"well-nigh ftarved with cold, and that if he "did not look better to him, perchance he "fhould deceive him." The fervant immediately told his mafter what the prisoner had faid to him; whereupon the Lieutenant imagining, that he had fome defign of making his escape, (for the Lieutenant was perfuaded in his mind, that the Papists intended to burn Mafter Latimer) came to him, and feverely reprimanded and opprobriously used him, reciting at the fame time the words he had faid to his fervant ; "6 Why, truly, replied honeft Latimer, you look that I fhould be burnt, but unless you let me have fome fire, the weather is fo "cold, and I am so far advanced in years, I "am like to deceive your expectation, for I "affure you through the negligence of your "fervant, I am like here to be ftarved to death "with cold." The Lieutenant now understanding what was meant by Latimer's merry threatning, ordered his servant to be more careful for the future in attending upon him, providing him with fire, and all other neceffaries due to ftate prisoners.

Latimer was not long in the Tower without company, for Archbishop Cranmer, being accufed in the Star-chamber of being guilty of High Treafon,and of publishing feditious libels, was the next day fent to the Tower, and in a fhort time after Ridley, Bishop of London, was fent thither alfo, for he had, on the fixteenth of July, at St. Paul's, maintained Queen Jane's Title to the throne of England, which fo difpleafed Queen Mary that he is faid never to have forgiven him,

Gardiner,

The Right Rev. Father in God Dr Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London Crownd with Martyrdom at Oxford Oct.16 1555,

Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, having thus far obtained his ends, fet all his wits to work to bring these three great men to the stake, as the event plainly fhews. Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer lay confined in the Tower feveral months, all the winter of the year 1553, and then in the following fpring they were removed to Oxford.

1554. On the fourteenth day of April, Thomas Cranmer, fometime Archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas Ridley, fometime Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, fometime Bishop of Worcester; were removed from the Tower to Oxford, and there imprifoned in the Bocardo. This was contrived by Gardiner, under pretence of a difputation to be held between the Papifts and these three the most eminent Reformers in order to fettle certain points of religion, but the true intent was to find out matter of herefy against them, in order that they might be publicly burnt as heretics.

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Here they were confined among the common felons and criminals, deprived of every comfort but life, and the pleasant reflections of having borne teftimony to the truth. Their time was not spent in the vanities and idleness ufual to prifoners; but they daily and hourly occupied themselves, either in brotherly conference, ftrengthening one the other in the true faith of Chrift, or with fervent prayer, or in the exercise of useful and fruitful writing. Indeed Mafter Latimer, by reafon of the feeblenefs of his age wrote leaft of them all in this later time of his imprisonment, yet in prayer he was zealously and fervently occupied, where

in

in oftentimes fo long he continued kneeling, that he was not able to rife without help; and amongst other things, thefe were the three principal matters that he prayed for:

First, That as God had appointed him to be a Preacher of his word, fo alfo he would give him grace to ftand to his doctrine until his death, that he might give his heart's blood for the fame. Secondly, that God of his mercy would restore his gofpel to England once again, and thefe: words ONCE AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, he did fo inculcate and beat (as it were) into the ears of the Lord God, as though he had feen God before him, and ken to him face to face. Thirdly, That God ould preferve the Queen's Majefty (heaning Cueen Mary) that now is, and make her a comfort to this comfortlefs realm of England.

Fox fays, neither were these things of him defired in vain, as the good fuccefs thereof after following declared, for the Lord most gracioufly granted all thofe his requests. He inftances in his conftancy at the ftake when he was shortly after burnt at Oxford. In God's reftoration of the true gofpel of Christ in the prefervation of the life of the Princefs Elizabeth, and her acceffion to the throne of England, which, fays he, the present days can testify.

Fox alfo gives us the fubftance of one of the above conferences between Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer, which is worthy of notice. He represents them fitting together in the prison, thinking on their approaching trial, of which it is fuppofed, they had not long before received