Marginalia1558. Nouemb.one cause, but that is not the greatest woūd that pearceth my oppressed minde: but what that was she would not expresse to them. Albeit, afterward she opened the matter more playnely to M. Rise and Mistres Clarentius (if it be true that they told me, which heard it of M. Ryse him selfe) who then beyng most familiar with her, and most bolde about her, tolde her that they feared she tooke thought for king Philips departing frō her. Not that onely (sayd she) but when I am dead & opened, MarginaliaQ. Mary tooke thought for the losse of Calice.you shall find Calyce lying in my hart. &c. And here an end of Queene Mary, and of her persecutiō. Of which Queene this truly may be affirmed and left in story for a perpetuall memoriall or Epitaph, for all Kinges and Queenes that shall succede her to be noted, that before her neuer was read in story of any Kyng or Queene in England since the tyme of kyng Lucius, MarginaliaMore English bloud spilled in Queene Maries time, then euer was in any kinges reigne before her.vnder whom in tyme of peace, by hangyng, headyng, burnyng, and prisoning, so much Christian bloud, so many Englishmens liues were spilled within this Realme, as vnder the sayd Queene Mary for the space of foure yeares was to be seene, and I besech the Lord neuer may be seene hereafter.

A briefe declaration shewing the vnprosperous successe of Queene Mary in persecutyng Gods people, and how mightily God wrought agaynst her in all her affaires.  

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The Punishment of Persecutors

If the providential rescue of the godly was of great importance to Foxe and his contemporaries, then the providential punishment of persecutors was of at least equal importance. (On the importance of providential punishments in early modern England, see Alexandra Walsham, Providence in Early Modern England [Oxford: 1999], pp. 65-115; on the importance of the topic to Foxe see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Fate, Faction and Fiction in Foxe's "Book of Martyrs"', Historical Journal 43 [2000], pp. 601-23).

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This section contrasting the putative success of Elizabeth with the putative failure of Mary was effectively the introduction to this section, by showing the providential punishment of England as a whole for Mary's policies. It was added in 1570 and replaced, and intensified, passages on a similar theme, drawn from Aylmer's Harborow for Faithfull and trew subiects, which were printed in the 1563 edition.

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MarginaliaThe reigne of Queene Mary how vnprosperous it was both to her and to her realme in all respectes.NOw, for so much as Queene Mary, duryng all the tyme of her reigne, was such a vehement aduersary and persecutour against the sincere professours of Christ Iesus and of his Gospel: for the which there be many which do highly magnifie and approue her doynges therin, reputing her Religion to be sound and Catholicke, and her procedynges to be most acceptable and blessed of almighty God: to the entēt therfore, that all men may vnderstand, how the blessing of the Lorde God did not onely not procede with her procedynges, but contrary, rather how his manifest displeasure euer wrought agaynst her, in plaging both her and her Realme, and in subuertyng all her counsells and attemptes, what so euer she tooke in hand: we will bestow a litle tyme therein, to perpende and suruey the whole course of her doynges and cheuaunces, and consider what successe she had in the same. Which beyng well considered, we shall find neuer no reigne of any Prince in this land, or any other, which had euer to shew in it (for the proportiō of tyme) so many Argumentes of Gods great wrath and displeasure, as was to be seene in the reigne of this Queene Mary,MarginaliaQ. Mary neuer had good successe in any thing she went about. whether we behold the shortnes of her tyme, or the vnfortunate euent of all her purposes: who semed neuer to purpose any thyng that came luckely to passe, neither did any thyng frame to her purpose what soeuer she tooke in hand touching her owne priuate affaires.

MarginaliaA good kyng alwaies maketh a florishyng realme.Of good kynges we read in the Scripture, in shewyng mercy and pitie, in seekyng Gods will in his word, and subuertyng the monumentes of Idolatry, how God blessed their wayes, encreased their honours, and mightely prospered all their procedynges: as we see in kyng Dauid, Salomon, Iosias, Iosaphath, Ezechias, with such other. Manasses made the streetes of Hierusalem to swymme with the bloud of his subiectes, but what came of it the text doth testifie.

MarginaliaComparison betwen the reigne of Queene Mary and Quene Elizabeth.Of Queene Elizabeth, which now reigneth among vs, this we must nedes say, which wee see, that she in sparyng the bloud, not onely of Gods seruauntes, but also of Gods enemies, hath doubled now the reigne of Queene Mary her sister, with such abundance of peace and prosperitie, that it is hard to say, whether the Realme of England felt more of Gods wrath in Queene Maryes tyme, or of Gods fauour and mercy in these so blessed and peaceable dayes of Queene Elizabeth.

Gamaliell speakyng his mynd in the Counsell of

the Phariseis concernyng Christes Religion, gaue this reason,MarginaliaGamaliels reason. Act. v. that if it were of God, it should continue, who soeuer sayd nay: If it were not, it could not stand. So may it be sayd of Queene Mary and her Romish Religion, that if it were so perfecte and Catholicke as they pretend, and the contrary faith of the Gospellers were so detestable and hereticall as they make it, how commeth it then, that this so Catholicke a Queene, such a necessary piller of his spouse his Church, continued no longer, till she had vtterly rooted out of the land this hereticall generation? Yea how chaunced it rather, that almightie God, to spare these poore heretickes, rooted out Queene Mary so soone from her throne, after she had reigned but onely fiue yeares and fiue monethes?

Now furthermore, how God blessed her wayes and endeuours in the meane tyme, while she thus persecuted the true seruauntes of God, remaineth to be discussed. Where first this is to be noted, MarginaliaQ. Mary prospered so long as she went not agaynst the Lord.that when she first began to stand for the title of the crowne, and yet had wrought no resistance agaynst Christ and his Gospell, but had promised her faith to the Suffolke men, to mainteine the Religion left by kyng Edward her brother, so long God went with her, aduaunced her, and by the meanes of þ^e Gospellers brought her to the possession of the Realme. MarginaliaQ. Maries promise to the Gospellers broken.But after that she breakyng her promise with God and man, began to take part with Steuen Gardiner, and had geuen ouer her supremacie vnto the Pope, by and by Gods blessing left her, neither did any thinke well thriue with her afterward duryng the whole tyme of her Regiment.

MarginaliaThe ship called great Harry burned.For first incontinently the fayrest and greatest Shyp she had, called great Harry, was burned, such a vessell as in al these partes of Europe was not to be matched. MarginaliaQ. Maries mariage with a straunger.Then would she needes bryng in kyng Philip, and by her straunge Mariage with him, make the whole Realme of England subiect vnto a straunger. And all that notwithstanding, either that she did or was able to do, MarginaliaQ. Mary disappoynted of her purpose in crowning K. Phillip.she could not bryng to passe to set the crowne of England vpon his head. With kyng Philip also came in the Pope and his Popishe Masse: MarginaliaQ. Mary stopped of her will in restoring Abbey landes.with whom also her purpose was to restore agayne the Monkes and Nonnes vnto their places, neither lacked there all kynd of attemptes to the vttermost of her abilitie: and yet therin also God stopt her of her will, that it came not forward. After this, what a dearth happened in her tyme here in her land? the like wherof lightly hath not in Englād bene seene, in so much that in sundry places her poore subiectes were fayne to feede of acornes for want of Corne.

Futhermore, where other kynges are wont to be renowmed by some worthy victory and prowes by them achiued, let vs now see what valiant victory was gotten in this Queene Maryes dayes. Kyng Edward the sixt her blessed brother, how many rebellions did he suppresse in Deuonshyre, in Northfolke, in Oxfordshyre, and els where? MarginaliaThe victory of King Edward. 6. in Scotland.what a famous victory in his time was gotten in Scotland, by the singular workyng (no doubt) of Gods blessed hand, rather then by any expectation of man? K. Edward the thyrd (which was the xj. kyng frō the conquest) by Princely puisance purchased Calyce vnto England, which hath bene kept English euer since, till at length came Queene Mary, the xj. likewise from the sayd kyng Edward, MarginaliaThe ill lucke of Queene Mary in losing of Calice.MarginaliaThe xj king after the Conquest got Calice, and the xj againe after hym lost it.which lost Calyce from England agayne: so that the wynnynges of this Queene were very small: what the losses were, let other men iudge.

Hetherto the affaires of Queene Mary haue had no great good successe, as you haue heard. MarginaliaThe ill lucke of Queene Mary in her childbyrth.But neuer worse successe had any womā, then had she in her childbyrth. For seyng one of these two must nedes be graūted, that either she was with child or not with child, if she were with child and did trauayle, why was it not seene? if she were not, how was all þ^e Realme deluded? And in the meane while where were all the prayers, the solemne processions, the deuout Masses of the Ca-