The comelinesse of our holy Church of Canterb. ouer whych wee beare rule: deserueth and requireth, that while wee passe throughe the prouince, of the same our Churche (hauing our crosse caryed before vs) euery parish church in their turnes, ought & are bounden in token of speciall reuerence that they beare to vs, to rynge theyr bels. MarginaliaChurches of London suspended for not ringing at the comming of the Archb.Which notwithstanding, ye on Tuesday last past, when wee betwixt 8. and 9. of the clocke before dinner, passed openly on foote as it were, through the middest of the citie of London, with our crosse caried before vs: Diuers churches whose names are heere beneath noted, shewed towardes vs willingly (though they certainly knewe of our comming) vnreuerence rather then reuerence, and the duety that they owe to our church of Canterb. ringing not at all at our comming. Wherefore, wee being willing to reuenge this iniurie, *Marginalia* Oh iniurious enemies to Christ his humilitie. for the honor of our spouse as we are boūden: commaunde you, that by our authoritie, you put all those churches vnder our interditement, suspēding Gods holy organes and instruments in the same Which we also suspend by the tenor of these presentes, till the ministers of the aforesayde Churches be able hereafter to attaine of vs the benefit of more plentifull grace. Geuen. &c.

What great reason was in this, why this Archb. either should thus looke for the ringing of the belles, or why hee should be so displeased with not ringing, I do not see. Belike his minde in the meane time was greatly occupied w^t some great muse, as feling of Gods feare, with repentance and remembrance of hys sinnes, with zelous care and solicitude for his flocke, wyth the earnest meditation of the passion & life ouf our sauiour, who in this world was so despised: or els was set vppon some graue studie, while hee so waited for the ringing of the bels, which are wont to be so noisome to all students. And why were not the trūpetters also shent as well, because they did not soūd before his person? But and though the bels did not clatter in the steples, and therefore his thunderbolt should haue fallen vpon the steples which had deserued: why shoulde the bodye of the churche therefore be suspended? MarginaliaOrgans suspended in the Church because the belles dyd not ryng.At least, the poore Organes (me thinketh) had some part of wrong to be put to silence in the quier, because the bels rang not in the tower.

Of the like matter also we read in the sayde registers, falling betweene the B. of Worcester, and the priorie of the same towne, for not ringing at the bishops comming into the church. Wherupon much sute and contention was betweene them, till at length the Archb. of Cant. tooke vp the matter, moderating it, as in the said registers, fol. 441.MarginaliaEx Regist. Tho. Arundeli. appeareth to be seene as followeth.

VNiuersis. &c. Thomas &c. where as there happened variance lately betwene our reuerend brother the Lorde B. of Worcester on the one partye, and the religious and discrete men the Prior and couent of the same churche on the one partye, MarginaliaVariance betweene the B. and Prior of Worcester for not ringing at the Bishoppes comming.for not ringing of bels at the comming of our saide brother to his foresayde church, at length the parties (considering the great incōuenience that might come therof) at our instance and request did agree on this maner: that as often as it shall happen our reuerende brother to go to his aforesaide church, either to celebrate orders, or to visite his church in the head or in the inferiours, or to make creame and oyle in the same church: also in the feast of the Assumption of the blessed virgin Mary, which is the chiefest feast in the Abbey aforesayde: then the Prior and the couent, and their successours for the time being, shall ring solemnly against his comming, or shall cause to be ronge solemnly without all contradiction, or any reclaiming hereafter to be made against the same. Which agrement that it may be more firmely kept, we let you all vnderstād by these presents, sealed with our seale. Geuen at our palace of Canterb. 12. Iuly, the 10. yeare of our gouernment.

The like stirre for belringing and for processyons had almost hapned betwene the Archb. of Can. successor to this Tho. Arundel, named Hen. Chichly on the one party, and the abbey of S. Albons on the other party, had not the abbot in time submitting hymselfe to the Archb. so prouided, that the ringing of their bels at hys comming, myght not redounde to any derogation of their liberties. Whereunto the Archb. graunted by these his letters as followeth.

HEnry &c. to the religious men, the Abbot and Couent of the Monastery of S. Albons in the diocesse of Lincoln, health. &c. When as of late there happened a matter of variance betwene vs, and you the Abbot & Couent, by reason of not geuing reuerence to vs, being due to our prouince of Cant. that is, for not ringing the bels and meeting vs with processions when wee passed by diuers places of our prouince as well due of common custome as of olde vse, and for the prerogatiue of the Churche of Canterb. as also being due of euery one being within the compasse of this our sayd prouince, when and as often as we shal passe by their places: at length your Lord Abbot (comming personally to vs) did grantboth for you and the Couent aforesaye, to do and to geue of your gentlenesse all reuerence and honour, wyth such reuerence bothe to vs and our church of Cant. as often as wee passe by your monasterie, or the places nigh or adioyning therto, or shall hereafter go by: So that it might not be preiudicial to your exemption and nothing be attempted to the violating of your priuiledge: and that it might not be chalenged for duety hereafter. Wherefore, wee desiring to kepe you from damage, let you vnderstande by these presents, that it is not our entent to derogate your exemptions or priuiledge whatsoeuer herein: nor by any meanes to be preiudiciall to you by these your reuerences or other duties, whatsoeuer you haue or shall graunt to vs of your deuotion and liberalitie, both by you, and in places vnder your dominion. In wytnesse whereof &c. Dated the 28. day of Ianuary 1425. at S.Albons, the 12. yere of our gouernment.

To expresses moreouer and describe the glorious pompe of these princelike prelates in these blinde dayes of popish religion raigning then in the church: I thought to adioyn hereunto an other example not much vnlike, neither differing muche in time, concerning certaine poore men cited vp, and enioyned straight penance by MarginaliaW. Courtney Archb of Cant.W. Courtney predecessour of the sayd Tho. Arundel, for bringing litter to hys horse, not in waines as they should do, but in priuy sacks, in a secrete maner vnder their clokes or cotes. For þ^e which so hainous and horrible trespasse, the sayd Archbishop sitting in hys tribunall seate, did call and cite before hym the sayde persons (pro litera. i. for litter, after his owne Latine) and after theyr submission enioyned them penance. Whych penance, what it was, & what were the names of the foresaid parties, here followeth out of the sayd Arch. registers,MarginaliaEx Regist. W. Courtney. both by his owne words, & by picture of the persons in the same registers annexed and painted, in all resemblance, as there standeth, and heere is also to be seene.

This bagge full of strawe I beare on my backe,

Because my Lordes horse his Litter did lacke.

If ye be not good to my Lordes graces horsse,

You are like to goe barefoote before the crosse.

MarginaliaThe picture of them drawen in all proportion according to the exemplar standing in the Register.

Commentary on the Woodcuts     Close

This woodcut, added to the A&M in the 1570 edition, is unusual both for its content and for the fact that it can be compared with the original from which it was taken: namely Archbishop Courtenay's Canterbury register (f. 337v). The delineation of a man performing in 1390 the penance of carrying a load of straw was not the kind of thing to be expected in such a record. For Foxe it served several purposes, including a demonstration of the authoritarian pomp of medieval prelates, the 'Romish prelates' of his title-page; and the proof that his account was derived from authentic records, important among which were the archiepiscopal registers where so much invaluable material was garnered by the martyrologist and his assistants. It is possible that Foxe himself drew this figure. See also commentary on Placement of text and woodcut for his knowledge of this illustration when writing the text. CUL copy: The man is wearing a purple outfit with a blue lining and orange undergarments. Flecks of orange provide detail in the regions of his knees and ankles. The top of the illustration, and the sack are shaded in blue. The ground upon which he walks is light green and there is a thin strip of yellow at the horizon line. WREN copy: in this copy the sack is in white. The outfit is purple but the lining is yellow with orange shading. His undergarment is orange. The ground is brown at the horizon line and brownish-orange in the foreground. His face is crudely whitened, although there is some attempt to detail a flush to the cheeks, lips and earlobes.

MarginaliaEx Registro. W. Courtney.ERroris mater ignorantia, quosdam Hugonem Pennie, Iohannem Forstall, Iohannem Boy, Iohannem Wanderton, Gulielmum Hayward, & Iohannem White, Tenentes domini de Wengam taliter obcœcauit, quòd ante aduentum dicti domini Archiepiscopi ad palatium suum Cantuariæ in vigilia dominice in ramis palmarum, anno domini millesimo trecentesimo nonagesimo, de cariendo & ducendo ad dictum palatium, fœnum, stramen, siue literam,MarginaliaMarke ye Gramarians litera for littour. prout ex tenura terrarum, & tenura suorum quas & quæ tenent de domino & ecclesia sua Cantuariæ astringuntur per balliuum domini ibidem iussi & legitimè præmoniti debita seruitia more solito impēdere dedignātes, stramē huiusmodi nō in carrucis & vehiculis publice in sufficiēti quātitate, sed modice in saccis sublatibulo, pontificis ad palatium prædictum perduxersit,