11. BOOK crown by the builder himself, Archbishop Warham, about the twelfth year of that King's reign; together with the Anno 1552. magnificent seat of Knoll near Sevenoke; exchanging both with the King for other lands, "to extinguish the passions of "such as looked with regret and desire upon the patrimony of "the church." But it appears, by a writing of Cranmer's own secretary, that this Archbishop parted with both Otford and Knoll at once to the King, after he had possessed them some years; and not Warham, as Philpot mistakes. MSS. What moved him to make these exchanges. The world is apt to blame Cranmer for parting with these revenues of the see. But surely it was a true apology that the author before-named made for the Archbishop's 283 great exchange; namely, "Because he, finding that the spreading demeans of the church were in danger to be "torn off by the talons of avarice and rapine, to mortify "the growing appetites of sacrilegious cormorants, exchanged them with the crown." Which Which may be enough to stop any clamours against this most reverend prelate for this his doing: especially considering what I shall add upon this argument hereafter, from his own secretary. His cares and fears for the King. 66 His care and concern for the welfare of the English church made him ever most earnestly to love the King, and to have a very tender regard for the safety of his person Who in the summer of this year, as was hinted before, went a progress, accompanied by the Duke of Northumberland; brought about probably by him to get more into the King's affections, and to have his own designs the better to take effect, and with the less opposition and control: and possibly, that the King might be the further off from the Archbishop to consult withal. But he had now a more especial concern upon him for his Majesty at this time, as though his mind had prophetically presaged some evil to befall the King in that progress; (and indeed it was the last progress that ever he made.) And so methinks do these expressions of the Archbishop sound, in a letter, dated in July, to Cecyl, then attending the court; "beseeching Almighty God to pre serve the King's Majesty, with all his council and family, " and send him well to return from his progress." And in a letter the next month, "he thanked Cecyl for his news; "but especially," said he, "for that ye advertise me that the 66 King's Majesty is in good health: wherein I beseech CHAP. "God long to continue his Highness." And when, in the _XXIX. latter end of the following month, the gests (that is, the Anno 1552. stages of his Majesty's progress) were altered, which looked like some ill design, the Archbishop entreated Cecyl to send him the new resolved-upon gests from that time to the end, that he might from time to time know where his Majesty was; adding his prayer again for him," that God would preserve and prosper him.” : CHAP. XXX. His Care for the Vacancies. Falls sick. filling the vacancies church. WHILE the King was thus abroad, and the Archbishop His care for absent, unworthy or disaffected men were in a fairer probability of getting promotions in the church, while he was of the not at hand for to nominate fit men to the King, and to advise him in the bestowing the vacant dignities and benefices. The Archbishop knew very well how much learning and sobriety contributed towards the bringing the nation out of popery, and that nothing tended so effectually to continue it as the contrary. This matter the Archbishop seemed to have discoursed at large with Secretary Cecyl at parting who therefore, by a letter sent to the said Archbishop, then at his house at Ford, desired him to send him up a catalogue of learned men, and such as he esteemed fit 284 for places of preferment in the church and university that so, as any place fell in the King's gift, the said Secretary might be ready at the least warning to recommend fitting and worthy men to supply such vacancies, and to prevent any motion that might be made by any courtiers or simonists for ignorant persons, or corrupt in religion. In answer to which letter, the Archbishop writ him word, that he would send him his mind in that matter with as much expedition as he could. And undoubtedly we should have seen the good fruits of this afterwards in the church, under an ague this autumn. BOOK had not the untimely death of that admirable Prince, that II. followed not long after, prevented this good design. Anno 1552. This year the Archbishop laboured under two fits of Laboured sickness at Croydon. The latter was caused by a severe ague; of which his physicians doubted whether it were a quotidian, or a double-tertian; and, seizing him in the declining of the year, was in danger to stick by him all the winter. But, by the care of his physicians, in the latter end of August, it had left him two days, which made him hope he was quit thereof; yet his water kept of an high colour. That second day he wrote to Cecyl, and "desired him to "acquaint Cheke how it was with him. And now the "most danger was," as he said, "that if it came again that night, it was like to turn to a quartan, a most stubborn ague, and likelier to continue and wear him out." A disease, indeed, that carried off his successor, Cardinal Pole, and was, as Godwin observed, a disease deadly and mortal unto elder folk. The great mortality of agues time. Stow's 66 : The Archbishop's friends had reason to fear his distemper, if we think of the severity of agues in that age; greater, as about this it seems, than in this. Roger Ascham complaineth to his friend John Sturmius, anno 1562; "that, for four years "past, he was afflicted with continual agues: that no "sooner had one left him, but another presently followed; "and that the state of his health was so impaired and "broke by them, that an hectick fever seized his whole "body and the physicians promised him some ease, but "no solid remedy." And I find, six or seven years before that, mention made of hot burning fevers, whereof died many old persons; and that there died in the year 1556, seven aldermen within the space of ten months. And the next year, about harvest time, the quartan agues continued in like manner, or more vehemently than they had done the year before; and they were chiefly mortal to old people, and especially priests: so that a great number of parishes became destitute of curates, and none to be gotten; and much corn was spoiled for lack of harvest-men. Such was the nature of this disease in these days. Chron. But the severity or danger of the Archbishop's distemper did not so much trouble him, as certain inconveniences that XXX. That which in his sick attended it; viz. that it put him off from those pious and CHAP. holy designs that he was in hand with, for God's glory, and the good of the church. For so he expressed his mind to Anno 1552. his friend the Secretary; "However the matter chance, most con"the most grief to me is, that I cannot proceed in such cerned him "matters as I have in hand, according to my will and desire: ness. "this terrenum domicilium is such an obstacle to all good 285 "purposes." So strongly bent was the heart of this excellent prelate to the serving of God and his church. But out of this sickness he escaped; for God had reserved him for another kind of death to glorify him by. the Archbi tion. A little before this sickness befel him, something fell out The Secrewhich gave him great joy. Cecyl knew how welcome tary sends good news out of Germany would be to him, and therefore shop the in July sent him a copy of the pacification; that is, the copy of the Emperor's Emperor's declaration of peace throughout the empire, after pacificalong and bloody wars; which consisted of such articles as were favourable unto the Protestants, after much persecution of them: "as, that a diet of the empire should shortly "be summoned, to deliberate about composing the dif "ferences of religion; and that the dissensions about religion should be composed by placid, and pious, and easy " methods. And that in the mean time all should live in 66 peace together, and none should be molested for religion; lib. 24. "with divers other matters." And in another letter, soon Vid. Sleid. after, the said Cecyl advised him of a peace concluded between the Emperor and Maurice, Elector of Saxony, a warlike prince, and who headed the protestant army: which being news of peace among Christians, was highly acceptable to the good father. But he wanted much to know upon what terms, out of the concern he had that it might go well with the protestant interest: and therefore, Cecyl having not mentioned them, the Archbishop earnestly, in a letter to him, desired to know whether the peace were according to the articles, meaning those of the pacification, or otherwise. Which when he understood, (for upon the same articles that peace between the Emperor and Duke Maurice stood,) it created a great tranquillity to his pious mind. Thus were his thoughts employed about the matters of Germany, and the cause of religion there: which he BOOK rejoiced not a little to see in so fair a way to a good II. conclusion. Anno 1552. ness for CHAP. XXXI. His kindness for Germany. His kind- To this country he had a particular kindness; not only Germany. because he had been formerly there in quality of ambassador from his master King Henry, and had contracted a great friendship with many eminent learned men there, and a near relation to some of them by marrying Osiander's niece at Norinberg; but chiefly, and above all, because here the light of the Gospel began first to break forth and display itself, to the spiritual comfort and benefit of other nations. He had many exhibitioners in those parts, to whom he allowed annual salaries: insomuch that some of his officers grumbled at it, as though his housekeeping were abridged by it. For when once in King Henry's reign, one, in discourse with an officer of his Grace, had said, "He wondered "his Lordship kept no better an house;" (though he kept a 286 very good one :) he answered, "It was no wonder, for my "Lord," said he, "hath so many exhibitions in Germany, "that all is too little to scrape and get to send thither.” His corre- He held at least a monthly correspondence to and from with Ger- learned Germans: and there was one in Canterbury, ap spondence many, and with Herman, pointed by him on purpose to receive and convey the letters: which his enemies once, in his troubles, made use of as an article against him. And Gardiner, a prebend of Canterbury, and preferred by the Archbishop, of this very thing treacherously, in a secret letter, informed his grand enemy and competitor Gardiner, the Bishop of Winton. Among the rest of his correspondents in Germany, HerArchbishop man, the memorable and ever-famous Archbishop and of Colen. Elector of Colen, was one; who, by the counsel and direction of Bucer and Melancthon, did vigorously labour a reformation of corrupt religion within his province and territories. But, finding the opposition against him so great, and lying |