, for which Henry was responsible by a more than
tacit acquiescence. Latimer, with no authority but his own conscience,
and the strong certainty that he was on God's side, threw himself
between the spoilers and their prey, and wrote to the king, protesting
against the injustice which was crushing the truest men in his
dominions. The letter is too long to insert; the close of it may show
how a poor priest could dare to address the imperious Henry VIII.:

"I pray to God that your Grace may take heed of the worldly wisdom which
is foolishness before God; that you may do that [which] God commandeth,
and not that [which] seemeth good in your own sight, without the word of
God; that your Grace may be found acceptable in his sight, and one of
the members of his church; and according to the office that he hath
called your Grace unto, you may be found a faithful minister of his
gifts, and not a defender of his faith: for he will not have it defended
by man or man's power, but by his word only, by the which he hath
evermore defended it, and that by a way far above man's power or
reason.

"Wherefore, gracious king, remember yourself; have pity upon your soul;
and think that the day is even at hand when you shall give account for
your office, and of the blood that hath been shed by your sword. In
which day, that your Grace may stand steadfastly, and not be ashamed,
but be clear and ready in your reckoning, and have (as they say), your
_quietus est_ sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ, which only
serveth at that day, is my daily prayer to Him that suffered death for
our sins, which also prayeth to his Father for grace for us continually;
to whom be all honour and praise for ever. Amen. The Spirit of God
preserve your Grace."[118]

[Sidenote: His intercession was ineffectual,]

[Sidenote: But earned the increased regard of the king.]

These words, which conclude an address of almost unexampled grandeur,
are unfortunately of no interest to us, except as illustrating the
character of the priest who wrote them, and the king to whom they were
written. The hand of the persecutor was not stayed. The rack and the
lash and the stake continued to claim their victims. So far it was
labour in vain. But the letter remains, to speak for ever for the
courage of Latimer; and to speak something, too, for a prince that could
respect the nobleness of the poor yeoman's son, who dared in such a
cause to write to him as a man to a man. To ha