1563 Edition | Book 5 | Page 1618 
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This account is almost entirely based on Conrad Hubert's volume on the exhumation, burning and reinterment of the bodies of Martin Bucer and Paul Fagius in Cambridge and of Catherine Martyr in Oxford, the Historia vera de vita, obitu, sepultra condemnatione, exhumatione D. Martin Buceri et Pauli Fagii (Strasburg: 1562). This book was almost instantly translated into English: A briefe treatise concerning the burnynge of Bucer and Phagius, trans. Arthur Golding (London: 1562), STC 3966.
[Back to Top]In the 1563 edition, Golding's translation was simply reprinted. (Interestingly, although a manuscript copy of sections of the the Historia vera survives among Foxe's papers - BL, MS Lansdowne 388, fos. 251r-319v - and although Foxe unquestionably consulted the Historia vera - the 1563 account is not a fresh translation of the Historia vera but a very faithful reprinting of Golding's translation). Foxe also included a poem on Bucer by John Redman and an account of the exhumation of Catherine Martyr's body which he translated from the Historia vera. (Golding had not included this in his translation).
[Back to Top]In the 1570 edition, Foxe once again reprinted Golding's translation but deleted substantial portions of it. Some of this material was removed because it was inflamatory or offended powerful people, and some it was probably judged superflous and too concerned with the parochial affairs of Cambridge University. A large section dealing with the reinterment of Bucer and Fagius was dropped, probably because it took up too much paper, especially in view of the material added to this edition . This material seems to have been drawn from official records of the exhumation, which were probably kept at Lambeth Palace and sent to Foxe by Matthew Parker.
[Back to Top]No changes were made to this account in the 1576 edition. In the 1583 edition, Foxe reprinted the material on the reinterment of Bucer and Fagius which had last appeared in the 1563 edition.
CArdinall Poole, 3. yeres after hys returne into Englād, hauing somwhat withdrawen his mind from other affaires of the realm, and hauing in all poyntes established the Romish religion (the whyche a certayn yeares past, durying the tyme of Kyng Edward the. vi. was clerely abolished, & worn out of custome) began to haue an eye to thunyuersity of Cambridge, the which it self in especially semed to haue nede of reformation out of hand. For he thought it shuld be to no purpose, to bestow his trauaile in purgyng the residue of the body, if he left that part stil infected with maladies & diseases, from whēce all other mēbers should fetch theyr strength & nourishment. MarginaliaThinquisitors.To performe this charge, wer chosen Cuthbert Scot, not long before consecrated byshop of Westchester, Nicolas Ormanet, an Italian, Archpriest of the people of Bodolon,
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Bovolone.
The residue were sent thither eyther for experience in matters of thuniuersity, or els they semed of all others most mete to be put in trust with thandling of that case, because they were taken for most stoute Champions, and ernest defenders of the Romish religion, & of thinges appertayning to the establishment of the same. Some wer of opinion that Scot, Watson, and Christophorson, (because there was grudge betwene thē and diuers of thuniuersity, at whose handes they thought themselues lately before to haue receiued displeasure, & that now tyme and occasion serued to be reuenged vpon them as they listed themselues) busily procured thys iourney of theyr own heades.
[Back to Top]These persons thus appointed, (in þe meane while þt they wer addressing thēselues to theyr iourney,) sent theyr letters before to Andrewe
Perne, MarginaliaA citation sent before Andrew Perne vice chauncellor.Vicechauncellor of thuniuersitie for þt yeare, commaundyng hym to warne all the Graduats of thuniuersity in theyr name, to be present the. xi. day of Ianuary betwixt eyght & ten of the Clocke in the church of S. Mary the virgin. The same is the place of resort, when there is any cōmon assembly or metyng of the vniuersity, beyng not farre distant frō the market place of the sayd town of Cambridge, whyther all men are summoned, if at any time ther be any commō prayer, or suffrages to be made or if ther be any man that hath ought to say in open audyence. Willynge hym inespecially to be there himself in a readines, and moreouer to admonysh all the residue to whose charge it belonged, that they should search out al statutes, bookes, Priuileges, and monuments, appertaynyng to thuniuersity, or to any of the colleges, or finally to any of themselues, and ther to present the same before them at the day appointed and euery manne to appeare there personally. For they would not fayle, but be there at the same tyme, to lay before them such thynges as should seme necessary to this charge of refourming thuniuersity, and further to geue charge of all such thynges as should seme most for the profit and behoofe of the same, together wyth such thinges as wer to be done on theyr part, accordyng as should seme most agreable to the decrees of the Canon law.
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The following denunciation of those Cambridge scholars who co-operated in the posthumous attack on Bucer and Fagius was dropped from the 1570 edition. The reason for this deletion was that reminders of the extent of this 'collaboration' had become politically quite sensitive.
Ther were also diuers to be found, which in time past counterfayted to be very earnest embracers of the true doctrine, but in theyr liuyng and conuersation had greatly defaced it, applying to theyr owne fleshly lustes the libertye þt appertayned of ryght to the spirite, so that they thought it lawfull to do what they lysted.
[Back to Top]These men supposed there was no way but one to purge themselues of their misbehauior, namely if they became accusers of those whose frendship they had erewhiles embraced. And to thentent to make men beleue þt they professed