Marginalia1555. March.by the accidences.

William aunswered: if you can separate the accidences from the substaunce and shew me the substaūce without the accidences, I could beleue. Then sayd the Byshop: thou wilt not beleue that God can do any thyng aboue mās capacitie. Yes, sayd William, I must needes beleue that: for dayly experience teacheth all men that thing playnly: MarginaliaThe question is not what God can do, but what he would haue vs to beleue in his holy supper.but our question is not what God can do, but what he wyll haue vs to learne in his holy supper. Then the Byshop sayd: I alwayes haue found thee at this poynt, and I see no hope in thee, to reclaime thee vnto the Catholike fayth, but thou wilt continue a corrupt member, MarginaliaSentence pronounced against William Hunter.and then pronounced sentēce vpon hym, how that he should go from that place, to Newgate for a tyme, and so from thence to Burntwood, where, sayd he, thou shalt be burned.

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Then the Byshop called for an other, & so when he had condemned them all, he called for W. Hunter, and perswaded with hym, saying: MarginaliaThe large offers of B. Boner to Will. Hunter.if thou wilt yet recant, I will make thee a free mā in the City,  

and geue thee fourty pound in good money to set vp thine occupatiō withall: or I wil make thee steward of my house and set thee in office, for I like thee well,   thou hast witte inough, and I will preferre thee, if thou wilt recant.

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But William aunswered, I thanke you for your great offers: notwithstanding, my Lorde, sayd hee, if you can not perswade my conscience with Scriptures, MarginaliaWilliam Hunter refuseth to come from Christ for the loue of the world.I can not finde in my hart to turne from God for the loue of the world: for I count all thynges worldly but losse and donge, in respect of the loue of Christ.

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Then sayd the Byshop, if thou dyest in this mynde, thou art condemned for euer. William aunswered: God iudgeth righteously, and iustifieth them whom man condemneth vniustly.

Thus William and the bishop departed, William & the rest to Newgate, where they remayned about a moneth, which afterward were sent downe, MarginaliaWilliam Hunter sent downe to burnt woode to be burnt. MarginaliaMarch. 26.William to Burntwood, and the others into diuers places of the countrey. Nowe, when William was come downe to Burntwood, which was the Saterday before the Annunciation of the Virgine Mary that followed on the Monday after, William remayned tyll the Tuesday after, because they would not put him to death then for the holynes of the day.

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MarginaliaHis father and mother come to comfort hym.In the meane tyme Williams father & mother came to hym, and desired hartely of God that he might continue to the end in that good way which God had begonne, and his mother sayd to him, that shee was glad that euer she was so happy to beare such a child, which could find in his hart to lose his life for Christes names sake.MarginaliaHis father and mother exhort him to be constant.Then William sayd to his mother: for my lyttle payne which I shall suffer, which is but a short brayd,  

Christ hath promised me, mother sayd he, a crowne of ioy: may you not be glad of that mother? With that, his mother kneeled downe on her knees, saying: I pray God strengthen thee my sonne, to the end. Yea, I thinke thee as well bestowed, as any childe that euer I bare.

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MarginaliaMaister Higbed maruelleth at the constancy of Williams mother.At the which woordes M. Higbed  

tooke her in hys armes, saying: I reioyce (and so sayd the others) to see you in this minde, and you haue a good cause to reioyce. And his father and mother both sayd, that they were neuer of other mynde, but prayed for hym, that as he had begun to confesse Christ before men, he likewise might so continue to the ende. Williams father sayd: I was afrayd of nothing, but that my sonne should haue bene killed in the pryson for hunger and cold, the bishop was so hard to him. MarginaliaMarke here whether Boner did nothing but by the lawe.But William confessed, after a moneth that his father was charged with hys boord, that then he lacked nothing, but had meate and clothing inough, yea euen out of þ^e Court, both money, meate, cloathes, wood and coales, and all thinges necessary.

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Thus they cōtinued in their Inne, being the Swan in Burntwoode, in a Parlour, whether resorted many

people of the countrey to see those good mē which were there: and many of Williams acquayntaunce came to hym, and reasoned wyth him, and he with them, exhorting them to come away from the abomination of popish superstition and Idolatry.

Thus passing away Saterday, Sonday, and Monday, on Mōday at night it happened that William had a dreameMarginaliaA notable thing concerning W. Hunters dreame. about ij. of þ^e clocke in þ^e morning, which was this: how that he was at the place where the stake was pight where he should be burned, which (as he thought in his dreame) was at the townes end where the Buts stoode: which was so in deede. And also he dreamed that he met with his father as he went to the stake, and also that there was a Priest at þ^e stake, which went about to haue hym recant. To whom hee said (as he thought in his dreame) how that he bad hym away false Prophet, and how that he exhorted the people to beware of hym, and such as he was: which thinges came to passe in deede. It happened that William made a noyse to hym selfe in his dreame, which caused M. Higbed and the others to awake hym out of hys sleepe, to knowe what he lacked. When he awaked hee told them hys dreame in order as is sayd.

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Now when it was day, MarginaliaW. Hunter led to the place of Martyrdome.the Shrieffe M. Brocket called on to set forward to the burning of William Hunter. Then came the Shrieffes sonne to William Hunter, and embraced hym in his right arme, saying: MarginaliaThe Shiriffes sonne geueth comfortable wordes to W. Hunter.William, be not afrayd of these men which are here presēt with bowes, bils, and weapōs ready prepared to bring you to the place where you shal be burned. To whom William aunswered: I thanke God I am not afrayd, for I haue cast my coumpt what it wyll cost me already. Then the Shrieffes sonne could speake no more to hym for wepyng.

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MarginaliaW. Hunter goyng to hys death.Then William Hunter plucked vp his gowne, and stepped ouer the Parlour groundsell and went forward cherefully, the Shrieffes seruaunt takyng hym by one arme and I his brother by an other, and thus goyng in the way, MarginaliaW. Hunters dreame verefied.mette with his father accordyng to his dreame, and he spake to his sonne, wepyng and saying, God be with thee sonne William: and Williā said, MarginaliaHis words to hys father.God be with you father, and be of a good comfort, for I hope we shall meete agayne whē we shall be mery. His father sayd, I hope so Williā, and so departed. So William went to the place where the stake stoode, euen according to hys dreame, whereas all thinges were very vnready. Then William tooke a wet broome fagot, and kneeled downe thereon, and read the one and fifty Psalme,  

till he came to these wordes: the Sacrifice to God, is a contrite spirite: a contrite & a brokē hart, O God thou wilt not despise.

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Then sayd M. Tyrell of the Beaches, called William Tyrell, MarginaliaM. William Tyrell of the Beaches, carpeth where he hath no cause.thou lyest (sayd he) thou readest false, for the wordes are, an humble spirite. But William sayd, the translation sayth, a contrite hart. Yea, quoth M. Tyrell, the translation is false, ye translate bookes, as ye list your selues, like heretikes. Well quoth William, there is no great difference in those wordes. Then sayd the Shriffe: here is a letter, from the Quene. If thou wilt recant thou shalt lyue: if not, thou shalt be burned. MarginaliaW. Hunter refuseth the Queenes pardon.No, quoth William, I will not recant, God willyng. Then William rose and went to the stake, and stoode vpright to it. Then came one Richard Pond a Bayly, and made fast the chayne about William.

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Then said M. Browne, here is not wood enough to burne a legge of hym. Then sayd William: good people pray for me: & make speede & dispatch quickly: and pray for me while ye see me aliue, good people, and I pray for you likewise. MarginaliaA dogged saying of Maister Browne.Now, quoth M. Browne, pray for thee? I wil pray no more for thee, then I will pray for a dogge. To whom William aunswered M. Browne, now you haue that which you sought for, and I pray God it be not layd to your charge in the last day: howbeit I forgeue you. Then sayd M. Browne, I aske no forgeuenes of thee. Well sayd William, if God forgeue you

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