Thus fare you well, good Mr. Secretary; and where at our last being together you willed me to prove your friendship towards me, which I never doubted of, yet I heartily pray you to declare part of it in my friend Hutton, for whom whatsoever you shall do, I shall impute it done unto myself. I would no more desire, but that he were so well acquainted with you as he is with me, and that you knew him as I do. Again fare you well, and Almighty God long preserve you to his gospel, and the wealth of our prince and his realm. At Ford, the 2d day of November. [1535.] Your own ever assured, Read further. T. Cantuarien. m I thank you heartily for that you be so good master unto Dr. Peter, as I am informed that you be. I was fully minded that he should have been the Dean of mine Arches, which yet he shall have, if you think it good, and that he may therewith serve you in that room whereunto you have appointed him. Herein I pray you that I may be advertised of your mind by this bearer; for if it be your pleasure, I shall make him Dean before the next term. man so meet for it. To the Right Worshipful and my singular friend Master Secretary. I know no CLXI. To CRUMWELL. Chapter Right Worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend MSS. me unto you. And albeit, that times heretofore I many have been fully purposed and minded, most effectually and Westminearnestly to write unto you in the favour of this bearer, my [This postscript is in Cranmer's own handwriting.] [Dr. afterwards Sir William Petre, who managed to continue in power under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, was appointed by Crumwell one of the visitors of inonasteries in Oct. 1535. Strype, Cranmer; Holinshed. See Letter well's Cor ster; Crum-friend Sir John Markeham, touching his business and suits respond- now depending before my Lord Chancellor; yet inasmuch ence. Ori- as he hath always testified unto me that ginal. you were much better unto him than he could wish or desire, I have deferred the same hitherto, right heartily desiring and praying you, as you have always been his special good master and friend, so you will, the rather at this my request, continue, and specially now touching this his suit before my Lord Chancellor, so that by your favourable word he may be the more indifferently heard, and have the sooner an end in the same; for I assure you he is the gentleman, whom, amongs all other, I never knew none that hath ordered himself so uprightly in quietness amongs his neighbours within his country, as he hath ever done, or that is universally better beloved, saving that he is only hated of him whom no man can favour or love. I therefore eftsoons beseech you to help that he be discharged of this his unquiet vexation and trouble, none other ways but as it shall seem to you just so to do; wherein you shall not alonely show unto me no small pleasure, but also be sure to do for a right honest gentleman. Thus our Lord preserve you. At Forde, the iii. day of November. 。 I have known the good conversation and indifferency of Sir John Markam in his country above 30 years, and that causeth me the bolder to write in his favour, for else I love not to intermeddle myself in other men's causes. Also Sir William Merynge hath desired me to write unto you in his favour, whose letter? I have sent unto you, commending his [This postscript was written by Cranmer himself.] P[Sir W. Merynge's letter is subjoined. "Most Reverend and Honourable Father in God and my most sin"gular good Lord, in my most humble and lowliest manner I recom"mend me unto your good lordship: most humbly beseeching your "Grace to be good and gracious lord to me now; for so it is, that my "lord the Bishop of Lincoln [John Longland] and his ungracious ser"vant Foster, his baily of Newarke, hath delivered me a subpoena, to appear in the Chancery quindena Michelis next coming, upon pain of "an cli.; and God knoweth, if I should lose all the land and goods that "I have in the world, may neither ride nor go but with two staves "like two crutches; and farther do I not labour, but in my poor house cause also unto you, for I know his impotency this five or six years. Meseemeth it is a strange thing that the King's justices of peace should be handled as the adversaries of these men pretend, unless some manifest and evident cause were against them. I am informed that the baily of Newarke boasteth, that Sir John Markam shall be committed unto ward before he make his answer. Your assured ever, To mine especial good friend Master T. Cantuarien. CLXII. TO CRUMWELL. Right Worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend me Mss. Chapter These shall be to signify unto you, that at my you. House, being at Christ's Church in Canterbury this last week, I Westmin unto ster; "to my chapel and to my garden; and when I go in my waggon to Crumwell's "Newarke to do my duty in serving the King's Most Noble Grace at Corres"his Sessions there; and God He knoweth what pain that is to me. I pondence. suppose, of my conscience, no poor wretch in this world doth labour Original. "with such pain as I do; and now to have a subpoena, to answer unto "such matters as I never offended in, nor never gave cause unto the "Bishop of Lincoln, nor unto Foster his baily, nor never did them any "manner of displeasure, but that I did my duty in serving the King's "Most Noble Grace at his Sessions, without that ever I did or caused "thing to be done there contrary to the King's laws; and that if I "should die this hour, I would take it death as I would answer before "God. Thus my own most singular good lord, I beseech your lord"ship to be good and gracious lord to me, and to show my Lord Chan"cellor and Master Secretary what case I am in, and to require them to "be good lord and master to me, and to the poor town of Newarke, "which without your and their good lordships and mastership the poor town of Newarke is and shall be utterly destroyed and undone "for ever; for such bribery and such polling as is there, is not within any town in England this day. And if they can prove that ever I did to "Foster, or caused to be done, contrary to the King's laws, then let me "be punished to the example of all others. Thus I can no more, but "to my little power I am and ever shall be during my life natural your "true beadman, as knoweth the Holy Trinity, who ever preserve your "good lordship. From Morynge, the 6th day of October, by the hand "of your old beadman, William Morynge. "To his most Reverend and Honourable Father "in God, and my most singular good lord, my Lord Archbishop of Canterbury's good was desired to interpretate one article of the late Injunctions, giving in the King's Grace's Visitation, which concerneth the dimission, as well of such as were professed under twenty years of age, as also other that be now under twenty-four. And although the words be so plain, that in mine opinion there needeth no interpretation, yet forasmuch as doubts be made therein, I will not take upon me to make any exposition herein but such as you shall make, by whose authority the Injunctions were given. 66 The article is this: "Item, quod nullus deinceps per"mittatur profiteri regularem observantiam, aut vestem suscipere religionis per confratres hujus domus gestari soli"tam, nisi vicesimuin suæ ætatis annum compleverit. Et si qui jam sub vicesimo anno completo in veste hujusmodi "infra hanc domum jam inducti sunt, et si qui alii sub vi"cesimo quarto anno existentes discedere velint, illam quam 66 66 primum se exuant. Et magister hujus domus suo sumptu "vestibus secularibus et honestis ad præsens ornet, et ad ami"cos suos chariores cum viaticis competentibus transmit"tendos curet." The first doubt is this, whether such persons only shall be dimissed of their religion as were professed under twenty years of age, and be now under twenty-four, or else both they that be now under twenty-four, though they were professed after twenty, and also they that were professed under twenty, though they be now above twenty-four. The second doubt is, where the Prior is commanded to apparel those that shall be dimissed in secular habits, and to send them unto their chief friends upon his proper costs and charges; whether he shall take from them their wages, and such money and stuff as they have given them by their 66 [This article does not appear in the Injunctions to Monasteries printed by Burnet, Ref. vol. 1. b. iii. No. 2, from the Cotton Library. The following is the only direction which is there given on this point. "Also, that no man be suffered to profess, or to wear the habit of reli'gion in this house, ere he be twenty-four years of age complete; and that "they entice nor allure no man with suasions and blandishments to "take the religion upon him." But there is a provision at the end of the document, for adding "other spiritual injunctions, as the place and "nature of the comperts shall require."] friends, or spared of their wages, or that he shall take all To the Right Worshipful and my special friend Master Secretary. T. Cantuarien. CLXIII. TO CRUMWELL. House, ster; Holo After most hearty commendations: this shall be to signify MSS. Chapter unto you, that my servant Kylligrewe showed me that your Hote mind was, I should send unto you one of my servants whom WestminI trusted as myself, by whom you might communicate unto Crumwell's me your mind in certain things which you have to say unto Correspondence. me. And to satisfy your mind herein I have sent unto you Original, my chaplain Master Champion', who hath a head able to graph. receive all that you put into it, and he is of that trust, that whatsoever you shall say unto him, you may impute it said only unto myself. By him also I have sent letters to be delivered unto the King's Highness by you or by him, as you shall think good. Thus Almighty God have you alway in his preservation. From Forde, the 22nd day of November. Your assured ever, To mine especial good friend Master the King's Highness. T. Cantuarien. [See respecting Champion, Letters CXLVII. CLXVII. CCXXVIII, note. CCXXXIX. But nothing can prove the high place which he held in the Archbishop's esteem more thoroughly than the expressions here applied to him. On the foundation of the new Chapter at Canterbury, in April 1542, he became one of the first prebendaries, but died shortly afterwards. At his burial, "Rafe, the bell-ringer of Christ Church, "poured hot coals on him in his grave, to the great slander of the said "Dr. Champion, as though he had been an heretic worthy burning." Strype, Cranmer, p. 102. Le Neve, Fasti.] |