MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.the frosty wynter, and welny starued for colde, merely bad the man tell his Maister, MarginaliaMaister Latymers mery message to the Liuetenant.that if he did not looke the better to hym, perchaunce he would deceiue hym.

The Lieutenaunt hearyng this, bethought hymselfe of these woordes, and fearyng leste that in deede hee thought to make some escape, begā to loke more straitly to hys prisoner, and so commyng to hym, begynneth to charge him with hys woordes, recityng the same vnto hym whiche hys man had told hym before: how that if he were not better looked vnto, perchaūce he would deceaue them. &c. MarginaliaThe answer of M. Latymer to the Liuetenant.Yea Maister Lieutenaunt, so I sayd (quoth he) for you looke I thinke þ^t I should burne: but except you let me haue some fire, I am lyke to deceaue your expectation, for I am like here to starue for cold.

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Many suche like aunsweres and reasons, mery, but sauery, commyng not from a vaine minde, but from a constant and quiet reason, proceded from that man, declaryng a firme and stable hart, little passing for al this great blusteryng of their terrible threates, but rather deridyng the same.

MarginaliaM. Latymer with Doctour Cranmer and B. Ridley, remoued from the Tower to Oxford.Thus Maister Latimer passyng a long tyme in the Tower, with as muche pacience as a man in his case could do, from thence was trāsported to Oxford, with Doct. Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, and M. Ridley Bishop of London, there to dispute vpon Articles sent down from Gardiner Bishop at Winchester as is before touched, pag. 1358. the maner and order of which disputations betwene them and the Vniuersity Doctours is also before sufficiently expressed, pag. 1360.MarginaliaRead before pag. 1360.Where also is declared, how and by whom the said Latymer with his other felow prisoners were cōdemned after the disputations, & so committed agayne to the prison, and there they continued from the moneth of April aboue mentioned, to this present moneth of October:MarginaliaOctob. 16.where they were most godly occupied, either with brotherly conference, or with feruent prayer, or with fruitfull writyng.

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Albeit M. Latymer by reason of the feblenes of hys age, wrote least of them all in this later time of his imprisonment: yet in prayer he was feruently occupyed, wherin often times so long he continued kneelyng, that he was not able to ryse without helpe: and amongest other thynges, these were three principall matters hee praied for.

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MarginaliaThre requestes of M. Liatmers prayer.First, that as God had appointed hym to be a preacher of his worde, so also he would giue hym grace to stande to hys doctrine vntill hys death, that he might geue hys hart bloud for the same.

Secondly, that God of his mercy would restore hys Gospell to England once againe, and these woordes MarginaliaOnce agayne, once agayne.once agayne, once agayne, he did so inculcate and beate into the eares of the Lord God, as though he had seen God before hym, and spoken to hym face to face.

The third matter was, to pray for the preseruation of the Queenes maiesty, that now is, MarginaliaM. Latimers prayer for Q. Elizabeth.whom in his prayer he was wont accustomably to name, and euen with teares desired God to make her a comfort to his comfortles Realme of England. These were the matters he praied for so earnestly. Neither were these thinges of hym desired in vaine, as the good successe thereof after folowyng did declare: for the Lord most graciously did graunt all those his requestes.

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MarginaliaAll three requestes of M. Latymer graūted of the Lord.First concernyng his constancy, euen in the most extremity the Lord graciously assisted hym. For when he stoode at the stake without Bocardo gate at Oxford, and the tormentors about to set the fire to hym, and to the learned and godly Bishop M. Ridley, he lifted vp hys eyes towardes Heauen with an amiable and comfortable countenaunce, saying these wordes: Fidelis est Deus qui non sinit nos tentari supra id quod possumus:  

God is faithfull, which doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength: and so afterward by & by shed his bloud in the cause of Christ, the which bloud ranne of his harte in such aboundaunce that all those that were present, beyng godly, did maruell to see the moste parte of the bloud in his bodye to bee gathered to his hart, and with such violence to gushe out, his body beyng opened by the force of the fire: by the whiche thyng God most gratiously graunted his request, which was that hee might sheede hys harte bloud in the defence of the Gospell.

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How mercifully the Lorde heard his second request, in restoryng his Gospell once again to this Realme, these present daies cā beare record. MarginaliaThe vnthankfulnes of England.And what then shal England say now for her defense, which beyng so mercifully visited and refreshed with the worde of God, so

slenderly & vnthankefully considereth either her owne misery past, or the great benefite of God now present? The Lord be mercifull vnto vs, Amen.

Againe, concernyng his third request, it seemeth likewise most effectuously graunted, to the great prayse of God, the furtheraunce of his Gospell, and to the vnspeakable comfort of this Realme. For whether at the request of his praier, or of other Gods holy Saintes, or whether God was moued with the cry of his whole Church, the truth is, that when all was deplorate and in a desperate case, and so desperate that the enemyes mightely florished and triumphed, gods word was banished, Spaniards receiued, no place left for Christes seruauntes to couer their heades: MarginaliaGods gratious helpe in time of nede, vpon the realme of England.sodenly the lord called to remembraunce his mercy, and forgettyng our former iniquity, made an end of all these miseries, and wrought a meruelous chaūge of things, at the chaūge whereof MarginaliaQ. Elizabeth graūted of God to England.the sayd Queene Elizabeth was appoynted and annoynted, for whom this gray headed father so earnestly prayed in his imprisonment: through whose true, naturall, and imperiall crowne, the brightnes of Gods word was set vp againe to confound the darke and falseuisured Kyngdome of Antichriste, the true Temple of Christe reedified, the captiuity of sorowfull Christians released, which so long was wished for in the praiers of so many good men, specially of this faithfull and true seruaunt of the Lord M. Latymer.

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MarginaliaGod for Christes sake so graunt.The same GOD which at the requestes of his holy and faythfull Saintes hath poured vpon vs such benefites of his mercy, peace and tranquillity, assist our most vertuous and Christian Princesse, and her Subiectes, that wee may euery one in his state and callyng so serue his glory, and walke in our vocation, that we lose not that whiche they haue obtained, but may proceede in all faithfulnes, to build and keepe vp the house and temple of the Lord, to the aduansing of his glory, and our euerlastyng comfort in hym. And thus muche concerning the doings and laborious trauailes of M. Latimer. Now after these thinges thus finished and discoursed pertayning to þ^e story of his life, let vs come to his letters which he wrote at diuers and sundry tymes from the first beginnyng of his preachyng: all which here to comprehend which he wrote both in English and Latin, lacke of space and place at this present will not permit, neuertheles certaine we will take, and first concernyng the articles aboue mentioned, for the which he was troubled by the Priestes of the countrey about his benefice at West Kington: what he wryteth therof to M. Morice, the copie thereof here followeth.

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MarginaliaA letter of M. Latymer to M. Morice.RIght worshipfull, and mine owne good M. Morice, salutem in Christo Iesu. And I thanke you for all hartie kindnes, not onely heretofore shewed vnto me, but also that nowe of late, you would vouchsafe to write vnto me so poore a wretche, to my greate comfort among all these my troubles. I trust and doubt nothyng in it, but GOD will reward you for me, and supply aboundantly myne vnability. &c. MarginaliaNote the dissembling incōstancy of Popish priestes.Maister Morice you would wonder to know how I haue bene intreated at Bristowe. I meane of some of the Pristes, whiche first desyred mee, welcomed me, made me cheare, heard what I said, allowed my saying in all thinges whiles I was with them: when I was gone home to my Benefice, perceauyng that the people fauoured me so greatly, and that the Maior had appointed me to preache at Easter, MarginaliaInhibition procured against M. Latymer not to preach.priuely they procured an inhibition for all them that had not the Bishops licence, which they knew well inough I had not, and so craftely defeated maister Maiors appointment, pretendyng that they were sory for it, procuryng also certaine Preachers to blatter against me, as MarginaliaHubberdine & Powell preach against M. Latymer.Huberdyn and powell, with other moe: whom when I had brought before the Maior and the wise counsaile of the towne, to knowe what they could lay to my charge, wherefore they so declaimed against me, they sayd they spake of information: howbeit no man could be brought forth that would abyde by any thyng: So that they had place and tyme to belye mee shamefully, but they had no place nor tyme to lay to my charge, when I was present and ready to make them aunswere. God amend them, and swage their malice that thei haue against the truth and me. &c.

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