1563 Edition | Book 5 | Page 1731 
besides, because shee would often times bring in straungers emong them, and in her talke semed, as they thoughte somwhat to busy. &c. Now what they sawe or vnderstoode further in her, we knowe not, but thys folowed the euil suspicion conceiued of her. Maister Rough the frydaye before he was taken, in the open face of the congregacion, did excomunicate her out of the same company: and so semed with the reast to exclude and cut her of from their felowship and society. Wherat shee being moued, did not well take it nor in good part, but thought her selfe not indifferently handled emonge them. Whereupon to one of her frēds in a heate, she threatned to remoue them all. But the prouidence of God was otherwise. For the sonday after, maister Rough beinge taken by the informacion of one Roger Seargeant, to the byshop of London (as here after thou shalt heare) was laid prisoner in the gate house at Westminster, where none of hys frendes could come to hym to visit hym. Thē this sayd Margaret hearing therof, got her a basket, and a cleane shirte in it, went to West minster, whre shee fayning her selfe to be his syster, got into the prison to hym, & did there to her power not a little comforte hym. And comming abroad agayne, she vnderstanding þt the congregacion suspected the sayd Seargeant to be his promoter, went to his house, and asked whether Iudas dwelte not there or no. vnto whō answere was made there dwelt no such. No said she, dwelleth not Iudas here þt betraied christ? his name is Sargeant. Whē she sawe she could not speake with hym, shee went her way. so the frydaye after, shee standing at Marke lane ende in London, with a nother woman, a frend of hers, sawe Cluny Boners Somner comming in the strete towardes her house. Whom when shee sawe shee sayd to the other woman standing with her: whether goeth yōder fyne felow (said she) I thinke suerly he goeth to my house, & in vuinge hym still, at the last shee saw him enter in at her dore: so ymmediatly she went home & asked him whom he sought, wherunto Cluny made answere and sayd, for you: ye must goo with me. Mary quod shee here I am, I will go with you, and comming to the Byshop shee was laid in prisō, & the wedinsday after burnt wt M. Rough in Smithfield as ye haue heard.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaA note concerning master Rough☞ Maister Rough being at the burninge of Austo in Smithfield,
Close
Actually James and Margaret Austoo were burned at Islington, not Smithfield.
Close
The entire account of Simpson first appeared in the 1563 edition but it was very disorganised. Foxe's sources for this account were the official records of Simpson's trial (for the articles against him as well as the depositions of witnesses against the underground London congregation). Foxe also printed two letters by Simpson and drew heavily on the testimony of individual informants. (This is probably one reason for the disorder of this account in the first edition). In the 1570 edition, this material was re-arranged and the depositions dropped. Also dropped was an anecdote about a dream which John Rough had. There were no further changes to this account in subsequent editions.
[Back to Top]Marginalia1558NExt after the martyrdome of master Rough, minister of the congregation, aboue mencioned, succeded in the like martirdome the Deacon also of þe said godly company or congregation in London, named Cutbert Symson, being committed to the fire the yeare of oure Lord. 1558. the. xxviii. daye of Marche.
[Back to Top]This Cutbert Symson was a man of fayth ful and zelous hart to Christ & his true flock, in so much that he neuer ceased, labouryng & studieng most earnestlye, not onelye howe to bring them together out from amongest the Papists, and their contagious corruption, but also his care was euer vigilant how to keepe them together, without peryll or daunger of persecution. The goodnes, paines, trauayle, zeale, patience, and fidelity of this man, as it can not be lyghtly expressed in the caring and prouding for this heauenly Congregation: so neither is it vnworthy of story the mercyfull prouidence of the Lord by vision, concernyng the troubles of this faithfull minister & godly Deacō, as in thys here folowing may appere.
[Back to Top]The Fridaye at nighte before M. Roughe minister of the congregation, of whom mention is before, was taken, being in his bed, MarginaliaThe visiōs sent to gods saints cōcerning their afflictions.he dreamed that he sawe two of the Garde leading Cutbert Simson deacon of the said congregation, and that he had the congregation boke about him, whereupon being sore troubled he woke & called his wife, saying: Cate strike light. For I am much troubled wt my brother Cutbert this night. when she had so done, he gaue him selfe to read his boke, & fealinge slepe to come vpon him, he put oute the candell, and so gaue himselfe againe to rest, wher being a slepe, he dremed the like dream agayne. And awaking therewith, he said: O Cate, my brother Cutbert is gone. So they lighted a candel agayne and rose. And as the said maister Rough was making him readye to go to his brother Cutbert, to see howe he did, in þe meane time the said Cutbert came in with the boke, conteining the accompts and names of the congregation, whom when M. Rough had sene, he saide: brother Cutbert ye are welcome. For I haue bene sore troubled with you this night, & so told him his dream. After he had so done, he willed him to laye the boke from him, and to take a note only of thē that had not payed,
Close
As a deacon for the underground congregation, Simpson was in charge of collecting the offerings from its members. Although Rough wanted Simpson to part with the membership lists, he did not want Simpson to lose track of those delinquent in their payments. This passage was a little bit too mundane and unheroic for Foxe's purposes and it was dropped from the 1570 edition.
[Back to Top]