1742 [1703]
Queene Mary. The Martyrdome of D. Rouland Taylour, Martyr.
Marginalia1555. February.with his backe vpright agaynst the stake, with his handes folded together, and his eyes toward heauen, and so he continually prayed.
Then they bound him with cheines: and þe Shrieffe called one MarginaliaRichard Doningham.Richard Donyngham a Butcher, and commaunded him to set vp fagots: but he refused to doe it, and said: I am lame Syr, and not hable to lift a fagot. The Shrieffe threatned to send him to prison: notwithstandyng he would not do it. Then appointed he one MarginaliaThe tormentours.Mulleine of Carsey, a man for his vertues fit to be a hang man, and Soice a very dronkard, & MarginaliaWarwicke a cruell tormentour.Warwicke, who in the commotiō tyme in kyng Edwardes dayes, lost one of his eares for his seditious talke, & one Rob. Kyng,
Commentary
Notice how the account of King's activities changes in each edition of the Acts and Monuments. Clearly King was trying to exonerate himself, and equally clearly, he had accusers who were trying to see that he did not. As so often in the account of Taylor, the divisions in Hadleigh become readily apparent.
[Back to Top] who yet to this day playing the vyce in stage playes and Enterludes, ceaseth not to be a cōmon rayler, God graūt him an hart to repent that is past and a toūg to play the part of a good Christiā in an other while. These iiij. were appoynted to set vp the fagottes, and to make the fire, which they most diligently dyd: and this
Warwicke cruelly cast a fagot at him, which light
[Back to Top]vpon hys head, and brake his face, that the bloud ran downe his visage. MarginaliaD. Taylour is pacient.Then sayd D. Taylour: Oh frend, I haue harme enough, what needed that.
Furthermore MarginaliaSyr Iohn Shelton.Syr Iohn Shelton
Commentary
This denunciation of Sir John Shelton was added in the 1570 edition. It is another indication of the bitter feelings aroused by Taylor's execution.
there standyng by, as
D. Taylour was speakyng and saying the Psalme
Miserere
Commentary
Psalm 51. It was customary for condemned people to recite this psalm at their executions.
in English, stroke hym on the lyppes: ye knaue, sayd he? speake
Latine, I will make thee. At the last they set to fire: and
Doct. Taylour holding vp both his handes, called vpon God and sayd:
MarginaliaD. Taylours last wordes.Mercyfull father of heauen, for Iesus Christ my Sauiours sake, receiue my soule into thy handes. So stode he still without either crying or mouing, with his handes folded together, till
MarginaliaSoyce striketh hym downe wyth an Holbard.Soice with an Halbard stroke him on the head that the braynes fell out, and the dead corps fell downe into the fire. Thus rendred the man of God his blessed soule into the hands of his mercyfull father, and to his most deare and certaine Sauiour Iesus Christ, whom he most entierly loued, faythfully and earnestly preached, obediently folowed in liuyng, and constantly glorified in death.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of D. Rouland Taylour at Hadley. An. 1555. February. 9.¶ The Martyrdome of Doctour Taylour, burned at Hadley for the testimony of the Gospell. February. 9. Anno. 1555.
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Commentary on the Woodcuts
The parish of Hadleigh in Suffolk, with its history of reforming support, lauded by Foxe as this 'universitie of the learned', was severely affected by the death of its rector, Rowland Taylor. The image is concentrated on this forceful martyr with his 'reverend and ancient face, with a long white beard' and shock of perhaps also white hair, which had been lopped when Bonner clipped it to give him a fool's head. The cutters of the woodblock doing justice to this head, framed by the readied faggots, have given it an almost haloed appearance. Although the fire is shown unlit Taylor is represented at the moment he uttered his last words, holding up both hands. John Nowell, who succeeded Taylor as rector of Hadleigh, preached there the day after Taylor's burning and tried to minimise the impact of his death, saying that 'to persevere is a develishe thynge ffor it moveth many mindes to see an heretyke constante and to dye'. While, as Foxe himself admitted in his first edition, the faithful in Hadleigh were cowed and many left after this event, Nowell's words seem to indicate that Taylor's stand in the fire, watched here by an impassive crowd, was itself brave and unflinching. The blank banderole below Taylor's, empty in all four editions, appears from its placing as if it was intended to contain words of the mounted sheriff, though the last official address to Taylor reported in the text came from Sir John Shelton 'there standing by.' Taylor's last words went from gothic type 1563, to italic 1570, to Roman 1576, and (with minor spelling difference) 1583.
They that were present & familiarly conuersaunt with this D. Tailour, reported of him, that they neuer did see in hym any feare of death, MarginaliaAn example of singular courage in Doctour Taylour.but especially and aboue all the rest which besides him suffered at the same time, alwayes shewed him selfe mery and cherefull in tyme of his imprisonment, as well before his condemnation as after: he kept one countenaunce and like behauiour. Wherunto he was the rather confirmed by the company and presence of M. Iohn Bradford, who then was in prison and chamber with him.
Commentary
Once again Foxe is emphasizing the stoicism of one of the Marian martyrs. (On the polemical importance of this see Collinson [1983] and Freeman [1997]).
The same mornyng, when he was called vp by the Shrieffe to go to his burnyng (about three of the clocke in the mornyng) beyng sodenly awaked out of his sound sleepe, he sat vp in his bed, and puttyng on his shyrt, had these wordes (speakyng somewhat thicke after his accustomed maner:) Ah horson theeues, ah horson theeues: robbe God of his honour, robbe God of his honour? Afterward beyng risen and tying his pointes, he cast his armes about a balke, which was in the chamber betwene Mai-
[Back to Top]ster Bradfordes bed and his: and there hangyng by the handes, sayd to M. Bradford: MarginaliaD. Taylour careles of hys death.O M. Bradford (quoth he) what a notable sway should I geue if I were hanged, meanyng for that he was a corpulent and bygge man. These thinges I thought good here to note: to set forth and declare to those that shall read this hystory, what a notable and singular gift of spirite and courage God had geuen to this godly and blessed Martyr.
[Back to Top]At what tyme D. Taylour was depriued of hys benefice of Hadley, there was one called Sir Robert Brachet,
Commentary
The denunciation of Robert Bracher as a religious turncoat who mistreated Taylor's family first appeared in Letters of the Martyrs (p. 641) as a marginal note accompanying aletter from Taylor to his wife. It is likely that both the letter and the denunciation came from Taylor's widow.
a false pretensed Protestant in
K. Edwards dayes, and afterward a deadly enemy to the same religion: who was also one of them that so vnmerifully thrust
D. Taylours wyfe and children out of the dores, as she her selfe yet can testifie: and notwythstanding the same, now synse became a Protestant agayne callyng hymselfe
Harry Bradshawe, and serued at
S. Denys in London in Fanchurch streete, and after that in
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TTTt.iij.
1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1742 