MarginaliaDoctor Nicholas Ridley, Martyr.THe same yeare, moneth, & day in which the foresayd ij. Martyrs William Wolsey, and Tho. Pygot suffered at Eley, the which was. an. 1555. October 16. folowed also at Oxford the slaughter of ij. other speciall and singular captaines, and principall pillars of CHRISTES Church, M. Ridley Bishop of London, and M. Hugh Latimer, Bishop some times of Worcester: of whose famous doynges and memorable learnyng, and incomparable ornamentes and giftes of grace, ioyned with no lesse commendable sinceritie of life, as all the Realme can witnesse sufficiently: so it nedeth not greatly that we should stand exactly at this tyme in setting forth a full description of the same, but onely to comprehend briefly a few wordes touchyng the order of their lyues, so much as necessarily serueth to the due instruction of the reader, and maketh to the vse of this present history, in declaryng first their begynnyng & bringyng vp, then their studies and actes in the Vniuersitie, their prefermentes also by their studies to higher dignitie, at last their trouble and trauaile in setting forth Religion, and in mainteinyng the same to the shedyng of their bloud. And first to begyn with the life of M. Ridley, whose story here ensueth.

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AMong many other worthy and sondry histories & notable Actes of such as of late dayes haue bene tormoyled, murdered, and Martyred for the true Gospell of CHRIST in Queene Maryes reigne, the tragicall story and life of Doct. Ridley I thought good to commend to Chronicle and leaue to perpetuall memory: beseching thee gentle reader, with care & study wel to peruse, diligently to consider, and depely to print the same in thy brest, seing him to be a man beautified with such excellēt qualities, so ghostly  

inspired, & godly learned, and now written doubtles in the booke of life with the blessed Saintes of the almighty, crowned and throned amongest the glorious company of Martyrs. First descendyng of a stocke right worshypfull,   he was borne in Northumberlādshire,MarginaliaNicholas Ridley borne in Nothumberland. who being a child, learned his Grammer with great dexteritie in Newcastle,MarginaliaNicholas Ridley learned at Newcastle. and was remoued from thence to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, where he in short space became so famous, that for his singular aptenes he was called to higher functions and offices of the Vniuersitie, by degree atteinyng thereunto, & was called to be head of Pembroke Hall,MarginaliaNicholas Ridley Master of Pembroke hall in Cābridge. & there made Doctour of Diuinitie.MarginaliaNicholas Ridley made D. of Diuinitie. After this, departyng frō thence he trauailed to Paris, who at his returne, was made Chapleine to K. Henry the 8.MarginaliaNicholas Ridley King Henries Chapleine. and promoted afterwardes by him to þ^e Bishopricke of Rochester:   MarginaliaNicholas Ridley made B. of Rochester. and so from thence translated to the sea & Bishopricke of LondonMarginaliaNicholas Ridley made B. of London. in K. Edwardes dayes.

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MarginaliaThe fruitfull diligence of B. Ridley in preaching gods word.In which callyng and offices he so trauailed and occupyed him selfe by Preachyng and teachyng the true and holesome doctrine of CHRIST, that neuer good child was more singularly loued of his deare parentes, then he of his flocke and Dioces. Euery holyday and Sonday he lightly  

preached in some one place or other, except hee were otherwise letted   by waighty affaires and busines: to whose Sermons the people resorted, swarming about him like bees, and coueting the sweete flowers and wholesome ioice of the fruitfull doctrine, which he did not onely preach, but shewed the same by his life, as a glittering lanterne to the eyes and senses of the blind, in such pure order and chastitie of life (declinyng from all euill desires and concupiscences   ) that euen his very enemyes could not reproue him in any one iote therof.

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Besides this, he was passingly well learned, MarginaliaB. Ridley, of great memory and reading.his memory was great, and he of such readyng withall that of right he deserued to be cōparable to the best of this our age, as can testifie as well diuers his notable workes, pythy Sermons, and sundry his disputations in both þ^e Vniuersities, as also his very aduersaries, all which will say no lesse them selues.

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Besides all this, wise he was of counsail, deepe of witte, and very politike in all his doinges. How mercyfull and carefull he was to reduce þ^e obstinate Papistes from their erronious opinions, and by gentlenes to wynne them to the truth, his gentle orderyng and curteous handlyng of Doct. Heath late Archbyshop of Yorke,  

beyng prisoner with him in K. Edwardes time in his house one yeare, sufficiently declareth. In fine, he was such a Prelate, and in all pointes so good, godly, and ghostly a mā, that Englād may iustly rue the losse of so worthy a treasure. And thus hitherto cōcernyng these publicke matters.

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Now will I speake somthing further particularly of his person & conditiōs. MarginaliaB. Ridley comely of proportion and complexion.He was a mā right comely, and wel proportioned in all pointes, both in cōplection & lineamentes of the body. He tooke all things in good part, bearyng no malice or rācour in his hart, but straight wayes forgetting all iniuries and offēces done against him. MarginaliaThe fayre conditions of B. Ridley.He was very kynd and naturall to his kinsfolke, and yet not bearyng with them any thyng otherwise then right would require,MarginaliaB. Ridley tender to his kinred yet not otherwise then truth and rigor required. geuing them alwayes for a generall rule, yea to his owne brother and sister, that they doyng euill should seeke or looke for nothing at his hand, but should be as straungers & alienes vnto hym: and they to bee his brother or sister,  

which vsed honesty, and a godly trade of life.

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He vsing all kyndes of wayes to mortifie him selfe, was geuen to much prayer and contēplation:MarginaliaB. Ridley a great mortifier of hym selfe. For duely euery mornyng so soone as his apparell was done vppon him, he went forthwith to his bed chamber, and there vpō his knees prayed the space of halfe an houre: which beyng done, MarginaliaThe order of his study and diet.immediatly he went to his study (if there came no other busines to interrupt him) where he cōtinued till x. of þ^e clocke, & then came to cōmon prayer daily vsed in his house. The praiers being done, he wēt to dynner, where he vsed litle talke, except otherwise occasiō by some had ben ministred, & then was it sober, discrete, & wise, and sometime mery as cause required.

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The dynner done, which was not very long, he vsed to sit an houre or thereaboutes talking or playing at þ^e Chestes:  

That done, he returned to his study, and there would continue, except suters or busines abroad were occasion of the contrary, vntill. v of the clocke at nyght, and then would come to common prayer, as in the forenoone: which being finished, he went to Supper behauing himselfe there, as at his dynner before: MarginaliaHis order after supper.After supper, recreating himselfe in playing at Chestes the space of an houre, he would then returne agayne to his studie, continuing there till a. xj. of the clocke at nyght, which was his common houre to go to bed, then saying hys prayers vpon his knees as in the morning when hee rose. Being at his Manour of Fulham, as diuers tymes he vsed to bee, MarginaliaThe carefull diligence of B. Ridley in instructing his familie.hee red dayly a lecture to his family at the common prayer, begynning at þ^e Actes of the Apostles, and so going throughout all the Epistles of Saint Paul geuing to euery man that could read, a newe Testament, hyring them besydes with money to learne by hart certayne principall Chapiters, but especially the thyrtenth Chapiter of the Actes, reading also vnto his household often tymes the hundred and one Psalme, being maruaylous carefull ouer hys family, that they might bee a spectacle of all vertue and honesty to other. To be short, as hee was Godly and vertuous hymselfe, so nothing but vertue and Godlynes reigned in his house, feeding them with the foode of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST.

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Now remaineth a word or two to be declared of his gentle nature & kindly pitie in the vsage of an old wo-