Lord to be good vnto him: my Lord was content to receiue his submission▪ so that
his wife would submit her selfe likewise, but she told the Bishop that she had ney∣ther
offended God nor his lawes in refusing holy water: the Bishop gaue her a mo∣neths
respite, binding her husband in a hundred pound to bring her to him at the mo∣neths
end. When the moneth was almost expired, her husband was aduertised by
the said M. Glouer and others, not to carry his wife to the Bishop, but to séeke some
way to saue her; and if the worst should come, to be content to forfeit the Band ra∣ther
then to cast his wife into the fire: he answered, he would not forfeit any thing
for her sake, but carried his wife vnto the Bishop, who found her more stout then
she was before: so she was sent to such a stinking prison, that a maid that was ap∣pointed
to kéep her company did sound in the said prison. She was often examined,
and euer found stout; at length she was pronounced an heretick. When the Bishop
asked her, why she would not come vnto the masse, and receiue the sacraments and
sacramentals of holy Church: she answered, because she could not find them in Gods
word: he said, if thou wilt beléeue no more then is in the scriptures concerning mat∣ters
of religion, thou art in a damnable case: she told my Lord his words were vn∣godly
and wicked. After her condemnation she continued a year in prison. Wher••
the Writ came to burn her, she said▪ as for the feare of death I do not greatly passe:
when I behold the amiable countenance of Christ my deare Sauiour, the vgly face
of death doth not greatly trouble me. In the which time she reasoned most comfor∣tably
out of Gods word of election and reprobation: in the euening before she should
die, two Priests came to her to heare her confession; for they would be sorie, they
said, she should die without it. She sent them word she had made her confession vn∣to
Christ, at whose hands•• she was sure to haue forgiuenes of her sins: for the cause
for which she should die, she had no cause to repent, but rather to praise God that he
made her worthy to suffer death for his word, and the absolution that they were a∣ble
to giue her by the authority of the Pope, she defied it. Well, said the Priests, to
morrow her stoutnes will be tried. All the night she was wonderfull cheerefull and
merry. About thrée of the clock in the morning, Sathan began to stirre himselfe bu∣sily,
questioning with her, how she could tell that she was chosen to eternall life, and
that Christ died for her: I grant he died, but that hee died for thée, how canst thou
tell? She being troubled with this suggestion, they that were about her counsailed
her to follow the example of S. Paule, to be faithfully perswaded that Christ loued
her, and gaue himselfe for her: for S. Paule was perswaded that Christ loued him;
and her calling, and true beléefe, and knowledge of Gods word was a manifest to∣ken
of Gods loue towards her, and the operation of the spirit of God, in working
in her a loue and a desire to please God: by these perswasions and the comfortable
promises of Christ brought out of the Scripture, Sathan was put to flight, and she
comforted in Christ. When she came to the stake, she prayed to God most instantly
to abolish the vile masse; at which prayer all the people said Amen: then she tooke a
cup of drinke that was brought vnto her, and drunk vnto all them that vnfainedly lo∣ued
the Gospell of Christ, and wished for the abolishment of papistry: a great num∣ber
of the women of the towne pledged her. When the fire was kindled about her,
she neither strugled nor stirred: the Papists had appointed some of theirs to raile
vpon her, and reu••le her openly as she went to execution; and whilst she was at the
stake, amongst others there was an old priest which had writing tables, and noted
the names of the women which drunke with her, and caused Processe to be sent for
them, but God defended them from the hands of the Tyrants.