MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.very sure,
In the 1563 edition, Foxe states that 'one master Warner' was the warden who denounced Ridley. This would have been John Warner, the warden of All Souls. But Warner was not only a powerful figure in Elizabeth's reign - he became dean of Winchester - he was also considered to be a staunch protestant and had, indeed, been deprived of his position at All Souls under Mary. In later editions Foxe simply says that the warden's name was uncertain.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaD. Ridley biddeth gestes to his mariage.THe night before he suffered, his beard was washed, and his legges: and as he sat at supper the same night at M. Irishes (who was his keper) he bad his hostes, and the rest at the bourde to his mariage: for (saith he) to morow I must be maried: and so shewed hym self to be as mery as euer he was at any tyme before. And wishing his sister at his mariage, he asked his brother sittyng at the Table, whether she could finde in her harte to bee there or no: and he aunswered, yea, I dare saie, with all her harte: at whiche woorde he saied, he was glad to heare of her so muche therein. MarginaliaMistres Irish a great Papist before, weepeth for D. Ridley.So at this talke Maistres Irishe wept.
[Back to Top]Ridley and Margarert Irish seem to have become much closer since June 1555 when Ridley had written scathingly of her to Grindal.
When they arose from the Table, his brother offered hym to watche all night with hym. But he said, no, no, that you shall not. MarginaliaB. Ridley careles of his death.For I mynde (God willyng) to goe to bed, and to slepe as quietly to nighte, as euer I did in my life. So his brother departed, exhortyng him to be of good chere, and to take his Crosse quietly, for the reward was greate. &c.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe order and maner of B. Ridley and M. Latymer going to the stake.VPon the Northside of the toune, in the Ditche ouer against Baily Colledge, the place of execution was appointed: and for feare of any tumult that might arise, to let the burning of thē, the Lorde Willyams was commaunded by the Queenes Letters, and the householders of the Citie, to bee there assistaunt sufficiently appointed, and when euery thyng was in a readinesse, the prisoners were brought forthe by the Maior and Bailiffes.
[Back to Top]M. Ridley had a faire blacke goune furred, and faced with foines, suche as he was wont to weare beyng Bishop, & a tippet of veluet furred
A tippet is a clerical garment covering the neck and shoulders. Ridley, in contrast to Latimer, dressed for his execution as befitted his status. Also note Foxe's rewriting of this passage in the 1570 edition; this is a sign of the care and attention which Foxe gave to the account of the martyrdoms of Ridley and Latimer.
[Back to Top]After hym came M. Latimer in a poore Bristowe frise frocke all worne, with his buttened cappe, & a kerchief on his head, al ready to þe fire, a new long shroude hanging ouer his hose doune to the feete,
Latimer's attire is a complete contrast to Ridley's dress. But it is also worth observing that Latimer's costume had the effect of generating sympathy for the former bishop. Far from indicating a mental breakdown, Latimer's dress and demeanour seem to have been shrewd self-presentation.
M. Doctor Ridley, as he passed towardes Bocardo, lookyng vp where M. Cranmer did lye, hoping belike to haue seen hym at the glasse windowe, & to haue spoken vnto hym. But then M. Cranmer was busie wt Frier Soto & his fellowes disputyng together, so that he could not see hym through that occasion.
Foxe's account is verified, and supplemented, here by Hicholas Harpsfield's account of Thomas Cranmer's imprisonment and execution. Cranmer was indeed disputing with de Soto, but before the executions commenced he was taken to the tower of the north gate at Oxford overlooking the site of the executions and witnessed the last moments of Ridley and Latimer (Bishop Cranmer's Recantacyons, ed. Lord Houghton [Philobiblion Society Miscellanies 15, 1877-84], pp. 48-50). Interestingly the woodcut of the execution in the Acts and Monuments depicts Cranmer in the tower watching the execution although this seemingly contradicts what is said in this passage.
[Back to Top]With that went he to the stake, kneled doune by it, kissed it, moste effecteously praied, and behinde him M.
Latimer kneeled, as earnestly callyng vppon God as he. After they arose, the one talked with the other a little whyle, till thei whiche were appointed to see the execution, remoued them selues out of the Sunne. What thei saied, I can learne of no man.
MarginaliaD. Smith preaching at the burning of B. Ridley and M. Latymer.Then D. Smith of whose recātation in kyng Edwardes tyme, ye heard before, pag. 1370. began his sermon to them, vpon this text of sainct Paule, in the xiij. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians: Si corpus meum tradam igni, charitatem autem non habeo, nihil inde vtilitatis capio.
Si corpus meum tradam igni, charitatem autem non habeo, nihil inde vtilitatis capio. If I yeld my body to the fire to be burnt, and haue not Charity, I shall gayne nothing therby. et si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam caritatem autem non habuero nihil mihi prodest.
Doctour Ridley saied to M. Latimer: will you begin to aunswere the Sermon, or shall I? Maister. Latimer saied: beginne you first, I praie you. I will, saied M. Ridley.
MarginaliaD. Ridley ready to answere D. Smithes Sermon, but could not be suffered.Then the wicked Sermon beyng ended, Doctoure Ridley and maister Latimer kneled doune vpon their knees towardes my Lorde Willyams of Tame, the Vicechauncellour of Oxford, and diuers other Commissioners appointed for that purpose, whiche sat vpō a forme there by. Vnto whom M. Ridley saied: I beseche you my lorde, euen for Christes sake, that I may speake but twoo or thre wordes: and whilest my lorde bent his heade to the Maior and Vicechauncellour, to knowe (as it appeared) whether he mighte giue hym leaue to speake, the Bailiffes and D. Marshall Vicechauncellour ran hastely vnto hym, and with their hādes stopped his mouthe,MarginaliaDoct. Marshall Vicechauncellour of Oxford stoppeth Doct. Ridleis mouth. and saied: M. Ridley, if you will reuoke your erroneous opinions, and recante the same, you shall not onely haue libertie so to doe, but also the benefite of a subiecte, that is, haue your life. Not otherwise, saied M. Ridley? No quod Doctor Marshall: therefore if you will not do so, then there is no remedy but you must suffer for your desertes. Well (quod maister Ridley] so long as the breathe is in my bodie, I will neuer deny my Lorde Christe, and his knowen truthe: Gods will be doen in me. And with that he rose vp, & saied with a loude voice: MarginaliaB. Ridley cōmitteth his cause to God.Wel, then I cōmit our cause to almightie God, whiche shall indifferently iudge all.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaM Latymers wordes when he could not be suffered to answere Doctour Smith.To whose saiyng, M. Latimer added his old Posie.
A motto or personal slogan.
Immediately.
A clerical garment worn about the neck and shoulders. In a gloss Foxe tries to maintain that this did not indicate support for the clerical vestments. Actually Ridley did not share Foxe's animus against clerical vestments, despite the martyrologist's best efforts to cast him in that light.
MarginaliaD. Ridley giueth awaye his apparell and other gifts to the people about him.He gaue awaie besides, diuers other small thynges to gentlemen standyng by, and diuers of them pitifully weepyng, as to Sir Henry Ley he gaue a new groate, and to diuers of my lorde Willyams gentlemen, some Napkins, some Nutmegges, and races
A rase is an archaic unit of measurement.
A sundial.
Laces.