Then was master doctor in his dumpes, and spake not one word more to Kerby after.

Then sayd the vnder Sheriffe to Kerby, Haste thou any thyng more to say? Yea sir, said he, if you wyl geue me leaue. Say on, said the Sheriffe.

Then Kerby taking his night cappe from his heade, put it vnder his arme, as though it should haue done hym seruice againe: but remembring hym selfe, he caste it from hym, and liftyng vp his handes, he sayd the hymne, Te Deum, and the Beliefe, with other prayers in the Englishe tongue.MarginaliaThe Lorde Wētwoorth wepte at Kerbyes burning. The Lord Wentworth, whilest Kerby was thus doyng, did shroude hym selfe behynde one of the postes of the Gallery, and wept, and so dyd many other. Then sayd Kerby, I haue done: you may execute your office good master Sheriffe.

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MarginaliaThe constant Martyrdome of Kerby. Then was fire set to the wood, and with loude voyce he called vnto God, knocking on his brest, and holding vp his handes so long as remembraunce would serue, and so

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ended his life, the people geuyng shoutes, and praising God, with great admiration of his constancy, being so simple and vnlettered.

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MarginaliaRoger Clarke of Mendelshā brought to the stake at Burye, On the Gang Mondaye  

an. 1546. about tenne of the clocke, Roger Clarke of Mendlesham was brought out of prison, and went on foote to the gate, called Southgate in Burye, and by the way the Procession met with them,MarginaliaRoger Clarke geueth no reuerence to the procession. but he went on, and would not bow cap nor knee, but with most vehement words rebuked that idolatrie and superstition, the officers being muche offended. And without the gate, where as was the place of execution, the stake beyng ready, and the wood lying by, he came and kneeled downe, and said Magnificat in the Englishe tongue, making as it were a Paraphrase vppon the same: Wherein he declared how that the blessed virgine Mary, who might as wel reioyce in purenes, as any other, yet humbled her selfe to her Saueour. And what sayest thou Iohn Baptist, sayd he, the greatest of al mens children? Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world.  

Commentary     Close

John 1:29.

MarginaliaIohn. 1. And thus with loude voyce he cryed vnto the people while he was in fastnyng to the stake, & then the fire was set to hym,MarginaliaThe painfull burning and Martyrdome of Rog. Clarke of Mendelsham. where as he suffred paynes vnmercyfully, for the wood was greene and woulde not burne, so that he was choked with smoke:   and moreouer being set in a pitche barrell, with some pitche sticking styll by the sides, was therwith sore payned, tyll he had got his feete out of the barell. And at length one standyng by tooke a fagotte sticke, and strikyng at the ryng of yron about his necke so passhed him, and stroke hym belike vpon the head, that he shronke downe on the one side into the fire, and so was dissolued.

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In the beginnyng of this storye of Kerby and Roger, mention was made of a certaine Byll put vpon the towne house doore, and brought the next daye to the Lorde Wentworth: the wordes of the which Byl were these.

MarginaliaThe wordes of the bill set vp on the Townehouse doore. IVstè iudicate filij hominum  

: yet when ye shall iudge, minister your Iustice with mercy.

A feareful thing it is to fall into the handes of the liuyng God:  

be ye learned therfore in true knowledg, ye that iudge the earth, least the Lord be angry with you.

The bloud of the righteous shalbe required at your hands. What though the veile hanged before Moses face? yet at Christes death it fel downe.  

The stones wyl speake, if these should holde their peace:  

therfore harden not your hartes against the veritie.

For fearfully shall the Lord appeare in the day of vengeance to the troubled in conscience. No excuse shal there be of ignorance, but euery fat shal stand on his owne bottome. Therfore haue remorse to your conscience: feare hym that may kyl both body and soule.

Beware of innocent bloud sheddyng: take heede of Iustice ignorantly ministred: woorke discretely as the Scripture doth commaunde: looke to it, that ye make not the truth to be forsaken.

We beseech God to saue our king, kyng Henry þ^e eight, that he be not lead into temptation. So be it.

MarginaliaThe English procession. This yeare also it was ordeined & decreed & solemly geuen out in Proclamation by the kynges name & authoritie and his Counsel, that the English Procession should be vsed throughout out all England, according as it was set forth by his said Counsell, and none other to be vsed throughout the whole Realme.

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MarginaliaThe Scottes subdued. About the latter ende of this yeare. 1545.  

in the moneth of Nouember, after that the kyng had subdued the Scots, and afterwarde ioynyng together with the Emperour,MarginaliaBollayne wonne had inuaded France, and had got from them the towne of Bollayne, he summoned his high Court of Parlament.MarginaliaStat. an. 37. Reg. Hen. 8. In the whiche was graunted vnto hym besides other subsidies of money,MarginaliaColledges and Chauntreis geuen to the king. al Colledges, Chaūtreis, free Chappels, Hospitals, fraternities, brotherhoodes, guildes, & perpetuities of stipēdary priestes, to be disposed at his wyl and pleasure. Wherupon in the moneth of Decem. folowing,   the king after the woonted maner,MarginaliaA Parlament. came into the parlament house, to geue his royal assent to such actes as were there passed: where after an eloquent Oration made to hym by the Speaker, he aunswering againe vnto the same, not by the lord Chancelor (as the maner was) but by hym self, vttered forth this oration word for word, as it is reported, and leaft in story.

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In the contentes of whiche Oration, first eloquently and louingly he declared his gratefull hart to his louyng subiectes, for their grauntes and subuentions offered vnto hym. In the second part with no lesse vehemencie he exhorteth them to concord, peace, and vnitie.MarginaliaThe thyrd parte lacking in thys Oration of the king. Whereunto if he had also ioyned the third part, that is, as in woordes he exhorted to vnitie, so had begon in deede first hym self to take away the occasion of diuision, disobedience, and disturbance frō his subiectes: that is, had remoued the stūblyng blocke of the sixe articles out of the peoples way, which set brother against brother, neighbour against neighbour, the superior against subiect, and the wolues to deuoure the poore flocke of Christ: then had he not onely spoken, but also done like a worthy prince. But of this more shalbe said in the sequele hereof, God willyng.

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MarginaliaThe kinges Oration made in the Parlament house. ALthough  

my Chauncelour for the tyme beyng, hath before this tyme vsed, very eloquently and substantially to make answeare to suche Orations, as haue bene set foorth in this high Court of Parliament: yet is he not so able to open and set forth my mynde and meaning, and the secretes of my hart, in so plaine and ample maner, as I my selfe am and can do. Wherefore I taking vpon me, to answeare your eloquent Oration Maister Speaker, say: that where you in the name of our welbeloued Commons, haue both praysed and extolted me, for the notable qualities that ye haue conceyued to be in me, I most hartyly thanke you all, that you haue put me in remembraunce of my duetie, whiche is to endeuour my selfe to obteyne and get suche excellent qualities, and necessary vertues, as a prince or gouernour should or ought to haue: of whiche gyftes I recognise my selfe both bare and barraine.

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But of suche small qualities, as God hath endued me