ends
before mentioned, became bishop of Worcester, in which function he
qualified or explained away most of the papal ceremonies he was for
form's sake under the necessity of complying with. He continued in this
active and dignified employment some years, till the coming in of the
Six Articles, when, to preserve an unsullied conscience, he, as well as
Dr. Shaxton, bishop of Salisbury, resigned. He remained a prisoner in
the Tower till the coronation of Edward VI. when he was again called to
the Lord's harvest in Stamford, and many other places: he also preached
at London in the convocation house, and before the young king; indeed he
lectured twice every Sunday, regardless of his great age (then above
sixty-seven years,) and his weakness through a bruise received from the
fall of a tree. Indefatigable in his private studies, he rose to them in
winter and in summer at two o'clock in the morning. By the strength of
his own mind, or of some inward light from above, he had a prophetic
view of what was to happen to the church in Mary's reign, asserting that
he was doomed to suffer for the truth, and that Winchester, then in the
Tower, was preserved for that purpose. Soon after queen Mary was
proclaimed, a messenger was sent to summon Mr. Latimer to town, and
there is reason to believe it was wished that he should make his escape.
On entering Smithfield, he jocosely said, that the place had long
groaned for him. After being examined by the council, he was committed
to the Tower, where his cheerfulness is displayed in the following
anecdote. Being kept without fire in severe frosty weather, his aged
frame suffered so much, that he told the lieutenant's man, that if he
did not look better after him he should deceive his master. The
lieutenant, thinking he meant to effect his escape, came to him, to know
what he meant by this speech; which Mr. Latimer replied to, by saying,
"You, Mr. Lieutenant, doubtless suppose I shall _burn_; but, except you
let me have some fire, I shall deceive your expectation, for here it is
likely I shall be _starved with cold_."

Mr. Latimer, after remaining a long time in the Tower, was transported
to Oxford, with Cranmer and Ridley, the disputations at which place have
been already mentioned in a former part of this work. He remained
imprisoned till October, and the principal objects of all his prayers
were three--that he might stand faithful to the doctrine he had
professed, that God would restore his