MarginaliaAn: 1555. February.Within a space after, a few drye Fagottes were brought, & MarginaliaA new fire made to M. Hooper.a new fire kindled with Fagottes, (for there were no more reedes): and that burned at the neither partes, but had small power aboue because of þ^e wynd, sauyng that it did burne his heare and scorch his skyn a litle. In the tyme of the which fire, euen as at the first flame, he prayed, saying mildely and not very loud (but as one without paines): O Iesus the sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me, and receaue my soule. After the second was spent, he did wype both his eyes with hys hands, and beholdyng the people, he sayd with an indifferent loud voyce: MarginaliaM. Hooper calleth for more fire.For Gods loue (good people) let me haue more fire. And all this while his neither partes did burne: for the Fagottes were so few, that the flame did not burne strongly at his vpper partes.

The third fire was kindled within a while after, which was more extreme then the other two: and

then the bledders of gunnepouder brake, which did him small good, they were so placed, and the wynd had such power. In the which fire he prayed with somwhat a loud voyce: MarginaliaThe last wordes of Maister Hooper.Lord Iesu haue mercy vpon me: Lord Iesu haue mercy vpon me: Lord Iesus receaue my spirit. And these were the last wordes he was heard to vtter. But whē he was blacke in the mouth and his toung swollen that he could not speake: yet his lyppes went till they were shronke to the gummes: and he knocked hys brest with hys handes vntill one of his armes fell of, and thē knocked still with the other, what tyme the fat, water, and bloud dropped out at his fingers endes,MarginaliaThe blessed Martyr long tormented in the fire. vntill by renewyng of the fire, his strength was gone, and his hand did cleaue fast in knockyng, to the yron vpon his brest. So immediatly bowyng forwardes he yelded vp his spirite.  

Commentary     Close

This graphic account of Hooper's death, which appears in the Rerum and in every edition of the Acts and Monuments, had two purposes: to demonstrate the cruelty of the catholic church and, even more importantly, to demonstrate the stoicism of the martyramid extreme suffering. (On the polemical importance of this stoicism see Collinson [1983] and Freeman [1997]).

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In 1570: The burnying of Maister Iohn Hoper Byshop at Glocester The 'description' of Hooper's burning (as it was headed in 1563, when this term was used more often than in later editions) is a graphic transcription of the bishop's suffering in the fire that took so slowly, showing the arm that fell into the flames as he beat his breast. He is depicted frontally which is unusual, and focuses attention on the carefully delineated tension of his shoulders and almost sculpted, seemingly outsize head. Also unusually he is bound to the stake at chest as well as waist. The image is related to that in Foxe's Latin Rerum in ecclesia gestarum of 1559 (Pt I, p. 297) in which Hooper stands erect in a similar pose on the high stool that Foxe refers to, though here he is still clothed and intact, not yet affected by the blaze that surrounds him. Although the image in the continental edition (the dramatic plumes and curls of whose fire is unlike the imagery of the English work) might seem custom made for Hooper, it also served to illustrate Hus (Rerum, Pt II, p. 1). The layout in 1563 also echoes that of the earlier book, allowing a full page to the woodcut with lines of verse below. In both cases a single woman represents the sorrowing crowd, in the Acts and Monuments attracting the seemingly sympathetic attention of the official on her right. Changes to the speech scroll - gothic in 1563, italic 1570, roman 1576, and redone roman 1583, had resulted in damage to the framing line by 1570.

¶ Jn clarißimi Doctrina & Pietate viri Iohannis Hoperi Martyrium, Conrardi Gesneri carmen.  

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This poem was first printed in the Rerum (p. 305).

AVreus Hoperus flammis inuictus & igni,
Atq; suum Christum confessus ad vltima vitæ
Momenta, integritate sua præclarus, & ardens
Exterius flammis, diuinus Martyr: at intus
Eximio fidei seruore accensus, ad astra
Spiritus ascendit, cœlesti luce beatus,
In terris cineresq; manent, & fama corusca
Flammæ instar lucens, lucebit dum stabit orbis,
Vtcunq; immanes Boreæ, magnæq; procellæ
Flatibus aduersis tam clarum abrumpere lumen
Nitantur frustra. Nam quæ deus ipse secundat,
Quis prohibere queat? mortalia facta sed vltro
Et commenta ruunt, vastaq; voragine fidunt.
Hoperi exemplo, quotquot spiratis Iesu
Doctrinam Christi, discrimina temnere vitæ,
Durare, & vosmet rebus seruare secundis
Discite. Namque dabit deus his meliora: nec auris
Audijt vlla, oculus vel vidit, sed neq; captus
Humanæ mentis potuit complectier vnquam,
Qualia, quant deus seruet sua bona beatis.

Thus was he three quarters of an houre or more in the fire. Euen as a Lambe, patiently he abode þ^e extre-

mity therof, neither mouyng forwardes, backwardes, or to any side: MarginaliaThe patient end of this holy Martyr.but hauyng his nether partes burned, & hys bowels fallē out, he dyed as quietly as a child in his bed:  

Commentary     Close

This graphic account of Hooper's death, which appears in the Rerum and in every edition of the Acts and Monuments, had two purposes: to demonstrate the cruelty of the catholic church and, even more importantly, to demonstrate the stoicism of the martyramid extreme suffering. (On the polemical importance of this stoicism see Collinson [1983] and Freeman [1997]).

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¶ A letter which Maister Hooper did write out of prison to certayne of his friendes.  

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This letter was first printed in 1563, then in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 123-25, and then in all the editions of the Acts and Monuments.

MarginaliaA letter exhortatory of Maister Hooper to certaine of hys frendes.THe grace of God be with you, Amē. I did write vnto you of late, and told you what extremity the Parlament had concluded vpon, concerning religion, suppressing the truth, and setting forth the vntruth, intending to cause all men by extremity to forswere themselues, and to take againe for the head of the Church, hym that is neither head nor member of it, but a very enemy, as the word of God and all auncient writers do record: and for lacke of lawe and authority, they will vse force and extremitie, MarginaliaThe popes religion standeth onely vpon force and extremity.which haue bene the argumentes to defend the Pope and poper, syth his wicked authority began first in the world. But now is the time of tryall, to see whether we feare more God or man. It was an easy thing to holde with Christ whiles the Prince and world