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Bishop Bonner (who perhaps scarcely needed the label attached to his garden wall in this woodcut) is particularly vivid in his characterisation here as the fat unlaced figure of ridicule acting as master of devilish ceremony. There was no mistaking his outrageousness, as he beat the prisoner John Willes so hard that he wore out his willow scourge and turned to a birch one, drawing so much blood that even his attendants recoiled. This was a device used elsewhere by the illustrators, and here all eyes are averted from Bonner's actions - the two clerks confer on their own, the servants coming in with a fresh birch whip turn away, and the man whose job it is to hold down the unfortunate prisoner covers his eyes. Bonner, who died in 1569, was still alive when the first edition of the Acts and Monuments appeared, and according to John Harington's later story, when shown his picture in the work laughed and said, 'a vengeance on the foole, how could he get my picture drawn so right?' In conflating the accounts of this episode in the text the illustrators took some liberties, for instance with the 'lad' bringing the new birch rod, and the victim, Thomas Hinshaw - reported as aged 19 or 20 - both of whom appear older. They were ready to rise above the specifics of textual fidelity in order to produce an image of Bonner's personal cruelty on a par with the corporate cruelties of the persecuting 'true Catholic Church of Christ' (represented in the first woodcut of 'The Proud Primacy of Popes' series, 1570, sig. nnir; 1576, p. 756; 1583, 780. Play on Bonner's name added to the visual exploitation of his character. What good qualities could be found in this bishop who combined the role of ruthless persecutor with the rauncy as well as the pauncy Vice of old comedy fame? The point was made in a simple pun. 'Boner' for Bonner ('Bono' inscribed on the wall behind him - very much the contrary of its Latin meaning (bonus, good).

QVæ noua forma viri, quid virga, quid ora, quid aluus,
Pondera quid ventris, crassitiesq̀ velit?
Corpus amaxæum, distento abdomine pigrum
Rides, anne stupes lector amice, magis?
Vasta quid ista velint, si nescis pondera, dicam.
Nam nihil hic mirum venter obesus habet.
Carnibus humanis & sanguine vescitur atro,
Ducentos annis hauserat ille tribus.
Ergo quid hoc monstri est, recto vis nomine dicam?
Nomen nec patris, nec gerit ille matris.
Qui patre Sauago natus,  

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This is an allusion to the widespread story that Bonner was the illegitimate child of a priest named Savage.

¶ The same in Englishe.  

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Note that this translation does not translate the final three lines of the Latin version, which denounced Bonner's alleged illegitimate birth.

MVse not so much, that natures worke
is thus deformed now,
With belly blowen, and head so swolne,
for I shall tell you how:
This Canniball in three yeares space
three hundred Martyrs slew:
They were his foode, he loued so bloud,
he spared none he knew.

It should appeare that bloud feedes fat,
if men lye well and soft:
For Boners belly waxt with bloud,
though he semde to fast oft.
O bloudy beast, bewaile the death,
of those that thou hast slayne:
In tyme repent, since thou canst not
theyr lyues restore agayne.

G. G.>

CArnificis nomen debetur iure Bonero,
Quo sine Christicolas crimine mactat oues.
Certe carnificis immitis nomine gaudet,
Siq̀ isto peius nomine nomen, amat,
Carnificem vocitas? ridet. crudelia facta
Narras? reni gratam non facis ipse magis.
Det Deus vt sapias meliora Bonere, vel istis
Te feriant meritis munera digna præcor.

¶ The scourging of Thomas Hinshaw.  

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The Scourging of Thomas Hinshaw

This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and was unchanged in subsequent editions. The account came from an individual informant, possibly Hinshaw himself.

MarginaliaThe storye of Thomas Hinshaw.IN the Godly number aboue mentioned, which were apprehended at Islington, there congregated together for theyr exercise of prayer and reading, was thys Thomas Hinshaw aboue named, a young mā of the age of xix. or xx. yeares, Prentise in Paules churchyard with one master Pugson.  

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Passages here describing the arrest of other apprentices along with Hinshaw were deleted from the 1570 edition.

The next morning the byshop came and examined him himselfe, and perceauing no yelding to his minde, he sent M. Harpsfield to talke with hym: who after long talke, in the end fell to raging wordes, calling the sayd Thomas Hinshaw peuishe boy, and asked him whether he thought he went about to damne his soule, or no. &c. Vnto which the sayd Thomas aunswered, that he was perswaded that they laboured to maintayne theyr darke and deuilish kingdome, and not for any loue to truth. Thē Harpsfield being in a mighty rage, told the bishop therof. Wherat þ^e bishop fumed & fretted, that scant for anger being able to speake, he sayd: Doest thou answere my Archdeacon so, thou