Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Account 1
The order and maner of the Cardinals visitation in Cambridge, with the condemning, taking vp, and burning the bones and Bookes of Bucer and Paulus Phagius, An. 1557. Ian. 9.
…CArdinall Poole, three yeares after his retourne into Englande, hauinge somwhat withdrawn his mind from other affaires of the realme,… and hauing in all poyntes established the Romish religion, began to hauehave an eye to the vniuersity of Cambridge, whiche place amōg other, speciallye seemed to hauehave neede of reformation out of hand. To perform this charge,… were chosen Cuthbert Scot, not long before consecrated Bishop of Chester, Nicholas Ormanet an Italian, Archpriest of the people of Bodolon, in the dioces of Ueron, professed in bothe the lawes, and bearing the name of the popes Datary, Tho. Watson, elected Bish. of Lincolne, Iohn Chrystopherson, elected bish. of Chichester, and Henry Cole Prouost of the colledge of Eaton. There was good cause why the matter was especially cōmitted to these persons. For as touching Ormanet, it is wel knowen that he was a man of much estimation with Iulius the 3. at that time B. of Rome, and was appoynted to come into Englande with Cardinall Poole, because without his knowledge (as in whome hee put his chief trust and confidence) the B. would hauehave nothing done that was of any importance or weight.
These persones thus appoynted (in the meane while as the visitors were addressing themselues to their iourney) sent their letters with the Cardinals Citation before doctor Andrew Perne,… Uicechācellor then of Cambridge, with the other Commissioners associate, commāding him to warne all the Graduates of the Uniuersitie in theyr name, to be in a readinesse against the 11. day of Ianuarie, betwixt 8. and 10. of the clocke, in the churche of S. Marye the virgin: willing him especially to be there hym selfe in presence, and also to sette forward all the residue, to whose charge it belonged, yt they should search out all Statutes, Bookes, Priuiledges, and Monuments appertaining to the Uniuersitie, or to any of the Colledges, or finally to any of thēselues, and these to present the same before them at the day appoynted, and eueryevery mā to appeare there personally: for they woulde not faile, but be there at the same time, to lay before them such things as should seme necessary to this charge of reforming ye vniuersitye, and further to geue charge of all such things as should seeme most for the profit & behoue of the same, together with such thyngs as were to be done on theyr parte, accordinge as shoulde seeme most agreeable to the Decrees of the Canon lawe.
This citation of the Cardinal being brought to Cambridge by master bullocke, was first exhibited in the Conuocation house of Regents, and there openly redde by the Orator of the Uniuersitie the 11. of December.
…After thys, vppon the 24. of December, whyche was Christenmasse euen, the Uicechancellor, wyth the heads of houses meeting together in the Schooles, it was there cō cluded, that the visitors charges should be borne by the vniuersitie and Colledges (which then cost the Uniuersitie an 100. pound thicke) and also that no master of any Colledge should suffer any of the fellowes, scholers, or ministers, to goe foorth of the towne, but to retourne before the Uisitation.
On friday, the 8. of Ianuarie, the Queenes Commissioners, videlicet, Doctor Perne Uicechauncellor, Doctor Segewicke, Doctor Haruy, M. Francke, Kust, and an other who is here namelesse, also with sir Iames Dyer, the Recorder, M. Chapman, Euered sitting together in the Hal, certaine were there called by the appoyntment of L. Hawes, and charge giuen what should be done. And first the Commission was read. Then were all the high Constables called to bring in theyr precepts, and sworne. Also 2. of eueryevery Parishe of 10. or 12. hundredes, were sworne to inquire of heresie, lollardie, conspiracie, seditious words, tales, and rumors against the King and Queene. Item, for hereticall and seditious bookes, for negligences & misdemeanour in the church, for obseruation of Ceremonies, for Ornaments, and stocke of the church.
We sayd at the first,The cause why the reformation was taken in hande. that the Cardinall thought the Uniuersitie to hauehave neede of reformation. The reason whye hee shoulde thinke so, was this: either because the same of long continuance since any man could remember, had cast of the Yoke of the B. of Rome, and cleaued to the wholesome doctrine of the gospel, or els by reason that bothe for the late schisme, not yet worne out of memorie, and for the doctrine of Martine Bucer, who not long before openlye in the sayd Uniuersitie interpreated holy Scripture, they saw many so sore corrupted and spotted with thys infection, that (euen as when a fire is spred in a towne) vnlesse a speedy remedy were adhibited out of hande, it were not possible, to their thinking, to quench it many yeares after. Who also feared (if it were not looked to in time) least this mischief should take rote, and by litle and litle infect al the members next vntounto it, which yet were whole and sounde.
This was the yeare of our Lorde 1556. To the intent therfore to make a salue for this sore, the Inquisitours,The comming of the Inquisitors, and of their entertainment. of whome we spake before, came vntounto Cambridge the 9. day of Ianuarie. And as they were yet on theyr iourney, not farre from the towne, diuers of the Masters & Presidents of the colledges met them, and brought them courteously, first into the town, and after to their lodging. They were entertained in Trinity colledge by M. Iohn Christopherson Master of the same house,M. Christopherson M. of Trinitye Colledge, Bishop elect of Chichester. and lately before elected B. of Chichester. Notwithstanding they were desired, some to one place, and some to an other as occasion serued, eyther to do theyr dueties, or to shew theyr good wils: Cole to the kings Colledge, and D. Watson to S. Iohns. But whether it were for the acquaintaunce of Christopherson, or for the largenes of the house, which semed most conuenient for theyr purpose, they al tooke vp their lodgings in the sayd Colledge with M. Christopherson.
At theyr comming thether an Oration was made by a felowe of the house, who in the name of all the rest,An Oration Gratulatory at their comming thither. wt long Protestation declared that they were moste heartely welcome thether, & that he and his fellowes gaue them great thanks, that it had pleased theyr lordships to hauehave so good opiniō of them, as to chuse their house especially to lodge in, whereby they had bothe encouraged them to stande in hope of some further beneuolence towardes them, and also done great worship to theyr Colledge by theyr being there: wherefore they should looke at theyr hand agayne for as much duetie and reuerence, as lay in theyr power to perfourme.
To this Oration Watson made answer, that this forewarde and earnest good willes and mindes of theyrs,Watson aunswereth to the Oration. in doing suche curtesie, was right thankefully taken, both of hun and his, exhortinge them to continue stedfastly in the same, and to procede also when nede should require: for it was so far from any of their thoughts, to stop thē in this theyr race, that they would rather haste them forwarde to runne throughe more speedely, being not wtout good cause perswaded to conceiue good hope of their beneuolēce towardes them, in asmuch as they would do for them, what soeuer might tourne to theyr profit and commoditie.
Thys day, for asmuch as it was towarde euening ere they came, and the sunne was going down,Ianuary 9. Ianuary. 10. S Maryes and S. Michaels interdicted because of Martyn Bucer and Paulus Phagius buryall. was nothing els done. The next day being the 10. of Ianuarie, they bestowed in recreating them selues after theyr iourney, and in setting other things at a stay. Neuerthelesse to the entent the same should not escape altogether without doing of somewhat, they interdited the 2. Churches, namely S. Maries, where Martin Bucer, and S. Michaels, where Paulus Phagius lay buried.
Anno 1556. Ianuary.These menne were dead a good while before Paulus Phagius had scarce yet shewed the proofe of his wit and learning, when he departed to God. 1549. Bucer lyued but a little after. During which time somewhat by wryting, but chiefly by reading and preaching openly (wherein the old man being painfull in the woorde of God,Commendation of Martin Bucer. neuer spared himselfe nor regarded his health) hee broughte all men into such admiration of him, that neyther his frends could sufficiently praise him, neither his ennemies in anye poynt finde fault with his singular life & sincere doctrine. A most certaine token wherof may be his sumptuous buriall, solempnised with so great assistence and gladnesse of all the degrees of the Uniuersitie, that it was not possible to deuise more to the settinge oute and amplifyinge of the same. The whole maner and order of the doyng whereof, beyng wrytten by M. Nicholas Carre, a learned man in a little treatise to Syr Iohn Cheeke Knight, wyth an Epistle full of consolation as concerning his departure added thereunto, was sent afterwarde vntounto Peter Martyr, then abiding at Oxford.
From the burial of Bucer and Phagius, vntounto the cō ming of these visitours were passed aboute 3. or 4. yeares more or lesse. And from the time that that blessed Kynge Edward the vj. deceased, vntounto that day, the Priests neuer ceased to celebrate theyr Masses, and other kinde of Ceremonies in those places, and that without scruple of conscience, as farre as men could perceiue. But after the time that these Commissioners came thether, those things that before were accompted for sacred and holy, beganne to be denounced for prophane and vnholy. For they commanded that al those assemblies that should hereafter be made for the executing of holy Ceremonies, should be remoued to the kings Chappell, which is a place farre more stately then all the other.
Ianuary. 11.Now was come the 11. day, in the which the Uicechā cellor of the Uniuersitie, with the maisters and presidents of the Colledges, and all the other Graduates of euerye house, were commanded to appeare before the said Commissioners in their habites. It was commanded that the scholers also should come in theyr surplises, but that was not done. They assembled in great nūber to Trinitie colledge: hauinge the Uniuersitie crosse borne before them, & in the gatehouse a forme was sette and couered, with cusshings and carpet on the ground for the visitours. Where the Uicechancellor hauing on a Tishewe cope, sprinkeled holy water on them, and purposed to sence them, but they refused it there, which notwithstanding afterwarde in the Queenes Colledge and elswhere they refused not.
There M. Iohn Stokes common Orator of the vniuersitie, made an Oration in the name of all the rest. The Copie whereof I thought good heere to exemplificate, in Latin as it was pronounced.