them to undergo Romanus answered Thy sentence O Emperour I willingly embrace I refuse not to be sacrificed for my brethren and that by as cruel torments as thou canst invent c. The Captain being much enraged with this his stout Answer commanded him to be trussed up and his bowels drawn out whereupon the Executioners said Not so Sir this man is of noble parentage and therefore he may not be put to so ignoble a death Scourge him then quoth the Captain with whips with knobs of lead at the ends but Romanus sang Psalms all the time of his whipping requiring them not to favour him for nobilities sake Not the bloud of progenitors saith he but the Christian profession makes me noble then did he earnestly inveigh against the Captain and derided their Idoll gods c. but this further enraged the Tyrant so that he commanded his sides to be lanced with knives till the bones were laid open yet still did the holy Martyr preach the living God and the Lord Jesus Christ to him then did the Tyrant command them to strike out his teeth that his speech might be hindered also his face was buffeted his eye-lids torn with their nails his cheeks gashed with knives the skin of his beard pulled off by litle and little c. yet the meek Martyr said I thank thee O Captain that thou hast opened to me so many mouths as wounds whereby I may preach my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ look how many wounds I have so many mouths I have lauding and praising God The Captain astonished at his constancy bad them give over tormenting him yet he threatned to burn him reviled him and blasphemed God saying thy crucified Christ is but a yesterdaies God the gods of the Gentiles are of greatest antiquity But Romanus taking occasion from hence declared to him the eternity of Christ c. withall saying Give me a child of seven years old and thou shalt hear what he will say hereupon a pretty boy was called out of the multitude to whom Romanus said Tell me my pretty babe whether thou think it reason that we worship Christ and in Christ one Father or else that we worship infinite gods the child answered that certainly what we affirm to be God must needs be one which with one is one and the same and inasmuch as this one is Christ of necessity Christ must be the true God for that there be many gods we children cannot beleeve The Captain amazed at this said thou young villain and traitor where and of whom learnedst thou this lesson of my mother said he with whose milk I sucked in this lesson that I must believe in Christ The mother was called and she gladly appeared the Tyrant commanded the child to be horsed up and scourged the standers by beholding this mercilesse act could not refrain from tears the joyfull and glad mother alone stood by with dry cheeks yea she rebuked her sweet babe for desiring a cup of cold water charging him to thirst after the cup that the babes of Bethlem once drunk of She willed him to remember little Isaac who willingly proferred his neck to the â—int of his fathers sword c. Then did the cruell tormentor pull off the skin hair and all from the crown of the childes head the mother crying Suffer my child anon thou shalt passe to him that will adorn thy head with a crown of eternall glory thus the mother councelleth and encourageth the childe is encouraged and receiveth the stripes with a smiling countenance The Captain seeing the childe invincible and himself vanquished commands him to be cast into the stinking prison whilest the torments of Romanus were renewed and encreased Then was Romanus brought forth again to receive new stripes upon his old sores the flesh being torn and the bare bones appearing yet the cruell Tyrant raging like a mad man quarelling with the tormentors for dealing so mildely with him commanding them to cut prick and pounce him and then he passed sentence upon him together with the childe to be burned to death to whom Romanus said I appeal from this unjust sentence of thine to the righteous throne of Christ that upright Judge not because I fear thy cruell torments and mercilesse handling but that thy Judgements may be known to be cruell and bloudy When they came to the place of execution the tormentors required the childe of his mother for she had carried it in her arms from the prison She kissing it delivered it to them and as the executioner was striking off his head she said farewell my sweet childe All laud and praise with heart and voice O Lord we yeeld to thee To whome the death of all thy Saints We know most dear to be The childes head being cut off the mother wrapt it in her garment laid it to her brest and so departed Then was Romanus cast into a mighty fire which being quenched with a great storm the Tyrant commanded his tongue to be cut out and afterwards caused him to be strangled in the prison Gordius a Centurion in Caesarea in the heat of this persecution left his charge living a solitary life in a wilderness for a long time at last when a solemn feast was celebrated to Mars in that city and multitudes of people were assembled in the Theatre to see the games he came and gat up into a conspicuous place and with a loud voice said Behold I am found of those which sought me not c. the multitude hereupon looked about to see who it was that spake this and Gordius being known he was immediatly brought before the Sheriff and being asked who and what he was and why he came thither he told him the whole truth professing that he believed in Christ valued not their threatnings and chose this as a fit time to manifest his profession in then did the Sheriff call for scourges gibbets and all manner of torments to whom Gordius answered that it would be a losse and damage to him if he did not suffer divers torments and punishments for Christ and his cause the Sheriff more incensed hereby commanded all those torments to be inflicted on him with which Gordius could not be overcome but sang The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me and I will fear no evill because thou Lord art with me c. then did he blame the tormentors for favouring him provoking them to do their uttermost then the Sheriff not prevaling that way sought by flattery to seduce him promising him preferment riches treasures honour c. if he would deny Christ but Gordius derided his foolish madness saying that he looked for greater preferment in heaven then he could give him here upon earth then was he condemned and had out of the city to be burnt Multitudes followed him and some Kissing him with tears entreated him to pity himself to whom he answered Weep
head that he received his blood into his own hands and when they had killed him they threw him into the river Two Ministers belonging to the King of Navar were also murthered and thrown into the river God miraculously preserving all the other Ministers in the City A Jeweller being in bed with his wife who at that time had the midwife with her being near the time of her delivery these bloody Villains came knocking at the door and in the Kings name demanded entrance the woman as ill was she was opened the door whereupon rushing in they stabbed her husband in his bed the Midwife seeing that they were bent to murther the woman also earnestly entreated them to tarry at least so long till the infant which would be the twentieth child that God had given her was born but notwithstanding her request they took the woman and thrust a dagger into her fundament up to the hilts the woman finding her self mortally wounded yet desirous to bring forth her fruit fled into a corn-loft whither these tygers persuing her gave her another stob into the belly and so cast her out of the window into the street and upon the fall the childe came forth of her body the head formost gaping and yauning in a pitiful manner One of these murtherers snatching up a little childe in his armes the poor babe began to play with his beard and to smile upon him but instead of being moved to compassion this villain whose heart was harder than the rocks wounded it with his dagger and cast it all gore blood into the river The Kings letters being come to Meaux upon the same Sabbath to Cosset the Kings Atturny there upon the sight of them he presently went about to his cutthroats warning them to come to him armed at seven a clock at night withal causing the gates of the City to be shut up The hour being come he with his Partizans went up and down cruelly murthering the innocent servants of Jesus Christ in which bloody employment they spent all that night The next day they pillaged their houses and took above two hundred Protestants more and shut them up in prison the next day towards evening Cosset with his companions went to the prison where having a Catalogue of the prisoners names Cosset called them out one by one and then they murthered them till they were aweary Then they went to supper that so they might breath and refresh themselves and then filling themselves with wine they went back to glut themselves with blood also They took with them butchers axes that they might dispatch them the more easily with which as they called them forth they knocked them down and murthered them Amongst those that were thus butchered was an Elder of the Reformed Church who praying for his enemies they laughed him to scorn and because he had a Buffe-coat on which they were loth to spoil they opened it before and stabbed him into the breast Another was an ancient man that had been sheriffe of the City him they were not content to kill out-right but first cut off his nose ears and privy members then they gave him several small thrusts into the body tossing him up and down till through losse of blood he fell down calling upon the name of the Lord and so with many wounds he was slain The Kings letters being come to Troys the Protestants were all shut up in prison Then did the Bailiffe send for the common Hangman to murther them but he refused saying That his office was only to execute such as were legally condemned and so went his way Then was the Keeper of the prison sent for who being sick he sent one Martin to know what the businesse was to whom the Bailiffe imparted the matter wishing him to murther all the Prisoners and that their blood might not run out into the street he bade him to make a great trench in the midst of the prison and to cause certain vessels to be set into it to receive the blood This Martin going back with abhorrency of the fact concealed it from the Jailor The next day the Bailiffe came to the prison and smiling asked the Jailor if it was done but he being ignorant of his meaning asked him what should be done Hereupon the Bailiffe was so enraged that he was ready to strike him with his dagger till he promised to perform his Will Then did the Jailor go to the Prisoners who were in the Court recreating themselves and shut them up one by one in their several Cels which made them suspect that they were destinated to slaughter and therefore they betook themselves to prayer The Jailor called his companions about him acquainted them what was given him in charge and caused them to swear to execute it but when they approached to the prisoners they were so surprized with feare that they stood gazing one upon another having not hearts to act so horrid a deed whereupon they returned to the Jailors Lodge and sent for eight quarts of the strongest wine with other things to intoxicate their brains then they took a Catalogue of all their prisoners and gave it to one Martin to call them forth in order The first prisoner being called for presented himself with a cheerful countenance calling upon the name of the Lord then opened his breast to them receiving the mortal stroke whereof he died Another being called forth one of them thrust at him several times with the point of his Halbard wounding but not killing him whereupon the prisoner took the point of the Halbard and set it against his heart saying with a stedfast voice Here souldier here right at the heart right at the heart and so finished his life The rest were all murthered in the like manner after which the murtherers made a great pit in the back-side of the prison into which they cast the bodies one upon another some of them yet breathing yea one of them raised up himself above his fellows whereupon they threw in earth and so smothered him But the Bailiffs order of making a trench being not observed the blood of the slain ran so abundantly out of the prison door that thence through the channel it ran into the river and turned it into the colour of blood which bred an horror in the very Papists themselves which saw it At Orleance the Kings Edict for observing the Treaty of Peace was solemnly published which made those of the Religion very secure whereupon above three hundred of them men women and children met together at a Sermon but the same night came the Kings letters for the massacring of them all Then did the Major and Sheriffs raise the companies in Armes to put it in execution One of these murtherers with some of his companions went to a Noble Counsellors house bidding themselves to supper The Counsellor ignorant of their intents made them good cheere but when supper was ended with
to the charge of the Christians by the Persecutors were that they refused to worship Idols and the Emperors and that they professed the name of Christ Yet besides all the calamities and evils that happened in the world as wars famine pestilence c. were imputed only to the Christians But Cyprian and Tertullian confuting those slanders proved that the special cause of all those miseries which befell the Empire proceeded from the cruel shedding of the innocent blood of the Christians In this persecution Cyprian was at last condemned to have his head cut off who patiently and willingly submitted his neck to the stroak of the sword Also about this time Sixtus Bishop of Rome with his six Deacons were accused for being Christians whereupon being brought to the place of Execution they were all beheaded Laurence also another of his Deacons following Sixtus as he went to his Execution complained that he might not suffer with him but that he was secluded as the son from the father To whom the Bishop answered that within three days he should follow him bidding him in the mean time to go home and if he had any treasures to distribute them amongst the poor The Judge hearing mention of treasures supposing that Laurence had great store in his custody commanded him to bring the same to him Laurence craved three days respite promising then to declare where the treasure might be had In the mean time he caused a good number of poor Christians to be gathered together and when the day of his answer was come the persecutor strictly charged him to make good his promise then valiant Laurence stretching out his arms over the poor said These are the precious treasures of the Church these are the treasure indeed in whom Christ hath his mansion c. But oh what tongue is able to express the fury and madness of the Tyrants heart how he stamped stared ramped and fared like one out of his wits his eyes glowed like fire his mouth foamed like a boar like a hell-hound he grinded his teeth then he cryed kindle the fire make no spare of wood hath this Villain deluded the Emperor away with him whip him with scourges jerk him with rods buffet him with fists brain him with clubs Jesteth the Traitor with the Emperor pinch him with fiery tongs gird him with burning plates bring out the strongest chains and fire-forks and the grate of Iron set it on the fire bind the Rebell hand and foot and when the grate is red hot on with him rost him broil him toss him turn him upon pain of our high displeasure do every man his Office O ye tormentors Immediately his command was obeyed and after many cruel handlings this meek lamb was laid I will not say upon a bed of fiery iron but on a soft down-bed so mightily God wrought for his servant so miraculosly did he temper this Element of fire that it was not a bed of consuming pain but of nourishing rest unto Laurence Not Laurence but the Emperor seemed to be tormented the one broiling in the flesh the other burning in his heart when this triumphant Martyr had been pressed down with fire-forks for a great space in the mighty Spirit of God he spake to the Tyrant thus This side is now rosted enough turn up O Tyrant great Assay whether rosted or raw thou think'st the better meat By the constant confession of this worthy and valiant Deacon a Roman souldier was converted to the same faith and desired to be baptized whereupon he was called before the Judge scourged and afterwards beheaded About the same time Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria with his three Deacons were brought before Emilianus who told them of the clemency of the Emperor and therefore required them to sacrifice to his gods c. to whom Dionysius answered Divers men worship divers gods but we only that one God who is the Creator of all things making our prayers to him uncessantly for the health of the Emperor c. Then said the President Why can you not worship your own God and ours also Dionysius replied We worship only one God as we have said the President said I see you are ingratefull persons and regard not the Emperors clemency therefore I banish you to Cephro in Lybia and charge you that you convent no more your assemblies nor be found out of that place at your peril and though Dionysius was sick yet would he not grant him one days respite before his departrue In Cephro he had a great Congregation as well of those that followed him in his banishment as of others that resorted to him out of Egypt yea though at first he was persecuted there and stoned yet afterwards a great number of the Inhabitants forsook their Idols and were converted unto God by his Ministry and having accomplished his Ministry there the Lord removed him to another place For saith Dionysius Emilianus translated us from thence to a sharper place of Lybia commanding us to meet all together at the City Mareota intending to separate us into several villages or rather to take us by the way when we came thither I was commanded to Colluthion a place which I had never heard of yet was it some solace to me that the brethren told me it was near to the City Paretonium for as my being at Cephro gat me the acquaintance of many brethren of Egypt so I hoped that the vicinity of that place to the City might procure me the concourse of certain loving brethren from it as it came also to pass c. He writeth moreover that the number of those which suffered Martyrdom about that time was great men women young men maidens old wives souldiers and men of all sorts and ages of whom some with scourgings and fire and some with the sword obtained the victory and gat the Crown Neither saith he to this day doth the President cease cruelly murthering such as be brought before him tearing some with torments imprisoning others and commanding that no man should come to them yet God with the daily resort of the brethren doth comfort the afflicted In Palestine Priscus Malchus and Alexander three godly men seeing the valiant courage of the Christians so boldly to venture constantly to stand and patiently to suffer in this persecution as grieved with themselves began to accuse their own sluggishness and cowardise to see others so zealovs and valiant and themselves so cold and faint-hearted in labouring for the Crown of Martyrdom whereupon agreeing amongst themselves they came to Caesarea and stepping to the Judge they declared themselves to be Christians and so they were sentenced and given to the wild beasts A certain woman also in the same place formerly a Marcionist being brought before the President obtained the same Martyrdom In Carthage three hundred Christians being brought before the President were put to their choice either to offer sacrifice or
afflicted what evil have we done If we be called to dispute Why are we spoiled of all we have Why are we slandred Why are we forced to remain here amongst the dung-hills afflicted with hunger and nakedness far from our Churches and houses Herewith the Tyrant was so enraged that he commanded his horsemen to ride over them whereby many of them were sore bruised and wounded especially the aged and weak men Then did he command them to meet him at the Temple of Memory and when they came thither they had this writing delivered to them Our Lord King Hunrick lamenting your obstinacy in refusing to obey his will and to embrace his Religion yet intends to deal graciously with you and if you will take this oath he will send you back to your Churches and houses Then they all said with one consent We are all Christians and Bishops and hold the Apostolical and only true faith and thereupon they made a brief confession of their faith But the Kings Commissioners urged them without any further delay to take the oath contained in that paper Whereupon they answered Do you think us bruit beasts that we should so easily swear to a writing wherein we know not what is contained Then was the Oath read unto them which was this You shall swear that after the death of the Lord our King his son Hilderick shall succeed him in the Kingdom and that none of you shall send letters beyond the seas If you take this oath he will restore you to your Churches They that were plain-meaning men amongst them were willing to take it but others that saw further into the subtilty of it refused it Then were those which would take it commanded to separate themselves from the other which being done a Notary presently took their names and of what Cities they were he did the like also by the Refusers and so both parties were committed to ward and shortly after the King sent them word first to those that would have taken the oath Because that you contrary to the rule of the Gospel which saith Thou shalt not swear at all would have sworn The Kings Will is that you shall never see your Churches more but shall be banished into the wilderness and never perform any Ministerial office again and there you shall till the ground But to the Refusers of the oath he said because you desire not the reign of our Lords son you shall therefore be immediately sent away to the Isle of Corse there to hew timber for the ships He also sent abroad through all Africk his cruel tormentors So that no place no house remained free from lamentation screeching and out-cryes They spared neither age nor sex but only such as yielded to their will Some they cudgelled with staves some they hung up others they burned Women and especially gentlewomen they openly tortured stark naked without all shame Amongst whom was Dionysia whom when they saw bolder and more beautifull then the rest they first commanded her to be stript naked and made ready for the cudgels who spake boldly to them saying I am assured of the love of my God vâ—x me how you will only my woman-hood disclose you not But they with greater rage set her naked upon an high place for a publick spectacle Then did they whip her till the streams of blood flowed all over her body Whereupon she boldly said Ye Ministers of Satan that which you do for my reproach is to me an honour And beholding her only son that was young and tender and seemed fearfull of torments checking him with a motherly Authority she so encouraged him that he became much more constant then before To whom in the midst of his terrible torments she said Remember O my child that we were baptized in the name of the holy Trinity Let us not lose the garment of our salvation least it be said Cast them into outer darkness where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth For that pain is to be dreaded that never endeth and that life to be desired that alwayes lasteth The youth was so encouraged hereby that he persevered patient in all his sufferings till in the midst of his torments he gave up the Ghost Many by her exhortations and example were gained to God and animated in their sufferings Not long after Cyrillas the Arrian Bishop at Carthage stirred up the Tyrant against the Christians telling him that he could never expect to enjoy his Kingdom in peace so long as he suffered any of them to live Hereupon he sent for seven eminent Christians from Capsa to Carthage whom he first assaulted with flattery and large promises of honour riches c. if so be they would imbrace his faith But these servants of Christ rejected all those profers crying out One Lord one faith one Baptism saying also Do with our bodies what you please torment them at your will it s better for us to suffer these momentary pains then to endure everlasting torments Hereupon they were sent to prison loaded with great iron chains and thrust into a stinking Dungeon But God stirred up the hearts of many godly persons by great bribes to the Jayler to procure daily access to them and by their exhortations they were so corroborated in the faith that they much desired to suffer the like things for Christ with these men and would willingly have laid down their necks to the Persecutors swords The Tyrant hearing of it was exceedingly enraged caused them to be kept closer loaden with more chains and to be put to great torments Then did he cause a ship to be filled with combustible matter commanding that these holy Martyrs should be put into it and fast bound in the same and fire to be set to the ship in the sea that they might be burned to death When they were brought out of the prison the multitude of Gods people accompanied them to the ship who as innocent Lambs were led to be sacrificed looking upon their weighty irons as rare Jewels and Ornaments With chearfulness and alacrity they went towards the place of execution as if they had gone to a banket singing with one voice unto the Lord as they went along the street saying This is our desired day more festival then any feâ—â—ivity Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation when for the faith of our Lord God we endure death that we may not loose the garment of obtained faith The people also with one voice cried Fear not O servants of God neither dread the threats of your enemies Die for Christ who died for us that he might redeem us with the price of his saving blood Amongst these was a pretty boy to whom a subtil Seducer said Why hastest thou my pretty boy unto death let them go they are mad Take my counsel and thou shalt not only have life but great advancement in the
the effecting of it but as soon as the men were in Arms it pleased God by the death of King Francis to put an end to that design whereby the Waldensian Churches in Dauphine enjoyed peace and were well furnished with godly Pastors who held them in the exercise of religion though they were in continuall danger of being persecuted to the death for the same The Waldenses in Dauphine many years before being multiplyed so that the countrey could not feed them dispersed themselves abroad into divers parts whereof some went into Piedmont who lived in great love with those of Daâ—phine and though they were alwaies oppressed with troubles yet with hearty love and charity they ever-succoured one another not sparing their lives and goods for their mutuall conservation The first Persecution in Piedmont were occasioned by the Preists who complained to the Arch-Bishop of Turin that these people lived not according to the manner and belief of the Church of Rome that they offered not for the dead cared not for Masses Absolutions or to get any of theirs out of the pains of Purgatory c. Hereupon the Arch-Bishop persecuted them complaining of them to their Princes to make them odious But the Prince enquiring of their neighbours heard that they were of a good conversation fearing God without deceit or malice loving plain dealing alwaies ready to serve their Prince with alacrity c. He therefore purposed not to molest them But the Priests and Monks gaining nothing by their belief charged them with an infinite number of calumnies and ever and anon catching one or other of them they delivered them to the Inquisitors and the Inquisitors to the executioners so that there was scarce a Town or City in Piedmont wherein some of them had not been put to death At Turin one of them had his bowels torn out of his belly and put into a bason before his face and then was he cruelly martyred At Revel in the Marquisat of Saluces one Catelin Girard being on the block whereon he should be burnt requested his Executioner to give him two stones which he refused to do fearing least he would throw them at some body but he protesting the contrary at last they gave him two stones which he held in his hands and said When I shall have eaten these stones then shall you see an end of our Religion for â—hich you now put me to death and so he threw them on the ground and died cheerfully Thus they burnt many of them in the fire till Anno 1488. and then they resolved to assault them by open force because they saw that otherwise they should never be able to extirpate them besides their constant sufferings converted many to the faith Hereupon they levied an Army of eighteen thousand men besides many inhabitants of Piedmont who ran to the pillage from all parts These marched all at once to Angrogne Lâ—cerne La Perouse c. They raised also forces in Dauphine where with they over-ran the Valley of Pragela so that they being put to defend themselves could not assist their friends in Piedmont But the enemy by this division of his forces being weakned was every where beaten especially in the Valley of Angrogne where the VValdensians having been informed of the levies of their enemies against them prepared themselves to receive and resist them keeping the strait passages where few men might defend themselves against many They defended themselves with long Targets of wood whereby they covered themselves from the hurt of their enemies arrows Whilst they were thus bickering with their enemies the women and children upon their knees cried out O God help us The enemies made themselves merry with this fight and amongst them one Capt. Saquet who as he was imitating the woman was slain and tumbled down into a very deep valley Another Captain crying out to the women in derision was killed with the shot of an arrow in the throat Hereupon the souldiers betook themselves all to their heels and the greatest part slew themselves by tumbling down from the rocks Another providence of God was this that the enemies approaching to the stongest entrance by nature might their have fortified themselves and so made themselves masters of that Valley But God sent so thick a cloud and dark a fog that they could scarce see one another whereby they wanted opportunity to discover their advantage and therefore departed which the VValdenses seeing couragiously pursued them and by that means the enemy being dispersed and not seeing which waies they went the greatest part fell headlong down the mountains quitting their arms and booty which they had gotten at their first entrance into the Valley by which means the Waldenses recovered it again Then it pleased God to move the Princes heart which was Philip the seventh Duke of Savoy and Lord of Piedmont with pity towards these poor people saying That he would not have that people which had been alwaies true faithfull and obedient to him to be unjustly destroyed by Arms being content that twelve of the Principall should come to him to Pignerol to crave pardon for all the rest for taking arms in their own defence without his authority These he entertained lovingly forgiving all that was past during the warre And having been informed that all their children were born with black throats with foure rows of teeth and all hairy he caused some of them to be brought to him and seeing them fair and perfect creatures he was much displeased with himself for beleeving so easily the reports which were brought to him against them giving command that none should hereafter molest them but that they should enjoy all the priviledges which they rest of his subjects in Piedmont did Notwithstanding which the Monks Inquisitors daily sent out processe against them lay in wait for them and as they could aprehend any of them delievered them over to the secular power This Persecution lasted to Anno. 1532. at which time the Waldenses ordered that there exercises of religion should be performed no more in covert as formerly they had been but in publick that every one might know them and that their Pastors should preach the Gospell openly not fearing any persecution that might happen unto them The prince being advertised hereof was highly offended with them and thereupon caused one of his Commanders to hast with his Troops into the said Vallies which was performed with such diligence that he was entred with five hundred horse and Foot before they were aware ransacking plundering and wasting all before them Then did the Waldenses leave their ploughs putting themselves into passes and with their slings charged their enemies with such multitudes of stones that they were constraned to flie and to abandon their prey many remaining dead upon the ground This news was presently carried to the Prince and withall he was told that these people were not to
into quarters and gobbets eighteen Scottish infants they hanged upon a clothiers tenterhooks One fat man they murthered and made Candles of his grease of another Scottish man they ript up his belly took one end of his small guts tied it to a tree and forced him round about it till he had drawn them all out of his body saying that they would try whether a dogs or a Scotchmans guts were the longer By the command of Sir Philem O Neale Master James Maxwell was drawn out of his bed being fick of a Feavor and murthered and his wife being in child-birth the child half borne they stript her stark naked drove her about a flights shoot and drowned her in the Blackwater the like or worse they did to another English woman in the same town They took one Master Watson and cutting two collops out of his buttocks they roasted him alive Of a Scottish woman great with child they ript up her belly cut the child out of her womb and so left it crawling on her body Master Starkey Schoolmaster at Armagh being above one hundred years old they stripped stark naked then took two of his daughters being Virgins whom they stripped stark naked also and then forced them to lead their aged father under the armes a quarter of a mile to a turspit where they drowned them all three feeding the lusts of their eyes and cruelty of their hearts with the same object at the same time In some places they shewed the like cruelty to the English beasts which they would not kill out-right but used to cut collops out of them delighting to hear their roaring and so the poor cattel would sometimes live two or three dayes in that torment To one Henry Cowel a gallant Gentleman they profered his life if he would marry one of their base Truls or go to masse but he chose death rather than to consent to either Also to one Robeâ—t Ecklin a child about eleven years old they profered his life if he would go to Masse but he refused saying That he saw nothing in their Religion for which he would change his own Many of the Protestants they buried alive solacing themselves in hearing them speak to them whilst they were digging down old ditches upon them They used also to send their children abroad in troops armed with long wattles and whips wherewith they used to beat dead mens bodies about their privy members till they beat them off and then would return very joyful to their Parents who received them as it were in triumph for their good actions If any women were found dead lying with their faces downwards these bruitish persons used to turn them on their â—acks viewing and censuring every part of them especially those parts that are not fit to be named which also they abused so many ways and so filthily as chast ears would not endure the naming rhereof They brake the back-bone of a young youth and so left him in the fields and some dayes after he was found having like a beast eaten all the grasse round about him yet neither then would they kill him out-right but removed him to a place of better pasture wherein was fulfilled that saying The tender mercies of the wicked are cruelty In the County of Antrim they murthered nine hundred fifty four Protestants in one morning and afterwards about twelve hundred more in that County Near Lisnegarvy they forced above twenty four Protestants into an house and then setting fire on it they burned them all counterfeiting their out-cries in derision to others Sir Philem O Neal boasted that he had slain above six hundred at Garvagh and that he had left neither man woman nor child alive in the Baronry of Munterlong In other places he murthered above two thousand persons in their houses so that many houses were filled with dead bodies Above twelve thousand were slain in the high ways as they fled towards Down Many died of famine many were starved to death for want of clothes being stript of all in a cold season Some thousands were drowned So that in the very Province of Ulster there were about one hundred and fifty thousand murthered by sundry kinds of torments and deaths These bloody Persecutors themselves confessed that the Ghosts of divers of the Protestants which they had drowned at Portendown Bridge were daily and nightly seen to walk upon the river sometimes singing of Psalms sometimes brandishing naked swords sometimes screeching in a most hideous and fearful manner so that many of the Popish Irish which dwelt near thereabouts being affrighted herewith were forced to remove their habitations further off into the Countrey The Popish English were no whit inferiour yea rather exceeded the natural Irish in their cruelty against the Protestants that lived amongst them within the pale being never satisfied with their blood till they had seen the last drop thereof Anne Kinnard testified that fifteen Protestants being imprisoned and their feet in the Stocks a Popish boy being not above fourteen years old slew them all in one night with his skeine Another not above twelve years old killed two women in another place An English Papist woman killed seven men and women of her neighbours in one morning And it was usual for the Papists children to murder the Protestants children and sometimes with their woodden Swords sharp and heavy they would venture upon people of riper years An English woman who was newly delivered of two children some of these villains violently compelled her in her great pain and sicknesse to rise from her bed and took one of the infants that was living and dashed his brains against the stones and then threw him into the River of the Barrow the like they did by many other infants Many others they hanged without all pity The Lord Mont Garret caused divers English Souldiers that he had taken about Kilkenny to be hanged hardly suffering them to pray before their death they dyed very patiently and resolutely in the defence of the Protestant faith and one of them being an Irish man had his life offered if he would turn Papist but he rather chose to dye and so was executed with the rest Some of these Persecutors meeting a poor young Girle that was going to see her friends they first half-hanged her and then buried her quick One Fitz Patrick enticed a rich Merchant that was a Protestant to bring all his goods into his house promising safely to keep them and to redeliver them to him But when he had thus gotten them into his possession he took the Merchant and his Wife and hanged them both the like he did by divers others Some English mens heads that they had cut off they carried to Kilkenny and on the market day set them on the Crosse where many especially the women stab'd cut and slashed them every one accounting themselves happy that could but get a