Marginalia1557. Iuly.and smoke caused him that he could see no more: and then he fell agayne to prayer holding his handes vp to heauen, and the booke betwixt his armes next his hart, thanking God for sending him it: and at that time the day being a very fayre daye & a whot, yet the winde was somwhat vp, and it caused the fire to be þe fiercer, and when all the pople thought he had bene dead, he sodenly vttered these wordes: MarginaliaThe last wordes of Iohn Hullier at hys death.Lord Iesu receaue my spirite, dying very mekely. The place where he was burned is called Iesus greene, not farre from Iesus Colledge. Seager gaue him certayne gunpouder, but litle to the purpose: for he was dead before it tooke fire. All the people prayed for him, & many a teare was shed for him. MarginaliaPapistes at Cambridge forbid þe people to pray for Hullier.Which the papistes seing, cried, he was not to be prayed for, & being but a damned man, it could profite him nothing: neuertheles they continued praying. Whereat the papistes fell in such a rage that they manaced them with terrible threatninges to warde. Hys flesh being consumed, his bones stoode vpright euen as if they had bene aliue. Of the people some tooke as they could get of him, as peeces of bones. One had his hart, the which was distributed so farre as it would go: one tooke the scalpe and looked for the tong, but it was consumed except the very roote.
[Back to Top]One rounded him in the eare and desired him to be constant to the ende, at which he spake nothing but shewed a ioyfull countenaunce, and so continued both constant and ioyfull to the end.
MarginaliaReferre this to the story of Edmund Allin, Martyr. pag. 2165.IN the story of Edmund Allin before mentioned pag. 2165. I shewed thee good reader, that he being taken by Sir Iohn Baker, escaped out of prison: how I could not then tell. The truth thereof now thou shalt heare, with other certayne matter, not vnworthy in the sayd story to be noted.
[Back to Top]Edmūd Allin when he was first taken by Syr Iohn Baker of Crambroke, & kept prisoner, both he and his wife in the sayd Syr Iohn Bakers house the one from the other, Syr Iohn Baker entreated the sayd Edmund Allin to come to Masse in his Chappell the next day. after much adoe he graunted, and thē he sayd he should goe lye with his wife that night, and desired hym to perswade her to come also, and he would deliuer them both out of prison. When he was come to his wife, he told her what he had promised, and shee with teares sayd, hee shoulde goe alone for her. Then hee likewise lamentyng the same, sayd, he would go with her to death. The next day, Syr Iohn Baker came to haue hym fulfill his promise to come to his Chappell. He sayd: I will not: do what you will with me. And he called out his wife, and sayd, thou old whore, thy husband would be a Christian but for thee. Then he beate her very sore with hys staffe in his hād, and sent them both to prison the next day, sending with them a cruell letter that they should be burned out of hand: and yet by Gods mighty power they were deliuered by thys meane: their keeper beyng Bell ringer of Canterbury, who had Allin and hys wife to an Inne, and there they dined, and the keeper with them. When they had dyned, the keeper went his way and left them in the Inne geuyng no man charge with them: and so they escaped that tyme.
[Back to Top]This anecdote first appeared in the 1570 edition. It was sent to Foxe by Roger Hall (see Thomas S. Freeman, 'Notes on a Source for John Foxe's Account of the Marian Persecution in Kent and Sussex' Historical Research 67 [1994], pp. 203-11.
MarginaliaReferre thys to Thomas Rede, Martyr, pag. 2095.THom. Rede, who was burned at Lewes, as it appeareth aboue page. 2095. before he was in prison, determined wt himself to go to church. The night following, he saw a vision, a cōpany of talle young mē in white, very pleasaunt to behold: to whom he would haue ioyned himselfe, but it would not be. Then he looked on himselfe and he was full of spottes, and therwith waked and toke hold and stoode to the truth: God be thanked therefore, and so constantly was burned
[Back to Top]with his felowes, as is aboue specified, pag. 2095.
This account first appeared in the 1563 edition and remained fundamentally unchanged in subsequent editions. It was based on the account of an individual informant, apparently Thomas Sutterton, the sheriff of Norwich, or someone sympathetic to him. Interestingly, although Foxe had a copy of the condemnation of Miller (BL, Harley MS 425, fos. 155r-156r), he didn't use it.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaIuly. 13.IN the month of Iulye next ensued the Martyrdome of Simon Miller, and Elizabeth Cooper. This SimonMarginaliaSimon Miller a Marchant, Martyr. dwelling thē in the towne of Linne, a Godly and zelous mā in the knowledge of the Lord and of his truth, detesting & abhorring the contrary enforced Religion then set forth, came frō Linne to Norwiche, where he standyng in the prease and hearing of the people, commyng out the same time from their Popish seruice ended in the Church, MarginaliaThe wordes of Sim Miller to þe people.began to aske thē cōmyng out of the Church, where he might go to haue the communion. At which wordes diuers much maruelyng to heare and see his boldnes, one that was an euill disposed Papist, hearyng the same, sayd: MarginaliaThe cause why Simon Miller was taken.if he would needes goe to a communion, hee woulde goe bryng him thether where hee should bee sped of hys purpose. Whereupon shortly after hee was brought to the Chauncellour of Norwich (whose name was Dunnyng): who after a few wordes and small talke passed with this examinate, committed him to warde.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSimon Miller examined before Doct. Dunning.In the meane while as he was in examination, he had in his shoe his confession written in a certaine paper, wherof a peece appearyng aboue his shoe, MarginaliaSim. Millers cōfession espied in his shoe.was spyed and taken out. The Chauncellour askyng if he would stand to the confession of the same fayth therein conteined, be constantly affirmed the same. Wherupō, as is sayd, he was committed. Thus the sayd Simon beyng in the Byshops house vnder custody of the keeper there called M. Felow, how it happened it is not certaine, whether by gentilnes of the keeper (who was somewhat gentle that wayes) or by leaue geuen of the Byshop, or els whether he had condescended of a purpose to their Articles, MarginaliaSim. Miller dismissed to his house at Linne.he was dismissed and wēt home to his house at Linne. Where he continued a certaine space, while he had disposed and set there all thyng in an order.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaSim. Miller returneth agayne to hys cōfession, and is condemned.That done, he returned agayne to the Byshops house to his prison and keeper, till the tyme at length he constantly abyding in his professed purpose, and defence of Gods truth, was by the sayd Byshop and hys Chauncellour condemned and committed to the fire about the xiij. day of Iuly.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaElizabeth Cooper, Martyr.WIth this Simon Miller also was burnt one Elizabeth Cooper (as is afore sayd) a pewterers wife, dwelling in Saint Andrewes parish in Norwich, where she had before recanted, and being vnquiet for the same, and greatly troubled inwardly, at the last came into the said S. Andrewes church, the people being at their popish seruice, and there standing in the same, MarginaliaEliz. Cooper reuoketh her recantation in þe open church.sayd she reuoked her recantation before made in that place, and was hartely sory that euer she did it, willing the people not to be deceiued, neither to take her doinges before for any example, &c. These or such like wordes she spake in the church. Then cryed one Bacon
In the 1563 edition, Foxe records that Cooper was denounced by one 'Master Marsham' as well as Bacon. 'Marsham' was almost certainly Thomas Marsham, a catholic alderman of Norwich. This reference to Marsham was dropped in the 1570 edition, probably because of pressure from Marsham or his family or friends.
[Back to Top]This Sheriffe (named M. Thomas Sutterton) and she had bene seruauntes together before in one house, MarginaliaThe Shrieffe agaynst hys will enforced to lay handes vppon Elizabeth Cooper.and for the frendship he bare vnto her, and the more for the Gospels sake, he was very loth to do it, but that he was enforced by those other persons (before specified) much against his owne conscience, which he now earnestly repenteth.
In the 1563 edition this phrase reads 'which I am suer he now greatly repententh'. These different phrases not only suggest that Foxe's informant was in touch with the martyrologist after this account was first printed in the 1563 edition, but that he was concerned with presenting Sutterton in a favourable light.
[Back to Top]