Whylest that one sayeth that he playnelye heard the crackyng of the fyer, another affirmeth that he seeth it, and another sweareth that he feeleth of the molten leade droppynge downe vpon his head and shoulders. Suche is the force of imagination, when it is once grafted in mens hartes through feare. In all the whole company there was none that behaued hymself more modestly then the heretycke that was there to doo penaunce, who casting his faggot vpō the shoulders of one that stode by, kepte hym selfe quiet, myndynge to take suche parte as the other did.

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All the other beyng carefull for them selues neuer made an ende of runnyng vp and down and crying out. None cried out more earnestly then the doctor that preached (but I wyl name no manMarginaliaThis doctor whome the author meaneth, was doctor Smyth.) who in a maner fyrst of all cried out in the pulpet, saying: These are the traynes & subtilties of þ^e heretykes against me, the lord haue mercy vpō me, lorde haue mercy vpō me. But myght not God as it hadde bene out of a whyrle wynd  

haue answered agayn vnto this prayer of the preacher? Thou verely doest implore my mercy, but thou thy selfe shewest no mercy vnto thy fellowes and brethren. Howe doth thy fleshe trēble now at the mentionyng of fyer? but you thynke it a sport to burn other simple innocētes, neyther do you any thyng at all regarde it. If it seme so greuous a thynge vnto you, to suffer the tormente of fyer, you should also haue the lyke consyderation in other mennes perylles and daungers, when as you do burne your fellowes and brethren.

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Or if you thynke it but a lyght or tryfelyng matter in them, go to nowe, doo you also with lyke courage contemne and with lyke lenytie suffer nowe these tormentes. And if so be it I should nowe suffer you with the whole church to be burned to ashes, what other thyng shuld I do vnto you, thē you do dayly vnto your fellowes and brethren? Wherfore synce you so lytle esteme the death of others, be nowe content that other men should also lytle regarde your death. With this I saye or some other lyke aunswere, if that eyther God or humanite it selfe, either the commō sense of nature wolde haue expostulate with them, yea if there hadde bene a fyer in deede, as they feared more then was true, who would haue doubted but that it hadde happened vnto them accordynge to theyr desertes? But nowe what a sport it is to see, howe the vayne feare and foly of these catholykes eyther was deluded, other how their crueltie was admonyshed, whereby they beyng better taught by theyr owne example, myght hereafter learne, what it is to put other poore menne to the fyer.

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But nowe to returne agayne to the discription of this spectacle: wherein as I sayed be-fore, there was no daūger at all, yet were they all in suche feare, as if present death were ouer theyr heades.

And in all this great trouble nothyng was more feared thē the meltyng of the lead, which many dyd affirme that they felt droppynge vpon their bodies. For  

almoste all the churches in Englande are couered with lead, lyke as in Germany they are for the moste parte tyled.

Therfore when as the sodeyne terrour and feare hadde vtterly put awaye all deuyse and counsell out of their myndes, and then to beholde the dyuerse practises and shyftes that euery man made, it was surely worthy to be laughed at. Marginalia But none vsed them selues more ridiculously, then suche as semed greatest wyse men, sauing that in one or two peraduenture there was somewhat more quietnes of mynde. Amongest whome was one Claymund President of Corpus Christi Colledge (whom for reuerence & learnynges sake I do here name) and a fewe other olde menne with him, which for their age and weakenes durste not prease in amongest the rest, but kneled down quietly before the hyghe altare, commyttinge them selues and their lyues vnto thee blessed Sacrament.  

The other whiche were yonger and stronger, ran vp and down through the prease marueilyng at the vnciuilitie of menne, and were angry with the rude multitude, that they would gyue no place vnto the doctours, bachelers, maisters and other graduates. But as the terror and feare was common vnto all menne, so was there no difference made of persones or degrees. The vyolett cappe or purple gowne, dyd here nothynge profit the doctour. neyther the maisters tytle or his hoode.

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Yea verely if the kyng or queene had bene there at that present thei had ben no better thē a common man. After they hadde longe stryued, and proued all maner of wayes, and sawe that they coulde nothyng preuayle neyther by force neyther authoritie: they fell to intreaty and offryng of rewardes, one offrith xx. pound of good mony, another his purple gowne, so that any man woulde pull hym out though it were by the eares.

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Some stoode close vnto the pyllers, thynkyng them selues safe vnder the vautes of stone for the droppyng of the lead. Other some beyng withont money and aduyse knewe not whiche waye to turne them. One being a president of a certayne Colledge (whose name I wyll not here vtter) pullyng a bourd of from the seates couered his head and shoulders thervith against the scaldyng of the lead, whiche they feared muche more then the fall of the churche. Howe great a laughter woulde this also, haue raysed vnto Democritus, that happened vnto a certaine graund paunche there,

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