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The
Death of Thomas Cranmer
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by
A Bystander (21 March, 1556) |
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Thomas
Cranmer rose to power under Henry VIII when he advised the king on
how best to divest himself of Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.
A rather cowardly political animal, he became Archbishop of Canterbury
and held onto the position largely due to his ability to bend with
the wind. His greatest achievement was undoubtedly the Book of Common
Prayer, a masterful work in beautiful language. His fall came during
the reign of Mary Tudor when Catholicism returned to the country.
He was tried for heresy and recanted his belief in Protestantism in
an effort to save his life. It failed and he was sentenced to die
by being burned at the stake. He faced his death with great bravery,
and as this anonymous bystander recorded, thrust his right hand (the
one that had signed the recantation) into the flames first. |
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 But
that I know for our great friendships, and long continued love, you
look even of duty that I should signify to you of the truth of such
things as here chanceth among us; I would not at this time have written
to you the unfortunate end, and doubtful tragedy, of Thomas Cranmer
late bishop of Canterbury: because I little pleasure take in beholding
of such heavy sights. And, when they are once overpassed, I like not
to rehearse them again; being but a renewing of my woe, and doubling
my grief. For although his former life, and wretched end, deserves
a greater misery, (if any greater might have chanced than chanced
unto him), yet, setting aside his offenses to God and his country,
and beholding the man without his faults, I think there was none that
pitied not his case, and bewailed not his fortune, and feared not
his own chance, to see so noble a prelate, so grave a counsellor,
of so long continued honour, after so many dignities, in his old years
to be deprived of his estate, adjudged to die, and in so painful a
death to end his life. I have no delight to increase it. Alas, it
is too much of itself, that ever so heavy a case should betide to
man, and man to deserve it.
But to come to the matter: on Saturday last, being 21 of March, was
his day appointed to die. And because the morning was much rainy,
the sermon appointed by Mr. Dr. Cole to be made at the stake, was
made in St. Mary's church: whither Dr. Cranmer was brought by the
mayor and aldermen, and my lord Williams: with whom came divers gentlemen
of the shire, sir T. A. Bridges, sir John Browne, and others. Where
was prepared, over against the pulpit, an high place for him, that
all the people might see him. And, when he had ascended it, he kneeled
him down and prayed, weeping tenderly: which moved a great number
to tears, that had conceived an assured hope of his conversion and
repentance . . .
When praying was done, he stood up, and, having leave to speak, said,
'Good people, I had intended indeed to desire you to pray for me;
which because Mr. Doctor hath desired, and you have done already,
I thank you most heartily for it. And now will I pray for myself,
as I could best devise for mine own comfort, and say the prayer, word
for word, as I have here written it.' And he read it standing: and
after kneeled down, and said the Lord's Prayer; and all the people
on their knees devoutly praying with him . . .
And then rising, he said, 'Every man desireth, good people, at the
time of their deaths, to give some good exhortation, that other may
remember after their deaths, and be the better thereby. So I beseech
God grant me grace, that I may speak something, at this my departing,
whereby God may be glorified, and you edified . . .
'And now I come to the great thing that troubleth my conscience more
than any other thing that ever I said or did in my life: and that
is, the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth. Which here
now I renounce and refuse, as things written with my hand, contrary
to the truth which I thought in my heart, and written for fear of
death, and to save my life, if it might be: and that is, all such
bills, which I have written or signed with mine own hand since my
degradation: wherein I have written many things untrue. And forasmuch
as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart, therefore my
hand shall first be punished: for if I may come to the fire, it shall
be first burned. And as for the pope, I refuse him, as Christ's enemy
and antichrist, with all his false doctrine.'
And here, being admonished of his recantation and dissembling, he
said, 'Alas, my lord, I have been a man that all my life loved plainness,
and never dissembled till now against the truth; which I am most sorry
for it.' He added hereunto, that, for the sacrament, he believed as
he had taught in his book against the bishop of Winchester. And here
he was suffered to speak no more . . .
Then was he carried away; and a great number, that did run to see
him go so wickedly to his death, ran after him, exhorting him, while
time was, to remember himself. And one Friar John, a godly and well
learned man, all the way travelled with him to reduce him. But it
would not be. What they said in particular I cannot tell, but the
effect appeared in the end: for at the stake he professed, that he
died in all such opinions as he had taught, and oft repented him of
his recantation.
Coming to the stake with a cheerful countenance and willing mind,
he put off his garments with haste, and stood upright in his shirt:
and a bachelor of divinity, named Elye, of Brazen-nose college, laboured
to convert him to his former recantation, with the two Spanish friars.
And when the friars saw his constancy, they said in Latin one to another
'Let us go from him: we ought not to be nigh him: for the devil is
with him.' But the bachelor in divinity was more earnest with him:
unto whom he answered, that, as concerning his recantation, he repented
it right sore, because he knew it was against the truth; with other
words more. Whereby the Lord Williams cried, 'Make short, make short.'
Then the bishop took certain of his friends by the hand. But the bachelor
of divinity refused to take him by the hand, and blamed all others
that so did, and said, he was sorry that ever he came in his company.
And yet again he required him to agree to his former recantation.
And the bishop answered, (showing his hand), 'This was the hand that
wrote it, and therefore shall it suffer first punishment.'
Fire being now put to him, he stretched out his right hand, and thrust
it into the flame, and held it there a good space, before the fire
came to any other part of his body; where his hand was seen of every
man sensibly burning, crying with a loud voice, 'This hand hath offended.'
As soon as the fire got up, he was very soon dead, never stirring
or crying all the while.
His patience in the torment, his courage in dying, if it had been
taken either for the glory of God, the wealth of his country, or the
testimony of truth, as it was for a pernicious error, and subversion
of true religion, I could worthily have commended the example, and
matched it with the fame of any father of ancient time: but, seeing
that not the death, but cause and quarrel thereof, commendeth the
sufferer, I cannot but much dispraise his obstinate stubbornness and
sturdiness in dying, and specially in so evil a cause. Surely his
death much grieved every man; but not after one sort. Some pitied
to see his body so tormented with the fire raging upon the silly carcass,
that counted not of the folly. Other that passed not much of the body,
lamented to see him spill his soul, wretchedly, without redemption,
to be plagued for ever. His friends sorrowed for love; his enemies
for pity: strangers for a common kind of humanity, whereby we are
bound one to another. Thus I have enforced myself, for your sake,
to discourse this heavy narration, contrary to my mind: and, being
more than half weary, I make a short end, wishing you a quieter life,
with less honour; and easier death, with more praise.
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