Thematic Divisions in Book 12
1. Exhumations of Bucer and Phagius along with Peter Martyr's Wife2. Pole's Visitation Articles for Kent3. Ten Martyrs Burnt at Canterbury4. The 'Bloody Commission'5. Twenty-two Prisoners from Colchester6. Five Burnt at Smithfield7. Stephen Gratwick and others8. Edmund Allen and other martyrs9. Alice Benden and other martyrs10. Examinations of Matthew Plaise11. Richard Woodman and nine other martyrs12. Ambrose13. Richard Lush14. Edmund Allen15. The Martyrdom of Simon Miller and Elizabeth Cooper16. Rose Allin and nine other Colchester Martyrs17. John Thurston18. George Eagles19. Richard Crashfield20. Fryer and George Eagles' sister21. Joyce Lewes22. Rafe Allerton and others23. Agnes Bongeor and Margaret Thurston24. John Kurde25. John Noyes26. Cicelye Ormes27. Persecution at Lichfield28. Persecution at Chichester29. Thomas Spurdance30. Hallingdale, Sparrow and Gibson31. John Rough and Margaret Mearing32. Cuthbert Simson33. William Nicholl34. Seaman, Carman and Hudson35. Three at Colchester36. A Royal Proclamation37. Roger Holland and other Islington martyrs38. Stephen Cotton and other martyrs39. Scourging of Thomas Hinshaw40. Scourging of John Milles41. Richard Yeoman42. John Alcocke43. Thomas Benbridge44. Four at St Edmondsbury45. Alexander Gouch and Alice Driver46. Three at Bury47. A Poor Woman of Exeter48. Priest's Wife of Exeter49. The Final Five Martyrs50. John Hunt and Richard White51. John Fetty52. Nicholas Burton53. John Fronton54. Another Martyrdom in Spain55. Baker and Burgate56. Burges and Hoker57. The Scourged: Introduction58. Richard Wilmot and Thomas Fairfax59. Thomas Greene60. Bartlett Greene and Cotton61. Steven Cotton's Letter62. James Harris63. Robert Williams64. Bonner's Beating of Boys65. A Beggar of Salisbury66. Providences: Introduction67. The Miraculously Preserved68. William Living69. Edward Grew70. William Browne71. Elizabeth Young72. Elizabeth Lawson73. Christenmas and Wattes74. John Glover75. Dabney76. Alexander Wimshurst77. Bosom's wife78. Lady Knevet79. Mistress Roberts80. Anne Lacy81. Crosman's wife82. Congregation at Stoke in Suffolk83. Congregation of London84. Edward Benet85. Jeffrey Hurst86. William Wood87. Simon Grinaeus88. The Duchess of Suffolk89. Thomas Horton 90. Thomas Sprat91. John Cornet92. Thomas Bryce93. Gertrude Crockhey94. William Mauldon95. Robert Horneby96. Mistress Sandes97. John Kempe98. Thomas Rose99. Complaint against the Ipswich Gospellers100. Tome 6 Life and Preservation of the Lady Elizabeth101. The Unprosperous Queen Mary102. Punishments of Persecutors103. Foreign Examples104. A Letter to Henry II of France105. The Death of Henry II and others106. Justice Nine-Holes107. John Whiteman108. Admonition to the Reader109. Hales' Oration110. Cautions to the Reader111. Snel112. Laremouth113. William Hunter's Letter
Critical Apparatus for this Page
Commentary on the Text
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1969 [1942]

Q. Mary. Persecution in Suffolke. Alexander Gouch, Alice Driuer, Martyrs.

MarginaliaAn. 1558. Nouember.Dry. MarginaliaIf Christ had but one body, and that body was eaten vp ouer night, what body then was crucified the next day?What body was it then that was crucified the next day?

Gascoine. It was Christes body.

Dry. How could þt be, when his disciples had eatē hym vp ouer night? except he had two bodyes, as by your argumēt he had: one they did eate ouer night, and an other was crucified the next day. Such a Doctor, such doctrine. Be you not ashamed to teache the people, that Christe had two bodyes? In the. 22. of Luke, MarginaliaLuke 22.He tooke bread, and brake it, and gaue it to his disciples, saying: Take. &c. and do this in the remembraunce of me. Saint Paul also saith. 1. Cor. 11. Marginalia1. Cor. 11.Do this is the remembraunce of me: for as often as ye shall eate this bread, and drinke this cup, ye shall shewe the Lords death tyl he come: and therfore I marueile ye blush not before al this people, to lye so manifestly as ye do. MarginaliaGascoyns mouth stopped.With that Gascoine held his peace, & made her no answere: for, as it seemed, he was ashamed of his doings. Then the Chancellor lyft vp his head of from his cushion, and cōmaunded the Gayler to take her away.

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Dry. MarginaliaThe Chauncellour when he could not aunswere her with reason, sendeth her to prison.Nowe, saide shee, ye be not able to resist the truth, ye commaund me to prison againe. Well, the Lord in the ende shal iudge our cause, and to hym I leaue it. I wisse, I wisse, this geare wyl go for no payment then. So went shee with the Gayler away.

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¶ The second examination of Alice Dryuer.

MarginaliaAn other examination of Alice Driuer before D. Spenser and Gascoyne.THe next day shee came before them agayn, and the Chancellour then asked her, what shee said to the blessed sacrament of the altar.

Dry. I wyll say nothing to it: for you wyll neither beleue me nor your selues. For yesterday I asked you what a sacrament was, & you said, it was a signe: and I agreed therto, & said it was the truth, confirmyng it by the scriptures, so that I went not from your owne wordes: MarginaliaSpenser vp with his sacrament of the aultar agayne.and nowe ye come and aske me againe of such a sacrament as I told you I neuer read of in the scriptures.

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Spenser. Thou lyest noughty woman: we did not say that it was a signe.

Dry. Why masters, be ye not the men that you were yesterday? wyl ye eate your owne wordes? Are ye not ashamed to lye before al this multitude here present, who hearde you speake the same?

MarginaliaGascoyne againe taketh the matter in hand.Then stood vp D. Gascoyne, & said, shee was deceiued: for there were three churches:MarginaliaThree Churches. the malignant Church, the church militant, and the Church trimphant. So he would faine haue made matter, but he could not tel which way.

Dry. Syr, is there mention made of so many Churches in the scripture?

Gasc. Yea.

Dry. I pray you, where finde you this worde (Churche) written in the scripture?

Gasc. It is written in the new Testament.

Dry. I pray you sir, shew the place where it is written.

Gasc. I can not tel the place, but there it is. With that she desired hym to looke in his Testament. Then he fombled & sought about him for one: but at that tyme he had none, and that he knew wel enough, though he seemed to search for it. At the last shee said: Haue ye none here sir?

Gas. No.

Dry. MarginaliaGascoyne little acquainted with the new Testament.I thought so much in deed, that ye were litle acquainted withall. Surely you be a good Doctor. You say, you sit here to iudge accordyng to the lawe, and howe can you geue iudgement, and haue not the booke of the law with you? At which wordes Gascoyne was out of countenaunce, and asked her if shee had done.

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Dry. No, said shee.

Gasc. Then said he, I am as good a doctor as you.

Dry. Wel sir, I had one, but you tooke it from me (as you would take me frō Christ, if you could) & since would ye not suffer me to haue any booke at al: so burning is your charity. But you may wel know (I thank god) that I haue exercised the same: Els could I not haue answered you (to Gods glory be it spoken) as I haue. MarginaliaThe Papistes put to silence by a simple woman.Thus shee put them al to silence, that one looked on another, & had not a word to speak.

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Dry. Haue you no more to say? God be honored. You be not able to resist the spirit of God in me a poore womā. I was an honest poore mans daughter, neuer brought vp in þe vniuersitie as you haue ben, MarginaliaAlice Driuer brought vp at her fathers plough.but I haue driuen þe plough before my father many a time (I thank God:) yet notwithstāding in þe defence of gods truth, & in þe cause of my master Christ, by his grace I wyl set my foot against the foot of any of you al, in the maintenaunce and defence of the same: & if I had a thousand lyues, it should goe for payment thereof. So the Chancellor rose vp, MarginaliaSpenser readeth sentence agaynst Alice Driuer.and read the sentence in Latine of condemnation, and committed her to the secular power, and so went shee to prison again, as ioyful as the byrd of day, praysing and glorifying the name of God.

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¶ Alexander Gouch Martyr.

AT whiche tyme Alexander Gouch also was examined, who was taken with her, as before is said, whose examination here after foloweth.

MarginaliaThe Articles whereupon Gouch was condemned.This Alexander Gouch was examined chiefly of the sacramēt, & other ceremonies of þe Popish church. And as for þt his beliefe was, þt Christ was ascended into heauē, & there remayneth, & that the sacrament was the remēbrance of his death and passion, and for refusing the Masse, and the Pope to be the supreme head of Christes Church, for these causes was he condemned, MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Gouch and Alice Driuer, at Ipswich. Anno. 1558. Nouember 4.and dyed with Alice Driuer at Ipswich, the fourth day of Nouember, whiche was the Monday after al Saintes. 1558. Doctor Myles, Spenser being Chauncellor,  

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This passage, identifying Miles Spencer, who became the archdeacon of Sudbury, was added in the 1570 edition. Spencer died that year and Foxe probably felt that it was now safe to reveal this powerful cleric's controversial past.

they both ending their lyues with earnest zeale, nothing fearing to speake their conscience when they were commaunded to the contrary.  
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In 1563 there are details on their being silenced at the stake which were lost in 1570, when a more detailed account of their execution was added.

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MarginaliaGouch and Alice Driuer brought to the stake.These two godly persons being come to the place wher the stake was set, by vij. of the clocke in the mornyng, notwithstanding they came the selfe same mornyng from Melton Gayle, which is sixe myles from Ipswich, being in their prayers, & singing of Psalmes both of them together, Syr Harry Dowel then being Sheriffe, was very much offended with them, and wylled the Bayliffes of Ipswich to bid them make an end of their prayers.  

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Contrast this account of Sir Henry Doyle's behaviour at an execution with that described at the execution of Richard Yeoman.

They kneelyng vpon a Broome fagot, one of the Bayliffes, whose name was Richard Smart,  
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Earlier Foxe had printed an account of Richard Smart's repentence of his persecution of the godly in Mary's reign.

commaunded them to make an ende, saying: On, on, haue done, haue done: make an ende, nayle them to the stake: yet they continued in prayer.

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Then Sir Harry sent one of his men, whose name is Richard Coue, that they should make an end.

Then Gouch stood vp, and saide vnto the Sheriffe: I pray you M. Sheriffe, let vs pray a litle while, for we haue but a litle tyme to lyue here.

Then said the Bayliffe: Come of, haue them to the fire.

Then the said Gouch & Alice Driuer said: MarginaliaThe Martyrs not suffred to pray.Why M. Sheriffe and M. Bayliffe, wyl you not suffer vs to pray?

Away said sir Harry, to the stake with them.

Gouch answered: Take heede M, Sheriffe. If you forbid prayer, the vengeance of God hangeth ouer your heads. Then they being tyed to the stake, and the yron chayne being put about Alice Driuers necke. O (said shee) here is a goodly neckercher: blessed be God for it.

Then diuers came and tooke them by the hands as they were bound standing at the stake. The Sheriffe cryed, lay handes on them, lay handes on them. With that a great nūber ranne to the stake. The Sheriffe seeing that, let them al alone: so that there was not one taken.

There was one BateMarginaliaBate a rayling persecutor. a Barbour, a busie dooer about them. Who hauyng then a Freese gowne vpon hym, sold it immediately, saying: it stunke of heretikes, with other foule wordes moe. MarginaliaExample of Gods iudgement vpon persecutors.After this within three or foure weekes Gods hand was vpon hym, and so he dyed very miserably in Ipswich.

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¶ The martyrdome of three which were burned at Bury, for the true testimonie of Iesus Christ.  
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Philip Humphrey and John and Henry David

This entire account first appeared in the 1563 edition. The processes against these martyrs and the sentences condemning them survive in Foxe's papers (BL, Harley MS 421, fos. 140r and 142r-143r).

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of 3. good men at Bury.ALthough our history hasteth apace (the Lord be praysed) to the happy death of Q. Mary, yet she dyed not so soone, but some there were burned before, & moe should haue ben burnt soone after them, if Gods prouision had not preuented her with death. In the number of them which suffered the same moneth when Queene Mary dyed, were three that were burned at Bury, whose names were these:

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Philip Vmfry.
Iohn Dauid.
Henry Dauid, his
brother.

Concernyng the burnyng of these three, here is to be noted, that MarginaliaSir Clement Higham persecutor.sir Clement Higham, about a fourtnight before the Queene dyed, did sue out a writ for the burnyng of these three foresaid godly and blessed martyrs, notwithstanding that the queene was then knowen to be past remedie of her sicknesse.

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¶ The trouble and martyrdome of a godly poore woman whiche suffered at Exeter.

MarginaliaThe story of a poore woman burned at Excestor in Queene Maryes tyme.ALthough in such an innumerable company of godly martyrs, which in sundry quarters of this Realme were put to tormentes of fire in Queene Maryes tyme, it be harde so exactly to recite euery particular person that suffered, but that some escape vs eyther vnknowen, or omitted: yet I can not passe ouer a certaine poore woman, and a seely creature, burned vnder the said Queenes raigne, in the Citie of Exeter (whose name I haue not yet learned): who dwellyng sometyme about Cornewaile, hauing a husbād & childrē there, much addicted to þe superstitious sect of Poperye:

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was