Marginalia1558.nyng backe, and meetyng with the sayd W. Porrege, demaunded the very same questions as the other had done: to whom he made also the like aūswere as afore, and so departed, takyng an other contrary way from the meetyng of the other horsemen. MarginaliaWilliam Porrege escapeth.And thus W. Porrege escaped.

MarginaliaThe Lord disposing the way of hys seruauntes.Now concerning Thomas Sprat, he beyng pursued on the one side by horsemen, on the other side by his own fellow, who followed after hym in hys bootes, crying: you were as good to tary, for we will haue you, we will haue you: yet notwithstanding he still kept on his course, till at length he came to a steepe down hill at the hedge end, down the which hill he ran from them, for they could not ryde down the hill, but must fetch a great compasse about: MarginaliaTho. Sprat deliuered by Gods helpe from hys aduersaries.and so this Thomas Sprat ran almost a mile, and as God would got a Wood. By that time he came to the Wood, they were euē at his heeles: but the night drew on, and it beganne to rayne, and so the malice of these persecutors was at an end, the Lord working for his seruauntes, whose name be praised for euer and euer, Amen.

Not long after this, one of the two Blachendens aforesayd, which so cruelly sought the destruction of other, was cruelly murthered by his owne seruauntes.

MarginaliaThe troubles of Iohn Cornet, and how he was deliuered.HEre might also be recited the hard aduentures and sufferinges of Iohn Cornet, and at length hys deliueraunce by Gods good workyng, out of the same. Who beyng a prentise with a minstrell at Colchester, was sent by his master about the 2. yeare of Q. Maryes rainge, to a weddyng in a towne thereby called Roughhedge, where he beyng requested by a company there of good men, the Constables also of the parish beyng present thereat, to sing some songes of the scripture, chaunced to sing a song called Newes out of London, which tended agaynst the Masse, and against the Queenes misproceadinges. Whereupon the next day he was accused by the Parson of Roughhedge, called Yackesley, MarginaliaYackesley parson of Roughhedge, persecutor.and so committed, first to the Constable, where both his master gaue hym ouer, MarginaliaThe mother agaynst her own sonne.and hys mother forsooke & cursed hym. Frō thence he was sent to the next Iustice, named M. Gānall: and then to þ^e Earle of Oxford, where he was first put in yrons and chaynes, and after that so manacled that þ^e bloud spurt out of his finger endes, because he would not confesse þ^e names of thē which allured him to sing. And marueile it was that the cruell Papistes were so contended, that they sent hym not also to B. Boner, to suffer the extremitie of the fire. But Gods gracious prouidence disposed otherwise for hys seruant. For after he was manacled, the Earle cōmaunded him to be brought agayne to the towne of Roughhedge, and there to be whipped til the bloud followed, and so to be banished þ^e town for euer: MarginaliaCornet whipped out of the towne, & so banished.and so he was, during all the tyme of Queene Mary.

¶ Thomas Bryce.  

Commentary     Close

Brice would write a doggerel poem on the Marian martyrs which was an important source for Foxe. (See the article on Brice in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography).

MarginaliaThomas Bryce preserued.IF our story should proceede so wide and so large, as did the exceeding mercy of Gods prouidence, in helping hys seruauntes out of wretchednes and thraldome of those bloudy dayes, our treatise, I thinke, would extend to an endles processe. For what good man or woman was there almost in all thys tyme of Queene Mary, who eyther in carying a good conscience out of the land, or tarying within the Realme, could well escape the Papistes handes, but by some notable experience of þ^e Lords mighty power and helping hand working for hym? What should I here speake of the miraculous deliueraunce of Thomas Bryce, who beyng in the house of Iohn Seale, in the parish of Horting, and the Bailiffe with other neighbours commyng in, sent by Syr Iohn Baker to search and to apprehend hym, and knowyng perfectly both hys stature and colour of hys garmentes, MarginaliaGod blinded þ^e eyes of them which sought for Th. Bryce, that they could not see hym.yet had no power to see or know him standing before their faces. So mightely the Lord dyd blynd their eyes, that they asking for hym, and looking

vpon hym, yet notwithstanding he quietly tooke vp hys bagge of bookes, and so departed out of the house, without any hand layd vpon hym.

MarginaliaAn other storye of Tho. Bryce and hys brother.Also an other tyme, about the 2. yeare of Q. Mary, the sayd Thomas Bryce, with Iohn Bryce hys elder brother, cōming then frō Wesell, meeting together at their fathers house, as they iorneyed towardes Lōdon to geue warning there to one Springfield, which els was like to be taken vnawares by hys enemyes wayting for hym vpon Gaddes hyll, fell in company wyth a Promotor, which dogged them and followed them goyng to Grauesend, into the towne, and layed the house for them where they were, and all the wayes as they should goe to the water side: so that it had not bene possible for thē to haue auoyded the present daūger of those persecutors, had not the Lordes prouident care otherwise disposed for his seruaunts through the Hostler of the Inne, couertly to conuey thē by a secret passage: MarginaliaThomas and Iohn Bryce deliuered by Gods good meanes and protection.whereby they tooke Barge a mile out of the towne, & so in the end both the liues of them, & also of Springfield was preserued, through the Lordes gracious protection.

¶ Gertrude Crokhay.  

Commentary     Close

See 1583, pp. 2145-46.

MarginaliaThe trouble and deliueraunce of Certrude Crokhay.GErtrude Crokehay dwellyng at S. Katherines by the Tower of London, and beyng then in her husbandes house, it happened, in the yeare. 1556. that the Popes childish S. Nicolas went about the Parishe. Which she vnderstandyng, shut her doore agaynst him, not sufferyng him to enter into her house. Then Doct. MalletMarginaliaThys D. Mallet is now Deane of Lincolne. hearyng therof, and beyng then Maister of the sayd S. Katherins, the next day came to her with xx. at his taile, thinking belike to fray her, and asked why she would not þ^e night before let in S. Nicolas and receaue his blessing. &c. To whom she aunswered thus. Syr, I know no S. Nicolas (sayd she) that came hether. Yes quoth Mallet, here was one that represented S. Nicolas. In deede Syr (said she) here was one that was my neighbours childe, but not S. Nicolas: for S. Nicolas is in heauen. I was afrayd of them that came with him to haue had my purse cut by them: for I haue heard of men robbed by S. Nicolas clerkes. &c. So Mallet perceiuing that nothing could be gotten at her handes, went his way as he came, & she for that time so escaped.

MarginaliaAn other trouble of the sayd Gertrude in Dutchland.Thē in the yeare. 1557. a litle before Whitsontide, it happened that the sayd Gertrude aunswered for a childe that was baptised of one Thomas Saunders, which childe was Christened secretly in a house after the order of the seruice booke in king Edwardes tyme, and that beyng shortly knowen to her enemyes, she was sought for. Which vnderstanding nothing therof, went beyond the sea into Gelderland, to see certayne landes that should come to her children in the right of her first husband, who was a straunger borne, and being there about a quarter of a yeare, at the length commyng homeward by Andwarpe, she chaunced to meete wyth one Iohn Iohnson a dutch man, aliâs Iohn De villa of Andwarpe, shipper, who seing her there, went of malyce to the Margraue, and accused her to be an Anabaptist: whereby she was taken and caryed to prison. The cause why this noughty man did this, was for that he claymed of Master Crokhay her husband a peece of money which was not hys due, for a ship that Master Crokhay bought of hym, and for that he could not get it, he wrought this displeasure. Well, she beyng in prison, lay there a fortnight. In the which tyme she saw some that were prisoners there, who priuely were drowned in Renysh wyne fattes, and after secretly put in sackes and cast into the Riuer. MarginaliaCrueltie in Flaunders vsed secretly agaynst the Christians.Now she, good woman, thinking to be so serued, tooke thereby such feare that it brought the beginning of her sicknes, of the which at length she dyed.

Then at the last was she called before the Margraue and charged with Anabaptistry: which she there vtterly denyed, and detested the error, declaring before him