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¶The life, state, and story of the Reuerend pastour and Prelate Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Caunter∣bury Martyr, burned at Oxford for the confession of Christes true doctrine. An. 1556. March. 21.
FOr asmuch as the life and estate of the most Reuerend Father in God and worthy Prelate of godly memory Thomas Crāmer late Archb. of Cant.* 1.1 together with the originall cause & occasion of his preferment to the dignitie Archiepiscopall, wher∣unto he was aduaunced immediatly vpon the death of Byshop Warham Archbyshop of the same, beyond all expectation with∣out support of money or frendes,* 1.2 by the onely well liking of the most renowmed kyng of famous memory Henry the eight, who with a fatherly care mainteyned his countenaunce, and defended his innocent life, vn∣dermined sundry tymes by the manifold attēptes of the horrible Arche enemy of Christ and his Gospell Stephen Gardiner and other his complices,* 1.3 with diuers other circum∣staunces of his most commendable conuersation, charitable consideration of the poore, constant care in reformation of corrupt Religion, his vndaunted courage in continuall defence of the same, and the perseueraunce therein to the losse of his lyfe, be already des∣cribed at large in the booke of Actes and Monumentes of Martyrs.* 1.4 It may séeme néede∣lesse to make a thorough discourse therof agayne at this present. Neuerthelesse partly to stoppe the mouthes of slaunderous Sycophants, & partly for the ease of such as would happely be desirous vpon the view of the title of this booke, to be acquainted with the life of the Authour beyng otherwise not able to haue recourse to the story at large, as also bicause his vertuous life and glorious death was such, as can neuer be commended suffi∣ciently I haue thought it not altogether amisse to renew the remembraunce therof by certaine brief Notes, referring them that bee desirous to know the whole to the story thereof at large.
It is first therfore to be noted and considered, that the same Thomas Cranmer com∣ming of auncient parentage,* 1.5 from the Conquest to be deducted, and continuyng sithens in the name & familie of a Gentleman, was borne in a Uillage called Arselacton in No∣tynghā shyre. Of whose sayd name and familie there remaineth at these dayes one Ma∣nour and mansion house in Lincolne shyre called Cranmer Hall &c. some tymes of heri∣tage of the sayd stocke and familie. Who beyng from his infancie kept at Schoole, and brought vp not without much good ciuilitie, came in processe of tyme vnto the Uniuersi∣tie of Cambridge,* 1.6 and there prospering in right good knowledge amōgest the better sort of Studētes, was chosen fellow of Iesus Colledge in Cambridge.* 1.7 And so beyng Maister of Arte, and fellow of the same Colledge, it chaūced him to mary a Gentlemans daugh∣ter: by meanes wherof he lost and gaue ouer his fellowship there, and became the Rea∣der in Buckingham Colledge: and for that he would with more diligence apply that his office of Reading, placed his sayd wife in an Inne called the Dolphin in Cambridge, the wife of the house beyng of affinitie vnto her. By meanes of whose abode in that Inne, & his often repayre vnto her, arose a certaine slaūderous report, after he was preferred to be Archbyshop of Caunterbury, bruted abroad by the malicious disdaine of certaine Sy∣cophanticall Papistes that he was but an Hosteler, and altogether deuoyde of learning, which how falsly was forged vpō him, may easely appeare hereby: That the Maisters & Fellowes of Iesus Colledge notyng the vertuous disposition of the man,* 1.8 & the great tra∣uaile he tooke, notwithstādyng his mariage, whiles he cōtinued Reader in Buckinghā Colledge, immediatly vpon the death of his wife (who not long, after their enter ma∣riage was in Childbed surprised by death) refin••ed him into their Fellowship agayne: where he so behaued him selfe that in few yeares, after he became the Reader of the Di∣uinitie Lecture in the same Colledge, and in such speciall estimatiō & reputatiō with the whole Uniuersitie, that beyng Doctour of Diuinitie he was commōly appointed one of the heades (which are two or thrée of the chiefest learned men) to examine such as yeare∣ly professe in Commencemēt, either Bachelers, or Doctours of Diuinitie, by whose ap∣probation the whole Uniuersitie licēceth them to procéede vnto their degrée: and agayne