permitted to haue any seruaunt. A good aunswere sayd the Byshop of Bath. Then Butler made low curtesie, & sayd, the shyrt is aūswered. Then Chichester sayd thou mockest vs. But he sayd no. This is parsell of the story.
The heresy charges against Butler ground to a halt, probably Henry VIII made it clear that he did not want them to proceed. (For one thing, Henry was already proceeding with his plans to marry the sister of the Duke of Cleves and the trial of a high-profile evangelical would not have facilitated it). Butler was returned to prison for nine months, but then in 1540 was sent on an embassy to Cleves. This also helps to explain why Smith and the others with recantations, and in the case of Smith, nominal recantations at that.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe trouble and examination of Syr W. Smith. Curate. THen after Butler, was sir Williā Smith Curate of our Lady Parish in Calyce, called before them,
The following passages were replaced in the second edition with a terser account of the same events.
Where as the truth is, that the sayd sir William Smith duryng all the Lent, came neuer once within the sayd Brokes house, And it is as true also that the sayd Richard Long, vpō a displeasure taken with his wife, went shortly after out of his owne house, to the Iuttie end of the Hauen at Calyce, where desperately he drowned MarginaliaFalse accusation and periurye punished of God. him selfe, not one boy, but many men, women, girles and boyes seyng him miserably taken vp agayne starke dead: all whiche lamented his pityfull ruine. A terrible ensample vnto all such as are ready to forsweare them selues on a booke vppon malice, or what soeuer other cause it bee: a thyng in these dayes ouer ryfe, euery where, and almost no where regarded as it ought to be.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe trouble of Iohn Butler Commissarye. THere was also called before them
By ‘them’ Foxe now means the Privy Council. These passages are out of chronological order. Butler had been summoned to appear before the Privy Council in late July of 1539.
MarginaliaThe recantation and penaunce of Syr W. Smith, Rafe Hare, Iames Cocke, and Iames Barber at Calyce. NOw to declare what order was taken with these foresayd Calyce men, it was appoynted that sir W. Smith, Rafe Hare, Iames Cocke, and Iames Barber should be sent to Calyce, there to abiure and to do penaunce. Where rir W. Smith was enioyned to make the Sermon, Rafe Hare, Iames Cocke, and Iames Barber standyng with Fagots vpō their shoulders. The Sermon was made in þe Market of Calyce. Which being done, they went with their Fagottes about the market place, the Drumme and Fife goyng before them, and then returnyng to the Commissioners with testimoniall of the same, they departed. Albeit in this recātation
These passages on Smith’s recantation replace more verbose passages in the 1563 edition.
MarginaliaIames Barber. As touchyng Iames Barber aforesayd, for somuch as his dwellyng was not at Calyce, but foure myles of from the Towne, it was therfore enioyned him to beare his Fagot, not at Calyce, but on the Saterday next folowyng to stand in the Market there, where he dwelled, with his Fagot vpon his shoulder, and the sayd Siy William Smith likewise there preached, as before.
[Back to Top]And thus much concernyng the first Commission sent ouer to Calyce to enquire vpon the heretickes there.
I.e., the commission sent to Calais in May 1539 to investigate heresy. The commission, although it met in Calais, sent the suspects it arrested to London to be dealt with by the Privy Council and the heresy commission established by Cromwell (there was an informal examination of Butler at Bath House, the London home of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, on charges of heresy, by a commission appointed by Cromwell).
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA new Commission sent downe to Calyce. AFter all these thynges done and past, the grudgyng myndes of the aduersaries yet were not satisfied, but still suggested new complayntes to the kynges eares agaynst the towne of Calyce, makyng the kyng beleue, that through new opiniōs the towne was so diuided, that it was in great MarginaliaFalse accusatin agaynst the towne of Calyce.daunger of the aduersary to be ouercome.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe Commissioners appointed Wherupon shortly after, the weeke before Easter next folowyng
I.e., the week before Easter 1540. (Easter was 28 March in 1540). Although this commission was composed of notable conservatives such as Sir John Baker, Sir John Gage and Sir William Paulet (newly created Lord St John), it was sent to investigate charges that Lord Lisle had conspired with Reginald Pole. Fighting for his life, and using Henry VIII’s paranoia concerning Pole, Cromwell was striking back at Lord Lisle.
[Back to Top]This is John Curwen, a royal chaplain and archdeacon of both Colchester and Oxford.
But it happened farre otherwise
Lisle was arrested on 10 May 1540 and hours later the staunchly conservative bishop Richard Sampson of Chichester was sent to the Tower. But Cromwell himself was arrested on 10 June.
Edmund Bryndeholme was the curate of Our Lady Church, Calais. He had replaced William Smith in this living.
Clement Philpot and Edmund Bryndeholme were executed, in London, on 4 August 1540.
After the Sermon was done, on the morow to witte, on Sherethursday
I.e., 'Sheer Thursday' or Maundy Thursday; that is the day preceding Good Friday. In 1540, this was 25 March.
I.e., 26 March 1540.
These thynges were not so secretly done, but they were bewrayed and came to honest mens knowledge.MarginaliaGreat perturbation at Calice. Whereupon such feare and distrust assaulted all men, that neighbour mistrusted neighbour, the maister the seruaunt, the seruaunt the maister, the husband the wife, the wife the husband, and almost euery one the other, that lamentable it was to see how mournyngly men and women went in the streetes, hangyng downe their heades, shewyng euident tokens of the anguish of their hartes.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe second trouble of T. Broke. VPon Easter Monday
I.e., 29 March 1540.
The Wensday in the Easter weke sundry Questes were charged by their othes to make inquisition for all maner of heresies, erroneous opinions and seditions, as a Quest of Aldermen, an other of men at armes, and an other of Constables and Vintners, an other of common Souldiours, and an other of Commoners.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaXiij. Calice men imprisoned for their fayth. And shortly after their presentementes, on good Friday
I.e., 26 March 1540.