thy tongue The crow'd reply'd no living soul here bears Offence his Musick much delights our ears Four hundred folks encourag'd him to run His race and finish what he had begun To whom he thus Breth'ren I undertake This spir'tual Combate meerly for the sake Of my great Lord and Captain Jesus Christ I now am going to be sacrifie'd And when God shall of his abundant grace Call you to suffer follow me apace He 's on the gallowes and the ladder's turn'd And then his body 's into ashes burn'd Some Ci'zens in a firy Chariot sent From Antwerp to the City Heaven went One Scoblant as he to his Tryal past Said thus Would God that I might be the last That thus might suffer death O that my blood Might satisfy their thirst if God see good That so the Church of Christ forlorn distreft Might ever after live at ease and rest I now put off this Mantle transitory In hope to wear a robe of lasting glory A Popish Priest by a religious Dame Converted to the faith spake thus I came To comfort you but I my self indeed Of you to comfort me have greater need Christopher Gaud'rin said Mans life on earth Consists but of two dayes the first his birth The next his dying day and therefore I Must needs die once who would refuse to die To live for ever death and I must kiss 'T is death conducteth to eternal bliss The sentence past he did apart repair And poured out his soul to God in pray'r Then from his hands and face he wash'd the dirt And puting on his back a fine white shirt He thus his fellow-prisoners bespake Breth'ren this is my wedding-day I make To heav'n-ward being come unto the place He found three other ready to embrace The self same death these four themselves did chear With patient suff'ring and rejoye'd to bear Then came a Fryar under a pretence To win them Christopher said thus Hence hence Thou soul-seduser from our presence flee We have not any thing to do whith thee They must be gag'd May not our tongues have power Said they to praise God at our latest hour Sermons they used to frequent hard ropes Annex'd their necks they finished their hopes In Flanders multitudes of true believers Were sent to be eternal life's receivers In Breda there a Goldsmith dwelt his name Was Petar Coulogue whose renowned fame Had spred all o're the town and ev'ry mouth Proclam'd him faithful if they spake the truth This Pious Deacon quickly was beset With popish catchpoles neither would they let Him once enjoy the company of any Of his own Church he over-pows'd by many Was hurry'd to the Castle while he staid A pris'ner there once every day his maid Brought him his sustenance till they perceiv'd He had much comfort from her lips receiv'd She also was imprison'd where she found Such inward joys as made her heart rebound Now when a little tract of time was spent Peter was called forth who underwent Great pains with admirable patience These cruel villains for to recompence His maids true zeal fetch'd Betkin to the rack Cruelry undeserv'd she nothing slack Went chearfully along ere she did part With life her tongue thus empty'd out her heart Since needs I must sustain afflictions rod First suffer me to pray unto my God This they consented to she scap'd a scouring By this for whilst she out her pray'rs was pouring One of the then Commissioners fell down Into an irrecoverable swown This miracle was hush'd as though in vain 'T was sent now to their cruelty again Examples will not take they 'll not be turn'd They are condemned and they must be burn'd The people wept Peter and Betkin pray'd To God for strength the courage of the maid Did work so kindly on the well-affected That breaking through the danger unrespected The throng'd crowd they the pris'ners did embrace And praised God for his supporting grace Then spake to this effect Fight on fight on The crown prepared you shall wear anon These words spake Betkin with a brow as clear As day My Bretheren and sisters dear See you to Gods word be obedient still And fear not them who can the body kill Not hurt the soul but rather fear him who Hath power to kill the soul and body too And fling them into hell I go to meet My glorious Spouse wrap'd in a fi'ry sheet Then falling on their knees they sent their prayers As welcom ghests to Gods attentive ears Bound to the stake they prais'd the Lord the flame Sent up their souls to heav'n from whence they came William of Nassaw Prince of Orange by A bloody villain shot did thus let fly His latest words O God my God condoul My wounded state take pity on my soul On my departing soul O spare O spare The Spanish people though they sinful are These words no sooner out his soul forscok This earthly and an heavenly Mansion took SECT XXVI The Modern Persecution of the Church in Germany since the year 1630. TH'Imperialists when they by storm had gain'd Paswalick town the Swedish souldiers brain'd At the inhabitants their fury lavish'd And in the open street they females ravish'd Nay child-bed women too they flew the men And fired o're their heads their houses then They massacred Divines and burned down The Christian Churches and at last the town Tilly and Pappenheim became a scourge Unto the famous City Magdenburge Her goodly structures and aspiring Towers Were burn'd down in the space of twice six hours Without the least respect to old and young Were six and twenty thousand slain burnt flung Into the river Elve by sev'ral wayes The torturers abridg'd poor Chrstians dayes Ladies and Gentlewomen yok'd together Forc'd into woods in frosty snowy weather Were ravish'd there strip'd whip'd and with a scoff Dismiss'd while others had their ears crop'd off Hexter is taken and the Popish rage Hew'd all in pieces either sex and age All serv'd alike what the fles-eating sword Had left unspoil'd the greedy flame devour'd At Griphenburge the Senators were starv'd The Heidleburg Divines and Bourgers serv'd With onely bread and water Like dogs not men Were the Frankendales us'd In Pomeren The poor inhabitants were forc'd to eat Up their own excrements unpleasing meat Many suspected to have hidden Gold Or silver suff'red torments manyfold With cords the heads of some they wound about And twisted them until the blood did sprout Out of their eyes ears noses nay unto Tongues Cheeks Breasts Legs and secret parts they do Tie burning matches yea the parts of shame Stuff'd with gun-powder burst with horrid flame With knives and bodkins they do pink the skin And flesh of some draw stiff cords out and in Some rosted were with gentle fires some smok'd Like bacon-hogs others hot Ovens chok'd The hands and feet of some so hard were girted That from their fingers ends and toes there spirted Sanguineous drops They ty'd the arms and legs Of some together backwards and with rags
Brachy-Martyrologia OR A BREVIARY Of all the greatest PERSECUTIONS Which have befallen the Saints and People of God From the Creation to our present Times PARAPHRAS'D By Nicholas Billingsly Of Mert. Col. Oxon. Psal 44. 22. For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughters Nil crus sentit in nervo cum animus est in coelo Tertul. Naz. contra Ar. p. 113. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by J. Cottrel for Tho Johnson at the Key in Paul's Church-yard 1657. To the Right Worshipful JEREMY MARTIN Doctor of Physick in Bristol All Internal External Eternal Happiness Honoured Sir I Am not ignorant that we now live in as censorious an age as even the Sun shin'd on wherein there are not a few that will snap and snarle at the politest lines and refined'st inventions whatsoever when perhaps the matter is too deep for the short line of their Judgements to sound the bottom of What hard measure then I am like to have for suffering this my naked and incult Muse to venture abroad on the open stage I am not a little sensible of But yet because private benefits do often call for publick acknowledgements I will not be ashamed to let the world know I am exceedingly engaged to you nor could I be contented till I had made some part of amends for your received favours Presuming that your Heroick minde sweet nature and generous disposition will respect more Artaxerxes-like the inward Affection then the outward Action Be pleas'd therefore Noble Sir to persist still in your wonted goodness and favourably accept of that in the birth which your encouragements furthered in the conception The subject I confess is Divine as treating of a Bush all in a flame yet not consumed enough to dazle our eyes with its astonishing glory and therefore deferves to be better handled by a more Graphical Paraphrast then my self And if my jangling toll in better ringers I shall be glad of it In the mean I will let my green fruits ripen under the Sun-shine of your judicious Eye and though my lines like old Pewter seem dull for want of scowring yet may they receive a gloss from your resplendent Name Pythagoras was of opinion that two things and they from above made a man truly glorious the one was To conceive aright of things the other was To know how to be beneficial to others Sweet Sir I will not flatter you for I am confident you do not desire it chusing rather to be too modestly spoken of then to be mounted on the wings of Popular applause but I dare say you are endowed with both You have affected to be acquainted with the natures of most may I say all diseases and have effected God making your undertakings succesful as rare cures as ever any I will except none I cannot stand to specifie them this one shall serve for all Your eminent skill in recovering Epileptical maladies is sufficiently known to many What shall I say of my self in particular am not I bound to bless God since first I had the happiness to be acquainted with you Have not I great cause to admire and if I may so say adore you for your profound judgment your excellent ability and singular care so oportunely exercised towards me your Patient in the raising up of my infirm body even then when I had passed the sentence of death upon my self and was thought in the eyes of all irrecoverable I were unworthy to live if I did not Theodoricus an Archbishop of Colen being demanded by Sigismund the Emperor of the directest course to Happiness Perform said he when thou art well what thou promisedst when thou wast sick This puts me in minde of a double engagement which I made in the time of my calamity First to God Almighty That I would endeavour if he but pleased to spare me my life to devote my self wholly to his fear and walk more obediently before him then I had formerly done Next to you as the onely instrument in the hand of God for the repairing of the ruinous walls of my fleshly Tenement I promised to agnize it so long as I liv'd I beseech God that these promises may be the prodromes of seconding performances I pray Sir give me leave to tell you you are the onely man living whom I superlatively honour not onely for your learning and knowledge though that were enough to convince me but for your inestimable Vertues as Temperance Humility c. which are as so many sparkling Ornaments and Orient Pearls to enrich and illustrate the very place you come in To speak nothing of your Piety that onely will commend you in the eyes of God I might say and say truly that you are such a common good to your Country that good men love you and all men admire you but I will not gild Gold neither may I think that bright Phaebus beams can be the more increased by the presenting of a silly Taper nay I am somewhat conscious to my self of eclipsing the great Luminary of your serene worth with the obumbration of a Timanthaean veil If I have herein offended it is against my will I am sorry for it and I hope your ingenuity will pardon me laying the fault on the defects of my Youth as being not over-burthened with Ciceronian Eloquence But what though I cannot cloathe my minde in such fine airy garments nor adorn my Paper with such Rhetorical jewels as others can yet may I as deeply engrave you on the Marble Tablet of my fidelious brest as any while I am Sir The eLeVenth Day of March MDCLV Your Honours very humble thankful and much obliged servant Nich Billingsly To the Reader Courteous Reader THey that cannot have leisure to take a full survey of Countries themselves may yet see somewhat to their content in the Geographical Maps and descriptions of others Thou hast here presented to thy view the Book of Martyrs in a little room which is already extant though in a larger extent Now if the Tyrannie of thine affairs are so imperious or the Weakness of thy purse so injurious as to impede thy perusal of the History of the Church which is absolutely the best save one in the Christian world either in the voluminous works of the Laborious now with God Mr. Fox or in the conciser Collections of that Reverend Divine and Famous Martyrologist still with us Mr. Clark out of whose Garden I have gathered this Posie of flowers Thou may'st if it please thee accept of this Breviary which will not cost much mony in the buying and but a little time in the reading Herein thou may'st see though briefly yet not obscurely the goodness of God in maintaining and preserving to himself throughout all Ages a peculiar People zealous of good works notwithstanding all their confronting enemies whatsoever and though boystrous gusts of Temptation have ever tossed the Saints up and down on the raging billowes of Persecution
Braintree William Pigot for Christs name Endur'd the fury of the ardent flame At Maulden Stephen Knight before the stake Kneel'd down and pray'd Sweet Jesu for whose sake I freely leave this life and rather choose Thy cross and irrecoverably loose All worldly goods then to give audience To men in breaking thy commandements Thou seest O Lord that whereas I but now VVas proffer'd great preferments if I 'd bow To a false helpless God I was content My body should be burnt and my life spent Counting all things below but dung and dross For thee happy such gain which comes by loss Thousands of silver and as much of gold Then death I do of lesser value hold Just as the wounded Deer desires the soil So longs my soul for thee pour down the Oil Of consolation on a crumbling clod So helpless of it self Thou know'st O God That I who am but sinfull flesh and blood Can of my self act nothing that is good And therefore as of thine abundant love And goodness still deflowing from above On me me that am lesser then the least Of mercies thou hast bid me to this feast And judg'd me worthy to drinke of this cup With thine elect even so O bear me up Great God! against this Element of fire So formidable to the sence so dire Sweeten it by thy spirit so asswage The heat that I may overcome its rage And pass into thy bosome Holy father Forgive thou me as I do all men gather My soul sweet Son of God my Saviour Beneath thy shady wings a Balmy Bower O blessed Holy-Ghost whose strength destroies Fleshly corruptions hasten thou my joyes Eternal joyes Lord I commend take then My parting spirit Amen Amen Amen John Laurence legs with bolts and irons lame His body with hard usage out of frame Was to the stake transported in a chair And suff'red for the saith at Colchester Young children while he burn'd cry'd out O Lord Strengthen thy servant and make good thy word Stand up stand up for thy poor servant's aid As thou art just O do as thou hast said Ferrar set o're St. Davids Bishoprick Was apprehended for an Heretick Him Winchester misus'd call'd him base slave False-hearted fellow and a cross-grain'd knave Morgan a fraudulent supplanter turn'd him Out of his place and at Carmarthen burn'd him Not long before his death one Richard Jones A Knights son comming his sad pains bemones T'whom Ferrar thus Sir if you see me move My hand or foot during the flames do prove What mettle I am of believe not then My Doctrine oft inculcated to men And as he said he did with the fire hot Besieged round he stirred not a jot Held his stumps bolt upright then with a pole Knock'd down i' ch' fire he breathed out his soul One Rawlins White a Fisher-man in Wales Of Cardiffe town when superstitions scales Drop'd from his eyes the Truth he understood And in his country aid a deal of good He dayly now expects to he surpriz'd By truths oppugners his dear friends advis'd Him to retire elsewhere and be excus'd For their good will he thank'd them but resus'd He 's apprehended and in prison laid In Cardiffe Castle where a year he staid His friends resorting to him he would spend The time in pray'r exhorting them to mend At last the Bishop of Landaffe commands That he be brought he threats him now then stands On fairer terms but all this would not stir His unmov'd brest a day 's appointed for His condemnation which being come The Bishop call'd him forth and told him some Heretical opinions he did hold And had seduced others Rawlins bold Reply'd My Lord a Christian man I am I praise God for 't my tenents are the same With Sacred Writ if from God's word I stray I would be gladly brought in the right way The Bishop said Speak if you will be won Else I 'll proceed to condemnation Proceed said Rawlins but you never shall Condemn me for an Heretick Let 's fall To pray'r said Landaffe that the Lord some spark Of grace would send thee to disclose the dark Now said he you deal well and if your pray'r Do with God's will agree he 'll doubtless hear Pray to your God and I to mine will pray I know my God will hear and not say nay The Bishop and his Chaplains pray'd anon Rawlins pray'd by himself alone pray'r don The Bishop said How is it with thee now Thine errours what wilt thou revoke and bow To our true God no surely no said he Rawlins you left and Rawlins you finde me Rawlins I was and am and Rawlins will Through God continue to be Rawlins still God would have heard you had your sute bin just But he hath heard me and on him I trust The Bishop being wroth him soundly shent So went to Mass Rawlins his minde then bent Shot forth these words Good people if there be Amongst you any breth'ren two or three Or if but one bear witness at the day Of judgement that I to no Idols pray Mass don he was condemn'd and after thrown Into a darke and loathsome dungeon There Rawlins pass'd his time in drowning wrongs With spir'tual prayers and religious songs The night before his death t' his wife he sent To send his wedding weed a shirt he meant Which he rejoycingly next morn put on And being led to execution Guarded he was with bills and Pike-staves too Alas said he what need all this ado By God's grace I will nothing start aside VVho is 't that gives me power to abide All this affliction for his own names sake But God his be the glory At the stake He his dear wife and children having found Pickled in briny tears or rather drown'd His eyes let fall a tear but having made A recollection of himself he said Ah flesh saiest thou me so would'st thou obtain The Victor's Palm I tell thee 't is in vain To strive thy pow'r is like the morning mist Then failing on the ground the ground he kist And spake Earth unto earth and dust to dust Thou art my mother and return I must To thee With an exhilarated brow Then going to be bound to th'stake I now Said he t' a friend of his finde great contest Betwixt the flesh and spirit for the best I pray you therefore when you see me shrink Hold up your finger that I may bethink My too oblivious self B'ing bound he rais'd These words up to the height The Lord be Prais'd Unto the Smith then spake he Pray good friend Knock it in fast the flesh may much contend But God support me let thy grace refresh My fainting spirits and my trembling flesh About him pulled he the reeds and straw VVith such a merry look that all that saw Much wondred at it Now a Priest appear'd And preached to the people Rawlins heard Until he spake of Transubstantiation Alledging Scripture for its confirmation This is my Body Come you here good folk Said Rawlins
of thine Amidst these flames their spirits did ascend To glory which shall never have AN END Gloria Deo in Excelsis SECT Vlt. God's Judgements upon the Persecutors of hic Church and children SInce first the Gospel in the Ears did ring Of England under Lucius the King Never did King or Queen the Land so stain With Christian blood as in her four years reign Queen Mary did she burned in her fury An Arch-Bishop and he of Canterbury Four Bishops twenty one Divines or more Eight Gentlemen Artis'cers eighty soure Husbandmen Servants and poor Labouring men Five score Wives twenty six Widdowes twice ten to Nine Maids two Boyes and two young Babes heaven VVere sent in all two hundred seventy seven Sixty four more for Jesus Christ his sake VVere persecuted sore which could not shake Their heaven-built faith seven whereof were strip'd Stark naked and most mercilesly whip'd Sixteen in prison perishing had dung After the Nabathoean custom flung Upon their outcast bodies Some did lie In captivated chains condemn'd to die But were deliv'red from approaching death By th' happy entrance of Elizabeth Our glorious Queen our Pallas and Astraea Of Grace and Virtue the divine Idea Many did spend by reason of exile Their dayes in trouble and their years in toile But as Queen Mary lavished the blood Of her best subjects and the truth withstood Unto the utmost of her power so God Scourged her soundly with his flaming rod Both in her life and death for whilst she liv'd What did she prosper in which she atchiev'd To instance in a few particulars And first her fair'st and greatest man of War Unmatch'd i' th' Christian world cal'd the great Harry Was burnt by heavenly flames Then would she marry Spanish King Philip so expose to dangers Poor England under barb'rous foes and strangers She labour'd much but never could attain To joyn the English to the Spanish Raign Then did she set about the restauration Of Abbey-lands throughout the British nation Her self began according to the Popes Directions yet frustrate were all her hopes God o're her land then such a famine spred That her poor subjects upon Acorns fed Then Calice where the English did remain During eleven Kings reigns from her was ta'in Which loss so griev'd her as she did impart That Calice was engraven in her heart Again in child-birth never woman had S'unfortunate success as she so bad For if she was with child and had e're been In travel why why was it never seen If not why was the Kingdom so beguild Some in the Pulpit for her new-born child Returning thanks thus her desires b'ing crost She then th' affections of her husband lost She could not him enjoy nor might she smother This her first love by marrying another Although she did so many Judgements feel Yet would she not her bloody Laws repeal She had no minde to stop the opened vain Or close the bleeding Orifice again Of dying Saints At last the Lord did please To strike her with a languishing disease VVhereof she dy'd and having held the crown Five years and five months onely laid it down Horrible tempests mortal sicknesses Plagues famines burning fevers did perpess The grieved land the fourth year she did sway And swept a multitude of folks away So that in six weeks space in London there Dy'd seven Aldermen VVheat that same year Yielded four marks the Quarter Mault a Peck Fourty four shillings as much Pease did make Two pound six shillings eight pence to a crown The following year a Peck of VVheat came down Four shillings eight pence Mault of Ry a Strike Take for a groat you may if it you like In her fifth year a thundring tempest came And batt'red down two towns neer Notingham Flung sheets of lead abroad bells from the steeple Tore trees up by the roots slew divers people c. Also a great mortality was known In Autumn then Corn stood unreap'd unmown And rotted in the fields hence did ensue Great scarcity the lab'rours being few So much of her nor must my Muse pass by Her chiefest Instruments of cruelty First to begin with Stephen Gard'ner then Bishop of Winchester whose end my pen Disdains to mention twice I will therefore Add onely this That lying at the door Of merc'less death and being put in minde Of Peter his denying Christ he whin'd This answer out VVith Peter I deny'd The Lord but there is somewhat else beside VVanting in me Alas I never spent A tear nor can as Peter did repent Morgan St. Davids Bishop who high base Condemned Ferrar and usurp'd his place Did vomit up his meat through mouth and nose O horrible until his life did close Then Mr. Leyson high Sheriffe set away This Martyrs Cattel int'his own ground they No meant would eat nor touch a blade of grass But bellowed and roar'd till death Alas One Justice Morgan who condemned had Lady Jane Grey within a while fell mad Nothing but Lady Jane his voice did sound The Lady Jane Oh! how her name did wound The Lady Jane the Lady Jane O take The Lady Jane away no more he spake Dunnings the Norwich Chancellour for 's hate To the truth dy'd as in his chair he sate Berry of Norfolk Commissary one Burn'd harmless Saints fell with an heavy groan Down to the ground and never did recover One Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Dover A cruel man while on a Sabbath-day He looked o're his men to see them play At Bowles on him did the dead palsey fall Carry'd to bed he was defir'd to call The Lord to minde Yea said he so I do Not onely so but my Lord Card'nal too So desperately dy'd Another tool Of Hell at Greenwich went to Card'nal Pool To get his blessing but returning fast He fell down stairs and brake his neck for hast Grimwood a wretch who had himself forsworn Being in Harvest stacking of his corn His bowels suddenly fell out These two Capon and Jeff'ry Doctors undergo At Salsbury sudden deaths Mr. Woodroffe Sheriffe of London dyed soon enough One Clerk who did the Godly Saints devour Hanged himself at last in London-Tower Cox a Promoter going well t' his bed When the next morn arose was found stone dead Dale dy'd of lice One Troling Smith a great Foe to the truth dy'd suddenly â—'th'street Paul London Town-Clerk an accursed wretch Did voluntarily an halter stretch A lightning stroke did Robert Baldwin kill Cardinal Pool of an Italian Pill Dy'd as 't was thought Dr. Foxford Blomefield And Leland too to sudden deaths did yield One Dr. Williams Chanc'llour of Glocester Died the death before he was a ware One Lever said he had at Oxford been And that ill-favour'd knave Latimer seen Tooth'd like an horse but mark we what did follow His son soon hang'd himself One William Swallow Lost all his hair off all his nails did pill And 's wife was taken with the falling ill Brown Lardin Potto en'mies of George Eagles D'yd a dogs shameful death three pretty
I will not Urge me no more for do it I will never This I resolve and will herein persever Expose me to the ravenous Lyons paw Yet I 'le not make a rupture in the Law Rip up my Entrails do and when that 's done Fling fling m'into an hate-light Dungeon Pluck out these eyes with Pinsers let the flame Burn me to cinders I 'll be still the same Think not that I 'll recant because I 'm old And feeble no torments shall make me bold I am content to suffer for my God And patiently sustain his chastning rod The zeal I bear is not a zeal that founds It's happiness on such unstable grounds As once to move me or to make me totter No Tyrant were thy fury ten times hotter I 'le laugh death in the face when I lay down This life to take up an immortal Crown Blest I shall be although by thee accurst Tyrant I challenge thee do do thy worst With that the soldiers hale him to the place Of torment strip him whip him and do lace His back with stripes till bloody streams out-gush And in the face of the tormentor blush While he was under the afflicter's hand One stood and cry'd Obey the Kings command But patiently this worthy man endur'd A world of wounds too dang'rous to be cur'd And darting up his venerable eyes He knew for whom he was a sacrifice In whom he did believe then casts a look On his afflicted self and sees a brook A bubbling brook with uncontrouled tides Crimson their passage from his mangled sides And when his sufferance over-flow'd the banks Of torment he admir'd gave God the thanks They loathsome liquor in t ' his nostrils pouring Did then commit him to the flames devouring Yet when his nat'ral life began to fail And his approaching death would take no bail Having his wasting eyes on Heaven laid His dying breath breath'd forth these words said Thou O my God art he who bringest down To th' grave giv'st life and with that life a Crown Behold dear Lord I 'm swallow'd by deaths jaws For the strict keeping of thine own-made Laws Sweet Father hear me O be pleas'd to keep Thy bosome Nation suffer not thy Sheep To be devour'd by Wolves that are too bold To worry them or scare them from their fold O let my death conclude all miserie And grant in dying I may live to thee Now I am found in thee can I be lost He ceas'd and ceasing yeilded up the Ghost The Kings displeasure waxing now more strong Sent for sev'n Hebrew children who being young He thought them weak unable pains to bear He therefore either by entreats or fear Presum'd he should induce them to abjure Their Law and eat what by their Law 's impure The crafty Tyrant ambushing his guile Beholdeth them with a dissembling smile And thus reveal'd himself Admir'd young men I wish your good O do not madly then Shun my Behests prevent the torments due Unto the refractory not to you As for my part I desire nothing more Then to advance you and increase your store Contemn your superstitious vanities And come along our tracts if you be wise T is no such crime if you your Law fulfil not If you neglect ours as I hope you will not With ling'ring deaths I 'll study to torment you You may it may be then too late repent you Am I a King and shall contempt accrue To me a King from such low worms as you Racks Bring forth those Wheels Rods Cauldrons Hooks Grid-irons Cages here 's not all here lacks Let 's see the Engines to torment the hands Gauntlets Auls Bellowes Brass-pots Frying-pans Obey young men if I enforce a fact Not good 't is not your voluntary act You do not sin be prudent then I say Not actively but passively obey The zeal-inflam'd young men do vilify His threats intreats retorting this reply Speak Tyrant say say why art thou so bent To persecute us that are innocent We will observe for all afflictions rod What Moses taught us from the mouth of God Know we detest your sense-deluding shows Nor will we be seduc'd by words or blows No Tyrant no do thou the best you can To do thy worst we will fear God not man Our cause is God's and death is our desire Heaven is our portion yours eternal fire Th' enraged Tyrant after one another Lop'd off these hopeful sprouts the eldest brother Named Macchabons first was stretched out Upon a Rack and beaten round about His naked ribs with a Bulle-pizle till His wearyed tormentors had their fill Of long continued strokes and did desire Rather to leave then he did them require Nor was this all fresh tort'rers have extended Him on a wheel weights at his heels appended While yet his sinews and his entrails brake He call'd on God then to the Tyrant spake Blood-guilty wretch who labor'st to disthrone Gods Majesty it self know I am one Am for the cause of God a sufferer And no witch nor inhuman murtherer When the afflicter with compassion sway'd Bid him submit unto the King he said Accursed ministers of Tyranny Your wheels as yet are not so sharp that I Should thereby be enforced to abjure Heaven wherein is my foundation sure See tyrant see how resolute I am Winde off my flesh with pinsers do and cram Young Vultures with the bits before mine eyes Put put me to the worst of cruelties Rost if you please by a soft fire my flesh And if that will not serve invent a fresh Inflict inflict till there cannot be fonnd A place whereon t' inflict another wound So said thus rack'd into a fire he 's thrown And now his wasting bowels stared on The Tyrants face yet with an unmov'd brest He to his brethren thus himself exprest Beloved brethren learn by my example To scorn the worlds alluring baits and trample All torments under foot obey God rather Then this proud Tyrant God 's a gracious father And when him pleases with a smile or frown Can raise the humble strike the lofty down This torment 's not enough to end his pain For he is snatch'd out of the fire and flame Alive his tongue was plucked out and then His life he ended in a frying pan And now his soul enjoy'd what he desir'd His friends rejoyced and his foes admir'd Then was the second brother Aber call'd Who with the tort'ring Engines unappal'd Refus'd to eat chains did his hands restrain His skin the garment of his flesh was flain From head to knees the tort'rer did devest His intrails peeping from his unglaz'd brest Too grievous to behold and him at last Unto a famine-pined Leopard cast The beast though truculent did onely smell And went her way forgetting to be fell Nor was sh ' injurious to him in the least The Kings displeasure but the more increas'd And Aber grown more constant by his pain Thus thus his dying voice did loudly strain How sweet How pleasant is this death to me Yea
't is most welcome for I 'm sure to be Rewarded by my God the cross I bear On earth in heav'n a glorious Crown to wear I thank my God that I am more content To suffer Tyrant then thou to torment And yet is not this misery of mine In suff'ring so exorbitant as thine Is by inflicting keeping of the Laws Thus aggravates my pains and thou the cause Shalt by the justice of the Holy One Be banished from thy usurped throne And be reserved for those horrid chains Of utter darkness and eternal pains He said no more his soul forsook his brest To take possession of aye-lasting rest Machir the third son 's brought who was not quell'd But angrily their counsel thus repeli'd One Father us begat one Mother bore us One Master taught us who is gone before us Protract no time for I am not so weak To yield I come to suffer not to speak What care I though I drink the brim-fild boul Of thy displeasure t will not hurt my soul A Globe was brought his woes must b'aggravated And bound thereon his bones were dislocated They flaid his face and while a crimson river Flow'd from him thus he did himself deliver O Tyrant we what we endure endure For the pure love of God thou shalt be sure To rove in Sulph'ry flames and be tormented Eternally unpity'd unlamented His tongue b'ing taken out this good young man Departed in a red-hot Frying-pan Judas is next whom neither menacing Nor flattries could induce t' obey the King Your fire said he shall me attract more near Gods holy Law and to my brethren dear I tell thee Tyrant thou shalt be acurs'd And true believers blest thou that art nurs'd By cruelty it self I bid thee try me And see if God will not also stand by me Hereat the Tyrant in a hot displeasure Hastily left his chair t' afflict by leasure He charg'd his tongue to be cut out in brief T'whom Judas thus Our God is not so deaf As you imagine his attentive ear Hears the dumb language of his servants pray'r He hears the heart not voice our thoughts he sees A distance off distongue me if you please Divide me limb from limb do Tyrant do But know thou shalt not long scape Scot-free so He 's tongueless and with ropes ends beaten sore Which he with much admired patience bore At last upon the Rack his life was spent And to his brethren gone before he went Then Achas the fifth brother unaffraid To hug grim death disclos'd his lips and said Tyrant behold I come for to prevent Thy sending for and know that I am bent To die couragiously my mind is steady Thou art to hellish flames condem'd already By my dear bretherens effused gore And I the fifth shall make thy grief the more What is 't that we have done what other cause Canst thou alleage but this We keep Gods Laws And therefore in the midst of torturing We joy O'tis an honourable thing wrongs Though each part suffer heaven will right our And fill your mouths with howlings ours with songs Then was he in a brazen morter pounded Nay th'less he said Those favours are unbounded With which thou crown'st us though against thy wil We please our God rage thou and rage thy fill If thou shouldst pity me I should be sorry Death's but the prologue to immortal glory So said he made a stop and stopping dy'd Now the sixth brother Areth must be try'd Honour and dolour's put unto his choice But grieving at it with a constant voice He shot forth this reply I weigh not either As we like brethren liv'd wee 'll die together In Gods fear and the time which in exhorting Thou hast a mind to spend spend in extorquing His down-ward head unto a pillar ty'd Antiochus rosts him by a soft fires side And that the heat might enter to the quick And multiply his paines sharp Auls must prick His tender flesh about his face and head Much blood like froth appear'd yet thus he said O Noble fight O honourable warre Glad grief O pious and O impious jarre My bretheren are gone and I ally'd To them in blood would not that death divide Our love united souls invent invent More horrid pains indeavour to torment This flesh with greater torments study study New wayes t' afflict me more severe more bloody I thank my God these are o'recome already Let thousands worser come I will be steady We young men have bin conqu'rours of thy power Thy fire is cold nor can thy rage devour Our faith-fenc'd souls we have a greater joying In suffering then thou hast in destroying As God is just so will he right our wrongs These words scarce out a pair of heated tongs Eradicate his tongue then being cast Into the Frying-pan he breath'd his last And now the youngest brother's onely left Jacob who coming forth compassion cleft The Tyrants heart who took aside the child By th'â—and and spake and as he spake he smil'd Thy bretheren may teach thee to expect The worst of ills if thou my will neglect Thou shalt if thou wilt of thy self be free A Ruler Gen'ral and my Counc'ller be This not prevail'd he thus the mother dons O worthy woman where are now thy sons Yet thou hast one turn him lest thou be rest Of him likewise and so be childless left The mother bowing to the king bespake Her child in Hebrew Pity for Christ's sake And chear thy woful mother O despise These pains and be a willing sacrifice As were thy bretheren that in the day Of grace in heaven receive you all I may Unbound he forthwith to the torments ran And with a serene countenance began Blood-wasting wretch what dost thou but adde fuel thee To make hell botter by persisting cruel Worm that thou art who crown'd thee who gave Those Purple robes thou wearest was 't not he Whom thou in us dost persecute but die Thou must at last for all thou perk'st so high I crave no favour at thy hands but will Follow my breathren and be constant still Torments ensue through mouth and nose he bled His mothers kinde hand held his fainting head His arms cut off Lord take my soul he cry'd Distongu'd he ran into the fire and dy'd Now Salomona all her children dead Enflam'd with zeal came to be Martyred Herein excell'd them all in that sh'endur'd Sev'n painful deaths before her own 's procur'd She tearless could abide to see them spurn'd And rack'd and torn and beat and flaid and burn'd And knowing well death cutteth off our dayes By Fluxes Agues and a thousand wayes That pains were momentary she exhorted Them thus in Hebrew ere they were extorted Most choyce fruits of my womb let 's hasten hence And fear not heaven will be our recompence Shall 's bear what Eleazar undergon You know good Abram sacrific'd his son Remember Daniel in the Lyons den And cast your eyes on the three childeren The restless Tyrant caus'd her to be
which were in Bethlem nurs'd Upon my blessing I saac record Proff'ring his neck unto his father's sword Then did the barbarous tormentor pull The hair the skin and all from the childs scull The mother cryes This pain will soon be gon Suffer my child my sweet-sac'd child anon Thou 'lt pass to him who will adorn thy head With an eternal crown a crown indeed Thus doth the mother chear the child the child Takes heart to grass and in his pains he smil'd The Tyrant seeing how the Child stood fast Himself subdu'd commands him to be cast Into a stinking Dungeon whilst that pain Unto Romanus was renew'd again Romanus is drag'd forth to have a fresh Supply of stripes on his bemangled flesh Discovering the bare bones a second smart Augmenteth each already-wounded part Nor was this yet enough cut prick'd and pounc'd He suddenly must be then was denounc'd A final sentence ' gainst him and the child Both must be burn'd their torments were too milde The tort'rers did too favourably deal Romanus boldly said I do appeal From this ungodly sentence of thine own To Christ his righteous Tribunal Throne Who is an upright Judge not that I fear Thy merc'less handling no I more can bear Then thou canst lay upon me but that I May shew thy judgments to be cruelty The childe 's demanded of his mother she Embracing it deliver'd it to be Bereav'd of life and when the fatal stroke Was given Farewel sweet child Farewel she spoke All praise O Lord with heart and word Vnto thy name we render The Saints that dye are in thine eye Most precious dear and tender The childs head 's off the mother tender-hearted Enwrap'd it in her lap and so departed Romanus then into the fire is flung A storm extinguish'd it and now his tongue Must take a farewel of his head his neck Becomes the subject of a halters check One Gordius having liv'd a certain time In deserts counted it at last a crime Not to endure he therefore when a game Was celebrated unto Mars forth came And up in a conspicuous place b'ing got He said I 'm found of those that sought me not Then apprehended he his faith confesses And in the midst of torment this expresses God 's my adjutor Ah! why should I than Fear in the least the Tyranny of man Nothing shall me dismay that can fall out Thou Lord art with me fencing me about With Bullwarks of thy love thy favour still Surrounds me Ah! how can I then fear ill These torments are but light which I endure Let heavier come Tormentors pray procure Substantialler then these these are too small Gibbits and racks as good have none at all VVhen foul means could not shake his faith in Christ He was by specious promises entic'd But Gordius said I do expect in heaven Greater preferments then on earth are given Now for this good man going to be burn'd How many tender-hearted persons mourn'd To whom he thus Let not your brimfill'd-eyes Weep showres for me but for God's enemies VVho make a fire for us But in conclusion Purchase a greater to their own confusion O weep for them or none good people curb Those gliding streams and do not thus disturb My calmed minde for truely I could bear A thousand deaths for Christ and never fear Some pity'd him while others standing by Perswade him to deny Christ verbally And to himself reserve his conscience My tongue said he will under no pretence Deny its donor unto righteousness Our hearts believe but 't is our tongues confess Unto salvation O let me excite You all to suffer for a cause so right Good folks fulfill a dying mans desire So said he ceas'd and leap'd into the fire One Menas an Egyptian born and bred Leaving his temporal subsistence led A solitary life in desert places Where he might wholly exercise his graces In fasting prayer meditation fit And dil ' gent reading of the sacred Writ At last return'd to Cot is when the croud Were at their pastimes he proclaim'd aloud Himself to be a Christian then surpriz'd His faith in God more boldly he agniz'd Torments ensu'd no torments could revoke His minde but thus he confidently spoke In my minde nothing comparable is To the enjoyment of eternal bliss Nay all the world if put into one scale Is lighter then one soul VVho can prevail To disunite us from the love of Christ Can tribulation anguish he 's the high'st To him will I look up he bids me fear not Those that can kill me bodily but are not Able to hurt the soul but fear him who Hath pow'r to slay the soul and body too And fling them into hell Having receiv'd The final sentence up to heaven he heav'd His eyes hands heart and said O Lord my maker Thanks be to thee in that I am partaker Of Christ his precious blood thou hast not let My foes devour me but hast beset My heav'n-fix'd soul with such true constancy That in the faith I liv'd for that I die The lift up axe upon his neck falls down And so he lost his head but found a Crown In Portugal a Noble Virgin nam'd Eulalia of twelve years old enflam'd With holy zeal most earnestly desir'd To suffer death and heartily requir'd The blest assistance of Gods willing arm And faith all her corruptions to charm Her godly Parents fearing she should come T'antimely death did keep her close at home But she not brooking long delay by night Stole out of doors by that time it was light She came into the City and appearing Before the Judge spake boldly in his hearing What no Shame in you will you still be bent To shoot your arrowes at the innocent Never have done because no power controuls To break their bodies and afflict their souls Are you desirous what I am to know I am a Christian and an open foe Unto your diabolick sacrifices As for your Idols them my soul despises I do aknowledge with my voice and hert Th'all-powerfull God Hangman in ev'ry part Come cut and mangle me dishead me burn me What ever thou canst do shall never turn me Alas alas my flesh is too too weak And may be conquer'd thou maist eas'ly break This brittle Casket but my inward minde A jewel is which thou shalt never finde Then thus the angry Judge Here Hangman take her Drag her out by the hair to torments make her Be sensible of what our Gods can do And we But yet before thou undergo A miserable end O sturdy girle I 'de fain have thee recant life is a pearl Too precious to lose call but to minde Thy Noble Birth and be not so unkinde To thine own self as to neglect thy fortune Methinks the glist'ring Bride-bed should importune Thee to preserve thy life bar not thine ears But be entreated by thy Parents tears Not to contemn th' Aurora of thy time The flower of thy youth is in its prime And wilt thou slight it now well if thou
wilt Know that to make thee answer for thy guilt Engines are ready if thou l't not be turn'd Thou shalt beheaded be or rack'd or burn'd What a small matter is 't not worth this strife To strew incense yet that shall save thy life Eulalia not reply'd but spurn'd abroad The incense heaps and did with spittle load The tyrants face the Hangmaa having retch'd her With wilde-beasts talons to the hard bones scratch'd But she ceas'd not to praise the Lord and prize her Th' attainment of these sublime dignities VVith th' iron grate her mangled body's gor'd Her brests with flaming torches are devour'd Her long hair set on fire she opened wide Her mouth and sucked in the flame and di'd The Judge told Agues if she did refuse To sacrifice there was a common stews And in she should the chast religious maid Unto the flock'd-lascivious youngsters said Christ will not suffer this I tell you true This spotless soul to be defil'd by you By you base slaves to lust then was she plac'd Naked i'ch'street and publickly disgrac'd Amongst the rest one scoffing at her shame A flame like to a flash of lightning came And struck out both his eyes he falling down Did wallow in the dirt while she did crown Her soul in praising God the Judge sends word To th'executioner to sheath his sword In her warm bowels Agnes maketh hast To meet with him she cannot run so fast O this said she this this is he whom I Am taken with I long I long to die My brest stands fair thrust souldier if thou wilt Thy glitt'ring rapier up unto the hilt Dear Father open wide the gates of heaven To entertain my soul her life 's bereaven SECT XV. The Persecution of the Christians in Perfia under Sapores about the same time ANd now the Persian Magicians bring In accusations to Sapores King Against the Christians for their adhering To Constantine the Great a crime past cleering The King incens'd herewith with taxes fines Oppress'd them sore and killed their Divines Simeon their Priest was into prison sent For slighting Idol-gods and as he went Vsthazares a Christian of late Since sall'n away who at the Court-gate sate Espying him led by obeysance did him But Simeon for Apostatizing chid him The conscious Eunuch suddenly let fall A briny showre his costly garments all Laid by he mourn'd and with dejected face Deplored thus his lamentable case Ah me with what a brazen brow shall I Look upon God see'ng Simeon doth deny His kinde salute He to the King must go Who gently ask'd him why he mourned so If in my Palace thou want'st any thing Speak man and by the honour of a King It shall be thine that tolerable were But Ah! who can a wounded spirit bear 'T is this said he that acerbates my woe I live who should have dyed long agoe This Sun I see to which I seem'd to bow Thereby denying Christ to pleasure you I 'll take a solemn vow for to adore The great Creator not the Creature more The King adjudged him to lose his head And at his death at his request 't was spread Here 's one that suffers not for any treason But for religion and no other reason The Christians which disheartened had bin By his Apostacy he sought to win By his profession and example too To take new courage and to undergo The like if need requir'd Good Simeon Rejoyc'd and prais'd the Lord for what was don When the next Sun had rais'd them from their beds He and a hundred more all lost their heads The King decreed no mercy should be us'd To them which to adore the Sun refus'd The sword rang'd over all the Persian bounds Devour'd whole Cities and unpeopled towns In brief in all during Sapore's reign Were more then sixteen thousand Christians slain SECT XVI The Churches Persecution under Julian the Apostata Anno Christi 365. NO sooner was Constantius deceas'd Julian his nephew of the West and East Is made sole Emperour he from his youth Was well instructed in religion's truth His good behaviour and ingenious parts Made him a Load-stone to attract all hearts In brief he had what 's difficult to finde The rare endowments of a vertuous minde But he Apostatiz'd Satan his tutor Learn'd him to be the Churches persecutor He op'd the Idol Fanes lock'd up before And when the Christian faith grew more and more By torments he was pityful and mild And by his gifts and flatteries beguil'd The weaker sort who avarous of gaia VVere drawn aside he also did ordain That none professing Christianitie Master of any Art should dare to be Or any Officer he did suborn Jesters to load them with contempt and scorn Himself put none to death yet did the crew Of Heathenish Idolaters imbrew Their hands in Christian gore brain'd them with stones And tore the flesh from off their naked bones Drench'd some in scalding water some were stipp'd Stark naked others had their bellies rip'd And stuff'd with barly for the greedy swine To champ upon while some with famine pine Some smear'd with honey up against the Sun In baskets hung for VVasps to feed upon The children neither spar'd father nor mother Nor parents chil'ren no nor brother brother The flesh-deprived bones of some were mix'd VVith asses bones here hangs on crucifix'd And there 's one drag'd about the streets a third Is taken captive like a twiglim'd bird VVhen Julian sacrific'd to Fortune one Maris Bishop of blind-ey'd Chaleedon Sharply rebuk'd him call'd him impious man Apostate Atheist to whom Julian Retorts Blind fool thy God of Galiles VVill not restore thy fight and make thee see Maris reply'd I am not so unkinde As not to thank my God which made me bliade Lest that mine eyes turn'd from a better fight Upon thy so ungracious face should light Cyrillus Deacon in Hier apolis Demolished the Gentiles Images He 's took his belly 's rip'd his liver drawn Out of his body with their teeth is gnawn A little tract of time b'ing wheel'd about Their tongues were rocted and their teeth fell out Of their loose sockecs their blind eyes no more Beheld the objects they beheld before While of Apollo's Delphick Oracle Julian enquir'd a flash of lightning fell From the collided clouds which overturn'd The Temple and Apollo's Image burn'd The fines were more then they were sessed at He scoff'd them thus You ought to undergo All wrongs does not your God command you so Ath'nafius said This persecution Is but a little cloud 't will soon be gon SECT XVII The Churches Persecution under the Arrian Hereticks which began An. Christi 339. GReat Constantine a while before he dy'd Amongst his sons did equally divide His Empire to the rule he did assigne Constantius Constans and Constantine Constantius that governed the East Was soon seduced by an Arrian priest Who him inform'd that Athanasius Return from exile was pernicious Unto the publick good incensed then The Emp'rour sent five thousand
would produce her hid-up gold He 'd rost her quick and after throw her down From the sublimest tower in the town VVell said she though I fall yet shall I stand Supported by the Lord Almightie's hand He made her drink his piss then in her face Flung the remainder and withall the glass He claps her up more torments to abide Her friends redeem'd her but she shortly did The Prot'stants of Valougne their dear lives lost And souldiers in their houses rul'd the rost In Mascon Bonnet Bor a rare Divine Scoff'd beaten drown'd Lamp-like in heav'n doth shine Monsieur Valongues a Minister they kill'd And spurn'd his naked corps the Mass-Priests fill'd His mouth and wounds with Bible-leaves and said Preach thou Gods truth now invocate his aid Monluc at Reim brain'd sucking infants then The mothers hang'd above five hundred men They sprinkled salt upon the bleeding wounds Of one poor mangled man Monluc confounds The Protestants in fight the prisoners He hangs especially the Ministers Captain Lamoths he stabs that will not do He thrusts him with a rapier through and thro And his blasphemous mouth these words lets fly Villain thou in despite of God shalt die He prov'd a lyar though the man endur'd Such mortal wounds yet was he strangely cur'd In Limoux Grenoble Beann Cisteron Normay and Aurange many undergon Hard usage Ah! what hearts what tongues what Quills Can think can speak can write those worst of ills Females were ravish'd others drown'd some kill'd Their houses with unruly souldiers fill'd Hundreds of women nay and children too Like harmless sheep unto the slaughter go Those to blaspheme that would not be constrain'd Were with the butt-end of a musket brain'd Or hewn as small as herbs unto the pot Others rhrown out at windowes others shot A fair young woman after much disgrace Was ravished before her husbands sace Then forc'd to hold a rapier wherewith One made her her own husband kill A Smith Because he would not give the devil his soul B'ing on his anvil laid they beat his poul In pieces with great hammers some were crush'd To death with weights others were har quebush'd They dash'd brest-sucking babes against the walls And slew the crazy in the hospitals No sex nor age nor quality they let Go free all all was fish that came to net The Massacre at PARIS Anno 1571. WHen the third Civil War in France was ended A Massacre at Paris was intended And put in execution first of all They set upon and slew the Admiral The watch-word was the tolling of a bell Which rang by break aday the cut-throats fell On the attendants of the King of Navar And Prince of Conde not the least of favour Was shew'd to any they knock'd down and brain'd Ten thousand persons Sein'c swift streams were With the effused blood the streets were pav'd stain'd With mangled bodies not a man was sav'd These blood-hounds met with Pistols Poiniards Knives Curtlaces Pikes did make away with lives The Muskets bouncings Oh the horrid tones Of howling murth'rers mix'd with dying grones The Lords and Gentlemen were murthered Some on their houses roofs and some in bed In France this persecution so encreas'd Were thirty thousand Massacred at leaft But let 's to some particulars descend One Monsieur de la Place was brought t' his end And Peter Ramus with his life did part The Kings Professor in that subtile Art Thrown from the chamber window trail'd about The streets and whip'd his bowels falling out A villain snatched up a little child Who toy'd and played with his beard and smil'd But he hard hearted wretch not mov'd at all Drew out his sword and stabbed it withall And cast it all gore-blood into the river This gnaws an infant's heart and he the liver Such protestants as did through fear revolt Must in the fore-front give the first assault Or else be kill'd themselves Some had their grease Try'd out and sold They us'd such blasphemies Where 's now your God are Psalmes and Prayers come To this sure he is either deaf or dumb Let him come save you if he can they cry'd Kill kill them all and let 's the spoil divide What fearfull shrikes and outeries were there then Caus'd by these Devils in the shapes of men What breaking up of doors what noise of guns At Orleance was there heard confusion runs In ev'ry street what trampling of War-Horses Rumbling of Carts that bore away dead coarses The Papists in this massacre confess'd That they slew eighteen thousand at the least Some of them boasted in the streets aloud Th'nad dy'd their doublets in the Hug'nots blood At Tholouse they the call'd-out pris'ners slay Not suffring them to speake much less to pray VVhen the Parisian massacre was known At Bourdeaux the like cruelty was shown How sad was it to see poor Protestants VVander now here now there and none their wants Supply Alas unparalelled woes Rejected by their friends destroy'd by foes SECT XXIX The siege of Sancerte Anno Christi 1573. THe Chastrian Lord besieging Sancerre town His thundring cannons play'd and batter'd down Her stony walls the shiver'd timber flew Continually about yet none it slew Some had their hats breeches and coats through shot Themselves not hurt nor prejudic'd one jot The siege endured long at last through want Horse-flesh was turn'd to food which growing scant The Twons-men fed on dogs cats rats mice moles Hides parchments halters Lantera-horns roots coals Their bread was made of straw-meal they did boyl Them pottage of old Oyntments grease and Oyl And when these fail'd they pounded nutshels slates Eat mens dung fry'd ho these were precious cates A lab'rer and his wife were put to th'slaughter For feeding on their famin-starved daughter Some little corn by stoldred brought to town Each pound was valued at half a crown The sword did but eighty four persons slay The famine half a thousand swept away Many chose rather to resign their breath At the swords point then famish'd be to death The parents look'd upon with grief of heart Their children but could no relief impart A boy of five years old neer spent with hunger Did run about the streets but when no longer His feeble feet could bear him down he fell Before his parents sight 't is sad to tell The horrour of their souls and how their eyes Ran down when they did feel his with'red thighs Then said the child Father and mother dear What mean you so to weep for Gods sake spare Those needless drops and do'nt my cause bemone I ask no bread as knowing you have none But since it is Gods will that I should rest By such a death as this his name be blest Have not I mother in my Bible read Of Laz'rus wants and that was all he said At last God flirr'd up the Polonians To free the poor distress'd Sancerrians They with their arms and goods might go away And such as would might without trouble stay The siege of Rochel Anno 1573. ROchel
from the Sacred Writ Two hundred sixteen years this faith did flame Amongst them till the Pagan Saxons came Religious Lucius without issue dy'd And now the Barons and the Nobles vy'd For King and while they for the crown contended In step'd the Romans so the quarrel ended For they usurp'd the crown and did o'rewhelm With misery and ruine the whole Realm Sometimes th'Idol'trous Romans bore the sway Sometimes the Christian Britans won the day By turns they got the best by turns they got The worst as Providence did them allot In Dioclesian's time and in the Reign Of Maximinian the Christians slain In Britany and elsewhere did amount To sev'nteen thousand One of great account Alban his name the Proto-Martyr was Of Englands Isle and many more did pass That way he went Religion decaid Bibles were burned and the Churches laid Laid level with the ground disord'red orders Took place and Piety forsook our borders But the fore-named Tyrants over-tir'd With blondy butcheries at last respir'd Experience telling them the more they shed The Christians blood the more the faith still spread They both went down from the Imperial seat Constantius next Constantine the Great Succeeding in the British government The Church was quiet and enjoy'd content Which peace continu'd till the Arrian Sect The novelty-affectors did infect Hereat God raised up the Picts and Seots Two barb'rous nations and to them alots The Victors wreath poor England was opprest And did for many years enjoy no rest Which made them send Embassadors to Rome With sad complaints entreating them to come To aid them so a Roman Legion came Slew some making the rest retreat with shame And quit these coasts advising us withal To raise betwixt us and the Scots a wall A wall being builded by the English men The Roman force returned home agen This news was brought unto the Picts and Scots One this side of the wall they landed boats O're-ran the country laid the corn-sields waste And bare down all before them as they past The Britans send their Legates unto Rome A second time the sent-for souldiers come And vaequish'd them the rest put to disorders Enforcedly desert the British borders Which done they told the Britans flat and plain They should expect no aid from them again Besides it stood not with their ease to take So long and tedious journeys for their sake Now therefore arm your selves and exercise In Warlike feats said they if yee be wise Go go and build you firmer walls that so You may be able to keep out your foe The Romans having took their last farewel Of Britany the Picts and Scots soon fell On the re-builded walls and put to flight The trembling Britains noitrain'd up to fight They that stood out were barb'rously destroy'd And all their goods the enemies enjoy'd Loan Aceldama of blood what store Of slaughtred Carkasses ev'n swim in gore Rome b'ing again solicited to send Relief refus'd the Britains in the end Took heart to grass when earthly comforts fail'd Sought God and ' gainst their enemies prevail'd Gave them the total rout the Picts began To keep their bound save onely now and than They inroads made into the Land the Land At last became under her own command The ground was now manur'd the Lord did bless Th' industrious Britains with a large encrease Of full-ear'd corn that such abundant store Scarce ever in the Land was seen before But Oh! mans sinful heart this Peace this Quiet This Plenty led them to excess and rior To pride contention envy and the like God sent the plague among them which did strike So many dead that the alive were all Unable to afford them burial Yet could the judgements that abroad were sent Not melt their hearts nor move them to repent The death of friends the danger they were in Themselves but hardened them more in sin Not work'd their Reformation oftentimes Judgements prove Shooing-horns to greater crimes They wax still worse and worse the Laity chose And Clergy too to live like ranc'rons foes Gods thundring vengeance which upon them fell My breathing Muse shall in the sequel tell SECT II. The Persecution of the British Church under the Heathen Saxons and English Anno 429 c. THE Britains with ill-neighbours re-infested Instead of turning to the Lord requested The Pagan Saxons aid for to oppose The raging fury of these Northern foes They came and coming conquer'd them at length The Saxons knowing their sufficient strength To over-pow'r the weaker Britains they Fell foul on them exacting greater pay And more provision or else they would Side with the Picts and do the best they could To spoil their country This their resolution No sooner said was put in execution All goodly edifices they destroy'd The Ministers the while they were employ'd In Divine service were of lives depriv'd And rev'rend Bishops with their flocks disliv'd Some left their country and beyond Seas fled Some on the mountaines tops were murthered Some pin'd with hunger creeping from their caves Were soon dispatch'd or made perpetual slaves The English Nobles summoned to treat Concerning peace did on a fix'd time meet At Almshury but by the faithless train Of Saxons were most treacherously slain At Stomheng and that they were bury'd there The yet-remaining monuments declare Now when the Britans found no other way Lay open to redress they fell to pray A fast was call'd and all with one accord Humbled their souls before th' Almighty Lord. Ambrosius Aurelian being chose To be their King did profligate their foes And from that day Gods hand appearing glorious They went out prosp'rous and return'd Victorious At last Aurelian with poyson dead Uter Pendragon reigned in his stead He bidding battail to the enemy Two of their Chieftains took who scaping fly To Belgia for more aid and in the mean The Saxons flock'd in conflicts past between Th'English and them now these and sometimes they As Providence saw good did win the day Octa and Cosa with a force renew'd Came o're again the Britans are subdu'd Their pastors slain Churches demolished No mercy 's shown King Vter sick in bed Seeing his Subjects fall would needs be brought Into his camp so resolutely fought His souldiers then they under God obtain The Victors wreath Octa and Cosa slain Soon ever this great Victory was won Uter of poyson dy'd Arthur his son Was crowned King who twice six Victories Obtain'd against the Saxon enemies His stranger acts and unbeliev'd success As fabulous I leave but questionless Much peace and safety to the British Isle Was in his happy reiga enjoy'd yet while They were at Peace with others they agin Returning to their loathed wayes of sin Fell to intestine broils embracing evil In stead of good and worshipped the Devil Under the notion of an Angel bright The Priests withheld the Gospels purer light From deviating souls which soon procur'd The wrath of God too great to be endur'd Driv'n out of house and home no ease no rest They
time forward in the Latin tongue c. John a Lasco Peter Martyr and more Protestant forr'ners were exil'd this shore And many godly-minded English fly To Friez land Cleavâ—land Basil Germany Where through God's mercy they were kept from dangers And all found favor in the eyes of strangers The number of these Peregrines encreas'd Unto eight hundred persons at the least Then to the Tower Lady Elizabeth Was sent and bore afflictions worse then death Latimer Cranmer Ridly Bishops spent Much time at Oxford in imprisonment One Mr. Sanders crying down the Mass Became close pris'ner Doctor Tailour was To London sent for up Henry Lord Gray Of Suffolk Duke condemn'd was brought to pay His sought for life where having open broke His sealed lips he to the people spoke I have displeas'd the Queen contrair'd her Laws Take notice Christians that 's the onely cause I suffer so and seeing they are bent T' a bridge my fleeting dayes I am content And do beseech you all bear me record I die in the true faith of Christ my Lord And for salvation on his merits rely Not on inefficacious trumpery For me and all true penitents beside Who in him stead fastly believe Christ dy'd Repent I do and do desire you all To pray for me that when my body shall Resigne its breath God will be pleas'd to take My soul unto himself for Christ his sake Forgive me yee whom I offended have Saies Dr. Weston then As he doth crave The Queen hath done him thus the throng rebuke God send thee such forgiveness So the Duke Kneel'd down and prai'd concluding I resigne My soul O Lord into those hands of thine Then made he preparation to embrace The bloody blow and having veil'd his face With his own handkerchief he kneeling said The Lords pray'r over down his head he laid Venting these latest words Christ look upon me Have mercy Jesus O have mercy on me And now the stroke was fetch'd he being cast At the black bar of death breath'd out his last Divers of all degrees who bought or sold Some good religious books were kep'd in hold As Bonner past his Visitation He charg'd all Sacred sentences upon The Church-walls painted should be washed out And Visitors he also sent about The Universities to bring therein All Popish trash to turn out they begin The ablest men some of themselves forsook Their fellowships while worth-less persons took Their places up to the great hinderance Of learning and religions advance By this 't was bruited over all the land The Queen went quick with child upon command Thanks were returned to Almighty God In ev'ry Church and after all abroad Prayers were made that she might have e're long A male child fair wise valiant and strong The Godly Min'sters before Winchester In and about the City must appear Who ask'd them If they would recant and so Have pardon from the Queen All answer'd No Yea all of them unan'mously agreed To stand to what they taught the Bishop's speed Made them close prisoners and did divorce Their friends from interchangable discourse Mr. James George one of them there did yield His spir't up whom they bury'd in the field Then Mr. Hooper Rogers Bradford hated And Sanders too were excommunicated And Pious Dr. Tailour Ferrar Crome Did all of them with them receive their doom Commissions and inquisitors were sent Throughout the Realm great multitudes from Kent From Essex Suffolk Norfolk and elsewhere VVere brought to London and encloyftred there Part of them dead in prison out were turn'd To dunghills and the flames a many burn'd Also Hanks Hunter Pigot Laurence brought Before the Bishops were for no just fault When Stephen Gard'ner saw that what h'assail'd By threats hard usage not at all prevail'd To make men shake off truth he did begin As utterly discouraged therein The business in hand for to renounce Meddling no more with condemnations But unto Bishop Bonner them referr'd Who in that trust imposed so bestirr'd Himself that sending for all in great hast Th'above nam'd parties he upon them past Death's final sentence Dr. Ferrar quick He sent down to St. Davids Bishoprick Within the Cambrian country there to be Condemn'd and executed crueltie To th' Queen in Mr. Coverdale's behalf Twice wrote the King of Denmark for his safe Release from prison but with much ado To him the Queen permitted him to go One Thomas Tomkins Weaver by his trade An humble man and one that conscience made Of what he did who would begin his labour With servent prayers and to his needy neighbour So charitable was that he 'd disburse Unto them all the mony in his purse If any came to borrow of him when His creditors would bring it home agen He u'sd to bid them keep it longer yet Till they more able were to pay the deb This man was kept in pris'n a half years space By Benner's means who beat him on the face With livid blows and plucked off a piece Of his fast beard yet this did but increase His patience more the Bishop then affail'd When other tearms nothing at all prevail'd With gentle words to win him but the trial Succesless prov'd Tomkins return'd denial The Bishop having by a flaming Torch Took Tomkins by the fingers and did seorch His hand therewith afterwards Tomkins told A friend of his that whilst Bonner did hold His hand to burn he felt no pain at all Such consolation from God's spirit did fall Nor shrunk he in the least until his veines The fire contracted fire you know constreines And sinewes crack'd again and water spurt On Dr. Harpsfield's face as from a squirt Who was so pityful compassionate As to beseech the Bishop to abate His cruel minde O be not so so rough Said he have you not tryed him enough Into the Bishops consistory brought Examined he was whether he thought Christs real body in the Sacrament Was present yea or no to which he sent This answer that he verily believ'd The Sacrament by a true faith receiv'd Was onely its remembrance with the High'st The very body and the blood of Christ In heaven is and nowhere else being ask'd If he 'd recant God hath said he unmask'd His truth to me in such corruscancy That in it I resolve to live and die The Bishop then death's sentence on him past And to the Sheriffs deliv'red him who cast Him into Newgate prison in Smithfield The truth in fine with his dear blood he seal'd And in the Lord slep'd sweetly Then William Hunter that had scarce out-worn The nineteenth year of Godly Parents born VVho him instructed in Religion's truth And plac'd him out in London this good youth VVas charg'd by special command to go To Mass break bread which he refus'd to do Hunter when threatened that this should come Unto the Bishop's ear leave got went home To Burnt-wood and did with his Parents stay About six weeks And going on a day Into the Chappel there which pleas'd him well He