MarginaliaLetters of reformation to be sent by the kyng.to be signed, the one to be directed vnto you my Lord, and the other vnto the Archbishop of Yorke, wherein I will commaund you both to send forth your precepts vnto all other Bishops within your Prouinces, to see those enormities and Ceremonies reformed vndelaidly that we haue communed of.

So vppon this, the kinges pleasure knowen, when the Archbishop of Canterburye was then come into Kent, he caused his Secretarye to conceiue and write these Letters, according to the kinges mynde, and being made in a readynes, sent them to the Court to Sir Anthony Deny, for him to get thē signed by the king. When Maister Deny had moued the king thereunto: the king made aūswere: MarginaliaThe kinges minde altered by Winchester.I am now otherwayes resolued, for you shall send my Lord of Canterbury worde, that sithence I spake with him about these matters, I haue receyued letters from my Lorde of Wynchester, now being on the other side of the Sea, about þ^e cōclusion of a league betwene vs, the Emperour, and the French king, MarginaliaReformation of Religion stopped by St. Gardiner.and he wryteth playnly vnto vs, that the league wyll not prosper nor go forward, if we make any other innouation, chaunge, or alteration, either in Religion or ceremonies, than heretofore hath bene already commensed and done. Wherefore my Lorde of Canterburye must take pacience herein, and forbeare vntyll we may espye a more apt and conuenient tyme for that purpose.

MarginaliaAn. 1546.Whiche matter of reformation began to be reuiued again, at what time þ^e great Ambassadour frō þ^e French kyngMarginaliaThys Ambassadour was Admirall of France whose name was Monsieur d' Annebault, he came to Hāpton Court the 20. day of Aug. an. 1546.
The matter of reformation againe renued a litle before the kignes death. came to the kynges Maiestie at Hampton Court not long before his death. Where then no Gentleman was permitted to waite there vpon his Lord & master, without a veluet coate and a chayne of gold. And for that enterteynment of þ^e Ambassadour, were builded in the Parke there three very notable great, & sumptuous bancketyng houses. At the which it was purposed, that the sayd Ambassadour shoulde haue bene iij. sondrye nightes very richly bancketed. But as it chaunced, the French kynges great affaires were then sodenly such, that this Ambassadour was sent for home in post hast, before he had receiued halfe the noble entertaynement that was prepared for hym, so that he had but the fruition of the first bancketyng house.

MarginaliaThe kinges bancket for the French Ambassadour.Now what Princelyke order was there vsed in the furniture of that bancket, aswell in placyng of the noble estates, namely the kynges Maiestie & the French Ambassadour, with the noble men both of Englande and Fraunce on the one part, and of the Queenes highnes, and the Lady Anne of Cleaue, with other noble womē and Ladyes on the other part, as also touchyng the great and sumptuous preparation of both costlye and fine dishes there out of number spent, it is not our purpose here presently to entreate therof, MarginaliaSecret cōmunication betwen the king, the French Ambassadour, and the Archbyshop of Canterbury.but onely to consider the note of the conference and communication had the first night after the sayd bancket was finished, betwene the kynges Maiestie, the sayd Ambassadour, and the Archbishop of Canterbury (the kyngs highnes standyng openly in the bancketyng house in the open face of all the people, and leanyng one arme vppon the shoulder of the Archbyshop of Canterbury, and the other arme vpon the shoulder of the Ambassadour) touching the establishyng of godly Religion betwene those ij. Princes in both their Realmes: As by the reporte of the sayd Archbyshop vnto his Secretarie vppon occasion of his seruice to bee done in kyng Edwardes visitatiō, then beyng Register in the same visitation, relation was made on that behalfe in this sorte.

When the sayd visitation was put in a readynes, before the Commissioners should procede in their viage, MarginaliaTestimonye and credite of the storye.the sayd Archbyshop sent for the sayd Register hys man vnto Hampton Court and willed hym in any wise to make notes of certeine thynges in the sayd visitation: whereof hee gaue vnto hym instruction, hauyng then further talke with hym touchyng the good effect and successe of the sayd visitation. Vpon which occasiō the Register MarginaliaThe name of this Register was M. Morice, Secretary sometymes to the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.said vnto his Maister the Archbishop: I do remember that you not long agoe, caused me to conceiue and write letters, whiche kyng Henry the viij. shoulde haue signed and directed vnto your grace, and the Archbyshop of Yorke, for the reformation of certeine enormities in the Churches, as taking down of the roodes, and forbidding of rynging on Alhallow night, and such lyke vayne ceremonyes. Whiche letters your grace sent to the Court to be signed by the kynges Maiestie, but as yet I thincke that there was neuer any thyng done therein.

Why, quoth the Archbishop again, neuer heard you how those letters were suppressed and stopped? Wherunto the Archbyshops seruaunt aunsweryng agayne: as it was (sayd he) my dutie to write those letters: so was it not my part to be inquisitiue what became therupon. Mary, quoth the Archbyshop, my Lord of Winchester then beyng beyond the Seas about a conclusion of a league betwene the Emperour, the Frenche king, and the kyng our Maister, and fearing that some reformation should here passe in the Realme touchyng Religion in his absence against his appetite, MarginaliaMarke the mischieuous fetches of this olde Foxe Winchester.wrote to the kynges Maiestie, bearyng hym in hand, that the league then towardes, would not prosper nor go forwardes on his Maiesties behalfe, if hee made any other innouatiō or alteration in religion or ceremonies in the Church, then was already done: whiche hys aduertisement herein caused the kyng to stay the signyng of those letters, as Syr Anthony Deny wrote to me by the kynges commaundement.

Then sayd hys seruaunt agayne vnto hym: Forasmuch as the kynges good intent tooke no place then, now your grace may go forward in those matters, the oportunitie of the tyme much better seruyng thereunto then in kyng Henries dayes.

Not so, quoth the Archbyshop. It was better to attempt such reformations in kyng Henry the viij. hys dayes, then at this tyme, the kyng beyng in his infancie. For if the kynges father had set forth any thyng for the reformation of abuses, who was he that durst agaynsay it? Mary, we are now in doubt how mē will take the chaūge or alteration of abuses in the Church, and therfore the Counsaile hath forborne specially to speake therof and of other thynges, whiche gladly they would haue reformed in this visitation, referryng all those and such like matters, vnto þ^e discretions of þ^e Visitors. But if kyng Henry the viij. had lyued vnto this day, with the French kyng, it had bene past my Lorde of Wynchesters power, to haue visured the kynges highnes as he did when he was about the sayd league.

I am sure you were at Hampton Court, quoth the Archb. when the Frenche kynges Ambassadour was enterteined there at those solemne bancketyng houses, not long before the kynges death: namely when after the bancket was done the first night, the kyng leanyng vpon the Ambassadour and vpon me. If I should tell what communicatiō betwene the kynges hyghnes and the sayd Ambassadour was had concernyng the establishyng of sincere Religion then, a man would hardly haue beleue it: nor I my selfe had thought the kynges hyghnes had bene so forwarde in those matters as then appeared. I may tell you, that it passed the pullyng downe of roodes and suppressyng the ryngyng of Bels. MarginaliaThe purpose of K. Henry and of the French king a litle before their deathes.I take it that few in England would haue beleued that the kynges Maiestie and the Frenche kyng had bene at this pointe, not onely within halfe a yeare after to haue chaunged the Masse in both the realmes into a communion, as we now vse it, but also vtterly to haue extirped and banished the Byshop of Rome and his vsurped power, out of both their Realmes and dominions.

Yea they were so throughly and firmely resolued in that behalfe, that they ment also to exhorte the Emperour to do the lyke in Flaunders and other his Coun-