Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The history and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman, D. Taylors Curate at Hadley, constantly sufferyng for the Gospels sake.

AFter the story of these 22. taken at Islington, procee∣dyng now (the Lord willyng) we wil prosecute like∣wise the taking and cruell handlyng of Richard Yeoman minister.* 1.1 Which Yeoman had bene before D. Tailors Cu∣rate, a godly deuout old man, of 70. yeres, which had ma∣ny yeres dwelt in Hadley, well seene in the scriptures, & geuing godly exhortations to the people. With hym Doc. Tailor left his cure at his departure. But as soone as M. Newal had gotten the benefice, he droue away good Yeo∣man as is before said, & set in a popish Curate to maintain and continue their Romish religion whiche nowe they thought fully stablished. Then wandered he long time frō place to place, moouing & exhorting all men to stand faith∣fully to Gods worde, earnestly to geue themselues vnto prayer, with patience to beare the crosse now layed vpon them for their triall, with boldnes to confesse the truth be∣fore the aduersaries, & with an vndoubted hope to waite for the crowne and reward of eternall felicitie. But when hee perceiued his aduersaries to lye in waite for him,* 1.2 hee went into Kent, & with a little packet of laces, pinnes and points, and such like things, he trauailed from Uillage to village, sellyng such things, & by y^e poore shyft gate hymself somewhat to the susteining of himselfe, his poore wife and children.

At the last, a Iustice of Kent called M. Moyle, tooke poore Yeoman and set him in the stocks a day and a night,* 1.3 but hauyng no euident matter to charge hym with, he let hym go againe. So came he secretly againe to Hadley, and taried with his poore wife, who kept him secretly in a chā∣ber of the Towne house, commonly called the Guild hall, more then a yere. All the which tyme, the good olde father abyde in a chamber locked vp all the day, & spent his tyme in deuout prayer and reading the Scriptures, and in car∣ding of w••ol which his wyfe did spin. His wife also did go and beg bread and meat for herselfe and her children, and by such poore meanes susteined they themselues. Thus y^e saints of God susteined hunger and misery, while the pro∣phets of Baal liued in iollitie, and were costly pampered at Iesabels table.

At the last, person Newal (I know not by what means) perceiued that Rich. Yeoman was so kept by hys poore wyfe,* 1.4 and taking with him the Bailiffes deputies and ser∣uants, came in the night tyme & brake vp fiue dores vpon Yeoman, whom he found in bed with his poore wyfe and children. Whom when he had so found, he irefull cried, sai∣yng,* 1.5 I thought I should find an harlot and a whore to∣gether. And he would haue plucked the clothes of from them. But Yeoman held fast the clothes, and said vnto his wyfe, wife, aryse and put on thy clothes. And vnto y^e per∣son he sayd: Nay Person, no harlot, nor whore, but a ma∣ried man and his wife, accordyng vnto Gods ordinance, and blessed be God for lawfull matrimony. I thank God for this great grace, and I defie the Pope & all his Pope∣rie. Then led they Rich. Yeoman vnto the cage, & set hym in the stocks vntill it was day.

There was then also in the cage an olde man named Iohn Dale, who had sitten 3. or 4. dayes,* 1.6 because wh•• the sayd Person Newal with his Curate, executed y^• Romish seruice in the Church, he spake openly vnto him and said: O miserable & blind guides, will ye euer be blind, leaders of the blynd? will ye neuer amend? will ye neuer see the truth of Gods word? wil neither Gods threates nor pro∣mises enter into you harts? wil not the bloud of Martyrs nothing mollifie your stonie stomacks?* 1.7 Oh indurate hard harted, peruerse, & crooked generation. O damnable sorte, whom nothyng can do good vnto.

These and like words he spake in feruentnes of spirit against the superstitious religion of Rome. Wherfore per¦son Newall caused hym forthwith to be attached, and set in the stockes in the cage. So was he there kept til sir Hē∣ry Doile a Iustice, came to Hadley.

Now when poore Yeoman was taken, the person cal∣led earnestly vpon Sir Henry Doile to send them both to prison.* 1.8 Sir Henry Doile earnestly laboured and entrea∣ted the person, to consider the age of the men, & their poore estate: they were persons of no reputation nor preachere: wherefore hee would desire him to let them be punished a day or two, and so to let them goe, at the least Iohn Dale who was no priest, and therfore seeyng he had so long sit∣ten in the cage, he thought it punishment enough for hys tyme. When the person heard this, he was exceeding mad, and in a great rage called them pestilent heretikes,* 1.9 vnfitte to lyue in the common wealth of Christians. Wherefore I beseech you Sir (quoth he) accordyng to your office defēd holy church, and helpe to suppresse these sectes of heresies, &c. which are false to God, and thus boldly set themselues to the euill example of other, against the Queenes graci∣ous proceedyngs. Sir Henry Doyle seeyng he coulde do no good in the matter, & fearing also his perill if he should too much meddle in this matter, made out the Writte and caused the Constables to cary them foorth to Bury Gaole. For now were all the Iustices were they neuer so migh∣tye, afrayde of euery shauen crowne, and stood in as much awe of them, as Pilate dyd stande in feare of Annas and Cayphas, and of the Pharisaicall broode, which cried Cru∣cifie hym, Crucifie hym. If thou let hym goe,* 1.10 thou art not Cae∣sars friend.

Wherefore, whatsoeuer their consciences were, yet (if they would escape danger) they must needes bee the Po∣pish Bishops slaues, and vassails. So they tooke Richard Yeoman and Iohn Dale, pinioned, and bound them lyke thieues, set them on horsebacke,* 1.11 and bound their legs vn∣der the horses bellies, and so caried them to the Gaole at Bury, where they were tied in irons, and for that they cō∣tinually rebuked Popery, they were throwne into y^e low∣est dungeon, where Iohn Dale through sickenesse of the

[illustration]

¶The burnyng of Richard Yeoman.

* 1.12

prison,* 1.13 and euil keping, died in prison, whose body when hee was deade, was throwen oute and buried in the fieldes. Hee was a man of 46. yeares of age, a Weauer by his occupation, well learned in the holy scriptures, faith∣full and honest in all his conuersation,* 1.14 stedfast in confessi∣on of the true doctrine of Christ set forth in Kyng Ed∣wards tyme: for the which he ioyfully suffred prison and chaines, and from this worldlye dungeon hee departed in Christ to eternall glory, and the blessed paradise of euerla∣sting felicitie.

* 1.15After that Iohn Dale was dead, Rich. Yeoman was remooued to Norwich prison, where after straite and euill keping, he was examined of his faith and religion. Then he boldly and constantly confessed himself to be of the faith and confession that was set forth by the late king of blessed memory, holy K. Edward the 6. and from that he would in n•• wyse vary. Beyng required to submit himself to the holy father the Pope, I defie him (quoth he) & all hys de∣testable abhominations: I will in no wise haue to doe w^t him,* 1.16 nor any thing that appertaineth to him. The chief ar∣ticles obiected to him were his mariage, & the masse sacri∣fice. Wherfore when he continued stedfast in confession of the truth, he was condemned, disgraded, & not only burnt but most cruelly tormented in the fire. So ended hee hys poore & miserable lyfe, and entred into the blessed bosom of Abraham, enioying with Lazarus the comfortable quiet∣nes that God hath prepared for his elect saintes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iuly. 10. The story and Martyrdome of Richard Yeo∣man Minister.
• * 1.2

  Richard Yeomā 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into Kent.
• * 1.3

  Richard Yeo∣man set in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by M. Moile of Kent. Richard Yeomā returneth agayn to Hadley.
• * 1.4

  Pa••son Newall a wicked perse∣cutour.
• * 1.5

  Yeoman taken by Parson Newall.
• * 1.6

  This Iohn Dale dyed in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 G••ile, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before men∣tioned.
• * 1.7

  The wordes of Iohn Dale to Parson Newall and his Curate.
• * 1.8

  Iohn Dale sette in the Cage by Parson Newall.
• * 1.9

  Syr Henry Doyle en∣treated for Gods Sainctes, but could not be heard.
• * 1.10

  The king∣dome of Locustes.
• * 1.11

  Yeoman & Iohn Dale sent to Bury Gaile.
• * 1.12

  The Mar∣tyrdome of Richard Yeoman, Minister, at Norwich. Anno. 1558. Iuly. 10.
• * 1.13

  Anno 1558. Iuly.
• * 1.14

  Commen∣dat••on of Iohn Dale.
• * 1.15

  Yeoman re∣••••••ned to Norwich.
• * 1.16

  The chiefe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ob∣••ected to Richard Yeoman.