A.D.

1555.

Mary. money as they paid to me and to the chapter for their leases and years, so now taken from them. Which thing concerning the fines paid to me, may be easily done, if it shall please your majesty to cominand some portion of those goods which I left in my house when I fled in hope of pardon for my trespass towards your grace, which goods (as I have heard) be yet reserved in the same house. I suppose that half of the value of my plate which I left in mine offices, and specially in an iron chest in my bed chamber, will go nigh to restore all such fines received, the true sums and parcels whereof are not set in their leases; and therefore, if that way shall please your highness, they must be known by such ways and means as your majesty, by the advice of men of wisdom and conscience, shall appoint: but yet, for Christ's sake, I crave and most humbly beseech your majesty, of your most gracious pity and mercy, that the former way may take place.

See

Appendix.

Ridley

notorious

charged.

I have also a poor sister that came to me out of the north, with three fatherless children, for her relief, whom I married after to a servant of mine own house she is put out of that I did provide for them.' I beseech your honourable grace, that her case may be mercifully considered, and that the rather, in contemplation that I never had of him, which suffered in durance at my entrance into the see of London, not one penny of his movable goods; for it was almost half a year after his deposition, afore I did enter into that place: yea and also, if any were left, known to be his, he had license to carry it away, or there for his use it did lie safe, as his officers do know. I paid for the lead which I found there, when I occupied any of it to the behoof of the church, or of the house. And moreover, I had not only no part of his movable goods, but also (as his old receiver, and then mine, called master Staunton, can testify) I paid for him towards his servants' common liveries and wages, after his deposition, fifty-three or fifty-five pounds, I cannot tell whether. In all these matters I beseech your honourable majesty to hear the advice of men of conscience, and in especial the archbishop now of York, which for that he was continually in my house a year and more before mine imprisonment, I suppose he is not altogether ignorant of some part of these things; and also his grace doth know my sister, for whose succonr and some relief now unto your highness I make most humble suit. The 16th of October, anno 1555.

Nicholas Ridley.

This degradation being past, and all things finished, Dr. Brooks called the bailiffs, delivering to them master Ridley with this charge, to keep him safely from any man speaking with him, and that he should be brought to the place of execution when they were commanded. Then master Ridley in praising God, brast out with these words, and said, "God, I thank thee, and to thy praise be it spoken, could not there is none of you all able to lay to my charge any open or notowith any rious crime: for if you could, it should surely be laid in my lap, I crime be see very well." Whereunto Brooks said, he played the part of a proud Pharisee, exalting and praising himself. But master Ridley said, "No, no, no, as I have said before, to God's glory be it spoken. I confess myself to be a miserable wretched sinner, and have great need of God's help and mercy, and do daily call and cry for the same therefore, I pray you, have no such opinion of me. Then they departed, and in going away a certain warden of a college, of whose name I am not very sure,3 bade Dr. Ridley repent him, and forsake that erroneous opinion. Whereunto master Ridley said, "Sir, repent you, for you are out of the truth. And I pray God (if it be his blessed will) have mercy upon you, and grant you the understanding of his word." Then the warden, being in a chafe

(1) If to succour the widow and fatherless, is pure and undefiled religion, as St. James saith, then are Bonner and his religion filthy and abominable, which do such wrong to the widow and fatherless. (2) Notwithstanding these goodly and just requests, no justice could be had, until that now, of late, some of these shameful injuries by order of law have been redressed.

(3) "One master Warner, as I remember." Edit. 1563, p. 1376.-ED.

thereat, said, "I trust that I shall never be of your erroneous and Mary. devilish opinion, neither yet to be in that place whither you shall go. A. D. He is," saith he, "the most obstinate and wilful man that ever I 1555. heard talk since I was born."

THE BEHAVIOUR OF DR. RIDLEY AT HIS SUPPER, THE NIGHT

66

BEFORE HIS SUFFERING.

biddeth

guests to

riage.

The night before he suffered, his beard was washed and his legs; Ridley and, as he sat at supper, the same night at master Irish's (who was his keeper), he bade his hostess, and the rest at the board, to his his marmarriage; for," said he, " to-morrow I must be married:" and so showed himself to be as merry as ever he was at any time before. Mrs. And wishing his sister at his marriage, he asked his brother sitting at great the table, whether she could find in her heart to be there or no. he answered, "Yea, I dare say, with all her heart:" at which word weepeth he said, he was glad to hear of her so much therein. So at this talk Ridley. mistress Irish wept.

Irish, a

And papist be

But master Ridley comforted her, and said, "O Mrs. Irish, you love me not now, I see well enough; for in that you weep, it doth appear you will not be at my marriage, neither are content therewith. Indeed you be not so much my friend, as I thought you had been. But quiet yourself: though my breakfast shall be somewhat sharp and painful, yet I am sure my supper shall be more pleasant and sweet," etc.

fore,

for Dr.

without

When they arose from the table, his brother offered him to watch Ridley all night with him. But he said, "No, no, that you shall not. For care at his I mind (God willing) to go to bed, and to sleep as quietly to-night, death. as ever I did in my life." So his brother departed, exhorting him to be of good cheer, and to take his cross quietly, for the reward was great, etc.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF DR. RIDLEY AND MASTER LATIMER, AT
THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH, WHICH WAS THE 16TH

1

OF OCTOBER, 1555.

Upon the north-side of the town, in the ditch over against Balliolcollege, the place of execution was appointed: and for fear of any tumult that might arise, to let the burning of them, the lord Williams was commanded, by the queen's letters, and the householders of the city, to be there assistant, sufficiently appointed. And when every thing was in a readiness, the prisoners were brought forth by the mayor and the bailiffs.

See

Master Ridley had a fair black gown furred, and faced with foins, Appendia such as he was wont to wear being bishop, and a tippet of velvet furred2 likewise about his neck, a velvet night-cap upon his head, and a corner cap upon the same, going in a pair of slippers to the stake, and going between the mayor and an alderman, etc.

After him came master Latimer in a poor Bristol frieze frock all

(1) "Balliol College." A correspondent in the Christian Observer for June 1838, (p. 354) after referring to a previous communication in the number for September 1837, tending to confirm the accuracy of Foxe's history, states that, "not many weeks since, some workmen, who were employed in making a drain in Broad-street, opposite the door of the master of Balliol's lodgings, found, at the depth of about three feet from the present surface, such a quantity of ashes and burnt sticks, as plainly indicated that they had discovered the spot on which the martyrs suffered."-ED. (2) With a tippet of sables nothing undressed:" Edit. 1563.-ED.

A.D. 1555.

Mary. worn, with his buttoned cap, and a kerchief on his head, all ready to the fire, a new long shroud hanging over his hose, down to the feet: which at the first sight stirred men's hearts to rue upon them, beholding on the one side, the honour they sometime had, and on the other, the calamity whereunto they were fallen.

Ridley

mer

together

to the

stake.

Beha

Ridley

Master doctor Ridley, as he passed toward Bocardo, looked up and Lati- where master Cranmer did lie, hoping belike to have seen him at the brought glass-window, and to have spoken unto him. But then master Cranmer was busy with friar Soto and his fellows, disputing together, so that he could not see him, through that occasion. Then master Ridley, looking back, espied master Latimer coming after, unto whom viour of he said, "Oh, be ye there?" "Yea," said master Latimer, "have and Lati- after as fast as I can follow." So he, following a pretty way off, at the stake. length they came both to the stake, the one after the other, where first Dr. Ridley entering the place, marvellous earnestly holding up both his hands, looked towards heaven. Then shortly after espying master Latimer, with a wonderous cheerful look he ran to him, embraced, and kissed him; and, as they that stood near reported, comforted him, saying, "Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide it."

mer at

Dr. Smith

of Ridley

mer.

raileth

With that went he to the stake, kneeled down by it, kissed it, and most effectuously prayed, and behind him master Latimer kneeled, as earnestly calling upon God as he. After they arose, the one talked with the other a little while, till they which were appointed to see the execution, removed themselves out of the sun. What they said I can learn of no man.

Then Dr. Smith, of whose recantation in king Edward's time ye preaching heard before, began his sermon to them upon this text of St. Paul, burning "If I yield my body to the fire to be burnt, and have not charity, and Lati- I shall gain nothing thereby." Wherein he alleged that the goodness of the cause, and not the order of death, maketh the holiness of the person; which he confirmed by the examples of Judas, and of a woman in Oxford that of late hanged herself, for that they, and such like as he recited, might then be adjudged righteous, which desperately sundered their lives from their bodies, as he feared that those Dr. Smith men that stood before him would do. But he cried still to the against people to beware of them, for they were heretics, and died out of the mar- the church. And on the other side, he declared their diversity in opinions, as Lutherans, Ecolampadians, Zuinglians, of which sect they were, he said, and that was the worst: but the old church of Christ, and the catholic faith believed far otherwise. At which place they lifted up both their hands and eyes to heaven, as it were calling God to witness of the truth: the which countenance they made in opinions. many other places of his sermon, where as they thought he spake amiss. He ended with a very short exhortation to them to recant, and come home again to the church, and save their lives and souls, which else were condemned. His sermon was scant; in all, a quarter of an hour.

tyrs.

Christ's

congrega

tion bur

dened with diversity of

Dr. Ridley said to master Latimer," Will you begin to answer the sermon, or shall I?" Master Latimer said, "Begin you first, I pray you." "I will," said master Ridley.

(1) "Si corpus meum tradam igni, charitatem autem non habeam, nihil inde utilitatis capio.”— 1 Cor. xiii.

answer

sermon,

Marshal,

chancel

Then, the wicked sermon being ended, Dr. Ridley and master Mary. Latimer kneeled down upon their knees towards my lord Williams of A. D. Thame, the vice-chancellor of Oxford, and divers other commissioners 1555. appointed for that purpose, who sat upon a form thereby; unto whom Ridley master Ridley said, "I beseech you, my lord, even for Christ's sake, ready to that I may speak but two or three words." And whilst my lord bent Smith's his head to the mayor and vice-chancellor, to know (as it appeared) but not whether he might give him leave to speak, the bailiffs and Dr. Mar- suffered. shall, vice-chancellor, ran hastily unto him, and with their hands vice stopped his mouth, and said, " Master Ridley, if you will revoke your hafxerroneous opinions, and recant the same, you shall not only have ford, liberty so to do, but also the benefit of a subject; that is, have your Ridley. life." "Not otherwise ?" said master Ridley. "No," quoth Dr. Marshal. "Therefore if you will not so do, then there is no remedy Ridley but you must suffer for 66 deserts." your Well," quoth master Ridley, teth his so long as the breath is in my body, I will never deny my Lord God. Christ, and his known truth: God's will be done in me!" And with Latimer's that he rose up, and said with a loud voice, "Well then, I commit when he our cause to Almighty God, which shall indifferently judge all." To could not whose saying, master Latimer added his old posy, "Well! there is ed to an nothing hid but it shall be opened." And he said, he could answer smith. Smith well enough, if he might be suffered.

66

1

Incontinently they were commanded to make them ready, which they with all meekness obeyed. Master Ridley took his gown and his tippet, and gave it to his brother-in-law master Shipside, who all his time of imprisonment, although he might not be suffered to come to him, lay there at his own charges to provide him necessaries, which from time to time he sent him by the serjeant that kept him. Some other of his apparel that was little wortli, he gave away; other the bailiffs took.

stoppeth

commit

cause to

words

be suffer

swer Dr.

giveth

away his

and other

He gave away besides, divers other small things to gentlemen Ridley standing by, and divers of them pitifully weeping, as to sir Henry Lea he gave a new groat; and to divers of my lord Williams's gentle- apparel men some napkins, some nutmegs, and rases of ginger; his dial, and gifts to such other things as he had about him, to every one that stood next ple. him. Some plucked the points off his hose. Happy was he that might get any rag of him.

the peo

Master Latimer gave nothing, but very quietly suffered his keeper Latimer to pull off his hose, and his other array, which to look unto was very stake in simple and being stripped into his shroud, he seemed as comely a his shirt. person to them that were there present, as one should lightly see; and whereas in his clothes he appeared a withered and crooked silly old man, he now stood bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold.

thanketh

Then master Ridley, standing as yet in his truss, said to his brother, "It were best for me to go in my truss still." "No," quoth his brother, "it will put you to more pain: and the truss will do a Ridley poor man good." Whereunto master Ridley said, "Be it, in the God for name of God;" and so unlaced himself. Then, being in his shirt, he his marstood upon the foresaid stone, and held up his hand and said, heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, for that thou England.

(1) This was no popish tippet, but made only to keep his neck warm.

tyrdom, ❝ and pray

eth for

Mary. hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death. I beseech A.D. thee, Lord God, take mercy upon this realm of England, and deliver 1555. the same from all her enemies."

Then the smith took a chain of iron, and brought the same about both Dr. Ridley's, and master Latimer's middles: and, as he was knocking in a staple, Dr. Ridley took the chain in his hand, and shaked the same, for it did gird in his belly, and looking aside to the smith, said, "Good fellow, knock it in hard, for the flesh will Gunpow- have his course." Then his brother did bring him gunpowder in a to the bag, and would have tied the same about his neck. Master Ridley martyrs. asked, what it was. His brother said, "Gunpowder." "Then," said

der given

Ridley's

suit to the lord of

Thame,

for leases

of poor men.

Bonner

he, "I take it to be sent of God; therefore I will receive it as sent of him. And have you any," said he, " for my brother;" meaning master Latimer. Yea sir, that I have," quoth his brother. "Then give it unto him," said he, "betime; lest ye come too late." So his brother went, and carried of the same gunpowder unto master Latimer.

In the mean time Dr. Ridley spake unto my lord Williams, and said, “My lord, I must be a suitor unto your lordship in the behalf of divers poor men, and especially in the cause of my poor sister: I have made a supplication to the queen's majesty in their behalfs. I beseech your lordship for Christ's sake, to be a mean to her grace taketh for them. My brother here hath the supplication, and will resort to leases your lordship to certify you hereof. There is nothing in all the world from poor that troubleth my conscience, I praise God, this only excepted. granted Whilst I was in the see of London, divers poor men took leases of Ridley. me, and agreed with me for the same. Now I hear say the bishop

away the

men,

before by

The church

that now occupieth the same room, will not allow my grants unto them made, but, contrary unto all law and conscience, hath taken from them their livings, and will not suffer them to enjoy the same. I beseech you, my lord, be a mean for them: you shall do a good deed, and God will reward you."

Then they brought a faggot, kindled with fire, and laid the same lightened down at Dr. Ridley's feet. To whom master Latimer spake in this manner: "Be of good comfort, master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."

by the martyrdom of saints.

prayer

And so the fire being given unto them, when Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful loud voice, "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum: Domine recipe spiritum meum." And after, repeated this latter part often in English, "Lord, Lord, receive my spirit;" master Latimer crying as Latimer's vehemently on the other side, "O Father of heaven, receive my soul!" and mar- who received the flame as it were embracing of it. After that he had tyrdom. stroked his face with his hands, and as it were bathed them a little in the fire, he soon died (as it appeareth) with very little pain or none. And thus much concerning the end of this old and blessed servant of God, master Latimer, for whose laborious travails, fruitful life, and constant death, the whole realm hath cause to give great thanks to Almighty God.

But master Ridley, by reason of the evil making of the fire unto him, because the wooden faggots were laid about the gorse, and over