1576 Edition | Book 11 | Page 1650 
and with the first was layd handes vpon and committed to prison, as before hath sufficiently bene expressed: MarginaliaB. Ridley in the Tower.MarginaliaQ. Mary. An. 1555. October.fyrst in the Tower, then after translated from thence with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Maister Latimer to Oxforde, was with them inclosed in the common Gayle and prison of Bocardo,
CloseA Bocardo is a type of syllogism whose logic was supposed to be impossible to escape. The Oxford gaol, on the north gate of the city, was nicknamed the Bocardoin consequence.
Furthermore, as touching his disputations & conflicts had at Oxford,MarginaliaRead before pag. 1371. and also of his determination had at Cambrdge, also his trauailes in perswading and instructing the Lady Mary before shee was Queene,MarginaliaBefore pag. 1356 his reasons & conference likewise had in the Tower at the Lieutenants boord, enough hath bene said already. Besides this, other conferēces he had in prison wyth Doct. Cranmer & maister Latimer, which because they be somwhat long here to be inserted, & because I see this volume swelleth already with abundance of other matter, and partly also for that the same be expressed before in our first edition, page. 1285.MarginaliaRead in our first edition. pag. 1285. I thought good either to referre the reader to the same, or els to deferre hym tyl the latter end of this volume, where in the Appendix, God willing, both this and other diuers omissions and treatises shalbe supplied.
[Back to Top]In the meane tyme it shal content the Reader for this present to haue certaine of his Letters, with a fewe other writinges of his, whiche we thought here to adioyne vnto the storie of his lyfe aboue described, before we come to the death and burnyng of hym and Maister Latimer together: the order and prosecuting of whiche his Letters here vnder beginneth.
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CloseNone of these letters appeared in the Rerum, but this may have been due to the pressure on Foxe to finish the Rerum in time for the Frankfurt book fair in September 1559. (It is worth noting that Foxe printed one of Ridley's 'farewell' letters in November 1559, but he did not print it in the Rerum). In any case, out of the ten letters of Ridley's which Foxe printed - this does not count the two 'farewell' letters - six first appeared in the 1563 edition. The remaining four letters were first printed in the Letters of the Martyrs and added to the 1570 edition. These letters were reprinted in the 1576 and 1583 editions without change.
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CloseRidley was moved from the Tower to Oxford in March 1554; this letter was written after 8 May of that year. This letter was first printed in the 1563 edition, then in Letters of the Martyrs (pp. 58-60).
MarginaliaA letter of Byshop Ridley to Master Bradford and others.WEll beloued in Christe our Saueour, we all with one hart wishe to you, with al those that loue God in deede and truth, grace and health, and specially to our dearely beloued companions whiche are in Christes cause, and the cause both of their brethren and of thir owne saluation, to put their necke willingly vnder the yoke of Christes crosse. Howe ioyfull it was to vs to heare the reporte of Doctour Taylour and of his godly confession. &c.
CloseThis is a reference to the letter of 8 May 1554 sent by Rowland Taylor and other imprisoned protestants to Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer (see 1563, pp. 1001-03;1570, pp. 1640-41; 1576, pp. 1399-1400 and 1583, pp. 1469-71).
Blessed be God, whiche was and is the geuer of that, and of all godly strength and stomacke in the tyme of aduersitie. As for the rumours that haue or do goe abrode, either of our relenting or massing,MarginaliaFalse reportes spread by the policye of the Papistes.we trust that they whiche knowe God, and their duetie towardes their brethren in Christe, wyll not be too light of credence. For it is not the sclaunderers euyll tongue, but a mans own euyll deede that can with God defile a man: and therefore with Gods grace, ye shal neuer haue other cause to do otherwise then ye say ye do, that is not to doubt, but that we wyll, by Gods grace, continue. &c. Like rumour as ye haue hearde of our commyng to London, hathe bene here spreadde of the commyng of certaine learned men prisoners, hither from London: but as yet we know no certaintie whether of these rumors is, or shalbe more true. Know you, that we haue you in our dayly remembrance, and wishe you and all the rest of our foresaid companions, wel in Christ.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThis letter seemeth to be written a litle before, about the tyme of the burning of M. Rogers.It should do vs much comfort, if we might haue knowledge of the state of the rest of our most dearely beloued, which in this troublesome tyme do stand in Christes cause, and in the defence of the truth therof. Somewhat we haue hearde of maister Hoopers matter:
CloseI.e., situation.
CloseEdward Crome had been imprisoned in the Fleet since January 1554; he would recant and be released around February 1555. Edwin Sandys had been imprisoned since January 1553, but was released in the spring of 1554 and arrived in Antwerp in May. Laurence Saunders had been imprisoned since October 1553. Jean Veron had been imprisoned since August 1553; he would remain in prison throughout Mary's reign. Thomas Becon had been imprisoned in the Tower since August 1553, buthe was released on 24 March 1554 and fled to Stasbourg. John Rogers was placed under house arrest in July 1553 and committed to Newgate in January 1554.
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CloseTreatment.
CloseOxford University paid for the maintenance of Ridley, Cranmer and Latimer. Ridley is saying that it was expensive for Oxford to pay for the upkeep of the three prisoners.
CloseA Bocardo was a syllogism whose conclusion was supposed to be inescapable. As a joke the prison in Oxford, in the north gate of the town, was commonly called the Bocardo.
CloseActed bravely.
CloseAn escape.
are restrained of both.MarginaliaM. Ridley and his felow prisoners in Bocardo, restrayned of their libertie.
My Lord of Worcester passed by through Oxford, but he dyd not visite vs.
CloseThe bishop of Worcester, Nicholas Heath, had been held in Ridley's custody.
CloseA quondam is the former holder of an office. Ridley is calling the Bocardo a college of 'quondams' because he, Latimer and Cranmer who were imprisoned there were all former bishops.
CloseGrow, increase.
We all praye you, as ye can, to cause all our commendations to be made to all suche as ye knowe dyd visite vs and you, when we were in the Tower, with their freendly remembraunces and benefites. MarginaliaThe goodnes of Misteres Wilkinson, and Anne Warcup to helpe the Bishops in Bocardo.Maistresse Wilkenson and maistresse Warcup haue not forgotten vs, but euer since we came into Bocardo, with their charitable and frendly beneuolence haue comforted vs: not that els we dyd lacke (for God be blessed, he euer hytherto hath prouided sufficiently for vs) but that is a great comfort, and an occasion for vs to blesse God, when we see that he maketh them so frendly to tender vs, whom some of vs were neuer familiarly acquainted withal.
[Back to Top]Yours in Christ, Nich. Ridley.
CloseThis letter was first printed in 1563 and then in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 79-80. It was then reprinted in every edition of the Acts and Monuments.
MarginaliaAn other letter of Bishop Ridley to his Cosin.GOds holy spirite be with you now and euer. Amen.
When I call to remembraunce (beloued Cosin) the state of those that for feare of trouble, either for losse of goodes, wyl do in the sight of the world those thinges that they know & are assured are contrary to the wyl of God, I can do no lesse but lament their case,MarginaliaM. Ridley lamenteth the state of them, which for feare of trouble doe wynd with the worlde and goe contrary to their conscience. being assured the ende therof wyl be so pitiful (without speedy repentaunce) that I tremble and feare to haue it in remembrance. I woulde to God it laye vppon some earthly burden, so that freedome of cōscience might be geuen vnto them. I wrote (as God knoweth) not of presumption, but onely lamenting the state of those, whom I thought now in this dangerous tyme should haue geuen both you and me comfortable instructions. But (alas) in steede therof we haue instructions to folow (I lament me to rehearse it) superstitious Idolatrie. Yea, and that woorst of all is, they wyl seeke to proue it by the Scripture. The Lorde for his mercye turne their hartes. Amen. Commend me. &c.
[Back to Top]Yours, Nicholas Ridley.
CloseThis letter was first printed in Letters of the Martyrs, pp. 62-63 and then in the 1570 edition, and all subsequent editions, of the Acts and Monuments. BL, Harley 416, fo. 32v and ECL 260, fo. 116r are copies of this letter in Foxe's papers.
MarginaliaAn other worthy letter of B. Ridley to M. Bradford.BRother Bradford, I wishe you and your companye in Christ, yea and all the holy brotherhoode that nowe with you in diuers prisons suffereth and beareth paciently Christes crosse for the maintenaunce of his Gospell, grace, mercye and peace from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.
[Back to Top]Syr, considering the state of this chiualrie and warfare, wherein I doubt not but wee be set to fight vnder Christes banner, and his crosse agaynst our ghostly enemie the Deuill and the olde serpent Satan, me thinke I perceiue two things to be his most perilous & most dangerous engines whiche he hath to impugne Christes veritie, his gospel, & his faith: MarginaliaTwo mayne pillers holding vp the Sinagoge of Sathan.and the same two also to be the most massy postes, and most mighty pyllers, wherby he mainteyneth and vpholdeth his Satanicall synagogue.
CloseI.e., the Roman catholic church.