MarginaliaAn. 1558. May.When he heard say that Queene Mary was dead, and the glory of theyr triumph quailed, the sonday after, being the xx. of Nouember,  

an. 1558. MarginaliaBerry maketh a feast, wherat is one of hys Concubines.he made a great feast, and had one of his concubines there, with whom he was in his chamber after diner vntill Euensong. Then went he to church, where he had ministred baptisme, and in going from church homeward, after Euensong, betwene the churchyarde and hys house, being but a litle space (as it were a churchyard bredeth asunder) MarginaliaGods punishment and terrible end of Berry.he fell downe sodeinly to the ground with a heauy grone, & neuer stirred after, neither shewed any one token of repentance. This hapned hys neyghbors being by, to the example of all other. The Lord graunt we may obserue his iudgementes. MarginaliaBerryes goods consumeth as waxe agaynst þ^e fire.And those that had his great riches, since his death haue so consumed with them, that they be poorer now then they were before they had his goodes, such iudgement hath the Lord executed to the eyes of all men.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaGods punishment vpon Dunning Chauncellour of Norwich.At that time one Dunning, Chauncellor of Lincoln (which is some part of Queene Maryes dayes was Chauncellor of Norwich, and a very mercyles tyrant as liued) dyed in Lincolneshyre of as soddeine a warnyng, as the sayd Berry dyed.

Thus haue I shewed thee (good reader) the constancie, boldnes, and glorious victory of these happy Martyrs, as also the tyrannicall cruelty of that vnfortunate Commissary, and his terrible end. The Lord graunt we may all effectually honor the iudgementes of God, and feare to displease his holy maiestie, Amen.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaIoane Seman also persecuted by Syr Iohn Tyrrell.ABout this time, or somewhat before, was one Ioane Seman,  

mother to the foresayd William Seman, being of the age of 66. yeares, persecuted of the sayd Syr Iohn Tyrrell also out of the town of Mendlesham aforesaid, because she would not go to Masse, and receiue against her conscience. Which good old woman beyng from her house, was glad sometyme to lye in bushes, groues, and fieldes, and sometyme in her neighbours house, when she could. And her husband beyng at home, about the age of. lxxx. yeares, fell sicke: MarginaliaThe dutie of a good wife.and she hearyng therof, with spede returned home to her house agayne, not regarding her life but consideryng her duety, and shewed her diligence to her husbād most faythfully, vntill God tooke hym away by death. Then by Gods prouidence she fel sicke also, and departed this life within her owne house shortly after. MarginaliaSimondes the Commissary would not let mother Seaman be buryed in the Churchyarde.And when one M. Simondes the Commissary heard of it, dwellyng therby at a Town called Thorndon, he commaunded straitly, that she should be buried in no Christian buriall (as they call it): wherethrough her frēdes were compelled to lay her in a pit vnder a motes side. Her husband and she kept a good house, and had a good report amongest their neighbours, willing alwayes to receiue straungers, and to comfort the poore and sicke, and liued together in the holy estatre of Matrimony very honestly aboue forty yeares, and she departed this life willingly and ioyfully, with a stedfast fayth and a good remembraunce of Gods promise in Christ Iesus.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMother Benet Confessor.JN the sayd time of Queene Mary, there dwelt in the Towne of Wetherset by Mendlesham aforesayd, a very honest woman called Mother Benet, a widow, which was persecuted out of the same towne because she would not go to Masse and other their begerly ceremonies: but at the last she returned home agayne secretly to her house, and there departed this lyfe ioyfully. MarginaliaSyr Ioh. Tyrrell and M. Simondes would not suffer mother Benet to be buryed in the Churchyard.But Sir Ioh. Tyrrell and M. Simondes the Cōmissary, would not let her be buryed in the Churchyard. So was she layd in a graue by the hygh way side.

[Back to Top]

The same good old woman Mother Benet, in the tyme of persecution, met one of þ^e sayd mother Semans neighbours, & asked her how the said mother Seman did, and she aunswered that she did very well,God be

thānked. Oh (sayd she) Mother Seman hath stept a great step before me: for she was neuer couetous that I could perceiue. Her husbād in his mirth would say vnto her: O woman, if thou were sparying, thou mightest haue saued me an. C. Markes more then thou hast. To the which she would aunswere agayne gently and say. O man be content, and let vs be thankefull, for God hath geuen vs inough if we can see it. MarginaliaThe charitable almes of mother Seman, to be noted.Alas good husbād would she say, I tell you truth, I can not firkin vp my butter, and keepe my cheese in the chamber, and wait a great price, and let the poore want, and so displease God. But husbād, let vs be rich in good workes: so shall we please the Lord, and haue all good thinges geuen vs. &c. Thys good woman of that vice of couetousnes (of all that knew her) was iudged least to be spotted, of any infirmyty she had. The lord roote it out of the harts of them that be infected therwith, Amen.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMay. 26.MarginaliaTwo men and one woman, Martyrs.THou hast heard (good Reader) of the forenamed three that were burnt at Norwich, whose bloud quenched not the persecfuting thurst of the Papistes. For immediatly after, euen the same moneth, vpon the xxvj. day, was seene the like murther also at Colchester in Essex, of two mē and a woman, lying there in prison, appointed ready to the slaughter: who were brought forth the sayd day vnto a place prepared for them to suffer, and accordingly gaue their liues for the testimony of the truth, whose names likewise hereafter followeth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMartyrs.William Harries.
Richard Day.
Christian George.

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of William Harries, Richard Day, and Christian George, at Colchester. MarginaliaAn. 1558. May. 26.These three good soules were brought vnto þ^e stake, and there ioyfully and feruētly had made their prayers vnto the Lord. At the last being setled in their places, and chayned vnto their postes, with their fire flaming fiercely rounde about them, they like constant Christians triumphantly praysed God within the same, and offered vp their bodyes a liuely sacrifice vnto hys holy maiestie: in whose habitation they haue now theyr euerlasting tabernacles: hys name therefore be praysed for euermore. Amen.

[Back to Top]

The sayd Christian Georges husband, had an other wife burnt before thys Christian, whose name was Agnes George, which suffred (as you haue heard) with the thirtene at Stratford the Bow.  

And after the death of the sayd Christian, he maryed an honest Godly woman agayne: and so they both (I meane the sayd Richard George, and hys last wyfe) in the end were taken also, and layd in prison, where they remayned till the death of Queene Mary, MarginaliaRichard George and hys wife prisoners, deliuered by Q. Elizabeth.and at the last were deliuered by our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, whom the Lord graunt long to raigne among vs, for hys mercyes sake, Amen.

[Back to Top]

¶ In the moneth of Iune came out a certayne Proclamation, short but sharpe, from the King and the Queene agaynst wholesome and godly bookes, which vnder the false title of heresy and sedition, here in the sayd Proclamation were wrongfully condemned.

MarginaliaA proclamation by þ^e king and Queene.VVHereas diuers bookes, filled with heresy, sedition, & treason, haue of late, and be dayly brought into this Realme, out of forreine countreyes and places beyond þ^e seas, & some also couertly printed within thys Realme, and cast abroad in sundry partes therof, wherby not only God is dishonoured, but also an encouragement geuen to disobey lawfull princes and gouernors: The King and Queenes maiesties, for redresse hereof,

[Back to Top]