1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1517 
Marginalia1555. March.I for you. I beseeche the holy Ghost haue you in his keeping alway. Amen.
By your frend Iames Bradshaw.
MarginaliaA prayer of G. Marsh, Martyr.OH Lorde Iesu Christ, whiche art the only phisition of wounded consciences, we miserable sinners trusting in thy gratious goodnes, do briefly open to thee the euyll tree of our hart, with all the rootes, boughes, leaues, and fruites, and with all the crookes, knottes and knoures,
I.e., a knot or tangle (OED). Poisonous.
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Beloued, among other exercises, I doo dayly on my knees vse this confession of sinnes, willing and exhorting you to do the same, and daily to acknowledge vnfainedly to God your vnbeliefe, vnthankfulnes, & disobedience against him. This shal ye do if ye wil diligently consider, and looke your selues first in the pure glasse of Gods Commaundementes, and there see our outward filthynes and vncleannes, and so learne to vanquishe the same, that is to wyt, to fall in harty displeasure against sinne, and therby be prouoked to long after Christe. Marginalia1. Cor. 10. Math. 20.For we truely are sinners: but he is iust, and the Iustifier of all them that beleue on hym. We are poore, but he is riche in mercy toward al them that cal vpon hym. If we hunger and thirst for righteousnes, let vs resorte vnto his table, for he is a moste liberall feast maker. He wyll set before vs his owne holy body, whiche was geuen for vs to be our meate, and his precious bloud whiche was shed for vs and for many for the remission of sinnes, to be our drinke. He biddeth, willeth, and calleth for geastes, which hunger and thirst. Come (saith heMarginaliaMath. 11.) all ye that labour and are laden, and I wyl refreshe you, coole and ease you, and you shal finde rest vnto your soules.
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CloseThere is only a brief note on Flower in the Rerum (p. 431). This note merely states that William Flower, alias Branch, struck a priest at Westminster while he was celebrating mass. A month later on 24 April 1555, Flower had his hand cut and was then burned at the stake.
In the 1563 edition, Foxe had all of the materials on Flower's martyrdom which he would ever print. Most of this material came from Bishop Bonner's official records, but Foxe also printed an account of an interview the Marian martyr Robert Smith had with Flower. And in the appendix to the 1563 edition, Foxe printed an account of Flower's execution and a final prayer which he undoubtedlyobtained from an eyewitness while the first edition was being printed. Apart from moving the description of Flower's execution from the appendix into the main narrative of his martyrdom, Foxe made no substantial changes to his account of Flower in his second edition nor in any subsequent editions.
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CloseFlower's mind does not seem to have been entirely balanced, and Foxe's notes seek to steer the reader away from this conclusion to the belief that he was a genuine, if somewhat confused martyr (with a penchant for physically attacking priests). Thus, the gloss which describes him leaving his monastic house says he 'turned his religion', but as the next gloss records that he went on to be a mass priest, one must doubt the assertion; the gloss plants the suggestion that Flower underwent a conversion to the truth when no solid evidence exists for when that occurred: the gloss supplies a generic necessity in a case where empirical proof is lacking. Several of the glosses show that Foxe was keen to play down the violent aspects of the story: Flower's regret at the violence is highlighted and distinguished from regret about his religious principles ('W. Flower repenteth his acte in striking'; 'W. Flower constant in his fayth'), while another gloss asks the reader to bear in mind that Flower later revised his opinion about the violence (with the implication that his regret increased) ('Note that the sayd W. Flower afterward in his next appearaunce, corrected & reformed this aunswere'). Foxe's difficulties with Flower can perhaps be seen most clearly at the gloss 'Extraordinary zeales are no generall rules to be followed': the text it is next to is Flower's slightly confused assertion that God sometimes acts through individuals (which would seem to be a justification for his violent actions) followed by the assertion that he had been willing to suffer before striking the priest; Foxe's gloss notes that extraordinary zeals should not be followed as general rules, which would seem to be a warning to his readers not to do likewise. As such, this gloss marks the limits of the imitation of the martyrs which Foxe makes so much of elsewhere. Indeed, it would seem that Flower's status as a martyr is all that stops the reader seeing him as an unbalanced ruffian with an iconoclastic bent. As often happens, Foxe greets a popish text with some adversarial glosses ('In the latter dayes certayne shall depart frō the fayth, forbidding mariage and eating of meates'; '1. Tim. 4'). Despite his somewhat unconventional route to the stake, the marginal glosses accord Flower the usual honour of emphasising his constancy ('W. Flower refuseth to reuoke his fayth and doctrine'; 'W. Flower standeth to his doctrine'; 'W. Flowers constancie'; 'Cōstancy' [1563]).
[Back to Top]Then he went from thence to Ludgate in Suffolke, and there serued as a secular priest about a quarter of a yere: and from thence he then went to Stonyland, where he taried and serued as a secular priest also, vntyll the commyng out of the sixe Articles: and then he departed from thence, and wen. into Gloucester shiere, where after he had made his aboade in the countrey a while, at length in Tewkesbury according to gods holy ordinaunce, MarginaliaW. Flower marieth a wife.he maried a wife, with whom he euer after faithfully and honestly continued: and after his mariage, he taried in Tewkesbury about two yeares together: and then frō thence he wēt vnto Brosley, where he taried three quarters of a yere, and practised Phi-
[Back to Top]sicke and Surgery, and from thence remoued to Northampton shiere, where vnder a Gentleman he taught children their Primers, and to write and reade, a good space. And so departing from those parties, he came to London, and there remained for a certaine space. After that being desirous to see his countrey, he returned to Snowhyl where he was borne: from thence to Branckstrey in Essex, then to Coxal, where he taught children a space: MarginaliaW. Flower commeth to Lambeth.and so came to Lambeth beside London, where he hyred a house, and placed his wife, where he and his wife dyd euer since dwel together tyl this tyme: howbeit for the most part he was alwayes abroade, and verye seldome at home, except once or twise in a moneth, to visite and see his wife: where he being at home vppon Easter day about x. and. xi. a clocke in the fore noone of the same daye came ouer the water from Lambeth into Saint Margaretes Church at Westminster, MarginaliaW. Flower striketh a Popish Priest at the aultar, in Westminster.where he finding and seeing a priest called Iohn Cheltam ministring and geuing the sacrament of the aultar to the people, and therewith being greatly offended in his conscience with the Priest for the same his doing (for that he iudged hym not to be a Catholike Minister) neither his act to be Catholike and laudable, according to Gods word, dyd strike and wounde hym vpon the head and also vppon the arme and hand with his woodknife, the Priest hauing the same tyme in hiys hande a Chalice, with certaine consecrated hostes therin, which were sprinkeled with the bloud of the said priest.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaW. Flower repenteth his act in striking.In the whiche so doing, as in deede he dyd not well, or Euangelically,
CloseFoxe is quite concerned to register his disapproval of Flower's assault on Cheltham.
Wherupon the foresaid Will. Flower, being first apprehended & MarginaliaW. Flower layd in the Gatehouse at Westminster.layd in the Gate house at Westminster (where he had geuen two groates the same day a litle before to the prisoners, saying, he would shortly after come to them) with as many yrons as he could beare: afterward MarginaliaW. Flower brought before B. Boner.was cōuented before Boner his Ordinary, Aprill. 19. an. 1555. where the bishop after he had sworne hym vpon a booke (according to his ordinary maner) ministred articles & interrogatories to hym. But before I speake of the articles, first we haue here to set forth what cōmunication passed betwixt hym & Rob. Smyth being then also there prisoner with hym in Newgate, concernyng his fact done at Westminster: the tenor & effect of which communication here foloweth.
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CloseFlower's assault posed problems for English protestants. Smith was clearly anxious to establish Flower's orthodoxy to his own satisfaction. Having done so, he then wrote an account of his interview with Flower presumably to reassure fellow protestants of Flower's orthodoxy (and perhaps sanity). Foxe printed the interview for the same reasons.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe talke betwene Robert Smyth and W. Flower.FRend, for as much as I do vnderstand that you do professe the Gospell, and also haue so done a long season, I am bolde to come vnto you, and in the way of communication to demaunde and learne a truth at your owne mouth, of certayne thynges by you committed, to the astonishyng not onely of me but of diuers other that also professe the veritie.
[Back to Top]Flower. I prayse God for his great goodnes, in shewing me the light of his holy woorde: and I geue you hartye thankes for your visitation: intendyng by Gods grace to declare all the truth that ye shal demaund lawfully of me, in all thinges.
Smith. Then I desire you to shewe me the truth of your deede, committed on Iohn Cheltam priest, in the Church, as neare as you can, that I may heare of your owne mouth howe it was.
Flo. I came from my house at Lambeth, ouer the water, and entring into saint Margaretes Church (so called) MarginaliaThe zeale of W. Flower in seing the Lordes honour defaced.and there seeing the people fallyng downe before a most shamefull and detestable Idoll,
CloseI.e., the Host elevated by the priest.
CloseA dagger (OED).
Smith. Did ye not know the person that ye strake, or wer ye not zelous vpon hym for any euyl wyl, or hatred betwene you at any tyme?
Flo. No verily: I neuer to my knowledge sawe the person before that present, neither ought hym or any man alyue euyl wyl, or malice: for if he had not had it, an other should, if I had any tyme come where the like occasion had bene ministred, if God had permitted me to do it.
Smith. Do ye thinke that thyng to be wel done, and after the rule of the Gospel.
Flo. I do confesse all flesh to be subiect to the power of al