suffer came down in the name of the king and Quene a Proclamation, being twise pronoūced openly to the people, first at Newgat, then at the stake where they should suffer, straightlye charging and commaunding, that no man should either pray for them, or speake to them, or once say God helpe them. It was appoynted before of the godlye, there standing together, whyche was a great multitude, that so sone as the prisoners should be brought, they should go to them to embrace and to comforte them. And so they dyd: for as the sayd martirs were comming towarde the place in the peoples sight, being broughte with bylles & glayues, as the custome is, the godly multitude and Congregation with a general swaye made to ward the prisoners, in such maner of sort, that the bylmen and the other officers beinge all thrust backe, could nothing do, nor any thynge come nigh. So the godly people meeting & embracing and kyssing them, broughte them in their armes (which might as easely haue conueyed them cleane away) vnto the place where they should suffer. This done, and the people geuing place to the officers, the Proclamation with a loude voyce was redde to the people, contayning as is before said, in the Kynge and Quenes name, that no man shoulde praye for them, or once speake a woorde vnto them. &c. Maister Bentham,  

the Minister then of the Congregation, not sparinge for that, but as zeale and Christian charitye moued hym, and seing the fyre set to them, turning his eyes to the people cryed and said: We know they are people of God, and therefore we cannot chuse but wish wel to them, and say: God strengthen them. And so boldly he said: Almighty God for Christes sake strengthen them. With that, al the people with a whole cōsent and one voice followed and saide: Amen, Amen. The noyse whereof was so great, and the cryers therof so many, that the officers could not tell what to say, nor whom to accuse. And thus much concerning the Congregation of the faithfull, assembling together at London in the tyme of Quene Mary.

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MarginaliaM. BentāThe sayd Maister Bentham an other tyme as he passed through S. Katherins, intending to walke & take the ayre abroad, was enforced by twoo or three men there approching vpon hym, needes to go with them, where as they would leade hym. Maister Bentham astonied at the soddainnes of the thing, and marueling what the matter shoulde bee, required what their purpose was, or whether they woulde haue him. They aunswered and declared vnto him, that by the occasion that a man ther was found drowned, þ^e Crowners quest was called and charged to sytte vpon him, of the whiche quest he must of necessity be one. &c. He agayn loath to meddle in the matter, excused him self,

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alledging that in such kinde of matters he had no skil, and lesse experience: if it would please them to let him go, they should meete with other more meete for their purpose. But when with this they would not be satisifed, he alledged further, he was a scholer of Oxforde, and therby priuiledged from being of any inquest. The Crowner demaunded the sight of his priuiledge. He said, if he would geue him leaue, he would fetch it. Then sayde the Crowner: the Quene must be serued without al delay, and so constrained him notwithstanding to be wyth them, in hearing the matter. Being brought to the house where the Crowner and the rest of the quest were syttinge, as the maner is, a booke was offered him to sweare vpon. Maister Bentham opening the boke, & seing it was a papistical primer, refused to swear therupon, and declared more ouer what superstition in that booke was contayned. What sayde the Crowner, I thinke we shal haue here an hereticke among vs. And vpon that after much reasoning amongest them, he was committed to the custody of an Officer, tyl further examination, by occasion whereof, to all mens reason, hard it hadde bene and ineuitable for mayster Bentham to haue escaped, hadde not the Lord helped, where man was not able. What followed? Incontinent as they were thus contending and debating aboute matters of heresy, sodeinlye commeth the Crowner of the Admiralty, disanulling and repealing the order & calling of that inquest, for that it was, as he saide, pertaining to his office, and therefore the other Crowner and his companye in that place had nothing to do. And so the fyrst crowner was discharged and displaced, by reason whereof Maister Bentham escaped their handes, hauing no more sayd vnto hym.

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MarginaliaRo. Cole.  

To this I might also adioyne the happy escape of Robert Cole, minister now of Bow in London, from the handes of maister Petit, Iustice in Kent, being hys mortall enemye, and one that soughte his lyfe. Who meeting hym by chaunce, in a narrow lane, nor farre from Feuersam, & so meeting him, that one of them must needes touche an other, yet so ouercame that daunger, that hee was past and gone before the Iudge dyd know it was he, and so the sayd Cole escaped.

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The worthy woorkes of the Lordes mercye towarde his people be manifolde, and cannot be comprehended, so that who is hee lyuing in the earth almost, who hath not experienced the healping hande of the Lord, at some time or other vpon hym? Amongest manye other, what a peece of Gods tender prouidence was shewed of late vpon our English brethren and coūtry men, what tyme Calys was taken by the Tirant Guyse, a cruell enemy to Gods truth, and to our English nation. And yet by the gra

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