A67926:85
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.
Book 7 › ¶The story of Richard Hun.Book 7 › ¶The story of Richard Hunne.
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.
This examination ended,1 the Bishop sent him back again the same day, unto the Lollards tower: and then by the appointment of Doctor Horsey his Chancellor, he was colourably committed from the custody of Charles Joseph the Sumner, unto John Spalding the belringer, a man, by whose simpleness in wit (though otherwise wicked) the subtle Chancellor thought to bring his devilish pretended homicide the easier to pass: which most cruelly he did by his ministers suborned, within two nights then next following accomplish: as is plainly proved hereafter by the diligent inquiry and final verdict of the Crowner of [figure] ⟨p. 807⟩London, and his inquest, made by order of the laws in that behalf limited.2 But when this usual practise of the Papists was once accomplished, there wanted then no secret shifts, nor worldly wiles for the crafty colouring of this mischief: and therefore the next morning after they had in the night committed this murder, John Spalding (I doubt not but by the counsel of his master Chancellor) gat himself out of the way,3 into the City, and leaving the keys of the prison with one of his fellows, willed him to deliver them unto the Sumners boy, which accustomably did use to carry Hun his meat, and other necessaries that he needed: thinking that the boy, first finding the prisoner dead,4 and hanged in such sort as they left him, they might (by his relation) be thought free from any suspicion of this matter. Which thing happened in the beginning almost as they wished. For the boy the same morning (being the fourth day of December) having the keys delivered him, accompanied with two other of the Bishops Sumners, went about x. of the clock into the prison, to serve the prisoner, as he was wont to do, and when they came up, they found him hanged with his face towards the wall. Whereupon they (astonished at this sight) gave knowledge thereof immediately unto the Chancellor,5 being then in the Church, and watching, I suppose, of purpose, for such news: who forthwith gat unto him certain of his colleagues, and went with them into the prison, to see that which his own wicked conscience knew full well before, as was afterwards plainly proved, although then he made a fair face to the contrary, blazing abroad among the people, by their officers and servants, that Hun had desperately hanged himself.