 
ter at  Rayleigh,  both  in  that 
county. 

WILLIAM  PIGOT,    STEPHEN    KNIGHT, 
AND    THE    REV.   JOHN    LAWRENCE. 

These  three  pious  Christians 
having  been  informed  against  by 
the  emissaries  of  Bonner  and  Gar- 
diner, as  maintaining  religious 
opinions  contrary  to  the  doctrine 
and  practice  of  holy  mother  church, 
were  summoned  to  appear  before 
bishop  Bonner,  at  his  consistory 
court  in  London,  where  they  were 
severally  questioned  concerning 
their  faith  of  the  corporeal  pre- 
sence in  the  sacrament. 

Having  respectively  answered 
and  subscribed  that  the  elements 
were  not  substantially,  but  figu- 
ratively, the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  in  that  holy  ordinance, 
they  were  severely  reprimanded 
by  the  court,  admonished  to  recant 
their  heretical  opinions,  and  for 
that  time  dismissed. 

A  few  days  after,  they  were  again 
examined  concerning  the  same  te- 
net, when  they  made  the  like  de- 
claration as  before:  in  conse- 
quence of  which,  the  bishop  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  two  laymen, 
and  with  an  affected  concern  for 
their  spiritual  and  temporal  inte- 
rests, warmly  exhorted  them  to  re- 
ject their  heresies,  and  not  expose 


themselves  to  death  here,  and 
damnation  hereafter,  by  obstinately 
persisting  in  disobedience  to  the 
holy  see:  bnt  these  plain  Chris- 
tians were  too  well  grounded  in 
the  doctrines  of  Christ's  pure  gos- 
pel, to  be  moved  from  their  adher- 
ence to  the  true  faith.  They, 
therefore,  told  the  bishop,  that 
they  could  not  recant  consistently 
with  the  dictates  of  their  con- 
sciences, nor  would  they  abjure 
the  opinions  to  which  they  had 
subscribed. 

Afterthis,  bishop  Bonner  entered 
into  argument  with  Lawrence,  the 
priest,  alone,  and  having  demanded 
of  what  order  he  was,  he  answered, 
that  he  was  admitted  to  priest's 
orders  eighteen  years  past,  that  he 
had  been  formerly  a  black  friar, 
and  that  he  was  now  betrothed 
to  a  maid,  whom  he  intended  to 
marry. 

The  bishop  then  asked  him  his 
opinion  of  the  corporeal  presence 
in  the  sacrament:  to  which  he  re- 
plied, that  "  it  was  an  institution 
of  our  blessed  Lord,  in  commemo- 
ration of  his  death  and  sufferings ; 
and  that  those  were  greatly  de- 
ceived, vi'ho  believed  that  his  body 
was  verily  present  in  the  same, 
since  he  had  long  before  ascended 
into  heaven,  and  was  placed  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  glorious  majesty 
of  the  Father." 

Mr.  Lawrence  was,  for  the  pre- 
sent, dismissed ;  but  a  few  days 
after,  he,  with  Pigot  and  Knight, 
were  again  summoned  before  the 
bishop,  who,  with  his  usual  hypo- 
crisy, exhorted  them  to  recant, 
embrace  the  Roman  Catholic  faith, 
and  not  be  the  wilful  cause  of  their 
own  destruction.  But  no  argu- 
ments could  induce  them  to  recede 
in  a  single  point;  all  of  them  de- 
claring they  would  abide  by  their 
opinions,  because  they  were  found- 
ed on  the  word  of  God;  whereas 
the  other  was  merely  of  human  in- 
vention. 

From  this  frank  declaration  bi- 
shop Bonner  proceeded  to  pass 
sentence  on  them  as  irreclaimable 
heretics ;  and  then  degraded  Law- 
rence with  the  usual   ceremonies. 


BISHOP  FARRAR. 


413 


After  which  they  were  all  three 
delivered  to  the  sheriff,  who  con- 
ducted them  to  Newgate. 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1555, 
being  the  day  appointed  for  the 
execution  of  Pigot  and  Knight, 
they  were  removed  early  in  the 
morning  to  the  respective  places 
destined  for  their  execution,  the 
former  at  Brajntree,  and  the  latter 
at  Maiden,  in  Essex.  When 
Knight  arrived  at  the  stake,  he 
kneeled  down,  and,  with  an  au- 
dible voice,  said  the  following  ex- 
cellent prayer: 

*' O  Lord  Jesus  Christ!  for 
whose  love  I  leave  willingly  this 
life,  and  desire  rather  the  bitter 
death  of  thy  cross,  with  the  loss  of 
all  earthly  things,  than  to  abide 
the  blasphemy  of  thy  most  holy 
name,  or  to  obey  men  in  breaking 
thy  holy  commandment:  thou 
seest,  O  Lord,  that  where  I  might 
live  in  worldly  wealth  to  worship 
a  false  God,  and  honour  thine 
enemy,  I  choose  rather  the  tor- 
ment of  the  body,  and  the  loss  of 
this  life,  and  have  counted  all  other 
things  but  vile  dust  and  dung,  that 
I  might  win  thee ;  which  death  is 
dearer  unto  me,  than  thousands  of 
gold  and  silver.  Such  love,  O 
Lord,  hast  thou  laid  up  in  my 
breast,  that  I  hunger  for  thee,  as 
the  deer  that  is  wounded  desireth 
the  pasture.  Send  thy  holy  com- 
forter, O  Lord,  to  aid,  comfort, 
and  strengthen  this  weak  piece  of 
earth,  which  is  empty  of  all 
strength  of  itself.  Thou  remem- 
berest,  O  Lord,  that  I  am  but  dust, 
and  able  to  do  nothing  that  is 
good;  therefore,  O  Lord,  as  of 
thine  accustomed  goodness  and 
love  thou  hast  invited  me  to  this 
banquet,  and  accounted  me  worthy 
to  drink  of  thine  own  cup  amongst 
thine  elect;  even  so  give  me 
strength,  O  Lord,  against  this  thine 
element,  which  as  to  my  sight  it  is 
most  irksome  and  terrible,  so  to 
my  mind  it  may,  at  thy  command- 
ment, (as  an  obedient  servant)  be 
sweet  and  pleasant;  that  through 
the  strength  of  thy  holy  spirit,  I 
may  pass  through  the  rage  of  this 
fire  into  thy  bosom,  according  to 


thy  promise,  and  for  this  mortal 
receive  an  immortal,  and  for  this 
corruptible  put  on  incorruption. 
Accept  this  burnt  offering,  O  Lord, 
not  for  the  sacrifice,  but  for  thy 
dear  Son's  sake,  my  Saviour,  for 
whose  testimony  I  oiler  this  free- 
will offering,  with  all  my  heart, 
and  with  all  ray  soul.  O  heavenly 
Father,  forgive  me  my  sins,  as  I 
forgive  all  the  world.  O  sweet 
Son  of  God,  my  Saviour,  spread 
thy  wings  over  me.  O  blessed 
and  Holy  Ghost,  through  whose 
merciful  inspiration  I  am  come 
hither,  conduct  me  into  everlasting 
life.  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit.     Amen." 

Both  these  martyrs  suffered  with 
amazing  fortitude  and  resignation, 
proving  to  the  spectators,  that, 
"  as  is  the  day"  of  the  sincere  be- 
liever, "  so  likewise  will  be  his 
strength." 

The  next  day,  March  29th,  the 
Rev.  John  Lawrence  suffered  at 
Colchester.  He  was  carried  to  the 
place  of  execution  in  a  chair, 
being  unable  to  walk,  from  the 
pressure  of  the  irons  with  which 
his  legs  were  bound,  and  the 
weakness  of  his  body  from  want  of 
proper  nourishment  while  in  pri- 
son. The  chair  was  fastened  to 
the  stake,  and  he  sat  in  it,  for 
some  time,  with  great  composure, 
praying  to  God  to  enable  him  to 
undergo  the  fiery  trial ;  at  length 
the  fagots  were  lighted,  and  he 
triumphantly  expired  in  the  cause 
of  his  glorious  master,  in  sure  and 
certain  hope  of  an  eternal  exist- 
ence in  heaven. 

DR.     ROBERT    FARRAR,     BISMOP     OF 
ST.   DAVID'S. 

The  emissaries  of  the  persecut- 
ing bishops  had,  for  some  time, 
fixed  their  eyes  on  this  worthy  and 
pious  prelate,  who,  not  only  in  the 
former  reign,  but  also  after  the  ac- 
cession of  Mary,  had  been  particu- 
larly zealous  in  promoting  the  re- 
formed doctrines,  and  exploding 
the  errors  of  popish  idolatry.  In- 
formation of  this  being  given  to 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  then 
lord-chancellor,  Dr.   Farrar,  with 


414 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


several  others,  was  summoned  to 
appear  before  him,  and  the  other 
commissioners. 

After  some  previous  harangue, 
the  bishop  of  Winchester  told  him, 
that  the  queen  and  parliament  had 
restored  religion  to  the  state  in 
which  it  was  at  the  beginning  of 
the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.;  that  he 
was  in  the  queen's  debt,  but  her 
majesty  would  cancel  the  same, 
and  re-admit  him  to  her  favour,  if 
he  would  return  to  the  holy  Catho- 
lic church. 

Undismayed  by  this  information, 
Dr.  Farrar  answered,  that  with 
respect  to  the  debt,  he  submitted 
it  to  the  lord  treasurer;  but  his 
lordship  might  well  remember,  that 
upon  two  former  occasions  he  had 
solemnly  sworn  never  to  acknow- 
ledge the  papal  jurisdiction  over 
the  realm  of  England,  and  there- 
fore it  was  needless  to  rehearse 
what  he  had  already  so  peremp- 
torily declared. 

After  a  long  debate,  Gardiner 
sternly  demanded,  if  he  would  re- 
cant, and  acknowledge  the  papal 
supremacy :  to  which  Farrar,  with 
a  resolution  becoming  a  true 
Christian,  and  worthy  bishop,  ex- 
pressed a  degree  of  contempt,  that 
his  lordship  should  even  think  he 
would  recede  from  an  oath  he  had 
made  to  his  Maker:  an  oath  he 
could  not  break,  consistently  with 
his  duty  to  God,  and  his  regard  to 
the  interest  of  the  reformed  reli- 
gion in  his  native  country. 

The  haughty  Gardiner  was  so 
highly  incensed  at  this  spirited 
behaviour  in  Dr.  Farrar,  that,  ac- 
cording to  his  usual  inhuman  cus- 
tom, he  treated  him  with  scurrility, 
calling  him  "  froward  knave," 
and  telling  him,  that  he  should 
know  his  fate  in  a  few  days.  To 
this  Farrar  coolly  replied,  that  he 
would  ever  readily  obey  his  sum- 
mons, but  would  never  retract 
what  he  had  solemnly  sworn,  at 
the  instigation  of  him,  or  any  other 
man  whatever. 

The  examination  being  over.  Dr. 
Farrar  was  ordered  to  Newgate, 
where  he  was  a  short  time  con- 
fined, and  then  sent  into  Wales, 


there  to  receive  his  sentence  of 
condemnation. 

On  his  arrival  at  Carmarthen  he 
was  delivered  to  the  sherifi"  of  the 
county,  who  took  him  before  Henry 
Morgan,  the  popish  bishop  of  St. 
David's,  and  Constantine,  the  pub- 
lic notary,  by  whom  he  was  com- 
mitted to  the  custody  of  the  keeper 
of  Carmarthen  gaol. 

A  few  days  after  his  commit- 
ment to  that  prison,  he  was  sent 
for  by  bishop  Morgan,  who  ex- 
horted him  to  recant,  on  condition 
of  which  he  assured  him  of  the 
queen's  clemency,  as  well  as  pre- 
ferment to  an  office  of  dignity  in 
the  church.  But  our  martyr  M'as 
inflexible:  he  would  not  listen  to 
any  proposals  derogatory  to  the 
oath  he  had  taken ;  upon  which 
bishop  Morgan  asked  him  the  two 
following  questions : 

"  1.  Whether  he  believed  the 
marriage  of  priests  to  be  allowed 
by  the  laws  of  the  holy  church? 

"  2.  Whether  he  believed,  that 
in  the  blessed  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  after  the  words  of  consecra- 
tion duly  pronounced  by  the  priest, 
the  very  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
is  really  and  substantially  con- 
tained, without  the  substance  of 
bread; and  wine?" 

Dr.  Farrar  refused  to  answer  to 
these  questions,  unless  the  bishop 
produced  a  commission,  authoriz- 
ing him  to  ask  them;  upon  which 
he  was  remanded  to  prison. 

At  length,  after  various  disputes 
with  bishop  Morgan,  he  appealed 
from  him,  as  an  incompetent  judge, 
to  cardinal  Pole ;  notwithstanding 
which,  sentence  was  pronounced 
against  him  as  an  heretic,  and  he 
was  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power,  having  been  previously  de- 
graded by  Morgan. 

Thus,  for  his  steadfast  adher- 
ence to  the  uncorrupted  doctrines 
of  the  reformation,  and  resolute 
denial  of  the  papal  jurisdiction  in 
these  realms,  was  Dr.  Farrar  con- 
demned, degraded,  delivered  up 
to  the  secular  power,  and,  on  the 
30th  of  March,  being  the  eve  of 
Passion  Sunday,  in  the  bloody 
year  1555,  executed  in  the  market- 
1 


RAWLINS  WHITE. 


415 


place  of  Carmarthen,  amidst  a  nu- 
merous crowd  of  spectators. 

The  following  circumstance  is  a 
convincing-  proof  what  constancy 
and  resolution  this  good  man  pos- 
sessed, and  how  determined  he 
was  to  retain  those  religious  prin- 
ciples to  the  last,  which,  through- 
out his  life,  he  had  strongly  ad- 
hered to. 

The  son  of  a  person  of  distinc- 
tion visiting-  him  a  few  days  before 
his  execution,  and  lamenting  the 
cruel  fate  that  awaited  him,  the 
doctor  told  him,  that  if  he  saw  him 
once  stir  in  the  pains  of  burning, 
he  might  then  give  no  credit  to  his 
doctrine,  but  look  upon  it  as  the 
effects  of  enthusiasm. 

He  resolutely  fulfilled  his  pro- 
mise, and  greatly  surprised  his 
friend,  who  came  to  condole  his 
fate  :  for  he  stood  motionless  in 
the  midst  of  the  fianies,  holding 
both  his  hands  till  they  were  , burnt 
to  the  stumps,  at  which  time  one 
of  the  officers  struck  him  on  the 
head  with  a  staff,  and  put  a  period 
to  his  life. 

As  Dr.  Farrar  gave  many  signal 
instances  of  his  sincere  and  un- 
shaken zeal  for  the  honour  of 
Christ,  and  exaltation  of  his  name, 
during  life,  so,  at  his  death,  he 
suffered  and  expired  with  a  degree 
of  christian  heroism,  equal  to  that 
of  any  of  the  noble  army  of  mar- 
tyrs. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  RAWLINS  WHITE, 
A  POOR  FISHERMAN  OF  SOUTH- 
WALES. 

To  such  a  height  did  the  rage 
and  malice  of  popish  persecutors 
arrive,  during  the  reign  of  Mary, 
that  they  not  only  vented  their 
fury  on  men  of  eminence  and  learn- 
ing, who  espoused  the  protestant 
cause,  but  the  meanest  and  most 
ignorant  of  the  people,  who  would 
not  submit  to  the  papal  yoke,  were 
arraigned  at  their  bloody  tribunals, 
and  put  to  death  for  no  other  cause 
but  that  of  professing  the  truth  as 
it  is  contained  in  the  scriptures. 

Rawlins  White  (the  poor  man 
■whose  sufferings  we  are  about  to 
relate)  had  been    so  attentive   to 


the  preaching  of  the  gospel  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  that 
he  had  attained  to  a  very  compe- 
tent knowledge  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, and  became  a  zealous  as- 
sertor  of  the  protestant  doctrines, 
having  wholly  renounced  the  super- 
stition and  idolatry  of  popery,  and 
conformed  to  the  public  worship  of 
God,  according  to  the  English  com- 
mon prayer-book. 

Being  thus  converted  to  the  true 
faith  of  Christ,  he  took  great  pains 
to  instruct  his  son  in  the  same, 
causing  him  to  read  a  portion  of 
the  holy  scriptures  every  night 
and  morning,  till  he  likewise  be- 
came well  grounded  in  the  princi- 
ples of  the  true  religion,  as  contain- 
ed in  the  gospel. 

White  was  not  only  desirous  of 
acquiring  saving  knowledge  him- 
self, but  also  of  communicating  it 
to  others ;  insomuch  that  he  took 
every  opportunity  of  visiting  his 
neighbours,  and  endeavouring  to 
instruct  those,  whom  he  found  de- 
sirous of  obtaining  a  knowledge  of 
the  truth. 

He  continued  those  devout  and 
holy  exercises  in  a  public  manner, 
till  the  death  of  king  Edward,  when 
popery  being  restored,  and  the 
pure  religion  discouraged  and  re- 
strained, he  used  to  meet  his  friends 
privately,  pray,  and  encourage 
them  to  hold  fast  to  the  truth.  At 
length  he  was  apprehended,  by 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  town,  on 
a  suspicion  of  heresy,  who  taking 
him  before  the  bishop  of  Llandaff, 
he  was,  by  that  prelate,  committed 
to  prison. 

During  his  confinement,  several 
of  his  friends  sent  him  money ; 
and  he  was  visited  by  many,  whom 
he  instructed  in  the  faith  of  Christ, 
and  exhorted  to  beware  of  popish 
emissaries,  as  wolves  in  sheep's 
clothing. 

After  a  long  imprisonment,  the 
bishop  of  Llandaff  summoned 
White  to  appear  before  him,  and 
endeavoured  to  bring  him  over  to 
idolatry  and  superstition  ;  but  all 
his  exhortations  proving  ineffectual, 
he  told  him,  in  anger,  that  he  must 
eome  to  a  resolution  either  to  re- 


416 


BOOK  OP  MARTYRS. 


cant  his  heretical  opinions,  or  en- 
dure the  rigour  of  the  laws  enacted 
againstthose  who  maintained  tenets 
repugnant  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
holy  see. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  his  ex- 
amination, the  bishop,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  his  chaplains,  and  many 
others,  assembled  in  the  chapel, 
declared  that  White  was  known 
not  only  to  maintain  heretical  prin- 
ciples himself,  but  to  inculcate  the 
same  among  his  acquaintance. 
Then  addressing  himself  to  the  pri- 
soner, he  told  him,  that  he  had  fre- 
quently, since  his  first  warning, 
been  admonished  to  relinquish  his 
heretical  tenets,  and  yet  had  always 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  most  salu- 
tary advice.  He  added,  that  out 
of  clemency  they  had  once  more 
sent  for  him,  mildly  to  endeavour 
to  bring  him  to  an  humble  sense 
of  his  errors ;  and  assured  him 
that,  upon  due  penitence  for  the 
crimes  he  had  committed,  both 
against  God  and  the  laws  of  his 
sovereign,  they  were  disposed  to 
shew  him  mercy :  but  that  if,  in 
spite  of  the  royal  clemency,  and 
the  admonition  of  the  reverend  fa- 
thers, he  persisted  in  his  heresies, 
they  were  determined  to  execute 
on  him  the  utmost  rigour  of  the 
law,  as  a  most  damjiable  and  obsti- 
nate heretic. 

White,  without  the  least  sign  of 
fear  at  the  peremptory  declaration 
of  the  bishop,  told  his  lordship, 
that  he  blessed  God  he  was  a 
Christian,  and  held  no  doctrin«s 
contrary  to  the  divine  mind  and 
will  as  revealed  in  the  scriptures 
of  truth:  if  he  did,  he  begged  to  be 
convinced  of  the  same  out  of  the 
divine  word,  to  which  he  deter- 
mined ever  most  implicitly  to  con- 
form. 

After  much  more  exhortation, 
the  bishop  assured  him,  that  if 
he  would  not  recant,  he  must  con- 
demn him  as  a«  heretic.  To 
which  White  replied,  that  he  might 
proceed  as  he  thought  proper,  but 
that  he  could  not  condemn  him  as 
an  heretic,  as  he  did  not  maintain 
any  opinion  that  was  not  supported 
by  the  word  of  God. 

4 


The  bishop  then  desired  the  peo- 
ple present  to  join  with  him  in 
prayer,  that  it  would  please  God  to 
turn  White's  heart,  and  bring  him 
to  the  acknowledgment  of  the  true 
religion. 

Our  martyr  applauded  this  be- 
haviour of  the  bishop,  as  becom- 
ing his  profession,  assuring  him, 
that  if  the  request  was  agreeable 
to  the  divine  will,  God  would, 
doubtless,  hear  and  grant  the 
same  ;  and  that  while  the  bishop 
was  praying  to  his  God,  he  himself 
would  pray  to  his  God,  who  he 
knew  would  hear  and  perform  his 
desire. 

Accordingly,  they  all  went  to 
private  prayer,  which  being  finish- 
ed, the  bishop  asked  him  how  he 
found  himself  disposed  in  his  mind? 
He  replied,  "The  very  same  as 
before." 

The  bishop,  incensed  that  no 
change  could  be  wrought  upon 
him,  was  about  to  read  the  sen- 
tence, but  he  was  advised  first  to 
say  mass,  during  which  ceremony. 
White  standing  at  the  door  of  the 
choir,  cried  out  to  the  populace, 
*'  Bear  witness  that  I  bow  not  to 
this  idol,"  meaning  the  host, 
which  the  priest  held  over  his 
head. 

Mass  being  performed,  he  was 
again  warmly  admonished  to  re- 
cant, but  all  exhortation  was  in- 
effectual ;  the  bishop,  therefore, 
read  the  definitive  sentence,  after 
which  he  was  carried  to  Cardiff, 
and  imprisoned  in  a  place  called 
Cockmarel,  a  most  filthy  and  loath- 
some dungeon,  where  he  continued 
till  the  writ  for  his  execution  oame 
from  London. 

Upon  the  day  appointed  for  ter- 
minating his  life,  which  was  March 
30,  1555,  he  was  brought  from  pri- 
son, and  in  his  way  to  the  place 
appointed  for  the  bloody  scene, 
met  his  wife  and  children,  wring- 
ing their  hands,  and  most  bitterly 
lamenting  his  approaching  fate. 
This  affecting  sight  drew  tears 
from  his  eyes  ;  but  soon  recollect- 
ing himself,  and  striking  his  breast 
with  his  hand,  he  said,  "  Ah !  flesh, 
stayest   thou    me,    wouldest   thou. 


REV.  GEORGE  MARSH. 


417 


fain  prevail?  Well,  do  what  thou 
cuiist,  by  God's  grace  thou  shajt 
not  ^et  the  victory." 

As  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the 
stake,  he  fell  on  his  knees,  and 
kissed  the  earth,  saying,  "  Earth 
to  earth,  and  dust  to  dust ;  thou 
art  my  mother,  to  thee  I  must 
return." 

When  he  was  fastened  to  the 
stake,  and  the  straw,  reeds,  and 
wood  were  placed  round  him,  a 
priest,  appointed  for  the  purpose, 


stood  up  aiid  harangued  the  spec- 
tators, who  were  very  numerous,  it 
being  market-day. 

The  priest,  having  finished  his 
discourse,  in  which  he  inveighed 
against  the  opinion  of  the  protest- 
ants  concerning  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  our  martyr  rebuked  him, 
proved  his  doctrine  to  be  false,  and 
cited,  as  his  authority,  those  words 
of  our  Lord,  "  Do  this  in  remem- 
brance of  me." 


John  Fetty    cruelly  healeii  in  Lollard's   Tinver,    by  order  of   Bishop  Bonner,    uftile    his 
Son  is  scourged  to  death  in  an  acljoiniug  Dungeon, 


The  fire  being  kindled,  he  was 
soon  surrounded  by  the  flames,  in 
the  midst  of  which  this  good  old 
man  (for  he  was  sixty  years  of  age) 
held  up  his  hands  till  the  sinews 
shrunk,  crying  earnestly,  "  O  Lord, 
receive  my  soull  O  Lord,  receive 
my  spirit !"  The  flames  were  so 
vehement  about  his  legs,  that  they 
were  almost  consumed,  before  the 
upper  part  of  his  body  was  injured 
by  the  tire  ;  notwithstanding  which 
fc'OX'S  MARTYRS. 


he  bore  h-is  sufferings  with  the 
greatest  composure  and  resigna- 
tion, cheerfully  resigning  his  soul 
into  the  hands  of  Him  who  gave  it, 
in  sure  and  certain  hopes  of  being 
rewarded  for  his  constancy  with  a 
crown  of  eternal  life. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  THP,  REV.  CEORGE 
MARSH. 

This   eminent  and    pious   divine 
was    descended    from    poor,     but 

27 


418 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


honest  and  religious  parents,  who 
educated  him,  from  his  earliest 
J  ears,  in  the  principles  of  the  re- 
formed religion;  so  that  when  lie 
arrived  at  manhood,  he  was  well 
versed  in  the  doctrines  of  the  pure 
gospel  of  Christ. 

At  his  first  entrance  into  the 
business  of  life  he  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming,  and  by  his 
honest  endeavours  maintained  his 
family  with  decency  and  reputa- 
tion for  some  years :  but  on  the 
decease  of  his  wife,  being  disposed 
to  study,  he  placed  his  children 
with  his  father,  quitted  his  farm, 
and  went  to  Cambridge,  where  he 
made  such  a  progress  in  literature, 
that  he  soon  entered  into  holy  or- 
ders. 

He  officiated  as  curate  in  se- 
veral parishes  in  the  county  of 
Lancaster,  kept  a  school  at  Dean, 
and  was  a  zealous  promoter  of  the 
true  religion,  as  well  as  a  vigorous 
opposer  of  the  idolatries  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  during  the  reign 
of  king  Edward  VI.  13ut  when 
popery  again  raised  its  destructive 
head,  he,  among  many  others,  be- 
came the  object  of  its  persecution, 
as  one  that  propagated  doctrines 
contrary  to  the  mfalliblc  church, 
and  therefore  liable  to  the  severest 
censure  and  puni.*.hment. 

Mr.  Marsh,  on  hearing  that 
search  was  made  after  him,  ab- 
sconded for  some  time,  and  in  his 
retirement  often  deliberated  with 
himself,  whether  he  should  go 
abroad  to  save  his  life,  or  surren- 
der himself  up,  in  order  to  ward 
ofl"  the  mischief  which  threatened 
his  mother  and  brother,  who  were 
suspected  of  having  concealed 
him. 

During  this  unsettled  state  of 
his  mind,  he  consulted  with  his 
friends,  and  earnestly  sought  di- 
rection of  God,  that  he  might  be 
guided  in  the  way,  which  most  con- 
duced to  His  glory,  and  his  own 
spiritual  and  eternal  interest. 

At  length,  thinking  that  flight 
would  evince  coM'ardice  in  the  best 
of  causes,  he  determined,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  to  abide  by  the  con- 
sequence, and  accordingly  surren- 


dered himself  to  the  earl  of  Derby, 
at  his  seat  at  Latham,  in  the  county 
of  Lauca.ster. 

When  he  was  brought  into  the 
earl's  presence,  he  was  charged 
with  propagating  heresy,  and  sow- 
ing sedition  amongst  the  people  ; 
but  he  denied  the  charge,  and  de- 
clared, that  he  preached  no  other 
doctrine  than  what  was  contained 
in  the  word  of  God,  and  that  he 
always  enforced  allegiance  to  his 
sovereign  according  to  the  will  of 
God. 

Being  asked  to  deliver  a  sum- 
mary of  his  belief,  he  declared, 
that  he  believed  in  God  the  Fa- 
ther, Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  accord- 
ing to  the  creeds  of  the  apostles, 
the  council  of  Nice,  and  the 
saints  Athanasius,  Austin,  and  Am- 
brose. 

A  Romish  priest,  who  was  pre- 
sent, then  proceeded  to  inquire 
his  opinion  concerning  the  favour- 
ite tenet  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
relating  to  the  sacrament.  Marsh 
answered,  in  general,  that  he  be- 
lieved whosoever  received  the  holy 
sacrament  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  according  to  his  own 
appointment,  did  eat  and  drink  his 
body  and  blood,  with  all  the  be- 
nefits arising  from  the  same,  be- 
cause our  Lord  was  ever  present  at 
his  own  ordinances. 

This  general  reply  not  appear- 
ing satisfactory,  the  inquisitors  de- 
scended to  particulars,  and  peremp- 
torily demanded  his  opinion,  whe- 
ther ornotthe  elements  were  chang- 
ed into  the  very  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  after  consecration.  Our 
martyr  briefly  observed,  that  what 
he  believed  he  had  already  de- 
clared, and  desired  them  not  to 
propose  to  him  such  hard  and  un- 
profitable questions,  in  order  to 
endanger  his  life,  and,  as  it  were, 
to  snck  from  him  his  very  blood. 

Incensed  at  this  reply,  the  earl 
told  him,  that  instead  of  seeking 
his  destruction,  he  meant  to  pre- 
serve his  life  in  this  world,  and  se- 
cure his  happiness  in  that  which  is 
to  come,  by  converting  him  from 
damnable  errors  and  heresies,  and 
bringing  him  over  to  the  holy  mo- 


REV.  GEORGE  MARSH. 


419 


ther-church,  out  of  the  pale  of  which 
there  was  no  salvation. 

After  many  questions  and  exhor- 
tations, findino  he  still  persevered 
in  the  failh  which  opposed  that 
of  the  "■  infallible  church,"  the  earl 
gave  him  pen  and  ink,  and  order- 
ed hira  to  write  down  his  belief 
concerning  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar;  and  on  his  writing  the  same 
words  he  had  before  delivered, 
he  was  commanded  to  be  more 
particular,  when  he  wrote  only 
the  following :  '*  Further  I  know 
not." 

This  resolute  behaviour  exposed 
him  to  the  keenest  resentment  of 
his  popish  persecutors,  who  com- 
mitted hira  to  prison,  and  sufTered 
no  one  to  come  near  him  but  the 
keeper,  who  brought  him  daily  the 
scanty  allowance  of  the  place. 

Various  attempts  were  made, 
during  his  confinement,  to  bring 
him  to  a  recantation ;  but  as  he 
still  remained  fixed  and  determined 
in  his  faith,  they  administered  to 
him  the  four  following  articles, 
and  the  earl  declared,  if  he  would 
not  subscribe  them,  he  should  be 
imprisoned,  and  proceeded  against 
with  the  utmost  severity. 

"  1.  Whether  the  mass  now  used 
in  the  church  of  England  was  ac- 
cording to  Christ's  institution  ;  and 
with  faith,  reverence,  and  devotion, 
to  be  heard  and  seen  ? 

"  2.  Whether  Almighty  God,  by 
the  words  pronounced  by  the  priest, 
did  change  the  bread  and  wine, 
after  the  words  of  consecration, 
into  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
whether  it  were  received  or  re- 
served? 

"  3.  Whether  the  lay-people  ought 
to  receive  but  under  the  form  of 
bread  only,  and  that  the  one  kind 
was  sufficient  for  them  ? 

"  4.  Whether  confession  to  the 
priest  now  used  in  England  was 
godly  and  necessary  t" 

Having  retired  for  some  time  to 
consider  of  these  articles,  he  re- 
turned, and  delivered  his  opinion 
of  them  as  follows ; 

The  first  he  absolutely  denied. 

The  second  he  answered  in  the 
very  words  he  had  before  written. 


With  respect  to  the  third,  be  de- 
clared, that,  lay-people,  according 
to  the  institution  of  Christ,  ought 
to  receive  under  both  kinds,  and 
that,  therefore,  to  receive  under 
one  kind  only  was  not  sufllcient. 

To  the  last  he  observed,  that 
though  auricular  confession  was  a 
good  means  to  instruct  ignorant 
people,  it  was  not  necessary  to 
salvation,  because  not  commanded 
by  God. 

To  these  answers  he  added,  that 
his  faith  in  Christ,  founded  on  the 
infallible  word  of  the  only  living 
and  true  God,  he  never  would 
deny  at  the  instance  of  any  liv 
ing  creature,  or  through  fear  of 
any  punishment  whatsoever. 

He  was  afterwards  committed  to 
Lancaster  gaol,  laid  in  irons,  and 
arraigned  at  the  bar  with  the  com- 
mon felons,  where  the  persecutors 
endeavoured  to  extort  from  him 
informations  of  several  persons  in 
that  county,  whom  they  suspected 
of  maintaining  heretical  opinions  ; 
but  nothing  could  prevail  with  him 
to  uttcH-  a  word  that  might  endan- 
ger tlie  lives  or  liberties  of  his 
faithful  brethren  in  Christ. 

He  was  severely  reprimanded 
for  reading  aloud  to  the  people 
(who  came  in  crowds  every  morn- 
ing and  evening  under  his  prison 
window)  the  litany  and  prayers  of 
the  reformed  church,  together,  with 
select  passages  of  holy  writ  In  the 
English  tongue,  which  they  termed 
"  preaching,"  and,  tharefore,  deem- 
ed criminal. 

After  remaining  some  weeks  in 
confinement  at  Lancaster,  he  was 
removed  to  Chester,  and  placed  in 
the  bishop's  custody,  when  his 
lordship  frequently  conferi^ed  with 
hira,  and  used  his  utmost  endea- 
vours to  bring  him  to  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  corporeal  presence 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  the 
mass,  confession,  and,  in  short,  all 
the  tenets  and  practices  of  the 
church  of  Rome, 

When  the  bishop  found  he  would 
not  assent  to  a  single  point,  he  re- 
manded him  to  prison  ;  and  in  a  few 
days  summoned  him  before  him  in 
the   cathedral  church   of  Chester, 


420 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


■where,  in  the  presence  of  the 
mayor,  chancellor,  and  principal 
inhabitants  of  that  city,  both  laity 
and  clergy,  he  caused  him  to  take 
a  solemn  oath,  to  answer  truly  to 
such  articles  as  might  be  alleged 
against  him. 

After  he  was  sworn,  the  chan- 
cellor accused  him  of  having 
preached  and  published  most  he- 
retically  and  blasphemously,  with- 
in the  parishes  of  Dean,  Eccles, 
Berry,  and  many  other  parishes 
within  the  bishop's  diocese,  di- 
rectly against  the  pope's  authority, 
the  Catholic  church  of  Rome,  the 
mass,  and  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar  ;  with  many  other  articles. 

To  all  these  charges  Mr.  Marsh 
answered,  that  he  had  neither  he- 
retically  norblasphemously,preach- 
ed  or  published  against  any  of  the 
articles,  but  as  occasion  served; 
and  as  his  conscience  obliged  him 
to  maintain  the  truth,  as  declared 
in  God's  word,  and  as  all  then  pre- 
.sent  had  acknowledged  in  the  pre- 
ceding reign. 

Being  examined  as  to  every  par- 
ticular article,  he  modestly  answer- 
ed, according  to  the  doctrine  pub- 
licly taught  in  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  VI. 

After  a  further  confinement  of 
three  weeks  in  prison.  Marsh  was 
again  brought  into  the  cathedral, 
where  the  chancellor  made  a  formal 
harangue  on  the  bishop's  care  of 
his  Hock,  "  in  order  to  prevent  in- 
fection from  scabby  sheep,"  and 
the  like  ;  which  being  ended,  the 
former  articles  were  propounded  to 
him  ;  to  which  he  severally  answer- 
ed in  the  negative. 

Being  charged  with  having  de- 
clared that  the  church  and  doctrine 
taught  and  set  forth  in  king  Ed- 
ward's time  was  the  true  church, 
and  that  the  church  of  Rome  is  not 
the  true  Catholic  church  ;  he  ac- 
knowledged the  declaration,  and 
ratified  it  by  a  repetition. 

Several  persons  present  taking 
occasion  to  ask  him,  as  he  denied 
the  bishop  of  Rome's  authority  in 
England,  whether  Linus,  Ana- 
cletus,  and  Clement,  who  were 
bishops   of  Rome,  were   not  good 


men  ;  he  replied  in  the  affirmativef 
but  reminded  them  that  they 
claimed  no  more  authority  in  Eng- 
land, than  the  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury doth  in  Rome. 

As  this  observation  highly  re- 
flected on  the  validity  of  the  papal 
supremacy,  the  bishop  was  so  in- 
censed, that  he  gave  Marsh  very 
abusive  language,  calling  him,  "  a 
most  damnable,  irreclaimable,  un- 
pardonable heretic." 

In  return  for  this,  Mr.  Marsh 
mildly  expostulated  with  the  bi- 
shop, telling  him,  if  he  could  be 
persuaded,  in  his  own  conscience, 
that  the  articles  proposed  to  him 
were  founded  on  God's  word,  he 
would  gladly  yield  in  every  point ; 
declaring,  that  he  held  no  hereti- 
cal opinion,  but  utterly  abhorred 
every  kind  of  heresy ;  and  then 
called  all  present  to  bear  witness, 
that  in  the  articles  of  religion  he 
held  no  other  opinion  than  what 
was  by  law  established,  and  pub- 
licly taught  in  England,  in  the  time 
of  king  fEdward  the  Sixth  ;  and 
that,  in  such  religion  and  doctrine, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  he  would  live, 
and  die. 

He  was  then,  for  the  last  time, 
asked,  whether  he  would  stand  to 
these  opinions,  being  full  of  here- 
sies, or  forsake  them,  and  return 
to  the  Catholic  church  ;  and  on  his 
heartily  declaring  he  would  con- 
tinue steadfast  and  immovable  in 
the  faith  of  God's  word,  nor  ever 
return  to  any  church  that  was  not 
founded  on  scripture  authority, 
the  bishop  began  to  read  his  sen- 
tence of  condemnation,  but  was 
interrupted  by  the  chancellor,  in 
order  to  give  him  another  opportu- 
nity of  recanting. 

He  resolutely  withstood  the  ear- 
nest entreaties  of  several  people, 
who  desired  him  to  accept  of  the 
proffered  mercy  ;  nor  could  even 
the  repeated  exhortations  of  the 
bishop  and  chancellor  prevail  with 
this  eminent  servant  of  Christ,  to 
deny  his  Lord  and  master,  and  sub- 
mit to  the  usurpation  of  cruel,  ty- 
rannical men. 

All  endeavours  proving  ineffec- 
tual, the  bishop  proceeded  in  pass- 


REV.  GEORGE  MARSH. 


421 


ing  sentence,  which  being  ended, 
Marsh  was  delivered  up  to  the 
sheriffs,  who  conveyed  him  to  the 
North-Gate  prison,  where  he  was 
confined  in  a  dung;eon  till  the  day 
appointed  for  his  execution. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1555,  this 
firm  believer  was  led  to  the  place 
appointed  for  his  martyrdom, 
amidst  a  crowd  of  lamenting  spec- 
tators. It  was  near  a  village, 
called  Spittle-Boughton,  at  a  small 
distance  from  Chester.  As  soon 
as  he  arrived  at  the  place,  the 
chamberlain  of  that  city  shewed 
him  a  box,  containing  the  queen's 
pardon,  on  condition  that  he  would 
recant.  Our  martyr  coolly  an- 
swered, "  that  he  would  gladly 
accept  the  same,  for  he  loved  the 
queen;  but  as  it  tended  to  pluck 
him  from  God,  who  was  King  of 
kings,  and  Lord  of  lords,  he  could 
not  receive  it  on  such  terms." 

Then  turning  to  the  spectators, 
he  told  them  the  cause  of  the  cruel 
death  which  awaited  him,  and  ex- 
horted them  to  remain  steadfast  in 
the  faith  of  Christ;  which  done,  he 
kneeled  on  the  ground,  directed 
his  prayer  to  God,  for  strength 
equal  to  the  fiery  trial,  arose,  and 
was  chained  to  the  stake,  having 
a  number  of  fagots  under  hiiii,  and 
a  cask  full  of  pitch  and  tar  hanging 
over  his  head. 

As  soon  as  he  was  chained  to 
the  stake,  he  again  addressed  him- 
self earnestly  in  prayer  to  God; 
and  the  fire  being  kindled,  he  suf- 
fered, for  a  considerable  time,  the 
most  exquisite  torture,  his  flesh 
being  so  broiled,  and  pufl'ed  up, 
that  those  who  stood  before  him 
could  not  see  the  chain  with  which 
he  was  fastened.  At  length,  with 
the  utmost  fortitude,  he  spread 
forth  his  arms,  and  said,  with  a 
voice  to  be  universally  heard  by 
the  spectators,  "  Father  of  heaven, 
have  mercy  upon  me."  Soon  after 
which  he  yielded  up  his  spirit  into 
the  hands  of  Him  who  gave  it. 

Thus  died,  in  confirmation  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  a  sincere  be- 
liever, raising,  by  his  patient  re- 
signation, the  wonder  and  asto- 
nishment of  all  that  saw  him  suffer, 


the  greater  part  of  whom  cried  out 
with  ecstasy,  ''  Of  a  truth  God  is 
with  him." 

This  pious  Christian,  during  the 
course  of  his  confinement,  wrote 
the  particulars  of  his  respective 
examinations  before  his  persecu- 
tors; as  also  a  great  number  of 
fetters  to  difl'erent  people,  among 
which  we  shall  select  the  follow- 
ing : 

A  LETTER  TO  SEVERAL  OF  HIS 
FRIENDS,  AFTER  HIS  LAST  EXA- 
MINATION. 

"  Here  you  have,  dearly  be- 
loved friends  in  Christ,  the  chief 
and  principal  articles  of  Christian 
doctrine  briefly  touched,  which 
heretofore  I  have  both  believed, 
professed,  and  taught,  and  as  yet 
do  believe,  profess,  and  teach; 
and  am  surely  purposed,  by  God's 
grace,  to  continue  in  the  same  until 
the  last  day.  I  do  want  both  time 
and  opportunity  to  write  out,  at 
large,  the  probations,  causes, 
parts,  eft'ects,  and  contraries  or 
errors  of  these  articles;  which 
whoso  desireth  to  know,  let  them 
read  over  the  common  places  of 
the  pious  learned  men,  Philip  Me- 
lancthon,  and  Erasmus  Sarcerius, 
whose  judgment  in  these  matters 
of  religion  I  do  chiefly  follow  and 
lean  unto.  The  Lord  give  us  un- 
derstanding in  all  things,  and  de- 
liver us  from  this  evil  world,  ac- 
cording to  his  will  and  pleasure, 
and  bring  us  again  out  of  this  hell 
of  aflliction,  into  which  it  hath 
pleased  the  merciful  Lord  to  throw 
us  down:  and  deliver  us  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  lion,  and  from  all 
evil  doing,  and  keep  us  unto  his 
everlasting  and  heavenly  kingdom. 
Amen. 

"  Though  Satan  be  sufi"ered,  as 
wheat,  to  sift  us  for  a  time,  yet 
our  faith  faileth  not,  through 
Christ's  aid,  but  that  we  are,  at  all 
times,  able  and  ready  to  confirm 
the  faith  of  our  weak  brethren, 
'  and  always  ready  to  give  an  an- 
swer to  every  man  that  asketh  us 
a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  us, 
and  that  with  meekness  and  reve- 
rence, having  a  good  conscience ; 


422 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  whereas  they  backbite  us  as 
evil-doers,  tiiey  may  be  ashamed, 
forasmuch  as  they  have  falsely  ac- 
cused our  o:ood  conversation  in 
Christ,'  I  tliought  myself  now,  of 
late  years,  for  the  cares  of  this 
life,  well  settled  with  my  loving 
and  faithful  wife  and  children,  and 
also  well  quieted  in  the  peaceable 
possession  of  that  pleasant  Eu- 
phrates, I  do  confess  it:  but  the 
Lord,  who  worketh  all  things  for 
the  best  to  them  that  love  him, 
would  not  there  leave  me,  but  did 
take  ray  dear  and  beloved  wife 
from  me ;  whose  death  was  a  pain- 
ful cross  to  my  flesh. 

"  Also  I  thought  myself  nov.'  of 
late  well  placed  under  my  most 
loving  and  most  gentle  Mr.  Lau- 
rence Saunders,  in  the  cure  of 
Langhton.  But  the  Lord,  of  his 
great  mercy,  would  not  suffer  me 
long  there  to  continue,  although 
for  the  small  time  1  was  in  his  vine- 
yard, I  was  not  an  idle  workman. 
But  he  hath  provided  me,  1  per- 
ceive it,  to  taste  of  a  far  other  cop ; 
for  by  violence  hath  he  yet,  once 
again,  driven  me  out  of  that  glo- 
rious Babylon,  that  I  should  not 
taste  too  much  of  her  wanton  plea- 
sures, but  with  his  most  dearly  be- 
loved disciples  to  have  my  inward 
rejoicing  in  the  cross  of  his  son 
Jesus  Christ;  the  glory  of  whose 
church,  I  see  it  well,  standeth  not 
in  the  harmonious  sound  of  bells 
and  organs,  nor  yet  in  the  glitter- 
ing of  mitres  and  copes,  neither  in 
the  shining  of  gilt  images  and 
lights  (as  the  blind  papists  do 
judge  it),  but  in  continual  labours, 
and  daily  afflictions,  for  his  name's 
sake. 

"  God,  at  this  present,  here,  in 
England,  hath  his  fan  in  his  hand, 
and  after  his  great  harvest,  where- 
into  these  years  past  he  hath  sent 
his  labourers,  is  now  sifting  the 
corn  from  the  chaff,  and  purging 
his  floor,  and  ready  to  gather  the 
wheat  into  his  garner,  and  burn  up 
the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire. 

"  Take  heed,  and  beware  of  the 
leaven  of  tlie  scribes,  and  of  the 
sadducees;  I  mean  tlie  erroneous 
doctrine  of  the  papists,  which,  with 


their  glosses,  deprave  the  Scrip- 
tures :  for,  as  the  apostle  St.  Peter 
doth   teach   us,     '  There   shall  be 
false  teachers  amongst  us,  which 
privily    shall   bring    in    damnable 
sects:'    and  he  saith,  that  'many 
follow    their   damnable    ways,    by 
whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil 
spoken  of,  and  that  through  covet- 
ousness,  they  shall,  with  feigned 
words,  make  merchandise  of  us;' 
and  Christ  earnestly  warneth  us, 
'  to  beware  of  false  prophets,  which 
come  to  us  in  sheep's  clothing,  but 
inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves. 
By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.' 
The    fruits    of   the    prophets    are 
their  doctrine.     In  this  place  are 
we     Christians    taught,     that    we 
should     try    the    preachers,     and 
others,  that  come  under  a  colour, 
to  set  forth  true  religion  unto  us ; 
according    to    the   saying    of    St. 
Paul,    '  Try    all  things,  and  hold 
fast  that  which  is  good.'     Also  the 
evangelist,  St.  John,   saith,    '  Be- 
lieve not  every  spirit,   but   prove 
the  spirits,  whether  they  be  of  God 
or  not;  for  many  false  prophets,' 
saith  he,    '  are  gone  out  into  the 
world.'      Therefore,   if   thou   wilt 
know  the  true  prophets  from  the 
false,  try  their  doctrine  by  the  true 
touchstone,  which  is  the  word  of 
God;    and   as  the   pious   Bereans 
did,    *  Search  ye  the    Scriptures,' 
whether    those     things    which    be 
preached  unto  you,  be  even  so  or 
not;  or  else,  by  the  outward  con- 
versation of  them,  ye  may  easily  be 
deceived." 

A    LETTER   TO    AN    UNKNOWN 
FRIEND. 

"  Grace  be  with  you,  and  peace 
be  multiplied  in  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  Jesus  the  Lord. 

"  After  hearty  commendations, 
and  thanks  to  you,  not  only  for 
your  large  token,  but  much  more 
for  your  loving  letters,  full  of  con- 
solation to  me,  as  touching  my 
person,  to  you  unknown:  these 
shall  be  to  certify  you,  that  I  re- 
joice greatly  in  the  Lord,  when  I 
do  perceive  how  my  sweet  Saviour 
Christ  doth  stir  up  the  minds,  not 
only    of    my    familiar    friends    iu 


REV.  GEORGE  MARSH. 


423 


times  past,  but  al.so  of  sundry  and 
divers,  Iiorctolorc!  unto  mc  un- 
known and  unacquainted,  to  bear 
part  with  mc  in  this  my  painful 
and  costly  imprisonment,  scndina; 
me  thinfjs  not  only  necessary  for 
this  present  life,  but  also  comfort- 
able letters,  encourag;ing  and  ex- 
liortinj^  mc  to  continue  fjrounded 
and  established  in  the  faith,  and 
not  to  be  moved  away  from  the 
hope  of  the  gospel,  whereof,  ac- 
cordins?  to  my  small  talent,  I  have 
been  a  minister;  and  daily  I  call, 
and  cry  unto  the  Lord,  in  whom  is 
all  my  trust,  and  without  wliom  I 
can  do  nothing;  that  he,  which 
hath  begun  a  work  in  me,  would 
vouchsafe  to  go  forth  with  it  until 
the  day  of  Jesus  Christ,  being 
surely  certified  in  ray  conscience 
of  this,  that  he  will  so  do;  foras- 
much as  he  hath  given  me,  that 
not  only  I  should  believe  on  him, 
but  also  sutfer  for  his  sake.  The  Lord 
strengthen  me  with  his  holy  spirit, 
that  I  may  be  one  of  the  number  of 
those  blessed,  which,  enduring  to 
the  end,  shall  be  saved. 

"  And  whereas  you  say,  that  my 
suffering  of  persecution  with 
Christ  is  a  thing  to  you  most  com- 
fortable, I  make  answer,  that  in 
all  mine  adversity  and  necessity, 
nothing  on  your  behalf  is  greater 
consolation  unto  me,  than  to  hear 
of  the  faith  and  love  of  others,  and 
how  they  have  good  remembrance 
of  us  always,  even  as  the  apostle 
reporteth  by  the  Thessalonians, 
saying,  '  Now  are  we  alive,  if  ye 
stand  steadfast  in  the  Lord.'  For 
my  trust  in  the  Lord  is,  that  this 
my  business  shall  happen  to  the 
furtherance  of  the  gospel,  and  that 
.you  will  be  none  of  those  forgetful 
and  hypocritical  hearers,  whereof 
some  being  but  way-side  hearers, 
the  devil  cometh,  and  taketh  away 
the  word  out  of  their  hearts,  lest 
they  should  believe  and  be  saved; 
but  let  prayer  be  made  without 
ceasing,  by  the  congregation,  unto 
God  for  them;  and  no  doubt  God 
will,  to  your  consolation,  gloriously 
deliver,  by  one  means  or  other,  his 
oppressed.  Only  tarry  ye  the 
Lord's  leisure ;  be  strong,  let  your 


heart  be  of  good  comfort,  and  wait 
ye  still  for  the  Lord.  Ho  tarrieth 
not  that  will  come;  look  for  him, 
therefore,  and  faint  not,  and  he 
will  never  fail  you.     Yours, 

"  GivORGE  Maksu." 

A    DAILY  PRAYER    USED    BY  GEORCiE 
MARSH. 

"  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
art  the  only  physician  of  wounded 
consciences,  we  miserable  sinners, 
trusting  in  thy  gracious  goodness, 
do  briefly  open  unto  thee  tiie  evil 
tree  of  our  heart,  with  all  the  roots, 
boughs,  leaves,  and  fruits,  and 
with  all  the  crooks,  knots,  and 
cores,  all  which  thou  knowest:  for 
thou  thoroughly  perccivest,  as  well 
the  inward  lusts,  doublings,  and 
denyings  of  thy  providence,  as 
those  gross  outward  sins,  which  we 
commitj  inwardly  and  deadly. 
Wherefore  we  beseech  thee,  ac- 
cording to  the  little  measure  of  our 
infirmity,  although  we  be  unable 
and  unapt  to  pray,  that  thou 
wouldest  mercifully  circumcise  our 
stony  hearts,  and  for  these  old 
hearts  create  new  within  us,  and 
replenish  us  with  a  new  spirit,  and 
water  us,  and  moisten  us,  with  the 
juice  of  heavenly  grace,  and  the 
wells  of  spiritual  water,  whereby 
the  inward  venom,  and  noisome 
juice  of  the  flesh,  may  be  dried  up, 
and  the  custom  of  the  old  man 
changed ;  and  our  heart,  always 
bringing  forth  thorns  and  briars, 
to  be  burned  with  fire,  from  hence- 
forth may  bear  spiritual  fruits,  in 
righteousness  and  holiness,  unto 
life  everlasting,  Amen." 

"  Beloved,  among  other  exer- 
cises, I  do  daily,  on  my  knees,  use 
this  confession  of  sins,  willing  and 
exhortin.g  you  to  do  the  same,  and 
daily  to  acknowledge,  unfeignedly, 
to  God  your  unbelief,  unthankful- 
ness,  and  disobedience  against 
him.  This  shall  ye  do,  if  ye  will 
diligently  consider,  and  look  at 
yourselves  first  in  the  pure  glass 
of  God's  commandments,  and 
there  see  your  outward  filthincss 
and  uncleanness,  and  so  learn  to 
vanquish  the  same,  that  is,  to  wit, 
fall  in  hearty  displeasure  against 


434 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


sin,  and  thereby  be  provoked  to 
long  after  Christ,  for  we  truly  are 
sinners ;  but  he  is  just,  and  the  jus- 
tifier  of  all  them  that  believe  on 
him.  We  are  poor,  but  he  is  rich 
in  mercy  towards  all  them  that  call 
upon  him.  If  we  hunger  and  thirst 
for  righteousness,  let  us  resort 
unto  his  table,  for  he  is  a  most  li- 
beral feastmaker.  He  will  set  be- 
fore us  his  own  holy  body,  which  is 


given  to  us  to  be  our  meat,  and  his 
precious  blood,  which  was  shed 
for  us,  and  for  many,  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  to  be  our  drink. 
He  biddeth,  willeth,  and  calleth 
for  guests,  which  hunger  and 
thirst.  '  Come,'  saith  he,  '  all  ye 
that  labour,  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  refresh  you,  cool  and 
ease  you,  and  you  shall  find  rest 
unto  your  souls.' " 


SECTION  V. 

MARTYaDOMS     OF    WILLIAM    FLOWBR,     JOHN 

AND    OTHERS. 


CARDMAKEK,     JOHN     WARNE, 


WILLIAM    FLOWER 

Was  born  at  a  place  called  Snow- 
hill,  in  the  county  of  Cambridge. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  superstition;  and  being 
brought  up  to  the  church,  when  at 
a  proper  age,  he  was  admitted  into 
orders,  and  becajne  a  professed 
monk  in  the  abbey  of  Ely. 

After  residing  some  time  in  the 
monastery,  he  threw  off  the  monk- 
ish habit,  became  a  secular  priest, 
returned  to  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
and  ofTiciated,  for  some  years,  in  a 
clerical  capacity. 

In  process  of  time,  on  a  se- 
rious review  of  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures, and  candid  comparisons  of 
them  with  the  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices of  the  Romish  church,  he  be- 
^an  to  doubt  of  the  authenticity  of 
the  latter ;  and,  on  a  further  in- 
spection, finding  them  wholly  re- 
pugnant to  the  word  of  God,  and 
founded  on  the  mere  inventions  of 
men,  he  abjured  them,  and  ear- 
nestly embraced  the  doctrines  of 
the  reformation. 

After  having  thus  departed  from 
the  Romish  church,  he  came  to 
London,  and  took  up  his  residence 
at  Lambeth,  where  he  married., 
and  kept  a  school  for  his  liveli- 
hood. 

Going  one  day  from  Lambeth  to 
Westminster,  he  went  into  St. 
Margaret's  church,  at  the  time 
that  mass  was  performing  there. 
As  he  refused  to  kneel  at  the  ele- 
vation of  the  host,  he  was  severely 
reprimanded  by  the  priest;  at 
which    Flower    was    so    irritated, 


that  he  struck  him  on  the  head,  the 
priest  having,  at  the  same  time,  in 
his  hand  a  chalice,  containing  some 
consecrated  wafers. 

As  his  behaviour,  on  this  occa- 
sion, proceeded  rather  from  rash 
zeal  than  well-grounded  know- 
ledge, he  snbmitted  himself  to  the 
award  of  bishop  Bonner,  willing 
to  endure,  for  his  folly,  whatever 
punishment  he  should  think  proper 
to  inflict. 

The  bishop  would  have  miti- 
gated his  punishment  for  the  crime 
he  had  committed  in  striking  the 
priest,  if  he  would  have  subscribed 
to  the  popish  faith;  but  that  he 
absolutely  refused  to  consent  to; 
in  consequence  of  which  he  was 
committed  a  prisoner  to  the  Gate- 
house. 

Here  the  following  conversation 
took  place  between  himself  and  a 
fellow-prisoner,  Mr.  Robert  Smith, 
which,  as  it  explains  his  seemingly 
improper  conduct,  we  give  in  full. 

Smith.  Friend,  as  I  understand 
that  you  profess  the  gospel,  and 
that  you  have  done  so  a  long  sea- 
son, I  am  bold  to  come  unto  you, 
and  in  the  way  of  communication 
to  demand  and  learn  a  truth  at 
your  own  mouth,  of  certain  things 
by  you  committed,  to  the  astonish- 
ment not  only  of  me,  but  of  others 
that  also  profess  the  truth. 

Flower.  I  praise  God  for  his 
great  goodness  in  shewing  me  the 
light  of  his  holy  word  ;  and  I  give 
you  hearty  thanks  for  your  visita- 
tion, intending  by  God's  grace  to 
declare  all  the  truth  that  you  sh*U 


WILLIAM  FLOWER. 


42S 


demand    lawfully    of   me,    in   all 
things. 

Smith.  Then  I  desire  yon  to 
shew  me  to  the  truth  of  your  deed, 
committed  on  John  Cheltam,  priest, 
in  the  church,  as  near  as  you  can, 
that  I  may  hear  from  your  own 
mouth  how  it  was. 

Flower.  I.  came  from  my  house 
at  Lambeth  over  the  water,  and  en- 
tering into  St.  Margaret's  church, 
and  there  seeing  the  people  falling 
down  before  a  most  detestable  idol, 
being  moved  with  extreme  zeal  for 
my  God,  whom  I  saw  before  my 
face  dishonoured,  I  drew  forth  my 
hanger,  and  I  struck  the  priest 
which  ministered  the  same  unto 
them;  whereupon  I  was  immedi- 
ately apprehended. 

Smith.  Did  you  not  know  the 
person  that  you  struck,  or  was  you 
not  zealous  upon  him  for  any  evil 
will  or  hatred  between  you  at  any 
time? 

Flower.  No,  verily,  I  never  to 
my  knowledge  saw  the  person  be- 
fore, neither  had  evil  will  or 
malice  ;  for  if  he  had  not  had  it, 
another  should,  if  1  had  at  any 
time  come  where  the  like  occasion 
had  been  ministered,  if  God  had 
permitted  me  to  do  it. 

Smith.  Do  you  think  that  thing 
to  be  well  done,  and  after  the  rule 
of  the  gospel ? 

Flower.  I  confess  all  flesh  to  be 
subject  to  the  power  of  Almighty 
God,  whom  he  maketh  his  ministers 
to  do  his  will  and  pleasure  ;  as  in 
example,  Moses,  Aaron,  Phineas, 
Joshua,  Zimri,  Jehu,  Judith,  Mat- 
tathias,  with  many  others,  not 
only  changing  decrees,  but  also 
planting  zeals  to  his  honour,  against 
all  order  and  respect  of  flesh  and 
blood.  For,  as  St.  Paul  saith, 
"  His  works  are  past  finding  out :" 
by  whose  spirit  I  have  also  given 
my  flesh  at  this  present  unto  such 
order,  as  it  shall  please  the  good 
will  of  God  to  appoint,  in  death, 
which  before  the  act  committed  I 
looked  for. 

Smith.  Think  you  it  convenient 
for  me,  or  any  other,  to  do  the  like 
by  your  example  ? 

Flijwer.    No,  verily,  neither  do  I 


know  if  it  were  to  do  again,  whe- 
ther I  could  do  it  again :  for  I  was 
up  very  early  at  St.  Paul's  church 
upon  Christ's  day  in  the  morning, 
to  have  done  it  in  my  jealousy :  but 
when  I  came  there,  I  was  no  more 
able  to  do  it,  than  now  to  undo  that 
which  is  done  ;  and  yet  now  being 
compelled  by  the  spirit,  not  only 
to  come  over  the  water,  and  to 
enter  the  church,  but  being  in  mind 
fully  content  to  die  for  the  Lord, 
I  gave  over  my  flesh  willingly  with- 
out all  fear,  I  praise  God.  Where- 
fore I  cannot  teach  you  to  do  the 
like.  First,  Because  I  know  not 
what  is  in  you.  Secondly,  Be- 
cause the  rules  of  the  gospel  com- 
mand us  to  suffer  with  patience  all 
wrongs  and  injury:  yet  neverthe- 
less, if  he  makes  you  worthy,  that 
hath  made  me  zealous,  you  shall 
not  be  hindered,  judged,  nor  con- 
demned :  for  he  doth  in  his  peo- 
ple his  unspeakable  works  in  all 
ages,  whicl^no  man  can  compre- 
hend. I  humbly  beseech  you  to 
judge  the  best  of  the  spirit,  and 
condemn  not  God's  doings :  for  I 
cannot  express  with  my  mouth  the 
great  mercies  that  God  hath  shewed 
on  me  in  this  thing,  which  I  repent 
not. 

Smith.  Are  you  not  a-ssured  to 
have  death  ministered  unto  you 
for  the  act,  and  even  with  extre- 
mity? 

Flower.  I  did,  before  the  deed 
committed,  adjudge  my  body  to 
die  for  the  same :  whereupon  I 
carried  about  me,  in  writing,  my 
opinion  of  God  and  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures ;  that  if  it  had  pleased  God 
to  have  given  them  leave  to  have 
killed  my  body  in  the  church,  they 
might  in  the  said  writing  have  seen 
my  hope,  which  (I  praise  God)  is 
laid  up  safe  within  my  breast,  not- 
withstanding any  death  that  may 
be  ministered  upon  my  body  in 
this  world ;  being  ascertained  of 
everlasting  life  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  and  being  most  heartily 
sorry  for  all  my  oftences  committed 
in  this  flesh,  and  trusting  shortly, 
through  his  mercy,  to  cease  from 
the  same. 

Smith.     I  need  not  examine  or 


426 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


commune  with  you  of  the  hope 
that  you  have  any  further :  for  I 
perceive  (God  be  praised)  you  are 
m  ^ood  state,  and  therefore  I  be- 
seech God,  for  his  mercies,  spread 
his  wings  over  you,  that,  as  for  his 
love  you  have  been  zealous,  even 
to  the  loss  of  this  life,  so  he  may 
give  you  his  Holy  Spirit  to  con- 
duct you  out  of  this  world  into  a 
better  life,  which  I  think  will  be 
shortly. 

Flower.  I  hunger  for  the  same, 
dear  friend,  being  fully  ascertained 
that  they  can  kill  but  the  body, 
which  I  am  assured  shall  receive 
life  again  everlasting,  and  see  no 
more  death ;  entirely  desiring  you 
and  all  that  fear  the  Lord,  to  pray 
with  me  to  Almighty  God,  to  per- 
form the  same  in  me  shortly — After 
promising  this,  Bobert  Smith  de- 
parted, leaving  Flower  in  the  dun- 
geon. 

After  remaining  some  time  in 
prison,  he  was  brought  before 
the  bishop,  who  administered  to 
him,  on  oath,  several  articles.  But 
not  answering  satisfactorily  to 
these,  he  was  committed  to  the 
Fleet  prison,  when  he  was  brought 
before  the  warden,  and  found 
guilty  of  abusing  a  priest  in  the 
duty  of  his  office,  and  also  of  main- 
taining damnable  heresies. 

He  was  again  brought  before  the 
bishop,  who  used  the  most  forcible 
arguments  in  his  power  to  induce 
him  to  recant ;  but  these  proving 
ineffectual,  he  asked  him.  If  he 
knew  any  matter,  or  cause,  why 
sentence  should  not  be  pronounced 
against  him  as  an  heretic  ?  To 
which  Flower  answered,  "  I  have 
nothing  at  all  to  say,  for  I  have  al- 
ready said  unto  you  all  that  I  had 
to  say  ;  and  that  I  have  said  I  will 
not  go  from :  and,  therefore,  do 
what  yoH  will." 

The  bishep  then  proceeded  to 
pass  sentence,  condemning  and  ex- 
communicating him  as  an  here- 
tic :  after  vrhich  he  was  degraded, 
and  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power. 

The  24th  of  April,  1.555,  was 
the  day  appointed  for  his  execu- 
tion, and  the  place  was  St.  Marga- 


ret's church-yard,  Westminster* 
On  the  morning  of  the  fatal  day 
he  was  led  to  the  stake,  amidst  a 
prodigious  number  of  spectators. 
Immediately  on  his  arrival  at  the 
place,  he  knelt  down,  and  prayed 
to  God,  acknowledging  his  faith,  as 
follows : 

"  O  eternal  God,  most  mighty 
and  merciful  father,  who  hast 
sent  down  thy  son  upon  the  earth, 
to  save  me,  and  all  mankind;  who 
ascended  up  into  heaven  again, 
and  left  his  blood  upon  the  earth 
behind  him,  for  the  redemption  of 
our  sins,  have  mercy  upon  mc, 
have  mercy  upon  me,  for  tiiy  dear 
son  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  in  whom  I  confess  only  to  be 
all  salvation  and  justification,  and 
that  there  is  no  other  means,  nor 
way,  nor  holiness,  in  which,  or  by 
which,  any  man  can  be  saved  in 
this  world.  This  is  my  faith, 
which  I  beseech  all  men  here  to 
bear  witness  of." 

He  then  repeated  the  Lord's 
Prayer  very  deliberately,  and  with 
an  audible  voice  ;  after  which  he 
arose,  and  prepared  himself  for  un- 
dergoing his  destined  punishment. 

A  Romish  priest,  who  was  pre- 
sent, desired  Iiim  to  recant  his  he- 
resy, and  thereby  save  his  life  :  to 
whom  he  said,  "  Sir,  I  beseech 
you,  for  God's  sake,  to  be  content- 
ed: for  that  I  have  said,  I  have 
said  ;  and  I  trust  in  the  living  God, 
he  will  give  me  his  holy  spirit  to 
continue  to  the  end." 

He  then  desired  all  persons 
whom  he  had  offended,  to  forgive 
him,  as  he,  from  his  heart,  forgave 
all  the  world. 

This  done,  he  was  chained  to 
the  stake,  and  his  left  hand  fasten- 
ed to  his  side.  The  other  hand, 
with  which  he  had  struck  the  priest, 
was  then  held  up,  and  cut  off,  the 
blood  plentifully  gushing  from  the 
wrist ;  which  punishment  he  bore 
without  the  least  apparent  emo- 
tion. The  fagots  were  then  piled 
round  him,  and  being  immediately 
kindled,  he  cried  out,  with  a  loud 
voice,  "  O  thou  Son  of  God,  have 
mercy  upon  me;  O  thou  Son  of 
God,    receive    my    soul."      These 


JOHN  CARDMAKER. 


44t 


words  he  repeated  three  times, 
when  the  violence  of  the  smoke 
took  away  his  speech ;  but  he  still 
shewed  the  spectators  that  he  was 
not  3'et  deprived  of  life,  by  hold- 
ing up  the  arm  from  wlience  tlie 
hand  had  been  cut,  with  the  other, 
as  long  as  he  was  able.  There  not 
being  a  sufficiency  of  fagots  he 
underwent  great  torture,  the  lower 
parts  of  his  body  being  consumed 
a  considerable  time  before  the 
others  were  mueh  afl'ected.  At 
length,  however,  the  executioner 
finished  his  miseries,  by  striking 
him  a  violent  blow  on  the  head, 
which  brought  the  upper  part  of 
him  into  the  fire  ;  and  in  this 
dreadful  manner  he  yielded  up  his 
life. 

JOHN  CARDMAKER,  AND  JOHN 
WARNE. 

John  Cardmaker  was  educated 
in  the  Romish  religion,  and  for 
some  years  was  a  friar  of  the  order 
of  St.  Francis.  After  the  dissolu- 
tion of  religious  houses  by  Henry 
VIII.  he  attended  with  such  dili- 
gence to  the  preaching  and  writing 
of  pious  and  learned  divines  that 
he  became  a  convert  to  the  pro- 
testant  faith,  obtained  a  living  in 
the  reformed  church,  and  was  an 
eminent  preacher  of  the  gospel. 

In  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  he 
was  appointed  reader  at  St.  Paul's, 
and  prebendary  of  Wells,  in  which 
functions  he  continued  indefatiga- 
ble, till  the  accession  of  queen 
Mary,  when  he  was  apprehended, 
together  with  the  bishop  of  Wells, 
and  committed  to  the  Fleet,  though 
the  laws  of  king  Edward  were  then 
in  full  force. 

When  the  papal  supremacy  and 
jurisdiction  were  re-established  in 
England,  and  bishops  had  autho- 
rity, by  virtue  of  the  statute,  to 
proceed  against  heretics.  Card- 
maker  was  removed  from  the  Fleet 
to  the  Compter,  where  he  con- 
tracted an  acquaintance  with  Law- 
rence Saunders  (whose  sufferings 
we  have  already  described),  by 
whom  he  was  animated  and  encou- 
raged to  continue  steadfast  in  his 
faith  and  profession.^ 


In  process  of  time,  he  was  sum- 
moned to  appear  before  the  arro- 
gant and  cruel  Bonner,  who  alleged 
against  him  divers  charges,  which, 
with  Cardmaker's  answers,  were 
as  follow : 

1.  That  after  professing  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  religion,  and  enter- 
ing into  holy  orders,  he  took  a 
wife,  and  had  by  her  a  female 
child,  thereby  breaking  his  vow, 
and  the  order  and  ordinance  of  the 
church. 

The  first  part  of  this  charge  he 
allowed,  but  denied  his  having 
broken  any  vow  by  this  marriage  ; 
because  he  was  allowed  to  marry, 
both  by  the  laws  of  the  realm,  and 
also  by  the  laws  of  the  church  of 
England. 

2.  That  he  believed  and  taught, 
and  did  still  believe,  that  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  under  the 
visible  signs,  that  is,  under  the 
forms  of  bread  and  wine,  there  is 
re-ally  and  truly  the  true  and  natu- 
ral body  of  our  Saviour  Christ. 

He  replied,  that  he  had  believed 
and  taught  as  contained  in  this  ar- 
ticle, but  he  did  not  then  so  believe 
and  teach. 

3.  That  the  belief  of  the  Catho- 
lic church  is,  that  having  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  really 
and  truly  contained  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar,  is  to  have,  by 
the  omnipotent  power  of  Almighty 
God,  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
there  invisibly,  but  really,  present 
under  the  same  sacrament,  and  to 
make  thereby  a  new  God,  or  a 
new  Christ,  or  a  new  body  of 
Christ. 

The  whole  of  this  he  denied. 

4.  That  this  may  be  consistent, 
the  faith  of  the  Catholic  church  is, 
that  the  body  of  Christ  is  visibly 
and  truly  ascended  into  heaven, 
and  there  is,  in  the  visible  form  of 
his  humanity  ;  and  yet  the  same 
bod}',  in  substance,  is  invisibly  and 
truly  contained  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

This  he  denied  as  absurd  and 
unscriptural. 

5.  That  Christ,  at  his  last  sup- 
per, taking  bread  into  his  hands, 
breaking,    and    giving    it    to    his 


428 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


apostles,  saying,  "Take,  eat,  this 
is  my  body,"  did  institute  a  sacra- 
ment there,  ordaining  that  his  body, 
really  and  only,  should  be  con- 
tained in  the  said  sacrament ;  no 
substance  of  bread  and  wine  there 
remaining. 

To  the  first  part  he  assented, 
but  denied  the  latter  part;  and 
to  his  answers  he  subscribed  his 
name. 

For  persisting  in  these  answers 
he  was  condemned,  and  sent  to 
Newgate,  where  he  was  visited  by 
a  messenger  from  the  council,  to 
know  whether    or    not  he    would 

He  told  the  messenger,  that 
since  God,  of  his  mercy,  had  open- 
ed his  eyes  to  see  his  eternal  truth, 
he  had  called  upon  his  name  to 
give  him  his  grace  to  understand 
his  word,  and  was  determined,  by 
the  aid  of  the  same  grace,  to  con- 
tinue steadfast  in  the  same. 

After  some  debate  concerning 
the  corporeal  presence  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  the  messen- 
ger, finding  Gardmaker  inflexible 
in  his  opinion,  departed,  and  ac- 
quainted the  council  with  the  result 
of  his  message. 

JOHN    WARNE 

Was  by  trade  an  upholder,  and 
jived  in  the  parish  of  Walbrook, 
with  great  credit  and  reputation, 
being  a  very  pious  and  conscien- 
tious man. 

As  all  who  professed  the  pro- 
testant  faith,  in  these  persecuting 
times,  were  liable,  not  only  to  mo- 
lestation in  the  performance  of 
their  religious  duties,  but  also  to 
be  arraigned  at  the  bloody  tribunal 
of  the  relentless  Bonner,  Warne, 
among  the  rest,  was  suspected  of 
heresy,  brought  before  the  bishop, 
and  the  following  articles  were  laid 
to  his  charge : 

1.  That  he  believed  that  in  the 
sacrament,  called  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  there  is  not  the  very,  true, 
and  natural  body  of  our  Saviour 
Christ  in  substance,  under  the 
forms  of  bread  and  wine. 

2.  That  he  believed,  that  after 
the  words  of  consecration  spoken 


by  tlie  priest,  there  is  not  (as  the 
church  of  England  doth  believe 
and  teach)  the  body  of  Christ,  but 
that  there  doth  only  remain  the 
substance  of  material  bread,  as  it 
is  before  the  consecration,  and  that 
the  said  bread  is  no  ways  altered 
and  changed. 

3.  That  he  believed,  that  if  the 
Catholic  church  doth  believe  and 
teach,  there  is  in  the  mass  (now 
used  in  England,  and  in  other 
places  of  Christendom)  a  sacrifice, 
wherein  there  is  a  sacrament  con- 
cerning the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  really  and  truly,  then  tliat 
belief  and  faith  of  the  church  is 
nought,  and  against  God's  truth 
and  the  scripture. 

4.  That  neither  in  Lent  past, 
nor  any  time  since  the  queen's 
reign,  he  had  been  at  church,  nor 
heard  mass,  nor  had  been  con- 
fessed, or  had  received  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar;  and  said  that 
he  was  not  sorry  for  the  same,  be- 
cause his  conscience  was  not  do- 
filed,  as  it  would  otherwise  have 
been. 

Warne  underwent  several  exa- 
minations, in  the  presence  of  dif- 
ferent persons,  on  these  articles ; 
at  all  of  which  he  declared,  that 
he  did  believe  and  confess  the  same 
to  be  true. 

At  length,  the  bishop  of  London 
having  frequently  warned  him  to 
abjure  his  heretical  tenets,  and 
return  to  his  obedience  to  the 
church  of  Rome,  but  without  ef- 
fect, the  definitive  sentence  was 
pronounced,  when  he  was  deliver- 
ed up  to  the  sheriffs,  and  sent  to 
Newgate. 

While  these  two  faithful  ser- 
vants of  Christ  were  in  prison, 
some  of  the  popish  emissaries  had 
spread  a  report  that  they  intended 
to  recant,  which  occasioned  the 
following 

LETTER     FROM    MR.    CARDMAKER   TO 
HIS    FRIENDS. 

"The  peace  of  God  be  with  you. 
You  shall  right  well  perceive  that 
I  am  not  gone  back,  as  some  men 
do  report  of  me,  but  am  as  ready 
to  give  my  life,  as  any  of  my  breth- 


THOMAS  HAWKES. 


429 


ren  that  are  gone  before  me,  al- 
though by  a  policy  I  have  a  little 
prolonged  it,  and  that  for  the  best, 
as  already  it  appeareth  unto  me, 
and  shall  shortly  appear  unto  all. 
That  day  that  I  recant  any  point  of 
doctrine,  I  shall  suffer  twenty  kinds 
of  death,  the  Lord  being  mine  as- 
sistance, as  I  doubt  not  but  he  will. 
Commend  me  to  my  friend,  and 
tell  him  no  less.  This  the  Lord 
strengthen  you,  me,  and  all  his 
elect:  my  riches  and  poverty  are 
as  they  were  wont  to  be,  and  I 
have  learned  to  rejoice  in  poverty 
as  well  as  riches,  for  that  I  account 
now  to  be  very  riches.  Thus  fare 
ye  well  in  Christ.  Salute  all  my 
brethren  in  my  name.  I  have  con- 
ferred with  some  of  my  adversa- 
ries, learned  men,  and  I  find  that 
they  be  but  sophists  and  shadows." 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1555,  these 
two  martyrs  were  conducted,  under 
a  strong  guard,  from  Newgate  to 
Smithfield,  the  place  appointed  for 
their  execution. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the 
stake,  Warne  began  his  prayer, 
which  having  finished,  he  prepared 
himself  for  the  fiery  trial.  While 
Warne  was  at  prayers,  Cardmaker 
was  discoursing  with  the  sheriffs, 
insomuch  that  the  friends  of  the 
reformation  feared  he  would  re- 
cant ;  but  these  apprehensions  soon 
subsided,  for  after  his  conference 
with  the  sheriffs,  and  a  short  prayer, 
he  courageously  went  to  the  stake, 
took  his  fellow-sufferer  by  the 
hand,  comforted  him,  and  cheer- 
fiilly  submitted  to  be  bound. 

When  the  people  beheld  this 
they  were  greatly  rejoiced,  as  it 
totally  removed  their  apprehen- 
sions that  they  would  recant ;  and 
tliey  exclaimed,  with  satisfaction, 
"  God  be  praised !  the  Lord 
strengthen  ye !  the  Lord  Jesus  re- 
ceive your  spirits  !" 

The  executioner  having  set  fire 
to  the  fagots,  they  burnt  with  great 
rapidity,  and  the  two  martyrs  soon 
passed  through  the  flames,  to  en- 
joy the  crown  of  triumph  and  vic- 
tory, prepared  for  the  true  soldiers 
of  Christ  in  his  blessed  kingdom. 


JOHN    ARDELEY,   AND   JOHN    SIMP- 
SON. 

On  the  same  day  that  Warne 
and  Cardmaker  suffered  in  Smith- 
field,  John  Ardeley,  and  John 
Simpson,  two  labouring  men,  and 
sincere  though  humble  Christians, 
were  burnt  in  Essex ;  the  former 
at  Rayleigh,  and  the  latter  at 
Rochford. 

THOMAS    HAWKES. 

This  person  was  the  son  of  re- 
putable and  pious  parents,  who 
gave  him  a  good  education,  and 
brought  him  up  in  the  reformed 
religion.  He  strictly  adhered  to 
the  religious  principles  which  had 
been  instilled  into  his  youthful 
mind  ;  so  that  finding  the  gospel, 
after  the  death  of  king  Edward, 
began  to  decline,  (especially  among 
great  families,  in  one  of  which, 
that  of  lord  Oxford,  he  lived)  he 
returned  home,  where  he  hoped 
quietly  to  enjoy  the  worship  of 
God,  according  to  the  dictates  of 
his  own  conscience. 

In  these  expectations,  however, 
he  soon  found  himself  disappoint- 
ed. As  there  were  now  popish 
emissaries  in  every  corner,  lying 
in  wait  to  give  information  if  any 
one  was  only  suspected  of  favour- 
ing the  doctrines  of  the  reforma- 
tion, Hawkes  was  apprehended, 
and  brought  before  the  earl  of  Ox- 
ford, his  former  master,  for  "  being 
unsound  in  religion,  and  contemn- 
ing the  sacraments  of  the  ehurch, 
in  that  he  had  kept  a  son  unbap- 
tized  three  weeks,  because  he  would 
not  suffer  him  to  be  baptized  after 
the  popish  manner." 

The  earl  referred  him  to  bishop 
Bonner,  to  whom  having  written 
that  he  had  refused  to  have  his 
child  baptized  according  to  the 
order  of  the  church  now  in  use, 
he  left  him  to  his  lordship's  dis- 
cretion. 

When  Hawkes  was  brought  be- 
fore the  bishop,  he  was  asked  the 
cause  of  keeping  the  child  unbap- 
tized  so  long  :  to  which  he  returned 
for  answer,  that  he  was  bound  to 
do  nothing  contrary  to  the  word  of 
God. 


436 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


The  bishop  then  urged,  that  bap- 
tism being:  a  sacrament  contained 
in  the  word  of  God,  and  incumbent 
on  every  Christian,  he  was,  con- 
sequently, criminal  in  denying,  or 
not  conforming  to  the  same.  To 
this  he  said,  that  he,  by  no  means, 
denied  God's  institution,  but  men's 
invention  therein;  such  as  the  use 
of  oil,  cream,  spittle,  salt,  can- 
dle, &c. 

After  much  debate  on  the  sub- 
ject, the  bishop  asked  him  if  he 
would  have  his  child  baptized  ac- 
cording to  the  service-book,  set 
out  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI. 
To  which  he  replied,  that  it  was 
the  very  thing  he  desired  from  his 
soul. 

This,  however,  was  but  mere 
equivocation  to  learn  his  senti- 
ments ;  for  it  appeared  in  the  se- 
quel, that  Bonner's  wish  was  to 
compel  him  to  submit  to  the  super- 
stitions of  the  church  of  Rome  ; 
but  this,  with  all  his  artifice,  he  was 
unable  to  eifect. 

The  bishop,  with  several  others, 
held  various  conferences  with 
Hawkes,  concerning  his  belief  of 
the  corporeal  presence  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  the  mass,  the 
holy  creed,  holy  water,  and  other 
ceremonies  of  the  church  of  Rome : 
but  these  also  he  rejected  as  he 
had  done  that  of  baptism,  because 
they  were  contrary  to  the  word  of 
God,  by  which  alone  he  was  de- 
termined to  be  guided  and  direct- 
ed in  all  matters  of  faith  and  re- 
ligion; nay,  he  boldly  told  them 
all,  that  he  would  not  credit  them 
in  any  thing,  but  what  they  could 
prove  from  the  holy  scriptures. 

At  length  Bonner,  finding  lie 
could  by  no  means  prevail  with 
him  to  recant  his  opinions,  and 
submit  to  the  church  of  Rome, 
sent  him  prisoner  to  the  Gate- 
house, in  Westminster,  command- 
ing the  keeper  to  confine  him 
closely,  and  not  to  permit  any 
person  to  converse  with  him. 

During  his  confinement,  various 
methods  were  used  to  bring  him 
over  to  recant,  such  as  conversa- 
tion, reading  to  him,  taking  him 
to  hear  sermons,  and  the  like  ;  but 


all  proved  ineffeetuaJ  ;  his  constant 
answer,  to  all  who  spoke  to  him  on 
that  subject,  being,  "  I  am  no 
changeling." 

Bonner,  incensed  at  his  stead- 
fastness, told  him,  on  his  second 
examination,  he  should  find  him 
"  no  changeling"  neither,  and  im- 
mediately went  out  and  wrote  the 
following  paper: 

"  I  Thomas  Hawkes  do  here 
confess  and  declare,  before  my 
ordinary,  Edmund  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, that  the  mass  is  abominable, 
detestable,  and  full  of  all  super- 
stition ;  and  also  concerning  the 
sacrament  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  (commonly  called  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar)  that  Christ 
is  in  no  part  thereof,  but  only  in 
heaven.  This  I  have  believed,  and 
this  I  do  believe." 

Bonner  ordered  Hawkes  to  sub- 
scribe to  this  paper ;  but  he  re- 
fused to  set  his  name  to  what  he 
had  not  written  himself;  upon 
which  the  haughty  prelate  struck 
him  on  the  breast,  declaring,  at  the 
same  time,  that  "he  would  se- 
verely chastise  all  such  proud  and 
disobedient  knaves." 

A  few  days  after  this  the  bishop 
summoned  him,  with  several  others, 
to  appear  publicly  in  the  consistory 
court  at  St.  Paul's,  where  the  se- 
veral articles  alleged  against  him, 
together  with  the  bill  of  confession, 
were  read  to  him,  in  all  which  he 
firmly  continued. 

They  then  strongly  exhorted  him 
to  recant,  that  they  might  not  be 
obliged  to  pass  the  awful  sentence 
of  death  upon  him.  To  which  he 
cheerfully  replied,  that  if  he  had 
an  hundred  bodies,  he  would  sutler 
them  all  to  be  torn  to  pieces,  rather 
than  abjure  the  faitli  of  Christ's 
gospel. 

On  his  thus  steadfastly  persever- 
ing in  the  faith  which  he  professed, 
the  bishop  read  the  sentence  of 
condemnation  against  him,  and 
five  others ;  after  which  he  was 
sent  back  to  prison,  where  he  re- 
mained till  June  following,  when 
he  was  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  lord  Rich,  who  caused  him  to 
be  conveyed  to  Chelmsford,  and 


THOMAS  HAWKES. 


4Sl 


from  thence  to  CoxalJ,  iu  Essex, 
where  he  was  burned  on  the  10th 
of  the  same  month. 

Mr.  Hawkes  gave  many  pious 
exhortations,  and  godly  admoni- 
tions, to  his  friends  who  came  to 
\isit  him  ;  and  several  of  them  re- 
questing, if  it  was  possible,  that  he 
would  shew  them  some  token,  by 
which  the  possibility  of  burning 
without  repining  might  appear,  he 
promised  "  by  the  help  of  God,  to 
shew  them,  that  the  most  exquisite 
torments  were  to  be  endured  iu  the 
glorious  cause  of  Christ,  and  his 
gospel,  the  comforts  of  which  were 
able  to  lift  the  believing  soul  above 
all  that  men  or  devils  could  inflict." 

Accordingly,  it  was  agreed  be- 
tween them,  that  if  the  rage  of 
pain  was  tolerable,  he  should  lift 
up  his  hands  towards  heaven,  be- 
fore he  gave  up  the  ghost. 

A  short  time  after  this  agree- 
ment, he  was  led  to  the  place  of 
execution,  where  being  fastened  to 
the  stake  with  a  chain,  he  addressed 
the  multitude,  and  especially  lord 
Rich,  reasoning  with  him  on  the 
iniquity  and  dreadful  consequences 
of  shedding  the  innocent  blood  of 
the  saints. 

Having  fervently  prayed  to  Al- 
mighty God,  the  flames  were  kin- 
dled around  him,  and  he  continued 
in  them  so  long,  that  his  speech 
was  taken  away  by  their  violence  ; 
his  skin  was  contracted,  and  the 
spectators  thought  he  was  dead, 
when  on  a  sudden,  and  contrary  to 
all  expectation,  this  eminent  and 
zealous  servant  of  God,  mindful  of 
the  promise  he  had  made  to  his 
friends,  held  his  hands  flaming 
over  his  head,  and,  as  if  in  an  ecs- 
tasy of  joy,  clapped  them  thrice 
together. 

The  astonished  multitude  testi- 
fied their  approbation  of  his  faith 
and  patience,  and  his  friends,  to 
whom  he  made  the  promise,  were 
exceedingly  confirmed  in  their 
most  holy  faith,  by  being  eye-wit- 
nesses to  the  power  of  divine 
strength,  which  is  able  to  support 
the  servants  of  God,  under  every 
trial  that  may  befall  them,  for  the 


sake  of  the  truth,  as  it  is  in  our 
Blessed  Redeemer. 

While  Mr.  Hawkes  was  in  con- 
finement, he  wrote  a  great  number 
of  letters  to  different  persons;  and, 
among  them,  one  to  his  wife,  which 
so  strongly  displays  the  tender 
husband,  and  pious  Christian,  that 
we  shall  preserve  it  here. 

"  Grace  be  with  you,  [and  peace 
from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our 
Lord  .Jesus  Christ,  who  gave  him- 
self for  our  sins,  to  deliver  us  from 
this  present  evil  world,  through 
the  good  will  of  God  our  Fatlier,  to 
whom  be  praise  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 

"  My  dear  yoke-fellow  in  the 
Lord,  forasmuch  as  the  Lord  hath 
not  only  called  me  to  work  in  his 
vineyard,  but  hath  also  fulfilled  his 
good  work  in  me,  (I  trust  to  his 
glory,  and  to  the  comfort  of  all 
those  that  look  for  his  coming)  I 
thought  it  my  duty  to  write  unto 
you  some  lessons  out  of  God's 
book;  and  if  you  will  direct  your- 
self thereafter,  doubt  not  of  it  but 
God,  who  refuseth  none  that  will 
come  to  him  with  their  whole  heart, 
will  assist  with  his  holy  spirit,  and 
direct  you  in  all  his  ways,  to  his 
honour  and  glory,  who  grant  it  for 
his  mercy  sake.     Amen. 

"  First,  I  exhort  you  to  fear 
God,  to  serve  and  honour  his  holy 
name,  to  love  him  with  all  your 
heart,  soul,  and  mind,  to  believe 
faithfully  in  all  his  promises,  to  lay 
sure  hold  upon  them,  that  in  all 
your  troubles,  whatsoever  they 
are,  ye  may  run  straight  to  the 
great  mercy  of  God,  and  he  will 
bring  you  out  of  them :  keep  you 
within  his  wings;  then  shall  ye  be 
sure  that  neither  devil,  flesh,  nor 
hell,  shall  be  able  to  hurt  you. 

"  But  take  heed ;  if  you  will  not 
keep  his  holy  precepts  and  laws, 
and,  to  the  uttermost  of  your 
power,  call  for  the  help  of  God  to 
walk  in  the  same,  but  will  leave 
them,  and  run  to  all  abominations 
with  the  wicked  world,  and  do  as 
they  do ;  then  be  sure  to  have 
your  part  with  the  wicked  world. 


432 


BOOK  O^  MARTYRS. 


in  the  burning  lake  that  never 
shall  be  quenched.  Therefore,  be- 
ware of  idolatry,  which  doth,  most 
of  all,  stink  before  the  face  of  Al- 
mighty God,  and  was,  by  all  good 
men,  most  detested  from  the  be- 
ginwiTig  of  the  world.  For  which, 
wihat  kingdoms,  nations,  and 
realms,  God  hath  punished  with 
most  terrible  plagues,  with  fire, 
brimStOHe,  hunger,  sword,  pesti- 
lence, &c.  to  the  utter  subversion 
of  them,  it  is  manifestly  to  be 
s&en  through  the  whole  Bible. 
¥i6a,  his  own  peculiar  people, 
whom  he  had'  done  so  much  for, 
when  they  fell  from  him,  and 
went  and  served  other  gods,  con- 
tratry  to  his  commandment,  he  ut- 
terly destroyed  and  rooted  them 
«ut  from  off  the  earth;  and  as 
many  as  died  in  that  damnable 
state,  not  repenting  their  abomina- 
bte  evil,  he  threw  them  into  the 
pit  of  hell.  Again,  how  he  hath 
preserved  those  that  abhor  super- 
stition and  idolatry,  and  that  have 
only  taken  hold  upon  God  with 
their  whole  heart,  to  serve  him,  to 
love  him,-  and  to  fear  him,  &c.  it  is 
most  manifestly  to  be  seen,  even 
from  the  beginning,  out  of  what 
great  dangers  he  hath  always  deli- 
vered them:  yea,  when  all  hope  of 
deliverance  was  past,  as  touching 
their  expectation,  even  then,  in 
the  sight  of  all  his  enemies,  would 
he  work  his  godly  will  and  pur- 
pose, to  the  utter  amazing  and  de- 
struction of  all  those  that  were  his 
manifest  enemies. 

"  Further,  I  exhort  you,  in  the 
bowels  of  Christ,  that  you  will  ex- 
ercise and  be  steadfast  in  prayer; 
for  prayer  is  the  only  means  to 
pierce  the  heavens,  to  obtain,  at 
the  hand  of  God,  whatsoever  we 
desire,  so  that  it  be  asked  in  faith. 
Oh,  what  notable  things  do  we  read 
in  the  Scriptures,  that  have  been 
obtained  through  fervent  prayer! 
We  are  commanded  to  call  upon 
him  for  help,  aid,  and  succour,  in 
necessities  and  troubles:  and  he 
hath  promised  to  help  us.  Again, 
they  that  will  not  call  upon  him 
with  their  whole  heart,  but  upon 


other    dead   creatures,    in    whom 
there  is  no  help,    (for  there  was 
none    found   worthy    to  open   the 
book,   but   only    the  lamb    Christ, 
which  was  killed  for  our  sins)    1 
say,  who  that  will  refuse  his  help, 
must  even,    by  the   terrible  judg- 
ments  of   God,    come   utterly   to 
confusion;  as  it  hath,  and  is  daily 
manifest  to  be  seen.     And  whatso- 
ever you  desire  of  God  in  your 
prayer,    ask  it   for  Jesus   Christ's- 
sake,    for    whom,    and   in    whom, 
God  hath  promised  to  give  us  all 
things    necessary.       And    though 
that  which  we  ask  come  not  at  the 
first   and  second  calling,  yet  con- 
tinue still  knocking,  and  he  will, 
at   length,  open   his    treasures   of 
mercy,  so  that  ye  shall  be  sure  to 
obtain  ;  for   he  hath  so  promised, 
if  ye    continue    in    faith,    hoping 
surely  in  him.     These  former  les- 
sons, with  all  such  instructions  as 
I  have  told  you  by  my  mouth,  I  do 
wish  that  you  would  most  earnestly 
learn ;  and  then  I  doubt  not,  but 
God,  who  is  the  giver  of  all  grace, 
will  assist  you  in  all  your  doings, 
that  ye    may  be  found   worthy  of 
his  kingdom,   which    is    prepared 
through  Christ. 

"  Further,  whereas  it  pleased 
God  to  send  us  children,  my  desire 
is,  that  they  may  be  brought  up  in 
the  fear  of  God,  and  in  his  laws. 
And  this  is  to  certify  you,  that  yon 
deliver,  in  any  wise,  my  eldest  son 
unto  Mr.  Throgmorton,  who,  upon 
his  good-will,  hath  promised  me  ta 
bring  him  up  according  to  my  de- 
sire ;  and  1  trust,  as  God  hath  put 
into  his  heart.  See,  therefore, 
that  ye  deliver  him,  in  any  wise, 
without  delay ;  and  as  for  the 
other,  if  ye  shall  seem  to  be  bur- 
dened wjth  him,  (which  I  think 
nature  will  not  suffer)  my  desire  is, 
that  it  be  brought  up  in  the  fear 
of  God  to  the  uttermost  of  your 
endeavour,  with  some  honest  man 
that  hath  the  fear  of  God  before  his 
eyes  ;  and  let  us  give  thanks  unto 
God,  which  hath  given  them  us, 
beseeching  him  that  they  may  be 
counted  worthy  to  be  of  that  tlock 
that  shall  stand  on  the  right  hand 


THOMAS  HAWKES, 


433 


of  the   majesty  of  God,  when  he 
shall  judge  the  world.     Amen. 

"  Yet  once  again  I  warn  you, 
that  ye  continue  in  fervent  prayer, 
as  I  said  before  ;  then  sliali  ye  be 
sure,  that  God,  even  of  liis  own 
mercy,  a^ceording  as  he  hath  pro- 
mised, will  be  a  husband  unto  you, 
and  provide  better  for  you  than 
ever  I  was  able  to  do  ;  yea,  he 
will  cause  all  men  that  fear  him  to 


pity  you,  to  help  you,  to  auccour 
you  in  all  your  necessities,  so  that 
if  any  do  you  wrong,  he  will  be 
avenged  on  them.  Moreover,  I 
wish  you  to  keep  company  with 
those  of  whom  ye  may  learn  to 
come  to  a  more  perfect  knowledge 
in  God,  and  I  doubt  not  but  God 
will  provide  that  such  will  be  glad 
to  receive  you,  if  you  shall  profess, 
and  go  forward  in  his  truth. 


Martyrdom  of  Ruwlhis  White,  at  Cardiff,  March  30,  1535. 


"  Finally,  and  to  make  an  end, 
I  desire  you  that  ye  take  heed 
with  whom  ye  couple  yourself. 
See  that  he  be  a  man  that  feareth 
God,  loveth  his  laws,  and  will  walk 
in  the  same  to  the  utmost  of  his 
power  :  such  a  one  as  can  be  con- 
tent to  love  you,  and  to  care  for 
you.  Take  heed  he  be  no  brawler, 
no  drunkard,  no  wicked  person, 
not  given  to  filthiness,  no  world- 
ling, no  dicer  nor  carder.  In  fine, 
no  filthy  person ;  but  choose  you 
such  a  one,  as  God  may  be  glori- 
fied in  both  your  lives.    And  again, 

FOX'S    MARTYRS. 


on  your  part,  love  him,  serve  him, 
obey  him  in  all  godliness,  as  long 
as  God  shall  give  you  life  in  this 
world.  Then  shall  ye  both  be  sure 
to  obtain  that  kingdom  which  God 
the  Father  hath  prepared,  and 
Jesus  Christ  obtained  for  you,  that 
never  shall  have  an  end,  where 
I  trust  to  abide  your  coming. 
Amen.     By  your  husband, 

"Thomas  Havvkes." 

martyrdom  of  thomas  watts. 

Mr.  Thomas  Watts  was  born  of 
reputable   and   pious    parents,  in 

28 


434 


BOOK  OB^  MARTYRS. 


the  county  of  Essex.  He  was 
educated  in  tlie  reformed  religion, 
and  during  the  reign  of  Edward 
VI.  was  a  zealous  professor  of  the 
protestant  faith.  On  the  accession 
of  queen  Mary  to  the  throne,  ap  ■ 
prehending  that  he  should  be  per- 
secuted, on  account  of  his  adher- 
ence to  a  religion  contrary  to  that 
which  was  then  introduced,  he  re- 
linquished the  business  of  a  linen 
draper,  which  he  had  carried  on  at 
Billericay,  sold  his  goods,  and 
made  over  his  property  to  his  wife 
and  children. 

As  he  lived  in  the  county  of 
Essex,  he  came  under  the  cogni- 
sance of  lord  Rich,  before  whom 
he  was  brought,  and  who  demand- 
ed the  reason  of  his  disobeying 
the  queen's  laws,  absenting  him- 
self from  church,  neglecting  the 
ma>ss,  and  setting  up  unlawful  con- 
venticles, contrary  to  her  majesty's 
command. 

Mr.  Watts  replied,  with  compo- 
sure, that  if  he  had  oflended 
against  the  law,  he  was  subject  to 
the  penalty  of  the  law ;  upon 
which  a  justice  of  the  peace  then 
present  inquired  of  him,  "  From 
whom  he  had  imbibed  his  new- 
fangled religion  ?"  Watts  upbraid- 
ed the  justice  with  hypocrisy,  re- 
minding him,  that  in  the  days  of 
the  late  king,  no  one  inveighed 
more  strenuously  against  the  Ro- 
mish doctrines  than  himself,  pro- 
nouncing the  mass  to  be  abomi- 
nable, earnestly  exhorting  none  to 
believe  therein,  and  that  their  be- 
lief should  be  only  in  Christ ;  nay, 
adding  further,  that  whosoever 
should  introduce  any  strange  notion 
here,  should  be  deemed  a  traitor, 
and  punished  as  such. 

The  justice  reviled  Watts  as  an 
insolent,  lying  knave,  and  per- 
suaded the  sherift'  not  to  pay  any 
regard  to  what  he  had  said. 

Soon  after  this,  information  was 
given  to  bishop  Bonner,  that  Tho- 
mas Watts  maintained,  inculcated, 
and  encouraged  heretical  opinions. 
In  consequence  of  this  he  was 
brought  into  the  consistory  court 
in  London,  and  there  examined, 
concerning  the  discourse    he  had 


with  lord  Rich,  and  other  commis- 
sioners, at  Chelmsford,  when  he 
publicly  related  the  truth  ;  after 
which,  the  following  articles  weje 
alleged  against  him,  requiring,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  court, 
a  particular  answer  to  each  ar- 
ticle : 

1.  "That  he  did  not  believe  in 
the  sacraments  of  the  holy  Catho- 
lic church,  as  the  Catholic  church 
of  Rome,  and  other  churches, 
members  of  the  same,  have  be- 
lieved and  taught,  but  despised  the 
same." 

To  this  he  answered,  "  that  he 
believed  in  all  the  sacraments,  ac- 
cording to  Christ's  institution,  but 
not  according  to  the  church  of 
the  bishop  of  Rome  ;  that  he  be- 
lieved according  to  the  preaching 
of  several  ministers  of  the  gospel, 
who  preached  the  word  of  God 
truly  and  sincerely." 

2.  "  That  he  believed,  and  taught 
others,  that  the  substance  of  mate- 
rial bread  and  wine  do  remain 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar  after 
consecration." 

To  this  he  replied,  "that  he  be- 
lieved that  Christ's  body  is  now 
in  heaven,  and  no  where  else  ; 
and  that  he  never  would  believe 
that  Christ's  body  was  in  the  sa- 
crament." 

3.  "  That  he  believed  the  mass  to 
be  abominable." 

To  this  he  frankly  answered  in 
the  aflSrmative,  declaring,  that  he 
would  never  recant  his  opinion. 

4.  "  That  he  believed,  that  con- 
fession to  a  priest  was  not  neces- 
sary." 

To  this  he  said,  "he  did  not  be- 
lieve that  the  priest  could  absolve 
him  of  his  sins  ;  but  allowed,  that 
it  was  good  to  ask  spiritual  advice 
of  the  priest." 

5.  "  That  in  the  open  sessions, 
he  confessed  that  he  had  refused 
to  come  to  the  church  to  hear  ma-ss, 
and  receive  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar ;  because,  according  to  the 
service  of  the  church,  set  out  in 
the  days  of  king  Edward  the  Sixth, 
such  duties  were  deemed  abomina- 
ble, heretical,  and  schismatical ; 
that  he  declared,  that  all  that  was 

3 


REV.  JOHN  BRADFORD. 


435 


done  in  the  church,  upon  the  ao- 
cession  of  her  majesty,  was  abomi- 
nable, heretical,  schismatical,  and 
unsciiptural ;  and  also  that  he  ut- 
tered, before  the  commissioners, 
other  erroneous  and  arrogant 
words,  to  the  injury  of  his  soul., 
and  the  bad  example  of  the  peo- 
ple present." 

To  this  he  answered,  without 
the  least  attempt  to  evade,  that 
*'  he  declared  his  opinion,  as  in 
the  article  above  mentioned,  and 
begged  of  God  that  he  might  live 
and  die  in  that  faith." 

These,  and  other  articles  of  less 
moment,  were  read  to  him,  and 
his  answers  minuted  down  ;  after 
which  the  bishop  used  the  most 
forcible  arguments  he  could  ad- 
duce to  bring  him  to  a  denial  of 
his  "  errors,"  and  to  be  obedient 
to  the  holy  mother-church. 

Mr.  Watts,  however,  remaining 
inflexible,  and  praying  to  God 
that  he  might  be  enabled  to  hold 
out  to  the  end  in  the  true  faith  of 
Christ,  sentence  of  condemnation 
was  pronounced  against  him,  and  he 
was  delivered  up  to  the  sherifls  of 
London,  who  conducted  him  to 
Newgate. 

On  the  9th  of  June  he  was  car- 
ried from  Newgate  to  Chelmsford, 
his  execution  being  appointed  at 
that  place  on  the  11th.  On  the 
same  evening  he  was  conveyed 
there,  he  was  in  company  with 
Thomas  Hawkes,  and  others,  and 
they  all  jo'ined  together  in  the 
most  fervent  prayer. 

The  day  before  his  execution, 
he  was  visited  by  his  wife,  and  six 
children,  whom  he  addressed  in  the 
following  manner : 

"  My  dear  wife,  and  good  chil- 
dren, the  time  of  my  departure  is 
at  hand,  therefore,  henceforth  I 
know  you  no  more,  but  as  the  Lord 
hath  given  you  unto  me,  so  I  give 
you  again  unto  the  Lord,  whom  I 
charge  you  to  obey  and  fear :  be- 


ware that  ye  turn  not  to  tliis  abo- 
minable popery,  as  a  testimony 
against  which,  I  shall  shortly,  by 
God's  grace,  shed  my  blood.  Let 
not  the  murdering  God's  saints 
cause  you  to  recant,  but  take  occa- 
sion thereby,  more  earnestly,  to 
contend  for  the  faith  once  deliver- 
ed to  the  saints.  My  dear  chil- 
dren, I  trust  God  will  be  a  merciful 
father  unto  you." 

This  allecting  address  made  such 
an  impression  on  two  of  his  chil- 
dren, that  they  desired  to  be  burn- 
ed with  him.  Their  sympathy  for 
a  time  discomposed  our  martyr, 
the  Christian  giving  way  to  the 
parent  ;  but  after  having  a  little 
recovered  himself,  he  embraced 
them  with  all  the  tenderness  of  a 
dying  father,  took  his  leave,  and 
was  led  to  the  stake,  where  he 
quietly  yielded  op  his  spirit  into 
the  hands  of  Him  who  gave  it,  say- 
ing, "  Into  thy  hands,  O  God,  I 
commend  my  spirit." 

Such  was  the  attachment  of  this 
steadfast  believer  to  the  cause  of 
his  dear  Lord  and  Master,  that  the 
aflecting  spectacle  of  his  disconso- 
late wife,  and  six  innocent  babes, 
could  not,  in  the  least,  stagger  his 
resolution ;  but  he  persevered  in 
spite  of  all  worldly  considerations, 
being  animated  so  to  do,  by  an  as- 
surance of  an  immortal  crown  of 
glory  in  his  Redeemer's  kingdom. 

CHAMBERLAIN,     OSMOND,    ANB    BAM- 
FORD. 

About  the  same  time  that  Mr. 
Watts  suffered,  three  others  shared 
the  same  fate,  for  their  adherence 
to  the  truth  of  the  gospel ;  namely, 
Nicholas  Chamberlain,  weaver; 
Thomas  Osmond,  fuller;  and 
William  Bamford,  weaver.  The 
first  of  these  was  burnt  at  Colches- 
ter on  the  14th  of  June  ;  the  second 
suffered  the  next  day  at  Maning- 
tree  ;  and  the  third  the  following 
day  at  Harwich. 


SECTION  VI. 

martyrdom    of   the    rev.    JOHN    BRADFORD,   JOHN    LEAFE,   AND    OTHERS. 

The   first  of  these  martyrs  was     ceived    an     education   sufficiently 
born  at  Manchester,  where  he  re-     liberal  to  qualify  him  for  the  more 


436 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


exalted  offices  of  life,  having 
attained  to  a  considerable  know- 
ledge in  classical  and  mathematical 
literature. 

On  his  arrival  at  years  of  matu- 
rity, having  some  distinguished 
friends,  by  their  interest  he  be- 
came secretary  to  sir  Jolin  Har- 
rington, who  was  treasurer  to 
Henry  VIII. 

After  having  been  in  tliis  oflice 
for  some  time,  being  of  a  studious 
turn  of  mind,  he  quitted  it,  and 
went  to  Cambridge,  where  he  made 
such  great  improvements,  that  at 
the  end  of  one  year  that  university 
conferred  on  him  the  degree  of 
master  of  arts;  soon  after  which  he 
was  admitted  to  a  fellowship  in 
Pembroke  college. 

At  this  time  Martin  Bucer,  a 
zealous  advocate  for  the  reformed 
religion,  resided  at  Cambridge. 
This  person  discovered  a  great  re- 
gard for  Mr.  Bradford,  and  per- 
suaded him  to  follow  those  studies 
which  most  conduced  to  qualify 
him  for  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

Mr.  Bradford  having  that  diffi- 
dence which  is  generally  the  at- 
tendant on  real  merit,  excused 
himself  from  assuming  that  import- 
ant office,  as  not  being  sufficiently 
qualified;  but  Bucer,  at  l(jngth, 
brought  him  to  consent  to  enter  on 
the  solemn  work,  and  he  was  or- 
dained a  deacon,  by  Dr.  Ridley, 
bishop  of  London,  who  afterwards 
made  him  a  prebendary  of  St. 
Paul's,  where,  in  rotation,  he 
preached,  during  three  years,  the 
true  gospel  of  Christ ;  the  doc- 
trines ot  salvation  by  faith,  and  re- 
pentance unto  life,  together  with 
the  necessity  of  a  life  of  holiness, 
as  the  evidence  of  that  faith. 

After  the  accession  of  queen 
Mary,  Mr.  Bradford  continued  his 
course  of  preaching,  till  he  was  ob- 
structed by  the  following  incident. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of 
that  princess,  Bonner,  then  bishop 
of  London,  ordered  Mr.  Bourn,  a 
canon  of  St.  Paul's,  and  after- 
wards bishop  of  Bath,  to  preach  a 
sermon,  wherein  he  took  occasion, 
from  the  gospel  appointed  for  the 
service  of  the  day,  to  justify  Bon- 


ner, then  restored  to  his  bishopric, 
in  preaching  on  the  same  text  that 
very  day  four  years,  and  enforcing 
doctrines,  for  which,  according  to 
the  terms  of  the  preacher,  he  was 
thrown  into  the  Marshalsea,  and 
there  kept  prisoner  during  the  time 
of  king  Edward  VI. 

These  words  occasioned  great 
murmurings  amongst  the  people, 
nay,  so  incensed  were  they,  that 
one  of  them  threw  a  dagger  at  the 
preacher,  and  tlireatened  to  drag 
him  from  the  pulpit,  insomuch  that 
he  was  obliged  to  withdraw,  and 
desire  Mr.  Bradford  to  advance, 
and  endeavour  to  appease  the  peo- 
ple, who  were  so  tumultuous,  that 
they  could  not  be  quelled  even  by 
the  authority  of  the  lord-mayor. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Bradford  ascend- 
ed the  pulpit,  the  people  shouted, 
"  God  save  thy  life,  Bradford!" 
and  then  quietly  attended  to  his 
discourse,  in  which  he  reproved 
them  for  their  disorderly  behaviour, 
and  exhorted  them  to  peace  and 
tranquillity ;  on  which,  after  he 
had  finished,  they  peaceably  dis- 
persed. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day, 
Mr.  Bradford  preached  at  Bow 
church,  when  he  took  occasion  to 
rebuke  the  people  for  their  tumul- 
tuous behaviour  at  St.  Paul's  in  the 
morning. 

Three  days  after  this  incident, 
he  was  summoned  before  the  queen, 
and  her  council,  and  there  charged 
as  the  cause  of  the  late  riot  about 
Bourn's  preaching  at  St.  Paul's, 
though  he  was  the  very  person 
that  preserved  him  from  the  out- 
rage of  the  people,  and  appeased 
the  tumult. 

He  was  also  accused  for  preach- 
ing to  the  people  at  Bow  church, 
though  he  then  warmly  exhorted 
them  to  peace.  But  nothing  that 
he  could  allege,  in  vindication  of 
his  innocence,  availed,  for  he  was 
committed  to  the  Tower,  on  a  charge 
of  sedition,  because  they  found  he 
was  a  popular  man,  and  greatly 
caressed  by  the  people. 

He  was  confined  above  a  year 
and  six  months,  till  the  popish  re- 
ligion was  restored  by  act  of  par- 
4 


JOHN  LEAFE. 


4^7 


liament.  He  then  took  occasion 
to  examine  himself  concerning  his 
faith,  because  he  could  not  speak 
against  the  doctrine  of  the  church 
of  Rome,  without  incurring  much 
danger;  whereas,  while  the  laws 
of  king  Edward  were  unrepealed, 
he  might  freely  speak  according  to 
the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and 
the  rules  of  God's  most  holy  word. 

The  principal  articles  alleged 
against  Mr.  Bradford  were,  his  de- 
nying the  doctrine  of  transubstan- 
tiation,  or  the  corporeal  presence 
of  Christ  in  the  sacrament,  and  as- 
serting, that  wicked  men  did  not 
partake  of  Christ's  body  in  the  said 
sacrament. 

Several  bishops,  and  other  learn- 
ed men,  were  appointed  to  confer 
with  him,  but  their  arguments  had 
no  weight  with  him,  because  they 
were  not  founded  on  scripture  but 
on  human  tradition. 

As  Mr.  Bradford  would  not  ad- 
mit of  any  tenets  or  practices,  but 
what  were  contained  in  the  reveal- 
ed word  of  God,  he  was  deemed 
an  heretic,  first  excommunicated, 
then  condemned,  and  committed 
to  the  custody  of  the  sheriffs  of 
London,  by  whom  he  was  conduct- 
ed, the  night  before  his  execution, 
to  the  prison  of  Newgate ;  and  the 
following  day  brought  to  the  stake, 
with  the  martyr  whose  sufferings 
for  the  faith  we  are  about  to  relate. 

JOHN    LEAFE 

Was  an  apprentice  to  a  tallow- 
chandler,  and  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years,  on  an  information  laid 
against  him  of  heresy,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  Compter,  by  the  al- 
derman of  the  ward  in  which  he 
lived. 

After  being  some  time  confined 
in  that  prison,  he  was  brought  be- 
fore bishop  Bonner,  and  by  him 
examined  concerning  his  faith  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  and 
other  points ;  to  all  which  he  an- 
swered in  such  a  manner  as  gave 
little  satisfaction  to  the  tyrannical 
bishop. 

A  few  days  after  this  he  under- 
went another  examination;  but  his 


answers  being  the  same  as  before, 
he  was  condemned,  and  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  power,  for  not 
believing  that  the  bread  and  wine 
in  the  sacrament,  by  the  words  of 
consecration,  are  changed  into  the 
very  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
really  and  substantially. 

After  his  condemnation  the  bi- 
shop sent  two  papers  to  him,  the 
one  containing  a  recantation,  and 
the  other  liis  confession.  The  mes- 
senger, after  reading  the  former  to 
him,  (for  he  could  neither  read  nor 
write  himself)  asked  if  he  would 
sign  it;  to  which,  without  the  least 
hesitation,  he  answered  in  the  ne- 
gative. He  then  read  to  him  his 
confession,  when  he  immediately 
took  a  pin,  and  pricking  his  hand, 
sprinkled  the  blood  upon  the  pa- 
per, desiring  the  messenger  to 
shew  the  bishop  that  he  had  al- 
ready signed  it  with  his  blood. 

When  these  two  martyrs  were 
conducted  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion; in  Smithfield,  Mr.  Bradford 
fell  prostrate  on  one  side  of  the 
stake,  and  Leafe  on  the  other.  In 
this  position  they  continued  pray- 
ing for  some  minutes,  till  Mr. 
Brr*:lford  was  desired  by  the  sheriff 
to  make  an  end,  and  arise. 

On  this  they  both  arose,  and 
after  Mr.  Bradford  had  made  a 
short  harangue  to  the  people,  they 
were  both  fastened  to  the  stake, 
and  the  reeds  and  fagots  placed 
round  them. 

Being  thus  prepared,  Mr.  Brad- 
ford, lifting  up  his  eyes  and  hands 
to  heaven,  exclaimed,  "  O  Eng- 
land, England,  repent  thee  of  thy 
sins;  beware  of  Anti-Christ,  be- 
ware of  idolatry ;  take  heed  they 
do  not  deceive  you."  Then  turn- 
ing to  young  Leafe,  who  was  to 
sutler  with  him,  he  said,  "  Be  of 
good  comfort,  brother,  the  time  of 
our  deliverance  is  at  hand."  The 
young  man  replied,  "  The  Lord 
Jesus  receive  our  departing  spi- 
rits." 

The  fire  was  then  put  to  the  fa- 
gots, and  they  both  endured  their 
sufferings  with  the  utmost  compo- 
sure and  resignation,  rcposiii^   an 


438 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tinshakon  oonftdence  iu  that  bless- 
ed Redeemer,  who  died  to  save 
mankind. 

While  Mr.  Bradford  was  in  pri- 
son, he  employed  his  time  in  writ- 
ing various  treatises,  addressed  to 
the  advocates  of  the  reformation. 
He  also  wrote  pious  letters  to  the 
city  of  London,  the  university  of 
Cambridge,  and  the  towns  of  Lan- 
cashire and  Cheshire,  besides 
many  others  to  his  private  friends 
and  acquaintances.  Among  the 
latter  we  shall  preserve  the  follow- 
ing: 

"  Gracious  God,  and  most  mer- 
ciful Father,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  thy  dearly  beloved  Son, 
grant  us  thy  mercy,  grace,  wisdom, 
and  holy  spirit,  to  counsel,  com- 
fort, and  guide  «3  in  all  our 
thoughts,  words,  and  works,  to  thy 
glory,  and  our  everlasting  joy  and 
peace  for  ever.     Amen. 

*'  In  my  last  letter  you  might 
perceive  my  conjecturing  to  be  no 
less  towards  you  than  I  have  now 
learned.  But,  my  dearly  beloved, 
I  have  learned  none  other  thing 
than  what  I  before  told  you  would 
come  to  pass,  if  ye  cast  not  away 
that  which  ye  have  learned.  I  do 
appeal  to  both  your  consciences, 
whether  I  speak  truth  herein,  as 
well  of  my  telling  (though  not  so 
often  as  I  might  and  should,  God 
forgive  me)  as  also  of  your  learn- 
ing. Now  God  will  try  you,  to 
make  others  learn  by  yon,  that 
which  ye  learned  by  others,  and  by 
them  which  have  suffered  this  day 
ye  might  learn,  (if  already  ye  had 
not  learned)  that  life  and  honour 
is  not  to  be  regarded  more  than 
God's  commandment.  They  in  no 
point,  for  all  that  ever  their  ghostly 
fathers  could  do,  having  Dr.  Death 
to  take  their  part,  would  consent, 
or  seem  to  consent  to  the  popish 
mass,  and  papistical  god,  otherwise 
than  they  had  received  in  the  days 
of  our  late  king.  And  this  their 
faith  they  have  confessed  with  their 
deaths,  to  their  great  glory,  and  all 
our  comforts,  if  we  follow  them; 
but  to  our  confusion  if  we   staad 


back  from  the  same.  Wherefore  I 
beseech  you  to  consider,  as  well  to 
praise  God  for  them,  as  to  go  the 
same  way  with  them,  if  God 
please. 

"  Consider  not  the  things  of  this 
life,  which  is  a  very  prison  to  all 
God's  children;  but  the  things  of 
everlasting  life,  which  is  our  very 
home.  But  to  behold  this  ye  must 
open  the  eyes  of  your  mind,  of 
faith,  I  should  have  said,  as  Moses 
did,  who  chose  rather  to  suffer  af- 
fliction with  the  people  of  God, 
than  to  possess  the  riches  of  Egypt, 
and  the  pleasures  of  Pharaoh's 
court.  Your  house,  home,  and 
goods,  yea  life,  and  all  that  ever 
ye  have,  God  hath  given  you  as 
love  tokens,  to  admonish  you  of 
his  love,  and  to  win  your  love  to 
him  again.  He  will  try  your  love, 
whether  ye  set  more  by  him  than 
by  his  tokens.  If  ye,  for  the  sake 
of  his  tokens,  that  is,  your  house, 
home,  goods,  yea  life,  will  go  with 
the  world  rather  than  lose  them, 
then  be  assured  your  love,  as  he 
cannot  but  espy  it  to  be  a  strum- 
pet's^love,  so  will  he  cast  it  away 
with  the  world.  Remember,  that 
he  who  will  save  his  life  shall  lose 
it,  if  Christ  be  true;  but  he  who 
adventuretii,  yea,  loseth  his  life 
for  the  gospel's  sake,  the  same 
shall  be  sure  to  find  it  eternally. 
Do  not  ye  know,  that  the  way  to 
salvation  is  not  the  broad  way 
which  many  run  in,  but  the  strait 
way  which  now  few  walk  in? 

"  Before  persecution  came,  men 
might  partly  have  stood  in  a  doubt, 
by  the  outward  state  of  the  world 
with  us,  (although,  by  God's  word, 
it  was  plain)  which  was  the  high- 
way, (for  there  were  as  many  that 
pretended  the  gospel  as  popery) 
but  now  the  sun  is  risen,  and  the 
wind  bloweth;  so  that  the  corn 
which  has  not  taken  fast  root,  nei- 
ther can  or  will  abide;  and,  there- 
fore, ye  may  easily  see  the  strait 
way,  by  the  small  number  of  pas- 
sengers. Who  will  now  adventure 
their  goods,  and  life,  for  the  sake  of 
Christ,  who  gave  his  life  for  our 
sakes?    We  are  now  become  Ger- 


REV.  JOHN  BRADFORD. 


439 


s:esitcs,  that  would  rallier  lose 
Christ  than  our  swine.  A  wife  is 
proved  faitlirul,  when  she  rejectetli 
and  withstandeth  other  suitors.  A 
faitliful  Clnistian  is  then  found  so 
to  be,  when  his  faith  is  assaqjted. 

"  If  we  are  neither  able  iior  will- 
ing- to  forsake  this  workl  for  God's 
glory,  and  c:ospers  sake,  ere  long- 
shall  we  be  obliged  to  leave  it  for 
nature's  sake.  Die  ye  must  once, 
and  leave  all  ye  have,  (God  only 
knoweth  how  soon)  whether  ye 
will  or  not;  and  seeing  you  cannot 
avoid  it,  why  will  ye  not  volunta- 
rily do  it  for  God's  sake? 

"  If  you  go  to  mass,  and  do  as 
the  most  part  doth,  then  may  ye 
live  quietly,  and  at  rest;  but  if  ye 
refuse  to  go  thither,  then  ye  shall 
go  to  prison,  lose  your  goods,  leave 
your  children  comfortless,  yea, 
lose  your  life  also.  But  (my  dearly 
beloved)  open  the  eyes  of  your 
faith,  and  consider  the  shortness  of 
this  life,  that  it  is  even  as  a  shadow 
and  a  smoke.  Again,  consider 
how  intolerable  the  punishment  of 
hell-fire  is,  and  that  endless.  Last 
ofall,lookon  the  joys  incomprehen- 
sible, which  God  hath  prepared  for 
all  them,  world  without  end,  who 
lose  either  life,  land,  or  goods,  for 
his  name's  sake,  and  reason  thus: 
If  we  go  to  mass,  the  greatest 
enemy  that  Christ  hath,  though  for 
a  little  while  we  shall  live  in  quiet, 
and  leave  to  our  children  some- 
thing to  live  upon  hereafter,  yet 
we  shall  displease  God,  fall  into 
his  hands,  (which  is  horrible  to  hy- 
pocrites) and  be  in  wonderful  ha- 
zard of  falling  from  eternal  joy 
into  eternal  misery,  first  of  soul, 
then  of  body,  with  the  devil,  and 
all  idolaters. 

"  Again,  wc  shall  want  peace  of 
conscience,  which  surmounteth  all 
the  riches  of  the  world:  and  for 
our  children,  who  knoweth  whether 
God  will  visit  our  idolatry  on  them 
in  this  life?  Yea,  our  house  and 
goods,  and  even  our  lives,  are  in 
danger  of  being  lost  by  many  ca- 
sualties; and  when  God  is  angry 
with  us,  he  can,  when  he  pleases, 
send  one  means,  or  other,  to  take 
all  from  us  for  our  sins,  and  to  cast 


us  into  greater  trouble,  who  will 
not  come  into  8on\e  little  for  his 
sake. 

"  On  this  sort  reason  with  youv- 
selves,  and  then,  doubtless,  C  )d 
will  work  otherwis©  with  you,  and 
in  you,  than  ye  arc  aware  of. 
Where  now  ye  think  yourselves 
unable  to  abide  persecution,  be 
most  assured,  that  if  you  earnestly 
purpose  not  to  forsake  God,  that 
he  will  make  you  so  able  to  bear 
h'is  cross,  that  you  shall  rejoice 
therein.  '  God  is  faithful,'  saith 
St.  Paul,  '  who  will  not  suffer  you 
to  be  tempted  above  that  you  are 
able ;  but  will,  with  the  temptation, 
also  make  a  way  to  escape,  that  ye 
may  be  able  to  bear  it.'  Think 
how  great  a  benefit  it  is,  if  God 
will  make  you  worthy  of  this  ho- 
nour, to  suffer  loss  of  any  thing  for 
his  sake.  He  might  justly  inflict 
most  grievous  plagues  upon  you, 
and  yet  now  he  will  correct  you 
with  that  rod,  whereby  you  shall 
be  made  like  to  his  Christ,  that  ye 
may  for  ever  reign  with  him.  Suf- 
fer yourselves,  therefore,  now  to 
be  made  like  to  Christ,  for  else  ye 
shall  be  never  made  like  unto  him. 
The  devil  would  gladly  have  you 
now  to  overthrow  that  which  ye 
have,  a  long  time,  steadfastly  pro- 
fessed. O  how  would  he  triumph, 
if  he  could  win  his  purpose!  O 
how  would  the  papists  triumph 
against  God's  gospel  in  you!  O 
how  would  you  confirm  them  in 
their  wicked  popery!  O  how 
would  the  poor  children  of  God  be 
discomforted,  if  you  should  go  to 
mass,  and  other  idolatrous  service, 
and  do  as  the  world  doth! 

"  Hath  God  delivered  you  from 
labour  to  serve  him  so  ?  Hath  God 
miraculously  restored  you  to 
health,  from  your  grievous  agues, 
for  ^such  a  purpose?  Flath  God 
given  you  such  blessings  in  this 
world,  and  good  things  all  the 
days  of  your  life  hitherto,  and  now 
of  equity,  will  ye  not  receive  at 
his  hands,  and  for  his  sake,  some 
evil  ?  God  forbid ;  I  hope  better 
of  you.  Use  prayer,  and  castyour 
care  upon  God  ;  commit  your  chil- 
dren into  his   hand ;  give  to  God 


440 


BOOK  OF  MA.RTYRS. 


yoiir  goods,  bodies,  and  lives,  as 
he  hath  given  them,  or  rather  lent 
them,  to  you.  Say  with  Job, 
'  God  hath  given,  and  God  hath 
taken  away,  his  name  be  praised 
for  ever.'  Cast  your  care  upon 
him,  I  say,  for  he  is  careful  for 
you ;  and  take  it  amongst  the  great- 
est blessings  of  God,  to  sutler  for 
his  sake.  I  trust  he  hath  kept  you 
hitherto  to  that  end. 

"  And  I  beseech  thee,  O  merci- 
ful Father,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake, 
that  thou  wouldest  be  merciful 
unto  us,  comfort  us  with  thy  grace, 
and  strengthen  us  in  thy  truth, 
that  in  heart  we  may  believe,  and 
in  tongue  boldly  confess  thy  gospel, 
to  thy  glory,  and  our  eternal  sal- 
vation. Amen.  Pray  for  me,  and 
I,  by  God's  grace,  will  do  the  same 
for  you. 

John  Bradford. 

his  farewel  letter  to  his  mo- 
THER. 

"  God's  mercy,  and  peace  in 
Christ,  be  more  and  more  perceiv- 
ed of  us,  Amen. 

"  M3'  most  dear  mother,  in  the 
bowels  of  Christ  I  heartily  pray 
and  beseech  you  to  be  thankful  for 
me  unto  God,  who  now  taketh  me 
unto  himself:  I  die  not  as  a  crimi- 
nal, but  as  a  witness  of  Christ,  the 
truth  of  whose  gospel  T  have  hi- 
therto confessed,  I  thank  God, 
both  by  preaching  and  imprison- 
ment, and  now  I  am  willing  to 
confirm  the  same  by  fire.  I  ac- 
knowledge that  God  might  justly 
have  taken  me  hence  for  my  sins, 
(which  are  many,  great,  and  griev- 
ous :  but  the  Lord,  for  his  mercy 
in  Christ,  I  hope  hath  pardoned 
them  all)  but  now,  dear  mother,  he 
taketh  me  hence  by  this  death,  as 
a  confessor  and  witness,  that  the 
religion  taught  by  Christ  Jesus, 
the  prophets,  and  the  apostles,  is 
God's  truth.  The  prelates  in  me 
do  persecute  Christ,  whom  they 
hate,  and  his  truth,  which  they 
will  not  abide,  because  their  works 
are  evil.  They  do  not  care  for  the 
light,  lest  men  thereby  should  dis- 
cover their  darkness.  Therefore, 
my  dear   mother    give  thanks   to 


God  for  me,  that  he  hath  made  the 
fruit  of  your  womb  to  be  a  witness 
of  his  glory,  and  attend  to  the 
truth,  which  I  have  truly  taught 
out  of  the  pulpit  of  Manchester. 
Use  often  and  continual  prayer  to 
God  the  Father,  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Hearken  to  the  scriptures, 
and  serve  God  according  to  them, 
and  not  according  to  the  custom  : 
beware  of  the  Romish  religion  in 
England  ;  defile  not  yourself  with 
it  :  carry  the  cross  of  Christ  as  he 
shall  lay  it  upon  your  back :  for- 
give them  that  kill  me  :  pray  for 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do :  commit  my  cause  to  God  our 
Father:  be  mindful  of  both  your 
daughters,  and  help  them  as  well 
as  you  can. 

"  I  send  all  my  writings  to  you 
and  my  brother  Roger  ;  do  Avith 
them  as  you  will,  because  I  can- 
not as  I  would;  he  can  tell  you 
more  of  my  mind.  I  have  nothing 
to  give  you,  or  to  leave  behind  me 
for  you:  only  I  pray  God,  my 
father,  for  Christ's  sake,  to  bless 
you,  and  keep  you  from  evil. 
May  he  make  you  patient  and 
thankful,  that  he  will  take  the  fruit 
of  your  womb  to  witness  his  truth ; 
wherein  I  confess  to  the  whole 
world,  I  die,  and  depart  this  life, 
in  hope  of  a  much  better  :  which 
I  look  for  at  the  hands  of  God  my 
father,  through  the  merits  of  his 
dear  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Thus,  my  dear  mother,  T  take 
my  last  farewel  of  you  in  this  life, 
beseeching  the  Almighty  and  eter- 
nal Father,  by  Christ,  to  grant  us 
to  meet  in  the  life  to  come,  where 
we  shall  give  him  continual  thanks, 
and  praise,  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen.  Your  son,  in  the  Lord, 
June  24,  1555.     John  Bradford." 

MARGARET    POLLEY,    FIRST     FEMALE 
MARTYR    IN    ENGLAND. 

Such  was  the  fury  of  bigoted 
zeal  during  the  reign  of  Mary, 
that  even  the  more  tender  sex  did 
not  escape  the  resentment  of  the 
Romish  persecutors.  These  mon- 
sters, in  human  form,  embraced 
every  opportunity  of  exercising 
their  cruelty,  tyranny,  and  usurpa- 


MARGARET  POLLEY. 


441 


tion  ;  nor  could  youth,  a^fe,  or  sex, 
impress  on  their  minds  the  least 
feelings  of  humanity. 

Information  being  given  against 
Margaret  Polley,  to  Maurice,  bi- 
shop of  Rochester,  she  was  brought 
before  him,  when  his  lordship,  ac- 
cording to  the  pontifical  solemnity  of 
the  church  of  Rome,  rose  from  his 
chair,  and,  in  solemn  parade,  ha- 
rangued her  as  follows  : 

"  We  Maurice,  by  the  suffer- 
ance of  God,  bishop  of  Rochester, 
proceeding  of  our  mere  office  in  a 
cause  of  heresy,  against  thee  Mar- 
garet Polley,  of  the  parish  of  Po- 
pingberry,ia  our  diocese  and  juris- 
diction of  Rochester,  do  lay,  and 
object  against  thee,  all  and  singu- 
lar the  ensuing  articles : 

"  To  these,  all  and  singular,  we 
require  of  thee  a  true,  full,  and 
plain  answer,  by  virtue  of  thine 
oath  thereupon  to  be  given/' 

The  oath  being  administered  by 
the  official,  the  bisiiop  looked 
steadfastly  at  the  woman,  and  de- 
manded of  her  a  peremptory  answer 
to  each  of  the  following  articles. 

1.  "  Arc  not  those  heretics,  who 
maintain  and  hold  other  opinions 
than  our  holy  mother  and  Catholic 
church  doth  I" 

To  this  she  replied,  "  They  are, 
indeed,  heretics  and  grossly  de- 
ceived, who  hold  and  maintain 
doctrines  contrary  to  the  will  of 
God,  contained  in  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, which  I  sincerely  believe 
were  written  by  holy  men  imme- 
diately taught  and  instructed  by 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

2.  "  Do  you  hold  and  maintain 
that  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine, 
there  is  not  the  very  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  and  that  the  said  body  is 
verily  in  heaven  only,  and  not  in 
the  sacrament  ?" 

She  answered,  "  What  T  have 
learned  from  the  holy  scriptures, 
those  living  oracles  of  God,  I  do 
and  will  steadfastly  maintain,  viz. 
that  the  very  body  which  was  cru- 
cified for  the  sins  of  all  true  be- 
lievers, ascended  into  heaven,  is 
there  placed  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  majesty  on    high ;    that  such 


body  has  ever  since  remained  there» 
and  therefore  cannot,  according  to 
my  belief,  be  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

"  I  believe  that  the  bread  and 
wine  in  the  sacrament  are  to  be  re- 
ceived as  symbols  and  representa- 
tives of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  but  not  as  his  body  really 
and  substantially. 

"  I  think,  in  my  weak  judgment, 
that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  any 
man,  by  pronouncing  words  over 
the  elements  of  bread  and  wine, 
to  transubstantiate  them  into  the 
real  body  and  blood  of  Christ. 

"In  short,  it  is  my  belief,  that 
the  eucharist  is  only  a  commemo- 
ration of  the  death  of  our  Saviour, 
who  said,  '  As  oft  as  ye  do  this, 
do  it  in  remembrance  of  me.'" 

Those  pertinent  and  frank  re- 
plies greatly  provoked  the  haughty 
prelate,  who  exclaimed  against  the 
woman,  as  an  obstinate  heretic, 
and,  after  much  scurrilous  lan- 
guage, told  her,  "  she  was  a  silly 
woman,  knew  not  what  she  said, 
and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  every 
Christian  to  believe  as  the  mo- 
ther-church hath  taught  and  doth 
teach." 

He  then  asked  her  the  following 
question:  "Will  you,  Margaret 
Polley,  recant  the  error  which  you 
maintain,  be  reconciled  to  the  holy 
church,  and  receive  the  remission 
of  sins?"  To  which  she  replied, 
"  I  cannot  believe  otherwise  than 
I  have  spoken,  because  the  prac- 
tice of  the  church  of  Rome  is  con- 
trary not  only  to  reason,  and  my 
senses,  but  also  to  the  word  of 
God." 

Immediately  on  this  reply,  the 
bishop  pronounced  sentence  of 
condemnation  against  her ;  after, 
which  she  was  carried  back  to 
prison,  where  she  remained  for  up- 
wards of  a  month. 

She  was  a  woman  in  the  prime 
of  life,  pious,  charitable,  humane, 
learned  in  the  scriptures,  and  be- 
loved by  all  who  were  acquainted 
with  her. 

During  her  imprisonment  she 
was  repeatedly  exhorted  to  re- 
cant; but  she  refused  all  ofiers  ef 


4i% 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


life  on  sacli  terms,  choosing  s'ory, 
lioiiour,  and  immortality  hereafter, 
rather  than  a  few  short  years  in 
this  vale  of  ^rief,  and  even  those 
purchased  at  the  expense  of  truth 
and  conscience. 

When  the  day  appointed  for  her 
execution  arrived,  which  was  in 
July,  1555,  she  was  conducted  from 
the  prison  at  Rochester  to  Tun- 
bridge,  where  she  was  burned, 
sealing;  the  truth  of  what  she  had 
testified  with  her  blood,  and  shew- 
ing that  the  God  of  all  grace,  out 
of  the  weakest  vessel  can  give 
strength,  and  cause  the  meanest 
instruments  to  magnify  the  glories 
of  his  redeeming  love. 

CHRISTOPHER    WADE. 

On  the  same  day  that  Margaret 
Polley  suffered,  one  Christopher 
Wade,  a  weaver  of  Dartford,  in 
Kent,  who  had  likewise  been  con- 
demned by  the  bishop  of  Roches- 
ter, shared  the  same  fate,  and  at 
the  same  place  ;  but  they  were  ex- 
ecuted separately,  he  first  submit- 
ting to  the  dreadful  sentence. 

OTHER    MARTYRS. 

About  the  same  time,  John 
Bland,  John  Frankesh,  Nicho- 
las Sheterden,  and  Humphrey 
Middleton,  were  all  burnt  toge- 
ther at  Canterbury.  The  two  first 
were  ministers  and  preachers  of 
tlie  gospel,  the  ©ne  being  rector  of 
Adesham,  and  the  other  vicar  of 
Rolvindon,  in  Kent.  They  all  re- 
signed themselves  to  their  fate 
with  Christian  fortitude,  fervently 
praying  to  God  to  receive  them 
into  his  heavenly  kingdom. 

martyrdoms     of    JOHN     LAUNDER, 
AND    DIRICK    CARVER. 

John  Launder,  of  Godstone,  in 
the  county  of  Surry,  husbandman  ; 
and  DiRiCK  Carver,  of  JJright- 
heimstone,inthe  county  of  Sussex, 
brewer,  were  apprehended  in  the 
dwelling-house  of  the  latter,  as 
they  were  at  prayers,  and  sent  up 
to  the  council  at  London,  w^here 
being  examined,  and  not  giving 
satisfactory  answers  to  the  ques- 
tions  proposed,    they   were    com- 


mitted prisoners  to  Newgale,  io 
wait  the  leisure,  and  abide  the  de- 
termination of  the  cruel  and  arro- 
gant bishop  Bonner. 

Launder,  on  his  examination, 
said,  that  the  occasion  of  his  being 
at  Brighthelrastone,  was  to  trans- 
act some  business  for  his  father, 
and  that  hearing  Mr.  Carver  was 
a  great  promoter  of  the  doctrines 
of  the  reformation,  he  went  to  his 
house,  in  order  to  join  in  prayer  to 
God,  with  the  pious  Christians 
which  resorted  thither,  on  which 
he  was  apprehended  by  Mr.  Gage, 
an  officer. 

He  avowed  his  belief,  that 
"  there  is  on  earth  one  whole  and 
universal  Catholic  church,  the 
members  of  which  are  dispersed 
throughout  the  world ;  that  the 
same  church  doth  set  forth  and 
teach  only  two  sacraments,  which 
are.  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per ;  that  whosoever  doth  teach 
or  use  any  more  sacraments,  or 
any  other  ceremonies,  he  doth  ab- 
hor them  from  the  bottom  of  his 
heart." 

He  further  said,  "  that  all  the 
service,  sacrifices,  and  ceremonies, 
now  used  in  this  realm  of  England, 
and  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
where  they  are  used  after  the  same 
manner,  are  erroneous,  contrary 
to  Christ's  institution,  and  the  de- 
termination of  Christ's  Catholic 
church,  whereof  he  believeth  him- 
self to  be  a  member.  That  in  the 
sacrament,  called  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  there  is  not  really  and 
truly  contained,  under  the  forms  of 
bread  and  wine,  the  very  natural 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  in  sub- 
stance ;  but  that  when  he  did  re- 
ceive the  material  bread,  he  re- 
ceived the  same  in  remembrance  of 
Christ's  death  and  passion,  and  no 
otherwise. 

"  Moreover,  that  the  mass  used 
in  the  realm  of  England,  or  else- 
where, in  Christendom,  is  abomina- 
ble, and  directly  against  God's 
word,  and  his  Catholic  church,  and 
that  there  is  nothing  said  or  used 
in  it,  good  or  profitable  ;  for  though 
the  '  Gloria  in  excelsis,'  the  creed 
and  pater-noster,  and  other  parts 


CARVER  AND  LAUNDER. 


443 


of  tlie  mass,  are  good  in  them- 
selves, yet  being  used  amongst 
otiier  things  that  are  superstitious, 
they  become  corrupt.  Lastly,  that 
auricular  confession  is  not  neces- 
sary to  be  made  to  any  priest,  or 
to  any  other  creature,  but  every 
person  ought  to  confess  his  sins  to 
God  alone,  because  no  earthly 
power  has  any  authority  to  absolve 
any  man  from  his  sins." 

Having  openly  acknowledged 
and  maintained  these  opinions,  in 
the  bishop's  consistory  court,  and 
refusing  to  recant,  he  was  con- 
demned, and  delivered  over  to  the 
secular  power. 

DiRicK  Carver,  being  examined 
by  bishop  Bonner  concerning  his 
faith  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
the  mass,  auricular  confession,  and 
the  religion  then  taught  and  set 
forth  in  the  church  of  England, 
delivered  the  following,  as  his  in- 
variable tenets,  because  founded 
on  the  infallible  word  of  the  only 
living  and  true  God. 

To  the  first  point  he  declared, 
that  "  he  had,  and  did  believe, 
that  the  very  substance  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  is  not  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar ;  and  that 
there  is  no  other  substance  re- 
maining in  that  sacrament,  after 
the  words  spoken  by  the  priest, 
but  the  substance  of  bread  and 
wine." 

As  to  the  mass,  "he  believed 
there  was  no  sacrifice  in  it,  nor 
any  salvation  for  a  Christian,  ex- 
cept it  was  said  in  the  mother- 
tongue,  that  he  might  understand 
it." 

With  respect  to  auricular  con- 
fession, "he  believed  that  it  was 
necessary  to  apply  to  a  priest  for 
spiritual  counsel :  but  that  the  ab- 
solution of  the  priest,  by  the  im- 
position of  hands,  was  not  profita- 
ble to  salvation,  acknowledging, 
at  the  same  time,  that  he  tad  not 
been  confessed,  nor  received  the 
sacrament  since  the  coronation  of 
the  queen." 

Concerning  the  last  point,  "he 
declared  it  as  his  opinion  and  be- 


lief that  the  faith  and  religion 
then  taught,  and  set  forth,  was 
not  agreeable  tb  God's  word,  and 
that  bishop  Hooper,  Mr.  Card- 
maker,  Rogers,  and  other  pious 
men,  who  were  lately  burned,  were 
sound  divines,  and  preached  the 
true  doctrine  of  Christ." 

Being  farther  examined,  be  con- 
fessed, "  that  since  the  queen's 
coronation  he  had  the  bible  and 
psalter  read  in  English  divers 
times,  at  his  house  in  Brighthelm- 
stone;  and  that,  about  twelve 
months  then  past,  he  had  the  Eng- 
lish litany  said  in  his  house,  with 
other  prayers,  in  English." 

After  these  examinations  he  was 
strongly  persuaded  to  recant,  but 
this  he  peremptorily  refused  ;  on 
which  sentence  of  condemnation 
was  passed  on  him  at  the  same 
time  as  on  Launder,  and  the  time 
of  his  execution  was  fixed  for  the 
22d  of  July,  at  Lewes,  in  Sussex. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  stake  he 
kneeled  down  and  prayed  ;  and 
when  he  had  finished  his  prayers, 
he  arose,  and  addressed  the  spec- 
tators as  follows ; 

"  Dear  brothers  and  sisters. 
Bear  witness  that  I  am  come  to 
seal  with  my  blood  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  because  I  know  that  it  is 
true.  Many  of  you  know  that 
the  gospel  hath  been  truly  preach- 
ed to  you  here  in  Lewes,  and  now 
it  is  not  so  preached  ;  and  because 
I  will  not  here  deny  God's  gospel, 
I  am  condemned  to  die." 

On  this  ^le  sheriff  said,  "  If 
thou  dost  not  believe  in  the  pope, 
thou  art  damned,  body  and  soul." 
But  our  martyr  pitied  his  blind- 
ness, and  begged  of  God  to  for- 
give his  errors. 

Being  then  fastened  to  the  stake, 
and  the  fire  kindled  round  him,  he 
patiently  submitted  to  his  fate, 
and  expired,  calling  out,  "  O  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  me  !  Lord  Jesus 
receive  my  spirit." 

His  fellow  prisoner,  John  Laun- 
der, was  burnt  the  following  day 
at  Steyning ;  where  he  cheerfully 
gave  up  his  life  to  that  God  from 
whose  hands  he  had  received  it. 


444 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


MARTYRDOM  OF  JOHN  DENLEY, 
JOHN  NEWMAN,  AND  PATRICK 
PACKTNGHAM. 

So  perpetually  were  the  popish 
emissaries  in  search  of  their  prey, 
in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  long  to 
escape  them. 

As  Mr.  Denley  and  Mr.  Newman 
■were  travelling  together  into  Essex, 
on  a  visit  to  some  friends,  they 
were  accidentally  met  by  Mr.  Tyr- 
rel,  justice  of  the  peace  for  the 
said  county,  who,  suspecting  them 
of  heresy,  caused  them  to  be  ap- 
prehended, and  searched ;  and  at 
the  same  time  took  from  Mr.  Denley 
a  confession  of  his  faith  in  writing, 
concerning  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  together  with  certain  notes 
collected  from  the  holy  scriptures. 

The  justice  immediately  sent 
them  to  London,  and  with  them  a 
letter  to  be  presented  to  the  coun- 
cil, together  with  the  papers  he 
found  on  the  former. 

On  their  being  brought  before 
the  council,  they  were  admonished 
and  desired  to  yield  obedience  to 
the  queen's  laws  ;  but  this  advice 
proving  ineffectual,  their  examina- 
tion was  referred  to  Bonner,  bishop 
of  London. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1555,  Den- 
ley and  Newman,  together  with 
Patrick  Packingham,  (who  had 
been  apprehended  two  days  be- 
fore) were  brought  before  Bonner, 
at  his  palace  in  London. 

The  bishop  having  examined  the 
two  former  upon  their  confessions, 
and  finding  them  inflexibly  to  ad- 
here to  the  same,  he  used  his  cus- 
tomary exhortation ;  on  which 
Denley  said,  "  God  save  me  from 
your  counsel,  and  keep  me  in  the 
nvind  I  am  in  ;  for  that  which  you 
count  heresy,  I  take  to  be  the  truth." 

Bonner  then  ordered  them  to 
appear  in  the  bishop's  consistory 
court,  where  the  following  articles 
were  jointly  and  severally  exhibit- 
ed against  them : 

1.  "  That  they  were  now  in  the 
diocese  of  London,  and  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  bishop  of 
London." 


These  they  acknowledged  to  be 
true. 

2.  "  That  they  had  not,  nor  did 
believe,  that  there  is  a  Catholic 
church  of  Christ  here  on  earth." 

This  they  severally  denied,  "  for 
that  they  did  believe  the  holy 
Catholic  church,  which  is  built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  prophets 
and  apostles,  Christ  being  the 
head  ;  and  that  where  two  or  three 
are  gathered  together  in  Christ's 
name,  they  are  the  members  of  the 
said  holy  Catholic  church,  which 
is  dispersed  throughout  the  world; 
which  church  doth  preach  God's 
word  truly,  and  doth  also  minister 
the  two  sacraments.  Baptism,  and 
the  Supper  of  the  Lord,  according 
to  his  blessed  word." 

3.  "That  each  of  them  had  not, 
nor  did  believe  that  this  church  of 
England  is  any  part,  or  member  of 
the  said  Catholic  church." 

They  severally  answered,  that 
"  they  did  believe  that  this  church 
of  England,  using  the  faith  and 
practice  that  is  now  used,  is  no 
part  or  member  of  the  aforesaid 
holy  Catholic  church,  but  is  the 
church  of  Anti-Christ,  the  bishop 
of  Rome  being  the  head  thereof." 

4.  "  That  they  had  believed,  and 
did  believe,  that  the  mass,  now 
used  in  the  church  of  England,  was 
abominable,  and  blasphemy  against 
God's  word." 

They  answered  in  the  affirmative; 
"  for  Christ,  in  his  holy  supper,  in- 
stituted the  sacrament  of  bread  and 
wine,  to  be  eaten  together,  in  re- 
membrance of  his  death,  till  he 
come,  and  not  to  have  them  wor- 
shipped and  idolized.  It  also  ap- 
peareth,  by  his  commandment,  that 
we  ought  not  to  worship  the  sacra- 
ment of  bread  and  wine,  because  it 
is  plain  idolatry  ;  for  the  command- 
ment saith,  thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
to  them,  nor  worship  them,  meaning 
plainly,  any  created  thing;  besides, 
it  is  plain  from  many  passages  in 
scripture,  that  the  body  of  Christ 
is  in  heaven,  and  not  in  the  sacra- 
mental bread  and  wine,  and,  there- 
fore, that  it  is  idolatry  to  worship 
them." 


DENLEY,  NEWMAN,  AND  PACKINGHAM.        446 


5.  "  That  they  had  believed,  and 
did  believe,  that  auricular  confes- 
sion, now  used  in  the  realm  of  Eng- 
land, was  not  profitable,  but  con- 
trary to  God's  word." 

To  this  they  all  answered  in  the 
affirmative. 

6.  "  That  they  had  believed,  and 
did  believe,  that  absolution  given 
by  the  priest,  and  hearing  confes- 
sion, is  not  good,  nor  allowable  by 
God's  word,  but  contrary  to  the 
same." 

To  this  they  answered,  that 
"  remission  of  sins  is  only  to  be  ob- 
tained from  God,  through  the  blood 
of  Jesus  Christ." 

7.  "  That  they  had  believed,  and 
did  believe,  that  christening  of 
children,  as  it  is  used  now  in  the 
church  of  England,  is  not  good  nor 
allowable  by  God's  word.  Like- 
wise confirming  of  children,  giving 
of  orders,  saying  matins  and  ves- 
pers, anointing  or  oiling  of  sick 
persons,  making  holy  bread  and 
holy  water,  with  other  rites  of  the 
church." 

To  this  they  replied,  that 
"  christening  of  children,  or  the 
sacrament  of  baptism,  is  altered 
and  changed,  for  John  the  Baptist 
used  nothing  but  preaching  of  the 
word,  and  water,  as  appears  from 
Christ's  desiring  to  be  baptized  by 
him ;  for  we  do  not  read  that  he 
asked  for  any  cream,  or  oil,  or 
spittle,  or  wax,  or  salt,  but  used 
merely  water,  nor  was  this  water 
consecrated." 

8.  '■  That  they  had  believed,  and 
did  believe,  that  there  are  but  two 
sacraments  in  Christ's  Catholic 
church,  the  sacrament  of  baptism, 
and  the  sacrament  of  the  altar." 

To  this  they  briefly  replied,  that 
"  they  believed  no  more,  except 
they  would  make  the  rainbow  a 
sacrament,  for  there  is  no  sacrament 
but  hath  a  promise  annexed  to  it." 

The  bishop  then  stated  one  ar- 
ticle to  Packingham  alone,  which 
was,  "  that  he,  Patrick  Packing- 
ham,  being  of  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  years  at  least,  did  irreverently 
stand  in  the  great  chapel,  having 
his  cap  on  his  head  during  the  time 
of  mass,  on  the  23d  of  June  ;  that 
he   refused  holy  bread,  and  holy 


water  at  the  priest's  hands,  thereby 
contemning  and  despising  both  the 
mass,  holy  water,  and  holy  bread." 

This  article  he  acknowledged  to 
be  true. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  the  bishop 
proceeded,  in  the  usual  form, 
against  these  three  persons,  in  his 
consistory  court  at  St.  Paul's. 
After  the  various  articles  and  their 
answers  had  been  read,  they  were 
exhorted  to  recant,  and  both  pro- 
mises and  threats  were  used  by 
Bonner,  in  order  to  prevail  with 
them  ;  but  on  their  remaining  stead- 
fast in  their  faith  and  profession, 
they  were  all  condemned  as  here- 
tics, and  delivered  into  the  custody 
of  the  sheriffs  of  London,  who  con- 
ducted them  to  Newgate,  where 
they  were  kept  till  writs  were  is- 
sued for  their  execution. 

Denley  was  ordered  to  be  burned 
at  Uxbridge,  where,  being  convey- 
ed on  the  day  appointed,  he  was 
chained  to  the  stake,  and  expired 
in  the  midst  of  the  flames,  singing 
a  psalm  to  the  praise  of  his  Re- 
deemer. A  popish  priest,  who  was 
present  at  his  execution,  was  so  in- 
censed at  his  singing,  that  he  or- 
dered one  of  the  attendants  to 
throw  a  fagot  at  him,  which  was 
accordingly  done,  and  he  received 
a  violent  fracture  in  his  skull,  which, 
with  the  fire,  soon  deprived  him 
both  of  speech  and  life. 

A  few  days  after,  Packingham 
suffered  at  the  same  place ;  but 
Newman  was  executed  at  Saff"ron- 
Walden,  in  Essex.  They  both 
died  with  great  fortitude  and  re- 
signation, cheerfully  resigning 
their  souls  into  the  hands  of  him 
who  gave  them,  in  full  expectation 
of  receiving  crowns  of  glory  in  the 
heavenly  mansions.  Nor  will  their 
expectations  be  unfulfilled.  He, 
"  who  cannot  lie,"  has  declared, 
that  they  who  sulfer  for  his  sake 
on  earth,  shall  be  amply  rewarded 
in  heaven.  "  Blessed  are  ye  when 
men  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute 
you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of 
evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my 
sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding 
glad ;  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven  ;  for  so  persecuted  they  the 
prophets  which  were  before  you." 


446 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


SECTION  VII. 


MARTYRDOMS     OF     WILLIAM     COKER,     WILLIAM     HOOPER,     HENRY      LAW- 
RENCE,   RICHARD    COLLIER,    RICHARD    WRIGHT,    AND    WILLIAM    STEER. 


Information  havino;  been  given, 
at  the  same  time,  against  these  six 
persons,  they  were  all  brought  be- 
fore Dr.  Richard  Thornton,  bishop 
of  Dover,  and  his  assistants,  in  the 
spiritual  court  of  Canterbury; 
when  various  articles  were  re- 
spectively exhibited  against  them ; 
to  all  which  they  answered,  as 
men  determined  to  adhere  to  the 
truth  of  that  gospel  they  had  pro- 
fessed, and  were  remanded  to  pri- 
son. 

Being  again  brought  before  the 
above  persons,  they  were  farther 
examined,  when  William  Coker 
declared  he  would  answer  no 
otherwise  than  as  he  had  done  be- 
fore. Being  offered  six  days'  res- 
pite to  consider  of  it,  he  refused  to 
accept  their  indulgence;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  he  immediately 
received  sentence  of  death. 

Hooper,  at  first,  seemed  to  as- 
sent to  the  faith  and  determination 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church ; 
but,  on  serious  reflection,  he  re- 
tracted, and  firmly  professed  his 
faith  in  the  pure  gospel  of  Christ, 
as  well  as  renounced  the  errors  of 
popery.  He  was,  therefore,  also 
sentenced  to  be  burned. 

Lawrence,  who  was  next  exa- 
mined, denied  auricular  confes- 
sion, and  *'  refused  to  receive  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  because  the 
order  of  the  holy  Scripture  was 
changed  in  the  order  of  the  said 
sacrameut." — Being  asked  con- 
cerning the  verity  of  the  sacrament 
given  to  Christ's  disciples,  he  af- 
firmed, that  "  even  as  Christ  gave 
his  very  body  to  his  disciples,  so 
likewise  Christ  himself  said,  he 
was  a  door,  &c.";  adding,  more- 
over, "  that,  as  he  said  before,  so 
he  still  said,  that  the  sacrament  of 
the  mass  is  an  idol,  and  no  resem- 
blance of  Christ's  passion."  Being 
required  to  subscribe  to  these  ar- 
ticles, he  wrote  under  the  bill  of 
examination  as  follows:  "Ye  are 
all  of  Anti-ChiTst,  and  him  ye  fol- 


low." He  was  then  prevented 
from  speaking  farther,  and  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  was  pro- 
nounced on  him  in  the  usual  form. 
Collier,  being  examined  with  re- 
spect to  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
answered,  "  he  did  not  believe 
there  was  the  real  and  substantial 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  but  only 
bread  and  wine;  and  that  it  was 
most  abominable,  detestable,  and 
wicked,  to  believe  otherwise."  In 
consequence  of  this  he  likewise  re- 
ceived sentence  of  death. 

Wright,  being  asked  by  the 
judge  what  he  believed  of  the  real 
presence  in  the  sacrament,  an- 
swered, "  that,  touching  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  and  the  mass, 
he  was  ashamed  to  speak  of  it; 
nor  would  he,  therefore,  by  any 
means  allow  it."  In  consequence 
of  which  he  also  received  condem- 
nation. 

Steer,  the  last  examined,  was  re- 
quired by  the  judge  to  answer  the 
articles  laid  before  him.  But  he 
denied  the  judge's  authority,  and 
observed,  that  Thomas  Cranmer, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  then  in 
prison,  was  his  diocesan;  and, 
therefore,  required  Dr.  Thornton 
to  shew  his  authority  from  the 
archbishop,  or  otherwise  he  would 
deem  it  invalid.  With  respect  to 
the  sacrament  of  the  mass,  he  said, 
"  as  he  found  not  the  popish  belief 
contained  in  the  Scriptures,  he  en- 
tirely disbelieved  it;'^  in  conse- 
quence of  which  he  received  the 
same  sentence  with  his  fellow-pri- 
soners. 

These  six  men,  being  thus  con- 
demned for  professing  the  truth  of 
Christ's  gospel,  were  immediately 
delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power.  They  continued  in  prison, 
consoling  each  other  daily,  in 
prayer,  till  the  31st  of  August,  the 
day  appointed  for  their  execution, 
when  they  were  conveyed  to  Can- 
terbury, and  there  led  to  the 
stakes,  of  which  there  were  three. 


GEORGE  TANKERFIELD. 


447 


two  of  tlicm  being  chained  to  each. 
They  all  joyfully  yielded  up  their 
lives  as  sacrifices  to  God,  in  testi- 


mony of  their  rcf;;ard  to  the  word 
of  truth,  "  which  abideth  to  all 
eternity." 


SECTION  VIII. 

MARTYRDOMS    OF   GEORGE   TANKERFIELD,    ELIZABETH    WARNE,     ReBERT 
SMITH,    AND    OTHERS. 


George  Tankerfield  was 
brought  up  by  his  parents  in  the  po- 
pish religion,  to  which  he  zealously 
adhered  till  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  queen  Mary,  when  the 
horrid  cruelties  exercised  on  those 
who  dissented  from  that  church,  so 
strongly  impressed  his  mind,  that 
he  began  to  detest  the  principles 
of  that  religion  he  had  hitherto 
professed. 

In  consequence  of  this,  he  ap- 
plied himself,  with  great  diligence, 
to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  sought  the  directions 
of  unerring  wisdom,  and  the  teach- 
ing of  that  spirit,  which  alone  can 
lead  unto  all  truth,  and,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  soon  attained  to  a 
very  competent  knowledge  of  the 
doctrines  of  the  reformed  church, 
as  well  as  detected  the  errors,  su- 
perstition, and  idolatry  of  the  po- 
pish faith. 

Being  thus  grounded  in  the 
great  truths  of  the  gospel,  he  com- 
municated his  sentiments  to  his 
most  intimate  friends,  whom  he 
exhorted  to  search  the  sacred  re- 
cords, nor  be  blindly  led  by  such 
as  imposed  on  them  creeds,  which, 
on  examination,  he  found  contrary 
to  the  divine  mind  and  will,  as 
contained  in  the  holy  Scriptures. 

This  deviation  from  the  princi- 
ples he  had  before  so  warmly  pro- 
fessed, and  zealously  maintained, 
excited  the  astonishment  of  his 
friends,  and  raised  the  resentment 
of  the  popish  faction,  especially 
those  who  were  more  immediately 
concerned  in  its  restoration;  inso- 
much, that  sir  Roger  Cholmonde- 
ley,  and  Dr.  Martin,  two  of  the 
queen's  comrjissioners  for  eccle- 
siastical aflairs,  dispatched  a  yeo- 
man to  Tankerfield's  house,  in 
order  to  apprehend,  and  bring  him 
before  them. 
Mr.    Tankerfield    being    absent 


when  the  yeoman  came  in  quest  of 
him,  it  was  pretended  that  he  was 
wanted  to  dress  a  dinner  at  the 
house  of  lord  Paget.  When  he 
came  home  his  wife  told  him,  tlint 
he  was  required  to  attend  at  a 
banquet;  to  which  he  replied,  "A 
banquet,  woman!  such  a  banipiet 
as  will  not  be  pleasing  to  the  llesh ; 
but  God's  will  be  done." 

He  was  then  seized  by  a  consta- 
ble, and  committed  to  Newgate ; 
and  after  being  confined  there 
some  time,  was  brouglit  before, 
and  repeatedly  examined  by,  bi- 
shop Bonner,  and  others,  concern- 
ing divers  articles  and  tenets  of 
religion.  He  was  chiefiy  required 
to  give  his  opinion  concerning  au- 
ricular confession,  the  popish  sa- 
crament of  the  mass,  and  other  ce- 
remonies. 

In  answer  to  the  first  of  these  he 
said,  "  he  had  not  confessed  to 
any  priest  for  several  months,  and 
that  he  would  not  be  confessed  by 
any  priest  hereafter,  because  he 
found  no  such  duty  commanded  in 
the  word  of  God,  which  he  now 
took  as  his  only  guide  in  all  mat- 
ters of  religion." 

With  respect  to  the  sacrament, 
commonly  called  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  he  declared,  "  he  did 
not  believe  that  in  the  said  sacra- 
ment there  was  the  real  body  and 
blood  of  Christ,  because  the  body 
of  Christ  was  ascended  into  hea- 
ven, and  there  sat  at  the  righthand 
of  God  the  Father." 

To  the  last  point  he  answered, 
that  "the  mass  then  used  in  the 
church  of  England  was  full  of 
idolatry,  abomination,  and  wholly 
inconsistent  with  the  word  of  God;" 
adding,  "  that  there  were  but  two 
sacraments  in  Christ's  church, 
namely,  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's 
Supper." 

The  bishop,  after  this  confession. 


448 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  his  usual  manner,  exhorted  him 
to  recant  his  opinions,  declaring 
them  to  be  damnable  heresies  ;  but 
Tankerfield  assured  his  lordship 
tliat  he  would  persist  in  his  belief 
till  it  should  be  proved  erroneous 
from  scripture  authority,  being 
regardless  of  the  tenets  of  the 
greatest  prelate  upon  earth,  if  not 
founded  on  the  word  of  eternal 
truth,  declaring,  at  the  same  time, 
that  the  arbitrary  commissioners 
for  ecclesiastical  affairs  condemned 
persons  without  proving  any  thing 
against  them. 

Bonner,  with  an  affected  con- 
cern for  his  interests,  temporal  and 
eternal,used  many  enticing  words  to 
bring  him  to  the  "  mother-church ;" 
but  our  martyr  boldly  told  him, 
that  the  church  of  which  the  pope 
is  supreme,  is  no  part  of  Christ's 
Catholic  church;  and  pointing  to 
the  bishop,  he  said,  "  Good  peo- 
ple, beware  of  him,  and  such  as 
he  is,  for  these  be  they  that  deceive 
you." 

The  bishop  was  so  enraged  at 
his  resolute  behaviour,  that  he  im- 
mediately proceeded  to  read  the 
sentence  of  condemnation;  after 
which,  Mr.  Tankerfield  was  deli- 
vered over  to  the  secular  power. 

The  place  allotted  for  his  exe- 
cution was  St.  Alban's,  in  Hert- 
fordshire, and  the  following 
"  Notes"  give  so  interesting  an 
account  of  his  behaviour  and  suf- 
ferings, that  we  give  them  verba- 
tim. 

"notes  concerning  GEORGE  TAN- 
KERFIELD, AFTER  HE  WAS  CAR- 
RIED TO  ST.  alban's  to  SUFFER 
MARTYRDOM. 

"He  was  brought  to  St.  Alban's 
by  the  high  sheriff  of  Hertford- 
shire, Edward  Brocket,  Esq.  and 
Mr.  Pulter,  of  Hitchen,  who  was 
under-sheriff.  They  put  up  at  the 
Cross-Keys  inn,  where  there  was  a 
great  concourse  of  people  to  see 
and  hear  the  prisoner  ;  some  were 
sorry  to  see  so  pious  a  man  brought 
to  be  burned,  others  praised  God 
for  his  constancy  and  perseverance 
in  the  truth.  Contrariwise,  some 
said,  it  was  pity  he  did  stand  in 


such  opinions :  and  others,  botk 
old  men  and  women,  cried  against 
him  ;  one  called  him  heretic,  and 
said  it  was  pity  that  he  lived.  But 
Tankerfield  spake  unto  them  so  ef- 
fectually out  of  the  word  of  God, 
lamenting  their  ignorance,  and  pro- 
testing unto  them  his  unspotted 
conscience,  that  God  did  mollify 
their  hardened  hearts,  insomuch 
that  some  of  them  departed  out  of 
the  chamber  weeping. 

"  There  came  a  certain  school- 
master to  have  communication  with 
him,  the  day  before  he  was  coming 
to  St.  Alban's,  concerning  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  and  other 
points  of  the  popish  religion :  but 
as  he  urged  Tankerfield  with  the 
authority  of  the  doctors,  wresting 
them  after  his  own  will  ;  so,  on  the 
other  side,  Tankerfield  answered 
him  mightily  by  the  scriptures,  not 
wrested  after  the  mind  of  any  man, 
but  being  interpreted  after  the  will 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  &c.  So  that 
as  he  would  not  allow  such  allega- 
tions as  Tankerfield  brought  out 
of  the  scriptures,  without  the  opi- 
nions of  the  doctors  ;  so  again 
Tankerfield  would  not  credit  his 
doctrine  to  be  true,  except  he  would 
confirm  it  by  the  scriptures.  In 
the  end,  Tankerfield  prayed  him 
that  he  would  not  trouble  him  in 
such  matters,  for  his  conscience  was 
established,  &c.  He,  therefore, 
departed  from  him,  wishing  him 
well,  and  protesting  that  he  meant 
him  no  more  hurt  than  his  own 
soul. 

"  When  the  hour  drew  on  that 
he  should  suffer,  he  desired  the 
wine-drawer  that  he  might  have 
a  pint  of  malmsey  and  a  loaf,  that 
he  might  eat  and  drink  in  remem- 
brance of  Christ's  death  and  pas- 
sion, because  he  could  not  have  it 
administered  to  him  by  others  in 
such  manner  as  Christ  commanded: 
and  then  he  kneeled  down,  making 
his  confession  unto  the  Lord  with 
all  which  were  in  the  chamber  with 
him  ;  and  after  he  had  prayed  earn- 
estly, and  had  read  the  institution 
of  the  holy  supper  by  the  Lord 
Jesus  out  of  the  evangelists,  and 
out  of  St.  Paul,  he  said,  '  O  Lord, 


GEORGE  TANKERFIELD. 


449 


thou  knowest  it,  I  do  not  tJiis  to 
derotrate  autliority  from  any  man, 
oi-  in  contempt  of  those  which  are 
thy  ministers,  but  only  because  I 
cannot  have  it  administered  ac- 
cording!^ to  thy  word,  &c.'  and  when 
he   had   spoke  these  and  such  like 


words,  he  received  it  with  giving 
of  thanks. 

"  When  some  of  his  friends  de- 
sired him  to  eat  some  meat,  he  said 
lie  would  not  eat  that  which  should 
do  others  good  that  had  more  need, 
and  that  had  longer  to  live  than  he, 


A  Woman  with  her  suckiitg  Infant  lied  to^eLher  in   a  biiir  and  thrown  into  a  Rin-r  in 
Scotland  ;  and  Four  Men  hung  at  the  same  time  for  eating  Goose  on  a  FuU  Day. 


"  He  prayed  his  host  to  let  him 
have  a  good  fire  in  the  chamber, 
which  was  granted  him  ;  and  then 
he  sitting  on  a  form  before  it,  put 
off  his  shoes  and  hose,  and  stretch- 
ed out  his  leg  to  the  flame ;  and 
when  it  had  touched  his  foot  he 
quickly  withdrew  his.  leg,  shewing 
the  flesh  did  persnkde  him  one 
way,  and  the  spirit  another.  The 
flesh  said,  O  thou  fool,  Milt  thou 
burn,  and  needest  not  ?  The  spirit 
said,  Be  not  afraid,  for  this  is  no- 
thing in  respect  of  fire  eternal. 
The  flesh  said,  Do  not  leave  the 
company  of  thy  friends  and  ac- 
quaintance which  love  thee,  and 
win  let  thee  lack  nothing.  The 
.spirit  said,  The  company  of  Jesus 
FOX'S  MARTVRS. 


Christ  and  his  glorious  presence 
doth  exceed  all  fleshly  friends. 
The  flesh  said.  Do  not  shorten  thy 
time,  for  thou  mayest  live  if  thou 
wilt  much  longer.  The  spirit  said. 
This  life  is  nothing  unto  the  life  in 
heaven  which  lasteth  for  ever,  &c. 
And  all  this  time  the  sherifls  were 
at  a  gentleman's  house  at  dinner, 
not  far  from  the  town,  whither  also 
resorted  many  knights  and  gentle- 
men out  of  the  country,  because 
his  son  was  married  that  day;  and 
until  they  returned  from  dinner, 
the  prisoner  was  left  to  the  care 
of  his  host,  by  w  horn  he  was  kindly 
treated ;  and  considering  that  his 
time  was  short,  his  saying  was, 
'  That  although  the  day  was  ever  so 

29 


450 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


long:,  yet  at  the  last  it  ringeth  to 
evening  song.' 

"About  two  o'clock,  when  the 
sheriffs  returne'tl  from  dinner,  they 
brought  Mr.  Tankerficld  out  of  the 
inn  to  the  place  where  he  should 
suffer,  which  was  called  Romeland, 
being  a  green  place  near  the  west 
end  of  the  Abbey  church;  unto 
which  when  he  was  come,  he  kneel- 
ed down  by  the  stake  that  was  set 
up  for  him  ;  and  after  he  had  end- 
ed his  prayers  he  arose,  and  with 
a  joyful  faith  said,  that  although  he 
liad  a  sharp  dinner,  yet  he  hoped 
to  have  a  joyful  supper  in  heaven. 

"While  the  fagots  were  set 
about  him,  there  came  a  priest  and 
persuaded  him  to  believe  on  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  and  he 
would  be  saved.  But  Tankerfield 
cried  vehemently,  '  I  defy  the 
whore  of  Babylon:  fie  on  that 
abominable  idol :  good  people,  do 
not  believe  him.'  And  then  the 
mayor  of  the  town  commanded  fire 
to  be  set  to  the  heretic,  and  said. 
If  he  had  but  one  load  of  fagots  in 
the  world,  be  would  give  them  to 
burn  him.  Amidst  this  confusion 
there  was  a  certain  knight  who 
went  unto  Tankerfield,  and  taking 
him  by  the  hand  said,  '  Good  bro- 
ther, be  strong  in  Christ ;'  this  he 
spake  softly  ;  and  Tankerfield  said, 
'  O  sir,  I  thank  you,  I  am  so,  I 
thank  God.'  Then  fire  was  set 
unto  him,  and  he  desired  the  sheriff 
and  all  the  people  to  pray  for  him ; 
most  of  them  did  so.  And  so.  em- 
bracing the  fire,  he  called  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  was 
quickly  out  of  pain." 

ELIZABETH    WARNE. 

This  pious  woman,  and  steadfast 
believer  in  the  pure  gospel  of 
Christ,  (according  to  the  dying  re- 
quest of  her  husijand,  who,  some 
time  before,  had  sealed  the  truth 
"with  his  blood)  persisted  in  wor- 
shipping God  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  her  own  conscience,  and 
the  form  she  conceived  was  con- 
tained in  the  divine  command. 

Information  being  given  against 
her,  she  was  apprehended  in  a 
house  in  Bow-churchyard,  in  com- 


pany with  sevei'al  others,  who  were 
assembled  for  prayer  and  other 
spiritual  exercises,  and  with  them 
sent  to  the  Compter,  from  whence 
she  was  committed  to  Newgate. 

She  had  been  but  a  few  days 
confined  before  she  was  sent  for  by 
the  queen's  commissioners,  who, 
after  some  examination,  gave  her 
up  to  the  bishop  of  London. 

The  chief  article  alleged  against 
her  by  Bonner  was,  her  not  believ- 
ing the  real  presence  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar :  she  was  also  ac- 
cused of  absenting  herself  from 
church,  speaking  against  the  mass, 
despising  the  ceremonies  of  the 
holy  mother-church,  &c. 

To  these  accusations  she  gave 
such  answers  as  highly  ofi'ended 
the  bishop,  who  warmly  exhorted 
her  to  recant  her  erroneous  and 
heretical  opinions.  She  replied, 
"  Do  with  me  what  you  will ;  for 
if  Clirist  was  in  an.  error,  then  I  am 
in  an  error." 

On  this  peremptory  declaration 
she  was  condemned  a«  an  heretic, 
delivered  to  the  sheriff  of  London, 
and  conducted  to  Newgate. 

When  the  day  appointed  for  her 
execution  arrived,  she  was  carried 
from  Newgate  to  Stratford-le- 
Bow,  where  she  suffered  martyr- 
dom for  the  cause  of  Christ  and  his 
gospel,  in  August  1555,  following 
her  husband  through  the  path  of  a 
fiery  trial,  to  the  heaven  of  rest 
that  awaits  all  the  disciples  of  our 
blessed  and  glorious  Redeemer. 

ROBERT    SMITH. 

This  martyr  was  originally  edu- 
cated in  the  Roman  Catholic  re- 
ligion ;  but  having  for  some  time 
enjoyed  a  place  under  the  provost 
of  Eton  college,  he  was  converted 
to  the  true  faith  by  the  preaching 
of  several  reformed  ministers  in 
that  learned  seminary. 

By  continually  searching  the 
scriptures,  he  soon  became  well 
acquainted  with  the  doctrines  of 
the  gospel.  He  was  also  very  ex- 
emplary in  his  life  and  conversa- 
tion, attracting  the  veneration 
and  esteem  of  all  those  who  knew 
him. 


ROBERT  SMITH. 


451 


As  he  was  known  to  profess  tlie 
protestant  religion,  he  was,  on  llie 
accession  of  queen  Mary,  deprived 
of  his  post  in  tlie  college,  and  soon 
after  sent  up  prisoner  to  the  bishop 
of  London,  by  whom  he  was  com- 
mitted to  Newgate,  after  liaving 
been  examined  by  him  several 
times,  at  his  palace  and  in  other 
places. 

Being  questioned  by  the  bishop 
concerning  auricular  confession, 
he  declared  "  he  had  never  been 
confessed  since  lie  arrived  at  years 
of  discretion,  because  he  never 
thought  it  needful,  nor  commanded 
of  God  to  confess  his  faults  to 
any  of  that  sinful  number  called 
priests." 

The  bishop  then  inquired,  how 
long  it  was  since  he  had  received 
the  sacrament  of  the  mass,  and 
what  was  his  opinion  concerning 
the  same. 

To  this  he  replied,  that  he  had 
never  received  the  same,  since  he 
arrived  at  years  of  discretion,  nor, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  ever  would  ; 
neither  did  he  esteem  it  in  any 
point  necessary,  because  it  was 
not  God's  ordinance,  but  rather 
set  up  in  mockery  of  God,  and  to 
deprive  him  of  the  honour  which  is 
his  due. 

Being  questioned  concerning  his 
belief  in  the  corporeal  presence  in 
the  sacrament,  after  the  words  of 
consecration  pronounced  by  the 
priest,  he  replied,  "  I  have  onee 
told  you,  that  it  was  not  God's  or- 
dinance, nor  a  sacrament;  but 
only  man's  vain  invention.  If  ye 
can  shew  from  scripture  that  it  is 
the  very  body,  I  will  believe  it, 
but  till  then  I  shall  esteem  it  a  de- 
testable idol,  not  God,  but  contrary 
to  God  and  truth." 

This  answer  so  irritated  the 
haughty  prelate,  that  he  greatly 
reviled  Mr.  Smith  ;  but  his  passion 
abating,  he  afterwards  examined 
him  in  milder  terms,  and  cooll}'  in- 
quired his  opinion  concerning  the 
Catholic  church. 

Mr.  Smith  replied,  "  I  believe 
there  is  one  Catholic  church,  or 
congregation  of  the  faithful,  which 


(as  the  apostle  saith)  is  built  upon 
the  prophets  and  apostles,  Christ 
Jesus  being  tlic  chief  corner  stone. 
I  also  believe,  that  this  ciiurch,  in 
all  words  and  works,  niaintaiiieth 
the  word  of  God,  and  briiigctii  the 
same  for  her  autiiority  ;  of  tliis 
church  I  am  assured,  that  by  grace 
I  am  made  a  member." 

He  was  tlien  examined  concern- 
ing holy  bread,  lioiy  water,  and 
other  ceremonies  of  the  popish 
church;  but  these  points  he  de- 
nied as  unseriptural,  and  persist- 
ing in  his  opinions,  notwitlistand- 
ing  the  repeated  admonitions  of 
the  bishop,  lie  was  sunmioncd  to 
appear  at  the  consistory  court, 
where  having  made  the  same  con- 
fession as  before,  sentence  of  con- 
demnation was  passed  upon  him, 
and  he  was  delivered  over  to  the 
secular  power. 

After  the  articles  against  him 
were  read,  Mr.  Smith  remonstrat- 
ed with  the  lord -mayor,  sherilKs, 
and  others  who  were  present  on 
the  occasion,  in  the  following 
manner  :  turning  to  the  lord  mayor 
he  said,  "  I  require  you,  my  lord, 
in  God's  behalf,  unto  whom  per- 
taineth  your  sword  and  justice, 
that  I  may  here  before  your  pre- 
sence answer  to  these  objections 
that  are  laid  against  me,  and  have 
probation  of  the  same;  and  if  any 
thing  that  I  have  said,  or  will  say, 
be  proved  (as  my  lord  saith)  he- 
resy, I  shall  not  only  with  all  my 
heart  forsake  the  same,  and  cleave 
to  the  truth,  but  also  recant  where- 
soever you  shall  assign  me,  and 
all  this  audience  shall  be  witness 
to  the  same." 

L.  May.  Why,  Smith,  thou 
canst  not  deny  but  this  thou  saidst. 
Smith.  Yes,  my  lord,  I  deny 
that  which  he  hath  written,  because 
he  hath  both  added  to  and  dimi- 
nished from  the  same  :  but  what  I 
have  spoken,  I  will  never  deny. 

L.  May.  Why,  thou  speakest 
against  the  blessed  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

Srnith.  I  denied  it  to  be  any 
sacrament,  and  I  do  stand  here  to 
make  probation  of  the  same  ;  and 


432 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


if  my  lord  or  any  of  his  doctors  be 
able  to  prove  either  the  name  or 
usa^e  of  the  same,  I  will  recant 
mine  error. 

Bonner.  By  my  troth,  Mr. 
Speaker,  you  shall  preach  at  a 
stake. 

Smith.  Well  sworn,  my  lord, 
you  keep  a  sjood  -vvatch. 

Bonner.  Well,  Mr.  Controller, 
I  am  no  saint. 

Smith.  No,  my  lord,  nor  yet  a 
good  bishop.  For  a  bishop,  saith 
St.  Paul,  should  be  faultless,  and  a 
vessel  dedicated  unto  God  ;  and 
are  you  not  ashamed  to  sit  in  judg- 
ment and  be  a  blasphemer,  con- 
demning innocents  ? 

Bonner.  Well,  Mr.  Controller, 
you  are  faultless. 

Smith.  My  lord  mayor,  I  re- 
quire you  in  God's  name,  that  I 
may  have  justice.  We  be  here 
to-day  a  great  many  innocents 
Avrongfully  accused  of  heresy. 
And  I  require  you,  if  you  will  not 
seem  to  be  partial,  let  me  have 
no  more  favour  at  your  hands, 
than  tlie  apostle  had  at  the  hands 
ufFestus  and  Agrippa,  who  being 
heathens  and  infidels,  gave  him 
leave  not  only  to  speak  for  him- 
self, but  also  heard  the  probation 
of  his  cause.  This  require  I  at 
your  hands,  who  being  a  Christian 
judge  I  hope  will  not  deny  me  that 
right,  which  the  heathen  have  suf- 
fered :  if  you  do,  then  shall  all 
this  audience,  yea,  and  the  hea- 
tlien,  speak  shame  of  your  act. 
For  all  that  do  well  come  to  the 
light,  and  they  tliat  do  evil  hate 
the  light. 

At  this  the  lord  mayor  was  a- 
bashed,  and  said  nothing,  but  the 
bishop  told  Smith  he  should  preach 
at  the  stake,  and  the  sherifl"  cried, 
Away  with  him. 

Before  the  bishop  passed  sen- 
tence, in  derision  of  Tankerfield, 
who  was  also  sentenced  at  the 
same  time,  and  was  a  victualler,  he 
told  a  tale  of  a  gentleman  and  his 
cook.  To  which  Smith  answered, 
"  My  lord,  you  fill  the  people's 
ears  with  fantasies  and  foolish 
tales,  and  make  a  laughing  matter 


at  blood ;  but  if  you  were  a  true 
bishop,  you  should  leave  these  rail- 
ing sentences,  and  speak  the  words 
of  God." 

Bonner.  Well,  I  have  offered  to 
that  naughty  fellow,  Mr.  Speaker, 
your  companion  the  cook,  that  my 
chancellor  should  here  instruct  him, 
but  he  bath  Avith  great  disdain  re- 
fused it.  Hov/  sayest  thou,  wilt 
thou  have  him  instruct  thee,  and 
lead  thee  into  the  right  way? 

Smith.  My  lord,  if  your  chan- 
cellor will  do  me  any  good,  and 
take  any  pains,  as  you  say,  let  him 
take  mine  articles  in  his  hands, 
that  you  have  objected  against  me, 
and  either  prove  one  of  them  he- 
resy, or  any  thing  that  you  do  to 
be  good  :  and  if  he  be  able  so  to 
do,  I  stand  here  with  all  my  heart 
to  hear  him  ;  if  not,  I  have  no 
need,  I  praise  God,  of  his  sermon  : 
for  1  come  to  answer  for  my  life, 
and  not  to  hear  a  sermon. 

Then  began  the  sentence,  "  Tu 
the  name  of  God,"  &c.  To  which 
Smith  answered,  that  he  began  in 
a  wrong  name,  asking  him,  where 
he  learned  in  scripture  to  give  sen- 
tence of  death  against  any  man  for 
liis  conscience  sake.  To  which  he 
made  no  answer,  but  went  on,  and 
immediately  cried,  "  Away  with 
him."  Then  Smith  turned  to  the 
lord  mayor,  and  said,  "  Is  it  not 
enough  for  you,  my  lord  mayor, 
and  you  that  are  the  sheritTs,  that 
you  have  left  the  straight  way  of 
the  Lord,  but  you  must  pondemn 
Christ  causeless  ?" 

Bonner.  Well,  Mr.  Controller, 
now  you  cannot  say,  but  I  have 
offered  you  fair,  to  have  instruction. 
And  now,  I  pray  thee,  call  me 
Bloody  Bishop,  and  say,  I  seek 
thy  blood. 

S}nith.  Well,  my  lord,  if  neither 
I  nor  any  of  this  congregation  do 
report  the  truth  of  your  fact,  yet 
shall  these  stones  cry  it  out,  rather 
than  it  shall  be  hidden. 

Bonner.  Away  with  him,  away 
with  him. 

Smith  then  addressed  himself  to 
the  spectators  in  the  following 
manner : 


ROBERT  SMITH. 


453 


"  Ye  have  seen  and  heard,  my 
friends,  the  great  injury  I  have 
this  day  received  ;  and  ye  are  all 
witnesses,  that  we  have  relerred 
the  equity  of  our  cause  to  the  hook 
of  God,  which  appeal  not  being 
admitted,  we  are  condemned  un- 
heard." 

Addressing  the  lord  mayor,  he 
said,  "Though,  my  lord,jou  have 
here  exercised  your  authority  un- 
justly, and  will  not  attend  to  the 
cry  of  the  poor,  I  commit  my  cause 
to  that  God  who  judgetli  aright, 
and  will  render  unto  every  man 
according  to  his  deeds  ;  that  God, 
at  whose  awful  bar  both  you  and 
I  must  stand  without  respect  or 
authority,  and  where  sentence  will 
be  passed  without  partiality, 
bigotry,  or  caprice,  and  according 
to  the  eternal  laws  of  infallible 
truth." 

After  this  Mr.  Smith  was  car- 
ried back  to  Newgate,  where  he 
was  closely  confined  till  the  Sth 
of  August,  which  was  appointed 
for  his  execution.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  that  day  he  was  conducted, 
under  a  strong  guard,  to  Uxbridge, 
and  there  led  to  the  stake.  He 
bore  his  punishment  with  tlie  most 
amazing  fortitude,  in  full  hopes 
that  he  was  giving  up  a  temporary 
existence  for  one  that  would  be 
immortal. 

Mr.  Smith  had  received  a  very 
liberal  education,  and,  during  tho 
time  of  his  imprisonment,  he  wrote 
a  great  number  of  treatises,  letters, 
&c.  He  had  a  good  turn  for  poetry, 
in  which  several  of  his  composi- 
tions were  formed.  Among  the 
number  of  his  writings  we  shall 
preserve  the  following 

LETTER    TO    HiS    WIFE. 

"  I  beseech  you,  above  all  things, 
to  love  God,  my  dear  wife,  with 
all  your  heart,  study  his  word, 
learn  his  will,  and  perform  it. 

"  Be  friendly  to  all  creatures, 
and  especially  to  your  own  soul. 

"  Be  always  an  enemy  to  the 
devil,  and  the  world,  but  especially 
to  your  own  tlesh. 

"  In  hearing  of  good  things, 
join  the  ears  of  your  head  and  heart 
together. 


*'  Seek  unity  and  quietness  with 
all  men,  but  especially  with  your 
conscience  ;  for  he  will  not  easily 
he  entreated. 

"  Love  all  people,  but  especially 
your  enemies. 

"  Hate  the  sins  that  are  past,  but 
especially  those  to  come. 

"  Be  as  ready  to  further  your 
enemy,  as  he  is  to  hinder  you,  that 
ye  may  be  the  child  of  God. 

"  Delile  not  that  which  Christ 
hath  cleansed,  lest  his  blood  be 
laid  to  your  cliarge. 

"  Remember  that  God  hath 
hedged  in  your  tongue  with  the 
teeth  and  lips,  that  it  might  speak 
under  correction. 

"  Be  ready  at  all  times  to  look 
to  your  brother's  eye,  but  especial- 
ly in  your  own  eye  :  for  he  that 
viarneth  others  of  what  iie  himself 
is  guilty,  doth  give  his  neighbour 
the  clear  wine,  and  keepeth  the 
dregs  to  liimseif. 

"  Beware  of  riches  and  worldly 
honour;  for  without  understanding, 
prayer,  and  fasting,  it  is  a  snare, 
and  also  poverty,  all  which  are 
like  to  consuming  fire,  of  which,  if 
a  man  take  a  little,  it  will  warm 
him,  but  if  he  take  too  much,  it 
will  consume  him  :  for  it  is  hard 
for  a  man  to  earc}  lire  in  his  bosom, 
and  not  be  burnt. 

"  Shew  mercy  to  the  saints  for 
Christ's  sake,  and  Christ  shall 
reward  you  for  the  saint's  sake. 
Among  all  other  prisoners  visit 
your  own  ;  for  it  is  inclosed  in  a 
perilous  prison. 

"  If  you  will  love  God,  hate  evil, 
and  ye  shall  obtain  the  reward  of 
Mell  doing. 

"  Thus  fare  you  well,  good  Anne. 
Have  use  heartily  commended  to 
all  that  love  the  Lord  unfeiguedly. 
I  beseech  you  have  me  in  your 
prayer  while  I  am  living,  and  I  am 
assured  the  Lord  will  accept  it. 
Bring  up  my  children,  and  yours, 
in  the  fefir  of  God,  and  then 
shall  1  not  fail,  but  receive  you 
together  in  the  everlasting  king- 
dom of  God,  into  which  I  hope 
to  go. 

"  Your  husband, 

*'  Robert  Smith." 


454 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


His  "  sbort  Address  to  all  tlie 
faithful  Servants  of  Ciirist,  cx- 
liorting  them  to  be  strong!;  under 
Persecution,"  we  present  as  a 
specimen  of  his  verse,  which,  con- 
jsiderinj?  the  age  in  wliich  it  was 
written,  is  not  deficient  in  har- 
mony, althouo-h  full  of  quaint 
conceits,  like  the  other  productions 
of  that  time. 
Content  thj^self  with  patience. 

With  Christ  to  bear  (he  cross  of  pak^ 
Which  can  and  will  thee  recompense, 
A  thousand  fold,  with  joys  again. 
Let  nothing;  cause  thy  heart  to  quail, 
Laumh  out  (hy  boat,  hale  up  thy  sail, 
Put  from  the  shore  : 
And  be  thou  sure  thou  shalt  attain 
Unto  the  port  that  shall  remain 
For  evermore. 

About  the  same  period  that  Mr. 
Smith  was  burnt,  three  others,  wh6 
had  been'  condemned  by  bishop 
Bonner,  shared  the  same  fate ; 
namely,  Stephen  Harwood,  Tho- 
mas Fust,  and  William  Hale. 
The  first  of  these  suflered  at  Strat- 
ford, near  Bow ;  the  second  at 
Ware  ;  and  the  third  at  Barnet. 

CEORGE   KING,   THOMAS  LEVES,  AND 
JOHN    WADE. 

These  three  persons  being  most 


cruelly  used  in  Lollard's  Tower, 
and  falling  sick  there,  were  so  weak 
that  they  were  removed  into  dif- 
ferent houses  in  the  city,  where 
they  died,  and  were  then  thrown 
into  the  fields,  and  there  buried  in 
the  night  by  some  of  the  faithful 
brethren,  none  of  whom  in  the  day 
time  durst  do  it. 

WlLilAM    ANDREW. 

The  same  catholic  charity  was 
also  shewn  to  William  Andrew,  of 
Horsley,  in  the  county  of  Essex, 
carpenter,  who  was  brought  to 
Newgate  the  first  of  April,  1555. 
His  principal  persecutor  was  lord 
Rich,  who  sent  him  to  prison. 

Being  twice  examined  before 
bishop  Bonner,  Andrew  boldlj' 
stood  in  defence  of  his  religion. 
At  length,  by  the  severe  usage  he 
met  with  in  Newgate,  he  there  lost 
his  life,  which  otherwise  would 
have  been  taken  away  by  fire : 
and  so  after  the  popish  manner  he 
was  cast  out  into  a  field,  and  by 
night  was  privately  buried  by  the 
hands  of  good  men  and  faithful 
brethren. 


SECTION  IX. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  THE  REV.  ROBERT  SAMUEL,  AND  OTHERS. 


Mr.  Robert  Samuel  was  a\ery 
pious  man,  and  an  eminent  preach- 
er of  the  gospel,  according  to  the 
principles  of  the  reformation,  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  He 
attended  his  charge  with  indefati- 
gable industry,  and  by  his  preach- 
ing and  living,  recommended  and 
enforced  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

Soon  afterthe  accession  of  queen 
Mary,  he  was  turned  out  of  his 
living,  and  retired  to  Ipswich  ;  but 
he  could  not  refrain  from  using 
his  utmost  efforts  to  propagate  the 
reformed  religion,  and,  therefore, 
what  he  was  pre  Tented  doing  in 
public,  he  did  in  private.  He  as- 
sembled those  who  had  been  ac- 
eustomed  to  hear  him  in  a  room  in 
his  house,  and  there  daily  taught 
them  such  precepts  as  might  lead 
them  to  salvation. 

While  he  was  spending  his  time 


in  this  Christian  manner,  the  queen 
commanded  the  commissioners  for 
ecclesiastical  affairs  to  publish  an 
order,  that  all  priests  who  had 
been  married  in  the  days  of  king 
Edward,  should  put  away  their 
wives,  and  be  compelled  again 
to  chastity,  (as  their  hypocritical 
term  expressed  it)  and  a  single 
life. 

This  order  Mr.  Samuel  could  by 
no  means  obey,  because  he  knew 
it  to  be  abominable,  contrary  te 
the  law  of  Christ,  and  every  tie, 
social  and  humane.  Therefore, 
determining  within  himself  that 
God's  laws  were  not  to  be  violated 
for  the  traditions  of  men,  he  still 
kept  his  wife  at  Ipswich,  and 
omitted  no  opportunity  of  instruct- 
ing his  Christian  friends  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

At  length,  his  conduct  reaching 


REV.  ROBERT  SAMUEL. 


455 


the  ears  of  Foster,  a  justice  of 
peace  in  those  parts,  every  artifice 
was  used  by  tliat  popish  bigot  to 
apprehend  Mr.  Samuel,  who  was  at 
length  taken  into  custody  by  some 
of  his  myrmidons,  when  on  a  visit 
to  his  wife  at  Ipswich.  Many  ef- 
forts liad  been  made  without  suc- 
cess, but,  at  length,  information 
having  been  given  of  the  precise 
time  when  he  was  to  visit  his  wife, 
tliey  deferred  their  enterprise  till 
night,  (fearing  the  resentment  of 
the  people,  if  they  should  attempt 
to  apprehend  him  by  day)  when 
great  numbers  beset  him,  and  he 
quietly  resigned  himself  into  their 
hands. 

Being  taken  before  Foster,  he 
was  committed  to  Ipswich  gaol, 
where  he  conversed  and  prayed 
with  many  of  his  fellow-suU'ercrs, 
during  his  confinement  in  that 
place. 

In  a  short  time  he  was  removed 
from  Ipswich  to  Norwich,  where 
Dr.  Hopton,  the  persecuting  bi- 
shop of  that  diocese,  and  Dunning, 
his  chancellor,  exercised  on  him 
the  most  intolerable  cruelties. 

Among  all  the  inhuman  wretches 
with  which  the  nation  abounded 
at  that  time,  none  could  be  com- 
pared for  cruelty  with  these  two 
tyrants  ;  for  while  the  rage  of  others 
was  generally  satisfied  with  impri- 
sonment and  death,  these  were  no- 
torious for  new-invented  tortures, 
by  which  some  of  their  prisoners 
were  brouglit  to  recant,  and  others 
were  driven  into  all  the  horrors  of 
tiie  most  bewildered  madness. 

In  order  to  bring  Mr.  Samuel 
to  recant,  they  eonfincd  him  in  a 
close  prison,  where  he  was  chained 
to  a  post  in  such  a  manner,  that, 
standing  only  on  tiptoe,  he  was,  in 
that  position,  forced  to  sustain  the 
whole  weight  of  his  body. 

To  aggravate  this  torment,  they 
kept  him  in  a  starving  condition 
twelve  days,  allowing  him  no  more 
than  two  bits  of  bread,  and  three 
spoonfuls  of  water  each  day, 
which  was  done  in  order  to  pro- 
tract his  misery,  till  they  could  in- 
vent new  torments,  to  overcome 
his  patience  and  resolution. 


These  inhuman  proceedings 
brought  him  to  so  shocking  a  state, 
that  he  was  often  ready  to  perish 
with  thirst  and  hunger. 

At  length,  wlien  ail  the  tortures 
that  these  savages  could  invent 
proved  ineflectual,  and  nothing 
could  induce  our  martyr  to  dcaiy 
his  great  Lord  and  Master,  he  was 
condemned  to  be  burned,  an  act 
less  cruel  than  what  he  had  already 
sulfcred. 

On  the  .31st  of  August,  1555,  he 
was  taken  to  the  stake,  where  he 
declared  to  the  people  around  him 
what  cruelties  he  had  sulfcred  dur- 
ing the  time  of  his  imprisonment, 
but  that  he  had  been  enabled  to 
sustain  them  all  by  the  consola- 
tions of  the  divine  .spirit,  with 
which  he  had  been  daily  visited. 

As  this  eminent  martyr  was  be- 
ing led  to  execution,  a  young  wo- 
man, who  had  belonged  to  his  con- 
gregation, and  received  the  benefit 
of  his  spiritual  discourses,  came 
up  to  him,  and,  as  the  last  token  of 
respect,  cordially  embraced  him. 
This  being  observed  by  some  of 
the  blood-thirsty  papists,  diligent 
inquiry  was  made  for  her  the  next 
day,  in  order  to  bring  her  to  the 
like  fate  with  her  revered  pastor, 
but  she  happily  eluded  their 
search,  and  escaped  their  cruel  in- 
tentions. 

Before  Mr.  Samuel  was  chained 
to  the  stake,  he  exhorted  the  spec- 
tators to  avoid  idolatry,  and  hold 
fast  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel ; 
after  which  he  knelt  down,  and, 
with  an  audible  voice,  said  the  fol- 
lowing prayer: 

"  O  Lord,  my  God  and  Saviour, 
who  art  Lord  X'-'>^  heaven  and  earth, 
maker  of  all  things  visible  and  in- 
visible, I  am  tlie  creature,  and 
work  of  thy  hands :  Lord  God,  look 
upon  me,  and  other  thy  people, 
who,  at  this  time,  are  oppressed 
by  the  worldly-minded  for  thy  law's 
sake;  yea,  Lord,  thy  law  itself  is 
now  trodden  under  foot,  and  men's 
inventions  exalted  above  it;  and 
for  that  cause  do  I,  and  many  thy 
creatures,  refuse  the  glory,  praise, 
and  conveniences  of  this  life,  and 
do  choose  to  suller  adversity,  and 


456 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  be  banished,  yea,  to  be  burnt 
Avitli  (he  books  of  thy  word,  for  the 
hope's  sake  that  is  laid  up  in  store. 
For.  Lord,  thou  knowest,  if  we 
would  but  seem  to  please  men  in 
things  contrary  to  thy  word,  we 
might,  by  their  permission,  enjoy 
these  advantages  that  others  do, 
as  wife,  children,  goods,  and 
friends,  all  which  I  acknowledge 
to  be  thy  gifts,  given  to  the  end  I 
.should  serve  thee.  And  now, 
Lord,  that  the  world  will  not  suffer 
me  to  enjoy  them,  except  I  offend 
thy  laws,  behold  I  give  unto  thee 
my  whole  spirit,  soul,  and  body; 
and  lo,  I  leave  here  all  the  plea- 
sures of  this  life,  and  do  now  leave 
the  use  of  tiiem,  for  the  hope's 
sake  of  eternal  life  purchased  in 
Christ's  blood,  and  promised  to  all 
them  that  fight  on  his  side,  and  are 
content  to  suffer  with  him  for  his 
truth,  whensoever  the  world  and  the 
devil  shall  persecute  the  same. 

"  O  Father,  I  do  not  presume  to 
come  unto  thee,  trusting  in  mine 
own  righteousness;  no,  but  only  in 
the  merits  of  thy  dear  Son,  my  Sa- 
\iour.  For  which  excellent  gift  of 
salvation  I  cannot  wortliily  praise 
thee,  neither  is  my  sacrilice  worth5% 
or  to  be  accepted  with  thee,  in 
comparison  of  our  bodies  mortified, 
and  obedient  unto  thy  will:  and  now, 
Lord,  whatsoever  rebellion  hath 
been,  or  is  found  in  my  members 
against  thy  will,  yet  do  I  here  give 
unto  thee  my  body,  to  the  death, 
rather  than  I  will  use  any  strange 
worshipping,  which,  I  beseech 
thee,  accept  at  my  hand  for  a  pure 
sacrifice:  let  this  torment  be  to  me 
the  last  enemy  destroyed,  even 
death,  the  end  of  misery,  and  the 
beginning  of  all  joy,  peace,  and  so- 
lace: and  when  the  time  of  resur- 
rection cometh,  then  let  me  enjoy 
again  these  members  then  glori- 
fied, which  now  be  spoiled  and 
consumed  by  the  fire.  O  Lord  Je- 
sus, receive  my  spirit  into  thy  hands. 
Amen." 

When  he  had  finished  his  prayer 
he  arose,  and  being  fastened  to  the 
stake,  the  fagots  were  placed 
round  him,  and  immediately  light- 
ed.   He  bore  his  sufferini's  with  a 


courage  and  resolution  truly 
Christian,  cheerfully  resigning  this 
life  of  care  and  trouble  in  ex- 
change for  another,  where  death 
shall  be  swallowed  up  in  victory, 
where  the  tears  shall  be  wiped 
away  from  all  eyes,  and  an  eternity 
employed  in  singing  the  praises  of 
that  grace,  which  has  brought  the 
redeemed  of  the  Lord  from  much 
tribulation,  and  advanced  them  to 
mansions  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
where  are  pleasures  for  evermore. 

As  Mr.  Samuel  was  a  faithful 
pastor  over  his  flock  during  his  life, 
so  he  was  resolved  they  should  not 
forget  him  after  his  death,  as  ap- 
pears by  the  following  composi- 
tion, which  he  wrote  to  some  of  his 
congregation  during  his  confine- 
ment. 

A    LETTER    OF    EXHORTATION. 

"A  MAN  knoweth  not  his  time ; 
but  as  a  fish  is  taken  with  the  an- 
gle, and  as  the  birds  are  caught 
with  the  snare,  so  are  men  caught 
and  taken  in  the  perilous  time 
when  it  cometh  upon  them.  '  The 
time  cometh;  the  day  draweth 
near,'  Ezek.  vii.  '  Better  it  were 
to  die,'  (as  the  preacher  saith) 
'  than  to  live  and  see  the  miserable 
works  which  are  done  under  the 
sun.' 

"Alas,  for  this  sinful  nation!  a 
people  of  great  iniquity,  corrupt- 
ing their  ways.  They  have  for- 
saken the  Lord ;  they  have  pro- 
voked the  holy  one  of  Israel  to  an- 
ger, and  are  gone  backward. 
Who  now  liveth  not  in  such  secu- 
rity, and  rest,  as  though  all  dan- 
gers were  clean  over-past?  Yea, 
who  liveth  not  now  in  such  felicity, 
worldly  pleasures  and  joys,  wholly 
seeking  the  world,  providing,  and 
craftily  shifting  for  the  earthly 
clod  and  carnal  appetite,  as  though 
sin  were  clean  forgotten,  over- 
thrown, and  devoured? 

"  We  might  now  worthily,  dear 
Christians,  lament  and  bewail  our 
heavy  estate,  miserable  condition, 
and  sorrowful  chance;  yes,  I  say, 
we  might  well  accuse  ourselves, 
and,  with  Job,  curse  these  our  tur- 
bulent, wicked,  and  bloody  last 
days  of  this  world,  were  it  not  that 


REV.  ROBERT  SAMUEL. 


447 


we  both  see  and  believe,  and  find 
in  God's  sacred  book,  that  God 
hath  reserved  a  remnant  in  all 
ages,  I  m«an  the  faithful,  as  many 
as  have  been,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world,  exercised,  with  di- 
vers afllictions  and  troubles,  cast 
nnd  dashed  against  all  perils  and 
dangers,  as  the  very  dross  and  out- 
casts of  the  earth,  and  ye  will  in 
no  wise  halt  between  God  and 
Baal.  Christ  will  not  part  spoil 
with  his  mortal  enemy  the  devil: 
he  will  have  all,  or  lose  all;  he 
will  not  permit  the  devil  to  have 
the  service  of  the  body,  and  he  to 
stand  contented  with  the  heart  and 
mind;  but  he  will  be  glorified  both 
in  your  bodies  and  in  your  spirits, 
which  are  his,  as  St.  Paul  saith, 
1  Cor.  vi.  '  For  he  hath  made, 
bought  all,  and  dearly  paid  for  all,' 
as  St.  Peter  saith.  With  his  own 
immaculate  body  hath  he  clean 
discharged  your  bodies  from  sin, 
death,  and  hell,  and,  with  his  most 
precious  blood,  paid  your  ransom, 
and  full  price,  once  for  all,  and  for 
ever. 

"  Now  what  harm,  I  pray  you, 
or  what  loss  sustain  you  by  this? 
Why  are  ye,  O  vain  men,  more 
afraid  of  Jesus,  your  gentle  Sa- 
viour, and  his  gospel  of  salvation, 
than  of  a  legion  of  cruel  devils, 
going  about  utterly  to  destroy  you, 
both  souls  and  bodies?  Think  you 
to  be  more  sure  than  under  your 
captain  Christ?  Do  you  promise 
yourselves  to  be  more  quiet  in  Sa- 
tan's service,  than  in  Christ's  reli- 
gion? Esteem  you  more  these 
transitory  and  pernicious  plea- 
sures, than  God  and  all  his  hea- 
venly treasures?  O  palpable  dark- 
ness, horrible  madness,  and  wilful 
blindness,  without  comparison,  too 
much  to  be  suffered  any  longer! 
We  see  and  will  not  see ;  we  know 
and  will  not  know;  yea,  we  smart 
and  will  not  feel,  and  that  our  con- 
science well  knoweth.  O  miser- 
able souls,  which  would,  for  fool- 
ish pleasures,  lose  the  royal  king- 
dom and  permanent  joys  of  God, 
with  the  everlasting  glory  which 
he  hath  prepared  for  them  that 
tiuly  love  him,  and  renounce  the 
world!     The  children  of  the  world 


live  in  pleasure  and  wealth,  and 
the  devil,  who  is  their  god,  and 
prince  of  this  world,  kccpeth  their 
wealth  which  is  proper  unto  them, 
and  letteth  them  enjoy  it.  But  let 
us,  which  be  of  Christ,  seek  and 
inquire  for  heavenly  things,  which, 
by  God's  promise  and  mercy  in 
Christ,  shall  be  peculiar  unto  us. 
Let  carnal  people  pass  for  things 
that  be  pleasant  for  the  body,  and 
do  appertain  to  this  transitory  life: 
'  Yet  shall  they  once,'  (as  the 
kingly  prophet  saith)  '  run  about 
the  city  of  God,  to  and  fro,  howling 
like  dogs,  desiring  one  scrap  of  the 
joys  of  God's  elect;'  but  all  too 
late,  as  the  rich  glutton  did. 

"  Let  us,  therefore,  press  for 
those  things  that  do  pertain  to  the 
spirit,  and  are  celestial.  '  We 
must  be  here,'  (St.  Paul  saith)  '  not 
as  inhabiters,  and  home-dwellers, 
but  as  strangers;'  not  as  strangers 
only,  but  after  the  mind  of  Paul, 
as  painful  soldiers  appointed  by 
our  governor,  to  fight  against  the 
governor  of  darkness  of  this  world, 
against  spiritual  craftiness  in  hea- 
venly things.  The  time  is  come; 
we  must  to  it;  the  judgment  must  ^' 
begin  first  at  the  house  of  God. 
'  Began  they  not  first  with  the  green 
and  sappy  tree  ?  and  what  followed 
then  on  the  dry  branches?'  Jere- 
my speaking  in  the  person  of  God, 
saith,  '  In  the  city  wherein  my 
name  is  invocated,  will  I  begin  to 
punish:  but  as  for  you,'  (meaning 
the  wicked)  '  shall  you  be  as  inno- 
cents, and  not  once  touched?' 
Nay,  the  dregs  of  God's  wrath,  the 
bottom  of  all  sorrows,  are  reserved 
unto  them  in  the  end:  but  God's 
household  shall  drink  the  flower  of 
the  cup  of  his  mercy.  Wherefore 
we  ought  not  to  be  dismayed,  or 
discourage  ourselves,  but  rather  be 
of  good  comfort;  not  sorrowful, 
but  joyful,  in  that  God  of  his  good- 
ness will  vouchsafe  to  take  up  his 
beloved  children,  to  subdue  our 
sinful  lusts,  our  wretched  flesh  and 
blood  unto  his  glorj%  the  promoting 
of  his  holy  word,  and  edifying  of 
his  church.  What  if  the  earthly 
house  of  this  our  habitation,  2  Cor. 
v.  (St.  Paul  meaning  the  body)  be 
destroyed !  we  know  assuredly  wo 


458 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


have  a  building  not  made  with 
hands,  but  everlasting  in  heaven, 
with  such  joys  as  faith  taketh  not, 
hope  toucheth  not,  and  charity  ap- 
prehendeth  not.  They  pass  all 
desires  and  wishes.  Obtained 
they  may  be  by  Christ,  esteemed 
they  cannot  be.  Wherefore  the 
more  affliction  and  persecution  the 
word  of  God  bringeth,  the  more  fe- 
licity and  greater  joy  abideth  in 
heaven.  But  worldly  peace,  idle 
ease,  wealthy  pleasure,  and  this 
present  and  pleasant  transitory  life 
and  felicity,  wliich  the  ungodly 
foolishly  imagine  to  procure  unto 
themselves,  by  persecuting  and 
thrusting  away  the  gospel,  shall 
turn  unto  their  own  trouble,  and  at 
last  unto  horrible  destructions, 
and  dire  change  of  realms  and 
countries ;  and  after  this  life,  if 
they  repent  not,  unto  their  perpe- 
tual misery.  For  they  had  rather, 
with  Nabal,  and  his  temporal  plea- 
sures, descend  to  the  devil,  than 
with  Christ,  and  his  bodily  trou- 
bles, ascend  into  the  kingdom  of 
God  his  father.  '  But  an  unwise 
man,'  (saith  the  psalmist)  '  com- 
prehendeth  them  not,  neither  doth 
the  foolish  understand  them;'  that 
is,  these  bloody  persecutors  grow 
up  and  flourish  like  the  flower  and 
grass  in  the  field.  But  unto  this 
end  do  they  so  flourish,  that  they 
may  be  cut  down,  and  cast  into  the 
fire  for  ever.  For,  as  Job  saith, 
'  Their  joy  lasteth  but  the  twink- 
ling of  an  eye,'  and  death  shall  lie 
gnawing  upon  them  as  doth  the 
flook  upon  the  pasture;  yea,  the 
cruel  worm,  late  repentance  (as 
St.  Mark  saith)  shall  lie  gnawing, 
tormenting,  and  accusing  their 
wretched  conscience  for  evermore. 
"  Let  us,  therefore,  good  Chris- 
tians, be  constant  in  obeying  God 
rather  than  men.  For  although 
they  slay  our  sinful  bodies  (yea, 
rather  our  deadly  enemies)  for 
God's  truth ;  yet  they  cannot  do  it, 
but  by  God's  will,  to  his  praise  and 
honour,  and  to  our  eternal  joy  and 
felicity.  '  These  are  the  days  of 
vengeance,'  saith  Luke,  '  that  all 
things  written  may  be  fulfilled.' 
Now,  therefore,  saith  God,  by  the 
mouth  of  his  prophet,  '  I  will  come 


unto  thee,  and  will  send  my  wrath 
upon  thee.'  Upon  thee,  I  say,  O 
England,  and  punish  thee  accord- 
ing to  thy  ways,  and  reward  thee 
after  all  thine  abomination!  thou 
hast  kindled  the  lire  of  God's 
wrath,  and  hast  stirred  up  the 
coals.  For  thou  M'ast  once  enlight- 
ened, and  hadst  tasted  of  heavenly 
gifts,  and  wast  become  partaker  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  hadst  tasted 
of  the  good  word  of  God  :  '  Yea,  it 
is  yet  in  thy  mouth,'  saith  the  pro- 
phet. Alas,  O  England,  thou 
knewest  thy  Lord  and  master's 
will,  but  didst  not  do  it!  'thou 
must,  therefore,'  says  he,  '  sufl'er 
many  stripes,  and  many  sharp 
strokes.' 

"  Let  the  enemies  of  Christ,  and 
all  unbelievers,  look  to  be  tor- 
mented and  vexed,  without  hope 
of  God's  mercy,  who  know  not 
God  in  Christ  to  be  their  very 
righteousness,  their  life,  their  own 
salvation,  and  alone  Saviour,  nor 
believe  in  him. 

"  But  we  are  the  children  of 
saints,  and  look  for  another  life, 
which  God  shall  give  to  all  them 
who  change  not  their  faith,  and 
shrink  not  from  him.  Rejoice, 
therefore,  ye  Christian  afflicted 
brethren,  for  they  cannot  take  our 
souls  and  bodies  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  Almighty,  which  are  kept  as 
in  the  bosom  of  our  most  loving 
father,  and  if  we  abide  fast  in 
Christ,  and  turn  not  away,  surely 
we  shall  live  for  ever.  Christ  af- 
firm eth  the  same,  saying,  '  My 
sheep  hear  my  voice,  I  know  thieni, 
they  hearken  unto  me,  and  to  no 
strangers,  and  I  give  them  ever- 
lasting life :  for  they  shall  not  be 
lost,  and  no  man  shall  pluck  them 
out  of  my  hands:'  no,  nor  yet  this 
flattering  world,  with  all  its  vain 
pleasures,  nor  any  tyrant,  with  his 
threats,  can  once  move  them  out 
of  the  way  of  eternal  life.  What 
consolation,  or  comfort,  can  we 
have  more  pleasant  and  elfectual 
than  this?  God  is  on  our  side,  and 
fighteth  for  us.  As  the  world  can 
do  nothing  against  his  might,  nei- 
ther in  taking  away,  or  diminishing 
from  his  glory,  nor  putting  him 
from   his  celestial  throne ;  so  net- 


ALLEN,  COB,  AND  COO. 


459 


ther  can  it  hurt  any  one  of  his  chil- 
dren without  liis  }?ood-will :  for  we 
are  members  of  liis  hody,  of  his 
llesli,  and  of  his  J)ones,  and  as  dear 
to  him  as  tlie  apple  of  his  eye.  Let 
us,  therefore,  with  earnest  faith, 
lay  fast  hold  on  the  promises  in  the 
gospel,  and  let  us  not  be  separated 
I'rorn  the  same  by  temptation,  tribu- 
lation, or  persecution. 

"  Let   us  consider  the    truth  of 
God  to  be  invincible  and  immuta- 
ble, promising,-   and   giving  us,  his 
faithful  soldiers,  life  eternal.     It  is 
he    only  that  hath  reserved  it  for 
us  :  it  is   his  only  benefit,  and  of 
his  only  mere  mercy,  and  unto  him 
only  must  we  render  thanks.     Let 
not,  therefore,    the  vain  fantasies 
and  dreams   of   men,    and  foolish 
gaudy  toys  of  the  world,  nor  the 
crafty  delusions  of  the  devil,  drive, 
and  separate  us  from  our  hope  of 
the   crown    of  righteousness,   that 
is  laid   up  in  store  for  us  against 
the   last  day.     O   that  happy  and 
joyful  day,  I  mean  to  the  faithful, 
when  Christ,  by  his  covenant,  shall 
grant  and    give    unto    them    that 
overcome,  and  keep  his  words  to 
the  end,  that  they  may  ascend  and 
sit  with  him,  as  he  ascended  and 
sitteth  on  the   throne   with  his  fa- 
ther !      The  same  body   and  soul 
that  is  now  with  Christ  afflicted, 
shall  then  with  Christ  be  glorified  : 
now  in  cruel  hands  as  sheep  ap- 
pointed  to    die  ;    then    sitting    at 
God's  table  with  Christ  in  his  king- 
dom, as  God's  honourable  and  dear 
children ;     where    we    shall    have 
heavenly  riches  for  earthly  poverty ; 
fullness    of   the   presence    of   the 
glory  of  God,  for  hunger  and  thirst; 
celestial  joys   in    the  company    of 
angels,  for  sorrows,   troubles,  and 
cold    irons ;    and    life   eternal   for 
bodily  death.     O   happy  souls!  O 
precious  death,  and  ever  more  bless- 
ed, right  dear  in  the  eyes  of  God  ! 
to  you  the  spring  of  the  Lord  shall 
ever    be    flourishing.       Then    (as 
saith  Isaiah)  the   Redeemer  shall 
return,  and  come  again  into  Sion, 
praising  the  Lord,  and  eternal  mer- 
cies shall  be  over  their  heads  :  they 
shall   obtain   mirth    and    comfort ; 
sorrow  and   woe   shall    be  utterly 
Tan(i«ished.     Yes,  I  am  he,  saith 


the  Lord,  that  in  all  things  givcth 
you  everlasting  consolation.  To 
whom,  with  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  be  glory  and  praise 
f*>7  ever.     Amen. 

"  RoBRRT  Samuel." 
About  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Sa- 
muel suflered, several  others  shared 
the  same  fate,  for  adhering  to  the 
principles  of  the  reformed  religion. 
William  Allen,  a  labouring 
man,  was  burnt  at  Walsingham,  in 
Norfolk. 

Thomas  Cob,  a  butcher,  sulTered 
at  Thetford,  in  the  same  county. 

Roger  Coo,  an  ancient  gentle- 
man, was  brought  before  the  bishop 
of  Norwich,  and  the  following  ac- 
count of  his  examination  will  give 
a  good  idea  of  the  degree  of  mercy 
and  justice  to  be  expected  at  such 
a  tribunal;  it  being  evident  that 
the  examination  was  a  mere 
mockery. 

Roger  Coo,  being  brought  be- 
fore the  bishop,  was  first  asked  by 
him,  why  he  was  imprisoned? 

Coo.  At  the  justice's  command- 
ment. 

Bishop.  There  was  some  cause 
why. 

Coo.  Here  is  my  accuser,  let 
him  declare. 

And  his  accuser  said,  that  he 
would  not  receive  the  sacrament. 

Then    the    bishop    said  that  he 
thought  he  had  transgressed  a  law. 
Coo    answered,  that   there   was 
no  law  to  transgress. 

The  bishop  then  asked.  What  he 
said  to  the  law  that  then  was? 

Coo  answered,  That  he  had  been 
in  prison  a  long  time,  and  knew  it 
not. 

No,  said  his  accuser,  nor  will 
not.  My  lord,  ask  him  when  he 
received  the  sacrament. 

When  Coo  heard  him  say  so,  he 
said,  I  pray  you,  my  lord,  let  him 
sit  down  and  examine  me  himself. 

But  the  bishop  would  not  hear 
that,  but  said,  Coo,  why  will  you 
not  receive  ? 

He  answered  him.  That  the 
bishop  of  Rome  had  changed  God's 
ordinances,  and  given  the  people 
bread  and  wine  instead  of  the 
gospel,  and  the  belief  of  the 
same. 

1 


460 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Bishop.  Is  not  the  holy  church 
to  be  believed  ? 

€00.  Yes,  if  it  be  built  upon 
the  word  of  Cod. 

The  bishop  said  to  Coo,  that/\e 
had  the  charge  of  his  sou!. 

Coo.  Have  you  so,  my  lord? 
Theu  if  you  go  to  the  devil  for  your 
sins,  what  shall  become  of  me  .' 

Bishop.  Do  you  not  believe  as 
your  father  did  ?  Was  not  he  an 
honest  man  I 

Coo.  It  is  written,  that  after 
Christ  hath  suffered,  "  There  shall 
come  a  people  with  the  prince  that 
shall  destroy  both  city  and  sanc- 
tuary." I  pray  you  shew  me  whe- 
ther this  destruction  was  in  my  fa- 
ther's lime,  or  not? 

The  bishop  not  answering  his 
question,  asked  him,  whether  he 
would  not  obey  the  king's  laws? 

Coo.  As  far  as  they  agree  with 
the  word  of  God  I  will  obey  them. 

Bishop.  Whether  they  agree 
with  the  word  of  God  or  not,  we 
are  bound  to  obey  them,  if  the  king 
were  an  infidel  *. 


Coo.  If  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego,  had  so  done,  Ne- 
buchadnezzar had  not  confessed 
the  living  God. 

Bishop,  These  two-and-twenty 
years  we  have  been  governed  by 
such  kings. 

Coo.  My  lord,  why  were  you 
then  dumb,  and  did  not  speak  or 
bark  ? 

Bishop,  I  durst  not  for  fear  of 
death.     And  thus  they  ended. 

Mr.  Coo  was  an  aged  man,  and 
was  at  length  committed  to  the  fire 
at  Yexford,  in  the  county  of  Suf- 
folk, where  he  most  blessedly  con- 
cluded his  long-extended  years, 
in  the  month  of  September, 
1.555. 

Four  others  also  suffered  about 
the  same  time  at  Canterbury,  viz. 
George  Cotmer,  Robert  Streater, 
Anthony  Burward,  and  George 
Brodridge  ;  all  of  whom  bore  their 
punishment  with  Christian  forti- 
tude, glorifying  God  in  the  midst 
of  the  flames. 


SECTION  X. 

*^  SUFFERINGS    AND     MARTYRDOMS     OF     ROBERT     GLOVER,     AND     CORNELIUS 
'  BONGEY,    OF  COVENTRY  ;    AND  OF  WILLIAM  WOLSEY  AND   ROBERT   PIGOT, 

OF  THE  ISLE  OF  ELY. 


At  the  time  Mr.  Glover  was  ap- 
prehended he  lay  sick  at  the  house 
of  his  brother  John  Glover,  who 
had  secreted  himself,  on  account 
of  a  warrant  being  issued  to  bring 
Lim  before  his  ordinary,  on  a  sus- 
picion of  heresy. 

Though  Mr.  Robert  Glover  was 
in  great  danger  from  the  bad  state 
of  his  health,  yet  such  was  the 
brutality  of  the  popish  emissaries, 
that  they  took  him  out  of  his  bed, 
and  carried  him  to  Coventry  gaol, 
■where  he  continued  ten  days, 
though  no  misdemeanor  was  al- 
leged against  him. 

When  the  ten  days  were  expired, 
in  which  he  suflered  great  afiliction 

*  A  modern  prelate  discovered  ex- 
actly the  same  spirit,  when  he  said,  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  that  "  the  people 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  laws  but  to 
obey  them;"  which  shows  that  bigotry 
and  intolerance  are  not  confined  to  pa- 
pists. 


from  his  illness,  he  was  brought 
before  his  ordinary,  the  bishop  of 
Lichfield  and  Coventry,  who  told 
him  that  he  must  submit  to  ecclesi- 
astical authority,  and  stand  re- 
proved for  not  coming  to  church. 

Mr.  Glover  assured  his  lordship, 
that  he  neither  had,  nor  would 
come  to  church,  so  long  as  the  mass 
was  used  there,  to  save  five  hun- 
dred lives,  challenging  him  to  pro- 
duce one  proof  from  scripture  to 
justify  that  idolatrous  pj-actice. 

After  a  long  altercation  with  the 
bishop,  in  which  Mr.  Glover  both 
learnedly  and  judiciously  defended 
the  doctrines  of  the  reformation, 
against  the  errors  and  idolatries  of 
popery,  and  evinced,  that  he  was 
able  to  "  give  a  reason  for  the 
faith  that  was  in  him,"  he  was  re- 
manded back  to  Coventry  gaol, 
where  he  was  kept  close  prisoner, 
without  a  bed,  notwithstanding  his 
illness ;    nevertheless,   the    divine 


GLOVER  AND  BONGEY. 


461 


comforts  enabled  him  to  sustain 
such  cruel  treatment  without  rc- 
pinina:. 

From  Coventry  he  was  removed 
to  Lichfield,  where  he  was  visited 
by  the  chancellor  and  prebendaries, 
who  exhorted  him  to  recant  his 
errors,  and  be  dutiful  to  the  holy 
mother-church  ;  but  he  refused  to 
conform  to  that,  or  any  other 
church,  whose  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices were  not  founded  on  scripture 
authority,  which  he  determined  to 
make  the  sole  rule  of  his  religious 
conduct. 

After  this  visit,  he  remained 
alone  eij^ht  days,  during  which 
time  he  gave  himself  up  to  con- 
stant prayer,  and  meditation  on  the 
exceeding  precious  promises  of 
God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  to  all  true  believers,  daily 
amending  in  bodily  health,  and  in- 
creasing in  the  true  faith  of  the 
gospel. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  eight 
days  he  was  again  brought  before 
the  bishop,  who  inquired  how  his 
imprisonment  agreed  with  him, 
and  warmly  entreated  him  to  be- 
come a  member  of  the  mother- 
church,  which  had  continued  many 
years  ;  whereas  the  church,  of 
which  he  had  professed  himself  a 
member,  was  not  known  but  in 
the  time  of  Edward  VL 

With  respect  to  the  inquiry,  our 
martyr  was  silent,  treating  it  with 
that  contempt  which  such  behaviour 
in  a  prelate  deserved,  but  told  his 
lordship,  that  he  professed  himself 
a  member  of  that  church,  which  is 
built  upon  the  foundation  of  the 
apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
himself  being  the  chief  corner- 
stone ;  and  then  quoted  that  well- 
known  passage  in  the  epistle  of 
St.  Paul  to  the  Ephesians.  "  This 
church,"  added  he,  "  hath  been 
from  the  beginning,  though  it  bore 
no  pompous  shew  before  Jhe  world ; 
being,  for  the  most  part,  under 
crosses  and  afilictions,  despised, 
rejected,  and  persecuted." 

After  much  debate,  in  which  Mr. 
Glover  cited  scripture  for  whatever 
he  advanced,  to  the  confusion  and 
indignation  of  the  haughty  prelate, 


he  was  commanded,  on  his  obedi- 
ence, to  hold  liis  peace,  us  a  proud 
and  arrogant  heretic. 

Mr.  Glover  then,  witii  a  spirit 
becoming  a  man  and  a  Clirislian, 
told  the  bishop  he  was  not  to  be 
convinced  by  insolent  and  impe- 
rious behaviour,  but  by  sound  rea- 
soning, founded  on  scripture;  de- 
siring, at  the  same  time,  that  he 
would  propound  to  him  some  arti- 
cles ;  but  the  bishop  chose  to  de- 
cline that  method  of  proceeding, 
till  he  should  be  summoned  to  tho 
consistory  court,  dismissing  him 
M'itJi  an  assurance  that  he  should 
be  kept  in  prison,  and  there  have 
neither  meat  or  drink,  till  he  re- 
canted his  heresies. 

Our  martyr  heard  these  cruel 
words  with  patience  and  resigna- 
tion, lifting  up  his  heart  to  God, 
that  he  might  be  enabled  to  stand 
steadfast  in  the  faith  of  the  glorious 
gospel. 

When  he  was  brought  into  the 
consistory  court,  the  bishop  de- 
manded of  him  liow  many  sacra- 
ments Christ  had  instituted  to  be 
used  in  his  church  ?  He  replied. 
Two  ;  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, and  no  more. 

Being  asked  if  he  allowed  con- 
fession, he  answered  in  the  ne- 
gative. 

With  respect  to  the  real  presence 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  he 
declared  that  the  mass  was  neither 
sacrifice  nor  sacrament,  because 
they  had  taken  away  the  true  in- 
stitution ;  and  when  they  should 
restore  it,  he  would  give  his  judg- 
ment concerning  Christ's  body  in 
the  sacrament. 

After  several  other  examina- 
tions, public  and  private,  he  was 
condemned  as  an  heretic,  and  de- 
livered over  to  the  secular  power. 

Cornelius  Bongey,  (who  was 
apprehended  much  about  the  same 
time  as  Mr.  Glover,  and  suffered 
with  him)  was  examined  by  Ran- 
dolph, bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Co- 
ventry, and  the  following  allega- 
tions brought  against  him  : 

1.  That  he  did  hold,  maintain, 
and  teach  in  the  city  of  Coventry, 


462 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


that  the  priest  hath  no   power  to 
absolve  a  sinner  from  his  sins. 

2.  That  he  asserted,  there  were 
in  the  church  of  Christ  but  two  sa- 
craments ;  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's 
Supper. 

3.  That  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
popish  altar,  there  was  not  the  real 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  but  the 
substance  of  bread  and  wine  even 
after  consecration. 

4.  That  for  the  space  of  several 
years  he  did  hold  and  defend,  that 
the  pope  is  not  the  head  of  the  visi- 
ble church  on  earth. 

Mr.  Bongey  acknowledged  the 
justness  of  these  allegations,  and 
protested  that  he  would  hold  fast 
to  them  so  long  as  he  lived ;  in 
consequence  of  which  he  also 
was  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1555, 
these  two  martyrs  were  led  to  the 
stake  at  Coventry,  where  they 
both  yielded  up  their  spirits  to 
that  God  who  gave  them,  hoping, 
through  the  merits  of  the  great 
Redeemer,  for  a  glorious  resurrec- 
tion to  life  immortal. 

John  and  William  Glover, 
brothers  to  Robert,  were  sought 
after  by  the  popish  emissaries,  in 
order  to  be  brought  to  the  stake, 
but  they  eluded  their  searches,  and 
happily  escaped.  However,  the 
resentment  of  the  popish  persecu- 
tors did  not  cease  here,  for  after 
their  deaths,  the  bones  of  one 
were  taken  up  and  dispersed  in  the 
highway  ;  and  the  remains  of  the 
other  were  deposited  in  a  common 
field. 

WILLIAM    VVOLSEY,    AND    ROBERT 
PIGOT. 

Information  being  laid  against 
these  two  persons  by  the  popish 
emissaries,  they  were  sought  after, 
and  soon  apprehended.  William 
Wolsey  was  first  taken,  and  being 
brought  before  a  neighbouring 
justice,  was  bound  over  to  appear 
at  the  ensuing  sessions  for  the  Isle 
of  Ely.  But  a  few  days  after,  he 
was  again  taken  into  custody,  and 
committed  to  Wisbeach  gaol,  there 


to  remain  till  the  next  assizes  foi 
the  county. 

During  his  confinement  here  he 
was  visited  by  the  chancellor  of 
Ely,  who  told  him  that  he  was  out 
of  the  pale  of  the  Catholic  church, 
and  desired  that  he  would  not  med- 
dle any  more  with  the  scriptures 
than  became  a  layman. 

After  a  short  pause,  Mr.  Wolsey 
addressed  the  chancellor  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Good  doctor,  what  did 
our  Saviour  mean,  when  he  said. 
Wo  be  unto  you.  Scribes  and  Pha- 
risees, hypocrites,  for  ye  shut  up 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  men ; 
ye  yourselves  go  not  in,  neither 
suffer  ye  them  that  come  to  enter 
in?" 

Dr.  Fuller  replied,  *'  You  must 
understand,  that  Christ  spake  to  the 
scribes  and  pharisees." 

"  Nay,  Mr.  Doctor,"  answered 
Wolsey,  *'  Christ  spake  even  to 
you,  and  your  fellows  here  present, 
and  to  all  such  as  you  are." 

Dr.  Fuller  then  said;  "  IwiM 
leave  thee  a  book  to  read,  of  a 
learned  man's  writing,  that  is  to 
say,  Dr.  Watson's"  (who  was  then 
bishop  of  Lincoln). 

Wolsey  receiving  the  book,  dili- 
gently read  it  over,  and  found  it 
in  many  places  manifestly  contrary 
to  God's  word.  At  length,  a  fort- 
night or  three  weeks  after.  Dr.  Ful- 
ler going  again  to  the  prison  to 
converse  with  Wolsey,  asked  him 
how  he  liked  the  book.  Wolsey  re- 
plied, "  Sir,  I  like  the  book  no  other- 
wise than  I  thought  before  I  should 
find  it."  Whereupon  the  chancellor" 
taking  his  book  departed  home. 

At  night,  when  Dr.  Fuller  came 
to  his  chamber  to  look  on  it,  he 
found  in  many  places,  the  book 
rased  with  a  pen  by  Wolsey,  and 
being  vexed  therewith,  said,  "  O 
this  is  an  obstinate  heretic,  and  hath 
quite  marred  my  book." 

Then  the  assizes  drawing  nigh. 
Dr.  Fuller  came  again  to  Wolsey, 
and  said  to  him,  "  "Thou  dost  much 
trouble  my  conscience,  wherefore 
I  pray  thee  depart,  and  rule  thy 
tongue,  so  that  I  hear  no  more 
complaint  of  thee,  and  come  to  the 
church  Avlien  thou  wilt ;  and  if  thou 


WOLSEY  AND  PIGOT. 


458 


\ye  oomplained  upon,  so  far  as  I 
may,  I  promise  thee  I  will  not  hear 
of  it." 

"  Doctor,"  said  Wolsey,  "  I  was 
brought  hither  by  a  law,  and  by  a 
law  I  will  be  delivered." 

He  was  then  broug:ht  to  the  ses- 
sions, and  laid  in  the  castle  at 
Wisbeach,  he  and  all  his  friends 
thinking?  that  he  would  have  suf- 
fered there  at  tliat  time,  but  it 
proved  otherwise. 

Robert  Pi  got  was  apprehend- 
ed, and  brought  before  sir  Cle- 
ment Hyam,  who  reproved  hira  se- 
verely for  absenting  himself  from 
church.  The  reason  he  assigned 
for  his  absence  was,  that  "  he  con- 
sidered the  church  should  be  a 
congregation  of  believers,  assem- 
bled together  for  the  worship  of 
God,  according  to  the  manner  laid 
down  in  his  most  holy  word  ;  and 
not  a  church  of  human  invention, 
founded  on  the  whimsical  fancy  of 
fallible  men." 

In  consequence  of  this  answer 
he  was,  with  Wolsey,  committed 
to  prison,  where  they  both  remain- 
ed till  the  day  appointed  for  their 
execution. 

During  their  confinement,  se- 
veral of  the  neighbours  came  to 
visit  them,  among  whom  was  Peter 
Valerices,  a  Frenchman,  chaplain 
to  the  bishop  of  Ely,  who  thus  ad- 
dressed them  :  "  My  brethren,  ac- 
cording to  mine  office,  I  am  come 
to  talk  with  you,  for  I  have  been 
almoner  here  these  twenty  years 
and  more,  wherefore,  my  brethren, 
I  desire  you  to  take  it  in  good  part. 
I  desire  not  to  force  you  from  your 
faith,  but  I  require  and  desire  you, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  that 
you  stand  to  the  truth  of  his  gos- 
pel, and  his  word  ;  and  I  beseech 
Almighty  God,  for  his  son's  sake, 
to  preserve  both  you  and  me  in  the 
same  unto  the  end,  for  I  know  not, 
brethren,  how  soon  I  may  be  in  the 
same  case  with  you." 

This  address,  being  so  different 
from  what  was  expected,  drew 
tears  from  all  who  were  present, 
and  greatly  comforted  our  martyrs. 

On  the  9th    of   October,   Pigot 


and  Wolsey  were  Iwought  before 
Dr.  Fuller  the  chancellor,  and 
other  commissioners  for  ecclesias- 
tical affairs,  who  laid  several  ar- 
ticles to  their  charge,  but  particu- 
larly that  of  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar. 

When  that  article  was  proposed, 
they  jointly  declared  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  was  an  idol,  and 
that  the  real  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  was  not  present  in  the  said 
sacrament  ;  and  to  tiiis  opinion 
they  said  they  would  stand,  though 
at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  being 
founded  on  the  authority  of  God's 
word,  which  enjoined  the  worship 
of  the  supreme  God  alone. 

After  this  declaration,  they  were 
exhorted  by  Dr.  Shaxton,  one  of 
the  commissioners,  to  consider  the 
danger  of  continuing  in  that  belief, 
and  recant  the  same,  lest  they 
should  die  here,  and  perish  here- 
after; adding,  that  he  had  formerly 
believed  as  they  did,  but  was  now 
become  a  new  man  in  point  of 
faith. 

This  not  having  any  effect,  Dr. 
Fuller  upbraided  Wolsey  with  ob- 
stinacy and  fool-hardiness  ;  but  en- 
deavoured to  sooth  Pigot  into  com- 
pliance, desiring  one  of  the  attend- 
ants to  write  to  the  following  pur- 
port: 

"  I  Robert  Pigot  do  believe,  that 
after  the  words  of  consecration 
spoken  by  the  priest,  there  remain- 
eth  no  more  bread  and  wine,  but 
the  very  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
substantially  the  selfsame  that  was 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary." 

It  was  then  read  to  Pigot ;  and 
his  answer  being  required,  he 
briefly  said,  "  Sir,  that  is  your  faith, 
but  never  shall  be  mine,  till  you 
can  prove  it  from  scripture." 

These  two  martyrs  thus  perse- 
vering in  the  faith  of  the  pure  gos- 
pel, sentence  of  death  was  passed, 
and  they  were  both  ordered  to  be 
burned  as  heretics. 

On  the  16th  of  October,  1555,  the 
day  appointed  for  their  execution, 
they  were  conducted  to  the  stake, 
amidst  the  lamentations  of  great 
numbers  of  spectators.  Several 
English    translations  of  the   New 


46  4 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Testament  being  ordered  to  be 
burned  with  them,  they  took  each 
one  of  them  in  theirhands, lamenting, 
on  the  one  hand,  the  destroying  so 
valuable  a  repository  of  sacred 
truth,  and  glorying,  on  the  other, 
that  they  were' deemed  worthy  of 
sealing  the  same  with  their  blood. 


They  both  died  in  the  triumph  of 
faith,  magnifying  the  power  of  di- 
vine grace,  which  enables  the  ser- 
vants of  God  to  glory  in  tribulation, 
and  count  all  things  but  dung  and 
dross,  for  the  excellency  of  the 
knowledge  of  Christ  their  Ke- 
deemer. 


SECTION  XI. 

THE   LIVES,    SUFFERINGS,    AND    MARTYRDOMS  OF   HUGH    LATIMER,     BISHOP 
OF  WORCESTER;    AND    NICHOLAS    RIDLEY,    BISHOP    OF    LONDON. 


Hugh  Latimer  was  born  of  hum- 
ble parents  at  Thirkeston,  in  Lei- 
cestershire, about  the  year  1475, 
who  gave  him  a  good  education, 
and  sent  him  to  Cambridge,  where 
he  shewed  himself  a  zealous  pa- 
pist, and  inveighed  much  against 
the  reformers,  who,  at  that  time, 
began  to  make  some  figure  in  Eng- 
land. But  conversing  frequently 
with  Thomas  Bilney,the  most  con- 
siderable person  at  Cambridge  of 
all  those  who  favoured  the  reforma- 
tion, he  saw  the  errors  of  popery, 
and  became  a  zealous  protestant. 

Latimer  being  thus  converted,  la- 
boured, both  publicly  and  privately, 
to  promote  the  reformed  opinions, 
and  pressed  the  necessity  of  a  holy 
life,  in  opposition  to  those  out- 
ward performances,  which  were 
then  thought  the  essentials  of  reli- 
gion. This  rendered  him  obnox- 
ious at  Cambridge,  then  the  seat  of 
ignorance,  bigotry,  and  supersti- 
tion. However,  the  unaffected  pi- 
ety of  Mr.  Bilney,  and  the  cheerful 
and  natural  eloquence  of  honest 
Latimer,  wrought  greatly  upon  the 
junior  students,  and  increased  the 
credit  of  the  protestants  so  much, 
that  the  papist  clergy  were  greatly 
alarmed,  and,  according  to  their 
usual  practice,  called  aloud  for  the 
secular  arm. 

Under  this  arm  Bilney  suffered 
at  Norwich:  but  his  suflerings,  far 
from  shaking  the  reformation  at 
Cambridge,  inspired  the  leaders  of 
it  with  new  courage.  Latimer  be- 
gan to  exert  himself  more  than  he 
had  yet  done  ;  and  succeeded  to 
that  credit  with  his  party,  which 
Bilney    had    so    long     supported. 


Among  other  instances  of  his  zeal 
and    resolution    in   this  cause,   he 
gave   one  which  was  very  remark- 
able: he  had   the  courage  to  write 
to  the  king  (Henry  VIII.)  against 
a  proclamation,  then  just  publish- 
ed, forbidding  the  use  of  the  bible 
in  English,  and  other  books  on  reli- 
gious subjects.     He  had  preached 
before  his  majesty  once  or  twice  at 
Windsor;  and  had  been  taken  no- 
tice  of  by   him  in   a  more  affable 
manner,  than  that  monarch  usually 
indulged     towards     his      subjects. 
But  whatever  hopes  of  preferment 
his  sovereign's  favour  might  have 
raised  in  him,  he  chose  to  put  all 
to  the  hazard  rather  than  omit  what 
he   thought  his  duty.     His  letter  is 
the  picture  of  an  honest  and  sin- 
cere heart :  he  concludes  in  these 
terms;    "Accept,    gracious    sove- 
reign, without  displeasure,  what  I 
have  written  ;  I  thought  it  my  duty 
to  mention  these  things  to  your  ma- 
jesty.      No    personal    quarrel,    as 
God  shall  judge  me,  have  I  with 
any  man  :  I  wanted  only  to  induce 
your  majesty  to  consider  well,  what 
kind    of    persons   you  have   about 
you,  and  the  ends  for  which  they 
counsel.     Indeed,     great     prince, 
many  of  them,   or  they    are  much 
slandered,  have  very  private  ends. 
God   grant  your  majesty  may  see 
through  all  the  designs  of  evil  men, 
and  be  in  all  things  equal  to  the 
high  office,  with  which  you  are  in- 
trusted.   Wherefore,  gracious  king, 
remember  yourself;  have  pity  upon 
your  own   soul,  and  think  that  the 
day  is  at  hand,  when  you  shall  give 
account  of  your  office,  and  the  blood 
which    hath    been    shed    by    your 
2 


BISHOP  LATIMER, 


465 


sword  :  in  the  which  day,  that  your 
grace  may  stand  steadfastly,  and 
Mot  be  ashamed,  but  be  clear 
and  ready  in  your  reckoning, 
and  have  your  pardon  sealed 
with  the  blood  of  our  Saviour 
Christ,  which  alone  serveth  at 
that  day,  is  my  daily  prayer  to 
him,  who  suffered  death  for  our 
sins.  The  spirit  of  God  preserve 
you." 

Lord  Cromwell  was  now  in  power, 
and  being   a  favourer  of  the  re- 


formation, he  obtained  a  benefice 
in  Wiltshire  for  Latimer,  wlio  im- 
mediately went  thither  and  resid- 
ed, discharofing;  his  duty  in  a  very 
conscientious  manner,  though  much 
persecuted  by  the  Romish  clergy ; 
who,  at  length,  carried  their  malice 
so  far  as  to  obtain  an  archiepisco- 
pal  citation  for  his  appearance  in 
London.  His  friends  would  have 
had  him  quit  England  ;  but  their 
persuasions  were  in  vain. 


The  Bur?iing  of  Bhlwps  llidley  and  Latimer,  at   Oxford,   October  16,  1555. 


He  set  out  for  London  in  the 
depth  of  winter,  and  under  a  se- 
vere fit  of  the  stone  and  colic ; 
but  he  was  most  distressed  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  his  parish  ex- 
posed to  the  popisli  clergy.  On 
his  arrival  at  Loudon,  he  found  a 
court  of  bishops  and  canonists 
ready  to  receive  him ;  where,  in- 
stead of  being  examined,  as  he 
expected,  about  his  sermons,  a 
paper  was  put  into  his  hands, 
which  he  was  ordered  to  subscribe, 
FOX'S  MAETiRS. 


declaring  his  belief  in  the  efficacy 
of  masses  for  the  souls  in  purgator}', 
of  prayers  to  the  dead  saints,  of 
pilgrimages  to  their  sepulchres 
and  relics,  the  pope's  power  to  for- 
give sins,  the  doctrine  of  merit, 
the  seven  sacraments,  and  the 
worsliip  of  images  :  which,  wheu 
he  refused  to  :ign,  the  archbishop, 
witli  a  frown,  ordered  him  to  consi- 
der what  he  did.  "We  intend  not,'' 
said  he,  "  Mr.  Latimer,  to  be  hard 
upon  you;  we  dismiss  you  for  ihj 

SO 


46  S 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


present ;  take  a  copy  of  the  ar- 
ticles ;  examine  them  carefully, 
and  God  grant,  that  at  our  next 
meeting  we  may  find  each  other  in 
better  temper." 

At  the  next,    and    several   suc- 
ceeding meetings,  the  same  scene 
was  acted  over  again.     He  conti- 
nued inflexible,  and  they  continued 
to  distress  him.     Three  times  every 
week  they  regularly  sent  for  him, 
with  a  view  either  to  draw  some- 
thing from  him  by  captious  ques- 
tions, or  to  tease  him  at  length  into 
compliance.     Tired   out  with    this 
usage,   when  he   was   again  sum- 
moned, instead  of  going  he  sent  a 
letter  to  the  archbishop,  in  which, 
with  great   freedom,  he  told  him, 
"  That  the  treatment  he  had  lately 
met  with  had  brought  him  into  suck 
a  disorder  as  rendered  him  unfit  to 
attend  that  day  ;  that  in  the  mean 
time  he  could  not  help  taking  this 
opportunity  to  expostulate  with  his 
grace   f*   detaining   him    so  long 
from   his  duty ;  that  it  seemed  to 
him  most  unacnountab-le,  that  they, 
who   never    pi-eached  themselves, 
s)»ould  hinder  others;  that,  as  for 
thfeir  examinatfon  of  him,  he  really 
qould  not  imagine  what  they  aimed 
at;  they   pretended   one    thing  in 
the  beginriing,  and  another  in  the 
progress;  that  if  his  sermons  gave 
oAence,    although     he    persuaded 
himself  they  were  neither  contrary 
to  the  truth,  nor  to  any  canon  of 
the  church,  he  was  ready  to  an- 
swer whatever  might  be   thought 
exceptionable    in    them ;     that    he 
wished  a  little  more  regard  might 
be  had  to  the  judgment  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  and  that  a  distinction  might 
be   made   betvveen  the  ordinances 
of  God   and    man ;     that    if  some 
abuses  in   religion  did   prevail,  as 
was  then  commonly  supposed,  he 
thought  preaching  was    the    best 
means    to    discountenance    them ; 
that  he  wished   all   pastors  might 
be  obliged  to  perform  their  duty  ; 
but  that,   however,    liberty   might 
be  given  to  those   who  were  will- 
i;ig ;   that  as   to  the   articles    pro- 
posed to  him,  he  begged  to  be  ex- 
cused subscribing  to  them  ;  while 
lie  lived,  he  never  would  abet  su- 


perstition; and  that,  lastly,  he 
hoped  the  archbishop  would  ex- 
cuse what  he  had  written  ;  he  knew 
his  duty  to  his  superiors,  and  would 
practise  it ;  but  in  that  case,  he 
thought  a  stronger  obligation  lay 
upon  him." 

The  bishops,  however,  continued 
their  persecutions,  but  their 
schemes  were  frustrated  in  an  un- 
expected manner.  Latimer  being 
raised  to  the  see  of  Worcester,  in 
the  year  1533,  by  the  favour  of 
Anne  Boleyn,  then  the  favourite 
wife  of  Henry,  to  whom,  most  pro- 
bably, he  was  recommended  by 
lord  Cromwell,  he  had  now  a  more 
extensive  field  to  promote  the  prin- 
ciples of  tlie  reformation,  in  which 
he  laboured  with  the  utmost  pains 
and  assiduity.  All  the  historians 
of  those  times  mention  him  as  a 
person  remarkably  zealous  in  the 
discharge  of  his  new  office  ;  and 
tell  us,  that  in  overlooking  the 
clergy  of  his  diocese,  he  was  un- 
commonly active,  warm,  and  re- 
solute, and  presided  in  his  eccle- 
siastical court  with  the  same  spirit. 
In  visiting,  he  was  frequent  and 
observant ;  in  ordaining,  strict  and 
wary  ;  in  preaching,  indefatigable; 
and  in  reproving  and  exhorting, 
severe  and  persuasive. 

In  1536  he  received  a  summons 
to  attend  the  parliament  and  con- 
vocation, which  gave  him  a  further 
opportunity  of  promoting  the  work 
of  reformation,  whereon  his  heart 
was  so  much  set.  Many  alterations 
were  made  in  religious  matters, 
and  a  few  months  after,  the  Bible 
was  translated  into  English,  and 
recommended  to  a  general  perusal, 
in  October,  1537. 

Latimer,  highly  satisfied  with 
the  prospect  of  the  times,  now  re- 
paired to  his  diocese,  having  made 
no  longer  stay  in  London  than  was 
absolutely  necessary.  He  had  no 
talents,  and  he  pretended  to  have 
none,  for  state  aflairs.  His  whole 
ambition  was  to  discharge  the  pas- 
toral functions  of  a  bishop,  neither 
aiming  to  display  the  abilities  of 
a  statesman,  nor  those  of  a  courtier. 
How  very  unqualified  he  was  to 
suppo;-t  the  latter  of  these  charac- 


BISHOP  LATIMER. 


4G7 


tcrs,  the  following  story  will  prove: 
It  was  the  custom  in  those  days  for 
the  bishops  to  make  presents  to 
the  king  on  New-year's  day,  and 
many  of  them  presented  very  libe- 
rally, proportioning  their  gifts  to 
their  hopes  and  expectations. 
Among  the  rest,  Latimer,  being 
then  in  town,  waited  upon  the 
king,  with  his  offering;  but  instead 
of  a  purse  of  gold,  which  was  the 
common  oblation,  he  presented  a 
New  Testament,  with  a  leaf  dou- 
bled down  in  a  very  conspicuous 
manner,  at  this  passage,  "  Whore- 
mongers and  adulterers  God  will 
judge." 

In  1539  he  was  summoned  again 
to  attend  the  parliament:  the  bi- 
shop of  Winchester,  Gardiner,  was 
his  great  enemy;  and,  upon  a  par- 
ticular occasion,  when  the  bishops 
were  with  the  king,  kneeled  down 
and  solemnly  accused  bishop  Lati- 
mer of  a  seditious  sermon  preached 
at  court.  Being  called  upon  by 
the  king,  with  some  sternness,  to 
vindicate  himself,  Latimer  was  so 
far  from  denying  and  palliating 
what  he  had  said,  that  he  nobly 
justified  it;  and  turning  to  the 
king,  with  that  noble  unconcern 
which  a  good  conscience  inspires, 
*'  I  never  thought  myself  worthy," 
said  he,  "nor  did  I  ever  sue  to  be 
a  preacher  before  your  grace  ;  but 
I  was  called  to  it,  and  would  be 
willing,  if  you  mislike  it,  to  give 
place  to  my  betters ;  for  I  grant, 
there  may  be  a  great  many  more 
worthy  of  the  room  than  I  am. 
And  if  it  be  your  grace's  pleasure 
to  allow  them  for  preachers,  1  can 
be  content  to  bear  their  books  after 
them.  But  if  your  grace  allow  me 
for  a  preacher,  1  would  desire  you 
to  give  me  leave  to  discharge  my 
conscience,  and  to  frame  my  doc- 
trine according  to  my  audience. 
I  had  been  a  very  dolt,  indeed,  to 
have  preached  so  at  the  borders  of 
your  realm,  as  I  preach  before 
your  grace."  The  boldness  of  his 
answer  baffled  his  accuser's  ma- 
lice ;  the  severity  of  the  king's 
countenance  changed  into  a  gra- 
cious smile,  and  the  bishop  was 
dismissed  with  that  obliging  frcs- 


dom,    which    this   monarch    never 
used  but  to  those  he  esteemed. 

However,  as  Latimer  could  not 
give  his  vote  for  the  act  of  the  six 
papistical  articles,  drawn  up  by 
the  duke  of  Nortolk,  he  thouglit  it 
w|ong  to  hold  any  office  in  a 
clB*(6h  where  such  terms  of  com- 
munion were  required,  and  there- 
fore he  resigned  his  bishopric,  and 
retired  into  the  country,  where  he 
purposed  to  live  a  sequestered  life. 
But  in  the  midst  of  his  security,  an 
unhappy  accident  carried  him 
again  into  the  tempestuous  atmo- 
sphere of  the  court:  he  received 
a  bruise  by  the  fall  of  a  tree,  and 
the  contusion  was  so  dangerous, 
that  he  was  obliged  to  seek  for 
better  assistance  than  could  be  af- 
forded him  by  the  unskilful  sur- 
geons of  that  part  of  the  country 
where  he  resided.  With  this  view 
he  repaired  to  London,  where  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  see  the  fall 
of  his  patron,  the  lord  Cromwell: 
a  loss  which  he  was  soon  made 
sensible  of.  For  Gardiner's  emis- 
saries quickly  found  him  out  in  his 
concealment,  and  a  pretended 
charge  of  his  having  spoken  against 
the  six  articles,  being  alleged 
against  him,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Tower;  where,  without  any  judi- 
cial examination,  he  suffered, 
through  one  pretence  and  another, 
a  cruel  imprisonment  for  the  re- 
maining six  years  of  king  Henry's 
reign. 

On  the  death  of  Henry,  the  pro- 
testant  interest  revived  under  his 
son  Edward,  and  Latimer,  imme- 
diately upon  the  change  of  the  go- 
vernment, was  set  at  liberty.  An 
address  was  made  to  the  protector, 
to  restore  him  to  his  bishopric:  the 
protector  was  very  willing  to  gra- 
tify the  parliament,  and  proposed 
the  resumption  of  his  bishopric  to 
Mr.  Latimer;  who  now  thinking 
himself  unequal  to  the  weight  of  it, 
refused  to  resume  it,  choosing  ra- 
ther to  accept  an  invitation  from 
his  friend  archbishop  Cranmer, 
and  to  take  up  his  residence  with 
him  at  Lambeth ;  where  his  chief 
employment  was  to  hear  the  com- 
plaints, and  redress  the  grievances 


468 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS, 


of  the  poor  people  ;  and  liis  clia- 
racter,  for  services,  of  this  kind, 
was  so  universally  known,  tliat 
strangers  from  every  part  of  Eng- 
land resorted  to  liiui. 

In  these  employments  he  spent 
more  than  two  years,  during  which 
time  he  assisted  the  archbishop  in 
composing  the  homilies,  which 
were  set  forth  by  authority,  in  the 
reign  of  king  Edward:  he  was 
also  appointed  to  preach  the  Lent 
sermons  before  his  majesty,  which 
office  he  performed  during  the 
first  three  years  of  his  reign. 

Upon  the  revolution,  which  hap- 
pened at  court,  after  the  death  of 
the  duke  of  Somerset,  he  retired 
into  the  country,  and  made  use  of 
the  king's  licence  as  a  general 
preacher,  in  those  places,  where 
he  thought  his  labours  might  be 
most  serviceable. 

He  was  thus  employed  during 
theremainder  of  that  reign,  and  con- 
tinued the  same  course,  for  a  short 
time,  in  the  beginning  of  the  next; 
but  as  soon  as  the  re-introduction  of 
popery  was  resolved  on,  the  first 
step  towards  it  was  the  prohibition 
of  all  preaching,  and  licensing  only 
such  as  were  known  to  be  popishly 
inclined.  The  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, who  was  now  prime-minister, 
having  proscribed  Mr.  Latimer 
from  the  first,  sent  a  message  to 
cite  him  before  the  council.  He 
had  notice  of  this  design  .some 
hours  before  the  messenger's  ar- 
rival, but  he  made  no  use  of  the 
intelligence.  The  messenger  found 
him  equipped  for  his  journey,  at 
which,  expressing  his  surprise, 
Mr.  Latimer  told  him,  that  he  was 
as  ready  to  attend  him  to  London, 
thus  called  upon  to  answer  for  his 
faith,  as  he  ever  was  to  take  any 
journey  in  his  life  ;  and  that  he 
doubted  not  but  that  God,  who 
had  already  enabled  him  to  preach 
the  word  before  two  princes, 
would  enable  him  to  witness  the 
same  before  a  third.  The  messen- 
ger then  acquainting  him,  that  he 
had  no  orders  to  seize  his  person, 
delivered  a  letter,  and  departed. 
However,  opening  the  letter,  and 
finding  it  a  citation  from  tlie  coun- 


cil, he  resolved  to  obey  it,  and  set 
out  immediately.  As  he  passed 
through  Smithfield,  he  said,  cheer- 
fully, "This  place  of  burning  hath 
long  groaned  for  me."  The  next 
morning  he  waited  upon  the  coun- 
cil, who  having  loaded  him  with 
many  severe  reproaches,  sent  him 
to  the  Tower,  from  whence,  after 
some  time,  he  was  removed  to 
Oxford. 

Nicholas  Ridley,  bishop  of 
London,  received  the  earliest  part 
of  his  education  at  Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne,  from  whence  he  was 
removed  to  the  university  of  Cam- 
bridge, where  his  great  learning 
and  distinguished  abilities,  so  re- 
commended him,  that  he  was  made 
master  of  Pembroke  hall,  in  that 
university. 

After  being  some  years  in  this 
ofiice  he  left  Cambridge,  and  tra- 
velled into  various  parts  of  Europe 
for  his  advancement  in  knowledge. 
On  his  return  to  England  he  was 
made  chaplain  to  Henry  VIII.  and 
bishop  of  Rochester,  from  which 
he  Was  translated  to  the  see  of 
London  by  Edward  VI. 

In  private  life  he  was  pious,  hu- 
mane, and  afl'able :  in  public  he 
was  learned,  sound,  and  eloquent ; 
diligent  in  his  duty,  and  very  po- 
pular as  a  preacher. 

He  had  been  educated  in  the 
Roman  catholic  religion,  but  was 
brought  over  to  the  reformed  faith 
by  reading  Bertram's  book  on  the 
Sacrament;  and  he  was  confirmed 
in  the  same  by  frequent  conferen- 
ces with  Cranmer  and  Peter  Mar- 
tyr, so  that  he  became  a  zealous 
promoter  of  the  reformed  doctrines 
and  discipline  during  the  reign  of 
king  Edward. 

,  The  following  character  of  this 
eminent  divine  presents  so  inte- 
resting a  picture  of  tlie  good  man 
and  pious  Christian,  that  we  give 
it  verbatim. 

"  In  his  important  offices  he  so 
diligently  applied  himself  by 
preaching  and  teaching  the  true 
and  wholesome  doctrine  of  Christ, 
that  no  good  child  was  more  sin- 
gularly loved  by  his  dear  parents, 


BISHOP  RIDLEY. 


469 


Ihan  he  by  Iiis  flook  and  diocese. 
Every  holiday  and  Sunday  he 
preaclied  in  one  place  or  other, 
except  he  was  otherwise  hindered 
by  weir::hty  affairs  and  business ; 
and  to  his  sermons  the  people  re- 
sorted, swarming  about  him  like 
bees,  and  so  faithfully  did  his  life 
pourtray  his  doctrines,  that  even 
his  very  enemies  could  not  reprove 
him  in  any  thing. 

"Besides  this,  he  was  very  learn- 
ed, his  memory  Avas  great,  and  he 
had  attained  such  reading  withal, 
that  he  deserved  to  be  compared 
to  the  best  men  of  his  age,  as  his 
works,  sermons,  and  his  sundry 
disputations  in  both  the  universi- 
ties well  testisfied. 

"  He  was,  also,  wise  of  counsel, 
deep  of  wit,  and  very  politic  in  all 
his  doings.  He  was  anxious  to 
gain  the  obstinate  papists  from 
their  erroneous  opinions,  and 
sought  by  gentleness  to  win  them 
to  the  truth,  as  his  gentle  and 
courteous  treatment  of  Dr.  Heath, 
who  was  prisoner  with  him  in  king 
Edward's  time,  ia  his  house,  one 
year,  sufficiently  proved.  In  fine, 
he  was  in  all  points  so  good,  pious, 
and  spiritual  a  man,  that  England 
never  saw  his  superior. 

"  He  was  comely  in  his  person, 
and  well  proportioned.  He  took 
all  things  in  good  part,  bearing  no 
malice  nor  rancour  from  his  heart, 
but  straightways  forgetting  all  in- 
juries and  ofl'ences  done  against 
him.  He  was  very  kind  and  na- 
tural to  his  relations,  and  yet  not 
bearing  with  them  any  otherwise 
than  right  would  require,  giving 
them  always  for  a  general  rule, 
j'ea  to  his  own  brother  and  sister, 
that  they  doing  evil  should  look  for 
nothing  at  his  hand,  but  should  be 
as  strangers  and  aliens  to  him,  and 
that  they,  to  be  his  brother  and 
sister,  must  live  a  good  life. 

"  He  used  all  kinds  of  ways  to 
mortify  himself,  and  was  much 
given  to  prayer  and  contemplation: 
for  duly  every  morning,  as  soon  as 
he  was  dressed,  he  went  to  his  bed- 
chamber, and  there  upon  his  knees 
prayed  for  half  an  hour ;  which 
being  done,  immediately  he  went 


to  his  study  (if  no  other  business 
came  to  interrupt  him)  where  he 
continued  till  ten  o'clock,  and  then 
came  to  the  common  prayer,  daily 
used  in  his  house.  These  being 
done  he  went  to  dinner;  where  he 
talked  little,  except  otherwise  oc- 
casion had  been  ministered,  and 
then  it  was  sober,  discreet  and 
wise,  and  sometimes  merry,  as 
cnusc  required. 

"  The  dinner   done,    which  was 
not  very  long,  he  used  to  sit  an  hour 
or  thereabouts  talking,  or  playing 
at  chess:  he    then  returned  to  his 
study,   and  there   would  continue, 
oxcept  visitors,  or  business  abroad 
prevented  him,  until    five    o'clock 
at  night,  when  he   would  come  to 
common  prayer,  as  in  the  forenoon ; 
which  being  finished,  he  went   to 
supper,  behaving  himself  there  as 
at  his  dinner  before.    After  supper, 
recreating  himself  again    at  chess, 
after  which  he  would  return  again 
to  his  study;  continuing  there  till 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  which  was 
his  common  hour  of  going  to  bed, 
then  saying  his  prayers  upon  his 
knees  as  in  the  morning  when  he 
rose.     When  at  his  manor  of  Ful- 
liam,  he  used  to  read  daily  a  lec- 
ture to  his  family  at  the  common 
prayer,  beginning   at   the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles,  and  so  going  through 
all  the  epistles  of  St.  Paul,  giving 
to    every   man   that    could  read  a 
New  Testament,  hiring  them,  be- 
sides,   with    money,    to    learn   by 
heart  certain    principal    chapters, 
but  especially  the  13th  chapter  of 
the  Acts  of  the   Apostles,  reading 
also     unto    his    household    often- 
times the   101st  Psalm,  being  mar- 
vellously  careful  over  his  family, 
that  they  might  be  a  pattern  of  all 
virtue  and  honesty  to  others.     In 
short,  as  he  Avas  godly  and  virtuous   . 
himself,  so  nothing  but  virtue  and 
godliness   reigned    in    his    house, 
feeding  them  with  the  food  of  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

"  The  following  is  a  striking  in- 
stance of  the  benevolence  of  his 
temper,  shewn  to  Mrs.  Bonner, 
mother  to  Dr.  Bonner,  bishop  of 
London.  Bishop  RidJey,  when  at 
his  manor  of  Fulham,  always  sent 


470 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


for  Mrs.  Bonner,  avIio  dwelt  in  a 
house  adjoining  his  own,  to  dinner 
and  supper,  with  a  Mrs.  Mungey, 
Bonner's  sister,  saying,  Go  for  my 
mother  Bonner;  who  coming,  was 
always  placed  in  the  chair  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  being  as  gently 
treated  and  welcomed  as  his  own 
mother,  and  he  would  never  have 
her  displaced  from  her  seat,  al- 
tliough  the  king's  council  had  been 
present ;  saying,  when  any  of  them 
were  there,  (as  several  times  they 
were)  By  your  lordship's  favour, 
this  place  of  right  and  custom  is 
for  my  mother  Bonner.  But  how 
well  he  was  recompensed  for  this 
^singular  kindness  and  gentle  pity 
afterwards  at  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Bonner,  is  too  well  known.  For 
who  afterwards  was  a  greater 
enemy  to  Dr.  Ridley  than  Dr.  Bon- 
ner? Who  went  more  about  to  seek 
his  destruction  than  he?  Recom- 
pensing his  gentleness  with  ex- 
treme cruelty  ;  as  well  appeared  by 
the  severity  against  Dr.  Ridley's 
own  sister,  and  her  husband, 
George  Shipside,  from  time  to 
time :  whereas  the  gentleness  of 
the  other  permitted  Bonner's  mo- 
ther, sister,  and  others  of  his  kin- 
dred, not  only  quietly  to  enjoy  all 
that  which  they  had  from  bishop 
Bonner,  but  also  entertained  them 
in  his  house,  shewing  much  courtesy 
and  friendship  daily  unto  them ; 
while,  on  the  other  side,  Bonner 
being  restored  again,  would  not 
suffer  the  brother  and  sister  of  bi- 
shop Ridley,  and  other  of  his 
friends,  not  only  not  to  enjoy  that 
which  they  had  by  their  brother, 
but  also  churlishly,  without  all 
order  of  law  or  honesty,  wrested 
from  them  all  the  livings  they 
had." 

On  the  accession  of  queen  Mary 
he  shared  the  same  fate  with  many 
others  who  professed  the  truth  of 
the  gospel.  Being  accused  of  he- 
resy, he  was  first  removed  from  his 
bishopric,  then  sent  prisoner  to  the 
Tower  of  London,  and  afterwards 
to  Bocardo  prison,  in  Oxford  ; 
from  whence  he  was  committed  to 
the  custody  of  Mr.  Irish,  mayor  of 
that  city,  in  whose  house   he   re- 


mained till   the    day  of  his    exe- 
cution. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1555, 
these  two  eminent  prelates  were 
cited  to  appear  in  the  divinity- 
school  at  Oxford,  which  they  ac- 
cordingly did. 

Dr.  Ridley  was  first  examined, 
and  severely  reprimanded  by  the 
bishop  of  Lincoln,  because,  when 
he  heard  the  "  cardinal's  grace," 
and  the  "  pope's  holiness"  men- 
tioned in  the  commission,  he  kept 
on  his  cap.  The  words  of  the  bi- 
shop were  to  this  eflect :  "  Mr. 
Ridley,  if  you  will  not  be  unco- 
vered, in  respect  to  the  pope,  and 
the  cardinal  his  legate,  by  whose 
authority  we  sit  in  commission, 
your  cap  shall  be  taken  off." 

The  bishop  of  Lincoln  then  made 
a  formal  harangue,  in  which  he 
entreated  Ridley  to  return  to  the 
holy  mother-church,  insisted  on 
the  antiquity  and  authority  of  the 
see  of  Rome,  and  of  the  pope, 
as  the  immediate  successor  of  St. 
Peter. 

Dr.  Ridley,  in  return,  strenu- 
ously opposed  the  arguments  of 
the  bishop,  and  boldly  vindicated 
the  doctrines  of  the  reformation. 

After  much  debate,  the  five  fol- 
lowing articles  were  proposed  to 
him,  and  his  immediate  and  expli- 
cit answers  required. 

1.  That  he  had  frequently  af- 
firmed, and  openly  maintained 
and  defended,  that  the  true  natu- 
ral body  of  Christ,  after  consecra- 
tion of  the  priest,  is  not  really 
present  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar. 

2.  That  he  had  often  publicly 
aflirmed,  and  defended,  that  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar  remaineth 
still  the  substance  of  bread  and 
wine. 

.3.  That  he  had  often  openly  af- 
firmed, and  obstinately  maintained, 
that  in  the  mass  is  no  propitiatory 
sacrifice  for  the  quick  and  the 
dead. 

4.  That  the  aforesaid  assertions 
have  been  solemnly  condemned 
by  the  scholastical  censure  of  this 
school,  as  heretical,  and   contrary 


BISHOPS  RIDLEY  AND  LATIMER. 


471! 


to  the  Catholic  faitli,  by  the  pro- 
locutor cf  llic  convocation-house, 
and  sundry  learned  men  of  both 
universities. 

5.  That  all  and  singular  the  pre- 
mises arc  true,  and  notoriously 
known,  by  all  near  at  hand,  and  in 
distant  places. 

To  the  lirst  of  tliese  articles  Dr. 
Ridley  replied,  "  that  he  believed 
Christ's  body  to  be  in  the  sacra- 
ment, really,  by  grace  and  spirit 
«flectually,  but  not  so  as  to  in- 
clude a  lively  and  moveable  body 
under  the  forms  of  bread  and 
wiae." 

To  the  second  he  answered  in 
the  affirmative. 

Part  of  the  fourth  he  acknow- 
ledged, and  part  he  denied. 

To  the  fifth  he  answered,  "that 
the  premises  were  so  far  true,  as 
his  replies  had  set  forth.  Whether 
all  men  spake  evil  of  them  he  knew 
not,  because  he  came  not  so  much 
abroad  to  hear  what  every  man  re- 
ported." 

He  was  then  ordered  to  appear 
the  following  day  in  St.  Mary's 
church,  in  Oxford,  to  give  his 
final  answer ;  after  which  he  was 
committed  to  the  custody  of  the 
mayor. 

When  Latimer  was  brought  into 
court,  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  warmly 
exhorted  bim  to  return  to  the  unity 
of  the  church,  from  which  he  had 
revolted. 

The  same  articles  which  were 
proposed  to  Dr.  Ridley  were  read 
to  Latimer,  and  he  was  required  to 
give  a  full  and  satisfactory  answer 
to  each  of  them. 

His  replies  not  being  satisfac- 
tory to  the  court,  he  was  dismissed ; 
but  ordered  to  appear  in  St.  Mary's 
church,  at  the  same  time  with  Dr. 
Ridley. 

On  the  day  appointed,  the  com- 
missioners met,  when  Dr.  Ridley 
being  first  brought  before  them,  the 
bishop  of  Lincoln  stood  up.  and 
began  to  repeat  the  proceedings  of 
the  former  meeting,  assuring  him 
that  he  had  full  liberty  to  make 
what  alterations  he  pleased  in  his 
answers  to  the  articles  proposed  to 


him,  and  to  deliver  the  same  to  the 
court  in  writing. 

After  some  debate,  Dr.  Ridley 
took  out  a  paper,  and  began  to 
read ;  but  the  bishop  interrupted 
him,  and  ordered  the  beadle  to  take 
the  writing  from  him.  The  doctor 
desired  permission  to  read  on,  de- 
claring the  contents  were  only 
his  answers  to  the  articles  pro- 
posed ;  but  the  bishop  and  others, 
having  privately  reviewed  it,  would 
not  permit  it  to  be  read  in  open 
court. 

When  the  articles  were  again 
administered,  he  referred  the  no- 
tary to  his  writing,  who  set  them 
down  according  to  the  same. 

The  bishop  of  Gloucester  affect- 
ing much  concern  for  Dr.  Ridley, 
persuaded  him  not  to  induliic  an 
obstinate  temper,  but  recant  his 
erroneous  opinions,  and  return 
to  tJie  unity  of  the  holy  Catholic 
church. 

Dr.  Ridley  coolly  replied,  he  was 
not  vain  of  his  own  understanding, 
but  was  fully  persuaded,  that  the 
religion  he  professed  was  founded 
on  God's  most  holy  and  infallible 
church ;  and  therefore,  he  could 
not  abandon  or  deny  the  same, 
consistently  with  his  regard  for  the 
honour  of  God,  and  the  salvation 
of  his  immortal  soul. 

He  desired  to  declare  his  rea- 
sons, why  he  could  not,  with  a 
safe  conscience,  admit  of  the  po- 
pish supremacy  ;  but  his  request 
was  denied. 

The  bishop  finding  him  inflexible 
in  the  faith,  according  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  reformation,  thus  ad- 
dressed him  :  "  Dr.  Ridley,  it  is 
with  the  utmost  concern  that  I  ob- 
serve your  stubbornness  and  obsti- 
nacy, in  persisting  in  damnable 
errors  and  heresies ;  but  unless 
you  recant,  I  must  proceed  to 
the  other  part  of  my  commission, 
though  very  much  against  my  will 
and  desire." 

Ridley  not   making    any  reply, 

sentence     of    condemnation    was 

read ;  after  which   he  was  carried 

back  to  confinement. 

When  Latimer  was  brought  be- 


472 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


fore  the  court,  the  bisliop  of  Lin- 
coln informed  him,  that  thoutjh 
they  had  already  taken  his  an- 
swers to  certain  articles  alleged 
against  him,  yet  they  had  given 
him  time  to  consider  on  the  same, 
and  would  permit  him  to  make 
what  alterations  he  shoiild  deem 
fit,  hoping,  by  such  means,  to  re- 
claim him  from  his  errors,  and 
bring  him  over  to  the  faith  of  the 
holy  Catholic  church. 

The  articles  were  again  read  to 
him,  but  he  deviated  not,  in  a  sin- 
gle point,  from  the  answers  he  bad 
already  given. 

Being  again  warned  to  recant, 
and  revoke  his  errors,  he  refused, 
declaring,  that  he  never  would 
deny  God's  truth,  which  he  was 
ready  to  seal  with  his  blood.  Sen- 
tence of  condemnation  was  then 
pronounced  against  him,  and  he 
was  committed  to  the  custody  of 
the  mayor. 

The  account  of  the  degradation 
of  Ridley,  his  behaviour  before, 
and  at  the  place  of  execution,  is 
curious  and  interesting  ;  we  there- 
fore give  it  at  length. 

"  On  the  15th  day  of  October,  in 
the  morning.  Dr.  Brooks,  bishop  of 
Gloucester,  and  the  vice-chancel- 
lor of  Oxford,  Dr.  Marshall,  with 
others  of  th«  chief  and  heads  of 
the    same    university,    and    many 
others  accompanying  them,  came 
to  the  house  of  Mr.  Irish,  mayor  of 
Oxford,  where  Dr.  Ridley  was  a 
close  prisoner.     And  when  the  bi- 
shop of  Gloucester  came  into  the 
chamber  where  Dr.  Ridley  lay,  he 
told  him  for  what  purpose  their 
coming    was,    saying,    '  That  yet 
once  again  the  queen's  majesty  did 
offer  unto  him,  by  them,  her  gra- 
cious mercy,  if  he  would  receive 
it,   and  come  home  again  to   the 
faith  in  which  he  was   baptized.' 
And    further    said,     '  That    if   he 
would  not  recant  and  become  one 
of  the  Catholic  church  with  them, 
then    they    must    needs    (against 
their  wills)   proceed  according  to 
the  law,  which  they  would  be  very 
loth  to  do,  if  they  might  otherwise. 
JJut/  said  he,  '  we  have  _been  of- 


tentimes with  you,  and  hare  fe* 
quested  that  you  would  recant 
your  fantastical  and  devilish  opi- 
nions, which  hitherto  you  have  not, 
although  you  might  in  so  doing 
win  many,  and  do  much  good. 
Therefore,  good  Mr.  Ridley,  con- 
sider with  yourself  the  danger  that 
shall  ensue  both  of  body  and  soul, 
if  you  shall  so  wilfully  cast  your- 
self away  in  refusing  mercy  offered 
unto  you  at  this  time.' 

*''My  lord,'  said  Dr.  Ridley, 
'you  know  my  mind  fully  herein: 
and  as  for  my  doctrine,  my  con- 
science assureth  me  that  it  was 
sound,  and  according  to  God's 
word  (to  his  glory  be  it  spoken); 
and  which  doctrine,  the  Lord  God 
being  my  helper,  I  will  maintain 
so  long  as  my  tongue  shall  move, 
and  breath  is  within  my  body  ;  and 
in  confirmation  thereof  I  am  will- 
ing to  seal  the  same  with  my 
blood.' 

"  Brooks.  Well,  it  were  best, 
Mr.  Ridley,  not  to  do  so,  but  to 
become  one  of  the  church  with  us. 
For  you  know  well  enough,  that 
whosoever  is  out  of  the  Catholic 
church  cannot  be  saved.  There- 
fore I  say,  that  while  you  have 
time  and  mercy  offered  you,  re- 
ceive it,  and  confess  with  us  the 
pope's  holiness  to  be  the  chief  head 
of  the  church. 

"  Ridley.  I  marvel  that  you  will 
trouble  me  with  any  such  vain  and 
foolish  talk.  You  know  my^mind 
concerning  the  usurped  authority 
of  that  antichrist. — And  here  he 
would  have  reasoned  with  the  bi- 
shop of  Gloucester,  concerning  the 
bishop  of  Rome's  authority,  but 
was  not  suffered,  and  yet  he  spake 
so  earnestly  against  the  pope 
therein,  that  the  bishop  told  him, 
'  If  he  would  not  hold  his  peace, 
he  should  be  compelled.  And  see- 
ing,' saith  he,  '  that  you  will  not 
receive  the  queen's  mercy,  but 
stubbornly  refuse  the  same,  we 
must,  against  our  wills,  proceed 
according  to  our  commission  to 
degrading  and  depriving  you  of 
the  dignity  of  priesthood.  For  we 
take  you  for  no  bishop,  and  there- 


DEGRADATION  OF  RIDLEY. 


473 


fore  will  the  sooner  have  done 
with  you:  so  committing  you  to 
the  secular  power,  you  know  what 
doth  follow.' 

"  Ridley.  Do  with  me  as  it  shall 
please  God  to  suffer  you;  I  ara 
well  content  to  abide  the  same  with 
all  my  heart. 

"  Brooks.  Put  off  your  cap,  and 
put  upon  you  this  surplice. 

"  Ridley.  Not  I  truly. 

"  Brooks.  But  you  must. 

"  Ridley.  I  will  not. 

"  Brooks.  You  must ;  therefore, 
make  no  more  ado,  but  put  this 
surplice  upon  you. 

"  Ridley.  Truly,  if  it  come  upon 
me  it  shall  be  against  my  will. 

"  Brooks.  Will  you  not  put  it 
upon  you? 

"  Ridley.  No,  that  I  will  not. 

"  Broolis.  It  shall  be  put  upon 
you,  by  one  or  other. 

"  Ridley.  Do  therein  as  it  shall 
please  you,  I  am  well  content  with 
that,  and  more  than  that;  the  ser- 
vant is  not  above  his  master.  If 
they  dealt  so  cruelly  with  our  Sa- 
viour Christ,  as  the  Scripture  mak- 
eth  mention,  and  he  suffered  the 
same  patiently,  how  much  doth  it 
become  us,  his  servants!  And  in 
saying  these  words  they  put  upon 
him  a  surplice,  with  all  the  trin- 
kets appertaining  to  the  mass.  As 
they  were  about  this.  Dr.  Ridley 
vehemently  inveighed  against  the 
Romish  bishop,  and  all  that  foolish 
apparel,  calling  the  first  Antichrist, 
and  the  last  foolish  and  abomina- 
ble, '  yea,  too  foolish  for  a  device 
in  a  play.' 

"  Brooks.  You  had  best  hold 
your  peace,  lest  your  mouth  be 
stopped. — At  which  words  one 
Edridge,  the  reader  of  the  Greek 
lecture,  standing  by,  said,  '  Sir, 
the  law  is  that  he  should  be  gaj?- 
ged,  therefore  let  him  be  gagged.' 
At  which  words  Dr.  Ridley  looking 
earnestly  upon  him,  shook  his 
head  at  him,  and  made  no  answer. 

"  When  they  came  to  that  place 
where  Dr.  Ridley  should  hold  the 
chalice  and  the  wafer  cake  (called 
the  singing-bread),  Dr.  Ridley 
said,  '  They  shall  not  come  into 
my  hands;    for  if  they   do,  they 


shall  fall  to  the  ground  for  me. 
Then  one  was  appointed  to  hold 
them  in  his  hand,  while  bishop 
Brooks  read  a  part  in  Latin,  touch- 
ing the  degradation  of  spiritual 
persons,  according  to  the  pope's 
law. 

*'  They  then  put  the  book  into 
his  hand,  and  read  another  thing  in 
Latin,  the  effect  of  which  was, '  We 
do  take  from  thee  the  office  of 
preaching  the  gospel,'  &c.  At 
which  words  Dr.  Ridley  gave  a 
great  sigh,  and  looking  up  towards 
heaven,  said,  *  O  Lord  God,  for- 
give them  this  their  wickedness.' 

"  Having  put  on  him  the  mass- 
gear,  they  began  to  take  it  away 
(beginning  with  the  uppermost 
garment),  again  reading  in  Latin 
according  to  the  pope's  law.  Now 
when  all  was  taken  from  him,  sav- 
ing only  the  surplice,  as  they  were 
reading  and  taking  it  away,  Dr. 
Ridley  said  unto  them,  '  Lord 
God,  what  power  be  you  of,  that 
you  can  take  from  a  man  that 
which  he  never  had?  I  was  never 
a  singer  in  all  my  life,  and  yet  you 
will  take  from  me  that  which  I  ne- 
ver had.' 

"  So  when  this  ridiculous  degra- 
dation was  ended  very  solemnly, 
Dr.  Ridley  said  to  Dr.  Brooks, 
'Have  you  done?  If  you  have, 
then  give  me  leave  to  talk  a  little 
concerning  these  matters.'  Brooks 
answered,  '  Mr.  Ridley,  we  must 
not  talk  with  you;  you  are  out  of 
the  church;  and  our  law  is,  that 
we  must  not  talk  with  any  out  of 
the  church.'  Then  Dr.  Ridley 
said,  '  Seeing  that  you  will  not 
suffer  me  to  talk,  neither  will 
vouchsafe  to  hear  me,  what  remed}'^ 
but  patience?  I  refer  my  cause  to 
my  heavenly  Father,  who  will  re- 
form things  that  be  amiss,  when  it 
shall  please  him.' 

"  They  were  then  going,  when 
Ridley  said,  '  My  lord,  I  would 
wish  that  yoa  would  vouchsafe  to 
read  over  and  peruse  a  little  book 
of  Bertram's  writing,  concerning 
the  sacrament.  I  promise  you, 
you  will  find  much  good  learning 
therein,  if  you  will  read  it  with  an 
impartial   judgment.'      To    which 


474 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Dr,  Brooks  made  no  answer,  but 
was  going  away.  Then  said  Dr. 
Eidley,  '  Oh,  I  perceive  you  can- 
not away  with  this  manner  of  talk. 
Well,  as  it  is  to  no  purpose,  I  will 
say  no  more ;  I  will  speak  of 
■worldly  affairs.  I  pray  you  there- 
fore, my  lord,  hear  me,  and  be  a 
means  to  the  queen's  majesty,  in 
behalf  of  a  great  many  poor  men, 
especially  my  poor  sister  and  her 
husband,  who  standeth  there. 
They  had  a  poor  living  granted 
unto  them  by  me,  when  I  was  in 
the  see  of  London,  which  is  taken 
away  from  them,  by  him  that  occu- 
pieth  the  same  room,  without  ei- 
ther law  or  conscience.  I  have  a 
supplication  to  her  majesty  in  their 
behalf.  You  shall  hear  it.'  Then 
he  read  the  same,  and  when  he 
came  to  the  place  that  spake  of  his 
sister  by  name,  he  wept;  so  that 
for  a  time  he  could  not  speak  for 
weeping.  But  recovering  himself, 
he  said,  '  This  is  nature,  that  mov- 
eth  me,  but  I  have  now  done ;' 
and  with  that  he  finished  it,  and 
then  delivered  it  to  his  brother, 
commanding  him  to  put  it  up  to 
the  queen's  majesty,  and  to  sue 
not  only  for  himself,  but  also  for 
such  as  had  any  leases  or  grants 
by  him,  and  were  put  from  them 
by  Dr.  Bonner.  Dr.  Brooks  said, 
'  Indeed,  Mr.  Ridley,  your  request 
in  this  supplication  is  very  right; 
therefore  I  must,  in  conscience, 
speak  to  the  queen's  majesty  for 
them.' 

"  Ridley.  I  pray  for  God's  sake 
so  do. 

"  Brooks.  I  think  your  request 
will  be  granted,  except  one  thing 
hinder  it,  and  that  is  because  you 
do  not  allow  the  queen's  proceed- 
ings, but  obstinately  withstand  the 
same. 

"  Ridley.  What  remedy?  I  can 
do  no  more  than  speak  and  write. 
I  trust  I  have  discharged  my  con- 
science therein,  and.God's  will  be 
done. 

"  Brooks.  I  will  do  my  best. 

"  The  degradation  being  con- 
cluded, and  all  things  finished.  Dr. 
Brooks  called  the  bailiffs,  deli- 
vering to  them  Dr.   Ridley,   with 


this  charge,  to  keep  him  safely 
from  any  man  speaking  with  him, 
and  that  he  should  be  brought  to 
the  place  of  execution  when  they 
were  commanded.  Then  Dr.  Rid- 
ley, in  praising  God,  said,  '  God,  I 
thank  thee,  and  to  thy  praise  be  it 
spoken,  there  is  none  of  you  able 
to  lay  to  my  charge  any  open  or 
notorious  crime :  for  if  you  could, 
it  would  surely  be  done,  I  see  very 
well.'  Whereunto  Brooks  said,  he 
played  the  part  of  a  proud  phari- 
see,  exalting  himself. 

"  Dr.  Ridley  said,  '  No,  as  I 
said  before,  to  God's  glory  be  it 
spoken.  I  confess  myself  to  be  a 
miserable  sinner,  and  have  great 
need  of  God's  help  and  mercy,  and 
do  daily  call  and  cry  for  the  same  : 
therefore  I  pray  you  have  no  such 
opinion  of  me.'  'Then  they  depart- 
ed, and  in  going  away,  a  certain 
warden  of  a  college  advised  Dr. 
Ridley  to  repent  and  forsake  that 
erroneous  opinion.  '  Sir,'  said  the 
doctor,  '  repent  ?/oM,  for  you  are  out 
of  the  truth  :  and,  I  pray  God  (if  it 
be  his  blessed  will)  have  mercy 
upon  you,  and  grant  you  the  unr 
derstanding  of  his  word.'  Then 
the  warden,  being  in  a  passion 
thereat,  said,  '  I  trust  that  I  shall 
never  be  of  your  devilish  opiuionj 
either  yet  to  be  in  that  place  whi- 
ther you  shall  go:  thou  art  the 
most  obstinate  and  wilful  man 
that  I  ever  heard  talk  since  I  was 
born.' 

"  BEHAVIOUR    OF   DR.    RIDLEY,   THE 
NIGHT    BEFORE    HE    SUFFERED. 

"  On  the  night  before  he  suffered, 
his  beard  was  washed  and  his  legs ; 
and  as  he  sat  at  supper,  at  the 
house  of  Mr  Irish,  his  keeper,  he 
invited  his  hostess,  and  the  rest  at 
the  tabic,  to  his  marriage  :  for,  said 
he,  to-morrow  I  must  be  married, 
and  so  shewed  himself  to  be  as 
merry  as  ever  he  had  been  before. 
And  wishing  his  sister  at  his  mar- 
riage, he  asked  his  brother,  sitting 
at  the  table,  whether  he  thought 
she  could  find  in  her  heart  to  be 
there :  he  answered,  '  Yes,  I  dare 
say,  with  all  her  heart.'  At  whieh 
he  said,  '  He  was  glad  to  hear  of 


BURNING  OF  RIDLEY  AND  LATIMER. 


475 


her  sincerity.'  At  this  discourse 
Mrs.  Irish  wept.  But  Dr.  Ridley 
comforted  her,  saying,  '  O,  Mrs. 
Irish,  you  love  me  not,  I  see  well 
enough ;  for  in  that  you  weep,  it 
doth  appear  you  will  not  be  at  my 
marriage,  neither  are  content  there- 
with. Indeed  you  are  not  so  much 
my  friend  as  I  thought  you  had 
been.  But  quiet  yourself,  though 
my  breakfast  shall  be  somewhat 
sharp  and  painful,  yet  I  am  sure 
my  supper  will  be  more  pleasant 
and  sweet.' 

"  When  they  arose  from  the 
table,  his  brother  offered  to  stay  all 
night  with  him.  But  he  said,  '  No, 
no,  that  you  shall  not.  For  I  in- 
tend (God  willing)  to  go  to  bed, 
and  to  sleep  as  quietly  to-night,  as 
ever  I  did.'  On  this,  his  brother 
departed,  exhorting  him  to  be  of 
good  cheer,  and  to  take  his  cross 
quietly,  lor  the  reward  was  great, 
&c. 

"burning    of   RIDLEY,   AND    LATI- 
MER. 

"  On  the  north  side  of  the  town, 
in  the  ditch  over-against  Baliol-col- 
lege,  the  place  of  execution  was 
appointed:  and  for  fear  of  any  tu- 
mult that  might  arise  to  hinder  the 
burning  of  the  servants  of  Christ, 
the  lord  Williams  was  commanded 
by  the  queen's  letters,  and  the 
householders  of  the  city  to  be  there 
assistant,  sufficiently  appointed ; 
and  when  every  thing  was  in  readi- 
ness, the  prisoners  were  brought 
forth  by  the  mayor  and  bailiffs. 

"  Dr.  Ridley  had  on  a  black  gown 
furred,  and  faced  with  foins,  such 
as  he  used  to  wear  when  he  was  a 
bishop;  a  tippet  of  velvet  furred 
likewise  about  his  neck,  a  velvet 
night-cap  upon  his  head,  with  a 
corner  cap,  and  slippers  on  his 
feet.  He  walked  to  the  stake  be- 
tween the  mayor  and  an  alder- 
man, &c. 

"  After  him  came  Mr.  Latimer 
in  a  poor  Bristol  frieze  frock  much 
worn,  with  his  buttoned  cap  and 
kerchief  on  his  head,  all  ready  to 
the  fire,  a  new  long  shroud  hang- 
ing down  to  the  feet:  which  at  the 
first  sight  excited   sorrow   in   the 


spectators,  beholding,  on  the  one 
side,  the  honour  they  sometime 
had ;  and  on  the  other,  the  ca- 
lamity into  which  they  bad  fallen. 

"  Dr.  Ridley,  as  he  passed  to- 
ward Bocardo,  looked  up  where 
Dr.  Cranmer  lay,  hoping  to  have 
seen  him  at  the  glass  window,  and 
spoken  to  him.  But  Dr.  Cranmer 
was  then  engaged  in  dispute  with 
friar  Soto  and  his  fellows,  so  that 
he  could  not  see  him  through  that 
occasion.  Dr.  Ridley  then  looking 
back,  saw  Mr.  Latimer  coming 
after.  Unto  whom  he  said,  '  Oh, 
are  you  there?' — 'Yea,'  said  Mr. 
Latimer,  '  have  after,  as  fast  as  I 
can.'  So  he  following  a  pretty  way 
off,  at  length  they  came  to  the 
stake.  Dr.  Ridley  first  entering 
the  place,  earnestly  held  up  both 
his  hands,  looked  towards  heaven : 
then  shortly  after  seeing  Mr.  Lati- 
mer with  a  cheerful  look,  he  ran  to 
him,  and  embraced  him,  saying, 
'  Be  of  good  heart,  brother,  for  God 
will  either  assuage  the  fury  of  the 
flame,  or  else  strengthen  us  to 
abide  it.' 

"  He  then  went  to  the  stake,  and, 
kneeling  down,  prayed  with  great 
fervour,  while  Mr.  Latimer,  follow- 
ing, kneeled  also,  and  prayed  as 
earnestly  as  he.  After  this,  they 
arose  and  conversed  together,  and 
while  thus  employed.  Dr.  Smith 
began  his  sermon  to  them  upon  this 
text  of  St.  Paul,  in  the  I3th  chap- 
ter of  the  first  epistle  to  the  Corin- 
thians: '  If  I  yield  my  body  to  the 
fire  to  be  burnt,  and  have  not  cha- 
rity, I  shall  gain  nothing  thereby.' 
Wherein  he  alleged,  that  the  good-, 
ness  of  the  cause,  and  not  the  or- 
der of  death,  maketh  the  holiness 
of  the  person:  which  he  confirmed 
by  the  examples  of  Judas,  and  of  a 
woman  in  Oxford  who  of  late  hang- 
ed herself,  for  that  they  and  such 
like  as  he  recited,  might  then  be 
adjudged  righteous,  which  despe- 
rately separated  their  lives  from 
their  bodies,  as  he  feared  that  those 
men  who  stood  before  him  would 
do.  But  he  cried  still  to  the  peo- 
ple to  beware  of  them,  for  they 
were  heretics  and  died  out  of  the 
church.     He    ended   with   a   very 


476 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


short  exhortation  to  thera  to  recant 
and  come  home  ag:ain  to  the 
church,  and  save  their  lives  and 
souls,  which  else  were  condemned. 
His  sermon  scarcely  lasted  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour. 

"  At  its  conclusion,  Dr.  Ridley 
said  to  Mr.  Latimer,  '  Will  you  be- 
gin to  answer  the  sermon,  or  shall 
I  V  Mr.  Latimer  said,  '  Begin  you 
first,  I  pray  you?' — '  I  will/  said 
Dr.  Ridley. 

"  He  then,  with  Mr.  Latimer, 
kneeled  to  my  lord  Williams,  the 
vice-chancellor  of  Oxford,  and  the 
other  commissioners  appointed  for 
that  purpose,  who  sat  upon  a  form 
thereby,  and  said,  '  I  beseech  you, 
my  lord,  even  for  Christ's  sake, 
that  I  may  speak  but  two  or  three 
words:'  and  whilst  my  lord  bent 
his  head  to  the  mayor  and  vice- 
chancellor,  to  know  whether  he 
might  have  leave  to  speak,  the  bai- 
lifls,  and  Dr.  Marshal,  the  vice- 
chancellor,  ran  hastily  unto  him, 
and  with  their  hands  stopping  his 
mouth,  said,  '  Mr.  Ridley,  if  you 
will  revoke  your  erroneous  opinions, 
you  shall  not  only  have  liberty  so 
to  do  ;  but  also  your  life.' — '  Not 
otherwise  V  said  Dr.  Ridley. — '  No,' 
answered  Dr.  Marshal;  '  therefore 
if  you  will  not  do  so,  there  is  no  re- 
medy :  you  must  suffer  for  your  de- 
serts.'— '  Well,'  said  the  martyr, 
'  so  long  as  the  breath  is  in  my  bo- 
dy, I  will  never  deny  my  Lord 
Christ,  and  his  known  truth  :  God's 
will  be  done  in  me :'  with  that  he 
rose  and  said  with  a  loud  voice, 
'  I  commit  our  cause  to  Almighty 
God,  who  will  indifferently  judge 
all.' 

"  To  which  Mr.  Latimer  added 
his  old  saying,  '  Well,  there  is  no- 
thing hid  but  it  shall  be  opened;' 
and  said  he  could  answer  Smith 
well  enough,  if  he  might  be  suffer- 
ed. They  were  then  commanded 
to  prepare,  immediately,  for  the 
stake. 

"  They  according  with  all  meek- 
ness obeyed.  Dr.  Ridley  gave  his 
gown  and  tippet  to  his  brother-in- 
law  Mr.  Shipside,  who  all  the  time 
of  his  imprisonment,  although  he 
was  not  suffered  to   come  to  him, 


lay  there  at  his  own  charges  to 
provide  him  necessaries,  which 
from  time  to  time  he  sent  him  by 
the  Serjeant  who  kept  him.  Some 
other  of  his  apparel  he  also  gave 
away,  the  others  the  bailiffs  took. 

"  He  likewise  made  presents  of 
other  small  things  to  gentlemen 
standing  by,  and  divers  of  them  pi- 
tifully weeping;  to  sir  Henry  Lea, 
he  gave  a  new  groat  ;  to  my  lord 
Williams's  gentleman,  some  nap- 
kins, &c.  and  happy  was  he  who 
could  get  the  least  trifle  for  a  re- 
membrance of  this  good  man. 

"  Mr.  Latimer  quietly  suffered 
his  keeper  to  pull  olf  his  hose,  and 
his  other  apparel  which  was  very 
simple;  and  being  stripped  to  his 
shroud,  he  seemed  as  comely  a 
person  as  one  could  well  see. 

"  Then  Dr.  Ridley  standing  as 
yet  in  liis  trouse,  said  to  his  bro- 
ther, '  It  were  best  for  me  to  go  in 
ray  trouse  still.' — '  No,'  said  Mr. 
Latimer,  '  it  will  put  you  to  more 
pain  :  and  it  will  do  a  poor  man 
good.'  Whereunto  Dr.  Ridley 
said,  '  Be  it  in  the  name  of  God,' 
and  so  unlaced  himself.  Then  be- 
ing in  his  shirt,  he  stood  upon  the 
aforesaid  stone,  and  held  up  his 
hand  and  said,  '  O  heavenly  Fa- 
ther, I  give  unto  thee  most  hearty 
thanks,  that  thou  hast  called  me 
to  be  a  professor  of  thee,  even  unto 
death  ;  I  beseech  thee,  Lord  God, 
have  mercy  on  this  realm  of  Eng- 
land, and  deliver  it  from  all  her 
enemies.' 

"  Then  the  smith  took  a  chain  of 
iron,  and  brought  it  about  both  their 
middles :  and  as  he  was  knocking 
in  the  staple.  Dr.  Ridley  took  the 
chain  in  his  hand,  and  looking 
aside  to  the  smith,  said  '  Good  fel- 
low, knock  it  in  hard,  for  the  flesh 
will  have  it's  course.'  Then  Mr. 
Latimer  brought  him  a  bag  of  gun- 
powder, and  tied  it  about  his  neck. 
Dr.  Ridley  asked  him  what  it  was, 
he  answered  gunpowder.  '  Then, 
said  he,  I  will  take  it  to  be  sent  of 
God,  therefore  I  will  receive  it. 
And  have  you  any,'  said  he,  '  for 
my  brother.''  (meaning  Mr.  Lati- 
mer). '  Yea,  sir,  that  I  have,'  said 
he.     '  Then  give  it  unto  him/  said 


BURNING  OF  RIDLEY  AND  LATIMER. 


477 


he, '  in  time,  lest  you  come  too  late/ 
So  his  brotiier  went  and  carried  it 
to  Mr.  Latimer. 

"  Dr.  Ridley  said  to  ray  lord  Wil- 
liams, '  My  lord,  I  must  be  a  suitor 
unto  your  lordship  in  the  behalf  of 
divers  poor  men,  and  especially  in 
the  cause  of  ray  poor  sister  :  I  have 
made  a  supplication  to  the  queen 
in  their  behalf.  I  beseech  your 
lordship,  for  Christ's  sake,  to  be  a 
means  to  her  grace  for  them.  My 
brother  here  hath  the  supplication, 
and  will  resort  to  your  lordship  to 
certify  you  hereof.  There  is  nothing 
in  all  the  world  that  troubleth  my 
conscience,  (I  praise  God)  this  only 
excepted.  Whilst  I  was  in  the  see 
of  London,  divers  poor  men  took 
leases  of  me,  and  agreed  with  me, 
for  the  same.  Now  I  hear  that  the 
bishop  who  now  occupieth  the  same 
room,  will  not  allow  my  grants 
made  to  them,  but  contrary  to  all 
law  and  conscience,  hath  taken 
from  them  their  livings.  I  beseech 
you,  my  lord,  be  a  means  for  them : 
you  shall  do  a  good  deed,  and  God 
will  reward  you.' 

"  They  then  brought  a  lighted 
fagot,  and  laid  it  at  Dr.  Ridley's 
feet ;  upon  which  Mr.  Latimer  said, 
*  Be  of  good  comfort,  Mr.  Ridley, 
and  play  the  man,  we  shall  this  day 
light  such  a  candle  by  God's  grace 
in  England,  as  T  trust  never  shall 
be  put  out.'  When  Dr.  Ridley  saw 
the  fire  flaming  up  towards  him,  he 
cried  with  an  amazing  loud  voice  : 
'  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord,  I  com- 
mend my  spirit ;  Lord,  receive  my 
spirit ;'  and  continued  often  to  re- 
peat, '  Lord,  Lord,  receive  my  spi- 
rit.' Mr.  Latimer,  on  the  other 
side,  cried  as  vehemently,  *  O  fa- 
ther of  heaven,  receive  my  soul.' 
After  which  he  soon  died,  seeming- 
ly with  very  little  pain. 

"  But  Dr.  Ridley,  from  the  ill- 
making  of  the  fire,  the  fagots  being 
green,  and  piled  to  high,  so  that 
the  flames  being  kept  down  by  the 
green  wood,  burned  fiercely  be- 
neath, was  put  to  such  exquisite 
pain,  that  he  desired  them,  for 
God's  sake,  to  let  the  fire  come  un- 
to him  :  which  his  brother-in-law 
hearing,  but  not  very  well  under- 


standing, to  rid  him  out  of  his  pain, 
(for  which  cause  he  gave  attend- 
ance) us  one  in  such  sorrow,  and 
not  well  knowing  what  he  did, 
heaped  fagots  upon  him,  so  that  he 
quite  covered  him,  which  made  the 
fire  so  vehement  beneath,  that  it 
burned  all  his  nether  parts  before  it 
touched  the  upper,  and  made  him 
struggle  under  the  fagots,  and  often 
desire  them  to  let  the  fire  come  to 
him,  saying,  '  I  cannot  burn.'  Yet, 
in  all  his  torment  he  forgot  not  to 
call  upon  God,  still  having  in  his 
mouth, '  Lord  have  mercy  upon  me,' 
intermingling  his  cry,  '  Let  the  fire 
come  unto  me,  I  cannot  burn.'  lu 
which  pains  he  laboured  till  one  of 
the  standers  by,  with  his  bill,  pulled 
the  fagots  from  above,  and  where 
he  saw  the  fire  flame  up,  he  wrest- 
ed himself  to  that  side.  And  when 
the  fire  touched  the  gunpowder,  he 
was  seen  to  stir  no  more,  but  burn- 
ed on  the  other  side,  falling  down 
at  Mr.  Latimer's  feet;  his  body 
being  divided. 

"  The  dreadful  sight  filled  al- 
most every  eye  with  tears.  Some 
took  it  grievously  to  see  their  deaths 
whose  lives  they  had  held  so  dear. 
Some  pitied  their  persons,  who 
thought  their  souls  had  no  need 
thereof.  But  the  sorrow  of  his  bro- 
ther, whose  extreme  anxiety  had 
led  him  to  attempt  to  put  a  speedy- 
end  to  his  sufl'eriogs,  but  who,  from 
error  and  confusion,  had  so  unhap- 
pily prolonged  them,  surpassed 
that  of  all;  and  so  violent  was  his 
grief,  that  the  spectators  pitied 
him  almost  as  much  as  they  did 
the  martyr." 

Thus  did  these  two  pious  divines 
and  steadfast  believers,  testify,with 
their  blood,  the  truth  of  the  ever- 
lasting gospel,  upon  which  depends 
all  the  sinner's  hopes  of  salvation  ; 
to  suQ'er  for  which  was  the  joy,  the 
glory  of  many  eminent  Christians, 
who,  having  followed  their  dear 
Lord  and  Master,  through  much 
tribulation  in  this  vale  of  tears,will 
be  glorified  for  ever  with  him,  in 
the  kingdom  of  his  father  and  our 
father,  of  his  God  and  our  God. 

Mr.Latimer,at  the  time  of  his  death, 
was  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age, 


478 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  preserved  the  principles  he  had 
professed  with  the  most  distinguish- 
ed magnanimity.  He  had  natu- 
rally a  happy  temper,  formed  on 
the  principles  of  true  Christianity. 
Such  was  his  cheerfulness,  that 
none  of  the  accidents  of  life  could 
discompose  him  :  such  was  his  for- 
titude, that  not  even  the  severest 
trials  could  unman  him;  he  had  a 
collected  spirit,  and  on  no  occasion 
wanted  a  resource  ;  he  could  retire 
within  himself,  and  hold  the  world 
at  defiance. 

And  as  danger  could  not  daunt, 
so  neither  could  ambition  allure 
him  :  though  conversant  in  courts, 
and  intimate  with  princes,  he  pre- 
served, to  the  last,  his  primaeval 
plainness  :  in  his  profession  he  was 
indefatigable;  and  that  he  might 
bestow  as  much  time  as  possible  on 
the  active  part  of  it,  he  allowed 
himself  only  those  hours  for  his  pri- 
vate studies,  when  the  busy  world 
is  at  rest,  constantly  rising,  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  by  two  in  the 
morning.  How  conscientious  he 
was  in  the  discharge  of  the  public 
duties  of  his  office,  we  have  many 
examples.  No  man  coald  persuade 
more  forcibly ;  no  man  could  exert, 
on  proper  occasions,  a  more  com- 
manding severity.  The  wicked,  in 
whatever  station,  he  rebuked  with 
censorial  dignity,  and  awed  vice 
by  his  firmness,  more  than  the  pe- 
nal laws  by  their  punishments. 

He  was  not  esteemed  a  very 
learned  man,  for  he  cultivated  only 
useful  learning ;  and  thathe  thought 
lay  in  a  very  narrow  compass.  He 
never  engaged  in  worldly  alfairs, 
thinking  that  a  clergyman  ought  to 
employ  himself  only  in  his  profes- 
sion. Thus  he  lived,  rather  a  good, 
than  what  the  world  calls  a  great 
man.  He  had  not  those  command- 
ing talents  which  give  superiority 
in  business ;  but  for  purity  and  sin- 
cerity of  heart,  for  true  simplicity 
of  manners,  for  apostolic  zeal  in 
the  cause  of  religion,  and  for  every 
virtue,  both  of  a  public  and  private 
kind,  which  should  adorn  the  life  of 
a  Christian, he  was  eminent  beyond 
most  men  of  his  own,  or  any  oth;er 
time. 


As  to  his  sermons,  which  are  still 
extant,  they  are,  indeed,  very  far 
from  being  correct  or  elegant  com- 
positions, yet  his  simplicity  and  low 
familiarity,  his  humour  and  drol- 
lery, were  well  adapted  to  the 
times  ;  and  his  oratory,  according 
to  the  mode  of  eloquence  at  that 
day,  was  exceedingly  popular.  His 
action,  and  manner  of  preaching 
too,  were  very  affecting  ;  and  no 
wonder;  "  for  he  spoke  immediate- 
ly from  his  heart."  His  abilities, 
however,  as  an  orator,  made  only 
an  inferior  part  of  his  character  as 
a  preacher.  What  particularly  re- 
commends him,  is  that  noble  and 
apostolic  zeal  which  he  continually 
exerted  in  the  cause  of  truth. 

Mr.  Ridley  was  no  less  indefati- 
gable in  promoting  the  reformed 
religion,  than  his  fellow-sufferer 
Mr.  Latimer.  He  was  naturally  of 
a  very  easy  temper,  and  distin- 
guished for  his  great  piety  and  hu- 
manity to  the  distressed.  He  per- 
severed, to  the  last,  in  that  faith  he 
had  professed,  and  cheerfully  re- 
signed his  life  in  defence  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel. 

Both  these  worthy  prelates,  du- 
ring their  confinement,  employed 
their  time  in  writing  various  pieces 
to  propagate  that  gospel  to  which 
they  had  so  strictly  adhered.  They 
also  wrote  great  numbers  of  letters 
to  their  respective  friends  and  par- 
ticular acquaintances. 

Among  the  pieces  written  by  Dr. 
Ridley,  was  a  farewell  address  to 
the  university  of  Cambridge,  and 
particularly  to  the  members  of  Pem- 
broke-hall, of  which  he  had  been 
master.  He  also  wrote  addresses, 
of  the  same  nature,  to  the  cities  of 
Rochester,  (the  see  of  which  he  had 
some  time  held)  Westminster,  and 
London. 

These  are  too  long  to  be  here  in- 
serted ;  but  the  following  displays 
so  beautifully  the  character  of  a 
christian  that  we  give  it  entire. 

"  TO  THE   PRISONERS  IN  THE  CAUSE 

OF  Christ's  gospel,  and  to  all 
WHO  for  the  same  cause  are 
banished  from  their  country. 
"  Farewell,  my  dearly  beloved 
brethren  in  Christ,  both   you  my 


BISHOP  RIDLEY'S  ADDRESS. 


479 


fellow-prisoners,  and  you  also  that 
be  exiled  and  banished  out  of  your 
countries,  because  you  will  rathfcr 
forsake  all  worldly  advantages, 
than  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

"Farewell  all  you  together  in 
Christ :  farewell  and  be  merry,  for 
you  know  that  the  trial  of  your 
faith  bringeth  forth  patience,  and 
patience  shall  make  us  perfect, 
whole  and  sound  on  every  side, 
and  such,  after  trial,  ye  know, 
shall  receive  the  crown  of  life, 
according  to  the  promise  of  the 
Lord  made  to  his  dearly  beloved ; 
let  us  therefore  be  patient  unto  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  As  the  hus- 
bandman abideth  patiently  the 
former  and  latter  rain  for  the  in- 
crease of  his  crop,  so  let  us  be  pa- 
tient, and  pluck  up  our  hearts,  for 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  approach- 
eth  apace.  Let  us,  my  dear  breth- 
ren, take  example  of  patience  in 
tribulation  of  the  prophets,  who 
likewise  spake  God's  word  truly 
in  his  name.  Let  Job  be  to  us  an 
example  of  patience,  and  the  end 
which  the  Lord  suffered,  which  is 
full  of  mercy  and  pity.  We  know, 
my  brethren,  by  God's  word,  that 
our  faith  is  much  more  precious 
than  any  corruptible  gold,  and  yet 
that  is  tried  by  the  fire  :  even  so 
our  faith  is  therefore  tried  likewise 
in  tribulations,  that  it  may  be 
found,  when  the  Lord  shall  appear, 
laudable,  glorious,  and  honourable. 
For  if  we  for  Christ's  cause  do 
suffer,  that  is  grateful  before  God  ; 
for  thereunto  are  we  called,  that 
is  our  state  and  vocation,  where- 
with let  us  be  content.  Christ,  we 
know,  suffered  for  us  afflictions, 
leaving  us  an  example  that  we 
should  follow  his  foot-steps ;  for  he 
committed  no  sin,  nor  was  there 
any  guile  found  in  his  mouth: 
when  he  was  railed  upon,  and  all 
to  be  reviled,  he  railed  not  again: 
when  he  was  evil  intreated,  he  did 
not  threaten,  but  committed  the 
punishment  thereof  to  him  that 
judgeth  aright. 

"  Let  us  ever  have  in  fresh  re- 
membrance those  wonderful  com- 
fortable sentences  spoken  by  the 
mouth  of  our  Saviour  Christ ;  bless- 


ed are  they  which  suffer  persecution 
for  righteousness'  sake,  for  their's 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed 
are  ye  when  men  revile  you,  per- 
secute you,  and  speak  evil  against 
you  for  my  sake:  rejoice  and  be 
glad,  for  great  is  your  reward  in 
heaven  ;  for  so  did  they  persecute 
the  prophets  that  were  before  you. 
Christ  our  master  hath  told  us  be- 
forehand, that  the  brother  should 
put  the  brother  to  death,  and  the 
father  the  son,  and  the  children 
should  rise  against  their  parents 
and  kill  them,  and  that  Christ's  true 
apostles  should  be  hated  of  all 
men  for  his  name's  sake  ;  but  he 
that  abideth  patiently  unto  the  end. 
shall  be  saved. 

"  Let  us  then  endure  in  all  trou- 
bles patiently,  after  the  example 
of  our  master  Christ,  and  be  con- 
tented therewith,  for  he  suffered, 
being  our  Master  and  Lord:  how 
doth  it  then  become  us  to  suffer  ? 
For  the  disciple  is  not  above  his 
master,  nor  the  servant  above  his 
lord.  It  may  suffice  the  disciple  to 
be  as  his  master,  and  the  servant  to 
be  as  his  lord.  If  they  have  called 
the  Father  of  the  family,  the  Mas- 
ter of  the  household,  Beelzebub, 
how  much  more  shall  they  call  them 
so  of  his  household?  Fear  them 
not  (saith  our  Saviour)  for  all  hid- 
den things  shall  be  made  plain ; 
there  is  now  nothing  secret,  but  it 
shall  be  shewed  in  light.  Of 
Christ's  words  let  us  neither  be 
ashamed  nor  afraid  to  speak  them  ; 
for  so  Christ  commandeth  us,  say- 
ing, What  I  tell  you  privily,  speak 
openly  abroad,  and  what  I  tell  you 
in  your  ear,  preach  upon  the  house 
top.  And  fear  not  them  which  kill 
the  body,  for  the  soul  they  cannot 
kill ;  but  fear  him  which  can  cast 
both  body  and  soul  into  hell-fire. 

"  Know  ye  that  our  heavenly 
Father  hath  ever  a  gracious  eye 
and  respect  toward  you,  and  a  fa- 
therly providence  for  you,  so  that 
without  his  knowledge  and  per- 
mission nothing  can  do  you  harm. 
Let  us  therefore  cast  all  our  care 
upon  him,  he  shall  provide  that 
which  shall  be  best  for  us.  For  if 
of  two  small  sparrows,  which  both 


480 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


are  sold  for  a  mite,  one  of  tliera 
ligliteth  not  on  the  ground  without 
your  Father,  and  all  the  hairs  of 
our  head  are  numbered,  fear  not 
them  (saith  our  master  Christ)  for 
you  are  more  worth  than  many 
small  sparrows.  And  let  us  not 
stick  to  confess  our  master  Christ 
for  fear  of  danger,  whatsoever  it 
shall  be,  remembering  the  promise 
that  Christ  maketh,  saying.  Who- 
soever shall  confess  me  before  men, 
him  shall  I  confess  before  my  Fa- 
ther which  is  in  heaven  :  but  who- 
soever shall  deny  me,  him  shall  I 
likewise  deny  before  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven.  Christ  came 
not  to  give  us  here  a  carnal  amity, 
and  a  worldly  peace,  or  to  knit  his 
unto  the  world  in  ease  and  peace, 
but  rather  to  separate  and  divide 
from  the  world,  and  to  join  them 
unto  himself:  in  whose  cause  we 
must,  if  we  will  be  his,  forsake  fa- 
ther and  mother,  and  stick  unto 
him.  If  we  forsake  him  or  shrink 
from  him  for  trouble  or  death  sake, 
which  he  calleth  his  cross  ;  he  will 
none  of  us,  we  cannot  be  his.  If 
for  his  cause  we  shall  lose  our  tem- 
poral lives  here,  we  shall  find  them 
again,  and  enjoy  them  for  ever- 
more :  but  if,  in  this  cause,  we  will 
not  be  contented  to  leave  nor  lose 
them  here,  then  shall  we  lose  them 
so,  that  we  shall  never  find  them 
again,  but  in  everlasting  death. 
What  though  our  troubles  here  are 
painful  for  the  time,  and  the  sting 
of  death  bitter  and  unpleasant; 
yet  we  know  that  they  shall  not 
last,  in  comparison  of  eternity,  no 
not  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and 
that  they,  patiently  taken  in 
Christ's  cause,  shall  procure  and 
get  us  unmeasurable  heaps  of  hea- 
venly glory,  unto  which  these  tem- 
poral pains  of  death  and  troubles 
compared,  are  not  to  be  esteemed, 
but  to  be  rejoiced  upon.  Wonder 
not,  saith  St.  Peter,  as  though  it 
were  any  strange  matter  that  ye 
are  tried  by  the  fire,  he  meaneth  of 
tribulation,  which  thing,  saith  he, 
is  done  to  prove  you ;  nay,  rather 
in  that  ye  are  partners  of  Christ's 
afflictions,  rejoice  that  in  his  glo- 
rious   revelation    ye   may   rejoice 


with  merry  hearts.  If  ye  suffer 
rebukes  in  Christ's  name,  happy 
are  ye,  for  the  glory  and  Spirit  of 
God  resteth  upon  you.  Of  them 
God  is  reviled  and  dishonoured, 
but  of  you  he  is  glorified. 

"  Let  no  man  be  ashamed  of  that 
which  he  suffereth  as  a  Christian, 
and  in  Christ's  cause  :  for  now  is 
the  time  that  judgment  and  correc- 
tion  must   begin  at  the   house  of 
God :  and   if  it   begin  first  at  us, 
what  shall  be    the    end  of  those, 
think  ye,  that  believe  not  the  gos- 
pel ?  And  if  the  righteous  shall  be 
hardly  saved,  the  wicked  and  the 
sinner,    where    shall    he    appear? 
Wherefore  they  which  are  afflicted 
according  to   the  will  of  God,  let 
them   lay   down  and  commit  their 
souls  to  him  by  well  doing,  as  to  a 
trusty   and  faithful  Maker.     This, 
as  I  said,  may  not  seem  strange  to 
us,  for  we  know  that  all  the  whole 
fraternity  of  Christ's  congregation 
in  this   world  is   served  with  the 
like,  and  by  the  same  is  made  per- 
fect.    For  the  fervent  love  that  the 
apostles    had    unto    their    master 
Christ,   arid  for  the  great  advan- 
tages and  increase  of  all  godliness 
which  they   felt  bv   their   faith  to 
issue  of  afflictions  in  Christ's  cause, 
and  also  for  the  heaps  of  heavenly 
joys  which  the  same  do  get  unto  the 
godly,  which  shall  endure  in  hea- 
ven for  evermore  ;  for  these  causes 
(I  say)  the  apostles  did  joy  of  their 
afflictions,    and     rejoiced    in    that 
they  were  had  and  accounted  wor- 
thy  to   suffer  contumelies  and  re- 
bukes for  Christ's  name.     And  St. 
Paul,  as  he  glorieth  in  the  grace 
and  favour  of  God,  whereunto  he 
was  brought  and  stood  in  by  faith; 
so  he  rejoiced  in  his  afflictions  for 
the   heavenly  and  spiritual  profits 
which  he  numbered  to  rise   upon 
them  :  yea,  he  was  so  far  in  love 
with  what  tl;e  cardinal  man  loath- 
eth  so  much,  that  is,  with  Christ's 
cross,   that  he  judged    himself  to 
know  nothing  else  but  Christ  cru- 
cified :  ke  will  glory,  he  saith,  io 
nothing  else  but  in  Christ's  cross, 
yea,    and    he    blesseth    all    those 
as  the    only   true    Israelites,    and 
elect  people  of  God,   with  peace 


BISHOP  RIDLEY'S  ADDRESS. 


48 1. 


and  mercy,  wliich  walk,  after  that 
rule,  and  after  no  otlier. 

"  O  Lord,  what  a  wonderful  spi- 
rit was  that,  that  made  Paul,  in 
vetting  forth  of  himself  aj^ainst  the 
vanity  of  Satan's  false  apostles, 
and  in  his  claim  there,  tliat  he,  in 
Christ's  cause,  did  excel  and  sur- 
pass them  all  ?  What  wonderful 
spirit  was  that,  1  say,  that  made  him 
to    reckon  up  all  his  troubles,  his 


labours,  his  beatings,  his  whippings 
and  scourgingrs,  his  shipwrecks, 
his  dangers  and  perils  by  water 
and  by  land,  his  famine,  hunger, 
nakedness  and  cold,  with  many 
more,  and  the  daily  care  of  ail  the 
congregations  of  '  Christ,  among 
whom  every  man's  pain  did  pierce 
his  heart,  and  every  man's  grief 
was  grievous  unto  him? 


Barbarities  ezerci-ned  by  the  Popish  Persecutors  on  the   Waldefises  of  Calabria, 


"O  Lord,  is  this  Paul's  primacy, 
whereof  he  thought  so  much  good 
thet  he  did  excel  others?  Is  not  this 
Paul's  saying  unto  Timothy  his 
own  scholar  ?  and  dotii  it  not  per- 
tain to  whosoever  will  be  Christ's 
true  soldiers  ?  Bear  thou,  saith  he, 
affliction,  like  a  true  soldier  of 
Jesus  Christ.  This  is  true  ;  if  we 
die  with  him  (he  meaueth  Christ) 
we  shall  live  with  him  ;  if  we  suf- 
fer with  bim,  we  shall  reign  with 
him ;  if  we  deny  him,  he  shall  deny 
us ;  if  we  be  faithless,  he  remain- 
eth  faithful,  he  cannot  deny  him- 

FOX'S    MARTYRS. 


self.  This,  Paul  would  have  known 
to  every  body  ;  for  there  is  no  other 
way  to  heaven  but  Christ  and  his 
way  ;  and  all  that  will  live  godly 
in  Christ,  shall  (saith  St.  Paul) 
suffer  persecution.  By  this  way 
went  to  heaven  the  patriarchs,  the 
prophets,  Christ  our  master,  his 
apostles,  his  martyrs,  and  all  the 
godly  since  the  beginning.  And 
as  it  hath  been  of  old,  that  he 
which  was  born  after  the  fleshy 
persecuted  him  who  was  boru 
after  the  spirit,  for  so  it  was  in 
Isaac's  time ;  so  said  St.  Paul,  it 

31 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


was  in  liis  time  also.     And  whctlier 
it  be  so  now  or  no,  let  tlie  spiri- 
tual  man,    the    self-same    man    I 
mean,  that  is  endued  with  the  Spi- 
rit of  Almighty  God,   let  him   be 
judge.     Of  the  cross  of  the  patri- 
archs, as  ye  may  read  in  their  sto- 
ries, if  ye  read  the  book  of  Genesis, 
ye  shall  perceive.     Of  others,  St. 
Paul  in  a  few-  words  comprehend- 
eth   much   matter,    speaking   in  a 
generality  of  the  wonderful  afflic- 
tions, death,  and   torments  which 
the  men  of  God,  in  God's  cause, 
and  for  the  truth's  sake,  willingly 
and  gladly  did  suffer.     After  much 
particular  rehearsal    of  many,   he 
saith.  Others  were  racked  and  de- 
spised, and  would  not  be  delivered, 
that  they  might  obtain  a  better  re- 
surrection.     Others     again     were 
tried    with   mockings  and  scourg- 
ings,  and  moreover  M'ith  bonds  and 
imprisonments  ;  they  were  stoned, 
hewn   asunder,  tempted,  fell,  and 
were  slain  upon  the  edge  of  the 
svv'ord  ;  some  wandered  to  and  fro 
in  sheep  skins,   in  goat  skins,  for- 
saken,  oppressed,     afflicted,    such 
godly  men  as  the  world  was  un- 
worthy  of,    wandering    in  wilder- 
nesses, in  mountains,  in  caves,  and 
in  dens,  and   all  these  were  com- 
mended for  their  faith.    And   yet 
they  abide  for  us   the  servants  of 
God,  and  for  those  their  brethren 
which  are  to  be  slain  as  they  were 
for  the  word  of  God's  sake,  that 
none  be  shut  out,  but  that  we  may 
all  go  together  to  meet  our  master 
Christ  in  the  air  at  his  coming,  and 
so  be  in  bliss  with  him  in  body  and 
soul  for  evermore. 

*'  Therefore  seeing  we  have  so 
much  occasion  to  suffer,  and  to 
take  afllictioiis  for  Christ's  name's 
sake  patiently,  so  many  advantages 
thereby,  so  weighty  causes,  so  many 
good  examples,  so  great  necessity, 
so  pure  promises  of  eternal  life 
and  heavenly  joys  of  him  that  can- 
not lie  :  let  us  throw  away  what- 
ever might  hinder  us,  all  burden 
of  sin,  and  all  kind  of  carnality, 
and  patiently  and  constantly  let 
us  run  for  the  best  game  in  this 
race  that  is  set  before  us,  ever 
having  our  eyes  upon  Jesus  Christ, 


the  captain   and    perfecter   of  our 
faith,    who,  for  the  joy   that  was 
set  before  him,  endured  the  cross, 
not  minding  the  shame  and  igno- 
miny thereof,    and  is    set  now    at 
the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God. 
Consider  this,  that  he  suffered  such 
strife  of    sinners    against   himself, 
that  ye  should  not  give  over  nor 
faint  in  your  minds.     As  yet,  bre- 
thren, we  have  not  withstood  unto 
death  fighting  against  sin.     Let  us 
never   forget,   dear    brethren,    for 
Christ's  sake,  that  fatherly  exhorta- 
tion of  the  wise  man  that  speaketh 
unto  us,  as  unto  his  children,  the 
godly  wisdom  of  God,  saying  thus  ; 
My  son,  despise  not  the  correction 
of  the  Lord,  nor  fall  from  him  when 
thou  art  rebuked  of  him  ;  for  whom 
the  Lord  loveth,  him  doth  he  cor- 
rect,   and  scourgeth    every    child 
whom   he  receiveth.     What   child 
is   he  whom   the   father   doth    not 
chasten  ?     Tf  ye  be  free  from  chas- 
tisement, whereof  all  are  partakers, 
then  are  ye  bastards  and  no  chil- 
dren.    Seeing   then,  when    as  we 
have    had    carnal    parents    which 
chastened  us,  we  reverenced  them, 
shall  not  we  much  more  be  subject 
unto  our  spiritual  Father  that  we 
might  live  ?     And  they  for  a  littl'6 
time  have  taught  us  after  their  own 
mind,  but  this  Father  teacheth  us  to 
our  advantage,  to  give  unto  us  his 
holiness.     All  chastisement  for  the 
present  time  appeareth  not  pleasant 
but  painful ;  but  afterwards  it  ren- 
dereth  the  fruit  of  righteousness  on 
them  which    are   exercised   in    it. 
Wherefore  let  us  be  of  good  cheer, 
good  brethren,  and    let    us   pluck 
up  our  feeble  members  that  were 
fallen    or  begun    to   faint,    heart, 
hands,  knees,  and  all  the  rest,  and 
let  us  walk  upright   and  straight, 
that  no  limping  nor  halting  bring 
us  oti't  6f  the  Avay.     Let  us  not  look 
upon  the  things  that   be  present ; 
but,  with  the  eyes  of  our  faith,  let 
us    steadfastly    behold  the    things 
that  be  everlasting  in  heaven,  and 
so  choose  rather  in  respect  of  that 
which  is  to  come,  with  the  chosen 
members  of  Christ  to  bear  Christ's 
cross,  than  for  this  short  life-time 
enjoy  all  the  riches,  honours,  and 


BISHOP  RIDLEY'S  ADDRESS. 


483 


pleasures  of  the  broad  world. 
Why  should  we  Christians  fear 
death?  Can  death  deprive  us  of 
Christ,  which  is  all  our  comfort, 
our  joy,  and  our  life?  Nay,  for- 
sooth. But  contrary,  death  shall 
deliver  us  from  this  mortal  body, 
which  loadeth  and  bcareth  down  the 
spirit,  that  it  cannot  so  well  per- 
ceive heavenly  things;  in  which  so 
long  as  we  dwell,  we  are  absent 
from  God. 

"  Wherefore  understanding  our 
state  in  that  we  be  Christians,  that 
if  our  mortal  body,  which  is  our 
earthly  house,  were  destroyed,  we 
have  a  building,  a  house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens, 
therefore  we  are  of  good  cheer, 
and  know  that  when  we  are  in  the 
body,  we  are  absent  from  God;  for 
we  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight. 
Nevertheless  we  are  bold,  and  had 
rather  be  absent  from  the  body, 
and  present  with  God.  Where- 
fore we  strive,  whether  we  be  pre- 
sent at  home,  or  absent  abroad, 
that  we  may  always  please  him: 
and  who  that  hath  true  faith  in  our 
Saviour  Christ,  whereby  he  know- 
eth  somewhat  truly  what  Christ 
our  Saviour  is,  that  he  is  the  eter- 
nal Son  of  God,  life,  light,  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Father,  all  goodness, 
all  righteousness,  and  whatsoever 
is  good  that  heart  can  desire,  yea, 
infinite  plenty  of  all  these,  above 
what  man's  heart  can  either  con- 
ceive or  think  (for  in  him  dwelleth 
the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  corpo- 
rally), and  also  that  he  is  given  us 
of  the  Father,  and  made  of  God  to 
be  our  wisdom,  our  righteousness, 
our  holiness,  and  our  redemption: 
who  (I  say)  is  he  that  believeth 
this  indeed,  that  would  not  gladly 
be  with  bis  master  Christ?  Paul 
for  this  knowledge  coveted  to  have 
been  loosed  from  the  body,  and  to 
have  been  with  Christ,  for  he 
counted  it  much  better  for  himself, 
and  had  rather  be  loosed  than  to 
live.  Therefore,  these  words  of 
Christ  to  the  thief  on  the  cross, 
that  asked  of  hiiu  mercy,  were  full 
of  comfort  and  solace:  'This  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise.' 
To  die  in  the  defence  of  Christ's 


gospel,  it  is  our  bounden  duty  to 
Christ,  and  also  to  our  neighbour. 
To  Christ,  because  he  died  for  us, 
and  rose  again  that  he  might  be 
Lord  over  all.  And  seeing  he  died 
for  us,  we  also,  saith  St.  John, 
should  hazard,  yea  give  our  life 
for  our  brethren,  and  this  kind  of 
giving  and  losing,  is  getting  and 
winning  indeed:  for  he  that  giveth 
or  loseth  his  life  thus,  getteth  and 
winneth  it  for  evermore.  Blessed 
are  they  therefore  that  die  in  the 
Lord,  and  if  they  die  in  the  Lord's 
cause,  they  are  most  happy  of  all. 
Let  us  nottlen  fear  death,  which 
can  do  us  no  harm,  otherwise  than 
for  a  moment  to  make  the  flesh  to 
smart;  but  that  our  faith,  which  is 
fastened  and  fixed  upon  the  word 
of  God,  telleth  us  that  we  shall  be 
anon  after  death  in  peace,  in  the 
hands  of  God,  in  joy,  in  solace,  and 
that  from  death  we  shall  go  straight 
unto  life.  For  St.  John  saith.  He 
tliat  liveth,  and  believeth  in  me, 
shall  never  die.  And  in  another 
place,  He  shall  depart  from  death 
unto  life.  And  therefore  this 
death  of  the  Christian  is  not  to  be 
called  death,  but  rather  a  gate  or 
entrance  into  everlasting  life. 
Therefore,  Paul  calleth  it  but  a 
dissolution  and  change,  and  both 
Peter  and  Paul,  a  putting  off  thi» 
tabernacle  or  dwelling  house: 
meaning  thereby  the  mortal  body, 
as  wherein  the  soul  or  spirit  doth 
dwell  here  in  this  world  for  a  smalt 
time.  Yea,  this  my  death  may  be 
called,  to  the  Christian,  an  end  of 
all  miseries.  For  so  long  as  we 
live  here,  we  must  pass  through 
many  tribulations  before  we  cam 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
And  now,  after  that  death  hath 
shot  his  bolt,  all  the  Christian 
man's  enemies  have  done  what 
they  can;  after  that  they  have  no 
more  to  do.  What  could  hurt  or 
harm  poor  Lazarus  that  lay  at  the 
rich  man's  gate?  his  former  penury 
and  poverty?  his  misery,  .beggary, 
and  horrible  sores  and  sickness? 
No ;  as  soon  as  death  had  struck 
him  with  his  dart,  so  soon  came 
the  angels,  and  carried  him  straight 
up   into  Abraham's  boaom.     What 


484 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


lost  he  by  death,  who  from  misery 
and  pain  was  conducted,  by  the  mi- 
nistry of  angels,  into  a  place  of  joy 
and  felicity? 

"  Farewell,  dear  brethren,  fare- 
well; let  ns  comfort  our  hearts  in 
all  troubles,  and  in  death,  with 
God's  word,  for  heaven  and  earth 
shall  perish,  but  the  word  of  the 
Lord  endureth  for  ever. 

"  Farewell,  Christ's  dearly  be- 
loved spouse,  here  wandering  in 
this  world  in  a  strange  land,  en- 
compassed about  with  deadly  ene- 
mies, who  see  thy  destruction. 

''  Farewell,  farewell,  O  ye,  the 
whole    universal    congregation    of 


the  chosen  of  God  here  living  upon 
earth,  the  true  church  militant  of 
Christ,  the  true  mystical  body  of 
Christ,  the  very  household  and  fa- 
mily of  God,  and  the  sacred  tem- 
ple of  the  Holy  Ghost,  farewell. 

"  Farewell,  O  thou  little  tlock  of 
the  high  heavenly  pastors  of 
Christ,  for  to  you  it  hath  pleased 
the  heavenly  Father  to  give  an 
everlasting  and  eternal  kingdom. 
Farewell. 

"  Farewell,  thou  spiritual  house 
of  God,  thou  holy  and  royal  priest- 
hood, thou  chosen  generation,  thou 
holy  nation,  thou  won  spouse. 
Farewell,  farewell." 


SECTION  XTI. 

PERSECUTIONS,  DEATHS,  AND  MARTYRDOMS  OF  JOHN  WEBB,  GEORGE 
ROPER,  GREGORY  PARKE,  WILLIAM"  WISEMAN,  JAMES  GORE,  AND  JOHN 
PHILPOT. 


MARTYRDOMS  OF  JOHN  WEBB, 
GEORGE  ROPER,  AND  GREGORY 
PARKE,    AT    CANTERBURY. 

Mr.  Webb  was  brought  before 
Nicholas  Harpsfield,  or  his  deputy, 
at  Dover,  on  the  16th  of  Septem- 
ber, and  there  had  propounded 
unto  him  such  articles  as  were 
commonly  administered  by  Bon- 
ner to  those  of  his  jurisdiction. 
Being  advised  for  the  present  to 
depart,  and  deliberate  with  him- 
self upon  the  matter,  against  his 
next  appearance;  he  answered, 
"  That  he  would  say  no  otherwise 
(by  God's  grace)  than  he  had  al- 
ready said,  which  was,  that  the  sa- 
crament was  simply  a  commemo- 
ration of  the  death  of  the  Lord  for 
his  church;  and  that  the  bread  and 
wine  underwent  no  transforma- 
tion." 

After  this,  on  the  3d  of  October, 
and  at  several  other  times,  Mr. 
John  Webb,  George  Roper,  and 
Gregory  Parke,  were  all  brought  to- 
gether before  the  said  judge;  and  all 
of  them  steadfastly  adhering  to  the 
answer  made  before  by  Mr.  Webb, 
were  adjudged  heretics ;  and,  in 
consequence,  about  the  end  of  the 
same  month,  they  were  brought 
out  of  prison  together  to  the  place 
of  martyrdom;  praying  and  re- 
peating psalms  in  their  way. 


Being  brought  to  the  stake,  and 
there  fastened  with  a  chain,  they 
were  burnt  all  together  in  one  fire 
at  Canterbury,  most  patiently  en- 
during their  torments,  and  account- 
ing themselves  happy  and  blessed 
of  the  Lord  that  they  were  made 
worthy  to  suffer  for  his  sake. 

DEATH    OF   WILLIAM    WISEMAN,    AND 
OF    JAMES    GORE. 

On  the  13th  of  December,  Wil- 
liam Wiseman,  a  cloth-worker  of 
London,  died  in  Lollards'-tower, 
where  he  had  been  confined  on  ac- 
count of  his  adherence  to  the  gos- 
pel. It  was  suspected  that  he  had 
been  starved  to  death;  but  the 
truth  of  this  could  not  be  ascer- 
tained. 

After  his  death,  the  papists  cast 
him  out  into  the  fields,  as  was 
their  usual  custom  with  such  of  the 
protestants  as  expired  under  their 
hands,  commanding  that  no  man 
should  bury  him.  Notwithstand- 
ing their  merciless  commands, 
some  pious  Christians  buried  him 
in  the  evening,  as  commonly  they 
did  all  the  rest  thrown  out  in  like 
manner,  singing  psalms  together  at 
their  burial. 

In  the  same  month  also,  James 
Gore,  imprisoned  aad  in  bonds  for 
his  resistance  of  the  popish  abomi- 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


485 


nations,  died  in  prison  at  Colches- 
ter. 

HISTORY   AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   MR. 
JOHN    PHILPOT. 

Mr.  Pliilpot  was  of  a  family 
hif^hly  respectable  (his  father  be- 
irm:  a  knight),  and  was  born  in 
Hampshire.  He  was  brouglit  up 
at  New  Colleg:e,  Oxford,  where 
he  studied  civil  law  and  other 
branches  of  liberal  education,  par- 
ticularly the  learned  lang;uages, 
and  became  a  great  proficient  in 
the  Hebrew.  He  was  accom- 
plished, courageous,  and  zealous; 
ever  careful  to  adorn  his  doctrine 
by  his  practice;  and  his  learning  is 
fully  evinced  by  what  he  has  left 
on  record. 

Desirous  to  travel,  he  went  over  to 
Italy,  andjourneying  from  Venice  to 
Padua,  he  was  in  danger,  through 
a  Franciscan  friar,  who  a-ccompa- 
nied  him,  and,  at  Padua,  sought  to 
accuse  him  of  heresy.  At  length 
returning  into  England,  uncor- 
rijpted  in  his  morals,  and  strength- 
ened in  his  f^ith,  by  beholding  the 
monstrous  absurdities  and  innu- 
merable iniquities  of  Antichrist  in 
his  strong  hold,  and  finding  that 
the  time  permitted  more  boldnesp 
unto  him,  it  being  the  reign  of  king 
Edward,  he  had  several  conflicts 
with  bishop  Gardiner  in  the  city  of 
Winciiester. 

After  that,  he  was  made  arch- 
deacon of  Winchester,  under  Dr. 
Poinet,  who  then  succeeded  Gar- 
diner in  that  bishopric,  and  here 
he  continued  during  the  reign  of 
king  Edward,  to  the  great  profit  of 
those  whom  his  office  placed  under 
his  care.  When  the  pious  prince 
above  named  was  taken  away,  and 
Mary,  his  sister,  succeeded,  her 
study  was  wholly  to  alter  the  state 
of  religion  in  England:  and  first, 
she  caused  a  convocation  of  the 
prelates  and  other  retainers  of  her 
faith,  to  be  assembled  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  her  desire. 

In  this  convocation,  Mr.  Philpot, 
according  to  his  degree,  with  a 
few  others,  sustained  the  cause  of 
the  gospel  against  the  adversary, 
for  which,  notwithstanding  the  li- 


berty the  house  had  promised  be- 
fore, he  was  called  to  account  be- 
fore the  chancellor,  by  whom  he 
was  first  examined.  From  thence 
again  he  was  removed  to  bishop 
Bonner,  and  other  commissioners, 
with  whom  he  had  divers  conflicts, 
as  may  appear  by  the  following  ex- 
aminations, the  account  of  which 
was  written  by  himself. 

HIS  FIRST  EXAMINATION  BEFORE 
THE  COMMISSIONERS,  AT  NEW- 
GATE SESSIONS-HALL,  OCT.  2, 
1555. 

"  Before  I  was  called  into  an 
inner  parlour,  Avhere  the  commiS' 
sioucrs  sat.  Dr.  Story  came  into 
the  hall  where  I  was,  to  view  me 
among  others  who  were  there;  and 
passing  by  me,  he  grossly  ob- 
served, that  I  was  well  fed  in- 
deed. 

Philpot.  Mr.  Doctor,  it  is  no 
marvel,  since  I  have  been  stalled 
up  in  prison  these  twelve  months 
and  a  half. 

Story.  We  hear  thou  art  a  sus- 
pected person,  and  of  heretical 
opinions,  and  therefore  we  have 
sent  for  thee. 

Philpot.  I  have  been  in  prison 
thus  long,  only  upon  the  occasion 
of  disputation  made  in  the  convo- 
cation-house, and  upon  suspicion 
of  setting  forth  the  report  thereof. 

Story.  If  thou  wilt  revoke  the 
same,  and  become  an  honest  man, 
thou  shalt  be  set  at  liberty,  and  do 
well ;  or  else  thou  shalt  be  com- 
mitted to  the  bishop  of  London. 
How  sayest  thou,  wilt  thou  re- 
voke ? 

Philpot.  1  have  already  answered 
in  this  behalf  to  mine  ordinary. 

Story.  If  thou  answerest  thus 
when  thou  comest  before  us  anon, 
thou  shalt  hear  more  of  our  minds; 
and  with  that  he  went  into  the  par- 
lour, and  I  a  little  while  after  was 
called  in. 

The  Scribe.  Sir,  what  is  your 
name? 

Philpot.  My  name  is  John  Phil- 
pot.    And  so  he  entitled  my  name. 

Story.  This  man  was  archdeacon 
of  Winchester,  of  Br.  Foinet's 
presentment. 


4S5 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Philpot.  I  was  archdeacon  in- 
deed, but  none  of  his  presentment ; 
but  by  virtue  of  a  former  advowson 
given  by  my  lord  chancellor  that 
now  is.  ^ 

Sto7'y.  You  may  be  assured  tnw 
my  lord  chancellor  would  not 
make  any  such  as  he  is  archdea- 
con. 

Roper.  Come  hither  to  me,  Mr. 
Philpot.  We  hear  that  you  are 
out  of  the  catholic  church,  and 
have  been  a  disturber  of  the  same  ; 
out  of  which  whoso  is,  he  cannot 
be  the  child  of  salvation.  Where- 
fore if  you  will  come  into  the  same, 
you  shall  be  received  and  find  fa- 
vour. 

Philpot.  I  am  come  before  your 
worshipful  masterships  at  your  ap- 
pointment, understanding  that  you 
are  magistrates  authorized  by  the 
queen's  majesty,  whom  I  own  and 
will  do  my  due  obedience  unto  the 
uttermost.  Wherefore  I  desire  to 
know  what  cause  I  have  offended 
in,  for  which  I  am  now  called  before 
you.  And  if  I  cannot  be  charged 
with  any  particular  matter  done 
contrary  to  the  laws  of  this  realm, 
I  desire  of  you  that  I  may  have 
the  benefit  of  a  subject,  and  be  de- 
livered out  of  my  wrongful  impri- 
sonment, where  I  have  lain  a  year 
and  a  half,  without  any  calling  to 
answer  before  now,  and  my  living 
taken  from  me  without  law. 

Roper.  Though  we  have  no  par- 
ticular matter  to  charge  you  withal, 
yet  we  may,  by  our  commission, 
and  by  the  law,  drive  you  to  an- 
swer to  the  suspicion  of  a  slander 
going  on  you:  and  besides  this,  we 
have  statutes  to  charge  you  herein 
withal. 

Philpot.  If  I  have  offended  any 
statute,  charge  me  therewithal,  and 
if  I  have  incurred  the  penalty 
thereof,  punish  me  accordingly. 
And  because  you  are  magistrates 
and  executors  of  the  queen's  laws, 
by  force  whereof  you  now  sit,  I  de- 
sire that  if  I  be  not  found  a  trans- 
gressor of  any  of  them,  I  may  not 
be  burthened  with  more  than  I  have 
done. 

Cholmley.  .If  the  justice  do  sus- 
pect a  felon,  b©  may  examine  him 


upon  suspicion  thereof,  and  commit 
him  to  prison,  though  there  be  no 
fault  done. 

Story.  I  perceive  whereabout 
this  man  goeth  :  he  is  plain  in  Card- 
maker's  case,  for  he  made  the  same 
allegations.  But  they  will  not 
serve  thee  ;  for  thou  art  an  heretic, 
and  boldest  against  the  blessed 
mass:  how  sayest  thou  to  that? 
Philpot.  I  am  no  heretic. 
Story.  I  will  prove  thee  an  here- 
tic. Whosoever  hath  held  against 
the  blessed  mass  is  an  heretic:  but 
thou  hast  held  against  the  same, 
therefore  thou  art  an  heretic. 

Philpot.  That  which  I  spake, 
and  which  you  are  able  to  charge 
me  withal,  was  in  the  convocation, 
where,  by  the  queen's  majesty's  will 
and  her  whole  council,  liberty  was 
given  to  every  man  of  the  house  to 
utter  his  conscience,  and  to  speak 
his  mind  freely  of  such  questions  in 
religion  as  there  were  propounded 
by  the  prolocutor ;  for  which  now 
I  thought  not  to  be  molested  and 
imprisoned  as  I  have  been,  neither 
now  to  be  compelled  by  you  to 
answer  for  the  same. 

Story.  Thou  shalt  go  to  Lollards* 
Tower,  and  be  handled  there  like 
an  heretic  as  thou  art,  and  answer 
to  the  same  that  thou  there  didst 
speak,  and  be  judged  by  the  bishop 
of  London. 

Philpot.  Sir,  you  know  it  is 
against  all  equity,  that  I  should  be 
twice  vexed  for  one  cause,  and 
that  by  such  as  by  the  law  have 
nothing  to  do  with  me. 

Roper.  You  cannot  deny,  but 
that  you  spoke  against  the  mass  in 
the  convocation-house. 

Story.  Dost  thou  deny  that 
which  thou  spakest  there  or  no? 

Philpot.  I  cannot  deny  that  I 
have  spoken  there,  and  if  by  the 
law  you  may  put  me  to  death  for 
it,  I  am  here  ready  to  suffer  what- 
soever I  shall  be  judged  unto. 

The  Scribe.  This  man  is  fed  of 
vain-glory. 

Cholmley.  Play  the  wise  gentle- 
man and  be  conformable,  and  be 
not  stubborn  in  your  opinion,  nei- 
ther cast  yourself  away.  I  would 
be  glad  to  do  you  good. 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


4g7 


Philpnt.  I  desire  you,  sir,  with 
the  rest  here,  that  I  be  not  charged 
further  at  your  hands,  than  the  law 
chargeth  me,  for  what  I  have  done, 
since  there  was  no  law  directly 
against  that  wherewith  I  am  now 
charged.  And  you,  Mt.  Doctor, 
(of  old  acquaintance  in  Oxford)  I 
trust  will  shew  me  some  friendship, 
and  not  extremity. 

Story.  I  tell  thee,  if  thou  wouldst 
be  a  good  catholic  I  would  spend 
my  gown  to  do  thee  good ;  but  I 
will  be  no  friend  to  an  heretic,  as 
thou  art,  but  will  spend  both  my 
gown  and  my  coat,  but  I  will  burn 
thee.  How  sayest  thou  to  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  ? 

Philpot.  I  am  not  come  now  to 
dispute,  and  the  time  serveth  not 
thereto,  but  to  answer  to  that  I 
may  be  lawfully  charged  withal. 

Storif.  Well,  since  thou  wilt  not 
revoke  that  thou  hast  done,  thou 
shalt  be  had  into  Lollards'  Tower. 

Philpot.  Sir,  since  you  will  needs 
shew  me  this  extremity,  and 
charge  me  with  ray  conscience,  I 
desire  to  see  your  commission, 
whether  you  have  this  authority  so 
to  do. 

Story.  Shall  we  let  every  vile  per- 
son see  our  commission?  Let  him 
lie  in  the  Lollard's  Tower;  for  I 
will  sweep  the  King's  Bench,  and 
all  other  prisons  also,  of  these  he- 
retics; they  shall  not  have  that 
resort  as  they  have  had,  to  scatter 
their  heresies. 

Philpot.  I  mind  not  whither  you 
commit  me,  for  I  cannot  be  worse 
used  than  I  am. 

Story.  Marshal,  take  him  home 
with  you  again,  and  see  that  you 
bring  him  again  on  Thursday. 

Philpot.  God  hath  appointed  a 
day  shortly  to  come,  in  which  he 
will  judge  us  j.with  righteousness, 
however  you  judge  of  us  now. 

Roper.  Shew  yourself  a  catholic 
man. 

Philpot.  Sir,  if  I  should  speak 
otherwise  than  my  conscience  is,  I 
should  but  dissemble  with  you :  and 
why  be  you  so  earnest  to  have  me 
shew  myself  a  dissembler  both  to 
God  and  you,  which  I  cannot  do  ? 

Roper.  We  do  not  require  you  to 


dissemble  with  us  to  be  a  catholic 
man. 

Philpot.  If  I  do  stand  in  any 
thing  against  that,  wherein  any 
mjia  is  able  to  burthen  me  with  one 
jlrfof  the  scripture,  I  shall  be  con- 
tent to  be  counted  no  catholic  man, 
or  an  heretic,  as  you  please. 

Story.  This  man  is  like  his  fellow 
Woodman,  who  the  other  day 
would  have  nothing  but  scripture. 
And  this  is  the  beginning  of  the 
tragedy. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  he  was 
again  brought  before  the  same  par- 
ty, and  experienced  from  them  the 
most  harsh,  illiberal,  and  vulgar 
treatment.  On  demanding  the  ful- 
filment of  their  promise  in  being 
shewn  their  commission,  the  scribe, 
in  compliance,  began  to  open  it, 
when  Dr.  Cook,  now  added  to  their 
number,  exclaimed, 

Cooh.  Fie,  what  will  ye  do?  he 
shall  not  see  it. 

Philpot.  Then  you  do  me  wrong, 
to  call  me  and  vex  me,  not  shew- 
ing your  authority  in  this  behalf. 

Cook.  If  we  do  you  wrong,  com- 
plain of  us  ;  and  in  the  mean  time 
thou  shalt  lie  in  the  Lollards' 
Tower. 

Philpot.  Sir,  I  am  a  poor  gentle- 
man; therefore  I  trust  that  you  will 
not  commit  me  to  so  vile  a  place, 
being  no  heinous  trespasser. 

Cook.  Thou  art  no  gentleman. 

Philpot.  Yes,  I  am. 

Cook.  An  heretic  is  no  gentleman ; 
for  he  is  a  gentleman  that  hath 
gentle  conditions. 

Philpot.  The  olfence  cannot  take 
away  the  state  of  a  gentleman  as 
long  as  he  liveth,  although  he  were 
a  traitor:  but  I  mean  not  to  boast 
of  my  gentlemanship,  but  I  will  put 
it  under  my  foot,  since  you  do  no 
more  esteem  it. 

Story.  What,  will  you  suffer  this 
heretic  to  prate  all  day? 

Cook.  He  saith  he  is  a  gentle- 
man. 

Story.  A  gentleman,  said  he?  he 
is  a  vile  heretic  knave:  for  a  here- 
tic is  no  gentleman.  Let  the  keep- 
er of  the  Lollards'  Tower  come  in, 
and  have  him  away. 

Keeper.     Here,  sir. 


48B 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Story.  Take  this  man  with  you 
to  the  Lollards'  Tower,  or  else  to 
the  bishop's  coal-house. 

Philpot.  Sir,  if  I  were  a  dog, 
you  could  not  appoint  me  a  worse 
nor  more  vile  place  :  but  T  must  be 
content  with  whatsoever  injury  you 
do  ofler  me.  God  give  you  a  more 
merciful  heart ;  you  are  very  cruel 
upon  one  that  hath  never  offended 
you.  I  pray  you,  Mr.  Cholmley, 
shew  me  some  friendship  that  I 
may  not  be  carried  to  so  vile  a 
place.  On  this  Mr.  Cholmley  call- 
ed me  aside,  and  said  :  I  neither 
understand  their  doings  nor  their 
laws ;  I  cannot  tell  what  they 
mean.  I  would  I  could  do  you 
good- 
After  this,  I  with  four  others  was 
brought  to  the  keeper's  house  in 
Paternoster-row,  where  we  supped, 
and  after  supper  I  was  called  up 
to  a  chamber  by  a  servant  of  the 
archdeacon  of  London,  and  that 
in  his  master's  name,  who  offered 
me  abed  for  the  night.  I  thanked 
him,  and  said.  That  it  would  be  a 
grief  to  me  to  lie  one  night  well 
and  the  next  night  worse  :  where- 
fore, said  I,  1  will  begin  as  I  am 
likely  to  continue,  to  take  such 
part  as  my  fellows  do.  And  with 
that  we  were  brought  through  Pa- 
ternoster-row to  my  lord  of  Lon- 
don's coal-house  ;  unto  which  was 
joined  a  little  dark  house,  with  a 
great  pair  of  stocks,  both  for  hand 
and  foot;  and  there  we  found  a 
minister  of  Essex,  a  married 
priest,  a  man  of  godly  zeal,  with 
one  other  poor  man.  The  minister 
at  my  coming  desired  to  speak 
with  me,  telling  me  that  he  greatly 
lamented  his  infirmity,  for  that 
through  extremity  of  imprisonment 
he  had  been  constrained  by  writing 
to  yield  to  the  bishop  of  London  : 
whereupon  he  had  been  set  at  li- 
berty, and  afterwards  felt  such  a 
hell  in  his  conscience,  that  he  could 
scarce  refrain  destroying  himself, 
and  never  could  be  at  quiet  until 
he  went  to  the  bishop's  register, 
desiring  to  see  his  bill  again  ; 
vrhich  as  soon  as  he  received,  he 
tore  it  in  pieces,  after  which  he  was 
ojfal  as  any  man.    When  my  lord 


of  London  understood  this,  he  sent 
for  him,  and  fell  upon  him  like  a 
lion,  and  buffeted  him,  so  that  he 
made  his  face  black  and  blue  ;  and 
plucked  away  a  great  piece  of  his 
beard. 

HIS     EXAMINATION     BEFORE   BISHOP 
BONNEK. 

The  second  night  of  my  impri- 
sonment in  his  coal-house,  the  bi- 
shop sent  Mr.  Johnson  his  register 
to  me  with  a  mess  ofimeat,  and  a 
good  pot  of  drink  and  some  bread, 
saying,  That  he  had  no  knowledge 
before  of  my  being  here,  for  which 
he  was  sorry :  therefore  he  had 
sent  me  and  my  fellows  that  meat, 
not  knowing  whether  I  would  re- 
ceive the  same. 

I  thanked  God  for  his  lordship's 
charity,  that  it  pleased  him  to  re- 
member poor  prisoners,  desiring 
the  Almighty  to  increase  the  same 
in  him,  and  in  all  others  ;  and  that 
I  would  not  refuse  his  beneficence, 
and  therewith  took  the  same  unto 
my  brethren. 

Johnson.  My  lord  would  know 
the  cause  of  your  being  sent  hither 
(for  he  is  ignorant  thereof),  and 
wondereth  that  he  should  be  trou- 
bled with  prisoners  that  are  not  of 
his  own  diocese.  On  this  I  declar- 
ed unto  him  the  whole  cause. 
After  which  he  said,  that  my  lord's 
will  was,  I  should  have  any  friend- 
ship I  would  desire,  and  so  de- 
parted. 

Within  a  while  after,  one  of  my 
lord's  gentlemen  came  for  me  ;  and 
brought  me  into  his  presence, 
where  he  sat  at  a  table  with  three 
or  four  of  his  chaplains  waiting 
upon  him,  and  his  register. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  you  are 
welcome ;  give  me  your  hand. 
(Which  I  did.) 

Then  said  he,  I'^am  sorrry  for 
your  trouble,  and  promise  you  that 
till  within  these  two  hours,  I  knew 
not  of  your  being  here.  I  pray 
you  tell  me  the  cause :  for  I 
promise  you  I  know  nothing  there- 
of as  yet,  and  marvel  that  other 
men  will  trouble  me  with  their 
matters;  but  I  must  be  obedient 
to   my    betters,    and    I  fear  men 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


489 


speak  othenvise  of  me  than  I  de- 
serve. 

I  told  him,  that  it  was  for  the 
ilisputation  in  the  convocation- 
lioiisc,  for  M'hich  I  was  against  all 
ris;ht  molested. 

Bomier.  I  marvel  that  you 
sliould  be  troubled  for  that,  if  there 
was  no  other  cause.  But  perad- 
venture  you  have  maintained  the 
same  since,  and  some  of  your 
friends  of  late  have  asked,  whe- 
ther you  do  stand  to  the  same,  and 
you  liave  said,  yea ;  and  for  this 
you  might  be  committed  to  pri- 
son. 

Philpot.  If  it  shall  please  your 
lordship  I  am  burdened  no  other- 
wise than  I  have  told  you,  by  the 
commissioners  who  sent  me  hither, 
because  I  would  not  recant  the 
same. 

Bonner.  A  man  may  speak  in 
the  parliament-house,  though  it  be 
a  place  of  free  speech,  so  as  he 
may  be  imprisoned  for  it,  as  in 
case  he  speak  words  of  high-trea- 
son against  the  king  and  queen; 
and  so  it  might  be  that  you  spake 
otherwise  than  it  became  you  of 
the  church  of  Christ. 

Philpot.  T  spake  nothing  which 
was  out  of  the  articles  which  were 
called  in  question,  and  agreed  upon 
to  be  disputed  by  the  whole  house, 
and  by  permission  of  the  queen  and 
council. 

Bonner.  Why,  may  we  dispute 
of  our  faith  ? 

Philpot.     That  we  may. 

Bonner.  Nay,  I  think  not,  by 
the  law. 

Philpot.  Indeed,  by  the  civil 
law  I  know  it  is  not  lawful,  but  by 
God's  law  we  may  reason  thereof. 
For  St.  Peter  saith,  "  Be  ye  ready 
to  render  account  unto  all  men  of 
the  hope  which  is  in  you," 

Bonner.  Indeed,  St.  Peter  saith 
so.  Why,  then  I  ask  of  you  what 
your  judgment  is  of  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  St.  Ambrose 
saith,  that  the  disputation  of  faith 
ought  to  be  in  the  congregation,  in 
the  hearing  of  the  people,  and  that 
I  am  not  bound  to  render  account 
tfaereof  to  every  man  privately,  un- 


less it  be  to  edify.  But  now  I  can- 
not shew  you  my  mind,  but  I  must 
run  upon  the  pikes  in  danger  of 
my  life  for  it.  Wherefore,  as  the 
said  doctor  said  unto  Valentinian 
the  emperor,  so  say  I  to  your  lord- 
ship ;  Take  away  the  law,  and  I 
shall  {reason  with  you.  And  yet  if 
I  come  in  open  judgment,  where  I 
am  bound  by  the  law  to  answer,  I 
trust  I  shall  utter  my  conscience  as 
freely  as  any. 

Bonner.  I  perceive  you  are 
learned  ;  I  would  have  such  as  you 
about  me.  But  you  must  come 
and  be  of  the  church,  for  there  is 
but  one  church. 

Philpot.  God  forbid  I  should  be 
out  of  the  church !  I  am  sure  I  am 
within  the  same  :  for  I  know,  as  I 
am  taught  by  the  scripture,  that 
there  is  but  one  Catholic  church, 
one  dove,  one  spouse,  one  beloved 
congregation,  out  of  which  there 
is  no  salvation. 

Bonner.  How  chanceth  it  then, 
that  you  go  out  of  the  same,  and 
walk  not  with  us  ? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  am  sure  I 
am  within  the  bounds  of  the  church 
whereupon  she  is  built,  which  is 
the  word  of  God. 

Bonner.     What  age  are  you  of? 

Philpot.     I  am  four-and-forty. 

Bonner.  You  are  not  now  of 
the  same  faith  your  godfathers  and 
godmothers  promised  for  you,  in 
which  you  were  baptized. 

Philpot.  Yes,  I  am :  for  I  was 
baptized  into  the  faith  of  Christ, 
which  I  now  hold. 

Bonner.  How  can  that  be  ?  there 
is  but  one  faith. 

Philpot.  I  am  assured  of  that  by 
St.  Paul,  saying,  "  That  there  is 
but  one  God,  one  faith,  and  one 
baptism,"  of  which  I  am. 

Bonner.  You  were,  twenty  years 
ago,  of  another  faith  than  you  are 
now. 

Philpot.  Indeed,  my  lord,  to  tell 
you  plain,  I  was  then  of  no  faith ; 
a  neuter,  a  wicked  liver,  neither 
hot  nor  cold. 

Bonner.  Why,  do  you  not  think 
that  we  have  now  the  true  faith  ? 

Philpot.  I  desire  your  lordship 
to  hold  me  excused  for  answering 


4go 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


at  this  time.  I  am  sure  that  God's 
word  was  thoroughly  with  the  pri- 
mitive church. 

Bonner.  Well,  I  promise  you  I 
mean  you  no  hurt.  I  will  not  there- 
fore burden  you  with  your  con- 
science now ;  I  marvel  that  you 
are  so  merry  in  prison  as  you  are, 
singing  and  rejoicing,  as  the  pro- 
phet saith.  Rejoicing  in  your  naugh- 
tiness. Methinks  you  do  not  well 
herein  ;  you  should  rather  lament 
and  be  sorry. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  the  mirth  that 
we  make  is  but  in  singing  certain 
psalms,  according  as  we  are  com- 
manded by  St.  Paul,  willing  us  to 
be  merry  in  the  Lord,  singing  toge- 
ther in  hymns  and  psalms  :  and  I 
trust  your  lordship  cannot  be  dis- 
pleased with  that. 

We  are,  my  lord,  in  a  dark  com- 
fortless place,  and  therefore  it  be- 
hoveth  us  to  be  merry,  lest,  as  So- 
lomon saith,  sorrowfulness  eat  up 
our  heart. 

Bonner.  I  will  trouble  you  no 
farther  now.  If  I  can  do  you  any 
good,  I  shall  be  glad.  God  be 
with  you,  good  Mr.  Philpot,  and 
good  night.  Take  him  to  the  cel- 
lar, and  let  him  drink  a  cup  of 
wine. 

Thus  I  departed,  and  by  my 
lord's  register  I  was  brought  to  his 
cellar  door,  where  I  drank  a  good 
cup  of  wine.  And  my  lord's  chap- 
lain, Mr.  Cousin,  followed  me, 
making  acquaintance,  saying  that 
I  was  welcome,  and  wished  that  I 
would  not  be  singular. 

Philpot.  I  am  well  taught  the 
contrary  by  Solomon,  saying, 
"  Wo  be  to  him  that  is  alone." 
After  that  I  was  carried  to  my 
lord's  coal-house  again,  where  I 
with  my  six  companions  housed 
together  in  straw  as  cheerfully  as 
others  in  their  beds  of  down. 

FOURTH  KXAMINATION  OF  MR.  PHIL- 
POT, BKrORK  THli  BISHOPS  OF 
LONDON,  BATH,  WORCESTEK,  AND 
GLOUCESTER. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  it  hath 
pleased  my  lords  to  take  pains 
here  to-day,   to  dine  with  my  poor 


archdeacon,  and  in  the  dinner-time 
it  chanced  us  to  have  communica- 
tion of  you,  and  you  were  pitied 
here  by  many  who  knew  you  at 
New  College  in  Oxford.  And  I 
also  do  pity  your  case,  because 
you  seem  unto  me,  by  the  talk  I 
had  with  you  the  other  night,  to  be 
learned  :  and  therefore  now  I  have 
sent  for  you  to  come  before  them, 
that  it  might  not  be  said  hereafter, 
that  I  had  so  many  learned  bishops 
at  my  house,  aud  yet  would  not 
vouchsafe  them  to  talk  with  you, 
and  at  my  request  (I  thank  them) 
they  are  content  so  to  do.  Now 
therefore  utter  your  mind  freely, 
and  you  shall  with  all  favour  be 
satisfied.  I  am  sorry  to  see  you 
lie  in  so  evil  a  case  as  you  do,  and 
would  fain  you  should  do  better,  as 
you  may  if  you  please. 

Bath.  My  lords  here  lia\e  not 
sent  for  you  to  fawn  upon  you, 
but  for  charity  sake  to  exhort  you 
to  come  into  the  right  Catholic 
church. 

Worcester.  Before  he  beginneth 
to  speak,  it  is  best  that  he  call 
upon  God  for  grace,  and  to  pray 
that  it  might  please  God  to  open 
his  heart,  that  he  may  conceive  the 
truth. 

Philpot.  With  that  I  fell  down 
upon  ray  knees  before  them,  and 
made  my  prayer  on  this  manner : 

"  Almighty  God,  who  art  the 
giver  of  all  wisdom  and  under- 
standing, I  beseech  thee  of  thine 
infinite  goodness  and  mercy  in 
Jesus  Christ,  to  give  me  (a  most 
vile  sinner  in  thy  sight)  the  spirit 
of  wisdom  to  speak  and  make  an- 
swer in  thy  cause,  that  it  may  be  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  hearers,  be- 
fore whom  I  stand,  and  also  to  my 
better  understanding  if  I  be  de- 
ceived in  any  thing." 

Bonner.  Nay,  my  lord  of  Wor- 
cester, you  did  not  well  to  exhort 
him  to  make  any  prayer.  For  this 
is  the  thing  they  have  a  singular 
pride  in,  that  they  can  often  make 
their  vain  prayers,  in  which  they 
glory  much.  For  in  this  point 
they  are  much  like  to  certain  ar- 
rant heretics,  of  whom  Pliny 
maketh  mention,  that  did  daily  sing 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


491 


praise  unto  God  before  dawning  of 
the  day. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  God  make  me 
and  all  you  here  present  such  he- 
retics as  those  were  that  snn<!;  those 
morning  hymns  :  for  they  were  right 
Christians,  with  whom  the  tyrants 
of  the  world  were  oOended. 

Bath.  Proceed  to  what  he  hath 
to  say.  He  hath  prayed  I  cannot 
tell  for  what. 

Bonner.  Say  on,  Mr.  Philpot ; 
my  lords  will  gladly  hear  you. 

Philpot.  I  have,  ray  lords,  been 
these  twelve  months  and  a  half  in 
prison  without  any<just  cause,  and 
ray  living  is  taken  from  me  with- 
out any  lawful  order,  and  now  I  am 
brought  (contrary  to  right)  from 
my  own  territory  and  ordinary,  into 
another  man's  jurisdiction,  I  know 
not  why.  Wherefore,  if  your  lord- 
ships can  burden  me  with  any  evil 
done,  I  stand  here  before  you  to 
purge  me  of  the  same.  And  if  no 
such  thing  may  be  justly  laid  to 
my  charge,  I  desire  to  be  released. 
Bonner.  There  is  none  here  that 
goeth  about  to  trouble  you,  but  to 
do  you  good,  if  we  can.  For  I 
promise  you,  you  were  sent  hither 
to  me  without  my  knowledge. 
Therefore  speak  your  conscience 
without  any  fear. 

Philpot.  My  lords,  it  is  not  un- 
known to  you,  that  the  chief  cause 
M'hy  you  count  me,  and  such  as  I 
am,  for  heretics,  is  because  we  be 
not  at  unity  with  your  church. 
You  say,  that  whatsoever  is  out 
of  your  church  is  damned  :  and  we 
think  verily,  on  the  other  side,  that 
if  we  depart  from  the  true  church, 
whereon  we  are  grafted  in  God's 
word,  we  should  stand  in  the  state 
of  damnation.  Whereof  if  your 
lordships  can  bring  any  better  au- 
thority for  your  church  than  we 
can  for  our's,  and  prove  by  the 
scriptures  that  the  church  of  Rome 
now  is  the  true  Catholic  church, 
as  in  all  sermons,  writings  and  ar- 
guments you  uphold ;  and  that  all 
Christian  persons  ought  to  be  ruled 
by  the  same,  under  pain  of  damna- 
tion, (as  you  say)  and  that  the 
same  church  (as  you  pretend)  hath 
authority  to  interpret  the  scriptures 


as  it  seemeth  good  to  her,  and  that 
all  men  are  bound  to  follow  such 
interpretations  only  ;  I  siiall  be  as 
conformable  to  the  same  church  as 
you  may  desire,  which  otherwise  I 
dare  not. 

Cole.  If  you  stand  upon  this 
point  only,  you  may  soon  be  satis- 
fied if  you  please, 

Philpot.  It  is  what  I  require, 
and  to  this  I  will  stand,  and  refer 
all  other  controversies  wherein  I 
now  am  against  you,  and  will  put 
my  hand  thereto,  if  you  mistrust 
my  word. 

Bonner.  I  pray  you,  Mr.  Phil- 
pot, what  faith  were  you  of  twenty 
years  ago?  This  man  will  have 
every  year  a  new  faith, 

Philpot.  My  lord,  to  tell  you 
plain,  I  think  I  was  of  no  faith  ;  for 
I  was  then  a  wicked  liver,  and 
knew  not  God  then  as  I  ought  to 
do,  God  forgive  me. 

Bonner.  No  faith  ?  that  is  not 
so.  I  am  sure  you  were  of  some 
faith. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  have  declar- 
ed to  you  on  my  conscience  what 
I  then  was,  and  judge  of  myself. 
And  what  is  that  to  the  purpose  of 
the  thing  I  desire  to  be  satisfied  of 
you? 

Bonner.  Doctor  Cole,  I  pray 
you  speak  your  mind  to  him. 

Cole.  What  will  you  say,  if  I 
can  prove  it  was  decreed  by  an 
universal  council  in  Athanasius's 
time,  that  all  the  Christian  church 
should  follow  the  determination  of 
the  church  of  Rome  ?  but  I  do  not 
now  remember  where. 

Philpot.  If  you,  Mr.  Doctor, 
can  shew  me  the  same  granted  to 
the  see  of  Rome  by  the  autliority 
of  the  scripture,  I  will  gladly 
hearken  thereto.  But  I  think  you 
are  not  able  to  shew  any  such 
thing:  for  Athanasius  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Nicene  council,  and 
there  was  no  such  thing  decreed. 

Cole.  Though  it  were  not  then, 
it  might  be  at  another  time. 

Philpot.  \  desire  to  sec  the  proof 
thereof. 

Upon  this  Mr.  Harpsfield,  the 
chancellor  to  the  bishop  of  London, 
broug-ht    iu    a  book   of   Irenaeus, 


49% 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


•with  certain  leaves  turned  in,  and 
laid  it  before  the  bishops  to  help 
them  in  their  perplexity,  if  it  might 
be  ;  which  after  the  bishops  of  Bath 
and  Gloucester  had  read  together, 
the  latter  gave  me  the  book,  and 
said: 

Take  the  book,  Mr.  Philpot,  and 
look  upon  that  place,  and  there 
you  may  see  how  the  church  of 
Home  is  to  be  followed  of  all  men. 
On  this  I  took  the  book  and  read 
the  place,  after  which  I  said  it 
made  nothing  against  me,  but 
against  Arians  and  other  heretics, 
against  whom  Irenaeus  wrote. 

Worcester.  It  is  to  be  proved 
most  manifestly  by  all  ancient 
writers,  that  the  see  of  Rome  hath 
always  followed  the  truth,  and 
never  was  deceived,  until  of  late 
certain  heretics  had  defaced  the 
same. 

Philpot.  Let  that  be  proved,  and 
1  have  done. 

Worcester.  Nay,  you  are  of 
such  arrogancy,  singularity,  and 
vain-glory,  that  you  will  never  see 
it,  be  it  ever  so  well  proved. 

Philpot.     Ha!    my    lords,    is    it 
now  time,  think  you,  for  me  to  fol- 
low singularity  or  vain-glory,  since 
•it  is  now   upon  danger  of  my  life 
and  death,  not  only  presently,  but 
also  before  God  to  come  ?    And,  I 
know  if  1  die  not  in  the  true  faith, 
I     shall    die     everlastingly :     and 
again  I  know,  if  I    do  not  as  you 
would  have  me,  you  will  kill  me 
and  a  great  many  more  :  yet  I  had 
rather  perish  by  your  hands,  than 
perish    eternally.       And     at    this 
time    I  have  lost  all  my  goods  of 
this  world,  and  lie  in  a  coal-house, 
where  a  man  would  not  lay  a  dog. 
Cole.     Where    are  you    able    to 
prove  that  the  church  of  Rome  hath 
erred  at  any  time  ?   and  by  what 
history  ?    Certain  it  is  by  Eusebius, 
that  the  church  was  established  at 
Rome  by  Peter  and  Paul,  and  that 
Peter  was  bishop  twenty-five  years 
at  Rome. 

Philpot.  I  know  well  that  Euse- 
bius so  writeth  :  but  it  we  compare 
that  which  St.  Paul  writeth  to  the 
Galatians,  Gal.  i.  the  contrary  will 
manifestly  appear,  that  he  was  not 


half  so  long  there.  He  lived  not 
past  thirty-five  years  after  he  was 
called  to  be  an  apostle:  and  St. 
Paul  maketh  mention  of  his  abid- 
ing at  Jerusalem  after  Christ's 
death  more  than  thirteen  years. 
And  further,  I  am  able  to  prove, 
both  by  Eusebius  and  other  histo- 
riographers, that  the  church  of 
Rome  hath  manifestly  erred,  and 
at  this  present  doth  err,  because 
she  agreeth  not  with  that  which 
they  wrote.  The  primitive  church 
did  use  according  to  the  gospel, 
and  there  needeth  none  other 
proof,  but  to  compare  the  one  with 
the  other. 

Bonner.  I  may  compare  this 
man  to  a  certain  one  I  read  of  who 
fell  into  a  desperation,  and  went 
into  a  wood  to  hang  himself,  and 
when  he  came  there,  he  went 
viewing  of  every  tree,  and  could 
find  none  on  which  he  might  vouch- 
safe to  hang  himself.  But  I  will 
not  apply  this  as  I  might.  I  pray 
you  (Mr.  Doctor)  go  forth  with 
him. 

Cole.  My  lord,  there  is  on  every 
side  of  me,  some  who  arc  better 
able  to  answer  him,  and  I  love  not 
to  fall  into  disputation:  for  we 
now-a-days  sustain  shame  and  ob- 
loquy thereby  of  the  people.  I 
had  rather  shew  my  mind  in  writ- 
ing. 

Philpot.     And  I  had  rather  you 
should  do  so  than  otherwise,   for 
then    a  man   may  better  judge  of 
your   words,    than   by    argument; 
and  I  beseech  you  to  do  so.     But 
if  I  were  a  rich  man,  I  durst  wager 
an  hundred  pounds  that  you  shall 
not  be  able  to  shew  me  that  you 
have  said,  to  be  decreed  by  a  ge- 
neral council  in  Athanasius's  time. 
Foj  this  I  am  sure  of,  that  it  was 
concluded  by  a  general  council  in 
Africa,  many  years  after,  that  none 
of  Africa    (under  pain  of  excom- 
munication)     should      appeal     to 
Rome:    which  decree   I   am  sure 
they  would  not  have  made,  if  by 
the  Scriptures  and  by  an  universal 
council  it  had  been  decreed,  that 
all  men   should  abide  and  follow 
the  determination  of  the  church  of 
Rome. 

I 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


493 


Cole.  But  1  can  shew  that  they 
revoked  that  error  again. 

Philpot.  So  you  say,  Mr.  Doc- 
tor, but  I  pray  you  shew  me  where. 
I  have  hitherto  heard  nothing  from 
you  to  my  satisfaction,  but  bare 
words  without  any  authority. 

Bonner.  What,  I  pray  you, 
ought  we  to  dispute  with  you  of 
our  faith?  Justinian  in  tlie  law 
hath  a  title,  De  Jide  Cathatica,  to 
the  contrary. 

Philpot.  I  am  certain  the  civil 
law  hath  such  a  constitution  :  but 
our  faith  must  not  depend  upon 
the  civil  law.  For,  as  St.  Ambrose 
saith,  Not  the  law,  but  the  gospel 
hath  gathered  the  church  together. 

Worcester.  Mr.  Philpot,  you 
have  the  spirit  of  pride  wherewith 
you  be  led,  which  will  not  let  you 
yield  to  the  truth  :  leave  it  oft',  for 
shame. 

Philpot.  Sir,  I  am  sure  I  have 
the  spirit  of  faith,  by  which  I  speak 
at  this  present;  neither  am  I 
ashamed  to  stand  to  my  faith. 

Gloucester.  What !  do  you  think 
yourself  better  learned  than  so 
many  notable  learned  raen  as  are 
here? 

Philpot.  Elias  alone  had  the 
truth,  when  there  were  four  hun- 
dred priests  against  him. 

Worcester.  Oh,  you  would  be 
counted  now  for  Elias !  And  yet  I 
tell  thee  he  was  deceived:  for  he 
thought  there  had  been  none  good 
but  himself;  and  yet  he  was  de- 
ceived, for  there  were  seven  thou- 
sand besides  him. 

Philpot.  Yea,  but  he  was  not 
deceived  in  doctrine,  as  the  other 
four  hundred  were. 

Worcester.  Do  you  think  the 
universal  church  may  be  deceived? 

Philpot.  St,  Paul  to  the  Thes- 
salonians  prophesied  that  there 
should  come  an  universal  depart- 
ing from  the  faith,  in  the  latter 
days,  before  the  coming  of  Christ, 
saying,  that  "  Christ  shall  not 
come,  till  there  come  departing 
first." 

Worcester.  I  am  sorry  that  you 
should  be  against  the  Christian 
world. 

Philpot.    The  world  commonly, 


and  such  as  are  called  Christians, 
have  hated  the  truth,  and  been  ene- 
mies of  the  same  *. 

Gloucester.  Why,  Mr.  Philpot, 
do  you  tliink  that  the  universal 
church  liath  erred,  and  that  you 
only  are  in  the  truth? 

Philpot.  Tlie  church  that  you 
are  of  was  never  universal,  for  two 
parts  of  the  world,  wliich  are  Asia 
and  Africa,  never  consented  to  the 
supremacy  of  the  bishop  of  Rome, 
neither  did  tliey  follow  his  decrees. 

Gloucester.  Yes,  in  the  Floren- 
tine council  they  did  agree. 


*  This  truth  is  as  forcible  in  the  pre- 
sent day  as  it  was  in  that  of  the  martyr  ; 
for  the  WORLD  is  still  at  enmity  against 
God.  One  of  the  ablest  writers  upon 
the  truths  of  Scripture,  of  the  present 
time,  tlius  beautifully  and  vigorously 
expresses  himself:  "  The  man  who  reallj/ 
believes  the  gospel  of  God,  our  Saviour, 
is  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  true 
God;  and  knows,  th.at  'Justice  and 
judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his 
throne  ,'  while  '  mercy  and  truth  shall 
go  before  his  face.'  (Psalm  Ixxxix.  14.) 
The  man  who  disbelieves  this  gospel ,  may 
be  very  religious;  but  a  false  God  is  the 
object  of  his  religion  ;  a  God  neither 
merciful,  nor  righteous,  nor  true.  He 
may  talk  much  of  what  he  calls  the  divine 
mercy,  and  may  borrow  many  arguments 
from  it  against  the  gospel.  But  what  he 
calls  mercy  is  always  something  which 
stands  in  opposition  to  perfect  righteous- 
ness and  immutable  truth,— some  indulg- 
ence of  what  is  evil— some  forbearance 
to  execute  the  penalty  which  the  law  of 
God  pronounces  against  sin.  Such  an  at- 
tribute belongs  not  to  Jehovah.  Unbe- 
lievers vainly  boast  of  entertaining  high- 
er ideas  of  God's  mercy,  than  those  whom 
they  oppose.  They  altogether  deny  his 
real  mercy,  which  is  indeed  higher  than  the 
heavens ;  but,  in  its  highest  displays,  har- 
monizes with  the  most  awfnl  sanctions  of 
his  law." 

"  In  their  opposition  to  the  glorious 
gospel,  the  true  character  of  unbelieving 
religionists  is  detected;  and  is  proved  to 
be  that  of  haters  of  God.  The  pride  of 
their  souls  spurns  at  bis  mercy :  the  un- 
godliness of  their  rebellious  minds  ar- 
raigns his  justice,  as  tyrannical  severity  ; 
the  infidelity  of  their  self-deceiving 
hearts,  denies  his  truth,  and  treats  the 
denunciations  of  his  law  as  unmeaning 
threats  which  are  not  to  be  executed. 
In  their  zeal  for  their  false  Gods,  they 
often  fear  not  to  blaspheme  the  God  of 
heaven;  and  rather  than  be  saved  by 
Him,  in  the  way  which  exhibits  all  his 
glories,  they  will  choose  destruction." 


494 


B(X)K  OF  MARTYRS. 


Philpot.  It  was  said  so  by  false 
report,  after  they  of  Asia  and 
Africa  were  {jone  home  :  but  it  was 
not  so  indeed,  as  the  sequel  of 
them  all  proved  the  contrary. 

Gloucester.  I  pray  you  by  whom 
will  you  be  judged  in  matters  of 
controversy  which  happen  daily? 

Philpot.  By  the  word  of  God. 
For  Christ  saith  in  St.  John,  "Tl>e 
word  that  he  spake,  shall  he  judge 
in  the  latter  day." 

Gloucester.      What   if  yow  take 
the  word  one  way  and  /  another 
way;  who  shall  be  judge  then? 
Philpot.     The  primitive  church. 
Gloucester.      I    know  you  mean 
the  doctors  that  wrote  thereof. 
Philpot.     I  mean  verily  so. 
Gloucester.      What  if    you   take 
the  doctors  in  one  sense,   and  I  in 
another;  who  shall  be  judge  then? 
Philpot.     Then  let  that  be  taken 
which  is  most  agreeable  to  God's 
word. 

Worcester.  Thou  art  the  arro- 
gantest  fellow  that  ever  I  knew. 

Philpot.  I  pray  your  lordship 
to  bear  with  my  hasty  speech  ;  it  is 
part  of  my  corrupt  nature  to  speak 
somewhat  hastily :  but  for  all  that, 
I  mean  with  humility  to  do  my  duty 
to  your  lordship. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  my  lords 
will  trouble  you  no  further  at  this 
time,  but  you  shall^^o  hence  to  the 
place  whence  you  came,  and  have 
such  favour  as  in  the  mean  while 
I  can  shew  you;  and  upon  Wed- 
nesday next  you  shall  be  called 
vipon  again,  to  be  heard  what  you 
can  say  for  the  maintenance  of  your 
error. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  my  desire  is 
to  be  satisfied  of  you  in  that  I  re- 
quired; and  your  lordship  shall 
find  me  as  I  have  said. 

Worcester.  God  send  you  more 
grace. 

Philpot.  And  increase  the  same 
in  you,  and  open  your  eyes,  that 
you  may  see  to  maintain  his  truth, 
and  his  true  church. 

Then  the  bishops  rose,  and  after 
consulting  together,  caused  a  writ- 
ing to  be  made,  in  which  I  think 
my  blood  by  them  was  bought  and 
sold,    and  thereto  they    put  theii" 


hands ;  after  which  I  was  carried  to 
my  coal-house  again. 

THE  FIFTH  EXAMINATION  OF  MR. 
PHILPOT  BEFORE  THE  BISHOPS 
OF  LONDON,  ROCHESTER,  ST. 
ASAPH,    AND    OTHERS. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  come  you 
hither;  I  have  desired  my  lords 
here,  and  other  learned  men,  to 
take  some  pains  once  again  to  do 
you  good,  and  because  I  do  mind 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  you  to-mor- 
row, as  I  am  commanded,  yet  I 
would  you  should  have  as  much 
favour  as  I  can  shew  you,  if  you 
will  be  any  thing  conformable ; 
therefore  play  the  wise  man,  and 
be  not  singular  in  your  own  opi- 
nion, but  be  ruled  by  these  learned 
men. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  in  that  you 
say  you  will  sit  on  me  in  judgment 
to-morrow,  I  am  glad  thereof:  for 
I  was  promised  by  them  which 
sent^  me  unto  you,  that  I  should 
have  been  judged  the  next  day 
after:  but  promise  hath  not  been 
kept  with  me,  to  my  farther  grief. 
I  look  for  none  other  but  death  at 
your  hands,  and  I  am  as  ready  to 
yield  my  life  in  Christ's  cause,  as 
you  are  to  require  it. 

Having  argued  some  time  upon 
questions  of  civil  law,  the  subject 
of  papal  supremacy  was  resumed. 

St.  Asaph.  It  is  most  evident 
that  St.  Peter  did  build  the  Catho- 
lic church  at  Rome.  And  Christ 
said,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon 
this  rock  will  I  build  my  church." 
Moreover  the  succession  of  bishops 
in  the  see  of  Rome  can  be  proved 
from  time  to  time,  as  it  can  be  of 
none  other  place  so  well,  which  is 
a  manifest  probation  of  the  Catho- 
lic church,  as  divers  doctors  do 
write. 

Philpot.  That  you  would  have 
to  be  undoubted,  is  most  uncertain, 
and  that  by  the  authority  which 
you  allege  of  Christ,  saying  unto 
Peter,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  church," 
unless  you  can  prove  that  rock  to 
signify  Rome,  as  you  would  make 
me  falsely  believe.  And  although 
you  can  prove  the   succession   of 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


495 


bishops  from  Peter,  yet  this  is  not 
sufficient  to  prove  Home  the  Ca- 
tholic churcli,  unless  you  can  prove 
the  profession  of  Peter's  faith, 
whereupon  the  Catholic  churcii  is 
built,  to  have  continued  in  his  suc- 
cessors at  Rome,  and  at  this  pre- 
sent to  remain*. 

Bonner.  Are  there  any  more 
churches  than  one  Catholic  church  J 
And  I  pray  you  tell  me  into  what 
faith  were  you  baptized  ? 

Philpot.  I  acknowledge  one 
holy  Catholic  and  apostolic  church, 
whereof  I  am  a  member  (I  praise 
God),  and  am  of  that  Catholic 
faith  of  Christ,  whereinto  I  was 
baptized. 

Coventry.  I  pray,  can  yOTi  tell 
what  this  word  Catholic  doth  sig- 
nify? 

Philpot.  Yes,  I  can,  thank  God. 
The  Catholic  faith,  or  the  Catholic 
church,  is  not,  as  the  people  are 
taught,  tiiat  which  is  most  univer- 
sal, or  by  most  part  of  men  re- 
ceived, whereby  you  infer  our 
faith  to  hang  upon  the  multitude ; 
but  I  esteem  tlie  Catholic  church 
to  be  as  St.  Austin  detineth:  "  We 
judge,"  saith  he,  "  the  Catholic 
faith,  of  that  which  hath  been,  is,  and 
shallhe."  So  that  if  you  can  be  able 
to  prove  that  your  faith  and  church 
hath  been  from  the  beginning  taught, 
and  is,  and  shall  be,  then  you 
may  count  yourselves  Catholic, 
otherwise  not.  And  Catholic  is  a 
Greek  word,  compounded  of  hata, 
which  signifieth,  after,  or  accord- 
ing, and /to/on,  a  sum,  or  principle, 
or    whole.        So     that    catholic 


•  This  unanswerable  argument,  we 
see,  was  evaded  by  the  bishops;  as  it 
always  is  by  the  professors  of  popery — 
they  rely  upon  the  mere  succession  of 
bishops  as  being  sufficient  to  prove  that 
they  are  in  every  respect  the  same, 
whereas  nothing  can  be  more  fallacious: 
as  well  might  the  followers  of  the  impos- 
tor Mahomet  be  considered  as  the  succes- 
sors of  the  apostles,  because  tliey  have 
usurped  the  country  sanctified  by  the  la- 
bours of  the  first  followers  of  our  blessed 
Lord.  And,  in  truth,  their  tenets  differ 
not  much  more  widely  from  real  and  ge- 
nuine Christianity  than  those  of  the  up- 
holders of  papacy  and  superstition. 


CHLRCH,    or  CATHOLIC  FAITH,    is  as 

much    as    to  say,  the  first,  whole, 
sound,  or  chief  faith. 

Bonner.  Dutli  St.  Austin  say  so 
as  he  allegeth  it  ?  or  doth  he  mean 
as  he  taketh  the  same  ?  How  say 
you,  Mr.  Curtop  ? 

Curtop.  Indeed,  my  lord,  St. 
Austin  hath  such  a  saying,  speak- 
ing against  the  Donatists,  that  the 
Catholic  faith  ought  to  be  esteemed 
of  things  in  time  past,  and  as  they 
are  practised  according  to  the 
same,  and  ought  to  be  through  all 
ages,  and  not  after  a  new  ma'nner 
as  the  Donatists  began  to  profess.' 
Philpot.  You  have  said  well, 
Mr.  Curtop,  and  after  the  meaning' 
of  St.  Austin,  and  to  confirm  that 
which  I  have  said  for  the  significa- 
tion of  Catholic. 

Coventry.  Let  the  book  be  seen, 
my  lord. 

Bonner.  I  pray  you,  my  lord,, 
be  content,  or  in  good  faith  I  will 
break  even  off,  and  let  all  alone. 
Do  you  think  that  the  Catholic 
church  (until  within  these  few  years, 
in  which  a  few  upon  singularity 
have  swerved  from  the  same)  hath 
erred  ? 

Philpot.  I  do  not  think  that  tho 
Catholic  church  can  err  in  doctrine; 
but  I  require  you  to  prove  this 
church  of  Rome  to  be  the  Catholic 
church. 

Curtop.  I  can  prove  that 
Ircnaeus  (which  was  within  an 
hundred  years  after  Christ)  came 
to  Victor,  then  bishop  of  Rome,  to 
ask  his  advice  about  the  excommu- 
nication of  certain  heretics,  whicn 
(by  all  likelihood)  he  would  not 
have  done,  if  he  had  not  taken 
him  to  be  supreme  head. 

Coventry.  Mark  well  this  ar- 
gument. How  are  you  able  to 
answer  the  same  ?  Answer  if  you 
can. 

Philpot.  It  is  soon  answered, 
my  lord,  for  that  is  of  no  force  ; 
neither  doth  this  fact  of  Irenaeus 
make  any  more  for  the  supremacy 
of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  than  mine 
hath  done,  who  have  been  at  Rome 
as  well  as  he,  and  might  have 
spoken    with  the   pope  if   I   had 


496 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


listed  ;  and  yet  I  would  none  in 
England  did  favour  his  supremacy 
more  than  I. 

St.  Asaph.  You  are  more  to 
blame  (by  the  laith  of  my  body) 
for  that  you  favour  the  same  no 
better,  since  all  Ihe  Catholic 
church  (until  these  few  years)  have 
taken  him  to  be  the  supreme  head 
of  the  church,  besides  this  good 
man  Irenieus. 

Philpot.  That  is  not  likely, 
that  Irena^us  so  took  him,  or  the 
primitive  church :  for  I  am  able  to 
shew  seven  oeneral  councils  after 
Trenseus's  time,  wherein  he  was 
never  taken  for  supreme  head. 

The  other  Bishop.  This  man  will 
never  be  satisfied,  say  what  we  can. 
It  is  but  folly  to  reason  any  more 
with  him. 

Philpot.  O,  my  lords,  would 
you  have  me  satisfied  with  no- 
thing? Judge,  I  pray  jou,  who 
hath  better  authority,  he  which 
bringeth  the  example  of  one  man 
going  to  Rome,  or  I  that  by  these 
many  general  councils  am  able  to 
prove,  that  he  was  never  so  taken 
in  many  hundred  years  after  Christ, 
as  by  Nicene,  Ephesine,  the  first 
and  second  Chalcedon,  Constan- 
tinopolitan,  Carthaginese,  Aqui- 
lense. 

Coventry.  Why  will  you  not  ad- 
mit the  church  of  Rome  to  be  the 
Catholic  church? 

Philpot.  Because  it  followeth 
not  the  primitive  Catholic  church, 
neither  agreeth  with  the  same. 

Coventry.  Wherein  doth  it  dis- 
sent? 

Philpot.  It  were  too  long  to 
recite  all,  but  two  things  I  will 
name,  supremacy  and  transubstan- 
tiation. 

Dr.  Saverson.  I  wonder  you  will 
stand  so  steadfast  in  your  error,  to 
your  own  destruction. 

Philpot.  I  am  sure  we  are  in  no 
error,  by  the  promise  of  Christ 
made  to  the  faithful  once,  which 
is,  that  he  will  give  to  his  true 
church  such  a  spirit  of  wisdom, 
that  the  adversaries  thereof  should 
never  be  able  to  resist.  And  by 
this  I  know  we  are  of  the  truth,  for 


that  neither  by  reasoning,  neither 
by  writing,  your  synagogue  of 
Rome  is  able  to  answer.  Where 
is  there  one  of  you  all  that  ever 
hath  been  able  to  answer  any  of 
the  godly  ministers  of  Germany, 
who  have  disclosed  your  counterfeit 
religion?  Which  of  you  all  (at  tlii-i 
day)  is  able  to  answer  Calvin's  in- 
stitutions? 

Dr.  Saverson.  A  godly  minister 
indeed,  a  receiver  of  cut-purses 
and  runagate  traitors.  And  of 
late  I  can  tell  you,  tliere  is  such 
contention  fallen  between  him  and 
his  own  sect,  that  he  was  obii>!;od 
to  fly  the  town,  about  predestina- 
tion. I  tell  you  truth,  for  I  came 
by  Geneva  here. 

Philpot.  I  am  sure  you  blas- 
pheme him  and  that  chun^h  where 
he  is  minister;  as  it  is  your  church's 
disposition,  when  you  cannot  an- 
swer men  by  learning,  to  answer 
them  with  blasphemies  and  false 
reports.  For  in  the  matter  of  pre- 
destination he  is  in  no  other  opi- 
nion than  all  the  doctors  of  the 
church  be,  agreeing  to  the  scrip- 
tures. 

Saverson.  Men  are  able  to  an- 
swer him  if  they  will.  And  I  pray 
which  of  you  has  answered  bishop 
Fisher's  book? 

Philpot.  Yes,  Mr.  Doctor,  that 
book  is  answered,  and  answered 
again,  as  you  may  see,  if  you  like 
to  seek  what  hath  been  written 
against  him. 

And  after  this  Dr.  Story  came 
in.  To  whom  I  s^id,  Mr.  Doctor, 
you  have  done  me  great  injury, 
and  without  law  have  straitly  im- 
prisoned me,  more  like  a  dog  than 
a  man.  And  besides  this  you  have 
not  kept  promise  with  me,  for  you 
promised  that  I  should  be  judged 
the  next  day  after. 

Sto7-y.  I  am  come  now  to  keep 
promise  with  thee.  Was  there  ever 
such  a  fantastical  man  as  this  is  ? 
Nay,  he  is  no  man,  he  is  a  beast ! 
yea,  these  heretics  be  worse  than 
brute  beasts  ;  for  they  will  upon  a 
vain  singularity  take  upon  them  to 
be  wiser  than  all  men,  being  in- 
deed   very    fools    and    ass-head&. 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


497 


not  able  to  maintain  that  wliich 
of  an  arrogant  obstinacy  they  do 
stand  in. 

Philpot.  I  am  content  to  abide 
j'our  railing  judgment  of  me  now. 
Saj'  what  you  will,  I  am  content, 
for  I    am  under  your   feet   to  be 


trodden  on  as  you  like.  God  for- 
give it  you  ;  yet  I  am  no  heretic. 
Neither  you  nor  any  other  shall  be 
able  to  prove  that  I  hold  one  jot 
against  the  word  of  God  otherwise 
than  a  Christian  man  ought. 


Dominico    Berto.,    a    ymUh  of   Sixteen,    cruelly  mangled  and    tortured    to  death,    by  the 
Popish  Feraecutors,  A.  D.  16^0. 


Story.  The  word  of  God,  for- 
sooth !  It  is  but  folly  to  reason 
with  these  heretics,  for  they  are 
incurable  and  desperate.  But 
yet  I  may  reason  with  thee,  not 
that  I  have  any  hope  to  win  thee  : 
whom  wilt  thou  appoint  to  judge 
of  the  word  whereto  thou  standest? 

Philpot.     Verily  the  word  itself. 

Stonj.  Do  you  not  see  the  igno- 
rance of  this  beastly  heretic?  he 
willeth  the  word  to  be  judged  of  the 
word.     Can  the  word  speak? 

Philpot.  If  I  cannot  prove  that 
which  I  have  said  by  good  autho- 
rity, I  will  be  content  to  be  count- 
ed an  heretic  and  an  ignorant 
person,  and  further  what  you 
please. 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


Storu.  Let  us  hear  what  wise 
authority  thou  canst  bring  in. 

Philpot.  It  is  the  word  of  Christ 
in  St.  John,  "The  word  which  [ 
have  spoken,  shall  judge  in  the 
last  day."  If  the  word  shall  judge 
in  the  last  da}',  how  much  more 
ought  it  to  judge  of  our  doings 
now  ?  and  I  am  sure  1  have  my 
judge  on  my  side,  who  will  absolve 
and  justify  me  in  another  world. 
Howsoever  now  it  shall  please 
you  by  authority  unrighteously  to 
judge  of  me  and  others,  sure  I  am 
in  another  world  to  judge  you. 

Ston/.  Well,  sir,  you  are  like 
to  go  after  your  father  Latimer  the 
sophister,  and  Ridley,  who  had  no- 
thing to  allege  for  himself  but  that 

32 


498 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


he  learned  his  heresy  of  Cranmer. 
But  I  dispatched  them  ;  and  I  tell 
thee  that  there  never  yet  hath  been 
one  burnt,  but  I  have  spoke  with 
him,  and  have  been  a  cause  of '^his 
dispatch  *. 

Philpot.  You  will  have  the  more 
to  answer  for,  Mr.  Doctor,  as  you 
shall  feel  in  another  world,  how 
much  soever  you  now  triumph. 

Story.  I  tell  thee  I  will  never 
be  confessed  thereof.  And  because 
I  cannot  now  tarry  to  speak  with 
my  lord,  I  pray  one  of  you  to  tell 
my  lord,  that  my  coming  was  to 
signify  to  his  lordship,  that  he  must 
out  of  hand  put  this  heretic  out 
of  the  way.  And  going  away  he 
said  to  me,  I  certify  thee,  that  thou 
mayest  thank  no  other  man  but 
me. 

Philpot.  I  thank  you  therefore 
with  all  my  heart,  and  forgive  it 
you. 

Story.  What,  dost  thou  thank 
me  ?  If  I  had  thee  in  my  study 
half  an  hour,  I  think  I  should  make 
thee  sing  another  song. 

Philpot.  No,  Mr.  Doctor,  I 
stand  upon  too  sure  a  ground  to 
be  overthrown  by  you  now.  And 
thus  they  departed  all  away  from 
me  one  after  another,  until  I  was 
left  alone.  And  afterwards  going 
with  my  keeper  to  the  coal-house, 
as  I  went  I  met  my  lord  of  Lon- 
don, who  spoke  unto  me  very 
gently. 

Bonner.  Philpot,  if  there  be 
any  pleasure  I  may  shew  thee  in 
my  house,  I  pray  you  require  it, 
and  you  shall  have  it. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  the  pleasure 
that  I  will  require  of  your  lordship, 
is  to  hasten  ray  judgment  which  is 
committed  unto  you,  and  to  dis- 


*  This  inhuman  ruffian  is  a  fair  speci- 
men of  the  thorough-paced  papistical 
persecutor.  Unable  to  oflera  single  ar- 
gument, he  overwhelms  his  victims  with 
vulgar  abuse,  and  glories  in  having  been 
an  instrument  of  bringing  many  to  the 
stake, — that  conclusive  reply  with  which 
the  Papists  found  it  so  convenient  to  stop 
the  mouths  of  those  whose  doctrines  they 
could  not  controvert,  and  which  they 
Would  now  gladly  press  into  their  service, 
were  their  ability  equal  to  tlieir  desires. 


patch  me  out  of  this  miserable 
world  unto  my  eternal  rest.  And 
for  all  this  fair  speech  I  cannot 
attain  hitherto,this  fortnight's  space, 
either  fire,  candle,  or  good  lodging. 
But  it  is  good  for  a  man  to  be 
brought  low  in  this  world,  and  to 
be  counted  amongst  the  vilest, 
that  he  may  in  time  of  reward 
receive  exaltation  and  glory. 
Therefore  praised  be  God  that 
hath  humbled  me,  and  given  me 
grace  with  gladness  to  be  content 
therewith.  Let  all  who  love  the 
truth  say  Amen. 

HIS  SIXTH  EXAMINATION,  BEFORE 
THE  LORD  CHAMBERLAIN,  THE 
BISHOP  OF  LONDON,  LORDS  RICH, 
ST.  JOHN,  WINDSOR,  SHANDOIS, 
SIR  JOHN  BRIDGES,  DR.  CHEDSEY, 
AND    OTHERS,    NOV.    6,    1555. 

While  the  lords  were  seating 
themselves,  the  bishop  of  London 
came  and  whispered  in  my  ear, 
desiring  me  to  behave  prudently 
before  the  lords  of  the  queen's 
council,  and  to  take  heed  what  I 
said. 

He  then,  after  the  lords  aud 
other  gentlemen  were  sat,  placed 
himself  at  the  end  of  the  table, 
and  called  me  to  him,  and  by  the 
lords  I  was  placed  at  the  upper 
end  against  him  ;  where  I  kneel-  <- 
ing  down,  the  lords  commanded 
me  to  stand  up,  and  the  bishop 
spoke  to  me  in  the  following  man- 
ner. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  T  have 
heretofore  both  privately  myself, 
and  openly  before  the  lords  of  the 
clergy,  more  times  than  once  caus- 
ed you  to  be  conversed  with,  to 
reform  you  of  your  errors,  but  I 
have  not  yet  found  you  so  tractable 
as  I  could  wish  :  wherefore  now  I 
have  desired  those  honourable 
lords  of  the  temporality,  and  of 
the  queen's  majesty's  council,  who 
have  taken  pains  with  me  this  day, 
I  thank  them  for  it,  to  hear  you, 
and  what  you  can  say,  that  they 
may  be  judges  whether  I  have 
sought  all  means  to  do  you  good 
or  not :  and  I  dare  be  bold  to  say 
in  their  behalf,  that  if  you  shew 
yourself  conformable  to  the  queen's 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


499 


majesty's  proceedings,  you  tihall 
liiid  as  much  favour  for  your  deli- 
verance as  you  can  wisli.  I  spealc 
not  this  to  fawn  upon  you,  but  to 
bring  you  home  unto  the  church. 
Now  let  them  hear  what  you  have 
to  say. 

PIdlpot.  My  lord,  I  thank  God 
that  I  have  this  day  such  an  ho- 
nourable audience  to  declare  my 
mind  before.  And  I  cannot  but 
commend  your  lordship's  equity  in 
this  behalf,  which  agreeth  with  the 
order  of  tlio  primitive  church, 
which  was,  if  any  body  had  been 
suspected  of  heresy,  as  I  am  now, 
he  should  be  called  first  before  the 
archbishop  or  bishop  of  the  diocese 
■where  he  was  suspected  ;  secondly, 
in  the  presence  of  others  his  fellow 
bishops  and  learned  elders ;  and 
thirdly,  in  hearing  of  the  laity: 
where  after  the  judgment  of  God's 
word  declared,  and  with  the  assent 
of  the  bishops  and  consent  of  the 
people,  he  was  condemned  for  an 
heretic,  or  absolved.  And  the  se- 
cond point  of  that  good  order  I 
have  found  at  your  lordship's 
hands  already,  in  being  called  be- 
fore you  and  your  fellow  bishops  ; 
and  now  have  the  third  sort  of  men, 
at  whose  hands  I  trust  to  find  more 
righteousness  in  my  cause,  tlian  I 
have  found  with  the  clergy :  God 
grant  that  I  may  have  at  the  last 
the  judgment  of  God's  word  con- 
cerning the  same. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Philpot,  I  pray 
you,  ere  you  go  any  further,  tell  mj- 
lords  here  plainly,  whether  you 
were  by  me  or  by  my  procurement 
committed  to  prison  or  not,  and 
whether  I  have  shewed  you  any 
cruelty  since  you  have  been  com- 
mitted to  my  prison. 

Philpot.  If  it  shall  please  your 
lordship  to  give  me  leave  to  declare 
forth  my  matter,  I  will  touch  that 
afterward. 

Lord  Rich.  Answer  first  of  all 
to  my  lord's  two  questions,  and 
then  proceed  to  the  matter.  How 
say  you?  Were  you  imprisoned 
by  my  lord  or  not?  Can  you  find 
any  fault  since  with  his  cruel  using 
of  you  ? 

Philpot,     I    cannot    lay    to    my 


lord's  charge  the  cause  of  my  im- 
prisonment, neither  may  I  say  that 
he  hath  used  me  cruelly  ;  but  rather 
for  my  part  I  may  say,  that  I  have 
found  more  gentleness  at  his  liands, 
than  I  did  at  my  own  ordinary's, 
for  the  time  I  have  been  within  his 
prison,  because  he  hath  called  me 
three  or  four  times  to  mine  answer, 
to  which  I  was  not  called  in  a  year 
and  a  half  before. 

Rich.  Well,  now  go  to  your 
matter. 

Philpot.  The  matter  is,  that  I 
am  imprisoned  for  the  disputations 
held  by  me  in  the  convocation- 
house  against  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  which  matter  was  not  moved 
principally  by  me,  but  by  the  pro- 
locutor, with  the  consent  of  the 
queen's  majesty  and  of  the  whole 
house,  and  that  house,  being  a 
member  of  the  parliament-house, 
which  ought  to  be  a  place  of  free 
speech  for  all  men  of  the  house, 
by  the  ancient  and  laudable  cus- 
tom of  this  realm.  Wherefore  I 
think  myself  to  have  sustained 
hitherto  great  injury  for  speaking 
my  conscience  freely  in  such  a 
place  as  I  might  lawfully  do  it: 
and  I  desire  your  honourable  lord- 
ships' judgment,  who  are  of  the 
parliament-house,  whether  of  right 
I  ought  to  be  impeached  for  the 
same,  and  sustain  the  loss  of  my 
living  (as  I  have  done),  and  more- 
over of  my  life,  as  it  is  sought. 

Rich.  You  are  deceived  here- 
in ;  for  the  convocation-house  is 
no  part  of  the  parliament-house. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  1  have  always 
understood  the  contrary  by  such 
as  are  more  expert  men  in  things 
of  this  realm  than  I :  and  again, 
the  title  of  every  act  Icadeth  me 
to  think  otherwise,  which  allegeth 
the  agreement  of  the  spirituality 
and  temporality  assembled  toge- 
ther. 

Rich.  That  is  meant  of  the  spi- 
ritual lords  of  the  upper  house. 

Lo7-d  Windsor.  Indeed  the  con- 
vocation-house is  called  together 
by  one  writ  of  the  summons  of 
the  parliament,  of  an  old  oustom  ; 
notwithstanding  that  house  is  no 
part  of  the  parliament-house. 


500 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Philpot.  My  lords,  I  must  be 
contented  to  abide  your  judgments 
in  this  behalf. 

Rich.  We  have  told  you  the 
truth.  And  yet  we  would  not  that 
you  should  be  troubled  for  any 
thing  that  there  was  spoken,  so 
that  you  having  spoken  amiss,  do 
declare  now  that  you  are  sorry 
for  what  you  have  said. 

Bonner.  My  lords,  he  hath 
spoken  there  manifest  heresy,  yea, 
and  there  stoutly  maintained  the 
same  against  the  blessed  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar  (and  with  that 
he  put  off  his  cap,  that  all  the  lords 
might  reverence  and  vail  their 
bonnets  at  tliat  idol  as  he  did),  and 
would  not  allow  the  real  presence 
of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  in 
the  same  :  yet,  my  lords,  God  for- 
bid that  I  should  endeavour  to 
shew  him  extremity  for  so  doing, 
in  case  he  will  repent  and  revoke 
his  wicked  sayings  ;  and  if  in  faith 
he  will  so  do,  with  your  lordships' 
consent,  he  shall  be  released  by 
and  by ;  if  he  will  not,  he  shall 
have  the  extremity  of  the  law,  and 
that  shortly. 

Rich.  How  say  you?  will  you 
acknowledge  the  real  presence  of 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  as 
all  learned  men  of  this  realm  do, 
in  the  mass,  and  as  I  do,  and  will 
believe  as  long  as  I  live,  I  do  pro- 
test it  ? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  do  acknow- 
ledge in  the  sacrament  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  such  a  pre- 
sence as  the  word  of  God  doth  al- 
low and  teach  me. 

Rich.  That  shall  be  no  other- 
wise than  you  like. 

Bonner.  A  sacrament  is  the  sign 
of  a  holy  thing  ;  so  that  there  is 
both  the  sign  which  is  the  accident 
(as  the  whiteness,  roundness,  and 
shape  of  bread),  and  there  is  also 
the  thing  itself,  as  very  Christ  both 
God  and  man.  But  these  heretics 
will  have  the  sacrament  to  be  but 
bare  signs.  How  say  you  ?  declare 
unto  my  lords  here  whether  you  al- 
low the  thing  itself  in  the  sacra- 
ment, or  no. 

Philpot.  I  do  confess  that  in 
he  Lord's  supper  there  are  in  due 


respects  both  the  sign  and  the 
thing  signified,  when  it  is  duly  ad- 
ministered after  the  institution  of 
Christ. 

Rich.  Shew  us  what  manner  of 
presence  you  allow  in  the  sacra- 
ment. 

Philpot.  My  lords,  the  reason 
that  at  first  I  have  not  plainly  de- 
clared my  judgment  unto  you,  is, 
because  1  cannot  speak  without 
the  danger  of  my  life. 

Rich.  There  is  none  of  us  here 
who  seek  thy  life,  or  mean  to  take 
any  advantage  of  that  thou  shalt 
speak. 

Philpot.  Although  I  mistrust  not 
your  lordships  that  be  here  of  the 
temporality  ;  yet  here  is  one  that 
sitteth  against  me  (pointing  to  the 
lord  of  London)  that  will  lay  it  to 
my  charge  even  to  death.  Notwith- 
standing, seeing  you  require  me  to 
declare  my  mind  of  the  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament,  that  ye 
may  perceive  I  am  not  ashamed  of 
the  presence  of  Christ,  neither  do 
maintain  any  opinion  without 
probable  and  sufficient  authority  of 
the  scripture,  I  will  shew  you 
frankly  my  mind. 

I  do  protest  here,  first  before 
God  and  his  angels,  that  I  speak  it 
not  of  vain-glory,  neither  of  singu- 
larity, neither  of  wilful  stubborn- 
ness, but  truly  upon  a  good  con- 
science, grounded  upon  God's 
word,  against  which  I  dare  not  go 
for  fear  of  damnation,  which  will 
follow  that  which  is  done  contrary 
to  knowledge. 

There  are  two  things  principally, 
by  which  the  clergy  at  this  day  de- 
ceive the  whole  realm;  that  is,  the 
sacrament  of  the  body  and  blood 
©f  Christ,  and  the  name  of  the  ca- 
tholic church  :  Avhich  they  do  both 
usurp,  having  indeed  neither  of 
them.  And  as  touching  their  sa- 
crament, which  they  term  of  the  al- 
tar, I  say,  that  it  is  not  the  sacra- 
ment of  Christ,  neither  in  the  same 
is  there  any  manner  of  Christ's  pre- 
sence. Wherefore  they  deceive 
the  queen,  and  you  the  nobility  of 
this  realm,  in  making  you  to  be- 
lieve that  to  be  a  sacrament  which 
is  none,   and  cause  you  to  commit 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


501 


manifest  idolatry  in  worshipping 
that  for  God,  which  is  no  God. 
And  in  testimony  of  this  to  be  true, 
besides  manifest  proof,  which  am 
able  to  make,  I  will  yield  my  life; 
which  to  do,  if  it  were  not  upon 
sure  ground,  it  were  to  my  utter 
damnation. 

And  where  they  take  on  them 
the  name  of  the  catholic  church 
(whereby  they  blind  many  people's 
eyes)  they  are  nothing  so,  calling 
you  from  the  true  religion  which 
was  revealed  and  taught  in  king 
Edward's  time,  unto  vain  supersti- 
tion. And  this  will  say  for  the 
trial  hereof,  that  if  they  can  prove 
themselves  to  be  the  catholic 
church,  I  will  never  be  against 
their  doings,  but  revoke  all  that  I 
have  said.  And  1  shall  desire  you, 
my  lords,  to  be  a  means  for  me  to 
the  queen's  majesty,  that  I  may  be 
brought  to  the  just  trial  hereof. 

Bonner.  It  hath  been  told  me  be- 
fore, that  you  love  to  make  a  long 
tale. 

Rich.  All  heretics  boast  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  every  one  would 
have  a  Church  by  himself;  as  Joan 
of  Kent,  and    the   anabaptists, 
had  myself  Joan  of  Kent  a  week  in 
my  house  after  the  writ  was  out  for 
her  being  burnt,  where  my  lord  of 
Canterbury,    and    bishop    Ridley, 
resorted  almost  daily  unto  her:  but 
she  was  so  high  in  the  Spirit  that 
they  could  do  nothing  with  her  for 
all  their  learning.     But  she  went 
wilfnlly  into  the  fire,  as  you  do  now. 
Philpot.     As  for  Joan  of  Kent, 
she   was  a  vain  woman    (I  knew 
her  well)   and  an  heretic  indeed, 
because  she  stood  against  one  of 
the  manifest  articles  of  our  faith, 
contrary    to   the   scriptures:     and 
such  are  soon  known  from  the  true 
spirit  of  God  and  his  church,  for 
that  the  same  abideth  within  the  li- 
mits of  God's  word,  and  will  not 
go  out  of  it. 

Bonner.  I  pray  you,  how  will 
you  join  me  these  two  scriptures 
together:  Pater  major  me  est;  pa- 
ter Sf  ego  unwn  sumus* ;  now  shew 

*  The  Father  is  greater  than  I ;  I  and 
the  Father  are  one. 


your  cunning,  and  join  these  two 
scriptures  by  the  word,  if  you  can. 
Phi/pot.  Yes,  that  I  can  right 
well.  For  we  must  understand 
that  in  Christ  there  be  two  natures, 
the  divinity  and  humanity,  and  in 
respect  of  his  humanity,  it  is  spoken 
of  Christ,  "  The  Father  is  greater 
than  I."  But  in  respect  of  his 
Deity,  he  said  again,  "  The  Father 
and  I  are  one." 

Bonner.  But  what  scripture 
have  you? 

Phtlpot.  Yes,  I  have  sufficient 
scripture  for  the  proof  of  that  I 
have  said.  For  the  first,  it  is  writ- 
ten of  Christ  in  the  Psalms,  "  Thou 
hast  made  him  a  little  lower  than 
the  angels." 

Bonner.  What  say  you  then  to 
the  second  scripture?  how  couple 
you  that  by  the  word  with  the 
other? 

Philpot.  The  text  itself  declar- 
eth,  that  notwithstanding  Christ 
did  abase  himself  in  our  human 
nature,  yet  he  is  still  one  in  Deity 
with  the  Father.  And  this  St. 
Paul  to  the  Hebrews  doth  more  at 
large  set  forth. 

Bonner.  How  can  that  be,  see- 
ing St.  Paul  saith,  "  That  the  let- 
ter killeth,  but  it  is  the  Spirit  that 
giveth  life?" 

Philpot.    St.  Paul  meaneth  not 
that  the  word  of  God  written,  in  it- 
self killeth,  which  is  the  word  of 
life,  and  faithful  testimony  of  the 
Lord ;  but  that  the  word  is  unpro- 
fitable, and  killeth  him  that  is  void 
of  the  Spirit  ot  God;  therefore  St. 
Paul   said,     "  That  the  gospel  to 
some  was  a  savour  of  life  unto  life, 
and   to  others  a  savour  of  death 
unto  death."      Also    an    example 
hereof   we   have    in  the   sixth   of 
John,    of  them   who  hearing    the 
word  of  God  without  the   Spirit, 
were  offended  thereby;  wherefore 
Christ  said,    "The  flesh   profiteth 
nothing,  it  is  the  Spirit  that  quick- 
eneth." 

Bonner.  You  see,  my  lords, 
that  this  man  will  have  his  own 
mind,  and  wilfully  cast  himsell 
away.     I  am  sorry  for  him. 

Piiilpot.  The  words  that  I  have 
spoken  are  none  of  mine,  but  the 


502 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


gospel,  whereon  I  ought  to  stand. 
And  if  you,  my  lord,  can  bring 
better  authority  for  the  faith  you 
would  draw  me  unto,  than  that 
which  I  stand  upon,  I  will  gladly 
hear  the  same. 

Rich.  What  countryman  are 
you? 

Philpot.  I  ara  sir  P.  Philpot's 
son,  of  Hampshire. 

Rich.  He  is  my  near  kinsman: 
wherefore  I  am  the  more  sorry  for 
bim. 

Philpot.  I  thank  your  lordship 
that  it  pleaseth  you  to  challenge 
kindred  of  a  poor  prisoner. 

Rich.  In  faith  I  would  go  an 
hundred  miles  on  my  bare  feet  to 
do  you  good. 

Lord  Chamberlain.  Ho  may  do 
well  enough  if  be  Avill. 

St.  John.  Mr.  Philpot,  you  are 
taj  countryman,  and  I  would  be 
glad  you  should  do  well. 

Rich,  I  dare  be  bold  to  procure 
for  you  of  the  queen's  majesty  that 
you  shall  have  ten  learned  men  to 
reason  with  you,  and  twenty  or 
forty  of  the  nobility  to  hear,  so 
you  will  promise  to  abide  their 
judgment.  How  say  you,  will  you 
promise  here  before  my  lords  so  to 
do? 

Philpot.  I  will  be  contented  to 
be  judged  by  them. 

Rich.  Yea,  but  will  you  promise 
to  agree  to  their  judgment.' 

Philpot.  There  are  causes  why 
I  may  not  so  do,  unless  I  were 
sure  they  would  judge  according  to 
the  word  of  God. 

Rich.  O,  I  perceive  you  will 
have  no  man  judge  but  yourself, 
and  think  yourself  wiser  than  all 
the  learned  men  in  this  realm. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  seek  not  to 
be  mine  own  judge,  but  am  willing 
to  be  judged  by  others,  so  that  the 
order  of  judgment  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion be  kept  that  was  in  the  pri- 
mitive church,  which  is,  first,  that 
God's  will  by  his  word  was  sought, 
and  thereunto  both  the  spirituality 
and  temporality  were  gathered  to- 
gether, and  gave  their  consents 
and  judgment,  and  such  kind  of 
judgment  I  will  stand  to. 

Rick.       I   marvel    v/hy    you   do 


deny  the  express  words  of  Christ 

in  the  sacrament,  saying,  "  This  is 
my  body."  and  yet  you  will  not 
stick  to  say  it  is  not  his  body.  Is 
not  God  omnipotent?  And  is  not 
he  able  as  well  by  his  omnipotency 
to  make  it  his  body,  as  he  was  to 
make  man  flesh  of  a  piece  of  clay? 
Did  not  he  say,  "  This  is  my  body 
which  shaU  be  betrayed  for  you?'' 
And  Avas  not  his  very  body  be- 
trayed for  us?  Therefore  it  must 
needs  be  his  body. 

Bonner.  My  lord  Rich,  you 
have  said  wonderful  well  and  learn- 
edly. Bat  you  might  have  begun 
with  him  before  also,  in  the  sixth 
of  .John,  where  Christ  promised  to 
give  his  body  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  saying,  "  The  bread 
which  I  will  give  is  my  flesh." 
How  can  you  answer  to  that? 

Philpot.  You  may  be  soon  an- 
swered: that  saying  of  St,  John  is, 
that  the  humanity  of  Christ,  which 
ho  took  upon  him  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  man,  is  the  bread  of  life 
whereby  our  souls  and  bodies  are 
sustained  to  eternal  life,  of  which 
the  sacramental  bread  is  a  lively 
representation,  and  an  eflectua! 
coaptation  to  all  such  as  believe  on 
his  passion.  And  as  Christ  saith 
in  the  same  sixth  of  John,  "  I  am 
the  bread  that  came  down  from 
heaven;"  but  yet  he  is  not  mate- 
rial, neither  natural  bread:  like- 
wise, the  bread  is  his  flesh,  not  na- 
tural or  substantial,  but  by  signifi- 
cation, and  by  grace  in  the  sacra- 
ment. 

And  now  to  my  lord  Rich's  ar- 
gument, I  do  not  deny  the  ex- 
press words  of  Christ  in  the  sacra- 
ment, "This  is  my  body;"  but  I 
deny  that  they  are  naturally  and 
corporally  to  betaken:  they  must 
be  taken  spiritually,  according  to 
the  express  declaration  of  Christ, 
saying  that  the  words  of  the  sa- 
crament which  the  Capernaites 
took  carnally,  as  the  Papists  now 
do,  ought  to  be  taken  spiritually 
and  not  carnally,  as  they  falsely 
imagine,  not  weighing  what  inter- 
pretation Christ  hath  made  in  this 
behalf,  neither  following  the  insti- 
tution of  Chiist,   neither  the  use  of 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


50$ 


the  apostles  and  of  the  primitive 
church,  who  never  tauo:ht,  neither 
declared  any  such  carnal  manner 
of  presence  as  is  now  exacted  of 
us  violently,  without  any  ground  of 
scripture  or  antiquity. 

Botiner.  What  say  you  to  the 
omnipotency  of  God  ?  Is  not  he 
able  to  perforin  that  wiiich  he 
spake,  as  my  lord  Rich  liath  very 
well  said?  I  tell  tliee,  that  God, 
by  his  omnipotency,  may  make 
himself  to  be  this  carpet  if  he  m  ill, 

P/tilpot.  As  concerning;  the  om- 
nipotency of  God,  I  say,  that  God 
is  able  to  do  (as  the  prophet  David 
saith)  whatsoever  he  wilieth ;  but 
he  wilieth  nothing  that  is  not 
agreeable  to  his  word;  that  is 
blasphemy  which  my  lord  of  Lon- 
don hath  spoken,  that  God  may 
become  a  carpet.  For,  God  can- 
not do  that  which  is  contrary  to 
his  nature,  and  it  is  contrary  to  the 
nature  of  God  to  be  a  carpet.  A 
carpet  is  a  creature;  and  God  is 
the  creator;  and  the  creator  can- 
not be  the  creature:  wherefore, 
unless  you  can  declare  by  the 
word,  that  Christ  is  otherwise  pre- 
sent with  us  than  spiritually  and 
sacraraentally  by  grace,  as  he  hath 
taught  us,  you  pretend  the  omni- 
potencj'^  of  God  in  vain. 

Bonner.  Why,  wilt  thou  not 
say  that  Christ  is  really  present  in 
the  sacrament?  Or  do  you  deny 
it? 

Philpot.  I  deny  not  that  Christ 
is  really  present  in  the  sacrament 
to  the  receiver  thereof  according  to 
Christ's  institution. 

Bonner.  What  mean  you  by 
"  really  present"? 

Philpot.  I  mean,  by  "  really 
present,"  present  indeed. 

Bonner.  Is  God  really  present 
every  where  ? 

Philpot.     He  is  so. 

Bonner.     How  prove  you  that  ? 

Philpot.  The  prophet  Isaiah 
saith,  "  That  God  fiUeth  all  places:" 
and  wheresoever  there  be  two  or 
three  gathered  together  in  Christ's 
name,  there  is  he  in  the  midst  of 
tliem. 

Bonner.    What,  his  humanity  ? 


Philpot.  No,  ray  lord,  I  mean 
the  Deity,  according  to  that  you 
demanded. 

Rich.  My  lord  of  London,  I 
pray  you  let  Dr.  Chedsey  reason 
with  him,  and  let  us  see  how  he 
can  answer  him,  for  T  tell  thee  he 
is  a  learned  man  indeed,  and  one 
that  I  do  credit  before  a  great 
many  of  you,  whose  doctrine  the 
queen's  majesty  and  the  whole 
realm  doth  well  allow;  therefore, 
hear  him. 

Dr.  Chedsey  accordingly  began. 

Chedsey.  You  have  of  Scrip- 
tures the  four  evangelists  for  the 
probation  of  Christ's  real  presence 
to  be  in  the  sacrament  after  the 
words  of  consecration,  with  St. 
Paul  to  the  Corinthians;  which  all 
say,  "  This  is  my  body."  They 
say  not,  as  you  would  have  me  be- 
lieve. This  is  not  my  body.  But 
especially  the  6th  of  John  proveth 
this  most  manifestly,  where  Christ 
promised  to  give  his  body,  which 
he  performed  in  his  last  supper,  as 
it  appeareth  by  these  words,  "  The 
bread  which  I  will  give  is  my  flesh, 
which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the 
world." 

Philpot.  My  lord  Rich,  with 
your  leave  I  must  needs  interrupt 
him  a  little,  because  he  speaketh 
open  blasphemy  against  the  death' 
of  Christ:  for  if  that  promise, 
brought  in  by  St.  John,  was  per- 
formed by  Christ  in  his  last  sup- 
per, then  he  needed  not  to  have 
died  after  he  had  given  the  sacra- 
ment. 

Windsor.  There  were  never  any 
that  denied  the  words  of  Christ  as 
you  do.  Did  he  not  say,  "  This  is 
my  body  ?" 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  pray  you  be 
not  deceived.  We  do  not  deny 
the  words  of  Christ;  but  we  say, 
these  words  are  of  none  effect,  be- 
ing spoken  otherwise  than  Christ 
did  institute  them  in  his  last  sup- 
per. For  example:  Christ  bid- 
deth  the  church  to  baptize  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  a  priest 
say  these  words  over  the  water, 
and  there  be  no  child  to  bo  bap- 


504 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


tized,  tliese  words  only  pronounced 
do  not  make  baptism.  And  bap- 
tism is  only  baptism  to  such  as  be 
baptized,  and  to  none  other  stand- 
ing by. 

Lord  Chamherlain.  My  lord,  let 
me  ask  him  one  question.  What 
kind  of  presence  in  the  sacrament 
(duly  administered  according  to 
Christ's  ordinance)  do  you  allow! 

Philpot.  If  any  come  worthily 
to  receive,  then  do  I  confess  the 
presence  of  Christ  wholly  to  be 
with  all  the  fruits  of  his  passion, 
unto  the  said  worthy  receiver,  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  and  that  Christ 
is  thereby  joined  to  him,  and  he  to 
Christ. 

Lord  Chamberlain.  I  am  an- 
swered. 

Bonner.  My  lords,  take  no  heed 
of  him,  for  he  goeth  about  to  de- 
ceive you.  His  similitude  that  he 
bringeth  in  of  baptism,  is  nothing 
like  to  the  sacrament  of  the  altar. 
For  if  I  should  say  to  sir  John 
Bridges,  being  with  me  at  supper, 
and  having  a  fat  capon,  Take,  eat, 
this  is  of  a  capon,  although  he  eat 
not  thereof,  is  it  not  a  capon  still? 
And  likewise  of  a  piece  of  beef,  op 
of  a  cup  of  wine,  if  I  say.  Drink, 
this  is  a  cup  of  wine,  is  it  not  so, 
because  he  drinketh  not  thereof? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  your  simili- 
tudes are  too  gross  for  so  high 
mysteries  as  we  have  in  hand,  as 
like  must  be  compared  to  like,  and 
spiritual  things  with  spiritual,  and 
not  spiritual  things  with  corporeal 
things.  The  sacraments  are  to  be 
considered  according  to  the  word 
which  Christ  spake  of  them,  of 
which,  "  Take  ye,  eat  ye,"  be 
some  of  the  chief,  concurrent  to 
the  making  of  the  same,  without 
which  there  can  be  no  sacraments. 
And,  therefore,  the  sacrament  of 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  is 
called  Communion. 

Bonner.  My  lords,  I  am  sorry  I 
have  troubled  you  so  long  with  this 
obstinate  man,  with  whom  we  can 
do  no  good;  I  will  trouble  you  no 
longer  now.  And  witli  that  the 
lords  rose  up,  none  of  them  saying 
any  evil  word  unto  me. 


HIS  SEVENTH  EXAMINATION,  NO- 
VEMBER 19,  BEFORE  THE  BI- 
SHOPS OF  LONDON  AND  ROCHES- 
TER, THE  CHANCELLOR  OF  LICH- 
FIELD,  AND   DR.   CHEDSEY. 

Bonner.  Sirrah,  come  hither. 
How  chance  you  came  no  sooner? 
Is  it  well  done  of  you  to  make  Mr. 
Chancellor  and  me  to  tarry  for  you 
this  hour?  By  the  faith  of  my 
body,  half  an  hour  before  mass, 
and  half  an  hour  even  at  mass, 
looking  for  your  coming. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  it  is  well 
known  to  you  that  I  am  a  prisoner, 
and  that  the  doors  be  shut  upon 
me,  and  I  .cannot  come  when  I 
please ;  but  as  soon  as  the  doors  of 
my  prison  were  open,  I  came  im- 
mediately. 

Bonner.  We  sent  for  thee  to 
the  intent  that  thou  shouldst  have 
come  to  mass.  How  say  you, 
would  you  have  come  to  mass  or 
no,  if  the  doors  had  been  sooner 
opened? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  that  is  another 
manner  of  question. 

Bonner.  Lo,  Mr.  Chancellor,  I 
told  you  we  should  have  a  froward 
fellow  of  him :  he  will  answer  di- 
rectly to  nothing.  I  have  had  him 
before  the  spiritual  lords  and  the 
temporal,  thus  he  fare th  still;  yet 
he  reckoneth  himself  better  learned 
than  all  the  realm.  Yea,  before 
the  temporal  lords  the  other  day, 
he  was  so  foolish  as  to  challenge 
the  best:  he  would  make  himself 
learned,  and  is  a  very  ignorant  fool 
indeed. 

Philpot.  I  reckon  I  answered 
your  lordship  before  the  lords  plain 
enough. 

Bonner.  Why  answerest  thou 
not  directly,  whether  thou  wouldest 
have  gone  to  mass  or  not  if  thou 
hadst  come  in  time? 

Philpot.  Mine  answer  shall  be 
thus,  that  if  your  lordship  can 
prove  your  mass,  whereunto  you 
would  have  me  to  come,  to  be  the 
true  service  of  God,  whereunto  a 
Christian  ought  to  come,  I  will 
afterwards  come  with  a  good  will. 

Bonner.  Look,  I  pray  you  ;  the 
king  and  queen,  and  all  the  nobi- 


JOHN  PIIILPOT. 


50» 


llt.y  of  U»e  iea]m  do  conio  to  mass, 
aiul  yet  Ivo  will  not.  By  my  faith, 
thou  art  too  well  handled ;  thou 
shalt  be  worse  handled  hereafter, 
I  warrant  thee. 

Philpot.  Your  lordship  hath 
power  to  treat  my  body  as  you 
please. 

Bonner.  Thou  art  a  very  igno- 
rant fool.  Mr.  Chancellor,  in  good 
faith  I  Lave  handled  him  and  his 
fellows  with  as  much  gentleness  as 
thoy  can  desire.  T  did  let  their 
friends  come  unto  them  to  relieve 
them.  And  wot  you  what?  the 
other  day  they  had  gotten  them- 
selves up  into  the  top  of  the  leads, 
with  a  number  of  apprentices  gaz- 
ing abroad  as  though  they  had 
been  at  liberty  ;  but  I  cut  off  their 
resort :  and  as  for  the  apprentices, 
they  were  as  good  not  to  come  to 
you,  if  I  take  them. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  we  have  no 
such  resort  to  us,  as  your  lordship 
imagineth,  and  there  come  very 
few  unto  us.  And  of  apprentices, 
I  know  not  one,  neither  have  we 
any  leads  to  walk  on  over  our  coal- 
house,  that  I  know  of:  wherefore 
your  lordship  hath  mistaken  your 
mark. 

Bonner.  Nay,  now  you  think 
(because  my  lord  chancellor  is 
gone)  that  we  will  burn  no  more  ; 
yes,  I  warrant  thee,  I  will  dis- 
patch you  shortly,  unless  you  re- 
cant. 

The  conversation  then  turned 
again  upon  the  supremacy  of  the 
Romish  church,  on  which  nothing 
was  said  by  its  advocates,  but  what 
had  been  before  refuted  by  Mr. 
Philpot;  at  length  the  chancellor 
thus  concluded. 

Chancellor.  Well,  Doctor,  you 
see  we  can  do  no  good  in  persuad- 
ing of  him :  let  us  administer  the 
articles  which  my  lord  hath  left 
us,  unto  him.  How  say  you,  Mr. 
Philpot,  to  these  articles?  Mr. 
Johnson,  I  pray  you  write  his  an- 
swers. 

Philpot.  Mr.  Chancellor,  you 
have  no  authority  to  inquire  of  me 
my  belief  in  such  articles  as  you  go 
about,  for  I  am  not  of  my  lord  of 
Loudon's  diocese  ;  and  to  be  brief 


with  you,  I  will  make  no  further 
answer  herein  than  I  have  already 
to  the  bishop. 

Chancellor.  Why  then  let  us  go 
our  ways,  and  let  his  keeper  take 
him  away. 

CONFERENCE  BETWEEN  THE  BISHOP 
AND  MR.  PHILPOT,  AND  OTHER 
PRISONERS. 

Two  days  after,  an  hour  before 
it  was  light,  the  bishop  sent  for 
me  again  by  the  keeper. 

Keeper.  Mr.  Philpot,  arise,  you 
must  come  to  my  lord. 

Philpot.  I  wonder  what  my  lord 
meaneth,  that  he  sendeth  for  me 
thus  early  ;  I  fear  he  will  use  some 
violence  towards  me,  wherefore  I 
pray  you  make  him  this  answer, 
That  if  he  do  send  for  me  by  an 
order  of  law,  I  will  come  and  an- 
swer >  otherwise,  since  I  am  not 
of  his  diocese,  neither  is  he  mine 
ordinary,  I  will  not  (without  I  be 
violently  constrained)  come  unto 
him. 

With  that,  one  of  them  took  me 
by  force  by  the  arm,  and  led  me 
up  into  the  bishop's  gallery. 

Bonner.  What,  thou  art  a  fool- 
ish knave  indeed  ;  thou  wilt  not 
come  without  thou  be  fetched. 

Philpot.  I  am  brought  indeed, 
my  lord,  by  violence  unto  you,  and 
your  cruelty  is  such,  that  I  am 
afraid  to  come  before  you  ;  I  would 
your  lordship  would  gently  proceed 
against  me  by  the  law. 

Bonner.  I  am  blamed  by  the 
lords  the  bishops,  that  I  have  not 
dispatched  thee  ere  this ;  and  am 
commanded  to  take  a  further  or- 
der with  thee,  and  in  good  faith, 
if  thou  wilt  not  relent,  I  will  make 
no  further  delay.  Marry,  if  thou 
wilt  yet  be  conformable,  I  will 
forgive  thee  all  that  is  past,  and 
thou  shalt  have  no  hurt  for  any 
thing  that  is  already  spoken  or 
done. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  have  an- 
swered you  already  in  this  behalf, 
what  I  will  do. 

Bonner.  Hadst  thou  not  a  pig 
brought  thee  the  other  day  with  a 
knife  in  it  ?  Wherefore  was  it  but 
to  kill  thyself?  or,  as  it  is  told  mc, 


506 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


(marry  I  am  counselled  to  take  heed 
of  thee)  to  kill  me?  But  I  fear  thee 
not;  I  think  I  am  able  to  tread  thee 
under  my  feet,  do  the  best  thou 
canst. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  cannot  deny 
but  that  there  was  a  knife  in  the 
pig's  belly  that  was  brought  me. 
But  who  put  it  in,  or  for  what  pur- 
pose, I  know  not,  unless  it  were 
because  he  that  sent  the  meat, 
thought  I  was  without  a  knife. 
But  other  things  your  lordship 
needeth  not  to  fear  ;  for  I  was  never 
without  a  knife,  since  I  eameto 
prison.  And  touching  your  own 
person,  you  shall  live  long  if  you 
should  live  till  I  go  about  to  kill 
you ;  and  I  confess,  by  violence 
your  lordship  is  able  to  overcome 
me. 

Bonner.  I  charge  thee  to  an- 
swer to  mine  articles.  Hold  him  a 
book.  Thou  shalt  swear  to  answer 
truly  to  all  such  articles  as  I  shall 
demand  of  thee. 

Philpot.  I  refuse  to  swear  in 
these  causes  before  your  lordship, 
because  you  are  not  mine  ordinary. 

Bonner.  I  am  thine  ordinary, 
and  here  do  pronounce,  by  sentence 
peremptory,  I  am  thine  ordinary, 
and  that  thou  art  of  my  diocese : 
(and  here  he  ordered  others  to  be 
called  in  to  bear  him  witness.)  And 
I  make  thee  (taking  one  of  his  ser- 
vants by  the  arm)  to  be  my  notary. 
And  now  hearken  to  my  articles,  to 
which  (when  he  had  read  them)  he 
admonished  me  to  make  answer, 
and  said  to  the  keeper,  Fetch  me 
his  fellows,  and  I  shall  make  them 
to  be  witnesses  against  him. 

In  the  mean  while  came  in  one 
of  the  sherilFs  of  London,  whom 
the  bishop  placed  by  him,  saying, 
Mr.  Sheriff,  I  would  you  should 
understand  how  I  do  proceed 
against  this  man.  Mr.  Sheriff,  you 
shall  hear  what  articles  this  man 
doth  maintain ;  and  so  read  a  rab- 
blement  of  feigned  articles:  That 
I  should  deny  baptism  to  be  ne- 
cessary to  them  that  were  born  of 
Christian  parents,  ?  that  I  denied 
fasting  and  prayer,  and  all  other 
good  deeds;  that  I  maintained  only 
bare  faith  to  be  sufficient  to    sal- 


vation, whatsoever  a  man  did  be- 
sides, and  I  maintained  God  to  be 
the  author  of  all  sin  and  wicked- 
ness. 

Philpot.  Ah,  my  lord,  have  you 
nothing  of  truth  to  charge  me 
withal,  but  you  must  be  fain  to 
imagine  these  blasphemous  lies 
against  me  ?  You  might  as  well 
have  said  I  had  killed  your  father. 
The  scriptures  say,  "  That  God 
will  destroy  all  men  that  speak 
lies."  And  is  not  your  lordship 
ashamed  to  say  before  this  gentle- 
man, (wlio  is  unknown  to  me)  that 
I  maintain  what  you  have  rehears- 
ed ?  which  if  I  did  I  were  well 
worthy  to  be  counted  an  heretic, 
and  to  be  burnt. 

Bonner.  Wilt  thou  answer  to 
them? 

Philpot.  I  will  first  know  you 
to  be  my  ordinary,  and  that  you 
may  lawfully  charge  me  with  such 
things. 

Bonner.  Well,  then  I  will  make 
thy  fellows  to  be  witnesses  herein 
against  thee  ;  where  are  they  1  are 
they  come  ? 

Keeper.     They  are  here,  my  lord. 

Bonner.  Come  hither,  sirs ; 
(hold  them  a  book)  you  shall  swear 
by  the  contents)  of  that  book,  that 
you  shall  say  the  truth  of  all  such 
articles  as  shall  be  demanded  of 
you  concerning  this  man  here  pre- 
sent, and  take  you  heed  of  him 
that  he  doth  not  deceive  you,  as  I 
am  afraid  he  doth,  and  strengthen- 
eth  you  in  your  errors. 

Prisoners.  My  lord,  we  will  not 
swear,  except  we  know  whereto  -^ 
we  can  accuse  him  of  no  evil;  we 
have  been  but  a  while  acquainted 
with  him. 

Philpot.  I  wonderyour  lordship, 
knowing  the  law,  will  go  about, 
contrary  to  the  same,  for  your  lord- 
ship doth  take  them  to  be  heretics, 
and  by  the  law  an  heretic  cannot  be 
a  witness. 

Bonner.  Yes,  one  heretic  against 
another  may  be  vtell  enough. 
And,  Mr.  Sheriff,  I  will  make  one 
of  them  to  be  a  witness  against  an- 
other. 

Prisoners.     No,  my  lord. 

Bonner.     No  !    will  you  not  ?    I 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


507 


will  mafce  you  swear,  whether  you 
will  or  no.  I  think  they  be  Ana- 
baptists, Mr.  Sheritt",  they  think  it 
not  lawful  to  swear  before  a  judg;e. 
Philpot.  We  think  it  lawful 
to  swear  for  a  man  judicially  call- 
ed, as  we  are  not  now,  but  in  a 
blind  corner. 

Bonner.  Why  then,  seeing  you 
will  not  swear  against  your  fellow, 
you  shall  swear  for  yourselves,  and 
I  do  here  in  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Sheriff  object  the  same  articles 
unto  yon,  as  I  have  done  unto  him, 
and  require  you,  under  pain  of  ex- 
communication, to  answer  particu- 
larly unto  every  one  of  them  when 
you  shall  be  examined,  as  you  shall 
be  soon,  by  my  register  and  some 
of  my  chaplains. 

Prisoners.  My  lord,  we  will  not 
accuse  ourselves.  If  any  man  can 
lay  any  thing  against  us,  we  are 
here  ready  to  answer  thereto : 
otherwise  we  pray  your  lordship 
not  to  burden  us ;  for  some  of  us 
are  here  before  you,  we  know  no 
just  cause  why. 

Bonner.  Mr.  Sheriff,  I  will 
trouble  you  no  longer  with  these 
froward  men.  And  so  he  rose  up, 
and  was  going  away,  talking  with 
Mr.  Sheriff. 

Philpot.  Mr.  Sheriff,  I  pray  you 
record  how  my  lord  proceedeth  a- 
gainst  us  in  corners,  without  all 
order  of  law,  having  no  just  cause 
to  lay  against  us.  And  after  this, 
we  were  all  commanded  to  be 
put  in  the  stocks,  where  I  sat 
from  morning  until  night ;  and  the 
keeper  at  night  upon  favour  let 
me  out. 

The  Sunday  after,  the  bishop 
came  into  the  coal-house  at  night, 
with  the  keeper,  and  viewed  the 
bouse,  saying,  that  he  was  never 
there  before  :  whereby  a  man  may 
guess  how  he  kept  God's  command- 
ment in  visiting  the  prisoners. 
Between  eight  and  nine,  he  sent  for 
me,  saying : 

Bonner.  Sir,  I  have  great  dis- 
pleasure of  the  queen  and  council 
for  keeping  you  so  long,  and  letting 
you  have  so  much  liberty  ;  and  be- 
sides that,  you  strengthen  the  other 
prisoners  in  their  errors,  as  I  have 


laid  wait  for  your  doings,  and  am 
certified  of  you  well  enough  ;  I  will 
sequester  you  therefore  from  them, 
and  you  shall  hurt  them  no  more 
as  you  have  done,  and  I  will  out  of 
hand  dispatch  you  as  I  am  com- 
manded, unless  you  will  be  a  con- 
formable man. 

Philpot.  My  lord,  you  have  my 
body  in  your  custody,  you  may 
transport  it  whitiier  you  please  ;  I 
am  content.  And  I  wish  you  would 
make  as  quick  expedition  in  my 
judgment,  as  you  say  ;  I  long  for 
it :  and  as  for  conformity,  I  am 
ready  to  yield  to  ail  truth,  if  any 
can  bring  better  than  I. 

Bonner.  Why,  will  you  believe 
no  man  but  yourself,  whatsoever 
they  say  ? 

Philpot.  My  belief  must  not 
hang  upon  men's  sayings,  without 
sure  authority  of  God's  word,  which 
if  they  can  shew  me,  I  will  be  pliant 
to  the  same  ;  otherwise  I  cannot  go 
from  my  certain  faith  to  that  which 
is  uncertain. 

Bonner.  Have  you  then  the 
truth  only  ? 

Philpot.  My  lord,  I  will  speak 
my  mind  freely  unto  you  and  upon 
no  malice  that  [I  bear  to  you,  be- 
fore God.  You  have  not  the  truth, 
neither  are  you  of  the  church  of 
God ;  but  you  persecute  both  the 
truth  and  the  true  church  of  God, 
for  which  cause  you  cannot  pros- 
per long.  You  see  God  doth  not 
prosper  your  doings  according  to 
your  expectations  :  he  hath  of  late 
shewed  his  just  judgment  against 
one  of  your  greatest  doers,  who,  by 
reports, died  miserably  *.  I  envy  not 
the  authority  you  are  in.  You  that 
have  learning,  should  know  best 
how  to  rule.  And  seeing  God  hath 
restored  you  to  jour  dignity  and 
living  again,  use  the  same  to  God's 
glory,  and  to  the  setting  forth  of 
his  true  religion;  otherwise  it  will 
not  continue,  do  what  you  can. 
With  this  saying  he  paused,  and 
at  length  said : 

Bonner.     That    good    man    was 

*The  bishop  of  Winchester,  who  died 
of  a  very  painful  disorder,  on  the  12th  of 
November,  1555. 


508 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


punished  for  such  as  thou  art. 
Where  is  the  keeper?  Come,  let 
him  have  him  to  the  place  that  is 
provided  for  him.  Go  your  way 
before. 

He  then  followed  me,  calling  the 
keeper  aside,  commanding  him  to 
keep  all  men  from  me,  and  narrow- 
ly to  search  me,  commanding  two  of 
his  men  to  acompany  the  keeper  to 
see  me  placed. 

I  afterwards  passed  through  St. 
Paul's  up  to  Lollards'  Tower,  and 
after  that  turned  along  the  west- 
side  of  St.  Paul's  through  the  wall, 
and  passing  through  six  or  seven 
doors,  came  to  my  lodging  through 
many  straits  ;  where  I  called  to  re- 
membrance, that  straight  is  the  way 
to  heaven.  And  it  is  in  a  tower, 
right  on  the  other  side  of  Lollards' 
Tower,  as  high  almost  as  the  bat- 
tlements of  St.  Paul's,  eight  feet  in 
breadth,  and  thirteen  in  length, 
and  almost  over  the  prison  where 
I  was  before,  having  a  window 
opening  towards  the  east,  by  which 
I  could  look  over  the  tops  of  a  great 
many  houses,  but  saw  no  man  pass- 
ing into  them. 

And  as  I  came  to  my  place,  the 
keeper  took  off  my  gown,  searched 
me  very  narrowly,  and  took  away 
a  pen-case,  ink-horn,  girdle,  and 
knife,  but  (as  God  would  have  it) 
I  had  an  inkling  a  little  before  I 
was  called,  of  my  removal,  and 
thereupon  made  an  errand  to  the 
stool,  where  (full  sore  against  my 
will)  I  cast  away  many  a  friendly 
letter :  but  that  which  I  had  MTitten 
of  my  last  examination  before,  I 
thrust  into  my  hose,  thinking  the 
next  day  to  have  made  an  end 
thereof,  and  with  walking  it  was 
fallen  down  to  my  leg,  which  he 
by  feeling  soon  found  out,  and 
asked  what  that  was.  I  said,  they 
were  certain  letters  :  and  with  that 
he  was  very  busy  to  have  them  out. 
Let  me  alone,  said  I,  I  will  take 
them  out :  with  that  I  put  my 
hand,  having  two  other  letters 
therein,  and  brought  up  the  same 
writing  into  my  breeches,  and 
there  left  it,  giving  him  the  other 
two  that  were  not  of  any  import- 
ance :  which  to  make  a  shew  that 


they  had  beeii  weighty,  I  began  to 
tear  as  well  as  I  could,  till  they 
snatched  them  from  me  ;  and  so  de- 
luded him  of  his  purpose. 

Then  he  went  away,  and  as  he 
was  going,  one  of  them  that  came 
with  him,  said,  that  I  did  not  de- 
liver the  writing  I  had  in  my  house, 
but  two  other  letters  I  had  in  my 
hand  before.  Did  he  not?  says  he, 
I  will  go  and  search  him  better ; 
which  I  hearing,  conveyed  my  ex- 
amination I  had  written,  into  an- 
other place  near  my  bed,  and  took 
all  my  letters  I  had  in  my  purse, 
and  was  tearing  of  them  when  he 
came  again,  and  as  he  came  I 
threw  the  same  out  of  the  window, 
saying,  That  I  heard  what  he  said. 
By  this,  I  prevented  his  searching 
any  further. 

This  zealous  and  unshaken  ser- 
vant of  God  still  continued  to  be 
held  in  suspense,  and  underwent 
seven  more  examinations,  being 
combated  with  all  the  learning  and 
sophistry  of  the  various  heads  of 
the  corrupted  church  ;  but  armed 
with  truth,  he  bravely  stood  the 
test,  and  proved  himself  to  be 
founded  on  a  rock. 

To  relate  the  whole  of  the  ex- 
aminations, would  only  be  a  te- 
dious repetition  of  the  insolence  of 
Bonner,  of  the  pride  and  arrogance 
of  the  other  bishops,  and  of  points 
of  dispute,  already  discussed.  We, 
therefore,  proceed  to  his  fourteenth 
and  final  examination. 

LAST     EXAMINATION     OR    MR.    PHIL- 
POT. 

Bishop  Bonner  having  wearied 
himself  with  repeated  interviews 
and  conferences  with  our  Chris- 
tian champion  ;  by  turns  insulting, 
threatening,  and  exhorting  him, 
with  equally  hopeless  effect,  at 
length  resolved  to  terminate  the 
contest.  Accordingly,  on  the  13th 
of  December,  he  ordered  him  to 
be  brought  before  him  and  others, 
in  the  consistory  of  St.  Paul's,  and 
thus  addressed  him : 

"Mr.  Philpot,  amongst  other 
things  that  were  laid  and  objected 
against  you,  these  three  you  were 
principally  charged  with. 

"  The  first  is,  that  you  being 
3 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


509 


fallen  from  the  unity  of  Christ's 
Catholic  church,  do  refuse  to  be 
reconciled  thereunto. 

"  The  second  is,  That  you  have 
blasphemously  spoken  against  the 
sacrifice  of  the  mass,  calling  it 
idolatry. 

"  And  the  third  is,  That  you  have 
spoken  against  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  denying  the  real  pre- 
sence of  Christ's  body  and  blood 
to  be  in  the  same. 

"  And  according  to  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  the  synod  legislative, 
you  have  been  often  by  me  invited 
and  required  to  go  from  your  said 
errors  and  heresies,  and  to  return 
to  the  unity  of  the  Catholic  church, 
which  if  you  will  now  willingly  do, 
you  shall  be  mercifully  and  gladly 
received,  charitably  used,  and  have 
all  the  favour  I  can  shew  you. 
And  now  to  tell  you  true,  it  is  as- 
signed and  appointed  me  to  give 
sentence  against  you,  if  you  stand 
herein,  and  will  not  return. 
Wherefore  if  you  so  refuse,  I  do 
ask  of  you  whether  you  have  any 
cause  that  you  can  shew  why  I 
now  should  not  give  sentence  a- 
gainst  you. 

Philpot.  Under  protestation,  not 
to  go  from  my  appeal  that  I  have 
made,  and  also  not  to  consent  to 
you  as  my  competent  judge,  I  say, 
respecting  your  first  objection  con- 
cerning the  Catholic  church,  I  nei- 
ther was  nor  am  out  of  the  same. 
And  as  to  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass, 
and  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  I 
never  spoke  against  the  same. 
And  as  concerning  the  pleasure  of 
the  synod,  I  say,  that  these  twenty 
years  I  have  been  brought  up  in 
the  faith  of  the  true  Catholic 
church,  which  is  contrary  to  your 
church,  whereunto  you  would  have 
me  to  come :  and  in  that  time  I 
have  been  many  times  sworn,  both 
in  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
Eighth,  and  of  Edward  his  son, 
against  the  usurped  power  of  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  which  oath  I 
think  I  am  bound  in  my  conscience 
to  keep,  because  I  must  perform 
unto  the  Lord  mine  oath.  But  if 
you,  or  any  of  the  synod,  can,  by 
God's  word,  persuade  mc  that  my 


oath  was  unlawful,  and  that  I  am 
bound  by  God's  law  to  come  to 
your  church,  faith,  and  religion,  1 
will  gladly  yield  unto  you,  other- 
wise not. 

Bonner  then,  not  able  with  all 
his  learned  doctors  to  accomplish 
this  offered  condition,  had  recourse, 
as  usual,  to  his  promises  and 
threats;  to  which  Mr.  Philpot  an- 
swered : 

"You,  and  all  other  of  your 
sort,  are  hypocrites,  and  I  wish  all 
the  world  knew  your  hypocrisy, 
your  tyranny,  ignorance,  and  ido- 
latry." 

Upon  these  words  the  bishop  for 
that  time  dismissed  him,  command- 
ing that  on  Monday  the  16th  of 
the  same  month  he  should  again  be 
brought  thither,  there  to  have  the 
definitive  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion pronounced  against  him,  if  he 
tlien  remained  resolved. 

CONDEMNATION    OF    PHILPOT. 

The  day  being  come,  Mr.  Philpot 
was  accordingly  presented  before 
the  bishops  of  London,  Bath,  Wor- 
cester, and  Lichfield ;  when  the 
former  thus  began  : 

Bonner.  My  lords,  Stokesley, 
my  predecessor,  when  he  went  to 
give  sentence  against  an  heretic, 
used  to  make  this  prayer; 

Deus  qui  errantibus,  ut  in  viam 
possint  redire,  justitice  veritatisque 
tucB  lumen  ostendis,  da  cunctis  qui 
Christiana  prqfessione  censentur,  ^• 
ilia  respuere  quee  huic  inimica  sint 
nomini,  5)'  ea  qucc  sint  apta  sectari 
per  Christum  Dominum  nostrum. 
Amen.  Which  I  will  follow.  And  so 
he  read  it  with  a  loud  voice  in  Latin. 

Philpot.  I  wish  you  would  speak 
in  English,  that  all  men  might  un- 
derstand you;  for  St.  Paul  willeth, 
that  all  things  spoken  in  the  con- 
gregation to  edify,  should  be 
spoken  in  a  tongue  that  all  men 
might  understand. 

Whereupon  the  bishop  read  it  in 
English. 

"  O  God,  who  shewest  the  light 
of  thy  truth  and  righteousness  to 
those  that  stray,  that  they  may  re- 
turn into  thy  way,  give  to  all  who 
profess  themselves  Christians,  to 
refuse  those  things  which  are  foes 


510 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  thy  name,  and  to  follow  those 
tilings  which  are  fit,  by  Christ  our 
Lord.  Amen."  And  when  he  came 
to  these  words,  "  To  refuse  those 
things  which  are  foes  to  thy  name." 
Mr.  Philpot  said, 

"  Then  they  all  must  turn  away 
from  you  ;  for  you  are  enemies  to 
that  name." 

Bonner.  Whom  do  you  mean  ? 
PMlpot.  You,  and  all  of  your 
generation  and  sect.  And  I  am 
sorry  to  see  you  sit  in  the  place 
that  you  now  sit  in,  pretending  to 
execute  justice,  and  to  do  nothing 
less  but  deceive  all  in  this  realm. 

And  then  turning  himself  unto 
the  people,  he  further  said,  "  O  all 
you  gentlemen,  beware  of  these 
men,  and  all  their  doings,  which 
are  contrary  to  the  primitive 
church.  And  I  would  know  of 
you,  my  lord,  by  what  authority 
you  proceed  against  me." 

Bonner.  Because  I  am  bishop 
of  London. 

Philpot.  Well,  then  you  are  not 
my  bishop,  nor  have  I  offended  in 
your  diocese:  and  moreover,  I 
have  appealed  from  you,  and 
therefore  by  your  own  law  you 
ought  not  to  proceed  against  me, 
especially  being  brought  hither 
from  another  place  by  violence. 

Bojiner.  Why,  who  sent  you 
hither  to  me  ? 

Philpot.  Dr.  Story,  and  Dr. 
Cook,  with  other  commissioners  of 
the  king  and  queen  :  and,  my  lord, 
is  it  not  enough  for  you  to  worry 
your  own  sheep,  but  you  must  also 
meddle  with  other  men's  ? 

Then  the  bishop  delivered  two 
books  to  Mr.  Philpot,  one  oLthe 
civil,  and  the  other  of  the  canon 
law,  out  of  which  he  would  have 
proved  that  he  had  authority  to 
proceed  against  him  as  he  did. 
Mr.  Philpot  then  perusing  them, 
and  seeing  the  small  and  slender 
proof  that  was  there  alleged,  said 
to  the  bishop : 

"  I  perceive  your  law  and  divi- 
nity is  all  one  ;  for  you  have 
knowledge  in  neither  of  them  ;  and 
I  wish  you  knew  your  own  igno- 
rance :  but  you  dance  in  a  net,  and 
think  that  no  man  doth  see  you," 
2 


Hereupon  they    had    much    talk. 
At  last  Bonner  said  unto  him  : 

"  Philpot,  as  concerning  your 
objections  against  my  jurisdiction, 
you  shall  understand  that  both  the 
civil  and  canon  laws  make  against 
you  ;  and  as  for  your  appeal,  it  is 
not  allowed  in  this  case  :  for  it  is 
written  in  the  law.  There  is  no  ap- 
peal from  a  judge  executing  the 
sentence  of  the  law." 

Philpot.  My  lord,  it  appeareth 
by  your  interpretation  of  the  law, 
that  you  have  no  knowledge  there- 
in, and  that  you  do  not  understand 
the  law:  for  if  you  did,  you  would 
not  bring  in  that  text. 

Hereupon  the  bishop  recited  a 
law  of  the  Romans,  That  it  was 
not  lawful  for  a  Jew  to  keep  a 
Christian  in  captivity,  and  to  use 
him  as  a  slave,  laying  then  to  the 
said  Phiipot's  charge  that  he  did 
not  understand  the  law,  but  did  like 
a  Jew.  Whereunto  Philpot  an- 
swered, 

"  No,  I  am  no  Jew,  but  you,  ray 
lord,  are  a  Jew.  For  you  profess 
Christ,  and  maintain  Antichrist ; 
you  profess  the  gospel,  and  main- 
tain superstition,  and  you  are  able 
to  charge  me  with  nothing." 

Bonner  and  another  bishop.  With 
what  can  you  charge  us  1 

Philpot.  You  are  enemies  to  all 
truth,  and  all  your  doings  are  full 
of  idolatry,  saving  the  article  of 
the  Trinity. 

Whilst  they  were  thus  debating, 
there  came  thither  sir  William  Gar- 
ret, knight,  then  mayor  of  London, 
sir  Martin  Bowes,  knight,  and  Tho- 
mas Leigh,  then  sheriff  of  the  same 
city,  and  sat  down  with  the  bishops 
in  the  consistory. 

They  were  no  sooner  seated  than 
Bonner  again  addressed  Mr.  Phil- 
pot, with  the  prayer,  and  again 
repeated  the  charge  against  him  ; 
after  which  he  addressed  him  in  a 
formal  exhortation,  which  he  had 
no  sooner  ended  than  Mr.  Philpot 
turned  himself  to  the  loxd  mayor, 
and  said, 

Philpot.  I  am  glad,  my  lord,  now 
to  stand  before  that  authority, 
that  hath  defended  the  gospel  and 
the  truth  of  God's  word:  but  I  am 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


511 


sorry  to  see  that  that  authority, 
which  representeth  the  king  and 
queen's  persons,  should  now  be 
changed,  and  be  at  the  command 
of  Antichrist ;  and  I  am  glad  that 
God  hath  given  me  power  to  stand 
here  this  day,  to  declare  and  de- 
fend my  faith,  which  is  founded  on 
Christ. 

Therefore,  (turning  to  the  bi- 
shops) as  touching  your  first  ob- 
jection, I  say,  that  I  am  of  the  Ca- 
tholic church ;  whereof  I  never 
was  out,  and  that  your  church  is 
the  church  of  Rome,  and  so  the 
Babylonical,  and  not  the  Catholic 
church  ;  of  that  church  I  am  not. 

As  touching  your  second  objec- 
tion, which  is,  that  I  should  speak 
against  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  ; 
I  do  say,  that  I  have  not  spoken 
against  the  true  sacrifice,  but]  I 
have  spoken  against  your  private 
masses  that  you  use  in  corners, 
which  is  blasphemy  to  the  true 
sacrifice ;  for  your  daily  sacrifice 
is  reiterated  blasphemy  against 
Christ's  death,  and  it  is  a  lie  of 
your  own  invention  ;  and  that  abo- 
minable sacrifice,  which  you  set 
upon  the  altar,  and  use  in  your 
private  masses,  instead  of  the  liv- 
ing sacrifice,  is  idolatry. 

Thirdly,  where  you  lay  to  my 
charge,  that  I  deny  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  to  be  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  I  cannot  tell 
what  altar  you  mean,  whether  it 
be  the  altar  of  the  eross,  or  the 
altar  of  stone  :  and  if  you  call  it 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar  in  re- 
spect of  the  altar  of  stone,  then 
I  defy  your  Christ,  for  it  is  a  false 
one. 

And  as  touching  your  transub- 
stantiation,  I  utterly  deny  it,  for  it 
was  first  brought  up  by  a  pope. 
Now  as  concerning  your  offer  made 
from  the  synod,  which  is  gathered 
together  in  Antichrist's  name  ; 
prove  to  me  that  you  be  of  the  Ca- 
tholic church  (which  you  never 
can),  and  I  will  follow  you,  and 
do  as  you  would  have  me.  But 
you  are  idolators,  and  traitors ; 
for  in  your  pulpits  ye  rail  against 
good  things,  as  king  Henry,  and 
king  Edward   his   son,  who  have 


stood  against  the  usurped  power 
of  the  pope  of  Rome :  against 
whom  I  have  also  taken  an  oath, 
which,  if  you  can  shew  me  by 
God's  law  that  T  have  taken  un- 
justly, I  will  then  yield  unto  you: 
but  I  pray  God  turn  the  king  and 
queen's  heart  from  your  synagogue 
and  church. 

Coventry.  In  our  true  Catholic 
church  are  the  apostles,  evange- 
lists, and  martyrs ;  but  before 
Martin  Luther  there  was  no  apos- 
tle, evangelist,  or  martyr  of  your 
church. 

Philpot.  Will  you  know  the 
cause  why  ?  Christ  did  prophecy 
that  in  the  latter  days  there  should 
come  false  prophets  and  hypocrites, 
as  you  are. 

Coventry.  Your  church  of  Ge- 
neva, which  you  call  the  Catholic 
church,  is  that  which  Christ  pro- 
phecied  of. 

Philpot.  I  allow  the  church  of 
Geneva,  and  the  doctrine  of  the 
same,  for  it  is  Catholic  and  aposto- 
lic, and  doth  follow  the  doctrine 
which  the  apostles  preached. 

Bonner.  My  lord,  this  man  had 
a  roasted  pig  brought  unto  him, 
and  this  knife  was  put  secretly  be- 
tween the  skin  and  flesh  thereof. 
And  also  this  powder,  under  pre- 
tence that  it  was  good  and  comfort- 
able for  him  to  eat  and  drink ; 
which  powder  was  only  to  make 
ink  to  write  withal.  For  when  his 
keeper  perceived  it,  he  took  it  and 
brought  it  unto  me  :  which  when  I 
saw  I  thought  it  had  been  gun- 
powder, and  thereupon  put  fire  to 
it,  but  it  would  not  burn.  Then  I 
took  it  for  poison,  and  so  gave  it  to 
a  dog,  but  it  was  not  so.  I  then 
took  a  little  water,  and  made  as 
good  ink  as  ever  I  did  write  withal. 
Therefore,  my  lord,  you  may  un- 
derstand what  a  naughty  fellow 
this  is. 

Philpot.  Ah,  my  lord,  have  you 
nothing  else  to  charge  me  withal, 
but  these  trilles,  seeing  I  stand 
upon  life  and  death?  Doth  the 
knife  in  the  pig  prove  the  church 
of  Rome  to  be  the  Catholic 
church? 

Then  the  bishop  brought  forth  a 


512 


BOOK  OP  MARTYRS. 


certain  instrument,  containing  ar- 
ticles and  questions,  a^preed  upon 
both  in  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 
Also  he  exhibited  two  books  in 
print;  the  one  was  the  catechism 
composed  in  king  Edward's  days, 
in  the  year  1552,  the  other  con- 
cerning the  report  of  the  disputa- 
tion in  the  convocation-house, 
mention  whereof  is  above  ex- 
pressed. 

Moreover,  he  brought  forth  two 
letters,  and  laid  them  to  Mr.  Phil- 
pot's  charge ;  the  one  was  ad- 
dressed to  him  by  a  friend,  com- 
plaining of  the  bishop's  ill  usage  of 
a  young  man  named  Bartlet  Green; 
the  other  was  a  consolatory  letter 
from  lady  Vane.  Besides  these, 
was  introduced  a  memorial  drawn 
up  by  Mr.  Philpot,  to  the  queen  and 
parliament,  stating  the  irregularity 
of  his  being  brought  to  bishop  Bon- 
ner, he  not  being  of  his  diocese ; 
also  complaining  of  the  severity  of 
his  treatment. 

These  books,  letters,  supplica- 
tions, &c.  having  been  read,  the 
bishop  demanded  of  him,  if  the 
book  intilled,  "  The  true  report  of 
the  disputation,  &c."  were  of  his 
penning,  or  not?  To  this  Mr. 
Philpot  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive. 

,  The  bishops  growing  weary,  and 
not  being  able  by  any  sufficient 
ground,  either  of  God's  word,  or  of 
the  true  ancient  catholic  fathers,  to 
convince  and  overcome  him,  be- 
gan with  flattering  speech  to  per- 
suade him:  promising,  that  if  he 
would  revoke  his  opinions,  and  re- 
turn to  their  Romish  and  Babyloni- 
cal  church,  he  would  not  only  be 
pardoned  that  which  was  past,  but 
also  they  would,  with  all  favour 
and  cheerfulness  of  heart,  receive 
him  again  as  a  true  member  there- 
of. But  when  Bonner  found  that  it 
would  take  no  effect,  he  demanded 
of  Mr.  Philpot,  whether  he  had 
any  ^ust  cause  to  allege  why  he 
should  not  condemn  him  as  an  he- 
retic. "Well,"  quoth  Mr.  Phil- 
pot, "  your  idolatrous  sacrament, 
which  you  have  found  out,  you 
would  fain  defend,  but  you  cannot, 
nor  ever  shall." 


In  the  end  the  bishop,  seeiii 
his  steadfastness  in  the  truth, 
openly  pronounced  the  sentence  of 
condemnation  against  him.  In  the 
reading  whereof,  when  he  came  to 
these  words,  "  and  you,  an  obsti- 
nate, pernicious,  and  impenitent 
heretic,"  &c.  Mr.  Philpot  said, 
"  I  thank  God  that  I  am  an  here- 
tic out  of  your  cursed  church ;  I 
am  no  heretic  before  God.  But 
God  bless  you,  and  give  you  grace 
to  repent  your  wicked  doings." 

When  Bonner  was  about  the 
midst  of  the  sentence,  the  bishop 
of  Bath  pulled  him  by  the  sleeve, 
and  said,  "  My  lord,  my  lord, 
know  of  him  first  whether  he  will 
recant  or  not."  Bonner  said,  "  O, 
let  him  alone:"  and  so  read  forth 
the  sentence. 

When  he  had  concluded,  he  de- 
livered him  to  the  sherifls;  and  so 
two  officers  brought  him  through 
the  bishop's  house  into  Paternos- 
ter-row, where  his  servant  met  him, 
and  when  he  saw  him,  he  said, 
"Ah,  dear  master!" 

"  Content  thyself,"  ,said  Mr. 
Philpot,  "  I  shall  do  well  enough  ; 
for  thou  shalt  see  me  again." 

The  officers  then  took  him  to 
Newgate;  where  they  delivered 
him  to  the  keeper.  Then  his  man 
strove  to  go  in  after  his  master, 
and  one  of  the  officers  said  unto 
him,  "  Hence,  fellow !  what  wouldst 
thou  have?"  And  he  said,  "I 
would  speak  with  my  master." 
Mr.  Philpot  then  turned  about,  and 
said  to  him,  "  To-morrow  thou 
shalt  speak  with  me." 

When  the  under  keeper  under- 
stood it  to  be  his  servant,  he  gave 
him  leave  to  go  in  with  him.  And 
Mr.  Philpot  and  his  man  were 
turned  into  a  little  chamber  on  the 
right  hand,  and  there  remained  a 
short  time,  when  Alexander,  the 
chief  keeper,  came  unto  him ;  who 
said,  "  Ah,  hast  thou  not  done 
well  to  bring  thyself  hither?" — 
"Well,"  said  Mr.  Philpot,  "I 
must  be  content,  for  it  is  God's 
appointment;  and  I  shall  dtsire 
you  to  let  me  have  your  gentle  fa- 
vour, for  you  and  I  have  been  of 
old  acquaintance. 


JOHN  PHILPOT. 


5\S 


"  If  you  will  recant,"  said  the 
keeper,  "  I  will  shew  yon  any 
pleasure  I  can." — "  Nay,"  said 
Mr.  Philpot,  "  I  wiil  never  recant 
that  which  I  have  spoken,  wliil.st  I 
have  my  life,  for  it  is  most  certain 
truth,  and  in  witness  hereof,  I  will 


seal  it  with  my  blood."  Then 
Alexander  said,  "  This  is  th.c  say- 
ing of  the  whole  pack  of  you  iiere- 
ties."  Whereupon  he  commanded 
him  to  be  set  upon  the  block,  and 
as  many  irons  to  be  put  upon  his 
legs  as  he  could  bear. 


Rochus,  a  Carver  of  St.  Lucar  in  Spain,  burnt  by  order  of  the  Incmmtion,  for  d^'acing 
his  own  Sign,  whieh  iras  the  Image  of  the   Virgin  Alary. 


Then  the  clerk  told  Alexander  in 
his  ear,  that  Mr.  Philpot  had  given 
his  man  money.  Alexander  said 
to  him,  "  What  money  hath  thy 
master  given  thee?"  He  an- 
swered, "  My  master  hath  given 
me  none." — "No?"  said  Alex- 
der,  "  hath  he  given  thee  none  ? 
That  I  will  know,  for  I  will  search 
thee." 

"  Do  with  me  as  you  like,  and 
search  me  all  that  you  can,"  quoth 
his  servant;  "  he  hath  given  me  a 
token  or  two  to  send  to  his  friends, 
to  his  brothers  and  sisters." — 
"  Ah,"  said  Alexander  unto  Mr. 
Philpot,  "  thou  art  a  maintainer  of 
heretics;  thy  man  should  have 
gone  to  some  of  thy  affinity,  but  he 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


shall  be  known  well  enough." — ■ 
"  Nay,"  said  Mr.  Philpot,  "^  I  do 
send  it  to  my  friends  ;  there  he  is, 
let  him  make  answer  to  it.  But, 
good  Mr.  Alexander,  be  so  much 
my  friend,  that  these  irons  may  be 
taken  off." — "  Well,"  said  Alex- 
ander, "  give  me  my  fees,  and  I 
will  take  them  oft";  if  not,  thou 
shalt  wear  them  still." 

Then  suid  Mr.  Philpot,  "  Sir, 
what  is  your  fee?"  He  said, 
"Four  pounds." — "Ah,"  said  Mr, 
Philpot,  "I  have  not  so  much ;  t 
am  but  a  poor  man,  and  I  have 
been  long  in  prison."—"  What  wilt 
thou  give  me  then?"  said  Alex- 
ander. "  Sir,"  said  he,  "  I  will 
give    thee    twenty    shillings,    and 

33 


514 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


that  I  will  send  my  man  for,  or 
else  I  will  gfve  thee  my  gown  in 
pledge;  for  the  time  is  not  long:,  I 
am  sure,  that  I  shall  be  with  you; 
for  the  bishop  said  unto  me  that  I 
should  soon  be  dispatched." 

"What  is  that  to  me?"  said 
Alexander.  And  with  that  he  de- 
parted from  him,  and  commanded 
him  to  be  put  in  a  dungeon;  but 
before  he  could  be  taken  from  the 
block,  the  clerk  would  have  a 
groat. 

Then  one  Witterence,  steward  of 
the  house,  took  him  on  his  back, 
and  carried  him  down,  his  man 
knew  not  whither.  Wherefore 
Mr.  Philpot  said  to  his  servant, 
"  Go  to  the  sheriff,  and  shew  him 
how  I  am  used,  and  desire  him  to 
be  good  to  me ;"  and  so  his  servant 
went,  and  took  another  person  with 
him. 

When  they  came  to  the  sheriff, 
and  shewed  him  how  Mr.  Philpot 
was  treated  in  Newgate,  he  took 
his  ring  from  off  his  finger,  and  de- 
livered it  to  the  person  that  came 
with  Mr.  Philpot's  man,  and  bade 
him  go  unto  Alexander  the  keeper, 
and  commanded  him  to  take  off  his 
irons,  and  to  handle  him  more 
gently,  and  to  give  his  man  again 
that  which  he  had  taken  from  him. 

And  when  they  returned  to 
Alexander,  and  delivered  their 
message  frorn  the  sheriff,  he  took 
the  ring  and  said,  "  Ah,  I  perceive 
that  Mr.  Sheriff  is  a  bearer  with 
him,  and  all  such  heretics  as  he 
is,  therefore  to-morrow  I  will  shew 
it  to  his  betters:"  yet  at  ten  o'clock 
he  went  to  Mr.  Philpot  where  he 
lay,  and  took  off  his  irons,  and 
gave  him  such  things  as  he  had 
before  taken  from  his  servant. 

Upon  Tuesday,  the  17th  of  De- 
cember, while  he  was  at  supper, 
there  came  a  messenger  from  the 
sheriffs,  and  bade  Mr.  Philpot 
make  ready,  for  the  next  day  he 
should  suffer,  and  be  burned  at  a 
slake.  Mr.  Philpot  answered,  "  I 
am  ready  ;  God  grant  me  strength, 
and  a  joyful  resurrection."  And 
so  he  went  into  his  chamber,  and 
poured  cut  his  spirit  unto  the  Lord 
God,      giving     him     most     hearty 


thanks,    that    he    had    made    him 
worthy  to  suffer  for  his  truth. 

EXECUTION    OF    MR.    PHILPOT. 

In  the  morning  the  sheriffs  came 
according  to  order,  about  eight 
o'clock,  and  calling  for  him,  he 
most  joyfully  came  down  to  them. 
And  there  his  man  met  him,  and 
said,  "  Ah,  dear  master,  farewell." 
His  master  answered,  "  Serve 
God,  and  he  will  help  thee."  And 
so  he  went  with  the  sheriffs  to  the 
place  of  execution;  and  when  he 
was  entering  into  Smithfield,  the 
way  was  foul,  and  two  officers  took 
hini  up  to  bear  him  to  the  stake. 
Then  he  said  merrily,  "  What,  Avill 
you  make  me  a  pope?  I  am  con- 
tent to  go  to  my  journey's  end  on 
foot."  But  on  entering  into  Smith- 
field,  he  kneeled  down,  and  said^ 
"  I  will  pay  my  vows  in  thee,  O 
Smithfield." 

On  arriving  at  the  place  of  suf- 
fering, he  kissed  the  stake,  and 
said,  "  Shall  I  disdain  to  suffer  at 
this  stake,  seeing  my  Redeemer 
did  not  refuse  to  suffer  the  most 
vile  death  upon  the  cross  for  me  ?" 
And  then  with  an  obedient  heart 
he  repeated  the  106th,  107th,  antj 
108th  Psalms:  and  when  he  had 
made  an  end  of  all  his  prayers,  he 
said  to  the  officers,  "  What  have 
you  done  for  me?"  And  when 
they  severally  declared  what  they 
had  done,  he  gave  money  to  them. 

They  then  bound  him  to  the 
stake,  and  lighted  the  fire,  when 
the  blessed  martyr  soon  resigned 
his  soul  into  the  hands  of  him  who 
gave  it. 

Thus  have  Ave  presented  the 
reader  with  the  life  and  actions  of 
this  learned  and  worthy  soldier  of 
the  Lord,  with  his  various  exami- 
nations that  were  preserved  from 
the  sight  and  hand  of  his  enemies ; 
who,  by  all  manner  of  means, 
sought  not  only  to  stop  him  from 
all  writing,  but  also  to  spoil  and 
deprive  liim  of  that  which  he  had 
written.  For  which  cause  he  was 
many  times  searched  in  the  prison 
by  his  keeper:  but  yet  so  happily 
were  these  particulars  preserved, 
that  they  always  escaped  his  pry- 
ing eyes. 
3 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  PHILPOT. 


515 


There  are  many  letters  extant 
written  by  this  excellent  man  upon 
various  occasions;  and  we  give 
the  following-,  as  it  treats  of  a  very 
important  point  of  doctrine;  and, 
we  trust,  may  have  some  wcij:;ht  in 
doing  away  an  error  that  originated 
in  the  deluded  and  perverted  mind 
of  an  Arian. 

LETTER    FROM     MR.    PHILPOT     TO     A 
FRIEND,    UPON    INFANT    BAPTISM. 

The  God  of  all  light  and  un- 
derstanding enlighten  your  heart 
with  all  true  knowledge  of  his 
word,  and  make  you  perfect  to  the 
day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
whereuntq  you  are  now  called, 
through  the  mighty  operation  of  his 
Holy  Spirit.     Amen. 

I  received  yesternight  from 
you  a  letter,  wherein  you  gently 
require  my  judgment  concerning 
ihe  baptism  of  infants.  And  be- 
fore I  shew  you  what  I  have  learnt 
out  of  God's  word,  and  of  his  true 
and  infallible  church,  touching  the 
same,  I  will  first  declare  what  vi- 
sion I  had  the  same  night,  on 
falling  asleep,  after  reading  your 
letter,  knowing  that  God  doth  not 
without  cause  reveal  to  his  people, 
who  have  their  minds  fixed  on  him, 
special  and  spiritual  revelation  to 
their  comfort,  as  a  taste  of  their 
joy  and  kingdom  to  come,  which 
flesh  and  blood  cannot  compre- 
hend. 

It  seemed  as  if  I  saw  a  great 
beautiful  city,  of  the  colour  of 
azure  and  white,  four-square,  in  a 
beautiful  composition  in  the  midst 
of  the  sky,  the  sight  whereof  so  in- 
wardly comforted  me,  that  I  am 
not  able  to  express  the  consolation 
I  had  thereof,  yea  the  remem- 
JL>rance  thereof  causeth  as  yet  my 
heart  to  leap  for  joy:  and  as  cha- 
rity is  no  churl,  but  would  wish 
others  to  be  partakers  of  his  de- 
light, so  methought  I  called  to 
others  (I  cannot  tell  whom),  and 
while  they  came,  and  we  together 
beheld  the  same,  by  and  by,  to  my 
great  grief,  it  faded  away. 

This  dream  I  think  not  to  have 
come  of  the  illusion  of  the  senses, 
because  it  brought  with  it  so  much 


spiritual  joy,  and  I  take  it  to  be  of 
the  working  of  God's  Spirit  for  the 
contenlation  of  your  request,  as  he 
wrought  in  Peter  to  satisfy  Corne- 
lius. Therefore  I  interpret  this 
beautiful  city  to  bo  the  glorious 
church  of  Christ;  and  the  appear- 
ance of  it  in  the  sky,  sigiiifieth  the 
heavenly  state  thereof,  whose  con- 
versation is  in  heaven;  and  thai 
according  to  the  primitive  church 
which  is  now  in  heaven,  men 
ought  to  measure  and  judge  the 
church  of  Christ  now  on  earth:  for 
as  the  prophet  David  sailh,  "  The 
foundations  thereof  be  in  the  holy 
hills,  and  glorious  things  be  spoken 
of  the  city  of  God."  And  the  mar- 
vellous quadrature  of  the  same,  I 
take  to  signify  the  universal  agree- 
ment of  the  same,  and  that  all  the 
church  here  militant  ought  to  con- 
sent to  the  primitive  church 
throughout  the  four  parts  of  the 
world;  as  the  prophet  aftirmeth, 
saying,  "  God  maketh  us  to  dwell 
after  one  manner  in  one  house." 
And  that  I  conceived  so  wonderful 
joy  at  the  contemplation  thereof,  I 
understand  the  unspeakable  joy 
which  they  have  that  be  at  unity 
with  Christ's  primitive  church:  for 
there  is  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
peace,  which  passeth  all  under- 
standing; as,  it  is  written  in  the 
Psalms,  "  as  of  joyful  persons  is  the 
dwelling  of  all  them  that  be  in 
thee."  And  that  I  called  others  to 
the  fruition  of  this  vision,  and  to 
behold  this  wonderful  city,  I  con- 
strue it  by  the  will  of  God  this  vi- 
sion to  have  come  upon  me  musing 
on  your  letter,  to  the  end  that 
under  this  figure  I  might  have  oc- 
casion to  move  you  with  many 
others,  to  behold  the  primitive 
church  in  all  your  opinions  con- 
cerning faith,  and  to  conform  your- 
self in  all  points  to  the  same, 
which  is  the  pillar  and  establish- 
ment of  the  truth,  and  teacheth  the 
true  use  of  the  sacraments,  and 
having,  with  a  greater  fulness  than 
we  have  now,  the  first  fruits  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  did  declare  the  true 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures, 
according  to  all  verity,  even  as  our 
Saviour  promised    to    send    thero 


516 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


another  Comforter,   which  should 
teach  them  all  truth. 

And  since  all  truth  was  taught 
and  revealed  to  the  primitive 
church,  which  is  our  mother,  let 
us  all,  that  be  obedient  children  of 
God,  submit  ourselves  to  its  judg- 
ment, for  the  better  understanding 
of  the  articles  of  our  faith,  and  of 
the  doubtful  sentences  of  the  scrip- 
ture. 

If  you  look  upon  the  papistical 
sjnagogue  onlj,  which  had  cor- 
rupted God's  word  by  false  inter- 
pretations, and  hath  perverted  the 
true  use  of  Christ's  sacraments, 
you  might  seem  to  have  good  hand- 
fast  of  your  opinion  against  the 
baptism  of  infants.  But  foras- 
much as  it  is  of  more  antiquity, 
and  hath  its  beginning  from  God's 
word,  and  from  the  use  of  the  pri- 
mitive church,  it  must  not  in  re- 
spect of  the  abuse  in  the  popish 
church  be  neglected,  or  thought 
not  expedient  to  be  used  in  Christ's 
church.  Auxentius,  one  of  the 
Arian  sect,  with  his  adherents,  was 
one  of  the  first  that  denied  the  bap- 
tism of  children ;  and  next  after 
him  Pelagius  the  heretic,  and  some 
others  that  were  in  St.  Bernard's 
time,  as  it  doth  appear  by  his 
writings,  and  in  our  days  the  Ana- 
baptists, an  inordinate  kind  of  men 
stirred  up  by  the  devil,  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  gospel.  But  the 
Catholic  truth  delivered  unto  us 
by  the  scriptures,  plainly  deter- 
mineth,  that  all  such  are  to  be 
baptized,  whom  God  acknowledg- 
eth  for  his  people,  and  voucheth 
them  worthy  of  sanctification  or 
remission  of  their  sins.  Therefore 
since  that  infants  be  in  the  number 
or  scroll  of  God's  people,  and  be 
partakers  of  the  promise  by  their 
purification  in  Christ,  it  must  needs 
follow  thereby,  that  they  ought  to 
be  baptized  as  well  as  those  that 
can  profess  their  faith.  For  we 
judge  the  people  of  God  as  well 
by  the  free  and  liberal  promise  of 
God,  as  by  the  confession  of  faith. 
For  to  whomsoever  God  promiseth 
himself  to  be  their  God,  and  whom 
he  acknowledgeth  for  his,  those 
no  man  without  great  impiety  may 


exclude  from  the  number  of  the 
faithful.  But  God  promiseth  that 
he  will  not  only  be  the  God  of  such 
as  do  profess  him,  but  also  of  in- 
fants, promising  them  his  grace 
and  remission  of  sins,  as  it  ap- 
peareth  by  the  words  of  the  cove- 
nant made  unto  Abraham  :  "  I  will 
set  my  covenant  between  thee  and 
me,  saith  the  Lord,  and  between 
thy  seed  after  thee  in  their  gene- 
rations, with  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant, to  be  thy  God,  and  the  God 
of  thy  seed  after  thee."  To  Avhich 
covenant  circumcision  was  added, 
to  be  a  sign  of  sanctification  as 
well  in  children  as  in  men  ;  and  no 
man  may  think  that  this  promise  is 
abrogated  with  circumcision  and 
other  ceremonial  laws.  For  Christ 
came  t©  fulfil  the  promises,  and 
not  to  dissolve  them.  Therefore 
in  the  gospel  he  saith  of  infants, 
that  is,  of  such  as  yet  believed 
not,  "  Let  the  little  ones  come  unto 
me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
Again,  "  It  is  not  the  will  of  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven,  that 
any  of  these  little  ones  do  perish." 
Also,  "  He  that  receiveth  one  of 
these  little  ones  receiveth  me. 
Take  heed  therefore  that  ye  de- 
spise not  one  of  these  babes,  for  I 
tell  you  their  angels  do  continually 
see  in  heaven  my  Father's  face." 
And  what  may  be  said  more  plain 
than  this  ?  It  is  not  the  will  of  the 
heavenly  Father  that  the  infants 
should  perish ;  whereby  we  may 
gather,  that  he  receiveth  them 
freely  unto  his  grace,  although  as 
yet  they  confess  not  their  faith. 
Since  then  that  the  word  of  the 
promises,  which  is  contained  in 
baptism,  pertaineth  as  well  to  chil- 
dren as  to  men,  why  should  the 
sign  of  the  promise,^  which  is  bap- 
tism in  water,  be  withdrawn  from 
children,  when  Christ  himself  com- 
manded them  to  be  received  of  us, 
and  promiseth  the  reward  of  a 
prophet  to  those  that  receive  such 
a  little  infant,  as  he  for  an  example 
did  put  before  his  disciples  ? 

Now  will  I  prove  with  manifest 
arguments  that  children  ought  to 
be  baptized,  and  that  the  apostles 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  PHILPOT. 


517 


of  Christ  did  baptize  children. 
The  Lord  commanded  his  apostles 
to  baptize  all  nations ;  therefore 
also  children  ought  to  be  baptized, 
for  they  are  comprehended  under 
this  word,  All  nations. 

Further,  whom  God  doth  ac- 
count among  the  faithful,  they  are 
faithful,  for  it  was  said  to  Peter, 
*'  That  thing  which  God  hath  pu- 
rified, thou  shalt  not  say  to  be 
common  or  unclean."  But  God 
doth  repute  children  among  the 
faithful :  therefore  they  are  faith- 
ful, except  we  had  rather  to  resist 
God,  and  seem  stronger  and -wiser 
than  he. 

And  without  all  doubt  the  apos- 
tles baptized  those  which  Christ 
commanded:  but  he  commanded 
the  faithful  to  be  baptized,  among 
which  infants  are  reckoned :  the 
apostles  then  baptized  infants. 

The  gospel  is  more  than  baptism, 
for  Paul  said,  "  The  Lord  sent 
me  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  not 
to  baptize:"  not  that  he  denied 
absolutely  that  he  was  sent  to  bap- 
tize, but  that  he  preferred  doctrine 
before  baptism,  for  the  Lord  com- 
manded both  to  the  apostles  :  but 
children  be  received  by  the  doc- 
trine of  the  gospel  of  God,  and 
not  refused  :  therefore  what  per- 
son being  of  reason  may  deny  them 
baptism,  which  is  a  thing  less  than 
the  gospel .'  For  in  the  sacraments 
be  two  things  to  be  considered,  the 
thing  signified,  and  the  sign;  and 
the  thing  signified  is  greater  than 
the  sign  ;  and  from  the  thing  signi- 
tied  in  baptism,  children  are  not 
excluded;  who  therefore  may  deny 
them  the  sign,  which  is  baptism  in 
water  J 

St.  Peter  could  not  deny  them 
to  be  baptized  in  water,  to  whom 
he  saw  the  Holy  Ghost  given, 
which  is  the  certain  sign  of  God's 
people  ;  for  he  saith  in  the  Acts, 
*'  May  any  body  forbid  them  to  be 
baptized  in  water  who  have  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as 
we?"  Therefore  St.  Peter  denied 
not  baptism  to  infants,  for  he  knew 
certainly  both  by  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  and  by  the  covenant,  which 


is  everlasting,  that  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  pertaineth  to  infants. 

None  are  received  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  but  such  as  God 
loveth,  and  which  are  endued  with 
the  Spirit:  for  whoso  hath  not  the 
Spirit  of  God,  he  is  none  of  his. 
But  infants  are  beloved  of  God, 
and  therefore  want  not  the  Spirit 
of  God:  wherefore,  if  they  have 
the  Spirit  of  God  as  well  as  men, 
if  they  be  numbered  among  the 
people  of  God  as  well  as  we  that 
be  of  age,  who  (I  pray  you)  may 
well  withstand  children  to  be  bap- 
tized with  water  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord? 

The  apostles,  in  times  past,  being 
yet  not  sulliciently  instructed,  did 
murmur  against  those  which 
brought  their  children  unto  the 
Lord,  but  the  Lord  rebuked  them, 
and  said,  "  Let  the  babes  come 
unto  me."  Why  then  do  not  these 
rebellious  anabaptists  obey  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord '.  For 
what  do  they  now-a-days  else  that 
bring  their  children  to  baptism, 
than  that  they  did  in  times  past 
which  brought  their  children  unto 
the  Lord,  and  our  Lord  received 
them,  and  putting  his  hands  on 
them  blessed  them,  and  both  by 
words  and  by  gentle  behaviour  to- 
wards them,  declared  manifestly 
that  children  be  the  people  of  God, 
and  entirely  beloved  by  him?  But 
some  will  say.  Why  then  did  not 
Christ  baptize  them?  Because  it  ia 
written,  Jesus  himself  baptized 
not,  but  his  disciples. 

Moreover,  circumcision  in  the 
old  law  was  administered  to  in- 
fants :  therefore  baptism  ought  to 
be  administered  in  the  new  law 
unto  children.  For  baptism  is 
come  in  the  stead  of  circumcision, 
as  St.  Paul  witnesseth,  saying  to 
the  Colossians,  "  By  Christ  ye  are 
circumcised  with  a  circumcision 
which  is  without  hands,  when  ye 
put  off  the  body  of  sin  of  the  flesh, 
by  the  circumcision  of  Christ, 
being  buried  together  with  him 
through  baptism."  Behold,  Paul 
calleth  baptism  the  circumcision  of 
a    Christian    man,-  which  is   done 


518 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


without  bands,  but  that  with  hands 
no  man  any  longer  ought  to  be  cir- 
cumcised, although  the  mystery  of 
circumcision  do  still  remain  in 
faithful  people. 

To  this  I  may  add,  that  the  ser- 
vants of  God  were  always  ready  to 
administer  the  sacraments  to  them 
ifor  whom  they  were  instituted.  As 
for  an  example,  we  may  behold 
Joshua,  who  most  diligently  pro- 
cured the  people  of  Israel  to  be 
circumcised  before  they  entered 
into  the  land  of  promise  ;  but  since 
the  apostles  were  the  preachers  of 
the  word,  and  the  very  faithful  ser- 
vants of  Jesus  Christ,  who  may 
hereafter  doubt  that  they  baptized 
infants,  since  baptism  is  in  the  place 
of  circumcision? 

Item,  The  apostles  did  attempe- 
rate  all  their  doings  to  the  shadows 
and  figures  of  the  Old  Testament ; 
therefore  it  is  certain  that  they  did 
attemperate  baptism  accordingly  to 
circumcision,  and  baptized  chil- 
dren because  they  were  under  the 
figure  of  baptism  ;  for  the  people 
of  Israel  passed  through  the  Red 
Sea,  and  the  bottom  of  the  water 
of  Jordan,  with  their  children. 
And  although  the  children  be  not 
always  expressed,  neither  the  wo- 
man in  the  holy  scriptures,  yet 
they  are  comprehended  and  under- 
stood in  the  same. 

Also  the  scripture  evidently  tell- 
eth  us,  that  the  apostles  baptized 
whole  families  or  households  :  but 
the  children  are  comprehended  in 
a  family  or  household,  as  the 
chiefest  and  dearest  part  thereof: 
therefore  we  may  conclude,  the 
apostles  did  baptize  infants  or  chil- 
dren, and  not  only  men  of  lawful 
age.  And  that  the  house  or  house- 
hold is  taken  for  man,  woman,  and 
child,  it  is  manifest  in  the  17th  of 
Genesis  ;  and  also  in  that  Joseph 
doth  call  Jacob  with  all  his  house, 
to  come  out  of  the  land  of  Canaan 
into  Egypt. 

Finally,  I  can  declare  out  of  an- 
cient writers,  that  the  baptism  of 
infants  hath  continued  from  the 
apostle's  time  unto  ours,  neither 
was  it  instituted  by  any  councils, 


neither  of  the  pope,  nor  of  other 
men,  but  coiiimanded  from  the 
scripture  by  the  apostles  them- 
selves. Origen,  upon  the  declara- 
tion of  St.  Paul's  epistle  to  the 
Romans,  expounding  the  6th  chap- 
ter, saith,  '"  That  the  church  of 
Christ  received  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants from  the  very  apostles."  Stt 
Jerome  maketh  mention  of  the 
baptism  of  infants  in  the  third 
book  against  the  Pelagians,  and  in 
his  epistle  to  Leta.  St.  Augustine 
reciteth,  lor  this  purpose,  a  place 
out  of  John,  bishop  of  Constanti- 
nople, in  his  first  book  against 
Julian,  chap.  2 ;  and  he  again  writ- 
ing to  St.  Jerome,  epist,  28,  saith, 
*'  That  St.  Cyprian,  not  making 
any  new  decree,  but  firmly  observ- 
ing the  faith  of  the  church,  judged 
with  bis  fellow  bishops,  that  as 
soon  as  one  was  born,  he  might 
be  lawfully  baptized."  The  place 
of  Cyprian  is  to  be  seen  in  his 
epistle  to  Fidus. 

Also  St.  Augustine,  in  writing 
against  the  Donatists,  in  the  fourth 
book,  chap.  23  and  24,  saith,  That 
the  baptism  of  infants  was  not  de- 
rived from  the  authority  of  man, 
neither  of  councils,  but  from  the 
tradition  or  doctrine  of  the  apos- 
tles. 

Cyril,  upon  Leviticus,  chap.  8, 
approveth  the  baptism  of  children, 
and  condemnetb  the  iteration  of 
baptism.  These  authorities  of  men 
I  do  allege,  not  to  tie  the  baptism 
of  children  unto  the  testimonies  of 
men,  but  to  shew  how  men's  testi- 
monies do  agree  with  God's  word, 
and  that  the  verity  of  antiquity  is 
on  our  side,  and  that  the  Anabap- 
tists have  nothing  but  lies  for  them, 
and  new  imaginations,  which  feign 
the  baptism  of  children  to  be  the 
pope's  commandment. 

After  this  will  I  answer  to  the 
sum  of  your  arguments  for  the 
contrary.  The  first,  which  iuclud- 
eth  all  the  rest,  is,  "  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world,  and  preach  the  glad 
tidings  to  all  creatures.  He  tliat 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved :  but  he  that  believeth  not, 
shall  be  damned,"  &c. 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  PHILPOT. 


610 


To  this  I  answer,  That  nothing 
is  added  to  God's  word  by  baptism 
of  children,    as  you   pretend,   but 
that  is  done  which  the  same  word 
doth  require,  for  that  children  are 
accounted  of  Christ  in  the  gospel 
among  the  number  of  such  as  be- 
lieve,   as    it    appeareth    by   these 
words,  "  He  tliat  oftendeth  one  of 
these  little  babes  which  believe  in 
me,  it  were  better  for  him  to  have 
a  mill-stone  tied  about  his  neck, 
and  to  be  cast  into  the  bottom  of 
the  sea."      Where  plainly   Christ 
calleth  such  as  be  not  able  to  con- 
fess their  faith,  Believers,  because 
of  his  mere  grace  he  reputeththem 
for  believers.     And  this  is  no  won- 
der so  to  be  taken,  since  God  im- 
puteth  faith  for  righteousness  unto 
men  that  be  of  riper  age  :  for  both 
in  men  and  children,  righteousness, 
acceptation,    sanctifi cation,    is    of 
mere  grace,    and    by   imputation, 
that    the    glory    of    God's    grace 
might  be  praised. 

Aiid  that  children  of  faithful 
parents  are  sanctified,  and  that 
among  such  as  do  believe,  is  ap- 
parent in  the  seventh  chapter  of 
the  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians. 
And  whereas  you  do  gather  by  the 
order  of  the  words  in  the  said  com- 
mandment of  Christ,  that  children 
ought  to  be  taught  before  they  be 
baptized,  and  to  this  end  you  al- 
lege many  places  out  of  the  Acts, 
proving  that  such  as  confessed  their 
faith  first,  were  baptized  ;  I  an- 
swer, that  if  the  order  of  words 
might  weigh  any  thing  in  this 
cause,  we  have  the  scripture  that 
maketh  as  well  for  us.  For  in  St. 
Mark  we  read  that  John  did  bap- 
tize in  the  desert,  preaching  the 
baptism  of  repentance.  In  which 
place  we  see  baptizing  go  before, 
and  preaching  to  follow  after. 

And  also  I  will  declare  this  place 
of  Matthew,  exactly  considered,  to 
make  for  the  use  of  baptism  in 
children ;  for  St.  Matthew  bath  it 
written  in  this  wise,  "  AH  power  is 
given  me  (saith  the  Lord)  in  hea- 
ven and  in  earth,"  therefore  going 
forth  Matheteusate,  that  is,  Disciple 
ye,  (as  I  may  express  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  word)  or,  Make,  or 


Gather  to  me  disciples  of  all  na- 
tions. And  following,  he  declareth 
the  way  how  they  should  gather  to 
him  disciples  out  of  all  nations; 
"  Baptizing  them  and  teaching  ;" 
by  baptizing  and  teaching  ye  shall 
procure  a  church  to  me.  And  both 
these  aptly  and  briefly  severally 
he  setteth  forth,  saying,  "  Baptiz- 
ing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  teaching  them  to  observe  all 
things  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you."  Now  then,  baptism 
goeth  before  doctrine. 

But  hereby  I  do  not  gather,  that 
the  Gentiles,  who  never  heard  any 
thing  before  of  God,  and  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
ought  to  be  baptized,  neither  would 
they  permit  themselves  to  be  bap- 
tized, before  they  knew  to  what 
end.  But  this  I  have  declared  to 
shew  you  upon  how  feeble  founda- 
tion the  Anabaptists  be  grounded. 
And  plainly  it  is  not  true  which 
they  imagine  of  this  text,  that  the 
Lord  did  only  command  such  to  be 
baptized  whom  the  apostles  had 
first  of  all  taught.  Neither  here 
verily  is  signified  who  only  are  to 
be  baptized,  but  he  speaketh  of 
such  as  be  at  perfect  age,  and  of  the 
first  foundations  of  faith,  and  of  the 
church  to  be  planted  among  the 
Gentiles,  which  were  as  yet  rude 
and  ignorant  of  religion. 

Such  as  be  of  age  may  hear,  be- 
lieve, and  confess  that  which  is 
preached  and  taught,  but  infants 
cannot:  therefore  we  may  justly- 
collect,  tiiat  he  speaketh  nothing 
here  of  infants  or  children.  But 
for  all  this  they  ought  not  to  be  ex- 
cluded from  baptism. 

It  is  a  general  rule,  "  He  that 
doth  not  labour  must  not  eat." 
But  who  is  so  barbarous  as  to  think 
hereby,  that  children  should  be 
famished?  v 

The  Lord  sent  his  apostles,  at 
the  beginning  of  his  setting  up  his 
true  religion,  unto  all  nations,  un- 
to such  as  were  both  ignorant  of 
God,  and  were  out  of  the  covenant 
of  God;  and  truly  such  persons  it 
behoved  not  first  to  be  baptized, 
and  afterward  taught;  but  first  to 


r/io 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


be  taugUl,  and  i>ftcr  baptized.  If 
at  tiiis  day  we  should  go  to  the 
Turks  to  convert  them  to  the  faith 
of  Christ,  verily  fust  we  ought  to 
teach  them,  and  afterwards  baptize 
such  as  would  yield  to  be  the  ser- 
vants of  Christ.  Likewise  the 
JiOrd  himself  in  time  past  did, 
when  first  he  renewed  the  covenant 
with  Abraham,  and  ordained  cir- 
cumcision to  be  a  seal  of  the  cove- 
nant after  that  Abraham  was  cir- 
cumcised. But  he,  when  he  per- 
ceived the  infants  also  to  pertain  to 
the  covenant,  and  that  circumcision 
was  the  sealing  up  of  the  covenant, 
did  not  only  circumcise  Ishmael 
his  son,  that  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  but  all  other  infants  that  were 
born  in  his  house,  among  whom  we 
reckon  Isaac. 

Even  so,  faithful  people  who 
were  converted  from  heathen  ido- 
latry by  the  preaching  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  confessing  the  faith,  were 
baptized ;  when  they  understood 
their  children  to  be  counted  among 
the  people  of  God,  and  that  bap- 
tism was  the  token  of  the  children 
of  God,  they  procured  also  their 
children  to  be  baptized.  Therefore, 
it  is  written,  "  Abraham  cirrum- 
cised  all  the  male  children  in  his 
house."  In  like  manner  we  read 
in  the  Acts  and  writings  of  the  apos- 
tles, that  after  thi>  master  of  the 
house  was  turned  to  the  faith,  all 
the  whole  house  was  baptized. 
And  as  concerning  those  which  of 
old  time  were  compelled  to  con- 
fess their  faith  before  they  received 
baptism,  which  were  called  Cate- 
chumeni,  they  were  such  as  with 
our  fore-fathers  came  from  the  Gen- 
tiles into  the  church,  who  being 
yet  rude  of  faith,  they  did  instruct 
in  the  principles  of  their  belief, 
and  afterward  they  did  baptize 
them;  but  the  same  ancient  fathers, 
notwithstanding,  did  baptize  the 
children  of  faithful  men,  as  I  have 
already  partly  declared. 

I  beseech  thee,  dear  brother  in 
the  gospel,  follow  the  steps  of  the 
glorious  in  the  primitive  church, 
and  of  such  as  at  this  day  follow 
the  same;  decline  from  them  nei- 
ther to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the 


left.     Then  slvall  deatJj,  be  it  erer 
so  bitter,  be   more  sweet  than  this 
life:  then  shall  Christ,  with  all  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  triumphantly 
embrace  your  spirit  with  unspeak- 
able gladness  and  exultation,  who 
in  this    earth  was  content  to  join 
your  spirit  with  their  spirits,    ac- 
cording as  it  is  commanded  by  the 
word,  that  the  spirit  of  the  prophets 
should  be  subject  to  the  prophets. 
One  thing  ask  with  David  ere  you 
depart,  and  require  the  same,  that 
you  may  dwell  with  a  full  accord  in 
his  house,  for  there  is  glory  and 
worship:    and  so  with  Simeon  in 
the  temple  embracing   Christ,  de- 
part in    peace:     to    which   peace 
Christ  bring  both  you  and  me,  and 
all   our   loving  brethren  that  love 
God  in  the  unity  of  faith,  by  such 
ways  as  shall  please  him,  to  his 
glory.     Let    the   bitter  passion  of 
Christ,  which  he  suffered  for  your 
sake,    and    the    horrible    torments 
which  the  godly  martyrs  of  Christ 
have  endured  before  us,  and  also 
the  inestimable  reward  of  your  life 
to    come,    which   is  hidden   yet   a 
little  while  from  you  with  Christ, 
strengthen,  comfort,  and  encourage 
you  to  the  end  of  that  glorious  race 
which  you  are  in.  Amen. 

Your  yoke-fellow  in  captivity 
for  the  verity  of  Christ's  gospel, 
to  live  and  die  with  you  in  the 
unity  of  faith, 

John  Philpot. 

We  have  gone  at  some  length 
into  the  report  of  this  case,  be- 
cause it  gives  a  perfect  insight  of 
the  manner  in  which  the  persecu- 
tors of  those  days  strove,  by  va- 
rious arts,  to  overcome  the  faith  of 
those  who  were  brought  before 
them.  They  at  first  tried,  by  insi- 
dious and  soothing  speeches,  and 
by  pretended  compassion  for  their 
prisoners,  to  induce  them  to  aban- 
don the  cross  which  they  had  taken 
up  ;  these  failing,  they  then  begaii 
to  shew  the  natural  malignity  and 
bloodthirstiness  of  their  hearts: 
their  victims  were  overwhelmed 
with  abuse,  and  exposed  to  every 
species  of  cruelty  and  ill-treat- 
ment;   still  the  hypocritical  whin?- 


REV.  THOMAS  WHITTLE. 


621 


■of  oompfrssion  was  kept  up;  they 
tortured  the  Protestant  only  to 
l)rove  (heir  regard  for  his  soul,  and 
brought  him  to  the  stake  only  to 
make  him  "  conformable' — that  is, 
they  merely  wished  him  to  give  up 
the  exercise  of  that  reason  with 
which  his  Creator  had  endowed 
him,  and  to  adopt,  instead  of  the 
pure  and  benevolent  principles  of 
the  reformed  religion,  the  mon- 
strous, absurd,  and  blasphemous 
tenets  of  popery — in  return  for 
which  sacrifice,  tiiey  graciously 
promised  to  allow  him  to  retain  a 
life,  which  no  law,  but  one  issuing 
from  the  Pandemonium  of  the 
prime  object  of  their  idolatry,  the 
Pope,  could  have  ever  given  them 


authority  to  deprive  him  (if.  What 
heart  but  must  revolt  from  the 
contemplation  of  the  bare  possibi- 
lity of  such  enormities  being  again 
enacted  in  this  country,  once  so 
happily  rescued  from  the  tyranny 
of  papal  domination?  And  yet, 
alas!  who  can  deny  that  the  fatal 
security  in  which  Protestants  have 
so  long  indulged,  and  the  unwea- 
ried assiduity  of  their  adversaries, 
may, — nay,  will — establish  Anti- 
christ again  in  the  throne,  and  al- 
low him  again  to  wallow  in  the 
blood  of  the  saints,  unless  they  be 
roused  by  this  timely  warning,  to 
shake  oft'  their  slumber,  and  oppose 
the  enemy  at  every  point? 


SECTION  XIII. 

HISTORY  OF  THOMAS  WHITTLE,  BARTLF.T  GREEN,  JOHN  TUDSON,  JOHN 
WENT,  THOMAS  BROWNE,  ISABEL  FOSTER,  AND  JOAN  WARNE,  OTHER- 
WISE   LASHFORD,     WHO     WERE    ALL    BURNED    AT    SMITHFIELD,     JANUARY 

27,  1556. 


The  above  martyrs  were  all  con- 
demned under  one  general  form  of 
articles  objected  against  them,  and 
which  ran,  as  usual,  upon  the  com- 
mon points  of  doctrine,  namely, 
their  denial  of  the  pope's  supre- 
macy; their  objections  to  the  er- 
rors of  the  mass,  &c.  in  the  Romish 
church,  and  their  refusal  to  attend 
the  same,  with  their  public  avowal 
of  their  abhorrence  to  the  whole. 
They  severally  answered  to  the 
various  objections  with  all  the 
boldness  and  simplicity  of  truth. 

We  shall  give  a  brief  relation  of 
their  stories,  beginning  with 

THE    REV.    THOMAS    WHITTLE. 

Mention  has  been  made  in  the 
account  of  Mr.  Philpot,  of  a  mar- 
ried priest,  whom  he  found  in  bi- 
shop Bonner's  coal-house  at  his 
first  going  thither,  in  heaviness  of 
mind  and  great  sorrow,  for  recant- 
ing the  doctrine  he  had  taught  in 
king  Edward's  days,  whose  name 
was  Thomas  Whittle,  of  Essex. 
This  Thomas  Whittle,  after  he  had 
been  expelled  from  the  place  in 
Essex  where  he  served,  became  an 
itinerant  preacher,  sowing  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ,  wherever  he  found 


opportunity.  At  length  being  ap- 
prehended by  one  Edmund  Ala- 
blaster,  in  hope  of  reward  and  pro- 
motion, he  was  brought  first  as  pri- 
soner before  the  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, who  then  was  lately  fallen 
sick  of  the  disease,  whereof  not 
long  after  he  died.  But  the  ap- 
prehender  for  his  proff"ered  service 
was  checked  by  the  bishop,  who 
asked,  "  If  there  were  no  man  unto 
whom  he  might  bring  such  rascals, 
but  to  him?  Hence!  out  of  my 
sight,  thou  varlet,"  cried  he;  "  why 
dost  thou  trouble  me  with  such 
matters?"  The  cormorant  being 
thus  defeated  of  his  desired  prey, 
yet  unwilling  to  give  it  up,  carried 
his  prisoner  to  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, by  whom  Whittle  was  cruelly 
treated,  as  appears  from  the  fol- 
lowing letter  to  one  of  his  friends. 

"  Upon  Thursday,  which  was 
the  tenth  of  January,  the  bishop  of 
London  sent  for  me,  Thomas 
Whittle,  minister,  out  of  the  'por- 
ter's lodge,  where  I  had  been  all 
night,  lying  on  the  earth,  on  a  little 
low  bed,  where  I  had  as  painful 
a  night  of  sickness  as  ever  I  had. 
And  when  I  came  before  him,  he 


622 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


talked  with  me  upon  many  things 
of  the  sacrament  so  grossly,  as  is 
not  worthy  to  be  rehearsed.  And 
amongst  other  things,  he  asked 
me,  if  I  would  have  come  to  mass 
that  morning  if  he  had  sent  for  me. 
I  answered,  that  I  would  have 
come  to  him  at  his  commandment, 
but  to  your  mass  (said  I)  I  have 
small  aflection.  At  which  answer  he 
was  sore  displeased,  and  said,  I 
should  be  fed  with  bread  and  wa- 
ter. And  as  I  followed  him 
through  the  great  hall,  he  turned 
back,  and  beat  me  with  his  fist, 
first  on  the  one  cheek,  and  then 
on  the  other,  as  the  sign  of  my 
beating  did  many  days  appear. 
And  then  he  led  me  to  a  little  salt- 
house,  where  I  had  neither  straw 
nor  bed,  but  lay  two  nights  on  a 
table,  and  slept  soundly. 

"  On  the  Friday  after,  I  was 
brought  to  my  lord,  when  he  gave 
me  many  fair  words,  and  said  he 
would  be  good  to  me.  And  so  he 
going  to  Fulham,  committed  me  to 
Dr.  Harpsfield,  that  he  and  I,  in 
that  afternoon,  should  commune 
together,  and  draw  out  certain 
articles,  whereunto  if  I  would  sub- 
scribe, I  should  be  dismissed. 
But  Dr.  Harpsfield  sent  not  for  me 
till  night,  and  then  persuaded  me 
very  mUch  to  forsake  my  opinions. 
I  answered,  I  held  nothing  but  the 
truth,  and  therefore  I  could  not  so 
lightly  turn  therefrom.  So  I 
thought  I  should  at  that  time  have 
had  no  more  ado :  but  he  had 
made  a  certain  bill,  which  the  re- 
gister pulled  out  of  his  bosom,  and 
read.  The  bill  indeed  was  very 
easily  made,  and  therefore  more 
dangerous ;  for  the  effect  thereof 
was  to  detest  all  errors  and  here- 
sies against  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  and  other  sacraments,  and  to 
believe  the  faith  of  the  Catholic 
church,  and  live  accordingly. 

"  To  this  bill  I  did  also  set  my 
han^J,  being  much  desired  and 
counselled  so  to  do;  and  the  flesh 
being  always  desirous  to  have  li- 
berty, I  considered  not  thoroughly 
the  inconvenience  that  might  come 
thereupon;  and  respite  I  desired 
to  have  had,  but  earnestly  they  de- 


sired me  to  subscribe.  Now  when 
I  had  done  so,  I  had  little  joy 
thereof;  for  by  and  by  my  mind 
and  conscience  told  me  by  God's 
word  that  I  had  done  evil,  by  such 
a  slight  means  to  shake  olT  the 
sweet  cross  of  Christ;  and  yet  it 
was  not  my  seeking,  as  God  know- 
eth,  but  altogether  came  of  them. 

"  The  night  after  I  had  sub- 
scribed I  was  sore  grieved,  and  for 
sorrow  of  conscience  could  not 
sleep.  For  in  the  deliverance  of 
my  body  out  of  bonds,  which  I 
might  have  had,  I  could  find  no 
joy  nor  comfort,  but  still  was  in  my 
conscience  tormented  more  and 
more,  being  assured  by  God's  Spi- 
rit and  his  word,  that  I  through 
evil  counsel  and  advice  had  done 
amiss.  And  both  with  discjuietude 
of  mind,  and  my  other  cruel  han- 
dling, I  was  sickly ;  lying  upon  the 
ground  when  the  keeper  came ; 
and  so  I  desired  him  to  pray  Dr. 
Harpsfield  to  come  to  me,  and  so 
he  did. 

"  And  when  he  came,  and  the 
register  with  him,   I  told  him  that 
I  was  not  well  at  ease,  but  that  I 
was  grieved  very  much  in  my  con- 
science   and  mind  because   I  had 
subscribed.      And  I  said  that  my 
conscience   had    so    accused    me, 
through  the  just  judgment  of  God 
and  his  word,  that  I  had  felt  hell 
in  m}'  conscience,  and  Satan  ready 
to    devour  me ;     and  therefore     I 
pray  you,  Mr.  Harpsfield,  (said  I) 
let  me  have  the  bill  again,  for  I 
will  not  stand  to  it.     So  he  gently 
commanded  it  to  be  fetched,   and 
gave  it  me,  and  suffered  me  to  put 
out  my  name,  whereof  I  was  right 
glad  when  I  had  so  done,  although 
death  should  follow.     And  hereby 
I  had  experience  of  God's  provi- 
dence and  mercy  towards  me,  who 
trieth    his    people,    and    sulfercth 
them  to  fall,  but  not  to  be  lost:  for 
in  the  midst  of  this  temptation  and 
trouble,  he  gave  me  warning  of  my 
deed,  and  also  delivered  me  ;  hiji 
name    be    praised    for    evermore. 
Amen. 

"  Neither  devil  nor  cruel  tyrant 
can  pluck  any  of  Christ's  sheep 
out  of  his  hand.     Of  which  flock  of 


BARTLET  GREEN. 


523 


Christ's  sheep  I  trust  undoubtedly 
I  am  one,  by  means  of  his  death 
and  blood-shedding,  and  shall  at 
the  last  day  stand  at  his  iio;ht 
hand,  and  reeeive  with  others  his 
blessed  benediction.  And  now, 
being  condemned  to  die,  my  con- 
science and  mind,  I  praise  God,  is 
quiet  in  Christ,  and  I  by  his  grace 
am  \ery  willing  and  content  to 
give  over  this  body  to  the  death, 
lor  the  testimony  of  his  truth  and 
pure  religion,  against  Antichrist 
and  all  his  false  religion  and  doc- 
trine. By  me, 
"  Thomas  Whittle,  Minister." 

CONDEMNATION     AND     MARTYRDOM 
OF   MR.    WHITTLE. 

At  his  last  examination  before 
the  bishop" upon  the  14th  day  of 
January,  1556,  bishop  Bonner, 
with  others,  sitting  in  his  consis- 
tory in  the  afternoon,  first  called 
fortli  Thomas  Whittle,  with  whom 
he  began  as  follows:  "Because 
you  be  a  priest,"  said  he,  "  as  I 
and  other  bishops  here  be,  and  did 
receive  the  order  of  priesthood 
after  the  rite  and  form  of  the  Ca- 
tholic church,  you  shall  not  think 
bat  I  will  administer  justice  as 
well  unto  you  as  unto  others." 

Bonner  then  charged  him  with 
the  several  articles  mentioned 
above,  to  which  Whittle  made  spi- 
rited and  pertinent  replies:  when 
the  bishop,  finding  that  neither 
threats  nor  entreaties  had  any  ef- 
fect on  him,  forthwith  proceeded 
to  his  degradation. 

Whittle,  in  the  midst  of  the  ce- 
remonies, when  he  saw  them  so 
busy  in  degrading  him,  sciid  uiilo' 
them,  "  Paul  and  Titus  had  not  so 
much  to  do  with  their  priests  and 
bishops."  And,  speaking  to  the 
bishop,  he  said,  "  My  lord,  your 
religion  standeth  most  with  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  not  with  the 
Catholic  church  of  Christ." 

The  bishop,  after  this,  according- 
to  his  accustomed  formal  proceed- 
ings, tried  him  yet  again  with 
words,  rather  than  with  substantial 
arguments,  to  conform  him  to  his 
religion,  and  asked,  what  fault  liQ 


found  in  the  administration  of  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar? 

Whittle  answered,  "  It  is  not 
used  according  to  Christ's  institu- 
tion, in  that  it  is  privately  and  not 
openly  done.  And  also  because  it 
is  administered  but  in  one  kind  to 
the  lay-people,  which  is  against 
Christ's  ordinance.  Farther,  Christ 
commanded  it  not  to  be  elevated 
nor  adored:  for  the  adoration  and 
elevation  cannot  be  proved  by 
Scripture." 

"Weil,"  said  Bonner,  "my 
lords  here,  and  other  learned  men, 
have  shewed  great  learning  for  thy 
conversion,  wherefore  if  thou  wilt 
yet  return  to  the  faith  and  religion 
of  the  Catholic  church,  I  will  re- 
ceive thee  thereunto,  and  not  com- 
mit thee  to  the  secular  power." 
But  Whittle,  strengthened  with 
the  grace  of  the  Lord,  stood  strong 
and  immovable  in  what  he  had  af- 
firmed. Wherefore  the  sentence 
being  read,  the  next  day  he  was 
committed  to  the  secular  power, 
and  in  a  few  days  after  brought  to 
the  fire  with  the  six  persons  above- 
named,  sealing  the  testimony  of 
his  doctrine  with  his  blood,  which 
he  willingly  and  cheerfully  gave 
for  witness  of  the  truth. 

BARTLET    GREEN, 

Was  of  a  respectable  family,  and 
was  blessed  with  parents  who,  un- 
derstanding the  value  of  a  good 
education,  were  anxious  to  bestow 
one  upon  their  son.  After  having 
been  placed  at  preparatory  schools, 
he  was  sent  to  the  university  of 
Oxford,  where,  by  his  diligence,  he 
made  great  advances  in  his  stu- 
dies ;  but  was,  for  a  time,  so  far 
from  feeling  any  interest  in  eter- 
nal things,  that  he  was  utterly 
averse  to  the  subject.  At  length, 
by  attending  the  lectures  of  Peter 
Martyr,  then  reader  of  the  divi- 
nily-lecture,  his  mind  Avas  struck 
with  the  importance  of  religion. 

When  he  had  once  tasted  of  this, 
it  became  unto  him  as  the  fountain 
of  living  water,  that  our  Saviour 
Christ  spake  of  to  the  woman  of 
Samaria ;  insomuch  that  when  he 


524 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


■was  called  by  his  friends  from  the 
university,  and  was  placed  in  the 
Temple  at  London,  there  to  study 
the  common  laws  of  the  realm, 
he  still  continued,  with  great  ear- 
nestness, to  read  and  search  the 
scriptures. 

But,  (such  is  the  frailty  of  our 
corrupt  nature,  without  the  special 
assistance  of  God's  Holy  Spirit) 
through  the  continual  fellowship  of 
such  worldly  youth  as  are  common- 
ly in  that  and  the  like  places,  he  be- 
came by  little  and  little  a  partaker 
in  their  follies,  as  well  in  his  ap- 
parel, as  also  in  banquetings,  and 
other  superfluous  excesses  :  which 
he  afterwards  bewailed  sorely,  as 
appears  by  his  own  testimony, 
left  in  a  book  belonging  to  Mr. 
Bartram  Calthorpe,  one  of  his 
friends,  written  a  little  before  his 
death,  as  follows: 

"Two  things  have  very  much 
troubled  me  while  I  was  in  the 
Temple,  pride  and  gluttony  ;  which 
under  the  colour  of  glory  and  good 
fellowship,  drew  me  almost  from 
God.  Against  both  there  is  one 
remedy,  by  earnest  prayer,  and 
without  ceasing.  And  forasmuch 
as  vain  glory  is  so  subtle  an  adver- 
sary, that  almost  it  woundeth 
deadly,  ere  ever  a  man  can  per- 
ceive himself  to  be  smitten,  there- 
fore we  ought  so  much  the  rather 
by  continual  prayer  to  labour  for 
humbleness  of  mind.  Truly,  glut- 
tony beginneth  under  a  charitable 
pretence  of  mutual  love  and  so- 
ciety, and  hath  in  it  most  unchari- 
tableness.  When  we  seek  to  re- 
fresh our  bodies,  that  they  may  be 
more  apt  to  serve  God,  and  per- 
form our  duties  towards  our  neigh- 
bours, then  it  stealeth  in  as  a  privy 
thief,  and  murdereth  both  body 
and  soul,  that  now  it  is  not  apt  to 
pray,  or  serve  God,  apt  to  study 
or  labour  for  our  neighbour.  Let 
Tis  therefore  watch  and  be  sober  : 
for  our  adversary  the  devil  walk- 
eth  about  like  a  roaring  lion,  seek- 
ing whom  he  may  devour. 

"  Agreement  of  minds  joining  in 
unity  of  faith,  and  growing  up  in 
charity,  is  true  and  steadfast  amity. 


Farewell,  my  Bartram,  and  remem- 
ber me,  that  ever  we  may  be  like 
together.  Farewell ;  at  Newgate, 
Jan.  26,  1556. 

"  Set  sober  love  against  hasty 
wrath. 

"  Bartlet  Green." 

Thus  we  sec  the  fatherly  kind- 
ness of  our  most  gracious  and 
merciful  God,  who  never  sulTereth 
his  elect  children  so  to  fail,  that 
they  lie  still  in  security  of  sin,  but 
oftentimes  quickeneth  them  up  by 
such  means,  as  perhaps  they  think 
least  of.  And  now  to  return  to  our 
history  :  for  the  better  maintenance 
of  himself  in  his  studies,  and  other 
his  allairs,  he  had  a  large  allow- 
ance of  his  grandfather.  Dr.  Bart- 
let,  who  during  the  time  of  Green's 
imprisonment  made  him  oti'ers  of 
great  livings,  if  he  would  recant, 
and  return  to  the  church  of  Rome. 
But  his  persuasions  took  no  efl'ect 
in  his  grandson's  faithful  heart. 
He  was  a  man  beloved  of  all  (ex- 
cept the  papists,  who  esteem  none 
that  love  the  truth),  and  so  he  well 
deserved  ;  for  he  was  of  a  meek, 
humble,  discreet,  and  gentle  be- 
haviour to  all ;  injurious  to  none, 
beneficial  to  many,  especially  to 
those  who  were  of  the  household 
of  faith. 

The  cause  of  Mr.  Green's  suf- 
ferings originated  from  a  letter  of 
his  being  intercepted.  This  letter 
was  written  to  an  exiled  friend, 
who  having,  in  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Green,  amongst  other  things,  asked 
whether  the  queen  was  dead,  as  a 
report  of  that  nature  had  been  cir- 
culated on  the  continent ;  Mr. 
Green,  after  answering  other  ques- 
tions, briefly  said  in  his  letter — 
"  the  queen  is  not  dead." 

These  letters,  with  many  others, 
written  to  the  godly  exiles,  by 
their  friends  in  England,  being  de- 
livered to  a  messenger  to  carry 
over,  came,  by  the  apprehension 
of  the  bearer,  into  the  hands  of  the 
council  ;  ,who  perused  the  whole 
of  them,  and  amongst  them  found 
that  of  Mr.  Green,  written  to  his 
friend  Christopher   Goodman  ;    in 


THOMAS  BROWN— JOHN  TUDSON. 


525 


the  contents  whereof  they  found 
the  words,  mentioned  above ;  which 
words  were  only  written  as  a  sim- 
ple answer  to  a  question.  How- 
beit,  to  some  of  the  council  they 
seemed  very  heinous  words,  yea, 
treason  tliey  would  have  made 
them,  if  the  law  would  have  suf- 
fered. Which  M'hen  they  could 
not  do,  they  then  examined  him 
upon  his  faith  in  religion. 

His  answers  displeased  them  ; 
he  was  committed  to  prison,  and, 
after  being  confined  for  some  time, 
was,  at  length,  sent  to  bishop 
Bonner. 

Many  conferences  and  examina- 
tions they  brought  him  to.  Bat 
in  the  end  (seeing  his  steadiness  of 
faith  to  be  such  that  neither  their 
threatenings,  nor  their  flattering 
promises  could  prevail  against  it), 
the  15th  day  of  January  the  bishop 
caused  him,  with  the  others  before 
mentioned,  to  be  brought  into  the 
consistory  of  St.  Paul's ;  where 
being  set  in  his  judgment  seat, 
accompanied  by  Fecknara,  his 
dean,  and  his  chaplains,  after  he 
had  condemned  the  other  six,  he 
called  for  Bartlet  Green,  and  again 
repeated  the  articles  to  him.  After 
which  Dr.  Fecknam  disputed  with 
him  upon  the  real  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament,  &c.  At 
length,  impatient  of  longer  delay, 
Bonner  demanded  if  he  would 
recant  and  return  to  his  Romish 
mother ;  and  on  his  answering  in 
the  negative,  he  pronounced  the 
definitive  sentence  against  him, 
and  then  committed  him  to  the  she- 
riffs of  London,  who  sent  him  to 
Newgate. 

As  he  was  going  thither,  two  gen- 
tlemen met  him,  particular  friends, 
who  wished  to  comfort  this  their 
persecuted  brother,  but  their  hearts 
not  being  able  to  contain  their  sor- 
row, "  Ah,  my  dear  friends,"  said 
the  martyr,  "  is  this  the  comfort 
you  are  come  to  give  me,  in  this 
my  occasion  of  heaviness  ?  Must  I, 
who  needed  to  have  consolation 
ministered  to  me,  become  now  a 
comforter  of  you?"  And  thus  de- 
claring his  most  quiet  peaceable 
mind  and  conscience,  he  cheerfully 


spake  to  them  and  others,  until  he 
came  to  the  prison  door,  into  which 
he  joyfully  entered,  and  there  re- 
mained either  in  prayer  or  medita- 
tion until  the  28th  of  January,  when 
he,  with  his  brethren,  went  most 
cheerfully  to  the  place  of  their  tor- 
ments. 

THOMAS    BROWN, 

Was  born  in  the  parish  of  His- 
ton,  in  the  diocese  of  Ely,  and 
came  afterwards  to  London,  where 
he  dwelt  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Bride's,  in  Fleet-street.  He  was 
a  married  man,  aged  thirty-seven, 
and  his  troubles  first  arose  because 
he  came  not  to  his  parish  church, 
for  which  neglect  he  was  presented 
by  the  constable  of  the  parish  to 
bishop  Bonner.  Being  brought  to 
Fulham  with  the  others  to  be  ex- 
amined, he  was  required  to  come 
into  the  chapel  to  hear  mass,  which 
he  refusing  to  do,  went  into  the 
warren,  and  there  kneeled  among 
the  trees.  For  this  he  was  greatly 
charged  by  the  bishop  as  for  an 
heinous  matter,  because  he  said  it 
was  done  in  despite  and  contempt 
of  their  mass.  At  length  being 
brought  to  his  last  examination  be- 
fore the  said  bishop,  on  the  15th  of 
January,  there  to  hear  the  defini- 
tive sentence  against  him,  he  was 
required,  with  many  fair  words 
and  glossing  promises,  to  revoke 
his  doctrine.  But  he  resisted  with 
steadfast  faith,  and  told  the  bishop 
he  was  a  blood-sucker. 

After  this,  Bonner  read  the  sen- 
tence against  him;  which  being 
done,  he  was  committed  to  the 
sherifl's  to  be  burned  on  the  day 
appointed. 

JOHN   TUDSON, 

Was  also  brought  forth  unto  the 
like  condemnation.  He  was  born 
in  Ipswich,  and  apprenticed  in 
London  to  George  Goodyear. 
Being  complained  of  to  sir  Richard 
Cholmley  and  Dr.  Story,  he  was 
by  them  sent  to  Bonner,  and  was 
divers  times  before  him  in  ex- 
amination. 

On  his  last  examination,  when 
the  bishop  promised,  on  condition 


526 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  his  recanting,  to  forgive  liim  all 
his  offences,  he  demanded  Mherein 
he  had  offended.  Then  said  the 
bishop,  "In-  your  answers." — 
"No,"  replied  Tudson,  "I  have 
not  therein  offended ;  and  you, 
my  lord,  pretend  charity,  but  no- 
things thereof  appeareth  in  your 
works."  Thus,  after  a  fevr  words, 
the  bishop  pronounced  against  him 
sentence  of  condemnation ;  which 
being  read,  the  martyr  was  com- 
mitted to  the  secular  power,  and 
so  with  much  patience  finished  this 
life  with  his  fellows  on  the  27th 
day  of  January. 

JOHN    WENT, 

Born  in  Langham,  in  Essex,  was 
twenty-seven  years  of  age.  He 
was  first  examined  by  Dr.  Story 
upon  the  sacrament  of  the  altar; 
and  because  the  poor  man  did  not 
accord  with  him  thoroughly  in  th6 
real  presence  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  Dr.  Story  sent  him  to 
Bonner,  who  likewise,  after  vari- 
ous examinations  upon  the  articles 
in  the  consistory,  attempted  the 
like  manner  of  persuasions  with 
him  as  he  did  to  the  others,  to  re- 
cant and  return.  To  whom,  in 
very  few  words,  Went  answered, 
"  He  would  not ;  but  that,  by  the 
leave  of  God,  he  would  stand  firm 
and  constant  in  what  he  had  said." 
Whereupon  being  condemned  by 
the  bishop's  sentence,  he  was  com- 
mitted unto  the  sheriffs,  and  so 
brought  to  his  martyrdom,  which 
he  with  no  less  constancy  suffered 
to  the  end,  with  the  rest  of  that 
blessed  society. 

ISABEL    FOSTER, 

Was  born  in  Grafestock,  in  the 
diocese  of  Carlisle,  and  was  the 
wife  of  John  Foster,  cutler,  of 
St.  Bride's,  Fleet-street.  She  like- 
wise, for  not  coming  to  their 
church,  was  sent  to  bishop  Bon- 
ner, who  put  her  in  prison,  and 
examined  her  sundry  times,  but 
she  would  never  be  removed  from 
the  constant  confession  of  Christ's 
gospel. 

At  length,  coming  unto  her  final 
examination  before  the  bishop,  she 
was    tried     again,     whether     she 


would  yet  go  from  her  former  an- 
swers. Whereunto  she  gave  a 
resolute  answer;  "I  will  not," 
said  she,  "  go  from  them,  by  God's 
grace."  The  bishop,  promising 
both  life  and  libeity,  if  she  would 
associate  herself  in  the  unity  of 
the  catholic  church,  she  said  again, 
"That  she  trusted  she  was  never 
out  of  the  Catholic  church  ;  and 
so  persisting  in  the  same,  conti- 
nued constant  till  the  sentence  was 
pronounced,  when  she  was  com- 
raitted  by  command  of  the  bishop 
to  the  secular  power,  and  so 
brought  a  few  days  after  to  the 
stake,  being  fifty-five  years  of 
age. 

JOAN    LASHFORD,    ALIAS   WARNE, 

Was  the  daughter  of  Elizabeth 
Warne,  by  her  first  husband,  Ro- 
bert Lashford.  The  reader  may 
remember  the  story  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  Warne,  who  both  suf- 
fered for  the  cause  of  truth,  as  re- 
lated in  a  former  part  of  this  book; 
and  when  her  father  and  mother 
were  in  prison,  Joan,  then  about 
twenty  years  of  age,  attended  upon 
them  and  administered  to  their 
wants  with  all  the  tenderness  and 
afiection  of  a  dutiful  child.  She 
was  soon  discovered  to  hold  the 
same  doctrines  as  her  parents,  and 
was,  in  consequence,  sent  to  Bon- 
ner, bishop  of  London,  by  Dr. 
Story,  and  so  cotnmitted  to  the 
Poultry  Compter,  where  she  re- 
mained about  live  weeks,  and  from 
thence  she  was  conveyed  to  New- 
gate, where  she  continued  some 
months. 

After  that,  feihaining  prisoner  in 
the  custody  of  Bonner,  and  being 
examined,  her  confession  was, 
that  for  above  a  twelvemonth  be- 
fore, she  caine  not  to  the  popish 
mass  service  in  church,  neither 
would,  either  to  receive  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  or  to  be  con- 
fessed, because  her  conscience 
would  not  suffer  her  so  to  do  ;  pro- 
testing against  the  real  presence 
of  Christ's  body  and  blood  ;  and 
denying  that  auricular  confession, 
or  absolution  after  the  popish  sort, 
was  necessary  ;  but  said,  that  both 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  WHITTLE. 


527 


the  said  sacraments,  confession 
and  absolution,  and  the  mass,  with 
all  their  other  snperlluous  sacra- 
ments, ceremonies,  and  divine  ser- 
vice, as  then  used  in  this  realm  of 
England,  were  most  vile,  and  con- 
trary to  Christ's  word  and  institu- 
tion ;  so  that  they  were  neither  at 
the  beginning,  nor  shall  be  at  the 
latter  end.  This  resolute  maid, 
feeble  and  tender  of  age,  ^yet 
strong  by  grace  in  her  confession 
and  faith,  stood  so  firm,  that  nei- 
ther the  promises  nor  the  threats 
of  the  bishops  could  turn  her:  and 
on  being  exhorted  by  the  bishop  to 
return  to  the  Catholic  unity  of  the 
church,  she  boldly  said,  "  If  you 
will  leave  ofl'  your  abomination,  T 
will  return,  and  otherwise  I  will 
not.  Do  as  it  pleaseth  you,  and  I 
pray  God  that  you  may  do  that 
which  may  please  him." 
.  And  thus  she  constantly  perse- 
vering in  the  truth,  was  condemn- 
ed and  committed  to  the  sheriifs, 
by  whom  she  with  the  rest  was 
brought  unto  the  stake,  and  there 
Avashed  her  clothes  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

THEIR    MARTYRDOMS. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1556, 
these  seven  believers  in,  and 
faithful  servants  of,  Christ,  were 
conducted  from  Newgate  to  Smith- 
field,  there  to  endure  the  last  tor- 
ments that  could  be  inflicted  on 
them  by  their  cruel  persecutors. 
They  all  went  with  great  cheer- 
fulness, singing  hymns  to  the 
praise  of  their  Redeemer,  both  in 
the  way  to,  and  at  the  place  of  ex- 
ecution. Bartlet  Green,  in  par- 
ticular, frequently  repeated  the 
following  lines  : 

O  Christ,  my  God,  sure  hope  of  health, 

Besides  thee  have  I  none  : 
The  truth  I  love,  and  falsehood  hate; 

Be  thou  my  guide  alone. 

They  were  chained  to  three  dif- 
ferent stakes,  but  consumed  toge- 
ther in  one  fire,  freely  yielding  up 
their  lives  in  testimony  of  the 
truth,  and  sealing,  with  their  blood, 
the  doctrines  of  that  gospel  they 
had  so  zealously  supported. 

Two    of  these    noble    martyrs, 


namely,  Thomas  "Whittle,  and 
Bartlet  Green,  wrote  a  great  num- 
ber of  letters,  to  tlieir  friends  and 
acquaintances,  during  their  confine- 
ment; and  as  we  liave  already 
given  an  extract  from  one  of 
Green's,  we  now  present  one  writ- 
ten by  Mr.  Whittle. 

"My  dear  and  well-beloved 
brethren  in  Christ,  Mr.  Filles  and 
Cuthbert,  I  wish  you  all  welfare 
of  soul  and  body.  Welfare  to  the 
soul  is  repentance  of  sin,  faithful 
alliance  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  a 
godly  life.  Welfare  to  the  body 
is  the  health  of  the  same,  with  all 
necessary  things  for  this  life.  The 
soul  of  man  is  immortal,  and, 
therefore,  ought  to  be  well  kept, 
lest  immortality  of  joy  should  turn 
to  immortality  of  sorrow.  As  for 
the  body,  be  it  never  so  well  kept, 
and  much  made  of,  yet  shortly,  by 
nature,  will  it  perish  and  decay : 
but  those  that  are  ingrafted  and 
incorporated  into  Christ  by  true 
faith,  feeling  the  motion  of  God's 
holy  spirit,  as  a  pledge  of  their 
election  and  inheritance,  exciting 
and  stirring  them  not  only  to  seek 
heavenly  things,  but  also  to  hate 
vice,  and  embrace  virtue,  will  not 
only  do  these  things,  but  also,  if 
need  require,  will  gladly  take  up 
their  cross,  and  follow  their  cap- 
tain, their  king  and  their  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ,  (as  his  poor  afflicted 
church  of  England  now  doth) 
against  that  false  and  Anti-Chris- 
tian doctrine  and  religion  now 
used,  and  especially  that  blasphe- 
mous mass,  wherein  Christ's  Sup- 
per, and  holy  ordinance,  is  altoge- 
ther perverted  and  abused,  con- 
trary to  his  institution,  and  to 
Paul's  proceedings:  so  that  that 
which  they  have  in  their  mass, 
is  neither  sacrament  of  Christ, 
nor  yet  sacrifice  for  sin,  as  the 
priests  falsely  pretend.  It  is  a 
sacrament,  that  is,  as  St.  Augus- 
tine saith,  '  A  visible  sign  of  in- 
visible grace,'  when  it  is  admi- 
nistered to  the  communicants  ac- 
cording to  Christ's  example,  and 
as  it  was,  of  late  years,  in  this 
realm.     And  as  for  sacrifice,  there 


528 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


is  none  to  be  made  now  for  sin  : 
'  For  Christ,  with  one  sacrifice, 
hath  perfected  for  evir  those  that 
are  sanctified.' 

"  Beware  of  false  relij?ion,  and 
men's  vain  traditions,  and  serve 
God  with  reverence  and  godly 
fear,  accordina;  to  the  doctrine  of 
his  gospel ;  whereto  cleave  ye  that 
ye  may  be  blessed,  though  of  wick- 
ed men  ye  are  hated  and  accursed. 
Rather  drink  of  the  cup  of  Christ 
with  his  church,  than  of  the  cup 
of  that  rose-coloured  whore  of 
Babylon,  which  is  full  of  abomina- 
tions. Rather  strive  ye  to  go  to  hea- 
ven by  the  path  which  is  straight 
to  flesh  and  blood,  with  the  little 
flock,  than  to  go  in  the  wide  way, 
following  the  enticements  of  the 
world  and  the  flesh,  which  leadeth 
to  damnation. 

~"  Like  as  Christ  sufl'ered  in  the 
flesh,  saith  St.  Peter,  so  arm  ye 
yourselves  with  the  same  mind : 
for  Christ  sufl'ered  for  us,  leaving 
us  an  example  to  follow  his  foot- 


steps. Blessed  are  they  that  suf- 
fer for  his  sake  ;  great  is  their  re- 
ward in  heaven.  He  that  over- 
cometh  (saith  St.  John,  Rev.  2,  3). 
shall  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  ;  he 
shall  have  a  crown  of  life,  and 
not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death: 
he  shall  be  clothed  with  white 
array,  and  not  be  put  out  of  the 
book  of  life;  yea,  I  will  confess 
his  name,  saith  Christ,  before  my 
father,  and  before  his  angels,  and 
he  shall  be  a  pillar  in  the  house  of 
God,  and  sit  with  me  on  my  seat. 
And  thus  I  bid  you  farewell,  mine 
own  brethren,  and  dear  fellows  in 
Christ ;  whose  grace  and  peace  be 
always  with  you.     Amen. 

This  world  I  do  forsake. 
To  Christ  I  inetake. 
And  for  his  gospel's  sake. 
Patiently  death  I  take. 
My  body  to  the  dust. 
Now  to  return  it  must ; 
M,y  soul,  1  know  full  well. 
With  my  God  it  shall  dwell. 

"Thomas  Whitfle."' 


SECTION  XIV. 

HISTORY  OF  JOHN  LOMAS,  ANNE  ALBRIGHT,  JOAN  CATMi:R,  AONt'.S 
SNOTH,  AND  JOAN  SOLE,  WHO  WERE  BURNT  AT  CANThRBUR'if  IFi 
ONE    FIRE. 


These  martyrs  sufl'ered  for  the 
truth  of  the  gospel  on  the  31st  day 
of  January,  1556. 

JOHN    LOMAS, 

Of  the  parish  of  Teuterden,  was 
discovered  to  be  of  that  religion 
which  the  papists  call  heresy,  and 
cited  upon  the  same  to  appear  at 
Canterbury,  where  he  was  exa- 
mined there  as  to  whether  he  be- 
lieved the  Catholic  church  or  not ; 
he  answered,  that  "  he  believed  so 
mlich  as  was  contained  in  God's 
book,  and  no  more." 

He  was  then  ordered  to  appear 
again  on  the  following  "Wednes- 
day, which  was  the  17th  day  of 
January,  when  he  was  examined, 
whether  he  would  be  confessed 
by  a  priest  or  not ;  he  said,  that 
"  he  found  it  not  written  that  he 
should  be  confessed  to  any  priest, 
in  God's  book,  neither  would  he  be 


confessed,  unless  he  were  accused, 
by  some  man,  of  sin."  Again,  be- 
ing examined  whether  he  believed 
the  body  of  Christ  to  be  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  really  under 
the  forms  of  bread  and  wine  after 
the  consecration  ?  He  answered, 
that  '*  he  believed  no  reality  of 
Christ's  body  to  be  in  the  sacra- 
ment ;  neither  found  he  written, 
that  he  is  there  under  form  or 
trestle,  but  he  believed  so  much  as 
was  written."  Being  then  asked 
whether  he  believed  that  there  was 
a  Catholic  church  or  no,  and  whe- 
ther he  would  be  content  to  be  a 
member  of  the  same,  he  answered, 
that  "  he  believed  so  much  as  was 
written  in  God's  book,"  and  other 
answer  than  this  he  refused  to 
give.  "Whereupon  sentence  was 
read  against  him  on  the  18th  of 
January,  and  so  he  was  commit- 
ted to  the  secular  power,  and,  af- 
1 


AGNES  SNOTH— ANNE  ALBRIGHT,  &( 


529 


terwards,  saflFered  for  the  true 
faith,  with  the  four  women  fol- 
lowing. 

AGNES    SNOTH, 

Was  a  widow,  of  the  parish  of 
Smardeu,  and  was  likewise  cited 
and  accused  for  her  faith.  She 
was  divers  times  examined,  and 
being  compelled  to  answer  to  such 
articles  and  interrogatories  as 
should  be  administered  unto  her, 
she  first  denied  to  be  confessed  to 
a  priest.  And  as  touching  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  she  protest- 
ed that  if  she  or  any  other  did  re- 


ceive the  sacrament  so  as  Christ 
and  his  apostles  after  him  did  de- 
liver it,  then  she  and  they  did  re- 
ceive it  to  their  comfort:  but  as  it 
is  now  used  in  the  church,  she 
said  that  no  man  could  othervvise 
receive  it  than  to  his  damnation, 
as  she  thought.  Afterwards,  being 
examined  again  concerning  pe- 
nance, whether  it  were  a  sacra- 
nient  or  not,  she  plainly  denied 
it.  Whereupon  the  sentence  be- 
ing likewise  read,  she  was  com- 
mitted to  the  sheriffs  of  Canter- 
bury, and  suflered  with  her  faithful 
companions. 


iiasil  cruMy  tonured  to  deadi  by  unUr  ly  Julian  the  Apostate,   A.  D,  362. 


ANNE   ALBRIGHT. 

This  female,  strong  in  her  be- 
lief, on  appearing  before  the  judge 
and  his  colleagues,  told  them,  that 
"  she  would  not  be  confessed  by 
a  priest."  And  speaking  to  the 
judge  and  his  assistants,  she  told 
them  that  they  were  subverters  of 
Christ's  truth. 

And  concerning  the  sacrament 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


of  the  altar,  she  said  "it  was  a 
wicked  and  abominable  idol." 
Thus  persevering  in  her  former 
sayings  and  answers,  she  was  con- 
demned on  the  18th  of  January, 
and  suffered  with  the  others  before- 
mentioned. 

JOAN    SOLE, 

Was   of  the   parish   of  Horton, 

34 


630 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  was  accused  by  the  priests  of 
denyin}^  auricular  confession,  and 
the  real  presence  and  substance  of 
Christ  to  be  in  the  sacrament.  She 
was  accordingly  condemned  and 
biought  to  the  stake. 

JOAN   CATMER, 

The  fifth  and  last  of  this  little 
company  of  martyrs,  was  of  the 
parish  of  Hith,  wife  of  George 
Catmer,  who  had  suffered  before. 
She,  also  refusing  to  be  confessed 
by  a  priest,  and  denying  the  bo- 
dily presence   in  the    sacrament, 


was,  in  consequence,   condemned 
and  burnt. 

These  five  steadfast  servants  of 
God,  and  willing  followers  of 
Christ,  were  bound  together  at 
two  stakes,  rejoicing  in  the  Hames, 
and  chaunting  hallelujahs  to  God 
and  the  Lamb,  who  had  given 
them  the  victory  over  all  their  ene- 
mies, and  a  good  hope,  through 
grace,  that  when  this  earthly  ta-' 
bernacle  was  dissolved,  they 
should  have  a  house,  not  made 
with  hands,  but  eternal  in  the 
heavens. 


SECTION  XV. 

tlFE,  SUFFERINGS,   AND    MARTYRDOM    OF   THOMAS    CRANMER,  ARCHBISHOP 
OF  CANTERBURY,    WHO    WAS    BURNT  AT   OXFORD,  MARCH  21,  1556. 


This  eminent  prelate  was  born 
at  Aslacton,  in  Nottinghamshire, 
on  the  2d  of  July,  1489.  His  fa- 
mily was  ancient,  and  came  in 
with  William  the  Conqueror.  He 
was  early  deprived  of  his  father, 
and,  after  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, was  sent  by  his  mother  to 
Cambridge,  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
according  to  the  custom  of  those 
times. 

Having  completed  his  studies 
at  the  university,  he  took  the  usual 
degrees,  and  was  so  well  be- 
loved that  he  was  chosen  fellow 
of  Jesus  college,  and  became  ce- 
lebrated for  his  great  learning  and 
abilities. 

In  1521  he  married,  by  which  he 
forfeited  his  fellowship ;  but  his 
wife  dying  in  child-bed  within  a 
year  after  his  marriage,  he  was  re- 
elected. This  favour  he  gratefully 
acknowledged,  and  chose  to  de- 
cline an  offer  of  a  much  more  va- 
luable fellowship  in  cardinal  Wol- 
sey's  new  seminary  at  Oxford, 
rather  than  relinquish  friends  who 
had  treated  him  with  the  most  dis- 
tinguished respect. 

In  1523  he  commenced  doctor  of 
divinity  ;  and  being  in  great  es- 
teem for  theological  learning,  fee 
was  chosen  divinity  lecturer  in 
his  own  college,  and  appointed, 
by  the  university,  one  of  the  ex- 
aminers in  that  science.  In  this 
office  he  principally  inculcated  the 


study  of  the  holy  scriptures,  then 
greatly  neglected,as  being  indispen- 
sably necessary  for  the  professors 
of  that  divine  knowledge. 

The  plague  happening  to  break 
out  at  Cambridge,  Mr.  Crahmer, 
with  some  of  his  pupils,  removed 
to  Waltham-abbey,  where,  meeting 
with  Gardiner  and  Fox,  one  the 
secretary,  the  other  almoner  of  king 
Henry  VIII.,  that  monarch's  in- 
tended divorce  of  Catherine  his 
queen,  the  common  subject  of  dis- 
course in  those  days,  was  men- 
tioned: when  Cranmer  advising 
an  application  to  our  own,  and  to 
the  foreign  universities,  for  their 
opinion  in  the  case,  and  giving 
these  gentlemen  much  satisfaction, 
they  introduced  him  to  the  king, 
who  was  so  pleased  with  him,  that 
he  ordered  him  to  write  his 
thoughts  on  the  subject,  made  him 
his  chaplain,  and  admitted  him 
into  that  favour  and  esteem,  whicK 
he  never  afterwards  forfeited. 

In  1530  he  was  sent  by  the  king, 
with  a  solemn  embassy,  to  dispute 
on  the  subject  of  the  divorce,  at 
Paris,  Rome,  and  other  foreign 
parts.  At  Rome  he  delivered  his 
book,  which  he  had  written  in  de- 
fence of  the  divorce,  to  the  pope, 
and  offered  to  justify  it  in  a  public 
disputation :  but  after  various  pro- 
mises and  appointments  none  ap- 
peared to  oppose  him;  while  in 
pjivate  conferences  he  forced  them 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


531 


fo  confess  that  the  marrias^c  was 
contrary  to  the  law  of  God.  The 
pope  constituted  him  penitentiary- 
general  of  Ent^land,  and  dismissed 
him.  In  Germany  he  gave  full  sa- 
tisfaction to  many  learned  men, 
who  were  before  of  a  contrary  per- 
suasion; and  prevailed  on  the  fa- 
mous Osander  (whose  niece  lie 
married  while  there)  to  declare  the 
kintf's  marriage  unlawful. 

During  the  time  he  was  abroad, 
the  great  archbishop  Warham 
died:  Henry,  convinced  of  Cran- 
mer's  merit,  determined  that  he 
should  succeed  him:  and  com- 
manded him  to  return  for  that  pui- 
pose.  He  suspected  the  cause, 
and  delayed :  he  was  desirous,  by 
all  means,  to  decline  this  high  sta- 
tion: for  he  had  a  true  and  primi- 
tive sense  of  the  office.  But  a  spi- 
rit so  dilTerent  from  that  of  the 
churchmen  of  his  times,  stimulated 
the  king's  resolution;  and  the 
more  reluctance  Cranmer  shewed, 
the  greater  resolution  Henry  ex- 
erted. He  was  consecrated  on 
March  30,  1533,  to  the  office;  and 
though  he  received  the  usual  bulls 
from  the  pope,  he  protested,  at  his 
consecration,  against  the  oath  of 
allegiance,  &c.  to  him.  For  he 
had  conversed  freely  with  the  re- 
formed in  Germany,  had  read  Lu- 
ther's books,  and  was  zealously 
attached  to  the  glorious  cause  of 
reformation. 

The  first  service  he  did  the  king 
in  his  archiepiscopal  character, 
was,  pronouncing  the  sentence  of 
his  divorce  from  queen  Catherine: 
and  the  next  was  joining  his  hand 
with  Anne  Boleyn,  the  conse- 
quence of  which  marriage  was  the 
birth  of  the  glorious  Elizabeth,  to 
whom  he  stood  godfather. 

As  the  queen  was  greatly  inte- 
rested in  the  reformation,  the 
friends  to  that  good  work  began  to 
conceive  high  hopes ;  and,  indeed, 
it  went  on  with  desirable  success. 
But  the  fickle  disposition  of  the 
king,  and  the  fatal  end  of  the  un- 
happy Anne,  for  a  while,  alarmed 
their  fears;  though,  by  God's  pro- 
vidence,   without  any    ill   effects. 


The    pope's   supremacy   was  uni- 
versally    exploded:     monasteries, 
&c.  destroyed,  upon  the  fullest  de- 
tection   of    the    most    abominable 
vices  and  wickedness   existing  in 
them:    that  valuable   book  of  the 
"  Erudition  of  a  Christian  Man," 
was  set  forth  by  our  great  archbi- 
shop, with  public  autliority:    and 
the  sacred  Scriptures,  at  length,  to 
the  infinite  joy  of  Cranmer,  and  of 
lord  Cromwell,  his  constant  friend 
and  associate,  were  not  only  trans- 
lated,   but  introduced   into   every 
parish.      The  translation    was   re- 
ceived    with     inexpressible     joy: 
every   one,    that    was    able,    pur- 
chased  it,    and  the   poor   flocked 
greedily    to  hear    it  read:     some 
persons  in  years    learned  to  read 
on  purpose  that  they  might  peruse 
it:  and  even  little  children  crowded 
with   eagerness   to   hear  it!      We 
cannot  help  reflecting,  on  this  oc- 
sion,  how  much  we  are  bound  to 
prize   this   sacred  treasure,   which 
we  enjoy   so  perfectly ;    and  how 
much  to  contend  against  every  at- 
tempt of  those  enemies,   and  that 
church,  which  would  deprive  us  of 
it,  and  again  reduce  us  to  legends 
and  schoolmen,  to  ignorance  and 
idolatry ! 

Cranmer,  that  he  might  proceed 
with  true  judgment,  made  a  collec- 
tion of  opinions  from  the  works  of 
the  ancient  fathers  and  later  doc- 
tors ;  of  which  work  Dr.  Burnet 
saw  two  volumes  in  folio;  and  it 
appears,  by  a  letter  of  lord  Bur- 
leigh, that  there  were  then  six  vo- 
lumes of  Cranmer's  collections  in 
his  hands.  A  work  of  incredible 
labour,  and  of  vast  utility. 

A  short  time  after  this,  he  gave 
a  shining  proof  of  his  sincere  and 
disinterested  constancy,  by  his  no- 
ble opposition  to  what  are  com- 
monly called  king  Henry's  six 
bloody  articles,  which  we  have  de- 
scribed in  a  former  part  of  this  vo- 
lume. However,  he  weathered 
the  storm;  and  published,  with  an 
incomparable  preface,  written  by 
himself,  the  larger  Bible;  six  of 
which,  even  Bonner,  then  newly 
consecrated    bishop    of     London, 


532 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


caused  to  be  fixed,  for  the  perusal 
of  the  people,  in  his  cathedral  of 
St.  Paul's. 

The  enemies  of  the  reformation, 
however,  were  restless:  and 
Henry,  alas!  was  no  protestant  in 
Ills  heart.  Cromwel'l  fell  a  sacri- 
fice to  them ;  and  they  aimed  their 
malignant  shafts  at  Cranmer.  Gar- 
diner, in  particular,  was  indefati- 
gable: he  caused  him  to  be  ac- 
cused in  parliament,  and  several 
lords  of  the  privy  council  moved 
the  king  to  commit  the  archbishop 
to  the  Tower.  The  king  perceived 
their  malice;  and  one  evening,  on 
pretence  of  diverting  himself  on 
the  water,  ordered  his  barge  to  be 
rowed  to  Lambeth.  The  archbi- 
shop, being  informed  of  it,  came 
down  to  pay  his  respects,  and  was 
ordered,  by  the  king,  to  come  into 
the  barge,  and  sit  close  by  him. 
Henry  made  him  acquainted  with 
the  accusations  of  heresy,  faction, 
&c.  which  were  laid  against  him ; 
and  spoke  of  his  opposition  to  the 
six  articles:  the  archbishop  mo- 
destly replied,  that  he  could  not 
but  acknowledge  himself  to  be  of 
the  same  opinion,  with  respect  to 
them,  but  was  not  conscious  of 
Laving  offended  against  them. 
The  king  then,  putting  on  an  air  of 
pleasantry,  asked  him.  If  his  bed- 
chamber could  stand  the  test  of 
tbese  articles?  The  archbishop 
confessed,  that  he  was  married  in 
Germany,  before  his  promotion; 
but  he  assured  the  king,  that  on 
the  passing  of  that  act,  he  had 
parted  with  his  wife,  and  sent  her 
abroad  to  her  friends.  His  ma- 
jesty was  so  charmed  with  his 
openness  and  integrity,  that  he 
discovered  the  whole  plot  that  M^as 
laid  against  him ;  and  gave  him  a 
ring  of  great  value  to  produce 
upon  any  future  emergency. 

A  few  days  after  this,  Cranmer's 
enemies  summoned  him  to  appear 
before  the  council.  He  accord- 
ingly attended,  when  they  suffered 
him  to  wait  in  the  lobby,  amongst 
the  servants,  treated  him  on  his 
admission  with  haughty  contempt, 
and  would  have   sent  him   to  the 


Tower.  But  he  produced  the  ring, 
which  changed  their  tone;  and, 
while  his  enemies  received  a  se- 
vere reprimand  from  Henry,  Cran- 
mer himself  gained  the  highest  de- 
gree of  security  and  favour. 

On  this  occasion  he  shewed  that 
lenity  and  mildness  for  which  he 
was  always  so  much  distinguished: 
he  never  persecuted  any  of  his  ene- 
mies ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  freely 
forgave  even  the  inveterate  Gardi- 
ner, on  his  writing  a  supplicatory 
letter  to  him.  The  same  lenity  he 
shewed  towards  Dr.  Thornton,  the 
suffragan  of  Dover,  and  Dr.  Bar- 
ber, who,  though  entertained  in  his 
family,  intnisted  with  his  secrets, 
and  indebted  to  him  for  many  fa- 
vours, had  ungratefully  conspired 
with  Gardiner  to  take  away  his 
life. 

When  Cranmer  first  discovered 
their  treachery,  he  took  them  aside 
into  his  study,  and  telling  them, 
that  he  had  been  basely  and  falsely 
accused  by  some  in  whom  he  had 
always  reposed  the  greatest  confi- 
dence, desired  them  to  advise  him 
how  he  should  behave  himself  to- 
wards them?  They,  not  suspect- 
ing themselves  to  be  concerned  in 
the  question,  replied,  that  *'  such 
vile,  abandoned  villains  ought  to 
be  prosecuted  with  the  greatest  ri- 
gour ;  nay,  deserved  to  die  without 
mercy."  At  this  the  archbishop, 
lifting  up  his  hands  to  heaven, 
cried  out,  "Merciful  God!  whom 
may  a  man  trust?"  And  then  tak- 
ing out  of  his  bosom  the  letters  by 
which  he  had  discovered  their 
treachery,  asked  them,  if  they 
knew  those  papers?  When  they 
saw  their  own  letters  produced 
against  them,  they  were  in  the  ut- 
most confusion;  and  falling  down 
upon  their  knees,  humbly  sued  for 
forgiveness.  The  archbishop  told 
them,  "  that  he  forgave  them,  and 
would  pray  for  them;  but  that 
they  must  not  expect  him  ever  to 
trust  them  for  the  future." 

As  we  are  upon  the  subject  of 
the  archbishop's  readiness  to  for- 
give and  forget  injuries,  it  may 
not  be  improper  here  to  relate  a 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


533 


pleasant  instance  of  it,  whicli  hap- 
pened some  time  before  the  above 
circumstances. 

The  archbishop's  first  wife, 
whom  he  married  at  Cambridg:e, 
was  kinswoman  to  the  hostess  at 
the  Dolphin-inn,  and  boarded 
there;  and  he  often  resorting 
thither  on  that  account,  the  popish 
party  had  raised  a  story,  that  he 
had  been  ostler  to  that  inn,  and 
never  had  the  benelit  of  a  learned 
education.  This  idle  story  a  York- 
shire priest  had,  with  great  confi- 
dence, asserted,  in  an  alehouse 
which  he  used  to  frequent;  railing 
at  the  archbishop,  and  saying,  that 
he  had  no  more  learning  than  a 
goose.  Some  people  of  the  parish 
informed  lord  Cromwell  of  this, 
and  the  priest  was  committed  to 
the  Fleet  prison.  When  he  had 
been  there  nine  or  ten  weeks,  he 
sent  a  relation  of  his  to  the  archbi- 
shop, to  beg  his  pardon,  and  to  sue 
for  a  discharge.  The  archbishop 
instantly  sent  for  him,  and,  after  a 
gentle  reproof,  asked  the  priest, 
whether  he  knew  him?  To  which 
he  answering,  "  No,"  the  archbi- 
shop expostulated  with  him,  why 
he  should  then  make  so  free  with 
Lis  character  ?  The  priest  ex- 
cused himself,  by  saying  he  was 
disguised  with  liquor :  but  this 
Cranmer  told  him  was  a  double 
fault.  He  then  said  to  the  priest, 
if  he  was  inclined  to  try  what  a 
scholar  he  was,  he  should  have  li- 
berty to  oppose  him  in  whatever 
science  he  pleased.  The  priest 
humbly  asked  his  pardon,  and  con- 
fessed himself  to  be  very  ignorant, 
and  to  understand  nothing  but  his 
mother-tongue.  "  No  doubt  then," 
said  Cranmer,  "  you  are  well 
versed  in  the  English  Bible,  and 
can  answer  any  questions  out  of 
that;  pray  tell  me,  who  was  Da- 
vid's father?"  The  priest  stood 
still  for  some  time  to  consider; 
but,  at  last,  told  the  archbishop  he 
could  not  recollect  his  name. 
"  Tell  me  then,"  said  Cranmer, 
"who  was  Solomon's  father?" 
The  poor  priest  replied,  that  he 
had  no  skill  in  genealogies,  and 
could  not  tell.      The    archbishop 


then,  advising  him  to  frequent  ale- 
houses less,  and  his  study  more, 
and  admonishing  him  not  to  ac- 
cuse others  for  want  of  learning 
till  he  was  master  of  some  himself, 
discharged  him  out  of  custody,  and 
sent  him  home  to  his  cure. 

These  may  serve  as  instances  of 
Cranmer's  clement  temper.  In- 
deed, he  was  much  blamed  by 
many  for  his  too  great  lenity ; 
which,  it  was  thought,  encouraged 
the  popish  faction  to  make  fresh 
attempts  against  him:  but  he  was 
happy  in  giving  a  shining  example 
of  that  great  Christian  virtue  which 
he  diligently  taught. 

The  king,  who  was  a  good  dis- 
cerner  of  men,  remarking  the  im^ 
placable  hatred  of  Cranmer's  ene- 
mies towards  him,  changed  his 
coat  of  arms  from  three  cranes  to 
three  pelicans,  feeding  their  young 
with  their  own  blood;  and  told  the 
archbishop,  "that  these  birds 
should  signify  to  him,  that  he 
ought  to  be  ready,  like  the  pelican, 
to  shed  his  blood  for  his  young 
ones,  brought  up  in  the  faith  of 
Christ;  for,"  said  the  king,  "you 
are  like  to  be  tried,  if  you  will 
stand  to  your  tackling,  at  length." 
The  event  proved  the  king  to  be  no 
bad  prophet. 

In  1547,  Henry  died,  and  left  his 
crown  to  his  only  son,  Edward, 
who  was  godson  to  Cranmer,  and 
had  imbibed  all  the  spirit  of  a  re- 
former. This  excellent  young 
prince,  influenced  no  less  by  his 
own  inclinations  than  by  the  ad- 
vice of  Cranmer,  and  the  other 
friends  of  reformation,  was  diligent 
in  every  endeavour  to  promote  it. 
Homilies,  and  a  catechism,  were 
composed  by  the  archbishop; 
Erasmus's  notes  on  the  New  Test- 
ament were  translated,  and  fixed 
in  churches;  the  sacrament  was 
administered  in  both  kinds;  and 
the  liturgy  was  read  in  the  vulgar 
tongue.  Ridley,  the  archbishop's 
great  friend,  and  one  of  the  bright- 
est lights  of  the  English  reforma- 
tion, was  equally  zealous  in  the 
good  cause :  and  in  concert  with 
him  the  archbishop  drew  up  the 
forty-two  articles  of  religion,  which 


534 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


were  revised  by  other  bishops  and 
divines;  as,  through  him,  he  had 
pericclly  conquered  all  his  scru- 
ples respecting  the  doctrine  of  the 
corporeal  presence,  and  published 
a  much  esteemed  treatise,  intitled, 
"A  Defence  of  the  True  and  Ca- 
tholic Doctrine  of  the  Sacrament 
of  the  Body  and  Blood  of  our 
Lord,  Jesus  Christ." 

But  this  happy  scene  of  pros- 
perity was  not  to  continue  :  God 
was  pleased  to  deprive  the  na- 
tion of  king  Edward,  in  1553,  de- 
signing, in  his  wise  providence,  to 
perfect  the  new-born  church  of 
his  son  Jesus  Christ  in  England, 
by  the  blood  of  martyrs,  as  at  the 
beginning  he  perfected  the  church 
in  general. 

Anxious  for  the  success  of  the 
reformation,  and  Avronght  upon  by 
the  artifices  of  the  duke  of  Nor- 
thumberland, Edward  had  been 
persuaded  to  exclude  his  sisters, 
and  to  bequeath  the  crown  to 
that  duke's  amiable  and  every 
way  deserving  daughter-in-law, 
the  lady  Jane  Gray.  The  arch- 
bishop did  his  utmost  to  oppose 
this  alteration  in  the  succession ; 
but  the  king  was  over-ruled  ;  the 
will  was  made,  and  subscribed  by 
the  council  and  the  judges.  The 
archbishop  was  sent  for,  last  of  all, 
and  required  to  subscribe  ;  but  he 
answered  that  he  could  not  do  so 
without  perjury  ;  having  sworn  to 
the  entail  of  the  crown  on  the 
two  princesses  Mary  and  Eliza- 
beth. To  this  the  king  replied, 
-"that  the  judges,  who,  being  best 
skilled  in  the  constitution,  ought 
to  be  regarded  in  this  point,  had 
assured  him,  that  notwithstanding 
that  entail,  he  might  lawfully  be- 
queath the  crown  to  lady  Jane." 
The  archbishop  desired  to  dis- 
course with  them  himself  about 
it;  and  they  all  agreeing,  that  he 
might  lawfully  subscribe  the  king's 
will,  he  was  at  last  prevailed  with 
to  resign  his  own  private  scruples 
to  their  authority,  and  set  his  hand 
to  it. 

Having  done  this,  he  thought 
himself  obliged  in  conscience  to 
join  the  lady  Jane:  but  her  short- 


lived power  soon  expired;  when 
Mary  and  persecution  mounted 
the  throne,  and  Cranmer  could 
expect  nothing  less  than  what  en- 
sued ;  attainder,  imprisonment, 
deprivation,  and  death. 

He  was  condemned  for  treason, 
and,  with  pretended  clemency,  par- 
doned ;  but,  to  gratify  Gardiner's 
malice,  and  her  own  implacable 
resentment  against  him  for  her  mo- 
ther's divorce,  Mary  gave  orders 
to  proceed  against  him  for  heresy. 
His  friends,  who  foresaw  the  storm, 
had  advised  him  to  consult  his 
safety  by  retiring  beyond  sea ;  but 
he  chose  rather  to  continue  steady 
to  the  cause,  which  he  had  hitherto 
so  nobly  supported;  and  prefer- 
red the  probability  of  sealing  his 
testimony  with  his  blood,  to  an 
ignominious  and  dishonourable 
flight. 

The  Tower  was  crowded  with 
prisoners ;  insomuch  that  Cran- 
mer, Ridley,  Latimer,  and  Brad- 
ford, were  all  put  into  one  cham- 
ber; which  they  were  so  far  from 
thinking  an  inconvenience,  that, 
on  the  contrary,  they  blessed  God 
for  the  opportunity  of  convers- 
ing together :  reading  and  com- 
paring the  scriptures,  confirming 
themselves  in  the  true  faith,  and 
mutually  exhorting  each  other  to 
constancy  in  professing  it,  and 
patience  in  suffering  for  it.  Happy 
society !  blessed  martyrs  !  rather 
to  be  envied,  than  the  purpled  ty- 
rant, with  the  sword  deep-drenched 
in  blood,  though  encircled  with 
all  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of 
power ! 

In  April,  1554,  the  archbishop, 
with  bishops  Ridley  and  Latimer, 
was  removed  from  the  Tower  to 
Windsor,  and  from  thence  to  Ox- 
ford, to  dispute  with  sorae.select 
persons  of  both  universities.  But 
how  vain  are  disputations,  where 
the  fate  of  men  is  fixed,  and  every 
word  is  misconstrued !  And  such 
was  the  case  here:  for  on  April 
the  20th,  Cranmer  was  brought 
to  St.  Mary's,  before  the  queen's 
commissioners,  and  refusing  to 
subscribe  to  the  popish  articles, 
he   was   pronounced    an    heretic, 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


535 


and  sentence  of  condemnation 
was  passed  upon  him.  Upon 
which  he  told  them,  that  he  ap- 
pealed from  their  unjust  sentence 
to  that  of  the  Almighty  ;  and  that 
he  trusted  to  be  received  into  his 
presence  in  heaven  for  maintain- 
ing the  truth,  as  set  forth  in  his 
most  holy  gospel. 

After  this  his  servants  were 
dismissed  from  their  attendance, 
and  himself  closely  confined  in 
Bocardo,  the  prison  of  the  city 
of  Oxford.  But  this  sentence 
being  void  in  law,  as  the  pope's 
authority  was  wanting,  a  new 
commission  was  sent  from  Rome 
in  155.5 ;  and  in  St.  Mary's  church, 
at  the  high  altar,  the  court  sat, 
and  tried  the  already-condemned 
Cranmer.  He  was  here  well  nigh 
too  strong  for  his  judges  ;  and  if 
reason  and  truth  could  have  pre- 
vailed, there  would  have  been  no 
doubt  who  should  have  been  ac- 
quitted, and  who  condemned. 

The  February  following,  a  new 
commission  was  given  to  bishop 
Bonner  and  bishop  Thirlby,  for 
the  degradation  of  the  archbishop. 
When  they  came  down  to  Oxford 
he  was  brought  before  them ;  and 
after  they  had  read  their  commis- 
sion from  the  pope,  (for  not  ap- 
pearing before  whom  in  person,  as 
they  had  cited  him,  he  was  de- 
clared contumacious,  though  they 
themselves  had  kept  him  a  close 
prisoner)  Bonner,  in  a  scurrilous 
oration,  insulted  over  him  in  the 
rnost  unchristian  manner,  for  which 
he  was  often  rebuked  by  bishop 
Thirlby,  who  wept,  and  declared 
it  the  most  sorrowful  scene  he  had 
ever  beheld  in  his  whole  life. 
In  the  commission  it  was  declared, 
that  the  cause  had  been  impar- 
tially heard  at  Rome;  the  wit- 
nesses on  both  sides  examined, 
and  the  archbishop's  counsel  al- 
-  lowed  to  make  the  best  defence  for 
him  they  could. 

At  the  reading  this,  the  arch- 
bishop could  not  help  crying  out, 
"  Good  God  !  what  lies  are  these  ; 
that  I,  being  continually  in  prison, 
and  not  suffered  to  have  counsel 


or  advocate  at  home,  should  pro- 
duce witnesses,  and  appoint  my 
counsel  at  Rome!  God  must  needs 
punish  this  shameless  and  open 
lying!" 

When  Bonner  had  finished  his 
invective,  they  proceeded  to  de- 
grade him;  and  that  they  might 
make  him  as  ridiculous  as  they 
could,  the  episcopal  habit  which 
they  put  on  him  was  made  of  can- 
vas and  old  rags.  Bonner,  in  the 
mean  time,  by  way  of  triumph 
and  mockery,  calling  him  "  Mr. 
Canterbury,"  and  the  like. 

He  bore  all  this  treatment  with 
his  wonted  fortitude  and  patience  ; 
told  them,  "  the  degradation  gave 
him  no  concern,  for  he  had  long 
despised  those  ornaments :"  but 
when  they  came  to  take  away  his 
crosier,  he  held  it  fast,  and  deli- 
vered his  appeal  to  Thirlby,  say- 
ing, "  I  appeal  to  the  next  general 
council." 

When  they  had  stripped  him 
of  all  his  habits,  they  put  on  him 
a  poor  yeoman- beadle's  gown, 
thread-bare  and  ill-shaped,  and  a 
townsman's  cap  ;  and  in  this  man- 
ner delivered  him  to  the  secular 
power  to  be  carried  back  to  prison, 
where  he  was  kept  entirely  des- 
titute of  money,  and  totally  se- 
cluded from  his  friends.  Nay, 
such  was  the  fury  of  his  enemies, 
that  a  gentleman  was  taken  into 
custody  by  Bonner,  and  narrowly 
escaped  a  trial,  for  giving  the 
poor  archbishop  money  to  buy  him 
a  dinner. 

Cranmer  had  now  been  impri- 
soned almost  three  years,  and 
death  should  have  soon  followed 
his  sentence  and  degradation;  but 
his  cruel  enemies  reserved  him 
for  greater  misery  and  insult. 
Every  engine  that  could  be  thought 
of  was  employed  to  shake  his 
constancy  ;  but  he  held  fast  to  the 
profession  of  his  faith.  Nay, 
even  when  he  saw  the  barbarous 
martyrdom  of  his  dear  companions 
Ridley  and  Latimer,  he  was  so  far 
from  shrinking,  that  he  not  only 
prayed  to  God  to  strengthen  them, 
but    also,    by    their    example,    to 


536 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


animate  him  to  a  patient  expecta- 
tion and  endurance  of  tlie  same 
fiery  trial. 

The  papists,  after  tr5ing  va- 
rious  severe  ways  to  bring-  Crau- 
mer  over  without  eilect,  at  length 
determined  to  try  what  gentle 
methods  would  do.  They  accord- 
ingly removed  him  from  prison  to 
the  lodgings  of  the  dean  ofChiist- 
church,  where  they  urged  every 
persuasive  and  aiJecting  argument 
to  make  him  deviate  from  his  faith  ; 
and,  indeed,  too  much  melted  his 
gentle  nature,  by  the  false  sunshine 
of  pretended  civility  and  respect. 

The  unfortunate  prelate,  how- 
ever, Avithstood  every  temptation, 
at  which  his  enemies  were  so  ir- 
ritated, that  they  removed  him 
from  the  dean's  lodgings  to  the 
most  loathsome  part  of  the  prison 
in  which  he  had  been  confined, 
and  then  treated  him  with  unpa- 
ralleled severity.  This  was  more 
than  the  infirmities  of  so  old  a 
man  could  support :  the  frailty  of 
human  nature  prevailed ;  and  he 
was  induced  to  sign  the  following 
recantation,  drawn  from  him  by  the 
malice  and  artifices  of  his  enemies. 

"I Thomas  CRANMER,late  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  do  renounce, 
abhor,  and  detest,  all  manner  of 
heresies  and  errors  of  Luther  and 
Zuinglius,  and  all  other  teachings 
which  are  contrary  to  sound  and 
true  doctrine.  And  I  believe  most 
constantly  in  my  heart,  and  with 
my  mouth  I  confess  one  holy  and 
Catholic  church  visible,  without 
which  there  is  no  salvation  ;  and 
thereof  I  acknowledge  the  bishop 
of  Rome  to  be  supreme  head  in 
earth,  whom  I  acknowledge  to  be 
the  highest  bishop  and  pope,  and 
Christ's  vicar,  unto  whom  all 
Christian  people  ought  to  be  sub- 
ject. 

"  And  as  concerning  the  sacra- 
ments, I  believe  and  worship  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar  the  very 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  being 
contained  most  truly  under  the 
forms  of  bread  and  wine ;  the 
bread  through   the  mighty  power 


of  God  being  tornecl  into  the  body 
of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  and 
tlie  wine  into  his  blood. 

"  And  in  the  other  six  sacra- 
ments, also  (like  as  in  this)  I  be- 
lieve and  hold  as  the  universal 
church  holdeth,  and  the  church  of 
Rome  judgeth  and  determineth. 

"  Furthermore,  I  believe  that 
there  is  a  place  of  purgatory, 
where  souls  departed  be  punished 
for  a  time,  for  whom  the  church 
doth  godly  and  wholesomely  pray, 
like  as  it  doth  honour  saints  and 
make  prayers  to  them. 

"  Finally,  in  all  things  I  profess, 
that  I  do  not  otherwise  believe, 
than  the  Catholic  church  and 
church  of  Rome  holdeth  and 
teacheth.  I  am  sorry  that  ever  I 
held  or  thought  otherwise.  And  I 
beseech  Almighty  God,  that  of 
his  mercy  he  will  vouchsafe  to  for- 
give me,  whatsoever  I  have  offend- 
ed against  God  or  his  church,  and 
also  I  desire  and  beseech  all  Chris- 
tian people  to  pray  for  me. 

"  And  all  such  as  have  been  de- 
ceived either  by  mine  example  or 
doctrine,  I  require  them,  by  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  they 
will  return  to  the  unity  of  the 
church,  that  we  may  be  all  of  one 
mind,  without  schism  or  division. 

"  And  to  conclude,  as  I  submit 
myself  to  the  Catholic  church  of 
Christ,  and  to  the  supreme  head 
thereof,  so  I  submit  myself  unto 
the  most  excellent  majesties  of 
Philip  and  Mary,  king  and  queen 
of  this  realm  of  England,  &c.  and 
to  all  other  their  laws  and  ordi- 
nances, being  ready  always  as  a 
faithful  subject  ever  to  obey  them. 
And  God  is  my  witness,  that  I 
have  not  done  this  for  favour  or 
fear  of  any  person,  but  willingly 
and  of  mine  own  conscience,  as  to 
the  instruction  of  others." 

This  recantation  of  the  arch- 
bishop was  immediately  printed, 
and  distributed  throughout  the 
country,  and  to  establish  its  authen- 
ticity, first  was  added  the  name  of 
Thomas  Cranmer,  with  a  solemn 
subscription,    then    followed    the 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


537 


witnesses  of  his  recantation, 
Henry  Sydal,  and  friar  John  de 
Villa  Garcina.  All  this  time  Cran- 
mer  had  no  certain  assurance  of 
his  life,  although  it  was  faithfully 
promised  to  him  by  the  doctors: 
but  after  they  had  gained  their 
purpose,  the  rest  they  committed 
to  chance,  as  usual  with  men  of 
their  religion.  The  queen,  having 
now  found  a  time  to  revenge  her 
old  grudge  against  him,  received 
his  recantation  very  gladly ;  but 
would  not  alter  her  intention  of 
putting  him  to  death. 

The  quaint  simplicity  with 
which  the  following  account^  of 
the  concluding  scene  of  this  good 
man's  life  is  given,  renders  it  more 
valuable  and  interesting  than  any 
narrative  of  the  same  transactions 
in  "  modern  phrase  ;"  we  there- 
fore give  it  verbatim. 

Now  was  Dr.  Cranmer  in  a 
miserable  case,  having  neither  in- 
wardly any  quietness  in  his  own 
conscience,  nor  yet  outwardly  any 
help  in  his  adversaries. 

Besides  this,  on  the  one  side  was 
praise,  on  the  other  side  scorn,  on 
both  sides  danger,  so  that  he  could 
neither  die  honestly,  nor  yet  ho- 
nestly live.  And  whereas  he 
sought  profit,  he  fell  into  double 
disprofit,  that  neither  with  good 
men  he  could  avoid  secret  shame, 
nor  yet  with  evil  men  the  note  of 
dissimulation. 

In  the  mean  time,  while  these 
things  were  doing  in  the  prison 
amongst  the  doctors,  the  queen 
taking  secret  counsel  how  to  dis- 
patch Cranmer  out  of  the  way 
(who  as  yet  knew  not  of  her  se- 
cret hate,  and  was  not  expecting 
death)  appointed  Dr.  Cole,  and 
secretly  gave  him  in  command- 
ment, that  against  the  21st  of 
March  he  should  prepare  a  funeral 
sermon  for  Cranmer's  burning, 
and  so  instructing  him  orderly  and 
diligently  of  her  will  and  plea- 
sure in  that  behalf,  sent  him  away. 
Soon  after,  the  lord  Williams, 
of  Tame,  and  the  lord  Shandois, 
sir  Thomas  Bridges,  and  sir  John 
Brown,  were  sent  for,  with  other 
worshipful  men  and  justices,  com- 


manded in  the  queen's  name  to  be 
at  Oxford  on  the  same  day,  with 
their  servants  and  retinue,  lest 
Cranmer's  death  should  raise  there 
any  tumult. 

Dr.  Cole  having  this  lesson  given 
him  before,    and   charged    by    her 
commandment,  returned  to  Oxford, 
ready  to  play  his   part ;    who,    as 
the   day  of  execution  drew   near, 
even  tiie  day  before,  came  into  the 
prison   to     Dr.    Cranmer,    to    try 
whether  he  abode  in  the  Catholic 
faith  wherein    before  he    had  left 
him.     To    whom,   when    Cranmer 
had  answered,  that  by  God's  grace 
he  would  be  daily  more  confirmed 
in    the   Catholic  faith ;     Cole   de- 
parting for  that  time,  the  next  day 
following  repaired  to  the   archbi- 
shop again,  giving  no  signification 
as  yet  of  his  death  that  was  pre- 
pared.    And  therefore  in  the  morn- 
ing,  which    was  the  21st  day   of 
March,    appointed    for    Cranmer's 
execution,   the  said  Cole    coming 
to  him,  asked   him  if  he  had  any 
money,  to  whom  when  he  had  an- 
swered that  he  had  none,  he  deli- 
vered fifteen  crowns  to  give  to  the 
poor,  to  whom  he  would  :  and  so 
exhorting  him  as  much  as  he  could 
to    constancy    in    faith,    departed 
thence  about  his  business,  as  to  his 
sermon  appertained. 

By  this  partly,  and  other  like 
arguments,  the  archbishop  began 
more  and  more  to  surmise  what 
they  were  about.  Then  becaase 
the  day  was  not  far  spent,  and  the 
lords  and  knights  that  were  looked 
for  were  not  yet  come,  there  came 
to  him  the  Spanish  friar,  witness 
of  his  recantation,  bringing  a  pa- 
per with  articles,  which  Cranmer 
should  openly  profess  in  his  recan- 
tation before  the  people,  earnestly 
desiring  him  that  he  would  write 
the  said  instrument  with  the  arti- 
cles with  his  own  hand,  and  sign 
it  with  his  name  :  which  when  he 
had  done,  the  said  friar  desired 
that  he  would  write  another  copy 
thereof,  which  should  remain 
with  him,  and  that  he  did  also. 
But  yet  the  archbishop,  being  not 
ignorant  whereunto  their  secret 
devices  tended,  and  thinking  that 


538 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  time  was  at  hand  in  which 
he  could  no  longfer  dissemble  the 
profession  of  his  faith  with  Christ's 
people,  he  put  his  prayer  and  his 
exhortation  written  in  another  pa- 
per secretly  into  his  bosom,  which 
he  intended  to  recite  to  the  peo- 
ple before  he  should  make  the  last 
profession  of  his  faith,  fearing  lest 
if  they  heard  the  confession  of  his 
faith  first,  they  would  not  after- 
wards have  suffered  him  to  exhort 
the  people. 

Soon  after,  about  nine  o'clock, 
the  lord  Williams,  sir  Thomas 
Bridges,  sir  John  Brown,  and  the 
other  justices,  with  certain  other 
noblemen,  that  were  sent  of  the 
queen's  council,  came  to  Oxford 
with  a  great  train  of  waiting  men. 
Also  of  the  other  multitude  on 
every  side  (as  is  wont  in  such  a 
matter)  was  made  a  great  con- 
course, and  greater  expectation: 
for  first  of  all,  they  that  were  of  the 
pope's  side  were  in  great  hope  that 
day  to  hear  something  of  Cranmer 
that  should  establish  the  vanity  of 
their  opinion:  the  other  part,  who 
were  endued  with  a  better  mind, 
could  not  yet  doubt  that  he,  who  by 
continued  study  and  labour  for  so 
many  years,  had  set  forth  the 
doctrine  of  the  gospel,  either 
would  or  could  now  in  the  last 
act  of  his  life  forsake  his  part. 
Briefly,  as  every  man's  will  in- 
clined, either  to  this  part  or  to 
that,  so  according  to  the  diversity 
of  their  desires,  every  man  wished 
and  hoped  for.  And  yet  because 
in  an  uncertain  thing  the  certainty 
could  be  known  of  none  what 
would  be  the  end  ;  all  their  minds 
were  hanging  between  hope  and 
doubt.  So  that  the  greater  the  ex- 
pectation was  in  so  doubtful  a  mat- 
ter, the  more  >MiS  the  multitude 
that  was  gathered  thither  to  hear 
and  behold. 

During  this  great  expectation. 
Dr.  Cranmer  at  length  came  from 
the  prison  of  Bocardo  unto  St. 
Mary's  church,  (because  it  was  a 
foul  and  rainy  day),  the  chief 
church  in  the  university,  in  this 
order.  The  mayor  went  before, 
next   him    the  aldermen  in   their 


place  and  degree  ;  after  them  was 
Cranmer  brought  between  two 
friars,  which  mumbling  to  and  fro 
certain  psalms  in  the  streets,  an- 
swered one  another  until  they  came 
to  the  church  door,  and  there  they 
began  the  song  of  Simeon,  "  Nunc 
dimittis ;"  and  entering  into  the 
church,  the  psalm-singing  friars 
brought  him  to  his  standing,  and 
there  left  him.  There  was  a  stage 
set  over-against  the  pulpit,  of  a 
mean  height  from  the  ground, 
where  Cranmer  had  his  standing, 
waiting  until  Dr.  Cole  made  ready 
for  his  sermon. 

The  lamentable  case  and  sight 
of  that  man  was  a  sorrowful  spec- 
tacle to  all  Christian  eyes  that  be- 
held him.  He  that  lately  was 
archbishop,  metropolitan,  and  pri- 
mate of  all  England,  and  the  king's 
privy  counsellor,  being  now  in  a 
bare  and  ragged  gown,  and  ill- 
favouredly  clothed,  with  an  old 
square  cap,  exposed  to  the  con- 
tempt of  all  men,  did  admonish 
men  not  only  of  his  own  calamity, 
but  also  of  their  state  and  fortune. 
For  who  would  not  pity  his  case, 
and  might  not  fear  his  own  chance, 
to  see  such  a  prelate,  so  grave  a 
counsellor,  and  of  so  long  con- 
tinued honour,  after  so  many  dig- 
nities, in  his  old  years  to  be  de- 
prived of  his  estate,  adjudged  to 
die,  and  in  so  painful  a  death  to 
end  his  life,  and  now  presently  from 
such  fresh  ornaments,  to  descend 
to  such  vile  and  ragged  apparel  ? 

In  this  habit,  when  he  had  stood 
a  good  space  upon  the  stage,  turn- 
ing to  a  pillar  near  adjoining  there- 
unto, he  lifted  up  his  hands  to  hea- 
ven, and  prayed  unto  God  once  or 
twice,  till  at  length  Dr.  Cole  com- 
ing into  the  pulpit,  and  beginning 
his  sermon,  entered  first  into 
mention  of  Tobias  and  Zachary  ; 
whom  after  he  had  praised  in  the 
beginning  of  his  sermon  for  their 
perseverance  in  the  true  worship- 
ping of  God,  he  then  divided  his 
whole  sermon  into  three  parts  (ac- 
cording to  the  solemn  custom  of 
the  schools),  intending  to  speak 
first  of  the  mercy  of  God:  second- 
ly,  of  bis  justice   to  be  shewed : 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


539 


ft-nd  last  of  all,  how  the  prince's 
secrets  arc  not  to  be  opened.  And 
proceedinj!^  a  little  from  the  begin- 
ning, he  took  occasion  by  and  by 
to  turn  his  tale  to  Cranmer,  and 
with  many  hot  words  reproved 
him,  that  he  being  one  endued 
with  the  favour  and  feeling  of 
wholesome  and  Catholic  doctrine, 
fell  into  a  contrary  opinion  of  per- 
nicious error;  which  he  had  not 
only  defended  by  his  writings,  and 
all  his  power,  but  also  allured 
other  men  to  do  the  like,  with 
great  liberality  of  gifts,  as  it  were 
appointing  rewards  for  error ;  and 
after  he  had  allured  them,  by  all 
means  did  cherish  them. 

It  were  too  long  to  repeat  all 
things,  that  in  long  order  were  pro- 
nounced. The  sum  of  his  tripartite 
declamation  was,  that  he  said 
God's  mercy  was  so  tempered  with 
his  justice,  that  he  did  not  altoge- 
ther require  punishment  according 
to  the  merits  of  offenders,  nor  yet 
sometimes  suffered  the  same  to  go 
altogether  unpunished,  yea,  though 
they  had  repented.  As  in  David, 
who  when  he  was  bidden  to  choose 
of  three  kinds  of  punishment  which 
he  would,  and  he  had  chosen  pes- 
tilence for  three  days,  the  Lord 
forgave  him  half  the  time,  but  did 
not  release  all :  and  that  the  same 
thing  came  to  pass  in  him  also,  to 
whom  although  pardon  and  recon- 
ciliation was  due  accordingto  the  ca- 
nons, seeing  he  repented  of  his  er- 
rors, yet  there  were  causes  why  the 
queen  and  the  council  at  this  time 
judged  him  to  death;  of  which, 
lest  he  should  marvel  too  much,  he 
should  hear  some. 

First,  That  being  a  traitor,  he 
had  dissolved  the  lawful  matri- 
mony between  the  king  aj)d  queen, 
her  father  and  mother:  besides  the 
driving  out  of  the  pope's  authority, 
while  he  was  metropolitan. 

Secondly,  That  he  had  been  an 
heretic,  from  whom,  as  from  an 
author  and  only  fountain,  all  here- 
tical doctrine  and  schismatical 
opinion,  that  so  many  years  have 
prevailed  in  England,  did  first 
rise  and  spring;  of  which  he  had 
not  been  a  secret  favourer  only, 


but  also  a  most  earnest  defender, 
even  to  the  end  of  his  life,  sowing 
them  abroad  by  writings  and  argu- 
ments, privately  and  openly,  not 
without  great  ruin  and  decay  to  the 
Catholic  church. 

And  farther,  it  seemed  meet,  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  equality,  that 
as  the  death  of  the  late  duke  of 
Northumberland  made  even  with 
Thomas  More,  chancellor,  that 
died  for  the  church ;  so  there 
should  be  one  that  should  make 
even  with  Fisher,  of  Rochester: 
and  because  that  Ridley,  Hooper, 
and  Farrar,  were  not  able  to  make 
even  with  that  man,  it  seemed  that 
Cranmer  should  be  joined  to  them 
to  fill  up  their  part  of  the  equa- 
lity*. 

Besides  these,  there  were  other 
just  and  rceighty  causes,  which  ap- 
peared to  the  queen  and  council, 
which  was  not  meet  at  that  time 
to  be  opened  to  the  cotnmon  peo- 
ple. 

After  this,  turning  his  tale  to  the 
hearers,  he  bid  all  men  beware  by 
this  man's  example,  that  among 
men  nothing  is  so  high  that  can 
promise  itself  safety  on  the  earth, 
and  that  God's  vengeance  is 
equally  stretched  against  all  men, 
and  spareth  none  f :  therefore  they 
should  beware,  and  learn  to  fear 
their  prince.  And  seeing  the 
queen's  majesty  would  not  spare 
so  notable  a  man  as  this,  much  less 
in  the  like  cause  would  she  spare 
other  men,  that  no  man  should 
think  to  make  thereby  any  defence 
of  his  error,  either  in  riches  or  any 


*  This  arithmetical  reason  for  burning 
a  man,  is  certainly  the  very  acme  of 
Romish  logic.  If  all  accounts  were  to  be 
thus  settled,  what  would  be  the  balance 
due  from  Popery  ? 

t  The  truth  of  this  axiom  was  strik- 
ingly exhibited  in  the  course  of  a  very  few 
years  after  this,  although  not  in  the  way 
intended  by  the  preacher:  he  and  his 
party,  with  that  blindness  which  is  the 
usual  concomitant  of  tyranny  and  perse- 
cution, concluded  that  the  power  was 
given  to  them  for  ever;  but  the  blood  of 
the  saints  "  had  cried  unto  God  from  the 
earth;"  He  had  heard  its  voice,  and  had 
already  prepared  the  downfall  of  the 
merciless  persecutors. 


640 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


kind  of  authority.  They  had  now 
an  example  to  teach  them  all,  by 
whose  calamity  every  man  might 
consider  his  own  fortune;  who, 
from  the  top  of  dignity,  none  being 
more  honourable  than  he  in  the 
whole  realm,  and  next  the  king, 
was  fallen  into  such  great  misery, 
as  they  might  see,  being  a  person 
of  such  high  degree,  sometime  one 
of  the  chief  prelates  of  the  church, 
and  an  archbishop,  the  chief  of  the 
council,  the  second  person  in  the 
realm  a  long  time,  a  man  thought 
in  great  assurance,  having  a  king 
on  his  side;  notwithstanding  all 
his  authority  and  defence,  to  be 
debased  from  high  estate  to  a  low 
degree,  of  a  counsellor  to  become 
a  caitiff,  and  to  be  set  in  so  wretch- 
ed a  state,  that  the  poorest  wretch 
would  not  change  condition  with 
him;  briefly,  so  heaped  with  mi- 
sery on  all  sides,  that  neither  was 
left  in  him  any  hope  of  better  for- 
tune, nor  place  for  worse. 

The  latter  part  of  his  sermon  he 
converted  to  the  archbishop,  wliom 
he  comforted  and  encouraged  to 
take  his  death  well,  by  many 
places  of  Scripture,  as  with  these, 
and  such  like;  bidding  him  not  to 
mistrust,  but  he  should  inconti- 
nently receive  what  the  thief  did, 
to  whom  Christ  said,  "  This  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise :" 
and  out  of  St.  Paul  he  armed  him 
against  the  terror  of  fire  by  this, 
"  The  Lord  is  faithful,  which  will 
not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above 
your  strength :"  by  the  example  of 
the  three  children,  to  whom  God 
made  the  flame  to  seem  like  a 
pleasant  dew;  adding  also  the  re- 
joicing of  St.  Andrew  on  his  cross, 
the  patience  of  St.  Laurence  in  the 
fire,  assuring  him,  that  God,  if  he 
called  on  him,  either  would  abate 
the  fury  of  the  flame,  or  give  him 
strength  to  abide  it. 

He  glorified  God  much  in  his 
(Cranmer's)  conversion,  because  it 
appeared  to  be  only  His  (the  Al- 
mighty's) work,  declaring  what 
travail  and  conference  had  been 
with  him  to  convert  him,  and  all 
prevailed  not,  till  that  it  pleased 
God  of  his  mercy  to  reclaim  him, 


and  call  him  home.  In  discours- 
ing of  which  place,  he  much  com- 
mended Cranmer,  and  qualified 
his  former  doings,  thus  tempering 
his  judgment  and  talk  of  him,  that 
all  the  time  (said  he)  he  flowed  in 
riches  and  honour,  he  was  un- 
worthy of  his  life ;  and  now  that  he 
might  not  live,  he  was  unworthy 
of  death.  But  lest  he  should  carry 
with  him  no  comfort,  he  would  di- 
ligently labour  (he  said),  and  also 
did  promise,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
priests  that  were  present,  that  im- 
mediately after  his  death  there 
should  be  dirges,  masses,  and  fu- 
nerals, executed  for  him  in  all  the 
churches  of  Oxford,  for  the  succour 
of  his  soul. 

All  this  time  with  what  great 
grief  of  mind  Cranmer  stood  hear- 
ing this  sermon,  the  outward  shews 
of  his  body  and  countenance  did 
better  express,  than  any  man  can 
declare;  one  while  liftiug  up  bis 
hands  and  eyes  ^unto  heaven,  and 
then  again  for  shame  letting  them 
down  to  the  earth.  A  man  might 
have  seen  the  very  image  and 
sliape  of  perfect  sorrow  lively  in 
him  expressed.  More  than  twenty 
several  times  the  tears  gushed  out 
abundantly,  dropping  down  mar- 
vellously from  his  fatherly  face. 
They  that  were  present  do  testify, 
that  they  never  saw  in  any  child 
more  tears  than  came  from  him  at 
that  time,  during  the  whole  ser- 
mon; but  especially  when  he  re- 
cited his  prayer  before  the  people. 
It  is  marvellous  what  commisera- 
tion and  pity  moved  all  men's 
hearts,  that  beheld  so  heavy  a 
countenance,  and  such  abundance 
of  tears  in  an  old  man  of  so  reve- 
rend dignity. 

After  Cole  had  ended  his  ser- 
mon, he  called  back  the  people  to 
prayers  that  were  ready  to  depart. 
"  Brethren,"  said  he,  "  lest  any 
man  should  doubt  of  this  man's 
earnest  conversion  and  repent- 
ance, you  shall  hear  him  speak  be- 
fore you;  and  therefore  I  pray 
you,  Mr.  Cranmer,  to  perform  that 
now,  which  you  promised  not  long 
ago ;  namely,  that  you  would 
openly  express  the   true  and  un- 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


641 


doubted  profession  of  your  faith, 
that  you  may  take  away  all  suspi- 
cion from  men,  and  that  all  men 
may  understand  that  you  are  a  Ca- 
tholic indeed."  "  I  will  do  it," 
said  the  archbishop,  "  and  that 
with  a  good  will;"  who,  rising  up, 
and  putting  off  his  cap,  began  to 
speak  thus  unto  the  people: 

"  Good  Christian  people,  my 
dearly  beloved  brethren  and  sis- 
ters in  Christ,  I  beseech  you  most 
heartily  to  pray  for  me  to  Al- 
mighty God,  that  he  will  forgive 
me  all  my  sins  and  offences,  which 
be  many  without  number,  and 
great  above  measure.  But  yet 
one  thing  grieveth  my  conscience 
more  than  all  the  rest,  whereof, 
God  willing,  I  intend  to  speak 
more  hereafter.  But  how  great 
and  how  many  soever  my  sins  be, 
I  beseech  you  to  pray  to  God  of 
his  mercy  to  pardon  and  forgive 
them  all."  And  here  kneeling 
down,  he  said  the  following 
prayer : 

"  O  Father  of  heaven,  O  Son  of 
God,  Redeemer  of  the  world,  O 
Holy  Ghost,  three  persons  and 
one  God,  have  mercy  upon  me, 
most  wretched  caitiff  and  raiser- 
able  sinner.  I  have  offended  both 
against  heaven  and  earth,  more 
than  my  tongue  can  express. 
Whither  then  may  I  go,  or  whither 
shall  I  flee?  To  heaven  I  may  be 
ashamed  to  lift  up  mine  eyes,  and 
in  earth  I  find  no  place  of  refuge 
or  succour.  To  thee,  therefore,  O 
Lord,  do  1  run ;  to  thee  do  I  hum- 
ble myself,  saying,  O  Lord  *my 
God,  my  sins  be  great,  but  yet 
have  mercy  upon  me,  for  thy  great 
mercy.  The  great  mystery  that 
God  became  man,  was  not 
wrought  for  little  or  few  offences. 
Thou  didst  not  give  thy  Son  (O 
heavenly  Father)  unto  death  for 
small  sins  only,  but  for  all  the 
greatest  sins  of  the  world,  so  that 
the  sinner  return  to  thee  with  his 
whole  heart,  as  I  do  at  this  present. 
Wherefore  have  mercy  on  me,  O 
God,  whose  property  is  always  to 
have  mercy;  have  mercy  upon  me, 
O  Lord,  for  thy  great  mercy.     I 


crave  nothing  for  mine  own  me- 
rits, but  for  thy  name's  sake,  that 
it  may  be  hallowed  thereby,  and 
for  thy  Son  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 
And  now,  therefore,  O  Father  of 
heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name," 
&c.,    And  then  he,  rising,  said  : 

"  Every  man  (good  people)  de- 
sireth  at  the  time  of  his  death  to 
give  some  good  exhortation,  that 
others  may  remember  the  same 
before  their  death,  and  be  the  bet- 
ter thereby:  so  I  beseech  God 
grant  me  grace,  that  I  may  speak 
something  at  this  my  departing, 
whereby  God  may  be  glorified,  and 
you  edified. 

"  First,  It  is  a  heavy  cause  to 
see  that  so  many  folk  so  much 
doat  upon  the  love  of  this  false 
world,  and  be  so  careful  for  it,  that 
of  the  love  of  God,  or  the  world  to 
come,  they  seem  to  care  very  little 
or  nothing.  Therefore,  this  shall 
be  ray  first  exhortation:  That  you 
set  not  your  minds  overmuch  upon 
this  deceitful  world,  but  upon  God, 
and  upon  the  world  to  come,  and 
to  learn  to  know  what  this  lesson 
meaneth  which  St.  John  teacheth, 
'  That  the  love  of  this  world  is  ha- 
tred against  God.' 

*'  The  second  exhortation  is. 
That  next  under  God  you  obey 
your  king  and  queen  willingly  and 
gladly,  without  murmuring  or 
grudging;  not  for  fear  of  them 
only,  but  much  more  for  the  fear  of 
God;  knowing  that  they  be  God's 
ministers,  appointed  by  God  to 
rule  and  govern  you:  and  there- 
fore whosoever  resisteth  them,  re- 
sisteth  the  ordinance  of  God. 

"  The  third  exhortation  is.  That 
you  love  altogether  like  brethren 
and  sisters.  For,  alas!  pity  it  is 
to  see  what  contention  and  hatred 
one  Christian  man  beareth  to  ano- 
ther, not  taking  eacii  other  as  bro- 
ther and  sister,  but  rather  as 
strangers  and  mortal  enemies. 
But  I  pray  you  learn  and  bear  well 
away  this  one  lesson.  To  do  good 
unto  all  men,  as  much  as  in  you 
lieth,  and  to  hurt  no  man,  no  more 
than  you  would  hurt  your  own  na- 
tural loving  brother  or  sister.     For 


642 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


this  you  may  be  sure  of,  that  who- 
soever hateth  any  person,  and  go- 
eth  about  maliciously  to  hinder  or 
hurt  him,  surely  and  without  all 
doubt,  God  is  not  with  that  man, 
although  he  think  himself  ever  so 
much  in  God's  favour. 

"  The  fourth  exhortation  shall  be 
to  them  that  have  great  substance 
and  riches  of  this  world ;  That 
they  will  well  consider  and  weigh 
three  sayings  of  the  Scripture: 
one  is  of  our  Saviour  himself,  who 
saith,  Luke  xviii.  '  It  is  hard  for  a 
rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.'  A  sore  saying,  and 
yet  spoken  by  him  who  knoweth 
the  truth. 

"The  second  is  of  St.  John,  1 
John  iii.,  whose  saying  is  this, 
'  He  that  hath  the  substance  of 
this  world,  and  seeth  his  brother  in 
necessity,  and  shutteth  up  his 
mercy  from  him,  how  can  he  say 
that  he  loveth  God?' 

"  The  third  is  of  St.  James,  who 
speaketh  to  the  covetous  rich  man, 
after  this  manner,  '  Weep  you  and 
howl  for  the  misery  that  shall 
come  upon  you:  your  riches  do 
rot,  your  clothes  be  moth-eaten, 
your  gold  and  silver  doth  canker 
and  rust,  and  their  rust  shall  bear 
witness  against  you,  and  consume 
you  like  fire:  you  gather  a  hoard 
or  treasure  of  God's  indignation 
against  the  last  day.'  Let  them 
that  be  rich  ponder  well  these  three 
sentences:  for  if  they  ever  had  oc- 
casion to  shew  their  charity,  they 
have  it  now  at  this  present,  the 
poor  people  being  so  many,  and 
victuals  so  dear. 

"  And  now  forasmuch  as  I  am 
come  to  the  last  end  of  my  life, 
whereupon  hangeth  all  my  life 
past,  and  all  my  life  to  come, 
either  to  live  with  ray  master 
Christ  for  ever  in  joy,  or  else  to  be 
in  pain  for  ever  with  wicked  de- 
vils in  hell,  and  I  see  before  mine 
eyes  presently  either  heaven  ready 
to  receive  me,  or  else  hell  ready  to 
swallow  me  up  :  I  shall  therefore 
declare  unto  you  my  very  faith  how 
I  believe  without  any  colour  of 
dissimulation :  for  now  is  no  time 


to  dissemble,  whatsoever  I  have 
said  or  written  in  times  past. 

"  First,  I  believe  in  God  the 
Father  Almighty,  maker  of  hea- 
ven and  earth,  &c.  And  I  believe 
every  article  of  the  Catholic  faiih, 
every  word  and  sentence  taught 
by  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  his 
apostles  and  prophets,  in  the  New 
and  Old  Testament. 

"  And  now  I  come  to  the  great 
thing  which  so  much  troubleth  my 
conscience,  more  thau  any  thing 
that  ever  I  did  or  said  in  my  whole 
life,  and  that  is  the  setting  abroad 
of  a  writing  contrary  to  the  truth ; 
which  now  here  I  renounce  and 
refuse,  as  things  written  with  my 
hand  contrary  to  the  truth  which  I 
thought  in  my  heart,  and  written 
for  fear  of  death,  and  to  save  my 
life,  if  it  might  be  ;  and  that  is, 
all  such  bills  and  papers  which  I 
have  written  or  signed  with  my 
hand  since  my  degradation,  where- 
in I  have  written  many  things  un- 
true. And  forasmuch  as  my  hand 
hath  oflended,  writing  contrary  to 
my  heart,  therefore  my  hand  shall 
first  be  punished ;  for  when  I 
come  to  the  fire,  it  shall  be  first 
burned. 

"  And  as  for  the  pope,  T  refuse 
him,  as  Christ's  enemy  and  Anti- 
christ, with  all  his  false  doctrine. 

"And  as  for  the  sacrament,  I 
believe  as  I  have  taught  in  my 
book  against  the  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, which  ray  book  teacheth 
so  true  a  doctrine  of  the  sacra- 
ment, that  it  shall  stand  at  the  last 
dcly  before  the  judgment  of  God 
where  the  papistical  doctrine  con- 
trary thereto  shall  be  ashamed  to 
shew  her  face." 

Here  the  standers-by  were  all 
astonished,  marvelled,  and  amaz- 
ed, and  looked  upon  one  another, 
whose  expectation  he  had  so  nota- 
bly deceived.  Some  began  to  ad- 
monish him  of  his  recantation,  and 
to  accuse  hmi  of  falsehood. 

Briefly,  it  was  strange  to  iice  the 
doctors  beguiled  of  so  great  an 
hope.  I  think  there  was  never 
cruelty  more  notably  or  better  in 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


543 


time  deluded  and  deceived.  For 
it  is  not  to  be  doubted,  but  they 
looked  for  a  glorious  victor}',  and 
a  perpetual  triumph  by  this  mau's 
retractation. 

As  soon  as  they  heard  these 
thing's,  they  began  to  lot  down 
their  ears,  to  rage,  fret,  and  fume  ; 
and  so  much  the  more,  because 
they  could  not  revenge  their  grief  : 
for  they  could  now  no  longer 
threaten  or  hurt  -  him.  For  the 
most  miserable  man  in  the  world 
can  die  but  once  ;  and  whereas  of 
necessity  he  must  needs  die  that 
day,  though  the  papists  had  been 
ever  so  well  pleased  ;  being  ever 
so  much  ofiended  with  him,  yet 
could  he  not  be  twice  killed  by 
them.  And  so  when  they  could 
do  nothing  else  unto  him,  yet  lest 
they  should  say  nothing,  they 
ceased  not  to  object  unto  him  his 
falsehood  and  dissimulation. 

Unto  which  accusation  he  an- 
swered, "  Ah,  my  masters"  (q>uoth 
he),  "do  you  not  take  it  so?  Al- 
ways since  I  lived  hitherto,  I  have 
been  a  hater  of  falsehood,  and  a 
lover  of  simplicity,  and  never  be- 
fore this  time  have  I  dissembled  ;" 
and  in  saying  this,  all  the  tears 
that  remained  in  his  body  ap- 
peared in  his  eyes.  And  when  he 
began  to  speak  more  of  the  sa- 
crament and  of  the  papacy,  some 
of  them  began  to  cry  out,  yelp,  and 
bawl,  and  especially  Cole  cried 
out  upon  him,  "  Stop  the  heretic's 
mouth,  and  take  him  away." 

And  then  Cranmer  being  pulled 
down  from  the  stage,  was  led  to 
the  fire,  accompanied  with  those 
friars,  vexing,  troubling,  and 
threatening  him  most  cruelly. 
"  What  madness,"  say  they,  "  hath 
brought  thee  again  into  this  error, 
by  which  thou  wilt  draw  innumer- 
able souls  with  thee  into  hell  1" 
Tp  whom  he  answered  nothing,  but 
directed  all  his  talk  to  the  people, 
saving  that  to  one  troubling  him  in 
the  way,  he  spake,  and  exhorted 
him  to  get  him  home  to  his  study, 
and  apply  to  his  book  diligently ; 
saying,  if  he  did  diligently  call 
upon  God,  by  reading  more  he 
should  get  knowledge. 


But  the  other  Spanish  barker, 
raging  and  foaming,  was  almost 
out  of  his  wits,  always  having  this 
in  his  mouth,  Nunfecisti!  "  Didst 
thou  it  not?" 

But  when  he  came  to  the  place 
where  the  holy  bishops  and  mar- 
tyrs of  God,  bishop  Latimer  and 
bishop  Ridley,  were  burnt  before 
him  for  the  confession  of  the  truth, 
kneeling  down  he  prayed  to  God, 
and  not  long  tarrying  in  his  pray- 
ers, putting  oft"  his  garment  to  his 
shirt,  he  prepared  himself  for  death. 
His  shirt  was  made  long,  down  to 
his  ftet.  His  feet  were  bare ; 
likewise  his  head,  when  both  his 
caps  were  off,  was  so  bare  that  one 
hair  could  not  be  seen  upon  it. 
His  beard  was  so  long  and  thick, 
that  it  covered  his  face  with  mar- 
vellous gravity  ;  and  his  reverend 
countenance  moved  the  hearts 
both  of  his  friends  and  enemies. 

Then  the  Spanish  friars,  John 
and  Richard,  of  whom  mention 
was  made  before,  began  to  exhort 
.  him,  and  play  their  parts  with  him 
afresh,  but  with  vain  and  lost  la- 
bour. Cranmer  with  steadfast 
purpose  abiding  in  the  profession 
of  his  doctrine,  gave  his  hand  to 
certain  old  men,  and  others  that 
stood  by,  bidding  them  farewell. 

And  when  he  had  thought  to 
have  done  so  likewise  to  Mr. 
Ely,  the  said  Ely  drew  back  his 
hand  and  refused,  saying,  it  was 
not  lawful  to  salute  heretics,  and 
especially  such  a  one  as  falsely 
returned  unto  the  opinions  that  he 
had  forsworn.  And  if  he  had 
known  before  that  he  would  have 
done  so,  he  would  never  have 
used  his  company  so  familiarly, 
and  chid  those  Serjeants  and  citi- 
zens, who  had  not  refused  to  give 
him  their  hands.  This  Mr.  Ely 
was  a  student  in  divinity,  and 
lately  made  a  priest,  being  then 
one  of  the  fellows  in  Brazen-nose 
college. 

Then  was  an  iron  chain  tied  about 
Cranmer,  and  they  commanded 
the  fire  to  be  set  unto  him. 

And  when  the  wood  was  kindled, 
and  the  fire  began  to  burn  near 
him,  he  stretched  forth   his  right 

I 


544 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


hand,  which  had  sig^ned  Lis  recan- 
tation, into  the  flames,  and  there 
held  it  so  steadfast  that  all  the 
people  might  see  it  burnt  to  a  coal 
before  his  body  was  touched.  In 
short,  he  was  so  patient  and  con- 
stant in  the  midst  of  these  ex- 
treme tortures,  that  he  seemed  to 
move  no  more  than  the  stake  to 
which  he  was  bound ;  his  eyes 
were  lifted  up  to  heaven,  and 
often  he  repeated,  "this  unworthy 
right  hand,"  so  long  as  his  voice 
would  suffer  him ;  and  as  often 
using  the  words  of  the  blessed 
martyr  St.  Stephen,  "  Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit,"  till  the  fury  of 
the  flames  putting  him  to  silence, 
he  gave  up  the  ghost. 

This  fortitude  of  mind,  which 
perchance  is  rare  and  not  found 
among  the  Spaniards,  when  friar 
John  saw,  thinking  it  came  not  of 
fortitude,  but  of  desperation,  al- 
though such  manner  of  examples 
which  are  of  like  constancy,  have 
been  common  here  in  England,  he 
ran  to  the  lord  Williams  of  Tame, 
crying  that  the  archbishop  was 
vexed  in  mind,  and  died  in  great 
desperation.  But  he,  who  was  not 
ignorant  of  the  archbishop's  con- 
stancy, being  unknown  to  the 
Spaniards,  smiled  only,  and  as  it 
were  by  silence  rebuked  the  friar's 
folly.  And  this  was  the  end  of 
this  learned  archbishop,  whom, 
lest  by  evil  subscribing  he  should 
have  perished,  by  well  recanting, 
God  preserved  ;  and  lest  he  should 
have  lived  longer  with  shame  and 
reproof,  it  pleased  God  rather  to 
take  him  away,  to  the  glory  of  his 
name  and  profit  of  his  church.  So 
good  was  the  Lord  both  to  his 
church,  in  fortifying  the  same 
with  the  testimony  and  blood  of 
such  a  martyr ;  and  so  good  also 
to  the  man  with  this  cross  of  tri- 
bulation, to  purge  his  offences  in 
this  world,  not  only  of  his  recanta- 
tion, but  also  of  his  standing 
against  John  Lambert  and 
Mr.  Allen,  or  if  they  were  any 
other,  with  whose  burning  or 
blood  his  hand  had  been  any  thing 
before  polluted.  But  especially 
he  had  to  rejoice,  that  dying  in 
2 


such  a  cause,  he  was  numbered 
amongst  the  martyrs  of  Christ, 
and  much  more  worthy  of  the  name 
of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  than 
he  whom  the  pope  falsely  before 
did  canonize. 

Thus  died  Thomas  Cranmer,  in 
the  67th  year  of  his  age.  He  was 
a  man  of  great  candour,  and  a 
firm  friend,  which  appeared  sig- 
nally in  the  misfortunes  of  Anne 
Boleyn,  Cromwell,  and  the  duke 
of  Somerset.  In  his  writings  he  ra- 
ther excelled  in  great  industry  and 
good  judgment,  than  in  a  quick- 
ness of  apprehension,  or  a  close- 
ness of  style.  He  employed  his 
revenues  on  pious  and  charitable 
uses ;  and  in  his  table  he  was 
truly  hospitable,  for  he  entertained 
great  numbers  of  his  poor  neigh- 
bours often  at  it.  The  gentleness 
and  humility  of  his  deportment 
were  very  remarkable.  His  last 
fall  was  the  greatest  blemish  of 
his  life,  yet  that  was  expiated  by  a 
sincere  repentance  ;  and  while  we 
drop  a  tear  over  this  melancholy 
instance  of  human  frailty,  we  must 
acknowledge  with  praise  the  inter- 
position of  Divine  Providence  in 
his  return  to  the  truth.  And  it 
seemed  necessary  that  the  refor- 
mation of  the  church,  being  the 
restoring  of  the  primitive  and 
apostolical  doctrine,  should  have 
been  cliiefly  carried  on  by  a  man 
thus  eminent  for  primitive  and 
apostolical  virtues. 

That  the  Christian  reader  may 
judge  how  little  this  noble  martyr 
regarded  human  greatness,  or  his 
own  interest,  when  truth  was  con- 
cerned, we  present  him  with  the 
follovi^ing  celebrated  letter  written 
by  the  archbishop  to  Queen  Mary, 
which,  though  rather  long,  we 
doubt  not  will  be  perused  with 
interest,  when  the  writer,  and  the 
subject,  are  considered. 

May  it  please  your  majesty  to 
pardon  my  presumption  that  I 
dare  be  so  bold  to  write  to  your 
highness.  But  very  necessity 
constraineth  me,  that  your  majesty 
may    know    my   mind,    rather   by 


ARCHBrSHOP  CRANMER. 


645 


tnine  own  writing  than  by  other 
men's  reports.  So  it  is,  that  upon 
Wednesday,  being-  the  12tli  day  of 
this  month,  I  was  cited  to  appear 
at  Rome  the  eightieth  day  alter, 
there  to  make  answer  to  such  mat- 
ters as  should  be  objected  against 
me  upon  the  behalf  of   the  king^ 


and  your  most  excellent  majesty, 
which  matters  the  Thursday  fol- 
lowing were  objected  against  me 
by  Dr.  Martin  and  Dr.  Slory, 
your  majesty's  proctors  before  the 
bishop  of  Gloucester,  sitting  in 
judgment  by  commission  from 
Rome. 


A  Claistian  Jiaiied  alive  by  the  HtatJten  rei'seeuton^ 


But  (alas!)  it  cannot  but  grieve 
the  heart  of  a  natural  subject  to 
be  accused  of  the  king  and  queen 
of  his  own  realm  ;  and  especially 
before  an  outward  judge,  or  by 
authority  coming  from  any  per- 
son out  of  this  realm :  where  the 
king  and  queen,  as  if  they  were 
subjects  within  their  own  realm, 
shall  complain  and  require  justice 
at  a  stranger's  hands  against  their 
own  subject,  being  already  con- 
demned to  death  by  their  own 
laws.  As  though  the  king  and 
queen  could  not  do  or  have  justice 
within  their  own  realms  against 
their  own  subjects  ;  but  they  must 
seek  it  at   strangers'  hands   in  a 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


strange  land,  the  like  whereof  (I 
ihink)  was  never  seen.  I  would 
have  wished  to  have  had  some 
meaner  adversaries:  and,  I  think, 
that  death  shall  not  grieve  me 
much  more,  than  to  have  my  most 
dread  and  most  gracious  sovereign 
lord  and  lady,  to  whom,  under 
God,  I  do  own  all  obedience,  to  be 
mine  accusers  in  judgment  within 
their  own  realm,  before  any  stran- 
ger and  outward  power.  But  for- 
asmuch as  in  the  time  of  the  prince 
of  most  famous  memory.  King 
Henry  the  Eighth,  your  grace's 
father,  I  was  sworn  never  to  con- 
sent, that  the  bishop  of  Rome 
should  have  or  exercise  anv  au- 

35 


546 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


thority  or  jurisdiction  in  this  realm 
of  England,  therefore  lest  I  should 
allow  his  authority  contrary  to 
mine  own  oath,  I  refused  to  make 
answer  to  the  bishop  of  Gloucester 
sitting  here  in  judgment  by  the 
pope's  authority,  lest  I  should 
run  into  perjury. 

Another  cause  why  I  refused 
the  pope's  authority,  is  this  ;  that 
his  authority,  as  he  clalmeth  it, 
is  repugnant  to  the  crown  impe- 
rial of  this  realm,  and  to  the  laws 
of  the  same :  which  every  true 
subject  is  bound  to  defend.  First, 
for  that  the  pope  saith,  that  all 
manner  of  povver,  as  well  tempo- 
ral as  spiritual,  is  given  first  to 
him  of  God ;  and  that  the  tempo- 
ral power  he  giveth  unto  emperors 
and  kings,  to  use  it  under  him,  but 
so  as  to  be  always  at  his  command- 
ment and  beck. 

But  contrary  to  this  claim,  the 
imperial  crov/n  and  jurisdiction 
temporal  of  this  realm  is  taken 
immediately  from  God,  to  be  used 
under  him  only,  and  is  subject  to 
none  but  God  alone. 

Moreover,  to  the  imperial  laws 
and  customs  of  this  realm,  the 
king  in  his  coronation,  and  all 
justices  when  they  receive  their 
oiBces,  be  sworn,  and  all  the  whole 
realm  is  bound  to  defend  and 
maintain.  But  contrary  hereunto, 
the  pope  by  his  authority  maketh 
void,  and  commandeth  to  blot  out 
of  our  books,  all  laws  and  customs 
being  repugnant  to  his  laws,  and 
declareth  accursed  all  rulers  and 
governors,  all  the  makers,  writers, 
and  executors  of  all  such  laws  or 
customs,  as  it  appeareth  by  many 
of  the  pope's  laws,  whereof  one  or 
two  I  shall  rehearse.  In  the  de- 
crees, Diet.  10.  it  IS  written  thus, 
"  The  constitution  or  statutes  en- 
acted against  the  canons  and  de- 
crees of  the  bishops  of  Rome,  or 
their  good  customs,  are  of  none 
effect."  Also,  "We  excommuni- 
cate all  heretics  of  both  sexes, 
what  name  soever  they  be  called 
by,  and  their  favourers,  receptors, 
and  defenders  ;  and  also  them  that 
shall  hereafter  cause  to  be  observ- 
ed the  statutes  and  customs  made 


against  the  liberty  of  the  church, 
except  they  cause  the  same  to  be 
put  out  of  their  records  and  chap- 
ters within  two  months  after  the 
publication  thereof.  Also  we  ex- 
communicate the  statute-makers 
and  writers  of  those  statutes,  and 
all  the  potentates,  powers,  consuls, 
governors,  and  counsellors  of 
places,  where  such  statutes  or 
customs  shall  be  made  or  kept; 
and  also  that  shall  presume  to  give 
judgment  according  to  them,  or 
shall  notify  in  public  form  the  mat- 
ter so  adjudged." 

Nryw  by  these  laws,  if  the  bishop 
of  Rome's  authority  which  he 
claimeth  by  God,  be  lawful,  all 
your  grace's  laws  and  customs  of 
your  realm,  being  contrary  to  the 
pope's  laws,  be  naught,  and  as 
well  your  majesty,  as  your  judges, 
justices,  and  all  other  executors  of 
the  same,  stand  accursed  amongst 
heretics,  which  God  forbid.  And 
yet  this  curse  can  never  be  avoid- 
ed (if  the  pope  hath  such  power  as 
he  claimeth)  until  such  times  as 
the  laws  and  customs  of  this  realm 
(being  contrary  to  his  laws)  be 
taken  away  and  blotted  out  of  the 
law-books.  And  although  there 
be  many  laws  of  this  realm  con- 
trary to  the  laws  of  Rome,  yet  I 
name  but  a  few;  as  to  convict  a 
clerk  before  any  temporal  judge 
of  this  realm  for  debt,  felony, 
murder,  or  for  any  other  crime ; 
which  clerks  by  the  pope's  laws 
are  so  exempt  from  the  king's 
laws,  that  they  can  be  no  where 
sued,  but  before  their  ordinary. 

Also  the  pope  by  his  laws  may 
give  ail  bishoprics  and  benefices 
spiritual ;  which  by  the  laws  of 
this  realm  can  be  given  but  only 
by  the  king  and  other  patrons  of 
the  same,  except  they  fall  into 
lapse. 

By  the  pope's  laws,  jus  patrona- 
tus  shall  be  sued  only  before  the 
ecclesiastical  judge ;  but  by  the 
laws  of  the  realm  it  shall  be  sued 
before  the  temporal  judge. 

And  to  be  short,  the  laws  of  this 
realm  do  agree  with  the  pope's 
like  fire  and  water.  And  yet  the 
kings   of  this  realm  have  provided 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


547 


for  Ibeir  laws  by  tJie  prcnmunire ; 
so  that  if  any  man  have  let  the  ex- 
ecution of  the  laws  of  this  rcahn 
by  any  authority  from  tlie  see  of 
Rome,  he  falleth  into  the  prcemu- 
nire. 

But  to  meet  with  this,  the  popes 
have  provided  for  their  laws  by 
cursing.  For  wliosoever  hinder- 
eth  the  pope's  laws  to  have  full 
course  within  this  realm,  by  the 
pope's  power  standeth  accursed : 
so  that  the  pope's  power  trcadeth 
all  the  laws  and  customs  of  this 
realm  under  his  feet,  cursing  all 
that  execute  them,  until  such  time 
as  they  do  give  place  unto  his 
Jaws. 

But  it  may  be  said,  that  not- 
withstanding all  the  pope's  de- 
crees, yet  we  do  still  execute  the 
laws  and  customs  of  this  realm. 
Nay,  not  all  quietly  without  inter- 
ruption of  the  pope.  And  where 
we  do  execute  them,  yet  we  do  it 
unjustly,  if  the  pope's  power  be 
of  force,  and  for  the  same  we 
stand  excommunicate,  and  shall 
do  until  we  leave  the  execution  of 
our  own  laws  and  customs.  Thus 
we  be  well  reconciled  to  Rome, 
allowing  such  authority,  whereby 
the  realm  standeth  accursed  be- 
fore God,  if  the  pope  have  any 
such  authority. 

Those  things  (as  I  suppose)  were 
not  fully  opened  in  the  parlia- 
ment-house when  the  pope's  au- 
thority was  received  again  within 
this  realm  ;  for  if  they  had,  I  do 
not  believe  that  either  the  king  or 
queen's  majesty,  or  the  nobles  of 
this  realm,  or  the  commons  of  the 
same,  would  ever  have  consented 
to  receive  again  such  a  foreign 
authority,  so  injurious,  hurtful, 
and  prejudicial,  as  well  to  the 
crown  as  to  the  laws  and  customs 
and  state  of  this  realm,  as  where- 
by they  must  needs  acknowledge 
themselves  to  be  accursed.  But 
none  could  open  this  matter  well 
but  the  clergy,  and  such  of  them 
as  had  read  the  pope's  laws, 
wherby  the  pope  had  made  him- 
self as  it  were  a  god.  These  seek 
to  maintain  the  pope  whom  they 
desired  to  have  their  chief  head,  to 


the  intent  they  might  have,  as  it 
were,  a  kingdom  and  laws  with- 
in themselves,  distinct  from  tiic 
laws  of  the  crown,  and  wherewith 
the  crown  may  not  meddle ;  and 
so  being  exempted  from  the  laws 
of  the  realm,  might  live  in  this 
realm  like  lords  and  kings,  with- 
out damage  or  fear  of  any  man, 
so  that  they  please  their  high  and 
supreme  head  at  Rome.  For  this 
consideration  (I  think,  some  that 
knew  the  truth,  held  their  peace 
in  the  parliament,  whereas  if  they 
had  done  their  duties  to  the  crown 
and  whole  realm,  they  should  have 
opened  their  mouths,  declared  t!ie 
truth,  and  shewed  the  perils  an4 
dangers  that  might  ensue  to  the 
Crown  and  realm. 

And  if  I  should  agree  to  allow 
Such    authority  within  this  realm, 
whereby    I    must    needs    confess, 
that  your  most  gracious  highness, 
and  also  your  realm,  should  ever 
continue   accursed,  until  ye    shall 
cease  from  the  execution  of  your 
own    laws    and    customs    of  your 
realm  ;  I   could  not  think   myself 
true   either   to   your   highness,    or 
to   this  my  natural  country,  know- 
ing that   I  do   know.     Ignorance, 
I  know,  may  excuse   other  men  ; 
but  he  that  knoweth  how  prejudi- 
cial and  injurious  the  power  and 
authority   which     he     challengeth 
every   where,  is  to  the  crown-law« 
and  customs    of  this    realm,    and 
yet  will  allow  the  same,  1  cannot 
see  in  any  wise  how  he  can  keep 
his    due    allegiance,   fidelity,    and 
truth  to  the  crown  and  state  of  this 
realm. 

Another  cause  I  alleged,  why 
I  could  not  allow  the  authority  of 
the  pope,  which  is  this :  That  by 
his  authority  he  subverted  not  only 
the  laws  of  this  realm,  but  also  the 
laws  of  God:  so  that  whosoever  be 
under  his  authority,  he  suffereth 
them  not  to  be  under  Christ's  re  • 
ligion  purely,  as  Christ  did  com- 
mand. 

And  for  one  example  I  brouglit 
forth,  that  whereas  by  God's  laws 
all  Christian  people  be  bounden 
diligently  to  learn  his  word,  that 
they  may  know  how  to  believe  and 


548 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


liye  accordingly,  for  that  purpose 
he  ordained  holydays,  when  they 
out?ht,  leaving  apart  all  other  bu- 
siness, to  give  themselves  wholly  to 
know  and    serve   God.     Therefore 
God's   will   and  commandment  is, 
that  when  the  people  be  gathered 
together,  ministers  should  use  such 
language    as   the   people  may  un- 
derstand and  take  profit  thereby, 
or  else   hold  their  peace.     For  as 
an  harp  or  lute,  if  it  give  no  cer- 
tain sound    that   men    may    know 
what  is    played,  who  can    dance 
after  it?  for  all  the  sound  is  vain. 
So  it  is  in  vain,  and  profiteth  no- 
thing, saith  Almighty  God  by  the 
mouth    of  St.  Paul,  if  the    priest 
speak  to  the  people  in  a  language 
which  they  know  not ;  "  For  else 
he  may  profit  himself,  but  profiteth 
not  the    people,"    saith    St.  Paul. 
But  herein  I  was  answered  thus  ; 
that  St,  Paul  spake  only  of  preach- 
ing, that  the  preacher  should  preach 
in°a  tongue  which  the  people  did 
know,  or  else  his  preaching  avail- 
eth  nothing  ;  but  if  the  preaching 
availeth  nothing,  being  spoke  in  a 
language  which  the  people  under- 
stand not,  how  should  any  other 
service   avail  them,  being  spoken 
in   the  same  language?     And  yet 
that   St.    Paul  meant  not   only  of 
preaching,  it  appeareth  plainly  by 
his  own  words.     For  he  speaketh 
by     name    expressly     of  praying, 
singing,  and  thanking  of  God,  and 
of  all  other  things  which  the  priests 
say  in  the  churches,  whereunto  the 
people   say     Amen  ;     which    they 
use  not  in  preaching,  but  in  other 
divine  service ;    that  whether  the 
priests    rehearse     the     wonderful 
works  of  God,  or  the  great  bene- 
fits of  God    unte    mankind  above 
all  other  creatures,  or  give  thanks 
unto   God,   or  make  open  profes- 
sion of  their  faith,  or  humble  con- 
fession of  their  sins,  with  earnest 
request  of  mercy  and  forgiveness, 
or  make  suit  and  request  unto  God 
for  any  thing  ;  then  all  the  people 
understanding     what    the    priests 
say,  might  give  their    minds  and 
voices      with      them,      and      say. 
Amen,   tbat    is    to     say,      allow 
what  the  priests  say  ;  that  the  re- 


hearsal of  God's  universal  works 
and  benefits,  the  giving  of  thanks, 
the  profession  of  faith,  the  con- 
fession of  sins,  and  the  requests 
and  petitions  of  the  priests  and  of 
the  people,  might  ascend  up  into 
the  ears  of  God  altogether,  and  be 
as  a  sweet  savour,  odour,  and  in- 
cense in  his  nose:  and  thus  was 
it  used  many  hundred  years  after 
Christ's  ascension. 

But  the  aforesaid  things  cannot 
be  done  when  the  priests  speak  to 
the    people    in    a     language     not 
known,  and  so  they  (or  their  clerk 
in  their  name)  say  Amen,  but  they 
cannot  tell    whereunto.     Whereas 
St.    Paul  saith,    "  How    can     the 
people  say    Amen  to  thy  Avell  say- 
ing,   when   they    understand     not 
what  thou  say  est?"     And  thus  was 
St.  Paul  understood  by  all  inter- 
preters,    both     the     Greeks    and 
Latins,  old   and  new,   school    au- 
thors and  others  that  I  have  read, 
until   above  thirty  years  past.     At 
which  time  one  Fckius,  with  others 
of  his  sort,  began  to  devise  a  new 
exposition,       understanding       St. 
Paul  of  preaching  only. 

But  when  a  good  number  of  the 
best  learned   men   reputed  within 
this  realm,  some  favouring  the  old, 
some   the   new   learning,    as    they 
term  it,  (where  indeed  that  which 
they    call    the    old    is    the     new, 
and     that    which     they    call    the 
new   is   indeed  the   old)  but  when 
a  great  number   of  such    learned 
men  of  both  sorts,  were  gathered 
together  at  Windsor  for  the  refor- 
mation of  the  service  of  the  church, 
it  was    agreed   by    both,    without 
controversy  (not   one  saying  con- 
trary) that  the  service  of  the  church 
ought  to  be  in  the  mother  tongue  ; 
and  that  St.  Paul  in  the  fourteenth 
chapter  to  the  Corinthians  was  so 
to    be    understood.     And    so    St. 
Paul   was  understood  in  the  civil 
law,  more  than  a  thousand  years 
past,    where    Justinian,     a     most 
godly  emperor,  in  a  synod  writeth 
in  this  manner:     "We  command 
that  all  bishops  and   priests  cele- 
brate the  holy  oblation  and  prayer 
used  in  holy  baptism,  not  after  a 
still   and  close  manner,   but  with 


ARCHBISHOP  GRANMER. 


649 


a  clear  loud  voice,  that  they  may 
be  plainly  heard  by  the  faithful 
people,  so  as  the  hearers'  minds 
may  be  lifted  up  tliereby  with  the 
greater  devotion,  in  utterinoj  the 
praises  of  the  Lord  God.  For  so 
St.  Paul  teacheth  also  in  the 
epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  "If  the 
Spirit  do  only  bless  (or  say  well) 
how  shall  he  that  occupieth  the 
place  of  a  private  person  say 
Amen,  to  thy  thanksgiving?  for  he 
perceiveth  not  what  thou  sayest : 
thou  dost  give  thanks  well,  but 
the  other  is  not  edified."  And 
not  only  the  civil  law,  and  all 
other  writers  a  thousand  and  five 
hundred  years  continually  toge- 
ther, have  expounded  St.  Paul 
not  of  preaching  only,  but  of  other 
service  said  in  the  church ;  but 
also  reason  saith  the  same,  that  if 
men  be  commanded  to  hear  any 
thing,  it  must  be  spoken  in  a  lan- 
guage which  the  hearers  under- 
stand, or  else  (as  St.  Paul  saith) 
what  availeth  it  to  hear?  So  that 
the  pope  giveth  a  contrary  com- 
mandment that  the  people  coming 
to  the  church  shall  hear  they  know 
not  what,  and  shall  answer  they 
know  not  whereto,  taketh  upon  him 
to  command,  not  only  against  rea- 
son, but  also  directly  against  God. 
And  again  I  said,  whereas  our 
Saviour  Christ  ordained  the  sa- 
crament of  his  most  precious  body 
and  blood  to  be  received  by  all 
Christian  people  underthe  forms  of 
bread  and  wine,  and  said  of  the 
cup,  "  Drink  ye  all  of  this  ;"  the 
pope  giveth  a  clean  contrary  com- 
mandment, that  no  layman  shall 
drink  of  the  cup  of  their  salvation  ; 
as  though  the  cup  of  salvation  by 
the  blood  of  Christ  pertaineth  not 
to  laymen.  And  whereas  Theo- 
philus  Alexandrinus  (whose  works 
St.  Jerome  did  translate  about 
eleven  hundred  years  past)  saith. 
That  if  Christ  had  been  crucified 
for  the  devils,  his  cup  should  not 
be  denied  them ;  yet  the  pope 
denieth  the  cup  of  Christ  to  Chris- 
tian people,  for  whom  Christ  was 
crucified.  So  that  if  I  should 
obey  the   pope  in  these  things,  I 


mu5t  needs    disobey    my  Saviour 
Christ. 

But  I  was  answered  hereunto  (as 
they  commonly  answer)  that  un- 
der the  form  of  bread  is  both 
Christ's  flesh  and  blood  :  so  that 
whosoever  receivelh  the  bread,  re- 
ceiveth  as  well  Christ's  blood  as 
his  llesh.  Let  it  be  so  ;  yet  in  the 
form  of  bread  only,  Christ's  blood 
is  not  drank,  but  eaten  :  nor  is  it 
received  in  the  cup  in  the  form  of 
wine,  as  Christ  commanded,  but 
eaten  with  the  flesh  under  the 
form  of  bread.  And  moreover, 
the  bread  is  not  the  sacrament  of 
his  blood  but  of  his  flesh  only ; 
nor  is  the  cup  the  sacrament  of  his 
flesh,  but  of  his  blood  only.  And 
so  the  pope  keepeth  from  all  lay- 
persons the  sacrament  of  their  re- 
demption by  Christ's  blood,  which 
Christ  commandeth  to  be  given 
unto  them. 

And  furthermore,  Christ  ordain, 
ed  the  sacrament  in  two  kinds,  the 
one  separated  from  the  other,  to 
be  a  representation  of  his  death, 
where  his  blood  was  separated 
from  his  flesh,  which  is  not  repre- 
sented as  one  kind  alone  ;  so  that 
the  lay-people  receive  not  the 
whole  sacrament  whereby  Christ's 
death  is  represented,  as  he  com- 
manded. 

Moreover,  as  the  pope  taketh 
upon  him  to  give  the  temporal 
sword,  by  royal  and  imperial 
power,  to  kings  and  prin^^ies ;  so 
doth  he  likewise  take  upon  him  to 
depose  them  from  their  imperial 
states,  if  they  be  disobedient  to 
him,  and  commandeth  the  sub- 
jects to  disobey  their  princes,  as- 
soiling  the  subjects  as  w^ell  of  their 
obedience,  as  of  their  lawful  oaths 
made  under  their  true  kings  and 
princes,  directly  contrary  to  God's 
commandment,  who  commandeth 
all  subjects  to  obey  their  kings,  or 
their  rulers  under  them. 

One  John,  patriarch  of  Constan- 
tinople, in  the  time  of  St.  Gregory, 
claimed  superiority  above  all  other 
bishops.  To  whom  St.  Gregory 
writeth,  that  therein  he  did  injury 
to  his  three  brethren,  which  were 


550 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


eqnal  with  him;  that  is  to  say,  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  the  bishop  of 
Alexandria,  and  of  Antioch  ;  which 
three  were  patriarchal  sees,  as  well 
as  Constantinople,  and  v^^ere  breth- 
ren one  to  another.  Bnt  (saith 
St.  Gregory)  if  any  one  shall  exalt 
himself  above  all  the  rest,  to  be 
the  universal  bishop,  the  same 
passeth  in  pride.  But  now  the  bi- 
shop of  Rome  exalteth  himself  not 
only  above  all  kings  and  emperors, 
and  above  all  the  whole  world,  but 
takes  upon  him  to  give  and  take 
away,  to  set  up  and  pull  down  as 
he  shall  think  good.  And  as  the 
devil,  having  no  such  authority, 
yet  took  upon  him  to  give  unto 
Christ  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  if  he  would  fall  down  and 
worship  him;  in  like  manner  the 
pope  taketh  apon  him  to  give  em- 
pires and  kingdoms,  being  none  of 
his,  to  such  as  will  fall  down  and 
worship  him,  and  kiss  his  feet. 

And  moreover,  his  lawyers  and 
glossers  so  flatter  him,  that  they 
feign  he  may  command  emperors 
and  kings  to  hold  his  stirrup  when 
he  lighteth  from  his  horse,  and  to 
be  his  footmen:  and  that  if  any 
emperor  or  king  give  him  any 
thing,  they  give  him  nothing  but 
what  is  his  own,  and  that  he  may 
dispense  against  God's  word, 
against  both  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  against  St.  Paul's 
epistles,  and  against  the  gospel. 
And  furthermore,  whatsoever  he 
doth,  although  he  draw  innumera- 
ble people  by  heaps  with  himself 
into  hell,  yet  may  not  mortal  man 
reprove  him,  because  he  being 
judge  of  all  men,  may  be  judged 
of  no  man.  And  thus  he  sitteth  in 
the  temple  of  God  as  if  he  were  a 
god,  and  nameth  himself  God's  vi- 
car, and  yet  he  dispenseth  against 
God.  If  this  be  not  to  play  Anti- 
christ's part,  I  cannot  tell  what 
Antichrist  is,  which  is  no  more  to 
say,  but  Christ's  enemy  and  adver- 
sary? who  shall  sit  in  the  temple  of 
God  advancing  himself  above  all 
other,  yet  by  hypocrisy,  and 
feigned  religion,  shall  subvert  the 
tia«  religion  of  Christ,  and  under 


pretence  and  colour  of  Christ's  re- 
ligion, shall  work  against  Christ, 
and  therefore  hath  the  name  of 
Antichrist.  Now  if  any  man  lift 
himself  higher  than  the  pope  hath 
done,  who  lifteth  himself  above  all 
the  world ;  or  can  be  a  greater  ad- 
versary to  Christ,  than  to  dispense 
against  God's  laws;  and  where 
Christ  hath  given  any  command- 
ment, to  command  directly  the 
contrary,  that  man  must  needs  be 
taken  for  Antichrist.  But  until  the 
time  that  such  a  person  may  be 
found,  men  may  very  easily  conjec- 
ture where  to  find  Antichrist. 

Wherefore  seeing  the  pope  thus 
to  overthrow  both  God's  laws,  and 
man's  laws,  taking  upon  him  to 
make  emperors  and  kings  to  be 
vassals  and  subjects  unto  him, 
especially  the  crown  of  this  realm, 
with  the  laws  and  customs  of  the 
same;  I  see  no  reason  how  I  may 
consent  to  admit  his  usurped 
power  within  this  realm,  contrary 
to  mine  oath,  mine  obedience  to 
God's  laws,  mine  allegiance  and 
duty  to  your  majesty,  and  my  love 
and  affection  to  this  realm. 

This  that  I  have  spoken  against 
the  power  and  authority  of  the 
pope,  I  have  not  spoken  (I  take 
God  to  record  and  judge)  for  any 
malice  I  owe  to  the  pope  s  person, 
whom  I  know  not,  but  I  shall  pray 
to  God  to  give  him  grace,  that  he 
may  seek  above  all  things  to  pro- 
mote God's  honour  and  glory,  and 
not  to  follow  the  trade  of  his  pre- 
decessors in  these  latter  days. 

Nor  have  I  spoken  it  for  fear  of 
punishment,  and  to  avoid  the 
same,  thinking  it  rather  an  occa- 
sion to  aggravate  than  to  diminish 
my  ti-ouble;  but  I  have  spoken  it 
for  my  most  bounden  duty  to  the 
crown,  liberties,  laws,  and  customs 
of  this  realm  of  England,  but  more 
especially  to  discharge  my  con- 
science in  uttering  the  truth  to 
God's  glory,  casting  away  all  fear  by 
the  comfort  which  I  have  in  Christ, 
who  said,  "  Fear  not  them  that 
kill  the  body,  and  cannot  kill  the 
soul,  but  fear  him  that  can  cast 
Loth  body  and  soul  into  hell-lire." 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


531 


He  that  for  fear  of  losing  this  life 
will  forsake  the  truth,  shall  lose 
the  life  everlasting:  and  he  that 
for  the  trutli's  sake  will  spend  his 
life,  will  find  everlasting  life.  And 
Christ  proniiscth  to  stand  fast  with 
them  before  his  Father,  which  will 
stand  fast  with  him  here;  which 
comfort  is  so  great,  that  whosoever 
hath  his  eyes  fixed  upon  Christ, 
cannot  greatly  set  his  heart  on  this 
life,  knowing  that  he  may  be  sure 
to  have  Christ  stand  by  him  in  the 
presence  of  his  Father  in  heaven. 

And  as  touching  the  sacrament, 
I  said ;  Forasmuch  as  the  whole 
matter  standeth  in  the  understand- 
ing of  these  words  of  Christ,  "  This 
is  my  body,  this  is  my  blood;" 
then  surely  Christ  in  these  words 
made  demonstration  of  the  bread 
and  wine,  and  spake  figuratively, 
calling  bread  his  body,  and  wine 
his  blood,  because  he  ordained 
them  to  be  sacraments  of  his  body 
and  blood.  And  where  the  papists 
say  in  those  two  points  contrary 
unto  me,  that  Christ  called  not 
bread  his  body,  but  a  substance 
tincertain,  nor  apoke  figuratively : 
herein  I  said,  I  would  be  judged 
by  the  old  church,  and  which  doc- 
trine could  be  proved  the  elder, 
that  I  would  stand  unto.  And  for- 
asmuch as  I  have  alleged  in  my 
book  many  old  authors,  both 
Greeks  and  Latins,  which  above  a 
thousand  years  after  Christ  conti- 
nually taught  as  I  do:  If  they 
could  bring  forth  but  one  old  au- 
thor, that  saith  in  these  two  points 
as  they  say,  I  offered  six  or  seven 
years  ago,  and  do  offer  yet  still, 
that  I  will  give  place  unto  them. 

But  when  I  bring  forth  my  au- 
thor that  saith  in  most  plain 
terms  as  I  do,  yet  saith  the  other 
part,  that  the  authors  meant  not  so; 
as  much  as  to  say,  that  the  authors 
spake  one  thing,  and  meant  clean 
contrary.  And  upon  the  other 
part,  when  they  cannot  find  any 
one  author  that  saith  in  words  as 
they  say;  yet  say  they,  that  the 
authors  meant  as  they  say.  Now, 
whether  I  or  they  speak  more  to 
the  purpose  herein,  I  refer  me  to 
the  judgment  of  all  impartial  hear- 


ers; yea,  the  old  church  of  Rome> 
above  a  thousand  years  together 
neither  believed  nor  used  the  sa- 
crament, as  the  church  of  Rome 
hath  done  of  late  years. 

For  in  the  beginning,  the  cliurch 
of  Rome  taught  a  pure  and  a 
sound  doctrine  of  the  sacrament. 
But  after  that  the  church  of  Rome 
fell  into  new  doctrine  of  transub- 
stanliation;  with  the  doctrine  they 
changed  the  use  of  the  sacrament, 
contrary  to  that  Christ  commanded, 
and  the  old  church  of  Rome  used 
above  a  thousand  years.  And  yet 
to  deface  the  old,  they  say  that  the 
new  is  the  old;  wherein,  for  my 
part,  1  am  content  to  stand  to  +he 
trial.  But  their  doctrine  is  so 
foolish  and  uncomfortable,  that  I 
marvel  how  any  man  would  allow 
it,  if  he  knew  what  it  was.  But 
howsoever  they  bear  the  people  in 
hand,  that  that  which  they  write  in 
their  books  hath  neither  truth  nor 
comfort. 

For  by  their  doctrine,  of  one 
body  of  Christ  is  made  two  bodies: 
one  natural,  having  a  distance  of 
members,  with  form  and  propor- 
tion of  man's  perfect  body,  and 
this  bofty  is  in  heaven:  but  the 
body  of  Christ  in  the  sacrament, 
by  their  own  doctrine,  must  needs 
be  a  monstrous  body,  having  nei- 
ther distance  of  members,  nor 
form,  fashion,  or  proportion  of  a 
man's  natural  body.  And  such  a 
body  is  in  the  sacrament  (teach 
they),  and  goeth  into  the  mouth  in 
the  form  of  bread,  and  entereth  no 
further  than  the  form  of  bread  go- 
eth, and  tarrieth  no  longer  than 
the  form  of  bread  is  by  natural 
heat  in  digesting.  So  that  when 
the  form  of  bread  is  digested,  that 
body  of  Christ  is  gone.  And  for- 
asmuch as  evil  men  are  as  long  in 
digesting  as  good  men,  the  body 
of  Christ  (by  their  doctrine)  en- 
tereth as  far,  and  tarrieth  as  long 
in  wicked  men  as  in  godly  men. 
And  w^^at  comfort  can  be  herein  to 
any  C;  ristian  man,  to  receive 
Christ's  unshapeu  body,  and  it  to 
enter  no  further  than  the  stomach, 
and  to  depart  by  and  by  as  soon  as 
the  bread  is  consumed? 


552 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


It  seemeth  to  lue  a  more  sound 
and  comfortable  doctrine,  tliat 
Christ  hath  but  one  body,  and  that 
hath  form  and  fashion  of  a  man's 
true  body:  which  l)ody  spiritually 
entereth  into  the  whole  man,  body 
and  soul:  and  though  the  sacra- 
ment be  consumed,  yet  whole 
Christ  remaineth,  and  feedeth  the 
receiver  unto  eternal  life,  if  he 
continue  in  <;odIiness,  and  never 
departeth  until  the  receiver  forsake 
liirn.  And  as  for  the  wicked,  they 
have  not  Christ  within  them  at  all, 
who  cannot  be  where  Belial  is. 
And  tliis  is  my  faith,  and  (as  I 
judge)  a  sound  doctrine,  according 
to  God's  word,  and  sufficient  for  a 
Christian  to  believe  in  that  matter. 
And  if  it  can  be  shewed  unto  me 
that  the  pope's  authority  is  not 
prejudicial  to  the  things  before 
mentioned,  or  that  my  doctrine  in 
the  sacrament  is  erroneous  (which 
I  think  cannot  be  shewed),  then  I 
never  was  nor  will  be  so  perverse 
to  stand  wilfully  in  mine  own 
opinion,  but  I  shall  with  all  humi- 
lity submit  myself  unto  the  pope, 
not  only  to  kiss  his  feet,  but  an- 
other part  also. 

Another  cause  why  I  refused  to 
take  the  bishop  of  Gloucester  for 
my  judge  was,  the  respect  of  his 
own  person,  being  more  than  once 
perjured.  First,  for  that  he  being 
divers  times  sworn  never  to  con- 
sent that  the  bishop  of  Rome 
should  have  any  jurisdiction  within 
this  realm,  but  to  take  the  king 
^nd  his  successors  for  supreme 
head  of  this  realm,  as  by  God's 
laws  they  are;  contrary  to  that 
lawful  oath,  the  said  bishop  sat 
then  in  judgment  Ijy  authority 
from  Rome,  wherein  he  was  per- 
jured, and  not  worthy  to  sit  as 
judge. 

The  second  perjury  was,  that  he 
took  his  bishopric  both  of  the 
queen's  majesty  and  of  the  pope, 
making  to  each  of  them  a  solemn 
oath,  which  oaths  are  so  contrary, 
that  the  one  must  needs  be  per- 
jured. And,  furthermore,  in 
swearing  to  the  pope  to  maintain 
his  laws,  decrees,  constitutions, 
ordinances,  reservations,  and  pro- 


visions, be  dedarefh  LiuSself  aa 
enemy  to  the  imperial  crown,  and 
to  the  laws  and  state  of  this  realm, 
whereby  he  declareth  himself  not 
worthy  to  sit  as  a  judge  within  this 
realm.  And  for  these  considera- 
tions I  refused  to  take  him  for  my 
judge. 

HIS    SECOND    LETTER   TO    THE 
QUEEN. 

I  LEARNED  by  Mr.  Martin  that 
on  the  day  of  your  majesty's  coro- 
nation, you  took  an  oath  of  obe- 
dience to  the  pope  of  Rome,  and  the 
same  time  you  took  another  oath 
to  this  realm,  to  maintain  the  laws, 
libenies,  and  customs  of  the  same. 
And  if  your  majesty  did  make  an 
oath  to  the  pope,  I  think  it  was 
according  to  the  other  oaths  which 
he  useth  to  administer  to  princes: 
which  is  to  be  obedient  to  him,  to 
defend  his  person,  to  maintain  his 
authority,  honour,  laws,  lands,  and 
privileges.  And  if  it  be  so,  (which 
I  know  not  but  by  report),  then  I 
beseech  your  majesty  to  look  upon 
your  oath  made  to  the  crown  and 
realm,  and  to  compare  and  weigh 
the  two  oaths  together,  to  see  how 
they  do  agree,  and  then  do  as  your 
majesty's  conscience  shall  direct 
you;  for  I  am  surely  persuaded, 
that  willing'y  your  majesty  will 
not  offend,  nor  do  against  your 
conscience  for  any  thing. 

But  I  fear  that  there  are  contra- 
dictions in  your  oaths,  and  that 
those  which  should  have  informed 
your  grace  thoroughly,  did  not 
their  duties  therein.  And  if  your 
majesty  ponder  the  two  oaths  dili- 
gently, I  think  you  shall  perceive 
you  were  deceived  ;  and  then  your 
highness  may  use  the  matter  as 
God  shall  put  in  your  heart.  Fur- 
thermore, I  am  kept  here  from  the 
company  of  learned  men,  from 
books,  from  counsel,  from  pen  and 
ink,  except  at  this  time  to  write  unto 
your  majesty,  which  were  all  ne- 
cessary for  a  man  in  my  case. 
Wherefore  I  beseech  your  ma- 
jesty, that  I  may  have  such  of 
these  as  may  stand  with  your  ma- 
jesty's pleasure.  And  as  for  my 
appearance  at  Rome,  if  your  ma- 


ARCHBISHOP  CRANMER. 


553 


jesty  will  give  mc  leave,  I  ivill  ap- 
pear there.  And  I  trust  that  God 
shall  put  in  my  mouth  to  defend 
his  trutii  there  as  well  as  here. 
But  I  refer  it  wholly  to  your  ma- 
jesty's pleasure. 

HIS  LETTER  TO  MRS.  WILKINSON, 
EXHORTING  HER  TO  FLY  IN  THE 
TIME    OF    PERSECUTION. 

The  true  comforter  in  all  dis- 
tress is  only  God,  through  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ;  and  whosoever  hath 
him,  hath  company  enough  if  he 
were  in  a  wilderness  all  alone: 
and  he  that  hath  twenty  thousand 
in  his  company,  if  God  be  absent, 
is  in  a  miserable  wilderness  and 
desolation.  In  Him  is  all  comfort, 
and  without  Him  is  none.  Where- 
fore, I  beseech  you,  seek  your 
dwelling  there  where  you  may 
truly  and  rightly  serve  God,  and 
dwell  in  him,  and  have  him  ever 
dwelling  in  you.  What  can  be  so 
heavy  a  burden  as  an  unquiet  con- 
science, to  be  in  such  a  place  as  a 
man  cannot  be  suffered  to  serve 
God  in  Christ's  religion?  If  you 
are  loth  to  depart  from  your  kin- 
dred and  friends,  remember  that 
Christ  calleth  them  his  mother, 
sisters,  and  brothers,  that  do  his 
Father's  will.  Where  we  find, 
therefore,  God  truly  honoured,  ac- 
cording to  his  will,  there  we  can 
want  neither  friend  nor  kindred. 

If  you  be  loth  to  depart,  for  the 
slander  of  God's  word,  remember 
that  Christ,  when  his  hour  was  not 
yet  come,  departed  out  of  his 
country  into  Samaria,  to  avoid  the 
malice  of  the  scribes  and  phari- 
sees;  and  commanded  his  apostles, 
that  if  they  were  persecuted  in  one 
place  they  should  fly  to  another. 
And  was  not  Paul  let  down  by  a 


basket  out  at  a  window,  to  avoid 
the  persecution  of  Aretas?  And 
what  wisdom  and  policy  he  used 
from  time  to  time  to  escape  the 
malice  of  his  enemies,  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  do  declare.  And 
after  the  same  sort  did  the  other 
apostles,  although,  when  it  came 
to  such  a  point,  that  they  could  no 
longer  escape  danger  of  the  perse- 
cutor of  God's  true  religion,  then 
they  shewed  themselves,  that  their 
flying  before  came  not  of  fear,  but 
of  godly  wisdom  to  do  more  good ; 
and  that  they  would  not  rashly, 
without  urgent  necessity,  offer 
themselves  to  death,  which  had 
been  but  a  temptation  of  God. 
Yea,  when  they  were  apprehended, 
and  could  no  longer  avoid,  then 
they  stood  boldly  to  the  profession 
of  Christ;  then  they  shewed  how 
little  they  dreaded  death ;  how 
much  they  feared  God  more  than 
man:  how  much  they  loved  and 
preferred  the  eternal  life  to  come 
above  this  short  and  miserable 
life. 

Wherefore,  I  exhort  you,  as  well 
by  Christ's  commandment,  as  by 
the  example  of  him  and  his  apos- 
tles, to  withdraw  yourself  from  the 
malice  of  your's  and  God's  ene- 
mies, into  some  place  where  God 
is  most  purely  served;  which  is  no 
slandering  of  the  truth,  but  a  pre- 
serving of  yourself  to  God  and  the 
truth,  and  to  the  society  and  com- 
fort of  Christ's  little  flock.  And 
what  you  will  do,  do  it  with  speed, 
lest  by  your  own  folly  you  fall  into 
the  persecutor's  hands.  And  the 
Lord  send  his  Holy  Spirit  to  lead 
and  guide  you  wheresoever  you 
go,  and  all  that  be  godly  will  say, 
Amen. 


SECTION  XVI. 

rERSECUTIONS     AND     MARTYRDOMS     OF    VARIOUS     PERSONS,      AFTER     THE 
DEATH    OF   ARCHBISHOP    CRANMER, 

pal  employment,  and  her  greatest 
pleasure.  Her  emissaries  were 
continually  "  seeking  whom  they 
might  devour:"  and  the  martyr- 
doms and  cruelties  inflicted  under 


The  force  of  bigotry  in  the 
breast  of  the  unrelenting  Mary, 
only  terminated  with  her  life. 
The  destruction  of  those  who  could 
not  think  as  she  did,  was  her  priaci- 


554 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


her  orders,  will  load  her, name  with 
indelible  infamy. 

MARTYRDOMS     OF     AGNES     POTTEN, 
AND    JOAN    TRUNCHFIELD. 

These  two  advocates  and  suffer- 
ers for  the  pure  gospel  of  Christ, 
lived  in  the  town  of  Ipswich,  in 
Sufi'olk.  Being  apprehended  on 
an  information  of  heresy,  they 
were  brought  before  the  bishop  of 
Norwich;  who  examined  them 
concerning  their  religion  in  gene- 
ral, and  their  faith  in  the  corporeal 
presence  of  Christ  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar,  in  particular. 

With  respect  to  the  latter  arti- 
cle, they  both  delivered  it  as  their 
opinion,  that  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  there  was  re- 
presented the  memorial  only  of 
Christ's  death  and  passion,  saying, 
that,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
he  was  ascended  up  into  heaven, 
and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God 
the  Father;  and  therefore  his  body 
could  not  be  really  and  substan- 
tially in  the  sacrament. 

A  few  days  after  this,  they  were 
again  examined  by  the  bishop, 
when  both  of  them  still  continuing 
steadfast  in  the  profession  of  their 
faith,  sentence  was  pronounced 
against  them  as  heretics,  and  they 
were  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  their 
execution,  which  was  in  tlie  month 
of  March,  1556,  they  were  both  led 
to  the  stake,  and  burnt,  in  the 
town  of  Ipswich.  Their  constancy 
was  admired  by  the  multitude  who 
saw  them  suffer;  for,  as  they  un- 
dressed, and  prepared  themselves 
for  the  fire,  they  earnestly  exhorted 
the  people  to  believe  only  in  the 
unerring  word  of  the  only  living 
and  true  God,  and  not  regard  the 
devices  and  inventions  of  men. 

They  both  openly  declared  that 
they  despised  the  errors  and  su- 
perstitions of  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  most  patiently  submitted  to 
the  acute  torments  of  devouring 
flames,  calling  upon  the  God  of 
their  salvation,  and  triumphing  in 
being  deemed  worthy  to  suffer  for 


the  glorious  cause  of  Jesus  Christ, 
their  Lord  and  master. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  JOHN  MAUNDREL, 
WILLIAM  COBERLY,  AND  JOHN 
SPICER. 

John  Maundrel  was  the  son  of 
Robert  Maundrel,  of  Rowd,  in  the 
county  of  Wilts,  farmer;  he  was 
from  his  childhood  brought  up  in 
husbandry,  and  when  he  came  to 
man's  estate,  he  dwelt  in  a  village 
called  Euckhamptou,  in  the  above 
county,  where  he  lived  in  good  re- 
pute. After  the  Scripture  was 
translated  into  English  by  William 
Tindal,  this  John  Maundrel  be" 
came  a  diligent  hearer  thereof, 
and  a  fervent  embracer  of  God's 
true  religion,  so  that  he  delighted 
in  nothing  so  much  as  to  hear  and 
speak  of  God's  word,  never  being 
without  the  New  Testament  about 
him,  although  he  could  not  read 
himself,  as  was  at  that  period  too 
frequently  the  case  among  persons 
in  his  station  of  life.  But  when 
he  came  into  the  company  of  any 
one  who  could  read,  his  book  was 
always  ready;  and  having  a  very 
good  memory,  he  could  recite  by 
heart  most  places  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment; and  his  life  and  conversation 
were  very  honest  and  charitable. 

In  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
Eighth,  whe-n  Dr.  Trigonion  and 
Dr.  Lee  visited  the  abbeys,  John 
Maundrel  was  brought  before  Dr. 
Trigonion,  at  an  abbey  called 
Edyngton,  in  Wiltshire  ;  where  he 
was  accused  that  he  had  spoken 
against  the  holy  water  and  holy 
bread,  and  such  like  ceremonies, 
and  was  condemned  to  wear  a 
white  sheet,  bearing  a  candle  in 
his  hand,  about  the  market,  in  the 
town  of  Devizes.  Nevertheless, 
his  fervency  did  not  abate,  but,  by 
God's  merciful  assistance,  he  took 
better  hold,  as  the  sequel  will  de- 
clare. 

In  the  days  of  queen  Mary, 
when  popery  was  restored  again, 
and  God's  true  religion  put  to  si- 
lence, Maundrel  left  his  own  house 
and  went  into  Gloucesterslrire,  and 
into   the  north  part  of  Wiltshire, 


MAUNDREL,  COBERLY,  AND  SPICER. 


565 


wantieriii^  from  one  to  another  to 
such  men  as  he  knew  feared  God, 
with  whom,  as  a  servant  to  keep 
their  cattle,  he  remained  sometime; 
but  afterwards  returned  to  his  own 
country,  and  coming  to  Devizes, 
to  a  friend  of  his,  named  Anthony 
Clee,  he  mentioned  his  intention  of 
returning  home  to  his  house. 

And  when  his  friend  exhorted 
him  by  the  words  of  Scripture,  to 
flee  from  one  city  to  another,  he  re- 
plied again  by  the  words  of  the 
Revelations,  of  them  that  be  fear- 
ful, and  said,  that  he  must  needs 
go  home;  and  so  he  did;  and  here 
he,  Spicer,  and  Coberly,  used  at 
times  to  resort  and  confer  together. 
At  length,  they  agreed  together 
to  go  to  the  parish  church,  where, 
seeing  the  parishioners  in  the  pro- 
cession, following  and  worship- 
ping the  idol  there  carried,  they 
advised  them  to  leave  the  same, 
and  to  return  to  the  living  God, 
particularly  speaking  to  one  Ro- 
bert Barksdale,  the  principal  man 
of  the  parish,  but  he  paid  no  regard 
to  their  words. 

After  this  the  vicar  came  into  the 
pulpit,  and  being  about  to  read 
his  bead-roll,  and  to  praj'  for  the 
.souls  in  purgatory,  .John  Maandrel, 
speaking  with  an  audible  voice, 
said,  that  was  the  pope's  pinfold, 
the  other  two  aflSrming  the  same. 
Upon  which  words,  by  command 
of  the  priest,  they  were  put  in  the 
stocks,  where  they  remained  till 
the  service  was  dene,  and  then 
were  brought  before  a  justice  of 
the  peace;  the  next  day  they  were 
all  three  carried  to  Salisbury,  and 
taken  before  bishop  Capon,  and 
William  Geffrey,  chancellor  of  the 
diocese  ;  by  whom  they  were  im- 
prisoned, and  oftentimes  examin- 
ed concerning  their  faith,  in  their 
houses,  but  seldom  openly.  And 
at  the  last  examination  the  usual 
articles  being  alleged  against  them, 
they  answered,  as  Christian  men 
should  and  ought  to  believe :  and 
first  they  said,  they  believed  in 
God  the  Father,  and  in  the  Son, 
and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  twelve 
articles  of  the  creed,  the  holy  scrip- 
ture from  tho  fii-st  of  Genesis  to 
the  last  of  the  Revelation. 


But  that  faith  the  chancellor 
would  not  allow.  Wherefore  he 
proposed  them  in  particular  arti- 
cles :  First,  whether  they  did  not 
believe,  that  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar  (as  he  termed  it),  after 
the  words  of  consecration  spoken 
by  the  priest  at  mass,  there  re- 
mained no  substance  of  bread  nor 
wine,  but  Christ's  body,  flesh  and 
blood,  as  he  was  born  of  the  virgin 
Mary.  To  which  they  answered 
negatively,  saying  that  the  popish 
mass  was  abominable  idolatry, 
and  injurious  to  the  blood  of 
Christ ;  but  confessing,  that  in  a 
faithful  congregation,  receiving 
the  sacrament  of  Christ's  body 
and  blood,  being  duly  administer- 
ed according  to  Christ's  institution, 
Christ's  body  and  blood  is  spiritu- 
ally received  of  the  faithful  believer. 

Also,  being  asked  whether  the 
pope  was  supreme  head  of  the 
church,  and  Christ's  vicar  on  earth; 
they  answered  negatively,  saying, 
that  the  bishop  of  Rome  doth 
usurp  over  emperors  and  kings, 
being  antichrist  and  God's  enemy. 

The  chancellor  said,  "  Will  you 
have  the  church  without  a  head  ?" 
They  answered,  "  Christ  was  head 
of  his  church,  and  under  Christ 
the  queen's  majesty." 

"What,"  said  the  chancellor, 
"  a  woman  head  of  the  church  ?" 
"  Yea,"  said  they,  "  within  her 
grace's  dominions." 

They  were  also  asked  whether 
the  souls  in  purgatory  were  deli- 
vered by  the  pope's  pardon,  and 
the  suffrages  of  the  church. 

They  siaid,  they  belicTed  faith- 
fully that  the  blood  of  Christ  had 
purged  their  sins,  and  the  sins  of 
them  that  were  saved,  unto  the 
end  of  the  world,  so  that  they 
feared  nothing  of  the  pope's  pur- 
gatory, nor  esteemed  his  pardons. 

Also,  whether  images  were  ne- 
cessary to  be  in  the  churches,  as 
laymen's  books,  and  saints  to  be 
prayed  uri'to  and  worshipped. 

They  answered  negatively,  John 
Manndrel  adding,  "that  wooden 
images  were  good  to  roast  a  shoul- 
der of  mutton,  but  evii  in  the 
church ;  whereby  idolatry  was 
committed." 


656 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Those  articles  being  thus  an- 
swered, the  chancellor  read  their 
condemnation,  and  so  delivered 
them  to  the  sheriff,  who  was  pre- 
sent during  the  examination. 
John  Spicer  then  said,  "  O,  master 
sheriff,  now  must  you  be  their 
butcher,  that  you  may  be  guilty 
also  with  them  of  innocent  blood 
before  the  Lord."  This  was  on 
the  23d  day  of  March,  1556,  and 
on  the  following  day,  they  were 
carried  out  of  the  common  gaol  to 
a  place  between  Salisbury  and 
Wilton,  where  were  two  stakes  set 
for  them  to  be  burnt  at.  Upon 
coming  to  the  place,  they  kneeled 
down,  and  made  their  prayers  se- 
cretly together,  and  then  being  un- 
dressed to  their  shirts,  John  Maun- 
drel  cried  out,  with  a  loud  voice, 
"  Not  for  all  Salisbury  {"  Which 
words  were  understood  to  be  an 
answer  to  the  sheriff',  who  offered 
him  the  queen's  pardon  if  he  would 
recant.  And  after  that  John 
Spicer  said,  "  This  is  the  joyful- 
lest  day,  that  ever  I  saw."  Thus 
were  the  three  burnt  at  two  stakes: 
where  most  constantly  they  gave 
their  bodies  to  the  fire,  and  their 
souls  to  the  Lord,  for  the  testimony 
of  his  truth. 

The  wife  of  William  Coberly, 
being  also  apprehended,  was  de- 
tained in  the  keeper's  house  at 
the  same  time  that  her  husband 
was  in  prison.  The  keeper's  wife, 
Agnes  Penicote,  having  secretly 
heated  a  key  red  hot,  laid  it  in  the 
back-yard,  and  desired  Alice  Co- 
berly to  fetch  it  to  her  in  all  haste  ; 
the  poor  woman  went  immediately 
to  bring  it,  and  taking  it  up  in 
haste,  burnt  her  hand  terribly. 
Whereupon  she  crying  out,  "  Ah  ! 
thou  drab,"  cried  the  keeper's  wife, 
"  thou  that  canst  not  abide  the 
burning  of  the  key,  how  wilt  thou 
be  able  to  abide  burning  thy  whole 
body?"  And  indeed,  she  was  weak 
enough  to  recant. 

But  to  return  to  the  story  of 
Coberly;  he  being  at  the  stake,  was 
somewhat  long  in  burning :  after 
his  body  was  scorched  wth  the 
flames,  and  the  flesh  of  his  left  arm 
entirely  consumed  by  the  violence 
of  the  fire,  at  length  he  stoop-ed 


over  the  chain,  and  with  the  right 
hand,  which  was  less  injured, 
smote  upon  his  breast  softly,  the 
blood  gushing  out  of  his  mouth. 
Afterwards,  when  all  thought  he 
had  been  dead,  suddenly  he  rose 
upright  again,  but  shortly  after  ex- 
pired, following  his  companions  to 
the  realms  of  eternal  glory  and 
felicity. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  RICHARD  AND 
THOMAS  SPURG,  JOHN  CAVILL, 
AND  GEORGE  AMBROSE,  LAYMEN  ; 
AND  OF  ROBERT  DRAKE  AND  WIL- 
LIAM   TIMS,    MINISTERS. 

These  six  pious  Christians  re- 
sided in  the  county  of  Essex. 
Being  accused  of  heresy,  they 
were  all  apprehended,  and  sent  by 
the  lord  Rich,  and  other  commis- 
sioners, at  different  times,  to  bi- 
shop Gardiner,  lord  chancellor ; 
who,  after  a  short  examination, 
sent  the  four  first  to  the  Marshalsea 
prison  in  the  Borough,  and  the 
two  last  to  the  King's  Bench,  where 
they  continued  during  a  whole 
year,  till  the  death  of  bishop  Gar- 
diner. 

When  Dr.  Heath,  archbishop  of 
York,  succeeded  to  the  chancellor- 
ship, four  of  these  persecuted  bre- 
thren, namely,  Richard  and  Tho- 
mas Spurg,  John  Cavill  and 
George  Ambrose,  weary  of  their 
tedious  confinement,  presented  a 
petition  to  the  lord  chancellor, 
subscribing  their  names,  and  re- 
questing liis  interest  for  their  en- 
largement. 

A  short  time  after  the  delivery  of 
this  petition,  sir  Richard  Read,  one 
of  the  officers  of  the  court  of  Chan- 
cery, was  sent  by  the  chancellor  to 
the  Marshalsea  to  examine  them. 

Richard  Spurg,  the  first  who 
passed  examination,  being  asked 
the  cause  of  his  imprisonment, 
replied,  that  he,  with  several 
others,  being  complained  of  by 
the  minister  of  Bocking,  for  not 
coming  to  their  parish  church,  to 
the  lord  Rich,  was  thereupon  sent 
up  to  London  by  his  lordship,  to 
be  examined  by  the  late  chan- 
cellor. 

He  acknowledged  that  he  had 
not  been  at  church  since  the  Bug- 


SPUHG,  CAVILL,  AND  OTHERS. 


557 


lish  service  was  changed  into 
Latin  (except  on  Christmas  day 
was  twelvemonth)  because  he 
disliked  the  same,  and  the  mass 
also,  as  not  agreeable  to  God's 
holy  word. 

He  then  desired  that  he  might 
be  no  farther  examined  concerning 
this  matter  until  it  pleased  the 
present  chancellor  to  inquire  his 
faith  concerning  the  same,  which 
he  was  ready  to  testify. 

Thomas  Spurg,  on  his  examina- 
tion, answered  to  the  same  effect 
with  the  other,  confessing  that  lie 
absented  himself  from  church,  be- 
cause the  word  of  God  was  not 
there  truly  taught,  nor  the  sacra- 
ments of  Christ  duly  adminis- 
tered, as  prescribed  by  the  same 
word. 

Being  farther  examined  touch- 
ing his  faith  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar;  he  said,  that  if  he  stood 
accused  in  that  particular,  he  would 
answer  as  God  had  given  him 
knowledge,  which  he  should  do  at 
another  opportunity. 

John  Cavill  likewise  agreed  in 
the  chief  particulars  with  his  bre- 
thren :  but  farther  said,  the  cause 
of  his  absenting  himself  from 
church  was,  that  the  minister  there 
had  advanced  two  doctrines  con- 
trary to  each  other ;  for  first,  in 
a  sermon  which  he  delivered  when 
the  queen  came  to  the  crown,  he 
exhorted  the  people  to  believe  the 
gospel,  declaring  it  to  be  the  truth, 
and  that  if  they  believed  it  not, 
they  would  be  damned ;  and  se- 
condly, in  a  future  discourse,  he 
declared  that  the  New  Testament 
was  false  in  forty  places  ;  which 
contrariety  gave  Cavill  much  dis- 
gust, and  was,  among  other  things, 
the  cause  of  his  absenting  himself 
from  church. 

George  Ambrose  answered  to 
the  same  effect,  adding,  moreover, 
that  after  he  had  read  the  late  bi- 
shop of  Winchester's  book,  inti- 
tuled, De  vera  Obedientia,  with  bi- 
shop Bonner's  preface  thereunto 
annexed,  both  inveighing  against 
the  authority  of  the  bishop  of 
Rome,  he  esteemed  their  princi- 


ples more  lightly  than  he  had  done 
before. 

Robert  Drake  was  minister  of 
Thundersly,  in  Essex,  to  which 
living  he  had  been  presented  by 
lord  Rich  in  the  reign  of  Edward 
VI.  when  he  was  ordained  priest 
by  Dr.  Ridley,  then  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, according  to  the  reformed 
English  service  for  ordination. 

On  the  accession  of  queen  Mary 
to  the  throne  of  England,  he  was 
sent  for  by  Gardiner,  bishop  of 
Winchester,  who  demanded  of 
him  whether  he  would  conform, 
like  a  good  subject,  to  the  laws  of 
the  realm  then  in  force?  He  an- 
swered, that  he  would  abide  by 
those  laws  that  were  agreeable  to 
the  law  of  God  ;  upon  which  ho 
was  immediately  committed  to 
prison. 

William  Tims  was  a  deacon 
and  curate  of  Hockley,  in  Essex, 
in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  but 
being  deprived  of  his  living  soon 
after  the  death  of  that  monarch, 
he  absconded,  and  privately  preach- 
ed in  a  neighbouring  wood,  whither 
many  of  his  flock  attended  to  hear 
the  word  of  God. 

In  consequence  of  these  proceed- 
ings he  was  apprehended  by  one 
of  the  constables,  and  sent  up  to 
the  bishop  of  London,  by  whom 
he  was  referred  to  Gardiner,  bi- 
shop of  Winchester,  and  lord- 
chancellor,  who  committed  him  to 
the  King's  Bench  prison. 

A  short  time  after  his  confine- 
ment, he  (with  the  others  before- 
mentioned)  was  ordered  to  appear 
before  the  bishop  of  London,  who 
questioned  him  in  the  usual  man- 
ner, concerning  his  faith  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar. 

Mr.  Tims  answered,  that  the 
body  of  Christ  was  not  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  really  and 
corporeally,  after  the  words  of 
consecration  spoken  by  the  priest ; 
and  that  he  had  been  a  long  time 
of  that  opinion,  ever  since  it  had 
pleased  God,  of  his  infinite  mercy, 
to  call  him  to  the  true  knowledge 
of  the  gospel  of  his  grace. 

On    the  28th   of'  March,    1556, 


558 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


these  six  persons  were  all  broufi^ht 
into  the  consistory  court,  in  St. 
Paul's  church,  before  the  bishop  of 
London,  in  order  to  be  examined, 
for  the  last  time  ;  when  he  assured 
them,  that  if  they  did  not  submit 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  they  should 
be  condemned  for  heresy. 

The  bishop  began  his  examina- 
tion with  Tims,  whom  he  called 
the  ringleader  of  the  others:  he 
told  him,  that  he  had  taught  them 
heresies,  confirmed  them  in  their 
erroneous  opinions,  and  endea- 
voured, as  far  as  in  him  lay,  to 
render  them  as  abominable  as  him- 
self; with  many  other  accusations 
equally  false  and  opprobrious. 

He  was  then  asked  by  the  bi- 
shop what  he  had  to  say  in  his 
own  vindication,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent him  from  proceeding  against 
him  as  his  ordinary.  To  which  he 
replied  as  follows  : 

"  My  lord,  I  am  astonished  that 
you  should  begin  your  charge  with 
a  falsehood;  you  aver  that  I  am 
the  ringleader  of  the  company  now 
brought'  before  you,  and  have 
taught  them  principles  contrary 
to  the  Romish  church,  since  we 
have  been  in  confinement ;  but  the 
injustice  of  this  declaration  will 
soon  appear,  if  you  will  inquire 
of  these  my  brethren,  whether, 
when  at  liberty,  and  out  of  prison, 
they  dissented  not  from  popish 
principles  as  much  as  they  do  at 
present ;  such  inquiry,  I  presume, 
will  render  it  evident,  that  they 
learned  not  their  religion  in  pri- 
son. 

"  For  my  own  part,  I  declare  I 
never  knew  them,  till  such  time  as 
I  became  their  fellovz-prisoner ; 
how  then  could  I  be  their  ring- 
leader and  teacher  ?  With  respect 
to  the  charge  alleged  against  me, 
a  charge  which  you  endeavour  to 
aggravate  to  the  highest  degree, 
whatever  opinion  you  maintain 
concerning  me,  I  am  well  assured 
I  hold  no  other  religion  than  what 
Christ  preached,  the  apostles  wit- 
nessed, the  primitive  church  re- 
ceived, and  of  late  the  apostolical 
and  evangelical  preachers  of  this 
realm  have  faithfully  taught,  and 


for  which  you  have  cruelly  caused 
them  to  be  burnt,  and  now  seek  to 
treat  us  with  the  like  inhuman  se- 
verity. I  acknowledge  you  to  be 
my  ordinary." 

The  bishop,  finding  it  necessary 
to  come  to  the  point  with  him, 
demanded,  if  he  would  submit 
himself  to  the  holy  mother-church, 
promising,  that  if  he  did,  he  should 
be  kindly  received ;  and  threaten- 
ing, at  the  same  time,  that  if  he  did 
not,  judgment  should  be  pronounc- 
ed against  him  as  an  heretic. 

In  answer  to  this,  Tims  told  his 
lordship  he  was  well  persuaded 
that  he  was  within  the  pale  of  the 
Catholic  church,  whatever  he  might 
think  ;  and  reminded  him,  that  he 
had  most  solemnly  abjured  that 
very  church  to  which  he  since  pro- 
fessed such  strenuous  allegiance  ; 
and  that,  contrary  to  his  oath,  he 
again  admitted,  in  this  realm,  the 
authority  of  the  pope,  and  was, 
therefore,  perjured  and  forsworn 
in  the'  highest  degree.  He  also 
recalled  to  his  memory,  that  he 
had  spoken  with  great  force  and 
perspicuity  against  the  usurped 
power  of  the  pope,  though  he  af- 
terwards sentenced  persons  to  be 
burnt,  because  they  would  not  ac- 
knowledge the  pope  to  be  the  su- 
preme head  of  the  church. 

On  this  Bonner  sternly  demand- 
ed, what  he  had  written  against  the 
church  of  Rome? 

Mr.  Tims  pertinently  answered, 
"  My  lord,  the  late  bishop  of  Win- 
chester wrote  a  verj'  learned  trea- 
tise, intituled,  De  vera  Ohedientia, 
which  contains  many  solid  argu- 
ments against  the  papal  suprem- 
acy :  to  this  book  you  wrote  a  pre- 
face, strongly  inveighing  against 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  reproving  his 
tyranny  and  usurpation,  and  shew- 
ing that  his  power  was  ill-found- 
ed, and  contrary  both  to  the  will 
of  God,  and  the  real  interest  of 
mankind." 

The  bishop,  struck  with  the 
poignancy  of  this  reproof,  evasive- 
ly told  him,  that  the  bishop  of 
Winchester  wrote  a  book  against 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope's  holi- 
ness, and  he  wrote  a  preface  to  the 


TIMS,  DRAKE,  AND  OTHERS. 


659 


same  book,  tending^  to  the  same 
purpose  :  i)Ut  that  the  cause  of  the 
same  arose  not  from  their  disre- 
gard to  his  holiness,  but  because  it 
was  then  deemed  treason  by  the 
laws  of  the  realm  to  maintain  the 
pope's  authority  in  Enpjland. 

He  also  observed,  that  at  such 
time  it  was  dangerous  to  profess 
to  favour  the  church  of  Rome,  and 
therefore  fear  compelled  them  to 
comply  with  the  prevailing  opi- 
nions of  the  times  :  for  if  any  per- 
son had  conscientiously  acknow- 
ledged the  pope's  authority  in 
those  days,  he  would  have  been 
put  to  death :  but  that  since  the 
queen's  happy  accession  to  the 
throne,  they  might  boldly  speak 
the  dictates  of  their  consciences  ; 
and  farther  reminded  him,  that  as 
my  lord  of  Winchester  was  not 
ashamed  to  recant  his  eiTors  at  St. 
Paul's  cross,  and  that  he  himself 
had  done  the  same,  every  inferior 
clergyman  should  follow  the  ex- 
ample of  his  superiors. 

Mr.  Tims,  still  persisting  in  the 
vindication  of  his  own  conduct, 
and  reprehension  of  that  of  the 
bishop,  again  replied,  "My  lord, 
that  which  you  have  written  against 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope  may  be 
well  proved  fiom  scripture  to  be 
true  ;  that  which  you  now  do  is 
contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  as  I 
can  sufficiently  prove." 

Bonner,  after  much  farther  con- 
versation, proceeded  according  to 
the  form  of  law,  causing  his  arti- 
cles, with  the  respective  answers 
to  each,  to  be  publicly  read  in 
court. 

Mr.  Tims  acknowledged  only 
two  sacraments.  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper;  comniended  the 
bishop  of  Winchester's  book  De 
vera  Ohedientia,  and  the  bishop  of 
London's  preface  to  the  same. 
He  declared  that  the  mass  was 
blasphemy  of  Christ's  passion  and 
death ;  that  Christ  is  not  corpo- 
really but  spiritually  present  in 
the  sacrament,  and  that,  as  they 
used  it,  it  was  an  abominable 
idol. 

Bonner  exhorted  him  to  revoke 
his  errors  and  heresies,  conform  to 


the  church  of  Rome,  and  not  abide 
strenuously  by  the  literal  sense  of 
the  scripture,  but  use  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  fathers. 

Our  martyr  frankly  declared  he 
would  not  conform  thereunto,  not- 
withstanding the  execrations  de- 
nounced against  him  by  the  ci.urch 
of  Rome,  and  demanded  of  the 
bishop  what  he  had  to  support  the 
doctrine  of  the  real  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  but  the  bare  letter  of  scrip- 
ture ? 

On  the  bishop's  replying.  The 
authority  of  the  holy  Catholic 
church,  Tims  informed  him  that 
he  had  the  popish  church,  for 
which  he  was  perjured  and  for- 
sworn, declaring  that  the  see  of 
Rome  was  the  see  of  Antichrist, 
and  therefore  he  would  never 
consent  to  yield  obedience  to  the 
same. 

The  bishop,  finding  Mr.  Tims 
so  inflexible  in  his  adherence  to 
the  faith  he  professed,  that  every 
attempt  to  draw  him  from  it  was 
vain  and  fruitless,  read  his  defini- 
tive sentence,  and  he  was  deliver- 
ed over  to  the  secular  power. 

Bonner  then  used  the  same  mea- 
sures Avith  Drake  as  he  had  done 
with  Tims  ;  but  Drake  frankly  de- 
clared, that  he  denied  the  church 
of  Rome,  with  all  the  works  there- 
of, even  as  he  denied  the  devil, 
and  all  his  works. 

The  bishop,  perceiving  all  his 
exhortations  fruitless,  pronounced 
sentence  of  condemnation,  and  he 
was  immediately  delivered  into  the 
custody  of  the  sherifls. 

After  this,  Thomas  and  Richard 
Spurg,  George  Ambrose,  and  John 
Cavill,  were  severally  asked,  if 
they  would  forsake  their  heresies, 
and  return  to  the  Catholic  church. 
They  all  refused  consenting  to  the 
church  of  Rome  ;  but  said,  they 
were  willing  lo  adhere  to  the  true 
Catholic  church,  and  continue  in 
the  same. 

Bonner  then  read  their  several 
definitive  sentences,  after  which 
he  committed  them  to  the  custody 
of  the  sherifls  of  Loudon,  by  whom 
they  were  conducted  to  Newgate. 
3 


560 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


On  the  14th  of  April,  1566,  the 
day  appointed  for  their  execution, 
they  were  all  led  to  Smithfield, 
where  they  were  chained  to  the 
same  stake,  and  burnt  in  one  fire, 
patiently  submitting  themselves  to 
the  flames,  and  resig:ning  their 
souls  into  the  hands  of  that  glo- 
rious Redeemer,  for  whose  sake 
they  delivered  their  bodies  to  be 
burned. 

Mr.  Tims,  during  his  imprison- 
ment, wrote  a  great  number  of  let- 
ters to  his  friends  and  brethren  in 
the  cause  of  Christ;  among  which 
we  shall  preserve  the  following: 

TO    CERTAIN    GODLY    WOMEN    OF 
HIS  PARISH. 

Grace,  mercy,  and  peace  from 
God  the  Father,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  be  with  you  both  now 
and  evermore.  Amen. 

Dear  sisters,  I  have  me  most 
heartily  recommended  unto  you, 
thanking  you  for  the  great  kind- 
ness shewed  unto  me  in  this  time 
of  mine  imprisonment,  and  net 
only  unto  me,  but  also  unto  my 
poor  wife  and  children;  and  also 
for  the  great  kindness  that  you 
shew  unto  all  the  living  saints  that 
are  dispersed  abroad,  and  are 
obliged  to  hide  their  heads  for  fear 
of  this  cruel  persecution. 

Dear  sisters,  when  I  do  remem- 
ber your  constancy  in  Christ,  I 
call  to  remembrance  the  constancy 
of  divers  godly  women,  as  Susan- 
nah, Judith,  Esther,  and  the  good 
wife  of  Nabal,  that  through  her 
godly  conditions  saved  both  her 
husband's  life,  and  all  her  house- 
hold, when  David  had  thought  to 
have  slain  him  for  his  churlish  an- 
swer that  he  sent  him.  Also  I  do 
remember  Rahab  that  lodged  the 
Lord's  spies,  how  God  preserved 
her  and  her  whole  household  for 
her  faithfulness  that  she  bare  to 
God's  people.  So  do  I  believe 
that  when  the  Lord  shall  send  his 
angel  to  destroy  these  idolatrous 
Eg'yptians  here  in  England,  and 
shall  find  the  ^blood  of  the  Lamb 
sprinkled  on  the  door-post  of  your 
hearts,  he  will  go  by  and  not  hurt 
you,  but  spare  your  whole  house- 


holds for  your  sakes.  Also  I  re- 
member Mary  Magdalen,  how 
faithful  she  was;  for  she  was  the 
first  that  preached  the  resurrection 
of  Christ.  Remember  the  blessed 
martyr,  Anne  Askew,  in  onr  time, 
and  follow  her  example  of  con- 
stancy, and,  for  the  love  of  God, 
take  heed  that  in  no  case  yon  con- 
sent to  idolatry,  but  stand  fast  to 
the  Lord,  as  the  good  woman  did 
that  had  her  seven  sons  put  to 
death  before  her  face,  and  she  al- 
ways comforting  them;  yea,  and 
last  of  all  suffered  death  herself, 
for  the  testimony  of  her  God, 
which  is  the  living  God.  Thus  I 
beseech  God  to  send  you  grace 
and  strength  to  stand  fast  to  the 
Lord,  as  she  did,  and  then  you 
shall  be  sure  of  the  same  kingdom 
that  she  is  sure  of;  to  which  king- 
dom I  pray  God  bring  both  you 
and  me.  Amen.  By  me, 
prisoner  in  the  King's  Bench, 
William  Tims. 

to  his  friends  in  hockley. 

The  grace  of  God  the  Father, 
through  the  merits  of  his  dear  Sou 
Jesus,  our  Lord  and  only  Saviour, 
with  the  continual  aid  of  his  holy 
and  mighty  Spirit,  to  the  perform- 
ance of  his  will,  to  our  everlasting 
comfort,  be  with  you,  my  dear 
brethren,  both  now  and  evermore, 
Amen. 

My  dearly  beloved,  I  beseech 
God  to  reward  the  great  goodness 
that  you  have  shewed  unto  me,  se- 
ven-fold into  your  bosoms ;  and  as 
you  have  always  had  a  most  godly 
love  unto  his  word,  even  so  I  be- 
seech him  to  give  you  grace  to 
love  your  own  souls,  and  then  I 
trust  you  will  flee  from  all  those 
things  that  should  displeasure  our 
good  and  merciful  God,  and  hate 
and  abhor  all  the  company  of 
those  that  would  have  you  to  wor- 
ship God  any  otherwise  than  is 
contained  in  his  holy  word.  And 
beware  of  those  masters  of  idola- 
try, that  is,  these  papistical 
priests.  My  dear  brethren,  for 
the  tender  mercy- of  God,  remem- 
ber'well  what  I  have  said  unto 
you,  and  also  written,  which  I  am 


WILLIAM  TIMS. 


661 


ROW  ready  to  seal  with  n\y  blood. 
1  praise  God  tliat  ever  I  lived  to 
see  the  day,  and  blessed  be  my 
good  and  merciful  God,  that  ever 
Le  gave  me  a  body  to  glorify  his 
name.  And,  dear  hearts,  I  do 
now  write  unto  you  for  none  other 
cause,  but  to  put  you  in  remenj- 
brance  that  I  have  not  forgotten 
you,  to  the  end  that  I  would  not 
have  you  forget  me,  but  to  remem- 
ber well  what  I  have  simply,  by 
word  of  mouth  and  writing,  taught 
you.  Which,  although  it  were 
most  simply  done,  yet  truly,  as 
your  own  conscience  beareth  me 
record :  and,  therefore,  in  any  case 
take  heed  that  you  do  not  that 
thing  which  your  own  conscience 


doth  condemn.  Therefore  come 
out  of  Sodom,  and  go  heavenward, 
with  the  servants  and  martyrs  of 
God,  lest  you  be  paitakors  of  tiie 
vengeance  of  God  that  is  coming 
upon  this  wicked  nation,  from 
which  the  Lord  God  defend  you, 
and  send  us  a  joyful  meeluig  in 
the  kingdom  of  heaven;  untti 
which  God  bring  you  all,  Amen. 
Thus,  now  I  take  my  leave  of  you 
for  ever  in  this  world,  ••^cept  1  be 
burned  amongst  you,  which  thing 
is  uncertain  unto  me  as  yet. 

By  me,  in  Newgate,  your  poor- 
est and  most  unworthy  brother  m 

Christ, 

W.  Tims. 

Netvgate,  April  \1. 


Tliirteen  Protestant  Martyrs,   consisting  of  eleven  Meti  and  two    ]^  oiucn,  h"..iU  (o^cdier 
in  one  fire,  at  Stratford  in   Essex. 


TO  HIS  PARISHIONERS,  THANKING 
THEM  FOR  THEIR  CHARITY 
SHEWN    TO    HIS    WIFE. 

The   everlasting  peace    of   our 

Lord     and     only     Saviour     Jesus 

Christ,  with  the  sweet  comfort  of 

his  holy  and  mighty  Spirit,  to  the 

FOX'S  3UUTVUS. 


increase  of  your  faith,  to  the  •,€}•- 
formance  of  his  will,  and  to  your 
eternal  comfort  in  the  everlasting 
kingdom  of  heaven,  be  with  you, 
my  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  both 
now  and  ever,  Amen. 

My  most  dear  brctiiren  and  sis- 

36 


562 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ters  in  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  I  have  me  most  heartily 
commended  unto  you,  with  hearty 
thanks  for  all  the  g;reat  liberality 
that  you  have  shewed  unto  me, 
and  especially  now  in  the  time  of 
my  necessity,  when  that  God  hath 
sent  ray  poor  wife  a  child  in  my 
captivity ;  which  is  no  little  care  to 
me,  so  to  provide,  that  I  might 
keep  both  ray  child  and  my  wife 
from  the  Antichrlstian  church : 
which  thing,  I  thank  my  God, 
through  his  most  gracious  provi- 
dence, I  have  yet  done,  though  it 
be  (as  ye  know)  great  charge,  not 
to  me,  but  to  the  congregation  of 
God,  and  it  grieveth  me  that  I 
have  been  so  chargeable  to  them 
as  I  have  been,  and  especially  you, 
my  dear  brethren,  I  being  so  un- 
worthy a  member  as  I  have  been, 
and  also  of  so  small  acquaintance : 
but  such  is  the  merciful  goodness 
of  God,  so  as  to  move  your  hearts 
with  charity  towards  me.  And  as 
he  hath  moved  your  hearts  so  to 
do,  even  so  I  beseech  God  to  give 
you  power  to  forsake  and  reject  all 
things  which  are  displeasing  in  his 
sight,  to  do  all  things  which  are 
requisite  to  a  Christian ;  and  send 
you  grace  to  go  forwards  in  the 
same,  as  you  have  godly  begun, 
neither  fearing  lire  nor  sword. 
And,  my  most  dear  hearts,  remem- 
ber well  the  simple  plain  doctrine 
which  I  have  taught  you,  and  also 
written  unto  you,  which  was  the 
truth,  and  for  a  testimony  of  the 
same  I  trust  that  you  shall  shortly 
hear,  or  else  see,  that  I  will  seal 
the  same  with  my  blood. 

And,  in  the  mean  time,  I  desire 
you  all  to  remember  me  in  your 
prayers,  as  I  know  you  do,  and  as, 
with  God's  help,  I  will  do  for  you, 
that  God,  for  his  dear  Son  Christ's 
sake,  will  so  finish  the  days  of  our 
pilgrimage,  that  we  mayjrest  toge- 
ther with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Ja- 
cob, in  the  everlasting  kingdom  of 
heaven,  to  which  I  beseech  the 
eternal  Lord,  for  his  Christ's  sake, 
to  bring  both  you  and  all  your's, 
Amen. 

By  me, 
WiLUAM  Tims. 


MARTYRDOMS       OF       JOAN       BEACH, 

WIDOW,     OF     tunbridge;      and 

JOHN  HARPOLE,  OF  ROCHESTER. 

Information  being  laid  against 
these  two  persons,  for  heresy,  they 
were  apprehended,  and,  by  the 
magistrates  of  the  respective 
places  where  they  lived,  committed 
to  prison.  After  being  some  time 
in  confinement,  they  were  sepa- 
rately examined  before  Maurice, 
bishop  of  Rochester,  their  dioce- 
san. 

Joan  Beach  was  first  taken  be- 
fore the  bishop  for  examination, 
when  the  following  articles  were 
exhibited  against  her: 

1.  That  living  in  the  parish  of 
Tunbridge  she  belonged  to  the  dio- 
cese of  Rochester. 

This  she  granted- 

2.  That  all  people  who  preach, 
teach,  believe,  or  say  otherwise,  or 
contrary  to  their  mother,  the  holy 
Catholic  church,  are  excommuni- 
cated persons,  and  heretics. 

This  she  acknowledged  to  be 
true,  but  added  withal,  "  that,  ne- 
vertheless, she  believed  not  the 
holy  Catholic  church  to  be  her  mo- 
ther, but  believed  only  the  Father 
of  heaven  to  be  her  father." 

3.  That  she  had  affirmed,  and 
did  affirm,  maintain,  and  believe, 
contrary  to  the  said  mother  church 
of  Christ,  that  in  the  bles&ed  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  under  form  of 
bread  and  wine,  there  is  not  the 
very  body  and  blood  of  our  Sa- 
viour Christ  in  substance,  but  only 
a  token  and  memorial  thereof,  and 
that  the  very  blood  of  Christ  is  in 
heaven,  and  not  in  the  sacrament. 

4.  That  Christ,  being  in  heaven, 
could  not  be  in  the  sacrament. 

To  this  she  answered,  "  that  she 
had,  and  did  verily  believe,  hold, 
and  affirm,  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  under  the  forms  of  bread  and 
wine,  there  was  not  the  very  body 
and  blood  of  our  Saviour,  in  sub- 
stance, but  only  a  token  and  re- 
membrance of  his  death,  to  the 
faithful  receiver,  and  that  his  body 
and  substance  is  only  in  heaven, 
and  not  in  the  sacrament." 

5.  That  she  had  been,  and  then 
was,    among    the  parishioners    af 


LISTER,  MACE,  AND  OTHERS. 


56' 


Tunbrid^c,  noted  and '  strongly 
suspected  of  being  a  sacramentary, 
and  an  heretic. 

To  this  she  answered,  "  that  she 
did  not  know  how  she  had  been, 
or  was  reputed  amongst  the  pa- 
rishioners of  Tunbridge,  nor  was 
their  opinion  of  any  avail  to  her 
immortal  state." 

The  bishop  finding  her  inflexible 
in  the  faith  she  professed,  strongly 
urged  her  to  preserve  her  life  by 
renouncing  her  errors;  which  she 
peremptorily  refusing,  he  pro- 
nounced sentence  on  her,  and  she 
was  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power. 

John  Harpole  being  next  exa- 
mined before  the  same  bishop,  ar- 
ticles of  a  similar  nature  were  ex- 
hibited against  him  as  against  his 
fellow-sufterer,  Joan  Beach. 

His  answers  to  all  of  them  were 
to  the  same  import  as  hers :  upon 
which  the  bishop  pronounced  sen- 
tence of  death  on  him  in  the  usual 
form. 

These  two  faithful  followers  of 
Christ  were  burnt  together,  in  one 
fire,  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  about 
the  latter  end  of  April,  1556. 
They  embraced  each  other  at  the 
stake,  and  cheerfully  resigned 
their  souls  into  the  hands  of  their 
Redeemer;  after  repeatedly  sing- 
ing hallelujahs  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  his  name. 

SUFFERINGS  OF  CHRISTOPHER  LIS- 
TER, JOHN  MACE,  JOHN  SPEN- 
CER, SIMON  JOYN,  RICHARD  NI- 
CHOLS, AND  JOHN  HAMMOND; 
WHO  WERE  ALL  BURNT  TOGE- 
THER   AT    COLCHESTER. 

These  six  persons  being  all  ap- 
prehended on  a  charge  of  heresy, 
were  brought  before  bishop  Bon- 
ner, at  his  palace  at  Fulham ; 
where  articles  were  exhibited 
against  them,  of  the  same  nature, 
and  in  the  usual  form,  as  those 
against  others  on  the  like  occa- 
sion. 

To  the  first  article,  namely, 
"  that  there  was  one  holy  Catho- 
lic church  on  earth,  in  which  the 
religion  and  faith  of  Christ  is  truly 
professed,"  they  all  consented  and 


agreed;  but  John  Spencer  added, 
"  that  tlie  church  of  Rome  was  no 
part  of  Christ's  Catholic  church." 

To  the  second,  concerning  the 
seven  sacraments,  they  answered, 
"  that  in  the  true  Catholic  church 
of  Christ,  there  are  but  two  sacra- 
ments. Baptism,  and  the  Lord's 
Supper." 

To  the  third,  they  unanimously 
agreed  and  confessed,  "  that  they 
were  baptized  in  the  faith  and  be- 
lief of  the  Catholic  church,  and 
that  their  godfathers  and  godmo- 
thers had  promised  and  professed 
for  them  as  contained  in  the  article 
administered." 

To  the  fourth  article,  concerning 
their  continuance  in  that  faith  and 
profession  into  which  they  were 
baptized,  they  agreed  that  they  did 
so  continue;  Nichols  observed, 
"  that  he  had  more  plainly  learned 
the  truth  of  his  profession,  bj'  the 
doctrine  set  forth  in  the  days  of 
king  Edward  the  Sixth ;  that 
thereupon  he  had  built  his  faith, 
and  would  continue  in  the  same, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  to  his  life's 
end." 

Concerning  swerving  from  the 
Catholic  faith,  they  declared  that 
they  had  not  swerved,  nor  departed 
in  the  least,  from  the  faith  of 
Christ. 

They  unanimously  confessed, 
"  that  tliey  had  disapproved  of, 
and  spoken  against  the  sacrifice  of 
the  mass,  and  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  affirming,  that  they  would 
not  come  to  hear,  nor  be  partakers 
thereof;  that  ,they  had  believed, 
and  then  did  believe,  that  thej-^ 
were  set  forth  and  used  contrary  to 
God's  word  and  glory." 

They  granted  also  that  they  had 
spoken  against  the  usurped  autho- 
rity of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  who 
was  an  oppressor  of  the  holy 
church  of  Christ,  and  ought  not  to 
have  any  power  in  England. 

Concerning  their  reconciliation 
to  the  unity  of  the  church,  they 
said,  "that  they  never  refused, 
nor  did  then  refuse,  to  be  recon- 
ciled to  the  unity  of  Christ's  Ca- 
tholic church;  but  declared  thev 
had,  and  then  did,  and  would  for 


564 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ever  hereafter,  refuse  to  come  to 
the  church  of  Rome,  or  to  acknow- 
ledge the  authority  of  the  papal 
see;  but  did  utterly  abhor  the 
same,  for  rejecting-  the  book  of 
God,  the  Bible,  and  setting  up  the 
mass,  with  other  ridiculous  and 
antichristian  ceremonies." 

They  all  granted,  that,  disap- 
proving the  mass,  and  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  they  had  refused  to 
come  to  the  parish  church,  &c.; 
and  Simon  Joyn  added,  moreover, 
"  that  the  cause  wherefore  he  re- 
fused to  be  partaker  of  their  trum- 
pery, was,  because  the  command- 
ments of  God  were  there  broken, 
and  Christ's  ordinances  changed, 
and  the  bishop  of  Rome's  ordi- 
nances put  up  in  their  stead." 

Christopher  Lister  affirmed, 
"  that  in  the  sacrament  of  the  al- 
tar, there  is  the  substance  of  bread 
and  wine,  as  well  after  the  words 
of  consecration  as  before,  and  that 
there  is  not  in  the  same  the  very 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  really, 
substantially,  and  spiritually,  by 
faith  in  the  faithful  receiver,  and 
that  the  mass  is  not  a  propitiatory 
sacrifice  for  the  quick  and  dead, 
but  mere  idolatry  and  abomina- 
tion." 

They  then  said,  "  that  they  were 
sent  to  Colchester  prison,  by  the 
king  and  queen's  commissioners, 
because  they  would  not  come  to 
their  parish  churches:  that  what 
was  contained  in  the  premises  was 
true ;  and  that  they  belonged  to 
the  diocese  of  London." 

On  the  close  of  this  examination 
the  bishop  dismissed  them,  but 
ordered  them  to  attend  again  in 
the  afternoon.  This  order  they 
obeyed,  when  the  articles  and  an- 
swers of  the  first  examination  were 
read  to  them;  and  they  resolutely 
persisted  in  the  profession  they 
had  made. 

After  various  endeavours  to 
bring  them  to  recant,  without  the 
least  effect,  sentence  of  death  was 
pronounced  against  them,  and  they 
were  all  delivered  over  to  the  se- 
cular power. 

The  writ  for  their  execution 
being  made  out,  they  were  removed 


to  Colchester,  where,  on  the  28tli 
of  April,  155G,  they  were  fastened 
to  two  stakes,  and  burnt  in  one 
fire.  They  ail  cheerfully  met  their 
fate,  giving  glory  to  God  in  t!ic 
midst  of  the  flames  and  encourag- 
ing others,  for  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  to  follow  their  example. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  HUGH  LAVEROCK, 
AN  OLD  DliCREPID  MAN;  AND 
JOHN    APPRICE,    A    BLIND    MAN. 

The  former  of  these  martyrs  was 
by  trade  a  painter,  and  lived  in 
the  parish  of  Barking  in  Essex. 
At  the  time  of  his  apprehension  he 
was  in  the  68th  year  of  his  age, 
and  very  helpless  from  the  natural 
infirmities  of  life.  Being,  how- 
ever, accused  of  heresy  by  some  of 
the  popish  emissaries  in  his  neigh- 
bourhood, he,  with  his  fellow- 
sufferer,  was  taken  before  Bonner 
to  be  examined  with  respect  to 
their  faith. 

The  bishop  laid  before  them  the 
same  articles  as  have  been  men- 
tioned in  former  instances ;  and 
they  returned  answers  to  the  same 
effect  as  those  of  other  advocates 
for  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1566,  they 
Avere  both  brought  into  the  consis- 
tory court  at  St.  Paul's,  where 
their  articles  and  answers  were 
publicly  read  ;  after  Avhich  the  bi- 
shop endeavoured  to  persuade 
them  to  recant  their  opinions  con- 
cerning the  sacrament  of  the  altar. 

Hugh  Laverock  declared,  that 
by  the  grace  of  God  he  wiijd  (cr- 
tinue  in  the  profession  he  had  al- 
ready made,  for  he  could  not  find 
the  least  authority  in  the  word 
of  God  for  approving  the  doctrine 
of  the  corporeal  presence  in  the 
sacrament. 

The  bishop  then  addressed  him- 
self to  John  Apprice,  and  demand- 
ed what  he  had  to  say  in  his  de- 
fence ?  Tfce  honest  blind  man  an- 
swered the  haughty  prelate,  "that 
the  doctrine  he  set  forth  and  taught 
was  so  conformable  to  the  world, 
that  it  could  not  be  agreeable  to 
the  scripture  of  God ;  and  that  he 
was  no  member  of  the  Catholic 
chureh  of  Christ,  seeing  he  made 


CATHARINE  HUT,  AND  OTHERS. 


565 


laws   to  kill  men,   and   made  the 
queen  his  executioner." 

The  first  examination  being  over, 
they  were  for  the  present  dismiss- 
ed, but  ordered  to  appear  the  next 
day  at  the  bishop's  palace  at  Ful- 
ham.  Jjcini;;  accordingly  conduct- 
ed there,  the  bishop,  after  some 
discourse  with  them,  and  finding 
them  steadfast  in  their  faith,  pro- 
nounced the  definitive  sentence; 
when,  being  delivered  over  to  the 
secular  power,  they  were  commit- 
ted to  Newgate. 

On  the  15th  of  May,  they  were 
conveyed  to  Stratford-le-Bow,  the 
place  appointed  for  their  execution. 
As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the 
stake,  Laverock  threw  away  his 
crutch,  and  thus  addressed  his  fel- 
low-sufferer: 

"  Be  of  good  comfort,  brother,  for 
my  lord  of  London  is  our  good 
physician :  he  will  cure  us  both 
shortly,  thee  of  thy  blindness,  and 
me  of  my  lameness." 

After  this  they  both  knelt  down, 
and  prayed  with  great  fervency, 
that  God  would  enable  them  to 
pass,  with  Christian  resolution, 
through  the  fiery  trial. 

These  two  undaunted  believers 
in  Christ  were  both  chained  to  one 
stake.  They  endured  their  suf- 
ferings with  great  fortitude,  and 
cheerfully  yielded  up  their  lives  in 
testimony  of  the  truth  of  their 
blessed  Redeemer. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  CATHARINE  HUT, 
JOAN  HORNES,  AND  ELIZABETH 
THACKVILL. 

These  three  pious  women  being 
apprehended  on  suspicion  of  he- 
resy, were  carried  before  sir  John 
Mordaunt  and  Mr.  Tyrrel,  justices 
of  peace  for  the  county  of  Essex, 
wlio  sent  them  prisoners  to  the 
bishop  of  London,  for  not  conform- 
ing to  the  order  of  the  church,  and 
not  believing  the  real  presence  of 
Christ's  body  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

Being  brought  before  the  bishop, 
he  exhibited  to  them  the  articles 
usual  on  the  occasion;  to  which 
they  answered  as  follows  : 

To  the  first,  concerning  their  be- 


lief that  there  was  a  Catholic 
church  of  Christ  upon  earth,  they 
all  assented. 

To  the  second,  relating  to  the 
seven  sacraments,  they  said  "they 
did  no*  understand  properly  what 
they  were." 

To  the  third,  concerning  their 
baptism,  they  replied,  "  they  be- 
lieved they  were  baptized,  but 
knew  not  what  their  godfathers 
and  godmothers  promised  for 
them." 

To  the  fourth,  about  their  con- 
tinuance in  the  same  faith  into 
which  they  were  baptized,  until 
they  arrived  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years,  or  the  age  of  discretion, 
without  disapproving  the  same ; 
they  granted  it  to  be  true. 

To  this  article  Catharine  Hut 
observed,  "  that  at  that  time  she 
did  not  understand  what  she  pro- 
fessed." 

.loan  Homes  added,  "that  in 
the  days  of  king  Edward  VI.  she 
learned  the  faith  that  was  then  set 
forth,  and  still  continued  in  the 
same ;  and  would,  with  God's  as- 
sistance, so  continue  during  the 
remainder  of  her  life." 

To  the  fifth  article,  concerning 
the  mass,  and  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  they  said,  "  they  could  dis- 
cern no  excellence  in  the  mass, 
nor  could  they  believe  but  that 
Christ's  natural  body  was  in  hea- 
ven, and  not  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar." 

Concerning  the  see  of  Rome, 
tliey  acknowledged  no  supremacy 
in  the  same,  nor  would  they  ad- 
here to  it. 

To -the  sixth  article,  of  their  re- 
conciliation to  the  church  of  Rome, 
they  refused  to  be  reconciled  to 
the  same. 

To  the  seventh,  of  their  disap- 
proving the  service  of  the  church, 
and  not  frequenting  their  parish 
church,  they  acknowledged  it  to 
be  true. 

Catharine  Hut  alleged,  as  the 
cause  of  her  absenting  herself 
from  church,  that  she  neither  ap- 
proved the  service  in  Latin,  the 
mass  matins,  or  even-song ;  nor 
were  the  sacraments  used  and  ad« 


566 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ministered  according  to  God's 
word.  She  declared,  inoreover, 
that  the  mass  was  an  idol,  ueither 
was  the  true  body  and  blood  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
as  they  wished  to  compel  persons 
to  believe. 

To  the  ei.^hth  article  they  de- 
clared, "  that  they  were  all  sent 
up  to  the  bishop  of  London,  by 
sir  John  Mordaunt  and  Edmund 
Tyrrel,  Esq.  justices  of  the  peace 
for  the  county  of  Essex,  because 
they  could  not  believe  the  presence 
of  Christ's  body  and  blood  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar  ;  aad  for  ab- 
senting themselves  from  their  pa- 
rish church." 

To  the  uiiith  article,  that  they 
were  of  the  diocese  of  London, 
they  all  assented,  except  Catha-" 
rine  Hut,  who  said  she  was  of  the 
parish  of  Becking,  in  Essex, 
which  is  of  the  peculiar  jurisdic- 
tion of  Canterbury,  and  not  under 
that  of  the  diocese  of  London. 

On  the  13th  of  April  they  were 
again  brought  before  the  bishop, 
and  the  respective  articles,  with 
their  answers,  publicly  read  in 
court,  in  order  to  their  final  judg- 
ment. ' 

Catharine  Hut,  beiag  first  ex- 
amined, was  required  to  declare 
her  opinion  of  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  and  to  return  to  the  Ca- 
tholic faith.  To  this  she  replied, 
"  that  the  sacrament,  as  e^nforced 
by  the  papists,  was  not  truly  God, 
but  a  dumb  god,  made  with  men's 
hands  ;"  upon  which  she  received 
sentence  of  death. 

Joan  Horn'us  was  next  exa- 
mined, and  being  charged  that 
she  did  not  believe  the  sacrament 
of  Christ's  body  and  blood  to  be 
Christ  himself,  said,  "  If  y6u  can 
make  your  god  to  shed  blood,  or 
shew  any  sign  of  a  true,  living 
body,  then  will  I  believe  you : 
but  it  is  bread  as  to  the  substance  ; 
and  that  which  you  call  heresy  is 
the  manner  in  which  I  trust  to 
serve  my  God  to  the  end  of  my 
life. 

"  Concerning  the  bishop  and  see 


of  Rome,  I  detest  them  as  abomi- 
nations,  and  desire  ever  to  be  de- 
livered from  the  same." 

In  consequence  of  these  answers, 
sentence  of  condemnation  was  im- 
mediately pronounced  on  her. 

Elizabeth  Thackvill  conti- 
nuing steadfast  in  her  former  con- 
fessions, and  refusing  to  recant, 
shared  the  same  fate  with  the 
other  two  ;  when  they  were  all  de- 
livered over  to  the  secular  power, 
and  committed  to  Newgate. 

On  the  IGth  of  May,  1556,  the 
day  appointed  for  their  execution, 
they  were  conducted  to  Smith- 
field,  where,  being  all  fastened  to 
one  stake,  and  the  fagots  lighted, 
their  bodies  were  soon  consumed, 
after  they  had  recommended  their 
spirits  into  the  hands  of  that  God, 
for  the  truth  of  whose  word  they 
joyfully  suffered  death,  in  hopes 
of  obtaining  life  everlasting. 

martyrdom  of  THOMAS  DROWRY, 
A  BLIND  BOY,  AND  THOMAS 
CROKER. 

We  have  just  before  related 
the  sufierings  of  two  men,  the  one 
blind  and  the  other  lame  ;  and  we 
have  now  another  instance  of 
natural  blindness  conjoined  with 
mental  illumination,  leading  the 
possessor  to  a  glorious  death, 
and  a  never-ending  felicity  in 
heaven. 

Thomas  Drowry,  a  blind  boy,  at 
his  last  examination,  and  final 
condemnation,  was  brought  by  the 
officers  under  whose  custody  he 
had  remained,  before  Dr.  Wil- 
liams, then  chancellor  of  Glou- 
cester, sitting  judicially  in  the 
consistory  of  the  cathedral  of  Glou- 
cester. The  chancellor  having  ad- 
ministered to  the  boy  such  articles 
as  were  usual  in  such  cases,  said 
to  him,  "  Dost  thou  not  believe, 
that  after  the  words  of  consecra- 
tion spoken  by  the  priest,  there 
remaineth  the  very  real  body  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar?" 

To  which  Drowry  answered, 
"  No,  that  I  do  not." 

Chancellor.     Then    thou    art    aij 


DROWRY,  CROKER,  AND  OTHERS. 


567 


heretic,  and  shalt  be  burned.     But 
who  hath  taiio:ht  thee  this  heresy  ? 

Drowry.  You,  master  chan- 
cellor. 

Chancellor.  Where,  I  pray  thee  ? 

Drowry.  Even  in  yonder  place  : 
(pointing  with  his  hand,  and  turn- 
ing- towards  the  pulpit.) 

Chancellor.  When  did  I  teach 
thee  so? 

Drowry.  When  you  preached 
there  (naming  the  day)  a  sermon 
to  all  men  as  well  as  to  me,  upon 
the  sacrament.  You  said  the  sa- 
crament was  to  be  received  spiri- 
tually by  faith,  and  not  carnally  and 
really,  as  the  papists  have  hereto- 
fore taught. 

Chancellor.  Then  do  as  I  have 
done,  and  thou  shalt  live  as  I  do, 
and  escape  burning. 

Drotvry.  Though  you  can  so 
easily  dispense  with  yourself,  and 
mock  with  God,  the  world,  and 
your  own  conscience,  yet  will  I 
not  so  do. 

Chancellor.  Then  the  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  thee,  for  I  will  read 
the  condemnation  sentence  against 
thee. 

Drowry.   God's  will  be  fulfilled. 

The  register,  Mr.  Taylor,  being 
moved  with  compassion  for  the 
boy,  and  indignation  against  the 
shameless  persecutor,  stood  up  and 
said  to  the  chancellor : 

"  Fie  for  shame,  man,  will  you 
read  the  sentence  against  him, 
and  condemn  yourself?  Away, 
away,  and  substitute  some  other 
to  give  sentence  and  judgment." 

Chancellor.  No,  register,  I  will 
obey  the  law,  and  give  sentence 
myself,  according  to  mine  office. 

And  so  he  read  the  sentence 
condemnatory  against  the  boy, 
delivering  him  over  to  the  secular 
power,  and  on  the  15th  day  of  May, 
the  boy  was  brought  to  the  place 
of  execution,  at  Gloucester ;  to- 
gether with  one  Thomas  Croker, 
a  bricklayer,  condemned  also  for 
the  like  testimony  of  the  truth. 
They  both  together,  with  great  for- 
titude and  resignation,  joyfully 
yielded  their  souls  into  the  hands 
of  the  Lord  Jesus. 


SUFFERINGS      OF      THOMAS      SPICER, 
JOHN  DENNY,  AND   EDMUND  POOLE. 

These  three  persons  Avere  ap- 
prehended by  the  justices  of  the 
county  of  Suffolk,  in  which  they 
lived,  and  committed  to  prison, 
for  not  attending  mass  at  their  pa- 
rish church. 

After  being  some  time  in  confine- 
ment, they  were  brought  before 
the  chancellor  of  Norwich,  and 
the  register,  who  sat  at  the  town 
of  Beccles,  to  examine  them  with 
respect  to  their  faith.  The  arti- 
cles alleged  against  them  were  as 
follow  : 

1.  That  they  believed  not  the 
pope  of  Rome  to  be  supreme  head, 
immediately  under  Christ,  of  the 
universal  Catholic  church. 

2.  That  they  believed  not  holy 
bread  and  holy  water,  ashes, 
palms,  and  other  like  ceremonies 
used  in  the  church,  to  be  good  and 
laudable  for  stirring  up  the  people 
to  devotion. 

3.  That  they  believed  not,  after 
the  words  of  consecration  spoken 
by  the  priest,  the  very  natural  body 
of  Christ,  and  no  other  substance 
of  bread  and  wine,  to  be  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar. 

4.  That  they  believed  it  to  be 
idolatry  to  worship  Christ  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar. 

5.  That  they  took  bread  and  wine 
in  remembrance  of  Christ's  pas- 
sion. 

6.  That  they  would  not  follow 
the  cross  in  procession,  nor  be  con- 
fessed to  a  priest. 

They  all  acknowledged  the  truth 
of  those  accusations ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  they  were  con- 
demned by  the  chancellor,  who 
first  endeavoured  to  reclaim  them 
from  their  opinions,  and  bring  them 
over  to  the  church  of  Rome  ;  but 
all  his  admonitions  and  exhorta- 
tions proving  ineffectual,  he  pro- 
nounced sentence  on  them,  and 
they  were  immediately  delivered 
into  the  hands  of  the  high-sheriff 
for  the  county  of  SuU'olk. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  1556,  these 
three  pious  Christians  were  led  to 
the  stake  in  the  town  of  Beccles, 


6^8 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


amidst  a  great  number  of  lament- 
ing spectators.  As  soon  as  they 
arrived  at  the  place  of  execution 
they  devoutly  prayed,  and  repeat- 
ed the  articles  of  their  faith. 
When  they  came  to  that  article 
concerning  the  holy  Catholic 
church,  sir  John  Sillard,  the  high- 
sheriiF,  tlius  addressed  them: 
"  That  is  well  said,  Sirs  ;  I  am 
glad  to  hear  you  say  you  believe 
the  Catholic  church;  this  is  the 
best  expression  I  ever  heard  from 
you  yet." 

To  this  Poole  answered,  "  that 
though  they  believed  the  Catholic 
church,  yet  they  believed  not  in 
their  jjopish  church,  which  is  no 
part  of  Christ's  Catholic  church; 
and,  therefore,  no  part  of  their 
belief." 

When  they  arose  from  prayer 
they  went  joyfully  to  the  stake, 
and  being  chained  to  it,  and  the 
fagots  lighted,  they  praised  God 
with  such  cheerfulness  in  the  midst 
of  the  flames,  as  astonished  the  nu- 
merous spectators. 

Soon  after  they  were  fastened 
to  the  stake,  several  bigoted  pa- 
pists called  to  the  executioner  to 
throw  fagots  at  them,  in  order  to 
stop  their  mouths;  but  our  mar- 
tyrs, disregarding  their  malice, 
boldly  confessed  the  truth  with 
their  latest  breath,  dying,  as  they 
had  lived,  in  certain  hopes  of  a  re- 
surrection to  life  eternal. 

MARTYIIDOMS  OF  THOMAS  HARLAND, 
JOHN  OSWALD,  THOMAS  ABING- 
TON,  AND  THOMAS  READ  ;  ALSO 
OF  THOMAS  WOOD,  THOMAS  MILLS, 
AND    OTHERS. 

The  popish  emissaries  having 
Jaid  informations  against  the  first 
four  persons,  they  were  all  appre- 
hended on  suspicion  of  heresy, 
and  immediately  sent  to  London, 
to  be  examined  by  Bonner,  bi- 
shop of  that  diocese,  relative  to 
their  faith. 

Thomas  Harland  being  first 
examined,  the  bishop  objected  to 
his  conduct  in  not  attending  his 
jparish  church:    to    which    he  an- 


swered, that  since  the  mass  was 
restored,  he  never  chose  to  hear 
the  same,  because  it  was  in  Latin, 
which  he  did  not  understand,  and, 
therefore,  could  not  reap  any  be- 
nefit thereby. 

John  Oswald  refused  to  answer 
any  objection,  till  his  accusers 
were  brought  face  to  face  before 
him;  nevertheless,  he  declared 
that  "he  was  not  to  be  awed  into 
any  concessions  by  the  fear  of  fire 
and  fagot;  but  as  those  who  had 
faithfully  administered  the  gospel 
of  Christ,  during  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  VI.,  had  suflFered  and 
gone  before  him,  he  was  ready  to 
suffer  and  follow  after  them,  and 
would  count  it  his  glory  and  honour 
so  to  do." 

The  other  two,  Abington  and 
Read,  said,  they  abjured  all  popish 
superstitions  and  errors,  and  that 
they  would  ever  hold  fast  to  the 
faith,  as  it  was  in  the  pure  gospel 
of  Christ. 

The  bishop  finding  them  all  re- 
solute, and  that  they  were  deter- 
mined to  adhere  to  their  religious 
opinions,  after  endeavouring  to 
prevail  on  them  to  recant,  passed 
sentence  of  condemnation  on 
them,  and  they  were  immediately 
delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power. 

After  a  long  confinement  in  the 
King's  Bench  prison,  they  were 
all  sent  down  to  Lewes,  in  Sussex, 
where,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1556, 
they  were  burned  together  in  one 
fire,  praising  God  for  enabling 
them  to  withstand  the  malice  of 
their  enemies,  and  to  bear,  with 
fortitude,  the  punishment  allotted 
them  for  professing  the  truth  of  his 
most  holy  word. 

On  the  20th  of  the  same  month, 
two  other  persons  suff"ered  at  the 
same  place,  namely,  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Wood,  and  Thomas 
Mills  ;  who  both  died  with  Chris- 
tian fortitude,  rejoicing  and  prais- 
ing God,  that  he  had  numbered 
them  among  those  who  freely  gave 
up  their  miserable  existence  here 
for    the    truth    of   the    gospel,   jjgi 


WYE,  HOLLYWELL,  JACKSON,  AND  OTHERS.      569 


liopes  of  obtaining  an  everlasting 
inberitance  in  the  heavenly  man- 
sions. 

On  the  24th  of  the  same  month 
likewise,  William  Adderhali,  mi- 
nister, died  in  the  prison  of  the 
King's  Bench,  and  was  buried  in 
the  back-yard:  also  John  Clement, 
wheelwright,  dying  in  the  said 
prison,  was  buried  in  like  manner 
upon  the  dungliill  in  the  back-yard, 
on  tJie  25th  day  of  June. 

A  pious  young  man,  a  mer- 
chant's servant,  for  his  adherence 
to  the  truth,  suHered  cruel  perse- 
cution from  the  papists,  and  was 
burnt  at  Leicester,  June  26,  1556. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  H.  WYE,  W.  HOL- 
LYWELL, R.  JACKSON,  L.  PERN, 
J.  DERIFALL,  T.  BOWYER,  G. 
SEARLS,  L.  COUCH,  H.  ADLINTON, 
J.  ROUTH,  E,  HURST,  ELIZ.  PEPER, 
AND   AGNES    GEORGE. 

These  thirteen  persons  were  ap- 
prehended in  the  different  places 
where  they  lived,  the  greater  part 
of  them  being  inhabitants  of  the 
county  of  Essex;  and  were  sent, 
at  various  times,  up  to  London, 
to  be  examined^by  bishop  Bonner 
concerning  their  religious  princi- 
ples. 

On  the  9tli  of  June  they  were 
all  brought  together  before  Dr. 
Darbyshire,  the  bishop's  chancel- 
lor, who,  in  form  of  law  adminis- 
tered to  them  the  following  ar- 
ticles : 

1.  That  there  is  on  earth  a  Ca- 
tliolic  church,  wherein  the  religion 
of  Christ  is  truly  professed. 

To  this  they  all  answered  in  the 
affirmative  ;  but  added,  that  they 
believed  the  true  faith  of  Christ 
was,  wherever  the  word  of  God 
was  truly  preached. 

2.  That  there  were  seven  sacra- 
ments. 

They  all  answered  in  the  nega- 
tive ;  some  affirmed,  that  in  the 
church  of  Christ  there  were  only 
two  sacraments,  viz.  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper  ;  others  desired 
to  believe  as  the  scriptures  taught 
tkem  ;  and  others  refused  to  reply, 
not  properly  understanding  these 
points. 


That  they  were  baptized  in  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  church,  pro- 
fessing, by  their  godfathers,  &c. 
the  religion  of  Christ,  and  to  re- 
nounce the  devil  and  all  his 
works,  &c. 

To  this  they  all  assented  with- 
out exception. 

4.  That  when  they  came  to  years 
of  discretion,  they  did  not  depart 
from  the  said  profession  and  faith, 
and  did  not  disprove  any  part 
thereof  for  several  years. 

The  greater  part  of  them  an- 
swered in  the  affirmative.  One  of 
the  women  added,  that  in  the  days 
of  king  Edward  VI.  she  departed 
from  her  old  faith  and  religion, 
and  embraced  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
as  it  was  then  taught  and  set  forth. 

5.  That  of  late  they  had  swerved 
from  their  former  Catholic  faith, 
and  had  spoken  against  the  mass, 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  and 
authority  of  the  papal  see. 

This,  upon  the  whole,  they  con- 
fessed to  be  true. 

One  of  them  said,  the  mass  was 
of  such  a  nature,  that  he  could  not, 
in  his  own  conscience,  believe  it  to 
be  authorized  from  God.  Another 
observed,  that  for  nine  or  ten 
years  past  he  could  not  approve 
the  mass,  nor  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  because  they  could  not  be 
proved  from  the  scripture  of  truth; 
declaring,  at  the  same  time,  that 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  had  taken 
an  oath  against  the  authority  of 
the  papal  see,  and  would,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  abide  firmly  by  the 
same. 

6.  That  they  refused  to  be  re- 
conciled to  the  unity  of  the  church, 
or  to  confess  the  lawfulness  of  the 
papal  see. 

To  this  article  they  all,  except 
two,  answered  in  the  aflhmative. 
Those  who  refused  said  they  did 
not  understand  the  import  of  the 
same.  The  two  women  added, 
they  refused  to  be  reconciled  to 
the  faith  and  religion  that  was  then 
used  in  the  realm  of  England, 
though  they  never  refused  to  be 
reconciled  and  brought  to  the  unity 
of  the  Catholic  church  of  Christ. 

7.  That,  disapproving  the  service 


670 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  the  church,  they  refused  to 
come  to  their  parish  churches,  de- 
nied the  bodily  presence  of  Christ 
ill  the  sacrament,  called  the  mass 
an  abomination,  &c. 

This  was  answered  in  general  in 
the  aihrmative ;  but  one  denied 
that  he  called  the  mass  an  abomi- 
nation, or  an  idol :  another, 
though  he  granted  the  article, 
confessed  his  infirmity,  that  he 
went  to  his  parish  church,  and 
received  it  before  be  was  put  into 
prison. 

8.  This  article  related  to  their 
being  brought  before  the  commis- 
sioners, and  by  them  sent  to  the 
bishop  of  London  ;  to  which  they 
answered  in  the  following  man- 
ner : 

Edmund  Hurst,  Ralph  Jackson, 
and  George  Searls,  answered  in 
the  affirmative. 

Henry  Wye  said,  that  he  was 
brought  before  several  justices  of 
peace  in  Essex,  concerning  one 
Highted,  his  late  master,  and  there- 
upon committed  to  Colchester 
castle,  and  from  thence  sent  to 
London  to  bishop  Bonner,  for  far- 
ther examination. 

William  Hollywell  mad«  the 
like  confession,  excepting  the  cir- 
cumstance of  Highted. 

John  Derifall  said,  he  was  called 
before  the  Lord  Rich  and  Mr. 
Mildway,  of  Chelmsford,  and  by 
them  sent  to  the  bishop  of  London 
to  be  farther  examined. 

Thomas  Bowyer  said,  he  was 
brought  before  one  Mr.  Wiseman, 
of  Falstead,  and  by  him  sent  to 
Colchester  castle,  and  from  thence 
to  the  bishop  of  London,  to  be  far- 
ther examined. 

Lyon  Couch  said,  that  he  was 
three  times  brought  before  the 
king  and  queen's  commissioners, 
and  by  them  sent  to  the  bishop  of 
London. 

Henry  Adlinton  said,  that  com- 
ing to  Newgate  to  speak  with  one 
Gratwick,  prisoner  there  for  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  was 
apprehended  and  brought  before 
Dr.  Story,  and  by  him  sent  to  the 
bishop  of  London. 

Agnes  George  said,  that  she  was 
2 


committed  to  prison  in  Colchester 
by  Mr.  Maynard,  an  alderman  of 
the  town,  for  .refusing  to  go  to 
church,  and  was  by  him  sent  to 
the  bishop  of  London. 

Elizabeth  Peper  said,  that  she 
was  apprehended  by  two  consta- 
bles and  an  alderman,  for  refusing 
to  come  to  church,  and  by  them 
sent  to  the  bishop  of  Loudon  to 
be  farther  examined. 

9.  That  they  believed  the  pre- 
mises to  be  true,  as  confessed 
above,  and  that  they  were  of  the 
diocese  of  London. 

This  was  generally  agreed  to. 
Elizabeth  Peper  added,  she  was 
of  the  town  of  Colchester ;  and 
Agnes  George  said,  she  was  of  the 
parish  of  Barefold. 

These  thirteen  persons  being 
thus  examined  by  the  bishop  of 
London's  chancellor,  in  open  court, 
persisting  in  their  answers,  and 
refusing  to  recant,  or  be  reconciled 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  had  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  pronounced 
against  them  ;  and  being  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  power,  were  all 
sent  to  Newgate. 

Three  others  M'ere  also  condemn- 
ed to  die  at  the  same  time ;  but 
before  the  day  appointed  for  their 
execution,  a  reprieve  was  sent 
them  by  cardinal  Pole. 

On  the  Sunday  following  the 
condemnation  of  these  pious  Chris- 
tians, Dr.  Fecknam,  dean  of  St. 
Paul's,  told  the  audience,  in  his 
sermon,  that  "  they  held  as  many 
tenets  as  there  were  faces  among 
the  whole:"  which  being  repre- 
sented to  them,  they  drew  up  the 
following  confession  of  their  faith, 
to  which  they  respectively  sub- 
scribed their  names  : 

"  1.  There  are  but  two  sacra- 
ments in  Christ's  church,  that  is, 
the  sacrament  of  Baptism,  and  the 
Lord's  Supper.  For  in  these  are 
contained  the  faith  of  Christ  his 
church  ;  that  is,  the  two  testaments, 
the  law  and  the  gospel.  The  ef- 
fect of  the  law  is  repentance,  and 
the  effect  of  the  gospel,  remission 
of  sins. 

"  2.  We  believe  there  is  a  visi- 
ble   church,  wherein  the  word  of 


BERNARD,  FOSTER,  AND  LAWSON. 


571 


God  is  preached,  and  the  holy  sa- 
craments truly  administered,  visi- 
ble to  the  world,  although  it  be  not 
credited,  and  by  the  death  of 
saints  confirmed,  as  it  was  in  the 
time  of  Elias  the  prophet,  as  well 
as  now. 

"3.  The  see  of  Rome  is  the  see 
of  Anti-Christ,  the  conj^rejijation  of 
the  wicked,  Sec.  whereof  the  pope 
is  head,  under  the  devil. 

"  4.  The  mass  is  not  only  a  pro- 
fanation of  the  Lord's  Supper,  but 
also  a  blasphemous  idol. 

"  5.  God  is  neither  spiritually 
nor  corporeally  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  and  there  remaineth 
no  substance  in  the  same,  but  only 
the  substance  of  bread  and  wine. 

"  For  these  the  articles  of  our 
belief  we  being  condemned  to  die, 
do  willingly  offer  our  corruptible 
bodies  to  be  dissolved  in  the  fire, 
all  with  one  voice  assenting  and 
consenting  thereunto,  and  in  no 
point  dissenting  or  disagreeing 
from  any  of  our  former  articles." 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  28th 
of  June,  1556,  being  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  their  execution,  thej' 
were  conducted  from  Newgate  to 
Stratford-le-Bow,  the  place  allot- 
ted for  them  to  confirm  that  faith 
they  had  professed,  and  to  which 
they  had  so  strenuously  adhered. 

On  their  arrival  at  the  destined 
place,  the  sheriff  made  use  of  a 
stratagem  to  bring  them  over  to 
the  Romish  faith.  He  divided 
them  into  two  companies,  and 
placed  them  in  separate  apart- 
ments. This  done,  he  visited  one 
company,  and  told  them  the  other 
liad  recanted,  by  which  their  lives 
would  be  saved;  and  exhorted 
them  to  follow  their  example,  and 
not  cast  themselves  away  by  their 
own  mere  obstinacy. 

But  this  scheme  failed  in  its  ef- 
fect ;  for  they  told  the  sheriff,  that 
their  faith  was  not  built  on  man, 
but  on  Christ  crucified. 

The  sheriff,  finding  his  project 
fail  with  the  first  party  to  whom 
he  applied,  had  recourse  to  the 
same  means  with  the  others,  ad- 
monishing them  to  recant  like  wise 
men,  and  not  be  guilty  of  destroy- 


ing themselves  by  their  own  bigotry 
and  prejudice. 

But  they  answered  to  the  same 
effect  as  their  brethren  had  done 
before,  assuring  the  sheriff,  that 
their  faith  was  not  built  on  man, 
but  on  Christ,  and  his  infallible 
word. 

They  were  then  brought  from 
their  different  apartments,  and  all 
led  together  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion, where  they  embraced  each 
other,  and,  after  praying  in  the 
most  fervent  manner,  prepared 
themselves  for  their  fate. 

These  thirteen  steadfast  believ- 
ers in  Christ  were  chained  to  dif- 
ferent stakes,  but  all  burnt  toge- 
ther in  one  fire,  shewing  such  love 
to  each  other,  and  firm  faith  in 
thei,-  Saviour  and  Redeemer  Jesus 
Christ,  that  the  concourse  of  spec- 
tators assembled  on  the  occasion, 
were  astonished  at  the  undaunted 
behaviour  of  so  many  poor  inno- 
cents, who  thus  patiently  endured 
the  acutest  torments,  rather  than 
comply  with  the  errors  and  super- 
stitions of  the  church  of  Rome. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  ROBERT  BERNARD, 
ADAM  FOSTER,  AND  ROBERT  LAW- 
SON. 

The  first  of  these  martyrs  was  a 
poor  labourer,  and  lived  in  the  pa- 
rish of  Frasden,  in  the  county  of 
Suffolk.  Being  apprehended  by 
the  constable  of  the  parish  for  not 
going  to  church,  he  was  brought 
before  Dr.  Hopton,  bishop  of  Nor- 
wich, who  inquired  of  him  whether 
he  had  been  with  a  priest  at  Easter 
to  confess,  or  whether  he  had 
received  the  sacrament  of  the  al- 
tar. 

To  these  questions  Bernard 
frankly  replied,  "No,  I  have  not 
been  with  the  priest,  nor  confessed 
myself  unto  him:  but  I  have  con- 
fessed my  sins  unto  Almighty  God, 
and  I  trust  he  hath  forgiven  me ; 
wherefore  I  need  not  go  to  the 
priest  for  such  matters,  as  he  can- 
not forgive  his  own  sins." 

The  bishop,  after  using  various 
arguments  to  induce  him  to  go  to 
confession,  without  effect,  pro- 
nounced him  an  heretic;  on  which 


672 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Bernard  said,  "  My  lord,  it  griev- 
eth  me  not  one  whit  to  be  called 
an  heretic  by  you,  for  so  your  fore- 
fathers called  the  prophets  and 
apostles  of  Christ,  long  before  this 
time." 

Incensed  at  this  bold  reply,  the 
bishop  arose,  and  bid  Bernard  fol- 
low him.  He  then  went  to  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  to  which  he 
kneeled  and  prayed,  and  severely 
reproved  Bernard  for  not  doing  tlie 
same:  but  our  martyr  told  him,  he 
found  no  authority  for  such  beha- 
viour in  the  word  of  God. 

The  bishop  then  addressing  him, 
pointed  to  the  pix  over  the  altar, 
in  which  the  wafer,  or  host,  is  kept, 
and  said,  "Why,  lewd  fellow, 
■whom  seest  thou  yonder?"— "  No- 
body, my  lord,"  replied  Bernard. 
— "  Seest  thou  not  thy  maker,  var- 
let?"  demanded  the  prelate.— 
"  My  maker!"  returned  the  coun- 
tryman; "no;  I  see  nothing  but  a 
few  clouts  hanging  together  in  a 
heap." 

This  answer  so  irritated  the  bi- 
shop, that  he  commanded  the 
gaoler  to  "take  him  away,  and 
lay  irons  enough  on  him,"  declar- 
ing he  would  reduce  him  to  sub- 
jection, befoie  he  had  done  with 
him 

The  next  day  he  was  again 
brought  before  the  bishop,  who 
asked  him  if  he  retained  the  same 
opinions  as  he  professed  yester- 
day. To  which  Bernard  rephed, 
"  Yes,  my  lord,  I  remember  my- 
self well,  for  I  am  the  same  man 
to-day  that  I  was  yesterday,  and 
hope  I  shall  remain  steadfast  to 
the  end  of  my  life  in  the  principles 
I  have  professed." 

One  of  his  lordship's  attendants 
being  desirous  of  examining  Ber- 
nard himself,  advised  the  bishop 
not  to  give  himself  any  farther 
trouble,  but  to  commit  his  exami- 
nation to  him.  Having  obtained 
his  request,  he  took  Bernard  to  an 
inn,  where  several  popish  emissa- 
ries were  assembled.  They  first 
used  many  fair  words,  and  alluring 
promises,  to  persuade  him  to  ab- 
jure what  they  called  his  heretical 
opinions.     This,  however,  not  tak- 


ing effect,  they  threatened  him 
with  whipping,  the  stocks,  and 
burning;  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
He  told  them,  "Friends,  I  am  not 
better  than  my  master  Christ,  and 
the  prophets,  whom  your  forefa- 
thers served  after  this  sort;  and  T, 
for  his  sake,  am  content  to  sufier 
the  like  at  your  hands,  if  God 
should  so  permit,  trusting  that  he 
will  strengthen  me  in  the  same, 
according  to  his  promise,  and  tliat 
of  all  his  ministers." 

After  this  declaration  they  took 
him  back  to  the  bishop,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  usual  form  of  pro- 
ceeding in  the  court,  condemned 
him  as  an  heretic,  and  he  was  de- 
livered over  to  the  secular  power. 

Adam  Foster  lived  i"  the  parish 
of  Mendlesham,  in  the  county  of 
Suffolk.  He  was  apprehended  in 
his  own  house  by  two  constables, 
at  the  command  of  a  neighbouring 
justice,  for  absenting  himself  from 
mass,  and  not  receiving  the  sacra- 
ment at  Easter.  Being  taken  be- 
fore the  bishop  of  Norwich,  he 
examined  him  concerning  his  reli- 
gious principles,  and  finding  him 
steadfast  in  his  faith,  according  to 
the  doctrines  set  forth  in  the  days 
of  king  Edward  VI.  he  condemned 
him  as  an  heretic,  and  he  was  de- 
livered to  the  secular  power,  to  be 
proceeded  against  according  to 
law. 

Robert  Lawson,  by  trade  a  li- 
nen-draper, was  apprehended  on 
the  same  account  as  the  two  for- 
mer; and  being  brought  before  sir 
John  Tyrrel,  he  committed  him  to 
the  prison  of  Eye,  in  Sufl'olk. 
After  lying  there  a  short  time,  he 
was,  conducted  to  the  bishop  of 
Norwich  for  examination,  when, 
holding  fast  to  the  principles  he 
had  professed,  and  withstanding 
every  effort  made  use  of  by  the  bi- 
shop to  bring  him  to  recant,  he 
was  pronounced  an  obstinate  here- 
tic, received  sentence  of  death, 
and  was  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  sheriff,  in  order  for  execu- 
tioui 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1556,  these 
3 


JOHN  FORTUNE. 


573 


three  soldiers  of  Clirist  were  con- 
ducted to  Uury  St.  Edmund's,  in 
SuHolk,  where,  beinp;  all  fastened 
to  one  stake,  they  died  in  full  as- 
surance of  happiness  hereafter, 
givinj^  glory  to  tliat  God  who  had 
enabled  them  to  undergo  their  suf- 
ferings for  his  name's  sake. 

JOHN    FORTUNE. 

About  the  same  time  that  these 
three  suflered,  there  was  one  John 
Fortune,  a  blacksmith,  of  the  pa- 
rish of  Mendlesham,  in  Suffolk,  who 
was  several  times  examined  by  the 
bishop  of  Norwich,  and  others, 
respecdng  the  mass,  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  and  other  points  of  the 
Romish  religion,  which  he  refuted 
by  texts  quoted  from  Scripture. 
His  sentence  of  condemnation  is 
recorded  in  the  bishop's  register ; 
but  whether  it  was  ever  carried 
into  execution  we  are  not  in- 
formed; if  not  burnt,  however,  he 
most  probably  died  in  prison,  as 
the  un'/'lenting  persecutors  very 
seldom  allowed  their  victims  to 
escape. 

The  following  account  of  his  ex- 
aminations was  written  by  him- 
self. 

HIS      FIRST      EXAMINATION      BEFORE 
DR.    PARKER    AND    MR.    FOSTER. 

First,  Dr.  Parker  asked  me  how 
I  believed  in  the  Catholic  faith. 

And  I  asked  him  which  faith  he 
meant;  whether  the  faith  that 
Stephen  had,  or  the  faith  of  them 
that  put  Stephen  to  death. 

Dr.  Parker,  being  moved,  said. 
What  an  impudent  fellow  is  this! 
You  shall  soon  see  anon,  he  will 
deny  the  blessed  sacrament  of  the 
altar. 

Then  said  Mr.  Foster,  I  -know 
you  well  enough.  You  are  a  busy 
merchant.  How  sayest  thou  by 
the  blessed  mass? 

And  I  stood  still  and  made  no 
answer. 

Then  said  Foster,  Why  speakest 
thou  not,  and  makest  the  gentle- 
man an  answer? 

And  I  said,  Silence  is  a  good 
answer  to  a  foolish  question. 

Then  said    Dr.    Parker,    I   am 


sure  he  will  deny  the  blessed  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  also. 

And  I  answered,  I  know  none 
such,  but  only  the  sacrament  of 
the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

Then  said  Dr.  Parker,  You  deny 
the  order  of  the  seven  sacraments. 
And  why  dost  not  thou  believe  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar? 

And  I  answered,  Because  it  is 
Hot  written  in  God's  book. 

Then,  said  he,  you  will  not  be- 
lieve unwritten  verities  ? 

And  I  answered,  I  will  believe 
those  unwritten  verities  that  agree 
with  the  written  verities,  to  be 
trne:  but  those  unwritten  veri- 
ties that  are  of  your  own  making, 
and  inventions  of  your  own  brain, 
I  do  not  believe. 

Well,  said  Mr.  Foster,  you  shall 
be  whipped  and  burned  for  this 
gear. 

Then  answered  I,  If  you  knew 
how  these  words  do  rejoice  my 
heart,  you  would  not  have  spoken 
them. 

Then  said  Mr.  Foster,  Away, 
thou  fool,  dost  thou  rejoice  in  whip- 
ping? 

Yes,  answered  I,  for  it  is  written 
in  the  Scriptures,  and  Christ  saith. 
Thou  shalt  be  whipped  for  my 
name's  sake :  and  since  the  sword 
of  tyranny  came  into  your  hands, 
I  heard  of  none  that  were  whipped. 
Happy  were  I,  if  I  were  the  first 
to  sutler  this  persecution. 

Away  with  him  then,  said  he,  for 
he  is  ten  times  worse  than  Samuel: 
and  so  I  was  carried  to  prison 
again. 

HIS    SJffCOND  EXAMINATION,    BEFORE 
THr.    BISHOP   OF    NORWICH. 

When  I  came  before  the  bishop, 
he  asked  me  if  I  did  not  believe  in 
the  Catholic  chu^'ch. 

I  answered,  I  believe  that 
church  whereof  Christ  is  the  head. 

Then  said  the  bishop,  Dost  thou 
not  believe  that  the  pope  is  supreme 
head  of  the  church? 

And  I  answered,  No;  Christ  is 
the  head  of  the  true  church. 

Bishop.  So  do  I  believe  also ; 
but  the  pope  is  God's  vicar  upon 


674 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


earth,  and  the  head  of  the  church, 
and  I  believe  that  he  hath  power  to 
forgive  sins  also. 

Fortune.  The  pope  is  but  a 
man,  and  the  prophet  David  saith, 
"  That  no  man  can  deliver  his  bro- 
ther, nor  make  agreement  unto 
God  for  him ;"  for  it  cost  more  to 
redeem  their  souls,  so  that  he  must 
let  that  alone  for  ever. 

And  the  bishop  again  fetching 
about  a  great  circumstance,  said, 
Like  as  the  bell-weather  weareth 
the  bell,  and  is  the  head  of  the 
flock  of  sheep ;  so  is  the  pope  our 
head.  And  as  the  hives  of  bees 
have  a  master-bee  that  bringeth 
the  bees  to  the  hive  again;  so  doth 
our  h«ad  bring  us  home  again  to 
our  true  church. 

Then  I  asked  him,  whether  the 
pope  were  a  spiritual  man.  And 
he  said.  Yea.  And  I  said  again, 
They  are  spiteful  men;  for  in  se- 
venteen months  there  were  three 
popes,  and  one  poisoned  another 
for  that  presumptuous  seat  of  Anti- 
christ. 

Bishop.  It  is  maliciously  spoken, 
for  thou  must  obey  the  power,  and 
not  the  man.  Well,  what  sayest 
thou  to  the  ceremonies  of  the 
church? 

And  I  answered,  ''  All  things 
that  are  not  planted  by  my  hea- 
venly Father,  shall  be  plucked  up 
by  the  roots,"  saith  our  Saviour: 
for  they  are  not  from  the  begin- 
ning, neither  shall  they  continue  to 
the  end. 

Bishop.  They  are  good  and 
godly,  and  necessary  to  be  used. 

Fortune.  St.  Paul  called  them 
weak  and  beggarly. 

Bishop.     No;  that  is  a  lie. 

I,  hearing  that,  said,  that  St. 
Paul  writeth  thus  in  the  fourth 
chapter  to  the  Galatiaus,  "  You 
foolish  Galatians  (saith  he),  who 
hath  bewitched  you,  that  ye  seek 
to  be  in  bondage  to  these  weak 
and  beggarly  ceremonies  ?"  Now 
which  of  you  doth  lie,  you,  or  St. 
Paul?  And  also  it  is  said,  That 
works  instituted,  and  enjoined 
without  the  commandment  of  God, 
pertain  not  to  the  worship  of  God, 
according  to  the   text.   Matt.  xv. 


"  In  vain  do  men  worship  me  with 
men's  traditions  and  command- 
ments." And  St.  Paul,  "  Where- 
fore do  ye  carry  us  away  from  the 
grace  of  Christ  to  another  kind  of 
doctrine?"  And  Christ  openly  re- 
buked the  scribes,  lawyers,  phari- 
sees,  doctors,  priests,  bishops,  and 
other  hypocrites,  for  making  God's 
commandments  of  none  effect,  to 
support  their  own  tradition. 

Bishop.  Thou  liest,  there  is  not 
such  a  word  in  all  the  scriptures, 
thou  impudent  heretic*.  Thou 
art  worse  than  all  other  heretics; 
for  Hooper  and  Bradford  allow 
them  to  be  good,  and  thou  dost 
not.     Away  with  him. 

HIS    THIRD    EXAMINATION. 

The  next  day  I  was  brought  be- 
fore the  said  bishop  again,  where 
he  preached  a  sermon  upon  the 
sixth  chapter  of  St.  John's  gospel, 
from  Christ's  words,  "  I  am  the 
bread  that  came  down  from  hea- 
ven," &c.  And  theieupon  had  a 
great  bibble  babble  to  no  purpose. 
So  in  the  end  I  was  called  before 
him,  and  he  said  to  me  : 

Bishop.  How  believest  thou 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar? 
Dost  thou  not  believe,  that  after 
the  consecration,  there  is  the  real 
substance  of  the  body  of  Christ? 

Fort7ine.  That  is  the  greatest 
plague  that  ever  came  into  Eng- 
land. 

Bishop.     Why  so? 

Fortune.  If  I  were  a  bishop, 
and  you  a  poor  man  as  I  am,  I 
would  be  ashamed  to  ask  such  a 
question  :  for  a  bishop  should  be 
apt  to  teach,  and  not  to  learn. 

Bishop.  I  am  appointed  by  the 
law  to  teach  ;  you  are  not. 

Fortune.  Your  law  breaketh 
out  very  well :  for  you  have  burn- 
ed up  the  true  bishops  and  preach- 
ers, and  maintained  liars  in  their 
stead. 

*  If  this  worthy  prelate  had  been  as 
conversant  with  the  Scriptures  as  he 
ought  to  have  been,  he  would  have  known 
that  "  a  bishop  must  be  blameless,  not 
self-willed,  not  soon  angry;"  and  he  would 
have  found  that  he  has  other,  and  very 
ditferent,  duties  than  persecuting  and 
reviling  the  advocates  ot  the  Gospel. 


JOHN  FORTUNE. 


575 


Bishop.  Now  you  may  under- 
stand that  he  is  a  traitor;  for  he 
denieth  the  higher  powers. 

Fortune.  I  am  no  traitor:  for 
St.  Paul  saith,  "All  souls  must 
obey  the  higher  powers,"  and  I 
resist  not  the  higher  powers  con- 
cerning my  body,  but  I  must  resist 
your  evil  doctrine  wherewith  you 
would  infect  my  soul. 

Then  said  a  doctor,  My  Lord, 
you  do  not  well :  let  him  answer 
shortly  to  his  articles. 

Bishop.  How  sayest  thou  ? 
make  an  answer  quickly  to  these 
articles. 

Fortune.  St.  Paul  saith,  Heb. 
X.  "  Christ  did  one  sacrifice  once 
for  all,  and  sat  him  down  at  the 
right  hand  of  his  Father,"  triumph- 
ing over  hell  and  death,  making 
intercession  for  sins. 

Bishop.  I  ask  thee  no  such 
question,  but  make  answer  to  this 
article. 

Fortune.  If  it  be  not  God  be- 
fore the  consecration,  it  is  not  God 
after ;  for  God  is  without  begin- 
ning and  without  ending. 

Bishop.  Lo,  what  a  stiff  heretic 
this  is !  He  hath  denied  all  to- 
gether I  How  sayest  thou  ?  Is  it 
idolatry  to  worship  the  blessed  sa- 
crament or  no? 

Fortune.  God  is  a  Spirit,  and 
will  be  worshipped  in  spirit  and 
truth. 

Bishop.  I  ask  thee  no  such 
question :  answer  me  directly. 

Fortune.  I  answer,  that  this  is 
the  God  Mauzzim,  that  robbeth 
God  of  his  honour. 

Bishop.  It  is  pity  that  the 
ground  beareth  thee,  or  that  thou 
hast  a  tongue  to  speak. 

Then  said  the  scribe,  Here  are 
a  great  many  articles. 

Then  said  the  bishop,  Away 
with  him !  for  he  hath  spoken  too 
much. 

HIS    LAST    EXAMINATION. 

When  I  came  to  mine  examina- 
tion again,  the  bishop  asked  me 
if  I  would  stand  upon  mine  an- 
swers that  I  made  before  :  and  I 
said,  Yea;  for  I  had  spoken  no- 


thing but  the  truth.  And  after 
that  he  made  a  great  circumstance 
upon  the  sacrament. 

Thenfl  desired  him  to  stand  to 
the  text,  and  he  read  the  gospel 
on  Corpus  Christi  day,  which  said, 
*'  I  am  the  bread  which  came  down 
from  heaven  :"  believest  thou  not 
this  ?  and  I  said.  Yea,  truly. 

And  he  said,  Why  dost  thou 
deny  the  sacrament  1 

Because  your  doctrine  is  false, 
said  I. 

Then  said  he.  How  can  that  be 
false  which  is  spoken  in  the  scrip- 
ture ? 

And  I  answered,  Christ  said, 
"  I  am  the  bread ;"  and  you  say 
the  bread  is  he.  Therefore  your 
doctrine  is  false. 

And  he  said,  Dost  thou  not  be- 
lieve that  the  bread  is  he  ?  I  an- 
swered. No. 

Bishop.  I  will  bring  thee  to  it 
by  the  scriptures. 

Fortune.  Hold  that  fast,  my 
lord  :  for  that  is  the  best  argument 
that  you  have  had  yet. 

Bishop.  Thou  shalt  be  burned 
like  an  heretic. 

Fortune.  Who  shall  give  judg- 
ment upon  me  ? 

Bishop.  I  will  judge  an  hundred 
such  as  thou  art,  and  never  be 
shriven  upon  it. 

Fortune.  Is  there  not  law  for 
the  spirituality,  as  well  as  for  the 
temporality  ? 

And  sir  Clement  Higham  said. 
Yes  ;  what  meanest  thou  by  that  ? 

Forttme.  When  a  man  is  per- 
jured by  the  law,  he  is  cast  over 
the  bar,  and  sitteth  no  more  in 
judgment.  And  the  bishop  is  a 
perjured  man,  and  ought  not  to  sit 
in  judgment. 

Bishop.     How  provest  thou  that? 

Fortune,  Because  you  took  an 
oath  in  king  Henry's  days  to  resist 
the  pope.  So  both  spiritual  and 
temporal  are  perjured,  that  here 
can  be  no  true  judgment. 

Bishop.  Thinkest  thou  to  escape 
judgment  by  that  ?  No :  for  my 
chancellor  shall  judge  thee.  He 
took  no  oath,  for  he  was  tlien  out 
oftlie  realm. 


576 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Sir  C,  Higham.  It  is  time  to 
weed  out  such  fellows  as  jou  are, 
indeed. 

Bishop.  Good  fellow,  why  be- 
lievest  thou  not  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar? 

Fortune.  Because  I  find  it  not 
in  God's  book,  nor  yet  in  the  doc- 
tors. If  it  were  there,  I  would  be- 
lieve it  with  all  my  heart. 

Bishop.  How  knowest  thou  it 
is  not  there  ? 

Fortune.  Because  it  is  contrary 
to  the  second  commandment ;  and 
seeing  it  is  not  written  in  God's 
book,  why  do  you  then  rob  me  of 
my  life  ? 

Then  the  bishop  having  no  more 
to  say,  commanded  the  bailiff  to 
take  him  away  ;  and  after  this  we 
find  no  further  mention  of  him  in 
the  register  of  Norwich,  except 
that  his  sentence  of  condemnation 
was  drawn  and  registered,  but 
whether  it  were  pronounced  or  not 
is  uncertain. 

SUFFERINGS     AND     DEATH    OF    JOHN 
CARELESS,  IN  THE    KINg's  BENCH. 

About  the  first  of  July,  1556, 
John  Careless,  of  Coventry,  wea- 
ver, died  in  the  King's  Bench  pri- 
son :  who  though  he  were  by  the 
secret  judgment  of  Almighty  God 
prevented  by  death,  so  that  he 
came  not  to  the  full  martyrdom  of 
his  body,  yet  is  he  no  less  worthy 
to  be  counted  in  honour  and  place 
of  Christ's  martyrs,  than  others 
that  suffered  most  cruel  torments ; 
as  well  because  he  was  for  the 
same  truth's  sake  a  long  time  im- 
prisoned, as  also  for  his  willing 
mind  and  the  zealous  affection  he 
had  thereunto,  if  the  Lord  had  so 
determined  it,  as  may  well  appear 
by  his  examination  before  Dr. 
Martin,  of  which  examination  we 
shall  give  some  particulars,  omit- 
ting those  parts,  in  which  the 
scurrility  of  the  popish  priest  is, 
as  usual,  much  more  observable 
than  the  strength  of  his  reasoning. 

First,  Dr.  Martin  calling  John 
Careless  to  him  in  his  chamber, 
demanded  what  was  his  name  ? 
To  whom  when  the  other  had  an- 


swered, that  his  name  was  JoliiT 
Careless,  then  began  Dr.  Martin 
to  descant  at  his  pleasure  upon 
that  name,  saying,  that  it  would 
appear  by  his  condition,  by  that 
time  he  had  done  with  him,  that 
he  would  be  a  true  careless  man 
indeed.  And  so  after  a  deal  of 
unnecessary  talk  there  spent  about 
much  needless  matter,  then  he 
asked  him  where  he  was  born. 

Forsooth,  said  Careless,  at  Co- 
ventry. 

Martin.  At  Coventry?  What, 
so  far,  man?  How  camest  thou 
hither?  Who  sent  thee  to  the 
King's  bench  prison? 

Careless.  I  was  brought  hither 
by  a  writ,  I  think;  what  it  was  I 
cannot  tell.  I  suppose  master 
Marshal  can  tell  you. 

Marshal.  In  good  faith  I  can- 
not tell  what  the  matter  is  ;  but  in- 
deed my  lord  chief  justice  sent 
him  from  the  bar. 

Mai'tin.  Well,  Careless,  I  would 
thou  shouldst  play  the  wise  man's 
part.  Thou  art  a  handsome  man, 
and  it  is  a  pity  but  thou  shouldst 
do  well,  and  save  that  which  God 
hath  brought. 

Careless.  I  thank  your  good 
mastership  most  heartily :  and  I 
put  you  out  of  doubt,  that  I  am 
most  sure  arid  certain  of  my  sal- 
vation by  Jesus  Christ ;  so  that 
my  soul  is  safe  already,  whatso- 
ever pains  my  body  suQer  here  for 
a  little  time. 

Martin.  Yea  marry,  you  say 
truth.  For  thou  art  so  predesti- 
nate to  life,  that  thou  canst  not 
perish  in  whatsoever  opinion  thou 
dost  die. 

Careless.  That  God  hath  predes- 
tinated me  to  eternal  life  in  Jesus 
Christ,  I  am  most  certain,  and  even 
so  am  I  sure  that  his  Holy  Spirit 
(wherewith  I  am  sealed)  will  pre- 
serve me  from  all  heresies  and  evil 
opinions,  that  I  shall  die  in  none 
at  all. 

Martin.  Go  to,  let  me  hear  thy 
faith  in  predestination.  For  that 
shall  be  written  also. 

Careless.  Your  mastership  shall 
pardon  me  herein.    For  you  said 


JOHN  CARELESS. 


577 


yourself  ere  now,  tLat  you  had  no 
commission  to  examine  my  con- 
science. I  will  trouble  myself 
with  answering  no  more  matters 
than  I  needs  must,  until  I  come 
before  them  that  shall  have  more 
authority  further  to  examine  me. 

Martin.  I  tell  thee  then  I  have 
a  commission  and  commandment 
from  the  council  to  examine  thee: 
for  they  delivered  me  thy  articles. 

Careless.  Yea,  I  think  indeed 
that  your  mastership  is  appointed 
to  examine  me  of  my  articles, 
which  you  have   there  in  writing, 


and  T  have  told  you  the  truth.  I 
do  confess  them  to  be  mine  own 
fact  and  deed:  but  you  do  now 
examine  me  of  predestination, 
whereof  my  articles  speak  nothing 
at  all. 

Martin.  I  tell  thee  yet  again, 
that  1  must  also  examine  thee  of 
such  things  as  be  in  controversy 
between  thee  and  thy  follows  in 
tiie  King's-bench,  whereof  pre- 
destination is  a  part,  as  thy  fel- 
low  N hath    confessed,    and 

thyself  dost  not  deny  it. 


Burning  of  Dr.  Barnes,    the  Rev.  W.  Jerome,  and  the  Rev.  T.  Garret,  in  Sniithfield, 

June  30,  1541. 


Careless.  I  do  not  deny  it.  But 
he  that  first  told  you  that,  might 
have  found  himself  much  better 
occupied. 

Martin.  "Why,  what  if  he  had 
not  told  me,  thinkest  thou  that  I 
would  not  have  known  it?  Yes,  or 
else  thou  shouldst  have  withstood 
my  commission.  For  I  tell  thee 
the  truth,  I  may  now  examine  thee 
of  the  blessed  sacrament,  or  any 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


other  thing  that  T  like,  hut  that  I 
will  shew  thee  favour,  and  not  be 
too  hasty  with  thee  at  the  first. 

Marshal.  Yea  indeed,  Careless, 
Mr.  Doctor  hath  a  commission  to 
examine  you  or  any  other  of  your 
fellows. 

Martin.  Yea,  marry,  that  I 
have,  I  tell  thee  the  truth  of  it. 

Careless.  Then  let  your  scribe 
set  his  pen  to  the  paper,  and  you 

87 


578 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


shall  have  it  roundly,  even  as  the 
truth  is.  I  believe  that  Almighty 
God,  our  most  dear  loving  Father, 
of  his  great  mercy  and  infinite 
goodness,  did  elect  in  Christ. 

Martin.  Tush !  what  need  of  all 
that  long  circumstance  ?  Write,  I 
believe  God  elected;  and  make 
no  more  ado. 

Careless.  No,  not  so,  Mr.  Doc- 
tor :  it  is  a  high  mystery,  and 
ought  reverently  to  be  spoken  of. 
And  if  my  words  may  not  be  writ- 
ten as  I  do  utter  them,  I  will  not 
speak  at  all. 

Martin.  Go  to,  go  to,  write 
what  he  will.  Here  is  more  busi- 
ness than  needeth. 

Careless.  I  believe  that  Almighty 
God,  our  most  dear  and  loving 
Father,  of  his  great  mercy  and  in- 
finite goodness  (through  Jesus 
Christ),  did  elect  and  appoint  in 
him,  before  the  foundation  of  the 
earth  was  laid,  a  church  or  con- 
gregation, which  he  doth  continu- 
ally guide  and  govern  by  his  grace 
and  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  not  one  of 
them  shall  ever  finally  perish. 

When  this  was  written,  Mr. 
Doctor  took  it  in  his  hand,  and 
read  it,  saying  ; 

Why,  who  will  deny  this? 
Careless.     If  your  mastership  do 
allow  this,  and  other  learned  men 
when  they  shall  see  it,  I  have  my 
heart's  desire. 

Martin.  And  do  you  hold  no 
otherwise  than  is  here  written  ? 

Careless.  No  verily,  nor.  never 
did. 

Martin.  Write  what  he  saith. 
Otherwise  he  holdeth  not.  So 
that  was  written. 

Martin.  It  was  told  me  also, 
that  thou  dost  affirm.  That  Christ 
did  not  die  effectually  for  all 
men. 

Careless.  Whatsoever  hath  been 
told  you,  it  is  not  much  material 
unto  me.  Let  the  tellers  of  such 
tales  come  before  my  face,  and  I 
trust  to  make  them  answer.  For 
indeed  I  do  believe  that  Christ 
did  effectually  die  for  all  those 
that  do  efl'ectually  repent  and  be- 
lieve, and  for  no  other.  So  that 
was  written  also. 


Blartin.  Now,  sir,  what  is 
Trew's  faith  of  predestination? 
He  believeth  that  all  men  are  pre- 
destinate, and  that  none  shall  be 
damned,  doth  he  not? 

Careless.  No  forsooth,  that  he 
doth  not. 

Martin.  How  then? 
Careless.  Truly  I  think  he  doth 
believe  as  your  mastership  and  the 
rest  of  the  clergy  do  believe  of 
predestination,  that  we  are  elected 
in  respect  of  our  good  works,  and 
so  long  elected  as  we  do  them, 
and  no  longer. 

Martin.  Write  what  he  saith, 
That  his  fellow  Trew  believeth  of 
predestixiation  as  the  papists  do 
believe. 

Careless.  Ah,  master  Doctor, 
did  I  so  term  you?  Seeing  that 
this  ray  confession  shall  come  be- 
fore the  council,  I  pray  you  place 
my  terms  as  reverently  as  I  speak 
them. 

Martin.  Well,  well,  write  that 
Trew  is  of  the  same  faith  as  the 
Catholics  be. 

Careless.  I  did  not  so  call  you 
neither ;  I  wonder  what  you 
mean. 

Martin.  You  said  the  clergy, 
did  you  not? 

Careless.  Yes,  forsooth  did  T. 
So  then  it  was  written  "  of  the 
clergy." 

Martin.  Now,  sir,  what  say  you 
more? 

Careless.  Forsooth  I  have  no 
further  to  say  in  this  matter. 

Martin.  Well,  Careless,  I  pray 
thee  prove  thyself  a  wise  man, 
and  do  not  cast  away  thy  life  wil- 
fully. 

Careless.  Now  the  Lord  he 
knoweth,  good  Mr.  Doctor,  I  would 
full  gladly  live,  so  that  I  might  do 
the  same  with  a  safe  conscience. 
And  your  mastership  shall  right 
well  perceive  that  I  will  be  no 
wilful  man,  but  in  all  things  that 
I  stand  upon  I  will  have  sure 
ground. 

Martin.  Now  the  Lord  know- 
eth, good  Careless,  that  I  would 
gladly  make  some  means  to  pre- 
serve thy  life.  But  thou  speakest 
so  much  of  the   Lord,  the  Lord  ! 


JOHN  CARELESS. 


)79 


Wilt  thou  be  content  to  go  with 
my  lord  Fitzwater  into  Ireland? 
Methinks  thou  art  a  handsome 
fellow,  and  would  do  the  queen 
a  service  tliere.  What  sayest 
thou? 

Careless.  Verily,  Mr.  Doctor, 
whether  I  be  in  Ireland,  France, 
or  Spain,  or  any  place  else,  I  am 
ready  to  do  her  grace  the  best 
service  that  I  can,  with  body, 
goods,  and  life,  so  long  as  it  doth 
last. 

Martin.  That  is  honestly  said  ; 
I  promise  thee  every  man  will  not 
say  so.  How  say  you,  Mr.  Mar- 
shal ?  This  man  is  meet  for  all 
manner  of  service.  Indeed  thou 
art  worthy,  Careless,  to  have  the 
more  favour. 

Careless.  Indeed,  sir,  I  hope  to 
be  meet  and  reardy  unto  all  things 
that  pertain  unto  a  true  Christian 
subject  to  do.  And  if  her  grace 
or  her  officers  under  her  do  require 
of  me  to  do  any  thing  contrary  to 
Christ's  religion,  I  am  ready  also 
to  do  my  service  in  Smithfield 
for  not  observing  it,  as  my  bed- 
fellow and  other  worthy  brethren 
have  done,  praised  be  God  for 
them. 

Martin.  By  my  troth  thou  art 
as  pleasant  a  fellow  as  ever  I  talk- 
ed with,  of  all  the  protestants,  ex- 
cept it  were  Tomson.  I  am  sorry 
that  I  must  depart  from  thee  so 
soon ;  but  I  have  such  business 
now,  that  I  can  tarry  with  thee  no 
longer.  Well,  yet  thou  canst  not 
deny,  but  you  are  at  variance 
among  yourselves  in  the  King's- 
bench,  and  it  is  so  throughout  all 
your  congregation:  for  you  will 
not  be  at  church. 

Careless.  No,  master  Doctor, 
that  is  not  so.  There  is  a  thou- 
sand times  more  variety  in  opinions 
among  your  doctors,  which  you 
call  of  the  Catholic  church,  yea, 
and  that  in  the  sacrament,  for 
which  there  is  so  much  blood 
shed  now-a-days,  I  mean  of  your 
latter  doctors  and  new  writers ; 
as  for  the  old,  they  agree  wholly 
with  us. 

Martin.  No,  Careless,  this  is 
not  so  ;  there  thou  art  deecived. 


Careless.  Verily  it  is  so,  master 
Doctor;  I  am  not  deceived  there- 
in any  thing  at  all,  as  it  hath 
been,  and  is,  evidently  proved  by 
such  as  God  hath  endued  with  great 
learning. 

Then  he  turned  to  the  marshal, 
and  whispered  with  him  a  while. 

Turning  to  me  again,  lie  said. 
Farewell,  Careless  ;  for  I  can  tarry 
no  longer  with  thee  now,  my  busi- 
ness is  such. 

Careless.  God  be  with  you,  my 
good  master  Doctor,  the  Lord 
give  your  mastership  health  of  body 
and  soul. 

Martin.  God  have  mercy,  good 
Careless,  and  God  keep  thee  from 
all  errors,  and  give  thee  grace  to 
do  as  well  as  I  would  wish  my- 
self. 

Careless.  I  thank  your  good 
mastership :  I  pray  God  I  may  do 
always  that  which  is  acceptable 
in  his  sight.  Whereunto  they  all 
said  Amen.  And  so  I  departed 
with  a  glad  heart ;  God  only  have 
the  whole  praise,  Amen. 

It  appears  that  Careless  had  suf- 
fered two  years  imprisonment  at  Co- 
ventry, which  much  distressed  his 
wife  and  children,  who  depended 
on  him  for  support. 

After  that,  being  brought  to 
London,  he  was  endued  with  such 
patience  and  constant  fortitude, 
that  he  longed  for  nothing  more 
earnestly,  than  to  die  in  the  fire 
for  the  profession  of  his  faith : 
but  it  pleasing  God  to  prevent  him 
by  death  in  the  prison,  he  was  bu- 
ried under  a  dunghill  in  the  fields, 
by  order  of  the  persecutors. 

While  he  was  prisoner  in  the 
King's-bench,  he  was  much  trou- 
bled in  conscience,  whereupon  he 
wrote  to  Mr.  Philpot,  then  in  bi- 
shop Bonner's  coal-house;  upon 
which  Mr.  Philpot  sent  him  an 
epistle  of  consolation,  and  Care- 
less returned  the  following  an- 
swer. 

A  faithful  friend  is  n  strong  defence  ; 
whoso  findeth  such  a  one,  findeth  a 
treasure. 

A  faithful  friend  bath  no  peer  ;  the  weight 
of  gold  and  silver  is  not  to  be  com- 
pared to  the  goodness  of  his  faith. 


5m 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


A  faithful  friend  is  a  medicine  of  life, 
and  tliey  that  fear  the  Lord  shall  find 
him,  Eccles.  vi. 

The  Father  of  mercy  and  God 
of  all  consolation,  comfort  you 
with  his  eternal  Spirit,  my  most 
dear  and  faithful  loving  friend, 
good  Mr.  Philpot,  as  you  have 
comforted  rae  by  the  mighty  opera- 
tion of  the  same  ;  the  everlasting 
God  therefore  be  praised  for  ever, 
Amen. 

Ah,  my  dear  heart,  and  most 
loving  brother,  if  I  should  do  no- 
thing else  day  and  night,  so  long 
as  the  days  of  heaven  do  endure, 
but  kneel  on  my  knees,  and  read 
psalms,  I  can  never  be  able  to 
render  unto  God  sufficieut  thanks, 
for  his  great  mercy,  fatherly  kind- 
ness, and  most  loving  compassion 
extended  unto  me  most  vile,  sinful, 
wicked,  and  unworthy  wretch.  O 
that  the  Lord  would  open  my 
mouth,  and  give  me  a  thankful 
heart,  that  from  the  bottom  of  the 
same  might  flow  his  continual 
praise,  O  that  my  sinful  flesh 
(which  is  the  cause  of  sorrow) 
were  clean  separated  from  me, 
that  I  might  sing  psalms  of  thanks- 
giving unto  the  Lord's  name  for 
ever ;  that  with  good  Samuel's 
mother,  I  might  continually  re- 
cord this  noble  Terse  following, 
which  by  the  good  experience  I 
have  found  most  true,  praised  be 
my  God  therefore. 

"The  Lord  (saith  that  good  wo- 
man) killeth  and  maketh  alive  ;  he 
bringeth  down  to  hell,  and  fetch- 
eth  up  again.  Praised  be  the 
Lord  for  ever,  yea,  and  praised 
be  his  name  for  that  he  hath  given 
me  true  experience  and  lively 
feeling  of  the  same.  Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God,  whose  mercy  en- 
dureth  for  ever,  which  hath  not 
dealt  with  me  according  to  my  de- 
serts, nor  destroyed  me  in  his  dis- 
pleasure when  I  had  justly  deserved 
it.  Oh,  what  reward  shall  I  give 
again  unto  the  Lord  for  all  the 
great  benefits  that  he  hath  done 
for  my  soul !  I  will  gladly  receive 
the  cup  of  salvation  at  his  hand, 
and  will  worship  his  name  with 
prayer  and  with  praise." 


Ah,  my  dear  heart,  yea  most 
dear  to  me  in  the  Lord,  think  not 
this  sudden  change  in  me  to  be 
some  fickle  fantasy  of  my  foolish 
head,  (as  indeed  some  others  would 
surely  suspect  it  to  be)  for  doubt- 
less it  is  the  marvellous  doing  of 
the  Lord,  most  merciful  unto  me 
his  unworthy  creature.  God,  for 
his  great  mercy's  sake,  give  me 
grace  to  be  more  thankful  unto  him 
than  I  heretofore  have  been,  and 
keep  me  that  1  never  fall  from  his 
favour  again. 

And  now,  my  dear  brother,  and 
most  blessed  messenger  of  the 
Lord,  whose  beautiful  feet  have 
brought  many  glad  tidings  to  my 
soul,  what  shall  I  do  or  say  unto 
you,  in  the  least  part  to  recom- 
pense the  fatherly  affection  and 
godly  care  that  you  continually 
keep  for  me  ?  O  that  God  would 
give  me  the  spirit  of  fervent  prayer, 
that  I  might  yet  that  way  supply 
some  little  part  of  my  duty  toward 
you.  Ah,  my  true  loving  friend, 
how  soon  did  you  lay  aside  all 
other  business,  to  make  a  sweet 
plaster  for  my  wounded  con- 
science, yea,  and  that  out  of  a 
painful  pair  of  stocks,  which  place 
must  needs  be  uneasy  to  write  in  ; 
but  God  hath  brought  you  into  a 
straight  place,  that  you  might  set 
my  soul  at  liberty.  Out  of  your 
pinching  and  painful  seat,  you 
have  plentifully  poured  upon  me 
your  precious  ointment,  the  sweet 
savour  whereof  hath  greatly  re- 
freshed my  tired  soul.  The  Lord 
likewise  refresh  you,  both  body 
and  soul,  by  pouring  the  oil  of 
his  gracious  Spirit  in  your  sweet 
heart. 

Ah,  good  Jeremy,  hath  Phassor 
put  thee  into  the  stocks  ?  why,  now 
thou  hast  the  reward  of  a  pro- 
phet. Thy  glory  never  began  to 
appear  untU  now.  I  doubt  not  but 
shortly,  instead  of  Ahikam,  the  son 
of  Shapham,  Jesus  the  Son  of  the 
living  God  will  come  and  deliver 
thee  forth  of  the  hands  of  all  thine 
antichristian  synagogue,  all  the 
words  that  thou  hast  spoken  in 
his  name.  The  Lord  hath  made 
thee  this  day  a  strong    defenced 


JOHN  CARELESS. 


£81 


toTrcr,  an  iron  pillar,  and  a  brazen 
wall  ao:ainst  the  whole  rabble  of 
Antichrist:  and  though  they  fight 
agains't  thee  ever  so  fiercely,  yet 
shall  they  not  overcome  thee,  for 
the  Lord  himself  is  with  thee  to 
lielp  and  deliver  thee :  and  he  will 
rid  thee  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
wicked,  and  will  deliver  thee  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  tyrants.  And 
in  that  you  are  not  busy  in  casting 
pearls  before  swine,  nor  in  giving 
the  holy  things  unto  dogs,  you  are 
much  to  be  commended,  in  my 
simple  judgment.  And  sure  I  am, 
that  your  circumspect  and  modest 
behaviour  hitherto  hath  been  as 
much  to  God's  glory,  and  to  the 
shame  and  confusion  of  your  ene- 
mies, as  any  men's  doings  that  are 
gone  before  you. 

Wherefore  my  advice  and  most 
earnest  desire  is,  with  all  other  of 
your  loving  friends,  that  you  still 
keep  that  order  with  those  blood- 
thirsty sheep-biters,  bishops  I 
should  say,  that  you  have  begun. 
For  though  in  conclusion  they  will 
surely  have  your  blood,  yet  shall 
they  come  by  it  with  shame 
enough,  and  to  their  perpetual  in- 
famy whilst  the  world  doth  endure. 
The}  would  indeed  condemn  you 
in  private,  to  darken  God's  glory, 
if  it  might  be:  but  Satan's 
thoughts  are  not  vmknown  to  you, 
and  the  depth  of  his  subtlety  is  by 
you  well  foreseen.  Therefore  let 
them  do  whatsoever  God  shall  suf- 
fer them  to  do:  for  I  know  all 
things  shall  turn  to  your  benefit. 
Though  you  lie  in  the  dark,  sul- 
lied with  the  bishop's  black  coal- 
dust;  yet  shall  you  be  shortly  re- 
stored to  the  heavenly  light,  and 
be  made  as  white  as  snow  in  Sal- 
mon, as  the  wings  of  a  dove  that  is 
covered  with  silver  wings,  and  her 
feathers  like  gold.  You  know  the 
vessel,  before  it  is  made  bright,  is 
soiled  with  oil  and  other  things, 
that  it  may  scour  the  better. 

O  happy  be  you  that  you  be  now 
in  the  scouring-house ;  for  shortly 
you  shall  be  set  upon  the  celestial 
shelf  as  bright  as  angels.  There- 
fore,   my  dear  heart,    I  will  now, 


according  to  your  loving  request, 
cast  away  all  care,  and  rejoice 
with  you,  and  praise  God  for  you, 
and  pray  for  you,  day  and  night; 
yea,  I  will  now,  with  God's  grace, 
sing  psalms  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving with  you.  For  now  my 
soul  is  turned  to  her  old  rest  again, 
and  hath  taken  a  sweet  nap  in 
Christ's  lap.  I  have  cast  my  care 
upon  the  Lord,  who  careth  for  me, 
and  will  be  careless,  according  to 
my  name,  in  that  respect  you  would 
have  me.  I  will  leave  out  my  un- 
seemly addition  as  long  as  I  live: 
for  it  can  take  no  place  where  true 
faith  and  hope  are  resident.  So 
soon  as  I  had  read  your  m6st  godly 
and  co^ifortable  letter,  my  sorrows 
vanished  away,  as  smoke  in  the 
wind,  my  spirit  revived,  and  com- 
fort came  again,  whereby  I  am 
sure  the  Spirit  of  God  was  the  au- 
thor of  it. 

O  my  good  Mr.  Phil  pot,  which 
art  a  principal  pot*  indeed,  filled 
with  most  precious  liquor,  as  it  ap- 
pearcth  by  the  plenteous  pouring 
forth  of  the  same:  O  pot  most 
^sppy^  of  the  high  Potter  ordained 
to  honour,  which  dost  contain  such 
heavenly  treasure  in  the  earthen 
vessel :  O  pot  thrice  happy,  in 
whom  Christ  hath  wrought  a  great 
miracle,  altering  thy  nature,  and 
turning  water  into  wine,  and  that 
of  the  best,  whereout  the  master  of 
the  feast  hath  filled  my  cup  so  full, 
that  I  am  become  drunken  in  the 
joy  of  the  Spirit  through  the  same. 
When  martyrdom  shall  break  thee, 
O  vessel  of  honour,  I  know  the 
fragrant  savour  of  thy  precious 
ointment  will  much  rejoice  the 
heavy  hearts  of  Christ's  true  mem- 
bers, although  the  Judases  will 
grudge   and  murmur  at  the  same; 

*  The  metaphorical  language,  and 
far-fetched  conceits,  with  which  this  let- 
ter (as  well  as  many  other  productiona 
of  that  age)  is  filled,  althoiign  unpleas- 
ing,  and  sometimes  almost  ridiculous,  to 
the  more  relined  taste  of  modern  readers, 
were  then  admired,  as  ornamental  to  the 
style,  and  illustrative  of  the  subject, 
alike  of  the  preacher,  the  poet,  and  the 
historian. 


582 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


yea,  ami  burst  out  into  words  of 
slander,  saying-,  It  is  but  loss  and 
waste. 

Be  not  offended,  dear  heart,  at 
my  metaphorical  speech  ;  for  I  am 
disposed  to  be  merry,  and  with 
David  to  dance  before  the  ark  of 
the  Lord:  and  though  you  play 
upon  a  pair  of  organs  not  very 
comely  or  easy  to  the  flesh,  yet  the 
sweet  sound  that  comes  from  the 
same,  causeth  me  thus  to  do,  O 
that  I  were  with  you  in  body,  as 
present  I  am  in  spirit,  that  I  might 
sing  all  care  away  in  Christ:  for 
now  the  time  of  comfort  is  come. 
I  hope  to  be  with  you  shortly,  if  all 
things  happen  right;  for  my  old 
friends  of  Coventry  have  put  the 
council  in  remembrance  of  me,  not 
six  days  ago,  saying,  I  am  more 
worthy  to  be  burned  than  any  that 
was  burned  yet.  God's  blessing 
on  their  hearts  for  their  good  re- 
port. God  make  me  worthy  of 
that  dignity,  and  hasten  the  time 
that  1  may  set  forth  his  glory. 

Pray  for  me,  dear  heart,  I  be- 
seech you,  and  desire  all  your 
company  to  do  the  same,  and  I 
will  pray  God  for  you  all,  so  long 
as  I  live.  And  now  farewell  in 
Christ,  thou  blessed  of  God's  own 
mouth.  I  will  for  a  time  take  my 
leave,  but  not  my  last  farewell. 
Blessed  be  the  time  that  ever  I 
came  into  the  King's  Bench,  to  be 
joined  in  love  and  fellowship  with 
such  dear  children  of  the  Lord. 
My  good  brother  Bradford  shall 
not  be  dead  while  you  are  alive : 
for  verily  the  spirit  of  him  doth 
rest  on  you  in  a  most  ample  man- 
ner. Your  letters  of  comfort  unto 
me  in  each  point  do  agree,  as 
though  the  one  were  a  copy  of  the 
other.  He  hath  planted  in  me> 
and  you  do  water,  the  Lord  give 
good  increase.  My  dear  brethren 
and  fellow  prisoners  here,  have 
them  humbly  and  heartily  corn- 
mendefl  unto  you  and  your  com- 
pany, mourning  for  your  misery, 
but  yet  rejoicing  for  your  plen- 
teous consolation  and  comfort  in 
Christ.  We  are  all  cheerful  and 
tiieiry  under  our  cross,  and  do  lack 


no  necessaries,  praised  be  God  for 
his  providence  and  great  mercy  to- 
wards us  for  evermore,  Ameil. 

Mr.  Careless  wrote  many  other 
letters  v/hiie  in  prison,  of  which  the 
following  is 

TO    HIS    WIFE. 

As  by  the  great  mercy  of  God, 
at  the  time  of  his  good  will  and 
providence  appointed,  my  dearly 
beloved  wife,  you  and  I  were 
joined  together  in  the  holy  and 
Christian  state  of  godly  matrimony, 
as  well  to  our  great  joy  and  com- 
fort in  Christ,  as  also  to  the  in- 
crease of  his  blessed  church  and 
faithful  congregation,  by  having 
lawful  children  by  and  in  the 
same,  with  which  God  of  his  mercy 
hath  blessed  us,  praised  be  his 
name  therefore:  even  so  now,  by 
his  merciful  will  and  divine  ordi- 
nance, the  time  is  come  (so  far  as  I 
can  perceive)  wherein  he  will,  for  his 
glory  and  our  eternal  comfort,  dis- 
solve the  same,  and  separate  us 
asunder  again  for  a  time.  Where- 
fore I  thought  it  good,  yea,  and 
my  bounden  duty,  by  this  simple 
letter  to  provoke,  stir,  and  admo- 
nish you,  to  behave  yourself  in  all 
your  doings,  sayings,  and  thoughts, 
most  thankfully  unto  our  good 
God  for  the  same.  And,  therefore, 
ray  dear  wife,  as  you  have  heartily 
rejoiced  in  the  Lord,  and  often- 
times given  God  thanks  for  his 
goodness,  in  bringing  us  together 
in  his  holy  ordinance ;  even  so  now 
1  desire  you,  when  this  time  of  our 
separation  shall  come,  to  rejoice 
with  me  in  the  Lord,  and  to  give 
him  most  hearty  thanks,  that  he 
hath  (to  his  glory  and  our  endless 
advantage)  separated  us  again  for 
a  little  time,  and  hath  mercifully 
taken  me  unto  himself,  out  of  this 
miserable  world  into  his  celestial 
kingdom;  believing  and  hoping  also 
assuredly,  that  God  of  his  goodness, 
for  his  Son  Christ's  sake,  will  shortly 
bring  you,  and  your  dear  children, 
thither  to  me,  that  we  may  most 
joyfully  together  sing  praises 
unto   his  glorious  name   for  ever. 


JOHN  CARELESS. 


583- 


And  yet  once  attain  I  desire  jou, 
for  the  love  of  God,  and  as  ever 
you  loved  rae,  to  rejoice  with  me, 
and  to  give  God  continual  thanks 
for  doiu^  his  most  merciful  will 
upon  me. 

I  hear  say,  that  you  do  often- 
times repeat  this  godly  saying, 
"  The  Lord's  will  be  fulfiUed." 
Doubtless  it  rejoiceth  my  poor 
heart  to  hear  that  report  of  you; 
and,  for  the  Lord's  sake,  use  that 
godly  prayer  continually:  teach 
your  children  and  family  to  say  the 
same,  day  and  night;  and  not  only 
say  it  with  your  tongues,  but  also 
with  your  heart  and  mind,  and 
joyfully  submit  your  will  to  God's 
will  in  very  deed,  knowing  and  be- 
lieving assuredly,  that  nothing 
shall  come  to  you,  or  any  of  your's, 
otherwise  than  it  shall  be  'his  Al- 
mighty and  fatherly  good-will  and 
pleasure,  and  for  your  eternal 
comfort  and  advantage.  Which 
thing  to  be  most  true  and  certain, 
Christ  testifieth  in  his  holy  gospel, 
saying,  "Are  not  two  little  sparrows 
sold  for  a  farthing?  and  yet  not 
one  of  them  shall  perish  without  the 
will  of  our  heavenly  Father."  And 
he  concludeth,  saying,  "  Fear  not 
ye,  therefore,  for  ye  are  better 
than  many  sparrows."  As  though 
he  should  have  said,  If  God  have 
such  respect  and  care  for  a  poor 
sparrow,  which  is  not  worth  one 
farthing,  that  it  shall  not  be  taken 
in  the  liaie-twig,  net,  or  pitfa!,  un- 
less it  be  his  good  will  and  plea- 
sure ;  you  may  be  well  assured, 
that  not  one  of  you  (whom  he  so 
dearly  loveth,  that  he  hath  given 
his  only  Son  for  you)  shall  perish, 
or  depart  out  of  this  miserable  life, 
without  his  Almighty  good  will  and 
pleasure. 

Therefore,  dear  wife,  put  your 
trust  and  confidence  wholly  and 
only  in  him,  and  ever  pray  that 
his  will  be  fulfilled,  and  not  your's, 
except  it  be  agreeable  to  his  v.ill; 
which  I  pray  God  it  may  ever  be, 
Amen.  And  as  for  worldly  things, 
take  you  no  care,  but  be  you  well 
assured  the  Lord,  your  dear  God 
and  Father,  will  not  see  you  nor 
your's  lack,  if  you  continue  in  his 


love  and  childly  fear,  and  keep  a 
clear  conscience  from  all  kind  of 
idolatry,  superstition,  and  wicked- 
ness, as  my  trust  is  that  you  will 
do,  although  it  be  with  the  loss 
and  danger  of  this  temporal  life. 
And,  good  Margaret,  fear  not  them 
that  can  but  kill  the  body  (and  yet 
can  they  not  do  that  until  God 
give  them  leave),  but  fear  to  dis- 
please Him  that  can  kill  both  body 
and  soul,  and  cast  them  into  hell- 
fire.  Let  not  the  remembrance  of 
your  children  keep  you  "from  God. 
The  Lord  himself  will  be  a  father 
and  a  mother,  better  than  ever  you 
or  1  could  have  been  unto  them. 
He  himself  will  do  all  things  neces- 
sary for  them.  He  hath  given  his 
angels  charge  over  them ;  therefore 
commit  them  unto  hira.  But  if 
you  may  live  with  a  clear  con- 
science, (or  else  I  would  not  have 
you  to  live),  and  see  the  bringing 
up  of  your  children  yourself,  look 
that  you  nurture  them  in  the  fear 
of  God,  and  keep  them  far  from 
idolatry,  superstition,  and  other  kind 
of  wickedness ;  and,  for  God's 
sake,  help  tliem  to  some  learn- 
ing, if  it  be  possible,  that  they  may 
increase  in  virtue  and  godly  know- 
ledge, which  shall  be  a  better 
dowry  to  marry  them  withal,  than 
any  worldly  substance;  and  when 
they  come  to  age,  provide  them 
such  husbands  as  fear  God,  and 
love  his  holy  word.  I  charge  you 
take  heed  that  you  match  them  not 
with  papists;  and  if  you  live,  [and 
marry  again  yourself,  (which  thing 
I  would  wish  you  to  do  if  need  re- 
quire, or  else  not),  good  wife,  take 
heed  how  you  bestow  yourself,  that 
you  and  my  poor  children  be  not 
compelled  to  wickedness.  But  if 
you  shall  be  well  able  to  live  God's 
true  widow,  I  would  counsel  you 
to  live  so  still,  for  the  more  quiet- 
ness of  yourself  and  your  poor 
children.  Take  heed,  Margaret, 
and  play  the  wise  woman's  part. 
You  have  warning  by  others,  if 
you  will  take  an  example.  And 
thus  I  commit  yon  and  my  sweet 
children  unto  God's  most  merciful 
defence.  The  blessing  of  God  be 
with  you,  and  God  send  ws  a  merry 


584 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


meeting  togetber  iu  heaven.  Fare- 
well in  Christ,  farewell  mine  own 
dear  hearts  all.     Pray,  pray. 

PERSECUTIONS  AND  SUFFERINGS 
OF  JULIUS  PALMER,  FELLOW  OF 
MAGDALEN  COLLEGE,  OXFORD; 
JOHN  GWIN,  AND  THOMAS  AS- 
KINE,  WHO  SUFFERED  MARTYR- 
DOM, AT  NEWBURY,  IN  BERK- 
SHIRE. 

Julius  Palmer  was  the  son  of  a 
reputable  merchant,  and  born  iu 
the  city  of  Coventry.  He  received 
his  first  education  at  the  free- 
school  of  that  place;  after  which 
he  was  sent  to  Oxford,  where,  in 
process  of  time,  he  obtained  a  fel- 
lowship in  Magdalen  college,  in 
that  university. 

As  he  was  brought  up  a  zealous 
papist,  he  refused  to  conform  to 
the  service  of  the  church,  as  prac- 
tised in  th«  time  of  king  Edward 
VI.;  for  which  he  was  expelled 
the  college,  and  for  some  time 
kept  a  school  iu  the  city  of  Ox- 
ford. 

On  the  accession  of  queen  Mary, 
the  visitors  went  to  Magdalen  col- 
lege, to  displace  such  t\s  refused  to 
be  of  the  popish  religion.  Mr. 
Palmer  availed  himself  of  this  op- 
portunity, and,  by  close  applica- 
tion himself,  joined  to  the  interest 
of  his  friends,  was  reinstated  in  his 
fellowship. 

During  the  time  of  his  expulsion 
from  the  college,  he  used  frequently 
to  converse  with  some  of  his  ac- 
quaintance who  were  protestants; 
s^d  being  by  them  advised  to  study 
tite  Scriptures,  he  began  to  enter- 
tain doubts  concerning  the  truth 
of  several  Romish  doctrines,  and 
would  often  ask  questions  on  that 
subject. 

His  sincere  attachment  to  the  prin- 
ciples he  professed  (though  opposite 
in  their  nature  at  difl'erent  periods), 
was  the  cause  of  his  expulsion  in  the 
days  of  king  Edward  VI.,  and  of 
his  troubles  in  the  reign  of  queen 
Mary;  for,  had  he  been  a  dissem- 
bler, he  might  have  retained  his 
fellowship  under  the  reign  of  the 
former,  and  escaped  death  under 
that  of  the  latter. 


When  the  persecution  raged  in 
the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Mary, 
he  inquired,  very  particularly,  into 
the  cause  of  persons  being  appre- 
hended, the  nature  of  the  articles 
upon  which  they  were  condemned, 
the  manner  of  their  treatment,  and 
their  behaviour  at  the  time  of  their 
suflering.  Nay,  so  desirous  was 
he  of  knowing  this,  that  he  sent 
one  of  his  pupils  from  Oxford  to 
Gloucester,  to  see  the  whole  form 
of  bishop  Hooper's  execution,  and 
bring  him  a  minute  account  of  the 
bloody  transaction. 

Before  he  had  imbibed  well- 
grounded  notions  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  and  the  pure  incorruptible 
worship  of  God,  he  was  inclined  to 
think  that  very  few  would  undergo 
the  fiery  trial  for  the  sake  of  their 
profession  ;  but,  when  experience 
proved  to  him  the  cruelties  which 
the  papists  inflicted,  and  the  pro^ 
testants  endured;  when  he  had 
been  present  at  the  examination  of 
bishops  Ridley  and  Latimer,  and 
had  been  an  eye-witness  of  their 
faith,  patience,  and  fortitude,  even 
unto  death,  these  scenes  converted 
him  absolutely  from  popery;  and 
on  his  return  from  the  execution, 
he  was  heard  to  utter  these  ex- 
pressions, "O  raging  cruelty!  O 
barbarous  tyranny !'' 

From  that  very  day  he  applied 
himself  most  assiduously  to  learn 
the  truth  of  God's  word:  and,  to 
that  end,  borrowed  Peter  Martyr's 
Commentary  on  the  Corinthians, 
and  read  many  other  well-written 
treatises  on  religion,  till,  at  length, 
he  became  as  zealous  an  assertor 
of  the  protestant  cause,  as  he  be- 
fore had  been  an  obstinate  opposer 
of  it. 

He  now  began  to  absent  himself 
from  mass,  and  other  popish  ser- 
vices and  ceremonies;  but  finding 
that  his  absence  on  these  occasions 
incurred  the  suspicions  of  many, 
and  the  disapprobation  of  the  pre- 
sident of  the  college,  to  avoid  ex- 
pulsion, which  might  be  attended 
with  danger,  and  to  preserve  his 
conscience  inviolate,  he  resigned 
his  fellowship. 

On  his  leaving  the  college,  his 


JULIUS.  PALMER. 


585 


Wends  procured  Uim  the  place  of 
teacher  to  the  grammar-school  at 
Reading,  in  Berkshire,  where  he 
was  received  by  those  who  loved 
tiie  gospel  of  Christ,  both  on  ac- 
count of  his  eminent  learning,  and 
zealous  adherence  to  the  truth. 

In  process  of  time,  some  hypo- 
critical professors  of  the  reformed 
religion  insinuated  themselves  into 
his  confidence,  with  a  design  to 
learn  his  religious  principles. 
Their  disingenuous  stratagem  suc- 
ceeded to  their  wishes ;  for  as  he 
was  a  man  of  an  open,  unreserved 
temper,  he  freely  declared  his 
sentiments,  which  those  snakes 
reported  to  his  enemies,  who  there- 
upon caused  his  library  to  be 
searched  for  heretical  books,  and 
finding  some  of  his  writings,  both 
in  Latin  and  English,  that  in- 
v6ighed  against  popish  cruelty, 
they  threatened  to  lay  this  disco- 
very before  the  queen's  commis- 
sioners, unless  he  would  quietly 
resign  his  school  to  a  friend  of 
theirs,  and  depart. 

Mr.  Palmer,  fearful  of  death, 
complied  with  their  unjust  pro- 
posal, and  departed  from  Reading, 
leaving  behind  him  all  his  goods, 
with  the  salary  that  was  due  to 
him. 

Being  thus  destitute  of  a  liveli- 
hood, he  went  to  Evesham,  in 
Worcestershire,  where  his  mother 
lived,  in  order  to  obtain  from  her  a 
legacy,  which  his  father  had  be- 
queathed him  four  years  before. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  his  mother, 
he  implored  her  blessing,  on  his 
bended  knees;  but  she  having 
been  informed,  by  his  brother,  of 
the  cause  of  his  resignation,  and 
the  business  of  his  visit,  hastily 
exclaimed,  "  Thou  shalt  have 
Christ's  curse  and  mine,  whither- 
soever thou  goest." 

Julius,  at  first,  was  amazed  at 
so  unexpected  and  heavy  a  curse 
from  his  own  mother;  but  after  he 
had  recollected  himself  a  little,  he 
said,  "  O  mother,  your  own  curse 
you  may  give  me,  which  God 
knoweth  I  never  deserved;  but 
God's  curse  you  cannot  give  me, 
for  he  hath  already  blessed  me." 


His  bigoted  mother  said,  "  Thou 
wentest  from  God's  blessing  when 
thou  wast  banished  for  an  heretic 
from  thy  fellowship  at  Oxford,  and 
for  the  like  knavery  hast  thou  been 
expelled  from  Reading  too." 

"Alas!  mother,"  returned  Ju- 
lius, "  my  case  has  been  misre- 
presented to  you,  for  I  was  not 
expelled  from  the  college  at  Ox- 
ford, but  freely  I  resigned  my  fel- 
lowship there.  Heretic  I  am 
none,  for  I  oppose  not  the  true 
doctrine  of  Christ,  but  defend  it  to 
my  utmost  power." 

His  mother  then  vehemently  de- 
clared, that  lie  believed  not  as  his 
father  and  forefathers  had  done, 
but  according  to  the  new  doctrine 
taught  and  set  forth  in  the  days  of 
king  Edward  VI.,  which  was  damn- 
able heresy. 

In  answer  to  this  he  confessed, 
that  he  believed  the  doctrine  pub- 
licly set  forth  in  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  VI.  He  also  affirmed  it 
to  be  truth,  and  that,  instead  of 
being  new,  it  was  as  old  as  Christ 
and  his  apostles. 

His  mother,  incensed  at  this 
frank  declaration  of  his  principles, 
ordered  him  to  depart  the  house, 
nor  ever  more  esteem  her  as  his 
mother,  informing  him,  at  the 
same  time,  that  he-  had  no  pro- 
perty there,  either  in  money  or 
goods,  as  his  father  bequeathed 
nothing  to  heretics. 

Our  martyr,  as  became  a  true 
follower  of  the  blessed  Jesus, 
when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not 
again,  but  committed  his  cause  to 
Him  who  judgeth  righteously.  On 
leaving  his  bigoted  mother,  he 
thus  addressed  her:  "  Mother,  you 
have  cursed  me,  I  beseech  God  to 
bless  you,  and  prosper  your  un- 
dertakings as  long  as  you  live." 

This  pathetic  address,  attended 
with  flowing  tears,  in  some  degree 
moved  her  compassion;  and,  on 
his  leaving  the  room,  she  threw  a 
piece  of  gold  after  him,  saying, 
"  Keep  that  to  make  thee  a  true 
man." 

Mr.  Palmer,  being  thus  repulsed 
by  his  mother,  on  whom  he  relied 
as  his  only  friend,  as  well  as  dis- 


686 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


regarded  by  his  brother,  was  des- 
titute of  all  help,  and  knew  not 
what  steps  to  take  in  order  to  ob- 
tain subsistence. 

At  length,  he  thought  of  return- 
ing privately  to  Magdalen  college, 
depending  on  the  confidence  of  a 
few  friends  he  had  in  that  house. 
He  accordingly  went  thither,  and, 
through  the  interest  of  Mr.  Allen 
Cope,  a  fellow  of  the  same,  he  ob- 
tained a  recommendation  to  a 
school  in  Gloucestershire. 

He  had  not  proceeded  far  on  his 
journey  to  that  place  before  he  al- 
tered his  resolution,  and  deter- 
mined to  go  privately  to  Reading, 
to  try  if  he  could  obtain  the  salary 
due  to  him,  and  at  the  same  time 
dispose  of  the  goods  be  had  left 
there. 

No  sooner  had  he  arrived  at 
Reading,  than  his  old  enemies  be- 
came acquainted  with  it,  and  con- 
sulted in  what  manner  they  should 
proceed  against  him. 

In  a  short  time  it  was  concluded 
amongst  them,  that  one  Mr. 
Hampton,  who  had  formerly  pro- 
fessed himself  a  protestant,  (but 
who  was,  in  reality,  a  time-server), 
should  visit  him,  under  colour  of 
friendship,  to  learn  the  cause  of  his 
return. 

Hampton  traitorously  went, 
when  Palmer,  with  his  usual  sin- 
cerity, and  openness  of  soul,  dis- 
closed his  whole  design,  which  the 
other  immediately  related  to  the 
confederates,  who  caused  him  to 
be  apprehended  that  very  night,  by 
the  officers  appointed  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  then  carried  to 
prison,  where  he  remained  ten 
days  in  the  custody  of  an  unmer- 
ciful keeper ;  at  the  expiration  of 
which  time  he  was  brought  before 
the  mayor  of  Reading,  and  charg- 
ed with  the  following  crimes  : 

1.  That  he  said  the  queen's 
sword  was  not  put  into  her  hand 
to  execute  tyranny,  and  to  kill  and 
murder  the  true  servants  of  God. 

2.  That  her  sword  was  too 
blunt  towards  the  papists,  but 
too  sharp  towards  the  true  Chris- 
tians. 


3.  That  certain  servants  of  sir 
Francis  Knollcs,  and  others,  re- 
sorting to  his  lectures,  fell  out 
among  them,  and  had  almost  com- 
mitted murder;  therefore  he  was 
a  sower  of  sedition,  and  a  pro- 
curer of  unlawful  assemblies. 

4.  That  his  landlady  had  written 
a  letter  to  him,  which  they  had  in- 
tercepted, wherein  she  requested 
him  to  return  to  Reading,  and, 
sent  her  commendations  by  the 
token,  that  the  knife  lay  hid  under 
the  beam,  whereby  they  inferred 
that  she,  had  conspired  with  him 
against  ber  husband. 

5.  That  they  once  found  him 
alone  with  his  said  landlady,  by 
the  lire-side,  the  door  being  shut, 
thereby  suspecting  him  of  inconti- 
nency  with  her. 

Three  men,  who  were  suborned 
for  the  purpose  by  one  of  the  con- 
federates, swore  these  things 
against  him  before  the  mayor,  who 
thereupon  sent  him  to  the  cage,  to 
be  an  open  spectacle  of  contempt 
to  the  people. 

The  same  villain  also  spread  a 
report,  that  he  was  thus  punished 
for  the  most  enormous  crimes  and 
misdemeanors,  which  had  been 
fully  proved  against  him. 

After  he  had  been  thus  unjustly 
exposed  to  public  shame,  the 
mayor  sent  for  him  to  answer  for 
himself,  concerning  what  was  laid 
to  his  charge. 

He  fully  overthrew  all  the  evi- 
dence, by  proving  the  letter  said 
to  have  been  written  to  him  by  his 
landlady,  to  be  of  their  own  forg- 
ing ;  and[in  the  most  incontestable 
manner  acquitted  himself  of  all 
the  other  crimes  laid  to  his  charge. 
The  mayor  was  confounded,  to 
think  he  should  have  given  such 
credit  to  his  persecutor;  and 
though  he  did  not  choose  to  dis- 
charge him  immediately,  yet  he 
thought  of  doing  it  as  soon  as  a 
convenient  opportunity  should 
offer. 

While  Mr.  Palmer  was  in  pri- 
son, he  was  visited  by  one  John 
Galant,  a  true  professor  of  the 
gospel,  who  said  to  him,  "  O  Pal- 
mer!   thou    hast    deceived    many 


JULIUS  PALMER,  AND  OTHERS. 


587 


men's  expectations,  for  we  hear 
that  you  sufl'er  not  for  rif^hteous- 
ness  sake,  but  for  thy  own  deme- 
rits." 

Palmer  replied,  "  O  brother  Ga- 
lant,  these  be  the  old  practices  of 
that  fanatical  brood :  but  be  you 
well  assured,  and  God  be  praised 
for  it,  I  have  so  purj^ed  myself 
and  detected  their  falsehood,  that 
from  henceforth  I  shall  be  no  more 
molested  therewith." 

When  his  enemies  found  they 
had  miscarried  in  their  plot  against 
him,  they  determined  to  accuse 
him  of  heresy.  This  was  accord- 
ingly done,  in  consequence  of 
which  he  was  taken  before  the 
mayor,  and  Mr.  Bird,  the  bishop 
of  Salisbury's  official,  in  order  to 
give  an  account  of  his  faith,  and 
to  answer  to  such  information  as 
might  be  laid  against  him. 

In  the  course  of  his  examination 
they  gathered  from  him  sufficient 
grounds  to  proceed  against  him. 
Articles  were  accordingly  drawn 
up,  and  sent  to  Dr.  Jeffrey  at 
Newbery,  who  was  to  hold  his  vi- 
sitation there  on  the  Thursday  fol- 
lowing. 

The  next  day  Palmer  was  con- 
ducted to  Newbery,  together  with 
one  Thomas  Askine,  who  had  been 
for  some  time  imprisoned  on  ac- 
count of  his  religion.  Immediately 
on  their  arrival  they  were  commit- 
ted to  the  Blind-house  prison, 
where  they  found  one  John  Gwin, 
who  was  confined  there  for  pro- 
fessing the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

On  Tuesday,  July  10,  1556,  a 
place  being  prepared  in  the  parish 
church  of  Newbery  to  hold  the 
consistory  court,  Dr.  Jeffrey,  re- 
presentative of  the  bishop  of  Sa- 
rum  ;  sir  Richard  Abridge,  John 
Winchom,  Esq.  and  the  minister 
of  Inglefield,  repaired  thither,  as 
commissioners  appointed  for  the 
purpose. 

After  the  prisoners  were  pro- 
duced, the  commission  read,  and 
other  things  done  according  to  the 
usual  form.  Dr.  Jell'rey,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  several  hundred  specta- 
tors, called  to  Palmer,  and  asked 
if  he  was  the  writer  of  a  two-penny 


pamphlet    that   had     been    lately 
published  ? 

Having  some  altercation  about 
this  allair,  in  which  Palmer  an- 
swered in  his  own  behalf  with 
great  force  and  propriety,  the  doc- 
tor, rising  from  his  seat,  said  to 
him,  "  Mr.  Palmer,  we  have  re- 
ceived certain  writings  and  arti- 
cles against  you  from  the  right 
worshipful  the  mayor  of  Reading, 
and  other  justices,  whereby  we 
understand,  that  being  brought 
before  them,  you  were  convicted  of 
certain  heresies. 

"  I.  That  you  deny  the  suprem- 
acy of  the  pope's  holiness. 

"  2.  That  you  affirm  there  are 
but  two  sacraments. 

"3.  You  say  that  the  priest 
sheweth  up  an  idol  at  mass,  and 
therefore  you  went  to  no  mass 
since  your  first  coming  to  Read- 
ing. 

"  4.  You  hold  there  is  no  purga- 
tory. 

"  5.  You  are  charged  with  sow- 
ing sedition,  and  seeking  to  di- 
vide the  unity  of  the  queen's  sub- 
jects." 

Several  books  and  pamphlets 
were  then  produced,  and  Palmer 
being  asked  if  he  was  the  author 
of  them,  replied  in  the  affirmative, 
declaring,  at  the  same  time,  that 
they  contained  nothing  but  what 
was  founded  o-n  the  word  of  God. 

Jeffrey  then  reviled  him,  declar- 
ing that  such  opinions  Avere  dic- 
tated by  no  good  spirit,  and  that 
he  was  very  wicked  in  slandering 
the  dead,  and  railing  at  a  Catholic 
and  learned  man  living. 

Mr.  Palmer  replied,  "  If  it  be  a 
slander,  he  slandered  himself,  for 
I  do  but  report  his  own  writings, 
and  expose  absurdities  therein 
contained :  and  I  esteem  it  not 
railing  to  inveigh  against  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  being  dead," 

The  doctor,  incensed  at  this  re- 
ply, assured  him,  that  he  would 
take  such  measures  as  should  com- 
pel him  to  recant  his  damnable 
errors  and  heresies  ;  but  Palmer 
told  him,  that  although  of  himself 
he  could  do  nothing,  yet  if  he, 
and  all  his  enemies,  both  bodily 


588 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  ghostly,  should  exert  their 
etlbrts,  they  would  not  be  able  to 
effect  what  they  desired,  neither 
could  they  prevail  against  the 
migfhty  powers  of  divine  grace, 
by  which  he  understood  the  truth, 
and  was  determined  to  speak  it 
boldly. 

After  much  farther  discourse, 
the  minister  of  Inglelield  pointed 
to  the  pix  over  the  altar,  saying 
to  Palmer,  "What  seest  thou 
there  i"  To  which  he  replied, 
"  A  canopy  of  silk  embroidered 
"with  gold." 

"  But  what  is  within?"  demanded 
the  priest.  "A  piece  of  bread  in 
a  cloth,"  replied  Palmer. 

The  priest  then  upbraided  him 
as  a  vile  heretic,  and  asked  him  if 
he  did  not  believe  that  those  who 
receive  the  holy  sacrament  of  the 
altar  do  truly  eat  Christ's  natural 
body. 

He  answered,  "  If  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper  be  ad- 
ministered as  Christ  did  ordain  it, 
the  faithful  receivers  do,  indeed, 
spiritually  and  truly  eat  and  drink 
in  it  Christ's  body  and  blood." 

On  being  asked,  if  be  meant 
with  the  holy  mother-church,  really, 
carnally,  and  substantially,  he  de- 
clared, "  he  could  not  believe  so 
absurd  and  monstrous  a  doctrine." 

After  this  the  court  was  adjourn- 
ed, when  one  of  the  justices  took 
Palmer  aside,  and  in  the  presence 
of  several  persons  exhorted  him  to 
revoke  his  opinions,  and  thereby 
preserve  his  life  ;  promising  him, 
at  the  same  time,  if  he  would  con- 
form to  the  church,  to  take  him 
into  his  family  as  his  chaplain, 
and  give  him  a  handsome  salary, 
or,  if  he  chose  not  to  resume  the 
clerical  function,  to  procure  him 
an  advantageous  farm. 

Mr.  Palmer  heartily  thanked  him 
for  his  kind  oifer,  but  assured  him 
that  he  had  already  renounced  his 
living  in  two  places,  for  the  sake 
of  Christ  and  his  gospel,  and  was 
ready  to  yield  up  his  life  in  de- 
fence of  the  same,  if  God,  in  his 
providence,  should  think  fit  to  call 
him  to  it. 

When  the  justice  found  he  could 


by  no  means  bring  him  to  a  recan- 
tation, he  said,  "  Well,  Palmer,  I 
perceive  that  one  of  us  two  must 
be  damned,  for  we  are  of  two  faiths, 
and  there  is  but  one  faith  that  leads 
to  life  and  salvation." 

Palmer  observed,  that  it  was 
possible  they  might  both  be  saved, 
for  that  as  it  had  pleased  a  mer- 
ciful God  to  call  him  at  the  third 
hour  of  the  day,  that  is  in  the  prime 
of  life,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years,  so  he  trusted,  that  in  his 
infinite  goodness  he  would  gra- 
ciously call  the  other  at  the  eleventh 
hour  of  his  old  age,  and  give 
him  an  eternal  inheritance  among 
the  saints  in  light. 

After  much  conversation  had 
passed,  and  many  efforts  were 
tried  in  vain,  Palmer  was  remand- 
ed back  to  prison  ;  but  the  other 
men,  John  Gwin  and  Thomas 
Askine,  were  brought  into  the  con- 
sistory court,  received  their  defini- 
tive sentence,  and  were  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  power,  to  be 
burned  as  heretics. 

Though  the  particular  exami- 
nations and  answers  of  these  two 
martyrs  are  not  recorded,  there 
is  no  doubt  but  they  were  of  the 
same  faith,  and  equally  steadfast 
in  it,  as  their  fellow  sufferer  Pal- 
mer ;  but  they  were  very  illiterate, 
from  whence  it  is  supposed  their 
examination  was  short,  they  not 
being  capable  of  making  any  de- 
fence. 

The  next  morning  the  commis- 
sioners required  Julius  Palmer  to 
subscribe  to  certain  articles  which 
they  had  gathered  from  his  an- 
swers, bxit  which  they  described 
by  those  odious  epithets  and  terms, 
horrid,  heretical,  damnable,  and 
execrable  ;  this,  when  he  had  read, 
he  refused  to  subscribe,  affirming, 
that  the  doctrine  which  he  held 
and  professed  was  not  such,  but 
agreeable  to,  and  founded  on,  the 
word  of  God. 

Jeffrey  being  now  greatly  incen- 
sed. Palmer  consented  to  subscribe, 
provided  they  would  strike  out 
those  odious  epithets  ;  upon  which 
they  gave  him  a  pen,  and  bid  him 
do  as  he  pleased,  when  he  made 


THREE  WOMEN  AND  AN  INFANT. 


&89 


sucli  alterations  as  he  thought  pro- 
per, and  then  subscribed. 

Having  thus  set  his  hand  to  the 
articles  which  they  had  drawn  up, 
they  asked  him  if  he  would  re- 
cant ;  but  he  peremptorily  refus- 
ing, they  pronounced  sentence 
against  him,  and  he  was  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  power. 

Wliile  he  was  in  prison  he  gave 
great  comfort  to  his  two  fellow- 
sufferers,  and  strongly  exhorted 
them  to  hold  fast  to  the  faith  they 
had  professed.  On  the  day  of 
their  execution,  about  an  hour  be- 
fore they  were  led  to  the  stake,  he 
addressed  them  in  words  to  the 
following  effect: 

"  Brethren,  be  of  good  cheer  in 
the  Lord,  and  faint  not;  remember 
the  words  of  our  Saviour  Christ, 
who  saith,  '  Happy  are  ye  when 
men  shall  revile  and  persecute  you 
for  my  sake :  rejoice,  and  be  ex- 
ceeding glad,  for  great  is  your  re- 
ward in  heaven.'  Fear  not  them 
that  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able 
to  hurt  the  soul;  God  is  faithful, 
and  will  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted 
above  what  we  are  able  to  bear. 
We  shall  end  our  lives  in  the  fire, 
but  wc  shall  exchange  them  for  a 
better  life  :  yea,  for  coals  we  shall 
receive  pearls;  for  God's  spirit 
certifieth  our  spirit,  that  he  hath 
prepared  for  us  blissful  mansions 
in  heaven  for  his  sake,  who  suffered 
for  us," 

These  words  not  only  strength- 
ened and  confirmed  the  resolution 
of  his  two  weak  brethren,  but  drew 
tears  from  many  of  the  multitude. 
When  they  were  brought  by 
the  high-sheriff  and  constables  of 
the  town  to  the  sand-pits,  (the 
place  appointed  for  their  execu- 
tion) they  fell  on  the  ground,  and 
Palmer,  with  an  audible  voice,  re- 
peated the  thirty-first  psalm:  but 
the  other  two  made  their  prayers 
secretly  to  Almighty  God. 

When  Palmer  arose  from  prayer, 
there  came  behind  him  two  popish 
priests,  exhorting  him  to  recant, 
and  save  his  soul. 

Our  martyr  exclaimed,  "  Away, 
away,  and  tempt  me  no  longer ! 
away !  I  say,  from  me,  all  ye  that 


work  iniquity,  for  the  Lord   hath 
heard  the  voice  of  niy  tears." 

When  they  were  chained  to  the 
stake  Palmer  thus  addressed  the 
spectators  ;  "  Good  people,  pray 
for  us,  that  we  persevere  to  the 
end,  and  for  Christ's  sake  beware 
of  popish  teachers,  for  they  deceive 
you." 

As  he  spoke  this,  one  of  the 
attendants  threw  a  fagot  at  him, 
which  striking  him  on  the  face, 
caused  the  blood  to  gush  out  from 
several  places  ;  but  this  cruel  be- 
haviour escaped  not  the  notice  or 
resentment  of  the  sheriff,  who  not 
only  upbraided  his  cruelty,  but 
manfully  retaliated  the  injury  on 
the  man,  who  had  thus  insulted  suf- 
fering innocence. 

When  the  fire  was  kindled,  and 
began  to  reach  their  bodies,  they 
lifted  up  their  hands  towards  hea- 
ven, and  cheerfully,  as  though  they 
felt  not  much  pain,  said,  "  Lord 
Jesu,  strengthen  us !  Lord  Jesu, 
assist  us!  Lord  Jesu,  receive  our 
souls !"  and  thus  they  continued 
without  any  struggling,  holding  up 
their  hands,  and  sometimes  beating 
upon  their  breasts,  and  calling  on 
the  name  of  Jesus,  till  they  ended 
their  mortal  lives,  and  exchanged  a 
scene  of  exquisite  paifi,  for  an 
everlasting  habitation  in  those  hea- 
venly mansions,  where  their  Al- 
mighty Father  reigns,  encompassed 
by  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
blissful  spirits. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  THREE  WOMEN  AND 
AN    INFANT,    IN    GUERNSEY. 

Of  all  the  singular  and  tragical 
histories  in  this  book,  nothing  can 
be  more  barbarous,  if  any  thing- 
can  equal,  the  inhumanity  of  this 
execution  upon  three  women  and 
an  infant,  whose  names  were  Ca- 
therine Cawches,  the  mother; 
Guillemine  Gilbert,  and  Perotine 
Massey,  her  daughters ;  and  an 
infant,  the  son  of  Perotine. 

These  innocent  victims  of  popish 
cruelty  owed  their  suffering  to  the 
following  circumstances.  A  wo- 
man, named  Gosset,  having  stolen 
a  cup,  took  it  to  Mrs.  Massey,  who 
lived  with  her  mother  and  sister, 
1 


690 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  requested  of  her  to  lend  her 
six-pence  upon  it.  The  latter, 
suspecting  the  theft,  at  first  re- 
fused ;  but  thinking  she  would  re- 
turn it  to  the  owner,  whom  she 
knew,  in  order  to  prevent  Gosset's 
taking  it  elsewhere,  gave  her  the 
sixpence,  and  made  known  the 
afiair  to  the  owner,  who  charging 
the  oflender  with  her  crime,  she 
confessed,  and  the  cup  was,  ac- 
cordingly, restored.  On  a  pretend- 
ed suspicion,  however,  that  Mrs. 
Massey,  with  her  mother  and  sis- 
ter, was  a  sharer  in  the  crime,  they 
were  accordingly  imprisoned  and 
brought  to  trial,  when  it  evidently 
appeared  that  they  were  perfectly 
innocent.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  they  did  not  attend  the  church, 
and  on  further  investigation,  they 
were  discovered  to  be,  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  papists,  heretics  ;  and 
they  v/ere,  consequently,  condemn- 
ed to  be  burnt. 

After  sentence  was  pronounced, 
the  hapless  women  appealed  to 
the  king,  queen,  and  council,  say- 
ing, "That  against  reason  and 
rio-ht  they  were  condemned,  and 
-  for  that  cause  they  made  their  ap- 
peal ;"  their  persecutors,  however, 
refused  to  receive  their  appeal,  but 
delivered  them  to  the  officers,  for 
execution  according  to  their  sen- 
tence. 

The  day  being  come  when  these 
innocents  should  suffer,  July  18, 
1556,  in  the  place  where  they  stood 
10  consummate  their  martyrdom 
were  three  stakes  set  up.  To  the 
middle  post  the  mother  was  bound, 
the  eldest  daughter  on  the  right 
hand,  and  the  youngest  on  the  left. 
They  were  first  strangled,  but  the 
rope  breaking  before  they  were 
dead,  they  fell  into  the  fire.  Pe- 
rotine,  who  was  then  in  a  very 
advanced  stage  of  pregnancy,  fell 
on  her  side,  and  her  womb  burst- 
ing asunder,  by  the  vehemency  of 
the  fiame,  the  infant,  being  a  male, 
fell  into  the  fire,  and  being  imme- 
diately taken  out  by  one  W.  House, 
.-was  laid  upon  the  grass. 

Then  was  the  child  carried  to 
tlie  provost,  and  from  him  to  the 
bailiff,    who    gave     order    thnt    it 


should  be  carried  back  again  and 
cast  into  the  fire.  And  so  the  in- 
fant, baptized  in  his  own  blood,  to 
fill  up  the  number  of  God's  inno- 
cent saints,  was  both  born  and 
died  a  martyr,  leaving  behind  a 
spectacle  wherein  the  whole  world 
may  see  the  Herodian  cruelty  of 
this  graceless  generation  of  popish 
tormentors,  to  their  perpetual 
shame  and  infamy. 

"  Now,"  says  Mr.  Fox,  "  as 
this  story,  perhaps,  for  the  horrible 
strangeness  of  the  fact,  will  be 
hardly  believed  by  some,  but  ra- 
ther thought  to  be  forged,  or  else 
more  amplified  by  me  than  truth 
will  bear  me  out,  therefore,  to  dis- 
charge my  credit  herein,  I  will  not 
only  mention  that  I  received  this 
story  by  the  faithful  relation  both 
of  the  French  and  English,  of  them 
which  were  there  present  wit- 
nesses and  lookers  on,  but  also 
have  hereto  annexed  the  true  sup- 
plication of  the  said  inhabitants  of 
Guernsey,  and  of  the  brother  of 
the  said  two  sisters,  complaining 
to  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  her  com- 
missioners, concerning  the  horri- 
bleness  of  the  act." 

Then  foUows  the  petition,  which, 
after  stating  the  cruelty  of  the  case, 
solicits  the  restoration  of  the  pro- 
perty of  the  martyrs,  which  had 
been  confiscated,  to  him,  as  the 
rightful  heir. 

This  being  presented  to  the 
queen's  commissioners,  in  the  year 
1562,  such  order  therein  was  taken, 
that  the  matter  being  further  ex- 
amined, the  dean  who  had  been 
instrumental  in  the  tragical  event, 
was  committed  to  prison,  and  dis- 
possessed of  all  his  livings.  So 
that  in  conclusion,  both  he,  and  all 
other  partakers  of  that  most  bloody 
and  barbarous  murder,  either  by 
conscience,  or  for  fear  of  the  law, 
were  driven  to  acknowledge  their 
trespass,  and  to  submit  themselves 
to  the  queen's  mercy. 

THREE    MARTYRS,    BURNT    AT  GRIN- 
STEAD  IN  SUSSEX. 

Near  about  the  same  time  that 
these  three  women,  and  the  in- 
fant,  were   burnt    at     Guernsey, 


THOMAS  MOOR— JOHN  JACKSON. 


591 


three  other  persons  suffered  at 
Grinstead,  in  Sussex,  two  men 
and  one  woman ;  the  names  of 
whom  were  Thomas  Dungatc, 
John  Foreman,  and  Mary  Tree, 
•who  for  righteousness'  sake  gave 
themselves  to  death  amidst  the  tor- 
ments of  the  fire,  patiently  abiding 
what  the  furious  rage  of  man  could 
say  or  work  against  them  ;  and  so 
ended  tlieir  lives  on  the  18th  of 
July,  in  the  year  1556. 

MARTYRDOM    OF    THOMAS    MOOR, 
AT    LEICESTER. 

As  the  bloody  rage  of  this  per- 
secution spared  neither  man,  wo- 
man nor  child,  lame  nor  blind, 
and  as  there  was  no  difference 
either  of  age  or  sex  considered, 
so  neither  was  there  any  condi- 
tion or  quality  respected  of  any 
person;  but  whosoever  he  were 
that  believed  not  as  the  papists 
did,  concerning  the  pope  and  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  were  he 
learned  or  unlearned,  wise  or  sim- 
ple, all  went  to  the  fire.  Thus 
this  poor  simple  man  named  Tho- 
mas Moor,  a  servant  in  the  town 
of  Leicester,  about  24  years  of 
age,  for  merely  expressing  his  be- 
lief that  "his  Maker  was  in  hea- 
ven and  not  in  the  pyx,"  was  there- 
upon apprehended  and  brought 
before  his  ordinary,  when  he  was 
first  asked,  "Whether  he  did  not 
believe  his  Maker  to  be  there  1" 
pointing  to  the  high  altar.  Which 
he  denied. 

"  How  then,"  said  the  bishop, 
"  dost  thou  believe  ?" 

The  young  man  answered,  "  As 
my  creed  doth  teach  me." 

Then  said  the  bishop,  "  And 
what  is  yonder  that  thou  seest 
above  the  altar  V 

He  answered,  "  Forsooth,  I  can- 
not tell  what  you  would  have  me 
to  see.  I  see  there  fine  clothes, 
with  golden  tassels,  and  other  gay 
matters  hanging  about  the  pyx : 
what  is  within  I  cannot  see." 

"  Why,"  said  the  bishop,  "  dost 
thou  not  believe  Christ  to  be  there, 
flesh,  blood,  and  bone?" 

"  No,  that  I  do  not,"  replied 
Moor. 


Whereupon  the  ordinary  making 
short  with  him,  read  the  sentence, 
and  so  condemned  this  faithful 
servant  of  Christ  to  death  ;  he  was 
accordingly  burnt,  and  suffered  a 
joyful  and  glorious  martyrdom  for 
the  testimony  of  righteousness, 
at  Leicester,  about  the  26th  day 
of  June,  1556. 

EXAMINATION    OF    JOHN    JACKSON, 
MARCH    11,    1556. 

There  is  so  much  Christian 
boldness  and  becoming  spirit  in 
the  answers  of  John  Jackson,  on 
his  examination  by  Dr.  Cook,  as 
related  by  himself,  that  we  give 
them,  although  we  have  no  certain 
account  of  his  ultimate  fate. 

"  First,  when  I  came  before  him, 
he  railed  on  me,  and  called  me 
heretic. 

I  answered  and  said,  I  am  no 
heretic. 

Cook.  Yes,  thou  art.  For  Mr. 
Read  told  me,  that  thou  wert  the 
rankest  heretic  of  all  of  them  in 
the  King's  Bench. 

Jackson.     I  know  him  not. 

Cook.  No  ?  Yes,  he  examined 
thee  at  the  King's  Bench. 

Jackson.  He  examined  five 
others,  but  not  me. 

Cook.  Then  answer  me :  what 
sayest  thou  to  the  blessed  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar?  Tell  me. 

Jackson.  It  is  a  vague  question 
to  ask  me  at  the  first  setting  off. 

Cook.     What  an  heretic  is  this ! 

Jackson.  It  is  easier  to  call  a 
man  heretic,  than  to  prove  him 
one. 

Cook.     What  church  art  thou  of? 

Jackson.  What  church?  I  am  of 
the  same  church  that  is  built  on  the 
foundation  of  the  prophets  and  the 
apostles,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being 
the  head  corner-stone. 

Cook.     Thou  art  an  heretic. 

Jackson.  How  can  that  be,  see- 
ing that  I  am  of  that  church?  I  am 
sure  that  you  will  not  say  that  the 
prophets  and  apostles  were  here- 
tics. 

Cook.  No.  But  what  sayest 
thou  to  the  blessed  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  again?     Tell  me. 

Jackson,     J  find  it  not  written. 


599, 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Cook.  No?  Keeper,  away  with 
him. 

Yet  I  tarried  there  long,  and  did 
talk  with  him ;  and  I  said,  Sir,  I 
am  content  to  be  tractable,  and 
obedient  to  the  word  of  God. 

Dr.  Cook  answered,  and  said  to 
me,  that  I  knew  not  what  the  word 
of  God  meant,  nor  yet  whether  it 
were  true  or  not. 

Jackson.     Yea,  that  I  do. 

Cook.     Whereby? 

Jackson.  Hereby,  said  I.  Our 
Saviour  Christ  saith,  '  Search  the 
Scriptures ;  for  in  them  you  think 
to  have  eternal  life.  For  they  be 
they  that  testify  of  me.' 

Cook.     That  is  a  wise  proof. 

Jackson.  Is  it  so?  What  say 
you  then  to  these  words,  that  the 
prophet  David  said?  '  Whatsoever 
he  be  that  feareth  the  Lord,  He 
will  shew  him  the  way  that  he  hath 
chosen:  his  soul  shall  dwell  at 
ease,  and  his  seed  shall  possess 
the  land.  The  secrets  of  the  Lord 
are  among  them  that  fear  him,  and 
he  sheweth  them  his  covenant.' 

Cook.  Well,  you  shall  be  rid 
shortly,  one  way  or  other. 

Jackson.  My  life  lieth  not  in 
men's  hands,  therefore  no  man 
shall  do  more  unto  me  than  God 
will  suifer  him. 

Cook.  No?  Thou  art  a  stubborn 
and  naughty  fellow. 

Jackson.  You  cannot  so  judge 
of  me,  except  you  did  see  some  evil 
by  me. 

Cook.  No?  Why  may  not  I 
judge  thee,  as  well  as  thou  and  thy 
fellows  judge  us,  and  call  us  pa- 
pists? 

Jackson.  Why,  that  is  no  judg- 
ment: but  Christ  saith,  'If  you 
refuse  mc,  and  receive  not  my 
word,  you  have  one  that  judgeth 
you.  The  word  that  I  have  spoken 
unto  you  now,  shall  judge  you  in 
the  last  day.' 

Cook.  I  pray  thee  tell  me,  who 
is  the  head  of  the  congregation? 

Jackson.     Christ  is  the  head. 

Cook.  But  who  is  head  on 
earth? 

Jackson.  Christ  hath  members 
here  on  earth. 

Cook.    Who  are  they  ? 


Jackson.  They  that  are  ruled  by 
the  word  of  God. 

Cook.     You  are  a  good  fellow. 

Jackson.     1  am  that  I  am. 

Then  Dr.  Cook  said  to  my 
keeper.  Have  him  to  prison  again. 

I  am  contented  with  that,  said  I ; 
and  so  we  departed. 

I  answered  no  further  in  this  mat- 
ter, because  I  thought  he  should 
not  have  my  blood  in  a  corner. 
But  I  hope,  in  the  living  God, 
that  when  the  time  shall  come, 
before  the  congregation  I  shall 
shake  their  building  after  an- 
other manner  of  fashion.  For 
they  build  but  upon  the  sand,  and 
their  walls  are  daubed  with  un- 
tempered  mortar,  and  therefore 
they  cannot  stand  long. 

Therefore,  good  brothers  and 
sisters,  be  of  good  cheer:  for  I 
trust  in  my  God,  I  and  my  other 
fellow-prisoners  shall  go  joyfully 
before  you,  praising  God  most 
heartily,  that  we  are  counted 
worthy  to  be  witnesses  of  his  truth. 
I  pray  you  accept  my  simple  an- 
swer at  this  time,  committing  you 
unto  God." 

MARTYRDOM     OF     JOAN      WASTE,      A 
POOR    BLIND    WOMAN,    AT    DERBY. 

This  poor  woman,  during  the 
time  of  king  Edward  VI.,  used  to 
frequent  the  church  to  hear  divine 
service  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  toge- 
ther with  homilies  and  sermons,  by 
which  means  she  became  confirmed 
and  established  in  the  principles  of 
the  reformed  religion. 

Having  purchased  a  New  Testa- 
ment in  English,  she  applied  to  an 
old  man,  whom  she  paid  for  read- 
ing such  passages  as  she  directed 
him;  by  which  means  she  became 
so  well  versed  in  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures, that  she  could  repeat  entire 
chapters  by  heart,  and,  by  citing 
proper  texts  of  Scripture,  would 
reprove  the  errors  in  religion,  as 
well  as  the  vicious  customs  and 
practices  that  prerailed  in  those 
days. 

Thus  did  this  pious  woman  in- 
crease in  the  knowledge  of  God's 
word,  leading  a  life  of  exemplary 
godliness,  without  molestation,  or 


JOAN  WASTIS. 


595 


any   kind   of  interruption,    during 
the  reign  of  king  Edward. 

But  on  his  death,  and  the  re  in- 
troduction of  popery,  on  the  acces- 
sion of  queen  Mary,  because  she 
continued  steadfast  in  the  profes- 
sion of  that  faith  she  had  embraced 
from  a  knowledge  of  the  divine 
word,  and  refused  to  communicate 


with  those  who  maintained  con- 
trary doctrines,  she  was  brought 
before  Dr.  Ralph  Bayn,  bishop  of 
Lichtield  and  Coventry,  and  Dr. 
Draycott,  the  chancellor,  as  one 
suspected  of  heresies,  and  by 
them  committed  to  the  prison  of 
Derby. 


Biahop  Latimsr  eiamined  before  a   Popiih   Tiibinial, 


She  was  several  times  privately 
examined  by  Peter  Finch,  the  bi- 
shop's oflicial;  and  afterwards 
brought  to  public  examination  be- 
fore the  bishop,  his  chancellor, 
and  several  more  of  the  queen's 
commissioners  ;  when  the  follow- 
ing articles  were  alleged  against 
her: 

1.  That  she  held  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar  to  be  only  a  memorial, 
or  representation  of  Christ's  body, 
and  material  bread  and  wine  ;  and 
that  it  ought  not  to  be  reserved 
from  time  to  time,  but  immediately 
received. 

2.  That  she  held,   that  in   the 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


receiving  the  sacrament  of  the  al- 
tar she  did  not  receive  the  same 
body  that  was  born  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  and  suflered  on  the  cross, 
for  tlie  redemption  of  mankind. 

3.  That  she  held,  that  Christ,  at 
his  last  supper,  did  not  only 
bless  the  bread  which  he  had  then 
in  his  hands,  but  was  blessed  him- 
self; and  that,  by  virtue  of  the 
words  of  consecration,  the  sub- 
stance of  the  bread  and  wine  was 
not  converted,  nor  turned  into  the 
substance  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ. 

4.  That  she  granted  she  was  of 
the  parish  of  Allhallows,  in  Derby, 

38 


594 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  that  all  and  singular  the  pie- 
inises  were  true. 

To  these  respective  articles  she 
answered,  that  she  believed  just 
as  much  as  the  holy  Scriptures 
taught  her,  and  according  to  what 
she  had  heard  preached  by  many 
pious  and  learned  men;  some  of 
whom  had  suffered  imprisonment, 
and  others  death,  for  the  same  doc- 
trine. 

Among  others,  she  mentioned 
Dr.  Taylor,  and  asked,  if  they 
would  follow  his  example  in  testi- 
mony of  their  doctrine?  which,  un- 
less they  were  willing  to  do,  she 
desired,  for  God's  sake,  they 
would  not  trouble  her,  (being  a 
poor,  blind,  and  illiterate  woman), 
declaring,  at  the  same  time,  she 
was  ready  to  yield  up  her  life  in 
defence  of  that  faith  she  had  pub- 
licly professed. 

The  bishop,  and  his  chancellor, 
urged  many  arguments  in  proof  of 
tiie  real  presence  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  demanding  why  Christ 
\i'as  not  as  able  to  make  bread  his 
body,  as  to  turn  water  into  wine,  to 
raise  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  and 
the  like,  threatening  her,  at  the 
same  time,  with  imprisonment,  tor- 
ments, and  death. 

The  poor  woman,  terrified  at 
these  threatenings,  told  the  bishop, 
if  he  would,  before  that  company, 
take  it  upon  his  conscience,  that  the 
doctrine  which  he  would  have  her 
to  believe,  concerning  the  sacra- 
ment, was  true,  and  that  he  would, 
at  the  awful  tribunal  of  God,  an- 
swer for  her  therein,  (as  Dr.  Tay- 
lor, in  several  sermons,  had  of- 
fered), she  would  then  further  an- 
swer them. 

The  bishop  declaring  that  he 
would,  the  chancellor  said  to  him, 
"  My  lord,  you  know  not  what  you 
do ;  you  may  in  no  case  answer  for 
an  heretic." 

The  bishop,  struck  by  this  inter- 
position of  the  chancellor,  de- 
manded of  the  woman,  whether 
she  would  recant  or  not,  and  told 
ber  she  should  answer  for  herself. 

Tliis  honest  Christian  finding,  at 
length,  they  designed  but  to  pre- 
varicate, told  his  lordship,  that  if 


he  refused  to  take  upon  himself  to 
answer  for  the  truth  of  what  they 
required  her  to  believe,  she  would 
answer  no  farther,  but  desired  them 
to  do  their  pleasure. 

In  consequence  of  this,  sentence 
of  death  was  pronounced  against 
her,  and  she  was  delivered  to  the 
sheriff,  who  immediately  re-con- 
ducted her  to  the  prison. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  1556,  the 
day  appointed  for  her  execution, 
she  was  led  to  the  stake.  Imme- 
diately on  her  arrival  at  the  fatal 
spot,  she  knelt  down,  and,  in  the 
most  fervent  manner,  repeated  se- 
veral prayers,  desiring  the  specta- 
tors to  pray  also  for  her  departing 
soul.  Having  finished  her  prayers 
she  arose,  and  was  fastened  to  the 
stake;  when  the  fagots  being 
lighted,  she  called  on  the  Lord  to 
have  mercy  on  her,  and  continued 
so  to  do,  till  the  flames  deprived 
her  both  of  speech  and  life.  And 
thus  did  this  poor  woman  quit  this 
mortal  stage,  to  obtain  a  life  of 
immortality,  the  sure  and  certain 
reward  of  all  tliose  who  suffer  for 
the  sake  of  the  true  gospel  of  their 
blessed  Redeemer. 

VARIOUS    MARTYRDOMS. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1556, 
one  Edward  Sharp  was  burnt  at 
Bristol;  and  on  the  25th  of  the 
same  month,  a  young  man,  by  trade 
a  carpenter,  suffered  at  the  same 
place. 

The  day  preceding  the  last  mar- 
tyrdom, John  Hart,  a  shoemaker, 
and  Thomas  Ravendale,  a  cur- 
rier, were  burnt  at  Mayfield,  in 
Sussex.     And, 

On  the  27th  of  the  same  month, 
one  John  Horn,  and  a  woman, 
whose  name  is  unknown,  suffered 
at  Wooton-under-Edge,  in  Glou- 
cestershire. 

All  these  martyrs  submitted  to 
their  fate  with  the  most  Christian 
fortitude,  giving  glory  to  God  for 
having  numbered  them  among  the 
followers  and  advocates  of  his  most 
holy  gospel. 

FIVE  PERSONS  STARVED  TO  DEATH. 

The  last  on  record,  who  suffered 


FIVE  PERSONS  STARVED  TO  DEATH. 


595 


for  the  truth  of  the  gospel  in  tlie 
bloody  year  1556,  were  five  persons, 
(coafincd,  with  many  others,  in 
Canterbury  eastle)  who  Avere  cru- 
elly starved  to  death.  Their 
names  were  as  follow: — William 
Foster,  Alice  Potkins,  and  John 
Archer,  who  had  been  condemned; 
John  Clark,  and  Dunstan  Chit- 
tenden, who  had  not  been  con- 
demned. 

The  cruel  usage  these  unhappy 
persons  suffered  from  their  unfeel- 
ing persecutors,  is  displayed  in  a 
letter  written  by  one  of  them,  and 
thrown  out  of  the  window  of  the 
prison ;  of  which  the  following  is 
an  exact  copy : 

"  Be  it  known  unto  all  men  that 
shall  read,  or  hear  read,  these  onr 
letters,  that  we  the  poor  prisoners 
of  the  castle  of  Canterbury,  for 
God's  truth,  are  kept,  and  lie  in, 
cold  irons,  and  our  keepers  will 
not  suffer  any  meat  to  be  brought 
to  us  to  comfort  us.  Arid  if  any 
man  do  bring  us  any  thing,  as 
bread,  butter,  cheese,  or  any  other 
food,  the  said  keeper  will  charge 
them  that  so  bring  us  any  thing,  ex- 
cept money  or  raiment,  to  carry  it 
them  again;  or  else,  if  he  do  receive 
any  food  of  any  for  us,  he  doth  keep  it 
for  himself,  and  he  and  his  servants 
do  spend  it,  so  that  we  have  no- 
thing thereof;  and  thus  the  keeper 
keepeth  away  our  victuals  from  us: 
insomuch,  that  there  are  foiir  of  us 
prisoners  there  for  God's  truth  fa- 
mished already ;  and  thus  it  is  his 
mind  to  famish  us  all :  and  we  think 
he  is  appointed  thereunto  by  the  bi- 
shops and  priests,  and  also  of  the 
justices,  so  to  famish  us;  and  not 
only  us  of  the  said  castle,  but  also 
all  other  prisoners,  in  other  prisons, 
for  the  like  cause  to  be  also  famish- 
ed :  notwithstanding,  we  write  not 
these  our  letters,  to  that  intent  we 
might  not  afford  to  be  famished  for 
the  Lord  Jesus'  sake,  but  for  this 
catiSe  and  intent,  that  they,  having 
no  law  to  famish  us  in  prison, 
should  not  do  it  privily,  but  that 
the  murderers'  hearts  should  be 
op61fly  known  to  all  the  world,  that 


all  men  may  know  of  what  church 
they  are,  and  who  is  their  father. — 
Out  of  the  castle  of  Canterbury." 

Among  the  others  confined  with 
these  five  were  ten  men,  who  hav- 
ing been  examined  by  Dr.  Thorn- 
ton, suffragan  of  Dover,  and  Nicho- 
las Harpstield,  archdeacon  of  Can- 
terbury, were  sentenced  to  be 
burnt.  They  had  been  confined  a 
considerable  time,  but  their  sen- 
tence was.  at  length,  put  into  exe- 
cution ;  and  they  were  the  first 
who  opened  the  bloody  transactions 
of  the  year  1557.  Their  names  wer-e 
as  follow: — Stephen  Kemp,  of 
Norgate ;  William  Waterer,  of 
Beddingden ;  W.  Prowting,  of 
Thornham;  W.  Lowick,  of  Cran- 
broke;  Thomas  Hudson,  of  Sa- 
lenge;  William  Hay,  of  Hithe  ; 
ThomasStephens,  of  Beddingden ; 
John  Philpot,  Nicholas  Final, 
and  Matthew  Braddridge,  all  of 
Tenterden. 

The  six  first  were  burnt  at  Can- 
terbury on  the  15th  of  January, 
1557;  Stephens  and  Philpot  suffer- 
ed the  next  day  at  Wye;  and  Final 
and  Bradbridge  the  day  after,  at 
Ashford. 

They  all  bore  their  sufferings 
with  Christian  fortitude,  rejoicing 
that  their  troubles  were  drawing  to 
an  end,  and  that  they  should  leave 
this  world,  for  that  where  the  weary 
are  at  rest. 

further  persecutions. 

Notwithstanding    the   numerous" 
sacrifices  that  had  been  made  in  va-' 
rious  parts  of  the  kingdom^    since' 
the    accession  of  queen  Mary,  in 
order  to  gratify  the  barbarous  bi- 
gotry of  that  infatuated  princess, 
yet  they  were  far  from  being  at  au 
end.     Naturally    disposed    to    ty-' 
ranny,     and     encouraged     in    her. 
blood-thirsty     principles     by     that' 
monster  in  human  form,    Bonner, 
bishop  of  London,  she  deterrbine'ct 
to  compel  all  her  subjects,  who  dif- 
fered from  herself  in  religious  sen- 
timents,   either   to   submit  to  her 
maxims,  or  fall  victims  to  "her  insa- 
tiable vengeance. 


596 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


To  facilitate  this  horrid  intention, 
in  the  beginning  of  February,  1557, 
she  issued  the  following  proclama- 
tion, which  was,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, promoted  by  bishop  Bonner, 
whose  diabolical  soul,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  hers,  thirsted  after  the 
blood  of  those  who  worshipped  God 
in  purity  of  heart. 

"  Philip  and  Mary,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  king  and  queen  of  England, 
&c.  To  the  right  reverend  father 
in  God,  our  right  trusty  and  well- 
beloved  counsellor  Thomas,  bishop 
of  Ely,  and  to  our  right  trusty  and 
well-beloved  William  Windsore, 
knight,  lord  Windsore ;  Edward 
North,  knight,  lord  North  ;  and  to 
our  trusty  and  well-beloved  coun- 
sellor J.  Bourn,  knight,  one  of  our 
chief  secretaries,  J.  Mordaunt, 
knight,  Francis  Englefield,  knight, 
master  of  our  wards  and  liveries, 
Edward  Walgrave,  knight,  master 
of  our  great  wardrobe,  Nicholas 
Hare,  knight,  master  of  the  rolls, 
Thomas  Pope,  knight,  Roger 
Cholmley,  knight,  Richard  Rede, 
knight,  Rowland  Hill,  knight,  Wil- 
liam Rastal,  Serjeant  at  law,  Henry 
Cole,  clerk,  dean  of  Paul's,  Wil- 
liam Roper,  and  Ralph  Cholmley, 
esquires,  William  Cook,  Thomas 
Martin,  John  Story,  and  John 
Vaughan,  doctors  of  the  law,  greet- 
ing. 

"  Forasmuch  as  divers  devilish 
and  slanderous  persons  have  not 
only  invented,  bruited,  and  set 
forth  divers  false  rumours,  tales, 
and  seditious  slanders  against  us, 
but  also  have  sown  divers  heresies, 
and  heretical  opinions,  and  set  forth 
divers  seditious  books  within  thisour 
realm  of  England,  meaning  thereby 
to  stir  up  division,  strife,  conten- 
tion, and  sedition,  not  only  amongst 
our  loving  subjects,  but  also  be- 
twixt us  and  our  said  subjects,  with 
divers  other  outrageous  misde- 
meanors, enormities,  contempts, 
and  oflences,  daily  committed  and 
done,  to  the  disquieting  of  us  and 
our  people :  we,  minding  the  due 
punishment  of  such  offenders,  and 
the  repressing  of  such  like  offences, 


enormities,  and  misbehaviours  from 
henceforth,  having  special  trust  and 
confidence  in  your  fidelities,  wis- 
doms, and  discretions,  have  autho- 
rized, appointed,  and  assigned  you 
to  be  our  commissioners  ;  and  by 
these  presents  do  give  full  power 
and  authority  unto  you,  and  three 
of  you,  to  inquire,  as  well  by  the 
oaths  of   twelve   good  and  lawful 
men,  as  by  witnesses,  and  all  other 
means   and   politic  ways  you   can 
devise,  of  all  and  singular  heretical 
opinions,   loUardies,  heretical  and 
seditious  books,  concealments,  con- 
tempts, conspiracies,  and  all  false 
rumours,  tales,  seditious   and  slan- 
derous words  or   sayings,   raised, 
published,  bruited,  invented,  or  set 
forth  against  us,  or  either  of  us,  or 
against  the    quiet  governance  and 
rule  of  our  people  and  subjects,  by 
boG-ks,  lies,  tales,  or  otherwise,  in 
any  county,  key,  bowing,  or  other 
place  or  places,    within    this    our 
realm  of  England,  or  elsewhere,  in 
any  place,  or  places,   beyond   the 
seas,  and  of  the  bringers  in,  utter- 
ers,  buyers,  sellers,  readers,  keep- 
ers, or  conveyers  of  any  such  letter, 
book,  rumour,  and  tale;  and  of  all 
and  every  their  coadjutors,  coun- 
sellors, comforters,  procurers,  abet- 
tors and  maintainers,  giving  unto 
you,  and  three  of  you,   full  power 
and  authority,  by  virtue  hereof,  to 
search    out,    and    take   into    your 
hands  and  possessions,  all  manner 
of    heretical   and  seditious  books, 
letters,  and  writings,  wheresoever 
they,  or  any  of  them,  shall  be  found, 
as   well    in    printers'    houses   and 
shops   as  elsewhere,    willing  you, 
and  every  of  you,  to  search  for  the 
same   in    all  places,    according  to 
your  discretions. 

"  And  also  to  inquire,  hear,  and 
determine,  all  and  singular  enor- 
mities, disturbances,  misbehaviours, 
and  negligences  committed  in  any 
church,  chapel,  or  other  hallowed 
place  within  this  realm ;  and  also 
for  and  concerning  the  taking  away, 
or  withholding  any  lands,  tene- 
ments, goods,  ornaments,  stocks  of 
money,  or  other  things  belonging  to 
every  of  the  same  churches   and 


TWENTY-TWO  PERSONS  APPREHENDED.        597 


chapels,  and  all  accounts  and  rec- 
konings concerning  the  same. 

"  And  also  to  inquire  and  search 
out  all  such  persons  as  obstinately 
do  refuse  to  receive  the  blessed  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  to  hear  mass, 
or  to  come  to  their  parish  churches, 
or  other  convenient  places  appoint- 
ed for  divine  service;  and  all  such 
as  refuse  to  go  on  procession,  to 
take  holy  bread,  or  holy  water,  or 
otiierwise  do  misuse  themselves  in 
any  church,  or  other  hallowed 
places,  wheresoever  any  of  the 
same  oiTences  have  been,  or  here- 
after shall  be  committed,  within  this 
our  said  reahn. 

"  Nevertheless,  our  will  and 
pleasure  is,  that  when,  and  as  often 
as  any  person,  or  persons,  here- 
after being  called  or  convened  be- 
fore you,  do  obstinately  persist,  or 
stand  in  any  manner  of  heresy,  or 
heretical  opinion,  that  then  ye,  or 
three  of  you,  do  immediately  take 
order,  thatthe  same  person,  or  per- 
sons, so  standing,  or  persisting,  be 
delivered  and  committed  to  his  or- 
dinary, there  to  be  used  according 
to  the  spiritual  and  ecclesiastical 
laws. 

"  And  also  we  give  unto  you,  or 
three  of  you,  full  power  and  autho- 
rity, to  inquire  and  search  out  all 
vagabonds,  and  masterless  men, 
barretours,  quarrellers,  and  sus- 
pected persons,  abiding  within  our 
city  of  London,  and  ten  miles  com- 
pass of  the  same,  and  all  assaults 
and  affrays  done  and  committed 
within  the  same  city  and  compass. 

"  And  further,  to  search  out  all 
wastes,  decays,  and  ruins  of 
churches,  chancels,  chapels,  par- 
sonages, and  \icarages,  in  the  dio- 
cese of  the  same,  being  within  this 
realm,  giving  you,  and  every  of 
you,  full  power  and  authority,  by 
virtue  hereof,  to  hear  and  deter- 
mine the  same,  and  all  other  offen- 
ces and  matters  above  specified 
and  rehearsed,  according  to  your 
wisdoms,  consciences,  and  discre- 
tions, willing  and  commanding  you, 
or  three  of  you,  from  time  to  time, 
to  use  and  devise  all  such  politic 
ways  and  means,  for  the  trial  and 
searching  out  of  the  premises,  as 


by  you,  or  three  of  you,  shall  be 
thought  most  expedient  and  neces- 
sary: and  upon  inquiry,  and  due 
proof  had,  known,  perceived,  and 
tried  out,  by  the  confession  of  the 
parties,  or  by  sufficient  witnesses 
before  you,  or  three  of  you,  con- 
cerning the  premises,  or  any  part 
thereof,  or  by  any  other  ways  or 
means  requisite,  to  give  and  award 
such  punishment  to  the  offenders, 
by  fine,  imprisonment,  or  other- 
wise; and  to  take  such  order  for 
redress  and  reformation  of  the  pre- 
mises, as  to  your  wisdoms,  or  three 
of  you,  shall  be  thought  meet  and 
convenient. 

"  Further  willing  and  command- 
ing you,  and  every  three  of  you,  in 
case  you  shall  find  any  person,  or 
persons,  obstinate  or  disobedient, 
either  in  their  appearance  before 
you,  or  three  of  you,  at  your  call- 
ing or  assignment,  or  else  in  not 
accomplishing,  or  not  obeying  your 
decrees,  orders,  and  command- 
ments, in  any  thing  or  things, 
touching  the  premises,  or  any  part 
thereof,  to  commit  the  same  per- 
son, or  persons,  so  offending,  to 
ward,  there  to  remain,  till  by  you, 
or  three  of  you,  he  be  discharged 
or  delivered,  &c." 

ACCOUNT  OF  TWENTY-TWO  PERSONS 
APPREHENDED  AT  COLCHESTER, 
AND  BROUGHT  TO  LONDON,  FOR 
EXAMINATION    BY    BONNER. 

The  proclamation  which  we  have 
given  above,  was  issued  on  the  8th 
of  February,  1557,  and  gave  the  new 
inquisition  an  opportunity  of  ex- 
tending their  horrid  ravages ;  so 
that  persecution  universally  pre- 
vailed, and  most  of  the  gaols  in  the 
kingdom  were  crowded  with  pri- 
soners, for  the  true  faith. 

The  rage  of  persecution  was  par- 
ticularly prevalent  in  and  about  the 
town  of  Colchester,  insomuch  that 
twenty-three  persons  were  appre- 
hended together,  of  which  number 
one  only  escaped;  the  others  being 
sent  up  to  London,  in  order  to 
abide  by  the  award  of  the  blood}' 
tribunals  These  poor  people  con- 
sisted of  fourteen  men  and  eight 
women,  who  were  fastened  toge- 
1 


598 


BAOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


t^r,  with  a  chain  placed  between 
them,  each  perfion  being  at  the 
same  time  tied  separately  with  a 
cord  round  the  arm.  Ou  their  en- 
trance into  the  city  they  were  pi- 
pjonpd,  and  in  that  manner  conduct- 
ed to  Newgate. 

Before  we  proceed  to  relate  far- 
ther particulars  relative  to  these 
innocent  victims  of  persecution,  it 
maj  not  be  improper,  in  order  to 
give  the  reader  a  just  idea  of  that 
miscalled  reUgion  whiph  can  justi- 
fy such  horrid  cruelty  and  injustice, 
to  lay  before  our  readers  the  popish 
commissary's  letter  to  bishop  Bon- 
ner on  this  occasion.  It  was  as 
follows : 

"  After  my  duty  done  in  receiv- 
ing and  accomplishing  your  ho- 
nourable and  most  loving  letters, 
dated  August  7,  be  it  known  unto 
your  lordship,  that  the  28th  of  Au- 
gust, the  lord  of  Oxenford,  lord 
barcy,  H.  Tyrel,  A.  Brown,  W^ 
Bendelows,  E.  Tyrel,  R.  Weston, 
B-,  Appleton,  published  their  com- 
mission, to  seize  the  lauds,  tene- 
ments, and  goods  of  the  fugitives, 
so  that  the  owners  should  have 
neither  use  nor  advantage  thereof, 
but  by  inventory  remain  in  safe 
keeping,  until  the  cause  were  de- 
termined. 

"  And  also  there  was  likewise 
proclaimed  the  queen's  warrant  for 
the  restitution  of  the  church  goods 
within  Colchester,  and  the  hun- 
dreds thereabout,  to  the  use  of 
God's  service.  And  then  were 
called  the  parishes  particularly, 
and  the  heretics  partly  committed 
to  my  examination.  And  that  di- 
vers persons  should  certify  me  of 
the  ornaments  of  their  churches, 
betwixt  this  and  the  justices'  next 
appearance,  which  shall  be  on  Mi- 
chaelmas next.  And  the  parishes, 
which  had  presented  at  two  several 
times,  to  have  all  ornaments,  with 
other  things,  in  good  order,  were 
exonerated  for  ever,  till  they  werfi 
warned  again,  and  others  to  make 
their  appearance  from  time  to 
time.  And  those  names  blotted  in 
the  indenture,  were  indicted  for 
treason,  fugitives,  or  disobedient?, 


and  were  put  forth  by  Mr.  Brown's 
commandment.  And  before  the 
sealing,  my  lord  Darcy  said  unto 
me  apart,  and  Mr.  Bendelows,  that 
I  should  have  sufficient  time  to 
send  unto  your  lordship ;  yea,  if 
need  were,  the  heretics  to  remain 
in  durance  till  I  had  an  answer 
from  you,  yea,  till  the  lord  legate's 
grace's  commissioners  come  into 
the  country. 

"  And  Mr,  Brown  came  unto  ray 
lord  Darcy's  house  and  parlour,  be- 
longing unto  Mr.  Barnaby,  before 
my  said  lord,  and  all  the  justices, 
and  laid  his  hand  on  my  shoulder, 
with  a  smiling  countenance,  and 
desired  me  to  make  his  hearty  com- 
mendations to  your  good  lordship, 
and  asked  me  if  I  would :  and  I 
said.  Yea,  with  a  good  will. 
Wherefore  I  w  as  glad,  and  thought 
that  I  should  not  have  been 
charged  with  so  sudden  carriage. 

"  But  after  dinner,  the  justices 
counselled  with  the  bailiffs,  and 
with  the  gaolers,  and  then  after 
took  me  unto  them,  and  made  col- 
lation of  their  indentures,  and  seal- 
ed them ;  and  then  My.  Brown  com- 
manded me  this  afternoon,  being 
the  30th  of  August,  to  go  and  re- 
ceive my  prisoners  by  and  by.  And 
then  I  said.  It  is  an  unreasonable 
commandment,  for  that  I  have  at- 
tended on  you  here  these  three 
days,  and  this  Sunday  early  I  have 
sent  home  my  men.  Wherefore,  I 
desire  you  to  have  a  convenient 
time  appointed,  wherein  I  may 
know,  whether  it  will  please  my 
lord,  my  master,  to  send  his  com- 
missioners hither,  or  that  I  shall 
make  carriage  of  them  unto  his 
lordship.  Then  Mr.  Brown  «aid, 
We  are  certified  that  the  council 
have  written  to  your  master  to 
make  speed,  and  to  rid  these  pri- 
soners out  of  hand :  therefore  go 
receive  your  prisoners  in  haste.  I 
answered.  Sir,  I  shall  receive  them 
within  these  ten  days.  Then  Mr. 
Brown  said,  The  limitation  lieth  in 
us,  and  not  in  you,  wherefore  get 
you  hence. 

"  I  replied.  Sir,  ye  have  indicted 
and  delivered  me  by  this  indenture, 
whose  faith  or  opinions  I  knew  not, 


LETTER  TO  BONNER. 


599 


trusting  that  ye  will  grant  me  a 
time  to  examine  them,  lest  I  should 
punish  the  Catholies.  Well,  said 
Mr.  Brown,  for  that  cause  ye  shall 
have  time  betwixt  this  and  Wed- 
nesday. And  I  say  unto  you,  Mr. 
bailiif,  if  he  do  not  receive  them 
at  your  hands  on  Wednesday,  set 
open  your  door,  and  let  them  go. 

"  Then  I  said.  My  lord,  and 
masters  all,  I  promise  to  discharge 
the  town  and  country  of  these  he- 
retics within  these  ten  days.  The 
lord  Darcy  answered,  Commissary, 
we  do  and  must  all  agree  in  one. 
WhereTore  do  ye  receive  them  on 
or  before  Wednesday. 

"  To  which  I  replied.  My  lord, 
the  last  I  carried,  1  was  going  be- 
twixt the  castle  and  St.  Catharine 
chapel  two  hours  and  a  half,  and 
in  great  press  and  danger  :  where- 
fore this  may  be  to  desire  your 
lordship,  to  give  in  commandment 
unto  Mr.  Sayer,  my  bailift"  here 
present,  to  aid  me  through  his  liber- 
ties, not  only  with  men  and  wea- 
pons, but  that  the  town-clerk  may 
be  ready  there  with  his  book  to 
write  the  names  of  the  most  busy 
persons,  and  this  upon  three  hours 
warning ;  all  which  both  my  lord 
and  Mr.  Brown  commanded. 

"The  31st  of  August,  William 
Goodwin  of  Muchbirch,  husband- 
man, this  bringer,  and  Thomas 
Alsey  of  Copford,  your  lordship's 
apparitor  of  your  consistory  in 
Colchester,  covenanted  with  me, 
that  they  should  hire  two  other 
men  at  the  least;  whereof  one 
should  be  a  bowman,  to  come  to 
me  the  next  day  about  two  of  the 
clock  in  the  afternoon,  so  that  I 
might  recite  this  bargain  before 
Mr.  Archdeacon ;  and  pay  the  mo- 
ney, that  is,  forty-six  shillings  and 
eight  pence.  Wherefore  they 
should  then  go  forth  with  me  unto 
Colchester,  and  on  Wednesday,  be- 
fore three  of  the  clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, receive  there  at  my  hand, 
within  the  castle  and  mote-hall, 
fourteen  men,  and  eight  women, 
bound  with  cords  and  fetters,  and 
drive,  carry,  or  lead,  and  feed  with 
meat  and  drink,  as  heretics  oug!;t 
to  be   found  continually,  unto  such 


time  that  the  said  Goodwin  and 
Alsey  shall  cause  the  said  two  and 
twenty  i>ersons  to  be  delivered 
unto  my  lord  of  London's  officers, 
and  within  the  safe  keeping  of  my 
said  lord,  and  then  to  bring  unto 
me  again  the  said  fetters,  with  a 
perfect  token  of  or  frMn  my  said 
lord,  and  then  this  covenant  is  void, 
or  else,  &c. 

"  Mr.  Bendelows  said  unto  me 
in  my  lord  of  Oxenford's  chamber 
at  the  King's-head,  after  I  had 
said  mass  before  the  lords,  that  on 
the  morrow  after  Holy-Rood  day, 
when  we  shall  meet  at  Chelmsford 
for  the  division  of  these  lands,  I 
think,  Mr.  Archdeacon,  you,  and 
Mr.  Smith,  shall  be  fain  to  ride 
with  certain  of  the  jury  to  those 
portions  and  manors  in  your  part 
of  Essex,  and  in  like  case  divide 
yourselves,  to  tread  and  view  the 
ground  with  the  quest,  or  else  I 
think  they  will  not  labour  the  mat- 
ter, and  so  do  you  say  unto  Mr. 
Archdeacon. 

"  Alice  the  wife  of  William 
Walley  of  Colchester  hath  sub- 
mitted herself,  abjured  her  erro- 
neous opinions,  asked  absolution, 
promised  to  do  her  solemn  penance 
in  her  parish  church  at  St.  Peter's 
on  Sunday  next,  and  to  continue  a 
Catholic  and  a  faithful  woman,  as 
long  as  God  shall  send  her  life. 
And  for  these  covenants  her  hus- 
band standeth  bound  in  five  pounds. 
Which  Alice  is  one  of  the  nine 
women  of  this  your  indenture,  and 
she  is  big  with  child.  Wherefore 
she  remaineth  at  home,  and  this 
done  in  the  presence  of  the  bai- 
litt's,  aldermen,  and  town-clerk. 
And  because  Mr.  Brown  was  cer- 
tified there  was  no  curate  at  Lex- 
don,  he  inquired  who  was  the  for- 
mer ?  the  answer  was  made,  Sir* 
Francis  Jobson.  Who  is  the  par- 
son ?  they  of  the  questmen  an- 
swered. Sir  Roger  Ghos-tlow. 
When  was  he  with  you?  Not 
these  fourteen  years.  How  is 
your  cure  served?     Now  and  then. 


*  Clergymen  were  formerly  called  Sir, 
as  a  title  of  re8pec<,  derived  from  Senior, 
or  Father. 


600 


BOOK  OF  iMAKTYRS. 


Wbo  is  tlie  patron  ?  My  lord  of 
Aruudel,  And  within  short  time 
after,  sir  Francis  Jobson  caine 
with  great  courtesy  unto  my  lord 
Darcy's  place.  And  of  all  gentle- 
naeu  about  us,  I  saw  no  more 
come  u\. 

•*'  Sir  Robert  Sftiith,  priest,  some- 
time canon  of  Bridlington,  now 
canon  of  Appledoore  in  the  wild 
of  Kent,  came  to  Colchester  the 
28th  day  of  August,  with  liis  wife 
big  with  child,  of  late  divorced, 
taken  on  suspicion,  examined  by 
the  lords,  and  Mr.  Brown  told  me 
that  they  have  received  letters 
from  the  detachment  of  certain 
persons,  especially  of  one  priest, 
whose  name  is  Pullen,  (but  his 
right  name  is  Smith)  doubting  this 
priest  to  be  the  said  Pullen,  al- 
t'lougli  neither  he  nor  his  wife 
would  confess  the  same. 

"  Wherefore  he  lieth  still  in 
prison,  but  surely  this  is  not 
Pullen.  If  it  please  your  lordship 
to  have  in  remembrance,  that  the 
householder  might  be  compelled  to 
bring  every  man  his  own  wife  to 
her  own  seat  in  the  church  in  time 
of  divine  service,  it  would  profit 
much, 

"And  also  there  be  yet  standing 
hospitals,  and  others  of  like  foun- 
dation about  Colchester,  which  I 
have  not  known  to  appear  at  any 
visitation,  as  masters  and  lazars  of 
•St.  Mary  Magdalene  in  Colchester, 
the  proetor  of  St.  Catherine's  cha- 
pel in  Colchester,  the  hospital  or 
breadhouse  of  the  foundation  of 
the  lord  H.  Harney  in  Laremarny, 
the  hospital  and  headman  of  Little 
Horsley. 

"  Thus  presuming  on  your  lord- 
ship's goodness,  I  am  more  tlian 
bold  to  trouble  you  with  this  world- 
ly business^  beseeching  Almighty 
God  to  send  your  honourable  lord- 
■ship  a  condign  reward*. 


*  His  lordship  has,  no  doubt,  long  since 
received  his  "  condign  reward ;"  that  re- 
ward which  is  appointed  by  Eternal 
Justice  for  those  who,  under  the  mask 
of  religion,  perpetrate  crimes  and  out- 
rages which  would  disgrace  the  most 
savags  and  bloodthirsty  of  barbarians. 


"  From  Eastthrop  this  ptfstnt 
thirtieth  day  of  Auyust. 

"  We  found  a  letter  concerning 
the  marriage  of  priests  in  the 
hands  of  the  aforesaid  Sir  Robert 
Smith.  Also  I  desired  Mr.  Brown, 
the  doer  of  all  things,  to  require 
the  audience  to  bring  in  their  un- 
lawful writings  and  books  ;  who 
asked  mc,  if  I  had  proclaimed  the 
proclamation  ?  I  said  yea.  Then 
he  said  openly  on  the  bench,  that 
they  should  be  proclaimed  once 
every  quarter.  And  then  take  the 
constables  and  ollicers,  and  they 
alone  take  and  punish  the  oflend- 
ers  accordingly. 

"  By  your  poor  Beadman, 
"  John  Kingston,  Priest." 

The  twenty-two  prisoners,  be- 
forementioned,  sent  from  Colches- 
ter to  London,  were,  at  length, 
brought  before  bishop  Bonner,  who 
examined  them  separately  with  re- 
spect to  their  faith ;  but  he  did 
not  choose  to  proceed  against 
them,  till  he  had  sent  the  following 
letter  to  cardinal  Pole  : 

"  May  it  please  your  grace, 
with  my  most  humble  obedience, 
reverence,  and  duty,  to  under- 
stand, that  going  to  London  upon 
Thursday  last,  and  thinking  to  be 
troubled  with  Mr.  German's  mat- 
ter only,  and  such  other  common 
matters  as  are  accustom.ed,  enough 
to  weary  a  right  strong  body,  I 
had  the  day  following,  to  comfort 
my  stomach  withal,  letters  from 
Colchester,  that  either  that  day, 
or  the  day  following,  I  should 
have  sent  thence  twenty-two  he- 
retics, indicted  before  the  commis- 
sioners ;  and  indeed  so  I  had,  and 
compelled  to  bear  their  charges, 
as  I  did  of  the  others,  a  sum  of 
money  that  I  thought  full  evil  be- 
stowed. And  these  heretics,  not- 
withstanding they  had  honest  Ca- 
tholic keepers  to  conduct  and  bring 
them  up  to  me,  and  in  all  the 
way  from  Colchester  to  Stratford 
Bow,  did  go  quietly  and  obedi- 
ently, (yet  coming  to  Stratford 
they  began  to  take  heart  of  grace, 
and  to  do  as  they  pleased  theaxT 


BONNER'S  LETTER  TO  POLE. 


601 


s-olves,  for  they  began  to  have  tlieir 
j!;uaid,  wliich  generally  increased 
till  they  came  to  Aldgate,  where 
they  were  lodged,  Friday  night. 

"  And  albeit  I  took  order,  that 
tbe  said  heretics  should  be  with 
me  early  on  Saturday  morning,  to 
the  intent  they  might  quietly  come, 
and  be  examined  by  me  ;  yet  it 
was  between  ten  and  eleven  of  the 
clock  before  they  would  come,  and 
no  way  would  they  take  but 
through  Cheapside,  so  that  they 
were  brought  to  my  house  with  a 
thousand  persons.  Which  thing 
I  took  very  strange,  and  spake  to 
sir  John  Gresham,  then  being 
with  rae,  to  tell  the  mayor  and  the 
sberifls  that  this  thing  was  not 
well  suffered  in  the  city.  These 
naughty  heretics,  all  the  way  they 
came  through  Cheapside,  both  ex- 
horted the  people  to  their  part, 
and  had  much  comfort  from  the 
promiscuous  multitude  ;  and  being 
entered  into  my  house,  and  talked 
withal,  they  shewed  themselves 
desperate,  and  very  obstinate : 
yet  I  used  all  the  honest  means 
I  could,  both  of  myself  and  others, 
to  have  won  them,  causing  divers 
learned  men  to  talk  with  them ; 
and  finding  nothing  in  them  but 
pride  and  wilfulness,  I  thought  to 
have  them  all  hither  to  Fulham, 
and  here  to  give  sentence  against 
them.  Nevertheless,  perceiving, 
by  my  last  doing,  that  your  grace 
was  offended,  I  thought  it  my  duty, 
before  I  any  farther  proceeded 
herein,  to  advertise  first  your  grace 
hereof,  and  know  your  good  plea- 
sure, which  I  beseech  your  grace 
I.  may  do  by  this  trusty  bearer. 
And  thus,  most  humbly,  I  take  my 
leave  of  your  good  grace,  beseech- 
ing Almighty  God  always  to  pre- 
serve the  same.  At  Fulham,  anno 
1557. 
"  Your  grace's  most  bounden 
beadsman,  and  servant, 
Edmund  Bonner." 

From  the  contents  of  this  letter 
may  evidently  be  seen  the  perse- 
cuting spirit  of  the  blood-thirsty 
Bonner,  who  was  manifestly  de- 
sirous   of    glutting    himself   with 


the    massacre    of   those   innocent 
persons. 

Cardinal  Pole,  though  a  pa- 
pist, was  a  man  of  moderation  and 
humanity,  as  appears,  not  only  by 
his  endeavour  to  mitigate  the  fury 
of  Bonner,  but  also  by  several  of 
his  letters  directed  to  archbishop 
Cranmer,  as  well  as  many  com- 
plaints alleged  against  him  to  the 
pope,  for  his  lenity  towards  the 
heretics. 

Nay,  so  incensed  was  his  holi- 
ness by  his  mild  and  merciful  dis- 
position, that  he  ordered  him  to 
Rome,  and  would  have  proceeded 
against  him  most  rigorously,  had 
not  queen  Mary  interposed  in  his 
behalf,  and  warded  off  the  danger 
that  threatened  him,  and  whicli 
would  otherwise  have  fallen  very 
heavily  on  him,  for  it  was  shrewd- 
ly suspected  by  the  pope  and  his 
court,  that  the  cardinal,  a  short 
time  before  his  coming  from  Rome 
to  England,  began  to  favour  the 
opinion  and  doctrine  of  Luther. 

But  to  return  to  the  account  of 
our  martyrs,  who  would  certainly 
have  all  suffered  had  it  not  been 
for  the  interposition  of  cardinal 
Pole  ;  it  would  exceed  the  limits 
of  our  work,  and  be  tedious  to  the 
reader,  were  we  minutely  to  relate 
the  articles  that  were  respectively 
administered  to  each,  and  tlifeir  se- 
veral answers  to  the  same.  We 
shall,  therefore,  confine  ourselves 
to  that  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  on 
which  they  were  principally  ex- 
amined, and  give  their 

GENERAL    CONFESSION    CONCERNING 
THAT    SACRAMENT. 

"  Whereas  Christ,  at  his  last 
Supper,  took  bread,  and  when  he 
had  given  thanks  he  brake  it,  and 
gave  it  to  his  disciples,  and  said. 
Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body.  And 
likewise  took  the  cup  and  thanked, 
&c.  -  We  do  understand  it  to  be  a 
figurative  speech,  as  the  common 
manner  of  his  language  was  in 
parables,  and  dark  sentences,  that 
they  which  were  carnally-minded 
should  see  with  their  eyes,  and 
not  understand  ;  signifying  this, 
that  as  he  did   break  the    bread 


602 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


among  them,  being  but  one  loaf, 
and  they  all  were  partakers  there- 
of, so  we,  through  his  body  in  that 
it  was  broken  and  offered  upon 
the  cross  for  us,  are  all  partakers 
thereof;  and  his  blood  cleanseth 
us  from  our  sins,  and  hath  pacified 
God's  wrath  towards  us,  and 
made  the  atonement  between  God 
and  us,  if  we  walk  henceforth  in 
the  light  even  as  he  is  in  the  true 
light. 

"  And  that  he  said  further.  Do 
this  in  rememhrance  of  me :  it  is  a 
memorial  and  token  of  the  suiier- 
ing  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ : 
and  he  commanded  it  for  this 
cause,  that  the  followers  of  Christ 
should  come  together  to  shew  his 
death,  and  to  thank  him  for  his 
benefits,  and  magnify  his  holy 
name  ;  and  so  to  break  bread,  and 
drink  the  wine,  in  remembrance 
that  Christ  had  given  his  body,  and 
shed  his  blood  for  us. 

"  Thus  you  may  well  perceive 
though  Christ  called  the  bread  his 
body,  and  wine  his  blood,  yet  it 
followeth  not,  that  the  substance  of 
his  body  should  be  in  the  bread 
and  wine,  as  divers  places  in  scrip- 
ture are  spoken  by  the  apostles  in 
like  phrase  of  speech,  as  in  John 
XV.  /  am  the  true  vine.  Also  in 
John  X.  /  am  the  door.  And  as 
it  is  written  in  the  ninth  chapter  to 
the  Hebrews,  and  in  Exodus  xxiv. 
how  Moses  took  the  blood  of  calves, 
and  sprinkled  both  the  book  and 
all  the  people,  saying,  This  is  the 
Mood  of  the  covenant  or  testament. 
And  also  in  the  fifth  chapter  of 
Ezekiel,  how  the  Lord  said  unto 
him  concerning  the  third  part  of 
his  hair,  saying,  This  is  Jerusa- 
lem, &c. 

"  Thus  we  see  how  the  scriptures 
speak  in  figures,  and  ought  to  be 
spiritually  examined,  and  not  as 
they  would  have  us  to  say,  that 
the  bodily  presence  of  Christ  is  in 
the  bread,  which  is  a  blasphemous 
understanding  of  the  word,  and 
contrary  to  the  holy  scriptures. 

"  Also,  we  see  that  great  idola- 
try is  sprung  out  of  the  misunder- 
standing of  the  words  of  Christ, 
This   is    my    body,  and    yet    daily 


springeth  to  the  great  dishonour  of 
God  ;  so  that  men  worship  a  piece 
of  bread  for  God;  yea,  and  hold 
that  to  be  their  maker." 

After  this  confession  of  their 
faith  and  doctrine  was  written  and 
exhibited,  they  also  drew  up  a 
letter  in  the  form  of  a  short  sup- 
plication, or  rather  an  admonition 
to  the  judges  and  commissioners, 
requiring  that  justice  and  judg- 
ment, after  the  rule  of  God's  word, 
might  be  administered  unto  them. 
This  letter  was  as  follows  : 

"a  supplication  of  the  pri- 
soners  TO   THE   JUDGES. 

"  To  the  right  honourable  au- 
dience, before  whom  our  writings 
and  the  confession  of  our  faith 
shall  come ;  we  poor  prisoners 
being  fast  in  bonds  upon  the  trial 
of  our  faith,  which  we  offer  to  be 
tried  by  the  scriptures,  pray  most 
heartily,  that  forasmuch  as  God 
hath  given  you  power  and  strength 
over  us  as  concerning  our  bodies, 
under  whom  we  submit  ourselves 
as  obedient  subjects  in  all  things, 
ye,  being  officers  and  rulers  of  the 
people,  may  execute  true  judg- 
ment, keep  the  laws  of  righteous- 
ness, govern  the  people,  and  de- 
fend the  cause  of  the  poor  and 
helpless. 

"  God,  for  his  Son  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  give  you  the  wisdom  and  un- 
derstanding of  Solomon,  David, 
Hezekiah,  Moses,  with  divers 
other  most  virtuous  rulers,  by 
whose  wisdom  and  godly  under- 
standing, the  people  were  justly 
ruled  and  governed  in  fear  of  God, 
all  wickedness  was  by  them  over- 
thrown and  beaten  down,  and  all 
godliness  and  virtue  did  flourish 
and  spring.  O  God,  which  art  the 
most  high,  the  creator  and  maker 
of  all  things,  and  of  all  men,  both 
great  and  small,  and  carest  for  all 
alike,  who  dost  try  all  men's  works 
and  imaginations,  before  whose 
judgment-seat  shall  come  both 
high  and  low,  rich  and  poor;  we 
most  humbly  beseech  thee  to  put 
into  our  rulers'  hearts  the  pure  love 
and  feajf  of  thy  name,  that  even  as; 


LOSEBY,  RAMSEY,  AND  OTHERS. 


603 


they  themselves  would  be  judged, 
and  as  tliey  shall  make  answer 
before  thee,  so  they  may  hear  our 
causes,  judge  with  mercy,  and 
read  over  these  our  requests  and 
confessions  of  our  faith,  with  de- 
liberation and  a  godly  judgment. 

"  And  if  any  thing  here  seemeth 
to  you  to  be  erroneous  or  disagree- 
ing with  the  scripture,  if  it  shall 
please  your  lordships  to  hear  us 
patiently,  which  do  offer  ourselves 
to  be  tried  by  the  scriptures, 
thereby  to  make  answer;  and,  in 
so  doing,  we  poor  subjects  being 
in  much  captivity  and  bondage, 
are  bound  to  pray  for  your  noble 
estate  and  long  preservation." 

Notwithstanding  the  request  of 
these  men  was  so  just,  and  their 
doctrine  so  sound,  yet  the  bishop, 
and  the  other  judges,  would  have 
passed  sentence  on  them,  had  it 
not  been  for  cardinal  Pole,  and 
some  others,  who  thought  the  put- 
ting to  death  of  so  many  at  one 
time,  would  produce  a  great  dis- 
turbance among  the  people.  It 
was  therefore  decreed,  that  they 
should  make  a  submission,  or  con- 
fession, and,  thereupon,  be  dis- 
charged. This  they  readily  agreed 
to ;  and  the  following  paper  was 
drawn  up  and  signed  by  them. 

"  Because  our  Saviour  at  his 
last  supper  took  bread,  and  when 
he  had  given  thanks,  he  brake  it, 
and  gave  it  unto  his  disciples,  and 
said,  '  Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body 
which  is  given  for  you,  this  do  in 
remembrance  of  me  ;'  therefore,  ac- 
cording to  the  words  of  our  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ,  we  do  believe 
in  the  sacrament  to  be  spiritually 
Christ's  body.  And  likewise  he 
took  the  cup,  gave  thanks,  and 
gave  it  to  his  disciples,  and  said, 
*  This  is  my  blood  of  the  New 
Testament  which  is  shed  for  many ;' 
therefore  likewise  we  do  believe 
that  it  is  spiritually  the  blood  of 
Christ,  according  as  his  church 
doth  administer  the  same.  Unto 
which  Catholic  church  of  Christ 
we  do,  like  as  in  all  other  mat- 
ters, s.ubmit    ourselves,  promising 


therein  to  live  as  it  becomcth  good 
Christian  men,  and  here  in  this 
realm  to  behave  ourselves  as  be- 
cometh  faithful  subjects  unto  our 
most  gracious  king  and  queen,  and 
to  all  other  superiors  both  spiritual 
and  temporal,  according  to  our 
bounden  duties." 

The  whole  twenty-two  persons 
brought  from  Colchester  respec- 
tively subscribed  their  names  to 
this  submission ;  as  did  also  six 
others  who  had  been  apprehended 
in  London,  and  were  brought  up 
with  them  at  the  same  time  for 
examination.  The  names  of  the 
whole  were  as  follow  : 

.John  Atkyn,  Allen  Syrapson, 
Richard  George,  Thomas  Fire- 
fanne,  William  Munt,  Richard 
•Joly,  Richard  Gratwick,  Thomas 
Winssey,  Richard  Rothe,  Richard 
Clarke,  Stephen  Glover,  Robert 
Colman,  Thomas  Merse,  William 
Bongeor,  Robert  Bercock,  Marga- 
ret Hyde,  Elyn  Euring,  Christian 
Pepper,  Margaret  Field,  Alice 
Munt,  Joan  Winslcy,  Cicely 
Warren,  Rose  Allen,  Ann  Whit- 
locke,  George  Barker,  John  Saxby, 
Thomas  Locker,  and  Alice  Locker. 

In  consequence  of  their  submis- 
sion, they  were  all  immediately 
set  at  liberty;  though  several  of 
them  were  afterwards  apprehend- 
ed, and  put  to  death.  One  of  the 
women,  Margaret  Hyde,  escaped 
their  resentment  but  a  short  time, 
being  one  in  the  list  we  have  next 
to  bring  forward,  of  those  who 
suffered  for  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  THOMAS  LOSEBY, 
HENRY  RAMSEY,  THOMAS  THYR- 
TELL,  MARGARET  HYDE,  AND 
AGNES    STANLEY. 

The  popish  emissaries  having 
laid  information  against  these  ^five 
persons,  they  were  all  apprehend- 
ed, and  being  examined  by  several 
justices  of  the  county  of  Essex,  in 
which  they  resided,  were  by  them 
sent  up  to  the  bishop  of  London, 
for  examination.  On  their  arrival 
the  bishop  referred  them  to  the 
chancellor,  who,  after  questioning 
them  on  the  articles  usual  on  such 


604 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


occasions,  committed  them  all  to 
Newgate. 

Alter  being  imprisoned  nearly 
three  months,  by  order  of  the  chan- 
cellor, they  were  summoned  to  ap- 
pear before  the  bishop  himself, 
when  the  following  singular  arti- 
cles were  exhibited  ajrainst  them. 

"  1.  That  they  thought,  believed, 
and  declared,  within  some  part  of 
the  city  and  diocese  of  London, 
that  the  faith,  religion,  and  eccle- 
siastical service  here  observed  and 
kept,  as  it  is  in  the  realm  of  Eng- 
land, was  not  a  true  and  laudable 
faith,  religion,  and  service,  espe- 
cially concerning  the  mass  and  the 
seven  sacraments,  nor  were  they 
agreeable  to  God's  word  ;  and  that 
they  could  not,  without  grudging 
and  scruple,  receive  and  use  it, 
nor  conform  themselves  unto  it,  as 
other  subjects  of  this  realm  custom- 
arily have  done. 

"  2.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  the  English  service,  set  forth 
in  the  time  of  king  Edward  the 
Sixth,  in  this  realm  of  England, 
was  good,  godly,  and  Catholic  in 
all  points,  and  that  it  alone  ought, 
here  in  this  realm,  to  be  received, 
used,  and  practised,  and  none  other. 

"3.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  they  were  not  bound  to  their 
parish  church,  and  there  to  be  pre- 
sent at  matins,  mass,  even-song, 
and  other  divine  service. 

"  4.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  they  were  not  bound  to  come 
to  procession  to  the  church,  upon 
times  appointed,  and  to  go  in  the 
same  with  others  of  the  parish, 
singing  or  saying  the  accustomed 
prayers  used  in  the  church,  nor  to 
bear  a  taper,  or  candle,  on  Can- 
dlemas-day, nor  take  ashes  on 
Ash-Wednesday,  nor  bear  palms 
on  Palm-Sunday,  nor  to  creep  to 
the  cross  upon  days  accustomed, 
nor  to  receive  holy  water  and  holy 
bread,  or  to  accept  or  allow  the 
ceremonies  and  usages  of  the 
church,  after  the  manner  in  which 
they  were  then  used  in  fliis  realm. 

"  5.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  they  were  not  bound,  at  any 
time,  to  confess  their  sins  to  any 
priest,  and  to  receive  absolution  at 


his  hands  as  God's  minister,  nor  to 
receive,  at  any  time,  the  blessed 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  especially 
as  it  is  used  in  the  church  of  Eng- 
land. 

"  6.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  in  matters  of  religion  and  faith, 
they  were  bound  to  follow  and  be- 
lieve their  own  conscience  only, 
and  not  credit  the  determination 
and  common  order  of  the  Catholic 
church,  and  see  of  Rome,  nor  any 
member  thereof. 

"  7.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  the  fashion  and  manner  of 
christening  infants,  is  not  agree- 
able to  God's  word,  and  that  none 
can  be  effectually  baptized,  and 
therefore  saved,  except  they  are 
arrived  to  years  of  discretion  to 
believe  themselves,  and  willingly 
accept,  or  refuse,  baptism  at  their 
pleasure. 

"  8.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  prayers  to  saints,  or  prayers 
for  the  dead,  were  not  available, 
nor  allowable,  by.  God's  word,  and 
that  souls  departed  this  life  do  im- 
mediately go  to  heaven  or  hell, 
or  else  do  sleep  till  the  day  of 
doom  :  so  that  there  is  no  place  of 
purgation  at  all. 

"  9.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  all  those,  who  in  the  time  of 
king  Henry  VIII.  or  in  the  time  of 
queen  Mary,  the  present  sovereign 
of  England,  had  been  burned  as 
heretics,  were  no  heretics,  but 
faithful,  sincere  Christians ;  espe- 
cially Barnes,  Garret,  Jerome, 
Frith,  Rogers,  Hooper,  Cardmaker, 
Latimer,  Taylor,  Bradford,  Cran- 
mer,Ridley,  &c.  and  that  they  did  al- 
low and  approve  all  their  opinions, 
and  disapproved  their  condemna- 
tions and  burnings. 

"  10.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  fasting  and  prayers  used  in 
the  church  of  England,  and  the 
appointing  a  day  for  fasting,  and 
abstaining  from  flesh  upon  fasting 
days,  especially  in  the  time  of 
Lent,  is  not  laudable  nor  allowable, 
by  God's  word,  and  that  men 
ought  to  have  liberty,  at  all  times, 
to  eat  all  kind  of  meats. 

"  11.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  the  sacrament  of  the  altar  is 


LOSEBY,  RAMSEY,  AND  OTEIERS. 


605 


an  idol,  and  to  reserve,  keep,  and 
honour  it,  is  idolatrj'  and  super- 
stition, as  was  also  the  mass  and 
elevation  of  the  sacrament. 

"■  12.  That  they  had  thought,  &c. 
that  they  vi^ere  not  bound  to  be 
convened  before  an  ecclesiastical 
judge,  concerning  matters  of  faith, 
nor  to  make  answer  at  all,  espe- 
cially upon  oath  on  a  book." 

The  first,  second,  third,  fourth, 
fifth,  eighth,  and  ninth  articles, 
they  granted  in  general,  excepting 
that  they  denied  "  that  souls  de- 
parted do  sleep  till  the  day  of  judg- 
ment," as  mentioned  in  the  eighth 
article. 

With  respect  to  the  sixth  article 
objected  to  them,  they  thought 
themselves  bound  to  believe  the 
true  Catholic  church,  so  far  as  it 
instructed  them  according  to  God's 
holy  word,  but  not  to  follow  the 
determinations  of  the  superstitious 
church  of  Rome. 

Concerning  the  eighth  and 
twelfth  articles,  they  denied  that 
they  ever  maintained  any  such  ab- 
surd opinions,  but  granted  that 
man  of  himself,  without  the  aid 
and  assistance  of  God's  spirit, 
had  no  power  to  do  any  thing  ac- 
ceptable in  the  sight  of  God. 

To  the  -  tenth  article  they  an- 
swered, that  true  fasting  and 
prayer,  used  according  to  God's 
word,  was  allowable,  and  approved 
in  his  sight;  and  that,  by  the  same 
word,  every  faithful  man  may  eat 
all  meats  at  all  times,  with  thanks- 
giving to  God  for  the  same. 

Having  given  these  answers, 
they  were  dismissed,  and  conveyed 
to  their  respective  places  of  con- 
finement, where  they  remained  till 
they  were  again  brought  before 
the  bishop,  who  made  no  other 
inquiry,  than  whether  they  would 
abjure  their  heretical  opinions; 
and  on  their  refusal,  again  dis- 
missed them. 

At  length,  they  were  brought 
into  the  public  consistory  court  at 
St.  Paul's,  and  severally  asked 
what  they  had  to  allege,  why  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  should  not 
be  pronounced  against  them. 
Thomas  Loseby  being  first  ques- 


tioned, thus  replied,  "  God  give 
me  grase  to  witlistand  you,  your 
sentence,  and  your  hiw,  whicli  de- 
vours the  flock  of  Christ,  for  I 
perceive  death  is  my  certain  por- 
tion, unless  I  will  consent  to  be- 
lieve in  that  accursed  idol  the 
mass." 

Thomas  Tliyrtell  being  next  ex- 
amined, said,  "  My  lord,  if  you 
make  me  an  heretic,  you  make 
Christ  and  the  twelve  apostles  all  ' 
heretics,  for  T  hold  one  and  the 
same  faith  with  them,  and  I  will 
abide  in  that  faith,  being  assured 
that  it  will  obtain  for  me  everlast- 
ing life. 

Henry  Ramsey  being  required 
to  recant,  answered,  '*  My  lord, 
would  you  have  me  abjure  the 
truth,  and,  for  fear  of  death  here, 
forfeit  eternal  felicity  hereafter?" 

Margaret  Hyde  being  question- 
ed, replied,  "  My  lord,  you  have 
no  cause  to  pronounce  sentence 
against  me,  for  I  am  in  the  true 
faith,  nor  will  ever  forsake  it ;  and 
I  wish  I  was  more  confirmed  in  it 
than  I  am." 

Agnes  Stanley,  the  last  examin- 
ed, said,  "  My  lord,  I  would  suf- 
fer every  hair  of  my  head  to  be 
burned,  before  I  would  renouncs 
the  faith  of  Christ,  and  his  holy 
gospel." 

The  court  now  broke  up,  but 
was  convened  again  in  the  after- 
noon, when  the  prisoners  were 
brought  in,  and  were  again  exa- 
mined. 

Thomas  Loseby  being  first  called 
upon,  his  articles  and  answers  were 
read ;  after  which  many  attempts 
were  made  to  bring  him  to  a  re- 
cantation, but  he  persisted  in  his 
faith,  declaring,  that  "  he  hoped 
he  had  the  spirit  of  God,  which 
had  led  him  into  all  truth  :"  his 
sentence  of  condemnation  was 
therefore  pronounced,  and  he  was 
delivered  to  the  custody  of  the  she- 
riflF,  in  order  for  execution. 

Various  arguments  were  used 
by  the  bishop  to  bring  over  Marga- 
ret Hyde ;  but  she  declared  she 
would  not  depart  from  what  she 
had  said  upon  any  penalty  what- 
ever; and  added,  that  she  would 


606 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


gladly  hear  his  lordship  instruct 
her  from  some  part  of  God's  word, 
and  not  talk  to  her  coucerning-  holy 
bread  and  holy  water,  which  was 
no  part  of  God's  word. 

The  bishop,  tinding  her  resolute, 
pronounced  sentence  on  her,  and 
she  was  delivered  over  to  the  se- 
cular power. 

Agnes  Stanley  was  also  admo- 
nished to  return  to  the  communion 
of  the  holy  mother-church,  but  she 
continued  steadfast  in  her  faith, 
declaring  she  was  no  heretic,  and 
that  those  who  were  burned,  as  the 
papists  said,  for  heresy,  were  true 
martyrs  in  the  sight  of  God.  In 
consequence  of  this  she  likewise 
received  sentenee  of  death,  and 
was  committed  to  the  care  of  the 
sherifl'. 

Thomas  Thyrtell  being  asked 
what  he  had  to  allege,  answered, 
"My  lord,  I  will  not  hold  with 
those  idolatrous  opinions  you 
would  inculcate;  for  1  say  the 
mass  is  idolatry,  and  I  will  abide 
by  the  faith  of  Christ  as  long  as  I 
live." 

He  was  then  sentenced  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  former. 
.  Henry  Ramsey,  who  was  last 
called,  being  asked  whether  he 
would  stand  by  his  answers,  as  the 
rest  had  done,  or  recant  and  be- 
come a  new  member  of  the  church, 
replied,  "  I  will  never  abjure  my 
religion,  in  which  I  will  live,  and 
in  which  I  will  die." 

Their  examinations  being  closed, 
and  sentence  of  death  passed  on 
them  all,  they  were  immediately 
conducted  to  Newgate,  where  they 
continued  till  the  12th  of  April, 
1557.  On  the  morning  of  that  day 
they  were  led  to  Smithfield,  the 
place  appointed  for  their  execu- 
tion, where,  being  fastened  to  two 
stakes,  they  were  burnt  in  one  fire, 
praising  God  as  long  as  they  had 
the  power  of  speech,  and  cheer- 
fully giving  up  their  lives  in  testi- 
mony of  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  STEPHEN  GRAT- 
WICK,  WILLIAM  MORANT,  AND 
JOHN    KING. 

STr.rHF.N    Gratwick    being   in- 


formed against  by  the  popish 
emissaries,  on  a  suspicion  of  he- 
resy, was  apprehended,  and  being 
carried  before  a  justice  of  peace, 
was  committed  to  the  Marshalsea 
prison,  where  he  continued  for  a 
considerable  time. 

At  length  he  was  brought  before 
Dr.  White,  bishop  of  Winchester, 
in  St.  George's  church,  South- 
wark,  to  answer  such  questions  as 
he  should  be  asked,  relative  to  his 
religious  opinions. 

The  bishop  first  asked  him  if  he 
would  revoke  the  heresies  which 
he  had  maintained  and  defended; 
when  Mr.  Gratwick  answering  in 
the  negative,  he  administered  the 
usual  articles,  desiring  him  to  give 
an  explicit  answer  to  each. 

The  articles  being  read,  Mr. 
Gratwick  replied,  "  My  lord, 
these  articles  are  of  your  making, 
and  not  of  mine,  nor  have  I  had 
any  time  to  examine  them;  there- 
fore I  desire  the  liberty  of  lawful 
appeal  to  mine  ordinary,  having 
no  concern  with  you." 

During  his  examination,  the  bi- 
shop of  Eochester,  and  the  arch- 
deacon of  Canterbury  arrived, 
when,  on  a  consultation  about  the 
present  case,  it  was  agreed  to  in- 
troduce a  person  to  represent  the 
ordinary,  which  being  done,  Grat- 
wick desired  leave  to  depart,  but 
the  counterfeit  ordinary  insisted 
on  his  being  detained,  saying", 
that  he  was  justly  summoned  be- 
fore those  lords,  and  him,  on  trial 
of  his  faith ;  and  that,  if  he  con- 
fessed the  truth,  he  should  be 
quietly  dismissed,  and  allowed  full 
liberty. 

Gratwick  told  him,  that  "  he 
would  turn  his  own  argument 
upon  him,  for  Christ  came  before 
the  high-priest,  scribes,  and  pha- 
rlsees,  bringing  the  truth  with' 
him,  being  the  very  truth  himself; 
yet  both  he  and  his  truth  were 
condemned,  and  had  no  avail  with 
them;  the  apostles  likewise,  and 
all  the  martyrs  that  died  since 
Christ,  did  the  same." 

The  bishop  of  Winchester  then 
asked  his  opini^on  concerning  t\w 
sa'eram'Pnt  of  thfl  altar;   to  which 


STEPHEN  GRATWICK  AND  OTHERS. 


607 


he  replied,  "  My  lord,  I  do  verily 
believe,  that  in  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  truly  adminis- 
tered in  both  kinds,  according  to 
the  institution  of  Christ,  unto  the 
worthy  receiver,  he  eateth  mysti- 
cally, by  faith,  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ." 

The  bishop  of  Rochester  ob- 
served, that  this  definition  was  a 
mere  evasion  of  the  principal 
points,  for  that  he  separated  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar  from  the 
Supper  of  the  Lord,  intimating; 
thereby,  that  the  former  was  not 
the  true  sacrament ;  and  also  con- 
demned their  method  of  adminis- 
tering it  in  one  kind,  as  well  as 
hindered  the  unworthy  receiver  to 
eat  and  drink  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  which,  if  duly  weighed, 
were  points  of  the  highest  import- 
ance, though  h©  had  craftily 
evaded  them. 

Having  entered  into  closer  exa- 
mination concerning  this  matter, 
the  counterfeit  oidinary  ordered 
the  articles  to  be  read  again,  and 
Gratwick  refusing  to  make  any 
reply,  was  threatened  with  excom- 
munication; on  which  he  thus  ad- 
dressed himseJf  to  his  examiners: 

"  Since  ye  thirst  for  my  blood, 
before  ye  are  glutted  with  the 
same,  permit  me  to  say  a  word  in 
my  own  cause.  On  Sunday,  my 
lord  of  Winchester,  I  was  before 
you,  when  you  took  occasion  to 
preach  from  these  words  of  St. 
James :  '  If  any  man  among  you 
seem  to  be  religious,  and  bridleth 
not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth  his 
own  heart,  this  man's  religion  is 
vain.'  From  these  words,  my 
lord,  by  wrested  inferences,  you 
slander  us  poor  prisoners,  upbraid- 
ing us  with  the  title  of  Arians,  He- 
rodians,  Sacramentaries,  and  Pe- 
lagians. When  we  stood  up  to 
speak  in  vindication  of  ourselves, 
you  threatened  to  cut  out  our 
tongues,  and  caused  us  to  be 
dragged  out  of  the  church  by  vio- 
lence; nevertheless  I  will  abide 
by  the  truth  to  the  end  of  my  life." 

The  incensed  prelate,  after  va- 
rious endeavours,  by  threats  and 
promises,  to  bring  him  to  a  recan- 


tation, finding  that  vain,  pronounced 
sentence  of  condemnation  upon 
him,  and  he  was  delivered  over 
to  the  sheriff,  who  immediately 
conducted  him  to  the  MarshalSea 
prison.  Here  he  remained  till  the 
latter  end  of  May,  1557,  when  he 
was  brought  to  the  stake  in  St. 
George's  Fields,  and  there  cheer- 
fully resigned  up  his  soul  into  the 
hands  of  him  who  gave  it. 

Two  persons,  named  William 
MoRANT,  and  John  King,  suffered 
with  him ;  but  we  have  no  ac- 
count on  record  relative  to  their 
examinations. 

MARTYRDOM     OF    FIVE    WOMEN    AND 
TWO     MEN     AT     MAIDSTONE,    JUNE 

18,  1557. 

We  have  stated  that  after  the 
proclamation  in  February,  1557, 
the  storm  of  persecution  began  iu 
all  places  to  rage  anew,  but  no 
where  more  than  in  the  diocese  of 
Canterbury,  as  the  inquisition  was 
there  under  the  direction  of  Ri- 
chard Thornton,  bishop  of  Dover, 
and  the  archdeacon  of  Canterbury, 
who  were  so  furious  against  the 
harmless  flock  of  Christ,  that  they 
needed  not  the  proclama°tion  to  stir 
up  the  coals  of  their  burning  cruelty, 
but  yet  were  enabled  by  it  to  gra- 
tify to  a  greater  extent  their  diabo- 
lical malice  against  the  believers. 
We  have  already  given  several  in- 
stances of  the  furious  persecutions 
in  this  diocese,  and  we  have  now 
to  add  the  following,  wherein  seven 
innocents  were  committed  to  the 
flames  by  these  monsters,  under 
the  pretence  of  religion!  We  shall 
give  the  account  in  the  original 
words  of  the  Martyrologist,  as 
they  are  curious  and  interesting. 

In  the  next  month  following, 
being  the  18th  day  of  June,  were 
seven  Christian  and  faithful  mar- 
tyrs of  Christ  burned  at  Maidstone, 
whose  names  here  follow : 

Joan    Bradbridge,     of     Staple- 
hurst  ; 
Walter  Appleby,  of  Maidstone  ; 
Petronil,  his  wife  ; 
Edmund  Allin,  of  Frytenden  ; 
Catherine,  his  wife ; 


608 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


John  Manning's  wife,  of  Maid- 
stone ; 
Elizabeth,  a  blind  maiden. 

As  concerning  the  general  arti- 
cles commonly  objected  to  them  in 
the  public  consistory,  and  the  or- 
der of  their  condemnation,  it  dif- 
fereth  not  much  from  the  usual 
manner  expressed  before,  neither 
did  their  answers  in  eflect  much 
differ  from  the  others  that  suffered 
under  the  same  ordinary  in  the 
aforesaid  diocese  of  Canterbury. 

Now  as  touching  their  answers 
and  manner  of  apprehension,  and 
their  private  conflicts  with  their  ad- 
versaries, I  find  no  great  matter 
coming  to  my  hands,  save  only  of 
Edmund  Allin  some  intimation  is 
given  me,  how  his  troubles  came, 
what  was  his  cause  and  answers 
before  the  justices,  as  here  conse- 
quently you  shall  understand. 

THE    EXAMINATION    OF    EDMUND 
ALLIN. 

This  Allin  was  a  miller,  of  the 
parish  of  Frytenden,  in  Kent,  and 
in  a  dear  year  when  many  poor 
people  were  like  to  starve,  he  fed 
them,  and  sold  his  corn  cheaper  by 
half  than  otliers  did ;  he  also  fed 
them  with  the  food  of  life,  reading 
to  them  the  scriptures,  and  inter- 
preting them.  This  being  known 
to  the  popish  priests  dwelling 
thereabouts,  by  the  procurement  of 
two  of  them,  namely  of  John  Tay- 
lor, parson  of  Frytenden,  and 
Thomas  Henden,  parson  of  Staple- 
hurst,  he  was  soon  complained  of 
to  the  justices,  and  brought  before 
sir  John  Baker,  knight,  who  com- 
mitted both  him  and  his  wife  to 
prison,  but  soon  after  they  were 
let  out,  I  know  not  how,  and  went 
to  Calais  ;  where  continuing  some 
time,  he  began  to  be  troubled  in 
conscience,  and  meeting  with  one 
John  Webb,  from  Frytenden  (who 
had  likewise  fled  from  the  tyranny 
of  sir  John  Baker  and  parson  Tay- 
lor), said  unto  him,  that  he  could 
not  be  in  quiet  there,  whatsoever 
the  cause  was  ;  "  for  God,"  said 
he,  "had  something  for  him  to  do 
in  England  :"  and  shortly  after  he 


returned  to  Frytenden,  whefo  was 
cruel  Taylor. 

This  parson  being  informed  that 
Edmund  Allin  and  his  wife  were 
returned,  and  were  not  at  mass- 
time  in  the  church  ;  as  he  was  the 
same  time  in  the  midst  of  his  mass, 
upon  a  Sunday,  a  little  before  the 
elevation  (as  they  term  it),  even 
almost  at  the  lifting  up  of  his  Rom- 
ish god,  he  turned  to  the  people 
in  a  great  rage,  and  commanded 
them  with  all  speed  to  go  unto 
their  house,  and  apprehend  them, 
and  he  would  come  unto  them  as 
soon  as  he  could.  Which  promise 
he  well  performed,  for  he  had  no 
sooner  made  an  end  of  Ite,  missa 
est,  and  the  vestments  off  his  back, 
but  presently  he  was  at  the  house, 
and  there  laying  hands  on  the  said 
Allin,  caused  him  again  to  be 
brought  to  sir  John  Baker,  with  a 
grievous  complaint  of  his  exhorting 
and  reading  the  scriptures  to  the 
people;  and  so  he  and  his  wife 
were  sent  to  Maidstone  prison. 
Witnessed  by  Richard  Fletcher, 
vicar  of  Crambroke,  and  John 
Webb,  of  Frytenden. 

No  sooner  were  they  in  prison, 
but  sir  John  Baker  immediately 
sent  certain  of  his  men  to  their 
house,  namely,  John  Dove,  Tho- 
mas Best,  Thomas  Linley,  Pcrcival 
Barber,  with  the  aforesaid  John 
Taylor,  parson  of  Frytenden,  and 
Thomas  Henden,  parson  of  Staple- 
hurst,  to  take  an  inventory  of  all 
the  goods  that  were  in  the  house  : 
where  they  found  in  the  bed-straw 
a  little  chest  locked  with  a  pad- 
lock, wherein  they  found  a  sack- 
cloth bag  of  money,  containing  the 
sum  of  thirteen  or  fourteen  pounds, 
partly  in  gold,  and  partly  in  silver; 
which  money  after  being  told,  and 
put  in  the  bag  again,  tirey  carried 
away  with  them. 

Besides  also  they  found  there 
certain  books,  as  psalters,  bibles, 
and  other  writings :  all  which  books, 
with  th€  money,  were  delivered  to 
the  aforesaid  priest,  Thomas  Hen- 
den, parson  of  Staplehurst,  and 
afterwards,  in  the  fitlh  year  of  the 
reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  it  was 
by   right  law  recovered  from   him 


EDMUND  ALLINT. 


609 


again,   as  iu  records  remainetli  to 
be  seen. 

Thus  f^ood  Edmund  Allin  and  his 
wife,  bein^  maliciously  accused, 
wrongfully  imprisoned,  and  cruelly 
robbed  and  spoiled  of  ail  their 
goods,  Mere  brought,  as  is  afore- 
said, before  sir  John  Baker,  the 
justice,  to  be  examined  ;  who  taunt- 
ing and  reviling  him  without  all 
mercy  and  pity,  asked  him  if  those 


were  the  fruits  of  liis  gospel,  to 
have  conventicles,  to  gather  peo- 
ple together,  to  make  conspiracies, 
to  sow  sedition  and  rebellion ;  and 
thus  he  began  to  reason  with  liim. 

Baker,  Who  gave  thee  autho- 
rity to  preach  and  interpret  ?  Art 
thou  a  priest?  Art  thou  admitted 
thereunto?  Let  me  see  thy  li- 
cence. 


1 

iHiiir^"^ 

i     ti 

1 

1 

fflSHlilSfflj  1 

j^^pgfc 

^^^^^B 

iiii 

p' 

'jM\ 

^Hli/^SR 

^^^^^T^^Ex^^aiHiyU 

p 

M  Uiiracii^a. 

■ 

^^H 

mUam 

I 

■pl 

^^^^m' - J^TwT'^  ? 

WsBk  '1  ""^ 

1 

^B" 

■ 

MBy/ie_^^ 

aiiiliilii^   -     1 

JBaP^***           '          "MliliiiillllilM 

— 

King  John  sun^endering  his  Civwn  te   Pandnlph,  the  Piyjit's  Legate. 


Collins,  sir  John  Baker's  school- 
master, said.  Surely  he  is  an  ar- 
rant heretic,  and  worthy  to  be 
burned. 

Allin.  If  it  pleases  your  honour 
to  permit  me  to  answer  in  the 
cause  of  my  faith,  I  am  persuaded 
that  God  hath  given  nie  this  au- 
thority, as  he  hath  given  to  all  other 
Christians.  Why  are  we  called 
Christians,  if  we  do  not  follow 
Christ,  if  we  do  not  read  his  law, 
if  we  do  not  interpret  it  to  others 
that  have  not  so  much  understand- 
ing? Is  not  Christ  our  Father? 
FOX'S  MABTYBS. 


Shall  not  the  son  follow  the  father's 
steps  ?  Is  not  Christ  onr  master  ? 
and  shall  the  scholar  be  inhibited 
to  learn  and  preach  his  precepts  ? 
Is  not  Christ  our  Redeemer,  and 
shall  we  not  praise  his  name,  and 
serve  him  who  hath  redeemed  us 
from  sin  and  damnation?  Did  not 
Christ,  when  but  twelve  years  of 
age,  dispute  with  the  doctors,  and 
interpret  the  prophet  Isaiah  ?  and 
yet,  notwithstanding  he  was  nei- 
ther of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  which 
were  priests,  but  of  the  royal  tribe 
of  Judah,  neither   had  taken   any 

39 


610 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


outward  priesthood  ;  wherefore,  if 
we  be  Christians,  we  must  do  the 
same. 

Collins.  Please  your  honour, 
what  a  knave  is  this,  that  compar- 
eth  himself  with  Christ ! 

Baker.  Let  him  alone,  he  will 
pump  out  presently  an  infinite 
number  of  heresies.  Hast  thou 
any  more  to  say  for  thyself? 

Allin.  Yea,  that  I  have.  Adam 
was  licensed  of  God,  and  Abraham 
was  commanded  to  teach  his  chil- 
dren and  posterity,  and  so  David 
teacheth  in  divers  Psalms :  and 
Solomon  also  preached  to  the  peo- 
ple, as  the  book  of  the  preacher 
very  well  proveth,  where  he  teach- 
eth that  there  is  no  immortal  feli- 
city in  this  life,  but  in  the  next. 
And  Noah  taught  them  that  were 
disobedient  in  his  days,  and  there- 
fore is  called  "  The  eighth  preach- 
er of  righteousness,"  in  the  second 
epistle  of  Peter.  Also,  in  the  11th 
chapter  of  Numbers,  where  Moses 
had  chosen  seventy  elders  to  help 
him  to  teach  and  rule  the  rest, 
Eldad  and  Medad  preached  in  the 
tents,  wherefore  Joshua  being  of- 
fended, complained  to  Moses, 
that  Eldad  and  Medad  did  preach 
without  licence.  To  whom  Moses 
answered,  and  wished  that  all  the 
people  could  do  the  like.  Why 
should  I  be  long?  most  of  the 
priests  were  not  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi  and  Aaron. 

Collins.  These  are  authorities 
of  the  Old  Testament,  and  there- 
fore abrogated;  but  thou  art  a 
fool,  and  knowest  no  school-points. 
Is  not  the  law  divided  into  the  law 
ceremonial  and  judicial? 

Allin.  I  grant  that  the  ceremo- 
nies ceased  when  Christ  came,  as 
St.  Paul  proveth  to  the  Hebrews, 
and  to  the  Colossians,  where  he 
saith,  "  Let  no  man  judge  you  m 
any  part  of  the  Sabbath-day,  new 
moon,  or  other  ceremonies,  which 
are  figures  of  things  to  come :  for 
Christ  is  the  body." 

Collins.  And  are  not  the  judi- 
cials  abrogated  by  Christ? 

Allin.  They  are  confirmed. both 
by  Christ  in  the  fifth  chapter  of 
Matthew,  and  by  Paul  in  the  first 


epistle  to  Timothy.  The  law,  saith 
he,  is  not  yet  set  forth  for  the  vir- 
tuous and  godly,  but  for  man- 
slayers,  perjurers,  adulterers,  and 
such  like. 

Collins.  Thou  art  an  heretic. 
Wilt  thou  call  the  judicials  of 
Moses  again?  Wilt  thou  have 
adultery  punished  with  death  ? 
disobedient  children  to  their  pa- 
rents to  be  stoned?  wilt  thou  have 
Legem  Talionis?  But  thou  art  an 
ass.  Why  should  I  speak  Latin 
to  thee,  thou  erroneous  rebel  ?  shall 
we  now  smite  out  eye  for  eye,  tooth 
for  tooth  ?  Thou  art  worthy  to  have 
thy  teeth  and  tongue  plucked  out*. 

Allin.  If  we  had  that  law,  we 
should  neither  have  disobedient 
children,  neither  false  witness  bear- 
ers, nor  rufiians. 

Baker.  Master  Collins,  let  us 
return  to  our  first  matter.  Why 
did  you  teach  the  people,  whom 
you  said  you  had  fed  both  bodily 
and  spiritually,  being  no  priest? 

Allin.     Because  that  we  are  all 
kings  to  rule  our  affections,  priests 
to  preach  out  the  virtues  and  word 
of    God,    as    Peter    writeth,    and 
lively  stones  to  give  light  to  others. 
For  as  out  of  flint  stones  cometh 
forth  that  which  is  able  to  set  the 
world  on  fire  ;  so  out  of  Christians 
should    spring  the   beams    of   the 
gospel,  which  should    inflame    all 
the  world.    If  we  must  give  a  reck- 
oning  of  our   faith  to  every  man, 
and  now  to  you  demanding  it,  then 
must  we  study  the  scriptures,  and 
practise   them.     What  availeth  it 
a  man  to  have  meat,  and  will  eat 
none ;   or  apparel,  and  will  wear 
none  ;  or  to  have  an  occupation,  and 
to  teach  none ;  or  to  be  a  lawyer,  and 
to  utter  none  ?    Shall  every  artificer 
be  suffered,  yea  and  commended  to 
practise  his    faculty    and  science, 
and  the  Christian  forbidden  to  ex- 
ercise his?    Doth  not  every  lawyer 
practise    his    law?     Is    not  every 
Christian    a    follower    of    Christ  ? 
Shall    ignorance,    which    is    con- 


*  This  very  appropriate  conclusion  to  a 
speech  reprobating cr?/e%  of  punishment, 
shows  the  innate  barbarity  of  this  mercy- 
preaching  priest's  heart. 


EDMUNt)  AtLIN. 


611 


^eirined  in  all  sciences,  be  prac- 
tised by  Christians  ?  Doth  not  St. 
Paul  forbid  any  man's  spirit  to  be 
quenched  ?  Doth  he  prohibit  any 
man  that  hath  any  of  these  gifts, 
which  he  repeateth,  1  Cor.  xiv.  to 
practise  the  same?  Only  he  for- 
biddeth  women,  but  no  man.  The 
Jews  never  forbad  any.  Read  the 
Acts  of  the  apostles.  And  tiie  re- 
straint was  made  by  Gregory,  the 
ninth  pope  of  that  name,  as  I  heard 
a  learned  man  preach  in  king  Ed- 
ward's days. 

Collins.  This  villain,  please 
your  honour,  is  mad.  By  my 
priesthood  I  believe  that  he  will 
say  that  a  priest  hath  no  more  au- 
thority than  another  man  !  Doth 
not  a  priest  bind  and  loose  1 

Allin.  No,  my  sin  bindeth  me, 
and  my  repentance  looseth.  God 
forgiveth  sin  only,  and  no  priest. 
For  every  Christian,  when  he  sin- 
neth,  bindeth  himself,  and  when 
he  repenteth,  looseth  himself. 
And  if  any  other  be  loosed  from 
his  sin  by  my  exhortation,  I  am 
said  to  loose  him ;  and  if  he  per- 
severe in  sin  notwithstanding  my 
exhortation,  I  am  said  to  bind  him, 
although  it  is  God  that  bindeth, 
and  looseth,  and  giveth  the  in- 
crease. Therefore,  saitii  Christ, 
Matth.  xviii.  "Wheresoever  two 
or  three  are  gathered  together  in 
my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst 
of  them ;  and  whose  soever  sins 
they  forgive,  they  are  forgiven, 
and  whose  soever  they  retain  they 
are  retained."  Neither  hath  the 
pope  any  keys,  save  the  keys  of 
error;  for  the  key  that  openeth 
the  lock  to  God's  mysteries  and 
salvation,  is  the  key  of  faith  and 
repentance.  And  as  I  have  heard 
learned  men  reason,  St.  Austin, 
Origen,  and  others  are  of  this 
opinion. 

Then  they  reviled  him,  and  laid 
him  in  the  stocks  all  night :  where- 
with some  that  were  better  minded, 
being  otfended  with  such  extre- 
mity, desired  Allin  to  keep  his 
conscience  to  himself,  and  to  fol- 
low Baruch's  counsel,  in  the  sixth 
chapter;  "Wherefore  when  ye 
see  the  multitude  of  people  wor- 


shipping them,  behind  and  before, 
say  ye  in  your  hearts,  O  Lord,  it 
is  thou  that  ought  only  to  be  wor- 
shipped." 

Wherewith  he  was  persuaded 
to  go  to  hear  mass  the  next  day, 
and  suddenly  before  the  sacring, 
went  out  and  considered  in  the 
church-yard  with  himself,  that 
such  a  little  cake  between  the 
priest's  fingers  could  not  be  Christ, 
nor  a  material  body,  neither  to 
have  soul,  life,  sinews,  bones,  flesh, 
legs,  head,  arms,  nor  breast,  and 
lamented  that  he  was  seduced  by 
the  words  of  Baruch,  which  his 
conscience  told  him  was  no  scrip- 
ture, or  else  had  another  meaning: 
after  this  he  was  brought  again 
before  sir  John  Baker,  who  asked 
why  he  refused  to  worship  the 
blessed  sacrament  of  the  altar. 

Allin.     It  is  an  idol. 

Collins.     It  is  God's  body. 

Allin.     It  is  not. 

Collins.     By  the  mass  it  is. 

Allin.     It  is  bread. 

Collins.     How  provest  thou  that? 

Allin.  When  Christ  sat  at  his 
supper,  and  gave  them  bread  to  eat. 

Collins.     Bread,  knave  ? 

Allin.  Yes,  bread,  which  you 
call  Christ's  body.  Sat  he  still 
at  the  table,  or  was  he  both  in 
their  mouths  and  at  the  table? 
If  he  was  in  their  mouths,  and  at 
the  table,  then  had  he  two  bodies, 
or  else  he  had  a  fantastical  body  ; 
which  is  an  absurdity. 

Baker.  Christ's  body  was  glo- 
rified, and  might  be  in  more  places 
than  one. 

Allin.  Then  he  had  more  bo- 
dies than  one,  by  j'our  own  placing 
of  him. 

Collins.  Thou  ignorant  ass,  the 
schoelmen  say,  that  a  glorified 
body  may  be  every  where. 

Allin.  If  his  body  was  not  glo- 
rified till  it  rose  again,  then  was 
it  not  glorified  at  his  last  supper; 
and  therefore  was  not  at  the  table, 
and  in  their  mouths,  by  your  own 
reason. 

Collins.  A  glorified  body  occu- 
pieth  no  place. 

Allin.  That  which  ocCupieth  no 
place,  is  ii»ith6V  t*od  nor  any  thiu^ 


612 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


else.  If  it  be  nothing,  then  is 
your  religion  nothing.  If  it  be 
God,  then  have  we  four  in  one 
Trinity,  which  is  the  person  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son,  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  human  nature  of  Christ. 
If  Christ  be  nothing,  which  -you 
must  needs  confess,  if  he  occu- 
pieth  no  place,  then  is  our  study 
vain,  our  faith  frustrate,  and  our 
hope  without  reward. 

Collins.  This  rebel  will  believe 
nothing     but     Scripture!  How 

knowest  thou  that  it  is  the  Scrip- 
ture but  by  the  church?  and  so 
saith  St.  Austin. 

Allin.  I  cannot  tell  what  St. 
Austin  saith,  but  I  am  persuaded 
that  it  is  Scripture,  by  divers  ar- 
guments: First,  that  the  law  work- 
eth  in  me  ray  condemnation.  The 
law  telletli  me,  that  of  myself  I  am 
damned;  and  this  damnation,  Mr. 
Collins,  you  must  find  in  yourself, 
or  else  you  shall  never  come  to 
repentance.  For  as  this  grief  and 
sorrow  of  cons^cience,  without  faith, 
is  desperation ;  so  is  a  glorious 
and  Romish  faith,  without  the  la- 
mentation of  a  man's  sins,  pre- 
sumption. 

The  second  is  the  gospel,  which 
is  the  power  and  Spirit  of  God. 
"  This  Spirit  (saith  St.  Paul)  cer- 
tifieth  my  spirit  that  I  am  the  Son 
of  God,  and  that  these  are  the 
Scriptures." 

The  third-  are  the  wonderful 
works  of  God,  which  cause  me  to 
believe  that  there  is  a  God,  though 
we  glorify  him  not  as  God,  Rom.  i. 
The  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  and 
other  his  works  (as  David  dis- 
courseth  in  Psalm  xix.)  declare 
that  there  is  a  God,  and  that 
these  are  the  Scriptures,  because 
that  they  teach  nothing  else  but 
God,  and  his  power,  majesty,  and 
might;  and  because  the  Scripture 
teach eth  nothing  disagreeing  from 
this  prescription  of  nature.  And, 
fourthly,  because  that  the  word  of 
God  gave  authority  to  the  church 
in  paradise,  saying,  that  the  seed 
of  the  woman  shall  break  down 
the  serpent's  head.  This  seed  is 
the  gospel;  this  is  all  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  by  this  ^e  are  assured 
4 


of  eternal  life ;  and  by  these 
words,  "  The  seed  of  the  woman 
shall  break  the  serpent's  head," 
gave  authority  to  the  church,  and 
not  the  church  to  the  word. 

Baker.  I  heard  say  that  you 
spake  against  priests  and  bishops. 

Allin.  I  spake  for  them;  for 
now  they  have  so  much  living, 
and  especially  bishops,  archdea- 
cons, and  deans,  that  they  neither 
can  nor  wiH  teach  God's  word. 
If  they  had  a  hundred  pounds  a- 
piece,  then  would  they  apply  their 
study ;  now  they  cannot,  for  their 
affairs. 

Collins.  Who  will  then  set  his 
children  to  school? 

Allin.  Where  there  is  now  one 
set  to  school  for  that  end,  there 
would  be  forty:  because  that  one 
bishop's  living  divided  into  thirty 
or  forty  parts,  would  find  so  many 
men,  as  well  learned  as  the  bi- 
shops now  are  who  have  all  this 
living;  neither  had  Peter  or  Paul 
any  such  revenue. 

Baker.  Let  us  dispatch  him,  he 
will  mar  all. 

Collins.  If  every  man  had  a 
hundred  pounds,  as  he  saith,  it 
would  make  more  learned  men. 

Baker.  But  our  bishops  would 
be  angry,  if  that  they  knew  it. 

Allin.  It  would  be  for  the  com- 
mon good  to  have  such  bishoprics 
divided,  for  the  further  increase 
of  learning. 

Baker.  What  sayest  thou  to  the 
sacrament? 

Allin.     As  1  said  before. 

Baker.     Away  with  him. 

Then  he  was  carried  to  prison,, 
and  afterward  burned.  And  thus 
much  concerning  the  particular 
story  of  Edmund  Allin  and  his 
wife;  who,  with  the  five  other 
martyrs  abovenamed,  being  seven, 
were  burned  at  Maidstone,  the 
18th  of  June,  1557. 

MARTYRDOMS     OF     ALICE     BENDON, 
JOHN  FISHCOCK,  NICHOLAS 

WHITE,  NICHOLAS  PARDUE,  BAR- 
BARA FINALL,  MARY  BRAD- 
BRIDGE,    AND   AMOS   WILSON. 

Alice  Bendon  was  the  wife  of 
Edward  Bendon.  of  the  parish  of 


ALICE  BENDON,  AND  OTHERS. 


613 


Stablehurst,  in  the  county  of  Kent. 
Beings  brought  before  a  magis- 
trate, on  an  information  of  heresy, 
she  was  asked  why  she  absented 
herself  from  church?  To  wliich 
she  replied,  "  Because  there  was 
much  idolatry  practised  there, 
ag^ainst  the  honour  and  glory  of 
God." 

In  consequence  of  this  answer 
she  was  committed  to  Canterbury 
castle;  but  her  husband  making 
interest  for  her  enlargement,  she 
was  ordered  to  appear  before  the 
bishop  of  Dover,  who  asked  her  if, 
on  condition  she  was  released, 
she  would  go  to  church?  To  this 
she  did  not  give  a  satisfactory  an- 
swer, notwithstanding  which  the 
bishop  gave  her  liberty. 

On  her  arrival  at  home,  her  hus- 
band admonished  her  for  her  con- 
duct, and  advised  her  to  go  to 
church  with  him;  but  this  she  ab- 
solutely refused:  oa  which  she 
was  again  apprehended,  and  taken 
before  sir  John  Gitford,  who  com- 
mitted her  to  her  former  place  of 
confinement. 

In  consequence  of  this,  her  hus- 
band made  a  second  application 
for  her  discharge  to  the  bishop  of 
Dover;  but  in  this  he  failed,  tho 
bishop  telling  him,  she  was  a  most 
obstinate,  irreclaimable  heretic, 
and  therefore  he  could  not  release 
her. 

Her  husband  then  informed  his 
lordship,  that  if  he  could  keep  her 
brother,  Roger  Hall,  from  her,  she 
would  conform  to  the  mother- 
church;  whereupon  she  was  re- 
moved to  another  prison,  and 
charge  given,  that  if  her  brother 
came  to  visit  her  he  should  be  ap- 
prehended. 

She  continued  some  time  in  this 
place  without  her  brother's  know- 
ledge, though  he  sought  diligently 
to  find  her,  at  the  hazard  of  his 
life. 

In  process  of  time,  he  accident- 
ally found  her  out,  by  hearing  her 
voice  as  he  passed  by  the  prison 
window,  when  she  was  repeating 
a  psalm,  and  bemoaning  herself; 
but  fearing  to  go  to  her  in  a  public 
manner,    he   found    a  method   of 


conveying  to  her  some  money  and 
sustenance,  by  means  of  a  long 
stick,  with  which  he  reached  the 
window  of  the  prison. 

In  this  dungeon  she  continued 
nine  weeks,  without  seeing  any 
one  but  her  keeper,  lying  in  her 
clo(hes  upon  straw,  and  having 
but  three-iarthiiigs-worth  of  bread, 
a  day,  allowed  for  her  subsistence, 
with  no  other  drink  but  water. 

This  hard  usage  brought  upon 
her  a  complication  of  disorders, 
insomuch  tliat  slie  could  not  walk 
without  the  greatest  pain. 

After  being  some  time  confined 
in  this  loathsome  prison,  the  bi- 
shop summoned  her  before  him, 
and  asked  if  she  would  go  to 
church,  promising  her  great  fa- 
vours if  she  would  be  reformed, 
and  return  to  the  holy  mother- 
church. 

To  this  she  answered,  "  I  am 
verily  persuaded,  by  the  great  se- 
verity which  you  have  used  to- 
wards me,  that  ye  be  not  of  God, 
neither  can  your  doings  be  godly  ; 
and  I  see  that  you  seek  my  utter 
destruction," 

She  then  shewed  them  how  mi- 
serable and  lame  she  was,  by  lying 
so  long  on  the  cold  ground  in  that 
filthy  prison,  where  she  was  de- 
prived of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

After  this  the  bishop  caused  her 
to  be  removed  from  thence  to  the 
prison,  at  the  West-gate  in  Can- 
terbury, where  she  had  better 
usage,  and  continued  till  the  latter 
end  of  April  following,  when  she, 
and  the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  being 
brought  before  the  commissioners, 
were  severally  examined;  and  on 
persisting  in  those  principles 
which  their  persecutors  called  he- 
resy, they  received  sentence  of 
excommunication,  were  delivered 
to  the  sheriif,  and  sent  back  to  pri- 
son. 

Here  they  continued  till  the  19tU 
of  June,  when  they  were  all  seven 
brought  to  the  place  of  execution. 

Alice  Bendon  conducted  herself 
with  remarkable  courage  on  this 
melancholy  occasion,  setting  an 
example  to  her  fellow-martyrs, 
who  kneeled   down,  joined   toga- 


614 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ther  in  praj^er,  and  behaTed  with 
such  zeal  and  affection,  as  excited 
the  esteem  of  their  very  enemies. 

Having  finished  their  devotions, 
and  rautaal  salutations,  they  were 
chained  to  several  stakes,  and 
being  encompassed  with  the 
flames,  tliey  quietly  yielded  up 
their  souls  to  the  Lord,  in  hopes 
of  a  joyful  resurrection  to  life 
eternal. 

We  have  not  any  particular  ac- 
count of  the  examinations  and  suf- 
ferings of  the  other  six  martyrs; 
but  the  following  anecdote  is  re- 
lated of  one  of  them:  Mary  Brad- 
bridge  had  two  daughters,  the  one 
named  Patience  and  the  other 
Charity;  and  when  she  was  con- 
demned to  be  burnt,  she  desired 
the  bishop  to  "  take  Patience  and 
Charity  (meaning  her  children) 
and  keep  them." — "  Nay,"  cried 
the  prelate,  with  involuntary  sin- 
cerity, "  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
either  of  them." 

TROUBLES     AND    EXAMINATIONS     OF 
MATTHEW    PLAISE. 

Matthew  Plaise,  of  the  parish 
of  Stone,  in  the  county  of  Kent, 
weaver,  and  a  faithful  Christian, 
being  apprehended,  and  impri- 
soned in  the  castle  of  Canterbury, 
was  brought  to  examination,  in  the 
year  1557,  before  Thornton,  bi- 
shop of  Dover,  archdeacon  Harps- 
field,  commissary  Collins,  and 
other  inquisitors,  when  the  bishop 
began  by  asking  him, 

*'  Art  thou  of  the  diocese  of 
Canterbury,  and  where  dwellest 
thou?" 

Plaise.  I  am  of  the  parish  of 
Stone,  in  Kent,  and  subject  to  the 
king  and  queen  of  England. 

Bishop.  Thou  wert  indicted  by 
twelve  men  at  the  sessions  of  Ash- 
ford,  for  heresy. 

Plaise.  That  is  sooner  said  than 
proved. 

Bishop.  I  have  spoken  the 
truth,  and  can  prove  it. 

Plaise.  I  desire  to  hear  it,  and 
then  I  will  answer  to  it. 

Bishop.  No,  no;  you  shall  an- 
swer to  the  article,  yea  or  nay. 

Plaifie.      You  cannot   prove  it: 


for  I  was  not  at  Ashford,  and 
therefore  you  have  nothing  to  lay 
to  my  charge ;  but  now  I  perceive 
you  go  about  to  lay  a  net  to  have 
my  blood. 

Harpsfield.  Peace,  peace;  we 
do  not  desire  thy  blood,  but  wc 
are  glad  to  hear  thou  art  no  he- 
retic; yet  thou  art  suspected  of 
heresy  ;  and  if  thou  wilt  be  con- 
tent to  confess  how  thou  dost  be- 
lieve concerning  these  articles,  we 
shall  gladly  teach  thee. 

Plaise.  I  do  not  think  so,  for  I 
talked  with  one  of  your  doctors, 
and  after  long  talk,  he  would 
needs  know  how  I  believed  in  the 
sacrament,  and  I  recited  unto  him 
the  text,  and  because  I  would 
not  make  my  exposition  to  him 
upon  it,  he  would  teach  me  no- 
thing: yet  I  prayed  him,  for  my 
instruction,  to  write  his  mind,  and 
if  it  were  truth  I  would  believe 
him ;  and  this  I  desired  of  him,  for 
the  love  of  God,  but  it  would  not 
be. 

Hai-psficld.  I  dare  swear  upon 
a  book,  that  it  is  not  so. 

Plaise,  Nay,  I  can  prove  it  to 
be  true. 

Harpsfield.  I  will  tell  thee  the 
truth  [and  he  stood  up,  and  made 
a  long  speech,  in  the  usnal  strain 
of  his  party];  I  am  sure  that  the 
same  doctor  doth  believe  as  I  do. 

Plaise.  How  do  you  know  that? 
Seeing  St.  Paul  doth  say,  That  no 
man  knoweth  what  is  in  man,  but 
the  Spirit  which  dwelleth  in  him: 
but  if  you  knew  what  Christ  meant 
by  these  words,  "  I  require  mercy 
and  not  sacrifice,"  Matthew  xii., 
you  would  not  kill  innocents. 

Bishop,  I  charge  thee,  in  the 
name  of  the  king  and  queen,  and 
the  lord  cardinal,  to  answer  yea  or 
nay  to  the  articles. 

Plaise.  I  command  you,  in  the 
name  of  Him  who  shall  come  in 
flaming  fire,  with  his  mighty  an- 
gels, to  render  vengeance  to  the 
disobedient,  and  to  all  those  that 
believe  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  be  pu- 
nished with  everlasting  damnation, 
that  you  shall  speak  nothing  but 
the   truth    grounded    upon    Christ 


MATTHEW  PLAISE. 


615 


aiul  his  apostles,  and  then  I  will 
answer  you,  or  else  not. 

Bishop.  Unless  thou  wilt  an- 
swer to  every  article,  I  will  imme- 
diately condemn  thee. 

Plaise.  Well,  if  you  do,  you 
shall  be  p^uilty  of  my  blood,  and 
prove  yourself  a  murderer. 

Then  the  archdeacon  took  the 
articles  in  his  hand,  and  read  the 
second  article,  which  was,  That  I 
was  a  Christian  man,  and  did  be- 
lieve in  their  mother  tiie  Catholic 
church,  and  the  determination 
thereof. 

Plaise.  I  am  a  Christian  man 
indeed,  and  therefore  you  have  no- 
thing against  me. 

Harpsfield.  What  sayest  thou 
to  the  Catholic  church,  which  hath 
so  long  continued,  except  it  were 
nine  or  ten  years,  that  this  heresy 
hath  sprung  up  in  this  realm? 

Plaise.  No  man  can  accuse  me 
of  any  thing  spoken  against  the 
Catholic  church  of  Christ. 

Bishop.  Dost  thou  not  believe 
the  creed  ? 

Plaise.  Yes,  verily,  I  believe 
my  creed,  and  all  that  is  written 
in  the  Testament  of  Christ,  with 
the  rest  of  the  Scriptures. 

Bisliop.  Thou  dost  confess  that 
there  is  a  Catholic  church ;  I  am 
glad  of  that;  but  tell  me,  are  the 
king  and  queen  of  that  church,  or 
no? 

Plaise.  Well,  now  I  perceive 
you  go  about  to  be  both  mine  ac- 
cuser and  also  my  judge,  contrary 
to  all  right.  I  confess  Christ  hath 
a  church  upon  earth,  which  is  built 
upon  the  apostles  and  prophets, 
Christ  being  the  head  thereof;  and 
as  touching  the  king  and  queen,  I 
answer,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
any  man's  faith  but  mine  own: 
neither  came  1  hither  to  judge,  for 
I  judge  not  myself,  but  the  Lord 
must  judge  me. 

Bishop.  Is  there  no  part  of  that 
ehurch  here  in  England '. 

Plaise.  Well,  I  perceive  you 
would  fain  have  something  to  lay 
to  my  charge.  I  will  tell  what 
Christ  saith ;  Where  two  or  three 
are  gathered  together  in  his  name, 
there  is  he  in  the  midst  of  them. 


Then  the  archdeacon  stood  up 
with  his  mocks,  to  put  me  out  of 
countenance,  and  said  to  the  peo- 
ple that  I  had  no  wit,  but  that  I 
thought  all  they  were  deceived  so 
longtime,  andthathalf adozcnofus 
should  have  the  truth  in  a  corner, 
and  that  alHhey  should  be  deceived, 
with  such  like  taunts  and  mocks; 
but  would  not  sufl'er  me  to  speak 
one  word.  Then  he  read  tlie  ar- 
ticle of  the  sacrament,  and  said  I 
denied  the  real  presence  to  be  in 
the  sacrament  after  it  was  once 
consecrated,  and  that  I  said, 
Christ's  body  was  in  heaven,  and 
no  where  else,  ai\d  that  the  bread 
was  nothing  but  a  sign,  token,  or 
remembrance. 

Plaise.  You  have  to  shew  me 
where  and  what  my  words  were. 
Hereof  we  talked  a  good  while. 
At  last  the  bishop  was  so  angry, 
that  he  charged  me,  in  the  names 
of  the  king,  queen,  and  cardinal, 
before  the  mayor  and  his  brethren, 
taking  them  to  witness,  if  I  did 
not  say  yea,  or  nay,  he  would  con- 
demn me. 

Then  said  I,  Seeing  you  have 
notliing  to  accuse  me  of,  why 
should  I  answer? 

Then  the  archdeacon  said  I  was 
guilty,  and  that  I  was  like  a  thief 
at  the  bar,  who  would  not  confess 
his  fault  because  his  accusers 
were  not  present;  with  a  great 
many  more  words,  and  would  not 
let  me  open  my  mouth  against 
him. 

Then  I  saw  whereabouts  they 
went,  gathering  to  answer  them  by 
the  word,  or  else  I  think  they 
would  have  condemned  me  for 
holding  of  my  peace;  and  this  was 
my  beginning  ;  I  believe  that 
Christ  took  bread,  ^nd  when  he  had 
given  thanks,  he  brake  it,  and  gave 
it  to  his  disciples,  and  said,  "  Take, 
eat,  this  is  my  body  which  is  given 
for  you;  this  do  in  remembrance 
of  me." 

Harpsfield.  Dost  thou  believe 
that  Christ  meant  even  as  lie 
said? 

Plaise.  Christ  was  no  dis- 
sembler, but  he  spake  the  very 
truth. 


616 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Ilarpsfield,  Tbou  hast  very  well 
said;  we  will  take  no  advantage 
of  thy  words. 

A  long  dispute  then  took  place, 
in  the  course  of  which,  the  arch- 
deacon said,  "he  marvelled  why 
I  would  not  believe  them,  seeing 
this  learning  had  continued  fifteen 
hundred  years:  neither  yet  did 
say,  as  others  had  before,  how 
Christ  did  call  it  his  body." 

Plaise.  When  Cranmer,  who 
was  here  bishop,  was  in  authority, 
lie  said,  he  held  the  truth,  and 
commanded  us  to  believe  him,  and 
hath  given  his  life  for  his  opinion, 
and  would  you  have  me  believe 
you,  because  you  say  you  hold  the 
truth?  That  which  makes  nie  be- 
lieve chiefly,  is  the  Scripture, 
which  I  am  sure  is  the  truth  in- 
deed. 

Bishop.  I  have  spoken  the 
truth,  and  you  will  not  believe. 

Plaise.  If  you  do  noi  now 
speak  the  truth,  I  am  sure  you 
have  spoke  the  truth:  [for  he  had 
before  preached  doctrine  contrary 
to  tliis.] 

Then  the  rest  of  my  articles 
were  read  ;  which  I  answered, 
and  in  every  article  he  had  up  this 
breaden  god.  And  they  sent  for 
a  lighted  candle,  and  I  thought 
they  would  have  condemned  me, 
but  God  would  not  suffer  their 
cruel  hearts  to  have  their  pleasure 
then :  blessed  be  his  name  for 
evermore,  Amen. 

Then  the  archdeacon  was  angry, 
and  began  to  chide  me,  because  I 
would  not  desire  a  day  of  the  bi- 
shop, and  said,  I  was  a  naughty 
stubborn  fellow,  and  that  it  had 
been  my  duty  to  have  desired  him 
to  have  been  good  to  me,  that  I 
might  have  a  day. 

Plaise.  1  have  spoken  the  truth  ; 
and  therefore  will  not  ask  him  for 
a  day,  except  he  would  give  me  a 
day  of  his  own  mind. 

Then  the  commissary  said,  Dost 
thou  not  think  that  thou  mayest  be 
deceived,  seeing  he  may  be  de- 
ceived that  hath  gone  to  study  all 
the  days  of  his  life  ? 

Plaise.  Yea,  I  might  be  deceived 
in  that  I  was  a  man ;    but  I  was 


sore  God's  word  could  not  be  de- 
ceived. 

Then  the  commissary  prayed  me 
to  be  content,  and  to  confess  that 
I  might  learn;  and  said,  they  would 
be  glad  to  teach  me. 

Plaise.  I  will  be  as  glad  to  learn 
as  any  man. 

And  thus  they  rose  up,  and  went 
away,  saying  nothing. 

What  became  of  this  Matthew 
Plaise  afterwards,  whether  he 
died  in  prison,  or  was  executed, 
or  delivered,  we  have  no  certain 
account. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  RICHARD  WOOD- 
MAN, GEORGE  STEPHENS,  WILLIAM 
MAYNARD,  ALEXANDER  HOSMAN, 
THOMASIN  WOOD,  MARGERY  MO- 
RIS, JAMES  MORIS,  DENNIS  BUR- 
GESS, ANN  ASHDON,  AND  MARY 
GROVES. 

Though  these  ten  persons  all 
suffered  together,  yet  we  do  not 
find  any  particulars  relative  to 
any  of  them,  except  Richard 
Woodman,  who  was  a  considera- 
ble merchant  in  the  parish  of 
Warbleton,  in  the  county  of  Sus- 
sex, and  w  hose  troubles  arose  from 
the  following  incident: 

There  was  one  Fairbank,  who, 
for  some  time,  had  been  a  married 
priest,  and  served  the  cure  of 
Warbleton,  where  he  urgently 
persuaded  the  people  not  to  cre- 
dit any  doctrine  but  that  which  he 
preached,  and  which  was  then 
taught  and  set  forth  in  the  days  of 
Edward  the  Sixth ;  but  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  reign  of  Mary, 
Fairbank  deserted  the  reformed 
principles,  and  favoured  the  Rom- 
ish tenets  ;  upon  which  Woodman 
upbraided  him  with  inconstancy 
and  cowardice,  and  reminded  him 
how  differently  he  then  preached 
from  what  he  had  formerly  done. 

This  open  and  frank  behaviour 
irritated  the  apostate  so  much  that 
he  caused  Woodman  to  be  appre- 
hended, and  being  brought  before 
several  of  the  justices  of  peace 
for  the  county  of  Sussex,  he  was 
committed  to  the  King's-Bench 
prison,  where  he  remained  a  con- 
siderable time. 


WOODMAN,  STEVENS,  AND  OTHERS. 


617 


At  length  he  and  four  other  pri- 
soners were  brought  together  to 
be  examined  by  Bonner,  bishop  of 
London,  who,  after  asking  them 
some  questions,  desired  they  would 
be  honest  men,  and  profess  them- 
selves members  of  the  true  Ca- 
tholic church,  which  was  built 
upon  the  apostles  and  prophets, 
Christ  being  the  head  of  the  same. 
To  this  they  all  said,  that  they 
were  members  of  the  true  church, 
and  determined,  by  God's  grace, 
to  continue  in  the  same ;  upon 
which  they  were  all  discharged. 

Mr.  Woodman  had  not  16ng  re- 
turned home,  before  a  report  was 
spread  that  he  had  conformed  to 
the  church  of  Rome:  but  he  vin- 
dicated himself  from  that  asper- 
sion in  several  companies  ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  demonstration 
of  his  adherence  to  the  protestant 
faith,  complaint  was  made  to  sir 
John  Gage,  who  issued  warrants 
for  apprehending  him. 

As  he  was  one  day  employed  in 
his  ordinary  occupation,  three  men 
arrested  him  in  her  majesty's  name, 
and  told  him  he  must  go  with  them 
before  the  lord' chamberlain. 

The  surprise  of  the  action  put 
him  into  great  consternation,  and 
he  desired  to  go  home,  in  order  to 
put  on  a  dress  suitable  to  appear 
in  before  his  superiors. 

On  his  way  homeward  he  reflect- 
ed on  the  unreasonableness  of  his 
fear,  as  they  could  lay  no  evil  to 
his  charge  ;  and  if  they  killed  him 
for  well-doing,  he  might  think  him- 
self happy. 

These  reflections  afforded  him 
courage  and  comfort:  he  found 
that  his  fears  arose  from  the  frailty 
of  human  nature,  his  attachment 
to  his  worldly  possessions,  and  his 
love  to  his  wife  and  children. 

But  when,  on  serious  considera- 
tion, he  determined,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  to  die  for  the  sake  of 
Christ  and  his  gospel,  he  regarded 
nothing  in  this  world,  resolving  to 
give  up  every  thing  in  defence  of 
the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

When  he  came  to  his  house,  he 
demanded  of  the  men  that  arrested 
him  to  shew  their  warrant,  that  he 


might  know  wherefore  he  was  ap- 
prehended, and  be  better  prepared 
to  answer  for  himself  when  he 
should  come  before  their  master. 

The  men,  not  having  any  war- 
rant, were  startled  at  his  demand, 
and  Woodman  severely  reprimand- 
ed them  for  oO'ering  to  take  him 
without.  "  I  heard,"  said  he, 
"  that  there  were  several  warrants 
out  against  me,  but  they  were 
called  in  as  soon  as  I  had  satis- 
fied the  coumiissioners  by  letter, 
that  I  was  not  guilty  of  the  things 
laid  to  my  charge  ;  therefore  set 
your  iiearts  at  rest,  for  I  will  not 
go  with  you  without  a  warrant, 
unless  you  force  me,  which  do  at 
your  peril." 

On  their  leaving  his  house,  ho 
called  them  back,  and  told  them, 
if  they  would  produce  a  warrant 
he  would  go  with  them  freely. 
One  of  them  said  he  would  fetch 
one  that  was  left  at  his  house  ;  but 
while  he  was  gone  Woodman  es- 
caped, and  absented  himself  from 
home  three  days,  during  which 
time  they  searched  his  house  se- 
veral times,  but  could  not  find 
him. 

Mr.  Woodman,  finding  his  ene- 
mies thus  resolved  on  his  destruc- 
tion, prepared  himself  a  convenient 
cottage  in  a  wood,  near  his  house, 
where  he  had  pen  and  ink,  and 
a  bible ;  and  such  necessaries  as 
he  had  occasion  for,  were  daily 
brought  to  him. 

His  absence  produced  a  report, 
that  he  had  left  the  kingdom,  in 
consequence  of  which  his  enemies 
ceased  to  search  for  him,  and  he 
embraced  this  opportunity  of  visit- 
ing his  friends  and  brethren ;  after 
which  he  went  over  to  Flanders, 
but  not  liking  to  be  so  far  from  his 
family,  he  soon  returned  to  Eng- 
land. 

When  it  was  known  that  he  was 
come  home,  the  curate  of  the  pa- 
rish, and  other  popish  emissaries, 
procured  warrants  to  apprehend 
him.  They  often  searched  his 
house  for  that  purpose,  but  could 
not  find  him,  for  he  had  artfully 
contrived  a  secret  place  which 
they  could  not  discover. 


6J8, 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


At  length,  through  the  treachery 
of  his  father,  and  of  his  brothers, 
(whom  he  had  told  of  his  hiding- 
place,  and  who  had  great  part  of 
his  property  in  their  hands,  which 
they  basely  sought  to  secure  to 
themselves  by  sacrificing  him)  his 
house  was  beset  in  the  night, 
■which  as  soon  as  he  discovered,  he 
ran  out  bare-foot,  but  unhappily 
treading  upon  some  stones,  he  fell 
down,  and  being  seized,  was  sent 
prisoner  to  London. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  1557,  he 
was  brought  before  Dr.  Christo- 
phcrson,  bishop-elect  of  Chiches- 
ter, who  told  him  he  was  sorry  to 
see  him  in  his  present  circumstan- 
ces, as  he  heard  that  he  v/as  a  man 
greatly  esteemed  in  the  country 
where  he  lived,  for  his  probity  and 
charity  ;  and  at  the  same  time  ad- 
vised him  seriously  to  consider  his 
situation,  nor  think  himself  wiser 
than  all  the  realm,  assuring  him 
that  he  wished  to  do  him  much 
service. 

Mr.  Woodman  replied,  that  so 
far  from  esteeming  himself  wiser 
than  all  the  realm,  he  was  disposed 
to  learn  of  every  man,  that  could 
teach  him  the  truth  ;  and  that, 
with  respect  to  the  general  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held  by  his  neigh- 
bours, he  had  ever  endeavoured 
to  maintain  a  conscience  void  of 
offence.  "  As  for  my  wife  and 
children,"  said  he,  "  they  are  all  in 
God's  hand,  and  I  have  them  all 
as  though  I  had  them  not,  accord- 
ing to  the  words  of  St.  Paul ;  but 
had  I  ten  thousand  pounds  in 
gold,  I  would  forego  it  all,  rather 
than  displease  my  God." 

When  the  bishop  informed  him, 
that  the  sheriff  applied  to  him  out 
of  respect  to  his  character,  he  re- 
plied, that  he  thought  proper  to 
appeal  to  his  ordinary  ;  "  for," 
said  he,  "  they  seek  most  unrigh- 
teously to  shed  my  blood,  and  have 
laid  many  things  unjustly  to  my 
charge.  If  you  can  prove,  from 
the  word  of  God,  that  any  of  my 
religious  principles  are  false,  I 
am  willing  to  renounce  the  same, 
and  stand  here  desirous  of  being 
reformed." 


After  this,  several  divines  con- 
versed with  him  on  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  purgatory,  and  other 
popish  topics ;  when  Woodman 
confuted  his  opponents  with  great 
energy  and  propriety,  asserting, and 
proving  from  scripture,  that  there 
were  but  two  sacraments  ordain- 
ed by  Christ,  and  observed  by 
him,  and  his  immediate  disciples 
and  apostles. 

Being  required,  by  the  bishop  of 
Chichester,  to  give  a  plain  and 
full  account  of  his  belief  concern- 
ing the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  he 
made  this  explicit  confession:  "I 
do  believe,  that  if  I  came  to  receive 
the  sacrament  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ,  truly  ministered, 
believing  that  Christ  was  born  for 
me,  and  that  he  died  on  the  cross 
for  me,  and  that  I  shall  be  saved 
from  my  sins  by  his  blood,  and 
receive  the  sacrament  in  that  re- 
membrance, then  I  believe  that  I 
do  receive  the  whole  Christ,  mys- 
tically, by  faith." 

A  few  days  after  this,  Wood- 
man was  privately  examined  by 
lord  Montague's  chaplain,  who 
made  use  of  many  arguments  to 
bring  him  over  to  the  Romish 
faith ;  but  all  his  efforts  were  in- 
effectual, for  Woodman  would 
not  yield  to  any  thing  that  was 
not  founded  on  the  authority  of 
sacred  writ. 

After  some  time,  he  was  brought 
before  the  bishop  of  Winchester, 
in  St.  George's  church,  Southwark, 
where  several  gentlemen  and 
clergy  were  present,  and  he  was 
then  examined  concerning  the 
cause  of  his  imprisonment:  to 
which  he  replied,  it  was  for 
speaking  to  the  curate  of  his  pa- 
rish in  the  pulpit,  and  not  for  he- 
resy. 

Being  asked  what  he  had  to  al- 
lege in  vindication  of  himself  from 
that  charge,  he  cited  the  following 
words  of  the  statute  : 

"  Whoso  doth  interrupt  any 
preacher,  or  preachers,  lawfully 
authorized  by  the  queen's  majesty, 
or  by  any  other  lawful  ordinary, 
that  all  such  shall  sufler  three 
months  imprisonment  for  so  doing ; 


WOODMAN,  STEVENS,  AND  OTHERS, 


and  furlliermorc,  be  brous^lit  to  liio 
quarter-sessions,  and  bein-;  sorry 
lor  tlio  same,  shall  be  released, 
upon  Ills  good  behaviour,  lor  one 
whole  year." 

He  then  observed,  that  he  had 
not  so  oilended  against  the  statute, 
for  the  person  to  whom  he  spoke 
was  not  lawfully  authorized,  as  he 
had  not  put  away  his  wife,  and, 
consequently,  according:  to  the  law 
tjjen  in  force,  he  had  no  right  to 
preach. 

On  the  15th  of  .June,  Mr.  Wood- 
man was  attain  brought  before  the 
bishop  of  Winchester,  in  St.  Sa- 
viour's church,  Southwark,  in  the 
presence  of  the  archdeacon  of 
Canterbury,  Dr.  Langdall,  and  se- 
veral other  dignitaries. 

The  bishop  of  Winchester  pro- 
ducing some  writings,  asked  if 
they  were  his,  to  which  he  replied 
in  the  allirmative  ;  but  refused  to 
answer  to  any  articles  which  that 
prelate  might  exhibit  against  him, 
because  "  he  was  not  of  his  dio- 
cese, though  he  was  then  in  it, 
consequently  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  him,  who  was  not  his  ordi- 
nary." 

After-  some  dispute,  the  bishop 
peremptorily  asked  him,  "  if  he 
would  become  an  honest  man,  and 
conform  to  the  holy  mother  church?" 
To  which  Mr.  Woodman  replied, 
"that  no  person  could,  with  jus- 
tice, object  to  his  character  ;  and 
that  he  was  surprised  he  should 
charge  him  with  heresy,  as  my  lord 
of  London  had  discharged  him  of 
all  matters  that  were  laid  against 
him  on  that  head." 

The  bishop  then  observed,  "  that 
at  the  time  he  was  released, 
perhaps  those  things  were  not  laid 
to  his  charge  ;  and  that,  therefore, 
they  were  now  objected  to  him, 
because  he  was  suspected  of  being 
an  heretic." 

Mr.  Woodman,  at  length,  con- 
sented to  answer  to  the  several  ar- 
ticles exhibited  against  them,  which 
having  done,  he  distinctly  rehears- 
ed the  articles  of  his  belief  in  the 
following  form  : 

"  I  believe  in  one  God,  the  Fa- 
ther Almighty,  maker   of  heaven 


019 

and  earth,  and  of  all  things  visi- 
ble and  invisible.  And  in  one 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my  Saviour, 
very  God,  and  Man.  I  believe  in 
God  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  comforter 
of  all  God's  chosen  people,  and 
that  he  is  equal  with  the  Father 
and  the  Son.  I  believe  the  true 
Catholic  church,  and  all  the  sa- 
craments that  belong  thereto." 

Being  farther  asked  concerning 
his  belief  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  he  told  them  he  would  an- 
swer no  farther  questions,  because 
he  perceived  they  sought  to  shed 
his  blood. 

As  the  bishop  of  Chichester  was 
not  yet  consecrated,  lie  would  not 
undertake,  judicially,  to  examine 
Woodman,  and  therefore  submit- 
ted the  whole  to  the  bishop  of 
Winchester,  who,  after  many  other 
questions  and  farther  arguments, 
to  bring  him  over  to  recant,  at 
length  pronounced  sentence  of 
condemnation  against  him,  and  he 
was  accordingly  delivered  over  to 
the  secular  power. 

About  a  fortnight  after  this,  Mr. 
Woodman  was  conveyed  to  Lewes, 
in  Sussex,  together  with  his  fel- 
low-martyrs, concerning  whose  ex- 
amination (as  we  have  already  ob- 
served) there  is  not  any  thing  re- 
corded, except  that  they  had  been 
all  condemned  for  heresy  a  fevv 
days  after  their  apprehension. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  1557,  these 
ten  steadfast  believers  in  Christ 
were  led  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion ;  and  being  chained  to  se- 
veral stakes,  were  all  consumed 
in  one  fire.  They  died  with  be- 
coming fortitude  and  resignation, 
committing  their  departing  spirits 
into  the  hands  of  that  Redeemer, 
who  was  to  be  their  final  judge, 
and  who,  they  had  reason  to  hope, 
would  usher  them  into  the  realms 
of  bliss,  M'ith  "  Come,  ye  blessed 
of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world." 

MARTYRDOM    OF   THE    REV.   JOHN 
HULLIER,  CAMBRIDGE. 

John    Hullier  was  descended  of 
reputable  parents,  who,  after  giv- 
1 


620 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ing  him  a  liberal  education  at  a 
private  school,  sent  him  to  Eton 
colleo;e,  from  whence,  .according  to 
the  rules  of  that  foundation,  he 
was  elected  to  King's  college, 
Cambridge. 

After  he  had  been  at  college 
about  three  years,  he  was  admitted 
to  a  fellowship,  and  obtained  a 
curacy  at  Babram,  a  village,  about 
three  miles  from  Cambridge.  He 
had  not  been  long  here  before  he 
went  to  Lynn,  where  he  had  se- 
veral debates  with  the  papists, 
who  reporting  his  principles  to  Dr. 
Thurlby,  bishop  of  the  diocese,  he 
sent  for  him,  and,  after  a  short 
examination  relative  to  his  faith, 
committed  him  to  the  castle  of 
Cambridge. 

A  short  time  after  this  he  was 
cited  to  appear  at  St.  Mary's 
church,  before  several  doctors  both 
of  law  and  divinity,  by  whom  he 
was  reprimanded  for  opposing  the 
doctrines  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  maintaining  and  defending 
those  set  forth  in  the  days  of  Ed- 
ward VI. 

His  examination  being  finished, 
he  was  required  to  recant  what 
they  termed  his  erroneous  opi- 
nions; which  peremptorily  refus- 
iag,  he  was  degraded,  condemned, 
and  delivered  over  to  the  secular 
power,  who  immediately  divested 
him  of  all  his  books,  papers,  and 
writings. 

On  the  day  appointed  for  his 
execution,  (being  Maundy  Thurs- 
day) he  was  conducted  to  the  stake 
without  the  town,  at  a  place  called 
Jesus  Green,  near  Jesus  college, 
where,  having  made  the  necessary 
preparations  on  the  melancholy 
occasion,  he  desired  the  spectators 
to  pray  for  him,  and  to  bear  wit- 
ness that  he  died  in  the  faith  of 
Christ,  sealing  the  same  with  his 
blood.  He  likewise  assured  them 
he  died  in  a  good  cause,  for  the 
testimony  of  the  truth,  and  that 
there  was  no  other  rock,  but  Jesus 
Christ,  to  build  upon,  nor  any  hope 
of  salvation,  but  through  his  death 
and  sufferings. 

One  of  the  proctors  of  the  uni- 
versity, and  some  of  the  fellows  of 


Trinity  college,  were  offended  at 
his  address  to  the  people,  and  re- 
proved the  mayor  for  giving  him 
liberty  to  speak.  Of  this  our  mar- 
tyr took  no  notice  ;  but  being  chain- 
ed to  the  stake,  he  earnestly  called 
upon  God  for  his  grace  and  sup- 
port, to  enable  him  to  undergo  the 
fiery  trial. 

As  soon  as  the  fagots  were  light- 
ed, a  number  of  books  were  thrown 
into  the  midst  of  them,  and  among 
the  rest  a  communion  book,  which 
Hullier  catching,  joyfully  read  in 
it  till  the  flames  and  smoke  pre- 
vented him  from  seeing.  He  then 
prayed  with  a  loud  voice,  holding 
the  book  as  long  as  he  was  able, 
and  praising  God  for  sending  it 
to  him  as  a  comforter  in  his  last 
moments. 

After  the  spectators  thought  he 
had  been  dead,  he  suddenly  ex- 
claimed, "  Lord  Jesus  receive  my 
spirit!''  and  then  quietly  expired. 
His  death  was  greatly  lamented 
by  many  of  the  spectators,  who 
prayed  for  him,  and  expressed 
their  grief  by  floods  of  tears,  he 
having  been  a  man  of  eminent 
piety,  and  the  most  exemplary 
virtue. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  SIMON  MILLER? 
AND  ELIZABETH  COOPER,  AT  NOR- 
WICH. 

Simon  Miller  was  an  eminent 
merchant  in  the  town  of  Lynn- 
Regis.  He  was  a  godly  man,  zea- 
lous for  the  truth  of  the  gospel, 
and  consequently  opposed  to  the 
popish  religion. 

Having  occasion  to  go  to  Nor- 
wich on  business,  while  there  he 
inquired  of  some  people  coming 
out  of  church  from  the  popish  ser- 
vice, where  he  might  go  and  re- 
ceive the  communion,  which  being 
reported  to  chancellor  Dunning, 
he  ordered  him  to  appear  be- 
fore him.  This  summons  he  read- 
ily obeyed,  when  the  chancellor 
asked  him  several  questions,  to 
which  answering  agreeably  to  the 
dictates  of  his  conscience,  he  was 
committed  prisoner  to  the  bishop's 
palace. 

After  being  some  time  in   con- 


ELIZABETH  COOPER,  AND  OTHERS. 


621 


finement,  he  obtained  permission 
to  po  home,  in  order  to  settle  his 
worldly  concerns.  On  his  return 
he  was  again  examined  by  the 
chancellor,  who  required  him  to 
recant  his  opinions,  and  return  to 
the  holy  mother-church;  but  Mil- 
ler remaining  inflexible  in  his  faith 
and  profession,  was  condemned  as 
an  heretic,  and  delivered  over  to 
the  secular  power. 

Elizabeth  Cooper  (his  fellow- 
martyr)  was  the  vvife  of  a  trades- 
man in  Norwich.  She  had  for- 
merly been  prevailed  on  to  recant 
the  protestant,  and  embrace  the 
Romish,  religion:  but  being  txou- 
bled  in  her  conscience  for  so 
doing,  she  went  one  day  to  St. 
Andrew's  church,  where,  in  the 
presence  of  a  numerous  audience, 
she  stood  up,  and  publicly  revoked 
her  recantation.  For  this  she  was 
immediately  apprehended,  and 
committed  to  prison.  The  next 
day  she  was  brought  before  the 
bishop,  when  persisting  in  her 
faith,  he  condemned  her  as  a  re- 
lapsed heretic,  and  delivered  her 
to  the  sheriff  for  execution. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  1557,  they 
were  both  led  to  the  stake,  in  a 
hollow  without  the  city,  near  Bi- 
shopsgate.  When  the  fagots  were 
lighted,  Elizabeth  Cooper  ex- 
pressed some  fear;  but  being  en- 
couraged by  the  advice  and  ex- 
ample of  her  fellow-martyr,  she 
recovered  her  fortitude,  and  they 
both  cheerfully  resigned  their  souls 
into  the  hands  of  their  Almighty 
Father. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  WILLIAM  BON- 
GEOR,  THOMAS  BENHOTE,  WIL- 
LIAM PURCHASE,  AGNES  SILVER- 
SIDE,  HELEN  EWRING,  ELIZA- 
BETH  FOLK,  WILLIAM  MUNT, 
JOHN  JOHNSON,  ALICE  MUNT, 
AND  HOSE  ALLEN,  AT  COL- 
CHESTER. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  in  a 
preceding  page  we  gave  an  ac- 
count of  twenty-two  persons  who 
were  brought  from  Colchester  to 
London,  and  there  discharged,  on 
signing  a  confession. 


Among  these  persons  were  Wil- 
liam Munt,  of  Muchbentley,  Alice, 
his  wife,  and  Rose  Allen,  her 
daughter;  who  coming  home 
again,  not  intimidated  by  the  dan- 
ger from  which  they  had  so  re- 
cently escaped,  absented  them- 
selves from  the  idolatrous  service 
of  the  popish  church,  and  fre- 
quented the  company  of  pious 
men  and  women,  who  employed 
themselves  diligently  in  reading 
the  word  of  God,  and  calling  on 
his  name,  through  Christ.  This 
conduct  gave  so  much  offence  to 
the  wicked  priest  of  the  town, 
called  sir  Thomas  Tye,  and  others 
of  the  bigoted  papists,  that  they 
made  a  supplication  to  the  lord 
Darcy,  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
parish,  which  was  as  follows: 

"  Pleaseth  your  honourable 
lordship  to  be  advertised,  that  we 
confess  whilst  your  good  lordship 
lay  here  in  the  country,  the  people 
were  stayed  in  good  order,  to  our 
great  comfort:  but  since  your 
lordship's  departure  they  have 
made  digression  from  good  order 
in  some  places,  and,  namely,  in 
the  parish  of  Muchbentley,  by 
reason  of  three  seditious  persons, 
William  Munt,  and  his  Avife,  and 
Rose,  her  daughter,  who  by  their 
feigned  submission  (as  doth  ap- 
pear) were  dismissed  and  sent 
down  from  the  bishop  of  London; 
and  since  their  coming  home  they 
have  not  only  in  their  own  persons 
made  manifest  their  disobedience, 
in  not  coming  to  the  church,  nor 
yet  observing  other  good  orders, 
but  also  most  maliciously  and  sedi- 
tiously have  seduced  many  from 
coming  to  the  church,  and  from 
obeying  all  other  good  orders; 
mocking  also  those  that  frequent 
the  church,  and  calling  them 
church-owls,  and  blasphemously 
calling  the  blessed  sacrament  of 
the  altar  a  blind  god,  with  divers 
such  like  blasphemies.  In  consi- 
deration whereof,  may  it  please 
your  honour,  (for  the  love  of  God, 
and  for  the  tender  zeal  your  good 
lordship  beareth  to  justice,  and  the 
common  peace    and   quietness  of 


622 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the    king    and    queen's    majesty's 
loving  subjects)  to  award  out  your 
warrant     for    the     said      William 
Munt,    his    wife,    and    Rose    her 
daughter,  that  they  being  attached, 
and  brought  before  your  good  lord- 
ship, we  trust  the  rest  will  fear  to 
offend    (their  ringleaders  of   sedi- 
tion being  apprehended)  the  quiet- 
ness of  their  obedient  subjects. 
"  Your  daily  orators,  tlie  parish- 
ioners of  Muchbentley,   Tho- 
mas Tye,  priest;  John  Castor, 
Thomas        Chandler,        John 
Barker,     Richard     Mere,     J. 
Painter,    Will.    Harris,    John 
Richard,  and  others." 

This  being  done,  Tye  employed 
himself  and  his  spies  in  finding  out 
the  secret  places  where  the  pro- 
testants  assembled  for  praying 
and  reading  the  Scriptures;  and 
having  formerly  pretended  to  be  of 
the  reformed  religion  himself,  he 
was  acquainted  with  many  of 
them ;  after  making  what  disco- 
veries he  could,  he  communicated 
his  pious  fears  and  wishes  to  Bon-r 
ner  in  the  following  letter: 

"Right  honourable  lord;  after 
my  bounden  duty  done  in  most 
humble  wise,  these  shall  be  to 
signify  unto  your  lordship  the 
state  of  our  parts  concerning  reli- 
gion. And  first,  since  the  coming 
down  of  the  twenty-two  rank  he- 
retics dismissed  from  you,  the  de- 
testable sort  of  schismatics  were 
never  so  bold  since  the  king  and 
queen's  majesty's  reign,  as  they 
are  now  at  this  present.  In  Much- 
bentley, where  your  lordship  is  pa- 
tron of  the  church,  since  William 
Munt,  and  Alice,  his  wife,  with 
Rose  Allen,  her  daughter,  came 
home,  they  do  not  only  absent 
themselves  from  the  church  and 
service  of  God,  but  do  daily  allure 
many  others  away  from  the  same, 
which  before  did  outwardly  shew 
signs  and  tokens  of  obedience. 

"  They  assemble  together  upon 
the  Sabbath-day,  in  the  time  of  di- 
vine service,  sometimes  in  one 
house,  sometimes  in  another,  and 
there  keep  their  private  conventi- 


cles and  schools  of  heresy.  Th^ 
jurates  say,  the  lords'  commission 
is  out,  and  they  are  discharged  of 
their  oath.  The  quest-men  in 
your  archdeacon's  visitation  al- 
leged, that  forasmuch  as  they  were 
once  presented  and  now  sent 
home,  they  have  no  more  to  do 
with  them  or  any  other.  Your  of- 
ficers say,  namely,  Mr.  Boswel, 
that  the  council  sent  them  not 
home  without  great  considera- 
tion. I  pray  God  some  of  your  of- 
ficers prove  not  favourers  of  here- 
tics. The  rebels  are  stout  in  the 
town  of  Colchester. 

"  The  ministers  of  the  church 
are  hemmed  at  in  the  open  streets, 
and  called  knaves.  The  blessed 
sacrament  of  the  altar  is  blas- 
phemed and  railed  upon  in  every 
house  and  tavern.  Prayer  and 
fasting  is  not  regarded.  Seditious 
talks  and  news  are  rife  both  in 
town  and  country,  in  as  ample  and 
large  a  manner,  as  though  no  ho- 
nourable lords  and  commissioners 
had  been  sent  for  refonnation 
thereof.  The  occasion  riseth 
partly  by  reason  of  John  Love,  of 
Colchester  Heath,  (a  perverse 
place),  which  John  Love  was  twice 
indicted  of  heresy,  and  thereupon 
fled  with  his  wife  and  household, 
and  his  goods  seized  within  the 
town  of  Colchester,  to  the  king 
and  queen's  majesty's  use.  Ne- 
vertheless, the  said  John  is  come 
home  again,  and  nothing  said  or 
done  to  him.  Whereupon  the  he- 
retics are  wonderfully  encouraged, 
to  the  great  discomfort  of  good 
and  Catholic  people,  which  daily 
pray  to  God  for  the  profit,  unity, 
and  restoration  of  his  church 
again:  which  thing  shall  come  the 
sooner  to  pass  through  the  travail 
and  pains  of  such  honourable  lords 
and  reverend  fathers  as  your  lord- 
ship is,  unto  whom  T  wish  long  life 
and  continuance,  with  increase  of 
much  honour.  From  Colchester, 
December  18. 

"  Your  humble  beadsman, 
"  Thomas  Tye,  Priest." 

When  this  wicked  priest  had 
thus   wrought   his  malice   against 


ROSE  ALLEN,  AND  OTHERS. 


628 


the  people  of  God,  such  a  strong 
persecution  was  raised  ii<;ainst 
these  poor  people,  as  oompeiled 
them  for  a  while  to  withdraw  from 
its  rage ;  after  a  short  time,  how- 
ever, lulled  into  security  by  its  ap- 
parent cessation,  they  returned  to 
their  house,  where  they  had  not 
long  been,  when,  on  the  7th  of 
March,  1557,  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  Edmund  Tyrrel,  (a 
descendant  of  the  person  who 
murdered  king-  Edward  V.,  in  the 
Tower  of  London),  assisted  by  the 
bailifl'  of  the  hundred,  two  con- 
stables, and  a  great  number  of 
other  attendants,  came  to  the  door, 
and  after  alarming  the  family,  told 
Mr.  Munt,  that  he  and  his  wife 
must  both  go  with  him  to  Col- 
chester Castle. 

This  sudden  surprise  greatly  af- 
fected Mrs.  Munt,  who  was  much 
indisposed  in  consequence  of  the 
cruel  treatment  she  had  before  re- 
ceived from  the  popish  party;  but 
after  she  had  a  little  recovered 
herself,  she  desired  of  Tyrrel  that 
her  daughter  might  be  permitted 
to  fetch  her  something  to  drink  be- 
fore she  went  with  him.  This 
being  granted,  Tyrrel  took  the  op- 
portunity of  advising  the  daughter, 
as  she  passed  by  him,  to  give  her 
father  and  mother  better  counsel, 
and  admonish  them  to  behave 
more  like  good  Christians,  and 
members  of  the  Catholic  church; 
to  which  she  replied,  "  Sir,  they 
have  a  better  instructor  than  me. 
For  the  Holy  Ghost  doth  teach 
them,  I  hope,  which  I  trust  will  not 
suffer  them  to  err." 

Tyrr.  Why,  art  thou  still  in 
that  mind,  thou  naughty  house- 
wife? marry,  it  is  time  to  look  upon 
such  heretics  indeed. 

Rose.  Sir,  with  what  you  call 
heresy,  do  I  worship  my  Lord  God; 
I  tell  you  truth. 

Tyrr.  Then  I  perceive  you  will 
burn,  gossip,  with  the  rest,  for  com- 
pany's sake. 

Rose.      No,    sir,    not    for    com- 

.  pany's  sake,  but  for  Christ's  sake, 

if  so  I  be  compelled,  and  I  hope  in 

his  mercy,  if  he  call  me  to  it,  he 

will  enable  me  to  bear  it. 


Then  Tyrrel,  turning  to  his  com- 
pany, said,  "  Sirs,  this  gossip  will 
burn:  what  do  you  think  of  her?" 
— "  Why  truly,  sir,"  said  one, 
"  prove  her,  and  you  shall  see 
what  she  will  do  by  and  by." 

The  cruel  Tyrrel,  then  taking  the 
candle  from  her,  held  her  wrist, 
and  the  lighted  candle  under  her 
hand,  burning  it  across  the  back, 
till  the  sinews  cracked;  during 
which  barbarous  operation  he  said 

often  to  her,  "  Why,  w ,  wilt 

thou  not  cry?  thou  young  w — — ,  wilt 
thou  not  cry?"  To  Avhich  she  con- 
stantly answered,  that  "  she 
thanked  God  she  had  no  cause, 
but  rather  to  rejoice.  But,"  she 
said,  "  he  had  more  cause  to  weep 
than  she,  if  he  considered  the 
matter  well."  At  last  he  thrust 
her  violently  from  him,  with  much 
scurrilous  language;  of  which  she 
took  no  other  notice  than  by  in- 
quiring, "  Sir,  have  you  done 
what  you  will  do?"  To  which  he 
replied,  "  Yea,  and  if  you  think 
not  well  of  it,  then  mend  it." 

Rose.  "Mend  it?  nay,  the  Lord 
mend  you,  and  give  you  repent- 
ance, if  it  be  his  will;  and  now, -if 
you  think  it  good,  begin  at  the 
feet,  and  burn  the  head  also:  for 
he  that  set  you  on  work,  shall  pay 
you  your  wages  one  day,  I  war- 
rant you :"  and  so  went  and  car- 
ried her  mother  drink  as  she  was 
commanded. 

Tyrrel  then  seized  William 
Munt,  his  wife,  and  Rose  Allen, 
her  daughter,  and  immediately 
conducted  them  to  Colchester  Cas- 
tle, together  with  John  Johnson, 
whom  they  took  in  their  way,  in 
consequence  of  an  information 
against  him  for  heresy. 

They  also  the  same  morning  ap- 
prehended six  others,  namely, 
William  Bongeor,  Thomas  Ben- 
hote,  William  Purchase,  Agnes 
Silverside,  Helen  Ewring,  and 
Elizabeth  Folk;  but  not  choosing 
to  place  those  with  the  rest,  they 
sent  them  prisoners  to  Mote-hill. 

After  they  had  been  confined  a 
few  days,  they  were  all  brought 
together  before  several  justices  of 
the    peace,    priests,    and    officers, 


624 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


(amongst  whom  were  Kingston, 
the  commissary,  and  Boswell,  the 
bishop  of  London's  secretary)  with 
many  others,  in  order  to  be  exa- 
mined relative  to  their  faith. 

The  first  person  called  on  was 
William  Bongeor,  who  being  exa- 
mined concerning  his  faith  in  the 
sacrament,  replied,  that  "  what 
they  termed  the  sacrament  of  the 
altar  was  bread,  is  bread,  and  re- 
maineth  bread,  and  was  not  in  the 
least  holier  for  the  consecration." 
This  he  affirmed,  and  at  the  same 
time  protested  against  all  popish 
doctrines  in  general;  upon  which 
he  immediately  received  sentence 
of  condemnation. 

Thomas  Benhote  also  denied  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  and  ab- 
jured the  errors  of  the  Romish 
church. 

William  Purchase  declared,  that 
■when  he  received  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  he  received  bread  to 
an  holy  use,  and  both  bread  and 
wine  merely  as  such,  but  in  re- 
membrance of  Christ's  death  and 
passion. 

Agnes  Silverside  said  she  ap- 
proved not  of  the  popish  consecra- 
tion, nor  any  of  the  pageantry,  ab- 
surdities, and  superstitions  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  which  was  the 
church  of  Antichrist. 

Helen  Ewring  also  renounced 
all  the  unscriptural  doctrines  and 
practices  of  the  church  of  Rome. 

Elizabeth  Folk  being  asked, 
whether  she  believed  Christ's  body 
to  be  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
really  and  substantially;  replied, 
*'  she  believed  it  was  a  substantial 
and  a  real  lie." 

The  commissioners  being  in- 
censed at  so  abrupt  a  reply,  asked 
her,  "  whether,  after  consecration, 
tlierc  remaineth  not  the  body  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament?"  She 
answered,  that  "  before  consecra- 
tion, and  after,  it  was  bread,  and 
that  what  man  blessed  without 
God's  word,  was  accursed  and 
deemed  abominable  by  that 
word." 

They  then  examined  her  relative 
to  confession  to  a  priest,  going  to 
churefa  to  hear  mass,  the  authority 


of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  See.  Unto 
all  which  she  answered,  that  "  she 
would  neither  use,  nor  frequent 
any  of  them,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
but  did  utterly  detest  them  from 
her  very  heart  and  soul." 

In  consequence  of  this,  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  was  pasesd. 
on  her;  immediately  after  which 
she  kneeled  down,  lifted  up  her 
eyes  and  hands  to  heaven,  and  in 
an  audible  voice  praised  God,  that 
she  was  deemed  worthy  to  suffer 
for  the  testimony  of  Christ,  pray- 
ing, at  the  same  time,  for  her  per- 
secutors. 

William  Munt  being  asked  his 
opinion  concerning  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  said,  "  it  was  a  most 
abominable  idol,  and  that  if  he 
should  observe  any  part  of  the  po- 
pish superstition,  he  should  dis- 
please God,  and  bring  a  curse 
upon  himself;  and,  therefore,  for 
fear  of  the  divine  vengeance,  he 
would  not  bow  down  to  an  idol." 

John  Johnson  answered  to  the 
same  effect  with  Munt;  bnt  added, 
that  "  in  receiving  the  sacrament, 
according  to  Christ's  institution, 
he  received  the  body  of  Christ  spi- 
ritually." 

Alice,  the  wife  of  William  Munt, 
renounced  all  popish  error  and  su- 
perstition, and  continued  stead- 
fast in  the  profession  of  the  true 
faith  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Rose  Allen,  who  was  last  called, 
being  examined  concerning  auri- 
cular confession,  hearing  mass, 
and  the  seven  sacraments,  an- 
swered, that  '*  they  were  an  abo- 
mination in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord, 
and  that  she  would  therefore  for 
fever  reject  them."  She  likewise 
told  them,  that  *'  she  was  no  mem- 
ber of  their  church,  for  they  were 
the  members  of  Antichrist,  and 
would  have  the  reward  of  Anti- 
christ if  they  repented  not." 

In  consequence  of  this,  sentence 
was  read  against  her,  and  she  and 
her  companions  were  all  delivered 
over  to  the  secular  power. 

They  continued  under  confine- 
ment with  much  joy  and  comfort, 
frequently  reading  the  word  of 
God,  and  exercising  themselves  in. 


ROSE  ALLEN,  AND  OTHERS. 


625 


fefrent  prayer,  impatiently  wait- 
ing for  their  happy  dissolution. 

Bishop  Bonner  having  an  ac- 
count transmitted  to  him  of  the 
condemnation  of  these  ten  inno- 
cent persons,  sent  down  a  war- 
rant for  their  being  burned,  and 
fixed  the  day  for  the  2d  of  August. 

As  the  prisoners  were  confined 
in  dilferent  places,  it  was  resolved 
by  the  officer,   that  part  of  them 


should  be  executed  in  the  former, 
and  the  rest  in  the  latter  part  of 
that  day.  Accordingly  William 
Bongeor,  William  Purchase,  Tho- 
mas Benhote,  Agnes  Silverside, 
Helen  Ewring,  and  Elizabetli 
Folk,  were  brought  early  in  the 
morning  to  the  place  appointed  for 
them  to  suffer,  where  every  thing 
was  prepared  for  the  barbarous 
catastrophe. 


The  Burning  cf  Julius  Palmer,    John    Gwin,     and     Thomus 
Berkshire,  A.  D.  15.i6. 


AskinCy   at    Newbery,    iw 


When  our  martyrs  arrived  at  tbe 
spot,  they  kneeled  down^  and 
humbly  addressed  themselves  to 
Almighty  God,  tljough  tliey  were 
interrupted  by  their  popish  ene- 
mies. 

Having  concluded  their  prayers, 
they  arose,  were  fastened  to  the 
stakes,  and  all  burnt  in  one  fire. 
They  died  with  amazing  fortitude 
and  resignation,  triumphing  in  the 
midst  of  the  flames,  and  exulting 
in  hopes  of  the  future  glory  that 
awaited  them  after  their  departure 
from  a  sinful  world. 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


In  like  manner,  in  tTte  afternoon 
of  the  same  day,  William  and 
Alice  Munt,  Rose  Allen,  and  John 
Johnson,  were  brought  to  the  same 
place  where  their  fellow-martyrs 
had  suffered  in  the  morning.  As 
soon  as  they  arrived  at  the  fatal 
spot,  they  all  kneeled  down,  and, 
for  some  time,  prayed  with  the 
greatest  ferveney.  After  prayers, 
they  arose,  and  cbeerfHily  sub- 
mitted to  be  fasteti-ad  to  the  stakes : 
they  then  earnestly  prayed  to  God 
to  enable  them  to  endure  the  fiery 
trial,   exhorted  the   people  to  b«- 

40 


626 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ware  of  idolatry,  and  with  their 
latest  breath  testified  tlieir  faith  in 
Christ  crucified,  whom  to  know  is 
eternal  life,  and  for  whom  to  die  is 
the  glory  of  all  his  chosen  people. 

MARTYRDOM     OF    RICHARD     CRASH- 
FIELD. 

The  popish  emissaries  having 
laid  an  information  against  this 
pious  man,  who  resided  at  Wy- 
mondham,  in  Norfolk,  he  was  ap- 
prehended on  suspicion  of  heresy, 
and  being  brought  before  chan- 
cellor Dunning,  was  examined 
concerning  the  ceremonies  of  the 
church,  whether  he  believed  them 
to  be  good  and  godly  ? 

Mr.  Crashfield  replied,  he  be- 
lieved as  many  of  them  as  were 
founded  on  the  word  of  God,  and 
authorized  by  the  practice  and  ex- 
ample of  Chri:;:  and  his  apostles. 

The  chancellor  then  particularly 
examined  him  concerning  the  cor- 
poreal presence  in  the  eucharist, 
to  which  Crashfield  answered,  he 
believed  that  Christ's  body  was 
broken  by  him  upon  the  cross,  and 
Lis  blood  shed  for  his  redemption, 
of  which  bread  and  wine  are  a 
perpetual  remembrance,  the 
pledge  of  God's  mercy,  and  the 
seal  of  his  promise  to  those  who 
faithfully  believe  in  his  most  holy 
gospel. 

Mr.  Crashfield  was  then  dis- 
missed for  the  present,  and  sent 
back  to  prison;  but  the  next  day 
he  was  again  brought  before  the 
chancellor,  who  asked  him  if  he 
still  persisted  in  his  heretical  opi- 
nions? 

On  his  replying  in  the  aflSrma- 
tlve,  and  confirming  the  same  by 
his  answers  to  other  questions  and 
articles  proposed  to  him,  the  chan- 
cellor stood  up,  and  in  the  usual 
form  required  him  to  turn  from  his 
wicked  errors  and  damnable  he- 
resies, and  not  be  an  example  of 
impiety  and  obstinacy,  adding, 
through  his  presumptuous  reading, 
he  persuaded  silly  women  to  em- 
brace his  errors  at  the  hazard  of 
their  souls  ;  and  promising  him 
mercy  on  his  compliance  with  these 
t«rms 


Our  martyr  boldly  maintained 
his  faith  in  the  pure  doctrines  and 
uncorrupted  ceremonies  of  the 
church  of  Christ,  telling  the  arro- 
gant chancellor,  that  it  was  of 
God,  whom  he  had  offended, 
that  he  craved  mercy,  and  not  of 
him,  who  was  a  sinner  like  him- 
self, and  therefore  incapable  of  dis- 
pensing forgiveness,  or  giving  any 
satisfaction  to  his  precious  soul. 

At  length,  the  chancellor  finding 
him  inflexibly  attached  to  his  opi- 
nions and  principles,  in  order  to 
obtain  a  pretence  for  condemning 
him,  asked  when  he  was  last  at 
his  parish  church ;  and  on  his  an- 
swering that  it  was  two  years  past, 
told  him  he  stood  excommunicated, 
and  consequently  condemned  as  an 
heretic. 

Mr.  Crashfield  not  making  any 
reply,  sentence  of  death  was  pass- 
sed  on  him,  and  he  was  delivered 
to  tlie  sherifl'  of  the  county  in  or- 
der for  execution. 

A  few  days  after  his  condemna- 
tion he  was  brought  to  the  stake, 
at  Norwich,  where,  in  the  presence 
of  numerous  spectators,  with  great 
patience  and  constancy,  he  yielded 
up  his  soul  to  God  in  testimony  of 
the  truth  of  his  most  holy  word, 
and  in  the  sure  and  certain  hope  of 
enjoying  an  everlasting  habitation 
in  the  heavenly  mansions. 

MARTYRDOM   OF  MRS.  JOYCE  LEWIS, 
AT    LICHFIELD. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of 
queen  Mary,  Mrs.  Lewis  went  to 
church,  heard  mass,  was  confessed, 
and  observed  all  the  ceremonies  of 
the  Romish  church,  till  at  length  it 
pleased  God,  by  the  preaching  of 
a  Protestant  minister,  to  convince 
her  of  her  errors,  and  convert  her 
to  the  true  faith  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ. 

What  greatly  contributed  to  her 
conversion  was,  the  burning  of 
Laurence  Saunders,  a  faithful  ser- 
vant of  God  at  Coventry,  which 
we  have  described  in  a  preceding 
page.  She  inquired  into  the  cause 
of  that  cruel  punishment,  and 
being  told  it  was  because  he  would 
not  receive  the  mass,  she  heijan  to 


MRS.  JOYCE  LEWIS. 


C27 


entertain  doubts  concerning  the 
truth  of  a  religrion  which  sanc- 
tioned snch  barbarities,  and  ac- 
cordingly applied  for  satisfaction 
to  one  Mr.  Glover,  who  had  him- 
self suffered  much  for  his  stead- 
fast attachment  to  the  truth  of  the 
gospel. 

This  good  man  pointed  out  to 
her  the  errors  of  the  Romish 
church,  proving  them  to  be  an- 
tiscriptural  and  antichristian,  and 
advising  her  to  make  the  word  of 
God  her  constant  study,  and  to 
regulate  her  faith  and  practice  by 
that  alone. 

Mrs.  Lewis  immediately  took  his 
advice,  and  gave  herself  up  to 
prayer,  and  acts  of  benevolence, 
determined,  by  the  divine  grace, 
both  to  do  and  to  believe  as  much 
and  no  more  than  she  was  enjoined 
bj'  the  word  of  God. 

Being  one  day  urged  by  her 
husband  to  go  to  church,  when  the 
holy  water  was  sprinkled  about, 
she  turned  her  back  towards  it,  and 
strongly  expressed  her  displeasure. 
This  being  observed  by  several 
of  the  congregation,  an  accusation 
was,  the  next  day,  laid  against 
her  before  the  bishop  of  Lichfield, 
for  despising  the  sacrament  of  the 
church. 

The  bishop  sent  an  officer  to 
summon  her  to  appear  before  him  ; 
but  when  he  delivered  the  citation 
to  her  husband,  he  threatened  the 
officer,  and  holding  a  dagger  to  his 
breast  compelled  him  to  eat  tlie 
paper,  before  he  suffered  him  to 
depart. 

This  treatment  being  reported  to 
the  bishop,  he  ordered  both  Mr. 
Lewis  and  his  wife  to  appear  be- 
fore him  ;  when,  after  a  short  ex- 
amination, he  dismissed  the  hus- 
band, on  his  begging  pardon  for 
his  violent  conduct,  and  offered 
forgiveness  to  the  wife  for  the 
offence  she  had  committed  at  the 
church,  on  the  same  terms.  But 
she  courageously  told  his  lordship, 
that  by  refusing  holy  water,  she 
had  not  offended  God,  or  any  of 
his  laws. 

Though  the  bishop  was  greatly 
offended  at  this  reply,  yet,  as  she 


M'as  a  person  of  considerable  re- 
pute, he  did  not  proceed  immedi- 
ately against  her,  but  gave  her  a 
month  to  consider  of  the  matter, 
binding  her  husband  in  one  bun-* 
dred  pounds,  to  bring  her  again  to 
him  at  the  expiration  of  that  time. 
When  the  period  fixed  was  near- 
ly arrived,  many  of  their  friends 
advised  her  husband,  by  all  means, 
not  to  deliver  her  up,  i)ut  to  convey 
her  to  some  convenient  retirement^ 
saying,  he  had  better  sustain  the 
loss  of  an  hundred  pounds,  than 
be  instrumental  to  his  wife's  de- 
struction. 

To  these  remonstrances  the  un- 
natural husband  replied,  "  he 
would  not  forfeit  his  bond  for  her 
sake  ;"  and,  accordingly,  when  the 
time  was  expired,  he  delivered  her 
to  the  bishop,  who,  still  finding  her 
resolute,  committed  her  to  a  loath- 
some prison. 

She  was  several  times  examined 
by  the  bishop,  who  reasoned  with 
her  on  her  not  coming  to  mass,  nor 
receiving  the  sacrament  according 
to  the  rituals  of  the  holy  church  : 
to  this  she  replied,  that  "  she  found 
not  those  things  in  God's  word, 
which  he  so  much  urged  and  mag^ 
nified  as  necessary  to  salvation;" 
adding,  that  *'  if  those  things  were 
founded  on  God's  word,  she  would 
receive  them  with  all  her  heart." 

His  lordship  told  her,  "  if  she 
would  believe  no  more  than  was  in 
scripture,  she  was  a  damnable  he- 
retic ;"  and  after  much  farther  dis- 
course with  her,  pronounced  sen- 
tence against  her  as  irreclaimable. 
The  concluding  scene  of  this 
pious  woman's  life  is  narrated  with 
so  much  interesting  simplicity  by 
the  Martyrologist,  that  we  give  it 
in  his  own  words. 

In  the  evening  before  her  suffer- 
ing, two  of  the  priests  of  the  close 
of  Lichfield,  came  to  the  under 
sheriff's  house  vihere  she  lay,  arid 
sent  word  to  her  by  the  "sheriff, 
that  "  they  were  come  to  her  con- 
fession ;  for  they  would  be  sorry 
she  should  die  without."  She  sent 
them  word  again,  "  she  had  made 
a  confession  to  Christ  her  Saviour, 
at   whose   hands  she  was  sure  to 


628 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


have  forgiveness  of  her  sins.  As 
conceruiug  the  cause  for  M'hich 
she  should  die,  she  had  no  caUse 
to  confess  that,  but  rather  to  give 
most  humble  praise  to  God,  that 
he  had  made  her  worthy  to  sutler 
death  for  his  word:  and  as  con- 
cerning that  absolution  that  they 
were  able  to  give  unto  her,  being 
authorized  by  the  pope,  she  did 
defy  the  same,  even  from  the  bot- 
tom of  her  heart." 

Which  when  the  priests  heard, 
they  said  to  the  sheriff,  "  Well, 
to-morrow  her  stoutness  IwUl  be 
proved  and  tried :  for  although 
perhaps  she  hath  now  some  friends 
that  whisper  in  her  ears,  to-morrow 
we  will  see  who  dare  be  so  hardy 
as  to  come  near  her  :"  and  so  they 
went  their  ways  with  anger,  that 
their  confession  and  absolution  was 
nought  set  by. 

All  that  night  she  was  wonder- 
fully cheerful  and  merry,  with  a 
certain  gravity,  insomuch  that  the 
majesty  of  the  Spirit  of  God  did 
manifestly  appear  in  her,  who  did 
expel  the  fear  of  death  out  of  her 
heart,  spending  the  time  in  prayer, 
reading  and  talking  with  them  that 
were  purposely, come  unto  her,  to 
comfort  her  with  the  word  of  God. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, Satan,  (who  never  sleepeth, 
especially  when  death  is  at  hand) 
began  to  stir  himself  busily,  shoot- 
ing at  her  that  fiery  dart,  which  he 
is  wont  to  do  against  all  that  are 
at  defiance  with  him,  by  question- 
ing her,  how  she  could  tell  that  she 
was  chosen  to  eternal  life,  and 
that  Christ  died  for  her.  "  I  grant 
that  he  died,  but  that  he  died  for 
thee,  how  canst  thou  tell  ?"  Whilst 
she  was  troubled  with  this  sugges- 
tion, they  that  were  about  her 
counselled  her  to  follow  the  exam- 
ple of  Paul,  Gal.  ii.  where  he  saith, 
"  Which  hath  loved  me,  and  given 
himself  for  me."  Also,  that  her 
vocation  and  calling  to  the  know- 
led-^e  of  God's  word,  was  a  mani- 
fest" token  of  God's  love,  and  de- 
sire towards  God  working  in 
her  heart,  that  love  and  desire 
towards  God,  to  please  him, 
and  to  be  justified  by  him  through 


Christ,  8tc.  By  these  and  like  per- 
suasions, and  especially  by  the 
comfortable  promises  of  Christ, 
brought  out  of  the  scripture,  Satan 
was  put  to  flight,  and  she  comforted 
in  Christ. 

About  eight  o'clock,  Mr.  Sheriff 
came  into  her  chamber,  saying 
these  words,  "  Mrs.  Lewis,  I  am 
come  to  bring  you  tidings  of  the 
queen's  pleasure,  which  is,  that 
you  shall  live  but  one  hour  longer 
in  this  world  :  therefore  it  behov- 
eth  you  to  prepare  yourself  for  it."^ 
At  which  words,  being  so  grossly 
uttered,  and  so  suddenly,  by  such 
an  officer  as  he  was,  made  her 
somewhat  cast  down.  Wherefore 
one  of  her  friends  and  acquaint- 
ance standing  by,  said  these  words  : 
"  Mrs.  Lewis,  you  have  great  cause 
to  praise  God,  who  has  vouchsafed 
so  soon  to  take  you  out  of  this 
world,  and  made  you  worthy  to  be 
a  witness  of  the  truth,  and  to  bear 
record  unto  Christ,  that  he  is  the 
only  Saviour." 

After  which  words,  she  said, 
"  Mr.  Sheriff,  your  message  is  wel- 
come to  me,  and  I  thank  my  God 
that  he  has  made  me  worthy  to 
offer  my  life  for  his  service."  At 
which  words  the  sheriff  departed: 
but  in  the  space  of  an  hour  he 
came  back  again,  with  swords  and 
clubs ;  and  when  he  came  up  into 
her  chamber,  one  of  her  friends  de- 
sired him  to  give  him  leave  to  go 
with  her  to  the  stake,  and  to  com- 
fort her,  which  the  sheriff  granted 
at  that  time ;  but  afterwards,  when 
she  was  dead,  he  was  sore  troubled 
for  the  same. 

Now  when  she  was  brought 
through  the  town  by  a  number  of 
bill-men,  a  great  number  of  people 
being  present,  she  was  led  by  two 
of  her  friends,  namely,  Mr.  Michael 
Reniger,  and  Mr.  Augustine  Bern- 
her,  and  so  brought  to  the  'place  of 
execution :  and  because  the  place 
was  far  off,  and  the  throng  of  the 
people  great,  and  she  not  ac- 
quainted with  the  fresh  air,  (being 
so  long  in  prison)  one  of  her  friends 
sent  a  messenger  to  the  sheriff's 
house  for  some  drink:  and  after 
she  had  prayed  three  several  times, 


RALPH  ALLERTON  AND  OTHERS, 


629 


In  which  prayers  she  desired  God 
most  instantly  to  abolish  the  idol- 
atrous mass,  and  to  deliver  tiiis 
realm  from  popery  (at  the  end  of 
which  prayers  most  part  of  the 
people  cried,  "Amen!"  yea,  even 
the  sheriff  that  stood  hard  by  her, 
ready  to  cast  her  into  the  tire  for 
not  allowing  the  mass,  at  this  her 
prayer  said  with  the  rest  of  her 
people,  "  Amen  !") ;  when  she  had 
thus  prayed,  she^ook  the  cup  into 
her  hands,  saying,  "I  drink  to  all 
them  that  unfeignedly  love  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  wish 
for  the  abolishment  of  popei-y." 
When  she  had  drank,  they  that 
were  her  friends  drank  also.  After 
that  a  great  number,  especially 
the  women  of  that  town,  drank 
with  her,  who  afterwards  were  put 
to  open  penance  in  the  church  by 
the  cruel  papists,  for  drinking  with 
her. 

When  she  was  chained  to  the 
stake,  she  shewed  such  cheerful- 
ness, that  it  passed  man's  reason, 
being  so  m  ell  coloured  in  her  face, 
and  being  so  patient,  that  most  of 
them  that  had  honest  hearts  were 
moved,  and  even  with  tears  be- 
wailed the  tyranny  of  the  papists. 
When  the  fire  was  set  to  her,  she 
made  no  other  resistance  than  by 
lifting  up  her  hands  towards  hea- 
ven, being  dead  very  soon:  for  the 
under  sheriff,  at  the  request  of  her 
friends,  had  provided  such  stuff, 
that  she  was  suddenly  dispatched 
out  of  this  miserable  world. 

This,  amongst  other  things,  is 
not  to  be  forgotten,  that  the  papists 
had  appointed  some  to  rail  upon 
her,  and  to  revile  her,  both  as  she 
went  to  the  place  of  execution,  as 
also  when  she  went  to  the  stake. 
Amongst  others  there  was  an  old 
priest,  who  had  a  pair  of  writing 
tab-Ies,  wherein  he  set  down  the 
names  of  those  women  that  drank 
of  the  cup  (as  before  mentioned), 
and  also  described  her  friends  by 
their  apparel,  for  he  could  not  pre- 
sently learn  their  names,  and  after- 
wards inquired  for  them  :  and  so 
immediately  after  process  was  sent 
for  them,   both  to   Coventry   and 


other  places  :  but  God,  whose  pro- 
vidence sleeps  not,  did  defend 
them  from  the  hands  of  these  cruel 
tyrants.  Unto  which  God,  with 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be 
honour  and  glory  for  ever,  Amen. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  RALPH  ALLERTON, 
JAMES  AWSTOO,  MARGERY  AWS- 
TOO,  AND  RICHARD  ROTH,  AT 
ISLINGTON. 

Mr.  Ralph  Allerton,  being  in- 
formed against  by  several  bigoted 
papists  in  the  neighbourhood  where 
he  lived,  was  apprehended  on  sus- 
picion of  heresy  ;  and  after  un- 
dergoing a  short  examination  be- 
fore a  magistrate,  was  committed 
to  prison. 

A  few  days  after  he  was  brought 
before  lord  Darcy,  at  Colchester, 
who  accused  him  not  only  of  ab- 
senting himself  from  church,  but 
also  that,  by  preaching,  he  had 
persuaded  others  to  follow  his  ex- 
ample. 

To  this  Mr.  Allerton  made  the 
following  confession  :  that  coming 
to  his  parish  church,  and  finding 
the  people  sitting  there,  some 
gazing  about,  and  others  talking 
on  unprofitable  subjects,  he  ex- 
horted them  to  pray,  meditate  on 
God's  word,  and  not  sit  idle,  to 
which  they  willingly  consented  ; 
and  after  prayer,  he  read  a  chap- 
ter to  them  in  the  New  Testament. 
This  he  continued  to  do  for  some 
time,  till  he  was  informed  his  pro- 
ceedings were  contrary  to  lasv,  as 
he  was  neither  priest  nor  minister; 
upon  which  he  desisted. 

He  likewise  confessed,  that  he 
was  taken  up  for  reading  in  the 
parish  of  Welly  ;  but  when  those 
that  apprehended  him  understood 
he  had  read  but  once,  and  that 
it  was  an  exhortation  to  obedience, 
they  let  him  go  ;  after  which,  being 
afraid,  he  kept  in  woods,  barns, 
and  solitary  places,  till  he  was  ap- 
prehended. 

After  this  examination,  lord 
Darcy  sent  him  to  London  to  the 
commissioners,  by  whom  he  was 
referred  to  bishop  Bonner,  who 
persuaded  him  publicly  to  recant 


630 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


his  profession  at  St.  Paul's  church, 
and  then  dismissed  him;  where- 
upon he  returned  into  the  country. 
He  was  greatly  troubled  in  his 
conscience  for  what  he  had  done, 
earnestly  repented  of  the  same, 
and  openly  professed  the  faith  he 
had  so  weakly  revoked,  till  Tho- 
mas Tye,  priest  of  the  parish,  (who 
had  formerly  been  a  professor  of 
the  truth,  but  was  now  a  perse- 
cutor) caused  him  to  be  appre- 
hended, and  again  brought  to  the 
bishop  of  London,  on  the  8th  of 
April,  1557,  when  the  following  ex- 
amination took  place. 

Bonner.  Ah,  sirrah  !  how  chanc- 
eth  it  that  you  are  come  hither 
again  on  this  fashion?  I  daresay 
thou  art  accused  wrongfully. 

Ralph.  Yea,  my  lord,  so  I  am. 
For  if  1  were  guilty  of  such  things 
as  I  am  accused  of,  then  I  would 
be  very  sorry. 

Bonner.  Go  on,  let  me  hear 
thee  ;  for  I  did  not  believe  the  tale 
to  be  true. 

Ralph.  My  lord,  who  did  accuse 
me  ?  I  pray  you  let  me  know, 
that  I  may  answer  thereunto. 

Bonner.  If  thou  hast  not  dis- 
sembled, then  thou  needest  not  be 
afraid,  nor  ashamed  to  answer  for 
thyself.  But  tell  me  in  faith,  hast 
thou  not  dissembled  ? 

Ralph.  If  I  cannot  have  mine 
accusers  to  accuse  me  before  you, 
my  conscience  doth  constrain  me 
to  accuse  myself:  for  I  have  griev- 
ously offended  God  in  my  dissimu- 
lation, at  my  last  being  before  your 
lordship,  for  which  I  am  very 
3orry. 

Bonner.  Wherein,  I  pray  thee, 
didst  thou  dissemble,  when  thou 
wast  before  me  ? 

Ralph.  Forsooth,  my  lord,  if 
your  lordship  remember,  I  did  set 
my  hand  to  a  certain  writing,  the 
contents  whereof  (as  I  remember) 
were.  That  I  believe  in  all  things 
as  the  Catholic  church  teacheth, 
&c.  In  which  I  did  not  disclose 
ray  mind,  but  shamefully  dissem- 
bled, because  I  made  no  difference 
between  the  true  church  and  the 
lintvue  church. 


Bonner.  That  is  well  said  of 
thee.  For  if  thou  hadst  allowed 
the  church  of  heretics,  I  vi'ould 
have  burned  thee  with  fire  for  thy 
labour.  But  which  is  the  Catholic 
church  ? 

Ralph.  Even  that  which  hath 
received  the  wholesome  sound, 
spoken  of  by  Isaiah,  David,  Ma- 
lachi,  and  Paul,  with  many  other 
more.  Which  sound  hath  gone 
throughout  all  the  earth,  and  unto 
the  ends  of  the  world. 

Bonner.  Yea,  thou  sayest  true 
before  God.  For  this  is  the  sound 
that  hath  gone  throughout  all 
Christendom,  and  he  that  believeth 
not  the  sound  of  the  holy  church, 
as  St.  Cyprian  saith,  doth  err. 

Ralph.  My  lord,  if  you  re- 
member, I  spake  of  all  the  world, 
as  it  is  written,  and  not  of  all 
Christendom  only,  as  methinks 
your  lordship  takes  it,  which  kind 
of  speaking  you  do  not  find  in  all 
the  Bible.  For  I  am  sure,  that  the 
gospel  hath  been  both  preached 
and  persecuted  in  all  lands.  For 
true  it  is  that  the  church  which 
you  call  Catholic,  is  none  other- 
wise Catholic  than  was  figured  in 
Cain,  observed  of  by  Jeroboam, 
and  others  of  that  description. 

Bonner.  Now,  by  the  blessed 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  he  is  the 
rankest  heretic  that  ever  came  be- 
fore me. 

Ralph.  My  lord,  there  are  in 
England  three  religions;  as  you 
have  said,  there  are  more  of  my 
opinion. 

Bonner.  Sayest  thou  so  ?  Which 
be  these  three  ? 

Ralph.  The  first  is  that  which 
you  hold ;  the  second  is  clean  con- 
trary to  the  same  ;  and  the  third  is 
a  neuter,  being  indifferent:  that 
is  to  say,  observing  all  things  that 
are  commanded  outwardly,  as 
though  he  were  of  your  part,  his 
heart  being  set  wholly  against  the 
same. 

Bonner.  And  of  these  three 
which  art  thou?  For  now  thou  must 
needs  be  ©ne  of  them. 

Ralph.  Yea,  my  lord,  I  am  of 
one  of  them ;    and   that  which    I 


3 


RALPH  ALLERTON  AND  OTHERS. 


631 


am  of,  is  even  that  which  is  con- 
trary to  that  which  you  teach  to  be 
believed  under  pain  of  death. 

The  bishop  was  incensed  at  this 
reply,  and  immediately  committed 
Allerton  to  the  prison  called  Little- 
Ease,  at  Guildhall,  London,  where 
he  remained  all  night,  and  the 
next  morninj?  being  again  brought 
before  the  bishop,  the  dean  of  St. 
Paul's,  and  the  chancellor  of  the 
diocese,  some  writings  which  he 
had  signed  were  brought  forward, 
and  Bonner  asked  him,  "  Is  not 
this    your     hand,    and    this,    and 

this  r 

Allerton.  Yea,  they  are  my 
hand  all  of  them  ;  I  confess  the 
same  ;  neither  yet  will  I  deny  any 
thing  that  I  have  set  my  hand 
unto.  And  I  believe  the  scripture 
to  be  true,  and  in  defence  of  the 
same  I  intend  to  give  my  life,  ra- 
ther than  1  will  deny  any  part 
thereof,  God  willing. 

Bonner.  Is  not  this  thine  own 
hand? 

Allerton.  Yes,  my  lord,  it  is 
mine  own  hand,  neither  am  I 
ashamed  thereof,  because  my  con- 
fession is  agreeable  to  God's  word. 
Tye,  (the  Priest.)  My  lord,  he 
is  a  very  seditious  fellow,  and  per- 
suadeth  other  men  to  do  as  he 
himself  doth,  contrary  to  the  or- 
der appointed  by  the  queen's 
highness  and  the  clergy  of  this 
realm. 

Allerton.  As  I  said  before,  so 
say  T  now  again  ;  thou  art  not  of 
the  church  of  Christ,  and  that  I 
will  prove,  if  I  may  be  sufl'ered. 
You  commanded  the  constable  to 
apprehend  me,  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  this  realm,  having  neither 
treason,  felony,  nor  murder  to  lay 
to  my  charge  :  no,  neither  had  you 
precept,  process,  nor  warrant  to 
serve  on  me  ;  and  therefore  I  say, 
without  a  law  was  I  apprehended. 
And  whereas  you  seek  to  trouble 
the  constable,  because  he  kept  me 
not  in  the  stocks  three  days  and 
three  nights,  it  doth  shew  in  part 
what  you  are.  And  if  I  had  run 
away,  then  you  would  surely  have 
laid  somewhat  to  his  charge. 
Bonner.     Thou  knowest  Kichard 


Roth,  dost  thou  not?  Is  he  of  the 
same  mind  that  thou  art  of,  canst 
thou  tell  ? 

Allerton.  He  is  of  age  to  an- 
swer, let  him  speak  for  himself, 
for  I  hear  say  that  he  is  in  your 
house. 

Bonner.  Tell  me  then,  briefly, 
at  one  word,  wilt  thou  be  contented 
to  go  to  Fulham  with  me,  and 
there  to  kneel  down  at  mass,  shew- 
ing thyself  outwardly  as  though 
thou  didst  it  with  a  good  will  ? 
Come,  speak. 

Allerton.     I  will  not  say  so. 
Bonner.     Away  with  him,  away 
with  him ! 

He  was  then  remanded  to  pri- 
son, and  on  the  second  of  May 
was  brought  again  before  the  bi- 
shop, and  three  noblemen  of  the 
council,  when  Bonner  asked, 
"Doth  not  Christ  say.  This  is  my 
body?  How  sayest  thou?  Wilt 
thou  deny  these  words  of  our  Sa- 
viour Christ?  Or  was  he  a  dissem- 
bler, speaking  one  thing  and  mean- 
ing another?" 

Allerton.  My  lord,  I  marvel 
why  you  leave  out  the  beginning 
of  the  institution  of  the  supper  of 
our  Lord.  For  Christ  said,  "Take 
ye,  and  eat  ye,  this  is  my  body." 
And  if  it  will  please  you  to  join 
the  former  words  to  the  latter, 
then  shall  I  make  you  an  answer. 
For  sure  I  am,  that  Christ  was  no 
dissembler,  neither  did  he  say  one 
thing,  and  mean  another. 

Bonner.  Why,  then  must  thou 
needs  say  that  it  is  his  body  ;  for 
he  saith  it  himself,  and  thou  con- 
fessest  that  he  will  not  lie. 

Allerton.  No,  my  lord;  he  is 
true,  and  all  men  are  liars.  Let 
these  words  go  before,  "  Take  ye, 
and  eat  ye  ;"  without  which  words 
the  rest  are  not  sufficient ;  but 
when  the  worthy  receivers  do  take 
and  eat,  even  then  are  fulfilled 
the  words  of  our  Saviour  unto 
him,  or  every  of  them  that  so  re- 
ceiveth. 

The  bishop,    after  severely    re- 
primanding   him,    dismissed    him 
for  the  present,  and  he  was    re- 
conducted to  prison- 
On   the     l''-^'*    ot'    May    he   was 


632 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


again  brou^t  before  Bonner,  at 
his  palace  in  London,  where  the 
following  articles  were  exhibited 
against  hira : 

1.  That  he  was  of  the  parish  of 
Much-Bentley,  in  Essex,  and  of 
the  diocese  of  London. 

2.  That  on  the  lOlh  of  January 
last  past,  Mr.  John  Mordant 
preaching  at  St.  Paul's,  London, 
the  said  Ralph  Allerton  did  there 
openly  submithimself  to  the  church 
of  Rorae,  with  the  rites  and  ce- 
remonies thereof. 

3.  That  he  did  consent  and  sub- 
scribe, as  well  unto  the  submission, 
as  also  to  one  other  bill,  in  the 
which  be  granted,  that  if  he  should, 
at  any  time,  turn  again  unto  his 
former  opinions,  it  should  be  then 
lawful  for  the  bishop  immediately 
to  denounce  and  adjudge  him  as  an 
heretic. 

4.  That  he  had  subscribed  to  a 
bill  wherein  he  affirmed,  that  in 
the  sacrament,  after  the  words  of 
consecration  be  spoken  by  the 
priest,  there  remaineth  still  mate- 
rial bread  and  material  wine  ;  and 
that  he  believed,  that  the  bread  is 
the  bread  of  thanksgiving,  and  the 
memorial  of  Christ's  death  ;  and 
that,  when  he  received  it,  he  re- 
ceived the  body  of  Christ  spiritu- 
ally in  his  soul,  but  material  bread 
in  substance. 

5.  That  he  had  openly  affirmed, 
and  also  advisedly  spoken,  that 
which  is  contained  in  the  said 
former  fourth  article,  last  before 
specified. 

6.  That  he  had  spoken  against 
the  bishop  of  Rome,  with  the  see 
and  church  of  the  same,  and  also 
against  the  seven  sacraments,  and 
other  ceremonies  and  ordinances 
of  the  same  church,  used  then 
within  this  realm. 

7.  That  he  had  allowed  and  com- 
mended tlie  opinions  and  faith  of 
Mr.  Cranmer,  Ridley,  Latimer, 
and  others,  of  late  burnt  within 
this  realm,  and  believed  their  opi- 
nions to  be  good  and  godly. 

8.  That  he  had  divers  times  af- 
firmed, that  the  religion  used  with- 
in this  realm,  at  the  time  of  his 
apprehension,  TV***    neither   good 


nor  agreeable  to  God's  word,  and 
that  he  could  not  conform  himself 
thereunto. 

9.  That  he  had  affirmed,  that  the 
book  of  common  prayer,  set  forth 
in  the  reign  of  king  Edward  VI. 
was,  in  all  parts,  good  and  godly  : 
and  that  the  said  Ralph,  and  his 
company,  being  prisoners,  did 
daily  use,  among  themselves,  in 
prison,  some  part  of  the  same 
book. 

10.  That  he  had  affirmed,  that  if 
he  were  out  of  prison  he  M'ould 
not  come  to  mass,  matins,  nor 
even-song  ;  nor  bear  taper,  candle, 
nor  palm;  nor  go  in  procession; 
nor  would  receive  holy  water, 
holy  bread,  ashes,  or  pix,  nor  any 
other  ceremony  used  within  this 
realm. 

11.  That  he  had  affirmed,  that  if 
he  were  at  liberty  he  would  not 
confess  his  sins  to  any  priest,  to 
receive  absolution  of  him,  nor  yet 
would  receive  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  as  it  was  then  used. 

12.  That  he  had  affirmed,  that 
praying  to  saints,  and  prayers  for 
the  dead,  were  neither  good  nor 
profitable,  and  that  a  man  is  not 
bound  to  fast  and  pray,  but  at  his 
own  will  and  pleasure ;  neither 
that  it  is  lawful  to  reserve  the  sa- 
crament, nor  to  worship  it. 

13.  That  the  said  Ralph  Allerton 
hath,  according  to  these  affirma- 
tions, abstained  and  refused  to 
come  unto  his  parish  church,  ever 
since  the  10th  of  .January  last,  or 
to  use,  receive,  or  allow  any  ce- 
remonies, sacraments,  or  other 
rites  then  used  in  the  church. 

To  these  articles  Allerton,  in 
general,  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, objecting  only  to  that  clause 
in  the  12th,  "  that  a  man  is  not 
bound  to  fast  and  pray,  but  at  his 
own  will  and  pleasure ;"  confessing, 
at  the  same  time,  that  he  had  nei- 
ther fasted  nor  prayed  so  frequently 
as  it  was  his  duty  to  have  done. 

Many  arguments  were  used  by 
Dr.  Darbyshire,  the  bishop's  chan- 
cellor, and  others,  to  bring  him  to 
a  recantation  ;  but  all  proving  inef- 
fectual, he  was  sent  back  to  prison. 

A.  few  days  after,  he,   with  his 


RALPH  ALLERTON  AND  OTHERS. 


M$ 


'lellow-prisoncr,  were  ordered  to 
appear  before  bishop  Bonuer,  at 
Fiilham,  where,  in  his  private  cha- 
pel, he  judicially  propounded  to 
them  various  artichs,  the  particu- 
lars of  which  were  addressed  to 
Allerton,  in  tlie  following:  form  : 

"  Thou,  Ralph  Allerton,  canst 
not  deny  but  that  the  information 
given  against  thee,  and  remaining 
now  in  the  acts  of  this  court  of 
thine  ordinary  Edmund  Bonner, 
bishop  of  London,  was,  and  is,  a 
true  information." 

The  substance  of  the  information 
was  this : 

That  one  Lawrence  Edwards 
had  a  child  unchristened,  and  Mr. 
Tye,  the  curate,  asked  him,  wliy 
his  child  was  not  baptized  ?  Ed- 
wards replied.  It  should  be  bap- 
tized when  he  could  find  one  of 
his  own  religion. 

Mr.  Tye  told  him,  he  had  im- 
bibed those  notions  from  some 
busy  people,  who  go  about  to 
spread  heres}'.  Edwards  acknow- 
ledged he  had,  telling  him,  at  the 
same  time,  if  his  doctrine  was  bet- 
ter he  would  willingly  receive  it. 
He  then  produced  Allerton,  to 
whom  the  curate  said,  if  he  had 
instructed  Edwards,  it  was  against 
God's  commandments  to  enter 
into  the  church.  On  this,  Aller- 
ton thus  addressed  the  people  who 
were  present:  "  O  good  people, 
now  is  fulfilled  the  saying  of  the 
priest  and  prophet  Esdras,  viz. 
The  fire  of  a  multitude  is  kindled 
against  a  few,  they  have  taken 
away  their  houses,  and  spoiled 
their  goods.  Which  of  you  have 
not  seen  this  day  ?  Who  is  here 
among  you  that  seeth  not  all  these 
things  done  upon  this  day  ?  The 
church,  unto  which  they  call  us,  is 
the  church  of  Antichrist,  a  perse- 
cuting church,  and  the  church  mili- 
tant." 

This  was  the  cause  of  his  being 
apprehended,  and  sent  to  the  bi- 
shop of  London. 

He  was  also  charged  with  writ- 
ing several  letters,  and  other  pa- 
pers, which  were  found  on  him  in 
prison.     He  confessed,  when  they 


were  produced,  that  lie  had  writ- 
ten them,  and  that  they  were  in- 
tended to  be  sent  to  some  persons 
who  were  in  prison  for  the  sake  of 
the  gospel,  at  Colchester,  where 
they  were  afterwards  burnt. 

Allerton  was  then  dismissed,  and 
the  examination  deferred  to  the 
afternoon,  when  several  other  ar- 
ticles were  objected  to  him ;  but 
these  being  mostly  false,  he  re- 
fused to  answer  to  them.  He 
granted,  indeed,  that  he  disap- 
proved of  the  mass,  and  other 
ceremonies,  which  were  contrary 
to  the  express  word  of  God. 

When  the  decree  of  pope  Inno' 
cent  III.  concerning  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  was  read  to  him  by 
the  bishop,  he  declared  he  regard- 
ed it  not,  nor  was  it  necessary  that 
any  man  should  believe  it. 

When  Bonner  asked  him  what 
he  had  to  allege  why  sentence  of 
condemnation  should  not  be  pass- 
ed upon  him,  he  briefly  answered, 
"  My  lord,  you  ought  not  to  con- 
demn me  as  an  heretic,  for  I  am  a 
good  Christian :  but  do  as  you 
have  determined,  for  I  perceive  that 
right  and  truth  are  suppressed,  and 
cannot  now  appear  upon  earth." 

In  consequence  of  this  answer 
he  was  condemned  as  an  heretic, 
and  immediately  delivered  over  to 
the  secular  power. 

James  Awstoo,  and  Margery 
his  wife,  were  next  examined,  when 
the  bishop,  among  other  things, 
asked  the  former  if  he  had  been 
confessed  in  Lent,  and  had  receiv- 
ed the  sacrament  at  Easter  .' 

Mr.  Awstoo  replied,  he  had  been 
confessed  by  the  curate  of  Allhal- 
lows  Barking,  near  the  Tower  of 
London;  but  that  he  had  not  re- 
ceived the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
because  he  detested  it  as  an  abo- 
minable idol. 

The  bishop  then  asked  Mrs. 
Awstoo,  if  she  approved  of  the  re- 
ligion then  used  in  the  church  of 
England?  She  replied  in  the  ne- 
gative, declaring  it  to  be  corrupt 
and  antiscriptural ;  and  that  those 
who  conformed    to  it  were  infla- 


634 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


enced  rather  by  fear,  than  by  a  con- 
viction that  it  was  founded  on  the 
■word  of  God. 

Being  required  by  the  bishop  to 
go  to  church,  hear  mass,  and  pray 
for  the  prosperity  of  the  queen, 
she  declared  her  abhorrence  of 
the  mass,  and  that  she  would  not 
come  into  any  church  where  there 
were  idols. 

The  bishop  then  made  use  of 
the  most  forcible  arguments  he 
could  devise  to  induce  them  to  re- 
cant ;  but  they  both  persisted  in 
their  faith  and  profession,  renounc- 
ing all  popish  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices ;  in  consequence  of  which  they 
received  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion, and  were  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  the  sheriff,  in  order  for 
execution. 

Richard  Roth,  the  last  person 
examined,  was  strongly  urged  by 
the  bishop  to  acknowledge  the 
seven  sacraments,  and  the  corpo- 
real presence  in  the  eucharist. 
But  he  briefly  replied,  that  if  those 
doctrines  were  taught  in  the  holy 
scriptures,  he  would  believe  them  ; 
being  otherwise,  he  must  reject 
them. 

Being  examined  more  particu- 
larly concerning  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  and  other  points,  he 
plainly  declared,  that  in  that  ce- 
remony there  was  not  the  very 
body  and  blood  of  Christ;  but 
that  it  was  a  dead  god,  and  that 
the  mass  was  abominable,  and 
contrary  to  God's  holy  word  and 
will;  from  which  faith  and  opinion 
he  was  determined,  through  the 
strength  of  divine  grace,  never 
to  depart. 

He  was  afterwards  accused  of 
being  an  encourager  of  heretics, 
and  that  he  had  written  letters 
to  certain  persons,  who  were  burnt 
at  Colchester;  the  latter  of  which 
charges  he  frankly  acknowledged. 
Being  asked  his  opinion  of 
Ralph  Allerton,  he  answered,  that 
he  esteemed  him  a  sincere  ser- 
vant of  God  ;  and  that  if  hereafter, 
at  any  time,  he  should  be  put  to 
d«ath   for  his    faith    and   religion. 


he  believed  he  would  die  a  mar- 
tyr for  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  the 
truth  of  his  gospel. 

He  was  then  asked,  if  he  ap- 
proved of  the  order  and  rites  of 
the  church  at  that  time  used  in 
England?  To  which  he  answered 
in  the  negative,  declaring,  that 
he  utterly  abhorred  them.  In 
consequence  of  this  he  received 
sentence  of  death,  and  was  imme- 
diately delivered  to  the  sheriff  for 
execution. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1557, 
these  four  steadfast  believers  in 
Christ  v.rere  conducted  to  Isling- 
ton, (the  place  appointed  for  their 
execution)  where  they  were  fast- 
ened to  two  stakes,  and  consumed 
in  one  fire.  They  all  behaved  in 
a  manner  truly  consistent  with 
their  situation,  and  becoming  of 
the  real  followers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
cheerfully  resigning  up  their  souls 
in  testimony  of  the  truth  of  his 
most  holy  word. 

The  following  are  among  the 
letters  which  Allerton  and  Roth 
were  charged  with  having  written : 

FROM    RALPH    ALLERTON    UNTO 
AGNES    SMITH,    WIDOW. 

Grace,  mercy,  and  peace  from 
God  the  Father,  and  from  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
abundant  health  both  of  soul  and 
body,  I  wish  unto  you,  as  to  my 
own  soul,  as  God  knoweth,  who  is 
the  searcher  of  all  secrets. 

Forasmuch  as  it  pleaseth  Al- 
mighty God,  of  his  infinite  mercy, 
to  call  me  to  the  state  of  grace,  to 
suffer  martyrdom  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake,  although  heretofore  I  have 
most  negligently  dallied  therewith; 
and  therefore  far  unworthy  I  am 
of  such  an  higli  benefit,  to  be 
crowned  with  the  most  joyful 
crown  of  martyrdom:  neverthe- 
less, it  hath  pleased  God  not  so  to 
leave  me,  but  hath  raised  me  ac- 
cording to  his  promise,  which 
saith,  *'  Although  he  faJl,  yet  shall 
he  not  be  cast  down ;  for  the  Lord 
upholdeth  him  with  his  hand," 
Psalm     xxxvii.       Wherefore     we 


RALPH  ALLERTON  AND  OTHERS. 


63$ 


perceive  God's  election  to  be  most 
sure,  for  undoubtedly  he  will  pre- 
serve all  those  that  are  appointed 
to  die.  And  as  he  hath  bef]:;un  this 
work  in  me,  even  so  do  1  believe 
that  he  will  finish  the  same,  to  his 
great  glory,  and  to  my  wealth, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  so  be  it. 

Dearly    beloved    sister     (I    am 
constrained  so  to  call  you,  because 
of    your  constant  faith    and    love 
unfeigned),  consider,  that  if  we  be 
the  true    servants  of  Christ,   then 
may   not  we    in    any   wise    make 
agreement  with   his   enemy   Anti- 
christ.     For  there   is  no  concord 
and     agreement     between     them, 
saith  the   Scriptures;    and   a  man 
cannot    serve    two  masters,    saith 
Christ.     And  also  it  is  prefigured 
unto  us  in  the  old  law,  where  the 
people  of  God  were  most  straitly 
commanded  that  they  sliould  not 
mingle   themselves    with    the   un- 
godly heathen,  and  were  also  for- 
bidden to  eat,  drink,  or  to  marry 
with  them.     For  as  often  as  they 
did  either  marry  unto  their  sons, 
or  take  their  daughters  unto  them, 
or  to   their  sons,    even    so   often 
came  the  great  and  heavy  wrath  of 
God  upon  his  own  people,  to  over- 
throw   both    them    and    all    their 
cities,  with  the  holy  sanctuary  of 
God;     and     brought    in     strange 
princes  to   reign    over   them,   and 
wicked  rulers  to  govern  them,  so 
that   they   were   sure    of   hunger, 
sword,  pestilence,  and  wild  beasts 
to  devour  them.     Which  plagues 
never  ceased,  until  the  good  peo- 
ple of  God  were  clean  separated 
from  the  wicked  idolatrous  people. 
Oh,    dearly    beloved,    this    was 
written  for  our  learning,  that  we, 
through   patience    and   comfort   of 
the   Scriptures,  might  have  hope. 
And  is  it  not  in  like  case  happened 
now   in    this   realm    of    England? 
For  now    are  the  people  of  God 
had  in  derision,  and  trodden  under 
foot,    and   the   cities,   towns,    and 
houses  where  they  dwelt,  are  inha- 
bited with  them  that  have  no  right 
thereunto,  and  the  true  owners  are 
spoiled  of  their  labours:  yea.  and 
the  holy  sanctuary  of  God's  most 
blessed  word  is  laid  desolate   and 


waste,  so  that  the  very  foxes  run 
over  it,  &c.;  yet  is  it  the  food  of 
our  souls,  the  lantern  of  our  feet, 
and  the  light  unto  our  paths;  and 
where  it  is  not  preached,  the  peo- 
ple perish.  But  the  prophet  saith, 
"  He  that  refraineth  from  evil, 
must  be  spoiled,"  Isai.  lix.  Why 
should  men  then  be  ashamed  to  be 
spoiled,  seeing  that  it  is  told  to  us 
before,  that  it  must  so  happen 
unto  them  that  refrain  from  evil? 
And  thus  I  bid  you  farewell  in 
God. 

Ralph  Allerton. 

to    richard    roth,    his  fellow- 
MARTYR. 

The  angel  of  God  pitch  his  tent 
about  us,  and  defend  us  in  all  our 
ways,  Amen,  Amen. 

O  dear  brother,   I  pray  for  you  : 
for  I  hear  say  that  you  have  been 
divers  times  before  my  lord  in  ex- 
amination.    Wherefore  take  heed 
for  God's  sake  what  the  wise  man 
teacheth  you,  and  shrink  not  away 
when  you  are  enticed  to  confess 
an  untruth,  for  hope  of  life,  but  be 
ready  always  to  give  an  answer  of 
the  hope  that  is  in  you.     For  who- 
soever   confesseth    Christ     before 
men,  him  will  Christ  also  confess 
before  his  Father-     But  he  that  is 
ashamed    to    confess    him    before 
men,   shall   have  his  reward   with 
them    that    do    deny    him.       And 
therefore,    dear    brother,     go    for- 
ward :    j'ou  have  a  ready  way,  so 
fair  as   ever  had  any  of  the  pro- 
phets or   apostles,   or  the  rest   of 
our  brethren,  the  holy  martyrs  of 
God.     Therefore  covet  to  go  hence 
with  the  multitude,  while  the  way 
is  full.      Also    (dear  brother)    un- 
derstand that  I  have  seen  your  let- 
ter, and,  although  I  cannot  read  it 
perfectly,    yet   I    partly  perceive 
your  meaning    therein,    and   very 
gladly   I  would  copy  it  out,  with 
certain       comfortable       additions 
thereunto  annexed.     The  which  as 
yet  will  not  be  brought  to  pass  for 
lack  of  paper,   until   my   lord   be 
gone  from  hence,    and   then  your 
request     shall     be      accomplished, 
God  willing,  without  delay.     Thus 
fare  yoa  well  in  God.     Our  dear 


636 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


brother  and  fellow  in  tribulation, 
Robert  Allin,  salutetb  you,  and  the 
fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be 
with  you,  Amen. 

Ralph  Allerton. 
P.  S.  Do  you  suppose  that  our 
brethren  and  sisters  are  not  yet 
dispatched  out  of  this  world?  I 
think  that  either  they  are  dead, 
or  shall  be  within  these  two 
days. 

FROM    RICHARD    ROTH    TO    HIS 
FRIENDS    AT    COLCHESTER. 

O  DEAR  brethren  and  sisters, 
how  much  reason  have  you  to  re- 
joice in  God,  that  he  hath  given 
you  such  faith  to  overcome  this 
blood-thirsty  tyrant  thus  far! 
And  no  doubt  he  that  hath  begun 
that  good  work  in  you,  will  fulfil 
it  unto  the  t  nd.  O  dear  hearts  in 
Christ,  what  a  crown  of  glory  shall 
ye  receive  with  Christ  in  the  king- 
dom of  God!  O  that  it  ha&l  been 
the  good  will  of  God  that  I  Isad 
been  ready  to  have  gone  with  you. 
For  1  lie  in  my  lord's  Little-ease 
in  the  day,  and  in  the  night  1  lie  in 
the  Coal-house,  from  Ralph  Al- 
lerton, or  any  other:  and  we  look 
every  day  when  we  shall  be  con- 
demned. For  he  said,  that  I 
should  be  burned  within  ten  days 
before  Easter;  but  I  lie  still  at  the 
pool's  brink,  and  every  man  goeth 
in  before  me;  but  we  abide  pa- 
tiently the  Lord's  leisure,  with 
many  bonds,  in  fetters  and  stocks ; 
by  which  we  have  received  great 
joy  of  God.  And  now  fare  you 
well,  dear  brethren  and  sisters,  in 
this  world,  but  I  trust  to  see  you  in 
the  heavens,  face  to  face. 

O,  brother  Munt,  with  your 
wife  and  ray  sister  Rose,  how 
blessed  are  you  in  the  Lord,  that 
God  hath  found  you  worthy  to 
suffer  for  his  sake!  with  all  the 
rest  of  my  dear  brethren  and  sis- 
ters, known  and  unknown.  O  be 
joyful  even  unto  death.  Fear  it 
not,  saith  Christ,  for  I  have  over- 
come death.  O,  dear  hearts, 
seeing  that  Jesus  Christ  will  be 
our  help,  O,  tarry  you  the  Lord's 
leisure.  Be  strong,  let  your  hearts 
be  of  good  comfort,  and  wait  you 


still  for  the  Lord.  He  is  at  hand. 
Yea,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  pitch- 
eth  his  tent  round  about  them  that 
fear  him,  and  delivereth  them 
which  way  he  seeth  best.  For  our 
lives  are  in  the  Lord's  hands;  and 
they  can  do  nothing  unto  us  before 
God  suffer  them.  Therefore  give 
all  thanks  to  God. 

O  dear  hearts,  you  shall  be 
clothed  in  long  white  garments 
upon  the  mount  of  Sion,  with  the 
multitude  of  saints,  and  with  Jesus 
Christ  our  Saviour,  which  will 
never  forsake  us.  O  blessed  vir- 
gins, ye  have  played  the  wise  vir- 
gins' part,  in  that  you  have  taken 
oil  in  your  lamps,  that  ye  may  go  in 
with  the  bridegroom  when  he  com- 
eth,  into  the  everlasting  joy  with 
him.  But  as  for  the  foolish,  they 
shall  be  shut  out,  because  they 
made  not  themselves  ready  to 
suffer  with  Christ,  neither  go  about 
to  take  up  his  cross.  O,  dear 
hearts,  how  precious  shall  your 
death  be  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord! 
For  dear  is  the  death  of  his  saints. 
O  fare  you  well,  and  pray.  The 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  you  all.  Amen,  Amen.  Pray, 
pray,  pray. 

Written  by  me,  with    my    own 
blood. 

Richard  Roth. 

martyrdom  of  agnes  bongeor 
and  margaret  thurston,  at 
colchester. 

In  a  preceding  page  we  have 
given  an  account  of  ten  persons 
who  suffered  martyrdom  at  Col- 
chester; two  other  women,  Mar- 
garet Thurston,  and  Agnes  Bon- 
geor,  were  likewise  condemned,  at 
the  same  time  and  place,  and  for 
the  same  cause.  But  Margaret 
Thurston,  on  the  morning  that  she 
should  have  suffered  with  the 
others,  was  for  that  time  deferred, 
by  the  following  circumstances, 
which  she  afterwards  related  to 
Joan  Cook,  a  fellow-prisoner,  a 
few  hours  before  her  death.  This 
Moman  having  asked  Margaret 
why  she  should  be  reserved  when 
the  others  suffered?  she  answered, 
"  That  it  was  not  for  any  fear  of 
1 


AGNES  BONGEOR  AND  MARGARET  THURSTON.    637 


deatli ;  but  being  prepared,  as  the 
rest  were  that  suffered  the  same 
day,  she  was  taken  with  a  great 
shivering  and  trembling  of  the 
flesh ;  whereupon,  forsaking  the 
company,  she  went  aside  to  pray  ; 
and  whilst  she  was  praying,  she 
thought  she  was  lifted  up  by  a 
mighty  wind  that  came  round 
about  her.  Even  at  that  instant 
came  in  the  gaoler  and  company 
with  him,  and  whilst  she  turned 
herself  to  fetch  her  psalter,  they 
took  the  other  prisoners  and  left 
her  alone.  Shortly  after  she  was 
moved  out  of  the  castle,  and  put 
into  the  town  prison,  where  she 
continued  until  Friday  seven-night 
after  her  company  was  burnt." 
That  day,  not  two  hours  before  her 
death,  she  was  brought  to  the 
castle  again,  where  she  told  this  to 
the  said  Joan  Cook. 

The  other  woman,  named  Agnes 
Bongeor,  who  should  have  suffered 
in  like  manner  with  the  six  that 
went  out  of  Mote-hall,  was  also 
kept  at  that  time,  because  her 
name  was  wrongly  spelled  in  the 
writ. 

The  following  is  the  Martyrolo- 
gist's  account  of  the  closing  scenes 
of  this  good  woman's  life : 

The  same  morning,  the  second 
of  August,  that  the  said  six  in 
Mote-hall  were  called  out  to  go  to 
their  martyrdom,  Agnes  Bongeor 
was  also  called  with  them,  by  the 
name  of  Agnes  Bower.  Wherefore 
the  bailiffs,  understanding  her  to  be 
wrong  named  within  the  writ, 
commanded  the  said  Agnes  Bon- 
geor to  prison  again,  and  so  that 
day  sent  her  from  Mote-hall  to  the 
castle,  where  she  remained  till  her 
death. 

But  when  she  saw  herself  sepa- 
rated from  her  fellow-prisoners  in 
such  a  manner,  oh !  what  piteous 
complaints  that  good  woman 
made;  how  bitterly  she  wept, 
what  strange  thoughts  came  into 
her  mind,  how  naked  and  desolate 
she  esteemed  herself,  and  to  what 
a  plunge  of  despair  and  care  her 
poor  soul  was  brought,  it  was  both 
sad  and  moving  to  behold;  and  all 


because  she  went  not  with  them  to 
give  up  her  life  for  the  cause  of 
Christ ;  for  of  all  things  in  the  world, 
life  was  the  least  thing  tliat  she  ex- 
pected. For  the  morning,  on  vviiich 
she  was  kept  back  from  burning, 
she  had  put  on  a  smock  that  she 
had  prepared  only  for  that  pur- 
pose, And  also  having  a  child, 
a  little  young  infant  suckling  on 
her,  who  she  kept  with  her  tenderly 
all  the  time  she  was  in  prison,  that 
day  likewise  did  she  send  away  to 
another  nurse,  and  prepared  her- 
self presently  to  give  hereself  for 
the  testimony  of  the  glorious  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ.  So  little  did 
she  look  for  life,  and  so  greatly  did 
God's  gifts  work  in  her  above  na- 
ture, that  death  seemed  much  bet- 
ter welcome  than  life.  But  this 
took  not  effect  at  that  time  as  she 
thought  it  would,  and  therefore 
(as  I  said)  she  was  greatly  trou- 
bled. 

But  in  this  great  perplexity  of 
mind,  a  friend  of  her's  came  to 
her,  and  required  to  know  whe- 
ther Abraham's  obedience  was  ac- 
cepted before  God,  for  that  he  did 
sacrifice  his  son  Isaac,  or  in  that 
he  would  have  offered  him  ?  Unto 
which  she  answered  thus  : 

"I  know,"  said  she,  "that  Abra- 
ham's will  before  God  was  allowed 
for  the  deed,  in  that  he  would  have 
done  it,  if  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
had  not  stayed  him:  but  I,"  said 
she,  "am  unhappy;  the  Lord 
thinketh  me  not  worthy  of  this 
dignity,  and  therefore  Abraham's 
case  and  mine  are  not  alike." 

"  Why  then,"  said  her  friend, 
"  would  you  not  willingly  have 
gone  with  your  company,  if  God 
should  so  have  suffered  it?" 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  that  I  would 
with  all  my  heart,  and  because  I 
did  not,  it  is  now  my  chief  and 
greatest  grief." 

"Then,"  said  her  friend,  "my 
dear  sister,  I  pray  thee  consider 
Abraham  and  thyself  well,  and 
thou  shalt  see  thou  dost  nothing 
differ  with  him  in  will  at  all." 

"  Alas  !"  said  she,  "  there  is  a 
far    greater    matter    in    Abraham 


^38 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


than  in  me  ;  for  Abraham  was  tried 
with  the  otfering  of  his  own  child, 
but  so  am  not  I ;  and  therefore  our 
cases  are  not  alike." 

"  Good  sister,"  said  her  friend, 
"  weigh  the  matter  but  indifle- 
rently.  Abraham,  I  grant,  would 
have  offered  his  son :  and  have 
not  you  done  the  like  in  your  little 
sucking  babe  ?  But  consider  fur- 
ther than  this,  my  good  sister, 
where  Abraham  was  commanded 
but  to  offer  his  son,  you  are  heavy 
and  grieved  because  you  offer  not 
yourself,  which  goeth  somewhat 
more  near  you  than  Abraham's 
obedience  did ;  and  therefore  be- 
fore God,  assuredly,  is  no  less  ac- 
cepted and  allowed  in  his  holy 
presence  ;  which  further  the  pre- 
paring of  your  shroud  also  doth 
argue  full  well,"  &;c.  After  which 
talk  between  them,  she  began  a 
little  to  stay  herself,  and  gave  her 
whole  exercise  to  reading  and 
prayer,  wherein  she  found  a  great 
deal  of  comfort. 

During  the  time  that  these  afore- 
said two  good  women  were  prison- 
ers, one  in  the  castle,  and  the  other 
in  Mote-hall,  God  by  a  secret  means 
called  the  said  Margaret  Thurston 
unto  his  truth  again  ;  who  having 
her  eyes  Opened  by  the  working 
of  his  Spirit,  did  greatly  sorrow 
and  lament  her  backsliding  before, 
and  promised  faithfully  to  the 
Lord,  in  hope  of  his  mercies,  never 
more  while  she  lived  to  do  the 
like  again,  but  that  she  would  con- 
stantly stand  to  the  confession  of 
the  same,  against  all  the  adversa- 
ries of  the  cross  of  Christ.  After 
which  promise  made,  came  in  a 
short  time  a  writ  from  London  for 
the  burning  of  them,  which"was 
accordingly  executed  the  I7th  day 
of  September,  in  the  year  afore- 
said. 

Now  when  these  aforesaid  wo- 
men were  brought  to  the  place  at 
Colchester,  where  they  should  suf- 
fer, they  fell  down  upon  their 
knees,  and  made  their  humble 
prayers  to  God,  which  being  done, 
they  rose  and  went  to  the  stake 
joyfully,    and    were    immediately 


chained  thereto,  and  after  the  firfl 
had  encompassed  them  about,  they 
with  great  joy  and  glorious  triumph 
gave  up  their  souls,  spirits,  and 
lives,  into  the  hands  of  the  Lord, 
under  whose  government  and  pro- 
tection, for  Christ's  sake,  we  be- 
seech him  to  grant  us  his  holy 
defence  and  help  for  evermore, 
Amen. 

About  the  same  time,  a  shoe- 
maker, named  John  Kurde,  was 
burnt  at  Northampton,  and  died 
with  the  same  steadfastness  and 
hope  as  the  other  martyrs  in  the 
same  glorious  cause. 

MARTYRDOM     OF    JOHN     NOYES,    OF 
LAXEFIELD,    IN    SUFFOLK. 

About  the  same  time  as  those 
persons  whose  fate  we  have  just 
recorded,  suffered  John  Noyes, 
and  his  apprehension  and  death 
were  brought  about  in  the  follow- 
ing manner : 

Some  bigoted  papists,  who  dwelt 
in  the  neighbourhood,  knowing  him 
to  be  a  professor  of  the  true  faith, 
and  a  despiser  of  the  mass,  and 
other  Romish  superstitions,  deter- 
mined to  bring  him  to  punishment; 
and  accordingly,  three  of  them, 
named  Thomas  Lovel,  Wolfreu 
Dowsing,  and  Nicholas  Stannard, 
beset  his  house,  and  he  attempting 
to  go  out,  Nicholas  Stannard  called 
to  him  and  said,  "  Whither  goest 
thou  V  to  which  he  replied,  "  To 
see  some  of  my  neighbours." 
Stannard  then  said,  "  Your  master 
hath  deceived  you ;  you  must  go 
with  us  now."  To  which  Noyes 
answered,  "  No,  but  take  you  heed 
your  master  deceive  not  you." 
And  so  they  took  him  and  carried 
him  before  the  justices  the  next 
day.  After  several  matters  had 
been  alleged  against  him,  he  was 
conducted  to  a  dungeon  at  Eye, 
where  he  was  confined  for  some 
time,  and  was  then  carried  from 
thence  to  Norwich,  and  before  the 
bishop,  where  he  was  interrogated 
on  the  following  subjects: 

1.  Whether  he  believed  that  the 
ceremonies  used  in  the  church  were 


JOHN  NOYES. 


639 


good  and  godly,  to  stir  up  men's 
minds  to  devotion. 

2.  Whether  he  believed  the  pope 
to  be  supreme  head  of  the  church 
here  on  earth. 

3.  Whether  he  believed  the  body 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  in 
tlie  sacrament  of  the  altar  under 
the  forms  of  bread  and  wine,  after 
the  words  of  consecration. 

To  which  he  replied  with  great 
courage,  denying  the  pope's  su- 
premacy, the  use  of  ceremonies, 
and  Christ's  real  presence  in  the 
sacrament. 

Upon  this,  sentence  was  read 
by  the  bishop  against  him,  in  the 
presence  of  Dr.  Dunning,  his  chan- 
cellor, sir  W.  Woodhouse,  sir 
Thomas  Woodhouse,  and  several 
other  gentlemen. 

No  further  particulars  of  his  ex- 
amination are  known  ;  but  we  have 
the  following  account  of  his  subse- 
quent conduct  and  execution,  from 
which  we  learn,  in  some  measure, 
what  took  place  on  his  appearance 
before  the  bishop: 

In  the  mean  time  his  brother-in- 
law,  Nicholas  Fisk,  of  Dinnington, 
going  to  comfort  him  at  such  time 
as  he  remained  in  the  Guildhall 
of  Norwich,  after  christian  exhor- 
tation, asked  him  if  he  did  fear 
death  when  the  bishop  gave  judg- 
ment against  him,  considering  the 
terror  of  the  same  ;  and  the  said 
Noyes  answered,  he  thanked  God 
he  feared  death  no  more  at  that 
time,  than  he  or  any  other  did, 
being  at  liberty.  Then  the  said 
Nicholas  required  of  him  to  shew 
the  cause  of  his  condemnation. 
Upon  which  request  the  said  John 
Noyes  wrote' i with  his  own  hand 
as  follows : 

I  said.  That  I  could  not  believe, 
that  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar 
there  is  the  natural  body  of  Christ, 
that  same  body  that  was  born  of 
the  virgin  Mary.  But  I  said,  that 
the  sacrament  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ  is  received  by 
Christian  people  in  the  remem- 
brance of  Christ's  death,  as  a  spi- 
ritual food,  if  it  be  ministered  ac- 
cording to  Christ's  institution. 


But  they  said,  That  I  could  not 
tell  what  spiritual  meant. 

The  bishop  said,  That  the  sacra- 
ment was  God,  and  must  be  wor- 
shipped as  God.  So  said  the  chan- 
cellor also. 

Then  answered  I,  and  said.  My 
lord,  I  cannot  so  believe. 

Then  said  the  bishop.  Why? 
Then  say  what  thou  dost  believe. 
Notwithstanding,  these  collusions 
could  not  prevail. 

Now  being  condemned,  he  was 
sent  again  from  Norwich  to  Eye- 
prison  ;  and  about  the  21st  day  of 
September,  about  midnight,  he  was 
brought  from  Eye  to  Laxefield,  to 
be  burned  ;  and  on  the  next  morn- 
ing was  brought  to  the  stake,  where 
were  waiting  for  his  coming,  the 
aforesaid  justice,  Mr-  Thurston, 
one  Mr.  Waller,  being  then  under- 
sheriff,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Lovell, 
high  constable,  as  is  before  express- 
ed ;  who  commanded  men  to  make 
ready  all  things  meet  for  this  sin- 
ful purpose.  Now  the  fires  in 
most  houses  of  the  street  were  put 
out,  saving  that  asmoke  was  espied 
by  the  said  Thomas  Lovell,  pro- 
ceeding out  from  the  top  of  a  chim- 
ney, to  which  house  the  sheriff  and 
Grannow  his  man  went,  and  brake 
open  the  door,  and  thereby  got 
fire,  and  brought  the  same  to  the 
place  of  execution.  When  John 
Noyes  came  to  the  place  where  he 
should  be  burned,  he  kneeled  down 
and  said  the  50th  Psalm,  with 
other  prayers,  and  then  they  mak- 
ing haste  bound  him  to  the  stake, 
and  being  bound,  the  said  John 
Noyes  said,  "  Fear  not  them  that 
can  kill  the  body,  but  fear  him  that 
can  kill  both  body  and  soul,  and 
cast  it  into  everlasting  fire.'' 

When  he  saw  his  sister  weeping 
and  making  moan  for  him,  he  told 
her  that  she  should  not  weep  for 
him,  but  weep  for  her  sins. 

Then  one  Nicholas  Cadman 
brought  a  fagot  and  set  against 
him ;  and  the  said  John  Noyes 
took  up  the  fagot  and  kissed  it, 
and  said.  Blessed  be  the  time  that 
ever  I  was  born  to  come  to  this. 
Then  ho  delivered  his  psalter  to 


640 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


be  under-sheriff,  desiring  him  to 
be  good  to  his  wife  and  children, 
and  to  deliver  to  her  that  same 
book;  and  the  sheriff  promised 
him  that  he  would,  notwithstand- 
ing he  never  performed  his  pro- 
mise. Then  the  said  John  Noyes 
S'aid  to  the  people,  "  They  say 
they  can  make  God  of  a  piece  of 
bread;  believe  them  not." 

Then  said  he,  "  Good  people, 
bear  witness  that  I  do  believe  to 
be  saved  by  the  merits  and  passion 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  not  by  mine 
own  deeds."  And  so  the  fire  was 
kindled,  and  burning  about  him, 
he  then  said,  "  Lord,  have  mercy 
upon  me!  Christ,  have  mercy 
upon  me!  Son  of  David,  hare 
mercy  upon  me  \" 

And  so  he  yielded  up  his  life, 
and  when  his  body  was  burned, 
they  made  a  pit  to  bury  the  coals 
and  ashes,  and  amongst  the  same 
they  found  one  of  his  feet  that  was 
unburned,  whole  up  to  the  ancle, 
with  the  hose  on,  and  that  they 
buried  with  the  rest.  • 

Now  while  he  was  burning, 
there  stood  by  one  John  Jarvis,  a 
servant  in  the  same  town,  a  plain 
fellow,  who  said,  "  Good  Lord, 
how  the  sinews  of  his  arms  shrink 
up !"  And  there  stood  behind  him 
Grannow  and  Benet,  the  sheriff's 
men,  and  they  told  their  master, 
that  John  Jarvis  said,  "  What  vil- 
lanous  wretches  are  these!"  And 
their  master  ordered  them  to  ap- 
prehend him,  and  they  took  him 
and  pinioned  him,  and  carried  him 
before  the  justice  that  same  day, 
and  the  justice  did  examine  him  of 
the  words  aforesaid,  but  he  denied 
them,  and  answered  that  he  said 
nothing  but  this,  "  Good  Lord, 
how  the  sinews  of  his  arms  shrink 
up!"  But  for  all  this  the  justice 
did  bind  his  father  and  his  master 
in  five  pounds  a-piece,  that  he 
should  be  forthcoming  at  all  times. 
And  on  the  Wednesday  following, 
he  was  brought  again  before  the 
justices,  Mr.  Thurston  and  Mr. 
Kene,  sitting  at  Fresingfield,  Hox- 
ton  Hundred,  and  there  they  did 
appoint    and   command,    that    the 


said  John  Jarvis  should  be  set  iti 
the  stocks  the  next  market-day, 
and  whipped  about  the  market 
naked.  But  his  master,  one  Wil- 
liam Jarvis,  did  after  crave  friend- 
ship of  the  constables,  and  they 
did  not  set  him  in  the  stocks  till 
Sunday  morning,  and  in  the  after- 
noon they  did  whip  him  about  the 
market  with  a  dog-whip,  having 
three  cords,   and   so  they  let  him 

go. 

The  following  letter  was  written 
by  Noyes  to  his  wife,  wbHe  he  lay 
in  prison. 

Wife,  you  desired  me  that  I 
would  send  you  some  tokens  that 
you  might  remember  me.  As  I 
did  read  in  the  New  Testament,  I 
thought  it  good  to  write  unto  you 
certain  places  of  the  Scripture  for 
a  remembrance.  St.  Peter  saitlr, 
1  Pet.  iv.,  "  Dearly  beloved,  be 
not  troubled  with  this  heat  that  is 
come  among  you  to  try  you,  as 
though  some  strange  thing  had 
happened  unto  you,  but  rejoice, 
insomuch  as  ye  are  partakers  of 
Christ's  sufferings,  that  when  his 
glory  appeareth  ye  may  be  merry 
and  glad.  If  ye  be  railed  on  for 
the  name  of  Cbrist,  happy  are  ye,, 
for  the  Spirit  of  glory,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God,  resteth  upon  you. 

"  It  is  better,  if  the  will  of  God 
be  so,  that  ye  suffer  for  well  doing 
than  for  evil  doing. 

"  See  that  none  of  you  suffer  as 
a  murderer,  or  as  a  thief,  or  an 
evil  doer,  or  as  a  busy  body  in-other 
men's  matters ;  but  if  any  man 
suffer  as  a  Christian  man,  let  him 
not  be  ashamed,  but  let  him  glo- 
rify God  in  his  behalf;  for  the  time 
is  come  that  judgment  must  begin 
at  the  house  of  God.  If  it  first  be- 
gin with  us,  what  shall  the  end  of 
them  be,  that  believe  not  the  gos- 
pel of  God  ?  Wherefore  let  them 
that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of 
God,  commit  their  souls  unto  him  in 
well  doing." 

St.  Paul  saith,  2  Tim.  iii.,  "  all 
that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus, 
must  suffer  persecution." 

St.  John  saith,  1  John  ii.,  "  Se€ 


JOHN  NOYES. 


64! 


thatyc  love  not  the  world,  neither 
the  things  tiiat  are  in  the  world.  If 
any  man  love  the  world,  the  love 
of  the  Father  is  not  in  him.  For 
all  that  is  in  the  world,  as  the  lust 
of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes, 
and  the  pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the 
Father,  but  is  of  the  world,  which 
vanisheth  away  and  the  lust  there- 
of, but  he  that  fuUilleth  the  will  of 
God  abideth  for  ever." 

St.  Paul  saith,  Col.  iii.     "If  ye 
be   risen  again   with    Christ,  seek 


those  things  which  arc  above, 
where  Christ  sittetli  on  the  right 
hand  of  God.  Set  your  all'ection 
on  things  that  are  above,  and  not 
on  things  which  are  on  earth," 

Our  Savionr  Christ  saith,  Matt, 
xviii.  "  Whosoever  sliall  ofleud 
one  of  these  little  ones  that  believe 
in  me,  it  were  better  for  him  that 
a  mill-stone  were  hanged  about  his 
neck,  and  that  he  were  ca^t  into 
the  sea," 


The  Emperor  llenri/  IV.  uith    his   Empress  and  Sim,  compelled    to    vait  three  days  and 
nights,    in  the  dejyth  of  winter,  to  gain  udmissiun  to   I'ojie  Gregory   172. 


The  prophet  David  saith,  Psal. 
xxxiv.  "  Great  are  the  troubles  of 
the  righteous,  but  the  Lord  deli- 
vereth  them  out  of  all. 

"■  Fear  the  Lord,  ye  saints :  for 
they  that  fear  him  lack  nothing. 

"When  the  righteous  cry,  the 
Lord  heareth  them,  and  delivereth 
them  out  of  all  tlieir  troubles :  but 
misfortune  shall  slay  the  ungodly, 
and  they  that  hate  the  righteous 
shall  perish. 

"  Hear,  O  my  people.     I  assure 

FOX'S   MARTYRS. 


thee,  O  Israel,  if  thou  wilt  hearken 
unto  me,  there  shall  no  strange  god 
be  in  thee,  neither  shalt  thou  wor- 
ship any  other  God.  Oh  that  my 
people  would  obey  me :  for  if 
Israel  would  walk  in  my  ways,  I 
should  soon  put  down  their  ene- 
mies, and  turn  mine  hand  against 
thine  adversaries." 

Our  Saviour  Christ  saith,  "  The 
disciple  is  not  above  the  master, 
nor  yet  the  servant  above  his  lord. 
li  is  enough  for  the  disciple  to  be 

41 


642 


BOOK  OF  MAflTYRS, 


as  Lis  master  is,  ahd  that  the  ser- 
■vant  be  as  his  lord  is.  It"  they 
have  called  the  raaster  of  the 
Louse  Beelzebub,  how  much  more 
shall  they  call  them  of  his  house- 
hold so?  fear  not  them  there- 
fore." 

St.  Paul  saith,  2  Cor.  iv.  "  Set 
yourselves  there  at  large,  and  bear 
not  a  stranger's  yoke  with  the  un- 
believers :  for  what  fellowship  hath 
righteousness  with  unrighteous- 
ness? what  company  hath  light 
with  darkness?  or  what  part  hath 
the  believer  with  the  infidel  i"  &c. 
Wherefore  come  out  from  among 
them,  and  separate  yourselves  now 
(saith  the  Lord),  and  touch  no  un- 
clean thing  ;  so  will  I  receive  you, 
and  I  will  be  a  Father  unto  you, 
and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and 
daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Al- 
mighty. 

"  For  neither  eye  hath  seen,  nor 
the  ear  hath  heard,  neither  can  it 
enter  into  the  heart  of  man  what 
good  things  the  Lord  hath  prepar- 
ed for  them  that  love  him."  1 
Cor.  ii. 

"  Ye  are  bought  neither  with 
silTer  nor  gold,  but  with  the  pre- 
cious blood  of  Christ,"  1  Pet.  i. 

"There  is  none  other  name  given 
to  men  wherein  we  must  be  saved," 
Acts  iv. 

So  fare  ye  well,  wife  and  chil- 
dren ;  and  leave  worldly  care, 
and  see  you  be  diligent  to 
pray. 

"  Take  no  thought,  (saith  Christ, 
Matt,  vi.)  saying,  What  shall  we 
eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink,  or 
wherewith  shall  we  be  clothed? 
(for  after  all  these  things  seek 
the  GentiJes)  for  your  heavenly 
Father  knoweth  tliat  ye  have  need 
of  all  these  things,  but  seek  ye 
first  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and 
the  righteousness  thereof,  and  all 
these  things  shall  be  ministered 
unto  you." 

MARTYRDOM    OF   CICELY    ORMES,  AT 
NORWICH. 

About  the  23d  of  September, 
shortly  after  the  others  above-men- 
tioned. Cicely  Ormes,  wife  of  Ed- 
mund Ormes,  suffered  at  Norwich  ; 


she  was  taken  at  the  death  of  Simon 
Miller  and  Elizabeth  Cooper,  whom 
we  have  already  mentioned,  and 
her  offence  was,  having  said  that 
"  she  would  pledge  them  of  the 
same  cup  that  they  drank  of." 
For  so  saying,  one  Mr.  Corbet,  of 
Sprowson,  near  Norwich,  sent  her 
to  the  chancellor.  When  she 
came  before  him,  he  asked  her 
what  she  said  unto  the  sacrament 
of  Christ's  body  ?  And  she  said, 
"  she  did  believe  that  it  was  the 
sacrament  of  the  body  of  Christ." 
— "  Yea,"  said  the  chancellor, 
"  but  what  is  that  that  the  priest 
holdeth  over  his  head?"  She  an- 
swered him  and  said,  "  It  is  bread: 
and  if  you  make  it  any  better,  it 
is  worse."  At  which  words  the 
chancellor  sent  her  to  the  bishop's 
prison,  with  many  threatenings 
and  hot  words,  being  in  a  great 
rage. 

On  the  23d  of  July  she  was 
called  before  the  chancellor  again, 
who  sat  in  judgment  with  Mr. 
Bridges  and  others.  The  chan- 
cellor offered  her,  "  if  she  would  go 
to  the  church  and  keep  her  senti- 
ments to  herself,  she  should  be  set 
at  liberty,  and  believe  as  she 
would."  But  she  told  him  "  she 
would  not  consent  to  his  wicked 
desire  therein,  do  with  her  what 
he  would  :  for  if  she  should,  God 
would  surely  plague  her."  Then 
the  chancellor  told  her,  "  he  had 
shewed  more  favour  to  her,  than 
ever  he  did  to  any,  and  that  he 
was  loth  to  condemn  her,  consider- 
ing she  was  an  ignorant,  unlearned, 
and  foolish  woman."  On  this  she 
told  him,  "  if  he  thought  her  such, 
he  should  not  be  so  desirous  of  her 
sinful  flesh,  as  she  would  (by  God's 
grace)  be  content  to  give  it  in  so 
good  a  quarrel."  He  then  read 
the  sentence  of  condemnation 
against  her,  and  delivered  her  to 
the  care  of  the  sheriffs  of  the  city, 
who  immediately  carried  her  to 
the  Guildhall  in  Norwich,  where 
she  remained  until  her  death. 

"  This  Cicely  Ormes  was  a  very 
simple  woman,  but  yet  zealous  in 
the  Loi-d's  cause,  being  born  in 
East  Dereham,  and  was  the  daugh- 


CICELY  ORMES,  AND  OTHEllS. 


643 


4er  of  one  Thomas  Haund,  tailor. 
She  was  taken  the  athday  of  July, 
and  did  for  a  twelve-mouth  before 
she  was  taken  recant,  but  never 
after  was  she  quiet  in  conscience, 
until  she  was  utterly  driven  from 
all  their  popery.  Between  the 
time  that  she  recanted,  and  that 
she  was  taken,  she  had  got  a  letter 
written  to  give  to  the  chancellor, 
to  let  him  know  that  she  repented 
her  recantation  from  the  bottom  of 
her  heart,  and  would  never  do  the 
like  again  while  she  lived.  But 
before  she  exhibited  her  bill,  she 
was  taken  and  sent  to  prison  as  is 
before  said.  She  was  burnt  the 
23d  of  September,  between  seven 
and  eight  in  the  mofning,  the  two 
sheriffs  being  there,  and  to  the 
number  of  two  hundred  people. 
When  she  came  to  the  stake,  she 
kneeled  down,  and  made  her  pray- 
ers to  God  :  that  being  done,  she 
rose  up  and  said,  '  Good  people, 
I  believe  in  God  the  Father,  God 
the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
three  persons  and  one  God. 

"  *  This  do  I  not,  nor  will  I  re- 
cant ;  but  I  recant  utterly  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  the  doings 
of  the  pope  of  Rome,  and  all  his 
popish  priests  I  utterly  refuse,  and 
never  will  have  to  do  with  them 
again  by  God's  grace.  And,  good 
people,  I  would  you  should  not 
think  of  me,  that  I  believe  to  be 
saved  in  that  I  ofl'er  myself  here 
unto  the  death  of  the  Lord's  cause, 
but  I  believe  to  be  saved  by  the 
death  and  passion  of  Christ ;  and 
this  my  death  fa  and  shall  be  a 
witness  of  my  faith  unto  all  here 
present.  Good  people,  as  many 
of  you  that  believe  as  I  believe, 
pray  for  me.' 

"  Then  she  came  to  the  stake, 
and  laid  her  hand  on  it,  and  said, 
'  Welcome  the  cross  of  Christ.' 
Which  being  done,  she  looked  on 
her  hand,  and  seeing  it  blacked 
with  the  stake,  she  wiped  it  upon 
her  smock,  for  she  was  burnt  at 
the  same  stake  that  Simon  Miller 
and  Elizabeth  Cooper  were.  Then 
after  she  had  touched  it  with  her 
hand,  she  came  and  kissed  it,  and 
said,    '  Weleorafe   the  sweet  cross 


of  Christ,'  and  so  gave  herself  to 
be  bound  thereto.  After  the  tor- 
mentors had  kindled  the  fire  to 
her,  she  said,  '  My  soul  doth  xnag- 
nify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  re- 
joiceth  in  God  my  Saviour:  and 
in  saying  so  she  set  her  hands  to- 
gether right  against  her  breast, 
casting  her  eyes  and  head  upward, 
and  so  stood  heaving  up  her  hands 
by  little  and  little,  till  the  very 
sinews  of  her  arms  did  break 
asunder,  and  then  they  fell ;  but 
she  yielded  up  her  life  unto  God, 
as  quietly  as  if  she  had  been  in  a 
slumber,  or  as  one  feeling  no 
pain  ;  so  wonderfully  did  the  Lord 
work  with  her;  his  name  there- 
fore be  praised  for  evermore. 
Amen." 

FURTHER    PERSECUTIONS. 

Nearly  at  the  same  period  as 
the  martyrdoms  we  have  just  re- 
lated, many  others  took  place  in 
various  parts  of  the  kingdom,  but 
the  want  of  authentic  records, 
prevents  our  laying  the  particulars 
before  our  readers ;  as  we  are  re- 
solved never  to  impose  upon  them 
by  fictitious  or  doubtful  accounts, 
but  to  state  nothing  which  is  not 
confirmed  by  the  strongest  testi- 
mony. The  features  of  popery  are 
hideous  enough,  without  the  as- 
sistance of  artificial  horrors  ;  why, 
therefore,  need  we  blacken  a  mon- 
ster, 

•'  Which,  to  ha  hated,  needg  but  to  be 
seen  ?" 

In  the  diocese  of  Chichester, 
especially,  many  were  condemned 
and  martyred  for  the  true  testi- 
mony of  righteousness,  among 
whom  we  find  the  following  per- 
sons named,  although  we  have  no 
particulars  of  their  examinations, 
&c.  ;  John  Foreman,  of  East  Grin- 
stead  ;  John  Warner,  of  Berne ; 
Christian  Grover,  of  the  archdea- 
conry of  Lewes  ;  Thomas  Athoth, 
priest;  Thomas  Avington,  of  Erd- 
ingly;  Dennis  Burgis,  of  Bux- 
stead ;  Thomas  Ravensdale,  of 
Rye;  John  Milles,  of  Hellingley  ; 
Nicholas  Holden,  of  Withiam ; 
John  Hart,  of  Withiam ;  Margery 


644 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Moiice,  of  Hethfield;  Anne  Try, 
of  East  Grinstead  ;  John  Oseward, 
of  Woodmancote  ;  Thomas  Har- 
Jand,  of  Woodmancote;  James 
Morice  of  Hethfield  ;  Thomas 
D(jugate,  of  East  Grinstead  ;  and 
John  Ashedon,  of  Katherfield. 

The  greatest  persecutors  aajainst 
these  faithful  martyrs  were  these  : 
Chrislopherson,  bishop  of  Chiches- 
ter ;  Richard  Briesley,  doctor  of 
law,  and  chancellor  of  Chichester  ; 
Robert  Taylor,  bachelor  of  law, 
his  deputy  ;  Thomas  Piccard,  civi- 
lian ;  Anthony  Clarke,  Albane, 
and  Longdale,  bachelors  of  divi- 
nity, &c. 

MARTYRDOM     OF     THOMAS     SPURD- 
ANCE,    AT    BURY    ST.  EDMUND's. 

The  following  account  of  his  ex- 
aminations is  given  by  himself: 

The  bishop's  chancellor  asked 
me,  if  I  had  been  before  the 
priest,  and  confessed  my  sins  unto 
him  ? 

And  I  said,  No,  I  had  confessed 
my  sins  to  God,  and  God  saith,  in 
what  hour  soever  a  sinner  repeut- 
eth  and  is  sorry  for  his  sins,  and 
asketh  forgiveness,  willing  no  more 
so  to  do,  he  will  no  more  reckon 
his  sin  unto  him  ;  and  that  is  suffi- 
cient for  me. 

Then  said  the  chancellor,  Thou 
deniest  the  sacrament  of  penance. 

I  said,  I  deny  not  penance,  but 
I  deny  that  I  should  shew  my  sins 
to  the  priest. 

Then  said  the  chancellor,  That 
is  denying  of  the  sacrament  of  pe- 
nance. 

Write  this  article. 

Have  you  received  the  blessed 
saicrament  of  tlie  altar  (said  he)  at 
this  time  of  Easter  ? 

And  I  said.  No. 

And  why  have  you  not  ?  said  he. 

I  said,  I  dare  not  meddle  with 
you  in  it,  as  you  use  it. 

Why,  do  we  not  use  it  truly  ? 
said  he. 

I  said,  No  :  for  the  holy  supper 
of  the  Lord  serveth  for  the  Chris- 
tian congregation,  and  you  are 
none  of  Christ's  members ;  and 
therefore  I  dare  not  meddle  with 
you,  lest  I  be  like  unto  you. 


Why  are  we  none  of  Christ's 
members  ?  said  the  chancellor. 

I  said,  Because  you  teach  laws 
contrary  to  God's  laws. 

What  laws  are  those?  said  he. 
I  said.  These  three  articles,  that 
you  swear  the  people  unto  here, 
be  false  and  untrue,  and  you  do 
evil  to  swear  the  people  unto 
them. 

Then  said  he,  Good  people, 
take  no  heed  unto  his  words,  for 
he  is  an  heretic,  and  teacheth  you 
disobedience  :  and  so  he  would  no 
more  speak  of  that  matter. 

Then  said  he.  How  believest 
thou  in  the  blessed  sacrament  of 
the  altar  :  dost  thou  not  believe  that 
after  it  is  consecrated,  it  is  the  very 
same  body  that  was  born  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  ? 

I  said.  No,  not  the  body  in  sub- 
stance :  for  the  same  body  hath  a 
substance  in  flesh,  blood,  and  bones, 
and  was  a  bloody  sacritice,  and  this 
is  a  dry  sacrifice. 

And  I  said,  Is  the  mass  a  sacri- 
fice ? 

Unto  which  a  doctor  answered 
that  sat  by  him,  It  is  a  sacrifice 
both  for  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

Then  said  I,  No,  it  is  no  sacri- 
fice ;  for  St.  Paul  saith  that  Christ 
made  one  sacrifice  once  for  all  ; 
and  I  do  believe  in  none  other 
sacrifice,  but  only  in  that  one  sa- 
crifice that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
made  once  for  all. 

Then  said  the  doctor.  That  sa- 
crifice that  Christ  made  was  a  wet 
sacrifice,  and  the  mass  is  a  dry  sa- 
crifice. 

Then  said  I,  That  same  dry  sa- 
crifice is  a  sacrifice  of  your  own 
making,  and  it  is  your  sacrifice,  it 
is  none  of  mine. 

Then  said  the  chancellor,  He  is 
an  heretic,  he  denieth  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar. 

Then  said  I,  Will  ye  know  how 
I  believe  in  the  holy  supper  of  the 
Lord? 

And  he  said.  Yes. 

Then  said  I,  I  believe  that  if  I 
come  rightly  and  worthily,  as  God 
hath  commanded  me,  to  the  holy 
supper  of  the  Lord,  I  receive  him 
by  faith,  as  by   believing  in  him. 


THOMAS^SPURDANCE. 


645 


But  the  bread  beinp;  received  is 
not  God,  and  the  bread  that  is  yon- 
der in  the  pix  is  not  God.  God 
dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands,  ncitlier  will  he  be  worship- 
ped with  the  works  of  men's  hands. 
And  therefore  you  do  very  evil  to 
cause  the  people  to  kneel  down 
and  worship  the  bread  ;  for  God 
did  never  bid  you  hold  it  above 
your  heads,  neither  had  the  apos- 
tles such  use. 

Then  said  the  chancellor.  He  de- 
nieth  the  presence  in  the  sacra- 
ment. Write  this  article  also. 
He  is  a  very  heretic. 

Then  said  I,  The  servant  is  not 
greater  than  his  master.  For  your 
predecessors  killed  my  master 
Christ,  the  prophets  and  apostles, 
and  holy  virtuous  men,  and  now 
yon  also  kill  the  servants  of  Christ, 
so  that  all  the  righteous  blood  that 
hath  been  shed,  even  from  righte- 
ous Abel,  until  this  day,  shall  be 
required  at  your  hands. 

Well,  said  the  chancellor,  have 
him  away. 

SECOND  EXAMINATION.  OF  SPURD- 
ANCE,  BEFORE  THE  BISHOP  OF 
NORWICH. 

Bishop.  Sirrah,  dost  thou  not 
believe  in  the  Catholic  faith  of  the 
holy  cliurch? 

Spurd,  I  believe  Christ's  Ca- 
tholic church. 

Bishop.  Yea,  in  Christ's  church, 
of  which  the  pope  is  head  ?  Dost 
thou  not  believe  that  the  pope  is 
supreme  head  of  the  Catholic 
church  ? 

Spurd.  No;  I  believe  not  that 
he  should  be  above  the  apo«tles, 
if  he  takes  them  to  be  his  prede- 
cessors. For  when  there  came  a 
thought  among  the  apostles,  who 
should  be  the  greatest  when  their 
master  was  gone,  Christ  answered 
them  unlo  their  thoughts,  "The 
kings  of  the  earth  bear  dominion 
above  each  other,  but  ye  shall  not 
do  so,  for  he  that  will  be  greatest 
among  you  shall  become  servant 
unto  you  all."  How  is  it  then  (said 
I)  that  he  will  climb  so  high  above 
his  fellows?  And  also  we  were 
sworn  in  my  master  king  Henry's 


time,  that  we  should,  to  the  ulniost 
of  our  power,  never  consent  to  liim 
again.  And  therefore,  as  he  hutii 
nothing  to  do  here  in  England,  so 
neither  hath  he  in  his  own  country 
more  than  a  bishop  hatii  in  his 
diocese. 

Bishop.  Yea,  what  of  that?  We 
were  then  in  error  and  sin,  now 
we  are  in  the  riglit  way  again,  and 
therefore  thou  must  home  again 
with  us,  and  acknowledge  thy' 
fault,  and  become  a  Christian 
man,  and  be  sworn  unto  the  pope 
as  our  supreme  head.  Wilt  thou 
be  sworn  onto  the  pope  ?  How 
sayest  thou  ? 

Spurd.  No,  I  warrant  you,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  not  as  long  as  I 
live.  For  you  cannot  prove  by 
the  scripture  that  the  pope  is  head 
of  the  church,  and  may  do  therein 
what  he  listeth. 

Bishop.  No  .'  yes,  I  trow  ;  for 
as  the  bell-wether  which  weareth 
the  bell,  is  head  of  the  flock  of 
sheep,  even  so  is  the  pope  the 
head  of  the  church  of  Christ.  And 
as  the  bees  in  the  hive  have  a 
master  bee,  when  they  are  gone 
out,  to  bring  them  home  to  the 
hive;  even  so  the  pope,  when  we 
be  gone  astray,  and  wandered 
from  the  fold,  from  the  hive,  &.c. 
then  is  ordered  our  head  by  suc- 
cession of  Peter  to  bring  us  home 
again  to  the  true  churcli ;  as  thou 
now,  my  good  fellow,  hast  long 
wandered  out  of  the  way,  like  a 
scattered  sheep,  &c.  liear  there- 
fore that  bell-wether,  the  master 
bee,  &c.  and  come  home  with  us 
again  to  thy  mother  the  church. 

Spurd.  My  lord,  all  this  is  but 
natural  reason,  and  no  scripture  : 
but  since  you  cannot  prove  the 
pope  to  be  authorized  by  scripture, 
you  answer  me  not  as  I  thought 
you  would. 

Bishop.  Ha!  I  see  well  you  will 
be  stout,  and  will  not  be  an- 
swered :  therefore  you  shall  be 
compelled  by  law,  whether  you 
will  or  no. 

Spurd.  My  lord,  so  did  your 
forefathers  treat  Christ  and  his 
apostles.  They  had  a  law,  and 
by  their  law  they  put  him  to  death  ; 


646 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


aitd  so  Hkewise  you  have  a  few, 
which  is  tyranny,  and  by  that  you 
would  enforce  rae  to  believe  as  you 
do  :  but  the  Lord,  1  trust,  will  as- 
sist me  against  all  your  beggarly 
ceremonies,  and  make  your  fool- 
ishness known  to  all  the  world. 

Bishop.  When  were  you  at 
church,  or  joined  in  the  proces- 
sion, and  did  the  ceremonies  of  the 
church  ? 

Spurd.     Never  since  I  was  born. 

Bishop.  No  .'  How  old  are  you  .' 

Spurd.     I  think  about  forty. 

Bishop.  Why,  how  did  you  use 
yourself  at  church  twenty  years 
ago? 

Spurd.     Ab  you  do  now. 

Bishop.  And  even  now,  you 
said  you  did  not  use  the  ceremo- 
nies since  you  were  born ! 

Spurd.  No  more  I  did,  since  I 
was  born  anew  ;  as  Christ  said  unto 
Nicodemus,  "  Except  ye  be  born 
anew,  ye  cannot  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven." 

Then  said  a  doctor  that  sat  by, 
*'  He  is  a  very  anabaptist :  for  that 
is  their  opinion  plain." 

Spurd.  No,  sir,  you  say  falsely, 
for  I  am  no  anabaptist:  for  they 
deny  children  to  be  baptized,  which 
I  do  not. 

Bishop.  Well,  why  dost  thou 
not  go  to  church,  and  do  the  cere- 
monies? 

Spurd.  Because  they  are  con- 
trary to  God's  word  and  laws,  as 
you  yourself  have  taught;  but 
now  you  say  it  is  good  again :  and 
I  think  if  there  were  a  return  to- 
morrow, you  would  say  that  was 
false  'again  which  you  hold  now. 
Therefore,  I  may  well  say,  there  is 
no  truth  in  you. 

Bishop.  Then  thou  art  a  stub- 
born fellow,  and  an  heretic,  and  a 
traitor. 

Spurd.  No,  I  am  no  traitor,  for 
I  have  done,  T  think,  better  service 
for  the  crown  imperial  of  England 
than  you. 

Bishop.  If  you  had  done  such 
good  service,  you  would  be  obe- 
dient to  the  laws  of  the  realm. 

Spurd.  So  I  am.  There  is  no 
man  alive,  I  thank  God,  that  can 
accuse  me  justly  that  ever  I  was 


disobedient  to  any  civil  laws.  But 
you  must  consider,  my  lord,  that  I 
have  a  soul  and  body,  and  my  soul 
is  none  of  the  queen's,  but  my 
body  and  my  goods  are  the  queen's. 
And  I  must  give  God  my  soul,  and 
all  that  belongeth  unto  it,  that  is, 
I  must  do  the  laws  and  command- 
ments of  God;  and  whosoever 
cominandeth  laws  contrary  to 
God's  laws,  I  may  not  do  them  for 
losing  of  my  soul,  but  must  rather 
obey  God  than  man. 

Bishop.  Why  dost  thou  not 
these  laws  then  ?  Are  they  not 
agreeable  to  God's  laws  ? 

Spurd.  No,  you  cannot  prove 
them  to  be  God's  laws  ? 

Bishop.     Yes,  that  I  can. 

Spurd.  Then  if  you  can  prove 
by  the  word  of  God,  that  you 
should  have  any  graven  images 
made  to  set  in  your  churches  for 
laymen's  books,  or  to  worship 
God  by  them,  or  that  you  should 
have  the  ceremonies  in  your 
church  as  you  have,  prove  them 
by  the  word  of  God,  and  I  will  do 
them. 

Bishop.  Then  it  is  a  good  and 
decent  order  to  furnish  the  church  ; 
as  when  you  shall  go  to  dinner,  you 
have  a  cloth  upon  the  table  to 
furnish  the  table  before  the  meat 
shall  come  upon  it ;  so  are  these 
ceremonies  a  comely,  decent  order 
to  be  in  the  church  among  Chris- 
tian people. 

Spurd.  These  are  inventions 
and  imaginations  out  of  your  own 
brain,  without  any  word  of  God 
to  prove  them.  For  God  saith, 
Look  what  you  think  good  in  your 
own  eyes,  if  I  command  the  con- 
trary, it  is  abominable  in  my  sight. 
And  these  ceremonies  are  against 
God's  laws.  For  St.  Paul  saith, 
they  be  weak  and  beggarly,  and 
rebuketh  the  Galatians  for  doing 
them. 

Bishop.  Well,  if  you  will  not 
do  them,  seeing  they  be  the  laws 
of  the  realm,  you  are  an  heretic 
and  disobedient :  and  therefore 
come  home  again  and  confess 
your  faults  with  us,  that  you 
have  been  in  error,  &c.    Will  you 

do  90  ? 


JOHN  HALLINGDALE,  AND  OTHERS. 


647 


Spurd.  No,  I  have  been  in  no 
error :  for  the  spiritual  laws  were 
never  more  truly  set  forth  than  in 
my  master  king  Edward's  time, 
and  I  trust  unto  God  I  shall  never 
leave  them  while  I  live. 

Then  came  a  gentleman  to  me 
and  said.  Are  you  wiser  than  all 
men  ?  and  have  you  more  know- 
ledge than  all  men?  Will  you  cast 
away  your  soul  willingly  ?  My 
lord,  and  other  men  also,  would 
fain  you  would  save  yourself: 
therefore  choose  some  man  where 
you  will,  either  spiritual  or  tem- 
poral, and  take  a  day,  my  lord  will 
give  it  you. 

Spurd.  If  I  save  my  life,  I 
shall  lose  it ;  and  if  I  lose  my  life 
for  Christ's  sake,  I  shall  lind  it  in 
life  everlasting.  And  if  I  take  a 
day,  when  the  day  cometh,  I  must 
say  then  even  as  I  do  now,  except 
I  will  lie,  and  therefore  that  need- 
eth  not. 

"  Well  then,  have  him  away," 
said  the  bishop ;  and  he  was  accord- 
ingly carried  back  to  prison,  where 
he  lay  till  the  month  of  November, 
when  he  was  brought  to  the  stake, 
and  died  in  the  constant  profession 
of  his  belief  in  the  doctrines  of  the 
reformed  church. 

He  had  been  one  of  queen  Mary's 
servants,  and  was  taken  by  two  of 
his  fellow  servants,  named  John 
Haman,  and  George  Looson,  both 
of  Codman,  in  the  county  of  Suf- 
folk, who  carried  him  to  one  Mr. 
Gosnal,  dwelling  in  the  same 
place,  by  whom  he  was  sent  to 
Bury,  where  he  remained  in  prison 
till  his  death. 

PERSECUTION  AND  MARTYRDOM  OF 
JOHN  HALLINGDALE,  WILLIAM 
SPARROW,  AND  RICHARD  GIB- 
SON. 

Informations  having  been  laid 
against  these  three  persons,  as 
being  suspected  of  heresy,  they 
were  apprehended,  and  after  being 
confined  for  some  time,  were,  at 
length,  brought  together  to  be  ex- 
amined before  bishop  Bonner, 
when  articles  were  exhibited 
against  each  sepa^rately,  and  thbir 


respective    answers  thereto    were 
required. 

The  first  person  examined  was 
John  Hallingdale,  against  whom 
the  following  articles  were  exhi- 
bited : 

1.  That  the  said  John  Halling- 
dale is  of  the  diocese  of  London, 
and  subject  to  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don's jurisdiction. 

2.  That  the  said  John,  hefors 
the  time  of  the  reign  of  Edward 
the  Sixth,  late  king  of  England, 
v/as  of  the  same  faith  and  religion 
that  was  then  observed,  believed, 
taught,  and  set  forth  here  in  this 
realm  of  England. 

3.  That  during  the  reign  of  the 
said  Edward  the  Sixth,  late  king 
of  England,  upon  the  occasion  of 
the  preaching  of  certain  ministers 
in  that  time,  he  did  not  abide  in 
his  former  faith  and  religion,  but 
did  depart  from  it,  and  so  did,  and 
doth  continue,  till  this  present 
daj%  and  so  determineth  to  do  (as 
he  saith,  to  his  life's  end. 

4.  That  the  said  John  Halling- 
dale hath  thought,  believed,  and 
spoken,  divers  times,  that  the  faith, 
religion,  and  ecclesiastical  service, 
received,  observed,  and  used  now 
in  this  realm  of  England,  is  not 
good  and  laudable,  but  against 
God's  commandment  and  word ; 
especially  concerning  the  mass, 
and  the  seven  sacraments :  and 
that  the  said  John  will  in  no  wise 
conforpi  himself  to  the  same,  but 
speak  and  think  against  it  during 
his  natural  life. 

5.  That  the  said  John  absenteth 
himself  continually  from  his  own 
parish  church  of  St.  Leonard,  nei- 
ther hearing  matins,  mass,  nor 
even-song  ;  nor  yet  confessing  his 
sins  to  the  priest,  or  receiving  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar  at  his 
hands,  or  in  using  other  ceremo- 
nies, as  they  are  now  used  in  the 
churches  and  realm  of  England : 
and,  as  he  remembereth,  he  never 
came  but  once  into  the  said  parish- 
church  of  St.  Leonard,  and  careth 
not  (as  he  saith)  if  he  never  come 
there  any  more,  the  service  being 
as  it  is  there   at   present,   and  so 


648 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


many  abuses  being  there,  ns  he 
saith  there  are,  especially  the 
mass,  the  sacraments,  and  the  ce- 
remonies and  service  set  forth  in 
Latin. 

6.  That  the  said  John,  when  his 
wife,  called  Alice,  was  brought 
to  bed  of  a  man  child,  caused  the 
said  child  to  be  christened  in  Eng;- 
lish,  after  the  same  manner  and 
form  in  all  points,  as  it  was  used 
in  the  time  of  the  reign  of  king 
Edward  the  Sixth,  aforesaid,  and 
caused  it  to  be  called  Joshua,  and 
would  not  have  the  said  child 
christened  in  Latin,  after  the  form 
and  manner  now  used  in  the  church 
and  realm  of  England  ;  nor  will 
have  it,  by  his  will,  (as  he  saith) 
confirmed  by  the  bishop. 

The  particulars  stated  in  all  these 
articles  Hallingdale  acknowledged 
to  be  true  ;  and  said,  he  would  not, 
on  any  condition  whatever,  revoke 
his  answers. 

The  bishop  then  asked  him, 
whether  he  did  firmly  believe,  that 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  there 
is  really  and  truly  the  very  body 
and  blood  of  our  Saviour  Christ, 
or  not?  To  which  Hallingdale  re- 
plied, that  he  neither,  in  the  time 
of  king  Edward  VI.  nor  at  present, 
didi>eKeve,  that  in  the  said  sacra- 
ment there  is  really  the  very  body 
and  blood  of  Christ :  for,  if  he  had 
so  believed,  he  would  (as  others 
had  done)  have  received  the  same, 
which  he  did  not,  because  he  had 
believed,  and  then  did  believe, 
that  the  very  body  of  Christ  is 
only  in  heaven,  and  in  no  other 
place. 

He  likewise  said,  that  Cranmer, 
Latimer,  Ridley,  Hooper,  and 
many  others,  who  had  been  lately 
burned  for  heretics,  were  far  other- 
wise, as  they  all  preached  the  true 
gospel.  That  on  their  preaching 
he  grounded  his  faith  and  con- 
science, according  to  the  saying 
of  St.  John,  in  the  18th  chapter  of 
liis  Revelation,  that  the  blood  of 
the  prophets  and  of  the  saints, 
and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon 
earth,  was  found  in  the  anti-chris- 
tian  cbureli,   by    which  is  under- 


stood,   that  church    whereof    the 
pope  is  head. 

After  this  examination  he  was 
reconducted  to  prison,  and  the 
next  day  again  brought  before  the 
bishop,  who  used  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  prevail  on  him  to  re- 
cant ;  but  finding  them  all  ineffec- 
tual, he  read  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation, and  Hallingdale  was 
immediately  delivered  over  to  the 
secular  power. 

William  Sparrow  was  next 
brought  up  for  examination,  and 
the  following  articles  were  exhi- 
bited against  him  : 

1.  That  thou,  William  Sparrow, 
M'ast,  in  times  past,  detected  and 
presented  lawfully  unto  thine  or- 
dinary the  bishop  of  London,  call- 
ed Edmund,  who  also  is  now  thine 
ordinary,  and  of  the  said  diocese  : 
and  thou  wast  presented  and  de- 
tected unto  him  for  heresy,  errors, 
and  unlawful  opinions,  which  thou 
didst  believe,  set  forth,  and  hold. 

2.  That  thou,  before  thy  said 
ordinary,  didst  openly  and  judi- 
cially confess  the  said  heresies, 
errors,  and  unlawful  opinions,  as 
appeareth  plainly  in  the  acts  of 
the  court  made  before  thine  ordi- 
nary. 

3.  That  thou,  after  the  premises, 
didst  make  thy  submission  in  writ- 
ing, and  didst  exhibit  and  deliver 
the  same  as  thy  deed  to  thy  said 
ordinary,  openly  confessing  and 
recognising  thy  heresies,  errors, 
and  unlawful  opinions,  and  thine 
offences  and  transgressions  in  that 
behalf. 

4.  That  thou,  after  the  premises, 
didst  promise  unto  thy  said  ordi- 
nary, voluntarily,  and  of  thine  own 
accord,  that  always,  after  the  said 
submision,  thou  wouldest  in  all 
points  conform  thyself  unto  the 
common  order  of  the  Catholic 
church  observed  and  kept  here  in 
this  realm  of  England,  and  in  no 
wise  fall  again  into  heresies,  er- 
rors, or  unlawful  opinions. 

5.  That  thou,  since  thy  said  sub- 
mission, hast  willingly  fallen  into 
certain   heresies   and   errors,  and 


WILLIAM  SPAnROW-RICHARD  GIBSON, 


649 


liast  Iiolden  and  set  fortli  divers 
unlawful  opinions,  to  the  very 
fi^rcat  hurt  of  thine  own  soul,  and 
also  to  the  great  hindrance  and 
loss  of  divers  others,  especially, 
against  the  sacraments  of  the  Ca- 
tholic church. 

6.  That  thou,  since  the  said  sub- 
mission, hast  willingly  gone  about 
divers  places  within  the  diocese  of 
London,  and  sold  divers  heretical, 
erroneous,  and  blasphemous  bal- 
lads, and  was  apprehended  and 
taken  with  the  ballads  about  thee, 
and  committed  to  prison. 

To  these  respective  articles  Spar- 
row gave  the  following  answers  : 

To  the  first,  second,  third,  and 
fourth  articles,  he  answered  affirm- 
atively, and  confessed  the  charges 
therein  alleged  to  be  true. 

To  the  fifth  article  he  answered, 
that  if  he  had  spoken  against  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  &c.  he  had 
spoken  no  more  than  the  truth. 

To  the  sixth  he  answered,  that  he 
granted  it ;  adding,  that  he  did 
sell  the  ballads  then  shewn  and 
read  before  him,  and  that  the  same 
contained  God's  holy  word. 

After  this  examination  he  was 
sent  back  to  prison ;  but  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day  he  was 
again  brought  before  the  bishop, 
who  charged  him  with  his  former 
submission. 

To  this  charge  he  answered,  "  I 
am  very  sorry  that  I  ever  made  it ; 
for  it  was  the  worst  deed  I  ever 
did." 

The  bishop  then  said,  that  he 
went  to  church,  and  there  was  con- 
fessed, and  heard  mass. 

This  Sparrow  also  acknowledg- 
ed, but  added,  "  that  it  was  with  a 
troubled  conscience  ;  for,"  said  he, 
"  that  which  yon  call  the  truth  I 
do  believe  to  be  heresy." 

Bonner  then  charged  him  with 
the  fifth  article  ;  to  which  he  an- 
swered, that  he  had  done  as  was 
contained  in  that  article,  and  would 
do  so  again,  were  he  at  liberty. 

Being  then  asked  by  the  bishop 
whether  he  would  persist  and  con- 
tinue in  the  same ;  he  answered, 
that  he  would  not  go  from  his  opi- 
iiion:    and    added,     "that   which 


you  call  heresy  is  good  and  godly  ; 
and  if  every  hair  of  my  head  was 
a  man,  I  would  burn  them  all,  ra- 
ther than  go  from  the  truth." 

After  this  the  bishop  endeavour- 
ed to  prevail  on  him  to  recant, 
saying,  that  on  those  conditions  he 
should  be  dismissed  ;  but  Spar- 
row continuing  resolute  in  his  faith 
and  opinions,  the  bishop  proceed- 
ed to  read  the  sentence  of  excom- 
munication against  him,  and  he 
was  condemned  as  an  heretic ; 
after  which  he  was  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  the  sherilf,  and  by  him 
again  conducted  to  prison. 

Richard  Gipson'  was  then 
brought  forward.  The  misfortunes 
of  this  good  Christian  arose  from 
his  performance  of  an  act  of  the 
most  generous  friendship  to  a  per- 
son with  whom  he  was  particularly 
acquainted.  This  man  was  ar- 
rested for  debt,  when  Gibson  be- 
coming surety  for  him,  his  pre- 
tended friend  treacherously  fied, 
and  he  not  being  able  to  discharge 
the  debt,  was  thrown  into  the 
Poultry  Compter,  where  he  re- 
mained upwards  of  two  years. 

When  he  was  about  to  be  re- 
leased, some  litigious  and  bigoted 
papist  laid  an  accusation  of  heresy 
against  him,  to  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, because  he  had  never  con- 
fessed, nor  received  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  while  he  was  in  con- 
finement. 

In  consequence  of  this  he  was 
ordered  to  appear  before  the  bi- 
shop, who  examined  him  concern- 
ing his  faith  and  religion.  At  first 
he  seemed  to  make  a  certain  sub- 
mission, which  was  recorded  in 
the  bishop's  register:  but  this  not 
appearing  sufficiently  satisfactory, 
the  following  articles  were  exhi- 
bited against  him : 

1.  That  the  said  Richard  Gib- 
son, prisoner  in  the  Compter,  in 
the  Poultry,  in  the  diocese  of 
London,  hath,  otherwise  than  be- 
came a  faithful  Christian,  and  a 
good  subject  in  this  realm  of  Eng- 
Tand,  behaved  himself,  in  words 
and  deeds,  in  divers  conditions 
and   points,  contrary  to  the  order, 


650 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


religion,  and  faith  of  Christ's  Ca- 
tholic church,  and  contrary  to  the 
order  of  this  realm,  to  the  perni- 
cious and  evil  example  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  city  of  London, 
and  the  prisoners  of  the  prison  of 
the  said  Compter  in  the  Poultry, 
and  greatly  to  the  hurt  and  da- 
mage of  his  own  soul  ;  offending, 
especially,  in  the  articles  following: 
by  reason  whereof  the  said  Richard 
Gibson  was,  and  is,  in  the  juris- 
diction of  the  said  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, and  subject  to  the  said  juris- 
diction, to  make  answer  to  his  of- 
fences and  transgressions  under- 
written, according  to  the  order  of 
the  law. 

2.  That  the  said  Richard  Gibson 
hath  irreverently  spoken  against 
the  pope,  and  see,  and  church  of 
Rome,  and  likewise  against  the 
whole  church  of  this  realm  of  Eng- 
land, and  against  the  seven  sa- 
craments of  the  Catholic  and 
whole  church  of  Christendom,  and 
against  the  articles  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  here  observed  in  this 
realm  of  England,  and  against  the 
commendable  and  laudable  cere- 
monies of  the  Catholic  church. 

3.  That  the  said  Richard  Gibson 
hath  commended,  alloM  ed,  defend- 
ed, and  liked,  both  Cranmer,  Lati- 
mer, and  Ridley,  and  also  other 
heretics  here  in  this  realm  of  Eng- 
land, according  to  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal laws  condemned  for  heretics  ; 
and  also  liked  all  their  heretical, 
erroneous,  damnable,  and  wicked 
opinions,  especially  against  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  and  the  au- 
thority of  the  pope  and  see  of 
Rome,  with  the  whole  religion 
thereof. 

4.  That  the  said  Richard  Gibson 
hath  comforted,  aided,  assisted, 
and  maintained,  both  by  words 
and  otherwise,  heretics  and  errone- 
ous persons,  or  at  least  suspected 
and  informed  of  heresies  and  errors 
condemned  by  the  Catholic  church, 
to  continue  in  their  heretical  and 
erroneous  opinions  aforesaid,  fa- 
vouring and  counselling  the  same 
unto  his  power. 

6.  That  the  said  Gibson  hath 
aflirmed  and  said,  that  the  religion 


and  faith  commonly  observed  and 
kept,  and  used  now  here  in  this 
realm  of  England,  is  not  good  or 
laudable,  nor  in  any  wise  agree- 
able unto  God's  word  and  com- 
mandment. 

6.  That  the  said  Richard  Gibson 
hath  affirmed,  that  the  Enghsh 
service,  and  the  books  commonly 
called  the  books  of  communion,  or 
common-prayer,  here  set  forth  in 
this  realm  of  England,  in  the  time 
of  king  Edward  the  Sixth,  were  in 
all  parts  and  points  good  and  god- 
ly, and  the  same  only,  and  no 
other,  ought  to  be  observed  and 
kept  in  this  realm  of  England. 

7.  That  the  said  Gibson  hath  af- 
firmed, that  if  he  may  once  be 
out  of  prison  and  at  liberty,  he 
will  not  come  to  any  parish-church, 
or  ecclesiastical  place,  to  hear  the 
matins,  mass,  or  even-song,  or 
any  divine  service  now  used  in  this 
realm  of  England,  nor  come  to  the 
procession  upon  times  and  days 
accustomed,  nor  bear  at  any  time 
any  taper  or  candle,  or  receive 
pix,  at  mass  time,  nor  to  receive 
holy  water,  nor  holy  bread,  nor 
observe  the  ceremonies  or  usages 
of  the  Catholic  church  here  observ- 
ed and  kept  commonly  in  this  realm 
of  England. 

8.  'That  the  said  Gibson  hath  af- 
firmed, that  he  is  not  bound  at  any 
time,  though  he  have  liberty,  and 
the  presence  of  a  priest,  conve- 
nient and  meet,  to  confess  his  sins 
to  the  said  priest,  nor  to  receive 
absolution  at  his  hands,  nor  to  re- 
ceive of  him  the  sacrament,  called 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  after 
such  form  as  is  now  used  within 
the  realm  of  England. 

9.  That  the  said  Richard  Gibson 
hath  affirmed,  that  prayer  unto 
saints,  or  prayers  for  the  dead, 
are  not  laudable,  or  profitable ; 
and  that  no  man  is  bound,  at  any 
time,  or  in  any  place,  to  fast  or 
pray,  but  only  at  his  own  will  and 
pleasure  ;  and  that  it  is  not  lawful 
to  reserve,  or  keep,  the  said  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar. 

Gibson  having  answered  theae 
respective  articles,  was  dismissed 
for  the  present ;  but  the  next  daj 


REV.  JOHN  ROUGH. 


651 


wag  again  brought  before  the  bi- 
shop for  a  farther  examination. 

Several  questions  were  put  to 
him  ;  but  he  refused  to  answer  to 
any  of  them,  sayinjy,  the  bishop  of 
London  was  not  his  ordinary. 

His  last  examination  was  at  the 
bishop's  consistory  court,  where 
Bonner,  after  some  discourse,  ask- 
ed, if  he  knew  any  cause  why 
sentence  should  not  be  pronounced 
against  him?  On  which  he  told  the 
bishop,  that  he  could  not  allege 
any  thing  against  him  fo^  which  he 
might  be  justly  condemned. 

The  bishop  then  told  him,  that 
**men  said  he  was  an  evil  man." 

Gibson  replied,  "  Yea,  my  lord, 
and  so  may  I  say  of  you  also." 

After  this,  his  sentence  of  con- 
demnation was  read,  at  the  end  of 
which  he  said,  "  Blessed  am  I  that 
I  am  cursed  at  your  hands." 

He  was  then  delivered  to  the 
sheriff,  who  conducted  him  to  pri- 
son, in  order  for  execution. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1557, 
these  three  faithful  servants  of 
Christ  were  conducted,  under  a 
guard,  to  Smithfield,  where  they 
were  all  fastened  to  one  stake. 
After  they  had,  for  some  time,  fer- 
vently prayed  to  God  to  enable 
them  to  endure  the  fiery  trial,  the 
fagots  were  lighted,  and  they  all 
clieerfuUy  resigned  their  souls  into 
the  hands  of  their  heavenly  Father, 
trusting  that,  as  they  had  borne 
the  cross  for  his  sake,  he  would  re- 
ward them  with  "  a  crown  of  glory 
which  fadeth  not  away." 

MARTYr.DOMS  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN 
KOUGH,  AND  OF  MARGARET  MAR- 
ING. 

Mr.  John  Rough  was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  the  son  of  reputable  and 
pious  parents.  Being  deprived  of 
his  right  of  inheritance  to  certain 
lands  by  some  of  his  kindred,  he 
was  so  irritated  that,  though  only 
seventeen  years  of  age,  he  entered 
himself  a  member  of  the  order  of 
Black  Friars,  at  Stirling,  in  Scot- 
land. 

Here  he  continued  upwards  of 
sixteen  years,  when    the  earl  of 


Arran,  (afterwards  duke  of  Ha- 
milton), then  regent  of  Scotland, 
having  a  partiality  for  him,  ap- 
plied to  the  archbishop  of  St.  An- 
drew's to  dispense  with  his  pro- 
fessed order,  that  he  might  serve 
him  as  his  chaplain. 

The  archbishop  readily  granting 
the  request  of  the  regent,  Mr. 
Rough  was  disengaged  from  his 
monastic  order,  and  continued 
chaplain  to  his  patron  about  a 
year;  when  it  pleased  God  to 
open  his  eyes,  and  give  him  some 
knowledge  of  the  truth  of  the 
gospel. 

At  this  time  the  earl  sent  him  to 
preach  in  the  county  of  Ayr, 
where  he  continued  about  four 
years,  during  which  time  he  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  his  office  with 
the  strictest  diligence. 

On  the  death  of  the  cardinal  of 
Scotland,  he  was  sent  for  to  offi- 
ciate at  St.  Andrew's,  for  which  he 
had  a  pension  of  twenty  pounds 
per  annum  allowed  him  by  king 
Henry  VIIl. 

After  being  some  time  in  this 
situation,  he  began  to  abhor  the 
idolatry  and  superstition  of  his 
own  country ;  and  when  he 
found  that,  on  the  accession  of 
Edward  VI.  there  was  free  profes- 
sion of  the  gospel  in  England,  he 
left  St.  Andrew's,  and  went  first  to 
Carlisle,  and  afterwards  waited  on 
the  duke  of  Somerset,  then  pro- 
tector, by  whom  he  was  appointed 
preacher,  with  an  annual  allow- 
ance of  twenty  pounds,  to  serve 
in  Carlisle,  Berwick,  and  New- 
castle-upon-Tyne. 

A  short  time  after  this  he  mar- 
ried, and  the  archbishop  of  York 
gave  him  a  benefice  near  the  town 
of  Kingston-upon  Hull,  which  he 
enjoyed  till  the  death  of  the  king. 

On  the  accession  of  queen  Mary, 
when  the  true  religion  was  super- 
seded by  the  false,  and  persecu- 
tion took  place  in  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  Mr.  Rough  fled  with  his 
wife  into  the  Low-Countries,  and 
took  up  his  residence  at  a  place 
called  Norden.  Here  he  main- 
tained   himself  by    knitting    and 


652 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


selling  caps  and  hose,  till  the 
month  of  October,  1557,  when 
wanting:  yarn,  and  other  necessa- 
ries for  his  trade,  he  embarked  for 
England,  and  arrived  in  London 
on  the  10th  of  November  follow- 
ing. 

Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  was 
informed  that  there  was  a  private 
congregation  of  religious  people  in 
a  certain  part  of  the  city,  upon 
which  he  joined  them,  and  was 
elected  their  minister. 

In  this  office  he  continued  some 
time,  till,  at  the  instigation  of  Ro- 
ger Serjeant,  a  hypocrite  and  false 
brother,  on  the  13th  of  December, 
he,  together  with  one  Cuthbert 
Simson,  deacon  of  the  aforesaid 
congregation,  were  apprehended 
by  the  vice-chamberlain  of  the 
queen's  household,  at  the  Sara- 
cen's-Head,  in  Islington,  where 
the  congregation  had  assembled 
for  the  purpose  of  performing 
their  usual  worship;  although,  to 
avoid  suspicion,  it  had  been  given 
out  that  their  meeting  was  to  hear 
a  play. 

Mr.  Rough  and  Mr.  Simson 
were  both  conducted,  by  the  vice- 
chamberlain,  to  the  queen's  coun- 
cil, by  whom  they  were  charged 
with  assembling  to  celebrate  the 
Communion,  or  Lord's  Supper. 
After  a  long  examination  Simson 
was,  for  the  present,  dismissed, 
but  Rough  was  sent  prisoner  to 
Newgate. 

On  the  18th  of  December,  bi- 
shop Bonner  ordered  Rough  to  be 
brought  before  him  at  his  palace 
in  London,  for  examination  con- 
cerning his  religious  faith ;  when 
the  following  articles  were  exhi- 
bited against  him: 

"  1.  That  thou,  John  Rough, 
didst  directly  speak  against  the 
seven  sacraments  used  commonly 
and  reverently,  as  things  of  esti- 
mation and  great  worthiness  in  the 
Catholic  church;  and  also  didst 
reprove  and  condemn  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar,  affirming,  that 
in  the  same  is  not  really  and  truly 
the  very  body  and  blood  of  Christ; 
and  that  confession  to  the  priest. 


and  absolution  given  by  him  (tlie 
minister  of  Christ)  for  sins,  is  not 
necessary  nor  available  in  any 
wise. 

"  2.  Then  liast  misliked  and  re- 
proved the  religion  and  ecclesias- 
tical service,  as  it  is  now  used  in 
this  realm :  and  hast  allowed  the 
religion  and  service  used  in  the 
latter  years  of  king  Edward  the 
Sixth;  and,  so  much  as  in  thee 
lieth,  hast,  by  word,  writing,  and 
deed,  set  forward,  taught,  and 
preached  the  same  openly;  and 
in  sundry  places  affirmed,  that  the 
said  English  service,  and  doctrine 
therein  contained,  is  agreeable,  in 
all  points,  to  God's  word,  and  to 
the  truth,  condemned  utterly  the 
Latin  service  now  used  in  the 
queen's  reign,  and  induced  others, 
by  thine  example,  to  do  the  like. 

"  3.  Thou  hast,  in  sundry  places 
within  this  realm,  commended  and 
approved  the  opinion  and  doctrine 
of  Thomas  Cranmer,  late  archbi- 
shop of  Canterbury,  Nicholas  Rid- 
ley, and  Hugh  Latimer,  concern- 
ing the  sacrament  of  the  altar;  af- 
firming, that  in  the  sacrament 
there  remained,  after  the  words  of 
consecration,  material  bread  and 
material  wine,  without  any  tran- 
substantiation. 

"  4.  That  thou  hast,  in  sundry 
places  of  this  realm,  since  the 
queen's  reign,  ministered  and  re- 
ceived the  communion,  as  it  was 
used  in  the  late  days  of  king  Ed- 
ward VI.,  and  thou  knowest,  or 
credibly  hast  heard  of  divers,  that 
yet  do  keep  books  of  the  said  com- 
munion, and  use  the  same  in  pri- 
vate houses,  out  of  the  church, 
and  are  of  opinion  against  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar. 

"  5.  Thou  dost  know,  and  hast 
been  conversant  with  all,  or  a 
great  part  of  such  Englishmen  as 
have  iled  out  of  the  realm;  and 
hast  consented  and  agreed  with 
them  in  their  opinions,  and  hast 
succoured,  maintained,  and  holpen 
them;  and  hast  been  a  conveyer 
of  their  seditious  letters  and  books 
into  this  realm. 

"  G.  That  thou,  in  sundry  places 


REV.  JOHN  ROUGH. 


653 


of  this  realm,  hast  spoken  against 
Uic  pope  of  Rome,  and  Jiis  apos- 
tolic sec,  and  hast  plainly  con- 
temned and  despised  the  autho- 
rity of  the  same,  misliking,  and 
not  allowing  the  faith  and  doc- 
trine thereof,  but  directly  speak- 
ing against  it;  and,  by  thine  ex- 
ample, hast  induced  others,  the 
subjects  of  this  realm,  to  speak 
and  do  the  like. 

''  7.  That  thou  hast  said  that 
thou  hast  been  at  Rome,  and  tar- 
ried tliere  about  thirty  days,  or 
more,  and  that  thou  hast  seen  little 
good,  or  none,  there,  but  very 
much  evil.  Amongst  the  which, 
thou  sawest  one  great  abomina- 
tion, that  is  to  say,  a  man  (or  the 
pope)  that  should  go  on  the 
ground,  to  be  carried  about  upon 
the  shoulders  of  four  men,  as 
though  he  had  been  God,  and  no 
man.  Also,  a  cardinal  to  have  his 
harlot  riding  opeuly  behind  him. 
And,  thirdly,  a  pope's  bull,  that 
gave  express  licence  to  have  and 
use  their  stews,  and  to  keep  open 
bawdry,  by  the  pope's  approbation 
and  authority. 

"  8.  That  thou,  since  thy  last 
coming  into  England,  from  parts 
beyond  sea,  hast  perniciously  al- 
lured and  comforted  divers  of  the 
subjects  of  this  realm,  both  young 
and  old,  men  and  women,  to  have 
and  use  the  book  of  Communion 
set  forth  in  this  realm  in  the  latter 
days  of  king  Edward  VI.,  and  hast 
also  thyself  read  and  set  forth  the 
.same,  causing  others  to  do  the 
like,  and  to  leave  ofl'  their  coming 
to  their  parish-churches,  to  hear 
the  Latin  service  now  ut;ed. 

"  9.  That  thou,  the  third  Sun- 
day of  Advent,  the  12th  of  De- 
cember, 1557,  wast  apprehended 
at  the  Saracen's  Head,  at  Isling- 
ton, in  the  county  of  Middlesex, 
and  diocese  of  London,  by  the 
queen's  vice-chamberlain,  with 
one  Simsou,  a  tailor,  Hugh,  a  ho- 
sier, and  divers  others  there  as- 
sembled, under  the  colour  of  hear- 
ing a  play,  to  have  read  the  Com- 
munion-book, and  to  have  used 
the  accustomed  fashion,  as  was  in 


the   latter   days   of  king   Edward 
VI." 

To  these  respective  articles  Mr. 
Rough  answered  as  follows: 

To  the  lirst,  he  replied,  that  he 
had  spoken  against  the  number  of 
the  said  sacraments,  being  fully 
persuaded  that  there  arc  only  two, 
to  wit,  Baptism,  and  the  Supper 
of  the  Lord;  and  as  for  the  other 
live,  he  denied  them  to  be  sacra- 
ments, and  therefore  had  spoken 
against  them. 

With  respect  to  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  (or  the  Supper  of  the 
Lord),  he  confessed  tiiat  he  had 
spoken  and  taught,  that  in  the 
said  sacrament  there  is  not  really 
and  substantially  the  very  body 
and  blood  of  Christ;  but  that  the 
substance  of  bread  and  wine  doth 
remain  in  that  sacrament,  without 
any  change  being  made  in  it  by 
consecration. 

Concerning  the  confession  of 
sins  to  a  priest,  he  said,  he 
thought  it  necessary,  provided  the 
offence  was  done  to  the  priest; 
but  if  it  was  done  to  any  other, 
then  it  was  not  necessary  to  make 
any  confession  to  the  priest,  who 
was  not  injured;  but  to  endeavour 
to  obtain  a  proper  reconciliation 
with  the  party  offended. 

To  the  second  article  he  an- 
swered, that  he  now  did,  and  had 
before  misliked  the  order  of  the 
Latin  service  then  used ;  and  also 
did  approve  of  the  service  used  in 
the  latter  part  of  king  Edward's 
reign,  for  that  the  holy  Scripture 
had  taught  the  same:  and,  there- 
fore, he  granted,  that  he  did  teach, 
and  set  forth  the  said  English  ser- 
vice. 

The  third  article  he  granted, 
saying,  that  he  had  approved  the 
doctrine  of  the  parties  mentioned, 
as  agreeable  to  God's  word;  and 
that  they  were  godly,  learned 
men,  and  such  as,  through  grace, 
had  perfect  understanding  in  di- 
vine things. 

To  the  fourth  article  he  an- 
swered, that  he  liked  the  commu- 
nion used  in  king  Edward's  days; 
but  that  he  had  not  ministered  nor 


654 


BOOK  OF  martyrs: 


receired  the  same  in  England 
since  the  queen's  reign,  nor  yet 
knew  many,  in  this  country,  that 
had  the  books  thereof;  but  on  the 
other  side  the  sea  he  knew  many 
that  had  these  books,  and  that 
there  also  he  had  received  the 
communion  in  sundry  places. 

To  the  fifth  article,  he  confessed, 
that  he  had  been  familiar  with 
many  English  men  and  women  in 
Fri'esland,  and  agreed  with  them 
in  opinion ;  as  Mr.  Story,  Thomas 
Young,  George  Roo,  and  others, 
to  the  number  of  one  hundred 
persons,  who  fled  thither  on  ac- 
count of  their  religion,  using  the 
same  as  was  set  forth  in  the  reign 
of  the  good  king  Edward  VI. ;  but 
he  denied  the  remaining  contents 
of  the  article. 

Both  the  sixth  and  seventh  arti- 
cles he  acknowledged  to  be  true. 

To  the  eighth  article  he  an- 
swered, that  since  his  last  coming 
into  England,  (which  was  about 
the  10th  of  November),  he  had,  in 
sundry  places  in  the  suburbs  of 
London,  prayed  and  read  such 
prayers  and  service  as  are  ap- 
pointed in  the  book  of  Commu- 
nion, and  had  desired  others  to  do 
the  like,  both  men  and  women, 
whom  he  knew  by  sight,  but  not 
by  name.  However,  he  did  not 
cause  any  to  M'ithdraw  themselves 
from  the  Latin  service;  but  only 
said,  that  it  was  better  to  pray  in  a 
tongue  they  understood,  than  in 
one  they  did  not. 

To  the  ninth  article  he  con- 
fessed, that  at  the  time  and  place 
mentioned,  he  was  present  to  hear 
divine  service,  and  there  was  ap- 
prehended by  the  queen's  vice- 
chamberlain,  with  one  Simson,  a 
tailor,  and  one  Hugh,  a  hosier, 
with  divers  others,  both  men  and 
women,  whose  names  he  knew 
not;  and,  by  the  said  vice-cham- 
berlain, was  brought  before  the 
council,  who  sent  him  to  Newgate, 
from  whence  he  was,  soon  after, 
brought  before  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don; but  otherwise  he  denied  the 
contents  of  this  article. 

After    Mr.    Rough    had    given 


these  answers  to  the  articles  ex- 
hibited against  him,  he  was  re- 
conducted to  his  place  of  confine- 
ment. 

On  the  20th  of  December  he  was 
brought  to  the  consistory  court  at 
St.  Paul's,  before  Bonner,  bishop 
of  London,  the  bishop  of  St.  Da- 
vid's, Fecknam,  abbot  of  West- 
minster, and  others,  in  order  to 
undergo  a  final  examination. 

After  various  methx)ds  had  been 
used  by  the  court  to  persuade  him 
to  recant,  without  effect,  Bonner 
read  the  articles,  with  his  answers, 
beforemeutioned:  he  then  charged 
him  with  marrying,  after  having 
received  priestly  orders ;  and  that 
he  had  refused  to  consent  to  the 
Latin  service  then  used  in  the 
church. 

Mr.  Rough  answered,  their  or- 
ders were  of  no  effect,  and  that 
the  children  he  had  by  his  wife 
were  legitimate.  With  respect  to 
the  Latin  service  then  used,  he 
said,  he  utterly  detested  it,  and 
that,  were  he  to  live  as  long  as 
Methuselah,  he  would  never  go  to 
church  to  hear  the  abominable 
mass. 

In  consequence  of  this  declara- 
tion the  bishop  proceeded  to  the 
ceremony  of  degradation;  after 
wiiich  he  read  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation, and  Mr.  Rough  being 
delivered  to  the  sheriff,  was  by 
him  re-conducted  to  Newgate, 
there  to  remain  till  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  his  execution. 

EXAMINATION    OF    MARGARET 
MARING. 

This  woman  belonged  to  a  pri- 
vate congregation  in  London, 
where  Mr.  Rough  used  to  officiate. 
She  was  suspected  by  him,  and 
some  others,  of  not  being  sincere 
in  the  religion  she  professed;  but 
the  event  shewed  that  their  suspi- 
cions were  ill-founded. 

An  information  being  laid 
against  her  before  the  bishop  of 
London,  he  sent  an  officer  to  her 
house  near  Mark-lane,  in  the  city, 
to  apprehend  her;  which  being 
done,       she       was      immediately 


MARGARET  MARING. 


655 


brought  before  Lis  lordship,  who, 
after  a  short  examination,  sent  her 
to  Newgate. 

On  the  18th  of  Decemher  she 
vas  again  brought  before  the  bi- 
shop, at  his  palace  in  London,  in 
order  to  undergo  a  thorough  exa- 
rainatian,  relative  to  her  religious 
principles.  The  usual  articles 
being  exhibited  against  her,  she 
answered  each  respectively  as  fol- 
lows. 

1.  That  there  is  here  on  earth  a 
Catholic  church,  and  thei-e  is  the 
true  faith  of  Christ  observed  and 
kept  in  the  same  church. 

2.  That  there  are  only  two  sa- 
craments in  the  church,  namely, 
the  sacrament  of  ^the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ,  and  the  sacrament 
of  Baptism. 

3.  That  she  was  baptized  in  the 
faith  and  belief  of  the  said  church, 
renouncing  there,  by  her  godfa- 
thers and  godmothers,  the  devil, 
and  all  his  works. 

4.  That  when  she  came  to  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  she  did  not 
know  what  her  true  belief  was,  be- 
cause she  was  not  then  of  discre- 
tion to  understand  the  same,  nei- 
ther yet  was  taught  it. 

5.  That  she  had  not  gone  from 
the  Catholic  faith  at  any  time  ;  but 
she  said  that  the  mass  was  abo- 
minable in  the  sight  of  God,  and 
all  true  Christian  people. 

6.  Concerning  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  she  said,  she  believed 
there  was  no  such  sacrament  in 
the  Catholic  church  :  that  she  ut- 
terly abhorred  the  authority  of  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  with  all  the  re- 
ligion observed  in  his  anti-christian 
church. 

7.  That  she  had  refused  to  come 
to  her  parish-church,  because  the 
true  religion  Avas  not  then  used  in 
the  same ;  and  that  she  had  not 
come  into  the  church  for  the  space 
of  one  year  and  three  quarters, 
neither  did  mean  to  come  any 
more  to  the  same,  in  these  idola- 
trous days. 

8.  She  acknowledged  that  she 
was  apprehended,  and  brought  be- 
fore the  bishop  of  London. 

These  answers  being-  registered 


by  the  bishop's  official,  she  was, 
for  the  present,  remanded  to  pri- 
son. 

On  the  20th  of  December  she 
was  again  brought  before  the  bi- 
shop at  his  consistory  court,  where 
her  articles  and  answers  were 
again  read  to  her ;  after  which 
they  asked  her  if  she  would  stand 
to  the  same  as  they  were  regis- 
tered ?  She  answered,  that  she 
would  stand  to  the  same  to  her 
death;  "for  the  very  angels  in 
heaven,"  said  she,  "laugh  you  to 
scorn,  to  see  tiie  abomination  that 
you  use  in  the  church." 

The  bishop  then  used  various 
arguments  to  prevail  on  lier  to  re- 
cant ;  but  finding  them  all  inef- 
fectual, he  read  the  sentence  of 
condemnation,  and  she  was  de- 
livered to  the  sheriff  for  execu- 
tion, vA\o  re-conducted  her  to 
Newgate. 

Two  days  after  this,  on  the  22d 
of  December,  1557,  she,  with  her 
fellow-martyr  John  Rough,  were 
conducted,  by  the  proper  officers, 
to  Sraithfield,  where  they  were 
both  fastened  to  one  stake,  and 
burnt  in  the  same  fire.  They  both 
behaved  themselves  with  Christian 
fortitude,  and  cheerfully  gave  up 
their  lives  in  testimony  of  the  truth 
of  that  gospel,  which  was  given 
to  man  by  him  from  whom  they 
hoped  to  receive  an  eternal  reward 
in  his  heavenly  kingdom. 

The  following  letters  were  writ- 
ten by  Mr.  Rough  during  his  con- 
finement : 

TO  HIS  FRIENDS,  CONFIRMING  AND 
STRENGTHENING  THEM  IN  THE 
TRUTH. 

The  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
make  you  able  to  give  consolation 
to  others  in  these  dangerous  days, 
when  Satan  is  let  loose,  but  to  the 
trial  only  of  the  chosen,  when  it 
pleaseth  our  God  to  sift  his  wheat 
from  the  chaft".  I  have  not  leisure 
and  time  to  write  the  great  temp- 
tations I  have  been  under.  I 
speak  to  God's  glory ;  my  care 
was  to  have  the  senses  of  my  soul 
open,  to  perceive  the  voice  of  God, 
saying,    Whosoever    denieth    me 


f66 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


before  mcil,  him  wHl  I  deny  before 
my  Father  and  his  angels.     And  to 
save  the  life   corporal,  is  to    lose 
the  life  eternal.     And  he  that  will 
not  suffer  with  Christ,    shall    not 
reign  with  him.     Therefore,  most 
tender  ones,  I  have,  by  God's  Spi- 
rit, given  over  the  flesh,  with  the 
fight  of  my  soul,    and    the  spirit 
Lath   the  victory.     The  flesh  shall 
now,  before  it  be  long,  leave  ofl'  to 
.  sin,  the  spirit  shall  reign  eternally. 
I  have  chosen  death  to  confirm  the 
truth  by  me  taught.    What  can  I  do 
more  ?    Consider  with   yourselves, 
that  1  have  done  it  for  the  confirm- 
ation of  God's   truth.     Pray  that 
I  may  continue  unto  the  end.     The 
greatest  part  of  the  assault  is  past, 
I  praise  my  God.     I   have  in  all 
my  assaults  felt  the  present    aid 
of  my  God,  I  give  him  most  hearty 
thanks    thereof.     Look  not    back, 
nor   be   ye     ashamed    of    Christ's 
gospel,  nor  of  the   bonds   I  have 
suffered  for  the  same,  thereby  you 
may  be  assured  it  is  the  true  wojd 
of  God.     The  holy  ones  have  been 
sealed  with  the  same  mark.     It  is 
no  time,  for  the  loss  of  one  man  in 
the  battle,   for  the   camp   to  turn 
back.       Up     with    men's    hearts, 
doM'n    with  the   daubed    walls   of 
heresy.     Let  one  take  the  banner, 
and  the  other  the  trumpet ;  I  mean 
not  to   make  corporal  resistance, 
but  pray,  and  ye  shall  have  Elias's 
defence,    and   Elizeus's    company 
to  fight  for  you.     The  cause  is  the 
Lord's.     Now,  my  brethren,  I  can 
write  no  more,  time  will  not  suffer, 
and  my  heart  with  pangs  of  death 
is  assaulted;    but   I  am  at    home 
with  my  God,  yet  alive.     Pray  for 
me,  and  salute  one    another  with 
the  holy  kiss.    The  peace  of  God 
rest  with    you   all.   Amen.     From 
Newgate  prison  in  haste,  the  day 
of  my  condemnation. 

John  Rough. 

to  his  congregation,  two  days 
before  he  suffered. 

The  Spirit  of  consolation  be  with 
you,  aid  you,  and  make  you  strong 
to  run  to  the  fight  that  is  laid  be- 
fore you,  wherewithal  God  in  all 
ages  hatli  tried  his  elect,  and  hath 


found  them  worthy  of  himself,  by 
coupling  to  their  head  .Jesus  Christ; 
in  whom,  whoso  desireth  to  live 
godly,  the  same  must  needs  suffer 
persecution.  For  it  is  given  unto 
them,  not  only  to  believe,  but  also 
to  suffer.  And  the  servant  or 
scholar  cannot  be  greater  than  his 
lord  and  master  :  but  by  the  same 
way  the  head  is  entered,  the  mem- 
bers must  follow:  no  life  is  in  the 
members  which  are  cut  from  the 
body  :  likewise  we  have  no  life 
but  in  Christ:  for  by  him  we  live, 
move,  and  have  our  being.  My 
dear  sons,  now  departing  this  life 
to  my  great  advantage,  I  make 
change  of  mortality  with  immor- 
tality, of  corruption  to  put  on  in- 
corruption,  to  make  my  body  like 
unto  the  corn  cast  into  the  ground, 
which  except  it  die  first,  it  can 
bring  forth  no  good  fruit.  Whercr 
fore  death  i^  to  me  great  advan- 
tage :  for  thereby  the  body  ceaseth 
from  sin,  and  after  turneth  into 
the  first  original ;  but  after  shall 
be  changed,  and  made  brighter 
than  the  sun  or  moon.  What  shall 
I  write  of  this  corporal  death,  see- 
ing it  is  decreed  of  God,  that  all 
men  should  once  die  ?  Happy  are 
they  that  die  in  the  Lord,  which  is 
to  die  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  pro- 
fessing  and  confessing  the  same 
before  many  witnesses.  I  praise 
my  God  I  have  passed  the  same 
journey  by  many  temptations  ;  the 
devil  is  very  busy  to  persuade  the 
world,  to  entice  with  promises  and 
fair  words  ;  which  I  omit  to  write, 
lest  some  might  think  I  did  hunt 
after  vain  glory,  which  is  farthest 
from  my  heart,  Lastly,  the  dan- 
ger of  some  false  brethren,  who 
before  the  bishop  of  London  pur- 
posed to  confess  an  untruth  to  my 
face :  yet  the  God  that  ruled  Ba- 
laam, moved  their  hearts  ;  where 
they  thought  to  speak  to  my  accu- 
sation, he  made  ^lem  speak  to  my 
purgation.  What  a  journey  (by 
God's  power)  I  have  made  these 
eight  days  before  this  day,  it  is 
above  flesh  and  blood  to  fear :  but, 
as  St.  Paul  saith,  I  may  do  all 
things  in  him  which  worketh  in 
me,  iesus  Christ.     My  course,  bre- 


JOttl^J  ROUGH. 


657 


threii,  have  1  run,  I  have  fought  a 
j?ood  fight,  the  crown  of  righteous- 
ness is  laid  up  for  me,  my  day  to 
receive  it  is  at  hand.  Pray,  bre- 
thren, for  the  enemy  doth  yet  as- 
sault. Stand  constant  unto  the 
end,  then  shall  you  possess  your 
souls.  Walk  worthily  in  that  vo- 
cation wherein  yoU  are  called. 
Comfort  the  brethren.  Salute  one 
another  in  my  name.  Be  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  the 
cross,  by  me  preached,  nor  yet  of 
my  suffering  |  for  with  my  blood 
I  affirm  the  same.  I  go  before,  I 
suffer  first  the  baiting  of  the  butch- 


ers' dogs ;  yet  I  have  not  done 
what  I  should  have  done  ;  but  my 
weakness,  I  doubt  not,  is  supplied 
in  the  strength  of  Jesus  Clirist  ; 
and  your  wisdom  and  learning  will 
accept  the  small  talent,  which  I 
have  distributed  unto  yoa  (<is  I 
trust)  as  a  faithful  steward:  and 
what  was  undone,  impute  that  to 
frailty  and  ignorance,  and  with 
your  love  cover  that  which  is  and 
was  naked  in  me.  God  knoweth 
ye  are  all  tender  unto  me,  my 
heart  bursteth  for  the  love  of 
you. 


Miu'der  of  Sir  Edmumhury  Godfrey,  hi)  five  Popish  Riiffianx,  in  rereiige  for  his  eAer- 
tions  in  discovering  the  Popish  Plot  in  1678.- 


Ye  are  not  without  your  great 
pastor  of  your  soul,  who  so  loveth 
you,  that  if  men  were  not  to  be 
sought  out,  (as  God  be  praised 
there  is  no  want  of  men)  he  would 
cause  stones  to  minister  unto  you. 
Cast  your  care  on  that  rock,  the 
wind  of  temptation  shall  not  pre- 
vail :  fast  and  pray,  for  the  days 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


are  evil.  Look  up  with  yout  eycS 
of  hope,  for  the  redemption  is  not 
far  off  (but  my  wickedness  hath 
deserved  that  I  shall  not  see  it). 
And  also  that  which  is  behind  of 
the  blood  of  our  brethren,  which 
shall  also  be  laid  under  the 
altar,  shall  cry  for  your  relief. 
Time  will  not   now  suffer  roe    to 

42 


BOOK  OF  MAJITYRS. 


6S8 

write  long  letters.  The  Spirit  of 
God  s:uid'e  you  in  and  out,  rising 
and  sittins;,  cover  you  with  the 
shadow  of  his  wings,  defend  you 
against  the  tyranny  of  the  wicked, 
and  bring  you  liappily  unto  the 
port  of  eternal  felicity,  where  all 
tears  shall  be  wiped  from  your 
eyes,  and  you  shall  always  abide 
with  the  Lamb. 

John  Rough. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  CUTHBERT  SIM- 
SON,  HUGH  FOX,  AND  JOHN  DA- 
VENISH. 

These  three  persons  were  ap- 
prehended together  at  Islington, 
at  the  same  time  with  Mr.  Rough, 
and  being  brought  before  the  coun- 
cil, were  committed  to  dillereut 
prisons. 

CUTHBERT     SlMSON,      whO      WaS 

deacon  of  the  same  congregation 
of  which  Mr.  Rough  was  pastor, 
was  committed  prisoner  to  the 
Tower,  where  he  was  examined  by 
the  recorder  of  London,  and  one 
Mr.  Cholmley,  who  commanded 
him  to  declare  what  persons  he 
had  summoned  to  come  to  the  Eng- 
lish service;  but  he  peremptorily 
told  them  he  would  not  comply 
with  their  request. 

They  then  ordered  him  to  be  put 
to  the  rack,  on  which  he  lay,  in 
great  agonies,  upwards  of  three 
hours.  While  he  was  in  the  most 
excruciating  torment,  they  asked 
him  the  same  question  as  they  had 
done  before,  and  he  made  them 
the  same  answer.  He  was  then 
released  from  the  rack,  and  con- 
ducted to  the  room  appointed  for 
'his  confinement. 

On  the  Sunday  following  he  was 
ao-ain  brought  to  the  room  in  which 
he  had  been  racked,  when  the  re- 
corder of  London,  and  the  lieute- 
nant of  the  Tower,  once  more  de- 
sired him  to  confess ;  but  he  still 
refused,  saying,  he  was  determined 
not  to  satisfy  them. 

They  then  tied  his  two  fore-fin- 
gers together,  with  a  small  arrow 
between  them:  this  done,  they 
drew  the  arrow  backward  and  for- 
ward so  quick,  that  the  blood  fol- 


lowed, and  the  arrow  broke  ;  after 
which  they  racked  him  twice  more, 
and  then  again  conducted  him  to 
his  dungeon. 

About  ten  days  after  this  the 
lieutenant  again  asked  him  if  he 
would  confess  what  had  been  re- 
peatedly asked  by  himself,  and  the 
recorder ;  to  which  Mr.  Simsoii 
answered,  that  he  would  say  no 
more  than  he  had  said. 

On  the  19lh  of  March  he  was 
taken  before  the  bishop  of  Lon- 
don for  e:;amination,  when  the 
following  articles  were  exhibited 
against  him : 

1.  That  thou  Cuthbert  Simson 
art,  at  this  present,  abiding  within 
the  city  and  diocese  of  London, 
and  not  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  bishop  of  London. 

2.  That  thou,  within  the  city  and 
diocese  of  London,  hast  uttered 
many  times,  and  spoken  delibe- 
rately, the  words  and  sentences 
following,  viz. :  That  though  thy 
parents  and  ancestors,  kinsfolks 
and  friends,  yea,  and  also  thyself, 
before  the  time  of  the  late  schism 
here  in  this  realm  of  England,  have 
thought,  and  thoughtest,  that  the 
faith  and  religion  observed  in  times 
past  here  in  this  realm  of  England, 
was  a  true  faith,  and  the  religion 
of  Christ,  in  all  points  and  articles, 
though  in  the  church  it  was  set 
forth  in  the  Latin  tongue,  and  not 
in  English  ;  yet  thou  believest,  and 
sayest,  that  the  faith  and  religion 
now  used  commonly  in  this  realm, 
and  not  in  English,  but  in  the  Latin 
tongue,  is  not  the  true  faith  and  re- 
ligion of  Christ,  but  contrary  and 
expressly  against  it. 

3.  That  thou,  within  the  said 
city  and  diocese  of  London,  hast 
willingly,  wittingly,  and  contemptu- 
ously, done  and  spoken  against 
the  rites  and  ceremonies,  commonly 
used  here  through  the  whole  realm, 
and  observed  generally  in  the 
church  of  England. 

4.  That  thou  hast  thought  and 
believed  certainly,  and  so  within 
the  diocese  of  London  hast  af- 
firmed, and  spoken  deliberately, 
that  there  be  not  in  the  Catholic 
church   seven   sacraments,  nor   of 


CUTHBERT  SIMSON,  AND  OTilERS. 


659 


Oiat  virtue  and  efficacy  as  is  com- 
monly believed  in  the  cliurch  of 
England  they  are. 

5.  That  thou  hast  likewise 
thought  and  believed,  yea,  and 
hast  so,  within  the  city  and  dio- 
cese of  London,  spoken,  and  deli- 
berately affirmed,  that  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar  there  is  not 
really,  substantially,  and  truly,  the 
very  body  and  blood  of  our  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ. 

6.  That  thou  hast  been,  and  to 
thy  power  art,  at  this  present,  a 
favourer  of  all  those  that  either 
have  been  here  in  this  realm,  here- 
tofore, called  heretics,  or  else  con- 
demned by  the  ecclesiastical  judges 
as  such. 

7.  That  thou,  contrary  to  the 
order  of  this  realm  of  England, 
and  contrary  to  the  usage  of  the 
holy  church  of  this  realm  of  Eng- 
land, hast,  at  sundry  times  and 
places,  within  the  city  and  diocese 
of  London,  been  at  assemblies  and 
conventicles,  where  there  was  a 
multitude  of  people  gathered  toge- 
ther to  hear  the  English  service 
said,  which  was  set  forth  in  the 
late  years  of  king  Edward  VI., 
and  also  to  hear  and  have  commu- 
nion both  read,  and  the  commu- 
nion ministered  both  to  the  said 
multitude,  and  also  to  thyself; 
and  that  thou  hast  thought,  and  so 
thinkest,  and  hast  spoken,  that  the 
said  English  service,  and  commu- 
nioH-book,  and  all  things  con- 
tained in  either  of  them,  was  good 
and  laudable;  and  for  such  thou 
didst,  and  dost  allow,  and  approve 
either  of  them  at  this  present. 

The  first  six  of  these  articles 
Mr.  Simsou  acknowledged  to  be 
true  in  every  part;  but  to  the 
seventh  he  would  not  make  any 
answer,  saying,  he  was  not  bound 
so  to  do. 

Hugh  Fox,  and  John  Daven- 
isH,  were  next  examined;  and 
the  usual  articles  being  adminis- 
tered to  them,  they  answered  as 
follows: 

To  the  first,  concerning  the  Ca- 
tholic church,  they  answered,  that 


tliere  was  such  a  church.  But 
John  Davenish  added,  that  "  the 
true  church  was  grounded  on  the 
prophets  and  apostles,  Christ 
being  the  head  corner-stone;  and 
in  that  church  there  was  the  true 
faith  and  religion  of  Christ." 

To  the  second  article  they  re- 
plied, that  in  Christ's  Catholic 
church  there  were  but  two  sacra- 
ments, namely  Baptism,  and  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

To  the  third  they  answered  af- 
firmatively, that  they  were  bap- 
tized in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic 
church. 

They  likewise  answered  affirma- 
tively to  the  fourth  article,  and 
said  that  they  continued  in  the 
said  faith  till  they  arrived  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  years,  without 
having  any  dislike  to  the  same. 

To  the  fifth  article  they  an- 
swered, that  they  had  spoken 
against  the  -mass,  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar,  and  likewise  against 
the  authority  of  the  see  of  Rome, 
and  that  they  would  do  so  as  long 
as  they  lived. 

The  sixth  article  they  acknow- 
ledged to  be  true. 

To  the  seventh  they  answered 
affirmatively,  that  they  had,  and 
did,  dislike  the  mass  and  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar,  and  thereupon 
refused  to  come  to  their  parish 
church.  John  Davenish  added, 
that  "  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
as  then  used,  was  no  sacrament  at 
all." 

Their  respective  answers  being 
written  down,  were  afterwards 
read  to  them;  when  they  persist- 
ing, and  continuing  steadfast  in 
their  faith  and  opinions,  the  bishop 
pronounced  the  definitive  sentence, 
and  they  were  all  delivered  over 
to  the  secular  power. 

While  Cuthbert  Sirason  was  in 
the  consistory  court,  bishop  Bon- 
ner took  particular  notice  of  him  to 
the  people.  "  Ye  see,"  said  he, 
"  this  man,  what  a  personable 
man  he  is ;  and  I  tell  you,  that  if 
he  were  not  an  heretic,  he  is  a 
man  of  the  greatest  patience  that 
ever  came   before  me.      He  hath 


660 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


been  twice  racked  in  one  day  in 
the  Tower,  and  also  in  my  house 
he  hath  felt  much  sorrow,  and  yet 
I  never  saw  his  patience  broken." 
On  the  28th  of  March,  1558, 
these  three,  steadfast  believers  in 
Christ  were  conducted  by  the  she- 
riffs, and  their  officers,  to  Smith- 
field,  where  they  were  all  fastened 
to  one  stake,  and  burnt  in  the 
same  fire.  They  behaved  with 
truly  Christian  fortitude  to  the 
last,  praising  and  glorifying  God, 
that  he  had  enabled  them  to  go 
through  the  horrid  punishment 
allotted  them,  for  no  other  reason 
but  their  strict  adherence  to  the 
truth  of  his  most  holy  gospel. 

About  this  time  one  William 
NicoLL,  of  Haverford-West,  in 
Pembrokeshire,  was  apprehended 
for  speaking  disrespectfully  of  the 
church  of  Rome ;  and  being  con- 
demned as  an  heretic,  was  burnt 
in  the  above  town,  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1558.  We  have  not  any 
particulars  of  his  examination,  &c. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  WILLIAM  SEAMAN, 
THOMAS  CARMAN,  AND  THOMAS 
HUDSON. 

William  Seaman  was  an  hus- 
bandman, of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  a  strict  professor  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel.  He  was  be- 
trayed into  the  hands  of  the  po- 
pish emissaries  by  the  perfidy  of  a 
neighbour;  and  being  taken  be- 
fore sir  John  Tyrrel  for  examina- 
tion, was  asked,  why  he  would  not 
go  to  mass,^  receive  the  sacrament, 
and  conform  himself  to  the  other 
ceremonies  of  the  church. 

In  answer  to  this.  Seaman  said, 
that  the  sacrament  then  used  was 
an  idol,  that  the  mass  was  abomi- 
nable, and  that  the  ceremonies  of 
the  Romish  church  were  supersti- 
tious, and  full  of  absurdities;  and 
that,  for  these  reasons,  he  would 
not  conform  to  the  same. 

These  answers  highly  offending 
sir  John  Tyrrel,  he  committed 
Seaman  to  prison ;  and  the  next 
day  he  was  sent  to  Dr.  Hopton, 
bishop  of  the  diocese,  who,  after  a 


short  examination,  passed  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  on  him, 
and  he  was  delivered  over  to  the 
secular  power  in  order  for  execu- 
tion. 

Thomas  Carman,  who  had  been 
apprehended  a  short  time  before, 
was  brought  before  the  bishop,  for 
examination,  on  the  same  day ; 
when  asserting  the  cause  of  Christ 
with  no  less  warmth  than  the  for- 
mer, he  was  consigned  to  the  same 
inhuman  and  merciless  punish- 
ment. 

Thomas  Hudson  was  by  trade 
a  glover,  and  lived  at  the  town  of 
Ailesham,  in  Norfolk.  Though 
destitute  of  any  education  in  his 
younger  years,  yet,  by  his  dili- 
gence and  love  of  the  gospel,  as 
preached  in  the  days  of  king  Ed- 
ward, he  had  learned  to  read,  be- 
came well  versed  in  the  sacred 
book  of  God,  and  grounded  in  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 

Disapproving  the  doctrines  and 
practices  called  religion,  under  the 
reign  of  queen  Mary,  he  absented 
himself  from  bis  native  place,  went 
into  Suffolk,  and  there  continued 
travelling  from  one  part  to  ano- 
ther, as  occasion  offered. 

At  length,  desirous  of  seeing  his 
wife  and  children,  he  returned 
home,  but  finding  his  continuance 
there  would  be  dangerous,  he  de- 
vised a  scheme  with  his  wife,  to 
make  him  a  hiding-place  among 
his  fagots,  where  he  remained  for 
a  long  space  of  time,  praying  con- 
tinually ;  his  wife,  at  the  same 
time,  carefully  ministering  to  him 
such  necessaries  as  he  wanted. 

During  his  retirement,  the  vicar 
of  the  town,  who  was  one  of  the 
bishop's  commissaries,  inquired  of 
his  wife  concerning  her  husband;, 
and  on  her  denying  that  she  knew 
any  thing  of  him,  threatened  to 
burn  her,  because  she  would  not 
discover  the  retreat  of  a  heretic. 

When  Hudson  was  informed  of 
their  great  desire  to  apprehend 
him,  his  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  honour  of  his  Redeemer,. 


WILLIAM  SEAMAN,  AND  OTHERS. 


increased  daily,  and  he  continued 
reading-  and  sin{:;ing  psalms,  while 
many  people  resorted  to  him,  to 
hear  his  exhortations,  and  join  with 
him  in  prayer. 

At  length  he  came  out  of  his  re- 
treat, walked  about  the  town,  ex- 
claiming against  the  mass,  and  all 
its  superstitions  and  follies;  and 
when  he  arrived  at  his  own  house, 
he  dailj'  and  repeatedly  read  and 
sung  psalms,  in  which  he  'was 
joined  by  many  other  faithful  ad- 
herents to  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 

Information  of  this  being  given 
to  a  magistrate  by  one  of  his 
neighbours,  two  constables  were 
sent  to  apprehend  him.  As  soon 
as  they  entered  his  house,  he  said, 
"  Now  mine  hour  is  come;  wel- 
come, friends,  welcome;  you  be 
they  that  shall  lead  me  to  life  in 
Christ.  I  thank  God  for  it,  and 
beg  that  the  Lord  will  prepare  me 
for  the  glorious  work  for  his 
mercy's  sake." 

The  constables  then  took  him  to 
Berry,  the  commissary,  who  was 
vicar  of  the  town.  He  asked  him 
various  questions  concerning  his 
religious  tenets;  but  finding  all  he 
could  say  would  not  stagger  his 
faith  in  a  single  point,  he  sent  him 
to  the  bishop,  who  was  then  at 
Norwich,  and  before  whom  he  ap- 
peared without  the  least  sign  of  ti- 
midity. 

The  bishop  asked  hira  a  great 
number  of  questions,  to  all  which 
he  answered  as  became  a  true  fol- 
lower of  Christ;  and,  though  very 
illiterate,  his  arguments  were  ex- 
ceedingly just  and  forcible.  At 
length  the  bishop  passed  sentence 
of  condemnation  on  him,  and  he 
was  immediately  conducted  to 
prison,  where,  during  his  confine- 
ment, he  spent  his  time  in  reading 
and  calling  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  1558,  these 
three  steadfast  believers  in  Christ 
were  conducted  to  the  place  ap- 
pointed for  their  execution,  called 
Lollards'  Pit,  without  Bishop's- 
gate,  at  Norwich.  As  soon  as 
they  arrived  at  the  appointed  spot, 


661 

they  all  knelt  down,  and  offered 
up  their  prayers  to  God,  to  enable 
them  to  undergo,  with  Christian 
fortitude,  the  fiery  trial  that  awaited 
them. 

After  prayers  they  arose  and 
went  to  the  stake,  to  which  they 
were  all  fastened  by  a  chain. 
When  they  had  prayed  for  some 
time  and  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions were  made  for  their  deaths, 
Thomas  Hudson  slipped  from 
under  the  chain,  and  came  for- 
ward. This  circumstance  greatly 
alarmed  the  spectators,  many  of 
whom  were  apprehensive  that  he 
intended  to  recant,  while  others 
attributed  it  to  his  desire  of  taking 
leave  of  his  parents,  who  were 
present,  and  receiving  their  bless- 
ing before  his  final  departure. 

His  two  companions  at  the 
stake  were  no  less  alarmed  at  his 
conduct  than  the  spectators. 
They  used  their  utmost  efforts  to 
comfort  and  encourage  him,  and 
exhorted  him,  in  the  most  stiie- 
nuous  manner,  to  be  of  good  cheer, 
and  cheerfully  resign  himself  to 
the  will  of  his  Redeemer. 

But,  alas!  he  felt  more  in  his 
heart  than  they  could  conceive; 
for  he  was  encompassed  with  a 
distinguished  grief  of  mind,  not 
from  the  fear  of  death,  but  for 
M'ant  of  inward  experience  of  the 
love  of  his  Saviour.  Being,  there- 
fore, very  anxious  to  obtain  this 
conquest,  he  fell  on  his  knees,  and 
fervently  prayed  to  God,  who,  ac- 
cording to  his  tender  mercies,  soon 
sent  him  comfort.  He  then  arose 
in  an  ecstasy  of  joy,  as  a  man 
changed  from  death  unto  life,  say- 
ing, "  Now,  I  thank  God,  I  am 
strong,  and  care  not  what  man  can 
do  unto  me." 

Immediately  after  this  he  re- 
turned to  his  companions,  at  the 
stake,  with  the  most  cheerful  coun- 
tenance ;  in  a  short  time  after 
which  the  fagots  were  lighted, 
and  they  all  resigned  their  souls 
into  the  hands  of  that  God  who 
had  protected  and  supported  them 
under  their  sufferings  for  his 
name's-sake. 


663 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


MARTYRDOM  OF  WILLIAM  HARRIS, 
RICHARD  DAY,  AND  CHRISTIAN 
GEORGE. 

In  the  same  montU  of  May, 
William  Harris,  Richard  Day, 
and  a  woman  named  Christian 
George,  suflered  at  Colchester, 
and  there  joyfully  and  fervently 
made  their  prayers  to  God. 

Being  chained  to  the  stake, 
with  the  fire  flaming  fiercely  round 
about  them,  they,  like  constant 
Christians,  triumphantly  praised 
God  within  the  same,  and  oftered 
up  their  bodies  a  lively  sacrifice 
unto  his  holy  Majesty,  in  whose 
habitation  they  have  now  their 
everlasting  tabernacles. 

The  husband  of  Christian 
George  had  already  had  one  wife 
burnt,  whose  name  was  Agnea 
George,  and  of  whom  we  have 
given  an  account  at  p.  669.  After 
the  death  of  Christian,  he  married 
another  honest  godly  woman,  with 
whom  he  was  at  last  apprehended, 
and  laid  in  prison,  where  they  re- 
mained till  the  death  of  queen 
Mary,  and  at  last  were  delivered 
by  queen  Elizabeth. 

persecution      and      sufferings 

OF  WILLIAM  PETTY,  A  BOY,  WHO 
WAS  BARBAROUSLY  SCOURGED  TO 
DEATH. 

If  dying  innocently  in  the  cause 
of  Christ,  and  his  religion,  consti- 
tute  a  martyr,  no  one  can  be 
better  entitled  to  ft  place  in  our 
catalogue  than  this  youth,  who 
was  unmercifully  scourged  to 
death,  at  the  instigation  of  the  re- 
lentless and  cruel  Bonner. 

Among  those  who  were  perse- 
cuted and  imprisoned  for  the  pro- 
fession of  Christ's  gospel,  and  yet 
delivered  by  the  providence  of 
God,  was  John  Petty,  the  father 
of  this  lad.  He  had  been  accused, 
by  his  own  wife,  to  the  minister  of 
the  parish  in  which  he  lived,  of 
absenting  himself  from  church,  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  confession, 
and  other  ceremonies;  for  which 
he  was  apprehended  by  one  of  the 
Oiticers  employed  for  that  purpose. 

Immediately  after  his  apprehen- 


sion his  wife  grew  delirious,  in 
consequence  of  which,  though  they 
were  regardless  of  him,  pity  to- 
wards that  wicked  woman  wrought 
upon  the  magistrates,  so  that,  for  the 
preservation  and  support  of  her 
and  her  children,  they  discharged 
him,  with  an  order  that  he  should 
continue  in  his  own  house. 

Notwithstanding  the  ingratitude 
of  his  wife,  he  provided  for  her  in 
such  a  manner,  that  within  three 
weeks,  she  had,  in  some  measure, 
recovered  her  senses.  But  such  was 
the  disposition  of  this  woman,  that, 
itotwith standing  this  instance  of 
his  conjugal  alTeotion,  she  laid  a 
second  information  against  him; 
upon  which  he  was  apprehended, 
and  carried  before  sir  John  Mor- 
daunt,  one  of  the  queen's  commis- 
sioners, by  whom,  after  examina- 
tion, he  was  sent  to  Lollards' 
Tower  **,  where  he  was  put  into 
the  stocks,  and  had  a  dish  of  water 
set  by  him,  with  a  stone  in  it,  to 
point  out  to  him,  that  it  was  the 


*  Lollards'  Tower,  which  we  have 
had  frequent  occasion  to  mention  in  the 
Course  of  this  volume,  was  a  large,  de- 
tached room,  belonging  to  bishop  Bon- 
ner's palace,  in  London,  and  formed  a 
prison  of  the  most  gloomy  nature.  It 
Was  set  apart  for  the  punishment  of  pro- 
testants,  (formerly  called  Lollards),  who 
were  brought  before  him  on  an  accusa- 
tion of  heresy,  and  who  were  here  sub- 
jected to  various  tortures,  at  the  discre- 
tion of  that  bigoted  and  merciless  tyrant. 
The  most  common  punishment  inflicted 
was,  setting  them  in  the  stocks,  in  which 
Some  were  fastened  by  the  hands,  and 
others  by  the  feet.  They  were,  in  ge- 
neral, permitted  to  sit  on  a  stool,  but  to 
increase  their  punishment,  some  were 
deprived  of  that  indulgence,  so  that, 
lying  with  their  backs  on  the  ground,  as 
represented  in  our  engraving  at  p.  305, 
their  situation  was  exceedingly  painful. 
In  this  dungeon,  and  under  these  tor- 
tures, they  were  kept,  some  for  several 
days,  others  for  weeks,  without  any 
other  Sustenance  than  bread  and 
water  I  and,  to  aggravate  their  suffer- 
ings, diey  were  prohibited  from  being 
seen  by  their  relations,  or  friends. 
Many  of  those  who  had  tender  constitu- 
tions, died  under  these  inhuman  inflic- 
tions; but  those  who  were  otherwise, 
survived  to  execrate  the  name  of  their 
barbarous  perseontoi-. 


A  CHILD  FLOGGED  TO  DEATH. 


chief  snstenanoc  he  mijj;ht  expect 
to  iTfcive. 

After  he  had  been  in  prison  for 
fifteen  days  (the  ^rC'itest  part  of 
which  time  he  was  kept  in  the  stocks, 
sometimes  by  one  !es:,  and  some- 
times l)y  the  other),  William  Petty, 
one  of  his  sons,  came  to  the  bi- 
shop's palace,  in  order  to  obtain 
permission  to  see  him. 

AVhen  he  arrived  there,  one  of 
the  bishop's  chaplains  asked  him 
his  business;  tlie  boy  replied,  he 
wanted  to  see  his  father,  at  the 
same  time  shedding  tears,  and  ex- 
pressing; the  f^reatest  unhappiness. 
The  chaplain  asked  who  was  his 
father;  and  when  the  boy  told 
him,  he  pointed  towards  Lollard's 
Tower,  intimating,  that  he  v/as 
there  confined. 

The  chaplain  then  told  him  his 
father  was  an  heretic ;  to  which 
the  boy  (who  was  of  a  bold  and 
forward  spirit,  and  had  been  in- 
structed by  his  father  in  the  re- 
formed religion)  answered,  "  My 
father  is  no  heretic  ;  but  yon  have 
Balaam's  mark." 

On  this  the  incensed  priest  took 
the  boy  by  the  hand,  and  dragged 
him  to  a  large  room  in  the  palace, 
where,  after  stripping  him,  he 
scourged  him  in  the  most  severe 
and  unmerciful  manner;  after 
which  he  ordered  one  of  his  ser- 
vants to  carry  liim  in  his  shirt  to 
his  father,  the  blood  running  down 
to  his  heels. 

As  soon  as  the  child  saw  his  fa- 
ther he  fell  on  his  knees,  and  crav- 
ed his  blessing.  The  poor  man 
beholding  his  son  in  so  dreadful  a 
situation,  exclaimed,  with  great 
grief,  "  Alas  !  who  hath  thus  cru- 
elly treated  you  ?"  The  boy  replied, 
"  Seeking  to  find  you  out,  a  priest 
with  Balaam's  mark,  took  me  into 
the  bishop's  house,  and  treated  me 
in  the  manner  you  see." 

The  servant  then  seized  the  boy 
with  great  wrath,  and  dragging 
him  from  his  father,  took  him  back 
to  the  place  where  he  had  been 
scourged  by  the  priest.  Here  he 
was  kept  three  days,  in  the  course 
of  which  his  former  punishment 


was  several  times  repeated,  tliough 
not  in  so  severe  a  manner  as  be- 
fore. 

At  the  expiration  of  that  time, 
Bonner,  in  order  to  make  some 
atonement  for  this  cruel  treatment 
of  the  boy,  and  to  appease  the 
father,  determined  to  release  them 
both.  He,  therefore,  ordejxd  the 
latter  to  be  brought  before  him,  in 
his  bed-chamber,  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

When  the  poor  man  came  be- 
fore the  bishop,  he  said,  "  God  be 
here,  and  peace."  To  which  the 
bishop  replied,  "  That  is  neither 
God  speed,  nor  good-morrow." 

One  of  the  bishop's  chaplains 
standing  by,  reviled  Petty  for  the 
speech  he  had  made;  when  he,  after 
looking  about,  and  spying  a  string 
of  black  beads,  and  a  small  cruci- 
fix, said,  "  As  Christ  is  here 
handled,  so  you  deal  with  Christ's 
chosen  people." 

The  bishop  was  so  enraged  at 
this,  that  he  called  him  a  vile  he- 
retic, and  said,  "I  will  burn  thee, 
or  I  will  spend  ail  that  I  possess." 
However,  in  a  little  time  his  pas- 
sion cooled,  and  thinking  of  the 
consequences  that  might  arise  from 
scourging  the  child,  he  ordered 
them  both  to  be  discharged. 

The  father  immediately  went 
home  with  his  son ;  but  the  poor 
boy,  from  an  extraordinary  eflu- 
sion  of  blood,  and  a  mortification 
which  ensued, died  a  few  days  after, 
to  the  great  grief  of  his  persecuted 
and  indulgent  parent. 

The  old  man  remained  without 
farther  persecution,  during  the  re- 
sidue of  his  life,  often  praising 
God  for  delivering  him  out  of  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  and  express- 
ing the  deep  sense  he  had  of  the 
divine  protection. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  ROBERT  MILLS, 
STEPHEN  COTTON,  ROULRT  DINES, 
STEPHEN  WIGHT,  JOHN  SLADE, 
AND    WILLIAM    PIKES. 

These  six  men  were  apprehend- 
ed, with  several  others,  in  a  close 
near  Islington,  where  they  had  as- 
sembled to  pay  their  devotions  to 


664 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


their  Maker ;  and  being  taken  be- 
fore a  magistrate  were  committed 
to  prison  as  heretics. 

A  few  days  after  their  appre- 
hension, they  were  brought  before 
Dr.  Thomas  Darbyshire,  the  bishop 
of  London's  chancellor,  for  exami- 
nation ;  when  the  usual  articles 
were  exhibited  against  them,  to 
which  they  answered  eis  fol- 
lows : 

The  first  article  they  all  granted. 
Robert  Mills  and  Stephen  Wight 
said,  they  had  not  been  at  church 
for  three  quarters  of  a  year  ; 
Stephen  Cotton  not  for  a  twelve- 
month ;  Robert  Dines  for  two 
years ;  and  John  Sladc,  and  Wil- 
liam Pike*,  not  since  the  qoeen's 
accession  to  the  throne. 

To  the  second,  third,  fourth,  fifth, 
and  sixth  articles,  they  all  an- 
swered, in  effect,  as  other  pro- 
testants  had  done  ;  asserting,  that 
as  the  rites,  ceremonies,  and  cus- 
toms of  the  then  church  were 
against  the  word  of  God,  so  they 
would  not  observe  any  part  of  the 
same. 

The  seventh  article  they  all 
granted  in  every  part. 

To  the  eightli  article  they  like- 
wise unanimously  agreed ;  but 
Robert  Mills  added,  that  he  would 
not  come  to  church,  nor  approve  of 
their  religion,  so  long  as  the  cross 
was  crept  to  and  worshipped,  and 
images  kept  in  the  church. 

John  Slade  affirmed,  in  effect, 
the  same  as  Robert  Mills,  adding 
farther,  that  there  were  not  seven 
sacraments,  but  two,  namely.  Bap- 
tism and  the  Supper  of  the  Lord. 

Stephen  Cotton  and  Robert 
Dines  would  no  farther  allow  the 
popish  religion  than  it  agreed  with 
God's  word. 

To  the  ninth  and  tenth  articles 
Robert  Mills,  John  Slade,  and 
Stephen  Cotton,  answered,  that 
they  did  not  allow  the  popish  ser- 
vice then  set  forth,  because  it  was 
against  the  truth,  and  in  a  lan- 
guage which  the  common  people 
did  not  understand. 

Robert  Dines,  and  William 
Fikes,  would  neither  allow  or  dis- 


allow the  Latin  service,  because 
they  did  not  understand  it. 

Stephen  Wight  would  not  make 
any  answer  to  either  of  these  two 
articles,  neither  to  the  eleventh, 
twelfth,  thirteenth,  or  fourteenth 
articles  ;  but  the  rest  of  his  fellow- 
prisoners  answered  as  follows : 

To  the  eleventh  article  Robert 
Mills,  John  Slade,  and  Stephen 
Cotton,  answered,  that  concerning 
the  books,  faith,  and  religion,  spe- 
cified in  this  article,  they  did  allow 
them,  so  far  as  they  agreed  with 
God's  word. 

Robert  Dines  would  not  make 
any  answer  to  this,  saying,  he  did 
not  understand  it;  and  William 
Pikes  said,  that  he  would  abide  by 
the  service,  faith,  and  religion, 
as  set  forth  in  the  days  of  king  Ed- 
ward VI. 

To  the  twelfth  article  they  said, 
they  would  agree  to  it  provided 
they  might  receive  the  sacrament 
as  administered  in  the  reign  of 
king  Edward. 

The  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
articles  they  granted  to  be  true  in 
every  part. 

After  they  had  been  all  examin- 
ed, they  were  re-conducted  to  pri- 
son, but  ordered  to  appear  on  the 
11th  of  July  at  the  consistory  court 
at  St.  Paul's.  Accordingly,  ou 
that  day,  they  were  brought  before 
the  bishop  and  his  chancellor,  by 
the  latter  of  whom  they  were  ask- 
ed, if  they  would  turn  from  their 
opinions  against  the  holy  mother- 
church  ;  and  if  not,  whether  they 
could  shew  cause  why  sentence  of 
condemnation  should  not  be  pro- 
nounced against  them.  To  this 
they  all  answered,  that  they  would 
not  depart  from  the  truth,  nor  any 
part  of  the  same,  on  any  conditions 
whatever. 

The  chancellor  then  dismissed 
them,  but  ordered  that  they  should 
appear  again  before  him  the  next 
day  in  the  afternoon,  to  hear  their 
definitive  sentence  pronounced, 
agreeably  to  the  ecclesiastical  law 
then  in  force. 

They  were  accordingly  brought 
at  the  time   appointed,  when  the 


POND,  EASTLAND,  AND  OTHERS. 


665 


chancellor  »at  as  judpe,  accom- 
panied by  sir  Edward  Hastings 
and  sir  Tiiomas  Cornwallis.  The 
chancellor  used  his  utmost  endea- 
vours to  prevail  on  them  to  recant, 
but  all  proved  ineffectual.  He 
therefore  read  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation, and  they  were  deli- 
vered over  to  the  sheriffs,  who  con- 
ducted them  to  prison,  in  order  for 
execution. 

The  chancellor,  having  con- 
demned these  six  innocent  persons, 
sent  a  certificate  of  their  condem- 
nation to  the  lord-chancellor's  of- 
fice, from  whence,  the  next  day,  a 
writ  was  issued  for  their  being 
burnt  at  Brentford. 

On  the  14th  of  July,  1658,  fhey 
were  conducted  by  the  sheriffs, 
and  their  attendants,  from  New- 
gate, to  the  place  appointed  for 
their  execution.  As  soon  as  they 
arrived  at  the  fatal  spot,  they  all 
knelt  down,  and,  for  some  time, 
prayed  in  the  most  fervent  man- 
ner. After  this  they  arose,  and 
undressing  themselves,  went  cheer- 
fully to  the  stakes,  of  which  there 
were  three,  though  all  were  con- 
sumed in  one  fire.  Being  bouud 
to  the  stakes,  and  the  fagots  being 
lighted,  they  all  calmly  and  joyfully 
yielded  up  their  souls  to  that  God, 
for  whose  gospel  they  suffered,  and 
whose  heavenly  mansions  they 
were  in  hopes  of  inheriting. 

MARTYRDOMS  OF  HENRY  POND, 
RAINHOLD  EASTLAND,  ROBERT 
SOUTHAM,  MATTHEW  RICARBY, 
JOHN  FLOYD,  JOHN  HOLIDAY, 
AND    ROGER   HOLLAND. 

A  few  days  after  the  execution 
of  the  before-mentioned  six  mar- 
tyrs at  Brentford,  seven  others,  who 
were  apprehended  with  them  at 
the  same  time  and  place,  were 
burnt  in  Smithfield.  Their  names 
we  have  given  above. 

The  particular  examinations  of 
these  persons  are  not  recorded, 
except  that  of  Roger  Holland, 
which,  together  with  his  story,  we 
give  at  length,  as  being  both  in- 
teresting and  edifying. 


HISTORY,    EXAMINATION,  AND  CON- 
DEMNATION   OF  ROGER  HOLLAND. 

This  Roger  Holland,  a  merchant- 
tailor  of  London,  was  first  an  ap- 
prentice with  Mr.  Kempton,  at  the 
Black  Boy  in  Watling-street, 
where  he  served  his  apprentice- 
ship with  much  trouble  to  his  mas- 
ter, in  breaking  him  of  the  licen- 
tious liberty  which  he  had  before 
been  trained  and  brought  up  in, 
giving  himself  to  riot,  as  dancing, 
fencing,  gaming,  banqueting,  and 
wanton  company  ;  and  besides  all 
this,  an  obstinate  papist,  unlike  to 
come  to  any  such  end  as  God  call- 
ed him  unto. 

His  master,  notwithstanding  his 
lewdness,  trusted  him  with  his 
accounts  ;  and  on  a  time  he  re- 
ceived the  sum  of  thirty  pounds 
for  his  roaster,  and  falling  into  ill 
company,  lost  every  groat  at  dice  ; 
being  past  all  hope  which  way  to 
answer  it,  and  therefore  he  pur- 
posed to  convey  himself  beyond 
the  seas. 

Having  determined  with  lumself 
thus  to  do,  he  called  betimes  in 
the  morning  on  a  servant  in  the 
house,  an  ancient  and  discreet 
maid,  whose  name  was  Elizabeth, 
who  professed  the  gospel,  with  a 
fife  agreeing  unto  the  same,  and 
at  all  times  much  rebuking  the 
wilful  and  obstinate  papistry,  as 
also  the  licentious  living  of  this 
Roger  Holland.  To  whom  he 
said,  Elizabeth,  I  would  I  had  fol- 
lowed thy  gentle  persuasions  and 
friendly  rebukes ;  which  if  I  had 
done,  I  had  never  come  to  this 
shame  and  misery  which  I  am  now 
fallen  into  ;  for  this  night  I  have 
lost  thirty  pounds  of  my  master's 
money,  which  to  pay  him  and 
make  up  my  accounts  I  am  not 
able.  But  this  much,  I  pray  you, 
desire  my  mistress,  that  she  would 
entreat  my  master  to  take  this  note 
of  my  hand,  that  I  am  thus  much 
indebted  to  him,  and  if  I  am  ever 
able,  I  will  see  him  paid;  desiring 
him  that  the  matter  may  pass  with 
silence,  and  that  none  of  my  kin- 
dred and  friends  may  ever  under- 
stand this  my  Iev«"d  part. 


666 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


The  maid  considering;  that  it 
mii^ht  be  his  utter  ruin,  Stay,  said 
she  ;  and  having  a  sum  of  money 
by  her,  which  was  left  her  by  a 
kinsman  at  his  death,  who  was 
thought  to  be  Dr.  Redman,  she 
brought  unto  him  thirty  pounds, 
saying,  Roger,  here  is  thus  much 
money,  I  will  let  thee  jiave  it,  and 
I  will  keep  this  note.  But  since 
I  do  thus  much  for  thee,  to  help 
thee,  and  to  save  thy  honesty,  thou 
shalt  promise  me  to  refuse  all  lewd 
and  wild  company,  all  swearing 
and  ribaldry  talk ;  and  if  ever  I 
know  thee  to  play  one  twelve- 
pence  at  either  dice  or  cards,  then 
■will  I  shew  this  thy  note  unto  my 
master.  And  furthermore  thou 
shalt  promise  me  to  resort  every 
day  to  the  lecture  at  Ail-hallows, 
and  the  sermon  at  St.  Paul's  every 
Sunday,  Snd  to  cast  away  all  thy 
books  of  popery  and  vain  ballads, 
and  get  thee  the  Testament  and 
book  of  service,  and  read  the 
scriptures  with  reverence  and  fear, 
calling  unto  God  still  for  his  grace 
to  direct  thee  in  his  truth.  And 
pray  fervently  to  God,  desiring 
him  to  pardon  thy  former  oSences, 
and  not  to  remember  the  sins  of 
thy  youth  ;  and  ever  be  afraid  to 
break  his  laws,  or  offend  his  ma- 
jesty. 

After  this  time,  within  one  half 
year,  God  bad  wrought  such  a 
change  in  this  laan,  that  he  was 
become  an  earnest  professor  of 
the  truth,  and  detested  ail  popery 
and  ill  company  ;  so  that  he  was  in 
admiration  to  all  that  had  seen  his 
former  life. 

Then  he  repaired  to  his  father 
in  Lancashire,  and  brought  divers 
"■ood  books  with  him,  and  bestow- 
ed them  among  his  friends,  so  that 
his  father  and  others  began  to  taste 
the  sweetness  of  tTie  gospel,  and 
to  detest  the  mass,  idolatry,  and 
superstition ;  and  in  the  end  his 
father  gave  him  fifty  pounds  to  be- 
gin the  world  withal. 

Then  he  came  to  London  again, 

and  went  to   the   maid  that    lent 

him  the  money  to  pay  his  master 

■withal,  and  said  unto  her,  EUza- 

2 


beth,  here  is  thy  money  I  borrowed 
of  thee,  and  for  the  friendship, 
good  will,  and  good  counsel  1  have 
received  at  thy  hands,  to  recom- 
pense thee  I  am  not  able,  other- 
wise than  by  making  thee  my  wife  ; 
and  soon  after  they  were  married, 
which  was  in  the  first  year  of 
queen  Mary.  And  having  a  child 
by  her,  he  caused  Mr.  Rose  to 
baptize  it  in  his  own  house.  Not- 
withstanding he  was  betrayed  to 
the  enemies,  and  he  being  gone 
i.jto  the  country  to  convey  the 
child  away,  that  the  papists  should 
not  have  it  in  their  anointing 
hands,  Bonner  caused  his  goods  to 
be  seized  on,  and  most  cruelly 
used  his  wife. 

After  this  he  remained  closely 
in  the  city,  and  in  the  country,  in 
the  congregations  of  the  faithful, 
until  the  last  year  of  queen  Mary. 
Then  he,  with  the  six  others  be- 
fore-named, were  taken,  in  or  not 
far  from  St.  John's  wood,  and  so 
brought  to  New^gate  upon  May-day 
in  the  morning,  1558. 

Then  being  called  before  the 
bishop.  Dr.  Chedsey,  both  the 
Harpsfields,  and  certain  others, 
after  many  other  fair  and  crafty 
persuasions  of  Dr.  Chedsey,  thus 
the  bishop  began  with  him  : 

Holland,  I  for  my  part  do  wish 
well  unto  thee,  and  the  more  for 
thy  friend's  sake.  And  as  Dr. 
Standish  telleth  me,  you  and  he 
were  both  born  in  one  parish,  and  he 
knoweth  your  father  to  be  a  very 
honest  Catholic  gentleman ;  and 
Mr.  Doctor  told  me  that  he  talked 
with  you  a  year  ago ;  and  found 
you  very  wilfully  addicted  to  your 
own  conceit.  Divers  of  the  city 
also  have  shewed  me  of  you,  that 
you  have  been  a  great  procurer  of 
men's  servants  to  be  of  your  reli- 
gion, and  to  come  to  j'our  congre- 
gations ;  but  since  you  be  now  in 
the  dang:er  of  the  law,  I  would 
wish  you  to  act  a  wise  man's  part : 
so  shall  you  not  want  any  favour 
I  can  do  or  procure  for  you,  both 
for  your  own  sake,  and  also  for 
your  friends,  who  are  men  of  wor- 
ship   and    credit,    and    wish    you 


ROGER  HOLLAND. 


667 


well,  and  by  my  troth,  Roger,  so 
do  I. 

Then  said  Mr.  Efijlestone,  a  gen- 
tleman of  Lancashire,  and  near 
kinsman  to  Roger,  being  there 
present,  I  thank  your  good  lord- 
ship ;  your  honour  meaneth  good 
unto  my  cousin,  I  beseech  God  he 
have  the  grace  to  follow  your 
counsel. 

Holland.  Sir,  you  crave  of  God 
you  know  not  what.  I  beseech  God 
to  open  your  eyes  to  see  the  light 
of  his  word. 

Efflestone,  Roger,  hold  your 
peace,  lest  you  fare  the  worse  at 
my' lord's  hands. 

Holland.  No,  I  shall  fare  as 
it  pleaseth  God,  for  man  can  do 
no  more  than  God  doth  permit 
him. 

Then  the  bishop  and  the  doc- 
tors, with  Johnson,  the  register, 
casting  their  heads  together,  in  the 
end  saith  Johnson,  Roger,  how 
sayest  thou?  wilt  thou  submit 
thyself  unto  my  lord,  before  thou 
be  entered  into  the  book  of  con- 
tempt? 

Holland.  I  never  meant  but  to 
submit  myself  unto  the  magis- 
trates, as  I  learn  of  St.  Paul  to 
the  Romans,  chap.  xiii.  and  so  he 
recited  the  text. 

Chedsey.  Then  I  see  you  are  no 
anabaptist. 

Holland.  I  mean  not  yet  to  be 
a  papist ;  for  they  and  the  anabap- 
tists agree  in  this  point,  not  to 
submit  themselves  to  any  other 
prince  or  magistrate,  than  those 
that  must  first  be  sworn  to  main- 
tain them  and  their  doings. 

Chedsey.  Roger,  remember  what 
I  have  said,  and  abo  what  my 
lord  hath  promised  he  will  perform 
with  further  friendship.  Take 
heed,  Roger,  for  your  ripeness  of 
wit  hath  brought  you  into  these 
errors. 

Holland.  Mr.  Doctor,  I  have 
yet  your  words  in  memory,  though 
they  are  of  no  such  force  to  pre- 
vail with  me. 

Then  they  whispered  together 
again,  and  at  last  Bonner  said, 
Roger,  I  perceive  thou  wilt  not  be 


ruled  by  good  counsel,  for  any 
thing  that  either  I  or  your  friends 
can  say. 

Holland.  I  may  say  to  you,  my 
lord,  as  Paul  said  to  Felix  and  to 
the  Jews,  as  doth  appear  in  the 
22d  of  the  Acts,  and  in  the  15th 
of  the  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthi- 
ans. Tt  is  not  unknown  unto  my 
master  to  whom  I  was  apprentice 
withal,  that  I  was  of  your  blind 
religion,  having  that  liberty  under 
your  auricular  confession,  that  I 
made  no  conscience  of  sin,  but 
trusted  in  the  priest's  absolution, 
he  for  money  doing  also  some  pe- 
nance for  me  :  which  after  I  had 
given,  I  cared  no  further  what  of- 
fences I  did,  no  more  than  he 
minded  after  he  had  my  money, 
whether  he  tasted  bread  and  water 
for  me,  or  no :  so  that  lechery, 
swearing,  and  all  other  vices,  I 
accounted  no  offence  of  danger, 
so  long  as  I  could  for  money  have 
them  absolved.  So  straitly  did  I 
observe  your  rules  of  religion,  that 
I  would  have  ashes  upon  Ash 
Wednesday,  though  I  had  used 
ever  so  much  wickedness  at  night. 
And  albeit  I  could  not  of  con- 
science eat  flesh  upon  the  Friday, 
J'et  in  swearing,  drinking,  or  dic- 
ng  all  the  night  long,  I  made  no 
conscience  at  all.  And  thus  I  was 
brought  up,  and  herein  I  have  con- 
tinued till  now  of  late,  that  God 
hath  opened  the  light  of  his  word, 
and  called  me  by  his  grace  to  re- 
pentance of  my  former  idolatry 
and  wicked  life  ;  for  in  Lancashire 
their  blindness  and  whoredom  is 
much  more  t'aan  may  with  chaste 
ears  be  heard.  Yet  these  my 
friends,  which  are  not  clear  in 
these  notable  crimes,  think  the 
priest  with  his  mass  can  save  them, 
though  they  blaspheme  God,  and 
keep  concubines  besides  their 
wives  as  long  as  they  live. 

Mr.  Doctor,  now  to  your  anti- 
quity, unity,  and  universality,  (for 
these  Dr.  Chedsey  alleged  as  notes 
and  tokens  of  their  religion)  I  am 
unlearned.  I  have  no  sophistry 
to  shift  ray  reasons  withal ;  but 
the  truth  I  trust  I  have,  which  need- 


668 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


eth  no  painted  colours  to  set  her 
forth.  The  antiquity  of  our  church 
is  not  from  pope  Nicholas,  or  pope 
Joan,  but  our  church  is  from  the 
beginning,  even  from  the  time  that 
God  said  unto  Adam,  that  the 
seed  of  the  woman  should  break 
the  serpent's  head  ;  and  so  to 
faithful  Noah  ;  to  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,  to  whom  it  was  pro- 
mised, that  their  seed  sliould 
multiply  as  the  stars  in  the  sky ; 
and  so  to  Moses,  David,  and  the 
holy  fathers  that  were  from  the 
beginning  unto  the  birth  of  our 
Saviour  Christ.  All  they  that  be- 
lieved these  promises  were  of  the 
church,  though  the  number  were 
oftentimes  but  few  and  small,  as 
in  Elias's  days,  when  he  thought 
there  was  none  but  he  that  had  not 
bowed  their  knees  to  Baal,  when 
God  had  reserved  seven  thousand 
that  never  had  bowed  their  knees 
to  that  idol:  as  I  trust  there  be 
seven  hundred  thousand  more  than 
I  know  of,  that  have  not  bowed 
their  knees  to  the  idol  your  mass, 
and  your  God  Maozim;  the  up- 
holding whereof  is  your  bloody 
cruelty,  while  you  daily  persecute 
Elias  and  the  servants  of  God, 
forcing  them  (as  Daniel  was  in  his 
chamber)  closely  to  serve  the  Lord 
their  God  ;  and  even  as  we  by 
this  your  cruelty  are  forced  in  the 
fields  to  pray  unto  God,  that  his 
holy  word  may  be  once  again 
truly  preached  amongst  us,  and 
that  he  would  mitigate  and  shorten 
these  idolatrous  and  bloody  days 
wherein  all  cruelty  reigneth. 
Moreover,  of  our  church  have  been 
the  apostles  and  evangelists,  the 
martyrs  and  confessors  of  Christ, 
that  have  at  all  times  and  in  all 
ages  been  persecuted  for  the  tes- 
timony of  the  word  of  God.  But 
for  the  upholding  of  your  church 
and  religion,  what  antiquity  can 
you  shew  ?  Yea,  the  mass,  that 
idol  and  chief  pillar  of  your  reli- 
gion, is  not  yet  four  hundred  years 
old,  and  some  of  your  masses  are 
younger,  as  that  of  St.  Thomas 
Becket,  the  traitor,  wherein  you 
pray,  That  you  may  be  saved  by 


the  blood  of  St.  Thomas.  And  as 
for  your  Latin  service,  what  are 
we  of  the  laity  the  better  for  it? 
I  think  he  that  should  hear  your 
priests  mumble  up  their  service, 
although  he  did  well  understand 
Latin,  yet  should  he  understand 
few  words  thereof,  the  priests  do 
.so  champ  them  and  chew  them, 
and  post  so  fast,  that  they  neither 
understand  what  they  say,  nor 
they  that  hear  them  ;  and  in  the 
mean  time  the  people,  when  they 
should  pray  with  the  priest,  are 
set  to  their  beads  to  pray  our 
lady's  psalter.  So  crafty  is  Satan 
to  devise  these  his  dreams  (which 
you  defend  with  fagot  and  fire), 
to  quench  the  light  of  the  word  of 
God;  which,  as  David  saith, should 
be  a  lantern  to  our  feet.  And 
again,  wherein  shall  a  young  man 
direct  his  ways  but  by  the  word 
of  God  ?  And  yet  you  will  hide  it 
from  us  in  a  tongue  unknown. 
St.  Paul  had  rather  have  five  words 
spoken  with  understanding,  than 
ten  thousand  in  an  unknown 
tongue  ;  and  yet  will  you  have 
3'our  Latin  service  and  praying  in 
a  strange  tongue,  whereof  the  peo- 
ple are  utterly  ignorant,  to  be  of 
such  antiquity  ! 

The  Greek  church,  and  a  good 
part  of  Christendom  besides,  never 
received  your  service  in  an  un- 
known tongue,  but  in  their  own 
natural  language,  which  all  the 
people  understand,  neither  yet 
your  transubstantiation,  your  re- 
ceiving in  one  kind,  your  purga- 
tory, your  images,  &c. 

As  for  the  unity  which  is  in  your 
church,  what  is  it  else  but  treason, 
murder,  poisoning  one  another, 
idolatry,  superstition,  and  wicked- 
ness? What  unity  was  in  your 
church,  when  there  were  three 
popes  at  once?  Where  was  your 
head  of  unity  when  you  had  a 
woman  pope? 

Here  he  was  interrupted,  and 
could  not  be  sulfered  to  proceed. 

The  bishop  then  said,  Roger, 
these  thy  words  are  downright 
blasphemy,  cAid  by  the  means  of 
thy  friends  thou  hast  been  suflered 


ROGER  HOLLAND. 


e69 


to  speak,  and  art  over  malapert  to 
teach  any  here.  Therefore,  keeper, 
take  him  away. 

The  second    examination   of 
roger  holland. 

The  day  that  Henry  Pond  and 
the  rest  were  brought  forth  to  be 
aoain  examined,  Dr.  Chedsey  said, 
Roger,  I  trust  you  have  now  better 
considered  of  the  church  than  you 
did  before. 

Holland.  I  consider  thus  much: 
that  out  of  the  church  there  is  no 
salvation,  as  divers  ancient  doctors 
say. 

Bonner.  That  is  well  said.  Mr. 
Eglestone,  I  trust  your  kinsman 
will  be  a  good  Catholic  man.  But, 
Roger,  you  mean,!  trust,  the  church 
of  Rome. 

Holland,  I  mean  that  church 
which  hath  Christ  for  her  head  ; 
which  also  hath  his  word  and  his 
sacraments  according  to  his  word 
and  institution. 

Then  Chedsej'^  interrupted  him, 
and  said.  Is  that  a  Testament  you 
have  in  your  hand  ? 

Holland.  Yea,  Mr.  Doctor,  it 
is  a  New  Testament.  You  will 
find  no  fault  with  the  translation, 
I  think.  It  is  your  own  trans- 
lation ;  it  is  according  to  the  great 
Bible. 

Bonner.  How  say  you  ?  How  do 
you  know  that  it  is  the  Testament 
of  Christ,  but  only  by  the  church  ? 
For  the  church  of  Rome  hath  and 
doth  preserve  it,  and  out  of  the 
same  hath  made  decrees,  ordinan- 
ces, and  true  expositions. 

No  (saith  Roger),  the  church  of 
Rome  hath  and  doth  suppress  the 
reading  of  the  Testament.  And 
what  a  true  exposition,  I  pray  you, 
did  the  pope  make  thereof,  when 
he  set  his  foot  on  the  emperor's 
neck,  and  said,  "  Thou  shalt 
walk  upon  the  lion  and  the  asp  ; 
the  young  lion  and  the  dragon 
shalt  thou  tread  under  thy  foot?" 
Psalm  xci. 

Then  said  the  bishop.  Such  un- 
learned wild  heads  as  thou  and 
others,  would  be  expositors  of  the 
scripture.  Would  you  then  the 
ancient  learned  (as  there  are  some 


here  as  well  as  I)  should  be  taught 
of  yon  ? 

Holland.  Youth  delighteth  in 
vanity.  My  wildness  hath  been 
somewhat  the  more  by  your  doc- 
trine, than  ever  I  learned  out  of 
this  book  of  God.  But  (my  lord) 
I  suppose  some  old  doctors  say, 
if  a  poor  layman  bring  his  reason 
and  argument  out  of  the  word  of 
God,  he  is  to  be  credited  before 
the  learned,  though  they  be  ever 
such  great  doctors.  For  the  gift 
of  knowledge  was  taken  from  the 
learned  doctors,  and  given  to  poor 
fishermen.  Notwithstanding,  I 
am  ready  to  be  instructed  by  the 
church. 

Bonner.  That  is  very  well 
said,  Roger.  But  you  must  un- 
derstand that  the  church  of  Rome 
is  the  Catholic  church.  Roger, 
for  thy  friends'  sake,  (I  promise 
thee)  I  wish  thee  well,  and  I  mean 
to  do  thee  good.  Keeper,  see  he 
want  nothing.  Roger,  if  thou 
lackest  any  money  to  pleasure 
thee,  I  will  see  thou  shalt  not 
want.  This  he  spake  unto  him 
alone,  his  companions  being  apart, 
with  many  other  fair  promises,  and 
so  he  was  sent  to  prison  again. 

HIS    LAST    EXAMINATION. 

The  last  examination  of  Roger 
Holland  was  when  he  with  his 
fellow  prisoners  were  brought  into 
the  consistory,  and  there  all  ex- 
communicated, except  Roger,  and 
ready  to  have  their  sentence  of 
judgment  given,  with  many  threat- 
ening words  to  affright  them  with- 
al :  the  lord  Strange,  sir  Thomas 
Jarret,  M.  Eglestone,  Esq. ;  and 
divers  others  of  worship,  both  of 
Cheshire  and  Lancashire,  that 
were  Roger  Holland's  kinsmen 
and  friends,  being  there  present, 
who  had  been  earnest  suitors  to 
the  bishop  in  his  favour,  hoping 
for  his  safety  of  life.  Now  the  bi- 
shop hoping  yet  to  win  him  with 
his  fair  and  flattering  words,  began 
after  this  manner. 

Bonner.  Roger,  I  have  divers 
times  called  thee  before  me  at  my 
own  house,  and  have  conferred 
with  thee,  and  being  not  learned 


670 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


in  the  Latin  tongue,  it  doth  ap- 
pear unto  me  that  thou  hast  a 
good  memory,  and  very  sensible  in 
talk,  but  something  over  hasty, 
■which  is  a  natural  impediment  in- 
cident to  some  men.  And  surely 
they  are  not  the  worst-natured 
men.  For  I  myself  am  now  and 
then  too  hasty,  but  mine  anger  is 
soon  over.  So,  Roger,  surely  I 
have  a  good  opinion  of  you,  that 
you  will  not  with  these  fellows  cast 
yourself  headlong  from  tlie  church 
of  your  parents  and  your  friends 
that  are  here,  very  good  Catholics 
(as  it  is  reported  to  me).  And  as 
I  mean  thee  good,  so,  Roger,  play 
the  wise  man's  part,  and  come 
home  with  the  lost  son,  and  say,  I 
have  run  into  the  church  of  schis- 
matics and  heretics,  fiom  the  Ca- 
tholic church  of  Rome,  and  you 
shall,  I  warrant  you,  not  only  find 
favour  at  God's  hands,  but  the 
church  that  hath  authority,  shall 
absolve  you,  and  put  new  gar- 
ments upon  you,  and  kill  the  fat- 
ling  to  make  thee  good  cheer 
withal;  that  is,  in  so  doing,  as 
meat  doth  refresh  and  cherish  the 
mind,  so  thou  shalt  find  as  much 
quietness  of  conscience  in  coming 
home  to  the  church,  as  did  the 
hungry  son  that  had  been  fed  be- 
fore with  the  hogs,  as  you  have 
done  with  these  heretics  that  sever 
themselves  from  the  church.  But, 
Roger,  if  I  did  not  bear  thee  and 
thy  friends  good  will,  I  would  not 
have  said  so  much  as  I  have  done, 
but  I  would  have  let  mine  ordinary 
alone  with  you. 

At  these  words  his  friends  there 
present  thanked  the  bishop  for  his 
good  will,  and  for  the  pains  he 
had  taken  in  his  and  their  behalf. 

Then  the  bishop  proceeded,  say- 
ing, Well,  Roger,  how  say  you? 
Do  you  not  believe,  that  after  the 
priest  hath  spoken  the  words  of 
consecration,  there  remaineth  the 
body  of  Christ  really  and  corpo- 
really, under  the  forms  of  bread 
and  wine?  I  mean  the  self-same 
body  as  was  born  of  the  virgin 
Mary,  that  was  crucified  upon  the 
cross,  that  rose  again  the  third  day. 

Holhonf.      Your   lordship   saith, 


the  same  body  which  was  born  of 
the  virgin  Mary,  which  was  cruci- 
fied upon  the  cross,  which  rose 
again  the  third  day :  but  you  leave 
out,  which  ascended  into  heaven ; 
and  the  Scripture  saith,  he  shall 
there  remain  until  he  come  to 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 
Then  he  is  not  contained  under  the 
forms  of  bread  and  wine,  by  Hoc 
est  corpus  meum,  &c. 

Bonner.  Roger,  T  perceive  my 
pains  and  good  will  will  not  pre- 
vail, and  if  I  should  argue  with 
thee,  thou  art  so  wilful,  (as  all  thy 
fellows  be,  standing  in  thine  own 
singularity  and  foolish  conceit), 
that  thou  wouldst  still  talk  to  no 
purpose  this  seven  years,  if  thou 
mightest  be  suffered.  Answer 
whether  thou  wilt  confess  the  real 
and  corporeal  presence  of  Christ's 
body  in  the  sacrament,  or  wilt 
not. 

Holland.  My  lord,  although 
God  by  his  sufferance  hath  here 
placed  you,  to  set  forth  his  truth 
and  glory  in  us,  his  faithful  ser- 
vants, notwithstanding  your  mean- 
ing is  far  from  the  zeal  of  Christ; 
and,  for  all  your  words,  you  have 
the  same  zeal  that  Annas  and 
Caiaphas  had,  trusting  to  their 
authority,  traditions,  and  ceremo- 
nies, more  than  to  the  word  of  God. 

Bonver.  If  I  should  suffer  him, 
he  would  fall  from  reasoning  to 
raving,  as  a  frantic  heretic. 

Roger,  (said  the  lord  Strange), 
my  lord  would  have  you  tell  him, 
whether  you  will  submit  yourself, 
or  no. 

Yea,  said  Bonner,  and  confess 
this  presence  that  I  have  spoken 
of. 

With  this  Roger  turned  to  the 
lord  Strange,  and  the  rest  of  his 
kinsmen  and  friends,  and  kneeling- 
down  upon  his  knees,  said,  God, 
by  the  mouth  of  his  servant  Paul, 
hath  said,  "  Let  every  soul  submit 
himself  unto  the  higher  powers, 
and  he  that  resisteth,  receiveth  his 
own  damnation:"  and  as  you  are 
a  magistrate  appointed  by  God,  so 
I  submit  myself  unto  you,  and  to 
all  such  as  are  appointed  for  ma- 
gistrates. 


ROGER  HOLLAND. 


671 


Bonner.  That  is  v,cll  said;  I 
see  you  arc  no  anabaptist.  How 
say  you  then  to  the  presence  of 
Christ's  body  and  blood  in  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar? 

Holland.  I  say,  and  beseech  you 
all  to  mark  and  bear  witness  with 
me  (for  so  you  shall  do  before  the 
j«do;mcnt-seat  of  God),  what  I 
speak;  for  here  is  the  conclusion; 
and  ye,  my  dear  friends,  (turning 
to  his  kinsmen),  I  pray  you  shew 
my  father  what  I  do  say,  that  he 
may  understand  that  I  am  a  Chris- 
tian man.  I  say  and  believe,  and 
am  therein  fully  persuaded  by  the 
Scriptures,  that  the  sacrament  of 
the  supper  of  our  Lord,  ministered 
in  the  holy  communion  according 
to  Christ's  institution,  I  being  pe- 
nitent and  sorry  for  my  sins,  and 
minding  to  amend  and  lead  a  new 
life,  and  so  coming  v/orthily  unto 
God's  board  in  perfect  love  and 
charity,  do  there  receive,  by  faith, 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ. 
And  though  Christ  in  his  human 
nature  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  his 
Father,  yet  (by  faith  I  say)  his 
death,  his  passion,  his  merits,  are 
mine,  and  by  faith  I  dwell  in  him, 
and  he  in  me.  And  as  for  the 
mass,  transubstantiation,  and  the 
worshipping  of  the  sacrament,  they 
are  mere  impiety  and  horrible  ido- 
latry. 

I  thought  so  much,  said  Bonner, 
(suffering  him  to  speak  no  more), 
how  he  would  prove  a  very  blas- 
phemous heretic  as  ever  I  heard. 
How  irreverently  doth  he  speak  of 
the  blessed  mass !  And  so  he 
read  his  sentence  of  condemna- 
tion, adjudging  him  to  be  burned. 

All  this  while  Roger  was  very 
patient,  and  when  he  should  de- 
part, 'he  said.  My  lord,  I  bese-ech 
you  sufier  me  to  speak  two  words. 
The  bishop  would  not  hear  him, 
but  bade  him  away.  Notwith- 
standing, being  requested  by  his 
friends,  said,  Speak,  what  hast  thou 
to  say. 

Holland.  Even  now  I  told  you 
that  your  authority  was  from  God, 
and  by  his  sufferance:  and  nov/  I 
tell  you  God  hath  heard,  the  prayer 
of  his  servants,    which  liath  been 


poured  forth  with  tears  for  his  af- 
flicted saints  whom  you  daily 
persecute,  as  now  you  do  us. 
But  this  I'  dare  be  bold  in 
God  to  say,  (by  whose  Spirit  I  am 
moved,)  that  God  will  shorten 
your  hand  of  cruelty,  that  for  a 
time  you  shall  not  molest  his 
church.  And  this  you  shall  in  a 
short  time  well  perceive,  my  dear 
brethren,  to  be  most  true.  For 
after  this  day,  in  this  place  there 
shall  not  be  any  by  him  put  to  the 
trial  of  fire  and  fagot:  [and  after 
that  day  there  were  none  that  suf- 
fered in  Smithfield  for  the  truth  of 
the  gospel.] 

Then  said  Bonner,  Roger,  thou 
art,  I  perceive,  as  mad  in  these 
thy  heresies  as  ever  was  Joan 
Boucher.  In  anger  and  fume  thou 
wouldst  become  a  railing  prophet. 
Though  thou  and  all  the  rest  of 
you  would  see  me  hanged,  yet  I 
shall  live  to  burn,  yea,  and  I  will 
burn  all  the  sort  of  you  that  come 
into  my  hands,  that  will  not  wor- 
ship the  blessed  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  for  all  thy  prattling:  and  so 
he  went  his  way. 

Then  Roger  Holland  began  to 
exhort  his  friends  to  repentance, 
and  think  well  of  them  that  suf- 
fered for  the  testimony  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  with  that  the  bishop  came 
back,  charging  the  keeper  that  no 
man  should  speak  to  them  without 
his  licence,  and  if  they  did,  they 
would  be  committed  to  prison. 
In  the  mean  time  Henry  Pond  and 
Roger  spake  still  unto  the  people, 
exhorting  them  to  stand  firm  in 
the  truth :  adding  moreover,  that 
God  would  shorten  these  cruel  and 
evil  days  for  his  elect's  sake. 

The  day  they  suffered,  a  procla- 
mation was  made,  that  none 
should  be  so  bold  as  to  speak  or 
talk  any  word  unto  them,  or  re- 
ceive any  thing  of  them,  or  to 
touch  them,  upon  pain  of  impri- 
sonment, without  either  bail  or 
mainprize;  with  other  cruel, 
threatening  words,  contained  in 
the  same  proclamation.  Notwith- 
standing, the  people  cried  out,  de- 
siring God  to  strengthen  them: 
and  they  lUcewise  still  prayed  for 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  people,  and  the  restoring^  of 
his  word.  At  length  Roger,  era- 
bracing  the  staice  and  the  reeds, 
said  these  words: 

"  Lord,  I  most  humbly  thank 
thy  Majesty,  that  thou  hast  called 
me  from  the  state  of  death,  unto 
the  light  of  thy  lieavenly  word, 
and  now  unto  the  fellowship  of  thy 
saints,  that  I  may  sing  and  say, 
Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of 
hosts.  And,  Lord,  into  thy  hands 
I  commit  my  spirit.  Lord,  bless 
these  thy  people,  and  save  them 
from  idolatry."  And  so  he  ended 
his  life,  looking  up  unto  heaven, 
praying  to,  and  praising  God,  with 
the  rest  of  his  fellow-saints.  For 
whose  joyful  constancy  the  Lord 
be  praised. 

SCOURGING     OF    THOMAS    HINSHAW, 
BY    150NNER. 

When  bishop  Bonner  found  that 
his  examinations,  persuasions, 
threats,  and  imprisonments,  were 
to  no  purpose  with  Thomas  Hin- 
shaw,  one  of  those  who  had  been 
apprehended  at  Islington,  he  took 
him  to  Fulham,  where,  imme- 
diately after  his  coming,  he  was 
set  in  the  stocks,  remaining  there 
all  the  first  night,  with  no  other 
refreshment  than  bread  and  water. 

The  next  morning  the  bishop 
came  and  examined  him  himself, 
and  perceiving  no  yielding  in  his 
mind,  he  sent  Mr.  Harpsfield  to 
talk  with  him;  who,  after  a  long 
dispute,  at  last  fell  into  a  passion, 
calling  Hinshaw  "  peevish  boy," 
and  asking  him  "  whether  he 
thought  he  went  about  to  damn 
his  soul,  or  no?"  &c.  To  all  this 
Hinshaw  answered,  "  That  he  was 
persuaded  that  they  laboured  to 
maintain  their  dark  and  devilish 
kingdom,  and  not  for  any  love  of 
truth."  Harpsfield,  being  greatly 
incensed,  told  the  bishop  of  this; 
who  was  thereat  in  as  great  a  rage 
as  himself,  and,  although  scarce 
able  to  speak  for  anger,  cried  out, 
"  Dost  thou  answer  my  archdea- 
con so,  thou  naughty  boy?  I  shall 
handle  thee  well  enough,  be  as- 
sured." He  then  sent  for  a  couple 
of  rods,  and  causing  Hinshaw  to 
4 


kneel  against  a  long  bench  in  art 
arbour  in  his  garden,  severely 
scourged  him  with  his  own  hands, 
till  he  was  compelled  to  desist, 
from  fatigue. 

After  this  scourging,  Hinshaw 
was  several  times  examined;  and 
at  last  being  brought  before  the 
bishop  in  his  chapel  at  Fulham, 
articles  were  exhibited  against 
him,  which  the  young  man  denied, 
and  would  not  aflirm,  or  consent  to 
any  of  their  interrogatories. 

Being  remanded  to  prison, 
about  a  fortnight  after  he  fell  sick 
of  an  ague,  whereupon  he  was 
delivered,  after  much  entreaty,  to 
his  master,  Martin  Pugson,  in  St. 
Paul's  church-yard ;  for  the  bi- 
shop thought  he  was  more  likely 
to  die  than  to  live;  indeed  his 
sickness  continued  a  twelve-month 
or  more,  so  that  in  the  mean  time 
queen  Mary  died.  He  shortly 
after  recovered  his  health,  and 
thus  escaped  the  death  designed 
for  him  by  the  persecutors. 

SCOURGING     OP    JOHN    WILLES,     BY 
BONNER. 

Wc  have  an  account  of  another' 
person  who  was  also  scourged  by 
Bonner;  ho  was  named  John 
Willes,  "  a  right  faithful  and  true 
honest  man,  in  all  his  dealings  and 
conditions."  He  had  been  ap- 
prehended at  Islington,  with  the 
company  before  mentioned,  and 
being  committed  to  the  Coal- 
bouse,  with  Thomas  Hinshaw,  re- 
mained one  night  there  in  tlie 
stocks. 

The  account  then  goes  on  to 
state  that,  "  from  the  Coal-house 
he  was  sent  to  Fulham,  where  he, 
with  the  said  Hinshaw,  remained 
eight  or  ten  days  in  the  stocks; 
during  which  time  he  sustained 
divers  conflicts  with  the  said  Bon- 
ner, who  had  him  often  in  exami- 
nation, urging  him,  and  with  a 
stick  which  he  had  in  his  hand, 
often  rapping  him  on  the  head, 
and  flirting  him  under  the  chin, 
and  on  the  ears,  saying  he  looked 
down  like  a  thief.  Moreover, 
after  he  had  essayed  all  manner  of 
ways    to   make    him   recant,    and 


JOHN  WILLES. 


(573 


could  not,  at  length  takiu;;  him  to 
his  orchard,  there  witliin  a  IHtle 
arbour,  with  his  own  iiancls  beat 
him  fust  uiih  a  willow' rod,  and 
that  being  "Nvorn  well  nigh  to  the 
stumps,  he  called  for  a  birch  rod, 
which  a  lad  brought  out  of  his 
chamber.  The  cause  why  he  so 
beat  him  was  this:  Bonner  asked 
him  whfjn  he  had  crept  to  the 
cross.      He    answered,    Not   since 


he  came  to  years  of  discretion, 
neither  would,  tliough  he  should 
be  torn  by  wild  horses.  Then 
Bonner  desired  him  to  make  a 
cross  on  his  forehead,  which  he 
refused  to  do.  Whereupon  he 
had  him  immediately  to  his  or- 
chard, and  there  calling  for  rods, 
shewed  his  cruelty  upon  him,  as 
he  had  done  upon  Thomas  Hin- 
shaw. 


Inhuman    E.iecutiim    of    a   Motlu-j,   )u-r    two    Daughters,    and    an    Infant,    at    Guenneu, 

Jid't   18,    l.jjo. 


"  This  done,  he  had  him  imme- 
diately to  the  parish  church  of 
Fulham,  with  the  said  Thomas 
Hinshavv,  and  Robert  Willes;  to 
whom  there,  being  severally  called 
before  him,  he  ministered  certain 
articles,  asking  if  he  would  sub- 
scribe to  the  same.  To  which  he 
made  his  answer  according  to  his 
conscience,  denying  them  all,  ex- 
cept one  article,  which  was  con- 
cerning king  Edward's  service  in 
English.  Shortly  after  this  beat- 
ing, Bonner  sent  a  certain  old 
priest  lately  come  from  Rome,  to 

FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


him  in  prison,  to  conjure  out  the 
evil  spirit  from  him,  who  laying 
his  hand  upon  his  head,  began 
with  certain  words  pronounced 
over  him,  to  conjure  as  he  had 
been  wont  before  to  do.  Willes 
marvelling  at  what  the  old  man 
■was  about,  said,  I  trust  no  evil 
spirit  is  in  me;  and  laughed  him  to 
scorn. 

"  As  this  .John  Willes  was  di- 
vers times  called  before  Bonner, 
so  much  communication  passed 
between  them  as  is  too  tedious  to 
recite.     It  is  enou^ch  to  make  the 

43 


674 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


reader  iaugh  to  see  the  blind  and 
unsavoury  reasons  with  which  that 
bishop  endeavoured  to  delude  the 
ignorant,  some  of  which  were  in 
the  following  manner:  Bonner 
going  about  to  persuade  Willes 
not  to  meddle  with  matters  of 
scripture,  but  rather  to  believe 
other  men's  teaching,  who  had 
more  skill  in  the  same,  asked  him 
first  if  he  did  believe  tlie  scripture  : 
Yea,  said  he,  that  1  do.  Then 
(quoth  the  bishop)  St.  Paul  saith, 
If  the  man  sleep,  the  woman  is  at 
liberty  to  go  to  another  man.  If 
thou  wert  asleep  having  a  \»ife, 
wouldst  thou  be  content  that  thy 
wife  should  take  to  another  man  ? 
And  yet  this  is  the  scripture. 

"Also,  if  thou  wilt  believe  Lu- 
ther, Zuinglius,  and  such,  then 
thou  canst  not  go  right ;  but  if  thou 
wilt  believe  me,  he.  thou  canst  not 
err  :  and  if  thou  shouldst  err,  yet 
thou  art  in  no  danger,  thy  blood 
should  be  required  at  our  hands. 
As  if  thou  shouldst  go  to  a  far 
country,  and  meet  with  a  fatherly 
man,  as  I  am  (these  were  his 
words),  and  ask  the  way  to  the 
city,  and  he  should  say.  This  way, 
and  thou  wilt  not  believe  him,  but 
follow  Luther,  and  other  heretics 
of  late  days,  and  go  a  contrary 
way ;  how  wilt  thou  come  to  the 
place  thou  askest  for  ?  So  if  thou 
wilt  not  believe  me,  but  follow  the 
leading  of  other  heretics,  thou  shalt 
be  brought  to  destruction,  and  burn 
both  body  and  soul. 

"  As  truly  as  thou  seest  the  bo- 
dies of  them  in  Smithfield  burnt, 
so  truly  their  souls  do  burn  in  hell, 
because  they  err  from  the  true 
ehurch. 

"Oft-times  speaking  to  the  said 
John  Willes,  he  would  say.  They 
call  me  bloody  Bonner.  A  ven- 
geance on  you  all !  I  would  fain 
be  rid  of  you,  but  you  have  a  de- 
light in  burning.  But  if  1  might 
have  my  will,  I  would  sew  up  your 
mouths,  and  put  you  in  sacks  and 
drown  you. 

"  The  same  day  that  he  was  de- 
livered, Bonner  came  to  the  stocks 
where  he  lay,  and  asked  him  how 
he  liked  his  lodging,  and  his  fare. 


"  Well  (said  Willes),  if  it  would 
please  God,  I  might  have  a  little 
straw  to  lie  or  sit  upon. 

"  Then  (said  Bonner)  thou  wilt 
shew  no  token  of  a  Christian  man. 
And  upon  this  his  wife  came  in  un- 
known to  him,  being  very  great 
with  child,  every  hour  expecting 
her  labour,  and  entreated  the  bi- 
shop for  her  husband,  saying,  that 
she  would  not  go  from  thence,  but 
that  she  would  there  stay,  and  be 
delivered  in  the  bishop's  house, 
unless  she  had  her  husband  with 
her.  How  sayest  thou  (quoth 
Bonner  to  Willes),  if  thy  wife 
miscarry,  or  thy  child,  or  children, 
if  she  be  with  one  or  two,  should 
perish,  the  blood  of  them  would  he 
require  at  thy  hands.  Then  to  this 
agreement  he  came,  that  she  should 
hire  a  bed  in  the  town  of  Fulham, 
and  her  husband  should  go  home 
with  her  the  morrow  after,  upon 
this  condition,  that  his  kinsman 
ihere  present  (one  Robert  Rouse) 
should  bring  the  said  Willes  to 
his  house  at  St.  Paul's  the  next 
day. 

"  To  which  Willes  would  not 
agree,  but  insisted  upon  going 
then.  At  length,  his  wife  being 
importunate  for  her  husband,  and 
Bonner  seeing  she  would  not  stir 
without  him,  fearing  belike  the  ru- 
mour that  might  come  upon  his 
house  thereby,  and  also  probably 
fearing  to  be  troubled  with  a  lying- 
in-woman,  bade  Willes  make  a 
cross,  and  say,  In  nomine  Patris,  ^■ 
Filii,  ^*  Spiritus  Sancti,  Amen. 

"  Then  Willes  began  to  say.  In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
Amen.  No,  no  (saith  Bonner), 
say  it  me  in  Latin.  Willes  under- 
standing the  matter  of  that  Latin 
to  be  good,  said  the  same,  and  so 
went  home  with  his  vvife,  his  afore- 
said kinsman  being  charged  to 
bring  him  the  next  day  to  St. 
Paul's;  else,  said  Bonner,  if  thou 
dost  not  bring  him,  thou  art  an 
heretic  as  well  as  he.  Notwith- 
standing, the  charge  being  no 
greater,  his  kinsman  did  not  bring 
him,  but  he  of  his  own  accord 
came  to  the  bishop  within  a  few 


RICHARD  YEOMAN. 


675 


days  after,  where  lie  put  to  hira  a 
certaia  writing  in  Latin,  to  sub- 
scribe unto,  containing;,  as  it  seem- 
ed to  him,  no  great  matter,  that 
he  needed  greatly  to  stick  at, 
although,  wliat  the  bill  was,  he 
could  not  certainly  tell :  so  he  sub- 
scribed to  the  bill,  and  returned 
liome.  And  thus  much  concern- 
ing the  twenty-two  taken  at  Is- 
lington." 

HISTORY    OF    RICHARD    YEOMAN. 

"  Richard  Yeoman,  a  devout  old 
man,  was  Dr.  Taylor's  curate,  at 
Hadley,  and  well  versed  in  the 
scriptures,  and  giving  godly  ex- 
hortations to  the  people  :  with  him 
Dr.  Taylor  left  his  cure  at  his  de- 
parture. But  as  soon  as  Mr.  New- 
all  had  gotten  the  benefice,  he  put 
out  Mr.  Yeoman,  and  set  in  a  po- 
pish curate  to  maintain  and  con- 
tinue their  Romish  religion,  which 
now  they  thought  fully  established. 
Then  he  wandered  from  place  to 
place,  exhorting  all  men  to  stand 
faithfully  to  God's  word,  earnestly 
to  give  themselves  unto  prayer, 
with  patience  to  bear  the  cross 
now  laid  upon  them  for  their  trial, 
with  boldness  to  confess  the  truth 
before  their  adversaries,  and  with 
an  undoubted  hope  to  wait  for 
the  crown  and  reward  of  eternal 
felicity.  But  when  he  perceived 
his  adversaries  to  lie  in  wait  for 
him,  he  went  into  Kent,  and  with 
a  little  packet  of  laces,  pins  and 
points,  and  such  like  things,  and 
selling  them,  by  that  shift  subsisted 
himself,  his  wife  and  children. 

"At  last  justice  Moyle,  of  Kent, 
took  Mr.  Yeoman  and  set  him  in 
the  stocks  a  day  and  a  night,  but 
having  no  evident  matter  to  charge 
him  with,  he  let  him  go  again. 
So  he  came  secretly  again  to  Had- 
ley, and  tarried  with  his  poor  wife, 
who  kept  him  secretly  in  a  cham- 
ber of  the  town-house,  commonly 
called  the  Guildhall,  more  than  a 
year.  AH  which  time  the  good 
old  father  abode  in  a  chamber, 
locked  up  all  the  day,  and  spent 
his  time  in  devout  prayer,  and 
reading  the  scriptures,  and  in  card- 
ing of   wool   which   his  wife   did 


spin.  His  wife  did  also  go  and 
beg  bread  and  meat  for  herself 
and  her  children,  and  by  such 
poor  means  they  sustained  them- 
selves. Thus  the  saints  of  God 
sustained  hunger  and  misery,  while 
the  prophets  of  Baal  lived  in  jol- 
lity, and  were  costly  pampered  at 
Jezabel's  table. 

"  At  last  parson  Newall  (I  know 
not  by  what  means)  perceived  that 
Richard  Yeoman  was  so  kept  by 
his  poor  wife,  and  taking  with  him 
the  bailiff's  deputies  and  servants, 
came  in  the  night-time,  and  broke 
open  five  doors  to  get  at  Yeoman, 
Avhom  he  found  in  bed  with  his 
wife  and  children  ;  whom  when  he 
had  so  found,  he  angrily  cried,  I 
thought  I  should  find  an  harlot  and 
a  strumpet  together.  And  he 
would  have  plucked  the  clothes 
off"  from  them  ;  but  Yeoman  held 
fast  the  clothes,  and  said  unto  his 
wife,  Wife,  arise,  and  put  orv  thy 
clothes.  And  unto  the  parson  he 
said,  Nay,  parson,  no  harlot,  nor 
strumpet,  but  a  married  man  and 
his  wife,  according  to  God's  ordi- 
nance, and  blessed  be  God  for 
lawful  matrimony.  I  thank  God 
for  this  great  grace,  and  I  defy  the 
pope  and  all  his  popery.  Then 
they  led  Richard  Yeoman  unto 
the  cage,  and  set  him  in  the  stocks 
until  it  was  day. 

"There  was  then  alsb  in  the 
cage  an  old  man  named  .'ohn 
Dale,  who  had  sat  there  three  or 
four  days,  because  when  the  said 
parson  Newall  with  his  curate  used 
the  Romish  service  in  the  church, 
he  spake  openly  unto  him,  and 
said,  O  miserable  and  blind 
guides,  will  ye  ever  be  blind  lead- 
ers of  the  blind?  will  ye  never 
amend?  will  ye  never  see  the 
truth  of  God's  word  i  will  neither 
God's  threats  nor  promises  enter 
into  your  hearts?  will  the  blood  of 
martyrs  nothing  mollify  your  stony 
stomachs  ?  O  obdurate,  hard-heart- 
ed, perverse,  and  crooked  genera- 
tion !  O  damnable  sort,  whom  no- 
thing can  do  good  unto  ! 

"These,  or  the  like  words,  he 
spake  in  fervency  of  spirit  against 
the  superstitious  religion  of  Rome. 
3 


676 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Wherefore  parson  Newall  caused 
him  forthwith  to  be  attached  and 
set  in  the  stocks  in  a  cage.  So 
was  he  kept  there  till  sir  Henry 
Doyle,  a  justice,  came  to  Hadley. 

"  When  poor  Yeoman  was  taken, 
the  parson  called  earnestly  upon 
sir  Henry  Doyle  to  send  them  both 
te  prison.  Sir  Henry  Doyle  earn- 
estly entreated  the  parson  to  con- 
sider the  age  of  the  men,  and  their 
mean  condition ;  they  were  neither 
persons  of  note  nor  preachers ; 
wherefore  he  would  desire  him  to 
let  them  be  punished  a  day  or  two, 
and  so  let  them  go,  at  least  John 
Dale,  who  was  no  priest:  and 
therefore  seeing  he  had  so  long  sat 
in  the  cage,  he  thought  it  punish- 
ment enough  for  this  time.  When 
the  parson  heard  this,  he  was  ex- 
ceeding mad,  and  in  a  great  rage 
called  them  pestilent  heretics,  unfit 
to  live  in  the  commonwealth  of 
Christians.  Wherefore  I  beseech 
you,  sir,  (quoth  he)  according  to 
your  office,  defend  holy  churcli, 
and  help  to  suppress  these  here- 
sies, &c.  which  are  false  to  God, 
and  thus  boldly  set  themselves  to 
the  evil  example  of  others,  against 
the  queen's  gracious  proceedings. 
Sir  Henry  Doyle  seeing  he  could 
do  no  good  in  this  matter,  and 
fearing  also  the  danger  of  med- 
dling too  much  in  it,  made  out 
the  writ,  and  caused  the  consta- 
bles to  carry  them  to  Bury  gaol. 
For  now,  all  the  justices,  though 
ever  so  many,  were  afraid  of  a 
shaven  crown,  and  stood  in  as  much 
awe  of  them,  as  Pilate  did  of  Annas 
and  Caiaphas,  and  the  pharisaical 
brood,  who  cried,  '  Crucify  him, 
crucify  him  ;  if  thou  let  this  man 
go,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend.' 

"  Wherefore  whatsoever  their 
consciences  were,  yet  (if  they 
would  escape  danger)  they  must 
needs  be  the  popish  slaves  and 
vassals.  So  they  took  Ricljard 
Yeonian  and  John  Dale  pinioned, 
and  bound  them  like  thieves,  set 
them  on  horseback,  and  bound 
their  legs  under  the  horses'  bellies, 
and  so  carried  them  to  Bury  gaol, 
where  they  were  laid  in  irons  :  and 
because  they  continually  rebuked 


popery,  they  were  thrown  into  the 
lowest  dungeon,  where  John  Dale, 
through  sickness  of  the  prison, 
and  evil  keeping,  died  in  prison, 
whose  body,  when  he  was  dead, 
was  thrown  out  and  buried  in  the 
fields.  He  was  a  man  of  forty-six 
years  of  age,  a  weaver  by  his  oc- 
cupation, well  learned  in  the  holy 
scriptures,  faithful  and  honest  in 
all  his  conversation,  steadfast  in 
confession  of  the  true  doctrine  of 
Christ  set  forth  in  king  Edward's 
time. 

"  After  that  John  Dale  was  dead, 
Richard  Yeoman  was  removed  to 
Norwich  prison,  where  after  strait 
and  evil  keeping,  he  was  examined 
of  his  faith  and  religion.  Then  he 
boldly  and  constantly  confessed 
himself  to  be  of  the  faith  and  con- 
fession that  was  set  forth  by  king 
Edward  VI.  and  from  that  he 
would  in  no  wise  vary.  The  chief 
articles  objected  to  him,  were  his 
marriage  and  the  mass  sacrifice. 
Wherefore  when  he  continued 
steadfast  in  confession  of  the  truth, 
he  was  condemned,  degraded,  and 
not  only  burnt,  but  most  cruelly 
tormented  in  the  fire.  So  he  end- 
ed his  poor  and  miserable  life,  and 
entered  into  the  blessed  bosom  of 
Abraham,  enjoying  with  Lazarus 
the  comfortable  quietness  that 
God  hath  prepared  for  his  elect 
saints." 

STORY    OF    JOHN    ALCOCK. 

"  This  young  man  was  by  occu- 
pation a  sheerman,  and  came  to 
Hadley  to  seek  work;  he  being  in 
church  one  Sunday,  and  parson 
Newall  coming  by  with  the  pro- 
cession, would  not  once  move  his 
cap,  nor  shew  any  sign  of  rever- 
ence, but  stood  behind  the  font. 
The  parson  perceiving  this,  when 
he  was  almost  out  of  the  church 
door,  ran  back  again,  and  caught 
him,  and  called  for  the  constable. 

"  Then  came  Robert  Rolfe,  with 
whom  this  young  man  had  wrought, 
and  said.  What  hath  he  done,  Mr. 
Parson,  that  you  are  in  such  a  rage 
with  him  ? 

"  He  is  an  heretic  and  traitor 
(quoth  the  parson),  and  despiseth 


THOMAS  BENBRIDGE. 


677 


the  queen's  proceedings.  Where- 
fore I  command  you  in  the  queen's 
name,  have  him  to  the  stocks,  and 
see  he  be  forthcoming:. 

"  Well,  (quoth  Rolfe)  he  shall 
be  forthcoming;  proceed  in  your 
business,  and  be  quiet. 

"  Have  him  to  the  stocks,  quoth 
the  parson. 

"  I  am  constable,  quoth  Rolfe, 
and  I  may  bail  him,  and  will  bail 
him  ;  he  shall  not  be  put  in  the 
stocks,  but  he  shall  be  forthcom- 
ing ;  so  the  good  parson  went  forth 
with  his  holy  procession,  and  so  to 
mass. 

"  In  the  afternoon  Rolfe  said  to 
this  young  man,  I  am  sorry  for 
thee,  for  truly  the  parson  will  seek 
thy  destruction,  if  thou  take  not 
heed  what  thou  answerest  him. 

"  The  young  man  said.  Sir,  I 
am  sorry  that  it  is  my  hap  to  be  a 
trouble  to  you.  As  for  myself,  I 
am  not  sorry,  but  I  commit  my- 
self into  God's  hands,  and  I  trust 
he  will  give  me  mouth  and  wis- 
dom to  answer  according  to  right. 

"Well,  quoth  Rolfe,  yet  beware 
of  him,  for  he  is  malicious  and  a 
blood-sucker,  and  beareth  an  old 
hatred  against  me,  and  he  will 
handle  you  the  more  cruelly,  be- 
cause of  displeasure  agsinst  me. 

"  I  fear  not,  quoth  the  young 
man:  he  shall  do  no  more  to  me, 
than  God  will  give  him  leave  ;  and 
happy  shall  I  be  if  God  will  call 
me  to  die  for  his  truth's  sake. 

"  Then  they  went  to  the  parson, 
who  at  the  first  asked  him.  Fellow, 
what  sayest  thou  to  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar? 

"I  say,  quoth  he,  as  ye  use  the 
matter,  ye  make  a  shamel'ul  idol 
of  it,  and  ye  are  false  idolatrous 
priests,  all  the  sort  of  you. 

"  I  told  you  (quoth  the  parson) 
he  was  a  stout  heretic. 

"  So,  after  long  talk,  the  parson 
committed  him  to  prison,  and  the 
next  day  lie  rode  up  to  London, 
and  carried  the  young  man  with 
him  ;  and  so  the  young  man  came 
no  more  to  Hadley,  but  after  a 
long  imprisonment  in  Newgate, 
where  after  many  examinations 
and  troubles,  for  that  he  would  not 


submit  himself  to  ask  forgiveness 
of  the  pope,  and  to  be  reconciled 
to  the  Romish  religion,  he  was  cast 
into  the  lower  dungeon,  where 
with  ill  keeping  and  sickness  of 
the  house,  he  died  in  prison.  Thus 
died  he  a  martyr  of  God's  truth, 
which  he  heartily  confessed,  and 
received  the  garland  of  a  well- 
fought  battle  at  the  hand  of  the 
Lord.  His  body  was  cast  out  and 
buried  in  a  dunghill  ;  for  the  pa- 
pists would  in  all  things  be  like 
themselves;  therefore  they  would 
not  so  much  as  suffer  the  dead  bo- 
dies to  have  convenient  burial." 

MARTYRDOM    OF   THOMAS    BEN- 
BRIDGE. 

This  gentleman,  although  he 
might  have  lived  in  the  enjoyment 
of  a  plentiful  fortune,  yet,  for 
Christ's  sake,  chose  rather  to  enter 
through  the  straight  gate  of  perse- 
cution, to  the  heavenly  possession 
of  life  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  than 
in  this  world  to  enjoy  present  plea- 
sures with  unquietness  of  con- 
science. Wherefore  manfully 
standing  against  the  papists  for 
the  defence  of  the  tiue  doctrine 
of  Christ's  gospel,  he  spared  not 
himself  to  confirm  the  truth  of  the 
same.  For  which  cause  he  being 
apprehended  as  an  adversary  to 
the  Romish  religion,  was  brought 
for  examination  before  the  bishop 
of  Winchester,  where  he  sustained 
sundry  conflicts  for  the  truth 
against  the  bishop  and  his  col- 
league ;  in  the  end  of  which  he 
was  condemned,  and  some  time 
after  brought  to  the  place  of  mar- 
tyrdom, by  sir  Richard  Pecksal, 
sherilf. 

"  When  standing  at  the  stake, 
he  began  to  untie  his  points,  and 
to  prepare  himself;  then  he  gave 
his  gown  to  the  keeper,  being  be- 
like his  fee.  His  jerkin  wag  laid 
on  with  gold  lace  fair  and  brave, 
which  he  gave  to  sir  Richard  Peck- 
sal,  the  high-sheriff.  His  cap  of 
velvet  he  took  ofl:'  from  his  head 
and  threw  it  away.  Then  lifting 
his  mind  to  the  Lord,  he  made  his 
prayers. 

"  That  done,  being  now  fastened 


678 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  the  stake,  Dr.  Seaton  willed  him 
to  recant,  and  he  should  have  his 
pardon  ;  bat  when  he  saw  it  pre- 
vailed not  to  speak,  the  said 
dreaming  doctor  willed  the  peo- 
ple not  to  pray  for  him  unless  he 
would  recant,  no  more  than  they 
would  pray  for  a  dog. 

"  Mr.Benbridge,  standing  at  the 
stake  with  his  hands  together  in 
such  manner  as  the  priest  holdeth 
his  hands  in  his  Memento,  the  said 
Dr.  Seaton  came  to  him  again 
and  exhorted  him  to  recant ;  unto 
whom  he  said,  Away,  Babylonian, 
away  ! 

"Then  said  one  that  stood  by, 
Sir,  cut  out  his  tongue !  and  an- 
other, being  a  temporal  man,  railed 
on  him  worse  than  Dr.  Seaton  did, 
who  (as  is  thought)  wag  set  on  by 
some  other. 

"  Thus  when  they  saw  he  would 
not  yield,  they  bade  the  tormentors 
to  set  to  fire,  and  yet  he  was  no- 
thing   like    covered    with    fagots. 
First  the  fire  took  away  a  piece  of 
his    beard,    whereat    he    did    not 
shrink  at  all.     Tlien  it  came  on  the 
other  side  and  took  his  legs,  and 
the   nether  stockings  of  his    hose 
being    leather,    made    the    fire  to 
pierce  the  sharper,  so  that  the  in- 
tolerable heat  thereof  made  him  to 
cry,   I   recant!    and   suddenly   he 
thrust  the  fire  from  him.     And  hav- 
ing two  or  three  of  his  friends  by 
that  wished   his  life,  they  stepped 
to  the  fire,  and  helped  to  take  it 
from    him  also,  who  for  their  la- 
bour were  sent  to    prison.      The 
sheriff  also,  of  his  own  authority, 
took  him  from  the  stake,  and  sent 
him  to  prison  again,  for  which  he 
was  sent  unto  the  Fleet,  and  lay 
•  tliere  some  time.     But  before  he 
was  taken  from  the  stake,  the  said 
Dr.  Seaton  wrote  articles  to  have 
him  subscribe  unto  them,  as  touch- 
ing the  pope,  the  sacrament,  and 
such  other  trash.     But  the  said  Mr. 
Benbridgje  made  much  ado  before 
he  would  subscribe  them,  insomuch 
that   Dr.  Seaton  ordered  them  to 
set  to  fire  again.     Then  with  much 
pain  and    grief  of  heart  he    sub- 
scribed  to    them   upon    a    man's 
back. 


"  That  being  done,  he  had  his 
gowu  given  him  again,  and  so  was 
led  to  prison.  Being  in  prison  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  Dr.  Seaton,  and 
recanted  those  words  he  spake  at 
the  stake,  unto  which  he  had  sub- 
scribed ;  for  he  was  grieved  that 
ever  he  subscribed  unto  them. 
Whereupon  expressing  his  con- 
science, he  was  the  same  day 
seven-night  after  burnt  indeed, 
where  the  vile  tormentors  did  ra- 
ther broil  than  burn  him.  The 
Lord  give  his  enemies  repent- 
ance." 

MARTYRDOM  OF  JOHN  COOKE,  RO- 
BERT MILES  (alias  PLUMMER), 
ALEXANDER  LANE,  AND  JAMES 
ASHLEY. 

The  examination  of  the  four 
above-mentioned  persons,  who 
were  all  poor  labouring  men,  but 
firm  believers  in  Christ's  pure 
doctrines,  took  place  before  the 
bishop  of  Norwich,  sir  Edward 
Walgrave,  and  others,  and  was 
principally  upon  the  following  ar- 
ticles. 

First,  sir  Edward  Walgrave 
called  John  Cooke  to  him,  and  said. 
How  doth  it  happen  that  you  go 
not  to  your  church  ? 

Coohe.     I  have  been  there. 

Sir  Ediv.  What  is  the  cause 
that  you  go  not  thither  now  in 
these  days? 

Cooke.  Because  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar  is  an  abominable  idol, 
and  the  vengeance  of  God  will 
come  upon  all  them  that  do  main- 
tain it. 

Sir  Eibv.  O  thou  rank  traitor, 
if  I  had  as  good  commission  to 
cut  out  thy  tongue,  as  I  have  to 
sit  here  this  day,  thou  shouldst  be 
sure  to  have  it  done*. 


*  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  this  worthy 
knight's  benevolent  intenlions,  any  more 
than  there  can  be,  that  such  intentions 
and  wishes  were  not,  and  are  not,  confin- 
ed to  himself.  Popery  cannot  bear  the 
disclosure  of  the  truth ;  and  her  advo- 
cates would  therefore  gladly  "  cut  out 
the  tongues,'"  or  effectually  stop  the 
mouths,  of  all  those  who  expose  her  mon- 
strous crimes  and  enormities.  They  arc 
now  seeking,  by  clamour,  falsehood,  and 


ALEXANDER  GOUCH,  AND  ALICE  DRIVER.      679 


Then  he  commanded  the  consta- 
ble to  take  liiirt  away,  sayings,  he 
was  both  a  traitor  and  a  rebel. 

He  then  called  Robert  Miles, 
and  said.  How  happeneth  it,  that 
you  will  not  go  to  church  ? 

Miles.  Because  I  will  follow  no 
false  gods. 

Then  said  the  bishop,  Who  told 
thee  that  it  is  a  •^oA  I 

Even  you,  quoth  Miles,  and  such 
as  you  are. 

Then  the  bishop  commanded  him 
to  be  put  aside,  and  to  appear  be- 
fore him  the  next  day. 

Then  he  called  Alexander  Lane 
before  him,  and  asked  him  how  it 
chanced,  that  he  would  not  go  to 
the  church. 

He  said,  that  his  conscience 
would  not  serve  him  so  to  do. 

Sir  Edward  asked.  How  dost 
thou  believe? 

Lane  answered.  Even  as  it  is 
written  in  God's  book. 

Then  sir  Edward  commanded 
him  to  say  his  belief. 

Then  Lane  being  somewhat 
abashed,  said  his  belief  to  these 
words,  which  he  missed  unawares, 
"Born  of  the  virgin  Mary." 

Then  said  sir  Edward,  What, 
was  he  not  born  of  the  virgin 
Mary  ? 

Yes,  said  Lane,  I  would  have 
said  so. 

Nay,  cried  sir  Edward,  you  are 
one  of  Cooke's  scholars  ;  and  so 
commanded  him  to  be  taken  a,way, 
and  to  come  before  him  the  next 
day. 

After  the  like  manner  they  pas- 
sed also  with  James  Ashley,  whom 
they  warned  the  next  day  likewise 
to  appear  before  them  again.  On 
which  second  appearance  they  re- 


misrepresentation,  to  "  stop  on  K  mouths  " 
to  represent  us  as  a  "  band  of  incendia- 
ries," wishing  to  take  advantage  of  po- 
pular feelings,  and  to  create  or  augment, 
unfounded  prejudices  against  them  and 
their  religion.  But  we  are  not  to  be  de- 
terred from  the  discharge  of  our  duty  by 
the  calumnies  of  an  enraged  adversary  ; 
we  have,  we  believe,  "  chosen  the  good 
part,"  and,  by  divine  permission,  "  it 
shall  not  be  taken  away  from  us." 


ceived  their  condemnation.  And 
thus  these  four  l)lesscd  martyrs  in- 
nocently suH'ered  together  at  Bury 
St.  Edmund's  about  the  beginning 
of  August,  not  long  before  the  last 
sickness  of  queen  Mary. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  ALKXANDF.R  COUCH, 
AND    ALICE    DRIVER. 

Mr.  Noone,  a  justice  in  Suffolk, 
dwelling  in  Martheisham,  hunting 
after  good  men  to  apprehend  them, 
(as  he  was  a  bloodthirsty  tyrant 
in  the  time  of  trial)  at  length  re- 
ceived intelligence  that  two  godly 
persons,  namely,  one  Alexander 
Gouch,  of  Woodbridge,  and  Alice 
Driver  of  Grosborough,  were  at 
that  place  together,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  his  house,  and  imme- 
diately took  his  men  with  him, 
went  thither,  and  made  diligent 
search  for  them  ;  when  the  poor 
man  and  woman  were  compelled 
to  hide  themselves  in  a  hay-loft. 
The  persecutors,  at  length,  came 
to  search  the  hay  for  them,  and 
by  driving  their  pitchforks  in  va- 
rious parts  of  it,  at  last  found 
them  :  so  they  took  them  and  led 
them  to  Melton  gaol,  where  after 
remaining  a  good  while,  they  at 
last  were  carried  to  Bury,  te  the 
assizes,  and  being  there  examined 
of  matters  of  faith,  did  boldly  con- 
fess Christ  crucified,  defying  the 
pope  and  his  papistical  trash. 
Among  other  things,  Mrs.  Driver 
likened  queen  Mary,  in  her  perse- 
cution, to  Jezabel ;  and  so  in  that 
sense  called  her  Jezabel ;  w  hich 
so  much  enraged  sir  Clement 
Higham,  the  chief  judge  there, 
that  he  ordered  her  ears  immedi- 
ately to  be  cut  oif,  which  was  ac- 
cordingly done,  and  she  joyfully 
yielded  herself  to  the  punishment, 
thinking  herself  happy  that  she 
was  counted  worthy  to  sutler  any 
thing  for  the  name  of  Christ. 

After  the  assizes  they  were  car- 
ried to  Melton  gaol  again,  where 
they  remained  a  time,  and  were 
then  taken  to  Ipswich,  where  they 
were  examined.  Mrs.  Driver's 
examinations  are  given  as  fol- 
lows : 


680 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


HER  FIRST  EXAMINATION  BEFORIi 
DR.  SPENSER,  CHANCELLOR  OF 
NORWICH. 

First,  she  coming  into  the  place 
■where  she  siiould  be  examined, 
M'ith  a  smiling  countenance,  Dr. 
Spenser  said,  Why,  woman,  dost 
thou  laugh  us  to  scorn? 

3Irs.  b.  Whether  I  do  or  no,  I 
might  well  enough,  to  see  what 
fools  ye  be. 

Then  the  chancellor  asked  her 
wherefore  she  was  brought  before 
him,  and  why  she  was  laid  in 
prison. 

Dri.  Wherefore  ?  I  think  I  need 
not  tell  you,  for  you  know  it  better 
than  T. 

Spenser.  No,  by  my  troth,  wo- 
man, I  know  not  why. 

Dri.  Then  have  you  done  me 
much  wrong  thus  to  imprison  me, 
and  know  no  cause  why  ;  for  I 
know  no  evil  that  I  have  done,  I 
thank  God,  and  I  hope  there  is 
no  man  can  accuse  me  of  any  no- 
torious fact  that  I  have  done, 
justly. 

Spenser.  Woman,  woman,  what 
say  est  thou  to  the  blessed  sacra- 
ment of  the  altar?  Dost  thou  not 
believe  that  it  is  very  flesh  and 
blood,  after  the  words  be  spoken  of 
consecration  ? 

Driver's  wife  at  those  words  held 
her  peace,  and  made  no  answer. 
Then  a  great  chuff-headed  priest 
that  stood  by,  spake,  and  asked 
her  why  she  made  not  the  chan- 
cellor answer.  With  that  the  said 
Driver's  wifa  looked  upon  him 
austerely,  and  said,  Why,  priest, 
I  come  not  to  talk  with  thee,  but 
I  come  to  talk  with  thy  master  : 
but  if  tlvou  wilt  I  shall  talk  with 
thee,  command  thy  master  to  hold 
his  peace.  And  with  that  the 
priest  put  his  nose  in  his  cap,  and 
spake  never  a  word  more.  Then 
the  chancellor  bid  her  make  answer 
to  that  he  demanded  of  her. 

Dri.  Sir,  pardon  me  though 
I  make  no  answer,  for  I  cannot 
tell  what  you  mean  thereby;  for 
in  all  my  life  T  never  heard  nor 
read  of  any  such  sacrament  in  all 
the  scripture. 


Spens.     AVhy,    what    scriptures 
have  you  reacl,  I  pr.^y  you? 

Dri.     I  have  (I  thank  God)  read 
God's  book. 

Spens.  Why,  what  manner  of 
book  is  that  you  call  God's  book? 

Dri.  It  is  the  Old  and  New 
Testament.     What  call  you  it? 

Spens.  That  is  God's  book  in- 
deed, I  cannot  deny. 

Dri.  That  same  book  have  I 
read  throughout,  but  yet  never 
could  lind  any  such  sacrament 
there  ;  and  for  that  cause  I  cannot 
make  you  answer  to  that  thing  I 
know  not.  Notwithstanding,  for 
all  that,  I  will  grant  you  a  sacra- 
ment, called  the  Lord's  supper: 
and  therefore  seeing  I  have  grant- 
ed you  a  sacrament,  I  pray  you 
shew  me  what  a  sacrament  is. 

Spens.  It  is  a  sign.  And  one 
Dr.  Gascoin  being  by,  confirmed 
the  same,  that  it  was  the  sign  of  a 
holy  thing. 

Dri.  You  have  said  the  truth, 
sir.  It  is  a  sign  indeed,  I  must 
needs  grant  it :  and  therefore  see- 
ing it  is  a  sign,  it  cannot  be  the 
thing  signified  also.  Thus  far  we 
do  agree  ;  for  I  have  granted  your 
own  saying. 

Then  stood  up  the  said  Gascoin, 
and  made  an  oration  with  many 
fair  words,  but  little  to  the  purpose, 
being  both  offensive  and  odious  to 
the  minds  of  the  godly.  In  the 
end  of  which  long  tale,  he  asked 
her  if  she  did  not  believe  the  om- 
nipotency  of  God,  and  that  he 
was  almighty,  and  able  to  perform 
that  he  spake.  She  answered. 
Yes  ;  and  said,  I  do  believe  that 
God  is  almighty,  and  able  toper- 
form  that  he  spake  and  promised. 

Gascoin.  Very  well.  Then  he 
said  to  his  disciples,  "  Take,  eat, 
this  is  my  body  ;"  ergo,  it  was  his 
body.  For  he  was  able  to  perform 
that  he  spake,  and  God  useth  not 
to  lie. 

Dri.  I  pray  you  did  he  ever 
make  any  such  promise  to  his  dis- 
ciples, that  he  would  make  the 
bread  his  body  ? 

Gasc.    Those  be  tlie  words.  Can 

you  deny  it  ? 


ALICE  DRIVER. 


681 


Dii.  No,  they  be  the  very  words 
indeed,  1  cannot  deny  it :  but  I 
pray  you,  was  it  not  bread  that  he 
gave  them  ? 

Gasc.  No,  it  was  his  bod}'. 
Dri.  Then  was  it  his  body  that 
they  did  eat  over-night  ? 
Gasc.  It  was  his  body. 
Dri.  What  body  was  it  then 
that  was  crucified  the  next  day  .' 
Gasc.  It  was  Christ's  body. 
X)rt.  How  could  that  be,  when 
the  disciples  had  eaten  him  over- 
night ?  except  he  had  two  bodies, 
as  by  your  argument  he  had ;  one 
they  did  eat  over-night,  and  he 
was  crucified  the  next  day.  Such 
a  doctor,  such  doctrine!  Be  you 
not  ashamed  to  teach  the  people, 
that  Christ  had  two  bodies  ?  In  the 
22d  of  Luke,  "  He  took  bread  and 
brake  it  to  his  disciples,  saying. 
Take,  &c.  and  do  this  in  remem- 
brance of  me."  St.  Paul  saitb, 
1  Cor.  xi.  "  Do  this  in  remem- 
brance of  me :  for  as  often  as  ye 
shall  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this 
cup,  ye  shall  shew  the  Lord's 
death  till  he  come  :"  and  therefore 
I  marvel  you  blush  not  before  all 
this  people,  to  lie  so  manifestly  as 
you  do. 

With  that  Gascoin  held  his 
peace,  and  made  her  no  answer; 
for,  as  it  seemed,  he  was  ashamed 
of  his  doings.  Then  the  chancel- 
lor lift  up  his  head  oft"  from  his 
cushion,  and  commanded  the  gaoler 
to  take  her  away. 

Dri.  Now  ye  be  not  able  to  re- 
sist the  truth,  ye  command  me  to 
prison  again.  Well,  the  Lord  in 
the  end  shall  judge  our  cause,  and 
to  him  I  leave  it.  So  away  she 
went  with  the  gaoler. 

HER    SECOND    EXAMINATION. 

The  next  day  she  came  before 
them  again,  and  the  chancellor 
then  asked  her,  what  she  said  to 
the  blessed  sacrament  of  the 
altar  ?  , 

Dri.  I  will  say  nothing  to  it : 
for  you  will  neither  believe  me 
nor  yourselves ;  for  yesterday  I 
asked  you  what  a  sacrament  was, 
and  you  said  it  was  a  si^n  ;  and  I 
agreed  thereto,  and  said  it  was  the 


truth,  confirming  it  by  the  scrip- 
tures, so  that  I  went  not  from  your 
own  words ;  and  now  you  come 
and  ask  me  again  of  sucli  a  sacra- 
ment as  I  told  you  I  never  read  of 
in  the  scriptures. 

Spens.  Thou  liest,  naughty  wo- 
man, we  did  not  say  that  it  was  a 
sign. 

Dri.  Why,  masters,  be  ye  not 
the  men  that  you  were  yesterday  ? 
Will  ye  eat  your  own  words  ?  Are 
ye  not  ashamed  to  lie  before  all 
this  multitude  here  present,  who 
heard  you  speak  the  same? 

Then  stood  up  Dr.  Gascoin,  and 
said,  she  was  deceived ;  for  there 
are  three  churches,  the  malignant 
church,  the  church  militant,  and 
the  church  triumphant.  So  he 
would  fain  have  made  matter,  but 
he  could  not  tell  which  way. 

Dri.  Sir,  is  there  mention  made 
of  so  many  churches  in  the  scrip- 
ture ? 

Gasc.     Yea. 

Dri.  I  pray  you  where  find  you 
this  word  [church]  written  in  the 
scripture  ? 

Gasc.  It  is  written  in  the  New 
Testament. 

Dri.  I  pray  you,  sir,  shew  the 
place  where  it  is  written. 

Gasc.  I  cannot  tell  the  place, 
but  there  it  is.  With  that  she  de- 
sired him  to  look  in  his  Testament : 
then  he  fumbled  and  sought  about 
him  for  one  ;  but  at  that  time  he 
had  none,  and  that  he  knew  well 
enough,  though  he  seemed  to  search 
for  it.  At  last  she  said.  Have  yoa 
none  here,  sir? 

Gasc.     No. 

Dri.  I  thought  so  much  indeed, 
that  you  were  little  acquainted 
withal.  Surely  you  are  a  good 
doctor.  You  say  you  sit  here  to 
judge  according  to  the  law,  and 
how  can  you  give  judgment,  and 
have  not  the  book  of  the  law  with 
you?  At  which  words  Dr.  Gascoin 
was  out  of  countenance,  and  asked 
her  if  she  had  one. 
No,  said  she. 

Then,  said  he,  I  am  as  good  a 
doctor  as  you. 

Dri.  Well,  .sir,  I  had  one,  but 
you  took  it  from  me  (as  you  would 


682 


BOOK  OF  iVIARTYRS. 


take  me  from  Christ,  if  you  could), 
and  since  you  would  not  suffer  me 
to  have  any  book  at  all ;  so  burn- 
ing is  your  charity.  But  you  may 
well  know  (I  thank  God),  that  I 
have  exercised  the  same ;  else  I 
could  not  have  answered  you  (to 
God's  glory  be  it  spoken)  as  I  haye. 
Thus  she  put  them  all  to  silence,  so 
that  one  looked  on  another,  and 
had  not  a  word  to  speak. 

Dri.  Have  you  no  more  to  say? 
God  be  honoured.  You  be  not 
able  to  resist  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
me,  poor  woman.  I  was  an  honest 
poor  man's  daughter,  never  brought 
up  in  the  university  as  you  have 
been,  but  I  have  driven  the  plough 
before  my  father  many  a  time  ;  yet 
notwithstanding,  in  the  defence  of 
God's  truth,  and  in  the  cause  of 
my  master  Christ,  by  his  grace  I 
will  set  my  foot  against  the  foot  of 
any  of  you  all,  in  the  maintenance 
and  defence  of  the  same  ;  and  if  I 
had  a  thousand  lives,  they  should 
go  for  payment  thereof. — So  the 
chancellor  rose  up,  and  read  the 
sentence  of  condemnation  in  Latin, 
and  committed  her  to  the  secular 
power;  and  so  she  went  to  prison 
again,  as  joyful  as  the  bird  of  day, 
praising  the  name  of  God. 

Alexander  Gouch  was  exa- 
mined on  the  same  day,  and  by  the 
same  persons,  concerning  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  and  other 
ceremonies  of  the  church  of  Rome. 

He  said,  his  belief  was,  that 
Christ  was  ascended  into  heaven, 
and  there  remained  ;  and  that  the 
sacrament  was  the  remembrance 
of  his  death  and  passion. 

He  also  rejected  the  mass,  and 
denied  the  pope  to  be  the  supreme 
head  of  Christ's  church  on  earth. 
For  his  steadfastness  in  this  his 
faith  and  opinion,  he  received  sen- 
tence of  condemnation  as  an  he- 
retic, and  was  delivered  to  the  se- 
cular power  to  be  put  to  death. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1658, 
both  these  persons  were  taken 
from  Melton  gaol  to  Ipswich,  es- 
corted by  the  high-sheriff  and  his 
officers,     and    accompanied   by   a 


prodigious  number  of  spectatOfiS. 
They  arrived  at  Ipswich  about 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
were  immediately  led  to  the  place 
of  execution. 

When  they  came  to  the  stake 
they  sung  psalms  together,  then 
knelt  down,  and  fervently  prayed 
for  some  time  ;  at  which  the  she- 
riff was  so  offended,  that  he  or- 
dered the  bailifl's  to  interrupt  them, 
and  desire  they  would  make  an 
end. 

Then  Gouch  stood  up  and  said 
unto  the  sheriff,  I  pray  you,  Mr. 
Sheriff,  let  us  pray  a  little  while, 
for  we  have  but  a  little  time  to  live 
here. 

Then  said  the  bailiff.  Come  off, 
have  them  to  the  fire. 

Then  the  said  Gouch,  and  Alice 
Driver,  said.  Why,  Master  She- 
riff, and  Master  Bailiff,  will  you 
not  suffer  us  to  pray  ? 

Away,  said  sir  Henry,  to  the 
stake  with  them. 

Gouch  answered,  Take  heed, 
Mr.  Sheriff,  if  you  forbid  prayer, 
the  vengeance  of  God  hangeth 
over  your  heads.  Then  they  being 
tied  to  the  stake,  and  the  iron  chain 
being  put  about  Alice  Driver's 
neck,  O  !  said  she,  here  is  a  goodly 
handkerchief,  blessed  be  God  for 
it !  Then  divers  came  and  took 
them  by  the  hands  as  they  were 
bound  standing  at  the  stake.  The 
sheriff  cried.  Lay  hands  on  them, 
lay  hands  on  them !  With  that  a 
great  number  ran  to  the  stake. 
The  sheriff  seeing  that,  let  them 
all  alone,  so  that  there  was  not 
one  taken. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  PHILIP  HUMPHRY, 
JOHN  DAVID,  AND  HENRY  DA- 
VID,   HIS    BROTHER. 

About  the  same  time,  and  for 
the  same  cause,  the  three  men 
above-mentioned  were  burned  at 
Bury  St.  Edmund's,  in  Suffolk; 
but  the  particular  account  of  their 
examinations  and  deaths  is  not 
recorded. 

SUFFERINGS     AND     MARTYRDOM     OF 
ELIZABETH    PREST. 

Thia  poor  woman  was  the  wife 


ELIZABETH  PREST. 


683 


ef  a  labouring  mmi,  and  lived  at  a 
vsmall  village  near  the  town  of 
Laonceston,  in  Cornwall,  Her 
husband,  and  three  children,  were 
zealous  papists,  and  she  would 
frequently  rebuke  them  for  their 
superstition;  but  her  husband 
beiuij  a  morose  man,  forced  her 
sometimes  to  go  to  church,  to  fol- 
low in  procession,  and  conform  to 
the  Romish  ceremonies. 

Beinj^  greatly  aillicted  at  the 
thoughts  of  doing  that  which  was 
so  much  against  her  conscience, 
she  prayed  to  God  for  his  assist- 
ance, took  courage,  and  left  her 
husband  and  family. 

For  some  time  she  travelled 
from  one  place  to  another,  main- 
taining herself  by  labour  and  spin- 
ning. But,  at  length,  she  returned 
to  her  husband;  a  few  days  after 
which  she  was  accused  of  heresy 
by  some  of  her  neighbours,  and 
being  apprehended,  was  sent  to 
Exeter,  to  be  examined  by  Dr. 
Troublevile,  then  bishop  of  that 
see. 

The  following  account  of  what 
passed  at  her  examination,  and 
subsequently,  was  given  by  some 
persons  who  were  at  that  time  re- 
siding at  Exeter. 

Bishop.  Thou  foolish  woman,  I 
hear  say,  that  thou  hast  spoken 
certain  words  against  the  most 
blessed  sacrament  of  the  altar,  the 
body  of  Christ.  Fie  for  shame! 
thou  art  an  unlearned  person,  and 
a  woman;  wilt  thou  meddle  with 
such  high  matters,  which  all  the 
doctors  of  the  world  cannot  de- 
fine? Wilt  thou  talk  of  such  high 
mysteries?  Keep  thy  work,  and 
meddle  with  that  thou  hast  to  do. 
It  is  no  woman's  matter,  at  cards 
and  tow  to  be  spoken  of.  And  if 
it  be  as  I  am  informed,  thou  art 
worthy  to  be  burned. 

Woman.  My  lord,  I  trust  your 
lordship  will  hear  me  speak. 

Bishop.  Yea,  marry,  for  that 
<5ause  I  sent  for  you. 

Woman.  I  am  a  poor  woman, 
and  do  live  by  my  hands,  getting 
a  penny  truly,  and  of  what  I  get,  I 
give  part  to  the  poor. 


Bishop.  That  is  well  done.  Art 
thou  not  a  man's  wife  I 

And  here  the  bishop  entered 
into  conversation  about  her  hus- 
band. To  whom  she  answered 
again,  declaring  that  she  had  a 
husband  and  children;  and  had 
them  not.  So  long  as  she  was  at 
liberty,  she  refused  neither  hus- 
band nor  children:  but  now  stand- 
ing here  as  I  do,  said  she,  in  the 
cause  of  Christ  and  his  truth, 
where  I  must  either  forsake 
Christ,  or  my  husband,  I  am  con- 
tented to  stick  only  to  Christ,  my 
heavenly  spouse,  and  renounce  the 
other. 

And  here  she  making  mention 
of  the  words  of  Christ,  "  He  that 
leaveth  not  father  or  mother,  sister 
or  brother,  husband,"  &c.  the  bi- 
shop inferred,  that  Christ  spake 
that  of  the  holy  martyrs,  ^who  died 
because  they  would  not  sacrifice  to 
the  false  gods. 

Woman.  Surely,  sir,  and  I  will 
rather  die  than  I  will  do  any  wor- 
ship to  that  idol,  which  with  your 
mass  you  make  a  god. 

Bishop.  What,  heretic!  will  you 
say  that  the  sacrament  of  the  altar 
is  a  foul  idol? 

Woman.  Yes,  ^ruly,  there  was 
never  such  an  idol  as  your  sacra- 
ment is  made  by  your  priests,  and 
commanded  to  be  worshipped  of 
all  men,  with  many  fond  fanta- 
sies, where  Christ  did  command 
it  to  be  eaten  and  drank  in  remem- 
brance of  his  most  blessed  passion 
for  our  redemption. 

Bishop.  See  this  prattling  wo- 
man! Dost  thou  not  hear,  that 
Christ  did  say  over  the  bread, 
"  This  is  my  body,"  and  over  the 
cup,  "  This  is  ray  blood"? 

Woman.  Yes,  forsooth,  he  said 
so,  but  he  meant  that  it  is  his  body 
and  blood,  not  carnally,  but  sacra- 
mentally. 

Bishop.  Lo,  she  hath  heard 
prating  among  these  new  preach- 
ers, or  heard  some  peevish  book. 
Alas,  poor  woman,  thou  art  de- 
ceived. 

WomMu.  No,  my  lord,  what  I 
have  learned  was  of  godly  preach- 


684 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ers,  and  of  godly  books  which  I 
have  heard  read.  And  if  you  will 
give  me  leave,  I  will  declare  a  rea- 
son why  I  will  not  worship  the  sa- 
crament. 

Bishop.  Marry,  say  on,  I  am 
sure  it  will  be  goodly  gear. 

Woman.  Truly  such  gear  as  I 
will  lose  this  poor  life  of  mine  for. 

Bishop.  Then  you  will  be  a 
martyr,  good  wife. 

Woman.  Indeed,  if  the  denying 
to  worship  that  bready  god  be  my 
martyrdom,  I  will  suffer  it  with  all 
my  heart. 

Bishop.     Say  thy  mind. 

Woma7i.  Yoa  must  bear  with 
me,  a  poor  woman. 

Bishop.     So  1  will. 

Woman.  I  will  demand  of  you, 
whether  you  can  deny  your  creed, 
which  doth  say.  That  Christ  doth 
perpetually  sit  at  the  right  hand  of 
his  Father,  both  body  and  soul, 
until  he  come  again;  or  whether 
he  be  there  in  heaven  our  Advo- 
cate, and  to  make  prayer  for  us 
unto  God  his  Father?  If  it  be  so, 
he  is  not  here  on  earth  in  a  piece 
of  bread.  If  he  be  not  here,  and  if 
he  do  not  dwell  in  temples  made 
with  hands,  but  in  heaven,  what, 
shall  we  seek  him  here?  If  he 
did  ofler  his  body  once  for  all, 
why  make  you  a  new  offering?  If 
with  once  offering  he  made  all 
perfect,  why  do  you  with  a  false 
offering  make  all  imperfect?  If 
he  be  to  be  worshipped  in  Spirit 
and  in  truth,  why  do  you  worship 
a  piece  of  bread?  If  he  be  eaten 
and  drank  in  faith  and  truth,  if 
his  ffesh  be  not  profitable  to  be 
among  us,  why  do  you  say  you 
make  his  flesh  and  blood,  and  say 
it  is  profitable  for  body  and  soul? 
Alas,  I  am  a  poor  woman,  but 
rather  than  I  will  do  as  you,  I 
would  live  no  longer.  I  have 
said,  sir. 

Bishop.  I  promise  you,  you  are 
a  jolly  protestant.  I  pray  you,  in 
what  schools  have  you  been 
brought  up? 

Woman.  I  have  upon  the  Sun- 
days   visited    the    sermons,     and 


there  have  I  learned  such  things 
as  are  so  fixed  in  my  breast,  that 
death  shall  not  separate  them. 

Bishop.  O  foolish  woman,  who 
will  waste  his  breath  upon  thee,  or 
such  as  thou  art?  But  how  chanc- 
eth  it  that  thou  weutest  away  from 
thy  husband?  if  thou  wert  an  ho- 
nest woman,  thou  wouldst  not 
have  left  thy  husband  and  chil- 
dren, and  run  about  the  country 
like  a  fugitive. 

Woman.  Sir,  I  laboured  for  my 
living ;  and  as  my  master  Christ 
counselleth  me,  when  I  was  per- 
secuted in  one  city,  I  fled  into  an- 
other. 

Bishop.     Who  persecuted  thee? 

Woman.  My  husband  and  my 
children.  For  when  I  would  have 
them  to  leave  idolatry,  and  to 
worship  God  in  heaven,  he  would 
not  hear  me,  but  he  with' his  chil- 
dren rebuked  me,  and  troubled 
me.  I  fled  not  for  whoredom,  nor 
for  theft,  but  because  I  would  be 
no  partaker  with  him  and  his,  of 
that  foul  idol  the  mass;  and 
wheresoever  I  was,  as  oft  as  I 
could,  I  made  excuses  not  to  go  to 
the  popisli  church. 

Bishop.  Belike  then  you  are  a 
good  housewife,  to  fly  from  your 
husband  and  the  church. 

Woman.  My  housewifery  is  but 
small;  but  God  give  me  grace  to 
go  to  the  true  church. 

Bishop.  The  true  church,  what 
dost  thou  mean? 

Womaii.  Not  your  popish 
church,  fuli  of  idols  and  abomina< 
tions,  but  where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together  in  the  name  of 
God,  to  that  church  will  I  go,  as 
long  as  I  live. 

Bishop.  Belike  then  you  have  a 
church  of  your  own.  Well,  let 
this  mad  woman  be  put  down  to 
prison  till  we  send  for  her  hus- 
band. 

Woman.  No,  I  have  but  one 
husband,  who  is  here  already  in 
this  city,  and  in  prison  with  me 
(from  whom  I  will  never  depart). 
And  so  their  communication,  for 
that  time,  brake  off.     Blackstone 


ELTZABETII  PREST. 


685 


and  others  persuaded  tlie  bishop 
that  she  was  uot  iii  her  right 
senses,  (whicli  is  no  new  thing  for 
the  wisdom  of  God  to  appear  fool- 
ishness to  the  carnal  men  of  this 
world),  and  therefore  they  con- 
sulted together,  that  slie  should 
have  liberty  to  go  at  large.  So 
the  keeper  of  the  bishop's  prison 
had  her  home  to  his  house,  where 
she  fell  to  spinning  and  carding, 
and  did  work  as  a  servant  in  the 
said  keeper's  house,  and  she  went 
about  the  city  when  and  where  she 
pleased,  and  many  people  took 
great  delight  in  talking  with  her: 
and  all  her  discourse  was  about 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  whicii 
of  all  things  they  could  least 
abide. 

Then  her  husband  was  sent  for, 
but  she  refused  to  go  home  with 
him,  witli  the  blemish  of  the  cause 
and  religion,  in  defence  whereof 
she  there  stood  before  the  bishop 
and  the  priests.  Then  divers  of 
the  priests  endeavoured  to  per- 
suade her  to  leave  her  "  wicked 
opinion''  about  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar,  the  natural  body  and 
blood  of  our  Saviour  Christ.  But 
she  made  them  answer,  that  it  was 
nothing  but  very  bread  and  Mine, 
and  that  they  might  be  ashamed 
to  say,  that  a  piece  of  bread 
should  be  turned  by  a  man  into 
the  natural  body  of  Christ,  wliicli 
bread  doth  corrupt,  and  mice  of- 
tentimes do  cat  it,  and  it  doth 
mould,  and  is  burned:  God's  body 
will  not  be  so  handled,  nor  kept  in 
prison,  or  boxes,  or  aumbries. 
Let  it  be  your  god,  it  shall  not  be 
mine;  for  my  Saviour  sitteth  on 
the  right  hand  of  God,  and  doth 
pray  for  me.  And  to  make  that 
sacramental  or  significative  bread 
Instituted  for  a  remembrance,  the 
very  body  of  Christ,  and  to  wor- 
ship it,  is  very  foolishness  and  de- 
vilish deceit. 
.  Now  truly,  said  they,  the  devil 
hath  deceived  thee. 

No,  said  she,  I  trust  the  living 
God  hath  opened  mine  eyes,  and 
caused  me  to  understand  the  right 
use     of    the     blessed    sacrament, 


which  the  true   churcli  doth   use, 
but  the  false  church  doth  abuse. 

Then  stepped  fortli  an  old  friar, 
and  asked  her  what  she  said  of  the 
holy  pope. 

I  say,  said  she,  that  he  is  Anti- 
christ, and  the  devil. 

Then  they  all  laughed. 

Nay,  said  she,  you  have  more 
need  to  weep  than  to  laugh,  and 
to  be  sorry  that  ever  you  were 
born,  to  be  tlie  chaplains  of  that 
whore  of  Babylon.  I  defy  him 
and  ail  his  falsehood;  and  get  you 
away  from  me,  you  do  but  trouble 
my  conscience.  You  would  have 
me  follow  your  doings;  I  will  first 
lose  my  life.     I  pray  you  depart. 

Why,  thou  foolish  woman,  said 
they,  we  come  to  thee  for  thy  pro- 
fit and  soul's  health. 

O  Lord  God!  said  she,  what 
profit  ariseth  by  you,  that  teach 
nothing  but  lies  for  truth?  how 
save  you  souls,  when  you  preach 
nothing  but  damnable  lies,  and 
destroy  souls  J 

How  provest  thou  that?  s.aid 
they. 

Do  you  not  damn  your  souls, 
said  she,  when  you  teach  the  peo- 
ple to  worship  idols,  stocks,  and 
stones,  the  works  of  men's  hands? 
and  to  worsliip  a  false  god  of  your 
own  making  of  a  piece  of  bread, 
and  teach  that  the  pope  is  God's 
vicar,  and  hath  power  to  forgive 
sins  ?  and  that  there  is  a  purga- 
tory, when  God's  Son  hath  by  his 
passion  purged  all?  and  say,  you 
make  God,  and  sacrifice  him, 
when  Christ's  body  was  a  sacrifice 
once  for  all?  Do  you  not  teach 
the  people  to  number  their  sins  in 
your  ears,  and  say_  they  be 
damned,  if  they  confess  not  all; 
when  God's  word  saith.  Who  can 
number  his  sins  ?  Do  you  uot 
promise  tliem  trentals  and  dirges, 
and  masses  for  sou's,  and  sell 
yaur  prayers  for  money,  and  make 
them  buy  pardons,  and  trust  to 
such  foolish  inventions  of  j'our 
own  imaginations?  Do  you  not 
altogether  against  God?  Do  j'ou 
not  teach  us  to  pray  upon  beads, 
and  to  pray  unto  saints,  and  say 


696 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


they  can  pray  for  us?  Do  you 
not  make  holy  water  and  lioly 
bread  to  fray*  devils?  Do  you 
not  a  thousand  more  abomina- 
tions? And  yet  you  say,  you 
come  for  my  profit,  and  to  save 
my  soul.  No,  no,  One  hath  saved 
me.  Farewell,  you  with  your  sal- 
vation. Much  other  talk  there 
was  between  her  and  them,  which 
were  too  tedious  to  express. 

In  the  month's  liberty  which 
was  granted  her  by  the  bishop,  as 
is  before-mentioned,  she  went  into 
St.  Peter's  church,  and  there 
found  a  cunning  Dutchman  that 
had  made  new  noses  to  certain 
fine  images  which  were  disfigured 
in  king  Edward's  time;  to  whom 
she  said.  What  a  madman  art 
thou  to  make  them  new  noses, 
which  within  a  few  days  shall  all 
lose  their  heads?  The  Dutchman 
accused  her,  and  laid  it  hard  to 
her  charge.  And  she  said  unto 
him.  Thou  art  accursed,  and  so  are 
thy  images.  Then  she  was  sent 
for  and  clapped  fast,  and  from 
that  time  she  had  no  liberty. 

During  the  time  of  her  impri- 
sonment, divers  resorted  to  visit 
her,  some  sent  by  the  bishop,  some 
of  their  own  voluntary  will ; 
amongst  whom  was  one  Daniel,  a 
great  preacher  of  the  gospel  in  the 
days  of  king  Edward,  in  those 
parts  of  Cornwall  and  Devonshire: 
whom  after  that  she  perceived  by 
his  own  confession  to  have  re- 
volted from  what  he  preached 
before,  through  the  grievous  im- 
prisonments, as  he  said,  and  fear 
of  persecution  which  he  had  partly 
sustained  by  the  cruel  justices  in 
those  parts,  earnestly  she  exhorted 
him  to  repent  with  Peter,  and  to 
be  more  constant  in  his  profes- 
sion. 

Moreover,  there  resorted  to  her 
a  certain  worthy  gentlewoman,  the 
wife  of  one  Walter  Rauly,  a  wo- 
man of  noble  wit,  and  of  a  good 
and  godly  opinion ;  who  coming 
to  the  prison,  and  talking  with  her, 
she  said  her  creed  to  the  gentle- 


To  frighten,  or  scars  away. 


woman  ;  and  when  she  came  t(f 
the  article.  He  ascended,  there 
she  staid,  and  bid  the  gentlewo- 
man to  seek  his  blessed  body  in 
heaven,  not  on  earth,  and  told  her 
plainly  tliat  God  dwelleth  not  in 
temples  made  with  hands,  and  the 
sacrament  to  be  nothing  else  but  a 
remembrance  of  his  blessed  pas- 
sion; and  yet,  said  slie,  as  they 
now  use  it,  it  is  but  an  idol,  and 
far  wide  from  any  remembrance  of 
Christ's  body;  which,  said  she,  will 
not  continue,  and  so  take  it,  good 
mistress.  So  that  as  soon  as  she 
came  home  to  her  husband,  she 
declared  to  him,  that  in  her  life 
she  never  heard  a  woman  (of  such 
simplicity  to  leok  on)  talk  so 
godly,  so  perfectly,  so  sincerely, 
and  so  earnestly ;  insomuch,  that 
if  God  were  not  with  her,  she  could 
not  speak.fiuch  things. 

Also  there  came  to  her  one  Wil- 
liam Kede,  and  John  his  brother, 
not  only  brethren  in  the  flesh,  but 
also  in  the  truth,  and  men  in  that 
country  of  great  credit,  whose  fa- 
ther, R.  Kede,  all  his  life  sufl'ered 
nothing  but  trouble  for  the  gospel. 
These  two  good  brethren  were 
present  with  her,  both  in  the  hall, 
and  at  the  prison,  and  (as  they 
said)  they  never  heard  the  like 
woman,  of  so  godly  talk,  so  faithful 
or  so  constant. 

Thus  this  good  matron  was  by 
many  ways  tried,  by  hard  impri- 
sonment, threatenings,  taunts  and 
scorns,  called  an  anabaptist,  a 
mad  woman,  a  drunkard,  a  runa- 
gate. She  was  proved  by  liberty 
to  go  whither  she  would;  she  was 
tried  by  flattery,  with  many  fair 
promises ;  she  was  tried  with  her 
husband,  her  goods  and  children ; 
but  nothing  could  prevail;  her 
her  heart  was  fixed,  she  had  cast 
anchor,  utterly  contemning  this 
wicked  world. 

Although  she  was  of  such  sim- 
plicity, and  unskilled  in  the  know- 
ledge of  this  world,  you  could  de- 
clare no  place  of  Scripture,  but 
she  would  tell  you  the  chapter; 
yea,  she  would  recite  you  the 
names  of  all  the  books  of  the  Bi- 


JOHN  CORiMEFORD,  AND  OTHERS. 


687 


ble.  For  which  cause  oue  Gre- 
gory Basset,  a  rank  papist,  said 
she  was  out  of  her  wits,  and  talked 
of  the  Scripture  as  a  dog  rangeth 
far  oft'  from  his  master  when  he 
walketh  in  the  fields,  or  as  a  stolon 
sheep  out  of  his  master's  hands, 
she  knew  not  whereat,  as  all  here- 
tics do;  with  many  other  taunts, 
which  she  utterly  defied. 

At  last  when  they  could  neither 
by  imprisonment  nor  liberty,  by 
menaces  nor  flattery,  win  her  to 
their  vanities  and  superstitious 
doings,  then  they  cried  out.  An 
anabaptist,  an  anabaptist!  Then 
in  one  day  they  brought  her  from 
the  bishop's  prison  to  the  Guild- 
hall, and  after  that  delivered  her 
to  the  temporal  power,  according 
to  their  custom,  where  she  was  by 
the  gentlemen  of  the  country  ex- 
horted yet  to  call  for  grace:  "  and 
go  home  to  thy  husband,"  said 
they,  "  thou  art  an  unlearned  wo- 
man, thou  art  not  able  to  answer 
such  high  matters." 

"I  am  not,"  said  she;  *' yet 
with  my  death  I  am  content  to  be  a 
witness  of  Christ's  death," 

During  the  time  that  this  good 
woman  was  thus  under  these 
priests'  hands,  she  sustained  many 
baitings  and  sore  conflicts.  But 
in  fine,  (after  many  combats  and 
scoffing  persuasions),  when  they 
had  played  the  part  of  the  cat  with 
the  mouse,  they  at  length  con- 
demned her,  and  delivered  her 
over  to  the  secular  power. 

Then  the  sentence  being  given. 
That  she  should  go  to  the  place 
from  whence  she  came,  and  from 
thence  to  the  place  of  execution, 
there  to  be  burned  with  flames,  till 
she  be  consumed;  she  lifted  up 
her  voice  and  thanked  God,  say- 
ing, "  I  thank  thee,  my  Lord,  my 
God ;  this  day  have  I  found  that 
which  I  have  long  sought."  And 
yet  this  favour  they  pretended 
after  her  judgment,  that  her  life 
should  be  spared,  if  she  would 
turn  and  recant.  "  Nay,  that  I 
will  not,"  said  she:  "God  forbid 
that  I  should  lose  the  life  eternal 
for  this  carnal  and  short  life." 

Then  was  phe  delivered  to  the 


sheriff,  innumerable  people  be- 
holding her,  and  led  by  the  offi- 
cers to  the  place  of  execution, 
witiiout  the  walls  of  Exeter,  called 
Sauthernhay,  where  again  these 
superstitious  priests  assaulted  her; 
and  she  prayed  them  to  have  no 
more  talk  with  her,  but  cried  still, 
"  God  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner." 
And  so  while  they  were  tying  her 
to  a  stake,  thus  still  she  cried,  and 
would  give  no  answer  to  them, 
but  with  much  patience  took  her 
cruel  death,  and  was  with  flames 
of  fire  consumed;  and  so  ended 
this  mortal  life,  as  constant  a  wo- 
man in  the  faith  of  Christ,  as  ever 
was  upon  the  earth. 

MARTYRDOM  OF  JOHN  CORNEFORD, 
CHRISTOPHUR  BROWNE,  JOHN 
HERST,  ALICE  SNOTH,  AND  CA- 
THERINE    KNIGHT,      (alias     TIN- 

ley). 

These  five  persons  were  the  last 
who  suffered  in  queen  Mary's  reign 
for  the  testimony  of  that  word  for 
which  so  many  had  died  before,  and 
gave  up  their  lives  meekly  and 
patiently,  suffering  the  violent  ma- 
lice of  the  papists. 

The  matter  why  they  were 
judged  to  the  fire  was,  for  believ- 
ing the  body  not  to  be  in  the  sa- 
crament of  the  altar,  unless  it  be 
received : 

For  confessing  that  an  evil  man 
doth  not  receive  Christ's  body : 

That  it  is  idolatry  to  creep  to 
the  cross,  and  that  St.  John  for- 
biddeth  it,  saying,  "  Beware  of 
images." 

For  confessing  that  we  should 
not  pray  to  saints,  because  they  be 
not  omnipotent. 

For  these  and  other  similar  ar- 
ticles of  Christian  doctrine,  they 
were  committed  to  the  flames. 
Notwithstanding  the  sickness  of 
queen  Mary,  whereof  they  were 
not  ignorant,  the  archdeacon  and 
others  of  Canterbury,  hastened  to 
dispatch  the  martyrdom  of  these 
persons,  before  her  death,  which 
was  daily  expected,  should  de- 
prive them  of  the  power. 

In  so  doing  this  archdeacon 
proved  himself  more  bigoted  and 


688 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


bloodthirsty  than  even  Bonner, 
who,  notwithstanding  he  had  some 
at  the  same  time  under  his  custody, 
yet  did  not  hurry  them  to  the 
stake,  as  appears  by  several  per- 
sons who,  being  then  in  his  prison, 
were  delivered  by  the  death  of 
queen  Mary. 

We  have  not  any  particulars  re- 
lative to  the  examinations,  &c.  of 
the  five  persons  above  named,  but 
the  following  anecdotes  of  two  of 
them  are  given  by  the  Martyr- 
ologist. 

Catherine  Tinley  was  the  mother 
of  one  Robert  Tinley,  dwelling  in 
Maidstone,  which  Robert  was  in 
trouble  all  queen  Mary's  time. 
To  whom  his  mother  coming  to 
visit  him,  asked  him  how  he  took 
this  place  of  scripture  which  she 
had  seen,  not  by  reading  of  the 
scripture  (for  she  had  yet  in  man- 
ner no  taste  of  religion),  but  had 
found  it  by  chance  in  a  book  of 
prayers,  "  I  will  pour  out  my 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your 
sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy  ;  your  old  men  shall 
dream  dreams,  and  your  young  men 
shall  see  visions.  And  also  upon 
the  servants  and  upon  the  maids  in 
those  days  will  I  pour  my  Spirit," 
&c.  Which  place  after  that  he 
had  expounded  to  her,  she  began 
to  take  hold  on  the  gospel,  growing 
more  and  more  in  zeal  and  love 
thereof,  and  so  continued  unto  her 
martyrdom. 

Among  such  women  as  were 
burned  at  Canterbury,  it  is  re- 
corded of  a  certain  maid,  and  sup- 
posed to  be  this  Alice  Snoth  men- 
tioned in  this  story,  or  else  to  be 
Agnes  Snoth,  of  whom  an  account 
is  given  in  a  preceding  page,  that 
when  she  was  brought  to  be  exe- 
cuted, she  being  at  the  stake,  call- 
ed for  her  godfathers  and  godmo- 
thers. The  justice  hearing  her, 
sent  for  them,  bat  they  durst  not 
come.  Notwithstanding  the  jus- 
tices willed  the  messenger  to  go 
again,  and  to  shinv  them  that  they 
should  incur  no  dangor  tlicreof. 

Then  they  hearing  that,  came  to 
know  the  matter  of  their  sending 
for.     When  the  maid  saw   them, 


she  asked  them  wliat  they  had  pro- 
raised  for  her,  and  so  she  imme- 
diately rehearsed  her  faith,  and 
the  commandments  of  God,  and 
required  of  them,  if  there  were 
any  more  that  they  had  promised 
in  her  behalf;  and  they  said.  No. 

Then,  said  she,  I  die  a  Chris- 
tian woman,  bear  witness  of  me; 
and  slie  was  consumed  in  fire,  and 
gave  up  her  life  joyfully  for  the 
testimony  of  Christ's  gospel,  to  the 
terror  of  the  wicked,  and  comfort 
of  the  godly,  and  also  to  the  stop- 
ping of  the  slanderous  mouths  of 
such  as  falsely  do  quarrel  against 
the  faithful  martyrs,  for  going  from 
that  religion  wherein  by  their  god- 
fathers and  godmothers  they  were 
at  first  baptized. 

CONDEMNATION  OF  JOHN  HUNT  AND 
RICHARD  WHITE,  WHO  ESCAPED 
THE  FIRE  EY  THE  DEATH  OF 
QUEEN    MARY. 

Several  others  were  imprisoned 
in  various  places,  whereof  some 
were  but  lately  taken  and  not  ex- 
amined, some  were  examined  but 
not  condemned,  and  others  had 
been  both  examined  and  condemn- 
ed, but  the  warrants  for  their  ex- 
ecution not  being  signed,  they  es- 
caped. Nay,  of  some  the  writ 
had  been  brought  down  for  their 
burning,  and  yet  by  the  death  of 
the  chancellor,  the  bishop,  and  of 
queen  Mary,  happening  about  one 
time,  they  most  happily  and  mira- 
culously were  preserved,  and  lived 
many  years  after.  Of  these  were 
John  Hunt,  and  Richard  White, 
imprisoned  at  Salisbury,  of  whom 
the  history  is  given  as  follows  : 

"  These  two  good  men  had  been 
in  prison  at  Salisbury,  and  other 
places  thereabouts,  more  tlian  two 
years  ;  were  often  called  to  exa- 
mination, and  manifold  wa5's  im- 
pugned by  the  bishops  and  priests. 
As  a  specimen  we  shall  give  the 
examination  of  Richard  White, 
befrjre  Dr.  Capon,  the  bishop  of 
Salisbury,  Dr.  Brookes,  the  bishop 
of  Gloucester,  with  Dr.  Geoffrey, 
the  chancellor,  and  other  priests, 
with  whom  first  the  bishop  of  Glou- 
cester, who  had  the  examinatioa 
of  him,  began  thus  : 


RICH  A  in)  VVHiTE  AND  .JOHN  HUNT. 


G89 


"  On  bcinjj  interrosatcd  for  wliat 
cause  he  came  liiflier,  Wliitr  an- 
swered that  he  desired  to  know 
the  cause,  and  rtlii  red  to  tlir  liv- 
{j^ister  as  to  his  examination  at 
Marlborough.  After  some  irrele- 
vant matter  he  was  asked  liis  opi- 
nion of  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
when  they  stumbled  upon  the  very 
definition  of  a  sacrament,  a  word 
first  framed  by  St.  Auf^nstinc,  and 
not  to  be  found  in  scripture  ;  and 
While  declared  that  Christ  ?.nd 
Jiis  sacraments  are  alike,  and  that 
in  both  are  two  natures;  in  the 
one,  a  divine  and  human  nature. 


in  the  other,  an  external  and  an 
infernal  ;  the  external  beinjj  the 
clement  of  bread  and  wine,  and 
the  iritcrna!  liie  invisilde  prace. 
lie  afterwards  observed  that  Clirist, 
as  God,  is  in  all  places;  but  as 
man,  only  in  one  phue.  After  some 
other  questions,  ecpially  appropri- 
ate, and  .inswers  not  more  satis- 
factory to  his  persecutors,  he  was 
ordered  away  to  the  Lollards' 
Tower.  They  were  sent  for  to  be 
condemned  by  the  c'lancelior,  who 
delivered  them  to  tlie  shtiitr  in 
order  to  execution. 


T7ic  manner  in  ithich  the  Piateslants  icere  dragged  through  Bogs  in  Ireland,  and  hmig 
on  Tenter  hooks  fastened  to  Poles  till  they  perished  through  pain  and  uvnt  of'  Food, 
in   1641. 


"  The  sheriff,  sir  Anthony  Hun- 
^erford,  being;  advised  by  his  son- 
in-law,  Mr.  Clifford,  of  i>osco, 
(perhaps  lioscomb)  in  Wilts,  de- 
ferred their  execution,  until  he  re- 
ceived the  writ  De  comhvreudu  ; 
and  was  supported  therein  by  Mr. 
justice  Brown,  on  which  he  left  the 
town,  and  the  chancellor  rode  after 

FOX'S  IIARTYRS. 


him,  to  know  why  he  had  not  seen 
them  executed. 

"The  sherilf  hearing;  the  chan- 
cellor's words,  and  seeing  him  so 
urgent  upon  him,  lold  bitn  again 
that  he  was  no  babe,  which  now 
was  to  be  taught  of  him.  If  he 
Lad  any  writ  to  warrant  and  dis- 
charge   him  in  bi;rniug  tliuse  nieu, 

44 


690 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


thcH  he  knew  what  he  had  to  do  ; 
but  if  you  have  no  other  writ  but 
that  which  you  signed,  I  tell  you, 
I  will  neither  burn  them  for  you, 
nor  any  of  you  all. 

"  Where  note  again  (good 
reader)  how  by  this  it  may  be 
thought  and  supposed,  that  the 
other  poor  saints  and  martyrs  of 
God,  such  as  had  been  burned  at 
Salisbury  before,  were  burned  be- 
like without  any  authorized  or 
sufficient  writ  from  the  superiors, 
but  only  from  the  information  of 
the  chancellor  and  of  the  close. 

"Dr.  Geoffrey,  the  chancellor, 
thus  sent  away  from  the  sheriff", 
went  home,  and  there  fell  sick  upon 
the  same. 

"The  under  sheriff"  to  this  sir 
Anthony  Hungerford,  above  named, 
was  one  Mr.  Michell,  a  godly  man. 
So  that  not  long  after  this  came 
down  the  writ  to  burn  the  above- 
named  Richard  White  and  John 
Hunt ;  but  the  under  sHerift'  said, 
I  will  not  be  guilty  of  these  men's 
blood  :  and  immediately  burnt  the 
writing,  and  departed  his  way. 
Within  four  days  after,  the  chan- 
cellor died ;  concerning  whose 
death  this  cometh  by  the  way  to  be 
noted,  that  these  two  aforesaid, 
John  Hunt,  and  Richard  White, 
being  at  the  same  time  in  a  low 
and  dark  dungeon,  suddenly  fell 
to  such  a  weeping  (but  how  they 
could  not  tell)  that  they  could  not 
pray  one  word ;  the  first  word 
they  heard  in  the  morning  was, 
that  the  chancellor  was  dead, 
which  happened  the  same  hour 
when  they  fell  into  such  a  sudden 
weeping.  Richard  White  and 
John  Hunt,  after  the  death  of  the 
chancellor,  the  bishop  also  being 
dead  a  little  before,  continued  still 
in  prison  till  the  happy  coming  in 
of  queen  Elizabeth ;  and  so  were 
set  at  liberty." 

DEATH    OF  QUEEN    MARY. 

Happy  are  we  to  say,  that  the 
five  persons  mentioned  above  com- 
pleted the  number  of  human  sa- 
crifices in  this  island.  They  were 
the  last  who  fell  victims  to  gratify 
the   malevolent  heart  of    Bonner, 


and  tlve  bigoted  zeal  of  the  unfeel- 
ing and  relentless  Mary. 

The  queen's  health  had  been 
long  declining.  She  had,  for  some 
time,  been  afflicted  with  the  dropsy, 
the  consequence  of  a  false  con- 
ception, and  of  the  improper  re- 
gimen which  she  pursued.  Her 
malady  was  greatly  augmented  by 
the  anxiety  of  her  mind,  which 
was  a  prey  to  the  most  painful  re- 
ffections.  The  consciousness  of 
being  hated  by  her  subjects  ;  the 
mortification  of  being  childless; 
the  fear  of  leaving  her  crown  to 
a  sister,  whom  she  detested  ;  the 
approaching  ruin  that  threatened 
the  Catholic  religion  in  England 
on  her  death  ;  the  indiff'erence  of 
her  husband,  (Philip  of  Spain) 
who,  never  having  loved  her,  had 
now  ceased  to  treat  her  even  with 
the  outward  shew  of  afi"ection,  and 
had  retired  into  his  own  country 
in  disgust:  all  these  painful  cir- 
cumstances preyed  upon  her  mind, 
and  at  length  threw  her  into  a 
slow  fever,  of  which  she  died  on 
the  17th  of  November,  1558,  in  the 
forty-third  year  of  her  age,  and 
the  sixth  of  her  reign. 

When  we  consider  the  bigoted 
zeal  of  this  infatuated  princess, 
and  the  great  number  of  valuable 
lives  sacrificed  through  her  arbi- 
trary mandates,  we  are  naturally 
led  to  condemn  her,  first,  as  a  fel- 
low-creature, and  next,  as  a  sove- 
reign ;  but  more  particularly  in 
the  latter  character,  because,  as 
Providence  had  placed  her  in  so 
distinguished  a  rank,  she  should 
have  held  out  the  arm  of  protec- 
tion to  her  subjects,  instead  of  the 
sword  of  destruction.  But  the 
whole  progress  of  her  reign  does 
not  furnish  us  with  a  single  in- 
stance of  merit  in  her,  either  as  a 
woman  or  a  sovereign-  On  the 
contrary,  all  her  actions  were  of 
the  most  horrid  and  gloomy  cast ; 
and  the  barbarities  she  committed, 
during  her  reign,  were  such  as  to 
exceed  description.  With  her  the 
practice  of  religion  became  the 
trade  of  murder,  and  the  care  of 
her  people  the  exercise  of  her 
cruelty ;    while    all   her  views   for 


WILMOT  AND  FAIRFAX. 


691 


their  Lappincss,  terminated  in  pu- 
nishments for  their  virtues.  Her 
bigotry  infected  every  branch  of 
government,  and  weakened  every 
band  of  society.  She  had  not  any 
thing  engaging,  either  in  her  per- 
son, lier  behaviour,  or  her  address: 
her  understanding  was  confined 
within  very  narrow  limits,  and  her 
temper  was  morose  and  gloomy  ; 
while  obstinacy,  bigotry,  violence, 
malignity,  revenge,  and  tyranny, 
directed  all  her  actions. 

The  death  of  queen  Mary  re- 
vived the  drooping  spirits  of  the 
long-oppressed  protestants.  They 
now  anticipated  the  peaceful  pe- 
riod, when  they  should  no  longer 
be  persecuted  for  their  religion  ; 
and  when  their  virtues  would  not 
expose  them,  to  the  rage  of  igno- 
rance and  bigotry. 

Nor  were  they  mistaken  :  Eli- 
zabeth was  as  strong  an  advocate 
for  the  protestant  religion,  as  her 


predecessor  had  been  inveterate 
against  it.  No  sooner  did  slie  as- 
cend the  throne,  than  her  atlcsilion 
was  directed  to  the  protcctisju  of 
the  professors  of  the  reformed  re- 
ligion ;  but  she  did  this  in  so  wise 
and  prudent  a  manner,  as  to  pre- 
vent any  disturbance  from  the  op- 
posite party.  By  herdistinguished 
management,  in  a  siiort  time,  she 
fixed  the  protestant  religion  on  so 
solid  a  basis,  as  to  prevent  its  being 
again  overthrown,  and  ever  since 
her  reign,  though  various  attempts 
have  been  made  to  destroy  it,  tliey 
have  all  terminated  in  the  defeat 
of  the  conspirators,  and  the  ruin 
of  their  projects.  Tliat  they  may 
always  so  terminate,  should  be  the 
fervent  prayer  of  every  one  who 
prefers  purity  to  corruption,  and 
the  decent  ritual  of  the  reformed 
church,  to  the  frivolous  ceremo- 
nies and  pompous  nothingness  af 
the  Popish  worship. 


SECTION  XVII. 

A  TREATISE  CONCERNING  THOSE  THAT  WERE  SCOURGED  BY  THE  PA- 
PISTS, FOR  THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  GOSPEL,  AND  THOSE,  WHO,  AFTER 
VARIOUS    SUFFERINGS,    ESCAPED." 

malice  of  our  enemies,  and  become 
the  tower  of  oar  refuge  and  the 
rock  of  our  salvation. 

After  this  bloody  slaughter  of 
God's  saints  and  servants  thus 
ended  and  discussed,  let  us  now 
proceed  (by  God's  assistance)  to 
treat  of  such  as  for  the  same  cause 
of  religion  have  been,  though  not 
put  to  death,  yet  v/hipped  and 
scourged  by  the  enemies  of  God's 
word,  iiist  beginning  with  Richard 
Wilmot  and  Tliomas  Fairfax,  who, 
about  the  time  of  Anne  Askew, 
were  miserably  rent  and  tormented 
with  scourges  and  stripes,  for  their 
faithful  standing  to  Christ  and  his 
truth,  as  by  the  story  and  exami- 
nation of  them  both  may  appear. 

THE    SCOURGING    OF    RICHARD    WIL- 
MOT   AND    THOMAS    FAIRFAX. 

After  the  first  recantation  of  Dr. 
Crome,  for  his  sermon  which  h« 
made  tiie  fifth  Sunday  in  Lent, 
at   St.    Thomas    Acres^   being   the 


The  following  "  Treatise"  con- 
cerning those  persons  who,  though 
not  actually  put  to  death,  were  yet 
persecuted  and  cruelly  treated  by 
the  enemies  of  the  gospel,  is  so  in- 
teresting, and  so  worthy  of  preser- 
vation on  many  accounts,  that  we 
should  consider  our  work  very  in- 
complete, and  we  doubt  not  our 
readers  would  be  of  the  same  opi- 
nion, were  we  to  omit  it ;  we  there- 
fore give  it  entire,  and  wish  to  di- 
rect particular  attention  to  that  part 
which  relates  to  the  marvellous 
preservation  of  many  of  those 
whom  the  agents  of  Antichrist  had 
devoted  to  destruction ;  from  this 
a  consoling  reflection  may  be 
drawn, — that,  however  desperate 
onr  condition  may  seem  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world,  there  is  One  who  can 
assist  us  ;  and,  however  we  may  be 
surrounded,  "  shot  at,  and  sore 
grieved,  by  the  archers,"  tTe  who 
smote  the  army  of  Sennacherib,  as 
it  were  with  a  whirlwind,  will  de- 
liver u^  in  his  good  time,  from  the 


692 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Mercers*  cliapej,  Lis  sermon  v.as 
on  tlie  Epistle  of  llic  same  day, 
written  in  the  tentit  chapter  to  the 
Hebrews ;  wherein  he  very  learn- 
edly proved  by  the  same  place  of 
scripture  and  other.?,  that  Christ 
was  the  only  and  sudicient  sacrifice 
unto  God  the  Father  for  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world,  and  that  there  was 
no  more  sacrifice  to  be  offered  for  sin 
by  the  priests,  forasmuch  as  Christ 
had  ofl'ered  his  body  on  the  cross, 
and  shed  his  blood  for  the  sins  of 
the  people,  and  that  once  for  all. 
For  which  sermon  he  was  appre- 
hended by  Bonner,  and  broufrht 
before  Steplien  Gardiner  and  others 
of  the  council,  where  he  promised 
to  recant  his  doctrine  at  St.  Paul's 
Cross,  the  second  Sunday  after 
Easter.  And  accordin2;ly  he  was 
there  and  preached,  Bonner  with 
all  his  doctors  sittinu:  before  him  : 
but  he  so  preached  and  handled 
his  matter,  that  he  rather  verified 
his  former  saying,  than  denied  any 
part  of  that  which  he  before  had 
preaelied.  For  which  the  pro- 
testants  praised  God,  and  heartily 
rejoiced. 

Bishop  Bonner  and  iiis  cham- 
pions were  not  at  all  pleased  there- 
with, but  yet  notwithstanding  they 
took  him  home  with  them,  and  he 
was  so  handled  among  the  wolfish 
generation,  that  they  made  him 
come  to  the  Cross  again  the  next 
Sunday. 

And  because  the  magistrates 
should  now  hear  him,  and  be  wit- 
ness of  this  recantation,  which  was 
most  blasphemous,  to  deny  Christ's 
sacrifice  to  be  sulhcient  for  peni- 
tent sinners,  and  to  say  that  the 
sacrifice  of  the  mass  was  good, 
godly,  and  an  holy  sacrifice,  propi- 
tiatory and  available  both  for  the 
quick  and  the  dead :  because  (I 
say)  that  they  would  liave  the  no- 
bles to  hear  this  blasphemous  doc- 
trine, the  viperous  generation  pro- 
cured all  the  cliief  of  tlie  council  to 
be  there  present. 

Now  to  come  to  our  matter:  at 
this  time,  the  same  week,  between 
his  first  sermon  and  the  last,  and 
while  Dr.  Crome  was  in  durance, 
one  Richard  Wilmot,  being  appren- 
2 


tice  in  Bow-lane,  of  the  age  of  18 
years,  and  sitting  at  work  in  his 
master's  shop,  in  the  month  of  Juiyj 
one  Lewis,  a  Welehman,  being 
one  of  the  guard,  came  into  the 
shop,  having  things  to  do  for  him- 
self. 

One  asked  him  what  news  at  the 
court,  and  he  answered,  that  the 
old  heretic.  Dr.  Crome,  had  re- 
canted now  indeed  before  the  coun- 
cil, and  that  he  should  on  Sunday 
next  be  at  St.  Paul's  Cross  again, 
and  there  declare  it. 

Then  Wilmot  sitting  at  his  mas- 
ter's work,  and  hearing  him  speak 
these  words,  and  rejoicing  in  the 
same,  began  to  speak  unto  him, 
saying,  that  he  was  sorry  to  hear 
this  news  :  for  (said  he)  if  Crome 
should  say  otherwise  than  he  hath 
said,  then  is  it  contrary  to  the  truth 
of  God's  word,  and  contrary  to  his 
own  conscience,  which  shall  before 
God  accuse  him. 

Lewis  answered  and  said,  that 
he  had  preaciied  and  taught  he- 
res3' ;  and  therefore  it  was  meet 
that  he  should  in  such  a  place  re- 
voke it. 

Wilmot  told  him  that  he  would 
not  so  say,  neither  did  he  hear  him 
preach  any  doctrine  contrary  to 
God's  written  word,  but  that  he 
proved  his  doctrine,  and  that  suf- 
Ijciently,  by  the  scriptures. 

Lewis  then  asked  him  how  he 
knew  that  ? 

Wilmot  answered,  by  the  scrip- 
tures of  God,  Vvdierein  he  shall  find 
God's  v.ill  and  pleasure,  what  he 
willeth  all  men  to  do,  and  what  not 
to  do  ;  and  also  by  them  he  shall 
prove  and  try  all  doctrines,  and  the 
false  doctrine  from  the  true. 

Lewis  said,  it  was  never  well 
since  the  Bible  was  translated  into 
English  ;  and  that  he  was  both  au 
heretic  and  a  traitor  that  caused 
it  to  be  translated  into  English  ; 
(meaning  Cromwell),  and  therefore 
was  rewarded  according  to  his 
deserts. 

Wilmot  answered  again,  W^hat 
liis  deserts  and  offences  were  to 
his  priiice  a  great  many  do  not 
know,  noitlu-r  is  it  of  any  force 
whether  they   do  or  no  :   since  he 


WILMOT  AND  FAIRFAX. 


603 


■was  sure  be  lost  Lis  life  for  offend- 
in<;  his  priiico,  and  the  law  did  put 
it  in  execution  ;  addini?  moreover, 
conceruiriL;  that  man,  that  he 
ihou^^iit  it  pleased  God  to  raiiie 
him  trom  a  low  estate,  and  to  place 
him  in  hi<;h  authority,  partly  utUo 
this,  tliat  he  should  do  that  which 
all  the  bishops  ia  the  realm  yet 
never  did,  in  restoring,-  again  God's 
holy  word,  which  being  hid  Ion-? 
before  from  the  people  in  a  strange 
tongue,  and  now  coming  abroad 
amongst  us,  will  bring  our  bishops 
and  priests,  said  he,  in  less  esti- 
mation among  the  people. 

Lewis  asked.  Why  so  ? 

Wilmot  said,  Jiecause  their  doc- 
trine and  liviiJg  is  not  ugreeab'.e  to 
his  word. 

Then  said  Lewis,  I  never  beard 
but  that  all  men  should  learn  of  the 
bishops  and  priests,  because  they 
are  learned  men,  and  have  been 
brought  up  in  learning  all  the  days 
of  their  lives.  Wlierefore  they 
must  needs  know  the  truth,  and 
our  fathers  did  believe  their  doe- 
trine  and  learning,  and  I  think 
they  did  well,  for  the  world  was 
far  better  then  than  it  is  now. 

Wilmot  answered,  I  v.ill  not  say 
so  :  for  vi^e  must  not  believe  them 
because  they  are  bishops,  neither 
because  they  are  learned,  neither 
because  our  forefathers  did  follow 
their  doctrine.  For  I  have  read  in 
God's  book,  how  that  bishops  and 
learned  men  have  taught  the  peo- 
ple false  doctrine,  and  likewise  the 
priests  from  time  to  time,  and  in- 
deed those  people  our  forefathers 
believed  as  they  taught,  and  as 
they  thought,  so  thought  the  peo- 
ple. But  for  all  this  Christ  calleth 
them  false  prophets,  thieves,  and 
murderers,  blind  leaders  of  the 
blind,  willing  the  people  to  take 
heed  of  them,  lest  they  should  both 
fall  into  the  ditch. 

Moreover  we  read,  that  the  bi- 
shops, priests,  and  learned  men 
have  been  commonly  resisters  of 
the  truth  from  time  to  time,  and 
have  always  persecuted  the  pro- 
phets in  the  old  law,  as  their  suc- 
cessors did  persecute  our  Saviour 
Christ  and  his  disciples  in  the  new 


law.  We  must  tuke  heed  there- 
fore that  we  credit  tliem  no  further 
than  God  will  have  us,  neither  fol- 
low them  nor  our  forefathers  other- 
wise tiian  he  conimmideth  us.  For 
Ahuiglity  God  hath  given  to  all 
people,  as  well  to  kings  and  prin- 
ces, as  bisl:ops,  priests,  learned 
and  unlearned  men,  a  command- 
ment and  law,  unto  v»  hicli  he  will- 
eth  all  men  to  be  obedient.  There- 
fore if  any  bishop  or  priest  preach 
or  teach,  or  prince  or  magistrate 
command  any  thing  contrary  to  hi.s 
commandment,  we  must  take  heed 
how  v.e  obey  them.  For  it  is 
better  for  us  to  obey  God  than 
man. 

Marry,  sir,  quoth  Lewis,  you  arc 
an  holy  doctor  indeed.  By  God's 
blood,  if  you  were  my  man,  I 
would  set  you  about  your  business 
a  little  belter,  and  not  sull'er  you 
to  look  upon  books,  and  so  would 
your  master  if  he  were  wise.  And 
with  that  in  came  his  master,  and 
a  young  man  witli  him,  who  was  a 
servant  to  Mr.  Daubney,  in  Wat- 
ling-strcet. 

His  master  asked  him  what  was 
the  matter. 

Lewis  said,  that  he  had  a  knavish 
boy  Jiera  to  his  servant,  and  how 
that  if  he  were  his,  he  would  ra- 
ther hang  him  than  keep  him  in  his 
house. 

Then  his  master  being  somewiiat 
moved,  asked  his  fellows  wliat  the 
matter  was. 

They  said,  they  began  to  talk 
about  Dr.  Cromc. 

Then  his  master  asked  what  he 
had  said,  swearing  a  great  oath, 
that  he  would  make  him  tell  him. 

He  said.  That  he  trusted  he  had 
said  nothing,  wherewitii  either  he 
or  Mr.  Lev, is  might  justly  be  of- 
fended. I  pray  (quoth  Wilmot), 
ask  him  what  I  said. 

Marry  (said  Lewis),  this  he  said. 
That  Dr.  Crome  did  preach  and 
teach  nothing  but  the  truth,  and 
hov/  that  if  he  recanted  on  Sun- 
day next,  he  should  be  sorry  to 
hear  it,  and  that  if  he  do,  he  is 
made  to  do  it  against  his  con- 
science. And  more  he  saith,  that 
Me  must  not  follow    our  bishooi' 


694 


BOOK  OF  MARTYIIS. 


doctrine  and  preaching  :  for,  saitli 
lie,  they  be  Viinderers  of  God's 
word,  and  persecutors  of  that ;  and 
how  Cromwell  (that  traitor)  did 
more  good  in  setting  forth  the  Bi- 
ble, than  all  our  bishops  have  done 
these  hundred  years  :  thus  report- 
ing the  matter  worse  than  it  really 
was. 

His  master  hearing  this,  was  in  a 
great  fury,  and  rated  him,  saying, 
that  either  he  would  be  hanged  or 
burned,  swearing  that  he  would 
take  away  all  his  boolcs  and  burn 
them. 

The  young  man  (Mr.  Daubney's 
servant)  standing  by  hearing  this, 
began  to  speak  on  his  part  unto 
Lewis,  and  his  talk  conhrmed  all 
the  sayings  of  the  other  to  be  true. 
This  young  man  was  learned,  his 
name  was  Thomas  Fairfax.  Lewis 
hearing  this  man's  talk  as  well  as 
the  other's,  w  ent  his  way  in  a  rage 
to  the  court. 

On  the  next  day  they  heard, 
that  the  said  Wilmot  and  Fairfax 
were  sent  for  to  come  to  the  lord 
mayor.  The  messenger  was  Mr. 
Smart,  the  sword-bearer  of  Lon- 
don. They  came  before  dinner  to 
the  mayor's  house,  and  were  com- 
manded to  sit  down  to  dinner  in 
the  ball  ;  and  when  dinner  was 
done,  they  were  both  called  into  a 
parlour,  where  the  mayor  and  sir 
lloi!;er  Cholmley  was,  who  examin- 
ed "them  severally,  the  one  not 
hearing  the  other. 

The  effect  of  their  discourse  was 
this  ;  sir  Roger  Cholmley  said  to 
"Wilmot,  that  my  lord  mayor  and 
he  had  received  a  commandment 
from  the  council,  to  send  for  him 
and  his  company,  and  to  examine 
them  of  certain  things  which  were 
laid  to  their  charge. 

Then  said  Cholmley  to  him, 
Sirrah,  wiiat  countryman  art  thou  ? 
He  answered.  That  he  was  born  in 
Cambridgeshire,  and  in  such  a 
town.  'I'hen  he  asked  him  how 
long  he  had  known  Dr.  Crome. 
He  said,  about  two  years.  Then 
he  called  him  a  lying  boy,  and  said 
that  he  (tiie  said  Witmot)  was  his 
son. 

Tlie    other  said  unto   him,   fliat 


was  unlike,  for  that  he  never  saw 
his  mother  nor  she  him.  Cholmley 
said  he  lied.  Wilmot  said  he 
could  prove  it  to  be  true.  Then  he 
asked  him  how  he  liked  his  ser- 
mon that  he  made  at  St.  Thomas 
Acres  chapel  in  Lent.  He  said 
that  indeed  he  heard  him  not.  He 
said  yes  and  the  other  nay.  Then 
said  he.  What  say  you  to  this  ser- 
mon made  at  the  Cross  the  last 
day,  heard  you  not  that  ? 

WUmot.  Yes,  and  in  that  ser- 
mon he  deceived  a  great  number 
of  people. 

C/tolmlei/.     How  so  ? 
Wilmot.     For  that  they  looked 
that  he   should  have  recanted  his 
doctrine  that  he  taught  before,  and 
did  not,  but  rather  confirmed  it. 

Cholmley.  Yea,  sir,  but  how  say 
you  now  to  him  ?  For  he  hath  re- 
canted before  the  council ;  and 
hath  promised  ou  Sunday  next  to 
be  at  the  Cross  again  :  how  think 
you  of  that? 

Wihnot.  If  he  so  did,  I  am  the 
more  sorry  to  hear  it ;  and  said, 
he  thought  he  did  it  for  fear  and 
safeguard  of  his  life. 

Cholmley.  But  what  say  you? 
Was  his  lirst  sermon  heresy  or 
not? 

Wilmvt.  No,  I  suppose  it  was 
no  heresy.  For  if  it  were,  St. 
Paul's  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was 
heresy,  and  Paul  an  heretic  that 
preached  such  doctrine  ;  but  God 
forbid  that  any  Christian  man 
should  so  think  of  the  holy  apostle  ; 
neither  do  I  so  think. 

Cholmley.  Why,  how  knowest 
thou  that  St.  Paul  wrote  those 
things  that  are  in  English  now,  to 
be  true,  whereas  Paul  never  wrote 
English  or  Latin  ? 

Wihiot.  I  am  certified  that 
learned  men  of  God,  that  did  seek 
to  advance  his  word,  did  translate 
the  same  out  of  the  Greek  and  He- 
brew into  Latin  and  English,  and 
that  they  durst  not  presume  to 
alter  the  sense  of  the  scripture  of 
God,  and  last  will  and  testament  of 
Christ  Jesus. 

Then  the  lord  mayor,  being  in  a 
great  fury,  asked  him  what  he  had 
to  do  to  read  such  books,  and  said, 


WILMOT  AND  FAIRFAX. 


69i 


that  it  was  a  pity  that  his  master 
did  suffer  him  so  to  do,  and  that 
he  was  not  set  hotter  to  work;  and 
in  fine  said  unto  him,  that  he  had 
spolcen  evil  of  my  lord  of  Win- 
chester, and  bishop  Bonner,  those 
reverend  and  learned  fathers  and 
counsellors  of  this  realm,  for 
which  his  act  he  saw  no  other  but 
be  must  suffer,  as  was  due  to  the 
same.  And  sir  R.  Cholmley  said. 
Yea,  my  lord,  there  is  such  a  sort 
of  heretics  and  traitorous  knaves 
taken  now  in  Essex  by  my  lord 
Rich,  that  it  is  too  wonderful  to 
hear.  They  shall  be  sent  to  the 
bishop  shortly,  and  shall  be  hanged 
and  burned  all. 

WUmot.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that 
of  my  lord  Rich,  for  that  he  was 
my  godfather,  and  gave  me  my 
name  at  my  baptism. 

Cholmley  asked  him  when  he 
spake  with  him.  He  said,  not 
these  twelve  years. 

Cholmle}/.  if  he  knew  that  you 
were  such  a  one,  he  Avould  do  the 
like  by  you,  and  in  so  doing  he 
should  do  God  great  service. 

Wilmot.  I  have  read  the  same 
saying  in  the  gospel  that  Christ 
said  to  his  disciples,  "  The  time 
shall  come,"  saith  he,  ''that  who- 
soever killeth  you,  shall  think  that 
he  shall  do  God  good  service." 

Well,  sir,  said  Cholmley,  be- 
cause you  are  so  full  of  your 
Scripture,  and  so  well  learned,  we 
consider  you  lack  a  quiet  place  to 
study  in.  Therefore  you  shall  go 
to  a  place  where  you  sliall  be 
most  quiet,  and  I  would  wish  you 
to  study  how  you  will  answer  to 
the  council  of  those  things  which 
they  have  to  charge  you  with,  for 
else  it  is  like  to  cost  you  your  best 
joint.  I  know  my  lord  of  Win- 
chester will  handle  you  well 
enough,  when  he  heareth  thus 
much.  Then  was  the  officer  called 
in  to  have  him  to  the  Compter,  in 
the  Poultry,  and  the  other  to  the 
other  Compter,  not  one  of  them  to 
see  another;  and  thus  they  re- 
mained eight  days.  In  which 
time  their  masters  made  great  suit 
to  the  lord  mayor,  and  to  sir  Ro- 
ger  Cholmley,   to   know  their   of- 


fences, and  that  they  might  be  de- 
livered. 

At  length  they  procured  the 
wardens  of  the  company  of  Dra- 
pers to  labour  with  them  in  their 
suit  to  the  mayor.  The  mayor 
went  with  them  to  the  council: 
but  at  that  time  they  could  iind  no 
grace  at  Winchester's  hand,  and 
sir  Antony  Browne's,  but  that 
they  had  deserved  death,  and  that 
they  should  have  the  law. 

At  length,  through  much  en- 
treaty, he  granted  them  this  fa- 
vour, that  they  should  not  die  as 
they  had  deserved,  but  should  be 
tied  to  a  cart's  tail,  and  be  whip- 
ped three  market-days  through 
the  city.  Thus  they  came  home 
that  day,  and  went  another  day, 
and  the  master  and  wardens  of 
the  company  petitioned  on  their 
knees  to  have  this  open  punish- 
ment released,  forasmuch  as  they 
were  servants  of  so  worshipful  a 
company,  and  that  they  might  be 
punished  in  their  own  hall,  before 
the  wardens,  and  certain  of  the 
company,  which  at  length  was 
granted. 

The  next  day  they  appeared  be- 
fore the  masters  in  the  h^U,  their 
own  masters  being  present,  where 
they  were  charged  with  heresy 
and  treason,  for  which,  they  were 
told,  they  deserved  death,  and 
this  was  declared,  with  a  long 
process,  by  Mr.  Brookes,  the  mas- 
ter of  the  company,  declaring 
what  labour  and  suit  the  mayor 
and  wardens  had  made  for  then», 
to  save  them  from  death,  which 
they  (as  he  said)  had  deserved, 
and  from  open  shame,  which  they 
should  have  had,  being  judged  by 
the  council  to  have  been  whipped 
three  days  through  the  city,  at  a 
cart's  tail,  and  from  these  two 
dangers  they  had  laboured  to  de- 
liver them,  but  not  without  great 
trouble  and  charge.  For  (said  he) 
the  company  hath  promised  to  the 
council  for  this  their  mercy  to- 
wards them,  an  hundred  pounds ; 
notwithstanding,  we  must  see 
tlicm  punished  in  our  hall,  within 
ourselves,  for  those  their  offences. 
After    these,      and     many     other 


696 


BbOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


woids,  he  commanded  them  fo 
prepaie  tliemselves  to  receive  their 
punishment. 

Tlien  they  were  put  asunder, 
aad  stiipped  from  li:e  waist  up- 
v/ard,  one  alter  another,  and  were 
had  into  the  nsidst  of  the  hall, 
where  they  were  wont  to  make 
their  fire;  there  was  a  great  rin<^ 
of  iron,  to  which  there  was  a  rope, 
t'ed  fast,  aivd  one  of  their  feet  tied 
fast  to  that. 

Then  came  down  two  men  dis- 
guised in  mummer's  apparel,  with 
vizors  on  their  faces,  and  they  heat 
them  with  great  rods  till  the  hlood 
flowed  out  of  their  bodies.  As  for 
V/ihuot,  he  could  not  lie  in  his 
bed  for  six  nights  after,  for 
Brookes  played  the  tyraat  witli 
them;  so  that,  with  tiie  pain  and 
fear,  they  were  never  in  health  af- 
terwards, as  the  said  Wilmot  with 
his  mouth  hath  credibly  informed 
us,  and  we  can  do  no  less  than  tes- 
tify the  same. 

Thus  liave  we  briefly  declared 
this  little  tragedy,  wherein  we 
may  note  the  malice  of  the  ene- 
mies at  all  times  to  those  who  pro- 
fess Christ,  and  take  his  part,  of 
what  estate  or  degree  soever  they 
be,  according  to  the  apostle's  say- 
ing, "  It  is  given  unto  you  not 
only  to  believe,  but  also  to  sutler 
with  him."  To  whom  be  honour 
and  glory,  Amen. 

THE  SCOURGING  OF  THOMAS 
GREEN,  PRINTER,  WRITTEN  BY 
HIS    OV/N    HAND. 

In  the  reign  of  queen  Mary,  I, 
Thomas  Green,  being  brought  be- 
fore Dr.  Story,  by  my  master, 
whose  name  is  John  Wayland,  a 
printer,  for  a  book  called  vinti- 
christ,  which  had  been  distributed 
to  certain  honest  men;  he  asked 
me  where  I  had  the  book,  and 
said  I  was  a  traitor.  I  told  him  I 
had  the  book  of  a  Frenchman. 
Then  he  asked  me  more  questions, 
but  I  told  him  I  could  tell  him  no 
more.  Then  he  said,  it  was  no 
heresy,  but  treason,  and  that  I 
should  be  hanged,  drawn,  and 
quartered;  and  so  he  called  for 
Cluny,  the  keeper  of  the  Lollards' 


Tower,  and  bid  hira  set  me  fast  id 
the  stocks;  and  he  took  me  out, 
and  carried  me  to  the  Coal-house, 
and  there  I  found  a  Frenchman 
lying  in  the  stocks,  and  he  look 
him  out,  and  put  a  bolt  and  a  fet- 
ter on  my  right  leg,  and  another 
on  my  left  hand,  and  so  he  set  me 
cross-fettered  in  the  stocks,  and 
took  tbe  Frenchman  away  with 
him,  and  there  1  lay  a  day  and  a 
night.  On  the  morrow  after,  he 
came  and  said,  Let  me  shift  your 
hand  and  your  leg,  because  you 
shall  not  be  lame ;  and  he  made  as 
though  he  pitied  me,  and  said. 
Tell  me  the  truth,  and  I  will  be 
your  friend. 

And  I  said,  I  had  told  the  truth, 
and  could  tell  no  otherwise. 
Then  he  put  only  my  leg  in  the 
stocks,  and  so  went  his  way,  and 
there  I  remained  six  days,  and 
would  come  to  no  answer. 

Then  Dr.  Story  sent  for  me,  and 
asked  me  whether  I  would  tell 
him  the  truth,  where  I  had  the 
book.  I  said  I  had  told  him,  of  a 
Frenchman.  He  asked  me  where 
I  came  acquainted  with  the 
Frenchman,  wiiere  he  dwelt,  and 
where  he  delivered  me  the  book. 
I  said,  I  came  acquainted  with 
him  in  Newgate,  T  coming  to  my 
friends  who  were  put  in  for  God's 
word  and  truth's  sake,  and  the 
Frenchman  coming  to  his  friends 
also,  there  we  talked  together, 
and  became  acquainted  one  with 
another,  and  did  eat  and  drink  to- 
gether there,  with  our  friends,  in 
the  fear  of  God. 

Then  Story  scoffed  at  me,  and 
said,  Then  there  was  brother  in 
Christ,  and  brother  in  Christ;  and 
reviled  me,  and  called  me  an  he- 
retic, and  asked  me  if  I  had  the 
book  of  him  in  Newgate.  I  said. 
No ;  and  I  told  him,  as  T  went  on 
my  business  in  the  street,  I  met 
him,  and  he  asked  me  how  I  did, 
and  I  him  also;  so  falling  into  dis- 
course, he  shewed  me  that  book, 
and  I  desired  him  that  he  would 
let  me  have  it. 

In  this  examination  Story  said, 
it  was  a  great  book,  and  asked  me 
whether    I   bought    it,     or  had   it 


THOMAS  GllEEN. 


697 


jfiven  me.  I  told  him  I  boui^ht  it. 
Then  he  said,  I  was  a  thief,  and 
had  stolen  my  master's  money. 
And  I  said,  a  little  money  served, 
for  I  j^ave  him  but  four-pence,  but 
I  promised  him,  tiiat  at  our  next 
meetinj;-  I  would  give  him  tv/clve- 
pence  more.  And  he  said,  that 
was  boldly  done,  for  such  a  book 
as  spake  both  treason  and  heresy. 

Then  Story  required  me  to 
bring  him  two  sureties  and  watch 
for  him  that  I  had  the  book  of, 
and  I  should  have  no  harm.  I 
made  him  answer,  I  would  bring 
no  sureties,  uor  could  I  tell  where 
to  find  them.  Then  said  he,  This 
is  but  a  lie;  and  so  called  for 
Cluny,  and  bid  him  lay  me  fast  in 
the  Coal-house,  saying,  he  would 
make  me  tell  another  tale  at  my 
next  coming ;  and  so  I  lay  in  the 
stocks,  day  and  night,  but  only 
when  I  eat  my  meat,  and  there  re- 
mained ten  days  before  I  was 
called  for  again. 

Then  Dr.  Story  sent  for  me 
again,  and  asked  if  I  would  yettell 
him  the  truth;  I  said,  I  neither 
could  nor  would  tell  him  any  other 
truth  than  I  had  done  already. 
And  while  I  was  there  standing, 
there  were  two  brought,  which  I 
took  to  be  prisoners. 

Then  Mrs.  Story  fell  in  a  rage, 
and  sware  a  great  oath,  that  it 
were  a  good  deed  to  put  a  hun- 
dred or  two  of  these  heretic 
knaves  in  an  house,  and  I  myself 
(said  she)  would  set  it  on  fire ! 
So  I  was  committed  to  prison 
again,  where  I  remained  fourteen 
days,  and  came  to  no  answer. 

Then  Story  sent  for  me  again, 
and  called  me  into  the  garden, 
where  I  found  with  him  my  lord  of 
Windsor's  chaplain,  and  two  gen- 
tlemen more,  and  he  told  them  all 
what  they  had  said  and  done. 
They  said,  the  book  was  a  won- 
drous evil  book,  and  had  both 
treason  and  heresy  in  it.  They 
then  asked  me  what  I  said  of  the 
book.  And  I  said,  I  knew  no  evil 
by  it. 

At  which  words  Story  chafed, 
and  said  he  would  hang  me  up  by 
the  hand  with   a  rope;    and  said 


also,  he  would  cut  out  my  tongue, 
and  mine  ears  also  from  my  head. 
After  this  they  alleged  two  or 
three  things  unto  me  out  of  the 
book.  And  I  answered,  I  had  not 
read  the  book  throughout,  and  there- 
fore could  give  no  judgment  of  it. 

Then  my  lord  of  Windsor's 
chaplain  and  the  other  two  gentle- 
men took  me  aside,  and  entreated 
me  very  gently,  saying.  Tell  us 
where  you  had  the  book,  and  of 
whom,  and  we  will  save  you  harm- 
less. I  made  them  answer,  that  I 
had  told  all  I  could  to  Dr.  Story, 
and  began  to  tell  it  them  again: 
but  they  said,  they  knew  that  al- 
ready ;  so  they  left  tiiat  talk,  and 
went  again  with  me  to  Story. 

Then  Story  burdened  me  with 
my  faith,  and  said  I  was  an  here- 
tic. Whereupon  the  chaplain 
asked  me  how  I  did  believe. 
Then  I  began  to  rehearse  the  ar- 
ticles of  my  belief,  but  he  bid  me 
let  that  alone.  Then  he  asked  me 
how  I  believed  in  Christ.  I  made 
him  answer,  that  I  believed  in 
Christ,  who  died,  and  rose  again 
the  third  day,  and  sitteth  on  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father. 

Whereupon  Story  asked  me 
mockingly.  What  is  the  right  hand 
of  God  '.  I  made  him  answer,  I 
thought  it  was  his  glory.  Then 
said  he.  So  they  say  all.  And  he 
asked  me,  when  he  would  be  , 
weary  of  sitting  there!  Then  inter- 
fered my  lord  of  Windsor's  chap- 
Iain,  asking  me  what  I  said  to  the 
mass.  I  said,  I  never  kpew  what 
it  was,  nor  what  it  meant,  for  I 
understood  it  not,  because  I  never 
learned  any  Latin,  and  since  the 
time  I  had  any  knowledge,  I  had 
been  brought  up  in  nothing  but  in 
reading  of  English,  and  with  such 
men  as  have  taught  the  same; 
with  many  more  questions,  which  I 
cannot  rehearse. 

Moreover,  he  asked  me  if  there 
were  not  the  very  body  of  Christ, 
flesh,  blood,  and  bone,  in  the 
mass,  after  the  priest  had  conse- 
crated it.  And  I  made  him  an- 
answer,  As  for  the  mass,  I  cannot 
understand  it;  but  in  the  New 
Testament  I  read,  that  as  the  apos- 


698 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ties  stood  looktng  after  the  Lord 
when  he  ascended  up  into  heaven, 
an  angel  said  to  them,  "  Even  as  ye 
see  him  ascend  up,  so  shall  he  come 
ag:ain."  And  I  told  them  another 
sentence,  where  Christ  saith,  "  The 
poor  shall  you  have  always  with 
you,  but  lue  ye  shall  ngt  have 
always." 

Then  Mr.  Chaplain  put  many 
more  questions  to  me,  to  which  I 
made  no  answer.  Among  others,  he 
brought  Chrysostom  and  St.  Hie- 
rome,  for  his  purpose.  To  whom  I 
answered,  that  I  neither  minded 
nor  was  able  to  answer  their  doctors, 
neither  knew  whether  they  alleged 
them  right,  or  no,  but  to  that  which 
is  written  in  the  New  Testament  I 
would  answer.  Here  they  laughed 
me  to  scorn,  and  called  me  fool,  and 
said,  they  would  reason  no  more 
with  me. 

Then  Dr.  Story  called  for  Cluny, 
and  bid  him  take  me  away,  and  set 
me  fast,  and  let  no  man  speak  with 
me.  So  I  was  sent  to  the  Coal- 
house;  where  I  had  not  been  a  week, 
but  there  came  in  fourteen  prison- 
ers: but  I  was  kept  still  alone  with- 
out company,  in  a  prison  called 
Salt-house,  having  upon  my  leg  a 
bolt  and  a  fetter,  and  my  hands  ma- 
nacled together  with  irons,  and 
there  continued  ten  days,  having 
nothing  to  lie  on,  but  bare  stones  or 
a  board. 

On  a  time  whilst  I  lay  there  in 
prison,  the  bishop  of  London  com- 
ing down  a  pair  of  stairs  on  the 
backside  undrest,  in  his  hose  and 
doublet,  looked  through  the  grate, 
and  asked  wherefore  I  was  put  in, 
and  who  put  me  in. 

I  made  him  answer,  that  I  was 
put  in  for  a  book  called  Antichrist, 
by  Dr.  Story.  And  he  said,  You  are 
not  ashamed  to  declare  wherefore 
you  were  put  in  !  and  said  it  was  a 
very  wicked  book,  and  bid  me  con- 
fess the  truth  to  Story.  I  said,  I 
had  told  the  truth  to  him  already, 
and  desired  him  to  be  good  unto 
me,  and  help  me  out  of  prison,  for 
they  had  kept  me  there  a  long  time. 
And  he  said  he  could  not  meddle 
with  it;  Story  had  begun,  and  he 
must  end  it. 


Then  I  was  removed  out  of  the 
Salt-house  to  give  place  to  two  wo- 
men, and  carried  to  the  Lollards' 
Tower,  and  put  in  the  stocks;  and 
there  I  found  two  prisoners,  one 
called  Lion,  a  Frenchman,  and  an- 
otiier  with  him:  and  so  I  was  kept 
in  the  stocks  more  than  a  month 
both  day  and  night,  and  no  man  suf- 
fered to  come  to  me,  or  to  speak 
with  me,  but  only  my  keeper. 

Thus  we  three  being  together, 
Lion,  the  Frenchman,  sung  a  psalm 
in  the  French  tongue,  and  we  sang 
with  him,  so  that  we  were  heard 
down  in  the  street,  and  the  keeper 
coming  up  in  a  great  rage,  sware 
that  he  would  put  all  in  the  stocks, 
and  so  took  the  Frenchman,  and 
commanded  him  to  kneel  down  upon 
his  knees,  and  put  both  his  hands  in 
the  stocks,  where  he  remained  all 
that  night  till  the  next  day. 

After  this,  I  being  in  Lollards' 
Tower  seven  days,  since  my  last 
being  with  Story,  he  sware  a  great 
oath,  that  he  would  rack  me,  and 
make  me  tell  the  truth.  Then  Story 
sending  for  me,  commanded  me  to  be 
brought  to  Walbrook,  where  he  and 
the  commissioners  dined  ;  and  by 
the  way  the  keeper  told  me  that  I 
should  go  to  the  Tower  to  be  racked. 
So  when  they  had  dined.  Story 
called  for  me  in,  and  so  there  I  stood 
before  them,  and  some  said  I  was 
worthy  to  be  hanged  for  having  such 
heretical  books.  After  I  had  staid 
a  little  while  before  them.  Story 
called  for  the  keeper,  and  command- 
ed him  to  carry  me  to  the  Lollards' 
Tower  again,  and  said  he  had  other 
matters  of  the  queen's  to.  do  with 
the  commissioners,  but  he  would  find 
another  time  for  me.  Whilst  I  lay 
yet  in  the  Lollards'  Tower  the  wo- 
man which  brought  me  the  books 
over,  was  taken,  and  her  books  were 
put  in  the  Clink,  in  Southwark,  by 
H'ussey,  one  of  the  arches ;  and  I 
Thomas  Green  do  testify  before 
God,  now,  that  I  neither  discovered 
the  man  nor  the  woman  of  whom  I 
had  the  books. 

"Then  I  lying  in  the  Lollards'  Tow- 
er, being  sent  for  before  Mr.  Hus- 
sey,  he  required  of  me,  wherefore 
I  was  put  into  the  Lollards'  Tower, 


THOMAS  GREEN. 


6&9 


Qnd  by  whom.  To  whom  I  answer- 
ed, that  I  was  put  there  by  Dr.  Sto- 
ry, for  a  book  calh;d  Antichrist. 
Then  he  made  as  thougli  he  would 
be  my  friend,  and  said  he  knew  my 
friends,  and  my  father  and  mother, 
and  bid  me  tell  him  of  whom  1  had 
the  book,  and  said.  Come  on,  tell 
me  the  truth.  I  told  him  as  I  had 
told  Dr.  Story  before. 

Then  he  was  angry,  and  said,  I 
love  thee  well,  and  therefore  I  send 
for  thee,  and  looked  for  a  further 
truth :  but  I  could  tell  him  no  other ; 
whereupon  he  sent  me  again  to  the 
Lollards'  Tower.  At  my  going 
away  he  called  me  back  again,  and 
said,  that  Dixon  gave  me  the  books, 
being  an  old  man,  dwelling  in  Birch- 
in-lane  ;  and  I  said  he  knew  the 
matter  better  tlian  I.  So  he  sent 
me  away  to  the  Lollards'  Tower, 
where  1  remained  seven  days  and 
more. 

Then  Mr.  Hussey  sent  for  me 
again,  and  required  of  me  to  tell 
him  the  truth.  I  told  him  I  could 
tell  him  no  other  truth  than  I  had 
told  Dr.  Story  before. 

Then  he  began  to  tell  me  of  Dix- 
on, of  whom,  he  said,  I  had  the 
books,  who  had  made  the  matter 
manifest  before  ;  and  he  told  me  of 
all  things  touching  Dixon  and  the 
books,  more  than  I  could  myself,  in- 
somuch that  he  told  me  how  many 
I  had,  and  that  he  had  a  sack  full 
of  them  in  his  house,  and  knew 
where  the  woman  lay,  better  than 
myself.  Then  I  saw  the  matter  so 
open  and  manifest  before  my  face, 
that  it  signifled  nothing  for  me  to 
stand  in  it.  He  asked  me  what  I 
had  done  with  the  books,  and  I  told 
him  I  had  but  one,  and  that  Dr. 
Story  had.  He  said  I  lied,  for  I 
had  three  at  one  time,  and  he  re- 
quired me  to  tell  him  of  one. 

Then  I  told  him  of  one  that  John 
Beane  had  of  me,  being  apprentice 
with  Mr.  Tottle.  So  he  promised  me 
before  and  after,  and  as  he  should 
be  saved  before  God,  that  he  should 
have  no  harm.  And  I  kneeling 
down  upon  ray  knees,  desired  him 
to  take  my  blood,  and  not  to  hurt 
the  young  man.  Then  he  said.  Be- 
cause you  have  been  so  stubborn, 


the  matter  being  made  manifest  by 
others  and  not  by  you,  being  so 
long  in  prison,  tell  me  if  you  will 
stand  to  my  judgment.  I  said,  Yea, 
take  my  blood,  and  hurt  not  the 
young  man. 

Then  he  told  me,  1  should  be 
whipped  like  a  thief  and  a  vaga- 
bond :  and  so  I  thanked  him,  and 
went  my  way  with  the  keeper  to  the 
Lollards'  Tower,  where  I  remained 
two  or  three  days,  and  so  was 
brought  by  the  keeper,  Cluny,  by 
the  commandment  of  the  commis- 
sioners, to  Christ's  Hospital,  some- 
time the  Grey-Friars,  and  accord- 
ingly had  there  for  that  time  the 
correction  of  thieves  and  vagabonds; 
and  so  was  delivered  to  Trinian, 
the  porter,  and  put  into  a  stinking 
dungeon. 

And  after  a  few  days,  I  finding 
friendship,  was  let  out  of  the  dun- 
geon, and  lay  in  a  bed  in  the  night, 
and  walked  in  a  yard  by  the  dun- 
geon in  the  day-time,  and  so  re- 
mained prisoner  a  month  and  more. 
At  length  Dr.   Story  came,   and 
two  gentlemen  with  him,  and  called 
for  me,  and  I  was  brought  before 
them.     Then  he  said  to  the  gentle- 
men. Here  cometh  this  heretic,  of 
whom  I  had  the  book  called  Anti- 
christ; and  began  to  tell  them  how 
many  times  I  had  been  before  him, 
and  said,  I  have  entreated  him  very 
gently,  and  he  would  never  tell  me 
the  truth,  till  he  was  found  out  by 
others.     Then  said  he.  It  were  a 
good  deed  to  cut  out  thy  tongue, 
and  thy  ears  off  thy  head,  to  make 
thee  an  example  to  all  other  heretic 
knaves.     And  the  gentlemen  said. 
Nay,  that  were  pity.     Then  he  ask- 
ed if  I  would  not  become  an  honest 
man :  and  I  said.  Yes,  for  I  have 
oflended  God  many  ways.     Where- 
uponhe  burdened  me  with  my  faith; 
I  told  him  that  I  had  made  him  an- 
swer of  my  faith   before  m}-   lord 
Windsor's  chaplain  as  much  ^s  I 
could. 

So  in  the  end  he  commanded  me 
to  be  stripped,  he  standing  by  me, 
and  called  for  two  of  the  beadles 
and  the  whips  to  whip  me;  and  the 
two  beadles  came  with  a  cord,  and 
bound  ray  hands  together,  and  the 


700 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


one  end  of  the  cord  to  a  stone  pillar. 
Then  cue  of  my  friends,  called  Ni- 
cholas Priestraau,  hearing  them  call 
for  whips,  hurled  in  a  bundle  of  rods, 
which  seemed  something;,-  to  pacify 
the  mind  of  his  cruelty ;  and  they 
scourged  me  with  rods.  But  as  they 
were  whipping  of  me.  Story  asked 
me  if  I  would  go  unto  my  master 
again,  and  I  said  nay.  And  he  said, 
I  perceive  now  he  will  be  worse 
than  ever  he  was  before;  but  let  me 
alone  (quoth  he,)  I  will  find  him  out 
if  he  be  in  England.  And  so  with 
many  other  things,  which  I  cannot 
rehearse,  when  they  had  done 
whipping  of  me,  they  bid  me  pay 
my  fees,  and  go  my  ways. 

Dr.  Story  comma.nded  that  I 
should  have  an  hundred  stripes,  but 
the  gentlemen  so  entreated,  that  I 
had  not  so  many.  Story  saying,  If  I 
might  have  my  will,  I  would  surely 
cut  out  his  tongue. 

A  LETTER  FROM  STEPHEN  GOTTEN, 
WHO  WAS  UEATEN  TWICE  BY 
BISHOP  BONNER,  BEFORE  HE  WAS 
BURNT    AT    BRENTFORD. 

Brother,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  I  commend  me  unto  you, 
and  I  do  heartily  thank  you,  for 
your  godly  exhortation  and  counsel 
in  your  last  letter  declared  to  me. 
And  albeit  I  do  perceive  by  your 
letter,  you  are  informed,  that  as  we 
are  divers  persons  in  number,  so  wo 
are  of  contrary  sects,  conditions, 
and  opinions,  contrary  to  the  good 
opinion  you  had  of  us  at  your  last 
being  with  us  in  Newgate ;  be  you 
most  assured,  good  brother,  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  we  are  all  of  one  mind, 
one  faith,  one  assured  hope  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  whom  I  trust  we  alto- 
gether with  one  spirit,  one  brotherly 
love,  do  daily  call  upon  for  mercy 
and  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  with 
earnest  repentance  of  our  former 
lives,  and  by  whose  precious  blood- 
shedding  we  trust  to  be  saved  only, 
and  by  no  other  means.  Where- 
fore, good  brother,  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  seeing  these  impudent 
people,  whose  minds  are  altogether 
bent  to  wickedness,  envy,  uncha- 
ritableness,   evil  speaking,    do   go 


about  to  slander  us  with  untruth, 
believe  them  not,  neither  let  their 
wicked  sayings  once  enter  into  your 
mind.  And  I  trust  one  day  to  see 
you  again,  although  now  I  am  in 
God's  prison,  which  is  ajoyful  school 
for  them  that  love  their  Lord  God, 
and  to  me,  being  a  simple  scholar, 
most  joyful  of  all. 

Good  brother,  once  again  I  do,  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  exhort 
you  to  pray  for  me,  that  I  may  tight 
strongly  in  the  Lord's  battle,  to  be 
a  good  soldier  to  my  captain  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  and  desire  my  sis- 
ter also  to  do  the  same,  and  do  not 
ye  mourn  or  lament  for  me,  but  be 
ye  glad  and  joyful  at  this  my  trou- 
ble: for  I  trust  to  be  loosed  out  of 
this  dungeon  shortly,  and  to  go  to 
everlasting  joy,  which  never  shall 
have  end.  I  heard  how  ye  were 
with  the  commissioners.  I  pray  you, 
sue  no  more  for  me,  good  brother. 
But  one  thing  I  shall  desire  you,  to 
be  at  my  departing  out  of  this  life, 
that  you  may  bear  witness  with  me 
that  I  shall  die,  I  trust  in  God,  a 
true  christian,  and,  I  hope,  all  my 
companions  in  the  Lord  our  God : 
and  therefore  believe  not  these  evil- 
disposed  people,  who  are  the  au- 
thors of  all  untruths.  Thus  fare 
you  all.  From  the  Coal-house,  this 
present  Friday. 

Your  brother, 

Stephen  Gotten. 

THE    scourging    OF  JAMES   HARRIS, 

In  this  society  of  the  scourged 
professors  of  Christ,  was  also  one 
James  Harris,  of  Billerica,  in  Essex, 
a  stripling  of  the  age  of  seventeen 
years ;  who  being  apprehended 
and  sent  up  to  Bonner  in  the 
company  of  Margaret  Ellis,  by 
sir  John  Mordaunt,  knight,  and 
Edmund  Tyrrel,  justice  of  peace 
(as  appeareth  by  their  own  letters 
before  mentioned,)  v/as  by  Bon- 
ner divers  times  strictly  exa- 
mined. In  which  examinations  he 
was  charged  not  to  have  come  to 
his  parish  church  for  the  space  of 
one  year  or  more.  Whereuiito  he 
granted,  confessing  therewithal, 
that  once,  for  fear,  he  had  been  at 
the  church,  and  there  had  received 


ROBERT  WILLIAMS,  AND  OTHERS. 


701 


the  popish  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
fgr  whicli  ho  was  heartily  sorry,  de- 
testing; the  same  with  all  his  heart. 
After  this,  and  sueh  like  answers, 
Bonner  (the  better  to  try  him)  per- 
suaded him  to  g;o  to  confession. 
The  lad,  somcAvhat  to  fulfil  his  re- 
quest, consented  to  p,o,  and  did. 
But  when  he  came  to  the  priest,  he 
stood  still,  and  said  nothing;.  Why, 
quoth  the  priest,  SEjyest  thou  no- 
thing ?  What  shall  I  say  ?  said  Kar- 
ris. Thou  must  confess  thy  sins, 
said  the  priest.  My  sins,  said  he, 
be  so  many  that  they  cannot  be  num- 
bered. With  that  the  priest  told 
Bonner  what  he  had  said;  and  he, 
of  his  accustomed  devotion,  took 
the  poor  lad  into  his  c:arden,  and 
there,  with  a  rod,  taken  from  oil'  a 
cherry-tree,  did  most  cruelly  whip 
him, 

THE     SCOURGIXG    OF     UOCEUT     WIL- 
LIAMS,   A    SMITH. 

Kobert  Williams,  bcinsc  appre- 
hended in  the  same  company, 
was  so  tormented  after  the  same 
manner  with  rods  iu  his  arbour, 
w!io  there  subscribino;  and  yielding 
liimself  by  promise  to  obey  the  laws, 
after  being  let  go,  refused  so  to  go: 
whereupon  he  was  earnestly  sought 
for,  but  could  not  be  found,  for  that 
he  kept  himself  close,  and  went 
not  abroad  but  by  stealth:  and  now 
in  the  mean  time  of  this  ))ersecution, 
this  Robert  Williams  departed  this 
life,  and  so  escaped  the  hands  of 
his  enemies.  The  Lord  therefore 
be  honoured  for  ever,  Amen. 

THE     WHIPPING      OF     A     EEGGAR     AT 
SALISBURY. 

Unto  these  above  specified,  is 
also  to  be  added  the  miserable 
whipping  of  a  poor  starved  beggar, 
who,  because  he  would  not  receive 
the  sacrament  at  Easter,  in  the  town 
of  Colingborow,  was  brought  to 
Salisbury,  with  bills  and  glieves,  to 
the  chancellor  Dr.  Geffery,  who  cast 
him  into  the  dungeon,  and  after 
causedhim  miserably  to  be  whipped 
by  two  catch-poles.  The  sight 
whereof  made  all  godly  hearts  to 
rue  it,  to  see  such  tyranny  to  be 
shewed  upon    such   a   simple  ,and 


silly  vvretch  :  for  they  that  saw  him 
have  reported,  that  they  never  saw 
a  more  simple  creature.  But  what 
pity  can  move  the  hearts  of  merci- 
less papists  ? 

PERSECUTION  AND  DELIVERANCE  OF 
WILLIAM  LIVING,  WITH  HIS  WIFE, 
AND    OF   JOHN  LITHAL,    MINISTER. 

About  the  latter  end  of  queen 
Mary's  reign,  she  then  being  sick, 
came  one  Cox,  a  promoter,  to  the 
house  of  William  Living,  about  six 
o'clock,  accompanied  with  one  John 
Lauace,  of  the  Greyhound.  They 
being  not  ready,  they  demanded 
some  buttons,  saying,  they  should 
be  as  well  paid  for  them  as  any; 
and  he  would  come  about  three 
hours  after  for  them  again. 

Tn  the  mean  time  he  procured  one 
?ilr.  Dean,  the  constable,  and  George 
Kancock,  the  beadle  of  that  ward, 
and  searching  his  books,  found  a 
book  of  Astronomy,  called  the  work 
of  Joannes  de  Sacro  Bosco  de 
Sphjcra,  with  figures,  some  round, 
some  tria.ngle,  some  quadrangle, 
which  book,  because  it  was  gilt, 
seemed  to  him  the  chief  book  there, 
and  that  he  carried  open  in  the 
street,  saying,  I  have  fouud  him  at 
length.  It  is  no  wonder  the  queen 
be  sick,  seeing  there  be  such  con- 
jurers in  privy  corners;  but  now  I 
trusthe  shall  conjure  no  more  !  And 
so  brought  him  and  his  wife  from 
Shoe-lane  through  Fleet-street,  in- 
to St.  Paul's  church-yard,  with  the 
constable,  the  beadle,  andtwo  others 
following  them,  till  they  entered 
into  Darbysiiire's  house,  who  was 
bishop  Bonner's  chancellor;  and 
after  the  constable  and  they  had 
talked  with  Darhyshire,  he  came 
forth,  and  walked  in  his  yard,  and 
said  to  him, 

W^hat  is  your  name? 

Liv.     William  Living. 

Darb.     What  are  you?  a  priest? 

Liv,     Yea. 

Darb.  Is  this  your  wife  that  is 
come  with  you  ? 

Liv.     Tisat  she  is. 

Darb.  Where  were  you  made 
priest? 

Liv.     At  Obourne. 

Darb.     In  what  bishop's  days  ? 


702 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Liv.  By  the  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
that  was  king  Henry's  spiritual  fa- 
ther in  cardinal  Wolsey's  time. 

Darh.  You  are  a  schismatic  and 
a  traitor. 

Liv.  I  would  be  sorry  that  were 
true.  I  am  certain  I  never  was  a 
traitor,  but  always  have  taught  obe- 
dience according  to  the  tenor  of 
God's  word  ;  and  when  tumults  and 
schisms  have  been  stirred,  I  have 
preached  God's  word,  and  assuaged 
them,  as  in  the  time  of  king  Ed- 
ward. 

Darb.  What,  you  are  a  schis- 
matic !  You  be  not  in  the  unity  of 
the  Catholic  church:  for  you  pray 
not  as  the  church  of  Rome  doth : 
you  pray  in  English. 

Liv.  We  are  certain  we  be  in 
the  true  church. 

Darh.  There  be  that  doubt 
thereof,  forsomuch  as  there  is  but 
one  true  church.  Well,  you  will 
learn,  against  I  talk  with  you  again, 
to  know  the  church  of  Rome,  and 
to  be  a  member  thereof. 

Liv.  If  the  church  of  Rome  be 
of  that  church  whereof  Christ  is 
the  head,  then  I  am  a  member 
thereof,  for  I  know  no  other  church 
but  that. 

Darh.  Well,  Cluny,  take  him 
with  thee  to  the  coal-house. 

Then  he  called  Cluny  again,  and 
spake  secretly  to  him,  but  what  he 
said  I  know  not. 

Then  said  Cluny,  Wilt  thou  not 
come  ?  And  so  plucked  me  away 
violently,  and  brought  me  to  his 
own  house  in  Paternoster-Row, 
where  he  robbed  me  of  my  purse, 
my  girdle,  and  my  Psalter,  and  a 
New  Testament  of  Geneva,  and 
then  brought  me  to  the  coal-house, 
to  put  me  in  the  stocks,  saying, 
Put  in  both  your  legs  and  your 
hands  ;  and  except  you  fine  with 
me,  I  will  put  a  collar  about  your 
neck.  What  is  the  fine  ?  quoth  I. 
Forty  shillings,  quoth  he  ;  I  am 
never  able  to  pay  it,  said  I. 

Then  said  he.  You  have  friends 
that  be  able.  I  denied  it ;  and  so 
he  put  both  my  legs  into  the  stocks 
till  supper-time,  which  was  six 
o'clock ;  and  then  a  cousin  of  my 
wile's  brought  me  meat,  who  see- 


ing me  sit  there,  said,  I  will  give 
you  forty  pence,  and  let  him  go  at 
liberty  :  and  he  took  her  money, 
and  presently  let  me  forth  in  her 
sight,  to  eat  my  supper.  And  at 
seven  o'clock  he  put  me  in  the 
stocks  again,  and  I  remained  till 
two  o'clock  the  next  day,  and  so 
he  let  me  forth  till  night.  This 
woman  above-mentioned,  was  Grif- 
fin's first  wife,  a  brother  dwelling 
then  in  Aldermanbury,  and  after- 
wards in  Cheapside. 

The  Thursday  following,  in  the 
afternoon,  was  I  called  to  the 
Lollards'  Tower,  and  there  put  in 
the  stocks,  having  the  honour  to 
put  my  leg  into  that  hole  which 
Mr.  John  Philpot's  leg  was  in, 
and  so  lay  all  that  night,  nobody 
coming  to  me  either  with  meat  or 
drink. 

At  eleven  o'clock  on  the  Friday, 
Cluny  came  to  me  svith  meat,  and 
let  me  forth,  and  about  one  o'clock 
he  brought  me  to  Darbyshire's 
house,  who  drew  forth  a  scroll  of 
names,  and  asked  me  if  I  knew 
none  of  them  :  I  said,  I  knew  none 
of  them  but  Foster.  And  so  I 
kneeled  down  upon  nay  knees,  and 
prayed  him  that  he  would  not  in- 
quire thereof  any  farther.  And 
with  that  came  forth  two  godly 
women,  who  said,  Mr.  Darbyshire, 
it  is  enough  ;  and  so  became  sure- 
ties for  me,  and  paid  to  Cluny  fif- 
teen shillings  for  my  fees,  and  bade 
me  go  with  them. 

And  thus  much  concerning  Wil- 
liam Living.  After  this  came  his 
wife  to  examination,  whose  an- 
swers to  Darbyshire,  the  chancel- 
lor, here  likewise  follow. 

EXAMINATION    OF   JULIAN    LIVING, 
WIFE    OF   WILLIAM    LIVING. 

Darhyshire.  Ah,  sirrah;  I  see 
by  your  going  you  be  one  of  the 
sisters. 

Julian.  I  wear  not  my  gown  for 
sisterhood,  neither  for  nunnery, 
but  to  keep  me  warm. 

Darh.  Nun?  No,  I  dare  say 
you  be  none:  is  that  man  your 
husband? 

Julian.     Yea. 

Darh.     Is  he  a  priest? 


DELIVERANCE  OF  W.  LIVING,  AND  OTHERS.     703 


Julian.     No,  he  saith  no  mass. 

Darb.  What  then  ?  he  is  a  priest. 
How  darest  thou  many  him  '. 

Then  he  shewed  me  a  roll  of  cer- 
tain names  of  citizens. 

To  whom  I  answered,  I  knew 
none  of  them. 

Then  said  he,  You  shall  be  made 
to  know  them. 

Then  said  I,  Do  no  other  but 
justice  and  right,  for  the  day  will 
come,  that  you  shall  answer  for  it. 

Darb.  Why,  woman,  thinkest 
thou  not  that  I  have  a  soul  ? 

Julian,  Yes,  I  know  you  have 
a  soul;  but  whether  it  be  to  sal- 
vation or  damnation,  I  cannot 
tell. 

Darb.  Ho  !  Cluny,  have  her  to 
the  Lollards'  Tower.  And  so  he 
took  me,  and  carried  me  to  his 
house,  where  was  one  Dale,  a  pro- 
moter, which  said  to  me,  Alas,  good 
woman,  wherefore  be  you  here  ? 

What  is  that  to  you  ?  said  I. 

You  be  not  ashamed,  quoth  Dale, 
to  tell  wherefore  you  come  hither. 

No,  quoth  I,  that  I  am  not ;  for 
it  is  for  Christ's  Testament. 

Christ's  Testament !  quoth  he. 
It  is  the  devil's  Testament ! 

O  Lord!  quoth  I,  God  forbid  that 
any  man  should  speak  any  such 
word. 

Well,  well,  said  he,  you  shall  be 
ordered  well  enough.  You  care 
not  for  burning,  quoth  he.  God's 
blood !  there  must  be  some  other 
means  found  for  you. 

What,  quoth  I,  will  you  find  any 
worse  than  you  have  found  ? 

Well,  quoth  he,  you  hope,  and 
you  hope :  but  your  hope  shall  be 
cut  oflf.  For  though  the  queen  fail, 
she  that  you  hope  for  shall  never 
come  at  it  *  j  for  there  is  my  lord 


*  This  was  said  in  allusion  to  the  ex- 
pected death  of  Mary,  and  the  hope  of 
the  Protestants  that  she  would  be  suc- 
ceeded by  Elizabeth :  this  event,  the 
papists  knew,  would  deprive  them  of  the 
power  of  persecuting  the  true  believers, 
even  if  it  did  not  expose  them  to  a  ae- 
vere  retribution  on  the  part  of  their  long- 
suffering  victims;  Ihey  were  tlierefore 
willing  to  raise  cardinal  Pole  to  the 
throne,  and  had  not  Providence  inter- 
posed to  defeat  their  nefarious  designs. 


cardinal's  grace,  and  many  more, 
between  her  and  it. 

Then,  quoth  I,  my  hope  is  in  none 
but  God. 

Then  said  Cluny,  Come  with  me; 
and  so  I  went  to  the  Lollards' 
Tower.  On  the  next  day  Darby- 
shire  sent  for  me  again,  and  in- 
quired of  those  citizens  that  he  in- 
quired of  before. 

I  answered,  I  knew  them  not. 

Where  were  you,  quoth  he,  at 
the  communion  on  Sunday  was 
fortnight  ? 

And  I  said,  In  no  place. 

Then  the  constable  of  St.  Bride's 
being  there,  made  suit  for  me. 

And  Darbyshire  demanded  of 
him,  if  he  would  be  bound  for  me. 

He  answered.  Yea.  And  so  he 
was  bound  for  my  appearance  be- 
twixt that  and  Christmas. 

Then  Darbyshire  said.  You  be 
constable,  and  should  give  hei' 
good  counsel. 

So  I  do,  quoth  he.  For  I  bid 
her  go  to  mass,  and  to  say  as  you 
say.  For,  by  the  mass,  if  you  say 
the  crow  is  white,  I  will  say  so 
too. 

And  thus  much  concerning  the 
examination  of  William  Living 
and  his  wife,  whom  although  thou 
seest  here  delivered  through  the 
request  of  women,  his  sureties, 
yet  it  was  no  doubt,  but  that  the 
deadly  sickness  of  queen  Mary 
abated  and  bridled,  in  some  mea- 
sure, the  cruelty  of  those  papists, 
which  otherwise  would  never  have 
let  them  go. 

AN   ACCOUNT    OF  THE  TROUBLE  AND 
DELIVERANCE    OF    JOHN    LITHAL. 

At  the  taking  of  William  Living, 
it  happened  that  some  of  his  books 
were  in  the  custody  of  one  John 
Lithai:  which  known,  the  consta- 
ble of  the  ward  of  Southwark,  with 
other  of  the  queen's  servants,  were 
sent  to  his  house,  who  breaking 
open  his  doors  and  chests,  took 
away  not  only  the  books  of  the 
said  William  Living,  but  also  all 


would  have,  perhaps,  deluged  the  coun- 
try with  blood,  in  support  of  the  claim  of 
an  usurper. 


704 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


bis  own  books,  writings,  and  bills 
of  debts,  wliich  he  never  had  again. 
All  this  while  Lithal  was  not  at 
home. 

The  next  Saturday  after,  as  he 
was  returned,  and  known  to  be  at 
home,  .Tolin  Avales  and  some  of 
the  queen's  servants  beset  his  house 
all  the  night,  with  surh  careful 
watch,  that  as  be  in  the  morning 
issued  out  of  doors,  thinking  to  es- 
cape their  hands,  John  Avales 
bursting  out  upon  him,  cried,  Stop 
the  traitor,  stop  the  traitor.  Where- 
at Lithal  being  amazed,  looked 
back. 

And  so  John  Avales  came  run- 
ning to  him,  with  others  that  were 
with  him,  saying.  Ah,  sirrah,  you  are 
a  traitorous  fellow  iudced,  we  have 
had  somewhat  to  do  to  get  you. 
To  whom  he  answered,  that  he  was 
a  truer  man  to  the  queen's  majesty 
than  he.  For  you,  said  he,  are 
commanded  by  God  to  keep  holy 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  you  seek  to 
shed  your  neighbour's  blood  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  Remember 
that  you  must  answer  it  to  God. 
But  iie  said,  Come  on,  you  villain, 
you  must  go  before  the  council. 
So  Lithal  was  brought  into  St. 
Paul's  church-yard  to  the  bishop's 
chancellor,  by  John  Avales,  saying 
that  they  had  there  caught  the  cap- 
tain of  these  fellows,  and  so  caus- 
ed him  to  be  called  to  examination 
before  Dr.  Darbysliire,  who  began 
with  him  in  this  wise  ; 

Chan.     What     countryman    are 
you  ? 

Lith.     I  am  an  Englishman,  born 
in  Stalfordsliire. 

Chan.     Where  were  you  brought 
up? 

Lith.     In   tliis    our    country    of 
England. 

Clian.     In  what  university  ? 
^Mh.     In  no  university,  but  in  a 
free-school. 

Clian.     We   had    certain    books 
from     your    house,    and    writing, 
wherein  is  both  treason  and  heresy. 
Lith.     Sir,  there  is  neither  trea- 
son nor  heresy  in  them. 

Then  the    chancellor  asked    for 
certain  other  men  that  I  knew. 
Lilh.     If  you  have  aught  to  lay 


to  my  charge,  I  will  answer  it ;  but 
I  will  have  no  other  man's  blood 
upon  my  head. 

Chmi.  AVhy  come  you  not  to 
the  church  ?  Of  what  church  be  you, 
that  you  come  not  to  your  own 
parish  church? 

Lith.  I  am  of  the  church  of 
Christ,  the  fountain  of  all  good- 
ness. 

Chan.     Have  you  no  niinislers  of 
your  church,  but  Christ? 
Litli.     We  have  others. 
Chan.     Where  be  they  ? 
Lith.     In  the  whole  world,  dis- 
persed,   preaching  and  professing 
the    gospel   and  faith   only   in   our 
Saviour  Jesus,   as  he  commanded 
them. 

Chan.  You  boast  much  every 
one  of  you  of  your  faith  and  belief : 
let  me  hear  therefore  the  effect  how 
you  believe. 

Lith.  I  believe  to  be  justified 
really  by  Christ  Jesus,  according 
to  the  saying  of  St.  Paul  to  tlie 
Ephesians,  without  either  deeds 
or  works,  or  any  thing  that  may  be 
invented  by  man. 

Chan.  Faith  cannot  save  with- 
out works. 

Lith.  That  is  contrary  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  apostles. 

Clian.  .lohn  Avales,  j'ou  and 
the  keeper  have  tliis  fellow  to 
prison. 

Then  Jolin  Avales,  and  Cluny 
the  keeper,  had  me  into  St.  Paul's, 
and  would  have  had  me  seen  the 
apostle's  mass. 

Lith.  I  know  none  the  apostle  ' 
had,  and  therefore  I  will  see  none. 
Cluny  and  John  Avales.  Come 
and  kneel  down  before  tlie  rood, 
and  say  a  Paternoster,  and  an 
Ave  in  the  worship  of  the  five 
wounds. 

Lith.  I  am  forbidden  by  God's 
own  mouth  to  kneel  to  any  idol  or 
image  :  therefore  I  will  not. 

Then  they  pulled  me  with 
great  extremity,  one  having  me  by 
one  arm,  and  the  other  by  the 
other;  but  God  gave  n»e  at  that 
present  time  more  strengtli  than 
both  these,  his  name  be  praised 
foril. 
Tiien   wiien  tlicy  could  not  make 


.JOHN  LITHAli. 


r05 


me  to  kneel  before  Ihc  rood,  nei- 
ther to  see  the  mass,  there  slather- 
ed a  great  company  about  us,  and 
all  against  me.  Some  spit  on  me, 
and  said,  Fie  on  thee,  heretic  ;  and 
others  said,  it  was  a  pity  I  was  not 
burned  already. 


Then  they  carried  me  to  tUn 
liOMards'  Tower,  and  hanged  mr 
in  a  great  pair  of  storks,  iu  which 
I  lay  three  days  and  three  nighti, 
till  I  was  so  lame  that  I  could  nei- 
ther stir  nor  more. 


Martyrdom  of  fire  Persons,  at   Canterburii,   A.D,  1,5.'>8. 


Then  I  offered  the  keeper  some 
money  and  gold  that  I  had  about 
me,  to  release  me  out  of  the  stocks: 
and  he  said,  1  would  not  be  ruled 
by  him,  either  to  see  mass,  or  to 
kneel  before  tlic  rood,  and  there- 
fore I  should  lie  there  still.  But  I 
said,  I  would  never  do  the  thing 
that  should  be  against  my  con- 
science ;  and  though  you  hive 
lamed  ray  body,  yet  ray  conscience 
is  whole,  I  praise  God  for  it.  So 
shortly  after  he  let  me  out  of  the 
stocks,  raore  for  the  love  of  my 
money  (as  it  may  be  thought),  than 
far  any  other  affection  ;  and  within 
four  or  five  days  my  wife  got  leave 
of  Mr.  ChanceHoi  to  come  to  me, 
FOX'S  M^KTVRS 


to  bring  me  such  things  as  were 
needful  for  me,  and  there  I  lay 
five  weeks  and  odd  days  ;  in  which 
time  divers  of  my  neighbours  and 
friends  made  suit  to  the  chancellor 
for  my  deliverance ;  the  bishop,  vm 
they  said,  at  that  time  being  sick 
at  Fulham.  So  my  neighbours 
being  there,  about  twenty  of  them, 
the  chancellor  sent  for  me  out  of 
Lollards'  Tower  to  his  own  house, 
and  said  as  follows  : 

Chan.  Lithal,  here  are  some  of 
thy  neighbours  who  have  been,  with 
me  to  entreat  for  thee,  and  they 
have  infyrtupd  me,  that  thou  hast 
been  a  ve^y  honest  and  quiet 
neighbsur  amon^them,  and  Ithiak 

45 


706 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


it  be  (jod's  will  that  I  should  deli- 
yer  thee  bsfore  my  lord  come  home. 
For  if  he  come,  and  thou  go  home 
again,  I  shall  be  burned  for  thee; 
for  I  know  his  mind  already  in  that 
matter. 

Litk.  I  give  you  hearty  thanks 
for  your  gentleness,  and  my  neigh- 
bours for  their  good  report. 

Chan.  Lithal,  if  thy  neighbours 
will  be  bound  for  thy  forth-coming, 
whenever  thou  shalt  be  called  for  ; 
and  also,  if  thou  wilt  be  an  obe- 
dient subject,  I  shall  be  content  to 
deliver  thee. 

Neifffi.  If  it  please  your  worship, 
we  will  be  bound  for  him  in  body 
and  goods. 

Chan.  I  will  require  no  such 
bonds  of  you,  but  that  two  of  you 
will  be  bound  in  twenty  pounds  a 
piece,  that  he  shall  come  to  answer 
when  he  shall  be  called. 

Lith.  Where  find  you,  Mr. 
Chancellor,  in  all  the  scriptures, 
that  the  church  of  God  did  bind 
any  man  for  the  profession  of  his 
faith  ?  Which  profession  you  have 
heard  ofme,  that  all  our  justifica- 
tion, righteousness,  and  salvation, 
eometh  only  and  freely  by  the 
merits  of  our  Saviour  .Jesus  Christ, 
and  all  the  inventions  and  works 
of  men,  be  they  ever  so  glorious, 
be  altogether  vain,  as  the  wise  man 
saith. 

Chan.  With  vain  glory  you  re- 
hearse much  scripture,  as  all  the 
rest  of  you  do :  but  you  have  no 
more  understanding  than  my  sheep. 
But  to  the  purpose.  Will  you  that 
your  neighbours  shall  enter  into 
bonds  for  you,  or  not  ? 

Lith.  By  my  mind  they  shall  not. 
Wherefote  I  desire  you  that  you 
would  not  bind  me,  but  let  me 
serve  God  with  my  conscience 
freely.  For  it  is  written,  Rev.  xiii. 
"  They  that  lead  into  captivity, 
shall  go  inttf,  captivity,  and  they 
that  strike  with  the  sword,  shall 
perish  with  the  sword." 

Also  it  is  written  in  the  gospel  of 
our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  Matt, 
xviii.  "That  whoso  doth  offend 
one  of  these  little  ones  which  be- 
lieve in  me,  it  were  better  for  him 
that    a    mill -stone    were     hanged 


about  his  neck,  and  that  he  were 
cast  into  the  depth  of  the  sea.'' 
Of  which  I  am  assured  by  his  holy 
Spirit  that  I  am  one.  Wherefore 
be  you  well  assured  that  such 
mercy  as  you  shew,  unto  you  shall 
be  shewed  the  like. 

Chan.  You  are  a  madman.  I 
would  not  bind  you,  but  that  I  must 
needs  have  somewhat  to  shew  for 
your  deliverance.  Then  he  called 
two  of  his  neighbours,  Thomas 
Daniel  and  Saunders  Maybe,  who 
offered  themselves  to  be  bound,  and 
called  me  before  them,  and  said, 
I  have  a  letter  of  the  hand-writing, 
with  his  name  and  seal  at  it,  with 
a  book  also  against  the  regimen  of 
women,  for  which  I  could  make 
him  to  be  hanged,  drawn,  and 
quartered  ;  but  on  my  faith  I  will 
him  no  more  hurt  than  I  mean  to 
my  own  soul. 

Lith.  I  desire  you  that  be  my 
neighbours  and  friends,  that  you 
will  not  enter  into  bonds  for  me : 
for  you  know  not  the  danger  there- 
of, neither  I  myself;  it  goeth 
against  my  conscience  that  ye 
.should  so  do. 

Chan.  Why,  I  will  not  bind 
you  to  do  any  thing  against  your 
conscience. 

Then  they  made  the  bond,  and 
sealed  to  it,  and  willed  me  that  I 
should  seal  to  it  also ;  and  I  said 
that  I  would  not,  neither  could  I 
observe  the  bond,  and  therefore  I 
would  not  set  to  my  hand. 

Chan.  It  is  pity  that  thou  hast 
so  much  favour  shewed  thee  :  yet 
for  these  honest  men's  sakes  I  will 
discharge  thee. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  dis- 
sembling words  of  Dr.  Darbyshire, 
pretending  for  favour  of  his  sure- 
ties to  set  him  at  liberty,  it  was  no 
such  thing,  nor  any  zeal  of  charity 
that  moved  him  so  to  do  ;  but  only 
fear  of  the  time,  understanding  the 
dangerous  and  irrecoverable  sick- 
ness of  queen  Mary,  which  then 
began  somewhat  to  assuage  the 
cruel  proceeding  of  these  perse- 
cutors, whereby  they  durst  not  do 
what  they  would:  for  else  Lithal 
was  not  likely  to  have  escaped  so 
easily. 


ELIZABETH  YOUNG. 


r«7 


PERSECUTION  OF  ELIZABETH  YOUNG. 

You  heard  before  of  the  scourg- 
ing of  Thomas  Greene,  how  he  was 
troubled  and  beaten  by  Dr.  Story, 
for  a  certain  book  called  Anti- 
christ, which  he  received  of  a  wo- 
man, because  in  no  case  he  would 
detect  her. 

This  woman  was  one  Elizabeth 
Young,  who  coming  from  Embden 
to  England,  brought  with  her  di- 
vers books,  and  dispersed  them 
abroad  in  London ;  for  which  she 
being  at  length  apprehended  and 
laid  fast,  was  brought  to  examina- 
tion thirteen  times  before  the  Ca- 
tholic inquisitors  of  heretical  pra- 
■vity.  Some  of  her  examinations 
have  come  to  our  hands,  and  are  as 
follow ; 

FIRST    EXAMINATION    OF    ELIZABETH 
YOUNG,    BEFORE    MR.    HUSSY. 

Hussy.  Where  was  you  born, 
and  who  was  your  father  and  mo- 
ther? 

E.  Young.  Sir,  all  this  is  but 
vain  talk,  and  very  superfluous. 
It  is  to  fill  my  head  with  fantasies, 
that  I  should  not  be  able  to  answer 
unto  such  things  as  I  came  for. 
You  have  not,  I  think,  put  me  in 
prison  to  know  who  is  my  father 
and  mother.  But,  I  pray  you,  go 
to  the  matter  I  came  hither  for. 

Hussy.  Wherefore  wentest  thou 
out  of  the  realm? 

Young.  To  keep  my  conscience 
clean. 

Hussy.  When  wast  thou  at  mass  ? 

Young.  Not  these  three  years. 

Hussy.  Then  wast  thou  not  there 
three  years  before  that. 

Young.  No,  sir,  nor  yet  three 
years  before  that :  lor  if  I  were  I 
had  evil  luck. 

Hussy.  How  old  art  thou  ? 

Young.  Forty  and  upwards. 

Hussy.  Twenty  of  those  years 
you  went  to  mass. 

Young.  Yea,  and  twenty  more 
I  may,  and  yet  come  home  as  wise 
as  T  went  thither  first,  for  I  under- 
stand it  not. 

Hussy.  Why  wilt  thou  not  go 
to  the  mass  ? 

Young.    Sir,  my  conscience  will 


not  suffer  me  :  for  f  had  rather  all 
the  world  should  accuse  me,  than 
mine  own  conscience. 

Hussy.  What  if  a  louse  or  a 
ilea  stick  upon  thy  skin,  and  bite 
thy  flesh,  thou  must  make  a  con- 
science in  taking  her  off.  Is  there 
not  a  conscience  in  it? 

Young.  That  is  but  a  sorry  ar- 
gument to  displace  the  Scriptureji, 
and  especially  in  such  a  part  as 
my  salvation  dependeth  upon :  for 
it  is  but  an  easy  conscience  that  a 
man  can  make. 

Hussy.  But  why  wilt  thou  not 
swear  upon  the  evangelists  before 
a  judge  ? 

Young.  Because  I  know  not 
what  a  book  oath  is. 

Then  he  began  to  teach  her  the 
book  oath. 

Young.  Sir,  I  do  not  understand 
it,  and  therefore  I  will  not  learn  it. 

Hussy.  Thou  wilt  not  under- 
stand it :  and  with  that  rose  up  and 
went  his  way. 

SECOND  EXAMINATION  OF  ELIZABETH 
YOUNG  BY  DR.  MARTIN. 

Martin.  Thou  art  come  from 
beyond  the  sea,  and  hast  brought 
with  thee  books  of  heresy  and  trea- 
son, and  thou  must  confess  to  us 
who  translated  them,  printed  them, 
and  who  sent  them  over,  (for  I 
know  thee  to  be  but  a  messenger) 
and  in  so  doing  the  queen's  high- 
ness will  be  good  to  thee  (for  she 
hath  forgiven  greater  things  than 
this),  and  thou  shait  find  as  much 
favour  as  is  possible.  But  if  thoa 
be  stubborn,  and  wilt  not  confess, 
thou  wilt  be  very  ill-handled ;  for 
we  know  the  truth  already ;  but 
this  we  do,  only  to  see  whether 
thou  wilt  be  true  to  thy  word 
or  no. 

Young.  Sir,  you  have  my  con- 
fession, and  more  than  that  I  can- 
not say. 

Martin.  Thou  must  say  more, 
and  shalt  say  more.  Dost  thou 
think  that  we  will  be  fully  answer- 
ed   by    this   confession   that    thou 

hast  made  .'  Thoa  rebellious  w , 

and  traitorous  heretic,  thou  dost 
refuse  to  swear  upon  the  evange- 
lists before  a  judge,  I  hear  say. 


70R 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Thou  shaltbe  racked  by  inch-meal, 

thou  traitorous  w and  heretic, 

but  thou  shalt  swear  before  a  judge 
before  thou  go :  yea  and  thou 
shalt  be  made  to  confess  how 
many  books  thou  hast  sold,  and  to 
whom. 

Young.  Sir,  I  understand  not 
what  an  oath  is,  and  therefore  I 
will  take  no  such  thing  upon  me. 
And  no  man  hath  bought  any  books 
of  me  as  yet,  for  those  books  that 
I  had,  your  commissioners  have 
got  them  all. 

3Iartin.     Thou  traitorous  w , 

we  know  that  thou  hast  sold  a 
number  of  books,  yea,  and  to 
whom  :  and  how  many  times  thou 
hast  been  here,  and  where  thou 
layest,  and  every  place  that  thou 
hast  been  in  :  dost  thou  think  that 
thou  hast  fools  in  hand  ? 

Younffc  No,  sir,  you  be  too  wise 
for  me ;  for  I  could  not  tell  how 
many  places  I  have  been  in  myself; 
but  if  it  were  in  Turkey,  I  should 
have  meat,  and  drink,  and  lodging 
for  my  money. 

Martin.     Thou  rebellious  w , 

thou  hast  spoken  evil  words  of  the 
queen,  and  thou  dwellest  amongst 
a  set  of  traitors  and  rebels  that 
cannot  give  the  queen  a  good 
name. 

Young.  I  am  not  able  to  accuse 
any  man  thereof,  neither  is  there 
any  man  that  can  prove  any  such 
things  of  me  as  you  lay  to  my 
charge.  For  God's  word  hath 
taught  me  my  duty  to  my  queen, 
and  therefore  I  am  sure  you  accuse 
me  wrongfully. 

Martin.  Thou  rebel  and  traitor- 
ous w ,  thou  shalt  be  so  racked 

and  tormented,  that  thou  shaltbe 
an  example  to  all  such  traitorous 

jf, and  heretics  ;  and  thou  shalt 

be  made  to  swear  by  the  holy  evan- 
gelists, and  confess  to  whom  thou 
hast  sold  all  and  every  of  these  he- 
retical books  that  thou  hast  sold  : 
for  we  know  what  nuu»ber  thou 
hast  sold,  and  to  whom  ;  but  thou 
shalt  be  made  to  confess  it  in  spite 
of  thy  blood. 

Young.  Here  is  my  carcass  :  do 
with  it  what  you  will,  and  more 
than  that  you   cannot  have.     Mr. 


Martin,  you  can  have  no  more  than 
my  blood. 

Then  he  raved  as  though  he 
were  stark  mad,  and  said,  Martin! 
Why  callest  thou  me  Martin  ?■ 

Young.  Sir,  I  know  you  well 
enough,  for  I  have  been  before  you 
ere  now.  You  delivered  me  once 
at  Westminster. 

Martin.  Where  didst  thou  dwell 
then? 

Young.  I  dwelt  in  the  Minories. 
Martin.  I  delivered  thee  and 
thy  husband  both  ;  and  I  thought 
then  that  thou  wouldcst  have  done 
otherwise  than  thou  dost  now. 
For  if  thou  hadst  been  before  any 
other  bishop  in  England,  and  said 
the  words  that  thou  didst  before 
me,  thou  hadst  fried  a  lagot :  and 
though  thou  didst  not  burn  then, 
thou  art  like  to  burn  or  hang  now. 

Young.  Sir,  I  promised  you 
then,  that  I  would  never  be  fed 
with  an  unknown  tongue,  and  no 
more  will  I  yet. 

Martin.  I  shall  feed  thee  well 
enough.  Thou  shalt  be  fed  with 
that  (I  warrant  thee)  which  will  be 
little  to  thine  ease. 

Young.  Do  -what  God  shall  suf- 
fer you  to  do :  for  more  you  shall 
not.  And  then  he  arose  and  so 
departed,  and  went  to  the  keeper's 
house,  and  asked  his  wife,  whom 
she  had  suffered   to  come  to  this 

traitorous  w (as  he  called  her.) 

Then  said  the  keeper's  wife.  As 
God  receive  my  soul,  there  came 
neither  man,  woman,  nor  child  to 
ask  for  her. 

Blartin.  If  any  man,  woman,  or 
child,  come  to  ask  for  her,  I  charge 
thee  on  pain  of  death,  that  they  be 
laid  fast ;  and  give  her  one  day 
bread,  and  another  day  water! 

Young.  If  you  take  away  my 
meat,  I  trust  that  God  will  take 
away  my  hunger:  and  so  he  de- 
parted, saying,  that  was  too  good 
for  her;  and  then  she  was  shut  up 
under  two  locks  in  the  Clink,  where 
she  was  before. 

THIRD     EXAMINATION     OF     MRS.    E, 
YOUNG,    BEFORE    DR.    MARTIN. 

Martin.  Elizabeth,  wilt  thoii 
confess  these  things  that  thou  hast 


ELIZABETH  YOUNG. 


709 


Ijeen  cxaiiiiMcd  upon ;  for  thou 
kuoM'est  tliat  I  have  been  Ihy  friend, 
and  in  so  doinp:  I  will  be  Ihy  friend 
ag^ain  ;  giving  her  many  fair  words, 
and  tlicn  demanding  of  her  how 
many  gentlemen  were  beyond  the 
seas. 

Youny.  It  is  too  much  for  me  to 
tell  you  how  many  are  on  the  other 
side. 

iMartin.  No,  I  mean  but  in  Frank- 
fort and  Embden,  where  thou  hast 
been. 

Younf/.  Sir,  I  did  never  take  ac- 
eount  of  them ;  it  is  a  thing  that  I 
look  not  for. 

Martin.  When  shall  I  have  a 
true  word  come  out  of  your  mouth  ? 
Young.  I  have  told  you  the  truth, 
but  because  that  it  soundeth  not  so 
to  your  mind,  therefore  you  will 
not  credit  it. 

Martin.  Wilt  thou  yet  confess? 
And  if  thou  wilt,  that  which  I  have 
promised  I  w  ill  do ;  and  if  thou 
wilt  not,  I  promise  thee  thou  must 
go  even  hence  to  the  rack,  and 
therefore  confess. 

Youny.  1  can  say  no  more  than 
I  have  said. 

Martin.  Well,  forasmuch  as  she 
will  confess  no  more,  have  her 
away  to  the  rack,  and  then  she  will 
be  marred. 

Then  answered  a  priest  that  sat 
there,  and  said.  Woman,  take  an 
oath,  and  confess :  wilt  thou  be  hurt 
for  other  men? 

Youny.  I  can  confess  no  more 
than  I  have.  -Do  with  my  carcass 
what  you  will. 

Martin.  Did  ye  ever  hear  the 
like  of  this  heretic?  What  a  stout 
heretic  is  this !  We  have  the  truth, 
and  we  know  the  truth,  and  yet  look 
whether  she  will  confess.  There  is 
no  remedy,  but  she  must  needs  to 
the  rack,  and  therefore  away  with 
her.  And  so  commanded  her  out  of 
the  door,  and  called  her  keeper  >in- 
lo  him,  and  said  to  him.  There  is  no 
remedy  but  this  heretic  must  be 
racked  ;  and  talked  with  him  more, 
but  what  it  was  she  did  not  hear. 

Then  he  called  her  in  again,  and 
said.  Wilt  thou  not  confess, and  keep 
thee  from  the  rack ;  I  advise  thee 
so  to  do;  for  if  thou  wilt  not,  thou 


knowest  not  the  pain  yet,  but  thou 
shalt  do. 

Youny.  I  can  confess  no  more  ; 
do  with  my  carcass  what  you  will. 

Martin.  Keeper,  away  with  her. 
Thou  knowest  what  I  said.  Let  her 
know  the  pain  of  the  rack.  Aud 
so  she  departed,  thinking  no  less, 
but  that  she  should  have  gone  to 
the  rack,  till  she  saw-  the  keeper 
turn  toward  the  Clink  again.  And 
thus  did  God  alienate  their  hearts, 
aud  diminish  their  tyrannous  power, 
unto  the  time  of  further  examina- 
tions: for  she  was  brought  before 
the  bishop,  the  dean,  and  the  chan- 
cellor, and  other  commissioners, 
first  and  last,  thirteen  times. 

FOURTH  EXAMINATION  OF  MRS.  E. 
YOUNG,  BEFORE  THE  BISHOP  OK 
LONDON,    AND    OTHERS. 

First  she  being  presented  by  Dr. 
Martin  before  the  bishop  of  London, 
Dr.  Martin  began  to  declare  against 
her,  saying,The  lord clianccllor  hath 
sent  you  here  a  woman,  who  hath 
brought  books  over  from  Embden, 
where  all  these  books  of  heresy  and 
treason  are  printfed,  and  hath  there- 
with filled  all  the  land  v*'th  treason 
and  heresy:  neither  yet  will  she 
confess  who  translated  them,  nor 
■who  printed  them,  nor  yet  who  sent 
them  over.  Wherefore  my  lord 
chancellor  committeth  her  unto  my 
lord  of  London,  to  do  with  her  as 
he  shall  think  good.  For  she  will 
confess  nothing  but  that  she  bought 
these  said  books  in  Amsterdam,  and 
s©  brought  them  over  to  sell  for 
gain. 

Dr.  Cook.  Let  her  head  be  trussed 
in  a  small  line,  and  make  her 
confess. 

Martin.  The  book  is  called  Anti- 
christ, and  so  may  well  be  called, 
for  it  speaketh  against  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  queen.  Besides  that,  she 
hath  a  certain  spark  of  the  anabap- 
tists, for  she  refuseth  to  swear  upon 
the  four  evangelists  before  a  judge: 
for  I  myself  and  Mr.  Hussey  have 
had  her  before  us  four  times,  bat 
we  cannot  bring  her  to  swear. — 
Wherefore  my  lord  chancellor 
Avould  that  she  should  abstain  and 
fast,  for  she  hath  not  fasted  a  great 


71Q 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


wlii!e :  for  she  Lath  lain  iu  the  Clink 
a  «!;ood  while,  where  she  had  too 
ninch  liberty. 

Theu  said  the  bishop,  Why  wilt 
thou  not  swear  before  a  judge?  that 
is  the  right  trade  of  the  anabaptists. 

Young.  My  lord,  I  will  not  swear 
that  this  hand  is  mine. 

No  !  said  the  bishop ;  and  why  ? 

Yoxmg.  My  lord,  Christ  saith. 
That  whatsoever  is  more  than  yea, 
yea,  or  nay,  nay,  it  cometh  of  evil. 
And  moreover,  T  know  not  what  an 
oath  is :  and  therefore  I  will  take 
DO  such  things  upon  me. 

Then  said  Cholmley,  Twenty 
pounds  it  is  a  man  in  woman's 
clothes,  twenty  pounds  it  is  a  man ! 

Bonner,     Think  you  so,  my  lord  ? 

Cholmley.     Yea,  my  lord. 

Young.     My  lord,  I  am  a  woman. 

Bishop.  Swear  her  upon  a  book, 
seeing  it  is  but  a  question  asked. 

Then  said  Cholmley,  I  will  lay 
twenty  pounds  it  is  a  man. 

Then  Dr.  Cook  brought  her  a 
book,  commanding  her  to  lay  her 
hand  thereon. 

Young.  No,  my  lord,  I  \till  not 
swear,  for  I  know  not  what  an  oath 
is.  But  I  say  that  I  am  a  woman, 
and  have  children. 

Biihop.  That  we  know  not ;  there- 
fore swear. 

Cholm.  Thon  ill-favoured  w — — , 
lay  thy  hand  upon  the  book ;  I  will 
lay  on  mine ;  and  so  he  laid  his 
Land  on  the  book. 

Young.     So  will  not  I. 

Then  the  bishop  spake  a  word  in 
Latin  out  of  St.  Paul,  as  concerning 
swearing. 

Young.  My  lord,  if  you  speak  to 
me  of  St.  Paul,  then  speak  English, 
lor  I  understand  you  not. 

Biihop.  I  dare  swear  that  thou 
dost  not. 

Young.  My  lord,  St.  Paul  saith, 
that  five  words  spoken  iu  a  language 
that  may  be  understood,  are  better 
than  many  in  a  strange  tongue. 

Cook.  Swear  before  us,  whether 
thou  be  a  man  or  a  woman. 

Young.  If  you  will  not  believe 
me,  then  send  for  women  into  a  se- 
cret place,  and  I  will  be  searched. 

Cholm.     Thou  a^rt  an  ill-favouTed 


Bishop.  How  believcst  thou  iu 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar? 

Young.  If  it  will  please  you  that 
I  shall  declare  my  faith,  I  will,  and 
if  it  be  not  good,  teach  me  a  better, 
and  I  will  believe  it. 

Cook.  That  is  well  said,  declare 
thy  faith. 

She  then  declared  her  faith  in  the 
terms  of  our  creed,  and  according 
to  the  doctrine  of  other  protestants; 
and  after  some  illiberal  conversation 
with  her  about  Dr.  Scory,  by  whom 
she  had  been  instructed,  who  had  es- 
caped out  of  England,  she  was  or- 
dered away,  and  carried  into  the 
coal-house.  She  was  then  searched 
for  books,  and  afterwards  put  into 
the  stock-house,  and  her  knife,  gir- 
dle, and  apron  taken  from  her. 

She  was  next  examined  by  the 
chancellor,  to  whom  she  declared 
her  faith,  as  she  had  done  before  to 
the  bishop.  She  next  defended  her 
sense  of  Christ's  body  in  the  sacra- 
ment, and  resisted  all  the  sophisti- 
cal interpretations  of  Christ's  flesh, 
and  eating  his  flesh  and  drinking 
his  blood;  whereas,  she  added,  our 
profit  that  we  have  by  Christ,  is  to 
believe  that  his  body  was  broken 
upon  the  cross,  and  his  blood  shed 
for  our  sins ;  that  is  the  very  mean- 
ing of  Christ,  that  so  we  should  eat 
his  flesh,  and  drink  his  blood,  when 
he  said,  "  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed, 
and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed." 

The  chancellor  then  recurred  to 
some  of  his  former  arguments  and 
false  glosses,  which  she  equally  re- 
sisted ;  and  to  his  question  concern- 
ing the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  an- 
swered. As  often  as  I  receive  the 
sacrament,  I  believe  that  spiritually 
and  by  faith  I  receive  Christ.  And, 
after  some  other  captious  interroga- 
tories, to  which  she  replied  with  a 
full  spirit  of  conviction,  he  felt  the 
application  of  her  remarks  so  forci- 
bly as  to  be  much  irritated;  and 
they  soon  after  parted  for  that  time. 

On  her  next  examination  before 
the  chancellor,  he  renewed  the  same 
subject  of  Christ's  body  and  Christ's 
flesh.  He  then  spoke  of  seven 
sacraments,  and  she  maintained 
there  were  but  two  ;  and  as  to  wed- 
lock, she  knew  nothing  of  its  bein^ 


ELIZABETH  YOUNG. 


711 


n  sacrament;  about  priests  marrying 
was  no  part  of  her  faith  ;  purgatory 
she  never  heard  of.  After  much 
railing  against  schismatics,  and  de- 
claring her  to  be  one  of  the  rank- 
est heretics,  who  would  believe 
nothing  but  what  is  in  the  scripture, 
and  was  therefore  damned  ;  she  an- 
swered, I  do  believe  all  things  writ- 
ten in  the  scripture,  and  all  things 
agreeable  to  the  scripture,  given  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  the  church  of 
Christ,  set  forth  and  taught  by  the 
church  of  Christ;  and  shall  I  be 
damned  because  I  will  not  believe 
an  untruth? 

Then  the  chancellor  called  the 
keeper,  saying,  Cluny,  take  her 
away,  thou  knowest  what  thou  hast 
to  do  with  her.  And  so  she  departed, 
and  was  brought  again  to  the  stock- 
house,  and  there  she  lay  certain 
days,  and  both  her  hands  manacled 
in  one  iron;  and  afterwards  she 
was  removed  into  the  Lollards' 
Tower,  and  there  she  remained 
with  both  her  feet  in  the  stocks  and 
irons  till  the  next  time  of  examina- 
tion. 

SEVENTH  EXAMINATION  OF  MRS. 
YOUNG,  BEFORE  THE  CHANCEL- 
LOR  AND    THE   bishop's    SCRIBE. 

Chancellor.  Woman,  thou  hast 
been  twice  before  me,  but  we  could 
not  agree,  and  here  be  certain  ar- 
ticles that  my  lord  the  bishop  of 
London  would  that  thou  shouldest 
make  answer  unto,  which  are  these: 
First,  how  many  sacraments  dost 
thou  allow? 

Young.  Sir,  as  many  as  Christ's 
church  doth  allow,  and  that  is  two. 

Then  said  the  scribe.  Thou  wast 
taught  seven,  before  king  Edward's 
days. 

Chav.  Which  two  sacraments  be 
those  that  thou  dost  allow? 

Young.  The  sacrament  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  sacrament  of  baptism. 

Chan.  Dost  ibou  not  believe  that 
the  pope  of  Rome  is  the  supreme 
head  of  the  church,  immediately  un^ 
der  God  in  earth? 

Young.  No,  sir,  no  man  can  be 
the  head  of  Christ's  church:  for 
Christ  himself  h  the  head,  and  his 


word  is  the  governor  of  all  that  be 
of  that  church,  wheresoever  they 
be  scattered  abroad. 

Chan.  Dost  thou  not  believe  that 
the  bishop  of  Rome  can  forgive  thee 
all  thy  sins,  heretical,  detestable  and 
damnable,  that  thou  hast  done  from 
thine  infancy  nnio  this  day  ? 

Young.  Sir,  the  bishop  of  Rome 
is  a  sinner  as  I  am,  and  no  man  can 
forgive  me  my  sins ;  but  he  only  that 
is  without  sin,  that  is  Jesus  Christ, 
who  died  for  my  sins. 

Chan.  Hast  thou  not  desired 
God  to  defend  thee  from  the  tyran- 
ny of  the  bishop  of  Rome,  and  all 
his  detestable  enormities? 

Young.     Yes,  that  I  have. 

Chan.  And  art  thou  not  sorry 
for  it  ? 

Young.     No,  sir,  not  a  whit. 

Chan.  Art  thou  not  content  to 
go  to  the  church,  and  hear  mass? 

Young.  I  will  not  go  to  the 
church,  either  to  hear  mass  or  ma- 
tins, till  I  may  hear  it  in  a  tongue 
that  I  can  understand :  for  I  will  be 
fed  no  longer  in  a  strange  language. 
And  always  the  scribe  did  write 
every  one  of  these  articles,  as  they 
were  demanded  and  answered  unto. 

Then  the  scribe  asked  her  from 
whence  she  came. 

The  chancellor  said.  This  is  she 
that  brought  over  all  these  books  ot 
heresy  and  treason. 

Then  the  scribe  said  to  her,  Wo- 
man, where  hadst  thou  all  these 
books? 

Young.  I  bought  them  in  Am- 
sterdam, and  brought  them  over  to 
se!l,  thinking  to  gain  thereby. 

The  Scribe.  What  is  the  name 
of  the  book? 

Young.     1  cannot  tell. 

Scribe.  Why  shotlldst  thou  buy 
books,  and  know  not  their  names? 

Then  said  Cluny,  the  keeper.  Sir, 
my  lord  bishop  did  send  for  her  by 
name  that  she  should  come  to  mass, 
but  she  would  not. 

Chan.  Yea,  did  my  lord  send  for 
her  by  name,  and  would  she  not  go 
to  mass? 

Young.  No,  sir,  I  will  never  go 
to  mass,  till  I  do  understand  it,  by 
the  leave  of  God. 

Chan.     Understand  it  I  why,  who 


]2 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


the  devU  can  make  thee  umlerstand 
Latin,  thou  being  so  old  ? 

Then  the  scribe  commanded  her 
to  set  her  hand  to  all  these  things. 

Then  said  she,  Let  me  hear  them 
read  first. 

Scribe.  Master  Chancellor,  shall 
she  hear  it  read  ? 

Chan.  Ay,  ay,  let  the  heretic 
hear  it  read. 

Then  she  heard  it  read,  and  so 
signed  it. 

EIGHTH      EXAMINATION       OF       MRS. 
TOUNG    BEFORE    THE    BISHOP. 

Bishop.  Is  this  the  woman  that 
hath  three  children  ? 

Keeper.     Yea,  my  lord. 

Bishop.  Woman,  here  is  a  sup- 
plication put  into  my  hands  for  thee. 
In  like  case  there  was  another  sup- 
plication put  up  to  me  for  tl\ee  be- 
fore this,  in  which  thou  madest  as 
though  I  should  keep  thy  children. 

Young.  My  lord,  I  did  not  know 
of  this  supplication,  nor  yet  of  the 
other. 

Bishop.  Mr.  dean,  is  this  the 
woman  you  have  sued  so  earnestly 
for? 

Keeper.     Yea,  my  lord. 

Dean.  Woman,  what  remaineth 
in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  w  hen 
and  after  that  the  priest  hath  spoken 
the  words  of  consecration  ? 

Young.  A  piece  of  bread.  But 
the  sacrament  of  Christ's  body  and 
blood,  which  he  did  institute  and 
leave  among  his  disciples  the  night 
before  he  was  betrayed,  ministered 
according  to  his  word,  that  sacra- 
ment I  do  believe. 

Dean.  How  dost  thou  believe 
concerning  the  body  of  Christ? 
where  is  his  body,  and  how  many 
bodies  hath  he  ? 

Young.  Sir,  in  heaven  he  sitteth 
on  the  right  hand  of  Gqd. 

Dean.  From  whence  came  his 
human  body  ? 

Young.  He  took  it  of  the  virgin 
Mary. 

Dean.    That  is  flesh,  blood,  and 

bones,    as    mine    is.      But    what 

shape    hath    his    spiritual    body? 

Hath  it  face,  hands,  and  feet? 

Young.    I  know  no  other  body 


that  he  hath,  but  that  body  whereof 
he  meant  when  he  said,  "  This  is 
my  body,  which  is  given  for  you ; 
and  this  is  my  blood  which  shall  be 
shed  for  you."  Whereby  he  plainly 
meaneth  that  body,  and  no  other, 
which  he  took  of  the  virgin  Mary, 
having  the  perfect  shape  and  pro- 
portion of  a  human  body. 

Story.  Thou  hast  a  wise  body : 
for  thou  must  go  to  the  stake. 

Dean.  Art  thou  content  to  be- 
lieve in  the  faith  of  Christ's  church? 
But  to  ask  of  thee  what  Christ's 
church  is,  or  where  it  is,  I  let  it 
pass. 

Young.  Sir,  to  that  church  I 
have  joined  my  faith,  and  from  it  I 
purpose  never  to  turn,  by  God's 
help. 

Dean.  Wouldst  thou  not  be  at 
home  with  thy  children  with  a  good 
will? 

Young.  Sir,  if  it  please  God  to 
give  me  leave. 

Dean.  Art  thou  willing  to  con- 
fess thyself  a  foolish  woman,  and  to 
believe  as  our  holy  father  the  pope 
of  Rome  doth,  and  as  the  lord  car- 
dinal doth,  and  as  my  lord  the 
bishop  of  London  thine  ordinary 
doth,  and  as  the  king  and  queen, 
and  all  the  nobility  in  England  do  ; 
yea,  and  the  emperor,  and  all  the 
noble  persons  of  Christendom  ? 

Young.  Sir,  I  was  never  wise, 
but  in  few  words  I.  shall  make  you 
a  brief  answer  how  I  do  believe  all 
things  that  are  written  in  the  scrip- 
tures, given  by  the  Holy  Ghost  un- 
to the  church  of  Christ,  set  forth 
.  and  taught  by  the  church  of  Christ. 
Hereon  I  ground  my  faith,  and  not 
on  man. 

Then  said  Story,  And  who  shall 
be  judge? 

Young.     Sir,  the  scripture. 

Story.     And  who  shall  read  it  ? 

Young.  He  unto  whom  God  hath 
given  the  understanding. 

Bishop.  Woman,  be  reformable ; 
for  I  would  thou  wert  gone,  and 
master  dean  here  hath  earnestly 
sued  for  thee. 

Dean.  Woman,  I  have  sued  for 
thee  indeed,  and  I  promise  thee,  if 
thou  wilt  be  reformable,  my  lord 
will  be  good  unto  thee. 


ELIZABETH  YOUNG. 


713 


Young.  I  liavc  been  before  my 
lord  bishop,  and  before  master 
chancellor  three  times,  and  have 
declared  my  faith. 

Dean.  And  yet  I  know  that 
master  chancellor  will  say,  that 
thou  art  a  general  heretic. 

Story.     Away  with  her. 

Bishop.  Master  dean,  you 
know  that  I  may  not  tarry,  nor 
you  neither.  Let  her  keeper 
bring  her  home  to  your  own  cham- 
ber soon,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon, and  if  that  we  find  her 
reasonable,  then  let  her  go,  for  I 
would  that  she  were  gone. 

Then  said  the  dean.  With  a 
good  will,  my  lord;  and  so  she 
was  sent  unto  the  place  from 
whence  she  came,  until  it  was  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

NINTH      EXAMINATION      OF      ELIZA- 
BETH  YOUNG,  BEFORE  THE  DEAN. 

Dean.  Art  thou  a  fool  now,  as 
thou  wert  to-day? 

Youny.  Sir,  I  have  learnt  but 
small  wisdom  since. 

Dean.  Dost  thou  think  that  I  am 
better  learned  than  thou? 

Young.     Yes,  sir,  that  I  do. 

Dean.  Thinkest  thou  that  I  can 
do  thee  good? 

Young.  Yea,  sir,  and,  if  it  please 
God,  that  you  will. 

Dean.  Then  I  will  do  thee  good 
indeed.  What  dost  thou  receive 
when  thou  receivest  the  sacrament 
which  Christ  left  among  his  disci- 
ples the  night  before  he  was  be- 
trayed? 

Young.  Sir,  that  that  his  dis- 
ciples did  receive. 

Dean.     What  did  they  receive? 

Youny.  Sir,  that  that  Christ 
gave  them,  they  received. 

Dean.  What  answer  is  this?  was 
Christ  there  present  ? 

Youny.  Sir,  he  was  there  pre- 
sent ;  for  he  instituted  his  own  sa- 
crament. 

Dean.  He  took  bread  and  brake 
it,  and  he  gave  it  to  his  disciples, 
and  said,  "  Take,  eat,  this  is  my 
body  which  shall  be  broken  for 
you."  When  thou  receivest  it, 
dost  thou  believe  that  thou  receiv- 
est his  body? 


Youny.  Sir,  when  I  receive,  I 
believe  that  through  faith  I  do  re- 
ceive Christ. 

Dean.  Dost  thou  believe  that 
Christ  is  there? 

Youny.  Sir,  I  believe  that  he 
is  there  to  me,  and  by  faith  I  do 
receive  him. 

Dean.  He  also  took  the  cup 
and  gave  thanks,  and  gave  it  to  his 
disciples,  and  said,  "  Drink  ye  all 
thereof;  this  is  the  cup  of  the  New 
Testament,  in  my  blood,  which  is 
shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of 
sins."  When  thou  dost  receive  it 
after  the  institution  that  Christ 
ordained  among  his  disciples, 
the  night  before  he  was  betrayed, 
dost  thou  believe  that  Christ  is 
there? 

Youny.  Sir,  by  faith  I  believe 
that  he  is  there,  and  by  faith  I  do 
believe  that  I  do  receive  him. 

Dean.  Now  thou  hast  answered 
me,  remember  what  thou  sayest, 
that  when  thou  dost  receive  accord- 
ing to  the  institution  of  Christ,  thou 
dost  receive  Christ. 

Youny.  Sir,  I  believe  Christ  not 
to  be  absent  from  his  own  sacra- 
ment. 

Dean.  How  long  wilt  thou  con- 
tinue in  that  belief? 

Youny.  Sir,  as  long  as  I  do  live, 
by  the  help  of  God,  for  it  is,  and 
hath  been  my  belief. 

Dean.  Wilt  thou  say  so  before 
my  lord? 

Youny.     Yea,  sir. 

Dean.  Then  I  dare  deliver  thee. 
Why,  thou  calf,  why  wouldst  thou 
not  say  so  to-day? 

Young.  Sir,  you  asked  me  no 
such  question. 

Dean.  Then  you  would  stand  in 
disputation  how  many  bodies 
Christ  had. 

Young.  Sir,  indeed  that  ques- 
tion you  did  ask  me. 

Dean.  Who  shall  be  the  sure- 
ties that  thou  wilt  appear  before 
my  lord  of  London  and  me,  upon 
Friday  next? 

Young.  Sir,  I  have  no  sureties, 
nor  know  I  where  to  have  anj'. 

Then  spake  the  dean  unto  two 
women  that  stood  there,  who  had 
earnestly  sued  for  her,  saying, 
2 


714 


bo5k  of  martyrs. 


Women,  will  ye  be  her  sureties, 
that  she  shall  appear  before  my 
lord  of  London  and  me,  upon  Fri- 
day next? 

Women.  Yea,  sir,  and  it  please 
you. 

Dean.  Take  heed  that  I  find  you 
no  more  a  babbler  in  the  Scrip- 
tore. 

Young.  Sir,  I  am  no  babbler  in 
the  Scripture,  nor  yet  can  any  man 
burden  me  therewith. 

Dean.  Yes,  I  have  heard  of 
you  well  enough  what  you  are. 

Then  said  he  to  the  two  women. 
What  if  a  man  should  touch  your 
conscience,  do  ye  not  smell  a  little 
of  heresy  also? 

Women.     No,  sir. 

Dean.  Yes,  a  little  of  the  fry- 
ing-pan, or  else  wherefore  have  ye 
two  so  earnestly  sued  for  her? 

The  one  woman  answered,  Be- 
cause that  her  children  were  like 
to  perish,  and  therefore  God  put 
me  in  mind  to  sue  for  her. 

Then  said  the  other  woman. 
And  I  provided  her  child  a  nurse, 
and  I  am  threatened  to  stand  for 
the  keeping  of  her  child;  and 
therefore  it  standeth  me  in  hand  to 
sue  to  have  her  out. 

Deayi.  Woman,  give  thanks 
unto  these  honest  women,  who 
have  so  earnestly  sued  for  thee, 
and  I  promise  thee  so  have  I. 
These  great  heretics  will  receive 
nothing  but  in  spirit  and  faith. 
And  so  he  rose  and  departed. 

Young.  Sir,  God  be  praised, 
and  I  thank  you  for  your  goodness, 
and  their's  also.  And  so  she  went 
away;  and  upon  the  Friday  next, 
because  she  was  accused,  her  two 
sureties  went  thither,  and  were 
discharged. 

THE     PERSECUTION     OF     ELIZABETH 
•  LAWSON. 

In  the  town  of  Bedford,  in  the 
county  of  Suffolk,  dwelt  an  an- 
cient godly  matron,  named  Eliza- 
beth Lawson,  about  the  age  of 
sixty  year.<«,  who  was  apprehended 
as  an  heretic  by  the  constables  of  the 
same  town,  named  Robert  Kitrich, 
and  Thomas  Elas,  in  the  year 
I066,  because  she  w  ould  not  go  to 


church  to  hear  mass,  and  receive 
the  sacrament,  and  believe  in  it. 

First,  they  laid  her  in  a  dun- 
geon, and  after  that  she  was  car- 
ried into  Norwich,  and  from 
thence  to  Bury  goal,  wher&  at  last 
she  M'as  condemned  to  be  burnt. 
In  the  mean  time  sir  John  Sylliard 
had  her  home  unto  his  house,  he 
being  high  sheiift'  that  year,  where 
she  was  hardly  kept,  and  wrapped  in 
irons,  till  at  length,  when  they 
could  by  no  means  move  her  to  re- 
cant, she  was  sent  to  prison  again, 
with  shameful  revilings. 

Thus  she  continued  in  prison 
the  space  of  two  years  and  three 
quarters.  In  the  mean  time  there 
were  burnt  her  son  and  many 
more,  whereby  she  would  often 
say,  "  Good  Lord,  what  is  the 
cause  that  I  may  not  yet  come  to 
thee  with  thy  children?  Well, 
good  Lord,  thy  blessed  will  be 
done,  and  not  mine." 

Not  long  after  this  (most  hap- 
pily) followed  the  death  of  queen 
Mary,  after  whom  succeeded 
queen  Elizabeth.  At  which  time 
this  Elizabeth  Lawson  remained 
yet  still  in  Bury  prison,  till  at 
last  she  was  bailed  upon  sureties, 
or  else  she  could  not  be  delivered. 
For  she  being  a  condemned  per- 
son, neither  the  temporality,  nor 
yet  spiritual  authority  would  dis- 
charge her  without  sureties.  Now 
she  being  abroad,  and  her  sureties 
made  afraid  by  wicked  men,  said, 
they  would  cast  her  again  in  pri- 
son, except  she  would  see  them 
discharged. 

Then  she  got  a  supplication  to 
go  unto  the  queen's  majesty,  and 
came  to  a  friend  of  hcr's,  to  have 
his  counsel  therein;  who  willed 
her  to  stay  awhile,  because  she 
was  old,  the  days  short,  the  ex- 
pences  great,  and  weather  foul, 
(for  it  was  a  little  before  Christ- 
mas), and  to  tarry  until  summer. 
In  the  mean  time  God  broke  the 
bond,  and  shortened  her  journey  ; 
for  he  took  her  home  to  himself 
out  of  this  life  in  peace. 

This  good  old  woman,  long  be- 
fore she  went  to  prison,  had  the 
falling  sickness,  and  told  a  friend 


THOMAS  CHRISTENMASS  AND  WILLIAM  WATS.  7\S 


of  her's,  one  Simon  Harlslon,  after 
she  was  apprehended,  that  she 
never  had  it  more,  but  lived  in  good 
health  and  joy  of  heart,  through  our 
Lord  Christ. 

She  had  a  very  unkind  husband, 
who,  while  she  was  in  prison,  sold 
her  raiment,  and  would  not  help 
her;  and  after  she  was  out  of  pri- 
son, she  returned  home  unto  him, 
yet  would  he  shew  her  no  kind- 
ness, nor  help  her  neither;  and 
yet  th«  house  and  land  that  he 
dwelt  in  he  had  by  her  ;  wherefore 
as  long  as  she  lived  she  was  main- 
tained by  the  congregation. 

The  said  Elizabeth  Lawson  also 
had  a  sister,  wife  to  one  Robert 
Hollon,  in  Mickfield,  in  the  same 
county  of  Sutl'olk,  who  likewise 
was  persecuted  and  driven  out  from 
house  to  house,  and  a  young  man, 
her  son,  with  her,  because  they 
would  not  go  to  the  church  to  hear 
mass,  and  receive  the  sacrament  of 
the  altar. 

PERSECUTION    OF     THOMAS     CHRIS- 
TENMASS,  AND    WILLIAM    WATS. 

In  this  perilous  age  of  queen 
Mary's  reign  were  two  men  perse- 
cuted, one  called  Thomas  Chris- 
TENMASs,  the  other  William 
Wats,  of  Tunbridge,  in  Kent.  As 
these  two  men  travelled  from 
place  to  place,  not  resting  two 
nights  together  in  one  place,  they 
happened  to  go  to  Rochester,  in 
Kent,  where  they  at  the  town's 
end  met  with  a  damsel  of  eight 
years  of  age,  but  whither  she  went 
they  knew  not.  It  was  then  night, 
and  they  being  weary,  were  willing 
to  lie  in  the  same  town,  but  could 
not  tell  where,  they  feared  so  the 
bloody  Catholics.  At  last  they 
devised  to  ask  the  damsel  whether 
there  were  any  heretics  in  the 
town,  or  no?  and  she  said.  Yea. 
They  asked  her  where.  She  an- 
swered them.  At  such  an  inn,  tell- 
ing them  the  name,  and  where  the 
inn  was.  Shortly  after,  as  they 
were  gone  from  her,  they  be- 
thought themselves  better,  and 
God  so  moving  their  hearts,  they 
went  to  the  child  again,  and  asked 
her  how  she  knew  that  the  inn- 
1 


keeper  (of  whom  she  spake  before) 
was  an  heretic.  Marry,  quoth  she, 
well  enough,  and  his  wife  also. 
How  knowest  thou,  pretty  maiden? 
said  they.  I  pray  thee  tell  us. 
How  know  I  ?  said  she ;  marry, 
because  they  go  to  the  church ; 
and  those  that  will  not  hold  up 
their  hands  there,  they  will  pre- 
sent them,  and  he  himself  goes 
from  house  to  house,  to  compel 
them  to  come  to  church.  When 
these  two  men  heard  this,  they 
gave  God  praise,  and  avoisied  that 
house,  taking  the  v/arning  of  that 
maid  (of  good  bringing  up,  as  it 
should  seem)  to  be  God's  marvel- 
lous providence  towards  them. 

In  the  last  year  but  one  of  queen 
Mary's  reign,  William  Wats  lived 
at  Scale,  in  Kent,  where  being 
apprehended,  and  brought  by  the 
constables  before  the  bishop  and 
justices  at  Tunbridge,  they  endea- 
voured to  persuade  him  to  turn 
from  the  truth,  but  all  in  vain, 
though  they  spent  much  time,  and 
used  many  flattering  words. 

At  dinner-time  the  constables 
took  Wats  to  a  victualling-house, 
where,  after  they  had  well  filled 
themselves,  they  fell  asleep,  sup- 
posing their  prisoner  had  been 
sure  enough  under  their  hands. 
Wats's  wife  being  in  the  house 
with  her  husband,  and  very  care- 
ful for  his  well-doing,  seeing  them 
all  fast  asleep,  desired  her  hus- 
band to  go  away,  as  God  had 
given  him  an  opportunity:  but  he 
refused  so  long  that  at  last  a 
stranger  hearing  something  of  the 
dispute,  asked  what  the  matter  was, 
and  why  she  was  so  earnest  with  her 
husband:  the  wife  told  him.  Then 
said  the  stranger  to  Wats,  Father, 
go  thy  ways,  in  God's  name,  and 
tarry  no  longer:  the  Lord  hath 
opened  the  way  unto  thee.  Upon 
which  words  he  went  his  way,  and 
his  wife  departed  from  him,  and 
went  home  to  her  house  at  Scale, 
thinking  her  husband  had  gone 
another  way.  Now  as  she  was 
going  in  at  her  door,  telling  her 
friends  of  his  deliverance,  imme- 
diately came  in  the  said  Wats 
also,  and  they   all  being  amaeed 


716 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


thereat,  Milled  him  in  all  haste  to 
get  him  away;  for  they  thought 
there  would  be  search  for  him  im- 
mediately. 

Then  Wats  said,  he  Mould  eat 
meat  first,  and  also  pray;  which 
he  did,  and  afterwards  departed 
thence.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of 
doors,  and  had  hid  himself  in  an 
holly-bush,  immediately  came  the 
said  constables,  with  thirty  per- 
sons, into  the  said  house,  to  search 
for  him,  where  they  pierced  the 
feather-beds,  broke  open  his 
chests,  and  made  great  havoc; 
and  as  they  were  searching:,  the 
constable  cried,  I  will  have  Wats, 
I  will  have  Wats,  I  tell  thee,  I 
■will  have  Wats;  but,  God  be 
thanked,  Wats  could  not  be  found. 
And  when  they  saw  it  needless  to 
search  for  him,  in  the  end  they 
took  bis  wife,  and  set  her  in  a  pair 
of  stocks,  where  she  remained  two 
days,  and  she  was  very  bold  in  the 
truth,  and  at  last  delivered 
through  the  providence  of  God ; 
whose  name  be  glorified  in  all  his 
works,  Amen. 

MR.    DABNEY. 

There  was  at  London  a  certain 
godly  person,  a  painter,  named 
Dabney,  whom  John  Avales,  in 
the  time  of  queen  Mary,  had 
brought  before  Bonner  to  be  exa- 
mined for  his  faith.  It  happened 
the  same  time,  when  the  said 
Dabney  was  there,  that  the  bishop 
was  occupied  with  the  examina- 
tion of  others,  so  that  he  was  bid 
to  stand  by,  and  to  wait  the  bi- 
shop's leisure.  Upon  the  same, 
or  not  long  after,  suddenly  came 
word  to  the  bishop  to  prepare  him 
with  all  speed,  the  general  pro- 
cession tarried  for  him.  The  bi- 
shop hearing  that,  setting  all  busi- 
ness apart,  bustletU  himself  with 
all  possible  speed  to  the  church, 
here  to  furnish  procession.  By 
reason  whereof,  Dabney,  who 
newly  came  to  the  house,  was 
there  left  alone,  while  every  man 
else  was  busied  in  preparing  and 
setting  themselves  forward,  ac- 
cording as  the  case  required. 

To  be  short,  as  the  time  called 


on,  Bonner  with  his  household 
makes  all  possible  haste  to  the 
procession.  Dabney  being  left 
alone,  came  down  to  the  outward 
court,  next  the  gate,  there  walking 
heavily  by  himself,  looking  for  no- 
thing less  than  to  escape  that  dan- 
ger. The  porter,  who  was  only 
left  at  home,  seeing  tiie  man 
walk  alone,  supposing  he  had 
been  some  citizen  left  there  be- 
hind, and  waiting  for  opening 
the  gate,  went  and  opened  the 
wioket,  asking  if  he  would  go  out. 
Yea,  said  he,  with  a  good  will,  if 
you  will  let  me  out.  With  all  my 
heart,  quoth  the  porter,  and  I  pray 
you  so  do. 

And  thus  the  said  Dabney  tak- 
ing the  opportunity  offered  of 
God,  being  let  out  by  the  porter, 
escaped  out  of  the  wolf's  mouth. 
The  procession  being  done,  when 
the  bishop  returned  home,  Dabney 
was  gone,  and  could  not  be  found ; 
whereupon  search  was  made,  but 
especially  John  Avales  laid  wait 
for  him:  who,  after  long  search- 
ing, when  he  could  not  get  him,  at 
length  received  fifteen  crowns  of 
his  wife  to  let  him  alone  when  he 
should  see  him,  and  so  that  good 
man  escaped. 

ALEXANDER   WIMHURST,    PRIEST. 

A  like  example  of  God  Al- 
mighty's goodness  towards  his  af- 
flicted servants,  in  that  dangerous 
time  of  persecution,  may  also  ap- 
pear evidently  in  one  Alexander 
Wimhurst,  a  priest,  sometime  of 
Magdalen  college,  in  Oxford,  and 
then  a  papist,  but  since  an  earnest 
enemy  to  Antichrist,  and  a  man 
better  instructed  in  the  true  fear 
of  God.  It  happened  that  one 
had  recommended  him  to  bishop 
Bonner  for  religion,  upon  what 
occasion  I  do  not  understand. 
According  to  the  old  manner  in 
such  cases  provided,  he  sent  forth 
Robin  Caly,  otherwise  called  Ro- 
bin Papist,  one  of  his  whelps,  to 
bring  in  the  game,  and  to  cause 
this  silly  poor  man  to  appear  be- 
fore him.  Little  Robin,  like  a 
proper  man,  bestirreth  him  in  his 
business,    and   smelleth   him   out, 


MRS.  BOSOM— JOHN  DAVIS. 


717 


and-  when  he  had  taken  him, 
bringeth  him  along  by  Cheapside, 
not  suffering  him  to  talk  with  any 
of  his  acquaintance  by  the  way, 
though  they  were  some  of  his  old 
friends  of  Oxford  that  ottered  to 
speak  unto  him. 

When  they  came  into  St.  Paul's, 
he     espied    Dr.    Chedsey     there, 
walking   up   and   down,   and,   be- 
cause he  was  able  in  such   a  case 
to    do   pleasure,   and    for   that   he 
had  been  of  his  old  acquaintance 
in  Oxford,  he  was  very  desirous  to 
speak  to  him  ere  he  went  through. 
Chedsey,    perceiving    that    Robin 
Caiy  did  attend  upon  him,    said, 
that   he    durst  not  meddle   in  the 
matter.      Yes  (said   little   Robin), 
you  may  talk  with  him,  if  it  please 
you,  master  Doctor.     To  be  short, 
Alexander  opened  his  case,  and  in 
the  end  desired,  for  old  acquaint- 
ance   sake,    that    he    would    find 
means  he  might  be  brought  before 
Dr.  Martin  to  be  examined,  rather 
than   any   other.      Nay,    said    he, 
(alleging  the  words  of  Christ  unto 
Peter,   in  the  last  chapter  of  St. 
John),     you    remember,     brother, 
what    is    written    in    the    gospel: 
"  When  thou    wast    young,    thou 
didst    gird    thyself,    and    wentest 
whither  thou  wouldst:    but  being 
aged,   other  men  shall  gird  thee, 
and  lead  thee  whither  thou  wouldst 
not."    Thus  abusing  the  Scripture 
to   his    private   meaning,   whereas 
notwithstanding    he   might   easily 
have  accomplished  so  small  a  re- 
quest, if  he  had  liked  it.     So  they 
commanded  him  to  prison.     And 
now  mark  well  the  providence  of 
God  in  his  preservation. 

He  was  brought  into  Cluny's 
house,  in  Paternoster-row,  from 
thence  to  be  carried  to  Lollards' 
Tower,  out  of  hand,  but  that 
Ciuny,  (as  it  happened),  his  wife, 
and  his  maid,  were  so  earnestly 
occupied  about  present  business, 
that  they  had  not  leisure  then  to 
lock  up  their  prisoner.  In  the 
hall  where  Alexander  sat  was  a 
strange  woman,  whose  husband 
was  then  presently  in  trouble  for 
religion,  which  perceived  by  some 
occasion  or  other,  that  this   man 


was  brought  in  for  the  like  cause. 
Alack,  good  man,  saith  she,  if  you 
will  you  may  escape  the  cruel 
hands  of  your  enemies,  fora&'much 
as  they  be  all  away  that  should 
look  unto  you.  God  hath  opened 
the  way  unto  you  for  deliverance, 
and  therefore  lose  not  the  oppor- 
tunity thereof,  if  you  be  wise. 
Being  persuaded  with  these  and 
such  like  words,  he  went  out  of 
the  doors,  and  escaped  their 
hands. 

MRS.    BOSOM. 

This  good  woman  being  at  Rich- 
mond with  her  mother,  was  greatly 
urged  to  go  to  church.  At  length, 
through  great  importunity,  she 
came;  being  in  the  church,  and 
sitting  with  her  mother  in  the 
pew,  contrary  in  all  things  to  the 
doings  of  the  papists,  she  behaved 
herself  so,  that  when  they  kneeled 
she  stood,  when  they  turned  for- 
ward, she  turned  backward,  &c. 

This  being  notorious  in  the 
church,  the  constable  and  church- 
warden attacked  her  in  the 
queen's  name,  charging  her  and 
her  mother  to  appear  the  next  day 
at  Kingston,  which  accordingly 
they  did,  and  happening  to  meet 
the  officers,  saluted  them  by  their 
names,  but  at  that  time  had  no 
power  to  speak  to  them,  though 
afterwards  they  stampt  and  stared, 
and  were  mad  with  themselves  for 
letting  them  pass.  Whereupon 
the  good  woman  taking  her  jour- 
ney to  London,  escaped  their  cru- 
elty. 

JOHN    DAVIS,    A   BOY. 

In  the  year  1546,  the  last  year 
of  king  Henry  the  Eighth,  John 
Davis,  a  child  of  less  than  twelve 
years  of  age,  who  dwelt  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  Johnson,  apothecary, 
in  the  town  of  Worcester,  his  un- 
cle, using  sometimes  to  read  in 
the  Testament,  and  other  English 
books,  was  complained  of  by  his 
mistress,  who  was  an  obstinate 
person,  and  consulted  with  one 
Thomas  Parton,  and  Alice  Brook, 
wife  to  Nicholas  Brook,  organ 
maker,  with  certain  of  the  cauonS) 


718 


BOOK  OP  MARTYRS. 


and   Mr.   Johnson,   chancellor    to 
Dr.  Heath,   their  bishop.     Where- 
upon Thomas  Parton  came  to  ap- 
prehend  him,   and  his  uncle  was 
forced  against  bis  will  to  bind  the 
poor  boy's  arms  behind  him:  and 
so  he  was  brought  to  the  olficers  of 
the  town,  who  committed  him  to 
prison,  where  he  lay  from  the  14th 
of  August  till  the  last  day  of  Sep- 
tember.     He   was    then  removed 
from   thence   to   an   inner  prison, 
called  Peephole,  where  one  Joylifl' 
and  Yewer,  two  canons,  who  had 
his  writings  against  the  six   arti- 
cles,     and     his     ballad,      called, 
"  Come  down  for  all  your  shaven 
crown,"   came  to  see  whether  he 
would  stand  to  that  he  had  writ- 
ten.      Which    done,     with    many 
great,  raging  words,  not  long  after 
.sat  Mr.  Johnson,   the   chancellor, 
in  the   Guildhall,   upon   the    poor 
lad.     Where  fii-st  were  brought  in 
his   accusers,    and    sworn ;     then 
were  sworn  also  twenty-four  men 
which    went    on    his    quest,    and 
found  him   guilty,    but    he   never 
came     before      the       chancellor. 
Upon  this  he  was  sent  to  the  com- 
mon gaol,  among  thieves  and  mur- 
derers, there  to  tarry  the  coming 
of  the  judges,   and  so  to  be  had 
strait    to    execution.       But    the 
mighty  mercy   of  the   Lord,    who 
helpeth  the  desolate  and  misera- 
ble, when  all  other  help  is  past,  so 
provided    for    this    innocent    lad, 
that  the  purpose  of  all  his  hard- 
hearted     enemies      was      disap- 
pointed:    for    before    the   judges 
came,  God  took  away  Henry  the 
Eighth  out  of  this  life.     By  reason 
whereof  the  force  of  the  law  was 
then  stayed  :  however,  he  was  ne- 
vertheless  arraigned,    being   held 
up  in  a  man's  arms  at  the  bar  be- 
fore the  judges,  who  were  Port- 
man    and    Marven:      who,    when 
they  perceived  that  they  could  not 
burn   him,   would   have    him   pre- 
sently whipped.      But  Mr.  Bourne 
declared  to  the  judges,  how  he  had 
had  whipping  enough.     After  that 
he  had  lain  a  week  more  in  prison, 
be  had  him  home  to  his  house,  his 
wife  anointed  his  legs  herself  with 
uiutment,    T\'hich   were    then    stifl' 


and  numbed  with  irons,  till  at 
length,  when  Mr.  Bourne  and  his 
wife  saw  they  could  not  win  him 
to  the  belief  of  their  sacrament, 
they  put  him  away,  lest  he  should 
infect  their  son  Anthony,  as  they 
thought,  with  heresy. 

Thus  John  Davis  was  mercifully 
preserved,  after  he  had  suffered 
imprisonment  from  the  14th  day 
of  August  till  within  seven  days  of 
Easter,  who  is  yet  alive,  and  a 
profitable  minister  this  day  in  the 
church  of  England:  blessed  be  the 
Lord. 

MRS.    ROBURTS. 

Mrs.  Roberts,  a  gentlewoman, 
living    (as   I   understand)    in    the 
town   of    Hawkhurst,    in    Sussex, 
being    earnestly    addicted    to   the 
truth  of  the  gospel,    and  no  less 
constant   in   that  which    she   had 
learned  therein,    so    kept  herself 
during    all    the    brunt    of   queen 
Mary's  time,  that  she  never  came 
to   their  popish  service,  nor  pol- 
luted  her    conscience    with    their 
idolatrous  mass.     There  dwelt  at 
the  same  time  not  far  off  a  justice, 
called  sir  John  Gilford,  who  being 
as  fervent  on  the  contrary  side  to 
set    forward    the    proceedings    of 
queen    Mary,     thought    to    prove 
masteries  with  this  gentlewoman, 
in   forcing    her    into   the    church. 
And    fir^   sending    his    wife,    he 
tempted  her,   by   fair  words   and 
gentle     persuasions,     to     conform 
herself  to  the  prince's  laws,  and  to 
come,    as  other  Christian    people 
did,  to  the  church.     Notwithstand- 
ing, she  constantly  persisting  in  the 
sincerity  of  the  truth,  would  by  no 
persuasions  be  won  to  do  therein 
against   her  conscience;     and    so 
kept  at  home  a  certain  time,  till 
again  Mr.  Gilford,  thinking  not  to 
give  her  over  so,  sent  his  ofTicers 
and  servants  to  her,  by  force  and 
power  to  haul  her  out  of  her  house 
to  the  church,  and  so  did.     Where, 
by  the  way,  she,  for  grief  of  con- 
science, swooned,  and  so  of  neces- 
sity was  brought  home  again,  and 
falling  into  an  ague,  was  for  that 
time  dispensed  with.     When  she 
had  recovered  her  health  again,  he 


MRS.  LACY,  AND  OTHERS. 


719 


came  in  person  to  compel  her  to 
come  to  church,  whether  she 
would  or  no.  But  (as  the  pro- 
verb g^oeth)  who  can  prevent  that 
which  God  would  have  done? 
For  when  Mr.  Gilford  had  pur- 
posed as  pleased  him,  the  Lord  so 
disposed  for  this  good  woman, 
that  as  he  was  coming  up  stairs 
towards  her  chamber,  suddenly  his 
old  disease  the  gout  seized  him, 
and  so  terribly  tormented  him, 
that  he  could  go  no  further:  and 
so  he,  that  purposed  to  carry  her 
to  the  church  against  her  will,  was 
forced  himself  to  be  carried  home 
to  his  house  on  account  of  his 
pain,  protesting  and  swearing  that 
he  would  never  from  henceforth 
trouble  that  gentlewoman  more, 
and  no  more  he  did. 

MRS.    ANNE    LACY. 

Mrs.  Anne  Lacy,  widow,  in 
Nottinghamshire,  was  in  great 
danger  in  queen  Mary's  time,  in- 
somuch that  the  process  was  out 
against  her,  and  she  ready  to  have 
been  apprehended,  being  so  nearly 
pursued,  that  she  was  driven  to 
hide  her  Bible  and  other  books  in 
a  dunghill.  Mr.  Lacy,  her  bro- 
ther, was  then  justice  of  peace; 
bat  to  whom  (as  I  have  heard)  she 
was  but  very  little  beholden.  Ne- 
vertheless, where  kindred  faileth, 
yet  God's  grace  never  faileth  such 
as  stick  to  him;  for  in  this  mean 
time,  as  the  process  came  out 
against  her,  queen  Mary  died,  and 
so  she  escaped. 

MRS.    GROSSMAN. 

She  lived  at  Tibnam  Longrow, 
in  Norfolk,  and  for  not  going  to 
church  was  sought  for  at  her 
house  by  the  constable  of  the  hun- 
dred, who,  when  he  came  to  her 
house,  she  being  at  home  with  a 
child  sucking  in  her  arms,  stept 
into  a  corner  on  oMe  side  of  the 
chimney,  and  they  seeking  about 
the  chambers,  the  child  never 
cried  (although  before  they  came 
it  did)  as  long  as  they  were  there, 
and  so  by  this  means  the  Lord 
preserved  her. 


THE   CONGREGATION    AT    STOKE,    IN 
SUFFOLK. 

There  were  some  likewise  that 
avoided  the  violent  rage  of  their 
adversaries  by  means  only  of  their 
number,  and  mutual  according  in 
godliness,  wherein  they,  did  so 
hold  together,  that  without  much 
ado  none  well  could  be  troubled: 
whereof  we  have  an  example,  in  a 
certain  town  of  SuHblk,  called 
Stoke.  After  the  three  sharp 
years  of  queen  Mary's  persecution 
being  past,  yet,  notwithstanding, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  afore- 
said, especially  the  women,  came 
not  to  their  church  to  receive, 
after  the  popish  manner,  the  sa- 
crament; who,  if  they  had  been 
but  few,  they  could  by  no  means 
have  escaped  imprisonment.  But 
because  they  were  so  many,  the 
papists  thought  it  best  not  to  lay 
hands  upon  them.  Only  they  ap- 
pointed them  sixteen  days  respite 
aftei'  Easter,  wherein  as  many  as 
would,  should  receive  the  sacra- 
ment; those  that  would  not, 
should  stand  to  the  peril  that 
would  follow.  Of  this  company, 
which  were  many,  giving  their 
hands  together,  the  chief  were 
these : 

Eve,  an  old  woman  of  sixty 
years  of  age;  Alice  Coker,  her 
daughter;  Elizabeth  Foxe;  Agnes 
Cutting;  Alice  Spencer;  Henry 
Canker;  Joan  Fouke;  Agnes 
Spauldiug;  John  Steyre,  and  his 
brother;  John  Foxe. 

These,  after  the  order  was  taken 
for  their  not  coming  to  the  church, 
took  counsel  among  themselves 
what  was  best  to  be  done,  and  at 
length  concluded  by  promise  one  to 
another,  that  they  should  not  re- 
ceive at  all.  Yet  some  of  them  af- 
terwards, being  persuaded  with  fair 
promises  that  the  communion 
should  be  ministered  unto  them. 
according  to  king  Edward's  book, 
went  to  the  parish  priest  (whose 
name  was  Cotes),  and  asked  him 
after  which  sort  he  would  admi- 
nister the  sacrament.  He  an- 
swered to  such  as  he  favoured, 
that  he  would  give  it   after  the 


720 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


right  sort ;  the  re.it  would  have  it 
after  the  popish  manner. 

To  be  short,  none  did  communi- 
cate so,  but  only  John  Steyre  and 
John  Foxe;  of  which  the  one  gave 
his  wife  leave  to  do  as  she  thought 
best ;  the  other  went  about  with 
threats  to  compel  his  wife,  saying, 
that  otherwise  he  would  divorce 
himself  from  her.  As  for  the  rest, 
they  withdrew  themselves  from 
church,  resorting  to  their  wonted 
company,  only  Foxe's  wife  tarried 
still  at  home,  in  heaviness,  whose 
husband  practised  with  the  curate 
in  the  mean  time,  that  the  next  day 
jWter  he  should  give  her  the  sacra- 
ment, which  was  the  seventeenth 
day  after  Easter.  But  the  very 
same  day,  unknowing  to  her  hus- 
band, she  went  secretly  to  her 
company,  and  with  tears  declared 
how  violently  her  husband  had 
dealt  with^ier.  The  other  women 
bade  her  notwithstanding  to  be  of 
good  cheer,  and  said,  that  they 
would  make  their  most  earnest 
prayers  to  God  both  for  her  and 
her  husband ;  and  indeed  when 
they  had  so  done,  the  matter  took 
very  good  success.  For  the  next 
day  after  Goodman  Foxe  came  of 
his  own  accord  unto  them,  a  far 
other  man  than  he  was  before, 
and  bewailed  his  own  rashness, 
praying  them  that  they  would  for- 
give him,  promising  ever  after  to 
be  more  strong  in  faith,  to  the 
great  rejoicing  both  of  them  and 
his  wife. 

About  half  a  year  after  this,  the 
bishop  of  Norwich  sent  forth  cer- 
tain of  his  ofiBcers  or  apparitors 
thither,  which  gave  them  warning 
every  one  to  come  to  the  church 
the  next  Sunday  following.  If 
they  would  not  come,  they  should 
appear  before  the  commissary  out 
of  hand,  to  render  account  of  their 
absence.  But  the  women  having 
secret  knowledge  of  this  before, 
kept  themselves  out  of  the  way  on 
purpose,  to  avoid  the  summons  or 
warning.  Therefore  when  they 
were  not  at  the  church  on  the  day 
appointed,  the  commissary  did  first 
suspend  them  according  to  the  bi- 


shop of  Rome's  law,  and  within 
three  weeks  after  did  excommuni- 
cate them.  Therefore  when  they 
perceived  that  an  ofiBcer  of  the 
town  was  set  to  take  some  of  them, 
they  conveying  themselves  privily 
out  of  the  town,  escaped  all  dan- 
ger. 

THE    CONGREGATION  IN    LONDON. 

No  less  wonderful  was  the  pre- 
servation of  the  congregation  in 
London,  which  from  the  first  be- 
ginning of  queen  Mary,  to  the 
latter  end  thereof,  continued,  not- 
withstanding whatsoever  the  ma- 
lice, device,  searching,  and  inqui- 
sition of  men,  or  strictness  of  laws 
could  work  to  the  contrary.  Such 
was  the  merciful  hand  of  the  Lord, 
according  to  his  accustomed  good- 
ness, ever  working  with  his  people. 
Of  this  bountiful  goodness  of  the 
Lord,  many  and  great  examples 
appeared  in  the  congregation  which 
I  now  speak  of.  How  often,  and 
in  what  great  danger  did  he  de- 
liver them ! 

First,  in  Black-friars,  when  they 
should  have  resorted  to  sir  Thomas 
Garden's  house,  private  watch  was 
laid  forthem,  but  yet  through  God's 
providence  the  mischief  was  pre- 
vented, and  they  delivered. 

Again;  they  narrowly  escaped 
from  Aldgate,  where  spies  were 
laid  for  them :  and  had  not  Thomas 
Simson,  the  deacon,  espied  them, 
and  bid  them  disperse  themselves 
away,  they  had  been  taken.  For 
within  two  hours,  the  constables 
coming  to  the  house  after  they 
were  gone,  demanded  of  the  wife 
what  company  had  been  there. 
To  whom  she,  to  excuse  the  mat- 
ter, made  answer  again,  saying, 
that  half  a  dozen  good  fellows  had 
been  there  at  breakfast  as  they 
went  a-maying. 

Another  time  also  about  the 
Great  Conduit,  they  passing  there 
through  a  very  narrow  alley,  into 
a  cloth-worker's  loft,  were  espied, 
and  the  sherifis  sent  for :  but  be- 
fore they  came,  they  having  privy 
knowledge  thereof,  immediately 
shifted  away  out  of  the  alley,  John 


CONGREGATION  IN  LONDON. 


721 


Avales  standing  alone  in  the  mer- 
cers' chapel,  starting  at  them. 

Another  like  escape  they  made 
in  a  ship  at  Billingsgate,  belong- 
ing to  a  certain  good  man  of  Leigh, 
where  in  the  open  sight  of  the  peo- 
ple they  were  assembled  together, 
and  yet  through  God's  mighty 
power  escaped. 

Betwixt  Ratcliff  and  RedrifT,  in 
a  ship  called  Jesus  ship,  twice  or 
thrice  they  assembled,  having  there 
closely,  after  their  accustomed 
manner,  both  sermon,  prayer,  and 


communion,  and  yet  through  the 
protection  of  the  Lord  they  return- 
ed, although  not  unespied,  yet  un- 
taken. 

Moreover,  in  a  cooper's  house  in 
Pudding  Lane,  so  near  they  were 
to  perils  and  dangers,  that  John 
Avales  eoming  into  the  house 
where  they  were,  talked  with  the 
man  of  the  house,  and  after  he  had 
asked  a  question  or  two,  departed  ; 
God  so  working  that  either  he  had 
no  knowledge  of  them,  or  no  power 
to  take  them. 


Burning  of  Dr.  Farrar,  Bishfp  of  i>t.  David's,  March  30,   1655, 


But  they  never  escapeid  more 
hardly,  than  once  in  Thames  street 
in  the  night-time,  where  the  house 
being  beset  with  enemies,  they 
were  delivered  by  the  means  of  a 
mariner,  who  being  at  that  time  pre- 
sent in  the  same  company,  and  see- 
ing no  other  way  to  avoid,  pluckt  olf 
Lis  slops  and  swam  to  the  next 
boat,  and  so  rowed  the  company 
over,  using  his  shoes  instead  of 
FOX'S  martyhs. 


oars  ;  and  so  the  jeopardy  was  dis- 
patc'ied. 

What  should  I  speak  of  the  ex- 
treme danger  which  that  goodly 
company  was  in  at  the  taking  ot 
Mr.  Rough,  their  minister,  and 
Cuthbert  Simpson, their  deacon, had 
not  Goi  's  providence  given  know- 
ledge before  to  Mr  Rough  in  his 
sleep,that  Cuthbert  Simpson  shonld 
leave    behind    him    at    home    the 

46 


'/Il 


BOOK  OF  MARTYl^S. 


l>ook  of  all  their  names,  which  he 
was  wont  to  carry  about  with  him  ; 
whereof  mention  is  made  before. 

Fn  this  church  or  conijregalion 
there  were  sometimes  forty,  some- 
times an  hundred,  sometimes  two 
hundred,  sometimes  more,  some- 
times less.  About  the  latter  time 
of  queen  Mary  it  greatly  increased. 
From  the  beginning,  which  was 
about  the  first  entry  of  queen 
Mary's  reign,  they  had  divers 
ministers;  first,  Mr.  Seamier,  then 
Thomas  Foule,  after  him  Mr. 
Kough,  then  Mr.  Augustine  Bern- 
her,  and  lastly,  Mr.  Bentham ; 
concerning  the  deliverance  of  which 
Mr.  Bentham  (being  now  bishop  of 
Coventry  and  Litchfield),  God's 
mighty  providence  most  notably 
is  to  be  considered.  The  story  is 
thus: 

On  a  time  when  seven  martyrs 
were  burnt  in  Smithfield,  a  procla- 
mation was  issued  out,  strictly  for- 
bidding all  persons  whatsoever 
either  to  salute,  or  pray  for,  the 
prisoners  as  they  came  to  the 
stake :  the  godly  people  hearing 
this,  great  numbers  of  them  as- 
sembled together,  resolving  to  com- 
fort and  encourage  them  by  their 
prayers :  and  when  they  came  to- 
wards the  stake,  well  guarded  by 
officers  armed  with  bills  and  glieves 
as  usual,  tlie  whole  congregation 
ran  in  upon  them,  kissing  and  em- 
bracing them,  (not  minding  the 
officers  and  their  weapons)  and 
carried  them  to  the  stake,  and 
might  as  well  have  carried  them 
ofi",  for  ought  the  officers  could  do 
to  prevent  it. 

This  done,  and  the  people  giving 
place  to  the  officers,  the  procla- 
mation was  read  with  a  loud  voice 
to  the  people  in  the  names  of  the 
king  and  queen.  That  no  man 
should  pray  for  them,  or  once 
speak  a  word  unto  them.  Mr. 
Bentham,  tlien  minister  of  the  con- 
gregation, seeing  the  fire  set  to  the 
martyrs,  turned  his  eyes  to  the 
people  and  said.  We  know  they 
are  the  people  of  God,  and  there- 
fore we  cannot  choose  but  say, 
God  strengthen  them  :  and  then  he 


boldly  said.  Almighty  God,  for 
Christ's  sake  strengthen  them. 
With  that  all  the  people  with  one 
consent,  and  one  voice,  said. 
Amen,  Amen.  The  noise  whereof 
was  so  great,  that  the  ofiicers  could 
not  tell  what  to  say,  or  whom  to 
accuse.  And  thus  much  concern- 
ing the  congregation  of  the  faith- 
ful assembling  together  at  London 
in  the  time  of  queen  Mary. 

Another  time,  as  Mr.  Bentham 
was  going  through  St.  Catherine's, 
intending  to  take  a  walk  in  the  air, 
he  was  forced  by  two  or  three  men 
to  go  along  with  them.  Mr.  Ben- 
tham being  amazed  at  the  sudden- 
ness of  the  matter,  required  what 
their  purpose  was,  or  whither  they 
would  have  him  go.  They  answer- 
ed, that  by  the  occasion  of  a  man 
there  found  drowned,  the  coroner's 
inquest  was  called  and  charged  to 
sit  upon  him,  of  which  inquest  he 
must  of  necessity  be  one,  &c.  He 
endeavoured  to  excuse  liimself, 
alleging  that  he  had  no  skill,  and 
less  experience  in  such  matters  ; 
and  if  it  would  please  them  to  let 
him  go,  they  would  meet  with  an- 
other more  fit  for  their  purpose. 
But  when  with  this  they  would 
not  be  satisfied,  he  further  urged 
that  he  v/as  a  scholar  in  the  uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  and  thereby  was 
privileged  from  being  of  any  in- 
quest. The  coroner  demanded  the 
sight  of  his  privilege.  He  said,  if 
he  would  give  him  leave,  he  would 
fetch  it.  Then  said  the  coroner, 
The  queen  must  be  served  without 
delay  ;  and  so  constrained  him  to 
be  at  the  hearing  of  the  matter. 
Then  a  book  was  offered  him  to 
swear  upon  ;  upon  his  opening  it, 
he  found  it  to  be  a  popish  prim- 
mer, and  refused  to  swear  thereon, 
and  declared  moreover  what  su- 
perstition in  the  book  was  con- 
tained. What,  said  the  coroner, 
I  think  Vt'e  shall  have  an  heretic 
among  us.  And  upon  that,  after 
much  reasoning,  he  was  committed 
to  the  custody  of  an  officer  till  fur- 
ther examination:  by  occasion 
whereof  he  hardly  could  have  es- 
caped, had  not  the   Lord  helped 


EDWARD  BENNET— JEFFERY  IIUUST. 


723 


M'here  man  was  not  able.  What 
followed?  As  they  were  thus  con- 
tending about  matters  of  heresy, 
suddenly  cometh  the  coroner  of  the 
admiralty,  disannulling  and  re- 
pealing the  order  and  calling  of 
that  inquest,  for  that  it  was  (as  he 
said)  pertaining  to  his  office ;  and 
therefore  the  other  coroner  and 
his  company  in  that  place  had  no- 
thing to  do.  And  so  the  first  co- 
roner was  discharged  and  displac- 
ed ;  by  reason  whereof  Mr.  Ben- 
tham  escaped  their  hands. 

EDWARD    BENNET. 

About  the  second  year  of  queen 
Mary,  Edward  Bennet,then  dwell- 
ing at  Queenhithe,  was  desired  by 
Mr.  Tingle,  then  prisoner  in  New- 
gate, to  bring  him  a  New  Testa- 
ment. He  procuring  one  of  Mr. 
Coverdale's  translation,  wrapt  it 
in  a  handkerchief,  saying  to  George 
the  keeper,  who  asked  him  what  he 
had,  that  it  was  a  piece  of  powder- 
ed beef.  Let  me  see  it  said  he. 
Perceiving  what  it  was,  he  brought 
him  to  sir  Roger  Cholmley,  who 
examined  him  why  he  did  so,  say- 
ing that  book  was  not  lawful,  and 
so  committed  him  to  Wood-street 
Compter,  where  he  continued 
twenty-five  weeks. 

Dr.  Storj^  coming  to  the  prison 
to  examine  other  prisoners,  this 
Bennet  looking  out  at  the  grate, 
spake  to  him,  desiring  him  to  help 
him  out,  for  he  had  long  lain  in 
prison.  To  whom  Dr.  Story  an- 
swered. Wast  thou  not  before  me 
in  Christ's  church  ?  Yes  forsooth, 
said  Bennet.  Ah,  said  Story,  thou 
dost  not  believe  in  the  sacrament 
of  the  altar  ?  Marry,  I  will  help 
thee  out;  come,  said  he  to  the 
keeper,  turn  him  out.  I  will  help 
him  ;  and  so  took  Bennet  with  him, 
and  brought  him  to  Cluny,  in  Pa- 
ternoster-row, and  bade  him  bring 
him  to  the  Coal-house,  and  there 
he  was  in  the  stocks  a  week. 

Then  the  bishop  sent  for  him  to 
talk  with  him,  and  first  asked  him 
if  he  were  confessed?  No,  said 
Bennet.  He  asked  him  if  he  would 
be  confessed  ?  No,  said  he.     Then 


he  asked  him  if  the  priest  could 
take  away  his  sins.  No,  said  Ben- 
net, I  do  not  so  believe. 

Then  he  and  Harpsfield  laughed 
at  him,  and  mocked  him,  asking 
him  if  he  did  not  believe  that  what- 
soever the  priest  here  bound  in 
earth,  should  be  bound  in  heaven, 
and  whatsoever  he  looscthin  earth, 
should  be  loosed  in  heaven.  No, 
said  Bennet ;  but  I  believe  that  the 
minister  of  God,  preaching  God's 
word  truly,  and  administering  the 
sacraments  according  to  the  same, 
whatsoever  he  bindeth  on  earth, 
should  be  bound  in  heaven,  and 
whatsoever  he  looseth,  &c.  Then 
the  bishop  putting  him  aside,  said 
he  should  go  to  Fulliani,  and  be 
whipped. 

Mr.  Buswell,  a  priest,  then  carae 
to  him,  lying  in  the  stocks,  and 
brought  Cranmer's  recantation, 
saying,  that  he  had  recanted.  My 
faith,  said  the  other,  lieth  in  no 
man's  book,  but  in  him  which  hath 
redeemed  me.  The  next  Saturday, 
Bennet  with  five  others  were  called 
to  mass  in  the  chapel.  The  mass 
being  done,  five  of  them  went  to 
prison,  and  were  afterwards  burn- 
ed. Bennet  being  behind  and 
coming  toward  the  gate,  the  porter 
opening  to  a  company  going  out, 
asked  if  there  were  no  prisoners 
there.  No,  said  they.  Bennet 
standing  in  open  sight  before  him, 
with  other  serving  men  who  were 
there  by  reason  that  Bonner  made 
many  priests  that  day,  when  the 
gates  were  opened,  went  out 
amongst  them,  and  so  escaped. 

JEFFERY    HURST. 

In  the  town  of  Shakerley,  in 
Lancashire,  dwelt  one  Jeflery 
Hurst,  the  son  of  an  honest  yeo- 
man, who  had  besides  him  eleven 
children,  the  said  Jefi'ery  being  the 
first  and  eldest:  and  their  father 
being  willing  to  bring  them  up,  so 
that  they  should  be  able  another 
day  to  help  themselves,  he  did 
bind  this  Jeffery  apprentice  unto 
the  craft  of  nailing,  to  make  all 
kind  of  nails,  w  hich  occupation  he 
learned,  and  serred  out  the  time 


724 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  seven  ycius,  which  being  ex- 
pired be  gave  himself  at  times  to 
learn  of  his  other  brethren  which 
went  to  school ;  and  as  he  was 
very  willing  to  the  same,  so  God 
sent  him  knowledge  in  the  scrip- 
ture. After  this  he  took  to  vdfe 
the  sister  of  Mr.  George  Marsh,  of 
whose  martyrdom  mention  is  made 
before,  and  being  very  familiar  with 
him,  did  greatly  amend  his  know- 
ledge. Now  when  queen  Mary  was 
entered  the  first  year  of  her  reign, 
he  kept  himself  away  from  their 
doings  and  came  not  to  the  church : 
whereupon  he  was  laid  in  wait  for 
and  called  heretic,  and  Lollard,  and 
so  for  fear  of  further  danger  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  his  wife  and 
child,  and  fly  into  Yorkshire,  and 
there  being  not  known,  did  lead 
his  life,  returning  sometimes  by 
night  to  comfort  his  wife,  and 
bringing  with  him  some  preacher 
or  other,  who  used  to  preach  unto 
them  so  long  as  the  time  would 
serve,  and  so  departed  by  night 
again.  And  thus  in  much  fear  did 
he  with  others  lead  his  life,  till  the 
last  year  of  the  reign  of  queen 
Mary.  Then  it  chanced  that  the 
said  JefiFery  Hurst,  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  came  home  and  kept 
close  for  seven  or  eight  weeks. 

There  dwelt  not  far  off,  at  Mor- 
less,  a  certain  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  of  the  quorum,  named  Thomas 
Lelond,  who  hearing  of  him,  ap- 
pointed a  time  to  come  to  his  fa- 
ther's house  where  he  then  dwelt, 
to  rifle  the  house  for  books,  and  to 
search  for  him  also,  and  so  he  did. 
Jefl"ery  and  his  company  having 
knowledge  of  their  coming,  took 
the  books  which  were  in  the  house, 
as  the  Bible,  the  communion  book, 
and  the  New  Testament  of  Tindal's 
translation,  and  divers  others,  and 
threw  them  all  underneath  a  tub 
of  fat,  conveying  also  the  said 
JeflFery  under  the  same,  with  a 
great  deal  of  straw  underneath 
him  ;  for  as  it  chanced  they  had  the 
more  time,  because  when  the  jus- 
tice came  almost  to  the  door,  he 
stayed  and  would  not  enter  the 
hoBse  till  he  bad  sent  for  Hurst's 


mother's  landlady,  Mr«.  Shakerley  ; 
and  then  with  her  consent  intended 
to  go  forwards.  In  the  mean 
time,  Jefl'ery  by  such  as  were  with 
him,  was  willed  to  lay  in  his  win- 
dow the  Testament  of  Tindal's 
translation,  and  a  little  book  con- 
taining the  third  part  of  the  Bible, 
with  the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus, 
to  try  what  they  would  say  unto 
them. 

Now  as  concerning  the  search- 
ers, they  found  nothing  but  Latin 
books,  as  grammar,  and  such  like. 
These  be  not  what  we  look  for  (said 
they),  we  must  see  farther,  and  so 
looked  into  Hurst's  chamber,  where 
they  found  the  foresaid  books. 
Then  sir  Ralph  taking  up  the  Tes- 
tament, looked  on  it,  and  smiled. 
His  master  seeing  that,  said.  Now, 
sir  Ralph,  what  have  we  here  l 
For-sooth,  said  he,  a  Testament  of 
Tindal's  translation,  plain  heresy, 
and  none  worse  than  it.  Then 
said  he,  All  their  goods  are  lost  to 
the  queen,  and  their  bodies  to  pri- 
son, and  was  wonderfully  hasty  ; 
notwithstanding,  through  the  means 
of  Mrs.  Shakerley,  he  was  content 
to  stay  a  little. 

Then  the  priest  looked  on  the 
other  book.  What  say  you  to  that, 
sir  Ralph .'  is  that  as  bad  as  the 
other?  No,  said  he,  but  it  is  not 
good  that  they  should  have  such 
English  books  to  look  on,  for  this 
and  such  others  may  do  much 
harm.  Then  he  asked  his  mother 
where  her  eldest  son  was,  and  her 
daughter  Alice.  She  answered, 
she  could  not  tell  ;  they  had  not 
been  with  her  a  long  time.  An^d 
he  swore  by  God's  body,  he  would 
make  her  tell  where  they  were,  or 
he  would  lay  her  in  Lancaster 
dungeon  ;  and  yet  he  would  have 
them  notwithstanding  too.  To  be 
short,  for  fear,  he  liad  his  brother 
J.  Hurst  and  his  mother  bound  in 
an  hundred  pounds  to  bring  the 
parties  before  him  in  fourteen  days 
time,  and  so  he  departed,  and  the 
priest  put  both  the  books  in  his 
bosom,  and  carried  them  away 
with  him.  Then  John  Hurst  went 
after  them,  desiring  that  he  might 


WILLIAM  WOOD. 


7«6 


have  the  book  which  the  priest 
found  no  fault  with  ;  but  he  said, 
they  should  answer  to  them  both, 
and  which  soever  was  the  better, 
neither  was  good. 

As  this  passed  on  when  the  time 
was  come  that  Jefiery  Hurst  and 
his  sister  should  be  examined,  the 
justice  sent  lor  them  betimes  in  the 
morning,  and  had  prepared  a  mass 
to  begin  withal,  asking  Jeftery 
Hurst  if  he  would  first  go  and  see 
his  Maker,  and  then  he  would  talk 
further  with  him.  To  whom  Jef- 
fery  answered  and  said,  Sir,  my 
Maker  is  in  heaven,  and  I  am  as- 
sured in  going  to  your  mass  I 
shall  find  no  edification  thereby; 
and  therefore  I  pray  you  hold  me 
excused. 

Well,  well,  said  he,  I  perceive  I 
shall  find  you  an  heretic,  by  God  ; 
but  I  will  go  to  mass,  and  I  will 
not  lose  it  for  all  your  prattling. 
Then  he  went  into  his  chapel,  and 
when  mass  was  done  he  sent  for 
them,  and  caused  his  priest  to  read 
a  scroll  unto  them  concerning  the 
seven  sacraments  ;  and  ever  as  he 
spake  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  he  put  off  his  cap,  and 
said,  Lo,  you  may  see,  you  will 
deny  these  things,  and  care  not 
for  your  prince  ;  but  you  shall  feel 
it  before  I  have  done  with  you, 
and  all  the  faculty  of  you,  with 
other  talk  more  between  them,  I 
know  not  what ;  but  in  the  end 
they  were  licensed  to  depart  under 
sureties  to  appear  again  before 
him  within  three  weeks,  and  then 
to  go  to  Lancaster.  However,  in 
the  mean  time  it  so  pleased  God, 
that  within  four  days  of  the  day 
appointed,  it  was  noised  that  the 
queen  was  dead,  and  within  four- 
teen days  after  the  said  Jeffery 
Hurst  had  his  two  books  sent  home, 
and  nothing  was  said  unto  him. 

WILLIAM   WOOD. 

William  Wood,  baker,  dwelling 
in  Kent,  was  examined  before  Dr. 
Kenall,  chancellor  of  Rochester, 
Dr.  Chedsey,  mayor,  and  Mr.  Ro- 
binson, the  scribe,  on  the  19th  day 
of    October,    and    in    the    second 


year  of  queen  Mary,  in  St.  Nicho- 
las church  in  Rochester. 

Scribe.  William  Wood,  you  are 
presented,  because  you  will  not 
come  to  the  church,  nor  receive  the 
blessed  sacrament  of  the  altar. 
How  say  you?  Have  you  received, 
or  have  you  not? 

Wood.  I  have  not  received  it, 
nor  dare  I  receive  it,  as  you  minis- 
ter it. 

Kenall.  Thou  heretic,  what  is 
the  cause  that  thou  hast  not  re- 
ceived the  blessed  sacrament  of 
the  altar  ?  And  at  this  word  they 
all  put  off  their  caps,  and  made  low 
obeisance. 

Wood.  There  are  three  causes 
that  make  ray  conscience  afraid 
that  I  dare  not  receive  it.  The 
first,  Christ  did  deliver  it  to  his 
twelve  apostles  and  said,  Take, 
eat,  and  drink  ye  all  of  this,  &c. 
and  ye  eat  and  drink  up  all  alone. 
The  second  cause  is  ;  you  hold  it 
to  be  worshipped,  contrary  to 
God's  commandment,  Thou  shalt 
not  bow  down  nor  worship.  The 
third  cause  is  ;  you  administer  it 
in  a  strange  tongue,  contrary  ,to 
St.  Paul's  doctrine,  I  would  rather 
have  five  words  with  understand- 
ing, than  ten  thousand  with 
tongues  :  by  reason  whereof  the 
people  be  ignorant  of  the  death  of 
Christ. 

Kenall.  Thou  heretic,  wilt  thou 
have  any  plainer  words  than  these. 
"  Take,  eat,  this  is  my  body  ?"  Wilt 
thou  deny  the  scriptures  I 

Wood.  I  will  not  deny  the  holy 
scriptures,  God  forbid,  but  with 
my  heart  T  do  faithfully  believe 
them.  St.  Paul  saith,  "  God  call- 
eth  those  things  that  are  not,  as 
though  they  were  ;"  and  Christ 
saith,  "  I  am  a  vine  :  I  am  a  door." 
St,  Paul  saith,  "The  rock  is 
Christ:"  All  which  are  figurative 
speeches,  wherein  one  thing  is 
spoken,  and  another  thing  is  under- 
stood. 

Robinson.  You  make  a  very 
long  talk  of  this  matter:  learn, 
Wood,  learn. 

Kenall.  Nay,  these  heretics  will 
not  learn:    look  how  this  heretic 


726 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


jlorieth  in  himself:  thou  fool,  art 
thou  wiser  than  the  queen  and  her 
council,  and  all  the  learned  men  of 
this  realm  ? 

Wood.  And  please  you,  Mr. 
Chancellor,  I  think  you  would  be 
loth  to  have  such  ^lory,  to  have 
your  life  and  goods  taken  away, 
and  to  be  thus  called  upon,  as  you 
rail  upon  nie.  Bat  the  servant  is 
not  greater  than  his  master.  And 
where  you  do  mock  me,  and  say 
tliat  I  am  wiser  tlian  the  queen  and 
her  council,  St.  Paul  saith,  "  The 
wisdom  of  the  wise  of  this  world 
is  foolishness  before  God,  and  he 
that  will  be  wise  in  this  world  shall 
be  accounted  but  a  fool. 

Kenall.  Dost  thou  not  believe 
that  after  these  words  spoken  by  a 
priest.  Hoc  est  corpus  meum,  "  thi.s 
is  my  body  ;"  there  remaineth  no 
more  bread  and  wine,  but  the  very 
flesh  and  blood  of  Christ,  as  he 
was  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  really 
and  substantially,  in  quantity  and 
quality,  as  he  did  hang  upon  the 
cross  ? 

Wood.  I  pray  you,  Mr.  Chan- 
cellor, give  me  leave,  for  my  learn- 
ing, to  ask  you  one  question,  and  I 
will  answer  you  after. 

Kenall.  It  is  some  wise  question, 
I  warrant  you. 

Wood.  God  spake  to  the  pro- 
phet Ezekiel,  saying,  "  Thou  son 
of  man,  take  a  razor,  and  shave 
oflf  the  hair  of  thy  head,  and  take  one 
part  and  cast  it  into  the  air,  take 
the  second  part  and  put  it  into  thy 
coat  lap  ;  and  take  the  third  part, 
and  cast  it  into  the  fire :  and  this  is 
Jerusalem."  I  pray  you,  Mr. 
Chancellor,  was  this  hair  that  the 
prophet  did  cast  into  the  fire,  or 
was  it  Jerusalem. 

Kenall.  It  did  signify  Jerusa- 
lem. 

Wood.  Even  so  this  word  of 
Christ,  "  This  is  my  body,"  is  not 
to  be  understood,  that  Christ's 
carnal,  natural  and  real  body,  the 
same,  in  quantity  and  quality  as  it 
was  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  and 
as  he  was  crucified  on  the  cross,  is 
present  or  enclosed  in  the  sacra- 
inaent ;  but  it  doth  signify  Christ's 


body,  as  St.  Paul  saith,  "  So  oft 
as  ye  eat  of  this  bread,  and  drink 
of  this  cup,  you  shall  shew  forth 
tlie  Lord's  death  till  he  come." 
What  should  the  apostle  mean  by 
this  word,  "  Till  he  come,"  if  he 
were  here  carnally,  naturally,  cor- 
porally, and  really,  in  the  same 
quantity  and  quality  as  he  was 
born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  and  as 
he  did  hang  on  the  cross,  as  you 
say?  But  St.  Paul  saith,  "You 
shall  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  he 
come."  This  doth  argue,  that  he 
is  not  here  as  you  would  have  us  to 
believe. 

Chedsey.  I  will  prove  that  Christ 
is  here  present  under  the  form  of 
bread,  but  not  in  quantity  and 
quality. 

Kenall.  Yes,  he  is  here  present 
in  quantity  and  quality. 

Chedsey.  He  is  here  present 
under  a  form,  and  not  in  quantity 
and  quality. 

Yes,  said  Kenall. 

No,  said  Chedsey. 

I  will  prove  him  here  in  quantity 
and  quality,  said  Kenall. 

I  will  prove  the  contrary,  said 
Chedsey. 

And  these  two  doctors  were  so 
earnest  in  this  matter,  the  one  to 
afiirm,  the  other  to  deny,  contend- 
ing so  fiercely  one  with  the  other, 
that  they  foamed  at  the  mouth,  and 
one  was  ready  to  spit  in  another's 
face,  so  that  in  great  fury  and  rage 
the  two  doctors  rose  up  from  the 
judgment  seat,  and  Dr.  Kenall  de- 
parted out  of  the  church  in  great 
rage  and  fury  immediately. 

Wood.  Behold,  good  people, 
they  would  have  us  to  believe,  that 
Christ  is  naturally,  really,  in  quan- 
tity and  quality,  present  in  the  sa- 
crament, and  yet  they  cannot  tell 
themselves,  nor  agree  within  them- 
selves how  he  is  there. 

At  these  words  the  people  made 
a  great  shout,  and  the  mayor  stood 
up  and  commanded  the  people  to 
keep  silence.  And  the  God  that 
did  deliver  St.  Paul  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  high  priests,  by  the 
contention  that  was  between  the 
Pharisees  and  sadducecs,  did  even 


DUCHESS  OB'  SUFFOLK. 


727 


so  deliver  mc  at  that  time  out  of 
the  mouths  of  the  bloody  papists, 
by  means  of  the  contention  of  these 
two  (iociois.  jl31ess(-d  be  the  name 
of  tfie  Lord,  who  liatli  promised  to 
lay  no  more  upon  his  people  than 
he  will  enabie  them  to  beai-,  and  in 
the  midst  of  temptation  can  make 
a  way  for  them  (how,  and  when  it 
pleaseth  him)  to  escape  out  of  all 
dangers. 

CATHEKINE,  DUCHKSS    Ol"    SUFFOLK. 

Stephen  Gardiner,  bishop  of 
Winchester,  surmising^  the  lady 
Catherine,  baroness  of  Willough- 
by  and  Eresby,  and  duchess  dowa- 
ger of  Sufl'olk,  to  be  one  of  his 
ancient  enemies,  because  he  knew 
he  had  deserved  no  better  of  her, 
devised,  in  the  holy  time  of  the 
first  Lent  in  queen  Mary's  reign,  a 
holy  practice  of  revenge,  first,  by 
touching  her  in  the  person  of  her 
husband,  Richard  Berty,  esquire, 
for  whom  he  sent  an  attachment 
(having  the  great  seal  at  his  devo- 
tion) to  the  sheritr  of  Lincolnshire, 
with  a  special  letter,  commanding 
most  strictly  the  same  sherift'  to 
attRch  the  said  Richard  immedi- 
ately, and  without  bail  to  bring 
him  up  to  London  to  his  lordship. 
Mr.  Berty  being  clear  in  conscience, 
and  free  from  oiience  toward  the 
queen,  could  not  conjecture  any 
cause  of  this  strange  process,  un- 
less it  were  some  quarrel  for  re- 
ligion, which  he  thought  could  not 
be  so  sore  as  the  process  pre- 
tended. 

The  sherifl',  notwithstanding  the 
commandment,  adventured  only  to 
take  a  bond  of  Mr.  Berty,  with 
two  sureties,  in  a  thousand  pounds, 
for  his  appearance  before  the  bi- 
shop on  Good-Friday  following ; 
at  which  day  Mr.  Berty  appeared, 
the  bishop  then  being  at  his  house 
by  St.  Mary  Overy's.  Of  whose 
pretence,  when  the  bishop  under- 
stood by  a  gentleman  of  his  cham- 
ber, he  came  out  of  his  gallery  into 
his  diuing-chamber  in  a  great  rage, 
where  he  found  a  crowd  of  suitors, 
saying  he  would  not  that  day  hear 
any,  but  came  forth  only  to  know 


of  Mr.  Berty,  how  he,  being  * 
subject,  durst  so  arrogantly  set 
at  light  two  former  processes  of  the 
queen. 

Pvlr.  Berty  answered,  that  not- 
withstanding my  lord's  words  might 
seem  to  the  rest  somewhat  sharp 
towards  him,  yet  he  conceived 
great  comfort  of  them.  For 
whereas  he  before  thought  it  ex- 
tremely hard  to  be  attached,  hav- 
ing used  no  obstinacy  or  contu- 
macy, now  he  gathered  of  those 
words,  that  ray  lord  meant  not 
otherwise  but  to  have  used  some 
ordinary  process:  none,  however, 
came  to  his  hands. 

Yea,  marry,  said  the  bishop,  I 
have  sent  you  two  subpoenas  to 
appear  immediately,  and  I  am  sure 
you  received  them,  for  I  commit- 
ted the  trust  of  them  to  no  worse  a 
man  than  Mr.  Solicitor  ;  and  I  shall 
make  you  an  example  to  all  Lin- 
colnshire for  your  obstinacy. 

Mr.  Berty  denying  the  receipt  of 
any  subpoena,  humbly  prayed  his 
lordship  to  suspend  his  displeasure 
and  the  punishment  till  he  had  good 
trial  thereof,  and  then,  if  it  please 
him,  to  double  the  pain  for  the  fault, 
if  any  were. 

Well,  said  the  bishop,  I  have  ap- 
pointed myself  this  day  (according 
to  the  holiness  of  the  same)  for  de- 
votion,and  I  will  not  further  trouble 
myself  with  you  ;  but  1  enjoin  you 
in  a  thousand  pounds  not  to  depart 
without  leave,  and  1o  be  here  again 
to-morrow  at  seven  of  the  clock. 
Mr.  Berty  came  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed, at  which  time  the  bishop 
had  with  him  Mr.  Serjeant  Stamp- 
ford,  to  whom  he  moved  certain 
questions  of  the  said  Mr.  Berty, 
because  Mr.  Serjeant  was  towards 
the  lord  Wriothesiey,  late  earl  of 
Southampton,  and  chancellor  of 
England,  with  whom  the  said  Mr. 
Berty  was  brought  up.  Mr.  Ser- 
jeant gave  a  very  friendly  account 
of  Mr.  Berty,  of  his  own  knowledge, 
for  the  time  of  their  conversation 
together.  Whereupon  the  bishop 
caused  Mr.  Berty  to  be  brought  in, 
and  first  making  a  false  train  (as 
God  w^ould,:  without  fire)  before  he 


728 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


wouJd  descend  to  the  quarrel  of 
religion,  lie  assaulted  him  in  this 
manner. 

Bh/iop  of  Winchester.  The  queen's 
pleasure  is,  that  you  shall  make 
present  payment  of  4000  pounds, 
due  to  her  father  by  duke  Charles, 
late  husband  to  the  duchess  your 
wife,  whose  executor  she  was. 

Berty.  Pleaseth  it  your  lordship, 
that  debt  is  installed,  and  is,  ac- 
cording to  that  instalment,  truly 
answered. 

Bishop.  Tush,  the  queen  will 
not  be  bound  by  instalments,  in  the 
time  of  Kett's  government:  for  so 
I  esteem  the  late  government. 

Berty.  The  instalment  was  ap- 
pointed by  king  Henry  the  Eighth  : 
besides,  the  same  was,  by  special 
commissioners,  confirmed  in  king 
Edward's  time;  and  the  lord  trea- 
.surer  being  an  executor  also  to  the 
duke  Charles,  solely  and  wholly, 
took  upon  him,  before  the  said 
commissioners,  to  discharge  the 
same. 

Bishop.  If  it  be  true  that  you 
say,  I  will  shew  you  favour.  But 
of  another  thing,  Mr.  Berty,  I  will 
admonish  you,  as  meaning  you  well. 
I  hear  evil  of  your  religion,  yet  1 
can  hardly  think  evil  of  you,  whose 
mother  I  know  to  be  as  godly  a 
catholic  as  any  within  this  land ; 
yourself  brought  up  with  a  master, 
whose  education,  if  I  should  disal- 
low, I  might  be  charged  as  author 
of  his  error.  Besides,  partly  I 
know  you  myself,  and  understand 
of  my  friends  enough  to  make  me 
your  friend:  wherefore  I  will  not 
doubt  of  you;  but  I  pray  you,  if  I  may 
ask  the  question  of  my  lady  your 
wife,  is  she  now  as  ready  to  set  up 
the  mass  as  she  was  lately  to  pull  it 
down,  when  she  caused,  in  her  pro- 
gress,a  dog  to  be  carried  in  a  rochet, 
and  called  by  my  name  ?  or  doth  she 
think  her  lambs  now  safe  enough, 
who  said  to  me,  when  I  vailed  my 
bonnet  to  her  out  of  my  chamber 
window  in  the  Tower,  that  it  was 
merry  with  the  lambs,  now  the 
wolf  was  shut  up?  Another  time, 
my  lord,  her  husband,  having  in- 
cited me  aud  divers  ladies  to  din- 


ner, desired  every  lady  to  choose 
him  whom  she  loved  best,  and  so 
place  themselves :  my  lady,  your 
wife,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  for 
my  lord  would  not  have  her  to  take 
himself,  said.  That,  forasmuch  as 
she  could  not  sit  down  with  my 
lord,  whom  she  loved  best,  she 
had  chosen  him  whom  she  loved 
worst. 

Of  the  device  of  the  dog,  quoth 
Mr.  Berty,  she  was  neither  the 
author  nor  the  allower.  The 
words,  though  in  that  season  they 
sounded  bitter  to  your  lordship, 
yet  if  it  would  please  you,  without 
offence,  to  know  the  cause,  I  am 
sure  the  one  will  clear  the  other. 
As  touching  setting  up  of  mass 
which  she  learned,  not  only  by 
strong  persuasions  of  divers  ex- 
cellent learned  men,  but  by  uni- 
versal consent  and  order,  these 
six  years  past,  inwardly  to  abhor, 
if  she  should  outwardly  allow,  she 
should  both  to  Christ  shew  herself 
a  false  Christian,  and  to  her  prince 
a  masquing  subject.  You  know, 
my  lord,  one  by  judgment  reform- 
ed, is  more  worth  than  a  thousand 
transformed  temporisers.  To  force 
a  confession  of  religion  by  mouth, 
contrary  to  that  in  the  heart,  work- 
ing damnation  where  salvation  is 
pretended. 

Yea,  marry,  quoth  the  bishop, 
that  deliberation  would  do  well, 
if  she  were  required  to  come  from 
an  old  religion  to  a  new  ;  but  now 
she  is  to  return  from  a  new  to  an 
ancient  religion;  wherein,  when 
she  made  me  her  gossip,  she  was 
as  earnest  as  any. 

For  that,  my  lord,  (said  Mr. 
Berty)  not  long  since  .she  answer- 
ed a  friend  of  her's,  using  your 
lordship's  speech.  That  religion 
went  not  by  age,  but  by  truth  :  and 
therefore  she  was  to  be  turned  by 
persuasion,  and  not  by  command- 
ment 

I  pray  yon,  (quoth  the  bishop) 
think  you  it  possible  to  persuade 
ber? 

Yea  verily  (said  Mr.  Berty)  with 
the  truth :  for  she  is  reasonable 
enough. 


DUCHESS  OF  SUFFOLK. 


720 


The  bishop,  in  reply  to  this,  said, 
It  will  be  a  marvellous  grief  to  the 
priuce  of  Spain,  and  to  all  the  no- 
bility that  sliali  come  with  him, 
-when  they  shall  find  but  two  noble 
pcrsonasjes  of  the  Spanish  race 
within  tl)is  land,  the  queen  and  my 
lady  your  wife,  and  one  of  them 
gone  from  the  faith. 

Mr.  Berty  answered,  that  he 
trusted  they  should  find  no  fruits 
of  infidelity  in  her. 

The  bishop  then  persuaded  Mr. 
Berty  to  labour  earnestly  for  the 
reformation  of  her  opinion,  and 
offering  large  friendship,  released 
him  of  his  bond  from  further  ap- 
pearance. 

The  duchess  and  her  husband, 
from  the  daily  accounts  which 
they  received  from  their  friends, 
understanding  that  the  bishop 
meant  to  call  her  to  an  account  of 
her  faith,  whereby  extremity  might 
follow,  devised  how  they  might 
pass  the  seas  by  the  queen's  li- 
cence. Mr.  Berty  had  a  ready 
means  ;  for  there  remained  great 
sums  of  money  due  to  the  old  duke 
of  Suttolk  (one  of  whose  executors 
the  duchess  was)  beyond  the  seas, 
the  emperor  himself  being  one  of 
those  debtors. 

Mr.  Berty  communicated  this 
his  purposed  suit  for  licence  to 
pass  the  seas,  and  the  cause,  to 
the  bishop,  adding,  that  he  took 
this  to  be  the  most  proper  time  to 
deal  with  the  emperor,  by  reason 
of  likelihood  of  marriage  between 
the  queen  and  his  son. 

I  like  your  device  well,  said  the 
bishop,  but  I  think  it  better  that 
you  tarry  the  prince's  coming,  and 
I  will  procure  you  his  letters  also 
to  his  fatlier. 

Nay,  said  Mr.  Berty,  under  your 
lordship's  correction,  and  pardon 
for  so  liberal  speech,  I  suppose 
the  time  will  then  be  less  con- 
venient ;  for  when  the  marriage  is 
consummated,  the  emperor  hath 
his  desire,  but  till  then  he  will 
refuse  nothing  to  win  credit  with 
us. 

By  St.  Mary,  said  the   bishop, 
smiling,      you    guess,     shrewdly. 
Well,  proceed  in  your  suit  to  the 
1 


queen,  and  it    shall  not  lack  my 
helping  hand. 

Mr.    Berty   found   so  good  suc- 
cess, that  he  obtained  the  queen's 
licence,  not  only  to  pass  the  seas, 
but  to  pass  and    repass   them    as 
often  as  he  should   think  proper, 
till    he  had  finished    his    business 
beyond  the  seas.     He  accordingly 
embarked  at  Dover,  about  the  be- 
ginning of  June,  in  the  first  year 
of  her  reign,  leaving  the  duchess 
behind,  who,   by  agreement  with 
her     husband,     followed,     taking 
barge   at  Lion-key,  very  early  in 
the  morning  of  the  first  of  January 
ensuing,  not  without  some  danger. 
None   of  the    persons   who    ac- 
companied her,  except  Mr.  Robert 
Cranwell,  an  old  gentleman,  whom 
Mr.   Berty  had  provided  for  that 
purpose,  were   made  privy  to  her 
departure    till    the    instant.      She 
took  her  daughter  with  her,  an  in- 
fant of  one  year  old,  and  the  mean- 
est of  her  servants,  for  she  imagin- 
ed the  best  would   not  adventure 
that  fortune  with  her.     They  were 
in  number  four  men,  one  a  Greek- 
born,  who  was  a  rider  of  horses, 
another    a    joiner,     the     third    a 
brewer,    the    fourth     a    fool*,     a 
kitchen-maid,  a  gentlewoman,  and 
a  laundress. 

As  she  departed  her  house  call- 
ed the  Barbican,  between  four  and 
five  o'clock  in  the  mornirg,  with 
her  company  and  baggage,  one 
Atkinson,  a  herald,  keeper  of  her 
house,  hearing  a  noise,  rose  and 
came  out  with  a  torch  in  his  hand, 
as  she  was  going  out  of  the  gate  ; 
wherewith  being  amazed,  she  was 
forced  to  leave  a  mail  f  with  neces- 
saries for  her  young  daughter,  and 
a  milk  pot  with  milk,  in  the  same 
gate-house,  commanding  all  her 
servants  to  hasten  forward  to  Lion- 
key  :  and  taking  with  her  only  the 
two  women  and  her  child,  as  soon 
as  she  was  clear  of  her  own  house, 
perceiving  the  herald   to    follow, 


*  A  fool,  by  profession,  was,  in  the  six- 
teenth  century,  an  almost  indispensable 
part  of  the  retinue  of  the  nobility  of  this 
and  other  countries. 

+  A  trunk,  or  porttnanteani. 


730 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


she  stept  into  the  Charter-house 
justbj'.  The  herald  coming  out  of 
the  duchess's  house,  and  seeing 
nobody  stirring,  nor  assured 
(though  by  the  mail  suspecting) 
that  she  was  departed,  rclurned 
in ;  and  while  he  was  searching 
the  parcels  left  in  the  mail,  the 
duchess  issued  into  the  streets,  and 
proceeded  on  her  journey,  she 
knowing  the  place  only  by  name 
where  she  should  take  her  boat, 
but  not  the  way  thither,  nor  any 
that  was  with  her.  Likewise  her 
servants  having  divided  them- 
selves, none  but  one  knew  the 
way  to  the  said  Lion-key. 

So  she  appeared  like  a  mean 
merchant's  wife,  and  the  rest  like 
mean  servants,  walking  in  the 
streets  unknown,  she  took  the  way 
that  leads  to  Finsbury  lield,  and 
the  others  walked  the  city  streets 
as  they  lay  open  before  them,  till 
by  chance,  more  than  discretion, 
they  met  all  suddenly  together  a 
little  within  Moregate,from  whence 
they  passed  directly  to  Lion-key, 
and  there  took  barge  in  a  morning 
so  misty,  that  the  steer's-man  was 
loth  to  launch  out,  but  that  they 
urged  him.  So  soon  as  the  day 
permitted, the  council  was  informed 
of  her  departure,  and  some  of  them 
came  forthwith  to  her  house  to  in- 
quire of  the  manner  thereof,  and  ' 
took  an  inventory  of  her  goods, 
besides  further  order  devised  for 
search  and  watch  to  apprehend 
and  stay  her. 

The  fame  of  her  departure 
reached  Leigh,  a  town  at  the 
Land's  End,  before  her  approach- 
ing thither.  By  Leigh  dwelt  one 
Gosling,  a  merchant  of  London, 
an  old  acquaintance  of  Cranwell's, 
wdiither  the  said  Cranwell  brought 
the  duchess,  naming  her  Mrs. 
White,the  daughter  of  Mr.  Gosling, 
for  such  a  daughter  he  had  who 
never  was  in  that  country.  She 
there  reposed  herself,  and  made 
new  garments  for  her  daughter, 
having  lost  her  own  in  the  mail  at 
Barbican. 

When  the  time  came  that  she 
should  take  ship,  being  constrained 
that  night  to  lie  at  an  inn  in  Leigh, 


(where  she  was  again  almost  te- 
trayed)  yet  notwithstanding  by 
God's  good  working  she  escaped 
that  hazard ;  at  length,  as  the  tide 
and  wind  served,  they  went 
aboard,  and  carried  twice  into  the 
seas,  almost  into  the  coast  of  Zea- 
land, by  contrary  wind  were  driven 
to  the  place  from  whence  they 
came ;  and  at  the  last  recoil  certain 
persons  came  to  the  shore,  sus- 
pecting she  was  within  that  ship  ; 
yet  having  examined  one  of  her 
company  that  was  on  shore  for 
fresh  provision,  and  liuding  by  the 
simplicity  of  his  tale  only  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  mean  merchant's 
wife  to  be  on  ship-board,  he  ceased 
to  search  any  further. 

To  be  short,  so  soon  as  the 
duchess  had  landed  in  Brabant, 
she  and  her  women  were  appa- 
relled like  the  women  of  the  Ne- 
therlands with  hooks ;  and  so  she 
and  her  husband  took  their  journey 
towards  Cleveland,  and  being  ar- 
rived at  a  town  called  Santon,  took 
a  house  there,  until  they  might 
further  devise  of  some  sure  place 
where  to  settle  themselves. 

About  five  miles  from  Santon,  is 
a  free  town  called  Wesell,  under 
the  said  Duke  of  Cleve's  dominion, 
and  one  of  the  Hans-towns,  privi- 
leged with  the  company  of  the 
Steel-yard,  in  London,  whither 
divers  Walloons  were  tied  for  re- 
ligion, and  had  for  their  minister 
one  Francis  Perusell,  then  called 
Francis  de  Rivers,  who  had  re- 
ceived some  courtesy  in  England 
at  the  duchess's  hands.  Mr.  Bcrty 
being  yet  at  Santon,  practised  with 
him  to  obtain  a  protection  from  the 
magistrates  for  his,  and  his  wife's 
abode  at  Wesell ;  which  was  the 
sooner  procured,  because  the  state 
of  the  duchess  was  not  discovered, 
but  only  to  the  chief  magistrate, 
earnestly  bent  to  shew  them  plea- 
sure, while  this  protection  was  in 
seeking. 

In  the  mean  while  at  the  town  of 
Santon  was  a  muttering,  that  the 
duchess  and  her  husband  were 
greater  personages  than  they  gave 
themselves  forth  :  and  the  magis- 
trates not  very  well  inclined  to  re- 


DUCHESS  OF  SUFFOLK. 


731 


lig'ioH,  the  bishop  of  Arras  also 
being  deau  of  the  j^reat  minster, 
orders  were  taken  that  the  duchess 
and  her  husband  should  be  exa- 
mined of  their  condition  and  reli- 
gion. Which  being  discovered  by 
a  gentleman  of  that  country  to  Mr, 
Beity,  he  without  delay  taking  no 
more  than  the  duchess,  her  daugh- 
ter, and  two  others  with  them, 
meant  privily  that  night  to  get  to 
Wesell,  leaving  the  rest  of  his 
family  at  Santon. 

After  they  had  travelled  one 
English  mile  from  the  town,  there 
fell  a  mighty  rain  of  continuance, 
whereby  a  long  frost  and  ice,  be- 
fore congealed,  was  thawed.  But 
being  now  on  the  way,  and  over- 
taken with  the  night,  they  sent 
their  two  servants  (which  only  went 
with  them)  to  a  village  as  they 
passed,  to  hire  a  car  for  their  ease, 
but  none  could  be  hired.  At  last, 
between  six  and  seven  o'clock  of 
a  dark  night,  they  came  to  Wesell, 
and  repairing  to  the  inns  for  lodg- 
ing, after  sueh  a  painful  journey, 
found  hard  entertainment  ;  for 
going  from  inn  to  inn,  offering 
large  sums  for  a  small  lodging, 
they  were  refused  by  all  the  inn- 
holders,  who  suspected  them  to  be 
persons  of  bad  character. 

Mr.  Berty,  destitute  of  all  other 
succour  of  hospitality,  resolved  to 
bring  the  duchess  to  the  porch  of 
the  great  church  in  the  town,  and 
so  to  buy  coals,  victuals,  and  straw 
for  their  miserable  repose  there  that 
night,  or  at  least  till  by  God's  help 
he  might  provide  her  better  lodg- 
ing. Mr.  Berty  at  that  time  under- 
stood not  much  Dutch,  and  by  rea- 
son of  bad  weather  and  late  season 
of  the  night,  he  could  not  happen 
upon  any  that  could  speak  English, 
French,  Italian,  or  Latin,  till  at  last 
going  towards  the  church-porch,  he 
heard  two  striplings  talking  Latin, 
to  whom  he  approached,  and  offered 
them  two  stivers  to  bring  him  to 
some  Walloon's  house. 

By  these  boys,  and  God's  good 
conduct,  he  chanced  upon  the 
house  where  Mr.  Perusell  supped 
that  night,  who  had  procured  them 


the  protection  of  the  magistrates 
of  that  town.  At  the  first  knock 
the  good  man  of  the  house  him- 
self came  to  the  door,  and  opening 
it,  asked  Mr.  Berty  what  he  was. 
Mr.  Berty  said,  an  Englishman, 
that  sought  for  one  Mr.  Perusell's 
house.  The  Walloon  desired  Mr. 
Berty  to  stay  a  while,  who  went 
back,  and  told  Mr,  Perusell,  that 
tlie  same  English  gentleman,  of 
whom  they  had  talked  at  supper- 
time,  had  sent  by  likelihood  his 
servant  to  speak  with  hira.  Where- 
upon Perusell  came  to  the  door, 
and  beholding  Mr.  Berty,  the 
duchess,  and  their  child  could 
not  speak  to  them,  nor  they  to 
hira,  for  tears.  At  length  reco- 
vering themselves,  they  saluted 
one  another. 

Within  a  few  days  after,  by  Mr. 
Perusell's  means,  they  hired  a  very 
fair  house  in  the  town.  The  time 
thus  passing  forth,  as  they  thought 
themselves  thus  happily  settled, 
suddenly  a  watch-word  came  from 
sir  John  Mason,  then  queen  Mary's 
ambassador  in  the  Netherlands, 
that  my  lord  Paget  had  feigned  an 
errand  to  the  baths  that  way  :  niid 
whereas  the  duke  of  Brunswick 
was  shortly  with  ten  ensigns  to 
pass  by  Wesell  for  the  service  of 
the  house  of  Austria  against  the 
French  king,  the  said  duchess  and 
her  husband  should  be  with  the 
same  company  intercepted. 

Wherefore  to  prevent  the  cruelty 
of  these  enemies,  Mr.  Berty  with 
his  wife  and  child  departed  to  a 
place  called  Wineheim,  under  the 
Palsgrave's  dominion;  where  they 
continued  till  their  necessaries  be- 
gan to  fail  them.  At  which  time, 
in  the  midst  of  their  despair,  there 
came  suddenly  to  them  letters  from 
the  Palatine  of  Vilva,  that  the 
king  of  Poland  was  informed  of 
their  hard  estate  by  a  baron,  named 
Joannes  Alasco,  that  was  some- 
time in  England,  offering  them 
great  courtesy.  This  greatly  re- 
vived their  spirits.  Yet  consider- 
ing they  should  remove  from  many 
of  their  countrymen  and  acquaint- 
ance,   to  a  place  so  far  distant, 


732 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


they  advised  thereupon  with  one 
Mr.  Carloe,  late  bishop  of  Chiches- 
ter, that  if  he  would  vouchsafe  to 
take  some  pains  therein,  they 
would  make  him  a  fellow  of  that 
journey.  So  finding  him  agree- 
able, they  sent  with  him  letters  of 
great  thanks  to  the  king  and  Pala- 
tine, and  also  a  few  principal  jew- 
els (which  only  they  had  left  of 
many),  to  solicit  for  them,  that  the 
king  would  vouchsafe  under  his 
seal,  to  assure  them  of  the  thing 
which  he  so  honourably  by  letters 
had  offered. 

That  favour,  by  the  forwardness 
of  the  Palatine,  was  as  soon  grant- 
ed as  uttered.  Upon  which  assur- 
ance the  said  duchess  and  her  hus- 
band with  their  family,  began  their 
journey  in  April,  1557,  from  the 
castle  of  Wineheim,  where  they 
before  lay,  towards  Frankfort.  In 
which  their  journey,  it  were  too 
long  here  to  describe  what  dangers 
fell  by  the  way,  upon  them  and 
their  whole  company,  by  reason  of 
the  Landgrave's  captain,  who,  un- 
der a  quarrel  pretended  for  a 
spaniel  of  Mr.  Berty's,  set  upon 
them  in  the  highway  with  his 
horsemen,  thrusting  their  boar- 
spears  through  the  waggon  where 
the  women  and  children  were,  Mr. 
Berty  having  but  four  horsemen 
along  with  him.  In  which  scuffle 
it  happened  that  the  captain's  horse 
was  slain  under  him. 

Whereupon  a  rumour  was  spread 
immediately  through  the  towns  and 
villages  about,  that  the  Landgrave's 
captain  should  be  slain  by  certain 
Walloons,  which  exasperated  the 
countrymen  thu  more  fiercely 
against  Mr.  Berty,  as  afterward  it 
proved.  For  as  he  was  motioned 
by  his  wife  to  save  himself  by  the 
swiftness  of  his  horse,  and  to  re- 
cover some  town  thereby  for  his 
rescue,  he  so  doing,  was  in  worse 
case  than  before :  for  the  towns- 
men and  the  captain's  brother,  sup- 
posing no  less  but  that  the  captain 
had  been  slain,  pressed  so  eagerly 
upon  him,  that  he  had  been  there 
taken  and  murdered  among  them, 
had  not  he  (as  God  would  have  it) 


espied  a  ladder  leaning  to  a  win- 
dow, by  which  he  got  into  the 
house,  and  went  up  into  the  gar- 
ret, where,  with  his  dagger  and 
rapier  he  defended  himself  for  a 
time :  but  at  length  the  burgh- 
master  coming  thither  with  another 
magistrate,  who  could  speak  Latin, 
he  was  advised  to  submit  himself 
to  the  order  of  the  law.  Mr.  Berty 
knowing  himself  to  be  clear,  and  the 
captain  to  be  alive,  was  the  more 
bold  to  submit  himself  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  law,  upon  condition 
that  the  magistrate  would  receive 
him  under  safe  conduct,  and  de- 
fend him  from  the  rage  of  the 
multitude.  Which  being  promised, 
he  willingly  delivered  up  his  wea- 
pons, and  peaceably  surrendered 
himself  into  the  hands  of  the  ma- 
gistrates, and  so  was  committed  to 
safe  custody  till  the  truth  of  his 
cause  could  be  tried. 

Then  Mr.  Berty  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  Landgrave,  and  another  to  the 
earl  of  Erbagh,  dwelling  about 
eight  miles  ofi',  who  came  early  in 
the  morning  to  the  town,  where 
the  duchess  was  brought  with  her 
waggon,  Mr.  Berty  also  being  in 
the  same  town  under  custody. 

The  earl,  who  had  some  intelli- 
gence before  of  the  duchess,  after 
he  was  come  and  had  shewed  her 
such  courtesy  as  he  thought  be- 
longed to  her  estate  and  dignity, 
the  townsmen  perceiving  the  earl 
behave  himself  so  humbly  to  her, 
began  to  consider  more  of  the  mat- 
ter, and  further  understanding  the 
captain  to  be  alive,  both  they  and 
the  authors  of  this  stir,  drew  in 
their  horns,  shrunk  awaj%  and 
made  all  the  friends  they  could  to 
Mr.  Berty  and  his  lady,  beseeching 
them  not  to  report  their  doings 
after  thie  worst  manner. 

And  thus  Mr.  Berty  and  his 
wife,  escaping  that  danger,  pro- 
ceeded in  iheir  journey  toward 
Poland,  where  in  conclusion  they 
were  quietly  entertained  by  the 
King,  and  placed  honourably  in 
the  earldom  of  the  said  king  of  the 
Poles,  in  Sanogelia,  called  Cro- 
zan,   where   Mr.    Berty   with   the 


THOMAS  HORNTON— THOMAS  SPRAT. 


733^ 


duchess,  having-  the  king's  absolute 
power  of  government  over  the  said 
earldom,  continued  in  honour, 
peace  and  plenty,  till  the  death  of 
queen  Mary. 

THOMAS    HORNTON,    MINISTER. 

Thomas  Hornton  used  often- 
times to  travel  between  Germany 
and  England,  for  the  benefit  and 
sustenance  of  the  poor  English  ex- 
iles there  :  so  he  journeying  on  a 
time  between  Maestricht  and  Co- 
logn,  chanced  to  be  taken  by  cer- 
tain rovers,  and  so  being  led  by 
them  away,  was  in  no  little  danger: 
and  yet  this  danger  of  his  was  not 
so  great,  but  the  present  help  of 
the  Lord  was  greater  to  aid  and 
deliver  him  out  of  the  same. 

THOMAS    SPRAT,    TANNER. 

He  had  been  some  time  a  ser- 
vant to  one  justice  Bent,  a  heavy 
persecutor,  and  therefore  forsaking 
his  master  for  religion's  sake,  he 
went  to  Calais,  (accompanied  by 
one  William  Porrege,  who  was 
afterwards  a  minister)  from  whence 
they  used  often  for  their  neces- 
sary afl'airs  to  have  recourse  to 
England. 

In  the  fourth  year  of  queen  Mary 
they  landed  at  Dover,  and  taking 
their  journey  together  toward  Sand- 
wich, suddenly  upon  the  way,  three 
miles  from  Dover,  they  happened 
to  meet  justice  Brent,  the  two 
Blachendens,  and  other  gentle- 
men with  their  servants,  to  the 
number  of  ten  or  twelve  horses. 
One  of  the  Blachendens  happened 
to  know  William  Porrege,  the 
other  had  only  heard  of  his  name. 

Sprat  first  espying  his  master 
Brent,  was  much  surprised,  say- 
ing to  his  companion,  Yonder  is 
Mr.  Brent,  God  have  mercy  upon 
us.  Well,  quoth  Porrege,  seeing 
now  there  is  no  remedy,  let  us 
go  on  our  way.  And  so  think- 
ing to  pass  by  them,  they  kept 
themselves  at  a  distance.  Sprat 
also  shadowing  his  face  with  his 
cloak. 

One  of  Mr.  Brenfs  servants 
knowing  Sprat,  called  out  to  his 
master,  saying,  Yonder  is  Thomas 


Sprat;  at  which  words  they  all 
stopt  their  horses,  and  called  for 
Thomas  Sprat  to  come  to  them. 
They  call  you,  said  William  Por- 
rege ;  now  there  is  no  remedy,  but 
we  are  taken  :  and  so  would  have 
persuaded  him  to  go  to  them  being 
called,  for  that  there  was  no  es- 
caping from  so  many  horsemen  in 
those  plains  and  downs,  where 
was  no  wood  near  them  by  a  mile, 
and  but  one  hedge  about  a  stone's 
throw  off.  All  this  notwithstand- 
ing. Sprat  staid,  and  would  not 
go.  Then  they  called  again,  sit- 
ting still  on  horseback.  Ah,  sirrah, 
quoth  the  justice,  why  come  you 
not  hither?  And  still  his  com- 
panion moved  him  to  go,  seeing 
there  was  no  hope  of  getting  away. 
Nay,  said  Sprat,  I  will  not  go  to 
them;  and  therewith  took  to  his 
legs,  running  to  the  hedge  that 
was  next  him.  They  seeing  that, 
set  spurs  to  their  horses,  thinking 
it  impossible  for  him  to  escape 
their  hands.  When  he  got  to  the 
hedge,  scrambling  through  the 
bushes,  they  were  at  his  heels, 
and  struck  at  him  with  their 
swords,  one  of  the  Blachendens 
(both  of  them  hatersof  God's  word) 
cruelly  crying,  Cut  one  of  his  legs 
off". 

He  had  no  sooner  got  through 
the  hedge,  but  one  of  justice 
Brent's  servants  (a  fellow  that  had 
some  time  been  Sprat's  fellow-ser- 
vant) followed  him  on  foot :  the 
rest  rode  up  the  other  side  of  the 
hedge  to  meet  him  at  the  end. 

As  Sprat  was  pursued  on  one 
side  of  the  hedge  by  his  old  fellow- 
servant  in  his  boots,  and  on  the 
other  side  by  horsemen,  his  fellow- 
servant  cried  out.  You  had  as  good 
tarry  ;  for  we  will  have  you,  we 
will  have  you  ;  yet  notwithstand- 
ing he  still  kept  his  course  till  he 
came  to  a  steep  down-hill  at  the 
end  of  the  hedge,  down  which  he 
ran  from  them,  for  the  horsemen 
could  not  follow  him  without  fetch- 
ing a  great  compass  about.  After 
he  had  ran  almost  a  mile  he  got  to 
a  wood,  but  by  that  time  they  were 
just  behind  him  ;  but  night  coming 
on,  and  it  beginning  tu  ruin,  they 


734 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


pursued  him  no  further.  And  thus 
by  the  providence  of  God  they  both 
got  clear. 

Not  long  after  this,  one  of  the 
two  cruel  Blachendens  was  mur- 
dered by  his  own  servant. 

JOHN    CORNET. 

This  young-  man  was  apprentice 
to  a  musician  at  Colchester,  and 
'  being  sent  by  his  master  to  a  wed- 
ding (in  the  second  year  of  queen 
Mary,  in  a  town  hard  by,  called 
Rough-hedge,  was  requested  by  a 
company  there  of  good  men  (the 
constables  being  present),  to  sing 
some  songs  of  the  scripture :  he 
happened  to  sing  a  song,  called, 
News  out  of  London,  which  tended 
against  the  mass,  and  against  the 
queen's  misproceedings. 

Whereupon  the  next  day  he  was 
accused  by  the  parson  of  Rough- 
hedge,  called  Yacksley,  and  so 
committed,  first  to  the  constable, 
where  his  master  gave  him  over, 
and  his  mother  forsook  and  cursed 
bim.  From  thence  he  was  sent  to 
justice  Cannall,  and  then  to  the 
earl  of  Oxford,  by  whose  orders 
he  was  first  put  in  irons  and  chains, 
and  after  that  so  manacled,  that 
the  blood  spirted  out  of  his  fingers' 
ends,  because  he  would  not  confess 
the  names  of  those  who  allured  him 
to  sing.  After  that,  he  was  sent 
again  to  Rough-hedge,  there  whip- 
ped till  the  blood  followed,  and  then 
banished  the  town  for  ever. 

THOMAS    BRYCE. 

He  being  in  the  house  of  John 
Seal,  in  the  parish  of  Horting,  the 
bailifi'  and  other  neij!;hbours  were 
sent  by  sir  John  Baker,  to  search 
for,  and  apprehend  him,  and  though 
they  perfectly  knew  his  stature  and 
the  colour  of  his  'garments,  yet 
then  they  had  no  power  to  know 
him,  though  he  stood  before  their 
faces.  So  miraculously  did  the 
Almighty  dazzle  their  eyes,  that 
they  asked  for  him,  and  looked  on 
him,  yet  notwithstanding  he  quietly 
took  his  bag  of  books,  and  departed 
out  of  the  house  without  any  hand 
Jaid  upon  him. 

Also  another  time,  about  the  se- 


cond year  of  queen  Mary,  the  said 
Thomas  Bryce,  with  John  Bryce, 
his  elder  brother,  coming  then 
from  Wesell,  meeting  together  at 
their  father's  house,  as  they  tra- 
velled towards  London,  to  give 
warning  to  one  Springfield  there, 
which  else  was  like  to  be  taken 
unawares  by  his  enemies  waiting 
for  him  upon  Gad's-hill,  fell  into 
company  with  a  promoter,  who 
dogged  and  followed  tliem  again 
to  Gravesend,  into  the  town,  and 
laid  the  house  for  them  where  they 
were,  all  the  ways  as  they  should 
go  to  the  water's  side,  so  that  it 
had  not  been  possible  for  them  to 
have  avoided  the  present  danger 
of  those  persecutors,  had  not 
God's  provident  care  otherwise 
disposed  for  his  servants,  through 
the  ostler  of  the  inn,  who  conveyed 
them  under  cover  by  a  secret  pas- 
sage; whereby  they  took  barge  a 
mile  out  of  town,  and  so  in  the  end 
both  the  lives  pf  them,  and  also 
Springfield,  were  preserved, 
through  God's  gracious  protection. 

GERTRUDE   CROKHAY. 

Gertrude  Crokhay,  dwelling 
in  St.  Catherine's,  by  the  Tower  of 
Loudon,  and  being  then  in  her 
husband's  house,  it  happened  iu 
the  year  1556,  that  the  pope's 
childish  Saint  Nicholas  went  about 
the  parish.  Which  she  under- 
standing, shut  her  door  against 
him,  not  suffering  him  to  enter  into 
her  house. 

Then  Dr.  Mallet  hearing  there- 
of, and  being  then  master  of  the 
said  St.  Catherine's,  the  next  day 
came  to  her,  and  asked  why  she 
would  not  the  night  before  let  in 
St.  Nicholas,  and  receive  his 
blessing,  &c.  To  whom  she  an- 
swered thus:  Sir,  I  know  not  tliat 
St.  Nicholas  came  hither.  Yes, 
quoth  Mallet,  here  was  one  that 
represented  St.  Nicholas. 

Indeed,  sir,  (said  she),  here  was 
one  that  was  my  neighbour's  child, 
but  not  St.  Nicholas:  for  St.  Ni- 
cholas is  in  heaven.  I  was  afraid 
of  them  that  came  with  him,  to 
have  had  my  purse  cut  by  them: 
for  I  have  heard  of  men  robbed  by 


THOMAS  ROSE. 


735 


St,  Nicholas's  clerks,  &,c.  So 
Mallet  perceiving  that  nothing 
could  be  gotten  at  her  hands,  went 
his  way  as  he  came,  and  she  for 
that  time  escaped. 

Then  in  the  year  1557,  a  little 
before  Whitsuntide,  it  happened 
that  the  said  Gertrude  answered 
for  a  child  that  was  baptized  of 
one  Thomas  Saunders,  which  child 
was  christened  secretly  in  a  house 
after  the  order  of  the  service-book 
in  king  Edward's  time;  and  that 
being  soon  known  to  her  enemies, 
she  was  sought  for;  who  under- 
standing nothing  thereof,  went  be- 
yond the  sea  into  Guelderland,  to 
see  certain  lands  that  should  come 
to  her  children  in  the  right  of  her 
first  husband,  who  was  a  stranger 
born:  and  being  there  about  a 
quarter  of  a  year,  at  length  com- 
ing home  by  Antwerp,  she  chanced 
to  meet  with  one  John  Johnson,  a 
Dutchman,  alias  John  de  Villa,  of 
Antwerp,  shipper,  who  seeing  her 
there,  went  out  of  malice  to  the 
Margrave,  and  accused  her  to  be 
an  anabaptist,  whereby  she  was 
taken,  and  carried  to  prison.  The 
cause  why  he  did  thus,  was,  be- 
cause he  claimed  of  Mr.  Crokhay, 
her  husband,  a  sum  of  raonej'  which 
was  not  his  due,  for  a  ship  that 
Mr.  Crokhay  Iwught  of  him,  and 
because  he  could  not  get  it,  he 
wrought  this  displeasure.  Well, 
she  being  in  prison,  lay  there  a 
fortnight.  In  which  time  she  saw 
some  that  were  prisoners  there, 
who  privately  were  drowned  in 
Rhenish  wine-vats,  and  after  se- 
cretly put  in  sacks  and  cast  into 
the  river.  Now  she,  good  woman, 
expecting  to  be  so  served,  took 
thereby  such  fear,  that  it  brought 
the  beginning  of  her  sickness,  of 
which  at  length  s!ie  died. 

Then  at  last  was  she  called  be- 
fore the  Margrave,  and  charged 
with  anabaptistry ;  which  she 
there  utterly  denied,  and  detested 
the  error,  declaring  before  him,  in 
Dutch,  her  faith  boldly,  without 
any  fear.  So  the  Margrave  hear- 
ing the  same,  in  the  end  being 
well  pleased  with  the  profession, 


at  the  suit  of  some  of  her  friends, 
delivered  her  out  of  prison,  but 
took  away  her  book,  and  so  she 
came  over  into  England  again; 
having  escaped  the  fire,  but  being 
afflicted  with  an  incurable  sick- 
ness, of  which,  as  is  said  above, 
she  afterwards  died. 

THOMAS    ROSE,    A    PREACHER. 

He  was  a  Devonshire  man,  born 
in  Exraouth,  and  being  made 
priest  in  that  country,  was  brought 
out  of  it  by  one  Mr.  Fabian,  to 
Polsted,  in  Suffolk,  where  the  said 
Mr.  Fabian  was  parson,  and  in  a 
short  time  after,  by  his  means,  was 
placed  in  the  town  of  Hadley, 
where  he,  first  coming  to  some 
knowledge  of  the  gospel,  began 
there  to  treat  upon  the  creed,  and 
thereupon  took  occasion  to  inveigh 
against  purgatory,  praying  to 
saints  and  images,  about  the  time 
that  Mr.  Latimer  began  to  preach 
at  Cambridge,  in  the  time  of  Bil- 
nej'  and  Arthur;  insomuch  that 
many  embracing  the  truth  of 
Christ's  gospel,  against  the  said 
purgatory  and  other  points,  and 
the  number  of  them  daily  increas- 
ing, the  adversaries  began  to  stir 
against  him,  insomuch  that  Mr. 
Bate,  (who  afterwards  became  a 
godly  zealous  man),  was  then 
brought  to  preach  against  the  said 
Thomas  Rose;  notwithstanding 
this,  he  continued  still  very  vehe- 
mently against  images,  and  the 
Lord  so  blessed  his  labours,  that 
many  began  to  contrive  how  they 
might  deface  and  destro}'  them, 
and  especially  four  men,  whose 
names  weie  Ring,  Debnam, 
Marsh,  and  Card,  who  usually  re- 
sorted to  his  sermons,  by  which 
they  were  so  inflamed,  that  soon 
after  they  ventured  to  destroy  the 
rood  of  the  court  of  Dover,  which 
cost  three  of  them  their  lives,  and 
they  were  hanged  in  chains,  be- 
cause they  would  not  accuse  Tho- 
mas Rose  as  their  counsellor. 
The  said  Rof.e  had  the  coat  of  the 
rood  brought  to  him  afterwards, 
who  burnt  it.  The  rood  was  said 
to  have  done  many  and  great  mi- 


736 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


racles,  yet  being  lo  the  fire,  could 
not  help  himself,  but  burned  like  a 
block,  as  indeed  it  was. 

At  this  time  there  were  two  sore 
enemies  in  Hadley,  Walter  Clerk 
and  John  Clerk,  two  brothers: 
these  complained  to  the  council, 
that  an  hundred  men  were  not 
able  to  fetch  Thomas  Rose  out  of 
Hadley,  who  then  was,  upon  exa- 
mination of  his  doctrine,  commit- 
ted to  the  commissaries'  keeping. 
And  indeed  such  was  the  2eal  of  a 
number  towards  the  truth  then  in 
that  town,  that  they  were  much  of- 
fended that  their  minister  was  so 
taken  from  them,  and  had  there- 
fore by  force  brought  him  from  the 
commissary,  if  certain  wise  men 
had  not  otherwise  persuaded  them, 
who  at  length  also  with  more  quiet 
placed  him  in  his  office  again: 
which  so  enraged  the  two  brothers, 
Walter  Clerk  and  John  Clerk, 
that  they  complained  to  the  coun- 
cil, as  aforesaid;  whereupon  a 
Serjeant  at  arms  was  sent  from  the 
council,  to  arrest  Thomas  Rose, 
and  bring  him  before  them.  Then 
his  adversaries  laid  to  his  charge, 
that  he  was  privy  to  the  burning 
of  the  rood  at  Dover  court,  and 
upon  this  he  was  committed  to 
prison,  in  the  bishop  of  Lincoln's 
house,  in  Hoiborn,  where  he  re- 
mained from  Shrovetide  to  Whit- 
suntide, and  great  part  of  the  time 
in  the  stocks. 

Then  he  was  removed  to  Lam- 
beth, in  the  first  year  of  Dr.  Cran- 
mer's  consecration,  who  used  him 
much  more  courteously. 

He  was  next  indicted  at  Bury, 
in  Suffolk,  which  obliged  him  to 
flee  to  London,  where,  by  the  in- 
terest of  lord  Audley,  then  lord 
chancellor,  he  procured  its  re- 
moval, and,  after  examination,  was 
set  free,  and  obtained  the  king's  li- 
cence to  preach. 

After  king  Edward  was  crowned 
he  was  licenced  to  preach  again 
by  the  king,  who  gave  him  the  be- 
nefice of  West-Ham,  by  London. 
But  at  this  king's  death  he  was 
deprived  of  all,  and  at  length, 
through    a    Judas    that    betrayed 


him,  he,  with  thirty-five  taore, 
were  taken  in  Bow  church-yard,  at 
a  sheerman's  house,  on  New- 
year's  day  at  night,  and  commit- 
ted to  prison,  but  he  was  taken  to 
the  bishop  of  Winchester,  and 
committed  to  the  Clink,  till  the 
Tuesday  after,  when  he  vras 
brought  to  the  church  of  St,  Mary 
Overy,  and  underwent  the  following 
examination : 

Rose.  I  wonder,  my  lord,  that 
I  should  be  thus  troubled  for  that 
which  by  the  word  of  God  hath 
been  established,  and  by  tbe  laws 
of  this  realm  hath  been  allowed, 
and  by  your  own  writing  so  notably 
in  your  book,  De  vera  obediential 
confirmed. 

Bish.  of  Win.  Ah,  sirrah,  hast 
thou  gotten  that? 

Rose.  As  touching  the  doctrine 
of  supremacy,  against  the  bishop 
of  Rome's  authority,  no  man  hath 
said  further;  and  you  confess  that 
when  this  truth  was  revealed  unto 
you,  you  thought  the  scales  to  fall 
from  your  eyes. 

Bishop.  There  is  no  such  thing 
in  my  book:  but  I  shall  handle 
thee,  and  such  as  thou  art,  well 
enough. 

After  this,  the  bishop  turned  his 
face  to  some  that  were  by  him. 
This  is  he,  said  the  bishop,  that 
my  lord  of  Norwich  told  me  had 
gotten  his  maid  with  child. 

Rose.  This  is  no  heresy,  my 
lord,  although  it  be  a  lie.  Indeed 
certain  wicked  persons  raised  this 
report  of  me,  for  the  hatred  they 
bare  to  the  doctrine  which  I 
preached:  but  for  purgation  of 
myself  herein,  I  had  no  less  than 
six  of  the  council's  hands,  that 
there  might  be  due  and  diligent 
examination  of  this  matter  in  the 
country,  by  men  of  worship  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose,  who  can 
all  testify,  I  thank  God,  that  I  am 
most  clear  from  such  wickedness, 
and  indeed  they  have  cleared  me 
from  it.  Then  the  bishop  com- 
manded that  I  should  be  carried 
to  the  Tower,  and  kept  safely; 
where   I  lay  till  the  week  before 


THOMAS  ROSE. 


Whitsuntide,  when,  after  beinsf 
called  twice  to  little  purpose,  I 
was  couvcjcd  from  tlio  Tower  to 
Norwich,  there  to  be  examined  by 
the  bishop  and  his  clergy,  as  con- 
cerning my  faith. 

SECOND      EXAMINATION       OF      THO- 
MAS   ROSE.      BEFORE    THE    BISHOP 


OF     NOKWICH, 
1563. 


737 

AND    OTHERS,     IN 


Alter  I  was  presented  by  my 
keeper,  the  bishop  immediately 
asked  me  what  I  was?  I  told  him 
I  had  been  a  minister. 

Bishojj.  Where  were  you  madtf 
priest  ? 


The  cruel  Racking  of  Cuthbeii  Hiiiiison   in  the   Toaer  of  London,  A.  D.   1,^.37 


Rose.  In  Exeter,  in  the  county 
where  I  was  born.  Then  the  bi- 
shop required  of  me  my  letters  of 
orders.  I  told  him  I  knew  not 
where  they  were,  for  they  were 
things  of  me  not  greatly  regarded. 

Bishop.  Well,  you  are  sent  to 
me  to  be  examined;  what  say  you, 
willyousubmityourself  to  the  order 
of  the  church  of  England  ? 

Rose.  My  lord,  I  trust  I  am 
not  out  of  the  order  of  Christ's 
church  in  England,  neither  do  I 
know  myself  an  offender  there- 
against. 

Bishop.     What?    yes,  you  have 
here  preached  most  damnable  and 
devilish  doctrine. 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


Rose.  Not  so,  my  lord.  TJie 
doctrine  by  me  preached  is 
grounded  upon  the  word  of  God, 
set  out  by  the  authority  of  two 
most  mighty  kings,  with  the  con- 
sent of  all  the  nobility  and  clergy: 
so  that  I  preached  nothing  but 
their  la\Wul  proceedings,  having 
their  lawful  authority  for  confirm- 
ation of  the  same,  for  which  my 
doing  you  cannot  justly  charge 
me. 

Chan.  What  sayest  thou  to  the 
real  presence  in  the  sacrament?' 

Rose.  1  know  right  well  you 
are  made  an  instrument  to  seek 
innocent  blood:  well,  you  may 
begin  when  you  Shall  think  rood", 

4? 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


738 

for  I  have  said  nothing-  but  the 
truth,  and  that  which  then  all  men 
allowed  for  truth. 

Bishop.  Well,  father  Rose, 
whatsoever  hath  been  done  in 
times  past,  shall  not  now  be  called 
in  question.  Wherefore,  if  you 
will  be  accounted  for  an  English- 
man, you  must  submit  yourself. 

Rose.  My  lord,  I  ;i!ii  an  Eng- 
lishman born,  and  do  most  humbly 
require  of  the  Christian  congrega- 
tion of  England,  to  be  counted  as 
a  particular  member  of  the  same, 
and  with  all  due  reverence  submit 
inyself,  as  in  the  form  and  manner 
following:  That  whatsoever  law  or 
laws  shall  be  set  forth  in  the  same, 
for  the  establishment  of  Christ's 
true  religion,  I  do  not  only  hold 
it,  and  believe  it,  but  also  most 
reverently  obey  it.  At  which  the 
bishop  seemed  to  be  greatly  re- 
joiced, and  said.  Well,  then,  we 
shall  soon  be  at  a  point:  but  you 
shall  take  this  for  no  day  of  exa- 
mination, but  rather  of  communi- 
cation, so  that  you  shall  now  de- 
part, and  consider  with  yourself 
until  we  call  for  you  again:  and  so 
ended  this  meeting. 

THIRD     EXAMINATION     OF     THOMAS 
KOSE. 

On  Friday  following,  I  was 
called  again  into  Christ-church 
within  their  lady's  chapel,  where 
was  gathered  a  great  part  of  the 
city  of  Norwich,  when  the  bishop 
began  with  demanding  of  me,  whe- 
ther, according  to  my  former  pro- 
mise, I  would  submit  myself  or 
no.  I  answered  as  before  I  had 
done,  that  according  to  my  former 
protestation,  I  would  most  gladly 
obey. 

Chan.  What  say  you  then  to 
ear-confession?  Is  it  not  neces- 
sary for  the  cliurch  of  England? 

Rose.  Some  ways  it  might  be 
permitted,  and  some  ways  not,  and 
that  because  it  had  not  its  original 
of  God  and  his  blessed  word  ;  and 
yet  I  deny  not,  but  that  a  man, 
being  troubled  in  his  conscience, 
and  resorting  to  a  discreet,  sober, 
and  christian  learned  man,  for  the 
quieting  of  his  mind,  might  well  be 
permitted. 


Mr.  Chancellor  then  began  to 
whet  his  teeth  at  me,  saying,  Yea, 
but  you  have  preached,  that  the 
real,  natural,  and  substantial  pre- 
sence of  Christ  is  not  in  the  sacra- 
ment.    What  say  you  to  that? 

Rose.  Verily,  I  say,  to  satisfy 
you,  that  so  I  have  here  preached  : 
although,  contrary  to  law,  you 
challenge  me  with  the  same,  yet 
will  I  in  nowise  deny  it,  though 
justly  I  might  do  it. 

Bishop.  Why,  doth  not  Christ 
say,  This  is  my  body?  And  cap 
there  be  any  plainer  words  spokenf? 
Rose.  It  is  true,  my  lord,  the 
words  are  as  plain  as  can  be  ;  and 
even  so  are  these,  where  it  is  said, 
I  am  a  door,  a  vine,  and  Chri^ 
called  a  stone,  a  lion,  and  yet  is  hp 
naturally  none  of  these  ;  for  they 
are  all  figurative  speeches,  as  both 
the  scriptures  and  fathers  do  suf- 
ficiently prove.  And  I  added  thajt 
Justin,  who  is  one  of  the  most  anJ- 
cient  writers  that  ever  wrote  upon 
the  sacrament,  writeth  in  his  se- 
cond apology,  that  the  bread, 
water,  and  wine  in  the  sacrament, 
are  not  to  be  taken  as  other  meats 
and  drinks  ;  and  'yet  they  nourish 
our  bodies.  By  which  his  meaning 
is  evident,  that  the  bread  and  wine 
remain  still,  or  else  they  could  not 
nourish  our  bodies. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  bishop 
sent  two  of  his  chaplains  to  me, 
with  whom  I  had  communication 
about  the  real  presence.  After 
long  reasoning  concerning  this 
point,  at  length  I  drove  them  to 
this  issue;  whether  they  did  con- 
fess that  Christ,  in  the  self-same 
body  which  was  conceived  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  wherein  he  suf- 
fered and  rose  again,  do  in  the  self- 
same body  naturally,  substantially, 
and  really  sit  at  the  right  hand  of 
God  the  Father,without return  from 
thence,  until  the  day  of  the  general 
judgment,  or  not?  Whereunto  they 
answered,  Yes,  truly,  we  confess 
it,  hold  it,  and  believe  it.  Then  I 
again  demanded  of  them,  whether 
they  did  aflBrm,  after  the  words 
pronounced  by  the  minister,  there 
to  remain  flesh,  blood,  bones, 
hairs,  nails,  as  js  wont  most  -grossly 


;i  f-DR.  SANDS. 


789 


to  be  prenclied,  or  not?  and  they 
with  g^reat  deliberation  answered, 
that  they  did  not  only  abhor  the 
teachins?  of  su<;li  fi:;io.ss  doctrine, 
but  also  would  detest  tliemsclvcs, 
if  they  should  so  think. 

At  which  two  principal  points, 
wherein  they  fully  conlirmed  my 
doctrine  which  I  ever  taug^ht,  I 
was  not  a  little  comforted  and  re- 
joiced, but  marvellously  encou- 
raged. Whereupon  I  demanded 
of  them  again,  what  manner  of 
body  they  then  affirmed  it  to  be  in 
the  sacrament?  Forsooth,  said  they, 
not  a  visible  body,  for  that  is  al- 
ways at  the  Father's  right  hand  ; 
but  in  the  sacrament  it  is  invisible, 
and  can  neither  be  feit,  seen,  nor 
occupy  any  place,  but  is  there  by 
the  omnipotency  of  God's  holy 
word,  they  know  not  how. 

However,  to  bring  them  to  con- 
fess that  openly  which  they  had 
granted  privately,  1  granted  them 
according  to  the  scriptures,  and 
my  former  protestation,  a  pre- 
sence, although  not  as  they  sup- 
posed. 

LAST    EXAMINATION    OF    THOMAS 
ROSE. 

Now  to  come  to  my  last  appear- 
ance, the  bishop  forthwith  de- 
manded of  me,  whether  I  were 
Resolved  as  he  had  heard  say  ? 
To  whom  I  answered,  that,  as  I  al- 
ways had  said  before,  even  so  I 
was  now.  I  then  said,  that  what- 
sover  laws  were  set  forth  for  the 
establishment  of  Christ's  true  reli- 
gion, according  to  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  holy  apostles,  and  the  faith- 
ful fathers  of  th«  primitive  church, 
i  did  not  only  obey  them,  but  most 
earnestly  believe  them  ;  and  all  of 
you  must  confess,  that  the  doctrine 
by  me  heretofore  preached,  had, 
besides  the  authority  of  God's 
eternal  verity,  the  authority  of  two 
most  noble  princes,  with  the  advice 
and  council  of  all  the  nobility  and 
elergy  of  the  land,  and  that  with 
great  deliberation  from  time  to 
time,  with  open  disputations  in 
both  universities,  enacted  also  by 
parliament,  with  the  consent  of  the 
whole   body  and   commons  of  the 


sanle,   without  any    resistance   or 
gainsaying. 

After  several  long  private  dis- 
putations had  happened  betwixt 
us,  at  length  I  have  heard  of  them 
a  contrary  doctrine,  which  1  never 
before  had  heard.  He  then  re- 
capitulated what  he  stated  in  the 
third  examination,  of  the  dilemma 
into  which  the  two  chaplains  had 
been  drawn;  and  then  adds,  me- 
thoughtin  this  I  had  well  discharg- 
ed at  that  time  my  conscience,  in 
causing  them,  in  open  audience,  to 
confess  the  same,  and  so  I  granted 
a  presence,  but  not  as  they  sup- 
posed :  fOr  I  only  said,  that  Christ, 
after  the  words  pronounced,  is  pre- 
sent in  the  lawful  use  and  right 
distribution  of  his  holy  supper; 
which  thing  I  never  denied,  or  any 
godly  man  that  ever  I  heard  of. 

And  thus  I  ended;  which  the 
papists  most  maliciously  and  slan- 
derously named  a  recantation; 
which  I  never  meant  nor  thought, 
as  God  knoweth. 

On  the  morrow,  when  the  bis^Iiop 
was  ready  to  ride  forth  in  visitation, 
he  called  me  before  him,  and  per- 
ceiving that  Sir  William  Wood- 
house  did  bear  me  great  favour, 
s-aid,  he  was  sorry  for  me  and  my 
expenses,  and  therefore  wished 
that  I  was  somewhere  where  I 
might  spend  no  more  money  till  his 
return.  Why,  my  lord,  said  sir 
William  Woodhouse,  he  shall 
have  meat  and  drink  and  lodging 
with  me,  till  you  return  again,  see- 
ing you  now  brake  up  house. 

I  was  then  conveyed  to  London, 
and  from  thence  passed  over  the 
seas,  where  I  lived  till  the  death  of 
queen  Mary,  and  till  it  pleased 
God  to  bless  this  realm  with  the 
government  of  our  noble  queen. 

TROUBLES  AND  DELIVERANCE  OT 
DR.  SANDS,  AFTERWARDSi  ARCH- 
BISHOP   OF    YORK.  ;    ■ 

Dr.  Sands  was  vicc-chaiMJellot 
of  Cambridge  at  the  time  that  tiie 
duke  of  Northumberland  caiae 
hither,  on  king  Edward's  death,  to 
proclaim  lady  Jane  queen ;  and, 
with  others,  being  set  for  to  sup 
with   the   duke,    was    required.  tiX 


740 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


preach  on  the  morrow.  On  taking 
his  Bible  into  his  hand,  and  shut- 
ting his  eyes,  he  earnestly  prayed 
to  God  that  it  might  fall  open 
where  a  most  fit  text  should  be  for 
him  to  treat  of.  The  Bible,  as  God 
would  have  it,  fell  open  upon  the 
first  chapter  of  Joshua,  the  three 
last  verses,  where  he  found  so  con- 
Tenient  a  place  of  scripture  for 
that  lime,  that  the  like  he  could 
not  find  in  th^  whole  Bible.  His 
text  was  thus:  "And  they  an- 
swered Joshua,  saying,  All  that 
thou  commandest  us  we  will  do, 
and  whithersoever  thou  sendest 
us,  we  will  go.  According  as  we 
hearkened  unto  Moses  in  all  things, 
so  will  we  hearken  unto  thee :  only 
the  Lord  thy  God  be  with  thee,  as 
he  was  with  Moses.  Whosoever 
he  be  that  doth  rebel  against  thy 
commandment,  and  will  not 
hearken  unto  thy  words,  in  all  that 
thou  commandest  him,  he  shall  be 
be  put  to  death :  only  be  strong, 
and  of  good  courage." 

Whosoever  shall  consider  what 
was  concluded  by  such  as  called 
themselves  the  state,  and  likewise 
the  auditory,  the  time,  and  other 
circumstances,  may  easily  see  that 
this  text  most  fitly  served  for  the 
purpose.  And  as  God  gave  the 
text,  so  gave  he  such  order  and 
utterance,  as  drew  many  tears  out 
of  the  eyes  of  the  greatest  of  them. 

In  the  time  of  his  sermon,  one 
of  the  guard  lifted  a  mass-book 
and  a  grail  up  to  him  in  the  pulpit, 
which  sir  George  Haward,  with 
certain  of  the  guard,  had  taken  that 
night  in  Mr.  Hurlestone's  house, 
where  lady  Mary  had  been  a  little 
before,  and  there  had  mass.  The 
duke,  with  the  rest  of  the  nobility, 
required  Dr.  Sands  to  put  his  ser- 
mon in  writing,  and  appointed  Mr. 
Leaver  to  go  to  London  with  it, 
and  to  put  it  in  print.  Dr.  Sands 
required  one  day  and  a  half  for 
writing  of  it.  At  the  time  ap- 
pointed he  had  made  it  ready,  and 
Mr.  Leaver  was  ready  booted  to 
receive  it  at  his  hands,  and  carry 
it  to  London.  As  he  was  deliver- 
ing of  it,  one  of  the  beadles,  named 


Adams,  came  weeping  to  him,  and 
prayed  him  to  shift  for  himself,  for 
the  duke  was  retired,  and  queen 
Mary  proclaimed. 

Dr.  Sands  was  not  troubled 
thereat,  but  gave  the  sermon 
written  to  Mr.  Layfield.  Mr. 
Leaver  departed  home,  and  he 
went  to  dinner  to  one  Mr.  More's, 
a  beadle,  his  great  friend.  At  the 
dinner  Mrs.  More  seeing  him  merry 
and  pleasant  (for  he  had  ever  a 
man's  courage,  and  could  not  be 
terrified),  drank  unto  him,  saying. 
Master  Vice-chancellor,  I  drink 
unto  you,  for  this  is  the  last  time 
that  I  shall  see  you.  And  so  it  was  ; 
for  she  was  dead  before  Dr.  Sands 
returned  out  of  Germany.  The 
duke  that  night  retired  to  Cam- 
bridge, and  sent  for  Dr.  Sands  to 
go  with  him  to  the  market-place 
to  proclaim  queen  Mary.  The 
duke  cast  up  his  cap  with  others  ; 
but  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks 
with  grief.  He  told  Dr.  Sands, 
that  queen  Mary  was  a  merciful 
woman,  and  that  he  doubted  not 
thereof;  declaring  that  he  had  sent 
unto  her  to  know  her  pleasure, 
and  looked  for  a  general  pardon. 
Dr.  Sands  answered,  My  life  is 
not  dear  unto  me,  neither  have  I 
done  or  said  any  thing  that  urgeth 
my  conscience.  For  that  which  I 
spake  of  the  state,  I  have  instruc- 
tions warranted  by  the  subscrip- 
tion of  sixteen  counsellors,  neither 
can  speech  be  treason  ;  neither  yet 
have  I  spoken  further  than  the 
word  of  God  and  the  laws  of  the 
realm  do  warrant  me,  come  of  me 
what  God  will.  But  be  you  as- 
sured you  shall  never  escape  deatV; 
for  if  she  should  save  you,  those 
that  now  shall  rule  will  kill  you. 

The  night  the  guard  apprehend- 
ed the  duke ;  and  certain  grooms 
of  the  stable  were  as  busy  with 
Dr.  Sands,  as  if  they  would  take 
a  prisoner.  But  sir  John  Gates, 
who  lay  then  in  Dr.  Sands's  house, 
sharply  rebuked  them,  and  drove 
them  away.  Dr.  Sands,  by  the 
advice  of  sir  John  Gates,  walked 
in  the  fields.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  university,  contrary  to  all   or- 


DR.  SANDS. 


741 


tier,  had  met  togetlier  in  consult- 
ation, and  ordered  that  Dr.  Moase 
and  Dr.  Hartchcr  should  repair  to 
Dr.  Sands's  lodging,  and  bring 
away  the  statute-book  of  the  uni- 
versity, the  keys,  and  such  other 
things  as  were  in  his  keeping;  and 
so  they  did:  for  Dr.  Mouse  being 
an  earnest  protestant  the  day  be- 
fore, and  whom  Dr.  Sands  had 
done  much  for,  was  now  become  a 
papist,  and  his  great  enemy.  Cer- 
tain of  the  university  had  appoint- 
ed a  congregation  at  afternoon. 
As  the  bell  rang  to  it,  Dr.  Sands 
came  out  of  the  fields,  and  sending 
for  the  beadles,  asked  what  the 
matter  meant,  and  required  them 
to  wait  upon  him  to  the  schools, 
according  to  their  duty.  So  they 
did.  And  as  soon  as  Dr.  Sands, 
the  beadles  going  before  him,  came 
into  the  regent  house  and  took  his 
chair,  one  Mr.  Mitch,  with  a  rab- 
ble of  unlearned  papists,  went  into 
a  by-school,  and  conspired  toge- 
ther to  pull  him  out  of  his  chair, 
and  to  use  violence  unto  him.  Dr. 
Sands  began  his  oration,  expostu- 
lating with  the  university,  charging 
them  with  great  ingratitude,  de- 
claring, that  he  had  said  nothing  in 
his  sermon  but  what  he  was  ready 
to  justify,  and  their  case  was  all 
one  with  him :  for  they  had  not 
only  concealed,  but  consented  to, 
that  which  he  had  spoken. 

And  thus  while  he  remembered 
them  how  beneficial  he  had  been 
to  the  university,  and  their  un- 
thankfulness  to  him  again,  in  came 
Mr.  Mitch  with  his  conspirators, 
about  twenty  in  number.  One 
laid  hands  on  the  chair  to  pull 
it  from  him;  another  told  him, 
that  that  was  not  his  place,  and 
another  called  him  traitor.  Where- 
at he  perceiving  how  they  used 
violence,  and  being  of  great  cou- 
rage, groped  to  his  dagger,  and 
had  dispatched  some  of  them  as 
God's  enemies,  if  Dr.  Bill  and  Dr. 
Blith  had  not  fallen  upon  him,  and 
prayed  for  God's  sake  to  hold  his 
hands  and  be  quiet,  and  patiently 
to  bear  that  great  offered  wrong. 
He  was  persuaded  by  them,  and 
after  that  tumult   was  ceased,  he 


ended  his  oration ;  and  bavins' 
some  money  of  the  university's  in 
his  hands,  he  there  delivered  the 
same  every  farthing.  He  gave  up 
the  books,  reckonings,  and  keys 
pertaining  to  the  university,  and 
withal  yielded  up  his  oftice,  pray- 
ing God  to  give  the  university  a 
better  officer,  and  to  give  them 
better  and  more  thankful  hearts, 
and  so  repaired  home  to  his  own 
college. 

On  the  morrow  after  there  came 
unto  him  one  Mr.  Gerningham, 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Mildmay.  Ger- 
ningham told  him,  that  it  was  the 
queen's  pleasure,  that  two  of  the 
guard  should  attend  upon  him, 
and  that  he  must  be  carried  pri- 
soner to  the  Tower  of  London 
with  the  duke.  Mr.  Mildmay  said, 
he  marvelled  that  a  learned  man 
would  speak  so  unadvisedly  against 
so  good  a  prince,  and  wilfully  run 
into  such  danger.  Dr.  Sands  an- 
swered, I  shall  not  be  ashamed  of 
bonds;  but  if  I  could  do  as  Mr. 
Mildmay  can,  I  needed  not  to  fear 
bonds:  for  he  came  down  in  pay- 
ment against  queen  Mary,  and 
armed  in  the  field,  and  now  he  re- 
turned in  payment  for  queen  Mary  ; 
before  a  traitor,  and  now  a  great 
friend  ;  I  cannot  with  'one  mouth 
blow  hot  and  cold  after  this  man- 
ner. 

Upon  this  his  stable  was  robbed 
of  four  very  good  geldings  ;  the 
best  of  them  Mr.  Huddlestone  took 
for  his  own  saddle,  and  rode  on 
him  to  London  in  his  sight.  An 
inventory  was  taken  of  all  his 
goods  by  Mr.  More,  beadle  for  the 
university.  He  was  set  upon  a 
lame  horse  that  halted  to  the 
ground ;  which  thing  a  friend  of 
his  perceiving,  prayed  that  Ite 
might  lend  him  a  nag.  The  yeo- 
men of  the  guard  consented.  As 
he  departed  forth  at  the  town's 
end,  some  papists  resorted  thither 
to  jeer  at  him,  and  some  of  his 
friends  to  mourn  for  him.  He 
came  in  the  rank  to  London,  the 
people  being  full  of  outcries ;  and 
as  he  came  in  at  Bishopsgate,  one 
like  a  milk-woman  hurled  a  stone 
at  liim,  and  bit  him  on  the  breast. 


743 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


with  sucli  a  bIo\y,  that  he  was  like 
to  fall  olV  liJs  horse  ;  to  whom  he 
mildly  said.  Woman,  God  forgive 
it  thee.  Truth  is,  that  that  journey 
and  evil  entreatinj?  so  mortified 
him,  that  he  was  more  ready  to  die 
than  to  live. 

As  he  came  through  Tower-hill, 
one  woman  standing  at  her  door, 
cried,  Fie  on  thee,  thou  knave 
thou  traitor,  thou  heretic  !  Where- 
at he  smiled.  Look,  the  desperate 
heretic!  saidshe,andlaug4ied  at  this 
jeer.  A  woman  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street  answered,  saying,  Fie 
on  thee,  neighbour,  thou  art  not 
worthy  to  be  called  a  woman,  rail- 
ing upon  this  gentleman  whom 
thou  knowest  not,  nor  the  cause 
why  he  is  thus  treated.  Then  she 
said.  Good  gentleman,  God  be  thy 
comfort,  and  give  thee  strength  to 
stand  in  God's  cause,  even  to  the 
end.  And  thus  he  passed  through 
rough  and  smooth  to  the  Tower, 
the  first  prisoner  that  entered  in 
that  day,  which  was  St  James's 
day.  The  yeoman  of  the  guard 
took  from  him  his  borrowed  nag, 
and  what  else  soever  he  had.  His 
man,  one  Quinting  Suainton, 
brought  after  him  a  Bible,  and 
some"  shirts,  and  such  like  things. 
The  Bible  was  sent  in  to  him,  but 
the  shirts  and  such  like  served  the 
yeoman  of  the  guard. 

After  he  had  been  in  the  Tower 
three  weeks  in  a  bad  prison,  he 
was  brought  up  into  Nun's-Bower, 
a  better  prison,  where  was  put 
along  with  him  Mr.  John  Brad- 
ford. 

At  the  day  of  queen  Mary  s  co- 
ronation their  prison  door  was  set 
open,  ever  shut  before.  One  Mr. 
Mitchell,  his  old  acquaintance, 
who  had  been  prisoner  before  in 
the  same  place,  came  into  him,  and 
said.  Master  Sands,  there  is  such 
a  stir  in  the  Tower,  that  neither 
gates,  doors,  nor  prisoners,  are 
looked  to  tins  day.  Take  my 
cloak,  my  hat,  and  ray  rapier,  and 
get  you  gone  ;  y®u  may  go  out  of 
tlie  gates  without  questioning; 
save  yourself,  and  let  me  do  as 
well  as  I  can.  A  rare  friendship  ! 
but  he  refused  the  oifer,  saying,  I 


know  no  cause  why  1  should  be  in 
prison ;  and  to  do  thus  were  to 
make  myself  guilty.  I  will  expect 
God's  good  will,  yet  must  1  think 
myself  much  obliged  to  you:  and 
so  j\Ir  Mitchell  departed. 

While  Dr.  Sands  and  Mr.  Brad- 
ford were  thus  in  close  prison 
twenty-nine  weeks,  one  John 
Bowler  was  their  keeper,  a  very 
perverse  papist,  yet  by  often  per- 
suading of  him,  for  he  would  give 
ear,  and  by  gentle  using  of  him,  at 
length  he  began  to  mislike  popery, 
and  to  favour  the  gospel,  and  was 
so  persuaded  in  true  religion,  that 
on  a  Sunday  when  they  had  mass 
in  the  chapel,  he  brought  up  a  ser- 
vice book,  a  manchet*,  and  a  glass 
of  wine,  and  there  Dr.  Sands  mi- 
nistered the  communion  to  Brad- 
ford and  to  Bowler.  Thus  Bowler 
was  their  son  begotten  in  bonds. 
When  Wyat  was  in  arras,  and  the 
old  duke  of  Norfolk  sent  forth 
with  a  number  of  men  to  appre- 
hend him,  that  room  might  be 
made  in  the  Tower  for  him  and 
other  his  accomplices.  Dr.  Cran- 
mer.  Dr.  Ridley,  and  Mr.  Brad- 
ford, were  cast  into  one  prison, 
and  Dr.  Sands  with  nine  other 
preachers  were  sent  unto  the  Mar- 
shalsea. 

The  keeper  of  the  Marshalsea 
appointed  to  every  preacher  a  man 
to  lead  him  in  the  street;  he  caused 
them  to  go  far  before,  and  he  and 
Dr.  Sands  came  behind,  whom  he 
would  not  lead,  but  walked  fami- 
liarly with  him.  Yet  Dr.  Sands 
was  known,  and  the  people  every 
where  prayed  to  God  to  comfort 
him,  and  to  strengthen  him  in  the 
truth.  By  that  time  the  people's 
minds  were  altered;  popery  be* 
gan  to  be  unsavoury.  After  they 
passed  the  bridge,  the  keeper  said 
to  Dr.  Sands,  I  perceive  the  vain 
people  would  set  you  forward  to 
the  fire.  You  are  as  vain  as  they, 
if  you  being  a  young  man,  will 
stand  in  your  own  conceit,  and 
prefer  your  own  judgment,  before 
that  of  so  many  worthy  prelates, 
ancient,  learned,   and   grave  men 

*  A  loaf.of  <iuc  wbiit  bread. 


DR.  SANU§; 


743 


as  be  III  this  realm.  If  you  so  do, 
you  shall  find  me  a  severe  keeper, 
as  one  that  utterly  dislikcth  your 
religion.  Dr.  Sands  answered,  I 
know  my  years  to  be  young,  and 
by  learning  but  small,  it  is  enough 
to  know  Christ  crucified,  and  he 
hath  learned  nothing  who  seeth 
not  the  great  blasphemy  that  is  in 
popery.  I  will  yield  unto  God, 
and  not  unto  man :  I  have  read  in 
the  scriptures  of  many  godly  and 
courteous  keepers  :  God  may  make 
you  one ;  if  not,  I  trust  he  will 
give  me  strength  and  patience  to 
bear  your  hard  usage.  Then  said 
the  keeper,  Are  you  resolved  to 
stand  to  your  religion  ?  Yes,  quoth 
the  doctor,  by  God's  grace.  Truly, 
said  the  keeper,  I  love  you  the  bet- 
ter for  it ;  I  did  but  tempt  you  ; 
what  favour  I  can  shew  you,  you 
shall  be  sure  of,  and  I  shall  think 
jnyself  happy  if  I  might  die  at  the 
stake  with  you.  He  was  as  good 
as  his  word,  for  he  trusted  the  doc- 
tor to  walk  in  the  iields  alone, 
where  he  met  with  Mr.  Bradford, 
who  was  also  a  prisoner  in  tlie 
King's-Beneh,  and  had  found  the 
same  favour  from  his  keeper :  he 
laid  him  in  the  best  chamber  in  the 
house ;  he  would  not  sutler  the 
knight-marshal's  men  to  lay  fetters 
on  him,  as  others  had.  And,  at 
his  request,  he  put  Mr.  Sanders  in 
along  with  him,  to  be  his  bed  fel- 
low, and  sundry  times  after  he 
suffered  his  wife,  who  was  Mr. 
Sands's  daughter  of  Essex,  a  gen- 
tlewoman beautiful  both  in  body 
and  soul,  to  resort  to  him.  There 
was  great  resort  to  Dr.  Sands  and 
Mr.  Sanders  ;  they  had  much  mo- 
ney offered  them,  but  they  would 
receive  none.  They  had  the  com- 
munion there  three  or  four  times, 
and  a  great  many  communicants. 
Dr.  Sands  gave  such  exhortation 
to  the  people,  (for  at  that  time 
being  young,  he  was  thought  very 
eloquent),  that  be  moved  many 
tears,  and  made  the  people  abhor 
the  mass,  and  defy  all  popery. 
When  sir*  Thomas  Wyat.with 

*  III  old  writers,  knigh(sare  freouently 
«i«ntioned  indififerently,    either  by  the 


his  army  came  into  Soutbwaik,  he 
sent  two  gentlemen  into  the  Mar- 
shalsea  to  Dr.  Sands,  saying,  that 
Mr.*  Wyat  would  be  glad  of  his 
company  and  advice,  and  tluit  the 
gates  should  be  set  open  for  all  the 
prisoners.  He  answered.  Tell  Mr. 
Wyat,  if  this  his  rising  be  of  God, 
it  will  take  place;  if  not,  it  will 
fall.  For  my  part,  I  was  com- 
mittc^d  here  by  order;  I  will  be  dis- 
charged by  like  order,  or  I  will 
never  depart  hence.  So  an- 
swered Mr.  Sanders,  and  the  riest 
of  the  preachers,  being  there  pri- 
soners. 

After  that  Dr.  Sands  had  been 
nine  weeks  prisoner  in  the  Mar- 
shalsea,  by  the  mediation  of  sir 
Thomas  Holcroft,  knight  marshal, 
he  was  set  at  liberty  :  sir  Thomas 
sued  earnestly  to  the  bishop  of 
Winchester,  Dr.  Gardiner,  for  his 
deliverance  after  many  repulses  ; 
but  he  could  n6t  prevail,  except 
Dr.  Sands  would  be  one  of  their 
sect,  and  then  he  could  want  nor- 
thing. He  wrung  out  of  him  at  last, 
that  if  the  queen  would  grant  him 
his  deliverance,  he  would  not  be 
against  it ;  for  that  was  sir  Thomas's 
last  request.  In  the  mean  time  he 
had  procured  two  ladies  of  the  privy 
chamber  to  move  the  queen  in  it; 
who  was  contented  if  the  bishop  of 
Winchester  would  like  it.  The 
next  time  that  the  bishop  went  into 
the  privy  chamber  to  speak  with 
the  queen,  Mr.  Holcroft  followed, 
and  had  his  warrant  for  Dr.  Sands's 
remission  ready,  and  prayed  the 
two  ladies,  when  the  bishop  should 
take  his  leave,  to  put  the  queen  in 
mind  of  Dr.  Sands.  So  they  did, 
and  the  queen  said,  Winchester, 
what  think  you  of  Dr.  Sands,  is  he 
not  sufficiently  punished  ?  As  it 
please  your  majesty,  saith  Win- 
chester. That  he  spake  rera^in- 
bering  his  former  promise  to  Mt;. 
Holcroft,  that  he  would  not  be 
against  Dr.  Sands,  if  the  qupen 
should  like  to  discharge  hiin. 
Saith   the   queen,  Then,  truly,  we 


title  of  Sir  or  Mr.,  as  may  be  seen  in 
many  instances  in  this  worK^nd  others 
of  the  same  period. 


r 


744 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


woaM  ffKTl  he  xvere  set  at  libcit}-. 
Immediately  Mr.  Holcroft  oHered 
the  queen  the  warrant,  uho  sub- 
scribed the  same,  and  called  Win- 
chester to  put  to  his  hand,  and  so 
he  did.  The  warrant  was  given  to 
the  knight  marshal  again,  sir  Tho- 
mas Holcroft.  As  the  bishop  went 
forth  of  the  privy  chamber  door, 
he  called  Mr.  Holcroft  to  him,  com- 
manding him  not  to  set  Dr.  Sands 
at  liberty,  until  he  had  taken 
sureties  of  two  gentlemen  of  this 
country  with  him,  each  one  bound 
in  ^.'SOO,  that  Dr.  Sands  should  not 
depart  out  of  the  realm  without 
licence.  Mr.  Holcroft  immediately 
after  met  with  two  gentlemen  of  the 
North,  friends  and  cousins  to  Dr. 
Sands,  who  ottered  to  be  bound  in 
body,  goods,  and  lands  for  him. 
After  dinner,  the  same  day,  Mr. 
Holcroft  sent  for  Dr.  Sands  to  iiis 
lodging  at  Westminster,  requiring 
the  keeper  to  accompany  him. 
He  came  accordingly,  finding  Mr. 
Holcroft  alone  walking  in  the  gar- 
den. Mr.  Holcroft  imparted  his 
Jong  suit,  with  the  whole  proceed- 
ing, and  what  effect  it  had  taken, 
to  Dr.  Sands  ;  much  rejoicing  that 
it  was  Ills  good  hap  to  do  him 
good,  and  to  procure  his  liberty, 
and  that  nothing  remained,  but 
that  he  would  enter  into  bonds 
with  his  two  sureties,  for  not  de- 
parting out  of  the  realm.  Dr. 
Sands  answered,  I  give  God  thanks, 
who  hath  moved  your  hearts  to 
mind  me  so  well,  and  I  think  mj- 
self  most  bound  unto  you.  God 
shall  requite,  and  I  shall  never  be 
found  unthankful.  But  as  you 
have  dealt  friendly  with  me,  I 
will  also  deal  plainly  with  you.  I 
came  a  freeman  into  prison  ;  I  will 
not  go  forth  a  bondman.  As  I 
cannot  benefit  my  friends,  so 
will  I  not  hurt  them.  And  if  I 
be  set  at  liberty,  I  will  not  tarry 
six  days  in  this  realm,  if  I  may 
get  out.  If  therefore  I  may  not 
get  free  forth,  send  me  to  the  Mar- 
shalsea  again,  and  there  you  shall 
be  sure  of  me. 

This  answer  Mr.  Holcroft  much 
misliked:  he  told  Dr.  Sands  that 
the  time  would  not  long  continue, 


a  change  would  shortly  oonic,  thf! 
state  was  but  a  cloud,  and  would 
soon  shake  away.  And  that  his 
cousin  sir  Edward  Bray  would 
gladly  receive  him  and  his  wife 
into  his  house,  where  he  should 
never  need  to  go  to  church,  and 
the  lady  Bray  was  a  zealous  gen- 
tlewoman, who  hated  popery. 
Adding,  that  he  would  not  so  deal 
with  him  to  loose  all  his  labour. 
When  Dr.  Sands  could  not  be  re- 
moved from  his  former  saying,  Mr. 
Holcroft  said.  Seeing  you  cannot 
be  altered,  I  will  change  my  pur- 
pose and  yield  unto  you.  Come  of 
it  what  will,  I  will  set  you  at  li- 
berty :  and  seeing  you  have  a  mind 
to  go  over  sea,  get  you  gone  as 
quick  as  you  can.  One  thing  I  re- 
quire of  you,  that  while  you  are 
there,  you  write  nothing  to  me 
hither,  for  so  you  may  undo  me. 
He  friendly  kissed  Dr.  Sands, 
bade  him  farewell,  and  commanded 
the  keeper  to  take  no  fees  of  him, 
saying,  Let  me  answer  Winchester 
as  I  may.  Dr.  Sands  returning 
with  the  keeper  to  the  Marshalsea, 
tarried  all  night,  and  on  the  mor- 
row he  gave  a  dinner  to  all  the 
prisoners,  to  which  he  invited  his 
bed-fellow,  and  sworn  stake-fellow, 
if  it  had  so  pleased  God.  When 
he  took  his  leave,  he  said,  Mr. 
Sanders,  farewell,  with  many  tears 
and  kisses,  the  one  falling  on  the 
other's  neck,  and  so  departed, 
clearly  delivered  without  examina- 
tion or  bond.  From  thence  he 
went  to  the  King's-Bench,  and  there 
talked  with  Mr.  Bradford,  and  Dr. 
Farrar,  bishop  of  St.  David's,  then 
prisoners.  Then  he  comforted 
them,  and  they  praised  God  for  his 
happy  deliverance.  He  went  by 
Winchester's  house,  and  there  took 
boat,  and  came  to  a  friend's  house 
in  London,  called  William  Banks, 
and  tarried  there  one  night.  The 
next  night  he  shifted  to  another 
friend's  house,  and  there  he  heard 
that  search  was  made  for  him. 

Dr.  Watson  and  Mr.  Christopher- 
son  coming  to  the  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, told  him,  that  he  had  set 
the  greatest  heretic  in  England  at 
liberty,  and  one  that  had    of   all 


DR.  SANDS. 


74£r 


others  most  corrupted  tiie  Hiiiver- 
sity  of  Cambridge,  namely,  Dr. 
Nands.  Whereupon  tlie  bishop, 
being  chancellor  of  England,  sent 
for  all  the  constables  of  London, 
commanding  them  to  watch  for 
Dr.  SSands,  who  was  then  within 
the  city,  and  to  apprehend  him, 
and  whosoever  of  them  should  take 
him  and  bring  him  to  him,  he 
should  have  (ive  pounds  for  his  la- 
bour. Dr.  Sands  suspecting  the 
matter,  conveyed  himself  by  night 
to  one  Mr.  lierty's  house,  a  stran- 
ger who  was  in  the  Marshalsea 
prisoner  with  him  awhile  ;  he  was 
a  good  protestant,  and  dwelt  in 
Mark-lane.  There  he  was  six 
days,  and  had  one  or  two  of  his 
friends  that  repaired  to  him.  Then 
he  removed  to  one  of  his  acquaint- 
ance in  Cornhill ;  he  caused  his 
man  Quinting  to  provide  two  geld- 
ings for  him,  minding  on  the  mor- 
row to  ride  into  Essex  to  his  father- 
in- J  aw,  where  his  wife  was. 

At  going  to  bed  he  found  that  a 
pair  of  hose  which  he  had  newly 
bought  were  too  long  for  him :  he 
desired  the  good  woman  of  the 
house  to  send  for  somebody  that 
could  cut  them  two  inches  shorter. 
The  wife  required  the  boy  of  the 
house  to  carry  them  to  the  next 
tailor  ;  which  he  accordingly  did : 
and  he  chanced  (or  rather  God  so 
provided)  to  go  to  the  very  person 
that  first  made  them,  whose  name 
was  Benjamin,  a  good  protestant 
in  Birchin-lane  ;  and  the  boy  de- 
sired him  to  cut  the  hose.  Saidhe, 
I  am  not  thy  master's  tailor.  Said 
the  boy,  Because  you  are  our  next 
neighbour,  and  my  master's  tailor 
dwelleth  afar  off,  I  came  to  you, 
being  late  in  the  night,  for  he  must 
put  them  on  betimes  in  the  morn- 
ing. Benjamin  took  the  hose,  and 
looking  upon  them,  knew  his 
handiwork,  and  said,  These  are 
not  thy  master's  hose,  they  belong 
to  Dr.  Sands,  I  made  them  for  him 
in  the  'Tower.  The  boy  confessed 
it  to  be  so.  Said  he.  Go  to  thy 
mistress,  pray  her  to  sit  till  twelve 
o'clock,  and  then  I  will  bring  the 
hose  aad  speak  with  the  doctor  for 
bis  good. 

At  midnight   the  good   wife    of 


the  house  and  Benjamin  came  to 
Dr.  Sands's  chamber:  the  good 
woman  desired  him  not  to  be  sur- 
prised at  their  coming.  He  an- 
swered, Nothing  can  be  amiss ; 
what  God  will,  that  shall  be  done. 
Then  Benjamin  told  him  that  he 
was  the  man  that  made  his  hose, 
and  by  good  chance  they  now 
came  to  his  hands.  God  used  the 
means,  he  might  admonish  him  of 
his  danger,  and  advised  him  how 
to  escape  it,  telling  him,  that  all 
the  constables  of  London,  whereof 
he  was  one,  watched  for  him,  and 
some  were  so  greedily  set,  that 
they  prayed  him,  if  he  took  him, 
to  let  them  have  the  carriage  of 
him  to  the  bishop  of  Winchester, 
and  he  should  have  the  five  pounds. 
It  is  well  known  (quoth  Benjamin) 
that  your  man  hath  provided  two 
geldings,  and  thatyou  intend  to  ride 
out  at  Aldgate  to-morrow  morning, 
and  there  then  you  are  sure  to  be 
taken.  Follow  mine  advice,  and 
by  God's  grace  you  shall  escape 
their  hands.  Let  your  man  walk 
all  the  day  to-morrow  in  the  street 
where  your  horses  stand,  booted 
and  ready  to  ride.  The  good 
man's  servant  of  the  house  shall 
take  the  horses,  and  carry  them  to 
Bethnal-green.  The  good  man 
shall  be  booted,  and  follow  after, 
as  if  he  would  ride.  I  will  be  here 
with  you  to-morrow  about  eight 
o'clock,  it  is  both  term  and  parlia- 
ment time,  here  we  will  break  our 
fast,  and  when  the  streets  are  full, 
we  well  go  forth.  Look  wildly 
if  you  meet  your  brother  in  the 
streets,  shun  him  not,  but  outface 
him,  and  know  him  not.  Accord- 
ingly Dr.  Sands  did,  clothed  like 
a  gentleman  in  all  respects,  and 
looked  wildly,  as  one  that  had 
been  long  kept  in  prison  out  of  the 
light.  Benjamin  carried  him 
through  Birchin-lane,  and  from 
one  lane  to  another  till  he  came  to 
Moregate.  There  they  M'ent  forth 
until  they  came  to  Bethnal-green, 
where  the  horses  were  ready,  and 
Mr.  Hurlestone  to  ride  with  him  as 
his  man.  Dr.  Sands  pulled  on  his 
boots,  and  taking  leave  of  bis 
friend  Benjamin,  with  tears  they 
kissed  each  other :  be  put  his  band 


n6 


BOOK  OF  MAUTYRS. 


in  his  purse,  and  wouM  have  given 
Benjamin  a  fi^reat  part  of  that  little 
he  had,  but  Benjamin  would  take 
none.  Yet  since  that,  Dr.  Sands 
rememhercd  him  thankfully.  He 
rode  that  night  to  his  father-in-law 
Mr.  Sands,  where  his  wife  was  : 
he  had  net  been  there  two  hours, 
but  it  was  told  Mr.  Sands,  that 
there  were  two  of  the  guard  which 
would  that  night  apprehend  Dr. 
Sands,  and  so  they  were  ap- 
pointed. 

That  night  Dr.  Sands  Avas  guided 
to  an  honest  farmer  near  the  sea, 
where  he  tarried  two  days  and 
two  nights  in  a  chamber  without 
company.  After  that  he  shifted  to 
one  James  Mower,  a  shipmaster, 
who  dwelt  at  Milton-Shore,  where 
he  expected  wind  for  the  English 
Heet  read}'  into  Flanders.  While 
he  was  there,  James  Mower 
brought  to  him  forty  or  fifty  ma- 
riners, to  whom  he  gave  an  exhort- 
ation ;  they  liked  him  so  well, 
that  they  promised  to  die  for  it, 
before  that  he  should  be  appre- 
liendcd. 

The  sixth  of  May,  being  Sun- 
day, the  wind  served.  He  took 
his  leave  of  his  host  and  hostess, 
and  went  towards  the  ship. 

At  the  shore  Dr.  Sands  met  with 
Mr.  Isaac,  of  Kent,  who  had  his 
eldest  son  there,  who,  upon  the 
liking  he  had  to  Dr.  Sands,  sent 
his  son  with  him,  who  afterwards 
died  in  his  father's  house  in  Frank- 
fort. Dr.  Sands  and  Dr.  Coxe 
were  both  in  one  ship,  being  one 
Cockrel's  ship,  and  were  within 
the  kenning,  when  two  of  the  guard 
came  thither  to  apprehend  Dr. 
Sands.  They  arrived  at  Antwerp, 
being  bid  to  dinner  by  Mr.  Locke. 
And  at  dinner  time  one  George 
Gilpin,  being  secretary  to  the 
English  house,  and  kinsman  to 
Dr.  Sands,  came  to  him,  and 
whispered  him  in  his  ear,  and  said. 
King  Philip  hath  sent  to  make 
search  for  you,  and  to  apprehend 
you.  Hereupon  they  rose  from 
their  dinner  in  great  haste,  and 
went  out  of  the  gate  leading  to- 
ward Cleveland.  They  found  a 
waggon,  and  hasted  away,  and 
came  safe  to  Augsburg,  in  Cleve- 


land, where  Dr.  S&nds  tarried  fo'tlf-' 
teen  days,  and  then  travelled  to- 
wards Strasburgh,  where,  after  he 
had  lived  one  year,  his  wife  came 
to  him.  He  fell  sick  of  a  flux* 
which  kept  him  nine  months,  and 
brought  him  to  death's  door.  He  had 
a  child  which  died  of  the  plague. 
His  wife  at  length  fell  into  a  con- 
sumption, and  died  in  his  arms  ; 
no  man  had  a  more  godly  woman 
to  his  wife. 

After  this,  Mr.  Sampson  went 
away  to  Emanuel,  a  man  skilful  in 
Hebrew.  Mr.  Grindall  went  into 
the  country  to  learn  the  Dutch 
tongue.  Dr.  Sands  still  remained 
in  Strasburgh,  whose  support  was 
chiefly  from  one  Mr.  Isaac,  who 
loved  him  most  dearly,  and  was 
ever  more  ready  to  give  than  to 
receive.  He  gave  him  in  that 
space  above  an  hundred  marks, 
which  sum  the  said  Dr.  Sands  paid 
him  again,  and-  by  his  other  gifts 
and  friendship  shewed  himself  to 
be  a  thankful  man.  When  his 
wife  was  dead,  he  went  to  Zurich, 
and  there  was  in  Peter  Martyr's 
house  for  the  space  of  five  w  eeks. 
Being  there,  as  they  sat  at  dinner, 
word  suddenly  came  that  queen 
Mary  was  dead,  and  Dr.  Sands  was 
sent  for  by  his  friends  at  Stras- 
burgh. That  news  made  Mr.  Mar- 
tyr and  Mr.  Jarret  then  there 
very  joyful;  but  Dr.  Sands  could 
not  rejoice,  it  smote  into  his  heart 
that  he  should  be  called  to  mi- 
sery. 

3Ir.  Bullinger  and  the  ministers 
feasted  him,  and  he  took  his  leave 
and  returned  to  Strasburgh,  where 
he  preached;  and  so  Mr.  Grindall 
and  he  came  over  to  England, 
and  arrived  in  London  the  same 
day  that  queen  Elizabeth  was 
crowned, 

MIRAGULOUS  PRESKRVyVTION  OF  THE 
LADY  ELIZABETH  FROM  EXTREME 
CALAMITY  AND  DANGER  IN  THE 
TIME  OF  QUEEN  MARY,  HER 
SISTER. 

When  all  hath  been  said  and 
told,  whatsoever  can  be  recited 
touching  the  admirable  working  of 
God's  present  band  in  defending 
and  delivering  any  one  person  out 


PIUNCESS  ELIZABETH. 


>I7 


.r»f  iluaWom,  never  was  there,  since 
the  memory  of  our  fathers,  any 
example  to  be  shewed,  wherein 
the  Lord's  mighty  power  hath  more 
admirably  shewed  itself,  to  the 
j^^lory  of  his  own  name,  to  the  com- 
fort of  all  g;ood  hearts,  and  to  the 
public  felicity  of  this  whole  realm, 
than  in  the  miraculous  escape  oji' 
the  lady  Elizabeth  in  the  time  of 
queen  Mary,  her  sister. 

In  which  story  we  first  have  to 
consider  in  what  extreme  misery, 
sickness,  fear,  and  peril  her  hij^h- 
ness  was;  into  what  care,  what 
trouble  of  mind,  and  what  danger 
of  death,  she  was  brought:  first, 
with  great  bands  of  armed  men 
(and  happy  was  he  that  might  have 
the  carrying  of  her),  being  fetched 
up  as  the  greatest  traitor  in  the 
world,  clapped  into  the  Tower, 
and  again  tossed  from  thence,  and 
from  house  to  house,  from  prison 
to  prison,  from  post  to  pillar,  at 
length  also  prisoner  in  her  own 
house,  and  guarded  with  a  set  of 
cut-throats,  who  ever  gaped  for 
the  spoil  whereby,  they  might  be 
lingering  of  some  vhat. 

Secondly,  we  have  to  consider 
again,  all  this  notwithstanding, 
how  strangely,  or  rather  miracu- 
lously, she  was  delivered  from 
danger,  what  favour  and  grace 
she  found  with  the  Almighty, 
who,  when  all  the  help  of  man 
and  hope  of  recovery  was  past, 
stretched  out  his  mighty  protection, 
and  preserved  her  highness,  and 
placed  her  in  her  princely  seat  of 
rest  and  quietness. 

In  which  story,  if  I  should  set 
forth  at  large  all  the  particulars 
and  circumstances  thereunto  be- 
longing, and  as  just  occasion  of 
the  history  requireth,  beside  the 
important  length  of  tlie  story  dis- 
coursed, peradventure  it  might 
move  otlence  to  some,  and  truth 
might  get  me  hatred.  Yet  not- 
witlistanding  I  intend  (by  the  grace 
of  Christ)  therein  to  use  such  bre- 
vity and  moderation,  as  both  may 
be  to  the  glory  of  God,  the  dis- 
charge of  the  story,  the  profit  to 
the  reader,  and  hurt  to  none,  sup- 
pressing the  names  of  some,  whom 


here  although  I  cotild  re^-ilc,  yet 
1  thought  not  to  be  more  cruel  in 
hurting  their  names,  than  the  queen 
has  been  merciful  in  pardoning 
their  lives. 

Therefore,  now  to  enter  into  the 
discourse   of  this  tragical   matter, 
first  here  is  to  be  noted,  that  (lueon 
Mary,  when    she    was  first  queen, 
before  she  was  crowned,  would  gc) 
no  whither,  but  would  have  her  by 
the  hand,  and  send  for  her  to  din- 
ner and  supper  ;  but  after  she  was 
crowned,  she  never  dined  nor  sup- 
ped with  her,  but  kept  her   apart 
from  her,  &c.     After  this  it  hap- 
pened, immediately  upon  the  rising 
of  sir  Thomas  Wyat,  that  the  lady 
Elizabeth  and  lord  Courtney  were 
charged  with  false  suspicion  of  sir 
Thomas    Wyat's    rising.     Where- 
upon   queen    Mary,    whether    for 
that    surmise,    or  for   what   other 
cause  I   know  not,  being  ofl'ended 
with  the  said  lady  Elizabeth,  her 
sister,    at  that  time    lying    in   her 
house  at  Ashbridge,  the  next  day 
after  the  rising  of  Wyat,  sent  to 
her  three  of  her  counsellors,  to  wit, 
sir  Richard  Southwell,  sir  Edward 
Hastings,  then  master  of  the  horse, 
and  sir  Thomas  Cornwallis,   with 
their  retinue  and  troop   of  horse- 
men,   to  the   number  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  who,  at  their  sudden 
and  unprovided  coming,  found  her 
at  the  same  time  sick  in  her  bed, 
and  very  feeble  and  weak  of  body. 
Whither  when  they  came,  ascend- 
ing up  to    her    grace's    chamber, 
they    desired    one    of  her    ladies, 
whom  they  met,  to  declare  to  her 
grace,  that  there  were  divers  come 
from  the  court  who  had  a  message 
from  the  queen. 

Her  grace  having  knowledge 
thereof,  was  right  glad  of  their 
coming  ;  however,  being  then  very 
sick,  and  the  night  far  spent 
(which  was  at  ten  o'clock),  she  re- 
quested them  by  the  messenger, 
that  thej'  would  resort  thither  in 
the  morning.  To  this  they  an- 
swered, that  they  must  needs  see 
her,  and  would  so  do,  in  what  case 
soever  she  were.  Whereat  the 
lady  being  surprised,  went  to  shew 
her   grace  their  words,    but    they 


748 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


hastily  following  her,  came  rushing 
as  soon  as  she  into  her  grace's 
chamber  unbidden. 

At  whose  sudden  coming  into 
her  bed-chamber,  her  grace,  being 
greatly  amazed,  said  unto  them. 
Is  the  haste  such  that  it  might  not 
ha\e  pleased  you  to  come  to-mor- 
row in  the  morning? 

They  made  answer,  that  they 
were  right  sorry  to  see  her  in  that 
case ;  and  I  (said  she)  am  not  glad 
to  see  you  here  at  this  time  of  the 
night.  Whereupon  they  answered, 
that  they  came  from  the  queen  to 
do  their  message  and  duty,  which 
was  to  this  effect,  that  the  queen's 
pleasure  was,  that  she  should  be  at 
London  the  seventh  day  of  that 
present  month.  Whereunto  she 
said.  Certainly  no  creature  can  be 
more  glad  than  I  to  come  to  her 
majesty,  being  right  sorry  that  I 
am  not  in  case  at  this  time  to  wait 
on  her,  as  you  yourselves  do  see, 
and  can  well  testify. 

Indeed  we  see  it  true,  said  they, 
that  you  do  say;  for  which  we  are 
very  sorry,  although  we  let  you 
to  understand,  that  our  commis- 
sion is  such,  and  so  straiteneth 
us,  that  we  must  needs  bring  you 
with  us,  either  alive  or  dead. 
Whereat  she  being  amazed,  sor- 
rowfully said,  that  their  commis- 
sion was  very  sore  :  but  yet  not- 
withstanding she  hoped  it  would 
be  otherwise,  and  not  so  strait. 
Yes,  verily,  said  they.  Where- 
upon they  calling  for  two  physi- 
cians, Dr.  Owen  and  Dr.  Wendy, 
demanded  of  them  whether  she 
might  be  removed  from  thence 
with  life,  or  no  ?  Whose  answer 
and  judgment  was,  that  there  was 
no  impediment  in  their  opinion 
to  the  contrary,  but  that  she 
might  travel  without  danger  of 
life. 

In  conclusion,  they  desired  her 
to  prepare  against  the  next  morn- 
ing, at  nine  o'clock,to  go  with  them, 
declaring  that  they  had  brought 
with  them  the  queen's  litter  for 
her.  After  much  talk,  the  messen- 
gers declaring  how  there  was  no 
prolonging  of  times  and  days,  de- 
parted to  their  chamber. 


The  next  morning,  at  the  time 
prescribed,  they  had  her  forth  as 
she  was,  very  faint  and  feeble, 
and  in  such  case  that  she  was 
ready  to  swoon  three  or  four  times 
between  them. 

Now  to  proceed  in  her  journey 
from  Ashbridge.  Sick  in  the  litter, 
she  came  to  Redborne,  where  she 
was  guarded  all  night  ;  from 
thence  to  St.  Alban's,  to  sir  Ralph 
Rowlet's  house,  where  she  tarried 
that  night,  both  feeble  in  body, 
and  comfortless  in  mind.  From 
thence  they  passed  to  Mr.  Dod's 
house  at  Mims,  where  they  also 
remained  that  night ;  and  so  from 
thence  she  came  to  Highgate,  where 
she  being  very  sick,  tarried  that 
night  and  the  next  day.  During 
which  time  of  her  abode,there  came 
many  pursuivants  and  messengers 
from  the  court,  but  for  what  pur- 
pose I  cannot  tell. 

From  that  place  she  was  con- 
veyed to  the  court,  where  by  the 
way  came  to  meet  her  many  gen- 
tlemen to  accompany  her  high- 
ness, who  were  very  sorry  to  see 
her  in  that  situation.  But  espe- 
cially a  great  multitude  of  people 
were  standing  by  the  way,  who 
then  flocked  about  her  litter,  la- 
menting and  bewailing  greatly  her 
estate.  Now  when  she  came  to 
the  court,  her  grace  was  there  shut 
up,  and  kept  a  close  prisoner,  a 
fortnight,  which  -was  till  Palm- 
Sunday,  seeing  neither  king  nor 
queen,  nor  lord,  nor  friend,  all 
that  time,  but  only  the  then  lord 
chamberlain,  sir  John  Gage,  and 
the  vice-chamberlain,  which  were 
attendant  unto  the  doors.  About 
which  time  sir  William  Sentlowe 
was  called  before  the  council.  To 
whose  charge  was  laid,  that  he 
knew  of  Wyat's  rebellion,  which 
he  stoutly  denied,  protesting  that 
that  he  was  a  true  man  both  to  God 
and  his  prince,  defying  all  traitors 
and  rebels  ;  but  being  straitly  ex- 
amined, he  was  in  conclusion  com- 
mitted to  the  Tower. 

The  Friday  before  Palm-Sun- 
day, the  bishop  of  Winchester, 
with  nineteen  others  of  the  coun- 
cil (who  shall  be  here  nameless). 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


74» 


came  unto  her  grace  from  the 
queen's  majesty,  and  burdened  her 
with  Wyat's  conspiracy ;  which 
she  utterly  denied,  ailirming  that 
she  was  altogether  guiltless  there- 
in. They  being  not  contented 
with  this,  charged  her  grace  with 
business  made  by  sir  Peter  Carew, 
and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  of 
the  west  country:  which  also  she 
utterly  denying,  clearing  her  inno- 
cency  therein. 

In  conclusion,  after  long  debat- 
ing of  matters,  they  declared  unto 
her,  that  it  was  the  queen's  will 
and  pleasure  that  she  should  go 
unto  the  Tower,  while  the  matter 
were  further  tried  and  examined. 

Whereat  she  being  amazed, 
said  that  she  trusted  the  queen's 
majesty  would  be  a  more  gracious 
lady  unto  her,  and  that  her  high- 
ness would  not  otherwise  conceive 
of  her  but  that  she  was  a  true  wo- 
man ;  declaring  furthermore  to  the 
lords,  that  she  was  innocent  in  all 
those  matters  wherein  they  had 
burdened  lier,  and  desired  them 
therefore  to  be  a  further  means  to 
the  queen  her  sister,  that  she 
being  a  true  woman  in  thought, 
word,  and  deed,  towards  her  ma- 
jesty, might  not  be  committed  to 
so  notorious  and  doleful  a  place; 
protesting  that  she  should  request 
no  favour  at  her  hand,  if  she 
should  be  proved  to  have  con- 
sented unto  any  such  kind  of  mat- 
ter as  they  laid  unto  her  charge, 
and  therefore,  in  fine,  desired  their 
lordships  to  think  of  her  what  she 
was,  and  that  she  might  not  so 
extremely  be  dealt  withal  for  her 
truth. 

Whereunto  the  lords  answered 
again,  that  there  was  no  remedy, 
for  that  the  queen's  majesty  was 
fully  determined  that  she  should 
go  unto  the  Tower.  Wherewith 
the  lords  departed,  with  their  caps 
hanging  over  their  eyes.  But  not 
long  after,  within  the  space  of  an 
hour,  or  little  more,  came  four  of 
the  aforesaid  lords  of  the  council, 
which  were  the  lord  treasurer,  the 
bishop  of  Winchester,  the  lord 
steward,  the  earl  of  Sussex,  with 
the  guard ;  who  warding  the  next 


chamber  to  her,  secluded  all  her 
gentlemen  and  yeomen,  ladies  and 
gentlewomen ;  except  that  for  one 
gentleman  usher,  three  gentlewo- 
men, and  two  grooms  of  her  cham- 
ber, were  appointed  in  their 
rooms  three  other  men  of  the 
queen's,  and  three  waiting  women, 
to  give  attendance  likewise  upon 
her,  that  none  should  have  access 
to  her  grace. 

At  which  time  there  was  an 
hundred  northern  soldiers  in  white 
coats,  watching  and  warding  about 
the  gardens  all  that  night,  and  a 
great  fire  being  made  in  the  midst 
of  the  hall,  two  certain  lords  were 
watching  there  also  with  their  band 
and  company. 

Upon  Saturday  following,  two 
lords  of  the  council  (the  one  was 
the  earl  of  Sussex,  the  other  shall 
be  nameless)  came  and  certified 
her  grace,  that  she  must  go  forth- 
with unto  the  Tower,  the  barge 
being  prepared  for  her,  and  the 
tide  now  ready,  which  tarrieth  for 
nobody.  In  heavy  mood  her 
grace  requested  the  lords  that  she 
might  tarry  anotlier  tide,  trusting 
that  the  next  would  be  better  and 
more  comfortable.  But  one  of  the 
lords  replied,  that  neither  time  nor 
tide  was  to  be  delayed. 

And  when  her  grace  requested 
him  that  she  might  be  suffered  to 
write  to  the  queen's  majesty,  he 
answered,  that  he  durst  not  per- 
mit that:  adding,  that  in  his  judg- 
ment it  would  rather  hurt  than 
profit  her  grace  in  so  doing. 

But  the  other  lord,  more  cour- 
teous and  favourable,  (who  was 
the  earl  of  Sussex),  kneeling 
down,  told  her  grace,  that  she 
should  have  liberty  to  write,  and 
as  he  was  a  true  man,  he  would 
deliver  it  to  the  queen's  highness, 
and  bring  an  answer  of  the  same, 
whatsoever  came  thereof.  Where- 
upon she  wrote,  although  she 
could  in  no  case  be  suff'ered  to 
speak  with  the  queen,  to  her  great 
discomfort,  being  no  olfender 
against  the  queen's  majesty. 

And  thus  the  time  and  tide 
passed  away  for  that  season,  they 
privily  appointing  all  things  ready 


¥m 


BOOK  OF  MARtVRS. 


that  slie  Rhould  go  (he  next  tide, 
which  fell  about  midnight:  but  for 
fear  she  should  be  taken  by  the 
way.  they  durst  not.  So  they 
stayed  till  the  next  day,  being 
Palm-Sunday,  when  about  nine 
o'clock  these  two  returned  again, 
declaring  that  it  was  time  for  her 
grace  to  depart.  She  answered, 
if  there  be  no  remedy,  I  must  be 
contented,  willing  the  lords  to  go 
on  before.  Being  come  forth  into 
the  garden,  she  cast  her  eyes  to- 
wards the  window,  thinking  to  see 
the  queen,  which  she  could  not. 
Whereat  she  said,  she  marvelled 
much  what  the  nobility  of  the 
realm  meant,  which  in  that  sort 
would  suffer  her  to  be  led  into 
captivity,  the  Lord  knew  whither, 
for  she  did  not.  In  the  mean  time 
commandment  was  given  through- 
out London,  that  every  one  should 
keep  the  church,  and  carry  their 
palms,  while  in  the  mean  season 
she  might  be  conveyed  without 
any  concourse  of  people  to  the 
Tower. 

After  this,  she  took  her  barge, 
with  the  two  aforesaid  lords,  three 
of  the  queen's  gentlewomen,  and 
three  of  her  own,  her  gentleman 
usher  and  two  of  her  grooms  lying 
and  hovering  upon  the  water  a 
certain  space,  for  that  they  could 
not  shoot  the  bridge,  the  barge- 
men being  very  unwilling  to  shoot 
the  same  so  soon  as  they  did,  be- 
cause of  the  danger  thereof:  for 
the  stern  of  the  boat  struck  upon 
the  ground,  the  fall  was  so  great 
and  the  water  was  so  shallow,  that 
the  boat  being  under  the  bridge, 
there  stayed  again  awhile.  At 
landing,  she  first  stayed,  and  re- 
fused to  land  at  those  stairs,  where 
all  traitors  and  offenders  custom- 
ably  used  to  land;  neither  could 
she  well,  unless  she  should  go 
over  her  shoes.  The  lords  were 
gone  out  of  the  boat  before,  and 
asked  why  she  came  not.  One  of 
the  lords  went  back  again  to  her, 
and  brought  word  she  would  not 
oome. 

Then  said  one  of  the  lords, 
(who  shall  be  nameless),  that  she 
should  not  choose ;  and  because  it 


did  then  rain,  he  offered  to  her  h\r( 
cloak,  which  she,  putting  it  back 
with  her  hand  with  a  good  dash, 
refused.  So  she  coming  out,  hav- 
ing one  foot  upon  the  stairs,  said. 
Here  landeth  as  true  a  subject, 
being  prisoner,  as  ever  landed  at 
these  stairs:  and  before  thee,  O 
God,  I  speak  it,  having  no  other 
friends  but  thee  alone. 

To  whom  the  same  lord  an- 
swered again,  that  if  it  Mere  so,  it 
was  the  better  for  her.  At  her 
landing  there  was  a  great  multi- 
tude of  their  servants  and  warders 
standing  in  their  order.  What 
needed  all  this?  said  she.  It  is 
the  use,  said  some,  so  to  be  when 
any  prisoner  came  thither.  And  if 
it  be,  quoth  she,  for  my  cause,  I 
beseech  you  that  they  may  be  dis- 
missed. Whereat  the  poor  men 
kneeled  down,  and  with  one  voice 
desired  God  to  preserve  her  gi-ace. 

After  this,  passing  a  little  fur- 
ther, she  sat  down  upon  a  stone, 
and  there  rested  herself.  To 
whom  the  lieutenant  then  being 
said,  Madam,  you  were  best  to 
come  out  of  the  rain,  for  you  sit 
unwholsomely.  She  then  reply- 
ing, answered  again.  It  is  better 
sitting  here  than  in  a  worse  place ; 
for  God  knoweth,  I  know  not  whi- 
ther you  will  bring  me.  With 
that  her  gentleman  usher  wept; 
she  demanding  of  him  what  he 
meant  by  using  her  so  uncomfort- 
ably, seeing  she  took  him  to  be 
her  comfort,  and  not  to  dismay 
her,  especially  for  that  she  knew 
her  truth  to  be  such,  that  no  man 
should  have  cause  to  weep  for 
her.  But  forth  she  went  into  pri- 
son. 

The  doors  were  locked  and 
bolted  upon  her,  which  greatly 
discomforted  and  dismayed  her 
grace.  At  which  time  she  called 
to  her  gentlewoman  for  her  book, 
desiring  God  not  to  suffer  her  to 
build  her  foundation  upon  the 
sands,  but  upon  the  rock,  whereby 
all  blasts  of  blustering  -weather 
should  have  no  power  against  her. 
The  doors  being  thus  locked,  and 
she  close  shut  up,  the  lords  had 
great    conference    how     to    keep 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


-tst 


ward  ami  watch,  every  man  de- 
claring his  own  opinion  iu  that  be- 
half, agreeing  straitly  and  circum- 
spectly to  keep  her. 

Then  one  of  them,  which  was 
the  lord  of  Sussex,  swearing,  said. 
My  lords,  let  us  take  heed,  and  do 
no  more  than  our  commission  will 
bear  us  out  in,  whatsoever  shall 
happen  hereafter.  And  further, 
let  us  consider  that  she  was  the 
king  our  master's  daughter;  and 
therefore  let  us  use  such  dealing, 
that  we  may  answer  it  hereafter, 
if  it  shall  so  happen:  for  just  deal- 
ing (quoth  he)  is  always  answer- 
able; whereunto  the  other  lords 
agreed  that  it  was  well  said  of 
him,  and  thereupon  departed. 
Being  in  the  Tower,  within  two 
days  commandment  was,  that  she 
should  have  mass  within  her 
house.  One  Mr.  Young  was  then 
her  chaplain,  and  because  there 
were  none  of  her  men  so  well 
learned  to  help  the  priest  to  say 
mass,  the  mass  stayed  for  that 
day. 

It  would  make  a  pitiful  and 
strange  story  here  by  the  way  to 
recite  what  examination  and  rack- 
ings  of  poor  men  there  were  to 
find  out  the  knife  that  should  cut 
her  throat;  what  gaping  among 
my  lords  of  the  clergy  to  see  the 
day  wherein  they  might  wash  their 
goodly  white  rochets  in  her  inno- 
cent blood;  but  especially  the  bi- 
shop of  Winchester,  Stephen  Gar- 
diner, then  lord  chancellor,  who, 
within  five  days  after,  came  unto 
her,  with  divers  others  of  the 
council,  and  examined  her  of  the 
talk  that  was  at  Ashbridge,  be- 
tween her  and  sir  James  Acroft, 
concerning  her  removing  from 
thence  to  Dunnington  castle,  re- 
quiring her  to  declare  what  she 
meant  thereby. 

At  the  first,  she  being  so  sud- 
denly asked,  did  not  well  remem- 
ber any  such  house;  but  within  a 
while,  well  advising  herself,  she 
S5ti«>  Indeed  I  do  now  remember 
that  I  have  such  a  place,  but  I  ne- 
ver lay  in  it  in  all  my  life.  And 
as  for  any  that  hath  moved  me 
thereunto,  I  do  not  remember. 


Then  to  enforce  the  tnatter,  they 
brought  forth  sir  James  Acroft. 
The  bishop  of  Winchester  de- 
manded of  her  what  she  said  to 
that  man.  She  answered,  tliat  she 
had  little  to  say  to  him,  or  to  the 
rest  that  were  then  prisoners  in 
the  Tower:  but,  my  lords,  said 
she,  you  do  examine  every  mean 
prisoner  of  me,  wherein  methinks 
you  do  me  great  injury.  If  they 
have  done  evil,  and  oHended  the 
queen's  majesty,  let  them  answer 
to  it  accordingly.  I  beseech  you, 
my  lords,  join  not  me  in  this  sort 
with  any  of  these  offenders.  And 
as  concerning  my  going  unto  Dun- 
nington castle,  I  do  remember 
that  Mr.  Hobby  and  mine  officers, 
and  you,  sir  James  Acroft,  had 
such  talk;  but  what  is  that  to  the 
purpose,  my  lords,  but  that  I  may  i!;o 
to  mine  own  houses  at  all  times' 

The  lord  of  Arundel  kneeling 
down,  said.  Your  grace  saith 
true,  and  certainly  we  are  very 
sorry  that  we  have  troubled  you 
about  so  vain  matters.  She  then 
said.  My  lords,  you  do  sift  me  very 
narrowly:  but  well  I  am  assured, 
you  shall  not  do  more  to  me  than 
God  hath  appointed;  and  so  God 
forgive  you  all. 

At  their  departure,  sir  James 
Acroft  kneeled  down,  declaring  he 
was  sorry  to  see  the  day  in  which 
he  should  be  brought  as  a  witness 
against  her  grace.  But  I  assure 
your  grace,  said  he,  I  have  been 
marvellously  tossed  and  examined 
touching  your  highness,  which,  the 
Lord  knoweth,  is  very  strange  to 
me:  for  I  take  God  to  record,  be- 
fore all  your  honours,  I  do  not 
know  any  thing  of  that  crime  that 
you  have  laid  to  my  charge,  and 
will  thereupon  take  my  death,  if  I 
should  be  driven  to  so  strict  a 
trial. 

That  day,  or  thereabouts,  divers 
of  her  own  officers,  who  had  made 
provision  for  her  diet,  brought  the 
same  to  the  outer  gate  of  the 
Tower,  the  common  soldiers  re- 
ceiving it;  which  was  no  small 
grief  unto  the  gentlemen,  the  bring- 
ers  thereof.  Wherefore  they  de- 
sired to  speak  with  the  lord  cham- 


732 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


berlain,  who  was  then  constable  of 
the  Tower.  On  coming  into  his 
presence,  thej  declared  unto  his 
lordship,  that  they  were  much 
afraid  to  bring  her  grace's  diet, 
and  to  deliver  it  to  such  common 
and  desperate  persons  as  those 
who  received  it,  beseeching  his 
honour  to  consider  her  grace,  and 
to  give  such  order,  that  her  viands 
might  at  all  times  be  brought  in 
by  them,  who  had  been  appointed 
for  that  purpose.  Yea,  sirs,  said 
he,  who  appointed  you  this  office? 
They  answered,  her  grace's  coun- 
cil. Council!  said  he:  there  is 
none  of  them  which  hath  to  do 
either  in  that  case,  or  any  thing 
else  within  this  place ;  and  I  as- 
sure you,  for  that  she  is  a  pri- 
soner, she  shall  be  served  by  the 
lieutenant's  men,  as  other  the  pri- 
soners are.  One  of  the  gentlemen 
on  this  told  him,  that  they  trusted 
for  more  favour  from  his  hands, 
■considering  her  peiiiionage:  and 
added,  that  they  imagined  the 
•queen  and  her  council  would  be 
better  to  her  grace  than  so;  and 
shewed  themselves  to  be  offended 
at  the  ungracious  words  of  the  lord 
chamberlain  respecting  their  lady 
and  mistress. 

On  this  he  swore  by  God,  strik- 
ing himself  upon  the  breast,  that  if 
they  did  either  frown  or  shrug  at 
him,  he  would  set  them  where 
they  should  see  neither  sun  nor 
moon.  Thus  taking  their  leave, 
they  desired  God  to  bring  him  into 
a  better  mind  towards  her  grace, 
and  departed  from  him. 

Upon  which  occasion,  her 
grace's  officers  made  great  suit 
unto  the  queen's  council,  that 
some  proper  persons  might  be  ap- 
pointed to  bring  her  grace's  diet 
unto  her,  and  that  it  might  no 
more  be  delivered  by  the  common 
soldiers  of  the  Tower:  which 
being  reasonably  considered,  was 
by  them  permitted;  and  one  of 
her  gentlemen,  her  clerk  of  the 
kitchen,  and  her  two  purvey orSj 
were  appointed  to  bring  in  her 
provision  once  a  day :  the  warders, 
however,  continued  to  wait  upon 
tkem  on  these  occasions. 


The  lord  chamberlain  himself 
being  always  with  them,  circum- 
spectly and  narrowly  watched  and 
searched  what  they  brought,  and 
took  care  that  they  should  have  no 
talk  with  any  of  her  grace's  wait- 
ing servants,  and  so  guarded  them 
both  in  and  out.  At  the  said  suit 
of  her  officers,  were  sent,  by  the 
commandment  of  the  council,  to 
wait  upon  her  grace,  two  yeomen 
of  her  chamber,  one  of  her  robes, 
two  of  her  pantry  and  ewry,  one 
of  her  buttery,  another  of  her  cel- 
lar, two  of  her  kitchen,  and  one  of 
her  larder,  all  which  continued 
with  her  the  time  of  her  trouble. 

Here  the  constable,  being  at  the 
first   not   very   well    pleased    with 
the  coming  in  of  such  a  company 
against  his  will,  would  have  had 
his  men  still  to  have  served  with 
her  grace's  men;    which  her  ser- 
vants would  by  no  means  suffer, 
desiring  his  lordship   to  be    con- 
tented, for  that  orders  were  given, 
that     no    stranger     should     eome 
within  their  offices.     At  which  an- 
swer   being    sore    displeased,    he 
broke   out  into  these  threatening 
words,   Well,    I    will  handle   you 
well  enough!     Then  he  went  into 
the     kitchen,     and     there     would 
needs  have  his  meat  roasted  with 
her    grace's,    and   said,    that    his 
cook    should     come    thither     and 
dress  it.     To  that  her  grace's  cook 
answered, My  lord, I  will  never  suller 
any  stranger  to  come  about  her  diet, 
but  her  own  sworn  men,  as  long  as 
I  live.     He  said  they  should.     But 
the  cook  said,  his  lordship  should 
pardon  him  for  that  niatter.     Thus 
did  he  trouble  her  poor  servants 
grievously;    though   afterward   he 
Mas  otherwise  advised,  and  they 
were  more  courteously  used  at  his 
hands.     And  good  cause  why  ;  for 
he  had  good  cheer,  and  fared  of 
the  best,  and  her  grace  paid  well 
for  it.     Wherefore  he  used  himself 
afterward  more  reverently  toward 
her  grace. 

Having  been  a  whole  month 
there  in  close  prison,  and  being  on 
that  account  uneasy,  she  sent  for 
the  lord  chamberlain  and  tht*  lord 
Chandois  to  come  and  speak  with 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


753 


her.  \VIi<;n  tliey  were  conic,  slie 
requested  tlicm  tliat  slic  niio^Iit 
have  liberty  to  walk  in  some  place, 
for  tliat  she  felt  herself  not  well. 
To  which  they  answered,  that  they 
were  right  sorry  that  they  could 
not  satisfy  her  grace's  request,  for 
that  they  had  commandment  to  the 
contrary,  which  they  durst  not  in 
anywise  break.  She  then  desired  of 
them,  if  that  could  not  be  granted, 
that  she  might  but  walk  into  the 
queen's    lodging.       No,     nor    yet 


that,  they  answered,  could  by  any 
means  be  obtained  without  a  fur- 
ther suit  to  the  queen  and  her 
council.  Well,  said  she,  my 
lords,  if  the  matter  be  so  har<l  that 
they  must  be  sued  unto  for  so 
small  a  thing,  and  that  friendship 
be  so  strict,  God  comfort  me ; 
and  so  they  dei>;uled,  she  re- 
maining iti  her  old  dungeon  still, 
without  any  kind  of  comfort  but 
only  God. 


Tyrrell  bimiing  Roie  Allen's  hand,  ichilc  feichiiin;  drbtk  for  lier  sick  ^lolher 


The  next  day  lord  Chandois 
came  unto  her  grace,  declaring 
unto  her  that  he  had  applied  to 
the  council  for  further  liberty. 
Some  of  them  consented  there- 
unto, divers  others  dissented,  for 
that  there  were  so  many  prisoners 
in  the  Tower.  But,  ivi  conclusion, 
they  did  all  agree  that  her  grace 
might  walk  into  those  lodgings,  so 
that  he,  and  the  lord-chamberlain, 
and  three  of  the  queen's  gentlewo- 
men, did  accompany  her,  the  win- 

K)X'S  MAKTVHS. 


dows  being  shut,  and  she  not  suf- 
fered to  look  out  at  any  of  them: 
wherewith  she  contented  herself, 
and  gave  him  thanks  for  his  good- 
will in  that  behalf. 

Afterwards  there  was  liberty 
granted  to  her  grace  to  walk  in  a 
little  garden,  the  doors  and  gates 
being  shut  up,  M'hich  was  as  much 
discomfort  to  her,  as  the  walk  in 
the  garden  was  pleasant  and  ac- 
ceptable. At  which  times  of  her 
walking   there,    the    prisoners    on 

48 


7flf4 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


that  side  were  strictly  commanded 
not  to  .speak  or  look  out  of  the 
windows  into  the  garden,  till  her 
grace  was  gone  out  again,  having 
their  keepers  waiting  upon  them 
for  that  time.  Thus  her  grace 
wilh  this  small  liberty  contented 
herself  in  God,  to  whom  be  praise 
therefore. 

During  this  time,  there  used  a 
little  boy,  a  man's  child  in  the 
Tower,  to  resort  to  their  chambers, 
and  many  times  to  bring  her  grace 
flowers;  which  he  likewise  did  to 
the  other  prisoners  confined  there. 
Whereupon  some  evil  and  suspi- 
cious persons,  thinking  to  make 
something  out  of  this,  on  a  time 
called  the  child  unto  them,  pro- 
mising him  figs  and  apples,  and 
asking  him  when  he  had  been  with 
the  earl  of  Devonshire,  not  igno- 
rant of  the  child's  often  visiting 
him.  The  boy  answered,  that  he 
would  go  by  and  by  thither.  Fur- 
ther, they  demanded  of  him,  when 
he  was  with  the  lady  Elizabeth's 
grace.  He  answered,  every  day. 
Then  they  asked  him  what  the  lord 
of  Devonshire  sent  by  him  to  her 
grace.  The  child  said,  I  will  go 
know  what  he  will  give  to  carry  to 
her.  Such  was  the  discretion  of 
the  child,  though  only  four  years 
of  age.  This  same  is  a  crafty  boy, 
said  the  lord-chamberlain.  How 
say  you,  my  lord  Chandois?  I 
pray  you,  my  lord,  said  the  boy, 
give  me  the  figs  you  promised  me. 
No,  marry,  answered  he,  thou 
shalt  be  whipped  if  thou  come  any 
more  to  the  lady  Elizab*^th,  or  the 
lord  Courtney.  The  boy  an- 
swered, I  will  bring  my  lady  my 
mistress  more  flowers.  Where- 
upon the  child's  father  was  com- 
manded to  permit  the  boy  to  come 
no  more  up  into  their  chambers. 

The  next  day,  as  her  grace  was 
walking  in  the  garden,  the  child 
peeping  in  at  a  hole  in  hhe  door, 
called  unto  her,  Mistress,  I  can 
bring  you  no  more  flowers.  At 
which  she  smiled,  but  said  no- 
thing, understanding  thereby  what 
they  had  done.  Wherefore  the 
chamberlain  highly  rebuked  his 
father  afterwards,  and  commanded 


him  to  put  the  child  out  of  the 
house.  Alas,  poor  infant  !  said 
the  father.  It  is  a  crafty  knave, 
said  the  lord-chamberlain;  let  me 
see  him  here  no  more. 

The  fifth  day  of  May,  the  con- 
stable of  the  Tower  was  discharged 
from  his  office,  and  one  sir  Henry 
Benifield  placed  in  his  room,  a  man 
unknown  to  her  grace,  and  there- 
fore the  more  feared  ;  which  sud- 
den alteration  occasioned  her  no 
small  surprise.  He  brought  with 
him  an  hundred  soldiers  in  blue 
coats,  wherewith  she  was  mar- 
vellously discomforted,  and  de- 
manded of  such  as  were  about  her, 
whether  the  lady  Jane's  scaffold 
were  taken  away  or  not,  fearing, 
by  reason  of  their  coming,  lest  she 
should  have  played  her  part.  To 
whom  answer  was  made,  that  the 
scaffold  was  taken  away,  and  that 
she  need  not  be  apprehensive  of 
any  such  tyranny  ;  for  God  would 
not  suffer  any  such  treason  against 
her  person.  Wherewith  being  con- 
tented, but  not  altogether  satisfied, 
she  asked  what  sir  Henry  Beni- 
field was,  and  whether  he  was  of 
that  conscience,  or  no,  that  if  her 
murdering  were  secretly  committed 
to  his  charge  he  would  see  the  ex- 
ecution thereof. 

She  was  answered,  that  they 
were  ignorant  what  manner  of  man 
he  was.  However  they  persuaded 
her  that  God  would  not  suffer  such 
wickedness  to  proceed.  Well, 
quoth  she,  God  grant  it  be  so.  For 
thou,  O  God,  canst  mollify  all  such 
tyrannous  hearts,  and  disappoint 
all  such  cruel  purposes  ;  and  I 
beseech  thee  to  hear  me  thy  crea- 
ture, who  am  thy  servant,  and  at 
thy  commandment,  trusting  by  the 
grace  ever  so  to  remain. 

About  which  time  it  was  spread 
abroad,  that  her  grace  should  be 
carried  from  thence  by  this  new 
jolly  captain  and  his  soldiers ;  but 
whither  it  could  not  be  learned. 
Which  was  unto  her  a  great  grief, 
especially  for  that  such  a  company 
was  appointed  for  her  guard,  re- 
questing rather  to  continue  there 
still,  than  to  be  led  thence  by  such 
a  set  of   rascals.     At  last,   plain 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


755 


answei*  was  made  by  the  lord 
Cfaandois,  that  there  was  no  re- 
medy, but  from  thence  she  must 
needvS  depart  to  the  manor  of  Wood- 
stock, as  he  tliought.  Being  de- 
manded by  her,  for  what  cause  ? 
For  that,  quoth  he,  the  Tower  is 
like  further  to  be  furnished.  She 
being  desirous  to  know  what  he 
meant  thereby,  demanded  where- 
with. He  answered,  with  such 
matter  as  the  queen  and  council 
were  determined  in  that  behalf, 
whereof  he  had  no  knowledge  ;  and 
so  departed. 

In  conclusion,  on  Trinity  Sun- 
day, being  the  nineteenth  day  of 
May,  she  was  removed  from  the 
Tower,  the  lord  treasurer  being 
there  for  the  lading  of  her  carts, 
and  discharging  the  place  of  the 
same,  where  sir  Henry  Benifield 
(being  appointed  her  jailor)  receiv- 
ed her  with  a  company  of  rakehells 
lo  guard  her,  besides  the  lord  of 
Derby's  band,  waiting  in  the  coun- 
try about  for  the  moon-shine  in  the 
water.  Unto  whom  at  length  came 
my  lord  of  Tame,  joined  in  com- 
mission with  the  said  sir  Henry,  for 
the  safe  guiding  of  her  to  prison  ; 
and  they  together  conveyed  her 
grace  to  Woodstock,  as  hereafter 
followeth. 

The  first  day  they  conducted  her 
to  Richmond,  where  she  continued 
all  night,  being  deprived  of  her 
own  men,  which  were  lodged  in 
out-chambers,  and  sir  Henry  Beni- 
field's  soldiers  were  appointed  in 
their  rooms  to  give  attendance  on 
her  person.  Whereat  she  being 
marvellously  dismayed,  thinking 
verily  some  secret  mischief  to  be 
working  towards  her,  called  her 
gentleman  usher,  and  desired  him 
with  the  rest  of  his  company  to 
pray  for  her ;  for  this  night,  said 
she,  I  think  to  die.  Wherewith  he 
being  struck  to  the  heart,  said, 
God  forbid  that  any  such  wicked- 
ness should  be  intended  against 
your  grace.  So  comforting  her  as 
well  as  he  could,  at  last  he  burst 
out  into  tears,  and  went  from  her 
down  into  the  court,  where  were 
walking  the  lord  of  Tame,^  and  sir 
Henry  Benifield. 


Then  lie  coming  to  the  lord  of 
Tame  (who  had  proffered  him  much 
friendship)  desired  to  speak  a 
word  or  two  with  him.  Unto  whom 
he  familiarly  said,  ho  would  with 
all  his  heart.  Which  when  .sir 
Henry,  standing  by,  heard,  he 
asked  what  the  matter  was.  To 
whom  the  gentleman  usher  an- 
swered. No  great  matter,  sir,  but 
to  speak  with  my  lord  a  word  or 
two. 

Then  when  the  lord  of  Tame 
came  to  liim,  he  spake  on  this  wise. 
My  lord,  quoth  he,  you  have  been 
always  my  good  lord,  and  so  I  be- 
seech you  to  remain.  The  cause 
why  I  come  to  you  at  this  time,  is 
to  desire  your  honour  unfeignedly 
to  declare  unto  me  whether  any 
danger  is  meant  towards  my  mis- 
tress this  night,  or  not,  that  I  and 
my  poor  fellows  may  take  such 
part  as  shall  please  God  to  ap- 
point :  for  certainly  we  will  rather 
die,  than  she  should  secretly  and 
innocently  miscarry.  Marry,  said 
the  lord  of  Tame,  God  forbid  that 
any  such  wicked  purpose  should 
be  wrought ;  and  rather  than  it 
should  be  so,  I  with  my  men  are 
ready  to  die  at  her  feet  also :  and 
so  (praised  be  God)  they  passed 
that  doleful  night,  with  uo  little 
heaviness  of  heart. 

Afterwards  passing  over  the 
water  at  Richmond,  going  towards 
Windsor,  her  grace  espied  certain 
of  her  poor  servants  standing  On 
the  other  side,  which  were  very 
desirous  to  see  her.  Whom  whei* 
she  beheld,  turning  to  one  of  her 
men  standing  by,  she  said,  Yonder 
I  see  certain  of  my  men :  go  to 
them  and  say  these  words  from  me, 
Tanquam  ovis,  that  is,  Like  a  sheep 
to  the  slaughter. 

So  she  passing  forward  to  Wind- 
sor, lodged  that  night  in  the  dean 
of  Windsor's  house,  a  place  more 
meet  for  a  priest  than  a  princess. 

And  from  thence  her  grace  was 
guarded  and  brought  the  next 
night  to  Mr.  Dormer's  house, 
where  much  people  standing  by 
the  way,  some  presented  to  her 
one  gift,  and  some  another,  so  that 
sir    Henry    was     greatly     moved 


756 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


therewitli,  ami  troubled  tlie  poor 
people  very  sore,  for  shewino-  their 
loving  hearts  in  such  a  manner, 
calling  them  rebels  and  traitors, 
with  such  like  vile  words- 

Besides,  as  she  passed  through 
the  villages,  the  townsmen  rang 
the  bells,  as  being  joyful  of  her 
coming,  thinking  indeed  that  it 
had  been  otherwise  than  it  was, 
as  the  sequel  proved  after  to  the 
said  poor  men.  For  immediately 
the  said  sir  Henry  hearing  the 
same,  sent  his  soldiers  thither, 
who  apprehended  some  of  the 
ringers,  setting  them  in  the  stocks, 
and  otherwise  uncourteously  mis- 
using some  others  for  their  good 
wills. 

On  the  morrow,  her  grace  pass- 
ing from  Mr.  Dormer's  (where  was 
for  the  time  of  her  abode  there  a 
strict  watch  kept),  came  to  my  lord 
of  Tfime's  house,  where  she  lay  all 
night,  being  very  princely  enter- 
tained both  by  knights  and  ladies, 
gentlemen  and  gentlewomen. 
Whereat  sir  Henry  Benifield 
grumbled,  and  was  highly  ofl'ended, 
saying  unto  them,  that  they  could 
not  tell  what  they  did,  and  were 
not  able  to  answer  their  doings  in 
that  behalf,  letting  them  to  under- 
stand, that  she  was  the  queen's 
prisoner,  and  no  otherwise  ;  ad- 
vising them  therefore  to  take  heed 
and  beware  of  after-claps.  Where- 
unto  the  lord  of  Tame  answered  in 
this  wise  ;  That  he  was  well  ad- 
vised of  his  doings,  being  joined  in 
commission  as  well  as  he,  adding 
with  warrant,  that  her  grace  might 
and  should,  while  in  his  house,  be 
merry. 

The  next  day,  as  she  should  take 
her  journey  from  Richmond  to- 
wards Woodstock,  the  lord  of 
Tame  with  another  gentleman  be- 
in^  at  tables,  playing  and  dropping 
v\e  crowns,  the  lady  Elizabeth 
passing  by,  stayed,  and  said  she 
would  see  the  game  played  out, 
which  sir  Henry  Benifield  would 
scarce  permit.  The  game  running 
long  about,  and  they  playing  drop 
vie  crowns,  Come  on,  saith  he ;  I 
will  tarry,  saith  she,  and  will  see 
this  game  out. 


After  tliis,  sir.  Henry  Benifield 
went  up  into  a  chamber,  where 
was  appointed  for  her  grace  a 
chair,  two  cushions,  and  a  foot 
carpet,  very  fair  and  prince  like, 
wherein  presumptuously  he  sat, 
and  called  one  Barwick,  his  man, 
to  pull  off  his  boots.  Which  as 
soon  as  it  was  known  among  the 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  every  one 
mused  thereat,  and  laughed  him 
to  scorn,  observing  his  indiscreet 
manners  in  that  behalf,  as  they 
might  very  well. 

When  supper  was  done,  he  call- 
ed my  lord,  and  willed  him  that 
all  the  gentlemen  and  ladies 
should  withdraw  themselves  every 
one  to  his  lodging,  marvelling 
much  that  he  would  permit  there 
such  a  large  company,  considering 
the  great  charge  he  had  committed 
to  him. 

Sir  Henry,  quoth  my  lord,  con- 
tent yourself,  all  shall  be  avoided, 
your  men  and  all.  Nay,  my  sol- 
diers, quoth  sir  Henry,  shall  watch 
all  night.  The  lord  of  Tame  an- 
swered. There  is  no  need.  Well, 
said  he,  need  or  need  not,  they 
shall  so  do,  mistrusting  perhaps 
the  company,  which  God  knoweth 
was  without  cause. 

The  next  day  her  grace  took 
her  journey  from  thence  to  Wood- 
stock, where  she  was  inclosed,  as 
before  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
the  soldiers  guarding  both  within 
and  without  the  walls,  every  day, 
to  the  number  of  sixty;  and  in 
the  night  without  the  walls  forty, 
during  the  time  of  her  imprison- 
ment there. 

At  length  she  had  gardens  ap- 
pointed for  her  to  walk  in,  which 
was  very  comfortable  to  her  grace. 
But  always  when  she  recreated 
herself  therein,  the  doors  were 
fast  locked  up,  in  as  strict  a  man- 
ner as  they  were  in  the  Tower,  be- 
ing at  least  five  or  six  locks  be- 
tween her  lodging  and  her  walks; 
sir  Henry  himself  keeping  the 
keys,  and  trusting  no  man  there- 
with. Whereupon  she  called  hini 
her  jailor:  and  he  kneeling  down, 
desired  her  grace  not  to  call  hjm 
so,  for  he  was  appointed  there  tQ 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


757 


he  one  of  lier  oflicers.  From  such 
officers  (quoth  she),  good  Lord,  de- 
liver me. 

And  now  by  the  way,  as  digress- 
ing-; or  rather  rclreshing  the  reader, 
if  it  be  lawful  in  so  serious  a  story 
to  recite  a  matter  incident,  and 
yet  not  impertinent  to  the  same  ; 
occasion  here  moveth,  or  rather 
inforccth  me  to  touch  briefly  what 
happened  in  the  same  place  and 
time,  by  a  certain  merry  conceited 
man,  being  then  about  her  grace  : 
who  observing  the  strict  and 
strange  keeping  of  his  lady  and 
mistress,  by  the  said  sir  Henry 
Benifield,  with  so  many  locks  and 
doors,  with  such  a  watch  and 
guard  about  her,  as  was  strange 
and  wonderful,  espied  a  goat  in 
the  ward  where  her  grace  was ; 
and  whether  to  refresh  her  op- 
pressed mind,  or  to  notify  her 
strait  handling  by  sir  Henry,  or 
else  both,  he  took  it  upon  his 
neck,  and  followed  her  grace  there- 
with as  she  was  going  into  her 
lodging. 

Which  when  she  saw,  she  asked 
him  what  he  would  do  with  it,  de- 
siring him  to  let  it  alone.  The 
man  answered.  No,  by  St.  Mary 
(if  it  please  your  grace),  will  I 
not ;  tor  I  cannot  tell,  whether  he 
be  one  of  the  queen's  friends  or 
not.  I  will  carry  him  to  sir  Henry 
Benifield  (God  willing)  to  know 
what  he  is :  so  leaving  her  grace, 
he  went  with  the  goat  on  his  neck, 
and  carried  it  to  sir  Henrj':  who 
when  he  saw  him  coming  with  it, 
asked  him,  half  angerly,  what  he 
had  there. 

Unto  whom  the  man  answered, 
saying,  Sir,  I  cannot  tell  what  he 
is.  I  pray  you  examine  him,  for 
I  found  him  in  the  place  where 
my  lady's  grace  was  walking,  and 
what  talk  they  have  had  1  cannot 
tell.  For  I  understand  him  not, 
but  he  should  seem  to  me  to  be 
some  stranger,  and  I  think  verily 
a  Welchman,  for  he  hath  a  white 
frieze  coat  on  his  back.  And  forso- 
much  as  I  being  the  queen's  sub- 
ject, and  perceiving  the  strict 
charge  committed  to  you,  that  no 
stranger  should  have  access  to  her 


without  suflicient  licence,  I  have 
here  found  a  stranger  (what  he  is 
I  cannot  tell)  in  the  place  where 
her  grace  was  walking  ;  and  there- 
fore for  the  necessary  discharge  of; 
my  duty,  I  thought  it  good  to  bring 
the  said  stranger  to  you,  to  exa- 
mine as  you  see  cause;  and  so  he 
set  him  down.  At  tliis  sir  Henry 
seemed  much  displeased,  and 
said,  Well,  well,  you  will  never 
leave  this  gear,  I  see;  and  so  they 
departed. 

Now  to  return  to  the  matter 
from  whence  we  have  digressed, 
after  her  grace  had  been  there  a 
time,  she  applied  to  the  council  for 
leave  to  write  to  the  queen.  Tliis 
at  last  was  permitted  :  so  sir  Henry 
Benifield  brought  her  pen,  ink,  and 
paper;  and  standing  by  her  while 
she  wrote  (whicii  he  strictly  ob- 
served), she  being  sometimes, 
weary,  he  would  carry  away  hei 
letters,  and  bring  them  again  whea 
she  called  for  them.  When  she 
had  finished,  he  would  fain  have 
been  messenger  to  the  queen  with 
the  same.  Whose  request  her 
grace  denied,  saying,  One  of  her 
own  men  should  carry  them,  and 
that  she  would  neither  trust  iiiui, 
nor  any  of  his,  with  theuj. 

Then  he  answered  again,  saying. 
None  of  them  durst  be  so  bold  (Ijc 
thought)  as  to  carry  Iier  letters  for 
her  in  her  present  situation.  Yes, 
said  she,  I  am  assured  1  have  none 
so  drshonest  as  to  deny  my  request 
in  that  behalf,  but  will  be  as  willing 
to  serve  me  now  as  before.  Well, 
said  he,  my  commission  is  to  the 
contrarj^,  and  T  may  not  so  sufi'er  it. 
Her  grace  replying  again,  said. 
You  charge  me  very  often  witli 
your  comission.  I  pray  God  you 
may  justly  answer  the  cruel  deal- 
ings you  use  towards  me. 

Then  he  kneeling  down,  desired 
her  grace  to  think  and  consider 
how  he  was  a  servant,  and  put  in 
trust  there  by  the  queen  to  serve 
her  majesty  ;  protesting,  that  if  the 
case  were  hers,  he  would  as  will- 
ingly serve  her  grace,  as  now  he 
did  the  queen's  highness.  For 
which  answer  her  grace  thanked 
him,   desiring  God  that  she  might 


758 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


neter  have  need  of  such  servants 
as  he  was;  declaring  further  to 
him,  that  his  doino:s  towards  her 
were  not  good  nor  answerable, 
but  more  than  all  the  friends  he 
had  would  stand  by. 

To  whom  sir  Henry  replied,  and 
said,  that  there  was  no  remedy  but 
his  doings  must  be  answered,  and 
so  they  should,  trusting  to  make 
good  account  thereof.  The  cause 
which  moved  her  grace  so  to  say, 
was,  for  that  he  would  not  permit 
her  letters  to  be  carried  four  or 
five  days  after  the  writing  thereof. 
But,  in  line,  he  was  content  to  send 
for  her  gentleman  from  the  town 
of  Woodstock,  demanding  of  him 
whether  he  durst  enterprise  the 
carriage  of  her  grace's  letters  to 
the  queen,  or  no  :  and  he  answered. 
Yea,  sir,  that  I  dare,  and  will  with 
all  my  heart.  Whereupon  sir 
Henry,  half  against  his  stomach, 
took  them  unto  him. 

Then  about  the  eighth  of  June 
came  down  Dr.  Owen  and  Dr. 
Wendy,  sent  by  the  queen  to  her 
grace,  for  that  she  was  sickly  ; 
who  ministering  to  her,  and  letting 
her  blood,  tarried  there,  and  at- 
tended on  her  grace  five  or  six 
days.  Then  she  being  well  amend- 
ed, they  returned  again  to  the 
court,  making  their  good  report 
to  the  queen  and  council  of  her 
grace's  behaviour  and  humility  to- 
wards tlie  queen's  highness. 
Which  her  majesty  hearing,  to*»k 
very  thankfully  ;  but  the  bishops 
repined  thereat,  looked  black  in 
the  mouth,  and  told  the  queen, 
they  marvelled  much  that  she  sub- 
mitted not  herself  to  her  majesty's 
mercy,  considering  that  she  had 
offended  her  highness. 

About  this  time,  her  grace  was 
requested  by  a  secret  friend  to 
submit  herself  to  the  queen's  ma- 
jesty, which  would  be  well  taken, 
and  to  her  great  quiet  and  advan- 
tage. Unto  whom  she  answered, 
that  she  would  never  submit  her- 
self to  them  whom  she  never  of- 
fended.  For  (quoth  she)  if  I  have 
offended  and  am  guilty,  I  then 
crave  no  mercy,  but  the  law,  which 
J  am  certain  I  should  have  had  be- 


fore  this,  if  it  could  be  proved  b.t 
me.  For  I  know  myself  (I  thank 
God)  to  be  out  of  the  danger 
thereof,  wishing  that  I  were  as 
clear  out  of  the  peril  of  my 
enemies  ;  and  then  I  am  assured  I 
should  not  be  so  locked  and  bolted 
wp  within  walls  and  doors  as  I  am. 
God  give  them  a  better  mind  when 
it  pleaseth  him. 

About  this  lime  there  was  a  great 
consultation  among  the  bishops 
and  gentlemen,  touching  the  mar- 
riage of  her  grace,  which  some  of 
the  Spaniards  wished  to  be  with 
some  stranger,  that  she  might  go 
out  of  the  realm  with  her  portion  ; 
some  saying  one  thing  and  some 
another. 

A  lord  (who  shall  be  here  name- 
less) being  there,  at  last  said.  That 
the  king  should  never  have  any  quiet 
common-wealth  in  England, unless 
her  head  was  severed  from  her 
shoulders.  Whereunto  the  Spa- 
niards answered,  saying,  God  for- 
bid that  their  king  and  master 
should  have  that  mind  to  consent 
to  such  a  mischief. 

This  was  the  courteous  answer 
of  the  Spaniards  to  the  English- 
men, speaking  after  that  sort 
against  their  own  country.  From 
that  day  the  Spaniards  never  left 
oft"  their  good  persuasions  to  the 
king,  that  the  like  honour  he  should 
never  obtain,  as  he  should  in  deli- 
vering the  lady  Elizabeth's  grace 
out  of  prison ;  whereby  at  length 
she  was  happily  released  from  the 
same.  Here  is  a  plain  and  evident 
example  of  the  good  clemency  and 
nature  of  the  king  and  his  coun- 
sellors toward  her  grace  (praised 
be  God  therefore),  who  moved 
their  hearts  therein.  Then  here- 
upon she  was  sent  for  shortly  after 
to  come  to  Hampton-Court. 

But  before  her  removing  away 
from  Woodstock,  we  will  stay  a 
little  to  declare  in  what  dangers 
her  life  was  during  the  time  she 
remained  there :  first  through  fire, 
which  began  to  kindle  between 
the  boards  and  ceiling  under  the 
chamber  where  she  lay,  whether 
by  a  spark  of  fire  getting  accident- 
ally into  a  crevice,  or  whether  for 


PRINCESS  ELTZABETH. 


759 


the  purpose  by  iiomo  fliat,  meant 
lier  no  good,  the  Lord  doth  know. 
Nevertheless  a  worshipful  knight 
of  Oxfordshire,  which  was  there 
joined  the  same  time  with  sir 
Henry  Benifield  in  keeping  that 
lady,  (who  then  took  up  the  boards 
and  quenched  the  fire),  verily  sup- 
posed it  to  be  done  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

Furthermore  it  is  thought  and 
affirmed  (for  truth)  of  one  Paul 
Penny,  the  keeper  of  Woodstock, 
a  notorious  ruffian,  and  a  butcherly 
wretch,  that  he  was  appointed  to 
assassinate  the  said  lady  Eliza- 
beth ;  who  both  saw  the  man, 
being  often  in  her  sight,  and  also 
knew  thereof. 

Another  time,  one  of  the  privy 
chamber,  a  great  man  about  the 
queen,  and  chief  darling  of  Steplien 
Gardiner,  named  James  Basset, 
came  to  Blandenbridge,  a  mile 
from  Woodstock,  with  twenty  or 
thirty  privy  coats,  and  sent  for  sir 
Henry  Benifield  to  come  and  speak 
M'ith  him.  But  as  God  would, 
who  disposcth  all  things  according 
to  bis  own  will,  so  it  happened, 
that  a  little  before,  the  said  sir 
Henry  Benifield  was  sent  for  by 
post  to  the  council,  leaving  strict 
word  behind  him  with  his  brother, 
that  no  man,  whosoever  he  were, 
though  coming  with  a  note  of  the 
queen's  liand.  or  any  other  warrant, 
should  have  access  to  her  before 
his  return  again.  By  reason 
whereof  it  so  fell  out,  that  Mr. 
Benifield's  brother,  coming  to  him 
at  the  bridge,  would  suffer  him  in 
no  case  to  come  iu,  who  other- 
wise (as  is  supposed)  was  ap- 
pointed violently  to  murder  the 
innocent  lady. 

There  moreover  is  to  be  noted, 
that  during  the  imprisonment  of 
this  lady  and  princess,  one  Mr. 
Edmund  Tremaine  was  on  the 
rack,  and  Mr.  Smithwike,  and 
others  in  the  Tower,  were  examin- 
ed, and  divers  offers  made  to  them 
to  accuse  the  guiltless  lady,  being 
in  her  captivity.  Howbeit,  all  that 
notwithstanding,  no  matter  could 
be  proved  by  all  examinations,  as 
she  the  .qarae  time  lying  at  Wood- 
stock had   certain  intelligencf'  by 


tlie  means  of  one  .Tohn  (Jayor  ; 
who  under  a  colourable  pretence 
of  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Cleve  from  her 
father,  was  let  in,  and  so  gave 
them  secretly  to  understand  of  all 
this  matter.  Whereupon  the  lady 
Elizabeth,  at  her  departing  out 
from  Woodstock,  wrote  these 
lines  with  her  diamond  in  a  glass 
window  ; 

Much  susperterl  by  me  ; 
Nothing  proved  can  be. 

Quoth  Elizabeth,  Prisoner. 

And  thus  much  touching  the 
troubles  of  lady  Elizabeth  at 
Woodstock.  Whereunto  this  is 
more  to  be  added,  that  during  the 
same  time,  the  lord  of  Tame  had 
laboured  to  the  queen,  and  became 
surety  for  her,  to  have  her  from 
Woodstock  to  his  house,  and  had 
obtained  a  grant  thereof.  There- 
upon preparation  was  made  ac- 
cordingly, and  all  things  ready  in 
expectation  of  her  coming.  But 
through  the  procurement  either  of 
Mr.  Beniheld,  or  by  the  advice  of 
Winchester  her  mortal  enemj', 
letters  came  overnight  to  the  con- 
trary ;  whereby  her  journey  was 
stopped. 

Thus  this  worthy  lady,  oppressed 
with  continual  sorrow,  could  not 
be  permitted  to  have  recourse  to 
any  friends  she  had,  but  still  in 
the  hands  of  her  enemies  was  left 
desolate,  and  utterly  destitute  of 
all  that  might  refresh  a  doleful 
heart,  fraught  full  of  terror  and 
thraldom.  Whereupon  no  marvel 
if  she  hearing  upon  a  time,  out  of 
her  garden  at  Woodstock,  a  certain 
milkmaid  singing  pleasantly, 
wished  herself  to  be  a  milkmaid 
as  she  was,  saying  (hat  her  case 
was  better,  and  life  more  merry 
than  hers,  in  that  state  as  she 
was. 

Now  after  these  things  thus  de- 
clared, to  proceed  further  there 
where  we  left  before,  sir  Henry 
Benifield  and  his  soldiers,  with  the 
lord  of  Tame,  and  sir  Ralph  Chara- 
berline,  guarding  and  waiting  upon 
her,  the  first  night  from  Wood- 
stock she  came  to  Ricot.  In 
which  journey  such  a  mighty  wind 
did  blow,  that  her  hood  was  twice 


760 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


or  thrirc  blown  from  her  head. 
Thereupon  she  desiring  to  return  to 
a  certain  gentleman's  house  there 
near,  could  not  be  suflered  by  sir 
Henry  Bcnifield  so  to  do,  but  was 
constrained  under  an  hedge  to 
trim  her  head  as  well  as  she  could. 
After  this,  the  next  day  they 
journeyed  to  Mr.  Dormer's,  and  so 
to  Colbroke,  where  she  lay  all  that 
night  at  the  George,  and  by  tiie 
way  coming  to  Colbroke,  certain 
of  her  grace's  gentlemen  and  yeo- 
men met  her,  to  the  number  of 
threescore,  much  to  all  their  com- 
forts, who  had  not  seen  her  grace 
for  a  long  time  before :  notwith- 
standing they  were  commanded  in 
t^e  queen's  name  immediately  to 
depart  the  town,  to  both  theirs 
and  her  grace's  no  little  heaviness, 
who  could  not  be  suffered  once  to 
speak  with  him.  So  that  night  all 
her  men  were  taken  from  her, 
saving  her  gentleman-usher,  three 
gentlewomen,  two  grooms,  and 
one  of  her  wardrobe,  the  soldiers 
watching  and  warding  about  the 
house,  and  she  close  shut  up  with- 
in her  prison. 

The  next  day  following,  her 
grace  entered  Hampton-Court, 
and  came  into  the  prince's  lodg- 
ing: the  doors  being  shut  upon 
her,  and  she  guarded  with  soldiers 
as  before,  lay  there  a  fortnight  at 
least,  before  any  had  recourse  unto 
her:  at  length  came  the  lord  Wil- 
liam Haward,  who  used  her  grace 
honourably.  AVhereat  she  took 
much  comfort,  and  requested  him 
to  be  a  means  that  she  might  speak 
with  some  of  the  council.  To 
whom  not  long  after  came  the 
bishop  of  Winchester,  and  the 
lord  of  Arundel,  the  lord  of 
Shrewsbury,  secretary  Peter,  who 
with  great  humility  humbled  them- 
selves to  her  grace.  She  again 
likewise  saluting  them,  said,  My 
lords,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  :  for 
methinks  I  have  been  kept  a  great 
while  from  you  desolate  and  alone. 
Wherefore  I  would  desire  you  to 
be  a  means  to  the  king  and  queen, 
that  I  may  be  delivered  from  pri- 
son, wherein  I  have  been  kept  a 
long  time,  as  to  you,  my  lords,  is 
>vell  kpowa. 


When  she  had  spoken,  Steplien 
Gardiner,  the  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, kneeled  down,  and  requested 
that  she  would  submit  herself  to 
the  queen's  grace,  and  in  so  doing 
he  had  no  doubt  but  that  her  ma- 
jesty would  be  good  to  her:  she 
made  answer.  That  rather  than  she 
Mould  so  do,  she  would  lay  in  pri- 
son all  the  days  of  her  life  ;  add- 
ing, that  she  craved  no  mercy  at 
her  majesty's  hand,  but  rather  de- 
sired the  law,  if  ever  she  did  of- 
fend her  majesty  in  thought,  word, 
or  deed :  and  besides  this,  in 
yielding  (quoth  she)  I  should  speak 
against  myself,  and  confess  myself 
to  be  an  offender,  which  I  never 
was  toward  her  majesty,  by  occa- 
sion whereof  the  king  and  queen 
might  ever  hereafter  conceive  of 
me  an  evil  opinion :  and  therefore 
I  say,  my  lords,  it  were  better  for 
me  to  lie  in  prison  for  the  truth, 
than  to  be  abroad  and  suspected 
by  my  prince.  And  so  they  de- 
parted, promising  to  declare  her 
message  to  the  queen. 

On  the  next  day  the  bishop  of 
Winchester  came  again  unto  her 
grace,  and  kneeling  down,  declared 
that  the  queen  marvelled  that  she 
should  so  stoutlj'  use  herself,  not 
confessing  that  she  had  offended  : 
so  that  it  should  seem  that  the 
queen's  majesty  had  wrongfully 
imprisoned  her  grace. 

Nay,  quoth  the  lady  Elizabeth, 
it  may  please  her  to  punish  me  as 
she  thinketh  good. 

Well,  quoth  Gardiner,  her  ma- 
jesty willeth  me  to  tell  you,  that 
you  must  tell  another  tale  before 
that  you  be  set  at  liberty. 

Her  grace  ansv/ered,  that  she 
had  as  soon  be  in  prison  with  ho- 
nesty and  truth,  as  to  be  abroad, 
suspected  by  her  majesty ;  and 
this  that  I  have  said,  I  will  stand 
unto,  for  I  will  never  belie  mj- 
self. 

Winchester  again  kneeled  down, 
and  said,  Then  your  grace  hath 
the  advantage  of  me  and  other 
lords  for  your  wrong  and  long  im- 
prisonment. 

What  advantage  I  have  (quoth 
she)  you  know ;  taking  God  to 
rcco|-d,   I   seek    no  advantage  M 


PRINCESS  ELIZABETH. 


761 


yarn  hands  for  your  so  dealin<? 
with  me,  but  God  lor^ivc  you  aiul 
ine  also.  Witli  that  the  rest 
kneeled,  desirinjif  her  grace  tliat 
all  might  be  forgotten,  and  so  de- 
parted, she  being  fast  loeked  up 
again. 

A  seven-night  after  the  queen 
sent  for  her  grace  at  ten  o'clock  at 
night  to  speak  with  her:  for  she 
had  not  seen  her  for  two  years  be- 
fore. Yet  for  all  that,  she  was 
amazed  at  the  suddenness  of  the 
message ;  thinking  it  had  been 
worse  than  afterwards  it  proved, 
desired  her  gentlemen  and  gentle- 
women to  pray  for  her;  for  that 
she  could  not  tell  whether  ever  she 
should  see  them  again  or  no. 

At  which  time  sir  Henry  Beni- 
field  with  Mrs.  Clarencius  coming 
in,  her  grace  was  brought  into  the 
garden,  unto  a  stair's  foot  that 
went  into  the  queen's  lodging,  her 
grace's  gentlewomen  waiting  upon 
her,  her  gentleman-usher,  and  her 
grooms,  going  before  with  torches: 
where  her  gentlemen  and  gentle- 
women being  commanded  to  stay, 
all,  saving  one  woman,  Mrs.  Cla- 
rencius conducted  her  to  the 
queen's  bed-chamber,  where  her 
majesty  was. 

At  the  sight  of  whom  her  grace 
kneeJed  down,  and  desired  God  to 
preserve  her  majesty,  not  mistrust- 
ing but  that  she  should  prove  her- 
self as  true  a  subject  towards  her 
majesty  as  ever  any  did,  and  de- 
sired her  majesty  even  so  to  judge 
of  her;  and  said,  that  she  should 
not  find  her  to  the  contrary,  what- 
.soever  report  otherwise  had  gone 
of  her. 

To  whom  the  queen  answered. 
You  will  not  confess  your  offence, 
but  stand  stoutly  to  your  truth  :  I 
pray  God  it  may  so  fall  out. 

If  it  doth  not,  (q^oth  the  lady 
Elizabeth),  I  request  neither  fa- 
vour nor  pardon  at  your  majesty's 
hands.  Well,  (said  the  queen), 
you  stiffly  still  persevere  in  your 
truth.  Belike  you  will  not  con- 
fess but  that  you  have  been  wrong- 
fully punished 

I  must  not  say  so  (if  it  please 
your  majesty)  to  you. 


Why  then  (said  the  queen)  be- 
like you  will  to  others. 

No,  if  it  please  your  majesty, 
(quoth  she),  1  have  borne  the  bur- 
den, and  must  bear  it.  I  iiumbly 
beseech  your  niajesty  to  have  a 
good  opinion  of  me,  and  to  think 
me  to  be  your  true  subject,  not 
only  from  tiie  beginning  hitherto, 
but  for  ever,  as  long  as  life  lasteth: 
and  so  they  departed  with  very 
few  comfortable  words  of  the 
queen,  in  English:  but  what  she 
said  in  Spanish,  God  knoweth. 
It  was  thought  that  king  Philip 
was  there  behind  a  cloth,  and  not 
seen,  and  that  he  shewed  himself 
a  very  great  friend  in  that  matter, 
&c. 

Thus  her  grace  departing,  went 
to  her  lodging  again,  and  that  day 
seven-night  was  released  of  sir 
Henry  Beuiheld,  her  gaoler  (as 
she  termed  him),  and  his  soldiers, 
and  so  her  grace  being  set  at  li- 
berty from  imprisonment,  went 
into  the  country,  and  had  ap- 
pointed to  go  with  her  sir  Thomas 
Pope,  one  of  queen  Mary's  coun- 
sellors, and  one  of  her  gentlemen- 
ushers,  Mr.  Gage,  and  thus  strictly 
was  she  looked  after  all  queen 
Mary's  time.  And  this  is  the  dis- 
course of  her  highness's  imprison- 
ment. 

Then  there  came  to  Lamhevre, 
Mr.  Jerningham,  and  Mr.  Norris, 
gentlemen-usher,  queen  Mary's 
men,  who  took  away  from  her 
grace,  Mrs.  Ashly  to  the  Fleet, 
and  three  other  of  her  gentlewo- 
men to  the  Tower;  which  thing 
was  no  little  trouble  to  h«r  grace, 
saying,  that  she  thought  they 
would  fetch  all  away  at  the  end. 
But,  God  be  praised,  shortly  after 
was  fetched  away  Gardiner,through 
the  merciful  providence  of  the 
Lord's  goodness,  by  occasion  of 
whose  opportune  decease  (as  is 
partly  touched  in  this  story  be- 
fore), the  life  of  this  excellent 
princess,  and  the  wealth  of  Eng- 
land, was  preserved.  For  this  is 
credibly  to  be  supposed,  that  the 
said  wicked  Gardiner  of  Win- 
chester had  long  laboured  his 
wits,  and  to  this  only  most  princi- 


762 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


pal  mark  bent  all  his  devices,  to 
take  this  our  happy  and  dear  so- 
vereign out  of  the  way  ;  as  both  by 
his  words  and  doin2;s  before  noti- 
fied, may  sufiBciently  appear. 

But  such  was  the  gracious  and 
favourable  providence  of  the  Lord, 
to  the  preservation  not  only  of  her 
royal  majesty,  but  also  of  the  mi- 
serable and"  woful  state  of  this 
•whole  island,  and  poor  subjects  of 
the  same,  whereby  the  proud  plat- 
forms and  peevish  practices  of 
this  wicked  Ahithophel  prevailed 
not:  but  contrariwise,  both  he  and 
all  the  snares  and  traps  of  his  per- 
nicious council  laid  against  ano- 
ther, were  turned  to  a  net  to  catch 
himself,  according  to  the  proverb, 
"  The  mischief  he  designed  for 
another,  fell  upon  his  own  head." 

After  the  death  of  this  Gardiner, 
followed  the  death  also  and  droop- 
ing away  of  other  her  enemies, 
whereby  little  and  little  her  jeo- 
pardy decreased,  fear  diminished, 
hope  of  comfort  began  to  appear 
as  out  of  a  dark  cloud:  and  albeit 
as  yet  her  grace  had  no  full  as- 
surance of  perfect  safety,  yet  more 
gentle  entertainment  daily  did 
grow  unto  her,  till  at  length  in  the 
month  of  November,  and  seven- 
teenth day  of  the  same,  three 
years  after  the  death  of  Stephen 
Gardiner,  followed  the  death  of 
queen  Mary. 

Although  this  history  following 
be  not  directly  appertaining  to 
the  former  matter,  yet  the  same 
may  here  not  unaptly  be  inserted, 
for  that  it  doth  discover  and  shew 
forth  the  nialicious  hearts  of  the 
papists  to  the  lady  Elizabeth  in 
the  time  of  queen  Mary,  her  sister, 
which  is  reported  by  sundry  ho- 
nest persons  of  unquestionable 
credit.  The  matter  whereof  is 
this. 

Soon  after  the  stir  of  Wyat,  and 
the  troubles  that  happened  to  the 
lady  Elizabeth  for  that  cause,  it 
happened  that  one  Robert  Farrer, 
a  haberdasher  of  London,  dwell- 
ing near  Newgate-market,  in  a 
certain  morning  was  at  the  Rose 
tavern,  where  chanced  to  meet 
him  one  Laurence  Shirifi",  grocer. 


dwelling  also  not  far  from  thenre; 
they  drinking  together  as  good 
friends  (as  they  had  been  for  a 
long  time  before),  Farrer  being  a 
little  elevated,  and  not  consider- 
ing who  were  present,  began  to 
talk  at  large  against  the  lady  Eli- 
zabeth, and  said.  That  jilt  hath 
been  one  of  the  thief  doers  in  this 
rebellion  of  Wyat,  and  before  all 
be  done,  she  and  all  the  heretics 
shall  well  understand  it.  Some  of 
them  hope  that  she  shall  have  the 
crown,  but  she  and  they  (I  trust) 
that  so  hope,  shall  hop  headless, 
or  be  fried  with  fagots  before  she 
come  to  it. 

Laurence,  the  grocer,  being 
sworn  servant  to  the  lady  Eliza- 
beth, could  no  longer  bear  these 
scandalous  expressions  of  his  old 
acquaintance  concerning  his  mis- 
tress, but  said  to  him,  Farrer,  I 
have  loved  thee  as  a  neighbour, 
and  have  had  a  good  opinion  of 
thee,  but  in  this  I  defy  thee  ;  and 
I  tell  thee  I  am  her  grace's  sworn 
servant,  and  she  is  a  princess,  and 
the  daughter  of  a  noble  king,  and 
it  doth  not  become  thee  to  call  her 
a  jilt;  and  for  thy  so  saying,  I  say 
thou  art  a  knave,  and  I  will  com- 
plain of  thee.  Do  thy  worst,  said 
Farrer,  for  what  I  said,  1  will  say 
again ;  and  so  Shiriff"  went  out  of 
his  company. 

Shortly  after,  the  said  Shiriff, 
taking  an  honest  neighbour  with 
him,  went  before  the  commission- 
ers to  complain,  who  sat  then  at 
bishop  Bonner's  house,  near  St. 
Paul's,  Bonner  being  then  chief 
commissioner,  the  lord  Mordaunt, 
sir  Jolni  Baker,  Dr.  Derbyshire, 
chancellor  to  the  bishop,  Dr.  Storj-, 
Dr.  Harpsfield,  and  others,  being 
present. 

Mr.  Shiriff  coming  before  them, 
declared  the  manner  of  Farrer's 
talk  against  the  lady  Elizabeth. 
Bonner  answered,  Peradventure 
you  took  him  worse  than  he 
meant. 

Yea,  my  lord,  said  Dr.  Story,  if 
you  knew  the  man  as  1  do,  you 
would  say  there  is  not  a  better 
Catholic,  nor  an  honcster  man,  in 
the  city  of  London. 


JUDGMENT  ON  THK  PEUSECUTOHS. 


768 


Well,  said  Mr.  Sluriff,  my  lord, 
sbo  is  my  e:raciou!i  lady  and  mis- 
tress, and  it  is  not  to  be  suficred 
that  such  a  varlet  as  he  is  should 
call  so  honourable  a  princess  by 
the  name  of  jilt;  and  I  saw  yes- 
terday at  court  that  my  lord  car- 
dinal Pole,  meeting  her  in  the 
chamber  of  presence,  kneeled 
down  on  his  knees  and  kissed  her 
hand;  and  I  saw  also  that  king 
Philip  meeting  her,  made  her  such 
obeisance,  that  his  knee  touched 
the  ground ;  and  then  methinketh 
it  were  too  much  to  suffer  such  a 
varlet  as  this  is  to  call  her  jilt, 
and  to  wish  them  to  hop  headless 
that  wish  her  grace  to  enjoy  the 
possession  of  the  crown,  when  God 
shall  send  it  unto  her,  as  the  right 
of  her  inheritance. 

Yea;  stay  there,  quoth  Bonner. 
When  God  sendeth  it  unto  her,  let 
lier  enjoy  it.     But  truly  (said  he) 
the  man  that  spake  the  words  that 
you  have  reported,  meant  nothing 
against  the  lady  Elizabeth,   your 
mistress,  and  no  more  do  we:   but 
he,    like   an  honest    and   zealous 
man,  feared  the  alteration  of  reli- 
gion, which  every  good  man  ought 
to  fear:  and  therefore,  (said  Bon- 
ner),    good  man,    go   your  ways 
home,   and  report  well  of  us   to 
your  mistress,    and  we  will  send 
for  Farrer,  and  rebuke  him  for  his 
rash  and  indiscreet  words,  and  we 
trust  he  will  not  do  the  like  again. 
And  thus  Shiriff  came  away,  and 
Farrer  had  a  slap  with  a  fox's  tail. 
Queen   Mary,    being    long   sick 
before,  upon  the  17th  day  of  No- 
vember,  in  the   year   above-men- 
tioned, about  three  or  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  yielded  her  life  to 
nature,  and  her  kingdom  to  queen 
Elizabeth,  her  sister.     Concerning 
whose    death,   some  say  that  she 
died  of  a  tympany,  some  (by  her 
great   sighing    before    her   death) 
supposed  she  died  of  thought  and 
sorrow.      Whereupon   her  council 
seeing  her  sighing,    and  desirous 
to  know  the  cause,  to  the  end  they 
might  the  more    readily    minister 
consolation  unto  her,    feared,    as 
they     said,     that     she    took    that 
thought  for  the  kino;,  her  husband, 


who  was  gone  from  her.  To 
whom  she  answering,  said.  Indeed 
that  may  be  one  cause,  but  that  is 
not  the  greatest  wound  that  pier- 
ceth  ray  oppressed  mind;  but  what 
that  was,  she  would  not  express  to 
them. 

However,  afterward  she  opened 
the  matter  more  plainly  to  Mr. 
Rise  and  Mrs.  Clarencius,  (if  it  be 
true  what  they  told  me,  who 
heard  it  of  Mr.  Rise  himself),  who 
then  being  most  familiar  with  her, 
told  her,  that  they  feared  she  took 
thought  for  king  Philip's  depart- 
ing from  her.  Not  that  only,  said 
she,  but  when  I  am  dead  and 
opened,  you  shall  find  Calais  lying 
in  my  heart,  &c.  And  here  is  an 
end  of  queen  Mary,  and  of  her 
persecutions. 

Of  which  queen  this  truly  may 
be  affirmed,  and  left  in  story  for 
a  perpetual  memorial  or  epitaph, 
for  all  kings  and  queens  that  shall 
succeed  her  to  bo  noted.  That  be- 
fore her  never  was  read  in  history 
of  any  king  or  queen  of  England, 
since  the  time  of  king  Lucius, 
under  whom,  in  time  of  peace,  by 
hanging,  beheading,  burning,  and 
imprisoning,  so  much  Christian 
blood  was  spilled,  and  so  many 
Englishmen's  lives  lost,  within  this 
realm,  as  under  the  said  queen 
Mary  for  the  space  of  four  years 
was  to  be  seen,  and  I  beseech  the 
Lord  never  may  be  seen  hereafter. 


To  render  this  part  of  our  History 
complete,  we  give  the  following 
Treatises  of  our  Author,  con- 
cerning the  judgments  which 
the  Almighty  inflicted  on  many 
of  those  who  had  persecuted  the 
Protestants,  during  the  reign  of 
Mary,  beginning  with  that  prin- 
cess herself. 

THE  ILL  SUCCESS  OF  QUEEN  MARY, 
FROM  TEUSECUTING  GOD's  PEO- 
PLE. 

As  Queen  Mary  during  all  her 
reign  was  sucli  a  vehement  adver- 
sary against  the  sincere  professors 
of  Christ  and  his  gospel;  for 
which  there  be  many  who  do  highly 
1 


764 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


magniCy  and  approve  her  doings 
therein  :  to  tlie  intfent  therefore  that 
all  nien  may  understand,  how  tlie 
blessing  of  God  did  not  only  not 
attend  her  proceedings,  but  con- 
trariwise rather  how  his  manifest 
displeasure  ever  wrought  against 
her,  in  plaguing  both  her  and  her 
realm,  and  subverting  all  her 
counsels  and  attempts,  whatsoever 
she  took  in  hand,  we  will  bestow 
a  little  time  therein,  to  survey  the 
whole  course  of  her  actions,  and 
consider -what  success  she  had  in 
the  same.  Which  being  mcU  con- 
sidered, we  shall  never  lind  any 
reign  of  any  prince  in  this  land, 
or  any  other,  which  did  ever  shew 
in  it  (for  the  proportion  of  time)  so 
many  arguments  of  God's  wrath 
and  displeasure,  as  were  to  be 
seen  in  the  reign  of  this  queen, 
whether  we  behold  the  shortness 
of  her  time,  or  the  unfortunate 
events  of  all  her  purposes,  who 
seemed  never  to  purpose  any 
thing  that  came  luckily  to  pass, 
neither  did  any  thing  frame  to 
her  purpose,  whatsoever  she  took 
in  hand  touching  her  own  private 
aflairs. 

Of  good  kings  we  read  in  scrip- 
ture, in  shewing  mercy  and  pity, 
in  seeking  God's  will  in  his  word, 
and  subverting  the  monuments  of 
idolatry,  how  God  blessed  their 
ways,  increased  their  honours, 
and  mightily  prospered  all  their 
proceedings,  as  we  see  in  king 
David,  Solomon,  Josias,  Josa- 
phat,  Ezechias,  with  such  others  ; 
Manasses  made  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem  to  swim  with 
the  blood  of  his  subjects;  but 
what  came  of  it,  the  text  doth 
testify. 

Of  queen  Elizabeth,  who  now 
reigneth  among  us,  this  we  must 
needs  say,  which  we  see,  that  she 
in  sparing  the  blood,  not  only  of 
God's  servants,  but  also  of  God's 
enemies,  hath  doubled  now  the 
reign  of  queen  Mary,  her  sister, 
with  such  abundance  of  peace  and 
prosperity,  that  it  is  hard  to  say, 
whether  the  realm  of  England  felt 
more  of  God's  wrath  in  queen 
Mary's  time,  or   of  God's  favour 


and  mercy  in  these  blessed  days 
of  queen  Elizabeth. 

Gamaliel,  speaking  his  mind  in 
the  council  of  the  Pharisees  con- 
cerning Christ's  religion,  gave 
this  reason,  that  if  it  were  not  of 
God,  it  could  not  stand.  So  may 
it  be  said  of  queen  Mary  and  her 
Romish  religion,  that  if  it  were  so 
perfect  and  Catholic  as  they  pre- 
tend, and  the  contrary  faitii  of  the 
gospellers  were  so  detestable  and 
heretical  as  they  make  it ;  how 
cometh  it  then,  that  this  so  Catho- 
lic a  queen,  such  a  necessary  pillar 
of  his  spouse  the  church,  continu- 
ed no  longer,  till  she  had  utterly 
rooted  out  of  the  land  this  he- 
retical generation  ?  yea,  how 
chanced  it  rather,  tliat  Almighty 
God,  to  spare  these  poor  heretics, 
rooted  out  queen  Mary  so  soon 
from  her  throne,  alter  she  had 
reigned  but  only  live  years  and 
five  months? 

Further,  how  God  blessed  her 
ways  and  endeavours  in  the  mean 
time,  while  she  thus  persecuted- 
the  true  servants  of  God,  reniain- 
eth  to  be  discussed.  Where  this 
is  first  to  be  noted,  that  when  she 
first  began  to  stand  for  the  title  of' 
the  crown,  and  yet  had  wrought- 
no  resistance  against  Christ  and 
his  gospel,  but  had  promised  her 
faith  to  the  Sutiolk  men,  to  main- 
tain the  religion  left  by  king  Ed-, 
ward,  her  brother,  so  long  God 
went  with  her,  advanced  her,  and 
by  the  means  of  the  gospellers 
brought  her  to  the  possession  of 
the  realm.  But  after  that,  she 
breaking  her  promise  with  God 
and  man,  began  to  take  part  witli 
Stephen  Gardiner,  and  had  given 
over  her  supremacy  to  the  pope, 
by  and  by  God's  blessing  left  her, 
neither  did  any  thing  thrive  well 
with  her  afterward,  during  the 
time  other  government. 

For  first,  the  greatest  and  finest 
ship  she  had,  called  Great  Harry, 
was  burnt;  such  a  vessel  as  was 
not  to  be  matched  in  these  parts  of 
Europe. 

Then  would  she  needs  bring  in 
king  Philip,  and  by  her  strange 
marriage  with   him,  to  make   the 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


765 


Avhole  realm  of  England  subject 
to  a  stranger.  And  all  that  not- 
withstanding, that  she  either  did, 
or  was  able  to  do,  she  could  not 
bring  to  pass  to  set  the  crown  of 
England  on  his  head.  With  king 
Philip  came  in  the  pope  and  his 
popish  mass;  with  whom  also  her 
purpose  was  to  restore  again  the 
monks  and  nuns  to  their  places, 
neither  lacked  there  any  attempts 
to  the  utmost  of  her  power  ;  and 
yet  therein  God  stopt  her  of  her 
will,  that  it  came  not  forward. 
After  this,  what  a  famine  happen- 
ed in  her  time  here  in  her  land  ? 
The  like  whereof  hath  not  been 
in  England,  insomuch  that  in  sun- 
»lry  places  her  poor  subjects  were 
forced  to  live  upon  acorns  for  want 
of  corn. 

Furthermore  where  other  kings 
are  wont  to  be  renowned  by  some 
worthy  victory  and  valour  achiev- 
ed, let  us  now  see  what  valiant 
victory  was  gotten  in  this  queen 
Mary's  days.  King  Edward  the 
Sixth,  her  blessed  brother,  how 
many  rebellions  did  he  suppress 
in  Devonshire,  in  Norfolk,  in  Ox- 
fordshire, and  elsewhere?  What  a 
famous  victory  m  as  got  in  his  time 
in  Scotland,  by  the  singular  work- 
ing (no  doubt)  of  God's  blessed 
hand,  rather  than  by  any  expec- 
tation of  man?  King  Edward  the 
Third  (which  was  the  eleventh 
king  from  the  conquest), by  princely 
puissance,  purchased  Calais  unto 
England,  which  hath  been  kept 
English  ever  since,  till  at  length 
came  queen  Mary,  the  eleventh 
likewise  from  the  said  king  Ed- 
ward, who  lost  Calais  from  Eng- 
land again;  so  that  the  victories 
of  this  queen  were  very  small, 
and  what  the  losses  were  let  other 
men  judge. 

Hitherto  the  affairs  of  queen 
Mary  have  had  no  great  success, 
as  you  have  heard :  but  never  had 
any  woman  worse  success  thao 
she  had  in  her  childbirth.  For  see- 
ing one  of  these  two  must  needs 
be  granted,  that  either  she  was 
witli  child,  or  not  with  child;  if 
she  were  with  child,  why  was  it 
not  seen?    If  she    were   not,  how 


was  all  the  realm  deluded?  And 
in  the  meanwhile,  where  were  all 
the  prayers,  the  solemn  proces- 
sions, 'the  devout  masses,  of  the 
Catholic  clergy  ?  Why  did  they 
not  prevail  with  God,  if  their  re- 
ligion were  so  godly  as  they  pre- 
tend ?  If  their  masses  indeed  be 
able  to  fetch  Christ  from  heaven, 
and  to  reach  down  to  purgatory  ; 
how  chanced  it  then  they  could 
not  reach  to  the  queen's  chamber, 
to  help  her  in  her  travail,  if  she  had 
been  with  child  indeed  ?  If  not, 
how  then  came  it  to  pass,  that  all 
the  Catholic  church  of  England 
did  so  err,  and  was  so  deeply  de- 
ceived ?  Queen  Mary,  after  these 
manifold  plagues  and  corrections, 
which  might  sudicienlly  admonish 
her  of  God's  disfavour  provoked 
against  her,  would  not  yet  cease 
her  persecution,  but  still  continued 
more  and  more  to  revenge  her 
Catholic  zeal  upon  the  Lord's 
faithful  people,  setting  fire  to  their 
poor  bodies  by  dozens  and  half- 
dozens.  Whereupon  God's  wrath- 
ful indignation,  increasing  more 
and  more  against  her,  ceased  not 
to  touch  her  more  near  with  pri- 
vate misfortunes  and  calamities. 
For  after  that  he  had  taken  from 
her  the  fruit  of  children  (which 
chiefly  and  above  all  things  she 
desired),  then  he  bereft  her  of  (hat 
which  of  all  earthly  things  should 
have  been  her  chief  stay  of  ho- 
nour, and  staff  of  comfort,  that  is, 
withdrew  from  her  the  affection 
and  company  even  of  her  own 
liusband,  by  whose  marriage  she 
had  promised  before  to  herself 
whole  heaps  of  such  joy  and  fe- 
licity:  hat  the  omnipotent  Go- 
vernor of  all  things  so  turned  the 
wheel  of  her  own  spinning  against 
her,  that  her  high  buildings  of  such 
joys  and  felicities  came  all  to  no- 
thing ;  her  hopes  being  confound- 
ed, her  purposes  disappointed, 
and  she  also  brought  to  desolation; 
who  seemed  neither  to  have  the 
fafour  of  God,  nor  the  hearts  of 
h^r  subjects,  nor  even  the  love  of 
her  husband ;  who  neither  had 
iVuit  by  him  while  she  had  him, 
veither  could  enjoy  him  whom  she 


766 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


had  married,  nor  yet  at  liberty  to 
luarry  any  other  whom  she  ini^ht. 
Now  observe  the  woful  adversity 
of  this  queen,  aud  learn  hence 
what  the  Lord  can  do  when  man's 
wilfulness  will  needs  resist  him, 
and  will  not  be  ruled. 

At  last,  when  all  these  fair  ad- 
monitions would  take  no  place 
with  the  queen,  nor  remove  her  to 
revoke  her  bloody  laws,  nor  to 
stay  the  tyranny  of  her  priests, 
nor  yet  to  spare  her  own  subjects, 
but  that  the  servants  of  God  were 
drawn  daily  by  heaps  most  pitifully 
as  sheep  to  the  slaughter,  it  so 
pleased  the  heavenly  Majesty  of 
Almighty  God,  when  no  other  re- 
medy would  serve,  seasonably  to 
cut  her  off  by  death,  who  in  her 
life  so  little  regarded  the  life  of 
others,  giving  her  throne,  which 
she  abused  to  the  destruction  of 
Christ's  church  and  people,  to  an- 
other, who  more  temperately  and 
quietly  could  guide  the  same,  after 
she  had  reigned  here  the  space  of 
five  years  and  live  months.  The 
shortness  of  whose  reign,  scarce 
we  find  in  any  other  story  of  king 
or  queen  since  the  conquest  or 
before  (being  come  to  their  own 
government),  save  only  king  Ri- 
chard III. 

And  thus  much  here,  as  in  the 
closing  up  of  this  story  I  thought 
to  insinuate,  touching  the  unlucky 
and  deplorable  reign  of  queen 
Mary  :  not  for  any  detraction  to 
her  place  and  state-royal,  where- 
unto  she  was  called  of  the  Lord, 
but  to  this  only  intent  and  effect, 
that  forsomuch  as  she  would  needs 
set  herself  so  confidently  to  work 
and  strive  against  tht  Lord  and 
his  proceedings,  all  rcad^^rs  and 
rulers  may  not  only  see  how  the 
Lord  did  work  against  her  there- 
fore, but  also  by  her  may  be  ad- 
vertised and  learn  what  a  dan- 
gerous thing  it  is  for  men  and  wo- 
men in  authority,  upon  blind  zeal 
and  opinion,  to  stir  up  persecution 
in  the  Christian  church,  to  the  «f- 
fusion  of  Christian  blood,  lest  \t 
prove  in  the  end  with  them  (as  it 
did  here),  that  while  they  think  to 
persecute  heretics,  they  stumblei 


at  the  same  »tone  as  did  the  Jews 
in  persecuting  Christ  and  his  true 
members  to  death,  to  their  own 
confusion  and  destruction. 

THE  SEVERE  PUNISHMENT  OF  GOD 
UPON  THE  PERSECUTORS  OF  HIS 
PEOPLE  AND  SUCH  AS  HAVE  BEEN 
BLASPHEMERS,   &C. 

Queen  Mary  being  dead  and 
gone,  we  will  now  leave  her,  and 
treat  of  those  under  her  who  were 
the  chief  instruments  in  this  per- 
secution, the  bishops  and  clergy, 
to  whom  she,  as  a  true  Catholic, 
gave  all  the  execution  of  her 
power.  Touching  which  prelates 
and  priests,  here  is  to  be  noted 
in  like  manner  the  miraculous 
providence  of  Almighty  God, 
which  as  he  shortened  the  reign 
of  their  queen,  so  he  suffered  them 
not  to  escape  unvisited  :  first  be- 
ginning with  Stephen  Gardiner, 
the  arch-persecutor,  whom  he  took 
away  about  the  midst  of  the  queen's 
reign. 

After  him  dropped  away  others 
also,  some  before  the  death  of 
queen  Mary,  and  some  after,  as 
Morgan,  bishop  of  St.  David's, 
who  sitting  upon  the  condemna- 
tion of  bishop  Farrer,  and  unjustly 
usurping  his  room,  not  long-  after 
was  struck  by  God's  hand  in  a 
strange  manner  by  inverting  of 
nature,  and  so  he  continued  till 
his  death. 

And  when  Mr.  Leyson,  the 
sheriff  at  Bishop  Farrer's  burning, 
had  brought  away  the  cattle  of  the 
said  bishop,  from  his  servant's 
house  into  his  own  custody,  on 
coming  into  the  sherift's  ground, 
divers  of  them  would  never  eat 
meat,  but  lay  bellowing  and  roar- 
ing, and  so  died. 

Bishop  Thornton,  suffragan  of 
Dover,  who  exercised  his  cruel 
tyranny  upon  so  many  pious  men 
at  Canterbury,  on  a  Sunday,  fell 
suddenly  into  a  palsy,  and  so  had 
to  bed,  was  willed  to  remember 
God.  Yea,  so  I  do,  said  he,  and 
my  lord  cardinal  too,  &c. 

Another  bishop  or  suffragan  of 
Dover,  ordained  by  the  aforesaid 
cardinal,   broke  his    neck,  failing 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


767 


<lown  a  pair  of  stairs  in  the  car- 
dinal's chamber  at  Greenwich,  as 
he  had  received  the  cardinal's  bless- 
ing. 

John  Cooper,  of  the  age  of  44 
years,  atWatsam  in  Suffolk,  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  a  man  of  very 
honest  report,  being  at  home,  there 
came  unto  him  one  William  Pen- 
ning, a  serving-man  of  the  same 
place,  to  buy  a  couple  of  fat  bul- 
locks, which  he  had  brought  up  for 
his  own  use,  on  refusing  to  sell 
them,  went  and  accused  him  of 
high-treason.  Though  he  flatly 
denied  the  words  imputed  to  him, 
and  said  he  never  spoke  them, 
that  did  not  avail  ;  for  he  was  ar- 
raigned at  Bury,  before  sir  Cle- 
ment Higham,  at  a  Lent  assize, 
and  there  this  Penning  brought 
two  vile  men,  that  witnessed  to 
the  speaking  of  the  treason, 
Richard  White,  of  Watsam,  and 
Grimwood,  of  Hitcham,  in  the 
said  county  of  Sufl'olk,  and  was 
sentenced  to  be  hanged,  drawn, 
and  quartered,  which  was  accord- 
ingly performed  soon  after,  to 
the  great  grief  of  many  a  good 
heart. 

Now,  when  this  innocent  man 
was  dead,  his  goods  spoiled,  his 
wife  and  children  left  desolate  and 
comfortless,  and  all  things  hushed, 
nothing  was  feared  of  any  part ; 
but  la  the  harvest  following,  as 
Grimwood  was  at  his  labour, 
stacking  up  a  golf  of  corn,  being 
in  health,  and  fearing  no  danger, 
suddenly  his  bowels  fell  out  of  his 
body,  and  he  most  miserably  died : 
such  was  the  terrible  judgment  of 
God,  to  shew  his  displeasure 
against  his  bloody  act. 

Mr.  Woodroffe,  the  sheriff,  at 
Mr.  Bradford's  death,  used  much 
to  rejoice  at  the  death  of  the  poor 
saints  of  Christ,  but  he  had  not 
come  out  of  his  office  a  week,  be- 
fore he  was  stricken  suddenly  by 
the  hand  of  God ;  the  one-half  of 
his  body  was  in  such  a  condition, 
that  he  lay  benumbed  and  bed- 
ridden, not  able  to  move  himself, 
but  as  he  was  lifted  by  others  ; 
and  he  continued  in  that  infirmity 


seven  or  eight  years,  till  his  dying 
day. 

There  was  a  certain  bailiff,  of 
Crowland,  in  Lincolnshire,  named 
Burton,  who  pretending  an  ear- 
nest friendship  to  the  gospel  in  king 
Edward's  days,  set  forth  the  king's 
proceedings  lustily,  till  the  time 
that  king  Edward  was  dead  ;  then 
perceiving  how  the  world  was  like 
to  turn,  the  bailiff  turned  his  reli- 
gion likewise ;  and  so  he  moved 
the  parish  to  shew  themselves  the 
queen's  friends,  and  so  set  up  the 
mass  speedily. 

But  when  he  saw  his  words  were 
not  regarded,  and  purposing  to 
win  his  spurs  by  playing  the  man 
in  the  mass's  behalf  and  the 
queen's,  he  got  him  to  church 
upon  a  Sunday  morning,  when 
the  curate  was  beginning  the  Eng- 
lish service,  according  to  the 
statute  set  forth  by  king  Edward 
the  Sixth ;  the  bailiff  coraeth  in  a 
great  rage  to  the  curate,  and  saith. 
Sirrah,  will  you  not  say  mass  ? 
Buckle  yourself  to  mass,  you 
knave,  or  by  God's  blood  I  shall 
sheath  my  dagger  in  your  shoulder. 
The  poor  curate  for  fear  was 
obliged  to  comply. 

Not  long  after  this,  he  was 
seized  with  a  violent  illness,  which 
continued  but  a  few  days,  when 
with  extreme  pain  of  vomiting  and 
crying,  he  desperately  died,  with- 
out any  token  of  repentance  'of  his 
former  life. 

As  James  Abbes  was  led  by  the 
sheriff  towards  his  martyrdom, 
divers  poor  people  stood  in  the 
way,  and  asked  their  alms.  He 
could  only  exhort  them  to  be 
strong  in  the  Lord,  and,  as  faithful 
followers  of  Christ,  to  stand  stead- 
fast unto  the  truth  of  the  gospel, 
which  he  (through  God's  help) 
would  then  in  their  sight  seal  and 
confirm  with  his  blood. 

After  the  fire  was  put  unto  him, 
one  of  the  sherifl's  servants,  who 
had  been  blaspheming,  was  there 
presently,  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
people,  stricken  with  a  frenzy, 
wherewith  he  had  before  most 
railingly  charged  that  good  martyr 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  God,  who  in  this  furious  rage 
and  madness  casting  off  his  shoes 
with  all  the  rest  of  his  clothes, 
cried  out  unto  the  people  and  said, 
Thus  did  James  Abbes  the  true 
servant  of  God,  who  is  saved,  but 
I  am  damned.  And  thus  ran  he 
round  about  the  town  of  Bury,  still 
crying  out,  that  James  Abbes  was 
a  good  man  and  saved,  but  he  was 
damned. 

The  priest  of  the  parish  being 
sent  for,  brought  Avith  him  the  cru- 
cifix, and  their  houseling  host  of 
the  altar.  Which  when  the  poor 
wretch  saw,  he  cried  out  that  he, 
with  such  others  as  he  was,  was 
the  cause  of  his  damnation,  and 
that  James  Abbes  was  a  good  man 
and  saved.  And  so  shortly  after 
died. 

Alexander,  the  keeper  of  New- 
gate, a  cruel  enemy  to  those  that 
lay  there  for  religion,  died  very 
miserably,  being  so  rotten  within, 
that  no  man  could  abide  the  smell. 

His  son  James,  having  left  unto 
him  by  his  father  great  substance, 
within  three  years  wasted  all  to 
nought :  and  when  some  marvelled 
how  he  spent  these  goods  so  fast : 
O,  said  he,  evil  gotten,  evil  spent; 
and  shortly  after  in  Newgate- 
market  fell  down  suddenly,  and 
wretchedly  died. 

John  Peter,  his  son-in-law,  an 
horrible  blasphemer  of  God,  and 
no  less  cruel  to  the  prisoners, 
rotted  away  and  miserably  died. 
Who  commonly,  when  he  would 
afiirm  any  thing,  were  it  true  or 
false,  used  to  say,  If  it  be  not  true, 
I  pray  God  I  rot  ere  I  die. 

Stephen  Gardiner  hirnself, 
after  so  long  professing  the  doc- 
trine of  papistry,  Avhen  there  came 
a  bishop  to  him  on  his  death-bed, 
and  put  him  in  remembrance  of 
Peter  denying  his  master;  he  an- 
swering again,  said,  that  he  had 
denied  with  Peter,  but  never  re- 
pented with  Peter,  and  so  both 
stinkingly  and  unrepentingly  died, 
thereby  giving  an  evident  example 
to  all  men,  to  understand  that  po- 
pery rather  is  a  doctrine  of  des- 
peration, procuring  the  vengeance 


of    Almighty    God    to   tliem    that 
wilfully  do  cleave  unto  it. 

Dr.  Story,  being  an  English- 
man by  birth,  and  from  his  infancy 
being  not  only  nursed  in  papistry, 
but  also  even  as  it  were  by  nature 
earnestly  affected  to  the  same, 
and  growing  somewhat  in  riper 
years,  in  the  days  of  queen  Mary 
became  a  bloody  tyrant,  and  cruel 
persecutor  of  Christ  in  his  mem- 
bers (as  all  the  histories  in  this 
book  almost  do  declare).  Thus  h 
raging  all  the  reign  of  the  afore- 
said queen  Mary  against  the  in- 
fallible truth  of  Christ's  gospel, 
and  the  true  professors  thereof, 
never  ceasing  till  he  had  consum- 
ed to  ashes  two  or  three  hundred 
blessed  martyrs,  who  willingly 
gave  their  lives  for  the  testimony 
of  his  truth  ;  and  thinking  their 
punishment  in  the  fire  not  cruel 
enough,  he  went  about  to  invent 
new  torments  for  the  holy  martyrs 
of  Christ,  such  was  his  hatred  to 
the  truth  of  Christ's  gospel :  but  in 
tlie  end  the  Lord  God  looking  upon 
the  aflliction  and  cruel  blood- 
shedding  of  his  servants,  took  away 
queen  Mary,  the  great  pillar  of  pa- 
pistry. After  whom  succeeded 
lady  Elizabeth,  now  queen  of 
England,  who  staying  the  bloody 
sword  of  persecution  from  raging 
any  further,  caused  the  same  Dr. 
Story  to  be  apprehended,  and 
committed  to  ward,  with  many 
others  his  accomplices,  sworn 
enemies  to  Christ's  glorious^  gos- 
pel. The  said  Story  having  been 
a  while  detained  in  prison,  at  last, 
by  what  means  I  know  not,  got  out. 
and  conveyed  himself  over  the 
seas,  where  he  continued  a  most 
bloody  persecutor,  still  raging 
against  God's  saints  with  fire  and 
sword.  Insomuch  as  he  growing 
to  be  familiar  and  right  dear  to  the 
duke  of  Alva,  in  Antwerp,  re- 
ceived special  commission  from 
him  to  search  the  ships  for  goods 
forfeited,  and  for  English  books, 
and  such  like. 

And  in  this  favour  and  authority 
he  continued  there  for  a  time,  by 
which   moans  he   did   much  hurt, 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS, 


7fi9 


and  brought  many  a  j^ood  man  and 
woman  into  trouble  and  extreme 
peril  of  life  through  his  blood- 
thirsty cruelty ;  but  at  last  the 
Lord  (when  the  measure  of  hig 
iniquity  was  full)  proceeded  in 
judgment  against  him,  and  cut  him 
off  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  ac- 
cording to  the  prayers  of  many  a 
good  man;  which  came  to  pass  in 
order  as  follovveth.  It  being  cer- 
tainly known  (for  the  report  there- 
of was  gone  forth    into  all  lands) 


that  he  not  only  intended  the  sub- 
version and  overthrow  of  his  na- 
tive country  of  England,  by  bring- 
ing in  foreign  hostility,  if  by  any 
means  he  might  encompass  it ;  but 
also  daily  and  hourly  n\urdcred 
God's  people  ;  there  was  this  plat- 
form laid  (by  God's  providence  no 
doubt)  that  one  Mr.  Parker,  a  mer- 
chant, should  sail  unto  Antwerp, 
and  by  some  means  convey  iStory 
into  England. 


Dress   of  a  Male  Pemtt'}it    who  recaiiis  to 
the  Inquisition. 


Dress  oj  II  Female  recantiri'^   Penitent. 


This  Parker  arriving  at  Ant- 
werp, suborned  certain  to  repair 
to  Dr.  Story,  and  to  signify  unto 
him,  that  there  was  an  English 
ship  come,  loaded  with  merchan- 
dize, and  that  if  he  would  make 
search  thereof  himself,  be  should 
find  store  of  English  books,  and 
other  things  for  his  purpose. 
Story  hearing  this,  and  suspecting 
nothing,  made  haste  towards  the 
ship,  thinking  to  make  fue  same 
^OX'S  MARTVRS. 


his  prey:  and  coming  on  board, 
searched  for  English  heretical 
books  (as  he  called  them);  and 
going  down  under  the  hatches, 
because  he  would  be  sure  to  have 
their  blood  if  he  could,  they  clap- 
ped down  the  hatches,  hoisted  up 
their  sail,  having  (as  God  would) 
a  good  gale,  and  sailed  away  unto 
England.  Where  they  arriving, 
presented  this  bloody  butcher,  and 
traitorous   rebel,  Storv,  to  the  no 

49 


770 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


little  icjoiciiis:  of  many  an  Eng- 
lish heart.  He  being  now  com- 
mitted to  prison,  continued  there  a 
good  space  :  during  all  which  time 
he  was  importuned  and  solicited 
daily  by  wise  and  learned  fathers 
to  recant  his  devilish  and  errone- 
ous opinions,  to  conform  himself 
to  the  truth,  and  to  acknowledge 
the  queen's  supremacy.  All  which 
he  utterly  denied  to  the  death, 
saying,  that  he  was  a  sworn  sub- 
ject to  the  king  of  Spain,  and  was 
no  subject  to  the  queen  of  Eng- 
land, nor  she  his  sovereign  queen  ; 
and  therefore  (as  he  well  deserved) 
he  was  condemned  (as  a  traitor  to 
God,  the  queen's  majesty,  and  the 
realm)  to  be  drawn,  hanged,  and 
quartered  ;  which  was  performed 
accordingly,  he  being  laid  upon 
an  hurdle,  and  drawn  from  the 
Tower  along  the  streets  to  Tyburn, 
where  he  being  hanged  till  he  was 
half  dead,  was  cut  down  and 
stripped  ;  and  (which  is  not  to  be 
forgot)  when  the  executioner  had 
cut  oir  his  privy  members,  he 
rushing  up  upon  a  sudden,  gave 
him  a  blow  upon  the  ear,  to  the 
great  wonder  of  all  that  stood  by  : 
and  thus  ended  this  bloody  Nim- 
rod's  wretched  life,  whose  judg- 
ment I  leave  to  the  Lord. 

And  thus  much  concerning  those 
persecutors. 

The  persecuting  clergy  who 
died  in  the  time  of  persecution,  we 
shall  take  no  notice  of,  but  those 
who  remained  after  the  death  of 
queen  Mary  were  deprived,  and 
committed  to  several  prisons. 

In  the  Tower. 

Nicholas  Heath,  archbishop  of 
York,  and  lord  chancellor. 

Thomas  Thirlby,  bishop  of  Ely. 

Thomas  Watson,  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln. 

Gilbert  Bourne,  bishop  of  Bath 
and  Wells. 

Richard  Pates,  bishop  of  Wor- 
cester. 

Troublefield,  bishop  of  Exeter. 

John  Fecknam,  abbot  of  West- 
minster. 

John  Borall,  dean  of  Windsor  and 
Peterborough. 


Of  David  Pool,  bishop  of  Peter-  ' 
borough  it  is  not  known  whether 
he  was  in  the  Tower,  or  in  some 
other  prison. 

Goldwel,  bishop  of  St.  Asaph, 
and  Maurice,  elect  of  Bangor,  ran 
away. 

Edmund  Bonner,  bishop  of  tion- 
don,  in  the  Marshalsea. 

Thomas  Wood,  bishop  elect,  in 
the  Marshalsea. 

Cuthbert  Scot,  bishop  of  Ches- 
ter, was  in  the  Fleet,  from  whence 
he  escaped  to  Louvain,  and  there 
died. 

In  the  Fleet. 

Henry  Cole,  dean  of  St.  Paul's. 
John    Harpsfield,    archdeacon     of 

London,  and  dean  of  Norwich. 
Nicholas    Harpsfield,    archdeacon 

of  Canterbury. 
Anthony  Draycot,    archdeacon    of 

Huntingdon. 
William   Chedsey,   archdeacon  of 

Middlesex. 

In  the  beginning  of  king  Ed- 
ward's reign  Dr.  Chedsey  recant- 
ed, and  subscribed  to  thirty-four 
articles,  wherein  he  fully  consent- 
ed and  agreed,  with  his  own  hand- 
writing, to  the  whole  form  of  doc- 
trine approved  and  allowed  then  in 
the  church.  So  long  as  the  state  of 
the  lord  protector  and  of  his  bro- 
ther stood  upright,  his  own  articles 
in  Latin,  written  and  subscribed 
with  his  own  hand,  declaie  what  I 
have  stated.  But  after  the  decay 
of  the  king's  uncles,  his  religion 
turned  withal,  and  he  took  upon 
him  to  dispute  with  Peter  Martyr, 
in  upholding  transubstantiation, 
at  Oxford,  which  a  little  before 
with  his  own  hand-writing  he  had 
overthrown. 

In  the  first  year  of  Elizabeth, 
one  William  Mauldon  was  bound 
servant  to  one  Mr.  Hugh  Aparry, 
then  a  wheat-taker  for  the  queen, 
dwelling  at  Greenwich  ;  who  found 
a  Primer  in  English,  wherein  he 
read  on  a  winter's  evening.  While 
he  was  reading,  there  sat  one  John 
Apowel,  who  mocked  after  every 
word,  that  he  could  no  longer 
abide  him  for  grief  of  heart,  but 
turned  to  him  and  said,  John,  take 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS 


771 


liced  %vhat  thou  dost :  tliou  dost 
not  mock  me,  but  thou  mockest 
God. 

Then  Mauldon  fell  to  reading 
again,  and  still  he  proceeded  on 
in  his  mocking  ;  and  when  Maul- 
don had  read  certain  English  pray- 
ers, in  the  end  he  read,  Lord  have 
mercy  upon  us,  Christ  have  mercy 
upon  us,  &c.  This  was  checked 
by  a  sudden  fear,  and  on  the  mor- 
row, about  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  John  came  running  down 
out  of  his  diamber  in  his  shirt 
into  the  hall,  when  they  bound 
him,  as  being  out  of  his  right 
mind. 

After  that,  as  he  lay,  almost  a 
day  and  a  night,  his  tongue  never 
ceased,  but  he  cried  out  of  the 
devil  of  hell.  And  his  words  were, 
O  the  devil  of  hell ;  now  the  devil 
of  hell,  I  see  tlie  devil  of  hell, 
there  he  is,  there  he  goeth.  Sec. 

Thus  he  lay  without  amendment 
six  days,  that  his  master  and  all 
the  family  being  Meary  of  the 
noise,  agreed  with  the  keepers  of 
Bedlam,  and  sent  him  thither. 

This  is  a  terrible  example  to  all 
mockers  of  God  :  therefore  repent 
and  amend,  lest  the  vengeance 
of  God  fall  upon  you  in  like 
manner. 

The  same  William  Mauldon 
chanced  afterwards  to  dwell  near 
London,  at  Walthamstow,  where 
his  wife  taught  young  children  to 
read,  which  was  about  the  year  of 
our  Lord  1563,  and  the  fourth 
year  of  queen  Elizabeth's  reign. 
Unto  this  school,  amongst  other 
children,  came  one  Benitield's 
daughter,  named  Dennis,  about  the 
agj;  of  twelve  years. 

.As  these  children  were  talking 
together,  they  happened,  among 
other  talk  (as  the  nature  of  chil- 
dren is  to  be  busy  with  many 
things),  to  fall  into  commonication 
of  God,  and  to  reaseu  amongst 
themselves,  after  their  childish  dis- 
cretion, what  he  should  be.  When 
one  of  the  children  had  said.  He 
was  a  good  old  Father,  Dennis 
Benifield  said,  He  is  an  old  doat- 
ing  fool. 


When  Mauldon  heard  of  these 
abominable  words  of  the  girl,  he 
desired  his  wife  to  correct  her  for 
the  same  ;  which  was  appointed 
to  be  done  tlie  next  day  ;  but  when 
the  morrow  came,  her  mother 
would  needs  send  her  to  London 
market.  The  girl  greatly  entreated 
her  mother  that  she  might  not  go  ; 
but  she  was  forced  to  go.  And  what 
happened  ?  Her  business  being 
done  at  London,  as  she  was  re- 
turning again  homeward,  a  little 
beyond  Hackney,  she  was  sud- 
denly struck  on  one  side,  which 
turned  black,  and  she  was  speech- 
less, and,  being  carried  back  to 
Hackney, there  died  the  same  night. 
Witness  of  the  same,  William 
Mauldon  and  his  wife,  also  Beni- 
field her  father,  and  mother. 

Therefore,  let  all  young  maids, 
boys,  and  young  men,  take  ex- 
ample by  this  wretched  creature, 
not  only  to  avoid  blaspheming  the 
sacred  Majesty  of  the  omnipotent 
God  their  Creator,  but  also  not 
once  to  take  his  name  in  vain, 
as  they  are  taught  in  his  command- 
ments. 

Secondly,  let  all  fathers,  godfa- 
thers, and  godmothers,  take  this 
for  a  warning,  to  see  the  instruc- 
tion and  catechising  of  their  chil- 
dren, for  whom  they  have  bound 
themselves  in  promise  both  to  God 
and  to  his  church. 

Thirdly,  let  all  blind  atheists, 
epicures,  and  mockers  of  religion, 
who  say  in  their  hearts,  there  is  no 
God,  learn  also  hereby  not  only 
what  God  is,  and  what  he  is  able 
to  do,  but  also  in  this  miserable 
creature  here  punisiied  in  this 
world,  behold  what  shall  likewise 
fall  on  them  in  the  world  to  come, 
unless  they  will  be  warned  betimes 
by  such  examples  as  the  Lord  doth 
give  them. 

Fourthly  and  lastly,  here  may 
also  be  a  spectacle  for  all  those 
who  are  blasphemers  and  abomin- 
able swearers,  abusing  his  glorious 
name  in  a  contemptuous  manner: 
whom,  if  neither  the  comofUiBd  of 
God,  nor  the  calling  of  the 
preacher,   nor    remorse    of    con- 


772 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


science,  nor  rule  of  reason,  nor 
their  withering  age,  nor  hoary 
hairs,  will  admonish,  let  these  ter- 
rible examples  of  God's  strict 
judgment  somewhat  move  them  to 
take  heed  to  themselves. 

Did  not  Thomas  Arundel,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  give  sen- 
tence against  the  lord  Cobham, 
and  died  himself  before  him,  being 
so  mortified  in  his  tongue,  that  he 
could  neither  swallow  nor  speak 
for  some  time  before  death? 

It  may  not  be  improper  here  to 
set  before  the  reader's  eyes  a  ter- 
rible example,  a  yeoman  of  the 
guards,  for  a  warning  to  all  cour- 
tiers, and  of  very  truth  no  longer 
ago  than  in  the  year  1668 :  the 
party  was  Christopher  Landesdale, 
living  in  Hackney,  in  Middlesex  : 
the  order  of  whose  life,  and  man- 
ner of  his  death,  being  worthy  to 
be  noted,  is  as  follows  : 

This  Landesdale  was  married  to 
an  old  woman  of  considerable 
property,  but  lived  in  a  state  of 
whoredom  with  a  young  woman, 
by  whom  he  had  two  children,  a 
son  and  a  daughter,  whom  he 
kept  in  his  own  house  till  his  de- 
cease. It  was  customary  for  him, 
■when  he  should  have  been  serving 
God  on  the  sabbath-day,  to  be 
ridJDg  or  walking  about  his  fields. 
He  was  also  a  great  swearer,  and 
a  great  drunkard,  and  took  de- 
light in  making  other  men  drunk, 
whom  he  would  have  to  call  him 
father,  and  he  would  call  them  his 
sons  ;  and  of  these  sons,  by  report, 
he  had  above  forty ! 

About  two  years  before  he  died, 
a  poor  man,  wl'io  was  ill  of  a  flux, 
happened,  through  weakness,  to 
lie  down  in  a  ditch  of  the  said 
Landesdale's,  where  be  was  suf- 
fered to  remain,  though  Landes- 
dale had  out-houses  and  barns 
enough  to  have  laid  him  in,  but 
would  not  shew  him  so  much  pity. 
In  that  situation  the  poor  man  lay 
night  and  day  about  six  weeks  be- 
fore he  died. 

Certain  gpod  neighbours  hear- 
ing of  this,  procured  things  ne- 
cessary for  his  relief,  but  he  was 


so  far  spent  that  he  could  not  be 
recoveied,  lying  in  the  hot  sun, 
with  a  horrible  smell,  most  pitiful 
to  behold. 

A  little  before  this  poor  man 
died,  he  desired  to  be  moved  to 
another  ditch,  more  shady. 
Whereupon  one  of  the  neighbours 
coming  to  Landesdale's  wife  for 
a  bundle  of  straw  for  him  to  sit 
upon,  she  required  to  have  him  re- 
moved to  Newington  side,  because, 
she  said,  if  he  should  die,  it  would 
be  very  far  to  carry  him  to  the 
church ! 

Besides  this,  there  was  a  mar- 
riage in  Landesdale's  house,  and 
the  guests  that  came  to  the  mar- 
riage gave  the  poor  man  money  as 
they  passed  and  repassed  him, 
but  Landesdale  disdained  to  con- 
tribute any  thing  to  his  relief,  not- 
withstanding that  he  had  promised 
to  Mr.  Searles,  one  of  the  queen's 
guard,  who  had  more  pity  on  him, 
to  minister  to  him  things  neces- 
sary. 

To  be  short,  the  next  day  poor 
Lazarus  departed  this  life,  and 
was  buried  in  Hackney  church- 
yard; upon  whom  Landesdale  did 
not  so  much  as  bestow  a  winding- 
sheet  towards  his  burial.  And 
thus  much  concerning  the  end  of 
poor  Lazarus.  Now  let  us  hear 
what  became  of  the  rich  glutton. 

About  two  years  after,  the  said 
Landesdale  being  full  of  liquor, 
(as  his  custom  was),  came  riding  in 
great  haste  from  London  on  St. 
Andrew's  day,  1568,  and  as  was 
reported  by  those  who  saw  him, 
reeling  to  and  fro,  with  his  hat  in 
his  hand,  and  coming  by  a  ditch, 
tumbled  headlong  into  it.  Some 
say  that  the  horse  fell  upon  bim, 
but  that  is  improbable.  'True  it  is, 
however,  that  the  horse,  more 
sober  than  his  master,  came  home, 
leaving  him  behind.  Whether  he 
broke  his  neck  with  the  fall,  or 
was  drowned,  (though  the  water 
water  was  scarce  a  foot  deep),  is 
uncertain;  but  certain  it  is,  he  was 
there  found  dead.  Being  thus 
found  ttead  in  the  ditch,  the  coro- 
ner  (  I    is  the  custom)  sat  upon 


judgmf:nt  on  the  persecutors. 


773 


him ;  and  ho  the  matter  was  ma- 
naged to  savt  his  goods,  the  Lord 
knoweth;  bu  the  goods  were 
saved,  and  the  poor  horse  indicted 
for  his  master's  death. 

The  neighbours  hearing  of  this 
man's  death,  and  considering  the 
manner  thereof,  said  is  was 
justly  fallen  upon  him,  that,  as  he 
suffered  the  poor  man  to  lie  ai»d 
die  in  a  ditch  near  his  own  house, 
so  his  end  was  to  die  in  a  ditch 
likewise.  And  thus.  Christian 
reader,  in  this  story,  I  have  set 
before  your  eyes  the  true  image  of 
a  rich  glutton  and  poor  Lazarus; 
by  which  we  may  discover  what 
happeneth  in  the  end  to  such  vo- 
luptuous epicures  and  atheists, 
who,  being  void  of  all  sense  of  re- 
ligion, and  fear  of  God,  yield 
themselves  up  to  all  profaneness 
of  life,  neither  regarding  honesty 
at  home,  nor  shewing  mercy  to 
their  neighbours  abroad. 

Christ  our  Saviour  saith,  Matt. 
V.  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for 
they  shall  obtain  mercy;"  but 
judgment  without  mercy  shall  be 
executed  on  them  which  have 
shewed  no  mercy,  &c.;  and  St. 
John  saith,  1  John  iv.,  "  He  that 
seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and 
shutteth  up  his  compassion  from 
him,  how  dwelleth  the  love  of  God 
in  him?"  &c.  Again,  Isaiah  crieth 
out  against  such  profane  drunk- 
ards, "  Wo  be  unto  them  that  rise 
up  early  to  follow  drunkenness, 
and  to  them  that  so  continue  until 
night,  till  they  be  set  on  fire  with 
wine.  In  those  companies  are 
harps  and  lutes,  tabrets  and  pipes, 
and  wine :  but  they  regard  not  the 
works  of  the  Lord,  and  consider 
not  the  operation  of  his  hands," 
&c.  Wo  be  unto  them  that  are 
strong  to  spue  out  wine,  and  ex- 
pert to  set  up  drunkenness. 

The  punishments  of  such  as  are 
dead  are  wholesome  documents  to 
such  as  are  alive.  Therefore,  as 
the  story  above  exemplified  may 
serve  to  warn  all  courtiers  and 
yeomen  of  the  guard,  so,  by  what 
followeth,  I  would  admonish  all 
gentlemen  to  take  heed  in  time, 
and  forsake  their  outrageous  swear- 


ing and  blaspheming  of  th«  Lord 
their  God. 

In  the  reign  of  king  Edward, 
there  was  in  Cornwall  a  certain 
lusty  young  gentleman,  who  rode 
in  company  with  other  gentlemen 
and  their  servants,  to  the  number 
of  about  forty  horsemen.  This 
youngster  entering  into  conversa- 
tion with  some  of  them,  began  to 
swear  most  horribly,  blaspheming 
the  name  of  God,  with  other  ribal- 
dry words  besides.  One  of  the  com- 
pany, not  able  to  abide  the  hear- 
ing of  such  blasphemous  abomina- 
tion, told  him,  in  gentle  words, 
that  he  should  give  answer  and 
account  for  every  idle  word. 

The  gentleman,  offended  thereat, 
said.  Why  takest  thou  thought 
for  me?  take  thought  for  thy 
winding-sheet.  Well,  said  the 
other,  amend,  for  death  giveth  no 
warning;  for  as  soon  cometh  a 
lamb's  skin  to  the  market  as  an 
old  sheep's.  God's  wounds,  saith 
he,  care  not  thou  for  me ;  raging 
still  after  this  manner,  worse  and 
worse  in  words,  till  at  length,  on 
their  journey,  they  came  riding 
over  a  large  bridge,  standing  over 
a  piece  of  an  arm  of  the  sea. 
Upon  which  bridge  this  gentleman 
swearer  spurred  his  horse  in  such 
a  manner,  that  he  sprang  ciean 
over,  with  him  on  his  back;  who, 
as  he  was  going,  exclaimed. 
Horse  and  man,  and  all,  to  the 
devil.  This  terrible  story  hap- 
pening at  a  town  in  Cornwall,  I 
would  have  been  afraid  to  have 
related  here,  but  for  the  testimony 
of  Mr.  Heynes,  a  minister,  who 
was  both  the  reprehender  of  his 
swearing,  and  witness  of  his  death. 
Ridley,  then  bishop  of  London, 
also  preached  and  declared  the 
same  fact  and  example  at 
Paul's  Cross.  The  name  of  the 
gentleman  I  could  by  no  means 
obtain  of  the  party  and  witness 
aforesaid,  for  dread  of  those  (as 
he  said)  of  his  kindred  who  yet  re- 
mained in  the  said  county. 

Having  now  sufficiently  admo- 
nished, first,  the  courtiers,  then 
the  gentlemen,  now,  thirdly,  for  a 
brief  admonition  to  the  lawyers, 


774 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


we  will  insert  liero  the  strange  end 
and  death  of  one  Henry  Smith,  a 
student  of  the  law. 

Henry    Smith,   having   a  godly 
gentleman  for  his  father,   and  an 
ancient  protestant,  living  at  Cam- 
den, in  Gloucestershire,  was   vir- 
tuously brought  up  by  him  in  the 
knowledge    of    God's   word,    and 
sincere      religion;       wherein      he 
shewed  himself  in  the  beginning 
such  an  earnest  professor,  that  he 
was  called  by  the  papists  prattling 
Smith.      After  these  good  begin- 
ings,  he  went  to  be  a  student  of 
the    law    in   the    Middle  Temple, 
London,  where,    by  ill  company, 
he  began  to  be  perverted  to  po- 
pery,    and    afterwards     going    to 
Louvain,       was       more       deeply 
grounded  in  the  same.     Insomuch 
that,    returning    from   thence,    he 
brought  with  him  pardons,  a  cru- 
cifix, with  an  Agnus   Dei,  which 
he  used  commonly  to  wear  about 
his  neck,  and  had  in  his  chamber 
images,  before  which  he  vs'as  wont 
to  pray;  besides  divers  other  po- 
pish trash,  which  he  brought  with 
him    from    Louvain.      Now   what 
end  followed  this  I  should  be  un- 
willing to  declare,  but  that  the  no- 
toriety of  the  fact  was    such    as 
amazed  almost  the  whole  city  of 
London.     This  end  was  this: 

A  short  time  after  his  return, 
this  Henry  Smith  became  a  foul 
jeerer,  and  a  scornful  scoffer  of 
that  religion  which  he  once  pro- 
fessed. In  his  bed-chamber,  in 
St.  Clement's  parish,  without 
Temple-bar,  as  he  was  -going  to 
bed  in  the  evening,  having  strip- 
ped himself  naked,  he  with  his 
girdle  or  garter  stangled  himself: 
having  his  Agnus  Dei  in  silver  on 
a  table,  with  his  other  idolatrous 
trash  in  a  window  by  him.  And 
thus  being  dead,  and  not  thought 
worthy  to  be  interred  in  the 
church-yard,  he  was  buried  in  a 
lane  called  Foskew-Iane. 

FOREIGN  EXAMPLES  OF  GOD's 
JUDGMENT  AGAINST  PERSECU- 
TORS, 8cc. 

HoiMEisTER,  the  great  arch-pa- 
pist, and  chief  master-pillar  of  the 


pope's  falling  church,  as  he  was 
on  bis  journey  towards  the  council 
of  Ratisbon,  to  dispute  against  the 
defenders  of  Christ's  gospel,  sud- 
denly in  his  journey,  not  far  from 
Ulmes,  was  prevented  by  the 
stroke  of  God's  hand,  and  there 
miserably  died,  with  horrible  roar- 
ing and  crying  out. 

Another  example  we  have,  of 
one  Arnoldus  Bomelius,  a  young 
man  of  the  university  of  Louvain, 
well  commended  for  his  flourishing 
wit  and  ripeness  of  learning,  who, 
whilst  he  favoured  the  cause  of 
the  gospel,  and  took  part  with  the 
same  against  the  enemies  of  the 
truth,  prospered  and  went  well 
forward;  but  after  he  drew  to  the 
company  of  Tyleman,  master  of 
the  pope's  college  in  Louvain,  and 
framed  himself  after  the  rule  of  his 
unsavoury  doctrine,  that  is,  to 
stand  in  fear  and  doubt  of  his  jus- 
tification, and  to  work  his  salva- 
tion by  merits  and  deeds  of  the 
law,  he  began  more  and  more  to 
grow  in  doubtful  despair  and  dis- 
comfort of  mind;  as  the  nature  of 
that  doctrine  is,  utterly  to  pluck 
away  a  man's  mind  from  all  cer- 
tainty and  true  liberty  of  spirit,  to 
a  servile  doubtfulness,  full  of  dis- 
comfort and  bondage  of  soul. 

Thus  the  young  man,  seduced 
and  perverted  through  this  blind 
doctrine  of  ignorance  and  dubita- 
tion,  fell  into  a  great  agony  of 
mind,  wandering  and  wrestling  in 
himself  a  long  time,  till  at  length 
being  overcome  with  despair,  and 
not  having  in  the  popish  doctrine 
wherewith  to  raise  up  his  soul,  he 
M'ent  out  of  the  city  on  a  time  to 
walk,  accompanied  by  three  other 
students  of  the  same  university, 
his  special  familiars.  As  they  re- 
turned home  again,  Arnoldus, 
through  fatigue,  as  it  seemed,  sat 
down  by  a  spring  side  to  re.st  him- 
self: thinking  no  ill,  went  for- 
wards, and  in  the  mean  time  Ar- 
noldus suddenly  took  out  his  dag- 
ger, and  struck  himself  into  the 
body  with  so  much  violence  that  he 
died  almost  immediately. 
Johannes  Sleidanus,  in  his  23d 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


book,  glvetli  a  relation  of  Cardi- 
nal Crescentius,  the  chief  pre- 
sident and  moderator  of  the  coun- 
cil of  Trent,  anno  1552.  The  story 
of  whom  is  certain,  the  thing  that 
happened  to  him  was  strange  and 
notable,  the  example  of  him  may 
be  profitable  to  others,  such  as 
have  grace  to  be  warned  by  other 
men's  evils. 

The  twenty-fifth  day  of  March, 
in  the  year  aforesaid,  Crescentius, 
the  pope's  legate,  and  vicegerent 
in  the  council  of  Trent,  was  sit- 
ting iill  day  long  until  dark  night, 
in  writing  letters  to  the  pope. 
After  his  labour,  when  night  was 
come,  thinking  to  refresh  himself, 
he  began  to  rise;  behold  there  ap- 
peared to  him  a  mighty  black  dog, 
of  a  huge  bigness,  his  eyes  shin- 
ing with  fire,  and  his  ears  hanging 
down  well  near  to  the  ground,  and 
straightbegan  to  come  towards  him, 
and  couched  under  the  table.  The 
cardinal,  not  a  little  surprised  at 
the  sight  thereof,  somewhat  reco- 
vering himself,  called  to  his  ser- 
vants, who  were  in  the  outward 
chamber  next  by,  to  bring  in  a 
candle,  and  to  seek  for  the  dog. 
But  when  the  dog  could  not  be 
found,  neither  there,  nor  in  any 
other  chamber  about,  the  cardinal 
thereupon  struck  with  a  sudden 
conceit  of  mind,  immediately  fell 
into  such  a  sickness,  that  his  phy- 
sicians which  he  had  about  him, 
with  all  their  art  and  industry, 
could  not  cure  him.  And  so  in 
the  town  of  Verona  died  this  po- 
pish cardinal,  the  pope's  holy  le- 
gate, and  president  of  this  coun- 
cil, wherein  his  purpose  was  (as 
Sleidan  saith)  to  recover  and  heal 
again  the  whole  authority  and  doc- 
trine of  the  Romish  see,  and  to  set 
it  up  for  ever. 

There  were  in  this  council  of 
Trent,  besides  the  pope's  legates 
and  cardinals,  24  bishops,  doctors 
of  divinity  62.  And  thus  was  the 
end  of  this  popish  council,  by  the 
provident  hand  of  the  Almighty, 
dispatched  and  brought  to  nought. 

The  council  of  Trent  being  thus 
dissolved  by  the  death  of  this  car- 
dinal,    was     afterward,     notwith- 


775 

standing,  collected  again  about 
the  year  of  our  Lord  1562,  against 
the  erroneous  proceedings  of 
which  council  other  writers  there 
be  that  say  enough.  So  much  as 
pertaiueth  only  to  my  story,  I 
thought  proper  hereunto  to  add  an 
account  of  two  adulterous  filthy 
bishops,  belonging  to  the  said 
council,  one  of  whom  resorting  to 
an  honest  wife,  was  slain  by  the 
just  stroke  of  God  witli  a  boar- 
spear.  The  oilier  bishop,  who 
used  to  creep  through  u  window, 
in  the  same  window  was  suhtilely 
taken  and  hanged  in  a  giu  laid  for 
him  on  purpose,  and  so  contrived, 
that  in  the  morning  lie  was  seen 
openly  in  the  street" hanging  out  of 
the  window,  to  the  wonder  of  all 
that  passed  by. 

In  the  city  of  Antwerp  lived 
one,  named  John  Vander 
Warfe,  of  good  estimation 
amongst  the  chief  of  that  place; 
who,  as  he  was  of  a  cruel  nature, 
so  he  was  of  a  perverse  and  cor- 
rupt judgment,  and  a  sore  perse- 
cutor of  Christ's  flock,  wiih  greedi- 
ness seeking  and  shedding  inno- 
cent blood,  and  had  drowned  di- 
vers good  men  and  women  in  the 
water,  for  which  he  was  much 
commended  by  the  bloody  genera- 
tion. By  some  he  was  called  a 
bloodhound,  or  bloody  dog.  By 
others  he  was  called  a  shilpad, 
that  is  to  say,  sheltoad,  for  he, 
being  a  short  grundy,  and  of  little 
stature,  did  ride  commonly  with  a 
great  broad  hat,  as  a  country 
churl. 

This  man  being  weary  of  his  of- 
fice (wherein  he  had  continued 
above  twenty  years),  he  gave  it 
over;  and  because  he  was  now 
grown  rich  and  wealthy,  he  in- 
tended to  pass  the  residue  of  liis 
life  in  ease  and  pleasure. 

About  the  second  year  after,  he 
came  to  Antwerp,  to  the  feast 
called  Our  Lady's  Oumegang,  to 
make  merry ;  which  feast  is  usu- 
ally kept  on  the  Sunday  following 
the  Assumption  of  our  Lady.  The 
same  day,  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  he  being  well  loaden 
with  wine,  rode  homewards  in  his 


776 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


wajfpon,  with  liLs  tvife,  and  a  gen- 
tlewoman waiting  on  het,  and  his 
Ibol.  As  soon  as  the  waggon  was 
come  without  the  gates  of  the  city, 
upon  the  wooden  bridge  being  at 
that  time  made  for  a  shift,  with 
rails  or  barriers  on  each  side  for 
the  safety  of  the  passengers  (about 
half  the  height  of  a  man),  the 
horses  steod  still,  and  would  by 
no  means  go  forward,  whatsoever 
the  driver  of  the  waggon  could  do. 

Then  he  cried  out  to  him  that 
guided  the  waggon,  saying,  Ride 
on  ;  in  the  name  of  a  thousand  de- 
vils, ride  on  !  The  poor  man  an- 
swered, that  he  could  not  make 
the  horses  go  forward.  By  and 
by,  while  they  were  yet  talking, 
suddenly  arose,  as  it  were,  a 
mighty  whirlwind,  with  a  terrible 
noise  (the  weather  being  very  fair, 
and  no  wind  stirring  before),  and 
tost  the  waggon  into  the  town- 
ditch  ;  the  ropes  that  tied  the 
horses  being  broke  asunder,  in 
such  a  manner  as  if  they  had  been 
out  with  a  sharp  knife  ;  the  wag- 
gon being  also  cast  upside  down, 
by  the  fall  whereof  he  had  his 
neck  broke,  and  was  swallowed 
up  in  the  mire.  His  wife  was 
taken  up  alive,  but  died  in  three 
days  after.  But  the  gentlewoman 
and  the  fool,  by  God's  providence, 
were  preserved  from  harm.  The 
fool  hearing  the  people  say  his 
master  was  dead,  said.  And  was 
not  I  dead,  was  not  I  dead 
too?  This  happened  in  the  year 
1553.  Witness  hereof,  not  only 
the  printer  of  the  same  story  in 
Dutch,  dwelling  then  in  Antwerp, 
whose  name  was  Francis  Fraet,  a 
good  man,  and  afterwards  through 
hatred  was  put  to  death  by  the 
papists,  but  also  divers  other 
Dutchmen  here,  in  England,  and 
a  great  number  of  English  mer- 
chants who  were  at  that  time  in 
Antwerp. 

In  the  year  1565,  there  was  in 
the  town  of  Gaunt,  in  Flanders, 
one  William  de  Wever,  accused 
and  imprisoned  by  the  provost  of 
t>t.  Peter's,  in  Gaunt,  (who  had  in 
his  cloister  a  prison  and  place  of 
(Txccution),   and  the  day  the   said 


William  was  called  to  the  place  o4 
judgment,  the  provost  sent  for  Mr. 
Giles  Brackleman,  principal  advo- 
cate of  the  council  of  Flanders, 
and  burgh-master  and  judge  of 
St.  Peter's,  in  Gaunt,  with  other 
rulers  of  the  town,  to  sit  in  judg- 
ment upon  him  ;  and  as  they  sat 
in  judgment,  Mr.  Giles  Brackleman 
reasoned  with  the  said  William  de 
Wever  upon  divers  articles  of  his 
faith.     One  whereof  was. 

Why  he  denied  that  it  was  law- 
ful to  pray  for  saints ;  and  he  an- 
swered, For  three  causes :  the  one 
Mas,  That  they  were  but  creatures, 
and  not  the  Creator.  The  second 
was. 

That  if  he  should  call  upon 
them,  the  Lord  did  both  see  it 
and  hear  it ;  and  therefore  he 
durst  give  the  glory  to  none  other 
but  God.  The  third  and  chief 
cause  was, 

That  the  Creator  had  command- 
ed in  his  holy  word  to  call  upon 
him  in  trouble,  unto  which  com- 
mandment he  durst  neither  add  nor 
take  from. 

He  also  demanded,  whether  he 
did  not  believe  that  there  was  a 
purgatory  which  he  should  go  into 
after  this  life,  where  ;every  one 
should  be  purified  and  cleansed. 

He  answered,  That  he  had  read 
over  the  wliole  Bible,  and  could 
find  no  such  place,  but  the  death  of 
Christ  was  his  purgatory :  with 
many  other  questions,  proceeding 
after  their  order,  till  he  came  to 
pronounce  his  condemnation. 
But  before  it  was  read,  he  was 
struck  with  a  palsy,  that  his  mouth 
was  almost  drawn  up  to  his  ear, 
and  so  he  fell  down,  the  rest  of  the 
lords  standing  before  him,  that  the 
people  might  not  see  him :  and 
the  people  were  desired  to  depart. 
Then  they  took  him  up  and  car- 
ried him  to  his  house,  where  he 
died  the  very  next  day.  Yet  not- 
withstanding all  this,  they  burnt 
William  de  Wever  within  three 
hours  after. 

About  the  orders  of  Suevia,  in 
Germany,  there  was  a  monastery 
of  Cistercian  monks,  founded  in 
the  days  of  pope  Innocent  the  Sc-* 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


777 


cond,  by  a  noble  baron,  about  the 
year  1 110.  This  cell,  in  process  of 
time,  was  enlarged  with  more 
ample  possessions,  finding  many 
jrreat  and  liberal  benefactors  con- 
tributing to  the  same  ;  as  emperors, 
dukes,  and  rich  barons. 

The  earls  of  Montford  had  be- 
stowed upon  it  great  privileges, 
upon  this  condition,  that  they 
should  receive  with  free  hospitality 
any  strangers,  either  horsemen  or 
footmen,  for  one  night's  lodging. 
But  this  hospitality  did  not  long  so 
continue,  through  a  subtle  and 
devilish  device  of  one  of  the 
monks,  who  took  upon  him  to  play 
the  part  of  the  devil,  rattling  and 
raging  in  his  chains,  near  the 
room  where  the  strangers  lay,  in  a 
frightful  manner,  in  the  night  time, 
to  terrify  the  guests ;  by  reason 
whereof  no  stranger  nor  traveller 
durst  there  abide  ;  and  thus  he 
continued  for  a  long  time. 

At  length  it  happened,  that  one 
of  the  earls  of  Montford,  a  bene- 
factor to  that  abbey,  coming  to 
the  monastery,  was  there  lodged ; 
whea  night  came,  and  the  earl  at 
rest,  the  monk,  after  his  wonted 
manner,  began  to  play  the  devil. 
There  was  stamping,  ramping,  and 
spitting  of  fire,  roaring,  thunder- 
ing, bouncing  of  boards,  and  rat- 
tling of  chains,  enough  to  make  a 
man  stark  mad.  The  earl  hearing 
the  sudden  noise,  and  peradven- 
ture  afraid  at  first,  though  he  had 
not  the  art  of  conjuring,  yet  tak- 
ing a  good  heart,  and  running  to 
iiis  sword,  he  laid  about  him  so 
well,  and  still  followed  the  noise  of 
the  devil  so  close,  that  at  last  the 
jesting  devil  was  slain  by  the  earl 
in  earnest. 

A    LETTER,    WRITTEN    TO    HENRY  II. 
KING    OF    FRANCE. 

The  following  Letter,  translated 
from  a  Work  published  in  France, 
entitled,  "  Commentaries  of  the 
State  of  the  Church  and  Public 
Weal,"  wili  shew  that  the  blind 
and  besotted  tyrant,  Henry  II.  of 
France,  wanted  not  warnings  to 
dissuade  him  from  a  continuance 


in  his  cruel  course  of  persecution  ; 
but  he  was  deaf  to  every  sugges- 
tion of  mercy  or  prudence,  and 
pursued  the  same  career  till  the 
Almighty  vengeance  visited  him 
with  a  violent  death,  and  snatched 
him  from  the  midst  of  earthly 
pomp  and  pleasures,  to  that  placo 
where  there  is  "  howling  and 
gnashing  of  teeth." 

Consider,  I  pray  you,  sir,  and 
you  shall  find  that  all  your  afflic- 
tions have  come  upon  you,  since 
you  have  set  yourself  against 
those  who  are  called  Lutherans. 

When  you  made  the  edict  of 
Chasteaubriant,  God  sent  you 
war ;  but  when  you  ceased  the 
execution  of  your  said  edict,  and 
as  long  as  you  were  an  enemy  to 
the  pope,  and  going  into  Almany 
for  the  defence  of  the  Germans 
afflicted  for  religion,  your  affairs 
prospered  as  you  would  wish  or 
desire. 

On  the  contrary,  what  hath  be- 
come upon  you  since  you  were 
joined  with  the  pope  again,  having 
received  a  sword  from  him  for  his 
own  safeguard  ?  And  who  was  it 
that  caused  you  to  break  the  truce? 
God  hath  turned  in  a  moment  your 
prosperities  into  such  afflictions, 
that  they  touch  not  only  the  state 
of  your  own  person,  but  of  your 
kingdom  also. 

To  what  end  came  the  enter- 
prise of  the  duke  of  Guise  in  Italy, 
going  about  the  service  of  the  ene- 
my of  God,  and  purposing,  after 
his  return,  to  destroy  the  vallies  of 
Piedmont,  to  offer  or  sacrifice  them 
to  God  for  his  victories  ?  The 
event  hath  well  declared,'  that 
God  can  turn  upside  down  our 
councils  and  enterprises :  as  he 
overturned  of  late  the  enterprise 
of  the  constable  of  France  at  St. 
Quintin's,  having  vowed  to  God, 
that  at  his  return  he  would  go  and 
destroy  Geneva,  when  he  had  got- 
ten the  victory. 

Have  you  not  heard  of  L.  Pon- 
chet,  archbishop  of  Tours,  who 
made  application  for  the  erection 
of  a  court  called  Chambre  Ardent, 


778 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


wherein  to  condemn  the  protest- 
ants  to  the  fire ;  who  afterwards 
was  struck  with  a  disease  called 
tke  fire  of  God,  which  began  at 
his  feet,  and  so  ascended  upward, 
that  one  member  after  another  was 
obliged  to  be  cut  off,  and  so  he 
miserably  died  without  remedy? 

Also. one  Castellanus,  who  hav- 
ing enriched  himself  by  the  gospel, 
and  forsaking  the  pure  doctrine 
thereof,  to  return  unto  his  vomit 
again,  went  about  to  persecute  the 
Christians  at  Orleans,  and  by  the 
hand  of  God  was  stricken  in  his 
body  with  a  disease  unknown  to 
the  physicians,  the  one-half  of  his 
body  burning  as  hot  as  fire,  and 
the  other  as  cold  as  ice  ;  and  so 
most  miserably  lamenting  and 
crying,  ended  his  life. 

There  are  other  infinite  exam- 
ples of  God's  judgments  worthy  to 
be  remembered ;  as  the  death  of 
the  chancellor  and  legate  du  Prat, 
who  was  the  first  that  opened  to 
the  parliament  the  knowledge  of 
heresies,  and  gave  out  the  first 
commissions  to  put  the  faithful  to 
death,  swearing  and  horribly  blas- 
pheming God.  When  dead,  his 
stomach  was  found  pierced  and 
gnawn  asunder  with  worms. 

Also  one  named  Claude  de  Asses, 
a  counsellor  in  the  said  court,  the 
same  day  that  he  gave  his  opinion 
and  consent  to  burn  a  faithful 
Christian,  (although  it  was  not 
done  indeed  as  he  would  have  it), 
after  he  had  dined,  committed 
whoredom  with  a  servant  in  the 
house,  and  even  in  the  very  action 
he  was  stricken  with  a  disease 
called  an  apoplexy,  whereof  he 
immediately  died. 

Peter  Liset,  chief  president  of 
the  said  court,  and  one  of  the  au- 
thors of  the  aforesaid  burning- 
chamber,  was  deposed  from  his 
office,  for  being  known  to  be  out  of 
his  wits  and  bereaved  of  his  under- 
standing. 

Likewise  John  Andrew,  book- 
binder to  the  palace,  a  spy  for  the 
president  Liset,  and  of  Uiuseard 
the  king's  solicitor,  died  in  a  fury 
and  madness. 


The  inquisitor  John  de  Roma,  in 
Provence,  his  flesh  fell  from  him 
by  piecemeal,  so  stinking  that  no 
man  could  come  near  him. 

Also  John  Minerius,  of  Pro- 
vence, who  was  the  cause  of  the 
death  of  a  prodigious  great  num- 
ber of  men,  women,  and  children, 
at  Cabriers,  and  at  Merindol,  died 
with  bleeding  in  the  lower  parts, 
the  fire  having  taken  his  belly, 
blaspheming  and  despising  God : 
besides  many  others  whereof  we 
might  make  recital,  which  were 
punished  with  the  like  kind  of 
death. 

It  may  please  your  majesty  to 
remember  yourself,  that  you  had 
no  sooner  determined  to  set  upon 
us,  but  new  troubles  were  moved 
by  your  enemies,  with  whom  you 
could  come  to  no  agreement;  which 
God  would  not  sufler,  forasmuch 
as  your  peace  was  grounded  upon 
the  persecution  'which  you  pre- 
tended against  God's  servants : 
as  also  your  cardinals  cannot  sub- 
vert through  their  cruelty  the 
course  of  tlije  gospel,  which  hath 
taken  such  root  in  your  realm,  that 
if  God  should  give  you  leave  to 
destroy  the  professors  thereof,  you 
should  be  almost  a  king  without 
subjects. 

Tertullian  hath  well  said,  that 
the  blood  of  martyrs  is  the  seed 
of  the  gospel.  Wherefore,  to  take 
away  all  these  evils  coming  of  the 
riches  of  papists,  which  cause  so 
much  whoredom,  sodomy,  and  in- 
cest, wherein  they  wallow  like 
hogs,  feeding  their  idle  bellies,  the 
best  way  were  to  put  them  from 
their  lands  and  possessions,  as 
the  old  sacrificing  Levites  were, 
according  to  the  express  command- 
ment which  was  given  to  Joshua. 
For  as  long  as  the  commandment 
of  God  took  place,  and  that  they 
were  void  of  ambition,  the  purity 
of  religion  remained  whole  and 
perfect ;  but  when  they  began  to 
aspire  to  principalities,  riches,  and 
worldly  honours,  then  began  the 
abomination  and  desolation  that 
Christ  foretold. 
It  was  even  so  in  the  primitive 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


779 


churcli,  for  it  flourished  and  con- 
tinned  in  all  pureness,  as  lon^^  as 
the  ministers  were  of  small  wealth, 
and  sought  not  their  particular 
profit,  but  the  glory  of  God.  But 
since  the  pope  began  to  be  prince- 
like, and  to  usurp  the  dominion  of 
the  empire  under  the  colour  of  a 
false  donation  of  Constantine,  they 
have  turned  the  scriptures  from 
their  true  sense,  and  have  attri- 
buted the  service  to  themselves, 
which  we  owe  to  God.  Where- 
fore your  majesty  may  seize  with 
good  right  upon  all  the  temporal- 
ities of  the  benifices,  and  that  with 
a  safe  conscience  to  employ  them 
to  their  true  and  right  use. 

First,  For  the  finding  and  main- 
taining of  the  faithful  ministers  of 
the  word  of  God,  for  such  livings 
shall  be  requisite  for  them,  ac- 
cording as  the  case  shall  require. 
Secondly,  For  the  entertainment 
of  your  justices  that  give  you  judg- 
ment. Thirdly,  for  the  relieving 
of  the  poor,  and  maintenance  of 
colleges  to  instruct  the  poor  youth 
in  that  which  they  shall  be  most 
apt  unto.  And  the  rest,  which  is 
infinite,  may  remain  for  entertain- 
ment for  your  own  estate  and  af- 
fairs, to  the  great  easement  of  your 
poor  people,  which  alone  bear  the 
burden,  and  possess  in  a  manner 
nothing. 

In  doing  this,  an  infinite  number 
of  men,  and  even  of  your  nobility, 
who  live  by  the  crucifix,  would  em- 
ploy themselves  to  your  service 
and  the  common-wealth's  so  much 
the  more  diligently,  as  they  see 
that  you  recompense  none  but 
those  that  have  deserved;  whereas 
now  there  is  an  infinite  number  of 
men  in  your  kingdom,  which  oc- 
cupy the  chief  and  greatest  bene- 
fices, who  never  deserved  any  part 
of  them.  And  thus  much  touch- 
ing the  superfluous  possessions  of 
the  pope's  lordly  clergy.  Now 
proceeding  further  in  this  exhorta- 
tion to  the  king,  thus  the  letter  im- 
porteth. 

But  when  the  papists  see  that 
they  have  not  any  reason  to  al- 
lege for  themselves,  they  endea- 
'»our  to  make  the    Lutherans  (as 


theycall  us)  odious  to  your  majesty, 
and  say,  if  their  sayings  take 
place,  you  shall  be  fain  to  remain 
a  private  person,  and  that  tiiere  is 
never  a  change  of  religion,  but 
there  is  also  a  change  of  prince- 
dom. A  thing  as  false  as  when 
they  accuse  us  to  be  sacramenta- 
ries,  and  that  we  deny  the  autho- 
rity of  magistrates,  under  the 
shadow  of  certain  furious  Anabap- 
tists, whom  Satan  hath  raised  in 
our  time  to  darken  the  light  of  the 
gospel.  For  the  histories  of  the 
emperors  who  have  begun  to  re- 
ceive the  Christian  religion,  and 
that  which  is  come  to  pass  in  our 
time,  shew  the  contrary. 

Was  there  ever  prince  more 
feared  and  obeyed  than  Constan- 
tine in  receiving  the  Christian  re- 
ligion? Was  he  therefore  put 
from  the  empire  ?  No,  he  was  there- 
by the  more  confirmed  and  estab- 
lished in  the  same,  and  also  his 
posterity  who  ruled  themselves  by 
his  providence.  But  such  as  have 
fallen  away,  and  followed  men's 
traditions,  God  hath  destroyed, 
and  their  race  is  no  more  known 
in  the  earth,  so  much  doth  God  de- 
test them  that  forsake  him. 

And  in  our  time  the  late  kings 
of  England  and  Germany,  were 
they  constrained  in  reproving  su- 
perstitions, which  the  wickedness 
of  the  times  had  brought  in,  to 
forsake  their  kingdoms  and  prince- 
doms ?  All  men  see  the  contrarj'  j 
and  what  honour,  fidelity,  and 
obedience,  the  people  in  our  time 
that  have  received  the  reformation 
of  the  church  do  under  their 
princes  and  superiors.  Yea,  I 
may  say,  that  the  princes  knew  not 
before  what  it  was  to  be  obeyed,  at 
that  time  when  the  rude  and  igno- 
rant people  received  so  readily  the 
dispensations  of  the  pope,  to 
drive  out  their  own  kings  and  na- 
tural lords. 

The  true  and  only  remedy,  sir,  is 
that  you  cause  to  be  holden  as  holy 
and  free  council,  where  you  should 
be  chief,  and  not  the  pope  and  his, 
who  ought  but  only  to  defend  their 
causes  by  the  holy  scriptures  ;  that 
in  the  mean  while  you  ma}'  seek 


780 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


out  men  not  corrupted,  suspected, 
nor  partial,  whom  you  may  charge 
to  give  report  faithfully  unto  you 
of  the  true  sense  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures.    And   this    done,   after  the 
example  of  the  good  kings,  Josa- 
phat,   Ezechias,   and  Josias,    you 
shall  take  out  of   the   church   all 
idolatry,  superstition,  and   abuse, 
which  is  founded  directly  contrary 
to  the  holy  scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  and  by  that 
means   you  shall  guide  your  peo- 
ple in  the  true  and  pure  service  of 
God,  not  regarding  in   the   mean 
time  the  cavilling  pretences  of  the 
papists,   who  say  that  such  ques- 
tions have  been  already  answered 
at    general     councils :     but    it    is 
known  well  enough,  that  no  coun- 
cil   hath    been    lawful    since    the 
popes  have  usurped  the  principal- 
ity and  tyranny  upon  men's  souls, 
but  they  have  made  them  serve  to 
their  covetousness,    ambition,  and 
cruelty  ;  and  the  contrary  which  is 
among     those     councils,     maketh 
enough  for  their  disproof,  besides 
a  hundred  thousand  other  absurd- 
ities   against    the    word    of    God, 
which  be  in  them.     The  true  proof 
of  such   matters  is  in  the  true  and 
holy  scriptures,  to  which  no  times, 
Kor  age,  hath  any  prescription  to 
be  alleged   against   them;    for  by 
them    we     receive     the     councils 
founded   upon  the  word   of   God, 
and  also  by   the   same   we  reject 
that  doctrine  which  is  repugnant. 

And  if  you  do  thus,  sir,  God 
will  bless  your^^enterprise  ;  he  will 
increase  and  confirm  your  reign 
and  empire,  and  your  posterity. 
If  otherwise,  destruction  is  at  your 
gate,  and  unhappy  are  the  people 
which  shall  dwell  under  your  obe- 
dience. There  is  no  doubt  but 
God  will  harden  your  heart  as  he 
did  Pharaoh's,  and  take  off  the 
crown  from  your  head,  as  he  did 
to  Jeroboam,  Nadab,  Baza,  Achah, 
and  to  many  other  kings  which 
have  followed  men's  traditions, 
against  the  commandment  of  God, 
and  give  it  to  your  enemies  to 
triumph  over  you  and  your  chil- 
dren. 

And  if  the  emperor  Antoninc  the 


Meek,  although  he  were  a  pagan 
and  idolater  seeing  himself  be- 
wrapt  with  so  many  wars,  ceased 
the  persecutions  which  were  in  his 
time  against  the  Christians,  and 
determined  in  the  end  to  hear  their 
causes  and  reasons,  how  much 
more  ought  you  that  bear  the  name 
of  the  most  Christian  king,  to  be 
careful  and  diligent  to  cease  the 
persecutions  against  the  poor  Chris- 
tians, seeing  they  have  not  trou- 
bled nor  do  trouble  in  any  wise 
the  state  of  your  kingdom,  and 
your  affairs  ;  considering  also  that 
the  Jews  be  suffered  through  all 
Christendom,  although  they  be 
mortal  enemies  of  our  Lord  Jesu* 
Christ,  whom  we  hold  by  common 
accord  and  consent  for  our  God, 
Redeemer,  and  Saviour,  and  that 
until  you  have  heard  lawfully  de- 
bated, and  understand  our  reasons, 
taken  out  of  the  holy  scriptures, 
and  thatyour  majesty  have  judged, 
if  we  be  worthy  of  such  punish- 
ments. For  if  we  be  not  over- 
come by  the  word  of  God,  the 
fires,  the  swords,  and  the  cruellest 
torments,  shall  not  make  us  afraid. 
These  be  exercises  that  God  hath 
promised  to  his,  which  he  foretold 
should  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
times,  that  they  should  not  be  trou- 
bled when  such  persecutions  shall 
come  upon  them. 

THE  STORY  AND  END  OFTHE  FRENCH 
KING. 

Whosoever  was  the  author  or 
authors  of  this  letter  above  pre- 
fixed, herein  thou  seest  (good 
reader)  good  counsel  given  to  the 
king;  if  he  had  had  the  grace  to 
receive  and  follow  the  same,  no 
doubt  but  God's  blessing  working 
with  him,  he  had  not  only  set  the 
realm  in  a  blessed  state  from  much 
disturbance,  but  also  had  continued 
himself  in  all  tlourishing  felicity 
of  princely  honour  and  dignity. 
But  instead  of  that,  he  was  so  out- 
rageous against  the  protestants, 
that  he  threatened  Anne  du  Bourg, 
one  of  the  high  court  of  parliament 
in  Paris,  that  he  would  see  him 
burn  with  his  own  eyes.  But  hovir 
he  came  short  of  his  purpose,  the 


JUDGMENT  ON  THE  PERSECUTORS. 


781 


sequel  of  the  story  will  make   it 
appear,  in  the  following  manner. 

King  Henry  being  in  the  parlia- 
ment-house, which  was  kept  at  the 
Friar  Augustine's  at  Paris,  because 
the  palace  was  in  preparing  against 
the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  and 
his  sister,  and  having  heard  the 
opinion  in  religion  of  Anne  du 
Bourg,  counsellor  in  the  law,  a 
man  eloquent  and  learned,  he 
caused  the  said  Anne  du  Bourg, 
and  Loys  du  Faux,  counsellors,  to 
be  taken  prisoners  by  the  constable 
of  France,  who  apprehended  them, 
and  delivered  them  into  the  hands 
of  count  Montgomery,  who  carried 
them  to  prison.  Against  whom 
the  king  being  full  of  wrath  and 
anger,  among  other  things,  said 
to  the  said  Anne  du  Bourg,  These 
eyes  of  mine  shall  see  thee  burnt : 
and  so  on  the  19th  of  June,  com- 
mission was  given  to  the  judges  to 
make  their  process. 

In  the  mean  while,  great  feasts 
and  banquets  were  preparing  at 
court,  for  joy  and  gladness  of  the 
marriage  that  should  be  of  the 
king's  daughter  and  sister,  against 
the  last  day  of  June  save  one. 
When  the  time  was  come,  the  king 
employed  all  the  morning  in  ex- 
amining the  presidents  and  coun- 
sellors of  the  said  parliament 
against  these  prisoners,  and  other 
their  companions  that  were  charg- 
ed with  the  same  doctrine  ;  which 
being  done,  they  went  to  dinner. 

The  king,  after  he  had  dined,  for 
that  he  was  one  of  the  defendants 
at  the  tourney,  which  was  solemnly 
made  in  St.  Anthony's-street,  near 
to  the  prison  where  the  aforesaid 
prisoners  were  committed,  entered 
into  the  lists ;  and  therein  engag- 
ing, as  the  manner  is,  had  broken 
many  staves  very  valiantly,  run- 
ning as  well  against  the  count  of 
Montgomery,  as  divers  others. 
Whereupon  lie  was  highly  com- 
mended by  the  spectators.  And 
because  he  was  thought  to  have 
done  enough,  they  desired  him 
to  leave  off"  with  praise  ;  but  he 
being  the  more  inflamed  with  the 
hearing  of  his  praise,  would  needs 
ran  another  course;  with  Montgo- 


mery :  who  then  refusing  to  ran 
against  the  king,  and  kneeling  on 
his  knees  for  pardon  not  to  run ; 
the  king  being  eagerly  set  com- 
manded him  on  his  allegiance  to 
run,  and  (as  some  affirm)  he  also 
put  the  staff  in  his  hand,  unto 
whose  hand  he  had  committed  the 
aforesaid  prisoners  a  little  before. 
Montgomery  being  thus  enforced, 
whether  he  would  or  no,  to  run 
against  the  king,  prepared  himself 
after  the  best  manner  to  obey  the 
king's  commandment.  Where- 
upon he  and  the  king  met  together 
so  fiercely,  that  in  breaking  their 
spears  the  king  was  struck  with 
the  counter  blow,  so  right  in  one 
of  his  eyes,  by  reason  that  the 
visor  of  his  helmet  suddenly  fell 
down  at  the  same  instant,  that  the 
splinters  entered  into  his  head  ;  so 
that  the  brains  were  touched,  and 
thereupon  so  festered,  that  no  re- 
medy could  be  found,  although 
physicians  and  surgeons  were  sent 
from  all  parts  of  the  realm,  and 
also  from  Brabant,  from  king- 
Philip,  bat  nothing  availed,  so 
that  the  11th  day  after,  that  is, 
the  10th  of  July,  1559,  he  miser- 
ably ended  his  life,  having  reigned 
12  years,  3  months,  and  10  days. 

DEATH    OF   HENRY    III.    KING    OF 
FRANCE. 

A  similarinstance  of  Divine  justice 
may  be  seen  in  the  death  of  Henry 
III.  of  France,  a  tyrant  equally 
cruel  and  bigoted  with  the  monarch 
whose  end  we  have  just  related. 

A  Friar,  named  Clement,  of  the 
order  of  St.  Dominic,  pretended 
he  had  matters  of  great  conse- 
quence to  impart  to  the  king,  and 
being  admitted  into  his  presence, 
upon  his  knees  presented  a  letter 
to  him,  which  he  drew  out  of  one 
sleeve;  which  whilst  the  king  at- 
tentively read,  the  friar  pulled 
forth  a  poisoned  knife  out  of  his 
other  sleeve,  wherewith  he  stabbed 
the  king  in  the  belly.  The  king 
finding  himself  wounded,  snatched 
out  the  knife,  and  struck  it  into  the 
friar's  eye,  who  hastening  away, 
the  king  cried  out.  His  lords  per- 
ceiving what  the  friar  had  done, 
slew  him  immediately. 


782 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


BOOK  XI. 

A  GENERAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  ATTEMPTS  MADE  BY  THE  PAPISTS  TO  OVER- 
TURN THE  PROTESTANT  GOVERNMENT  OF  ENGLAND,  FROM  THE  AC- 
CESSION   OF   QUEEN    ELIZABETH,    TO    THE    KEIGN    OF   GEORGE    II, 


SECTION  I. 

THE    SPANISH    ARMADA. 


Philip,  king  of  Spain,  husband 
to  the  deceased  queen  Mary  of 
England,  was  no  less  inimical  than 
that  princess  to  the  protestants. 
He  liad  always  disliked  the  Eng- 
lish, and,  after  her  death,  deter- 
mined, if  possible,  to  crown  that 
infamous  cruelty  -which  had  dis- 
graced the  whole  progress  of  her 
reign,  by  making  a  conquest  of  the 
island,  and  putting  every  protest- 
ant  to  death. 

The  great  warlike  preparations 
made  by  this  monarch,  though  the 
purpose  was  unknown,  gave  an 
universal  alarm  to  the  English 
nation  ;  as,  though  he  had  not  de- 
clared that  intention,  yet  it  ap- 
peared evident  that  he  was  taking 
measures  to  seize  the  crown  of 
England.  Pope  Sixtus  V.  not 
less  ambitious  than  himself,  and 
equally  desirous  of  persecuting 
the  protestants,  urged  him  to  the 
enterprise.  He  excommunicated 
the  queen,  and  published  a  crusade 
against  her,  with  the  usual  indul- 
gences. All  the  ports  of  Spain 
resounded  with  preparations  for 
this  alarming  expedition  ;  and  the 
Spaniards  seemed  to  threaten  the 
English  with  a  total  annihilation. 

Three  whole  years  had  been 
spent  by  Philip  in  making  the  ne- 
cessary preparations  for  this 
mighty  undertaking ;  and  his  fleet, 
which,  on  account  of  its  prodigious 
strength,  was  called,  *'  The  Invin- 
cible Armada,"  was  now  complet- 
ed. A  consecrated  banner  was 
procured  from  the  pope,  and  the 
gold  of  Peru  was  lavished  on  the 
occasion. 

A.n  our  historical  writers  relate 


the  particulars  of  this  important 
event,  but  a  description  by  an  ci/e- 
toitness  must  possess  superior  in- 
terest with  the  general  reader, 
although  it  may  be  devoid  of  those 
graces  of  style  which  lend  a  charm 
to  the  narratives  of  the  professed 
historian  ;  we  therefore  give  "  a 
brief  Discourse  of  the  great  pre- 
parations of  the  Spaniards,  in 
order  to  invade  England,  in  the 
reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,"  ver- 
batim, as  we  find  it  in  our  author, 
by  whom,  however,  it  was  not  writ- 
ten, he  having  died  in  the  preced- 
ing year,  1587. 

The  duke  of  Parma,  by  command 
of  the  Spaniards,  built  ships  in 
Flanders,  and  a  great  company  of 
small  broad  vessels,  each  one  able 
to  transport  thirty  horses,  with 
bridges  fitted  for  them  severally  ; 
and  hired  mariners  from  the  east 
part  of  Germany,  and  provided 
long  pieces  of  wood  sharpened  at 
the  end,  and  covered  with  iron, 
with  hooks  on  one  side ;  and 
20,000  vessels,  with  an  huge  num- 
ber of  fagots  ;  and  placed  an  army 
ready  inJFIanders,ofl03  companies 
of  foot,  and  4000  horsemen.  Among 
these  700  English  vagabonds,  who 
were  held  of  all  others  in  most 
contempt.  Neither  was  Stanley 
respected  or  obeyed,  who  was  set 
over  the  Engiish ;  nor  Westmore- 
land, nor  any  other  who  offered 
their  help  :  but  for  their  unfaith- 
fulness to  their  own  country  were 
shut  out  from  all  consultations, 
and  as  men  unanimously  rejected 
with  detestation.  And  because 
pope  Sixtus  the  Fifth  in  such  a 
case  would  not  be  wanting,  he  sent 


SPANISH  ARMAUA. 


783 


cardinal  Allen  into  Flanders,  and 
renewed  the  bulls  declaratory  of 
pope  Pius  the  Fifth,  and  Gregory 
the  Thirteenth.  He  excommuni- 
cated and  deposed  queen  Eliza- 
beth, absolved  her  subjects  from 
all  allegiance,  and,  as  if  it  had 
been  against  the  Turks  or  infidels, 
he  set  forth  in  print  a  conceit, 
wherein  he  bestowed  plenary  in- 
dulgences, out  of  the  treasure  of 
the  church,  besides  a  million  of 
gold,  or  ten  hundred  thousand 
ducats,  to  be  distributed  (the  one 
half  in  hand,  the  rest  when  either 
England,  or  some  famous  haven 
therein,  should  be  won)  upon  all 
them  that  would  join  their  help 
against  England.  By  which  means 
the  marquis  of  Burgau,  of  the 
house  of  Austria,  the  duke  of  Past- 
rana, Amadis  duke  of  Savoy,  Ves- 
pasian, Gonzaga,  John  Medicis, 
and  divers  otlier  noblemen,  were 
drawn  into  these  wars. 

Queen  Elizabeth,  that  she  might 
not  be  surprised  unawares,  pre- 
pared as  great  a  navy  as  she  could, 
and  with  singular  care  and  provi- 
dence made  all  things  ready  neces- 
sary for  war.  And  she  herself, 
who  was  ever  most  judicious  in 
discerning  of  men's  wits  and  apt- 
ness, and  most  happy  in  making 
choice,  when  she  made  it  out  of 
her  own  judgment,  and  not  at  the 
direction  of  others,  designed  the 
best  and  most  serviceable  to  each 
several  employment.  Over  the 
whole  navy  she  appointed  the  lord 
admiral  Charles  Howard,  in  whom 
she  reposed  much  trust ;  and  sent 
him  to  the  west  part  of  England, 
where  captain  Drake,  who  she 
made  vice-admiral,  joined  with 
him.  She  commanded  Henry  Sei- 
mor,  the  second  son  to  the  duke  of 
Somerset,  to  watch  upon  the 
Bclgic  shore  with  forty  English 
and  Dutch  ships,  that  the  duke 
of  Parma  might  not  come  out 
with  his  forces ;  although  some 
were  of  opinion,  that  the  enemy 
was  to  be  expected  and  set  upon 
by  land  forces,  according  as  it  was 
upon  deliberation  resolved,  in  the 
time   of   Henry   the  Eighth,  when 


the   French  brought  a  great  navy 
on  the  English  shore. 

For  the  land  fight,  there  were 
placed  on  the  south  shore  twenty 
thousand  :  and  two  armies  besides 
were  mustered  of  the  choicest  men 
for  war.  The  one  of  these  which 
consisted  of  1000  horse,  and  twenty- 
two  thousand  foot,  was  commanded 
by  the  earl  of  Leicester,  and  en- 
caujped  at  Tilbury,  on  the  side  of 
the  Thames.  For  the  enemy  was 
resolved  first  to  set  upon  London. 
The  other  army  was  commanded 
by  the  lord  Hunsdon,  consisting  of 
thirty-four  thousand  foot,  and  two 
thousand  horse,  to  guard  the 
queen. 

The  lord  Grey,  sir  Francis 
Knowles,  sir  John  Norris,  sir 
Richard  Bingham,  sir  Roger  Wil- 
liams, men  famously  known  for 
military  experience,  were  chosen 
to  confer  of  the  land  fight.  These 
commanders  thought  lit  that  all 
those  places  should  be  fortified, 
with  men  and  ammunition,  which 
were  commodious  to  land  in,  either 
out  of  Spain  or  out  of  Flanders, 
as  Milford-Haven,  Falmouth,  Ply- 
mouth, Portland,  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  Portsmouth,  the  open  side 
of  Kent  called  the  Downs,  the 
Thames'  mouth,  Harwich,  Yar- 
mouth, Hull,  &c.  That  trained 
soldiers  through  all  the  maritime 
provinces  should  meet  upon  warn- 
ing given,  to  defend  the  places, 
that  they  should,  by  their  best 
means,  hinder  the  enem^'  from 
landing;  and  if  they  did  happen 
to  land,  then  they  were  to  de- 
stroy the  fruits  of  the  country  all 
about,  and  spoil  every  thing  that 
might  be  of  any  use  to  the  enemy, 
that  so  they  might  find  no  more 
victuals  than  what  they  brought 
with  them.  And  that  by  continued 
alarms  the  enemy  should  find  no 
rest  day  or  night.  But  they  should 
not  try  any  battle,  until  divers 
captains  were  met  together  with 
their  companies.  That  one  cap^ 
tain  might  be  named  in  every  shire 
which  might  command,  ' 

Two   years   before,  the  dtike  of 
Parma  considering-  bow    hard    a 


784 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


matter  it  was  to  end  the  Belgic 
war,  so  lonjf  as  it  was  continually 
nourished  and  supported  with  aid 
from  the  queen,  he  moved  for  a 
treaty  of  peace,  by  the  means  of 
sir  James  Croft,  one  of  the  privy 
council,  a  man  desirous  of  peace, 
and  Andrew  Loe,  a  Dutchman, 
and  professed  that  the  Spaniard 
had  delegated  authority  to  him  for 
this  purpose.  But  the  queen  fear- 
ing that  the  friendship  betw  een  her 
and  the  confederate  princes  might 
be  dissolved,  and  that  so  they 
might  secretly  be  drawn  to  the 
Spaniard,  she  deferred  that  treaty 
for  some  time.  But  now,  that  the 
wars  on  both  sides  prepared  might 
be  turned  away,  she  was  content 
to  treat  of  peace  ;  but  so  as  still 
holding  the  weapons  in  her  hand. 

For  this  purpose,  in  February, 
delegates  were  sent  into  Flanders, 
the  earl  of  Derby,  the  lord  Cob- 
ham,  sir  James  Croft,  doctor  Dale, 
and  doctor  Rogers.  These  were 
received  with  all  humanity  on  the 
duke's  behalf,  and  a  place  ap- 
pointed for  their  treating,  tliat 
they  might  see  the  authority  de- 
legated to  him  by  the  Spanish 
king.  He  appointed  the  place 
near  to  Ostend,  not  in  Ostend, 
which  at  that  time  was  held  by  the 
English  against  the  Spanish  king. 
His  authority  delegated,  he  pro- 
mised then  to  shew,  when  they 
were  once  met  together.  He 
wished  them  to  make  good  speed 
in  the  business,  lest  somewhat 
might  fall  out  in  the  meantime 
which  might  trouble  the  motions 
of  peace.  Richardotus  spoke  some- 
what more  plainly,  That  he  knew 
not  what  in  this  interim  should  be 
done  against  England. 

Not  long  after,  doctor  Rogers 
was  sent  to  the  prince,  by  an  ex- 
press commandment  from  the 
queen,  to  know  the  truth,  whether 
the  Spaniard  had  resolved  to  in- 
vade England,  which  he  and  Rich- 
ardotus seemed  to  signify.  He 
affirmed,  that  he  did  not  so  much 
as  think  of  the  invasion  of  Eng- 
land, when  he  wished  that  the  bu- 
siness miglit  proceed  with  speed  : 


and  was  in  a  manner  offended 
with  Richardotus,  who  denied  that 
such  words  fell  from  him. 

The  i2th  of  April,  the  count 
Aremberg,  Champigny,  Richard- 
otus, doctor  Maesius,  and  Garnier, 
delegated  from  the  prince  of  Par- 
ma, met  with  the  English,  and 
yielded  to  them  the  honour  both  in 
walking  and  sitting.  And  when 
they  affirmed  that  the  duke  had 
full  authority  to  treat  of  peace,  the 
English  moved,  that  first  a  truce 
might  be  made.  Which  they  de- 
nied ;  alleging  that  tliat  thing- 
must  needs  be  hurtful  to  tlie  Spa- 
niards, who  had  for  six  months 
maintained  a  great  army,  which 
might  not  be  dismissed  upon  a 
truce,  but  upon  an  absolute  peace. 
The  English  urged,  that  a  truce 
was  promised  before  they  came 
into  Flanders.  The  Spaniard 
against  that  held,  That  six  mouths 
since,  a  truce  was  promised : 
which  they  granted,  but  was  not 
admitted.  Neither  was  it  in  the 
queen's  power  to  undertake  a  truce 
for  Holland  and  Zealand,  who 
daily  attempted  hostility.  The 
English  moved  instantly,  that  the 
truce  might  be  general  for  all  the 
queen's  territories,  and  for  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland:  but  they 
would  have  it  but  for  four  Dutch 
towns  which  were  in  the  queen's 
hands :  and  these  only  during  the 
treating,  and  twenty  days  after ; 
and  that  in  the  meantime  it  might 
be  lawful  for  the  queen  to  invade 
Spain,  or  for  the  Spaniards  to  in- 
vade England,  either  from  Spain 
or  Flanders.  At  last,  when  the 
English  could  not  obtain  an  arm- 
istice, and  could  by  no  means  see 
the  charter  by  which  the  duke  of 
Parma  was  authorized  to  treat  of 
peace  ;  they  proposed  these  things, 
that  the  ancient  leagues  between 
the  kings  of  England  and  the  dukes 
of  Burgundy  might  be  renewed 
and  confirmed  ;  that  all  tlie  Dutch 
might  fully  enjoy  their  own  privi- 
leges ;  that  with  freedom  of  con- 
science they  might  serve  God ; 
that  the  Spanish  and  foreign  sol- 
diers might  be  put  out  of  Holland, 


SPANISH  ARMADA. 


785 


that  neither  the  Dutch  nor  tlicir 
neighbouring  nations  uiight  fear 
them.  If  these  things  might  be 
granted,  the  queen  would  rorae  to 
equal  conditions  concerning  the 
towns  which  now  ahe  held  (that  all 
might  know,  that  she  took  up  arms 
not  for  lier  own  gain,  but  for  the 
necessary  defence  both  of  herself 
and  of  the  Dutch),  so  that  the  mo- 
ney which  is  owing  therefore  be 
repaid.  To  which  they  answered. 
That  for  renewing  the  old  leagues 
there  should  be  no  difficulty,  when 


lliey  might  have  a  friendly  confer- 
ence of  that  thing.  That  concern- 
ing the  privileges  of  the  Dutch, 
there  was  no  cau;ic  why  foreign 
princes  should  take  care,  wliich 
privileges  were  most  favourably 
granted  not  only  to  provinces  and 
towns  reconciled,  but  even  to  such 
as  by  force  of  arms  are  brought 
into  subjection.  That  foreign 
soldiers  were  held  upon  urgent 
necessity,  since  Holland,  Eng- 
land, and  France,  were  all  in 
arms. 


Burning  if  John  Badby,   in  Smithjield,   in   the  Reign  of  Henry  IV, 


Touching  those  towns  taken 
from  the  king  of  Spain,  and  the 
repaying  of  the  money,  they  an- 
swered, That  the  Spaniards  might 
demand  as  many  myriads  of 
crowns  to  be  from  the  queen  re- 
paid them,  as  the  Belgic  war  hath 
cost  since  the  time  that  she  hath 
favoured  and  protected  the  Dutch 
against  them. 

At  this  time,  doctor  Dale,  by  the 
queen's  command  going  to  the 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


duke  of  Parma,  gently  expostu- 
lated with  him  touching  a  book 
printed  there,  set  out  lately  by 
cardinal  Allen,  wherein  he  exhorts 
the  nobles  and  people  of  England 
and  Ireland  to  join  themselves  to 
the  king  of  Spain's  forces,  under 
the  conduct  of  the  prince  of  Par- 
ma, for  the  execution  of  the  sen- 
tence of  pope  Sixtus  V.  against 
the  queen,  declared  by  his  bull ;  in 
which  she  is  called  a  heretic,  ille- 

60 


786 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


gitimate,  cruel  against  Mary  queen 
of  Scots,  and  her  subjects  were  com- 
manded to  help  Parma  against  her: 
for  at  that  time  a  greater  number 
of  those  bulls  and  books  were 
printed  at  Antwerp  to  be  dispersed 
through  England.  The  duke  de- 
nied that  he  had  seen  such  a  bull 
or  book,  neither  would  he  do  any 
thing  by  the  pope's  authority ;  as 
for  his  own  king,  him  he  must 
obey.  Yet,  he  said,  he  so  revered 
the  queen  and  her  princely  virtues, 
that  after  the  king  of  Spain,  he 
otfered  all  service  to  her.  That  he 
had  persuaded  tlie  king  of  Spam 
to  yield  to  this  treaty  of  peace, 
which  is  more  profitable  to  Eng- 
land than  Spain.  .    ,     ,    ^ 

To  whom  Dale  replied,  that  our 
queen  was  sutiiciently  furnished 
with  forces  to  defend  the  kingdom. 
That  a  kingdom  will  not  easily  be 
gotten  by  the  events  of  one  battle, 
seeing  the  king  of  Spain  in  so 
long  a  war  is  not  able  to  recover 
his  ancient  patrimony  in  the  Ne- 
therlands. 

Well,  quoth  the  duke,  be  it  so, 
these  things  are  in  God's  hands. 

After  this  the  delegates  con- 
tended among  themselves  by  mu- 
tual replications,  weaving  and  un- 
weaving the  same  web.  The  Eng- 
lish were  earnest  in  this.  That 
freedom  of  religion  might  be 
granted  at  least  for  two  years  to 
the  confederate  princes.  They 
answered,  That  as  the  king  of 
Spain  had  not  entreated  that  for 
English  Catholics,  so  they  hoped 
the  queen  in  her  vnsdom  would 
not  entreat  any  thing  of  the  king 
of  Spain,  which  might  stand 
against  his  honour,  his  oath,  and 
his  conscience. 

Then  they  demanded  the  money 
due  from  the  states  of  Brabant;  it 
was  answered,  that  the  money 
■was  lent  without  the  king's  knovv- 
ledo-e;  but  let  the  account  be 
taken,'  how  much  the  money  was, 
and  how  much  the  king-  hath  spent 
in  these  wars,  and  then  it  may  ap- 
pear who  should  look  for  repay- 
ment. 

Thus  the  English  were  from 
time    to   time   put   off,    until    the 


Spanish  fleet  was  come  near  the 
Eng-lish  shore,  and  the  noise  of 
guns  was  heard  from  sea.  Then  had 
they  leave  to  depart,  and  were  by 
the  delegates  honourably  brought 
to  the  borders  of  Calais.  "The 
duke  of  Parma  had  in  the  mean- 
time brought  all  his  forces  to  the 
sea-shore. 

Thus  this  conference  came  to 
nothing;  undertaken  by  the 
queen,  as  the  wiser  then  thought, 
to  avert  the  Spanish  fleet;  conti- 
nued by  the  Spaniard  that  he 
might  oppress  the  queen,  being  as 
he  supposed  unprovided,  and  not 
expecting  the  danger.  So  both  of 
them  tried  to  use  time  to  their  best 
advantages. 

In  fine,  the  Spanish  fleet,  well 
furnished  with  men,  ammunition, 
engines,  and  all  warlike  prepara- 
rations,  the  best,  indeed,  that  ever 
was  seen  upon  the  ocean,  called 
by  the  arrogant  title.  The  Invin- 
cible Armada,  consisted  of  130 
ships,  wherein  there  were  in  all, 
19,290.  Mariners,  8,350.  Chained 
rowers,  11,080.  Great  ordnance, 
11,630.  'The  chief  commander 
was  Perezius  Gusmannus,  duke  of 
Medina  Sidonia;  and  under  him 
Joannes  Martinus  Ricaldus,  a 
man  of  great  experience  in  sea  af- 
fairs. 

The  30th  of  May  they  loosed  out 
of  the  river  Tagus,  and  bending 
their  course  to  the  Groin,  in  Gal- 
licia,  they  were  beaten  and  scat- 
tered by  a  tempest:  three  galleys, 
by  the  help  of  David  Gwin,  an 
English  servant,  and  by  perfidious- 
ness  of  Turks  which  rowed,  were 
carried  away  into  France.  The 
fleet  with  much  ado  after  some 
days  came  to  the  Groin  and  other 
harbours  near  adjoining.  The  re- 
port was,  that  the  fleet  was  so 
shaken  with  this  tempest,  that  the 
queen  was  persuaded,  that  she 
was  not  to  expect  that  fleet  this 
year.  And  sir  Francis  Walsing- 
ham,  secretary,  wrote  to  the  lord 
admiral,  that  he  might  send  back 
ft)ur  of  the  greatest  ships,  as  if  the 
war  had  been  ended.  But  the 
lord  admiral  did  not  easily  give 
credit  to  that  report;    yet  with  a 


SPANISH  ARMADA. 


78r 


g'entle  answer  entreated  him  to  be- 
lieve iiothiug  hastily  in  so  import- 
ant a  matter:  as  also  that  he  might 
be  permitted  to  keep  those  ships 
with  hira  which  he  had,  though  it 
■were  upon  his  own  charges.  And 
getting  a  favourable  wind,  made 
sail  towards  Spain,  to  surprise  the 
enemy's  damaged  ships  in  their 
harbours.  When  he  was  close  in 
with  the  coast  of  Spain,  the  wind 
shifting,  and  he  being  charged  to 
defend  the  English  shore,  fearing 
that  the  enemies  might  unseen  by 
the  same  wind  sail  for  England,  he 
returned  unto  Plymouth. 

Now  with  the  same  wind,  the 
12th  of  July,  the  duke  of  Medina 
with  his  fleet  departed  from  the 
Groin.  And  after  a  few  days  he 
sent  Rodericus  Telius  into  Flan- 
ders, to  advertise  tlie  duke  of 
Parma,  giving  him  warning  that 
the  fleet  was  approaching,  and 
therefore  he  was  to  make  himself 
ready.  For  Medina's  commission 
■was  to  join  himself  with  the  ships 
and  soldiers  of  Parma;  and  under 
the  protection  of  his  fleet,  to  bring 
them  into  England,  and  to  land 
his  forces  upon  the  Thames  side. 

The  sixteenth  day  (saith  the  re- 
lator), there  was  a  great  calm,  and 
a  thick  cloud  was  upon  the  sea  till 
noon :  then  the  north  wind  blowing 
roughly  ;  and  again  the  west  wind 
till  midnight,  and  after  that  the 
cast;  the  Spanish  navy  was  scat- 
tered, and  hardly  gathered  toge- 
ther until  they  came  within  sight 
of  England,  the  nineteenth  day  of 
July.  Upon  ■which  day  the  lord 
admiral  was  certified  by  Flemming 
(who  had  been  a  pirate),  that  the 
Spanish  fleet  was  entered  into  the 
English  sea,  which  the  mariners 
call  the  Channel,  and  was  de- 
scried near  to  the  Lizard.  The 
lord  admiral  brought  forth  the 
English  fleet  into  the  sea,  but  not 
without  great  difficulty,  by  the 
skill,  labour,  and  alacrity  of  the 
soldiers  and  mariners,  every  one 
labouring;  yea,  the  lord  admiral 
himself  put  iiis  hand  to  this  work. 

The  next  day  the  English  fleet 
viewed  the  Spanish  fleet  comiAg 
along  like  towering  castles  in 
height,  her  front  crooked  like  the 


fashion  of  the  moon,  the  winge  of 
the  fleet  were  extended  one  from 
the  other  about  seven  miles,  or  as 
some  say  eight  miles  asunder, 
sailing  with  the  labour  of  the 
winds,  the  ocean  as  it  were  groan- 
ing under  it;  their  sail  was  but 
slow,  and  yet  at  full  sail  before 
the  wind.  The  English  were  will- 
ing to  let  them  hold  on  their 
course,  and  when  they  were 
passed  by,  got  behind  them,  and  so 
got  to  windward  of  them. 

Upon  the  21st  of  July,  the  lord 
admiral  of  England  sent  a  cutter 
before,  called  the  Defiance,  to  de- 
nounce the  battle  by  firing  off 
pieces.  And  being  himself  in  the 
Royal-Arch  (the  English  admiral 
ship),  he  began  the  engagement 
with  a  ship  which  he  took  to  be 
the  Spanish  admiral,  but  which 
was  the  ship  of  Alfonsus  Leva. 
Upon  that  he  expended  much 
shot.  Presently  Drake,  Hawkins, 
and  Forbisher,  came  in  upon  the 
rear  of  the  Spaniards,  which  Ri- 
caldus  commanded.  Upon  these 
they  thundered.  Ricaldus  endea- 
voured as  much  as  in  him  lay,  to 
keep  his  men  to  their  quarters,  but 
all  in  vain,  until  his  ship,  muoli 
beaten  and  battered  with  many 
shot,  hardly  recovered  the  fleet. 
Then  the  duke  of  Medina  gathered 
together  his  scattered  fleet,  and 
setting  more  sail,  held  on  his 
course.  Indeed  they  could  do  no 
other,  for  the  English  had  gotten 
the  advantage  of  the  wind,  and 
their  ships  being  much  easier  ma- 
naged, and  ready  with  incredible 
celerity  to  come  upon  the  enemy, 
■with  a  full  course,  and  then  to 
tack  and  retack,  and  be  on  every 
side  at  their  pleasure.  After  a 
long  fight,  and  each  of  them  had 
taken  a  trial  of  their  courage,  the 
lord  admiral  thought  proper  to 
continue  the  fight  no  longer,  be- 
cause there  were  forty  ships  more, 
which  were  then  absent,  and  at 
that  very  time  were  coming  out  of 
Plymouth  Sound. 

The  night  following,  the  St.  Ca- 
therine, a  Spanish  ship,  being 
sadly  torn  in  ^e  battle,  'wa»  taken 
into  the  midst  of  the  fleet  to  be 
repa)r«d,     He»e   a  grea$  Canta- 


788 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


brian  ship,  of  Oquenda,  wherein 
was  the  treasurer  of  the  camp,  by 
force  of  gunpowder  took  fire,  yet 
it  was  quenched  in  time  by  the 
ships  that  came  to  help  her.  Of 
those  which  came  to  assist  the 
fired  ship,  one  was  a  galleon,  com- 
manded by  Petrus  Waldez;  the 
fore-yard  of  the  galleon  was  caught 
in  the  rigging  of  another  ship,  and 
carried  away.  This  was  taken  by 
Drake,  who  sent  Waldez  to  Dart- 
mouth, and  a  great  sum  of  money, 
\iz.  55,000  ducats,  which  he  distri- 
buted among  the  soldiers.  This 
Waldez  coming'  into  Drake's  pre- 
sence, kissed  his  band,  and  told 
him  they  had  all  resolved  to  die,  if 
they  had  not  been  so  happy  as  to 
fall  into  his  hands,  whom  they 
knew  to  be  noble.  That  night  he 
was  appointed  to  set  forth  a  light, 
but  neglected  it;  and  some  Ger- 
man merchant  ships  coming  by 
that  night,  he,  thinking  them  to  be 
enemies,  followed  them  so  far, 
that  the  English  fleet  lay  to  all 
night,  because  they  could  see  no 
light  set  forth.  Neither  did  he 
nor  the  rest  of  the  fleet  find  the 
admiral  until  the  next  evening. 
The  admiral  all  the  night  preceed- 
ing  with  the  Bear,  and  the  Mary 
Rose,  carefully  followed  the  Spa- 
niards with  watchfulness.  The 
duke  was  busied  in  ordering  his 
squadron.  Alfonsus  Leva  was 
commanded  to  join  the  first  and 
last  divisions.  Every  ship  had  its 
proper  station  assigned,  according 
to  that  prescribed  form  which  was 
appointed  in  Spain;  it  was  pre- 
sent death  to  aiiy  who  forsook  his 
station.  This  done,  he  sent  Gli- 
clius  and  Anceani  to  Parma, 
which  might  declare  to  them  in 
what  situation  they  were,  and  left 
that  Cantabrian  ship,  of  Oquenda, 
to  the  wind  and  sea,  having  taken 
out  the  money  and  mariners,  and 
put  them  on  board  of  other  ships. 
Yet  it  seemed  that  he  had  not  care 
for  all:  for  that  ship  the  same  day 
with  fifty  mariners,  and  soldiers 
wounded,  and  half  burned,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  English,  and 
was  carried  to  Weymouth. 

The  23d  of  the  same  month,  the 
Spaniards    having    a    favourable 


north  wind  tacked  towards  the 
English :  but  they  being  more  ex* 
pert  in  the  management  of  their 
ships,  tacked  likewise,  and  kept 
the  advantage  they  had  gained, 
keeping-  the  Spaniards  to  leeward, 
till  at  last  the  fight  became  gene- 
ral on  both  sides.  They  fought  a 
while  confusedly  with  variable 
success:  whilst  on  the  one  side 
the  English  with  great  courage 
delivered  the  London  ships  which 
were  enclosed  about  by  the  Spa- 
niards :  and  on  the  other  side,  the 
Spaniards  by  valour  freed  Rical- 
dus  from  the  extreme  danger  he 
was  in :  great  and  many  were  the 
explosions  which  by  the  continual 
firing  of  great  guns  were  heard 
this  day.  But  the  loss  (by  the 
good  providence  of  God)  fell  upon 
the  Spaniards,  their  ships  being 
so  high,  that  the  shot  went  over 
our  English  ships ;  and  the  Eng- 
lish, having  such  a  fair  mark  at 
their  large  ships,  never  shot  in 
vain.  During  this  engagement, 
Cock,  an  Englishman,  being  sur- 
rounded by  the  Spanish  ships, 
could  not  be  recovered,  but  pe- 
rished; however,  with  great  ho- 
nour he  revenged  himself.  Thus 
a  long  time  the  English  ships  with 
great  agility  were  sometimes  upon 
the  Spaniards,  giving  them  the 
fire  of  one  side,  and  then  of  the 
other,  and  presently  were  off 
again,  and  still  kept  the  sea,  to 
make  themselves  ready  to  come  in 
again.  Whereas  the  Spanish 
ships,  being  of  great  burden,  were 
troubled  and  hindered,  and  stood 
to  be  the  marks  for  the  English 
shot.  For  all  that  the  English  ad- 
miral would  not  permit  his  people 
to  board  their  ships,  because  they 
had  such  a  number  of  soldiers  on 
board,  which  he  had  not:  their 
ships  were  many  in  number,  and 
greater,  and  higher,  that  if  they 
had  come  to  grapple  as  some 
would  have  had  it,  the  English 
being  much  lower  than  the  Spa- 
nish ships,  must  needs  have  had 
the  worst  of  them  that  fought  from 
the  higher  ships.  And  if  the  Eng- 
lish had  been  overcome,  the  loss 
would  have  been  greater  than  the 
victory  could  have  been;   for  our 


SPANISH  ARMADA. 


789 


beingf   overcome   would  have  put 
the  kingdom  in  hazard. 

The  24th  day  of  July,  they  gave 
over  fighting  on  both  sides.    The 
admiral  sent  some  small  barks  to 
the  English  shore,  for  a  supply  of 
provisions,  and  divided  his  whole 
fleet  into  four  squadrons;  the  first 
whereof  he   took   under  his   own 
command,     the    next    was     com- 
manded by  Drake,    the   third   by 
Hawkins,    and    the   last   by    For- 
bisher.     And  he  appointed  out  of 
every  squadron  certain  little  ships, 
which   on   divers   sides   might  set 
upon  the  Spaniards  in  the  night, 
but  a  sudden  calm  took  them,  so 
that  expedient  was  without  elfect. 
The  2oth,  the  St.  Anne,  a  gal- 
leon of  Portugal,  not  being  able 
to  keep  up  with  the  rest,  was  at- 
tacked    by    some    small    English 
ships.       To    whose    aid   came    in 
Leva,    and   Didacus  Telles  Enri- 
ques,  with  three  galeasses:  which 
the  admiral,  and  the  lord  Thomas 
Howard,    espying,    made   all   the 
sail  they  could  against   the  gale- 
asses,   but    the    calm    continuing, 
they   were    obliged   to   be    towed 
along  with  their  boats:   as  soon  as 
they  reached   the  galeasses,  they 
began   to   play   away    so    fiercely 
with  their    great  guns,    that  with 
much  danger  and  great  loss  they 
hardly     recovered    their    galleon. 
The  Spaniards    reported  that  the 
Spanish  admiral  was  that  day  in 
the  rear  of  their  fleet,  which,  being 
come    nearer    the    English    ships 
than  before,  got  terribly  shattered 
with  their  great  guns,   many  men 
were  killed  aboard,  and  her  masts 
laid  over  the  side.     The  Spanish 
admiral,    after    this,   in    company 
with    Ricaldus,    and    others,     at- 
tacked the  English  admiral,  who, 
having  the  advantage  of  the  wind, 
suddenly    tacked,     and    escaped. 
The    Spaniards    holding   on   their 
course  again,  sent  to  the  duke  of 
Parma,    that    with     all     possible 
speed  he  should  join  his  ships  with 
the  king's  fleet.These  things  theEng- 
lish  knew  not,  who  write  that  they 
had  carried  away  the  lantern  from 
one  of  the  Spanish  ships,  the  stern 
from  another,  and  sore  mauled  the 
third,    very  much    disabling   hei. 


The  Non-Parigly,  and  the  Mary 
Rose,  fought  a  while  with  the  Spa- 
niards;, and  the  Triumph  being  in 
danger,  other  ships  came  in  good 
time  to  help  her. 

The  next  day,  the  lord  admiral 
knighted  the  lord  Thomas  Howard, 
the    lord  Sheffield,    Roger  Town- 
send,  John  Hawkins,  and  Martin 
Forbisher,  for  their  valour  in  the 
last  engagement.     After  this,  they 
agreed  not  to  attack   the    enemy 
until  they   came    into    the   straits 
of   Calais,    where  Henry  Seimor, 
and  William  Winter,    waited    for 
their    coming.     Thus    with    a    fair 
gale    the    Spanish  fleet  went    foi*- 
ward,    and   the  English  followed. 
This   great  Spanish  Armada   was 
so  far  from  being  esteemed  invin- 
cible in  the  opinion  of  the  English, 
that  many  young  men  and  gentle- 
men, in  hope  to  be  partakers  of  a 
famous   victory    against   the  Spa- 
niards, provided  ships  at  their  own 
expences,    and  joined  themselves 
to  the  English  flieet;  among  whom 
were  the  earls  of  Essex,  Northum- 
berland, and  Cumberland,  Thomas 
and  Robert  Cecil,  Henry  Brooks, 
William    Hatton,     Robert     Gary, 
Ambrose      Willoughby,      Thomas 
Gerard,  Arthur  Gorge,  and  other 
gentlemen  of  good  note  and  qua- 
lity. 

The  27th  day,  at  even,  the  Spa- 
niards cast  anchor  near  to  Calais, 
being  admonished  by  their  skilful 
seamen,  that  if  they  went  any  fur- 
ther, they  might  be  in  danger, 
through  the  force  of  the  tide,  to  be 
driven  into  the  North  Ocean. 
Near  to  them  lay  the  English  ad- 
miral with  his  fleet,  within  a  great 
gun's  shot.  The  admiral,  Seimor, 
and  Winter  now  join  their  ships; 
so  that  now  there  were  an  hun- 
dred and  forty  ships  in  the  Eng- 
lish fleet,  able  and  well  furnished 
for  fighting,  for  sailing,  and  every 
thing  else  which  was  requisite: 
and  yet  there  were  but  fifteen  of 
these  which  bore  the  heat  of  the 
battle,  and  repulsed  the  enemy. 
The  Spaniard,  as  often  as  he  had 
done  before,  so  now  with  great 
earnestness  sent  to  the  duke  of 
Parma,  to  send  forty  fly-boats, 
without  which  they  could  not  fight 


790 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


with  tfte  EogUsli,  because  of  the 
greatness  and  slowness  of  their 
ships,  and  the  agility  of  the  Eng- 
lish; and  entreating-  him  by  all 
means  now  to  come  to  sea  with 
his  army,  which  army  was  now  to 
be  protected,  as  it  were,  under 
the  wings  of  the  Spanish  Ar- 
mada, until  they  should  land  in 
Enoland. 

But  the  duke  was  unprovided, 
and  could  not  como  out  at  an  in- 
stant. The  broad  ships  with  flat 
bottoms  being'  then  full  of  chinks 
must  be  mended.  Victuals  wanted 
and  must  be  provided.  The  ma- 
riners being  long  kept  against  their 
wills,  began  to  shrink  away.  The 
ports  of  Dunkirk  and  Newport, 
by  which  he  must  bring  his  army 
to  the  sea,  were  now  so  beset  with 
the  strong  ships  of  Holland  and 
Zealand,  which  were  furnished 
with  great  and  small  munition, 
that  he  was  not  able  to  come  to 
sea,  unless  he  would  come  upon 
his  own  apparent  destruction,  and 
cast  himself  and  his  men  wilfully 
into  a  headlong  danger.  Yet  he 
omitted  nothing  that  might  be  done, 
being  a  man  eager  and  industrious, 
and  inflamed  with  a  desire  of  over- 
coming England. 

But  queen  Elizabeth's  provi- 
dence and  care  prevented  both  the 
diligence  of  this  man,  and  the  cre- 
dulous hope  of  the  Spaniard ;  for 
by  her  command  the  next  day  the 
admiral  took  eight  of  their  worst 
ships,  charging  the  ordnance  there- 
in up  to  the  mouth  with  small  shot, 
nails,  and  stones,  and  dressed  them 
with  wild  fire,  pitch  and  rosin,  and 
filled  them  full  of  brimstone  and 
i^ome  other  matter  fit  for  fire,  and 
these  being  set  on  fire  by  the  ma- 
nagement of  Young  and  Prowse, 
were  secretly  in  the  night,  by  the 
help  of  the  wind,  set  full  upon 
the  Spanish  fleet,  which  on  Sun- 
day the  seventh  of  August  they 
sent  in  among  them  as  they  lay  at 
anchor. 

When  the  Spaniards  saw  them 
come  near,  the  flame  giving  light 
all  over  the  sea;  they  supposing 
those  ships,  besides  the  danger  of 
fire,  to  have  been  also  furnished 
with  deadly  engines,  to  make  hor- 


rible destruction  among  tbem ; 
lifting  up  a  most  hideous  cry,  some 
pull  up  anchors,  some  for  haste 
cut  their  cables,  they  set  up  their 
sails,  they  apply  their  oars,  and 
stricken  with  extreme  terror,  in 
great  haste  they  fled  most  con- 
fusedly. Among  them  the  Pre- 
torian  Galleass  floating  upon  the 
seas,  her  rudder  being'  broken,  in 
great  danger  and  fear  drew  towards 
Calais,  and  striking  in  the  sand 
was  taken  by  Amias  Preston,  Tho- 
mas Gerard,  and  Harvey ;  Hugh 
Moncada  the  governor  was  slain, 
the  soldiers  and  mariners  were 
either  killed  or  drowned  ;  in  her 
there  was  found  great  store  of 
gold,  which  fell  to  be  the  prey  of 
the  English.  The  ship  and  ord- 
nance went  to  the  governor  of 
Calais. 

The  Spaniards  report,  that  the 
duke,  when  he  saw  the  fire-ships 
coming',  commanded  all  the  fleet 
to  heave  up  their  anchors,  but  so 
as  the  danger  being  past,  every 
ship  mig'ht  return  again  to  his  own 
station:  and  he  himself  returned, 
giving  a  sign  to  the  rest  by  shoot- 
ing' off  a  gun ;  which  was  heard 
but  by  a  few,  for  they  were  far  off 
scattered,  some  into  the  open 
ocean,  some  through  fear  were 
driven  upon  the  shallows  of  the 
coast  of  Flanders. 

Over  against  Graveling  the 
Spanish  fleet  began  to  gather 
themselves  together.  But  upon 
them  came  Drake  and  Fenner,  and 
battered  them  with  great  ordnance: 
to  these  Fenton,  Southwel,  Bee- 
ston,  Cross,  Riman,  and  presently 
after  the  lord  admiral,  and  Shef- 
field, came  in.  The  duke  Medina, 
Leva,  Oquenda,  Ricaldus,  and 
others,  with  much  ado  gettingthem- 
selves  out  of  the  shallows,  sustain- 
ed the  English  force  as  well  as  they 
might,  until  most  of  their  ships 
were  pierced  and  torn  ;  the  galleon 
St.  Matthew,  governed  by  Diego 
Piraentellus,  coming  to  aid  Francis 
Toletan,  being  in  the  St.  Philip, 
was  pierced  and  shaken  with  the 
reiterated  shots  of  Seimor  and 
Winter,  and  driven  to  Osteud,  and 
wns  at  last  taken  by  the  Fliisli- 
ingcrs.     The   St.  Phihp  came   to 


SPANISH  ARMADA. 


791 


the  like  end  :  so  did  tlie  galleon  of 
Biscay  and  divers  others. 

The  last  day  of  this  month,  the 
Spanish  fleet  striving-  to  recover 
the  straits  again,  were  driven 
towards  Zealand.  The  English 
left  off  pursuing  them,  as  the  Spa- 
niards thought  because  thej'  saw 
them  in  a  manner  cast  away  ;  for 
they  could  not  avoid  the  shallows 
of  Zealand.  But  the  wind  turn- 
ing, they  got  them  out  of  the  shal- 
lows, and  then  began  to  consult 
what  were  best  for  them  to  do.  By 
common  consent  they  resolved  to 
return  into  Spain  by  the  Northern 
seas,  for  they  wanted  many  neces- 
saries, especiallj'  shot,  their  ships 
were  torn,  and  they  had  no  hope 
that  the  duke  of  Parma  could 
bring  forth  his  forces.  And  so 
they  took  the  sea,  and  followed 
the  course  toward  the  North.  The 
English  navy  followed,  and  some- 
times the  Spanish  turned  upon  the 
English,  insomuch  that  it  was 
thought  by  many  that  the}'  would 
turn  back  again. 

Queen  Elizabeth  caused  an  army 
to  encamp  at  Tilbury.  After  the 
army  was  come  thither,  her  ma- 
jesty went  in  person  to  visit  the 
camp,  which  then  lay  between  the 
city  of  London  and  the  sea,  under 
the  charge  of  the  earl  of  Leicester, 
where  placing  herself  between  the 
enemy  and  her  city,  she  viewed 
her  army,  passing  through  it  divers 
times,  and  lodging  in  the  borders 
of  it,  returned  again  and  dined  in 
the  army.  Afterwards  when  they 
were  all  reduced  into  battle,  pre- 
pared as  it  were  for  fight,  she  rode 
round  about  with  a  leader's  staff 
in  her  hand,  only  accompanied 
with  the  general,  and  three  or  four 
others  attending  upon  her*. 

*  The  queen  made  the  following  speech 
to  the  troops  assembled  at  Tilbury — a 
speech  which  ought  to  be  imprinted  in 
the  mind  and  heart  of  every  English- 
man, Avho  is  a  lover  of  his  country  and 
his  religion. 

"  My  loving  people,  we  have  been  per- 
suaded by  some,  that  are  careful  of  our 
safety,  to' take  heed  how  we  commit  our- 
selves to  armed  multitudes,  for  tear  of 
treachery;  but  I  assure  you,  I  do  not 
desire  to  live  to  distrust  my  faithful  and 


I  could  enlarge  the  description 
hereof  with  many  more  particu- 
lars of  mine  own  observation  (says 
the  author),  for  I  wandered,  as 
many  others  did,  from  place  to 
place,  all  the  day,  and  never  heard 
a  word  spoke  of  her,  but  in  prais- 
ing her  for  her  stately  person  and 
princely  behaviour,  in  praying  for 
her  long  life,  and  earnestly  desir- 
ing to  venture  their  lives  for  her 
safety.  In  her  presence  they  sung 
psalms  of  praise  to  Almighty  God, 
for  which  she  greatly  commended 
them,  and  devoutly  praised  God 
with  them.  This  that  I  write  you 
may  be  sure  I  do  not  with  any 
comfort,  but  to  give  you  these 
manifest  arguments  that  neither 
this  queen  did  discontent  her  peo- 
pie,  nor  her  people  shew  any  dis- 
content in  any  thing  they  were 
commanded  to  do  for  her  service, 
as  heretofore  hath  been  imagined. 

This  account  was  related  by  a 
popish  spy,  in  a  letter  written  here 
in  England  to  Mendea.     The  copy 

loving  people.  Let  tyrants  fear :  I 
have  always  so  behaved  myself,  that, 
under  God,  I  have  placed  my  chiefest 
strength  and  safeguard  in  the  loyal  hearts 
and  good-will  of  ray  subjects.  And 
therefore  I  am  come  amongst  you  at  this 
time,  not  as  for  my  recreation  or  sport, 
but  being-  resolved,  in  the  midst  and  heat 
of  the  battle,  to  live  or  die  amongst  you 
all ;  to  lay  down,  for  my  God,  and  for 
my  kingdom,  and  for  my  people,  my  ho- 
nour and  my  blood,  even  in  the  dust.  I 
know  I  have  but  the  body  of  a  weak  and 
feeble  woman,  but  I  have  the  heart  of  a 
king,  and  cf  a  king  of  England  too  ;  and 
think  foul  scorn  that  Parma  or  Spain,  or 
any  prince  of  Europe,  shj.ild  dare  to 
invade  the  borders  of  my  realms:  To 
which,  rather  than  any  disho!i')ur  should 
grow  by  me,  1  myself  will  take  up  arms; 
I  myself  will  be  your  general,  judge, 
and  rewarder  of  every  one  ol^  your 
virtues  in  the  field.  I  know  already,  by 
your  forwardness,  that  you  have  deserv- 
ed rewards  and  crowns;  and  I  do  assure 
you,  on  the  word  of  a  prince,  they  shall 
be  duly  paid  you.  In  the  mean  time  my 
lieutenant-general  shall  be  in  my  stead, 
than  whom  never  prince  commanded  a 
more  noble  and  worthy  subjecl ;  not 
doubting  by  your  obedience  to  my  gene- 
ral, by  your  concord  in  the  camp,  and 
your  valour  in  the  field,  we  shall  shortly 
have  a  famous  victory  over  those  enemies 
of  my  God,  of  my  kingdom,  and  of  my 
people." 


792 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  wliich  letter  was  found  upon 
Kichard  Leigh,  a  seminary  priest 
in  French  and  English:  which 
priest  was  executed  for  high  trea- 
son whilst  the  Spanish  Armada 
was  at  sea. 

The  same  day  whereon  the  last 
fight  was,  tlie  duke  of  Parma, 
after  his  vows  oflcrcd  to  the  lady 
of  Halla,  came  somewhat  late  to 
Dunkirk,  and  was  received  with 
very  opprobrious  language  by  the 
Spaniards,  as  if  in  favour  of  queen 
Elizabeth  he  had  slipped  the  fair- 
est opportunity  that  could  be  to  do 
the  service.  He,  to  make  some  sa- 
tisfaction, punished  the  purveyors 
that  had  not  made  provision  of 
beer,  bread,  &c.  which  was  not  yet 
ready  nor  embarked,  secretly  smil- 
ing at  the  insolence  of  the  Spa- 
niards, when  he  heard  them  brag- 
ging, that  what  way  soever  they 
came  upon  England,  they  would 
have  an  undoubted  victory  ;  that 
the  English  were  not  able  to  en- 
dure the  sight  of  them.  The  Eng- 
lish admiral  appointed  Seimor  and 
the  Hollanders  to  watch  upon  the 
coast  of  Flanders,  that  the  duke  of 
Parma  should  not  come  out ;  whilst 
he  himself  close  followed  the  Spa- 
niards until  they  m  ere  past  Edin- 
burgh Frith. 

The  Spaniards,  seeing  all  hopes 
fail,  fled  amain ;  and  so  this  great 
navy,  being  three  years  preparing, 
with  great  expence,  was  within 
one  month  overthrown,  and,  after 
many  were  killed,  being  chased 
again,  was  driven  about  all  Eng- 
land, by  Scotlajid,  the  Orcades, 
and  Ireland,  tossed  and  damaged 
with  tempests,  much  diminished, 
and  went  home  without  glory. 
There  were  not  an  hundred  men  of 
the  English  lost,  and  but  one  ship. 
Whereupon  money  was  coined 
with  a  navy  fleeing  away  in  full 
sail,  with  this  inscription,  Venit, 
i^idit,  Fugk.  Others  w.ere  coined 
with  the  ships  on  lire,  the  navy 
confounded,  inscribed,  in  honour 
of  the  queen.  Dux  Ficmina  Facti. 
As  they  fled,  it  is  certain  that 
many  of  their  ships  were  cast 
;iway  upon  Uie  sliores  of  Scotland 
AH'i  Ireland.      Above  seven  huu- 


dred  soldiers  and  mariners  were 
cast  away  upon  the  Scottish  shore, 
who,  at  the  duke  of  Parma's  in- 
tercession with  the  Scotch  king, 
the  queen  of  England  consenting, 
were,  after  a  year,  sent  into  Flan- 
ders. But  they  that  were  cast 
upon  the  Irish  shore  came  to  more 
miserable  fortunes ;  for  some  were 
killed  by  the  wild  Irish,  and  others 
were  destroyed  for  fear  they 
should  join  themselves  with  the 
wild  Irish  (which  cruelty  queen 
Elizabeth  much  condemned),  and 
the  rest  being  afraid,  sick,  and 
hungry,  with  their  disabled  ships, 
committed  themselves  to  the  sea, 
and  many  were  drowned. 

The  queen  went  to  public 
thanksgiving  in  St.  Paul's  church, 
accompanied  by  a  glorious  train 
of  nobility,  through  the  streets  of 
London,  which  were  hung  with 
blue  cloth,  the  companies  stand- 
ing on  both  sides  in  their  liveries; 
the  banners  that  were  taken  from 
the  enemies  were  spread;  she 
heard  the  sermon,  and  public 
thanks  were  rendered  unto  God 
with  great  joy.  This  public  joy 
was  augmented,  when  sir  Robert 
Sidney  returned  from  Scotland, 
and  brought  from  the  king  assu- 
rances of  his  noble  mind  and  af- 
fection to  the  queen,  and  to  reli- 
gion ;  which  as  in  sincerity  he  had 
established,  so  he  purposed  to 
maintain  with  all  his  power.  Sir 
Robert  Sidney  was  sent  to  him 
when  the  Spanish  fleet  was  com- 
ing, to  congratulate  and  return 
thanks  for  his  great  aifection  to- 
wards the  maintenance  of  the 
common  cause;  and  to  declare 
how  ready  she  would  be  to  help 
him  if  the  Spaniards  should  land 
in  Scotland;  and  that  he  might 
recal  to  memory  with  what 
strange  ambition  the  Spaniards 
had  gaped  for  all  Britain,  urging 
the  pope  to  excommunicate  him, 
to  the  end  that  he  might  be  thrust 
from  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and 
from  the  succession  in  England: 
and  to  give  bim  notice  of  the 
threatening  of  Mendoza,  and  the 
pope's  nuncio,  who  threatened  his 
ruin  if  they  could  efl'ect  it;    and 


SPANISH  ARMADA. 


793 


therefore  warned  him  to  take  spe- 
cial heed  to  the  Scottish  papists. 

The  king  pleasantly  answered, 
That  he  looked  for  no  other  benefit 
from  tlic  Spaniards,  than  that 
which  Polyphemus  promised  to 
Ulysses,  to  devour  him  last  after 
his  fellows  were  devoured. 


It  may  not  be  improper  here  to 
subjoin  a  list  of  the  different  arti- 
cles taken  on  board  the  Spanish 
ships,  designed  for  the  tormenting 
of  the  protestants,  had  their  scheme 
taken  eflect. 

1.  The  common  soldiers'  pikes, 
eighteen  feet  long,  pointed  with 
long  sharp  spikes,  and  shod  with 
iron,  which  were  designed  to  keep 
off  the  horse,  to  facilitate  the  land- 
ing of  the  infantry. 

2.  A  great  number  of  lances 
used  by  the  Spanish  officers. 
These  were  formerly  gilt,  but  the 
gold  is  almost  worn  off  by  clean- 
ing. 

3-  The  Spanish  ranceurs,  made 
in  different  forms,  which  were  in- 
tended either  to  kill  the  men  on 
horseback,  or  pull  them  off  their 
horses. 

4.  A  very  singular  piece  of 
arms,  being  a  pistol  in  a  shield,  so 
contrived  as  to  fire  the  pistol,  and 
cover  the  body,  at  the  same  time, 
with  the  shield.  It  is  to  be  fired  by 
a  match-lock,  and  the  sight  of  the 
enemy  is  to  be  taken  through  a  lit- 
tle grate  in  the  shield,  which  is 
pistol  proof. 

5.  The  banner,  with  a  crucifix 
upon  it,  which  was  to  have  been 
carried  before  the  Spanish  gene- 
ral. On  it  is  engraved  the  pope's 
benediction  before  the  Spanish 
fleet  sailed:  for  the  pope  came  to 
the  water-side,  and,  on  seeing  the 
fleet,  blessed  it,  and  styled  it  In- 
vincible. 

6.  The  Spanish  cravats,  as  they 
are  called.  These  are  engines  of 
torture,  made  of  iron,  and  put  on 
board  to  lock  together  the  feet, 
arms,  and  heads  of  Englishmen. 

7.  Spanish  bilboes,  made  of  iron 
likewise,  to  yoke  the  English  pri- 
soners two  and  two. 


8.  Spanish  shot,  which  are  of 
four  sorts:  pike-shot,  star-shot, 
chain-shot,  and  link-shot,  all  ad- 
mirably contrived,  as  well  for  the 
destruction  of  the  masts  and  rig- 
ging of  ships,  as  for  sweeping  the 
decks  of  their  men. 

9.  Spanish  spadas  poisoned  at 
the  points,  so  that  if  a  man  re- 
ceived the  slightest  wound  with 
one  of  them,  certain  death  was  the 
consequence. 

10.  A  Spanish  poll-axe,  used  in 
boarding  of  ships. 

11.  Thumb-screws,  of  which 
there  were  several  chests  full  on 
board  the  Spanish  fleet.  The  use 
they  were  intended  for  is  said  to 
have  been  to  extort  confession 
from  the  English  where  their 
money  was  hid. 

12.  The  Spanish  morning  star; 
a  destructive  engine  resembling 
the  figure  of  a  star,  of  which  there 
were  many  thousands  on  board, 
and  all  of  them  with  poisoned 
points;  and  were  designed  to 
strike  at  the  enemy  as  they  came 
on  board,  in  case  of  a  close  at- 
tack. 

13.  The  Spanish  general's  hal- 
berd, covered  with  velvet.  All 
the  nails  of  this  weapon  are  dou- 
ble gilt  with  gold ;  and  on  its  top 
is  the  pope's  head,  curiously  en- 
graved. 

14.  A  Spanish  battle-axe,  so 
contrived  as  to  strike  four  holes  in 
a  man's  head  at  once ;  and  has  be- 
sides a  pistol  in  its  handle,  with  a 
match-lock. 

15.  The  Spanish  general's 
shield,  carried  before  him  as  an 
ensign  of  honour.  On  it  are  de- 
picted, in  most  curious  workman- 
ship, the  labours  of  Hercules,  and 
other  expressive  allegories. 

When  the  Spanish  prisoners 
were  asked  by  some  of  the  Eng- 
lish what  their  intentions  were 
had  their  expedition  succeeded* 
they  replied,  "To  extirpate  the 
whole  from  the  island,  at  least  all 
heretics,  (as  they  called  the  pro- 
testants), and  to  send  their  souls 
to  hell."  —  Strange  infatuation! 
Ridiculous  bigotry!  How  infer- 
nally prejudiced  must  the  miudg 


of  those  men  be,  who  would  wish 
to  destroy  their  fellow-creatures, 
not  only  in  this  world,  but,  if  it 
were  possible,  in  that  which  is  to 


BOOK  OF  MARTYftS. 


come,  merely  because  tliey  refused 
to  believe  on  certain  subjects  as 
the  Spaniards  themselves  did. 


SECTION  II. 

HORRID  CONSPIRACY  BY  THE  PAPISTS  FOR  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF 
JAMES  I.,  THE  ROYAL  FAMILY,  AND  BOTH  HOUSES  OF  PARLIAMENT; 
COMMONLY    KNOWN    BY    THE    NAME    OF   THE   GUNPOWDER    PLOT. 


The  papists  (of  which  there  were 
great  numbers  in  England  at  the 
time  of  the  intended  Spanish  in- 
vasion) were  so  irritated  at  the 
failure  of  that  expedition,  that 
they  were  determined,  if  possible, 
to  project  a  scheme  at  home,  that 
might  answer  the  purposes,  in 
some  degree,  of  their  blood-thirsty 
competitors.  The  vigorous  admi- 
nistration of  Elizabeth,  however, 
prevented  their  carrying  any  of 
their  iniquitous  designs  into  execu- 
tion, although  they  made  many  at- 
tempts with  that  view.  The  com- 
mencement of  the  reign  of  her 
successor  was  destined  to  be  the 
era  of  a  plot,  the  infernal  barbarity 
of  which  transcends  every  thing 
related  in  ancient  or  modern 
history. 

In  order  to  crush  popery  in  the 
most  effectual  manner  in  this  king- 
dom, James,  soon  after  his  acces- 
sion, took  proper  measures  for 
eclipsing  the  power  of  the  Roman 
Catholics,  by  enforcing  those  laws 
which  had  been  made  against  them 
by  his  predecessors.  This  enraged 
the  papists  to  such  a  degree,  that  a 
conspiracy  was  formed,  by  some  of 
the  principal  leaders,  of  the  most 
daring  and  impious  nature; 
namely,  to  blow  up  the  king,  the 
royal  family,  and  both  houses  of 
parliament,  while  in  full  session, 
and  thus  to  involve  the  nation  in 
utter  and  inevitable  ruin. 

The  infernal  cabal  who  formed 
the  resolution  of  putting  in  prac- 
tice this  horrid  scheme,  consisted 
of  th«  following  persons :  Henry 
Garnet,  an  Englishman,  who, 
about  the  year  1586,  had  been  sent 
over  here  as  superior  of  the  Eng- 
lish Jesuits;  Catesby,  an  English 
gentleman;  Tesmond,  a  Jesuit; 
Thomas  Wright;   two  gentlemen 


of  the  name  of  Winter ;  Thomas 
Percy,  a  near  relation  of  the 
earl  of  Northumberland ;  Ouido 
Fawkes,  a  bold  and  enterprising 
soldier  of  fortune ;  sir  Edward 
Digby ;  John  Grant,  Esq. ;  Francis 
Tiesham,  Esq. ;  and  Robert  Keyes 
and  Thomas  15ates,  gentlemen. 

Most  of  these  were  men  both  of 
birth  and  fortune ;  and  Catesby, 
who  had  a  large  estate,  had  al- 
ready expended  two  thousand 
pounds  in  several  voyages  to  the 
court  of  Spain,  in  order  to  intro- 
duce an  army  of  Spaniards  into 
England,  for  overturning  the  pro- 
testant  government,  and  restoring 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  ;  but, 
being  disappointed  in  his  project 
of  an  invasion,  he  took  an  oppor- 
tunity of  disclosing  to  Percy 
(who  was  his  intimate  friend,  and 
who,  in  a  sudden  fit  of  passion, 
had  hinted  a  design  of  assassinat- 
ing the  king)  a  nobler  and  more 
extensive  plan  of  treason,  such  as 
would  include  a  sure  execution  of 
vengeance,  and,  at  one  blow,  con- 
sign over  to  destruction  all  their 
enemies. 

Percy  assented  to  the  project 
proposed  by  Catesby,  and  they 
resolved  to  impart  the  matter  to 
a  few  more,  and,  by  degrees,  to 
all  the  rest  of  their  cabal,  every 
man  being  bound  by  an  oath,  and 
taking  the  sacrament,  (the  most 
sacred  rite  of  their  religion)  not  to 
disclose  the  least  syllable  of  the 
matter,  or  to  withdraw  from  the 
association,  without  the  consent  of 
all  persons  concerned. 

These  consultations  were  held  in 
the  spring  and  summer  of  the 
year  1604,  and  it  was  towards  the 
close  of  that  year  that  they  began 
their  operations ;  the  manner  of 
which,  and  the  discovery,  wc  shall 
3 


GUNPOWDER  PLOT. 


79« 


relate  with  as  much  brevity  as  is 
consistent  with  perspicuity. 

It  had  been  agreed,  that  a  few 
of  the   conspirators  should  run  a 
mine  below  the  hall  in  which  the 
parliament  was  to  assemble,  and 
that  they  should  clioose  the  very 
moment  when  the  king  should  de- 
liver   his   speech  to   both  houses, 
for  springing  the  mine,  and  thus, 
by  one  blow,  cut  off  the  king',  the 
royal    family,  lords,  commons,  and 
all  the  other  enemies  of  the  Catholic 
religion,  in  that  very  spot   where 
that   religion  had   been  most   op- 
pressed.   For  this  purpose  Percy, 
who  was  at  that  time  a  gentleman- 
pensioner,     undertook     to    hire    a 
house  adjoining  to  the  upper  house 
of  parliament,  with  all  diligence. 
This    was   accordingly  done,   and 
the    conspirators,     expecting    the 
parliament  would  meet  on  the  17th 
of  February  following,  began,  on 
the  11th  of  December,   to   dig  in 
the   cellar,  through    the   wall    of 
partition,  which  was  three  yards 
thick.     There  were  seven  in  num- 
ber   joined  in  this   labour :    they 
went  in  by  night,  and  never  after 
appeared    in    sig-ht,    for,     having 
supplied  themselves  with   all   ne- 
cessary provisions,    they    had  no 
occasion  to   go   out.      In  case  of 
discovery,  they  had  provided  them- 
selves   with    powder,    shot,    and 
lire-arms,  and  had  formed  a  reso- 
lution rather  to  die  than  be  taken. 

On  Candlemas-day,  1G05,  they 
had  dug  so  far  through  the  wall  as 
to  be  able  to  hear  a  noise  on  the 
other  side ;  upon  which  unex- 
pected event,  fearing  a  discovery, 
Guido  Fawkes  (who  personated 
Percy's  footman)  was  dispatched 
to  know  the  occasion,  and  returned 
with  the  favourable  report,  that 
the  place  from  whence  the  noise 
came  was  a  large  cellar,  under  the 
upper  house  of  parliament,  full 
of  sea-coal,  which  was  then  on 
sale,  and  the  cellar  offered  to  be 
let. 

On  this  information,  Percy  im- 
mediately hired  the  cellar,  and 
bought  the  remainder  of  the  coals  : 
he  then  sent  for  thirty  barrels  of 
gunpowder    from    Holland,    and 


landing  them  at  Lambeth,  con- 
veyed them  gradually  by  night  to 
this  cellar,  where  they  were  co- 
vered with  stones,  iron  bars,  a 
thousand  billets,  and  five  hundred 
fagots  ;  all  which  they  did  at  their 
leisure,  the  parliament  being  pro- 
rogued to  the  5th  of  November. 

This  being  done,  the  conspira- 
tors next  consulted  Low  they 
should  secure  the  duke  of  York*, 
who  was  too  young  to  be  expected 
at  the  parliament-house,  and  his 
sister  the  princess  Elizabeth,  edu- 
cated at  lord  Harrington's,  in  War- 
wickshire. It  was  resolved,  that 
Percy  and  another  should  enter 
into  the  duke's  chamber,  and  a 
dozen  more,  properly  disposed  at 
several  doors,  with  two  or  three 
on  horseback  at  the  court-gate  to 
receive  him,  should  carry  him  safe 
away  as  soon  as  the  parliament- 
house  was  blown  up  ;  or,  if  that 
could  not  be  effected,  that  they 
should  kill  him,  and  declare  the 
princess  Elizabeth  queen,  having 
secured  her,  under  pretence  of  a 
hunting-match,  that  day. 

Several  of  the  conspirators  pro- 
posed obtaining  foreign  aid  prev!-, 
ous  to  the  execution  of  their  de- 
sign ;  but  this  was  over-ruled,  and 
it  was  agreed  only  to  apply  to 
France,  Spain,  and  other  powers, 
for  assistance  after  the  plot  had 
taken  effect:  they  also  resolved 
to  proclaim  the  princess  Elizabeth 
queen,  and  to  spread  a  report, 
after  the  blow  was  given,  that  the 
puritans  were  the  perpetrators  of 
so  inhuman  an  action. 

All  matters  being  now  prepared 
by  the  conspirators,  they,  without 
the  least  remorse  of  conscience, 
and  with  the  utmost  impatience, 
expected  the  5th  of  November. 
But  all  their  counsels  were  blasted 
by  a  happy  and  providential  cir- 
cumstance. One  of  the  conspira- 
tors, having  a  desire  to  save  Wil- 
liam Parker,  lord  Monteagle,  sent 
him  the  following  letter : 

"  My  Lord, 
"  Out  of  the  love  I  bear  to  some 

» 

f  Afterwards  Charles  I. 


796 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


of  your  friends,  I  have  a  care  for 
your  preservation  ;  therefore  I  ad- 
vise you,  as  you  tender  your  life, 
to  devise  you  some  excuse  to  shift 
off  your  attendance  at  this  parlia- 
ment ;  for  God  and  man  have  con- 
curred to  punish  the  wickedness 
of  this  time  :  and  think  not  slightly 
of  this  advertisement,  but  retire 
yourself  into  the  country,  where 
you  may  expect  the  event  with 
safety  ;  for  though  there  be  no 
appearance  of  any  stir,  yet  I  say 
they  shall  receive  a  terrible  blow, 
this  parliament,  and  yet  they  shall 
not  see  who  hurts  them.  This 
counsel  is  not  to  be  contemned, 
because  it  may  do  you  good,  and 
can  do  you  no  harm  ;  for  the  dan- 
ger is  past  so  soon  (or  as  quickly) 
as  you  burn  this  letter;  and  I  hope 
God  will  give  you  the  grace  to 
make  good  use  of  it,  to  whose 
holy  protection  I  commend  you." 

The    lord    Monteagle    was,    for 
some  time,  at  a  loss  what  judgment 
to  form  of  this   letter,    and  unre- 
solved   whether   he    should   slight 
the    advertisement    or    not ;     and 
fancying  it  a  trick  of  his  enemies 
to  frighten   him    into  an  absence 
from  parliament,  would  have  de- 
termined  on  the  former,  had  his 
own  safety  been  only  in  question  : 
but   apprehending  the    king's  lile 
might  be  in  danger,  he  took  the 
letter  at  midnight  to   the  earl  of 
Salisbury,  who   was  equally  puz- 
zled about  the  meaning  of  it ;  and 
though  he  was  inclined  to  think  it 
merely   a  wild  and  waggish  con- 
trivance to  alarm  Monteagle,  yet 
he  thought  proper  to  consult  about 
it  with  the  earl  of  Suffolk,  lord- 
chamberlain.         The     expression, 
*'  that  the  blow  should  come,  with- 
out   knowing     who    hurt    them," 
made  them  imagine  that  it  would 
not  be  more  proper  than  the  time 
•of  parliament,  nor  by    any   other 
iway  like  to  be  attempted  than  by 
gunpowder,    while   the   king    was 
sitting  in  that  assembly  :  the  lord- 
chamberlain  thought  this  the  more 
•probable,    because     there    was    a 
great  cellar  under  the  parliament- 
chamber  (as  already  mentioned), 


never  used  for  any  thing  but  wood 
or  coal,  belonging  to  Wineyard, 
the  keeper  of  the  palace ;  and 
having  communicated  the  letter  to 
the  earls  of  Nottingham,  Worces- 
ter, and  Northampton,  they  pro- 
ceeded no  farther  till  the  king 
came  from  Royston,  on  the  1st  of 
November. 

His  majesty  being  shewn  the 
letter  by  the  earls,  who,  at  the 
same  time,  acquainted  him  with 
their  suspicions,  was  of  opinion 
that  either  nothing  should  be  done, 
or  else  enough  to  prevent  the  dan- 
ger; and  that  a  search  should  be 
made  on  the  day  preceding  that 
designed  for  the  execution  of  the 
diabolical  enterprise. 

Accordingly,    on    Monday,    the 
4th  of  November,  in  the  afternoon, 
the  lord-chamberlain,  whose  office 
it   was   to  see    all    things   put    in 
readiness   for  the   king's  coming, 
accompanied  by  Monteagle,  went 
to  visit  all  places  about  the  par- 
liament-house, and  taking  a  slight 
occasion  to  see  the  cellar,  observed 
only   piles   of  billets   and   fagots, 
but    in   greater   number    than    he 
thought  Wineyard  could  want  for 
his  own  use.     On  his  asking  who 
owned  the  wood,  and  being  told  it 
belonged  to  one  Mr.  Percy,  he  be- 
gan   to    have     some     suspicions, 
knowing  liiui  to  be  a  rigid  papist, 
and  so  seldom  there,  that  he  had 
no  occasion  for  such  a  quantity  of 
fuel;     and    Monteagle    confirmed 
him    therein,     by    observing    that 
Percy  had  made  him  great  profes- 
sions of  friendship. 

Though  there  were  no  other  ma- 
terials visible,  yet  Suffolk  thought 
it  was  necessary  to  make  a  further 
search;  and,  upon  his  return  to 
the  king,  a  resolution  was  taken 
that  it  should  be  made  in  such  a 
manner  as  should  be  effectual, 
without  scandalizing  any  bodj',  or 
giving  any  alarm. 

Sir  Thomas  Knevet,  steward  of 
Westminster,  was  accordingly  or- 
dered, under  the  pretext  of  search- 
ing for  stolen  tapestry  hangings 
in  that  place,  and  other  houses 
thereabouts,  to  remove  the  wood, 
and  see  if  anything  was  concealed 
1 


GUNPOWDER  PLOT. 


797 


underneath.  This  gentleman  go- 
ing at  midnight,  with  several  at- 
tendants, to  the  cellar,  met 
Fawkes,  just  coming  out  of  it, 
booted  and  spurred,  with  a  tinder- 
box  and  three  matches  in  his 
pockets ;  and  seizing  him  without 
any  ceremony,  or  asking  him  any 
questions,  as  soon  as  the  removal 
of  the  wood  discovered  tlie  barrels 
of  gunpowder,  he  caused  him  to 
be  bound,  and  properly  secured. 

Fawkes,  who  was  an  hardened 
and  intrepid  villain,  made  no  he- 
sitation of  avowing  the  design, 
and  that  it  was  to  have  been  exe- 
cuted on  the  morrow.  He  made 
the  same  acknowledgment  at  his 
examination  before  a  committee 
of  the  council ;  and  though  he  did 
not  deny  having  some  associates 
in  this  conspiracy,  yet  no  threats 
of  torture  could  make  him  disco- 
ver any  of  them,  he  declaring  that 
"  he  was  ready  to  die,  and  had  ra- 
ther suffer  ten  thousand  deaths, 
than  willingly  accuse  his  master, 
or  any  other." 

By  repeated  examinations,  how- 
ever, and  assurances  of  his  mas- 
ter's being  apprehended,  he  at 
length  acknowledged,  "  that 
whilst  he  was  abroad,  Percy  had 
kept  the  keys  of  the  cellar,  had 
been  in  it  since  the  powder  had 
been  laid  there,  and,  in  effect,  that 
he  was  one  of  the  principal  actors 
in  the  intended  tragedy." 

In  the  mean  time  it  was  found 
out,  that  Percy  had  come  post  out 
of  the  north  on  Saturday  night, 
the  2d  of  November,  and  had 
dined  on  Monday  at  Sion-House, 
with  the  earl  of  Northumberland; 
that  Fawkes  had  met  him  on  the 
road;  and  that,  after  the  lord- 
chamberlain  had  been  that  even- 
ing in  the  cellar,  he  went,  about 
six  o'clock,  to  his  master,  who  had 
fled  immediately,  apprehending 
the  plot  was  detected. 

The  news  of  the  discovery  im- 
mediately spreading,  the  conspi- 
rators fled  different  ways,  but 
chiefly  into  Warwickshire,  where 
sir  Everard  Digby  had  appointed 
a  hunting-match,  near  Dunchurch, 
to  get  a  number  of  recusants  toge- 


ther, sufficient  to  seize  the  prin- 
cess Elizabeth;  but  this  design 
was  prevented  by  her  taking  re- 
fuge in  Coventry ;  and  their  whole 
party,  making  about  one  hundred, 
retired  to  Holbeach,  the  seat  of  sir 
Stephen  Littleton,  on  the  borders 
of  Staffordshire,  having  broken 
open  stables,  and  taken  horses 
from  different  people  in  the  ad- 
joining counties. 

Sir  Richard  Walsh,  high-sheriff 
of  Worcestershire,  pursued  them 
to  Holbeach,  where  he  invested 
them,  and  summoned  them  to  sur- 
render. In  preparing  for  their 
defence,  they  put  some  moist 
powder  before  a  fire  to  dry,  and  a 
spark  from  the  coals  setting  it  on 
fire,  some  of  the  conspirators  were 
so  burned  in  their  faces,  thighs, 
and  arms,  that  they  were  scarcely 
able  to  handle  their  weapons. 
Their  case  was  desperate,  and  no 
means  of  escape  appearing,  unless 
by  forcing  their  way  through  the 
assailants,  they  made^  a  furious 
sally  for  that  purpose.  Catesby 
(who  first  proposed  the  manner  of 
the  plot)  and  Percy  were  both 
killed.  Thomas  Winter,  Grant, 
Digby,  Rookwood,  and  Bates, 
were  taken  and  carried  to  London, 
where  the  first  made  a  full  disco- 
very of  the  conspiracy,  Tresham, 
lurking  about  the  city,  and  fre- 
quently shifting  his  quarters,  was 
apprehended  soon  after,  and,  hav- 
ing confessed  the  whole  matter, 
died  of  the  strangury,  in  the  Tower. 
The  earl  of  Northumberland,  sus- 
pected on  account  of  his  being  re- 
lated to  Thomas  Percy,  was,  by 
way  of  precaution,  committed  to 
the  custody  of  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  at  Lambeth ;  and  was 
afterwards  fined  thirty  thousand 
pounds,  and  sent  to  the  Tower, 
for  admitting  Percy  into  the  band 
of  gentlemen  pensioners,  without 
tendering  him  the  oath  of  supre- 
macy. 

Some  escaped  to  Calais,  and  ar- 
riving there  with  others  who  fled 
to  avoid  a  prosecution,  which  they 
apprehended  on  this  occasion, 
were  kindly  received  by  the  go- 
vernor; but  one  of  them  declaring 


798 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


before  liim,  that  he  was  not  so 
much  concerned  at  his  exile,  as 
that  the  powder-plot  did  not  take 
effect,  the  governor  was  so  much 
incensed  at  Ms  glorying  in  such  an 
execrable  piece  of  iniquity,  that, 
in  a  sadden  impulse  of  indigna- 
tion, he  endeavoured  to  throw  him 
into  the  sea. 

On  the  27th  of  January,  1606, 
eight  of  the  conspirators  were 
tried  and  convicted;  among  whom 
was  sir  Everard  Digby,  the  only 
one  that  pleaded  guilty  to  the  in- 
dictment, though  all  the  rest  had 
confessed  their  guilt  before.  Dig- 
by  was  executed  on  the  30th  of 
the  same  month,  with  Robert 
Winter,  Grant,  and  Bates,  at  the 
west  end  of  St.  Paul's  church- 
yard; Thomas  Winter,  Keyes, 
Rookwood,  and  Fawkes,  were  ex- 
ecuted the  following  day  in  Old 
Palace-yard. 

Garnet  was  tried  on  the  28th  of 
March,  "  for  his  knowledge  and 
concealment  of  the  conspiracy ;  for 
administering  an  oath  of  secrecy 
to  the  conspirators;  for  persuad- 
ing them  of  the  lawfulness  of  the 
treason,  and  for  praying  for  the 
.success  of  the  great  action  in  hand 
at  tlie  beginning  of  the  parlia- 
ment."   Being  found  guilty*,  he 


received  sentence  of  death,  bat 
was  not  executed  till  the  3d  of 
May,  when,  confessing  his  own 
guilt,  and  the  iniquity  of  the  en- 
terprise, he  exhorted  all  Roman 
Catholics  to  abstain  from  the  like 
treasonable  practices  in  future. 
Gerard  and  Hull,  two  Jesuits,  got 
abroad;  and  Littleton,  with  se- 
veral others,  were  executed  in  the 
country. 

The  lord  Monteagle  had  a  grant 
of  two  hundred  pounds  a  year  in 
land,  and  a  pension  ef  five  hun- 
dred pounds  for  life,  as  a  reward 
for  discovering  the  letter  which 
gave  the  first  hint  of  the  conspi- 
racy; and  the  anniversary  of  this 
providential  deliverance  was  or- 
dered to  be  for  ever  commemo- 
rated by  prayer  and  thanksgiving. 

Thus  was  this  diabolical  scheme 
happily  rendered  abortive,  and 
the  authors  of  it  brought  to  that 
condign  punishment  which  their 
wickedness  merited.  In  this  af- 
fair Providence  manifestly  inter- 
posed in  behalf  of  the  protestants, 
and  saved  them  from  that  destruc- 
tion which  must  have  taken  place, 
had  the  scheme  succeeded  accord- 
ing to  the  wishes  of  a  bigoted,  su- 
perstitious, and  blood-thirsty  fac^ 
tion. 


SECTION  III. 

RISE     AND     PROGRESS     OF     THE      PROTESTANT     RELIGION     IN     IRELAND; 
WITH    AN   ACCOUNT   OF   THE   BARBAROUS    MASSACRE   OF   1641. 

The  gloom  of  popery  had  over- 
shadowed Ireland,  from  its  first 
establishment  there  till  the  reign 
of  Henry  VIII.,  when  the  •rays  of 
the  gospel  began  to  dispel  the 
darkness,  and  afford  that  light 
which  had  till  then  been  unknown 
in  that  island.  The  abject  igno- 
rance in  which  the  people  were 
held,  with  the  absurd  and  super- 


*  Although  Garnet  was  convicted  of 
this  horrible  crime,  yet  the  bigoted  Pa- 
pists were  so  besotted  as  to  Took  upon 
him  as  an  object  of  devotion;  they  fen- 
J»*^  that  miracles  were  wrought  by  his 
blood,  and  regarded  him  as  a  martyr! 
Such  IS  the  deadening  and  perverting  in- 
Quence  of  Popery ! 


stitious  notions  they  entertained, 
were  sufficiently  evident  to  many ; 
and  the  artifices  of  their  priests 
were  so  conspicuous,  that  several 
persons  of  distinction,  who  had  hi- 
therto been  strenuous  papists, 
would  willingly  have  endeavoured 
to  shake  ofi'  the  yoke,  and  embrace 
the  protestant  religion;  bat  the 
natural  ferocity  of  the  people,  and 
their  strong  attachment  to  the  ri- 
diculous doctrines  which  they  had 
been  taught,  made  the  attempt 
dangerous.  It  was,  however,  at 
length  undertaken,  thongb  at- 
tended with  the  most  horrid  and 
disastrous  conseqaeuces. 

The  introduction  of  the  protest- 
ant religion  into  Ireland  may  b« 


REFORMATION  IN  IRELAND. 


799 


principally  attributed  to  George 
Browne,  an  Englishman,  who  was 
consecrated  archbishop  of  Dublin, 
on  the  19th  of  March,  1535.  He 
had  formerly  been  an  Augustine 
friar,  and  was  promoted  to  the 
mitre  on  account  of  his  merit. 

After  having  enjoyed  his  dignity 
about  five  years,  he,  at  the  time 
that  Henry  VIII.  was  suppressing 
the  religious  houses  in  England, 
caused  all  the  relics  and  images  to 
be  removed  out  of  the  two  cathe- 
drals in  Dublin,  and  the  other 
churches  in  his  diocese ;  in  the 
place  of  which  he  caused  to  be  put 
up  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Creed, 
and  the  Ten  Commandments. 

A  short  time  after  this  he  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Thomas 
Cromwell,  lord  privy-seal,  inform- 
ing him  that  Henry  VIII.  having 
thrown  off  the  papal  supremacy  in 
England,  was  determined  to  do 
the  like  in  Ireland;  and  that  he 
thereupon  had  appointed  him 
(archbishop  Browne)  one  of  the 
commissioners  for  seeing  this  or- 
der put  in  execution.  The  arch- 
bishop answered,  that  he  had  em- 
ployed his  utmost  endeavours,  at 
the  hazard  of  his  life,  to  cause  the 
Irish  nobility  and  gentry  to  ac- 
knowledge Henry  as  their  su- 
preme head,  in  matters  both  spiri- 
tual and  temporal ;  but  had  met 
with  a  most  violent  opposition, 
especially  from  George,  archbi- 
shop of  Armagh :  that  this  prelate 
had,  in  a  speech  to  his  clergy, 
laid  a  curse  on  all  those  who 
should  own  his  highness's*  supre- 
macy; adding,  that  their  isle, 
called  in  the  Chronicles  Insula  Sa- 
cra, or  the  Holy  Island,  belonged 
to  none  bat  the  bishop  of  Rome ; 
and  that  the  king's  progenitors 
had  received  it  from  the  pope. 
He  observed  likewise,  that  the 
archbishop,  and  the  clergy  of  Ar- 
magh, had  each  dispatched  a  cou- 
rier to  Rome;  and  that  it  would 
be  necessary  for  a  parliament  to 
be  called  in  Ireland,  to  pass  an  act 

*  The  king  of  England  was  at  that 
time  called  highness,  not  majesty^  as  at 
present. 


of  supremacy,  the  people  not  re- 
garding the  king's  commission 
without  the  sanction  of  the  legisla- 
tive assembly.  He  concluded  with 
observing,  that  the  popes  had  kept 
the  people  in  the  most  profound 
ignorance  ;  that  the  clergy  were 
exceedingly  illiterate ;  that  the 
common  people  were  more  zeal- 
ous, in  their  blindness,  than  the 
saints  and  martyrs  had  been  in 
the  defence  of  truth  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  gospel ;  and  that  it 
was  to  be  feared  Shan  O'Neal,  a 
chieftain  of  great  power  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  island,  was 
decidedly  opposed  to  the  king's 
commission. 

In  pursuance  of  this  advice,  the 
following  year  a  parliament  was 
summoned  to  meet  at  Dublin,  by 
order  of  Leonard  Grey,  at  that 
time  lord-lieutenant.  At  this  as- 
sembly archbishop  Browne  made 
a  speech,  in  which  he  set  forth, 
that  the  bishops  of  Rome  used, 
anciently,  to  acknowledge  empe- 
rors, kings,  and  princes,  to  be  su- 
preme in  their  own  dominions ; 
and,  therefore,  that  he  himself 
would  vote  king  Henry  VIII.  as 
supreme  in  all  matters,  both  eccle- 
siastical and  temporal.  He  con- 
cluded with  saying,  that  whoso- 
ever should  refuse  to  vote  for  this 
act,  was  not  a  true  subject  of  the 
king.  This  speech  greatly  startled 
the  other  bishops  and  lords;  but 
at  length,  after  violent  debates, 
the  king's  supremacy  was  allowed. 

Two  years  after  this  the  arch- 
bishop wrote  a  second  letter  to 
lord  Cromwell,  complaining  of  the 
clergy,  and  hinting  at  the  machi- 
nations which  the  pope  was  then 
carrying  on  against  the  advocates 
of  the  gospel.  This  letter  is  dated 
from  Dublin,  in  April  1538 ;  and 
among  other  matters,  the  archbi- 
shop says,  "  A  bird  may  be  taught 
to  speak  with  as  much  sense  as 
many  of  the  clergy  do  in  this 
country.  These,  though  not  scho- 
lars, yet  are  crafty  to  cozen  the 
poor  common  people,  and  to  dis- 
suade them  from  following  his 
highness's  orders.  The  country 
folk  here  much  hate  your  lordship, 


800 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  despitefully  call  you,  in  their 
Irish  tongue,  the  Blacksmith's 
Son,  As  a  friend,  I  desire  your 
lordship  to  look  to  your  noble  per- 
son. Rome  hath  a  great  kindness 
for  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  and  great 
favours  for  this  nation,  purposely 
to  oppose  his  highness." 

A  short  time  after  this,  the  pope 
sent  over  to  Ireland  (directed  to 
the  archbishop  of  Armagh  and 
his  clergy)  a  bull  of  excommuni- 
cation against  all  who  had,  or 
should  own  the  king's  supremacy 
within  the  Irish  nation  ;  denounc- 
ing a  curse  on  all  of  them,  and 
theirs,  who  should  not,  within  forty 
days,  acknowledge  to  their  con- 
fessors, that  they  had  done  amiss  in 
so  doing. 

Archbishop  Browne  gave  notice 
of  this,  in  a  letter,  dated  Dublin, 
May  1638.  Part  of  the  form  of 
confession,  or  vow,  sent  over  to 
these  Irish  papists,  ran  as  follows  : 
"  I  do  further  declare,  him  or  her, 
father  or  mother,  brother  or  sister, 
son  or  daughter,  husband  or  wife, 
uncle  or  aunt,  nephew  or  niece, 
kinsman  or  kinswoman,  master  or 
mistress,  and  all  others,  nearest  or 
dearest  relations,  friend  or  ac- 
quaintance whatsoever,  accursed, 
that  either  door  shall  hold,  for  the 
time  to  come,  any  ecclesiastical  or 
civil  power  above  the  authority  of 
the  mother-church;  or  that  do  or 
shall  obey,  for  the  time  to  come, 
any  of  her  the  mother  of  churches 
opposers  or  enemies,  or  contrary 
to  the  same,  of  which  I  have  here 
sworn  unto:  so  God,  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  and 
the  Holy  Evangelists,  help  me, 
&c."  This  is  an  exact  agreement 
with  the  doctrines  promulgated  by 
the  councils  of  Lateran  and  Con- 
stance, which  expressly  declare, 
that  no  favour  should  be  shewn  to 
heretics,  nor  faith  kept  with  them  ; 
that  they  ought  to  be  excommuni- 
cated and  condemned,  and  their 
estates  confiscated ;  and  that 
princes  are  obliged,  by  a  solemn 
oath,  to  root  them  out  of  their  re- 
spective dominions. 

How  abominable  a  church  must 
that  be,  which  thus  dares  to  tram- 


ple upon  all  authority !  how  be- 
sotted the  people  Mho  regard  the 
injunctions  of  such  a  church  ! 

In  the  archbishop's  last-men- 
tioned letter,  dated  May  1538,  he 
says,  "  His  highness's  viceroy  of 
this  nation  is  of  little  or  no  power 
with  the  old  natives.  Now  both 
English  and  Irish  begin  to  oppose 
your  lordship's  orders,  and  to  lay 
aside  their  national  quarrels,  which 
I  fear  will  (if  any  thing  will) 
cause  a  foreigner  to  invade  this 
nation." 

Not  long  after  this,  archbishop 
Browne  seized  one  Thady  O'Briau, 
a  Franciscan  friar,  who  had  in 
his  possession  a  paper  sent  from 
Rome,  dated  May  1,538,  and  di- 
rected to  O'Neal.  In  this  letter 
were  the  following  words:  "His 
holiness  Paul,  now  pope,  and  the 
council  of  the  fathers,  have  lately 
found,  in  Rome,  a  prophecy  of  one 
St.  Lacerianus,  an  Irish  bishop  of 
Cashel,  in  which  he  saith,  that  the 
mother  church  of  Rome  falleth, 
when,  in  Ireland,  the  Catholic 
faith  is  overcome.  Therefore,  for 
the  glory  of  the  mother-church, 
the  honour  of  St.  Peter,  and  your 
own  secureness,  suppress  heresj', 
and  his  holiness's  enemies." 

This  Thady  O'Brian,  after  far- 
ther examination  and  search  made, 
was  pilloried,  and  kept  close  pri- 
soner, till  the  king's  order  arrived 
in  what  manner  he  should  be  far- 
ther disposed  of.  But  order  com- 
ing over  from  England  that  he 
was  to  be  hanged,  he  laid  violent 
hands  on  himself  in  the  castle  of 
Dublin.  His  body  was  afterwards 
carried  to  Gallows-green,  where, 
after  being  hanged  up  for  some 
time,  it  was  interred. 

After  the  accession  of  Edward 
VI.  to  the  throne  of  England,  an 
order  was  directed  to  Sir  Anthony 
Leger,  the  lord-deputy  of  Ireland, 
commanding  that  the  liturgy  in 
English  be  forthwith  set  up  in 
Ireland,  there  to  be  observed 
within  the  several  bishoprics,  ca- 
thedrals, and  parish  churches; 
and  it  was  first  read  in  Christ- 
church,  Dublin,  on  Easter-day, 
1551,  before  the  said  sir  Anthony, 


UEFORMATION  IN  IRKLANU. 


SOI 


ki-chbishop  Browne,  and  others. 
Part  of  the  royal  order  for  this 
purpose  was  as  follow?:  "  Where- 
as our  gracious  father,  king  Henry 
VIII.  taking  into  consideration 
the  bondage  and  heavy  yoke  tliat 
his  true  and  faithful  subjects  sus- 
tained,  under   tlie   jurisdiction  of 


th{ 


)p  of  Rosne  ;  h{ 


fabulous  stories  and  lying  wonders 
misled  our  subjects ;  dispensing 
with  the  sins  of    oar   nations,  by 


"their  indulgences  and  pardons, 
for  gain  ;  purposely  to  cherish  all 
evil  vices,  as  robberies,  rebellions, 
theft,  whoredoms,  blasphemy, 
idolatry,  &c.  our  gracious  father 
hereupon  dissolved  all  priories, 
monasteries,  abbeys,  andotlier  pre- 
tended religious  houses  ;  as  being 
but  nurseries  for  vice  or  luxury, 
more  than  for  sacred  learning, 
&c." 


Dress   of  a  Female  condemned    hy  the  Jn 
qmsitiou. 


i)r?i«  of  a  Man  in  a 


On  the  day  after  the  common- 
prayer  was  tirst  used  in  Christ- 
church,  Dublin,  the  following 
•wicked  scheme  was  projected  by 
the  papists : 

In  the  church  was  left  a  marble 
image  of  Christ,  holding  a  reed  in 
his  hand,  with  a  crown  of  thorns 
on  his  head.  Whilst  the  English 
service  (the  Common  Prayer)  was 
being  read  before  the  lord-lieute- 
nant, the  archbishop  of  Dublin,  the 
privy-council,  the  lord-mayor,  and 
a  great  congregation,  blood  was 
FOX'S  MARTYRS. 


seen  to  run  through  the  crevices  of 
the  crown  of  thorns,  and  to  trickle 
down  the  face  of  the  image.  On 
this,  some  of  the  contrivers  of  the 
imposture  cried  aloud  :  "  See  how 
our  Saviour's  image  sweats  blood! 
But  it  must  necessarily  do  this, 
since  heresy  is  come  into  the 
church."  Immediately  many  of 
the  lower  order  of  people,  indeed 
the  vulgar  of  afl  ranks,  were  ter- 
rified at  the  sight  of  so  tnirmulavs 
and  undeniable  an  evidence  of  the 
Divine  displeasure  ;  thftv  hastened 

51 


*01 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


from  the  ehiucb,  convinced  that 
the  doctrines  of  protestantism 
emanated  from  an  infernal  source, 
and  that  salvation  was  only  to  be 
found  in  the  bosom  of  their  own 
infaliible  church. 

This  incident,  however  ridiculous 
it  may  appear  to  the  enlightened 
reader,  had  great  influence  over 
the  minds  of  the  ignorant  Irish, 
and  answered  the  ends  of  the  im- 
pudent impostors  who  contrived  it, 
so  far  as  to  check  the  progress  of 
the  reformed  religion  in  Ireland 
very  materially;  many  persons 
could  not  resist  the  conviction  that 
there  were  many  errors  and  cor- 
ruptions in  the  Romish  church,  but 
they  were  awed  into  silence  by 
this  pretended  manifestation  of 
Divine  wrath,  which  was  magnified 
beyond  measure  by  the  bigoted 
and  interested  priesthood. 

We  have  very  few  particulars  as 
to  the  state  of  religion  in  Ireland 
during  the  remaining  portion  of 
the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  and  the 
greater  part  of  that  of  Mary.  To- 
wards the  conclusion  of  the  bar- 
barous sway  of  that  relentless  bigot, 
she  attempted  to  extend  her  inhu- 
man persecutions  to  this  island; 
but  her  diabolical  intentions  were 
happily  frustrated  in  the  following 
providential  manner,  the  particu- 
lars of  which  are  related  by  histo- 
rians of  good  authority. 

Mary  had  appointed  Dr.  Cole 
(an  agent  of  the  blood-thirsty  Bon- 
ner) one  of  the  commissioners  for 
carrying  her  barbarous  intentions 
into  effect.  He  having  arrived  at 
Chester  with  his  commission,  the 
mayor  of  that  city,  being  a  papist, 
waited  upon  him;  when  the  doctor 
taking  out  of  his  cloak-bag  a  lea- 
thern case,  said  to  him,  "  Here  is 
a  commission  that  shall  lash  the  he- 
retics of  Ireland."  The  good  wo- 
man of  the  house  being  a  protest- 
ant,  and  having  a  brother  in  Dub- 
lin, named  Jolin  Edmunds,  was 
greatly  troubled  at  what  she  heard. 
But  watching  her  opportunity, 
whilst  the  mayor  was  taking  his 
leave,  and  the  doctor  politely  ac- 
companying him  dowu  stairs,  she 
opentd  the  box,  took  out  the  com- 


mission, and  in  its  .itead  laid  a 
sheet  of  paper,  with  a  pack  of 
cards,  and  the  knave  of  clubs  at 
top.  The  doctor,  not  suspecting 
the  trick  that  had  been  played  him, 
put  up  the  box,  and  arrived  with  it 
in  Dublin  in  September,  1558. 

Anxious  to  accomplish  the  in- 
tentions of  his  "pious"  mistress, 
he  immediately  waited  upon  lord 
Fitz-Walter,  at  that  time  viceroy, 
and  presented  the  box  to  him; 
which  being  opened,  nothing  was 
found  in  it  but  a  pack  of  cards. 
This  startling  all  the  persons  pre- 
sent, his  lordship  said,  "  We  must 
procure  another  commission;  and 
in  the  mean  time  let  us  shuffle  the 
cards !" 

Dr.  Cole,  however,  would  have 
directly  returned  to  England  to 
get  another  commission;  but  wait- 
ing for  a  favourable  wind,  news  ar- 
rived that  queen  Mary  was  dead, 
and  by  this  means  the  protestants 
escaped  a  most  cruel  persecution. 
The  above  relation,  as  we  before 
observed,  is  confirmed  by  histo- 
rians of  the  greatest  credit,  who 
add,  that  queen  Elizabeth  settled 
a  pension  of  forty  pounds  per  an- 
num upon  the  above-mentioned 
Elizabeth  Edmunds,  for  having  thus 
saved  the  lives  of  her  protestant 
subjects. 

During  the  reigns  of  Elizabeth 
and  of  James  I.  Ireland  was  al- 
most constantly  agitated  by  rebel- 
lions and  insun-ections,  which,  al- 
though not  always  taking  their  rise 
from  the  dilierence  of  religious 
opinions  between  the  English  and 
Irish,  were  aggravated  and  ren- 
dered more  bitter  and  irreconcil- 
able from  that  cause.  The  popish 
priests  artfully  exaggerated  the 
faults  of  the  English  government, 
and  continually  urged  to  their  ig- 
norant and  prejudiced  hearers  the 
lawfulness  of  killing  the  protest- 
ants, assuring  them  that  all  Catho- 
lics who  were  slain  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  so  piojw  an  enterprise  would 
be  immediately  received  into  ever- 
lasting felicity.  The  naturally 
ungovernable  dispositions  of  tire 
Irish,  acted  upon  by  the^ie  designing- 
men,  drov©  them  into  conthiual 
.1 


IRISH  MASSACRE. 


803 


acts  of  barbarous  and  unjustifiable 
violence,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  the  unsettled  and  arbitrary 
nature  of  the  authority  exercised 
by  the  English  governors  was  but 
little  calculated  to  gain  their  affec- 
tions. The  Spaniards,  too,  by 
landing  forces  in  the  south,  and 
giving  every  encouragement  to  the 
discontented  natives  to  join  their 
standard,  kept  the  island  in  a  con- 
tinual state  of  turbulence  and  war- 
fare. In  1601  they  disembarked  a 
body  of  4000  men  at  Kinsale,  and 
commenced  what  they  called  "  the 
holy  war,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
faith  ill  Ireland;"  they  were  as- 
sisted by  great  numbers  of  the 
Irish,  but  were  at  length  totally 
defeated  by  the  deputy,  lord 
Mountjoy,  and  his  officers. 

This  closed  the  transactions  of 
Elizabeth's  reign  with  respect  to 
Ireland ;  an  interval  of  apparent 
tranquillity  followed,  bat  the  popish 
priesthood,  ever  restless  and  de- 
signing, sought  to  undermine  by 
secret  machinations  that  govern- 
ment and  that  faith  which  they 
durst  no  longer  openly  attack. 
The  pacific  reign  of  James  afforded 
them  the  opportunity  of  increasing 
their  strength  and  maturing  their 
schemes ;  and  under  bis  successor, 
Charles  I.  their  numbers  were 
greatly  increased  by  titular  Romish 
archbishops,  bishops,  deans, 
vicars-general,  abbots,  priests,  and 
friars  ;  for  which  reason,  in  1629, 
the  public  exercise  of  the  popish 
rites  and  ceremonies  was  forbid- 
den. 

But  notwithstanding  this,  soon 
afterwards  the  Romish  clergy 
erected  a  new  popish  university 
in  the  city  of  Dublin.  They  also 
proceeded  to  build  monasteries 
and  nunneries  in  various  parts  of 
the  kingdom ;  in  which  places 
these  very  Romish  clergy,  and  the 
chiefs  of  the  Irish,  held  frequent 
meetings  ;  and,  from  thence,  used 
to  pass  to  and  fro,  to  France, 
Spain,  Flanders,  Lorrain,  and 
Rome ;  where  the  detestable  plot 
of  1641  was  hatching  by  the  fa- 
mily of  the  O'Neals  and  their  fol- 
lowers. 

A   short  time  before  the  horrid 


conspiracy  broke  out,  which  we 
are  now  going  to  relate,  the  pa- 
pists in  Ireland  had  presented  a 
remonstrance  to  the  lords-justices 
of  that  kingdom,  demanding  the 
free  exercise  of  their  religion,  and 
a  repeal  of  all  laws  to  the  con- 
trary ;  to  which  both  houses  of 
parliament  in  England  solemnly 
answered,  that  they  would  never 
grant  any  toleration  to  the  popish 
religion  in  that  kingdom*. 

This  farther  irritated  the  papists 
to  put  in  execution  the  diabolical 
plot  concerted  for  the  destruction 
of  the  protestants;  and  it  failed 
not  of  the  success  wished  for  by 
its  malicious  and  rancorous  pro- 
jectors. 

The  design  of  this  horrid  con- 
spiracy was,  that  a  general  insor- 
reetion  should  take  place  at  the 
same  time  throughout  the  king- 
dom; and  that  all  the  protestants, 
without  exception,  should  be  mur- 
dered. The  day  fixed  for  this 
horrid  massacre  was  the  23d  of 
October,  1641,  the  feast  of  Igna- 
tius Loyola,  founder  of  the  Je- 
suits ;  and  the  chief  conspirator*, 
in  the  principal  parts  of  the  king- 
dom, made  the  necessar\'  prepara- 
tions for  the  intended  conflict. 

In  order  that  this  detested 
scheme  might  the  more  infalliblv 
succeed,  the  most  distinguished 
artifices  were  practised  by  the  pa- 
pists; and  their  behaviour,  in  their 
visits  to  the  protestants,  at  this 
time,  was  with  more  seeming  kind- 
ness than  they  had  hitherto  shewn, 
which  was  done  the  more  com- 
pletely to  effect  the  inhummi  and 
treacherous  designs  then  meditat- 
ing against  them. 

The  execution  of  this  savage 
conspiracy  was  delayed  till  the 
approach  of  winter,  that  the  send- 

*  In  this  proceeding  both  parties  were 
most  probaoly  wrong ;  the  Catholics 
asked  too  boldly,  and  the  Protestants 
denied  too  harshly ;  but  that  was  the 
age  of  intolerance.  Now.  however, 
that  we  ha^e  repaired  the  errors  of  our 
ancestors,  and  have  granted  that  tolera- 
tion which  the  papists  then  reqqir&d, 
they  extend  their  demands;  like  the  in- 
satiate conqueror  of  the  North,  they 
"  think  nrtthine  gained,  while  ougiit  Co 
gain  remains," 


S04 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


iutf  troops  from  England  might  be 
attended  with  greater  dilliculty. 
Cardinal  Richlieu,  the  French  mi- 
nister, had  promised  the  conspi- 
rators a  considerable  supply  of 
men  and  money  ;  and  many  Irish 
officers  had  given  the  strongest  as- 
surances, that  they  would  heartily 
concur  with  their  Catholic  brethren, 
as  soon  as  the  insurrection  took 
place. 

The  day  preceding  that  ap- 
pointed for  carrying  this  horrid 
design  into  execution  was  now  ar- 
rived, when,  happily  for  the  metro- 
polis of  the  kingdom,  the  conspi- 
racy was  discovered  by  one  Owen 
O'Connelly,  an  Irishman,  for  which 
most  sig'nal  service  the  English 
parliament  voted  him  5001.  and  a 
pension  of  2001.  during'  his  life. 

So  very  seasonably  was  this 
plot  discovered,  even  but  a  few 
hours  before  the  city  and  castle  of 
Dublin  were  to  have  been  sur- 
prised, that  the  lords-justices  had 
but  just  time  to  put  themselves, 
and  the  city,  in  a  proper  posture 
of  defence.  The  lord  M'Guire, 
who  was  the  principal  leader  here, 
with  bis  accomplices,  were  seized 
the  same  evening  in  the  city  ;  and 
in  their  lodgings  were  found 
swords,  hatchets,  pole-axes,  ham- 
mers, and  such  other  instruments 
of  death  as  had  been  prepared  for 
the  destruction  and  extirpation  of 
the  protestants  in  that  part  of  the 
kingdom. 

Thus  was  the  metropolis  hap- 
pily preserved ;  but  the  bloody 
part  of  the  intended  tragedy  was 
past  prevention.  The  conspira- 
tors were  in  arms  all  over  the  king- 
dom early  in  the  morning  of  the 
day  appointed,  and  every  protest- 
ant  who  feli  in  their  way  was  im- 
mediately murdered.  No  age,  no 
sex,  no  condition,  was  spared.  The 
wife  weeping  for  her  butchered  hus- 
band, and  embracing  her  helpless 
children,  was  pierced  with  them, 
and  perished  by  ihe  same  stroke. 
The  old,  the  joung,  the  vigorous, 
and  the  infirm,  underwent  the  same 
fate,  and  were  blended  in  one  com- 
mon ruin.  In  vain  did  flight  save 
from  the  first  assault:  destruction 
was  every  where  let   loose,    and 


met  the  hunted  victims  at  everj 
turn.  In  vain  was  recourse  had 
to  relations,  to  companions,  to 
friends  :  all  connexions  were  dis- 
solved, and  death  was  dealt  by 
that  hand,  from  which  protection 
was  implored  and  expected. 
Without  provocation,  without  op- 
position, the  astonished  English, 
living  in  profound  peace,  and,  as 
they  thought,  full  security,  were 
massacred  by  their  nearest  neigh- 
bours, with  whom  they  had  long 
maintained  a  continued  intercourse 
of  kindness  and  good  offices. 
Nay,  even  death  was  the  slightest 
punishment  inflicted  by  these  mon- 
sters in  human  form;  all  the  tor- 
tures which  wanton  cruelty  could 
invent,  all  the  lingering  pains  of 
body,  the  anguish  of  mind,  the 
agonies  of  despair,  could  not  sa- 
tiate revenge  excited  without  in- 
jury, and  cruelly  derived  from  no 
jtust  cause  whatever.  Depraved 
nature,  even  perverted  religion, 
though  encouraged  by  the  utmost 
licence,  cannot  reach  to  a  greater 
pitch  of  ferocity  than  appeared  in 
these  merciless  barbarians.  Even 
the  weaker  sex  themselves,  natu- 
rally tender  to  their  own  suflerings, 
and  compassionate  to  those  of 
others,  here  emulated  their  robust 
companions  in  the  practice  of  every 
cruelty.  The  very  children,  taught 
by  example,  and  encouraged  by 
the  exhortation  of  their  parents, 
dealt  their  feeble  blows  on  the  dead 
carcasses  of  defenceless  children  of 
the  English. 

Nor  was  the  avarice  of  the  Irish 
sufficient  to  produce  the  least  re- 
straint on  their  cruelty.  Such 
was  their  frenzy,  that  the  cattle 
they  had  seized,  and  by  rapine  had 
made  their  own,  were,  because 
they  bore  the  name  of  English, 
wantonly  slaughtered,  or,  when 
covered  with  wounds,  turned  loose 
into  the  woods,  there  to  perish  by 
slow  and  lingering  torments. 

The  commodious  habitations  of 
the  planters  were  laid  in  ashes,  or 
levelled  with  the  ground.  And 
where  the  wretched  owners  had 
shut  themselves  up  in  the  houses, 
and  were  preparing  for  defence, 
they  perished  in  the  flamps  toge- 


IRISH  MASSACRE. 


803 


thcr   with   their    wives    and    chil- 
dren. 

Such  is  the  general  description 
of  this  unparalleled  massacre;  but 
it  now  remains,  from  the  nature 
of  our  work,  that  we  proceed  to 
particulars. 

The  bigoted  and  merciless  pa- 
pists had  no  sooner  begun  to  im- 
brue their  hands  in  blood,  than 
they  repeated  the  horrid  tragedy 
day  after  day  ;  and  the  protestants 
in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom  fell 
\ictims  to  their  fury  by  deaths  of 
the  most  unheard-of  cruelty. 

The  ignorant  Irish  were  more 
strong-ly  instigated  to  execute  the 
infernal  business  by  the  Jesuits, 
priests,  and  friars,  who,  when  the 
day  for  the  execution  of  the  plot 
was  agreed  on,  recommended,  in 
their  prayers,  diligence  in  the 
great  design,  M'hich  they  said 
would  greatly  tend  to  the  prospe- 
rity of  the  kingdom,  and  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  Catholic  cause. 
They  every  where  declared  to  the 
common  people,  that  the  protes- 
tants were  heretics,  and  ought  not 
to  be  suffered  to  live  any  longer 
among  them ;  adding,  that  it  was 
no  more  sin  to  kill  an  Englishman 
than  to  kill  a  dog;  and  that  the 
relieving  or  protecting  them  was  a 
crime  of  the  most  unpardonable 
nature. 

The  papists  having  besieged  the 
town  and  castle  of  Longford,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  former,  who 
were  protestants,  surrendering  on 
condition  of  being  allo%ved  quar- 
ter, the  besiegers,  the  instant  the 
towns-people  appeared,  attacked 
them  in  the  most  unmerciful  man- 
ner, their  priest,  as  a  signal  for 
the  rest  to  fall  on,  first  ripping 
open  the  belly  of  the  English  pro- 
testant  minister;  after  which  his 
followers  murdered  all  the  rest, 
some  of  whom  they  hung,  others 
were  stabbed  or  shot,  and  great 
numbers  knocked  on  the  head 
with  axes  provided  for  the  pur- 
pose. 

The  garrison  of  Sligo  was 
treated  in  like  manner  by  O'Con- 
nor Sly  gall ;  who,  upon  the  pro- 
testants quitting  their  holds,  pro- 


mised them  quarter,  and  to  convey 
them  safe  over  the  Curlew  moun- 
tains, to  Roscommon.  But  he 
first  imprisoned  them  in  a  most 
loathsome  gaol,  allowing  them 
only  grains  for  their  food.  After- 
wards, when  some  papists  were 
merry  over  their  cups,  who  were 
come  to  congratulate  their  wicked 
brethren  for  their  victory  over 
these  unhappy  creatures,  those 
protestants  who  survived  were 
brought  forth  by  the  white  friars, 
and  were  either  killed,  or  precipi- 
tated over  the  bridge  into  a  swift 
water,  where  they  were  soon  de- 
stroyed. It  is  added,  that  this 
wicked  company  of  white  friars 
went  some  time  after  in  solemn 
procession,  with  holy  water  in 
their  hands,  to  sprinkle  the  river, 
on  pretence  of  cleansing  and  puri- 
fying it  from  the  stains  and  pollu- 
tion of  the  blood  and  dead  bodies 
of  the  heretics,  as  they  called  the 
unfortunate  protestants  who  were 
inhumanly  slaughtered  at  this 
time. 

At  Kilmore,  Dr.  Bedell,  bishop 
of  that  see,  had  charitably  settled 
and  supported  a  great  number  of 
distressed  protestants,  who  had 
fled  from  their  habitations  to 
escape  the  diabolical  cruelties 
committed  by  the  papists.  But 
they  did  not  long  enjoy  the  conso- 
lation of  living  together;  the  good 
prelate  was  forcibly  dragged  from 
his  episcopal  residence,  which  was 
immediately  occupied  by  Dr.  Swi- 
ney,  the  popish  titular  bishop  of 
Kilmore.  who  said  mass  in  the 
church  the  Sunday  following,  and 
then  seized  on  all  the  goods  and 
eflects  belonging  to  the  persecuted 
bishop. 

Soon  after  this,  the  papists 
forced  Dr.  Bedell,  his  two  sons, 
and  the  rest  of  his  family,  with 
some  of  the  chief  of  the  protes- 
tants whom  he  had  protected,  into 
a  ruinous  castle,  called  Lochwa- 
ter,  situated  in  a  lake  near  the 
sea.  Here  he  remained  with  his 
companions  some  weeks,  all  of 
them  daily  expecting  to  be  put  to 
death.  The  greatest  part  of  them 
were   stripped    naked,    by    which 


S06 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


mean^,  ^^  ^^^  season  was  cold,  (it 
being  in  Hie  month  of  December) 
and  the  building  in  which  they 
•n-ere  confined  open  at  the  top, 
they  suffered  the  most  severe  hard- 
ships. .     ,, .     .^     .- 

They  continued  in  this  situation 
till  the  7th  of  January,  when  they 
were  all  released.  The  bishop 
was  courteously  received  mto  the 
house  of  Dennis  O'Sheridan,  one 
of  his  clergy,  whom  he  had  made 
a  convert  to  the  church  of  Eng- 
land; but  he  did  not  long  survive 
this  kindness. 

During  his  residence  here,  he 
spent  the  whole  of  his  time  in  reli- 
gious exercises,  the  better  to  fit 
and  prepare  himself,  and  his  sor- 
rowful companions,  for  their  great 
change,  as  nothing  but  certain 
death  was  perpetually  before  their 
eyes. 

He  was  at  this  time  in  the  71st 
year  of  his  age,  and  being  afflicted 
with  a  violent  ague  caught  in  his 
late  cold  and  desolate  habitation 
on  the  lake,  it  soon  threw  him  into 
a  fever  of  the  most  dangerous  na- 
ture. Finding  his  dissolution  at 
hand,  he  received  it  with  joy,  like 
one  of  the  primitive  martyrs  just 
hastening  to  his  crown  of  glory. 
After  having  addressed  his  little 
Hock,  and  exhorted  them  to  pa- 
tience, in  the  most  pathetic  man- 
ner, as  they  saw  their  own  last  day 
approaching;  after  having  so- 
lemnly blessed  his  people,  his  fa- 
mily, and  his  children,  he  finished 
the  course  of  his  ministry  and  life 
together,  on  the  7th  of  February, 
1642. 

His  friends  and  relations  applied 
to  the  intruding  bishop,  for  leave 
to  bury  him,  which  was  with  diffi- 
culty obtained;  he,  at  first,  telling 
them,  that  the  church-yard  was 
holy  ground,  and  should  be  no 
longer  defiled  with  heretics:  how- 
ever, leave  was  at  last  granted, 
and  though  the  church  funeral 
service  was  not  used  at  the  solem- 
nity, (for  fear  of  the  Irish  papists) 
yet  some  of  the  better  sort,  who 
bad  the  highest  veneration  for  bini 
when  living,  attended  his  remains 
to  the  grave.      At  his  interment, 


they  discharged  a  volley  of  shot, 
crying  out,  Requiescat  in  pace  ulti- 
mus  Anglorvm:  that  is,  "May  the 
last  of  the  English  rest  in  peace." 
Adding,  that  as  he  was  one  of  the 
best,  so  he  should  be  the  last  Eng- 
lish bishop  found  among  them. 

His  learning  was  very  exten- 
sive ;  and  he  would  have  given  ihc 
world  a  greater  proof  of  it,  had  he 
printed  all  he  wrote.  Scarce  any 
of  his  writings  were  saved;  the 
papists  having  destroyed  most  of 
his  papers  and  his  library. 

He  had  gathered  a  vast  heap  of 
critical  expositions  of  Scripture, 
all  which,  with  a  great  trunk  full 
of  his  manuscripts,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Irish.  Happily  his 
great  Hebrew  MS.  was  preserved, 
and  is  now  in  the  library  of  Ema- 
nuel college,  Oxford. 

In  the  barony  of  Terawley,  the 
papists,  at  the  instigation  of  their 
friars,  compelled  above  40  English 
protestants,  some  of  whom  were 
women  and  children,  to  the  hard 
fate  either  of  falling  by  the  sword, 
or  of  drowning  in  the  sea.  These 
choosing  the  latter,  were  accord-  > 
ingly  forced,  by  the  naked  wea- 
pons of  their  inexorable  persecu- 
tors, into  the  deep,  where,  with 
their  children  in  their  arms,  they 
first  waded  up  to  their  chins,  and 
afterwards  sunk  down  and  perished 
together. 

In  the  castle  of  Lisgool  upwards 
of  150  men,  women,  and  children, 
were  all  burnt  together;  and  at 
the  castle  of  Moneah  not  less  than 
100  were  put  to  the  sword.  Great 
numbers  were  also  murdered  at 
the  castle  of  Tullah,  which  was 
delivered  up  to  M'Guire,  on  con- 
dition of  having  fair  quarter;  but 
no  sooner  had  that  base  villain  got 
possession  of  the  place,  than  he 
ordered  his  followers  to  murder 
the  people,  which  was  immediately 
done  with  the  greatest  cruelty. 

Many  others  were  put  to  deaths 
of  the  most  horrid  nature,  and 
such  as  could  have  been  invented 
only  by  demons  instead  of  men. 

Some  of  them  were  laid  with  the 
r.entre  of  their  backs  on  the  axle- 
tree  of  a  carriage,  with  their  legs 


IRISH  MASSACRE. 


$07 


ifstiug  oil  llie  ground  on  one  side, 
and  their  arms  and  head  on  Ihe 
other.  In  this  position  one  of  the 
savages  scourged  the  wretched  ob- 
ject on  the  thighs,  legs,  &c.,  while 
another  set  on  furious  dogs,  who 
tore  to  pieces  the  arms  and  upper 
parts  of  the  body;  and  in  this 
dreadful  manner  were  they  de- 
prived of  their  existence. 

Great  numbers  were  fastened  to 
horses'  tails,  and  the  beasts  being 
set  on  full  gallop  by  their  riders, 
the  wretched  victims  were  dragged 
along  till  they  expired. 

Others  were  hung  on  lofty  gib- 
bets, and  a  fire  being  kindled  un- 
der them,  they  finished  their  lives, 
partly  by  hanging,  and  partly  by 
suffocation. 

Nor  did  the  more  tender  sex 
escape  the  least  particle  of  cruelty 
that  could  be  projected  by  their 
merciless  and  furious  persecutors. 
Many  women,  of  all  ages,  were 
put  to  deaths  of  the  most  cruel  na- 
ture. Some,  in  particular,  were 
fastened  with  their  backs  to  strong 
posts,  and  being  stripped  to  the 
waist,  the  inhuman  monsters  cut 
off  their  right  breasts  with  shears, 
which,  of  course,  put  them  to  the 
most  excruciating  torments;  and 
in  this  position  they  were  left,  till, 
from  the  loss  of  blood,  they  ex- 
pired. 

Such  was  the  savage  ferocity  of 
these  barbarians,  that  even  unborn 
infants  were  dragged  from  the 
womb  to  become  victims  to  their 
rage.  Many  unhappy  mothers 
were  hung  naked  on  the  branches 
of  trees,  and  their  bodies  being 
cut  open,  the  innocent  offspring 
was  taken  from  them,  and  thrown 
to  dogs  and  swine.  And,  to  in- 
crease the  horrid  scene,  they 
would  oblige  the  husband  to  be  a 
spectator  before  he  suffered  him- 
self. 

At  the  town  of  Lissenskeath 
they  hanged  above  100  Scottish 
protestants,  shewing  them  no  more 
mercy  than  they  did  to  the  Eng- 
lish. 

M'Guir^,  going  to  the  castle  of 
that  town,  desired  to  speak  with 
the  governor,  when  being  admit- 


ted, he  immediately  burnt  the  re- 
cords of  the  county,  which  were 
kept  there.  He  then  demanded 
10001.  of  the  governor,  which  hav- 
ing received,  he  immediately  com- 
pelled him  to  hear  mass,  and  to 
swear  that  he  would  continue  so 
to  do.  And  to  complete  his  horrid 
barbarities,  he  ordered  the  wife 
and  children  of  the  governor  to  be 
hung  up  before  his  face;  besides 
massacring  at  least  100  of  the  in- 
habitants. 

Upwards  of  1000  men,  women, 
and  children,  were  driven,  in  dif- 
ferent companies,  to  Portendown 
bridge,  which  was  broken  in  the 
middle,  and  there  compelled  to 
throw  themselves  into  the  water; 
and  such  as  attempted  to  reach 
the  shore  were  knocked  on  the 
head. 

In  the  same  part  of  the  country, 
at  least  4000  persons  were  drowned 
in  different  places.  The  inhuman 
papists,  after  iirst  stripping  them, 
drove  them  like  beasts  to  the  spot 
fixed  for  their  destruction ;  and  if 
any,  through  fatigue,  or  natural 
infirmities,  were  slack  in  their 
pace,  they  pricked  them  with  their 
swords  and  pikes;  and  to  strike  a 
farther  terror  on  the  multitude, 
they  murdered  some  by  the  way. 
Many  of  these  poor  creatures, 
when  thrown  into  the  water,  en- 
deavoured to  save  themselves  by 
swimming  to  the  shore;  but  their 
merciless  persecutors  prevented 
their  endeavours  taking  ellect,  by 
shooting  them  in  the  water. 

In  one  place  140  English,  after 
bein,g  driven  for  many  miles  stark 
naked,  and  in  the  most  severe 
weather,  were  all  murdered  on  the 
same  spot,  some  being  hanged, 
others  burnt,  some  shot,  and  many 
of  them  buried  alive;  and  so  cruel 
were  their  tormentors,  that  they 
would  not  suffer  them  to  praj'  be- 
fore they  robbed  them  of  their  mi- 
serable existence. 

Other  companies  they  took 
under  pretence  of  safe-conduct, 
who,  from  that  consideration,  pro- 
ceeded cheerfully  on  their  jour- 
ney; but  when  the  treacherous  pa- 
pists had  got  tliem  to  a  convenieut 


SOS 


liOOK  OF  MAR lYRS. 


5pot,  thxjy  butchered  them  all  in  the 
most  cruel  manner. 

One  hundred  and  fifteen  men, 
tvonien,  and  children,  were  con- 
ducted, by  order  of  sir  Phelim 
O'Neal,  to  Portendown  bridge, 
where  they  were  all  forced  into 
the  river,  and  drowned.  One  wo- 
man, named  Campbell,  finding  no 
probability  of  escaping,  suddenly 
clasped  one  of  the  chief  of  the 
papists  in  her  arms,  and  held  him 
so  fast,  that  they  were  both 
drowned  together. 

In  Killoman  they  massacred  48 
families,  among  whom  22  were 
burnt  together  in  one  house.  The 
rest  were  either  hanged,  shot,  or 
drowned. 

In  Killmore  the  inhabitants, 
which  consisted  of  about  200  fami  ■ 
lies,  all  fell  victims  to  their  rage. 
Some  of  the  protestants  were  set 
in  the  stocks  till  they  confessed 
where  their  money  was;  after 
which  tliey  were  put  to  death. 
The  whole  country  was  one  com- 
mon scene  of  butchery,  and  many 
thousands  perished,  in  a  short 
lime,  by  sword,  famine,  fire,  wa- 
ter, and  all  other  the  most  cruel 
deaths  that  rage  and  malice  could 
invent. 

These  inhuman  villains  shewed  so 
much  favour  to  some  as  to  dispatch 
them  immediately ;  but  they 
would  by  no  means  suffer  them  to 
pray.  Others  they  imprisoned  in 
filthy  dungeons,  putting  heavy 
bolts  on  their  legs,  and  keeping 
them  there  till  they  were  starved 
to  death. 

At  Cashel  they  put  all  the  pro- 
testants into  a  loathsome  dungeon, 
where  they  kept  them  together 
for  several  weeks  in  the  greatest 
misery.  At  length  they  were  re- 
leased, when  some  of  them  were 
barbarously  mangled,  and  left  on 
the  highways  to  perish  at  leisure; 
others  were  hanged,  and  some 
were  buried  in  the  ground  upright, 
with  their  heads  above  the  earth, 
the  papists,  to  increase  their  mi- 
sery, treating  them  with  derision 
during  their  sufferings. 

In  the  county  of  Antrim  they 
murdered  954  protestants  in  one 


morning;  and  afterwards  abottt 
1200  more  in  that  county. 

At  a  town  called  Lisnegary, 
they  forced  24  protestants  into  a 
house,  and  then  setting  fire  to  it, 
burned  them  together,  counter- 
feiting their  outcries  in  derision  to 
others. 

Among  other  acts  of  cruelty, 
they  took  two  children  belonging 
to  an  Englishwoman,  and  dashed 
out  their  brains  before  her  face; 
after  which  they  threw  the  mother 
into  a  river,  and  she  was  drowned. 
They  served  many  other  children 
in  the  like  manner,  to  the  great 
affliction  of  their  parents,  and  the 
disgrace  of  human  nature. 

In  Kilkenny  all  the  protestants, 
without  exception,  were  put  to 
death ;  and  some  of  them  in  so 
cruel  a  manner,  as,  perhaps,  was 
never  before  thought  of. 

They  beat  an  Englishwoman 
with  such  savage  barbarity,  that 
she  had  scarce  a  whole  bone  left; 
after  which  they  threw  her  into  a 
ditch;  but  not  satisfied  with  this, 
they  took  her  child,  a  girl  about 
six  years  of  age,  and  after  ripping 
up  its  belly,  threw  it  to  its  mother, 
there  to  languish  till  it  perished. 

They  forced  one  man  to  go  to 
mass,  after  which  they  ripped 
open  his  body,  and  in  that  manner 
left  him.  Tliey  sawed  another 
asunder,  cut  the  throat  of  his  wife, 
and  after  having  dashed  out  the 
brains  of  their  child,  an  infant, 
threw  it  to  the  swine,  who  greedily 
devoured  it. 

After  committing  these  and 
many  other  horrid  cruelties,  they 
took  the  heads  of  seven  protes- 
tants, and  among  them  that  of  a 
pious  minister,  all  which  they 
fixed  up  at  the  market  cross. 
They  put  a  gag  into  the  minister's 
mouth,  then  slit  his  cheeks  to  his 
ears,  and  laying  a  leaf  of  a  Bible 
before  it,  bid  him  preach,  for  his 
mouth  was  wide  enough.  They 
did  several  other  things  by  way  of 
derision,  and  expressed  the  great- 
est satisfaction  at  having  thus 
murdered  and  exposed  the  un- 
happy protestants. 

It  is  impossible  to  conceive  the 


IRISH  MASSACRE. 


809 


pleasure  ihcse  monsters  took  in 
exercising  their  cruelty;  and  to 
increase  the  misery  of  those  who 
fell  into  their  hands,  while  they 
were  butclierins;  them,  they  would 
cry,  "  Your  soul  to  the  devil!" 

One  of  these  miscreants  would 
come  into  a  house  with  his  hands 
imbrued  in  blood,  and  boast  that 
it  was  English  blood,  and  that  his 
sword  had  pricked  the  white 
skins  of  protestants,  even  to  the 
hilt. 

When  any  one  of  thera  had 
killed  a  protestant,  others  would 
come  and  receive  a  gratification 
in  cutting  and  mangling  the  body  ; 
after  which  they  left  it  to  be  de- 
voured by  dogs ;  and  when  they 
had  slain  a  number  of  them,  they 
would  boast  that  the  devil  was  be- 
holden to  them  for  sending  so  many 
souls  to  hell! 

But  it  is  no  wonder  they  should 
thus  treat  the  innocent  Christians, 
when  they  hesitated  not  to  commit 
blasphemy  against  God  and  his 
most  holy  vvord. 

In  one  place  they  burnt  two  pro- 
testant Bibles,  and  then  said  they 
liad  burnt  hell-fire.  In  the  church 
at  Powerscourt,  they  burnt  the 
pulpit,  pews,  chests,  and  Bibles 
belonging  to  it.  They  took  other 
Bibles,  and,  after  wetting  them 
with  dirty  water,  dashed  them  in 
the  faces  of  the  protestants,  say- 
ing, "  We  know  you  love  a  good 
lesson ;  here  is  an  excellent  one 
for  you;  come  to-morrow,  and  you 
shall  have  as  good  a  sermon  as 
this." 

Some  of  the  protestants  they 
dragged  by  the  hair  of  their  heads 
into  the  cliurch,  where  tliey|stripped 
and  whipped  them  in  the  most 
cruel  manner,  telling  them,  at  the 
same  time,  "  That  if  they  came 
to-morrow,  they  should  hear  the 
like  sermon." 

In  Munster  they  put  to  death 
several  ministers  in  the  most 
shocking  manner.  One,  in  parti- 
cular, they  stripped  stark  naked, 
and  driving  him  before  them, 
pricked  him  with  swords  and  pikes 
till  he  fell  down,  and  expired. 


In  some  places  they  plucked 
out  the  eyes,  and  cut  off  the  hands 
of  the  protestants,  and  in  that  con- 
dition turned  thein  into  the  fields, 
there  to  linger  out  the  remainder 
of  their  miserable  existence. 

They  obliged  many  young  men 
to  force  their  aged  parents  to  a 
river,  where  they  were  drowned ; 
v/ives  to  assist  in  hanging  their 
husbands;  and  mothers  to  cut  the 
throats  of  their  children. 

In  one  place  they  compelled  a 
young  man  to  kill  his  father,  and 
then  immediately  hanged  him.  In 
another  they  forced  a  woman  to 
kill  her  husband,  then  obliged  her 
son  to  kill  her,  and  afterwards  shot 
him  through  the  head. 

At  a  place  called  Glaslow,  a  po- 
pish priest,  with  some  others,  pre- 
vailed on  40  protestants  to  be  re- 
conciled to  the  church  of  Rome, 
under  the  vain  hope  of  saving 
their  lives.  They  had  no  sooner 
done  this,  than  the  deceivers  told 
them  they  were  in  a  good  faith,  and 
that  they  would  prevent  their  fall- 
ing from  it,  and  turning  heretics, 
by  sending  them  out  of  the  world; 
which  they  did  by  immediately 
cutting  their  throats. 

In  the  county  of  Tippcrary  a 
great  number  of  protestants,  men, 
women,  and  children,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  papists,  who,  after 
stripping  them  naked,  murdered 
them  with  stones,  pole-axes, 
swords,  and  other  weapons. 

In  the  county  of  Mayo  about  60 
protestants,  15  of  whom  were  mi- 
nisters, were,  upon  covenant,  to 
be  safely  conducted  to  Galway, 
by  one  Edmund  Burke  and  his 
soldiers;  but  that  inhuman  mon- 
ster by  the  way  drew  his  sword, 
as  an  intimation  of  his  design  to 
the  rest,  who  immediately  fol- 
lowed his  example,  and  murdered 
the  whole,  some  of  whom  they 
stabbed,  otiiers  were  run  through 
the  body  with  pikes,  and  several 
were  drowned. 

In  Queen's  county  great  num- 
bers of  protestants  were  put  to 
the  most  shocking  deaths.  Fifty 
or  sixty  were  confined  together  in 


810 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


one  house,  which  being  set  on  fire, 
they  all  perished  in  the  flames*. 

Many  were  stripped  naked,  and 
being  fastened  to  horses  by  ropes 
placed  round  their  middles,  were 
dragged  through  bogs  till  they  ex- 
pired. 

Some  were  hung  by  the  feet  to 
tenter-hooks  driven  into  poles, 
and  in  that  wretched  posture  left 
tiirthey  perished. 

Others  were  fastened  to  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  with  a  branch  at 
the  top.  Over  this  branch  hung 
one  arm,  which  principally  sup- 
ported the  weight  of  the  body; 
and  one  of  the  legs  was  turned  up, 
and  fastened  to  the  trunk,  while 
the  other  hung  straight.  In  this 
dreadful  and  uneasy  posture  did 
they  remain,  as  long  as  life  would 
permit,  pleasing  spectacles  to  their 
blood-thirsty  persecutors. 

At  Clownes  17  men  were  buried 
alive;  and  an  Englishman,  his 
wife,  five  children,  and  a  servant 
maid,  were  all  hung  together,  and 
afterwards  thrown  into  a  ditch. 

They  hung  n»any  by  the  arms  to 
branches  of  trees,  with  a  weight  to 
their  feet;  and  others  by  the  mid- 
dle, in  which  postures  they  left 
them  till  they  expired. 

Several  were  hung  on  windmills, 
and  before  they  were  half  dead, 
the  barbarians  cut  them  in  pieces 


*  This  worse  than  diabolical  metliod 
of  exterminating  whole  families  at  once, 
is  not  yet  obsolete  among  the  barbarous 
savages  of  the  south  of  Ireland.  To  the 
disgrace  of  human  nature,  we  have  more 
than  one  recent  instance  among  them  of 
this  almost  incredible  cruelty.  The 
murderous  catastrophe  of  the  Sheas  is 
unparalleled,  even  among  the  Indians  of 
North  America,  or  the  cannibals  of  the 
South  Sea  Islands.  Nevertheless,  igno- 
rant and  benighted  as  these  poor  crea- 
tures, even  now,  are,  they  are  rather 
objects  of  pity  than  of  detestation. — 
It  is  our  duty  to  pray  that  the  Source  of 
all  good  will  incline  their  hearts  to  re- 
ceive the  doctrines  of  his  pure  gospel — 
that  He  will  illumine  their  darkened 
minds  with  the  light  of  truth— so  that 
they  may  abaudon  the  bondage  of  Satan, 
and  become  the  cheerful  ministers  of  the 
will  of  Him,  "  whose  service  is  perfect 
freedom." 


with  their  swordi>.  Others,  both 
men,  women,  and  children,  they 
cut  and  hacked  in  various  parts  of 
their  bodies,  and  left  them  wallow- 
ing in  their  blood,  to  perish  where 
they  fell.  One  poor  woman  they 
hung  on  a  gibbet,  with  her  child, 
an  infant  about  a  tvtelvemonth 
old,  the  latter  of  whom  was  hung 
by  the  neck  with  the  hair  of  its 
mother's  head,  and  in  that  manner 
finished  its  short  but  miserable  ex- 
istence. 

In.,^he  county  of  Tyrone  no  less 
than  300  protestants  were  drowned 
in  one  day  ;  and  many  others  were 
hang-ed,  burned,  and  otherwise  put 
to  death. 

Dr.  Maxwell,  rector  of  Tyrone, 
lived  at  this  time  near  Armagh, 
and  suffered  greatly  from  these 
merciless  savages.  This  clergy- 
man, in  his  examination,  taken 
upon  oath  before  the  king's  com- 
missioners, declared,  that  the  Irish 
papists  owned  to  him,  that  they 
had  destroyed,  in  one  place,  at 
Glynwood,  12,000  protestants,  in 
their  flight  from  the  county  of  Ar- 
magh. 

As  the  river  Bann  was  not  ford- 
able,  and  the  bridge  broken  down, 
the  Irish  forced  thither,  at  differ- 
ent times,  a  great  number  of  un- 
armed, defenceless  protestants, 
and  with  pikes  and  swords  vio- 
lently thrust  above  1000  into  the 
river,  where  they  miserably  pe- 
rished. 

Nor  did  the  cathedral  of  Ar- 
magh escape  the  fury  of  these  bar- 
barians, it  being  maliciously  set 
on  fire  by  their  leaders,  and  burnt 
to  the  git)und.  And  to  extirpate, 
if  possible,  the  very  race  of  those 
unhappy  protestants,  who  lived  in 
or  near  Armagh,  the  Irish  first 
burnt  all  their  houses,  and  then 
gathered  together  many  hundreds 
of  those  innocent  people,  young 
and  old,  on  preteuce  of  allowing 
them  a  guard  and  safe  conduct  to 
Coleraine;  when  they  treacher- 
ously fell  on  them  by  the  way,  and 
inhumanly  nmrdered  them. 

The  like  horrid  barharitios  wnth 
those      we      havt?     pal  ticiiiarivsod, 


SIEGE  OF  LONDONDERRY. 


sn 


were  practised  on  the  wretched 
protestants  in  almost  all  parts  of 
the  kingdom;  and,  when  an  esti- 
mate was  afterwards  made  of  the 
number  who  were  sacrificed  to 
g'ratify  the  diabolical  souls  of  the 
papists,  it  amounted  to  150,000. 
IJut  it  now  remains  that  we  pro- 
ceed to  the  particulars  that  fol- 
lowed. 

These        desperate       wretches, 
flushed   and    grown   insolent  with 
success,  (though  attained  by  me- 
thods  attended   with   such   exces- 
sive barbarities  as  perhaps  are  not 
to  be  equalled)   soon  got  posses- 
sion of  the  castle  of  Newry,  where 
the  king's  stores  and  ammunition 
wxre   lodged;    and,  with  as  little 
diificulty,   made  themselves   mas- 
ters of  Dundalk.     They  afterwards 
took   the    town    of   Ardee,    where 
they  murdered  all  the  protestants, 
and  then  proceeded  to  Drogheda. 
The  garrison  of  Drogheda  was  in 
no   condition   to   sustain  a  siege ; 
notwithstanding  which,  as  often  as 
the    Irish   renewed    their   attacks, 
they  A? ere  vigorously  repulsed,  by 
a    very   unequal    number    of    the 
king's  forces,   and   a  few  faithful 
protestant     citizens,      under      sir 
Henry   Tichborne,    the    governor, 
assisted     by     the     lord    viscount 
Moore.      The  siege   of  Drogheda 
began  on  the  30th  of  November, 
1641,     and    held    till   the    4th    of 
March,    1642,    when    sir    Phelim 
O'Neal,   and  the  Irish  miscreairts 
under  him,  were  forced  to  retire. 

In  the  meantime  10,000  troops 
were  sent  from  Scotland  to  the  re- 
lief of  the  remaining  protestants  in 
Ireland,  which  being  properly  di- 
vided into  various  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  happily  suppressed  the 
power  of  the  Irish  savages;  and 
the  protestants,  for  several  years, 
lived  in  tranquillity. 

After  James  II.  had  abandoned 
England,  he  maintained  a  contest 
for  some  time  in  Ireland,  where 
he  did  all  in  his  power  to  carry  on 
that  persecution  which  he  had 
been  happily  prevented  from  per- 
severing in,  in  England:  accord- 
ingly, in  a  parliament  held  at 
Dublin,  in   the   year   W60,    great 


numbers  of  the  protestant  nobility, 
clergy,  and  gentry  of  Ireland, 
were  attainted  of  high  treason. 
The  government  of  the  kingdom 
was,  at  that  time,  invested  in  the 
earl  of  Tyrconuel,  a  bigoted  pa- 
pist, and  an  inveterate  enemy  to 
the  protestants.  By  his  orders 
they  were  again  persecuted  in  va- 
rious parts  of  the  kingdom.  The 
revenues  of  the  city  of  Dublin 
were  seized,  and  most  of  the 
churches  converted  into  prisons. 
And  had  it  not  been  for  the  reso- 
lution and  uncommon  bravery  of 
the  garrisons  in  the  city  of  Lon- 
donderry, and  the  town  of  Innis- 
killen,  there  had  not  one  place  re- 
mained for  refuge  to  the  dis- 
tressed protestants  in  the  whole 
kingdom;  but  all  must  have  been 
given  up  to  king  James,  and  to  the 
furious  popish  party  that  governed 
him. 

The  remarkable  siege  of  Lon- 
donderry was  opened  on  the  18th 
of  April,  1689,  by  20,000  papists, 
the  flower  of  the  Irish  army.  The 
city  was  not  properly  circum- 
stanced to  sustain  a  siege,  the  de- 
fenders consisting  of  a  body  of 
raw  undisciplined  protestants, 
who  had  fled  thither  for  shelter, 
and  half  a  regiment  of  lord 
Mountjoy's  disciplined  soldiers, 
with  the  principal  part  of  the  in- 
habitants, making  in  all  onl^'7361 
fighting  men. 

The  besieged  hoped,  at  first, 
that  their  stores  of  corn,  and  other 
necessaries,  would  be  sufficient; 
but  by  the  continuance  of  the 
siege  their  wants  increased ;  and 
these  at  last  became  so  heavy, 
that,  for  a  considerable  time  be- 
fore the  siege  was  rai«5d,  a  pint  of 
coarse  barley,  a  small  quantity  of 
greens,  a  few  spoonsful  of  starch, 
with  a  very  moderate  portion  of 
horseflesh,  were  reckoned  a 
week's  provision  for  a  soldier. 
And  they  were,  at  length,  reduced 
to  such  extremities,  that  they  ate 
dogs,  cats,  and  mice. 

■Their  miseries  increasing  with 
the  siege,  many,  through  mere 
hunger  and  want,  pined  and  lan- 
guished away,  or  fell  dead  in  the 


812 


J300K  OF  MARTYRS. 


streets;  and  it  is  remarkable, 
that  when  their  long-expected  suc- 
cours arrived  from  England,  they 
were  upon  the  point  of  being  re- 
duced to  this  alternative,  either  to 
preserve  their  existence  by  eat- 
ing each  other,  or  attempting  to 
fight  their  way  through  the  Irish, 
which  must  have  infallibly  pro- 
duced their  destruction. 

These  succours  were  most  hap- 
pily brought  by  the  ship  Mount- 
joy,  of  Derry,  and  the  Phoenix,  of 
Coleraine,  at  which  time  they  had 
only  nine  lean  horses  left,  with  a 
pint  of  meal  to  each  man.  By 
hunger,  and  the  fatigues  of  war, 
their  7361  fighting  men  were  re- 
duced to  4300,  one-fourth  part  of 
whom  were  rendered  unservice- 
able. 

As  the  calamities  of  the  be- 
sieged were  very  great,  so  like- 
wise, were  the  terrors  and  suffer- 
ings of  their  protestaut  friends  and 
relations;  all  of  whom  (even  wo- 
men and  children)  were  forcibly 
driven  from  the  country  30  miles 
round,  and  inhumanly  reduced  to 
the  sad  necessity  of  continuing 
some  days  and  nights,  without 
food  or  covering,  before  the  walls 
of  the  town;  and  were  thus  ex- 
posed to  the  continual  fire  both  of 
the  Irish  army  from  without,  and 
the  .shot  of  their  friends  from 
Avithiw. 

But  the  succours  from  England 
happily  arriving,  put  an  end  to 
their  affliction;  and  the  siege  was 
raised  on  the  31st  of  July,  having 
been  continued  upwards  of  three 
months. 

The  day  before  the  siege  of 
Londonderry  was  raised,  the  Tn- 
niskilleners  engaged  a  body  of 
6000  Iiish  Roman  Catholics,  at 
Newton  Butler,  or  Crown  Castle, 
of  whom  near  5000  were  slain. 
This,  with  the  defeat  at  London- 
derry, so  much  dispirited  the  pa- 
pists, that  they  gave  up  all  farther 
attempts  at  that  time  to  persecute 
the  prutestants. 

In  the  year  following,  1690,  the 
Irish  who  had  taken  up  arms  in 
favour  of  James  II.,  were  totally 
defeated  by   "William    the   Third; 


and  that  monarch,  before  he  left 
the  country,  reduced  them  to  a 
state  of  subjection,  in  which  they 
very  long  continued,  at  least  so 
far  as  to  refrain  from  open  vio- 
lence, although  they  were  still  in- 
sidiously engaged  in  increasing 
their  power  and  influence;  for,  by 
a  report  made  in  the  year  1731,  it 
appeared,  that  a  great  number  of 
ecclesiastics  had,  in  defiance  of 
the  laws,  flocked  into  Ireland ; 
that  several  convents  had  been 
opened  by  Jesuits,  monks,  and 
friars;  that  many  new  and  pomp- 
ous mass-houses  had  been  erected 
in  some  of  the  most  conspicuous 
parts  of  their  great  cities,  where 
there  had  not  been  any  before; 
and  that  such  swarms  of  vagrant, 
immoral  Romish  priests  had  ap- 
peared, that  the  very  papists 
themselves  considered  them  as  a 
burden. 

But,  notwithstanding  all  the  arts 
of  priestcraft,  all  the  tumid  and 
extravagant  harangmg  of  Hiber- 
nian orators,  and  the  gross  and 
wilful  misrepresentations  of  their 
self-styled  liberal  abettors  in  this 
country,  the  protestant  religion 
now  stands  on  a  firmer  basis  in 
Ireland  than  it  ever  before  did. 
The  Irish,  who  formerly  led  an  un- 
settled and  roving  life,  in  the 
woods,  bogs,  and  mountains,  and 
lived  on  the  depredation  of  their 
neighbours;  they  Avho,  in  the 
morning  seized  the  prey,  and  at 
night  divided  the  spoil,  have,  for 
many  years  past,  become  compa- 
ratively quiet  and  civilized.  They 
taste  the  sweets  of  English  society, 
and  the  advantages  of  civil  go- 
vernment. They  trade  in  ^our  ci- 
ties, and  are  employed  in  our  ma- 
nufactures. 

The  heads  of  their  clans,  and 
the  chiefs  of  the  great  Irish  fami- 
lies, who  cruelly  oppressed  and  ty- 
rannized over  their  vassals,  are 
now  dwindled,  in  a  great  measure, 
to  nothing;  and  most  of  the  an- 
cient popish  nobility  and  gentry  of 
Ireland  have  renounced  the  Ro- 
mish religion. 

It  is  also  to  be  hoped,  that  in- 
estima4.)le  benefits  will  arise  from 


BURNING  OF  LONDON. 


813 


the  establishment  of  piotestant 
schools  in  various  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  in  which  the  children  of 
the  Roman  Catholics  are  in- 
structed in  religion  and  literature, 
whereby  the  mist  of  ignorance  is 
dispelled,  which  was  the  great 
source  of  the  cruel  transactions 
that  have  taken  place,  at  dillerent 
periods,  in  that  kingdom;  and  this 
is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  fact, 
that  those  parts  of  the  country 
which  have  been  disgraced  by  the 
most  horrible  outrages,  are  those 
in  which  the  most  profound  igno- 
rance and  bigotry  still  prevail. 
In   order    to  preserve    the  pro- 


testant  interest  in  Irelaoid  upon  a 
solid  basis,  it  behoves  all  in  whom 
power  is  invested,  to  discharge 
their  respective  duties  with  the 
strictest  assiduity  and  attention; 
tempering  justice  with  mercy,  and 
firmness  with  conciliation.  They 
should  endeavour  rather  to  gain 
the  hearts  of  the  people  by  kind- 
ness than  to  enslave  them  by  fear; 
and  to  shew  them  that  the  minis- 
ters of  the  protestant  religion  are 
more  estimable,  instead  of  more 
powerful,  than  the  Romish  clerg-y. 
A  single  voluntary  proselyte  in 
worth  a  thousand  converts  to  "  the 
holy  text  of  pike  and  gun." 


SECTION  IV. 

Account   of   the   jiorrid    plot    concerted  by    the    papists,    for 
destroying  the  city  of  london  by  fire,  in  the  year  1666. 


Stimulated  by  revenge,  and 
prompted  by  superstition,  the  pa- 
pists unceasingly  turned  their 
thoughts  to  obtain  their  long- 
wished-for  purpose,  the  overthrow 
of  the  protestant  religion,  and  the 
destruction  of  its  adherents,  in  this 
island. 

Having  failed  in  several  efforts, 
they  thought  of  a  scheme  for 
destroying  the  capital  of  the  king- 
dom, which  they  flattered  them- 
selves might  greatly  facilitate 
their  intentions:  but,  although, 
unhappily,  their  diabolical  scheme, 
in  some  measure,  took  place,  yet 
it  was  not  productive  of  the  con- 
sequences they  hoped  and  wished 
for.  A  great  part  of  the  city  was, 
indeed,  destroyed;  the  melancholy 
particulars  of  which  we  shall  copy 
from  the  London  Gazette,  published 
at  the  time : 

"  Whitehall,  September  8,  1666. 

**  On  the  second  instant,  at  one 
of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  there 
happened  to  break  out  a  sad  and 
deplorable  fire,  at  a  baker's,  in 
Pudding-lane,  near  Fish-street, 
which  falling  out  at  that  hour  of 
the  night,  and  in  a  quarter  of  the 
town  so  close  built  with  wooden 
pitched  houses,  spread  itself  so 
far  before  day,  and  with  such  dis- 
traction   to    the   iuhabitants    aad 


neighbours,  that  car?  was  not 
taken  for  the  timely  preventing 
the  further  diffusion  of  it,  by  pull- 
ing down  houses,  as  ought  to  have 
been;  so  that  this  lamentable  fire, 
in  a  short  time,  became  too  big  to 
be  mastered  by  any  engines,  or 
working  near  it.  It  fell  out  most 
unhappily  too,  that  a  violent  east- 
erly wind  fomented  it,  and  kept  it 
burning  all  that  day,  and  the  night 
following,  spreading  itself  up  to 
Gracechurch-street,  and  down- 
wards from  Cannon-street  to  the 
water-side,  as  far  as  the  Three 
Cranes  in  the  Vintry. 

♦*  The  people,  in  all  parts  about 
it,  were  distracted  by  the  vastness 
of  it,  and  their  particular  care  to 
carry  away  their  goods.  Many 
attempts  were  made  to  prevent  the 
spreading  of  it,  by  pulling  down 
houses,  and  making  great  inter- 
vals, but  all  in  vain,  the  fire  seiz- 
ing upon  the  timber  and  rubbishy 
and  so  continuing  itself,  even 
through  those  spaces,  and /aging 
in  a  bright  flame  all  Monti'ay  and 
Tuesday,  notwithstandii^;"  his  ma- 
jesty's own,  and  his  royal  higb- 
ness's  indefatigable  and  personal 
pains  to  apply  a[-  possible  reme- 
dies to  prev^Pi  it,  calling  upon, 
and  help^g"  ^^e  people  witli  their 
guar-^>  and  a  great  number  of  no- 
»--iity  ajad  gentry  unweariedly  as- 


S14 


BOOK  OP  Martyrs. 


sisting  therein,  for  which  they 
were  requited  with  a  thousand 
blessings  from  the  poor  distressed 
people. 

"  By  the  favour  of  God,  the 
wind  slackened  a  little  on  Tues- 
day night,  and  the  flames  meeting 
with  brick  buildings  at  the  Tem- 
ple, by  little  and  little  it  was  ob- 
served to  lose  its  force  on  that 
side,  so  that  on  Wednesday  morn- 
ing we  began  to  hope  well,  and  his 
royal  highness  never  despairing, 
or  slackening  his  personal  care, 
wrought  so  well  that  day,  assisted 
in  some  parts  by  the  lords  of  the 
council  before  and  behind  it,  that 
a  stop  was  put  to  it  at  the  Temple 
church ;  near  Holboru-bridge ; 
Pie-corner;  Aldersgate;  Cripple- 
gate  ;  near  the  lower  end  of  Cole- 
nian-street;  at  the  end  of  Basing- 
hall-street,  by  the  Postern  ;  at  the 
upper  end  of  Bishopsgate-street, 
and  Leadenhall-street;  at  the 
standard  in  Cornhill;  at  the 
church  in  Fenchurch-street;  near 
Clothworkers'-hall  in  Mincing- 
lane;  at  the  middle  of  Mark-lane, 
and  at  the  Tower- dock. 

"  On  Thursday,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  it  was  wholly  beat  down 
and  extinguished;  but  so  as  tliat 
evening  it  unhappily  burst  out 
again  afresh  at  the  Temple,  by  the 
falling  of  some  sparks  (as  is  sup- 
posed) upon  a  pile  of  wooden 
buildings;  but  his  royal  highness, 
who  watched  there  that  whole 
night  in  person,  by  the  great  la- 
bours and  diligence  used,  and 
especially  by  applying  powder  to 
blow  up  the  houses  about  it,  be- 
fore day  most  happily  mastered  it. 

"  His  majesty  then  sat  hourly  in 
council,  and  ever  since  hath  con- 
tinued making  rounds  about  the 
city,  in  all  parts  of  it  where  the 
dangei  and  mischief  vsas  the 
greatest,  till  this  morning  that  he 
hath  sent  his  grace  the  duke  of 
Albemarle,  -vhom  he  hath  called 
for  to  assist  If-n  on  this  great  oc- 
casion, to  put  hubappy  and  suc- 
cessful hand  to  th«  finishing  this 
memorable  deliveranee. 

During     the    progress     of    tir- 


dreadful  conflae;ration,  orders 
were  given  for  pulling  down  va- 
rious houses  in  the  Tower  of  Lon- 
don, in  order  to  preserve  the 
grand  magazine  of  gunpowder  in 
that  fortress;  to  the  preservation 
of  which,  however,  the  violent 
easterly  wind  contributed  more 
than  the  precaution. 

Many  tliousands  of  citizens, 
who,  by  this  calamity,  were  de- 
prived of  their  habitations,  retired 
to  the  fi-elds,  destitute  of  all  ne- 
cessaries, and  exposed  to  the  in- 
clemency of  the  weather,  till  a 
sufficient  number  of  tents  or  huts 
could  be  erected  for  their  recep- 
tion. In  order  to  mitigate  the 
distresses  of  the  people,  his  ma- 
jesty ordered  a  great  quantity  of 
naval  bread  to  be  distributed 
among  them;  and  issued  a  pro- 
clamation, commanding  the  ma- 
gistrates of  the  city  to  encourage 
the  bringing  of  all  kinds  of  provi- 
sions. 

By  the  certificate  of  Jonas 
Moore  and  Ralph  Gatrix,  the  sur- 
veyors appointed  to  examine  the 
ruins,  it  appeared,  that  this  dread- 
ful fire  overran  436  acres  of  ground 
within  the  walls,  and  burnt  1.3,200 
houses,  89  parish  churches,  be- 
sides chapels;  and  that  only  11 
parish  churches  within  the  walls 
were  left  standing. 

To  this  account  of  its  devasta- 
tions may  also  be  added  the  de- 
struction of  St.  Paul's  cathedral, 
Guildhall,  the  Royal  Exchange, 
Custom-house,  and  Blackwell- 
hall;  many  hospitals  and  libraries, 
52  halls  of  the  city  companies,  and 
a  great  number  of  other  stately 
edifices;  together  with  three  of 
the  city  gates,  and  the  prisons  of 
Newgate,  the  Fleet,  the  Poultry 
and  Wood-street  Compters;  the 
loss  of  which,  by  the  best  calcula- 
tion, amounted  to  upwards  of  ten 
millions  sterling.  Yet,  notwith- 
standing all  this  destruction,  only 
six  persons  lost  their  lives. 

Various  were  the  conjectures  of 
the  people  on  the  cause  of  this 
singular  calamity:  at  first  some 
imagined  it  to  be  casual,  but,  from 
a  uojn  of  circumatances,  it  after- 


BURNING  OF  LONDON. 


815 


wards  appeared  to  have  been 
done  from  the  'malice  and  horrid 
contrivances  of  the  papists.  Se- 
veral suspected  persons  were 
taken  into  custody ;  but,  although 
there  were  very  strong  presump- 
tions, no  positive  proof  being  pro- 
duced against  them,  they  \vere 
discharged. 

Thus  did  this  diabolical  scheme 
take  place,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
the   wishes  of  the  infamous  con- 
trivers ;  yet,  instead  of  being  pre- 
judicial, it  was,  in  the  end,  pro- 
ductive of  the  most  happy  conse- 
quences   to    the    metropolis.       It 
certainly,    for   a  time,    occasioned 
the  most  poignant  distress  to  the 
inhabitants,  but  it  afforded  an  op- 
portunity that  never  happened  be- 
fore, an-d,  in  all  human  probabi- 
lity, never  may  again,  of  restoring 
the   city    with   more   attention   to 
uniformity,       conveniency,       and 
wholesomeness,  than  could  be  ex- 
pected in  a  town   of  progressive 
growth.     The  streets  were  before 
narrow,    crooked,    and   incommo- 
dious; the  houjses  chiefly  of  wood, 
dark,     close,      and     ill-contrived ; 
with  their  several  stories  project- 
ing  beyond   each    other,    as    they 
rose,     over     the     narrow    streets. 
The    free    circulation   of  the    air 
was,  by  these  means,  obstructed; 
and   the  people  breathed  a  stag- 
nant   unwholesome    element,     re- 
plete with  foul  eflhivia,    sufficient 
to  generate  putrid  disorders,  and 
disposed  to  harbour  any  pestilen- 
tial  taint  it  might  receive.      All 
these     inconveniences     were      re- 
moved, by  the  streets  being  made 
wider,    and  the   buildings    princi- 
pally formed  of  brick ;  so  that  if, 
either  by  accident  or  otherwise,   a 
fire   should   happen  in  future,  its 
progress  might  be  soon  stopped, 
and     the      direful     consequences 
which   generally  arise   from   such 
circumstances  rendered  trifling. 

Besides  those  already  men- 
tioned, the  Fire  of  London  was 
certainly  productive  of  one  advan- 
tage of  the  most  valuable  nature, 
jiamely,  the  extirpation  of  that 
contagious  and  destructive  dis- 
temper, the  plague,  which,  but  the 


year  before,  had  brought  thou- 
sands to  their  graves.  This  hor- 
rible disease  had  made  great  de- 
vastation among  the  inhabitants, 
not  only  of  the  metropolis,  but  of 
different  parts  of  the  kingdom,  at 
various  periods;  but  its  baneful 
influence  has  never  been  exerted 
in  London,  since  tl>e  great  confla- 
gration, and  there  is  therefore 
reason  to  conclude  that  this  tem- 
porary calamity  was  employed  by 
Providence  as  the  means  of  con- 
ferring a  permanent  benefit  on  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city,  and  of 
defeating  the  machinations  of 
those  miscreants  who  contrived  so 
diabolical  a  method  of  revenge. 

To  perpetuate  the  remembrance 
of  this  occurrence,  a  Monument 
was  erected  in  that  part  of  the 
city  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which 
the  fire  began;  and  as  it  still  re- 
mains in  its  original  state,  it  may 
not  be  improper  here  to  describe 
it. 

The  Monument,  which  is  a  no- 
ble fluted  column,  is  situated  in  a; 
small  square,  open  to  the  street, 
on  the  east  side  of  Fish-street- 
hill.  It  was  designed  by  sir 
Christopher  Wren,  by  whom  it 
was  begun  to  be  erectetl  in  the 
year  1671,  and  thoroughly  com- 
pleted by  that  great  architect  in 
1077.  It  is  esteemed  the  noblest 
modern  column  in  the  world ;  and 
may,  in  some  respects,  vie  with 
the  most  celebrated  of  antiquity, 
which  are  consecrated  to  the 
names  of  Trajan  and  Antoninus. 

This  stately  column,  which  is 
twenty-four  feet  higher  than  Tra- 
jan's pillar  at  Ronae,  is  built  of 
Portland  stone,  of  the  Doric  or- 
der, and  fluted.  Its  altitude  from 
the  ground  is  202  feet,  and  the 
diameter  of  the  shaft,  or  body 
of  the  column,  is  fifteen  feet.  It 
stands  on  a  pedestal  forty  feet 
high,  the  ground,  plinth,  or  bot- 
tom of  which,  is  twenty-eight  feet 
square.  Within  is  a  staircase  of 
black  marble,  containing  345 
steps,  each  six  inches  thick,  and 
ten  inches  and  a  half  broad. 
Over  the   capital   is  an  iron  bal- 


HMi 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


couy,  which  'encompasses  a  cone 
thirty-two  leet  hij^h,  supporting  a 
blazing  urn  of  brass,  gilt*.  On 
the  cap  of  the  pedestal,  at  the 
angles,  are  four  dragons  (the  sup- 
porters of  the  city  arms),  and  be- 
tween them  trophies,  with  symbols 
of  regality,  arts,  sciences,  com- 
merce, &c. 

The  west  side  of  the  pedestal  is 
adorned  with  curious  emblems,  by 
the  masterly  hand  of  Mr.  Gibber, 
father  to    the    poet   laureate ;     in 
which  the  eleven  principal  figures 
are  done  in  alto,   and  the  rest  in 
basso   relievo.      The   principal   fi- 
gure, to  which  the  eye  is  particu- 
larly directed,  is  a  female,  repre- 
senting the  city  of  London,  sitting 
in    a    languishing    posture    on    a 
heap  of  ruins:    her  head  appears 
reclining,  her  hair  is  dishevelled, 
and  her   hand   lies   carelessly    on 
her  sword.     Behind  is  Time  gra- 
dually raising  her  up;  and  at  her 
side  a  woman,  representing  Pro- 
vidence, gently  touching  her  with 
one  hand,  whilst,  with  a  winged 
sceptre  in  the  other,    she   directs 
her  to  regard  two  goddesses  in  the 
clouds;     one   with    a   cornucopia, 
signifying   Plenty,   and  the  other 
with     a    palm    branch,     denoting 
Peace.     At  her  feet  is  a  bee-hive, 
shewing,  that  by  industry  and  ap- 
plication  the   greatest     difliculties 
are    to   be   surmounted.       Behind 
Time  are  various  citizens  exulting 
at  his  endeavours  to  restore  her ; 
and  beneath,  in  the  midst  of  the 
ruins,  is  a  dragon,  who,  as  sup- 
porter of  the  city  arms,  endeavours 
to   preserve  them    with   his   paw. 
Opposite  the  City,  on  an  elevated 
pavement,  stands  king  Charles  II., 
in  a  Roman  habit,  with  a  wreath 


*  In  the  place  of  this  urn,  which  was 
set  up  contrary  to  sir  Christopher's  opi- 
nion, it  was  originally  intended  to  place 
either  a  colossal  statue,  in  brass,  gilt,  of 
king  Charles  II.,  as  founder  of  the  new 
city,  after  the  manner  of  the  Roman  pil- 
lars, which  were  terminated  with  the 
statues  of  their  Ccesars;  or  a  figure 
erect  of  a  woman  crowned  with  turrets, 
holding  a  sword  and  cap  of  maintenance, 
with  other  ensigns  ,,f  the  city's  grandeur 
and  re-ereciion. 


of  laurel  on  his  head,  and  a  Iruu- 
cheon  in  his  hand;  who,  approach- 
ing the  Citj',  commands  three  of 
his   attendants  to  descend   to  her 
relief:  the  first  represents  the  Sci- 
ences,   with   wings   on   her   head, 
and  a  circle  of  naked  boys  danc- 
ing upon  it,  holding  Nature  in  her 
hand,  with  her  numerous  breasts 
ready    to   give    assistance   to   all. 
The  second  is  Architecture,  with  a 
plan  in  one  hand,    and  a  square 
and  pair  of  compasses  in  the  other. 
The  third  is  Liberty,  waving  a  hat 
in  the  air,  and  shewing  her  joy  at 
the  pleasing  prospect  of  the  City's 
speedy  recovery.    Behind  the  king 
stands  his  brother  the  duke  of  York, 
with  a  garland  in  one  hand  to  crown 
the  rising  city,  and  a  sword  in  the 
other    for    her  defence.       Behind 
him  are  Justice  and  Fortitude,  the 
former  with  a  coronet,  and  the  lat- 
ter with   a  reined   lion.       In   the 
pavement,    under    the  sovereign's 
feet,   appears  Envy  peeping  from 
her   cell,    and   gnawing   a  heart; 
and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  back- 
ground, the  reconstruction  of  the 
city  is  represented  by  scaffolding, 
erected  by  the  sides  of  the  unfi- 
nished houses,  with  builders  and 
labourers  at  work  upon  them. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  pedes- 
tal is  the  following  inscription,  sig- 
nifying the  times  in  which  this 
pillar  was  begun,  continued,  and 
brought  to  perfection. 

*'  Incepta 
Richardo  Ford,  Eq; 

praetore  Lond. 
A.  D.  MDCLXXL 
perducta  altius 
Geo.  Waterman,  Eq.  P.  V. 
Roberto  Hanson,  Eq.  P.  V. 
Gulielmo  Hooker,  P.  V. 
Roberto  Viner,  Eq.  P.  V. 
Josepho  Sheldon,  Eq.  P.  V. 
perfecta 
Thoma  Davis,  Eq.  P.  V. 
urb. 
Anno  Dom. 
MDCLXXVII." 

The  north  and  south  sides  of  the 
pedestal  have  each  a  Latin  in- 
scription;   one  describing  the  de- 


BURNING  OF  LONDON. 


solation  of  the  city,  and  llie  otlier 
its  restoration.  That  on  the  nortli 
side  has  been  translated  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  In  the  year  of  Christ  1666,  the 
2d  day  of  September,  eastward 
from  hence,  at  the  distance  of  two 
hundred  feet,  (the  height  of  this 
column)  a  lire  broke  out  about 
midnight,  uhich,  being  driven  on 
by  a  strong  wind,  not  only  wasted 
the  adjacent  parts,  but  also  very 
remote  places,  with  incredible 
noise  and  fury.  It  consumed 
eighty-nine  churches,  the  city- 
gates,  Guildhall,  many  hospitals, 
schools,  and  libraries  ;  a  vast  num- 
ber of  stately  edifices,  above  thir- 
teen thousand  two  hundred  dwell- 
ing houses,  and  four  hundred 
streets;  of  the  twenty-six  wards  it 
destroyed   fifteen,    and    left   eight 


Sir 

others  shattered,  and  half  burnt. 
The  ruins  of  the  city  were  four 
hundred  and  thirty-six  acres,  from 
this  pillar,  by  the  Thames  side,  to 
the  Temple-church;  and,  from  the 
north-east  side,  along  the  City- 
wall,  to  Holborn-bridge.  To  the 
estates  and  fortunes  of  the  citi- 
zens it  was  merciless,  but  to  thcii 
lives  very  favourable;  that  it 
might  in  all  things  resemble  the 
last  conflagration  of  the  world. 
The  destruction  was  sudden;  for 
in  a  small  space  of  time  the  same 
city  was  seen  most  flourishing, 
and  reduced  to  nothing.  Three 
days  after,  when  this  fatal  fire  had 
baffled  all  human  counsels  and  en- 
deavours in  the  opinion  of  all,  it 
stopped,  as  it  were  by  the  will  of 
Heaven,  and  was  extinguished  on 
every  side." 


Assiissuuitwn  of  the    triice  of   l>raiij;.-,   bii   Balttr.a 


rard. 


The  translation  of  the  inscrip- 
tion on  the  sooth  side  may  be  given 
thus : 

FOX'.S  MARTYRS. 


"  Charles  the  Second,  son  of 
Charles  the  Martyr,  king-of  Great 
Britain,  France,  and  Ireland,  De- 

5^ 


818 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


fender  of  the  Faith,  a  most  gra- 
cious prince,  commiserating  the 
deplorable  state  of  things,  whilst 
the  ruins  were  yet  smoking,  pro- 
vided for  the  comfort  of  his  citi- 
zens, and  the  ornament  of  his  city ; 
remitted  their  taxes,  and  referred 
the  petitions  of  the  magistrates 
and  inhabitants  to  the  parliament, 
who  immediately  passed  an  act, 
that  public  works  should  be  re- 
stored to  greater  beauty  with  pub- 
lic money,  to  be  raised  by  an  im- 
position on  coal;  that  churches, 
and  the  cathedral  of  St.  Paul, 
sliould  be  rebuilt  from  their  found- 
ations, with  all  magnificence  ;  that 
bridges,  gates,  and  prisons  should 
be  new  made,  the  sewers  cleansed, 
the  streets  made  strait  and  regu- 
lar, such  as  were  steep  levelled, 
and  those  too  narrow  to  be  made 
wider.  Markets  and  shambles  to 
be  also  enlarged,  and  situated  in 
different  parts  of  the  city.  That 
every  house  should  be  built  with 
party  walls,  and  all  in  front  raised 
of  equal  height;  that  those  walls 
should  be  of  square  stone  or 
brick;  and  that  no  man  should 
be  longer  than  seven  years  build- 
ing his  house.  Anniversary 
prayers  were  also  enjoined;  and 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  thereof 


to  posterity,  they  caused  this  co- 
lumn to  be  erected.  The  work 
was  carried  on  with  diligence,  and 
London  is  restored;  but  whether 
with  greater  speed  or  beauty,  may 
be  made  a  question.  In  three 
years'  time  the  world  saw  that  fi- 
nished, which  was  supposed  to  be 
the  business  of  an  age." 

Under  the  beforementioned  in- 
scriptions, in  one  continued  line 
round  the  base  of  the  pedestal,  are 
the  following  words : 

"  This  pillar  was  set  up  in  per- 
petual remembrance  of  the  most 
dreadful  burning  of  this  protestant 
city,  begun  and  carried  on  by  the 
treachery  and  malice  of  the  popish 
faction,  in  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember, in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
1666,  in  order  to  execute  their 
horrid  plot  to  extirpate  the  pro- 
testant religion,  and  the  old 
English  liberty,  and  to  introduce 
popery  and  slavery." 

This  inscription,  on  the  acces- 
sion of  James,  duke  of  York,  to 
the  throne,  was  immediately 
erased;  but  was  restored  again 
soon  after  the  revolution.  And 
the  whole  fabric  is,  at  present,  in 
the  situation  above  described. 


.SECTION  V. 

LIFE    AND    DUATII     OF     SIR    EDMUNDBURY    GODFREY;     WITH    AN    ACCOUNT 
OF   THE    POPISH    AND    MEAL-TUB    PLOTS. 


Before  we  describe  the  horrid 
machinations  of  the  papists 
against  the  English  government, 
and  the  protestant  establishment, 
we  shall  give  some  account  of  the 
life  of  sir  Edmundbury  Godfrey, 
whose  zeal  for  the  truth  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  assiduity  in  discharging 
the  dutips  of  his  magisterial  office, 
were  the  principal  causes  of  his 
meeting  with  that  fate  he  so  little 
deserved. 

This  great  and  good  man  was 
descended  from  an  ancient  and 
respectable  family  in  the  county 
of  Kent,  who  gave  him  an  educa- 
tion suitable  to  his  birth  and  qua- 
lity. He  received  the  first  rudi- 
ments of  learning  at  "Westminster 


school,  and  finished  his  studies  at 
the  university  of  Oxford. 

In  order  to  improve  himself  still 
more,  he  travelled  into  foreign 
countries,  and,  during  his  resi- 
dence there,  was  as  ■  oiarefu!  to 
avoid  immorality,  as  he  was  to  es- 
cape from  the  delusion  of  the  false 
worship  practised  there.  From 
the  sound  principles  of  religion 
and  virtue  which  he  had  imbibed 
from  his  parents  and  instructors, 
he  was  sufficiently  armed  against 
both;  and  returned  home  rather 
informed  than  corrupted. 

On  his  return  to  England,  he  en- 
tered himself  a  member  of  Gray's 
Inn,  where,  by  diligent  applica- 
tion,  he  soon  acquired  a  compe- 


SIR  EDMUNDBURY  GODFREY. 


819 


tent  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  his 
country.  His  iiitentiou  was,  to 
have  obtained  a  situation  at  the 
bar ;  but  having  a  natural  defect 
ID  his  hearing,  he  thought  it  would 
be  an  impediment  to  his  pro?:ress; 
and,  therefore,  after  coutinuiug 
some  years  at  that  Inn,  he  left  it, 
and  retired  to  his  friends  in  the 
country. 

Being  naturally  of  an  active  dis- 
position, he  soon  became  weary  of 
solitude,  and  determined  to  un- 
dertake some  enterprise,  in  which 
his  time  might  be  usefully  em- 
ployed. He  accordingly  left  the 
country,  and  came  to  London, 
where  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  a  person  who  kept  a  wood- 
wharf  near  Dowgate. 

In  this  connexion  he  was  very 
successful,  his  partner  being  nearly 
of  the  same  disposition  with  him- 
self. By  their  joint  attention  to 
business,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  they  each  acquired  a  very 
handsome  fortune ;  when  Mr. 
Godfrey's  partner  marrying  to  ad- 
vantage, left  the  business  entirely 
to  him. 

Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Godfrey  re- 
moved from  Dowgate  to  Charing- 
Cross,  where  he  continued  to  pro- 
secute business  with  the  most  un- 
remitting assiduity.  The  upright- 
ness of  his  dealings,  and  his  fixed 
adherence  to  the  strictest  justice, 
made  him  universally  beloved, 
and  were  the  means  of  calling  him 
to  the  exercise  of  a  more  public 
employment. 

He  had,  in  a  few  years,  acquired 
a  very  considerable  fortune  i>y  his 
business,  and  being,  from  his  dis- 
tinguished integrity,  particularly 
noticed  by  some  elevated  person- 
ages, they  represented  his  charac- 
ter to  the  king,  who  was  pleased 
to  appoint  him  one  of  the  justices 
of  peace  for  the  county  of  Middle- 
sex, and  city  of  Westminster;  in 
which  office  he  continued  till  his 
death. 

We  are  now  to  consider  Mr. 
Godfrey  in  his  magisterial  charac- 
ter, in  which  he  distinguished  him- 
self with  such  integrity  and  jus- 
tice, as  to  acquire  the  particular 


notice  of  his  sovereign,  whi>  fre- 
quently said,  "  he  took  him  to  be 
the  best  justice  of  peace  iu  his 
kingdom."  What  greater  enco- 
mium than  this,  from  a  prince  cer- 
tainly fully  capable  of  forming  a 
correct  judgment,  could  be  ex- 
pected or  desired,  to  illustrate  the 
merits  of  a  worthy  and  deserving 
magistrate? 

But  to  shew  that  he  was  not  un- 
deserving this  royal  encomium, 
we  shall  give  a  short  but  just  cha- 
racter of  him. 

He  was  naturally  of  a  kind, 
courteous,  and  affable  temper, 
free  of  access,  and  ready  to  hear 
the  meanest  persons,  who  either 
came  on  business,  or  to  seek  re- 
dress for  injuries  received  from 
others.  Civility  and  courtesy 
were  the  ornaments  of  his  temper, 
the  ground  of  which  consisted  in 
the  administration  of  justice,  and 
the  practice  of  charitable  actions. 
No  person  could  be  more  punctual 
and  exact  than  he,  in  discharging 
the  duties  of  his  office.  He  ren- 
dered to  every  man  his  right,  and 
discreetly  looked  after  his  own. 
He  preserved  sound  and  orthodox 
principles,  but  was  far  from  cen- 
suring those  who  differed  from 
him  in  religious  sentiments. 
Though  he  was  most  strict  in  re- 
proving and  punishing  greater 
enormities,  yet  he  could  charitably 
bear  with  the  lesser  infirmities  of 
such,  in  whom  a  controuling  virtue 
more  eminently  prevailed.  In 
fine,  though  he  had  a  warm  regard 
to  himself,  and  his  own  actions, 
yet  he  could  bear  in  others  far 
greater  miscarriages  than  he  al- 
lowed in  himself:  though  lie  al- 
ways frowned  upon  The  froatless 
sinner,  yet,  such  was  his  candour, 
he  would  not,  if  possible,  put  a 
modest  transgressor  to  the  blush. 

His  charity  was  so  truly  Chris- 
tian and  heroic,  that  in  the  prac- 
tice of  it  he  did  it  with  such  pri- 
vacy, that  his  left  hand  was  a 
stranger  to  what  his  right  hand 
did.  Few  have  more  merited  ap- 
plause in  this  respect  than  him- 
self, though  none  sought  it  less. 
Among  other  humane  and  chart- 


890 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


table  actious,  he  allowed  a  poor, 
but  religious  family  in  Westmin- 
ster, lOi.  per  annum  towards  their 
support,  and  this  annuity  he  con- 
tinned  for  several  years. 

Though  he  was  ever  severe 
ap;ainst  beggars  and  vagabonds, 
who  refused  to  maintain  them- 
selves by  industry  and  labour,  and 
lived  altogether  on  the  alms  of 
others;  yet  he  was  so  much  a 
friend  to  those,  whose  poverty 
was  neither  occasioned  by  mis- 
conduct, nor  aggravated  by  idle- 
ness, that  they  never  went  without 
relief,  either  by  being  employed, 
or  receiving  some  charitable  dona- 
tion. 

He  was  ever  anxious  to  recon- 
cile diflerences  between  contend- 
ing parties;  nor  would  he  rest  till 
he  had  accomplished  his  ends. 
He  coveted  not  so  much  the  tri- 
umph of  the  laurel  as  the  shadow 
of  the  olive-branch.  Moderation 
and  peace  were  the  proper  ele- 
ments of  his  nature. 

Thus  far  have  we  considered 
Mr.  Godfrey  merely  as  a  man; 
we  shall  now  take  some  notice  of 
him  as  a  Christian,  and  a  true 
follower  of  the  pure  gospel  of 
Christ.  But  we  cannot  display 
his  character  on  this  head,  more 
fully  than  is  done  by  that  learned 
prelate  Dr.  Lloyd,  who  p.sached 
his  funeral  sermon;  and  who,  as 
by  reason  of  his  intimacy  with  him 
he  had  the  greatest  opportunity, 
so  by  his  faculty  he  was  the  most 
capable  to  judge  of  him  in  this 
particular.     His  words  are  these: 

"  As  to  those  things  which  be- 
long to  a  private  Christian,  I 
ought  to  know  him  better  than 
most  others.  And  I  did  know  that 
by  him  which  gives  me  abundant 
comfort  in  his  death.  I  knew  him 
to  be  a  ju«t  and  charitable  man  ;  a 
devout,  a  zealous,  and  conscien- 
tious Christian.  His  religion  was 
more  for  use  than  show.  And  yet 
he  was  constant  in  all  the  acts  of 
God's  worship,  as  well  out  of 
judgment  as  affection.  And 
thongh  the  compassion  that  he  had 
for  all  men  that  did  amiss,  ex- 
tended itself  to  all  manner  of  dis- 


senters, and  amongst  them  he  had 
a  kindness  for  the  persons  of  many 
Roman  Catholics;  yet  he  always 
declared  a  particular  hatred  and 
detestation  of  popery.  I  say  this 
on  purpose  to  be  rejmembered  (be- 
cause some  would  have  him  a  pa- 
pist, or  inclined  that  way);  I  ne- 
ver pleased  him  with  any  duty  I 
performed — at  least,  he  never 
thanked  me  for  any  so  much,  as 
he  did  for  those  sermons  which  I 
preached  against  popery." 

Having  said  thus  much  with  re- 
spect to  the  private  character  of 
Mr.  Godfrey,  as  a  man  and  a 
Christian;  we  shall  now  consider 
him  in  his  more  public  capacity  as 
a  magistrate,  in  which  province 
we  shall  notice  such  particulars, 
as  may  be  most  deserving  the  at- 
tention of  the  reader,  and  at  the 
same  time  do  justice  to  the  merits 
of  so  great  and  good  a  man. 

Besides  what  we  have  before 
hinted  of  his  abilities  for  this  ser- 
vice, by  his  having  been  brought 
up  a  student  in  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land, he  was  otherwise  qualified 
for  it,  by  having  many  natural  en- 
dowments requisite  to  the  compo- 
sition of  a  good  magistrate.  He 
had  a  deep  and  piercing  judg- 
ment to  search  into  the  niceties 
and  intricacies  of  such  difficult  bu- 
siness as  he  often  met  with,  and 
to  determine  accordingly:  an  in- 
defatigable patience,  mixed  with 
a  genuine  serenity  of  mind, 
whereby  he  could  bear  with  the 
clamours  and  impertinences  of 
such  as  came  before  him,  leisurely 
attending  to  the  allegations  both 
of  appellants  and  criminals,  and 
fully  hearing  whatever  (and  so 
long  as)  they  had  any  thing  in 
reason  to  ofler  to  him  ;  rather  than 
the  truth  on  either  side  should  be 
undiscovered  by  any  prejudicate 
forestalling  of  the  evidence.  He 
had  a  sound  integrity  of  mind,  the 
golden  vein  of  all  his  actions:  he 
was  not  to  be  corrupted  by  bribes, 
nor  to  be  biassed  by  any  sinister 
interests:  he  was  plain  and  up- 
right, and  regularly  conformable 
to  the  strictest  rules  of  justice  and 
honesty  in  all  the   particular  ad- 


SIR  EDMUNDBURY  GODFREY. 


821 


wimstrations  of  his  province.  To 
these  qualities  may  be  added,  an 
heroic  fortitude  and  invincible 
courage  of  mind,  which  was  the 
shield  of  his  other  virtues,  and  by 
which  he  was  defended  a^^ainst  all 
the  difficulties  and  discouraa^e- 
ments  he  met  with;  keeping  his 
ground  with  a  steadfast  upright- 
ness amidst  such  trials  as  persons 
of  less  courage  than  himself  would 
have  sunk,  under. 

The  following  is  a  sufficient 
proof  of  the  greatness  of  his  mind, 
in  daring  to  be  just  to  himself,  and 
of  his  wishes  to  eclipse  the  power 
of  iniquity,  though  in  the  most  ele- 
vated character. 

A  great  personage  at  court  was 
indebted  to  him  a  considerable 
sum  of  money,  for  the  payment  of 
which  he  had  frequently  applied 
without  receiving  any  other  satis- 
faction than  promises.  Mr.  God- 
frey, well  knowing  the  ability  of 
the  person,  and  that  liis  pretences 
were  but  so  many  formal  delays  to 
defer  the  payment  of  that  which, 
though  justly  due,  he  knew  (by 
reason  of  his  privilege)  he  could 
not  in  the  ordinary  course  of  law 
be  troubled  for,  resolved,  how- 
ever, to  sue  him  at  common  law, 
(notwithstanding  his  said  privi- 
lege) and  rather  trust  to  his  ma- 
jesty's clemency  for  infringing  on 
the  privilege  of  his  household, 
than  suffer  himself  to  be  defrauded 
of  a  just  debt  by  one  who  would 
make  such  a  protection  an  asylum 
to  that  injustice  which  he  knew  his 
majesty  would  neither  patronize 
nor  allow. 

Accordingly,  after  again  trying 
the  former  means  without  success, 
Mr.  Godfrey  got  the  courtier  ar- 
rested by  virtue  of  the  king's  writ, 
and  a  wnrrant  thereon  granted  by 
the  sheriff;  and  he  was  taken  into 
custody  till  such  time  as  he  should 
give  sufficient  bail  to  answer  the 
action.  But  instead  of  endea- 
vouring to  do  this,  he  insisted  on 
his  privilege,  sent  to  Whitehall, 
and  got  an  order  for  the  commit- 
ment of  Mr.  Godfrey  for  breach  of 
privilege. 
In    consequence    of   this,    Mr. 


Godfrey  was  taken  into  custody, 
and  was  to  remain  a  prisoner  till 
he  should  discharge  the  nobleman 
of  the  arrest.  But  this  he  per- 
emptorily refused,  rather  choos- 
ing to  suffer  a  disagreeable  re- 
straint, than  to  gratify  the  obsti- 
nacy of  his  adversary  by  a  too 
easy  compliance. 

Mr.  Godfrey  quietly  submitted 
to  his  confinement  for  six  days,  at 
the  expiration  of  which  his  ma- 
jesty, who  had  been  informed  of 
the  circumstances  of  the  case,  or- 
dered his  discharge.  He  was  so 
well  pleased  with  the  magnani- 
mity and  heroic  disposition  of  Mr. 
Godfrey,  that  he  not  only  par- 
doned the  misdemeanour,  but  con- 
ferred on  him  the  honour  of 
knighthood;  and,  as  a  farther  to- 
ken of  respect,  admitted  him 
again  into  the  commission  of  the 
peace,  from  which  he  had,  by 
means  of  his  adversary,  been  re- 
moved. 

The    above   is   one   instance    of 
this  great  man's  fortitude  of  mind, 
as  well  in  daring  dangers  as  bear- 
ing troubles;  but  a  still  more  dis- 
tinguished one  appears  in  his  con- 
duct during  the  dreadful  plague  in 
1C65;    when  the  cities  of  London 
and  Westminster  were,  in  a  man- 
ner, deserted  by  their  inhabitants, 
and  few  left  but  such  of  the  poorer 
sort,  who  had  neither  money  nor 
friends  to  enable  them  to  remove 
farther:    when  the   arrows  of  the 
Almighty  were  scattered  abroad  in 
every   corner:  when  almost  every 
house  was  turned  into  a  sepulchre, 
and  epitaphed  with  the  doleful  in- 
scription    of     Miserere      Domiiie, 
while  the  dead  and  living  seemed 
buried  together:  when  the  fear  of 
the  contagion  rendered  the  few  in- 
habitants   as    unsociable    to   each    - 
other,    as   they   would   have  been 
with  wild  beasts  in  a  wilderness, 
every   man    fearing  to  come  near 
another,  lest  he  should  meet  with 
his  own  executioner:    when  their 
very  words  were  feared  as  bullets: 
when  breath  itself,  the  instrument 
of  life  in  one,  might  be  death  to 
another  as  it  passed  from  him.     In 
fine,  when  death  and  danger  filled 


€22 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


a\l  places,  and  turned  the  whole 
town  into  one  universal  scene  of 
misery  and  mortality  ;  then  it  was 
til  at  this  worthy  magistrate  shewed 
the  greatest  proofs  of  a  true  Chris- 
tian courage  and  resolution,  in  ad- 
venturing to  stay  for  the  public 
good,  in  all  the  greatest  danger  of 
this  horrible  contagion,  when  death, 
in  various  appearances,  seemed 
ready  to  devour  him, and  which  must 
have  been  the  case,  if  his  tutelar 
angel  (assigned  by  Providence) 
had  not  preserved  him  to  greater 
purposes. 

It  was  no  unadvised  forwardness, 
or  injudicious  temerity,  that 
prompted  him  thus  to  hazard  his 
life  ;  neither  was  it  from  any  ad- 
vantagpous  expectations  :  on  the 
contrary,  it  arose  purely  from  a  just 
and  conscientious  regard  to  his 
duty,  in  the  place  where  he  knew 
(in  the  absence  of  his  fellow  ma- 
gistrates, who  had  fled  from  the 
danger)  he  might  be  instrumental, 
as  well  in  preserving  the  lives,  as 
the  properties,  of  those  who  should 
be  exposed  both  to  the  danger  of 
the  contagion,  and  the  rapine  of 
the  wicked,  the  latter  of  whom 
frequently  take  advantage  of  such 
public  calamities,  by  enriching 
themselves  with  the  spoils  of  the 
deceased,  to  the  great  injury  of  the 
wretched  survivors. 

For  these  ends,  and  these  only, 
did  sir  Edmundbury  Godfrey  con- 
tinue in  London  during  the  whole 
time  the  pestilence  raged :  and 
such  was  his  assiduity  in  endea- 
vouring to  relieve  the  afflictions  of 
the  wretched  inhabitants  in  his 
neighbourhood,  that  they  consider- 
ed him  as  their  guardian  genius  ; 
as  the  asylum  and  sanctuary  of 
their  distressed  conditions.  But 
the  most  just  representation  of  his 
conduct,  during  this  melancholy 
period,  is  given  by  that  worthy 
prelate  Dr.  Lloyd,  whom  we  have 
before  quoted  ;  and  whose  words, 
on  the  occasion,  are  briefly  as  fol- 
low : 

"  He  was  the  man,  (shall  I  say 

the  only  man  of  his  place?)  that 

stayed  to  do  good,  and  did  the  j;nod 

he  slaved  for.    iahall  wc  go  about  to 

1 


instance  in  particulars?     It  is  im- 
possible,   they    are    innumerable. 
It  is  easier   to  say,  what  good  did 
he  not,  that  Jay  within  the  verge  of 
his  province  ?    His  house  was  not 
only  the  seat  of  justice,  but  an  hos- 
pital of  charity,    where,    besides 
that  relief  which  he  commonly  af- 
forded the  poor,  at  other  times,  for 
the  necessity  of  living,  he  now  ex- 
tended his  charity  to   give  them 
physic,  to  preserve  them  from  dy- 
ing, when  they  were  in  a  more  im- 
mediate   danger  by  the  contagion, 
than  of  starving:  he  was  the  man, 
(and  where  was  there  such  another?) 
that,  laying  aside  the  grandeur  of 
his  circumstances,  would  familiarly 
visit  his  poor  sick  neighbours,   and 
administer  suitable  relief  to  them: 
he  was  the  man,  that  at  that  time 
durst  venture  himself  into  the  very 
garrison  of  death,  the  Pest-house, 
(the  ordering  of  which  he  took  into 
his  peculiar  care  and  administra- 
tion) and  there,  amidst  the  deadly 
fumes  that  arose  from  their  putrid 
sores,  would  he  stand  by  the  dis- 
eased lazars,  and  see  them  dress- 
ed, not  denying  them  any  relief  or 
assistance  that  lay  in  his  power  to 
aftbrd  them." 

His  justice  was  no  less  remarka- 
ble than  his  charity,  when  there 
was  any  need  of  it,  as  many  times 
there  were,  to  right  the  dead,  as 
well  as  to  relieve  the  living  ;  of 
which  the  following  is  a  singular 
instance: 

A  profligate  and  unfeeling  wretch 
had,  for  some  time,  made  it  a 
practice  to  rob  the  dead,  notwith- 
standing the  horror  that  is  natural- 
ly concomitant  to  such  actions. 
He  went,  in  the  dead  of  the  night, 
to  the  cemeteries  and  church-yards, 
where,  breaking  up  the  silent  clods, 
he  sacrilegiously  ransacked  the 
graves,  and  pillaged  thera  with  no 
more  remorse  than  soldiers  do  their 
vanquished  enemies  in  the  field  of 
Mar.  He  took  from  the  bodies 
their  apparel,  the  sheets,  and 
other  linen,  in  which  they  were  in- 
terred, and  decently  covered,  leav- 
ing their  carcasses  naked  and  ex- 
posed. 

This  distinguished  miticreuut  had 


SIR  EDMUNDBURY  GODFREY. 


833 


practised  his  nocturnal  and  inhu- 
man depredations  so  long,  and  with 
such  diligence,  that  he  had  filled  a 
large    warehouse  with  the  spoils  of 
the  dead,    iia  was  happily  at  length 
detected,    i;;-d   iaforaaation    being 
given  to  si;  Edniundbury  Godfrey, 
he  went,  at. ^.ided  by  proper  assist- 
ants,   to  tht   place   where  he   was 
informed  thr  floods  were  concealed, 
and    seized    ;hem.      In  the  mean 
time,  the  criminal,  having  heard  of 
the    discovery,    lied;     and    being 
hardened  against  the  fear  of  infec- 
tion by  his  great  familiarity  with 
the  dead,  he  took  sanctuary  in  the 
Pest-house,  where  he  thought  him- 
self sufficiently  secure.     This,  in- 
deed, might  have   been  the  case, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  magnani- 
mity of    the   intrepid    magistrate. 
The  officers  that  attended  him,  and 
to  whom  warrants  were   directed 
for  apprehending  the  criminal,  de- 
clined the  service ;  on    which  the 
noble  knight  himself,  a«  a  pattern 
of    distinguished    but    seasonable 
courage,  and  from  his  great  zeal 
for  justice,  ventured  to  go   to  the 
fatal  place,  where  he  immediately 
seized  the  offender,  and  delivered 
him  into  the  hands  of  the  officers, 
in  order  to  be  secured  for  examina- 
tion at  a  convenient  opportunity. 

The  next  day  he  was  brought  be- 
fore the  magistrate,  where  the 
facts  being  clearly  proved  by  seve- 
ral witnesses,  in  order  to  make  a 
proper  example  of  so  great  a  villain, 
and  to  prevent  others  from  follow- 
ing his  example,  sir  Edmundbury 
pronounced  the  following  sentence, 
as  being  most  suitable  to  the  na- 
ture of  his  crime :  that  he  should 
be  taken  to  the  church-yard,  where 
he  had  perpetrated  the  greater 
number  of  his  villanies,  and  after 
being  stripped  naked  to  the  waist, 
should  be  severely  scourged  round 
the  place  by  the  beadle  of  the 
parish.  This  sentence  was  accord- 
ingly executed  in  the  presence  of 
a  great  number  of  spectators,  who 
had  assembled  to  see  so  remarkable 
a  punishment. 

So  hardened  was  this  wretch, 
and  so  insensible  to  shame,  that 
instead  of  being  affected  either  for 


the  crimes  he  had  committed,  or  at 
the  punishment  inflicted,  he  medi- 
tated revenge  against  the  worthy 
magistrate,  and  formed  the  horrid 
resolution  of  depriving  him  of  his 
existence. 

To  effect  this,  he  one   evening 
lay  in  wait  for  him  at  the  corner  of 
a  street  by  which  he  knew  he  must 
pass.     As  soon  as  sir  Edmundbury 
appeared,  the  villain  struck  at  him 
with  a  cudgel,  on  which  the  knight 
immediately  drew  his  sword,  and 
defended  himself  for  a  considerable 
time.     At   length,  with  the  assist- 
ance  of   some  people   who    came 
that  way,  the  ruffian  was  secured, 
and  committed  to  Newgate  for  trial 
the    ensuing   sessions   at   the    Old 
Bailey.     Of  this  oOeuce  he  was  ac- 
quitted,  but  several   other  indict- 
ments  appearing  against  him  for 
felony,  he  was  capitally  convicted, 
and   received   sentence    of  death. 
By  the  interposition  of  the  court  his 
sentence  was   remitted  to  that  of 
transportation,  when  following  the 
like  wicked  practices  abroad  that 
he  had  done  at  home,  he  was  there 
convicted  of  a  criminal  fict,   and 
not  meeting  with  the  same  lenity, 
suffered  that  punishment  his  infamy 
merited. 

From  a  strict  attention  to  busi- 
ness, and  the  natural  fatigue  con- 
sequent thereupon,  sir  Edmund- 
bury Godfrey,  in  the  year  1678, 
became  so  reduced  by  bodily  ill- 
ness, that  his  life  was  apparently 
in  danger.  He  was  therefore  ad- 
vised, by  his  phj-sicians,  to  go  to 
Mont-pellier,  in  France,  the  air  of 
that  country  being  esteemed  an  al- 
most certain  restorative  to  decayed 
constitutions.  He  accordingly  took 
their  advice,  and  after  residing 
there  a  few  months,  returned  to 
England  greatly  benefited  by  his 
excursion. 

But  the  pains  he  thus  took  to 
preserve  that  life,  which  had  hither- 
to been  so  remarkably  beneficial  to 
great  numbers  of  his  fellow  crea- 
tures, were  all  K)st  by  a  most 
horrid  plot,  which  was  discovered 
soon  after  his  return,  and  which 
exposed  him  to  an  untimely  and 
cruel  death. 


S14 


BOOK  OF  MAirrVHS. 


This  horrid  conspiracy  was  I'oini - 
<•(!  by  the  papists,  and  is  distin- 
gMiishcd  in  the  annals  ol'  Ensjlatid 
by  the  name  of  the  Popish  Plot. 
It  M'as  said  that  the  design  ol"  the 
conspiracy  was,  to  kill  the  king,  to 
subvert  the  government,  to  extir- 
pate the  protestant  religion,  and  to 
establish  popery. 

The  authors  and  promoters  of 
this  plot  were  said  to  be  the  pope 
and  cardinals,  the  Romish,  French, 
Spanish  and  English  Jesuits,  the 
seminary  priests  in  England,  who 
at  this  time  came  over  in  great 
numbers,  and  several  popish  lords, 
and  others  of  that  party.  The  duke 
of  York  himself  was  deeply  sus- 
pected of  being  concerned  in  it, 
except  that  part  of  killing  the  king; 
and  that  point  excepted,  the  king 
himself  was  supposed  to  have  fa- 
voured the  conspiracy.  The  arti- 
cle of  taking  off  the  king  appeared 
to  be  only  the  project  of  a  part  of 
the  conspirators,  to  make  way  for 
the  duke  of  York  to  ascend  the 
throne,  who  was  more  forward, 
active,  and  less  fearful  than  the 
king,  and  consequently  more  likely 
to  bring  the  grand  design  of  the 
conspiracy,  the  changing  the  go- 
vernment and  religion,  to  a  spee- 
dier conclusion. 

The  chief  discoverer  of  this  con- 
spiracy was  one  Titus  Gates,  who 
had  formerly  been  a  clergyman  of 
the  church  of  England,  but  hod 
now  reconciled  himself  to  the 
church  of  Rome,  or  at  least  pre- 
tended so  to  do,  and  entered  into 
the  number  of  the  English  semi- 
narists at  St.  Oraer's.  He  also 
went  into  Spain,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  counsels  of  the  Jesuits.  By 
these  means  he  became  acquainted 
with  all  the  secret  designs  that 
were  carrying  on,  in  order  to  es- 
tablish popery  in  this  nation :  and 
then  returning  to  England,  he  di- 
gested the  several  matters  he  had 
heard  into  a  narrative,  and  by  the 
means  of  Dr.  Tonge,  a  city  divine, 
got  a  copy  of  it  delivered  to  the 
king,  who  referred  him  to  the  lord 
treasurer  Dauby. 

These  two  informers,  finding  the 
king  did  not  take  much  notice  of 


their  discovery,  resolved  to  com- 
municate it  to  the  parliament  ; 
previous  to  which  Gates  went  and 
made  oath  of  the  truth  of  the  nar- 
rative before  sir  Edmundbury  God- 
frey, leaving  one  copy  of  it  with 
him,  and  reserving  another  for 
himself. 

The  affair  having  now  taken  wind, 
it  was  resolved  to  bring  it  before 
the  council,  who  accordingly  sat 
twice  a  day  for  a  considerable  pe- 
riod to  examine  into  it ;  and  Tonge 
and  Gates  had  lodgings  assigned 
them  inWhitehall,  with  a  handsome 
allowance  to  each  for  their  main- 
tenance, and  a  guard  for  the  secu- 
rity of  their  persons. 

Gn  their  informations  several 
persons  were  apprehended,  parti- 
cularly one  Wakeman,  the  queen's 
physician,  and  Coleman,  the  duke 
of  York's  secretary.  In  the  latter's 
house  were  found  several  letters 
which  seemed  to  concur  withGates's 
testimony,  and  gave  great  weight 
to  what  he  advanced.  This,  with 
the  murder  of  sir  Edmundbury 
Godfrey  soon  after,  who  had  taken 
Gates's  oath  to  his  narrative,  con- 
firmed the  people  in  their  belief  of 
the  plot. 

Sir  Edmundbury  Godfrey  had 
been  remarkably  active  in  his  of- 
fice against  the  papists,  to  whom 
his  murder  was  immediately  ascrib- 
ed: and  the  truth  was  confirmed 
by  the  evidence  of  Bedloe  and 
Prance  ;  the  latter  of  whom  de- 
posed, that,  "  after  sir  Edmund- 
bury had  several  days  been  dogged 
by  the  papists,  they  at  last  accom- 
plished their  wicked  design,  on 
Saturday,  Gctober  12,  1678,  and 
under  pretence  of  a  quarrel,  which 
they  knew  his  care  for  the  public 
peace  would  oblige  him  to  prevent, 
about  nine  o'clock  at  night,  as  he 
was  going  home,  got  him  into  the 
Water -Gate  at  Somerset-House. 
When  he  was  thus  trepanned  in, 
and  got  out  of  hearing  from  the 
street,  toward  the  lower  end  of  the 
yard.  Green,  one  of  the  assassins, 
threw  a  twisted  handkerchief  round 
his  neck,  and  drew  him  behind  the 
rails,  when  three  or  four  more  of 
them  immediately  falling  on  hiro, 


POPISH  PLOT. 


825 


ihei'e  lliey  Uiroitled  liiin ;  and  lest 
that  should  not  be  enough, punch- 
ed and  kicked  bim  on  the  breast,  as 
SJifficiently  appeared,when  his  body 
was  found,  by  the  marks  upon  it ; 
and  lest  he  should  not  be  yet  dead 
enough,  another  of  them,  Girald, 
or  Fitzgerald,  would  have  run  him 
through,  but  was  hindered  by  tiie 
rest,  lest  the  blood  should  have 
discovered  them.  But  Green,  to 
njake  sure  work,  wrung  his  neck 
round,  as  it  was  found  afterwards 
on  the  inspection  of  the  surgeons. 
"For  the  disposal  of  the  body, 
they  all  carried  it  up  into  a  little 
chamber  of  Hill's,  another  of  the 
murderers,  who  had  been,  or  was. 
Dr.  Godwin's  man,  where  it  lay 
till  Monday  night,  when  they  re- 
moved it  into  another  room,  and 
thence  back  again  till  Wednesday, 
when  they  carried  him  out  in  a  se- 
dan about  twelve  o'clock,  and  af- 
terwards upon  a  horse,  with  Hill 
behind  him,  to  support  him,  till  they 
got  to  Primrose-Hill,  or,  as  it  is 
called  by  some,  Green-Bury  Hill, 
near  a  public-house,  called  tke 
White  House,  and  there  threw  him 
into  a  ditch,  with  his  gloves  and 
cane  on  a  bank  near  him,  and  his 
own  sword  run  through  him,  on 
purpose  to  persuade  the  world  he 
had  killed  himself.  Very  cunning- 
ly making  choice  of  a  place  to  lay 
him  where  they  might  both  think 
he  would  be  some  time  concealed, 
and  near  where  he  had  been  seen 
walking  the  same  day."  The  body 
was  accordingly  found  there  seve- 
ral days  afterwards. 

Thus  died  that  good  man,  and 
wise  magistrate,  sir  Edraundbury 
Godfrey,  who  fell  a  martyr  to  the 
diabolical  machinations  of  some 
wicked  and  blood-thirsty  papists. 
His  body  was  interred  with  great 
solemnity  in  the  church  of  St. 
Martin  in  the  Fields  ;  and  he  was 
attended  to  the  grave  by  an  incre- 
dible number  of  lamenting  specta- 
tors. 

This  horrid  conspiracy  engaged 
the  whole  attention  of  the  parlia- 
ment, who  addressed  the  king  tore- 
move  all  popish  recusants  out  of  the 
cities  of  London  aud  Westminster, 


and  from  within  ten  miles  of  them  : 
aud  in  another  address  they  be- 
sought his  majesty  to  take  care  of 
his  royal  person;  that  he  would 
command  the  lord  -  mayor,  and 
lieutenancy  of  London,  to  appoint 
proper  guards  of  the  trained  bands 
during  the  sitting  of  parliament; 
and  that  the  lords-lieutenants  of  the 
counties  of  Middlesex  and  Surry 
should  appoint  sufficient  guards  in 
31iddlescx,  Westminster, andSouth- 
wark. 

The  houses  attended  to  no  other 
business  but  this  plot ;  and  so  warm- 
ly did  they  enter  into  the  matter, 
that  several  days  they  sat  from 
morning  till  night  examiningOates, 
and  other  witnesses.  At  length, 
on  the  31st  of  October,  1678,  they 
unanimously  resolved,  "  that  the 
lords  aud  commons  are  of  opinion, 
that  there  hath  been,  and  still  is,  a 
damnable  and  hellish  plot,  contriv- 
ed and  carried  on  by  popish  recu- 
sants, for  assassinating  and  mur- 
dering the  king,  for  subverting  the 
government,  and  rooting  out  and 
destroying  the  protestant  religion." 

These  opinions  were  farther  con- 
firmed by  a  circumstance  which 
happened  soon  after ;  for,  about 
the  beginning  of  May,  1679,  the 
citizens  discovered  a  plot,  formed 
by  the  Jesuits  and  other  papists,  for 
destroying  the  cily  of  London  a  se- 
cond time  by  fire.  One  Elizabeth 
Oxley,  a  servant  in  Fetter-lane, 
having  set  fire  to  her  master's 
house,  was  apprehended  and  com- 
mitted to  prison,  when  she  con- 
fessed the  fact,  and  declared,  that 
she  had  been  hired  to  do  it  by  one 
Stubbs,  a  papist,  who  was  to  give 
her  five  pounds  as  a  reward. 

Stubbs  being  immediately  secur- 
ed, confessed  that  he  had  persuad- 
ed her  to  it ;  but  that  he  himself  had 
been  prevailed  on  by  one  father 
Giflord,  his  confessor,  who,  he 
said,  assured  him,  that  instead  of 
its  being  a  sin,  it  would  be  a  great 
service  to  the  "  Holy  Catholic 
Church,"  to  burn  and  destroy  all 
the  houses  of  heretics  ;  saying,  that 
he  had  conversed  many  times  on 
that  affair  with  Gifford,  and  two 
Irishmen.      And     the    maid    and 


826 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Stubbs  jointly  declared,  that  the 
papists  inteudcd  to  rise  in  London, 
in  expectation  of  being  assisted  by 
a  powerful  army  from  France. 

Soon  after  this,  a  prosecution 
being  commenced  against  several 
of  the  Jesuits  who  were  concerned 
in  the  plot,  five  of  them  were  con- 
victed and  executed;  and  several 
lords  being  also  impeached  of  the 
same,  were  committed  prisoners  to 
the  Tower. 

The  parliament  meeting  on  the 
21st  of  October,  the  lord  Stafford, 
who  was  one  of  those  impeached  of 
being  concerned  in  the  popish  plot, 
was  brought  to  his  trial ;  and  being 
convicted  of  high-treason,  received 
sentence  to  be  hanged  and  quarter- 
ed. The  king,  however,  as  is  usual 
in  such  cases,  remitted  this  sen- 
tence, and  left  Stafford  to  be 
beheaded  ;  but  the  zeal  of  the  two 
sherifls  of  London  started  a  doubt 
as  to  the  king's  power  of  miti- 
gating the  sentence  in  any  part. 
They  proposed  queries  on  this 
point  to  both  houses ;  the  peers 
deemed  them  superfluous  ;  and  the 
commons,  apprehensive  lest  an 
examination  into  these  queries 
might  produce  the  opportunity  of 
Stafford's  escape,  expressed  them- 
selves satisfied  with  the  manner  of 
execution,  by  severing  his  head 
from  his  body. 

THE    MEAL-TUB    PLOT. 

In  a  very  short  time  after  the 
bcforementioned  conspiracies,  a 
sham  plot  was  discovered  to  have 
been  formed  by  the  papists,  in  or- 
der to  throw  off  the  odium  they 
had  justly  acquired,  and  to  place  it 
on  the  presbyterians. 

One  Dangerfield,  a  fellow  who 
had  suflered  almost  every  punish- 
ment the  law  could  inflict  on  the 
most  abandoned,  was  tutored  for 
the  purpose.  The  Catholic  party 
released  him  out  of  Newgate, 
where  he  was  imprisoned  for  debt, 
and  set  him  to  work.  He  pretend- 
ed to  have  been  privy  to  a  design 
for  destroying  the  king  and  the 
royal  family,  and  converting  the 
<;ovcr;inicnt  into  a  commonwealth. 
The  king  and   hh  brother  counte- 


nanced the  tale,  and  rewarded  him, 
for  his  discovery,  with  a  sum  of 
money;  but  certain  papers  which 
he  produced  in  evidence  of  his  as- 
sertions appearing,  upon  his  exa- 
mination, to  be  forged  by  himself, 
he  was  put  under  an  arrest.  All 
his  haunts  were  ordered  to  be 
searched  ;  and  in  the  house  of  one 
Mrs.  Collier,  a  midwife,  a  Roman 
Catholic,  and  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance of  his,  was  found  the  model 
of  the  pretended  plot,  written  very 
fair,  neatly  made  up  in  a  book,  tied 
with  a  riband,  and  concealed  in  a 
meal-tub,  from  whence  it  acquired 
the  name  of  the  Meal-Tub  Plot. 

Dangerfield,  finding  himself  thus 
detected,  applied  to  the  lord- 
mayor,  made  an  ample  confession 
of  the  imposition,  and  discovered 
his  employers. 

The  detection  of  this  contrivance 
so  irritated  the  populace  in  general 
against  the  papists,  that  it  added 
much  to  the  whimsical  solemnity  of 
burning  the  effigy  of  the  pope  ;  for, 
on  the  17th  of  November,  the  anni- 
versary of  queen  Elizabeth's  acces- 
sion to  the  throne,  the  ceremony 
was  performed  with  the  most  singu- 
lar pomp  and  magnificence  ;  and 
every  mark  was  shewn  by  the  peo- 
ple, that  could  demonstrate  their 
abhorrence  of  popery. 

Thus  were  all  these  diabolical 
schemes,  projected  by  the  papists 
to  injure  the  protestants,  happily 
rendered  abortive  ;  but  we  must 
not  quit  this  section  without  taking 
notice,  that,  on  the  accession  of 
James  II.  to  the  English  throne, 
the  famous  Titus  Oates,  who  was 
so  materially  concerned  in  the  dis- 
covery of  the  popish  plot,  was  tried 
for  perjury  on  two  indictments  ; 
and  being  found  guilty,  was  sen- 
tenced to  be  fined  one  thousand 
marks  for  each  ;  to  be  whipped,  on 
two  diiierent  days,  from  Aldgate  to 
Newgate,  and  from  Newgate  to 
Tyburn  ;  to  be  imprisoned  during 
life,  and  to  stand  on  tlse  pillory  five 
times  every  year.  Ke  made  the 
most  solemn  appeals  to  heaven, 
and  the  strongest  protestations  of 
the  veracity  of  his  testimony.  The 
wliipping   was  so  severe,  that   he 


MR.  COLLEGE. 


827 


swooned  several  times,  and  it  was 
evidently  the  design  of  the  court  to 
have  put  him  to  death  by  that 
punishment.  lie  was,  however, 
enabled,  by  the  care  of  his  friends, 


to  recover  ;  and  he  lived  till  Wil- 
liam III.  came  to  the  throne,  when 
he  was  released  from  his  confine- 
ment, and  had  a  pension  allowed 
him  of  lOOl.  per  annum. 


SECTION  VI. 

PERSECUTIONS  OF  MANY  EMINENT  PROTESTANT  PATRIOTS  IN  THE 
REIGNS  OF  CHARLES  11.  AND  JAMES  11.;  WITH  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 
BARBARITIES    OF   JEFFREYS    IN    THE    WEST    OF    ENGLAND. 


During  the  latter  years  of  the 
reign  of  Charles  the  second,  Eng- 
land was  convulsed  by  the  efforts 
of  that  monarch  (who  had  been 
converted  to  Popery,)  to  attain  ar- 
bitrary power,  and  the  struggles  of 
a  patriotic  band  to  defeat  his  nefa- 
rious designs,  and  to  retain  the  con- 
stitution for  which  their  fathers 
had  fought  and  bled.  They  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  several  salu- 
tary checks  on  the  royal  preroga- 
tive, and  their  praiseworthy  exer- 
tions became  at  length  so  obnoxious 
to  the  king,  that  he  dissolved  the 
parliament  in  a  fit  of  passion,  and 
determined  from  that  time  to  rule 
by  bis  own  sole  authority.  In  this 
resolution  he  was  supported  by  his 
brother,  the  duke  oi  York,  whose 
known  papistry  had  long  rendered 
him  an  object  of  just  suspicion  to 
the  nation  ;  by  Louis  XIV.  king  of 
France,  to  whom  he  had  basely  be- 
trayed the  interests  of  this  country 
for  money  ;  and  by  a  vile  and  pro- 
fligate herd  of  courtiers,  who, 
slaves  alike  in  mind  and  body,  will- 
ingly assisted  in  the  destruction  of 
that  freedom  of  which  they  were 
incapable  of  appreciating  the  ad- 
vantages. 

The  king  and  his  brother,  thus 
upheld  at  home  and  abroad,  deter- 
mined to  take  a  severe  revenge  on 
those  persons  who  had  distinguish- 
ed themselves  by  their  opposition  to 
popery  and  tyranny;  but  as  it  was 
still  necessary  to  preserve  the  forms 
of  law,  and  the  appearance  of 
justice,  various  absurd  stories  of 
plots  and  assassinations  were  hatch- 
ed up,  and  sworn  to  by  a  gang  of 
wretches  destitute  of  every  feeling 
of  morality,  and  dead  to  every  ob- 
ligation ol  justice.  We  shall  give 
the  particulars  of  a  few   of  thoac 


trials  ;  and  the  first  we  meet  with 
is  that  of 

MR.    COLLEGE, 

a  carpenter,  whose  known  zeal  in 
the  cause  of  religion  and  liberty  had 
procured  him  the  honourable  ap- 
pellation of  the  Protestant  Join- 
er. The  following  account  of  him 
we  give  as  we  find  it,  appended  to 
a  folio  edition  of  our  author. 

Mr.  College  being  a  man  of  cou- 
rage, industry,  and  sharpness, 
made  it  much  of  his  business  to 
serve  his  country,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, in  searching  after  priests  and 
Jesuits,  and  hunting  those  vermin 
out  of  their  lurking-holes,  in  which 
he  was  very  serviceable  and  suc- 
cessful ;  and  for  which,  no  doubt, 
they  did  not  fail  to  reruember  him. 
The  first  time  we  meet  with  him  in 
public,  is  in  lord  Stafloid's  trial, 
where  he  was  brought  in  for  Mr. 
Dugdale,  as  a  collateral  evidence. 
By  that  time  the  wind  was  upon 
the  turn,  and  the  tide  of  popular 
aversion  not  quite  so  strong  against 
popery,  being,  by  the  cunning  of 
our  common  enemy,  diverted  into 
little  streams,  and  private  factions, 
and  arbitrary  power  driving  on,  as 
the  best  way  to  prosecute  the  de- 
signs of  Rome  ;  to  which  the  city 
of  London  in  particular  made  a 
vigorous  resistance;  which  dis- 
pleasing the  grand  agitators,  no 
wonder  they  endeavoured,  as  much 
as  possible,  to  do  it  a  mischief ; 
their  kindness  to  it  having  been 
sufiicieutly  experienced  in  1666, 
and  ever  since.  In  order  to  which 
the  king  was  pleased,  by  the  ad- 
vice of  his  brother,  to  alter  the 
common  and  almost  constant  coarse 
of  parliaments,  and  call  one  at 
Oxford  instead  of  London.  Many 
of    the   members,   and   especially 


828 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


those  for  London,  were  apprehen- 
sive of  some  design  upon  them 
there,  having  formerly  in  the  gun- 
powder treason,  and  ever  since, 
sufficiently  found  the  love  of  the 
papists  to  protestant  parliaments, 
and  knowing  well  what  they  were 
to  expect  from  their  kindness,  if 
they  should  be  attacked  by  them 
and  found  defenceless.  And  more 
ground  of  suspicion  they  had,  be- 
cause, as  College  protests  in  his 
speech,  there  had  been  affidavits 
judicially  made  of  a  design  formed 
against  them,  and  their  being  re- 
moved from  the  city  of  London, 
which  had  always  so  much  of  the 
English  blood  in  it,  as  heartily  to 
love  parliaments,  and  to  venture 
all  for  their  defence,  strengthened 
their  suspicions ;  and  from  these 
reasons,  it  was,  that  several  of  the 
parliament  men  went  accompanied 
with  some  of  their  friends,  well 
armed  and  accoutred,  to  Oxford; 
of  this  number  Mr.  College  was 
one,  he  waiting  on  the  lords  Clare, 
Paget,  and  Huntingdon  to  Oxford; 
where  the  parlianieut,  foreseeing 
what  has  since  happened,  would 
have  gone  on  where  they  left  off  in 
the  former  sessions,  which  causing 
great  heats,  they  were  abruptly 
dissolved,  not  long  after  their  meet- 
ing. In  addition  to  the  heinous 
oflence  of  having  gone  to  Oxford, 
Mr.  College  had  been,  as  he  de- 
clares in  his  speech,  a  great  sup- 
porter of  parliament  on  all  occa- 
sions, from  whence,  as  mentioned 
above,  he  got  that  popular  name 
of  the  Protestant  Joiner. 

All  these  reasons  together  were 
more  than  enough  to  get  him  taken 
out  of  the  way  ;  and  for  the  per- 
formance thereof,  Heins,  and  Mac- 
namarra,  and  one  or  two  of  the 
apostate  evidence  of  the  popish 
plot,  informed  against  him.  Nor 
is  it  a  wonder  that  after  so  many 
attempts,  some  of  these  men  should 
be  prevailed  with  to  prove  false  ; 
but  rather,  that  under  so  many 
temptations  any  of  them  resisted, 
or  were  not  sooner  villains.  These 
persons  swore  such  mad  things 
against  him,  of  taking  Whitehall, 
and  pulling  the  king  out  of  it,  and 


such  other  odd  wild  stories,  that 
partly  from  the  ill-character  of  the 
persons  who  witnessed,  the  jury  in 
London  refused  to  find  the  bill,  but 
returned  it  Ignoramus.  On  which, 
contrary  to  all  justice  and  prece- 
dent, law  and  common  reason, 
which  forbid  that  a  man  should  be 
twice  put  in  danger  of  his  life  for 
the  same  offence,  the  business  was 
removed  to  Oxford,  where  the  lit- 
tle civility  or  common  justice  he 
met  with  in  his  trial,  was  then  no- 
torious to  all  the  world  ;  a  person 
being  checked,  for  giving  him  but 
assistance  and  notes  in  the  way  of 
his  calling,  to  make  his  defence 
when  his  life  was  engaged  ;  yet 
though  even  those  notes  were  de- 
nied him,  none  that  heard  the  trial, 
or  so  much  as  read  it,  but  must 
grant,  that  he  made  a  very  extraor- 
dinary defence,  and  much  more 
than  could  have  been  expected 
from  a  man  of  more  learning.  But 
he  might  have  spared  all  his  la- 
bour;  the  conclusion  was,  no 
doubt,  resolved  upon  before,  and 
he  was  found  guilty,  sentenced, 
and  executed. 

If  we  reflect  yet  further  on  the 
manner  of  bis  trial,  and  not  look 
on  any  others,  one  would  be  apt  to 
think  it  was  impossible  a  man  could 
be  destroyed  with  more  injustice 
and  barbarity  than  he  was;  or  that 
twelve  men,  who  pretended  to  be 
Christians,  could  be  found  out, 
who  would  hang  a  man  upon  such 
evidence  as  was  given  against  him. 

When  a  criminal  shall  be  kept 
close  prisoner  in  the  Tower,  with- 
out having  sufficient  means  to  make 
his  defence,  till  he  come  to  his 
trial ;  when,  as  has  been  said,  he 
shall  be  rifled  of  his  notes,  by 
which  only  he  could  save  his  life, 
on  which  he  depended,  and  just  be- 
fore he  came  to  his  trial,  though  as- 
sisted therein  by  that  very  counsel 
assigned  by  the  court  for  him ; 
when  he  shall  in  vain  demand  them 
again,  and  call  heaven  and  eartb 
to  witness,  that  he  is  merely  cheat- 
ed of  his  life  for  want  of  them ; 
when  all  his  redress  is  such  a  frivo- 
lous excuse,  as  not  only  a  judge, 
but   any    honest    man,    would   be 


MR,  COLLEGE. 


8%9 


asliamed  to  make  use  of;  viz.  that 
it  was  somebody  else  did  it,  that 
the  court  had  them  not,  nor    did 
take    them  Irom     him ;  when    the 
very  person  stood  by  who  robbed 
him  of    them,    and  yet   he   could 
have     no    reparation ;     when    the 
kingj's   counsel  must  whisper   the 
chief  justice    on   the    bench,   and 
the  court  must  be  adjourned,  on  pur- 
pose to    examine    those    minutes 
which  the   poor  man  had  got  to- 
gether to  save  his  life,    and  even 
from  them  to  get  an  opportunity  of 
taking  it  away,  altering  the  manner 
of  their  prosecution,  strengthening 
and     bolstering     their     evidence 
against  him,  were  not  only  such  as 
an  honest  London  jury  would  not 
believe,  (though  acountry  one,  di- 
rected by  the  king's  counsel,  could 
make  a  shift  to  do  it,)  but   were 
every    one    of    them,     who    wit- 
nessed   any  thing   material,    con- 
founded by  such  home  evidence,  as, 
if  any  thing  in  the  world  could  do 
it,  did  certainly  invalidate  and  an- 
nul their   testimonies ;  when    one 
of  them  swears  horridly,  he  cared 
not  what  he   swore,  nor  whom  he 
swore  against,  for  it  was  his  trade 
to  get  money  by  swearing  ;  that  the 
parliament    was     a    company     of 
rogues  for    not   giving    the    king 
money,  but  he  would  help  him  to 
money  out  of  the  fanatics'  estates, 
which  is  explained  by  what  Smith 
says.  That  if  the  parliament  would 
not  give  the  king  money,  but  stood 
on  the  bill  of  exclusion,  it  was  pre- 
tence enough  to  swear  a  design  to 
seize   the  king  at   Oxford :  when 
this  same    Heins  very   pleasantly 
says,  It  was  a  judgment  upon  the 
king  and  the  people,  and  the  Irish- 
men's  swearing  against  them  was 
justly    fallen  on  them,  for   ousting 
the    Irish  of  their  estates  :    when 
others  of  them  swear,  That  since 
the  citizens    deserted  them,    they 
would  not  starve ;  that  they   would 
have  College's  blood  ;  that  though 
they  had  gone  against  their  con- 
sciences, it  was  because  they  had 
been  persuaded  to  it,  and  could  get 
no  money  else  ;  and  when  they  had 
said  before,  they  believed  College 
had  no  more  hand  in  any  conspira- 


cy against  his  majesty,  than  the 
child  unborn :  when  they  would 
have  hired  others  to  swear  more  into 
the  same  plot :  when  the  bench  was 
such  just  and  kind  counsel  for  the 
prisoner,  as  to  tell  the  jury,  the 
king's  witnesses  were  on  their 
oaths,  the  prisoner's  not,  and  so 
one  to  be  credited  before  the  other; 
in  which  case  it  is  impossible  for 
any  man  living  to  make  a  defence 
against  a  perjured  villain:  lastly, 
when  the  prisoner  himself  very 
weightily  objected.  That  there  was 
no  proof  of  any  person  being  con- 
cerned with  him  in  the  design  of 
seizing  the  king  ;  and  it  was  wise- 
ly answered.  That  he  might  be  so 
vain  to  design  it  alone  ;  a  thousand 
times  more  romantic  and  improba- 
ble than  an  army's  lying  conceal- 
ed at  Knightsbridge,  and  of  the 
same  stamp  with  Drawcansir's  kill- 
ing ail  on  both  sides:  taking  all 
these  things  together,  hardly  ever 
was  a  man  at  this  rate  bantered 
out  of  his  life,  before  any  judica- 
ture in  the  world,  in  any  place  or 
age  that  history  has  left  us. 

Nor  ought  the  great  service  he 
did  to  the  nation  in  general  to  be 
ever  forgotten;  since,  notwith- 
standing all  the  disadvantages  he 
was  under,  the  public  stream  run- 
ning so  violently  against  him  and 
his  witnesses,  and  the  surprise 
which  such  strange  treatment 
might  cast  him  into,  he  yet  made 
so  strong  a  defence,  by  shewing 
what  sort  of  witnesses  were 
brought  against  him,  that  he  hin- 
dered them  ever  after  from  being 
believed,  and  thereby  certainly 
saved  many  others'  lives,  though 
he  could  not  save  his  own. 

Nor  can  the  undaunted  courage, 
and  firm  honesty  of  the  man,  be 
sufficiently  admired;  since,  be- 
sides what  he  shewed  in  his  de- 
fence, after  he  was  condemned,  as 
he  himself  said,  "  as  good  as  with- 
out a  trial,"  he  boldly  asked. 
When  he  was  to  be  executed? 
without  the  least  seeming  concern. 
And  though  he  had  considerable 
time  before  his  execution  to  con- 
sider of  it,  he  refused  to  save  his 
life  so  meanly,  as  to  make  other 


«so 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


innocent  men's  lives  the  price  of 
his  own;  withont  which  desi?:n  his 
enemies  had  hardly  been  so  kind 
as  to  have  given  him  so  long  a  re- 
prieve. 

As  for  his  behaviour  at  his  exe- 
cation,  it  was  such  as  convinced 
more  than  a  few  of  his  greatest 
enemies,    and  made   them    enter- 
tain a  much  better  opinion  of  him 
than    before.        From     his     last 
speech   we   shall   remark  several 
passages,  as  another  argument  of 
his   innocence.       But    before    we 
proceed   any   further  in   them,   it 
will  be  needful  to  fix  one  asser- 
tion, which  we  may  presume  very 
few     unprejudiced    persons     will 
deny,  and  which  we  shall  have  oc- 
casion   to   make    further   use    of. 
It  is,  That  no  protestant,  who  be- 
lieves   a  heaven  and  hell,  and   is 
not   a  man  without   principles,  or 
debauched  and  atheistical,  would 
go  out  of  the  world,  into  the  pre- 
sence of  that  God  who  must  judge 
him, -with  a  lie  in  his  mouth.     This 
none   will   deny,    but   those    who 
have   a  great  kindness  for  the  pa- 
pists; and  yet  of  all  men  in  the 
world  such  as  these  must  not  offer 
to  do  it,  since  it  was  the  very  ar- 
gument they  made  use  of  for  the 
innocence  of  the  Jesuits  and  other 
traitors.     Though  on  that  side  we 
know  there  are  unanswerable   ar- 
guments not  to  believe  them;  their 
religion     recommending     perjury, 
and  all  sorts  of  villauies,  to  them 
as   meritorious,  when  holy  church 
is  concerned.      Their  church    be- 
sides   allows    them    dispensations 
before,   and  absolution  after,   and 
purgatory  at  the  worst,  whence  a 
few  masses  would  fetch  them  out 
again.     Things   being  thus,  what 
can  any  man  of  modesty  say  to  Mr. 
College's    protestations    over   and 
over,  both   in  prison,    and   at  his 
death,  That  he  was  perfectly  inno- 
cent of  what  he  died  for?  "I  did 
deny  it  then,"  says  he,  that  is,  be- 
fore the  council,  "  and  do  deny  it 
upon  my  death  :  I  never  was  in  any 
kind  of  plot  in  my  days;  and  if  1 
had  any  such  design  as  these  have 
sworn   against  me,  T  take  God  to 
witness,  as  I  am  a  dying  man,  and 


on  the  terras  of  my  salvalion,  I 
know  not  one  man  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth  which  would  have  stood 
by  me." 

Thus  died  Mr.  College,  whose 
blood,  as  he  himself  desired  it 
might,  sufficiently  spoke  the  jus- 
tice of  his  cause,  and  who  seemed,  in 
his  speech,  to  have  some  prophetic 
intimations,  that  his  blood  would 
not  be  the  last  which  must  be  shed 
to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  tyranny 
and  papistry. 

MURDER    OF    ARTHUR,    EARL  OF 
ESSEX. 

My  lord  of  Essex  had  large  in- 
terest, a  plentiful  estate,  a  great 
deal  of  courage,  understood  the 
world,  and  the  principles  and  prac- 
tices of  the  papists,  as  well  as  any 
man,  having  been  of  several  secret 
committees  in  the  examination  of 
the  plot,  for  Avhich  very  reason 
there  was  as  much  necessity  for  his 
death  as  for  that  of  sir  Edmund- 
bury  Godfrey.  He  was,  beside  all 
this,  of  inflexible  honesty,  and  so 
true  a  greatness  of  mind,  that  they 
could  no  more  expect  to  gain  him, 
than  heaven  itself,  to  be  on  their 
side. 

Accordingly,    his  throat  was  cut 
in   the  Tower   the    13th    of  July, 
1683,  about  eight  or  nine   in  the 
morning,  and  this  was  reported  at 
Andover,  60  miles  from    London, 
on  the    11th  of  July,  the  first  day 
of  his  imprisonment,  and  was  told 
to  a  person  travelling  on  the  road 
near  the   same  place,  which  was 
witnessed  before  even  Jeffreys,  in 
a  public  court  of  judicature.    The 
manner  in  which  the  murder  was 
hushed  up,  must  likewise  strength- 
en suspicion :    a   deputy   coroner 
was  present  at  the  inquest,  instead 
of  a  legal  one ;    none  of  the  de- 
ceased's relations  attended  the  in- 
quest ;  the  body  was  removed  from 
the  place  where  it  was  first  laid, 
stripped,  the  clothes  taken  away, 
the  body  and  rooms  washed  from 
the    blood,    and    the   clothes  de- 
nied to  be  shown  to  the  jury.     The 
principal  witnesses  examined  were 
only  Bomeny  his  man,  and   Russel 
his  warder,    who   might  be  justly 


LORD  WILLIAM  RUSSEL. 


831 


suspected  of  beini^  privy  to,  if  not 
actors  in  the  murder.  Tlie  jury 
hastened  and  hurried  the  verdict, 
when  so  great  a  man,  a  peer  of  the 
realm,  and  the  king's  prisoner  was 
concerned.  And  all  this  at  a  time 
when  the  lord  Russei  was  to  be 
tried  for  a  share  in  the  plot,  in 
which  the  earl  of  Essex  was  also 
accused  of  being  concerned  ;  and 
when  the  news  of  his  suicide,  as 
pretended,  was  instantly,  with  so 
much  diligence,  conveyed  from  the 
Tower  to  tlic  Sessions-House, 
bench,  bar,  and  jury,  and  harped 
upon  by  the  lord  Howard  just  then, 
and  by  others  in  after-trials,  as 
more  than  a  thousand  witnesses, 
and  the  very  finger  of  God.  After 
this,  the  very  centinel,  who  that 
day  stood  near  the  place,  was 
found  dead  in  the  Tower-ditch,  and 
captain  Hawley  barbarously  mur- 
dered down  at  Rochester  ;  and  all 
methods  used  to  prevent  the  truth 
from  coming  to  light.  Mr.  Brad- 
don  was  harassed,  prosecuted,  im- 
prisoned,and  fined  for  stirring  in  it. 
On  the  fair  and  impartial  consider- 
ation of  these  things,  which  are  all 
notorious  facts,  granted  by  all 
sides,  what  can  a  man  conclude 
from  the  whole,  but — That  this  no- 
ble lord  was  certainly  murdered 
by  the  popish  party? 

But  there  is  yet  more  evidence  : 
If  he  could  not  murder  himself  in 
that  manner,  who  then  should  do 
it  but  those  on  whom  the  guilt  of  it 
has  been  just  charged?  His  throat 
was  cut  from  one  jugular  to  the 
other,  both  the  jugulars  being 
thoroughly  divided.  How  could 
any  man,  after  the  prodigious  flow 
of  blood  which  must  necessarily 
follow  ou  the  dividing  one  jugular, 
as  well  as  all  those  strong  muscles 
which  lie  in  the  way,  bow  could  he 
ever  have  strength  to  go  through, 
all  round,  and  come  to  the  other, 
without  fainting? 

Lastly,  His  character  makes  it 
morally  impossible  that  he  should 
be  guilty  of  such  an  action. 

TRIAL    AND  EXECUTION  OF   WILLIAM 
LORD    RUSSEL. 

The  next  who  fell  under  their 
cruelty,  and  to  whose  death  that  of 


Essex  was  but  a  prologue,  was  lord 
Russei;  without  all  dispute  one  of 
the  finest  gentlemen  that  ever  Eng- 
land bred;  and  whose  pious  life 
and  virtue  was  as  much  treason 
against  the  court,  by  afl'ronting 
them  with  what  was  so  much  hated 
there,  as  any  thing  else  that  was 
sworn  against  him.  His  family 
was  ancient,  and  early  enemies  to 
the  Romish  superstition, though  this 
brave  nobleman  only  suffered  for 
the  offences  of  his  ancestors.  His 
first  offence,  as  he  himself  says,  in 
his  last  speech,  was  his  earnestness 
in  the  matter  of  the  exclusion  of 
the  duke.  He  began  sooner  than 
most  others  to  see  into  the  danger 
we  were  in  from  popery,  and  all 
those  fatal  consequences  which 
have  since  happened;  and  describ- 
ed them  plainly,  and  almost  pro- 
phetically. 

He  was  arrested,  imprisoned  in 
the  Tower,  and  brought  to  his  trial 
on  the  13th  of  .July,  1683,  at  the 
Old  Bailey,  for  high  treason.  He 
earnestly  desired  that  he  might 
have  respite,  and  not  be  tried  that 
day,  since  he  had  some  witnesses 
that  could  not  be  in  town  till  the 
night:  but  his  enemies  were  in 
such  post  haste,  and  so  eager  for 
his  blood,  that  they  would  not  stay 
so  much  as  till  the  afternoon,  pre* 
tending  it  was  against  precedent, 
and  they  could  not  do  it  without 
the  attorney  general's  consent; 
though  it  is  notorious,  that  on  seve- 
ral or.casions  it  had  been  done,  and 
the  trial  been  postponed,  even  till 
the  following  sessions. 

When  he  found  he  must  expect 
neither  favour  nor  justice,  as  to  the 
delaying  of  his  trial,  he  excepted 
against  the  foreman  of  the  jury,  be- 
cause not  a  freeholder;  which  was 
also  over-ruled  and  given  against 
him  ;  though  that  practice  has  been 
since  declared  and  acknowledged 
one  of  the  great  grievances  of  the 
nation. 

On  the  king's  counsel  opening 
the  evidence,  the  first  says,  "He 
was  indicted  for  no  less  than  con- 
spiring the  death  of  the  king's  ma- 
jesty ;  and  that  in  order  to  the  same, 
he  and  others  did  meet  and  con- 


•32 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


spire  together,  to  bring  our  sove- 
rei£?n  lord  the  king  to  death,  to  rajse 
war  and  rebellion  against  him,  and 
to  massacre  his  subjects  ;  and  in 
order  to  compass  these  wicked  de- 
si'^ns,  being  assembled,  did  con- 
spire to  seize  the  king's  guards, 
and  his  majesty's  person:  and  this 
(he  tells  tiie_  jury)  is  the  charge 
against  him." 

The  attorney  general  melts  it  a 
little  lower,  and  tells  them,  the 
meaning  of  all  these  tragical  words 
"  was,  a  consult  about  a  rising, 
about  seizing  the  guards,  and  re- 
ceiving messages  from  the  earl  of 
Shaftesbury  concerning  an  insur- 
rection." 

Nor  yet  does  the  proof  against 
Lira  come  up  so  high  even  as 
this,  though  all  care  was  used  for 
that  purpose,  and  questions  put 
very  frequently  to  lead  and  drive 
the  evidence  ;  only  one  of  them 
witnessing  to  any  one  point. 

The  first  of  the  witnesses  was 
Colonel  Rumsey,  who  swore, 
That  he  was  sent  with  a  letter  from 
lord  Shaftesbury,  who  lay  conceal- 
ed at  Wapping,  to  meet  lord  Rus- 
sel,  Ferguson,  &c.  at  Shepherd's, 
to  know  of  them  what  resolution 
they  were  come  to  concerning  the 
rising  designed  at  Taunton.  That 
when  he  came  thither,  the  answer 
made  was,  Mr.  Trenchard  had  fail- 
ed them,  and  no  more  would  be 
done  in  that  business  at  that  time. 
That  Mr.  Ferguson  spoke  the  most 
part  of  that  answer ;  but  my  lord 
Russel  was  present,  and  that  he 
did  speak  about  the  rising  of  Taun- 
ton, and  consented  te  it.  That  the 
company  was  discoursing  also  of 
viewing  the  guards,  in  order  to 
surprise  them,  if  the  rising  had 
gone  on  ;  and  that  some  undertook 
to  view  them  ;  and  that  the  lord 
Russel  was  by,  when  this  was  un- 
dertaken. But  this  being  the  main 
hinge  of  the  business,  and  this  wit- 
ness not  yet  coming  up  to  the  pur- 
pose, they  thought  it  convenient  to 
give  him  a  jog,  to  refresh  his  me- 
mory, by  asking  him,  Whether  he 
found  lord  Russel  averse,  or  agree- 
ing to  it  ?  To  which  he  answered. 
Agreeing.     But  being  afterwards 


asked,  Whether  he  could  suea? 
positively,  that  my  lord  Russel 
heard  the  message,  and  gave  any 
answer  to  it?  All  that  he  says  is 
this.  That  when  he  came  in,  they 
were  at  the  fire-side,  but  they  all 
came  from  the  fire-side  to  hear 
what  he  said. 

AH  that  Shepherd  witnessed, 
was,  That  my  lord  Russel,  &c.  be- 
ing at  his  house,  there  was  a 
discourse  of  surprising  the  king's 
guards;  and  sir  Thomas  Armstrong 
having  viewed  them  when  he  came 
thither  another  time,  said,  They 
were  rendss,  and  the  thing  was 
seizable,  if  there  were  strength 
to  do  it ;  and  that  upon  being 
questioned  too,  as  Rumsey  before 
him.  Whether  my  lord  Russel  was 
there  ?  He  says,  he  was,  at  the 
time  they  discoursed  of  seizing 
the  guards. 

The  next  witness  was  LoitD 
Howard,  who  very  artificially  be- 
gan in  a  low  voice,  pretending  to 
be  so  terribly  surprised  with  my 
lord  of  Essex's  death,  that  his  voice 
failed  him,  till  the  lord  chief  justice 
told  him,  the  jury  could  not  hear 
him  ;  in  which  very  moment  his 
voice  returned  again,  and  he  told 
the  reason  why  he  spoke  no  louder. 
After  a  long  harangue  of  tropes 
and  fine  words,  and  dismal  general 
stories,  by  which,  as  lord  Russel 
complained,  the  jury  were  prepos- 
sessed against  him ;  he  at  last 
made  his  evidence  bear  directly 
upon  the  point  for  which  he  came 
thither,  and  swore,  That  after  my 
lord  Shaftesbury  went  away,  their 
party  resolved  still  to  carry  on  the 
design  of  the  insurrection  without, 
him;  for  the  better  management 
whereof  they  erected  a  little  cabal 
among  themselves,  which  did  cotr- 
sist  of  six  persons,  whereof  my 
lord  Russel  and  himself  were  two  : 
that  they  met  for  that  purpose  at 
Mr.  Hampden's  house,  and  there 
adjusted  the  place  and  manner  of 
the  intended  insurrection :  that 
about  ten  days  after  they  had 
another  meeting  on  the  same  busi- 
ness at  my  lord  Russel's,  where 
they  resolved  to  send  some  persons 
to  engage  Argyle  and  the  Scots  ia 


LORD  WILLIAM  RUSSEL. 


833 


the  desi|ifn,  and  beinj?' asked  whether 
lord  Russel  said  any  thins,  he 
answered,  Tiiat  every  one  knew 
him  to  bo  a  person  of  great  jud;;- 
nient,  and  not  very  lavish  of  dis- 
eonr.sc.  But  being  again  goade<l 
on  by  JclTreys,  with— But  did  lie 
consent?  "' We  did,"  says  he, 
"  pill  it  to  the  vote;  it  wont  with- 
out contradiction  ;  and  I  took  it 
that  all  tiiere  gave  their  consent." 


Wf.st  swore,  that  Ferguson  and 
colonel  Rumsey  told  him.  That  my 
lord  Russel  intended  to  go  down 
and  take  his  post  in  tiie  West, 
when  Mr.  Trenchanl  had  failed 
tiiem.  But  this  hear-say  evidence 
being  not  encouraged,  Jeflreystold 
the  jury,  "  they  would  not  use  any 
thing  of  garniture,  but  leave  it  as 
it  \\  as." 


Pope  Alexander  treading  on  the  iieek  of  the   Emperor  Fretleric. 


It  may  here  be  remarked,  with 
respect  to  colonel  Rumsey,  that 
lord  Cavendish  proved  on  the  tiial, 
that  lord  Russel  had  a  very  ill 
opinion  of  him,  and  therefore  it 
was  not  likely  he  would  entrust 
him  with  so  important  and  dan- 
gerous a  secret.  As  to  his  evidence 
respecting  both  branches  of  the  de- 
sign, seizing  the  guards,  and  the 
rising  at  Taunton,  he  says  in  gene- 
ral. That  he  was  agreeing  to  one, 
and  spoke  about,  and  consented  to 
the  other.  For  his  agreeing  to  the 
FOX'S  M.\RTVIl.'5. 


seizing  the  guards,  he  might  think, 
as  lord  Howard  did,  that  silence 
gives  consent ;  for  it  appears  n^t, 
nor  does  he  swear,  that  my  lord 
spoke  one  word  about  it.  But  lord 
Russel  himself,  in  his  last  speech, 
which  we  have  all  the  reason  in  the 
world  to  believe  exactly  true,  jjro- 
tests,  That  at  this  time  of  which 
Rumsey  swears,  there  was  no  un- 
dertaking of  securing  and  seizing 
the  guards,  nor  none  appointed  to 
view  or  examine  them,  otdy  some 
discourse   there    was   of  the   prac- 

53 


834 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


ticability  of-  it;  he  heard  it  men- 
tioned as  a  thing  which  might 
easily  be  done,  but  never  consented 
to  it'as  a  thing  iit  to  be  done. 

Now  we  may  ask,  which  of  these 
two   was   most  worthy   to  be   be- 
lieved ?  Rumsey,  who  either  swore 
for  the  savina;  his  own  life,  or  was 
a  trepan,  that  he  was   consenting 
to  the  seizing  the  guards,  or  my 
lord  Russel,  on  his  death  and  sal- 
vation solemnly  affirming.  That  he 
was  so  far  from  consenting  to  any 
such  thing,  that  there  was  not  so 
much   as    any    such    undertaking 
mentioned  in  the   company   while 
he  was  with  them  ;  especially  when 
it  is  observable,  that  Rumsey  never 
instances  the  terms  in   which   he 
gave  his  consent.     The  same  is  to 
be  said  of  the  other  branch  of  his 
evidence,  as  1o  the  message  of  the 
insurrection,   which,    he    says,   he 
brought  into  the  rconi,  and  found 
my  lord  Russe!  and  the  rest  by  the 
fire;  whence  they  all  came  to  him, 
and  heard  his   message,   and   the 
lord  Russel  discoursed  on  the  sub- 
ject of  it,  and  consented  to  it.     To 
all  which  let  us  again  oppose  not 
only  what  he  answered  on  his  trial, 
wherein   he  says,    That  he  would 
swear  he  never  heard  or  knew  of 
that  message,  which  Rumsey  says 
he  brought  to  them  ;  but  also  what 
he  says  in  confirmation  thereof  in 
his  speech,  "  I  solemnly  aver,  that 
what  T    said   of    my   not    hearing 
colonel  Rumsey  deliver  any  mes- 
sage from  my  lord  Shaftsbury,  was 
true."  And  a  little  before,  he  says, 
"  When  I  came  into  the  room,  I 
saw  Mr.  Rumsey  by  the  chimney, 
though    he    swears    he    came    in 
after," 

One  thing  more  may  be  ob- 
served. That  when  West  came  to 
give  in  his  evidence,  he  runs 
further  than  Rumsey,  and  remem- 
bers Rumsey  had  told  him,  what 
it  seems  he  himself  had  forgot, 
\ir..  That  on  Mr.  Trcnchard's  fail- 
ing them,  my  lord  Russel  was  to 
go  in  his  place,  and  take  up  his 
post  alone  in  the  West.  And  in- 
deed had  not  West  missed  his  cue, 
and,  by  imitating  lord  Howard's 
example,    begun    first    with   hear- 


say, he  had  made  as  formidable 
an  evidence  as  ever  a  one  of  the 
others. 

For  Shepherd,  all  must  grant  he 
said  not  a  syllable  to  the  purpose, 
or  any  thing  aflecting  lord  Russel. 
He  can  hardly  fell  whether  he  was 
even  there  when  there  was  the 
discourse  of  seizing  the  guards, 
but  speaks  net  a  word  of  his  hear- 
ing, or  in  the  least  consenting  to 
the  design. 

As  for  my    lord    Howard's   evi- 
dence, we  may,  without  scandalum 
magnatum,   affirm,  that  every  lord 
is  not  fit  to  be  a  privy  counsellor; 
and  that  he  does  very  well  to  say, 
"  the  council  of  six  all  chose  them- 
selves ;"  for  had  not  he  given  his 
own  vote  for  himself,  hardly  any 
body  else  would  have  done  it,  since 
his  character  is  so  notoriously  dif- 
ferent from  that  which  he  himself 
gives   of    lord    Russel,   whom,   he 
says,    "  every  one  knew  to   be   a 
person  of  great  judgment,  and  not 
very  lavish  of  discourse."     For  his 
evidence,    he,    like   West,    is    so 
happy  as  to  have  a  better  memory 
than  Rumsey  ;  and  says,  that  the 
duke  of  Monmouth  told  him,  Rum- 
sey had  conveyed  my  lord  Russel  to 
lord  Shaftesbury,  on  whose  persua- 
sion the  insurrection  was  put  off  a 
fortnight  longer.     Of  this  Rumsey 
himself  says  not  a  syllable. 

He  says  further,  that  when  they 
had  inquired  how  matters  stood  in 
the  country,  and  the  duke  of  Mon- 
mouth had  found  Trenchard  and 
the  west  countrj'  failed  them,  on 
this  it  was  put  oft'  again,  and  this 
about  the  17th  or  18th  of  October. 
Now  this  same  action  Rumsey 
speaks  of,  but  takes  a  large  scope 
as  to  the  time,  calling  it  "  the  end 
of  October,  or  ihe  beginning  of 
November,"  far  enough  from  the 
17th  or  18th  of  the  month  before. 
Rumsey  says,  "  on  this  disap- 
pointment of  the  Taunton  men  and 
Trenchard,  Shaftesbury  resolved 
to  be  gone  :"  lord  Howard,  that 
"  he  was  so  far  from  it,  that  he 
and  his  party  resolved  to  do  it 
without  the  lords,  and  had  set 
one  time  and  the  other,  and  at 
last  the  17th  of  November,  which 


LORD  WILLIAM  RUSSEL. 


835 


also  nottakiup  effect,  then  Shaftes- 
bury went  off." 

As  to  tliat  part  of  his  evidence 
which  was  closer;  the  story  of  the 
council  of  six,  besides  the  former 
improbability,  that  he  among  all 
the  men  in  England  should  be 
chosen  one  of  them  ;  it  is  remark- 
able, that  in  their  former  great 
consultations  at  Shepherd's,  which 
he  and  Rumsey  mention,  the  lord 
Howard  was  never  present,  nor 
so  much  as  touches  on  it  in  his 
evidence ;  though  here,  if  any 
where,  the  grand  affair  of  seizing 
the  guards,  and  the  answer  to 
Shaftesbury  about  Taunton,  was 
concerted.  All  tliat  appears  of 
truth  in  the  matter,  seems  to  be 
what  my  lord  Russel  acknowledges, 
"  That  those  persons  named  met 
very  often;  that  there  was  no 
formed  design,  but  only  loose  talk 
about  those  concerns  ;  that  there 
was  no  debate  of  any  such  thing 
as  was  sworn,  nor  putting  any 
thing  in  a  method ;  but  my  lord 
Howard  being  a  man  of  a  voluble 
tongue,  and  one  who  talks  very 
well,  they  were  all  delighted  to 
hear  him." 

Nor  indeed  does  my  lord  Howard 
positively  swear,  even  supposing 
this  story  of  the  consultation  to  be 
true,  that  my  lord  Russel  actually 
consented  to  it :  only  that  he  was 
there,  and  that  "  he  understood 
that  he  did  give  his  consent." 

It  is  a  very  ill  cause  that  needs 
either  a  lie  br  a  cheat  to  defend  it. 
My  lord  Russel  being  so  ingenuous 
as  to  acknowledge  whatever  of 
truth  any  one  that  knew  him  will 
believe  to  be  in  his  part  of  the 
design,  it  would  be  an  injury  to 
his  memory  to  believe  more.  f.t 
appears  then,  from  his  own  ac- 
knowledgment, that  Howard,  Arm- 
strong, and  such  others,  had 
sometimes  discoursed  of  ill  designs 
and  matters  in  his  company  :  and, 
as  he  says,  "  What  the  heats, 
wickedness,  passions,  and  vanities 
of  other  men  had  occasioned,  he 
onght  not  to  be  answerable  for, 
nor  could  he  repress  them.  Nay 
more,  he  did  sufficiently  disapprove 
those  things  which  he  heard  dis- 


coursed of  with  more  heat  thao 
judgment."  But  for  himself,  he 
declares  solemnly  again  and  again, 
"  That  he  was  never  in  any  design 
against  the  king's  life,  or  any  man's 
whatever ;  nor  ever  in  any  contri- 
vance of  altering  the  government." 
If  this  be  true,  what  then  becomes 
of  the  story  of  the  council  of  six?  It 
will  be  still  said  he  was  an  ill  man, 
beingj^nilty  by  this  very  confession 
of  misprision  of  treason.  Sup- 
posing this  true;  that  was  not 
punishable  with  death,  and  he  died, 
as  he  says,  innocent  of  the  crime 
he  stood  condemned  for.  And 
besides,  "  I  hope,"  sajs  he,  "  no- 
body will  imagine  that  so  mean  a 
thought  could  enter  into  me,  as  to 
go  about  to  save  my  life  by  ac- 
cusing others.  The  part  that  some 
have  acted  lately  of  that  kind  has 
not  been  such  as  to  invite  me  to 
love  life  at  such  a  rate." 

But  all  this  does  not  depend 
on  his  mere  assertion,  since  the 
evidence  who  swore  against  him 
being  such  as  were  neither  credi- 
ble, nor  indeed  so  much  as  legal 
witnesses,  the  accusation  of  itself 
must  fall  to  the  ground.  If  legal, 
they  were  not  credible,  because 
they  had  no  pardons,  but  hunted, 
as  the  cormorant  does,  with  strings 
about  their  necks,  which  West,  in 
his  answer  to  Walcock's  letter, 
ingenuously  acknowledges,  and 
says,  "  It  is  through  God  and  the 
king's  mercy  he  was  not  at  the 
apparent  point  of  death."  That 
is,  he  was  upon  trial,  to  see 
whether  he  would  do  business,  and 
deserve  to  escape  hanging. 

Nor  indeed  was  the  great  wit- 
ness, lord  Howard,  so  much  as  a 
legal,  any  more  than  a  credible 
witness.  No  man  alive  has  any 
way  to  clear  himself  from  the  most 
perjured  villain's  malice,  if  he 
swears  against  him  point  blank, 
but  either  by  circumstance  of  time, 
or  invalidating  his  very  evidence. 
The  first  of  these  was  precluded  ; 
as  Rumsey  and  the  rest  came  to 
no  determinate  time,  hut  only  abmu 
such  a  time  ;  about  the  end  of 
October,  or  beginning  of  Novem- 
ber :  and  others  cloud  the  precise 


836 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


time  in  so  many  words,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  find  it.  All  then  that 
could  be  done,  was  ax  to  the  per- 
son. Now  what  thing  can  be 
invented,  which  can  more  invali- 
date the  evidence  any  person  gives, 
than  his  solemn,  repeated,  volun- 
tary oath,  indubitably  proved 
against  him,  that  such  a  person 
is^  innocent  of  that  very  crime  of 
which  he  afterwards  accuses  him  ? 
And  let  any  one  judge,  on  reading 
the  following  deposition,  whether 
or  no  this  was  the  case  in  the 
present  instance :  My  lord  Anglesey 
witnesses,  that  he  was  at  the  earl 
of  Bedford's,  after  his  son  was 
imprisoned,  where  came  in  my  lord 
Howard,  and  began  to  comfort 
him,  saying,  "  He  was  happy  in  so 
wise  a  son,  and  worthy  a  person  ; 
and  who  could  never  be  in  such  a 
plot  as  that.  That  he  knew  nothing 
against  him,  or  any  body  else,  of 
such  a  barbarous  design."  But 
this  was  not  upon  oath,  but  only 
related  to  the  assassination,  as  he 
says  for  himself  in  drawing  this 
fine  distinction. 

Let  us  see  then  what  is  testified 
by  Dr.  Burnet,  whom  lord  Howard 
was  with  the  night  after  the  plot 
broke  out,  "  and  then,  as  well 
as  once  before,  with  hands  and  eyes 
lifted  up  to  heaven,  did  say,  He 
knew  nothing  of  any  plot,  nor 
Relieved  any."  Here  is  the  most 
solemn  oath,  as  he  himself  con- 
fesses, made  voluntarily,  nay, 
unnecessarily  ;  though  perhaps,  in 
my  lord  Bedford's  case,  good  na- 
ture might  work  upon  him.  Here 
is  no  shadow,  no  room  left  for  his 
distinction  between  the  insurrection 
and  assassination ;  but  without  any 
guard  or  mitigation  at  all,  he  so- 
lemnly swears  he  knew  not  of  any 
plot,  or  believed  any  ! 

There  is  but  little  subterfuge 
more,  and  the  case  is  clear.  All 
this  perjury,  all  these  solemn  as- 
severations, he  tells  us,  were  only 
to  brazen  out  the  plot,  and  to  out- 
face the  thing  for  himself  and 
party.  This  he  fairly  acknow- 
ledges; and  let  all  the  world  judge, 
whether  they  would  destroy  one  of 
the  best  and  bravest  men  in  it,  on 


the  evidence  of  soch  a  person  ? 
But  there  is  yet  a  further  answer. 
His  cousin,  Mr.  Howard,  who  was 
my  lord's  intimate  friend,  who 
secured  him  in  his  house,  to  whom 
he  might  open  his  soul,  and  to 
whom  it  se«ms  he  did,  ho  having 
made  application  to  the  ministers 
of  state  in  his  name,  that  he  was 
willing  to  serve  the  king,  and  give 
him  satisfaction ;  to  him,  I  say, 
with  whom  he  had  secret  negoci- 
ations,  and  that  of  such  a  nature  ; 
will  any  one  believe  that  he  would 
outface  the  thing  here  too  ?  That 
he  would  perjure  himself  for  no- 
thinfj,  where  neither  danger  or 
good  could  arise  from  it?  No,  cer- 
tainly, his  lordship  had  more  wit, 
and  conscience,  and  honour ;  he 
ought  to  be  vindicated  from  such 
an  imputation.  And  yet  here  he 
denied  it ;  and  Mr.  Howard  tells 
it  as  generously,  and  with  as  much 
honest  indignation  as  possible,  in 
spite  of  the  checks  the  court  gave 
him.  "  He  took  it,"  says  he,  "  up- 
on his  honour,  his  faith,  and  as 
much  as  if  he  had  taken  an  oath 
before  a  magistrate,  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  any  man  concerned  in 
this  business,  and  particularly  of 
the  lord  Russel ;  of  wlioni  he  add- 
ed, that  he  thought  he  did  unjustly 
suffer."  So  that  if  he  had  the  same 
soul  on  Monday,  that  he  had  on 
Sunday,  (the  very  day  before,)  this 
could  not  be  true  that  he  swore 
against  the  lord  Russel.  My  lord 
Russel's  suflering  was  imprison- 
ment, and  that  for  the  same  matter 
on  which  he  was  tried,  the  insur- 
rection, not  the  assassination.  If 
my  lord  Howard  knrew  him  guilty 
of  that  for  which  he  was  committed, 
though  not  the  other,  how  could  he 
then  say,  it  was  unjustly  done  ? 

After  all  this,  it  would  be  almost 
superlluous  to  go  any  further,  or 
insert  the  evidence  given  by  Drs. 
Tillotson,  Burnet,  Cox,  and  others, 
not  only  of  his  virtues  and  honour- 
able behaviour,  but  more  especially 
of  his  judgment  about  any  popular 
insurrections,  that  he  was  abso- 
lutely against  them,  that  it  was 
folly  and  madness  until  things 
came  to  be  properly  regulated  in  a 


LORD  WILLIAM  RUSSEL. 


837 


parliaraeutaiy  way,  and  he  thought 
it  would  ruin  the  best  cause  in  the 
world,  to  take  any  such  ways  to 
preserve  it. 

All  this  and  more  would  not  do ; 
die  he  must,  the  duke  ordered  it, 
the  witnesses  swore  it,  the  judges 
directed  it,  the  jury  found  it ;  and 
when  the  sentence  came  to  be 
passed,  the  judge  asked,  as  is 
usual.  What  he  had  to  say  why  it 
should  not  be  pronounced  ?  To 
which  he  answered, 

"  That  whereas  he  had  been 
charged  in  the  indictment  which 
was  then  read  to  him,  with  con- 
spiring the  death  of  the  king, 
which  he  had  not  taken  notice  of 
before,  he  appealed  to  the  judge 
and  the  court,  whether  he  were 
guilty  within  the  statute  on  which 
he  was  tried,  the  witnesses  having- 
sworn  an  intention  of  levying  war, 
but  not  of  killing  the  king,  of  which 
there  was  no  proof  in  any  one  wit- 
ness." 

The  recorder  told  him,  ''  That 
was  an  exception  proper,  and  as 
he  thought  his  lordship  did  make 
it  before  the  verdict.  Whether  the 
evidence  did  amount  to  prove  the 
charge,  was  to  be  observed  by  the 
jury ;  for  if  the  evidence  came 
short  of  the  indictment,  they  could 
not  find  it  to  be  a  true  charge  ;  but 
when  once  they  had  found  it,  their 
verdict  did  pass  for  truth,  and  the 
court  was  bound  by  it,  as  well  as 
his  lordship,  and  they  were  to  go 
according  to  what  the  jury  had 
found,  not  their  evidence." 

Now  we  may  ask,  what  is  the 
reason  of  the  prisoner's  being  asked 
that  question.  What  he  has  to  say 
for  himself?  Is  it  a  mere  formality? 
He  makes  an  exception,  which  the 
Judge  confesses  to  be  proper.  But 
who  was  counsel  for  the  prisoner  ? 
Is  not  the  Bench  ?  Or,  does  it  not 
pretend  to  be  so  ?  And  why  is  not 
this  observed  by  them  in  their 
direction  to  the  jury?  The  recorder 
seems  to  grant  it  fairly,  that  the 
evidence  did  not  prove  the  charge, 
and  says,  The  court  was  to  go,  not 
according  to  the  evidence,  but  ac- 
cording to  the  verdict  pronounced ; 
sentence  was  accordiugly   passed 


upon  him,  and  he  was  removed  to 
Newgate. 

While  he  was  there,  the  impor- 
tunity of  his  friends,  as  he  says  in 
his  speech,  lest  they  should  think 
him  sullen  or  stubborn,  prevailed 
with  him  to  sign  petitions,  and  make 
an  address  for  his  life,  though  itwas 
not  without  difiiculty  that  he  did 
any  thing  with  the  view  of  avoiding 
death.  And  all  his  petitions  were 
rendered  fruitless  by  the  inflexible 
malignity  of  the  duke  of  York,  who 
prevented  the  king  (whose  good 
nature  might  probably  have  been 
prevailed  on)  from  saving  one  of 
the  best  men  in  his  kingdom. 

Dr.  Burnet  and  Dr.  Tillotson  at- 
tended him  in  Newgate  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  between  his  sen- 
tence and  death ;  where  to  the  last 
he  owned  that  doctrine,  which 
other  good  men,  who  were  then  of 
another  judgment,  have  since  been 
forced  into,  namely,  the  lawfulness 
of  resistance  ayainst  unlawful  vio- 
lence, from  whomsoever  it  cotne. 

After  the  fruitless  application  for 
his  pardon ;    after  a  farewell  and 
adieu  in  this  world  to  one  of  the 
best  of  women,  who  stood  by  him, 
and  assisted  him  in  his  trial,  and 
left  him  not  till  now,  he  at  last,  on 
Saturday,  the  21st  of  July,  1683, 
went  into  his  own  coach  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  with  Dr. 
Tillotson  and  Dr.  Burnet  ;  he  was 
carried  to  Lincoln's-Inn-Fields,  to 
the  scaffold  prepared  for  him,  where, 
among  all  the    numerous   specta- 
tors, he  was  one  of  the  most  uncon- 
cerned persons  there,  and  very  few 
rejoiced  at  so  doleful  a  spectacle^ 
but  the  blood-thirsty  papists,  who 
indeed  had  sufficient  reason;  and 
some   of    them,    to    their    infinite 
disgrace,  expressed,  it  is  said,  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure  and  satisfac- 
tion.   There,  after  his  lordship  had 
again  solemnly  protested  his  inno- 
cence, and  that  he  was  far  from 
any  design  against  the  king's  per- 
son or  government ;    nay,  that  he 
did  upon  the  words  of  a  dying  man 
profess,  that  he   knew  of  no  plot 
against  either,   and  delivering   au 
excellent  speech  to  the  sheriff,  he 
prayed  by  himselt>  and  with  Dr» 


S38 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Tillotson's  assistance;  and  em- 
bracing him  and  Dr.  Burnet,  he 
submitted  to  the  fatal  strokes,  for 
the  executioner  took  no  less  than 
three  before  he  could  sever  his 
head,  which  when  it  was  held  up, 
as  asaal,  there  was  so  far  from 
beinp  any  shout,  that  a  hea\y 
e:roan  was  heard  round  the  scaffold. 
His  body  was  given  to  his  friends, 
and  conveyed  to  Cheneys  in  Buck- 
inghamshire, where  it  was  buried 
among  his  ancestors. 

TRIAL  AND  EXECUTION  OF  WALCOT, 
HONE,  AND  ROUSE. 

Captain  Walcot  and  his  fellow 
sufferers,  in  order  of  time,  should 
have  been  placed  first,  they  being 
convicted  before  my  lord  Russel, 
and  executed  on  the  preceding  day . 
But  my  lord  Russel's  fate  having 
so  immediate  a  dependence  on  that 
of  the  earl  of  Essex,  it  seemed 
more  proper  to  begin  with  him. 
Captain  Walcot  was  a  gentleman 
of  a  considerable  estate  in  Ireland, 
remarkable  for  the  rare  happiness 
of  having  eight  children  all  at  once 
living,  but  more  so  for  his  love  to 
his  country,  which  cost  him  his 
life. 

The  pretended  crime  for  which 
Walcot  suffered,  and   which  West 
and  others  witnessed  against  him, 
was,  conspiring  the  death  of  the 
king,  and  to  charge  the  guards,  at 
his  return  from  Newmarket,  while 
a  blunderbuss  was  to  be  fired  into 
the  coach   by    Rumbald,   or   some 
other.     His  privacy  to   discourses 
aboutthe  king's  death  was  but  mis- 
prision.    For  his  acting  in  it,  they 
could  not  have  fixed  on  a  more 
unlikely  man  to  command  a  party  in 
so  desperate  an  attempt  as  charg- 
ing the  guards,  than  one  who  was 
sick  and  bed-ridden  of  the  gout,  as 
the  captain  frequently  was.     Nor 
doesWest's  pretence,  that  he  refus- 
ed to  be  engaged  in  the  actual  as- 
sassination,because  of  the  baseness 
of  it,    but  offered  to  charge  the 
guards,  while  others   did  it,  seem 
more  probable.      This  he    denies 
with  indignation  in  his  speech,  and 
appeals  to  all  that  knew  him  whe- 
ther they  thought  him  such  an  idiot, 


that  he  should  not  understand  it 
was  the  same  thing  to  engage  the 
king's  guards,  while  others  killed 
him ;  or  to  kill  him  with  his  own 
hands? 

West  and  Rumsey  were  the  main 
pillars,  and  almost  the  only  wit- 
nesses on  whom  the  credit  of  that 
action  depended,  who  appear 
throughout  the  great  and  almost 
sole  managers  thereof,  and  who 
accuse  others  of  being  concerned 
in  it.  What  and  how  much  their 
credit  weighs,  we  have  already 
hinted, butshall  yetconfront  it  Avith 
further  testimonies  relating  to  this 
matter,  and  those  of  dying  men, 
who  could  expect  no  pardon  in  this 
world,  nor  in  the  other,  for  a  false- 
hood. Beside  Rumbald's  solemn 
protestation,  Walcol,  in  his  dying 
speech,  as  deeply  afiirms,  as  a  man 
can  do,  that  "  West  bought  arms 
for  this  villanous  design  without 
any  direction,  knowledge,  or  pri- 
vity of  his."  West  says,  in  his  an- 
swer to  this,  as  well  as  in  his  evi- 
dence, that  Walcot  joined  in  the 
direction  about  the  nature  and  size 
of  those  arms ;  that  he  was  very 
intimate  and  familiar  with  this 
Rumbald,  who  was  to  be  the  prin- 
cipal actor  in  the  assassination. 
But  Rumbald's  death  clears  himself 
and  Walcot,  and  shews  what 
West  is.  ' 

West,  or  one  of  the  other  wit- 
nesses, talks  of  fifty  n\en  being  en- 
gaged for  the  assassination.  Now 
it  is  not  easy  to  believe  that  there 
could  be  so  many  Englishmen 
found,  and  protestants  too,  who 
would  consent  to  kill  the  king ; 
never  any  one  having  acknowledg- 
ed such  a  design,  except  Hone, 
Avho  was  so  stupid,  that  he  could 
not  give  one  sensible  answer  to  the 
questions  asked  him  at  his  death  ; 
so  plain  a  testimony,  and  dint  of 
fact  and  reason,  leads  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  persons  here 
charged  were  not  guilty.  And 
Rouse  says,  "  he  was  told,  they  did 
not  intend  to  spill  so  much  as  one 
drop  of  blood." 

In  further  confirmation  of  this, 
Holloway  says,  "he  could  not  per- 
ceive that  Ferguson  know  any  tbinj? 


WALCQT,  HONE,  AND  ROUSE. 


839 


of  the  Newmarket  desiafu,  but 
Rumsey  aud  West  were  deep  in  it." 
Again,  having  asked  West  who 
was  to  act  the  assassination  ?  "He 
could  give  but  a  slender  answer, 
and  could  or  would  name  but  two 
men,  Rumbald  and  liis  brother ; 
and  they  had  but  few  men,  if  more 
than  two,  and  no  horses,  only  a 
parcel  of  arms  which  he  shewed  at 
a  gunsmith's.''  And  at  another 
tinje,  "  West  only  named  Rumsey 
and  Richard  Goodenou^'h  as  con- 
cerned in  the  assassination,  but 
none  seconded  him;  Rumsey  was 
for  the  old  strain  of  killing  the  king, 
to  which  not  one  consented ;  I 
could  never  find  above  five  con- 
cerned in  it.  J  heard  Walcot 
speak  against  it,  and  knew  Fergu- 
son to  be  against  any  such  design." 
Upon  the  whole,  we  may  con- 
clude, that  the  dying  asseverations 
of  three  men,  who  had  notiiing  to 
hope  from  concealing  the  truth,  are 
more  worthy  of  belief  than  thetes- 
timbny  of  those  whose  sole  hope  of 
life  depended  on  procuring  the 
condemnation  of  others ;  aud  that 
this  was  the  case,  is  evident  from 
what  West  says  in  the  paper  writ- 
ten by  him,  "  That  he  was  still  in 
danger  of  death,  though  not  so 
imminent  as  it  had  been ;  nor  at  tlie 
apparent  point  of  death."  And  at 
the  close  of  the  paper,  "If  it  shall 
please  the  king  to  spare  my  life  for 
lay  confession,  it  is  a  great  hap- 
piness," &,c. 

From  all  which  tliere  lies  a  fair 
supposition  of  the  innocence  of  this 
captain,  and  others,  of  what  they 
were  accused,  found  guilty,  sen- 
tenced, aud  died  for ;  it  being  on 
West's  evidence,  and  such  as  his, 
that  he  and  others  were  arraigned 
aud  condemned  ;  the  captain's  de- 
fence being  much  the  same  with 
what  he  says  in  his  speech. 

Captain  Walcot  denied  any  de- 
sign of  ki41iug  the  king,  or  of  en- 
gaging the  guards,  whilst  others 
killed  him ;  and  said  that  "  the 
witnesses  invited  him  to  meetings, 
where  some  things  were  discoursed 
of,  in  order  to  the  asserting  our 
liberties  and  properties  :  which  we 
looked    upon    to  be  violated  and 


in  vaded:  That  they  importuned 
aud  perpetually  solicited  hira,  and 
then  delivered  him  up  to  be  hang- 
ed :  That  they  combined  together 
to  swear  him  out  of  his  life,  to  save 
their  own:  and  that  they  might  do 
it  effectually,  they  contrived  an  un- 
trutii.  That  he  forgave  them, 
thouc>h  guilty  of  his  blood  ;  but 
witha!  earnestly  begged,  that  they 
might  be  observed,  that  remarks 
might  be  set  upon  them,  whether 
their  end  be  peace;"  and  he  con- 
cluded, "  That  when  God  hath  a 
work  to  do,  he  will  not  want  in- 
struments." 

With  him  was  tried  Rouse,  who 
was  charged  with  such  a  parcel  of 
mad  romance,  as  was  scarce  ever 
heard  of:  and  one  would  wonder 
how  perjury  and  malice,  which 
used  to  be  sober  sins,  could  ever 
be  so  extravagant  as  to  think  of  it. 
He  was  to  seize  the  Tower,  pay  the 
rabble,  head  the  army,  to  be  pay- 
master-general, and  a  great  deal 
more  beside. 

In  his  defence  he  says  not  much, 
but  yet  what  looks  a  thousand  times 
more  like  truth  than  his  accusa- 
tion; that  "the  Tower  business 
was  only  discourse  of  the  possibi- 
lity of  the  thing,  but  without  the 
least  intent  of  bringing  it  to  action  ; 
that  all  he  was  concerned  in  any 
real  design,  he  ha.d  from  Lee,  and 
was  getting  more  out  of  him,  with 
an  intention  to  make  a  discovery." 
But  it  seems  Lee  was  before-hand 
with  him,  and  saved  his  own  neck. 
Hone  was  accused,  and  owns 
himself  guilty  of  a  design  to  kill 
the  king  and  the  duke  of  York,  or 
one,  or  neither,  for  it  is  inii)ossi- 
ble  to  make  any  sense  of  him ;  he 
was,  in  fact,  either  an  idiot  or  a 
madman. 

When  they  came  to  suffer,  W^al- 
cot  read  a  paper,  in  which  was  a 
good  rational  confession  of  his 
faith  ;  he  then  comes  to  the  occa- 
sion of  his  death  ;  "  for  which," 
he  says,  "  he  neither  blames  the 
judges,  jury,  nor  counsel,  but  only 
some  men,  that  in  reality  were 
deeper  concerned  than  he,  who 
combined  together  to  3wear  him 
out  of  his  life  to  save  their  own  ; 


840 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


and  tliat  they  might  do  it  effectual- 
ly, contrived  an  untruth,  &c.  He 
forgives  the  world  and  the  witness- 
es ;  gives  his  friends  advice  to  be 
more  prudent  than  he  had  been  ; 
prays  that  his  may  be  the  last  blood 
spilled  on  that  account ;  wishes  the 
king  would  be  merciful  to  others  ; 
says  he  knew  nothing  of  Ireland, 
and  concludes  with  praying  God 
fo  have  mercy  on  him." 

He  had  then  some  discourse  with 
the  clergyman,  wherein  he  told 
him,  that  "  he  was  not  for  contriv- 
ing the  death  of  the  king,  nor  to  have 
had  a  hand  in  it,"  and  being  urged 
with  some  matters  of  controversy, 
told  him,  "  he  did  not  come  thither 
to  dispute  about  religion,  but  to  die 
religiously." 

Hone's  behaviour  on  the  scaffold 
was  as  ridiculous  as  on  his  trial. 
His  replies  to  the  clergyman  were 
so  incongruous,  that  scarcely  any 
thing  could  be  understood  from 
them.  But  he  talked  of  snares  and 
circumstances,  and  nobody  knows 
what,  and  said,  at  one  time,  he 
was  to  meet  the  king  and  duke  of 
York,  but  he  did  not  know  when, 
where,  nor  for  what.  Directly  after- 
wards he  says,  he  was  for  killing  the 
king,  and  saving  the  duke ;  and 
when  asked  the  reason,  answered, 
"  that  he  knew  no  reason  ;  that  he 
did  not  know  what  to  say  to  it." 
And  when  the  dean  charged  him 
with  the  murderous  design,  he  said, 
"that  he  knew  as  little  of  it  as 
any  poor  silly  man  in  the  world." 

Rouse  came  next,  gave  an  ac- 
count of  his  faith,  professing  to  die 
of  the  church  of  England  ;  told  his 
former  employment  and  manner  of 
life  ;  acknowledged  he  had  heard 
of  clubs  and  designs,  but  was  never 
at  them,  and  a  perfect  stranger  to 
any  thing  of  that  nature.  He  then 
gave  a  relation  of  what  passed  be- 
tween him  and  his  majesty  on  his 
apprehension ;  talked  somewhat 
of  sir  Thomas  Player,  the  earl  of 
Shaftesbury,  "  and  accommodating 
the  king's  son,"  as  he  called  it, 
though  not  while  the  king  reigned; 
then  spoke  of  Lee,  and  the  dis- 
4;oursc  they  had  together,  "  who," 
^5  be  says,  '« swore  against  hini  on 


the  trial  those  very  words  be  him- 
self had  used  in  pressing  him  to 
undertake  the  design ;"  and  after 
some  discourse  with  the  ordinary, 
gave  the  spectators  some  good 
counsel.  Then  they  all  three  singly 
prayed ;  and  the  sentence  of  the 
law  was  executed  upon  them. 

TRIAL   AND     EXECUTION    OF   ALGER- 
NON   SIDNKY,    ESQ. 

The  next  victim  to  popish  cruelty 
and  malice  was  colonel  Algernon 
Sidney,  of  tlie  ancient  and  noble 
family  of  the  Sidneys,  earls  of 
Leicester,  deservedly  famous 
throughout  Europe  ;  who,  as  has 
been  observed,  "  was  merely  talked 
to  death,  under  the  notion  of  a 
commonwealth's  man,  and  foand 
guilty  by  a  jury  who  were  not 
much  more  proper  judges  of  the 
case,  than  they  would  have  been 
had  he  wrote  in  Greek  or  Arabic." 
He  was  arraigned  for  a  branch  of 
this  plot  at  Westminster,  the  17tli 
of  November,  168.3;  where,  though 
it  cannot  be  said  the  grand  jury 
knew  not  what  they  did,  when 
they  found  the  bill  against  him, 
since,  no  doubt,  they  were  Avell 
instructed  what  to  do  ;  yet  it  must 
be  concluded,  that  they  found  it 
almost  before  they  knew  what  it 
was,  being  so  well  resolved  on  the 
case,  and  agreed  on  their  verdict, 
that  had  he  been  indicted  for 
breaking  open  an  house,  or  robbing 
on  the  highway,  it  was  doomed  to 
have  been  billa  vera  as  much  as  it 
was  now.  For  though  the  indict- 
ment was  never  presented  to  them 
before  they  came  into  the  hall,  yet 
they  immediately  found  it ;  the 
substance  whereof  was,  "  for  a  con- 
spiracy to  depose  the  king,  and 
stirring  up  rebellion,  and  writing  a 
libel  for  that  purpose." 

The  most  part  of  the  evidence 
brought  against  him,  was  only 
hear-say,  as  was  that  against  my 
lord  Russel  ,  nay.  West,  whose 
evidence  was  then  refused,  now 
was  admitted  to  tell  a  long  story 
of  what  he  had  heard  from  one  and 
another.  Rumsey's  testimony  was 
of  much  the  same  nature. 

lu  the  rear  came  that  never-fail- 
ing evidence,   the    lord   Howard, 


ALGERNON  SIDNEY. 


841 


who  swears  lie  wa.s  one  of  tlie 
council  of  six,  and  engaged 
Hraon^•  the  di-cpest  in  their  con- 
sultations. And  more  than  this, 
Jie  exercised  his  own  faculty  very 
handsomely,  in  an  account  of  two 
speeches  made  hy  Mr,  Hampden 
on  the  occasion,  which  indeed  were 
such  fine  things,  that  some  might 
think  it  worth  the  while  to  swear 
against  a  man,  only  to  have  the 
reputation  of  reciting  them. 

The  next  evidence  was  a  paper, 
said  to  be  of  the  prisoner's  writing, 
which  they  found  in  his  study. 
The  substance  of  this  was  an  in- 
«iuiry  into  the  forms  of  government, 
and  the  reasons  of  their  decay  ; 
the  rights  of  the  people,  the  bounds 
of  sovereignty,  and  the  origin  of 
power :  in  which  were  those 
heinous,  treasonabl/i  expressions, 
"  the  king  is  subject  to  the  law  of 
God  as  a  man,  to  the  people  who 
made  him  such,  as  a  king,"  &c. 
And  examples  were  given  of  evil 
kings  and  tyrants,  whom  sometimes 
a  popular  ifury  had  destroyed  ;  at 
others,  the  ardincs  regni  either  re- 
duced, or  set  them  aside,  when 
their  government  was  a  curse  in- 
stead of  a  blessing  to  their  people. 
There  is  surely  no  treason  in  all 
this,  and  none  but  the  most  violent 
partisans  of  divine  riyht  could  have 
found  any  in'it.  "  If  there  were  any 
mistakes,"  as  lie  says  in  his  speech, 
"  they  ought  io  have  been  confuted 
by  law,  reason,  and  scripture,  not 
by  the  scalibld  and  the  ax." 

But,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  not 
proved  to  be  his  writing,  nor  did 
he  confess  it ;  treason  and  life  are 
critical  things  :  one  ought  to  be 
as  fairly  proved,  as  the  other  to 
be  cautiously  proceeded  against. 
Though  he  might  write  it,  he  had 
the  liberty  of  an  Englishman,  not 
to  accuse  himself:  the  very  same 
thing  which  was  afterwards  put  in 
practice  by  those  reverend  persons, 
who,  later  than  he,  and  cheaper 
too,  defended  their  country's  liberty 
■with  only  the  loss  of  their  own. 
But,  even  allowing  that  he  wrote 
it,  how  very  few,  if  any  things 
therein,  are  not  now  generally  and 
almost  universally  beliefed,    and 


are  the  foundation  of  the  practice, 
and  satisfaction  of  the  conscience 
of  every  man,  though  then  confuted 
with  the  single  brand  of  "  com- 
monwealth principles,"  being  in- 
deed such  as  all  the  world  must, 
whether  they  will  or  no,  be  forced 
into  the  belief  of,  as  soon  as  op- 
pression and  tyranny  bear  hard 
upon  them,  and  become  really 
insupportable  ? 

It  was  suggested,  and  inuendoed, 
that  this  book  was  written  to  scatter 
among  the  people,  in  order  to  dis- 
pose them  to  rebel,  as  it  is  in  the 
indictment.  But  how  ridiculous 
that  is,  any  one  will  see  who  con- 
siders the  bulk  of  it,  which  was 
such,  that,  as  he  says  in  his  speech, 
the  fiftieth  part  of  the  book  was 
not  produced,  uor  the  truth  of  that 
read,  though  he  desired  it,  and  it 
was  usual ;  and  yet,  after  all,  as  it 
had  never  been  shewn  to  any  man, 
so  it  was  not  finished,  nor  could  be 
in  many  years,  being  merely  an 
answer  to  a  book  on  government, 
published  long  before,  and  being 
never  intended  for  publication,  but 
kept  privately  in  his  study,  till 
dragged  forth  by  his  prosecutors. 
Now  is  this  a  business  likely  to  be 
calculated  for  a  rebellion  :  when  it 
could  not  be  finished  till  several 
years  after  the  disturbance  was 
over  ;  and  if  it  had,  the  bulk  made 
it  improper  to  be  dispersed  for  that 
purpose  for  which  it  was  pretended 
to  be  designed  ?  No  ;  those  who 
are  to  poison  a  nation  in  that  man- 
ner, take  more  likely  ways.  It  is 
to  be  done  in  little  pamphlets,  and 
papers  easily  read  over,  understood 
and  remembered. 

But  still  here  being  not  a  sylla- 
ble in  these  papers  of  king  Charles, 
any  more  than  of  the  king  of  Ban- 
tam, or  the  Great  Mogul,  against 
whom  they  might  as  well  have  made 
it  treason  ;  it  was  all  supplied  by 
the  inucndo,  that  is,  in  English, 
such  interpretation  as  they  would 
please  to  aftix  to  his  words.  Thus 
when  he  writes  Tarquin,  or  Pepin, 
or  Nero,  they  say  he  meant  king 
Charles;  and  so,  scandalously  of 
him,  as  well  as  wickedly  to  the 
author,    make   a  monster   and    a 


842 


BOOK  OV  MARTYRS. 


ravisber  of  tlicir  king,  and  then 
lake  away  another's  life  for  doing 
it. 

As  for  my  lord  Howard's  evi- 
dence, had  the  jury  been  any  but 
such  as  they  were,  and  Sidney 
describes  them,  they  would  not 
have  hanjved  a  Jesuit  upon  the 
credit  of  it ;  he  having  apparently 
taken  a  pride  in  damning  himself 
deeper  and  deeper  against  every 
new  appearance  in  public,  on  pur- 
pose to  try  the  skill  and  face  of  the 
counsel  in  bringing  him  otF  again. 
To  the  evidence  brought  against 
him  in  my  lord  Russcl's  case,  he 
had  taken  care  that  these  following 
should  be  added,  as  further  wit- 
nesses of  his  perjury  and  false- 
hood : 

The  earl  of  Clare  swore,  that 
Howard  said,  after  Sidney's  im- 
prisonment, if  questioned  again,  he 
would  never  plead,  and  that  he 
thought  colonel  Sidney  as  innocent 
as  any  man  breathing :  Mr.  Ducas 
swore  the  same,  so  did  my  lord 
Paget,  and  several  other  noblemen 
and  gentlemen  ;  adding,  "  that  he 
said  he  had  not  his  pardon,  and 
could  not  ascribe  it  to  any  reason, 
but  that  he  must  not  have  it  till  the 
drudgery  of  swearing  was  over." 

But  though  no  reasonable  an- 
swer could  be  given  to  all  this  ; 
though  Sidney  pleaded  "  the  obli- 
gations my  lord  Howard  had  to 
him,  and  the  great  conveniency  he 
might  think  there  might  be  in  his 
being  hanged,  since  he  was  some 
hundreds  of  pounds  in  his  debt, 
which  would  be  the  readiest  way 
of  paying  him ;"  and  had  besides, 
as  it  appeared,  a  great  mind  to 
have  the  colonel's  plate  secured  at 
his  own  house ;  though  never  man 
in  the  world  certainly  ever  talked 
stronger  sense,  or  better  reason, 
or  more  evidently  confuted  the 
judges,  and  left  them  nothing  but 
railing,  it  was  a  lost  case  with 
him,  as  well  as  the  others ;  and  the 
petty  jury  could  as  easily  have 
found  him  guilty,  without  hearing 
his  trial,  as  the  grand  jury  did,  as 
soon  as  they  saw  the  bill. 

Never  was  any  thing  more  base 
and  barbarous  than  the  summing 


up  the  evidence  and  directioss  to 
the  jury,  who  yet  stood  in  no  great 
need  of  them:  nor  a  more  uncivil 
and  saucy  reflection  on  the  noble 
family  and  name  of  the  Sidneys, 
than  the  judge's  saying,  "  That  he 
was  born  a  traitor."  Never  any 
thing  braver,  or  more  manly,  than 
his  remonstrance  to  the  king  for 
justice,  and  another  trial :  nor 
lastly,  more  Roman,  ai.d  yet  more 
truly  Christian,  than  his  end.  The 
brave  old  man  came  upon  a  scaffold 
as  unconcerned  as  if  he  bad  been 
going  to  his  bed,  and  as  lively  as  if 
he  had  been  a  Russel. 

In  his  last  speech  he  delivered 
his  sentiments  with  boldness  and 
conciseness,  saying,  "  That  ma- 
gistrates were  made  for  the  good 
of  nations,  not  nations  for  the  be- 
nefit of  kings.  If  that  be  treason, 
king  Charles  I,  is  guilty  of  it 
against  himself,  who  says  the  same 
thing.  That  the  power  of  magi- 
strates is  wliat  the  laws  of  the 
country  make  it:  that  those  laws 
and  oaths  have  the  force  of  a  con- 
tract, and  if  one  part  is  broken  the 
other  ceases." 

Beside  this  and  many  other 
excellent  maxims,  he  gave  a  full 
account  of  the  design  of  his  book, 
of  his  trial,  and  the  injustice  done 
liim  therein  ;  of  the  juries  being 
packed,  and  important  points  of 
law  over-ruled ;  ending  with  a  most 
compendious  prayer,  in  which  he 
desired  God  would  forgive  his 
enemies,  but  keep  them  from  doing 
any  more  mischief;  and  then  he 
laid  down  his  head,  and  received 
the  stroke  of  death  with  the  calm 
resolution  of  a  martyr. 

As  his  petition  to  the  king,  and 
his  paper  delivered  to  the  sherifi's, 
are  curious  and  valuable,  we  shall 
give  the  first  at  length,  and  an 
abstract  of  the  latter. 

TO  THE  king's  MOST  EXCELLENT 
MAJESTY,  THE  HUMBLE  PETITION 
OF   ALGERNON    SIDNEY,    ESQ. 

Sheweth, 

That    your    petitioner,   after  a 

long  and  close  imprisonment,  was, 

on  the  seventh  day  of  this  month, 

with  a  guard  of  soldiers  brought 


ALGERNON   SIDNEY. 


843 


into  the  Palace-Yard,  upon  a 
Habeas  Corpus  directed  to  the  lieu- 
tenant of  the  Tower,  before  any 
indictment  had  been  exhibited 
against  him :  but  while  he  was 
there  detained,  a  bill  was  exhi- 
bited and  found  ;  whereupon  he 
was  immediately  carried  to  the 
King's-Bench,  and  there  arraigned. 
In  this  surprise  he  desired  a  copy 
of  the  indictment,  and  leave  to 
make  his  exceptions,  or  to  put  in 
a  special  plea,  and  counsel  to  frame 
it;  but  all  was  denied  him.  He 
then  offered  a  special  plea  ready 
engrossed,  which  also  was  rejected 
without  reading:  and  being  threat- 
ened, that  if  he  did  not  immediatelj"^ 
plead  guilty  or  not  guilty,  judgment 
of  high  treason  should  be  entered, 
he  was  forced,  contrary  to  law  (as 
he  supposes)  to  come  to  a  general 
issue  in  pleading  not  guilty. 

November  21,  he  was  brought  to 
his  trial,  and  the  indictment  being- 
perplexed  and  confused,  so  that 
neither  he  nor  any  of  his  friends 
that  heard  it,  could  fully  compre- 
hend the  scope  of  it,  he  was  wholly 
unprovided  of  all  the  helps  that  the 
law  allows  to  every  man  for  his 
defence.  Whereupon  he  did  again 
desire  a  copy,  and  produced  an 
authentic  copy  of  the  statute  of 
46  Ed.  III.  whereby  it  is  enacted, 
That  every  man  shall  have  a  copy 
of  any  record  that  touches  him  in 
any  manner,  as  well  that  which  is 
for  or  against  the  king,  as  any 
other  person ;  but  could  neither 
obtain  a  copy  of  his  indictment, 
nor  that  the  statute  should  be 
read. 

The  jury,  by  which  he  was  tried, 
was  not  (as  he  is  informed)  sum- 
moned by  the  bailiffs  of  the  several 
hundreds,  in  the  usual  and  legal 
manner;  but  names  were  agreed 
upon  by  Mr.  Graham,  and  the 
under-sheriff,  and  directions  given 
to  the  bailiff  to  summon  them:  and 
being  all  so  chosen,  a  copy  of  the 
pannel  was  of  no  use  to  him. 
When  they  came  to  be  called,  he 
excepted  against  some  for  being 
your  majesty's  servants,  which  he 
hoped  should  not  be  returned, 
when  ho  was  prosecuted  at  your 


majesty's  suit ;  many  more  for  not 
being  freeholders,  which  excep- 
tions, he  thinks,  were  good  in  law  ; 
and  others  were  lewd  and  infamous 
persons,  not  lit  to  be  on  any  jury  : 
but  all  was  over  ruled  by  the  lord 
chief  justice,  and  your  petitioner 
forced  to  challenge  them  peremp- 
torily, whom  he  found  to  be  picked 
out  as  most  suitable  to  the  inten- 
tions of  those  who  sought  his  ruin  ; 
whereby  he  lost  the  benefit  allowed 
him  by  law  of  making  his  excep- 
tions, and  was  forced  to  admit  of 
mechanic  persons,  utterly  unable 
to  judge  of  such  a  matter  as  was 
to  be  brought  before  them.  This 
jury  being  sworn,  no  witness  was 
produced  who  fixed  any  thing  be- 
yond hear-say  upon  your  petitioner, 
except  the  lord  Howard,  and  them 
that  swore  to  some  papers  said  to 
be  found  in  his  house,  and  offered 
as  a  second  witness,  and  written 
in  an  hand  like  to  that  of  your 
petitioner. 

Yonr  petitioner  produced  ten 
witnesses,  most  of  them  of  eminent 
quality,  the  others  of  unblemished 
fame,  to  shew  that  lord  Howard's 
testimony  was  inconsistent  with 
what  he  had  declared  before  (at 
the  trial  of  the  lord  Russel)  under 
the  same  religious  obligation  of 
an  oath,  as  if  it  had  been  legally 
administered. 

Your  petitioner  did  further  en- 
deavour to  shew.  That  besides  the 
absurdity  and  incongruity  of  his 
testimony,  he  being  guilty  of  many 
crimes  which  he  did  not  pretend 
your  petitioner  had  any  knowledge 
of,  and  having  no  other  hope  of 
pardon,  than  by  the  drudgery  of 
swearing  against  him,  he  deserved 
not  to  be  believed.  And  similitude 
of  hands  could  be  no  evidence,  as 
was  declared  by  the  lord  chief 
justice  Keeling,  and  the  whole  court 
in  the  lady  Carr's  case  :  by  that 
no  evidence  at  all  remained  against 
him. 

That  whosoever  wrote  those 
papers,  they  were  but  a  small  part 
of  a  polemical  discourse  in  answer 
to  a  book  written  about  thirty  years 
ago,  upon  general  propositions, 
applied  to  no  time,  nor  any  parti- 


844 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


cular  case  ;  that  it  was  impossible 
to  iudge  of  any  part  of  it,  unless 
tbe  whole  did  appear,  which  did 
not ;  that  the  sense  of  such  parts 
of  it  as  were  produced,  could  not 
he  comprehended,  unless  the  whole 
had  been  read,  which  was  denied  ; 
that   the   ink   and   paper  sheweth 
them   to  be    written    many   years 
ago ;    that    the   lord   Howard   not 
knowing  of  them,  they  could  have 
no   concurrence    with    what  your 
petitioner  is  said  to  have  designed 
-with  him  and  others  :  that  the  con- 
fusion   and   errors   in  the  Mriting 
shewed  they  had   never  been    so 
-much  as  reviewed,  and  being  writ- 
ten in  an  hand  that  no  man  could 
well  read,  they  were  not  lit  for  the 
press,  nor  could  be  in  some  years, 
though  the  writer  had  intended  it, 
which  did  not  appear.     But  they 
being  only  the  present  crude  and 
private  thoughts  of  a  man,  for  the 
exercise  of  his  own  understanding 
in  iiis  studies,  and  never  shewed 
to  any,  or  applied  to  any  particular 
case,    could    not    fall    under    the 
statute  of  25  Edward  III.   which 
takes  cognizance  of  no  such  matter, 
and  could  not  by   construction  bo 
brought   under  it ;    such    matters 
heing  thereby  reserved  to  the  par- 
liament, as  is  declared  in  the  pro- 
viso, which  he  desired   might  be 
read,  but  was  refused. 

Several  important  points  of  law 
did  hereupon  emerge,  upon  which 
your  petitioner,  knowing  his  weak- 
ness, did  desire  that  counsel  might 
be  heard,  or  they  might  be  referred 
to  be  found  specially.  But  all  was 
over-ruled  by  the  violence  of  the 
lord  chiefjustice,  and  your  petioner 
so  frequently  interrupted,  that  the 
whole  method  of  his  defence  was 
broken,  and  he  not  suflered  to  say 
the  tenth  part  of  what  he  could 
have  alleged  in  his  defence.  So 
the  jury  was  hurried  into  a  verdict 
they  did  not  understand. 

Now,  forasmuch  as  no  man  that 
is  oppressed  in  England,  can  have 
relief,  unless  it  be  from  your  ma- 
jesty, your  petitioner  humbly  prays, 
that  the  premises  considered,  your 
inajesty  would  be  pleased  to  admit 
him  into  your  presence  ;  and  if  he 


doth  not  .shew,  that  it  is  for  your 
majesty's  interest  and  honour  to 
preserve  him  from  the  said  op- 
pression, he  will  not  complain 
though  he  be  left  to  be  destroyed. 

AN  ABSTRACT  OF  THE  PAPER  DE" 
LIVERED  TO  THE  SHERIFFS, 
DECEMBER  7,  168-3,  BEFORE  HIS 
EXECUTION. 

First   having  excused  his   not 
speaking,    as  well  because  it  was 
an  age  that  made  truth    pass  for 
treason,    for    the   truth    of  which 
he   instances   his    trial    and    con- 
demnation,  and   tliat  the    ears  of 
some  present  were  too  tender  to 
hear  it,  as  because  of  the  rigour 
of  the  season  and  his  infirmities, 
&c.   then    after   a    short  reflection 
upon  the  little  said  against  him  by 
other  witnesses,  and  the  little  value 
that  was   to   be  put  on   the    lord 
Howard's     testimony,     whom     he 
charges  with  an  infamous  life,  and 
many  palpable  perjuries,  and  to  be 
biassed    only   by   the    promise   of 
pardon,     &c.     and    makes,     even 
though  he  had  been  liable  to  no 
exceptions,   to   have    been   but   a 
single    witness ;     he    proceeds    to 
answer    the    charge    against    him 
from    the    writings    found    in   his 
closet  by  the  king's  officers,  which 
were  pretended,  but  not  lawfully 
evidenced  to  be  his,  and  pretends 
to  prove,  that  had  they  been  his, 
they    contained    no    condemnable 
matter,  but  principles,  more  safe 
both  to  princes  and  people  too,  than 
the  pretended  high-llown  plea  for 
absolute  monarchy,  composed  by 
Filmer,  against  which  they  seemed 
to  be  levelled  ;  and  which,  he  says, 
all  intelligent  men  thought,   were 
founded  on  wicked  principles,  and 
such  as  were   destructive  both  to 
magistrates  and  people  too  ;  which 
he  attempts  to  make  out  after  this 
manner : 

First,  says  he,  If  Filmer  might 
publish  to  the  world,  that  men 
were  born  under  a  necessary  in- 
dispensable subjection  to  an  abso- 
lute king,  who  could  be  restrained 
by  no  oath,  &c.  whether  he  came 
to  it  by  creation,  inheritance,  &c. 
nay  or  even  by  usurpation;   wliy 


ALGERNON   SIDNEY. 


845 


might  he  not  publish  his  opinion  to 
the  contrary,  without  tlie  breach  of 
any  known  law  ?  Which  opinion, 
he  professes,  consisted  in  the  fol- 
lowing particulars  : 

1.  That  God  hath  left  nations  at 
the  liberty  of  niodeliin<:j  their  own 
governments. 

2.  That  mag;istrates  were  in- 
stituted for  nations,  and  not  e  con- 
tra. 

3.  That  the  right  and  power  of 
magistrates  were  fixed  by  the  stand- 
ing laws  of  each  country. 

4.  That  those  laws  sworn  to  on 
both  sides,  were  the  matter  of  a 
contract  between  the  magistrates 
and  people,  and  could  not  be 
broken  without  the  danger  of  dis- 
solving the  whole  government. 

5.  That  usurpation  could  give 
no  right ;  and  tiiat  kings  had  no 
greater  enemies  than  those  who 
asserted  that,  or  were  for  stretching 
their  power  beyond  its  limits. 

6.  That  such  usurpations  com- 
monly affecting  the  slaughter  of 
the  reigning  person,  &c.  the  worst 
of  crimes  was  thereby  most  glori- 
ously rewarded. 

7.  That  such  doctrines  are  more 
proper  to  stir  up  men  to  destroy 
princes,  than  all  the  passions  that 
ever  yet  swayed  the  worst  of  them, 
and  that  no  prince  could  be  safe,  if 
his  murderers  may  hope  such  re- 
wards; and  that  few  men  would  be 
so  gentle  as  to  spare  the  best  kings, 
if  by  their  destruction  a  vvild  usur- 
per could  become  (Jod's  anointed, 
which  he  says  was  the  scope 
of  that  whole  treatise,  and  asserts 
to  be  the  doctrine  of  the  best 
authors  of  all  nations,  times,  and 
religions,  and  of  the  scripture,  and 
so  owned  by  the  best  and  wisest 
princes,  and  particularly  by  Lewis 
the  Fourteenth,  of  France,  in  his 
declaration  against  Spain,  A.  D. 
1677,  and  by  king  James,  of  Eng- 
land, in  his  speech  to  the  parlia- 
ment, 1603  ;  and  adds,  that  if  the 
writer  had  been  mistaken,  he 
should  have  been  fairly  refuted, 
but  that  no  man  was  otherwise 
punished  for  such  matters,  or  any 
such  things  referred  to  a  jury,  &c. 
That  the  book  was  never  finished, 


nor  ever  seen  by  them  whom  he 
was  charged  to  have  endeavoured 
by  it  to  draw  into  a  conspiracy  : 
that  nothing  in  it  was  particularly 
or  maliciously  applied  to  time, 
place,  or  person,  but  distorted  to 
such  a  sense  by  iimendoes,  as  the 
discourses  of  the  expulsion  of 
Tarquin,  &c.  and  particularly 
of  the  translation  made  of  the 
crown  of  Franco  from  one  race  to 
another,  had  been  then  applied  by 
the  then  lawyers'  inuendoes  to  the 
then  king  of  England ;  never  con- 
sidering, adds  he,  that  if  such  acts 
of  state  he  not  allowed  good,  no 
prince  in  the  world  has  any  title  to 
his  crown,  and  havintj  by  a  short 
reflection  shewn  the  ridiculousness 
of  deriving  absolute  monarchy 
from  patriarchal  power,  he  ap- 
peals to  all  the  world;  whether  it 
would  not  be  more  advanta<»'eous 
to  all  kings  to  own  the  derivation 
of  their  power  from  tlie  consent  of 
willing  nations,  tlian  to  have  no 
better  title  than  forca,  &c.  which 
may  be  overpowered. 

But  notwithstanding'  the  inno- 
cence and  loyalty  of  that  doctrine, 
he  says.  He  was  told  that  he 
must  die,  or  the  plot  must  die,  and 
complains,  that  in  order  to  the 
destroying  the  best  protestants  of 
England,  the  bench  was  filled  with 
such  as  had  been  blemishes  to 
the  bar;  and  instances  how,  against 
law,  they  had  advised  with  the 
king's  counsel  about  bringing  him 
to  death,  sufiered  a  jury  to  be 
picked  by  the  king's  solicitors,  and 
the  under-sherilf  admitted  non- 
freeholders  jurymen,  received  evi- 
dence not  valid,  refused  him  a 
copy  of  his  indictment,  or  to  suffer 
the  act  of  the  46th  of  Edw.  III. 
to  be  read  that  allows  it,  over- 
ruled the  most  important  points  of 
law,  without  hearing,  and  assumed 
to  themselves  a  power  io  make 
constructions  of  treason,  though 
against  law,  sense,  and  reason, 
which  by  the  statute  of  the  '2.jth  of 
Edw.  III.  by  wiiich  they  pretended 
to  try  him,  was  reserved  only  to 
the  parliament ;  and  so  praying 
God  to  forgive  them,  and  to  avert 
the  evils  that  threatened  the  nation, 
1 


S4C 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


to  sanotify  those  sufferings  to  him, 
and  though  he  fell  a  sacrifice  to 
idols,  not  to  suffer  idolatry  to 
be  established  in  this  land,  he 
concludes  with  a  thanksgiving, 
That  God  had  singled  him  out  to  be 
a  witness  of  his  truth,  and  for  that 
good  old  cause  in  which  from  his 
youth  he  had  been  engaged. 

EXECUTION     OF    MR.    JAMES 
HOLLOWAY. 

Mr.  Holloway  was  a  merchant ; 
but  his  greatest  dealing  lay  in 
linen  manufacture,  which,  as  ap- 
pears from  his  papers,  he  had 
brought  to  such  a  height  in  Eng- 
Iand,as,  haditmet  with  suitable  en- 
couragement, would  have  employed 
80,000  poor  people,  and  40,000 
acres  of  land,  and  have  produced 
200,0001.  a  year  to  the  public  reve- 
nues of  the  kingdom.  He  seems 
to  have  been  a  person  of  sense, 
courage,  and  vivacity,  and  a  man 
of  business. 

He  was  accused  for  the  plot,  as 
one  who  was  acquainted  with 
West,  Rumsey,  and  the  rest ;  and 
having  been  really  present  at  their 
meetings  and  discourses  on  that 
subject,  absconded  when  the  public 
news  concerning  the  discovery 
came  into  the  country ;  though  this, 
as  he  said,  in  the  "  Narrative" 
written  by  him,  "  more  for  fear, 
that  if  he  was  taken  up,  his  credi- 
tors would  never  let  him  come  out 
of  gaol,  than  any  thing  else." 

After  some  time  he  got  to  sea  in 
a  little  vessel,  went  over  to  France, 
and  so  to  the  West  Indies,  among 
the  Caribbee  Islands,  where  much 
of  his  business  lay  :  but  writing  to 
his  factor  at  Nevis,  he  was  by  him 
treacherously  betrayed,  seized  by 
the  order  of  sir  William  Stapleton, 
and  thence  brought  prisoner  to 
England,  where,  after  examination, 
and  a  confession  of  at  least  all 
that  he  knew,  having  been  out- 
lawed in  his  absence  on  an  indict- 
ment of  treason,  he  was,  on  the 
21st  of  April,  1684,  brought  to  the 
King's  Bench,  to  shew  cause  why 
execution  should  not  be  awarded 
against  him,  as  is  usual  in  that 
case ;  he  opposed  nothing  against 


it,  only  saying,  "if  an  ingenuous 
confession  of  truth  could  merit  the 
king's  pardon,  he  hoped  he  had 
done  it."  The  attorney-general 
being  called  for,  ordered  the  in- 
dictment to  be  read,  and  gave  him 
the  ofier  of  a  trial,  waving  the  out- 
lawry, which  he  refused,  and 
throw  himself  on  the  king's  mercy  ; 
on  which  execution  was  awarded  : 
and  he  was  accordingly  hanged, 
drawn  and  quartered,  at  Tyburn, 
on  the  30th  of  April. 

It  seemed  strange,  that  a  man 
of  so  much  spirit,  as  Mr.  Hollo- 
way  appeared  to  be,  should  so 
tamely  die  without  making  any  de- 
fence, when  that  liberty  was  grant- 
ed him  :  it  seemed  as  strange,  or 
yet  stranger,  that  any  protestant 
should  have  any  thing  that  looked 
like  mercy  or  favour  from  the  per- 
sons then  at  the  helm  ;  that  they 
should  be  so  gracious  to  him  as 
to  admit  him  to  a  trial,  which  look- 
ed so  generously,  and  was  so  cried 
up  ;  the  attorney-general  calling  it 
"  A  mercy  and  a  grace,"  and  the 
lord  chief  justice  saying,'  "  He 
could  assure  him  it  was  a  great 
mercy,  and  that  it  was  exceeding 
well." 

Now  all  this  blind  or  mystery 
will  be  easily  unriddled  by  what 
Holloway  said  just  after :  "  My 
lord,"  said  he,  "  I  cannot  under- 
take to  defend  myself,  for  I  have 
confessed  before  his  majesty,  that 
I  am  guilty  of  many  things  in  that 
indictment."  Which  was  imme- 
diately made  use  of  as  was  design- 
ed ;  Mr.  justice  Withens  crying 
out,  "  I  hope  every  body  here  will 
take  notice  of  his  open  confession, 
when  he  might  try  it  if  he  would  ; 
surely  none  but  will  believe  this 
conspiracy  now,  after  what  this 
man  has  owned." 

So  there  was  an  end  of  all  the 
mercy.  A  man  who  had  before 
confessed  in  order  to  be  hanged, 
had  gracious  liberty  given  him  to 
confess  it  again  in  public,  because 
his  prosecutors  knew  he  had  pre- 
cluded all  manner  of  defence  be- 
fore, and  this  public  action  would 
both  get  them  the  repute  of  cle- 
mency, and  confirm  the    belief  of 


MR.  HOLLOW AY.-Sm  T.  ARMSTRONG. 


847 


the  plot.  Now  that  there  had  been 
promises  of  pardon  held  out  to 
him,  if  he  would  take  this  method, 
and  own  himself  <^uilty  witliout 
pleadiuff,  is  more  than  probable, 
both  from  other  practices  of  the 
same  nature  used  towards  <!^reater 
men,  and  from  some  expressions 
of  his  which  stronsjly  hint  at  such 
promises :  Thus  in  his  paper  left 
behind  him,  "I  had,"  says  he, 
"  some  other  reasons  why  I  did  not 
plead;  M'hich  at  present  I  conceal, 
as  also  why  I  did  not  speak  what 
I  intended." 

Now  what  should  those  reasons 
be  butthreateninjcs  and  promises, to 
induce  him  to  silence,  and  public 
acknowledgment  of  ail  ?  Which 
appears  yet  plainer  from  another 
passage  :  "  I  am  satisfied  that  all 
means  which  could  be  thought  on, 
have  been  used  to  }>et  as  much  out 
of  me  as  possible."  These  "  means" 
must  evidently  signify  the  falla- 
cious promises  of  pardon  made  to 
him,  on  condition  of  his  confession. 
But  if  he  made  so  fair  and  large 
an  acknowledgment,  it  will  be 
asked,  why  was  not  his  life  spared? 
But  this  may  be  easily  answered  : 
He  was  a  little  tcnder-conscienced, 
and  would  not  strain  so  far  as 
others  in  accusing  men  of  those 
black  crimes  whereof  they  were 
innocent :  nay,  on  the  contrary,  he 
vindicated  them  from  those  asper- 
sions cast  upon  them,  and  for 
which  some  of  them,  particularly 
my  lord  Russel,  suflered  death. 

For  instance,  he  says,  The  as- 
sassination was  carried  on  but  by 
three  or  icur,  and  he  could  never 
hear  so  much  as  the  nnmes  of  above 
live  for  it;  that  he  and  others  had 
declared  their  abhorrence  of  any 
such  thing  ;  that  Ferguson  was  not 
concerned  in  it.  And,  besides,  he 
speaks  some  things  with  the  liberty 
of  an  Englishman;  shews  the  very 
root  of  ail  those  heats  which  had 
been  raised  ;  says,  what  was  true 
enough,  ''  That  the  protestant  gen- 
try had  a  notion  of  a  horrible  de- 
sign of  the  papists  to  cut  otT  the 
king's  friends,  and  the  active  men 
in  both  the  last  parliaments;  that 
they  long   had  witnesses  to  swear 


them  out  of  their  lives,  but  no 
juries  to  believe  them  ;  that  now 
the  point  about  the  sheriH's  was 
gained,  that  difliculty  was  over; 
that  the  king  had  persons  about 
him  who  kept  all  things  from  his 
knowledge  ;  that  if  matters  con- 
tinued thus,  the  protestant  gentry 
resolved  to  release  the  king  from 
his  evil  counsellors,  and  then  he 
would  immediately  be  of  iheirsidc, 
and  sutter  all  popish  offenders  to 
be  brought  to  justice." 

Hence  it  was  plain,  no  assassina- 
tion, no  plot  against  the  king  and 
government  was  intended ;  only 
treason  against  the  duke  of  York 
and  the  papists,  who  were  them- 
selves traitors  by  law.  But  Hol- 
loway  said  one  thing  yet  bolder 
than  all  this  ;  he  "prays  the  kind's 
eyes  may  be  opened,  to  see  his 
enemies  from  his  friends,  whom  he 
had  cause  to  look  for  nearer  home." 
Was  a  man  to  expect  pardon  after 
this?  No,  certainly,  which  he  soon 
grew  sensible  of,  and  prepared  for 
death  ;  "  the  council,"  he  says, 
"taking  it  very  heinously  that  he 
should  presume  to  write  such 
things." 

Mr.  Holloway  further  declared, 
that  Mr.  West  proposed  the  assas- 
sination, but  none  seconded  him; 
that  he  could  not  perceive  that  Mr. 
Ferguson  knew  any  thing  of  it ; 
and  he  said,  "  It  was  our  design  to 
slved  no  blood  ;"  then  being  inter- 
rogated, by  Mr.  Ferguson's  friend, 
Mr.  sheriff  Daniel,  Whether  he 
knew  Ferguson?  he  answered, 
"  That  he  did  know  him,  but  knew 
him  to  be  against  any  design  of 
killing  the  king." 

KXECIITION    OF   SIR    THOMAS 
ARMSTRONG. 

The  next  sufferer  had  not  so  fair 
play,  because  his  enemies  knew  he 
would  make  better  use  of  it.  They 
had  this  lion  in  the  toils,  and  did 
not  intend  to  let  him  loose  again  to 
make  sport,  lest  the  hunters  them- 
selves should  come  off"  ill  by  it.  He 
had  been  all  his  life  a  firm  servant 
and  friend  to  the  royal  family,  in 
their  exile  and  afterwards  :  he  had 
been  in     prison    for    them    under 


848 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Cromwell,  and  in  danger  both  of 
execution  and  starving;  for  all 
which  they  now  rewarded  him  by 
an  ignominious  death. 

He  had  a  particular  honour  and 
devotion  for  the  duke  of  Monmouth, 
and  forwarded  his  interest  on  all 
occasions,  being  a  man  of  as  un- 
daunted courage  as  ever  England 
produced.  He  was  with  the  duke 
formerly  in  his  actions  in  Flanders, 

and  .shared  there  his  dangers 
and  honours.  The  accusation 
against  him  was,  his  being  con- 
cerned in  the  general  plot,  and  in 
that  for  killing  the  king. 

The  particulars  pretended  against 
him,  were  what  lord  Howard  wit- 
nessed in  lord  Russel's  trial,  of  his 
^oing  to  kill  the  king  when  their 
first  design  failed.  But  of  this  there 
■was  only  a  supposition,  though 
advanced  into  a  formal  accusation, 
and  aggravated  by  the  attorney- 
•general,  as  the  reason  why  he  had 
a  trial  denied  him,  when  HoUoway 
had  one  offered,  both  of  them  being 
alike  outlawed.  On  which  outlaw- 
ry sir  Thomas  was  kidnapped  in 
Holland,  brought  over  hither  in 
chains,  and  robbed,  by  the  way, 
into  the  bargain.  Being  brought 
up,  and  asked  what  he  had  to  say, 
why  sentence  should  not  pass  upon 
him,  he  pleaded  the  6th  of  Ed.  VI. 
wherein  it  is  provided.  That  if  a 
person  outlawed  render  himself 
within  a  year  after  the  outlawry 
pronounced,  and  traverse  his  in- 
dictment, and  shall  be  acquitted 
on  his  trial,  he  shall  be  discharged 
of  the  outlawry.  On  which  he  ac- 
cordingly then  and  there  made  a 
formal  surrender  of  himself  to  the 
lord  chief  justice,  and  asked  the 
benefit  of  the  statute,  and  a  fair 
trial  for  his  life,  the  year  not  being 
yet  expired.  If  ever  any  thing 
could  appear  plain  to  common 
sense,  it  was  his  case  ;  but  all  the 
answer  he  could  get  was  this,  from 
the  lord  chief  justice,  "  We  don't 
think  so  ;  we  are  of  another  opi- 
nion." He  could  not  obtain  so  much 
justice  as  to  have  counsel  allowed 
to  plead,  though  the  point  suffi- 
ciently deserved  it,  and  the  life  of 
an  old  servant  of  the  king's  was 


concerned  in  it.  Wiien  he  still 
pleaded,  That  a  little  while  before, 
one  (meaning  Holloway)  had  the 
benefit  of  a  trial  offered  him,  if  he 
would  accept  it,  and  that  was  all 
he  now  desired  ;  the  lord  chief 
justice  answers,  "That  was  only 
the  grace  and  mercy  of  the  king." 
The  attorney-general  adds,  "  The 
king  did  indulge  Hoiluway  so  far 
as  to  offer  him  a  trial,  and  his  ma- 
jesty perhaps  might  have  some 
reason  for  it :"  the  very  reason,  no 
doubt,  which  we  have  already  as- 
signed for  it.  "  But  sir  Thomas," 
the  attorney  goes  on,  "  deserves  no 
favour,  because  he  was  one  of  the 
persons  that  actually  engaged  to 
po,  on  the  king's  hasty  coming  from 
Newmarket,  and  destroy  him  by  the 
way  as  he  came  to  town ;  which 
appears  upon  as  full  and  clear  an 
evidence,  and  as  positively  testi- 
fied, as  any  thing  could  be,  in  the 
evidence  given  in  of  the  late  horrid 
conspiracy."  Now  we  may  ask, 
who  gives  this  clear  and  full  evi- 
dence in  the  discovery  of  the  con- 
spiracy ?  Howard's  is  mere  sup- 
position, and  he  is  the  only  persor» 
who  so  much  as  mentions  a  syllable 
of  it.  To  this  sir  Thomas  answers 
in  his  speech,  "That  had  he  come 
to  his  trial,  he  could  have  proved 
my  lord  Howard's  base  reflections 
on  him  to  be  notoriously  false, 
there  being  at  least  ten  gentlemerv, 
besides  all  the  ,servants  in  the 
house,  who  could  testify  where  he 
dined  that  very  day." 

Still  sir  Thomas  demanded  the 
benefit  of  the  law,  and  no  more : 
to  which  Jeffreys  answered,  with 
one  of  his  usual  barbarous  insults 
over  the  miserable,  "That  he 
should  have  it,  by  the  grace  of 
God  ;"  ordering.  That  execution 
be  done  on  Friday  next  according 
to  law.  And  added,  "That  he 
should  have  the  full  benefit  of  the 
law:"  repeating  the  jest,  lest  it 
should  be  lost,  three  times  in  one 
sentence ! 

He  then  proceeded  to  tell  him, 
"  We  are  satisfied  that  according 
to  law  we  must  award  execution 
upon  this  outlawry :"  thereupon 
Mrs. Mathews,  sir  Thomas's  daugh- 


SIR  THOMAS  ARMSTRONG. 


ai<> 


ter,  said,  "  My  Lord,  I  liope  you 
will  not  murder  my  father;"  for 
which,  beiiiff  brow-beatcij  and 
checked,  she  addrd,  "  (Jod  Al- 
mighty's judgments  light  upon 
you!" 

On  the  following  Friday  he  was 
bronght  to  the  place  of  execution. 
Or.  Tennison  being  with  him,  and 
on  his  desire,  after  lie  had  given 
what  he  had  to  leave,  in  a  paper,  to 
the  sheriff,  prayed  a  little  while  with 
him.  He  then  prayed  by  liini-scif ; 
and  after  having  thanked  Ihe  doc- 


tor for  liis  great  care  and  pains 
with  him,  .sulnuitted  to  the  scn- 
t(-ncp,  and  dird  more  composedly, 
and  full  as  rcHrdutcly,  as  he  had 
lived.  It  is  ol)servabie,  that  more 
cruelty  was  exercised  on  him  than 
on  any  who  .sull'ered  before  him,  not 
only  in  the  manner  of  his  death, 
but  the  exposing  his  limbs  and 
body:  a  fair  warning  what  particu- 
lar gratitude  a  protestant  is  to  ex- 
pect for  having  obliged  a  true  pa- 
pisi. 


A  primitioe   Chrhtian   flawd  aVvi'  bii  the   Ueathm   Persecutors. 


Another  thing  worth  remembei- 
ingis,  that  whereas  in  }iolIouay's 
case,  Jeffreys  observed,  *'  That  not 
one  of  all  concerned  in  this  con- 
spiracy bad  dared  deny  it,"  abso- 
lutely it  is  so  far  from  being  true, 
that  every  one  v/ho  suffered  did 
deny  it  as  absolutely  as  possible. 
T  ey  were  tried  or  sentenced  for 
conspiring  against  the)  king  and 
government;  that  was  their  plot; 
but  this  they  all  deny,  and  ub.-?o- 

F()X'.S  MARTVUS. 


lutely  too,  and  safely  might  do  it  ; 
0:>r  they  consulted  for  it,  not  con- 
spired against  it,  resolving  not  to 
touch  the  king's  person ;  nay,  if 
possible,  not  to  shed  one  drop  of 
bJcod  of  any  other,  as  Hoiloway 
and  others  say.  For  the  king's 
life,  bir  Thomas  says,  as  well 
the  lord  Russel,  "  Never  had  any 
man  the  impudence  to  pi'opose  so 
base  and  barbarous  a  thing  to  me." 
R  lis  sol  and   almost  all  the  others 

54 


850 

say,  "  They  had  never  any  desig:n 
against  the  government."  Sir 
Thomas  says,  "As  he  had  never 
had  a.iv  de'si^ii  a?;ainst  the  king's 
life,  nor  the  life  of  any  man.  so  he 
never  had  any  design  to  alter  the 
monarchy." 

As  he  lived  he  died,  a  sincere 
protestant,  and  in  the  communion  of 
the  church  of  England,  though  he 
heartily  wished  he  had  more  strict- 
ly lived  up  to  the  religion  he  be- 
lieved. And  though  he  had  but  a 
short  time,  he  found  himself  pre- 
pared for  death  ;  and  at  the  place 
of  execution  he  conducted  him- 
self with  the  courage  becoming  a 
.  great  man,  and  with  the  scriou.';- 
nes3  and  piety  suitable  to  a  good 
Christian. 

Sheriff"  Daniel  told  bim,  he  had 
leave  to  say  what  he  pleased,  and 
should  not  be  interrupted,  unless 
he  uv)braided  the  government ;  sir 
Thomas  thereupon  told  him  that  he 
should  not  say  any  thing  by  way  of 
speech,  but  delivered  him  a  pa- 
per, which  he  said  contained  his 
mind ;  and  in  which  he  thus  ex- 
pressed himself,  that  he  thanked 
Almighty  God  he  found  himself 
prepared  for  death,  his  thoughts 
set  upon  another  world,  and  wean- 
ed from  this  ;  yet  he  could  not  but 
give  so  much  of  his  little  time,  as 
to  answer  some  calumnies,  and  par- 
ticularly what  Mr.  Attorney  accu- 
sed him  of  at  the  bar. 

That  he  prayed  to  be  allowed  a 
trial  for  his  life  according  to  the 
laws  of  the  land,  and  urged  the 
statute  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  which 
was  expressly  for  it ;  but  it  signi- 
fied nothing,  and  it  was  with  an  ex- 
traordinary roughness  condemned, 
and  made  a  precedent ;  though 
HoUoway  had  it  offered  him,  and 
he  could  not  but  think  all  the  world 
would  conclude  his  case  very  differ- 
ent, or  why  should  the  favour  of- 
fered to  another  be  refused  to  him? 

That  Mr.  Attorney  charged  him 
with  being  one  of  those  that  were  to 
kill  the  king;  whereas  he  took  God 
to  witness,  that  he  never  had  a 
thought  to  take  away  the  king's 
life,  and  that  no  man  ever  had  the 
impudence  to  propose  so  base  and 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


barbarous  a  thing  to  him  ;  and  that 
he  never  was  in  any  design  to  alter 
the  governnient. 

That  ii"  be  had  been  tried,  he 
could  have  proved  the  lord  How- 
ard's base  reflections  upon  him 
to  be  notoriously  false  ;  he  con- 
cluded, that  he  had  lived,  and  now- 
died  of  the  reformed  religion,  a 
prote.stant  in  the  communion  of  the 
church  of  England,  and  he  heartily 
wished  he  had  lived  more  strictly 
up  to  the  religion  he  believed  ;  that 
he  had  found  the  great  comfort  of 
the  love  and  mercy  of  God,  in  arid 
through  his  blessed  Redeemer,  in 
whom  he  only  trusted,  and  verily 
hoped  that  he  was  going  to  partake 
of  that  fulness  of  joy  which  is  in^ 
his  presence,  the  hopes  whereof' 
infinitely  pleased  him.  He  thank-  ' 
ed  God  he  had  no  repiaiug,  but' 
cheerfully  submitted  to  the  punish- 
ment of  his  sins  ;  he  freely  forgave 
all  the  world,  even  those  concerned 
in  taking  away  his  life,  though  he 
could  not  buit  think  his  sentence 
very  hard,  be  being  denied  the  be- 
nefit of  the  laws  of  the  land. 

TRIAL    ANI>    EXECUTION    OF   ALDER- 
MAN   CORNISH. 

Although  alderman  Cornish  and 
Mr.  Bateman  suffered  after  the 
duke  of  Monmouth  and  his  ad- 
herents, yet,  asthey  were  sacrificed 
under  the  pretence  that  they  had 
been  concerned  in  the  same  plot  as 
lord  Russel  and  the  others,  whose 
fate  we  have  just  narrated,  they 
are  placed  here,  that  the  victims  of 
this  infamous  design  may  be  con- 
templated at  one  view- 
Mr.  Cornish  was  seized  in  Oc- 
tober, 1685  ;  and  the  Monday  af- 
ter his  commitment,  arraigned  for 
high  treason,  having  no  notice 
given  him  till  Saturday  noon.  The 
charge  against  him  was  for  con- 
spiring to  kill  the  kifig,  and  pro- 
mising to  assist  the  duke  of  Mon- 
mouth, &c.  in  their  treasonable  en- 
terprises. 

He  desired  his  trial  might  be  de- 
ferred, because  of  the  short  time 
allowed  him  for  preparation;  and  be- 
cause he  had  an  important  witness 
an  hundred  and  forty  miles  offhand 


ALDERMAN  CORNISH. 


B51 


thdt  the  king  had  lef<  it  fo  tUf 
ja&ges,  whether  it  should  b4  put 
otf  or  no.  feat  it  was  denied  him  ; 
the  attorney-general  telling  him, 
"  He  had  not  deserved  so  well  of 
the  government  as  to  hav<»  his  trial 
delayed."  Tliat  was,  in  plain  Eng- 
lish, because  he  had  been  a  pro- 
testant  sheriff,  he  should  not  have 
justice. 

The  witnesses  against  him  were 
Rumsey  and  Goodenough.  Rum- 
s6y  swore,  That  when  he  was  at  the 
meeting  at  Mr.  Shepherd's,  Mr. 
Shepherd  being  called  down, 
brought  up  Mr.  Cornish  ;  and  when 
he  was  come  in,  Ferguson  opened 
bis  bosom,  and  pulled  out  a  pap6r 
iri  the  nature  of  a  declaration  of 
grievances,  which  Ferguson  read. 
Hind  Shepherd  held  the  candle 
while  it  was  being  read  ;  that  Mr. 
Cornish  liked  it,  and  said.  What 
interest  he  had,  he  would  join  with 
it;  and  that  it  was  merely  from 
compassion  that  he  had  not  ac- 
cused Mr.  Cornish  before. 

Goodeuough  srt'ore,  Tiiat  he  talk- 
ed with  Cornish  of  the  design  of 
seizing  the  Tower.  Mr.  Cornish 
said.  He  would  do  what  good  he 
could,  or  to  that  effect. 
ToGoodenough's  evidence  was  op- 
posed Mr.  Gospright's,who  testified 
that  Mr.  Cornish  opposed  Good- 
enough's  being  made  under-sheriff, 
saying.  That  he  was  an  ill  man,  ob- 
noxious to  the  government,  and  he 
would  not  trust  an  hair  of  his  head 
with  him.  And  is  it  then  probable 
that  he  would  have  such  discourses 
vi-ith  him  as  would  endanger  head 
and  all?  Mr.  Love,  Mr.  JekyI, 
and  sir  William  Tui-riei*,  testify  to 
the  sathe  pu«rpose. 

As  to  Rumsey's  evidence,  tlie 
perjury  is  so  evident,  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  look  into  the  trial  with- 
out meeting  it.  If  we  compare 
what  he  says  on  Russel's  trial  and 
on  the  present,  this  will  be  as  visible 
as  the  sun.  Being  asked  before, 
whether  there  was  any  discourse 
about  a  declaration,  and  how  long 
he  staid;  he  says,  *' he  was  there 
about  a  quarter  of  aii  hoiir,  aurf 
that  he  was  not  certain  whether  he 
had  heard'  soioaethidg  about  'a  de- 


claration there,  or  whether  he  had 
heard  Ferguson  report  aftfcfwards, 
Uiat  they  had  then  debated  it." 
But  on  Cornish's  trial  hfe  had 
strangely  recovered  his  memory, 
and  having  had  the  advantage, 
either  of  recollection,  or  better  in- 
struction, remembers  that  distinct- 
ly in  October,  1685,  which  he 
could  not  in  July,  l(i83,  namely, 
that  "  he  had  been  there  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  ;"  the  time  he  states  in 
the  lord  Russel's  trial,  but  length- 
ens it  out,  and  improves  it  now 
sufiicient  to  allow  of  Mr.  Shep- 
herd's going  down,  bringing  Cor- 
nish up,  Ferguson's  pulling  out  the 
declaration,and  reading  it,  and  that, 
as  Shepherd  says  on  Russel's  trial, 
a  long  one  too,  as  certainly  it  must 
be,  if,  as  it  were  sworn,  "  it  con- 
tained all  the  grievaces  of  the  na- 
tion," and  yet  all  this  still  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour!  thus  contra- 
dicting himself  both  aS  to  time  and 
matter. 

But  Shepherd  is  of  such  bad  cre- 
dit, that  his  evidence  is  scarce  fit  to 
be  taken  against  himself.  He  says, 
"  At  one  meeting  only  Mr.  Cornish 
was  at  his  house  to  speak  to  one  of 
the  persons  there  ;  that  then  he  him- 
self came  up  stairs,  and  went  out, 
again  with  Mr.  Cornish.  That  there* 
was  not  one  word  read,  nor  any  pa- 
per seeii,  while  Mr.  Cornish  was 
therd,  and  this  he  Was'  positive  of, 
for  Mr.  Coi"nish  was  not  oiie  of  their 
company." 

Now  who  should  knovV  best, 
Rumsey  what  Shepherd  did,  or  he 
what  he  did  himself?  Could  a  man 
hold  the  candle  while  a  declaratiorit 
was  read,  as  Rumsey  swears  Shep- 
herd did,  and  yet  know  nothing  of 
it,  nay,  protest  the  direct  contrary? 

All  that  is  pretended,  to  support 
Rumsey's  evidence,  and  hinder 
Shepherd's  from  saving  the  prison- 
er, was,  that  Sheplierd  strengtheueti' 
Rumsey,  and  proved  Cornish  gnilt^'- 
of  a  lie.  But  if  we  inquire  irttd  thfT' 
matter,  we  shall  find  on^  afe'  tr^e  a&J 
the  other. 

Cornish  oil  his  trial  is  said  to  hava-  , 
de-flied  his  b^ing  at  the  ttieetin^' 
and  discoursing  vrith  tHd  duke  0?*' 
Monmouth  ;  which'  they  wo^ldh^3' 


S52 


ROOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


us  believe  Shepherd  swears  he  was, 
though  not  a  syllable  of  it  appears. 
He  had  been  there  several  times, 
Shepherd  says,  but  was  not  of  their 
council,  knew  nothing  of  their  bu- 
siness, nor  can  he  be  positive  whe- 
ther it  was  the  duice  of  Moamouth 
he  came  to  speak  to  that  evening. 
But  supposing  in  two  or  three  years 
time,  and  on  so  little  recollection, 
Cornish's  memory  had  failed  him  in 
that  circumstance,  what  is  that  to 
Shepherd's  evidence  against  the 
very  root  of  Rumsey's  which  hang- 
ed the  prisoner  ] 

In  spite  of  all  he  was  found  guil- 
ty, and  condemned,  and  even  that 
Christian  serenityof  mind  and  coun- 
tfcnauce,  wherewith  it  was  visible 
he  bore  his  sentence,  turned  to  his 
reproach  by  the  bench. 

He  continued  in  the  same  excel- 
lent temper  whilst  in  Newgate,  and 
gave  the  world  an  admirable  in- 
stance of  the  peace  vnth  which  a 
Christian  can  die,  even  when  his 
death  is  what  the  world  considers 
ignominious.  His  carriage  and  be- 
haviour at  his  leaving  Newgate  was 
as  follows  : 

Coming  into  the  press-yard,  and 
seeing  the  halter  in  the  officer's 
hand,  he  said,  "Is  this  for  me?" 
The  officer  answered,  "  Yes."  He 
replied,  "  Blessed  be  God,"  and 
kissed  it:  and  afterwards  said,"  O," 
blessed  be  God  for  Newgate!  I  have 
enjoyed  God  ever  since  I  came 
within  these  walls,  and  blessed  be 
God  who  hath  made  me  fit  to  die. 
I  am  now  going  to  that  God  that 
will  not  be  mocked,  to  that  God 
that  will  not  be  imposed  upon,  to 
that  God  that  knows  the  innocency 
of  his  poor  creature."  And  a  little 
after  he  said,  "  Never  did  any  poor 
creature  come  unto  God  with  great- 
er confidence  in  his  mercy,  and  as- 
surance of  acceptance  with  him, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  for  there  is 
no  other  way  of  coming  to  God  but 
by  him,  to  find  acceptance  with 
him  :  there  is  no  other  name  given 
under  heaven  whereby  we  can  be 
saved,  but  the  name  of  Jesus." 
Then  speaking  to  the  officers,  he 
said,  "  Labour  every  one  of  you  to 
be  lit  to  die :  for  I  tell  you,  you  are 


not  fit  to  die :  I  was  not  fit  to  die 
myself  before  I  came  hither;  but, 
oh !  blessed  be  God  !  he  hath  made 
me  fit  to  die,  and  hath  made  me 
willing  to  die  !  In  a  few  moments 
I  shall  have  the  fruition  of  the 
blessed  Jesus,  and  that  not  for  a 
day,  but  for  ever.  I  am  going  to 
the  kingdom  of  God,  where  I  shall 
enjoy  the  presence  of  God  the 
Father,  and  of  God  the  Son,  and  of 
God  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  of  all  the 
holy  angels:  I  am  going  to  the 
general  assembly  of  the  first-born, 
and  of  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect :  O  that  God  should  ever  do 
so  much  for  me  !  O  that  God  should 
concern  himself  so  much  for  poor 
creatures,  for  their  salvation,  bless- 
ed be  his  name !  for  this  was  the 
design  of  God  from  all  eternity,  to 
give  his  only  Son  to  die  for  poor 
miserable  sinners."  Then  the  offi- 
cers going  to  tie  his  hands,  he  said. 
"What!  must  I  be  tied  then? 
Well,  a  brown  thread  might  have 
served  the  turn  ;  you  need  not  tie 
me  at  all;  I  shall  not  stir  from  you, 
for  I  thank  God  I  am  not  afraid  to 
die."  As  he  was  going  out,  he  said, 
"  Farewell,  Newgate  :  farewell  all 
my  fellow-prisoners  here  ;  the  Lord 
comfort  you,  the  Lord  be  with  you 
all." 

Thus  much  for  his  behaviour  in 
the  way  to  his  martyrdom.  The 
place  of  it  was  most  spitefully  and 
barbarously  ordered,  almost  before 
his  own  door,  and  near  Guildhall, 
to  scare  any  good  citizen  by  his  ex- 
ample from  appearing  vigorously 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  for  bis 
country's  service.  If  any  thing 
was  wanting  in  his  trial,  from  the 
haste  of  it,  for  the  clearing  his  in- 
nocence, he  sufficiently  made  it  up 
in  solemn  asseverations  thereof  on 
the  scaflTold:  "  God  is  my  witness," 
said  he,  "  the  crimes  laid  to  my 
charge  were  falsely  and  maliciously 
sworn  against  me  by  the  witnesses  ; 
for  I  never  was  at  any  consultation 
or  meeting  where  matters  agaioHt 
the  government  were  discoursed 
of."  He  added,  "  J  never  heard  or 
read  any  declaration  tending  that 
way.  As  for  the  crimes  for  which 
I  suffer,  apon  the  words  of  a  dying; 


CHARLES  BATEMAN— MR.  JOHNSON. 


853 


twan,  I  am  altogether  innocent.  I 
die,  as  I  have  lived,  in  the  commu- 
nion of  the  church  of  Eng-land,  in 
whose  ordinances  I  have  been  often 
a  partaker,  and  now  feel  the  bless- 
ed effects  thereof  in  these  my  last 
agonies." 

He  was  observed  by  those  who 
stood  near  the  sledge,  to  hav« 
solemnly,  and  scv»>:ral  times,  aver- 
red his  absolute  innocence  of  any 
design  against  the  government,  and 
particularly  that  for  which  he  died. 
His  quarters  were  set  up  on 
Guildhall,  in  terrorem,  and  for  the 
same  reason,  no  doubt,  before  men- 
tioned, for  which  he  was  executed 
so  near  it. 

TRIAL   AND    EXECUTION    OF    MR. 
CHARLES    BATEMAN. 

The  last'  who    suffered   for   this 
pretended  plot  was  Mr.  Bateman, 
a  surgeon,  a  man  of  good    sense, 
courage,  and   generous  temper,  of 
considerable  repute  and  practice  in 
his  calling  ;  a  great  lover  and  vin- 
dicator of  the  liberties  of  his  coun- 
try, and  of  more  interest  than  most 
persons  in  his  station  of  life.     He 
was  sworn  against  by  Rouse,  Lee, 
and  Richard  Goodenough,  upon  the 
old  stories  of  seizing  the   Tower, 
city,   and   Savoy.      Had   he    been 
able  to  defend  himself,  he  would, 
no  doubt,  have  covered  his  accusers 
with  infamy,  and  have    shown  his 
own    innocence  ;  but    being    kept 
close  prisoner  in    Newgate,  in    a 
dark  and  lonesome  dungeon,  with 
little  or  no  company,  he  being  a  free 
jolly  man,  and  used  formerly  to  con- 
versation and  diversion,  soon  grew 
deeply  melancholy  ;  and  when  he 
came   on  his  trial,  appeared  little 
less  than  perfectly   distracted ;  on 
which  the  court  very  kindly  gave  his 
son  liberty  to  make  his  defence  ;  the 
first  instance   of  that  nature  ;  and 
even  here  their  kindness  w;is  very 
equivocal,  since  he  himself  might, 
had  he  been  in  his  senses,  have  re- 
membered    and      pleaded     many 
things  more,  which  would  have  in- 
validated   their    evidence    against 
him.      But   had    not  the  mistaken 
piety  of  his  son  undertaken  his  de- 
fence,  certainly    even   they    could 
never  have  been  such  monsters  as 


to  have  tried  one  in  his  condition. 
Yet  had  the  evidence  which  his  sou 
brought  forward  been  allowed  its 
due  weight,  he  must  certainly  have 
been  acquitted.  For  as  for  Lee, 
one  Baker  swore,  "  He  had  been 
practised  upon  by  him  in  the  year, 
1683,  and  would  have  had  him  in- 
sinuate himself  into  Batenian's  com- 
pany, and  discourse  about  state 
affairs  to  trepan  him,  for  which  ser- 
vice he  should  be  aniply  rewarded." 
It  was  further  urged,  that  three 
years  had  elapsed  between  the  pre- 
tended commission  of  treason  and 
the  present  prosecution;  and  also 
that  the  evidence  now  produced 
was  insufficient  to  convict  him,  even 
of  misprision,  much  less  of  the  ca- 
pita! crime.  However,he  wasfound 
guilty;  and  just  before  his  execu- 
tion very  much  recovered  himself, 
dying  as  much  like  a  Christian,  and 
with  as  great  presence  of  mind,  as 
any  of  the  former  suflerers. 

SUFFERINGS    OF    THU    REV. 
MR.    JOHNSON. 

Much  about  the  same  time,  the 
pious,  reverend,  and  learned  Mr. 
Johnson  was  severely  punished,  for 
the  heinous  crimes  of  being  my  lord 
Russel's  chaplain,  writing  the  fa- 
mous book  called  "  Julian  the 
Apostate,"  and  endeavouring  to 
persuade  the  nation, not  to  let  them- 
selves be  made  slaves  and  papists, 
when  so  many  others  were  doing 
their  part  to  bring  them  to  it.  And 
it  is  a  question  whether  any  man  iu 
the  world,  except  Lis  friend  the 
reverend  Dr.  Burnet,  did  more  ser- 
vice with  his  pen,  or  more  couduced 
to  the  happy  revolution,  both 
among  the  army,  and  in  other 
places.  For  these  good  services 
he  was  accused,  imprisoned,  tried, 
and  condemned  to  be  divested  of 
his  canonical  habit,  and  to  be 
whipped  from  Aldgate  to  Newgate, 
and  from  Newgale  to  Tyburn; 
which  was  performed,  and  which 
he  underwent  with  courage  and 
constancy  above  a  man,  and  '-f^e  a 
Christian  and  a  martyr,  f*^  was 
afterwards  impriso'-^'^  .  '^  the 
king's  bench,  till  *"«•  coming  of  the 
!;reat  delive-'  of  the  nation  se^ 
him  at  lih-i^Y- 


S54 


IJOOK  OF  MA-KTYRS. 


AN  ACCOUNT  OV  THfc.  INSURllKC- 
TION,  DEFEAT,  AND  EXECUTION 
OF  THE  DUKE  OV  MONMOUTH, 
THE  EARL  OF  AUOYI.E,  AND  THEIB 
FOLLOWERS. 

The  duke  of  York  hav  jnji,  ascended 
the  English  throne  by  tiie  title  of 
James  If.  soon  began  to  manifest  his 
tyrannical  intentions  against  both  re- 
ligion and  liberty.  He  seemed  in- 
clined to  place  himself  and  his  go- 
vernment entirely  in  the  hands  of 
the  Jesuits  ;  and  such  was  his  zeal 
for  the  Roman  catholic  religion, 
that  Pope  Innocent  XI.  to  whom  he 
had  sent  lord  Castlemaine  as  am- 
bassador, cautioned  him  not  to  be 
too  hasty.  Although,  on  his  acces- 
sion, he  had  iu  his  speech  to  the 
privy  council  disclaimed  all  arbi- 
trary principles,  and  promised  to 
maintain  the  established  govern- 
ment of  the  nation  both  in  church 
and  state,  he  soon  evinced  his  insin- 
cerity, la  a  sort  of  triumph,  he 
produced  some  papers  of  his 
brother  Charles  II.  by  which  it  ap- 
peared that  he  had  died  a  Roman 
catljolic  ;  and  in  contempt  of  the 
feelings  of  the  people,  oja  tlie  first 
Sunday  of  his  reign,  he  went  pub- 
licly to  mass.  The  duke  of  Nor- 
folk, who  carried  t!ie  sword  of  state, 
stopt  at  the  door  of  the  chapel. 
"My  lord,"  said  the  king,  "your 
father  would  have  gone  fur- 
ther."— "  Your  majesty's  father," 
replied  the  spirited  nobleman, 
"  would  not  have  gone  so  far." 

While  James  was  proceeding 
thus,  and  indulging  himself  in  the 
prospect  of  subverting  the  establish- 
ed religion,  the  duke  of  Monmouth, 
who,  on  the  death  of  lord  Russel, 
had  gone  over  to  Flanders,  trusting 
to  the  affectionate  regard  he  had 
always  enjoyed  among  the  protes- 
tants,  whose  cause  he  had  ever  es- 
poused, formed  the  design  of  bring- 
ing about  a  revolation.  To  the  im- 
»>^ediate  execution  of  this  rash  and 
unhb^Qy  enterprise,  which  his  own 
judgment  ie(j  hij^  to  wish  deferred, 
he  was  cluetij  instigated  by  the  ac- 
tive spirit  of  tn.  cg^.l  of  Argyle. 
Having  prepared  a  scj-,adrou  of  six 
vessels,  badly  manned,  hm  very  ill 


supplied,  they  divided,  and  with 
three  each,  sailed  for  the  places  of 
their  destination :  Monmouth  land- 
ed at  Lyme,  in  Dorsetshire,  on  the 
11th  of  June  1685,  with  150  men, 
and  marching  thence  to  Taunton, 
his  army  immediately  increased  to 
COOO ;  besides  which,  he  was  obliged 
daily  to  dismiss  great  numbers  for 
w  ant  of  arms. 

In  the  mean  while,  the  earl  of 
Argyle  had  landed  in  Argyleshire, 
where  he  found  the  militia  prepared 
to  oppose  him.  But  being  imme- 
diately joined  by  his  brave  vassals 
and  faithful  partisans,  he  penetrat- 
ed into  the  western  counties,  hop- 
ing to  be  joined  by  the  disaffected 
covenanters.  But  his  little  squa- 
dron being  captured,  and  his  brave 
followers  having  lost  their  baggage 
in  a  morass  in  Renfrewshire,  every 
hope  was  extinguished,  and  they 
were  necessitated  to  disperse  fov 
immediate  preservation. 

The  unfortunate  nobleman  as- 
sumed a  disguise,  but  he  was  soon 
taken  by  two  peasants,  and  con- 
ducted to  Edinburgh,  where  he  was 
executed,  without  a  trial,  on  an 
unjust  sentence  which  had  been 
formerly  pronounced  on  him.  At 
his  death  he  discovered  all  that  he- 
roic firmness  which  he  had  for- 
merly manifested  in  his  life,  together 
with  a  great  degree  of  piety.  "  Job 
tells  us,"  said  he,'  "  that  man, 
that  is  born  of  a  woman,  is  of  few 
days  and  full  of  trouble  ;  and  I  am 
a  clear  instance  of  it.  I  know  afflic- 
tions spring  not  out  of  the  dust ; 
they  are  not  only  foretold,  but  pro- 
mised to  Christians  ;  and  they  are 
not  only  tolerable  but  desirable. 
We  ought  to  have  a  deep  reverence 
and  fear  of  God's  displeasure,  but 
withal,  a  firm  hope  and  dependence 
on  him  for  a  blessed  issue,  in  com- 
pliance with  his  will ;  for  God 
chastens  his  own  to  refine,  and  not 
to  ruin  them.  We  are  neither  to 
despise,  nor  to  faint  under  afflic- 
tions. I  freely  forgive  allwhohave 
been  the  cause  of  my  being  brought 
to  this  place  ;  and  I  entreat  all  peo- 
ple to  forgive  me  wherein  I  have 
offended,  and  pray  with  me,  that 
Ihc  mo  cifuiGodi  would  saactily  i^vy 


DUKE  OF  MONJVIOUIH. 


855 


present  eud,  and  for  Christ's  sake 
pardon  all  iny  sins,  and  receive  me 
to  his  eternal  glory." 

The  fatal  news  of  the  defeat  of 
this  nobleman  and  his  followers  no 
sooner  reached  the  duke  of  Mon- 
mouth than  he  sunk  into  despon- 
dency. He  now  began  to  see  the  te- 
merity of  his  undertaking,  and  en- 
voured  to  provide  for  his  safety  and 
that  of  his  army.  He  therefore  be- 
gan to  retreat  till  he  re-entered 
Bridgewater,  the  royal  army  being 
in  his  rear.  Here  he  ascended  a 
tower,  from  whence  viewing  the 
army  of  lord  Feversham,  his  hopes 
again  revived,  while  he  meditated 
an  attack.  He  accordingly  made 
the  most  skilful  arrangements,  but 
unfortunately  committing  an  impor- 
tant post  to  lord  Grey,  that  dastard- 
ly soldier  betrayed  him,  and,  not- 
withstanding the  courage  of  his  un- 
disciplined troops,  who  repulsed  the 
veteranforcesof  theking,  and  drove 
them  from  the  field,  a  want  of  am- 
munition prevented  them  from  pur- 
suing their  advantages,  the  royal 
troops  rallied,  dispersed  their  un- 
fortunate adversaries,  and  slew 
about  1500  of  them  in  the  battle  and 
pursuit. 

Monmouth, seeing  the  conflict  hope- 
less, galloped  off  the  field, and  con- 
tinued his  fiight  for  twenty  miles, 
until  his  horse  t;\wk  under  him, 
when  the  unfortunate  prince,  almost 
as  exhausted  as  the  animal,  wan- 
dered on  foot  for  a  few  miles  fur- 
ther, and  then  sunk  down,  overcome 
with  hunger  and  fatigue.  He  was 
shortly  afterwards  discovered,  lying 
in  a  ditch,  exhausted,  and  almost 
senseless.  He  burst  into  tears 
when  seized  by  his  enemies,  and 
being  still  anxious  to  preserve  his 
life,  for  the  sake  of  his  wife  and 
children,  wrote  very  submissively 
to  James,  conjuring  him  to  spare 
the  issue  of  a  brother  who  had  al- 
ways shown  himself  firmly  attached 
to  his  interest.  The  king  finding 
him  thus  depressed,  admitted  him 
into  his  presence,  with  the  hope  of 
extorting  from  him  a  discovery  of 
his  accomplices.  But  Monmouth, 
however  desirous  of  life,  scorned  to 
purchase  it  at  the  price  of  so  much 


infamy.  Finding  all  efforts  to  ex- 
cite compassion  in  the  breast  of  the 
inexorable  James  fruitless,  he  pre- 
pared himself  for  death  with  a  spirit 
becoming  his  rank  and  character  ; 
and  on  the  15th  of  July,  was  brought 
to  the  scaffold,  amidst  the  tears  and 
groans  of  the  people.  Previously 
to  his  death,  he  said,  that  he  re- 
pented of  his  sins,  and  was  more 
particularly  concerned  for  the  blood 
that  had  been  spilt  on  his  aocoiuU. 
"Instead,"  said  he,  "of  being  ac- 
counted factious  and  rcbclliou?,  the 
very  opposing  of  popery  and  arbi- 
trary power  will  sufficiently  apolo- 
gize  for  me.  I  have  lived,  and  now 
die  in  this  opinion,  that  God  will 
work  a  deliverance  for  his  people. 
I  heaitily  forgive  all  who  have 
wronged  me,  even  those  who  have 
been  instrumental  to  my  fall,  ear- 
nestly praying  for  their  souls.  I 
hope  that  king  James  will  shew 
himself  to  be  ofhis  brother's  blood, 
and  extcjid  his  u.ercy  to  my  chil- 
dren, they  being  not  capable  to  act, 
and,  therefore,  not  conscious  of 
any  offence  againstthe government." 

He  conjured  the  executioner  to 
spare  him  the  second  blow  ;  but  the 
man,  whose  heart  was  unlit  for  his 
olHce,  struck  him  feebly,  on  which 
the  duke,  gently  turning  himself 
round,  cast  a  look  of  tender  re 
proach  upon  him,  and  then  again 
meekly  submitted  his  head  to  the 
axe;  the  executioner  struck  him 
again  and  again  to  no  purpose,  and 
then  threw  aside  the  axe,  declaring 
that  he  was  incapable  of  complet- 
ing the  bloody  task.  The  slieriff. 
however,  obliged  him  to  renew  the 
attempt,  and  by  two  blows  more 
the  head  was  severed  from  the  body. 

That  ambition  had  a  share  in 
moving  both  Monmouth  and  Ar- 
gle  to  that  step,  v/hich  ended  in 
their  death,  caimot  be  denied  :  but 
among  their  partisans,  numbers 
were  doubtless  actuated  by  purer 
motives,  even  the  love  of  the  cause 
of  truth ;  and  though  we  cannot 
but  lament  that  mistaken  zeal, 
which  led  them  to  assume  the  sword, 
in  order  to  advance  the  glory  of 
Him,  whose  weapon.^  are  not  car- 
nal, but  spiritual,  we  must  not  re- 


8jG 


BOOK  OF  MAUTYKS. 


fuse  to  enrol  tlieirnanieswithtIio.se 
of  the  martyrs,  as  they  suflered  in 
the  same  cause,  and  with  the  same 
heroic  constancy. 

The  victory  thus  obtained  by  the 
kiiipj  in  the  commencement  of  his 
rei<;n,  would  naturally,  had  it  been 
iirinas^ed  with  prudence,  have 
tended  much  to  increase  his  power 
and  authority.  But,  by  reason  of 
the  cruelty  with  which  it  was  pro- 
secuted, and  of  the  temerity  v/ith 
A\Iiich  it  afterwards  inspired  him,  it 
was  a  principal  cause  of  his  sudden 
ruin  and  downfall. 

Such  arbitrary  principles  had 
tiie  court  instilled  into  all  its  ser- 
vants, that  Feversham,  immediately 
after  the  victory,  hanged  above 
twenty  prisoners,  and  was  pro- 
ceeding in  his  executions,  when 
the  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells, 
warned  him,  that  these  unhappy 
men  were  now  by  law  entitled  to 
a  trial,  and  that  their  execution 
would  be  deemed  a  real  murder. 
This  remonstrance,  however,  did 
not  stop  the  savage  nature  of 
colonel  Kirke,  a  soldier  of  fortune, 
who  had  long  served  at  Tangiers, 
and  had  contracted,  from  his  inter- 
course with  the  Moors,  an  inhuma- 
nity less  known  in  European  and 
in  free  countries.  At  liis  first  entry 
into  Bridgewater  he  hanged  nine- 
teen prisoners,  without  the  least 
inquiry  into  the  merits  of  their 
cause.  As  if  to  make  sport  with 
death,  he  ordered  a  certain  number 
to  be  executed,  while  he  and  his 
company  should  drink  the  king's 
health,  or  the  queen's,  or  that  of 
chief  justice  Jelireys.  Observing 
their  feet  to  quiver  in  the  agonies 
of  death,  he  cried,  that  he  would 
give  them  music  to  their  dancing  ; 
and  he  immediately  commanded 
the  drums  to  beat,  and  the  trumpets 
to  sound.  By  way  of  experiment 
he  ordered  one  man  to  be  hung  up 
three  times,  questioning  him  at 
each  interval  whether  he  repented 
of  his  crime.  But  the  man  obsti- 
nataly  asserting,  that,  notwith- 
standing the  past,  he  still  would 
willingly  engage  in  the  same  cause, 
Kirke  ordered  him  to  be  hung  in 
chains.       One      story,     commonly 


told  of  him,  is  memorable  for  the 
treachery,  as  well  as  barbarity, 
which  attended  it.  A  young  maid 
pleaded  for  the  life  of  her  brother, 
and  Hung  herself  at  Kirke's  feet, 
armed  with  all  the  charms  which 
beauty  and  innocence,  bathed  in 
tears,  could  bestow  upon  her.  The 
tyrajit  was  inllaniedwith  desire,  not 
softened  into  love  or  clemency. 
He  promised  to  grant  her  request, 
provided  that  she,  in  her  turn, 
would  be  equally  compliant  to 
him.  The  maid  yielded  to  the 
conditions :  but,  after  she  had 
passed  the  night  with  him,  the 
wanton  savage,  next  morning, 
showed  her,  from  the  window,  her 
brother,  the  darling  object  for 
whom  she  had  sacrificed  her  virtue, 
hanging  on  a  gibbet,  which  he  had 
secretly  ordered  to  be  there  erected 
for  the  execution.  Rag^e,  and  de- 
spair, and  indignation,  took  posses- 
sion of  her  mind,  and  deprived  her 
for  ever  of  her  senses.  All  the 
inhabitants  of  that  country,  inno- 
cent as  well  as  guilty,  were  exposed 
to  the  ravages  of  this  barbarian. 
The  soldiery  were  let  loose  to  live 
at  free  quarters  ;  and  his  own  re- 
giment, instructed  by  his  example, 
and  encouraged  by  his  exhorta- 
tions, distinguished  themselves  in 
a  particular  manner  by  their  out- 
rag-es.  By  way  of  pleasantry,  he 
used  to  call  them  his  lambs;  an 
appellation  which  was  long  remem- 
bered, with  horror,  in  the  west  of 
England. 

The  violent  Jeffreys  succeeded 
after  some  interval ;  and  shewed 
the  people,  that  the  rigours  of  law 
might  equal,  if  not  exceed,  the 
ravages  of  military  tyranny.  This 
man,  who  wantoned  in  cruelty,  had 
already  given  a  specimen  of  his 
character  in  many  trials  where  he 
presided  ;  and  he  now  set  out  with 
a  sa\age  joy,  as  to  a  full  harvest  of 
death  and  destruction.  He  began 
at  Dorchester :  and  thirty  rebels 
being-  arraigned,  he  exhorted  them, 
but  in  vain,  to  save  him,  by  their 
free  confession,  the  trouble  of  try- 
ing them  :  and  when  twenty-nine 
were  found  guilty,  he  ordered 
(hem,  as  an  additional  puni'^hnicnt 


Mils,  GAUNT— LADY  LISLE. 


857 


of  Ureir  disobedience,  to  be  led  to 
immediate  execution. 

Most  of  the  other  prisoners, 
terrified  with  this  example,  pleaded 
gfuiity  ;  and  no  less  than  two  hun- 
tlred  and  ninet^'-two  received  sen- 
tence at  Dorchester.  Of  these, 
cigthy  were  executed.  Exeter  was 
the  next  sta^e  of  iiis  cruelty  :  two 
hundred  and  forty-three  were  there 
tried,  of  wh(jm  a  groat  number  were 
condemned  and  executed.  He  also 
opened  his  coiumissioii  at  Taunton 
and  Wells,  and  every  where  car- 
ried consternation  along  with  him. 
The  juries  were  so  struck  with  his 
menaces,  that  they  gave  their  ver- 
dict with  precipitation  ;  and  many 
innocent  persons,  it  is  said,  were 
involved  with  the  guilty.  And,  on 
the  whole,  besides  those  who  were 
butchered  by  the  military  com- 
manders, two  hundred  and  fifty-one 
are  computed  to  have  fallen  by  the 
hand  of  justice.  The  whole  country 
was  strewed  with  the  heads  and 
limbs  of  traitors.  Every  village 
almost  beheld  the  dead  carcase  of 
a  wretched  inhabitant.  And  all 
the  rig-ours  of  justice,  unabated  by 
any  appearance  of  clemency,  were 
fully  displayed  to  the  people  by  the 
inhuman  .Jeffreys. 

Of  all  the  executions  during  this 
dismal  period,  the  most  remarkable 
were  those  of  Mrs.  Gaunt  and 
Lady  Lisle,  who  had  been  accused 
of  harbouring  traitors.  Mrs.  Gaunt 
was  an  anabaptist,  noted  for  her 
beneficence,  which  she  extended 
to  persons  of  all  professions  and 
persuasions.  One  of  the  rebels 
knowing  her  humane  disposition, 
had  recourse  to  her  in  his  distress, 
and  was  concealed  by  her.  Hear- 
ing of  the  proclamation,  which 
offered  an  indemnity  and  rewards 
to  such  as  discovered  criminals,  he 
betrayed  his  benefactress,  and  bore 
evidence  against  her.  He  received 
a  pardon,  as  a  recompence  for  his 
treachery  ;  she  was  burned  alive 
for  her  charity,  on  the  23d  of  Octo- 
ber, 1685. 

Lady  Lisle  was  widow  of  one  of 
the  rejiicides,  who  had  enjoyed 
great  favour  and  authority  under 
f  TOinweli,  who,  having  fled,  after 
the    restoration,    to    Lauzanne    in 


Swisserlandjwas  there  assassinated 
by  three  Irish  ruffians,  who  hoped 
to  make  their  fortune  by  this  piece 
of  service.  His  widow  was  now 
prosecuted,  for  harbouring  two 
rebels,  the  day  after  the  battle  of 
Sedgeraoorc  ;  and  Jefiereys  pushed 
on  the  trial  with  an  unrelenting 
violence.  In  vain  did  the  aged 
prisoner  plead,  tluit  tlicsc  criminals 
had  been  put  into  no  proclamation; 
had  been  convicted  ijy  no  verdict ; 
nor  could  any  man  l)c  denominated 
a  traitor,  till  the  sentence  of  some 
legal  court  was  passed  upon  him  : 
that  it  appeared  not,  by  any  proof, 
that  she  was  so  much  as  acquainted 
with  the  guilt  of  the  persons,  or 
had  heard  of  their  joining  the  re- 
bellion of  Monmouth  :  that  though 
she  might  be  obnoxious,  on  account 
of  her  family,  it  was  well  known, 
that  her  heart  was  ever  loyal,  and 
that  no  person  in  England  had  shed 
more  tears  for  that  tragical  event, 
in  which  her  husband  had  unfor- 
tunately borne  too  great  a  share: 
and  that  the  same  principles,  which 
she  herself  had  ever  embraced,  she 
had  carefully  instilled  into  her  son, 
and  had,  at  that  very  time,  sent 
him  to  fight  against  those  rebels, 
whom  she  was  now  accused  of 
harbouring.  Though  these  argu- 
ments did  not  move  Jeffreys,  they 
had  influence  on  the  jury.  Twice 
they  seemed  inclined  to  bring  in  a 
favourable  verdict :  they  were  as 
often  sent  back  with  menaces  and 
reproaches,  and  at  last  were  eon- 
strained  to  give  sentence  against 
the  prisoner.  Notwithstanding  all 
applications  for  pardon,  the  cruel 
sentence  was  executed  at  Win- 
chester, when  she  made  the  fol- 
lowing speech : — 

"  Gentlemen,  friends,  and  neigh- 
bours, it  may  be  expected  that  I 
should  say  something  at  my  death, 
and  in  order  thereunto  I  shall  ac- 
quaint you,  that  my  birth  and 
education  were  both  near  this 
place,  and  that  my  parents  in- 
structed me  in  the  fear  of  God, 
and  I  now  die  of  the  reformed 
protestant  religion  ;  believing  that 
if  ever  popery  should  return  ijito 
this    nation,   it    would   be   a   very 


«&B 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


/ 


Sreat  and  severe  judgment ;  that  I 
ie  in  expectation  of  the  pardon  of 
all    my   sins,    and  of   acceptance 
with  God  the  Father,  by  the  im- 
puted     righteousness     of     Jesus 
Christ,  he  being  the  end  of  the  law 
for  righteousness  to  every  one  that 
believes.     I    thank    God   through 
Jesus    Christ,    that    I    do    depart 
under    the    blood    of    sprinkling, 
•which  speaketh  better  things  than 
that  of  Abel ;    God  having  made 
this  chastisement  an  ordinance  to 
toy  soul.     I  did  once  as  little  ex- 
pect to  come  to  this  place  on  this 
occasion,   as   any  person    in    this 
place  or  nation  ;  therefore  let  all 
learn  not  to  bo  high-minded,  but 
fear;  the  lord  is  a  sovereign,  and 
will  take  what  way  he  sees  best  to 
glorify  himself  in  and  by  his  poor 
creatures  ;  and  I  do  humbly  desire 
to  submit  to  his  will,  praying  to 
him  that  I  may  possess  my  soul  in 
patience.    The  crime  that  was  laid 
to  my  charge,  was  for  entertaining 
a  nonconformist  minister  and  others 
in  my  house :    the   said    minister 
being  sworn  to  have  been  in  the 
late   duke   of   Monmouth's   army ; 
but  I  have  been  told,  that  if  I  had 
denied  them,  it  would  not  at  all 
have  affected  me.    I  have  no  ex- 
cuse but  surprise  and  fear,  which 
I  believe  my  jury  must  make  use 
of  to  excuse  their  verdict  to  the 
world.     I  have  been  also  told,  that 
the  court  did  use  to  be  of  counsel 
for  the   prisoner ;    but  instead   of 
advice,  I  had  evidence  against  me 
from  thence;  which, though  it  were 
only  by  hear-say,  might  possibly 
affect  my  jury  ;  my  defence  being 
bat  such  as  might  be  expected  from 
a  weak  woman ;  but  such  as  it  was, 
I  did  not  hear  it  repeated   again 
to  the  jury  ;  which,  as  I  have  been 
informed,  is  usual  in  such  cases. 
However,  1  forgive  all  the  world, 
and    therein    all  those   that    have 
done  me  wrong  ;  and  in  particular 
I  forgive  colonel  Penruddock,  al- 
though he  told  me,  that  he  could 
have  taken  these  men  before  they 
came^  to  my  house.      And  I    do 
likewise  forgive  him,  who  desired 
to  be  .aken  away  from  the  grand 
jury  to  tile    petty  jury,    that    he 
might  be  the  more  nearly  concerned 


in  my  death.  As  to  what  may  b® 
objected  in  reference  to  my  con- 
viction, that  I  gave  it  under  my 
hand,  that  I  had  discoursed  with 
Nelthorp ;  that  could  be  no  evi- 
dence against  me,  being  after  my 
conviction  and  sentence  :  I  do  ac- 
knowledge his  majesty's  favour  in 
revoking  my  sentence :  I  pray  God 
to  preserve  him,  that  he  may  long 
reign  in  mercy,  as  well  as  justice, 
and  that  he  may  reign  in  peace  ; 
and  that  the  protestant  religion 
may  flourish  under  him.  T  also 
return  thanks  to  God  and  the  reve- 
rend clergy  that  assisted  me  in  my 
imprisonment." 

The  king  said,  that  he  had  given 
Jelfreys  a  promise  not  to  pardon 
her :  an  excuse  which  could  serve 
only  to  aggravate  the  blame  against 
himself. 

We  shall  now  give  the  particulars 
of  such  of  the  trials,  or  rather  ju- 
dicial murders,  as  had  any  thing 
remarkable  in  them. 

Benjamin  and  William  Hew- 
LING  were  the  only  sons  of  virtuous 
and  respectable  parents,  who  had 
liberally  educated  them,  and  in- 
structed them  in  the  practical 
duties  of  life  by  their  own  exam- 
ple. Mr.  Benjamin  Hewling  had 
the  command  of  a  troop  of  horse 
in  the  duke  of  Monmouth's  army 
in  Holland  ;  the  youngest  was  a 
lieutenant  of  foot,  and  returned 
from  Hollaud  with  the  duke.  Ben- 
jamin, besides  signalizing  himself 
in  several  skirmishes,  was  sent  to 
Minehead,  in  Somersetshire,  with  a 
detachment  of  his  own  troops  and 
others,  to  bring  cannon  to  the  army 
at  the  very  instant  that  the  duke 
engaged  the  king's  forces  at  Sedge- 
moore,  and  arrived  too  late  to  turn 
the  fortune  of  the  day.  Being 
thereupon  compelled  to  disperse 
his  troops,  he,  with  his  brother, 
escaped  from  the  field,  and  em- 
barked on  board  a  small  vessel  for 
the  Continent ;  but,  unfortunately, 
they  were  driven  back  by  a  con- 
trary wind,  and  with  much  peril 
regained  the  shore. 

They  had  no  alternative  (the 
country  at  that  time  being  filled 
with    soldiers)    hut    to    surrender 


BENJAMIN  AND  WILLIAM   HEWLING. 


$69 


themselves  to  a  gentleman  whose 
house  was  near;  whence  they  were 
sent,  on  the  twelfth  of  July  1685,  to 
Exeter  gaol.  On  the  27th  of  July 
they  were  put  on  board  the  Swan 
frigate  to  be  brought  to  London, 
and  thence  to  Newgate.  Here  they 
were  separated  from  each  other, 
and  no  intercession  of  their  nearest 
relations  could  procure  access  to 
them  for  some  time.  After  three 
weeks  confiviement  here,  they  were 
ordered  to  the  West  for  trial,  and 
so  removed  to  Dorchester;  and  after 
four  days  more,  Benjamin  was  or- 
dered to  Taunton,  being  on  the 
sixth  of  September.  William  was 
tried  andfound  guilty  at  Dorchester, 
and  condemned  to  die  at  Lyme, 
■where  he  was  accordingly  executed 
on  the  12th. 

The  conduct  of  both,  whilst  on 
board  the  Swan,  and  on  their  re- 
turn from  Loudon  to  Dorchester, 
was  such  as  interested  every  one 
in  their  behalf.  As  a  specimen  it 
may  be  observed,  that  just  as 
William  .was  going  to  Lyme,  in 
order  to  his  execution,  he  wrote 
these  few  lines  to  a  friend,  being 
hardly  suflered  to  stay  so  long  : 

"  I  am  going  to  launch  into 
eternity,  and  I  hope  and  trust  into 
the  arms  of  my  blessed  Redeemer, 
to  whom  I  commit  you  and  all  my 
dear  relations.  My  duty  to  my 
dear  mother,  and  love  to  all  my 
sisters,  and  the  rest  of  my  friends. 
"  William  Hevvling." 
As  they  passed  through  the  town 
of  Dorchester  to  Lyme,  multitudes 
of  people  beheld  them,  with  great 
lamentations,  admiring  his  de- 
portment at  his  parting  with  his 
sister. 

On  the  road  between  Lyme  and 
Dorchester,  his  discourse  was  ex- 
ceedingly spiritual,  taking  occasion 
from  every  thing  to  speak  of  the 
glory  he  and  his  fellow-prisoners 
were  going  to.  Looking  out  on  the 
country  as  they  passed,  be  said, 
•'  This  is  a  glorious  creation,  but 
what  then  is  the  paradise  of  God 
to  which  we  are  going  ?  It  is  bat 
a  few  hours,  and  we  shall  be  there, 
and  for  ever  with  the  Lord." 
At  Lyme,  just  before  they  went 


to  die,  reading  John  xiv.  18.  he 
said  to  one  of  his  fellow-sufferers, 
"  Here  is  a  sweet  promise  for  us; 
I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless, 
I  will  come  unto  you;  Christ  will 
be  with  us  to  the  last." 

To  another  who  asked  him  how 
he  did  now,  he  said,  "  Very  well, 
he  blessed  God."  And  further 
asking  him,  if  he  could  look  death 
in  the  face  with  comfort  now  it 
approached  so  near;  he  said  "  Yes, 
I  bless  God  I  can,  with  great  com* 
fort." 

Afterwards  he  prayed  for  about 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  with  the 
greatest  fervency,  exceedingly 
blessing  God  for  Jesus  Christ, 
adoring  the  riches  of  his  grace  in 
him,  in  all  the  glorious  fruits  of  it 
towards  him,  praying  for  the  peace 
of  the  church  of  God,  and  of  these 
nations  in  particular,  all  with  such 
eminent  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  as  convinced,  astonished,  and 
melted  into  pity  the  hearts  of  all 
present,  even  the  most  malicious 
adversaries,  forcing  tears  and  ex- 
pressions of  pity  and  admiration 
from  them. 

When  he  was  just  going  out  of 
the  world,  with  a  joyful  counte- 
nance, he  said,  "  Oh  !  now  my  joy 
and  comfort  is,  that  I  have  a  Christ 
to  g-o  to,"  and  so  sweetly  resigned 
his  spirit  to  Christ. 

An  ofScer  who  had  shown  so 
malicious  a  spirit  as  to  call  the 
prisoners  "  devils,"  when  he  was 
guarding  them  down,  was  now  so 
convinced,  that  he  afterwards  said, 
"  he  was  never  so  affected  as  by 
Hewling's  cheerful  carriage  and 
fervent  prayer,  such,  as  he  believed, 
was  never  heard,  especially  frona 
one  so  young  ;  adding,  "  I  believe, 
had  the  lord  chief  justice  beea 
there,  he  would  not  have  let  bioi 
die." 

The  sheriff  having  given  his  body 
to  be  buried,  although  it  was 
brought  from  the  place  of  execu- 
tion without  any  notice  given,  yet 
many  inhabitants  of  the  town,  to 
the  number  of  two  hundred  or 
more,  came  to  accompany  it ;  and 
several  young  womeu  of  the  best 
families  in  the  town  laid  him  in  his 


S60 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


grave  in  Lyme  cliurch-yard,  on  the 
thirteenth  of  September,  1685. 

Mr. Benjamin  Hewling rejoiced 
greatly  to  receive  the  news  of  his 
brother's  having  died  with  so  much 
confidence  in    the    mercy   of   the 
Almighty,  and  expressed  his  satis- 
faction to  this  etfect,  "  We  have  no 
cause  to  fear  death,  if  the  presence 
of  God  be  with   us  ;    there   is  no 
evil  in  it,   the    sting   being   taken 
away  ;    it   is  nothing  but   our  ig- 
norance of  the  glory  that  the  saints 
pass  into  by  death,  which  makes  it 
appear  dark  for  ourselves  or  rela- 
tions ;  if  we  trust  in  Christ,  what 
is  this  world  that  we  should  desire 
an  abode  in  it?"     He  further  said, 
*'  God  having    some    time    before 
struck  his  heart  (when  he  thought 
of  the  hazard  of  his  life)  to  some 
serious  sense  of  his  past  life,  and 
the   great  consequences  of  death 
and    eternity,   shewing    him,   that 
they  were  the  only  happy  persons 
•who  had  secured  an  eternal  state 
of  felicity  ;  the  folly  and  madness 
of  the  ways  of  sin,    and  his   own 
thraldom    therein,    with    his   utter 
inability  to  deliver  himself;    also 
the  necessity  of  Christ  for  salva- 
tion ;  it  was  not  without  terror  and 
amazement  for  some  time,  that  he 
could  bear  the  sight  of  unpardoned 
sin,  with  eternity  before  him.     But 
God  wonderfully  opened  to  him  the 
riches  of  his  free  grace  in  Jesus 
Christ  for  poor  sinners  to  flee  to, 
enabling  them  to  look  alone  to  a 
crucified  Christ  for  salvation :  this 
iblessed  Avork  was  in  some  measure 
carried  on  upon  his  soul,  under  all 
his  business  and  hurry  in  the  army, 
but  never  sprung  forth  so  fully  and 
sweetly  till  his  close   confinement 
"m  Newgate."  There  he  saw  Christ 
and     all     spiritual     objects    more 
dearly,  and  embraced  them  more 
strongly  ;  there  he  experienced  the 
ilessedness  of  a  reconciled  slate, 
he  excellency  of  the  ways  of  holi- 
tess,  the  delightfulness  of  commu- 
nion with   God,   which    remained 
ivith  very  deep  and  apparent  im- 
pressions on  his  soul,  which  he  fre- 
quently expressed  with  admiiation 
iOf  the  grace  of  God  towards  him. 


He  said,  "  What  an  amazing 
consideration  is  the  suffering  of 
Christ  for  sin,  to  bring  us  to  God  '• 
His  suffering  from  wicked  men  was 
exceeding  great :  but,  alas !  what 
was  that  to  the  dolour  of  his  soul, 
under  the  infinite  wrath  of  God  1 
This  mystery  of  grace  and  love  is 
enough  to  swallow  up  our  thoughts 
to  all  eternity." 

As  to  his  own  death,  he  would 
often  say,  "  I  see  no  reason  to 
expect  any  other ;  I  know  God  is 
infinitely  able  to  deliver,  and  I  am 
sure  will  do  it,  if  it  be  for  his  glory 
and  my  good  ;  in  which,  I  bless 
God,  1  am  fully  satisfied." 

Speaking  of  the  disappointment 
of  their  expectations  in  the  work 
they  had  undertaken,  he  said, 
"■  With  reference  to  the  glory  of 
God,  the  prosperity  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  delivery  of  the  people  of 
God,  we  have  great  cause  to  lament 
it ;  but  for  that  outward  prosperity 
that  would  have  accompanied  it,  it 
is  but  of  small  moment  in  itself;  as 
it  could  not  satisfy,  so  neither 
could  it  be  abiding ;  for  at  length 
death  would  have  put  an  end  to  it 
all :"  also  adding,  "  Nay,  perhaps 
we  might  have  been  so  foolish  as 
to  have  been  taken  with  that  part 
of  it,  to  the  neglect  of  our  eternal 
concerns  ;  and  then,  I  am  sure,  our 
present  circumstances  are  incom- 
parably better." 

In  his  conversation  he  particularly 
valued  and  delighted  in  those  per- 
sons in  whom  he  saw  most  holiness 
shining;    he  also  expressed   great 
pity  to  the  souls  of  others,  saying, 
"  That    the    remembrance   of    our 
former  vanity  may  well  cause  com- 
passion  to   others   in   that  state." 
And  he  was  frequently  prompting 
others  to  seriousness,  telling  them, 
"  Death    and     eternity    are    such 
weighty   concerns,   that    they    de- 
serve the  utmost  attention  of  our 
minds ;    for    the    way    to    receive 
death  cheerfully  is  to  prepare  for 
it   seriously  ;    and  if   God  should 
please  to  spare  our  lives,  surely  we 
have  the  same  reason  to  be  serious, 
and  spend   our  remaining  days  in 
his  fear  and  service." 

He  also  took  great  tare  that  the 


BENJAMIN  AND  WILLIAM   HEWLING. 


S6I 


worship  of  God,  which  they  were 
in  a  capacity  of  maintaining  there, 
might  be  duly  performed,  as  read- 
ing, praying,  and  singing  of  psalms, 
in  which  he  evidently  took  great 
delight. 

For  three  or  four  days  before 
their  deaths,  when  there  was  a 
general  report  that  no  more  would 
be  executed;  he  said,  "I  do  not 
know  what  God  hath  done  beyond 
our  expectations  ;  if  he  doth  pro- 
long my  life,  I  am  sure  it  is  all 
his  own,  and  by  his  grace  I  will 
wholly  devote  it  to  him." 

But  on  the  29th  of  September, 
about  ten  or  eleven  at  night,  the 
poor  prisoners  found  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  this  report,  they  being  then 
told  they  must  die  the  next  morn- 
ing, which  was  very  unexpected, 
as  to  the  suddenness  of  it ;  but 
herein  God  glorified  his  power, 
grace,  and  faithfulness,  in  giving 
them  suitable  support  and  comfort 
by  his  blessed  presence ;  indeed 
Hewling  appeared  to  be  not  at  all 
disturbed,  saying,  "  Though  men 
design  to  surprise,  God  doth  and 
will  perform  his  word,  to  be  a  very 
present  help  in  trouble," 

The  next  morning  his  cheerful- 
ness and  comfort  were  much  in- 
creased, and  he  waited  for  the 
sheriff  with  the  greatest  sweetness 
and  serenity  of  mind ;  saying, 
"  Now  the  will  of  God  is  deter- 
mined, to  whom  I  have  referred  it, 
and  he  hath  chosen  most  certainly 
that  which  is  best," 

Afterwards  witli  a  smiling  coun- 
tenance he  discoursed  of  the  glory 
of  heaven,  remarking  with  much 
delight  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth 
verses  of  the  22d  chapter  of  the 
Revelations,  "  And  there  shall  be 
no  more  curse  ;  but  the  throne  of 
God,  and  of  the  Lamb,  shall  be  in 
it,  and  his  servants  shall  serve  him, 
and  they  shall  see  his  face,  and  his 
names  shall  be  in  their  foreheads, 
and  there  shall  be  no  night  there, 
and  they  shall  need  no  candle  nor 
light  of  the  sun,  and  they  shall 
reign  for  ever  and  ever."  Then 
he  said,  "  Oh,  what  a  happy  state 
is  this !  shall  we  be  loth  to  go  to 
enjoy  this  V    Then  he  desired  to 


be  read  to  him,  2  Cor.  v.  "  For  we 
know  that  if  our  earthly  house  of 
this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we 
have  a  building  of  God,  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens,"  to  the  tenth  or 
eleventh  verses.  In  all,  his  com- 
forts still  increasing,  he  expressed 
his  sweet  hopes  and  good  assu- 
rance of  his  interest  in  this  glorious 
inlieritance ;  and  being  now  going 
to  the  possession  of  it,  seeing  so 
much  of  this  happy  change,  he 
said,  "  Death  was  more  desirable 
than  life  ;  he  had  rather  die  than 
live  any  longer  here." 

As  to  the  manner  of  his  death, 
he  said,  "  When  I  have  considered 
others  under  these  circumstances, 
I  have  thought  it  very  dreadful ; 
but  now  God  hath  called  me  to  it, 
I  bless  God  I  have  quite  other 
apprehensions  of  it.  I  can  now 
cheerfully  embrace  it  as  an  easy 
passage  to  glory:  and  though  death 
separates  from  the  enjoyments  of 
each  other  here,  it  will  be  but  for  a 
very  short  time,  and  then  we  shall 
meet  with  such  enjoyments  as  now 
Ave  cannot  conceive,  and  for  ever 
rejoice  in  each  other's  happiness." 
Then  reading  the  Scriptures  and 
musing  within  himself,  he  intimated 
the  great  comfort  God  conveyed  to 
his  soul  in  it;  saying,  "  O,  what 
an  invaluable  treasure  is  this 
blessed  word  of  God  !  in  all  con- 
ditions here  is  a  store  of  strong 
consolation.  One  desiring  his  bible, 
he  said,  "  No,  this  shall  be  my 
companion  to  the  last  moment  of 
my  life."  Thus  praying  together, 
reading,  meditating,  and  convers- 
ing of  heavenly  things,  the  prisoners 
waited  for  the  sheriff,  who,  when 
he  came,  void  of  all  pity  or  civility, 
hurried  them  away,  scarce  suffering 
them  to  take  leave  of  their  friends. 
But  notwithstanding  this,  and  the 
doleful  mourning  of  all  about  them, 
the  joyfulness  of  Hewling's  coun- 
tenance was  increased.  Thus  he 
left  his  prison,  and  thus  he  appeared 
on  the  sledge,  where  he  sat  about 
half  an  hour,  before  the  officers 
coald  force  the  horses  to  draw,  at 
which  they  were  greatly  enraged; 
there  being  no  visible  obstruction 


iiOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


fi62 

from  \<^eight  or  way.  Bat  at  last 
the  mayor  and  sheriff  hauled  them 
forward  themselves,  Balaam  like 
driving  the  horses. 

When  they  came  to  the  place  of 
execution,  which  was  surrounded 
with  spectators,  many  that  waited 
their  coming  with  great  sorrow, 
said,  that  when  they  saw  Hewling 
and  the  others  come  with  such 
cheerfulness  and  joy,  and  evidence 
of  the  presence  of  God  with  them, 
it  made  death  appear  with  another 
aspect. 

They  first  embraced  each  other 
with  the  greatest  afl'ection  ;  then 
two  of  the  elder  persons  praying 
audibly,  the  others  joined  with 
great  seriousness.  Then  Hewling 
desired  leave  of  the  sheriff  to  pray 
particularly,  but  he  would  not 
grant  it,  only  asked  him  if  he 
would  pray  for  the  king?  He 
answered,  "  I  pray  for  all  men." 
He  then  requested  they  might  sing 
a  psalm  ;  the  sheriff  told  him,  "  It 
must  be  with  the  ropes  about  their 
necks  ;"  which  they  cheerfully  ac- 
cepted, and  sung  with  such  heavenly 
joy  and  sweetness,  that  many  pre- 
sent said,  "  It  both  broke  and  re- 
joiced their  hearts." 

Thus  in  the  experience  of  the 
delightfulness  of  praising  God  on 
earth,  he  willingly  closed  his  eyes 
on  a  vain  world,  to  pass  to  that 
eternal  employment,  September  30, 
1685. 

All  persons  present  were  ex- 
ceedingly affected  and  amazed. 
Some  officers  that  had  before  in- 
sultingly said,  "  Surely  these  per- 
sons have  no  thoughts  of  death,  but 
will  find  themselves  surprised  by 
it,"  afterwards  acknowledged  that 
"  They  now  saw  he  and  they  had 
something  extraordinary  within, 
that  carried  tliem  through  with 
such  joy."  Others  of  them  said, 
that  "  They  were  convinced  of  their 
happiness,  that  they  would  be  glad 
to  change  conditions  with  them." 

Some  of  the  most  malicious 
persons  in  the  place,  from  whom 
nothing  but  railing  was  expected, 
said,  (as  they  were  carried  to 
their  grave  in  Taunton  church, 
voluntarily  accompanied  by  most  of 


the  inhabitants  of  the  towu)  iMi 
"  These  persons  had  left  a  suffioiefat 
evidence,  that  they  were  now  glo- 
rified saints  ih  heaven." 

Mr.  Benjamin  Hewling,  about 
two  hours  before  his  death,  wrote 
the  following  letter  to  his  mother, 
which  shewed  the  great  composure 
of  his  mind. 

Taunton,  Septemher  30,  1685. 
Honoured  Mother, 

That  news  which  I  know  you  have 
a  great  while  feared,  and  Ave  ex- 
pected, I  must  now  acquaint  you 
with,  that  notwithstanding  the  hopes 
you  gave  in  your  two  last  letters, 
warrants  are  come  down  for  my  ex- 
ecution, and  within  these  few  hours 
I  expect  it  to  be  performed.  Bless- 
ed be  the  Almighty  God,  that  gives 
comfort  and  support  in  such  a  day ; 
how  ought  we  to  magnify  his  holy 
name  for  all  his  mercies,  that  wheft 
we  were  running  in  a  course  of  sin, 
he  should  stop  us  in  full  career,  and 
shew  us  that  Christ  whom  we  pierc- 
ed, and  out  of  his  free  grace  enable 
us  to  look  upon  him  with  an  eye  of 
faith,  believing  him  able  to  save  to 
the  utmost  all  such  as  come  to  him. 
Oh,  admirable,  long-suffering  pa- 
tience of  God,  that  when  we  were 
dishonouring  his  name,  he  did  not 
take  that  time  to  bring  honour  to 
himself  by  our  destruction !  But 
he  delighted  not  in  the  death  of  a 
sinner,  but  had  rather  he  should 
turn  to  him  and  live  ;  and  he  has 
many  ways  of  bringing  his  own  to 
himself.  Blessed  be  his  holy  name, 
that  through  affliction  he  has  taught 
my  heart  in  some  measure  to  be 
conformable  to  his  will,  which 
worketh  patience,  and  patience 
worketh  experience,  and  experi- 
ence hope,  which  maketh  not 
ashamed.  I  bless  God  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  cause  for  which  I 
lay  down  my  life  ;  and  as  I  have  en- 
gaged in  it,  and  sought  for  it,  so 
now  I  am  going  to  seal  it  with  my 
blood.  The  Lord  carry  on  the  same 
cause  which  hath  been  long  on  foot; 
and  though  we  die  in  it,  and  for  it, 
I  question  not  but  in  his  own  good 
time  he  will  raise  up  other  instru- 
ments more  worthy  to  carry  it  on  to 


M«.  BATTISCOMB. 


Mi 


the  glory  of  Lis  uanie  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  his  church  and  peo- 
ple. 

Honoured  mother,  I  know  there 
has  been  nothing  left  undone  by 
yon,  or  my  friends,  for  the  saving 
of  my  life  :  for  which  I  return  many 
hearty  acknowledgments  to  your- 
self and  them  all ;  and  it  is  my  dy- 
ing request  to  you  and  them  to 
pardon  all  ondutifulness  and  un- 
kindness  in  every  relation.  Pray 
give  my  duty  to  my  grandfather 
and  grandmother,  service  to  my 
uncles  and  aunts,  and  my  dear  love 
to  all  my  sisters ;  to  every  relation 
and  friend  a  particular  recommen- 
dation. Pray  tell  them  all  how 
precious  an  interest  in  Christ  is 
when  we  come  to  die,  and  advise 
them  never  to  rest  in  a  Christless 
estate.  For  if  we  are  his,  it  is  no 
matter  what  the  world  do  unto  us  ; 
they  can  but  kill  the  body,  and 
blessed  be  God  the  soul  is  out  of 
their  reach,  for  I  question  not  but 
their  malice  wishes  the  damnation 
of  that  as  well  as  the  destruction 
of  the  body;  which  has  too  evi- 
dently appeared  by  their  deceitful 
flattering  promises.  I  commit  you 
all  to  the  care  and  protection  of 
God,  who  has  promised  to  be  a 
father  to  the  fatherless,  and  a  hus- 
band to  the  widow,  and  to  supply 
the  want  of  every  relation.  The 
Lord  God  of  heaven  be  your  com- 
fort under  those  sorrows,  and  your 
refuge  from  those  miseries,  we  may 
easily  foresee  coming  upon  poor 
England,  and  the  poor  distressed 
people  of  God  in  it.  The  Lord 
carry  you  through  this  vale  of  tears 
with  a  resigning,  submissive  spirit, 
and  at  last  bring  you  to  himself  in 
glory  ;  where  I  question  not  but 
you  will  meet  your  dyino-  son, 

Benjamin  Hewling. 

mu.  christopher  battiscomb. 

This  was  another  young  gentle- 
man of  a  good  family  and  estate 
in  Dorsetshire.  He  had  studied 
some  time  at  the  Temple,  and  hav- 
ing business  in  the  country  about 
the  time  of  lord  Russel's  trial,  he 
was  seized,  on  suspicion  of  being 
concerned  in  the  same  plot  of  which 


his  lordship  was  accused,  and  con- 
fined in  the  county  gaol  at  Dor- 
chester, where  he  behaved  himself 
with  so  much  prudence,  winning' 
sweetness,  and  innocent  pleasantry 
of  temper,  as  endeared  him  not 
only  to  his  keepers  and  fellow- 
prisoners,  but  to  persons  of  the 
best  quality  in  that  town,  who  visit- 
ed him  in  great  numbers.  How- 
ever, after  he  had  been  confined 
some  time,  it  being  found  impossi- 
ble to  prove  any  thing  against  him, 
he  was  set  at  liberty.  When  tha 
duke  of  Monmouth  landed,  he  ap- 
peared with  him,  and  served  him 
with  equal  faith  and  valour,  till  the 
rout  at  Sedgeraoorc,  when  he  fled 
with  the  rest,  and  escaping  into 
Devonshire,  was  there  seized,  and 
brought  to  Dorchester,  to  his  fbr- 
mer  place  of  confinement. 

Mr.  Battiscorab  behaved  himself 
there  the  second  time  in  the  same 
manner  as  he  did  at  the  first,  though 
now  he  seemed  more  thoughtful 
and  in  earnest  than  before,  as  know- 
ing nothing  was  to  be  expect- 
ed but  speedy  death;  though  his 
courage  never  drooped,  but  was 
still  the  same,  if  it  did  not  rather 
increase  with  his  danger.  At  his 
trial  Jeffreys  railed  at  him  with  so 
much  eagerness  and  barbarity,  that 
he  was  obsened  almost  to  foam 
upon  the  bench.  He  was  so  angry 
with  him,  because  he  was  a  lawyer, 
and  could  have  been  contented  all 
such  as  he  should  be  hanged  up 
without  any  trial ;  and  inde-ed  it 
would  have  made  but  little  difi"er- 
ance  in  the  result.  In  spite,  how- 
ever, of  his  railings,  Battiscomb 
was  as  undaunted  at  the  bar,  as  in 
the  field,  or  at  his  execution.  How 
he  demeaned  himself  in  prison  be- 
fore his  death,  we  learn  from  the 
following  account,  written  by  his 
fiiends.  One  circumstance,  not 
mentioned  therein,  must  not  be 
oniitted.  Several  young  ladies  in 
the  town  went  to  JeJTreys  to  inter- 
cede for  his  life,  but  the  barbarous 
judge  repulsed  them,  in  so  brutish 
a  manner  as  nobody  with  one  spark 
of  humanity  would  have  been  guilty 
of,  and  in  a  manner  even  too  un- 
civil to  be  mentioned. 


«64 


BOOK  OF  iMARTYRS. 


"  Mr.  Battiscomb  was  obsei  veillo 
be    ahvajs    serious    and    cheerful, 

ready  to   entertain    spiritual    dis- 
course,    manifesting     afiection    to 
God's   people  and  his   ordinances  ; 
he  seemed  to  be  in  a  very  calm  in- 
difference to  life  or  death,    refer- 
Tine:  himself  to  God  to  determine  it, 
expressing;  his  ^rcat  satisfaction  at 
some  opportunities  of  escape  that 
were  slipt.  sayini?.    That  truly  he 
sometimes  thought  the  cause  was 
too  good  to  flee  from  suffering  iu  it, 
though   he   would  use    all    lawful 
means  for  his  life  ;  but  the  provi- 
dence of  God  having  prevented  this, 
he  was  sure  it  was  best  for  him,  for, 
he  said,  he  blessed   God  he  could 
look  into    eternity   with    comfort. 
He  said,  with  respect  to  his  rela- 
tions and  friends,  to  whom  his  death 
would  be  afflictive,  that  he  was  will- 
ing to  live,  if  God  saw  good ;  but 
for  his  own  part,  he  thought  death 
much  more  desirable.     He  said,  I 
have  enjoyed  enough  of  this  world, 
but  I  never  found  any  thing  but 
vanity  in  it,  no  rest  or  satisfaction. 
God,   who  is   an   inhnite   spiritual 
being,  is  the  only  suitable   object 
for  the  soul  of  man,  which  is  spiri- 
tual in  its  nature,  and  too  large  to 
be  made  happy  by  all  that  this  world 
can  afford,  which  is  but   sensual. 
Therefore,  methinks,  I  see  no  rea- 
son why   I  should  be  unwilling  to 
leave  it  by  death,  since  our  happi- 
ness can  never  be  perfected  till  then, 
till  we  leave  this  body,  where   vye 
are  so  continually  clogged  with  sin 
and   vanity,    frivolous   and  foolish 
trifles.     Death  iu  itself  is  indeed 
terrible,  and  natural  courage  is  too 
low  to  encounter  it ;    nothing  but 
an  interest  in    Christ  can  be   our 
comfort  in  it,  he  said,  which  comfort 
I   hope  I  have;    intimating  much 
advantage  to  his  soul  by    his  for- 
mer imprisonment. 

"  When  he  went  from  Dorchester 
to  Lyme,  after  he  had  received  the 
news  of  his  death  the  next  day,  he 
was  in  the  same  serious  cheerful- 
ness, declaring  still  the  same  ap- 
prehension of'the  desirableness  of 
death,  and  the  great  supporis  of 
bis  mind  under  the  thoughts  of  so 
sRddenly  passing  through  it,  alone 


from  the  hope  of  the  security  of  his 
interest  in  Christ ;  taking  leave  of 
his  friends  M'ith  this  farewell, 
Though  we  part  here, we  shall  meet 
in  heaven.  Passing  by  his  estate, 
goiug- to  Lyme,  he  said,  Farewell , 
temporal  inheritance.  I  am  now 
going  to  my  heavenly,  eternal  one. 
At  Lyme,  the  morning  that  he  died, 
it  appeared  that  he  had  the  same 
supports  from  God,  meeting  death 
with  the  same  cheerfulness;  and 
after  he  had  prayed  a  while  to  him- 
self, without  any  appearance  of  re- 
luctancy,  yielded  up  his  spirit, 
September  12,  1685." 

MR.  WILLIAM    JEXKVN. 

This  gentleman  was  the  only  son 
of  his  father,  who,  having  been  con- 
fined in  Newgate,  died  there  in  a 
short  time,  which  very  much  irritat- 
ed the  iilial  piety  of  his  son,  and 
disposed  him  tojoin  in  any  attempt 
against  the  government,  for  the 
purpose  of  revenging  what  he  con- 
sidered as  the  murder  of  his  parent. 
He  expressed  his  discontent  so  loud- 
ly as  to  alarm  the  jealousy  of  the 
government,  and  he  was  according- 
ly apprehended,  and  confined  in 
Tlchester  gaol,  where  he  lay  till  the 
duke  of  Monmouth  came  and  re- 
leased the  prisoners.  Jenl^yn  im- 
mediately joined  his  army,  with 
which  he  continued  till  its  total  do- 
feat,  after  which  he  was  taken  in 
his  attempt  to  escape,  and  v,as  tried 
and  found  guilty  at  Dorchester. 

While  in  prison,  he  conducted 
himself  with  the  utmost  firmness 
and  cheerfulness  ;  and  to  a  friend 
discoursing  with  him  about  his  par- 
don, and  telling  him  the  doubtful- 
ness of  obtaining  ^,  he  replied, 
"  Well,  death  is  the  worst  they 
can  do,  and  I  bless  God,  that  will 
not  surprise  me,  for  I  hope  my 
great  work  is  done."  At  Taunton, 
being  advised  to  govern  the  airiness 
of  his  temper,  and  being  told,  it 
made  people  apt  to  censure  him, 
as  inconsiderate  of  his  condition, 
he  answered,  "Truly,  that  is  so 
much  my  natural  temper  that  I 
cannot  tell  how  to  alter  it;  but  I 
bless  God  I  have,  and  do  think  se- 
riously of  mv  eternal   concerns.    I 


BENJAMIN^HEWLTNG. 


865 


do  not  allow  myself  to  be  vain,  but 
I  find  cause  to  be  cheerful,  for  my 
peace  is  made  with  God,  through 
Jesus  Christ  my  Lord  ;  this  is  my 
only  o^round  of  comfort  and  cheer- 
fulness, the  security  of  my  interest 
in  Christ :  for  1  expect  nothiuj?  but 
death,  and  without  this  I  am  sure 
death  would  be  most  dreadful:  but 
having  tiie  good  hope  of  this,  I  can- 
not be  melancholy." 

When  he  heard  of  the  triumphant 
death  of  those  that  suflered  at 
Lyme,  he  said,  "  This  is  a  good  en- 
couragement to  depend  upon  God," 
Then,  speaking  about  the  mangling 
of  their  bodies,  he  said,  '*  Well,  the 
resurrection  will  restore  all  with 
great  advantage  ;  the  fifteenth 
chapter  of  the  Corinthians  is  com-, 
fort  enough  for  all  believers."  Dis- 
coursing much  of  the  certainty  and 
felicity  of  the  resurrection  at  another 
time,  he  said,  "  I  will  (as  I  think 
I  ought)  use  all  lawful  means  for  the 
saving  of  my  life,  and  t'len  if  God 
please  to  forgive  me  my  sins,  I  hope 
I  shall  as  cheerfully  embrace 
death."  Upon  the  design  of  at- 
tempting an  escape,  he  said,  "  We 
use  this  means  for  the  preserving 
of  our  lives,  but  if  God  is  not  with 
us,  we  shall  not  effect  it  ;  it  is  our 
business  first  to  apply  to  him  for 
direction  and  success,  if  he  sees 
good,  with  resigning  our  lives  to 
him,  and  then  his  will  be  done." 
After  the  failure  of  the  plan,  and 
•when  there  was  no  prospect  of  any 
other  opportunity,  he  spake  much 
of  the  admirableness  of  God's  pro- 
vidence in  those  things  that  seem 
most  against  us,  bringing  the  great- 
est good  out  of  them ;  "  for,"  said 
he,  "we  can  see  but  a  little  way  ; 
God  only  is  wise  in  his  disposal  of 
us  ;  if  we  were  left  to  choose  for 
ourselves,  we  should  choose  our 
own  misery,^'  Afterwards,  dis- 
coursing of  the  vanity  and  unsatis- 
factoriness  of  all  things  in  this 
world,  he  said,  "  It  is  so  in  the  en- 
joyment ;  we  never  find  our  expec- 
tations answered  by  any  thing  in  it, 
and  when  death  comes  it  puts  an 
end  to  all  things  we  have  been  pur- 
suing here ;    learning   and   know- 

FOX'S  MARTVRS. 


ledge  (which  arc  tlu)  best  thiug-s  in 
this  world)  will  then  avail  nothing  ; 
nothing  but  an  interest  in  Christ  is 
then  of  any  worth."  On  reading  to 
his  fellow-prisoners,  Jer.  xlii.  12, 
"  I  will  shev/  mercy  unto  you,  that 
he  may  have  mercy  upon  you,  and 
cause  you  to  return  to  your  own 
land;"  he  said,  "Yes,  we  shall, 
but  not  in  this  world,  I  am  per- 
suaded." 

September  the  29th,  at  night, 
after  he  heard  he  must  dio  the 
next  morning,  he  was  exceedingly 
composed  and  cheerful,  express- 
ing his  satisfaction  in  the  v/ill  of 
God:  the  next  morning  he  was 
still  more  spiritual  and  cheerful, 
discovering  a  very  sweet  serenity 
of  mind  in  all  he  said  or  did: 
whilst  he  was  waiting  for  the  slie- 
riff',  reading  the  Scriptures,  medi- 
tating and  conversing  with  those 
about  him  of  divine  matters, 
amongst  other  things  he  said,  "  I 
have  heard  much  of  t!ie  glory  of 
heaven,  but  I  am  now  going  to 
behold  it,  and  understand  what  it 
is."  Being  desired  to  disguise 
himself  to  attempt  an  escape,  he 
said,  "  No,  I  cannot  tell  how  to 
disturb  myself  about  it,  and  me- 
thinks  it  is  not  my  business,  now  I 
have  other  things  to  take  up  my 
thoughts ;  if  God  saw  good  to  de- 
liver me,  he  would  open  some 
other  door;  but  seeing  he  has  not, 
it  is  more  for  the  honour  of  his 
name  that  we  should  die,  and  so 
be  it."  One  saying  to  him  that 
most  of  the  apostles  died  violent 
deaths,  he  replied,  "  Nay,  a 
greater  than  the  apostles,  our 
Lord  himself  died,  not  only  a 
shameful,  but  a  painful  death." 
He  further  said,  "  This  manner  of 
death  hath  been  the  most  terrible 
thing  in  the  world  to  my  thoughts, 
but  I  bless  Godi  I  am  now  neither 
afraid  nor  ashamed  to  die.  The 
parting  with  my  friends,  and  theif 
grief  for  me,  is  my  greatest  difli- 
culty;  but  it  will  be  for  a  very 
short  time,  and  we  shall  nteet 
again  in  endless  joys,  where  my 
dear  father  is  already  entered  ; 
him     shall     I    presently    joyfully 

55 


866 

meet."  Then  nuising;  with  hini- 
selfa  while,  he  with  an  extraordi- 
nary seriousness  sung  two  verses 
of  one  of  Herbert's  divine  poems. 

He  then  read  tlie  .5:id  of  Isaiah, 
and  said.  He  had  heard  many 
blessed  sermons  from  that  chapter, 
especially  from  the  (3th  verse, 
"  All  we  like  sheep  have  gone 
astray,  we  have  tnrue<l  every  one 
to  his  own  way,  but  the  Lord  hath 
lain  on  him  the  iniquities  of  us 
all;"  seeming  to  intimate  some 
impression  made  on  his  soul  irom 
them;  but  was  interrupted,  so 
that  he  only  said,  *'  Christ  is  all!" 
AVhen  the  sheritl'  came,  he  liad  the 
same  cheerfulness  and  serenity  of 
mind  in  taking  leave  of  his  friends, 
and  on  the  sledge,  which  seemed 
to  increase  to  the  last;  joining  in 
prayer,  and  isi  singing  a  psalm 
with  great  appearance  of  comfort 
and  joy  in  his  countenance,  inso- 
much that  some  of  his  enemies 
(that  had  before  censured  his 
cheerfulness  as  thoughtlessness  of 
his  danger,  and  therefore  expected 
to  see  him  much  altered)  now 
professed  they  were  greatly  asto- 
nished, to  see  so  young  u  man  (for 
he  was  not  more  than  22  years  of 
age)  leave  the  world,  and  go 
through  death  with  so  much  firm- 
ness. 

MR.    MATTHEW    BRAGG. 

Mr.  Bragg  was  a  gentleman, 
descended  from  an  ancient  and 
good  family ;  he  was  an  attorney, 
and  returning  home  from  business, 
was  met  by  a  party  of  horse  be- 
longing to  the  duke  of  Monmouth, 
who  were  going  to  search  the 
house  of  a  Roman  Catholic  for 
arras,  two  or  three  miles  from  the 
place  where  they  met  him,  and  re- 
quired him  to  go  with  them,  and 
shew  them  the  way ;  he  desired  to 
be  excused,  telling  them,  "  It  was 
none  of  his  business."  But  his  ex- 
cuses signified  nothing ;  they  forced 
him  amongst  them,  and  arriving  at 
the  house,  a  party  immediately  en- 
tered and  searched  it;  but  Mr. 
Bragg  never  dismounted.  Being 
thus  satisfied,  they  took  him  along 
with   them   to   Chard,    where  the 


BOOK  •  01^  Ivl  A HT Y RS. 


duke  of  Monmouth  then  was. 
Being  there,  he  was  much  tam- 
pered with  to  engage  in  the  insur- 
rection, but  he  refused  it;  and  the 
next  morning  made  haste  to  quit 
the  town,  not  seeing  the  duke  at 
all;  calling  for  his  hor.-je,  he  was 
told  that  it  was  seized  for  the 
duke's  service.  So  then  he  took 
his  cane  and  gloves,  and  walked 
to  his  own  house  (which  was  about 
five  or  six  miles  distant),  and  was 
no  more  concerned  in  the  affair. 

After  the  duke's  defeat  at 
Sedgemoor,  some  person  procured 
a  warrant  from  a  justice  of  peace 
for  Mr.  Bragg,  who  was  appre- 
liended,  and  entered  into  a  recog- 
nizance to  appear  at  the  next  as- 
sizes ;  the  magistrate  accounting 
the  matter  but  trivial. 

At  Dorchester  he  appeared  in 
court  to  discharge  his  bail,  on 
which  he  was  committed,  and  the 
next  day  being  arraigned,  with 
twenty-nine  more,  pleaded  not 
guilty,  but  they  were  all,  except 
one,  found  guilty,  under  the  di- 
rections of  the  inhuman  Jeffreys, 
who  was  particularly  incensed 
against  Mr.  Bragg',  and  often  said, 
"  If  any  lawyer  or  parson  came 
under  his  inspection,  they  should 
not  escape."  The  evidence 
against  Mr.  Bragg  was  the  Roman 
Catholic,  whose  house  had  been 
searched,  and  a  woman  of  ill 
fame,  to  whom  the  lord  chief  jus- 
tice was  wonderfully  kind;  but 
the  witnesses  which  he  brought 
forward  to  prove  his  innocence, 
though  they  were  more  than  twen- 
ty in  number,  and  among  the 
most  respectable  persons  in  the 
county,  were  entirely  disregarded 
by  the  jury,  who,  from  ignorance, 
prejudice,  and  fear,  were  mere 
tools^  in  the  hand  of  the  lord  chief 
justice.  Being  thus  found  guilty, 
sentence  was  presently  pronounc- 
ed, and  execution  awarded,  not- 
withstanding all  the  interest  that 
was  made  for  him. 

Thus  being  condemned  on  Sa- 
turday, and  ordered  to  be  executed 
on  Monday,  he  spent  the  little  re- 
sidue of  his  time  very  devoutly, 
and  in  a  manner  becoming  a  good 


Mil.  SMITH. 


867 


Christian,  and  a  true  protestant  of 
the  church  of  Euf^hmd.  Ho  was 
frequently  visited  by  a  worthy  di- 
vine of  tlie  established  chincli, 
who  spent  much  time  with  him, 
and  was  highly  satislied  with  his 
pious  and  resis;iied  bciiaviour, 
which  occasioned  him  to  remark, 
that  "  he  could  not  in  the  least 
doubt  but  this  violent  passaj!;e  out 
of  life,  would  put  him  into  the 
fruition  of  eternal  happiness." 
He  wislied  and  desired  a  little 
longer  time  thoroughly  to  repent 
his  sins,  and  make  himself  more 
.sensible  of,  and  fit  to  receive  the 
inheritance  prepared  for  those  that 
continue  in  well  doing  to  the  end; 
but  this  being  denied,  he  resigned 
iiiraself  to  die  with  cheerfulness 
and  courage. 

When  he  came  to  the  place  of 
execution,  being,  as  he  said,  pre- 
pared for  death,  he  behaved  him- 
self very  gravely  and  devoutly. 
When  he  was  on  the  ladder,  being 
asked,  "  Whether  he  was  not 
sorry  for  his  being  concerned  in 
the  rebellion?"  He  replied, 
*'  That  he  knew  of  none  that  he 
was  guilty  of;"  and  prayed  ihem 
not  to  trouble  him;  adding,  "He 
was  not  the  first  that  was  mar- 
tyred; he  was  so  much  a  Chris- 
tian as  to  forgive  his  enemies." 
And  after  some  private  devotions 
he  was  translated,  as  we  have 
every  reason  to  believe,  from 
earth  to  heaven.  The  only  favour 
shewn  by  Jeflreys,  and  for  which 
he  took  care  to  be  well  rewarded, 
was,  to  give  his  body  to  his  friends, 
in  order  to  his  interment  amongst 
his  ancestors. 

MR.    SMITH,    OF    CHARDSTOCK. 

Another  eminent  person  that 
suffered  with  Mr.  Bragg,  at  the 
same  time  and  place,  was  one  Mr. 
Smith,  who  was  constable  of 
Chardstock,  and  having  some  mo- 
ney in  his  hands  belonging  to  the 
militia,  which  came  to  the  know- 
ledge of  some  of  the  duke's 
friends,  they  obliged  him  to  deliver 
it  to  them;  for  this  he  was  in- 
dicted for  high-treason,  in  assist- 
ing the   duke    of    Moniflouth,    to 


which  he  pleaded  not  guilty.     The 
witnesses    against    him  were     the 
same   with    those   that    had    been 
against    Mr.    Bragg.      And    \yhen 
Smith  told  the  court  and  the  jury, 
what  little  credit  ought  to  be  given 
to    such    perjured    wretches,    the 
loi-d    chief  justice    thundered    at 
him,  saying,    "  Tliou  villain,   me- 
thinks  i  see  thee  already  '\ith  a 
halter  about  thy  neck;    thou  im- 
pudent  rebel,   to   challenge   these 
evidences  that  are  for  the  king!" 
To    which    the    prisoner    replied, 
"  My  lord,  I  now  see  which  way 
I  am  going,  and  right  or  wrong  I 
must  die  ;    but  this  I  comfort  my- 
self with,  that  your  lordship  can 
only  destroy  my  body;  it  is  out  of 
your    power    to   touch    my    soul. 
God  forgive  your  rashness;    praj', 
my  lord,  know  it  is  not  a  small 
matter  you  are  about;  the  blood  of 
a  man  is  more  precious  than  the 
whole     world."       He     was    then 
stopped    from   saying    any    more. 
The     witnesses     being    heard,     a 
strict  charge  was  given  to  the  jury- 
concerning  him ;    and,  as  was  to 
be  expected,  they  brought  him  in 
guilty;  so  that  he   and  those  who 
were  tried  with  him,  received  sen- 
tence together,  and  were  ordered 
to   be   executed   on  the    Monday 
following:    but    by   particular    di- 
rections from  Jeffreys,  he  was  to 
suffer  first.     The  day  for  his  execu 
tion  being  come,  Mr.  Smith,  with  a 
courage  undaunted,  was  brought  to 
the  place,  where  being  ordered  to 
prepare    for  death,    he    spoke   as 
follows: 

Christian  Friends, 
I  am  now,  as  you  see,  launching 
into  eternity  :  so  that  it  may  be  ex- 
pected I  should  speak  something 
before  I  leave  this  miserable  world, 
and  pass  through  those  suff'erings. 
which  are  dreadful  to  flesh  and 
blood  :  which  indeed  shall  be  but 
little,  because  I  long  to  be  before  a 
just  Judge,  where  I  must  give  an 
account,  not  only  for  the  occasion 
of  my  sufferings  now.  but  for  sins 
long  unrepented  of,  which  indeed 
have  brought  me  to  this  dismal 
place  and   shameful  death.      And 


868 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


truly,  dear  countrymen,  Laving 
ransacked  my  soul,  I  cannot  find 
my  small  concern  with  the  duke  of 
Monmouth  doth  deserve  this  lieavy 
judoHient  on  me:  but  I  know,  as  I 
"said  before,  it  is  for  my  sins  long 
unrcpented  of.  I  die  in  charity  with 
all  men ;  I  desire  of  all  you  to  bear 
me  witness,  I  die  a  true  professor  of 
the  church  of  England;  beseeching 
the  Lord  still  to  stand  up  in  the  de- 
fence of  it.  God  forgive  my  pas- 
sionate judge,  and  cruel  and  hasty 
jury  ;  God  forgive  them,  they  know 
not  what  they  have  done.  God  bless 
thekint;;  andthoug-hhisjudgeshave 
no  mercy  on  me,  I  wish  he  may 
find  mercy  when  he  staudeth  most 
in  need  of  it :  make  him,  O  Lord, 
a  nursing  father  to  the  church;  let 
mercy  fiow  abundantly  from  him,  if 
it  be  thy  will,  to  those  poor  prison- 
ers to  be  hereafter  tried ;  and.  Lord, 
if  it  be  thy  holy  will,  stop  this  issue 
of  Christian  blood, and  let  my  guilt- 
less blood  be  the  last  spilt  on  this 
account.  Gentlemen  all,  farewell, 
farewell  all  the  things  of  the  world," 
After  singing  some  few  verses  of 
a  psalm,  and  putting  up  some  pri- 
vate ejaculations,  he  said,  "O 
Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit,"  and  so  submitted  to  the 
executioner,  September  7,  1G85. 

MR.   JOSEPH    SPEED,    OF   CULLITON. 

This  person  suffered  at  the  same 
time  and  place  as  Bragg  and 
Smith.  Ashe  came  near  the  place 
of  execution,  he  seeing  a  country- 
man and  friend  of  his,  called  to  him, 
and  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
here  now,  because  I  am  not  known 
in  these  parts :"  being  answered 
by  bis  friend,  "  I  am  sorry  to  see 
you  in  this  condition :"  he  replied, 
"  It  is  the  best  day  I  ever  saw  ;  I 
thank  God  I  have  not  led  my  life  as 
unchristian-like  as  many  have  done, 
having  since  the  age  of  sixteen  had 
the  checks  of  conscience  on  me, 
which  made  me  to  avoid  many  gross 
and  grievous  sins  ;  my  course  of  life 
hath  been  well  known  to  you,  yet  I 
cannot  justify  myself;  all  men  err. 
I  have  not  been  the  least  of  sinners, 
therefore  cannot  excuse  myself; 
but  since  my  confinement  I  have  re- 


ceived so  great  a  comfort,  in  some 
assurance  of  the  pardon  of  my  sins, 
that  I  can  now  sa}',  I  am  willing  to 
die,  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with 
Christ,  and  say  to  death.  Where  is 
thy  sting  ?  And  to  the  grave. 
Where  is  thy  victory  ?" 

Being  asked  by  some  rude  sol- 
diers, whether  he  was  not  sorry  for 
the  rebellion  he  was  found  guilty 
of?  He  courageously  replied,  "If 
you  call  it  a  rebellion,  I  assure  you 
I  had  no  sinister  ends  in  being 
concerned  ;  for  my  whole  design  in 
taking  up  arms  under  the  duke  of 
Monmouth,  was  to  fight  for  the 
protestant  religion,  which  my  own 
conscience  dictated  to  me,  and 
which  the  said  duke  declared  for, 
and  had,  I  think,  a  lawful  call  and 
warrant  for  so  doing  ;  and  I  do  not 
question,  if  I  have  committed  any 
sin  in  it,  but  that  it  is  pardoned: 
pray,  Mr.  Sheriff,  let  me  be  trou- 
bled no  more  in  answering  of  ques- 
tions, but  give  me  leave  to  prepare 
myself  (those  few  minutes  I  have 
left)  for  another  world,  and  go  to 
my  Jesus,  who  is  ready  to  receive 
me  :"  then  calling  to  his  friend, 
who  stood  very  near  him,  he  said, 
"  My  dear  friend,  you  know  I  have 
a  dear  wife  and  children,  who  will 
find  me  wanting,  being  somewhat 
encumbered  in  the  world ;  let  me 
desire  you,  as  a  dying  man,  to  see 
that  she  be  not  abused  ;  and  as  for 
my  poor  children,  I  hope  the  Father 
of  heaven  will  take  care  of  them, 
and  give  thera  grace  to  be  dutiful 
to  their  distressed  mother ;  and  so, 
with  my  dying  love  to  all  my 
friends,  when  you  see  them,  I  take 
leave  of  you,  and  them,  and  all  the 
world,  desiring  your  christian  pray- 
ers for  me  to  the  last  moment ;" 
then  repeating  some  sentences  of 
scripture,  and  praying  very  fer- 
vently, he  said,  "  I  thank  God  I 
have  satisfaction  ;  I  am  ready  and 
willing  to  sufier  shame  for  his 
name :"  and  so  pouring-  forth  some 
private  ejaculations,  and  lifting  up 
his  hands,  the  executioner  did  his 
ofiice.  The  soldiers  then  present 
said,  "They  never  before  were  so 
taken  with  a  dying  man's  speech  ;" 
and  his  courage  and  Christian-like 


SUFFERERS  AT  BRIDPORT  AND  LYME. 


869 


resolution  caused  many  persons 
who  had  formerly  been  violent 
against  the  prisoners,  to  repent  of 
their  tyranny  tov.ards  tliem. 

ACCOUNT      OF       THOSE       WHO     SUF- 
FERED   AT    BRIDPOUT    AND    LYME, 

At  Bridport  twelve  persons  were 
executed,  of  whom  the  principal 
■was  Mr.  John  Sprage  of  Lyme, 
a  man  more  fit  to  die,  than  he  that 
condemned  hira  was  fit  to  live:  he 
was  a  zealous  Christian,  and  a  man 
that  in  a  manner  lived  in  heaven 
while  on  earth ;  he  was  but  of  an 
ordinary  estate  in  this  world ;  but 
his  piety  and  charity  were  exten- 
sive, and  have  no  doubt  secuicd 
him  a  place  in  those  heavenly  man- 
sions where  earthly  rank  is  dis- 
regarded. He  was  apprehended 
near  Salisbury,  and  brought  to  Dor- 
chester, where  the  writer  of  this 
account  saw  him  several  times,  and 
was  conversant  with  hira  before  his 
trial ;  he  carried  himself  very  mo- 
derately to  all ;  some  of  divers  prin- 
ciples in  matters  of  religion,  he 
continually  prayed  with,  advising 
and  instructing  them  in  those  holy 
duties  which  are  necessary  to  sal- 
vation. Being  asked,  how  he  could 
endure  those  hardships  he  had  un- 
dergone since  his  being  taken? 
he  said,  '  If  this  be  all,  it  is  ^lot  so 
much.'  But,  my  friend,  if  you  were 
to  take  a  journey  in  those  ways  you 
were  not  acquainted  with,  you 
would  (I  hope)  desire  advice  from 
those  that  had  formerly  used  those 
ways,  or  lived  near  by  them  1 — 
'  Yes,'  said  he  :  '  and  the  ways  of 
affliction  which  I  have  lately  travel- 
led in,  I  had  advice  many  a  time 
from  a  minister,  who  hath  often  told 
his  congregation  of  the  trouble- 
someness  of  the  road,  and  of  the  dif- 
ficulty of  getting  through  ;  and  hath 
given  me,  and  hundreds  of  others, 
to  understand  the  pits  and  stones  in 
the  way,  and  how  to  avoid  them  ;  he 
has  been  a  man  used  to  these  Eoads 
many  years:  I  have  taken  his  ad- 
vice ;  I  am  got  thus  far  on  comfort- 
ably, and  I  trust  shall  do  so  to  the 
end  ;  1  am  not  afraid  to  fight  a  duel 
with  death,  if  so  it  must  be  ;  now  I 
thank  God  I  can  truly  say,  O  death. 


where  is  thy  sting  ?    And,  O  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory?' 

Two  or  three  days  after  their  sen- 
tence, the  twelve  ])risoners  were 
drawn  to  execution,  but  were  very 
rudely  and  opprobriously  dealt  with, 
to  the  shame  of  those  that  then  had 
the  charge  over  them  ;  the  rigour 
unto  them  was  more  like  Turks 
than  Christians.  But  to  conclude  ; 
being  come  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion, Sprage  prayed  very  devoutly 
with  them  all,  but  by  the  rudeness 
of  the  guards,  tiiere  could  be  no 
complete  copy  taken  of  wliat  he 
said.  All  of  Ihcm  died  very  coura- 
geously, especially  this  stout  Chris- 
tian champion,  who  spoke  to  them 
in  these  words,  (looking  on  the 
soldiers)  saying,  "Little  do  you 
think  that  this  very  body  of  mine, 
M'hich  you  are  now  come  to  see  cut  to 
pieces,  will  one  day  rise  up  in  judg- 
ment against  you,  and  be  your  ac- 
cuser, for  your  delight  in  spilling  of 
Christian  blood  :  the  heathens  have 
far  more  mercy  !  O,  it  is  sad,  when 
England  must  out-strip  infidels  and 
pagans !  But  pray  take  notice,  do 
not  think  that  I  am  not  in  charity 
with  you :  1  am  so  far,  that  I  for- 
give you  and  all  tlie  world  ;  and  do 
desire  the  God  of  Mercies  to  for- 
give you,  and  open  your  hearts, 
and  turn  you  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  power  of  Satan  to  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  so  fare- 
well., I  am  going  out  of  the  power 
of  you  all  ;  I  have  no  dependence 
but  upon  my  blessed  Redeemer,  to 
whom  I  comirit  my  dear  wife  and 
children,  and  all  the  world." 

The  next  place  was  Lyme,  where 
many  persons,  of  note  suffered,  par- 
ticularly Colonel  Holmes,  who 
was  the  first  of  those  executed  there 
near  the  place  where  they  landed 
with  the  duke  of  Monmouth.  These 
prisoners  were  brought  to  the  place 
with  some  difficulty  ;  for  the  horses 
that  were  first  put  into  the  sledge 
would  not  stir,  which  obliged  the 
officers  to  get  others,  who,  when 
they  were  put  into  the  sledge,  broke 
it  in  pieces,so  thai  the  prisoners  were 
at  last  obliged  to  go  on  foot  to  the 
place  of  execution ;  where  being 
come,  the  colonel  sat  down  with  an 


870 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


aspect  altogether  voUl  of  fear,  and 
began  to  speak  to  tlie  spectators  to 
this  purpose,  "  that  he  would  give 
them  au  account  of  his  first  under- 
taking in   the   design,   which   was 
long  before  in    London  ;  for  there 
he  agreed  to  stand  by,  and  assist 
the  duke  of  Monmouth,  when  op- 
portunity offered ;  in  order  to  which, 
he  went  to  Holland  with  him,  and 
continued  until  this  expedition,  in 
which  God  had  thought  fit  to  frus- 
trate his  and  other  good  men's  ex- 
pectations :    he  believed   the  pro- 
testaut  religion,  was  bleeding  and 
in  a  step  towards  extirpation,  and 
therefore     he,      with    these       his 
brethren  that  were   to  suffer  with 
him,  and  thousands  more,  had  ad- 
ventured their  lives  and  their  all  to 
save  it:  but  God  Almighty  had  not 
appointed  them  to  be  the   instru- 
ments in  so  glorious  a  work ;  yet 
notwithstanding  he  did  verily  be- 
lieve, and  doubt  not,  but  that  God 
would  make  use    of  others,    that 
should  meet  with  better  success." 

After  having  ended  his  prayer, 
he  took  occasion  to  speak  to 
his  suffering  brethren,  taking  a 
solemn  leave  of  them,  encouraging 
them  to  hold  out  to  the  end,  and  not 
to  waver,  observing,  "  this  being  a 
glorious  sun-shining  day,  I  doubt 
not,  though  our  breakfast  be  sharp 
and  bitter,  it  will  prepare  us,  and 
make  us  meet  for  a  comfortable  sup- 
per, with  our  God  and  Saviour, 
where  all  sin  and  sorrow  shall  be 
wiped  away,"  so  embracing  each 
of  them,  and  kissing  them,  he  told 
the  sheriff,  "You  see  I  am  imper- 
fect, having  only  one  arm  ;  I  shall 
want  assistance  to  help  me  upon 
this  tragical  stage ;"  which  was 
presently  done,  and  he,  with  eleven 
others,  was  immediately  put  to 
death. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THOSE  liXECUTED 
AT  SHERBORNE,  AXMINSTER,  AND 
HONITON. 

At  Sherborne  were  executed 
twelve,  who  all  died  courageously, 
especially  one  Mr.  Glisson,  of 
Yeovil,  in  the  county  of  Somerset ; 
his  deportment  and  carriage  at  the 
place   of  execution,  were  such  as 


gave  great  satisfaction  to  his 
ifriends,  and  confusion  to  his  ene- 
mies. 

John  Savage,  and  Richard 
Hall,  of  Culliton,  in  the  county  of 
Devon,  suffered  at  the  same  time 
and  place.  After  they  had  with 
much  earnestness  recommended 
their  souls  to  the  all-wise  God  by 
prayer,  they  with  much  content 
and  satisfaction  submitted  them- 
selves to  the  executioner. 

John  Sprague,  and  William 
Clegg,  of  Culliton,  in  the  county  of 
Devon,  were  condemned  at  Exeter, 
and  brought  to  Sherborne  to  be  ex- 
ecuted. Both  of  them  behaved 
with  becoming  fervour  and  devo- 
tion ;  and  recommending  their  own 
souls  to  God,  and  their  relatives  to 
his  protection,  resigned  their  bodies 
to  be  treated  according  to  their 
sentence. 

At    Axminster    a    person    was 
executed,  named  Rose  ;  he  was  a 
gunner,  who  landed  with  the  duke 
of  Monmouth  ;  he  had  a   great  re- 
solution, and  was  not  at  all  startled 
with  the  fear  of  death.     He  spent 
the  short  time  allowed  him  in  pri- 
vate  prayer,  because  there  was  to 
be   an    execution   at   Honiton,    at 
which  the  same  officers  had  to  at- 
tend.     At   Honiton,    four  persons 
were  executed,  one  of  which  was  a 
surgeon,  named  Port,  who  behaved 
himself  with  so  much  Christian  cou- 
rage, that  all  the  spectators  were 
astonished,    he   being    but  young, 
(about  twenty  j'ears  of  age,)   his 
prayers  fervent,  his  expressions  so 
pithy,  and  so  becoming  a  Christian 
of  greater  age,  that  he  excited  pity 
and    compassion    in    all    present. 
A  rude  fellow,  just  before  he  was 
to  be  executed,  called  for  a  bottle 
of  wine,    and   began  drinking  the 
king's  health  to  one  of  the  guard, 
which  Port  perceiving,  "Poor  soul," 
said  he,  "your  cup  seeraeth  to  be 
sweet  to  you,  and  you  think  mine  is 
bitter;  which  indeed  is  so  to  flesh 
and  blood,  but  yet  I  have  that  as- 
surance of  the  fruition  of  a  future 
state,  that  I  doubt  not  but  this  bit- 
ter potion  will  be  sweetened  with 
the  loving  kindness  of  my   dearest 
Saviour,  and  that  I  shall  be  trau- 


EXECUTIONS  AT  AXMINSTER,  &c.  &c. 


871 


slated  into  that  state,  where  is  ful- 
ness of  joy  and  pleasure  for  ever- 
more." 

Mr.  Evan.s,  a  minister,  who  suf- 
fered with  him,  had,  during^  the 
whole  time  of  his  imprisonment,  be- 
haved himself  with  such  devotion 
and  strictness,  as  became  a  Chris- 
tian ;  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in 
preaching  and  praying  to  his  fellow 
prisoners,  exhorting  them  to  hold 
out  to  the  end;  and  he  strengthened 
his  precepts  by  his  example,  cou- 
rageously surrendering  his  life  to 
the  malice  of  his  enemies,  and 
coi^mending  his  soul  to  the  mercy 
of  his  Maker. 

MR.  HAMLING,  MR.  CATCHETT,  CAPT. 
MADDERS,    AND    CAPT.    KIDD. 

Mr.  Hamling  was  formerly  an 
inhabitant  of  Taunton,  but  of  late 
years  had  lived  two  or  three  miles 
from  thence.  On  hearing  of  the  duke 
of  Monmouth  being  in  the  town, 
he  came  to  speak  with  his  son,  and 
advised  him  not  at  all  to  concern 
himself,  but  to  submit  to  the  will  of 
God  in  all  things.  Having 
thus  advised  his  son,  he  returned 
home:  and  two  days  after  came 
again  to  Taunton,  on  a  market  day, 
with  his  wife,  to  buy  provisions  for 
his  family,  and  returned  to  his 
house  again.  And  he  came  no 
more  to  the  town  while  the  duke 
was  there. 

Being  arraigned  at  Taunton,  he 
pleaded  not  guilty,  but  was  con- 
demned on  the  evidence  of  two  pro- 
fligate villains,  encouraged  by  Jef- 
freys ;  and  though  the  prisoner  had 
many  to  prove  his  good  character 
and  innocence,  this  did  not  avail ; 
the  jury  found  him  guilty,  with 
two  more,  who  were  immediately 
sentenced,  and  next  morning  exe- 
cuted, as  examples  to  others.  This 
man  behaved  himself  very  worthily 
at  thefplace  of  execution,  and  to  the 
last  declared  his  offence  to  be  no 
more  than  is  above  mentioned. 

One  Mr.  Catchett  was  executed 
with  him  ;  the  crime  alleged  against 
him  was,  that  being  a  constable  of 
the  hundred,  he  was  surprised  by 
a  party  of  the  duke's   array,  and 


.shewn  a  warrant  to  bring  in  provi- 
sions and  other  necessaries  for  the 
use  of  the  troops,  which  if  he  did 
not  obey,  he  was  threatened  to  have 
his  house  burnt,  &c.  so  that  he  was 
obliged  to  do  what  he  did  for  his 
own  preservation,  and  that  of  his 
family  :  but  this  availed  him  nothing 
with  the  inhuman  Jefi'reys  ;  he  was 
found  guilty,  and  executed  at  the 
same  time  and  place  as  Hamling. 

Captain  Madders,  at  the  time 
of  the  duke's  landing,  was  a  con- 
stable at  Crewkerne,  in  the  county 
of  Somerset,  and  so  diligent  and  ac- 
tive for  the  king  in  his  office,  that 
when  two  gentlemen  of  Lyme  came 
there,  and  brought  the  news  of  the 
duke's  landing,  desiring  him  to  fur- 
nish them  with  horses  to  ride  post 
to  acquaint  his  majesty  therewith, 
he  immediately  secured  horses  for 
them,  the  town  being  generally 
otherwise  bent,  and  assisted  them 
as  far  as  the  most  loyal,  in  those 
times,  could  do  ;  wfeich  was  repre- 
sented to  the  lord  chief  justice,  in 
expectation  thereby  to  save  his  life. 
But  all  was  in  vain;  he  must  die, 
because  he  was,  and  had  the  cha- 
racter of  an  honest  man,  and  a 
good  protestant.  Being  brought  to 
the  place  of  execution,  he  behaved 
himself  with  great  zeal  and  ferven- 
cy ;  and  lifting  up  his  hands  and 
eyes,  vrouid  often  say,  "  Lord, 
make  me  so  willing-  and  ready  to 
the  last!" 

As  soon  as  Captain  Madders  was 
turned  otf,  Captain  Kiud  prepared 
to  follow,  and  called  to  the  guards 
and  other  persons  present,  "  Do 
you  see  this?"  (pointing  up  to  the 
eleven  who  v/ere  hanged  before 
him)  "  Do  you  think  this  is  not 
dreadful  to  nie,  that  eleven  of 
twelve  of  us,  that  but  a  few  hours 
hence  came  down  together,  are 
dead  and  in  eternity?  And  I  am 
just  going  to  follow  them,  and  shall 
immediately  be  in  the  same  condi- 
tion." A  person  replied,  "  It  must 
be  dreadful  to  flesh  and  blood." 
On  which  Kidd  continued,  "  Well, 
gentlemen,  I  will  assure  you,  I  am 
so  far  concerned,  that  mathinks  I 
begrudge  their  good  foitune,   that 


872 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


thejT  should  bo  so  long-  before  me  In 
Miss  and  liappiness  ;  but  I  will  make 
haste  to  loUow."  Then  taking- his 
leave  of  the  persons  present,  he 
prayed  a  short  time  very  devoutly, 
and  apparently  vvilh  great  joy  and 
comfort ;  and  the  executioner  did 
his  ollicc. 

EXECUTION    OF   DK.    TEMPLE,    AND 
OTHERS. 

Dr.  Temple  was  one  -vvho  landed 
with  the  duke,  and  was  his  chief 
physician  and  surgeon ;  he  had 
formerly  lived  in  Nottingham,  but 
goinjjj  to  Holland,  he  became  ac- 
quainted v.ith  the  duke  of  Mon- 
mouth ;  and  the  following-  speech, 
made  by  him  immediately  previous 
to  his  execution,  will  explain  his 
share  in  the  insurrection  : — 

"  Christian  friends,  and  dear 
countrymen, 

"  I  have  somewhat  to  say,  and 
not  very  much,  before  I  depart  from 
you,  and  shall  be  seen  no  more. 
And, 

"  First,  As  to  my  engag-ement 
with  the  duke  of  Monmouth. 

"Secondly,  How  far  I  was  con- 
cerned: and, 

"  Thirdly,  I  shall  leave  all  of  you 
to  be  judges  in  matter  of  fact. 

"  First,  As  a  dying  man  I  now 
declare,  that  when  I  entered  myself 
with  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  to  be 
his  surgeon,  it  was  on  no  other  ac- 
count but  to  serve  him  in  the  West 
Indies  ;  where  I  knew  no  other  de- 
sign whatsoever,  but  to  possess 
himself  of  some  of  those  islands, 
until  I  had  been  at  sea  two  days, 
wherein  one  privately  told  me,  we 
were  absolutely  bound  for  England, 
and  I  should  take  it  from  him  it 
was  true  :  it  much  surprised  me, 
but  knowing  no  way  to  avoid  it,  or 
to  get  on  siiore,  though  it  was  at 
that  time  contrary  to  my  inclina- 
tions, if  I  could  have  avoided  it,  I 
would  not  let  others  see  that  I  had 
that  dissatisfaction  within  me. 
After  my  landing  at  Lyme,  I  knew 
it  was  never  the  nearer  to  attempt 
my  escape,  the  country  being  so 
beset;  on  the  other  hand,  if  the 
duke  of  Monmouth  did  win  the  day, 
I  might  have  raised  my  fortunes  as 


high  as  I  could  expect :  these  were 
the  arguments  that  llesh  and  blood 
did  create  in  my  breast  for  self-pre- 
servation. While  1  was  with  the 
said  duke,  I  did  him  as  much  ser- 
vice as  I  could,  and  faithfully  ;  after 
it  pleased  God  to  disperse  ttie  army 
under  his  command,  I  endeavoured 
to  secure  myself,  but  by  Providence 
was  taken  at  Honitou,  from  thence 
comoiitted  to  Exeter,  and  after  re- 
moved to  Dorchester,  where  T  re- 
ceived my  sentence,  and  am  now, 
as  you  see,  just  going  to  execution. 
I  am  in  charity  with  all  men.  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  me,  give  me 
strength  to  go  through  these  pains, 
and  give  me  full  assurance  now 
at  these  my  last  moments :  come, 
Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly." 

Samuel  Roeins,  of  Charmouth, 
in  Dorsetshire,  was  executed,  or 
rather  murdered,  at  Warham. 

He  was  a  fisherman,  and  happen- 
ing to  be  out  at  sea  fishing  before 
Lyme,  on  the  day  the  duke  came 
to  land,  he  was  commanded  on 
board  one  of  the  duke's  ships,  he 
not  knowing  who  they  were,  and  his 
fish  were  purchased  of  him  ;  after- 
wards some  persons  toldhim  "  that 
was  the  duke  of  Monmouth," 
(pointing  at  him),  tuid  that  he  was 
just  going  to  land.  Robins  desired 
to  go  on  shore,  which  was  refused, 
and  he  was  told,  that  as  soon 
as  the  duke  was  landed  he  should 
have  his  liberty ;  he  accordingly 
came  on  shore  after  the  duke,  and 
was  never  after  with  him,  or  ever 
took  up  arms  under  him.  When 
he  came  to  the  place  of  execution, 
he  very  cheerfully  declared  his  in- 
nocence to  the  spectators,  as  he 
had  also  done  on  his  trial,  and  so, 
praying-  very  devoutly  for  some 
time,  he  was  executed. 

Mr.  Chaules  Speak,  ofLondon, 
a  gentleman  of  good  extraction, 
was  executed  at  llminster,  fin  So- 
mersetshire, where  his  family  had 
long  resided ;  and  his  case  was 
likewise  extremely  hard.  He  hap- 
pened to  be  at  llminster  at  the  time 
of  the  duke  being-  there,  which 
was  the  only  crime  he  was  guilty 
of;  but  this  was   suificient  for  Jef- 


PARRAT,  HOLWAY,  AND  MATTHEWS. 


873 


freys  and  his  bloodhounds  ;  he  was 
accordin^:ly  condemned,  and,  not- 
withstandincr  his  youth,  he  acted 
the  part  of  an  old  Christian  soldier 
at  his  death,  preparing  himself  to 
uuderoo  those  pains  with  cheerful- 
ness, saying-  very  often,  they  were 
nothing:  to  his  deserts  from  God  Al- 
mighty ;  "  but  as  for  what  I  am  ac- 
cused of,  and  sentenced  for,  T  hope 
you  will  believe  I  am  not  so  guilty 
as  my  judge  and  accusers  have  en- 
deavoured to  make  me ;  if  it  had 
pleased  God,  I  should  have  been 
willing  to  have  lived  some  time 
longer;  but  God's  time  being  come, 
I  am  williu!;,  I  will  be  contented  to 
drink  this  bitter  cup  off." 

When  he  was  brought  to  the 
place  of  execution,  the  crowd  was 
very  great,  and  he  was  so  much  be- 
loved, that  on  every  side  the  inha- 
bitants were  weeping  and  bewail- 
ing his  hard  fate.  He  prayed  very 
fervently  for  an  hour,  then  sung  a 
psalm,  and  so  was  translated  to 
heaven,  there  to  sing-  everlasting 
praises  and  hallelujahs  !  His  father 
and  mother,  it  might  be  imagined, 
had  sutlered  sufficiently  in  the  loss 
of  so  excellent  a  son  ;  but  the  ma- 
lice of  their  adversaries  ended  not 
here  ;  and  although  there  was  not  a 
shadow  of  proof  that  they  had  been 
in  the  slightest  degree  concerned  in 
the  insurrection,  they  were  fined  in 
the  sum  of  £12,000,  the  payment  of 
which  was  rigorously  exacted. 

Mr.  Parrat,  who  was  executed 
at  Taunton,  was  a  Londoner,  and  a 
brewer.  When  he  came  to  the 
place  of  execution,  he  seemed  al- 
most unconcerned  at  death.  After 
some  lime  he  began  to  deliver  him- 
self in  a  low  voice  to  the  people, 
and  after  rising  by  degrees,  he 
seemed  more  like  a  minister  in  the 
pulpit  preaching  devoutly,  than  a 
prisoner  just  going'  to  execution  ; 
beholding  the  surrounding  people 
iu  tears,  he  desired  them  not  to  be 
faint-hearted  because  of  their  fall, 
and  not  to  think  that  there  were  no 
hopes  remaining.  He  said,  "he 
verily  believed  God  would  yet  work 
out  deliverance  for  them,  and  that 
the  time  they  were  in  the  greatest 


extremity,  that  would  be  God's  op- 
portunity to  save  them.  Put  your 
whole  trust,  confidence,  and  de- 
pendence on  the  Lord,"  said  he, 
"  and  he  will  never  leave  you,  nor 
forsake  you." 

EXECUTION    OF   JOHN    HOLWAY, 
AT    WAKHAM. 

John  Holwav  lived  in  Lyme, 
where  the  duke  landed,  and  took 
up  arras,  and  remained  under  his 
command  until  the  king's  pro- 
clamation was  issued,  "  That  all 
who  would  lay  down  their  arms  be- 
fore some  justice  of  peace,  in  four 
days  after,  should  have  his  majes- 
ty's pardon."  He  accordingly  sur- 
rendered himself,  but  being  one  day 
after  the  prescribed  time,  the  lord 
chief  justice  passed  sentence  of 
death  on  him.  Before  his  trial  he 
thought  himself  almost  out  of  dan- 
ger; notwithstanding  which  he  re- 
ceived his  sentence  with  much  cou- 
rage and  resolution,  and  by  the 
exhortations  of  one  Mr.  Tiller, 
who  was  to  suffer  with  him,  was 
brought  to  that  settled  frame  of 
mind,  which  is  suitable  for  one  in 
that  condition. 

At  the  place  of  execution,  he 
said  not  much,  but  that  he  thought 
his  and  other  men's  blood  would 
be  revenged  one  time  or  another, 
and  said,  "  Forgive  me,  oh  Lord  ! 
have  mercy  on  my  poor  soul,  par- 
don all  my  sins,"  and  the  like ; 
and  so  the  executioner  performed 
his  task. 

EXECUTION     OF    MR.    MATTHEWS. 

Mr.  Matthews,  another  of  these 
sufferers,  was  much  concerned  oa 
the  morning  appointed  for  his  exe- 
cution, before  he  died,  to  see  his 
wife  weep,  and  be  in  such  grief 
for  him,  which  drew  tears  from 
his  eyes;  and  taking  her  in  his 
arms,  he  said,  "  My  dear,  prithee 
do  not  disturb  me  at  this  time,  bat 
endeavour  to  submit  to  the  will  of 
God  ;  and  although  thy  husband  is 
going  from  thee,  yet  I  trust  God 
will  be  all  and  all  unto  thee ;  sure, 
my  dear,  you  will  make  my  pas- 
sage into  eternity  more  trouble- 
some than  otherwise,  if  you  thus 
lament  and  take  on  for  me  ;  1  am 


fi74 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


very  sensible  of  thy  tender  love 
towards  me,  but  would  have  you 
consider,  that  this  separation  will 
be  so  much  for  my  advantage,  as 
your  loss  cannot  parallel.  I  thank 
God  I  am  willing  to  die,  and  to  be 
with  my  .Testis:  be  satisfied,  the 
will  of  God  must  be  done  ;  thy  will 
be  done,  O  God,  in  earth  as  it  is 
in  heaven."  Then  embracing  her, 
he  took  his  last  farewell  of  her, 
and  prepared  to  go  to  the  place  of 
execution,  which  having  reached, 
he  with  a  very  modest,  sober,  and 
composed  frame  of  spirit  stood 
while  he  saw  several  executed  be- 
fore him ;  his  turn  being  then  come, 
he  spoke  as  follows : 

'*  Dear  Countrymen, 

"  I  suppose  we  are  all  of  one 
kingdom  and  nation,  and  I  hope 
protestants.  O,  T  wonder  we 
should  be  so  cruel  and  blood-thirsty 
one  towards  another!  I  have  heard 
it  said  heretofore,  that  England 
could  never  be  ruined  but  by  her- 
self, which  now  I  fear  is  doing. 
O  Lord,  have  mercy  on  poor  Eng- 
land, turn  the  hearts  of  the  inhabi- 
tants thereof,  cause  them  to  love 
one  another,  and  to  forget  one 
another's  infirmities.  Have  mercy, 
O  Lord,  on  me :  give  me  strength 
and  patience  to  fulfil  thy  will,  com- 
fort my  dear  and  sorrowful  wife, 
be  a  husband  unto  her,  stand  by 
her  in  the  greatest  trouble  and 
affliction,  let  her  depend  upon  thy 
providence ;  be  merciful  to  all  men, 
preserve  this  nation  from  Popery, 
find  out  yet  a  way  for  its  deliver- 
ance, if  it  be  thy  good  will,  and 
give  all  men  hearts  to  be  truly 
thankful ;  comfort  my  fellow-suf- 
ferers that  are  immediately  to  fol- 
low, give  them  strength  and  com- 
fort unto  the  end  ;  I  forgive  all  the 
world,  even  those  that  have  been 
the  immediate  hasteners  of  my 
death:  I  am  in  charity  with  all 
men.  And  now,  blessed  Lord 
Jesus,  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit." 

He  then  devoutly  repeated  the 
Lord's  prayer,  ascended  the  ladder, 
and  desired  the  executioner  not  to 
be  harsh  with  him,  who  answered, 
'*  No,"  and  said,  "  I  pray,  master, 


forgive  me :"  to  which  Matthews 
replied,  "  I  do  with  all  my  whole 
heart,  and  I  pray  God  forgive  thee ; 
but  I  advise  thee  to  leave  off  this 
bloody  trade."  The  executioner 
said,  "  I  am  forced  to  do  what  I 
do,  it  is  against  my  mind  ;"  and  so 
he  performed  his  office. 

EXECUTION  Of  MR.  ROGER  SATCHEL, 
AND  MR.  LANCASTER. 

At  the  time  of  the  duke's  land- 
ing at  Lyme,  Mr.  Satchel  lived  at 
Culliton,  about  five  miles  west  of 
that  town,  and  as  he  was  a  great 
admirer  of  Monmouth,  and  was  of 
a  generous  and  heroic  spirit,  he 
no  sooner  heard  the  news  of  the 
duke's  being  landed,  but  he  set 
himself  to  work  to  serve  him,  de- 
siring all  he  knew  to  join  with  him, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  that  went 
to  him  to  Lyme,  and  remained 
with  him  to  the  end.  After  the 
rout,  travelling  to  and  fro  to  secure 
himself,  he  was  taken  at  last  at 
Chard  by  three  moss-troopers,  not 
a  part  of  the  regular  army,  but 
fellows  who  made  it  their  business 
to  ruin  their  neighbours. 

He  was  lodged  in  the  gaol,  car- 
ried to  IJchester,  and  at  the  assizes 
at  Dorchester  took  his  trial,  and 
received  sentence  of  death  with 
the  rest.  Great  application  was 
made  to  save  his  life,  but  .Jeffreys 
was  deaf  to  entreaty,  and  ordered 
him  to  be  executed  at  Weymouth. 

After  sentence,  two  of  his  friends 
came  to  him,  and  told  him,  "  There 
was  no  hope."  He  answered, 
"  My  hope  is  in  the  Lord."  After 
which  he  spent  most  of  his  time 
before  execution  in  prayer  and  me- 
ditation, and  conferring  on  spiritual 
subjects  with  many  pious  persons. 

The  fatal  morning  being  come, 
he  prepared  himself,  and  all  the 
way  to  the  scaffold  he  was  very 
devout.  Being  come  to  the  place, 
there  was  a  minister,  who  sung  a 
psalm,  and  prayed  with  the  pri- 
soners. This  person  asked  Satchel, 
*'  What  were  his  grounds  for  join- 
ing in  that  rebellion?"  to  which  he 
answered,  "  Had  you,  sir,  been 
there,  and  a  protestant,  I  believe 
you  would  have  joined   too;   but 


LANCASTER,  SANDFORD,  AND  OTHERS. 


87S 


do  not  speak  to  me  about  that ;  1 
am  come  to  die  for  my  sins,  not 
for  ray  treason  against  the  king,  as 
you  call  it."  Then  pointing  to  the 
wood  that  was  to  burn  his  bowels, 
he  said,  "  I  do  not  care  for  that ; 
what  matters  it  what  becomes  of 
my  body,  so  my  soul  be  at  rest?" 
After  this  he  prayed  to  himself 
near  half  .an  hour,  and  advising 
the  spectators  never  to  yield  to  po- 
pery, he  was  turned  off  the  ladder. 
He  was  a  courageous,  bold-spirited 
man,  just  and  punctual  in  all  his 
dealings,  and  much  beloved  by  his 
neighbours. 

Mr.  Lancaster  was  executed 
at  the  same  time  and  place  ;  his 
courage  and  deportment  were  such, 
that  he  out-braved  death,  and  in  a 
manner  challenged  it  to  hurt  him, 
saying,  "  I  die  for  a  good  cause, 
and  am  going  to  a  gracious  God. 
I  desire  all  your  Christian  prayers ; 
it  is  good  to  go  to  heaven  with 
company."  He  also  said  much  con- 
cerning the  duke  of  Monmouth, 
whom  he  supposed  at  that  time  to 
be  living ;  and  so  praying  privately 
for  some  small  time,  he  was  turned, 
or  rather  leaped,  over  the  ladder. 

EXECUTION  OF  BENJAMIN  SANDFORD, 
JOHN  BENNET,  AND  OTHERS. 

Mr.  Sandford  and  nine  others 
were  brought  from  Dorchester  to 
Bridport,  to  be  executed.    Coming 
to  the  place  of  execution,  he  held 
up  his  hands  to  heaven,  and  turn- 
ing himself  to   the   people,   said, 
"  I  am  an  old  man  you  see,  and 
I  little  thought  to  have  ended  my 
days  at  such  a  shameful  place,  and 
by  such  an  ignominious  death  ;  and 
indeed  it  is  dteadful  to  llesh  and 
blood,  as  well  as  a  reproach  to  re- 
lations, but  it  would  have  been  a 
great  deal  more  if  I  had  suffered 
for  some  felonious   account."      A 
person  present  said  to  him,  "  Is 
not  this  worse,  do  you  think,  than 
felony?"     He  answered,  "  I  know 
not  any  thing  I  have  done  so  bad 
as  felony,   that  this   heavy  judg- 
ment should  fall  on  me,  except  it 
be  for  my  sins   against   ray  God, 
whom  I  have  highly  provoked,  and 
I  must  acknowledge!  have  deserved 
ten  thousand  times  aiorc.     Lord,  I 


trust  thou  hast  pardoned  me  ;  seal 
my  pardon  in  the  blood  of  my  Sa- 
viour; Lord,  look  upon,  and  be 
with  me  to  the  last  moment." 

One  John  Bennet  was  also  exe- 
cuted at  the  same  time  ;  he  was 
poor,  but  pious,  and  of  good  re- 
port with  his  neighbours  in  Lyme, 
where  he  lived.  When  he  was  on 
trial,  a  person  informed  the  lord 
chief  justice,  that  the  prisoner  then 
at  the  bar,  had  alms  of  the  parish  ; 
to  which  his  lordship  replied,  "  Do 
not  trouble  yourselves,  1  will  ease 
the  parish  of  that  trouble." 

In  prison,  and  at  the  place  of 
execution,  he  behaved  himself  so 
well  to  all,  that  many  even  of  his 
enemies  pitied  him,  and  would,  if 
it  had  lain  in  their  power,  have 
saved  him.  His  son  offered  to 
have  died  for  him,  if  it  might  have 
been  suffered.  At  the  place  of  ex- 
ecution he  prayed  some  short  time, 
and  so  was  translated  from  this 
troublesome  world  into  celestial 
joy  and  eternal  happiness! 


We  shall  here  conclude  our  ac- 
count of  the  barbarities  committed 
by    those    monsters    Jeffreys    and 
Kirke,    in   the   west   of  England; 
not    that    we    have    related    the 
whole,    or   even   a  tenth   part    of 
them;  but  an  unvarying  recital  of 
cruelties  is  tedious  and  disgusting, 
however  true;    and   we   therefore 
pass  on  to  other  matters;    merely 
observing  that,   beside  those  who 
were  hanged,  great  numbers  were 
severely     whipped,      and     impri- 
soned;   and  almost  every  gentle- 
man in   that  part  of  the   country 
was  subjected  to  enormous  lines, 
to  hesitate   about  the  payment  of 
which    was    construed    into    high 
treason:  even  those  who  received 
his     majesty's     gracious     pardon, 
were  compelled  to  purchase  it  by 
bribing  the  court  favourites;  and, 
on  the  whole,  there  was  scarcely  a 
family   in   Somersetshire,   Dorset- 
shire, and  the  adjoining  counties, 
which  had  not  to  mourn  the  death 
or  the   sufferings  of  some   of   its 
members,  or  was  not  reduced  to 
comparative  poverty  by  the   exac- 
tions of  the  harpies  of  the  court. 


878 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


SECTION  VII. 

KEin-LLlONS    AND    CONSPIRACIES     FORMED     BY    THE   PAPISTS,     FROM     THE 
REVOLUTION    TO    THE    REIGN    OF    GEORGE    II, 


It  is  now  our  task  to  relate  ano- 
ther of  those  horrible  plots  which 
will  for  ever  disgrace  the  name  of 
PorERY,  and  render  it  olmoxious 
to  every  one  who  is  not  blinded  by 
the  specious  statements  of  its  sup- 
porters—we mean  the  Assassina- 
tion Plot,  formed  for  the  de- 
struction of  that  truly  g:reat  and 
good  monarch,  William  III. 

THE    assassination    PLOT. 

The  papists,  whose  souls  were 
still  anxious  to  eclipse  the  power 
of  the  protestants,  and  to  subvert 
the  government,  had  been,  for 
some  time,  projecting  another 
scheme  to  answer  their  wished-for 
purposes,  and  at  length  an  oppor- 
tunity offered;  but,  happily  for 
England,     it    was    providentially 

frustrated.  ,.  ,    ,.     , 

The  intent  of  this  diabolical 
scheme  was,  to  assassinate  Wil- 
liam III.  and  to  restore  James  to 
the  English  throne.  It  was  first 
projected  by  the  French  king,  and 
furthered  by  the  popish  emissaries 
in  England. 

King  William  had  been,  for  a 
considerable  time,  at  war  with 
France;  and  had  such  success  as 
almost  to  ruin  and  depopulate  that 
country.  This  so  enraged  the 
French  monarch,  that  he  deter- 
mined to  make  one  grand  and  final 
effort  to  restore,  if  possible, 
James,  his  friend  and  ally,  to  the 
throne  ;  as  to  the  success  of  which 
they  were  filled  with  the  most  san- 
guine hopes,  by  the  death  of 
queen  Mary,  which  circumstance, 
they  supposed,  had  greatly  les- 
sened the  king's  interest  in  this 
country. 

The  scheme  of  an  invasion,  and 
the  design  of  taking  off"  the  Eng- 
lisii  monarch,  were  publicly  men- 
tioned in  France  in  the  beginning 
of  February,  1G95;  and  it  was 
known  that  Louis  had  sent  an 
army  to  Calais,  so  that  nothing  but 
a  favourable  opportunity  seemed 
wanting  to  begin  the  daring  at- 
tempt. 


On  the  1 8th  of  February  James 
set  out  for  Calais,  when  the  troops, 
artillery,  and  stores,  were  ordered 
to  be  put  on  board  the  vessels 
lying  there  for  that  purpose ;  news 
being:  hourly  expected  from  Eng- 
land of  the  assassination  being 
perpetrated. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  duke  of 
Wirtemberg,  alarmed  at  the  re- 
ports current  in  France,  dis- 
patched an  aide-de-camp  to  Eng- 
land in  order  to  inform  William  of 
the  destruction  which  awaited  him. 
The  prince  of  Vaudemont,  then  at 
Brussels,  dispatched  messengers 
with  the  same  intelligence,  adding, 
that  he  had  laid  an  embargo  on  all 
the  ships  in  the  harbours  of  Fl  anders , 
in  order  to  transport  troops  into  Eng- 
land for  his  majesty's  service.  But 
notwithstanding  all  the  expedition 
used  by  the  duke  of  Wirtemberg, 
the  king  had,  some  time  before  the 
arrival  of  his  messenger,  reoeived 
certain  accounts,  not  only  of  the 
intended  invasion,  but  also  of  the 
conspiracy  against  his  person. 

The  principal  persons  in  Eng- 
land concerned  in  the  plot  for  as- 
sassinating the  king,  were  the  fol- 
lowing: the  earl  of  Aylesbury; 
lord  Montgomery,  son  to  the  mar- 
quis of  Powis ;  sir  John  Fenwick ; 
sir  William  Perkins;  sir  John 
Friend;  captain  Charnock;  cap- 
tain Porter;  and  Mr.  Goodman. 

The  duke  of  Berwick  (an  illegi- 
timate son  of  James  II.)  had  come 
privately  over  to  England,  in  the 
beginning  of  February,  in  order  to 
hasten  the  preparations  of  the  con- 
spirators, whom  he  assured  that 
king  James  v/as  ready  to  make  a 
descent,  at  the  head  of  twenty-two 
thousand  French  troops.  At  the 
same  time,  he  distributed  com- 
missions, and  gave  directions  for 
procuring  men,  horses,  and  arms, 
for  joining  him  on  his  arrival. 
Various  rumours  were  spread, 
with  regard  to  the  nature  of  these 
commissions:  some  said  they  im- 
ported nothing  more  than  to  levy 


ASSASSINATION  PLOT. 


877 


war  against  the  prince  of  Orange, 
and  all  his  adherents,  and  that 
king  James  was  totally  ignorant  of 
the  more  detestable  part  of  the 
scheme;  while  others  asserted  that 
they  related  to  both. 

But  however  that  may  be,  the 
conspirators,  who  were  several  in 
number,  besides  those  already 
mentioned,  had  held  various  meet* 
ings,  in  order  to  conceit  the  most 
proper  measures  for  executing 
their  hellish  design.  Sir  George 
Berkeley,  a  native  of  Scotland,  a 
person  of  undaunted  courage, 
close,  cautious,  and  circumspect, 
though  a  furious  bigot  to  the 
church  of  Rome,  came  over  in  Ja- 
nuary with  a  private  commission 
from  king  James,  by  virtue 
whereof,  the  party  in  England 
were  implicitly  to  obey  his  orders. 
This  person  undertook  the  detest- 
able task  of  murdering  the  king, 
with  the  assistance  of  forty  horse- 
men, furnished  by  the  conspirators. 
Various  methods  were  at  first  pro- 
posed for  effecting  this  purpose ; 
but  it  was  at  last  determined  to 
attack  tlie  king  on  his  return  from 
Richmond,  wliere  he  usually  hunted 
every  Saturday.  The  place  pitched 
upon  was  the  lane  leading  from 
Brentford  to  Turnham  Green. 
Perhaps  a  place  more  likely  could 
not  be  found ;  for  his  majesty  ge- 
nerally returning  late  from  the 
chase,  usually  crossed  the  ferry, 
attended  by  only  a  few  of  his 
guards,  without  coming  out  of  his 
coach;  and  as  he  landed  on  the 
Middlesex  side  of  the  river,  the 
coach  drove  on  without  stopping 
for  the  rest  of  the  guards,  who 
were  obliged  to  wait  on  the  Surrey 
side  till  the  boat  returned  to  carry 
them  over.  So  that  the  king  must 
inevitably  have  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  conspirators,  before 
the  rest  of  his  guards  could  have 
come  to  his  assistance. 

Nor  were  the  time  and  place 
more  artfully  contrived,  than  the 
disposition  and  arrangement  of  the 
men:  for,  having  secured  several 
places  in  Brentford,  Turnham- 
Green,  and  other  houses  in  the 
neighbourhood,    to    put    up    their 


horses,  till  the  king  returned  from 
hunting,  one  of  the  conspirators  was 
ordered  to  wait  at  the  ferry  till  the 
guards  appeared  on  the  Surrey 
side  of  the  water;  and  then  to  give 
speedy  notice  to  the  rest,  that  they 
might  be  ready  at  their  respective 
posts,  while  the  king  was  crossing 
the  river.  In  order  to  this,  they 
were  divided  into  three  parties, 
who  were  to  make  their  approaches 
by  three  different  ways;  one  from 
Turnham-Green,  another  from  the 
lane  leading  to  the  Thames,  and  a 
third  from  the  road  leading  through 
Brentford.  One  of  these  parties 
was  to  attack  the  king's  guards  in 
the  front,  another  in  the  rear, 
while  ten  or  twelve  of  the  most 
daring  and  resolute  were  to  assas- 
sinate his  majesty  by  firing  theii- 
blunderbusses  at  him  through  the 
coach  windows.  It  was  also 
agreed,  that  when  the  bloody  pur- 
pose was  accomplished,  the  con- 
spirators should  form  one  body, 
and  continue  their  ro^ite  to  Ham- 
mersmith, and  there  divide  them- 
selves into  small  parties  of  three 
or  four,  and  make  the  best  of  their 
way  to  Dover,  where  the  sudden 
landing  of  the  French  would  se- 
cure them  from  the  rage  of  the  po- 
pulace, and  the  hand  of  justice. 
Sir  George  Berkeley  complaining 
that  the  money  he  had  brought 
over  with  him  was  so  nearly  ex- 
hausted, that  the  remainder  was 
not  sufficient  to  furnish  forty 
horses,  the  only  necessaries  which 
were  now  wanting,  they  agreed 
that  he  should  find  but  half  the 
number,  and  sir  William  Perkins, 
Porter,  and  Charnock,  were  to 
provide  the  rest. 

Saturday,  the  15th  of  February, 
was  fixed  for  the  murder  of  the 
king,  but  his  majesty  being  indis- 
posed, did  not  go  abroad  that  day. 
This  trivial  circumstance  struck 
the  assassins  with  dismay.  They 
immediately  concluded  that  the 
conspiracy  was  discovered;  but 
finding  that  all  remained  quiet, 
they  again  met,  and  agreed  to  be 
in  readiness  on  the  Saturday  fol- 
lowing. Just  as  they  were  setting 
out,     they    received    intelligence 


878 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


from  Chambers  and  Diirant,  two 
of  their  accomplices,  that  the 
j^iiards  were  all  come  back  in 
great  haste,  and  that  there  was  a 
Avhisper  among  the  people,  that  a 
horrid  plot  was  discovered.  This 
news  put  the  conspirators  into  the 
utmost  consternation,  and  they 
immediately  dispersed. 

Tlie  conspiracy  was  discovered 
in  the  following  manner:  captain 
Porter,  the  day  before  the  scheme 
was  to  have  been  put  into  execu- 
tion, divulged  the  whole  plot  to  an 
intimate  friend  of  his,  named  Pen- 
dcrgrass,  whom  he  solicited  to  be 
one  of  their  number.  Pendergrass 
seemingly  complied;  but,  struck 
with  horror  at  the  atrociousness  of 
the  crime,  he  instantly  acquainted 
the  earl  of  Portland  with  the 
scheme,  and  desired  he  might  be 
introduced  to  his  majesty,  which 
being  complied  with,  he  fully 
made  known  to  him  all  the  parti- 
culars he  knew  of  this  horrid  con- 
spiracy, and,  after  many  entreaties 
from  the  king,  added  to  a  solemn 
promise  that  he  should  not  be  pro- 
duced as  an  evidence  without  his 
own  consent,  he  gave  in  a  list  of 
the  assassins. 

A  proclamation  was  now  issued 
for  apprehending  the  conspirators, 
and  most  of  them  were  secured, 
but  Berkeley  found  means  to 
escape.  Admiral  Russel  was  or- 
dered to  Chatham,  to  hasten  the 
fleet  out  to  sea.  The  rendezvous 
was  appointed  in  the  Downs,  to 
which  place  all  the  men  of  war, 
then  in  the  sea-ports,  were  or- 
dered to  sail.  This  was  accom- 
plished with  such  expedition,  that 
in  a  few  days  a  fleet  of  lifty  sail 
had  assembled,  with  which  the  ad- 
miral stood  over  to  the  French 
coast.  The  enemy,  astonished  at 
his  sudden  appearance,  retired, 
with  the  utmost  precipitation,  into 
their  harbours;  and  James,  per- 
ceiving that  his  design  was  de- 
feated, returned,  overwhelmed 
with  despair,  to  St.  Germain's, 
where  he  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  life. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  the 
king  went  to  the  House  of  Peers, 


and  in  a  speech  to  both  Louses, 
informed  them  of  the  conspiracy, 
and  intended  invasion.  In  a  very 
aifectionate  and  loyal  address, 
they  congratulated  him  on  his 
escape  from  the  designs  of  his 
enemies;  declared  their  abhor- 
rence of  such  villanous  attempts; 
and  solemnly  promised  to  assist 
his  majesty,  and  defend  his  royal 
person  against  all  his  enemies,  de- 
clared and  private.  They  like- 
wise drew  up  an  association  to  the 
same  purpose,  which  was  signed 
by  all  the  members.  From  the 
parliament  the  association  was 
carried  to  every  part  of  the  king- 
dom, and  signed  by  all  ranks  of 
people.  The  bishops  drew  up  a 
particular  form,  but  in  the  same 
spirit,  which  was  subscribed  to  by 
the  greater  part  of  the  clergy. 

On  the  11th  of  March,  Robert 
Charnock,  Edward  King,  and  Tho- 
mas Keys,  three  of  the  conspira- 
tors, were  brought  to  their  trials  at 
the  Old  Bailey.  The  court  in- 
dulged them  with  all  the  liberty 
they  could  desire,  to  make  their 
defence;  notwithstanding  which 
they  were,  upon  the  fullest  and 
plainest  evidence,  found  guilty  of 
high-treason;  and  sentence  being 
passed  upon  them,  they  were,  on 
the  18th  of  March,  hanged  and 
quartered  at  Tyburn.  Their  exe- 
cution was  followed  by  that  of  se- 
veral others  of  the  conspirators ;  a 
proclamation  was  issued  for  ap- 
prehending lord  Montgomery  and 
sir  John  Fenwick,  su,spected  to  be 
accomplices  in  the  plot;  and  the 
earl  of  Aylesbury  was  committed 
to  the  Tower  on  the  same  suspi- 
cion. 

The  case  of  sir  John  Fenwick 
was,  some  time  after,  brought  into 
the  House  of  Commons,  where, 
though  his  guilt  was  thoroughly 
proved,  he  could  not  be  convicted 
by  common  law,  on  account  of  one 
positive  evidence  only  appearing 
against  him:  a  bill  of  attainder 
was,  therefore,  after  some  debates, 
passed  by  both  houses;  and,  on 
the  28th  of  31arch,  he  was  be- 
headed on  Tower-hill. 

Thus  was  this  horrid  conspiracy 


ATTERBUHY'S  PLOT. 


879 


feappily  frustrated,  and  the  authors 
of  it  brouo^ht  to  that  condign  pu- 
nishment which  their  infamy  me- 
rited. The  king's  life  was  the  se- 
curity of  his  subjects,  who  heartily 
rejoiced,  as  they  had  reason  to  do, 
in  being  thereby  preserved  from 
the  miseries  of  popery  and  arbi- 
trary government. 

REBELLIONS  AND  PLOTS  IN  THK 
KKIGNS  OF  ANNE,  GEOKGE  I. 
AND    II. 

During  the  three  reigns  above 
named,  the  papists  anxiously 
soujrht  occasion  to  disturb  the  go- 
Terument,  and  to  excite  tlie  reli- 
gious and  political  prejudices  of 
the  people  against  their  sove- 
reigns. In  each  of  these  reigns 
rebellions  were  raised,  which, 
however,  led  only  to  the  ruin  and 
death  of  the  conspirators,  and 
strengthened,  instead  of  weaken- 
ing, the  attachment  of  the  British 
nation  to  a  line  of  raonarchs  under 
whom  they  enjoyed  the  blessings 
of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  The 
particulars  of  these  attempts  are 
so  well  known,  or  may  so  easily  be 
learned,  that  it  is  quite  unneces- 
sary to  occupy  our  pages  with  the 
detail;  we  shall,  however,  give 
the  particulars  of  a  plot  in  the  year 
1722,  which,  although  equally 
atrocious,  readers  are  not  generally 
so  well  acquainted  with. 

atterbury's  plot. 

In  the  year  1722,  advice  was  re- 
ceived from  the  duke  of  Orleans, 
of  a  most  treacherous  conspiracy 
carried  on  against  the  British  go- 
vernment in  favour  of  the  Pre- 
tender. On  this  intelligence  a 
camp  was  formed  in  Hyde-Park, 
and  the  military  officers  were  or- 
dered to  repair  to  their  respective 
commands;  some  troops  were 
called  over  from  Ireland,  and  the 
Dutch  states  were  desired  to  keep 
in  readiness  the  guarantee  troops, 
in  order  to  be  sent  to  England  in 
case  of  emergency. 

The  conspirators  had,  by  their 
emissaries,  made  the  strongest  so- 
licitations to  foreign  powers  for 
assistance,  but  were  disappointed 


in  their  expectations;  notwith- 
standing which,  confiding  in  their 
numbers,  they  resolved  to  trust  to 
their  own  strength,  and  to  attempt 
the  subversion  of  the  government. 
But  their  intentions  being  timely 
discovered,  their  scheme  was  ren- 
dered abortive. 

Several  persons  were  appre- 
hended as  parties  in  this  plot. 
The  earl  of  Orrery,  the  bishop  of 
Rochester,  and  tlie  lord  North  and 
Grey,  were  committed  to  the 
Tower  for  high-treason;  and  the 
duke  of  Norfolk,  who  had  been 
seized  by  his  majesty's  order,  was, 
witii  the  consent  of  the  House  of 
Peers,  sent  to  the  same  prison. 

Christopher  Layer,  esq.  a  coun- 
sellor, who  had  been  also  appre- 
hended on  account  of  this  conspi- 
racy, was  tried  at  the  King's 
Bench,  Westminster,  on  the  2lst 
of  November.  His  indictment  set 
forth,  "  that  he  had  been  em- 
ployed in  forming  a  most  trai- 
torous, horrid  plot  and  conspiracy, 
against  his  majesty  and  his  go- 
vernment, by  enlisting  men  for  the 
Pretender's  service,  in  order  to 
stir  up  a  rebellion ;  and  also  that 
he  had  held  a  correspondence 
with  the  Pretender,  by  carrying 
letters  and  treasonable  papers  to 
him  beyond  the  seas,  and  from 
him  to  the  disaifected  in  this  king- 
dom." After  a  trial,  which  lasted 
seventeen  hours,  the  jury  brought 
him  in  guilty,  and  he  received 
sentence  of  death.  He  was  re- 
prieved from  time  to  time,  in  the 
hope  of  his  making  discoveries, 
but  he  either  could  not,  or  would 
not,  satisfy  these  expectations :  he 
was,  therefore,  on  the  17th  of 
May,  1723,  drawn  on  a  sledge  to 
Tyburn,  and  there  hanged  and 
quartered,  pursuant  to  his  sen- 
tence; after  which  his  head  was 
cut  off,  and  fixed  on  Temple  Bar, 

This  conspiracy  was  so  artfully 
carried  on  under  fictitious  names, 
that  it  required  the  greatest  appli- 
cation to  come  to  the  true  know- 
ledge of  some  of  the  persons  con- 
cerned. The  committee  which 
had  been  appointed  by  the  House 
of  Commons,   to  examine  the  pa- 


880 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


pers  relative  to  the  conspiracy,  de- 
livered it  as  tlieir  opinion,  "  tiiat 
a  design  had  long  been  carried  on 
by  persons  of  distinction  abroad, 
for  placing  the  Pretender  on  the 
throne  of  these  kingdoms:  that 
various  methods  had  been  at- 
tempted, and  different  times  fixed 
for  carrying  their  designs  into  ex- 
ecution:  that  the  first  intention 
was  to  have  procured  a  regular 
body  of  foreign  forces  to  invade 
these  kingdoms,  at  the  time  of  the 
late  elections;  but  that  the  conspi- 
rators being  disappointed  in  this 
expectation,  they  resolved  next,  to 
make  an  attempt  at  the  time  his 
majesty  intended  to  go  to  Ha- 
nover, by  the  help  of  such  forces 
and  soldiers  as  could  pass  into 
England  unobserved  from  abroad, 
under  the  command  of  the  duke  of 
Ormond,  who  was  to  have  landed 
in  the  river  with  a  great  quantity 
of  arms  provided  in  Spain  for  that 
purpose,  at  which  time  the  Tower 
was  likewise  to  have  been  seized, 
and  the  city  of  London  to  have 
been  made  a  place  of  arms;  but 
this  design  being  also  prevented 
by  the  discoveries  made  in  Eng- 
land, and  his  majesty's  putting  off 
his  journey;  by  the  encampment 
of  the  forces  at  home,  as  well  as 
the  sending'  for  those  from  Ire- 
land ;  by  the  readiness  of  his  ma- 
jesty's good  allies,  the  States- Ge- 
neral, to  assist  him  in  case  of  ne- 
cessity ;  by  the  orders  given  in 
Spain,  that  the  duke  of  Ormond 
should  not  embark ;  and  the  like 
orders  issued  in  Fiance,  that  he 
should  not  be  suffered  to  pass 
through  that  kingdom ;  the  conspi- 
rators found  themselves  under  a 
necessity  of  deferring  their  enter- 
prise till  the  breaking  up  of  the 
camp,  during  which  interval  they 
were  labouring,  by  their  agents 
and  emissaries,  to  corrupt  and  se- 
duce the  officers  and  soldiers  of  his 
majesty's  army ;  and  so  much  did 
they  depend  on  this  defection,  as  to 
entertain  hopes  of  placing  the  Pre- 
tender on  the  throne,  though  they 
should  not  obtain  any  assistance 
from  abroad,  which  nevertheless 
they  still  continued  to  solicit." 


The  House  of  Commons,  after  a 
mature  consideration  of  the  whole 
matter,  brought  in  three  several 
bills  to  inflict  pains  and  penalties 
on  Atterbury,  bishop  of  Roches- 
ter, John  Plunket,  and  George 
Kelly,  as  being  principally  con- 
cerned in  this  diabolical  plot; 
which  bills  passed  both  houses, 
and  received  the  royal  assent. 
The  bishop  was  deprived  of  his 
office  and  benefice,  banished  the 
kingdom,  and  pronounced  guilty 
of  felony  if  he  returned:  the  power 
of  pardoning  him  was  denied  to 
the  king,  without  the  consent  of 
parliament;  but  he  was  not  to  for- 
feit his  goods  and  chattels.  Plun- 
ket and  Kelly  were  to  be  kept  in 
close  custody,  during  his  majesty's 
pleasure,  in  any  prison  in  Great 
Britain;  and  they  were  not  to  at- 
tempt an  escape  on  pain  of  death 
to  be  inflicted  on  them  and  their 
assistants. 

The  duke  of  Norfolk,  the  lord 
North  and  Grey,  Dennis  Kelly, 
and  Thomas  Cochran,  esqrs.  who 
had  been  confined  in  the  Tower, 
were  admitted  to  bail ;  as  was  also 
David  du  Boyce,  confined  in  New- 
gate on  the  same  account.  A  man 
of  war  was  appointed  to  convey 
the  bishop  of  Rochester  to  France, 
the  place  he  had  chosen  for  his 
asylum  during  his  exile ;  and  the 
royal  pardon  was  granted  to  lord 
Bolingbroke,  who  owed  that  indul- 
gence to  the  earnest  solicitation  of 
lord  Harcourt,  though  it  was  vehe- 
mently opposed  at  the  council- 
board. 

Thus  did  this  conspiracy,  like 
the  former,  fall  to  the  ground; 
and,  excepting  the  attempt  made  in 
the  succeeding  reign,  to  overthrow 
the  government,  by  placing  the  Pre- 
tender on  the  throne,  and  thereby 
again  to  establish  popery,  no  other 
avowed  effort  has  since  .been 
made;  and  the  protestant  subjects 
of  this  realm  have  been,  and  it  is 
hoped  ever  will  be,  in  an  uninter- 
rupted enjoyment  of  those  reli- 
gious principles  which  are  consis- 
tent with,  and  conformable  to,  the 
true  gospel  of  the  Redeemer  of 
Mankind. 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— 1814  to  1820. 


881 


SECTION  VII. 

OF     THt:    PERSECUTIONS    OF    THE     FRENCH    PROTESTANTS    IN   THE    SOUTH   OF 
FRANCE    DURING    THE    YEARS    1814    AND    1820. 


The  perseculion  of  this  Protestant 
part  of  France  had  continued  with 
very  little  intermission  from  the  re- 
vocation of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  by 
Louis  XIV,  till  a  very  short  period 
previous  to  the  commencement  of  the 
late  French  revolution.  In  the  year 
1785,  M.  Rebaut  St.  Etienne  and 
the  celebrated  M.  de  la  Fayette  M'cre 
among  the  first  persons  wlio  interest- 
ed themselves  with  the  court  of 
Louis  XVI,  in  removing- the  scourge 
of  persecution  from  this  injured  peo- 
ple, the  inhabitants  of  the  South  of 
France. 

Such  was  the  opposition  on  the 
part  of  the  Catholics  and  the  Cour- 
tiers, that  it  was  not  till  the  end  of 
the  year  1790,  that  the  Protestants 
were  freed  from  their  alarms.  Pre- 
viously to  tliis,  the  Catholics  at 
Nismes  in  ])articidar,  Iiad  taken  up 
arms :  Nismes  then  presented  a 
frightful  spectacle  ;  armed  men  ran 
through  the  city,  fired  from  the  cor- 
ners of  the  streets,  and  attacked  all 
they  met  with  swords  and  forks.  A 
man  named  Astuc  was  wounded  and 
thrown  into  the  Aqueduct  ;  Baudon 
fell  under  the  repeated  strokes  of 
bayonets  and  sabres,  and  his  body 
was  also  thrown  into  the  water; 
Boucher,  a  young  man  only  17  years 
of  age,  was  shot  as  he  was  looking 
out  of  his  window  ;  three  electors 
wounded,  one  dangerously  ;  another 
elector  wounded,  only  escaped  death 
by  repeatedly  declaring  he  was  a 
Catholic  ;  a  third  received  four  sabre 
wounds,  and  was  taken  home  dread- 
fully mangled.  The  citizens  that 
fled  were  arrested  by  the  Catholics 
upon  the  roads,  and  obliged  to  give 
proofs  of  their  religion  before  their 
lives  were  granted.  M.  and  Ma- 
dame Vogue  were  at  their  cotuitry 
house,  which  the  zealots  broke  open, 
where  they  massacred  both  and  de- 
stroyed their  dwelling.  M.  Blacher,  a 
Protestant  seventy  jears  of  age,  was 
cut  to  pieces  with  a  sickle;  Young 
Pyerre,  carrying  some  food  to  his 
brother,  was  asked, '  Catholic  or  Pro- 
testant?' '  Protestant' being  the  reply, 

fox's   MARTVR-!, 


a  monster  fired  at  the  lad  and  he  fell. 
One  of  the  murderer's  companions 
said,  '  you  might  as  well  have  killed 
a  Iamb;'  '  I  have  sworn,'  rei)lied  he, 
'  to  kill  four  Protestants  for  my  share, 
and  this  will  count  for  one.'  How- 
ever, as  these  atrocities  provoked  the 
troo|)s  to  unite  in  defence  of  the  peo- 
ple, a  terrible  vengance  was  retaliat- 
ed upon  tlu;  Catholic  party  that  had 
used  arms,  which,  with  other  circum- 
stances, especially  the  toleration  ex- 
ercised by  Napoleon  Buonaparte, 
kept  them  down  completely  till  the 
year  1814,  when  the  unexpected  re- 
turn of  the  ancient  government  ral- 
lied them  all  once  more  roinid  the 
old  banners. 

THE    ARRIVAL    OF    KING     LOUIS    XVIII 
AT   PARIS. 

This  was  known  at  Nismes  on  the 
13fh  of  April,  1814.  In  a  (piarter  of 
an  hour,  the  white  cockade  was  seen 
in  every  direction,  the  white  flag 
floated  on  all  the  public  buildings,  on 
the  splendid  monuments  of  antiquity, 
and  even  on  the  tower  of  Magne, 
beyond  the  city  walls.  The  Protes- 
tants, whose  commerce  had  suffered 
materially  dining  the  war,  were 
among  the  first  to  unite  in  the  gene- 
ral joy,  and  to  send  in  their  adhesion 
to  the  senate  and  the  legislative  body ; 
and  several  of  the  Protestant  depart- 
ments sent  addresses  to  the  throne; 
but  unfortunately,  M.  Froment  was 
again  at  Nismes  at  the  moment;  when 
many  bigots  being  ready  to  join  him, 
the  blindness  and  fury  of  the  six- 
teenth century  rapidly  succeeded  the 
intelligence  and  philanthropy  of  the 
nineteenth.  A  line  of  distinction 
was  instantly  traced  between  men  of 
different  religious  opinions:  the  spirit 
of  the  old  Catholic  Chinch  was  again 
to  regulate  each  person's  share  of 
esteem  and  safety.  The  dilference 
of  religion  was  now  to  govern  evor}' 
thing  else;  and  even  Catholic  do- 
mestics who  had  served  Protestants 
with  zeal  and  afl'ection,  began  to 
neglect  their  duties,  or  to  perform 
them   ungraciously  and   with  reluct- 

56 


S82 


KOOK  OF  MARTY KS. 


ance.  At  the  Teles  ajid  spectiults 
that  were  ^ivcii  at  the  public  e\- 
pcnce,  the  absence  of  (lie  I'loteslaiits 
was  charged  on  liieiii  as  a  proof  of 
Iheir  dislojalt}  ;  aut!  in  the  midst  of 
the  cries  of  '  Fa-e  le  Rot,'  tiie  dis- 
cordant sounds  of  '  A  bus  le  Maire,' 
down  with  the  VSayor,  were  heard. 
M.  C'asteluau  was  a  Protestant;  lie 
appeared  in  pii})lic  with  the  prefect 
M.  Holand,  a  Catholic,  when  pota- 
toes were  thrown  at  hiin,  and  the 
people  declared  that  he  ought  to 
resign  his  office-  The  bigots  of 
Nisineseven  succeeded  in  procuring 
an  address  to  be  presented  to  the 
king,  stating  that  there  ought  to  be 
in  France  but  one  God,  one  King, 
and  one  Fait'i.  In  this  they  were 
imitated  by  the  Catholics  of  several 
towns. 

TllF.    ni^TORV    OF    THE     SILVER     CHILD. 

About  this  time  M.  Baron,  Coun- 
sellor of  the  Cour  IJoyale  of  Nismes, 
formed  the  plan  of  dedicating  to  God 
a  Silver  child,  if  the  Duchess  d'An- 
g-ouleme  would  gi\e  a  prince  to 
France.  This  project  was  converted 
into  a  public  ieligious  vow,  which 
was  the  subject  of  conversation  both 
public  and  private,  whilst  persons, 
whose  imaginations  were  inflamed 
by  these  proceedings,  run  about  the 
streets  crying  Vivent  les  Bourbons,  or 
the  Bourbons  for  ever.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  superstitious  frenzy,  it 
is  said  that,  at  Alais,  women  w  ere  ad- 
vised and  instigated  to  poison  tlieir 
Protestant  husbands,  and  at  length 
it  was  found  convenient  to  accuse 
them  of  political  crimes.  They  could 
no  longer  appear  in  public  without 
insults  and  injuries.  When  the  mobs 
met  with  Protestants,  they  seized 
them  and  danced  round  them  with 
barbarous  joy,  and  amidst  repeated 
cries  of  Vive  le  Roi,  they  sung 
verses,  the  burden  of  which  was  '  We 
will  wash  our  hands  in  Protestant 
blood,  and  make  black  puddings  of 
the  blood  of  Calvin's  children.'  The 
citizens  who  came  to  the  promenades 
for  air  and  refreshment,  from  the 
close  and  dirty  streets,  were  chased 
with  shouts  of  Vive  le  Roi,  as  if  those 
sbouts  were  to  justify  every  excess. 
If  Protestants  referred  to  the  Charter, 


they  were  directly  assured  it  would 
be  of  no  use  to  them,  and  that  they 
had  only  been  managed  to  be  more 
effectually  destroyed.  Persons  of 
rank  were  heard  to  saj^  in  the  public 
streets,  "  All  the  Hugonots  must 
be  killed  ;  this  tiEnc  their  children 
must  be  killed,  that  none  of  the 
accursed  race  may  remain.'  Still  it  is 
true  they  were  not  murdered,  but 
cruelly  treated  ;  Protestant  children 
could  no  longer  mix  in  the  .sports  of 
Catholics,  and  were  not  even  per- 
mitted to  appear  without  their  pa- 
rents. At  dark,  their  families  shut 
themselves  up  in  iheir  apartments; 
but  even  then,  stones  w  ere  thrown 
against  their  windows.  When  they 
rose  in  the  morning,  it  was  not  un- 
common to  find  gibbets  drawn  on 
their  doors  or  walls ;  and  in  the 
streets,  the  Catholics  held  cords  al- 
ready soaped  before  their  eyes,  and 
pointed  out  the  instruments  by  which 
they  hoped  and  designed  to  exter- 
minate them.  Small  gallows  or 
models  were  handed  about,  and  a 
man  who  lived  opposite  to  one  of  the 
pastors,  exhibited  one  of  these  mo- 
dels in  his  window,  and  made  signs 
sufficiently  intelligible  when  the  mi- 
nister passed.  A  figure  representing 
a  Protestant  preacher  was  also  hung 
up  on  a  public  crossway  ;  and  the 
most  atrocious  songs  were  sung  un- 
der his  window.  Towards  the  con- 
clusion of  the  carnival,  a  plan  had 
even  been  formed  to  make  a  carica- 
ture of  the  four  ministers  ofthe  place, 
and  burn  them  in  effigy  ;  but  this 
was  prevented  by  the  Mayor  of 
Nismes,  a  Protestant  A  dreadful 
song  presented  to  the  Prefect,  in  the 
country  dialect,  with  a  false  transla- 
tion, was  printed  by  his  approval, 
and  had  a  great  run  before  he  saw 
the  extent  of  the  error  into  which  he 
had  been  betrayed.  The  sixty-third 
regiment  ofthe  line  was  publicly  cen- 
sured and  insulted,  for  having,  ac- 
cording to  order,  protected  the  Pro- 
testants. In  fact,  the  Protestants 
seemed  to  be  as  sheep  destined  for 
the  slaughter. 

napoleon's  return  from  the  isle 

OP    ELBA. 

Soon  after  this  event,   the  Duke 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— I8i4  to  1820. 


863 


d'Angouleme  was  at  Nismes,  and 
remained  there  some  time ;  but  even 
his  influence  was  insufficient  to  bring 
about  a  reconciliation  between  the 
CaUiolics  and  the  Protestants  of  that 
city.  During  the  hundred  days  be- 
twixt Napoleon's  return  from  the  Isle 
of  Elba  and  Jiis  final  downfal,  not  a 
single  life  was  lost  in  Nismes,  not  a 
single  house  was  pillaged:  only  four 
of  the  most  notorious  disturbers  of 
the  peace  were  punished,  or  rather 
prevented  from  doing  mischief;  and 
even  this  w  as  not  an  act  of  the  Pro- 
testants, but  the  «>Te<c  of  the  Catho- 
lic Prefect,  announced  every  where 
with  tlie  utmost  publicity.  Some 
time  after,  when  IVI.  Baron,  w  ho  pro- 
posed the  vow  of  the  silver  child  in 
favour  of  the  Duchess  d'Angoulerae, 
who  was  considered  as  a  chief  of  the 
Catholic  royalists,  was  discovered  at 
the  bottom  of  an  old  wine  tun,  the 
populace  threw  stones  at  his  carriage, 
and  vented  their  feelings  in  abusive 
language.  The  Protestant  officers 
protected  him  from  injury. 

TH£    CATHOLIC    ARMS    OF    BEAL'CArRE. 

In  May  1815,  a  federative  associa- 
tion similar  to  those  of  Lyons,  Gre- 
noble, Paris,  Avignon,  and  Mont- 
pellier,  was  desired  by  many  persons 
at  Nismes;  but  this  federation  ter- 
minated here  after  an  ephemeral  and 
illusory  existence  of  fourteen  days. 
In  the  mean  while  a  large  party  of 
Catholic  zealots  were  in  arms  at 
Beaucaire,  and  who  soon  pushed 
their  patroles  so  near  the  walls  of 
Nismes  '  as  to  alarm  the  inhabitants.' 
These  Catholics  applied  to  the  Eng- 
lish off  Marseilles  for  assistance,  and 
obtained  the  grant  of  1000  muskets, 
10,000  cartouches.  See.  General 
Gilly,  however,  was  soon  sent  against 
these  partisans,  who  prevented  them 
from  coming  to  extremes,  by  grant- 
ing them  an  armistice  ;  and  yet  when 
Louis  XVIII  had  returned  to  Paris 
after  the  expiration  of  Napoleon's 
reign  of  a  hundred  days,  and  peace 
and  party  spirit  seemed  to  have  been 
subdued,  even  at  Nismes,  bands  from 
Beaucaire  joined  Trestaillon  in  this 
city,  to  glut  the  vengeance  they  had 
•SO  long  premeditated.  General 
GiWy  had  left  the  department  several 


days :  the  troops  of  the  line  left  be- 
hind had  taken  the  white  cockade, 
and  waited  further  orders,  whilst  the 
royal  commissioners  had  only  to  pro- 
claim the  cessation  of  hostilities,  and 
Ihc  complete  establishment  of  the 
kijig's  authority.  In  vain,  no  com- 
missioners appeared,  no  dispatches 
arrived  to  talni  and  regulate  the  pub- 
lic mind;  but  towards  evening  the  ad- 
vanced guard  of  the  banditti,  to  the 
amount  of  several  hundreds,  entered 
the  city,  undesircd  but  unopposed. 
As  they  marched  without  order  or 
discipline,  covered  with  clothes  or 
rags  of  all  colours,  decorated  with 
cockades,  not  while,  but  while  and 
green,  armed  \\ith  muskets,  sabres, 
forks,  pistols,  and  reaping  hooks, 
intoxicated  with  wine,  and  stained 
with  the  blood  of  the  Protestants 
\\hom  they  had  murdered  on  their 
route,  they  presented  a  most  hideous 
and  appalling  spectacle.  In  the  open 
place  in  the  front  of  the  barracks, 
this  banditti  was  joined  by  the  city 
armed  mob,  headed  by  Jacques  Du- 
pont,  commonly  called  Trestaillon. 
To  save  the  effusion  of  blood,  this 
garrison  of  about  500  men  consent- 
ed to  capitulate,  and  marched  out 
sad  and  defenceless ;  but  when  about 
fifty  had  passed,  the  rabble  com- 
menced a  treniendous  fire  on  their 
confiding  and  unprotected  victims; 
nearly  all  were  killed  or  Mounded, 
and  but  very  few  could  re-enter  the 
yard  before  the  garrison  gates  were 
again  closed.  These  were  again 
forced  in  an  instant,  and  aM  were 
massacred  who  could  not  climb  over 
roofs,  or  leap  into  the  adjoining  gar- 
dens. In  a  word,  death  met  them  in 
every  place  and  in  everj'  shape,  and 
this  Catholic  massacre  rivalled  in 
cruelty  and  surpassed  in  treachery 
the  crimes  of  the  September  assassins 
of  Paris,  and  the  Jacobinical  but- 
cheries of  Lyons  and  Avignon.  It 
was  marked,  not  only  by  the  fervour 
of  the  Revolution,  but  by  the  subti- 
lity  of  the  league,  and  will  long  re- 
main a  blot  upon  the  history  of  the 
second  restoration. 

MASSACRE   AND   PILLAGE  AT  KISMES. 

Nismes  now  exhibited  a  ujost  aw- 
ful  scene  of  outrage  and  carnage, 


884 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


though  many  of  the  Protestants  had 
fled  to  the  Cevennes  and  the  Gar- 
donenque.  The  country  houses  of 
Messrs.  Rey,  Guiret,  and  several 
others,  had  been  pillaged,  and  the 
inhabitants  treated  witli  wanton  bar- 
barity. Two  parties  had  glutted  their 
savage  appetites  on  Ihe  farm  of  Ma- 
dame Frat:  tiie  first,  after  eating, 
drinking,  breaking  the  furniture,  and 
stealing  what  tliey  thoiiglit  proper, 
took  leave  by  announcing  the  arrival 
of  their  conuades,  '  compared  witli 
whom,'  they  said,  '  they  should  be 
thought  merciful.'  Three  men  and 
an  old  woman  were  left  on  the  pre- 
mises :  at  the  sight  of  the  second 
company  two  of  the  men  fled.  'Are 
you  a  Calholic?'  said  the  banditti  to 
the  old  woman.  'Yes.' — '  Uepeat, 
then,  your  Pater  and  Ave.'  Being 
terrified,  she  hesitated,  and  was  in- 
stantly knocked  down  with  a  musket. 
On  recovering  her  senses  she  stole 
out  of  the  house,  but  met  Ladet,  the 
old  valet  cle  ferme,  bringing  in  a 
salad  which  the  depredators  had  or- 
dered him  to  cut.  In  vain  she  en- 
deavoured to  persuade  him  to  fly. 
'Are  you  a  Protestant?'  they  ex- 
claimed :  '  I  am.'  A  musket  being 
discharged  at  him,  he  fell,  wounded, 
but  not  dead.  To  consummate  their 
work,  the  monsters  lighted  a  fire 
with  straw  and  boards,  threw  their 
yet  living  victim  into  the  flames,  and 
suffered  him  to  expire  in  the  most 
dreadful  agonies.  They  then  ate 
their  salad,  omelet,  &c.  The  next 
day  some  labourers,  seeing  the  house 
open  and  deserted,  entered,  and  dis- 
covered the  half-consumed  body  of 
Ladet.  The  prefect  of  the  Gard, 
M.  Darbaud  Jouques,  attentpting  to 
palliate  th«  crimes  of  the  Catholics, 
had  the  audacity  to  assert  that  Ladet 
was  a  Catholic;  but  this  was  pub- 
licly contradicted  by  two  of  the  pas- 
tors at  Nisnies. 

Anotlier  party  committed  a  dread- 
ful murder  at  St.  Cezaire,  upon  Im- 
bert  La  Plume,  tlie  husband  of  Suzon 
Chivas.  He  was  met  on  returning 
from  work  in  the  fields.  The  chief 
promised  Jiim  his  life,  but  insisted 
that  he  must  be  conducted. to  the 
prison  at  Nismes.  Seeing,  however, 
that  the  party  «^fi,s;d«terrained  to  kill 


him,  he  resumed  his  natural  charac- 
ter, and  being  a  powerful  and  cou- 
rageous man,  advanced,  and  ex- 
claimed, 'You  are  brigands — fire!' 
Four  of  them  fkeA,  and  he  fell,  but 
he  was  not  dead  ;  and  while  living 
they  mutilated  his  body,  and  then 
passing  a  cord  round  it,  drew  it 
along,  attached  to  a  cannon  of  which 
they  had  possession.  It  was  not  till 
after  eight  days  that  his  relatives 
were  apprized  of  his  death.  Five 
individuals  of  the  family  of  Chivas, 
all  husbands  and  lathers,  were  mas- 
sacred in  the  course  of  a  few  days. 

Near  the  barracks  at  Nismes  is  a 
large  and  handsome  house,  the  pro- 
perty of  M.  Vitte,  which  he  acquired 
by  exertion  and  economy.  Besides 
comfortable  lodgings  for  his  ovvn  fa- 
mily, he  let  more  than  twenty  cham- 
bers, mostly  occupied  by  superior 
oflicers  and  commissaries  of  the  army. 
IJe  never  enquired  the  opinion  of 
his  tenants,  and  of  course  his  guests 
were  persons  of  all  political  parties  ; 
but,  under  pretence  of  searching  for 
concealed  oflicers,  his  apartments 
were  overrun,  his  furniture  broken, 
and  his  property  carried  off  at  plea- 
sure- The  houses  of  Messrs.  La- 
gorce,  most  respectable  merchants 
and  manufacturers,  M.  Matthieu,  M. 
Negre,  and  others,  shared  tlie  same 
fate  :  many  only  avoided  by  the  own- 
ers paying  large  sums  as  commuta- 
tion money,  or  escaping  into  the 
country  with  their  cash. 

INTERFERENCE     OF    GOVERNMENT 
AGAINST  THE   PROTESTANTS. 

M.  Bernis,  Extraordinary  Royal 
Commissioner,  in  consequence  of 
these  abuses,  issued  a  proclamation 
which  reflects  disgrace  on  the  autho- 
rity from  which  it  emanated.  '  Con- 
sidering,' it  said,  '  that  tire  residence 
of  citizens  in  places  foreign  to  their 
domicile  can  only  be  prejudicial  to 
the  communes  they  have  left,  and  to 
those  to  which  they  have  repaired,  it 
is  ordered,  that  those  inhabitants 
who  have  quitted  their  residence 
since  the  commencement  of  July, 
return  home  by  the  28th  at  the  latest, 
otherwise  they  shall  be  deemed  ac- 
complices of  the  evil-disposod  per- 
sons who  disturb  the  public  tranquil- 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— 1814  to  1820.        88S 


li<y,  and  their  property  shall  be 
placed  under  provisional  sequestra- 
tion.' 

The  fiigidves  had  sufficient  induce- 
ments   to    return    to  their  hearths, 
Avithont    the   fear  of  sef|uestration. 
They  were  moie  anxious  to  embrace 
their   fathers,    mothers,    wives,  and 
children,  and  to  resume  their  ordi- 
nary occupations,   than   M.    JJcrnis 
could  be  to  ensure  their  return.   Eut 
thus  denouiicin;::  men  as  criminals, 
who  fled  for  safety   from  the  sabres 
of  assassins,  Mas  adding  oil  to   the 
lire  of  persecution.     Trestaillon,  one 
of  the   chiefs  of  the   brigands,  was 
dressed    in    complete    uniform   and 
epaulets   which   he   had  stolen;    he 
wore  a  sabre  at  his  side,   pistols   in 
his   belt,   a    cockade   of  white  and 
green,  and  a  sash  of  the  same  colours 
on    his   arm.      He  hail   under  him, 
Truphemy,  Servan,  Aime,  and  many 
other  desperate   characters.      Some 
lime  after  this,  M .  Eernis  ordered  all 
parties    and   individuals,     armed  or 
unarmed,  to  abstain  from  searching 
houses   without  either  an  order,  or 
the  presence  of  an  officer.     On  sus- 
picion of  arms  being  concealed,  the 
commandant  of  the  town  was  order- 
ed  to    furnish    a    patrol    to    make 
search  and  seizme ;  and  all  persons 
carrying  arms  in  the  streets,  without 
being  on  service,  were  to  be  arrest- 
ed.   'I'restaillon,  however,  who  still 
carried  arms,  was  not  arrested  till 
some  months  after,  and  then  not  by 
these  authorities,  but  by  General  La 
Garde,   who   was   afterwards  assas- 
sinated by  one  of  his  comrades.    On 
this  occasion  it  was  remarked,  that 
•  the   system  of  specious  and  decep- 
tive proclamations  vvas  perfectly  un- 
derstood, and  had   long  been  prac- 
tised in  Languedoc:  it  was  now  too 
late    to    persecute    the    Protestants 
simply  for  their  religion.     Even  in 
the  good  times  of  Louis  XIV  there 
was  public  opinion  enough  in  Europe 
to  make   that  arch  tyrant  have  re- 
course to  the   meanest  stratagems.' 
The  following  single  specimen  of  the 
plan  pursued  by  tlie  authors  of  the 
Dragonades  may  serve  as  a  key  to 
all  the  plausible  proclamations  which, 
in  1813,  covered  the  perpetration  of 


the    most  deliberate  and  extensive 
crimes : — 

Letter  from  Louvois  to  Marillac. 

'The  King  rejoices  to  learn  from 
your  letters,  that  there  are  so  many 
conversions  in  your  department;  and 
he  desires  that  you  would  continue 
your  efforts,    and   employ   the  same 
means    that   have  been    hitherto  so 
successful.    His  Majesty  has  ordered 
me  to  send   a  regiment   of  cavalry, 
the  greatest  part  of  which  he  wishes 
to  be  quartered  upon  the  Protestants, 
but  he  does  not  think  it  prudent  that 
they  should  be  all  lodged  with  them  ; 
that  is  to  say,  of  twenty-six  masters, 
of  which  a  company  is  composed,  if, 
by  a  judicious  distribution,  ten  ought 
to  be  received   by   the  Protestants, 
give  them  twenty,  and  put  them  all 
on  the  rich,  making   this  pretence, 
that    when    there   are   not   soldiers 
enough   in  a  town   for  all    to   have 
some,  the  poor  ought  to  be  exempt, 
and  the  rich  bin  dciied.    His  Majesty 
has  also  thought  proper  lo  order,  that 
all  converts  be  exempted  from  lodg- 
ing soldiers  for  two  years.     This  will 
occasion    numerous    conversions    if 
you   take  care    that  it  is  rigorously 
executed,  and  that  in  all  the   distri- 
butions and  passage  of  troops,  by  far 
the  greatest  number  are   quartered 
on  the  rich  protestants.   His  Majesty 
particidarly  enjoins,  that  your  orders 
on  this  subject,  either  by  yourself  or 
your  sub-delegates,  be  given  by  word 
ofmouthtothe  mayors  and  sheriffs, 
without  letting  them  know  that  his 
Majesty  intends  by  these  means  to 
force  to  become  converts,  and  only 
explaining  to   them,   that  you  give 
these  orders  on  the  information  you 
have  received,  that  in  these  places 
the  rich   are   excepted  by  their  in- 
fluence, to  the  prejudice  of  the  poor.' 
The   merciless   treatment  of  the 
women  in  this  persecution  at  Nismes 
was   such  as  would  have  disgraced 
any   savages    ever  heard  of.     The 
widows    Rivet    and    Bernard  were 
forced  to  sacrifice  enormous  sums; 
and  the  house  of  Mrs.  Lccointe  was 
ravaged,  and  her  goods  destroyed. 
Mrs.   F.    Didier   had   her    dwelling 
sacked  and  nearly  demolished  to  the 


see 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


foundations.  A  party  of  these  bigots 
■visited  the  widow  Periin,  M'ho  lived 
on  a  little  farm  at  the  windmills: 
having  committed  every  species  of 
devastation,  they  attacked  even  the 
sanctuary  of  the  dead,  which  con- 
tained the  relics  of  her  family.  They 
dragged  the  coffins  out,  and  scatter- 
ed the  contents  over  the  adjacent 
grounds.  In  vain  this  outraged  wi- 
dow collected  the  bones  of  her  an- 
cestors and  replaced  them :  they 
were  again  dug  up ;  and,  after  seve- 
ral useless  efforts,  they  were  reluc- 
tantly left  spread  over  the  surface  of 
the  fields. 

Till  the  period  announced  for  the 
sequestration  of  the  property  of  the 
fugitives  by   authority,  murder  and 
plunder  were  the  daily  employment 
of  what  was  called  the  army  of  Beau- 
caire,  and  the  Catholics  of  Nismes. 
M.  Peyron,  of  Brossan,  had  all  his 
property  carried  off':    his  wine,  oil, 
seed,  grain,  several   score   of  sheep, 
eight  mules,  three  carts,  his  furniture 
and  etfects,  all  the  cash  that  could 
be  found,  and  he  had  onl}'  to  congra- 
tulate himself  that  his  habitation  was 
not    consumed,    and  his  vineyards 
rooted  up.   A  similar  process  against 
several  other  Protestant  farmers  was 
also  regularly  carried  on  during  se- 
■veral  days.   Many  of  the  Protestants 
thus  persecuted  were  well  known  as 
staunch  royalists;  but  it  was  enough 
for  their  enemies  to  know  that  they  be- 
longed to  the  reformed  communion  : 
these  fanatics  Mere  determined  not 
to  find  either  royalists  or  citizens  wor- 
thy the   common  protection   of  so- 
sciety.    To  accuse,  condemn,  and  de- 
*  stroya  Protestant,  was  a  matter  that 
required  no  hesitation.    The  house 
of  M.  Vitte,  near  the  barracks  at 
Nismes,  was  broken  open,  and  every 
thing  within  the  walls  demolished. 
A  Jew  family  of  lodgers  was  driven 
out,  and  all  their  goods  thrown  out 
of  the  windows.  M.  Vitte  was  seized, 
robbed  of  his  watch  and  money,  se- 
Tcrely  wounded,  and  left  for  dead. 
After  he  had  been  fourteen  hours  in 
a  state  of  insensibility,  a  commissary 
of  police,  touched  by  his  misfortunes, 
administered  some  cordials  to  revive 
him;  and,  as  a  measure  of  safety. 


conducted  him  to  the  citadel,  where 
he  remained  many  days,  whilst  his 
family  lamented  him  as  dead.  At 
length,  as  there  was  not  the  slightest 
charge  against  him,  he  obtained  his 
liberation  IVom  M.  Vidal ;  but  when 
the  Austrians  arrived,  one  of  the 
aides-de-camp,  who  heard  of  his  suf- 
ferings and  his  respectability,  sought 
him  out,  and  fnrni.shed  an  escort  to 
conduct  his  family  to  a  place  of  safe- 
ty. Dalbos,  the  only  city  beadle 
who  was  a  Protestant,  was  dragged 
from  his  home  and  led  to  prison. 
His  neice  threw  herself  on  the  neck 
of  one  of  them  and  begged  for  mercy : 
the  ruffian  dashed  her  to  the  ground. 
His  sister  was  driven  away  by  the 
mob ;  and  he  being  shot,  his  body 
remained  a  long  time  exposed  to  the 
insults  of  the  rabble. 

ROYAL  DECREE  IN  FAVOUR  OF  THE 
PERSECUTED. 

At  length  the  decree  of  Louis 
XVIII,  which  annulled  all  the  ex- 
traordinary powers  conferred  either 
by  the  King,  the  princes,  or  subordi- 
nate agents,  was  received  at  Nismes, 
and  the  laws  were  now  to  be  admi- 
nistered by  the  regular  organs,  and 
a  new  prefect  arrived  to  carry  them 
into  effect ;  but  in  spite  of  procla- 
mations, the  work  of  destruction, 
stopped  for  a  moment,  was  not  aban- 
doned, but  soon  renewed  with  fresh 
vigour  and  effect.  On  the  30th  of 
July,  Jacques  Combe,  the  father  of  a 
family,  was  killed  by  some  of  the 
national  guards  of  Rusau,  and  the 
crime  was  so  public,  that  the  com- 
mander of  the  party  restored  to  the 
family  the  pocket-book  and  papers 
of  the  deceased.  On  the  following 
day  tumultuous  crowds  roamed  about 
the  city  and  suburbs,  threatening  the 
wretched  peasants ;  and  on  the  1st 
of  August  they  butchered  them  with- 
out opposition.  About  noon  on  the 
same  day,  six  armed  men,  headed  by 
Truphemy  the  butcher,  surrounded 
the  house  of  Monot,  a  carpenter: 
two  of  the  party,  who  were  smiths, 
had  been  at  work  in  the  house  the 
day  before,  and  had  seen  a  Protes- 
tant who  had  taken  refuge  there, 
M.  BouriHon,  who  had  been  a  Ueu- 


FRt:NCH  PEHSECUnONS  — ISM  lo  1820. 


S87 


Irn.uit  iii  ilic  army,  aiul  had  relircd 
OH  II  |K>!ision.     Hi;  was  a  man  of  an 
(vxcciieiit  oliaiacier,  peaceable  and 
liaruilcss,  and  had  never  served  the 
Emperor  Napoleon.     Truphemy  not 
knowinj;;  him,  he  was  pointed  out, 
partaking  of  a  frugal  breakfast  with 
ihe  family.      Truphemy  ordered  him 
to  go  along  with  him,  adding,  *  Your 
friend,   Saussine,   is   already  in  the 
other  world.'    Truphemy  placed  him 
in  the  middle  of  his  troop,  and  art- 
fully ordered  him  to  cry   Vive  VEm- 
pereur:    he  refused,  adding  he  had 
never  served  the  Emperor.     In  vain 
did  the  women  and  children  of  the 
house    intercede    for    his   life,   and 
praise  his  amiable  and  virtuous  qua- 
lities.    He  was  marched  to  the  Es- 
planade and  shot,  first  by  Truphemy 
and  then  by  the  others.   Several  per- 
sons,   attracted    by    the   firing,  ap- 
proached, but  were  threjitcned  with 
a  similar  fate.     After  some  time  the 
wretches  departed,  shouting  Vive  la 
Roi.     Some  women  met  them,  and 
one  of  them  appearing  affected,  said 
one,  '1  have  killed  seven  to-day  for 
my  share,  and  if  you  say  a  word,  you 
shall  be  the    eighth.'     Pierre  Cour- 
bct,    a   stocking   weaver,    was   torn 
from  his  loom   by  an  armed  band, 
and  shot  at  his  own  door.     His  eldest 
daughter   was   knocked  down   with 
the   butt  end   of  a  musket ;  and   a 
poignard  was  held  at  the  breast  of 
Ills   wife-  while  the  mob   plundered 
her  apartments.     Paul  H^raut,  a  silk 
weaver,  was  literally  cut  in   pieces, 
in    the   presence  of  a   large   crowd, 
and  amidst  the  unavailing  cries  and 
tears  of  his   wife   and    lour    young 
children.    The  murderers  only  aban- 
doned the   corpse  to  return  to  He- 
raut'a  house  and  secure  every  thing 
valuable.     The  number  of  murders 
on  this  day  could  not  be  ascertained. 
One   person  saw  six  bodies  at   the 
Cours  Neuf,  and  nine  were  carried 
to  the  hospital. 

If  murder  some  time  after  became 
less  frequent  for  a  few  days,  pillage 
and  forced  contributions  were  ac- 
tively enforced,  M.  Salle  d'Hom- 
bre,  at  several  visits,  was  robbed  of 
7000  francs ;  and,  on  one  occasion, 
when  he  pleaded  the  sacrifices  he  had 
made,  '  Look,'  said  a   l);indit,  point- 


ing to  his  pipe,  '  liiis  will  set  fire  tw 
your  house;  and  this,'  l)randishinghis 
sword,  '  will  finish  you.'  No  rojdy 
could  be  made  to  these  arguments. 
M.  Feline,  a  silk  manufacturer,  was 
robbed  of  32,000  francs  in  gold, 
3000  francs  in  silver,  and  several 
bales  of  silk. 

The  small  shopkeepers  were  con- 
tinually  exposed   to  visits   and  de- 
mands  of    provisions,    drapery,    or 
whatever  they  sold  ;    and  the  same 
hands  that  set  fire  to  the  houses  of 
the  rich,  and  tore  up  the  vines  of  the 
cultivator,  broke   the   looms   of  the 
weaver,  and   stole  the    tools  of  the 
artisan.     Desolation  reigned  in  the 
sanctuary  and  in  the  city.     The  arm- 
ed bands,  instead  of  being  reduced, 
were   increased;    the  fugitives,    in- 
stead of  returning,  received  constant 
accessions,    and   their   friends   who 
sheltered  them  were  deemed  rebel- 
lious.     Those    Protestants   who   re- 
mained were  deprived  of  all  their  civil 
and  religious  rights,  and  even  the  ad- 
vocates and  huissicrs  entered  into  a 
resolution  to  exclude  all  of '  the  pre- 
tended reformed  religion'  from  their 
bodies.     Those  who  were  employed 
in  selling  tobacco  were  deprived  of 
their  licenses.    The  Protestant  dea- 
cons who  had  the  charge  of  tlie  poor 
were  all  scattered.    Of  five  pastors 
only  two  remained  ;  one  of  these  was 
obliged  to  change  his  residence,  and 
could  only  venture  to  administer  the 
consolations  of  religion,  or  perform 
the  functions  of  his  ministry,  under 
cover  of  the  night. 

Not  contented  with  these  modes 
of  torment,  calumnious  and  inflam- 
matory publications  charged  the  Pro- 
testants with  raising  the  proscribed 
standard  in  the  communes,  and  in- 
voking the  fallen  Napoleon  ;  and,  of 
course,  as  unworthy  the  protection 
of  the  laws  and  the  favour  of  the  mo- 
narch. 

Hundreds  after  this  were  dragged 
to  prison  without  even  so  much  as  a 
written  order;  and  though  an  Ofiicial 
Newspaper,  l)earing  the  title  of  the 
Journal  dii  Gard,  was  set  up,  for  five 
months  while  it  was  influenced  by 
the  prefect,  the  mayor,  and  other 
functionaries,  the  word  charter  was 
never  once  used  in  it.     One  of  the 


sss 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


first  ntiinbcis,  on  tlic  contrary,  rc- 
])roscnted  llic  sulFcring  Frotestaiils 
as  '  Crocodiles,  only  weeping  from 
rage  and  regret  that  they  liad  no 
mure  victims  to  devour ;  as  persons 
who  liad  surpassed  Dan  ton,  Marat, 
and  Robespierre  in  doing  mischief: 
and  as  having  i)rostituted  their  daugh- 
ters to  the  garrison  to  gain  it  over  to 
Napoleon.'  An  extract  froni  this  ar- 
ticle, stamped  with  the  crown  and 
the  arms  of  the  Bourbons,  was  hawk- 
ed about  the  streets,  and  the  vender 
was  adorned  with  the  medal  of  the 
police. 

PETITION    OF   THE    PROTESTANT 
UEFUGEtS. 

To  these  reproaches  it  is  proper  to 
oppose  the  Petition  which  the  Pro- 
testant Refugees  in  Paris  presented 
to  Louis  XVIII,  in  behalf  of  their 
brethren  at  Nismes. 

'  We  lay  at  your  feet,  Sire,  our 
acute  sufferings.  In  your  name  our 
fellow  citizens  are  slaughtered,  and 
their  property  laid  waste.  Misled 
peasants,  in  pretended  obedience  to 
your  orders,  had  assembled  at  the 
command  of  a  commissioner  ap- 
pointed by  your  august  nephew. 
Although  ready  to  attack  us,  they 
were  received  with  the  assurances  of 
jteace.  On  the  15th  of  July,  1815, 
we  learnt  your  Majesty's  entrance  in- 
to Paris,  and  the  while  flag  immedi- 
ately waved  on  our  edihccs.  The 
public  tranquillity  had  not  been  dis- 
turbed, when  armed  peasants  intro- 
duced themselves.  The  garrisiju  ca- 
pitulated, but  were  assailed  <i)i  their 
departure,  and  almost  totally  m;is- 
sacred.  Our  national  guard  was  dis- 
armed, the  city  tilled  with  strangers, 
and  the  houses  of  the  principal  iidia- 
bitants,  professing  the  reformed  reli- 
gion, were  attacked  and  |)iundered. 
We  subjoin  the  list.  Terror  has 
driven  from  our  city  the  most  re- 
spectable inhabitants. 

'  Your  Majesty  has  been  deceived 
if  there  has  not  been  placed  before 
you  the  picture  of  the  horrors  which 
make  a  desert  of  your  good  city  of 
Nismes.  Arrests  and  proscriptions 
arc  continually  taking  place,  and  dif- 
ference of  reiirjioiis  opinions  is  llic 
real  and  only  cause.    'J'hc  calumni- 


ated Protestants  arc  the  defenders  of 
the  throne.  Your  nephew  has  beheld 
our  children  under  his  banners  ;  our 
fortunes  have  been  placed  in  his  hands. 
Attaclced  without  reason,  the  Protes- 
tants have  not  even,  by  a  just  resist- 
ance, afforded  their  enemies  the  fatal 
pretext  for  calumny.  Save  us.  Sire! 
extinguish  the  brand  of  civil  war: 
A  single  act  of  your  will  would  re- 
store, to  political  existence,  a  city 
interesting  for  its  population  and  its 
manufactures.  Demand  an  account 
of  their  conduct  from  theCiiiefs  who 
have  brought  our  misfortunes  upon 
us.  We  place  before  your  eyes  all 
the  documents  that  have  reached  us. 
Fear  paralizes  the  hearts  and  stifles 
the  complaints  of  our  fellow  citizens. 
Placed  in  a  more  secure  situation, 
we  venture  to  raise  our  voice  in  their 
behalf,'  ^c.  &c. 

MONSTROUS  OUTRAGE  UPoN  FEMALES. 

At  Nisrnes  it  is  well  known  that 
the  women  wash  their  clothes  either 
at  the  fountains  or  on  the  banks  of 
streams.     There  is  a  large  basin  near 
the  fountain,  where  numbers  of  wo- 
men may  be  seen,  every  day,  kneel- 
ing at  the   edge  of  the   water,  and 
beating  the  clulhcs  with  heavy  pieces 
of  wood  in   the  shape  of  battledoors. 
This  spot  became  the  scene  of  the 
most   shameful  and  indecent   prac- 
tices.    The  Catholic  rabble   turned 
the   women's    petticoats   over   their 
heads,   and  so  fastened  them  as  to 
continue  their   exposure,  and  their 
subjection  to  a  newly-invented  spe- 
cies of  chastisement:  for  nails  being 
placed  in  the  wood  of  the  buttoirs  in 
the   form    of  fleur-de-lis,    they    beat 
them  till  the   blood   streamed  from 
their  bodies,  and  their  cries  rent  the 
air.     Often  was  death  demanded  as 
a  comnmtation  of  this  ignominious 
punishment,  but  refused  with  a  ma- 
lignant joy.     To  carry  their  outrage 
to  the  highest  possible  degree,  seve- 
ral who  were  in  a  state  of  pregnancy 
were  assailed  in  this  manner.     The 
scandalous  nature  of  these  outrages 
j)revented  many  of  the  sufierers  from 
making  them  public,  and,  especially, 
Irom  relating  the   most  aggravating 
circrnnstances.      '  I  have  scon,'  says 
M.  Durand,  'a  Catholic  avocat,  ac- 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— 1814  to  1820. 


889 


'coinpaiijin<]f  Ihc  assassins  in  tlie 
lauxbourg  IJoiirgadc,  arm  a  battoir 
with  sharp  nails  iu  the  form  of  Jieur- 
<le-iis:  I  have  seen  them  raise  the 
garments  of  females,  and  apply,  with 
heavy  blows,  to  the  bleeding  body 


bands  of  the  Treslaillons  and  Qiiatrc- 
tailions,  who  continued  their  march 
to  Alais,  where  a  fair  was  to  be  held, 
and  carried  disorder  and  alarm  into 
all  the  commnnes  on  that  ronte. 
Nolhino:   now    was    heard    but   de- 


tliis  battoir  or  baltledoor,  to  which     jiuiiciations   of  fusillading,  burninsr 


they  gave  a  name  which  my  pen  re- 
fuses to  record.  The  cries  of  the 
siilierers — the  streams  of  blood — the 
murmurs  of  indignation  which  were 
suppressed  by  fear— nothing  could 
move  them.  The  surgeons  who  at- 
tended on  those  women  who  arc 
dead,  can  attest,  by  the  marks  of 
their  wounds,  the  agonies  which  they 
must  have  endured,  which,  however 
horrible,  is  most  strictly  true.' 

Nevertheless,  during  the  progress 
of  these  horrors  and  obscenities  so 
disgracefid  to  France  and  the  Catho- 
lic  religion,  the    agents  of  govern- 
ment  had  a   powerful   force    under 
their  command,  and  by  honestly  em- 
Jiloying  it  they  might  h-ave  restored 
tranquility.      Murder    and    robbery 
however  continued,  and  were  winic- 
cd  at,    by  the  Catholic  magistrates, 
with  very  few  exceptions:  the  admi- 
nistrative authorities,  it  is  true,  used 
words   in   their   proclamations,    &c. 
bnt  never  had  recoiuse  to  actions  to 
stop  the  enormities  of  the  persecu- 
tors, who  boldly  declared  that,  on  the 
24th,  the  anniversary  of  St.  Bartho- 
lomew, they  intended  to  make  a  ge- 
neral  massacre.      The   members   of 
the  reformed  chnrch  were  filled  with 
terror,  and,  instead  of  taking  part  in 
the  election  of  deputies,  were  occu- 
pied as  well  as  they  could  in   pro- 
viding for  their  own  personal  safety. 

ARRIVAL   OF   THE   AUSTRIANS   AT 
NISMES. 

About  this  time,  a  treaty  between 
the  French  court  and  the  allied  sove- 
reigns prohibited  the  advance  of  the 
foreign  troops  beyond  the  line  of  ter- 
ritory already  occupied,  and  traced 
by  the  course  of  the  Loire,  and  by 
the  Bhone,  below  the  Ardeche.  In 
violation  of  this  treaty,  4000  Austri- 


razing,  and  annihilating ;  and  while 
the  Catholics  were  feasting  and  mur- 
dering at  Nismes,  the  flames  of  the 
country   houses  of  the  Protestants, 
rising  100  feet  in  ihe  air,  rendered 
the  speclacle  still  more   awful   and 
alarming.      Unfortunately,    some   of 
the   peasants,    falsely   charged   with 
the  murder  of  two  Protestants,  were 
brought  to  Nismes  while  the  prefect 
was    celebrating    the   Fete    of   St. 
Louis.     At  a  splendid  dinner  given 
to   the   Austrian   commanders,    and 
even  without  quitting  the   table,  it 
appears,    that   the    French    prefect 
placed  the  fate  and  fortune  of  these 
unfortunate  prisoners  at   the   dispo- 
sal of  Coinit  Sfahrembcrg,    who,    of 
course,  believing  the  representations 
made  to  him,  ordered  the  accused  to 
be   immediately   shot.      To  mortify 
and   exhaust    the   Protestant    com- 
munes, the  Anstrians  were  directed 
to  occupy  them,   where   they  com- 
pletely disarmed  the  inhabitants  with- 
out the  least  opposition.    In  fact,  these 
foreigners  were  soon  undeceived. — 
They   expected   to    meet  the  most 
perfidious    and    brutal    enemies    in 
arms,  and  in  open  rebellion  against 
their  king ;    but,    on  the    contrary, 
they  found   them  all  in  peace,  and 
experienced  the  most  kind  and  re- 
spectful treatment ;  and  though  their 
duty  was  a  most  vexatious  and  op- 
pressive one,  they  performed  it  in 
general  with  moderation.     On   this 
account  they  could  not  refrain  from 
expressing  their  astonishment  at  the 
reports  made  to  them  by  the  autho- 
rities at  Nismes,  declaring,  '  They 
had    found    a    population   suffering 
great   misfortunes,    but   no    rebels ; 
and  that  compassion  was  the  only 
feeling  that  prevailed  in  their  minds.' 
The   commander,    himself,    was   so 
ans  entered  Nismes  on  the  24th  of    convinced  of  the  good  disposition  of 
August :  under  pretence  of  making    the  people  of  the  Cevcnnes,  that  he 
room  for  them,  French  troops,  bear-    visited   those    districts    without    an 
ing  the  feudal  title  of  Royal  Chas-     escort,  desiring,  he  said,  to  travel  in 
sours,    followed  by   the   murdering     that  country  as  he  would  in  his  own. 


890 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


Such  confidence  was  a  public  re- 
proach on  the  authorities  at  Nismes, 
and  a  sentence  of  condemnation  on 
ail  their  proceedings. 

As  the  persecution  of  the  Protes- 
tants was  spreading  into  other  de- 
partments, strong  and  forcible  repre- 
sentations were  secretly  printed  and 
made  to  the  King.     All  the  ordinary 
modes  of  communication  had  been 
stopped ;  the  secresy  of  letters  vio- 
lated, and  none  circulated  but  those 
relative   to   private   affairs.      Some- 
times these  letters  bore  the  post-mark 
of  places   very  di.stant,  and  arrived 
without  signatures,    and  enveloped 
in  allegorical  allusions.     In  fact,  a 
powerful  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the    outraged    Protestants    was    at 
length   apprehended,  which,   in   the 
beginning  of  September,  excited  the 
proclamation  of  the  King,  on  which 
it  was  observed,  '  that  if  his  Majesty 
had  been  correctly  and  fully  inform- 
ed of  all  that  had  taken  place,    he 
surely  would  not  have  contented  him- 
self with  announcing  his  severe  dis- 
pleasure to  a  misled  people,  who  took 
justice    into    their    own    hands,    and 
aveuf/ed  the  crimes  commiited  ai/aiiist 
rof/alti/.'     The  proclamation  was  dic- 
tated as  though  there  had  not  been  a 
Protestant  in  the  department;  it  as- 
sumed and  affirmed  tinoughout  the 
guilt  of  the  sufferers ;  and  while  it 
deplored  the  atrocious  outrages  en- 
dured by  the  followers  of  the  Duke 
d'Angouleme  (outrages  which  never 
existed),  the  i)lunder  and  massacre 
of  the  reformed  were  not  even  no- 
ticed. 

Still  disorders  kept  pace  with  the 
proclamations  that  made  a  show  of 
suppressing  them,  and  the  force  of 
the  Catholic  faction  also  continued 
to  increase,  'I'he  Catholic  populace, 
notwithstanding  the  decrees  of  the 
magistrates,  were  allowed  to  retain 
the  arms  they  had  illegally  .seized, 
whilst  the  Protestants  in  the  depart- 
ments were  disarmed.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  reformed  churches  wished 
at  this  period  to  present  another  me- 
morial to  tl^c  government,  descriptive 
of  the  evils  they  still  sullered,  but 
this  was  not  practicable.  On  the 
26th  of  September,  the  President  of 
the  Consi.story  wrotj3  as  follows :    '  1 


have  only  been  able  to  asscuiiile  two 
or  three  members  of  the  consistory 
pastors  or  elders.  It  is  impossible 
to  draw  up  a  memoir,  or  to  collect 
facts  ;  so  great  is  the  terror,  that 
every  one  is  afraid  to  speak  of  hi.s 
own  sufferings,  or  to  mention  those 
he  has  been  compelled  to  witness.' 

OUTRAGES   COMMITTED    IN    THE 
VILLAGES,   &C. 

We  now  quit  Nismes  to  take  si 
view  of  the  conduct  of  the  persecu- 
tors   in    the    surrounding    country. 
After   the  re-establishment    of   the 
royal  government,  the  local  authori- 
ties were  distinguished  for  their  zeal 
and  forwardness  in  supporting  their 
employers,    and,  under  pretence  of 
rebellion,  concealment  of  arms,  non- 
payment of  contributions,  &c.  troops, 
national  guards,  and  armed   mobs, 
were  permitted  to   plunder,   arrest, 
and  murder  peaceable  citizens,  not 
merely  M'ith  impunity,  but  with  en- 
couragement  and   approbation.     At 
the  village  of  Milhaud,  near  Nismes, 
the  inhabitants  were  frequently  forced 
to  pay  large   sums   to  avoid   being 
pillaged.     'J'his,  however,  would  not 
avail  at  Madame  Teulon's :  On  Sun- 
day, the  16th  of  July,  her  house  and 
grounds  were   ravaged;  the  valuable 
furniture  removed   or  destrojed,  the 
hay  and  wood  burnt,  and  the  corpse 
of    a   child,   buried    in   the   garden, 
taken  up  and  dragged  round  a  fire 
made    by    the    populace.      It    was 
with  great  dithoulty  that  M.  Teulon 
escaped  with  his  life.     M.  Picherol, 
another   Protestant,    had    deposited 
.some  of  his  olfects  with  a  Catholic 
neighbour  ;  this  house  was  attacked, 
and  though  all  the  property  of  the  lat- 
ter was  respected,  that  of  his  friend 
was   seized   and  destroyed.     At  the 
same  village,  one  of  a  party  doubting 
whether  M.  Hermet,   a  tailor,   was 
the  man  they  wanted,  asked,  '  Is  he 
a  Protestant?'  this  he  acknowledged. 
'  Good,'  said  they,  and   he  was  in- 
stantly murdered.     In  the  canton  of 
Vauvert  where  there  was  a  Cousisto- 
rial  Church,  80,000  francs  were  ex- 
torted.    In  the  communes  of  Beau- 
voisin  and  Generac  similar  excesses 
were  committed  by  a  handful  of  li- 
centious men,  under  the  eye  of  tlie 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— 1814  to  1820.        891 


Catholic  mayor,  and  to  the  cries  of 
'  Vive  le  Roi.'  St.  Gilles  was  the 
scene  of  (he  most  unblushing  villany. 
The  Protestants,  the  most  wealthy 
of  the  inhabitants,  were  disarmed, 
whilst  their  houses  were  pillaged. 
The  mayor  \v;js  ai)|)ea!ed  to: — the 
mayor  laughed  and  walked  away. 
This  ofncer  had,  at  his  disposal,  a 
national  guard  of  several  hnndred 
men,  organized  by  his  own  orders. 
It  would  be  wearisome  to  read  the 
lists  of  the  crimes  tliat  occurred  dur- 
ing many  months.  At  Clavisson  the 
mayor  prohibited  the  Protestants  the 
practice  of  singing  the  psaims  com- 
monly used  in  the  temple,  that,  as 
he  said,  the  Catholics  might-  not  be 
offended  or  disturbed. 

At  Sommicres,  about  ten  miles 
from  Nismes,  the  Catholics  made  a 
splendid  procession  through  the  town, 
which  continued  till  evening,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  plunder  of  the 
Protestants.  On  the  arrival  of  fo- 
reign troops  at  Somniieres,  the  pre- 
tended search  for  arms  was  resumed  ; 
those  who  did  not  possess  muskets 
were  even  compelled  to  buy  them  on 
purpose  to  surrender  them  up,  and 
soldiers  were  quartered  on  them  at 
six  francs  per  day  till  they  produced 
the  articles  in  demand.  The  Pro- 
testant church  which  had  been  closed, 
was  converted  into  barracks  for  the 
Austrians.  After  divine  service  had 
been  suspended  for  six  months  at 
Nismes,  the  church,  by  the  Protes- 
tants called  the  Temple,  was  re- 
opened, and  public  worship  perform- 
ed on  the  morning  of  the  ^4th  of  De- 
cember. On  examining  the  belfry, 
it  was  discovered  that  some  persons 
had  carried  off  the  cla.p|>er  of  the 
bell.  As  the  hour  of  service  ap- 
proached, a  number  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  collected  at  the  house 
of  M.  Ribot,  the  pastor,  and  threat- 
ened to  prevent  the  worship.  At 
the  appointed  time,  when  he  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  church,  he  was 
surrounded  ;  the  most  savage  shouts 
were  raised  against  him ;  some  of 
the  women  seized  him  by  the  collar; 
but  nothing  could  disturb  his  firm- 
ness, or  excite  his  impatience :  he 
entered  the  house  of  prayer,  and 
ascended  the   pulpit :    stones   M'ore 


thrown  in  and  fell  among  tl»e  wor- 
shippers; still  the  congregation  re- 
mained calm  and  attentive,  and  Ihc 
service  was  concluded  amidst  noise, 
threats,  and  outrage.  On  retiring 
many  would  have  been  killed  but  for 
the  chasseurs  of  the  garrison,  who  ho- 
nourably and  zealously  protected 
them.  From  the  Captain  of  these 
Chasseurs  M.  Ribot  soon  after  re- 
ceived the  following  letlter. 

'January  2,  1816. 

'  I  deeply  lament  the  prejudices  of 
the  Catholics  against  the  Protestants, 
who  they  pretend  do  not  love  the 
king.  Continue  to  act  as  you  have 
hitherto  done,  and  time  and  your 
conduct  will  convince  the  Catholics 
of  the  contrary:  should  any  tumult 
occur  similar  to  that  of  Saturday  last, 
inform  me.  I  preserve  my  reports  of 
these  acts,  and  if  the  agitators  prove 
incorrigible,  and  forget  what  they  owe 
to  the  best  of  kings  and  the  charter, 
I  will  do  my  duty,  and  inform  the 
government  of  t.'ieir  proceedings. 
Adieu,  my  dear  Sir ;  assure  llie  Con- 
sistor}'  of  my  esteem,  and  of  the 
sense  I  entertain  of  the  moderation 
witJi  which  they  have  met  the  provo- 
cations of  the  evil-disposed  at  Som- 
mieres.  1  have  the  honour  to  salute 
you  with  respect. 

SUVAL    DE    LaINE.' 

Another  letter  to  this  wortliy  pastor 
from  the  Marquis  de  Montlord,  was 
received  on  the  6th  of  January,  to 
encourage  him  to  unite  with  all  good 
men  who  believe  in  God  to  obtain 
the  punishment  of  the  assassins,  bri- 
gands, and  disturbers  of  public  tran- 
quility, and  to  read  the  instructions 
he  had  received  from  government  to 
this  effect  publicly.  Notwithstand- 
ingthis,  on  the  20th  of  January  1816, 
when  the  service  in  commemoration 
of  the  death  of  Louis  XVI  was  cele- 
brated, a  procession  being  formed, 
the  National  Guards  fired  at  the 
white  flag  suspended  from  the  win- 
dows of  the  Protestants,  and  con- 
cluded the  day  by  plundering  their 
houses.  In  the  Commune  of  Angar- 
gues, matters  were  still  worse;  and  in 
that  of  Fontanes,  from  the  entry  of 
the  Ring  in  1815,  the  Catholics  broke 


8.92 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


all  (crms  wilii  the  Protestants;  by 
day  they  insulted  them,  and  in  the 
iiig^ht  broke  open  their  doors,  or 
marked  them  with  clialk  to  be  plun- 
dered or  burnt.  St.  Mamert  was 
repeatedly  visited  by  these  robberies; 
and  at  Montmiral,  as  lately  as  the 
16th  of  June  1816,  the  Protestants 
Mere  attacked,  beaten  and  imprison- 
ed for  daring  to  celebrate  the  return 
of  a  king  who  had  sworn  to  preserve 
religious  liberty  and  to  maintain  the 
charter.  lu  fact,  to  continue  the 
relation  of  the  scenes  that  took  place 
in  the  ditt'erent  departments  of  the 
South  of  France,  would  be  little 
better  than  a  repetition  of  those  we 
have  already  described,  excepting  a 
change  of  names :  but  the  most  san- 
guinary  of  all  seems  that  which  was 
perpetrated  at  Uzfes,  at  the  latter  end 
of  August,  and  the  burning  of  several 
Protestant  places  of  worship.  These 
shameful  persecutions  continued  till 
after  the  dissolution  of  the  Chamber 
of  Deputies  at  the  close  of  the  year 
1816.  After  a  review  of  these  anti- 
protestant  proceedings,  the  British 
reader  will  not  think  of  comparing 
them  with  the  riots  of  London  in  1780, 
or  with  those  of  Eirminghani  about 
1793;  as  it  is  evident  that  where 
governments  possess  absolute  power, 
such  events  could  not  have  been  pro- 
longed for  many  months  and  even  for 
years  over  a  vast  extent  of  country, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  systematic 
and  powerful  support  of  the  higher 
departments  of  the  state. 

FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PROCEED- 
INGS OF  THE  CATHOLICS  AT  NISMES. 

The  excesses  perpetrated  in  the 
country  it  seems  did  not  by  any 
means  divert  the  attention  of  the 
persecutors  from  Nismes.  October 
1815  commenced  without  any  im- 
provement in  the  principles  or  the 
measures  of  the  government,  and 
this  was  followed  by  corresponding 
presumption  on  the  part  of  the 
people.  Several  houses  in  the  Quar- 
tier  St.  Charles  were  sacked,  and 
their  wrecks  burnt  in  the  streets, 
amidst  songs,  dances,  and  shouts  of 
Vive  le  Roi.  The  Mayor  appeared, 
but  the  merry  multitude  pretended 
not  to  know  him,  and  when  he  ven- 


tured to  remonstrate,  tlicy  told  him 
'his  presence  was  unnecessary,  and 
that  lie  might  retire.'  During  the 
16th  of  October,  every  preparation 
seemed  to  announce  a  night  of  car- 
nage; orders  for  assembling  and 
signals  for  attack  were  circulated 
with  regularity  and  confidence ;  Tres- 
taillon  reviewed  his  satellites,  and 
urged  them  on  to  the  perpetration  of 
crimes,  holding  with  one  of  those 
wretches  the  following  dialogue: 

Satellite.  'If  all  the  Protestants, 
without  one  exception,  are  to  be 
killed,  I  will  cheerfully  join ;  but  as 
you  have  so  often  deceived  me,  un- 
less they  are  all  to  go,  1  will  not 
stir.' 

Trestaillon.  'Come  along  then, 
for  this  time  not  a  single  man  shall 
escape.' — This  horrid  purpose  would 
have  been  executed  had  it  not  been 
for  General  La  Garde,  the  Com- 
mandant of  the  department.  It  was 
not  till  ten  o'clock  at  night  that  he 
perceived  the  danger;  he  now  felt 
that  not  a  moment  could  be  lost. 
Crowds  were  advancing  through  the 
suburbs,  and  the  streets  were  filling 
with  ruffians,  uttering  the  most  hor- 
rid imprecations.  The  Generale 
sounded  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  added 
to  the  confusion  that  was  now  spread- 
ing through  the  city.  A  few  troops 
rallied  round  the  Count  La  Garde, 
who  was  wrung  with  distress  at  the 
sight  of  the  evil  which  had  arrived  at 
such  a  pitch.  Of  this  M.  Durand, 
a  Catholic  advocate,  gave  the  fol- 
lowing account ; 

'  It  was  near  midnight,  my  wife 
had  just  fallen  asleep;  I  was  writing 
by  her  side,  when  we  were  disturbed 
by  a  distant  noise:  drums  seemed 
crossing  the  town  in  every  direction. 
What  could  all  this  mean !  To  quiet 
her  alarms,  I  said  it  probably  an- 
nounced the  arrival  or  departure  of 
some  troops  of  the  garrison.  But 
firing  and  shouts  were  immediately 
audible;  and  on  opening  my  win- 
dow I  distinguished  horrible  impre- 
cations mingled  with  cries  of  Vive  le 
Roi!  I  roused  an  officer  who  lodged 
in  the  house,  and  M.  Chancel,  Di- 
rector of  the  Public  Works,  We 
went  out  together,  and  gained  the 
Boulevardc.  The  moon  shone  bright , 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— 1S14  to  1820.        803 


and  every  object  was  nearly  as  dis- 
tinct as  da};  a  furious  crowd  was 
pressing  on,  vowing  extcrnii nation, 
and  tlie  greater  part  half  naked, 
armed  with  knives,  muskets,  sticks, 
and  sabres.  In  answer  to  my  en- 
quiries, I  was  told  the  massacre  v,  as 
general;  that  many  had  been  already 
killed  in  the  suburbs.  M.  Chancel 
retired  to  put  on  his  uniform  as 
Captain  of  the  Pompiers;  the  officc<r 
retired  to  the  barracks,  and  anxious 
for  my  wife  1  returned  home.  By  the 
noise  I  was  convinced  that  persons 
followed.  I  crept  along  in  the  shadow 
of  the  wall,  opened  my  door,  enter- 
ed, and  closed  it,  leaving  a  small 
aperture  through  wlileh  I  could  watch 
the  movements  of  the  party  whose 
arms  shone  in  the  moonlight.  In  a 
few  moments  some  armed  men  ap- 
peared conducting  a  prisoner  to  the 
very  spot  where  I  was  concealed. 
They  stopped,  I  shut  my  door  gently, 
and  mounted  an  alder  tree  planted 
against  the  garden  wall.  What  a 
scene !  a  man  on  his  knees  implor- 
iiig  mercy  from  wretches  who  mock- 
ed his  agony,  and  loaded  him  with 
abuse. — In  the  name  of  my  wife  and 
children,  he  said,  spare  me!  What 
have  I  done  ?  Why  would  you  mur- 
der me  for  nothing  ?  I  was  on  the 
point  of  crying  out  and  menacing 
the  murderers  with  vengeance  I 
had  not  long  to  deliberate,  the  dis- 
charge of  several  fusils  terminated 
my  suspense ;  the  unhappy  supplicant, 
struck  in  the  loins  and  the  head,  fell 
to  rise  no  more.  The  backs  of  the 
assas^iins  were  towards  the  tree;  they 
retired  immediately,  reloading  their 
pieces,  I  descended  and  approached 
the  dying  man,  uttering  some  deep 
and  dismal  groans.  Some  National 
Guards  arrived  at  the  moment,  I 
again  retired  and  shut  the  door: 
"I  see,"  said  one,  "a  dead  man." 
"  He  sings  still,"  said  another.  "  It 
will  be  better,"  said  a  third,  "  to  finish 
him  and  put  him  out  of  his  misery." 
Five  or  six  muskets  were  fired  in- 
stantly, and  the  groans  ceased.  On 
the  following  day  crowds  came  to 
inspect  and  insult  the  deceased. 
A  day  after  a  massacre  was  always 
observed  as  a  sort  of  fete,  and  every 
occupation  was  left  to  go  and  gaze 


upon  the  victims.  This  was  Louis 
Lichare,  the  father  of  four  children; 
and  four  years  after  the  event  M.  Du- 
rand  verified  this  account  by  his 
oath  «pon  the  trial  of  one  of  the 
murderers.' 

ATTACK   UPON   THE   PROTESTANT 
CHURCHES. 

Some  time  before  the  death  of 
General  La  Garde,  the  Duke  of  An- 
gouleme  had  visited  Nism^s  and 
other  cities  in  the  South,  and  at  the 
former  place  honoured  the  members 
of  the  Protestant  Consistory  with  an 
interview,  promising  them  protection, 
and  encouraging  them  to  reopen 
their  temple  so  long  shut  up.  They 
have  two  churches  at  Nismes,  and  it 
was  agreed  that  the  small  one  should 
be  preferred  on  this  occasion,  and  that 
the  ringing  of  the  bell  should  be 
omitted:  General  La  Garde  de- 
clared that  he  would  answer  with  his 
head  for  the  safety  of  the  congrega- 
tion. The  Protestants  privately  in- 
formed each  other  that  worship  was 
once  more  to  be  celebrated  at  ten 
o'clock,  and  thsy  began  to  assemble 
silently  and  cautiously.  It  was 
agreed  that  M.  Juillerat  Chasseur 
should  perform  the  service,  though 
such  was  his  conviction  of  danger 
that  he  entreated  his  wife  and  some 
of  his  flock  to  remain  with  their  fami- 
lies. The  temple  being  opened  only 
as  a  matter  of  form  and  in  compli- 
ance with  the  orders  of  the  Duke 
d'Angouleme,  this  pastor  wished  to 
be  the  only  victim.  On  his  way  to 
the  place  he  passed  numerous  groupes 
who  regarded  him  with  ferocious 
looks.  'This  is  the  time,'  said  some, 
'  to  give  them  the  last  blow.'  '  Yes,' 
added  others,  '  and  neither  women 
nor  children  must  be  spared.'  One 
wretch  raising  his  voice  above  the 
rest  exclaimed,  *  Ah,  I  will  go  and 
get  my  musket,  and  ten  for  my 
share.'  Through  these  ominous 
sounds  M.  Juillerat  pursued  his 
course,  but  when  he  gained  the  tem- 
ple the  sexton  had  not  the  courage 
to  open  the  door,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  do  it  himself.  As  the  worshippers 
arrived  they  found  strange  persons 
in  possession  of  the  adjacent  streets, 
and  upon  the   steps  of  the  church, 


S94 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


vowing;  then  worship  should  uot  be 
perforined,  and  crying  '  Down  with 
the  Proleslauis!  'Kill  them!  kill 
Iheni!'  At  ten  o'clock  the  church 
being  nearly  filled,  M.  J.  Cl3r..sseiir 
coniincuced  tlie  prayers  ;  a  calm  that 
sacceeded  was  of  sLort  dmatiou. 
On  a  sudden  the  minister  was  inter- 
rupted by  a  \iolent  noise,  and  a  num- 
ber of  persons  entered,  uttering"  the 
most  dreadful  cries,  mingled  with 
Vive  le  Hci;  but  tiie  gens  d'armes 
succeeded  in  excluding  these  fana- 
tics and  closing  Ilie  doors.  The 
noise  and  tumult  without  now  re- 
doubled, and  the  blows  of  the  popu- 
lace trjing  to  break  open  the  doors 
caused  the  house  to  resound  with 
shrieks  and  groans.  The  voice  of 
the  pastors  who  endeavoured  to  con- 
sole their  flock  was  inaudible;  they 
attempted  in  vain  to  sing  the  42d 
Psalm. 

Three  quarters  cf  an  hour  rolled 
heavily  away.     'I    placed    myself,' 
says  Aladame  Juillcrat,  '  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  pulpit,  wilh  my  daughter 
in  my  arms;  my  husband  at  length 
joined  and  sustained  me  :    I  remem- 
bered that  it  Avas  the   anniversary  of 
my  marriage  ;  after  six  years  of  hap- 
piness, I  said,  I  am  about  to  die  with 
my  husband  and  my   daughter:  we 
shall  be  slain  at  the  altarof  our  God, 
the  victims    of  a    saered  duty,  and 
heaven  will  open  to  receive  us  and 
our  unhappy  brethren.   1  blessed  the 
Redeemer,  and  without  cursing  our 
murderers,  I  awaited  their  approach.' 
M.  Olivier,    son  of  a  pastor,  an 
officer  in  the  royal  troops  of  the  line, 
attempted  to   leave  the  church,  but 
the  friendly  sentinels  at  the  door  ad- 
vised him  to  remain  besieged  with 
the  rest.     The    national   guards  re- 
fused to  act,  and  the  fanatical  crowd 
took  every  advantage  of  the  absence 
of  General   La  Garde,  and  of  their 
increasing  numbers.     At  length   the 
sound  of  martial    music  was  heard, 
and  voices  from  without    called  to 
the  besieged,  'Open,  open,  and  save 
yourselves.' — Their  first    impression 
was  a  fear  of  treachery,  but  they  were 
soon  assured  that   a  detachment  re- 
turning from  mass  was  drawn  up  in 
front  of  the  church  to  favour  the  re- 
treat of  the   Protestants.     The  door 


Mas  opened,  and  many  of  them  es- 
caped among  the  ranks  of  the  sol- 
diers, who  had  driven  the  mob  before 
them;  but  this  street,  as  well  as 
others  through  which  the  fugitives 
Lad  to  pass,  was  soon  filled  again. 
The  venerable  pastor  Olivier  Des- 
mond, between  70  and  80  jears  of 
age,  was  surrounded  by  murderers; 
they  put  their  fisis  in  his  face,  and 
cried  'Kill  the  chief  of  brigands.' 
He  was  preserved  by  the  firmness  of 
some  officers,  among  whom  was  his 
own  son  ;  they  made  a  bulwark  round 
him  with  their  bodies,  and  amidst 
their  naked  sabres  conducted  him  to 
his  house.  M.  Juillerat,  who  had 
assisted  at  divine  service,  Avith  his 
wife  at  his  side,  and  his  child  in  bis 
arms,  was  pursued  and  assailed  with 
stones;  his  mother  received  a  blow 
on  the  head,  and  her  life  was  some 
lime  in  danger.  One  woman  was 
shamefully  whipped,  and  several 
wounded  and  dragged  along  the 
streets;  the  number  of  Protestants 
more  or  less  ill-treated  on  tiiis  occa- 
sion, amounted  to  between  seventy 
and  eightj . 

MURDER  OF  GENERAL  LA  GARDE. 

At  length  a  check  was  put  to 
these  excesses  by  the  report  of  the 
murder  of  Count  Lagarde,  who,  re- 
ceiving an  account  of  this  tumult, 
mounted  his  horse,  and  entered  one 
of  the  streets,  to  disperse  a  crowd. 
A  villain  seized  his  bridle;  another 
presented  the  muzzle  of  a  pistol  close 
to  his  body,  and  exclaimed, '  Wretch, 
you  make  me  retire !'  He  imme- 
diately fired.  The  murderer  was 
Louis  Boissin,  a  sergeant  in  the  na- 
tional guard  ;  but,  though  known  to 
every  one,  no  person  endeavoured 
to  arrest  him,  and  he  effected  his 
escape.  As  soon  as  the  General 
found  himself  wounded,  he  gave  or- 
ders to  the  gendarmerie  to  protect 
the  Protestants,  and  set  off  on  a  gal- 
lop to  his  hotel ;  but  fainted  imme- 
diately on  his  arrival.  On  recover- 
ing he  prevented  the  surgeon  from 
searclring  his  wound  till  be  bad  writ- 
ten a  letter  to  the  government,  that, 
in  case  of  his  death,  it  might  be 
known  from  what  quarter  the  Wow 
came,  and  that  none  migjit  dare  to 


FRENCH  Pt:RSECUTrONS-l8U  lo  1820.        895 


accuae  the  Protestants  of  this  crime. 
The  probable  death  of  this  (Jeneral 
produced  a.  small  degree  of  relaxa- 
tion on  the  part  of  f  heir  enemies,  and 
some  calm  ;  but  tiie  mass  of  the  peo- 
ple had  been  inJiilEfcd  in  licentious- 
ness too  long  to  be  restrained  even 
by  the  murder  of  the  representative 
of  theii- king,  in  the  evening  they 
again  repaired  to  the  temple,  and 
with  hatchets  broke  opesi  the  doors: 
she  dismal  noise  of  their  blows  car- 
ried terror  into  the  bosom  of  the 
Protestant  families  silting  in  their 
houses  in  tears.  The  contents  of  the 
poor's  box,  and  the  clothes  prepared 
for  distribution,  were  stolen ;  the 
minister's  robes  rent  in  pieces;  the 
books  torn  up  or  carried  away ;  the 
closets  were  ransacked,  but  the  room 
which  contained  the  archives  of  the 
church  and  the  synods  was  providen- 
tially secured ;  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  numerous  patrols  on  foot,  the 
whole  would  have  become  the  prey 
of  the  flames,  and  the  edirice  itself  a 
heap  of  ruins.  lathe  mean  Avhile, 
the  fanatics  openly  ascribed  the  mur- 
der of  the  General  to  his  own  self- 
devotion,  and  said  '  that  it  was  the 
will  of  God.'  Three  thousand  francs 
wpre  oflered  for  the  apprehension  of 
Eoissin ;  but  it  was  well  known  that 
the  Protestants  dared  not  arrest  him, 
and  that  the  fanatics  would  not. 
During  these  transactions,  the  sys- 
tem of  forced  conversions  to  Catho- 
licism was  making  regular  and  fear- 
ful progress. 

IMTERFERENCE    OF     THE     BRITISH 
GOVERNMENT. 

To  the  credit  of  England,  the  re- 
ports of  these  cruel  persecutions  car- 
ried on  against  our  Protestant  bre- 
thren in  France,  pi-oduced  such  a 
sensation  on  the  part  of  government 
as  determined  them  to  interfere  ; 
and  now  the  persecutors  of  the  Pro- 
testants made  this  spontaneous  act 
of  humanity  and  religion  the  pretext 
for  charging  the  sufferers  with  a  trea- 
sonable correspondence  with  Eng- 
land; but  in  this  state  of  their  pro- 
ceedings, to  their  great  dismay  a 
letter  appeared,  sent  some  time  be- 
fore to  England  by  the  Duke  of 
Weliington,  stating  '  that  much  in- 


formation existed  on  the  events  of 
the  south." 

The  ministers  of  Ihc  three  deno- 
minations in  London,  anxious  not  to 
be  misled,  requested  one  of  their 
brethren  to  visit  the  scenes  of  perse- 
cution, and  examine  with  impartiality 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  evils 
they  were  desirous  to  relieve.  The 
Rev.  Clement  Perrot  undertook  this 
difficult  task,  and  fulfilled  their  wishes 
with  a  zeal,  prudence,  and  devoted- 
ness,  above  all  praise.  His  return 
furnished  abundant  and  incontestible 
proof  of  a  shameful  persecution,  ma- 
terials for  an  appeal  to  the  iJritish 
parliament,  and  a  printed  report 
which  was  cireiriated  through  the 
continent,  and  which  first  conveyed 
correct  information  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  France. 

Foreign  interference  was  now 
found  eminently  useful;  and  the  de- 
clarations of  toleiance  which  it  eli- 
cited from  the  French  government, 
as  well  as  the  more  cautious  inarch 
of  the  Catholic  persecutors,  operated 
as  decisive  and  involuntary  acknow- 
ledgments of  the  importance  of  that 
interference  whicli  some  persons  at 
first  censured  and  despised:  but 
though  the  stern  voice  of  public 
opinion  in  England  and  elsewhere 
produced  a  reluctant  suspension  of 
massacre  and  pillage,  the  murderers 
and  phinderers  were  still  left  unpu- 
nished, and  even  caressed  and  re- 
warded for  their  crimes;  and  whilst 
Protestants  in  France  suffered  the 
most  cruel  and  degrading  pains  and 
penalties  for  alledged  trifling  crimes. 
Catholics,  covered  with  blood,  and 
guilty  of  numerous  and  horrid  mur- 
ders, were  acquitted. 

Perhaps  the  virtuous  indignation 
expressetl  by  some  of  the  more  en- 
lightened Catholics  against  these 
abominable  proceedings,  had  no 
small  share  in  restraining  them. 
Many  innoceiit  Protestants  had  been  • 
condemned  to  the  gallies,  and  other- 
wise punished,  for  supposed  crimes, 
upon  the  oaths  of  wretches  the  most 
unprincipled  and  abandoned.  M. 
Madier  de  Montgaii,  Judge  of  the 
CoiirRoijale oi'Sismes,Aud  President 
of  the  Coicr  d' Assizes  of  the  Gard  and 
Vaiicluse,  upon    one   occasion    felt 


896 


BOOK  OF  MARTYRS. 


himself  compelled  to  break  iip  the 
Court,  rather  than  take  the  deposition 
of  that  notorious  and  sanguinary 
monster  Truphemy :  '  In  a  hall/  says 
he,  '  of  the  Palace  of  Justice,  oppo- 
site that  in  which  I  sat,  several  un- 
fortunate persons  persecuted  by  the 
faction  were  upon  trial :  every  depo- 
sition tending  to  their  crimination 
was  applauded  with  the  cries  of '  Vive 
le  Roi.'  Three  times  the  explosion 
of  this  atrocious  joy  became  so  terri- 
ble, that  it  was  necessary  to  send  for 
reinforcements  from  the  barracks, 
and  two  hundred  soldiers  were  often 
unable  to  restrain  the  people.  On  a 
sudden  the  shouts  and  cries  of '  Vive 
le  Roi'  redoubled:  a  man  arrives, 
caressed,  applauded,  borne  in  triumph 
— it  is  the  horrible  Truphemy  ;  he 
approaches  the  tribunal — he  comes  to 
depose  against  the  prisoners — he  is 
admitted  as  a  witness — he  raises  his 
hand  to  take  the  oath  I  Seized  with 
horror  at  the  sight,  I  rush  from  my 
seat,  and  enter  the  hall  of  council; 
iny  colleagues  follow  me ;  in  vain 
they  persuade  me  to  resume  my  scat ; 
'  No  !'  exclaimed  I,  '  1  will  not  con- 
sent to  see  that  wretch  admitted  to 
give  evidence  in  a  Court  of  Justice 
in  the  city  whicli  he  has  tilled  with 
murders  ;  in  the  palace,  on  the  steps 
of  which  he  has  mbrdered  the  unfor- 
tunate Bourillon.  I  cannot  admit 
that  he  should  kill  his  victims  by  his 
testimonies  no  more  than  by  his 
poniards.  He  an  accuser !  he  a  wit- 
ness! No,  never  will  I  consent  to 
see  this  monster  rise,  in  the  presence 
of  magistrates,  to  take  a  sacrilegious 
oath,  his  hand  still  reeking  with 
blood.'  These  words  were  repeated 
out  of  doors;  the  witness  trembled; 
the  factious  also  trembled ;  the  fac- 
tious who  guided  the  tongue  of  Tru- 
phemy as  they  had  directed  his  arm, 
who  dictated  calumny  after  they  had 
taught  him  murder.  These  words 
penetrated  the  dungeons  of  the  con- 
demned, and  inspired  hope ;  they 
gave  another  courageous  advocate 
the  resolution  to  espouse  the  cause 
of  the  persecuted:  he  carried  the 
prayers  of  innocence  and  misery  to 
the  foot  of  the  throne ;  there  he  asked 
if  the  evidence  of  a  Truphemy  was 
not  sufficient  to  annul  a  sentence. 


The  king  granted   a  full   and   free 
pardon. 

PERJURY  IN  THE  CASE  OF  GENERAL 
GILLV,  &C. 

This  Catholic  system  of  subordi- 
nation and  perjury  was  carried  to 
such  an  infamous  degree,  that  twe-u- 
ty-six  witnesses  were  found  to  sign 
and  swear,  that  on  the  3d  of  April, 
1815,  General  Gilly,  with  his  own 
liand,  and  before  their  eyes,  took 
down  the  wliite  flag  at  Nismes  ; 
though  it  was  proved  that  at  the  time 
when  the  tri-coloured  flag  was  raised 
in  its  room,  the  General  was  fifteen 
leagues  from  Nismes,  and  that  he  did 
not  arrive  there  till  three  days  after 
that  event.  Before  tribunals  thus 
constructed  even  innocence  had  not 
the  least  chance  for  protection.  Ge- 
neral Gilly  knew  better  than  to  ap- 
pear before  them,  and  was  condemn- 
ed to  death  for  contem[)t  of  court. 
But  when  he  left  Nismes,  he  thought 
either  of  passing  into  a  foreign  coun- 
try, or  of  joining  the  army  of  the 
Loire;  and  it  was  long  supposed 
that  he  had  actually  escaped.  As  it 
was  impossible  to  gain  any  point,  or 
find  any  security,  his  only  hope  was 
in  concealment,  and  a  friend  found 
him  an  asylum  in  the  cottage  of  a 
peasant ;  but  that  peasant  was  a  Pro- 
testant and  the  General  was  a  Ca- 
tholic: however,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate ;  he  confided  in  this  poor  man's 
honour.  This  cottage  was  in  the 
canton  of  Anduze;  the  name  of  its 
keeper,  Pcrrier:  he  welcomed  the 
fugitive,  and  did  not  even  ask  his 
name  :  it  was  a  time  of  proscription, 
and  his  host  would  know  nothing  of 
him  ;  it  was  enough  that  he  was  lui- 
fortunate,  and  in  danger.  He  was 
disguised,  and  he  passed  for  Penier's 
cousin.  The  General  is  naturally 
amiable,  and  he  made  himself  agree- 
able, sat  by  the  fire,  ate  potatoes, 
and  contented  himself  with  miserable 
fare.  Though  subject  to  frequent 
and  many  painfu!  alarms,  he  pre- 
served his  retreat  several  months, 
and  often  heard  the  visitors  of  his 
host  boast  of  the  concealment  of  Ge- 
neral Gilly,  or  of  being  acquainted 
with  the  place  of  his  retreat.  Patrols 
were  continually  searching  for  arms 


FRENCH  PERSECUTIONS— ISH  to  1820.        89/ 


ttt  the  bcMises  of  Prolesf ants ;  and 
often  ill  tlie  night  the  General  was 
oblige*!  to  leave  his  ni.i1  trass,  half 
naked,  and  hide  himsclfin  the  fields. 
Perrler,  to  avoid  these  inconveni- 
ences, made  an  under-ground  pas- 
sage, by  which  Iiis  guest  could  pass 
to  an  outhouse.  TJie  wife  of  Perrier 
could  not  endure  that  one  who  had 
seen  better  days  should  live  as  her 
family  did,  on  vegetables  and  bread, 
and  occasionally  bought  meat  to  re- 
gale the  melancholy  stranger.  These 
unusual  purchases  excited  attention ; 
it  was  suspected  that  Perrier  had 
some  one  concealed  ;  nightly  visits 
were  more  frequent.  In  this  state 
of  anxiety  he  often  complained  of 
the  hardness  of  his  lot.  Perrier  one 
day  returned  from  market  in  a  se- 
rious mood  ;  and,  after  some  enqui- 
ries from  his  guest,  he  replied,  '  Why 
do  you  complain  ?  you  are  fortunate, 
compared  with  the  poor  wretches 
whose  heads  were  cried  in  the  mar- 
ket to-day :  Bruguier,  the  pastor,  at 
24C0  francs ;  Bresse,  the  mayor,  at 
the  same ;  and  General  Gilly  at 
10,000  !'— *  Is  it  possible?'  '  Aye,  it 
is  certain.'  Gilly  concealed  his  emo- 
tion; a  momentary  suspicion  passed 
his  mind ;  he  appeared  to  reflect. 
'  Perrier,'  said  he,  '  I  am  weary  of 
life  ;  you  are  poor,  and  want  money : 
I  know  Giily  and  the  place  of  his 
concealment;  let  us  denounce  him; 
I  shall,  no  doubt,  obtain  my  liberty, 
and  you  shall  have  the  10,000  francs.' 
The  old  man  stood  sj)eechless,  and 
as  if  petrified.  His  son,  a  gigantic 
peasant,  27  years  of  age,  who  had 
served  in  the  army,  rose  from  his 
chair,  in  which  he  had  listened  to 
the  conversation,  and  in  a  tone  not 
to  be  described,  said,  '  Sir,  hitherto 
we  thought  you  unfortunate,  but 
honest  ;  we  have  respected  your  sor- 
row, and  kept  your  secret ;  but,  since 
you  are  one  of  those  wretched  beings 
who  would  inform  of  a  fellow  crea- 
ture, and  insure  his  death  to  save 
yourself,  there  is  the  door ;  and  if  you 
do  not  retire,  I  will  throw  you  out  of 
the  window.'  Giily  hesitated;  the 
peasant  insisted  ;  the  General  wished 
to  explain,  but  he  was  seized  by  the 
collar.     '  .Sii|)pose  1  should  be  Gene- 

rox's    iMAUTVllS. 


ral  Gilly,'  said  the  fugitive.  The  sol- 
dier paused.  '  And  it  Is  even  so/ 
continued  he  ;  '  denounce  me,  and 
the  10,000  francs  arc  your's.'  The 
soldier  threw  himself  on  his  neck ; 
the  family  were  dissolved  in  tears; 
they  kissed  his  hands,  his  clothes, 
protested  they  would  never  let  bini 
leave  them,  and  that  they  would  die 
rather  than  he  should  be  arrested. 
In  their  kindness  he  was  more  se- 
cure than  ever:  but  their  cottage 
was  more  suspected,  and  he  was  ul- 
timately obliged  to  seek  another  asy- 
lum. The  family  refused  any  in- 
demnity for  the  expense  he  had 
occasioned  them,  and  it  was  riot  till 
long  after  that  he  could  prevail  upon 
them  to  accept  an  acknowledgment 
for  their  hospitality  and  their  fidelity. 
In  1820,  when  the  course  of  justice 
was  more  free,  General  Gilly  de- 
manded a  trial;  there  was  nothing 
against  him ;  and  the  Duke  d'Angou- 
leme  conveyed  to  Madame  Gilly 
the  permission  of  the  King  for  the 
return  of  her  husband  to  the  bosom 
of  his  country. 

But,  even'  when  the  French  go- 
vernment was  resolved  to  bring  tlie 
factions  of  the  department  of  Gar<l 
under  the  laws,  the  same  men  con- 
tinued to  exercise  the  public  func- 
tions. The  society,  called  Roy  ale, 
and  its  secret  committee,  maintain- 
ed a  power  su])erior  to  the  laws. 
It  was  impossible  to  procure  the 
condemnation  of  an  assassin,  though 
the  evidence  against  him  was  incon- 
tcstible,  and  for  whom,  in  other 
times,  there  would  have  been  no 
hope.  The  Truphemys,  and  others 
of  his  stamp,  appeared  in  public, 
wearing  inmiense  mustachoes,  and 
white  cockades  embroidered  with 
green.  Like  the  brigands  of  Cala- 
bria, they  had  two  pistols  wnd  a 
poniard  at  their  waists.  Their  ap- 
Jjearance  dilfiised  an  air  of  melan- 
choly mixed  with  indignation.  Even 
amidst  the  bustle  of  the  day  there 
was  the  silence  of  fear,  and  the 
night  was  disturbed  by  atrocious 
songs,  or  vociferations  like  the  sud- 
den cry  of  ferocious  wild  beasts. 


'a 


899 


BOOK  OF  M.ARTYRS. 


ULTIMATE   RESOLUTION  OF  THE    TRO- 
TESTANTS    AT    NISMF.S. 

With  respect  to  tlie  conduct  of  the 
Protestants,  these  highly  outraged 
citizens,  pushed  to  extremities  by 
their  persecutors,  felt  at  length  that 
they  had  only  to  chooso  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  to  perisii.  They 
unanimously  determined  that  they 
would  die  fighting  in  their  own  de- 
fence. This  firni  attitude  apprized 
their  butchers  that  they  could  no 
longer  murder  with  impunity.  Every 
thing  was  immediately  changed. 
Those,  who  for  four  jears  liad  filled 
others  with  terror,  now  felt  it  in 
their  turn.  They  trembled  at  the 
force  w  hich  men,  so  long  resigned, 
found  in  despair,  and  their  alarm 
was  heightened  when  they  heard 
that  the  inhabitants  of  the  Ceveimes, 
persuaded  of  the  danger  of  tlieir 
brethren,  were  marching  to  their 
assistance.  But,  without  wailing  for 
these  reinforcements,  the  Protestants 
appeared  at  night  in  the  same  order, 
and  armed  in  the  same  manner  as 
their  enemies.  The  others  paraded 
the  Boulevards,  with  tlieir  usual 
noise  and  fury  ;  but  the  Protestants 
remained  silent  and  firm  in  the  posts 
they  had  chosen.  Three  days  these 
dangerous  and  ominous  meetings 
♦continued;  but  the  etfusiun  of  blood 
was  prevented  by  the  efforts  of  some 
worthy  citizens  distinguished  by  their 
rank  and  fortune.  By  sharing  the 
dangers  of  the  Protestant  population, 
they  obtained  the  pardon  of  an  ene- 
my who  now  trembled  Avhile  he 
menaced. 

But  though  the  Protestants  were 
modest  in  their  demands,  only  asking 
present  safety,  and  security  for  the 


future,  they  did  not  obtain  above  half 
of  their  requests.  The  dissolution  of 
the  National  Guard  at  Nismes  was 
owing  to  the  prudence  and  firmness 
of  M.  Laine.  The  re-organi^ation  of 
the  Cour  Royale  was  effected  by 
M.  Pasquier,  then  Keeper  of  the 
Seals;  and  these  measures  certainly 
ensured  them  a  present  safety,  but 
no  more.  M.  Madier  de  Montgau, 
the  generous  champion  of  the  Pro- 
testants of  Nismes,  was  officially  sum- 
moned before  the  Court  of  Cassa- 
tion at  Paris,  over  w  hich  M .  de  Serre, 
Keeper  of  the  Seals,  presided,  to 
answer  for  an  alledged  impropriety 
of  conduct  as  a  magistrate,  in  making 
those  public  appeals  to  the  Chamber 
which  saved  the  Protestants,  and  in- 
creased the  difficulties  of  renewing' 
those  perse(;utions  of  which  he  com- 
plained. The  French  Attorney  Ge- 
neral demanded  the  erasure  of  his 
name  from  the  list  of  magistrates, 
but  this  the  Court  refused.  Un- 
fortunately, since  the  law  of  Elec- 
tions in  France  has  been  changed, 
two  of  file  bitterest  enemies  of  the 
Protestants  have  been  chosen  Depu- 
ties at  Nismes.  The  future,  there- 
fore, is  not  without  its  dangers,  and 
the  condition  of  the  persecuted  may 
fiuefuate  with  the  slightest  political 
alteration  ;  but  w  hich,  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  may  be  prevented  from  any 
acts  tlmt  may  again  disgrace  the  Ca- 
tholic religion  by  tiie  po'.serful  ex- 
pression of  the  public  misid,  actuated 
with  better  priiH;ip!o.s.  or  by  the  in- 
terfere.'Kie  of  the  Froiestant  iiifhienoe 
in  this  or  other  countries.  Happily, 
since  the  year  1820,  no  fresh  com- 
plaints have  issued  from  the  South 
of  France  on  the  scoie  of  Religion. 


F  I  N  I  S. 


I  N  D  E  X. 


Abyssinia,  persecutions  in,  183 
Art,  an,  concerning  religion,  281,  282 
Acts,  new,  of  parliament,  S.''4 
Africa,  persecutions  in,  21,  22,  46 
Agnes  Bongear  and  Margaret  Thurston, 

burnt  at  '  olchestcr,  ()36,  638 
Alban,  the  first  British  martyr,  36 
Albigenses,  persecutions  of,  104,  105 

,  successes  of  tlie,  109 

Alcoek,  John,  story  of,  677 

Abierman  Cornish,  trial  and  execution  of, 

850,  852 
Allerton,  Ralph,  letters  by,  634,  635 
Alexandria,  insurrectional,  74 
Allin,    Edmund,    examination   of,   608, 

612 
Alphage,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  92 
Anabaptists,  in  England,  361,  362 
Anastasius,  account  of,  76 
Apostles,    lives,   sufferings,   and  martyr- 
dom of  the,  4,  8 
Argyle,  Earl  of,  and  followers,  defeat  of, 

in  Scotlund,  854 
A  rian  heretics,  persecutions  by,  61 
Armad:;,  the  Sjianish,  account  of,  782,7'Jt 
• ,  articles    taken    on 

board  of  the,  793 
Articles,  '.he  thirty-nine,  published,  370 

,  Ihesii,  act  of  the,  272 

Askew,   Anne,  story  and  martyrdom  of, 

2il9,  S07 
Assassination  of  Henry  V  of  France,  213 
Atieri)ury's  plot,  879 
Austrians  sympathize  with    the  French 

protectants,  889 
Auio  da  F6.S  at  Madrid,  121.   122 
Auiicular  confession  examined,  357 

B 

P.abylas,  martyrdom  of,  27 

Barnes,  Dr.  Robert,  martyrdom  of,  273, 

276 
Barbarities  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese 

Inquisitions,   127 
— — — — ,  instances  of  horrible,  158 
Barbary,  states  of,  persecution  in  the,  186 
Bateman,    Charles,   trial  and  execution 

of,  853 
Battiscomb,  Mr.  Cliristopher,  863 
Beaton,  Cardinal,  put  to  death,  342 
Bedell,  Bishop,    liow    esteemed    by   the 

Irish  Catholics,  S0& 
Believers,  ten  burnt  together,  619 
Bendon,  Alice,  ami  others,  burnt  at  Can- 

tcibuiy,  blj 


Benbridge,  Thomas,  martyrdom  of,  67T 
Bentham,  Mr.  wonderful  deliverances  of, 

722 
Bent  and  Trapnel,  burning  of,  312 
Benet,  Thomas,  persecution  and  death  of, 

013,  318 
Bezieres,  siege  of,  105,  106 

-,  courage  of  the  Earl  of,  ib. 


Bible,  attempts  made  to  suppress,  280 

,  a  translation  of  proposed,  261,  262 
Bilney,  T.,  story  and  martyrdom  of,  254 
Bishop  Maitin,  77 

Blasphemers  and  persecutors,  God's  pu- 
nishment of,  766 
Bonner  prosecuted,  363 

•,  Bishop,    sufferings    of    various 


christians  under,  525 

protestants     scourg;ed 


by,  at  Fulham,  672 

,  ridiculous  conduct  of. 


674 

Boniface,  account  of,  80,  81,  83 
Bohemia  and  Germany,  persecutions  in, 

164,  170 
Boleyn,  Anne,  declared  Queen  of  Eng- 
land, 246 

— ,  trial  and  execution    of. 


265 


-,  married  to  Henry  VIII, 


245 

Book  of  common  prayer  revised,  367, 370 
Boy,  a  blind,  burnt  at  Gloucester,  566 
Bradford,   Rev.   John,  and  others,  mar- 
tyrdom of,  435,  440 
Bragg,  Sir  Matthew,  866 
Bridport,  martyrs  at,  869 
Brentford,  six  martyrs  burnt  at,  665 
Brown,  John,  martyrdom  of,  319 
Burton,  Nicholas,  tortured,  113,  139 
Byfield,  and  others,  burnt,  255 

C 

Calabria,  persecutions  in,  186,  188 

Calas,  John,  of  Thoulouse,a  martyr,216, 
221 

Cardinal  Wolsey  disgraced,  240 

Beaton  put  to  death  in  Scot- 
land, 342 

Careless,  John,  sufferings  and  death  of, 
in  the  King's  Bench,  576,  584 

Catherine,  Queen  of  Henry  VllI,  death 
of,  260 

,  Duchess  of  Suffolk,  escape  of, 

from  her  persecutors,  727,  732 

Catholics,  cruel  proceedings  of,  at 
Nism«»,  89S 


900 


INDEX. 


Ceremonies  abolished,  355 

Chichester,   martyrdoms  in  that  diocese, 

fi43 
China,  persecutions  in,  181 
Christian  lady  martyred,  33 
Christians,  a  general  sacrifice  of,  39 
-^^— —  refuse  to  bear  arms,  ib. 
: ,  fortitude  and  conduct  of  three 

noble,  41,  42 

banished,  72 

-,  primitive,  method  of  torturing 


them,   129,   132 
Christ's  presence,   disputes    concerning, 

SGO 
Churches,  a  visitation  to  all  the,  352,  354 
of  French  protestants  attack- 
ed, 893 
Colchester,  persecutions  at,  621,  626,  662 
,  twenty  -two  persons  apprehend- 
ed at,  and  brought  to  London,  597,  603 
Communion,  a  new  office  for  the,  356 
Conduct,  heroic,  ofCapt.  Gianavel,  206 

,   noble,  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy, 

189,  190 
Confession,  auricular,  examined,  357 
Congreeation,    protestant,    in    London, 

wond"^Rrful  escape  of,  720,  721 
Conspiracies  of  the  Papists,  from  the  re- 
volution  to  the    reign   of  George   II, 
875,  879 
Constantino,  the  champion  of  Christians, 
56 

■         ,  his  vision  of  the  cross,  ih. 

,  Dr.   138 

Constantinople  taken  by  the  Turks,  184 
Convocation,  debates  in  the,  264 
Cooke,  John,  examination  of,  679 
Cornish,  Alderman,  trial  and  execution 

of,  850,  852 
Cotten,  Stephen,  beaten  and    burnt   by 

Bonner,  700 
Coventry,  sufferings  of  various   martyrs 

at,  460,  4G2 
Cranmer,  Dr.  account  of,  239,  240 

,  attempts    to    ruin    him, 

295,  308 
.  ,  Thomas,  Archbishop  of  Can- 

terbury, life  and  martyrdom  of,  oiiO — 
his    recantation,    536 — burnt    at   Ox- 
ford, 543,  544 
Crokhay,    Gertrude,     her    presence    of 

mind,  734,  739 
Cromwell,  Oliver,  his  generous  interces- 
sion for  the  protestants,  206,  207 

-,  Thomas,  fall  of,  272,  273 

Cruelty  of  a  Gothic  kinc,  76 

: the  Duke  of  Guise,  154 

.  Colonel  Kirk,  856 

Judge  JefFeries,  856,  857 

Cruelties  of  the  Inquisition,  1 

,  monstrous,  of  Count  Tilly,  177 

Cyprirtii,  Bishop  of  Carthage,  31,  44 
(jyiil,  niariyrdomof,  26 


D 


Damlip,    Adam,  history    and    death    of, 

292,  294 
Dauphiny,  persecutions  in,  99,  100 
Defence,    heroic,    of  the  protestants  of 

Roras,  203 
De  la  Place,  M.  murder  of,  156 
Dissokuion  of  the  religious  houses,  969 
Dr.  Cole  fortunately  deceived  by   a   pro- 

testi\nt  woman  at  Chester,  802 
Driver,    Mrs.   Alice,    examined,    679— ^ 

condemned,  6S2 
Dominic,  artifices  of,  99 


Earl  Simon,   defeated  by  the  Albigertses, 
111 

Edward  VI,  sickness  and  death  of,  378 
Elizabeth  (the  Lady),  afterwards  Queen, 

miraculous  preservation  of,  746,  762 
Ely,    in     Cambridgeshire,    sufferings    of 

martyrs  at,  462,  463 
Emperors,  degraded  by  the  Pope,  222,  223 
Enormities  of  the  Inquisition  discovered, 

135,   138 
Escapes,    jirovidential,    of    protestants, 

7  16,  717,  718,  719,  720,  723,  724,  725, 

734 
Eusebius  opposes  the  Arians,  69,  70 


Fabian,  martvrdom  of,  24 

Families,  savage  pract'ce  of  exterminat- 
ing, continued  in  Ireland,  810 

Females,  five  sufierers  by  martyrdom,  529 

Fctty,Willi:im,  a  boy,  barbarously  scourg- 
ed to  death,  662,  6G3 

Filmer,  persecution  and  death  of,  289, 
291 

Five  persons  starved  to  death,  595 

Flanders,   persecutions  in,   179 

Fortune,  John,  examinations  of,  573, 
576 

France,  persecutions  in,   114,  116 

• the  south   of, 

881,  898 

French  commander  in  Spain,  retaliates 
upon  the  Inquisitors,    136,  137 

Frith,  story  and  martyrdom  of,  256 

G 

Gnrdcner,  William,   140 
Valerius,  dreadful  persecutions  by,  52 
Garrett,  Thomas,  story  of,  276 
Garter,  order  of,  when  instituted,  56 
Gavin,  Mr.    his   Master-key   to  Popery, 

137 
Gaunt,  Mrs.  857 
General  Gilly,  a  catholic,  protected  by 

a  protestant  iK-asaiit,  896 

La  Garde  mmdercd,  894  ■' 

Georgia,  j)erbecutions  in,   186 
Gerard,  a  Veiieilan,  94 


INDEX. 


901 


Germany  and  Bohemia,  persecutions  in, 

164,  170 

• ,  liberation  of,  378 

Gianavel,    Captani,     heroic  conduct  of, 

206 
Gray,  I.arly  Jane,  history  of,  382,  384 
Green,  Bartlet,  sufferings  of,  524,  523 
Grinstead,  martyrs  l)iirnt  at,  590 
Godfrey,  Sir  Edmundbury,  life  and  death 

of,  818,  826 
Gotlis,  the,  persecute  the  christians,  68 
Guise,  Duke  of,   154— cruelty  of,   135 
Gunpowder  plot  by  ilie  papists,  account 

of,  794,  798 

H 

Hallingdale,  John,  persecution  and  mar- 
tyrdom of,  647 

Hamihon,  Patrick,  story  and  martyrdom 
of,  327 

Henry  IV  of  France  assassinated,  213 

Emperor,  submission  of  to  the 

Pope,  222 

VIII,  history  of  his  marriage  with 

Catherine,  236,  237,  238— corresponds 
with  the  Pope,  243 

III,  King  of  France,  death  of,  781 


Hewling,  Benjamin  and  Wm.  858,  862 
Historical  Account  of  the  Inquisition  in 

Spain,  Italv,  and  Portugal,  117,  120 
History,  brief,  of  the  Ilcformalion  in  Eng- 
land, 221 
Holland,    Roger,  history,   examinations, 

and  condemnation  of,  663,  672 
Horrid  treachery,  128 
Hooper,  Bishop,  sufferings  and  death  of, 

393,  400 
Hudson,  Thomas,  burnt  at  Norwich,  660, 

661 
HuUier,  Rev.  John,  burnt  at  Cambridge, 

620 
Hun,    Richard,   murdered    as  a   heretic, 

234,  235 
Huss,  John,  life,  sufferings,  and  death  of, 

170,173 

I 

Images  and  relics,  impostures  of  disco- 
vered, 269,  270 

Immunity,  ecclesiastical,  contested,  233, 
231 

Inquisition,  cruelties  of  the,  1— origin  of 
tlic,  98,  99 — historical  account  of' in 
Spain,  Portugal,  Italy,  &c.  117,  120— 
Spanish,  enormities  of,  135,  138 

Interview  between  the  Kings  of  France 
and  England,  244 
.  Ipswich,  martyrs  burnt  at,  C82 

Ireland,  reformation  in,  377 

Irish  massacre  of  the  Protestants,  798,  813 

Islington,  martyrs  burnt  at,  6^9,  634 
,  Jtalyj  matiyrdoms  in  various  parts  of,  193 


Jackson,  John,  remarkable  exarainatiod 

of,  591 
Japan,  persecutions  in,  181 
JeflFeries,  Judge,  cruelty  of,  856,  857 
Jenkyn,  Mr.  William,  864 
Jerome  of  Prague,  life,    sufferings,  and 

death  of,  173,  177 
John  of  Bergamo,  78 
Johnson,  sufferings  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  853 
Judge,  an  upright,  895 
Julian  the  Apostate,  persecutions  under, 

64,  66 — death  of,  in  Persia,  68 

K 

Kent,  persecution  of  Thomas  Christen- 
mas  and  William  Wats  in,  715 

Kerby  and  Clarke,  martyrdom  of,  297 

Kilien,  martyrdom  of,  78 

King,  the  French,  story  of,  781 

Kings  of  France  and  England,  interview 
between,  244 

Kirke,  Colonel,  cruelties  of  iri  the  West, 
856 

Kirke's  lambs,  what,  856,  857 


Ladies,  martyrdom  of  two,  85 
Lady,  a  Christian,  martyred,  33 

Lisle,  death  of,  856 

Lambert,  John,  martyrdom  of,  271 
Latimer,  Bishop   of  Worcester,  life  and 

sufifcriugs  of,  464,  468,  474 
Laurence,  St.,  martyrdom  of,  17,  30 
Lawson,  Elizabeth,  persecution  of,  714 
Legion  of  Christian  soldiers,  massacre  of, 

35 
Leicester,  Thomas  Moor  burnt  at,  591 
Letter   written   to    Henry    II    King    of 

France,  777,  780 
Lichfield,  Mrs.  Lewis  burnt  at,  626 
Lincolnshire    and    Yorkshire    rebellions, 

267 
Liturgy,  a  new,  composed,  357,  359 
Lithal,  John,  account  of  the  t?ouble  and 

deliverance  of,  703 
Lithgow,  William,  140,  145,147 
Lithuania,  persecutions  in,  180, 181 
Living,  William,  deliverance  of,  with  his 

wife,  701 
Lollards,  persecution  of  the,  235 

tower,  description  of,  662 

^-^— deaths  of  martyrs  in,  454 

Londonderry,  remarkable  siege  of,  811 
Luther,  progress  of  his  doctrine,  233,  236 
Lyme,  martyrs  at,  869 

M 

Madrid,  Auto  da  Fes  at,  121,  122 
Mahomet,  an  account  of,  183,  184 
Maidstone,   live    women    and  two  men 
burnt  at,  607 


P02 


INDEX. 


JMarbeck,  cr'amin.itinii  of,  L'"*,  387 

M;ircellii)us  martyrL-H,  44 

IVIaish,  Rev.  Ceorge,  417,  421 

Marti'i,  Mr.  Isaac,  trial  anri  sufferings  ol' 
under  t'ne  Inquisition,  132,    135 

Martyr,  the  last  in  Scotln:)(1,  S4.i 

the  first  female  in  England,  441 

Martyrs,  vaiious,  44,  45 

ill  the  west  of  Englantl^ 

370 

a  ship  load  burnt,  74 

several,  burnt  in  one  fire  at  Can- 
terbury, 528 

sufferings  of  si.\,  buint  ut  Col- 
chester, 556,  563 

•• burnt  at  Lpwes,  in  Sussex,  569 

Martyrdom  of  St.  George,  56 

»  of  sis  persons  in  St.()t!and,332 

of  Henry  Forest,  :}'2i^ — (iour- 

lay,  Norman,  and  David  Stratton,  329 
— Russel  and  Kennedy,  3-31 

Martyrdoms,  nuuierous,50,52 — in  Naples, 
53,  54,  318,  319,  594— at  Canterbury, 
59.5 

. in  various  parts  of  England, 

408,  412 — Farrar,  Dr.  Robert,  iiishoi) 
of  St.  David's,  413 

in  Cambridgeshire,   424 — in 


Smithfield,    428— in    l- ssex,  429,  4.S3, 

435,  445 — in  Kent  and   Surrey,  442, 

444,  446 
Massacre,  horrible,  in    France,  147,   154 

another  ill  Champr,it;ne,  154 

at  Vassy,  in  Champaigne,  I5t 

at  Orleans,  160 

at  Angers,  1C2 

.         at  Bourdeaux,  162 

—  of  the  PrutestaiUs  in   Ireland, 

79S, 813 
Massacres  at  N'lsmes,  883,  oS5 
Maximns  and  Licinius,  death  of,  57 
JVIral  tub  plot,  account  of  the,  826 
MeriiKliillans,  punishment  of  the,  101 

. account  of,  103 

Mile,  Walter,  last  martyr  in  Scotland, 345 
Molinos,  Michael  de,  persecuted, 209,  210 
Monasteries,   general  visitation    of    the, 

,259,  2b0,2(i7 
Monk,  a,  punished,  102 
Jlonmouth,  Duke  of,  insurrection,  de- 

feat,  and  death  of,  854,  8.08 
Murder  of  M.de  la  Place,  156 

N 
Napoleon   favourable  to  the  Protestants, 

883 
Netherlands,  persecutions  in  the,  178,  180 
Nismes,  conduct  of  the  Catholics  at,  881, 

882 
Norwich,  martyrdoms  at,  621,  626 
Noyes,  .Tohn,  bnrtlt  at  i-axfield,  639,  640 
Nun  of- Kent,  itoiy  of  the,  250,  252 


Ogliier,  IJobftf,  wife,  and  two  JonsbuiRt 

at  Lisle,  151 ,  (54 
Oldcastle,  Sir  John,  martyrdom  of,  229, 

230 
Oliver  Cromwell,  powerful  intercession  of 

for  the  Protestants,  206,  207 
Orange,  assassination  of  the  Prince  of,  180 
Origen,  account  of,  28 
Order  of  the  Garter  instituted,  56 
Ormes,  Cicele\',  burnt  at  Norwich,  ti42 
Outrage,  monstrous,  upon  females,  88!> 


Pagan  temple  destroyed,  71 

Palmer,   Julius,  life   of,  burnt  at  New- 
berry, 5R7 

Papists,  modern,  clamour  and  falsehoods 
adopted  by,  678.  679' 

account  of  their  genera!  attempts 

to  overthrow  the  Protestant  govern- 
ment of  England,  from  the  accession 
of  Queen  Elizabeth  to  the  reign  of 
George  11.  782 

consiiiracy,horud,  against  James  I, 

commoiilv  known  by  tl^e  name  of  the* 
Gunpowder  Plot,  794,  79B 

horrid   plot    of,    for    buniini;  the 


city  of  London,  813,  818 

Patriots,  Protestant,  persecutions  of  emi- 
nent, H27 

Paul,  the  P.ishop  of  Constantinoi)!^,  62 

Pearson,  Anthony,  persecution  of,  283 

Perfectus,  account  of,  86 

Persecution,  the  first  primitive,  under 
Nero,  S — second,  undfr  Domitian,  10 
—third,  under  the  Roman  E!n))crors, 
12 — fourth,  under  the  same,  14 — fifth, 
20— sixth,  2.3— s.-vei;tli,  24 — eip:htli, 
29-i— ninth,  34— tenth  L'eneral,  under 
tile  Roman  Emperors,  .3" 

Persecu  i  ii";,  deaths,  aod  mariyrdoms  at 
Canl.iiii.y,  484 

• »)f  various  persotis  after  the 

di,;i;,  i)f  Ciaiiiner,  553— at  Ij)swich, 
554 — .Wilts,  554,  55(j — Essex,  556, 
557  — Smith.field,  559 

•^ —__-  of  many  eminent  Protestant 

patriots,  827 — Mr.  College,  i/i. — Ai- 
thur,  Earl  of  Esse.<,  8.30— William 
Lord  Rtissel,  831 — execution  of,  837 — • 
Walcot,  Hone,  and  Rouse,  8.38 — Al- 
gernon Sydney,  Esq  840,  846— Mr. 
James  Holloway,  846 — Sir  Thomas 
Armstrong,  848,  849 

— .  in  the  south  of  Fiance,  881- 


Persecutors  and  blasphemers  of  God's 
people,  severe  punishment  of :  Stephen 
Gardiner,  766,  768  — Morgan,  of  St. 
David's,  lA.— Bishop  Thornton,  /*. — 
a   bishop  of  Dovti,    li.— Alexandej, 


INDEX. 


90S 


the  keeper  of  Newgate,  768— Dr. 
Story,  763 — names  of  lliose  deprived 
and  imprisoned  durinj?  the  persecu- 
tions, 770— Poor  Lazarus  and  the  rich 
glutton,  778,  773 — a  young  gentleman 
in  Cornwall,  ib. — Henry  Smith,  774 

Persecutors,  foreign,  examples  of  God's 
judgments  upon,  774,  777 

Persia,  persecutions  in,  b9,  GO 

Persons,  various,  punished  for  abstaining 
from  hearing  Mass,  57 1 

— ,  account  of  the  last  five,  that  suf- 
fered in  Queen  Mary's  reign,  087,690 

Philip  of  Heraclea,  48 

Philpot,  Mr.  John,  history  and  martyr- 
dom of,  485 — examination  of,  by  Bish- 
op Bonner  and  others,  488,  494,  508 — 
his  death,  514 — Letter  from,  515 

Piedmont,  massacre  of  prolestants  in,  177 

— ■ vallevs,  persecutions  in  the,189, 

197,  202 

Plaise,  Matthew,  troubles  and  examina- 
tions of,  614,  G16 

Plot,  the  meal  tub,  account  of,  826 

Policy,  Margaret,  the  first  female  martyr 
in  England,  441 

Pomerania,  persecutions  in,  176,  177 

Pope,  cruelties  of  the,  99 

Popery,  Mr.  Gavin's  Master  Key  to,  137 

Popesjtheirgreatascendancy  formerly, 222 

i  power  of  the,  arguments  for  and 

against,  247,  248 

Portugal,  inquisition  of,  123 

Prague,  persecutions  at,  89 

Preaching,  method  of,  in  Popish  times,  280 

Prest,  Elizabeth,  sufferings,  examination, 
and  death  of,  685,  687 

Primitive  Christians,  method  of  torturing 
them,  129, 130, 152 

Proclamation,  issued  by  Queen  Mary,  596 

Protector,  fJuke  of  Somerset,  fall  of  the, 
364,  373 

Protestant  Martyrs,  popish  custom  of 
throwing  their  dead  bodies  into  the 
fields,  484 

Patriots,  persecutions  of  many 

eminent,  827 

■ religion  in  Ireland,  riseand  pro- 
gress of  the,  798,  813 

Protestants  in  France,  persecutions  of,  un- 
der Louis  XIV,  212,  216 

•  i  — ,  thirteen  apprehended  in   Es- 

sex, 569— condemned  and  burnt  toge- 
ther by  Bonner,  671 

— ,  ultimate  resolutions  of  the,  at 


Ni^mes,  898 


Q 


Quarters,  human,  set  up  in  Guildhall,  853 
Queen  Mary  and  a  Bishop,  372 

,   treatise  on  the   ill  success 

of,  763,  750 
coHtparad  to  Jezebel,  679 


Queen  Mary,  death  of,  690,  763— .reBec- 
tions  upou,69l,  703,706 

Queen  Elizabeth,  birth  of,  246 

brought  to  London,  and- 

sent  prisoner  to  the  Tower,  749,  750. — 
lier  irt-atment  there,  763 — is  removed 
to  Richmond,  755 — Windsor  juid 
Woodstock,  757 — Hampton  Court,  76ti- 
— has  an  iiitervie-v  with  Queen  Mary, 
761 — takes  refuge  in  Coventry,  797 

-speech  of  to  her  Army  at 


Tilbury,  791 
Queen  Catherine  Howard,  execution  of, 

279 
Quietists,  the  persecution  of,  21 1,  212 

R 

Ramus,  Peter,  158 

Rawlins,White,  a  poor  fisherman,4 15,4 17 

Rebellion  in  Devonshire,  362 

in  Lincolnshire  and  Yorkshire, 

267 

Reformation,  the,  in  England,  brief  his- 
tory of,  221 

progress  of  the,  under  Hen- 
ry VIII,  231 

■ — Ed- 
ward VI,  347,  352 

Religious  houses,  dissolution  of  the  great- 
est, 269 

Religion,  the  protestant, subverted  under 
Queen  Mary,  382 — her  accession  u>  um 
throne,  383 

Rhodes,  island  of,  attacked  by  the  luckj, 
184 

Ridley,  Bishop  of  London,  life  and  suf- 
ferings of,  468,  474 

Rood,  the,  of  Dover  Court,  burnt,  312 

I{ogers,  Rev.  J  ohn,  martyrdom  of,  386,383 

Roras,  heroic  defence  of  the  Protestants 
of,  203 

Rose,  Thomas,  a  preacher,  examinations 
of,  736,  738 

Rough,  the  Rev.  John  and  Margaret 
Manning,  martyrdom  of,  652,  655 

letters  from,  to  his  friends,  655 — 

to  his  congregation,  65G 


Samuel,  Rev.  Robert,  and  others  in  Nor- 
folk, burnt,  454 

Sancerre,  Siege  of,   163,  164 

Sands,  Dr.  troubles  and  deliverance  of, 
739,  746 

Saracens,  massacres  by  the,  84 

Saunders,  Laurence,  martyrdom  of,  088, 
;j93 

Saviour,  brief  history  of  our,  2 

Savoy,  noble  conduct  of  the  Duke  of, 
189,  I'.^O 

Schism,  great,  in  the  Church  of  Rome,225 

Scotland,  persecutions  in,  327 


904 


INDEX. 


Scotland,  defeat  of  tticE.  of  Argyle  in,834 
Scourging,  the,  inflicted  by  the  papists,  a 

treatise  upon,  G91 
• of  Richard  Wilmot,  and  Tho- 
mas Fairfax,  696 

— ^  of  Thomas  Green,  696 

of  Robert  Williams,  701 

of  James  Harris,  700 


— — —  of  a  poor  starved  beggir,  701 
Siege  of  Bezieres,  105,  106 

Sancerre,  163, 164 

Vienna  bv  the  Turks,  185 

Silver  Child,  history  of  the,  882 

Simon,  Earl,  defeated  by  the  Albigenses 

before  Toulouse,  1 1 1 
Simson,  Cuthbert,  racked  in  the  Tower, 

658— examined  by  Bonner,  659 — burnt 

with  two  other  persons,  in  Smithfield, 

660 
Six  articles,  act  of  the,  272 
Smith,  Robert,  a  martyr,  450,  451 
Smith,  Mr.  of  Chardstock,  867 
Smithfield,  martyrs  burnt  at,  606,  651 
Soldiers,  a  legion  of  christian,  massacre  of, 

35 
Somerset  the  Protector,   fall  of,  364,  370 

—death  and  character  of,  374 
South  of  France,    persecutions  in   the, 

881,  89S 
Spain,  French  Commander  in,  retaliates 

upon  the  Inquisitors,  136,  137 
Speed,  Mr.  of  Culliton,  868 
Spurdance,  Thomas,  a  martyr,  examina- 
tions of,  644,  647 
Stanislaus,  Bishop  of  Cracow,  95 
Sufferers,  various,  under  Bishop  Bonner, 

525,  525 
Sufferings  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson,  853 


Tankerfield,  G.,  burnt  at  St.  Albans,  448 
Taylor,  Dr.  Rowland,  sufferings  and  death 

of,  400,  408 
Temples,  numerous,  of  idols  destroyed, 71 
Testament  new,  translation  of,  by  Tin- 

dal,  235, 254 
Testwood,  Robert,  persecution  of,  282 
Tilly,  Count,  monstrous  cruelties  of,  177 
Tindal's  translation  of  the   New   Testa- 
ment, 253,  254 
Tindall,  Will,  life  and  death  of,  320,  327 
Torturing  practised  by  the  Inquisition,  125 
Toulouse,  Earl  of,  108 
— — —  surrender  of  the  city  of,  109 
— ^  recovered,  111 


Treachery, iiifamous  and  horrid,  l07,I08» 

128 
Translation  of  the  Bible  propo.sed,26 1,262" 
Treaty  of  Westphalia,  violation  of,  178 
Truphemy,  the  Catholic  butcher,  886 
Turkey,  persecutions  in,  183 
Turks,  the,  take  Constantinople,  184 
Tyranny  of  the  Duke  of  York,  854 


Valerian,  the  Emperor,  fate  of,  33, 34 
Vandals,  Arian,  persecute  christians,  71, 

72 
Vassy,  massacre  of,  134 
Vengeance  of  God  against  persecutors,  57* 

5S 
Venice,  persecutions  in  that  city,  194 
Vienna,  siege  of,  bv  the  Turks,  185 
Villages,  French,  pilbged,  890 
Visitation  to  all  the  Churches,  352,  354 
■  '  general,  of  Monasteries,259,267 

I      of  Cambridge,  363 

a  new,  359,  360 


W 
Waldenses,  the,  persecuted  in  France,  9& 

tenets  of  the,  98, 100 

progress  of  the,  101 

how  treated,  191,  192 

Waldo,  Peter,  accusations  of,  against  Po- 
pery, 97 
Wallace,  Adam,  martyrdom  of,  343 
Westphalia,  treaty  of,  violated,  178 
Wickliffe  and  his  defenders,  account  ofy 
224 

,  translation  of  the  bible,  by ,226 

tenets  avowed  by,  227 

Wickliffites,  burning  of  the,  227 

'         increase  of  their  doctrine, 228 

Whittle,  Rev.  Thomas,  history  of,52 1 ,523 
Winceslaus,  Duke  of  Bohemia,  87,  88 
Wishart,  Mr.  George,  life,  sufferings,  and 

martyrdom  of,  33'j,  342 
Woodman,  Mr.  |)ersecutedby  an  apostate 

priest,  6l6,  619 
Wolsey,  Cardinal,  disgraced,  240 
Woman,  a  blind,  burnt  at  Derby,  594 
Women,  three,  and  an  infant,  burnt  i« 
Guernsey,  589 


Yeoman,  Richard,  history  of,  675 
York,  Duke  of,  his  tyranny,  8.54 
Young,  Elizabeth,  examinations  of,  707, 
714. 


Janice  tJOIHploll,    I'llllll'l',  Mil^Lti 

Stiefl,  CiDlli  r.iii-,  Loiidt)iu