University of Virginia Library

My Lord, my weake Collection out hath tooke,
The summe and pith of the great Martyrs Booke:
For pardon and protection J intreat,
The Volume's little, my presumption great.

I sing their deaths (who dying made death yeeld
By Scriptures sword, and faiths vnbattered shield
Whom Sathan, men, or monsters could not tame
Nor force them to deny their Sauiours name.
Euangelists that did the Gospell write,
Apostles, and braue Martyrs, that did sight.
Gainst death and hell, and all the power of sin,
And boldly di'de eternall life to win.
Iohn Baptist by King Herod lost his head,
Who to the world repentance published.
Our blest Redeemer in his loue did follow,
And conquered death, mans sinfull soule to hallow.
He was the death of death, and he did quell
The sting and power of Sathan, sin and hell.
And vnder his great standard, valiantly,
A number, numberlesse haue darde to die.
Through bondage, famine, slauery, sword, and fire,
Through all deuised torments they aspire.
Victoriously to gaine th'immortall Crowne,
Of neuer-ending honour and renowne,
Saint Steuen was the third that lost his breath,
And (for his Masters sake) was ston'd to death,
And after him in Scripture may we reade,
The Apostle Iames was brain'd and butchered,
Saint Marke th'Euangelist in fire did burne,
And Bartholmew was flead, yet would not turne,
Saint Andrew like a valliant champion dide,
And (willing) on a crosse was crucifide.
Matthias, Philip, Peter, and Saint Paul,
Ston'd, crucified, beheaded, Martyrs all.
Th'Apostles of their liues no reckoning make,
And thinke them well-spent for their Sauiours sake,
The tyrant Emperours, in number ten,
(Most cruell, barb'rous, and inhumaine men)
More Christians by their bloudy meanes did slay,
Then for a yeere fiue thousand to each day,
And many Romane Bishops in those dayes,
Were Martyrd, to their high Creators praise,
And though each day so many thousands bleed,
Yet doubtly more and more they daily breed.
As Camomile growes better being trod,
So death and tortures draw more vnto God,
Or as the vine thats cut and prun'd beares more,
In one yeere then it did in three before,
This bloudy persecution did out-weare,
After Christs death the first three hundred yeere,
Thus did the primitiue first Church endure,
Being Catholike, Apostolike, and pure,
Then ouer all the world twas truely knowne,
That Romish Bishops claimed but their owne,
In their owne Diocesse to be chiefe Pastor,
And not to be the worlds great Lord and master,
And now our Britaine glory will I sing
From Lucius reign, the worlds first Christian King.
Vnto these dayes of happy peacefull state,
A Catalogue of Martyrs Ile relate.
First, Ursula, and eleuen thousand with her,
Al Virgins, for Christs faith did dye together.
Then Hengist with the Saxons hither came,
Who many kild with sword and furious flame.
Besides eleuen hundred Monkes were kild,
At Bangar Abby all their blouds were spild.
And when the Saxons race to end was run,
The Danes came in, and all the Kingdome won.
Before whose Swords did many thousands fall,
Which on the name of Iesvs Christ did call.
Then William Conquerour with a multitude,
Vnto the Normans voake this Land subdude.
The Pope then caus'd all Priests to leaue their wiues,
To leade foule Sodomiticke single liues.
Then afterward in second Henries raigne.
Was sawcy Sir Saint Thomas Becket slaine.
A Popish Saint and Martyr made, because
He dy'd a Traytor to his Soueraignes Lawes.
King Henry and King Richard dead and gone.
Their brother Iohn (by right) ascends the Throne.
Whom all his life, the Pope of Rome did vexe,
And with oppressions all the Realme perplexe.
With Candle, Booke, and Bell, he curst and blest,
And Bals, and Legates did the King molest:
Vntill such time he on his knees fell downe,
And to the Pope surrendred vp his Crowne.
At last, because he durst the Pope withstand,
He dyed imposned by a Fryers hand.
When thus by treason, they had kild King Iohn,
Then the third Henrie, Englands Crowne put on.
Then England bought the Romish doctrine deare,
It cost her threescore thousand markes a yeare,
For Agnus Deies, Pardons Peter-pence,
For which the Pope had all this coine from hence,
King Henry dyed, then Edward tooke the sway,
His Sonne and Grandchild England did obay,
The first of them call'd Long-shanks conquests won,
Lost by Carnaruan his vnhappy Son.
Who by his Queene was in a Dungeon cast,
Till (being murthered) sadly breath'd his last.
Edward the third a braue victorious King,
Did Frenchmens pride into subiection bring.
Richard the second next to raigne began,
Who lost more than his Royall Grandsire wan:
Then gan Iohn Wickliffe boldly to begin,
To preach gainst Antichrist, that man of sin.
Who many troubles stoutly did abide,
Yet (spight the Pope) he naturally dy'de.
And being dead, from out his graue was turn'd,
And had his Martyr'd bones to ashes burn'd.
Which ashes they, did cast into a Brooke,
Because he had the Romish Faith forsooke.
Yet whilst the second Richard here suruiu'd,
No Martyrs were by fire of life depriu'd.
Henry the fourth was in the Throne inuested,
In whose Reigne many were too much molested.
And Willivm Sautre first his life did giue,
Through flames of fire, who now in heauen doth liue.
The next John Badby in the furious flame,
And William Thorpe, both wan immortall fame.
Then the fifth Henrie a victorious Prince,
The Realme of France did conquer and conuince.
The good Lord Cobham then (Oldcastle nam'd)
By Popish Priests an Hereticke proclaim'd,
Washang'd and burn'd by the vnlawfull doome,
Of Sathans Seruants, slaues to Hell and Rome.
And leauing some vnnam'd, Iohn Browne Esquire,
John Beuerly a Preacher dyed in fire.
Besides a number from the Lollards Towre,
Rackes, tortures, halters, and the flame deuoure.
Iohn Hi[illeg.] a glorious Martyr of the Lord.
Was in Bohemia burned for Gods word
And reuerend Ierome did to Constance come
From Prague, and stoutly suffered Martyrdome.
In Smith-field one Iohn Claydon suffered death,
And with him Richard Turming lost his breath.
At this time sixeteene godly folkes in Kent,
The Antichristian vassals did torment.
Then death cut off the fifth King Henries Raigne,
The Crowne the sixth King Henrie did obtaine.
And William Taylor, a true zealous Priest,
Did passe through fire vnto his Sauiour Christ,
Good Richard Houedon, with him William White,
Each vnto God (through fire) did yeeld his sprite.
Duke Humphrey, though no Martyr, kil'd in's bed,
And Richard Wych a Priest was burned dead.
Then Saint-like good King Henry was depos'd,
By the fourth Edward, in the tower inclos'd,
Then Edward fled, and Henry once againe
By Warwickes power the Kingdome did obtaine.
Thds did the various state of humane things,
Make Kings of Captiues, and of Captiues Kings.
Vntill at last King Edward turning backe,
Brought Henries royalty to small wracke.
In whose Raigne Iohn Goose (as the story saith)
Was the first Martyr burned for Christs faith,
King Henry in the Tower was stab'd to death,
And Edward yeelded vp his life and breath.
His Sonne young Edward of that name the fift,
Whom the third Richard from his life did lift.
VVho by foule murthers, bloud and tyranny,
Vsurpt the Throne of Englands Monarchy,
Till valiant Henry of that name the seuen,
Kild him, and made vneuen England euen,
Then first Ioane Boughtor, and a man call'd Babram,
By faith (through fire) went to old Father Abram.
An Old man was in Smithfield burnt because,
He did resist against the Roman Lawes.
One Ierom hang'd and burned on the Gallowes
In Florence, with two other of his fellowes.
And William Tillesworth, Thomas Bernard, and
Iames Morton, cause they did the Pope withstand,
Burn'd all, and Father Rogers, and o'd Reine,
Did dye by fire, a better life to gaine.
One Thomas Nouice, and one Thomas Chafe,
Dy'd constant Martyrs by the Heauenly Grace.
A woman and a man call'd Laurence Guest,
By Death gain'd euerlasting life and rest.
Besides a number past mans reckoning vp,
For Iesvs sake dranke of afflictions cup.
Some carried faggots through a world of mocks,
Some rack'd, some pinde, some fettered in the stocks.
Some naked stript, and scourged with a lash,
For their reiecting of their Romish trash.
Some branded in the cheeke, did alwayes beare,
The marke and badge of their Redeemer deare.
Thus the insulting tyrannizing Pope,
With cursings, tortures, fire, and sword and rope.
Did force the Soules and Consciences of men,
To run dispairing to damnations Den,
And those who valiantly his power withstood,
Did seale their resolution with their bloud.
Before his triple, treble, trouble Crowne,
(In adoration) Emperours must fall downe.
Were they as high as any Cæsar borne,
To kisse his feet they must not hold it scorne,
Henry the sixth, the Emperour did fall downe,
Whom with his Feet Pope Celestine did Crowne.
Henry the fourth, his Empresse and his young Son.
All three to Rome did barefoot goe and run.
And three dayes so, thesethree did all attend,
His holinesse a godlesse eare to lend.
Which afterward was granted, on condition
That he should giue his Crowne vp in submission.
Pandulphus the Popes Legate with a frowne,
Did make King Iohn of England yeeld his Crowne:
King Henry of that name the second, he
Kneel'd downe, and kist the Romish Legats knee:
The Emperour when Pope Adrian was toride,
Did hold his stirrop on the neere wrong side:
For which his Holinesse in angry sort,
Disdainfully did checke the Emperour for't,
When as the Pope doth ride in Cope of gold,
Kings (like to foot-men) must his bridle hold.
In pompe he must bee borne vpon mens shoulders,
With glorious shew amazing the beholders.
Whilst Kings and Princes must before him goe,
To vsher him in this vaine-glorious show.
This being true as no man can deny,
Those that will not be blinde may plainely spy,
That their insulting proud commanding Priest,
Is absolute, and onely Antichrist.
H'exalts himselfe 'boue all thats' called God.
Vpon the Emperours necke he proudly trod.
Hee is th'abomination (vord of grace)
That mounts himselfe into the holy place,
He makes the Princes of the Earth drinke vp,
And quaffe the poyson of his cursed Cup.
Who being drunken with the dregs of sinne,
They haue his sworne and forsworne vassals beene,
Bewitched with his foule Inchanting charmes,
Gainst one another they haue rose in armes.
By forreine and domesticke bloudie broyles,
Whilst he hath fild his his coffers with their spoyles.
His double dealing too plaine appeares.
In setting Christian Princes by the eares.
Whilst he into his auaritious hands,
Hath seiz'd their persons, moueables and lands.
And as the Christian Kings themselues made weake,
The Turke into their Kingdomes gan to breake.
And thus the Turke and Pope joynd with the deuill,
Haue beene the authors of all Christian euill.

My Lord, the liues and deaths of Saints and Kings,
This little Booke vnto your Greatnesse sings:
Protection and acceptance if you giue,
Jt shall (as shall Your selfe) for ever liue.

VVhen the 7 Henry in his graue was laid,
And the eight Henry, Englands Scepter sway'd,
Romes bloudy persecution raged more
In England, than in ten Kings raignes before.
And therefore Reader, in this little Booke.
For euery Martyrs name thou must not looke.
But men of chiefest note, respect and fame,
That dyed in England, onely these I name.
And first the Papists tyranny beganne,
In murthering Richard Hun, a zealous man,
For being kept in prison by their power,
They closly hang'd him in the Lollards Tower.
And then they all in generall decreed,
Reporting Hun himselfe had done the deed.
Ann sixteene dayes iust after this was don,
They burn'd the foresaid corps of Richard Hun.
Then to the number of full thirty fiue,
The furious flames did all of life depriue.
In seuerall places of this wofull land,
Because they did the Pope of Rome withstand.
At which time Thomas Bilney did begin,
To preach and teach against Antichristian sinne.
Where in Saint Georges Church in Ipswich Towne,
The Papists from the Pulpit pluckt him downe.
And as in dolefull prison he did lie,
He put his finger in the flames to try,
He prou'd, and God did giue him strength to beare
His death, to liue with his Redeemer deare.
The next of note, was one Iohn Frith, a man
Of learning great, a Martyrs same he wan.
Then learned Luther, and graue Zwinglius,
With Caluin, Beza, Occolampadius,
All glorious, gracious, reuerend lamps of light,
Were instruments to cleare blear'd Englands sight.
In Flanders, William Tindall for Gods Word,
Was Sacrific'd to glorifie the Lord.
John Lambert valiantly his death did take,
And burn'd in Smithfield for his Sauiour sake.
About this time that Honourable man,
Lord Cromwels life, and timelesse death began.
Hee like an Earthquake made the Abbies fall,
The Fryeries, the Nunneries, and all.
This famous Noble, worthy Essex Earle,
This Iemme, this Iewell, this most orient pearle,
Was for his truth from all he had discarded,
And with his heads losse all his faith rewarded.
The next of worthy note by fire that dide,
Was good Anne Askew, who did strong abide,
Rackes, tortures, and the cruell raging flame,
To magnifie her high Creators name.
Then gan the Kings eyes to be opened quite,
Inlightened by the euerlasting light.
He banisht Superstitious idle fables,
And packt the Papists hence with all their bables.
Then Bonner, Gardner, Brethren both in euill,
Factors and Actors, bloudhounds for the Deuill.
Their burning fame to infamy soone faded,
They Godlesse, gracelesse, were disgracst, degraded.
The King thus hauing this good worke begun,
He dyed and left the Kingdome to his Sonne.
Then raign'd young Edward, that sweet Princely childe,
By whom all Popery was cleane exilde,
But he too good to liue mongst wicked men,
Th'Almighty tooke him hence to Heauen agen.
No sooner Edward was laid in his Tombe,
But England was the slaughter-house of Rome.
Gardner and Bonner were from prison turn'd,
And whom they pleas'd were eyther sau'd or burn'd.
Queene Mary imitating Iezabell,
Aduanc'd againe the Ministers of Hell,
Then tyranny began to tyrannize,
Tortures and torments then they did deuise.
Then Master Rogers with a faith most feruent,
Was burn'd, and dy'd in Smithfield Gods true Seruant.
Next vnto him did Laurence Sanders dye,
By fire (for Iesus sake at Couentry.
He did embrace and kindly kisse the stake,
To gaine Heau'ns glory, did the world forsake.
Good Byshop Hooper, was at Gloster burn'd,
Cause he against the Romish Doctrine spurn'd,
And Doctor Taylor, a true zealous man,
At Hadly burn'd, eternall glory wan,
Then Byshop Ferrar next his life did spend,
In fire to gaine the life shall neuer end.
Next William Fowler first did loose his hand,
Then burn'd, because the Pope he did withstand,
In Essex Thomas Hawkes with faith victorious,
Did dye by fire, to gaine a life most glorious,
Master John Bradford (for his Sauiours sake,
In Smithfield burn'd a godly end did make,
Two reuerend Byshops, Father Latimer.
And Ridley each of them a heauenly starre,
Liu'd in Gods feare, and in his fauour dy'd,
At Oxford burn'd, and now are glorifi'd,
Iohn Philpot gladly did the fire embrace,
And died and liues in his Redeemers grace.
Then that graue Father and religious man.
Arch-Bishop of Cranmars troubles hot began.
His Pompe, his state, his glory, and his pride,
Was to know Iesus, and him crucifide:
He liu'd a godly Preacher of Gods Word,
And dy'd a glorious Martyr of the Lord.
John Carcles in close Prison carefully.
Did change his cares for ioyes eternally.
But this small volume cannot well containe
One quarter of the Saints in England flaine,
In Henries Raigne and Maries (cruell Queene)
Eight thousand people there hath slaughtered beene,
Some by the Sword, some Hang'd, some burnt in fire,
Some staru'd to death in Prison, all expire.
Twelue thousand and seuen hundred more beside,
Much persecuting trouble did abide.
Some wrackt, som whipt, som tortur'd som in stocks,
Some doing penance with a world of mockes,
Some with an yron in the faces burn'd,
Some out of all their goods to beggry turn'd
Some barefoot, bearing faggots on their shoulders,
Were made a wondring stocke to the beholders,
All this, and more, much more they did endure,
Because they would not yeeld to liue impure.
But now to speake the lawlesse cause wherefore,
And why these people troubled were so sore,
Because they would not make their plaints & mones,
To senseles Images, dead stockes and stones.
Because they said the Sacramentall bread,
Is not the Lord, which shall iudge quick and dead.
Because they not beleeue'd a Purgatory,
And held the Popes decrees an idle story.
Because they would not creepe vnto the crosse,
And change Gods sacred Word for humane drosse.
Because they held the Masse and doll foule,
At once, which pickt the purse, & damn'd the Soule.
Because they knew the Pope, and all his crue,
Hel hounds, whō heauen (in rage) on earth did spue.
And in a word, they thus were ouer-trod,
Because they truly seru'd the liuing God,
This was the maine, and onely cause of all,
Because they would not offer vnto Baæl.
The Popes outragious and couragious actor,
Was Bishop Bonner, hells most trusty factor,
Romes hangman, and the firebrand of this Realme,
That with a floud of bloud did ouerwhelme,
The true beleeuers of Gods holy truth,
He butchered, not regarding age or youth.
With him was ioyn'd a man almost as ill.
Who tooke delight Gods seruants bloud to spill,
Cal'd Stephen Gardner, Englands Chanceller,
And Bishop of the Sea of Winchester,
These two did striue each other to excell,
Who should doe greatest seruice vnto Hell,
Vntill at last God heard his seruants cry,
And each of them did die immediately,
Thus when Iehouah heard the iust complaints,
Of his beloued poore afflicted Saints,
Then this too cruell Pope defending Queene,
(The bloudiest Princesse that this land hath seene)
She did decease, and persecution ceast;
And tired, wofull Englands purchast rest,
Queene Mary, being dead her welcome death.
Reuiu'd our ioyes in blest Elizabeth,
Innumerable were her woes and cares,
Abundance were the subtill wiles and snares.
Which Sathan and his Ministers oft laid,
To reaue the life of that most harmelesse Maid;
She was accus'd, abus'd, reuil'd, miscal'd,
She was from prison vnto prison hal'd.
Long in the Tower she shas close prisner shut.
Her louing seruants all way were put,
From thence to Windsor, thence to Woodstocke sent,
Closely mewd vp from all the worlds content.
But God whose mercies euer did defend her,
Did in her greatest Sorrow comfort send her.
He did behold her from his Throne on hie,
And kept her as the apple of his eye.
Let Hell and Hell-hounds still attempt to spill,
Yet the Almighty guards his Seruants still,
And he at last did ease her Sorrowes mone,
And rais'd her to her lawfull awfull throne.
This Royall Deborah, this Princely Dame,
Whose life made all the world admire her fame.
As Iudith in Bethulias fame was spread,
For cutting off great Holophernes head:
So our Eliza stoutly did begin,
Vntopping and beheading Romish sin,
Shee purg'd the Land of Papistry agen,
Shee liu'd belou'd of God, admir'd of men.
Shee made the Antichristian Kingdome quake,
She made the mighty power of Spaine to shake.
As farre as Sunne and Moone dispears'd her Rayes,
So farre and farther, went her matchlesse praise,
She was at home, abroad, in euery part,
Loadstar and Loadstone to each eye and heart.
Supported onely by Gods powerfull hand,
She foure and forty yeares did rule this Land:
And then she left her Royall Princely Seat,
She chang'd earths greatnesse to be heauenly great.
Thus did this Westerne Worlds great wonder dye,
She fell from height to be aduanc'd more hie.
Terrestriall Kings and Kingdomes, all must fade,
Then blest is she, that is immortall made.
Her death fild woefull England full of feares,
The Papists long'd for change with itching eares,
For her decease was all their onely hope,
To raise againe the doctrine of the Pope.
But he whose power is all omnipotent,
Did their vnhappy hopelesse hopes preuent.
Succession lawfully did leaue the Crowne,
Vnto a Prince, whose vertue and Renowne,
And learning did out-strip all Kings as farre,
As doth the Sunne obscure a little starre.
What man that is but man, could baffle more
Romes seauen headed purple beastly Whore?
How wisely hath he Bellarmine confuted,
And how diuinely hath he oft disputed?
How zealously he did Cods faith defend,
How often on Gods word he did attend.
How clement, pious, and how gracious good
Was he, as sits the greatnesse of his bloud.
Were't not for him how should the Muses doe?
He was their patterne, and their patron too.
He was th'Apollo from whose radient Beames,
The quintessence of Poetry out-streames,
And from the splendor of his piercing rayes,
A world of worthy writers won the bayes,
Yet all the worthy vertues so transparent,
And so well knowne to be in him inharent,
Could not perswade the Papists leaue their strife,
With cursed treasons to attempt his life,
For when their disputations helpt them not.
They would dispute in a damn'd powder plot.
In which the Romists went beyond the deuill,
For Hell could not inuent a plot so euill.
But he that plac'd him on his royall Throne,
The God of Jacob, Judahs holy one)
That God (for Iesus sake) I doe beseech,
(With humble heart and with vnfained speech)
That he or his may Britaines Scepter sway,
Till time, the world, and all things passe away.
But now he's gone into Eternall blisse,
And with Eternall glory crowned is
Long may King Charles weare Britaines royall Crowne;
And heauens best blessings raise his high Renowne.