diner, Byshoppe of Winchester, who was at that tyme Lorde Chauncellour.
When the Byshoppe hearde thys, MarginaliaDoctour Taylour cited by a letter missiue.he sent a letter missiue to Doctour Taylour, commaunding hym wythin certayne dayes, to come and to appeare before hym, vpon hys allegiaunce, to answer suche complayntes as were made agaynst hym.
When Doctour Taylours friendes heard of this, they were exceedyng sorye, and greeued in mynde, MarginaliaDoctour Taylours fr?ds wold haue hym flye.which then foreseyng to what ende the same matter woulde ensue, seeyng also all truth and iustice were troden vnder foote, and falsehoode wyth cruell tyrannye were set aloft, & ruled al the whole route: hys friendes I say came to hym, & earnestly co?selled hym to depart and flee, alledgyng and declaryng vnto hym, that he coulde neyther be indifferentlye heard to speake hys conscience and mynde, nor yet looke for iustice or fauour at the sayde Chauncellours handes, who, as it was wel knowen, was most fierce and cruell, but must needes (if he went vp to him) wayte for imprisonment and cruell death at hys handes.
[Back to Top]Then sayde Doctour Taylour to hys friendes: Deare friendes, I most hartelye thanke you, for that ye haue so tender a care ouer me. And although I knowe, that there is neyther iustice nor truthe to be looked for at my aduersaries handes, but rather imprisonment and cruell death: yet knowe I my cause so good and ryghteous, and the truthe so strong vpon my syde, that I wyll by Gods grace go and appeare before them, and to theyr beardes resyst theyr false doinges.
[Back to Top]Then sayde hys friendes: Maister Doctour, wee thynke it not best so to doo. You haue sufficientlye done your dutye, and testified the truth, bothe by your godlye Sermons, and also in resistynge the Person of Aldam, wyth other that cam hyther to bring in agayne the popysh Masse. And for as much as our Sauiour Christe wylleth and biddeth vs, MarginaliaMathew. 10.that when they persecute vs in one Cytye, we shoulde flee into another: We thinke in fleyng them thys tyme, ye should do best, keepynge your selfe agaynste another tyme, when the Churche shall haue great neede of such diligent teachers, and godlye Pastours.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDoctour Taylours answere.Oh (quod Doctour Taylour) what would ye haue me to doo? I am nowe olde, and haue alreadye lyued to longe to see these terryble and moste wycked dayes. Flee you, and doo as your conscience leadeth you. I am fullye determined (wyth Gods grace) to go to the Byshoppe, and to hys bearde to tell hym that he doth nought.
[Back to Top]God shall well hereafter rayse vp tea-
chers for hys people, which shall wyth much more diligence and fruite teache them, then I haue done. For God wyll not forsake hys Churche, though nowe for a tyme hee tryeth and corecteth vs, and not wythoute a iuste cause.
As for me, I beleue before God, I shall neuer be able to doo God so good seruice, as I maye doo nowe: nor I shall neuer haue so glorious a callyng as I nowe haue, nor so great mercye of God profered me, as is now at thys present. For what Christen man woulde not gladlye dye agaynste the Pope and hys adherentes. MarginaliaThe papacye a kingedome of lyes.I know that the Papacye is the kyngdome of Antichriste, all together full of lyes, all together full of falsehod, so that al theyr doctrine, from Christes crosse by my speede and Saynte Nicholas,
This was the phrase commonly found at the beginning of primers (St Nicholas was invoked because he was the patron saint of children).
Wherefore I beseche you, and all other my friendes, to praye for mee, and I doubte not, but God wyll gyue mee strengthe, and hys holye spirite, that all myne aduersaryes shall haue shame of theyr doynges.
When hys friendes sawe hym so constant, and fully determined to go, they wyth weepinge eyes commended hym vnto God: and he wythin a daye or twoo prepared hym selfe to hys iourney, leauyng hys cure wyth a godlye olde Prieste, named MarginaliaSyr Rychard Doctour Tailours Curate.Sir Rycharde Yeoman, who afterwarde for Gods truthe was burnt at Norwiche.
[Back to Top]There was also in Hadley, one MarginaliaIhon AlcockeIohn Alcocke, a very godlye man, well learned in the holye Scriptures, who (after Syr Richarde Yeoman was dryuen awaye) vsed daylye to reade a chapter, and to saye the Englshe Letanye in Hadley Churche. But hym they fet vp to London, and caste hym in prysonne in Newgate: Where, after a yeare imprisonment, he dyed.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDoctour Tailours iourney. But let vs returne to Doctour Taylour agayne, who beynge accompanyed wyth a seruaunt of hys owne, named Iohn Hull, tooke hys iourney towardes London. MarginaliaIohn Hull a faythefull seruaunt.By the waye thys Iohn Hull
Hull, who is mentioned prominently and sympathetically by Foxe in his descriptions of both Taylor's journey to London and his return to Hadleigh to be executed, was probably Foxe's source for his detailed accounts of both trips. Hull is described as being with Taylor on both occasions.
But in no wyse woulde Doctour Taylour consent or agree thereunto, but sayde: Oh Iohn, shall I gyne place to thys thy counsell and worldly perswasion, and leaue my flock in thys daunger? Remember the good shephearde Christe, whyche not all onely fed hys flocke, but also dyed for hys flocke. Hym