An evidence of his friendship for Cranmer is shown by his conduct to the archbishop on an occasion in which his life was in danger. The Roman Catholic party, with the bishop of Winchester at their head, attempted to attach the crime of heresy to Cranmer; but the king himself delivered a message to him to prepare him for the threatened attack, taking care afterwards to appoint such a tribunal to investigate the charges as should defeat the object of his accusers. The popularity of Gardiner indeed was not injured by the failure of this conspiracy his restless spirit however was soon employed in another scheme, the consequences of which were not equally harmless to him. The queen (Catherine Parr), who was secretly a great favourer of the reformers, and bad admitted their preachers into her apartment*, in conversation with the king, whose illness added to his ordinary impatience, main tained the new doctrines, discoursing very warmly upon the subject. This vexed the king, who communicated his displeasure to Gardiner, who to please his muter (as he thought), now began to plot against the queen, going so far as to write articles of impeachment against her. In this attack the chancellor was elucidated with him : and through an accident occasioned by him, the queen discovered the con spirecy, and by her good 'eau and character, which gave her great influence over the king's mind, coupled with considerable adroitness of management, she escaped the accusation. Gardiner was never able to regain the favour or countenance of tho king. (Burnet.) At Henry's death Gardiner experienced a still greater reverse. The young king and his government proceeded to make further religious change?; the use of holy water was decried, and homilies were corn po.ed which the clergy, who had abused their power of preaching, were ordered to substitute for sermons : a general visitation also was ordered, at which the new articles and injunctions wore to be circulated. These things offended Gardiner, and be totally condemned them in no mea sured terms. If this behaviour was rash, it was also high.epirited and consistent The consequences followed, as might have been foreseen. The council, on his refusal to comply with their injuuctions, com mitted him to the Fleet Here he was confined until the act of general amnesty, which passed in the December after the accession of Edward, released him. As soon as he was free he went down to his diocese, and w bile there he remained unmolested ; but on his return to Lon don, on account of a certain sermon which he preached on St. Peter's
Day, he was seized and committed to the Tower (1548). Various con ferences were held with him, and his release was promised him on condition that he would express his contrition for the past, promise obedience for the future, subscribe the new settlement in religion, acknowledge the royal enpremacy, and the abrogation of the six articles. With the first of these conditions alone did he absolutely refuse to comply. The terms of liberation were afterwards rendered still more difficult. The number of article, that he was called upon to subscribe was considerably increased. On his refusal to sign them, his bishoprio was sequestered, and he was soon afterwards deprived.
For more than five years Gardiner suffered close imprisonment, and it was not until the beginning of the reign of Mary that his liberty was restored (1553). If his fall from power at the conclusion of Henry's reign had been great and sudden, still greater and more sudden was the rapidity of his re-instatement. A Roman Catholic, queen was on the throne, and he who had been ever the foremost of her partisans must necessarily be raised to be one of her first advisers. The chancellorship was conferred upon him. His bishoprio was restored, and the conduct of affairs placed in his bands. The manage ment of the queen's marriage-treaty was intrusted to him. He was chosen to officiate at her marriage, as he had also done at her coronation, and became her most confidential adviser. No matters, whatever they might be, could be proceeded in without his privity and concurrence ; and ho had his full share in the persecutions of this reign. The horrors which were not committed by his actual orders must at least have obtained his sanction, for he had reached a height of power, both civil and ecclesiastical, perhaps unequalled in this kingdom except by his master Woleey alone. He died on the 12th of November 1555. His funeral was conducted with great pomp and magnificence. A list of his writings is given in Tanner's Bibl. Britannico-Hibernica,' p. 308.
The character of Gardiner may be stated in a few words. He was a man of great ability ; his general knowledge was more remarkable than his learning as a divine. He was ambitious and revengeful, and wholly unscrupulous. His first object was his own preservation and advancement, and his next the promotion of his party interest. lie saw deeply into the characters of those with whom he dealt, dealt with them with remarkable tact, and had an accurate foresight of affairs.