MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Marche.I hope, if it please your hignes. Mary sayd the kyng they be so good, that I now know þ^e greatest hereticke in Kent, & with that pulled out of his sleeue the booke of Articles against both the sayd Archbishop, and his Preachers, and gaue the booke to him, willing him to peruse the same. When the Archb. had read the Articles, and saw him selfe so vncurteously handeled of his own church, whereof he was head, I meane of the Prebendaries of his Cathedrall church, and of such hys neighbours as hee had many wayes gratified, I meane the Iustices of the peace, it much greeued hym. MarginaliaCommission appointed to be sent into Kent, for triall of the Articles.Notwithstanding he kneeled downe to the Kyng, and besought his Maiesty to graunt out a Commission to whomsoeuer it pleased hys highnes, for them to try out the truthe of this accusation. In very deede, sayd the Kyng, I do so meane, and you your selfe shall bee chiefe Cōmissioner, to adioyne to you such two or three more as you shall thinke good your selfe. Then it will be thought (quod the Archbishop to the Kyng) that it is not indifferent (if it please your Grace) that I should be myne own Iudge, and my Chaplaines also. Well, sayd the Kyng, I will haue none other but your selfe, and such as you will appoynt. For I am sure that you will not halt with me in any thing, although you bee dryuen to accuse your selfe, and I know partly how this geare proceedeth, & if you handle the matter wisely, you shall finde a pretye conspiracie deuised agaynst you. Whom will you haue with you, sayd the Kyng? Whom it shall please your grace to name, quod the Archbishop. MarginaliaCōmissioners apppinted to Cranmer, Doctour Bellowes D. Cox Chaūc. Master Hussey Register.I will appoint Doct. Belhous for one, name you the other, sayd the King, meete for that purpose. My Chauncellour D. Cox, and Hussey my Register, sayd the Archb. are men expert to examine such troublesome matters. Well, said the Kyng, let there be a Commission made forth, and out of hand get you into Kent, and aduertise me of your doinges.  

[Back to Top]

They came into Kent, and there they sat aboue three weekes to bult out who was the first occasion of this accusatiō, for therof the Kyng would chiefly be aduertised. Now the Inquisition being begun by the Commissioners, euery man shrooncke in his hornes, and no man would cōfesse any thing to the purpose. MarginaliaD. Coxe chaūce. and M. Hussey false to the Archbishop.For Doct. Coxe and Hussey, being friendly vnto the Papistes, handled the matter so, that they would permit nothing materiall to come to lyght. This thing being well perceyued by one of the Archbishops seruauntes his Secretary,MarginaliaThis Secretarie was maister Raphe Morice witnesse and drawer of this storie. he wrote incontinently vnto Doct. Buttes and Master Deny, declaring that if the Kynges Maiestie dyd not send some other to assist my Lord, then those that then were there with hym, it were not possible that any thing should come to lyght: and therefore wished that Doct. Lee  

or some other stoute man that had bene exercised in the Kings Ecclesiastical affaires in his visitations, might be sent to the Archbishop. Vpon these letters Doct. Lee was sent for to Yorke by the King, and hauing the kings farther mind declared vnto him, when he came to the Court,MarginaliaD. Lee of Yorke appointed Cōmission with the Archbishop for triyng out the conspiracie. he resorted incontinently into Kēt, so that on Alhallow euen, he deliuered to the Archbishop the kinges Ring, with a declaration of his highnes farther pleasure: and by and by vpon his message done, he appointed the Archbishop aforesaid to name him a dosen or xvi. of his Officers & gentlemen, such as had both discretion, wit, & audacitie: to whom he gaue in Commission from the King, to search both the purses, Chestes, and chambers, of all those that were deemed or suspected to be of this cōfederacy both within the Cathedrall church and without, & such letters or writinges as they could find about thē, to bring them to the Archbishop and him.

[Back to Top]

These men thus appointed, went in one houre and instant, to the persons, houses, and places, that they were appointed vnto: MarginaliaThe cōspiracie of the Papistes against þ^e Archbishoppe found out.and within foure houres afterwardes the whole conspiracy was disclosed by fynding of letters, MarginaliaThe Bishop of Winchester, D. London, the Suffragan of Douer, doctour Barbar, with certaine Iustices of Kente, chief cōspirers againste the Archbishoppe.some from the Bishop of Winchester, some from D. London at Oxford, and from Iustices of the Shiere, with other: so that the first beginning, the proceeding, and what should haue bene the ende of their conspiracy, was now made manifest. Certaine chambers and Chests of Gentlemen of the shiere were also searched, where also were found letters seruing to this purpose. Amongst all other, came to my Lordes handes two letters, one of the Suffragan of Douer, and an other of Doct. Barbar a Ciuilian, whom continually the Archbishop reteined with hym in housholde for expedition of matters in sute before him, as a counsellour in the Law when nede required. These two mē

[Back to Top]

being well promoted by the Archbishop, he vsed euer in such familiarity, that when the Suffragan being a prebend of Caunterbury, came to him, he alwayes set him at his owne messe, MarginaliaDomesticall enemies and cōspirers against their Master.and the other neuer from his table, as men in whom hee had much delyght and comfort, when time of care and pensiuenes chaunced. But that which they dyd, was altogether counterfait, and the Deuill was turned into the Aungell of light, for they both were of this confederacy.

[Back to Top]

When my Lord had gotten these their letters into his handes, he on a day, when it chaunced the Suffragan to come to him to his house at Bekisburne, called to him into his study the said Suffragan of Douer  

& D. Barbar, saying: come your wayes with me, for I must haue your aduise in a matter. When they were with him in his study al togethers, he said to them, you twayne be men in whom I haue had much confidence and trust: you must now giue me some good counsaile, for I am shamfully abused with one or twayne to whō I haue shewed all my secretes from time to time, and did trust them as my selfe. MarginaliaPriuy talke betwene the Archbishop and his Suffragan, and doctor Barbar.The matter is so now fallen out that they not onely haue disclosed my secretes, but also haue taken vpon them to accuse me of heresie and are become witnes against me. I require you therfore of your good aduice how I shall behaue my selfe towardes them. You are both my frendes, and such as I alwayes haue vsed when I needed counsell. What say you to the matter, quod the Archbishop?

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe Suffragā and Ciuilian giue iudgemēt againste them selues.Mary, quod Doct. Barbar, such vilens and knaues, (sauing your honour) were worthy to be hanged out of hād without any other law. Hanging were to good, quod the Suffragan, and if there lacked one to do execution, I would be hangman my selfe.

[Back to Top]

At these wordes, the Archbishop cast vp his handes to heauen & said: Oh Lord most merciful God, whom may a man trust now adayes? It is most true which is sayd: Maledictus qui confidit in homine, & ponit carnem brachium suum.  

There was neuer man handled as I am: but oh Lorde thou hast euermore defended me, and lent me one great frend and Master (meanyng the Kyng) without whose protection I were not able to stand vpright one daye vnouerthrowen, I prayse thy holy name therfore: and with that he pulled out of his bosome their two letters, and said: know ye these letters my masters? MarginaliaThe false Suffragā, and Barbar the Ciuiliā, aske the Archebishop forgiuenesse.With that they fel down vpō their knees, & desired forgiuenes, declaring how they a yeare before were attempted to do the same, and so very lamentably weeping and bewailyng their doynges, besought his grace to pardon & forgeue them. MarginaliaThe Archbishop forgiueth his enemies.Well, said the gentle Archbishop, God make you both good men. I neuer deserued this at your handes: but aske God forgeuenes, against whom you haue highly offended. If such mē as you are, be not to be trusted, what should I do aliue? I perceiue now that there is no fidelitie or truth amongest men. I am brought to this point now that I feare my left hand will accuse my right hand. I nede not muche maruaile hereat, for our sauiour Christ truly prophecied of suche a worlde to come in the latter daies. I besech him of his great mercy to finishe that tyme shortly, and so departyng he dismissed them bothe with gentle and comfortable wordes, in suche sort that neuer after appeared in his countenaunce or wordes any remembraunce therof.

[Back to Top]

Now, when all those letters and accusations were found, they were put into a Cheste, the kynges Maiestie mindyng to haue perused some of them and to haue partly punished the principals of it. The Cheste and writynges were brought to Lābeth. At what time began the Parlament, Lorde what adoe there was, to procure the kyng a subside, MarginaliaPractise to get pardon for malefactours.to the intent that therupon might ensue a pardon, which in dede folowed, and so no thing was done, other then their falsehode knowen. This was the last push of the pike that was inferred against the said Archbishop in kyng Henry the viij. his dayes: for neuer after durst any man moue matter against him in his time.

[Back to Top]

And thus haue ye both the working and disclosing of this Popish conspiracy against this worthy Archbishop and Martyr of Christ Tho. Cranmer. In the whiche conspiracie for somuch as complaint was also made vnto the kyng of his Chaplains, and good preachers in Kent, it shall not be out of the story something likewise to touch therof especially of Rich. TurnerMarginaliaRichard Turner a faithfull preacher in Kēt. thē Preacher the same tyme in this Archbyshops Dioces and Curate to M. Moryce the Archbyshops Secretary, in the Towne of Chartham, by whose diligent

[Back to Top]