Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Appendix · Account 32 – Account 35
*A note of Prestes wyfe of Exceter.
IN Cornewall not farre from Launceston,Referre this to the pag. 2051. within the Dioces of Exceter, in Queene Maryes dayes, dwelled a poore man, whose name was Prest, his wife beyng an honest woman, very simple, but of good zeale and vpright life, being taught by God, in hearing of his worde (albeit it was in those dayes very seldome preached anye where) and feeling a sweete taste thereof, framed her lyfe a new after the rule of the same. And banished quite from her,Prestes wyfe of Exceter Martyr. all the popishe dregges of superstition and hipocrisie, & gaue her selfe wholly to prayer, and inuocating the name of God, both for the afflicted Church of Christ in those dayes very dangerously rost and tormoyled: as also for her own inward contentation, and spirituall consolation, whiche she no little felt to her vnspeakeable ioy, and incomparable comfort. And when some, who before had known her sawe that marueilous chaunge in her, and (as the cruell serpent) enueying her felicitie, went vpō the same immediately and accused her to certayn Iustices of the shire, being extreme enemies to the truth and very persecutors of the same, who taking the matter in hande, as very glad of such occasion, sent for her to the place where she was, and began at the second, if not at the first dash, to demaund her beliefe in theyr popish sacrament of the aulter.
The good poore woman, who had learned, not to bee ashamed to confesse her mayster Christ, before menne, and to render accōptes of her fayth, when it was asked, tould freely and franckly her opinion therein, and hid backe nothing, that eyther shee thought might profite them, if they had anye grace to receiue it, or els might sounde to Gods glory and prayse, though it were neuer so muche by them threatned and rebuked. Whereupon shee was forthwyth committed to the Gayle of Launceston, where she remayned a quarter of a yeare, or thereaboutes, and afterwards was dispatched of that vile and filthy prison, and deliuered ouer to the handes of two champions of the Popes, ye one called Doctor Raynoldes, Deane of Exceter, and the other named mayster Blaxton,Doctour Raynoldes Deane of Exceter and Maister Blackston treasurer of the Churche of Exceter popishe persecutours. treasurer of ye same church men surely feruent hote in the furtheraunce of the romysh affayres, and in withstanding the truth of the pure euangelicall gospell. So the time that this good poore woman was vnderunder theyr handes, shee had many sore conflictes by them. And the sayd Blaxton hauing a Concubine, whiche sondry tymes resorted to him, with other of his gossippes alwayes when they came, this sayde good woman was called forth to his house, and there to make his minion with the rest of his company some mirth, hee woulde examine her, with such mocking maner, in deriding the truth that it would hauehave vexed any christian soule to hauehave seene it. Then when he had long vsed his foolishnes in this sort and had sported himselfe enough in deriding this chrysten martyr: in the end sent her to prison agayn, and there kept her very miserably, sauing sometimes he woulde send for her, when hys foresayd gest came to him, to vse with her his accustomed folly aforesayd. But in fine, the vile wretches (after many combattes, and scoffing, perswasions) when they had played the parte of a cat with a mouse at length they condemned her & deliuered her ouer to the secular power, who within shorte space after most cruelly brought her forth to the place where she should suffer, and there in great contempt of the truth (which she most constantly confessed) they consumed her carcas immediately with fire into ashes: which she very patiētly suffered, and most ioyfully receiued, yelding her soule and lyfe to the Lord, and her body to the tormentors, for the whiche the Lordes name therefore be praysed, Amen.
¶The martirdome of one Snel, burned about Richmond in Queene Maryes tyme, omitted in this history.
AT Bedaile a market towne in Yorkshyre, were two men in the latter dayes of Queene Mary,The Martyrdome of one Snel by Richmond. the one named Iohn Snel, and the other Richard Snel. Who being suspected for Religion, were sent vntounto Richmond, where Doctor Dakins had commission from the Bishop of Chester to hauehave the examination of them.
This Doctor Dakins many times conferred wyth them, sometimes threatning fire and fagot if they woulde not recant, and sometimes flattering them with fayre fables if they would returne into the holy catholick church. But they stood constantly to the sure rocke Iesus Christ, in whome they put theyr whole trust and confidence, whiles at last being so sore imprisoned that theyr toes rotted of, and the one of them could not go without crouches they brought thē to the church by compulsion, where the one of them heard their abhominable Masse, hauing a certaine summe of mony geuen him by the beneuolence of the people, and so departed thence: but the first newes that was heard of hym within three or foure dayes was that he had drowned him self in a riuer running by Richmond called Swaile.
Immediately after D. Dakins geuing sentence that ye other should be burnt,Gods punishment vponupon the Doctour that condemned Snel. came home to hys house and neuer ioyed after, but dyed. The Commissary of Richmond named Hillinges, preached at his burning, exhorting him to returne to the Churche, but hys labour was in vayne, the constant martyr standing strongly to the fayth which hee professed.
Then being brought to the stake, whereunto hee was tyed by a girdle of iron, there was geuen vntounto him gunpouder and a little straw was layd vnderunder his feete, and set round about with smale woode and tarre barrels, the fire was put in the straw, which by and by flamyng about his head, he cryed thrise together: Christ helpe me: Insomuch that one Robert Atkinson being present, sayde: hold fast there & we wil all pray for thee. Thus this blessed martyr ended his life.
¶A story of one Laremouth, omitted in the body of the story.
ALbeit I am loth to insert any thing in this book which may seeme incredible or strange to ordinary working for quarelling aduersaryes, whiche doe nothing but spye 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 the party himselfe, I thought therefore first for the incredible strangenes therof neither to place this storye in the bodye of these Actes and Monumentes, and yet in some outcorner of the 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 one Laremouth, otherwise called Williamson, Chaplayne to Lady Anne of Cleue, a Scotishman, to whome being in prison in Queene Maryes daies, it was sayd, as he thought, thus sounding in hys eares: arise and go thy wayes.The marueilous deliueraunce of one Laremouth. Whereunto when he gaue no great heed at the first, the second time it was sayd to him agayne in the same wordes. Upon this as he fell to his prayers, it was sayd the thyrd time likewise to him, arise and go thy way, which was about halfe an houre after. So he arising vponupon the same, immediately a peece of the prison wall fell downe, and as the officers came in at the outwarde gate of the Castle or prison, he leaping ouer the ditche escaped, and in the way meeting a certayne beggar, chaunged hys cote with him, and comming to the Sea shore, where hee found a vessell ready to go ouer, was taken in, and escaped the search, which was straytly layd for hym in all the coū try ouer.
¶A little short letter of William Hunter sent out of prison to his mother a little before hys martirdome, to be referred and placed in his story, pag. 1538.
MOst reuerent & louing mother, after my most humble wyfe I hauehave me harty commēded vntounto you▪ desiring you to pray vntounto God most hartely for me,A letter of William Hunter to his mother a little before his burning. that I may hauehave his blessing and yours, the which I esteeme more worth vntounto me, thē any worldly treasure. In this present letter you shall vnderstand the cause of my writing vntounto you at this tyme, that I am in good health and prosperitie, as euer I was in this present life. Wherefore I render thankes vntounto almightye God for it, who alone is moste woorthye of all prayse, trusting in God you bee in health also. Furthermore I certifie you wherefore my father contínueth here, to the intent to heare some godly and ioyfull tidynges, both for soule and body, whiche I trust it shalbe to your singular comfort and consolation, and to the great reioysing of all other of my frendes. Therefore I desire you, gentle mother to admonish my brother vntounto a godly life, with dilligent attendance and to pray for me, considering his bound duety, that God may by your faythfull prayer, ayd and strengthen me in this my prosperous iourney and course, whiche I run trusting to obtayne a crowne of euerlasting life, whiche doth euer endure.
No more vntounto you at this time, but God preserue you vntounto euerlasting life. So be it.