indeed important that this task should fall into the hands of an able and experienced author. But no man can prepare such a work within a short time; nor is it certain that any individual, fully capable of rendering justice to the subject, will find the leisure or the disposition to undertake it. The time, however, presses. It is of considerable importance that Englishmen, without delay, should be supplied with means of easy access to judge what really was the system from which their ancestors emancipated themselves three centuries ago, and what were the true distinctions of the struggle in which they were engaged. Perhaps, therefore, an unknown individual, who feels that characters, which he reveres, have been libelled, and transactions, of which he knows the details have been misrepresented, may be pardoned if he ventures to step forward, and submit to his countrymen the information which he has accumulated. Those who may think what he has written worthy of their perusal, will at least see from it that statements, very different from many recently

offered to the public, may be easily supplied, and may be supported by sufficient vouchers.

Having said thus much by way of excusing the appearance of his work, the writer desires to inform his readers, that although what is presented to them bears something of a controversial character, it was undertaken with no such view. He was not aware, when he began to write a biography of Cranmer, of the extent to which ancient and modern Romanists have carried their abuse of that illustrious ornament to the English prelacy. Dr. Lingard's History he had then never seen, nor other works of a similar character: some such indeed have been very lately published. When, however, the draught of Cranmer's life was completed, the writer met with the new Romish History of England: subsequently he consulted other publications of modern Romanists. Extracts from these books will occasionally be found in the notes appended to the present work, and in the text will be found statements very much at

variance with those contained in Romish publications: statements, however, it should be again observed, not written to counterbalance what authors of different sentiments have advanced, but prepared before the pages of these authors had been examined by the compiler. After his examination of the contrary testimony, he saw no reason to change his opinion in any one instance: he, however, wishes his readers to judge for themselves, and therefore he has subjoined, upon several occasions, the Romish version of his facts. Indeed it seems to him a matter entirely to be wished, that Romish histories should be fairly confronted with Protestant ones. The credit of the Reformation is not likely to be advanced by any concealments. On the contrary, the writer has felt a conviction, in every stage of his enquiries, that the more fully Englishmen are acquainted with the objects and particulars of that revolution which agitated their country in the sixteenth century, and with the character of the opposition which it encountered, the higher will rise their gratitude to the memory of those

celebrated men, who carried through such important alterations in the national polity.

To those readers who may approve of his design, but feel dissatisfied with the manner in which the work is executed, the writer desires to say, that his labours have been prosecuted under very considerable disadvantages: since, without the inconvenience of going from home, he has no access to books beyond what his own very limited collection will supply. This fact, it is hoped, will with some, who may take up these pages, be considered to excuse the absence of a greater display of references.