N20568:8825
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.
MENTION was made before of ten persons sent out of Newgate by Mr. Hare and other commissioners, to be examined by Bonner, bishop of London: of whom six already have been executed in several places, as hath been showed; whose names were Elizabeth Warn, George Tankerfield, Robert Smith, Stephen Harwood, Thomas Fust, and William Hale. The other three, namely, George King, Thomas Leves, and John Wa•e, f•lling sick in Lollard's Tower, were so weak that they were removed into sundry houses within the city of London, and there died, and were thrown out into the fields, and there buried […] the night by some of the faithful brethren, when […] the […] time durst do it, Propter metum J••••orum. The l•st that remained of this company aforesaid was ⟨p. 764⟩Joan Laysh, or Layshford, the daughter-in-law of John Warn, and Elizabeth Warn, martyrs: but because she was reprieved to another time, her story and martyrdom we will defer till the month of January the next year following.
MENTION was made before of ten persons sent out of Newgate by Mr. Hare and other commissioners, to be examined by Bonner, bishop of London: of whom six already have been executed in several places, as hath been shewed; whose names were Elizabeth Warn, George Tankerfield, Robert Smith, Stephen Harwood, Thomas Fust, and William Hale. The other three, namely, George King, Thomas Leves, and John Wa•e, f•lling sick in Lollard's Tower, were so weak th•t they were removed into sundry houses within the city of London, and there died, and were thrown out into the fi•lds, and there buried 〈…〉 the night by some of the faithful brethren, when 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 time durst do it, Propter metum J••••orum. The l•st that remained of this company a•oresaid was ⟨p. 764⟩Joan Laysh, or Layshford, the daughter-in-law of John Warn, and Elizabeth Warn, martyrs: but because she was reprieved to another time, her story and martyrdom we will defer till the month of January the next year following.
THE like catholic charity was also showed upon William Andrew, of Horsley, in the county of Essex, carpenter, who was brought to Newgate the first day of April, 1555, by John Motham, constable of Malden in Essex. The first and principal promoter of him was the lord Rich, who sent him first to prison. Also sir Richard Southwell, knight, was another great enemy to him, as appeareth by a letter written by him to Bonner, which here followeth.
THE like catholic charity was also shewed upon William Andrew, of Horsley, in the county of Essex, carpenter, who was brought to Newgate the first day of April, 1555, by John Motham, constable of Malden in Essex. The first and principal promoter of him was the lord Rich, who sent him first to prison. Also sir Richard Southwell, knight, was another great enemy to him, as appeareth by a letter written by him to Bonner, which here followeth.
MAY it please your lordship to understand, that the lord Rich did about seven or eight weeks past, send up unto the council one William Andrew, of Thorp, within the county of Essex, an arrogant heretic. Their pleasure was to command me to commit him to Newgate, where he remaineth; and as I am informed, hath infected a number in that prison with his heresy. Your lordship shall do very well if it please you to convent him before you, and to take order with him as his case doth require. I know the council meant to have writ herein unto your lordship, but by occasion of other business, the thing hath been omitted. Wherefore knowing their good pleasure, I did advise the keeper of Newgate to wait on you with these few lines. And so referring the rest to your virtuous consideration, I remain your lordship's to command. June 12, 1555. RICHARD SOUTHWELL.
THIS William Andrew being twice examined before bishop Bonner, there […] in defence of his religion. At length, by the severe usage he met with in Newgate prison, •e there lost his life which otherwise would have been taken away by fire: and so after the popish manner he was cast out into a field, and by night was privately buried by the hands of good men and faithful brethren.
THIS William Andrew being twice examined before bishop Bonner, there 〈…〉 in defence of his religion. At length, by the severe usage he met with in Newgate prison, •e there lost his life which otherwise would have been taken away by fire: and so after the popish manner he was cast out into a field, and by night was privately buried by the hands of good men and faithful brethren.
MR. Foster, a justice, dwelling at Cobdock, near Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk, being in continual hatred against the truth and the professors of the same, his constant study night and day was how to bring those into thraldom and captivity, that were honest and piously inclined to religion; but also whatsoever they were that once came into his claws, could not easily escape without […] of conscience or loss of life, so greedy was he of blood. Among many whom he had troubled▪ there was one Samuel, in king Edward's days, a very godly and faithful preacher of God's word, who for his valiant and constant behaviour in his sermons, seemeth worthy of high admiration. He was minister at Barfold, in Suffolk, where he industriously and successfully taught the flock which the Lord had committed to his charge, so long as the time would suffer him to do his duty.
MR. Foster, a justice, dwelling at Cobdock, near Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk, being in continual hatred against the truth and the professors of the same, his constant study night and day was how to bring those into thraldom and captivity, that were honest and piously inclined to religion; but also whatsover they were that once came into his claws, could not easily escape without 〈…〉 of conscience or loss of life, so greedy was he of blood. Among many whom he had troubled▪ there was one Samuel, in king Edward's days, a very godly and faithful preacher of God's word, who for his valiant and constant behaviour in his sermons, seemeth worthy of high admiration. He was minister at Barfold, in Suffolk, where he industriously and successfully taught the flock which the Lord had committed to his charge, so long as the time would suffer him to do his duty.
AT last being removed from the ministry, and put from his benefice, (as many other good pastors were when he could not avoid the raging violence of the time, yet would he not give over his care that he had for his flock, but would teach the• privily and by stealth, when he could not openly […] so. At which time order was given by the queen, to be published by the commissioners, that all priests which had been married in king Edward's days, should put away their wives from them, and be compelled to return again to their chastity and single life. This decree Mr. Samuel would not stand to, because he knew it to be manifestly wicked and abominable; but determining with himself, that God's laws were not to be broke for man's traditions, still kept his wife at Ipswich, and gave his diligence in the mean time to the instructing of others which were about him, as occasion served. At last Mr. •oster having int•••igence hereof, being a great doer in those parts, spared no time not diligence, but quickly sent his […] abroad, ⟨p. 765⟩laying close wait for Mr. Samuel, that if he came home to his wife at any time, they might apprehend him, and carry him to prison.
AT last being removed from the ministry, and put from his benefice, (as many other good pastors were when he could not avoid the raging violence of the time, yet would he not give over his care that he had for his flock, but would teach the• privily and by stealth, when he could not openly 〈…〉 so. At which time order was given by the queen, to be published by the commissioners, that all priests which had been married in king Edward's days, should put away their wives from them, and be compelled to return again to their chastity and single life. This decree Mr. Samuel would not stand to, because he knew it to be manifestly wicked and abominable; but determining with himself, that God's laws were not to be broke for man's traditions, still kept his wife at Ipswick, and gave his diligence in the mean time to the instructing of others which were about him, as occasion served. At last Mr. •oster having int•••igence hereof, being a great doer in those parts, spared no time not diligence, but quickly sent his abroad,
IN conclusion, when such as should betray him espied him at home with his wife, they brought word to the officer, who came to the house, and beset it with a great company, and so took him in the night-season, because they durst not do it in the day time for fear of trouble and tumult, although good Mr. Samuel did not withstand them at all, but meekly yielded himself into their hands of his own accord. When they had thus caught him, they put him into Ipswich jail, where he patiently spent his time among his pious brethren, so long as he was permitted to continue there. However, not long after, being taken from thence, he was carried (through the malice of the wicked sort) to Norwich, where Dr. Hopton, bishop of that diocese, and Dr. Dunnings, his chancellor, exercised great cruelty against him, as indeed they were men, in that time of persecution, as had not their matches for cruel tormenting the bodies of the martyrs among all the rest; and especially through the procuring of D•nnings. For although the others were sharp enough in their generation, yet would they be satisfied with imprisonment and death, and could go no farther. Neither did I ever yet hear of any besides these, who so far exceeded all bounds of pity and compassion in tormenting their poor brethren, as this bishop did; in such sort, that many of them he perverted, brought quite from the truth, and some from their wits also.
THE bishop therefore, or else his chancellor, thinking that he might as easily prevail with Mr. Samuel, as he had lone with the others before, kept him in a very close prison at his first coming, where he was chained bolt-upright to a post, in such sort, that standing only on tip-toe, he was fain to stay up the whole poise or weight of his body thereby. And to make amends for the cruelty or pain that he suffered, they added a far mo•• grievous torment, keeping him without meat and drink, whereby he was unmercifully ve•ed through hunger and thirst▪ saving that he had every day allowed him two or three mouthfuls of bread, and three spoonfuls of water, to the end rather that he might be reserved to farther torment, than that they would preserve his life. 'O worthy constancy of the martyr! O pitiless hearts of papists, worthy to be complained of, and to be accused before God and nature! O the wonderful strength of Christ in his members! Whose heart, though it had been made of adamant stone, would not have relented at the intolerable vexations, and extreme pains above nature! How often would he have drunk his own water; but his body was so dried up with his long emptiness, that he was not able to make one drop.
THE bishop therefore, or else his chancellor, thinking that he might as easily prevail with Mr. Samuel, as he had lone with the others before, kept him in a very close prison at his first coming, where he was chained bolt-up•right to a post, in such sort, that standing only on tip-toe, he was fain to stay up the whole poise or weight of his body thereby. And to make amends for the cruelty or pain that he suffered, they added a far mo•• grievous torment, keeping him without meat and drink, whereby he was unmercifully ve•ed through hunger and thirst▪ saving that he had every day allowed him two or three mouthfuls of bread, and three spoonfuls of water, to the end rather that he might be reserved to farther torment, than that they would preserve his life. 'O worthy constancy of the martyr! O pitiless hearts of papists, worthy to be complained of, and to be accused before God and nature! O the wonderful strength of Christ in his members! Whose heart, though it had been made of adamant stone, would not have relented at the intolerable vexations, and extreme pains above nature! How often would he have drunk his own water; but his body was so dried up with his long emptiness, that he was not able to make one drop.
AT last, when he was brought forth to be burned, which was but a trifle in comparison of those pains that he had passed, there were several that heard him declare what strange things had happened unto him during the time of his imprisonment: to wit, that after he had been famished or pined with hunger two or three days together, he then fell into a sleep, as it were one half in a slumber, at which time one clad all in white seemed to stand before him, which administered comfort unto him by these words: "Samuel, Samuel, be of good cheer, and take a good heart unto thee. For after this day shalt thou never be either hungry or thirsty." Which came to pass accordingly, for soon after he was burned; and from that time till he suffered, he felt neither hunger nor thirst. And this he declared, to the end as he said, that all men might behold the wonderful works of God. Many other matters concerning the great comfort he had of Christ in his afflictions he could utter, he said, besides this, but that shamefacedness and modesty would not suffer him to utter it. And yet if it had pleased God, I wish he had been less modest in that behalf, that the love and care that Christ hath of his servants, might have the more appeared thereby unto us by such present arguments, for the more plentiful comfort of the godly, though there be sufficient testimonies of the same in the holy scriptures already.
NO less memorable it is, and worthy also to be noted, concerning the three ladders which he told to divers, he saw in his sleep set up towards heaven; of which there was one somewhat longer than the rest, but yet at length they became one, joining (as it were) all three together. I his was a forewarning revealed unto him, declaring undoubtedly▪ the martyrdom first of himself, […] the death of ⟨p. 766⟩two honest women, who were brought forth and suffered in the same town not long after.
NO less memorable it is, and worthy also to be noted, concerning the three ladders which he told to divers, he saw in his sleep set up towards heaven; of which there was one somewhat longer than the rest, but yet at length they became one, joining (as it were) all three together. I his was a forewarning revealed unto him, declaring undoubtedly▪ the martyrdom first of himself, 〈…〉 the death of ⟨p. 766⟩two honest women, who were brought forth and suffered in the same town not long after.
