1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1526 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. Iune.his heeles, and leauing his seate, he with the rest of that court betooke them to their legges, hastening with all speede possible to recouer the doore that went into the bishops house: but the rest being somewhat lighter of foote then my Lord, dyd sooner recouer the doore, and thronging hastily to get in, kept the bishop styl out, and cryed: Saue my Lord, saue my Lord, but meanyng yet first to saue them selues, if any daunger shoulde come, whereby they gaue the standers by good matter to laugh at: resēblyng in some part a spectacle not much vnlike to þe old stagers of Oxford, worse feared then hurt, when as the Churche there was noysed to be on fire, wherof ye may read before. pag. 1180.
[Back to Top]But of this matter enough.
MarginaliaIohn Symson and Iohn Ardeley sent into Essex to be executedNow Iohn Symson and Iohn Ardeley being deliuered (as is aforesaide) to the Sheriffes, were shortly after sente downe from London to Essex, where both they on one daye (which was about the. x. day of Iune) were put to death, albeit in seuerall places: for MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Symson, and Ardeley. Iune. 10.Iohn Symson suffered at Rochford, Iohn Ardeley þe same day was had to Rayley, where he finished hys martyrdome most quietly in the quarrel of Christes Gospel.
CloseThis last clause was added in the 1570 edition; it is quite possible that this reflects Foxe's belief that this is what should have happened, rather than reflecting any new information as to what actually happened.
FOr the better consideration of the rigorous crueltie of these Catholike dayes, this is furthermore not vnworthy of all men to be noted and knowen to all posteritie, concerning the examinations of this Ardeley and his companye: howe that they being brought before the Commissioners were by them greatly charged of stubbornnes and vayne glorie. Vnto whom they aunsweared in defence of their owne simplicitie, that they were content willingly to yeld to the Queene all their goodes and landes, so that they might be suffered to liue vnder her, in keeping their conscience free from all Idolatrie and papistical religion. Yet this would not be graunted, although they had offered all to their hart bloud: so greedy and so thirsty be these persecutors of Christian bloud. The Lord geue them repentāce if it be his wil, and kepe from them the iuste reward of such cruell dealing. Amen.
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CloseA narrative of Tooley's execution for theft, denunciation of the pope, the posthumous excommunication of him and the exhumation of his body were printed in the Rerum (pp. 443-44). This narrative was reprinted in all editions of the Acts and Monuments. In the first edition of the Acts and Monuments, Foxe added the letter sent to Bonner from the privy council, dated 28 April 1555, and Bonner's writ beginning the process of excommunication against Tooley as well as the depositions regarding Tooley's words on the scaffold and the examination of Robert Bromley. All of this material came from official records, now lost. There was probably a separate register kept for this case alone.
[Back to Top]Nothing in this account was altered in subsequent editions of the Acts and Monuments
CloseMany of the glosses (apart from the narrative pointers) are adversarial, and seek to show the absurdity of burning Tooly's bones. The use of the term 'Councell' ('A Councell called agaynst Tooly') seems designed to mock the excessive effort given over to the pursuit of Tooly after his death. Pole's name is linked with the practice ('Cardinall Poole a great doer in burning dead mens Bones'; 'M. Bucer Paulus Phagius, Peter Martyrs wyfe. Iohn Tooly, burned for heretickes after their death'). Another gloss investigates Bonner's motives and denies his assertion that he was motivated by conscience; his motivation was rather simply obedience to the Council, an attitude which could be more easily allied to the stereotype of Bonner as passionate and fearful than could the notion of a delicate conscience ('Note how Boner here pretendeth conscience in prosecuting this matter. when onely he was commaunded vnto it by the Counsells letters'). There is also a suggestion that the attack on Tooly's remains was a ploy to reveal sympathisers ('The Bishop layeth his bayte to catch whom he may trouble').
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CloseI.e., when the Spaniards first began to be a notable presence in England.
CloseFoxe is intimating that Tooley was treated more harshly than he otherwise would have been because his victim was Spanish.
The foresaide Tooly beyng lead to the gallowes (which stoode fast by Charing Crosse) a litle before he dyed, standing vppon the Carte, readde a certayne prayer in a printed booke, and two other prayers written in two seuerall papers, who then hauyng the haltar about hys necke, desired the people there present to pray for hym, and to beare him witnes that MarginaliaIohn Tooly dyed a true Christian man.he dyed a true Christian man, and that he trusted to be saued onely by the merites of Christes passion and shedding of his precious bloud, MarginaliaThe Christen confession of Tooly.and not by anye Masses, or Trentalles,
CloseTrentals were a set of 30 requiem masses said on behalf of the dead.
CloseTrentals were a set of 30 requiem masses said on behalf of the dead.
And then adding further to the same, he spake vnto the people: All you that be true Christian men, say with me, Amen. And immediatly therupon three hundred persons
and more, to the iudgement & estimation of those that were there present,MarginaliaEx Registro. answeared and said, Amen, three tymes together at the least.
After this it happened, that when Tooly had readde the Byll the firste tyme, it fell from hym: and a certayne young man (who was thought to be a Prentise)
CloseI.e., an apprentice.
CloseI.e., paper.
CloseI.e., paper.
CloseI.e., Bromley was brought before Bishop Bonner's court.
Thus while Tooly had made hys prayers, as is aboue saide, to be deliuered from the Popes tyrannie, by the same prayer he fel into great tyrannie. For so sone as the brute
CloseI.e., report or rumour.
At the last (after much Pro and Contra) they all consented to those mens iudgementes, which thought it meete that the violatyng of the Popes holynes shoulde be reuenged wyth fire and fagot. And I do easily beleue, that Cardinal Poole was no smal doer in this sentence: MarginaliaCardinall Poole a great doer in burning dead mens Bones.for as Winchester and Boner dyd alwayes thirst after the bloud of the liuyng, so Pooles lightning was for the most part kindled against the dead: and he reserued thys charge onely to hym selfe, I knowe not for what purpose, except peraduenture beyng loth to be so cruell as the other, he thought neuerthelesse by this meanes to discharge his duetie towarde the Pope. By the same Cardinalles like lightenyng and fiery fiste, MarginaliaM. Bucer Paulus Fagius, Peter Martyrs wyfe, Iohn Tooly, burned for heretickes after their death.the bones of Martin Bucer, and Paulus Phagius, whiche had lyen almoste two yeares in their graues, were taken vp and burned at Cambridge, as Toolyes carkas was here at London. And besides this, because he would shewe some token of his diligence in both Vniuersities, he caused Peter Martyrs wyfe, a woman of worthy memorie, to be digged out of the Churchyard and to be buried on the dunghyl. Of these two prodigious actes ye shal heare more hereafter. But nowe to our purpose of Tooly, whiche hauing ended his prayer, was hanged, and put into his graue, out of the whiche he was digged againe, by the commaundement of the Bishops, and because he was so bold to derogate the authoritie of the bishop of Rome at the time of his death, it pleased them to iudge and cōdemne him as an heretike, vpon the commaundement of the Coūsailes letter, as here appeareth.
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CloseBonner's normal practice was to copy letters to him from the queen or the privy council into his register; this letter is an exception. This suggests that all the materials relating to the case of Tooley were kept in a separate register.
MarginaliaThe Counsels letter to B. Boner, concerning Tooly.AFter our very hartye commendations to your Lordship, vnderstanding that of late amongest others that haue suffered about London for their offences, one leude person that was condemned for felonie, died very obstinately, professing at the time of his death sundrye hereticall and erroneous opinions: like as we thinke it not conuenient that such a matter should be ouerpassed without some example to the world, so haue we thought good to pray your Lordship, to cause further enquirie to be made therof, and thereupon to proceede to the making out of such processe as by the Ecclesiastical lawes is prouided in that behalfe. And so we byd your Lordship hartily wel to fare. From Hampton Court, the. 28. of April. 1555.
[Back to Top]Your Lordships louing frendes,
Ste. Wynton Cancel. F. Shrewsbury. Iohn Gage. Thomas Cheney. | R. Rochester. William Peter. Rich. Southwell. |
Anone after, a Citation was set vpon Paules Church doore vnder the Bishop of Londons great seale: the tenour wherof here ensueth.
CloseThis writ was the necessary first step in excomunicating Tooley. Foxe probably copied it from a register, now lost, containing all the documents in the Tooley case.