N20568:2544
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.
TO this account may also be added the magnificent buildings of St. Paul's cathedral, Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, Custom-house, and Blackwellhall; many hospitals and libraries, fifty-two halls of the city companies, and a great number of other stately edifices; together with three of the city gates, and the prisons of Newgate, the Fleet, the Poultry and Wood-street Comp•ers; the loss of which, by the best calculation, amounted to upwards of ten millions sterling. And notwithstanding all this destruction, yet only six persons lost their lives.
VARIOUS were the conjectures of the people on the cause of this singular calamity: at first some imagined it to be casual, but from a train of circumstances, it afterwards appeared to have been done from the malice and horrid contrivances of the papists. Several suspected persons were taken into custody; but no positive proof being produced against them, they were discharged.
THOUGH this diabolical scheme took place, in a great measure, to ••ie wishes of the wicked contrivers, yet, instead of being prejudicial, it was in the end, productive of most unhappy consequences to the metropolis. It certainly, for a time, occasioned the most distinguished distress to the inhabitants, but it afforded an opportunity that never happened before, and in all human probability, never may again, of restoring the city with more uniformity, conveniency, and wholesomeness▪ than could be expected in a town of progressive growth. The streets were before narrow, crooked, and incommodious; the houses chiefly of wood, dark, ⟨p. 242⟩close, and ill-contrived; with several stories projecting beyond each other, as they rose, over the narrow streets. The free circulation of the air was, by these means, obstructed; and the people breathed a stagnant unwholesome element, replete with foul effluvia, sufficient of itself to generate putrid disorders, and disposed to harbour any pestilential taint it might receive. All these inconveniences were removed, by the streets being made more open, and the buildings principally formed of brick; so that if, either by accident or otherwise, a fire should happen in future, its progress would be soon stopped, and the direful consequences which generally arise from such circumstances rendered trifling.
BESIDES the conveniences already mentioned, the fire of London was certainly productive of an advantage of the most valuable nature, namely, the extirpation of that contagious and destructive distemper the plague, which, but the year before, had brought thousands to their graves. This horrid disease had made great devastation among the inhabitants, not only of the metropolis, but different parts of the kingdom, at various periods; but, thank God, its baneful influence has never taken place here since the before-mentioned catastrophe, and there is great reason to suppose that the fire materially contributed to the production of so happy a circumstance.
TO perpetuate, however, the remembrance of so singular an occurrence, a monument was erected in that part of the city near which the fire began. It is esteemed the noblest modern column in the world; and may, in some respects, vie with the most celebrated of antiquity, which are consecrated to the names of Trajan and Antoninus.
THE first person we meet with who suffered in Scotland on the score of religion, was one Patrick Hamilton, a gentleman of an independent fortune, and descended from a very ancient and honourable family.
HAVING acquired a liberal education, and being desirous of farther improving himself in useful knowledge, he left Scotland, and went to the university of Wirtenberg, in Germany, in order to finish his studies.
DURING his residence here, he became intimately acquainted with those eminent lights of the gospel, Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon; from whose writings and doctrines he strongly attached himself to the protestant religion.
DURING his residence here, he became intimately acquainted with those eminent lights of the gospel, Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon; from whose writings and doctrines he strongly attached himself to the protestant religion.
THE archbishop of St. Andrew's (who was a rigid papish) hearing of Mr. Hamilton's proceedings, caused him to be seized, and being brought before him, after a short examination relative to his religious principles, he committed him a prisoner to the castle, at the same time ordering him to be confined in the most loathsome part of the prison.
THE next morning Mr. Hamilton was brought before the bishop, and several others, for examination, when the principal articles exhibited against him were, his publicly disapproving of pilgrimages, purgatory, prayers to saints, for the dead, &c.
THESE articles Mr. Hamilton acknowledged to be true, in consequence of which he was immediately condemned to be burnt; and that his condemnation might have the greater authority, they caused it to be subscribed by all those of any note who were present, and to make the number as considerable as possible, even admitted the subscription of boys who were sons of the nobility.
SO anxious was this bigoted and persecuting prelate for the destruction of Mr. Hamilton, that he ordered his sentence to be put in execution on the afternoon of the very day it was pronounced. He was accordingly led to the place appointed for the horrid tragedy, and was attended by a prodigious number of spectators. The greatest part of the multitude would not believe it was intended he should be put to death, but that it was only done to frighten him, and thereby bring him over to embrace the principles of the Romish religion. But they soon found themselves mistaken.
SO anxious was this bigotted and persecuting prelate for the destruction of Mr. Hamilton, that he ordered his sentence to be put in execution on the afternoon of the very day it was pronounced. He was accordingly led to the place appointed for the horrid tragedy, and was attended by a prodigious number of spectators. The greatest part of the multitude would not believe it was intended he should be put to death, but that it was only done to frighten him, and thereby bring him over to embrace the principles of the Romish religion. But they soon found themselves mistaken.
WHEN he arrived at the stake he kneeled down, ⟨p. 243⟩and, for some time, prayed with great fervency. After this he was fastened to a stake, and the fag••ts placed round him. A quantity of gunpowder having been fastened under his arms, was first set on fire, which scorched his left hand and one side of his face, but did no material injury, neither did it communicate with the faggots. In consequence •f this, more powder and combustible matter was brought, which being set on fire took effect, and the faggots being kindled, he called out, with an audible voice, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! How long shall darkness overwhelm this realm? And how long wilt thou suffer the tyranny of these men?"
WHEN he arrived at the stake he kneeled down, ⟨p. 243⟩and, for some time, prayed with great fervency. After this he was fastened to a stake, and the fag••ts placed round him. A quantity of gunpowder having been fastened under his arms, was first set on fire, which scorched his left hand and one side of his face, but did no material injury, neither did it communicate with the fa•gots. In consequence •f this, more powder and combustible matter was brought, which being set on fire took effect, and the faggots being kindled, he called out, with an audible voice, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! How long shall darkness overwhelm this realm? And how long wilt thou suffer the tyranny of these men?"
THE fire burning slow put him to great torment; but be bore it with christian magnanimity. What gave him the greatest pain was, the clamour of s•me wicked men set on by the friars, who frequently cried, "Turn, thou heretic; call upon our lady; say, Salve Regina, &c." To whom he replied, "Depart from me, and trouble me not, ye messengers of satan." One Campbell, a friar, who was the ringleader, still continuing to interrupt him by opprobrious language; he said to him, "Wicked m•n, God forgive thee." After which, being prevented from farther speech by the violence of the smoke, and the rapidity of the flames, he resigned up his soul into the hands of him who gave it.
THIS steadfast believer in Christ suffered martyrdom in the year 1527.
THIS stedfast believer in Christ suffered martyrdom in the year 1527.
