Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
give up his office. He was arrested by the queen's order, and when Mr. Mildmay wondered
that so learned a man could wilfully incur danger, and speak against so good a princess as
Mary, the doctor replied, "If I would do as Mr. Mildmay has done, I need not fear bonds. He
came down armed against Queen Mary; before a traitor-now a great friend. I cannot with one
mouth blow hot and cold in this manner." A general plunder of Dr. Sands' property ensued,
and he was brought to London upon a wretched horse. Various insults he met on the way from
the bigoted Catholics, and as he passed through Bishopsgate-street, a stone struck him to the
ground. He was the first prisoner that entered the Tower, in that day, on a religious account;
his man was admitted with his Bible, but his shirts and other articles were taken from him.
On Mary's coronation day the doors of the dungeon were so laxly guarded that it was easy
to escape. A Mr. Mitchell, like a true friend, came to him, afforded him his own clothes as a
disguise, and was willing to abide the consequence of being found in his place. This was a
rare friendship: but he refused the offer; saying, "I know no cause why I should be in prison.
To do thus were to make myself guilty. I will expect God's good will, yet do I think myself
much obliged to you"; and so Mr. Mitchell departed.
With Doctor Sands was imprisoned Mr. Bradford; they were kept close in prison twentynine
weeks. John Fowler, their keeper, was a perverse papist, yet, by often persuading him, at
length he began to favour the Gospel, and was so persuaded in the true religion, that on a
Sunday, when they had Mass in the chapel, Dr. Sands administered the Communion to
Bradford and to Fowler. Thus Fowler was their son begotten in bonds. To make room for
Wyat and his accomplices, Dr. Sands and nine other preachers were sent to the Marshalsea.
The keeper of the Marshalsea appointed to every preacher a man to lead him in the street;
he caused them to go on before, and he and Dr. Sands followed conversing together. By this
time popery began to be unsavory. After they had passed the bridge, the keeper said to Dr.
Sands: "I perceive the vain people would set you forward to the fire. You are as vain as they,
if you, being a young man, will stand in your own conceit, and prefer your own judgment
before that of so many worthy prelates, ancient, learned, and grave men as be in this realm. If
you do so, you shall find me a severe keeper, and one that utterly dislikes your religion." Dr.
Sands answered, "I know my years to be young, and my learning but small; it is enough to
know Christ crucified, and he hath learned nothing who seeth not the great blasphemy that is
in popery. I will yield unto God, and not unto man; I have read in the Scriptures of many
godly and courteous keepers: may God make you one! if not, I trust He will give me strength
and patience to bear your hard usage." Then said the keeper, "Are you resolved to stand to
your religion?" "Yes," quoth the doctor, "by God's grace!" "Truly," said the keeper, "I love
you the better for it; I did but tempt you: what favour I can show you, you shall be assured of;
and I shall think myself happy if I might die at the stake with you."
He was as good as his word, for he trusted the doctor to walk in the fields alone, where
he met with Mr. Bradford, who was also a prisoner in the King's Bench, and had found the
same favour from his keeper. At his request, he put Mr. Saunders in along with him, to be his
bedfellow, and the Communion was administered to a great number of communicants.
When Wyat with his army came to Southwark, he offered to liberate all the imprisoned
Protestants, but Dr. Sands and the rest of the preachers refused to accept freedom on such
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