1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1520 
Marginalia1555. Aprill.and I trust to the liuyng God he wyll geue me his holye spirite to continue to the ende. Then he desired all the
world to forgeue hym, whom he had offended, as he forgaue all the worlde.
CloseThis done, first his right hand being held vp againste the stake, was stroken of, his leaft hand being stayed behinde hym. At the which striking of his hand, certaine that were present beholders of the matter, and purposely obseruyng the same, credibly enformed vs, that he in no part of his body did once shrinke at the striking thereof, but once a litle hee sturred his shoulders.
CloseOnce again, Foxe is concerned to emphasize the stoicism of his martyrs, even when they were undergoing excruciating physical pain. This is also the reason for Foxe's detailed, graphic, even disgusting, account of Flower's death. On the polemical importance of the stoicism of the martyrs see Collinson (1983) and Freeman (1997).
[Back to Top]And thus fire was set vnto hym, who burning therin, cryed with a loude voyce: Oh the Sonne of God haue mercy vpon me, Oh the Sonne of God receiue my soule,
CloseCuriously Foxe gives a different version of these words in the 1563 edition than he does in later editions. Presumably he altered these words but why he did so remains unclear.
And thus endured thys constant witnes and faythfull seruaunt of God, the extremitie of the fire, being therein cruelly handled, by reason that to his burnyng litle woode was brought, so that for lacke of fagottes there not sufficient to burne hym, they were faine to strike hym downe into the fire. Where he lying along (whiche was doulfull to beholde) vpon the grounde, his neather parte was consumed in the fire, whilest his vpper part was cleane without the fire, his tongue in all mens sight styll mouyng in his mouth.
CloseOnce again, Foxe is concerned to emphasize the stoicism of his martyrs, even when they were undergoing excruciating physical pain. This is also the reason for Foxe's detailed, graphic, even disgusting, account of Flower's death. On the polemical importance of the stoicism of the martyrs see Collinson (1983) and Freeman (1997).
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CloseThe executions of Cardmaker and Warne mark a point at which the Marian persecution began to go wrong in two ways. In the case of Cardmaker, the effort to secure a recantation from a prominent evangelical was initially succesful, only to backfire and produce a martyr instead. In the case of Warne, the persecution was beginning to turn away from prominent clerics to ordinary layfolk, although admittedly in Warne's case, layfolk with long-standing heretical views which were outspokenly expressed. Foxe does not say exactly what brought Warne to the attention of the authorities in Mary's reign, although the articles brought against Warne suggest he publicly derided the Marian religious reforms.
[Back to Top]In the Rerum, Foxe printed an account of Cardmaker's arrest with William Barlow, of Barlow's refusing to recant, thanks to the persausive influence of Laurence Saunders, Cardmaker's debates in prison with Thomas Martin and of Cardmaker's execution along with John Warne, a citizen of London (Rerum, pp. 442-43). This material was reprinted, with only minor changes, in all editions of the Acts and Monuments. It was derived from a narrative account of these events which was probably sent from a protestant in London to a co-religionist in exile and which was obtained by Grindal or one of his associates. This narrative - or more accurately, a copy of it - survives among Foxe's papers as BL, Harley 425, fol. 68r-v. There was also a passage in the Rerum (p. 443), stating that Warne had made a confession of faith which commented on the Apostle's Creed. Foxe probably had the document at this time, but he did not print it.
[Back to Top]In the 1563 edition, Foxe added the articles put to Cardmaker and Warne, along with their answers as well as an account of Bishop Bonner's examination of Warne. All of these were obtained from Bonner's records. Foxe also printed the confession of faith to which he had alluded in the Rerum.
In the second edition, Foxe added details of Cardmaker's background - that the martyr had been an Observant Franciscan and that he was a reader in St Paul's - undoubtedly obtained from oral sources. This may well have included the unnamed friend to whom Cardmaker sent a letter, which was printed for the first time in 1570. Foxe also added a note relating a final attempt, by Thomas Beard, to secure a recantation from Cardmaker. Cardmaker probably sent this account to a friend, possibly the same one to whom he had sent the letter.
[Back to Top]There were no changes made to the narrative of Cardmaker and Warne in the third or fourth editions of the Acts and Monuments.
CloseMost of the glosses in this section are the usual narrative pointers. There are glosses mocking the articles alleged against the martyrs ('The beliefe of the Popes Catholicke church'; 'To speake naturally of the naturall body of Christ, these two canot stād together at one tyme, vnles we graunt Christ to haue 2. bodyes'; 'That Christ neuer willed, neyther can the Scriptures beare it'; 'Heresye for laughing at a Spaniell shorne on the head'). A gloss which records that Warne was pardoned under Henry VIII makes the useful (implicit) point that the religious policy of his daughter was even more conservative. As ever, constancy is the signature of the martyrs as portrayed in the glosses ('Iohn Warne constant agaynst the Bishops persuasions'; 'Iohn Cardmaker standeth constantly to the fier'; 'The reioycing of the people at Cardmakers constancye'), and there is also a gloss recording the (as it emerged, groundless) fears of the people about Cardmaker's constancy ('The people afrayd at Cardmakers recanting').
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CloseI.e., Cardmaker was an Observant friar. These were members of the Franciscan order who claimed to be observing the original, and more rigorous, rules laid down by St Francis of Assisi, the order's founder.
their kniues. This Cardmaker being apprehended in the beginnyng of Queene Maryes raigne, with master Barlow Bishop of Bathe, was brought to London:
CloseIn August 1553, Cardmaker, together with William Barlow, the bishop of Bath and Wells, were apprehended while trying to flee England disguised as merchants (Machyn, p. 75 and APC IV, p. 321).
CloseWhat Foxe means is that Cardmaker and Barlow were not charged with heresy because there was no law then in force against it. They were arrested for trying to leave the realm without royal permission.
CloseThere were technical meanings to the phrase 'ex officio' but here Foxe means it literally: the bishops now had offcial authority to proceed against Cardmaker and Barlow for heresy.
MarginaliaBarlow and Cardmaker acceptable of Winchester as Catholickes.To this they both made such an answere,
CloseAlthough Foxe had an official account of their examination (BL, Harley 421, fol. 39v), he is following the narrative he printed in the Rerum.
CloseFoxe's account of what happened during the examination of Barlow and Cardmaker is tendentious. Barlow and Cardmaker did agree to recant (BL, Harley 421, fol. 39v; cf. Machyn, p. 75; Wriothesley II, p. 126 and OL, I, p. 171). Barlow recanted and was released from prison; he then fled into exile (Garrett). Cardmaker refused to recant as promised and was ultimately executed.
[Back to Top]To the same prison where Cardmaker was, Laurence Saunders was brought (after the sentence of excommunication and condemnation was pronounced against hym) MarginaliaConference betwene Laurence Sauders and Iohn Cardmaker.where these two prisoners had suche Christian conference, that what soeuer the breath of the bishops blustred, and the fickle eares of the people too lightly beleued,
CloseFoxe is rather skillfully obscuring the fact that Cardmaker had promised to recant.