MEMORIALS

OF

ARCHBISHOP CRANMER.

BOOK II.

141

CHAPTER I.

HE CROWNS KING EDWARD.

UR archbishop, having lost his old master, was not so Ann.1546. sorrowful but the hopefulness of the new one did as Conceives much revive and solace him; because he concluded, that great hopes of king the matters requisite for the reformation of the church Edward. were like now to go on more roundly, and with less im

pediment.

commission

One of the very first things that was done in young king The archEdward the Sixth's reign, in relation to the church, was, takes a bishop that the bishops, who had the care of ecclesiastical matters to execute and the souls of men, should be made to depend entirely his office. upon the king and his council, and to be subject to suspension from their office, and to have their whole episcopal power taken from them at his pleasure; which might serve as a bridle in case they should oppose the proceedings of a reformation. In this I suppose the archbishop had his hand for it was his judgment, that the exercise of all episcopal jurisdiction depended upon the prince; and that, CRANMER, VOL. II.

:

B

Cranm.

Regist.

as

he gave it, so he might restrain it at his pleasure. And therefore he began this matter with himself, petitioning, "That as he had exercised the authority of an archbishop during the reign of the former king; so that authority ending with his life, it would please the present king Edward to commit unto him that power again." For it seemed that he would not act as archbishop, till he had a new commission from the new king for so doing. And that this was his judgment appeared in the first words of that commission granted to him; in the composing of which I make no question he had his hand. "Quando[fol. 28. b.] quidem omnis juris dicendi autoritas, atque etiam jurisdictio omnimodo, tam illa quæ ecclesiastica dicitur, quam secularis, a regia potestate, velut a supremo capite, ac omnium magistratuum infra regnum nostrum fonte et scaturigine, primitus emanaverit," &c. That is, "Since all authority of 142 exercising jurisdiction, and also all kind of jurisdiction, as well that which is called ecclesiastical, as secular, originally hath flowed from the king's power, as from the supreme head, and the fountain and source of all magistracy within our kingdom: we therefore in this part yielding to your humble supplications, and consulting for the good of our subjects, have determined to commit our place to you, under the manner and form hereunder described." And the king then licenseth him to ordain within his diocese, and to promote and present to ecclesiastical benefices; and to institute and invest; and, if occasion required, to deprive; to prove testaments, and the rest of the business of his courts. And so all the rest of his offices were reckoned. This was dated Feb. 7, 1546. But yet all these things were committed to him, with a power of revocation of the exercise of this authority reserved in the king, "et durante beneplacito." Thus a formal Hist. Ref. commission was made to him; I do not transcribe it, be

cause the bishop of Sarum hath saved me that pains. P. ii. Coll. And hence I find, that the archbishop in some of his P. 90. writings is styled, "The commissary of our dread sovereign lord king Edward."

ward

bishop.

One of the first exercises of his episcopal power was the King Edcoronation of young king Edward; which was celebrated crowned by February the 20th, at the abbey of Westminster, the arch- the archbishop assisting now at his coronation, as he had done. about nine years before at his christening, when he stood his godfather. The form and solemnity of it, and wherein C. C. c. c. Library. the archbishop bore so great a part, was in this manner, Miscellan. as I collect and transcribe out of a manuscript in Benet B. Collegeb.

ner of the

First, there was a goodly stage, richly hanged with cloth The manof gold and cloth of arras; and the steps from the choir coronation. contained two and twenty steps of height; and down to the high altar but fifteen steps, goodly carpeted, where the king's grace should tread on with his nobles.

Secondly, The high altar richly garnished with divers and costly jewels and ornaments of much estimation and value. And also the tombs on each side the high altar richly hanged with fine gold arras.

Thirdly, In the midst of the stage was a goodly thing made of seven steps of height, all round, where the king's majesty's chair-royal stood; and he sat therein, after he was crowned, all the mass-while.

Fourthly, At nine of the clock all Westminster choir was in their copes, and three goodly crosses before them: and after them other three goodly rich crosses, and the king's chapel with his children, following all in scarlet,

a [See Burnet's History of Reformation, vol. ii. pt. ii. B. i. No. 2. pp. 131-133. ed. Oxon. 1829.]

p.

[MSS. C.C.C.C. No. cv. 235-240; from which the text

has been corrected.]

C

["Should tread with."Strype.]

with surplices and copes on their backs. And after them ten bishops in scarlet with their rochets, and rich copes on their backs, and their mitres on their heads, did set forth at the west door of Westminster towards the king's palace, there to receive his grace; and my lord of Canterbury with his cross before him alone, and his mitre on his head. And so passed forth in order, as before is said. And within a certain space after were certain blue cloths laid abroad in the church-floor against the king's coming, and so all the palace, even to York-place.

143 Then is described the setting forward to Westminster church to his coronation, unction, and confirmation.

After all the lords in order had kneeled down and kissed his grace's right foot, and after held their hands between his grace's hands, and kissed his grace's left cheek, and so did their homage; then began a mass of the Holy Ghost by my lord of Canterbury, with good singing in the choir, and organs playing. There at offering-time his grace offered to the altar a pound of gold, a loaf of bread, and a chalice of wine.

Then, after the elevation of the mass, there was read by my lord chancellord, in presence of all the nobles, a general pardon granted by king Henry the Eighth, father to our liege lord the king, that all shall be pardoned that have offended before the 28th day of January last past.

When the king's majesty, with his nobles, came to the place of the coronation, within a while after, his grace was removed into a chair of crimson velvet, and borne in the chair between two noblemen unto the north side of the stage, and shewed to the people; and these words spoken to the people by my lord of Canterbury, in this manner,

C ["And so past forth." Strype.] d [Thomas Wriothesley, earl of Southampton, who was removed from his office immediately after

the coronation of Edward VI. See Burnet's Hist. of Reformat. vol. ii. p. 31. ed. Oxon. 1829.]