MarginaliaAnno. 1555. October.M. Latimer gaue nothyng, but verie quietly suffered hys keper to pull of his hose, and his other arraye, whiche to loke vnto was verie simple: and beyng stripped into his shroude,MarginaliaM. Latymer standing at the stake in his shirte. he seemed as comely a persone to them that were there present, as one should lightly see: and wheras in his clothes, he appered a withered and crooked selie old man, he now stoode bolte vpright, as comely a father, as one might lightly beholde.

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Then M. Ridley standyng as yet in hys trusse,  

said to his brother: it were beste for me to goe in my trusse still. No (quod his brother) it will put you to more paine: and the trusse will doe a poore man good. Whereunto M. Ridley saied: be it, in the name of God, and so vnlaced hym self. Then beyng in his shirte, he stoode vppon the foresaied stone, and helde vp his handes, and saied: MarginaliaB. Ridley thanketh God for his Martyrdome, and prayeth for England.Oh heauenly Father, I giue vnto thee moste hartie thankes, for that thou hast called mee to be a professour of thee: euen vnto death. I beseche thee Lorde God, take mercy vpon thys Realme of Englande, and deliuer the same from all her enemes.

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Then the Smith tooke a chaine of iron, & brought the same about both Doctor Ridleys and maister Latimers middles: and as he was knockyng in a staple, Doctor Ridley tooke the chaine in his hande, and shaked the same, for it did girde in his bealie, and looking aside to the Smith, saied: good fellowe, knocke it in hard, for the fleshe will haue his course.  

MarginaliaGunpouder geuen to the Martyrs.Then his brother did bryng hym gunpouder in a bagge, and would haue tied the same about his necke. Master Ridley asked what it was. His brother saied gunpouder. Then said he, I take it to be sent of God, therefore I will receiue it as sent of hym. And haue you any, saied he, for my brother, meanyng maister Latimer? Yea sir, that I haue (quod his brother.) Then giue it vnto hym, saied he, betyme,   least ye come to late. So his brother went, and carried of the same gunpouder vnto M. Latimer.

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In the meane tyme Doctor Ridley spake vnto my lorde Willyams, and said. MarginaliaB. Ridleys sute to the L. of Tame for leases of poore men.My lorde I must be a suter vnto your lordship, in the behalfe of diuers poore mē, and especially in the cause of my poore Sister:  

I haue made a supplication to the Queenes Maiestie in their behalfes. I beseche your Lordship for Christes sake, to be a meane to her grace for them. My brother here hath the supplication, and will resort to your lordship, to certifie you hereof. There is nothyng in al þ^e worlde that troubleth my conscience (I praise God) this onely excepted. Whiles I was in the Sea of London, diuers poore men tooke Leases of me, and agreed with me for the same. Now, I heare saie, MarginaliaD. Boner taketh awaye the leases from poore mē graūted before by B. Ridley.the Bishoppe that now occupieth the same rome, will not allow my graūtes vnto thē made, but contrary vnto al lawe and conscience, hath taken from them their liuynges, and will not suffer them to enioye the same. I beseche you my lorde, be a meane   for them: you shall doe a good deede, and God will reward you.

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Then brought thei a fagot kindeled with fire, and laied the same doune at Doctour Ridleis feete. To whom M. Latimer spake in this maner: MarginaliaThe Churche lightened by þ^e Martyrdome of Sainctes.Bee of good comfort M. Ridley, and plaie the manne: we shall this daie light suche a candle by Gods grace in Englande, as (I trust) shall neuer be put out.  

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And so the fire beyng giuen vnto them, when Doct. Ridley sawe the fire flamyng vp toward hym, he cried with a wonderfull loude voyce: In manus tuas Domine commendo spiritum meum, Domine recipe spiritum meum,  

  and after repeated this latter parte often in Englishe: Lorde Lorde receiue my spirite: Maister Latimer criyng as vehemently on the other side: MarginaliaM. Latymers prayer and Martyrdome.Oh Father of heauen receiue my soule: who receiued the flame as it were embrasyng of it. After, as he had stroked his face with his handes, and (as it were) bathed them a little in the fire, he sone died (as it appeared) with verie little paine or none. And thus muche concernyng the ende of this old and blessed seruaunte of God M. Latimer, for whose laborious trauailes, fruitfull life, and constaunte death, the whole Realme hath cause to giue greate thankes to almightie God.

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But M. Ridley by reason of the euill makyng of the fire vnto hym, because the woodden fagottes were laied about the gosse  

and ouer high built, the fire burned firste beneath, beyng kepte doune by the woodde. Which when he felt, he desired them for Christes sake to let the fire come vnto hym.   MarginaliaThe order of B. Ridleys burnyng.Whiche when his brother in lawe heard, but not well vnderstode, entending to rid him out of his pain (for the whiche cause he gaue attendaunce)   as one in suche sorrowe, not well adui-

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sed what he did, heaped fagottes vpon hym, so that he cleane couered hym, whiche made the fire more vehemente beneath, that it burned cleane all his neather partes, before it once touched the vpper, and that made hym leape vp and doune vnder the fagottes, and often desire them to lette the fire come vnto hym, saiyng: I can not burne. Whiche in deede appeared well: for after his legges were consumed by reason of his strugglyng through the paine, (whereof he had no release, but onely his contentation  

in God) MarginaliaD. Ridley long in burning.he shewed that side towardes vs cleane, shirt & all vntouched with flame Yet in all this torment he forgat not to call vnto God still, hauyng in his mouth: Lorde haue mercie vpō me, intermedlyng this crie, let the fire come vnto me, I can not burne. MarginaliaThe death and Martyrdome of D. Ridley.In whiche paines he laboured til one of the standers by with his bill,   pulled of the fagottes aboue and wher he sawe the fire flame vp, he wrested hym self vnto that side. And when the flame touched the gunpouder, he was seen stirre no more, but burned on the other side, falling doune at M. Latimers feete. Which some said happened, by reason that the chaine loosed: other said that he fel ouer the chaine, by reason of þ^e poise of his bodie, and the weakenes of the neather limmes.

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Some saie that before he was like to fall from the stake, he desired them to holde hym to it with their billes. Howsoeuer it was, surely it moued hundredes to teares, in beholdyng the horrible sighte.MarginaliaThe lamenting hartes of the people, at the Martyrdome of these two sainctes. For I thynke there was none that had not cleane exiled all humanitie and mercie, whiche would not haue lamented to beholde the furie of the fire so to rage vpon their bodies. Signes there were of sorrow on euery side. Some tooke it greuously to see their deathes, whose liues thei held full deare. Some pitied their persones þ^t thought their soules had no neede thereof. His brother moued many men, seyng his miserable case: seyng (I saie) hym cōpelled to suche infelicitie, that he thought then to do hym best seruice, whē he hastened his ende. Some cried out of the lucke, to see his endeuour, who moste dearely loued hym, and sought his release, tourne to his greater vexation, and encrease of paine. But who so considered their prefermentes in tyme past, the places of honor that thei somtyme occupied in this cōmon wealthe, the fauor thei wer in with their princes, and the opiniō of learnyng thei had, could not chuse but sorrowe with teares, to see so great dignitie, honour, and estimation, so necessarie members sometyme accoumpted, so many godlie vertues, the studie of so many yeres, suche excellent learnyng, to be putte into the fire, and consumed in one moment. Well, deade they are, and the rewarde of this world thei haue already. What reward remaineth for them in heauen, the day of the lordes glory when he cōmeth with his sainctes, shall shortly I trust, declare.

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Albeit, I haue differred and put ouer many treatises, letters, and exhortations belonging to the storie of the Martyres, vnto the latter appendix in the ende of this volume: thinkyng also to haue doen the like with these farewels, and exhortations folowyng of D. Ridley, yet for certain purposes mouing me thereunto, and especially consideryng the fruitfull admonitions, holesome doctrine, and necessarie exhortations conteined in the same, I thought best here to bestowe, & consequently to adioyne the saied tractations  

of that learned Pastour, with the life and storie of the authour. Whereof the two first be in maner of his farewels, the one to his kinsfolkes, and generally to all the faithfull of the nūber of Christes congregation: the other more special to the prisoners, and banished Christians in the Gospelles cause: the third cōtaineth a fruitfull and a generall admonition to the Citie of London, and to all other, with necessarie preceptes of Christian office, as by the tenour of them here followeth in order to be seen.  

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MarginaliaThe first farewell of B. Ridley to his frendes.AT the name of Iesus let euery knee bow, both of thynges in heauen, and thynges in yearth, and thynges vnder the yearth, and let euery tongue confesse, that Iesus Christ is the lorde vnto the glorie of God the Father, Amen.

As a manne mindyng to take a farre iourney, and to depart from his familiar frēdes, commonly and naturally hath a desire, to bidde his frendes farewell, before his departure: so likewise now I lookyng daiely, when I should be called for to depart hence from you,