Sam monologue (Act 3) — Betsey Bobbett: A Drama

The first martyr in Queen Mary’s reign. Here children let me take off your things. But I have got sights and sights of work to do to-day, and I have got to go up into the wood-house chamber to do some work, and you will have to stay here with the twins till I come back. Here is a picture book they may take to recreate on while I am gone. It is Foxe’s book of martyrs; and oh what a comfort that book is to me on days like this. Anybody may say they are patient and unselfish, and are willing to be martyrs; but I tell you you can’t tell what principles folks are made of till they are sot fire to. Now the religion and self-denial and sound principles of them old martyrs of Foxes, they couldn’t burn up, they couldn’t make a fire hot enough. And when I am tied to different stakes of martyrdom, I tell you it keeps my mind cool and calm, to think of the patience of them old martyrs of Foxes, and compare my sufferin’s with thiern, and meditate on this fact, that fire hain’t no hotter now than it was then, and though the soul may boy the body up triumphant, there couldn’t be any body burnt up without smartin’. Yes, I will keep the twins, and I will hear your blank verses; I will be down shortly.