1563 Edition | Book 5 | Page 1696 
cause stoutly and boldly, making a full declaration of his religion or faithe before the Iudges: yet coulde he not brynge to passe by anye meanes, but that being condēned for religion, he should be thereupon hanged, drawen, and quartered. with him were cast certayn theues also: and the next day whē they were brought out to be executed with him, there happened a thing that did much set foorth and declare the innocencie and godlines of this man. For being ledde betwene twoo theues to the place where he shoulde suffer, when as he exhorted both them and all other to stande stedfastly to the truthe, one of these turned the counsell he gaue, into a iestinge matter, and made but a floute of it.
[Back to Top]Why should we doubt to obtayne heauen sayeth he, forasmuche as this holye man shall goe before vs, as captaine and leader vnto vs in þe way. We shal flie thether streight, as soone as he hath once made vs the entry.
In this, George Egles and that other did greatlye reproue him, who on the other side gaue good hede to George his exhortation, earnestly bewayling his own wickednes, and calling to Christe for his mercy. But the more that the first was byd to be styll, and to leaue of his scoffinge, the more peruerse did he continue in his folishnes, and his wycked behauiour. At lengthe they came to the Gallowes, where they should be hanged: George was caried to an other place thereby, to suffer. Betwene the two, it was the godlier his chaunce to go the foremoste, who beyng vpon the ladder, after he had exhorted the people to beware & take hede to them selues, how they did transgressed the commaūdements of God, and thē had committed his soule into Gods handes, he ended his lyfe after a godly and quiet maner.
[Back to Top]The mockers tourne commeth nexte, which would haue sayd lykewyse somewhat: but his tongue did so fumble and falter in his head, that he was not able to speake a worde. MarginaliaAn exāple to be noted of a thief reiecting, and deriding wholsome & godly preachng.Fayne would he haue vttered his mynde, but he could not bryng it out. Thē did the Vndershriue bidde him say the Lordes prayer, which he could not say neither, but stutteringly, and as a man would saye one worde to day and an other to morowe. Then did one begin to saye it, and so bad him saye after, doyng by him as a man would vse chyldren, whiche because they can not take meate them selues, chāmeth it or it be put into their mouthes. Suche as were there and sawe it, were very muche astonied: especially those that did behold the iust punishment of God, against him that had mocked so earnest a matter. George Egles in the meane tyme was put to deathe, who was cut downe when he was but halfe dead, and so opened. Notwithstandinge, the blessed seruaunt of Christe abode stedfast and constant in the very
[Back to Top]middest of his tormentes, till such tyme as his tormentor did plucke the hart out of the bodye. The body being diuided into foure quarters, was sent abroade into foure seuerall places: his head was set vpō a long poule at Colchestre. I say the iiii. parts were sent to Ipswich Harwich, Chelmisford, and S. Roufes.
CloseCompare the accounts of the treatment of Eagles' corpse in the 1563 and 1570 editions and note Foxe's concern to be as detailed as possible in describing the degradation, which increased the comparison of Eagles to that of Christ.
CloseTales of the providential punishment of Ralph Larden varied greatly in the different editions of the Acts and Monuments as they were affected by the politics of Elizabethan Colchester (see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Fate, Faction and Fiction in Foxe's Book of Martyrs', Historical Journal 43 [2000], pp. 601-23).
[Back to Top]This is most iustly fallen vpon me (sayeth he) for that I betrayed the innocent bloud of a good and iust man, George Egles, who was here condemned in the tyme of Quene Maries reigne through my procurement, who sold his bloud for a litle money. By this al persecutors may learne to beware how they seke the lyfe of any simple man that professeth the truthe, lest God shewe his displeasure against them lykewyse, and measure to them as they haue measured to other before.
[Back to Top]ABout this tyme suffered at Norwych a godly man and a constant martyr of Christ, called Rycharde Crasshfield, whose examinations before the Chaūcellor, named Downings, as he penned them with his owne hande, so haue we faithfully recorded the same.
CloseThe account of Crashfield was based almost entirely on Crashfield's account of his examinations. This account appeared in the 1563 edition and remained unchanged in subsequent editions.
HOwe saye you Syrra, sayde the Chauncellour, to the ceremonies of the church? Then sayd I: what ceremonies? He sayde vnto me: do you not beleue that all the ceremonies of the churche are good and godlye?