Thomas Cranmer
331 Thomas Cranmer John Foxe Acts and Monuments of the Christian Church . In this mean time, while the archbishop was thus remaining in durance [imprisonment], (whom they had kept now in prison almost the space of three years,) the doctors and divines of Oxford busied themselves all that ever they could about Master Cranmer, to have him recant, essaying by all crafty practices and allurements they might devise, how to bring their purpose to pass. And to the intent they might win him easily, they had him to the dean's house of Christ's church in the said university, where he lacked no delicate fare, played at the bowls, had his pleasure for walking, and all other things that might bring him from Christ. Over and besides all this, secretly and sleightly they suborned certain men, which when they could not expugn him by arguments and disputation, should by entreaty and fair promises, or any other means, allure him to recantation; perceiving otherwise what a great wound they should receive, if the archbishop had stood stedfast in his sentence: and again on the other side, how great profit they should get, if he, as the principal standard-bearer, should be overthrown. By reason whereof the wily papists flocked about him, with threatening, flattering, entreating, and promising, and all other means; specially Henry Sydal, and Friar John, a Spaniard de Villa Garcia, to the end to drive him, to the uttermost of their possibility, from his former sentence to recantation. First, they set forth how acceptable it would be both to the king and queen, and especially how gainful to him, and for his soul's health, the same should be.
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