tious prouision of the Lord few or none at all, of so many that fauoured Christ and his Gospel, in that terrible spoyle miscaryed. In the nomber of whom I know a godly couple, one Iohn Thorpe and his wyfe, whiche feare the Lorde, and loueth his truth, who being sycke the same tyme, and caste oute into the wylde fields, harboureles, desolate, and despayring of al hope of lyfe, hauing their yong infant more ouer taken from them in the sayd fieldes, and caryed away of the souldiours: yet the Lorde so wrought, that the poore woman being almost past recouery of lyfe, was fet and caryed, the space wel nigh of a mile, by Alienes whom they neuer knew, into a vyllage, where bothe she was recouered for that night, and also the next day comming toward England chaunced into the same Inne at the next towne, where she found her young chylde syttyng by the fire syde.

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MarginaliaRichard White Ihō Hunt.Although to recite all thinges that haue ben done, is neither for me nor for any man els to comprehende, yet this singular and notable example of Gods mighty power in the conseruation of Iohn Hunt and Richard White, is not to be pretermitted. Thus is the story. 

Richard White and Iohn Hunt, who had bene long in prison at Salisbury, at length called before D. Geoffry, Chancellour then vnto the Bishop, were there condemned to be burned. The high sherife at that present was one named mayster Clifford,   who being then at the sessions, was there charged with these two condemned persons, with other malefactours, there condemned lykewise the same tyme, to see the execution of death ministred vnto them. In the mean tyme maister Clifford of Boscon in Wilshire, sonne to the said maister Clifforde the sherife, commeth to his father, exhorting him and coūselling him earnestly in no case to meddle with the death of these two innocent persons. And if the Chauncellour and Priests would nedes be instant vpon him, yet he should fyrst require the wryt to be sent downe De comburendo, for his discharge. Maister Clifforde hearing thys, and vnderstanding Iustice Browne to be in the towne the same tyme, went to hym to aske hys aduise and counsel in the matter, who told him, that without the wryt sent downe from the superiour powers, he coulde not be discharged: and if the wryt were sent, then he must by the law do hys charge. The sherife vnderstanding by Iustice Browne how farre he myght go by the law, and hauing at that tyme no writ for his warrāt, let them alone, and next day after taking hys horse, departed. The Chauncellour al this while maruailing what the Sherife ment, and yet disdayning to go vnto hym, but looking rather the other should haue come first to him, at last hearing that he was riddē, taketh his horse, and rydeth after him, who at

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length ouertaking the sayd Maister Clifforde, declareth vnto him, how he had committed certaine condemned prisoners to his hand, whose duty had bene agayne to haue seene execution done vpon the same, which for that he had not done, the matter he sayd was great, and therefore wylled hym to looke wel vnto it, howe he would answer the matter, and thys began he fiercely to lay to his charge.

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MarginaliaA note to be obserued concerning the papists dealings.Wherein note, gentle Reader, by the way, the close and couert hipocrisye of the Papistes in their dealings. Who in the fourme and stile of their own sentence condemnatory, pretende a petition vnto the secular power, in visceribus Iesu Christi, vt iuris rigor mitigetur, atque vt parcatur vitæ, 

that is: That the rigour of the law may be mitigated, and that their life may be spared. MarginaliaThe papists charged wyth manifest dissimulation.And howe standeth this nowe wyth their owne doinges and dealinges, when thys Chauncellour, as ye se, is not onely contented to geue the sētence agaynst them, but also hunteth here after þ^e Officer, not suffering him to spare thē, although he would? What dissimulation is thys of men, going and doing contrarye to their owne wordes and profession? But let vs returne to our matter agayne.

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The Sherife hearing the Chancellors words and seinge him so vrging vpon him, told him again that he was no babe, which nowe was to be learned of him: if he had any writ to warrant and discharge him in burning those men, then he knewe what he had to do. Why, sayth the Chauncellor, did not I geue you a wryt, with my hand and viii. mo of the Close set vnto the same? well quod the good sherife, that is no sufficient discharge to me, and therfore as I told you, if ye haue a sufficient writ and warrant from the superiour powers, I know then what I haue to do in my office: otherwise, yf you haue no other wryt but that, I tell you, I wyll neyther burne them for you, nor none of you al. &c. Where note agayne, good Reader, howe by this it maye be thoughte and suppsed, that the other poore Saintes and Martirs of God, suche as had bene burned at Salisbury before, MarginaliaBurninge with oute a sufficient wryt.were burned belyke without any autorised or sufficient wrytte from the superiours, but onely vpon the information of the Chauncellour, and of the Close, throughe the vncircumspect negligence of the sherifes, whyche shoulde haue looked more substantially vpon the matter. But this I leaue and referre vnto the magistrates. Let vs returne to the story again. Doctor Geoffrey the Chauncellour thus sent away from the sherife, went home, & there fel sick vpon the same (for anger belike) as they signified vnto me, which wer the parties them selues, bothe godlye and graue persons, who were then condemned, and yet God bee praysed be both alyue. 

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After the foresayd maister Clifford succeded