Thematic Divisions in Book 11
1. The Martyrdom of Rogers 2. The Martyrdom of Saunders 3. Saunders' Letters 4. Hooper's Martyrdom 5. Hooper's Letters 6. Rowland Taylor's Martyrdom 7. Becket's Image and other events 8. Miles Coverdale and the Denmark Letters 9. Bonner and Reconciliation 10. Judge Hales 11. The Martyrdom of Thomas Tomkins 12. The Martyrdom of William Hunter 13. The Martyrdom of Higbed and Causton 14. The Martyrdom of Pigot, Knight and Laurence 15. Robert Farrar's Martyrdom 16. The Martyrdom of Rawlins/Rowland White17. The Restoration of Abbey Lands and other events in Spring 155518. The Providential Death of the Parson of Arundel 19. The Martyrdom of John Awcocke 20. The Martyrdom of George Marsh 21. The Letters of George Marsh 22. The Martyrdom of William Flower 23. The Martyrdom of Cardmaker and Warne 24. Letters of Warne and Cardmaker 25. The Martyrdom of Ardley and Simpson 26. John Tooly 27. The Examination of Robert Bromley [nb This is part of the Tooly affair]28. The Martyrdom of Thomas Haukes 29. Letters of Haukes 30. The Martyrdom of Thomas Watts 31. Censorship Proclamation 32. Our Lady' Psalter 33. Martyrdom of Osmund, Bamford, Osborne and Chamberlain34. The Martyrdom of John Bradford 35. Bradford's Letters 36. William Minge 37. James Trevisam 38. The Martyrdom of John Bland 39. The Martyrdom of Frankesh, Middleton and Sheterden 40. Sheterden's Letters 41. Examinations of Hall, Wade and Polley 42. Martyrdom of Christopher Wade 43. Nicholas Hall44. Margery Polley45. Martyrdom of Carver and Launder 46. Martyrdom of Thomas Iveson 47. John Aleworth 48. Martyrdom of James Abbes 49. Martyrdom of Denley, Newman and Pacingham 50. Richard Hooke 51. Martyrdom of William Coker, et al 52. Martyrdom of George Tankerfield, et al 53. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Smith 54. Martyrdom of Harwood and Fust 55. Martyrdom of William Haile 56. George King, Thomas Leyes and John Wade 57. William Andrew 58. Martyrdom of Robert Samuel 59. Samuel's Letters 60. William Allen 61. Martyrdom of Roger Coo 62. Martyrdom of Thomas Cobb 63. Martyrdom of Catmer, Streater, Burwood, Brodbridge, Tutty 64. Martyrdom of Hayward and Goreway 65. Martyrdom and Letters of Robert Glover 66. Cornelius Bungey 67. John and William Glover 68. Martyrdom of Wolsey and Pigot 69. Life and Character of Nicholas Ridley 70. Ridley's Letters 71. Life of Hugh Latimer 72. Latimer's Letters 73. Ridley and Latimer Re-examined and Executed74. More Letters of Ridley 75. Life and Death of Stephen Gardiner 76. Martyrdom of Webb, Roper and Park 77. William Wiseman 78. James Gore 79. Examinations and Martyrdom of John Philpot 80. Philpot's Letters 81. Martyrdom of Thomas Whittle, Barlett Green, et al 82. Letters of Thomas Wittle 83. Life of Bartlett Green 84. Letters of Bartlett Green 85. Thomas Browne 86. John Tudson 87. John Went 88. Isobel Foster 89. Joan Lashford 90. Five Canterbury Martyrs 91. Life and Martyrdom of Cranmer 92. Letters of Cranmer 93. Martyrdom of Agnes Potten and Joan Trunchfield 94. Persecution in Salisbury Maundrell, Coberly and Spicer 95. William Tyms, et al 96. Letters of Tyms 97. The Norfolk Supplication 98. Martyrdom of John Harpole and Joan Beach 99. John Hullier 100. Hullier's Letters 101. Christopher Lister and five other martyrs 102. Hugh Lauerocke and John Apprice 103. Katherine Hut, Elizabeth Thacknell, et al 104. Thomas Drury and Thomas Croker 105. Thomas Spicer, John Deny and Edmund Poole 106. Persecution of Winson and Mendlesam 107. Gregory Crow 108. William Slech 109. Avington Read, et al 110. Wood and Miles 111. Adherall and Clement 112. A Merchant's Servant Executed at Leicester 113. Thirteen Burnt at Stratford-le-Bow114. Persecution in Lichfield 115. Hunt, Norrice, Parret 116. Martyrdom of Bernard, Lawson and Foster 117. Examinations of John Fortune118. John Careless 119. Letters of John Careless 120. Martyrdom of Julius Palmer 121. Agnes Wardall 122. Peter Moone and his wife 123. Guernsey Martyrdoms 124. Dungate, Foreman and Tree 125. Martyrdom of Thomas More126. Martyrdom of John Newman127. Examination of John Jackson128. Examination of John Newman 129. Martyrdom of Joan Waste 130. Martyrdom of Edward Sharpe 131. Four Burnt at Mayfield at Sussex 132. John Horne and a woman 133. William Dangerfield 134. Northampton Shoemaker 135. Prisoners Starved at Canterbury 136. More Persecution at Lichfield
Critical Apparatus for this Page
Commentary on the Text
Names and Places on this Page
Unavailable for this Edition
1657 [1631]

Q. Mary. The story and life of B. Latimer, Preacher and Martyr.

MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.Volume, I shall therefore referre the reader, either to the one place, or to the other.

It would aske a longe discourse to declare, what a stirre there was in Cambridge, vpō this preachyng of M. Latimer. Belike Sathan beganne to feele him self and his kingdome to be touched to nere, and therfore thought it tyme to looke aboute hym, and to make out his men of armes.

First came out the Priour of the Blacke Friers called Bucknham,  

Commentary   *   Close

Robert Buckenham was the prior of the Dominican convent in Cambridge and a noted champion of orthodoxy. In 1527, he had been licensed to preach against Thomas Bilney, the great evangelical preacher and Latimer's spiritual mentor.

otherwise surnamed Domine labia. Who thinking to make a great hande against maister Latimer, about the same tyme of Christenmas, when M. Latimer brought forth his cardes MarginaliaD. Dewface playeth at dice with M. Latymer.to deface belike the doynges of the other, brought out his Christēmas Dice, castyng there to his audience cinque and quater: meanyng by the cinque fiue places in the new Testament, and the fower doctors by the quater,  
Commentary   *   Close

In answering Latimer, Buckenham also used a games theme to his sermon: where Latimer used card metaphors, Buckenham responded with dicing metaphors. Unfortunately Buckenham's sermon has not survived.

by which his cinque quater he would proue, that it was not expediēt the Scripture to bee in Englishe, lest the ignorant and vulgare sort through the occasiō thereof, might happely be brought in daunger to leaue their vocation, or els to runne into some inconuenience: MarginaliaNote these great reasons of the Catholickes, why the Scriptures shuld not come in English.As for example the Plowman when he heareth this in the Gospell: No mā that laieth his hand on the plough and looketh backe, is mete for the kyngdome of God, might peraduenture hearyng this, cease from his plough. Likewise the Baker when he heareth that a little Leauen corrupteth a whole lumpe of dowe, maie percase leaue our bread vnleauened, and so our bodies shall bee vnseasoned. Also the simple man, whē he heareth in the Gospell: If thine eye offende thee, plucke it out, and cast it frō thee, maie make hym self blinde, and so fill the worlde full of beggars. These with other mo, this clarkely frier brought out to the number of fiue, to proue his purpose.

[Back to Top]

Maister Latimer hearyng this Frierly Sermon  

Commentary   *   Close

This account of Latimer's disputes with various friars in Cambridge was added in the 1570 edition.

of Doct. Bucknam, commeth againe the after noone, or shortly after, to the Churche to aunswere the Frier, where resorted to hym a great multitude, as well of the Vniuersitie, as of the Toune, bothe Doctors and other graduates with great expectation to heare what he could saie: among whom also directely in the face of Latimer vnderneth the Pulpit sat Bucknham the forsaid Frier Prior of the blacke Friers with his blacke Friers coule about his shoulders.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAunswere of M. Latymer to D. Bucknhams Sermon.Then M. Latymer firste repetyng the Frierly reasons of Doctour Bucknham, whereby he would proue it a daungerous thyng for the vulgar people, to haue the scripture in the vulgar tongue, so refuted the Frier, so aunswered to his obiections, so dalied with his bald reasons of the Plowman lookyng backe, and of the Baker leauyng his bread vnleauened, that the vanitie of the Frier might to al men appeare: well prouyng and declaryng to the people, howe there was no suche feare nor daunger for the scriptures, to be in Englishe as the Frier pretended: at least this requiryng, that the Scripture might bee so longe in the Englishe tongue, till Englishe men were so madde, that neither the Ploweman durst looke backe, nor the Baker would leaue his bread vnleauened: and procedyng moreouer in his sermon, he began to discourse of the mistical speaches and figuratiue phrases of the Scripture: whiche phrases he saied were not so diffuse and difficulte, as they were common in the Scripture, and in the Hebrue toungue most commonly vsed and knowen: and not onely in the Hebrue tongue: but also euery speache (saieth he) hath his Metaphors and like figuratiue significations, so common and vulgar to all menne, that the verie Painters doe paint them in walles and in houses: As for example (saieth he, lookyng toward the Frier that sat ouer against him) when they paint a Foxe preaching out of a Friers coule, none is so madde to take this to be a Foxe that preacheth, but knowe well enough the meanyng of the matter, whiche is to painte out vnto vs, what hypocrisie, craft, and subtile dissimulatiō lieth hid many tymes in these Friers coules, willyng vs thereby to beware of them. In fine, Frier Bucknham with this Sermon was so dashed, that neuer after he durst pepe out of the Pulpit against M. Latimer.

[Back to Top]

Besides this Bucknhā there was also MarginaliaAn other barking frier against M. Latymer.an other railing Frier, not of the same coate, but of the same note & faction, a graie Frier and a Doctor, an outlandishman, called D. Venetus, who likewise in his braulyng Sermons, railed and raged againste M. Latimer, callyng hym a madde and brainles man, and willyng the people not to beleue hym. &c. To whom M. Latimer aunsweryng againe, taketh for his ground the woordes of our

[Back to Top]

Sauiour Christ Math. 5. MarginaliaMath. 5.Thou shalt not kill. &c. but I saie vnto you, who soeuer is angrie with his neighbour shalbe in daunger of iudgement: And who soeuer shall saie vnto his neighbour Racha (or any other like wordes of rebukyng, as brainelesse) shalbe in daunger of Coūsaill: And who soeuer shal saie to his neighbour foole, shalbe in daunger of hell fire. &c. MarginaliaAnswere of Master Latymer to an other raling frier.In discussyng of whiche place, first he diuideth the offence of killyng into three braunches. One to be with hande, an other with harte, the thirde with worde. With hande, when we vse any weapon drawen to spill the lyfe of our neighboure. With harte when we be angrie with hym. With worde whē in worde or countenaunce we disdainfully rebuke our neighbour, or despitefully reuile hym. Woordes of rebukyng are whē we speake any opprobrious and vnsemely thing, whereby the pacience of our neighbour is moued, as when we call hym madde (saied he) or brainlesse or suche like: whiche are giltie of Counsaile. Wordes of spite or reuilyng are, when wee call hym foole: whiche Christ saieth is giltie of hell fire. &c.

[Back to Top]

Thus M. Latimer in hadling and trimmyng this matter, after that with the weight of Christes wordes, and the explainyng of the same, he had sufficiētly borne the Frier cleane doune, then he turned to the v. chap. of the booke of Wisedome.MarginaliaSapien. 5.Out of the whiche chap. he declared to the audience, how the true seruauntes & preachers of God in this worlde commonly are scorned and reuiled of the proude enemies of Gods woorde, whiche compt them here as mad men, fooles, brainles, & *MarginaliaAct. 2.drunken: so did thei (saied he) in the scripture call thē whiche most purely preached and set forth the glory of Gods worde. But, (saied he) what will be the ende of these gely felowes, or what will thei say in the ende? Nos insensati, nos insensati, &c. We madmen, we mad fooles, We, we our selues. &c. And that will be their end, excepte they repente. And thus endyng his Sermon, he so confounded the poore Frier, that he droue hym not onely out of countenaunce, but also cleane out of the Vniuersitie.

[Back to Top]

But what should I here stande deciphryng the names of his aduersaries, when whole swarmes of Friers and Doctours flockt against hym on euery side almost through the whole Vniuersitie, preachyng likewise and barkyng against hym. Amōgest whō was D. Watsonmaister of Christes Colledge, whose scholer Latimer had bene afore. D. Notaries maister of Clarehall. D. Philo maister of Michael house, D. Metecalfe maister of sainct Iohns, Doctour Blith of the kynges hal. D. Bulloke maister of the Queenes colledge. D. Cliffe of Clement hostle, D. Donnes of Iesus Colledge, D. Palmes maister of S. Nicholas Hostle, Bain, Rud, and Grenewode Bach. of Diuinitie, all three of sainct Ihons Colledge. Also Brikenden Bacheler of Diuinitie of the same house, and scholer somtyme to the said Latimer. Briefly, almost as many as were heades there of houses, so many impugners did this worthie Standerbearer of Christes Gospell sustaine.

[Back to Top]

Then came at laste MarginaliaD. West Bishop of Eley forbidding M. Latymer to preach.D. West Bishop of Eley, who preachyng against M. Latimer at Barwell Abbey, forbad hym within the Churches of that Vniuersitie to preache any more. Not withstandyng so the Lorde prouided, that D. Barnes Prior of the Austen Friers, did licence M. Latimer to preach in his churche of the Austens, and he hym self preached at the church by called S. Edwardes churche, which was the first sermon of the Gospell whiche D. Barnes preached, beyng vpon Christmas euen vpon a Sondaie. Wherupon certain Articles were gathered out of his sermon, and wer cōmenced agaynst hym by M. Tirell fellowe of the Kynges Hall, and so by the Vicechauncellour presented to þe Cardinall, as in his storie before hath been declared.

[Back to Top]

This M. Latimer (as you haue heard) beyng baited by the Friers, Doctors, and maisters of that Vniuersitie about the yere aforesad. 1529. notwithstanding the maugre and malice of these malignant aduersaries, continued yet in Cambridge, preachyng the space of iij. yeres together, with suche fauour and applause of the godly, also with suche admiration of his enemies that heard hym, that the Bishop hym self commyng in, and hearyng his gifte, wished hym self to haue the like, and was compelled to commende hym vpon the same.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaBilney & Latimer ioyned companions.So M. Latimer with M. Bilney after this continued yet in Cambridge a certaine space, where he with the saied Bilney vsed muche to conferre and company together, in so muche that the place where they moste vsed to walke in the fieldes, was called long after, the Heretickes hill.  

Commentary   *   Close

There is only one hill in Cambridge: Castle Hill, an artificial mound on a small rise just across the Cam from Magdalen College. In Latimer's day, this would have been open countryside just outside the city.

[Back to Top]
The
KKKK.ij.