CHAP. VI. The Cam bridge stu dents at Cardinal College. reformed Unford. The history of those Cambridge students who accepted Wolsey's invitations forms a well-known chapter in Foxe and D'Aubigné, and has been retold, with all his wonted felicity of narrative, by Mr. Froude. The principal names that have been preserved to us are those of John Clerke', Richard Cox, Michael Drumm, John Frith, Richard Harman, Thomas Lawney, John Salisbury, and Richard Taverner. Spread of the Though acting with greater circumspection and secresy, they doctrines at appear to have formed at Oxford a society like that they had left holding its meetings at the White Horse at Cambridge; and the infection of Lutheran opinions soon spread rapidly Wolser's to other colleges. The authorities at Oxford, before the lapse of two years, became fully apprised of their proceedCarlinal ings, and the movement was clearly traced to the activity of the new comers. Would God,' exclaimed Dr. London, the warden of New College, when he learned that these pestilential doctrines had penetrated even the exclusive society. over which he presided, 'would God, that my lord his grace treatment of the young Reformers at College. salary was to increase at the end of its emoluments. In the statutes sanctioned by the queen in Council, in 1860, it was ordered by statute 41 that the election should be vested in the master and seniors of St. John's College; that the lectures should be open to any student of the univer sity; and that the lecturer should receive all payments to which he was en titled by the foundation, together with any other advantages or emoluments which might be assigned to him by the master and seniors. The advan tages thus resulting to the univer sity, in the shape of most competent scientific instruction, have undoubt elly been fully commensurate with the moderate salary that still represents the original foundation. Fur ther information on the subject will be found in Appendix B to Lord Brougham's Commission. It is doubtful, as there were several of his contemporaries of the same name, whether this John Clerke is the same as the one whose death in prison was attended by such touching circumstances. Mr. Cooper (Athena, 1 124), inclines to the ne gative conclusion. had never motioned to call any Cambridge man to his most CHAP. V godly college! It were a gracious deed if they were tried and purged and restored unto their mother from whence they came, if they be worthy to come thither again. We were clear without blot or suspicion till they came' But at the same time he was compelled to admit that the proselyt isers had found their converts among the most towardly young men in the university.' Wolsey's chagrin at the discredit thus brought upon his new foundation was extreme, and those students who were convicted of having Lutheran volumes in their possession were treated with barbarous cruelty. They were thrown into a noisome dungeon, where four died from the severity and protracted duration of their confinement, and from which the, remainder were liberated in a pitiable state of emaciation and weakness. Of the latter number however it is worthy of note that nearly all sule quently attained to marked distinction in life. In the meantime a rigorous enquiry had been going on at Cambridge; and as the first result, towards the close of the year 1527, George Joye, Bilney, and Arthur, were summoned by Wolsey to appear before the chapter at Westminster to answer to sundry charges. Joye's narrative of his individual experiences is familiar through various channels to many readers. Arriving in London one snowy day in November, he found on proceeding to the chapter-house that Bilney and Arthur were already undergoing examination; and, in his own language, hearing of these two poore shepe among so many wolves,' was not over hasty to thrust himself in among them.' Perceiving that he was circumvented by treachery, he successfully outmanoeuvred his enemies, and effected his mu to escape from London to Strassburg. On arriving there he lost no time in publishing certain letters of the prior of Newnham Abbey, by whom he had beer, accused to the authorities, and vindicated with considerable ability the orthodoxy of the heresies for which he had been cited'. His subsequent 1 Dr. London to Warham, Rolls House MS. (quoted by Froude, 45). For Dr. London see Wood, Colleges and Halls (el. Gutch), p. The Letters whycle Johan did. TTls charac ter. CHAP. VI disingenuous performances in connexion with Tyndale's New Testament, and Tyndale's description of his character', will perhaps incline us to conclude that the severity with which Dr. Maitland has commented on his want of veracity, in common with that of other of the early Reformers, is in this instance not altogether undeserved'. of Arthur Westminster. Bainst Arthur. Examination With Arthur and Bilney, whom Joye had left undergoing Britney at their examination at the chapter-house, it fared much the Articles same as with Barnes. The indictments against Arthur were not numerous; and of these, while he admitted some, he denied the most important. He denied that he had exhorted the people to pray for those in prison on account of their religious tenets, or that he had preached against the invocation of saints and image worship; but he confessed to having used bold language in favour of lay preaching; to having declared that every layman was a priest'; and more especially to having said, in a sermon before the university on Whit Sunday, that a bachelor of divinity, admitted of the university, or any other person having or knowing the gospel of God, should go forth and preab in every place, and let for no man of what estate or degree soever he were: and if any bishop did accurse them for so doing, his ITs recanta curses should turn to the harm of himself.' Of these latter articles he now signed a revocation and submitted himself to the judgement of the authorities'. Articles against Bil Dey. Bilney, who was regarded as the archheretic, and who probably felt that on his firmness the constancy of his followers materially depended, gave more trouble. He had offended well, priour of Newnham Abbey be 1 Canon Westcott, Hist. of the against the authority of the Church far more seriously by his CHAP obstinate practice of the theory which Arthur had asserted. The friars had twice dragged him from the pulpit; his voice had been heard at Christchurch and St. George's in Ipswich, inveighing against pilgrimages and the pretended miracles of the day; in the same city he had held a public disputation with a friar on the practice of image worship; be had been no less vehement though less personal than Barnes, in his attacks on the pride and pomp of the superior clergy; and finally, he was a relapsed heretic'. At first it seemed that he was resolved to incur the direst penalties rather than abjure a second time. When urged by Tun-tal he three times refused his submission; but the persuasions of his friends ultimately prevailed, and he again consented to sign an act of recantation. On the following Sunday, the 8th of December, he publicly, along with Arthur, Lore his fagot in procession at Paul's Cross. After this he was recommitted to prison; was a second time examined and abjured by Wolsey; and finally after twelve months' imprisonment regained his liberty, and was once more seen at Cambridge, walking and conversing with Latinaer on Heretics' Hill. It seems beyond question that it was with refrence to this occasion' that Skelton attacked the Cambridge Bilney denied that he had wittingly taught any of Luther's opinions. Then the cardinal asked him, whe ther he had not once made an oath before, that he would not preach, rehearse, or defend any of Luther's opinions, but would impugn the Sane everywhere? He answered that he had made such an oath; but not lawfully. Foxe-Cattley, v 622. not judicially (judicialiter in the Register). Burnet-Pocock, 1 70. For ye were worldly shamed Mr. Dyce's theory that Sk-in (who 1623. It weld berhand tex. as the author of that are of there is certainly no other act of popre his attack. CHAP. VI. Reformers in the lines,-the most contemptible of his extant compositions,-whereby he sought to second the terrors of the law by the lash of satire. In his 'Replycacion against certain yong Scholers abjured of late,' dedicated to his former patron, we meet neither with the poetic fancies of the Garlande of Laurell' nor the vigorous irony of 'Colyn Clout' or of 'Why Coarseness of come ye nat to Courte?' but a mere outpouring of coarse invective and rancorous spite. He grudges the poor scholars the exhibitions which their talents and industry had gained for them at the universities'; declares,-a singular charge for a theologian of the old school to prefer,-that they so 'cobble and clout' the Gospels' and Epistles, that the laity are thrown into the utmost mental perplexity; and reviles them in unmeasured terms for their rejection of pilgrimages, Mariolatry, and image worship'. Death of It does not appear that Bilney on his return to Cainbridge was regarded with less esteem by his friends, but he was a humiliated and saddened man, and his sufferings from selfreproach were such, that it was for some time feared that his reason would give way. It is certain that he no longer assumed the part of a leader; while, in the same year that he returned, his party sustained another serious blow in the death of the eloquent and highminded Stafford. It was in the generous discharge of the offices of Christian charity that the latter met his end. During the prevalence of the plague he had the courage to visit one of the infected, a master of arts of Clement's hostel. This man, whose name was Henry, although a priest, was known under the designation of 'the Conjuror,' owing to his reported aldiction to the study of necromancy. His malady, therefore 1 Some of you had ten pounde Therewith for to be founde At the unyversyte Employed whiche might have Le Moche better other wayes.' Skelton-Dyce, 1 213. Ibid. 1 216. It may be noted that it was on account of their attention to the Gospels rather than to the Sentences, that the early Reformery were often designated as Gos pellers." Ibid. 1 217-9. It will be observe l that these are precisely the practices against which Balney directed his st tacks. There can be no doubt that it is to Bilney's trial that More in his Dialogue (written 1525) refers; for the same heretical terets are there animadverted pen in e nexion with a recent ar limport and eonviction for heresy. Seh s knj lish Works (ed. 1557), p. 113. |