Marginalia1554. beare thy heauy hād and sharpe correction. It was thy right hand that deliuered the people of Israell out of the handes of Pharao, which for the space of iiij.C. yeares dyd oppresse them and keepe them in bondage. Let it therefore likewise seeme good to thy fatherly goodnes to deliuer me sorowfull wretch (for whom thy sonne Christ shed his precious bloud on the Crosse) out of this miserable captiuitie and bōdage, wherin I am now. How long wilt thou be absent? for euer? MarginaliaPsal. 77. Oh Lord hast thou forgotten to be gracious, and hast thou shut vp thy louyng kyndnes in displeasure? wilt thou be no more entreated? Is thy mercy cleane gone for euer, and thy promise come vtterly to an end for euermore? why doest thou make so long tarying? shall I despayre of thy mercy O God? farre be that from me. I am thy workemāshyp created in Christ Iesu: giue me the grace therfore to tary thy leasure, & paciently to beare thy woorkes: assuredly knowyng, that as thou cāst, so thou wilt deliuer me when it shal please thee, nothyng doubtyng or mistrustyng thy goodnesse towardes me: for thou wottest better what is good for me then I do: Therefore do with me in all thynges what thou wilt: and plague me what way thou wilt. Onely in the meane tyme arme me I besech thee, with thy armour, that I may stand fast, MarginaliaEphes. 6. my loynes beyng girded about with veritie, hauyng on the brest plate of righteousnes, and shod with the shoes prepared by the Gospell of peace, aboue all thynges takyng to me the shield of fayth, wherewith I may be able to quench all the fiery dartes of the wicked, and takyng the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the spirite, which is thy most holy word: praying alwayes with all maner of prayer and supplication, that I may referre my selfe wholy to thy wil, abidyng thy pleasure and comfortyng my selfe in those troubles that it shal please thee to send me: seyng such troubles be profitable for me, and seyng I am assuredly perswaded that it can not be but well, all that thou doest. Heare me O mercyfull father for his sake, whom thou wouldest should be a sacrifice for my sinnes: to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory. Amen.

After these thynges thus declared, it remaineth now, commyng to the end of this vertuous Lady, next to inferre the maner of her execution, with the wordes and behauiour of her in tyme of her death.

MarginaliaThe wordes and behauiour of the Lady Iane vpon the scaffolde. FIrst when she mounted vppon the Scaffold, she sayd to the people standyng there about: good people I am come hether to dye, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact agaynst the Queenes hyghnes was vnlawfull, and the consentyng thereunto by me: but touchyng the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalfe, I do wash my handes thereof in innocency before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day: and therwith she wrong her handes, wherein she had her booke. Then sayd she, I pray you all, good Christian people, to beare me witnes that MarginaliaThe sound confession and fayth of the Lady IaneI dye a true Christian woman, and that I do looke to be saued by no other meane, but onely by the mercy of God in the bloud of his onely sonne Iesus Christ: and I confesse that when I dyd know the word of God, I neglected the same, loued my selfe and the world, and therfore this plague and punishment is happily and worthely happened vnto me for my sinnes: and yet I thanke God of his goodnes that hee hath thus gyuen me a tyme and respite to repent: and now (good people) while I am alyue I pray you assiste me with your Prayers. And then kneelyng downe she turned her to Fecknā saying: shall I say this Psalme? and he sayd, yea. Then sayd she the Psalme of Miserere mei Deus in English, in most deuoute manner thoroughout to the ende, and then shee stoode vppe and gaue her mayden Maistresse Ellyn her gloues and handkerchefe, and her booke to Maister Bruges, and then she vntyed her gowne, and the hangman pressed vppon her to helpe her of with it, but she desiryng him to let her alone, turned towardes her two Gentlewomen who helped her of therewith, and also with her frowes past and neckerchefe, giuyng to her a fayre handkerchefe to knit about her eyes.

Then the hangman kneeled downe and asked her forgeuenesse, whom she forgaue most willyngly. Then he willed her to stand vppon the straw: whiche doyng she saw the blocke. Then she sayd, I pray you dispatche me quickely. Then she kneeled downe, saying: will you take it of before I lay me downe? and the hangman sayd, no Madame. Thē tyed shee the kerchefe about her eyes, and feelyng for the blocke, she sayd, what shall I do? where is it? where is it? One of the standers by guidyng her thereunto, she layd her head downe vppon the blocke, and then stretched forth her

body and sayd: Lord into thy handes I commende my spirite, and so finished her life in the yeare of our Lord God. 1553. the 12. day of February.

Non aliena putes homini, quæ obtingere possunt,
Sors hodierna mihi, tunc erit illa tibi.
Iane Dudley.

Deo iuuante, nil nocet liuor malus:
Et non iuuante, nil iuuat labor grauis.
Post tenebras spero lucem.  

Commentary     Close

Note that the translations of the Latin verses praising Jane Grey are eliminated from the 1570 and all subsequent editions (see textual variant 24 and textual variant 25). Again this seems to run counter to the argument that the later editions were more 'populist' and accessible to the general reader than the first edition.

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Miraris Ianam Graio sermone valere?
Quo primum nata est tempore, MarginaliaGraia being her surname signifieth in Latin a Grecyan.
Graia fuit.

Tu, quibus ista legas incertum est lector, ocellis:
Ipse equidem siccis scribere non potui.

Iana iacet sæuo non æquæ vulnere mortis,
Nobilis ingenio, sanguine, martyrio.
Ingenium latijs ornauit fœmina musis,
Fœmina virgineo tota dicata choro.
Sanguine clara fuit, regali stirpe creata,
Ipsaq; Reginæ nobilitata throno.
Bis Graia est, pulchrè Graijs nutrita camænis,
Et prisco Graium sanguine creta ducum.
Bis Martyr, sacræ fidei verissima testis:
Atque vacans regni crimine, Iana iacet.

MarginaliaFebruary. 12 MarginaliaLady Iane and L. Gylforde Dudley beheaded.Thus the xij. day of February (as I sayd) was beheaded the Lady Iane, and with her also the Lord Gylforde her husband, one of the Duke of Northūberlandes sonnes, two innocentes in comparison of them that sat vppon them. For they did but ignorauntly accept that which the others had willyngly deuised, and by open Proclamation consented to take from others and giue to them.  

Commentary     Close

The brief accounts of the executions of Jane Grey and her husband, Guildford Dudley (with the memorable phrase that they were innocents by comparison with their judges) are reprinted from Crowley's chronicle (cf. Crowley, Epitome, sig. Ffff3v with 1563, p. 923; 1570, p. 1585; 1576, p. 1352; 1583, p. 1423).

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MarginaliaA Wonderfull example vpon Morgā the Iudge who gaue sentence agaynst the Lady Iane.Touchyng the condemnation of this Lady Iane, here is to be noted, that the Iudge Morgan who gaue the sentence of condemnation agaynst her, shortly after he had condemned her, fell madde, and in his rauyng cryed out continually to haue the Lady Iane taken away from him, and so ended his lyfe.  

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The account of Justice Morgan's providential punishment for condemning Jane Grey first appeared in 1563, p. 1704 (in an appendix devoted to divine chastisement of sinners). This version of the story was reprinted in 1570, p. 1704; 1576, p. 1990; and 1583, p. 2099. The version of the story added to the narrative of Jane Grey in the edition of 1570 (see textual variant 26) is substantially the same account, but with different wording.

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And not long after the death of the Lady Iane, vppon MarginaliaFebruary. 21.the xxj. of the same moneth was Henry Duke of Suffolke her father also beheaded at the Tower Hill, the iiij. day after his condemnation:MarginaliaHenry D. of Suffolke beheaded. about which tyme also were condemned for this conspiracie many Gentlemen and Yeomen, wherof some were executed at London, and some in the countrey. In the number of whom was also MarginaliaL. Thomas Gray apprehended and executed. Lord Thomas Gray, brother to the sayd Duke, beyng apprehended not long after in North Wales, and executed for the same.  

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The brief account of the executions of Suffolk and his brother, Thomas Grey, are reprinted from Crowley's chronicle (cf. Crowley, Epitome, sig. Ffff3v with 1563, p. 923; 1570, p. 1585; 1576, p. 1352; 1583, p. 1423). A much fuller account of Suffolk's execution, from a different source, will be given much later in Book 10.

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MarginaliaFebruary 24.The xxiiij. of the same moneth, the yeare of our Lord 1554. Boner Byshop of London sent downe a Commission, directed to all the Curates and Pastors of his dioces, for the taking of the names of such as would not come the Lent following to auricular confession, and to the receiuyng at Easter: the copie of which monition here followeth.

A monition of Boner Byshop of London, sent downe to all and singular Curates of his Dioces, for the certifying of the names of such as would not come in Lent to Confession and receyuing at Easter.  

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Block 10: Bonner's Monition

Bonner's order to his curates to report the names of all those who did not confess during Lent or receive the eucharist at Easter is printed from Bonner's register (cf. Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 341r with 1563, p. 923; 1570, p. 1585; 1576, pp. 1352-53; 1583, p. 1423). It is yet another example of Foxe's quarrying of the London episcopal registers before the publication of the 1563 edition. There is a curious discrepancy; Foxe gives the date of the document as 23 February in all his editions, but it is 24 February on the original document.

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MarginaliaA monition of Boner B. of London to all Ministers of his Dioces. EDmund by the permission of God, Byshop of London to all Parsons, Vicares, Curates and Ministers of the Churche, within the Citie and Dioces of London, sendeth grace, peace, and mercy, in our Lorde euerlastyng. For as much as by the order of the Ecclesiasticall lawes and constitutions of this Realme, and the laudable vsage and custome of the whole Catholicke Church, by many hundreth yeres agone, duely & deuoutly obserued & kept, all faithful people beyng of lawfull age & discretiō, are boūde once in the yeare at least (except reasonable cause excuse thē) to be confessed to their owne proper Curate, and to receaue the Sacrament of the aultar, with due preparation and deuotiō: and for as much also as we be credibly informed, that sundry euill disposed and vndeuout persons, geuen to sensuall pleasures & carnall appetites, folowyng the lustes of their body,