Magna fuit priscis, mulctandi gloria noxas,
Et disciplinæ cura seuera piæ.
Tempore defecit: Quid non cariosa vetustas
Carpit? et in peius quæ viguere, trahit?
Nam pro supplicijs, imicantia sacra Lupercos
Sacrifici virga, perficit vncta manus.
Tam rigidos mores, dum sic fluxiße Bonerus,
Ille vetustatis cultor amansque dolet:
Iure Lupercorum lictoris fasce flagellum
Mutat, et antiqui signa rigoris amat.
Nec tamen Orbilij, prudens conuitia pastor,
Sed neque plagosi, crimina falsa timet.
Carnificis nomen debetur iure Bonero
Qui sine Christicolas crimine mactat oues.
Certe carnisicis immiti nomine gaudet
Siq̀ isto peius nomine nomen, amat.
Carnificem vocitas? ridet. crudelia facta
Narras? rem gratam non facis ipse magis.
Det deus vt sapias meliora Bonere, vel istis
Te feriant meritis numera digna, precor.
MarginaliaThe storye of I. Milles capper.THis Iohn Milles
This account first apppeared in the 1563 edition and it remained fundamentally unchanged in subsequent editions. This account is based on testimony from an individual informant or informants.
See 1563, pp. 1669-70; 1570, pp. .
This done, he had him immediately to the parish church of Fulham, with the said Thomas Hinshaw, and with Robert Willis, to whom,
there being seuerally called before him, he mynistred certain articles, asking if they woulde subscribe to the same. To the which the sayd I. Milles, made his answer according to his conscience, denying them all, excepte one artycle, which was concerning king Edwards seruice in English. Shortly after this beating, Boner sent to him in prison a certain olde Priest, MarginaliaAn olde coniuring Priest. lately come frō Rome, to coniure out the euill spyrit from him, who layng his hand vpon his hed began with certain woordes pronounced ouer him, to coniure as he had bene wonte before to doe. Milles marueiling what the prieste was about to do, said he trusted no euil spirit to be wt in him, and laught him to scorne &c.
[Back to Top]As this Iohn Miles was diuers tymes & oft called before Boner, so much communication & wordes of talke passed betwene them, which to recite al it wer to long. And yet it wer not vnpleasant for the reader that lusteth to laugh, to se the blinde and vnsauorye reasons of that B. which he vsed to perswade the ignorāt withal. As in the proces of his other talk wt this Milles Boner goinge aboute to perswade him not to medle wt matters of the scripture, but rather to beleue other mens teaching, which hadde more skil in the same, firste asked if he did beleue the scripture. Yea said he, that I doe. Then the. B why, quod he, sainct Paul saith: if the mā slepe, the woman is at liberty to go to another man. If thou wert a slepe hauing a wife, wouldest þu be content thy wife to take an other man? And yet this is the scripture.
[Back to Top]Item, if thou wilt beleue Luther, Zwinglius and such, then thou canst not go right. But if þu wilt beleue me &c. thou canst not erre. And yf þu sholdest erre, yet thou art in no peril, thy bloud should be required at our handes. And if þu shouldest go to a far countrey, & with a fatherly man as I am (for these were his termes) and ask the way to the head citie, and he should say, go this way, and thou wilt not beleue him, but follow Luther and other heretikes of late dayes, and go a contrary way, how wilt thou come to the place thou askest for? So if thou wilt not beleue me, but follow the leading of other heretykes, so shalt thou be brought to destruction & burne both body and soule.
[Back to Top]As truely as thou seest the bodies of them in Smithfield burn, so truely their soules do burn in hell, because they erre from the Churche.
Oft tymes speakyng to the sayd Iohn Mylles, he would say: They call me(saieth he) bloudye Boner. A vengeaunce on you al. I would fayn be ridde of you, but ye haue a delite in burning: but if I might haue my request, I woulde sow your mouthes and put you in sackes, & drowne you.
Concernyng the deliueraunce of the foresayde Iohn Milles, the same daye when he was deliuered, Boner came vnto the stockes where