practised in England during the course of three years that these
persecutions lasted: the savage barbarity on the one hand, and the
patient constancy on the other, are so similar in all those martyrdoms,
that the narrative, little agreeable in itself, would never be relieved
by any variety. Human nature appears not on any occasion so detestable,
and at the same time so absurd, as in these religious persecutions,
which sink men below infernal spirits in wickedness, and below the
beasts in folly. A few instances only may be worth preserving, in order,
if possible, to warn zealous bigots forever to avoid such odious and
such fruitless barbarity.

Ferrar, bishop of St. David's, was burned in his own diocese and his
appeal to Cardinal Pole was not attended to.[*] Ridley, bishop of
London, and Latimer, formerly bishop of Worcester, two prelates
celebrated for learning and virtue, perished together in the same
flames at Oxford, and supported each other's constancy by their mutual
exhortations. Latimer, when tied to the stake, called to his companion,
"Be of good cheer, brother; we shall this day kindle such a torch
in England, as, I trust in God, shall never be extinguished." The
executioners had been so merciful (for that clemency may more naturally
be ascribed to them than to the religious zealots) as to tie bags of
gunpowder about these prelates, in order to put a speedy period to their
tortures: the explosion immediately killed Latimer, who was in extreme
old age; Ridley continued alive during some time in the midst of the
flames.[**]

One Hunter, a young man of nineteen, an apprentice, having been seduced
by a priest into a dispute, had unwarily denied the real presence.
Sensible of his danger, he immediately absconded; but Bonner, laying
hold of his father, threatened him with the greatest severities if he
did not produce the young man to stand his trial. Hunter, hearing of
the vexations to which his father was exposed, voluntarily surrendered
himself to Bonner, and was condemned to the flames by that barbarous
prelate.

Thomas Haukes, when conducted to the stake, agreed with his friends,
that, if he found the torture tolerable, he would make them a signal to
that purpose in the midst of the flames. His zeal for the cause in which
he suffered so supported him that he stretched out his arms, the signal
agreed on; and in that posture he expired.[***] This example, with many
others of like constancy, encouraged multitud