But he had now a more especial concern upon him for his majesty at this time, as though his mind had prophetically presaged some evil to befall the king in that progress; (and indeed it was the last progress that ever he made). And so methinks do these expressions of the archbishop sound, in a letter, dated in July, to Cecyl, then attending the court; "beseeching Almighty God to preserve the king's majesty, with all his council and family, and send him well to return from his progresss." And in a letter the next month, "he thanked Cecyl for his news; but especially," said he, "for that ye advertise me that the king's majesty is in good health: wherein I beseech God long to continue his highnessh." And when, in the latter end of the following month, the gests, (that is, the stages of his majesty's progress), were altered, which looked like some ill design, the archbishop entreated Cecyl to send him the new resolved-upon gests from that time to the end, that he might from time to time know where his majesty was; adding his prayer again for him, "that God would preserve and prosper him." [See Appendix, No. lxvii. and Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. pp. 437, 8. Park. Soc. ed.] h [See Appendix, No. cvi. in the third volume of this edition, and Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 438.] i [See Appendix, No. lxv. and Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 438.] CHAPTER XXX. HIS CARE FOR THE VACANCIES.-FALLS SICK. the church. WHILE the king was thus abroad, and the archbishop His care for filling the absent, unworthy or disaffected men were in a fairer pro- vacancies of bability of getting promotions in the church, while he was not at hand for to nominate fit men to the king, and to advise him in the bestowing the vacant dignities and benefices. The archbishop knew very well how much learning and sobriety contributed towards the bringing the nation out of popery, and that nothing tended so effectually to continue it as the contrary. This matter the archbishop seemed to have discoursed at large with secretary Cecyl at parting; who therefore, by a letter sent to the said archbishop, then at his house at Ford, desired him to send him up a catalogue of learned men, and such as he 284 esteemed fit for places of preferment in the church and university that so, as any place fell in the king's gift, the said secretary might be ready at the least warning to recommend fitting and worthy men to supply such vacancies, and to prevent any motion that might be made by any courtiers or simonists for ignorant persons, or corrupt in religion. In answer to which letter, the archbishop writ him word, that he would send him his mind in that matter with as much expedition as he couldj. And undoubtedly we should have seen the good fruits of this afterwards in the church, had not the untimely death of that admirable prince, that followed not long after, prevented this good design. This year the archbishop laboured under two fits of Laboured sickness at Croydon. The latter was caused by a severe [See Appendix, No. cviii. in the third volume of this edition, and Works of abp. Cranmer, under an ague this autumn. The great mortality of this time. ague; of which his physicians doubted whether it were a quotidian, or a double-tertian; and, seizing him in the declining of the year, was in danger to stick by him all the winter. But, by the care of his physicians, in the latter end of August, it had left him two days, which made him hope he was quit thereof; yet his water kept an high colour. That second day he wrote to Cecyl, and "desired him to acquaint Cheke how it was with him. And now the most danger was," as he said, "that if it came again that night, it was like to turn to a quartan, a most stubborn ague, and likelier to continue and wear him out.” A disease, indeed, that carried off his successor, cardinal Pole, and was, as Godwin observed', a disease deadly and mortal unto elder folk. The archbishop's friends had reason to fear his distemagues about per, if we think of the severity of agues in that age; greater, as it seems, than in this. Roger Ascham complaineth to his friend John Sturmius, anno 1562; "that, for four years past, he was afflicted with continual agues: that no sooner had one left him, but another presently followed; and that the state of his health was so impaired and broke by them, that an hectic fever seized his whole body: and the physicians promised him some ease, but no solid remedym." And I find, six or seven years before that, mention made of hot burning fevers, whereof died many old Stow's Chron. k [See Appendix, No. lxv. and Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 438.] 1 [Godwin de Præsulibus, vol. i. p. 151. ed. Cantab. 1743.] m ["Hos quatuor proximos superiores annos, ita continentibus febribus correptus sum, ut una vix me unquam reliquerit, quin etiam altera statim sit con secuta: atque sic rationes salutis meæ omnes, istis nexis et jugatis febribus, sunt fractæ et convulsæ, ut jam corpus meum omne febris illa hectica occupaverit: cui, medicorum filii, allevamentum aliquando, remedium solidum nunquam pollicentur."-Roger. Aschami Epist. p. 79. ed. Lond. 1790.] persons; and that there died in the year 1556, seven aldermen within the space of ten months. And the next year, about harvest time, the quartan agues continued in like manner, or more vehemently than they had done the year before; and they were chiefly mortal to old people, and especially priests: so that a great number of parishes became destitute of curates, and none to be gotten; and much corn was spoiled for lack of harvest-men". Such was the nature of this disease in these days. cerned him ness. But the severity or danger of the archbishop's distem- That which per did not so much trouble him, as certain inconveniences most conthat attended it; viz. that it put him off from those pious in his sickand holy designs that he was in hand with, for God's glory, and the good of the church. For so he expressed his mind to his friend the secretary; "However the matter chance, the most grief to me is, that I cannot proceed in such matters as I have in hand, according to my will and desire this terrenum domicilium' is such an obstacle to 285 all good purposes." So strongly bent was the heart of this excellent prelate to the serving of God and his church. : n["In the last year began the hot burning fevers whereof died many old persons, so that in London there died seven aldermen in the space of ten months, whose names were Henry Herdion, who deceased the 22 of December, 1555; sir Richard Dobs, late mayor; sir William Laxton, late mayor; sir Henry Hoblethorn, late mayor; sir John Champneis, blind, late mayor; sir John Ayleffe, late sheriff, and sir John Gresham, late mayor, who deceased the 23. of October, anno 1556.-This year (i. e. 1558) in harvest time, the quartain • [See Appendix, No. lxv. and The secretary sends copy of the pacifica tion. But out of this sickness he escaped; for God had reserved him for another kind of death to glorify him by. A little before this sickness befel him, something fell the arch- out which gave him great joy. Cecyl knew how welcome bishop the good news out of Germany would be to him, and therefore emperor's in July sent him a copy of the pacification P; that is, the emperor's declaration of peace throughout the empire, after long and bloody wars; which consisted of such articles as were favourable unto the protestants, after much persecution of them: "as, that a diet of the empire should shortly be summoned, to deliberate about composing the differences of religion; and that the dissensions about religion should be composed by placid, and pious, and easy methods. And that in the mean time all should live in peace together, and none should be molested for Vid. Sleid. religion; with divers other matters ." And in another lib. 24. letter, soon after, the said Cecyl advised him of a peace concluded between the emperor and Maurice, elector of Saxony, a warlike prince, and who headed the protestant army which being news of peace among Christians, was highly acceptable to the good father. But he wanted much to know upon what terms, out of the concern he had that it might go well with the protestant interest: and therefore, Cecyl having not mentioned them, the archbishop earnestly, in a letter to him, desired to know whether the peace were according to the articles, meaning those of the pacification, or otherwise. Which when he understood, (for upon the same articles that peace between P [i. e. of Passau, the date of which was July 31, A. D. 1552, "upon which a definite arrangement was based for the future peace of Germany in matters of religion, A.D. 1557." Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 437. n. 3.] [Sleidan, de statu relig. et reipub. lib. xxiv. pp. 562 et sqq. ed. Francof. 1568.] [See Appendix, No. cvi. in the 3rd vol. of this edition, and Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. p. 439.] P. |