Marginalia1558. Nouēb.drē be faithfull, then am I theirs. God is my father, God is my mother, God is my sister, my brother, my kinsman, God is my frend most faithfull.

MarginaliaThe woman deliuered to the Shrieffe, and led to the place of execution.Then was shee deliuered to the Sheriffe, & innumerable people beholdyng her, shee was led by the officers to the place of execution, without the walles of Exeter, called Sothenhey, where againe these superstitious priestes assaulted her: and shee prayed them to haue no more talke with her, but cryed styl, God be mercyful to me a sinner, God be mercyfull to me a sinner. And so whyles they were tying her to the stake, thus styl shee cryed, and would geue no answer to them, but with much pacience tooke her cruell death, and was with the flames and fire consumed: and so ended this

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The poor woman, finally identified as 'one Prestes wyfe' was sufficiently important to warrant a new, third, small woodcut of a woman at the stake. She has been given strong individual features.

mortal lyfe as constant a woman in the faith of Christ, as euer was vpon the earth. Shee was as simple a woman to see to as any man might behold: of a very litle & short stature, somwhat thicke, about liiij. yeares of age. Shee had a chearfull countenance, so liuely, as though shee had ben prepared for that day of her mariage to meete the Lambe: most pacient of her words & answeres, sober in apparell, meate & drinke, and would neuer be idle: a great comfort to as many as would talke with her: good to the poore, and in her trouble, money, shee said, shee would take none: for shee sayd, I am going to a citie where money beareth no maistry: whiles I am here, God hath promised to feede me. Thus was her mortal life ended. For whose cōstancie God be euerlastingly praysed, Amen.

Touching the name of this woman (as I haue nowe learned)  

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In the 1563 edition, Foxe did not know Mrs Prest's name and, in fact, he never learned her first name.

¶ The persecution and martyrdome of three godly men burnt at Bristow, about the latter yeares of Queene Maryes raigne.  

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Sharp, Benion and Hale

This account reached Foxe as the 1563 edition was nearing completion and it was printed in an appendix to the first edition (1563, p. 1737). The account was integrated into the main text in the 1570 edition, but beyond that, it remained unchanged in subsequent editions. Whoever Foxe's sources were for these martyrs, they appear to have been reliable. The charges against Richard Sharpe survive ina Cause Book in the Bristol Archive (K. G. Powell, The Marian Martyrs and theReformation in Bristol [Bristol: 1972], pp. 13-14).

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MarginaliaThe story of iij. Martyrs which suffred at Bristow.IN writing of the blessed Saintes, which suffered in the bloudy dayes of Queene Mary, I had almost ouerpassed the names and story of three godly Martyrs, whiche with their bloud gaue testimonie likewise to the gospel of Christ, beyng condemned and burnt in the towne of Bristow. The names of whom were these:MarginaliaMartyrs.

MarginaliaRich Sharpe Martyr.Firste Richard Sharpe Weauer, of Bristowe, was brought the. ix. day of March. an. 1556. before MarginaliaM. Dalby Chauncellor of Bristow, persecutor.M. Dalbye Chancellor of the towne or citie of Bristowe, and after examination concernyng the sacrament of the altar, was perswaded by the sayd Dalby & others, to recant, and the. xxix.

of the same moneth was enioyned to make his recantation before the parishoners in his parish Church. Which when he had done, he fealt in his conscience such a tormenting hel, that he was not able quietly to worke in his occupation, but decayed and chaunged, both in colour & liking of his body. Who shortly after vpon a Sonday came into his parish church, called Temple, & after high Masse, came to þ^e queere doore, & said with a loud voyce: Neighbors, beare me record that yonder Idol, (and poynted to the altar) is the greatest & most abominable that euer was: and I am sory that euer I denyed my Lord God. Then the Constables were commaunded to apprehend hym, but none stepped forth, but suffred hym to go out of the Church. After by night he was apprehended & caried to Newgate, and shortly after, he was brought before the said Chancellor, denying the sacrament of the altar to be the body & bloud of Christ, & said, it was an Idol, MarginaliaRichard Sharpe condemned.& therfore was condēned to be burnt by the said Dalby. He was burnt the 7. of May. 1557. and dyed godly, paciently, and constantly, confessing the articles of our faith.

MarginaliaThomas Hale, Martyr.THe Thursday in the night, before Easter. 1557. came one M. Dauid Herrys Alderman, & Iohn Stone, to the house of one Thomas Hale, a Shoomaker, of Bristow, and caused hym to rise out of his bed, & brought hym forth of his doore. To whō þ^e said Tho. Hale said: You haue sought my bloud these two yeres, & now much good doo it you with it. Who being committed to the watchmen, was caried to Newgate, the 24. of April, the yere aforesaid, was brought before M. Dalby the Chācellor, cōmitted by hym to prison, & after by hym condemned to be burnt, for saying the sacrament of the altar to be an Idoll. He was burned the. 7. of May with the foresaid Rich. Sharpe and godly, patiently, and constantly embracing the fire with his armes.

Richard Sharpe and Thomas Hale were burned both together in one fire, and bound backe to backe.

MarginaliaThomas Benion, Martyr.THomas Benion a Weauer, at the commaundement of the Commissioners, was brought by a Constable, the thirteenth day of August. 1557. before Maister Dalby, Chauncellour of Bristowe, who committed hym to prison for saying there was nothyng but bread in the Sacrament, as they vsed it. Wherefore, the twentie day of the said August he was condemned to be burnt by the sayde Dalby, for denying fiue of their Sacramentes, and affirmyng two,