Priest that stoode by, sayd: shee sayeth, shee will my Lord. Wherefore he let her goe, and shee came foorthwith home.
On the Saterday following, her husbande willed her to goe to the Churche: which she both then and else when refused to do. Wherefore on the Sonday 14. daies after, he going to the church, came into the companie of diuers in∣habitaunts of the same parish, among whome thoroughe his fonde talke and behauior, he procured her to be sent to Syr Iohn Gilforde, who commaunded her to prisone a∣gaine, yea and the more to vtter his owne shame, th•• said her husband tooke money of the Constable to carry her to prisone, the p••ice of his wiues bloud, meaning in deede to carry her to prison him selfe. But she hauing muche more care of his honest and good report, then he had regard (as it is easie to see) of his owne infamie, and no lesse ashamed of his so rude and vnnatural doings, chose rather to com∣mit her selfe willingly into the hands of her enemies, then that the world shoulde witnesse against her husband, of so facinorous a fact. Wherfore she went to the Constable, de∣siring him to go with her. But he answered that he could not so doe, but graunted her his boy to go with her: with whom she went to prison, namely, the castle of Canterbu∣rie, according to the commaundement geuen.
Where this one thing is woorthy to be noted, y• while she was in this prison, she practised with a prison fellowe of hers, the wife of one Potkin, to liue bothe of them wt ij. pence halfpenie a day, to trie therby how well they coulde sustaine penurie & hunger, before they were put to it. For they had heard that when they should be remooued from thence to the Bishops prison, their liuings should be but iij. farthings a peece a day, and did in dede both so liue for xiiij. daies ere shee were from thence remooued.
The 22. day of Ianuarie folowing, her husband went againe to the bishop, desiring hym to deliuer his wife out of prison: but he saide shee was an obstinate hereticke and would not be reformed, and therefore sayde that he could not deliuer her.
Then said he: my Lord, she hath a brother whose name is Roger Hal, that resorteth vnto her. If your Lordship could keepe him from her, she would turne: for he comfor∣teth her, geueth her money, and perswadeth her not to re∣turne or relent.
This occasion was not so soone geuen, but it was as quickly taken, and as cruelly put in execution. For ye Bi∣shop commaunding her vppon the same to a prison called Mondaies hole, there also he gaue strait charge, yt if at any time her brother came, he should be taken & apprehended.
This prison was wtin a Court where the Prebendes chambers were, being a valt beneath the ground, & being before the window, inclosed with a pale of height, by esti∣mation 4. foote & a halfe, and distant from the same 3. foote, so yt she looking from beneath, might only see such as stood at the pale. After this her Brother sought often for her, wt no les danger of life, then diligence. But for the vnknown situation of ye place, it being also, but rarely vsed for a pri∣son, and the matter as closely kept as it was secretly dou, he could neuer come to vnderstād of her being there, vntil through Gods merciful wil and vnsearchable prouidēce, he cōming thether very rathe in a morning, her keper be∣ing then gone to the church to ring (for he was a bell rin∣ger) chaunced to heare her voyce, as she powred out vnto God her sorowful complaints, saying ye Psalmes of Da∣uid: and there could he none otherwise relieue her, but by putting money in a loaf of bread, and sticking the same on a pole, and so reached it vnto her: for neither wt meate nor drinke he could sustaine her. And this was 5. wekes after her comming thether. Al the which time no creature was knowen to come at her, more then her keeper.
Their lying in that prison was onely vpon a litle short straw, betwene a paire of stockes & a stone wall: being al∣lowed iij. farthings a day, that is, a halfe penye bread, and a farthing drinke: neither could she gette any more for her mony. Wherefore she desired to haue her whole alowance in bread, and vsed water for her drinke. Thus did shee lye 9. weekes. During all which time she neuer changed her apparel: wherby she became at the last a most pitious and lothsome creature to beholde.
At her first comming into this place, she did greuously bewaile with great sorrowe & lamentation, and reasoned with her selfe: why her Lorde God did with his so heauy iustice suffer her to be sequestred from her louing fellowes into so extreeme miserie.
In these dolorous mournings did shee continue til on a night as shee was in her sorrowful supplications in re∣hearsing thys verse of the Psalme: Why arte thou so heauie O my soule? And againe: The right hande of the most highest can chaunge all: shee receiued comforte in the middest of her miseries: And after that continued very ioyfull vntill her deliuerie from the same.
About the 25. day of March, in the yeare of our Lorde 1557. shee was called before the Bishop: who demaunded of her, whether shee would nowe goe home, and go to the church or no, promising her great fauour if she woulde be reformed and doe as they did.
To whom she answered: I am throughly perswaded by the great extremitie that you haue already shewed me, that you are not of God, neither can your doings be god∣ly, and I see (sayeth she) yt you seeke my vtter destruction, shewing how lame she then was, of cold taken, & for lacke of foode, while she lay in that painful prison: whereby shee was not able to mooue her selfe without great paine.
Then did the bish. deliuer her frō that filthy hole, and sent her to Westgate, whereas after she had bene changed, and for a while ben cleane kept, her skin did wholy so pill & scale off, as if she had bene wt some mortal venome poy∣soned. Heere she continued till the latter end of Aprill. At which time they called her before them, and with others condemned her, committing her then to the prisone called the Castle. Where shee continued till the slaughter daye, which was the 19. day of Iune, when by terrible fire they tooke away her life.
When she was at the stake, she cast her handkerchiefe vnto one Iohn Bankes, requiring him to kepe the same in ye memorie of her, and from about her middle she tooke a white lace which she gaue to the keeper, desiring him to geue the same to her brother Roger Hall, and to tell hym that it was the last band that she was bound with, except the chaine. A shilling also of Phillip and Mary shee tooke foorth, which her father had bowed and sent her when shee was first sent to prison, desiring yt her said brother should with obedient salutations render the same to her father a∣gaine, & shew him that it was the first peece of mony that he sent her after her troubles begon, which (as shee prote∣sted) she had kept & now sent him to do him to vnderstand that shee neuer lacked money while shee was in prison.
With this Alice Benden were burned also the residue of the other blessed Martyrs aboue named, being seuen in number. Who being brought to ye place where they shuld suffer for the Lordes cause at Canterbury, vndressed them selues ioyfully to the fire, and being ready thereto: they all (like the communion of Saints) kneled downe and made their humble praiers vnto the Lorde, with such zeale and affection, as euen ye enemies of the Crosse of Christ coulde not but like it. When they had made inuocation together, they roase and went to the stake, where being compassed with horrible flames of fire, they yeelded their soules and liues gloriously into the handes of the Lord.
This Bradbeges wife, when shee was condemned of the Bishop to be burned, had ij. children, named Pacience & Charitie. Who then said to the bishop, that if he woulde needes burne her, yet she trusted, that he woulde take and