tiation, and therein I think he taught but the truth. Howbeit there came in two friars against him, to testify that he had denied the presence of the body and blood to be in the sacrament, which when he perceived, straightways he withdrew himself y; and since that time no man can tell where he is become; for which I am very sorry, by cause that I think, that he is rather fled suspecting the rigour of the law, than the defence of his own cause. In consideration hereof, and to the intent that the people of Calice may be quiet and satisfied in this matter, I have appointed two of my chaplains to go thither and preach incontinently: nevertheless it is thought, that they shall do little good there, if the said Prior return home again; for whatsoever hath been done heretofore, either by my chaplains or by other, in setting ingenious, yet, if it were well founded, Cranmer would surely have used stronger language respecting Damplip's " teaching the truth." His hesitating tone on this point certainly confirms Foxe's assertion, that he was at this time a Lutheran in his opinions on the Eucharist. And this supposition is farther supported by the readiness which he seems to have shown this same year to agree in a Confession of Faith with the ambassadors from the Lutheran princes in Germany. Nor is it inconsistent either with his being now in a commission against the Sacramentaries, or with the part he bore some months afterwards in the examination of Lambert. For it is notorious that the Zuinglian tenets on the Lord's Supper were attacked with as much bitterness by the Lutherans, as by the Papists themselves. Perhaps too, it may be reconciled with his assent to the Necessary Doctrine; for that Formulary, though it contains some strong expressions respecting the change of substance in the elements, does not go the length of denying that the bread and wine still remain after consecration. It must however be admitted to be wholly at variance with the declarations which he is represented to have made in 1555 before Brokes, that he had never taught but two contrary doctrines" on the subject, and, that when he disputed with Lambert," he maintained the papists' doctrine." But the report of the examination, in which this language is said to have been used, is of very doubtful credit. See Preface; and Examination before Brokes, vol. iv. pp. 87.95.] y [See Letter ccxxv. note (h).] z [Viz. "Doctor Champion, and Mr. Garret who after was burned, "two godly and learned men, who in effect preached and maintained "the same true doctrine which Adam Damplip had before set forth, "and by reason thereof they left the town at their departure very quiet, "and greatly purged of the slander that had run on it." Foxe, vol. ii. p. 558. How it happened that the same doctrine now produced a calm, which had just before raised a storm, Foxe does not explain. Cranmer had proposed to send Garret to Calais on a former occasion. See p. 145. Respecting Champion, see Letters CXLVII. CLXIII. CLXVII.] forth of the word of God there, no man hath hindered the matter so much as this Prior, nor no superstition more maintained than by this Prior; which I perceive to be true, both by the report of my chaplains heretofore, and of other men of credence. I have herewith sent unto your lordship two letters, which shall something inform you of the Prior's subtlety and craft, praying your lordship, that in any wise he come not at Calice any more to tarry, but either that the House may be suppressed, or else that an honest and a learned man may be appointed in his room; and forasmuch as the Prior is here now, I pray you, my lord, that I may have your authority, by your letter, to command him that he return not again to Calice a. And where in my last letters I prayed your lordship to remember Mr. Hutton, that he might be made an abbot or a prior, which I doubt not that your lordship will effectiously attempt with the King's Majesty, yet forsomuch as his presence with the King might, as I suppose, work something therein, me seemeth it were very good, if he might come home for a little time to see the King's Grace, which, I beseech your lordship, may be brought to pass, if you can by any means. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Lambeth, the xvth day of August. Your own ever assured, To the Right Honourable and my very singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. T. Cantuarien. CCXXIX. To CRUMWELL. After due commendations unto your lordship; so it is, MSS. that I have received also your letters concerning the bPrior House, [Cranmer's request seems to have been attended to, for he is not mentioned in Foxe's account of the subsequent troubles at Calais. See Letter ccxxIx.] b [See Letters ccxxv. CCXXVIII.] Chapter ster; Original. Westmin- of the Friars at Calice, with letters from your lordship unto Crumwell's my Lord Deputy C, which I sent unto him incontinently ; and Corres- reading the copy of the same, I could not but much allow pondence. them, considering how frankly and freely you do admonish him and provoke him, as well to favour God's word, as also to the right administration of his room and office. And as for the Prior, according to your advertisement, I have him in safe custody, and so shall keep him until your return into these parties, and I doubt not but there will be matter enough for his deprivation. Thus Almighty God have your lordship in his blessed tuition. At Lambeth, the xviiith day of August. d I beseech your lordship to remember Mr. Hutton, that by your means he may have some occasion to come over into England. Your own ever assured, T. Cantuarien, To the Right Honourable and my Privy Seal, MSS. Chapter CCXXX. To CRUMWELL. My very singular and especial good Lord, after my most House, hearty commendations unto your lordship; these shall be to Westmin- signify unto the same, that according to your letters to me Crumwell's addressed the 15th day of this present month, I sent for the Corres- Orators of Germany, and required them in the King's ster; pondence. Original. [Arthur Plantagenet, Lord Lisle. See Letter CCXLVIII.] [Namely, Francis Burcard, Vice-Chancellor to the Elector of Saxony, George a Boyneburgh, Doctor of Laws, and Frederic Myconius, Superintendent of the Church at Gotha. They were ambassadors from John Frederic, Elector of Saxony, and Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, and came to England at the invitation of Henry VIII, for the purpose of forming a league against the Pope, and of drawing up by consultation with the English divines, a joint Confession of Faith. See Preface; Burnet, Ref. vol. i. Addend; Strype, Memorials, vol. i. p. 329; and in particular, Seckendorf, Comment. de Luther. lib. iii. §. LXVI. (6.) and Add. i., §. LXXIII1. Add. ii. (f).] pt. ii. Grace's behalf, so gentilly as I could, to demore here until State Puhis Highness coming nearer into these parties; whereat pers, vol. 1. they were somewhat astonished, saying, that, at the King's Lett. cix. request, they would be very well content to tarry during his Todd, Life of Cranpleasure, not only a month or two, but a year or two, if they mer, vol. i. were at their own liberty; but forasmuch as they had been P. 250. so long from their princes, and had not all this season any letters from them, it was not to be doubted but that they were daily looked for at home, and therefore they durst not tarry, unless the King's Highness would make their excuse of their long abode here unto their princes; and yet therein they would give me no determinate answer by no means that time, but they would consult together and make me an answer the next day after. And the next day they were fully determined to depart within eight days; nevertheless after long reasoning, upon hope that their tarrying should grow unto some good success concerning the points of their commission, which I much put them in hope of on your behalf, they condescended and were very well contented to tarry for a month, so that they should be no longer detained; but that after the said month should be expired, they might take their leave, and so depart without farther tract of time, trusting that the King's Majesty would write unto their princes for their excuse in thus long tarrying; besides this they require in the mean time while they tarry here, that we may entreat of the abuses, and put the same articles in writing, as we have done the other 8, which thing I promised them; nevertheless I would gladly have the King's Grace's pleasure and commandment therein, whereby we shall the sooner finish the matter. [The order pursued in these conferences was that which was marked out by the Confession of Augsburgh, namely, first to lay down the Chief Articles of Faith, and then to point out the abuses which needed correction. It seems that the two parties had come to an agreement on the former, and that the foreign ambassadors were now anxious to proceed to the discussion of the latter. In the Appendix will be found a Form of Doctrine from the State Paper Office, which may be conjectured to be the Chief Articles to which both parties had assented. See Preface; Letter from Myconius to Crumwell, in Strype, Memorials, vol. i. App. No. 95; and Letter ccxxxI.] Farther, by cause that I have in great suspect that St. Thomas of Canterbury h his blood, in Christ's Church in h [The date of this Letter shakes the credit of a story, which is not only related by Roman Catholic historians, but has been admitted by Wilkins into his Concilia, and believed by some other protestant writers. It is pretended, that Becket, before the spoliation of his shrine, was formally cited to appear at Westminster to stand his trial, and after the pleading of counsel on both sides, was pronounced guilty of rebellion and treason. Chrysostom Henriquez details the proceedings with much minuteness, and professes to give translations of the official instruments. Of these, the citation is dated the 24th of April; the sentence of confiscation, the 11th of June; and the King's warrant for its execution, the 11th of August, 1538. Surely, if all this had really taken place, if in fact the fate of Becket's tomb had been already sealed, Cranmer would scarcely, on the 18th of August, without the slightest allusion to the previous prosecution, have made the application which is contained in this Letter. But farther, it is also stated, that the sentence was carried into execution on the 19th of August; that the shrine was then plundered, and twenty-six waggon loads of treasure conveyed away. It happens singularly enough, that an account has been preserved of the reception at Canterbury about this time of Madame de Montreuil, a French lady of rank. Among other entertainments, it is related that she was taken to see the great wonder of the town, St. Thomas's shrine: "at the which she was not little mar"velled of the great riches thereof; saying to be innumerable, and "that if she had not seen it, all the men in the world could never have "made her to believe it. Thus overlooking and viewing more than "an hour as well the shrine as St. Thomas' head, being at both set "cushions to kneel, and the Prior opening St. Thomas' head, saying to "her three times This is St. Thomas' head,' and offered her to kiss it, "but she neither kneeled, nor would kiss it, but still viewing the riches "thereof." Now this visit took place on the 1st of Sept. 1538, nearly a fortnight after the time, at which the shrine according to the Roman Catholic authorities was plundered, and when therefore Madame de Montreuil, instead of admiring its splendour, ought to have been mourning over its fall. This comparison of dates overthrows completely the details of Henriquez's narrative, and excites also a strong suspicion, that the whole story of Becket's trial, notwithstanding the support which it derives from the language of a papal bull, is a fabrication. The motive for such a forgery is sufficiently obvious, since the papist would thus be furnished with materials for recrimination, when reproached by the protestant with the post mortem citations of Wiclif, Fagius, and Bucer. See Letter from Penison to Crumwell, in State Papers, vol. i. p. 583; Wilkins, Concilia, vol. iii. p. 835. 841; Lingard, Hist. of Engl. vol. vi. p. 359. 8vo; Todd, Life of Cranmer, vol. i. p. 242. The treasures however of Becket's tomb were not left long untouched after the visit of Madame de Montreuil; and perhaps their seizure may have been hastened by the information communicated by Cranmer in this Letter. The particulars of the spoliation are thus described by Stow, under Sept. 1538. "The shrine of Thomas Becket, in the Priory of "Christ Church, was taken to the King's use. This shrine was builded "about a man's height, all of stone, then upward of timber plain; "within the which was a chest of iron, containing the bones of Thomas |