poore woman there was brought to bed, and had no bed to lye in, to whom he brought his owne bed, hym selfe contented to lye in the strawe.

The sayd Egidius beyng detected by a Priest or person of Brusels, was taken at Louane for that religion, which the pope doth cal heresie. Where his aduersaries extended great care and diligence to reduce hym to their doctrine, and to make hym abiure. But as he was a man well reasoned, and singularly wytted, they wēt away many tymes with shame. Thus beyng deteyned viij. monethes in prison, he was sent to Brusels to be iudged: where he comforted diuersMarginalia The humble hart of Gyles.
Feruencie of prayer.
Blasphemie of Papistes.which were there in prison (among whom was also Franciscus Encenas) exhortyng them to constancy of the truth vnto the crown which was prepared for them. At the table he ministred to them all, beyng contented himselfe with the few scrappes which they left. In his prayers he was so ardēt, kneeling by him selfe in some secret place, that he semed to forget him selfe. Beyng called many tymes to meate, he neither heard, nor saw them that stode by hym, till he was lift vp by the armes and then gently he would speake vnto them, as one waked out of a sweete slepe.

Certaine of the Gray Friers some tymes were sent vnto hym by two and two, to reduce him, but he would alwayes desire them to depart from hym, for he was at a point. And whē the Friers at any tyme did miscall him, he euer held his peace, at such priuate iniuries: in somuch that those blasphemers would say abroad, that he had a dombe deuill in hym. But when they talked of any religion, there he spared not, but aunswered them fully by euidences of the Scripture, in such sort, that diuers tymes they would depart meruelyng. At sondry tymes he might haue escaped, the doores beyng let opē, but he would not, for bringyng his keeper in perill.

At length, about the moneth of Ianuary, he was brought to an other prison, to be cōstrayned with torments to confesse Purgatory, and to vtter mo of his felowes. But no forcemēt would serue. Wherfore vpon the 22. of Ianuary he was cōdemned to the fire, but priuely, cōtrary to the vse of þ^t countrey, for opēly they durst not condemne him for feare of the people: so well was he beloued. When tydings of the sentēce came vnto hym, he gaue harty thankes to God, that the houre was come, when he might glorifie þ^e Lord.

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As he was brought to the place of burnyng, where he saw a great heape of woode piled, he required the greater part therof to be taken away, and geuē to the poore: a litle (sayd he) would suffice him. Also seyng a

poore man cōmyng by, as he went, þ^t lacked shoes he gaue his shoes vnto hym. Better (sayd he) so to do, thē to haue his shoes burnt, & the poore to perish for cold. Stāding at the stake the hangmā was ready to strāgle him before, but he would not, saying, there was no such neede þ^t his payne should be mitigated, for I feare not (said he) þ^e fire, do therfore as thou are cōmaūded. And thus the blessed Martyr, liftyng vp his eyes heauē, in the middle of the flame, was extincted, to the great lamētatiō of all that stode by. MarginaliaThe zeale of the people against the bloudy fryers.After that tyme, when the Friers of that Citie would go about for their almes, the people would say: it was not meete for them to receaue almes with bloudy handes. This hystory you shall finde more copiously described, in Franc. Encenas. Ex Franc. Encen.

Afterward the Emperour commyng to Bruzels, there was terrible slaughter and persecution of Gods people, namely in Brabant, Hennegow, & Artoys, the horrour and cruelty wherof is almost incredible: In somuch that at one tyme as good as ij. hundreth men & women together, were brought out of the countrey about, into the Citie, of whom some were drowned, some buryed quicke, some priuely made away, others sent to perpetuall prison: wherby all prisons and towers there about were replenished with prisoners and captiues, and the handes of the hangemn tyred with slaying and killyng, to the great sorow of all thē, which knew the Gospell, beyng now compelled either to deny the same, or to confirme it w^t their bloud. The story hereof is at large set forth by Frauncis. Encenas, a notable learned man, who also himselfe was prisoner the same tyme at Bruzels: whose booke written in Latin, I my selfe haue sene and read, remainyng in the handes of Iohn Oporine at Basill.