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Foxe's Book of Martyrs: Select Narratives (Oxford World's Classics) PDF

391 Pages·2009·7.1 MB·English
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oxford world’s classics FOXE’S BOOK OF MARTYRS SELECT NARRATIVES John Foxe (1516/17 – 87) was born at Boston, Lincolnshire. During his youth, England became embroiled in controversy con- cerning the advent of new Lutheran ideas, William Tyndale’s unau- thorized effort to produce a translation of the New Testament, and Henry VIII’s endeavour to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Foxe began his studies at the University of Oxford c.1534, close to the time when England broke from the Church of Rome and Henry VIII united church and state. Having become a Protestant, Foxe resigned his fellowship at Magdalen College and then began a career as a publicist during the reign of Edward VI. At the same time, Foxe entered into service to the Duchess of Richmond as tutor to the orphans of her brother, the recently executed Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, who had joined his father, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, as a leader of the Roman Catholic faction. When Edward’s Roman Catholic half-sister, Mary I, acceded to the throne she instituted a reign of terror during which hundreds of Protestants were burnt alive as heretics. From exile in Europe, Foxe began to publish mar- tyrological histories in Latin. When he returned to England follow- ing the cessation of persecution of Protestants, he entered into collaboration with the London printer, John Day, who published a sequence of four vernacular editions of the Book of Martyrs (1563, 1570, 1576, and 1583). At about four times the length of the Bible, the fourth edition is the most physically imposing, complicated, technic- ally demanding, and best illustrated book of the Shakespearean age. Although it contains an impressive array of genres, it is best remem- bered for its many moving accounts of the apprehension, imprison- ment, interrogation, and execution of Protestants who had been condemned as heretics. John N. King is Distinguished University Professor and Hu- manities Distinguished Professor of English and of Religious Studies at The Ohio State University. His publications include English Reformation Literature: The Tudor Origins of the Protestant Tradition (1982); Tudor Royal Iconography: Literature and Art in an Age of Religious Crisis (1989); Spenser’s Poetry and the Reformation Tradition (1990); Milton and Religious Controversy: Satire and Polemic in Paradise Lost (2000); Voices of the English Reformation: A Sourcebook (2004); and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and Early Modern Print Culture (2006). He serves as Editor of Reformation and Co- editor of Literature and History. oxford world’s classics For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics have brought readers closer to the world’s great literature. Now with over 700 titles— from the 4,000-year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century’s greatest novels— the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing. The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading. Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy, and politics. Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers. OXFORD WORLD’S CLASSICS Foxe’s Book of Martyrs Select Narratives Edited with an Introduction and Notes by JOHN N. KING 1 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © John N. King 2009 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published as an Oxford World’s Classics paperback 2009 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose the same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Data available T ypeset by Cepha Imaging Private Ltd., Bangalore, India Printed in Great Britain on acid-free paper by Clays Ltd., St Ives plc ISBN 978 – 0 – 19 – 923684 – 8 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 In memory of my parents Revd Dr Luther Waddington and Alba Iregui King and my grandparents Revd William Luther and Mary Ann Waddington King and Salvador Enrique and Maria Luisa Burgos Iregui ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe a debt of gratitude to Mark Greengrass and David M. Loades, who serve respectively as Project Director and Editorial Director of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs Online, a new digital edition published by the Humanities Research Institute at the University of Sheffield under sponsorship from the British Academy and Humanities Research Institute. I have incurred debts to others who have been associated with this massive scholarly endeavour. They include Patrick Collinson and the late J. B. Trapp. Editors at Oxford University Press — Judith Luna, Andrew McNeillie, and Rowena Anketell — have contributed greatly to advancing this edition towards publication. I am further indebted to other individuals on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who include Steven Galbraith, the late Ruth Samson Luborsky, and Alexandra Walsham. At my home institution, I am indebted to James Bracken, with whom I have collaborated on projects related to John Foxe, early modern printing, and the history of the book for many years. For good conversation, wise counsel, and unfailing support, I am grateful to Joseph Branin, Richard Dutton, Christopher Highley, Valerie Lee, James Phelan, John Roberts, Geoffrey Smith, and Luke Wilson. In particular, I am grateful to Mark Rankin for wise counsel and assistance in transcribing the textual contents of this edition and to Erin Kelly, Erin McCarthy, Aaron Pratt, and Seth Reno for their gracious support in preparing this edition. Of course, I remain responsible for all errors in this edition. By permission of John N. King, illustrations are reproduced from his privately owned copy of the 1583 edition of Book of Martyrs. Above all, I am grateful for the support of my wife, Pauline, and son, Jonathan Paul. John N. King The Ohio State University CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix Introduction xi Note on the Text xli Select Bibliography xlv A Chronology of Foxe’s Life and Times xlix FOXE’S BOOK OF MARTYRS 1. Thomas Bilney 3 2. William Tyndale 13 3. Anne Askew 22 4. John Rogers 35 5. Lawrence Saunders 42 6. John Hooper 53 7. Rowland Taylor 72 8. Thomas Tomkins 95 9. William Hunter 102 10. Rawlins White 115 11. George Marsh 124 12. Thomas Haukes 133 13. John Bradford and John Leaf 139 14. Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley 151 15. Stephen Gardiner 158 16. John Philpot 160 17. Bartlett Green 172 18. Thomas Cranmer 182 19. The Guernsey Martyrs 198 20. Joan Waste 204 21. William Dangerfield 209 viii Contents 22. Richard Woodman 212 23. Rose Allin and Other Colchester Martyrs 222 24. George Eagles 231 25. The Islington Martyrs 238 26. Prest’s Wife 246 27. Edwin Sandys 254 28. Lady Elizabeth 265 29. Judgement Tales 274 Explanatory Notes 280 Glossary of Words and Terms 305 Glossary of Persons 310 Glossary of Places 320 Concordance of Page References 322 Index 324 Biblical Texts Cited 331 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Title page. 1 2. John Day. 2 3. A description of the godly constancy of Thomas Bilney, who being in prison, oftentimes proved the fire with his finger. 8 4. The martyrdom and burning of Master William Tyndale, in Flanders, by Vilvorde Castle. 21 5. The order and manner of the burning of Anne Askew, John Lacelles, John Adams, Nicholas Belenian, with certain of the Council sitting in Smithfield. 33 6. The burning of Master John Rogers, Vicar of St Pulchers and Reader of Paul’s in London. 41 7. The burning of Master Lawrence Saunders at Coventry. 52 8. The burning of Master John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester. Anno 1550. February 9. 71 9. The martyrdom of Doctor Taylor, burned at Hadleigh for the testimony of the Gospel. February 9. Anno 1555. 94 10. The burning of Thomas Tomkins’s hand by Bishop Bonner, who not long after burnt also his body. 97 11. The cruel burning of George Marsh, Martyr. 131 12. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes in Essex, at a town called Coggeshall. Anno 1555. June 10. 138 13. The description of the burning of Master John Bradford Preacher, and John Leaf apprentice. 150 14. A table describing the burning of Bishop Ridley and Father Latimer at Oxford, Doctor Smith there preaching at the time of their suffering. 155

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"Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man: we shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as, I trust, shall never be put out." Hugh Latimer's famous words of consolation to Nicholas Ridley as they are both about to be burnt alive for heresy come from John Foxe's magiste
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