A Compendium of English Literature; Chronologically Arranged, from Sir John Mandeville to William Cowper Consisting of Biographical Sketches of the Authors, Selections from Their Works, with Notes, Explanatory, Illustrative, and Directing to the Best Edition (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: HUGH LATIMER. 1475 -- 1555. HrB T. vnMKii. bishop of Worcester, was born about the year 1475. Being an only son, and of quick parts, his father, a respectable yeoman, resolved to make him a scholar, and after due preparation he entered Cambridge. He was a zealous papist till the age of thirty, when he was converted by Thomas Bilney,1 and began with great zeal to propagate the opinions of the reformers. During the reign of Edward VI., (1547 -- 1553, ) he was pre-eminent among his zealous contemporaries in spreading the doc- Irines of the Reformation, and, in conjunction with Cranmer, was one of the principal instruments in effecting its establishment But in the persecutions sf Mary, he was singled out as one of the most desired victims of popish vengeance. He might have made his escape, and the opportunity which was given him seems to have been designed; but Latimer had the true spirit of a martyr, and determined to remain at his post of duty. As he passed through Smidifield on his way to London after his arrest, he exclaimed, "This place has long groaned for me." After a tedious imprisonment he persisted in ref'ising to subscribe to certain articles which were submitted to him, and he was led forth to his horrid death, October 10, 1555. With a staff in his hand, a pair of spectacles hanging at his breast, and a Bible at his girdle, he walked to the place of execution, with his fellow martyr, Nicholas Ridley, bishop of London. On their way Ridley outwent Latimer some way before; but he, looking back, espied Latimer coming after, and said to him, "0 be ye there?" "Yea," said Latimer, " have after as fast as I can follow." Ridley first entered the lists, dressed in his clerical habit; and soon after, Latimer, as usual, in his prison garb. Latimer now suffered the keeper to p...