Edward Farr, ed. Select Poetry of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. 1845.
The RegesterXIII. Thomas Bryce
P
My symple style, and metre base;
The works of God with wisdome waye,
The force of loue, the strength of grace.
To such as shoulde for hym be slayne:
Grace wrougt in theym, while thei did liue,
For loue to loue their Christ agayne.
That nothing may the same withstande:
Grace putteth death and hell to flight,
And guydes vs to the lyuing lande.
That feare and payne it doeth expell:
Loue thynketh nothing ouermuche;
Loue doth all earthly thynges excell.
To worke in them to dooe hys wyll:
These, vertue’s force, wrought loue in man,
That feare was past theyr bloude to spill.
June.
Continued in the flamyng fier;
When Simson, Hawkes, and Jhon Ardite,
Did tast the tyrante’s raging yre;
When Chamberlaine was put to death,
We wisht for our Elizabeth.
With force of fyre to death were brent;
When Shitterdun, Sir Franke, and Blande,
And Humfrey Middleton of Kent;
When Minge in Maistone toke his death,
We wisht, etc.
When yong Jhon Least in Smithfield died;
When they like brethren both did kisse,
And in the fyre were truely tried;
When teares were shed for Bradford’s death,
We wysht, etc.
When Launder in their fume they fried;
When they sent Euerson from stryfe,
With moody mindes and puffed pride;
When Wade at Dartford died the death,
We wisht, etc.
At Chichester did beare the crosse;
When humble Hall for Christe’s name
Ensued the same with worldly losse;
When Jone Polley was brent to death,
We wysht, etc.
In prison died of sickenesse soore;
When Abbes, which fained a recanting,
Did wofully wepe and deplore;
When he at Bery was done to death,
We wishte, etc.
With constant care to Christe’s cause;
When Warren’s widow yelded downe
Her flesh and bloud for holy lawes;
When she at Stratforde died the death,
We wishte, etc.
At Cantorbury were causeless slayne,
With Hopper and Wright, six in one fier,
Conuerted flesh to earth agayne;
When Roger Corier was done to death,
We wishte, etc.
And William Bamford spent his bloud;
When harmefull hartes as hard as stones
Brent Robert Smith and Steuen Harwood;
When Patrick Pattenham died the death,
We wishte, etc.
At Ware and Walden made their ende;
When William Hailes for Christ Jesus
With breath and bloude did still contende;
When he at Barnet was put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Till flesh and bloud to ashes went;
When constant Cob, with faith vpright,
At Thetforde cruelly was brent;
When these with joy did take their death,
We wishte, etc.
For trueth was tried in fiery flame;
When Roger Cooe, that good olde man,
Did lose his lyfe for Christe’s name;
When these with other were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Tuttie, and George Painter of Hyde,
Vnto their duty had good regarde,
Wherefore in one fier they were fried;
When these at Cantorbury toke their death,
We wishte, etc.
By sickenes turned to yerth and claye;
When wicked men, with yre and hate,
Brent Thomas Heywarde and Goreway;
When Tingle in Newgate toke his death,
We wishte, etc.
Androwes and Kyng, by sickenes died,
In faier fieldes they had their bower,
Where earth and clay doth still abide;
When they in this wise did die the death,
We wishte, etc.
Were fiercely brent at Couentrie;
When Wolsey and Pigot for Christ Jesus
At Ely felt like crueltie;
When the pore be wept master Glouer’s death,
We wishte, etc.
Without regarde were swiftly slayne;
When furious foes could not confer
But with reuenge and mortall paine;
When these two fathers were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
In Elyes’ chayre to heauen were sent;
Also, when Gregory Paynter
The same streight path and voiage went;
When they at Cantorbury toke their deth,
We wishte, etc.
And Wiseman in the Lowlar’s towre;
When master Philpot, truely tryed,
Ended his life with peace and power;
When he kissed the chayne at his death,
We wishte, etc.
January.
Annis Foster, Jone Lasheforde, and Browne,
Tutson and Winter, these seuen were sene
In Smithfield beate their enemies doune,
Euen fleshe and deuil, world and death,
Then we wishte for Elizabeth.
Jone Soale, Jone Painter, and Annis Snod,
In fier with flesh and bloud did fight;
When tonges of tyrantes layed on lode;
When these at ones were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Joyfully did the fier embrace;
When they sange out with chereful sounde
Their fired foes for to deface;
When Norwich Nobody put them to deth,
We wishte, etc.
And helde his hande vnto the fier;
When streames of teares for him were rife,
And yet did misse their iust desier;
When popysh power put him to death,
We wishte, etc.
Were put to death at Salisbury;
Ashes to earth did right restore,
They being then ioyfull and mery;
When these with violence were put to deth,
We wyshte, etc.
At Cambridge did this life despise;
When Hartpoole’s death thei did procure,
To make his flesh a sacrifice;
When Jone Beche, widow, was done to deth,
We wishte, etc.
Spurge, Spurge, and Cauell, duely died,
Confessing that for Christe’s sake
They were content thus to bee tried;
When London Little-grace put them to death,
We wyshte, etc.
Jhon Hammond, Spencer, and Yren also,
At Colchester, in the posterne place,
Joyfully to their death did go;
When two at Glocester were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
After condemyning in prison died;
When lame Lauarocke the fire assaide,
And blinde Aprice with him was tryed;
When these two impotentes were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
With two maides, Elizabeth and Jone;
When they embraste both rede and woode,
Trusting in Christ his death alone;
When men vnnatural drew these to death,
We wishte, etc.
At Bekelles were consumed to dust;
When William Sleeke, constant and cleare,
In prison died with hope and trust;
When these our brethren wer put to death,
We wyshte, etc.
Harland, Milwright, and Euington,
With blasing brandes their bloude did bleede,
As their brethren before had done;
When tyranny draue these to death,
We wishte, etc.
At Lewes lost this mortall gayne,
Compast with speares and bloudye bylles
Vnto the stake for to bee slayne;
When William Adheral did die the death,
We wishte, etc.
Bowier, Laurence, and Addlington;
When Roth, Searles, Lion, and Hurst, did die,
With whom two women to death were done;
When Dorifall with them was put to death,
We wishte, etc.
And Martyne Hunte died in the King’s Bench,
When the yong man at Lecester
And Clemente died with filthie stenche;
When Careless so toke his death,
We wishte, etc.
Were brent with force at Newbury;
Lamenting onely for theyr sinne,
And in the Lorde were full mery:
When tyrantes merciles put these to death,
We wishte, etc.
At Grenstede cruelly were slaine;
When Thomas Dungate, to make vp three,
With them did passe from wo and payne;
When these with other were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
January.
For Christe’s cause to death were brent;
When not long after two at Wye
Suffered for Christ his testament;
When wyly wolues put these to death,
We wishte, etc.
Sturtle, Ramsey, and Jhon Lothesby,
Were contente tormentes to abide,
And toke the same right paciently;
When these in Smithfield wer done to death,
We wisht, etc.
Refusde with falshode to bee beguilde,
And for the same were burned quicke
With fury in St George’s Fielde;
When these with other were put to death,
We wyshte, etc.
Appleby, Allen, and bothe their wiues;
When Manning’s wife was not afrayde;
But al these seuen did lose their liues;
When these at Maistone were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Barbara, widow, and Bendens’ wife,
With Wilson’s wife, did firmly fight,
And for their faith al lost their life;
When these at Canterbury died the death,
We wysht, etc.
Margery Mories and her sonne,
Dents, Burges, Steuens, and Wodman,
Gloue’s wife and Ashdon’s, to death were done;
When one fyre at Lues brought to their death,
We wishte, etc.
And so set free from tyrauntes’ hands;
When Simon Milner they did assayle,
Hauing him and a woman in bandes;
When these at Norwich were don to death,
We wishte, etc.
Were fried with fyre of tyrantes stoute;
Not once permitted trueth to say,
But were compast with billes aboute;
When these with other were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Was hanged, drawen, and quartered;
His quarters carried vp and doune,
And on a pole thei set his head;
When wrested law put him to death,
We wyshte, etc.
And Bowmer’s wife with her also;
When two women at Rochester,
With father Fruier, were sent from wo;
When one at Norwich did die the death,
We wyshte, etc.
Continuing constant in the fier;
When tired faith was truely tried,
Hauing her iuste and long desier;
When she with others were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
With James Auscoo and his wife,
Were brent with force at Islyngton,
Ending this short and sinneful life;
When thei in cherefulnes did take their death,
We wyshte, etc.
In Smithfield did the stake embrace;
When fire conuerted fleshe to clay,
Thei being ioyfull of such grace;
When lawless libertie put them to death,
We wishte, etc.
And Margaret Mering, with corage died,
Because Christ onely they did seeke,
With fier of force they must bee fried;
When these in Smithfield were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
Marche.
In Smithfielde cruell wrath sustained,
As fixed foes to Romish rockes,
And Cuthbert Symion, also Hayne;
When these did worthely receyue their death,
We wishte, etc.
According to God’s ordinaunce;
When widow Thurstone thei did assaile,
And brought An Banger to death his daunce;
When these at Colchester were done to death,
We wishte, etc.
Was tryed with their fiery fan;
When Symon fought against the best,
With Glouer and Thomas Carman;
When these at Norwiche did die the death,
We wyshte, etc.
And Christian George by them was brent,
Holding their enemies at baye,
Till life was lost and breath all spent;
When these at Colchester wer put to death,
We wyshte, etc.
Hollyday, Holland, Houde, and Flood,
With cherefull look and constant crie,
For Christe’s cause did spend their bloud;
When these in Smithfield wer put to death,
We wishte, etc.
And Matthew Withers also died;
Though sute were much, yet little grace
Among the rulers could be spied;
In prison paciently they tooke their death,
We wishynge for Elizabeth.
At Norwich did his life forsake;
When master Benbrike at Winchester
A liuely sacrifice did make;
When these with other were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
The popish power did soore inuade,
To burning schole thei wer sent streight,
And with them went constant Jhon Slade;
When these at Bramford wer put to death,
We wishte, etc.
And with him Elizabeth Launson;
When thei with ioye did both consent
To doe as their brethren had done;
When these at Ipswich were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
With Philip Humfrey, kist the crosse;
When they did comfort one another
Against all feare and worldlye losse;
When these at Bery were put to death,
We wishte, etc.
At Cantorbury they did consume,
Who constantly to Christ did cleaue,
Therefore were fried with fierie fume,—
But sixe daies after these were put to death
God sent vs our Elizabeth.
Our ioy is full, our hope obtayned;
The blasing brandes of fier doe cease,
The sleaying sworde also restrayned;
The simple shepe preserued from death
By our good queene Elizabeth.
By Godde’s good will and prouidence;
So trust doth truely looke for staye
Through his heauenly influence,
That great Golia shall be put to death
By our good queene Elizabeth:
The hungrie soules for to sustaine;
That perfite loue and vnitie
Shall be set in their seate agayne;
That no more good men shal be put to death,
Seeing God hath sent Elizabeth.
For her highnes, as we bee bounde:
Oh Lorde, preserue this braunch of bay,
And all her foes with force confounde;
Here long to lyue, and after death
Receyue our queene Elizabeth.