1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1738 
Marginalia1555. February.stity. Whereupon rise inconueniences more then can be expreßed: but the Lord aboue knoweth all, besides the secret murders peraduenture of many a poore infant. &c.
Marginalia12.12. Twelfthly, they know, by S. Cyprian. Epist. 11. and S. Augustine. Lib. De bono coniugali ad Iulianum, that a vow is no impediment sufficient to let matrimony, or to diuorce the same.
Marginalia13.13. Thyrtenthly, they know, that Chrysostome affirmeth it to be an heresy to say, that a Bishop may not haue a wife.
Marginalia14.14. Fourtenthly, they know that S. Ambrose. 32. q. 1. Integritas, will haue no commaundement, but counsell only to be geuen, touching the obseruing of virginity.
Marginalia15.15. Fiftenthly, they know that before the tyme of Pope Hildebrād, that is, during the tyme of 1000. yeares after Christ, mariage was neuer restrayned by any forceable neceßity of vow, from men of the church.
Marginalia16.16. Sixtenthly, they know, that S. Paul calleth it the doctrine of deuils, to forbide meates and mariage which God hath left free with thankes geuing for necessity of man and woman.
After that D. Taylour thus with great spirite and courage had aunswered for him selfe, and stoutly rebuked his aduersaries for breaking their oth made before to king Henry and to king Edward hys sonne, and for betraying the realme into the power of the Romaine bishop, they perceauing that in no case he could be styrred to their wyls and purpose, that is, to turne with them from Christ to Antichrist, committed hym thereupon to pryson agayne, where he endured tyll the last of Ianuary.
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CloseFoxe obtained some of the details of the condemnation and sentencing of Taylor from a copy of these documents, taken from a now lost act book. The copy is BL, Harley 421, fos. 41v-42r. There is also an account of Taylor's final examination, which took place just before his condemnation, which survives in Foxe's papers (BL, Harley 590, fos. 64r-68r). Foxe never printed or even alluded to this account. This is somewhat mysterious as the account was penned by a sympathetic observer and Foxe was normally anxious to print such materials. It may be that Foxe felt that this examination which was rancorous, chaotic and disgressive, with accusations of horsestealing and discussions of the world's population in biblical times, did Taylor insufficient credit.
[Back to Top]VPon which day and yeare aforesayd, D. Taylour, and M Bradford, and M. Saunders were agayne called to appeare before MarginaliaGardiner. Hopton. Boner. Capon. Tonstall.the bishop of Winchester, the bishop of Norwich, of London, of Salisbury, and of Duresme, and there were charged againe with heresie and schisme: and therfore a determinate aunswer was required, whether they would submit them selues to the Romaine bishop and abiure their errours, or els they would according to their lawes proceede to theyr condemnation.
[Back to Top]When D Taylour and his fellowes M. Bradford, and M. Saunders heard this, MarginaliaThe constancy of these men.they aunswered stoutly & boldly, that they wold not depart from the truth which they had preached in king Edwardes dayes, neyther would they submit thē selues to the Romish Antichrist, but they thanked God for so great mercy, that he wold call them to be worthy to suffer for his word and truth.
[Back to Top]When the Bishops saw them so boldly, constantly, and vnmoueably fixed in the truth, MarginaliaSentence of death geuen vpō innocents.they read the Sentence of death vpon them: which when they had heard, they most ioyfully gaue God thankes, and stoutly sayd vnto the Bishops:
CloseThe dialogue which ensues is not in the official account of the sentencing of Taylor. It was probably supplied by an eyewitness.
When the keeper brought him toward the pryson, the people flocked about to gase vpon him: vnto whom he sayd: God be praysed (good people) I am come away from them vndefiled, and wyll confirme the truth wyth my bloud. So was he bestowed in the Clincke tyll it was toward night, MarginaliaDoctour Taylour remoued from the Clinke to the Counter by night.and then he was remoued to the Counter by the Poultry.
[Back to Top]When D. Taylour had lyen in the sayd Counter in the Poultry a seuennight or there aboutes prysoner, the fourth day of February, Anno. 1555. Edmūd Bo-
ner bishop of London with others, came to the sayd Counter to disgrade him, MarginaliaBoner cōmeth to the Counter to disgrade D. Taylour.bringing with them such ornamentes, as do appertaine to their massing Mummery. Now being come, he called for the said D. Taylour to be brought vnto him (the bishop being then in the chāber, where the Keeper of the Counter and his wife lay). So D. Taylour was brought downe from the chamber aboue that, to the sayd Boner. And at his cōming, the bishop sayd: MarginaliaBoner perswading D. Taylour to turne.Maister Doctor, I would you would remember your selfe, and turne to your mother holy church: so may ye do well inough, and I wyll sue for your pardon. Wherunto M. Tailour aunswered: MarginaliaD. Taylour refuseth to turne from Christ to Antichrist.I would you and your felowes would turne to Christ. As for me, I wyll not turne to Antichrist. Well (quoth the bishop) I am come to disgrade you: wherfore put on these vestures. MarginaliaD. Taylour and Boner striuing for putting on the Massing garments.No (quoth D. Taylour) I wil not. Wilt thou not, sayd the Bishop? I shall make thee, ere I go. Quoth D. Taylour, you shall not by the grace of God. Then he charged him vpon his obedience to do it: but he would not do it for hym.
[Back to Top]So he wylled an other to put them on his backe: & when he was throughly furnished therewith, he set his handes by his side, walking vp and downe, and sayd: MarginaliaD. Taylour derydeth the Popes Massing toyes.how say you my Lord, am I not a goodly foole? how say you my maisters? If I were in cheape, should I not haue boyes inough to laugh at these apish toyes, and toying trumpery? So the Bishop scraped his fingers, thombes, and the crowne of hys head, and dyd the rest of such like deuillish obseruances.
[Back to Top]At the last, when he should haue geuen D. Taylour a stroke on the brest with his Crosierstaffe, the bishops Chapleine sayd: my Lord, strike him not, for hee wyll sure strike againe. Yea by S. Peter will I, quoth Doctor Taylour. The cause is Christes: and I were no good Christiā, if I would not fight in my Maisters quarell. MarginaliaCowardly Boner durst not strike according to his Canon.So the Bishop laid his curse vpon him, but stroke him not. Then D. Tailour sayd: though you do curse me, yet doth God blesse me. I haue the wytnes of my conscience, that ye haue done me wrong and violence: And yet I pray God (if it bee his wyll) forgeue you. MarginaliaD. Taylour prayeth againe against the Pope and hys detestable enormities.But from the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, and hys detestable enormities, good Lord deliuer vs. And in going vp to his chamber, he still sayd: God deliuer me from you, God deliuer me from you. And when hee came vp, he told Maister Bradford (for they both lay in one chamber) that he had made the bishop of London a feard: MarginaliaBoner afeard of Doc. Taylour.for (sayth he laughingly) his Chapleyne gaue him counsell not to strike me with his Crosierstaffe, for that I would strike agayne: & by my trouth (sayd he rubbing his handes) I made hym beleue I would do so in deede.
[Back to Top]The night after that he was disgraded, his wife and his sonne Thomas resorted to hym, and were by the gentlenes of the Keepers permitted to sup with hym. MarginaliaKepers of prisons.For this difference was euer found betwene the Keepers of the bishops prisons, & the Keepers of the kings prisons: that þe bishops Kepers were euer cruell, blasphemous, and tyrannous, lyke their maisters: but the Kepers of the kynges prysons shewed for the most part, as much fauour, as they possible might.
CloseWhile the gaolers of episcopal prisons were chosen by the bishops, the staff of royal prisons could and did include people of all religious persuasions. As a matter of fact, two of the major prisons where protestants were held, the Marshalsea and the King's Bench, were adminstered by men with evangelical sympathies: Sir Thomas Holcraft and Sir William Fitzwilliam respectively. Another prison, Bridewell, was governed by Richard Grafton, the printer of the Great Bible. These individuals had all been appointed by Edward VI and could not be dismissed except for a specific offence.
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CloseOnce again the ubiquitous John Hull appears. He is almost certainly the source for Taylor's final encounter with his family in prison and his meeting with them in the Woolsack inn, on his journey to Hadleigh. He is mentioned as being present on all these occasions.