MarginaliaAn. 1556. March.woulde not commit hys conscience vnto other mens factes, or cast him selfe to daunger, seyng that euery man should geue accompt of hys owne conscience and not of other mens. And as concerning subscription, be fore he had spoken with the kyng him selfe, he vtterly refused to do it.

The kyng therefore beyng demaunded of the Archbishop concerning this matter, sayd: that the Nobles and Lawyers of the Realme counselled hym vnto it, and perswaded hym that the bond of the first testament could nothing let, but that this Lady Iane might succeede him as heyre, and the people without daunger acknowledge her as their Queene. Who then demaunding leaue of the kyng that he myght first talke wyth certayne Lawyers that were in the Court, when they all agreed that by the law of the Realme it might be so, returning to the king,MarginaliaCranmer through the perswasion of the Counsell, the King, and lawyers subscribed to king Edwardes Testament. with much ado he subscribed.  

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Well, not long after this, king Edward died, being almost sixtene yeares old, to the great sorrow, but greater calamitie of the whole Realme. After whose decease immediately it was commaunded that the LadyIane which was vnwylling thereunto, should bee proclaymed Queene. Which thing much mysliked the cōmon people: not that they did so much fauour Mary, before whom they saw the Lady Iane preferred, as for the hatred conceiued against some, whom they coulde not fauour.  

Besides this, other causes there happened also of discord betwene the Nobles and the Commons the same tyme, for what iniuries of commons and enclosures wrongfully holden, with other inordinate polings and vncharitable dealyng betwene the landlords and tenantes, I can not tell. But in fine, thus the matter fell out, that Mary hearyng of the death of her brother, & shifting for her selfe, was so assisted by the Cōmons, that eftsoones she preuayled.   Who being established in the possession of the Realme, not long after came to London, and after she had caused first the two fathers, the Duke of Northumberland and the Duke of Suffolke to bee executed (as is aboue remembred) lykewyse she caused the Lady Iane being both in age tender and innocent from this crime, after shee could by no meanes bee turned from the constancie of her fayth, together with her husband to be beheaded.

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The rest of the Nobles paying fines, were forgeuē, the Archbishop of Cant. onely excepted. Who though he desired pardon by meane of frendes, could obtayne none: in so much that the Queene woulde not once vouchsafe to see him: For as yet the olde grudges agaynst the Archbishop for the MarginaliaManet altamente repostum Iudicium paridis, sprætæque iniuria matris. Virg. æneid. 1.  

diuorcement of her mother, remayned hyd in the bottome of her hart. Besides this diuorce, she remembred the state of religion chaunged: all which was reputed to the Archbishop, as the chiefe cause thereof.

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Whyle these thinges were in doing, a rumor was in all mens mouthes, that the Archbishop, to curry fauour with the Queene, had promised to say a Dirige Masse after the olde custome, for the funerall of Kyng Edward her brother. Neither wāted there some which reported that he had already sayd Masse at Cāterbury; which Masse in deede was said by D. Thornton.MarginaliaThis Doct. Thornton was after the byshop of Douer, a cruell and wicked persecuter. This rumor Cranmer thinking speedely to stay, gaue forth a writing in his purgation: the tenour wherof being before expressed, pag. 1635. col. 1. I neede not here againe to recite.

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Thys byll being thus written,  

and lying openly in a window in his chamber, commeth in by chaunce M. Scory, Bishop then of Rochester, who after he had red and perused the same, requyred of the Archbishop to haue a copy of the byll. The Archbishop when he had graunted and permitted the same to Master Scory, by the occasion thereof M. Scory lending it to some frend of hys, there were diuers copies taken out therof, and the thing published abroad among the cōmon people: in so much that euery Scriueners shop almost, was occupied in wryting & copying out the same, & so at lēgth some of those copies comming to the Bishops handes,

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and so brought to the Counsell, and they sending it to the Cōmissioners, the matter was knowen, and so he commaunded to appeare.

Wherupon D. Crāmer at his day prefixed, appeared before the sayd Commissioners, bringing a true Inuentory, as he was commaunded, of all his goodes. That done, a MarginaliaThis Byshop was D. Heath byshop after of Yorke.Byshop of the Queenes priuy Counsell, being one of the sayd Commissioners, after the Inuentory was receaued, bringing in mēcion of the byll: My Lord (said he) there is a bil put forth in your name, wherein you seeme to be agreeued wyth setting vp the Masse agayne: we doubt not but you are sory that it is gone abroad.

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To whom the Archbishop aunswered agayne, saying: as I do not deny my selfe to be the very autour of that bill or letter, so must I confesse here vnto you, concerning the same byll, that I am sory that the sayd byll went from me in such sort as it dyd. For when I had written it, M. Scory got the copy of me, & is now come abroad, and as I vnderstand, the City is full of it. For which I am sory, that it so passed my handes: for I had intended otherwise to haue made it in a more large and ample maner, and mynded to haue set it on Paules Church dore, and on the dores of all the Churches in London, with myne owne seale ioyned thereto.

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At which words when they saw the constantnes of the man, they dismissed hym, affirming they had no more at that present to say vnto him, but that shortly hee should heare further. The said Bishop declared afterward to one of Doctour Cranmers friendes, that notwithstandyng hys attainder of treason, the Queenes determination at that tyme was, that Cranmer should onely haue bene depriued of his Archbishopricke, and haue had a sufficient liuyng assigned hym, vpon his exhibiting of a true Inuentory, wyth commaundement to keepe his house wythout medling in matters of religiō. But how that was true, I haue not to say.  

Thys is certain, that not long after this, he was sent vnto the Tower, MarginaliaCranmer condemned of treason.& soone after condemned of treason. Notwithstanding, the Queene when she could not honestly deny hym hys pardon, seing all the rest were discharged, and specially seyng he last of all other subscribed to king Edwardes request, and that against his owne will, released to him his action of treason,MarginaliaCranmer released of treasō, and accused of heresy. and accused hym onely of heresy: which liked the Archbishop ryght well, and came to passe as hee wished, because the cause was not now hys owne, but CHRISTES, not the Queenes, but the Churches. Thus stode the cause of Cranmer, till at length it was determined by the Queene and the Counsell, that he should be remoued from the Tower where he was prisoner, to Oxford, there to dispute with the Doctours and Diuines. And priuely word was sent before to them of Oxford to prepare themselues, & make thē ready to dispute. And although the Queene and the Byshops had concluded before what shoulde become of him, yet it pleased them that the matter should bee debated with argumentes, that vnder some honest shew of disputation, the murther of the man might be couered. Neither could their hasty speede of reuengement abide any long delay: MarginaliaCranmer had to Oxford.and therefore in all hast he was caryed to Oxford.

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What thys disputation was, and how it was handled, what were the questions, and reasons on both sydes, and also touchyng hys condemnation by the Vniuersity & the Prolocutor, because sufficiently it hath ben declared pag. 1591. we mynd now therfore to procede to his finall iudgement & order of condemnation, which was the. xij. day of September. an. 1556. and seuen dayes before the condemnation of Bishop Ridley and M. Latimer, as is aboue foretouched. pag. 1922. col. 1. The story wherof here followeth, faythfully collected by the report and narratiō (comming by chaunce to our handes) of one who being both present therat, and also a deuout fauorer of the Sea and fac-

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