MarginaliaA letter of Driāder to one Crispine, reporting the doinges of the Byshop of Winchester at Louane.BEfore my departure from the Citie of Paris, I wrote vnto you by our frēde the Englishman. &c.
Now you shalbe contented onely with the narration of your Bishop of Winchester, who (as appartained to the Ambassadour of so noble a prince) came to Louane with a great brauerie, and was there receiued at one Ieremies house, and moste honourably entertained: where the facultie of Diuines for honor sake, presented hym wine in the name of the whole Vniuersitie. But our famous Doctours, and learned Maisters, for that thei would more depely searche and vnderstande the learnyng, and excellencie of the Prelate, perused and scanned a certaine Oration, made by hym, and now extante, intituled De vera obedientia, in the whiche his Oration, he did impugne the supremacy of the B. of Rome, and preferred his Lordes and kynges authoritie, before the holie Apostolicke Sea, as thei terme it: whiche beyng read and considered by thē, they did not onely repente them, for giuyng hym suche honour, but also recanted that, whiche they had doen: and did not so muche honour hym afore, but now they were as earnest and as spitefull against hym. Richard Lathomus, interpreter of termes, with the fauourers of that fraternitie, and other champions of the fallyng churche, disputed with hym concernyng the Popes supremacy. MarginaliaB. Gardiner defēdeth his boke De vera obedientia at Louane.The bishop stoutly defended his said Oratiō. The Diuines contrary stifly maintained their opiniō, and diuers tymes openly with exclamations called the saied bishop an excommunicate persone, and a scismaticke,MarginaliaWinchester compted for an excommunicate and a schismaticke, at Louaue. to no little reproche & infamie of the English nation. The Bishoppe not long after, mindyng to saie Masse in Sainct Peters Churche, they did deny vnto hym, as to an excommunicate persone, the ornamentes and vestimentes mete for the same, wherewith he beeyng highly offended, sodainly hastened his iourney frō thence. The Deane the nexte daie after made an eloquent Oration, wherin he openly disgraced, and defamed hym. You haue heard nowe a true storie, for oure Doctour was a beholder of the whole Tragedie. &c.
[Back to Top]And this now beyng sufficiente for Gardiners storie, to leaue hym to his iudge, and to let hym go, we shal retourne and proceede (by the grace and leaue of the Lorde) as the course of these dolfull daies shall leade vs, to prosecute the residue of Christes Martyres, as now in order followeth.
There is a note in the Rerum that Webb, Roper and George 'Pictor' wereburned at Canterbury in October 1555 (Rerum, p. 538). Foxe printed the account of the trial in the 1563 edition; this was clearly derived from oral sources, not from official records. In the 1570 edition, Foxe added the story of Roper leaping on his way to the stake; this was also derived from oral sources. There were no further changes to this account in the 1576 and 1583 editions.
[Back to Top]NExt after the death and constant Martyrdom of the twoo moste worthy champions, and standerdbearers of Christes armie, Doctor Nicolas Ridley, and Maister Hugh Latimer (of whom ye haue heard at large) followed thre other stout and bolde souldiours, that is to saie, Iohn Web gentleman, George Roper, and Gregorie Parke.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe appearāce of M. Webbe before the B. of Douer.This Iohn Web was brought before the Bishop of Douer, and Nicolas Harpesfield, or some other deputed in their roume,
Place, position.