permitting unto your Grace's wisdom the judgment of both.

This same day a doctor, chaplain to the Bishop of Saltzburg, showed me that the Turk prepareth another army, but I can hear no good ground thereof to give credence unto as yet: as soon as I can inquire the truth, I shall certify your Grace thereof.

The King Ferdinando hitherto hath accompanied the Emperor, and shortly he shall depart unto Isbrugh, where the Queen is. And because that I must follow the Emperor, I thought it good to salute him before his departure from the Emperor, and to offer him my service, and to understand if he would any thing command me unto your Grace, who [commended] him unto your Highness, and said that forsomuch as the Emperor [made your Highness] participant of all the news here, it should not require [any other] news sent but only this, that the Emperor and he have recei[ved letters from] sundry parts according in one thing, that Andrew Doria h[ad capti]vate and taken from the Turk Modona and Corona in Morea d, [with an]other strong hold, whereof he remembered not the name. But [because] that hitherto they have no letters thereof from Andrew Doria himself: they will not yet give firm credence thereto.

Moreover the Emperor hath sent for the Duke William e of Bavaria to come to him, that before his departing out of Almayne he may conclu[de] peace between the King Ferdinando and the Duke of Bavaria, lest that after his departing more inconven[iences] may fall than hath been hereto

fore.

The Duke Dalby an Hispanyard came hither to help the Emperor in his wars, and this same day is word come, that his brother's carriages, six mulettes, and fourteen horses be taken by the boors, and two of his servants slain, and the

d [Doria ravaged the coasts of Peloponnesus, and took_Coron, Patras, and Rbium, but not Modon. Knolles, Hist. of Turks.]

[The Bavarian princes had opposed the election of Ferdinand to be King of the Romans, and Duke William was supposed to have aspired to that dignity himself. Seckendorf, Comm. de Luther. lib. 111.

rest fled away. And this is done in the way, which, by the
of God, I must ride tomorrow.

grace

As concerning Duke Fridericke 5, the French ambassador
advised me not to speak with him in the camp, for that
should gender a suspicion unto the Emperor; and after that
the Emperor had dissolved his army, Duke Friderick incon-
tinent departed with his band of the empire toward his own
dominion by Regenspurg; so that I, going with the Emperor
another way, cou[ld] not speak with Duke Fridericke, to
understand if he had any communication with the Em-
peror in your Grace's cause.
But the French ambassador,
(which coming to Vienna by the water of Danubius, left his
horses at Passawe, almost two hundred English miles from
Vienna,) was compelled to leave the Emperor, and in waggons
to ride to his horses the same way that Duke Friderick
went. And he promised me to speak to Duke Friderick in
your Grace's cause, and to bring me an answer, which as
soon as he cometh I shall send unto your Grace. And thus
Almighty God have your Highness evermore in his preser-
vation and governance. From Villach, the xxty day of
October, [1532.]

Cotton
MSS. Ves-
pasian. F.
XIII. fol.

75. Origi-
nal.

IV. TO CRUMWELL.

Master Crumwell, in my right hearty wise I commend me
to you;
and likewise pray you to be good master unto mine

8 [The person meant seems to be John Frederic, Duke of Saxony, who
had lately succeeded his father John in the electorate, and with whom
Cranmer had already held a private conference. See Seckendorf, Comm.
de Lutheran. lib. 111. §. xvi. Add. Both Strype and Burnet have copied
Seckendorf's account of the interview, but the former has confused the
peace subsisting between the Emperor and Henry VIII., with that
which was concluded at Nuremberg between the Emperor and the
German Protestants. It was the object of Henry to form a league with
the German reformers, and by their assistance to prevent Charles V.
from influencing the decision of the Pope; but their unwillingness to
disturb the recent pacification of Nuremberg, rendered his negotiations
ineffectual.]

h [The signature is destroyed by fire.]

1

old acquainted lover and friend Master Newman this bearer, in such his suits as he at this time shall have unto you. And albeit I have diverse suits and causes of mine own to be made and moved unto you at our next meeting, which I have many times forgotten when I have been personally with you, yet I am so much beholding to the said Mr. Newman for many considerations and respects, that I am thus bold to write unto you in his favour at this time, leaving mine own causes apart until our next meeting, or some other good opportunity of time, praying you to be as good unto him in the same, as ye shall be sure to have me ready at all times to show you any pleasure that shall lie in me. At Chanon Rowe in Westminster, the viiith day of February, [1533.]

Your own assured and very loving

good friend,

Thomas Elect of Canterbury.

V. TO CRUMWELL.

well's Cor

ence. Ori

ginal.

Right Worshipful Mr. Crumwell, in my hearty manner I Chapter House, commend me to you; likewise praying you to have in Westminyour good remembrance, mine old suit for the receipt of ster; CrumMr. Benet's advowson of the benefice of Barnake, that the respondsame may be delivered to my hands and custody, to the use of my friend m for whom I have thus long sued, and that it may please you, in case ye have not already spoken to Master Benet's factor in that behalf, to send this bearer my secretary, or some trusty servant of yours, with your letters or token, and with the same letters which ye have received from Mr. Benet for the grant of the same advowson, to re

i [See Letters v. LXIV. LXXVIII. CLIII.]

[There were in all eleven bulls for Cranmer's promotion, of which the earliest are dated the twenty-first of February, the last, the second of March; but they were applied for at the end of January. He was consecrated on the thirtieth of March, 1553. Burnet, Ref. vol. i. p. 259.]

m

[Barnack in Northamptonshire, near Stamford.]

[Apparently Newman. See Letters IV. LXIV. LXXVIII. CLIN.]

ceive the same in your name. I am informed that the incumbent is very sick, and in great danger and peril of life, which thing moveth me to be the more importune in calling upon you in the premises, praying you to continue your good mind and favour in this and in all other my suits unto you hereafter, for which, and all other your kindness heretofore showed, ye shall have me your own assured always during my life. At Lamhith, the 21 day of April.

Your own assured,

To the Right Worshipful and my very
loving friend Mr. Crumwell, one of
the King's Grace's most honourable
Council.

Thomas Cantuar.

Harl. MSS.

6148. f. 22.

VI. TO THE ABBOT OF ST. AUGUSTIN'S, CANTERBURY ". Brother Abbot, in my right hearty wise I commend me to you; likewise praying you to give credence to this bearer my servant in such requests and suits as he shall have with you touching my behalf, and the same to ponder and tender with effect, according to such special trust and confidence as I have in you; for so doing ye shall be sure to have me at all times as ready to show unto you as much pleasure, when ye shall the same desire of me. At my manor in Mortlaque, xxviiiti day of April.

To my brother Abbot of St. Augstyn's,

besides Canterbury.

Harl. MSS.

6148. f. 22.

VII. TO THE ABBOT OF WESTMINSTER o.

In my right hearty wise I commend me unto you, &c. And where it is so, as I am credibly informed, that at this

n

[John Sturvey, alias Essex, was Abbot of St. Augustin's, Canterbury, from 1523 to the dissolution. Willis, Hist. of Abbeys, vol. i. p. 45.] [William Boston according to his oath in Rymer, or Benson according to his will, was the last Abbot, and the first Dean of Westminster.

season there is a place or room of a vicar void within the College P of St. Marteyns, in the city of London, by the death of one Master Framton, late incumbent there, (where also you are Dean,) and as I understand as yet not appointed or named to any person: in consideration whereof, and forasmuch as now it lieth in you by reason of your deanery to do pleasure therein; I heartily require you to show your lawful favour herein in preferment of this said. room, unto this bearer Sir John Smythe, one of the same College; that forasmuch as he being both of honest conversation and good name, thereby may have the more furtherance in this behalf before another stranger, not being your friend and acquaintance, and in thus so doing you shall deserve of me like commodity. And thus fare you well. From our manor of Mortelacke, the ivth day of May.

VIII. TO CRUMWELL.

House,

Right Worshipful Mr. Crumwell, in my right hearty Chapter manner I commend me to you: advertising you that I have Westminreceived your letters, by which ye write that the Prior of St. ster; CrumGregorie's in Canterbery is willing to resign his room and respond

well's Cor

ence. Ori

Some estimate may be formed of his character from his memorable ar- ginal.
gument on the oath of succession. When Sir Thomas More pleaded
his conscience for refusing it, he was told by the pliant Abbot, that he
"might see his conscience was erroneous, since the great Council of the
"realm was of another mind; and therefore he ought to change his
"conscience." With this laxity of principle, it excites no surprise that
under Henry VIII. he acquiesced in the dissolution of the monastery,
and under Edward VI. in the spoliation of the chapter. By his conduct
on the latter occasion, says Heylyn, he "saved the deanery, but lost
"himself; for calling to remembrance, that formerly he had been a
"means to surrender the abbey, and was now forced on the necessity
"of dilapidating the estate of the deanery, he fell into a great disquiet
"of mind, which brought him to his death within a few months after."
Burn. Ref. vol. i. p. 316. Willis, Hist. of Abbeys, vol. i. p. 207. Heylyn,
Eccles. Restaur. Edw. VI. p. 61.]

P [The College of St. Martin le Grand, within Aldersgate, maintained a dean and several secular canons till 1502, when it was granted by Henry VII. to the Abbot and Convent of Westminster. Several churches in London were in its patronage. In 34 Hen. VIII, it was transferred with other possessions of the monastery to the new chapter. Newcourt, Repertorium, vol. i. p. 424.