IOhn Wade of Darford in the Countie of Kent Linnen weauer, was condemned by Maurice Bishop of Rochester, and appoynted to be burned at Darford aforesaide. At the daye appoynted for his execution, whiche was in the moneth of Iuly, there was betymes in the mornyng caryed out of the Towne in a Carte, a stake, and there with many bundles of Reedes, to a place a quarter of a myle out of the Towne, called the Brymthe, into a Grauell Pyt thereby, the common place of the execution of felons. Thyther also was brought a load of Broome fagot, with other fagots and talwood. Vnto which place resorted the people of the Countrey in great number, and there taryed his commyng. In so muche that thyther came diuers Fruiterers with horse loades of Cherryes, and solde them. About ten of the clocke commeth ridyng the Sheriffe, with a greate many of other Gentlemen and their retinue, appoynted to assist hym therein, and with them Wade ridyng pinioned, and by hym one Margerie Pollye Tunbridge, both singyng of a Psalme: whiche Margerie, as soone as shee espyed a farre of the multitude gathered about the place where shee shoulde suffer, waityng his commyng, shee said vnto hym verye loude and chearefully: You maye reioyce Wade, to see suche a companye gathered to celebrate your maryage this day.
[Back to Top]And so passing by the place, whiche ioyned harde to the hye way, they were caryed streight downe to the Towne, where shee was kept vntyll the Sheriffe returned from Wades execution. And Wade being made ready, and stripped out of his clothes in an Inne, had brought vnto hym a faire long white shirt frō his wife, which being put on, & he pinioned, was led vp on foot again to the foresaid place. And cōming strayt to þe stake, toke it in his armes, imbracing it, & kissed it, settyng his backe vnto it, & standyng in a Pitche Barrell, whiche was taken from the Beacon, beyng hard by: then a Smyth brought a hoope of yron, and with two staples made hym fast to the stake, vnder his armes.
[Back to Top]As soone as he was thus setled, he spake, with his handes and eyes lyfted vp to heauen, with a chearefull and loude voyce, the last verse of the. lxxxvi. Psalme: Shewe some good token vpon me, O Lorde, that they which hate me, may see it, and be ashamed, because thou Lord hast helped me, and comforted me. Neare vnto the stake was a litle hyll, vpon the top wherof were pitched vp foure staues quadrangle wise, with a couering roūd about like a Pulpit into þe which place, as Wade was thus praying at þe stake, entred a Fryer with a booke in his hande, whom when Wade espied, he cryed earnestly vnto the people, to take heed of the doctrine of the whoore of Babylon, exhorting them to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell preached in K. Edward his dayes. Whom the Sheriffe, thus speaking to the people often interrupted, saying, be quiet Wade, and dye paciently. I am (sayde he) I thanke God, quiet, Maister Sheriffe, and so truste to dye. All this while the Fryer stood styl lokyng ouer the Couerlet, as though he would haue vttered somewhat: but Wade very mightily admonished þe people to beware of that doctrine: whiche when the Fryer perceyued, whether he were amased, or coulde haue no audience of þe people, withdrew hymselfe out of the place immediately without speakyng any woorde, and wente awaye downe to the Towne. Then the Reedes beyng set about hym, he pulled them and imbraced them in his armes, alwayes with his handes (makyng a hole againste his face, that his voyce might be heard, whiche they perceiuyng that were his tormentors, alwaye caste fagottes at the same hole, whiche notwithstandyng he styll as he coulde, put of his face, beyng hurte with the ende of a fagot caste thereat. Then fire beyng put vnto hym, he cryed vnto God often, Lorde Iesus receyue my soule: without any token or signe of impaciencie in the fire, tyll at length, after the fire was once throughly kindled, he was heard no more speake, styll holdyng his hands vp ouer his head together towards heauen, euen when he was dead and altogether rosted, as though they had bene stayed vp with a proppe standyng vnder them.
[Back to Top]This signe dyd God shewe vppon hym, whereby his very enimies might perceyue, þt God had accordyng to his prayer, shewed such a token vpon hym, euen to their shame and confusion. And this was the order of this godly Martyrs execution, this was his ende. Whereby God seemed to confound and strike with the spirite of dumbnes the Fryer that Locust whiche was risen vp to haue spoken agaynste hym: and also no lesse woonderfully susteyned those handes whiche he lyfted vp to hym for comfort in
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Spectatores præsentes Richardus Fletcher pa-
ter, nunc Minister Ecclesiæ Crambroke, Ri-
chardus Fletcher filius, Minister Ecclesiæ Ri-
ensis.
MarginaliaElizabeth Warne Martyr.NOwe seuerally to prosecute the stories of these tenne Martyrs aforenamed, firste we wyll begynne with the history of Elizabeth Warne, who in thys month of August was burned at Stratford Bowe, nye vnto London, wydowe, late the wyfe of Iohn Warne Vpholster, and Martyr, who also was burned in the ende of the moneth of May last past, as before in his storye is recorded, pag. 1496. MarginaliaRead before pag. 1496.This Elizabeth had bene apprehended amongest others, the firste day of Ianuarye, in a house in Bowe Churche yard in London,MarginaliaOf these taken in Bow church yeard, read before pag. 1411. as they were gathered together in prayer, and at that present was carryed to the Counter (as is also aboue specified) where shee laye as prisoner vntyll the. xi. day of Iune. At whiche tyme shee was brought vnto Newgate, and remayned there in like case vnto the seconde day of Iuly. Then shee was sent by the Kyng and Queenes Commissioners vnto Boner Bishop of London: who the sixt day of the same moneth, caused her with diuers others (as Robert Smith, George Tankerfielde. &c.) to be brought before hym into his Pallace, and there examined her vpon sundrye articles, suche as of common order he ministred vnto the poore Saintes and Martyrs of God, as ye may more playnely perceyue by other more large and ample processes, as wel before, as hereafter mentioned.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaElizabeth Warne brought to examination.The chiefest obiection that he vsed, either towardes her, or the most of those, was touchyng the reall and corporall presence of the bodye and bloud of Christe in the sacrament of the aultar, as the chiefest grounde and profitablest foundation for their Catholike dignitie. Many other matters he obiected againste them, as, for not commyng to the Churche, for speakyng againste the Masse, for despising their ceremonies and newe founde sacramentes, with diuers other fonde and trifling toyes, not woorthy any mentionyng. In the ende, when shee had bene diuers tymes brought before hym and other his adherentes, and there earnestly exhorted to recant, shee sayde: MarginaliaThe wordes of Elizabeth Warne at her examination.Doo what ye wyl. For if Christe was in an errour then am I in an errour. Vpon which aunsweare, shee was the xij. day of the same moneth of Iuly adiudged and condemned as an heretique, and so deliuered vnto the secular power (as they terme it) to be by them (yet at the Clergies appoyntment) put to death, which thyng was accomplished in her the same moneth aboue mentioned.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA story of D. Story written vpon the report of D. Martyns owne words.The chiefe procurer of this her death was Doctour Storye, beyng (as it is thought) of some alliaunce, eyther to her the saide Elizabeth, or els to her late husbande.
John Warne, the martyr, who had already been executed on 30 January 1555.
Apparently Martin was the source for this story, but Foxe probably heard it through intermediaries.
Note that Foxe has replaced the savage description of Story in the 1563 edition with an ironic characterization; this is an example of Foxe moderating his language in the second edition of his work.
MarginaliaThe story of George Tankerfield Martyr.GEorge Tankerfield of London Cooke, borne in the Citie of Yorke, about the age of. xxvij.. or xxviij. yeres, was in kyng Edwards dayes a very papist, tyl the tyme queene Mary came in, and then perceiuyng the great crueltie vsed of the Popes side, was brought into a misdoubt of their doinges, and began (as he said) in his hart to abhorre them. And as concernyng the masse, whereof he had but a doubtful opinion before, and much striuyng with hym selfe in that
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