Marginalia1556. Iuly.they a candle light at one of the neighbours houses, and came in: and in the entry met the woman which had aunswered them at the wyndow, and sayd, she was afrayed of spirites. Argentine looking vpon her, clapt her on the backe, & sayd: thou art not the womā whom we seeke for.

MarginaliaThe house searched for Agnes Wardall.So entred they þ^e house, & searched a parlour next the street where the woman lay, which was his mothers tenant, & a young child that sucked on her brest, and not onely in the bed turnyng it downe past all honest humanitie, but also vnder the bed, behind the painted clothes, and in the chymney, and vpon into the chymney. And findyng the bed hoate, sayd: who lay here in the bed. The woman sayd: I and my child. And none els, quoth they. No, sayd the woman. When they could find nothing there for their purpose, from thence they went into an inner parlour, in the which stode the cupbord wherein she was, and searched the parlour, which was but a litle one. MarginaliaGods maruelous protection working for hys seruaunt.And one of the cōpany laying his hand on þ^e cupbord, sayd: this is a fayre cupbord, she may be here for any thyng that is done. That is true, sayth an other of them. Notwithstādyng they looked no farther, but went frō that into the chāber a loft, wherin the said Agnes had layen with her mayd and childrē, with all other rowmes and chambers.

At length came downe into the yarde, where they found a horse tyed at a pale eating of shorne grasse. Then asked they þ^e maide: whose horse is this? She answered, it is her horse in dede, and she came in before night, and went abroad agayne, but I know not whether. Then were they in good hope to finde their pray, and bestyrred them with speede, and went into an out chamber that was in the yarde, in which was a boy in bed of 13. or 14. yeres old. And being in his dead slepe, they sodenly awaked hym, and examined him for his dame. Who aunswered he knew not where she was. and vnto that stode firmly, although their threats were vehement, not only to the poore sely boy, but also to the good simple plaine mayd. Then caused they him to arise and dresse him, MarginaliaThe boy and the maide sent to the cage.and sent both mayd and boy vp to the cage, where they put the mayd, but kept the boy amōg their trusty souldiours, so that one of them should not speake with an other.

Now, while some were on the cornehill, and other some searching the neighbours houses and backesides, MarginaliaAgnes Wardall in daunger to be smothered.the wife of Wardall beyng in the presse fast locked, and almost smothered for want of breath, desired the womā her mothers tenaunt, when she hard her in the Parlour, to let her out. She asked here where þ^e keyes were: Who aūswered they were in a hāper, which she found and assayed to vnlocke the presse, and of a long tyme could not. Then desired she her to breake it open: for (sayd she) I had rather fall into their handes, then to kill my self. Then went her mothers tenaunt, & sought for her husbādes hammer and chysel, to breake it open, but could not find it, nor any thyng els to breake it opē with all, and came agayne and told her she could finde nothyng to breake it open with.

Then sayd she, assay agayne to open it, for I trust God will geue you power to open it. And being within in much extremitie, she hartily prayed vnto God, who heard her prayer, and helped her: MarginaliaGods mercifull helpe in the tyme of neede.for at the first assay and turne of the key, it opened easely. When she came out, she looked as pale and as bleake as one that were layd out dead by the walles, and as she her selfe looked afterward when she was dead, as the same womā reported, which thē let her out, and was also at her death long after in þ^e Queenes Maiesties raigne that now is, and all on a vehement sweate was she lyke droppes of rayne.

Then went she out into the backeside, where was a pale toward the fieldes for the defence of the garden, wherein was one or ij. loose pales, by the which both she and her husband had diuers times vsed to come and go in & out: so went she out into þ^e fieldes. And passyng

one litle field and ouer a stile, shrouded her selfe in a low ditch with nettles: and couered her head with the bocarom apron afore mentioned, and so crept low, and lay in the ditch. After long search, when they could not find her in the towne, certaine of the watch returned agayne into the fieldes side: among whom was one George Mannyng with MarginaliaIohn Bate cryer of Ipswich, a spitefull enemie agaynst Gods people.Iohn Bate the crier of the same towne commyng together. This Mannyng was a simple honest playne mā, but Bate a very enemy, and one that in Q. Maries time would haue bene a Priest, as it was reported, but that he was maryed.

Mannyng espying where she lay, gaue a hemme, & made a noyce with his bill, he being before Bate, at the which she lay still: MarginaliaAnother escape of Ag. Wardall by Gods good prouidence.and at last they departed to the street side to the Constable. All this tyme the mayd was in the cage, and the boy with the other of the watch vntill perfite day light. Then went they vp and let out the mayd, and sent her home, & the boy also: but they made the mayd beleue they had found her dame. Who aunswered: if ye haue her, kepe her fast.

On the morow, MarginaliaGeorge Manning an honest man.Mannyng sent her word to beware that she should hyde her selfe no more so neare.

Thus by the might and power of God was his faithfull seruaunt deliuered from their cruelty, and they knowen to be his aduersaries, not onely at that tyme, but diuers tymes after and before. Notwithstandyng, MarginaliaThe doinges and conditions of Doct. Argentine described.the sayd Argentine at his first commyng to Ipswiche, came in a seruyng mans coate. And then beyng in the dayes of kyng Henry the viij. he would accustomably vse the readyng of Lectures him selfe, in the which he was well commended at that tyme. After obtained the office of vsher of the free Grammer schole: and the Master beyng dead, got to be master him selfe. And beyng maryed to a very honest woman, MarginaliaD. Argentine in King Edwardes tyme a Protestant.remained there the dayes of king Edward. And when God tooke him from vs for our iust deserued plague, & Queene Mary came to her raygne, MarginaliaD. Argentine in Q. Maryes tyme a foule Papist, and a persecutor.none more hoate in all Papistrie and superstition, then he, payntyng the postes of the towne with viuat Regina Maria, in euery corner.

Furthermore, after the death of his wife (which was an honest woman) was made a Priest, takyng vppon him diuers times to preache (but neuer without his whyte miniuer hode) such doctrine as was shamefull to heare, saying Masse, and cariyng about the pixe in hye processions. Furthermore, leadyng the boy S. Nicolaswith his miniuer hode, about the streetes for apples and bely chere. And who so would not receaue him, he made them heretickes, and such also as would not giue his fagot to the bonefire for Queene Maryes child. And thus continued he at Ipswich the most part of Queene Maryes dayes, molestyng there good men: some for not goyng to the Church: some for not beyng confessed: some for not receauyng, &c. till at length, toward the end of Queene Mary, he came to Lōdon, and in this Queenes tyme began to shew him selfe agayne a perfect protestant. And thus much of Argentine. Ex testimonio Petri Moonæi.

The trouble of Peter Moone and his wife, & of other godly Protestantes at Byshops Hoptons visitation in Ipswiche.  

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Peter Moon

This account was introduced in the 1570 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. As Foxe records in a marginal note, his source for this account was Peter Moon himself. Peter Moon was the author of a number of protestant polemical works written at the outset of Edward VI's reign: A short treatyse of certayne thinges abused in the popish church (Ipswich: 1548), STC 18055; A plaister for a galled horse (London, 1548), STC 20622 and A corosyfe to be layd harde unto the hartes of all faythfull professors of Christes gospels (London: 1548?), STC 20661. On Moon see J. Webb, 'Peter Moone of Ipswich (d. 1601). A Tudor Poet and Gospeller and his Circle,' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History, 38 (1993), pp. 35-55.

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IN the yeare of our Lord God. 1556. The sceane or visitation, being kept before Whitesontyde, in the towne of Ipswich in Suffolke, by Doct. Hopton beyng thē Byshop of Norwich, and Myles Dunnynges, beyng then his Chauncelour, diuers and sondry godly Protestantes, through the accusation of euil men, were sore troubled & presented before him: MarginaliaPeter Moone accused to B. Hopton.among whom were accused one Peter Moone a Taylor, and Anne his wife: for their disobedience to the law, in not shewyng their readynes to come to the Church, and to bee partaker of such Romish obseruaunces as at that tyme were vsed.  

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There was more to Moon's arrest than this. Along with John Ramsey (see 1576, p. 1981; 1583, p. 2090), Christopher Goodman and William West, Moon had been sent to the Tower in the summer of 1554 for leading a conspiracy against Mary (APC V, pp. 65 and 70 as well as Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, Mary I, 1553-58, ed. C. S. Knighton [London: 1998], p. 358). Moon was released on a bond of £200 and a promise to confess publicly his offense in his parish church. Moon must have already been regarded with considerable suspicion by the authorities.

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