Marginalia1558.wise could moue her to recant, shee was sent to prisō again with shameful reuilynges.

Thus she continued in Prison the space of two yeres and three quarters.MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson in prison two yeares and three quarters. In the meane tyme there was burnt her sonne and many other, whereby shee woulde often say: Good Lord, what is the cause that I may not yet come to thee with thy children?MarginaliaElizab. Lawson sory that shee was not burned. wel, good Lord, thy blessed wil be don, and not myne.

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Not long after this, (most happyly) folowed the death of Queene Mary, after whom succeeded our Queene that now is. At which tyme this Elizabeth Lawson remained yet styl in Bury prisō, MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson bayled vpon suretyes in Q. Elizabethes tyme.til at last shee was bayled vpō sureties, or els shee coulde not be deliuered. For shee beyng a condemned person, neither the temporalty, nor yet spiritual authoritie would discharge her without sureties.

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Now shee beyng abroad & her sureties made afrayde by wicked men, saide, they woulde cast her agayne in Prison, except shee would see them discharged.

Then shee got a Supplication, to go vnto þ^e Queenes maiestie, and came to a frende of hers to haue his counsell therein: Who wylled her to stay a while, because shee was olde, the dayes shorte, and the expenses great, and wynter fowle (for it was a litle before Christmas) and to tary vntyll Sommer. MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson preserued from persecution, and ended her lyfe in peace.In the meane tyme God brake the bond, & shortned her iourney: for he tooke her home to hym selfe out of this lyfe in peace.

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MarginaliaElizabeth Lawson troubled with the falling sicknes, after her persecution neuer felt it more.This good olde woman, long before shee went to Prison, had the fallyng sicknesse, and tolde a frende of hers, one Symon Harlston, after shee was apprehended, that shee had it neuer more, but lyued in good health and ioy of hart, through her Lord Christ.

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Shee had a very vnkinde man to her husbande, who while shee was in prison, sold away her rayment, & woulde not helpe her, and after shee was out of Prison, shee returnyng home vnto hym, yet would he shewe her no kindnesse, nor helpe her neither: and yet the house and lande that he dwelt in, he had by her: Wherfore as long as shee lyued, shee was found of the congregation.

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The said Elizabeth Lawson also had a sister, wyfe to one Robert Hollon of Mickfielde, in the same Countie of Suffolke, whiche likewise was persecuted and driuen out from house to house, and a young man her sonne with her, because they would not goe to the church to heare Masse, and receyue the sacrament of the aultar.

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MarginaliaTho. Christenmas, W. Watts.IN this perilous rage of Queene Maryes raigne, were two men persecuted, one called Thomas Christenmas, the other William Wats, of Tunbridge in Kent. As these trauailed from place to place, not restyng two nightes together in one place, it happened them on a tyme to come to Rochester in Kent, where as they entring into the towne, euen at the Townes ende, met with a litle Damosell of eight yeares of age, but whyther shee went, they knewe not. It was then night, and they weery, and fayne therfore would haue lyen in the same town, but could not tell where, they feared so the bloudy Catholikes. At last, they deuised to aske the Damosell whether there were any heretikes in the towne, or no? and shee said, Yea. They asked her where? Shee aunsweared them. At suche an Inne, tellyng the name, and where the Inne was. Shortly after, as they were gone from her, they bethought them selues better, and God so mouyng their hartes, they went to the childe agayne, and asked her howe shee knewe þ^t the Innekeeper (of whō shee spake before) was an heretike. Mary (quoth shee) well enough, and his wyfe also. Howe knowest thou, prety mayden, said they? I pray thee tell vs. How knowe I, said shee? mary because they go to the Church: and those that wyl not holde vp their handes there, they wyll present them, and he hym selfe goeth from house to house, to compell them to come to Church. MarginaliaGods prouidence vpon Tho. Christenmas and W. Wattes.When these two men heard this, they gaue God prayse, and auoyded that house, takyng the warnyng of that Mayd (of good bringyng vp, as it shoulde seeme) to be Gods marueilous prouidence towardes them.

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MarginaliaW. Wattes an other tyme deliuered by the Lordes prouidence.THis foresaid William Wats, dwelling in Queene Maryes dayes at Seale in Kent, the last yeare of her raigne saue one, was apprehended by his enimies, MarginaliaW. Wattes apprehended and brought before the Byshop.and brought by the Constables before the Bishop and Iustices at Tunbridge, where the bishop and Iustices would haue perswaded hym all they could, to turne from the truth: howbeit in vaine, for they coulde not remoue hym, although they spent al the forenoone thereabouts, with many flattering words:

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so mercyful was the Lord vnto hym.

Now, when dinner tyme was come, as they shoulde rise, they committed the prisoner to the constables agayne, and so rose vp to go to dinner. The Constables tooke Wats and led hym to a vittelling house, where after they had well filled them selues, they fell a sleepe, supposing theyr prisoner to be sure enough vnder theyr handes. Wats wife beyng then in the house with her husband, and very carefull for his well doyng, seyng the Constables thus fast a sleepe, desired her husband to depart and go thence, for so much as the Lord had made such away for him. Vnto which her words he would not consent, although she perswaded hym all that she could.

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MarginaliaAn other notable exāple of the Lords prouidence.At the last (they replying one agaynst an other) a straunger heard them, and asked her what the matter was, that shee was so earnest with her husband. The wife told hym. Thē sayd the straunger vnto Wats, these wordes: Father, go thy wayes in Gods name, and tary no longer: the Lorde hath opened the way vnto thee. Wherupon the sayd Wats went his way, and his wife departed from hym and went home to her house at Seale, thinkyng her husband had gone an other way. Now as she was goyng in at her doore, tellyng her frendes of his deliuerance, immediatly came þ^e sayd Wats in also, and they all beyng amased therat, willed hym in all hast to get hym away: for they thought there would be search for hym immediatly.

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Then Wats sayd he woulde eate meate first, and also pray: which he dyd, and afterward departed thence. MarginaliaW. Wattes deliuered out of his enemies handes.So soone as he was out of þ^e doores, & had hyd hym selfe in an holly bush, immediatly came the sayd Constables with. xxx. persons into the sayd house to search for him, where they pearsed the fetherbeds, broke vp his cheastes, and made such hauocke, that it was wonderfull: MarginaliaW. Wattes sought for agayne.and euer among as they were searchyng, the Constables cryed: I will haue Wats, I will haue Wats, I tell thee, I will haue Wats: but (God be thanked) Wats could not be found. And when they sawe it booted not to search for hym, in the ende they tooke his wife, MarginaliaW. Wattes wyfe set in the stockes.and set her in a payre of stockes, where shee remayned two dayes, and shee was very boulde in the truth, and at the last deliuered through the prouidence of God: whose name be glorified in all hys woorkes, Amen.

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MarginaliaGods prouidence in deliuering M. Iohn GlouerWHat a fatherly and manifest prouidence of the Lord likewise dyd appeare in the preseruyng of M. Iohn Glouer of the Dioces of Couentrye and Lichfield, in the Town of Manceter: first at the takyng of Robert his brother. At which tyme although the commission came downe for hym, yet so God ordered the matter, that his brother beyng sicke was apprehended, and yet he beyng whole escaped. Wherof mention is made before, pag. 1615.

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MarginaliaAn other narrow escape of M. Iohn Glouer.And agayne, an other tyme howe miraculously the mercifull prouidence of the Lord wrought his escape out of hys enemies handes, they being at hys chamber doore, & drawing the latch to search for hym: and howe his wife the same tyme was taken and sent to Litchfield, read before, pag. 1620.

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MarginaliaThe escape of a godly man called Dabney.THere was at London a certayne honest Godly person, a Painter named Dabney, whom Iohn Auales  

in the tyme of Queene Mary had brought before Boner to be examined for his faith. It happened the same time, as þ^e sayd Dabney was there, that þ^e Bishop was occupied with examination of other, so that he was byd to stand by, and to wayte the Byshops laysure. Vppon the same, or not long after, sodeinly commeth word to the Byshop to prepare him in all speede: the generall procession taried for hym. The Bishop hearyng that, settyng all busines apart, bustleth hym selfe with all speede possible to the Church, there to furnish the procession. By reason wherof Dabney, whiche newly came to the house, was there left alone, while euery man els was busied in preparyng and settyng them selues forward, accordyng as the case required

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To be short, as the tyme called on, Boner with hys houshold maketh hast so fast as they can out of the doores to the procession. Dabney beyng left alone, commeth downe to the outward Court next the gate, there walkyng with him selfe all heauy, lookyng for nothyng lesse then to escape that daunger. MarginaliaGods secret working in the deliuerance of Dabney.The porter, who was onely left at home, seyng the man to walke alone, supposing he had ben some Citizen there left behynde, and waytyng for opening of the gate, went and opened þ^e wicket, askyng if he would go out. Yea sayd hee, with a good will, if ye will let me out. With all my hart, quoth the Porter, and I pray you so do.

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