500 marks to the king, and 200 marks more to
the said Lord Crumwell," which he tendered at the same time.
See Strype, _ibid._ For the credit of Latimer, I hope this
worthy prior was not at the head of the priory when the
former preached before the king, and thus observed: "To let
pass the _solempne_ and nocturnal bacchanals, the prescript
miracles, that are done upon certain days in the West part
of England, who hath not heard? I think ye have heard of
Saint _Blesis's_ heart, which is _at Malvern_, and of Saint
Algar's bones, how long they deluded the people!" See
Latimer's _Sermons_: edit. 1562, 4to.: fol. 12, rect. In
these Sermons, as is justly said above, there are many
cutting philippics--especially against "in-preaching
prelates;" some of whom Latimer doth not scruple to call
"minters--dancers--crouchers--pamperers of their paunches,
like a monk that maketh his jubilee--mounchers in their
mangers, and moilers in their gay manors and mansions:" see
fol. 17, rect. Nevertheless, there are few productions which
give us so lively and interesting a picture of the manners
of the age as the SERMONS OF LATIMER; which were spoilt in
an "_editio castrata_" that appeared in the year 1788, 8vo.
But Latimer was not the only popular preacher who directed
his anathemas against the Roman Catholic clergy. The well
known JOHN FOX entered into the cause of the reformation
with a zeal and success of which those who have slightly
perused his compositions can have but a very inadequate
idea. The following curious (and I may add very interesting)
specimen of Fox's pulpit eloquence is taken from "_A Sermon
of Christ crucified, preached at Paule's Crosse, the Friday
before Easter, commonly called Good Fridaie_:"--"Let me tell
you a story, which I remember was done about the beginning
of Queen Mary's reign, anno 1554. There was a certain
message sent, not from heaven, but from Rome: not from God,
but from the pope: not by any apostle, but by a certain
cardinal, who was called Cardinal Poole, Legatus a latere,
Legatus natus, a legate from the pope's own white side, sent
hither into England. This cardinal legate, first coming to
Dover, was honourably received and brought to Greenwich:
where he again, being more honourably received by lords of
high e