An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the ChurchAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church

Now by the time that the Commissioners had received these letters, they had made out precepts for viij. or ix. score honest men more to be cast in prison; but these Letters appalled and stayed them: notwithstanding they banished the men before named, out of the town for an hundred years: and sent them back to prison, staying them there upon hope, that the Lord Cromwell should sooner come into captivity then he did: but at last they sent xiij. prisoners with Brook, who within xxiiij. hours, were at anchor before the Tower wharf: whom when the Lord Cromwell understood to be come, he commanded their irons to be smote off at the tower wharf, and the prisoners to be brought unto him, whom he greatly comforted. After that, they were sent to the Fleet, and whiles they were in the Fleet, and William Stevens in the tower, the xix. day of July Anno 1541, the Lord Cromwell their great favourer was beheaded at Tower hill, so that all hope seemed to them to have been utterly lost of any deliverance: but the Lord had them in remembrance, and stirred up the Lord Awdley, ¹Lord Chancellor of England, without further examination, to deliver them. And at length, two years after, he delivered William Stevens also, by the kings own motion. The unjust Coū sellers, who charged the Town with sedition and heresy, fell afterward into the kings displeasure, and the L. Grey, Sir George Carew, and Sir Richard Greenfield, who purged the town of the slander, although for a time they were in displeasure, yet within a while after, they came into greater ⟨p. 65⟩favour then before; and were rewarded with xx. l. a year a piece at the least: Rockwood one of the fiercest persecutors fell into despair:² and at the last breath cried, he was utterly damned, for that he said, maliciously he sought the death of such good men. The Undermarshall also (another persecutor) suddenly fell down in the council chamber and never spake word: and the rest of the persecutors had the revenging hand of God following after them.

Now by the time that the Commissioners had receiued these letters, they had made out precepts for viij. or ix. score honest men more to be cast in prison; but these Letters appalled and staied them: notwithstanding they banished the men before named, out of the towne for an hundreth yeres: and sent them back to prison, staying them there vpon hope, that the Lord Cromwell should sooner come into captiuitie then he did: but at last they sent xiij. prisoners with Brook, who within xxiiij. houres, were at anker before the Tower wharfe: whom when the Lord Cromwell vnderstood to be come, he commanded their yrons to be smote off at the tower wharfe, and the prisoners to be brought vnto him, whom hee greatly comforted. After that, they were sent to the Fleete, and whiles they were in the Fleete, and William Steuens in the tower, the xix. day of Iuly Anno 1541, the Lorde Cromwell their great fauourer was beheaded at Tower hill, so that all hope seemed to them to haue beene vtterly lost of any deliuerance: but the Lord had them in remembrance, and stirred vp the Lord Awdley,