Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

¶How the Lord Cromwell helped Cran∣mers Secretary.

MEntion was made before how king Henry in y^e yeare of his reigne 21. caused the 6. Articles to passe, much a∣gaynst the mind and contrary to the consēt of the Archbi∣shop of Canterbury Thomas Crāmer,* 1.1 who had disputed three daies against the same in the Parliament house, with great reasons and authorities. Which Articles after they were graunted and past by the Parliamēt, the king for the singuler fauor which he euer bare to Cranmer, and reue∣rence to his learning, being desirous to know what he had sayd and obiected in the Parliamēt agaynst these Articles, or what could be alleged by learning agaynst the same, re∣quired a note of the Archbishop of his doings, what he had sayd and opposed in the Parliament touch••••g that matter. And this word was sent to him from the king by Crom∣well, and other Lordes of the Parliament whom the king then sent to dine with him at Lambeth, somewhat to com∣fort agayne his greued mind, and troubled spirits as hath bene aboue recited. pag, 1136.

Wherupon when his dinner was finished, the next day after the Archbishop collecting both his argumēts, autho∣rities of scriptures, and Doctors together, caused his Se∣cretary to write a fayre booke therof for the king, after this order. First the Scriptures were alleadged, then the Doc∣tors, thirdly folowed the Arguments deducted from those authorities. This booke was written in his Secretaryes Chamber. Where, in a by Chamber lay the Archbishops Almosiner. When this booke was fayre writtē,* 1.2 and whiles the Secretary was gone to deliuer the same vnto y^e Arch∣bishop his maister, who was (as it then chaunced) rydde to Croydon: returning backe to his chamber, found hys doore shut, and the key caryed away to London by the Al∣mosiner.

At this season also chaūced the father of the sayd Secre¦tary to come to the Citty, by whose occasion it so ••ell out, that he must nedes go to London. The booke he could not lay into his chamber, neither durst he commit it to any o∣ther person to keepe, being straitly charged in any cōditiō of the Archbishop his maister, to be circumspect thereof, so that he determined to go to his father and to keep the book about him. And so th••usting the booke vnder his girdle, he went ouer vnto Westminster bridge with a sculler, where he entred into a whirry that went to London, wherein were 4. of the Garde, who ment to land at Paules wharfe and to passe by the kinges highnesse, who then was in hys Barge with a great number of Barges and boates about him, then baiting of Beares in the water ouer agaynst the banke.

These foresayd yeomen of the gard, when they came a∣gaynst the kinges Barge, they durst not passe by towards Paules wharfe, least they should be espyed, & therfore en∣treated the Secretary to goe with them to the Bearebay∣ting, and they would finde the meanes being of the garde to make rowme and to see all the pastime, the Secretary perceiuing no other remedy, assēted therto. Whē the whir∣ry came nye the multitude of the boats,* 1.3 they with pollaxes got in the whirry so farre, that being compassed with ma∣ny other whirryes and boates there was no refuge if the Beare should breake loose and come vpon them, as in ve∣ry deede within one pater noster while, the Beare brake lose and came in to the boate where the yeomen of the gard were and the sayd Secretary. The gard forsook the wherry and went into an other barge, one or two of them leaping short, and so fell into the water. The Beare and the dogs so shaked the whirry wherin the Secretary was, that the boate being ful of water, soncke to the ground, & being al∣so as it chaūced an ebbing tide, he there sate in the end of y^e whirry vp to y^e middle in water. To whō came the Beare and all the dogges. The Beare seking as it were aide and succor of him, came backe with his hinder parts vpon him and so rushing vpō him, the booke was losed frō his girdle and fell into the Thames out of his reach.

The flying of the people, after that the beare was lose, from one boat to an other, was so comberous, that diuers persons were throwne into the Thames, the king com∣maunding certayne men that could swimme, to strip them selues naked and to helpe to saue them that were in daun∣ger. This pastime so displeased the king that he bad away away, with the Beare, and let vs all go hence.

The Secretary perceiuing his booke to fleete away in the Thames, called to the Beareward to take vp y^e booke,* 1.4 When the Beareward had the booke in his custody, being an errant Papist, farre from the Religion of his Mystres (for he was the Lady Elizabethes Beareward, now the Que••nes maiesty) ere that the Secretary coulde come to land,* 1.5 he had deliuered the booke to a Priest of his owne af∣finity in Religion standing on the bancke, who reading in the booke and perceiuing that it was a manifest refutation of the 6. Articles, made much a doe and tolde the Beare∣ward that whosoeuer claymed the booke, should surely be hanged. Anone the Secretary came to the Beareward for his booke. What quoth the Beareward, dare you chalenge

this booke? Whose seruaunt be you? I am seruaunt to one of the Coūsell, sayd the Secretary, and my Lord of Caun∣terbury is my maister. Yea mary, quoth the Beareward, I thought so much. You belike I trust, quoth the Beare∣ward, to be both hanged for this booke. Well (sayd he) it is not so euill as you take it, and I warrant you my L. will auouch the booke to the kinges Maiesty. But I pray you let me haue my booke, and I will geue you a Crowne to drink. If you would geue me v.C. crownes, you shall not haue it, quoth the Beareward. With that y^e Secretary de∣parted from him, & vnderstanding the malicious froward¦nes of the Beareward, he learned that Blage the Grocer in Cheapeside might doe muche with the Beareward, to whom the Secretary brake this matter, requiring hym to send for the Beareward to supper, and he would pay for y^e whole charge therof, and besides that rather thē he would forgo his book after this sort, the Beareward should haue xx. shillinges to drinke. The supper was prepared. The Beareward was sent for, and came. After supper the mat∣ter was entreated of and xx. shillings offered for the book. But do what could be done, neither frendship, acquayn∣taunce, nor yet reward of mony could obteine the book out of his handes, but that the same shoulde be deliuered vnto some of the Counsell that woulde not so sleightly looke on so waighty a matter, as to haue it redeemed for a supper or a piece of money. The honest man M. Blage with many good reasons would haue perswaded him not to be stiffe in his owne conceit, declaring that in the end he shoulde no∣thing at all preuayle of his purpose, but be laught to scorn, getting neither peny nor prayse for his trauel. He hearing that, rushed sodenly out of the doores from his friend M. Blage without any maner of thankes geuing for his sup∣per, more like a Beareward then like an honest man. Whē the Secretary saw y^e matter so extremely to be vsed against him, he then thought it expedient to fall from any farther practising of entreaty with the Beareward, as with him that seemed rather to be a Beare himselfe then the Maister of the beast, determining the next morning to make the L. Cromwell priuy of the chaunce that happened.

So on the next day, as the Lord Cromwell went to y^e Court, the Secretary declared the whole matter vnto him & how he had offered him xx.s for the finding therof. Wher is the felow, quoth the Lord Cromwell? I suppose, sayd the Secretary, that he is now in the Court attēding to de∣liuer the booke vnto some of the Counsell. Well sayd the Lord Cromwell, it maketh no matter: go with me thether and I shall get you your booke agayne. When the Lorde Cromwell came into the hall of the Court, there stood the Beareward with the booke in his hand, wayting to haue deliuered the same vnto Syr Anthony Browne, or vnto the Bishop of Winchester,* 1.6 as it was reported. To whom the Lord Cromwell sayd, come hither felow. What booke hast thou there in thy hand? and with that snatched the booke out of his hand, and looking in the booke, he sayd, I know this hand well enough. This is your hand, sayd he to the Secretary. But where haddest thou this booke, quoth the Lord Cromwel to the Beareward? This Gen∣tleman lost it two dayes agoe in the Thames sayde the Beareward. Doest thou know whose seruaunt he is, sayd the Lord Cromwell? He sayth, quoth the Beareward, that he is my Lord of Canterburies seruaunt. Why then dyd∣dest not thou deliuer to him the booke, whē he required it, sayd the L. Cromwell. Who made thee so bold as to detein and withhold any booke or writing from a Coūsellers ser∣uaunt, specially being his Secretary? It is more meter for thee to medle with thy Beares thē with such writing, & it were not for thy maisters sake, I would set thee fast by the feet, to teach such malepert knaues to meddle with Coun∣sellers matters. Had not mony bene well bestowed vpon such a good felow as this is, that knoweth not a Councel∣lers man frō a Coblers man? And with those wordes the Lord Cromwell went vp into the kinges chamber of pre∣sence and the Archbishops Secretary with him, where he found in the chamber the Lord of Caunterbury. To whō he sayde, my Lord I haue founde here good stuffe for you (shewing to him the paper booke that he had in his hand) ready to bring both you & this good felow your mā to the halter,* 1.7 namely if the knaue Beareward now in the Hall, might haue well compassed it. At these wordes the Archbi∣shop smiled and sayd, he that lost the booke is lyke to haue the worse bargayne, for besides that he was well washed in the Thames, he must write the booke fayre agayne: & at those wordes the Lord Cromwell cast the booke vnto the Secretary saying, I pray thee Morice go in hād therwith by & by with all expedition, for it must serue a turne. Sure¦ly my Lord, it somwhat reioyseth me, quoth the L. Crom∣well, that the verlet might haue had of your man xx. s. for the book, and now I haue discharged the matter with ne∣uer a peny. And shaking him wel vp for his ouermuch ma∣lepar••nes, I know the felow wel enough (quoth he) there is not a rancker Papist within this realme, thē he is, most vnworthy to be seruaunt vnto so noble a Princesse. And so after hūble thanks geuen to the Lord Cromwell, the sayd Morice departed with his booke, which when he agayne had fayre written, was deliuered to the kinges Maiesty by the sayd Lord Cromwell, within 4. dayes after.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Archb. Cranmer dispu∣ted 3. dayes in the Parliament against the 6. A••ticles.
• * 1.2

  The name of this Secretary was M. Rafe Morice, being yet aliu••.
• * 1.3

  Talle y••men but ill keepers. A Bearebayting vpō Thamis be∣fore the king. The booke of D. Cranmer a∣gaynst the 6. ar∣ticles lost in the Thamys.
• * 1.4

  This Beare∣ward was P••incesse Eliza∣bethes seruaunt.
• * 1.5

  D. Cranmers booke agaynst the 6. Articles. deliuered to a Popishe priest.
• * 1.6

  The Beareward wayting to geue Cranmers booke to the Councell.

  The L. Crom∣••ell getteth the booke from the Beareward.
• * 1.7

  The wordes of the L. Cromwel to the Archb. Cranmer.