Concerning the death of this pious man, a certain author gives the following account from John Fox: “Having received this commission and full power from the King, against William Swinderby, the bishop doubtless did his very best to procure his arrest without delay; however, he did not immediately proceed with the execution of death against him, but kept him in prison for a long time. At last, A. D. 1401, he was burnt alive in Smithfield, at London.” Second book of the _Hist. of the Persecutions, fol. 505, col. 2_, from _John Fox, Hist. Angl., page 438_, also, _page 436_.
Again, _A. Mellinus, page 515, col. 4_: “Baleus also accords with this, saying that William Swinderby, after his recantation, was strengthened in the confession of the divine truth, and was finally, A. D. 1401, burnt alive, in the sight of a great number of people, in Smithfield, at London.” _Bal. Cent. 6, Script. Britt., in Append. ad Jo. 1, Horesb, page 493_.
NOTE.--_A. D. 1405_, John Wenschelberg now wrote against the superstition in popery, and also against the deception practiced by the priests. Among other things he related of a Bohemian priest, who had colored the host of the Sacrament (of the altar) with his own blood, and had persuaded the people, that the blood had of its own accord mingled with the bread. “These are,” he said, “the lying signs and false miracles of antichrist.” But what happened to him on this account, from the papists, we have not found in the old writers. Compare _Joh. Munst., fol. 181_, with _Chron. van den Ondergang, page 758, col. 1_.
WILLIAM THORPE PUT TO DEATH AND BURNT FOR THE FAITH, AT SALTWODEN, IN ENGLAND, A. D. 1407.
Now, when the abomination of desolation, through the papists, began to exalt itself more and more over the true faith, it occurred, about A. D. 1397, that a godfearing, pious man, named William Thorpe, formerly a priest, was sorely persecuted for the truth of the Gospel, particularly for his belief against the sacrament of the altar, image worship, pilgrimages, the power of the priests, the swearing of oaths, etc.
Of these articles of his accusation, especially of his belief against the swearing of oaths, and what is alleged against it by opponents, we have already given an explanation in the presentation of his faith.
However, notwithstanding that he was already imprisoned, upon the intercession of some well-disposed persons, and through the fact that the archbishop of Canterbury, who had apprehended him, had fallen into disfavor with the King, he was released after the first persecution. But since this pious witness of God did not cease to preach against the Roman church, particularly against the swearing of oaths, (as divers old writers note), he was eventually, about A. D. 1407, apprehended at Salopia, brought from there to Canterbury, and ultimately imprisoned in the castle of Saltwoden; where the archbishop and the prelates beset him very hard, in order to draw him from his faith.
In the meantime, a number of disorderly persons having crowded into the prison, some demanded that he should immediately be burnt; others, that he should forthwith be thrown into the sea, which was near by, and drowned. In this dreadful uproar, a priest from their midst fell upon his knees before the archbishop, entreating him, that he might do his utmost for this William Thorpe, to convert him, by the reading of his matins or morning prayers, which he should perform for him, saying: “I venture to promise that after three days he will change so remarkably, that he will not refuse to do anything for the archbishop.”
But the archbishop, filled with anger, raged on with undiminished fury, threatening the martyr, that he would see to it, that he should get his deserts. Thereupon, this pious witness of Jesus, as he refused to apostatize, was most cruelly maltreated in the prison, in the castle of Saltwoden. Some hold that he was burnt soon after that severe examination, in the month of August of said year 1407. See _Vignier, A. D. 1407_, from _Guil. Tindal_; but Baleus is of the former opinion. _Cent. 7, Script. Britt., cap. 42, in Guil. Thorp., page 538_.