tleman, for assisting a priest who was confined in the gaol at Buckingham, with eight pence and two shirts. EDWARD THE SIXTH. DURING the short reign of Edward the Sixth, the Catholics seem to have been very inactive, although under his government, the Protestant faith was more firmly established than in that of his predecessor. As the people, having been long used to the tyranny of monkish confessors, and monastic landlords, were not a little pleased to find their new masters convert useless monasteries, which were harbours for idle priests, into pleasant country seats, that enlivened and relieved the poor, instead of harrassing and oppressing them. But these golden days were of but short duration, as the death of the most accomplished and best of kings was followed by the accession of his eldest Sister, a woman educated, to abhor any innovation in the religion she professed. MARY THE FIRST. THE first use Mary made of her power was to displace all Protestant preachers, and supply their places with zealous Papists. She next commissioned Bonner, bishop of London, with other Catholic priests, to examine such persons as were suspected of heresy, in denying the tenets of the Catholic church; and the punishment inflicted on those convicted of this pretended crime was burning alive. Many of the highest character in the Church suffered by the flames, particularly Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury; Ridley, bishop of London; Latimer, bishop of Worcester; Farrar, bishop of St. David's; Hooper, bishop of Gloucester, and many of inferior dignity in the church, besides an immense quantity of private persons: the whole of which, in this reign, that suffered death for religion, is computed at 260 persons. * The ex treme * As the catalogue of Martyrs that suffered in this reign may not be unacceptable, I have transcribed it from a scarce sheet, printed anno 1590. pacy, served entirely to abolish it. As the people Thomas Cobbe, bur: Rob: Streater, George Catmer, Anth: Burward, Geo: Bradbrige, and Iames Tutty, bur: Io. Goreway, and Tho: Hayward, bur: Rob: Glouer, and Cornelius Wil: Wolsey, and Robert Piggot, bur: Iohn Webb, George Roper, & Gre: Parke, bur: Io. Philpot Archdeacon, bur. Thomas Whittle, Barthelet Greene, Iohn Tudson, Io. Went, Thomas Browne, Isabell Foster, and Ioane Warren, bur: Iohn Lomas, Anne Abbright, Ioane Catmer, Ioane Soke, and Agnes Snoth, bur: Thomas Cranmer Archbish. of Canter. bur: at Yexford mense Sept. at Thetford Iohn Spicer, Wil. Cobberley, and Io: Maundrell, bur: Ioane Trunchfield, and Agnes Potten, bur: seemed more terrified into the practice, than to follow Pernham, Henry Wye, Wil: and Adam Foster, bur: Iulius Palmer, Io. Gwyn, & Thomas Askine, bur: Katherine Cawches, Guilian Gilbert, Perotine Massey, and the said Masseys Infant breaking violently out of the Mothers wombe into |