29. Judgement Tales
29. JUDGEMENT TALES
The severe punishment of God upon the persecutors of his people and enemies to his word, with such also as have been blasphemers, contemners, and mockers of his religion.
Leaving now Queen Mary, being dead and gone, I come to them which under her were the chief ministers and doers in this persecution, the bishops (I mean) and priests of the clergy, to whom Queen Mary gave all the execution of her power,* as did Queen Alexandra* to the Pharisees after the time of the Maccabees. Of whom Josephus thus writeth . . . [that] 'She only retained to herself the name and title of the kingdom, but all her power, she gave to the Pharisees to possess,'* et cetera.
Touching which prelates and priests, here is to be noted in like sort the wonderful and miraculous providence of almighty
God, which as he abridged the reign of their queen, so he suffered them not to escape unvisited: first beginning with Stephen Gardiner the Arch-persecutor of Christ's church, whom he took away about the midst of the queen's reign.*. . .
A treatise of God's severe punishment against cruel persecutors, and enemies to his word.
After him dropped other away also, some before the death of Queen Mary, and some after, as Morgan Bishop of Saint
David's, who sitting upon the condemnation of the blessed martyr Bishop Farrar, and unjustly usurping his room, not long after was stricken by God's hand after such a strange sort, that his meat would not go down but rise and pick up again, sometime at his mouth, sometime blown out of his nose most horrible to behold, and so he continued till his death. . . .
God's punishment upon Doctor Morgan Bishop of Saint David's.
Among other plentiful and sundry examples of the Lord's judgement and severity practised upon the cruel persecutors of his people, that is not the least that followeth, concerning the story of one William Fenning, the effect and circumstance of which matter is this.
John Cooper, of the age of forty-four years, dwelling at Watsam in the county of Suffolk, being by science a carpenter, a man of a very honest report and a good housekeeper, a harbourer
Judgement Tales
of strangers, that travailed for conscience, and one that favoured religion,* and those that were religious, he was of honest conversation and good life hating all popish and papistical trash.
This man being at home in his house, there came unto him one William Fenning, a serving man dwelling in the said town of Watsam, and understanding that the said Cooper had a couple of fair bullocks, did desire to buy them of him, which Cooper told him that he was loath to sell them, for that he had brought them up for his own use, and if he should sell them, he then must be compelled to buy other and that he would not do.
When Fenning saw he could not get them (for he had often assayed the matter) he said he would sit as much in his light,* and so departed, and went and accused him of high treason.
The words he was charged with were these: how he should pray that if God would not take away Queen Mary, that then he should wish the devil to take her away. Of these words did this Fenning charge him before Sir Henry Doyle Knight (unto him he was carried by Master Timperley of Hinchlesam in Suffolk, and one Grimwood of Lowshaw* Constable) which words Cooper flatly denied: and said he never spake them, but that could not help.
Notwithstanding he was arraigned therefore at Berry before Sir Clement Higham, at a Lent assize, and there this Fenning brought two naughty men that witnessed the speaking of the foresaid words, whose names were Richard White of Watsam, and Grimwood of Hitcham,* in the said county of Suffolk.
Whose testimonies were received as truth, although this good man John Cooper had said what he could to declare himself innocent therein, but to no purpose God knoweth. For his life was determined, as in the end appeared by Sir Clement
Higham's words, who said he should not escape, for an ex ample to all heretics, as indeed he thoroughly performed.
For immediately he was judged to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, which was executed upon him shortly after, to the great grief of many a good heart. Here good Cooper is bereft of his life, and leaves behind him alive his wife and nine children with goods and cattle, to the value of three hundred marks,
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
the which substance was all taken away by the said Sir Henry Doyle sheriff, but his wife and poor children left to the wide world in their clothes, and suffered not to enjoy one penny of that they had sore laboured for, unless they made friends to buy it with money, of the said sheriff so cruel and greedy was he and his officers upon such things as were there left.
Well, now this innocent man is dead, his goods spoiled, his wife and children left desolate and comfortless, and all things is hushed, and nothing feared of any part, yet the Lord who surely doth revenge the guiltless' blood, would not still so suffer it, but began at the length to punish it himself. For in the harvest after, the said Grimwood of Hitcham one of the witnesses before specified, as he was in his labour staking up a goaf* of corn, having his health and fearing no peril: suddenly his bowels fell out of his body, and immediately most miserably he died: such was the terrible judgement of God, to show his displeasure against this bloody act, and to warn the rest by these his judgements to repentance. The Lord grant us to honour the same for his mercy's sake. Amen. . . .
The judgement of God upon Grimwood.
Before in the story of Master Bradford*. . . mention was made of Master Woodruff, who being the sheriff, used much to rejoice at the death of the poor saints of Christ, and so hard he was in his office, that when Master Rogers was in the cart going toward Smithfield, and in the way his children were brought unto him, the people making a lane for them to come: Master
Woodruff had the carman's head should be broken* for staying his cart. But what happened? He was not come out of his office the space of a week, but he was stricken by the sudden hand of God, the one half of his body in such sort that he lay benumbed and bedridden, not able to move himself but as he was lifted of other, and so continued in that infirmity the space of seven or eight years till his dying day. . . .
Master Woodruff a cruel sheriff, plagued.
Because some there be, and not a few, which have such a great devotion in setting up the popish Mass, I shall desire them to mark well this story following. There was a certain bailiff of Crowland in Lincolnshire named Burton, who pretending an earnest friendship to the gospel in King Edward's days, in outward show at least (although inwardly he was a papist or atheist,* and well known to be a man of a wicked and A story of Burton bailiff of Crowland, how he was plagued for setting up Mass.
Judgement Tales
adulterous life) set forth the king's proceedings lustily, till the time that King Edward was dead and Queen Mary placed quietly in her estate.
Then perceiving by the first proclamation concerning religion, how the world was like to turn, the bailiff turned his religion likewise: and so he moved the parish to show themselves the queen's friends, and to set up the Mass speedily. Nevertheless the most substantial of the parish, marvelling much at the bailiff's inconstant lightness, considering also his abominable life, and having not great devotion unto his request: knowing moreover that their duty and friendship to the queen stood not in setting up the Mass, spared to provide for it, as long as they might: but the bailiff called on them still in the queen's name.
At last, when he saw his words were not regarded, and purposing to win his spurs by playing the man in the Mass's behalf and the queen's, he got him to the church upon a Sunday morning, and when the curate was beginning the English service, according to the statute set forth by King Edward VI,* the bailiff cometh in a great rage to the curate and saith: 'Sirrah will you not say Mass? Buckle yourself to Mass you knave, or by God's blood I shall sheath my dagger in your shoulder.'
The poor curate for fear settled himself to Mass.
Not long after this, the bailiff rode from home upon certain business, accompanied with one of his neighbours and as they came riding together upon the Fenbank homeward again, a crow sitting in a willow tree took her flight over his head, singing after he wonted note, 'knave, knave,' and withal let fall upon his face, so that her excrements ran from the top of his nose down to his beard.
Burton earnest in setting up the Mass.
The poisoned scent and savour whereof so noyed* his stomach, that he never ceased vomiting until he came home, wherewith his heart was so sore and his body so distempered: that for extreme sickness he got him to bed, and so lying, he was not able for the stink in his stomach and painful vomiting, to receive any relief of meat or drink, but cried out still, sorrowfully complaining of that stink, and with no small oaths, cursing the crow that had poisoned him. To make short, he continued but a few days, but with extreme pain of vomiting
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
and crying, he desperately died without any token of repentance of his former life.
The stinking death of a popish Massmonger.
Reported and testified for a certainty, by diverse of his neighbours, both honest and credible persons. . . .
Alexander the keeper of Newgate, a cruel enemy to those that lay there for religion, died very miserably, being so swollen that he was more like a monster than a man, and so rotten within, that no man could abide the smell of him. This cruel wretch, to hasten the poor lambs to the slaughter, would go to Bonner, Story, Chomley, and other, crying out: 'Rid my prison, rid my prison: I am too much pestered with these heretics.'
Alexander the cruel keeper of Newgate, died a rotten death.
The son of the said Alexander called James, having left unto him by his father great substance, within three years wasted all to naught: And when some marvelled how he spent those goods so fast: 'O,' said he, 'evil gotten, evil spent': and shortly after as he went in Newgate market, fell down suddenly, and there wretchedly died.
The sudden death of James, Alexander's son.
John Peter, son-in-law to this Alexander, an horrible blasphemer of God, and no less cruel to the said prisoners, rotted away, and so most miserably died. Who commonly when he would affirm anything, were it true or false, used to say: 'If it be not true, I pray God I rot ere I die.' Witness the printer hereof, with diverse other. . . .
John Peter, Alexander's son-in-law, rotted away.
And what a notable spectacle of God's revenging judgement, have we to consider in Sir Rafe Ellerker, who as he was desirous to see the heart taken out of Adam Damlip,* whom they most wrongfully put to death: so shortly after the said Sir
Rafe Ellerker being slain of the Frenchmen, they all too mangling him, after they had cut off his privy members, would not so leave him, before they might see his heart cut out of his body. . . .
The just punishment of God upon Sir Rafe Ellerker persecutor.
About the year of our Lord 1565 at Brightwell in the county of Berkshire, upon certain communication as touching the right reverend martyrs in Christ, Bishop Cranmer, Bishop
Ridley, and Master Hugh Latimer, there came into an house in Abingdon, one whose name is Leaver, being a ploughman, dwelling in Brightwell aforesaid, and said, that he saw that evil favoured knave Latimer when he was burned: and also in Leaver of Abingdon, a blasphemer of God's martyrs, plagued.
Judgement Tales
despite said, that he had teeth like a horse. At which time and hour, as near as could be gathered, the son of the said Leaver most wickedly hanged himself, at Shepton in the county aforesaid within a mile of Abingdon.
These words were spoken in the hearing of me Thomas Jenens of Abingdon.
Did not Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury give sentence against the Lord Cobham,* and died himself before him, being so stricken in his tongue, that neither he could swallow nor speak for a certain space before his death?. . .
Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury.
William Swallow the cruel tormentor of George Eagles,* was shortly after so plagued of God, that all the hair of his head, and nails of his fingers and toes went off, his eyes well near closed up, that he could scant see. His wife also was stricken with the falling sickness, with the which malady she was never infected before. . . .
God's just plague upon William Swallow.
Likewise Richard Potto, another troubler of the said George Eagles, upon a certain anger or chafe with his servants, was so suddenly taken with sickness, that falling upon his bed like a beast, there he died and never spake word. . . .
God's just plague upon Richard Potto.