nate for them selves, or verie profitable to serve the common wealth, but decay and vanish, men know not which way: except a very fewe, to whom peradventure blood and happie parentage may perchance purchace a long standing upon the stage. The which felicitie, because it commeth by others procuring, not by their owne deservinge, and stand by other mens feete, and not by their own, what owtward brag so ever is borne by them, is in deed, of it selfe, and in wise mens eyes, of no great estimation. JOHN FOXE (1516-1587) ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THESE LATTER AND PERILLOUS DAYES FROM THE BEHAVIOUR OF DR. RIDLEY AND MASTER LATIMER AT THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH 1 Incontinently they were commanded to make them readie, which they with all meeknesse obeyed. Master Ridley tooke his gowne and his tippet, and gave it to his brother-inlawe Master Shepside, who all his time of imprisonment, although he might not be suffered to come to him, lay there at his owne charges to provide him necessaries, which from time to time he sent him by the sergeant that kept him. Some other of his apparel that was little worth, hee gave away; other the bailiffes took. He gave away besides divers other small things to gentlemen standing by, and divers of them pitifullie weeping, as to Sir Henry Lea he gave a new groat; and to divers of my Lord Williams gentlemen some napkins, some nutmegges, and races 2 of ginger; his diall, and such other things as he had about him, to every one that stood next him. Some plucked the pointes of his hose. Happie was he that might get any ragge of him. Master Latimer gave nothing, but very quickly suffered his keeper to pull off his hose, and his other array, which to look unto was very simple and being stripped into his shrowd,3 hee seemed as comly a person to them that were there present as one should lightly see; and whereas in his clothes hee appeared a withered and crooked sillie olde man, he now stood bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold. Then Master Ridley, standing as yet in his trusse,' said to his brother: "It were best for me to go in my trusse still." "No," quoth his brother, "it will put you to more paine: and the trusse will do a poore man good." Whereunto Master Ridley said: 'Be it, in the name of God;" and so unlaced himselfe. Then being in his shirt, he stood upon the foresaid stone, and held up his hande and said: "0 heavenly Father, I give unto thee most heartie thanks, for that thou hast called mee to be a professour of thee, even unto death. I beseech thee, Lord God, take mercie upon this realme of England, and deliver the same from all her enemies." Then the smith took a chaine of iron, and brought the same about both Dr. Ridleyes and Maister Latimers middles; and as he was knocking in a staple, Dr. Ridley tooke the chaine in his hand, and shaked the same, for it did girde in his belly, and looking aside to the smith, said: "Good fellow, knocke it in hard, for the flesh will have his course." Then his brother did bringe him gunnepowder in a bag, and would have tied the same about his necke. Master Ridley asked what it was. His brother said, "Gunnepowder." "Then," sayd he, "I take it to be sent of God; therefore I will receive it as sent of him. And have you any," sayd he, "for my brother?" meaning Master Latimer. "Yea, sir, that I have," quoth his brother. "Then give it unto him," sayd hee, "betime; 2 least ye come too late." So his brother went, and caried of the same gunnepowder unto Maister Latimer. In the mean time Dr. Ridley spake unto my Lord Williams, and saide: "My lord, I must be a suter unto your lordshippe in the behalfe of divers poore men, and speciallie in the cause of my poor sister; I have made a supplication to the Queenes Majestie in their behalves. I beseech your lordship for Christs sake, to be a mean to her Grace for them. My brother here hath the supplication, and will resort to your lordshippe to certifie you herof. There is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience, I praise God, this only excepted. Whiles I was in the see of London divers poore men tooke leases of me, and agreed with me for 1 a padded jacket 2 early the same. Then they brought a faggotte, kindled with fire, and laid the same downe at Dr. Ridleys feete. To whome Master Latimer spake in this manner: "Bee of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. Wee shall this day light such a candle, by Gods grace, in England, as I trust shall never bee putte out." And so the fire being given unto them, when Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful lowd voice: "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum: Domine, recipe spiritum meum.” And after, repeated this latter part often in English, "Lord, Lord, receive my spirit ;" Master Latimer crying as vehementlie on the other side, "O Father of heaven, receive my soule !" who received the flame as it were imbracing of it. After that he had stroaked his face with his hands, and as it were bathed them a little in the fire, he soone died (as it appeared) with verie little paine or none. And thus much concerning the end of this olde and blessed servant of God, Master Latimer, for whose laborious travailes,1 fruitfull life, and constant death the whole realme hath cause to give great thanks to almightie God. But Master Ridley, by reason of the evill making of the fire unto him, because the wooden faggots were laide about the gosse 2 and over-high built, the fire burned first beneath, being kept downe by the wood; which when he felt, hee desired them for Christes sake to let the fire come unto him. Which when his brother-in-law heard, but not well understood, intending to rid him out of his paine (for the which cause hee gave attendance), as one in such sorrow not well advised what hee did, heaped faggots upon him, so that he cleane covered him, which made the fire more vehement beneath, that it burned cleane all his neather parts, before it once touched the upper; and that made him leape up and down under the faggots, and often desire them to let the fire come unto him, saying, "I cannot burne." Which indeed appeared well; 1 labors 2 gorse, furze for, after his legges were consumed by reason of his struggling through the paine (whereof hee had no release, but onelie his contentation in God), he showed that side toward us cleane, shirt and all untouched with flame. Yet in all this torment he forgate not to call unto God still, having in his mouth, "Lord have mercy upon me," intermedling1 this cry, "Let the fire come unto me, I cannot burne." In which paines he laboured till one of the standers by with his bill 2 pulled off the faggots above, and where he saw the fire flame up, he wrested himself unto that side. And when the flame touched the gunpowder, he was seen to stirre no more, but burned on the other side, falling downe at Master Latimers fecte. Which some said happened by reason that the chain loosed; other said that he fell over the chain by reason of the poise of his body, and the weakness of the neather lims. Some said that before he was like to fall from the stake, hee desired them to holde him to it with their billes. However it was, surelie it mooved hundreds to teares, in beholding the horrible sight; for I thinke there was none that had not cleane exiled all humanitie and mercie, which would not have lamented to beholde the furie of the fire so to rage upon their bodies. Signes there were of sorrow on everie side. Some tooke it greevouslie to see their deathes, whose lives they held full deare: some pittied their persons, that thought the soules had no need thereof. His brother mooved many men, seeing his miserable case, seeing (I say) him compelled to such infelicitie, that he thought then to doe him best service when he hastned his end. Some cried out of the lucke, to see his indevor (who most dearelie loved him, and sought his release) turne to his greater vexation and increase of paine. But whoso considered their preferments in time past, the places of honour that they some time occupied in this common wealth, the favour they were in with their princes, and the opinion of learning they had in the university where they studied, could not chuse but sorrow with teares to see so great dignity, honour, and estimation, so necessary members sometime accounted, so many godly vertues, the study of so manie yeres, such excellent learning, to be put into the fire and consumed in one moment. Well! dead they are, and 1 intermingling 2 a kind of weapon consisting of a curved blade fixed at the end of a pole. "I shall thee guide first to the griesly 2 lake, And thence unto the blissful place of rest, Where thou shalt see and hear the plaint they make, 178 That whilom here bare swing 3 among the best. This shalt thou see, but great is the unrest That thou must bide before thou canst attain Unto the dreadful place where these remain. And with these words as I upraised stood, And 'gan to follow her that straightforth paced, Ere I was ware, into a desert wood We now were come; where, hand in hand embraced, She led the way, and through the thick so traced, As, but I had been guided by her might, 189 Her eyes unsteadfast, rolling here and there, Whirled on each place, as place that vengeance brought, So was her mind continually in fear, Tossed and tormented with the tedious thought Of those detested crimes which she had wrought; With dreadful cheer and looks thrown to the sky, 230 Wishing for death, and yet she could not die. Next saw we Dread, all trembling how he shook, With foot uncertain proffered here and there; Benumbed of speech, and with a ghastly look Searched every place all pale and dead for fear, His cap borne up with staring1 of his hair, And fearing greater dangers than was need.238 And next within the entry of this lake Sat fell Revenge, gnashing her teeth for ire, When fell Revenge with bloody foul pretence His face was lean, and somedeal pined away, But let the night's black misty mantles rise, By him lay heavy Sleep, the cousin of Death on Or whom she lifted up into the throne The body's rest, the quiet of the heart, And next in order sad Old Age we found, There heard we him with broken and hollow Rue with himself his end approaching fast, And to be young again of Jove beseek! 5 308 But and the cruel fates so fixed be As Eld, accompanied with his lothsome train, And not so soon descend into the pit, 4 1 heed 2 happen the Fates wasted away 5 beseech if 7 passed by |