Marginalia1555. October.But M. Ridley by reason of the euill making of the fire vnto hym, because the woodden fagottes were layd about the gosse  

and ouer hye built, the fyre burned first beneath, being kept downe by the wood. Which when he felt, he desired them for CHRISTES sake to let the fyre come vnto him.   MarginaliaThe order of B. Ridleys burning.Which when his brother in law heard, but not well vnderstoode, entending to rid him out of hys payne (for the which cause he gaue attendaunce) as one in such sorrow, not well aduysed what he did, heaped fagots vppon him, so that he cleane couered him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, that it burned cleane all hys neather partes, before it once touched the vpper,   and that made him leape vp and downe vnder the fagots, and often desyre them to let the fyre come vnto hym, saying: I cannot burne. Which in deede appeared wel: for after his legges were consumed by reason of his struggling through þ^e payne, (whereof he had no release, but onely his contentation in God) MarginaliaD. Ridley long in burning.he shewed that syde towardes vs cleane, shirt and all vntouched with flame Yet in all this torment he forgat not to cal vnto God stil, hauing in his mouth: Lord haue mercy vpon me, intermedling this cry, let the fyre come vnto me, I cannot burne. MarginaliaThe death & martyrdome of D. Ridley.In which paynes he laboured till one of the standers by with his bill pulled of the fagots aboue, and where he sawe the fire flame vp, he wrested him selfe vnto that syde. And when the flame touched the gunpowder, he was seene styrre no more, but burned on the other syde, fallyng downe at M. Latimers feete. Which some sayd happened, by reason that the chayne loosed: other sayd that he fell ouer the chayne, by reason of the poyse of his body, and the weakenes of the neather limmes.

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Some say that before he was lyke to fall from the stake, he desired them to hold him to it with their billes, Howsoeuer it was, surely it moued hundreds to teares, in beholding the horrible sight.MarginaliaThe lamēting hartes of the people at the martyrdom of these. ii. sainctes. For I thinke there was none that had not cleane exiled all humanitie & mercy, which would not haue lamented to behold the furye of the fire so to rage vpon their bodies. Signes there were of sorrow on euery side. Some tooke it greuously to see their deathes whose liues they helde full deare. Some pitied their persons that thought their soules had no neede thereof. His brother moued many men, seyng his miserable case: seing (I say) him compelled to such infelicity, that he thought then to do him best seruice, when he hastened his end. Some cried out of the lucke, to see his endeuour who most dearely loued hym and sought his release, tourne to his greater vexation & encrease of paine. But who so considered their prefermēts in time past, the places of honour þ^t they sometime occupied in this cōmon wealth, the fauor they were in with their Princes, & the opinion of learning they had, could not chuse but sorow with teares to see so great dignity, honour and estimatiō, so necessary members sometyme accounted, so many godly vertues, the study of so many yeares, such excellent learning, to bee put into the fire and consumed in one moment. Wel, dead they are, and the reward of this world they haue already. What reward remayneth for them in Heauen, the day of the Lordes glory when he commeth with hys Saintes, shal shortly I trust, declare.

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Albeit, I haue differred & put ouer many treatises, letters, and exhortations belongyng to the story of the Martyrs, vnto the latter Appendix in the end of this volume: thinkyng also to haue done the like w^t these farewels & exhortations folowing of D. Rydley, yet for certeine purposes mouyng me therunto, & especially consideryng the frutful admonitions, holesome doctrine, and necessary exhortations cōteined in the same, I thought best here to bestow and consequently to adioyne the sayd tractations  

of that learned pastour, with the life and story of the authour. Whereof the ij. first be in ma-

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ner if hys farewels, the one to his kynsfolkes and generally to all the faithful of the number of CHRISTES congregation: the other more special to the prisoners and banished Christians in the Gospels cause: the thyrd conteyneth a frutfull and a generall admonition to the Citie of London and to all other, with necessary preceptes of Christian office, as by the tenour of them here foloweth in order to be seene.  

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MarginaliaThe first farewel of B. Ridley to his frendes.AT the name of Iesus let euery knee bow, both of thinges in heauen, and thinges in earth, and thinges vnder the earth, and let euery toung confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the father, Amen.

As a man minding to take a farre iourney and to depart frō his familiar frends, commonly & naturally hath a desire to bid his frendes farewel before his departure: so likewyse now I looking vayly when I should be called for to depart hence from you (O al ye my dearely beloued brethren and sisters in our Sauiour Christ, that dwell here in this world) hauing a lyke minde towardes you all (and blessed be God for this such tyme and leasure, whereof I right hartely thanke his heauenly goodnes): do byd you all my deare brethren and sisters (I say) in Christ, that dwell vpon the earth, after such maner as I can, Farewell.

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Farewell my deare brother George Shipside, MarginaliaCommendation of George Shipside his brother in law.whom I haue euer found faythfull, trusty, and louing in all state and condicions, and now in the tyme of my crosse, ouer all other to me most frendly and stedfast, and that which lyked me best, ouer all other things, in Gods cause euer harty.

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Farewell my deare sister Alice his wyfe. I am glad to heare of thee that thou doest take Christes crosse, which is layde nowe (blessed be God) both on thy backe & myne, in good part. Thanke thou God that hath geuen thee a godly and a louyng husband: see thou honour him, and obey him according to Gods lawe. Honour thy mother in law his mother, and loue all those that pertaine vnto him, being ready to do them good, as it shal lye in thy power. As for thy childrē, I doubt not of thy husband, but that he which hath giuen him a hart to loue and feare God, and in God them that pertaine vnto him, shal also make him frendly and beneficiall vnto thy children, euen as if they had bene gotten of his own body.

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MarginaliaTo his brother Ihon Ridley.Farewell my welbeloued brother Iohn Ridley of the Waltowne, and you my gentle and louing Sister Elizabeth: whom besides the natural league of amity, your tender loue, which you wer sayd euer to beare towardes me aboue the rest of your brethren, doth binde me to loue. My minde was to haue acknowledged this your louing affection, and to haue acquited  

it with deedes, and not wyth woordes alone. Your daughter Elizabeth I byd farewell, whom I loue for the meeke and gentle spirite that God hath geuen her, which is a precious thing in the sight of God.

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MarginaliaTo his sister in law of Vnthank, wife to Hugh his brother.Farewell my beloued Sister of Vnthanke, with all your children my Nephewes and Nices. Since the departure of my brother Hugh, my minde was to haue bene vnto them in the stede of their father: but the Lord God must and wyll bee their father, if they wil loue him and feare him, and lyue in the trade of hys law,

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MarginaliaTo his Cosin M. Nicholas RidleyFarewell my welbeloued and worshipful Cosins maister Nicholas Ridley of Wyllimountswick and your wyfe, and I thanke you for all your kindnes shewed both to mee, and also to all your own kinsfolke and myne. Good Cosyn, as God hath set you in our stocke and kindred (not for any respect of your person, but of hys abundant grace and goodnes) to be as it were the Belweather  

to order and conduct the rest, and hath also endued you wyth hys manyfold giftes of grace both heauenly and worldly aboue others: so I pray you good Cosin (as my trust and hope is in you) continue and increase in the maintenaunce of the truth, honesty, righteousnes, and all true godlynes, and to the vttermost of your power, to withstand falsehood, vntruth, vnrighteousnes and all vngodlynes, which is forbid and condemned by the woord and lawes of God.

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MarginaliaTo his Cosin Rafe Ridley.Farewell my young Cosin Rafe Whitfield. Oh your tyme was very short with me. My minde was to haue done you good: and yet you caught in that little time a losse, but I trust it shall be recompensed as it shall please almighty God.

MarginaliaTo all his kindred.Farewell all my whole kindred and countreymen: farewell in Christ altogether. The Lord which is the searcher of secretes, knoweth that according to my hartes desire, my hope was of late that I should haue come among you, and to haue brought wyth me abundaunce of Christes blessed Gospell, according to the duty of that office and ministery, MarginaliaBishop Ridley appoynted to be bishop at Durham.whereunto among you I was chosen, named, and appointed by the mouth of that our late pereles Prince kyng Edward, and so also denounced  

openly in hys court by hys priuy Counsell.  

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I warne you all my welbeloued kinsfolke and countreymen,  

that ye be not amased or astonied at the kynde of my departure or dissolution: for I ensure you I thinke it the most honour that euer I was called vnto in all my lyfe, and therefore I thanke my Lord God hartely for it, that it hath pleased him to call me of hys great mercy vnto this high honour,MarginaliaMartyrdome Gods singular and rare promotion. to suffer death willingly for hys sake, and in his cause: vnto the which honour hee called the holy Prophetes, and his dearely beloued Apostels, and his blessed chosen Martyrs. For know ye that I doubt no more, but that the causes wherfore I am put to death, are Gods causes, and the causes of the truth, then I doubt that the Gospell which Iohn

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