Marginalia1556. March.MarginaliaThe Kinges answere to the complayner of the Archbishop.When the king had heard this fayre tale, hee sayd little then therunto, other then this: Well (quoth hee) we will talke more of this matter at another time. Now, within a fortnight after or therabout (whether by chaunce or of set purpose, it is not knowen) it came to passe that one day when his highnes going to dinner had washed, Sir Thomas Seymour then holding the Ewer, he sayd to the sayd Sir Thomas: Go you out of hand to Lambeth vnto my Lorde of Caunterbury, and bid hym to be with me at. ij. of the clocke at after noone, and fayle not. Sir Thomas straight wayes went to Lambeth, and as hee came to the gate, the Porter being in the Lodge, came out and conueied him to the Hall, which was throughly furnished and set, both with houshould seruauntes and straungers, with foure principall head messes of Officers, as dayly it was accustomed to bee. When Sir Thomas Seymour saw that stately large Hall so well set and furnished, being therewith abashed and somewhat gylty of an vntruth told to the king before, hee retyred backe and would needes haue gone to my Lord of Caunterbury by the Chappell, & not through the Hall. Richard Newell gentleman, then Steward of the houshould, perceyuing his retyre, came by and by vnto hym, and after gentle intertainment, demaunded of him whether he would speake with my Lord or no. Sir Thomas sayd that he must needes so do from þ^e kinges hyghnes, saying to hym: and thys way I am going to my Lords grace. Sir, sayd the Steward, you cannot go that way, for the dore is fast shut in the dinner tyme: and so by gentle meanes brought him vp to my Lordes Chamber through the Hall, who then was at dinner:MarginaliaThe Archbishop of Canterburyes house keping. wyth whom he dyned after he had done his message: whose ordinary fare might alwayes welcome a right honorable personage. When dinner was scarse done, sir Thomas tooke his leaue of my Lord and went agayne to the Court.

So soone as the kings highnes saw hym, he sayd to him: haue you ben with my Lord of Canterbury? Syr Thomas aunswered: that I haue, if it please your maiesty, and he will be with your hyghnes straight waies. Dyned you not with him sayd the king? Yes Sir (sayd he) that I haue done. MarginaliaThe complayner asketh pardō of þ^e King for his vntrue report.And with that word, whether he espied by the kings countenance or by his wordes any thing tending to displease, he straight way without delay kneeled downe vpon his knee, & sayd: I besech your Maiesty to pardon me: I do now wel remēber and vnderstand, that of late I told your hyghnes a great vntruth concerning my Lord of Canterburyes housekeeping: but from henceforth I entend neuer to beleue that person which did put that vaine tale into my head: For I assure your hyghnes, that I neuer saw so honorable a Hall set in this realme, besides your maiesties, Hall in all my lyfe, with better order and so well furnished in ech degree. If I had not seene it my self, I could neuer haue beleued it: and himselfe also so honorably serued.

Ah sir, quoth the kings highnes? haue you now espyed the truth? I thought that you would tell me an other tale when you had bene there. He was a very varlet (quoth the king) that told you that tale: for he spendeth (ah good mā, said the king) all that he hath in housekeeping. But now I perceyue which way the wynde bloweth. There are a sort of you, to whom I haue liberally geuen of the possessiōs and reuenewes of the suppressed Monestaries, which lyke as you haue lightely gottē, so haue you more vnthriftely spēt, some at Dyce, other some in gay apparell, and other wayes worse, I feare me: and now all is gone, you would fayne haue me make an other cheuaunce with the Bishops Landes to accomplish your greedy appetites. But let no other Bishops bestow their reuenewes worse then my Lord of Caunterbury doth, then shall you haue no cause to complayne of their house keeping.

And thus the tale being shut vppe and ended by the

kings hyghnes, neyther Sir Thomas Seymour nor none els on his behalfe euer after durst renew or reuiue that sute any more in king Henries daies: So that it may be euident to all indifferent men, the liberalty of the Archbishop in housekeeping what it was, which being defended and cōmended by the Prince him self, rather may giue a good example to his posterity to follow, then was then to be depraued of any priuate subiect such as knew him not.

In which Archb. this moreouer is to be noted, with- a memorādum, touching the reliefe of the poore, impotent, sicke, and such as then came from the warres at Bullen and other partes beyond the seas, lame, wounded, & destitute, for whom he prouided, besides his māsion house at Beckisborn in Kent, the personage barne wel furnished with certayne lodgings for the sicke and maymed soldiours.MarginaliaThe almes of the Archbyshop towardes the poore. To whom were also appointed the Almosiner, a Phisicion, and Surgion, to attende vpon them, and to dresse and cure such as were not able to resort to their coūtreyes, hauing daily from the bishops kytchin hot broth and meate, for otherwyse the cōmon almes of the houshold was bestowed vpon the poore neyghbours of the shiere. And when any of the impotent did recouer, and were able to trauaile, they had cōuenient money delyuered to beare their charges, according to the number of myles from that place distant. And this good example of mercy and liberall benignitie, I thought here good not in silēce to be suppressed, wherby other may be moued, according to their vocation, to walke in the steps of no lesse ltberalitie, then in hym in thys behalfe appeared.

One that loueth goodnes, sober mynded, righteous, holy, and temperate.

Now foloweth together these vertues: One that loueth goodnes, sober mynded, righteous, holy and temperate. As concerning these qualities, the trade of hys lyfe before ioyned wyth hys benigne and gentle disposition, do testifie that he could not be voide of these good vertues raygning in hym, which was so abundantly adorned with the other which aboue we haue declared.

MarginaliaTo cleaue fast to the word of doctrine: able to exhorte in holsome: learning, and to reproue the gaynsayer.To cleaue fast vnto the true woord of doctrine, that hee may bee able to exhort wyth wholsome learning, and to improue that say agaynst it.

Then concludeth S. Paule wyth the most excellent vertue of all other to bee wished in a Prelate of the church. For if this constancie be not in him to this end, that is: To cleaue fast vnto the true word of doctrine, that he may be able to exhort with wholesome learning, and to improue that say agaynst it: If hee bee voide (I say) of these giftes and graces, hee is worthy of no commendation, but shall seeme an Idoll, and a deceiuer of the world. Neither shall he deserue the name of a Bishop, if either for dread or meede, affection or fauour, he do at any tyme or in any point swarue from the truth. MarginaliaArchbishop Cranmer euer constant in defence of Christes truth and Gospell.As in this behalfe the worthy constancie of this said Archbishop neuer, for the most part, shroncke at any maner of scorne: but was so many waies tryed, that neyther fauour of his Prince, nor feare of the indignation of the same, nor any other worldly respect could alienate or chaunge hys purpose grounded vpon that infallible doctrine of the Gospell. Notwithstanding, hys constāt defence of Gods truth was euer ioyned with such meekenes toward the kyng, that he neuer tooke occasion of offence against hym.

At the setting forth of the sixe articles, mention was made before in the story of king Henries tyme, page 1297. col. 2. how aduenturously this Archbishop Thomas Cranmer dyd oppose him self,  

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See MacCulloch, Cranmer, pp. 237-60 for a more balanced assessment ofthis.