Marginalia1556. March.Tower: require of them, because you are one of them a Counseller, that you may haue your accusers brought before them, and that you may aunswere their accusations before them, without any further indurance, and vse for your selfe as good persuasions that way as you may deuise, and if no intreaty or reasonable request wil serue, then deliuer vnto them this my ryngMarginaliaThe ing sendeth his signet in the behalfe of the Archbishop of Canterbury. (which thē the kyng deliuered vnto the Archbyshop) and say vnto them, if there be no remedy my Lordes, but that I must needes go to the Tower, then I reuoke my cause from you and appeale to the kynges own person by this hys token vnto you all, for (sayd the kyng then vnto the Archbyshop) so soone as they shal see this my ryng, they know it so well, that they shall vnderstand, that I haue resumed the whole cause into mine owne handes and determination, and that I haue discharged them therof.

The Archbyshop perceiuyng the kynges benignitie somuch to hym wardes, had much adoe to forbeare teares. Well, sayd the kyng, goe your wayes my Lord, and do as I haue bydden you. My Lord humblyng hym selfe with thankes, tooke hys leaue of the kynges highnes for that night.

MarginaliaThe Archbishop being one of the Coūsel, made to stand at the Counsail chamber dore wayting.On the morow about ix. of the clocke before noone: the Counsaile sent a Gentleman husher for the Archbyshop, who when he came to the Counsaile chamber dore, could not be let in, but of purpose (as it semed) was compelled there to waite among the pages, lackeys, and seruyngmen all alone. MarginaliaDoctor Buttes the Kinges Physition a friend of the Archbishops.Doct. Buttes the kynges Phisicion resortyng that way, and espying how my Lord of Canterbury was handled, went to the kynges hyghnes and sayd: My Lord of Cant. if it please your grace, is well promoted: for now he is become a lackey or a seruyngman, for yonder he standeth this halfe houre without the Counsaile Chamber doore amongest them. It is not so, quoth the kyng, I trow, nor the Counsaile hath not so litle discretion as to vse the Metropolitane of the Realme in that sort, specially beyng one of their owne number: but let them alone (sayd the king) and we shall here more soone.

MarginaliaThe Archbishop called before the Counsaile.Anone the Archbyshop was called into the Counsaile Chamber: to whom was alledged, as before is rehearsed. The Archbyshop aunswered in lyke sort as the kyng had aduised hym: and in the end when he perceiued that no maner of persuasiō or intreaty could serue, MarginaliaThe Coūsaile being set agaynst the Archbyshop, he sheweth the kinges Ring and appealeth from them.he deliuered to them þ^e kinges ryng, reuokyng h s cause into the kynges handes. The whole Counsaile beyng thereat somewhat amased: the Earle of Bedford with a loude voyce confirmyng his wordes with a solemne oth, said: Whē you first began this matter my Lordes, I told you what would come of it. Do you thinke that the kyng wil suffer this mans finger to ake? much more (I warrant you) wil he defend his life against brabling varlets. You do but comber your selues to heare tales and fables agaynst him. And so incontinently vpon the recept of the kynges token, they all rose and caryed to the kyng his ryng, surrenderyng that matter as the order and vse was, into his owne handes.

MarginaliaThe kinges wordes to the counsaile in defence of the Archbishop.When they were all come to the kynges presence, his hyghnes with a seuere countināce, sayd vnto them: Ah my Lordes, I thought I had had wiser men of my Coūsaile then now I finde you. What discretion was this in you, thus to make the Primate of the Realme & one of you in office, to wayte at the Counsaile Chāber dore amongest seruyngmen? You might haue cōsidered that he was a Counseller as well as you, and you had no such Commission of me so to handle him. I was content that you should try him as a Counseller, and not as a meane subiect. But now I well perceiue that thinges be done agaynst him malitiously, & if some of you might haue had your mindes, you would haue tried hym to the vttermost. But I do you all to witte, and protest, that if a Prince may be beholdyng vnto his subiect (and so so-

lemly laying his hand vpon his brest) sayd: by the faith I owe to God, I take this man here my Lord of Cāterbury, to be of all other a most faythfull subiect vnto vs, and one to whom we are much beholdyng, giuyng hym great commendacions otherwise. And with that one or ij. of the chiefest of the Counsaile, makyng their excuse, declared, that in requestyng his induraunce, it was rather ment for his triall and his purgation agaynst the common fame and sclaunder of the world, then for any malice conceiued against him. Well, well my Lordes quoth the kyng, take him & well vse hym, as he is worthy to be, and make no more ado. MarginaliaThe Lordes of the Counsail glad to be friends againe with the Archbishop.And with that euery man caught him by the hand and made fayre wether of altogethers, which might easely be done with that mā.

And it was much to be marueiled that they would go so farre with him, thus to seeke his vndoyng, this well vnderstanding before, that the king most entirely loued him, and alwayes would stand in his defence who soeuer spake agaynst hym:MarginaliaThe king a great supporter of Cranmer. as many other tymes the kynges patience was by sinister informations, agaynst hym tryed: In somuch that the Lord Cromwell was euermore wont to say vnto him: MarginaliaThe Lord Cromwels wordes to the Archbishop.My Lord of Canterbury, you are most happy of all men: for you may do and speake what you liste, and say what all men can agaynst you, the kyng will neuer beleue one word to your detriment or hinderaunce. I am sure, I take more paynes then all the Counsaile doth, and spend more largely in the kynges affaires, aswell beyond the Seas as on this side: yea I assure you, euen very spyes in other foreine Realmes and at Rome els where costeth me aboue a 1000. markes a yeare: and do what I cā to bryng matters to knowledge for the commoditie of the kyng and the Realme, I am euery day chidden, and many false tales nowe and then beleued agaynst me: and therefore you are most happye, for in no poynt can you be discredited with the kyng. To this the Archb. agayne aunsweryng, if the kynges Maiesty (sayd hee) were not good to me that way, I were not able to stand and endure one whole weeke, but your wisedome and policie is such that you are hable to shift well enough for your selfe.

Now, when the kynges highnes had thus benignely and mercyfully dispatched the sayd Archbishop from this soore accusation by the Counsaile layde agaynst him, all wyse men woulde haue thought, that it had bene mere folly afterwardes to haue attempted any matter agaynst him: but yet looke where malice reigneth, there neither reason nor honesty can take place. Such therfore as had conceiued deepe rancor and displeasure agaynst hym, ceased not to persecute him by all possible meanes. Then brought they agaynst hym a new kynd of accusation, MarginaliaAn other accusation brought into the Parlament house by Syr Iohn Gostwicke, agaynst the Archbishop.and caused Syr Iohn Gostwike Knight, a man of a contrary Religion, to accuse the Archbishop openly in the Parlament house, laying to his charge his Sermons preached at Sandwich, and his lectures red at Caunterbury, wherin should be conteined manifest heresies agaynst the Sacrament of the aultar. &c. which accusation came to the kinges eare. Why, quoth the kyng, where dwelleth Gostewicke? as I take it, either in Bedfordshyre or Buckynghamshire, and hath he so open an eare that he can heare my Lord of Cāterburies preaching out of Kent? this is very like, sayd the kyng. If he had ben a Kentishmā, there had ben somethyng worthy of consideration: MarginaliaGostwicke checkte of the king for accusing the Archbishop.but as for Gostwicke, I know him well enough and what good Religion he is of. Go to him and tell him, sayd the kyng to one of his priuy Chāber, if he go not to my Lord of Cāterbury, and so recōcile him self to him, that he may become his good Lord, I will pull the goslynges fethers so, that hereafter he shall haue litle lust to sclāder the Metropolitane or any other learned mā. When Syr Iohn Gostewyke heard these wordes, it was no neede to byd