While Dr. Cranmer was thus employed, about the year 1529, an epidemical distemper, attended with many symptoms like the plague, broke out at Cambridge. A great alarm was spread: the schools were shut up, and every man endeavoured to provide for his own safety by flight. Dr. Cranmer retired into Essex, to the house of Mr. Cressy, a gentleman of fortune at Waltham; whose sons had been his pupils at Cambridge; and whose education he still continued to superintend. These circumstances were the foundation of all his future fortunes.

That great ecclesiastical cause, king Henry's divorce, was at this time in agitation. The legatine court, which should have decided that business, was just dissolved, and had left the affair in its old uncertainty.

Henry's devotion to the See of Rome had made him thus far submit with patience to its delays. But his eyes were now in a great measure opened. He began to see that Clement, whose. character was a compound of dissimulation and timidity, had been acting a double part; and that while he openly pretended every thing in favour of the divorce, he was in fact no other than the dupe of the emperor. With this clue the English ministry was able to unravel the mazes of the pope's duplicity: and this last affair, the dissolution of the legatine court, and the avocation of the cause to Rome, after so many affected delays, at length convinced even Henry himself, that the pope meant nothing in earnest.

While the monarch, vexed at this new disappointment, was revolving in his mind the indignities he had suffered, he relaxed himself with a short journey, or progress (as these journeys were then called) through some of the southern counties. On his return, he spent a night at Waltham; where his retinue, as was usual on such occasions, were lodged among the neighbouring gentlemen. Fox, provost of King's college in Cambridge, and Gardiner, afterwards the celebrated bishop of Winchester, then attended the king; and were invited, with some others, to the house of Mr. Cressy, where they passed the evening with Dr. Cranmer. The conversation turned on the only topic, which was then discussed among courtiers, the unhandsome behaviour of the court of Rome: and on all sides, the pope's dissimulation, and the king's forbearance, were spoken of, with acrimony, and admiration.

Dr. Cranmer, who seemed to have digested the whole business in his mind, said, he thought a method might be pursued, which would tend to bring the matter to a happy issue. When all with great eagerness desired to know, what he meant, he told them, his idea was, to collect: the opinions of all the universities in Europe on this simple question, Whether it was lawful to marry a brother's wife? Their approbation of the marriage, he said, would satisfy the king's scruples; or their disapprobation of it would bring the pope to a decision.

Dr. Cranmer's opinion seemed very plausible both to Fox, and Gardiner; who failed not, the next morning, to mention it to the king. It struck Henry at once; who with that indelicacy which was natural to him, cried out with an oath, that "Cranmer had gotten the right sow by the ear."

He was immediately sent for; and had a long conference with the king; which ended in Henry's commands to put his sentiments in writing, both with regard to the divorce itself; and the manner in which he proposed to conduct it.

The great merit of Dr. Cranmer's proposal, which is not immediately evident, seems to consist, not so much in changing the judges, as in narrowing the question. Instead of inquiring, whether the pope's dispensation gave legality to Henry's marriage with his brother's wife? he wished to inquire simply, Whether such a marriage was not contradictory to the divine commands? If the universities determined, that it was not so, the king must then give up his scruples, and keep his wife. Of this however he was under no apprehension. But if the universities determined, that such a marriage was unlawful; the king might then, if the pope were refractory, do without him; saying, the marriage was in itself null.

Henry therefore being resolved to adopt this new plan, began next to adjust the proper mode of executing it. He read Dr. Cranmer's papers with great attention; and was persuaded, that he, who had shewn himself so much a master of the case, was the only person, in whose management of it, he could thoroughly confide. At the same time he thought an obscure ecclesiastic had not dignity of character enough to represent his person abroad. He joined therefore in commission with him the earl of Wiltshire, and the bishop of London; recommending him, in a particular manner, to the friendship of the former.

The earl of Wiltshire, with whom Dr. Cranmer ever afterwards maintained a strict friendship, was one of the greatest ornaments of the English court. In a public character he had appeared to advantage, once in Spain, and a second time in Germany. At home he had borne with equal credit, the offices of treasurer of the house-hold, and lord privy seal. In private life, his manners were very amiable. He was one of the most learned men of his age; and one of the best philosophers: and tho a courtier, and a statesman, had employed much of his time in the study of the scriptures, which he made the rule of his life. To his request it was owing, that Erasmus composed his valuable treatise on a preparation for death. But what still made this excellent man more celebrated than all his virtues, was his being the father of Ann Bolleyn; who was, at this time, well known to be the intended consort of Henry.

In the year 1530 the three commissioners set out on this extraordinary occasion; bending their course first to Italy, where they found success in some of the universities, which were even dependent on the pope. Dr. Cranmer offered to dispute the matter fairly in the Rota.

The pope, at first, was very angry; declaring to those about him, that he would not suffer his power to be discussed by friers; alluding probably to the undignified character of Dr. Cranmer. But finding afterwards of what consequence he was, he became very desirous of attaching him to his interest; and with this view conferred on him the office of penitentiary-general of England, with full powers to bind and loose. Dr. Cranmer could not avoid accepting the pope's favour; but as it was a power he never meant to use, he considered it as a very insignificant sine-cure.

At the end of the first year, the three delegates having traversed the universities of Italy, the commission was dissolved; and a new one made out, directed solely to Dr. Cranmer, who was stiled Consiliarius regis, et ad Caesarem orator. It bears date January 24, 1531. No disgust seems to have been taken at the other commissioners; but as Dr. Cranmer was the person, on whom the king chiefly relied, it is probable he had from the first, determined to intrust the matter solely to him, as soon as his character had acquired a little consequence.

Very great success attended his commission. Few scruples were raised; and he had little more to do, than to collect the hands and seals of such universities, as favoured the king's intentions; which were, on the matter, almost all he applied to.

This expedition so readily projected, and so chearfully undertaken, does not perhaps place Dr. Cranmer in the most advantageous point of light. There were good political reasons, no doubt, to induce the king to wish for a divorce. His marriage with Catharine was by no means generally approved, either at home, or abroad: the legitimacy of Mary, in treaties of marriage with neighbouring princes, had been questioned; and the terrible effects of the late civil wars in England, occasioned by disputed titles, were wounds not yet intirely healed. Male issue to the king, which might prevent such consequences, was therefore very desireable to all men.

But reasons of state, however admissible in a cabinet, should never be supposed to influence a churchman. We allow, that Dr. Cranmer might think the marriage wrong: but tho it possibly might be a point of conscience with the king, it could however be none with him; and there was manifestly a difference between advising not to do a thing; and advising to undo it, when already done; at least in a matter of so disputable a nature. He knew, that, in the old testament, the marriage of a sister was allowed; and among the patriarchs often practised: and that the marriage of a brother's wife was, in some cases, enjoined. The new testament was silent on the subject. There could therefore be no moral turpitude in it: nor any thing but the common law, and usage of nations to restrain it.

On the other hand, the baseness, and ungenerous behaviour, which followed the contrary part, were evident at sight. To repudiate a woman, with whom the king had cohabited near twenty years as his wife; and to illegitimate a daughter, bred up in the highest expectations, and now marriagable, were acts of such cruelty, that it seems to indicate a want of feeling to be in any degree accessory to them. To this may be added, that the notoriety of the king's passion for Ann Bolleyn, which all men believed to be—if not the first mover, at least the principal spring of his pretended scruples, threw a very indelicate imputation on all who had any concern in the affair. No serious churchman, one would imagine, could be fond of the idea of administring to the king's passions. It is with concern therefore that we see a man of Dr. Cranmer's integrity and simplicity of manners, acting so much out of character, as to compound an affair of this kind, if not with his conscience, at least with all delicacy of sentiment; and to parade through Europe, in the quality of an ambassador, defending every where the king's pious intentions.

But the cause animated him. With the illegality of the king's marriage, he endeavoured virtually to establish the insufficiency of the pope's dispensation; and the latter was an argument so near his heart, that it seems to have added merit to the former. We cannot indeed account for his embarking so zealously in this business, without supposing his principal motive was to free his country from the tyranny of Rome, to which this step very evidently led. So desireable an end would, in some degree, he might imagine, sanctify the means.

This was not the only foreign business in which Dr. Cranmer was employed. He was intrusted with many private dispatches from the king. He had matters of trade also to negotiate for the merchants of England. Once he was obliged to furnish himself with camp-equipage, and attend the emperor, who had taken the field against the Turks. In every employment he shewed himself to be a man, whose knowledge was by no means totally confined to his profession; but was of a more general cast, than the simplicity of his character led men to suppose.

If Dr. Cranmer began to think favourably of the reformation before he left England, he became during his stay abroad, an intire convert. That freedom, with which men discussed religious opinions in Germany, was very agreeable to a man of his liberal turn; and he felt himself every day sitting looser to those prejudices, which had hitherto involved him. Osiander, whom he found at Nuremburgh, contributed, among others, very much to inlighten his mind. The unrestrained conversation of this reformer appeared to him, at first, as a kind of libertinism: it sounded harshly in his ear; and he would ask, if such an opinion were false, how it could possibly possess itself of the minds of the greatest, and most learned men of all ages, through such a tract of time? Osiander carried him boldly still higher into antiquity. Tell me not, said he, what Austin says, and Jerome; but what Peter says, and Paul. Read your bible; and say honestly, whether such and such doctrines are not plainly repugnant to such and such passages of scripture?