MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.of hys, hys wife wyth great sorrow & grief of hart dyd performe, and early in the morning did sende it hym, which he receaued most gladly and ioyfully.

Now when the houre of hys execution was come, this good and cōstant father Rawlins was brought out of prison, hauing on hys body þ^e long Shiert, which (as you heard before) he called his wedding garment, & an old russet coate which he was wont to weare.  

Besides this, he had vpō his legges an old payre of leather buskins, which he had vsed long afore. And thus beyng brought out of the pryson (as I haue sayd) MarginaliaRawlins going to the place of execution.he was accompanied or rather garded with a great company of bylles and gleaues: which sight when hee behelde: Alas (quoth he) what meaneth all thys? All this needeth not. By Gods grace I wyll not start away: but I wyth all my hart and mynde geue vnto God most har- thankes that he hath made me worthy to abyde al this for hys holy names sake.

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So he came to a place in his way where as his poore wife and children stode weepyng and makyng great lamentation: MarginaliaRawlins somwhat moued at the sight of his wife and children.the suddaine sight of whom so pearCed his hart, that þ^e very teares trickled down his face.  

But he soone after, as though he had misliked this infirmitie of his flesh, began to be as it were altogether angry with him selfe: In somuch that in strikyng his brest with his hand, he vsed these wordes: MarginaliaRawlins wrastleth against his fleshe.Ah flesh, staiest thou me so? wouldest thou fayne preuaile? well I tell thee do what thou canst, thou shalt not, by God grace, haue the victory. By this tyme this poore innocent came to the very aultar of his sacrifice (I meane the place appoynted for his death) and there found a stake ready set vp, with some wood toward þ^e makyng of the fire. Which when he beheld, he set forward him selfe very boldly: but in goyng toward the stake he fell downe vpon hys knees and kissed the ground, and in rising agayne, the earth a litle stickyng on his nose, hee sayd these wordes: earth vnto earth, and dust vnto dust, thou art my mother and vnto thee shall I returne: Then went he cherefully & very ioyfully, and set his backe close vnto the stake, and when he had stode there a while, he cast his eye vpon this reporter, and called him vnto him and sayd: I feele MarginaliaThe agony & fight of thys Christian warriour.a great fightyng betwene the flesh and the spirite, and the flesh would very faine haue his swynge, and therfore I pray you when you see me any thyng tempted, hold your finger vp to me, and I trust I shal remember my selfe.

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As he was thus standyng with his backe close vnto the stake, a Smith came with a great chaine of yron: whom when he saw he cast vp his hand with a loud voyce, and gaue God great thankes. MarginaliaRawlins fastened to the stake.Then the Smith cast the chaine about him, and as he was making it fast on the other side, Raulins sayd vnto hym, I pray you good frend knocke in the chaine fast, for it may be that the flesh would striue mightly: but God of thy mercy geue me strength and pacience to abyde the extremitie.

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Now when þ^e Smith had made him sure to the stake, the officers begā to lay on more wood with a litle straw and reed: wherein the good old man was no lesse occupyed then the best: MarginaliaThe chearfulnes of father Rawlins at his death.for as farre as he could reach hys handes, he would plucke the straw and reed and lay it about him in places most conuenient for his speedy dispatch. Which thyng he did with such a cherefull coūtenaunce and familiar gesture, that all men there present were in a maner astonyed.

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Thus when all thynges were ready, so that there lacked nothyng but the puttyng to of the fire, directly ouer against the stacke in the face of Raulins, there was a standyng erected, whereon stept vp a Priest addressing him selfe to speake to þ^e peopleMarginaliaA popish sermō preached at Rawlins Martyrdome. which were many in nūber, because it was Market day. When Raulins perceaued him, & cōsidered the cause of his coming, he reached a litle straw vnto hym & made ij. litle stayes and set them vnder his elbowes. Then wēt the Priest forward in his Sermon, wherein he spake of many thyngs touchyng the authoritie of þ^e Church of Rome.

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In the meane tyme Raulins gaue such good eare and intention, that he seemed nothyng at all moued or disquieted. At the last the Priest came to the Sacrament of the aultar, and there he began to inuey agaynst Raulins opinions: in which his inuection hee cited the commō place of Scripture & therupon made a Clerkely interpretation.

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Now when Raulins perceaued that he went about not onely to preach and teach the people false doctrine, but also to confirme it by Scripture: he suddenly start vp and beckened his hādes to the people, saying twise: Come hether good people & heare not a false Prophet preachyng: and then sayd vnto the preacher: MarginaliaRawlins wordes to the false Prophet.Ah thou noughty hypocrite, doest thou presume to proue thy false doctrine by Scripture? Looke in the text what foloweth: did not Christ say? do this in the remembraunce of me: After which wordes the Priest beyng rather amazed then interrupted, forthwith held his peace.

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Then some that stoode by cryed out, put fire, set to fire: which being set to, the strawe and reede by and by cast vp both a great and a suddayn flame. In the which flame this good & blessed mā bathed his hands so long, vntill such tyme as the sinnewes shronke and the fatte dropped away, sauing that once he did, as it were, wipe his face with one of them. All this whyle, which was some what long, he cried with a loud voyce: O Lord receaue my soule: O Lord receaue my spirite, vntill he could not open his mouth. MarginaliaThe constant patience of Rawlins at his burning.At the last the extremity of the fire was so vehement against his legges, that they were consumed almost before the rest of his body was burned: which made the whole body fall ouer þ^e chaine into the fyre soner then it would haue done. During which tyme of his burning it can not bee sayd that hee suffred or felt any great payne, considering that not without his perfect memory he abode both quietly, and paciently euen vnto the departing of his lyfe.  

Thus died this godly and old man Rawlins for the testimony of Gods truth, being now rewarded, no doubt, wyth the crowne of euerlasting lyfe.

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MarginaliaA soden alteration of nature marueilous in Rawlins before hys death.It is recorded furthermore of the sayd good father Rawlins by this reporter, that as he was going to his death and stāding at the stake, he seemed in a maner to be altered in nature. For where as before he was wōt to go stowping, or rather crooked, through the infirmitie of age, hauing a sad countenaunce and a very feeble

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