The Holinshed Texts (1587, Volume 6, p. 536)

Compare 1577 edition: 1

Iohn Badbie burnt.

Tho. Walsi.

During this parlement one Iohn Badbie a tailor, or (as some write) a smith, being conuict of heresie, was brought into Smithfield, and there in a tun or pipe burnt to death, in pitifull manner. The kings eldest sonne the lord Henrie prince of Wales being present,The prince being present at the execu|tion offereth him pardon. offered him his pardon, first before the fire was kindled, if he would haue recanted his opi|nions; and after when the fire was kindled, hearing him make a roring noise verie pitifullie, the prince caused the fire to be plucked backe, and exhorting him being with pitifull paine almost dead, to remember himselfe, and renounce his opinions, promising him not onelie life, but also thrée pence a daie so long as he liued to be paid out of the kings coffers: but he hauing recouered his spirits againe,Notable con|stancie of Badbie. refused the princes offer, choosing eftsoones to tast the fire, and so to die, than to forsake his opinions. Wherevpon the prince commanded, that he should be put into the tun againe, from thencefoorth not to haue anie fa|uour or pardon at all, and so it was doone, and the fire put to him againe, and he consumed to ashes.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The king demanded in this parlement, that it might be granted to him,The kings demand in the parle|ment. to haue euerie yeare in which he held no parlement a tenth of the cleargie, and a fifteenth of the laitie; but the estates would not agrée therevnto, by reason whereof, the parlement continued till almost the middle of Maie.

A long parle|ment.

A fiftéenth granted.

At length they granted to giue him a fiftéenth, not without great murmuring and grudging of the commonal|tie. About this season died the lord Thomas Beau|ford earle of Surrie.Earle of Surrie de|ceasseth. The eleuenth of Aprill or ther|abouts, the towne of saint Omers was burnt by ca|suall fire togither with the abbeie, in which towne was such strange and maruellous prouision of en|gines,

Preparation made to win Calis.

Thom. Walsi.

and all manner of furniture and preparation for the winning of Calis, as the like had neuer béene séene nor heard of. Some write, that they of Calis standing in doubt of such purueiance, & great preparation deuised to annoie them, procured a yoong man to kindle a fire, whereby all that dread|full prouision was consumed to ashes, and so they within Calis deliuered of a great deale of care and feare which they had thereof.

¶ But Tho. Walsingham maketh a full & complet declaration, both concerning the dukes deuise, & also of the Calesians deliuerance from the danger of the same; which because it perfecteth the report of this pre|sent matter, I haue thought good to set downe word for word as I find it in his Hypodigme. About the ninth of Aprill (saith he) the towne of saint Audo|mare was burned with the abbeie, Abr. Fl. out of Thom. Wals. Hypod. pag. 175. wherein was hid|den and laid vp the execrable prouision of the duke of Burgognie, who had vowed either to destroie the towne of Calis, or else to subdue it to the will and pleasure of the French.The engines of the duke of Burgognie against Cali [...] that shot out barrels of p [...]son. There a great manie engines to this daie no where seene, there an excéeding sort of vessels conteining poison in them were kept in store, which he had aforehand prouided to cast out to the de|struction of the said towne. For he had gathered to|gither serpents, scorpions, todes, and other kinds of venemous things, which he had closed and shut vp in little barrels, that when the flesh or substance of those noisome creatures was rotten, and dissolued into fil|thie matter, he might laie siege to Calis, and cast the said barrels let out of engines into the towne; which with the violence of the throw being dasht in péeces; might choke them that were within, poison the har|nessed men touched therewith, & with their scattered venem infect all the stréets, lanes, & passages of the towne. In the meane time, a certeine yoong man al|lured with couetousnesse of gold, or lead with affec|tion and loue towards the kings towne, asked of the gouernours what reward he should deserue, that would discharge and set frée the towne from so great a feare, and would burne all the prouision which they suspected. Herevpon they leuied a summe of that yel|low metall (namelie gold) where with the yoongman contented, went his waie, and with fire readie made for the purpose, did not onelie burne the said venemous matter and infected stuffe, but also togi|ther with the monasterie almost the whole towne.]

Previous | Next