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Robert Smith to all faithful Servants of Christ, exhorting them to be strong under Persecution.
Content thy self with patience with Christ to bear the Cross of pain, Which can and will thee recompence a thousand fold with Joyes again: Let nothing cause thy heart to quail; Launch forth thy Boat, hail up thy Sail, Put from the Shore, And be thou sure thou shalt attain Unto the Port that shall remain For evermore.
About this time died Steven Harwood at Stratford, and Thomas Fust at Ware.
About the same time VVilliam Haile of Th••rp in the County of Essex, was condemned and burnt;* 1.1 when he received the Sentence of condemnation, he gave this exhortation to the lookers on; Ah, good People, said he, beware of this Idolatry, and this Anti-christ, point∣ing to the Bishop of London; he was burnt at Barnet.
George King, Thomas Leys, and John VVade, being Prisoners in Lollards Tower, fell sick and died, and were buried by some of the faithfull Brethren.
VVilliam Andrew being twice brought before Bonner upon Exami∣nation, manfully stood in the defence of his Religion, at length through strait handling in the Prison of Newgate, there he lost his life.
Robert Samuell, committed to Ipswich Goal,* 1.2, and from thence re∣moved to Norwich, where Bishop Hopton or his Chancellor were the cause of his being kept very close Prisoner at his first coming, where he was Chained bolt upright to a Post, keeping him for some time without meat and drink, except it were a small morsel of Bread, and a little Water; he Suffered Death the 31th of August, 1555.
Next after Robert Samuell was burnt, William Allen of VValsingham,* 1.3 Labourer; upon Examination, the Bishop askt him, why he was im∣prisoned, he said it was because he would not follow the Cross; and said, if he saw the King and Queen follow the Cross or bow down to it, he would not; for which Sentence of Death was given against him; he was burned about the beginning of September at VValsingham, who declared such Constancy at his Martyrdom, and had such Credit with the Justices, by reason of his upright and well tryed Conversation among them, that he was suffered to go un∣tyed to his suffering, and there being fastned with a Chain, stood quietly without shrinking untill he died.