There was no question of Thomas Cromwell getting anywhere near confrontations with the rebels. It would have been the height of folly to inflame their passions still further, quite apart from his indispensable role in shuttling between Windsor Castle and London, busily drafting statements and letters for the King to send out to insurgents and loyalists alike, and frantically scrabbling to finance this totally unexpected and deeply expensive eventuality.43 Cranmer was sent off into virtual invisibility in deepest Kent to keep an eye on any local trouble, not an especially demanding task in that
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