Which done, vpon Palmesonday, the fathers of these children were broughte backe agayne to Couentry, and there, the weeke next before Easter, were condemned for relapse (because most of them had borne fagots in the same Citie before) to be burned.

Commentary on the Woodcuts     Close

This was not the only occasion when one of the small woodcuts introduced in 1570 celebrated the martyrdom of seven individuals. But this event took place in 1519, long before the Marian burnings, and the illustration (like other later ones) may seem more generic than accurate in that it shows two women among the seven whereas, as the text makes clear, there was only one woman, Mistress Smith.

Onely Maistres Smith was dismissed for that present, and sent away. And because it was in the euenyng beyng somewhat darke, as she should go home, the foresayd Symon Mourton the Somner offered him selfe to goe home with her. Now as he was leadyng her by the arme, and heard the rattelyng of a scrole within her sleeue: yea (sayth he.) What haue ye here? And so tooke it from her, & espyed that it was the Lordes prayer,MarginaliaMaistres Smith cōdēned for hauing the Lords prayer in Englishe. the Articles of the fayth, & the x. Commaundementes in Englishe. Which when the wretched Somner vnderstood, ah serrha (sayd he) come, as good now as an other tyme, & so brought her backe agayne to the Byshop, where she was immediately condemned, and so burned with the vj. men before named, the fourth of Aprill in a place thereby called the litle parke. An. 1519.

what, at the crueltie shewed, and at the vniust death of these innocent Martyrs, the Byshop, with his Officers and Priestes, caused it to bee noysed abroad by their Tenauntes, seruantes, and fermers, þ^t they were not burned for hauyng the Lordes prayer and commaundementes in English, but because they did eate fleshe on Fridayes and other fastyng dayes: Which neither could he proued, either before their death, or after, nor yet was any such matter greatly obiected to them in their examinations. MarginaliaTestimony of this storye.The witnesses of this history bee yet aliue, whiche both saw them and knew them. Of whom one is by name mother Hallexref>, dwelling now in Bagington two myles from Couentry. By whom also this is testified of them, MarginaliaNote how these Martirs holding with the popish sacramentes yet were burned of the papists, only for a few Scriptures in English.that they aboue all other in Couentry pretended most shew of worshyp and deuotion, at the holdyng vp of the Sacrament, whether to colour the matter, or no, it is not knowen. This is certain that in godlinesse of life they differed from al the rest of the Citie: Neither in their occupying they would vse any oth: nor could abyde it in them that occupyed with them.