CLIII. To CRUMWELL. ster; Corres pondence. Right Worshipful, in most hearty wise I commend me MSS. Chapter unto you. And forasmuch as at my late request you House, were content to accept Mr. Newman" into your service; I Westminhere send him unto you now, for his further advertisement Crumwell's of your pleasure in that behalf, not doubting but that you shall be sure both to have of him a right honest and faithful Original. servant, and also no less diligent service. And therefore I beseech you, and that the rather at this mine instance, to be his special good master. Thus heartily fare you well. Lambeth, the 12th day of July. Your own assured ever, To the Right Worshipful and my singular good friend Master Secretary. well. At T. Cantuarien. CLIV. To CRUMWELL. Chapter ster; Crumwell's pondence. Right Worshipful Master Secretary, most heartily I have MSS. me commended unto you: and by this bearer I have sent House, you herewith enclosed two letters, one superscribed unto my Westminlord of Wylshire, and the other unto me; which letters I have sent with expedition unto you, because they concern Corresas well you as words of treason unto the King, which trea- Original, son I pray you to detect unto the King's Highness, which HoloI am most sure you would do, although I required you to the contrary. Moreover I understand the Priory of Worcester shall be shortly void; which if it so be, I pray you be good master unto Mr. Holbech, Doctor of Divinity, of the "[See Letters IV. V LXIV. LXXVIII. It would seem that Crumwell, not having procured for Newman the preferment which he desired, took him into his own service.] * [Henry Holbech, alias Rands, is said by Willis to have been Prior of the Black Canons at Cambridge, and to have succeeded to the Priory of Worcester on the resignation of More, the 13th of March 1536. He became Bishop Suffragan of Bristol, the 24th of March 1538; Dean of graph. house of Crowlande, or else to Dane Richard Gorton, Bachelor of Divinity, of the house of Burton-upon-Trent. And if the Priorship of Worcester shall not be vacant, yet I pray you be good master unto these two, when you shall find places meet for them; for I know no religious men in Englande of that habit that be of better learning, judgment, conversation, and all qualities meet for an head and master of an house. Thus our Lord have you ever in his preservation. From Oteforth, upon the day of the Assumption of our Lady. [15 Aug. 1535.] Your own ever assured, To mine especial good friend Master ness. T. Cantuarien. MSS. House, ence. Ori ginal. CLV. TO CRUMWELL. Right Worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend Chapter me unto you. And whereas among other of the King's doWestmin- minions, within this his realm, there is no part (in my opister; Crumwell's Cor- nion) that more needeth good instruction of the word of respond- God, or aid of learned curates to be resident, than doth the town and marches of Calice, considering specially, not Todd, Life alonely the great ignorance and blindness as well of the of Cranheads now resident there, as of the common and vulgar people, in the doctrine and knowledge of Scripture, but also having respect unto the universal concourse of aliens and strangers, which daily diverteth and resorteth thither, I think that it will no less be a charitable and godly deed than a singular commodity for this realm, to have in those parties at the least two learned persons planted and settled there by the King's authority in some honest living, whose sincerity in conversation of living and teaching, shall shortly mer, vol. i. p. 137. Worcester, the 18th of Jan. 1540; Bishop of Rochester, the 3rd of May 1544; and Bishop of Lincoln, the 9th of August 1547. He was a "true "favourer of the Gospel, and made much use of in the reforming and "settling of the Church." Strype, Memorials, vol. ii. p. 462.] (no doubt) clearly extinct and extirpate all manner of hypocrisy, false faith, and blindness of God and his word, wherein now the inhabitants there be altogether wrapt, to the no little slander (I fear me) of this realm, and prejudice of the good and laudable Acts y lately conceived by the King's Grace and his high Court of Parliament; which thing to reform lieth much in you, in case you will but move the King's Highness, (forasmuch as the collations of the benefices there belongeth unto his Grace,) to give them as they fall, unto such men as be both able and willing to do God and his Grace acceptable service in discharging of their cures. In consideration hereof, and inasmuch as I am advertised that the parsonage of St. Peter's besides Calice, is like shortly to be void, and in the King's Grace's disposition, I beseech you either to obtain the same for Master Garret 2, whose learning and conversation is known to be right good and honest, or else for some other as is so able and willing to discharge the same as he is. Wherein I assure you that you shall accomplish a right meritorious deed before God, and deserve condign thanks hereafter of your prince for promoting of so great a commodity for his realm. And whereas I am informed, that the Curate of St. Mary's within Calice, intendeth to make suit unto you for the said benefice; I pray you not to regard his suit, for I know that he is nothing meet for that room, specially in this world of reformation. Over this I beseech you to be good master unto this bearer, Henry Turney, for, as I perceive, his matters be so grievously taken and borne against him, that without your only aid and help he is like to lose his living. Surely I do much marvel of his uncharitable handling, if it be none [Namely, the various Acts against the authority of the Pope, passed in the Sessions of January and of November 1534. See Letters CXXVIII. CXLV. CL. CLI. Burnet, Ref. vol. i. p. 291. 318.] 2 [Thomas Garret or Gerrard, “a forward and busy Lutheran,” suffered with Barnes and Jerom under the Act of the Six Articles, at the same time that three papists were executed for denying the King's supremacy. For an interesting account of his troubles in Oxford in 1526, by his friend Anthony Dalaber, see Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 522.] other than it is reported. Wherefore if you can try out the a I have written to the Queen's Grace to obtain the gift of two the first benefices that shall fall within the marches of Cales. I pray you commune with the Queen's Grace therein, and help thereunto. Your own ever assured, To the Right Worshipful and my T. Cantuarien. MSS. House, ster; Crum ence. Ori ginal. CLVI. To CRUMWELL. Right Worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend Chapter me unto you. And whereas this bearer informeth me, that Westmin- you are advertised how that I should complain of him unto well's Cor- the King's Council for his preaching: surely I do not a little respond- marvel that you will think in me such lightness to complain of him, by whom I know no fault. This is true, that when I was at the Court, there were some persons which complained unto me of him, to whom I gave less credence, by cause that afore time I heard good report of him by many honest, sober, and discreet men; which thing made me say these words unto the complainers, 'That for so much as I heard divers times so many of both parties, some laud and some dispraise him, I could not tell to whom to give 'credence.' And now again, since I came unto Kent, I have had complaints of him by divers, and of them that should seem honest and credible; and nevertheless divers other very honest men and of good judgments, which both heard a [This postscript is in Cranmer's own handwriting.] and understood him, doth report contrary, testifying that he is nothing culpable of the things laid against him; wherefore the matter standing in this controversy, I am enforced rather to believe them which report well by him than the other; for in mine opinion the other commonly be such persons as little regard the promoting of the Gospel, but be rather papistical and superstitious. I therefore require you, for nothing that either hath been reported unto me of him, or for any thing that the uncertain fame hath conceived without due proof of him, you will thereby withdraw your favour from him: for if you should so do, it should be a great discourage for learned men which favoureth the truth, to take any pains on them in setting forth the same; whose labours and endeavours were never more need to be had and esteemed than now at this season. Thus our Lord have you in his tuition. At Wyngham, 12. day of October. Your assured ever, T. Cantuarien. To mine especial and singular friend Master Secretary. CLVII. To CRUMWELL. Chapter ster; Crum ence. Ori Right Worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend MSS. me unto you. And whereas the priors of Davyngton did House, hold of the bishops of Canterbury for the time being, Westminthirty-five acres of wood, parcel of Okenfold wood, and nine- well's Corteen acres of land in Davyngton aforesaid, and eight acres respond in Tenam, within the County of Kent, which by reason that ginal. the said house is dissolved, ought of right to escheat to me, as in the right of the see of Canterbury, as this bearer shall declare unto you more at large: I therefore right heartily desire you, that the said parcels may not be put ne specified within the office to be found for the King, so that by your lawful favour in this behalf I may the better come b [See Letter CLX.] |