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out, was not the way an archbishop ought to refer to the ancient holy forms of religion; it was small wonder that the Chapter had retaliated by sending out an accusation of heresy against him and his chaplains. And from the very sleeve that was now enfolding the victim’s neck in the affectionate grip of a grizzly bear Henry produced the paper of the accusation, while in a jocular aside he reminded his friend that three heretics had lately been burnt alive on Windsor Green: ‘And what do you say to that, my old Mumpsimus?’
    Cranmer had so much to say that the King quickly cut him short, and Norfolk seized his chance to cut in. He shared Bess’s feelings about the Archbishop. Cat Howard had been Norfolk’s niece as well as Nan Bullen, he had worked for her marriage to the King as hard as he knew. And then that sneaking Lutheran fellow, who had picked up a wife in Germany, as well as a lot of these poisonous new revolutionary notions, had gone and destroyed all his work by getting poor Cat beheaded, just as Nan had been, and the whole family had shared in the disgrace for a time.
    ‘For my part,’ he growled virtuously, ‘I never read the Scriptures and never will. It was merry in England before this new learning came up, but now every ploughboy thinks he’s as good as the priest – and maybe he is, seeing what some priests are!’
    He glared at the Archbishop, who weakly averted his gaze. Henry, cocking an amused little gooseberry eye at Norfolk, called out, ‘Paws off there! Down – good dog, down! You gotyour teeth into a Cardinal when you shogged off Wolsey – must you worry an Archbishop too?’
    ‘God’s body, Your Majesty, I only meant that I wish everything were just the same as it used to be in the good old days. New ideas indeed!’ His glare had swivelled round on to Edward Seymour, who was of the advanced party and eager for reform in politics as well as religion. ‘New ideas – and a brand-new peer to lead ’em! All this fine talk of the rights of the people – rank revolution, that’s all it amounts to,’ he snarled at Seymour, but the King clapped a hand on his shoulder.
    ‘No more of that now, or you’ll be giving us one of your Council speeches till we all get lost in your thirdlys and fourthlys.’ He turned to his anxiously waiting Archbishop, but only to deal him some heavyhanded chaff about his wife. Was it true that Cranmer had had her smuggled from Germany into England in a packing-case which some careless porter had placed upside down, so that she had had to scream to be rescued? ‘There’s a fine tale of a wife tails up! Well, well, I owe a couple or so of my wives to your services, so no doubt you think I should wink at yours, but it’s a big wink that will cover an archbishop’s wife boarded up in a box. Old Wolsey had as fine a mistress as money could buy, but that was all correct and above-board – not under the boards!’
    Cranmer became incoherent in his denials and protestations; he would not dream of evading the law against married clergy, he had never seen his wife since he came to England to be Archbishop – at least, not, not—
    ‘Not in a packing-case, hey? Or did you send her packing?’
    Like some huge cat with a shivering mouse, he played withthe terrified little man, enjoying his discomfiture and the roars of laughter from Norfolk and the others. Just as Cranmer was certain that the blow would fall on him both for heresy and illegal matrimony, Henry suddenly returned to the former charge and rumbled out, ‘That little matter of your Chapter’s complaints is easily handled. I’ll appoint a commission to examine the charges – and put you at the head of it!
And
help you with the answers. I’ve not forgotten my theology. That will cook their goose for them. So whichever goose roasts, it won’t be you.’
    His hearty friendliness made Cranmer almost blubber with thankfulness; it made his small daughter grow thoughtful. The Queen was still with the two