MarginaliaAnno. 1556. March.at Norwich, was after that sort h?dled, giuing him no lesse commendation for his happy reiectyng of hym for a better amendment. Thus much I repete that our apish and Popishe sort of ignoraunt Priestes may well vnderstand that this his exercise, kinde of life, and vocation was not altogether Hostelerlike.  

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Well, to go forwardes: Like as he was neither in fame vnknowen, nor in knowledge obscure, so was hee greatly solicited by Doct. Capon, MarginaliaDoctour Cranmer appointed to be fellow of the Cardinall Colledge in Oxforde refused.to haue bene one of the felowes in the foundation of Cardinall Wolseys Colledge in Oxforde (whiche hee vtterlye refused not without daunger of indignation. Notwithstandyng foreseyng that whiche after chaunced, to the vtter confusion of many wel affected learned men there without c?siderati? (because mans glory was there more sought for, then gods) he stode to the daunger of the said indignation, whiche chaunced more prosperously vnto hym within few yeares after, then he looked for. For whiles he thus continued in C?bridge. MarginaliaQuestion of the kinges deuorce with Katherine Dowager.The great and weightie cause of Kyng Henry the viii. his diuorce with the Lady Katherine dowager of Spayne, came into question, which beyng many waies by the space of ij. or iij. yeares amongest the Canonistes, Ciuilians, and other learned men diuersly disputed and debated, it came to passe that this saide Doct. Cranmer by reason that the plague was in Cambridge, resorted to Waltham Abbey to one M. Cresses house there, whose wife was of kynne to the sayd M. Cranmer.  

And for that he had ij. sonnes of the said Cressey with hym at Cambridge as his pupulles, he rested at Waltham crosse at the house of the said M. Cressey, with the said ij. children, duryng that somer tyme whiles the plague reigned.

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In this somer tyme Cardinall Campeius and Cardinall Wolsey, beyng in commission from the Pope to here and determine that greate cause in controuersie betwene the King and the Queene his pretended wife, dalied and delaied all that somer time vntil the moneth of August came in hearing the said cause in controuersie debated. When August was come, the said Cardinals little mindyng to procede to sentence geuing, toke occasion to finishe their Commission, and not further to determine therein, pretendyng not to bee permitted by the lawes to keepe Courtes of Ecclesiastill matters in Haruest tyme, whiche sodeine staye and giuyng ouer of the saide Commission by both the Cardinalls beeyng vnknowen to the king, it so muche moued hym that he takyng it as a mocke at the Cardinals handes, commaunded the Dukes of Northfolke and Suffolke to dispatche forthwith Cardinall Campeius home again to Rome, and so in hast remoued hym selfe from London to Walth? for a night or twaine whiles his housholde remoued to Grenewich: by meanes whereof it chaunced that the harbengers lodged Doct. Stephens Secretary,  

and Doct. Foxe Almosiner MarginaliaStephen Gardiner and Doctour Foxe, chief furtherers of the kings diuorce.(who were the chiefe furtherers, preferrers and defendours on the kinges behalfe of the said cause) in the house of the said M. Cressey, where the said Doctor Cranmer was also lodged and resident. When supper tyme came, they all three Doctours mette togethers, Doctour Stephens and Doctor Foxe muche maruailyng of Doctor Cranmers beyng there. Who declared to them the cause of his there beeyng, namelye for that the Plague was in Cambridge. MarginaliaD. Stephens, D. Fox, D. Cranmer, conferring together in the kinges cause.And as they were of olde acquaintaunce, so the Secretary and the Almosiner right well enterteined Doctor Cranmer, mindyng to vnderstand part of his opinion touching their great busines they had in hande. And so as good occasion serued, whiles they were at supper, they conferred with Doctor Cranmer concernyng the kynges cause, requestyng hym of his opinion what he thought therein.

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Whereto Doct. Cranmer aunswered,MarginaliaD. Cranmers answere in the question of the kinges diuorce. that he could say little to the matter, for that he had not studied nor looked for it. Notwithstanding he said to them, that in his opinion they made more adoe in prosecutyng the lawes Ecclesiasticall, then needed. It were better as I suppose (quod Doctour Cranmer) that the question, whether a man may mary his brothers wife or no, were decided and discussed by the Diuines, and by the authoritie of the word of God, whereby the conscience of the Prince might be better satisfied and quieted, then thus from yeare to yeare by frustratory delayes to prolong the tyme, leauing the very truth of the matter vnboulted out by the word of God. There is but one truth in it, which the Scripture will soone declare, make open, and manifest being by learned men well handled, & that maie be aswell done in Englande in the Vniuersities

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here, as at Rome or els where in any foreine nati?, the aucthoritie whereof will compell any Iudge soone to come to a diffinitiue sentence: and therefore as I take it, you might this way haue made an end of this matter long sithens. When Doctor Cranmer had thus ended his tale, MarginaliaD. Cranmers deuise well liked of.the other twoo well liked of his deuise, and wished that they had so proceded afore tyme, and theruppon conceiued some matter of that deuise to instruct the kyng withall, who then was minded to sende to Rome againe for a new Commission.

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Now the next day when the king remoued to Grenewich, like as he tooke hymselfe not well handled by the Cardinalls in thus differryng his cause, so his minde beyng vnquieted and desirous of an ende of hys long and tedious sute,MarginaliaThe king troubled about the diuorce. he called to him these his ij. principall doers of his said cause, namely the said Doctour Stephens and Doct. Foxe, saiyng vnto them: What nowe my masters (quoth the king) shall we do in this infinite cause of mine? I see by it there must be a new Commission procured from Rome, and when we shall haue an end God knoweth and not I. When the king had said somewhat his mynde herein, the Almosiner Doctour Foxe said vnto the kyng agayne: wee truste that there shalbe better wayes deuised for your Maiestie, then to make trauaile so farre as to Rome anye more in your highnes cause, whiche by chaunce was put into oure heades this other night beyng at Waltham. The king beyng very desirous to vnderstand his meanyng, sayd: Who hath taken in hand to instruct you by any better or shorter way to procede in our saied cause? Then said Doct. Foxe: It chaunced vs to be lodged at Waltham in M. Cresseis house this other night, your highnes beyng there, where we mette with an olde acquaintaunce of ours named Doctour Cranmer, with whom hauyng conference concernyng your highnes cause, MarginaliaD. Cranmers deuise reported to the Kyng.he thought that the next way were, firste to instruct and quiet your Maiesties conscience by triyng your highnes question out by the authoritie of the word of God, and therupon to procede to a final sent?ce. With this report the Secretary was not c?tent with the Almosiner, for that he did not vtter this deuise as of their owne inuention. MarginaliaNote the glorious head of D. Stephens.And when the Secretary woulde haue semed by colorable wordes to make it appeare to the kyng, that they of them selues had deuised that meanes: the kyng then said, where is that Doct. Cranmer? is he still at Waltham? They aunswered that they left him there. Mary, said the kyng, I will surely speake with him, and therefore let hym bee sent for out of hand. I perceiue quoth the Kyng, that that manne hath the sowe by the right eare. And if I had knowen this deuise but ij. yeare agoe, it had been in my waie a great peece of money, and had also rid me out of muche disquietnes.

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MarginaliaD. Cranmer sent for to the king.Whereupon Doctor Cranmer was sent for, and beyng remoued from Waltham to Cambridge and so towardes his frends in Notingham shiere, a Post went for hym. But when he came to London, he beganne to quarell with those two his acquaintaunces, that he by their meanes was thus troubled and brought thither to bee combred in a matter wherein hee had nothing at all trauayled in studie, MarginaliaD. Cranmer seeketh excuses loth to come vnto the Kynges presence.and therefore most instantlie intreated them, that they would make his excuse in suche sort that he might bee dispatched away from commyng in the Kinges presence. They promised and tooke the matter vpon them so to do if by any meanes they might compasse it. But al was in vaine, for the more they began to excuse Doctor Cranmers absence, the more the king chid with them for that they brought hym not out of h?d to his presence, MarginaliaD. Cranmer brought to the Kyng.so that no excuse seruing, he was faine vndelaiedly to come to the Court vnto the king, whom the gentle Prince benignely acceptyng, demaunded his name, & said vnto hym: Were you not at Waltham such a tyme, in the company of my Secretary and and my Almosiner? Doctour Cranmer affirming the the same, MarginaliaTalke betwene the kyng and D. Cranmer.the Kyng said again: had you not conference with them concernyng our matter of diuorce nowe in question after this sorte, repetyng the maner and order thereof? That is right true, if it please your highnesse, quod Doctour Cranmer. Well sayd the kyng, I well perceiue that you haue the right scope of this matter. You must vnderstande, quoth the Kyng, MarginaliaThe king troubled in conscience.that I haue beene long troubled in conscience , and now I perceiue that by this meanes I might haue beene long agoe releaued one way or other, from the same, if we had this way proceeded. And therefore Maister Doctour I praie you, and neuerthelesse because you are a subiecte I charge and commaund you (all your other busines and affaires set

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