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1626 [1564]

Quene Mary. VVinchester against Lady Elizabeth. Boner for the order of Priesthood.

MarginaliaAn. 1554.Parlament house, which was, that Syr Tho. Wiat should desire the Lord Courtney to confesse the truth, so as he had done before.

Vpon this it followed not long after that a certaine Prentice dwelling in S. Laurence Lane named Cut, as hee was drinking with one Denhā a Plasterer being one of Queene Maries seruantes, amōgest other talke made mencion howe Syr Tho. Wiat had cleared the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney to be no consenters to his rising. MarginaliaCut Prentice in London brought before St. Gardiner.Which wordes being brought to Gardiner (by what meanes I knowe not) incontinent vpon the same, Syr Andrew Iudde was sent by the sayd Bishop to the Lord Maior, commaunding him to bring the sayd Prentice to the Starre chamber, which was accused of these wordes, that he shoulde say that Wyat was constrayned by the Counsell to accuse the Lady Elizabeth and the lord Courtney. Which fellow when he was come to the Starre chamber, the aforesayd Gardiner letting passe other matters that were in hand, began to declare to the whole multitude, howe miraculously almighty God had brought the Queenes Maiesty to the crowne, the whole Realme in a maner being agaynst her, and that hee had brought this to passe for this singular intent and purpose, that this realme being ouerwhelmed with heresies, she might reduce again the same vnto the true catholike fayth.MarginaliaSteuen Gardiners tale in the Starre chamber against the Lady Elizabeth.And where she tooke the Lady Elizabeth into her fauour and loued her so tenderly, and also the Lord Courtney, who of long time had bene deteyned in prison, and by her was set at libertie and receiued great benefites at her handes, and notwithstanding all thys, they had conspired most vnnaturally and trayterously agaynst her with that haynous Traytour Wiat, as by the confession of Wiat (sayd hee) and the letters sent to and fro may plainly appeare: yet there were some in the Citie of London, which reported that Wiat was constrayned by the Counsayle to accuse the Lady Elizabeth and the Lorde Courtney, and yet you my Lord Maior (quoth he) haue not seene the same punished.

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The party is here, sayd the Lord Maior. Take him with you (sayd Gardiner) and punish him according to hys desert, & sayd further: My Lord, take heede to your charge, the City of London is a whirlepole and sincke of al euil rumors. There they be bred, and from thence spread into all partes of thys realme.  

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As for the story of the trial of 'one Cut' in Star Chamber, Richard Cutt, a grocer's apprentice, was placed in the pillory on 20 April 1554 for declaring that Wyatt had exonerated Elizabeth (City of London Record Office, Repertory 13, fol. 153r).

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MarginaliaThe Lord Shandoys false report in the Starre chamber, agaynst the Lady Elizabeth and L. Courtney.There stoode by the same time the Lord Shandoys, who being then Lieftenaunt of the Tower, and now hearing the bishop thus speake, to sooth his tale, came in with these words as followeth.

My Lordes (quoth he) this is a truth that I shal tel you. I being Lieftenant of the Tower when Wiat suffered, he desired me to bring hym to the lord Courtney. Which when I had done, he fell downe vpon hys knees before him in my presence, and desired him to cōfesse the truth of him selfe, as he had done before, and to submit himself vnto the Queenes Maiesties mercy. And thus much I thought of this matter to declare, to the entent that the Reader perceauyng the procedinges of the bishop in the premisses, and comparing the same with the true testimony of Wiat himselfe, and with þe testimony of the Shiriffes which were present the same time when Syr Tho. Wiat asked the Lorde Courtney forgeuenes, may the better iudge of the whole case and matter for the which the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney were so long in trouble. Of which her Graces trouble, hereafter (God willing) more shall be sayd in the story of her life. In the meane time, to let this matter stay, let vs now passe further in our history.

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MarginaliaQ. Mary not fauouring the Londoners.NNot lōg after this, Queene Mary partly fearing þe Londoners by occasiō of Wiates conspiracy, partly perceauing most part of the Citie for religions sake not greatly to fauour her procedinges, to their displeasure and hinderaunce sommoned a Parlament to be

holden at Oxforde:MarginaliaA Parlament pretended to be kept at Oxford. as it were to gratefie that Citie, where both the Vniuersity, Towne, and countrey had shewed them selues very obedient and forward, especially in restoring popish religion.  

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In the first edition, Foxe declared that Oxford had been forward in restoring the 'olde religion'. (1563, p. 927). In later editions, this was changed to 'popish religion' (1570, p. 1588; 1576, p. 1355; 1583, p. 1426), probably in an effort to avoid conceding the superior antiquity of catholicism.

For this purpose great prouision was made, as well by the Queenes officers as by the townes men and inhabitantes of Oxforde and the countrey about.

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But the Queenes minde in short space chaunged, MarginaliaA Parlament holdē at Westminster.and the same Parlament was holden at Westminster in Aprill following. Then the Queene, beside other things, proposed concerning her mariage to king Philip, and restoring of the Popes supremacie. MarginaliaMention of the Queenes mariage in the Parlament.As touching her mariage it was agreed vpon: but the other request could not as then be obtained.

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The same time when this Parlament was sommoned, she also sommoned a conuocation of Bishops and of the Clergie, writing vnto Boner (  

Commentary on the Glosses   *   Close
From 'The Stile' to 'The Communication'

There are two aspects to be noted: the change in Mary's style (all editions) and Bonner's praise of priests. The softening of the sarcasm against Bonner after 1563 can be seen by comparing the glosses 'Hyghe reasons of Bōner why the order of priestes is to be honored aboue Angels and kinges' (1563) and 'The profound exhortation of B. Boner in the Conuocation' (later editions); perhaps this was linked in with the sharpening of the criticism against him because of his ill temper and base appetites which appear in later passages: this case does not provide the opportunity for that type of criticism.

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MarginaliaBoner made Vicegerent, and President of the Conuocation.whom shee had made Vicegerent in the steede of Cranmer being in the Tower) after the tenor and forme of a new stile, differing from the olde stile of K. Henry & K. Edward, as followeth.

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¶ The stile of Q. Mary altered writing to Boner for the sommoning of a Conuocation.

MarginaliaSupremū caput in the Queenes stile taken away.MAria dei gratia Angliæ, Franciæ, Hiberniæ Regina, fidei defensor, Reuerendo in Christo patri Edmundo London. Episc. Salutem. Licet nuper quibusdam arduis & vrgentibus negotijs nos, securitatem, & defensionem ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, ac pacem & tranquilitatem, &c.

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Where note (good Reader) concerning the altering & chaūging the Quenes stile, the latter part therof to be left out of her title, which is: Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ et Hiberniæ supremum caput, because in thys present Parlament the supremacie being geuē away from the crowne of England to the Pope, thereupon this parcell of the title was also taken away. Likewyse the sayd Boner geuing hys Certificat vpon the same, leaueth out: MarginaliaLegitimè suffultus in the Bishops title takē away.autoritate illustrissimæ &c. legitimè suffulcitus: which parcell also in the sayd Parliament was repriued and taken away the same tyme.  

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Block 15: Mary's title altered and Bonner's praise of priesthood

Foxe added a passage in the 1570 edition that emphasised that the title of Supreme Head of the English Church had been used by Henry VIII and Edward VI (textual variant 32). The order summoning Convocation, of which Foxe prints a few lines in order to demonstrate Mary's abandoning the title of Supreme Head, is in Bonner's register (Guildhall MS 9531/12, fol. 337v; cf. 1563, p. 927; 1570, p. 1588; 1576, p. 1355; 1583, p. 1426).

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¶ The dignitie of Priestes extolled by Bishop Boner.

JN this foresayd conuocation Boner B. of London being Vicegerent, and President (as is sayd) made a certaine exhortation or Oration to the Clergy (whether it was in this conuocation, or much about the said time) wherein he seemeth to shewe a great peece of hys profound and deepe learning MarginaliaBoner speaketh for the honour of priesthode.in setting forth the most incomparable and superangelicall order of Priesthood, as may appeare by this parcell or fragment of his foresayd oration, being collected and gathered by some that stoode by. Which as it came to our hands, so I thought to impart it to the Reader, both for that the Author of so worthy a worke should not passe vnknowen, & partly also, for that the estimatiō of this blessed order, should loose nothing of his preeminence, but might be knowen in most ample perfection, so as it standeth aboue Angels and Kinges, if it be true that Boner sayth.

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A peece or fragment of the exhortation made by Boner bishop of London, to them of the Conuocation house, copied out by them that stoode by and heard hym.  
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Foxe states that his extract from Bonner's oration to the Convocation of 1554, was based on the notes of those who heard it (1563, p. 927; 1570, p. 1588; 1576, p. 1355; 1583, p. 1426). A number of speeches and sermons which Foxe prints in Book 10 are based on the notes taken by those in attendance and later given to Foxe.

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¶ Boners Oration in praise of Priesthood.

MarginaliaThe profound exhortatiō of B. Boner in the Conuocation.WHerefore it is to be knowen, that Priestes and Elders be worthy of all men to be woorshipped for the dignitie sake which they haue of God, as in Math. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall loose vpō earth. &c. And whatsoeuer you shall binde. &c. For a Priest by some meanes is lyke Mary the vyrgin, & is shewed by three poyntes: MarginaliaPriestes compared to the Virgine Mary in three poyntes.As the blessed virgin by fiue words did cōceiue Christ, as it is sayd: Luke. 1. Fiat mihi secūdū verbū tuū, that is to say: Be it vnto me according to thy word: so the Priest by. v. words doth make the very body of Christ. Euen as immediatly after the cōsent of Mary, Christ was all whole in her wombe: so immediately after þe speaking of þe wordes of consecration, þe bread is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ. Se-

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condly,