had thus devised, that he with his fellowes should have but one meale a day, they paying notwithstanding, for the charges of the whole; the other meale should be given to them that lacked on the other side of the prison. But Alexander their keeper, a straite man, and a right Alexander, a coppersmith indeed, of whose doings more shall be said, God willing hereafter, would in no case suffer that. The Sunday before he suffered, he drank to M. Hooper, being then underneath him; and bade them commend him unto him, and tell him, there was never little fellow better would sticke to a man than he would sticke to him, presupposing that they should both be burned togither; although it hapned otherwise, for maister Rogers was burnt alone.-And thus much briefely concerning the life and such actes of M. Rogers, as I thought worthy noting. Now when the time came, that he being delivered to the shiriffes, should bee brought out of Newgate to Smithfield, the place of his execution; first came to him M. Woodrofe one of the foresaid shiriffes, and calling M. Rogers unto him, asked him if he would revoke his abhominable doctrine, and his evill opinion of the sacrament of the aultar, M. Rogers answered and said; "that which I have preached. I will seale with my bloud." Then quoth maister Woodrofe, thou art an hereticke." That shall be knowne," quoth Rogers. "at the day of judgement." "Well," (quoth maister Woodrofe) "I will never pray for thee." "But I will pray for you," quoth maister Rogers; and so he was brought the same day, which was Munday the fourth of Februarie, by the shiriffes toward Smithfield, saying the psalme Miserere by the way, all the people wonder 66 6 I will never pray for thee.] At the burning of John Frith, in the year 1533,"This one thing is yet to be remembered" (says Fox)" that he being bounde to the stake with another good martyr, which was a very simple young man named Andrew Hewet, there was present one doctour Cooke, that was parson of the church called All-hallows in Honey-lane, situate in the myddest of Chepsyde. And the sayd Cooke made an open exclamation, and admonished the people, that they should in no wise pray for them, noe more than they would doe for a dogge. At which words Frith smiling, desired the Lord to forgive him. But the ungodly and uncharitable wordes of the sayd doctour did not a little offend the people." Fox's Life of Frith, prefixed to his Works. • The psalme Miserere.] This, which is the 51st psalm, and one of those commonly called the seren penitential psalms, appears to have been frequently fully rejoysing at his constancie, with great praises and thankes to God for the same: and there in the presence of maister Rochester, controller of the queenes housholde, Sir Richard Southwell, both the shiriffes, and a wonderfull number of people, hee was burned into ashes', washing his hands in the flame as hee was in burning. A little before his burning at the stake, his pardon was brought if he would have recanted, but he utterly refused it. He was the first proto-martyr of all the blessed company that suffered in queene Maries time, that gave the first adventure upon the fire. His wife and children, beeing eleven made use of upon the like melancholy occasions. See Fox's Acts, p. 1388, in his account of Dr. Taylor, p. 1398, in that of William Hunter, and More's Life of Sir Thomas More, p. 274. In like manner, we find the 106th Psalm sometimes resorted to, (Fox's Acts, p. 1558) and, that Philpot, archdeacon of Winchester, at his death, "with an obedient heart full meekly sayd the 106th, 107th, and 108th Psalmes." Fox's Acts, p. 1661. 7 Hee was burned into ashes.] We may easily believe, that events of this tragical nature would awaken a variety of passions in the minds of the spectators: nor is it surprising, that superstition had its place amongst them. Miles Hoggard, a most intemperate and malignant enemy of the reformation, has recorded an anecdote of this kind respecting the martyrdom of Rogers, which is worthy of insertion. "When Rogers their pseudo-martyr (proto-martyr I would saye) was burnt in Smithfield, were there not divers marchant men and others, which seeing certayn pigeons flying over the fire, that haunted to a house hard adjoining, and which, being amased withe the smoke, forsoke their nestes, and flewe over the fire, were not ashamed boldely to affirme, that the same was the Holy Ghoste in the likeness of a dove? This thinge is sufficiently knowen by experience to them which were there present. Then by the lyke argument they might have said, the crowes which the same time hovered over the fire, were develles. But what blasphemy is this, suche opinionative fooles to beleeve or credite such fansies?" Displaying of the Protestants, fol. 56. A. D. 1558. To this Hoggard, by trade a hosier, whose activity and influence against the protestants was very great during the reign of queen Mary, Robert Crowley, addressing himself, at an earlier period, says, "Remembre your selfe, frynde Hogherde, howe manie you have sette forwarde towarde Smithfield in the tyme of persecution. Men thinke that from the tyme of John Frith to the death of the constant witnesse of Gods trueth, Anne Askewe, there was no bloud shed in Smythfylde, but your parte wyll be in it at the laste daye. Repent therfore, and acknowledge your faute: God is mercifull to the penitent. He is able to take frome you your stonie herte, and to give you one of flesh." Confutation of the Aunswere to the Ballad called the Abuse of the blessed Sacrament of the Aultare, signat. a. 4. b. A. d. 1548. in number, ten able to go, and one sucking on her brest, met him by the way as he went towards Smithfield. This sorrowfull sight of his owne flesh and bloud could nothing moove him, but that he constantly and cheerefully tooke his death with wonderfull patience, in the defence of the quarell of Christes gospell. |