reminded him that he had been beloved for his virtues, and honoured for his learning; that, in the course of nature, he might live many years, and that he might even be higher esteemed than ever, wherefore he prayed him to be advised; "This counsel 1 give you," said the sheriff, "of a good heart and good-will towards you:" and, thereupon, he drank to him: and the yeomen of the guard said, "In like manner, upon that condition, master Docter, we all drink to you." When they had so done, and the cup came to Taylor, he staid awhile, as studying what he might say, and then answered thus: "Master Sheriff, and my masters all, I heartly thank you for your good will. I have hearkened to your words and marked well your counsels; and, to be plain with you, I do perceive that I have been deceived myself, and am likely to deceive a great many of their expectation." At these words, they were exceedingly glad. "Would ye know my meaning plainly," he said. "Yea, good master Doctor," answered the sheriff, "tell it us plainly." "Then," said Taylor, "I will tell you"; and he said, that, as his body was of considerable bulk, and as he thought, if he had died in his bed, it would have been buried in Hadleigh Church-yard, so he had deceived himself; and as there were a great many worms there abiding, which would have mealed handsomely upon him, so they, as well as himself, were deceived; "for," said he, they must be burnt to ashes, and they will thereby lose their feeding." The sheriff and his company were thereupon astonished at him, as being a man without fear of death, and making a jest of the flames. During their progress, many gentlemen and magistrates were admitted to see him, and entreated him, in like manner, but he remained immoveable. Thus they drew near to Hadleigh; and when they rode over Hadleigh Bridge, a poor man, with his five small children, await. ed their coming. When they saw Taylor, they all fell down on their knees, and held up their hands, aud cried aloud, “God help and succour thee, as thou hast many a time succoured me and my poor children." The streets of Hadleigh were crowded on each side, by men and women of the town and country, sorely weeping, and with piteous voices, loudly bewailing the loss of their pastor, praying that he might be strengthened and comforted in his extremity, and exclaiming, "What shall become of this wicked world!" Taylor said, "I have preached to you God's word and truth, and am come to seal it with my blood." When he came to the almshouses, he put some money that had been bestowed on him during his imprisonment, into a glove, and this he is said to have given to the poor almsmen as they stood at their doors, to see their wonted benefactor pass. At the last of the almshouses he inquired, "Is the blind man and blind woman that dwelt here, alive?" He was answered, "Yes, they are there, within." Then he threw glove and all in at the window, and so rode forth towards the field of his death. Coming where a great multitude were assembled, he asked, "What place is this, and what meaneth it, that so much people are gathered hither?" It was answered, "This is Aldham Common, the place where you must suffer." He said, "Thanked be God, I am even at home." Then he alighted from his horse and with both his hands, rent the hood from his head. His hair was unseemly, for Bonner, when he degraded him, had caused it to be clipped "in manner of a fool's." At the sight of his ancient and reverend face, and his long white beard, the people burst into tears, and prayed for him aloud. He would have spoken to them, but whenever he attempted, one or other of the yeomen of the guard, thrust a tipstaff into his mouth. Then he desired license to speak, of the sheriff; but the sheriff refused him, and bade him remember his promise to the Council. "Well," quoth Taylor, "promise must be kept." What the promise was is unknown. Seating himself on the ground, he called to one in the crowd, "Soyce, I pray thee come and pull off my boots, and take them for thy labour; thou hast long looked for them, now take them." Then he arose, and putting off his under-clothes, them also he bestowed. This done, he cried with a loud voice, "Good people! I have taught you nothing but God's holy word, and those lessons that I have taken out of God's blessed book, the Holy Bible; and I am come hither this day to seal it with my blood." One Holmes, a yeoman of the guard, who had used him cruelly all the way. then struck him a violent blow on the head with a waster, and said, "Is that the keeping of thy promise, thou heretic? Whereupon, Taylor knelt on the earth and prayed, and a poor, but faithful woman, stepped from among the people to pray with him the guards would fain have thrust her away; they threatened to tread her down with their horses, but she was undismayed, and would not remove, but remained and prayed with him. Having finished his devotions, he went to the stake, and kissed it, and placed himself in a pitch barrel which had been set for him to stand in; and he stood with his back upright against the stake, and he folded his hands together, and he lifted his eyes towards heaven, and he prayed continually. Then they bound him with chains, and the sheriff called one Richard Donningham, a butcher, and commanded him to set up the faggots, but he said, "I am lame, Sir, and not able to lift a faggot." The sheriff threatened to send him to prison, but the man refused to obey his command notwithstanding. Then the sheriff appointed to this labour, one Mullcine, of Carsey, " man for his virtues, fit to be a hangman," Soyce, a very great drunkard, a man named Warwick, and one Robert King, "a deviser of interludes." These four set up the faggots, and prepared for making ready the fire, and Warwick cast a faggot at the martyr, which lit upon his head, and wounded his face so that the blood ran down. Taylor said, "Oh, friend! I have harm enough, what needed that?" Then, while he repeated the Psalm Miserere, in English, Sir John Shelton struck him on the mouth, "You knave," said he, speak Latin, or I will make thee." At last they set the faggots on fire, and Taylor, holding up both his hands, called on God, crying, Merciful 66 66 a Father of Heaven! for Jesus Christ our Saviour's sake, receive my soul into thy hands." He stood, during his burning, without crying or moving, till Soyce struck him on the head with a halbert, and the brains falling out, the corpse fell down into the fire. Who is there, that in reading this narrative, the hero of which was as much a hero as a protesting christian, does not admire, and reverence the zeal-the enduring fortitude of him, who laid down his life for the truth. What wonder is it, the religion of papacy was thrust from the high places of the land, when courage such as this-courage enduring unto the end, was to be found existing in the hearts of those who were made the victims of thirsting revenge, and consuming superstition. Not that we think, in all cases, that virtue lay on the side of the protestant, or vice and cruelty exclusively upon that of the papist. Many atrocious deeds are on record, where the protestant was the persecutor, and the papist, the persecuted; but in the aggregate, more virtue-more true unaffected piety -more high personal character-not to mention the purer faith, were blotted out by fire and blood at the hands of the catholics, than were to be found among their own entire body at that time. Happy is it for us, that those dreadful times, when the lurid flames of the stake, lit up the last hours of thousands who died for conscience sake, are past. Happy is it for us, that charity-truth-keeping pace we trust, with the progress of knowledge, has rendered it impossible that religious intolerance can again rule over and distress the earth. How deeply rejoicing is it to the human heart, that we are enabled to look upon the Martyr's stone, and say to ourselves, "old stone, the deed which thy perishable inscription attempts to perpetuate, can never sully time again." The "Martyr's tomb” stands upon a lofty scite, and the pros pect from it, is one of great extent, and considerable beauty. One prominent object upon the landscape, is the tower of Kersey Church. The dimensions of the stone, are about 21 in. in length, by 16-in. in height. The word DOCET, in addition to the inscription quoted before, may be seen in one corner. It is now, however, almost obliterated. Upon a Brass Plate in Hadleigh Church, is the following Inscription, in Black Letter. Gloria in altissimis Deo. Of Rowland Taillors fame I shewe An excellent devyne And Doctor of the civill lawe A preacher rare and fyne. Kinge Henrye and Kinge Edward's dayes And for the truthe condempned to die The torment of the same. And strongely suffred to th'ende Oh Taillor were thie myghtie fame Thie deeds deserve that thie good name It may readily be supposed, that the memorial of Dr. Taylor's burning place, has often inspired the muse of those who sympathized in his death. That learned and pleasing writer, Dr. Nathan Drake, whose delightful works, are known far and near, and whose residence was at Hadleigh, wrote the following verses, on the event of Taylor's martyrdom. Lines written at the stone where Dr. Taylor suffered Martyrdom. BY N. DRAKE, M. D. STRANGER, approach this stone! Here Taylor fell, |