"sideracion whareof if it may please your good"nes, in our great necessitie, to be a meane and "sewter for your owne powre Pryory, that it "maye be preserved and stond, you shalbe a "more higher Founder to vs than he that first "foundid oure Howse. We have noon othir "comfort or refuge but oonly unto your goodnes, "and we hooly submyt oursels to the pleasure "of God, to the pleasure of our Prynce, and to "the pleasure of you our Founder; and how "soever it shall please God that we shalbe or"dered, we shall continue your faithfull and "dayly bedewomen. As knoweth oure Lorde "who ever preserve you to your most comfort. "Yo" owne dayly bead women

"JANE MESSYNDYNE Pryores "and SISTERS of the PRYORY of LEG BORNE."

Addressed to Lord Cromwell.

"My very good Lord, after my moost hertie "commendations it shall please yo Lordship "to understand that the monks of the Charter"house here at London, whiche wer committed "to Newgate for thair traitorus behavor long "tyme continued against the Kings Grace, be "almoost dispeched by th'and of God; as it may "apper to you by this byll inclosed. Wherof "considering thair behavor and the hole mater,

"I am not sory, but wold that al suché as love "not the Kings Highnes and his worldy honor

"

wer in like caas. My Lord (as ye may) I de"sir you in the wey of charitie, and none other

"wise, to be good lord to the Prior of the said “Charterhouse, which is as honest a man as "ever was in that habite (or els I am muche de"ceyved) and is one whiche never offended the "Kings grace by disobedience of his Lawes, "but hath labored very sore continually for the "reformation of his brethern, and now at the "last, at myn exhortation and instigation, constantly moved and finally persuaded his "brethern to surrender thair house, lands, and "goods, into the Kings hands, and to trust only "to his and mercy I beseche you, my grace. “Lord that the said Prior may be so entreated

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by your help, that he be not sory, and repent "that he had fered and folowed your sore words "and my gentil exhortation made unto him to "surrender his said house; and think that he "myght have kept the same, if yor Lordshyp and "I had not led him to the said surrender. But

surely (I beleve) that I knowe the man so well "that how soever he be order he wolbe content"ed without grudge. He is a man of suche "charitie as I have not seen the like. As towching the house of the Charterhouse I pray God

"if it shall please the King to alter it, that it

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may be turned into a better use (seing it is in "the face of the world) and muche communica"tion wol run thereof throughout this realme; "for London is the common countrey of al En

gland, from which is derived to al parts of this "realme al good and yll occurrent here. From "London the xiiijth day of July.

Addressed to Lord Cromwell.

"In my most humble maner I have me com"mendyd unto yowr gude lordeschippe, ascer"tenyng the same that I have pullyd down the "Image of or Ladye at Caversham wherunto "wasse great pilgremage. The Image ys platyd "over with sylver, and I have putte yt in a "cheste fast lock yd and naylyd uppe, and by the "next bardge that commythe from Reding to "London yt shall be browght to yo' Lordeschippe "I have also pullyd down the place she stode in "wt all other ceremonyes, as lights, schrods, "crowchys, and imagies of wex hangyng abowt "the chapel, and have defaced the same thorowly "in exchuyng of any farther resortt thedyr.. "Thys chapell dydde belong, to Notley, abbey,

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"and ther alwayes wasse a chanon of that mo"nastery wiche wasse callyd the Warden of "Caversham, and he songe in thys chapell and "hadde the offerings for hys lyving. He wasse, "acustomyd to schew many prety relyks, among, "the wiche wer (as he made reportt) the holy, dager that, kylled Kinge Henry,; and the holy "knyfe that kylled Seynt Edwarde. All thees "w many other, with the cots of thys image, her cappe and here, my servant shall bring unto

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yor Lordeshippe thys, weke w' the Surrendre of "of the Freers undre ther convent seale, and ther "seale also. I have sent the chanon home agen "to Notleye, and have, made fast the doores "of the chapell, wich ys thorowly well covered "with ledde: and if it be yo' lordeships pleasur I shall see yt made suer to the Kings Grace's 66 use. And if it be nott so orderyd, the chapell " stondeth so wildely that the ledde will be

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I

stolyn. by nyzt, as I wasse servyd at the Fryers; "for as soon as I, hadde taken the Fryers sur"rendre, the multytude of the poverty of the "Town resortyd, thedyr and all thinge that myzt "be hadde they stole away: insomyche that they hadde convayd, the very clapers of the

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bellys. And saving that M. Fachell, wiche "made me great chere at hys howse, and the Mayer, dydde assist me they, wolde have made

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"no litell spoyle. In thys I have don as moche " as I cowde do to save every thing to the Kings graces use, as shall apper to yo' Lordeschippe "at the begynnyng of the terme, Godde willing "who w' increse of moche honor long preserve "yo' gudde Lordeschippe.

"At Redinge xvij Septembris.

"At Caversham ys a propre lodginge wher "the chanon lay, with a fayer garden and an ❝orcherd mete to be bestowed upon some frynde "of yo lordeschips in thees parties; for the “chanon had no thing to do ther butt to kepe "the chapell and receyve the offrings.

"I besek your gudde Lordeschippe to admytt "me a powr sutar for thees honest men of Red"inge. They have a fayer town and many gudde "occupiers in ytt; butt they lacke that howse

necessary, of the wiche for the mynystration of "Justice thay have most nede of. Ther Town "Hall ys a very small Howse and stondeth upon "the ryver, wher ys the commyn wassching

place of the most part of the Town; and in "the cession dayes and other cowrt dayes ther "ys such betyng with batildores, as oon man 66 can nott here another, nor the guest here the "chardg gevyng. The body of the Church of "the Grey fryers, wiche ys selyd with laths and "lyme, wold be a very commodoise rowme for