III. 66 BOOK King and him, there were an hundred marks a year, or thereabouts, allowed unto him in his last exchanges, for "recompense of parks and chases: and yet those parks "and chases, beside the provision of his venison, stood him yearly in much more, by the reason of the patents and "fees belonging unto them, than he by any means else got "by them. Curleswood. 66 66 66 "For as for Curleswood, it stood him in twenty nobles a year fee. And yet there was no gain in it, but only co"nies: which the keeper had also in his patent. So that the Archbishop by suppressing of that, and raising that small "rent it payeth, may spend thereby seven pounds a year more "than it was accustomed to pay towards the archbishoprick. "And touching Chislet-Park, it came to my Lord in ex"change for eight pounds a year. And the farmer payeth 436. "ten pounds: so that thereby is gained forty shillings a year. Wherefore it cannot be indifferently gathered, that "my Lord, in preferring his friends unto these things, hath 66 any whit hindered the revenues of the bishoprick. Chislet- Pasture and meadow. Corn. 66 "And as touching pasture and meadow for the provision "of his house, both at Croyden, and about Canterbury, Ford, and Chislet, there is thrice so much meadow, pas"ture, and marsh, as was left unto him. 66 "And as for the sale of his woods, like as he was driven "to exchange them, and sell them for to maintain his hospitality, especially having almost twenty years together "learned men continually sitting with him in commission; "for the trying out, and setting forth of the religion re"ceived, and for the discussing of other matters in contro"versy: some of them daily in diet with him, and some “evermore living in his house: so provided he again like "woods, more commodious for his houses; as the Blene"woods, belonging to St. Austin's; and Pyne-wood, and "others which be known well enough. "And as touching provision for corn out of Chislet-Court, "and in other places, it is incredible what a business he had "and ado with Sir Christopher Hales, for that farm and "corn; who challenged it of the King by promise; and "so would have defeated my Lord thereof, had not the "King very benignly stood on his side. And it is no small revenue to have yearly so much corn, both wheat, malt, CHAP. "and oats, at so mean a price. "And therefore let men leave off that report of him, that "he was not beneficial to his successors. Other bishops, "some of them, lost whole manors and lordships, without "any exchange at all. Thus much my conscience hath "compelled me to say, in defence of my lord and master "his good name: whom I knew to take as much care for "his successors in that bishoprick, as ever did Archbishop, "or shall. And would have as much advanced the same, "if the iniquity of the world would have permitted him 66 XXXI. master to "Now, finally, concerning his behaviour towards his fa- The best mily: I think there was never such a master among men wards his "both feared, and entirely beloved. For as he was a man servants. "of most gentle nature, void of all crabbed and churlish "conditions, so he could abide no such quality in any of "his servants. But, if any such outrageousness were in any "of his men or family, the correction of those enormities "he always left to the ordering of his officers: who weekly "kept a counting-house. And if any thing universally were "to be reformed or talked of; on that day, which commonly was Friday, the same was put to admonition. And "if it were a fault of any particular man, he was called "forth before the company: to whom warning was given, "That if he so used himself after three monitions, he should "lose his service. that he was “There was an infamy of him, that he should have been An infamy an hostler: which the ignorant popish priests, for very an hostler. "malice, had published against him. Saying, that he had 66 66 no manner of learning at all, more than hostlers are wont 437 "to have. And this rumour sprang of that, that when he "had married his first wife, being reader then of Bucking"ham College, he did put his wife to board in an inn at Cambridge; and he resorting thither unto her in the inn, "some ignorant priests named him to be the Hostler, and "his wife the Tapster. This bruit then began, but it much more was quickened when he was Archbishop than before. "Insomuch that a priest far north, about Scarborough, sitting among his neighbours at the ale-house, and talking "of Archbishop Cranmer, divers men there commending 66 66 SS III. 66 66 BOOK "him: What, said the priest, make ye so much of him? He "was but an hostler, and hath as much learning as the goslings of the green that go yonder. Upon which words, the honest men of the parish, which heard him, gave "information to my Lord Crumwel of those his slanderous "words. The priest was sent for before the council, and "cast into the Fleet; my Lord Cranmer not being that day "among the council, nor hearing no manner of word of the priest's accusation. It chanced the priest to lie in the Fleet eight or nine weeks, and nothing said unto him. He then "made suit by one, named Chersey, (a grocer dwelling "within Ludgate, now yet alive, and uncle, as I suppose, to "the priest,) unto my Lord Cranmer for his deliverance. "This Chersey brought the copy of the priest's accusation "from my Lord Crumwel's house. Whereby plainly ap"peared there was nothing laid unto the priest but those “words against my Lord Cranmer. And therefore he besought him to help him out of prison; for it had put him "to great charges living there, and he had a benefice which was unserved in his absence; and said, that he was very "sorry he had so unhonestly abused himself towards his "Grace. Whereupon my Lord Cranmer sent to the Fleet "for the priest. When he came before my Lord, said my "Lord Cranmer to him, It is told me that you be prisoner "in the Fleet for calling me an hostler, and reporting that "I have no more learning than a gosling. Did you ever "see me before this day? No, forsooth, quoth the priest. "What meant you then to call me an hostler; and so to "deface me among your neigbours? The priest made his 66 excuse, and said, that he was overseen with drink. Well, "said my Lord's Grace, now ye be come, you may oppose "me to know what learning I have. Begin in grammar, "if you will, or else in philosophy, or other sciences, or divinity. I beseech your Grace pardon me, said the priest; "I have no manner of learning in the Latin tongue, but al "together in English. Well then, said my Lord, if you "will not oppose me, I will oppose you. Are you not wont "to read the Bible? quoth my Lord. Yes, that we do daily, "said the priest. I pray you tell me, quoth my Lord, then, "who was David's father? The priest stood still, and said, XXXI. "I cannot surely tell your Lordship. Then said my Lord CHAP. again, If you cannot tell me that, yet declare unto me "who was Solomon's father? Surely, quoth the priest, I "am nothing at all seen in those genealogies. Then I per“ceive, quoth my Lord, however you have reported of me, "that I had no learning, I can now bear you witness, that "you have none at all. There are such a sort of you in "this realm, that know nothing, nor will know nothing, 438 "but sit upon your ale-bench, and slander all honest and "learned men. If you had but common reason in your "heads, you that have named me an hostler, you might "well know that the King, having in hand one of the "hardest questions that was moved out of the Scripture this many years, would not send an hostler unto the Bishop of Rome, and the Emperor's council, and other Princes, to "answer and dispute in that so hard a question; even among "the whole college of Cardinals, and the rout of Rome. By all likelihood the King lacked much the help of "learned men, that was thus driven to send an hostler on "such a voyage: or else the King hath many idle priests, "without wit or reason, that can so judge of the Prince and "his council, and of the weighty matters of the realm. "God amend you, said he, and get ye home to your cure, "and from henceforth learn to be an honest man, or at least "a reasonable man. 66 66 "The priest, lamenting his folly, went his way into his country; and my Lord Cranmer discharged him out of "the Fleet, because there was no matter against him, but "that which only concerned my Lord. My Lord Crumwel, "within four days after, came to my Lord Cranmer, and "sware a great oath, That the popish knaves should pick "out his eyes, and cut his throat, before he would any "more rebuke them for slandering him. I had thought "that the knave priest, which you have discharged and "sent home, should have recanted at Paul's Cross on Sunday next. Yea, marry, quoth my Lord Cranmer, you "would have all the world know by that mean that I was 66 an hostler indeed. What manner of blockheads would "so think, quoth my Lord Crumwel. Too many Papists, quoth my Lord Cranmer. Howbeit, quoth he, you have 66 66 BOOK III. 66 "caused the poor priest to spend all that he hath in prison; "and would you now put him to open shame too? He is "not the first, not by five hundred of them, that hath called me so; and therefore I will not now begin to use extremity against this priest: I perceive he is sorry for it. Well, quoth my Lord Crumwel, if you not care for it, no do I: but I warrant you one day, if they may, they "will make you and me both as vile as hostlers. This I "repeat to declare his lenity, and promptness to remit "notable offences; howbeit it should have been placed "before, if I had remembered it. 66 more "Thus I have hastily penned such things as came to my memory, since Saturday last: beseeching your Grace to "take it in good part, being certainly assured that I have "declared nothing of mine head, as concerning the very "matters." 439 Observa tions upon the Archbishop. His learn ing very profound. CHAP. XXXII. Some Observations upon Archbishop Cranmer. BESIDES these observations, made to my hand by another, of this great Archbishop, I shall gather some further observations of his endowments and qualities, whether christian or moral : whereby we shall have occasion offered us of gathering up a few more memorials of him. He was a most profound learned man in divinity, as also in the civil and canon laws. As appeared by those many voluminous writings and common-places, by him devised or collected out of all the Fathers and church-writings: which Peter Martyr reported he himself saw; and were indeed communicated to him by the Archbishop, while he harboured him at Lambeth. And there was no book, either of the ancient or modern writers, especially upon the point of the eucharist, which he had not noted with his own hand in the most remarkable places: no councils, canons, decrees of popes, which he had not read and well considered. And |