from thence after a space came to the house aforesayd.

Item, here is also to be noted touchyng the sayd Duke of Somerset, that albeit at his death relatiō is made of a sodeine fallyng of the people, as was at the takyng of Christ, this is not to be expounded as though I compared in any part the Duke of Somerset with Christ.

And though I do somethyng more attribute to the cōmendation of the sayd Duke of Somerset, which dyed so constantly in his Religion, yet I desire thee gētle reader, so to take it, not that I dyd euer meane to derogate or empeyre the martiall prayse or factes of other men, whiche also are to be commended in such thynges where they well deserued.

Item, touchyng the same Duke of Somerset, where the story sayth, pag. 1317. he was attaynted, read indited.

MarginaliaThis N. Vnderwoode dwelleth now at Coton by Nunne Eaton, and Laurence in Nunne Eaton.Item, pag. 1348. where mention is made of one Nicolas vnderwode to be the betrayer of the Duke of Suffolke: ioyne with the sayde vnderwode also Nicolas Laurence, alias Nicolas Ethell keper of Asteley Parke, who takyng vpon hym and promising to keepe the Duke, for ij. or three dayes vntill hee might finde some meanes to escape, conueyed hym into an hollow tree, and after most traiterously bewrayed hym.

Item, fol. 1348. in the story of Syr Thomas Wiat there is also to be corrected, that where the story sayth that he was taken by Syr Clement Parson, whiche was not so, nor he no such Knight, amend it thus, that he first came to Clarentius beyng sent vnto hym, and afterwarde yelded hym to Syr Morris Bartley.

Briefly and in generall, besides these castigations aboue noted, if thou finde any other cōmitted in the printing hereof, gently I desire the gentle reader, to bestow a little paines with thine owne hand to amend them.

¶ The Martyrdome of one Snel, burned about Richmond in Queene Maries tyme, omitted in this history.  

Commentary     Close

The stories of Snel and Laremouth must have reached Foxe just as the 1570 edition was being published. They were inserted before the title page of the 1570 edition and then transferred to the end of the 1576 edition. These stories were then reprinted in the appendix to the 1583 edition.

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of one Snel by Richmond.AT Bedaile a market towne in Yorkshyre, were two men in the latter dayes of Queene Mary, þ^e one named Iohn Snel, and the other Richard Snel. Who beyng suspected for Religion, were sent vnto Richmond, where Doctor Dakins had commission from the Byshop of Chester to haue the examination of them.

This Doctor Dakins many times conferred with them, some tymes threatenyng fire and fagot if they woulde not recant, and sometymes flatteryng them with fayre fables if they would returne into the holy Catholicke Church. But they stode constantly to the sure rocke Iesus Christ, in whom they put their whole trust and confidence, whiles at last beyng so sore imprisoned that their toes rotted of, and the one of them could not go without crouches, they brought them to the Church by compulsion, where the one of them heard their abhominable Masse, hauyng a certayne summe of money geuen hym by the beneuolence of the people, and so departed thence: but the first newes that was heard of hym within iij. or iiij. dayes was that he had drowned hym selfe in a riuer runnyng by Richmond called Swaile.

MarginaliaGods punishment vpon the Doctor that condemned Snel.Immediatly after D. Dakyns geuyng sentence that the other shoulde be burnt, came home to hys house and neuer ioyed after, but dyed. The commissary of Richmond named Hillings, preached at his burnyng, exhorting hym to returne to the Church: but hys labor was in vayne, the constāt martyr stāding strōgly to the faith which he professed.

Then beyng brought to the stake, whereunto he was tyed by a girdle of iron, there was geuen vnto him gunpouder and a little strawe was layde vnder hys feete, and set rounde about with small woode and tarre barrels, the fire was put in the straw, which by and by flamyng about hys head, he cryed thrise together: Christ helpe me: In so much that one Robert Atkinson being presēt, sayde: hold fast there and we will all pray for thee. Thus this blessed Martyr ended hys life.

ALbeit I am loth to insert any thyng in thys booke which may seeme incredible or straunge to ordinary workyng, for quarelling aduersaries, which do nothing but spie what they may cauill: yet forsomuch as besides other reporters the person is yet aliue, called Thorne a Godly minister, which heard it of the mouth of þ^e party hymselfe. I thought therefore first for the incredible straungenes thereof neyther to place this story in the body of these Actes and Monumentes, and yet in some outcorner of þ^e booke not vtterly to passe it vntouched, for the reader to consider it, and to credite it as he seeth cause. The story is this.

There was on Laremouth, otherwise called Williamson, Chapplayn to Lady Anne of Cleue, a Scotishman, to whō beyng in prison in Q. Maries daies, it was sayd, as he thought, thus sounding in his eares: arise and go thy waies.

MarginaliaThe marueilous deliueraunce of one Laremouth.Wherunto when he gaue no great hede at the first, þ^e second tyme it was sayd to hym agayne in the same wordes. Vpon thys as he fell to his prayers, it was sayd the thyrd time likewise to hym, arise and go thy way, whiche was about halfe an houre after. So he arising vpon the same, immediatly a peece of the prison walle fell downe, & as the officers came in at the outward gate of þ^e castle or prison, he leapyng ouer the ditch escaped, & in the way metyng a certayn beggar, chaunged hys coate with hym, and commyng to the Sea shore, where he found a vessell ready to go ouer, was taken in, and escaped the search, which was straitly layd for hym in all the countery ouer.

MarginaliaA Letter of Wil. Hunter to his mother a little before his burning.MOst reuerent and louyng mother, after my most humble wise I haue me harty cōmēded vnto you, desiring you to pray vnto God most hartely for me, that I may haue his blessing and yours, the whiche I esteeme more worth vnto me, then any worldly treasure. In this present Letter you shall vnderstand the cause of my writyng vnto you at this tyme, that I am in good health and prosperitie, as euer I was in this present lyfe. Wherfore I render thankes vnto almightie God for it, who alone is most worthy of all prayse, trustyng in God you be in health also. Furthermore I certifie you wherfore my father continueth here, to the intent to heare some Godly and ioyfull tidynges, both for soule and body, which I trust it shalbe to you singular comfort and consolation, and to the great reioysing of all other of my frendes. Therfore I desire you, gentle mother to admonishe my brother vnto a Godly life, with diligent attendaūce and to pray for me, considering his bounde duety, that God may by your faithfull prayer, ayde and strength me in this my prosperous iourney and course, whiche I runne trustyng to obtaine a crowne of euerlastyng lyfe, which doth euer endure.

No more vnto you at this tyme, but God pre-
serue you vnto euerlastyng lyfe. So be it.

ANd thus to cōclude (good Christian reader) this present tractatiō not for lacke of matter, but to shortē rather the matter for largenes of þ^e volume, I here stay for this present tyme with further addition of more discourse either to ouerweary thee with longer tediousnes, or ouercharge the booke with lōger prolixitie, hauyng hetherto set forth the Actes & proceedynges of the whole Church of Christ, namely of the Church of England, although not in such particular perfectiō, that nothing hath ouerpassed vs. Yet in such general sufficiency, that I trust not very much hath escaped vs, necessary to be knowen, touchyng the principall affaires, doyngs, & proceedyngs of the Church & Churchmē. Wherin may be sene the whole state, order, descent, course & continuaunce of the same, the increase & decrease of true religiō, the creepyng in of superstitiō, the horrible troubles of persecutiō, the wonderfull assistaūce of the almighty in mainteyning his truth, the glorious cōstācie of Christes Martyrs, the rage of the enemies the alteration of tymes, the trauailes & troubles of the Church, from the first primitiue age of Christes Gospell, to the ende of Queene Mary, and the begynnyng of this our gracious Queene Elizabeth.

Duryng the tyme of her happy reigne, which hath hetherto cōtinued (through the gratious protectiō of þ^e Lord) the space now of 18. yeares as my wish is, so I would, þ^e good wil of þ^e Lord were so, þ^t no more matter of such lamentable stories were offered to write vpō. But so it is I cā not tell how, the elder the world waxeth, the lōger it cōtinueth, the nerer it hasteneth to his end, the more Sathā rageth: geuing still new matter of writing bookes & volumes: In so much that if all were recorded & cōmitted to history, that within þ^e sayd cōpasse of this Queenes reigne hetherto, hath hapned in Scotland, Flaunders, Fraūce, Spayne, Germany, besides this our own coūtrey of England & Ireland, with other coūtries mo. I verely suppose one Eusebi⁹ or Polyistor Alexāder, whiche Pliny writeth of, wold not suffice therūto.

But of these incidents & occurrentes hereafter more, as it shall please the Lord to geue grace & space. In the meane tyme the grace of the Lord Iesus worke w^t thee (gētle reader) in all thy studious readings. And while thou hast space so employ thy self to read, that by readyng thou mayst learne dayly to know that may profite thy soule, may teach thee experience, may arme thee with paciēce, and instruct thee in all spirituall knowledge more & more, to thy perpetuall comfort, and saluatiō in Christ Iesu our Lord to whom be glory in secula seculorum. Amen.