blind hearts, that they may hereafter do that thing in thy sight which is only acceptable before thee, and to set forth thy verity aright, without all vain fantasy of sinful men. So be it, O Lord, so be it.”

Three Christians, Nicholas Belenian, a priest of Shropshire, John Adams, a tailor, and John Lascelles, a gentleman of Henry's court, were ordered to the flames with Anne Askew. Stakes were set in Smithfield, at three of which the men were placed; while Anne, who was unable to walk or stand, from the effects of the rack, was brought to the fourth in a chair, and fastened to it by an iron chain, which, passing round her waist, upheld her bruised and broken body. Dr. Shaxton, a wretched apostate, preached a sermon to which Anne Askew diligently gave heed; like Kerby, assenting when he spoke truth, and where he erred, detecting and exposing it. The concourse of spectators was so great, that a space was obliged to be railed in to keep off the pressure; while, under St. Bartholomew's church, on a judicial bench, sat Wrisley the tormentor, chancellor of England, the duke of Norfolk, earl Bedford, the lord mayor, and others. Guilt is ever fearful; and on hearing that some gunpowder was strewed upon the bodies of the martyrs, they exhibited no small alarm, lest the faggots might thereby be driven towards them. This being appeased by earl Bedford, all remained quiet. Then Wrisley sent to Anne Askew letters offering her the king's pardon if she would recant. She, averting her eyes, and refusing to look on them, nobly answered, that she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master. The letters were then offered to the others, who, following her example, would not look at them; whereupon the lord mayor commanded fire to be put unto them. And thus, says Fox, the good Anne Askew, with these blessed martyrs, being troubled so many ways, and having passed through so many torments, having now ended the long course of her agonies, being compassed in with flames of fire, as a blessed sacrifice unto God, slept in the Lord, A. D. 1546, leaving behind her a singular example of Christian constancy for all men to follow.

The duke of Norfolk, and Repse, bishop of Norwich, about the same time brought to the fires of Smithfield a Norfolk man, named Rogers, who for the faith of Christ suffered martyrdom, and entered also into the joy of his Lord.

CHAPTER IX.

PERSECUTION IN SCOTLAND-DEATH OF HENRY-PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION UNDER EDWARD VI.-TUMULTS-BONNER-FURTHER REFORMATIONS.

We must now return to the earlier period of 1540, when, after the martyrdom of Stratton and Gresly, in Scotland, the sword of persecution, wielded by Cardinal Beaton, the pope's legate, continued to seek out new victims from among the Lord's people. Sir John Borthwick, a gallant knight, fell into the hands of the Scottish inquisitors, and made a bold stand for the truth: he however afterwards escaped by leaving the country, so that they were reduced to the very unsatisfactory judicial act of burning his picture in the market-place, after outlawing the original, and confiscating his goods.

The next case was that of a canon named Thomas Forret, who was accused to his bishop by the grey friars, of "showing the mysteries of the Scriptures to the vulgar people in England, by preaching twice a-week: also that he neglected to take tribute from his flock." The bishop's address is a curious specimen: "My joy, dean Thomas," said he, "I am informed that you preach the epistle or gospel every Sunday to your parishioners, and that you take not the cow nor the uppermost cloth from them: and therefore, my joy, dean Thomas, I would that you took your cow and your uppermost cloth, as other churchmen do, or else it is too much to preach every Sunday; for in so doing you may make the people think that we should preach likewise. But it is enough for you, when you find any good epistle, or any good gospel, that setteth forth the liberty of the holy church, to preach that, and let the rest be."

Dean Thomas, as he was called, explained, concerning the cow, that his parishioners would give him any thing he asked, as he likewise would communicate to them whatsoever he had: then continued, "And whereas your lordship saith it is too much to preach every Sunday, indeed I think it is too little, and also would wish your lordship did the like. And whereas your lordship biddeth me preach when I find any good epistle or a good gospel, truly, my lord, I have read the New Testament and the Old, and all the 12

MARTYROLOGY.-VOL. I.

epistles and gospels, and among them all I could never find an evil epistle or an evil gospel; but if your lordship will show me the good epistle and the good gospel, and the evil epistle and evil gospel, then I shall preach the good, and omit the evil." Then spake my lord bishop stoutly, and said, "I thank God that I never knew what the Old and New Testament was: therefore, dean Thomas, I will know nothing but my portuise and my pontificial. Go your way, and let be all these fancies; for if you persevere in these erroneous opinions, you will repent when you may not mend it." Forret replied, "I trust my cause is just in the presence of God; and therefore I pass not much what do follow thereupon." Very shortly after this, he was summoned before Beaton and this bishop, together with seven or eight others, as heretics, and all burnt together on the Castle-hill of Edinburgh.

Five men of Perth, with the wife of one, were arraigned on various charges of holding scriptural doctrines, and condemned to die. They were cruelly treated first; and when the poor woman implored the privilege of dying with her husband, it was refused. She took leave of him at the place of his execution, with these words, "Husband, rejoice, for we have lived together many joyful days; but this day in which we must die ought to be most joyful unto us both, because we have joy for ever. Therefore I will not bid you good night; for we shall suddenly meet, with joy, in the kingdom of heaven." She was then led forth to be drowned; a little babe sucking at her breast moved no compassion in the hearts of Christ's unmerciful enemies. She commended her children to her neighbours, for God's sake; gave the little bairn into the arms of her nurse, and sealed the truth by her last breath in the suffocating

waters.

George Wisehart, a gentleman of great learning and eminent piety, was summoned, in 1545, by order of the wicked cardinal, at St. Andrews, and conducted by a formidable array of armed men to the Abbey church, where he, with great power and unmoved tranquillity, in the midst of savage insults and revilings, maintained the truth that he held. The people were so evidently impressed in his favour, that it was found expedient to exclude them while sentence was passed, which was that of hanging and burning.

The gallows was erected at the west end of the castle,

near the priory, and so apprehensive was Beaton of a rescue on the part of the populace, that he ordered all the ordnance of the castle to be pointed at that spot, with gunners beside them ready to open a cannonade upon the people. Wisehart was brought out under a strong guard of soldiers, his hands tied behind him. As he proceeded, some beggars met him, supplicating alms: he replied, "I want my hands, wherewith I should give you alms; but the merciful Lord of his benignity and grace that feedeth all men, vouchsafe to give you necessaries both unto your bodies and souls." Two friars importuned him to pray to the Virgin as his mediatrix, to whom he meekly answered, "Cease, tempt me not, my brethren." An iron chain was then placed round his body, and with a rope he was led to the fire, where, having kneeled in prayer, commending his spirit into the hands of his Redeemer, he turned to the people, addressing them in the language of encouraging exhortation, not to be scared away from the true word of God by the persecutions of those who had taught it. "I suffer this day by men," said he, "not sorrowfully, but with a glad heart and mind. For this cause I was sent, that I should suffer this fire for Christ's sake. Consider and behold my visage, ye shall not see me change my colour. This grim fire I fear not. And so I pray you to do, if that any persecution come upon you for the word's sake, and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterward have no power to slay the soul. Some have said of me that I taught that the souls of men should sleep until the last day; but I know surely, and my faith is such, that my soul shall sup with my Saviour Christ this night, ere it be six hours, for whom I suffer this." He then prayed for his accusers, saying, "I beseech thee, Father of heaven, to forgive them that have of any ignorance, or else of any evil mind, forged any lies upon me. I forgive them with all my heart. I beseech Christ to forgive them that have condemned me to death this day ignorantly."

Some further good counsel he gave the people: then the executioner, kneeling, said, "Sir, I pray you forgive me, for I am not guilty of your death." He answered, "Come hither to me;" then kissed his cheek, adding, "Lo, here is a token that I forgive thee. My heart, do thine office." He was then hanged on the gibbet, and consumed to powder, amid the piteous mourning and lamentation of the

people, who bitterly complained of the innocent lamb's slaughter.

Not long afterwards, Beaton was murdered in his bed; his last words being a plea for mercy at the hands of his assassins, on the ground of being a priest. His dead body lay seven months unburied, and was then thrust into a dunghill.

Adam Wallace, a man little versed in human learning, was the next victim selected; he suffered in Edinburgh. His examination was conducted by the principals both of the civil and ecclesiastical power, and he made a good confession, bearing witness to the truth of God's word, as opposed to the senseless and blasphemous doctrines of popery. He was condemned, heavily ironed, and constantly harassed by the meddling friars, seeking his recantation. When brought to the stake, he behaved with great meekness; saying to the people, "Let it not offend you that I suffer death this day for the truth's sake; for the disciple is not above his Master." The provost being angry at his speaking, he looked up to heaven, and said, as appealing to the Lord, "They will not let me speak." The fire being lighted, he departed into his everlasting rest.

Although it be anticipating the course of our history, it may be well here to relate the case of WALTER MILLE, who suffered in 1558, and whose death was blessed to the souls of thousands: for, from his martyrdom is dated the commencement of the reformation in Scotland, so long trampled down under the feet of French intruders, a popish government, and a host of ignorant, greedy, cruel ecclesiastics. This Walter Mille had, in his youth, followed the errors of popery, and taken its unscriptural vow of celibacy; but travelling into Germany he there learned the truth as it is in Jesus; and married, soon after his return to Scotland. The bishops took him, on a charge of heresy, and vainly attempted either to seduce or bribe him into apostasy. He set at nought all their efforts, continuing steadfast in the faith. He appears to have been a man of singular energy; not unlike to Luther in the bluntness wherewith he expressed his opinions. A great company of prelates and counsellors being assembled to try him, in the metropolitan church, he was conducted thither from prison, appearing so enfeebled by age and travail that they doubted whether he would be able to speak audibly. But