MarginaliaAn. 1555. February.Warwicke cruelly cast a Fagot at hym, which light vppon his head, and brake his face, that the bloud ranne downe his visage. MarginaliaD. Taylour is pacient.Then sayd Doctour Taylour: Oh frend, I haue harme enough, what needed that.

MarginaliaSyr Iohn Shelton.Furthermore Syr Iohn Shelton  

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This denunciation of Sir John Shelton was added in the 1570 edition. It is another indication of the bitter feelings aroused by Taylor's execution.

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Psalm 51. It was customary for condemned people to recite this psalm at their executions.

uen, for Iesus Christ my Sauiours sake, receiue my soule into thy handes.MarginaliaD. Taylours last wordes. So stode hee still without either crying or mouyng, with his handes folded together, till MarginaliaSoyce striketh hym downe with an Holbard.Soice with an Halbard stroke him on the head that the braynes fel out, and the dead corps fell downe into the fire.

Thus rendred the man of God his blessed soule into the handes of his mercyfull father, and to his most deare and certaine Sauiour Iesus Christ, whom he most entierly loued, faythfully and earnestly preached, obediently folowed in liuyng, and constantly glorified in death.

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The parish of Hadleigh in Suffolk, with its history of reforming support, lauded by Foxe as this 'universitie of the learned', was severely affected by the death of its rector, Rowland Taylor. The image is concentrated on this forceful martyr with his 'reverend and ancient face, with a long white beard' and shock of perhaps also white hair, which had been lopped when Bonner clipped it to give him a fool's head. The cutters of the woodblock doing justice to this head, framed by the readied faggots, have given it an almost haloed appearance. Although the fire is shown unlit Taylor is represented at the moment he uttered his last words, holding up both hands. John Nowell, who succeeded Taylor as rector of Hadleigh, preached there the day after Taylor's burning and tried to minimise the impact of his death, saying that 'to persevere is a develishe thynge ffor it moveth many mindes to see an heretyke constante and to dye'. While, as Foxe himself admitted in his first edition, the faithful in Hadleigh were cowed and many left after this event, Nowell's words seem to indicate that Taylor's stand in the fire, watched here by an impassive crowd, was itself brave and unflinching. The blank banderole below Taylor's, empty in all four editions, appears from its placing as if it was intended to contain words of the mounted sheriff, though the last official address to Taylor reported in the text came from Sir John Shelton 'there standing by.' Taylor's last words went from gothic type 1563, to italic 1570, to Roman 1576, and (with minor spelling difference) 1583.

They that were present & familiarly conuersaunt with this Doctour Taylour, reported of him, MarginaliaAn example of singular courage in Doctour Taylour.that they neuer did see in him any feare of death, but especially and aboue all the rest which besides him suffered at the same tyme, alwayes shewed hym selfe mery and cherefull in tyme of hys imprisōment, as well before his condemnation as after: hee kept one countenaunce and lyke behauiour. Whereunto hee was the rather confirmed by the company and presence of Maister Iohn Bradford, who then was in prison and chāber with him.  

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Once again Foxe is emphasizing the stoicism of one of the Marian martyrs. (On the polemical importance of this see Collinson [1983] and Freeman [1997]).

The same mornyng, when he was called vp by the Shrieffe to go to his burnyng (about three of the clocke in the mornyng) beyng sodenly awaked out of his sound sleepe he sat vp in his bed, and puttyng on his shyrt, hadde these wordes (speakyng somewhat thicke after his accustomed maner:) Ah horson theeues, ah horsō theeues: robbe God of his honour, robbe God of his honour? Afterward beyng risen and tying his pointes, hee cast his armes about a balke whiche was in the chamber betwene Maister Bradfordes bed and his: MarginaliaD. Taylour careles of his death.and there hangyng by the handes, sayd to Maister Bradford: O Maister Bradford (quoth he) what a notable sway shoulde I geue if I were hanged, meanyng for that hee was a corpulent and bygge man. These thinges I thought good here to note: to set foorth and declare to those that shall read this history, what a notable and singular gift of spirite and courage god had geuen to this godly and blessed Martyr.

At what tyme Doctour Taylour was depriued of his benefice of Hadley, there was one called Syr Robert Bracher,  

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The denunciation of Robert Bracher as a religious turncoat who mistreated Taylor's family first appeared in Letters of the Martyrs (p. 641) as a marginal note accompanying aletter from Taylor to his wife. It is likely that both the letter and the denunciation came from Taylor's widow.

now since became a Protestant agayne.

MarginaliaSyr Robert Brachers comming to Hadley.This Syr Robert Bracher aforesayd, commyng to Hadley to the buriall of a certaine frend of his and Gods great enemy one Walter Clerke, albeit hee came somewhat to late to the market (as he sayd) yet desirous to vtter such Popishe pelfe and packware as hee brought with hym, he opened there his baggage of pestilent doctrine, MarginaliaA popishe Sermon of Syr Robert Bracher.preachyng in the same Towne of Hadley agaynst iustification of fayth, of the corporall presence, of praying for the dead, and Auricular confession. Whereof Doctour Taylour hauyng vnderstandyng by Letters, writeth agayne to them of Hadley directyng his Letter to his wife in confutation of the sayd Popish poysoned Sermon: the copie of whiche Letter we thought not vnworthy here in the ende of his story to bee annexed, as vnder followeth.

¶ A letter of Doctour Taylour of Hadley, written to his wife.  

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This letter was printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 641-45 and then reprinted in all subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments.

DEare wife, I pray God be euer with vs thorough Christ our onely Mediatour, Amen.

MarginaliaThis cap was a round cap sent by M. Couerdale to D. Taylour by his wyfe.I thanke you for my cap: I am something proude of it: for it is one steppe from the Clergy in these dayes. I thanke God, my hart is cleane diuided from their procedynges: for I knowe that no man can serue two maisters,  

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See Matthew 6: 24 and Luke 16: 13.

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I.e., Robert Bracher.