Marginalia1558.son, except she would see them discharged. Then she got a Supplication, to go vnto the Queenes Maiesty, and came to a frend of hers to haue his coūsell therin: Who willed her to stay a while because she was old, þe dayes short, and the expenses great, and Winter foule (for it was a litle before Christmas) and to tary vntill Sommer. MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson preserued from persecution, and ending her life in peace.In the meane tyme God brake the bonde, & shortned her iourney: for he tooke her home to hym selfe out of this lyfe in peace.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson troubled with þe falling sickenes, after her persecution neuer felt it more.This good old woman, long before she went to prison, had the falling sickenes, & told a frend of hers, one Symon Harlston, after she was apprehended, that she had it neuer more, but liued in good health & ioy of hart, through her Lord Christ. She had a very vnkynd man to her husband, who while she was in prison, sold away her raiment, and would not helpe her, & after she was out of prison she returnyng home vnto him, yet would he shew her no kindnes, nor helpe her neither: and yet the house and land that he dwelt in, he had by her: Wherfore as long as she lyued, she was found of the congregation.
[Back to Top]The sayd Elizabeth Lawson also had a sister, wife to one Robert Hollon of Michfield, in the same Coūtie of Suffolke, which likewise was persecuted and driuen out from house to house, and a young man her sonne with her, because they would not go to þe church to heare Masse, and receiue the Sacramēt of the altar.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaTho. Christenmas, William Wattes.IN this perilous rage of Queene Maryes raigne, were ij. men persecuted, one called Tho. Christenmas, the other William Wats of Tunbridge in Kent. As these trauayled from place to place, not resting two nightes together in one place, it happened them on a time to come to Rochester in Kent, whereas they entring into the towne, euen at the townes end, met with a litle damosel of viij. yeares of age, but whether she went they knew not. It was then night, and they wearye, and fayne therefore would haue lyen in the same towne, but could not tell where, they feared so þe bloudy Catholickes. At last, they deuised to aske þe damosell whether there were any heretickes in the towne or no? and she sayd yea. They asked her where? She aunswered them, at such an Inne, telling the name and where the Inne was. Shortly after, as they were gone frō her, they bethought themselues better, & God so mouing their harts, they went to the childe agayne, and asked her how she knew that the Inkeeper (of whō she spake before) was an hereticke. Mary (quoth she) well inough, and his wife also. How knowest thou pretie mayden, sayd they? I pray thee tell vs. How know I sayd she? mary because they go to the church: and those that will not holde vp their handes there, they will present them, and he himselfe goeth from house to house, to compell them to come to church. MarginaliaGods prouidence vppon Tho. Christenmas and Will. Wats.When these two mē heard this, they gaue God prayse and auoyded that house, taking the warning of that mayde (of good bringing vp, as it should seeme) to be Gods marueilous prouidence towardes them.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaW. Wats an other time deliuered by the Lordes prouidence.THis foresayd William Wats, dwelling in Queene Maryes dayes at Seale in Kent, the last yeare of her raigne saue one, was apprehēded by hys enemies, MarginaliaW. Wats apprehended & brought before the bishop.and brought by the Constables before the Byshop and Iustices at Tunbridge, where the Byshop and Iustices would haue perswaded him all they could, to turne from the truth: howbeit in vayne, for they could not remoue him, although they spent al the forenoone theraboutes, with many flattering wordes: so mercifull was the Lord vnto him.
[Back to Top]Now, when dinner tyme was come, as they should rise, they committed the prisoner to the Constables agayn, & so rose vp to go to dinner. The Cōstables tooke Wats & led him to a vittelling house, where after they
had well filled them selues, they fell a sleepe, supposing their prisoner to be sure enough vnder their handes. Wats wife beyng then in the house with her husband, and very carefull for his well doyng, seyng the Constables thus fast a sleepe, desired her husbād to depart and go thēce, for so much as the Lord had made such a way for him. Vnto which her wordes he would not cōsent, although she persuaded him all that she could.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAn other notable example of the Lordes prouidence.At the last (they replying one agaynst an other) a straunger heard them, and asked her what the matter was, that she was so earnest with her husband. The wife told him. Then sayd þe straūger vnto Wats, these wordes: Father, go thy wayes in Gods name, and tary no longer: the Lord hath opened the way vnto thee: wherupon the sayd Wats went his way, and his wife departed from him and went home to her house at Seale, thinkyng her husband had gone an other way. Now as she was goyng in at her doore, tellyng her frēdes of his deliuerance, immediatly came the said Wats in also, and they all beyng amased therat, willed him in all hast to get him away: for they thought there would be search for him immediatly.
[Back to Top]Then Wats sayd he would eate meate first, and also pray: which he did, and afterward departed thence. MarginaliaWill. Wats deliuered out of hys enemies handes.So soone as hee was out of the doores, and had hyd him selfe in an holly bush, immediatly came the sayd Constables with. xxx. persons into the sayd house to search for him, where they pearsed the fetherbeds, broke vp his cheastes, and made such hauocke, that it was wonderfull: MarginaliaWill. Wats sought for againe.and euer among as they were searchyng, the Constables cried: I will haue Wats, I will haue Wats, I tell thee, I will haue Wats: but (God be thanked) Wats could not be found. And when they saw it booted not to search for him, in the end they tooke his wife, MarginaliaWill. Wats wife set in the stockes.and set her in a payre of stockes, where she remained two dayes, & she was very bold in þe truth, and at the last deliuered through the prouidence of God: whose name be glorified in all his workes, Amen.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaGods prouidence in deliuering M. Ioh. Glouer.WHat a fatherly and manifest prouidence of the Lord likewise did appeare in the preseruyng of M. Iohn Glouer of the Dioces of Couentry and Lichfield, in the Towne of Manceter: first at the takyng of Robert his brother. At which time although the Commission came downe for him, yet so God ordered the matter, that his brother beyng sicke was apprehended, and yet he being whole escaped. Wherof mention is made before, pag. 1886.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAn other narrow escape of M. Iohn Glouer.And agayne, an other tyme how miraculously the mercyfull prouidence of the Lord wrought his escape out of his enemies handes, they being at his chamber doore, and drawing the latch to search for him: and how his wife the same tyme was taken and sent to Lichfield, read before, pag. 1892.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe escape of a godly man called Dabney.THere was at London a certeine honest godly person, a Painter named Dabney, whō Iohn Auales
John Avales was an extremely zealous heresy hunter in London during the final years of Mary's reign. For other descriptions of his activities see 1563, p. 1696; 1570, p. 2275; 1576, p. 1964; 1583, p. 2071 and 1570, p. 2278; 1576, p. 1967 and 1583, p. 2074.
To be short, as the tyme called on, Boner with hys houshold maketh hast so fast as they cā out of the doores