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archbishop insisted.
    â€˜Good. God keep you true to your word.’ Cranmer resumed his seat. ‘You do not need me to remind you what happened, three years ago, to Lord Cromwell. There was aplot against him and he was brought down by men opposed to what they sneeringly called the “New Learning”. A foolish expression. What he ... what we ... stood for was a new commonwealth, a godly commonwealth. And we had begun to see the realisation of our dream. We had got rid of the pope and replaced his authority with that of the word of God.’ He tapped a finger on the Bible. ‘Old learning, Master Treviot. We closed down the abbeys, those bastions of papal error, and began the assault on superstition. Para kurion egeneto aute : “This was the Lord’s doing and it was marvellous in our eyes”.’
    Cranmer’s caution had fallen away from him; he was speaking with a preacher’s fervour. ‘Of course, there were those who could not or would not share our vision. They spun a web of lies. They produced paid informers. They managed to persuade his majesty to abandon the most faithful minister he had ever had, or was ever likely to have. They had him shut up in the Tower and, once there ...’ Cranmer shrugged. ‘Perhaps I should have stood by him; urged the king to clemency.’ He sighed. ‘But I fear to say that l am not the stuff of which martyrs are made. Of course, I visited my friend in prison. He urged me to continue the work and he gave me this – in strict secrecy.’ The archbishop indicated a folded sheet of paper.
    â€˜What is it, Your Grace?’
    â€˜A list of men Lord Cromwell knew to be faithful to our cause; men who, in various ways, had served him andserved the Gospel. One name on that list is “Johannes Holbein”.’
    â€˜Even so, Your Grace? Holbein? I know he has Lutheran friends and tends in that direction but he is a mere painter. How could he have been of service to Lord Cromwell?’
    Cranmer smiled wistfully. ‘A mere painter? Yes, that is the point. Think for a moment. Everyone wants to be portrayed by him. He is in fashion ... though, perhaps, not as much as he was. Anyway, the point is that he was welcomed into the houses of the greatest in the land. He made some charcoal sketches or set up his easel in a corner and worked away silently. All the time his keen eyes took in every detail of his surroundings. He went to the kitchen and had meals with the servants. They talked in friendly style of this and that. No man guarded his tongue strictly. After all, this gruff little German was only a painter.’
    â€˜I see. And he passed any useful information on to Lord Cromwell. He was, in a word, a spy.’
    â€˜Let us say, rather, that he was a trained observer. He certainly gathered much useful information. He discovered what Lord Cromwell’s enemies were planning. Unfortunately, he was too late in conveying this intelligence to his lordship.’
    â€˜Even so? Then I begin to see why Your Grace is concerned for his safety. You fear that this “spy”, or whatever you wish to call him, has been unmasked by people intent on taking their revenge.’
    â€˜No, we are not dealing with petty-minded men whoseeyes are fixed on the past. Those who wish to silence our mutual friend are very much concerned with the future. You see, Master Treviot, the struggle – or, rather, let us call it the war, for in very truth that is what it is – the war continues. Many men – powerful in the Church and in the royal court – will stop at nothing to extinguish the light of the Gospel and return us all to popish darkness.’
    â€˜Surely, Your Grace,’ I protested, ‘things are quieting down now. For the last couple of years there have been fewer public protests by partisans of different religious camps, fewer angry sermons denouncing “papists” and “heretics”. Most people