Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 11 · Account 22 · Recantation 1
Here foloweth the recantation of the Archbishop, wyth his repentance of the same.
IN this meane time, while the Archbishoppe was thus remaining in durance (whom they had kept now in prison almost the space of 3. yeares) the doctours and diuines of Oxford busied thēselues all that euer they could, about M. Cranmer, to hauehave him recante, assaying by all craftye practises and alluremēts they might deuise how to bring theyr purpose to passe. And to the intent they myghte win him easily, they had him to the Deanes house of Christes church in the said Uniuersity, where he lacked no delicate fare, plaied at the bowles, had his pleasure for walking, & all other things that might bring him from Christ. Ouer and besides all thys, secretely and sleightly they suborned certaine men, which when they could not expugne him by arguments and disputation, should by entreaty and faire promises, or any other meanes allure him to recantation: perceiuing otherwise what a great wounde they shoulde receiue, if the Archb. had stoode stedfast in his sentence: and againe on the other side, how great profit they should get, if hee as the principall standerde bearer, shoulde bee ouerthrowen. By reason whereof the wily papistes flocked about hym, wyth threatning, flattering, entreating, & promising, and al other meanes: especially Henry Sydal, and frier Iohn a Spanyarde, De Villa Garcina, to the ende to driue him to the vttermoste of their possibilitye, from hys former sentence, to recantation.
First, they set foorth how acceptable it would be bothe to the King and Queene,… and especially howe gainfull to hym, and for his soules health the same shoulde be. They added moreouer, howe the Counsaile and the Noble men bare him good wil. They put him in hope, that he shoulde not onelyonly hauehave hys life, but also be restored to hys ancient dignity, saying, it was but a small matter, and so easie that they required him to do, only that he would subscribe to a few woordes wyth his owne hande, which if he dyd, there should be nothing in the realme, that the Queene woulde not easily graunt hym, whether he would hauehave richesse or dignitye, or els if hee had rather liue a priuate life in quyet rest, in what soeuer place he listed, wythoute all publicke ministery, only that he would set hys name in two words to a litle leaf of paper: but if he refused, there was no hope of health and pardone, for the Queene was so purposed, that shee woulde hauehave Cranmer a Catholicke, or els no Cranmer at all: Therefore hee shoulde chuse whether hee thought it better to ende his life shortly in the flames and firebrands now ready to be kindled, then wyth much honour to prolong hys life, vntil the course of nature did cal him: for there was no middle way.
Moreouer, they exhorted hym that he woulde looke to his wealth, his estimation and quietnesse, saying, that hee was not so olde, but that many yeres yet remained in this his so lusty age: and if he would not doe it in respect of the Queene, yet he should do it for respecte of hys life, and not suffer that other men shuld be more careful for his health, then he was him self: saying, yt this was agreeable to hys notable learning & vertues, which being adioyned wyth his life, would be profitable both to himselfe, and to many other: but being extinct by death, shoulde be frutefull to no man: that hee shoulde take good heede that he went not too farre: yet there was time enoughe to restore all thing safe, and nothing w…nted, if he wanted not to himself. Therefore they would him to lay holde vponupon the occasion of hys health while it was offered, least if he woulde nowe refuse it while it was offered, he mighte heereafter seeke it when he could not hauehave it.
Finally, if the desire of life did nothing mooue him, yet he should remember yt to die, is grieuous in all ages, and especially in these his yeres and flower of dignitie it were more greuous: but to die in the fire & such torments, as is most grieuous of all. With these & like prouocations these fair flatterers ceased not to solicite and vrge hym, vsing all meanes they could to drawe him to their side: whose force his manly constancie did a greate while resist:The Archb. contented to recant. But at last when they made no ende of calling and crying vponupon him, the Archb. being ouercome, whether thorow their importunity, or by his owne imbecillity, or of what mind, I can not tell, but at length gaue hys hand.
It might be supposed, that it was done for the hope of life, and better dayes to come.Causes mouing the Archb. to geue with time. But as we maye since perceiue by a letter of hys sente to a Lawyer, the moste cause why he desired his time to be delaied, was that he woulde make an ende of Marcus Antonius, which hee had alreadye begunne: but howe soeuer it was, playne it was, to be against his conscience. The fourme of whiche recantation made by the Friers and Doctours, whereunto he subscribed, was thys.