A67926:1133
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol.…Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol.…
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an universal history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions against the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realm of England and Scotland. Newly revised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time again published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the help of Christ our Lord) John Fox, which desireth thee good reader to help him with thy prayer.Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
London: printed by John Daye, 1583London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1583
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
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.
Now followeth the copy of the letters sent from Montalt, a town in Calabria 8. miles distant from Consentia, bearing Date the 11. of June. 1560. The writer of the which letters, as ye may perceive, was one of them which call themselves Catholics, and followers of the Pope. The words of the letter be these, as here under followeth.
Now foloweth the copie of the letters sent from Montalt, a towne in Calabria 8. miles distant from Consentia, bearing Date the 11. of Iune. 1560. The wryter of the which letters, as ye may perceiue, was one of them which call themselues Catholickes, and followers of the Pope. The woordes of the letter bee these, as heere vnder followeth.
*Here followeth the Copy of a letter sent from Montalte in Calabria, by a Romanist, to a certain friend of his in Rome, containing news of the persecution of Christs people in Calabria, by the new Pope Pius the fourth. Hitherto, most noble Lord, have I certified you, what here daily hath been done about these heretics Now cometh next to signify unto your Lordship,1 the horrible judgement begun this present day, being the eleventh of June, to be executed very early in the morning against the Lutherans. Which when I think upon, I verily quake and tremble. And truly, the manner of their putting to death, was to be compared to the slaughter of calves and sheep. For they being all thrust up in one house together as in a sheepfold, the executioner cometh in, and amongest them taketh one and blindfoldeth him with a muffler about his eyes, & so leadeth him forth to a larger place near adjoining, where he commandeth him to kneel down, which being so done, he cutteth his throat, & leaving him half dead, and taking his butchers knife and muffler all of gore blood (which the Italians call Benda) cometh again to the rest,2 & so leading one after an other, he dispatcheth them all, which were to the number of 88. This spectacle, to behold how doleful and horrible it was, I leave to your Lordships judgement: for to write of it, I my self cannot but weep. Neither was there any of the beholders there present, which seeing one to die, could abide to behold the death of an other. But certes so humbly and patiently they went to death, as is almost uncredible to believe. Some of them as they were in dying,