1570 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1975 
MarginaliaAn. 1555. October.please your hyghnes, they must be known by such waies and meanes as your maiestie by the aduyse of men of wisdome and conscience shall appoynt: but yet for Christes sake I craue and most humbly besech your maiesty of your most gracious pity and mercy, that the former way may take place.
[Back to Top]I haue also a poore Sister that came to me out of the North, with three fatherles children for her reliefe, whom I married after to a seruaunt of myne own house: MarginaliaIf to succour the widow and fatherles is pure and vndefiled religion, as Sainct Iames sayth: Then is Boner and his religiō filthy and abominable which doth such wrong to the Widow and fatherles.she is put out of that I did prouyde for them.
CloseAlice Ridley was Nicholas Ridley's sister who married George Shipside, a member of Bishop Ridley's household. She was expelled from diocesan property which her brother had leased to her.
CloseRidley is saying that after Edmund Bonner, Ridley's predecessor, was deprived of his bishopric, Ridley did not seize any of Bonner's movable property.
CloseUse, utility.
CloseAfter he was deprived of the bishopric of Worcester, Nicholas Heath was confined in Ridley's custody.
The. xvj. day of October. An. 1555. N. R.
This degradation being past, and all thinges finished, Doct. Brokes called the Bailiffes, deliuering to them M. Ridley with thys charge, to keepe him safely from any man speaking with him, and that he should be brought to the place of execution when they were commaunded. Then M. Ridley in praising God, brast
CloseA northern form of the word burst (OED); this also suggests that the sources for this story were the Shipsides who, like Ridley, were from Northumbria.
But M. Ridley sayd: No, no, no, as I haue said before, to Gods glory be it spoken. I confesse my selfe to be a miserable wretched sinner, and haue great neede of Gods helpe and mercy, and do dayly call and cry for the same: therefore I pray you haue no such opinion in me. Then they departed, and in going away, a certaine Warden of a Colledge, of whose name I am not very sure,
CloseIn the 1563 edition, Foxe states that 'one master Warner' was the warden who denounced Ridley. This would have been John Warner, the warden of All Souls. But Warner was not only a powerful figure in Elizabeth's reign - he became dean of Winchester - he was also considered to be a staunch protestant and had, indeed, been deprived of his position at All Souls under Mary. In later editions Foxe simply says that the warden's name was uncertain.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaD. Ridley biddeth gestes to his mariage.THe night before he suffered, hys beard was washed, and his legges: & as he sat at supper the same night at M. Irishes (who was his keeper) he bad his hostes, and the rest at the bourd to his mariage: for (sayth hee) to morow I must be maried: and so shewed him selfe to be as mery as euer hee was at any tyme before. And wishing his sister at his mariage, hee asked his brother sitting at the Table, whether shee could finde in her hart to bee there or no: and he aunswered, yea, I dare say, with all her hart: at which worde he sayd, hee was glad to heare of her so much therein. MarginaliaMistres Irish a great Papist before, weepeth for D. Ridley.So at this talke
[Back to Top]Mistres Irish wept.
CloseRidley and Margarert Irish seem to have become much closer since June 1555 when Ridley had written scathingly of her to Grindal.
When they arose from the table, his brother offered him to watch all night with him. But he sayd, no, no, that you shall not. MarginaliaB. Ridley careles of his death.For I mynde (God willing) to go to bed, and to sleepe as quietly to nyght, as euer I dyd in my lyfe. So his brother departed, exhorting hym to bee of good cheere, and to take his Crosse quyetly, for the reward was great. &c.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe order and maner of Bishop Ridley & Master Latymer going to the stake.VVpon the Northside of the towne, in the Dytch ouer against Baily Colledge the place of execution was appointed: and for feare of any tumult that might aryse to let the burnyng of them, the Lord Williams was commaunded by the Queenes letters, & the householders of the City, to bee there assistant sufficiently appointed, and when euery thing was in a readynes, þe prisoners were brought forth by the Maior & Bailifs.
[Back to Top]M. Ridley had a fayre blacke gowne furred and faced with foynes, such as he was wont to weare beyng Bishop, and a tippet of veluet furred
CloseA tippet is a clerical garment covering the neck and shoulders. Ridley, in contrast to Latimer, dressed for his execution as befitted his status. Also note Foxe's rewriting of this passage in the 1570 edition; this is a sign of the care and attention which Foxe gave to the account of the martyrdoms of Ridley and Latimer.
[Back to Top]After him came M. Latimer in a poore Bristow frise frocke all worne, with his buttened cap and a kerchief on hys head all ready to the fire, a newe long shrowde hanging ouer his hose downe to his feete,
CloseLatimer's attire is a complete contrast to Ridley's dress. But it is also worth observing that Latimer's costume had the effect of generating sympathy for the former bishop. Far from indicating a mental breakdown, Latimer's dress and demeanour seem to have been shrewd self-presentation.
Master Doct. Ridley, as he passed towardes Bocardo, looked vp where M. Cranmer did lye, hoping belike to haue seene hym at þe glasse window, to haue spoken vnto him. But then M. Cranmer was busy wyth Frier Soto & his fellowes disputing together, so that he could not see him through that accasion.
CloseFoxe's account is verified, and supplemented, here by Hicholas Harpsfield's account of Thomas Cranmer's imprisonment and execution. Cranmer was indeed disputing with de Soto, but before the executions commenced he was taken to the tower of the north gate at Oxford overlooking the site of the executions and witnessed the last moments of Ridley and Latimer (Bishop Cranmer's Recantacyons, ed. Lord Houghton [Philobiblion Society Miscellanies 15, 1877-84], pp. 48-50). Interestingly the woodcut of the execution in the Acts and Monuments depicts Cranmer in the tower watching the execution although this seemingly contradicts what is said in this passage.
[Back to Top]With that went he to the stake, kneeled down by it, kissed it, most effectuously prayed, and behinde him master Latimer kneeled, as earnestly calling vpon God as he. After they arose, the one talked with the other a litle whyle, tyll they which were appointed to see the execution, remoued them selues out of the sunne. What they sayd, I can learne of no man.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaD. Smith preaching at the burning of B. Ridley & Master Latymer.Then Doct. Smith of whose recantation in kyng Edwardes tyme, ye heard before, pag. 1606. began his Sermon to them, vppon this text of Sainct Paule in the. xiij. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians: Si corpus meum tradam igni, charitatem autem non habeo, nihil inde vtilitatis capio.
Si corpus meum tradam igni, charitatem autem non habeo, nihil inde vtilitatis capio. If I yeld my body to the fire to be burnt, and haue not Charity, I shall gayne nothing therby. et si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam caritatem autem non habuero nihil mihi prodest.
Close