MarginaliaAnno. 1556. March.compelled there to waite among the Pages, Lackeis, and seruyng men all alone. Doctor Buttes the kynges Phisition resortyng that waie, and espiyng howe my Lorde of Canterburie was handled, went to the kynges highnesse and saied: MarginaliaDoctor Buttes þ^e kinges Phisition, a friend of the ArchbyshopsMy lorde of Canterbury, if it please your grace, is well promoted: for nowe he is become a lackey or a seruyng man, for yonder he standeth this halfe hower, without the Counsail chamber doore amongest them. It is not so, quod the kyng, I trowe, nor the Counsaile hath not so little discretion, as to vse the Metropolitane of the Realme in that sort, specially beyng one of their owne number: but let them alone (said the kyng) and we shall heare more sone.

[Back to Top]

Anone the Archbishop was called into the Counsaill Chamber:MarginaliaThe Archbyshop called before the Counsaile. to whom was alledged, as before is rehearsed. The Archbishop aunswered in like sort, as the kyng had aduised hym: & in the ende when he perceiued that no maner of perswasion or intreatie could serue, MarginaliaThe Counsaile being sette against þ^e Archbishop, hee sheweth the kynges ring & appealeth from them.he deliuered to them the Kynges rynge, reuokyng his cause into the Kynges handes. The whole Counsaile beyng thereat somewhat amased, the Erle of Bedford with a loude voice, confirmyng his woordes with a solemne othe, saied: when you first began this matter my Lordes, I tolde you what would come of it. Doe you thinke that the Kyng will suffer this mannes finger to ake? muche more (I warrāt you) wil he defende his life against brablyng varlettes. You doe but comber your selues to heare tales & fables against hym. And so incontinently vpō the receipt of the kynges token, thei al rose, and caried to the king his ring, surrendering that matter as the order and vse was, into his own handes.

[Back to Top]

When thei wer all come to the kynges presence, his highnes with a seuere countenaunce, said vnto thē: MarginaliaThe kinges wordes to the counsaile in defence of the Archbishop.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 waite at the Counsail chamber dore amongest seruyng men? You might haue cōsidered that he was a Counseller as well as you, and you had no suche cōmission of me so to handle hym. I was content that you should trie him as a Counseller, and not as a meane subiect. But now I well perceiue that thinges be doen against him maliciously, and if some of you might haue had your minds, you would haue tried him to the vttermost. But I do you all to wit, and protest, that if a Prince maie bee beholdyng vnto his subiecte (and so solemly laiyng his hande vpon his breaste) saied: by the faithe I owe to God, I take this man here my Lorde of Canterburie, to be of al other a moste faithfull subiecte vnto vs, and one to whō we are muche beholding, giuyng hym greate commendations otherwise. And with that one or twoo of the chiefest of the Counsaile, making their excuse, declared, that in requesting his induraunce, it was rather meante for his triall, and his purgation against the common fame, and sclaunder of the worlde, then for any malice conceiued against him. Well, well my Lordes, quod the kyng, take hym and well vse hym, as he is worthie to be, and make no more ado. MarginaliaThe Lordes of the Counsaile glad to bee friendes againe with the Archbishop.And with that euery man caught hym by the hand, and made faire weather of altogethers, whiche might easely be doen with that man.

[Back to Top]

And it was muche to be marueiled, that they would goe so farre with hym, thus to seeke his vndoyng, this well vnderstandyng before, that the kyng moste entirely loued him, and alwaies would stande in his defence who soeuer spake againste hym:MarginaliaThe king a great supporter of Cranmer. as many other tymes the kynges pacience was by sinister informations, against hym tried: In so muche that the Lorde Cromwell was euermore wont to saie vnto hym: MarginaliaThe Lord Cromwels wordes to the Archbishop.My Lorde of Canterburie, you are moste happie of all men: for you maie doe and speake what you liste, and saie what all men can against you, the kyng wil neuer beleue one worde to your detriment or hinderaunce. I am sure, I take more paines then all the Counsaile doeth, and spende more largely in the Kynges affaires, aswell beyonde the Seas, as on this side: yea I assure you, euen verie spies in other foreine Realmes, and at Rome els where, costeth me aboue a 1000. markes a yere: and doe what I can to bring matters to knowledge, for the cōmoditie of the Kyng and the Realme, I am euery daie chidden, and many false tales now and then beleued against me and therefore you are moste happy, for in no pointe can you bee discredited with the kyng. To this the Archbishop againe aunsweryng, if the kynges maiestie (saied he) were not good to me that waie, I were not able to stand and endure one whole weke, but your

[Back to Top]

wisedome and policie is suche, that you are able to shift well enough for your self.

Now, when the kynges highnes had thus benignely, and mercifully dispatched the said Archbishop from this sore accusation by the Coūsaile laied against him, al wise men would haue thought, that it had been mere follie afterwardes to haue attempted any matter against hym: but yet looke where malice raigneth, there neither reason nor honestie can take place. Suche therfore as had conceiued depe rancour and displeasure againste hym, ceased not to persecute hym by all possible meanes. Then brought they against hym a newe kinde of accusation, MarginaliaAn other accusation brought into the Parlament house by Syr Iohn Gostwicke, agaynst þ^e Archbishop.and caused sir Iohn Gostwike knight, a man of a contrary religion, to accuse the Archbishop openly in the Parlament house, laiyng to his charge his Sermons preached at Sandwiche, and his Lectures read at Canterburie, wherein should be conteined manifest heresies against the Sacrament of the aultar. &c. which accusation came to the kynges eare. Why, quod the kyng, where dwelleth Gostewicke? As I take it, either in Bedfordshire or Buckynghamshire, & hath he so opē an eare that he can heare my Lorde of Canterburies preachyng out of Kēt? this is very like, saied the kyng. If he had been a Kētishman, there had been somthyng worthy of consideratiō: 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 hym, and tell hym, saied the kyng to one of his priuie Chamber, if he go not to my lord of Canterburie, and so reconcile hym self to hym, that he maie become his good Lorde, I will pull the Goslinges fethers so, that hearafter he shall haue little lust to sclāder the Metropolitane, or any other learned manne. When sir Iohn Gostewicke heard these wordes, it was no neede to bid him hast himself to Lambeth vnto the Metropolitane, makyng to hym as many frendes as possible he might. When he came to the Arch. he was fain to disclose vnto hym, by what meanes he was procured to do that he did, MarginaliaGostwicke glad to fall in agayne with the Archbishop of Canterbury.requesting his clemēcie to be his good lorde, or els he toke himself vtterly vndoen, beyng so in the kynges indignation, as he vnderstode he was by that afore declared, whiche sute was sone wone at his hande: and so the Archb. casting into the satchell behind him, al those sir Iohn Gostewickes ingratitudes, went to the king, and wan to sir Iohn his Princes fauour againe. And thus the kyng made a short ende of this accusation.  

[Back to Top]

Wel: here you maie perceiue that malicious inuention, went not the wisest waie to woorke, to procure a straunger dwelling a farre of, to accuse the Archbishop of his doctrine, preached in his Diocesse: and therefore hath blinde malice learned some more wisedome now, to accuse the Archbishop in suche sort, as he shall neuer bee able to auoide it. MarginaliaNew accusatiō by the Prebendaries and Iustices of Kent agaynst the Archbishop.And therefore it was procured by his auncient enemies, that not onely the Prebendaries of his Cathedrall churche in Canterburie, but also the moste famous Iustices of Peace in the Sheire should accuse hym, and Article againste hym: whiche in verie deede was most substancially brought to passe, and the Articles bothe well written, and subscribed, were deliuered to the kynges highnes, as a thyng of suche effect, that there must nedes followe to the saied Archb. both indignation of the prince, and condigne punishmēt for his greuous offence committed by hym & his chaplains in preachyng suche erroneous doctrine, as thei did w^tin his Dioces of Canterburie: whereof thei beeyng suche witnesse of credite, no man had cause to doubte of their circumspect doynges. This accusation articularly sent out, was deliuered to the kyng, by some of the Counsailes meanes. MarginaliaArticles put vp to the King in writing against D. Cranmer.When the kyng had perused the booke,  

he wrapt it vp, and put it into his sleue: and finding occasion to solace hymself vpon the Thames, came with his Barge furnished with his Musicions, a longe by Lambeth Bridge towardes Chelsey. The noyse of the Musitions prouoked the Archbishop, to resorte to the bridge to doe his dutie, and to salute his Prince. Whō when the Kyng had perceiued to stande at the Bridge, eftsones he commaunded the watermen, to drawe towardes the shore, and so came straight to the Bridge.

[Back to Top]

Ah my Chaplaine, saied the Kyng to the Archebishop? Come into the Barge to me. The Archbishoppe declared to his highnesse, that he would take his owne Barge, and waite vppon his Maiestie. MarginaliaThe King maketh the Archbishop priuy of the Articles.No saied the kyng, you muste come into my Barge, for I haue to talke with you. When the Kyng and the Archbishop all alone in the Barge were sette togethers, saied the Kyng to the Archbishoppe, I haue newes out of Kent for you my Lorde. The Archbishop aunswered: Good

[Back to Top]