MarginaliaThe queenes hart set agaynst Cranmer.The Queene hauyng now gotten a tyme to reuenge her old grief, receaued his recātation very gladly: but of her purpose to put him to death, she would nothyng relent.  

MarginaliaCranmer in a miserable case.Marginalia1556. March.Now was Crāmers cause in a miserable takyng, who neither inwardly had any quietnesse in his owne conscience, nor yet outwardly any helpe in his aduersaries.

Besides this, on the one side was prayse, on the other side scorne, on both sides daunger, so that neither he could dye honestly, nor yet vnhonestly liue: And where as hee sought profite, he fell into double disprofite, that neither with good men he could auoyde secret shame, not yet with euill men the note of dissimulation.

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In the meane tyme while these thynges were a doyng (as I sayd) in the prison amōg the Doctours: the Queene takyng secrete Counsell, how to dispatch Cranmer out of the way (who as yet knew nothyng of her secret hate, and looked for nothyng lesse then death) appointed Doct. Cole,MarginaliaThe Queene conferreth with Doct. Cole about Cranmers burning. and secretly gaue him in commaundement, that agaynst the 21. of March, he should prepare a funerall Sermō for Crāmers burnyng, & so instructyng him orderly and diligently of her will & pleasure in that behalfe, sendeth him away.

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MarginaliaL. Williams of Tame, Lord Shandoys, Syr Tho. Bryges, Syr Iohn Browne, appoynted to be at Cranmers execution.Soone after, the Lord Williams of Tame, and the Lord Shādoys, Syr Thomas Bridges, & Syr Iohn Browne were sent for, with other worshypfull men and Iustices, commaunded in the Queenes name, to be at Oxford at the same day, with their seruaūtes and retinue, lest Cranmers death should rayse there any tumult.

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Cole the Doctour hauyng his lesson geuen him before, and charged by her commaundement, returned to Oxford ready to play his part, who as the day of executiō drew neare euen the day before came into the prison to Cranmer, to try whether he abode in the Catholicke fayth wherin before he had left him. To whom, when Cranmer had aunswered, that by Gods grace hee would dayly be more confirmed in the Catholicke fayth: Cole departing for that tyme, the next day folowyng repayred to the Archbyshop agayne, geuyng no signfication as yet of his death that was prepared: And therfore in the mornyng, which was the 21. day of March appointed for Cranmers execution, the sayd Cole commyng to him asked, if he had any money. To whom when he aunswered that he had none, hee deliuered to him 15. crownes to geue the poore to whom he would: and so exhortyng him so much as he could to constancy in fayth, departed thence about his busines, as to his Sermon appertained.

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By this partly, and other like Argumentes, the Archbyshop began more and more to surmise what they went about. Then, because the day was not farre past, and the Lordes and Knightes that were looked for, were not yet come, there came to him the Spanish Frier, witnes of his recantation, MarginaliaCranmer writeth and subscribeth the Articles with his owne hand.bryngyng a paper with Articles, which Cranmer should openly professe in his recantation before the people, earnestly desiryng that he would write the sayd instrument with the Articles with his owne hand, and signe it with his name: whiche when he had done, the sayd Frier desired that hee would write an other copy thereof whiche should remayne with him, and that he did also.  

But yet the Archbyshop beyng not ignoraunt whereunto their secrete deuises tended, and thinkyng that the tyme was at hand, in whiche he could not longer dissemble the profession of hys fayth with Christes people, he put secretly in his bosome his Prayer with his exhortation, written in an other paper, which he mynded to recite to the people before he should make the last profession of his fayth, fearyng lest if they had heard the confession of his fayth first, they would not afterward haue suffered him to exhort the people.

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Soone after, about ix. of the clocke, the Lord Williams, Sir Thomas Bridges, Syr Iohn Browne, and the other Iustices with certaine other noble men, that were sent of the Queenes counsell, came to Oxford with a great trayne of wayting men. Also of the other multitude on euery side (as is woont in such a matter) was made a great concourse and greater expectation. For first of all they that were of the Popes side, were in great hope that day to heare somethyng of Cranmer that should stablish the vanitie of their opinion: the other part whiche were endued with a better mynde, could not yet doubt, that he which by continuall study & labour, for so many yeares had set forth the doctrine of the Gospell, either would or could now in the last Act of his life forsake his part. Briefly, as euery mans will enclined, either to this part or to that, so according to the diuersitie of their desires, euery mā wished & hoped for. And yet because in an vncertaine thyng the certainetie could be knowen of none what would be the ende: all their myndes were hangyng betwene hope and doubt. So that the greater the expectation was in so doubtfull a matter, the more was the multitude that were gathered thether to heare and behold.

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In this so great frequence and expectation, Cranmer at length commeth from the prison Bocardo, vnto S. Ma-

ries church (because it was a foule and a rayny daye) the chiefe church in the Vniuersity, in this order. The Mayor went before, next him the Aldermen in their place and degree: MarginaliaD. Cranmer brought to Doct. Coles Sermon.after them was Cranmer brought, betwene two Friers, whiche mumblyng to and fro certayne Psalmes in the streetes, aunswered one an other vntill they came to the Churche doore, and there they began the song of Simeon, Nunc Dimittis: and enteryng into the Church, the Psalme saying Friers brought him to his standyng, and there left him, There was a stage set vp ouer agaynst the Pulpit, of a meane height from the ground, MarginaliaCranmer set vp vpon a stage.where Cranmer had hys stādyng, waytyng vntill Cole made him ready to his sermō.

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The lamentable case and sight of that man gaue a sorowfull spectacle to all Christian eyes that beheld him. He that late was Archbishop, Metropolitane, & Primate of England, and the kynges priuy Coūcellour, beyng now in a bare and ragged gowne, and ill fauoredly clothed, with an olde square cap, exposed to the contempt of all men, dyd admonishe men not onely of his owne calamity, but also of their state and fortune. For who would not pity his case, and bewayle his fortune, and might not feare his owne chaunce, to see such a Prelate, so graue a Councellour, and of so long continued honour, after so many dignities, in his old yeares to be depriued of his estate, adiudged to dye, and in so paynfull a death to ende his life, & now presently from such fresh ornamentes, to discend to such vyle and ragged apparell?  

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In this habite when he had stoode a good space vpon the stage, turnyng to a piller neare adioynyng thereunto hee lifted vp his handes to heauen, and prayed vnto God once or twise: till at þ^e length Doctor Cole cōming into þ^e Pulpit, & begynnyng his Sermon, entred first into mēcion of Tobias and Zachary. Whom after that he had praised in the begynnyng of his Sermon for their perseuerance in the true worshipping of God, he then deuided hys whole sermon into iij. partesMarginaliaD. Coles sermon diuided into three partes. (accordyng to the solemne custome of the scholes) entendyng to speake first of the mercy of God, secondly of hys iustice to be shewed: and last of all, how the Princes secretes are not to be opened. MarginaliaThe summe and effect of D. Coles Sermon at Oxford.And procedyng a little from the beginnyng, he tooke occasion by & by to turne his tale to Crāmer, and with many hote woordes reproued hym, that once hee beyng endued with the fauour and feelyng of holesome and Catholicke doctrine, fell into the contrarye opinion of pernicious errour, which he had not only defended by wrytinges and al his power: but also allured other men to do the lyke, with great liberalitye of giftes, as it were, appointyng rewardes for errour: and after hee hadde allured them, by all meanes dyd cherish them.

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It were to long to repete all thynges, that in long order were then pronounced. The summe of this tripartite declamation was, that hee sayd Gods mercy was so tempered with his iustice, that hee dyd not altogether require punishment accordyng to the merites of offenders, nor yet sometimes suffered the same altogether to goe vnpunished, yea though they had repented. As in Dauid, who when hee was bidden chuse of three kindes of punishment whiche he would, and he had chosen pestilence for three dayes: the Lord forgaue hym halfe the tyme, but dyd not release all: MarginaliaIf Cole gaue this iudgement vpon Cranmer when he had repented, what iudgement is then to be geuen of Cole which alwayes hath perdured in error and neuer yet repented.And that the same thing came to passe in him also, to whome although pardon and reconciliation was due accordyng to the Canons, seyng he repented from his errors: yet there were causes why the Queene and the Counsell at this tyme iudged hym to death: of whiche, lest he should maruell to much, he should heare some.

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First that beyng a traitour, hee had dissolued the lawfull matrimony betwene the kyng her father and mother: besides the driuyng out of the Popes authoritye, whyle hee was Metropolitane.

MarginaliaIf all heretickes in Englād should be burned, where should D. Cole haue bene ere now.Secondly, that he had bene an hereticke, from whom as from an author and onely fountayne, all hereticall doctrine and schismaticall opinions that so many yeares haue preuailed in England, dyd first ryse and spryng: of whiche hee had not bene a secrete fauourer onely, but also a most earnest defender euen to the ende of his life, sowing them abroad by wrytinges and arguments, priuately and openly, not without great ruine and decay of the Catholicke Church.

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And further, it seemed meete, accordyng to the lawe of equality,MarginaliaLex non æqualitatis sed iniquitatis. that as the death of the Duke of Northumberland of late, made euen with Thomas More Chauncellour that dyed for the Churche, so there shoulde bee one that shoulde make euen with Fisher of Rochester: and because that Ridley, Hoper, Ferrar, were not able to make euen with that man, it seemed meete, that Cranmer should bee ioyned to thē to fill vp this part of equalitye.

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Besides these, there were other iust and weyghty causes, which seemed to the Queene & the Coūsell, which was not meete at that tyme to be opened to the common people.

After this, turnyng hys tale to the hearers, he bad all men beware by this mans example, that among men nothing is