MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iuly.Winchest. He sayd I should not cōfer, but be obediēt. I said let me go & I will not desyre to confer neyther: & when I offended, let them punish me, and so departed.

By your brother, Nicolas Shetterden pri-
soner for the truth in Westgate.  

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A room above the western gate to the city of Canterbury was used as a prison.

¶ The last examinations with the condemnation of M. Bland, Iohn Frankesh, Nicholas Sheterden, Vmfrey Middleton.  

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Foxe's marginal gloss indicates that his account of this examination was derived from Canterbury records. The record is now lost but since Foxe added it to the 1570 edition he presumably consulted the record, or a copy of it, between 1563 and 1570.

MarginaliaThe final condemnation of these 4. godly Martyrs.ANd thus much touchyng the particular, and seuerall examinations of Nicol. Sheterden, and of M. Bland. Now to touch somethyng also of the other Martyrs, which the same tyme were examined, and suffered with them together, to wytte, Vmfrey Middleton of Ashford, and Iohn Frankesh Vicare of Roluynden in the Dioces of Kent aboue mentioned, here first would be declared the Articles, which publickely in theyr last examinations were ioyntly and seuerally ministred vnto them by the foresayd Thornton Byshop of Douer. MarginaliaRead the Articles before, pag. 1852.But for asmuch as these Articles beyng ordinary and of course, are already expressed in the story of M. Bland, as may appeare before, pag. 1852. It shall not therfore be nedefull, to make any new rehearsall therof.

MarginaliaEx Regist. Cant.To these seuen Articles then beyng propounded to the v. persons aboue named, to wytte, Iohn Frankesh, Iohn Bland, Nico. Sheterden, Vmfrey Middleton, and one Thacker, first aunswered Iohn Frankesh somewhat doubtfully, desiryng further respite to be giuen hym of xiiij. dayes to deliberate with hym selfe. Which was graūted. M. Bland aunswered flattely and roundly, as before ye heard. Nic. Sheterden, and Vmfrey Middleton aunswered to the first, and second Articles affirmatiuely. To the third cōcernyng the Catholicke Church after a sort they graunted. To the 4. & the fift and sixt touchyng the reall presence, and the Sacramēt to be ministred in the Latin toung, & in one kind, they refused vtterly and to sweare. Sheterden sayd he would not aunswere thereto before the cause were determined why he was imprisoned, and so still remained prisoners, before the lawes of Parlamēt receaued. &c. Middleton added moreouer & cōfessed, that he beleued in hys owne God, saying, my liuyng God, and no dead God &c. MarginaliaThacker recanted.Thacker onely relented and was content to take penaunce. Thus the foresaid foure vpon these aūsweres were condemned by the Byshop of Douer, the 25. day of Iune. an. 1555.  

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Why did Foxe print only some of the answers of the accused? Without the original document we cannot be sure, but there is a good chance that some of their answers were, from Foxe's point of view, unsatisfactorily unorthodox.

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The small woodcut of two men in flames (Type 2) was drafted in here to illustrate the burning of four men, for which the producers had no block. This woodcut saw repeated service and in 1583 appeared again on pages 1716, 1940 (representing three martyrs) and page 2052. Unusually the two men in the pyre are shown wearing loin cloths.

And so beyng giuen to the secular power, they were

burned at Canterbury the 12. day of Iuly at ij. seuerall stackes, but all in one fire together, where they in the sight of God and of his Aungels, and before men, lyke true souldiours of IESVS CHRIST, gaue a constant testimony to the truth of his holy Gospell.

MarginaliaA christian prayer of Nicolas Sheterden before hys death.O Lord my God & Sauiour, which art Lord in heauē & earth, maker of all thyngs visible and inuisible, I am the creature & worke of thy hādes: Lord God looke vpō me, & other thy people, which at this time are oppressed of the worldly minded for thy lawes sake: yea Lord thy law it self is now troden vnder foote, and mēs inuentiōs exalted aboue it: and for that cause do I, and many thy creatures refuse the glory, praise, and cōmoditie of this lyfe, & do chuse to suffer aduersitie, & to be banished, yea to be burnt with the bokes of thy word, for the hopes sake that is laid vp in store. For lord thou knowest if we would but seeme to please men in things cōtrary to thy worde, we might by thy permission enioy these commodities that other do, as wife children, goods, and frendes: which all I knowledge to bee thy giftes, geuen to the ende I should serue thee. And now Lord that the world will not suffer me to enioy them, except I offende thy lawes, MarginaliaSacrifice of obedience to God.behold I geue vnto thee my whole spirite, soule and body, and loe I leaue here all the pleasures of this lyfe, and do now leaue the vse of them for the hope sake of eternall lyfe purchased in CHRISTES bloud, and promised to all them that fight on his side, and are content to suffer with him for his truth, whensoeuer the world & the deuill shall persecute the same.

O father I do not presume vnto thee: in mine own righteousnes: no, but onely in the merites of thy deare sonne my Sauiour. For the which excellēt gift of saluatiō I cānot worthely prayse thee, MarginaliaSacrifice of thankes for redēption.neither is any sacrifice worthy, or to be accepted with thee, in comparison of our bodies mortified, and obedient vnto thy will: and now Lord, what soeuer rebellion hath bene, or is found in my members, agaynst thy will, yet do I here geue vnto thee my body to the death,MarginaliaSacrifice of the body. rather then I will vse any straunge worshippyng, which I besech thee accept at my hand for a pure sacrifice: let this torment be to me the last enemy destroyed, euen death, the end of misery, and the beginnyng of all ioy, peace, solace: and when the tyme of resurrection commeth, thē let me enioy agayne these members then glorified, which now bee spoyled and consumed by the fire. O Lord IESV receiue my spirite into thy handes, Amen.

¶ Letters of Nicholas Shetterden, and fyrst a letter to hys Mother.  

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The Letters of Nicholas Sheterden

All of Sheterden's letters were first printed in the 1563 edition. Only one of these letters, Sheterden's final letter to his mother, was reprinted in the Letters of the Martyrs.

MarginaliaA letter of Nicolas Sheterden to his mother.AFter my humble and bounden dutye remembred, welbeloued Mother, this shallbe to wishe you increase of grace and godly wisedome, that ye may see and perceiue the crafty bewitching of Sathan our mortall enemy, which as I haue diuers times declared vnto you, doth not openly shew him selfe in his own likenes, MarginaliaSathan transformeth hym selfe into an Angell of light.but vnder colour of deuotion deceaueth them that keepe not a diligent eye vpon him, but haueing confidence in mans traditions and customes of the world, leauing the commaundementes of God, and Testament of hys Sonne CHRIST IESVS our Lord, do grow more into superstition and hipocrisy, then into wisedome and true holynes. For this is most true, that Sathan the enemye of soules, doth by his Ministers make many beleue, that those thinges which they compell vs vnto for theyr bellies sake, haue many godly significations, although they be most contrary to Gods will, as doubtles they be, euē as did the Serpent in Paradise to our first mother Eue. What (sayd he) hath God commaunded ye shall not eate of all the trees in the Garden? The woman said of the fruites of the trees in the Garden we may eate: but of the tree in the myddest of the Garden, sayd God, see ye eate not, least ye dye. MarginaliaAs the Serpent seduced Eue by an Aple: so priestes seduce the people by Images.Euen so our Ministers now adaies say: hath God commaunded ye shall not make you any Image or likenes of any thyng? Yea forsooth. Tushe say they, what harme can they do? May we not remember God the better when we see his Image or Picture? For they are good bookes for the lay men: but in dede they be better for the Priestes, because they receiue the offeringes.