MarginaliaAn. 1558.to the procession. Dabney beyng left alone, commeth downe to the outward Court next the gate, there walkyng with him selfe all heauy, lookyng for nothing lesse then to escape that daūger. MarginaliaGods secrete working in the deliuerance of Dabney.The porter, who was onely left at home, seyng the man to walke alone, supposing he had bene some Citizen there left behynd, & waityng for opening of the gate, went and opened the wicket, askyng if he would go out. Yea sayd he, with a good will, if ye will let me out. With all my hart, quoth the Porter, and I pray you so do.

And thus the sayd Dabney taking the occasion offered of God, beyng let out by þ^e Porter, escaped out of þ^e Wolues mouth. The procession beyng done, when the Byshop returned home, Dabney was gone and could not be found. Wherupon much search was made, but especially Iohn Auales layd much priuy wayt for him: Who after long searchyng, when hee could not get him, at length he receiued xv. crownes of his wife to let hym alone when he should see hym: and so that good man escaped.

¶ Alexander Wymshurst.  

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This account first appeared in the Rerum (pp. 637-38). In it, Foxe described Wimshurst as an old friend of his.

MarginaliaAlexander Wymshurst a Minister, deliuered by Gods prouidence from hys enemies.A Lyke exāple of God almighties goodnes toward his afflicted seruauntes in that daungerous tyme of persecutiō may also appeare in one Alexander Wymshurst a Priest, sometyme of Magdalene Colledge in Oxford, and then the Popes own knight, but since an earnest enemy to Antichrist, and a mā better instructed in the true feare of God. It happened that one had promoted hym to Boner for Religion, vppon what occasion I do not vnderstand. Accordyng to the old maner in such cases prouided, he sent forth Robin Caly, otherwise called Robin Papist, one of hys whelpes, to bryng in the game, and to cause this seely poore man to appeare before hym. Litle Robin lyke a proper mā, bestyrreth him in his busines, and smelleth him out, and when he had gotten him, MarginaliaWymshurst taken by Robin Caly.bryngeth hym a long by Chepeside, not sufferyng hym to talke with any of his acquaintaunce by the way, though there were of his old frēdes of Oxford that offered to speake vnto hym.

When they came into Paules, it happened this Alexander to espy Doct. Chadsey there walkyng vp and downe. To whom, because he was able in such a case to do pleasure, and for that he had bene of his old acquaintaunce in Oxford, he was very desirous to speake to him ere he went through. Chadsey perceyuyng that Robert Calye did attend vppon him, sayd that he durst not medle in the matter. Yes (sayth litle Robin) you make talke with him if it please you, master Doctour. MarginaliaWymshurst talketh with D. Chadsey.To be short, Alexāder openeth his case, and in the end desireth for old acquaintaunce sake that he would finde meanes he might be rather brought before Doct Martin to be examined, then any other. MarginaliaD. Chadsey a sure frend at neede.Nay sayth he (alleagyng the wordes of Christ vnto Peter in the last chapter of S. Iohn): You remember brother what is written in the Gospell: When thou wast young, thou diddest gird thy selfe, and wentest whether thou wouldest: but beyng aged, other men shall gird thee and lead thee whether thou wilt not, thus abusing the Scripture to his priuate meanyng: wheras notwithstandyng he might easely haue accomplished so small a request, if it had liked him.

MarginaliaWymshurst brought to D. Story and D. Cooke, Cōmissioners.Thence was he caried to Story & Cooke Cōmissioners, there to learne what should become of him. Before them he did vse him self boldly & stoutly, as they on the other side did vrge him with captious questions very cruelly. Whē they had bayted the poore mā theyr fill, they asked him where his whore was. She is not my whore (sayd he) but my lawfull wife. She is thy whore, sayd they. She is not my whore (sayd he agayn) but my wife, I tel you. So when they perceiued that he would not geue place vnto thē, nor attribute to them so much as they looked for at his hand, accordyng to the ordina-

ry maner they commaunded him to prison.MarginaliaWymshurst cōmaunded to prison. And now marke well the prouidence of God in his preseruation.

He was broughth into Clunies house at Pater noster row, thence to be caried to Lollardes tower out of hand, but that Cluny (as it happened) his wife, and his mayde were so earnestly occupied about present busines, that as then they had not laysure to locke vp their prisoner. In the hall where Alexander sat, was a straunge woman whose husband was then presently in trouble for religion, which perceiued by some one occasion or other that this man was brought in for the like cause. Alacke good man, sayth she: MarginaliaGood coūsell sent of God.if you will, you may escape the cruell handes of your enemyes, forasmuch as they be all away that should looke vnto you. God hath opened the way vnto you of deliueraunce, and therefore lose not the oportunity thereof, if you be wise. MarginaliaA way made by Gods prouidence to Alexāder Wymshurst to escape.With those and such like wordes being then perswaded, he gat out of the doores, and went away, without any hast making at all: so that if any had followed, he might haue bene easely recouered agayne. But vndoubtedly it was Gods will that he should so escape the fury of his aduersaries, and be preserued from all daungers of death and imprisonment.

¶ Bosoms wife.  

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Bosome's wife also related a story to Foxe about the martyr Elizabeth Pepper (see 1563, p. 1734 and 1583, p. 2145). This would suggest that she was also Foxe's source for this anecdote.

MarginaliaBosoms wife.AS the workes of the Lord are not to be kept secret, whatsoeuer the persons be in whom it pleaseth him to worke: so commeth to remembraunce the story of one Bosoms wife not vnworthy to be considered. This good woman being at Richmond with her mother, was greatly called vpon and vrged to come to church. At length through importunate crying and calling vpon, she graunted vnto thē, and came. Being in the church, and sitting with her mother in the pue, contrary in all thinges to the doinges of þ^e Papistes, she behaued her selfe:MarginaliaThe behauiour of Bosoms wife in the Church. to wit, when they kneeled she stoode, when they turned forward, she turned backward. &c.

This being notorious in the church, at length the Constable and Churchwarden named Saunders, attached her in the Queenes name, MarginaliaBosoms wife summoned to appeare at Kingston.charging her with her mother the next day to appeare at Kingston. Who at their commaundement so did.

The next day, according as they were assigned, they came to Kingstō to appeare before þ^e foresayd officers, who at the same tyme (as it chaūced) were going ouer the Fery, and meeting them by the way, saluted thē by their names, but at that tyme had no further power to speake vnto them. Afterward, as they were in the bote going ouer, they knockt their handes, stampt and stared, lamenting that they had let them so passe theyr handes.MarginaliaBosoms wife through Gods helpe escapeth. This the Ferymā declared vnto them, & what they sayd in the bote. Whereupon the good woman taking her iourney to London, escaped their cruelty, through the secrete working (no doubt) of the Lord: who in all his workes and euermore be praysed, Amen.  

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In the 1563 edition (p. 1698) there was an anecdote here about the escape of John 'Moyse' (almost certainly John Noyes, see 1570, pp. 2217-19; 1576, pp. 1913-15 and 1583, pp. 2021-22) from the persecution of 'Master Nownd' (i.e., the Suffolk JP Francis Nunn). It was not reprinted, probably because Nunn, who was still alive, and very influential, objected to this account of his Marian past.

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¶ Lady Kneuet in Norfolke.  

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Lady Anne Knevet was an important sustainer and correspondent of several Marian martyrs, notably John Careless (see ECL MS 260, fos. 49r-50r and 227r-228r and ECL MS 262, fos. 105r-106v; also see Thomas S. Freeman, '"The Good Ministrye of Godlye and Vertuouse Women"', Journal of British Studies 39 [2000], p. 21 n. 60 and p. 29).

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MarginaliaThe Lady Anne Kneuet.AMong the number of the godly that were kept vnder the prouidence of the Lord in those perillous dayes, I may not forget an auncient good Lady of much worship, caled Lady Anne Kneuet, who till her death dwelt in Norfolke, in a towne named Wimondham vj. myles from Norwich. Which sayd good Lady in Queene Maries dayes, being iudged by the common people, more then an hundreth yeare of age, and by her own estimation well towardes a C. kept her selfe from their Popish Church, or hauing any Papisticall trashe ministred in her house, but onely the seruice that was vsed in the latter dayes of kyng Edward the vj. which dayly she had sayd before her, either by one M. Tollin who was then by Gods prouidence preserued in her house, or els by one of her Gentlewomen or houshold seruauntes, that could serue the place in the sayd M. Tollins absence.

Now, this worshipfull Lady continuing in this ma-