had commaunded him. MarginaliaThe iudgement day is appointed.wherupon he requested them to appointe the fourth daye next following to pronounce the sentence of condemnation: the whiche without any difficultie he obteined. For I shewed you before, that so it was agreed among them selues. And yet these bloudy Buchers would for all that seme meke and mercifull men. Insomuch that they would seme to determine nothing of their own heads before þ^t this most filthie executioner of other mens wicked lustes, hadde earnestlye sued to theim for the same, as though no man hadde bene able to espie out their colourable conueyaunce, or as if we had cast from vs bothe oure mindes and eyes, that we shoulde neyther vnderstande nor see their craftie packyng. Euen so, they settyng a fayre glosse vpon all their doinges, sought to bryng them selues in credit w^t men, to thentent that whē oportunitie should serue, they myght to their owne most aduauntage deceiue mē vnwares. Surely, they might not in any wyse seeme to doe those thinges, which they were most chiefly bente vpon, and therefore they soughte all meanes possible to bleare mens eyes, that they should not see thē, but they could not so escape vnespied.

About this tyme they sent out a MarginaliaA comaundement for makyng of an Inuentorye of the goodes of euery College, aswell mouable as vnmouablecommaundement that the maister of euerye College by thaduise of his house, should cause to be put in wrytinge, how muche euery house had of ready money, howe muche of yearlye reuenewe, howe muche thereof had bene bestowed about necessary vses of the College, howe much wēt to the stipendes of the fellowes, and the daylie diet of the house, how muche was allowed for other extraordinarie expenses, how muche remayned from yeare to yeare, what was done with the ouerplus, with a due accompte of all thyngs belonging to that purpose. The which thing (because that for the straungenesse and noueltie thereof, it should not make menne to muse and breake their braynes about it) they sayde, that before theim the Colleges of Eton and Wynchester had done the lyke. The cause why they coueted to be certified herein, was for none other purpose, but to the entent that they them selues might see, whether that they to whose charge the custody and administratiō of those goodes was committed, had behaued them selues so truly and faithfully, as by theyr othe they were bounde to doe. This pretense made these diligent and curious stewardes of other mens goodes. But it was knowen well enoughe, that this was rather a fayned allegation, than a true tale. For it was their mynde to search what power the Clergie was of, the whiche for as much as they made an assured accompt of, to haue willing to take their partes whiche were the chief heades of this busines, they coueted to knowe before hand, and to put them in a readines, against all hasardes

and aduentures of fortune. And no man ought to surmyse that this coniecture is vayn, or that it dependeth vpoon a lyght ground, considering what a dele of armoure, what a dele of artillerie and furniture for the warres, the whole bodie of the Clergie, but in especially the prelats (who at that tyme bare all the sway) had layd vp in store at home in their own houses, or els put in custody of their cōfederates. The which forasmuche as they could be construed to tende to none other purpose then to open force (inespecially in so cankerd a tyme as that was) is it not a good likelihod, that to the same entent and purpose, inquisition should be made of the strength of the Vniuersitie, which it self to the vttermoste of her power, was ready to sustein any daunger or burden for the mayntenaunce of that filthie superstitiō? But God hath loked mercifully vppon vs, and pulled their swordes from our neckes. But let vs retourne to Bucer and Phagius.

Nowe was come the MarginaliaThe day of the iudgement.daie of iudgement, and all the degrees of the Vniuersitie were assembled to see this pageant. Thither came also the Maior and his townesmen, and all met together in S. Marie churche to behold and learne what should be determined vpon these men by the Commissioners. After long attendaunce of the multitude, at length the Commissioners came forth and went vp to a scaffold that was somewhat hygher then the residue, prepared for the same purpose. When they had taken their places, there Pern the Vicechauncellour the plaier of this enterlude, fashioning his coūtenaunce with great grauitie, reached to them the proces that was lastly publyshed to cite thē saying these wordes: I bring forth again, quod he, to you ryght reuerend fathers & Commissioners of the moste reuerende my Lorde Cardinall Poole, paynting out the rest of his style, this Citation executed according to the purporte and effect of the same: omitting nothyng for his part that might make to the commendation of this matter. when he had thus finished his tale, by and by the Byshop of Westchester 

Commentary    Close

In the 1563 edition, Foxe, following Golding, refers to the bishop of Chester as the bishop of 'West Chester'. (This is because the bishop of the older see of Chichester had traditionally been referred to as the bishop of Chester). In the 1570 edition, Foxe changed 'West Chester' to Chester.

MarginaliaWestchesters oratiō before the pronoūcing of the sentence of condemnationYe see (quod he) howe sore the Vniuersitie preaseth vpon vs, howe earnest intercession it maketh vnto vs, not only to denounce Bucer and Phagius, whiche these certayne yeares past haue spred most pernicious doctrine amōg you, Heretiques, as they bee in deede, but also that we will commaunde their dead carcasses whiche vnto this daye haue obtained honourable buriall among you, to be digged vp, and as it is excellently ordeyned by the Canon lawe, to be cast into fyre, or whatsoeuer is more greuous then fyre, if any can be. For the degrees of the Vniuersitie deale not slyghtly nor slackly with vs in this case, but doe so prease vpon