Marginalia1556. Septemb.

Iohn Hart. Tho. Rauensdale.

A Shomaker. And a Coriar.

Which sayd. 4. being at the place where they should suffer, after they had made theyr prayer, and were at the stake, ready to abyde the force of the fire, they constantly and ioyfully yelded theyr liues for the testimony of the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ: vnto whom be prayse for euer and euer, Amen.

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MarginaliaSeptēb. 25. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of a Carpenter at Bristow.The daye after the martyrdome of these foresayd at Mayfield, which was the 24. of September. an. 1556. was a young man (which by science was a Carpenter, whose name we haue not)  

put to death for the like testimony of Iesus Christ at Bristow, where he yelding him selfe to the tormentes of the fyre, gaue vp his life into the handes of the Lord, with such ioyfull constancy and triumph, as all the Church of Christ haue iust cause to prayse God for him.

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MarginaliaSeptēb. 27. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Iohn Horne, and a woman, at Wottō vnderhedge in Glocestershiere.NOw, not long after the death of the said young man at Bristow, in the same moneth were ij. mo godly Martyrs consumed by fire at Wotton Vnderhedge in Glocestershiere, whose names are aboue specified, which died very gloriously in a constant faith, to the terror of the wicked, & comfort of the Godly. So graciously did the Lord worke in them, that death vnto them was life, and life with a blotted conscience was death.

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MarginaliaThe cruell hādling of W. Dangerfield and Ioane hys wife, in prison.WHen I had written and finished the story of þ^e Garnesey wemen, with þ^e yong infant there with them burned, and also had passed the burnyng of the poore blind woman Ioane Wast at Darby: I well hoped I should haue found no mo such like stories of vnmercifull crueltie shewed vppon sely  

women with their childrē and young infants: but now commyng to the persecutiō of Glocestershyre about the partes of Bristow, I find another story of such vnmercifulnes shewed agaynst a woman in childbed, as farre from all charitie and humanitie, as hath bene any other story yet hetherto rehearsed, as by the sequele hereof may appeare.

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In þ^e parish of Wotton Vnderhedge, not far from Bristow, was dwellyng one W. Dangerfield a right honest and godly pooreman, who by Ioane Dangerfield his wife had ix. children, & she now lying in childbed of the tenth. This Williā after he had bene abroad from his house a certeine space, for feare of persecutiō, hearyng that his wife was brought to bed, repayred home to visite her, as naturall duetie required, and to see his children, she beyng now deliuered foure dayes before.

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MarginaliaNo charitie in popery to be noted.The returne of this man was not so soone knowen to some of his vnkynd and vncharitable neighbours, but they incensed with the spirite of Papistrie, eftsones beset the house about, MarginaliaW. Dangerfield apprehended in hys owne house.& there tooke þ^e sayd Williā Dangerfield, and caried him to prison, & so at lēgth he was brought to the Byshop, beyng then Doct. Brokes: in whose cruell handlyng he remained a certeine space, so long till his legges almost were freted of with yrons.

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After þ^e apprehension of þ^e husband, þ^e wife likewise was taken, with her yong borne child, being but 14. dayes old (as is sayd) out of her child bed, & caryed into the common Iayle, and there placed amongst theues and murderers, where both she and her poore innocent

MarginaliaIoane the wife of W. Dangerfield takē with her younge infant out of childbed, and had to prison.found so small charitie amongst the catholike men, that she neuer could come to any fire, but was driuen to warme the clothes that she should put about the child, in her bosome.

In the meane season while they lay thus inclosed in seuerall prisons, the husband and the wife, the Byshop begynneth to practise not with the woman first, as the Serpent did with Eue, but with the mā, craftely deceiuyng his simplicitie, with fayre glosing wordes, MarginaliaDangerfield made to beleue falsely, that his wife had recanted.falsely persuadyng him that his wife had recanted: and asking him, wherfore he should more stand in his owne conceate, then she, beyng as well learned as he, and so subtilly drew out a forme of recantation, wherwith he deceiued the simple soule. MarginaliaDangerfield vppon hope of hys wiues recantation, consented to the Byshop.Wherunto after that he had once graunted that he would consent, although he had not yet recanted, they suffered him to go to his wife, where she lay in the common Iayle.

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Thē they with meltyng hartes opening their mindes one to the other, whē he saw his wife not released, and perceauing that he had not done well, he declared vnto her the whole matter, how falsely he was circunuēted by the subtile flatteringes of the Byshop, bearyng him in hand that certeinely she had recanted: and thus deceauing me (sayd he) brought this vnto me, and so plucked out of his bosome the copy of the recātation, wherunto he had graunted his promise. At the sight wherof, the wife hearyng what her husband had done, her hart claue asunder, saying: MarginaliaThe wife lamenteth the fall of her husband.Alacke, thus long haue we continued one, and hath Sathan so preuailed, to cause you to breake your first vow made to Christ in Baptisme? And so departed the said William and Ioane his wife, with what harts the Lord knoweth. MarginaliaDangerfield lamenteth hys promise made to the Bishop.Then began he not a litle to bewayle his promise made to the Byshop, MarginaliaThe prayer of Dangerfield to God.and to make his prayer to almighty God, desiring him, that he might not liue so long as to call euill good, and good euill: or light darkenes, or darkenes light, and so departed he home toward his house: MarginaliaThe death of the husband.where by the way homeward (as it is affirmed) he tooke his death, and shortly after departed, accordyng to his prayer, after he had endured in prison xij. weekes.

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After this, Ioane his wife cōtinued still in prison with her tender infant, till at last she was brought before the bishop to be examined. Wherunto what her aunswers were, it is not certainly knowne. Howbeit most like it is, whatsoeuer they were, they pleased not the bishop, as appeared by his ire increased against the poore woman and her long continuance in the prison, together with her tender babe, which also remained with her in the Iayle, partaker of her martyrdome, so long as her milke would serue to geue it sucke, MarginaliaThe young infant famished in prison.till at length the child being starued for cold and famine, was sent away when it was past all remedy, and so shortly after died. And not long after the mother also followed,MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of the mother. besides the old woman which was mother of the husband, of the age of 80. yeares and vpward. MarginaliaThe death of the old womā.Who being left in the house after their apprehension, for lacke of comfort there perished also.

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And thus haue ye in one story the death of 4. together: first of the old woman: then of the husband, after that of the innocent child, & lastly of the mother. What became of the other 9. children, I am not perfectly sure, but that I partly vnderstand, that they were all vndone by the same.

This story is reported and testified as well by other as namely by MarginaliaM. Bridges persecuted the same tyme for Gods word, and witnes of thys story.Mistres Bridges, dwelling in the same towne, and partaker then of the like afflictions, and hardly escaped with her life.

MarginaliaOctob. 12.MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of a Shomaker at Northāpton.IN the moneth of Octob. following, was burned at þ^e Towne of Northāpton, a Shomaker, a true witnes & disciple of þ^e Lord, who, accordyng to þ^e grace of God geuen vnto him, cleauyng fast to the sound