MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.him, he bestowed in prayer.

Amongest other that spake with him, Syr Anthony Kingston knight was one. Who seeming in times past hys very friend, was then appoynted by the Queenes letters to be one of the Commissioners, to see execution done vpon him. MarginaliaSyr Anthony Kingston commeth to M. Hooper.Maister Kingston being brought into the chamber, found hym at his prayer: and as soone as he saw Maister Hooper, he burst forth in teares. Maister Hooper at the first blush knew him not. Then said Maister Kingston: Why my Lord, doe ye not knowe me an old frend of yours Anthony Kingston?

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Yes Maister Kingston, I doe now know you well, and am glad to see you in health, and do prayse God for the same.

MarginaliaSyr Anthony Kingstons perswasions.But I am sory to see you in this case: for as I vnderstand you be come hether to dye. But (alas) consider that lyfe is sweete, and death is bytter. Therefore seing lyfe may be had, desire to lyue: for lyfe hereafter may doe good.

MarginaliaM. Hooper replieth.In deede it is true Maister Kingston, I am come hither to end this lyfe, and to suffer death here, because I wyll not gaynsay the former truth that I haue heretofore taught amongest you in this dioces, and elswhere: and I thanke you for your friendly counsell, although it be not so friendly as I could haue wyshed it. True it is (Maister Kingston) that death is bitter, and lyfe is sweete: MarginaliaLife compared with life, and death with death.but (alas) consider that the death to come is more bytter, and the lyfe to come is more sweete. Therefore for the desire and loue I haue to the one, and the terrour and feare of the other, I do not so much regard thys death, nor esteeme this life, but haue setled my selfe through the strength of Gods holy spirite, patiently to passe through the tormentes and extremities of the fire, now prepared for me, rather then to denye the truth of hys worde: desiring you and others in the meane tyme, to commend me to Gods mercye in your prayers.

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MarginaliaSyr Anthony Kingston.Well (my Lord) then I perceiue there is no remedy, and therefore I wyll take my leaue of you: and I thanke God that euer I knew you, for God dyd appoynt you to call me being a lost childe: MarginaliaSyr Anthony Kingston conuerted by M. Hooper.& by your good instructions, where before I was both an adulterer and a fornicator, God hath brought me to the forsaking and detesting of the same.

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MarginaliaM. Hooper.If you haue had the grace so to do, I do highly praise God for it: and if you haue not, I pray God ye may haue, and that ye may continually lyue in hys feare. After these and many other words, the one tooke leaue of the other, Maister Kingston with bitter teares, M. Hooper wyth teares also trycklyng downe hys cheekes. At which departure Maister Hooper tolde hym, that all the troubles he had susteyned in pryson, had not caused hym to vtter so much sorrow.

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The same day in the after noone, a blinde boy,  

after long intercession made to the Garde, obtayned licence to be brought vnto Maister Hoopers speech. The same boy not long afore had suffered emprisonment at Glocester for confessing of the truth.MarginaliaA blind boy commeth to M. Hooper. Maister Hoper after he had examined hym of his fayth, and the cause of hys emprisonment, beheld hym stedfastly, and (the water appearing in hys eyes) sayd vnto him: Ah poore boy, God hath taken from thee thy outward sight, for what consideration he best knoweth: MarginaliaGods grace vpon a blynde boy at Glocester.but he hath geuen thee an other sight much more precious: for he hath endued thy soule wyth the eye of knowledge and fayth. God geue thee grace continually to pray vnto hym, that thou lose not that sight: for then shouldest thou bee blynde both in body and soule.

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After that an other came to hym, whom he knew to be a very Papist and a wicked man, which appeared to be sory for M. Hopers trouble, saying: Syr I am sory to see you thus. To see me? why (sayd he) art thou sory? To see you (saith the other) in this case. For I heare say ye are come hether to dye, for the which I am sory.

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Be sory for thy selfe man (sayd M. Hooper) and lament thine own wickednes: for I am well I thanke God, & death to me for Christes sake is welcome.  

The same night hee was committed by the Garde (their commission being then expired) vnto the custody of the Shirifes of Gloucester. MarginaliaMaister Hooper committed to the Shiriffes of Glocester, Ienkins, & Bond.The name of the one was Ienkins, the other Bond: who with the Mayor and Aldermen repayred to M. Hopers lodging, and at the fyrst meeting saluted him, and toke him by þ^e hand. Vnto whom Hoper spake on this maner: MarginaliaThe wordes of Maister Hooper to the Mayor and the Shiriffes of Glocester.Maister Mayor, I giue most harty thākes to you and to the rest of your brethren, that you haue vouchsafed to take me a prisoner and a condemned man by the hand: wherby to my reioysing it is some deale apparant that your old loue and friendship towardes me is not altogether extinguished: and I trust also that all the things I haue taught you in times paste, are not vtterly forgotten, when I was here by the godly kyng that dead is, appointed to be your Bishop and Pastor. For the which most true and sincere doctrine, because I wyll not now accompt it falshood and heresie, as many other men do, I am sent hither (as I am sure you knowe) by the Queenes cōmaundement to dye, and am come where I taught it, to confirme it with my bloud. And nowe Maister Shieriffes, I vnderstand by these good men and my very friendes (meaning the Gard) at whose hands I haue found so much fauour and gentlenes by the way hetherward as a prisoner coulde reasonably requyre (for the which also I most hartely thank them) that I am cōmitted to your custody, as vnto them that must see me brought to morrow to the place of execution. MarginaliaMaister Hoopers petition to the Shiriffes.My request therfore to you shall be only that there may be a quicke fire, shortly to make an end, and in the meane tyme I wyll be as obedient vnto you, as your selues would wysh. If you thinke I doe amysse in any thing, hold vp your finger, and I haue done. For I come not hether as one enforced or compelled to dye (for it is well knowen I might haue had my lyfe wyth worldly gayne): but as one willing to offer and geue my lyfe for the truth, rather then to consent to the wycked papisticall religion of the bishop of Rome, receyued and set forth by the Magistrates in England to Gods hygh displeasure and dishonor: and I trust by Gods grace to morrow, to dye a faythfull seruaunt of God, and a true obedient subiect to the Queene.

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These and such like wordes in effect vsed M. Hooper to the Mayor, Shiriffes, & Aldermen, wherat many of them mourned and lamented. Notwithstanding the two Shiriffes went aside to consult, and were determined to haue lodged him in the common Gaole of the Town, called Northgate, if MarginaliaThe Gard speaking for M. Hooper not to be had to the common Gaile.the Gard had not made earnest intercessiō for him: who declared at large how quietly, mildly and patiently he had behaued hym selfe in the way, adding thereto that any childe might keepe hym well inough, and that they them selues would rather take paynes to watch with him, thē that he should be sent to the common pryson. So it was determined at the length, he should styll remayne in Robert Ingrams house,  

and the Shiriffes and the Sergeants and other officers did appoint to watch with him that night them selues. His desire was that he might go to bed that night betimes, saying that he had many thinges to remember: and so dyd at fiue of the clocke, and slept one sleepe soundly, MarginaliaMaister Hooper spendeth the night in prayer.and bestowed the rest of the night in praier. After he gat vp in the morning, he desired that no man should be suffered to come into the chamber, that he might be solitary tyll the houre of execution.

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About. viij. of the clocke came MarginaliaSyr Iohn Bridges L. Shandoys, Syr Edm. Bridges, Syr Ant. Kingston, Cōmissioners.Syr Iohn Briges L. Shandoys, wyth a great band of men, Syr Anthony Kingston, Syr Edmund Briges and other Commissioners appoynted to see execution done. At nine of the clocke M. Hooper was willed to prepare hym selfe to be in a readynes, for the time was at hand. Immediatly he was brought downe from hys chamber by the Shiriffes, who were accompaynied wyth byls, gleaues

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