ster Wats fiue new grotes, frō M. Ardley xii. d from maister Bradford. xii. d. which men be all gone to death, except maister Bradford, he abideth styl. MarginaliaBehold here the communiō of Saints.There is also gone to death Nicolas Chamberlayne, Thomas Osmond, Wyllyam Bamford. There is also condemned this Monday
Dirick Carver, Thomas Iveson and John Launder were all condemned on 10 June 1555 (PRO C/85/127, fo. 10r).
William Vassay was arrested along with Dirick Carver and is mentioned in Carver's confession of faith (1563, p. 1240; 1570, p. 1861; 1576, pp. 1592-93 and 1583, p. 1680).
Thomas Iveson, the martyr.
Herault may be the 'Heralt' mentioned in Smith's examinations and he may also be the Thomas Harold who was a protestant prisoner in the Marshalsea.
Sweetmeats.
A piece of wood tied to a key to prevent it from being lost [OED].
Your Husband Robert Smyth.
This letter was written to a woman to urge her not to attend mass. In addition to appearing in all editions of the Acts and Monuments, it was printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 552-53.
THe eternall God kepe you in his feare. I haue harty cōmendationes vnto you and your housband, beseching almighty god to preserue you in well doing, and in perfecte knowledge of hys Christ, that ye maye be found fautles in the daye of the Lord. I haue heard saye that my frende is geuen ouer to vanity: it breaketh my hart, not only to hear that he so doth, but also teacheth other, that it is vnhurtfull to go to all abhominacions, which now stand in the Idoles temples: neuerthelesse deare frēd be ye not moued to folowe sinners. For they haue no inheritaunce with God and Christ. But loke that by going into the Idol temple, ye defile not the temple of God. For light hath no felowship with darcknes. But looke what the Lorde hath commaunded, that do. For yf not going to church were without persecutiō, they woulde not learne you that lesson. But al thing that is swete to the flesh, is allowed of the fleshly. The Lord shal rewarde euery man according to his workes, and he that leadeth into captiuity shall go into captiuiuitie, and he that by the fleshly man is led in the flesh, shall of the flesh reape corruption. The Lord Iesu geue thee his holy spirit. Amen.
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This is very probably the set of verses exhorting Christians to be strong under persecution printed in 1563, p. 1270 and 1583, p. 1702.
Seke peace & ensue it. Feare god, loue god with all thy harte, with al thy soule, and with all thy strength.
Thy frend and all mens in Christ Iesus, Robert
Smyth. Scribled in much haste from. N. the
12, of Maye.
TNe God & father eternal, which broughte agayn from death our Lord Iesus Christ, keepe thee deare wyfe now and euer, amen, & al thy Parentes and frendes. I praise God for
his mercye, I am in the same state that ye lefte me in, rather better then woorse, looking dayly for the lyuing God, before whom I hunger ful sore to appeare, and receiue the glorye, of which I trust thou art wyllyng to be a partaker. I geue God moste hartye thankes therefore, desiring thee of all loues, to stand fast in that faith which thou hast receiued, and let no man take away the seede that almightye God hath sowen in thee, but laye handes of euerlasting lyfe, which shall euer abyde, when bothe the earth and all earthly frendes shall perishe, desiring them also to receaue thankefully oure trouble which is momētane & light, & as saint Paule saieth not worthy of the thinges which shal be shewed on vs, that we patiētly cariyng our crosse maye attaine to the place where our sauiour Christ is gone before, to the whiche I beseche God of his mercye bring vs speedely. I haue bene muche troubled about your deliueraunce, fearinge muche the perswasions of worldlinges, and haue found a frende, whyche wyl (I trust) fynde a meane for you, if you bee not alredy prouided, desiring you in any case to abide such order, as those my frendes shall appoint in God. And beare wel in mynde the wordes which I spake at our departing, that as god hath found vs, and also elected vs worthy to suffer with him, We maye endeuour our selues to folow vprightly in thys our vocation, desiring you to present my harty commendations to al our frendes, & in especial to your Parentes, keepinge your matter close in anye wyse. Geue most harty thankes to my friend, which onely for our cause is come to Windsor.
It is unclear why a friend of Smith's would journey to Windsor. Perhaps he or she had visited court to try to intercede for Smith and his comrades.
I.e., do not attend catholic services, particularly mass.
By your husband here and in heauen
Robert Smith.
THere was examined, & condemned with Ihon Denly, and Ihon Newman, thys Patrik Pachingam as appeareth. pag. 1244. who being of the same faythe, and profession with them, made also in effecte the same aunswers which they dyd, vnto the Bishops articles, obiected against them: sauing that the bishop semed in one of his articles to be maruelously offended for his euyl behauiour (as he he counted it) wythin his chappel: in that hee would not put of his cappe, at their massynge tyme. A haynous offense it was, and suche a one, as with his answers, as well to the other articles, as also to the Byshop that perswaded hym to recant, (which is this: The church that you beleue of, is no catholike church, but it is the church of Sathan, and I wyll neuer turne to that church) cost hym his lyfe. For being condempned (as I sayde) wyth the sayde Denlye and Newman, he was burned at Vx-
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