MarginaliaAn. 1555. August.of hys armes, & clapping the same together, declaryng a reioysing hart vnto them, and so bending downe agayne, and hanging ouer the fire, slept in the Lord, and ended this mortall lyfe.  

MarginaliaRobert Smith to his wife, ful of ghostly instruction.SEeke fyrst to loue God deare wyfe wyth your whole hart, and then shall it be easy to loue your neighbour.

Be friendly to all creatures, and especiallye to your own soule.

Be alwayes an enemye to the deuyll and the world, but especially to your own flesh.

In hearing of good thinges ioyne the eares of your head and hart together.

Seeke vnity and quietnes with al men, but especially with your conscience: for he will not easely be intreated.

Loue all men, but especially your enemies.

Hate the syns þ^t are past, but especially those to come.

MarginaliaBe good to thine enemy.Be as ready to further your enemye, as he is to hynder you, that ye may be the childe of God.

Defyle not that which CHRIST hath clensed, lest hys bloud be layd to your charge.

MarginaliaA double hedge to the toung.Remember that God hath hedged in your toung, with þ^e teeth & lyps, that it might speake vnder correctiō.

Be ready at all times to looke in your brothers eye, MarginaliaCast out the mote in thine owne eye first.but especially in your own eye. For he that warneth other of that he him self is faulty, doth geue his neighbour the cleare wine, and keepeth the dregs for himselfe.

MarginaliaCouet not to be rich.Beware of riches and worldly honour: for without vnderstāding, prayer, and fasting, it is a snare & also pouerty, all which are lyke to consuming fyre, of which if a man take a litle, it wyll warme hym, but if he take to much, it wyll consume him. For it is hard for a man to cary fire in his bosome, and not to be brent.

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MarginaliaBlessed be the mercifull.Shew mercy vnto the Sainctes for CHRISTES sake, and CHRIST shall reward you for the Saintes sake. Among all other prisoners visit your owne soule: for it is enclosed in a perilous prison.

If ye wyll loue God, hate euyll, and ye shall obtayne the reward of well doing.

Thus fare you well good Anne. Haue me hartely cōmended to all that loue the Lorde vnfainedly. I besech you haue me in your prayer while I am liuing, and I am assured the Lord wyll accept it. Bring vp my Children and yours in the feare of God, and then shall I not fayle but receiue you together in the euerlasting kingdome of God which I go vnto.

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Your husband Robert Smyth.

If ye wyll meete wyth me agayne,
Forsake not CHRIST for any payne.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Rob. Smith to his wife.THe grace of almighty God be alwaies with you and comfort, strength, and stablish you in all things that what hys blessed wyll is, ye may folow faithfully to hys honour, my comfort, and your own saluation, and the good ensample to our posterity.

I haue receiued your letter, & I prayse God, without any daunger: neuertheles if Gods marueilous goodnes had not brought it to my hand by MarginaliaCommendatiō of Peter the keper.Peter the Keeper, there might haue risen a great trouble vpon the same. For well ye know that George is a wicked man, vtterly without all feare of God: & if he had gotten it, the counsell had surely sene it. But Peter like an honest man neuer opened it. Wherefore I desire you from hence forth let your letters be deliuered at Chauncery lanes ende, to my sister Tankerfield,  

& she may deliuer them safe into my hand. We are very straightly   kept, I prayse God of hys mercy. Neuertheles almightye God is alwayes wyth vs. I haue sent you that ye wrote for. The two Nutmegs that should haue gone by Nicolas to our friendes, I send now, & desire them to accept them as a poore prisoners gift, vntill God geue more largely. Thomas Iuison sendeth you a peny, I pray you geue him thankes for the same, and Diricke also. I haue sent you of that litle that I haue ij. peeces of spanish money. The Lord IESV haue you in his custody, and send you good spede. In any case keepe your selfe close, I doubt much your walkinges. Haue my hartie commendations to your parents, and desire them with you to haue me in theyr praiers. Be feruent in praier, pray, pray, pray, that God

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will of his mercy put vp his swoord, and looke on hys people. Tell my brother,  

with commendations, that the next comer shall bring vp the Epistle and exhortation. I haue written all this fourthnight for my Lady, yea and almost done nothing els.   I woulde haue sent hym the articles of William Flower, and my talke with hym, if I could haue deliuered it from the prison.   The holy ghost kepe you. I wold ye could make a meanes for your money, to send a chese to Peter: for I fynde much kyndnes at his handes. Ye shall alwayes heare of me at Tankerfieldes house. All the congregation salute you. Fare you most hartely well.

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I haue not yet (tell my brother) spoken with the person. There hath come so strait a commaundement, that no man might come to vs, because Toly cursed the Pope at the gallowes.  

They thought it to be our counsell.

Yours and euer yours, Robert Smith.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Robert Smyth to his wife.GRace, mercy, and peace from God the father, and frō the Lord IESVS CHRISTbe with you, deare wife now and euer Amen, and preuent your wayes through his holy spirite that ye may in all your words and workes, please God and eschew euil to his honour and your saluation, that they which see your conuersation may in all thinges learne to do the lyke, euen to the vtter shame and confusion of the wycked and vngodly, Amen.

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I sent you by M. Alexander a purse with money. I haue certayne tokens for you, sent by my prison fellowes to you: MarginaliaBehold here the communiō of Saints.that is, frō M. Haukes. xij. ḋ. frō M. Simson. xij. ḋ. frō his wyfe. iiij. ḋ. frō M. Wattes fiue new grotes, frō M. Ardeley. xij. ḋ. frō M. Bradford. xij. ḋ. which mē be all gone to death, except M. Bradford, he abydeth styll. There is also gone to death Nicholas Chamberleine, Thomas Osmund William Bamford. There is also condemned this Monday  

Diricke Caruer, Thomas Iuison, Iohn Launder, and William Vassy   is repryued. Pray to God to haue mercy vpon his people, and bid my brother if he can conueniently, come downe on Monday next: if he cannot well do it, let him abide at home. Haue me hartely cōmēded to your Parentes. I haue sent ech of them a token, a bowed grote, and desyre them for Gods sake to helpe vs with their prayers. Haue little Katherin in mynd. Commend mee vnto all good friendes. Continue in prayer. Beware of vanity. Let not God be dishonored in your conuersation, but lyke a good Matron kepe your vessell in holynes. The peace of God rest with you for euer, Amen.

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My brother Iuison  

sendeth to you a token, to your mother a token, & to Katherine a token. iij. pence. Iohn Launder sendeth you a peece of Spanish money, Father Heralt   a peece of vj. ḋ. William Androwes sendeth you a rase of ginger, and I send your mother one, and a Nutmege. I send Katherine comfits   for a tokē to eate. I haue sent you a keyclog   for a token.

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Your Husband Robert Smith.

MarginaliaAn other letter of Robert Smith to a friend of his.THe eternall God keep you in his feare. I haue harty commendations vnto you and your husband, besechyng almighty God to preserue you in well doyng, and in perfect knowedge of his CHRIST, that ye may bee found faultles in the day of the Lord. I haue heard say that my frend is geuen ouer to vanity: it breaketh my hart, not onely to heare that he so doth, but also teacheth other, that it is vnhurtfull to go to all abominations, which now stand in the Idoles temples: neuerthelesse deare frend be ye not moued to folow sinners: for they haue no inheritaunce with God & CHRIST. But looke that by goyng into the Idoll temple, ye defile not the tēple of God: for light hath no felowship with darkenes. But looke what the Lord hath commaūded, that do. For if not goyng to Church were without persecution, they would not learne you that lesson. But all thyng that is swete to the flesh, is allowed of the fleshly. The Lord shall reward euery man accordyng to his workes, and he that leadeth into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie, & he that by the fleshly man is led in the fleshe, shall of the flesh reape corruptiō. The Lord IESV geue thee his holy spirite, Amen.

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I haue sent thee an Epistle in metre  

which is not to be layd vp in thy cofer, but in thy hart.

Seeke peace and ensue it. Feare God, loue God with all thy hart, with all thy soule, and with all thy strength.

Thy frend and all mens in CHRIST IESVS, Robert
Smith. Scribled in much hast frō N. the 12. of May.