nour and worshyp, whiche first we owe to God and to Christ: next vnder him, to princes here and potestates, whom God hath placed in his roume, and endued with authoritie here in earth, vnto whom they offered them selues now and at all tymes, prest and most ready to obey with all seruice and dutye. &c.

But with this Epistle Wolfgangus did nothyng preuaile, either for that it was intercepted by the way, or els for þ^e false accusatiōs and wicked tonges of the aduersarie parte, tooke more effecte to wynne credite with the Duke, then could the simple defense of veritie. Wherupon Wolfgangus, when he saw no other remedy, rather then þ^e towne should come in any daunger for his cause, the good man of hys owne accorde came to the Citie of Nancey (whiche is the head towne of Loraine) there to render a confession of his doctrine, and also to deliuer the towne of S. Hippolite out of perill, deriuyng all the daunger vppon hym selfe.

MarginaliaThe cōstancie of Wolfgāgus vnremoueable.As soone as he was come thether, incontinent handes were layd vpon hym, and he layd fast in a straite & stinckyng prison: where he was sharpely and bitterly hādled, vnder the custodie of churlysh and cruell kepers. All this notwithstādyng, Wolfgangus continuyng in that prison the space of a whole yeare, yet would not be moued from his constācie, neither with the straitnes of the prison, nor with the hardnes of his kepers, nor yet with the compassion of his wife and children, whiche he had about vi. or vij. MarginaliaWolfgangaus bad to the Gray fryers.Then was he had to the house of the Gray Friers, to professe there his fayth: MarginaliaWolfgangus confuteth hys aduersaryes.where he both wyttely and learnedly confuted all them, that stoode agaynst hym.

There was a frier (named Bonauenture) prouinciall of that order, MarginaliaA ryght description of a frierly Silenus or Cyclops.of face, body, & bellye monstrous, but much more grosse in blind ignoraunce, and a man vtterly rude, a contemner of all ciuilitie and honestie. Who beyng lōg confessour to the Duke, & of great authoritie in Loraine, as he was an enemy to vertue and learnyng, so was hee euer persuadyng the Duke, to banishe out of hys courte and countrey of Loraine, all learned men, neither could he abyde any person whiche semed to know more, then his elders knew before. The summe of all his Diuinitie was this, to bee sufficient to saluation onely to knowe the Pater noster, and Aue Maria. And thus was the Duke brought vp and trayned, and in nothing els, as the Duke him self oft tymes in talke with his familiars, would confesse. MarginaliaThe disputation of Wolfgangus with the Fryers.This Bonauenture beyng chief iudge and moderator where Wolfgangus disputed, or was examined, had nothyng els in his mouth, but thou hereticke, Iudas, Belzebub, &c. Wolfgāgus bearyng patiently those priuate iniuries, whiche perteined to hym selfe, proceded mightly in his disputation by the Scriptures confutyng or rather confoūdyng his aduersaries. Who beyng not otherwise able to make their partie good, yet for very shame, because they would not seme to do nothyng, tooke his Bible with his notes in þ^e margent, into their monasterie & burnt it. MarginaliaThe sentence geuen agaynst Wolfgangus, by the Duke, not knowing what Wolfgangus sayd.At the last disputation Duke Antonie hym selfe was sayd to be there, alteryng his apparell, because hee would not be knowen, who albeit hee vnderstode, not the speach of Wolfgangus, speakyng in Latine, yet perceauyng him to be bold and constant in his doctrine, departyng from the disputation, gaue sentence, that hee should be burned, because he denyed the Churche, & Sacrament of the Masse. Whereupon it folowed shortly after that Wolfgangus was condēned to be burned, who hearyng the sentence of his condemnation, began to sing the Psal. 122. Lætatus sum in his quæ dicta sunt mihi, in domū Domini ibimus. &c.

As he was led to the place of execution, passyng by the house of the Gray Friers, Bonauenture the great Cyclops sittyng at þ^e doore, cryed out to him: thou hereticke do thy reuerence here to God, and to our Lady, and to hys holy saintes, shewyng to him the Idoles standyng at the Friers gate. To whom Wolfgangus aunswered agayne: thou hypocrite, thou paynted wall, the Lord shall destroy thee, and bryng all thy false dissimulation vnto lyght. When they were come to the place of hys Martyr-dome, first his bookes before hym were throwen in þ^e fire. Then they asked him whether he would haue his paine minished or shortened: to whom he said no, bidding thē to do their will: for (sayd he) as God hath bene with me hetherto, so I trust nowe he will not leaue me, when I shall haue moste nede of hym, concludyng hys wordes thus: that they should put the sentence in execution, MarginaliaNote the quiet and ioyfull death of this blessed Martyr.and so begynning to sing the 54. Psal. he entred into the place heaped vp with fagottes and woode, continuing in his Psalme and singyng till the smoke and the flame tooke from hym both voyce and lyfe.

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CUL copy: detail is added in ink to the features in this illustration.

The singular vertue, constancie, and learnyng of this blessed man, as it refreshed and greatly edified þ^e hartes of many good mē: so it astonyshed as much þ^e mynds of his aduersaries, and wrought to theyr confusion: MarginaliaThe iuste punishmēt of God vpon persecutours.For shortly after his death, the Cōmendator of S. Antony of Vienna, who satte as spirituall iudge ouer hym, & gaue sentence of his condemnation, fell sodenly downe and dyed. Also his felowe, which was Abbot of Clarilocus, & suffragan to the Byshop of Metz, sodenly at þ^e cōmyng of the Duches of Denmarke into the citie of Nancie, stroken with soden feare, at the cracke of gunnes, fell down and dyed, as they whiche were present and sawe it, haue made faythfull relation of the same. an. 1525. Ex Ludou. Rabo, & Pantal.

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¶ Iohn Huglein Martyr.

MarginaliaIohn Huglein, Martyr.
Ex Commēt. Sled. Lib. 6OF Iohn Huglein priest, mention is made in the Cōmētaries of Iohn Sledan. lib. 6. who the next yeare folowyng. an. 1526. was burned at Merspurge by the Byshop of Constance, for that hee did not hold with the Byshop of Romes doctrine in all pointes.

Moreouer, besides other matters in this yeare occurrent, here is also a memorandum to be made to all posteritie, that in this present yeare. 1526. vnto Iohn Fridericke sonne and heyre to the prince and electour of Saxonie, was promised the Lady Katherine the Emperours yonger sister in Mariage, & writynges made of the same. MarginaliaPromise of mariage brokē with Iohn Fridericke Duke of Saxonie.But when the alteration of religion was sent by Gods prouidence into Saxonie, they swarued from their couenaūtes, and Hawhart, whiche was then the Emperours Ambassadour in Germanie, sayd playnly, MarginaliaThe popes church kepeth no promise with heretickes.that there was no promise to be kept with heretikes: wherin they semed to folow wel the footesteppes of þ^e Councell of Constāce, as before you haue partly heard, in þ^e story of Iohn Hus, and of the Emperour Sigismund, pag. 708. 710.

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¶ George Carpenter of Emeryng martyr, burned in the towne of Munchen in Bauaria.

MarginaliaGeorge Carpēter, Martyr.THe viij. day of February, in the yeare of our saluatiō 1527, there happened a rare and maruailous exāple and spectacle in þ^e towne of Munchen in Bauaria, which was this. A certaine man named George Carpenter of Emeryng was there burnt. When hee was fet out of the

prison