whether he be thus dispensed withal for such things or no, I thought it good to advertise your lordship thereof. Besides this you shall understand, that there is one named Dan Robert Antoney a, subcellerar of Christ's Church, for fear of examination is gone his ways, who left a letter to the Prior behind him, the tenor whereof you shall perceive by the copy of this letter herein inclosed. Further you shall receive herewithal a letter sent to me from Calice, concerning an oath to be had there for the extirpation of the Bishop of Rome's power and authority according to the Act of Parliament: by which said letter your lordship shall perceive more in that behalf. Also I have in durance with me a French priest of Calice, of whom I wrote to your lordship, and with him I have received an English book, which my Commissary, with other soldiers of the town, in reprehending such corrupt sayings as are therein contained, sustained much reproof and displeasure; the notable places therein this bearer my servant can inform you. If your lordship be minded to have the priest, I will send him unto you. He is surely a simple man, without all knowledge of learning, and therefore I think that he hath spoken nothing of malice or purpose, but of ignorance. And forasmuch as he is the French King's subject, and served there for no purpose else but to be a gardener, in mine opinion it will be well done that he be sent unto Calice again, and so banished the town, and sent home unto his natural country. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Forde, the xvi. day of February. Your own ever assured, To my very singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. a [See Letters CCXXVI. CCXXVIII. T. Cantuarien. MSS. Chapter ster; spondence. CLXXIX. To CRUMWELL. My very singular good Lord, in most hearty wise I comHouse, mend me unto your lordship. And whereas this bearer, Westmin- Mr. Hambleton 4, showed unto your lordship certain letters Crumwell's which he received from Rome, and your lordship willed Corre- him that he should in no wise agree unto them, promising Original. him to move the King's Highness to give him some living here in Englonde; these shall be therefore to desire your lordship to be so beneficial unto him, and, the rather at this my instant request, to move the King's Highness to give him somewhat to live on here in Englonde, until it please God to send the true light of his gospel into his country, and unto such time as he may more quietly enjoy his own. And in so doing your lordship shall do a very good deed to further him, being a right honest man and destitute of friends, and bind him during his life to owe unto your lordship his service and prayer. Furthermore I desire your lordship, as shortly as you can conveniently, to give unto the said Mr. Hambleton an answer of the King's pleasure in the same, so that he may know whereunto to trust. Thus pray God long to preserve your lordship in health to his pleasure. From Fourde, the 28th day of February. Your own ever assured, I To my very singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. T. Cantuarien. MSS. House, CLXXX. TO CRUMWELL. After most hearty commendations unto your lordship; Chapter these be to advertise the same, that this bearer moveth me of Westmin- the weight of certain plate, wherein should be much profit Crumwell's unto the King's Highness, as he saith; which matter neither Corre- I do well understand, nor it appertaineth unto mine office; Original. wherefore I have sent him unto your good lordship; unto ster; spondence. d [See Letter CLXX.] whom, if you please, he will show the whole effect of his mind; which known, you may do as you shall think good. Thus our Lord have you in his most blessed preservation. From my manor of Lamehyth, the xiii. day of March. Your lordship's assured, To my singular good lord, my Lord T. Cantuarien. CLXXXI. To CRUMWELL. House, Crumwell's Original, My very singular good Lord, after most hearty recom- MSS. mendations unto your good lordship: this shall be to desire Chapter and heartily to pray you, that my Lord Cobehame may be Westminput in the commission f, not concerning Canterbury but ster; only for Rochester, because he lieth within three or four Corremiles of Rochester. I know no benefit that can come to spondence. my lord thereby, but only that I think it should be a plea- Holograph. sure for him, and to me surely your lordship shall do a very great pleasure therein; wherefore I entirely beseech your lordship to put him in the said commission. thus Almighty God have your lordship ever in his preservation. From Croydon, this last day of March. Your own assured ever, And To my very good lord, my Lord Crumwel, Lord Privy Seal. T. Cantuarien. CLXXXII. TO CRUMWELL. After most hearty commendations unto your lordship: Chapter Whereas within the diocese of Norwiche there is one named House, M. Gounthrop, Parson of Wretyng, whom of long time, ster; Westmin Crumwell's [George Brooke, Lord Cobham, afterwards Lord Deputy of Calais. spondence. His brother Thomas married Cranmer's niece. See Letters CLXXIII. Original. CCLXIII.] f[Probably the commission for the collection of the subsidy to the King. See above, Letter cxLT; and below, Letter cxc.] above twenty years past, I have known not only for a great clerk, but also of such singular judgment, sobriety, and conversation of living, that in all those qualities I have known very few like unto him; and yet, this notwithstanding, as I am informed, he cannot in that diocese be accepted ne allowed, as he ought to be, by reason that one named Dale, (whom also I knew in Cambridge, without all learning and discretion, now chaplain unto the Bishop of Norwiches,) preacheth not only against the said Master Gounthorpe, but also, as it is reported, publisheth no good doctrine himself; and forasmuch as I know the said Mr. Gounthorpe to be a very meet personage to preach unto the people in this time, and of such soberness and discretion, that he is not like to be author of any discord or dissension; and forasmuch also that he the Bishop of Norwiche, doth approve none to preach in his diocese that be of right judgment, as I do hear reported of credible persons; these shall be to desire and pray you, my lord, to be so good unto the said Mr. Gunthorpe, at this my request, as to grant him as well the King's license to preach within this realm, as also that he may from time to time have recourse unto your lordship for your favourable aid and assistance in his right, in case the said Dale promote causes against him before the Bishop of Norwiche. I know also three or four grave men and substantially learned within Norwiche diocese, and of very good conversation, to whom, if your lordship would give the King's license, I doubt not but you should do a deed very acceptable unto God. For it were great pity that the diocese of Norwiche should not be continued in the [William Rugge, alias Reps, was elected Bishop of Norwich the 31st of May, 1536. He resigned the see in 1542, to make way for Thirlby. His support of the Act of the Six Articles, and his opposition to the measures of Edw. VI., furnish sufficient evidence of his being an enemy to the reformation. His predecessor, Richard Nix, was also at one time a zealous partisan on the same side; but a conviction in a pramunire, and a visitation by the Archbishop in 1534, seem to have cooled his ardour, and to have enabled "the right knowledge of God," as Cranmer expresses it, to make considerable progress in his diocese during the latter years of his life. See Strype, Cranmer, p. 29; Burnet, Ref. vol. ii. p. 309, and vol. iii. p. 272.] right knowledge of God which is begun amongst them. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Lambeth, the 26th day of Maye. Your lordship's own assured, T. Cantuarien. To my very singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. CLXXXIII. TO CRUMWELL. Chapter ence. Ori My very singular good Lord, in most hearty wise I com- MSS. mend me unto And whereas you. suit hath been unto my you for my friend Henry Stoketh to have a lease of the Westminster; Crumdemesne lands of the Charter House in the Isle of Axholme, well's CorI have sent my servant, this bearer, to put your lordship in respondremembrance of the same, desiring you heartily to move the ginal. King's Highness in the said suit, so that he may have it either by lease, or else that he may purchase the said demesne lands, according as other have done; and in so doing your lordship shall do unto me a very singular pleasure; as knoweth Almighty God, who have your good lordship in his tuition. At Lambeth, the 20th of July. Your own ever assured, To my singular good lord, my Lord T. Cantuarien. CLXXXIV. To CRUMWELL. After most hearty commendations unto your Lordship: Cotton. these shall be to signify unto you, that I, with other bishops MSS. Cleop. E. and learned men here assembled by the King's command- v. fol. 52. ment, have almost made an end of our determinations i; for Original. [Strype refers to this Letter, (Cranmer, p. 55;) but he has not printed it.] [These" determinations" were published shortly afterwards under the title of The Institution of a Christian Man. See Preface to the reprint of it at Oxford in 1825, and the works there referred to. See |