MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.Shrieffe. MarginaliaAn other Apophthegma of Doctors. Taylour.Neuer better: for now I know I am almost at home. I lacke not past ij. styles to go ouer, and I am euē at my fathers house. But M. Shrieffe (said he) shall not we go through Hadley? Yes sayd the Shrieffe, ye shall go through Hadley. Then sayd he: MarginaliaD. Taylour desirous to see his flocke.O good Lord, I thanke thee. I shall yet once ere I dye see my flocke, whom thou Lord knowest I haue most hartely loued, and truly taught. Good Lord blesse them, and keepe thē stedfast in thy word and truth.

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When they were now come to Hadley, and came ryding ouer the bridge, at the bridge foote wayted a poore man with fiue small children: MarginaliaA poore man with vj. children comforted Doctour Taylour.who when he saw D. Taylour, he and his children fell downe vpon theyr knees, and held vp their handes, and cryed with a loud voyce, and said: O deare father, and good shepheard, D. Taylour: God helpe and succour thee, as thou hast many a tyme succoured me, and my poore children. Such witnes had the seruaunt of God of his vertuous and charitable almes geuē in his life tyme.  

For God would now the poore should testifie of his good deedes, to his singular comfort, to the example of others, and confusion of his persecutours and tyrannous aduersaries. For the Shrieffe & other that lead him to death, were wonderfully astonied at this: and the Shrieffe sore rebuked the poore mā for so criyng. The streetes of Hadley were beset on both sides the way with men and wemen of the towne and countrey, who wayted to see him: whom when they beheld so led to death, MarginaliaThe people lament Doct. Taylour.with weepyng eyes and lamentable voyces they cried, saying one to an other: ah good Lord, there goeth our good shepeheard frō vs, that so faithfully hath taught vs, so fatherly hath cared for vs, and so godly hath gouerned vs. O mercyfull God: what shall we poore scattered Lambes do? What shall come of this most wicked world? Good Lord strengthen him and comfort him: with such other most lamentable and piteous voyces. Wherfore the people were sore rebuked by the Shrieffe and the Catchpoles   his men, that led him. And D. Taylour euermore sayd to the people: MarginaliaD. Taylour confesseth the truth, and confirmeth the same wyth hys bloud.I haue preached to you Gods word and truth, and am come this day to seale it with my bloud.

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Commyng agaynst the Almeshouses, which he well knew, he cast to the poore people money, which remayned of that good people had geuen him in tyme of hys imprisonement. MarginaliaD. Taylour liued of almes, and gaue almes.As for his liuyng, they tooke it frō him at his first goyng to prison, so that he was susteined all the tyme of his imprisonment by the charitable almes of good people that visited hym. Therfore the money that now remayned, he put in a gloue, ready for the same purpose, and (as is sayd) gaue it to þ^e poore Almesmen standyng at their doores to see him. And commyng to the last of the Almeshouses, and not seyng the poore that there dwelt ready in their doores, as þ^e other were, he asked: is the blynd mā & blynd woman, that dwelt here, alyue? It was aūswered yea: they are there within. Then threw he gloue and all in at the wyndow, and so road forth.

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Thus this good father and prouider for the poore, now tooke his leaue of those, for whom all his lyfe he had a singular care, & study. For this was his custome, MarginaliaNote this custome.once in a fourthnight at the lest, to call vpon Syr Henry Doyll, and others the rich Clothmakers, to go with him to the Almeshouses, and there to see how the poore lyued: what they lacked in meat, drinke, clothyng, beddyng, or any other necessaries. The lyke dyd hee also to other poore men that had many children, or were sicke. Then would he exhort and comfort them, and where hee found cause, rebuke the vnruly, and what they lacked that gaue he after his power: and what he was not hable, he caused the rich and wealthy men to minister vnto them. Thus shewed he him selfe in all thynges an example to his flocke, worthy to be folowed: and taught by his deede, what a great treasure almes is to al such, as cherefully for Christes sake do it.

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At the last, commyng to MarginaliaAldham Commen.Aldam Cōmon, the place assigned where he should suffer, and seyng a great mul-

titude of people gathered thether, he asked what place is this, and what meaneth it that so much people are gathered hether? It was aunswered: It is Aldham Cōmen, the place where you must suffer: and the people are come to looke vpon you. Then sayd he: MarginaliaDoctour Taylour is come home.thanked be God, I am euen at home: and so light frō his horse, and with both his handes rent the hode from his head. MarginaliaB. Boners cost and liberality vpon Doc. Taylour.Now was hys head notted euilfauorably, and clypped much lyke as a man would clippe a fooles head: which cost the good Byshop Boner had bestowed vpon hym when he disgraded him. But when the people saw hys reuerend and auncient face, with a long white beard, they burst out with weepyng teares, and cried, saying: MarginaliaThe people wisheth God to helpe hym.God saue thee good D. Taylour. Iesus Christ strengthen thee, and helpe thee. The holy Ghost comfort thee: with such other lyke Godly wishes. Then would he haue spoken to the people: but the yeomen of the Gard were so busie about him, that as soone as hee opened hys mouth, one or other thrust a typ staffe into hys mouth, and would in no wise permit him to speake.

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Then desired he licēce of the Shrieffe to speake: MarginaliaDoctour Taylour could not be suffered to speake to the people.but the Shrieffe denyed it to him, and bad him remember his promise to the Counsell. Wel (quoth D. Taylour) promise must be kept. What this promise was, it is vnknowen: but the common fame was, that after he and others were condemned, the Counsell sent for them, and threatned them they would cut their toungs out of their heades, except they would promise, that at their deathes they would kepe silence, and not speake to the people:  

wherfore they, desirous to haue the vse of their tonges, to cal vpon God so long as they might liue, promised silence.MarginaliaThe counsell suspected of the people to threatē the Martyrs, to cut out their toungs except they kept silēce. For the Papiste feared much, lest this mutation of religion, from truth to lies, from Christes ordinaunces to the Popish traditions, should not so quyetly haue bene receiued, as it was, especiallie this burning of the Preachers: but they measuring others myndes by their owne, feared lest the tumult or vprore might haue bene stirred, the people hauing so iust a cause not to be cōtented with their doinges: or els (that they most feared) þ^e people shoulde more haue bene cōfirmed by their godly exhortatiōs, to stand stedfast against their vayne Popish doctrine, and idolatrie. But thankes to God, which gaue to his Witnesses faith & patience, wyth stout & manly hartes to despyse all tormentes: MarginaliaThe Gospellers are not seditious, as the Papistes commonly be.neyther was their so much as any one man that once shewed any signe of disobedience toward the magistrates. They shed their bloud gladlie in the defence of the truth, so leauing example vnto all men of true and perfect obedience: which is to obey God more then men, and if neede require it, to sheed their owne bloude rather then to depart from Gods truth.

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D. Taylour perceyuing that he could not be suffered to speake, sat downe, and seing one named Soice, he called him and sayd: MarginaliaSoyce pulleth of his bootes.Soice, I pray thee come and pull of my bootes and take them for thy labour. Thou hast long loked for them, now take them. Then rose he vp, and put of his clothes vnto his shirt, and gaue them away. Which done, hee sayd wyth lowd voyce: MarginaliaDoctour Taylour confesseth the truth.Good people, I haue taught you nothing but Goddes holy word, and those lessons that I haue taken out of Gods blessed booke, the holy Bible: and I come hether this day to seale it with my bloud. With that word MarginaliaHomes a cruell tyraunt.Homes, yeoman of the Gard aforesayd, who had vsed D. Taylour very cruelly all the way, gaue him a great stroke vpon the head with a waster,  

and sayd: Is that the keeping of thy promise, thou hereticke: Then he seyng they would not permitte him to speake, MarginaliaDoctour Taylour prayeth.kneeled down & praied, and MarginaliaA good woman comming to pray wyth hym could not be suffred.a poore womā that was among þ^e people, stepped in and prayed with him: but her they thrust away, and threatned to tread her downe with horses: notwithstādyng she would not remoue, but abode and prayed with him. When he had prayed, he went to the stake and kissed it, and set him selfe into a pitch barell, whiche they had set for him to stand in, and so stode

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