Marginalia1555. Febru.ayde the Shrieffe. These Gētlemē laboured Doctour Taylour very sore, to reduce him to þ^e Romish Religion, promising hym his pardō (which sayd they) we haue here for you. They promised him great promotions, yea a Byshoprike if he would take it: but all their labour and flattering wordes were in vayne. For hee had not buylt his house vppon the sand in perill of fallyng at euery puffe of wynde, but vpon the sure and vnmoueable rocke Christ.  

Wherefore hee abode constant and vnmoueable vnto the end.

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After two dayes, the Shrieffe & his company led Doctour Taylour towardes Hadley, and commyng within a two myle of Hadley, he desired to light of his horse to make water: which done, MarginaliaD. Taylour reioyceth that he is so nigh home.he lept, and fet a friske or twayne, as mē commonly do in daunsing. Why Maister Doctour (quoth the Sheriffe) how do you now? He aunswered: Well God be praysed, good Maister Sheriffe. MarginaliaAn other Apophthegma of Doctour Taylour.Neuer better: for now I know I am almost at home. I lacke not past two styles to go ouer, and I am euen at my fathers house. But Maister Sheriffe (sayd hee) shall not we go thorough Hadley. Yes sayd the Sheriffe, ye shall go thorough Hadley. Then sayd he: MarginaliaD. Taylour desirous to see his flockeO good Lord, I thanke thee. I shall yet once ere I dye see my flock, whom þ^u lord knowest I haue most hartely loued, and truely taught. Good Lord blesse them, & keepe them stedfast in thy word and truth.

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When they were now come to Hadley, and came ryding ouer the bridge, at the bridge foote wayted a poore man with fiue small children: who when he saw D. Taylour, he and his children fell downe vppon their knees, and held vp their handes, and cryed with a loude voyce, and sayd: MarginaliaA poore man with v. children comforted D. Taylour.O deare father, and good shepheard, Doctour Taylour: God helpe & succour thee, as thou hast many a tyme succoured me, and my poore children. Such witnesse had þ^e seruaunt of God of his vertuous & charitable almes geuē in his lyfe tyme.  

For God would now the poore should testifie of his good deedes, to his singular comfort, to the example of others, and confusion of his persecutours and tyrannous aduersaries. For the Sheriffe and other that lead him to death, were wonderfully astonied at this: and the Sheriffe sore rebuked the poore man for so criyng. The streetes of Hadley were beset on both sides the way with men and women of the towne and countrey, who wayted to see hym: whom when they beheld so led to death, with weepyng eyes and lamentable voyces they cryed, saying one to an other: MarginaliaThe people lament D. Taylour.ah good Lord, there goeth our good shepheard frō vs, that so faythfully hath taught vs, so fatherly hath cared for vs, & so godly hath gouerned vs. O mercyful God: what shall we poore scattered Lambes do? What shall come of this most wicked world? Good Lord strengthen him and comfort hym: with such other most lamentable and piteous voyces. Wherefore the people were sore rebuked by the Sheriffe & the Catchpoles   his men, that led him. And Doct. Taylour euermore sayd to the people: MarginaliaD. Taylour confesseth the truth, and confirmeth the same with his bloud.I haue preached to you Gods worde and truth, and am come this day to seale it with my bloud.

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Commyng agaynst the Almes houses, whiche hee well knew, hee cast to the poore people money, whiche remayned of that good people had geuen hym in tyme of hys imprisonment. MarginaliaD. Taylour lyued of almes and gaue almes.As for his lyuyng, they tooke it from hym at hys first goyng to prison, so that hee was susteyned all the tyme of hys imprisonment by the charitable almes of good people that visited him.

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Therefore the money that now remayned, hee put in a gloue, ready for the same purpose, & (as is said) gaue it to the poore Almesmen standyng at their doores to see hym. And commyng to the last of the Almes houses, and not seyng the poore that there dwelt ready in their dores, as þ^e other were, he asked: is the blynd man & blynd womā, that dwelt here, aliue? It was aunswered yea: they are there within. Then threw he gloue and all in at the wyndow, and so road forth.

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Thus this good father and prouider for the poore, now tooke his leaue of those, for whom all his lyfe he had a singular care and study. For this was his custome, MarginaliaNote this custome.once in a fourthnight at the lest, to call vpon Syr Henry Doyll, and others the rich Clothmakers, to go with him to the Almeshouses, and there to see how the poore lyued: what they lacked in meate, drinke, clothyng, beddyng, or any other necessaries. The lyke did he also to other poore men that had many children, or were sicke. Then would he exhort and cōfort them, and where hee founde cause, rebuke the vnruly, and what they lacked, that gaue hee after his power: and what he was not hable, he caused the rich and wealthy men to minister vnto them. Thus shewed hee him selfe in all thynges an example to his flocke, worthy to be folowed: and taught by his deede, what a great treasure almes is to all such, as cherefully for Christes sake do it.

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At the last, commyng to MarginaliaAldham Common.Aldam Common, the place assigned where hee should suffer, and seyng a great multitude of people gathered thether, he asked what place is this, & what meaneth it that so much people are gathered hether? It was aunswered: It is Aldham Cōmon, the place where

you must suffer: and the people are come to looke vpon you. Then sayd hee: MarginaliaD. Taylour is come home.thanked be God, I am euen at home: and so light from his horse, and with both his handes rent the hode from his head.

Now was hys head notted euilfauourably, and clypped much lyke as a man would clyppe a fooles head: MarginaliaB. Boners cost and liberalitye vpon D. Taylour.which cost the good Byshop Boner had bestowed vpon him, when hee disgraded him. But when the people saw his reuerend and auncient face, with a long white beard, they burst out with weepyng teares, and cryed, saying: MarginaliaThe people wisheth God to helpe hym.God saue the good D. Taylour. Iesus Christ strengthen the, and helpe thee. The holy Ghost comforte thee: with such other lyke Godly wishes. Then would he haue spoken to the people: but the yeomen of the Gard were so busie about him, that as soone as he opened his mouth, one or other thrust a typ staffe into hys mouth, and would in no wise permit him to speake.

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Then desired he licence of the Shrieffe to speake: MarginaliaD. Taylour could not be suffered to speake to the people.but þ^e Shrieffe denyed it to him, and bad him remember his promise to the Counsell.

Well (quoth Doctour Taylour) promise must be kept. What this promise was, it is vnknowen: but the common fame was, that after hee and others were condēned, the Counsell sent for them, and threatned them, they would cut theyr tounges out of their heades, except they woulde promise, that at their deathes they would keepe silence, and not speake to the people:  

Wherefore they, desirous to haue the vse of their tonges, to call vpon God so long as they might liue, promised silence. For the Papistes feared much, lest this mutation of religion, from truth to lyes, from Christes ordinaunces to the Popish traditions, should not so quyetly haue bene receiued, as it was, especially this burnyng of the Preachers: but they measuryng others mindes by their owne, feared lest the tumult or vprore might haue bene stirred, the people hauyng so iust a cause not to bee contented with their doynges: or els (that they most feared) the people should more haue bene cōfirmed by their godly exhortations, to stand stedfast against theyr vayne Popish doctrine, and idolatrie. MarginaliaThe Gospellers are not seditious, as the Papistes commonly be.But thankes to God, which gaue to his witnesses fayth and patience, with stout and manly hartes to despyse all tormentes: neyther was their so much as any one man that once shewed any signe of disobedience toward the magistrates. They shed their bloud gladlie in the defence of the truth, so leauyng example vnto all men of true and perfect obedience: which is to obey God more then men, and if neede require it, to sheed their owne bloude rather then to depart from Gods truth.

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MarginaliaSoyce pulleth of his bootes.Doctour Taylour perceiuyng that he could not be suffered to speake, sat down, and seeyng one named Soice, he called him and sayd: Soice, I pray the come and pull of my bootes, & take them for thy labour. Thou hast long looked for thē, now take them. Then rose he vp, and put of his clothes vnto his shirt, and gaue them away. Which done, hee sayd with lowde voyce: MarginaliaD. Taylour confesseth the truth.Good people, I haue taught you nothyng but Goddes holy word, and those lessons that I haue taken out of Gods blessed booke, the holy Bible: and I come hether this daye to seale it with my bloud. With that woorde MarginaliaHomes a cruell tyraunt.Homes, yeoman of the Gard, aforesayd, who had vsed Doctour Taylour very cruelly all the waye, gaue him a great stroke vpon the head with a waster,  

and sayd: Is that the keepyng of thy promise, thou hereticke: MarginaliaDoctour Taylour prayeth.Then he seyng they would not permit him to speake, kneeled down and prayed, and MarginaliaA good woman comming to pray wyth hym could not be suffred.a poore woman that was among the people, stepped in & prayed with him: but her they thrust away, and threatned to tread her down with horses: notwithstandyng she would not remoue, but abode and prayed with him. When hee had prayed, hee went to the stake and kissed it, and set him selfe into a pitch barell, whiche they hadde set for him to stand in, and so stoode with his backe vpryght agaynst the stake, with his handes folded together, & his eyes toward heauen, and so he continually prayed.

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Then they bound him with chaynes: and the Sheriffe called one MarginaliaRichard Donningham.Richard Donyngham a Butcher, and commaūded hym to set vp Fagots: but he refused to do it, and sayd: I am lame Syr, and not hable to lift a Fagot. The Sheriffe threatned to send hym to prison: notwithstandyng hee would not do it.

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Then appoynted he one MarginaliaThe tormentours.Mulleine of Carsey, a man for his vertues fit to bee a hang man, and Soice a very dronkard, and MarginaliaWarwicke a cruell tormentour.Warwicke, who in the commotion tyme in kyng Edwardes dayes, lost one of his eares, for his seditious talke, amongest whom was also one Robert Kyng  

MarginaliaThis King was also one of them which went with his halbert to bring them to death which were burnt at Bery. a deuiser of Enterluedes, who albeit was there presēt and had doyng there with the gunnepouder, yet was not that of any such ill purpose as þ^e rest, but done onely for quicknesse & for loue of him and his cause, as he himselfe testifieth, otherwise of him I haue not to say.

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These foure were appointed to set vp the Fagots, and to make the fire, whiche they most diligently dyd: and this War-