A19563:76
An answerAn aunsvvere
An answer by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and metropolitan, unto a crafty and sophistical cavillation, devised by Stephen Gardiner Doctor of Law, late Bishop of Winchester against the true and godly doctrine of the most holy sacrament, of the body and blood of our saviour Jesus Christ Wherein is also, as occasion serveth, answered such places of the book of Doct. Richard Smith, as may seem any thing worthy the answering. Here is also the true copy of the book written, and in open court delivered, by D. Stephen Gardiner ...An aunsvvere by the Reuerend Father in God Thomas Archbyshop of Canterbury, primate of all England and metropolitane, vnto a craftie and sophisticall cauillation, deuised by Stephen Gardiner Doctour of Law, late Byshop of Winchester agaynst the true and godly doctrine of the most holy sacrament, of the body and bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ Wherein is also, as occasion serueth, aunswered such places of the booke of Doct. Richard Smith, as may seeme any thyng worthy the aunsweryng. Here is also the true copy of the booke written, and in open court deliuered, by D. Stephen Gardiner ...
London: printed by John Daye, 1580London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
When they were all come to the kings presence, his highness with a severe countenance,1 said unto them: Ah my Lords, I thought I had had wiser men of my Counsel then now I find you. What discretion was this in you, thus to make the Primate of the Realm & one of you in office, to wait at the Counsel Chamber door amongest seruyngmen? You might have considered that he was a Counsellor as well as you, and you had no such Commission of me so to handle him. I was content that you should try him as a Counsellor, & not as a mean subject. But now I well perceive that things be done against him maliciously, & if some of you might have had your minds, you would have tried him to the uttermost. But I do you all to wit, & protest, that if a Prince may be beholding unto his subject (and so solemnly laying his hand upon his breast) said: by the faith I owe to God, I take this man here my Lord of Canterbury, to be of all other a most faithful subject unto us, and one to whom we are much beholding, giving him great commendations otherwise. And with that one or two of the chiefest of the Counsel, making their excuse, declared, that in requesting his endurance, it was rather meant for his trial and his purgation against the common fame and slander of the world, then for any malice conceived against him. Well, well my Lords,2 quoth the king, take him and well use him, as he is worthy to be, and make no more ado. And with that every man caught him by the hand, and made fair weather of altogether, which might easily be done with that man.
When they were all come to the kynges presence, his highnesse with a seuere countenaunce,1 sayd vnto thē: Ah my Lordes, I thought I had had wiser men of my Counsaile then now I finde you. What discretion was this in you, thus to make the Primate of the Realme & one of you in office, to waite at the Counsaile Chamber doore amongest seruyngmen? You might haue considered that he was a Counseller as well as you, and you had no such Cōmission of me so to handle him. I was cōtent that you should try him as a Counseller, & not as a meane subiect. But now I well perceiue that things be done agaynst him malitiously, & if some of you might haue had your myndes, you would haue tried him to the vttermost. But I doe you all to witte, & protest, that if a Prince may be beholdyng vnto his subiect (and so solemly laying his hād vpon his brest) sayd: by the fayth I owe to God, I take this man here my Lord of Caunterbury, to bee of all other a most faythfull subiect vnto vs, and one to whom we are much beholdyng, giuyng him great commendations otherwise. And with that one or two of the chiefest of the Counsaile, makyng their excuse, declared, that in requestyng his induraunce, it was rather ment for his triall and his purgation agaynst the common fame and sclaunder of the world, then for any malice conceiued agaynst him. Well, well my Lordes,