Marginalia1555. Iuly.tude and also the grudging mynds of certaine, which yet stil there remayned behynd, greued not a litle in their myndes to see that so good a man should saue the lyfe of such a Popish a priest, so impudently and openly rayling against king Edward. Among whom one Gentleman said these words: Ah Bradford, Bradford, thou sauest hym that will helpe to burne thee. I geue thee his lyfe: if it were not for thee, I would (I assure thee) run hym through with my sword. Thus Bourne for that tyme, through Bradfords meanes escaped bodyly death: but God hath his iudgement to be shewed in the tyme appoynted.

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MarginaliaBradford rebuketh the people for the tumult at Paules crosse.The same sonday in the after noone Bradford preached at the Bowe Church in Cheapside, and reproued the people sharply for their seditious misdeamenor.  

After this he dyd abyde styll in London with an innocent conscience, to trye what should become of his iust doyng.

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Within three dayes after he was sent for to the Tower of London, where the Queene then was, to appeare there before the Coūsel. MarginaliaBradford charged with sedition, for sauing the preacher.There was he charged with this act of sauyng of Bourne, which act they there called seditious,  

& also obiected agaynst hym for preachyng, and so by them he was cōmitted first to the Tower, then vnto other prisons, out of the which neyther his innocencie, godlynes, nor charitable dealyng coulde purchase hym libertie of body,MarginaliaBradford committed to the Tower most vniustly. tyll by death (which he suffred for Christes cause) he obteyned the heauenly libertie, of which neither Pope nor papist shall euer depriue hym. From the Tower he came to the kynges Benche in Southwarke:MarginaliaBradford in the kinges Bench. and after his condemnation, he was sent to the Counter in the Poultrie in London:MarginaliaBradford in the Counter. in the which two places for the tyme he dyd remayne prisoner, he preached twise a day continually, vnlesse sicknes hyndered hym: MarginaliaBradford preacheth and ministreth the Sacrament in prison.where also the sacrament was often ministred, & thorow his meanes (the keepers so wel dyd beare with hym) such resort of good folkes was dayly to his lecture, and to the ministration of the sacrament, that commonly his chamber was welnigh filled therwith. Preachyng, readyng, and praying was all his whole lyfe. He did not eate aboue one meale a day: which was but very litle when he tooke it: & his continuall study was vpon his knees. In the myddest of dynner he vsed often to muse with hym selfe, hauing his hat ouer his eyes, from whence came commonly plentye of teares droppyng on his trencher. Very gentle he was to man and chyld, and in so good credite with his keeper, that at his desire, in an euenyng (beyng prisoner in the kinges Bench in Southwarke)   MarginaliaBradford came into London without his keper, and returned that night to prison agayne.he had licence vpon his promise to returne againe that night, to go into London without any keeper, to visite one that was sicke, lying by the Stiliard.   Neither did he fayle his promise, but returned vnto his prison agayne, rather preuenting his houre, then breakyng his fidelitie: so constant was he in word and deede.

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MarginaliaThe description of Bradford.Of personage he was somewhat tall and slender, spare of body, of a faint sāguine colour, with an Awburne beard. He slept not commonly aboue foure houres in the night:MarginaliaBradford content with a litle sleepe and in his bedde tyll sleepe came, his booke went not out of his hand. MarginaliaBradfords recreation.His chiefe recreation was in no gamyng or other pastime, but onely in honest company, and comely talke, wherin he woulde spend a litle tyme after dynner at the bourd, and so to prayer and his booke againe. MarginaliaThe holy life of Bradford.He counted that houre not well spent, wherein he dyd not some good, eyther with his pen, study, or in exhortyng of others &c. He was no niggard of his purse, but would liberally participate that he had to his felow prisoners. MarginaliaBradford visited the theeues, pickpurses. &c.And commonly once a weeke hee visited the theeues, pickpurses, & such others, that were with hym in the prison where he lay, on the other side: vnto whom he would geue godly exhortation to learne the amendement of their liues by their troubles, and after that so done, distribute among them some portion of money to their comfort.

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By the way this I thought not to conceale. Whyle he was in the kynges Benche, and Maister Saunders in the Marshalsey, both prisoners, MarginaliaThe meeting and conferēce betwene Laurence Saunders, and Iohn Bradford.on the backeside of those two prisons they met many tymes,  

and conferred together when they woulde: so mercyfully dyd the Lorde woorke for them, euen in the middest of their troubles: and the said Bradford was so trusted with his keeper, and had suche libertie in the backside, that there was no day but MarginaliaBradford refusing to escape out of prison, though he might.he might haue easily escaped away, if he woulde, but that the Lorde had an other woorke to doo for hym. In the sommer tyme while he was in the sayd kynges Bench, he had libertie of his keeper, to ryde into Oxfordshyre   to a Marchauntes house of his acquaintance, and horse and al thyngs prepared for hym for that iourney, and the party in a readynesse that should ryde with hym: but God preuented hym by sicknes that he went not at all.

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One of his olde frendes and acquaintaunce came vnto hym whylest he was prisoner, and asked hym: if he sued to get hym out, what then he would doo, or whither he would goe? Vnto whom he made answeare, as not caryng whe-

ther he went out or no: but if he dyd, he sayde, he woulde marry, and MarginaliaBradford would not flye out of England though he might.abyde styll in England secreately, teachyng the people as the tyme would suffer hym and occupye hym selfe that way. He was had in so great reuerence and admiration with all good men, that a multitude which neuer knew hym but by fame, greatly lamented his death: MarginaliaBradford beloued.yea, and a number also of the Papistes themselues wished hartily his lyfe. There were few dayes in which he was thought not to spende some MarginaliaBradfords teares.teares before he went to bed, neyther was there euer any prisoner with hym, but by his companye he greatly profited, as all they wyll yet wytnes, and haue confessed of hym no lesse, to the glorye of God, whose societie hee frequented, as among many, one speciall thyng I thought to note, which is this.

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Bishop Farrar beyng in the kynges Bench prisoner, as before you haue heard, was trauailed withal of the Papistes, in the end of Lent, to receyue the sacrament at Easter, in one kinde, who after muche perswading, yeelded to them, and promysed so to do. Then (so it happened by Gods prouidence) the Easter euen, the day before he shoulde haue done it, MarginaliaByshop Farrar confirmed in the truth by Iohn Bradford.was Bradford brought to the kynges Bench prisoner: where the Lord making hym his instrumēt, Bradford onely was the meane that the sayd B. Farrar reuoked his promise & word, & would neuer after yeelde to be spotted with that papistical pitch: so effectually þ^e Lorde wrought by this worthy seruant of his. Such an instrument was he in Gods Church, that few or none there were that knew hym, but esteemed hym as a precious iewel and Gods true messenger.

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MarginaliaBradford dreameth of his burning according as it came to passe.The night before he was had to Newgate, which was þ^e saterday night, he was sore troubled diuers tymes in his sleepe by dreames, howe the chayne for hys burnyng was brought to the Counter gate, and how the next day beyng Sonday, he shoulde be had to Newgate, and on the Monday after burned in Smithfield, as in deede it came to passe accordingly, which hereafter shalbe shewed. Nowe he beyng vexed so often tymes in this sorte with these dreames, about three of the clocke in the morning, he waked him that lay with hym, and told hym his vnquiet sleepe, and what he was troubled withall. Then after a litle talke, Maister Bradford rose out of the bed, and gaue hym selfe to his olde exercise of readyng and prayer, as alwayes he had vsed before: and at dynner, according to his accustomed maner, he dyd eate his meate, and was very mery, no body being with hym from mornyng tyll night, but he that laye with hym, wyth whom he had many tymes on that day communicatiō of death, of the kyngdome of heauen, and of the ripenesse of sinne in that tyme.

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In the after noone they two walking together in the keepers chāber, sodainly the keepers wife came vp, as one halfe amazed, & seeming much troubled, being almost windles, saide: Oh M. Bradford, I come to bring you heauye newes. What is that said he? MarginaliaBradford, hath word of his burning.Mary quoth she, to morow you must be burned, & your chayne is now a buying, & soone you must go to Newgate. With that M. Bradford put of his cap, and lyfting vp his eyes to heauen, said: I thanke God for it: I haue looked for the same a long tyme, and therfore it commeth not now to me sodainly, but as a thing wayted for euery day & houre, the Lord make me woorthy thereof: and so thanking her for her gentlenes, departed vp into his chamber, and called his frend with him, who when he came thyther, he went secretly hym self alone a long time and prayed. Whiche done, he came againe to hym that was in his chamber and tooke hym diuers writynges and papers, and shewed hym his mynde in those thynges what he woulde haue done, and after they had spent the afternoone tyll night in many and sundry suche thynges, at last came to hym halfe a dosen of his frendes more, with whom all the euenyng he spent the tyme in prayer and other good exercises, so wonderfully, that it was marueylous to heare and see his doinges.

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A litle before he went out of the Counter, he made a notable prayer of his farewell,MarginaliaBradford maketh his prayer taking his farwell at the Counter. with suche plentie of teares and aboundant spirite of prayer, that it rauished the myndes of the hearers. Also, when he shifted hym selfe with a cleane shyrt  

that was made for his burnyng (by one Master Water Marlars wyfe, who was a good nourse vnto hym, and his very good frende)   he made suche a prayer of the weddyng garment, that some of those that were present were in such great admiration, that their eyes were as throughly occupied in lookyng on hym, as their eares gaue place to heare hys prayer. MarginaliaBradfordes going from the Counter.At his departyng out of the chamber, he made likewise a prayer,and gaue money to euery seruaunt and officer of the house, with exhortation to them to feare and serue God, continually labouryng to eschewe all maner of euyll. That done, he turned hym to the wall and prayed vehemently, that his woordes might not be spoken in vayne, but that the Lord woulde woorke the same in

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