may return again thither, and there to proceed with quietness as he hath begun; assuring your lordship, that he is of right good knowledge and judgment as far as I can perceive by him; and therefore, if it would please your lordship to direct your favourable letters unto the Council there in his behalf, you should do a right meritorious deed; and surely I will myself write to like effect, but I know your letters shall be much more esteemed and accepted than mine. In accomplishing whereof you shall deserve of Almighty God condign thanks for the same. Thus our Lord have your good lordship in his blessed tuition. At Lambeth, the 24th day of July. [1538.] Your own ever assured, To the Right Honourable and my singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. T. Cantuarien. CCXXVI. To CRUMWELL. ster; My very singular good Lord, in my most hearty wise I MSS. Chapter commend me unto your lordship. And whereas I wrote House, unto you about this time twelvemonth of one Robert WestminAntony, subcellerar of Christ's Church in Canterbury, de- Crumwell's claring how that he was run away, and had left a very Corressuspicious letter in his chamber unto the Prior of the house, Original. the copy of which letter I sent at that time unto you, if your lordship can call it unto your remembrance: so it is, "will so prove him. Those words spake he to me upon Sunday, the "21st of this month, in the presence of one Richard Bennet, Alderman "of Cales. And as touching the other two articles, the said Adam and "the Prior do agree in their sayings. God send light where darkness "is. Thus Jesus preserve your Grace in health. From Cales, the "22nd day of July. [1538.] "Your humble servant, "To my Lord of Canterbury's good Grace." * [See Letters CLXXVII. CLXXVIII.] pondence. that the said Robert Anthony, being all this year forth out of this realm without the King's Grace's license, and as I am informed, at Rome, is now come home unto Christ's Church again; and since his coming, as I hear say by such persons as both favoureth God's word and the King's Majesty there, the Prior hath called a chapter, and hath admitted him again into the Convent, as he was before; which in mine opinion is not well done, unless he had been first examined by some of the Council, where he hath been, and upon what occasion he so departed. Therefore, as a thing appertaining unto my duty towards my sovereign lord, I thought it expedient to advertise you thereof, to the intent his Highness may have knowledge of the same: and of this I am sure, that I had letters from a scholar beyond the seas, which met him in a company going to Romeward; but whether he hath been there or no I am not sure. Besides this, my lord, I beseech you to be good lord unto my servant Nevell, this bearer, concerning his suit unto you for his farm at Bowghton under the Blayne, which he had of the Abbot and Convent of Feversham1. The truth is, that at the feast of Easter last past, or thereabout, he was a suitor for the same unto the Abbot and his Convent: notwithstanding, they could not agree, for certain considerations which he can declare unto your lordship; insomuch that tendering his preferment to the same, I both spake to your lordship, and obtained your favourable letters unto the said Abbot and Convent in that behalf, by means only whereof he had a lease of the same under the Convent seal for term of fifty-one years; and so since the feast of Saint John Baptiste m last past, he hath occupied and been in possession thereof, until now, as I am 1 [The Abbey of Feversham was surrendered to Hen. VIII. on the 8th of July 1538, and was granted by him to Sir Thomas Cheyney on the 16th of March 1540. Lewis, Hist. of Feversham Abbey. As this Letter was evidently written soon after the Abbey came into the King's possession, 1538 may be assumed to be its date, and this will authorize the placing of Letters CLXXVII, CLXXVIII. to which it refers, under 1537.] [The 24th of June.] informed, that by information of such as of late were the King's Commissioners, the King's Grace's commandment by you is, that he should be dispossessed, unto such time as his Grace's farther pleasure be known; which will be no little to his loss and hinderance, except your goodness be extended unto him in this behalf, assuring your lordship, beside his hinderance herein, it is a great disquietness unto me to perceive my servant and officer, (which hath not only done me good service in my household, but also [hath been] very towards and ready at all times to apply such business as hath been committed unto me by the King's Majesty, as in the last commotion and otherways,) should thus suddenly be expelled for so small advantage. Howbeit, considering that he obtained this thing only by your lordship's letters and favour, I trust you will be no less good lord unto him now, than you have been heretofore; and if by your wisdom and discretion it shall be thought good to reform any thing in his said lease, I doubt not but that he will abide your lordship's direction in that behalf. But to have him clearly excluded, it were too much extremity, considering that he came to the same by his open and honest suit. Thus, my lord, as well in this suit as in all other, both for myself and mine, I have no refuge but only unto your lordship, which to recompense I shall never be able as my mind would give me; beseeching your lordship in this suit that you will be so good lord unto him, as to maintain him in this his just cause. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Lambeth, the iiid day of August. [1538.] Your own ever assured, To the Right Honourable and my very special good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. MSS. ster; Crum ence. Ori CCXXVII. To CRUMWELL. My very singular good Lord, after most hearty commendations unto your lordship; I likewise thank the same for Westmin your goodness toward the bringer hereof, William Swerder", well's Cor- desiring you to continue the same. I have intended, as I respond- showed you when I spake with you last, to send him into ginal. Fraunce or Italy, except you be otherwise minded to set him forward, as truly I would be right glad it might please you so to do; and therefore I have sent him unto you, that he should inform your lordship of his mind, desiring you to be good lord unto him for his passport. Also I heartily require your lordship to be good lord unto Master Statham, and Mistress Statham my lord of Worcester his nurse, as touching the suit that the Bishop of Worcester had unto you for them; and although I doubt not but that your lordship will be good unto them, yet I pray you that my suit and request be not without place, but that for my sake you will be much the better unto them. Moreover I beseech you most heartily to remember Master Hutton, now absent in Flaunders P, and having none to trust unto and that is able to help him, but only your lordship. If you could make him an Abbot or a Prior, and his wife an Abbess or a Prioress, he were bound unto you, as he is nevertheless most bound unto you of all men ; but if you would help him to such a perfection, I dare undertake for him that he shall keep a better religion than [Probably the same person who was afterwards Master of Eastbridge Hospital, Canterbury. See Strype, Parker, App. No. 58.] [Hugh Latymer.] P[Stephen Vaughan appears to have been the English Ambassador in the Low Countries in 1538. (See his letters in the British Museum, Cott. MSS. Galba B. x. and Harl. MSS. 283, 284.) Yet John Hutton is said by Lord Herbert to have been the agent employed there this year, to negotiate a marriage between Hen. VIII, and the Duchess of Milan. (Life of Hen. VIII. p. 496.) And some letters from him to the King and to Crumwell are preserved in the Cotton Library, Galba, B. x. fol. 329. 333. 335. and Vespasian, c. xiii. fol. 340. In the State Papers, (vol. i. p. 741.) John Hutton is spoken of, in 1542, as the King's servant, and Governor of the Adventurers in Flanders.] was kept there before, though you appoint him unto the best house of religion in England. Thus Almighty God long preserve your lordship. At Lambeth, the third day of August. These houses of religion be in Master Hutton's country, Combe Abbey, Merevale, Eytun, and Polysworth". I beseech your lordship to remember him, with one of these in special, or any other in general. Your own assured ever, To the Right Honourable and my singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal. T. Cantuarien. CCXXVIII. TO CRUMWELL'. House My very singular good Lord, after my most hearty com- MSS. mendations unto your lordship; these shall be to adver- Chapter tise the same, that I have sent for Robert Antonys, late Westmincellerar of Christ's Church in Canterbury, and when he com- well's Corster; Crumeth, I shall order him according to your instruction and ad- respondvice, and so to get out of him what I can, concerning his ginal. progress to Rome-ward, and the same to send unto you with expedition. As concerning Adam Damplip of Calice', he utterly denieth, that ever he taught or said that the very body and blood of Christ was not presently in the sacrament of the altar, and confesseth the same to be there really; but he saith, that the controversy between him and the Prioru was, by cause he confuted the opinion of the transubstan г [These religious houses were all in Warwickshire.] [The greater part of this Letter is printed by Mr. Todd, Life of Cranmer, vol. i. p. 176.] S [See Letter CCXXVI.] u See Letters CCXXIV, CCXXV.] [Probably John Dove, Prior of the White Friars. See note (h) to Letter ccxxv. and Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 556, &c.] * [Mr. Todd suggests, that this is an allusion to the story of the three hosts related by Foxe. See Letter ccxxv. note (h). The suggestion is ence. Ori |