THE STORY, LIFE, AND MARTYRDOM

OF

JOHN FRITH,

WITH THE GODLY AND LEARNED WORKS AND WRITINGS OF THE SAID AUTHOR, HEREAFTER ENSUING.

THE said John Frith was born in Kent, and was the son of Richard Frith, innholder, in Sevenoakes, in the county of Kent. This young man so greatly profited in learning, that scarcely in his time there might be any found equal unto him. And unto his great knowledge and learning was adjoined such an honest conversation and godliness of life, that it was hard to judge in whether of them he was more commendable. Of the great godliness that was in him, this may serve for experiment sufficient, that notwithstanding his other manifold and singular gifts and ornaments of the mind in him most pregnant, wherewithal he might have opened an easy way unto honour and dignity, yet he chose rather wholly to consecrate himself unto the Church of Christ, excellently showing forth and practising in himself the precept so highly commended of the philosophers touching the life of man, which life (they say) is given unto us in such sort, that how much better

the man is, so much the less he should live unto himself, but unto other, serving for the common utility; and that we should think a great part of our birth to be due unto our parents, a greater part unto our country, and the greatest part of all to be bestowed upon the Church, if we will be counted good men.

First of all, he began his study at Cambridge, where he had to his tutor Stephen Gardiner, who afterwards was Bishop of Winchester and in the nature of this young man, being but a child, God had planted marvellous instinctions and love unto learning whereunto he was addict. He had also a wonderful promptness of wit, and a ready capacity to receive and understand anything, insomuch that he seemed not to be sent unto learning, but also born for the same purpose. Neither was there any diligence wanting in him equal to that towardness or worthy of his disposition; whereby it came to pass that he was not only a lover of learning, but also became an exquisite learned

man.

And at that time it happened that Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal of York, prepared to build a College in Oxford, which had the name and title of Frideswyd, but now named Christ's Church; and unto this College the said Cardinal gathered together such men as were found to excel in any kind of learning and knowledge; among whom this John Frith, the author of these notable works, was one, who then being a student in Cambridge, and Bachelor of Arts, was called from thence, and

placed in the said College. And when he had diligently laboured in most godly study certain years, not without great profit both of Latin and Greek, then being suspected to be a favourer of Martin Luther's doctrine, he was apprehended and committed to prison; from whence afterward being delivered, he resorted to the City of London, and there came in acquaintance with William Tyndale. And not long after, the said William and John Frith had many meetings and great conferences, and by the said William he first received into his heart the seed of the Gospel and sincere godliness, and after with great peril and danger, they both being inquired and sought for, fled. William Tyndale first placed himself in Germany, and there did first translate the Gospel of St. Matthew into English, and after the whole New Testament, &c. And not long after the departure of Tyndale, John Frith escaped and fled into Flanders, where he remained almost the space of three years, and there he made his book against purgatory, and divers other godly and learned works, as in the preface of the said book doth appear. But at the last, he being driven to necessity and lack of money, was forced secretly to return over into this realm, to be relieved of his friends, namely of the Prior of Reading. And as it was thought he purposed to have had the Prior over with him, and he being at Reading, it happened that he was there taken for a vagabond, and brought to examination, where the simple man, loth to utter himself what he was, and unacquainted with their manner of examina

tions, and they greatly offended with him, committed him to the stocks, where when he had sitten a long time, and was almost pined with hunger, and would not for all that declare what he was: At last he desired that the schoolmaster of the town might be brought unto him, which at that time was one Leonard Coxe, a man very well learned. As soon as he came unto him, Frith by and by, in the Latin tongue, began to bewail his captivity. The schoolmaster being overcome with his eloquence, did not only take pity and compassion upon him, but also began to love and embrace such an excellent wit, and disposition unlooked for, especially in such state of misery. Afterward they conferring more together upon many things, as touching the Universities, schools, and tongues, fell from the Latin tongue to the Greek, wherein Frith did so inflame the love of the said schoolmaster towards him, that he brought him into a marvellous admiration, especially when as the schoolmaster heard him so promptly by heart rehearse Homer's verses out of his first book of Iliad. Whereupon the schoolmaster went with all speed unto the magistrates, grievously complaining of the injury which they did show unto so excellent and innocent a young man; and so through the help of the said schoolmaster, the said Frith was freely set at liberty. Albeit, his safety continued not long, through the great hatred and deadly pursuit of Sir Thomas More, who at that time being Chancellor of England, persecuted him both by land and sea, besetting all the ways, ha