1576 Edition | Book 12 | Page 1889 
MarginaliaAn. 1557. Mqarch.conuented before you, doo obstinately persist or stand in any maner of heresie, or hereticall opinion, that then ye or three of you doo immediately take order, that the same person or persons, so standing or persisting, be deliuered and committed to his Ordinary, there to be vsed according to the spiritual and ecclesiastical lawes.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaVacaboundes or maisterles men.And also we geue vnto you, or three of you, full power and authoritie, to enquire and searche out al vacaboundes, and maisterles men, Barettours, quarrellers, and suspect persons, abiding within our citie of London, & tenne myles compasse of the same, and al assaultes and affrayes done and committed within the same citie and compasse.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaDecay of Churches and Chappells.And further to searche out all waste, decayes, and ruines of Churches, Chauncelles, Chappelles, Personages and Vicarages in the Dioces of the same, being within this Realme, geuyng you and euery of you full power and authoritie by vertue hereof to heare and determine the same, and all other offences and matters aboue specified and rehearsed, according to your wisedomes, consciences, and discretions, willing and commaunding you or three of you, from tyme to tyme, to vse and deuise al such politike wayes and meanes, for the trial and searching out of the premisses, as by you or three of you shall be thought most expedient & necessary: and vppon inquirie and due proofe had knowen, perceiued and tried out, by the confession of the parties, or by sufficient witnesses before you, or three of you, cōcerning the premisses or any part therof, or by any other wayes or meanes requisite, to geue and award such punishmēt to the offenders, by fine, imprisonment, or otherwise, and to take such order for redresse and reformation of the premisses, as to your wisedomes, or three of you shalbe thought meete & conuenient.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaPrisoning of the obstinate.Further willyng and commaunding you and euerye three of you, in case you shall finde any person or persons, obstinate or disobedient, either in their appearaunce before you or three of you, at your calling or assignement, or els in not accomplishing or not obeying your Decrees, Orders, and Commaundementes in any thing or thinges, touching the premisses or any parte thereof, to commit the same person or persons so offending, to ward, there to remayne, tyll by you or three of you he be discharged or deliuered. &c.
CloseAt this point Foxe's reprinting of the document concludes in the 1570, 1576 and 1583 editions. Foxe retained the portion of the document dealing with the execution and imprisonment of religious offenders, but he dropped the section dealing with fines.
CloseMuch of this account - Kingston's letter to Bonner, the indenture on the delivery of the prisoners and the formal confession of the prisoners - was printed in the 1563 edition. In the 1570 edition, Foxe added Bonner's letter to Pole, an informal confession of some of the prisoners and the petition of the prisoners. Foxe's sources for the 1563 edition are clearly London diocesan records; for the 1570 edition, he has apparently drawn from the Canterbury records.
[Back to Top]Foxe credits Pole with saving the prisoners, but there are other possible readings of these documents. What is clear is that the Colchester magistrates and Bonner's commissioners had arrested these prisoners and sent them to Bonner in London. Their arrival in the capital created a commotion which greatly worried Bonner. His solution was to have the prisoners taken to Fulham and tried there, but he sought to obtain Pole's permission for this. In the event, the prisoners were released upon making a deliberately vague submission of belief in the eucharist.
[Back to Top]AFter this bloudy Proclamation or Commission thus geuen out at London, whiche was February 8. the thirde and fourth yeares of the Kynge and Queenes raigne, these new Inquisitours, especially some of them beganne to ruffle and to take vppon them not a litle: so that al quarters were ful of persecution and prisons almost ful of prisoners, namely in the Dioces of Canterbury, wherof (by the leaue of Christ) we wyll say more anone.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaPersecution about Colchester.In the meane tyme, aboute the Towne of Colchester, the wynde of persecution beganne fiercely to rise: insomuch that three and twentie together, men and women were apprehended at one clap, of the which xxiij. one escaped. MarginaliaXXij. for Gods worde apprehended.The other. xxij. were driuen vp like a flocke of Christen lambes, to London, with two or three leaders with them at most, ready to geue their skinnes to be pluckt of for the Gospelles sake. Notwithstanding the Bishops, afraide belike of the number, to put so many at once to death, sought meanes to deliuer them, and so they dyd, drawing out a very easie submission for them, or rather suffring them to drawe it out thē selues: notwithstanding diuers of thē afterward were takē againe, & suffered, as hereafter ye shal heare (God willing) declared. Such as met them by the way commyng vp, saw thē in the fields scattering in such sort, as þt they might haue easily escaped away. MarginaliaThe aray and order of these 22. prisoners comming vp to London.And whē they entred into the townes, their keepers called them againe into aray, to goe two & two together, hauing a bande or lyne going betweene them, they holding the same in their handes, hauing an other corde euerye one about his arme, as though they were tied. And so were these fourteene men and eight women carried vp to London, the people by the way praying to God for them, to geue them strength. At the entring into London, they wer pinioned, & so came into the citie, as the Picture here shortly after folowing with their names also subscribed, doth describe. But first let vs declare concerning their taking and their attachers, conteined in the Cōmissaryes letter, written to Boner: then, the Indenture made betweene the cōmissioners and the popishe Commissary. The letter of the Commissary is this.
[Back to Top]AFter my duetie done in receiuyng and accōplishing your honorable and most louing letters, dated the 7. of August: Be it knowen vnto your Lordship, that the 28. of August the MarginaliaLorde of Oxforde, L. Darcy, H. Tyrrell, Antony Browne, William Bendelowes, Edmunde Tyrrell, Richard Weston, Roger Appleton, Iohn Kingstone Commissarie, persecutors.Lord of Oxenforde, lord Darcy, H. Tyril, A. Brown, W. Bendlowes, E. Tyril, Ric. Westen, Roger Apleton, published their cōmission to seise the lands and tenements & goods of the fugitiues, so that the owners should haue neither vse nor commoditie thereof, but by Inuentory remaine in safe keeping, vntyl the cause were determined.
[Back to Top]And also there was likewise proclaimed the queenes graces warrant, for the restitutiō of the Church goods within Colchester, and the hundredes therabout to the vse of Gods seruice. And then were called the parishes particularly, and the heretikes partly cōmitted to my examination. And that diuers persons should certifie me of their ornaments of their Churches, betwixt this and the Iustices next appearaunce, which shalbe on Micheelmasse euen next. And that parish which had presented at two seueral tymes, to haue al ornaments, with other things in good order, were exonerated for euer, to they were warned againe, and others to make their appearaunce from tyme to tyme. And those names blotted in the Indenture, were indited for treason, fugitiues, or disobedients, and were put forth by maister Brownes commaundement. And before the sealing, my Lord Darcy saide vnto me a part, and M. Bendlowes, that I shoulde haue sufficient tyme to send vnto your Lordship, yea, if neede were, the heretikes to remaine in durance tyl I had an answere frō you: yea to the Lorde Legates graces Commissioners come into the Countrey.
[Back to Top]And maister Browne
This is Robert Brown, a Colchester alderman and not Sir Anthony Browne, the Essex magistrate who frequently appears in Foxe's pages.
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Sir, ye haue indited and deliuered me by this Indenture, whose fayth or opinions I knowe not, trustyng that ye wyll graunt me a tyme to examine them, leaste I shoulde punishe the Catholikes. Well, saide maister Browne, for that cause ye shall haue tyme betwixt this and Wednesday. And I say vnto you maister Bayliffes, if he doo not receyue them at your handes on Wednesday, set open your doores, and let them goe.
[Back to Top]Then I: My Lord and maisters al, I promise to discharge the town and countrey of these heretikes, within ten daies. Then my Lord Darcy said: Commissary, we doo and muste al agree in one. Wherfore do you receiue them on, or before Wednesday.
Then I. My Lorde, the laste I carryed, I was goyng betwixte the Castell, and Saint Katherines Chappell, two houres and an halfe, and in greate preasse and daunger: MarginaliaWhat adoe is here with the Butchers to bring the poore Lābes to the Shambles.wherefore this maye be to desire your Lordship to geue in commaundemente vnto my Maister Sayer, Bayliffe, here present, for to ayde me through his Liberties, not onely with men and weapons, but that the Towne clarke maye be ready there with his booke to write the names of the moste busie persons, and this vpon three houres warning, al which both my Lord and M. Browne commaunded.
[Back to Top]And the. 31. of August, Williā Goodwin of Muchbyrch husbandman, this brynger, and Thomas Alsey of CopfordeMarginaliaThomas Alsey of Copford Apparitor to Byshop Boner. your Lordships Apparitour of your Consistorie in Colchester, couenaunted with me, that they should hyre two other men at the least, whereof one should be a Bowman, to come to me the next day about two of the clocke at afternoon, so
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