A67926:1213
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.
Thus the Lord repressing the rage of the adversaries for a time, staid the violence and execution of that cruel sentence or Arrest given out by the Parliament of Province, against the Merindolians, until John Miniers, an exceeding bloody tyrant, began a new persecution. This Miniers being Lord of Opede near to Merindoll,1 first began to vex the poor Christians by pilling and poling, by oppression & extortion, getting from them what he could, to enlarge his Seigniory or Lordship, which before was very base. For this cause he put v. or vi. of his own Tenants into a Cistern under the ground,2 and closing it up, there he kept them, till they dyed for hunger, pretending that they were Lutherans, and Vaudois, to have their goods and possessions. By this and such other practises, this wretch was advanced in short space, to great wealth and dignity, & so at length became not only the chief President of the high Court of Parliament, but also the kings Lieutenant general in the country of Province,3 in the absence of the Lord Grignan, then being at the Council of Worms in Germany. Now therefore seeing no opportunity to be lacking •o accomplish his devilish enterprise, he employed all his power, richesse, & authority not only to confirm and to reu•ue that cruel Arrest given out before by the Court of Parliament: but also (as a right minister of Satan) he exceedingly increased the cruelty thereof, which was already so great, that it seemed there could nothing more be added thereunto. And to bring this mischief to pass, he forged a most impudently,4 giving the king to understand that they of Merindoll & all the country near about, to the number of twelve or fifteen thousand, were in the field in armour with their Ensign displayed, intending to take the Town of Marseille, and ⟨p. 952⟩make it one of the Cantons of the Switzers: And to stay this enterprise,5