woulde clippe a fooles head, whiche cost the good byshop Boner had bestowed vpon him, when he disgraded him. But when the people sawe his reuerend, and auncient face, with a long whyte beard, they burst out with weping teares, and cried, saying: MarginaliaThe people wisheth god to help him.God saue the good doctour Taylour. Iesus Christ strengthen thee, and helpe thee. The holy Ghost comfort thee, with such other like Godlye wyshes. Then would he haue spoken to the people: but the yeomen of the garde were so busie about him, that as sone as he opened his mouthe, one or other thrust a typ staffe into his mouth, and would in no wyse permitte hym to speake. Then desired he licēce of þe Sherife to speake: but the Sherife denied it to him, and bad hym remember his promise to the Councell. Well (quod Doctor Taylour) MarginaliaA promyse.promise must be kept. What this promise was, it is vnknowen: but the commō fame was, that after he and others were condempned, the Councel sent for them, and thretned them they wold cut their tonges out of their heads, except they would promise, that at their deathes they would kepe silence, and not speake to the people.
Commentary
It was a common practice in France to cut out the tongues of condemned heretics to prevent them speaking. This was not practiced in England and this is a unique example of it being even threatened in Marian England.
Wherefore they desirouse to haue the vse of their tonges, to cal vpon God so long as they might liue, promised silence. For the Papistes feared muche, least this mutation of religion, from truthe to lyes from Christes ordinaunces to the Popishe traditions, should not so quietly haue bene receiued, as it was, especiallie this burninge of the preachers: but they measuring others myndes by their owne, feared least some tumult, or vprore might haue ben stirred, the people hauing so iust a cause, not to be contented with their doinges: or els, that they moste feared, the people should more haue been confirmed by their godlie exhortations, to stand steadfast against their vaine Popishe doctrine, and idolatrie.
MarginaliaThe gospellers are not seditious, as the Papistes commonly be.But thankes to God, whiche gaue to his wytnesses faithe, and patience, with stoute and manlie hartes to despise all tormentes: neyther was there so muche as any one man that once shewed any signe of disobedience toward the magistrates. They shed their bloud gladlie in the defence of the truthe, so leauing example vnto all men of true and perfecte obedience: whiche is to obeye God more then man, and if the neade require it, to shed their owne bloud, rather then to depart from Gods truthe.
[Back to Top]Doctor Taylour perceiuing that he coulde not be suffered to speake, he sat downe, and seing one named Soice, he called him, and saide: MarginaliaSoice pulleth of his botes.Soice, I pray thee come and pull of my botes, and take them for thy labour. Thou hast longe loked for them, now take them. Then rose he vp, & put of his clothes vnto his shirte, & gaue them away. Whiche done, he sayd with loude voyce: MarginaliaD. Taylor confesseth the truthe.Good people, I haue taught you nothing but Gods holy worde, and those lessons
[Back to Top]that I haue taken out of Gods blissed booke, the holy Bible: and I am come hether this day to seale it with my bloud. With that woorde one MarginaliaHomes a cruell tyraunt.Homes, a yeoman of the garde, who hadde vsed Doctor Taylour very cruelly al the way, gaue him a great stroke vpon the head with a waster,
Commentary
and sayde: Is that the keping of thy promise, thou heretique? Then he seinge they would not permitte him to speake, he kneled downe and praied.
MarginaliaD. Taylor prayeth. And a poore woman
MarginaliaA woman. that was among the people, stepped in, and prayed with him: but her they thrust away, and thretned to treade her downe with horses: not with stāding she would not remoue, but abode and praied with him. When he had prayed, he wēt to the stake, made a crosse thereon, and kissed it, and set himselfe into a pitche barell, whiche they had set for him to stande in, and so stoode with his back vpright against the stake, with his handes folded together, and his eyes toward heauen, and so he continually prayed. Then they bounde him with cheines: and the Sherife called one
MarginaliaRichard DouinghāRychard Doninghā, a Bocher, and commaunded him to set vp faggotts: bu he refused to do it, and sayde: I am lame sir, and not able to lifte a faggott. The Sherife thretned to sende him to pryson: notwithstanding he would not do it.
MarginaliaThe tormētours.Then appointed he one Mulleine of Carsey, a man for his vertues fit to be an hanged man, and Soice a very dronkarde, and Warwick, who in the commotion time, in king Edwardes dayes, lost one of his eares for his seditious talke, & one King,
Commentary
Notice how the account of King's activities changes in each edition of the Acts and Monuments. Clearly King was trying to exonerate himself, and equally clearly, he had accusers who were trying to see that he did not. As so often in the account of Taylor, the divisions in Hadleigh become readily apparent.
[Back to Top] who before had been a plaier of Enterludes. These foure were appointed to set vp the fagottes, & to make the fyre, whiche they moste studiously did: and this
MarginaliaWarwyck a cruel tormentour.Warwicke cruelly cast a fagot at him, whiche light vpō his head, and brake his face, that the bloud ran downe his visage: then sayde Doctor Taylour.
MarginaliaD. Taylor is pacient.Oh frend, I haue harm enough, what neaded that? At the last they sett to fyre: and Doctor Taylour holding vp bothe his handes, called vpon God, and sayde:
MarginaliaD. taylors last words.Mercifull father of heauen, for Iesus Christe my Sauiours sake, receiue my soule into thy handes. So stoode he still without other crying or mouinge, with his handes folded together, tyll
MarginaliaSoice stryketh hym down with an holbard.Soice with an holbard stroake him on the head that the braynes fell out, and the dead corpes fell downe into the fyre. Thus rendred the man of God his blessed soule into the handes of his mercifull father, and to his moost deare and certayne Sauioure Iesus Christe, whome he moste entierly loued, faythfully and earnestly preached, obediently folowed in liuing, and constantly glorified in death.
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