Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-05-04
NJ A Y A, 1876 4.

houses, some OF them with turretS, towers, and
ehimney-tops; not so much for use or profit, as
ior show or pleasure" On the return Of Spring
the Londoners loved to ramble amid the rural
scenes of Islington, and to drink the balny
oreezes which in those days swept over the town
from the Highgate and Hampstead hills without
interruption In the month Of May, many
hght-heartsd group of citizens might be seen
bending their course towards that rural village
to gather branches of trees and flowers from their
own little gardens at home for such places as
Gos'oeH Street had, in those days, its alleys,
banqueting- houses and bowling greens, with lit
tie gardens attached to the house. And on May
day, the richly-garnished May-pole was duly
erected on the green grass at Islington, where
the youths and maidens gathered around it, to
celebrate their ancient festivities.
But it was for different purpose that the
company before spoken of had assembled in that
back close. They were sitting there together,
for prayer, and solemnly occupied in meditation.
They were earnest souls recently delivered from
the bondage of Popery--a band of worshipers
tired of the idolatrv and formalisrn Of the Po-
pish Church, and convinced that they who wor-
ship the father must worship Him in spirit and
in truth--a band of inquirers weary of the men
tai slavery ofRomanism, and thirsting for full
acquaintance with the Book that God had given
them but which the rulers had hitherto with
held from the people on pain of the most severe
punishment. The parties who met in the woods
at lslington to feed upon the truth, assembled
there from necessity, not from choice; they were
under the ban of persecution. Their faith ex-
posed them to the charge of heresy, and their
worship to the charge Of schism. So numerous
had been the recent examples of burning
people to death for such reputed crimes, that
they wero well aware of the peril they in
Cured and yet they dared to meet it, fearing
God rather than man.
John Rough, formerly one of the black friars
ofStirling, Scotland, and the friend of the young
John Knox, used frequently to preach to these
isolated congregations, Of which there were many
besides this one at Islington. Rough had been
preaching at the Saracen's Head at Islington to
a congregation assembled there on Sabbath
morning in December, when he was apprehend
ed; here on this spot he had seen four Protes-
tant martyrs burnt and here, he said, he had
learned the way to die When the guards ap-
peared, they seized him and another, and led
them away to the council, and at length he was
condemned to death. Stand constant to the
end," said he to his flock, and then ye shall
possess your souls. Salute one another in my
name Ego before. The spirit of God guide
you in and out, rising and sitting, cover you
with the shadow of his wing defend you against
the tyranny of the wicked, and bring you hap
PLY to the port of eternal felicity, where all
tears shall be wiped from your eyes, and you
shall always abide with the Lamb On the
21st OF December he was burnt at SnlithGeld.
Now let us turn to the forty pious persons
whom we left in a close in Islington, engaged in
their religious exercises. They had not been
there long when the sound of footsteps startled
them, and a suspicious looking person accosted
them with {" good morning" " Can you tell
u.s. asked one of the company, "whosc close
is this, and whether we may be so bold as to sit
here =" - 'Yes,' replied he, lyon seem to be
such persons as mean no HARM" and immedl-
ately he left them, with hearts palpitatng be-
tween hope and fear. In a quarter of an hour
afterwards, constable made his appearance
with six or seven armed men. The officer ad-
yances into the circle of these inofensive people,
and demands their books, which they forthwith
deliver to him; then he arrests them in the
Queen 3 name as his prisoners. They meekly
reply, " We are obedient, and ready to go with
you" Immediately they are conducted to a
brew house not far off, and messenger is des-
patched for neighboring justice, but he not
being within, they are taken to Sir Roger Chom-
ly, one OF the Queens Commissioners and a
Judge. Ttcenty-serea are arraigned before him,
the rest having happily escaped on their way
Out of this twenty-seven, twenty-five were sent
to Newgate to await their trial.
About seven weeks passed before any Of them
were released from their suferings by the hand
of death. Of the remaining twenty-one, seven
escaped with their lives, and some of these not
without cruel scourging In an old wood cut
of Fox's Book of Martyrs is the representation
of some of these worthy persons being cruelty
tortured by Bishop Bonners orders in his gar
dens at Fulham. At this place he kept several
accused persons locked up in his coal-house, an
til it suited his pleasure to condemn them to be
tortured by burning and scourging.
On the 18th of June, Bishop Bonner held his
Ecclesiastical Court, at which seven of lsling-
ton prisoners were arraigned before him; be-
ing charged with neglecting to go to church,
to attend mass and other religious rites and GER
emonies, and had used King Edwards Book of
Common Prayer, and had gone in the time OF
Divine service, into the fields and other profane
places to read English psalms, and certain En-
glish books. To these charges they plead guilty
They were examined separately, and required to
reconcile themselves to the Romish church, but
which they all refused to do, and were suose-
ouently consigned over to the civil magistrate
to be executed at the stake. One OF these mar
tyrs was Roger Holland a merchant tailor OF
London. Before his apprehension at lslington'
he had his first-born child christened in his own
house, that the priest should not have it. For
this crime his goods were seized and confiscated
and his wife cruelty used. The examination at
the trial of this remarkable man is deeply in
teresting. His Professionalism was as intelligent
as il was firm, and he proved himself theolog-
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