MarginaliaIacob. 5.Marginalia1556. March.rust, and their rust shall beare witnes agaynst you, and consume you like fire: you gather a horde or treasure of Gods indignation agaynst the last day. Let thē that be rich, ponder

wel these three sentences: for if euer they had occasiō to shew their charitie, they haue it now at this present, the poore people beyng so many, and victuals so deare.

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The two images of Thomas Cranmer on adjacent pages gain added weight in 1563 by appearing together on one opening. Besides giving visual emphasis to Cranmer's ultimate steadfastness, both harp on the factious testing by Spanish friars with their exaggerated fulsome habits and cowls - themselves indications of popish excess. In both woodcuts the balding archbishop has the drooping moustache and long slightly forked beard characteristic of the Protestant patriarch, familiar from surviving portraits like that at Lambeth Palace (whose closeness to the features here indicates that even if posthumous it has good claim to authenticity). Cranmer is shown as having aged since 1534, as well as gaining a longer beard. Compare his face in 'The Pope suppressed by K Henry the eight' (1583, p. 799). The scene represents the utter dismay when Cranmer announced his renunciation of his recantation. Dr Henry Cole expresses astonishment in the pulpit where he had just delivered his sermon justifying the archbishop's burning. Cranmer, whose raised hands suggest the finality of 'it is finished', is pulled off the platform erected for his examination as commotion ensued and he was hurried off to the stake. The action, which takes place in a church interior that does duty for the gothic St Mary's, Oxford, shares features with the earlier illustration 1563, [(page un-numbered by Foxe (p. 474)] of Thomas Bilney being pulled out of the pulpit by two friars. That in turn was followed by another woodcut in John Day's 1569 A christall glasse (depicting 'Envy') that shows a friar pulling a preacher out of his pulpit by his beard, while the fire awaits him outside.

And now, for as much as I am come to the last ende of my lyfe, wherupon hangeth all my life past, and all my lyfe to come, either to lyue with my Maister Christ for euer in ioy, or els to be in payne for euer w^t wicked deuils in hell, & I see before myne eyes presently either heauen ready to receaue me, or els hell ready to swallow me vp: I shall therfore declare vnto you my very fayth how I beleue, without any colour or dissimulatiō: for now is no tyme to dissemble, what soeuer I haue sayd or written in tyme past.

MarginaliaThe Archb. declareth the true confession of his fayth without all colour or dissēbling.First, I beleue in God the Father almighty, maker of heauen and earth. &c. And I beleue euery Article of the Catholicke fayth, euery word and sentence taught by our Sauiour Iesus Christ, his Apostles and Prophetes, in the new and old Testament.

And now I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thyng that euer I dyd or sayd in my whole lyfe, & that is the settyng abroad of a writyng contrary to the truth: MarginaliaThe Archb. reuoketh his former recantation and repenteth the samewhiche now here I renounce & refuse as thynges written with my hand contrary to the truth  

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It is at this point that it became clear that Cranmer was not going to co-operate with the authorities and die as a contrite catholic.

MarginaliaThe Archb. refuseth the Pope as Christes enemy and Antichrist.And as for the Pope, I refuse him as Christes enemy & Antichrist, with all his false doctrine.  

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At this point the MS of the account sent to Foxe breaks off abruptly, but it is extremely likely that the remaining final portion of Cranmer's prayer also came from this source.

And as for the Sacrament, MarginaliaThe Archb. standeth to his booke written agaynst Winchester.I beleue as I haue taught in my booke agaynst the Byshop of Winchester, the which my booke teacheth so true a doctrine of the Sacrament that it shall stand at the last day before the Iudgement of God, where the Papisticall doctrine contrary thereto, shalbe ashamed to shew her face.

Here the standers by were all astonyed, maruailed, were amased, did looke one vpon an other, whose expectatiō he had so notably deceiued. Some began to admonishe him of his recantation, and to accuse him of falshode.

MarginaliaThe expectation of the Papistes deceaued.Briefly, it was a world to see the Doctours beguiled of so great an hope. I thinke there was neuer crueltie more notably or better in tyme deluded and deceiued. For it is not to be doubted but they looked for a glorious victory & a perpetuall triumph by this mans retractation.

MarginaliaThe Papistes in a great chafe against the Archb.Who as soone as they heard these thynges, began to let downe their eares, to rage, fret, and fume: and so much the more, because they could not reuenge their grief: for they could now no longer threaten or hurt him. For the most miserable man in the world can dye but once: and where as of necessitie he must needes dye that day, though the Papistes had bene neuer so well pleased: now beyng neuer so much offended with him, yet could he not be twise killed of them. And so when they could do nothyng elles vnto him, yet lest they should say nothyng, they ceassed not to obiect vnto him his falsehode and dissimulation.

Vnto whiche accusation he aunswered: MarginaliaCranmers aunswere to the papistes.Ah my Maisters (quoth he) do not you take it so. Alwayes since I liued hetherto, I haue bene a hater of falsehod, and a louer of simplicitie, & neuer before this tyme haue I dissembled: and in saying this, all the teares that remayned in his body, appeared in his eyes. And when he began to speake more of the Sacrament and of the Papacie, some of them began to cry out, yalpe, and baule, and specially Cole cryed out vpon him: stoppe the heretickes mouth, and take him away.

MarginaliaCranmer pulled downe from the stage.And then Cranmer beyng pulled downe from the stage, MarginaliaCranmer led to the fire.was ledde to the fire, accompanyed with those Friers, vexyng, troublyng, and threatenyng him most cruelly. What madnesse (say they) hath brought thee agayne into this errour, by whiche thou wilt drawe innumerable soules with thee into hell? To whom he aunswered nothyng, but directed all his talke to the people, sauyng that to one troublyng him in the way, he spake and exhorted him to get hym home to his study, and apply his booke diligently, saying if he did diligently call vpon God, by readyng more he should get knowledge.

But the other Spanish barker, ragyng and fomyng,