'Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and 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.'
Hugh Latimer's famous words of consolation to Nicholas Ridley as they are both about to be burnt alive for heresy come from John Foxe's magisterial Acts and Monuments, popularly known as the Book of Martyrs.
This vast collection of unforgettable accounts of religious persecution exerted as great an influence on early modern England and New England as the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.
It contains many stirring stories of the apprehension, interrogation, imprisonment, and execution of alleged heretics.
The narratives not only attest to the fortitude of individuals who suffered for their faith not many years before the birth of Shakespeare, but they also constitute exciting tales filled with graphic details and verbal wit.
This modernized selection also includes some of the famous woodcuts that illustrated the original text, as well as providing a comprehensive introduction to Foxe's life and times and the martyrology narrative.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Introduction Select Bibliography Chronology of Foxe's Life and Times Select Narratives 1: Thomas Bilney 2: William Tyndale 3: Anne Askew 4: John Roger 5: Lawrence Sanders 6: John Hooper 7: Rowland Taylor 8: Thomas Tomkins 9: William Hunter 10: Rawlins White 11: George Marsh 12: Thomas Haukes 13: John Bradford and John Leaf 14: Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley 15: Stephen Gardiner 16: John Philpot 17: Bartlett Green 18: Thomas Cranmer 19: The Guernsey Martyrs 20: Joan Waste 21: William Dangerfield 22: Richard Woodman 23: Rose Allin and other Colchester Martyrs 24: George Eagles 25: The Islington Martyrs 26: Prest's Wife 27: Edwin Sandys 28: Lady Elizabeth 29: Judgement Tales Explanatory Notes Glossary of Persons Glossary of Places Glossary of Words and Terms Index
