MarginaliaAn. 1558. Nouember.mentes were read and pronounced agaynst them. And immediatly after the sayd Sentences geuen, they were all caryed from thence to the place of execution without

the Citie, where they most cruelly burned hym, for whose constant fayth. God be praysed.

Commentary on the Woodcuts     Close

The case of the English merchant Nicholas Burton, arrested and condemned by the inquisition in Spain, gave Foxe and his illustrators an opportunity to portray the evils of the papal inquisition. The bipartite woodcut shows the condemned riding ignominiously backwards on a donkey or mule, in a heretic's coat and hat adorned with devils, of the kind that medieval heretics such as Jan Hus (portrayed earlier in the Acts and Monuments) had had to wear. Also conspicuous is the inevitable malign friar, scrip at side, becowled, ugly visaged and holding forth, accompanied by a large posse of armed men (one with a ball and chain). In the distance is depicted the culmination of the proceedings, after the vast procession has reached the place of execution, where the martyr is collapsing into the fire, repeating in small the image so familiar in the pages of Foxe's book.

This Nicolas Burton by the way, and in the flames of fire made so chearefull a countenaunce, embracyng death with all pacience and gladnes, that the tormentours and enemyes which stode by, sayd that the Deuill had hys soule before he came to the fire, and therfore they sayd his senses of feelyng were past him.

It happened  

Commentary     Close

The entire account of Fronton is taken from Reginaldus Gonsalvus Montanus, A discovery and playne declaration of of sundry subtill practices of the holy Inquisition of Spayne, trans. Victor Skinner (London: 1568), STC 11996, fos. 59r-60v. A copy of this account appears in Foxe's papers as BL, Lansdowne MS 389, fos. 327r-332v.

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When his Atturney was landed at Siuill, and had shewed all his letters and writynges to the holy house, requiryng them that such goodes might be redeliuered into hys possession, aunswere was made hym that he must sue by Bill, and retaine an Aduocate (but al was doubtles to delay hym) and they, forsoth, of curtesie assigned him one to frame his Supplication for him, and other such Billes of petition, as he had to exhibite into theyr holy Court, demaundyng for ech Bill. 8. Rials, albeit they stode hym in mo more stead them if he had put vp none at all. And for the space of three or foure monethes this fellow missed not twise a day, attendyng euery mornyng and afternoone at the Inquisitours Palace, suing vnto them vpon hys knees for hys dispatch, but specially to the Byshop of Tarracon, who was at that very tyme chiefe in the Inquisition at Siuill, that he of hys absolute authoritie would com-

maund restitution to be made therof: but the bootie was so good and so great, that it was very hard to come by it agayne.

MarginaliaNote the rauening extortion of these Inquisitors.At the length, after he had spent whole iiij. monethes in sutes and requestes, and all to no purpose, he receaued this answere from them, that he must shew better euidence and bryng more sufficient certificates out of England for proofe of his matter, then those which hee had already presented to the Court. Whereupon the partie forthwith posted to London, and withall speede returned to Siuill agayne with more ample and large letters testimonials and certificates, accordyng to their request, & exhibited them to the Court. Notwithstandyng, the Inquisitours still shifted hym of, excusing th? selues by lacke of leasure, and for that they were occupied in greater & more weighty affaires, and with such aunsweres delayed hym other iiij. monethes after.

MarginaliaThe vile procedinges of the Inquisitors of Spaine.At the last, when the partie had welnigh spent all his money, and therfore sued the more earnestly for his dispatch, they referred the matter wholy to the Bishop. Of whom, when he repayred vnto hym, he had this aunswere: that for hym selfe he knew what he had to do: howbeit he was but one man, and the determination of the matter appertained vnto the other Commissioners as well as vnto hym: and thus by postyng and passing it from one to an other, the partie could obtaine no end of his sute. Yet for hys importunitie sake, they were resolued to dispatch hym, but it was on this sort: One of the Inquisitours called Gasco, a man very well experienced in these practises, willed the partie to resort vnto hym after dinner. The fellow beyng glad to heare these newes. and supposing that hys goodes should be restored vnto hym, and that he was called in for that purpose to talke with the other that was in prison, to confer with hym about theyr accomptes, the rather through a litle misunderstandyng,