Marginalia1558.ed, that he cōmyng to be a studēt of the law in þ^e midle Temple at London, there through sinister company of some, and especially, as is thought, of one Gyfford, began to be peruerted to Popery, and afterward goyng to Louane, was more depely rooted & grounded in the same: MarginaliaNote what leude company doth in corrupting good natures.and so continuyng a certeine space among the Papistes, of a young protestant, at length was made a perfect Papist. In somuch that returning from thence, he brought with hym pardons, a crucifixe, with an Agnus Dei, which he vsed commonly to weare about hys necke, and had in hys chamber Images, before which he was wont to pray. MarginaliaMaster Smithes Images & Agnus Dei.Besides diuers other Popishe trash, which he brought with hym from Louane. Now what end folowed after this, I were loth to vtter in story, but that the fact so lately done, this present yeare. an. 1569. remaineth yet in so fresh memory that almost all the Citie of Lōdon not onely can witnes, but also doth wonder therat. The end was this.

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Not long after the said Henry Smith with Gyfford his companion was returned frō Louane, beyng now a foule gyrer and a scornefull scoffer of that Religion which before he had professed, MarginaliaHenry Smyth a lawyer hāged him selfe in hys chamber, and after what maner.in his chamber where he lay in a house in S. Clementes parishe without Tēple barre, in the euenyng, as he was goyng to bed, and hys clothes put of (for he was foūde naked) he had tyed his shyrt (which he had torne to þ^e same purpose) about his priuie places, and so with hys own gyrdle, or rybon garter (as it seemed) fastened to þ^e bed post, there strangled hym selfe. They that were of hys Quest & other, which saw the maner of his hanging, & the print where he sat vpon his beds side, do recorde that he thrust him selfe downe from the beds side where he sat, the place where he had fastened the gyrdle beyng so low, that his hippes welnere touched the flore, hys legges lying a crosse, and hys armes spread abroad. And this was the maner of hys hangyng, hauyng hys Agnus Dei in a siluer tablet, with his other Idolatrous trashe in the wyndow by hym. And thus beyng dead, & not thought worthy to be enterred in the Churchyard, he was buryed in a Lane, called Foskew Lane.

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This heauy and dreadfull end of Henry Smith, although it might seeme enough to gender a terrour to all young Popish studentes of the law: yet it did not so worke with all, but that some remained as obstinate still, as they were before. MarginaliaOne Williams a Lawyer, and a rayler agaynst the gospel, fell madde.Amongest whom was one named Williams a student of the Inner Temple, who beyng some tyme a fauourer of the Gospell, fell in like maner from that, to be an obstinate Papist, a despitefull raylor agaynst true Religion, and in cōclusion was so hoate in hys Catholicke zeale, that in the myddest of his railing, he fell starke made, and so yet to this present day, remaineth. The Lord of his mercy turne hym to a better mind, & conuert him, if it be his pleasure, Amē.

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MarginaliaOf the miserable end of thys Twiford, read before pag. 1440. col. 1.The miserable end of Twyford is here no lesse to be remembred, a busie doer sometimes in Kyng Henryes dayes by Boners appoyntment, in settyng vp of stakes for the burnyng of poore Martyrs. Who when he saw the stakes consume away so fast: yea sayd he, will not these stakes hold? I will haue a stake (I trow) that shall hold, and so prouided a bygge true, and cuttyng of the toppe, set it in Smithfield. But thankes be to God, or euer the tree was all consumed, God turned the state of Religion, and he fell into an horrible disease, rottyng alyue aboue the ground before he dyed. Read more of hym, pag. 1440. But because the story both of him & of a nūber such other like, is to be found in sundry places of this history sufficiently before expressed, it shall be but a double labour agayne to recapitulate the same.

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MarginaliaDeclaration of foreine examples.Wherfore, to passe ouer our own domesticall examples of English persecutours plagued by Gods hand (wherof this our present story doth abound) I will stretch my pēne a litle further to adioyne withall a few like examples in foreine countreys.

MarginaliaHofmeister sodeinly stricken with death going to Ratisbone.HOfmeister the great Archpapist, and chiefe masterpiller of the Popes fallyng Church, as he was in his iorney goyng toward the Counsell of Ratisbone, to dispute agaynst the defenders of Christes Gospell, sodenly in his iorney, not farre from Vlmes, was preuented by þ^e stroke of Gods hand, and there miserably died, with horrible roaryng and crying out. Ex Illyrico de vocabulo fidei.

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What a pernicious and pestilent doctrine is this of the Papistes, which leadeth men to seeke their saluatiō by merites and workes of the law, and not by faith onely in Christ the sonne of God, and so to stay them selues by grace? MarginaliaWhat inconuenience commeth by the Popes desperate doctrine.And what inconuenience this doctrine of doubtyng and desperation bryngeth men to at length, if the playne word of God will not sufficiently admonish vs, yet let vs be warned by examples of such as haue bene either teachers or folowers of this doctrine, and consider well what end commonly it hath and doth bryng men vnto. To recite all that may be sayd in this behalfe, it were infinite. To note a few examples for admonition sake, it shalbe requisite.

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MarginaliaThe miserable end of Guarlacus reader in Louane.In þ^e Vniuersitie of Louane was one named Guarlacus  

a learned man, brought vp in that schole, who at length was reader of Diuinitie to the Monkes of S. Gertrudes order. Where after he had stoutly mainteyned the corrupt errours of such Popish doctrine, at last fallyng sicke, when he perceaued no way with him but death, he fell into a miserable agonie & perturbation of spirite, crying out of his sinnes, how wickedly he had liued, and that he was not able to abide the iudgement of God, and so casting out wordes of miserable desperation, sayd his sinnes were greater then that he could be pardoned, and in that desperation wretchedly hee ended his life. Ex Epistola Claudij Senarclæi ad Bucerum ante histor. de morte Diazij.

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MarginaliaThe story of Arnoldus Bomelius student at Louane.An other like example we haue of Arnoldus Bomelius  

a young man of the sayd Vniuersitie of Louane, well commended for his fresh florishing witte & ripenes of learning, who so long as he fauoured þ^e cause of the Gospell, and tooke part with the same agaynst the enemies of þ^e truth, he prospered & went well forward, but after that he drew to the company of Tileman, master of the popes Colledge in Louane, and framed him selfe after the rule of his vnsauery doctrine, that is, to stand in feare & doubt of his iustification, and to worke his saluation by merites & deedes of the law, he began more and more to grow in doubtfull dispayre and discomfort of mind: MarginaliaNote what euill instruction and company doth.As the nature of that doctrine is, vtterly to plucke away a mans mynd from all certeintie and true libertie of spirite, to a seruile doubtfulnes, full of discomfort and bondage of soule.

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MarginaliaAn horrible example of Arnoldus Comelius which killed him self with hys owne dagger.Thus the young man seduced & peruerted through this blynd doctrine of ignoraunce and dubitation, fell into a great agony of mynde, wanderyng and wrastlyng in him selfe a long space, till at length being ouercome with despayre, and not hauyng in that Popish doctrine wherwith to raise vp his soule, he went out of the Citie on a tyme to walke, accompanyed with three other students of the same Vniuersitie, his speciall familiers. Who after their walke, as they returned home agayne, Arnoldus for werynes (as it seemed) sat downe by a spryng side to rest him a while. The other supposing none other but that he for werynes there rested to refresh him selfe, went forward a litle past him. In the meane tyme what doth Arnoldus but sodeinly taketh out his dagger, and stroke him selfe into the body.

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His felowes seyng hym shrinkyng downe, and the foutaine to be all coloured with þ^e bloud which ishued out of þ^e wound, came running to him to take hym vp, and so searching his body where the wound should be,