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. Lambeth, the iiid day of August. [1538.]

At

Your own ever assured,

To the Right Honourable and my very special good lord, my Lord Privy Seal.

T. Cantuarien.

MSS.

House,

ster; Crum

ence. Ori

CCXXVII. TO CRUMWELL.

My very singular good Lord, after most hearty commendChapter ations 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

n

[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'.

ster; Crum

My very singular good Lord, after my most hearty com- MSS. Chapter mendations unto your lordship; these shall be to adver- House tise the same, that I have sent for Robert Antonys, late Westmincellerar of Christ's Church in Canterbury, and when he com- well's Coreth, 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 t, 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

9 [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.]

See Letters CCXXIV, CCXXV.]

"[Probably John Dove, Prior of the White Friars.

Letter ccxxv. and Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 556, &c.]

See note (h) to

* [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

tiation, and therein I think he taught but the truth. Howbeit there came in two friars against him, to testify that he had denied the presence of the body and blood to be in the sacrament, which when he perceived, straightways he withdrew himself y; and since that time no man can tell where he is become; for which I am very sorry, by cause that I think, that he is rather fled suspecting the rigour of the law, than the defence of his own cause. In consideration hereof, and to the intent that the people of Calice may be quiet and satisfied in this matter, I have appointed two of my chaplains to go thither and preach incontinently: nevertheless it is thought, that they shall do little good there, if the said Prior return home again; for whatsoever hath been done heretofore, either by my chaplains or by other, in setting

ingenious, yet, if it were well founded, Cranmer would surely have used stronger language respecting Damplip's "teaching the truth." His hesitating tone on this point certainly confirms Foxe's assertion, that he was at this time a Lutheran in his opinions on the Eucharist. And this supposition is farther supported by the readiness which he seems to have shown this same year to agree in a Confession of Faith with the ambassadors from the Lutheran princes in Germany. Nor is it inconsistent either with his being now in a commission against the Sacrainentaries, or with the part he bore some months afterwards in the examination of Lambert. For it is notorious that the Zuinglian tenets on the Lord's Supper were attacked with as much bitterness by the Lutherans, as by the Papists themselves. Perhaps too, it may be reconciled with his assent to the Necessary Doctrine; for that Formulary, though it contains some strong expressions respecting the change of substance in the elements, does not go the length of denying that the bread and wine still remain after consecration. It must however be admitted to be wholly at variance with the declarations which he is represented to have made in 1555 before Brokes, that he had never taught but two contrary doctrines" on the subject, and, that when he disputed with Lambert," he maintained the papists' doctrine." But the report of the examination, in which this language is said to have been used, is of very doubtful credit. See Preface; and Examination before Brokes, vol. iv. pp. 87. 95.]

y [See Letter ccxxv. note (h).]

z [Viz. "Doctor Champion, and Mr. Garret who after was burned, "two godly and learned men, who in effect preached and maintained "the same true doctrine which Adam Damplip had before set forth, "and by reason thereof they left the town at their departure very quiet, "and greatly purged of the slander that had run on it." Foxe, vol. ii. p. 558. How it happened that the same doctrine now produced a calm, which had just before raised a storm, Foxe does not explain. Cranmer had proposed to send Garret to Calais on a former occasion. See p. 145. Respecting Champion, see Letters CXLVII. CLXIII. CLXVII.]

forth of the word of God there, no man hath hindered the matter so much as this Prior, nor no superstition more maintained than by this Prior; which I perceive to be true, both by the report of my chaplains heretofore, and of other men of credence. I have herewith sent unto your lordship two letters, which shall something inform you of the Prior's subtlety and craft, praying your lordship, that in any wise he come not at Calice any more to tarry, but either that the House may be suppressed, or else that an honest and a learned man may be appointed in his room; and forasmuch as the Prior is here now, I pray you, my lord, that I may your authority, by your letter, to command him that he return not again to Calice a.

have

And where in my last letters I prayed your lordship to remember Mr. Hutton, that he might be made an abbot or a prior, which I doubt not that your lordship will effectiously attempt with the King's Majesty, yet forsomuch as his presence with the King might, as I suppose, work something therein, me seemeth it were very good, if he might come home for a little time to see the King's Grace, which, I beseech your lordship, may be brought to pass, if you can by any means. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Lambeth, the xvth day of August.

Your own ever assured,

To the Right Honourable and my very singular good lord, my Lord Privy Seal.

T. Cantuarien.

CCXXIX. To CRUMWELL.

After due commendations unto your lordship; so it is, MSS. that I have received also your letters concerning the bPrior House, Chapter

a [Cranmer's request seems to have been attended to, for he is not mentioned in Foxe's account of the subsequent troubles at Calais. See Letter ccxxIx.]

b [See Letters ccxxv. CCXXVIII.]