MarginaliaAnno, 1557. September.that I offer my self here vnto the death for the Lords cause, MarginaliaNote well this saiyng of Cicelie Ormes.but I beleue to be saued by þ^e death of Christes passion: and this my death is and shall be a witnes of my faith vnto you all here present. Good people, as many of you as beleue as I beleue, pray for me. Then she came to the stake and laid her hand on it, and sayd: welcome the crosse of Christ. Which being done, she loking on her hand, & seing it blacked with the stake, she

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wiped it vpō her smocke, for she was burnt at the same stake that Simon Miller & Elizab. Cooper was burned at. Thē after she had touched it with her hand, she came and kissed it, and sayd welcome the sweete crosse of Christ, and so gaue her selfe to be bound thereto. After the tormentors had kindled the fire to her, she said: MarginaliaThe last woordes of Cicelie Ormes at the stake.My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirite re,ioyceth in God my Sauiour, and in so saying, she set her hādes together right against her brest, casting her eyes and head vpward, & so stoode, heauing vp her hands by litle and litle, till the very sinowes of her armes brast asunder, and then they fell: but she yelded her life vnto the Lord as quietly as she had bene in a slumber, or as one feeling no paine: So wonderfully did the Lord worke with her: his name therefore bee praysed for euermore, Amen.

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MarginaliaOctober. 27.AFter the death & Martyrdome of Mistres Ioyce Lewes, a litle aboue specified pag. 1905. diuers good men and women in þ^e same towne of Lichfield were vexed and in trouble before the byshop and his Chauncellor, for kissing the said Ioyce Lewes, & drinking with her about the time of her death, the names of which persons were these: MarginaliaGood men and womē troubled in Lichfield, for kissing mistres Ioyce Lewes before her death.Ioane Loue, Elizabeth Smith, Margaret Byddell, Helene Bowring, Margaret Cootesfote, Nicholas Byrde, Iohn Hurleston and his wife, Agnes Glyn, Agnes Glouer,  

Agnes Penyfather. &c. These with other were produced to their examination before the bishop and his Chaūcellor for the cause aboue named, & therfore adiudged for heretikes, for that they did pray and drinke with þ^e sayd Mistres Lewes, but especially Agnes Penifather susteined the most trouble, for þ^t she accōpanied the sayd Ioyce Lewes going to her death. Which Agnes being examined farther of the sayd byshop, what wordes she had spoken to twoo priestes of

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the church of Lichfield, called Iohn Adye and Iames Foxe, concerning the said Ioyce Lewes after her burning, MarginaliaAgnes Penifather accused of twoo Priestes for woordes.said as followeth: that she being asked by the said twoo priestes being at her fathers house in the citie of Lichfield, at such time as she came frō the burning of the sayd Ioyce Lewes, wherefore she the sayd Agnes did weepe for suche an hereticke, meaning Ioyce Lewes, whose soule, said they, was in hell: the said Agnes Penyfather to the demaund made this aunswere, that she thought the said blessed Martyr to be in better case then the sayd twoo priestes were. With the which wordes she being charged, and willed to submitte her self as the other had done aboue rehearsed, to such penaunce as they should inioyne vnto her, refused so to doe, and therfore was commaunded to close prison, the Shrieffes being charged with her vnder payne of one hundred poundes, that none should haue any accesse vnto her. At length at the perswasion of her frendes, she was compelled to do as the other had doone before. and thus much concerning thinges done at Lichfield.

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MarginaliaPersecution among the Godly men at Chichester.ANd now from Lichfield to come to Chichester, although wee haue but little to reporte thereof, for lacke of certeine relation and recordes of that coūtrey, yet it semeth no litle trouble and persecution there also to haue raged, as in other countreyes.  

For what place was there almost in all the Realme, where the Popes ministers did not besturre them, murtheryng some or other, as in the Actes of this Ecclesiastical history may sufficiētly declare. Wherfore as this plague of the Popes tyranny was general to all other people and countreyes of England, so likewise in the Dioces of Chichester diuers and many there were condemned and Martyred for the true testimonie of righteousnes within the compasse of Queene Maries reigne. In the number of whom were these. MarginaliaMartyrs.

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Iohn Foremā, of Est- grymsted. Iohn Warner, of Berne. Christian Grouer,   Commentary     Close This may well be the 'Grove's wife' mentioned in 1563, p. 1646; 1570, pp. 2139-40; 1576, p. 1861 and 1583, p. 1953. of the Ardeaconry of Lewes. Thomas Athoth, Priest.   Commentary     Close There is no other mention in Foxe of the martyrdom of Thomas Athoth but the sentence condemning him is BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 107r-108v. This is probably Foxe's source for proclaiming him a martyr but he may have died in prison, escaped or - less likely - been pardoned. Thomas Auyngton, of Erdinglie. Denys Burgis, of Bux- sted Thomas Rauensdale, of Rye. Iohn Milles,   Commentary     Close The sentence condemning John Mills is BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 105r-106r. of Hel- linglegh.

Nicholas Holden, of Withiam. Iohn Hart, of Withiā. Margery Moris, of Hethfield. Anne Trye,   Commentary     Close This is the 'Mother Tree' whose execution is mentioned by Foxe in 1563, p. 1546; 1570, pp. 2139-40; 1576, p. 1861 and 1583, p. 1953. The sentence against her is among Foxe's papers (BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 109r-110v). of Est- grensted. Iohn Oseward, of Woodmancote. Thomas Harland, of Woodmancote. Iames Moris, of Heth- field. Thomas Dougate, of Estgrenstede. Iohn Ashedon,   Commentary     Close There is no other mention of John Ashedon or his martyrdom in Foxe. Foxe does, however state that 'Ashdon's wife' was burned at Lewes on 27 June 1557 (1563, p. 1602; 1570, p. 2195; 1576, p. 1895 and 1583, p. 2003). of Ketherfield.

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The greatest doers against these godly & true faithful Martyrs, & sitters vpon their condemnation, were these: MarginaliaPersecutours.Christopherson the B. after Day, Rich. Brisley Doctour of law and Chauncellour of Chichester, Rob. Taylor Bach. of law his deputy, Thomas Paccarde Ciuilian, Anthony Clerke, Albane Langdale Bach. of Diuinitie. &c.

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MarginaliaThe examinatiō of Thomas Spurdance.THe Bishops Chauncellor did aske me, if I had beene with the priest, and confessed my sinnes vnto him. And I sayd: no, I had confessed my sinnes to God, and God saith: In what houre so euer a sinner doth repent and be sory for his sinnes, and aske him forgeuenes, willing no more so to doe, he will no more recken his sinne vnto him, and that is sufficient for me.

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Then sayd the Chauncellour: thou denyest the sacrament of penance.

I said: I deny not penāce, but I deny that I should shew my sinnes vnto the priest.

Then sayd the Chauncellor: that is a denying of the sacrament of penance. Write this article.

Haue you receaued the blessed sacrament of the al-