John Foxe: "Acts and Monuments," 8.14ff.
The life of the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. The story is told of the ignorant, northernm papist priest who called Dr. Cranmer an “ostler” as ignorant as the “goslings on the green.” Cromwell imprisons the priest. The priest’s cousin, a grocerer in London, intercedes with Cranmer. The priest is brought before Cranmer at Lambeth, asked some Biblical questions (that the priest cannot answer) and asked if Henry would have sent Dr. Cranmer to European universities and Rome on the great matter. The poor priest is humbled and begs forgiveness which Cranmer grants. Cranmer releases the priest from the Fleet prison with gentle admonitions and exhortations to study the Bible. Crumwell and Cromwell discuss the release afterwards. Apparently, this “ostler” term was well-known even in Cranmer’s days, not just afterwards.
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