gone from their first estate and order, and the one is found like offender with the other, it maketh no great matter if they perish both together: for to say the truth, it is an estate which St. Paul, reckoning up the degrees and estates allowed in his time, could not find in the Church of Christ. And I assure you, my lord, that I think it will better stand with the maintenance of Christian religion, that in the stead of the said prebendaries, were twenty divines at 107. a piece, like as it is appointed to be at Oxford and Cambridge; and forty students in the tongues and sciences and French, to have 10 marks a piece; for if such a number be not there resident, to what intent should so many readers be there? And surely it were great pity that so many good lectures should be there read in vain: for as for your prebendaries, they cannot attend to apply lectures, for making of good cheer. And as for your sixty children in grammar, their master and their usher be daily otherwise occupied in the rudiments of grammar, than that they may have space and time to hear the lectures. So that to these good lectures is prepared no convenient auditory. And therefore, my lord, I pray you let it be considered, what a great loss it will be to have so many good lectures read without profit to any, saving to the six preachers. Farther, as concerning the reader of divinity and humanity, it will not agree well that one man should be a reader of both lectures. For he that studieth in divinity, must leave the reading of profane authors, and shall have as much to do as he can, to prepare his lecture to be substantially read. And in like manner, he that readeth in humanity, had not need to alter his study, if he should make an erudite lecture. And therefore in mine opinion it would be two offices for two sundry learned men. Now concerning the Dean and other to be elected into the College, I shall make a bill of all them that I can hear of in Cambridge, Oxford, or elsewhere, meet to be put into the said College, after my judgment: and then of the whole number the King's Highness may choose the most excellent; assuring you, my lord, that I know no man more meet for the Dean's room in England than Doctor Cromed, who by his sincere learning, godly conversation, and good example of living, with his great soberness, hath done unto the King's Majesty as good service, I dare say, as any priest in England. And yet his Grace daily remembereth all other that doth him service, this man only except, who never had yet, besides his gracious favour, any promotion at his Highness' hands. Wherefore, if it would please his Majesty to put him in the Dean's room, I do not doubt but that he should show light to all the deans and masters of colleges in this realm. For I know that when he was but president of a college in Cambridge, his house was better ordered than all the houses in Cambridge besides. And thus, my lord, you have my final advice concerning the premises, which I refer unto the King's Grace's judgment, to be allowed or disallowed at his Highness' pleasure: sending unto your lordship herewithal the bill again, according to your request. Thus, my lord, most heartily fare you well. At Croydon, the xxix. day of November. [1539.] Your own ever assured, T. Cantuarien. [Cranmer's recommendation was not followed, Dr. Nicholas Wotton having been appointed the first Dean of Canterbury by the charter of incorporation. Le Neve, Fasti. For a memoir of Crome, see Strype, Memorials, vol. iii. p. 102. See also Burnet, Ref. vol. iii. p. 287. He was the author of the ingenious argument against private masses, "that if "trentals and chauntry masses could avail the souls in purgatory, then "did the parliament not well in giving away monasteries, colleges, and "chauntries, which served principally to that purpose. But if the par"liament did well (as no man could deny) in dissolving them, and bestowing the same upon the King, then is it a plain case, that such chaun"tries and private masses do nothing to relieve them in purgatory. This "dilemma no doubt was insoluble. But notwithstanding, the charitable "prelates so handled him, that they made him recant. And if he had "not, they would have dissolved him and his argument in burning fire." Foxe, vol. ii. p. 572. See some valuable letters respecting this prosecution, in which Latymer also was implicated, in the State Papers, vol. i. part ii. Letter CCXLIII. &c.] с [The following narrative from one of Foxe's manuscripts throws some farther light on Cranmer's views respecting this new foundation at Canterbury. The substance of it is printed by Strype, Cranmer, p. 89. "At what time the Cathedral Church of Canterbury [was] newly erected, altered, and changed, from monks to secular men of the clergy, CCLV. To CRUMWELL. My singular good Lord, in my most hearty wise I com- MSS. mend me to your lordship; and whereas I am informed Chapter " in the time of King Henry the VIII, as to prebendaries, canons, petty "canons, choristers, and scholars, there were present at that erection "Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Riche, Chan"cellor of the Court of the Augmentation of the revenues of the Crown, "Sir Christopher Hallis, knight, the King's attorney, Sir Anthony "Sencteleger, knight, with divers other Commissioners. And taking upon them to nominate and elect such convenient and apt persons, 66 as should serve for the furniture of the said Cathedral Church, ac"cording to the new foundation, it came to pass, that when they "should elect the children of the grammar school, there were of the "Commissioners mo than one or two, which would have none ad"mitted but younger brethren and gentlemen's sons. As for other "husbandmen's children, they were more meet, (they said,) for the "plough and to be artificers, than to occupy the place of the learned sort; so that they wished none else to be put to school but only "gentlemen's children. 66 "Whereunto that most reverend father, Thomas Cranmer, Arch"bishop of Canterbury, being of a contrary mind, said, that he thought "it not indifferent so to order the matter. For (said he) poor men's "children are many times endued with more singular gifts of nature, "which are also the gifts of God, as with eloquence, memory, apt "pronunciation, sobriety, with such like, and also commonly more given "to apply their study, than is the gentleman's son delicately educated. "Whereunto it was on the other part replied, that it was meet for the "ploughman's son to go to plough, and the artificer's son to apply the "trade of his parent's vocation, and the gentlemen's children are meet "to have the knowledge of government and rule in the common wealth. "For we have as much need of plough even as of any other state, and "all sorts of men may not go to school. "I grant (quoth the Archbishop) much of your meaning here"in, as needful in a common wealth; but yet utterly to exclude the 66 ploughman's son and the poor man's son from the benefit of learn"ing, as though they were unworthy to have the gifts of the Holy Ghost "bestowed upon them, as well as upon others, is as much to say, as that "Almighty God should not be at liberty to bestow his great gifts of " grace upon any person, nor no where else but as we and other men "shall appoint them to be employed, according to our fancy, and not "according to his most godly will and pleasure: who giveth his gifts, "both of learning and other perfections in all sciences, unto all kinds "and states of people indifferently. Even so doth He many times "withdraw from them and their posterity again those beneficial gifts, "if they be not thankful. If we should shut up into a strait corner the "bountiful grace of the Holy Ghost, and thereupon attempt to build our "fancies, we should make as perfect a work thereof, as those that took "upon them to build the tower of Babelon. For God would so provide, "that the offspring of other best born children should peradventure be"come most unapt to learn and very dull, as I myself have seen no small "number of them very dull and without all manner of capacity. And, House, Crumwell's Westmin- that this bearer Edward Askew, my servant, son unto Sir ster; William Askewe, knight, is by some nobleman preferred Corres- unto the room of one of these new spears in the Court, pondence. Original. which, because it is done both without my knowledge and his, I shall beseech you, my lord, inasmuch as I have no friend to sue unto for me and mine, but only unto your lordship, that you will, at this my request, bear unto him your lawful favour and furtherance in the same; assuring your lordship that he, the young man, is of a very gentil nature, right forward, and of good activity, so that I think he shall be meet to furnish such a room, and to do unto the King's Majesty diligent and faithful service. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Forde, the 28th day of December. [1539.] Your own assured ever, To my very singular good lord, my T. Cantuarien. CCLVI. TO CRUMWELL. My very singular good Lord, after my most hearty com "to say the truth, I take it that none of us all here, being gentlemen "born, as I think, but had our beginning that way from a low and base "parentage: and through the benefit of learning and other civil know"ledge, for the most part, all gentles ascend to their estate. "Then it was again answered, that the most part of the nobility "came up by feat of arms and martial acts. "As though (quoth the Archbishop) that the noble captain was always "unfurnished of good learning and knowledge, to persuade and dissuade "his army rhetorically, which rather that way is brought unto authority ❝than. else his manly looks. To conclude, the poor man's son "by pains taking . . . for the most part will be learned, when the gen"tleman's son will not take the pains to get it. And we are taught by "the Scriptures, that Almighty God raiseth up from the dunghill and "setteth him in high authority; and when so it pleaseth Him, of his di"vine providence, deposeth princes unto a right humble and poor es"tate. Wherefore if the gentleman's son be apt to learning, let him be "admitted; if not apt, let the poor man's child apt enter his room. "With such like words in effect." Harl. MSS. 419. fol. 115.] f["In December [1539] were appointed to wait on the King's High"ness' person, fifty gentlemen called pensioners or spears, like as they "were in the first year of the King." Hall, p. 832.] Crum ence. Ori mer, vol. i. mendations; these shall be to advertise your lordship, that MSS. I have received by my servant Eaton, fifty sovereigns from Chapter House, you, which shall be delivered tomorrow, and presented unto Westminmy Lady Annys Grace, according to your lordship's adver-well's Cortisement in your letters; and if I may compass and bring it respondto pass, the town of Canterbury shall put thereunto fifty ginal. angels, to be altogether presented in one cup. And whereas Todd, Life this bearer Mr. Pheneux, your servant, by his demore here of Cranin giving attendance upon me whiles my said Lady Annys p. 286. Grace was received at Canterbury, hath longer absented himself from you than he thought to have done, I trust your lordship will accept the same in the best part, assuring you, my lord, that in case he and other gentlemen of the country, with mine own retinue, had not the better assisted me, over and besides the number appointed, I should have received her Grace but with a slender company. For the whole number appointed to me, besides mine own company, was not six score, and yet some of them failed; so that if, partly by mine own company, and partly by other gentlemen's assistance, it had not been supplied, I should not have received her with a convenient number. Thus, my lord, most heartily fare you well. At Canterbury, the xxixth day of December. Your own ever assured, T. Cantuarien. To my very singular good lord, my 8 [Anne of Cleves. Her reception at Canterbury is thus described by Hall, who details with great minuteness the whole of her progress from Calais to Greenwich. "On Monday, for all the storm that then was, she "marched toward Canterbury, and on Baram down met her the Arch"bishop of Canterbury, accompanied with the Bishop of Ely, St. Asse, "St. Davies, and Dover, and a great company of gentlemen well apparelled, and so brought her to St. Austen's without Canterbury, "where she lay that night." Hall, p. 833. This Letter was written on the same Monday, the 29th of December 1539, after her arrival; and the cup with the sovereigns was doubtless to be presented at her departure on the following morning.] |