Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 65
The Martyrdome of vj. which suffered at Brainforde for the true testimonie of Iesus Christ.
NOt long after the death of the fore named vij. godlye Martyrs that suffered in Smithfielde, were vj. other faithfull witnesses of the Lordes true Testament,… 14. … Martyrs … at …ra…ord. Martyred at Braynforde, vij. miles from London, the xiiij. day of Iuly 1558. which sayd sixe were of that companie that were apprehended in a close harde by Islington (as is aboue specified) and sent to prisone. Whose names and articles proponed to them, with their answers vntounto ye same, hereafter followeth.
Robert Milles.
Stephen Corton.
Robert Dynes.
Stephen Wight.
Iohn Slade.
William Pikes, or Pikers, a Tanner.Martyrs.
These vj. forenamed Martyrs (gentle Reader) hadde their articles ministred to them by Thomas Darbishire, Boners Chancellor, at sundrye times, as Robert Mules the 20. day of Iune, Stephen Wight the 21. day of the said monethmonth, Ste. Cotton and Iohn Slade the 22. day, & Robert Dines and William Pikes the 23. day. At which said times, though they were seuerally examined, yet had they all one maner of articles ministred to them, yea & th… selfe same Articles that were ministred to Iohn Holiday, Hē ry Pond, and their companie aforesayd. Which sayde articles I leaue the reader to looke for in page 1967. and think it not necessarye anye more to rehearse them, but onelyonly to proceede with their aunsweres to the same, which briefly and in summe hereafter followeth.
The answeres of the forenamed persons to the Articles aforesayd.
1 TO the first Article they all graunted the same, and added thereto for going to Church, that Robert Milles and Stephen Wight came not there for 3. quarters of a yere before, The … of … to the …icles.and Iohn Slade & William Pikes not since the Queenes raigne, Stephen Cotten not for a twelue monethmonth before, and Rob. Dynes not for two yeares before.
The 2.3.4.5▪ and 6, Articles they all answeared in effecte, as the forenamed Iohn Holiday, Henry Ponde and their companye did, pag. 1931▪ sauing they added, that as their rites, customes & ceremonies are against the worde of God, so will they obserue and keepe no parte of the same. Stephen Wight added further, that he receiued not their Sacrament of the aultar for two yeres before, nor Iohn Slade and William Pikes since Queene Maries raigne, nor Stephen Cotton for a twelue monethmonth before, nor Robert Dines for three yeres before.
To the 7. article, they all graunted the same in euerye parte like vntounto the aforenamed Henry Pond and his companye, page 1931 sauing Rob. Dines added that it was no part of his beliefe.
To the 8. Article they all graunted the same in eueryevery part, as the forenamed William Holliday and his companye, page 193…. but Robert Milles added therto that he wil not come to church, nor allowe their religion, so long as the crosse is crepte too, and worshipped, and Images are in the Church Iohn Slade affirmed in effecte as Robert Milles did, adding further that there be not 7. Sacraments, but 2. Sacraments, which is Baptisme & the Supper of the Lord. Stephen Cotton woulde no further allowe the Popish religion, then it agreeth with Gods woorde: and Robert Dines affirmed in effect the like to Stephen Cotton also.
To the 9. and 10 articles, Robert Milles, Iohn Slade & Steuen Cotton answered that they do not allow the popish seruice then set foorth, because it is against the truthe, and in a straunge language which the common people vnderstand… not. Robert Dines and William Pikes, will neither allow nor disallowe the Latine seruice, because they vnderstād it not. And Steuen Wight would make no directe aunswer to the articles at all, and to the 11.12.13. and 14. articles we finde no answeres recorded of the said Steuen Wight, but of the rest of his fellowe prisoners wee finde answers to those articles which hereafter followe.
To the 11. article, Robert Milles, Iohn Slade and Steuen Cotton answered, that concernīg the bookes, faith and religion specified in this article, they doe allowe them so farre foorth as they agree with Gods word. &c. Robert Dines would make no answer thereto, because he thoughte himselfe vnmeete to iudge thereof: and William Pikes doeth not remember that hee hathe misliked the seruice, and the faith, and religion set foorth in king Edward the sixt his time.
To the 12. they graunt, that if they might receiue the sacrament as they did in king Edward the sixt daies, they would with all their heart so doe.
To the 13. and 14. articles, they confesse and graunt the contents of them to be true in eueryevery part.
When at the daies before specified, these good men were produced before Boners Chancellour, Thomas Darbishire, and had the foresaide articles ministred vntounto them, and they (as ye hauehave heard) had made aunswere vntounto the same, in the ende the Chauncellor commaunded them to appeare before them againe the 11. day of Iuly after in the sayde place at Paules. Where when they came,The sixe Martyrs brought agayne before Darbyshire. he required of them, whether they woulde tourne from their opinions to ye mother holy church: and if not, that then, whether there were anye cause to the contrarye, but that they might procede with the sentence of condemnation. Wherunto they all answeared, that they would not go from the truthe, nor relent from any part of the same while they li…ed. Then he charged them to appeare before him againe the next daye in the afternoone, betweene one and two of the clocke, to heare the definitiue sentence redde agaynste them, according to the Ecclesiasticall lawes then in force. At which time, he sitting in iudgemēt, talking with these godly and vertuous men, at the last came into the sayde place syr Edwarde Hastings & sir Thomas Cornewales knights, two of Quene Maries officers of her house,Syr Edward Hastinges and Syr Thomas Cornwales at the condemnation of these Martyrs. and being there, they sate them down ouer against the Chancellor, in whose presence the sayde Chancellor condemned those good poore Lambes, and deliuered them ouer to the secular power, who receiued and caried them to prisonne immediately, and there kept them in safetie till the daye of their deathe.
In the meane time this naughty Chancellor slept not, I warrant you, but that day in which they were condemned, he made certificate into the Lorde Chancellors office, from whence the next daye after was sent a writ to burne them at Brainforde aforesaid, which accordingly was accomplished in the same place, the said 14. daye of Iulye: Whereunto they being brought, made theyr humble praiers vntounto the Lorde Iesus, vndressed themselues, wente ioyfully to the stake whereto they were bounde, and the fire flaming about them, they yelded their soules, bodies, and liues into the handes of the omnipotent Lorde, for whose cause they didde suffer, and to whose protection I commend thee gentle Reader. Amen.
The burning of sixe Martyrs at Brainforde.
The Martyrdome of Robert Milles, Stephen Cotton, Robert Dynes, Stephen Wight, Iohn Sla…e, Wi…liam Pikes … B…a… f…rd. An. 1558. Iuly 14.Anno 1558. Iuly.Among these 6. was due William Pikes (as yee hauehave heard) who sometime dwelt in Ipswiche in Suffolke, by his occupation a Tanner, a very honest godly man, & of a vertuous disposition, a good keper of hospitalitie, and bene…icial to the persecuted in Queene Maries daies. Thys saide William Pikes, in the 3. yeare of Queene Maries raigne, a little after Midsomer, being then at libertie, wēt into his Garden, and tooke wyth him a Bible of Rogers translation, where hee sitting wyth his face towardes the South, reading on the said Bible, sodenly fell downe vponupon his booke betwene a 11. and 12. a clocke of the day, foure drops of fresh bloud, & he knew not from whence it came. Then he seeing the same, was sore astonished, & coulde by no meanes learne (as I sayd) from whence it should fall: and wiping out one of the droppes with his finger, called his wife, and said: In the vertue of God wife, what meaneth this? Wil ye Lord hauehave 4. sacrifices? I see wel enough the Lorde will hauehave bloude: his wil be done, and geue me grace to abide the triall. Wife, let vsus pray (sayde hee) for I feare the day draweth nigh. Afterwarde he daily looked to be apprehended of the papistes, and it came to passe accordingly, as yee hauehave heard. Thus much thought I good to wryte heereof, to stirre vp our dull senses in considering the Lordes woorkes, and reuerently to honour the same. His name therefore be praised for euermore, Amen.
Moreouer, concerning the sayd William Pikes, as he was in Newgate sore sicke and at the poynte of deathe, so that no man looked he should liue 6. houres, there declared to them that stoode by, that he had bene twise in persecution before, and that now he desired the Lord, if it were his will, that he might glorifie his name at the stake, and so as he prayed, it came to passe at Brainford.
Ye hard before of those 22. taken at Islington, 13. were burned, and 6. escaped, albeit very hardly, & some of them not without scourging by the hands of the bishop. In the which number was Thomas Hinshaw & Ihon Milles, according to the expresse Picture here after purported.
Ex epigrammate Ennij apud Ciceronem allusio.
Si fas caedendo coelestia scandere cuiquam est,
Bonnero coeli maxima porta patet.
In effigiem Boneri, carmen.
QVae noua forma viri, quid virga, quid ora, quid aluus
Pondera quid ventris, crassitiesue velit?
Corpus amaxaeum, disten to abdomine pigrum
Rides, anne stupes, lector amice, magis?
Vasta quid ista velint, si nescis pondera, dicam,
Nam nihil hic mirum venter obesus habet.
Carnibus humanis & sanguine vescitur atro,
Ducentos annis hauserat ille tribus.
Ergo quid hoc monstri est, recto vis nomine dicam?
Nomen nec patris, nec gerit ille matris.
Qui patre Sauago natus, falso que Bonerus
Dicitur▪ hunc melius dixeris Orbilium.
The same in English.
MUse not so much, that natures woorke
is thus deformed now,
With belly blowen, and head so swolne,
for I shall tell you how:
This Canniball in three yeares space
three hundreth Martyrs slew:
They were his foode, he loued so bloud,
he spared none he knew.
It should appeare that bloud feedes fat,
if men lie well and soft:
For Boners bellie waxt with bloud,
though he semde to fast oft.
O bloudy beast, bewaile the death
of those that thou hast slaine:
In time repent, since thou canst not
their liues restore againe.…
G. G.
In Bonerum.
CArnificis nomen debetur iure Bonero,
Qui sine Christicolas crimine mactat oues.
Certe carnificis immitis nomine gaudet,
Siue isto peius nomine nomen, amat.
Carnificem vocitas? ridet crudelia facta
Narris… rem gratam non facis ipse magis.
Det Deus vt sapias meliora Bonere, vel istis
Te feriant meritis munera digna precor.