15. Stephen Gardiner
15. STEPHEN GARDINER
The death and end of Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester.
Notwithstanding, here by the way touching the death of this foresaid bishop, I thought not to overpass a certain hearsay, which not long since came to me by information of a certain worthy and credible gentlewoman, and another gentleman of the same name and kindred: which Mistress Munday, being the wife of one Master Munday secretary sometime to the old
Lord Thomas Duke of Norfolk, a present witness of this that is testified, thus openly reported in the house of a worshipful citizen, bearing yet office in this city, in words and effect as followeth. The same day, when as Bishop Ridley, and Master
Latimer suffered at Oxford, being about the nineteenth day of October,* there came to the house of Stephen Gardiner, the old Duke of Norfolk with the foresaid Master Munday his secretary above named, reporter hereof. The old aged Duke, there waiting and tarrying for his dinner, the bishop being not yet disposed to dine, deferred the time to three or four of the clock at afternoon. At length, about four of the clock cometh his servant posting in all possible speed from Oxford, bringing intelligence to the bishop what he had heard and seen: of whom the said bishop diligently enquiring the truth of the matter, and hearing by his man, that fire, most certainly was set unto them, cometh out rejoicing to the Duke: 'Now,' saith he, 'let us go to dinner.' Whereupon, they being set down, meat immediately was brought, and the bishop began merrily to eat: but what followed? The bloody tyrant had not eaten a few bites, but the sudden stroke of God, his terrible hand fell upon him in such sort, as immediately he was taken from the table, and so brought to his bed, where he continued the space of fifteen days in such intolerable anguish and torments, that all that mean while, during those fifteen days, he could not avoid by order of urine, or otherwise, anything that he received: whereby, his body being miserably inflamed within (who had
Stephen Gardiner
inflamed so many good martyrs before) was brought to a wretched end. And thereof no doubt, as most like* it is, came the thrusting out of his tongue from his mouth so swollen and black, with the inflammation of his body. A spectacle worthy to be noted and beholden of all such bloody burning persecutors.