The Age of Elizabeth (1547-1603). Various

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 men that stood before him would do. But he cried still to the people to beware of them, for they were heretics, and died out of the Church. And on the other side, he declared their diversity in opinions, as Lutherans, Æcolampadians, 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 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.

      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.

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

      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 worth, he gave away: other the bailiffs took.

      He gave away besides, divers other small things to gentlemen 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 gentlemen some napkins, some nutmegs, and rases of ginger: his dial, and such other things as he had about him, to every one that stood next him. Some plucked the points off his hose. Happy was he that might get any rag of him.

      Master Latimer gave nothing, but very quietly suffered his keeper to pull off his hose, and his other array, which to look unto was very simple: and being stripped into his shroud, he seemed as comely a 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.

      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 poor man good.” Whereunto master Ridley said, “Be it, in the name of God”; and so unlaced himself. Then, being in his shirt, he stood upon the foresaid stone, and held up his hand and said, “O heavenly Father, I give unto thee most hearty thanks, for that thou hast called me to be a professor of thee, even unto death: I beseech thee, Lord God, take mercy upon this realm of England, and deliver 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 have his course.” Then his brother did bring him gunpowder in a bag, and would have tied the same about his neck. Master Ridley asked, what it was. His brother said, “Gunpowder.” “Then,” said 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 my 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 meantime 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 for them. My brother here hath the supplication, and will resort to your lordship to certify you hereof. There is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience, I praise God, this only excepted. Whilst I was in the see of London, divers poor men took leases of me, and agreed with me for the same. Now I hear say the bishop 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 down at Dr. Ridley’s feet. To whom master Latimer spoke 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.”

      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 vehemently on the other side, “O Father of heaven, receive my soul!” who received the flame as it were embracing of it. After that he had 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.