fire!" A third supply of dry fuel was laid about him, and this time
the powder exploded, but it had been ill placed, or was not enough.
"Lord Jesu, have mercy on me!" he exclaimed; "Lord Jesu, receive my
spirit!" These were his last articulate words; but his lips were long
seen to move, and he continued to beat his breast with his hands. It
was not till after three-quarters of an hour of torment that he at
last expired.

The same day, at the same hour, Rowland Taylor was burnt on Aldham
Common, in Suffolk. Laurance Sandars had been destroyed the day before
at Coventry, kissing the stake, and crying, "Welcome the cross of
Christ! welcome everlasting life!" The first-fruits of the Whitehall
pageant were gathered. By the side of the rhetoric of the hysterical
dreamer who presided in that vain melodrama, let me place a few words
addressed by the murdered Bishop of Gloucester to his friends, a week
before his sentence.

"The grace of God be with you, amen. I did write unto you of late, and
told you what extremity the parliament had concluded upon concerning
religion, suppressing the truth, and setting forth the untruth;
intending to cause all men, by extremity, to forswear themselves; and
to take again for the head of the church him that is neither head nor
member of it, but a very enemy, as the word of God and all ancient
writers do record. And for lack of law and authority they will use
force and extremity, which have been the arguments to defend the pope
and popery since their authority first began in the world. But now is
the time of trial, to see whether we fear more God or man. It was an
easy thing to hold with Christ whilst the prince and the world held
with him; but now the world hateth him, it is the true trial who be
his.

"Wherefore in the name, and in the virtue, strength, and power of his
Holy Spirit, prepare yourselves in any case to adversity and
constancy. Let us not run away when it is most {p.196} time to
fight. Remember, none shall be crowned but such as fight manfully; and
he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Ye must now turn your
cogitations from the perils you see, and mark the felicity that
followeth the peril--either victory in this world of your enemies, or
else a surrender of this life to inherit the everlasting kingdom.
Beware of beholding too much the felicity or misery of this world; for
the consideration and too earnest love or fear of either of them
draweth from God. Wherefore thin