Collectanea satis copiosa

The Collectanea satis copiosa of 1530 was a collection of historical documents compiled by Thomas Cranmer and Edward Foxe designed to prove that Kings of England, historically, had no superiors on Earth (including the Pope). Henry VIII was delighted by the report—the surviving manuscript shows Henry's annotations to it—as he wanted an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn, which the Pope would not consent to. The Collectanea contained evidence for Royal Supremacy from works by Matthew Paris, William of Malmesbury, Bede, Geoffrey of Monmouth and Anglo-Saxon laws.