his majesty having begun this last May (as you know) to poll his head, and commanded others to do the like, you cannot find any unshorn head in the court among us men, though you women be exempted. And so I conclude, that the device of a king is of more credit than the device of a friar. And with this the lady laughed; and so the conference was ended."

MARTYRDOMS OR PERSECUTIONS.

We have now forty-four pages of the modern book devoted to a relation of the martyrdoms and burnings of some of Fox's "godly". heroes, who, though holding notions the most wild, discordant, and ridiculous that can be imagined, are all classed as soldiers of Christ, though some of them denied his Godhead and others his existence. To enter into a minute detail of this mass of rodomontade and nonsense would sicken the reader, we shall therefore confine ourselves to some few particular cases. First on the list is an account of the "MARTYRDOM OF DR. ROBERT BARNES, which is followed by the "STORY OF THOMAS GARRETT," and of "WILLIAM JEROME." These effusions of a fanatic brain are ushered in with the following remarks. "The clergy now elated by the victory which they had gained, by the "death of Cromwell, persuaded the king to new severities against the "reformers; and three eminent preachers, Drs. Barnes, Gerard, and "Jerome, were picked out for sacrifices on this occasion." Here we have the clergy again charged with these acts of cruelty, and Tom Cranmer, observe, at the head of this clergy. But to the stories. The first hero, we are informed was educated at Louvain, in Brabant, and on coming to England he went to Cambridge, which he found steeped in the darkest ignorance, but with the assistance of one Parnel, his scholar, he not only promoted knowledge and truth, but he instructed the students in the classical languages, and soon caused learning to flourish in that university. Barnes was certainly a clever man, but not such a prodigy as he is here represented. The long account given of the proceedings between him and Wolsey is mere fiction; but if true, he must have been as base a villain as Tom Cranmer, for let it not be forgotten that he was the man who was consulted by Taylor in the case of Lambert, and disclosed the matter to Cranmer, and in consequence Cranmer had the poor Lambert summoned before his archiepiscopal court to answer for his presumption. Barnes was also a dependent of Cromwell's, and by his imprudence hastened that minister's fall. Gardiner of Winchester, as we have before said, was a stickler for the old doctrine, though through weakness he admitted the supremacy of the king. In a sermon preached by him at St. Paul's cross, he censured the extravagance of those preachers who inculcated doctrines opposite to the established creed. A fortnight after Barnes, who had imbibed Lutheran principles, boldly defended in the same pulpit the doctrines Gardiner had reprobated, and cast many scurrilous invectives against the bishop. Harry got a hearing of his conduct, and summoned the doctor before himself and a commission of divines, where the several points of controverted doctrine were discussed, and Barnes was prevailed upon to sign a recantation. He read his recantation before the audience, asked pardon of Gardiner, and immediately proceeded in a sermon to

OF

For's Book of Martyrs,

CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL.

No. 40. Printed and Published by, W. E. ANDREWS, 3, Chapter Price 3d. house-court, St. Paul's Churchyard, London.

maintain the very doctrine he had but a few minutes before renounced. Such base and insulting conduct irritated the king, who committed him to the Tower with Garrett and Jerome, two fanatics of the same stamp, who had placed themselves in similar circumstances.

These men were tried for heresy and condemned, and we have a long account of their execution, but the editors forgot to relate, or have wilfully suppressed the fact, that with these three men were other three executed for denying the supremacy of the king, namely, Abel, Powel, and Featherstone. These six victims were coupled together, Catholic and Protestant, on the same hurdle, from the Tower to Smithfield, where the Catholics were hung and quartered as traitors, and the Protestants burned as heretics. Thus it appears the Catholics cannot with justice be blamed for the persecutions in this reign, especially after Henry was

acknowledged head of the church, as they suffered in greater proportion than the Protestants. Fox reckons ten Protestants who suffered during the remainder of Henry's reign, and Dodd counts fourteen Catholics in the same period. It must be borne in mind too, that Cranmer, the hero of the thing called the Reformation, sat in the primate's chair during this work of blood and slaughter. In the account given by Fox of the Protestant martyrs, Barnes, Jerome, and Garrett, they are, of course, represented as the most perfect lights of the new gospel, and the most successful exposers of the supposed errors of the church of Rome. But there is a circumstance related of Barnes, so extravagantly presumptuous, that we must place it upon record. He is represented as making his profession of faith at the place of execution; after which "a person "present asked him his opinion upon praying to saints. I believe,' "said he, they are in heaven with God, and that they are worthy of "all the honour that scripture willeth them to have. But I say, throughout scripture we are not commanded to pray to any saints. There"fore I neither can nor will preach to you that saints ought to be prayed unto; for then should I preach unto you a doctrine of my own head. "Notwithstanding, whether they pray for us or no, that I refer to God. "And if saints do pray for us, then I trust to pray for you within this "half hour, Mr. Sheriff, and for every Christian living in the faith of "Christ, and dying in the same as a saint. Wherefore, if the dead may "for the quick, I will surely pray for you." We have no stated authority for this precious narrative, but taking it for granted that such were the words of Dr. Barnes, it is clear that his opinions were new and contrary to the received doctrine of the Christian world. All England believed in the doctrine of praying to the saints, and that saints prayed for us, without an if, and it was the doctrine of the Catholic church from the time of the apostles. No nation whatever received the faith of Christ without receiving this dogma at the same time, and even here the martyr speaks as of an uncertainty, as he is made to introduce a convenient IF, by the way of evading a direct answer to the question. What reliance then is to be placed on Barnes's creed, when he himself is doubtful of its accuracy? The martyrs of the primitive ages never doubted a single article of their faith, of which this of praying to the saints was one. The fathers who wrote in defence of the Catholic church, spoke positively of this doctrine as one of divine revelation, and they quote scripture in proof of it. But though the doctor-martyr was uncertain as to the veracity of his notions, he seems to have no doubt as to his fate in the other world; this was as sure to him as if he had been before his judge and received the promised reward. But enough has been said of these sufferers, for such they were though they were enthusiasts.

We have now an account of the persecution of one Testwood, but so ridiculous a tale that we shall not notice it. Then follows the persecution of Anthony Pearson, and others equally as absurd, which the reader will admit when he has gone through the following relation, given of the proceedings of one of Pearson's companions :- Marbeck was five times examined, before the council; the bishop of Winches"ter; one of the bishop's gentlemen; the bishops of Salisbury, Here"ford, and Ely; Dr. Knight, and the bishop of Winchester's secretary.

"

Throughout these examinations he defended the cause of truth with a spirit and boldness which confounded his accusers, but could not "turn them from their cruel and bigotted purposes.

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"Marbeck had begun a Concordance of the Bible in English, which was taken with his other papers, and laid before the council. The bishop of Winchester asked him if he understood Latin, and would scarcely believe that he did not; telling the other lords of the council, that it was probable his Concordance was a translation from the Latin, and asserting that if such a book should go forth in English, "it would destroy the Latin tongue.' Marbeck was much pressed to "disclose the secrets of his party,' and promised great rewards and preferment, if he would betray what he had heard of the opinions of "Testwood, Pearson, and Haynes, on the mass, &c. He steadily re"fused all these offers, delaring that he knew nothing against them.

"On his fourth examination, he was told by the bishop of Salisbury "that he must answer on oath, faithfully and truly, to such ques"tions as the commissioners should judge it necessary to put to him; "which he promised to do, and was accordingly sworn. Then the bi

shop laid before him his three books of notes, demanding whose hand they were. He answered they were his own hand, and notes which " he had gathered out of other men's works six years ago. For what "cause,' said the bishop, 'didst thou gather them?' For no other cause, my lord, but to come to knowledge. For I being unlearned, "and desirous to understand some part of scripture, thought by reading "of learned men's works to come the sooner thereby and where I "found any place of scripture opened and expounded by them, that I "noted, as ye see, with a letter of his name in the margin, that had set "out the work.' So methinks,' said the bishop of Ely, who had one "of the books of notes in his hand all the time of their sitting, thou "hast read of all sorts of books, both good and bad, as seemeth by the "notes.' So I have, my lord,' said Marbeck. And to what purpose?' said the bishop of Salisbury. By my troth,' replied Marbeck, 'for no other purpose but to see every man's mind.' Then the bishop of Salisbury drew out a quire of the Concordance, and laid it before the bishop of Hereford, who looking upon it awhile, lifted up his eyes to Dr. Oking, standing next him, and said, 'This man hath been better occupied than a great many of our priests.'

"Then said the bishop of Salisbury, 'Whose help hadst thou in setting forth this book?'-Truly my lord,' replied Marbeck, no help at all.

How couldst thou,' said the bishop, 'invent such a book, or ́ I know what a Concordance meant, without an instructor?'-' I will tell you my lord,' said the prisoner, what instructor I had to begin it. When Thomas Matthew's Bible came out in print, I was much desirous to have one of them; and being a poor man, not able to buy one of them, determined with myself to borrow one amongst my friends, and to write it forth. And when I had written out the five books of 'Moses in fair great paper, and was entered into the book of Joshua, my friend Mr. Turner chanced to steal upon me unawares, and seeing me writing out the Bible, asked me what I meant thereby, And "when I had told him the cause, 'Tush,' quoth he, 'thou goest about a vain and tedious labour. But this were a profitable work for thee, to set out a Concordance in English.' 'A Concordance,' said I, 'what

"is that?" Then he told me it was a book to find out any word in the "Bible by the letter, and that there was such an one in Latin already. Then I told him I had no learning to go about such a thing. Enough' quoth he, 'for that matter, for it requireth not so much learning as diligence. And seeing thou art so industrious a man, and "one that cannot be unoccupied, it were a good exercise for thee. "And this my lord, is all the instruction that ever I had, before or after, " of any man.'

""And who is that Turner?' asked the bishop of Salisbury. 'Marry,' " said Dr. May, 'an honest and learned man, and a bachelor of divinity, "and some time a fellow in Magdalen college, in Oxford.'-' How "couldst thou,' said the bishop of Salisbury, with this instruction, "bring it to this order and form, as it is ?'--' I borrowed a Latin Con"cordance,' replied he, and began to practise, and at last, with great "labour and diligence, brought it into this order, as your lordship doth "see.'-' It is a great pity,' said the bishop of Ely, he had not the "Latin tongue.'-Yet I cannot believe,' said the bishop of Salisbury, "that he hath done any more in this work than written it out after some other that is learned.

"

My lords,' said Marbeck, 'I shall beseech you all to pardon me "what I shall say, and grant my request if it shall seem good unto you. Say what thou wilt,' said the bishop.-'I do marvel greatly "whereof I should be so much examined for this book, and whether I "have committed any offence in doing it, or no. If I have, then were "I loth for any other to be molested or punished for my fault. There66 fore, to clear all men in this matter, this is my request, that ye will try me in the rest of the book that is undone. Ye see that I am yet "but at the letter L, beginning now at M, and take out what word ye "will of that letter, and so in every letter following, and give me the "word in a piece of paper, and set me in a place alone where it shall please you, with ink and paper, the English Bible, and the Latin Con"cordance; and if I bring you not these words written in the same "order and form, that the rest before is, then was it not I that did it, "but some other."

"

"By my truth, Marbeck,' cried the bishop of Ely, that is honestly spoken, and then shalt thou bring many out of suspicion.' This being "agreed to by the commissioners, they bade Dr. Oking draw out such "words as he thought best on a piece of paper, which he did; and "while the bishops were perusing them, Dr. Oking said to Marbeck, "in a very friendly manner, Good Mr. Marbeck, make haste, for the sooner you have done, the sooner you shall be delivered.' And as the "bishops were going away, the bishop of Hereford (who, as well as "the bishop of Ely, had formerly known the prisoner, and was in se"cret his friend) took Marbeck a little aside, and informed him of a "word which Dr. Oking had written false, and also, to comfort him, said, ' 'Fear not, there can no law condemn you for any thing that ye "have done, for if you have written a thousand heresies, so long as "they be not your sayings nor your opinions, the law cannot hurt you.' "And so they all went with the bishop of Salisbury to dinner, taking "Marbeck with them, who dined in the hall at the steward's board, and "had wine and meat sent down from the bishop's table.

When dinner was done, the bishop of Salisbury came down into