Victorian Books, The Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers, The Life of Margaret Clitherow by John Mush Chapter 20

OF HER MARTYRDOM.

Six days before her death her husband was set at liberty, and commanded by the Council to depart the city for five days, whereby the martyr and all others first gathered that they intended indeed to suck her blood. From her first coming to the bridge she put off her smock, and never wore any after during her life. Her diet was a water pottage, rye bread, and small ale, which she took but once a day, and that in little quantity. And from the day that the sheriffs gave her certain intelligence of her death (which was Tuesday at night), she took no food at all.

Being in a parlour with Yoward and his wife the night before she suffered, she said to Yoward's wife, "I would gladly have one of the maids to bear me company this night, not for any fear of death, for it is my comfort, but the flesh is frail." The woman said, "Alas! Mrs. Clitherow, the gaoler is gone, the door is locked, and none can be had. Then the said Yoward's wife, being ready to go to bed, clasped again her clothes, and sitting beside the martyr almost till midnight, after went to bed. At twelve of the clock she saw the martyr rise from her knees, and put off all her apparel, putting on a linen habit like to an alb, which she had made with her own hands three days before to suffer martyrdom in. Then she kneeled down again, without anything upon her saving that linen cloth, from twelve of the clock until three, at which time she arose and came to the fireside. There she laid her down flat upon the stones one quarter of an hour. After that she arose and went to her bed, covering herself with clothes, and so continued until six in the morning. Then she arose and put on her apparel, and made her ready against the sheriffs' coming.

She desired Yoward's wife to see her die, and wished her that some good Catholics were by, in her last agony and pangs of death, to put her in remembrance of God. Yoward's wife said she would not see her die so cruel a death for all York; "but," quoth she, "I will procure some friends to lay weight on you that you may be quickly despatched from your pain." The martyr said, "No, good Mrs. Yoward, not so. God defend that I should procure any to be guilty of my death and blood."

About eight of the clock the sheriffs came to her, and she being ready expecting them, having trimmed up her head with new inkle¹, and carrying on her arm the new habit of linen with inkle strings, which she had prepared to bind her hands, went cheerfully to her marriage, as she called it; dealing her alms in the street, which was so full of people that she could scarce pass by them. She went barefoot and barelegged, her gown loose about her. Fawcet, the sheriff, made haste and said, "Come away, Mrs. Clitherow." The martyr answered merrily, "Good Master Sheriff, let me deal my poor alms before I now go, for my time is but short." They marvelled all to see her joyful countenance.

Note 1. Inkle, inferior tape. Halliwell."

The place of execution was the tollbooth [on Ouse Bridge, York], six or seven yards distant from the prison. There were present at her [Margaret Clitherow née Middleton (age 30)] martyrdom the two sheriffs of York, Fawcet and Gibson, Frost, a minister. Fox, Mr. Cheeke's kinsman, with another of his men, the four sergeants, which had hired certain beggars to do the murther, three or four men, and four women.

The coming to the place, kneeled her down, and prayed to herself. The tormentors bade her pray with them, and they would pray with her. The martyr denied, and said, "I will not pray with you, and you shall not pray with me; neither will I say Amen to your prayers, nor shall you to mine." Then they willed her to pray for the Queen's majesty. The martyr began in this order. First, in the hearing of them all, she prayed for the Catholic Church, then for the Pope's Holiness, Cardinals, and other Fathers which have charge of souls, and then for all Christian princes. At which words the tormentors interrupted her, and willed her not to put her majesty among that company; yet the martyr proceeded in this order, "and especially for Elizabeth, Queen of England, that God turn her to the Catholic faith, and that after this mortal life she may receive the blessed joys of heaven. For I wish as much good," quoth she, "to her majesty's soul as to mine own." Sheriff Gibson, abhorring the cruel fact, stood weeping at the door. Then said Fawcet, "Mrs. Clitherow, you must remember and confess that you die for treason." The martyr answered, "No, no, Mr. Sheriff, I die for the love of m.y Lord Jesu; ' which last words she spake with a loud voice.

Then Fawcet commanded her to put off her apparel; "For you must die," said he, "naked, as judgment was given and pronounced against you."

The martyr with the other women requested him on their knees that she might die in her smock, and that for the honour of womanhood they would not see her naked; but that would not be granted. Then she requested that women might unapparel her, and that they would turn their faces from her for that time.

The women took off her clothes, and put upon her the long habit of linen. Then very quietly she laid her down upon the ground, her face covered with a handkerchief, the linen habit being placed over her as far as it would reach, all the rest of her body being naked. The door was laid upon her, her hands she joined towards her face. Then the sheriff said, "Nay, you must have your hands bound." The martyr put forth her hands over the door still joined. Then two sergeants parted them. and with the inkle strings, which she had prepared for that purpose bound them to two posts, so that her body and her arms made a perfect cross. They willed her again to ask the Queen's Majesty's forgiveness, and to pray for her. The martyr said she had prayed for her. They also willed her to ask her husband's forgiveness. The martyr said, "If ever I have offended him, but for my conscience, I ask him forgiveness."

After this they laid weight upon her, which when she first felt, she said, "Jesu! Jesu! Jesu! have mercy upon me!" which were the last words she was heard to speak.

She was in dying one quarter of an hour. A sharp stone, as much as a man's fist, put under her back; upon her was laid to the quantity of seven or eight hundredweight at the least, which, breaking her ribs, caused them to burst forth of the skin.

Thus most victoriously this gracious martyr overcame all her enemies, passing [from] this mortal life with marvellous triumph into the peaceable city of God, there to receive a worthy crown of endless immortality and joy.

This was at nine of the clock, and she continued in the press until three at afternoon. Her hat before she died she sent to her husband, in sign of her loving duty to him as to her head. Her hose and shoes to her eldest daughter, Anne, about twelve years old, signifying that she should serve God and follow her steps of virtue.

The little girl was at the first committed to ward because she would not betray her mother, and there extremely used for that she would not go to the church; but when her mother was martyred, the heretics came up to her and said, that unless she would go to the church and hear a sermon, her mother should be put to death. The child, thereby thinking to save her mother's life, went to a sermon, and thus they deceived her.