❧ The despightfull handling and madnesse of the papistes toward Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford, taken vp frō her graue at the commaundement of Cardinall Poole, and after buryed in a dunghill.
ANd because the one Uniuersity shoulde not mocke the other,* 1.1 like crueltye was also declared vpon the deade body of Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford, an honest, graue, and sober matrone, while she liued, and of poore people al∣wayes a great helper, as many that be dwelling there, can right well testify. In the yeare of our Lord. 1552. she depar∣ted this life, wt great sorow of al those needy persōs, whose necessities many times & often she had liberally eased and relieued. Now, when Brokes Bishop of Glocester, Ni∣cholas O••maner Datary, Robert Morwen President of Corpus Christi Colledge, Cole and Wright Doctors of the Ciuill Law, came thither as the Cardinals visitours, they among other thinges had in Commission to take vp this good woman agayne out of her graue, and to consume her carkas with fire, not doubting but that she was of ye same religion that her husband had professed before, whē he read the Kinges lecture there. And to make a shewe that they would do nothing disorderly, they called al those before thē that had any acquayntance with her or her husband.* 1.2 They ministred an othe vnto them that they should not conceale whatsoeuer was demaunded. In fine, theyr answere was that they knewe not what religion she was of, by reason they vnderstood not her language.
To be shorte, after these visitours had sped theyr busi∣nes they came for, they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them to the Cardinall agayne, certifying him that vpon due inquisition made, they could learne nothing, vpon which by the law they might burne her. Notwithstanding the cardinall did not leaue the mat∣ter so,* 1.3 but wrote downe his Letters a good while after to Marshall, then Deane of Frideswides that he should dyg her vp, and lay her out of christian buriall, because she was interred nigh vnto S. Frideswides relicks, sometime had in great reuerence in that Colledge. Doct. Marshal like a prety man calling his Spades and mattockes together in the euening,* 1.4 when he was well whitled caused her to be taken vp, and buryed in a dunghill.
Howbeit, when it pleased God vnder good Queene E∣lizabeth, to geue quietnes to his Church, long time perse∣cuted with prison and death, then Doctour Parker, Arch∣bishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindall Bishop of Lō∣don, Richard Goodricke, with diuers other her Maiesties high Commissioners in matters Religion (nothing igno∣raunt howe farre the aduersaries of the trueth had trans∣gressed the boūdes of all humanity, in violating the sepul∣chre or graue of that good and vertuous woman) wylled certayne of that Colledge, in the whiche this vncurteous touch was attempted and done, to take her out of that vn∣cleane & dishonest place where she laye, & solemnely in the face of the whole towne, to bury her agayne in a more de∣cent & honest monumēt. For though of the body being once dead, no great estimatiō were to be had,* 1.5 how or where the bones were layde: yet was some reuerence to be vsed to∣ward her for sexe and womanhood sake. Besides, to saye the truth, it was great shame, that he which had trauelled so farre at king Edwardes request, from the place wherin he dwelt quietly, and had takē so earnest paynes, beyng an old man, in reading and setting forth the truth al he could, with learning to teach and instruct, and so wel deserued of that Uniuersity:* 1.6 should with so vngentle a recompence of ingratitude be rewarded agayne, as to haue his wife, that was a godly woman, a straūger, good to many, especially to the poore, and hurtfull to none, either in word or deede, without iust deseruing, & beside theyr owne law, not pro∣ceeding against her according to the order therof, spitefully to be layd in a stincking dunghill.
To all good natures the fact seemed odious, & of suche as be indued with humanity, vtterly to be abhorred. Wher¦fore M. Calfield, then Subdeane of the Colledge,* 1.7 diligēt∣ly prouided, that from Marshals dunghill she was resto∣red and translated to her proper place agayne, yea & with∣all coupled her with Frideswides boanes,* 1.8 that in case any Cardinall wil be so mad hereafter to remoue this womās bones agayne, it shall be hard for thē to discerne the bones of her from the other. And because to the intent the same might be notified to the mindes of men the better, the next day after, which was sonday, M. Rogerson preached vnto the people, in whiche Sermon by the way he declared the rough dealing of the aduersaries, which were not conten∣ted to practise their cruelty against the liuing, but that they must also rage agaynst one that was dead, and had lien 2. yeares in her graue. God graunt thē once to see their own wickednes. Amen.
And thus much touching the noble actes and straunge∣nes of this worthy Cardinal in both ye vniuersities: wher∣vnto it shall not be impertinent, here also consequently to adioyne and set forth to the eyes of the worlde, the blinde and bloudy articles set out by Cardinal Poole, to be inqui∣red vpō within his dioces of Canterbury, whereby it may the better appeare what yokes and snares of fond & fruit∣les traditions were layd vpon the poore flock of Christ, to entangle and oppresse them with losse of life and libertye. By the which wise mē haue to see what godly fruits pro∣ceeded from that catholicke Church and See of Rome. In which albeit thou seest (good Reader) some good Articles insparsed withall, let that nothing moue thee: for els how could such poysō be ministred, but it must haue some hony to relish the readers taste.