Who were Burton Bastwick and Prynne?

Answer 1

Burton, Bastwick and Prynne were sentenced to having their ears removed after spreading rumours that Archbishop William Laud (Head of the Protestant Church during the reign of Charles 1st) was a secret Catholic.

They were all Puritans and Prynne quoted that 'had he a thousand lives, he would give them all up for this cause' which showed how much he believed in what he was telling everyone.

Charles had the choice of executing them, imprisoning them or cutting off their ears. He cut off their ears so that they 'could hear no more bad things'. Unfortunately, this didn't help William Laud as others began spreading rumours that Laud was in fact a cannibal and had eaten the ears of Burton, Bastwick and Prynne.