What question did this study set out to answer?

This note aims to explore the connection between Erasmus's work and the devotional practices of Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer.

June 15, 2026

A Piety Fit for Kings? Henry VIII, Thomas Cranmer and Erasmus’s Enarratio in Psalmum XXXIII

Key Points

This note aims to explore the connection between Erasmus's work and the devotional practices of Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer.
Analysis of handwritten marginalia in a copy of Erasmus's Enarratio in Psalmum XXXIII
Examination of the book's provenance linked to Thomas Cranmer and Henry VIII
Interpretation of the findings to reveal insights into the devotional practices of the period
The marginalia indicate that Henry VIII engaged deeply with the text.
Insights into Henry’s efforts to develop a royal piety that aligned with his monarchical image were uncovered.
The findings suggest a significant overlap in the devotional interests of Cranmer and Henry VIII.

Abstract

This note concerns a copy of Erasmus’ Enarratio in Psalmum XXXIII at the British Library. While this book has long been associated with the library of Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, an analysis of the handwritten marginalia in this volume reveals it to have also passed through the hands of Cranmer’s king, Henry VIII. These marginalia open a window on to Henry’s devotional reading practices and his efforts to cultivate a piety fit for kings.

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