Another martyr of Flower’s kidney was William Gardiner, who was living at Lisbon in 1552 as agent of an English mercantile house.

Foxe describes his exploits and the consequences thereof as “The history, no less lamentable than notable, of William Gardiner, an Englishman suffering most constantly in Portugal for the testimony of Gods truth.”  Gardiner’s admiring biographer relates that his hero twice entered a church (probably Lisbon Cathedral) with intent to do some notable thing in the king’s sight and presence.  The first time was on the occasion of a royal marriage, but the throng was so great that he could not get near the altar.  However, on the following Sunday, “the said William was present early in the morning, very cleanly apparelled, even of purpose, that he might stand near the altar without repulse.  Within a while cometh the king with all his nobles.  Then Gardiner setteth himself as near the altar as he might, having a Testament in his hand, which he diligently read upon and prayed, until the time was come that he had appointed to work his feat.”  This time was just before the Communion of the priest, who was the Cardinal Archbishop of Lisbon.  Gardiner sprang forward, snatched the consecrated Host from his hand, trod it underfoot, and overturned the chalice.  The first effect of this outrage was to strike the clergy and congregation dumb with amazement, horror, and consternation.  In Foxe’s words, “this matter at first made them all abashed.”  But on recovering their senses, the people gave vent to their indignation in shouts and cries of vengeance.  A dagger was drawn, and Gardiner was wounded in the shoulder.  The man who struck him was about to deal another blow, when he was prevented by the king himself.  Gardiner thereupon, being in the hands of the guards, impudently harangued the people, and told them that “if he had done anything which were displeasant unto them, they ought to impute it unto no man but unto themselves, who so irreverently used the Holy Supper of the Lord unto so great idolatry, not without great ignominy unto the church, violation of the sacrament, and the peril of their own souls, except they repented.”

The Portuguese, entirely inexperienced in this kind of fanaticism, thought that Gardiner must be a political agent, with designs on the safety of the realm.  As he would confess nothing of this sort, they put him on the rack, in order to extract from him secrets of a seditious nature.  At length, as it was clear that heresy and sacrilege were the crimes in which he exulted, they burned him as a heretic, he maintaining, according to Foxe, his “godly mind” to the end, declaring even in the flames that “he had done nothing whereof he did repent him."*

Acts and Monuments, vi. 277; Cattley’s ed.

Foxe incidently bears witness to the edifying manner in which the Portuguese assisted at Mass, the people standing “with great devotion and silence, praying, looking, kneeling, and knocking [beating their breasts in token of compunction], their minds being fully bent and set, as it is the manner, upon the external sacrament."*