A67926:2119
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.
*Oh grievous & painful exaction, thus yearly to be paid: from the which the people of your noble Predecessors the Kings of the ancient Britons, ever stood free. And this will they have, or else they will procure him that will not give it to them to be taken as an heretic. What Tyrant ever oppressed the people, like this cruel and vengeable generation? what subjects shall be able to help their Prince, that be after this fashion yearly poled? What good Christen people can be able to succour us poor lepers, blind, sore, and lame, that be thus yearly oppressed? Is it any marvel that your people so complain of poverty? Is it any marvel that the taxes, fifteens and subsidies, that your grace most tenderly of great compassion, hath taken among your people to defend them from the threatened ruin of their common wealth, have been so slothfully, yea painfully levied seeing almost the uttermost penny that mought have been levied, hath been gathered before yearly, by this erroneous insatiable generation? Neither the Danes nor the Saxons, in the time of the ancient Britons, should ever have been able to have brought their armies from so far, hither into your land, to have conquered it, if they had had at that time such a sort of idle gluttons to find at home.2 The noble king Arthur had never been able to have carried his army to the foot of the mountains, to resist the coming down of Lucius the Emperor, if such yearly exactions had been taken of his people. The Greeks had never been able to have so long continued at the siege of Troy, if they had had at home such an idle sort of cormorants to find. The ancient Romans had never been able to have put all the whole world under their obeisance, if their people had been thus yearly oppressed. The Turk now in your time should never been able to get so much ground of christendom, if he had in his Empire such a sort of Locusts, to devour his substance. Lay then these sums to the foresaid third part of the possessions of the realm, that ye may see whether it draw nigh unto the half of the whole substance of the Realm, or not: so shall ye find that it draweth far above.
*Oh grieuous & paynfull exaction, thus yearely to be payde: from the which the people of your noble Predecessours the Kinges of the aunciente Britaines, euer stoode free. And this will they haue, or els they will procure him that will not geue it to them to be taken as an hereticke. What Tyranne euer oppressed the people, lyke this cruell and vengeable generation? what subiectes shall bee able to helpe theyr Prince, that be after this fashion yearely poled? What good Christen people cā be able to succour vs poore lepers, blynde, sore, and lame, that bee thus yearely oppressed? Is it any meruayle that your people so complaine of pouerty? Is it any meruaile that the taxes, fiftenes and subsidies, that your grace most tēderly of great cōpassion, hath taken among your people to defend them from the threatned ruine of theyr common wealth, haue bene so slouthfully, yea paynefully leuied seeing almost the vttermost peny that mought haue bene leuied, hath bene gathered before yearely, by this erronious insatiable generation? Neither the Danes nor the Saxons, in the time of the auncient Britons, should euer haue bene able to haue brought theyr armies from so far, hether into your land, to haue conquered it, if they had had at that time such a sort of idle glottons to finde at home.