I make no claims for More or Cromwell being nice individuals. I think they
could be exceedingly sticky characters to be on the wrong side of.
Whatever you say about Cromwell it would be very difficult to accuse him of
treason, because, like Wolsey before him and the Duke of Somerset after him,
he was so closely associated with royal policy that it was utterly
inconceivable that he could be pursuing another agenda. But I have heard
from someone who attended a seminar at the Huntington Library recently that
the charge of heresy/witchcraft raised against him is now receiving
increased support .
More was arrogant and obstinate ( a contemporary 16th century view). He was
quite prepared to torch the odd heretic. As under-sheriff in London he
routinely attended events requiring a strong stomach. Cromwell of course
sent one of his minions down to Glastonbury Abbey to prepare 'the trial and
execution' of the abbot there. The memorandum survives. It stops you in
your tracks even today when you see it because it's just part of a tick-list
of things to do, like a shopping list.
But what brought these two statesmen down was that in the swishing to and
fro of opinion at Henry VIII's court they both got beached like stranded
whales. They were inconvenient when Henry VIII was out casting 'phantasies'
at unmarried ladies and that was enough. That guy's hormones had a lot to
answer for.
(I apologise for the lack of mediaevalia in all this...)
John A..W. Lock.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill East <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 1999 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: deathbed declarations
I don't remember
> > Thomas Cromwell exactly abasing himself in a bout of positive
> > self-criticism
> > either. I think he did it with a rather bad grace and an
> > 'if...then..'. No
> > sense of occasion. I selected these two because they were
> > manifestly
> > innocent people expected to perjure themselves at the last.
>
> Thomas Cromwell innocent??????
>
>
> =====
>
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