1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1510 
Marginalia1555. Aprill.a prison at the Northgate, where he was very straitly kept vntil the tyme he went to his death, duryng which tyme he had small comfort or reliefe of any worldly creature.
For beyng in the dōgeon or darke prison, MarginaliaThe strait keepyng of Marsh in prison.none that would hym good, could speake with him, or at least durst enterprise so to doe for feare of accusation: and some of the Citizens which loued hym in God for the Gospell sake (wherof there were but a fewe) although they were neuer acquainted with him, would sometyme in the euenyng at a hoale vppon the wall of the Citie (that went into the sayd darke prison) call to hym, and aske him how he dyd.MarginaliaThe brotherly zeale of good men in comforting G. Marsh. He would aunswere them most cherefully, that he did well, and thanked GOD most highly that hee would vouchsafe of hys mercy to appoint him to be a witnes of his truth, and to suffer for the same: wherein he did most reioyce, beseechyng him that he would geue hym grace not to faynt vnder the Crosse, but patiently beare the same to his glory and comfort of his Churche: with many other like godly sayinges at sondry tymes, as one that most desired to be with Christ. Once or twise hee had money cast him in at the same hole, about ten pence at one tyme, & ij. shillings at an other tyme: for which he gaue God thankes, and vsed the same to his necessitie.
CloseMarsh used the money to buy food, bedding and other necessities from his gaolers.
When the tyme and day appointed came that hee should suffer: the Shriffes of the Citie (whose names were MarginaliaAmry, and Couper Shiriffes of Chester.Amry & Couper) with their officers and a great number of poore simple Barbers, with rousty Billes & Polaxes, went to the Northgate, & there tooke out the sayd George Marsh, who came with them most humbly & meekely, with a locke vpon his feete.MarginaliaMarsh lead to his Martyrdome. And as he came vpon the way towardes the place of execution, some folkes profered him money, & looked that hee should haue gone with a litle purse in his hand (as the maner of felons was,MarginaliaThe old vse in Lancashyre to get money to bye Trentals. accustomed in that Citie in tymes past, at their goyng to execution) to the end to gather money to geue vnto a Priest to say Trentals of Masses for them after their death, whereby they might (as they thought) be saued: but Marsh said MarginaliaG. Marsh refuseth to receaue money going to his death.he would not as thē be troubled with medlyng with money, but willed some good mā to take the money, if the people were disposed to geue any, and to geue it vnto the prisoners or poore people. So he went all the way vnto his death, with his booke in his hand, lookyng vpō the same, and many of the people sayd: this man goeth not vnto his death as a theefe, or as one that deserueth to dye.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaG. Marsh refuseth the Queenes pardon.Now when he came to the place of executiō without the Citie, neare vnto Spittle boughton, one Vawdrey, being then deputie chāberlaine of Chester, shewed Marsh a writyng vnder a great seale, saying that it was a pardō for him if he would recant. Whereat Marsh aunswered, that he would gladly accept the same (and sayd farther, that he loued the Queene) but forasmuch as it tended to plucke him from God, he could not receaue it vpon that condition.
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CloseAfter that, hee began to speake to the people shewyng the cause of his death, and would haue exhorted them to sticke vnto Christ. Whereupon one of the Sheriffes sayd: MarginaliaG. Marsh not suffred to speake to the people.George Marshe, we must haue no sermonyng nowe. To whom hee sayd, Maister, I cry you mercy: and so kneelyng downe made his Prayers, and then put of hys clothes vnto his shyrt, and then was hee chayned vnto the post, hauyng a number of Fagottes vnder him, and a thyng made like a firkin,
CloseA small cask for liquids (OED).
Wherein this in him is to be noted, that when as he had bene a long time tormented in the fire without mouing, hauyng his flesh so broyled and puft vp that they which stode before him vnneth could see the chayne wherewith hee was fastened, and therfore supposed no lesse but he had bene dead, notwythstandyng sodenly he spread abroad his armes, saying: father of heauen haue mercy vpon me, and so yelded his spirite into the handes of the Lord.
[Back to Top]Vpon this, many of the people sayd that he was a Martyr, and dyed MarginaliaThe pacience of G. Marsh the blessed Martyr.marueilous patiently and godly. Which thyng caused the Byshop shortly after to make a Sermon in the Cathedrall Churche, and therein affirmed, that the sayd Marsh was an hereticke, burnt like an hereticke, and was a firebrand in hell.
[Back to Top]In recompence of this his good and charitable Sermon, within short tyme after, the iust iudgement of GOD appeared vpon the sayd Byshop: recompensing him in such wise, MarginaliaGods iust reuenging hand vpon a persecuting Byshop.that not long after hee turned vp his heeles and dyed.
CloseThe difference between the account of the death of Bishop Cotes in the 1563 edition and the version in subsequent editions is striking. The account, while similar in its essentials in all four editions - that the bishop died of a venereal disease as divine punishment for executing Marsh - is considerably less graphic and detailed in the later editions of the Acts and Monuments. This is one indication that Foxe, possibly in response to Catholic attacks on his first edition, modified some of his rhetoric in later editions.
[Back to Top]This good man wrote diuers and sondry letters out of prison besides his examinations, as before ye haue heard. Touchyng the which his examinations, this letter first he sendeth to his frendes, the copie whereof here foloweth.
CloseThis letter first appears in the 1570 edition and it was almost certainly sent to Foxe along with Marsh's account of his examinations by the earl of Derby. In fact, it was probably the cover letter for Marsh's account of his examinations.
CloseAs is usual with the martyrs' letters, scriptural references dominate. There are also glosses which contrast worldly and outer things with godly and inner things ('The glory of the Church standeth not in outward shewes'; 'If worldly men ieopard so much for earthly thinges, how much more ought we to ieopard for euerlasting thinges?' ). There are glosses relating to the binary between truth and falsehood ('True salte discerned from the corrupt and vnsauory salt'; 'True receauers of the word, who they be'). The paradoxical characterisation 'Death is a dore to lyfe' is also highlighted. A section concerned with the proper conditions for godly fasting is quite heavily annotated ('Praying and fasting'; 'True fast what it is'; 'How to fast without hipocrisie'; 'Abuse of fasting among Christians'; 'The Iewish maner of fasting reproued'; 'The Christians in superstitious fasting exceede the Iewes'). Most of the non-scriptural glosses simply note the basic topics under discussion, but there are some examples of Foxe drawing out some of the theological issues implicit in Marsh's letters, as with the soteriological 'Workes of mercy doe not merite with God touching our saluation, any thing' and the glossing of the term 'we' as the 'elect' in 'Straite is the way which the elect must walke in' (there is a reversal of this in 'The Church is euer forewarned before afflictions', in which the 'the Church' is substituted for the 'elect' in the text). Marsh's warning against strange doctrine is taken by Foxe (without direct textual warrant) as a reference to 'Doctrine of good workes'. There are many examples of disagreement between editions among the large number of scriptural references.
[Back to Top]Though Sathan bee suffred, as wheate to sift vs for a tyme, yet fayleth not our fayth through Christes ayde, but that we are at all times able and ready to cōfirme the fayth of our weake brethren, and alwayes ready to geue an answere to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs,Marginalia1. Pet. 3. and that with mekenes and reuerence, hauing a good conscience, that when as they backebyte vs as euill doers, they may be ashamed, for as much as they haue falsely accused our good cōuersatiō in Christ. I thought my self now of late yeares, for the cares of this lyfe well settled with my louyng and faythfull wife and children, and also well quieted in the peaceable possession of that pleasaūt Euphrates, I
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