MarginaliaCrueltie without cause.neyther that hee was a seditious and wicked man, or that he had committed any other offence, albeit they had gathered diuers wicked persons out of sundrye places, to picke out of hys Sermons, the order and manner of hys behauiour. When he was led vnto the place of execution, he aunswered gentlye and quietlye vnto all them that came to comfort him. But there were diuers Monkes & Priestes whiche troubled hym very sore with their folishe babling, as hee was striuing in his spirite, agaynst the horror of death, and makyng his prayer vnto almightye God, seekyng nothyng els but to turne hym away from hys hartye and earnest contemplation. But hee desired them that they woulde holde theyr peace, saying that hee had alreadye confessed hys sinnes vnto the Lord Iesus, nothyng at all doubtyng, but that hee had receiued absolution and forgeuenesse of them all: and I, sayd he, shall this day be an acceptable sacrifice vnto my Sauiour Iesus Christ, for I haue done no such thing wherfore I am now condempned, whiche might displease my Lord God, who in this behalfe hath geuen me a good and quiet conscience: now therfore let them whiche thirst for innocent bloud, and sheed the same, diligently aduise them selues what they do, and that they offend euen him, vnto whom it perteyneth truly to iudge þ^e hartes of mē: for it is said: Vengeance is mine, and I will punish. MarginaliaRom. 12.And for somuch as he was a very leane mā, he added this moreouer, saying: It is all one, for shortly I must haue forsaken this skinne which already scarcely hāgeth to my bones. I know well that I am mortall, and a corruptible worme, and haue nothing in me but corruption. I haue long tyme desired my latter daye, and haue made my request, that I might be deliuered out of this mortall body, to be ioyned with my Sauiour Christ.

I haue deserued through my manifolde sinnes cōmitted agaynst my sauiour Christ, my crosse: and my Sauiour Christ hath borne the Crosse, and hath dyed vppon the Crosse: and for my part, I will not glory in any other thyng, but onely in the Crosse of Iesus Christ.

MarginaliaThys blessed Martyr drowned.There were present by, certaine naughtye persons whiche could not endure to heare this godly exhortation, but made a signe vnto the hangman, to cast hym downe into the riuer. MarginaliaThe water miraculously coloured with bloud, where he was drowned.After he was throwen downe, hee moued by a certaine space in the water, in such sorte that the riuer where into he was cast, was redde with bloud. This was a certaine signe and token, that innocent bloude was that day shed. They which were there present, beholdyng that which had happened, were greatly amazed and astonied, consideryng with thē selues what the staining of the water with the bloude shoulde signifie. Euery man returned home pensiue and sad, marueiling at the cruell deede that was done that day: notwithstanding no man durst open his mouth to speake one worde. because that all thyngs were exercised with such crueltye. This was done in the towne of Ensisheim. an. 1525.

These thynges I did vnderstand, by one whiche dyd behold them w^t his eyes. The Lord of his great grace, be merciful vnto vs, & forgeue vs our sinnes. Ex Oecolam.

Such was the wickednes then of those dayes, and yet is still, that who soeuer was perceaued to fauour the Gospell, or any thyng to dislyke the doctrine of the Popes church, he was hated and despited of the Rulers, Lawers, and all other Papistes through the whole countrey about, but especially of Priestes, Monkes, and Friers. And though the lyfe of the Gospellers were neuer so sound and vpright: yet such was the hatred and malice of the Popes frendes agaynst them, that they neuer ceased, to seke all occasions, & deuise matters, how to bryng them to death.

It so happened a lytle before this present time, that there was a commotiō of the rude and rusticall people of the countrey rysing in armour inordinatly, against their Rulers, to þ^e great disturbance of the whole countrey of Germanie, and no lesse to their owne destructiō: of whom were slayne aboue 20. thousand. At length whē this rebellion was appeased, and all thinges quyet, such as were the Popes frēdes, to worke their malice against the Gospel, toke occasiō therby not long after, to accuse & intangle such as they knew to be Gospellers and Protestantes. And although the sayd Gospellers were neuer so inculpable and cleare from al rebellion, yet that suffised not: for causes were made, false wytnes brought, corrupt iudges suborned to condemne the innocent, and many were put to death, their cause neither beyng heard, nor knowen. By reason wherof a great number of good and innocent Christians, were miserably brought to their ende, and Martyrdome. In the number of whom was this poore man also, whose story by Oecolampadius is thus described.

MarginaliaEx. Ioan. Oecolampadio.THere was (sayth hee) a certaine man of the countrey, whiche in my iudgement was a good man, a louer of iustice, and a mortall enemy of all the cruell exactions of the Gentlemen, whiche oppressed the poore people. This man, after the tumult and commotion of the countrey was appeased, was greuously vexed and tormented, because he had cried alarme, whē as a great number of horsemen raunged aboute the countrey to seke out those which had been þ^e authors of that sedition. This poore mā was taken by policie, & so vpholden with fayre promises, that they made hym confesse what so euer they required. He thincking that they would not haue put him to death, was caste in prison, wheras he was long time deteined and well cherished, to take away all suspicion from hym: but after that he had taried a long tyme in prison, they put hym to the Pinebanke, laying diuers and many greuous offences to hys charge: where they kept hym hangyng in the trusse of the corde,MarginaliaThe trusse of the corde is a certain hāging vp by þ^e hands behind, hauyng a waightye stone fastened at their feete. the space of vi. houres, hauyng a great stone fastened at hys feete.

The sweat that dropped from his body for very payne and anguish, was almost bloud. In this distresse he cried out pitifully, but all that could not once moue the tormenters hartes. Whē as all þ^e power & strength in hys body began to faile hym, with great violence they let hym fall downe. There this poore man lay euen as a stocke, not mouyng any part or member of his body, but a litle drawyng his breath, whiche was a token that there was some lyfe in hym. Here the tormentours were in great doubt what to doe with the man, whom they sought by all meanes, to destroye, in what place they might put hym that he should not die of that torment.

Amongest them, there was one whiche brought vineger and rosewater, and rubbyng hym therwithall, they did somewhat recouer him. After that they had caused him to eate & drincke such as they had prouided for him, they let him down into a deepe dungeon, where he could see nother Sunne nor Moone. All this was done to the intent to put him to more torment when he had somewhat recouered his strength again. There they let him cōtinue xviij. dayes: after whiche tyme they brought hym agayne to examination, propoundyng certein Articles vnto him, whiche he constantly denyed. They deuised diuers and sundry kinde of tormentes, to the intent they might euen of force, extort something of this poore man, which might seeme worthy of death: yet for all that, they were fayne to depart without their purpose. MarginaliaThe innocent man agayne tormented.The xx. day after, these tyrauntes hyred a hangman (a man sure worthy of his office) whiche left no kinde of cruelty vnpractised. Yet did he misse of his purpose also, and was constrained to leaue his cruelty, and to pronounce euen with his own mouth, that the man was innocent, in that he had so constantly endured so many horrible and greuous tormentes. MarginaliaFalse witnes.Yet these tyrantes came agayne the fourth tyme, and suborned two witnesses agaynst hym, thus concludyng, that he was worthye of death, because hee had cried alarme, after the truce was takē, and would haue moued a new sedition. The day was appoynted when he should suffer, and they brought vnto him the hangman, and a