sought profite, hee fell into double disprofite, that neyther with good men he could auoid secrete shame, nor yet with euill men the note of dissimulation.
In the meane time, while these things were a doyng (as I said) in the prison among the doctours: the Queene taking secrete Counsel, howe to dispatch Cranmer out of the way (who as yet knew nothing of her secrete hate, and looked for nothing lesse then death) apoynted D. Cole, and secretely gaue him in commandement, that against the 21. of March, he should prepare a funerall sermon for Cran∣mers burning, & so instructing him orderly and diligent∣ly of her wil & pleasure in that behalfe, sendeth him away.
Soone after, the Lord Williams of Tame, & the Lorde Shandoys, syr Thom. Bridges, and syr Iohn Browne were sent for, with other woorshipfull men and Iustices, commanded in the Queenes name, to be at Oxford at the same day, wyth their seruauntes and retinue, least Cran∣mers death should raise there any tumult.
Cole the Doctor hauing this lesson geuen hym before, and charged by her commandement, returned to Oxford, ready to play hys part, who as the day of execution drewe neare, euen the day before came into ye prison to Cranmer, to try whether he abode in the catholicke faith wherin be∣fore he had left him. To whom, when Cranmer had aun∣sweared, that by Gods grace he would daily be more con∣firmed in the catholicke faith: Cole departing for ye tyme, the next day following repaired to the Archb. agayne, ge∣uing no signification as yet of hys death that was prepa∣red: And therefore in the morning, which was the 21. day of Marche appoynted for Cranmers execution, the sayde Cole comming to hym, asked if he hadde any money. To whome when he answeared that he had none, he deliuered hym 15. crownes to geue the poore to whome hee woulde: and so exhorting him so muche as hee coulde to constancie in Faith, departed thence aboute hys businesse, as to hys Sermon appertained.
By this partly, and other like Argumentes, the Arch∣bishop began more and more to surmise what they went about. Then, because the day was not farre past, and the Lordes and Knightes that were looked for, were not yet come, there came to him the Spanish frier, witnes of hys recantation, bringing a paper with articles, which Cran∣mer shoulde openly professe in hys recantation before the people, earnestly desiring him that hee woulde wryte the sayd instrument with the articles wt his owne hande, and signe it wt his name: which when he had done, the said fri∣er desired yt he would wryte an other copy thereof, which should remaine with him, and that he did also. But yet the Archbishop being not ignoraunt whereunto theyr secreat deuises tended, and thinking that the time was at hande, in which he could no longer dissemble the profession of his faith with Christes people, he put secretely in hys bosome his Prayer with his exhortation, wrytten in an other pa∣per, which he minded to recite to ye people before he should make the last profession of hys faith, fearing least if they had heard the confession of his faith first, they woulde not afterward haue suffered hym to exhort the people.
Soone after, about 9. of the clocke, the Lord Williams, Syr Thomas Bridges, syr Iohn Browne, and the other Iustices wyth certaine other noble men, that were sent of the Queenes counsell, came to Oxford wt a great traine of wayting men. Also of the other multitude on euerye side, (as is wōt in such a matter) was made a great concourse and greater expectation. For first of all, they that were of the Popes side, were in great hope that day to heare som∣thing of Cranmer that should stablish the vanitye of their opinion: the other parte which were endued with a better minde, coulde not yet doubte, that he which by continuall studie and labour, for so many yeres had set foorth the doc∣trine of the gospel, either would or could nowe in the last Acte of hys life forsake his part. Briefly, as euery mannes wil enclined, eyther to this part or to that, so accordyng to the diuersitie of their desires, euery mā wished and hoped for. And yet because in an vncertaine thing the certaintye could be knowen of none what would be the end: al theyr mindes were hanging betwene hope and doubt. So that the greater the expectation was in so doubtfull a matter, the more was the multitude that were gathered thether to heare and beholde.
In this so great frequence and expectation, Cranmer at length commeth from the prison Bocardo, vnto s. Ma∣ries churche (because it was a foule and a rainy daye) the chiefe church in the vniuersity, in this order. The Mayor went before, next him the Aldermen in their place and de∣gree: after them was Cranmer brought betwene two fri∣ers, which mumbling to and froe certaine Psalmes in the streetes, aunsweared one an other vntill they came to the Church doore, and there they began the songe of Simeon, Nunc Dimittis, and entering into the Churche, the Psalme saying Friers brought hym to his standing, and there left him. There was a stage set vp ouer against the pulpit, of a meane height from the ground, where Cranmer hadde hys standing, wayting vntill Cole made him ready to his Sermone.
The lamentable case and sight of that man gaue a sor∣rowfull spectacle to al Christian eyes that beheld him. He that late was Archbishop, Metropolitane, and Primate of England, and the Kings priuy Councellor, being now in a bare and ragged gowne, and ill fauouredly cloathed, wyth an olde square cappe, exposed to the contempt of all men, did admonish men not onely of his owne calamitie, but also of theyr state and fortune. For who woulde not pitie hys case, and bewaile his fortune, & might not feare his owne chaunce, to see such a Prelate, so graue a Coun∣cellour, and of so long continued honoure, after so manye dignities, in hys olde yeares to be depriued of his estate, adiudged to die, and in so painefull a death to end his life, and now presently from such fresh ornaments, to discende to such vile and ragged apparell?
In this habite, when hee had stoode a good space vpon the stage, tourning to a piller neare adioyning thereunto, he lifted vppe hys handes to heauen, & prayed vnto God once or twise: till at the length D. Cole comming into the pulpit, and beginning his sermon, entred first into men∣tion of Tobias and Zacharie. Whome after that he hadde praised in the beginning of hys sermon for their perseue∣raunce in the true woorshipping of God, he then deuided his whole sermon into 3. partes (according to the solemne custome of the Schooles) entending to speake firste of the mercy of God, secondly of his Iustice to be shewed: and last of all, howe the Princes secretes are not to be opened. And proceeding a little from the beginning, he tooke occa∣sion by and by to tourne his tale to Cranmer, and wyth many hote woordes reprooued him, that once he being en∣dued with the fauour and feeling of wholesome and Ca∣tholicke doctrine, fell into the contrary opinion of perni∣cious error, which he had not only defended by wrytings and all hys power: but also allured other men to doe the like, wyth great liberalitye of giftes, as it were, appoyn∣ting rewardes for errour: and after hee had allured them, by all meanes did chearish them.
It were too long to repeat all things, that in long or∣der were there pronounced. The summe of this tripart••••e declamation was, that he saide Gods mercy was so tem∣pered wt his iustice, that he did not altogether require pu∣nishment according to the merites of offenders, nor yet sometimes suffered the same altogither to go vnpunished, yea though they had repented. As in Dauid, who whē he was bidden chuse of 3. kindes of punishments which hee would, and he had chosen pestilence for 3. dayes: the Lord forgaue him halfe the tyme, but did not release all: And that the same thing came to passe in him also, to whom al∣though pardon & reconciliation was due according to the Canons, seeing hee repented from his errours, yet there were causes why the Queene and the Coūcel at this time iudged hym to death: of which, least he should maruell too much, he should heare some.
First that being a traytor, he had dissolued the lawfull matrimonie betweene the Kinge her father and mother: besides the driuing oute of the Popes authoritye, while he was Metropolitane.
Secondly, that he had ben an heretike, from whom as from an author and onely fountaine, all heretical doctrine & schismaticall opinions that so many yeres haue preuai∣led in Englande, did first rise and spring: of which hee had not bene a secrete fauorer only, but also a most earnest de∣fender euen to the ende of his life, sowing them abroad by wrytings and argumēts, priuately and openly, notwith∣out great ruine and decay of the catholicke church.
And further, it seemed meete, according to the lawe of equalitie, that as the death of the Duke of Northumb. of late, made euen wyth Thomas More Chauncellour that dyed for the Churche, so there shoulde be one that shoulde make euen wt Fisher of Rochester: and because that Rid∣ley, Hooper, Ferrar, were not able to make euē wyth that man, it seemed meete, that Cranmer shoulde be ioyned to them to fill vp this part of equalitie.
Besides these, there were other iust and weighty cau∣ses, which seemed to the Queene and the Councel, whych was not meete at that time to bee opened to the common people.
After this, turning his tale to ye hearers, he bad al men beware by this mās example, that amōg men nothing is so high, yt can promise it selfe safetie on the earth, and that Gods vengeance is equally stretched against al men▪ and spareth none: therfore they should beware & learne to fear