that Serles and Shether underwent censure laid upon them by the archbishop for somewhat they had preached, when the honesty of their audience offered themselves to testify that they were falsely accused, and that that which was laid against them was not true: and although they were a great number, yet they could not be admitted. That they were innocent preachers, and, being innocent, were condemned, the one to prison, and the other to read a declaration of false surmised articles. Item, that those that would speak against evil opinions dared not; for if they did, they were complained of, and called seditious persons, stirring the people to commotion: and complaining to their ordinary, they got nothing but displeasure; and the evil preachers had much more favour and boldness. Item, that there were two images of Christ, and two of our lady, that were taken down; whereunto was neither oblation, nor any lights standing before them."

Other articles, which were of Serles' own collecting, More articles against as appears by the interrogatories that Cranmer, under hishis com own hand, had prepared to put to him, were such as these, missary. and were chiefly against the archbishop's commissary. "That there were a great number of evil preachers in Canterbury diocese. That the archbishop's commissary, [Dr. Leigh,] in his visitation commanded that the waxcandles, blessed upon Candlemas-day, should not be delivered unto the people. That holy water should not be borne, nor cast into men's houses. That in some churches, by the commissary's command, all the images were pulled down, and hewed with axes. That the commissary was most conversant with abjured persons, and others suspect of heresy, aiding, maintaining, and succouring them. That Joanna Bochier was delivered by the favour of the commissary." [Whereas indeed she was by the king's pardon. This is she that was afterwards burnt for CRANMER, VOL. I.

S

Arianism in king Edward's days.] "That one Giles came to Canterbury, in a courtier's coat and beard, being a priest, and there lodged ten days. And one Hardes, a 117 justice, complained of him to the commissary, but the commissary did nothing." [Whereas in truth he was not a priest, but a layman.] "That a tailor in Canterbury did openly read and expound the Scripture in his own house; and open resort thither was suffered by the commissary. That the master of St. John's in Canterbury at his death refused to receive, and despised the blessed sacrament and yet, by the sufferance of the commissary, was both buried like a true Christian, and also was of very many praised for a good and holy man. That Mr. Bland, in communication with Mr. Sponer, vicar of Boughton, denied auricular confession to be requisite, and delivered his opinion to the said Sponer in writing; which the commissary hearing, desired Sponer to let him see the writing, swearing that he would not keep it from him: but when he had the bill, he put it into his purse. That the commissary resigned a benefice to the said Bland, binding Bland and his successor, by a writing made under the hand of my lord of Canterbury and the chapter, to pay unto him and his assigns a great part of the clear yearly value for many years." This was the sum of Serles' articles: but most of them were found to be frivolous and false.

More still.

Articles yet more against our archbishop were, “That he held a constant correspondence with Germany, sending letters thither, and receiving letters thence." That he gave out a great many exhibitions in Germany, and had many pensioners there." (In relation to which there seemed to be a design carrying on, that the bishop of Winchester should seize some of these letters of the archbishop for Gardiner told him whose hands they

passed through, namely, one Fuller of Canterbury, and that if the said bishop would send for him, and command him upon his allegiance, he should know more: or at least, that he might make use of Fuller for a witness to serve to prove this article.) Moreover, they put in their articles, "That his grace's sister was a milner's wife, and that she and her husband lived nine or ten years together in Canterbury. And then that she married to one Mr. Bingham, her former husband being yet alive and that Mr. Commissary married her daughter. And though he were thus a married priest, yet he was joined with Mr. Dean [Wotton] to be one of the proctors of the clergy in the convocation-house; and not of their election, but that it was obtained by the interest of his affinity."

:

'nesses.

The chief witnesses and persons concerned as vouchers The witand informers were, Roper, Balthazar a chirurgeon, Heywood, Moor, Beckinsal, German Gardiner.

bendaries

At length, after much ado, some of the prebendaries, The prein the name of the church of Canterbury, delivered in to deliver the the council, not long after Easter, the articles swelled articles. to a good quantity of paper. And so they came at last into the king's hand. Having received them, he bade Baker, the chancellor of the court of augmentation, a Kentish man, being one of the privy council, and a privado in this matter, to send to Canterbury for some to prove the articles. The said chancellor orders the dean, ignorant of the matter, to send to Shether and Serles to come up as secretly as might be to London. Being come up, Shether repairs to the dean;' who bad him, with Gardiner and Parkhurst, to go to the chan- 118 cellor, who sent for them. Being come before him, he said to them, "That the king had a book against the archbishop delivered to him; which he had himself per

used. And because that he perceived, that they could say somewhat, wishing also for Serles, (who was not yet come,) he told them the king willed them to say what they knew, fearing no person, but to dread only one God and one king." Whereupon they took the book, and drew out such articles as they could witness of. He bad them return to Canterbury, and provide the witnesses there; and that Shether the youngest should come back again, after he had perfected the book in the day and year, and to bring it with him. From him they applied again to the bishop of Winchester", the great wheel, and shewed him what Baker had said to them.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE KING THE ARCHBISHOP'S FRIEND IN THIS DANGER.

himself dis

bishop.

THE king well perceiving the malice of the men, and The king a plot contrived against an honest and innocent man, covers all to strengthened with the favour and aid of Winchester, and the archseveral of the counsellors, and the imminent danger the archbishop was in, except he himself did interpose, it pleased God to turn the king's heart to him. So he put the book of articles in his sleeve; and passing one evening in his barge, by Lambeth-bridge, the archbishop standing at the stairs to do his duty to his majesty, he called him into the barge to him; and, accosting him with these words, "O my chaplain, now I know who is the greatest heretic in Kent," communicated to him these matters, shewing him the book of articles against him and his chaplains, and bad him peruse it. This both surprised and troubled the archbishop not a little, that those of his own church, and justices of the peace, whom he had obliged, should deal so treacherously with him. He kneeled down to the king, and, well knowing The archbishop dehow false the articles were, desired him to grant a com- sires a commission to whomsoever it pleased him, to try the truth mission. of these accusations, so as from the highest to the lowest they might be well punished, if they had done otherwise than became them. The king told him, "he would grant a commission, and that such affiance and confidence he had in his fidelity, that he should be the chief commissioner himself, to whom he would wholly commit the examination, with two or three more such as he should choose." When the archbishop replied, that it would not seem indifferent to make him a com