MarginaliaAn. 1556. March.¶ To my deare fathers and brethren D. Cranmer, Doct. Ridley, and Doct. Latymer prisoners in Oxford for the faithfull testimony of Gods holy word.  

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This letter is first printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 171-72. BL, Additional MS 19400, fo. 29r is the original of this letter.

MarginaliaA letter written to Doctor Cranmer and his fellowes, by D. Taylor.RIght reuerend fathers in the Lord, J wish you to enioy continually Gods grace and peace through IESVS CHRIST; and God be praysed agayne, for this your most excellent promotion which ye are called vnto at this present, that is, that ye are counted worthy to bee allowed amongest the number of CHRISTES recordes and witnesses. Englād hath had but a few learned Byshops that would sticke to CHRIST MarginaliaMany professe God ad ignem exclusiuè, that is, in wordes and outward profession, but few sticke to him ad ignem inclusiuè, that is, in dede, and in suffring for his sake.ad ignem inclusiuè. Once agayne I thanke God hartely in CHRIST for your most happy onset, most valiant procedyng, most constant suffring of all such infamies, hyssynges, clappynges, tauntes, open rebukes, losse of lyuyng and liberty for the defence of Gods cause, truth, and glory. I can not vtter with penne how I reioyce in my harte for you iij. such Captaines in the foreward vnder CHRISTES crosse, banner, or standerd in such a cause and skirmish, when, not onely one or ij. of our deare redemers strong holdes are besieged, but all his chief Castels ordeined for our safegard, are traiterously impugned. This your enterprise in the sight of all that be in heauen, and of all Gods people in earth, is most pleasant to behold. This is an other maner of nobilitie, then to be in the forefronte in worldly waerefares. For Gods sake pray for vs, for we fayle not dayly to pray for you. We are stronger and stronger in the Lord, his name bee praysed, and we doubt not but ye be so in CHRISTES own sweete schole. Heauen is all and wholy of our side: therfore Gaudete in domino semper, & iterum gaudete & exultate. i.  

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Taylor, citing Philippians, 4. 4.

Foxe text Latin

Gaudete in domino semper, & iterum gaudete & exultate.

Foxe text translation

Reioyce alwayes in the Lord: and agayne reioyce and be glad.

Actual text of Philippians, 4. 4. (Vulgate)

gaudete in Domino semper iterum dico gaudete.

Your assured in Christ Rowland Taylor.

¶ De Tho. Cranmeri Archiepiscopi qui carcere detinebatur palinodia.  

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This verses were first printed in the 1570 edition; they celebrate Cranmer overcoming his weakness to retract his recantation and thus frustrating the catholics.

Te Cranmere, grauis sontem prope fecerat error,
Sed reuocas lubicros ad meliora pedes.
Te docuit lapsus magis vt vestigia firmes,
Atq; magis Christo consociere tuo:
Vtq; tuæ melius studeas hærescere causæ:
Sic mala non rarò causa fuere boni.
Et benè successit, nam ficta & adultera turba
Illudens alijs, luditur arte pari.
Nempè pia sic est frustatus fraude papismus:
Et cessit summo gloria tota Deo.

Persecution in Suffolke. Agnes Potten, and Ioane Trunchfield, Martyrs.  

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The Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield

This entire account appears in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. It is based partly on official documents; Foxe had copies of the articles charged against Agnes Potten and her replies (BL, Harley 421, fo. 191r-v), the articles charged against Joan Trunchfield and her replies (BL, Harley 421, fo. 192r-v and the sentence condemning them (BL, Harley 421, fos. 189r-190v).These documents were copied from a now lost Norwich diocesan court book. Foxe also received the story of Agnes Potten's dream and of Joan Trunchfield's behaviour at the stake from oral sources. Another anecdote concerning Joan Trunchfield came into Foxe's hands as the 1563 edition was nearing completion and was printed in an appendix at the end of the book (1563, p. 1734).

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MarginaliaAgnes Pottē, Ioane Trunchfield, Martyrs.IN the story of Rohert Samuell, mencion was made before pag. 1879. of two godly women in the same towne of Ipswitch, which shortly after hym suffered lykewyse, and obtayned the crowne of Martyrdome: the names of whom was Agnes the wyfe of Robert Potten, and an other wife of Michaell Trunchfield, a Shoomaker, both dwelling in one towne: who about the same tyme that the Archbishop aforesayd was burned at Oxford, suffred lykewyse in the foresayd towne of Ipswitch, eyther in the same moneth of March, or (as some say) in the end of February the next moneth before. MarginaliaThe opinions of these two Matrons and Martyrs.Their opinion or perswasion was this, that in the Sacrament was the memoriall onely of CHRISTES death and passion: for sayd they, IESVS CHRIST is ascended vp into heauen, and is on the ryght hand of God the father, according to the scriptures, and not in the Sacrament, as he was borne of the Virgin Mary.  

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This was actually what Agnes Potten said (BL, Harley 421, fo. 191v).

For this they were burned. In whose suffring, their constancy worthely was to be wondered at, who beyng so simple women, MarginaliaThe strength of God in weake vessels.so manfully stoode to the confession and testimony of Gods word and verity: In somuch that, whē they had prepared and vndressed themselues ready to the fyre, wyth comfortable words of the scrip-

ture they earnestly required the people to credit and to lay hold on the word of God, and not vpon mans deuises and inuentions, despysing the ordinances and institutions of the Romishe Antichrist, with all his superstitions and rotten religion: and so continuing in the torment of fyre, they held vp their handes and called vnto God constantly, so long as lyfe did endure.

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This Pottens wyfe in a nyght a little before her death, being a slepe in her bed, saw a bright burning fyre, ryght vp as a pole, and on the syde of the fire she thought there stoode a nūber of Q. Maries friendes looking on. MarginaliaThe burning of Agnes Potten reuealed to her before in her slepe.Thē being a sleepe, she seemed to muse with her selfe whether her fire should burne so bright or no: and in deede her suffring was not farre vnlyke to her dreame. This also I thought further to note, how these two being alwayes together in prison, the one which was Michaels wyfe, seemed to bee nothyng so ardent and zelous as Pottens wife was, although (God bee thanked) they dyd stoutly stand to the confession of the truth both: MarginaliaGod geueth strength many times, where most weaknes is.but when the said Michaels wyfe came to the stake and saw nothing but present death before her, she much exceeded the other in ioye, and comfort. Albeit both of thē did ioyfully suffer, as it was maruailed at of those that knew thē, and did behold their end. And thus these two Martyrs ended their lyues wyth great triumph: the Lorde graunt wee may doe the lyke, Amen.

Persecution in the Dioces of Salisbury.  

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Maundrel, Coberley and Spicer

In the 1563 edition, all Foxe had was a brief statement that these three martyrs were burned at Salisbury in March 1556. Foxe further complained that he had not seen any official records regarding these martyrs. This account, which first appeared in the 1570 edition, seems to have been based entirely on information supplied by individual informants. But before this another informant had sent anecdotes about Maundrel and Spicer to Foxe which Foxe received as the 1563 edition was nearing completion; these were printed in an appendix to the edition (1563, p. 1734). Except for Maundrel's remark that statues of the saints were good to roast a shoulder of mutton, which was inserted into this account in the 1570 edition (see 1563, p. 1734), these anecdotes were never integrated into the account of these three martyrs.

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MarginaliaMarch. 24.MarginaliaOther 3. Martyrs suffring at Salisbury.AFter these ij. womē of Ipswich, succeeded iij. mē which were burnt þ^e same moneth at one fyre in Salisbury, who in the lyke quarell with the other that went before them and led the daūce, spared not their bodies, to bring their soules to the celestiall felicity, whereof they were throughly assured in CHRIST IESVS by his promises, assone as the furious flames of fyre had put their bodies and soules asonder.

Robert Spicer, free Mason.
William Coberley Taylor.
Iohn. Maūdrell, husband mā.  

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Note Foxe's comment in the 1563 edition that he had no further information about these martyrs 'by Register' or from these friends. Foxe never acquired official records on these martyrs but as the 1563 edition was nearing completion and before the 1570 edition was printed he received quite a bit of information from individual informants.

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