Spaniard, to the end to drive him, to the utmost of their possibility, from his former sentence, to recantation: whose force his manly constancy did a great while re

sist.

But at last, when they made no end of calling and crying upon him, the Archbishop, being overcome, whether through their importunity, or by his own imbecility, or of what mind, I cannot tell, at length gave his hand.

It might be supposed, that it was done for hope of life, and better days to come. But, as we may since perceive by a letter of his sent to a lawyer * the most cause why he desired his time to be delayed, was, that he miglit make an end of his answer to a book (called Marcus Antonius Constantius) which he had already begun: but howsoever it was, he recanted, though plain against his conscience.

Mary, the Queen, having now gotten a time to revenge her old grief, received his recantation very gladly but of her purpose to put him to death, she would nothing relent. But taking secret counsel, how to dispatch Cranmer out of the way (who as yet knowing nothing of her secret hate, and looked for nothing less than death), appointed Dr. Cole,

The following is the passage alluded to in Cranmer's "Epistle to a certain Lawyer, for his Advice touching his Appeal to a general Council."

"The chiefest cause in very deed (to tell you the truth) of this mine Appeal is, that I might gain time (if it shall so please God) to live, until I have finished mine answer against Marcus Anto nius Constantius (viz. Stephen Gardiner), which I have now in hand. But if the adversaries of the truth will not admit mine Appeal (as I fear they will not), God's will be done: I pass not upon it, so that God may therein be glorified, be it by my life or by my death. For it is much better for me to die in Christ's quarrel, and to reign with him, than here to be shut up and kept in the prison of this body, unless it were to continue yet still a while, in this warfare, for the commodity and profit of my brethren, and to the further advancing of God's glory, to whom be all glory for evermore. Amen.".

and secretly gave him commandment, that against the 21st of March, he should prepare a funeral sermon for Cranmer's burning, and so instructing him orderly and diligently of her will and pleasure in that behalf, sendeth him away.

Soon after the Lord Williams of Thame, and the Lord Shandoys, Sir Thomas Brydges, and Sir John Brown, were sent for, with other worshipful men and Justices, commanded in the Queen's name, to be at Oxford the same day, with their servants and retinue, lest Cranmer's death should raise there any tumult.

Cole, the Doctor, having his lesson given him before, and charged by her commandment, returned to Oxford ready to play his part, who, as the day of execution drew near, even the day before came into the prison to Cranmer, to try whether he abode in the Catholic faith, wherein before he had left him. To whom when Cranmer had answered, that by God's grace, he would daily be more confirmed in the Catholic faith Cole departing for that time, the next day following repaired to the Archbishop again, giving no signification as yet of his death, that was prepared. And therefore in the morning, which was the 21st day of March, appointed for Cranmer's execution, the said Cole, coming to him, asked if he had any money? To whom, when he answered that he had none, he delivered him fifteen crowns to give to the poor to whom he would: and so exhorting him so much as he could to constancy in faith, departed thence about his business, as to his sermon appertained.

By this partly, and other like arguments, the Archbishop began more and more to surmise, what they went about. Then because the day was not far past, and the lords and knights that were looked for, were not yet come, there came to him the Spanish

friar, as witness of his recantation, bringing a paper with articles, which Cranmer should openly profess in his recantation before the people, earnestly desiring that he would write the said instrument with the articles with his own hand, and sign it with his name: which, when he had done, the said friar desired, that he would write another copy thereof, which should remain with him, and that he did also. But yet the Archbishop, being not ignorant whereunto their secret devices tended, and thinking that the time was at hand, in which he could no longer dissemble the profession of his faith with Christ's people, he put secretly in his bosom his paper with his exhortation, written in another paper, which he minded to recite to the people, before he should make the last profession of his faith, fearing lest, if they had heard the confession of his faith first, they would not afterwards have suffered him to exhort the people.

Soon after, about nine of the clock, the Lord Williams, Sir Thomas Brydges, Sir John Brown, and the other Justices, with certain other noble men, that were sent of the Queen's council, came to Oxford with a great train of waiting-men. Also of the other multitude on every side (as are wont in such a matter) was made a great concourse and greater expectation.

In this so great frequency and expectation, Cranmer at length cometh from the prison Bocardo, unto St. Mary's church (because it was a foul and rainy day), the chief church in the university. In this order; the Mayor went before, next him the Aldermen in their place and degree: after them was Cranmer brought, between two friars, which mumbling to and fro certain psalms in the streets, answering one to another until they came to the church door, and there they began the Song of Simeon, Nunc dimittis, and entering into the church, the psalm

saying friars brought him to his standing, and there left him. There was a stage set over against the pulpit, of a mean height from the ground, where Cranmer had his standing, waiting until Cole made him ready to his sermon.

The lamentable case and sight of that man gave a sorrowful spectacle to all Christian eyes, that beheld him. He that late was Archbishop, Metropolitan, and Primate of England, and the King's privy counsellor, being now in a bare and ragged gown, and ill favouredly clothed, with an old square cap, exposed to the contempt of all men, did admonish men not only of his own calamity, but of their state and fortune. For who would not pity his case, and bewail his fortune, and might not fear his own chance, to see such a prelate, so grave a counsellor, and of so long continued honour, after so many dignities, in his old years to be deprived of his estate, adjudged to die, and in so painful a death to end his life, and now presently from such fresh ornaments, to descend to such vile and ragged apparel.

In this habit, when he had stood a good space upon the stage, turning to a pillar near adjoining thereunto, he lifted up his hands to heaven, and prayed to God once or twice: till at the length Dr. Cole coming into the pulpit, and beginning his sermon, entered first into mention of Tobias and Zachariah whom, after he had praised in the beginning of his sermon, for their perseverance in the true worshipping of God, he then divided his whole sermon into three parts (according to the solemn custom of the schools), intending to speak first, of the mercy of God; secondly, of his justice to be shewed; and, last of all, how the Prince's secrets are not to be opened, And, proceeding a little from the beginning, he took occasion by and by to turn his tale to Cranmer, and with many hot words reproved

him, that once he, being endued with the favour and feeling of wholesome and Catholic doctrine, fell into the contrary opinion of pernicious errors, which he had not only defended by writings, and all his power: but also allured other men to do the like, with great liberality of gifts, as it were, appointing rewards for error and after he had allured them, by all means did cherish them.

It were too long to repeat all things, that in long order were then pronounced. The sum of this tripartite declamation was, that he said, God's mercy was so tempered with his justice, that he did not altogether require punishment according to the merits of offenders, nor yet sometimes suffer the same altogether to go unpunished, yea, though they had repented. As in David, who when he was bidden to choose of the three kinds of punishments, which he would, and he had chosen pestilence for the three days; the Lord forgave him half the time, but did not release all; and that the same thing came to pass in him also, to whom, although pardon and reconciliation were due according to the canons, seeing he repented from his errors: yet there were causes, why the Queen and the council at this time judged him to death of which, lest he should marvel too much, he should hear some.

First, that being a traitor, he had dissolved the lawful matrimony between the King, her father and mother: besides the driving out of the Pope's authority, while he was Metropolitan.

Secondly, that he had been an heretic, from whom, as from an author and only fountain, all heretical doctrine and schismatical opinions, that so many years have prevailed in England, did first rise and spring of which he had not been a secret favourer only, but also a most earnest defender even to the end of his life, sowing them abroad by writings and