MarginaliaA letter of Syr Richard Southwell to Byshop Boner.Marginalia1555. August.vnto the Counsaile, one William Andrew of Thorpe within the Countie of Essex, an arrogant heretike. Their pleasure was to commaunde me to commyt hym vnto Newegate, where he remayneth, and as I am infourmed, hath infected a number in the prison with his heresie.  

Your Lordship shall doo very well (if it please you) to conuent hym before you, and to take order with him, as his case doth require. I knowe the Counsaile meant to haue writ herein vnto your Lordship,   but by occasion of other businesse the thing hath bene omitted. Wherefore knowing their good pleasure, I did aduise the keeper of Newgate to waite vpon you with these few lines. And so referring the rest to your vertuous consideration, I remaine your good Lordships to commaund, this. 12. of Iune. 1555.

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Richard Southwel.

MarginaliaW. Andrew twyse before B. Boner.This William Andrewe being twise brought before Boner to examination, there manfully stoode in the defence of his Religion. MarginaliaW. Andrew through strait handling dyed in Newgate.At length through strayte handlyng in the Prison of Newgate, there he lost his life, which els his aduersaries would haue taken awaye by fire: and so after the popish maner he was cast out into the fielde, & by night was priuily buried by the handes of good men and faythful brethren.MarginaliaWilliam Andrew buryed in the fieldes.

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MarginaliaM. Foster Iustice a persecutour of Christes people.MAster Foster Iustice, dwelling at Cobdock in þ^e Coūtie of Suffolk, & a litle frō Ipswich, being in continual hatred against þ^e truth & þ^e professors of the same, did not only not cease daye nor night to studye howe to bring those in thrall and captiuitie that were honest & godly inclined to religion, but also what soeuer they were that once came in his clawes, they easily escaped not without clog of conscience, or els losse of life: so greedy was he of bloud. Amōg many whō he had troubled, there was one Samuel MarginaliaRobert Samuell in King Edwards dayes a godly preacher.in king Edwards dayes, a very godly and right faithfull fauourer of Gods woorde, who for his valiant and constant behaueour in his sermons, seemeth worthy of high admiration. He was minister at Barfold in Suffolke, where he taught faithfully and fruitfully that flocke which the Lord had cōmitted to his charge, so long as the time would suffer him to doo his duetye.

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At the laste being remoued from the Ministerie, and put from his BeneficeMarginaliaRobert Samuell remoued from the ministery. (as many other good Pastours were beside) when he could not auoyde the raging violence of the tyme, yet woulde hee not geue ouer his care that he had for his flocke, but woulde teache them priuily and by stealth, when he coulde not openly be suffered so to doo. At what tyme order was taken by the Queene, to be published by the Commissioners, that all Priestes which had maryed in Kyng Edwardes dayes, puttyng their wyues from them, should be compelled to returne agayne to their chastitie and single lyfe. MarginaliaRobert Samuell would not consent to the wicked decree of Q. Mary to put away his wyfe.This Decree woulde not Samuell stand vnto, for that he knewe it to be manifestly wicked and abominable, but determinyng with hym selfe that Gods lawes were not to bee broken for mans traditions, kept his wife styll at Ipswich, and gaue his diligence in the meane tyme to the instructyng of other whiche were about hym, as occasion serued. At laste maister Foster hauing intelligence hereof, being a great dooer in those quarters, foreslacked  

no time nor diligence, but eftsoones sendeth out his espials abroade, laying harde wayte for Samuell, that if he came home to his wyfe at any tyme, they might apprehend hym, and cary hym to prison.

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In conclusion, when suche as shoulde betraye hym, espyed hym at home with his wife, they bringyng woorde to the Officer, came immediately flocking about his house, and beset it with a greate companye, and so tooke hym in the night season,MarginaliaRobert Samuell apprehended in his house by night. because they durste not doo it in the daye tyme, for feare of trouble and tumult,  

although good Samuell dyd nothyng withstande them at all, but meekely yelded hym selfe into their clouches of his owne accorde. When they had thus caught hym, they put him into Ipswiche Gayle,MarginaliaRobert Samuell put in Ipswich Gayle. where he passed his tyme meekely among his godly brethren, so long as he was permitted to continue there. Howbeit not long after, being taken from thence, he was carryed (through malice of the wicked sorte) to Norwich,MarginaliaRobert Samuell remoued to Norwich. where the saide Bishop Doctour Hopton, (whether he or Doctour Dunnynges his Chauncellour)   full lyke vnmercyfull Prelates exercised greate crueltie agaynste hym, as in deede they were men in that tyme of persecution, as had not their matches for straytnes and cruell tormenting the bodyes of the Saintes among all the rest beside, and specially through the procuryng of Dunnynges. For although the other were sharpe enough in their generation: yet could

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they be satisfied with imprisonment and death, and woulde goe no further. MarginaliaThe cruelty of Dunninges the bloudy Chauncellour.Neyther did I euer yet heare of any besides these, whiche so farre exceeded all boundes of pitie and compassion in tormentyng their poore brethren as this Bishop dyd: in suche sorte that many of them he peruerted and brought quite from the truth, and some from their wyttes also.

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The bishop therfore, or els his Chācellor, thinking that he might as easily preuaile with Samuel, as he had done w^t other before, MarginaliaThe cruell handling of Robert Samuell in prison.kept hym in a very strait prison at his first cōmyng, wher he was chained bolt vpright to a great post, in suche sort, that standing onely on typtoe, he was faine to stay vp the whole paise or weight of his body thereby. And to make amendes for the crueltie or paine that he suffered, they added a far more greuous torment, keping hym without meate and drinke, wherby he was vnmercyfully vexed through hūger and thirst: sauing that he had euery day allowed two or three mouthfuls of bread, & three sponfuls of water, to the ende rather that he might be reserued to farther torment, then that they would preserue his life.MarginaliaRobert Samuell famished in prison. O worthy constancie of the martyr. O pitiles hartes of papistes, worthy to be complained of , and to be accused before God and nature.  

O the wonderfull strength of Christe in his members? Whose stomacke, though it had bene made of Adamant stone, would not haue relented at these intollerable vexations, and exreme paynes aboue nature? MarginaliaRobert Samuell desirous to drinke his owne water, and could notHowe often tymes would he haue drunken his owne water, but his bodye was so dryed vp with this long emptines, that he was not able to make one drop of water?

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At the laste when he was brought forth to be burned,  

which was but a trifle in comparison of those paynes that he had passed, MarginaliaStrange visions that hapned to Samuell. Samuell brought to burning.certaine there were that hearde hym declare what straunge thinges had happened vnto hym during the tyme of his imprisonmēt: to wyt, þ^t after he had bene famished or pined with hunger two or three dayes together, he then fell into a sleepe, as it were one halfe in a slumber, at whiche tyme one clad all in white, seemed to stande before hym, which ministred comfort vnto hym by these wordes: Samuel, Samuel, be of good chere, and take a good hart vnto thee. For after this day shalt thou neuer be either hungry or thirsty: Which thyng came euen to passe accordingly: for speedyly after he was burned, and from that tyme tyll he shoulde suffer, he fealt neither hunger nor thirst. And this declared he, to the ende (as he said) that all men might behold the wonderfull workes of God. Many moe like matters cōcerning the great comfort he had of Christ in his afflictiōs, he could vtter (he said) besides this, but that shamfastnes and modestie would not suffer hym to vtter it.MarginaliaGreat comfortes ministred by the Lord to Samuell in his paynfull prisonment. And yet if it had pleased God, I would he had bene lesse modest in that behalfe, that the loue and care that Christe hath of his, might haue the more appeared thereby vnto vs by such present argumentes, for the more plentifull comforte of the godly, though there be sufficient testimonies of the same in the holy scriptures already.

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MarginaliaAn other memorable vision of Samuell in prison.No lesse memorable it is, and worthy also to be noted concerning the three ladders which he told to diuers he saw in his sleepe, set vp toward heauen: of the which there was one somewhat longer then the rest, but yet at length they became one, ioynyng (as it were) al three together. This was a forewarnyng reuealed vnto hym, declaryng vndoubtedly the martyrdome, first of hym selfe, and then the death of two honest women, which were brought forth and suffered in the same towne anone after.

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As this godly martyr was going to the fire, there came MarginaliaThe name of this mayde was Rose Nattingham.a certaine mayde to hym which tooke hym about the necke and kyssed hym, who being marked by them that were present, was sought for the next daye after, to be had to prison and burned, as the very partie her selfe informed me:  

Howbeit, as God of his goodnes would haue it, she escaped their fiery handes, keeping her selfe secrete in the towne a good while after. But as this mayd, called Rose Nattingham, was marueilously preserued by the prouidence of God: so there were other two honest women dyd fall into the rage and furie of that tyme. MarginaliaTwo godly women, the one a Bruers wyfe, the other a shomakers wyfe, apprehended.The one was a Bruers wyfe, the other was a Shoomakers wife, but both together nowe espoused to a newe husband Christ.

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With these two was this mayd  

aforesaid very familiar & wel acquainted, who on a tyme geuyng coūsayle to þ^e one of them, that shee should conuey her selfe away while shee had tyme and space, seeing she could not away with the queenes vniust proceedings, had this answere at her hands againe: I know wel, saith she, that it is lawful enough to flee away, which remedy you may vse, if you list. But my case standeth otherwise. MarginaliaThis godly wife exhorted to flye, would not so do, hauing husband and children to sticke to.I am tyed to an husband, & haue besides a sort of yong childrē at home: and then I know not how my husband, being a carnal man, wyl take my departure from hym: therfore I am mynded for the loue of Christ and his truth, to stand to the extremitie of the matter.

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