Other there were that thought the forsayd Byshops with D. London, had done it for this purpose: that he now hauing his lyfe, would rather vtter such men as they would haue him to do, then to come in like daunger agayne. Which coniecture rose vpon this: Symons meetyng with Marbeckes wife, sayd thus vnto her: your husband may thanke God & good frendes: my Lord of Winchester is good Lord vnto hym, which hath got his pardon. But shal I tell you, quoth he?MarginaliaMarbecke reserued to vtter others. his pardon wilbe to none effect, except he tell the truth of thyngs to my Lord & other of the counsell, whē he shalbe demaunded, for vnto that purpose onely is he reserued. Alas sir quoth she, what cā he tell? Well womā quoth Symons, I tell thee playne, if he do not so, neuer looke to haue thy husband out of prison, and so departed from her.

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The like meaning did M. Arche make to Marbecke him selfe, on the Saterday in the mornyng that the mē should be brēt, whē he came to cōfesse thē. I haue nothing, quoth he, to say vnto you Marbecke at thys tyme, but hereafter you must be content to do as shalbe enioyned you: meanyng hee should be forced to do some vnlawfull thyng, or els to lye in perpetuall prisō. And this was most likely to haue bene attēpted, if they had proceeded in their purpose:MarginaliaThe pestilent intent of the Byshops. whose intent was to haue gone through the whole Realme, in lyke sorte as they had began at Wyndsore, as the Bishop of Sarum confessed openly and sayd, that he trusted ere Christmas day folowyng, to visite and clense a good parte thereof. But most commonly, God sendeth a shrewed Cowe short hornes  

, or els many a thousand in England had smarted.

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On Saterday in the morning, that the prisoners should go to execution, came in to the prison two of the Canons of the Colledge, the one called Doctour Blythe, and the other Maister Arche, which two were sent to be their confessors. Maister Arche asked them, if they would bee confest, and they sayd yea. Then he demaunded if they would receiue the Sacrament. Yea sayd they, with all our hartes. I am glad quoth Arche, to heare MarginaliaThe Popes law is, that they that bee condemned of heresie must not receaue the Sacrament. you say so, but the law is (quoth he) that it may not be ministred to none that are condemned of heresie. But it is enough for you that ye do desire it. And so hadde them vp to the Hall to heare their Confessions, because the prison was ful of people. Doctour Blythe tooke Anthony Person to him to confesse, and maister Arche the other two. But howsoeuer the matter went betwene the Doctour & Anthony, he taried not long w^t him but came down agayne, saying he would no more of his doctrine.MarginaliaD. Blyth or rather D. Blynde. Do you call him Doct. Blythe, quoth Antony? He may be called Doct. Blynde for his learnyng, as farre as I see. And soone after, the other two came downe also. Then Anthony seyng much people in the prison, began to say the Lordes prayer, whereof he made a marueilous godly declaration, wherein he continued till the Officers came to fet them away, and so made an ende. And takyng their leaue of Marbecke (their prison fellow) they praysed God for his deliueraunce, wishing to him the encrease of godlynes and vertue, and last of all besought him hartley to helpe them with his prayer vnto God, to make them strong in their afflictions, and so kissing him one after another, departed.

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MarginaliaThe prisoners lead toward their death. Now as the prisoners passed thorough the people in the streetes, they desired all the faithfull people to pray for them, and to stand fast in the truth of the Gospell, and not to bee moued at their afflictions, for it was the happpyest thyng that euer came to them. And euer as Doctour Blythe and Arche (who rode on eche side the prisoners) would perswade them to turne to their mother holy Churche: away would Anthony cry, away with your Romishe doctrine and all your trompery, for we will no more of it. When Filmer was come to his brothers doore, he stayed and called for his brother, but he could not be sene, for Doctour London had kept him out of sight that day for the nonce.

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And when he had called for hym a three or foure tymes, and sawe he came not, he sayd: and will he not come? Then God forgeue hym and make hym a good man. And so goyng forth, they came to the place of execution, where Anthony Person with a chearefull countenaunce, embraced the post in his armes, and kissyng it, sayd:MarginaliaThe wordes of Anth. Person at the stake. Now welcome myne owne sweete wife, for this day shalt thou and I be maryed together in the loue and peace of God.

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And beyng all three bound to the post, a certaine yoūg mā of Filmers acquaintaunce, brought hym a pot of drinke, askyng if he would drinke.MarginaliaThe wordes of Henry Filmer at his death. Yea quoth Filmer, I thanke you. And now my brother, quoth he, I shall desire you in the name of the liuyng Lorde, to stand fast in the truth of the Gospell of Iesus Christ, which you haue receaued, and so takyng the pot at his hand, asked his brother Anthony, if he would drinke. Yea brother Filmer quoth he, I pledge you in the Lord.

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And when he had dronke, he gaue the pot to Anthony, and Anthony likewise gaue it to Testwood.MarginaliaThe sclaūderous mouth of the Papistes. Of which drinkyng their aduersaries made a iestyng stocke, reportyng a broad that they were all dronke and wist not what they sayd, when as they were none otherwise dronke then as the Apostles were, when the people sayd they were full of new wyne, as their deedes declared  

. For when Anthony and Testwood had both dronken, and geuen the pot from them, Filmer reioycing in the Lord, sayd:MarginaliaFilmers cōfortable wordes to his fellowes Be mery my brethren, and lift vp your harts vnto God, for after this sharpe breakefast, I trust we shall haue a good dynner in the kingdome of Christ our Lord & redemer. At the which wordes Testwood liftyng vp his hādes and eyes to heauen, desired the Lord aboue to receiue his spirite. And Anthony Person, pullyng the straw vnto him, layd a good deale therof vpon the top of his head, saying:MarginaliaGods Hatte This is Gods hat: now am I dressed like a true souldiour of Christ, by whose merites onely, I trust this day to enter into his ioye.MarginaliaThe constant death of these Martyrs, And so yelded they vp their soules to the father of heauen, in the fayth of his deare sonne Iesus Christ, with such humilitie and stedfastnes, þ^t many which saw their patient sufferyng, cōfessed that they could haue found in their heartes (at that present) to haue dyed with them.

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MarginaliaBennet a lawyer, sicke of the pestilence. YE haue heard before of one Robert Bennet, how hee was at the first apprehended with the other foure persons aforesayd, and committed to the Byshop of Lōdons prison, and about the tyme he should haue gone to Wyndesore, fell sicke of the pestilence, by meane whereof he remained still in prison.

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MarginaliaBennet and Simons ioynte companions, but contrarye in religion. This Bennet, & Symons (ye shall vnderstād) were the greatest familiars & cōpany keepers that were in all Windsore, & neuer (lightly) swarued the one frō the other, sauyng in matters of Religion, wherin they could neuer agree. For Bennet the one Lawyer, was an earnest Gospeller & Symons the other Lawyer, a cankered Papist: but in all other worldly matters, they cleaued together lyke burres.

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This Bennet had spoken certaine wordes agaynst their litle rounde God, for the whiche he was as farre in as the best, and had suffered death with the other, if he had gone to Wyndsore when they went.MarginaliaR. Ockam sent vp by the Bishop of Salisbury and by others, to Gardiner with letters. And now that the matter was all done and finished, it was determined by the Bishop of Salisbury, that Robert Ockam on the Mondaye after the men were burnte shoulde goe to the Byshop of Winchester with the whole processe done at the Sessiōs the Thursday before.

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Then Symons, at Bennets wiues request, procured of the Byshop of Salisbury his fauourable letter to the bishop of Winchester for Bennets deliueraunce. Which letter Bennets wife (for asmuch as her owne man was not at home, which should haue gone with the letter) desired Robert Ockam to deliuer to the Byshop, & to bryng her word agayne: who sayd he would. So forth went Ockam toward the Byshop of Winchester with his budget full of writynges, to declare and open all thynges vnto him that were done at Wyndsore Sessions: but all their wicked intentes (as God would haue it) were soone cut of and their doinges disclosd.MarginaliaThe conspiracie of the aduersaryes disclosed. For one of þ^e Queenes mē (named Fulke) which had lyen at Wyndsore all the tyme of the busines,MarginaliaMany good men, and certayne of the priuie chamber, indited by the Byshops. and had got knowledge what a number were priuily Indited, and of Ockams goyng to the Byshop of Winchester, gat to the Court before Ockam, and told sir Thomas Cardine and other of the priuie chamber, how all the matter stode. Wherupon Ockam was layd for and had by the backe, as soone as he came to Okyng, and kept from the Byshop.

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On the next morow very early, Bennetes wife sent her man to the Court after Ockam, to see how hee sped with her husbandes letter. And when he came there, hee founde sir Thomas Cardine walkyng with Ockam vp and downe the greene before the Court gate: whereat he maruailed, to see Ockā with him so early, mistrustyng the matter: wherupon he kept himselfe out of sight, till they had broken of their communication.

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And as soone as he sawe Maister Cardine gone (leauyng Ockam behynde) he went to Ockam and asked him, if hee had deliuered his Maisters letter to the Byshoppe. No, sayd Ockam, the kyng remoueth this day to Gilforde, and I must go thether, and will deliuer it there. Mary, quoth hee, and I will go with you, to see what aunswere you shall haue, and to cary word to my mistres, and so they rode to Gilford together. Where Bennets man (beyng better acquaynted in the Towne then Ockam was) gat a lodgyng for them both, in a kynsmans house of his.

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That done, he asked Ockam, if he would go and deliuer his mistres letter to the Byshop. Nay (sayd Ockam) you shall go and deliuer it your selfe, and tooke him the letter. And as they were goyng in the streete togethers, and commyng by the Earle of Bedfordes lodgyng (then Lord priuie Seale( Ockā was pulled in by the sleeue, and no more sene of Bennets man, till he sawe him in the Marshalsey.MarginaliaBēnets man goeth with his mistres letter to the Byshop of Winchester.

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