fire, having a strong chain cast about his middle, with a multitude of people on every side compassing him about. Unto whom after he had spoken many things, and poured out his soul unto God, the fire was kindled.

When he had continued long in it, and his speech was taken away by violence of the flame, his skin drawn together, and his fingers consumed with the fire, so that it was thought that he was gone, suddenly, and contrary to all expectation, this good man, being mindful of his promise, reached up his hands burning in flames over his head to the living God, and with great rejoicings, as it seemed, struck or clapped them three times together. A great shout followed this wonderful circumstance, and then this blessed martyr of Christ, sinking down in the fire, gave up his spirit, June 10, 1555.

33. MR. CHRISTOPHER WAID.

CHRISTOPHER WAID, linendraper, of Dartford, suffered death, condemned by Maurice, bishop of Rochester, about the last day of June, 1555. Mr. Waid was appointed to be burnt at a place a quarter of a mile out of Dartford town, called the Brimth, in a gravel pit, the common place for the execution of felons.

Being made ready, and his clothes stripped off at an inn, a long white shirt was brought him from his wife, which being put on, and he pinioned, he was led on foot to the aforesaid place. When he was come to the stake, he took it in his arms and kissed it, setting his back to it, and standing in a pitch barrel which was taken from the beacon hard by; a smith then brought a hoop of iron, and with two staples made it fast to the stake under his arms.

As soon as he was thus settled, with his eyes and hands lifted up to heaven, he spake with a cheerful and

loud voice the last verse of the 88th psalm: "Show some good token upon me, O Lord, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed; because thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me."

Then the reeds being set about him, he pulled them, and embraced them in his arms, making a hole against his face, that his voice might be heard; which his tormentors perceiving, they cast fagots at the aperture; but notwithstanding he still, as he could, put them off, his face being hurt with the end of a fagot cast thereat. The fire being put to him, he cried unto God often, "Lord Jesus, receive my soul;" showing no token nor sign of impatience in the fire, till at length, after the fire was thoroughly kindled, he was heard by no man to speak, still holding up his hands together over his head towards heaven, even when he was dead and altogether roasted, as though they had been stayed up with a support under them.

34. MR. DIRICK CARVER.

DIRICK CARVER was a man whom the Lord had blessed as well with temporal riches as with his spiritual treasures. At his coming into the town of Lewes to be burnt, the people called to him, beseeching God to strengthen him in the faith of Jesus Christ; and, as he came to the stake, he knelt down, and prayed earnestly.

After he had prayed awhile, he said, “O Lord my God, thou hast written, He that will not forsake wife, children, house, and everything that he hath, and take up his cross and follow thee, is not worthy of thee; but thou, Lord, knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee; Lord, have mercy upon me, for unto thee I commend my spirit, and my soul doth rejoice in thee!" These were the last words of this faithful servant of Christ before enduring the fire.

35. MR. ROBERT GLOVER.

JOHN GLOVER was a gentleman of property in the town of Manchester, and with his brothers, Robert and William, had received and embraced the happy light of the Reformation. John was of a peculiarly tender conscience; and during five years, before the accession of Queen Mary, had the strongest terrors of mind upon him, that he was in a reprobate state: in this fearful view, however, it pleased the Lord to comfort him, and when the bishop of Coventry heard of his zeal and piety, he sent an order to the mayor for his immediate apprehension. The worthy magistrate, however, gave him private notice of his danger, and thereby John and William had time to withdraw before the arrival of the officers, one of whom, proceeding up stairs, found Mr. Robert Glover ill in bed. Regardless of his not being the person indicted, he took him before the officers, who would willingly have dismissed him, but the sheriff threatened to denounce them as favourers of heretics. Thus he was brought before the tiger of Coventry, and ordered to be conveyed to Litchfield, ill as he was, where he arrived about four o'clock at the Swan, and afterward was put into a dismal room in the prison, without stool or table, and with straw only for his bed that night.

He underwent several examinations before the bishop in public consistory, and was condemned. Before execution he felt much doubt of his strength to bear the bitter cross preparing for him; but Mr. Augustus Bernher, a faithful friend and minister, consoled him in the trying conflict on the day of his death. As he proceeded towards the stake, he felt the Saviour's hand so strongly supporting him, that he ejaculated, clapping his hands

to his reverend friend, "Austin, he comes, he comes!" In this glorious frame of mind he was joined to his Redeemer.

36. MR. JOHN PHILPOT.

THIS martyr was the son of a knight, born in Hampshire, and brought up at new College, Oxford, where he several years studied the civil law, and became eminent in the Hebrew tongue. He was a scholar and a gentleman, zealous in religion, fearless in disposition, and a detester of flattery. After visiting Italy, he returned to England, affairs in king Edward's days wearing a more promising aspect. During this reign he continued to be archdeacon of Winchester under Dr. Poinet, who succeeded Gardiner. Upon the accession of Mary, a convocation was summoned, in which Mr. Philpot defended the Reformation against his ordinary Gardiner, (again made bishop of Winchester,) and soon was conducted to Bonner and other commissioners for examination, Oct. 2, 1555, after being eighteen months imprisoned. Upon his demanding to see the commission, Dr. Story cruelly observed, "I will spend both my gown and my coat but I will burn thee! Let him be in Lollard's tower, (a wretched prison,) for I will sweep the King's Bench and all the other prisons of these heretics!"

Upon Mr. Philpot's second examination, it was intimated to him, that Dr. Story had said that the lord chancellor had commanded that he should be made away with. It is easy to foretell the result of this inquiry he was committed to Bonner's coal-house, where he joined company with a zealous minister of Essex, who had been induced to sign a bill of recantation; but afterward, stung by his conscience, he asked the bishop to let him see the instrument again, when he tore it to

pieces; which induced Bonner in a fury to strike him repeatedly, and tear away part of his beard. Mr. Philpot had a private interview with Bonner the same night, and was then remanded to his bed of straw, like the other prisoners, in the coal-house.

After seven examinations, Bonner ordered him to be set in the stocks, and on the following Sunday separated him from his fellow-prisoners as a sower of heresy, and ordered him up to a room near the battlements of St. Paul's, eight foot by thirteen, on the other side of Lollard's tower, and which could be overlooked by any one in the bishop's outer gallery. Here Mr. Philpot was searched; but happily he was successful in secreting some letters containing his examinations. In the eleventh investigation before various bishops, and Mr. Morgan, of Oxford, the latter was so driven into a corner by the close pressure of Mr. Philpot's arguments, that he said to him, "Instead of the spirit of the Gospel, which you boast to possess, I think it is the spirit of the buttery, which your fellows have had, who were drunk before their death, and went, I believe, drunken to it."

To this unfounded and brutish remark, Mr. Philpot indignantly replied, "It appeareth by your communication, that you are better acquainted with that spirit than the Spirit of God; wherefore I tell thee, thou painted wall and hypocrite, in the name of the living God, whose truth I have told thee, that God shall rain fire and brimstone upon such blasphemers as thou art!" He was then remanded by Bonner, with an order not to allow him his Bible nor candlelight.

December 4th, Mr. Philpot had his next hearing, and this was followed by two more, making in all fourteen conferences, previous to the final examination in which he was condemned; such were the perseverance and anxiety of the Catholics, aided by the argumentative abilities of the most distinguished of the papal bishops,