A01115:2107
An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the ChurchAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church
An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the Church: written by that Reverend Father, Master John Fox: and now abridged by Timothy Bright, Doctor of Physic, for such as either through want of leisure, or ability have not the use of so necessary an historyAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church: written by that Reuerend Father, Maister Iohn Fox: and now abridged by Timothe Bright, Doctour of Phisicke, for such as either through want of leysure, or abilitie haue not the vse of so necessary an history
London: printed by I. Windet, 1589
Volume 2 › Book 11: The eleventh Book.Volume 2 › Book 11: The eleuenth Booke.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus they rejoiced very much at the words and were ••••y merry. At the last, good master Doctor (quoth the sheriff) what mean you by this? that you think you have ••ene deceived your self &c. Would you know my meaning plainly (quoth he) I will tell you, I have been deceived, and (as I think) I shall deceive a great many: I am as you see, a man that hath a very great carcass, which I thought should have been buried in Hadley Churchyard, if I had died in my bed, as I well hoped I should have done. But herein I see I was deceived: and there are a great number of worms in Hadley Churchyard, which should have had jolly feeding upon this carrion, which they have looked for many a day.1 But now I know, we be deceived, I, and they: for this carcass must be burnt to ashes, and so shall they loose their bait and feeding. When the Sheriff and his company heard him say so: they were amazed, marvelling at his constancy. Departing thence, and coming within two miles of Hadley, he desired to light of his Horse to make water. ⟨p. 133⟩which done, he leapt, and fetched a frisk or twain,2 as men commonly do in dancing. Why M. Doctor, quoth the sheriff, how do you now? He answered, well God be praised, good M. sheriff, never better, for now I know I am almost at home. And at the last, coming to Aldam Common, the place assigned where he should suffer, and understanding it was the place, he said: Thanked be God, I am even at home, & so lighted from his horse, and with both his hands rent the hood from his head: and proffering to speak to the people, who prayed for him, and saluted him, one or other thrust a tipstaff into his mouth, and would in no wise permit him to speak. For he was threatened, and so were others, that he should have his tongue cut out of his head, except he would promise to keep silence at his death. When he had prayed, he kissed the stake, and set himself into a pitch barrel, which they had set for him to stand in. So praying,3 and calling on the name of God, he endured the torment, till one Soice with an halberd struck him on the head, that the brains fell out, and the dead corps fell into the fire.