MarginaliaAn. 1557. August. September.is aboue Christes power. With that he chafed, & said:

What? shall we haue doctrine? Ye are not hereto appoynted.

Then the Chauncellour stoode vp, and sayd: will ye turne from this wicked errour, and be an example of goodnes, as you haue bene an example of euill (for by your wicked reading you haue perswaded simple wemen to be in this errour) and ye shall haue mercy.

And I sayd: it is of God that I doe craue mercy, whom I haue offended, and not of you.

Then sayd the Chauncellour: When were you at your parish church? These two yeares and more you haue stand excommunicate. MarginaliaCrashfield condemned.Wherfore you are condēned. And so I was condemned.

Thus hast thou, gentle Reader, the examinations of this godly young man, set foorth and written with hys owne hand, who not long after his condemnation, was by the Sherifes and officers there, MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Rich. Crashfield. An. 1557. August. 5.brought to the stake, where with much pacience and constancie he entred his blessed Martyrdome. At the burning of which Christiā Martyr, one Thomas Carman the same time was apprehēded, by what occasiō, it is not yet to vs fully certayne, whether it was for wordes, or for praying with him, or for pledging him at his burning: concerning which Thomas Carman, his story here after followeth in his order and place, further to be sene.  

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See 1563, p. 1655; 1570, p. 2232; 1576, p. 1927 and 1583, p. 2037 for Carman's martyrdom.

One Friar, and a certayne godly woman burned at Rochester, who was the sister of George Eagles.  

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Robert Frier and Eagles' Sister

Foxe's accounts of martyrs condemned in the diocese of Rochester earlier in Mary's reign were based on extracts from the diocesan registers. The accounts of Frier and of Eagles' sister, however, were not based on official records, and are in fact, quite vague. The identity of one of these martyrs is clear and verifiable: a notice of the excommunication and condemnation of Robert Frier of Tunbridge, dated 11 June 1557, survives (PRO C/85/144/36). But the notice also states that Robert Stevenson of Stowe was excommunicated and condemned at the same time and place; yet Foxe never mentions Stevenson. It is possible that Stevenson died in prison or escaped or (less likely) was pardoned before execution, yet the accounts of two other English martyrologists leave room for doubt. Robert Crowley, writing in 1559, stated that Robert Frier was burned at Rochester on 20 August 1557 along with another man and two other women (Robert Crowley, An epitome of chronicles[London, 1559], STC 15217.5, unpaginated). Thomas Brice, also writing in 1559, declared that Frier was burned, along with two women, on 20 July - this date is clearly an error - 1557 (A compendious regester in metre? [London, 1559], STC 3726, sig. D2v). It is impossible to be sure how many martyrs died in Rochester in August 1557, but it is likely that Stevenson was one of them and certain that Robert Frier was.

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Foxe's account of these martyrs was unchanged in subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments.

MarginaliaAugust. 20.
One Friar, & the sister of George Eagles, burned at Rochester.ABout the same time and moneth, one named Friar,  

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We know from official documents that Frier's name was Robert and that he was from Tunbridge, Kent.

The apprehension and death of Maistres Ioyce Lewes, wife to Thomas Lewes of Mancetter, most constantly suffering for Gods worde, at Lichfield.  

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Joyce Lewes

The entire account of Lewes' martyrdom appears in the 1563 edition. It is based on the testimony of an informant or informants; perhaps one of the Glovers, perhaps Augustine Bernher or perhaps someone else. It was unchanged in subsequent editions. It is worth noting that although Foxe had copies of some of the official documents of Lewes' case, he made no use of them.

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MarginaliaThe story of Mistres Ioyce Lewes, Martyr.MIstres Ioyce Lewes a gentlewomā borne, was delicately brought vp in the pleasures of the world, hauing delight in gay apparell and such like folishnes, with the which follies, the most part of the gentle folkes of England were then and are yet infected: who was maryed first to one called Appelby, afterward to Thomas Lewes of Mancetter. In the beginning of Q. Maryes time, she went to the Church and heard Masse as others dyd, but when she heard of the burning of that most godly and learned, M. Laurence Saunders, who suffered in Couentrie, she began to take more heede to the matter, and inquired earnestly of such as she knew feared God, the cause of hys death: and when she perceaued it was because he refused to receaue the Masse, she began to be troubled in conscience, & waxed very vnquiet, and because her house was euen hard by M. Iohn Glouers house, of whom mention was made before, pag. 1885. and 1891.MarginaliaOf Master Iohn Glouer read afore pag. 1885. & 1891. (a man of blessed memorye, & of a singular example for hys vnfayned godlines & manifold troubles which he suffered for þ^e Gospell) shee did oftentimes resort to hym, and desired hym to tell her the faultes that were in the Masse, and other thinges that at that tyme were vrged as necessary to saluation.

Now he perceauing both her vnquiet minde, and also the desire she had to know the truth, dyd most diligently instructe her in the wayes of the Lorde, approuing vnto her out of Gods holy worde, that þ^e Masse, with all other papisticall inuentions, was odious in

Gods sight: and besides this, reproued her for that she delited in the vanities of thys world so much. By the which godly counsell geuen by hym, it happened that she began to waxe weary of the worlde, throughly sorrowfull for her sinnes, being inflamed with the loue of God, desirous to serue him according to hys word, purposing also to flie from those thinges the which dyd displease the Lorde her God. And because she had learned the Masse to be euill and abominable, she began to hate it. And when at a tyme she was compelled by the furiousnes of her husband, to come to the Church, at the same tyme when the holy water was cast she turned her backe towardes it, and shewed her selfe to be displeased with their blasphemous holy water, iniurious to the bloud of Christ: Wherupon she was accused before the Byshop for the despising of theyr sacramentalls.

MarginaliaMistres Lewes cited by the Byshop.Immediatly a Citation was sent for her to her husbandes house, to appeare before the Byshop incontinently. The Sumner that brought the Citation, deliuered it to her husband: who looked vpon it, and perceauing what it was, was moued with anger, willing the Sumner to take the Citation with hym agayne, or els he would make hym to eate it. The Sumner refused to take it agayne, for he thought no man durst haue bene so bolde to trouble hym. But in the end Lewes compelled the sayd Sumner to eate the Citation in deede, by setting a dagger to hys hart: and whē he had eaten it, he caused hym to drinke to it, and so sent hym away. But immediately after, the sayd Lewes with his wife were commaunded to appeare before the Bishop, where the sayd Lewes by and by submitted hym selfe, and desired the Bishop to be good to him, excusing him selfe after the best fashion he could. Wherupon the Byshop was content to receaue hys submission, with condition that hys wife should submitte her selfe also. But she stoutly tolde the Byshop, that by refusing of the holy water, she had neyther offended God nor any part of hys lawes. At the which wordes, the Bishop being greuously offended, and because she was a gentlewoman he would not take her at the worst (as he said) he gaue her one monethes respite, binding her husbād in a hundred pound to bring her againe vnto hym at the monethes end, and so they were both let goe.

When they came to theyr owne house, the said Mistres Ioyce Lewes gaue her selfe to most diligent prayer and inuocating of the name of God, resorting continually to the aboue named mā of God M. Iohn Glouer, MarginaliaMistres Lewes instructed by Master Iohn Glouer.who did most diligently instructe her with Gods worde, willing her in any wise not to medle with that matter in respecte of vaine glory, or to get her selfe a name, shewing her the great daungers she was lyke to cast her selfe in, if she should medle in Gods matters otherwyse then Christ doth teach.

When the moneth was now almost expired, & the tyme at hand that she shoulde bee brought before the Byshop, her husband being aduertised by the sayd M. Iohn Glouer and others, not to cary her to the Byshop, but to seeke some wayes to saue her, of if þ^e worst should come, to be content to forfet so much money, rather then to cast hys owne wife into the fire: he aunswered, he would not lose or forfet any thyng for her sake: and so lyke a murtherer of hys owne wife, caryed her to the bloudy Byshop, where she was examined and found more stoute then she was before death was threatned. MarginaliaMistres Lewes imprisoned.And to begin withall, she was sent to such a stincking prison, that a certayne maide which was appoynted to keepe her company, dyd swound  

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Faint.

Being thus kept in prison, & oftentimes examined, and euer found stoute, at the length she was brought in iudgement, and pronounced an hereticke, worthy to be burned. When the Byshop reasoned with her, why she would not come to the Masse, and receaue the Sacramentes and sacramentals of holy Church, she aun-