MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.and may very well be deliuered for any euill opinion I find in him.

Then Christopherson called for pen and inke and wrote these wordes folowing: MarginaliaM. Christoperson writeth what he would haue Pigot confesse of the Sacrament.I Rob. Pygot do beleue that after the wordes of consecration spoken by the Priest, there remaineth no more bread & wyne, but the very body and bloud of CHRIST really, substancially, the selfe same that was borne of the virgine Mary: & reading it to the Painter, he sayd thus: doest thou beleue all this accordyng as it is written?

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaPigot refuseth to subscribe to Christophersons fayth.Pygot. No Syr, said the Painter: that is your fayth and not myne.  

Christof. Loe master Doct. Fuller you would haue letten this felow go: he is as much an hereticke as the other.

And so immediatly iudgement was giuen vpon thē to dye. Which done, after the sentence red, they were sent againe to the prison, where they did lye till the day of their death.

MarginaliaM. Peacoke appoynted to preach at the burning of Wolsey and Pigot.At which day one Peacoke bachelor of Diuinitie beyng appointed to preach,  

tooke his text out of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinth the 5 chap. of one that had lyued vnordinatly by abusing hys fathers wife: likenyng the sayd Pygot and Wolsey to the same mā, often tymes saying, that such members must be cut of from the congregation, most maliciously reportyng the sayd Wolsey to be cleane out of the faith and in many places quyte denying the Scripture.  

[Back to Top]

So his Sermon beyng ended, the forenamed Pygot and Wolsey beyng brought to the place of executiō and so bound to the stake with a cheine, thether cōmeth one Syr Ric. Collinson a Priest, at that time desolate of any biding place or stay of benefice, who sayd vnto Wolsey: brother Wolsey the preacher hath openly reported in his Sermō this day that you are quyte out of the catholicke fayth, & deny Baptisme, & that you do erre in the holy Scripture: Wherfore I besech you for the certifying of my conscience with others here present: that you declare in what place of the Scripture you do erre or find faut.

[Back to Top]

[View a larger version]

MarginaliaW. Wolsey cleareth him selfe to be soūd in all poyntes of the scripture belonging to his saluatiō.Wolsey. I take the eternall and euerlastyng God to witnesse that I do erre in no part or poynt of Gods boke the holy Bible, but hold and beleue in the same to be most firme and sound doctrine in all pointes most worthy for my saluation and for all other Christians to

[Back to Top]

the end of the world. What soeuer myne aduersaries report by me, God forgeue them therfore. With that commeth one to the fire with a great sheete knit full of bookes to burne, MarginaliaBookes burned wyth Wolsey & Pigot.like as they had ben new Testamētes. O sayd Wolsey, geue me one of them, and Pygot desired an other, both of thē clappyng them close to their brestes saying the 106. Psalme, desiryng all the people to say Amen, and so receiued the fire most thankefully.

[Back to Top]

Witnesses and informers hereof.
Robert Scortred, Robert Crane,
Edward Story, Robert Kendall, Ri-
chard Best. &c.  

Concerning the story of William Wolsey I receaued moreouer from the vniuersity of Cambridge by a credible person and my faithfull frend William Fulke, this relation which I thought in this place not vnmeet to be notified vnto the reader in order and forme as followeth:  

There were burned at Ely two godly Martyrs, the one called Wolsey, the other Pygot. In these two appeared diuers opinions of one spirit. MarginaliaThe natures of Wolsey, & Pigot described.Pygot was myld, humble, and modest, promising that he would be conformable to his persecutours, if they coulde perswade him by the scripture. The other Wolsey, was stout strong and vehement,MarginaliaThe zealous spirite of Williā Wolsey. as one hauing πληροφορὶαν of the spirit, and detested all their doinges, as of whom hee was suer to receiue nothing but cruelty and tyranny. Hee was wonderfull ielous ouer his companion, fearing lest his gentle nature would haue bene ouercome by the flattering inticementes of the world,  

and therefore the same day that they were burned, when they would haue talked with him alone, he pulled him away from them almost by force. MarginaliaWilliam Wolsey desirous of Martyrdome.He was so desyrous to glorify God with his suffryng, that being wonderfull sore tormented in the prison with the toothake, hee feared nothing more, then that hee should depart before the day of execution (which hee called hys glad dayMarginaliaWolsey calleth the day of hys Martyrdome, hys glad day.) were come.

[Back to Top]

This Wolsey being in prison at Ely was visited by MarginaliaThomas Hodilo beerebruer of Cambridge, witnes of this story.Thomas Hodilo beerebruer in Ely. To hym hee delyuered certayne money to be distributed (as he appointed) part to his wyfe, and part to his kinsfolkes and friendes, and especially. vj. shillinges. viij. d. to be delyuered to one Marginalia
Richard Denton first conuerter of Wolsey.
Money sent by Wolsey to Denton.Richard Denton Smith dwelling at Welle in Cambridge shire within the iurisdiction of the Ile of Ely, with this commendation, that he maruayled that he taryed so long behynd him, seing he was the first that did delyuer hym the boke of scripture into his hand, and tolde him that it was the truth, desyring him to make hast after as fast as he could.MarginaliaWolsey exhorting Richard Denton to persist in the truth. This Thomas Hodilo, both to auoyde the daunger of the tyme, and to haue a witnes of his doinges herein, delyuered the sayd summe of money, to one M. Laurence preacher in Essex (which then resorted often to his house) to be destributed as Wolsey had appoynted: which thing they performed, ryding from place to place. And when this. vj. shilling. viij. d. was deliuered to Richard Denton with the commendation aforesayd, his aunswere was this: I confesse it is true, but alas I cā not burne.MarginaliaDenton afrayd of burning. This was almost one whole yeare after Wolsey was burned. But hee that coulde not burne in the cause of CHRIST, MarginaliaRichard Denton burned in his owne house, which before would not burne for Christ. An. 1564 Apr. 18.was afterward burned against his wil whē CHRIST had geued peace to his Church. For in the yeare of our Lord. 1564. on Tuesday being the. 18. day of Aprill, his house was set on fyre, & while he went in, to saue his goodes hee lost his lyfe, with two other that were in the same house.  

[Back to Top]

Witnessed by Thomas Hodilo, and
William Fulke

Not much vnlyke to thys, was also þ^e example of M. West Chapleine to B. Ridley, who refusing to dye in Christes cause with his master, sayd Masse agaynst his conscience, and soone after dyed.