on the Hill, the other of the parish of Thundersley, being zealous in the true service of God, were discovered to Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London; hence they were committed to the officers of Colchester, to be safely kept.

Bishop Bonner, perceiving these two gentlemen to be of good estate and of great estimation in that country, went there himself, accompanied by Mr. Fecknam and several others, thinking by large promises and flatterings, to reduce them again to the unity of the papal church.

At length, when no persuasions would serve, they were brought up to have an open examination at the consistory in St. Paul's, February 17, 1555, where they were commanded by the Bishop of Bath and others to recant. But refusing to abjure their faith, they were ordered to appear the Wednesday after, to receive their definitive sentence.

With great difficulty they obtained leave to read their confession of faith, which they delivered to the Bishop of London, before the Mayor and Sheriffs, in the presence of all the people then assembled.

When they had finished, the Bishop, still persisting sometimes in fair promises, and sometimes threatening to pronounce judgment, asked them if they would stand to their confession and answers. Causton having replied in the affirmative, the Bishop pronounced sentence against them, and they were delivered to the sheriffs, to be sent to Newgate, where they remained until fourteen days after their condemnation having expired, they were, March 23, 1555, taken from Newgate at four o'clock in the morning, to Aldgate, where they were delivered to the sheriff of Essex, and there being fast bound in a cart,

were shortly after brought to their several appointed places of torment; viz. Thomas Higbed to Horndon on the Hill, and Thomas Causton to Raleigh, in Essex, where they, on the 26th of the same month, sealed their faith, shedding their blood in the most cruel fire, to the glory of God.

In this month died Pope Julius, who was succeeded by Marcellus, but the new Pontiff dying at the end of 12 days after his election, Paul IV. was elected to the papal chair. On the day of his election the English Ambassador waited on him in state with a numerous retinue, but was refused admittance till he had accepted, on behalf of the Queen, a grant of the title of the KINGDOM OF IRELAND, pretending that to him alone belonged the right to confer that title. The ambassador immediately submitted, and the audience was given with great pomp, the Pope declaring that in token of pardoning the nation he had added another jewel to the crown by conferring that title, by the supreme power which God had given him to destroy or build kingdoms at his pleasure. He intimated also that he would send a collector to gather the rent of Peter-pence, observing that they could not hope that Peter would open the gates of heaven to those who denied him his rights on earth.

Dr. ROBERT FERRAR Bishop of St. David's,

Burned at Carmarthen, March 30th, 1555.

Dr. Ferrar was a native of Halifax, Yorkshire, he studied for

a short time at Cambridge, but removed to St. Mary's College Oxford, where he became divinity reader. In 1533 he was appointed chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer, when he married, which afterwards in Mary's reign formed the ground of a criminal charge. He was promoted to the See of St. David's 9th Sept. 1548, and was the first Bishop consecrated upon the bare nomination of the king, (Edward VI.) A charge of premunire being brought against him by Young and Merick, two of the Canons, and George Constantine, the Bishop's register, he was so distressed, that he became a crown debtor for the first fruits and tenths, and was consequently imprisoned. In the course of this prosecution he was called upon to answer no less than 56 articles or informations, all of which he successfully rebutted, but the debt to the crown remaining unpaid, he was kept in prison until after the accession of Mary, when he was attacked on the score of heresy and brought before Gardiner and Bonner in company with Hooper and others, was treated with brutal contempt, and at the expiration of ten days sent into his own diocese, there to be tried by Morgan his successor, whose interest it was to destroy him: Morgan had him brought before him six different times, treated him with every species of insult, and finally condemned him. He suffered in the Market-place at Carmarthen on the south side of the Market-cross. It was remarkable, that one Jones, a short time before his execution, expressing to him his grief at the pain he was about to undergo he said, "If you once see me stir in the pains of burning, then give no credit to my doctrine." And as he said, so he acted, for he stood patiently without moving until the flesh of his hands and arms were burnt to a cinder, when one of the attendants struck him down by a blow on the head with a staff.

RAWLINS WHITE,

Burned at Cardiff, March, 1555.

White followed the occupation of a fisherman for more than 20 years in the town of Cardiff, but seized with a desire to preach the Gospel, and being an uneducated man, availed himself of the services of his son, by making him read the Scriptures to him: possessing great natural ability and a powerful retentive memory, his preaching soon attracted much notice, and he continued that profession five years, until he was summoned before the Bishop of Llandaff, who publicly reproved him in his chapel; but finding he still adhered to the Protestant faith, proceeded against him in the usual manner, and he was condemned to death. He was then placed in a loathsome prison until the time appointed for his execution, when being brought to the stake, as the smith was fastening his chain, he said "I pray thee, good friend, knock in the chain fast; for it may be that the flesh will strive mightily; but God of his great mercy give me strength and patience to abide the extremity." He held forth his hands, only once wiping his face with them, until his body fell over the chain into the fire.

Rev. GEORGE MARSH,

Burned at Spittal-Boughton, 24th April 1555.

Mr. Marsh was a native of Deane in the county of Lancaster, at the age of 25 he married and had a large family, follow

ing the occupation of a farmer for several years. His wife dying, he entered himself at Cambridge University, and afterwards became curate to the Rev. Laurence Sanders, in which duty he zealously preached against popery. The Bishop of Chester first confined him to his own house for four months, whence he escaped, and secreted himself for a time, but afterwards surrendered, and being tried was condemned to die. The behaviour of this martyr at the stake, excited much compassion in the spectators, for its Apostolical simplicity. He walked to the stake reading a book the whole way, he wished to address the people but was prevented by the sheriff; he then kneeled down to pray, and rising put off his clothes to his shirt, and was fastened to a stake with a barrel filled with pitch and tar placed above his head, after burning for a long time without showing any signs of pain, until his whole body was so swoln that he was supposed to be dead, he suddenly spread out his arms, saying in a loud voice "Father of Heaven have mercy upon me!" and instantly died. In order to counteract the impression made by the above scene on the people, the Bishop shortly after preached a sermon in the Cathedral, in which he affirmed that Mr. Marsh was a heretic, was burnt as such, and was then a fire-brand in Hell.

WILLIAM FLOWER,

Burned in St. Margaret's churchyard, 24th April, 1555.

This martyr was a native of Snow-hill in the county of Cambridge, and was trained up a monk, but seceded from the Romish