haue folowed. When MarginaliaThe comfort of Gods Saintes. the nyght came, they reioysed together, and comforted them selues with meditation of the life to cum, and contempt of this world, singing Psalmes together, till it was day. Rebezies cryed twise or thrise together, away from me Satan. Fridericke beyng in bed with him, asked, why hee cryed, and whether Satan would stoppe him of his course? Rebezies sayd, that Satan set before hym, his parents, but by the grace of God, (sayd he) hee shall do nothyng agaynst me.

The day nexfolowyng, they were brought once or twise before the Counsellers, & required to shew, what felowes they had moe, of the sayd assemble. Which when they would not declare, the sentence was read agaynst them, that they should be brought in a dong carte, to Maulbert place, and there hauing a balle in there mouthes, to be tyed, ech one to hys poste, and afterward to be strangled, and so to bee turned into ashes.

Afterward came the Friers and Doctors, Demochares, Maillard and other, to confesse them, and offering to them a Crosse to kysse, which they refused. Then Demochares by force made Rebezies to kisse it, whether he would or no: crying to thē moreouer, that they shoulde beleue in thee Sacrament. What, sayd Fridericke, will you haue vs to plucke Christ Iesus out from the right hand of his father? Demochares sayd, that so many of their opinion had suffered death before, and yet none of them all, euer did any miracles, as the Apostles and holy Martyrs did. Fridericke asked them if they required any miracle. No sayd they, and so stoode mute, saue onely that Demochares prayed them to consider well what they had sayd vnto them. MarginaliaDoct. Maillard gageth hys soule. Maillard also added, that he would gage his soule to bee damned, but it was true. Fridericke aunswered, that hee knew it was contrary.

At last beyng brought to þ^e place of execution, a Crosse agayne was offered them, which they refused. Then a Priest standyng by, bad them beleue in the Virgin Mary. Let God, sayd they, reigne alone. The people standyng by, ah mischieuous Lutherane, sayd they. Nay, a true Christian I am, sayd he. When they were tyed to their stakes, after their prayers made, when they were byd to bee dispatched: one of them comfortyng the other, sayd, be strong my brother, be strong: Satan away from vs. As they were thus exhortyng, one stādyng MarginaliaIohn Morell was afterward burned. by, said: These Lutherans do call vpon Satan. One Iohn Morell (which afterward dyed a martyr) thē stādyng by at libertie, aunswered: I praye you let vs heare (sayd he) what they say, and we shall heare them inuocate the name of God. Wherupon the people lystened better vnto them to harken, as well as they could, what they sayd: they crying styll as much as their mouthes beyng stopped could vtter, Assiste vs O Lord: MarginaliaThe death & martyrdome of Ribezies & Danuile. and so they rendryng vp their spirites to the handes of the Lord, did consummate their valiaunt Martyrdome. Ex Crisp. lib. 6.

¶ After the Martyrdome of these two abouesayd, the intention of the Iudges was to dispatche the rest, one after an other, in like sorte, and had procured already proces agaynst xij. or xiij. ready to bee iudged. But a certaine Gentlewoman then prisoner amongst them, had presented causes of exceptions or refusals agaynst them, wherby the cruell rage of the enemyes was stayed, to the moneth of Iuly folowyng. In the which meane time, as this persecution was spread into MarginaliaThe Suitzers make supplication to the Frēch king for the Martyrs. other coūtreys, first the faythfull Cantōs of the Suitzers, perceauing these good men to bee afflicted for the same doctrine which they preached in their Churches, sēt their Ambassadours to the king, to make supplication for them.

MarginaliaCountie [illegible text] king [illegible text] Christian prisoners. The same tyme also, came letters from the Coūtie Palatine Electour, tendyng to the same end, to sollicite the kyng for them. The king standyng the same tyme, in great nede of the Germaines, for his warres, was contented at least, that they shoulde procede more gently with them, and so the fire for þ^t tyme, ceased. Most of them were sent to Abbayes, where they were kept at the charge of the Priours to be constrayned to be present at the seruice of Idolatrye, especially þ^e younge scholers: of whom some shrōke backe, other beyng more loosly kept, escaped away. The most part were brought before the Officiall, to make their confession, and to receaue absolu-

tion ordinary. Diuers made their confession ambiguous and doubtfull. &c. Ex Ioan. Crisp. lib. 6. Ex Pantal. lib. xi.

to their owne countreymen. Villegaignō being much aggreued therat, first charged them with departyng without hys leaue. Moreouer, being terrified in his mynd with false suspicion and vayne dreames, fearyng and dreaming least they had bene sent as priuye spies, by the Bresillians, because they came from thē, and had bene friendly intertayned of them: he began to deuise how he might put thē to death vnder some colour of treason: but the cause was religion: For albeit sometyme he had bene a professour of the gospell, yet afterwarde growyng in some dignitie, he fell to be an Apostata, and a cruell persecutor of his fellowes. But when no proofe nor coniecture probable could be found to serue his cruell purpose, he knowyng them to be earnest Protestants, drew out certain Articles of religion for them to aunswer: and so, intrapping them vpon their confession, he layd them in yrons and in prison, and secretly with one executor & hys page, he toke one after an other beginnyng with Iohn Bordell, and first brought hym to the top of a rocke, and there beyng halfe strangled, without any iudgement threw him into the sea, and after the like maner, ordered also the rest. Of whom 3. were thus cruelly murdered & drowned: to wit, Iohn Bordell, Mat. Vermeil, & Peter Burdō. The 4. which was Andrew de Fou, he caused by manifold allurements, somwhat to incline to hys sayinges, and so he escaped þ^e daunger, not without great offence taken of a great