MarginaliaAn. 1555. March.am made partaker of all the benefites whiche Christ hath brought vnto all faythfull beleuers thorough his precious death, passion, and resurrection, MarginaliaThe bread is Christes body neither spiritually nor bodely, but in receauing the Communion we feede on Christ spiritually in our soule.& not that the bread is his body, either spiritually or corporally.

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Then sayd the Byshop to Williā, doest thou not thinke (holdyng vp his cap) that for example here of my cap, thou mayest see the squarenes and coulour of it, and yet not to be the substaunce, which thou iudgest by the accidences?

William aunswered: if you can separate the accidences from the substaunce and shewe me the substaunce without the accidences, I could beleue. Then sayd the Bishop: thou wilt not beleue that God can do any thyng aboue mans capacitie. Yes, sayd William, I must needes beleue that: for dayly experience teacheth all men that thyng playnely: MarginaliaThe question is not what God can do, but what he would haue vs to beleue in his holy supper.but our question is not what God can do, but what he wil haue vs to learne in his holy Supper.

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Then the Byshop sayd: I alwayes haue founde thee at this poynt, & I see no hope in thee, to reclaime thee vnto the Catholicke faith, but thou wilt continue a corrupt member, MarginaliaA Sentence pronounced agaynst William Hūter.and then pronounced sentence vpon him, how that he should go from that place, to Newgate for a tyme, and so frō thence to Burntwood, where, sayd he, thou shalt be burned.

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Then the Byshop called for an other, and so when he had condemned them all, he called for William Hunter, and perswaded with hym, saying: MarginaliaThe large offers of B. Bonner to W. Hunter.if thou wilt yet recant, I will make thee a free man in the Citie,  

& geue thee fourty pound in good money to set vp thyne occupation withall: or I will make thee Steward of my house and set thee in office, for I lyke thee well,   thou hast witte inough, and I will preferre thee, if thou wilt recant.

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But William aunswered, I thanke you for your great offers: notwithstandyng, my Lord, sayd he, if you can not perswade my conscience with Scriptures, MarginaliaW. Hunter refuseth to come frō Christ for the loue of the world.I can not finde in my hart to turne from God for the loue of the world: for I count all thynges worldly but losse and donge, in respect of the loue of Christ.

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Then sayd the Byshoppe, if thou dyest in this mynde, thou art cōdemned for euer. William aunswered: GOD iudgeth righteously, and iustifieth them whom man condemneth vniustly.

Thus William and the Byshoppe departed, William and the rest to Newgate, where they remayned about a moneth, which afterward were sent downe, MarginaliaWilliam Hunter sent downe to burnt wood to be burnt.William to Burntwood, and the others into diuers places of the countrey. Nowe, when Williā was come downe to Burntwood, which was the Saterday before the Annunciation of the virgine Mary that folowed on the Monday after, William remayned till the Tuesday after, because they would not put hym to death then for the holynes of the day.

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MarginaliaHis father and mother come to comfort hym.In the meane tyme Williams father and mother came to him, and desired hartly of God that he might continue to the ende in that good way whiche God had begon, and his mother sayd to him, that she was glad that euer she was so happy to beare such a child, which could finde in his hart to lose his life for Christes names sake.MarginaliaHis father and mother exhort him to be constāt.

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Then William sayd to his mother: for my little payne whiche I shall suffer, whiche is but a short brayd,  

Christ hath promised me, mother sayd he, a crowne of ioy: may you not be glad of that mother? With that, his mother kneeled downe on her knees, saying: I pray God strengthen thee my sonne, to the ende. Yea, I thinke thee as well bestowed, as any child that euer I bare.

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At the which woordes Maister Higbed  

tooke her in hys armes, saying: I reioyce (and so sayd the others) to see you in this mynde, and you haue a good cause to reioyce. And his father and mother both sayd, that they were neuer of other mynde, but prayed for hym, that as he had begon to confesse Christ before men, he likewise might so continue to the end. Williams father sayd: I was afrayd of nothing, but that my sonne should haue bene killed in the prison for hunger and could, the Byshop was so hard to him.MarginaliaMarke here whether Bonner did nothing but by the lawe. But Williā confessed, after a moneth that his father was charged with his boord, that he lacked nothing, but had meate and clothing inough, yea euē out of the court, both money, meate, cloathes, wood and coales, and all thynges necessary.

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Thus they continued in their Inne, beyng the Swan in Burntwoode, in a Parlour, whether resorted many people of the coūtrey to see those good men which were there: & many of Williams acquaintaunce came to him, and reasoned with him, and he with them, exhortyng them to come away from the abhomination of Popish superstition & Idolatry.

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Thus passyng away Saterday, Sonday, and Monday, on Monday at night it happened that MarginaliaA notable thing concerning W. Hunters dreame.William had a dreame about ij. of the clocke in the mornyng, which was this: how that he was at þ^e place where the stake was pight where he should be burned, which (as he thought in his dreame) was at the townes end where the Buts stode: which was so in dede. And also he dreamed that he met with his father as he

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went to the stake, and also that there was a Prieste at the stake, which went about to haue hym recant.

To whom he sayd (as he thought in his dreame) how that he bad hym away false Prophet, and how that he exhorted the people to beware of him, and such as he was: which thinges came to passe in deede. It happened that william. made a noyse to hym selfe in his dreame, which caused M. Higbed and the others to awake hym out of hys sleepe, to knowe what he lacked. When he awaked he told them hys dreame in order as is sayd.

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Now when it was day, MarginaliaW. Hunter led to the place of marterdome.the Shrieffe M. Brocket called on to set forward to þ^e burnyng of William Hunter. Thē came the Shrieffes sonne to William Hunter, and embraced him in hys right arme, saying: MarginaliaThe shiriffes sonne geueth comfortable wordes to W. Hunter.William, be not afrayde of these men which are here present with bowes, bils, & weapons readye prepared to brynge you to the place where you shall be burned. To whom William aunswered: I thanke God I am not afrayde, for I haue cast my coumpt what it wyll cost me already. Then the Shrieffes sonne could speake no more to hym for wepyng.

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Then William Hunter plucked vp his gowne, and stepped ouer the Parlour grounsell and went forward cherefully, the shiriffes seruant takinge hym by the arme and I hys brother by an other, and thus going in the way, MarginaliaW. Hunters dreame verefied.met w^t his father according to his dreame, and he spake to his sonne weeping and saying, God be with thee sonne William, and william sayd, MarginaliaHis wordes to his father.God be with you father, and be of a good comfort, for I hope we shall meet agayn when we shal be mery. His father sayd, I hope so William and so departed. So W. went to the place where the stake stoode, euen accordinge to his dreame, wheras all thinges were very vnready. Then William tooke a wet broom fagot, and kneeled downe theron, and read the 51.Psalme,  

till he came to these wordes: the sacrifice to God, is a contrite spirite: a contrite & a brokē hart, O God thou wilt not despise.

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Then sayd M. Tirrell of the Beaches, called W. Tirell, MarginaliaM. William Tyrell of the Beaches carpeth where he hath no cause.thou lyest (sayd he) thou readest false, for the wordes are an humble spirite. But W. sayd the translation sayth, a cōtrite hart. Yea quoth M. Tirell, the translation is false, ye translate bookes as ye list your selues, like heretickes. Wel, quoth William, there is no great difference in those wordes. Then sayd the shiriffe: here is a letter, from the Queene. If thou wilt recant thou shalt liue: if not thou shalt be burned. MarginaliaW. Hunter refuseth the Queenes pardon.No, quoth W. I will not recant, God willing. Then W. rose and went to the stake, and stoode vpright to it. Then came one Richard Pond a Bayliffe, and made faste the Chayne about William.

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Then sayde M. Browne, here is not wood enough to burne a legge of him. Then sayd William: good people pray for me: and make speede and dispatch quickly: and pray for me while ye see me aliue, good people, & I pray for you likewise.

MarginaliaA dogged saying of M. Browne.Now quoth M. Browne, pray for thee? I will pray no more for thee, then I will pray for a dogge. To whom William aunswered M. Browne: now you haue þ^t whiche you sought for, and I pray god it be not layd to your charge in the last day: howbeit I forgeue you. Then sayd maister Browne, I aske no forgeuenes of thee. Well sayd William, if God forgeue you not, I shall require my bloude at your handes.

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Then sayd William: Sonne of God, shyne vpon me, MarginaliaAn external shew of Christes fauour vpon W. Hunter.and immediatly the sunn in þ^e element shone out of a darke cloud so full in his face, that he was constrayned to looke an other way: wherat the people mused, because it was so darke a litle tyme afore.  

Then William tooke vp a fagot of broome, & imbraced it in his armes,

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MarginaliaWilliams dreame verefied.Then this Priest which William dreamed of, came to his brother Robert with a popish booke to carry to William, þ^t he might recant, which booke his brother would not medell withall.

Then William seyng the Priest, and perceiuing how he would haue shewed hym the booke, sayd: MarginaliaHunters wordes to a Popish priest.away thou false Prophet. Beware of them good people, and come away frō their abominations, lest þ^t you be partakers of their plagues. Then, quoth the Priest, looke howe thou burnest here, so shalt thou burne in hel. William aunswered: thou lyest, thou false Prophet: away thou false Prophet, away.

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Then was there a Gentleman which sayd, I pray god haue mercy vpon his soule. The people sayd: Amen, Amē. Immediatly fire was made.

Then William cast his Psalter right into his brothers hand, who sayd: MarginaliaHunter comforted by his brother Robert.William thinke on þ^e holy Passion of Christ and be not afrayd of death.

And William aunswered: I am not afrayd. Then lift he vp his handes to heauen and sayd, Lorde, Lorde: Lorde, receiue my spirite, and casting downe his head agayne into the smothering smoke, hee yelded vp hys lyfe for the truth, sealyng it with his bloud, to the prayse of God.