MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Marche.The Archb. then aunswering sayd: this my questiō may be found well aunswered in your seruice. But I now well perceiue, howsoeuer you haue iudged heretofore of my learning, sure I am that you haue none at all. MarginaliaThe guise of Popishe Priestes, when they fauour not the Religion of a man: they sclaūder his person.But this is the commō practise of all you which are ignorant and superstitious Priestes, to sclaunder, backbite, and hate all such as are learned & well affected towards Gods word and sincere religion. Cōmon reason might haue taught you what an vnlikely thyng it was, & cōtrary to all maner of reason, that a Prince hauing twoo Vniuersities within his Realme of well learned men, and desirous to be resolued of as doubtful a question as in these many yeares was not moued the like within Christendome, should be driuen to that necessity for the defence of his cause, to send out of his realme an Hostler, being a mā of no better knowledge then is a goslyng, in an ambassade to aunswere al learned men, both in the court of Rome, and in the Emperours court, in so difficult a question as toucheth the kynges Matrimony, and the diuorce thereof. I say, if you were men of any reasonable consideration, you myght thinke it both vnseemely and vncomely for a Prince so to do. MarginaliaEuill will neuer saieth well.But looke where malice raygneth in men, there reason can take no place: and therefore I see by it, that you al are at a point with me, that no reason or authority can perswade you to fauour my name, who neuer ment euill to you, but your both commoditie and profite. Howbeit God amend you all, forgeue you, and send you better myndes.

With these wordes the Priest seemed to weepe, and desired hys Grace to pardon hys fault and frailtie, so that by hys meanes hee myght returne to hys cure agayne, & he would sure recant those his foolish words before his parishioners so soone as he came home, and would become a new man. Well, sayd the Archbishop, so had you neede. MarginaliaThe Archbishop forgiueth and dismisseth the Priest.And geuing him a godly admonitiō to refuse the haunting of the Alehouse, and to bestow his time better in the continuall reading of the scriptures, he dimissed him from the Fleete.

The Lord Cromwell perceiuyng within a fortenight after, that his prisoner was sent home without any opē punishmēt, came to Lambeth vnto the Archb. & in a great heate sayd to him:MarginaliaThe lord Crōwell offended with the Archbishop in forgiuing the Popishe Prieste. My Lord, I vnderstād that you haue dispatched the Northen Priest that I of late sent to the Fleete, home agayne, who vnhonestly railed of you and called you an hostler.

In deede I haue so done (sayd he agayne) for that in his absence the people of his cure wanted their diuine seruice. It is very deuout diuine seruice that he sayth, quod the Lord Cromwell: It were more mete for him to be an hostler then a Curate, who sticked not to cal you an hostler. But I thought so much what you would do,and therfore I would not tell you of his knauery whē I sent him to prison. Howbeit henceforth they shal cut your throte, before that I say any thyng more to them on your behalfe. Why? what would you haue done with him, quod the Archbishop? there was nothing layde to his charge, other then wordes spoken agaynst me: MarginaliaThe Archbishop defendeth his enemie that before railed vpon hym.and now the man is repentaunt and well reconciled, and hath bene at great charges in prison: it is time therfore that he were rid of his trouble. Well, sayd my Lord Cromwell, I ment that he should haue preached at Paules Crosse a recantation before hee had gone home. That had bene well done, quod the other: for then you would haue had all the world aswell to wonder at me as at him. Well, well, sayd the Lord Cromwell: we shall so long beare with these Popish knaues, that at length they will bryng vs in deede to be wondered at of the whole world.

This example among other, serueth to declare that there remained small desire of reuengyng in the sayd Archbishop. But what should I say more? His quietnes and mortification this way was such, that it is reported of all that knew him, that he neuer raged so far with any of his houshold seruauntes, MarginaliaThe Archbish. Cranmer was neuer heard to call any of his housholde once verlet, or knaue.as once to cal the meanest of them varlet or knaue in anger, much lesse to reproue a straunger with any reprochfull wordes: Much vnlike in this part to þ^e propertie (as it semeth) to some other inferiour Bishops of this realme,  

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This is a pointed reference to Bishop Bonner of London whom Foxe would describe as plucking the beards of Thomas Tompkins and Thomas Whittle, burning the hand of Tompkins, and having numerous protestants beaten.

No striker, nor fighter.

No striker, nor fighter: From which kynd of vice the nature of this Archbishop was so farre of, as was his doctrine which he professed, and death which he suffered farre of from all condition and example of blynd Popery. After the prohibition of these foresayd vices, succedeth the mother of all good vertues necessarily required of all true Christians, but chiefly of a spirituall Prelate which is.

Not giuen to filthy luker, but harberous.

MarginaliaNot giuen to filthie luker, but harberous.Not giuen to filthy luker, but harberous. &c. The contrary whereof was so odious vnto S. Paul, that he estemed the same no lesse then a kynde of Idolatry in that it maketh mē to forget their dutie to God so farre, and in stede of him to worship their treasure. How litle this Prelate we speake of, was infected with this vice, and how he was no nyggard, all kynd of people that know him, aswell learned beyond the Seas and on this side, MarginaliaThe liberal doynges of this Archbishop.to whom yerely he gaue in exhibitiō no smal summes of money, as other, both Gentlemen, meane men, & poore men, who had in their necessitie that which he could cōueniently spare, lende, or make, cā wel testifie. And albeit such was his liberalitie to all sortes of mē, that no man did lacke whom he could do for, either in giuyng or lendyng: yet neuertheles such was agayne his circūspection, that when he was apprehended and committed by Q. Mary to the Tower, he ought no man liuyng a peny that could or would demaunde any dutie of him, but satisfied euery man to the vttermost: where els no small summes of money were owyng to him of diuers persons, which by breakyng their billes & obligatiōs he freely forgaue & suppressed before his attainder.: MarginaliaThe Archbishop clearyng all his debtes before his attainder.In somuch that when he perceiued the fatall end of kyng Edward should worke to him no good successe touching his body & goods, he incontinently called for his Officers, his Steward & other, commaundyng them in any wise to paye where any peny was owyng, which was out of hād dispatched, And thē he said: Now I thanke God I am myne owne man & in conscience with Gods helpe hable els to aunswere all the world and worldly aduersities, whiche some men supposeth he might also haue auoided if he would haue bene coūselled by some of his frendes. It followeth moreouer.

Harberous.

And as touching this word Harberous, whereby is mēt the good mayntenaūce of hospitalitie, so litle was this propertie lacking in him, that some men misliking the same, thought it rather a house of ouermuch lauishing and vnprofitable expense. But as nothyng can be so wel doone, which by some or other shall not be maligned and detracted: MarginaliaThe large expenses of doctor Cranmer.so neither did this man lacke his cauillers: some findyng fault with his ouermuch prodigallitie: some on the contrary part repynyng and cōplaynyng of his spare house and strait order, much vnder the state of his reuenues & callyng: of which twoo, the first sort must cōsider the causes which moued him to that liberall & large kynd of expēses. Wherin here commeth to be considered the time wherein he serued: which was when reformatiō of religion first began to be aduaūced: in which time the whole weight and care of the same most chiefly depended vpon his hand. Duryng which season almost for the space of xvi. yeares together, his house was neuer lightly vnfurnished of a number, both of learned men and Cōmissioners from time to time appoynted for decyding of Ecclesiasticall affaires.

And thus as he seemed to some ouer large and lauishing more then needed in hospitalitie: so on the other side there wāted not some, of whom he was much noted and accused agayne, yea & also complained of to kyng Henry viij. for to slender and nyggardly housekeping, as not worthy to bee accompted the hospitalitie of a meane Gentleman: as here folowyng shall appeare.

After that the ample & great possessions, reuenewes, iuelles, rich ornamētes and other treasures of the Abbeys were dissolued & brought into the kynges hands, in the dissoluyng whereof many Cormorantes were fedde and satisfied, & yet not so fully satisified, but that within a few yeares they began to wax hungry agayn: and for somuch as no more could be scraped nowe out of the Abbeys: they began to seeke, how by some other pray to satisfie their appetites, MarginaliaThe Bishops lāds sought.which was to tickle the kyngs eares with the rich reuenew of þ^e Bishops lan-