N20568:1068
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being…
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
SOME singular circumstances happened immediately after the coronation of Henry the Second, king of France, which we shall relate. A tailor was apprehended for working on a saint's day; being asked why he gave such offence to religion, his reply was, "I am a poor man, and having nothing but my labour to depend upon; necessity requires that I should be industrious, and my conscience tells me there is no day but the sabbath which I ought to keep sacred from labour." Having expressed himself thus, he was committed to prison, and the affair being soon after rumoured at court, some of the nobles persuaded the king to be present at the trial. On the day appointed, the monarch appeared in a superb chair of state, and the bishop of Mascon was ordered to interrogate the prisoner. The Taylor, on perceiving the king, paid his obedience to him in the most respectful manner, saying, "I thank God for honouring me thus, and for permitting me to vindicate the light of his gospel before so great a prince." The prelate then questioned him concerning the tenets of his faith, when the clearness and spirit of his answers amazed all that heard him. The king was much affected and seemed to muse, when the bishop exclaimed, "He is an obstinate and impudent heretic; let him be taken back again to prison, from thence conveyed to the place of execution, and there burnt to death." As the king did not oppose what the bishop said, the officers proceeded to do as they were ordered; and, in the mean time, lest what the tailor had uttered might alarm the conscience of the king, the bishop artfully insinuated, "That the heretics (as he called the reformed) had many specious arguments in their mouths, which, at their first hearing, appeared conclusive, but on serious examination, they were found to be false and deceitful. He then used his utmost endeavours in persuading the king to be present at the execution, who at length consented▪ and repaired to a balcony which overlooked the place where persons under condemnation were usually put to death. When the tailor saw the king, he fixed his eyes steadfastly upon him, and even while the flames were consuming him, he kept gazing in such a manner, as threw the monarch into visible confusion, and obliged him to retire before the martyr gave up the ghost. The king was so shocked upon this occasion, that he could not recover his spirits for some time;
SOME singular circumstances happened immediately after the coronation of Henry the Second, king of France, which we shall relate. A taylor was apprehended for working on a saint's day; being asked why he gave such offence to religion, his reply was, "I am a poor man, and having nothing but my labour to depend upon; necessity requires that I should be industrious, and my conscience tells me there is no day but the sabbath which I ought to keep sacred from labour." Having expressed himself thus, he was committed to prison, and the affair being soon after rumoured at court, some of the nobles persuaded the king to be present at the trial. On the day appointed, the monarch appeared in a superb chair of state, and the bishop of Mascon was ordered to interrogate the prisoner. The Taylor, on perceiving the king, paid his obedience to him in the most respectful manner, saying, "I thank God for honouring me thus, and for permitting me to vindicate the light of his gospel before so great a prince." The prelate then questioned him concerning the tenets of his faith, when the clearness and spirit of his answers amazed all that heard him. The king was much affected and seemed to muse, when the bishop exclaimed, "He is an obstinate and impudent heretic; let him be taken back again to prison, fom thence conveyed to the place of execution, and there burnt to death." As the king did not oppose what the bishop said, the officers proceeded to do as they were ordered; and, in the mean time, lest what the taylor had uttered might alarm the conscience of the king, the bishop artfully insinuated, "That the heretics (as he called the reformed) had many specious arguments in their mouths, which, at their first hearing, appeared conclusive, but on serious examination, they were found to be false and deceitful. He then used his utmost endeavours in persuading the king to be present at the execution, who at length consented and repaired to a balcony which overlooked the place where persons under condemnation were usually put to death. When the taylor saw the king, he fixed his eyes stedfastly upon him, and even while the flames were consuming him, he kept gazing in such a manner, as threw the monarch into visible confusion, and obliged him to retie before the martyr gave up the ghost. The king was so shocked upon this occasion, that he could not recover his spirits for some time;