Account of Mr. Pool's Book by Dr. Cranmer.

To the Ryght honorable, and my syngular good Lorde, my Lorde of Wylshire.

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It may please your Lordeshipe to bee advertised, that the sir W. H. Kynge his grace, my Lady your wyfe, my Lady Anne, your MSS. doughter be in good helth, whereof thankes be to God. As concernynge the Kinge hys cause, Mayster Raynolde Poole hath wrytten a booke moch contrary to the kinge hys purpose, wyth such wytte, that it appereth, that he myght be for hys wysedome of the cownsel to the kinge hys grace. And of such eloquence, that if it were set forth and knowne to the commen people, I suppose yt were not possible to persuade them to the contrary. The pryncypal intent whereof ys, that the kinge hys grace sholde be contente to commyt hys grete cause to the jugement of the pope: wherein me semeth he lacketh moch jugement. But he swadeth that with such goodly eloquence, both of words and sentence, that he were lyke to persuade many: but me hee persuadeth in that poynt no thynge at al. But in many

other thynges he satysfyeth me very wel. The som wherof I shal shortly reherse. Furst, he sheweth the cause, wherfore he had never pleasure to intromytte hymself in this cause. And that was, the trouble, which was lyke to ensue to this realme therof by dyversitie of tytles. Wherof what hurte myght come, we have had exsample in our fathers dayes by the tytles of Lancaster and Yorke. And where os god hath gyven many noble gyfts unto the kinge hys grace, as wel of body and mynde, os also of fortune: yet this ex4 cedeth al other, that in hym al tytles do mete and come togyder, and this Realme ys restored to tranquillitie and peace: so oweth he to provide that this londe fal not agayne to the forsaide mysery and troble, which may come aswel by the people within this realme, which thynke surely that they have an hayre lawful already, with whom they al be wel contente, and wolde be sory to have any other. And yt wolde be harde to persuade thaym to take any other, levynge her: os also by the Emperour, whych ys a man of so grete power, the quene beying hys awnt, the Princes hys nece, whome he so moch doth, and ever hath favored. And where he harde reasons for the kynge hys party, that he was moved of god hys lawe, which doth straytly forbed, and that with many gret thretts, that no man shal mary hys brother hys wife. And os for the people, yt longeth not to thayr judgement, and yet yt ys to be thought, that thay wil be contente, whan thay shal knowe, that the awncyente Doctores of the Chyrch, and the determinations of so many grete vniversities be of the kynge hys sentence. And os concernynge the Emperour, if he be so unryghtful, that he wyl mayntene an unjust cause, yet god wil never fayl thaym, that stonde opon his party, and for any thynge wyl not transgresse hys commawndments. And besyde that, we shal not lacke the ayde of the Frenshe kynge, whyche partely for the Lege, whych he hath made with us, and partly for the dyspleasure and olde grutch, which he bereth toward the Emperour, wolde be glad to have occasion to be avenged.

Thies reasons he bryngeth for the kyngs party agaynst hys owne opynyon. To which he maketh answer in this maner. Fyrst, os towchynge the Lawe of god, he thynketh

that yf the kinge were pleased to take the contrary parte, he myght os wel justifie that, and have os good grownde of the scripture therfore, os for that parte which he now taketh. And yet if he thought the kyngs party never so juste, and that this his mariage were undowtedly agaynst godds pleasure, than he cowde not deny, but yt sholde be wel done for the kynge to refuse this mariage, and to take another wyfe: but that he sholde be a doar therin, and a setter forwarde therof, he cowde never fynde in hys harte. And yet he grawnteth, that he hath no good reason therfore, but only affection, which he bereth, and of dewty oweth unto the kyngs parson. For in so doing he sholde not only wayke, ye and utterly take away the Princes Title, but also he must neds accuse the most, and cheife parte of al the kyngs lyfe hiderto, which hath bene so infortunate to lyve more than xx yers in a matrimony so shameful, so abominable, so bestial and agaynst nature, yf it be so os the books which do defend the kyngs party do say; that the abomination therof ys naturally wrytten and graven in every mans harte, so that none excusation can be made by ignorance. And thus to accuse the noble nature of the kyngs grace, and to take away the title of hys succession, he cowde never fynd in hys harte, were the kyngs cause never so good. Which he doth knowlege to be only affection. Now os concernynge the people, he thynketh not possible to satisfye thaym by lernynge or prechynge; but os thay now do begyn to hate preists, this shal make thaym rather to hate moch more both lerned men, and also the name of lernynge, and bryng them in abomination of every For what lovynge men towarde their prynce wolde gladly heare, that eyther thayr prynce sholde be so infortunate, to lyve so many yers in matrimony so abominable, 5 or that thay sholde be taken and cownted so bestial, to approve and take for lawful, and that so many yeres, a matrimony so unlawful, and so much agaynst nature, that every man in hys harte naturally doth abhorre yt. And that ys more, whan they heare this matrimony dyspraysed, and spoken agaynst, neyther by thayr own minds, nor by reasons that be made agaynst this matrimony, can thay be persuaded to grutge agaynst the matrimony, but for any

man.

thynge thay do grutge against the divorse. Wherin the people sholde shew thaym selfes no men, but bests. And that the people sholde be persuaded herto, he cannot thynke yt. And os for the autoritie of the Vniversities, he thynketh and sayeth, that many tymes thay be led by affections, which ys well known to every man, and wyssheth that thay never did erre in thayr determinations. Than he sheweth with how gret difficultie the Vniversities were brought to the kyngs party. And moreover agaynst the autoritie of the Vniversities, he setteth the autoritie of the kyngs grace father, and hys cowncel, the quenes father, and hys cowncel, and the pope and hys cowncel. Than he cometh agayn to the pope and themperour, and French kynge. And fyrst the Pope, how moch he ys adversary unto the kyngs purpose, he hath shewed diverse tokens alredy, and not without a cause. For yf he sholde consent to the kyngs purpose, he must neds do against hys predecessores, and also restrayne hys owne power more than yt hath bene in tyme past, which rather he wolde be glad to extend, and moreover he sholde set gret sedition in many realmes, os in Portugal, of which kynge themperour hath maried on suster, and the Duke of Savoy the other. Than he extolleth the power of themperour, and diminish the ayd of the Frensh kynge towarde us, sayinge that themperour without drawynge of any sworde, but only by forbyddynge the course of marchandise into Flawnders and Spayne, may put this realme into gret dammage and ruyne. And what yf he wil therto draw hys sworde, wherein ys so moch power, which beyng of moch lasse power than he ys now, subdued the Pope and the French kynge? And os for the French men, they never used to kepe leage with us but for thayr own advantage, and wee can never fynde in our harts to trust thaym. And yet yf now contrary to thayr olde nature thay kepe thayr leage, yet our nation shal thynk thaymselfes in miserable condition, yf thay shal be compelled to trust opon thayr ayde, which alwayes have be our mortal enemyes, and never we loved thaym, nor thay us. And yf the French men have any suspicion, that this new matrimony shal not continue, then we shal have no succur of thaym, but opon such conditions os shal be intolerable to this realme. And yf