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1418 [1393]

Q. Mary. Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer condemned. Letters of M. Ridley.

Marginalia1554. Aprill.such excessiue and outragious disorder, was vnseemely for those scholes & men of learning and grauitie, and that they which were the doers and styrrers of such thnges, did nothing els but bewray þe slēdernes of their cause, & their owne vanities: I was so far of by this my humble cōplaint from doyng any good at all, that I was enforced to heare suche rebukes, checkes, and tauntes for my labour, as no person of any honestie without blusshyng could abide to heare the like spoken of a most vyle varlet, against a most wretched Ruffian.

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At the first beginnyng of the disputation, when I should haue confirmed myne answeare to the first proposition in fewe wordes, MarginaliaD. Ridly could not be suffered to read forth his protestation.and that (after the maner and lawe of schooles) afore I could make an end of my first probation, which was not very long, euen the Doctors thē selues, cryed out, he speaketh blasphemies, he speaketh basphemies. And when I on my knees besought them, and that hartily, that they would vouchsafe to heare me to the end, (wherat the Prolocutor being moued, cryed out on hie, Let him reade it, let him reade it) yet when I began to reade it againe, there folowed immediatly such shouting, such a noise and tumult, and confusion of voyces, crying, blasphemies, blasphemies, as I to my remembrance, neuer heard, or read the like: except it be that one which was in the actes of the Apostles, styrred vp of Demetrius the siluer smyth, and other of his occupation, crying out against Paul, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, great is Diana of the Ephesiās: and except it be a certaine disputation which the Arrians had agaynst the Orthodoxes, & such as wer of godly iudgement in Aphrica, where it is saide, that such as the President and rulers of the disputation were, such was the end of the disputations. All were in a hurly burly, and so great were the sclaunders which the Arrians cast out, that nothing could quietly be heard. This writeth Victor in the second booke of his historie.

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MarginaliaThe 3. prisoners at Oxford called before the Commissioners. Aprill. 20.The which cries & tumults of them against me so preuailed, that wild I, nild I, I was enforced to leaue of the reading of my probations, although they were short. If any man doubt of the truth hereof, let the same aske any one that was there, and not vtterly peruerted in Poperie: and I am assured he wyll say, I speake the least. But to complaine of these thinges further, I wyl cease.

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And further speaking of this disputation, he concludeth with these wordes: And thus was ended this most glorious disputation of the most holy Fathers, sacrificers, Doctours, and Maisters, which fought most manfully (as ye may see) for their God and goodes, for their faith and felicitie, for their countrey and kitchin, for their beautie and bellie, with triumphant applauses and fauour of the whole Vniuersitie.

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After the disputation of master Latimer ended,  

Commentary   *   Close

Foxe transposed a description of the condemnation of Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer from the first informant's account of the Oxford disputations (see textual transposition 6). These passages first appeared in the Rerum (pp. 704-05), demonstrating that Foxe had obtained the first informant's account while he was in exile. The description of the procession and of Latimer's reaction to it is particularly interesting. The identification of 'Augustine Cooper' (see 'Augustine Kyrke' - "Personal Identifications") as a catchpole was accurate and confirms the accuracy of the first informant and his status as an eyewitness.

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which was the. 18. day of April, the friday folowing which was the. 20. day of the said moneth, the Commissioners sate in saint Maryes Church, as they did the saterday before, and Doctor Weston vsed particularly disswasions with euery of them, and would not suffer them to answeare in any wise, but directly and peremptorily (as his words wer) to say whether they would subscribe, or no. MarginaliaDoctour Cranmer, B. Ridley, & Maister Latymer, condemned.And first to the Bishop of Canterbury, he said he was ouercome in disputations: whom the Bishop aunsweared, that where as Doctour Weston saide, he had aunsweared and opposed, and could neyther mainteine his own errours, nor impugne the veritie, all that he said, was false. For he was not suffered to oppose as he would, nor could answeare as he was required, vnles he would haue brauled with them, so thicke their reasons came one after an other. Euer foure or fiue did interrupt hym, that he could not speake. Master Ridley and M. Latimer were asked, what they woulde doo, they said, they would stand to that they had saide. Then were they all called together, and sentence read ouer them, that they were no members of the Churche. And therefore they, their fautors, and patrones were condemned as heretiques: and in reading of it, they were asked, whether they would turne or no, and they bade them reade on in the name of God. for they were not minded to turne. So were they condemned all three.

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After which sentence of condemnation being awarded against thē, they answered againe euery one in their turne, in maner and effect of wordes, as foloweth, the Archbishop first begynning thus.

The Archbishop of Canterbury.

MarginaliaThe sentences of the Archb. and his fellowes after their sentence geuen.From this your iudgement and sentence, I appeale to the iust iudgement of God almighty, trusting to be present with him in heauen, for whose presence in the altar I am thus condemned.

Doctour Rydley.

Although I be not of your company, yet doubt not I

but my name is written in an other place, whither this sentence wyl send vs soner, then we should by the course of nature haue come.

Doctour Latimer.

I thanke God most hartily, that he hath prolonged my life to thys end, that I may in thys case glorifie God by that kind of death.

Doctor Westons answere vnto Latimer.

MarginaliaWeston geueth sentence agaynst hym selfe.If you go to heauen in this faith, then wyll I neuer come thither, as I am thus perswaded.

After the sentence pronounced, MarginaliaThe Archb. and his fellowprisoners separated.they were separated one from the other, videlicet, the Archbishop was returned to Bocardo, D. Ridley was caried to the Sheriffes house, master Latimer to the Bayliffes.

On Saterday following they had a Masse with a general Procession and great solemnitie. Doctor Cranmer was caused to beholde the Procession out of Bocardo, Doctour Ridley out of the Sheriffes house. Latimer also being brought to see it, from the Bayliffes house, thought that he should haue gone to burning, and spake to one Augustine Cooper a Catchpoll, to make a quicke fire. But when he came to Karfox, and sawe the matter, he ranne as fast as his olde bones would carrye hym, to one Spensers shop, and would not looke towardes it. Last of all, D. Weston caried the sacrament, and foure doctors caried the Canipie ouer him.

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Immediatly after the sentence was giuen, D. Ridley writeth to the Prolocutor, in a maner, as foloweth.

¶ Doctor Ridley to the Prolocutor.  
Commentary   *   Close

After adding a transitional sentence (textual variant 71), Foxe transposed Ridley's letter to Weston, which also protested the unfairness of the disputations, from after Ridley's disputation, to follow all the disputations. Foxe divided this letter into two parts (see textual transposition 18 and textual transposition 19). Between the two sections of the letter, Foxe interposed an account of Weston's having opened a letter which Cranmer had sent to Privy Council, his reading it and refusing to deliver it (textual variant 73). (This is based on material in Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 339r; a copy of this letter, in Matthew Parker's handwriting is Harley 422, fol. 46r-v). Foxe's insertion of this story in the letter gives the impression that there were two letters. The reason for this unusual editing is that Foxe apparently wanted the description of Weston's 'treachery' to precede Ridley's demand in the conclusion of his letter, that Weston exhibit this letter, as well as Ridley's written answers to the articles of disputation to Convocation. In this process, a few lines of the letter were (inadvertently?) omitted (see textual variant 72).

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MarginaliaD. Ridleyes letter to the Prolocutor. MAyster Prolocutor, you remember, I am sure, howe you promised me openly in the Schooles, after my protestation, that I should see how my answeares were there taken and written of the Notaries whō ye appointed, (me fateor neminem recusare) to write what should be said, & to haue had licence for to haue added vnto them, or to haue altered thē, as vpon more deliberation should haue semed me best. Ye granted me also at the deliuery of my answer vnto your first proposition, a copie of the same: MarginaliaPapistes haue small conscience in performing promises. these promises are not performed. If your sodain departure be any part of the cause therof, yet I pray you remember that they may be perfourmed: for performāce of promise is to bee loked for at a righteous Iudges hādes. Now I sēd you here my answeres in writing, to your second and third propositions, and do desire & require earnestly a copie of the same, and I shall by Gods grace procure the paines of the writer to be payde for and satisfied accordingly. Maister Prolocutor, in the time of my aunswearing in the Schooles, when I woulde haue confirmed my sayinges with authorities and reasons, ye said then openly, that I should haue tyme and place to say and bring what soeuer I coulde an other tyme, and the same your saying was then there confirmed of other of the Commissioners: yea, and (I dare say) the audience also thought then that I should haue had an other day, to haue brought and saide what I coulde for the declaration and confirmation of myne assertions. Now that this was not done, but so sodainly sentence geuen before the cause was perfectly heard, I can not but marueile. &c.

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On Monday next ensuing, after these thinges done and past, being the. 23. of the sayd moneth of Aprill,  

Commentary   *   Close

After adding a transitional sentence (textual variant 71), Foxe transposed Ridley's letter to Weston, which also protested the unfairness of the disputations, from after Ridley's disputation, to follow all the disputations. Foxe divided this letter into two parts (see textual transposition 18 and textual transposition 19). Between the two sections of the letter, Foxe interposed an account of Weston's having opened a letter which Cranmer had sent to Privy Council, his reading it and refusing to deliver it (textual variant 73). (This is based on material in Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 339r; a copy of this letter, in Matthew Parker's handwriting is Harley 422, fol. 46r-v). Foxe's insertion of this story in the letter gives the impression that there were two letters. The reason for this unusual editing is that Foxe apparently wanted the description of Weston's 'treachery' to precede Ridley's demand in the conclusion of his letter, that Weston exhibit this letter, as well as Ridley's written answers to the articles of disputation to Convocation. In this process, a few lines of the letter were (inadvertently?) omitted (see textual variant 72).

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MarginaliaAprill. 13. D. Weston Prolocutor tooke his iourney vp to London, with the letters certificatorie from the Vniuersitie, vnto the quene, by whom the Archb. of Cant. directed his letters supplicatorie vnto the Counsaile. The whiche letters after the Prolocutor had receiued, & had caryed them welneare halfe way to London, by the way he opened the same, and seing the contentes thereof, sent them backe againe, refusing to cary them. &c. Likewise Bishop Ridley, hearing of the Prolocutors going to London, writeth to him his letters, wherin he desireth him to cary his answeres vp to certayn bishops in London, the forme of which letters, first of D. Ridley, then of the Archb. and lastly an other letter of doct. Ridley to the Archbishop, here in order foloweth.

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¶ A letter of B. Ridley to the Prolocutor.  
Commentary   *   Close

After adding a transitional sentence (textual variant 71), Foxe transposed Ridley's letter to Weston, which also protested the unfairness of the disputations, from after Ridley's disputation, to follow all the disputations. Foxe divided this letter into two parts (see textual transposition 18 and textual transposition 19). Between the two sections of the letter, Foxe interposed an account of Weston's having opened a letter which Cranmer had sent to Privy Council, his reading it and refusing to deliver it (textual variant 73). (This is based on material in Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 339r; a copy of this letter, in Matthew Parker's handwriting is Harley 422, fol. 46r-v). Foxe's insertion of this story in the letter gives the impression that there were two letters. The reason for this unusual editing is that Foxe apparently wanted the description of Weston's 'treachery' to precede Ridley's demand in the conclusion of his letter, that Weston exhibit this letter, as well as Ridley's written answers to the articles of disputation to Convocation. In this process, a few lines of the letter were (inadvertently?) omitted (see textual variant 72).

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M Ayster Prolocutour, I desire you, and in Gods name require you, that you truely bryng forth and shewe all myne answeares, written and subscribed with myne owne hande, vnto the higher house of the Conuocation, and specially to my Lorde Chauncelour, my Lordes of Duresme, Elye, Worcester, Norwiche, and Chichester, and also to shewe and exhibite this my writyng vnto them, whiche in

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these
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