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his death and martyrdome', which was from the yere of our Lord 1554, till the yeare 1555, and 16. day of October. Furthermore, as touching his disputations had at Oxford, inough hath beene said already (in the life of Hugh Latimer).- We now come to relate his travels in persuading and instructing the lady Mary, before she was queene; his reasons and conference likewise had in the Tower at the lieutenants board; and certain other conferences he had in prison with master Latimer, as here followeth to be read.

About the eight of September 2, 1552, doctor Ridley then bishop of London, lying at his house at Hadham in Hartfordshire, went to visit the lady Mary then lying at Hunsden two miles off; and was gently entertained of Sir Thomas Wharton, and other her officers, till it was almost eleven of the clock. About which time the said lady Mary came forth into her chamber of presence, and then the said bishop there saluted her grace, and said, that hee was come to doe his duetie to her grace. Then

1 Death and martyrdome.] Ridley appears to have had forebodings of the kind of death by which he should die. Laurence Humphrey, in his Life of Bishop Jewell, records the following anecdote:

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"Similiter et D. Ridlæus, tametsi indignante in tempestate jactatus, suos jam territos cohortans, Bono,' inquit animo estote, et remis incumbite: hæc cymba fert episcopum, quem non mergi sed comburi oportet." P. 258, 9, A. D. 1573.

2 The eight of September.] In king Edward's journal, published by bishop Burnet, in the Appendix to his History of the Reformation, we have the following interesting notice of proceedings with his sister, concerning her religion, about a year and a half before.

"March 18, 1550. The lady Mary, my sister, came to me at Westminster; where, after salutations, she was called with my council into a chamber, where was declared how long I had suffered her mass, in hope of her reconciliation; and now being no hope, which I perceived by her letters, except I saw some short amendment, I could not bear it. She answered, That her soul was God's, and her faith she should not change, nor dissemble her opinion with contrary doings. It was said, I constrained not her faith, but willed her not as a king to rule, but as a subject to obey; and that her example might breed inconvenience.

"19. The emperor's ambassador came in with a short message from his master, of war,--if I would not suffer his cousin, the princess, to use her mass. To this no answer was given.

"20. The bishops of Canterbury, London, and Rochester did consider that to give licence to sin, was sin. To suffer and wink at it for a time might be borne, so all possible haste might be used."

she thanked him for his paines, and for a quarter of an houre talked with him very pleasantly; and said, that she knew him in the court when hee was chaplaine to her father, and could well remember a sermon that he made before king Henry her father, at the marriage of my lady Clinton that now is, to Sir Anthony Browne, &c. and so dismissed him to dine with her officers.

After dinner was done, the bishop being called for by the said lady Mary, resorted againe to her grace, betweene whom this communication was. First the bishop beginneth in manner as followeth.

Bishop. Madame, I came not onely to do my duty to see your grace, but also to offer my self to preach before you on Sunday next, if it will please you to heare mee. At this her countenance changed, and after silence for a space, she answered thus.

Mary. My lord, as for this last matter, I pray you make the answere to it your selfe.

Bishop. Madame, considering mine office and calling, I am bound of duetie to make to your grace this offer, to preach before you.

Mary. Well, I pray you make the answere (as I have said) to this matter your selfe: for you know the answer well enough. But if there be no remedy but I must make you answere; this shalbe your answere; The doore of the parish church adjoining shall be open for you if you come, and ye may preach, if you list, but neither I, nor none of mine shall heare you.

› Very pleasantly.] William Thomas has given us a very attractive picture of the lady Mary at this period.

"If I shold say that the lady Mary, the kynges daughter, deserveth not an husband, I should surely prove a wyttye yonge man, and therefore wyll I now make you my judges. When for the stature of a woman's body she is neither too highe nor too low, for bewtie of face she hath few fellowes that I know; and in proporcion of membres, my penne cannot paint her. Butt what is all this? Nothinge, for when I come to considre her vertue, her shadow maketh me tremble. All the prudence, all the modesty, all the curtesy, and all the sober smylyng chere, that may be in a woman, is suerly in her. Prompt in invention, awares in speach, learned in the tongues, perfect in musick, to syng and play; and on the lute and virginalles, without master in the world. Yea, she is gratefull to all persons, so that I wote not what livyng creature were sufficient worthely to descryve her. So, if a husband might be a reward unto the bountye of so gracious a lady, I wyll say she is, and ever hath bene worthy to have the worthiest husband of the world." Apology for King Henry VIII., p. 111.

Bishop. Madame, I trust you will not refuse Gods word. Mary. I cannot tell what yee call Gods worde. That is not Gods word now, that was Gods word in my fathers daies.

Bishop. Gods word is all one in all times, but hath been better understanded and practised in some ages, then in other. Mary. You durst not for your eares have advouched that for Gods worde in my fathers daies, that now you doe. And as for your new bookes, I thanke God I never read none of them: never did, nor never will doe.

And after many bitter words against the forme of religion then established, and against the government of the realme, and the lawes made in the young yeares of her brother, which shee said shee was not bound to obey, till her brother came to perfect

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4 Till her brother.] This idle pretence, totally unconstitutional, suggested perhaps by the sophistry of Gardiner or Bonner (see Fox, p. 1201), was a very prevalent one, and occasioned great uneasiness to the friends of the young king. Hence it was, that Latimer was under the necessity of shewing in his sermons, that "kinges though they be children, yet are they kinges notwithstanding." "For, says he, there be some wicked people, that will say: Tush, thys geare will not tarry. It is but my lord Protectours, and my lord of Canterburies doing: the king is a childe, and he knoweth not of it. What people are they that saye, the kinge is but a childe? Have not we a noble king! Was there ever king so noble, so godly brought up with so noble counsellors, so excellent and well-learned schoole-maysters? I wyll tell you this, and speake it even as I thinke. His majesty hath more godly wit and understanding, more learning and knowledge, at thys age, than twenty of hys progenitours, that I could name, had at any time of theyr life." Latimer's Sermons, fol. 36. edit. 1584. And in like manner the council, with becoming dignity and wisdom, instructed the lady Mary's chaplain to say to his mistress, in reply to a declaration that she would defer her obedience to a newly enacted law, till his majesty were of sufficient years, "That she could in no one saying more disallowe the authoritie of the king, the majestie of his crowne, and the state of the realme. For herein she suspendeth his kingdome, and esteemeth his authoritie by his age, not by his right and title. Her grace must understand hee is a king by the ordinance of God, by descent of royall bloud, not by the numbring of his yeeres. As a creature subject to mortalitie, he hath youth, and, by Gods grace, shall have age: but as a king he hath no difference by daies and yeares. The Scripture plainely declareth it not only young children to have bin kings by Gods special ordinance, but also," &c. Fox's Acts, p. 1212. Compare Strype's Eccles. Memor., vol. iii. p. 23, 4. 160. Strype's Cranmer, p. 191. Hence it was, as we may conjecture, that the loyalists devised a means of showing their attachment to their youthful prince, which we collect from an incidental mention of it by a zealous popish writer in the succeeding reign. "Doth not a lively image, I beseche you, make folkes remember the man, that is represented by it, better than

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age, and then affirmed she would obey them; she asked the bishop whether he were one of the councell: he answered, No. You might well enough, said shee, as the councell goeth now adaies.

And so she concluded with these words; My lord, for your gentlenes to come and see me, I thanke you; but for your offering to preach before me, I thanke you never a whit.

Then the said bishop was brought by Sir Thomas Wharton to the place where they dined, and desired to drinke. And after he had drunke, hee paused a little while, looking very sadly, and sodainly brake out into these wordes, Surely I have done amisse. Why so, quoth Sir Thomas Wharton? For I have dronke (said he) in that place where Gods worde offered, hath beene refused: whereas if I had remembered my duetie, I ought to have departed immediately, and to have shaken off the dust of my shooes for a testimonie against this house. These words were by the said bishop spoken with such a vehemency, that some of the hearers afterward confessed their hair to stand upright on their heads. This done, the said bishop departed, and so returned to his house.

It was declared a little before, how doctor Ridley was had from Fremingham to the Tower; where being in durance, and invited to the lieutenants table, he had certaine talke or conference with secretary Bourne, M. Fecknam, and other, concerning the controversies in religion: the summe whereof, as it was penned with his owne hand, hereafter ensueth.

Here followeth the summe and effect of the communication between D. Ridley, and secretary Bourn, with others, at the Lieutenants table in the Tower.

Maister Thomas of Bridges sayde at his brother maister lieutenants boorde, I pray you M. Doctours, for my learning tell

a bare naked white wall? or when a man cometh into a house, and findeth the image of kinge Edwarde, whether doth he there more remember hym, or when he goeth into another house, and findeth no image of hym at all? It was wonte to be sayd, that such as were the kinges very frendes wold have the kinges image in their houses, bothe to make them remember their dueties toward hym, and also to declare their good wil, that they bare him." Christopherson against Rebellion, signat. U 3.

A little before.] See note, p. 9.

mee what an hereticke is? M. secretarie Bourne said, I will tell you who is an hereticke: whoso stubbornly and stiffely maintaineth an untruth, he is an heretike. Ye meane syr, sayd I, an untruth in matters of religion, and concerning our faith. Yea that is true, said he and in this we are soone agreed. Then said maister Fecknam, sitting at the upper end of the table, whome they called M. deane of Paules, I will tell you by S. Augustine who is an heretick: Qui adulandi principibus vel lucri gratia falsas opiniones gignit vel sequitur, hæreticus est, saith S. Augustine. And then he englished the same. Sir, said I, I ween S. Augustine addeth the third member, which is, vel vanæ gloriæ causa. Ye say even true M. doctor, sayd he; and thus farre we did agree all three.

M. Fecknam began againe to say, Whoso doth not beleeve that the Scripture affirmeth, but will obstinately maintaine the contrary, he is hæreticus. As in the sacrament of the aultar, Mathew doth affirme there to be Christs bodie, Marke doth affirme it, Luke affirmeth it, Paul affirmeth it, and none denieth it therefore to holde the contrary it is heresie. It is the same bodie and flesh that was borne of the virgine: firmed by unitie, antiquitie, and universalitic. Berengarius did ever doubt of this, and he was an hereticke, as M. doctor there knoweth full well: I do testifie his owne conscience said he.

and this is conFor none before

Mary sir, said maister secretary, master Fecknam hath spoken well. These be great matters, unitie, antiquitie, and universalitie. Doe yee not thinke so maister doctor? sayd hee to mee.

Heere while I strained curtesie and pretended as nothing to talke, saide one of the commissioners, peradventure maister Ridley doth agree with M. Fecknam, and then there needs not much debating of the matter.

Sir, saide I, in some things I do and shall agree with him, and in some things which he hath spoken, to be plaine, I do not agree with him at all.—Maisters, said I, ye be (as I understand) the queenes commissioners here, and if yee have commission to examine me in these matters, I shall declare unto you plainely my faith; if ye have not, then I shall pray you eyther give mee leave to speake my minde freelie, or else to holde my peace. There is none here, said M. secretary, that doth not favor you:

6 Maister Fecknam.] See note, vol. ii. p. 549, note (3).

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