1 Excerpts from John Foxe, Acts and Monuments of these latter and perilous days, touching matters of the Church, wherein are comprehended and described the great persecutions and horrible troubles (1563; repr. ed. Stephen Reed Cattley, London, 1839), 8 vols, 7:546-551; 8:101-102; 8:242; 8: 247-250; 8:497-503

Popularly known as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, this work was first published in English in 1563, and was for centuries a best seller second only to the Bible itself. Cheaper abridged editions and graphic woodcut illustrations insured that the Book of Martyrs enjoyed a wide popular readership. The Calvinist Foxe drew an explicit link between the martyrs of the early Christian church and those Protestants who suffered for their faith during the brief Catholic restoration of Mary Tudor. The so-called Marian martyrs included prominent Protestant clergymen such as the Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury), Hugh Latimer (Bishop of Worcester), and Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of Rochester), and others who, on both doctrinal and personal grounds, refused to abandon their faith (and, in many cases, their wives and children), as well as more humble layfolk. Indeed, women, children, the illiterate and the disabled figure prominently among Foxe’s martyrs. Mary I’s subsequent reputation as “Bloody Mary”, as well as much anti-Catholic propaganda, stems largely from Foxe, who was also integral in shaping the new and sharply anti-papist English Protestant national identity beginning to emerge in the late sixteenth century. Foxe celebrated the reigns of the Protestant monarchs preceding and following Mary: her half-brother Edward VI, the “new Josiah” (the boy-King of the Old Testament, who rebuilt the Temple); and her half-sister Elizabeth I, the “new Deborah” who returned England to the Protestant fold (although was never as Calvinist as Foxe and his followers would have wished). The deeds and words of the Marian martyrs would, for generations of English readers and hearers, form the template for heroism and righteousness; in contrast, Mary and her officials, such as Archbishop Bonner, would become synonymous with tyranny and injustice.

1. The Behaviour of Dr. Ridley at his Supper, the Night before his Suffering

The night before he suffered, his beard was washed and his legs; and, as he sat at supper, the same night at master Irish’s (who was his keeper [i.e., in prison]) he bade his hostess, and the rest at the board, to his marriage, “for”, said he, “tomorrow I must be married”, and so showed himself to be as merry as ever he was at any time before. And wishing his sister at his marriage, he asked his brother sitting at the table, whether she could find in her heart to be there or no. And he answered, “yea, I dare say, with all heart”, at which word he said, he was glad to hear of her so much therein. So at this talk mistress Irish wept. But master Ridley comforted her, and said, “O Mrs. Irish, you love me not now, I see well enough; for in that you weep, it doth appear you will not be at my marriage, neither are content therewith. Indeed you be not so much my friend, as I thought you had been. But quiet yourself: though my breakfast shall be somewhat sharp and painful, yet I am sure my supper shall be more pleasant and sweet”, etc.

When they arose from the table, his brother offered him to watch [stay awake] all night with him. But he said, “No, no, that you shall not. For I mind [intend] (God willing) to go to bed, and to sleep as quietly tonight as ever I did in my life”. So his brother departed, exhorting him to be of good cheer, and to take his cross quietly, for the reward was great, etc.

2. The Behaviour of Dr. Ridley and Master Latimer, at the time of their Death, which was the 16th of October, 1555 Upon the north-side of the town [Oxford], in the ditch over against Balliol College, the place of execution was appointed: and for fear of any tumult that might arise...the lord Williams and the householders of the city were by the queen’s letters commanded to be there assistant [to attend]. And when everything was in a readiness, the prisoners were brought forth by the mayor and the bailiffs. Master Ridley had a fair black gown furred, and faced with foins, such as he was wont to wear being bishop, and a tippet of velvet furred likewise about his neck, a velvet night-cap upon his head, and a corner cap upon the same, going in a pair of slippers to the stake, and going between the mayor and an alderman, etc. After him came master Latimer in a poor Bristol frieze frock all worn, with his buttoned cap, and a kerchief on his head, all ready to the fire, a new long shroud hanging over his hose, down to the feet: which at the first sight stirred men’s hearts to rue upon them [to feel pity], beholding on the one side, the honour they sometime had, and on the other, the calamity whereunto they were fallen. Master doctor Ridley, as he passed towards Bocardo, looked up where master Cranmer did lie [prisoner], hoping belike to have seen him at the glass window, and to have spoken to him. But then master Cranmer was busy with friar Soto and his fellows, disputing together, so that he could not see him, through that occasion. Then master Ridley, looking back, espied master Latimer coming after, unto whom he said, “Oh, be ye there?” “Yea”, said master Latimer, “have after as fast as I can follow”. So he, following a pretty way off, at length they came both to the stake, the one after the other, where first Dr. Ridley entering the place, marvellous earnestly holding up both his hands, looked towards heaven. Then shortly after [seeing] master Latimer, with a wondrous cheerful look he ran to him, embraced, and kissed him; and, as they that stood near reported, comforted him, saying, “Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide [endure] it”. With that went he to the stake, kneeled down by it, kissed it, and effectually prayed, and behind him master Latimer kneeled, as earnestly calling upon God as he. After they arose, the one talked with the other a little while, till they which were appointed to see the execution, removed themselves out of the sun. What they said I can learn of no man.

2 Then Dr. Smith, of whose recantation in King Edward’s time ye heard before,1 begun his sermon to them upon this text of St. Paul, “If I yield my body to the fire to be burnt, and have not charity, I shall gain nothing thereby”.2 Wherein he alleged that the goodness of the cause, and not the order of death, maketh the holiness of the person; which he confirmed by the examples of Judas, and of a woman in Oxford that of late hanged herself, for that they, and such like as he recited, might then be adjudged righteous, which desperately sundered their lives from their bodies, as he feared that those men that stood before him would do.3 But he cried still to the people to beware of them, for they were heretics, and died out of the church. And on the other side, he declared their diversity [i.e., deviance] in opinions, as Lutherans, [Calvinists], Zwinglians, of which sect they were, he said, and that was the worst: but the old church of Christ, and the catholic4 faith believed far otherwise. At which place they lifted up both their hands and eyes to heaven, as it were calling God to witness of the truth: the which countenance they made in many other places of his sermon, where they thought he spake amiss. He ended with a very short exhortation to them to recant, and come home again to the church, and save their lives and souls, which else were condemned. His sermon was scant; in all, a quarter of an hour.5 Dr. Ridley said to master Latimer, “Will you begin to answer the sermon, or shall I?” Master Latimer said, “Begin you first, I pray you”. “I will”, said master Ridley. Then, the wicked sermon being ended, Dr. Ridley and master Latimer kneeled down upon their knees towards my lord Williams of Thame, the vice-chancellor of Oxford, and various other commissioners appointed for that purpose, who sat upon a form thereby; unto whom master Ridley said, “I beseech you, my lord, even for Christ’s sake, that I may speak but two or three words”. And whilst my lord bent his head to the mayor and vice-chancellor, to know (as it appeared) whether he might give him leave to speak, the bailiffs and Dr. Marshall, vice-chancellor, ran hastily unto him, and with their hands stopped his mouth, and said, “Master Ridley, if you will revoke your erroneous opinions, and recant the same, you shall not only have liberty so to do, but also the benefit of a subject; that is, have your life”. “Not otherwise?” said master Ridley. “No,” quoth Dr. Marshal. “Therefore if you will not so do, then there is no remedy but you must suffer for your deserts”. “Well”, quoth master Ridley, “so long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord Christ, and his known truth: God’s will be done in me!” And with that he rose up, and said with a loud voice, “Well then, I commit our cause to Almighty God, which shall indifferently [i.e., impartially] judge all”. To whose saying master Latimer added his old posy [saying], “Well! There is nothing hid but it shall be opened”.6 And he said, he could answer well enough, if he might be

1That is, he had been a Protestant under the Protestant Edward VI, before reverting to Catholicism in Mary’s reign.

21 Cor. 13

3That is, he is claiming that if those who choose to die (in this case, for their religion) were by definition righteous, so too was Judas and other suicides.

4In this context, “catholic” simply means universal, or all-encompassing; i.e., the one true church. The term was appropriated by Protestants as well as Catholics to assert the legitimacy of their faith. In contrast, Protestants labelled Roman Catholics “papists” (implying that they worshipped the pope rather than Christ); Catholics countered by branding Protestants as ‘heretics”.

5Puritans (or English Calvinists), in contrast, were famous for their long fire-and-brimstone sermons.

6That is, that although they could not testify to their belief in words, they might do so by the manner of their

3 suffered [allowed]. Incontinently7 they were commanded to make them ready, which they with all meekness obeyed. Master Ridley took his gown and his tippet, and gave it to his brother-in- law master Shipside, who all his time of imprisonment, although he might not be suffered to come to him, lay [stayed] there at his own charges to provide him necessaries, which from time to time he sent him by the serjeant that kept him. Some other of his apparel that was of little worth, he gave away; other the bailiffs took. He gave away besides, divers [various] other small things to gentlemen standing by, and divers [some] of them pitifully weeping, as to sir Henry Lea he gave a new groat8; and to divers of my lord Williams’ gentlemen some napkins, some nutmegs, and rases of ginger; his dial, and such other things as he had about him, to everyone that stood next to him. Some plucked the points off his hose. Happy was he that might get any rag of him. Master Latimer gave nothing, but very quietly suffered his keeper to pull off his hose, and his other array, which to look unto was very simple: and being stripped into his shroud,9 he seemed as comely a person to them that were there present, as one should lightly see; and whereas in his clothes he appeared a withered and crooked silly old man, he now stood bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly [with pleasure] behold. Then master Ridley, standing as yet in his truss,10 said to his brother, “it were best for me to go in my truss still”. “No”, quoth his brother, “it will put you to more pain: and the truss will do a poor man good”. Whereunto master Ridley said, “Be it, in the name of God;” and so unlaced himself. Then being in his [under]shirt, he stood upon the foresaid stone, and held up his hand and said, “O heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, for that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death. I beseech thee, Lord God, take mercy upon this realm of England, and deliver the same from all her enemies”. Then the smith took a chain of iron, and brought the same about both Dr. Ridley’s and master Latimer’s middle: and, as he was knocking in a staple, Dr. Ridley took the chin in his hand, and shook the same, for it did gird in his belly, and looking aside to the smith, said, “Good fellow, knock it in hard, for the flesh will have his course”.11 Then his brother did bring him gunpowder in a bag, and would have tied the same about his neck.12 Master Ridley asked what it was. His brother said, “Gunpowder”. “Then”, said he, “I will take it to be sent of God; therefore I will receive it as sent of him. And have you any”, said he, “for my brother”, meaning master Latimer. “Yea, sir, that I have”, quoth his brother. “Then give it unto him”, said he, “betime; lest ye come too late”. So his brother went, and carried of the same gunpowder unto master Latimer. ...Then they brought a faggot, kindled with fire, and laid the same down at Dr.

deaths.

7I.e., with unseemly haste.

8Small silver coin worth four pence.

9Burial-garment wound around corpses.

10Close-fitting breeches, worn as an undergarment.

11Ridley is asking to be secured more tightly so as to prevent him struggling against the fire.

12Attaching gunpowder to the bodies of those about to be burned at the stake was a small mercy, intended to reduce suffering by hastening death.

4 Ridley’s feet. To whom master Latimer spake in this manner: “Be of good comfort, master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out”. And so the fire begin given unto them, when Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful loud voice, “in manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum:13 Domine recipe spiritum meum”. And after, repeated this latter part often in English, “Lord, Lord, receive my spirit”; master Latimer crying as vehemently on the other side, “O Father of heaven, receive my soul!”, who received the flame as it were embracing of it. After that he had stroked his face with his hands, and as it were bathed them a little in the fire, he soon died (as it appeared) with very little pain or none. And thus much concerning the end of this old and blessed servant of God, master Latimer, for whose labourious travails, fruitful life, and constant death, the whole realm hath cause to give great thanks to Almighty God. But master Ridley, by reason of the evil making of the fire unto him, because the wooden faggots were laid about the gorse, and over high built, the fire burned first beneath, being kept down by the wood; which when he felt, he desired them for Christ’s sake to let the fire come unto him. Which when his brother-in-law heard, but not well understood, intending to rid him out of his pain (for the which cause he gave attendance) , as one in such sorrow not well advised what he did, heaped faggots upon him, so that he clean covered him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, that it burned clean all his nether parts, before it once touched the upper; and that made him leap up and down under the faggots, and often desire them to let the fire come unto him, saying, “I cannot burn”. Which indeed appeared [plainly]; for, after his legs were consumed by reason of his struggling through the pain (whereof he had no release, but only his [peace] in God), he showed that side toward us clean, shirt and all untouched with flame. Yet in all this torment he forgot not to call unto God still, having in his mouth, “Lord have mercy upon me”, intermingling his cry, “Let the fire come unto me, I cannot burnt’. In which pangs he laboured till one of the standersby with his bill pulled off the faggots above, and where he saw the fire flame up, he wrested himself unto that side. And when the flame touched the gunpowder, he was seen to stir no more, but burned on the other side, falling down at master Latimer’s feet; which, some said, happened by reason that the chain loosed; others said, that he fell over the chain by reason of the poise of his body, and the weakness of the nether limbs. Some said, that before he was like to fall from the stake, he desired them to hold him to it with their bills. However it was, surely it moved hundreds to tears, in beholding the horrible sight; for I think there was none that had not clean exiled all humanity and mercy, which would not have lamented to behold the fury of the fire so to rage upon their bodies. Signs there were of sorrow on every side. Some took it grievously to see their deaths, whose lives they held full dear: some pitied their persons, that thought their souls had no need thereof. His brother moved many men, seeing his miserable case, seeing (I say) him compelled to such infelicity [misfortune], that he thought then to do him best service, when he hastened his end. Some cried out of the fortune, to see his endeavour (who most dearly loved him, and sought his release) turn to his greater vexation and increase of pain. But whoso considered their preferments in time past, the places of honour that they some time occupied in this commonwealth, the favour they were in with their princes [Henry VIII and Edward VI], and the opinion of learning they had in the university where they studied, could not choose but sorrow with tears, to see so great dignity, honour, and estimation, so necessary members sometimes accounted, so many godly virtues, the study of so many years, such

13“Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit”: Christ’s words on the cross.

5 excellent learning, to be put into the fire, and consumed in one moment. Well! Dead they are, and the reward of this world they have already. What reward remaineth for them in heaven, the day of the Lord’s glory, when he cometh with his saints, shall shortly, I trust, declare.

3. Persecution in Suffolk: Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield, Martyrs In the story of Robert Samuel, mention was made before of two godly women in the same town of Ipswich, which shortly after him suffered likewise, and obtained the crown of martyrdom, the names of whom were Agnes, the wife of Robert Potten, and another, Joan, wife of Michael Truchfield, a shoemaker, both dwelling in one town: who, about the same time that the archbishop aforesaid [Thomas Cranmer] was burned at Oxford, suffered likewise in the foresaid town of Ipswich, either in the same month of March, or as some say, in the end of February the next month before. Their opinion or persuasion was this, that in the sacrament was the memorial only of Christ’s death and passion: “for”, said they, “Jesus Christ is ascended up into heaven, and is on the right hand of God the Father, according to the Scriptures, and not in the sacrament, as he was born of the Virgin Mary”.14 For this they were burned. In whose suffering their constancy worthily was to be wondered at, who being so simple women, so manfully stood to the confession and testimony of God’s word and verity; insomuch that when they had prepared and undressed themselves ready to the fire, with comfortable words of the Scripture they earnestly required the people to credit and lay hold on the word of God, and not upon man’s devices and inventions; despising the ordinances and institutions of the Romish antichrist, with all his superstitions and rotten religion. And so continuing in the torment of fire, they held up their hands, and called unto God constantly so long as life did endure. This Potten’s wife, in a night a little before her death, being asleep in her bed, saw a bright burning fire, right up as a pole, and on the side of the fire she thought there stood a number of Queen Mary’s friends looking on. Then being asleep, she seemed to muse with herself whether her fire should burn so bright or no; and indeed her suffering was not far unlike to her dream. This also I thought further to note, how these two being always together in prison, the one which was Michael’s wife, seemed to be nothing so ardent and zealous as Potten’s wife was, although (God be thanked) they did stoutly stand to the confession of the truth both. But when the said Michael’s wife came to the stake, and saw nothing but present death before her, she much exceeded the other in joy and comfort: albeit both of them did so joyfully suffer, as it was marvelled at of those that knew them, and did behold their end. And thus these two martyrs ended their lives with great triumph: the Lord grant we may do the like. Amen.

4. The Burning and Martyrdom of Thomas Moor, simple Innocent, in the Town of Leicester As the bloody rage of this persecution spared neither man, woman, nor child, wife nor maid, lame, blind nor cripple; and so through all men and women, as there was no difference either

14One of the most intractable divides between early modern Catholic and Calvinist theology was the issue of “transubstantiation”, a key tenet of the Catholic faith, which maintained that the consecrated sacramental wine and host were during the celebration of the mass (or “the Lord’s Supper” or eucharist, as it was called by Protestants) literally transformed into the blood and body of Christ. Most Protestants (Luther was an exception, however) denied the “real presence”, maintaining that the Last Supper was a commemoration in which Christ was present only symbolically. Calvinists viewed the idea that Christ could be both in the host and at the right hand of God blasphemous and unscriptural; they were particularly hostile to any notion that the host should be elevated and worshipped as the real embodiment of Christ, seeing this as blasphemous and idolatrous--a violation of the second commandment.

6 of sex or age considered, so neither was there any condition or quality respected of any person, but whosoever he were, that held not as they did on the pope, and sacrament of the altar, were he learned or unlearned, wise or simple innocent, all went to the fire, as may appear by this simple poor creature and innocent soul, named Thomas Moor, retained as a servant to a man’s house in the town of Leicester, about the age of twenty-four...who, for speaking certain words, that his Maker was in heaven, and not in the pix15, was thereupon apprehended in the country, being with his friends; who coming before his ordinary [parish priest], first was asked, whether he did not believe his Maker there to be (pointing to the high altar): to which he denied. Then asked the bishop, “How then”, said he, “dost thou believe?” The young man answered again: as his creed did teach him. To whom the bishop said, “And what is yonder that thou seest above the altar?” He answering said, “Forsooth I cannot tell what you would have me to see. I see there fine clothes, with golden tassels, and other gay gear hanging about the pix: what is within I cannot see”. “Why, dost thou not believe”, said the bishop, “Christ to be there, flesh, blood and bone?” “No, that I do not”, said he. Whereupon the ordinary, making short with him, read the sentence, and so condemned the true and faithful servant of Christ to death, in St. Margaret’s church in Leicester; who was burnt, and suffered a joyful and glorious martyrdom, for the testimony of righteousness, in the same town of Leicester, the year of our Lord above mentioned, 1556, about the 26th of June.

5. The Martyrdom of Joan Waste: A Blind Woman, in the Town of Derby The first day of August [1556] suffered likewise at the town of Derby a certain poor honest godly woman, being blind from her birth, and unmarried, about the age of twenty-two, named Joan Waste...touching whose life, bring up, and conversation, somewhat more amply we mind to discourse, as by faithful relation hath come to our hands. First, this Joan Waste was the daughter of one William Waste, an honest poor man, and by his science a barber, who sometimes also used to make ropes. His wife had the same Johan and one other at one birth, and she was born blind. And when she was about twelve or fourteen years old, she learned to knit hose and sleeves, and other things, which in time she could do very well. Furthermore, as time served, she would help her father to turn ropes, and do such other things as she was able, and in no case would be idle. Thus continued she with her father and mother during their lives. After whose departure, she kept she with one Roger Waste her brother, who in the time of king Edward the sixth, of blessed memory, gave herself daily to go to the church to hear divine service read in the vulgar tongue [English]. And thus, by hearing homilies and sermons, she became marvellously well affected to the religion then taught. So at length, having by her labour gotten and saved so much money as would buy her a New Testament, she caused one to be provided for her. And though she was of herself unlearned, and by reason of her blindness unable to read, yet for the great desire she had to understand, and have printed in her memory the sayings of the holy Scriptures contained in the New Testament, she acquainted herself chiefly with one John Hurt, then prisoner in the common hall of Derby for debts. The same John Hurt being a sober grave man, of the age of three-score and ten years [seventy], by her earnest entreaty, and being a prisoner, and many times idle and without company, did for his exercise daily read unto her some one chapter of the New Testament.

15“Pix” or “Pyx”: slang for a church box in which the sacramental bread and wine is kept.

7 And if at any time he were otherwise occupied or [indisposed] through sickness, she would repair unto one John Pemerton, clerk of the parish church of All-Saints in the same town of Derby, or to some other person which could read, and sometimes she would give a penny or two (as she might spare) to such persons as would not freely read unto her; appointing unto them aforehand how many chapters of the New Testament they should read, or how often they should repat one chapter, upon a price. Moreover, in the said Joan Waste this was notorious [well known], that she being utterly blind, could notwithstanding, without a guide, go to any church within the said town of Derby, or at any other place or person, with whom she had any such exercise. By the which exercise she so profited, that she was able not only to recite many chapters of the New Testament without book, but also could aptly impugn, by divers places of Scriptures, as well sin, as such abuses in religion, as then were too much in use in divers and sundry persons. As this godly woman thus daily increased in the knowledge of God’s holy word, and no less in her life expressed the virtuous fruits and exercises of the same: not long after, through the fatal death of blessed king Edward, followed the woeful ruin of religion, in the reign of queen Mary his sister. IN which alteration, notwithstanding the general backsliding of the greatest part and multitude of the whole realm in the old papism again, yet this poor blind woman, continuing in a constant conscience, proceeded still in her former exercise, both being zealous in that she had learned, and also refusing to communicate in religion with those which taught contrary doctrine to that she before had learned in king Edward’s time, as it is above declared. For the which she was called and convented before the aforesaid bishop and Dr. Draicot, with divers [various] others called in to bear witness. [When questioned as to her faith, she replied], that she believed herein so much as the holy Scriptures taught her, and according to that she had heard preached unto her by divers learned men; whereof some suffered imprisonment, and other some suffered death for the same doctrine. Amongst whom she named, beside others, Dr. Taylor, who she said, took it of his conscience, that the doctrine which he taught was true;16 and asked of them, if they would do so in like case for their doctrine: which if they would not, she desired them for God’s sake not to trouble her, being a blind, poor, and unlearned woman, with any further talk, saying that (by God’s assistance) she was ready to yield up her life in that faith, in such sort as they should appoint. [After a lengthy trial, in which she stubbornly persists in her refusal to recant, she is sentenced to death]. When the day and time were come that this innocent martyr should suffer...at last the poor blind creature and servant of God was brought and set before the pulpit, where the said doctor [Draicot], being entered intro his sermon, and there inveighing against divers matters, which he called heresies, declared unto the people that that woman was condemned for denying the blessed sacrament of the altar to be the very body and blood of Christ really and substantially, and was thereby cut off from the body of the catholic church; and said, that she was not only blind of her bodily eyes, but also blind in the eyes of her soul. And he said, that as her body should be presently consumed with material fire, so her souls should be burned in hell with everlasting fire, as soon as it shall be separated for the body, and there to remain world without end; and said, it was not lawful for the people to pray for her. And so with many terrible threats he made an end of his sermon, and commanded the bailiffs and those gentlemen to see her executed. And the sermon thus ended, eftsoons the blessed servant of God was carried away from the said church, to a place called the Windmill-pit, and holding the foresaid Roger Waste her brother by the hand she prepared herself, and desired the people

16That is, he was willing to die for his faith.

8 to pray with her, and said such prayers as she before had learned, and cried upon Christ to have mercy upon her, as long as life served. In this mean season, the said Dr. Draicot went to his inn, for great sorrow of her death, and there laid him down, and slept, during all the time of her execution! And thus much of Joan Waste.

6. The Trouble and Martyrdom of Prest’s Wife: A Godly Poor Woman which suffered at Exeter Although in such an innumerable company of godly martyrs, which in sundry quarters of this realm were put to torments of fire in queen Mary’s time, it be hard so exactly to recite every particular person that suffered, but that some escape us, either unknown or omitted; yet I cannot pass over a certain poor woman, and a silly [i.e., simple and humble] creature, burnt under the said queen’s reign, in the city of Exeter...who dwelling sometime about Cornwall, having a husband and children there much addicted to the superstitious sect of popery, was many times rebuked of them, and driven to go to the church, to their idols and ceremonies, to shrift [confess], to follow the cross in procession, to give thanks to God for restoring antichrist17 again in this realm, etc.; which, when her spirit could not abide to do, she made her prayer unto God, calling for help and mercy; and so, at length, lying in her bed, about midnight she thought there came to her a certain motion and feeling of singular comfort. Whereupon, in short space, she began to grow in contempt of her husband and children; and so taking nothing from them, but even as she went, departed from them, seeking her living by labour and spinning as well as she could, here and there for a time. In which time notwithstanding, she never ceased to utter her mind as well as she durst; howbeit she at that time was brought home to her husband again, where at last she was accused by her neighbours [of heresy], and so brought to Exeter, to be presented to the bishop and his clergy...The chiefest matter whereupon she was charged and condemned, was for the sacrament (which they call of the altar), and for speaking against idols... [She stubbornly holds to her views during repeated examinations and interviews with the bishop and other authorities]. In the meantime, during [a] month’s liberty granted by the bishop...it happened that she, entering into St. Peter’s church, beheld there a cunning Dutchman, how he made new noses to certain fine images which were disfigured in king Edward’s time.18 “What a mad man art thou”, said she, “to make them new noses, which within a few days shall all lose their heads!” The Dutchman accused her, and laid it hard to her charge. And she said unto him, “Thou art accursed, and so are thy images”. He called her “whore”. “Nay”, said she, “thy images are whores, and thou are a whoremaster; for doth not God say, ‘You go a whoring after strange gods, figures of your own making? And thou art one of them”. Then she was sent for, and clapped fast [in gaol]; and from that time she had no more liberty. ...In the bill of my information, it is so reported to me, that albeit she was of such simplicity and without learning, yet you could declare no place of Scripture, but she would tell you the chapter; yea, she would recite you the names of all the books of the Bible. For which cause on Gregory Basset, a rank papist, said, she was out of her wit [insane], and talked of the Scripture, as a dog rangeth far off from his master when he walketh in the fields, or as a stolen sheep out of his master’s hands, she wist not whereat, as all heretics do; with many other such taunts, which she utterly defied. Whereby as Almighty God is highly to be praised, working so mightily in such a weak vessel, so men of stronger and stouter nature

17That is, the pope; here, as throughout, Foxe is vehement in his hatred of Catholics and the Catholic Church.

18Under Edward VI, images and other relics considered idolatrous and blasphemous by Protestants, were whitewashed, destroyed, or removed from churches.

9 have also to take example how to stand in like case, when as we see this poor woman, how manfully she went through with such constancy and patience... [When] the indictment being given and read, which was, that she should go to the place whence she came, and from thence be led to the place of execution, then and there to be burned with flames till she should be consumed; she lifted up her voice, and thanked God, saying, “I thank thee, my Lord my God; this day have I found that which I have long sought”. But such outcries as there were again, and such mockings, were never seen upon a poor silly woman; all which she most patiently took. And yet this favour they pretended after her judgement, that her life should be spared, if she would turn and recant. “Nay, that I will not”, said she: “God forbid that I should lose the life eternal, for this carnal and short life. I will never turn from my heavenly Husband, to my earthly husband; from the fellowship of angels, to mortal children. And if my husband and children be faithful, then am I theirs. God is my Father, God is my Mother; God is my Sister, my Brother, my Kinsman; God is my Friend most faithful”. Then was she delivered to the sheriff, and innumerable people beholding her, she was led by the officers to the place of execution, without the walls of Exeter, called Southernhay, where again these superstitious priests assaulted her; and she prayed them to have no more talk with her, but cried still, “God be merciful to me a sinner, God be merciful to me a sinner!” And so, while they were tying her to the stake, thus still she cried, and would give no answer to them, but with much patience took her cruel death, and was with the flames and fire consumed. And so ended this mortal life, as constant a woman in the faith of Christ, as ever as upon the earth. She was as simple a woman to see to, as any man might behold; of a very little and short stature, somewhat thick, about fifty-four years of age. She had a cheerful countenance, so lively, as though she had been prepared for that day of her marriage to meet the Lamb; most patient of her words and answers; sober in apparel, meat and drink, and would never be idle; a great comfort to as many as would talk with her; good to the poor; and in her trouble, money, she said, she would take none; “for”, she said, “I am going to a city, where money beareth no mastery; while I am here, God hath promised to feed me”. Thus was her mortal life ended: for whose constancy God be everlastingly praised, Amen.

10