MarginaliaAn. 1557. September.selfe to fetch her Psalter, they tooke the other prisoners and left her alone. MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Margaret Turston, and Agn. Bongeor deferred, for what causes.Shortly after she was remoued out of the Castell and put into the towne prison: where she continued vntill Friday seuennight after her company were burnt. That day, not two howers before her death, she was brought to the Castell agayne, where she declared thus much to the aforesayd Ioane Cooke.

The other, named Agnes Bongeor, who should haue suffered in like maner wyth the vj. that went out of Motehall, was also kept backe at that tyme, but not in like sort, because her name was wrong writtē within the writ,  

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A notorious dungeon in the Tower of London, so called because it was too small for the prisoner to stand, or to lie full length.

The same morning, the second of August, that the sayd sixe in Motehall were called out to go to theyr Martyrdome, was Agnes Bongeor also called wyth them, by the name of Agnes Bowyer.MarginaliaThe name of Agn. Bongeor mistaken. Wherefore the Bayliffes vnderstanding her (as I sayd) to be wrong named within the writ, commaunded the sayd Agnes Bongeor to prison agayne, as ye haue heard in the letter before named, and so from Mote Hall that day sent her to the Castel, where she remayned vntil her death. But when she saw her selfe so separated from her sayd prison fellowes in that sort, Oh good Lord what pitious mone that good woman made, how bitterly she wept, what straunge thoughtes came into her mynde, how naked and desolate she estemed her selfe, and into what plunge of dispayre and care her poore soule was brought, it was pitious and wonderfull to see: which all came because she wēt not with them to geue her life in the defence of her Christ: For of all thinges in the world, life was least looked for at her handes. For that morning in which she was kept backe from burning, had she put on a smocke that she had prepared only for that purpose: And also hauing a childe, a litle young infant sucking on her, whom she kept with her tenderly all the tyme she was in prison, agaynst that day likewise did she send it away to an other nurse, and prepared her selfe presently to geue her self for the testimony of þ^e glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ.MarginaliaAgnes Bongeor troubled for not suffering with her company. So litle did she looke for life, and so greatly did Gods giftes worke in her aboue nature, that death seemed a great deale better welcome then life. But thys tooke not effect at that tyme as she thought it would, and therfore (as I sayd) was she not a litle troubled.

Being in thys great perplexitie of mynde, a frend of hers came to her, and required to know whether Abrahams obedience was accepted before God for that he did sacrifice his sonne Isaac, or in that he would haue offered hym. Vnto which she aunswered thus: I know (quoth she) that Abrahams will before God was allowed for the deede, in that he would haue done it, if the Angell of the Lord had not stayed hym: but I (sayd she) am vnhappy, the Lord thinketh me not wothy of this dignity, and therefore Abrahams case and myne is not alike.

Why (quoth her frend) would ye not willingly haue gone with your company, if God should so haue suffered it?

Yes (sayd she) with all my hart, and because I did not, it is now my chiefe and greatest griefe.

Then sayd her frend: my deare sister, I pray thee cōsider Abraham and thy selfe wel, and thou shalt see thou doost nothing differ with him in will at all.

Alas (quoth she) there is a farre greater matter in Abraham then in me: For Abraham was tried with the offering of his owne child, but so am not I, and therfore our cases are not like.

Good sister (quoth her frend) way the matter but indifferently. Abraham I graūt (sayd he) would haue offered his sonne: and haue not you done the like in your litle sucking babe? But consider further then this, my good sister (sayd he) where Abraham was commaunded but to offer his sonne, you are heauy & greued be-

cause you offer not your selfe: which goeth somewhat more neare you then Abrahams obedience did, & therfore before God assuredly, is no lesse accepted & alowed in his holy presence: which further the preparing of your shroude also doth argue full well &c. After which talke betwene them, MarginaliaAgnes Bongeor receaueth comfort.she began a litle to stay her selfe, and gaue her whole exercise to reading and prayer, wherein she found no litle comfort.

In the time that these foresayd ij. good wemen were prisoners, one in þ^e Castle, and the other in Mote hall: God by a secret meane called the sayd Margaret Thurston vnto his truth agayne, who hauing her eyes opened by the working of his spirite, did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before, and promised faithfully to the Lord, in hope of his mercies, neuer more while she liued to doo the like againe, but that she would constantly stand to the confession of the same, agaynst all the aduersaries of the crosse of Christ. After which promise made, MarginaliaA writte for the burning of Margaret Thurston, & Agnes Bongeor.came in short time a writ from London for the burning of them, which according to the effect thereof, was executed the xvij. day of September, in the yeare aforesayd.

Margaret Thurston.
Agnes Bongeor.

Now when these foresayd good wemē were brought to the place in Colchester where they should suffer, the xvij. day of September, in the yeare aforesayd, they fell downe both vpon theyr knees, and made theyr humble prayers vnto the Lord: which thing being doone, they rose and went to the stake ioyfully, and were immediatly therto chayned, and after the fire had compassed

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A repeat of the cut used for two women burned at Ipswich the previous year.

them about, they with great ioy and glorious triumph, gaue vp theyr soules, spirites, and liues into the hands of the Lord: vnder whose gouernement and protection, for Christes sake we besech him, to graunt vs hys holy defence and helpe for euer more, Amen.

Thus (gētle Reader) God chooseth the weake things of the world, to confound mighty thinges.

¶ Iohn Kurde, Martyr.  

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John Kurde

This account, based entirely on information sent to Foxe by individual informants, came to light while the 1563 edition was being printed. Foxe realized that it referred to an unnamed shoemaker whose death had already been recounted in the Acts and Monuments and inserted cross-references to the earlier narrative. But he never integrated the two accounts into one narrative. After the first edition, no changes were made to the narrative of this martyr.

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MarginaliaSeptēb. 20.IN the story before, in the pag. thus marked 2139. some thing was touched of a certein Shomaker,MarginaliaIohn Kurde, Martyr. suffering at Northampton, being vnnamed, whom because we vnder-