A67926:1163
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.
At the last, the gentlewoman advising her self, and thinking that she was to much injured, to be said, that she went about to shed the innocent blood, she brake of all their talk, and with a loud voice said, Monsieur Beavieu, if I were a man,1 as I am a woman, I would offer you the combat, to prove that I am no such manner of woman as you say I am, that I desire to shed innocent blood. Do you call the blood of these wicked men of Merindoll, innocent blood? True it is that I desire and offer with my whole power, that these naughty packs of Merindol, & such like as they are, should be slain and destroyed, from the greatest even unto the least.2 And for to see the beginning of this work, I have employed all my credit, and all my friends, and do not spare, neither body nor goods, to work the ruin & destruction of these people, and to raze out, and to deface their memory from amongest men. Do you then Monsieur Beavieu, call the slaughter of these Lutherans, the effusion of innocent blood? And say you what you will, I will not refrain for no man living, to go either by day either by night, unto the houses of Bishops, in all *honesty and honour, for the devotion which I bear unto our holy *mother the church, and also I will receive into my house, all religious men, to consult and devise the means how to put these Lutherans to death. But as Monsieur Beavieu took no more regard unto her talk, so likewise all that were at the table, dispraised her and were weary of her prating.
At the last, the gentlewoman aduising her self, and thinking that she was to much iniured, to be sayd, that she wēt about to shed the innocent bloud, she brake of al their talk, and with a loud voice sayde, Monsieur Beauieu, if I were a man,1 as I am a woman, I would offer you the combate, to prooue that I am no such manner of woman as you say I am, that I desire to shed innocent bloud. Do you call the bloude of these wicked men of Merindoll, innocent bloud? True it is that I desire and offer with my whole power, that these naughty packes of Merindol, & such like as they are, shoulde be slaine and destroyed, from the greatest euen vnto the least.