Thematic Divisions in Book 11
1. The Martyrdom of Rogers 2. The Martyrdom of Saunders 3. Saunders' Letters 4. Hooper's Martyrdom 5. Hooper's Letters 6. Rowland Taylor's Martyrdom 7. Becket's Image and other events 8. Miles Coverdale and the Denmark Letters 9. Bonner and Reconciliation 10. Judge Hales 11. The Martyrdom of Thomas Tomkins 12. The Martyrdom of William Hunter 13. The Martyrdom of Higbed and Causton 14. The Martyrdom of Pigot, Knight and Laurence 15. Robert Farrar's Martyrdom 16. The Martyrdom of Rawlins/Rowland White17. The Restoration of Abbey Lands and other events in Spring 155518. The Providential Death of the Parson of Arundel 19. The Martyrdom of John Awcocke 20. The Martyrdom of George Marsh 21. The Letters of George Marsh 22. The Martyrdom of William Flower 23. The Martyrdom of Cardmaker and Warne 24. Letters of Warne and Cardmaker 25. The Martyrdom of Ardley and Simpson 26. John Tooly 27. The Examination of Robert Bromley [nb This is part of the Tooly affair]28. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes 29. Letters of Haukes 30. The Martyrdom of Thomas Watts 31. Mary's False Pregnancy32. Censorship Proclamation 33. Our Lady' Psalter 34. Martyrdom of Osmund, Bamford, Osborne and Chamberlain35. The Martyrdom of John Bradford 36. Bradford's Letters 37. William Minge 38. James Trevisam 39. The Martyrdom of John Bland 40. The Martyrdom of Frankesh, Middleton and Sheterden 41. Sheterden's Letters 42. Examinations of Hall, Wade and Polley 43. Martyrdom of Christopher Wade 44. Martyrdom of Carver and Launder 45. Martyrdom of Thomas Iveson 46. John Aleworth 47. Martyrdom of James Abbes 48. Martyrdom of Denley, Newman and Pacingham 49. Richard Hooke 50. Martyrdom of William Coker, et al 51. Martyrdom of George Tankerfield, et al 52. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Smith 53. Martyrdom of Harwood and Fust 54. Martyrdom of William Haile 55. George King, Thomas Leyes and John Wade 56. William Andrew 57. Martyrdom of Robert Samuel 58. Samuel's Letters 59. William Allen 60. Martyrdom of Roger Coo 61. Martyrdom of Thomas Cobb 62. Martyrdom of Catmer, Streater, Burwood, Brodbridge, Tutty 63. Martyrdom of Hayward and Goreway 64. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Glover 65. Cornelius Bungey 66. John and William Glover 67. Martyrdom of Wolsey and Pigot 68. Life and Character of Nicholas Ridley 69. Ridley's Letters 70. Life of Hugh Latimer 71. Latimer's Letters 72. Ridley and Latimer Re-examined and Executed73. More Letters of Ridley 74. Life and Death of Stephen Gardiner 75. Martyrdom of Webb, Roper and Park 76. William Wiseman 77. James Gore 78. Examinations and Martyrdom of John Philpot 79. Philpot's Letters 80. Martyrdom of Thomas Whittle, Barlett Green, et al 81. Letters of Thomas Wittle 82. Life of Bartlett Green 83. Letters of Bartlett Green 84. Thomas Browne 85. John Tudson 86. John Went 87. Isobel Foster 88. Joan Lashford 89. Five Canterbury Martyrs 90. Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer 91. Letters of Cranmer 92. Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield 93. Persecution in Salisbury Maundrell, Coberly and Spicer 94. William Tyms, et al 95. Letters of Tyms 96. The Norfolk Supplication 97. Martyrdom of John Harpole and Joan Beach 98. John Hullier 99. Hullier's Letters 100. Christopher Lister and five other martyrs 101. Hugh Lauerocke and John Apprice 102. Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thacknell, et al 103. Thomas Drury and Thomas Croker 104. Thomas Spicer, John Deny and Edmund Poole 105. Persecution of Winson and Mendlesam 106. Gregory Crow 107. William Slech 108. Avington Read, et al 109. Wood and Miles 110. Adherall and Clement 111. A Merchant's Servant Executed at Leicester 112. Thirteen Burnt at Stratford-le-Bow113. Persecution in Lichfield 114. Hunt, Norrice, Parret 115. Martyrdom of Bernard, Lawson and Foster 116. Examinations of John Fortune117. John Careless 118. Letters of John Careless 119. Martyrdom of Julius Palmer 120. Agnes Wardall 121. Peter Moone and his wife 122. Guernsey Martyrdoms 123. Dungate, Foreman and Tree 124. Martyrdom of Thomas More125. Examination of John Jackson126. Examination of John Newman 127. Martyrdom of Joan Waste 128. Martyrdom of Edward Sharpe 129. Four Burnt at Mayfield at Sussex 130. John Horne and a woman 131. William Dangerfield 132. Northampton Shoemaker 133. Prisoners Starved at Canterbury 134. More Persecution at Lichfield
Critical Apparatus for this Page
Latin/Greek TranslationsCommentary on the Text
Names and Places on this Page
Unavailable for this Edition
1967 [1928]

Quene Mary. The last examinations of B. Ridley and M. Latimer, Martyrs.

MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.shall please you to write your aunswere, you shall haue penne, inke, and paper, and bookes such as you shall require: but if you write any thyng sauyng your aunsweres to these Articles, we will not receiue it: and so he chargyng the Maior  

Commentary   *   Close

Edmund Irish; Ridley was being held in Irish's custody.

with hym, declaryng also to the Maior that he should suffer hym to haue penne & inke, dimissed M. Ridley, & sent for M. Latymer, who being brought to the Diuinitie schole, there taryed till they called for hym.

[Back to Top]
¶ Master Latimer appeareth before the Commissioners.

MarginaliaM. Latimer appeareth before the deputies.NOw after M. Ridley was cōmitted to þe Maior, then the Bishop of Lincolne commaunded the Bailyffes to bryng in the other prisoner, who eftsoones as he was placed, sayd to the Lords:

Lat. My Lordes, if I appeare agayne, I pray you not to send for me vntyll you are ready. For I am an old man, and it is great hurt to myne old age to tary so long gasing vpon the cold walles.  

Commentary   *   Close

Throughout his examination, Latimer is clearly trying to present himself as a feeble old man, being persecuted by the authorities. Latimer was old, but the evidence suggests that he was far from overawed and was able to mount a vigorous defence. It was very different, however, from Ridley's defence, which relied on the bishop's theological knowledge and skill in argument. Latimer relied on his skills in informal agument and self-dramatisation.

[Back to Top]
Then the Bishop of Lyncolne sayd:

Linc. M. Latimer, I am sory you were brought so soone, although it is the Bailiffes fault, and not myne: but it shall be amended.

Then M. Latymer bowed hys knee downe to the ground, holding hys hat in hys hand, MarginaliaThe order of M. Latymers apparell.hauing a kerchef on hys head, and and vpon it a nightcap or two, and a great cap (such as townes men vse, with two broad flaps to butten vnder the chin) wearing an old thryd bare Bristow fryse gowne  

Commentary   *   Close

A gown of light cloth, with a pattern worked into the fabric.

gyrded to hys body wyth a peny lether gyrdell, at the which hanged by a long string of lether hys Testament, and hys spectacles without case, depending about hys necke vpon hys brest.  
Commentary   *   Close

Latimer's biographer has argued that the martyr's 'eccentricities of dress and behavior' were symptoms 'of mental and nervous collapse' (Alan G. Chester, Hugh Latimer, Apostle to the English [Philadelphia, 1954], p. 209). However, Latimer's skill in turning the tables on his interrogators suggests that there was nothing wrong with Latimer's mental processes. Suggestively, Latimer wore the same costume at his execution and it had the effect of generating sympathy for theformer bishop.

[Back to Top]
After this the Bishop of Lincolne began on this maner:

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe oration of Lincolne to M. Latymer.Linc. M. Latimer, you shall vnderstand that I and my Lordes here haue a Cōmission from my Lord Cardinall Poles grace Legate a latere to thys realme of England, from our most reuerend father in God the Popes holynes, to examine you vpon certayne opinions and assertions of yours, which you as well here openly in disputations in the yeare of our Lord. 1554. as at sundry and diuers other times did affirme, maintayne, and obstinately defend. In the which commission be especially two pointes: the one which we must desire you is, that if you shall now recant, reuoke, and disanull these your errours, and together wyth all this realme, yea all the world confesse the truth, wee vpon due repentaunce of your part should receiue you, recōcile you, acknowledge you no lenger a strayed sheepe, but adioyne you agayne to the vnitie of CHRISTES church, from the which you in the tyme of schisme fell: So that it is no new place to the which I exhort you: I desire you but to returne thether frō whence you went.

[Back to Top]

Consider M. Latymer, that without the vnity of the church is no saluation, and in the church can be no errour.MarginaliaBut thys church then standeth vpon the truth of Gods word, and not vpon the fantasie of man. Therefore what should stay you to confesse that which all the Realme confesseth, to forsake that which the King and Queene their Maiesties haue renoūced, & all the realme recanted: it was a common errour, & it is now of all confessed: it shall bee no more shame to you, then it was to vs all. Consider M. Latymer, that wythin these. xx. yeares thys Realme also wyth all the world confessed one church, acknowledged in CHRISTES church an head, and MarginaliaWhat the first occasion of this was, and what were the manifold misdemeanours of þe Pope, read before pag. 1220. 1224. 1458.by what meanes and for what occasion it cut of it selfe from the rest of Christianitie, it renounced that which in all tymes and ages was confessed, it is well knowen, and might bee nowe declared vpon what good foundation the sea of Rome was forsaken, saue that wee must spare them that are dead,MarginaliaHow you spared the dead, your owne actes can beare witnes. to whom the rehearsall would be obprobrious: it is no vsurped power as it hath bene termed, but MarginaliaThe Popes authority.founded vpon Peter by CHRIST, a sure foundation, a perfect builder, as by diuers places as well of the aunciēt fathers as the expresse word of God, may be proued.

[Back to Top]

With that M. Latymer, which before leaned his head to hys hand, began somewhat to remoue hys cap and

kerchef from hys eares.

The Bishop proceeded saying: for CHRIST spake expresly to Peter saying, Marginaliaποιμαίνειν, signifieth to feede or to rule.pasce oues meas,  

Commentary   *   Close

Latimer is quoting John 21: 16-17 in the Vulgate, but the phrase 'rege oves meas,' crucial to Latimer's argument, does not appear in the Bible.

& rege oues meas,  
Latin/Greek Translations   *   Close
Unidentified
Foxe text Latin

pasce oues meas, & rege oues meas

[As1563,except imperativeregefor futurereges]

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

feed my sheep and guide my sheep

[Cf. above, page 1916, column 1, line 24.]

the which word doth not onely declare a certayne rulyng of CHRISTES flocke, but encludeth also a certayne preeminence and gouernment, and therfore is the kyng called Rex a regendo:  
Latin/Greek Translations   *   Close
Bishop of Lincoln
Foxe text Latin

Rex a regendo

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2003)

king by ruling

so that in saying rege, CHRIST declared a power which he gaue to Peter, which iurisdiction and power Peter by hand delyuered to Clement, and so in all ages hath it remayned in the sea of Rome. This if you shall confesse with vs, and acknowledge with al the realme your errours and false assertions, then shal you do that which we most desire: then shall we rest vpon the first part of our commission, then shall we receyue you, acknowledge you one of the church, and according to the authoritye geuen to vs, minister vnto you, vpon due repentance, the benefite of absolution,MarginaliaBenefite of the Popes absolution offered to Master Latymer. to the which the Kyng and the Queene their Maiesties were not ashamed to submyt them selues: although they of thē selues were vnspotted, and therefore needed no reconciliation, yet lest the putrifaction and rottennes of all þe body might be noysome, and do damage to the head also, they (as I sayd) most humbly submitted them selues to my Lord Cardinall hys grace, by hym, as Legate to the Popes holynes, to be partakers of the recōciliation: but if you shal stubburnly perseuer in your blindnes, if you wyll not acknowledge your errors, if you as you stand nowe alone, wyll be singular in your opinions, if by schisme and heresie you wyll styll diuide your selfe from the Church, then must we proceede to the seconde part of our commission, which we would be loth to do, that is, not to condemne you, for that we can not do (that the temporall sword of the realme, and *Marginalia* Qui tradiderunt me tibi maius peccatum habent, sayth Christ. not we wyll do) but to separate you from vs, to acknowledge you to be none of vs, to renounce you as no mēber of the church, to declare that you are filius perditionis,  
Latin/Greek Translations   *   Close
Bishop of Lincoln, quoting from II Thessalonians, 2. 3.
Foxe text Latin

filius perditionis

Foxe text translation

a lost childe

Actual text of II Thessalonians, 2. 3. (Vulgate)

[et revelatus fuerit homo peccati] filius perditionis.

a lost childe, and as you are a rotten member of the church, so to cut you of from the church, and so to cōmit you to the temporall Iudges, permitting them to proceede agaynst you, according to the tenor of their lawes.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaPersuasions vsed to Master Latymer to returne to the vnity of the Popes church.Therfore M. Latimer, for Gods loue consider your estate, remember you are a learned man, you haue taken degrees in the schoole, borne the office of a Bishop, remember you are an old man, spare your body, accelerate not your death, & especially remēber your soules health, quiet of your conscience, consider that if you should dye in this state, you shall be a stinkyng sacrifice to God: MarginaliaReasons to persuade the flesh, but not to satisfy conscience.for it is the cause that maketh the Martyr, and not the death: consider that if you die in this state, you dye without grace, for without the Church can be no saluation. Let not vayne glory haue the vpper hād, humiliate your selfe, captiuate your vnderstandyng, subdue your reason, submit your selfe to the determination of the church, doe not force vs to doe all that we may do, let vs rest in that part which we most hartely desire, and I, for my part (then the bishop put of hys cap) againe with all my hart exhort you.

[Back to Top]

After the Bishop had somwhat paused, then master Latimer lyft vp hys head (for before hee leaned on his elbow) and asked whether hys Lordshyp had sayd:  

Commentary   *   Close

I.e., had finished.

and the Bishop aunswered yea.

Lat. Then wyll your Lordship geue mee leaue to speake a word or two?

Linc. Yea M. Latimer, so that you vse a modest kind of talke, without rayling or tauntes.

Lat. I besech your Lordship, licence me to sit down.

MarginaliaMaster Latymer hath leaue to sitte downe.Linc. At your pleasure M. Latimer, take as much ease as you wyll.

MarginaliaAnswere of Master Latymer to the B. of Lincolne.Lat. Your Lordship gently exhorted me in many woordes, to come to the vnity of the church. I confesse (my Lord) a catholicke Church, spread throughout all the world, in the which no man may erre, without the which vnity of the church no man can be saued: but I know perfectly by Gods word that thys church is in

[Back to Top]
all the