MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Marche.part, suche was his mortification that way, that fewe wee shall finde in whom the saying of our Sauiour Christ so much preuailed as with hym, who would not onely haue a man to forgiue his enemyes, but also to pray for them: that lesson neuer went out of his memory. For it was knowen that hee had many cruell enemyes, not for his owne desertes, but only for his Religion sake: & yet what soeuer he was that either sought his hinderaunce, either in goodes, estimation, or lyfe, and vppon conference would seeme neuer so slenderly any thyng to relent or excuse himselfe, he would both forget the offence committed, and also euermore afterwardes frendly enterteine him, and shew such pleasure to him, as by any meanes possible he might performe or declare: In somuch that it came into a commō prouerbe: Do vnto my Lord of Canterbury displeasure or a shrewed turne, and then you may be sure to haue him your frend whiles he lyueth. Of which his gentill disposition in absteinyng from reuengement, amongst many examples therof I will repete here one.

MarginaliaA story betwene the Archbishop of Canterburie, and a Popishe Priest his enemie.It chaunced an ignoraunt Priest and parson in the North parties, the Towne is not now in remembrāce, but he was a kinsman of one Chersey a Grocer dwelling within Lōdō (being one of those priestes that vse more to study at the Alehouse then in his chamber or in his study) to sit on a time with his honest neighbors at the Alehouse within his owne Parish, where was communication ministred in commendatiō of my Lord Cranmer Archbishop of Cant. This sayd parson enuying hys name onely for Religion sake, sayd to hys neighbours: MarginaliaThe railyng of a Popish priest against Doctor Cranmer.what make you of him (quod he) hee was but an Hostler, and hath no more learnyng then the goslyngs that goeth yonder on þ^e greene, with such lyke sclaunderous & vncomely wordes. These honest neighbours of hys not well bearyng those his vnseemely wordes, articled against him, and sent their complaynt vnto þ^e Lord Cromwell, then Vicegerēt in causes Ecclesiasticall, who sent for the Priest and cōmitted hym to the Fleete, mindyng to haue had hym recant those his sclaūderous wordes at Paules crosse. Howbeit þ^e Lord Cromwell hauyng great affaires of the Prince thē in hand, forgat his prisoner in the Fleete: So that this Chersey the Grosser vnderstādyng that his kynsman was in duraunce in the Fleete, only for speakyng wordes agaynst my Lord of Cant. consulted with the Priest, and betwene them deuised to make sute rather vnto the Archbyshop for his deliueraunce, then to the Lord Cromwell, before whom he was accused: vnderstandyng right well that there was great diuersitie of natures betwene those ij. estates, the one gentill and full of clemency, and the other seuere and somewhat intractable, namely against a Papist: So that Chersey toke vpō him first to try my Lord of Cāterburyes benignitie, namely for that his cosins accusation touched onely the offence agaynst hym and none other.MarginaliaChersey suying for his kinsmā, to the Archb. Wherupon the sayd Chersey came to one of the Archb. Gentlemen (whose father bought yearely all his spices and frute of the sayd Chersey, and so therby of familiar acquaintaunce with the Gentlemā) who opening to him the trouble wherin his kinsman was, requested that he would be a meanes to my Lord his master to heare his sute in the behalfe of his kynsman.

The matter was moued. The Archbishop lyke as he was of nature gentill, & of much clemency, so would he neuer shew hym selfe straunge vnto suters, but incontinently sent for the sayd Chersey. When hee came before hym, Chersey declared, that there was a kynsman of hys in the Fleete, a Priest of the North countrey, and as I may tell your grace the truth (quod Chersey) a man of small ciuilitie and of lesse learnyng. And yet he hath a personage there, which now (by reason that my Lord Cromwel hath layd him in prison beyng in his cure) is vnserued, and he hath continued in duraunce aboue ii. monethes, & is called to no aunswere, and knoweth not whē he shall come to any end, so that this hys imprisonment consumeth his substance, and wil vtterly vndoe him, vnlesse your Grace be his good Lord. I know not the man (sayd the Archbishop) nor what he hath done why he should be thus in trouble.

Sayd Chersey agayne, hee onely hath offended agaynst your Grace, and agaynst no man els, as may well be perceued by the Articles obiected agaynst him: the copy whereof the sayd Chersey then exhibited vnto the sayd Archb. of Canterbury. Who well perusing the sayd Articles, sayd: This is the common talke of al the ignorant Papistical Priests in Englād against

me. Surely, said he, I was neuer made priuy vnto this accusation, nor of his indurance I neuer heard before this time. Notwithstanding if there be nothing els to charge hym withall agaynst the Prince or any of the Counsail, I will at your request take order with him, and sende him home agayne to his cure to do his duty: MarginaliaThe Priest sent for to the Archbishop.and so thereupon sent his ryng to the Warden of the Fleete, willing him to send the prisoner vnto him with his keeper at after noone.

When the keeper had brought the prisoner at the houre appointed, & Chersey had well instructed his cosyn in any wise to submit himself vnto the Archbishop, confessing his fault, where by that way he should most easely haue an ende and wyn hys fauour: thus the person being brought into the garden at Lambeth, and there sitting vnder the vyne, the Archbyshop demaunded of the parson what was the cause of his indurance, and who committed hym to the Fleete? The Parson aunswered and said: that the Lord Cromwell sent him thether, for that certaine malicious parishioners of his parish, had wrongfully accused him of words which he neuer spake nor mente. Chersey hearyng hys foolishe Cosyn so farre out of the way from his former instruction, sayd: Thou dasterdly dolt and varlet, is this thy promise that thou madest to me? Is there not a great number of thy honest neighbours handes against thee to prooue thee a lyer? Surely my Lord (quod Chersey) it is pitie to do him good. I am sory that I haue troubled your Grace thus farre with him.

Well, sayd the Archb. vnto the Parson, MarginaliaThe Archbishops woordes vnto the parsō.if you haue not offended me, I can do you no good, for I am intreated to helpe one out of trouble that hath offended against me. If my Lord Cromwell hath cōmitted you to prison wrongfully, that lyeth in himselfe to amend and not in me. If your offence onely toucheth me, I will be bolde to do some what for your friendes sake here. If you haue not offended agaynst me, then haue I nothing to do with you, but that you may go and remayne from whence you came. Lord what ado his kinsman Chersy made with him, calling him al kind of opprobrious names. In the end my Lord of Canterbury seeming to ryse and go his wayes, the fonde Priest fell downe on his knees, and said: MarginaliaThe priest confesseth his fault to the Archebishoppe.I besech your grace to forgiue me this offence: assuring your grace that I spake those wordes being druncke and not well aduysed. Ah, sayd my Lord, this is some what, and yet it is no good excuse, for drūckennes euermore vttereth that which lieth hid in the hart of man when he is sober, alleadging a text or twayne out of the scriptures concernyng the vyce of drunckennes, whiche commeth not now to remembraunce.

Now therfore (said þ^e Archbishop) that you acknowledge somewhat your fault, I am content to common with you, hopyng that you are at this present of an indifferent sobrietie. Tell me then, quod he, dyd you euer see me, or were you euer acquainted with me before this day? The Priest aunswered and sayd, that neuer in his life, he saw his grace. MarginaliaThe rashe tongues of menne, sclaunderously speakyng euill by men, whom they neuer knewe, nor saw before.Why than (said the Archbishop) what occasion had you to call me an Hostler: and that I had not so much learning as the Goslings which then went on the greene before your face? If I haue no learning, you may now try it, and be out of doubt thereof: therefore I pray you appose me, either in Grammer or in other liberall sciences, for I haue at one tyme or other tasted partly of them. Or els if you are a Diuine, say somewhat that way.

The Priest being amased at my Lordes familiar talke, made aunswere and sayd: MarginaliaThe Priestes aunswere.I besech your grace to pardon me. I am altogethers vnlearned, and vnderstand not the Latin toung but very simply. My onely study hath bene to say my seruice and Masse faire and deliberate, which I can do aswell as any Priest in the coūtrey where I dwell, I thanke God. Well, sayd the other, if you will not appose me, I will be so bold to appose you, and yet as easely as I can deuise, and that only in the story of the Bible now in English, in which I suppose that you are dayly exercised. Tell me therefore who was king Dauids father, said my Lord? MarginaliaThe Masse Priest ignoraunte in the Scripture.The Priest stoode still pausing a whyle and said: In good fayth my Lord, I haue forgotten his name. Then said the other agayne to him: if you cannot tell that, I pray you tell me then who was Salamons father? The fond foolysh Priest without all consideratiō what was demaunded of him before, made aunswere. Good my Lord beare with me, I am not further sene in the Bible then is dayly read in our seruice in the church.