father and her brother; but, strangely enough, the means whereby she sought to destroy Protestantism did more to foster its growth than any employed by her father or her brother.

3

The restoration of the ancient service was welcome to a great part of the nation; people were not very willing to acknowledge again the authority of the Pope, but at last the queen got her way in that too. Then she entered on a course of persecution; the law of Henry IV. against heretics, which had been repealed in the days of Edward, was 5 re-enacted, and the 6 ghastly work of burning men who would not believe as they were commanded began again.

8

The most notable of the sufferers were John Rogers, 7 prebendary of St. Paul's; John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester; Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester; Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London; and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Latimer was the manliest of all the Reformers. He was born at 9 Thurcaston, in Leicestershire, about 1490. His father, seeing what a bright lad he was, determined to educate him well. He sent him at the age of fourteen to the University of Cambridge, where he remained for about sixteen years-first as student, and then as teacher. Here he was converted to the new religious opinions; and as it was his nature to speak plainly and boldly whatever he thought, he soon 10 attracted attention. Henry, hearing of his fame as a preacher, sent for him, and made him one of his royal chaplains. The king was at this time punishing heretics, to show that although he had a quarrel with the Pope he was not a heretic, and Latimer addressed to him a noble protest against persecution. Henry, who, whatever his faults, always had an eye for a man,

was pleased with Latimer's courage, and gave living in Wiltshire.

him a

He retired thither, hoping for rest, but finding none. His plain speaking having offended the bishops, he was summoned to London, where, after many weary examinations before them, he was excommunicated

and thrown into prison. The king, however, would not allow him to be sacrificed to his enemies, and ordered his release.

Some time after Latimer was made Bishop of Worcester, but when the Statute of the Six Articles was passed he resigned, because he could not accept that law. During the remainder of Henry's reign he

was silenced, but he resumed his preaching as soon as Edward became king.

When Mary came to the throne he was arrested and brought to London. Passing through Smithfield, the scene of many martyrdoms, he said it had long groaned for him. His imprisonment in the Tower was made as severe as possible. Being allowed no fire in bitter winter weather, he told the lieutenant that if he did not look better after him he would escape him yet. "Do you mean to steal away, then ?" said the lieutenant. "No," was the answer; "but you expect that I should burn, and unless you let me have some fire, I am like to deceive your expectation, for I am in danger of starving here with cold."

After being confined for more than two years he was tried at Oxford and condemned as a heretic. Nicholas Ridley, formerly Bishop of London, after being similarly confined, was tried before the same court on the same day and with the same result.

On the morning fixed for their execution Ridley appeared first. When he saw Latimer coming, he called out, "Oh, be ye there?" "Yes," was the reply, "and after as fast as I can follow." After they had taken their places at the stake, Ridley said, "O Heavenly Father, I give unto Thee most humble thanks for that Thou hast called me to be a professor of Thee, even unto death." Fire having been applied to the faggots, Latimer called out, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out."

1 Bigoted, obstinately and blindly clinging to any opinion. legislation, law-making. 3 foster, to nourish, help the growth of. 4 repeal, to recall, do away with a law. 5 re-enact, to make

into law again. 6 ghastly, hideous, terrible. 7 prebendary, one who receives a salary out of the income of a college or cathedral. 8 St. Paul's, the cathedral of London. 9 Thurcaston, between Leicester and Loughborough. 10 attract, to draw.

CRANMER.

ROGERS, Hooper, Latimer, Ridley, and many others had shed their blood

but the most exalted of all the victims-Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury-was yet to suffer. He was born at the village of Aslacton, in Nottinghamshire. On leaving school he was sent to the University of Cambridge, where in course of time he became a teacher famous for learning.

He came under the notice of Henry VIII. just after Wolsey and the other cardinal had adjourned the court appointed to try the lawfulness of the marriage with Catherine. It happened that Cranmer was staying in the same house as the two principal "managers of the king's cause," and he suggested to them that the affair might be settled by getting the opinions of the Universities. When Henry heard of the suggestion he sent for Cranmer, adopted his scheme, and took him into favour, making him in the end Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thenceforward he was one of the leaders of the Reformation. After the accession of Mary he was

tried, along with Lady Jane Grey and others, for treason, and sentenced to die. The sentence, however, was not carried out, and he was sent down to Oxford to be examined on a charge of heresy. He was of course found guilty. Great efforts were made to induce him to recant. He was led to believe that if he acknowledged the Pope as head of the Church he would be pardoned, and, terrified at the near prospect of death, he yielded to a natural weakness. The court broke faith with him; for a month "he was left with the certainty of his shame, and the uncertainty whether, after all, it had not been encountered in vain; then he was informed that he must die."

The morning on which he was to suffer broke wild and stormy. The sermon, which it was the custom to preach at the stake, was therefore delivered in a church. When it was over, and the people were about to leave, the preacher bade them stay. Pointing to Cranmer, who was standing on a high platform, he said, "Brethren, lest any one should doubt this man's earnest conversion and repentance, you shall hear him speak before you."

Then the Archbishop, after praying aloud for the forgiveness of his sins, exhorted his hearers to think of God, obey the queen, love one another, and be charitable to the poor. "And now," he said, "I come to the great thing that troubleth my conscience more than any other thing that ever I said or did in my life, and that is the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth, which now I here renounce and refuse as things written contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, and written for fear of death to save my life if it might be. And forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart, my

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