Letters, Letter 2 – Letter 3
This was written in an other lettre to the Quene.
I Learned by D. Martin, that at the daye of your Maiesties coronacion, you toke an othe of obedience to the pope of Rome. And yt same tyme you toke an other othe to this realme, to mayntene ye lawes, liberties, and customes of ye same. And if your Maiestie did make an othe to ye pope. I thinke it was accordīg to ye other othes, which he vseth to ministre to princes: which is to be obedient to him, to defende his person, to mayntene his autoritie, honour, lawes, landes, & priuileges. And if it be so (which I knowe not, but by reporte) thā I beseche your maiestie, to loke vponupon your othe made to the crowne & realme: & to expende and weighe the two othes together, to see how they do agre, & as your graces cō science shal geue you. For I am surely persuaded, that willingly your Maiestie will not offēde, nor doo against your conscience for nothing.
But I feare me,worthy othes wherby periury must nedes be cōmitted. that ther be contradictiones in your othes, and that those which should hauehave informed your grace throughly, did not their dueties therin. And if your Maiestie pondre ye two othes diligently, I thīke you shal perceaue, you were deceaued: & than your hignesse maye vse ye mater, as God shall put in your hearte. Furthermore I am kept here frō cō panie of learned men, from bokes, frō coūsail, from penne & inke, sauing at this time to writ vntounto your Maiestie: which all were necessary for a man being in my case. Wherfore I beseche your maiestie, yt I maye hauehave suche of these, as maye stande wt your Maiesties pleasure.No, ye shalbe despeched nerer home. And as for myne appearaunce at Rome, if your Maiestie wil geue me leaue, I will appeare ther. And I trust, that God shall put in my mouthe, to defende his truthe ther, as well as here. But I referre it holly to your maiesties pleasure.
To Doctour Martin, and Doctour Storye.
I HaueHave me commended vntounto you. And as I promysed, I hauehave sent my lettres vntounto the Quenes Maiestie vnsigned: Praieng you to signe thē & deliuer them wt al spede. I might hauehave sent them by the …aryer soner, but not surer. But hearing M. Balif saye, that he wolde goo to yt court on Frydaye, I thought him a meter messagier, to sende my lettres by. For better is later and surer, thā soner & neuer to be deliuered. yet one thing I hauehave written to the Quenes Ma. inclosed & sealed: which I require you may be so deliuered, wt out delay, & not be opened, vntill it be deliuerd vntounto her graces owne hādes. I hauehave writtē al yt I remēbre I sayd, except yt which I spake against ye B. of Glou. owne person: which I thought not mete to wryte. And in some places I hauehave writtē more thā I said: which I wolde hauehave answered to ye B. if you wold hauehave suffred me. You promised I should see mine answer to ye .xvi. articles, yt I might correcte, amēde and chaunge them, wher I thought good: which your ꝓmyse you kept not. And myne answer was not made vponupon myne othe,Martyn and Story promise breakers. nor repeted nor made in Iudicio but extra iudiciū, as I ꝓtested: nor to ye B. of Glou. as iudge, but to you ye kynges & Quenes proctours. I trust you deale syncerely with me without fraude or crafte: & vse me as you wold wishe to be vsed in like case your selues Remember yt Qua mensura mensi fueritis, eadam remetietur vobis. That is, what measure you meate, ye same shalbe measured to you agayne. Thus fare you well. And God sende you his spirite to induce you in to all truthe.
End of the text · Archishop Thomas Cranmer, Letters (1556)