* Ibid.

The story of Bertrand Le Blas, the silk-weaver of Dornick who signalised himself in the same riotous manner in 1555, is said to have ended in the same way, Le Blas declaring “that if it were a thousand times to be done he would do it; and if he had a thousand lives he would give them all in that quarrel."*

* Acts and Monuments, vi. 393.

But these are all ex pane statements of Foxe.  He is thinking of nothing but of pointing his own particular moral and of adorning his own tale.  Historically, his evidence is valueless unless supported by more careful witnesses.  He professes to chronicle the martyrdom at Newent, on the 25th September 1556, of “John Horne and a woman”; but Deighton, a friendly critic, pointed out that this story was nothing more or less than an amplification of the burning of Edward Horne, which Foxe had already recorded as having taken place on the 25th September 1558, and that no woman suffered at either of these times.  Such instances might be pointed out ad infinitum.

The detestation in which most Englishmen hold the names of Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and of Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London, is entirely owing to Foxe’s calumnies.

Although Gardiner had been deprived of his see for his belief in Transubstantiation in Edward’s reign, and had been sent to the Tower by a court presided over by Cranmer, it is certain that he bore the archbishop no ill-will, but even did his best to save Cranmer’s life and that of the other reformers who refused to conform to the old religion which Mary had brought back.  It was his duty as chancellor to enforce the law of the land, in the matter of exterminating heresy, as in all else, but he only once sat on a commission, gave Cranmer ample opportunity to escape if he had so minded, furnished Peter Martyr with funds to take him abroad, shielded Thomas Smith, King Edward’s secretary, from persecution on account of his heretical opinions, and even allowed him a yearly pension of 100 pounds for his support.* Of Gardiner’s kindness to Roger Ascham, the latter said, “Stephen, Bishop of Winchester, High Chancellor of England, treated me with the utmost humanity and favour, so that I cannot easily decide whether Paget was more ready to commend me or Winchester to protect and benefit me; there were not wanting some, who, on the ground of religion, attempted to stop the flow of his benevolence towards me, but to no purpose.  I owe very much to the humanity of Winchester, and not only I, but many others also have experienced his kindness."**

* Dictionary of National Biography, article, “Stephen Gardiner.”

** Epis. p. 51; Oxford ed., 1703.

One of the “many others” was John Frith, whom Gardiner did his best to save from a painful death;* and even Northumberland would have escaped had Gardiner’s voice prevailed in the council.  Again, Gardiner’s patriotism prompted him to oppose boldly the project of the queen’s marriage with Philip of Spain, seeing that it was distasteful to the bulk of the nation; yet, when he recognised that it was inevitable, he did his best to make it more popular.