Marginalia1555. October.in Queene Maryes raigne, the tragicall storye and lyfe of Doctour Ridley I thought good to commend to Chronicle and leaue to perpetuall memorie: beseechyng thee gentle Reader, with care and study well to peruse, diligently to consider, and deepely to print the same in thy brest, seeyng hym to be a man beautified with such excellent qualities, so ghostly  

inspired, and godly learned, and now writtē doubtlesse in the booke of lyfe, with the blessed Saintes of the almighty, crowned and throned amongst the glorious company of Martyrs. MarginaliaNicholas Ridley borne in Northumberland.First descendyng of a stocke right worshipfull,   he was borne in Northūberlandshire, who beyng a childe, MarginaliaNicholas Ridley learned at Newcastle.learned his Grammar with great dexteritie in Newcastle, and was remoued from thence to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, where he in short space became so famous, that for his singular aptnes he was called to higher functions and Offices of the Vniuersitie, by degree atteynyng thereunto, MarginaliaNicholas Ridley Maister of Pembroke hall in Cambridge.and was called to be head of Pembrooke hall, & there made Doctour of Diuinitie.MarginaliaNicholas Ridley made D. of Diuinitie. After this departyng from thence he trauailed to Paris, who at his returne, MarginaliaNicholas Ridley king Henryes Chapleine.was made Chapleine to king Henry the eight and promoted afterwardes by him to the Bishoprike of Rochester:   MarginaliaNicholas Ridley made Byshop of Rochester. and so from thence translated to the See and Bishoprike of London in kyng Edwardes dayes.MarginaliaNicholas Ridley made Byshop of London.

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In whiche callyng and offices he so trauailed and occupyed him selfe by preachyng and teachyng the true and wholesome doctrine of Christ, that neuer good chylde was more singularly loued of his deare parentes, then he of his flocke and Dioces. MarginaliaThe fruitfull diligence of B. Ridley in preaching Gods worde.Euery holy day and Sonday he lightly  

preached in some one place or other, except he were otherwise letted   by weighty affayres and busines: to whose sermons the people resorted, swarmyng about hym like bees, and couetyng the sweete flowers and wholesome ioice of the fruitfull doctrine, whiche he dyd not onely preach, but shewed the same by his lyfe, as a glitteryng lanterne to the eyes and senses of the blynde, in such pure order and chastitie of lyfe (declinyng from euyll desires and concupiscences   ) that euen his very enimies 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 memorye was great, and he of such readyng wythall, that of right he deserued to be comparable to the best of this our age, as can testifie as well diuers his notable woorkes, pithy sermons, and sundry his disputations in both the 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 counsel, deepe of wyt, and very politike in all his doinges. How mercyful & careful he was to reduce the obstinate papistes frō their erroneous opinions, and by gentlenes to wynne them to the truth, his gentle orderyng and courteous handlyng of Doctor. Heath late Archbishop of Yorke,  

beyng prisoner with hym in king Edwardes tyme in his house one yeare, sufficiently declareth. In fine, he was such a Prelate, and in all pointes so good, godly, & ghostly a man, that England may iustly rue the losse of so worthy a treasure. And thus hitherto concernyng these publike matters.

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Now will I speake somthing further particularly of his person & conditions. MarginaliaB. Ridley comely of proportion and complexion.He was a man right comely & wel proportioned in all poynts, both in complexion & lineaments of the body. He tooke all thinges in good part, bearyng no malice nor rancour in his hart, but streight wayes forgettyng al iniuries & offences done against hym. MarginaliaThe fayre conditions of Byshop Rydley.He was very kind & naturall to his kinsfolke, and yet not bearing with them any thing otherwise then right would require,MarginaliaB. Ridley tender to his kinred, yet not otherwyse then truth and right required. geuing them alwayes for a general rule, yea to his owne brother & sister, that they doing euyl, should seeke or looke for nothyng at his hand, but should be as straungers and alienes vnto hym: and they to be 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 hym selfe, was geuen to much prayer and contemplation:MarginaliaB. Ridley a great mortifier of hym selfe. For duely euery mornyng, so soone as his apparell was done vppon hym, he went foorthwith to his bed chamber, and there vppon his knees prayed the space of halfe an houre: which beyng don, MarginaliaThe order of his study and dyet.immediately he went to his studye (if there came no other busines to interrupt hym) where he continued tyl ten of the clocke, and then came to common prayer, dayly vsed in his house. The prayers being done, he went to dynner, where he vsed litle talke, except otherwise occasiō by some had ben ministred, and then was it sober, discrete, and wise, & sometyme mery as cause required.

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

That done, he returned to his study, and there would cōtinue, except suters or busines abrod were occasiō of the cōtrary, vntyl fiue of the clocke at night, & then would come to common prayer, as in the forenoone: which being finished, he went to supper, behauyng hym selfe there, as at his dynner

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before: After supper, recreating hym selfe in playing at Chestes the space of an houre, MarginaliaHis order after Supper.he would then returne againe to his study, continuyng there tyll a. xi. of the clocke at nyght, which was his common houre to goe to bed, then saying hys prayers vpō his knees as in þ^e mornyng whē he rose. Being at his manor of Fulham, as diuers tymes he vsed to be, MarginaliaThe carefull diligence of Byshop Ridley in instructing his famylye.he red dayly a Lecture to his familie at the cōmon prayer, beginnyng at the Acts of þ^e Apostles, & so going throughout al the Epistles of s. Paul, geuing to euery mā that could read, a new Testament, hyring thē besides with money to learne by hart certaine principal Chapters, but especially the. xiij. chapter of the Actes, reading also vnto his houshold oftentyme the hundred and one Psalme, being maruellous careful ouer his familie, that they might be a spectacle of al vertue and honestie to other. To be short, as he was godly and vertuous hym selfe, so nothing but vertue and godlynes reigned in his house, feeding them with the foode of our saueour Iesus Christ.

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Nowe remayneth a woorde or two to be declared of his gentle nature and kindely pitie in the vsage of an olde woman called Maistresse Boner, mother to Doctour Boner, sometime Bishop of London: whiche I thought good to touch, as well for the rare clemencie of Doctour Ridley, as the vnworthy immanitie and ingrateful disposition agayne of Doctor Boner. Bishop Ridley being at hys Manor of Fulham, MarginaliaThe behauiour of Bishop Ridley to Doctour Boners mother.alwayes sent for the said maistresse Boner, dwelling in an house adioynyng to his house, to dynner and supper, with one Maistresse Mungey Boners sister, saying: go for my mother Boner, who comyng, was euer placed in þ^e chayre at þ^e Tables end, being so gently intreated, welcomed, and taken, as though he had bene borne of her own body, being neuer displaced of her seate, although the kynges Counsaile had bene present, saying, when any of them were there (as diuers tymes they were) by your Lordships fauour, this place of right and custome is for my mother Boner. But howe well he was recompenced for this his singular gentlenes, and pitifull pietie after at the handes of the sayd Doctor Boner, almost the least child that goeth by the ground can declare.MarginaliaThe courtesye of Ridley & the currishnes of Boner discribed and compared together. For who afterward, was more enemy to Ridley, then Boner and his? Who more went about to seeke his destruction, then he? recompensing his gentlenes with extreme crueltie.  

As wel appeared by the strait handling of Ridleyes owne naturall sister, and George Shypside her husband, from tyme to tyme: where as the gentlenes of the other dyd suffer Boners mother, sister, and other his kinred, not only quietly to enioy all þ^t which they had of Boner: but also entertayned thē in his house, MarginaliaB. Ridley good and kinde to Boners mother.shewing much courtesie and frendship daily vnto them: wheras on the other side, Bishop Boner being restored againe, would not suffer the brother and naturall sister of Bishop Ridley, and other his frends, not only not to enioy that which they had by the said their brother Bishop Ridley, MarginaliaBoner vnkind and churlish to B. Ridleyes Sister, and seketh the death of his brother in lawe.but also currishly without al order of law or honestie, by extort power wrasted from them al the liuyings they had.  

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And yet being not therewith satisfied, he sought all the meanes he could, to woorke the death of the foresaid Shipside, saying, that he would make twelue godfathers to goe vpon him, which had bene brought to passe in deede at what tyme he was prisoner at Oxford, had not God otherwise wrought his deliuerance by meanes of D. Heath Bishop then of Worcester.  

Teste Georg. Shipsido.

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Wherby all good indifferent  

Readers notoriously haue to vnderstand, what great diuersitie was in the disposition of these two natures. Whereof as the one excelled in mercy and pitie: so the other againe as much or more excelled in churlishe ingratitude, and despitefull disdaine. But of thys matter enough.

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Nowe concernyng Gods vocation, how Doctor Ridley was first called to the sauouring and fauouring of Christe and his Gospell, partly by his disputation before, and other his Treatises it maye appeare, that the first occasion of his conuersion, was by reading of Bertrams booke of the Sacrament,  

MarginaliaB. Ridley first conuerted by reading Bertrams Booke. whom also the conference with Bishop Cranmer, and with Peter Martyr   dyd not a litle confirme in that behalfe. Who nowe by the grace of God, being throughly wonne and brought to the true way, as he was before blind and zelous in his old ignorance: so was he as constant and faythfull in the right knowledge whiche the Lorde had opened vnto hym (as well appeared by his preachyngs and dooynges duryng all the tyme of kyng Edwarde) and so long dyd muche good, whyle authoritie of externe power might defend and hold vp the peace of the Churche and proceedynges of the Gospell. MarginaliaB. Ridley one of the first in trouble after the death of king Edward.But after that it pleased so the heauenly wyll of our Lord our God to bereue vs of þ^t stay, and to call from vs kyng Edwarde that precious Prince, as the whole state of the Churche of Englande was leaft desolate and open to the enimies hande: so this Bishop Ridley, after the commyng in of Queene Mary, eftsoone

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