Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 1

flame, & whē it had touched his foot, he quickly withdrew his leg showing how y ^e flesh did persuade him one way & the spirit another way. The flesh said O thou fool wilt y ^u burn & needest not. The spirit said be not afraid, for this is nothing in respect of fire eternal. The flesh said do not leave the company of thy friends & acquaintance which love & will let thee lack nothing. The spirit said the company of Jesus Christ & his glorious presence doth exceed all fleshly friends. The flesh said do not short̄ thy time now for y ^u mayst live if thou wilt much longer. The spirit said this life is nothing unto y ^e life in heaven which lasteth forever. &c. And all this time the shiriffes were at a certain gētlemans house at diner not far frō the town whither also resorted knights & many gētlemē out of y ^t country, because his son was married that day, & until they returned from diner the prisoner was left w ^t his host to be kept & looked unto. And G. Tankerfield all y ^e time was kindly & lovingly entreated of his host, and considering that his time was short his saying was, that although the day were never so long, yet at the last it ringeth to Evensong. &c.

Item about two of y ^e clock whē the shiriffes were returned frō diner they brought G. Tankerfielde out of his Inn unto y ^e place where he should suffer which is called Romeland, being a green place nigh unto y ^e west end of y ^e Abbey church, unto the which whē he was come he kneled down by the y ^e stake that was set up for him & after he had ended his prayers, he arose & with a joyful faith he said y ^t although he had a sharp diner, yet he hoped to have a joyful supper in heaven.

Item while the fagots were set about him there came a priest unto him, & persuaded him to believe on y ^e sacrament of y ^e altar & he should be saved. But G. Tankerfield cried out vehemently & said, I defye the whore of Babylon, I defy the whore of Babylon, fie of y ^e abhominable Idol, good people do not believe him, good people do not believe him. And thē y ^e Major of the town commanded to set fire to the heretic, and said if he had but one load of fagots in the whole world, he would give thē to burn him. There was a certain knight by & went unto Tankerfield & took him by the hand & said good brother be strong in Christ, this he spake softly, and Tankerfield said, O syr I thank you I am so I thank God. Then fire was set unto him, & he desired the shiriffe & all the people that they would pray for him, the most part did so. And so embracing the fire he bathed