Nor was the good archbishop less formed for a private, than a public station. While we revere the virtues of the reformer, we admire the minister of the gospel.

His humility was truly apostolical. He was averse to the sounding titles of the clergy; and when these things, among others, were settled, he would often say, "We might well do without them." A familiar expression of his, on an occasion of this kind, was often afterwards remembered. He had signed himself in some public instrument, as he was obliged indeed legally to do, by the style of primate of all England. At this the bishop of Winchester took great offence: intimating, that there was no necessity for that innovation; and throwing out a hint, as if it were an encroachment on the king's supremacy. ‘God knows, said the archbishop, (when he heard of the invidious things, which Winchester had said) I value the title of primate, no more than I do the paring of an apple. ’ The expression was afterwards often quoted by those, who were disinclined to all dignities in the church; which they would call in contempt the parings of Cranmer's apples.

The placability of his temper was equal to his humility. No man ever possessed more christian charity. The least sign of penitence in an enemy restored him immediately to favour; and the archbishop was glad of an opportunity of shewing the sincerity of his reconciliation. This was so well known to be a part of his character, that the archbishop of York having long, in vain, desired his concurrence in a business, to which Cranmer was averse; ‘Well, my lord, said York, if I cannot have my suit in one way, I will in another. I shall presently do your grace some shrewd turn; and then, I doubt not, but I can manage so, as to obtain my request.’

But the archbishop's mildness and placability never appeared in so strong a light, as when contrasted, as they often were, with the vehemence of Henry's passions.

A person of great rank at court, who was the archbishop's secret enemy, and had oftener than once done him ill offices, came to him, one day, to request his interest with the king. The primate with great readiness undertook his cause. "Do you know, said the king, suprized at his request, for whom you are making suit? Are you acquainted with the man's disposilion towards you?" "I always took him, said the archbishop, for my friend." "No, replied the king; he is your mortal enemy: and so far am I from granting his rcquest, that I command you, when you see him next, to call him knave." The archbishop begged his majesty would not oblige him to use language so little becoming a christian bishop. But Henry vociferated again, "I command you, I say, to call him knave; and tell him that I ordered you." The primate however could not be persuaded, by all his majesty's eloquence, to call the man knave: and the king, tho in great agitation at first, was obliged, at last, to give up the matter with a smile.

He was a very amiable master in his family; and admirably preserved the difficult medium between indulgence, and restraint. He had; according to the custom of the times, a very numerous retinue; among whom the most exact order was observed. Every week the steward of his household held a kind of court in the great hall of his palace, in which all family affairs were settled; servants wages were paid; complaints were heard; and faults examined. Delinquents were publicly rebuked; and after the third admonition discharged.

His hospitality and charities were great, and noble: equal to his station; greater often than his abilities.

A plentiful table was among the virtues of those days. His was always bountifully covered. In an upper room was spread his own; where he seldom wanted company of the first distinction. Here a great many learned foreigners were daily entertained; and partook of his bounty. In his great hall a long table was plentifully covered, every day, for guests, and strangers of a lower rank; at the upper end of which were three smaller tables, designed for his own officers; and inferior gentlemen.

The learned Tremellius, who had himself often been an eye-witness of the archbishop's hospitality, gives this character of it: "Archiepiscopi domus, publicum erat doctis, et piis omnibus hospitium; quod ipse hospes, Mecoenas, et pater, talibus semper patere voluit, quoad vixit, aut potuit; homo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nec minus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉."

We have seen his character aspersed for want of hospitality^*. In part the aspersion might have arisen from an attempt he made, with the assistance of the other bishops, to regulate the tables of the clergy; which had lately taken an expensive turn. This expence was introduced by the regular clergy, who could not lay aside the hospitable ideas of their monasteries; tho a country benefice would by no means support them. The regulations published on this occasion, ordered, that ‘an archbishop's table should not exceed six divers kinds of flesh; or as many of fish, on fish-days.—A bishop's should not exceed five: a dean's four: and none, under that degree, should exceed three. In a second course, an archbishop was allowed four dishes—a bishop three—all others two—as custards, tarts, fritters, cheese, apples and pears. But if any inferior should entertain a superior, either of the clergy, or laity, he might make provision according to the degree of his guest. If any archbishop, or other ecclesiastic, entertained an ambassador, his diet need not be limited.—It was farther ordered, that of the greater fish, or fowl, as haddoc, pike, tench, cranes, turkies, swans, there should only be one in a dish: of less kinds, as capons, pheasants, wood-cocks, but two. Of the still less fowls, an archbishop might have three; all under him only two.’

Among other instances of the archbishop's charity, we have one recorded, which was truly noble. After the destruction of monasteries, and before hospitals were erected, the nation saw no species of greater misery, than that of wounded, and disbanded soldiers. For the use of such miserable objects, as were landed on the southern coasts of the island, the archbishop fitted up his manor-house of Beckesburn in Kent. He formed it indeed into a compleat hospital; appointing a physician, a surgeon, nurses; and every thing proper, as well for food, as physic. Nor did his charity stop here. Each man, on his recovery, was furnished with money to carry him home, in proportion to the distance of his abode.

To obviate all the cavils of the papists against archbishop Cranmer, would be to enter into the general argument against them. His apostacy, his marriage, and his opinions, are questions all of common controversy. On the particular miscarriages of his life I have every where touched as they occurred; and have by no means spared them, when they appeared to deserve censure. The general objection, which seems to bear the heaviest upon him, is founded on the pliancy of his temper. Saunders, one of the bitterest of his enemies, sarcastically calls him Henricianus; and his friends indeed find it no easy matter to wipe off these courtly stains. Without question, many instances of great condescension in his character strike us; but a blind submission to the will of princes was probably considered among the christian virtues of those days.

On the other hand, when we see him singly, and frequently, oppose the fury of an inflamed tyrant—when we see him make that noble stand against bigotry in the affair of the six articles—or when we see him the only person, who durst inform a passionate, and jealous prince of the infidelity of a favourite wife, we cannot but allow, there was great firmness in his character; and must suppose, that he drew a line in his own conscience to direct him, in what matters he ought, and in what matters he ought not, to comply with his prince's will.

He left behind him a widow and children; but as he always kept his family in obscurity, for prudential reasons, we know little about them. They had been kindly provided for, by Henry the eighth, who without any sollicitation from the primate himself, gave him a considerable grant from the abbey of Welbeck in Nottinghamshire; which his family enjoyed after his decease. King Edward made some addition to his private fortune: and his heirs were restored in blood by an act of parliament, in the reign of Elizabeth.