CHAPTER XVIII. CROMWELL'S FALL-MARTYRS—THE KING WEARY OF THE SCHISM CATHERINE HOWARD CATHERINE PARR MARTYRS-THE COINAGE DEBASED-SUPPRESSION OF THE CHANTRIES. WHEN the duke of Saxony and the landgrave of Hesse, about to take up arms with some of the princes of Germany against the emperor, had formed the Smalcaldic league, they asked the king of England to become a member of it; but the emperor, having discovered their plans, prevailed upon the king to give them no countenance or support. Henry promised to do all the emperor asked of him. Moreover, when the princes of Germany applied to the king a second time to renew that league, he refused, because he would not break the promise made to the emperor. Cromwell, however, because of his adoption of their heresies, being wholly in favour of the Germans, knowing, too, that the king was afraid of the emperor, and would be glad if the latter could be embarrassed by a war, signed the treaty in the king's name without consulting the king, thinking that the king refused to do so, not from want of goodwill to the Germans, but from want of courage to show it. The emperor complained to the king, who denied that his name had been subscribed to the league, and then the emperor sent him a copy of the treaty so signed. The king, when he saw it, was very angry with Crom well, and resolved upon his death;1 but as he did not like to displease the German princes, he laid other offences to his charge. Hence it was that in the marvellous justice of God, the first person who suffered according to the law which Cromwell had suggested,2 was Cromwell himself. He was condemned in his absence and unheard, being found guilty of heresy and treason July 9, and beheaded the 20th day after 3 [July 28, 1540]. Nevertheless, the persecution of the Catholics came not to an end. 3 For on the 30th day of July six persons were put to death, three of whom were Catholics and three were heretics. They were carried to the place of execution through the streets upon hurdles, two and two together, a Catholic and a heretic upon the same hurdle. The cruelty of that procedure seemed to be worse than death.* 1 Stow, p. 578. "The king from this time unto the day of her divorce [Anne of Cleves] was in a manner weary of his life, through his settled mislike he took of her, and his fierce wrath was kindled against all those that were preferrers of this match, whereof the Lord Cromwell was the chief; for the which, and for dealing somewhat too far in some matters beyond the king's good liking, were the occasions of the Lord Cromwell's hasty death." 2 See note at the end of chapter xvii. 3 Richard Hilles in a letter to Bullinger (Zurich Letters, Let. 105): "Not long before the death of Cromwell, the king advanced him, and granted him large houses and riches, and more public offices, together with very extensive and lucrative domains; and in the same way he also endowed queen Anne a short time before he beheaded her. But some persons now suspect that this was all an artifice, to make people conclude that he must have been a most wicked traitor. . . . It was from a like artifice, as some think, that the king conferred upon Cromwell's son Gregory, who was almost a fool, his father's title and many of his domains, while he was yet living in prison, that he might more readily confess his offences against the king at the time of execution. There are, moreover, other parties who assert, with what truth God knows, that Cromwell was threatened to be burned at the stake, and not to die by the axe, unless at the time of execution he would acknowledge his crimes against the king, and that he then said, 'I am altogether a miserable sinner.' 4 Burnet (Hist. Reform., i. 474, ed. Pocock) says that the three Catholic priests "demeaned themselves towards" the three heretic priests "with the most uncharitable and spiteful malice that was possible-so that their own historian says that their being carried with them to their execution was bitterer to them than death itself." Burnet does not say how he came to know of the "most uncharitable and spiteful malice" of The Catholics were Thomas Abel, Edward Powell, and Richard Fetherston,' all theologians, who having formerly defended queen Catherine in the matter of the divorce, and now refusing to acknowledge the ecclesiastical supremacy of Henry, obtained the glorious crown of martyrdom. The three heretics were Robert Barnes,2 Thomas Gerard, and William Jerome, priests, who because they held the heresy of Zuinglius were by order of the king burnt in Smithfield." the three priests, of which even Foxe makes no mention. He is also unjust to Sander, who does not say that the priests felt the cruelty of being in such company, more than the three heretics felt the cruelty of being on the same hurdle with the Catholics. Foxe, however (v. 420), makes an observation which deserves to be remembered for its folly, if not for its malignity: "This was Winchester's device, to colour his own tyranny, and to make the people doubtful what faith they should trust to." 1 Richard Hilles, writing to Bullinger, from London (Original Letters, No. 105), says: "Soon after the dissolution of Parliament, namely, on the 30th of July last year, were executed six of those men who had been exempted from the general pardon. Three of them were Popish priests, whose names were Abel, Powell, and Fetherston, and who refused to acknowledge the king's new title and his authority over the clergy. They were dealt with in the usual manner, first hung, then cut down from the gallows while yet alive, then drawn, beheaded, and quartered, and their limbs fixed over the gates of the city; but the heads in general of as many priests or monks as are executed in this city are fixed on the top of a long pole, and placed upon London Bridge as a terror to others." 2 Robert Barnes, born near Lymne in Norfolk, entered the Augustinian Order in Cambridge; but he fell into heresy early, was tried and imprisoned, but escaped after recanting in 1526, and on the Continent becoming acquainted with Luther and others of the same kind, he became more and more obstinate. Notwithstanding the notoriety of his heresies, Henry VIII. employed him, till he grew weary of him, and had him burnt at Smithfield. 3 Thomas Gerard or Garret was active in circulating the writings of Luther; once curate of All Hallows, Honey Lane. 4 William Jerome was vicar of Stepney. Original Letters, No. 105. "I could never ascertain," writes Hilles, "why these three gospellers were excepted from the general pardonso that I can conjecture none more likely than that the king, desiring to gratify the clergy and the ignorant rude mob, together with the obstinate part of his nobility and citizens, appointed these three victims, as he probably considered them, as it were for a holocaust to appease those parties, or to acquire fresh popularity with them.... In the week following the burning of these preachers, were executed many others of those who had been excepted from the general pardon. The reason of their execution is unknown to me; but it was reported to have been for treason against the king. . . It is now no novelty among us to see men slain, hung, quartered, or beheaded: some for On the 4th day of August the prior of Doncaster, three monks, and a layman surnamed Philpott, were driven out of this world, and received into the heavenly glory of the Everlasting King, because they would not swear to the ecclesiastical supremacy of an earthly king.1 In the same year, May 28th, at the bidding of the tyrant, Margaret countess of Salisbury underwent a blessed death. She was the mother of Cardinal Pole, and sprung from the house of York, for her father was George, brother of Edward IV. The only charge brought against her was that she, being the mother of such a son, had received letters of filial duty from him without the knowledge of the king, and that she wore on her breast a picture of the Five Wounds of our Lord, which the king considered to be a sign of her affection for the men of Yorkshire, who under that standard had taken up arms in defence of the Christian faith. But the truth is, that being unable to lay his hands upon the son,3 whom trifling expressions which were explained or interpreted as having been spoken against the king; others for the Pope's supremacy; some for one thing, and some for another." 1 Stow, p. 581. "4th of August [1540] were drawn to Tyborne six persons, and one led betwixt twain, to wit, Lawrence Cook, prior of Doncaster, William Horne, a lay brother of the Charterhouse of London, Giles Horne, gentleman, Clement Philip, gentleman of Calais, and servant to the Lord Lisle, Edmund Bromholme, priest, chaplain to the said Lord Lisle, Darby Gening, Robert Bird, all hanged and quartered, and had been attainted by Parliament, for denial of the king's supremacy." 2 Stow, p. 581. "The 27th of May [1541 Margaret countess of Salisbury, sometime daughter and heir to George duke of Clarence, wife to Sir Richard Poole, knight, and mother to Cardinal Poole, was be headed in the Tower of London, being never arraigned nor tried before, but condemned by act of Parliament." 3 Cardinal Pole, in a letter to Cromwell, May 2, 1537, says that the king had asked the king of France to deliver him up to Henry (Burnet, Hist. Reform., vi. 186, ed. Pocock): "I was more ashamed to hear, for the compassion I had to the king's honour, than moved by any indignation, that I coming not only as ambassador, but as Legate in the highest sort of embassage that is used among Christian princes, a prince of honour should desire of another prince of like honour, Betray thine ambassador, betray the Legate, and give him to my ambassador's hands to be brought unto me.' This was the dishonourable request, as I understand, of the king." The letter is also to be found in Strype, Mem., i. ii. 326. he so earnestly desired to punish because he had written a book in defence of the unity of the Church,1 he sacrificed the mother in his place. 2 In the year of our Lord 1541 the imperial Diet was held in Ratisbon, and thereto the king, weary, after the manner of the world, not only of the wickedness of others, but also of his own, sent Sir Henry Knyvett and Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, a man of great learning and marvellous sagacity. One of his reasons for sending them was his desire to justify his caution in matters of religion before certain princes of Germany, who were charging him with being lukewarm in his secution of the new gospel. But his chief reason was this: He knew that if neither Catholics nor Protestants 1 Pro Ecclesiastica Unitatis Defensione, lib. iv. The book was printed probably A.D. 1536, and was sent to the king immediately after the execution of Anne Boleyn, but not published then. Latimer, writing to Cromwell, Dec. 13, 1538 (Remains, p. 411, Parker Soc. ed.), says of this book: "God prosper you to the uttering of all hollow hearts! Blessed be the God of England, that worketh all, whose instrument you be! I heard you say once, after you had seen that furious invective of Cardinal Pole, that you would make him to eat his own heart, which you have now, I trow, brought to pass; for he must now eat his own heart, and be as heartless as he is graceless." Cranmer, also, in his answer to the "Devonshire Rebels," says, "Surely I have read a book of his making, which whosoever shall read, he will judge Cardinal Pole neither worthy to dwell in this realm, nor yet to live." 2 Lord Herbert (Life of Henry VIII., p. 532) says: "The old lady being brought to the scaffold, set up in the Tower, was commanded to lay her head on the block; but she, as a pro person of great quality assured me, refused, saying, So should traitors do, and I am none.' Neither did it serve that the executioner told her it was the fashion; so turning her grey head every way, she bid him, if he would have her head, to get it as he could." She had been attainted in 1539, then kept in prison, and put to death May 27, 1541. 3 Burnet (Hist. Reform., iv. 578, ed. Pocock) says that "this is another ornament of the fable, to show the poet's wit; but it is as void of truth as any passage in Plautus or Terence is. For the king was all his life so intractable in that point, that the Popish party had no other way to maintain their interest with him but to comply, not without affectation in that matter." Sander had better opportunities of learning the truth on this point both in Rome and in Spain, and Gardiner confesses it (Foxe, vi. 578): "Master Knevett and I were sent ambassadors unto the emperor to desire him that he would be a mean between the Pope's Holiness and the king, to bring the king to the obedience of the See of Rome." |