then I trust to satisfy him, and be glad to do for you as great pleasure by the grace of God, &c. From Otteford the vith day of October.

LIII. To LORD ROCHFORDX.

32.

My Lord, in my right hearty wise I commend me unto Harl. MSS. your good Lordship: and where this bringer P. M. sueth 6148. fol. unto me to write unto you in his favour, that you would be so good lord unto him, as to move my Lord of Northfolke at your request to prefer the same to my Lord of Richmonde'sy service to the room of a secretary, which, as I perceive, is now void: in consideration hereof, and forasmuch that at your request I took his brother to my service, whose diligence and fidelity I do now much esteem, I heartily require your Lordship to tender this his said suit; and that the rather at this my request ye do therein the more effectually, as your discreet wisdom in that behalf doth think best for his furtherance: for I myself have this confidence in him, that by reason he is brother unto my said servant, he will do no less diligent service unto my said Lord of Richmond than his brother doth now unto me; as knoweth God, who preserve you, my good Lord Rocheford. From my manor of Otteford the vith day of October, &c.

Master Collman, I commend me unto you, &c. pray- Harl. MSS. ing you, as my trust and fidelity is in the same, to pro-30. b.

ceed in making of a sale in Buchurste of such woods as

* [The unfortunate brother of Anne Boleyn.]
y [Henry Fitzroy, natural son of Henry VIII.]

[Probably Rafe Morice, a secretary in whom the Archbishop had

great confidence. See Strype.]

a

[John Colman was, in 1535, the Archbishop's bailiff for Wyngham and its dependencies. Val. Eccles.]

6148. fol.

shall be thought most best by your discretion for my profit, according to such informations as my officers made unto you at their last being at Canterbury; and in thus doing you shall at this time do me pleasure. And for your further surety herein, this my writing shall be a sufficient warrant for you at all times in this behalf, &c. vii. day of October. To Mr. Collman at Canterbury.

Harl. MSS. 6148. fol.

32.

LV. TO HIS CHANCELLOR.

Master Chancellor, I greet you well. And forasmuch as I am credibly informed that the nomination of a Vicar unto the vicarage of Withbroke in the diocese of Coventry and Lychfield belongeth unto me in the vacation of the bishop therea, which said nomination I have given unto the Prior of Coventry, [I will that] ye do dispatch the said Prior according to your form devised by the law in that behalf, and as you shall think most convenient, &c.

To Master Chancellor.

Harl. MSS.

32. b.

LVI. TO THE CURATE OF SUNDRIDGE.

I commend me unto you, &c. And where I am adver6148. fol. tised by this bringer, John Pers, that for lack of a banns asking you defer the same from solemnizing of his matrimony, the default whereof he reporteth was [in] one, who in his absence for him should have given money to the clerk for the intimation thereof: I will therefore that you make no further lets or impediments herein, advertising the same, that forasmuch as in considering the premises there appeareth in his behalf no coven or deceit, I am content at this time to dispense with him. From Otteford, &c.

To the Curate of Sunriche.

[Geoffrey Blythe, Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield, died the latter end of 1533. Rowland Lee, his successor, was elected the 10th of Jan. 1534, consecrated the 19th of April, and restored to the temporalities the 6th of May following. Le Neve, Fasti.]

LVII. TO THE PRIOR OF CHRIST'S CHURCH, CAN

TERBURY.

32. b.

Brother Prior, in my right hearty wise I commend me Harl. MSS. unto you: heartily thanking you for your good and kind 6148. fol. token which I have received by your brothern and mine, not deserved as yet; nevertheless you should have done me much more greater pleasure, if you had lent it me full of gold, not for any pleasure or delectation that I have in the thing, but for the contentation of such as I am indebted and dangered unto; which I assure you hath grieved me more of late, than any worldly thing hath done a great season; in this I am bold to show you my necessity, thinking of good congruence I might in such lawful necessity be more bolder of you, and you likewise of me, than to attempt or prove any foreign friends. Wherefore, trusting in your benevolence and of all my brethren for the premises, I shall so recompense the same again, according as ye shall be well contented and pleased withal. Thus fare ye well.

To the Prior of Christ's Church in

Canterbury.

LVIII. TO THE PARSON OF CHEVENING b.

Master Astall, I commend me unto you.

And where Harl. MSS. you were contented that I should have the farm of your 6148. fol.

b [See Letters XXXVII. XLIX.]

[The farming of benefices was the ordinary practice in those days, (See Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. iii. p. 167;) and must not be confounded with fee farming, which seems to have crept in shortly afterwards. The latter system is explained to have been a permanent arrangement, or commutation, and was bitterly inveighed against by Latymer. This plain spoken preacher did not scruple to ascribe it to the machinations of Satan. "What an unreasonable devil is this?

He

provides a great while beforehand for the time that is to come: " he hath brought up now of late the most monstrous kind of covetous"ness that ever was heard of: he hath invented fee farming of bene"fices, and all to decay this office of preaching; insomuch that when any man hereafter shall have a benefice, he may go where he will, for any house he shall have to dwell upon, or any glebe land to keep hospitality withal; but he must take up a chamber in an ale-house, "and there sit to play at tables all the day. A goodly curate!" Sixth Sermon before Edw. VI 1549.]

66

32 b.

parsonage of Chevenyng for one of my servants, which then I
minded unto my servant Abberforde, supposing you would
not have exacted of him, ne charged the same further for
the yearly rent and revenues thereof, than was wont to be
paid; yet, that notwithstanding, as I am informed, ye be
not contented and agreeable to take xvii. yearly therefore of
him, which, as I hear say, is xl3. more than was accustomed
to be paid before Master Milles had raised the same; but
thereunto also you would have him stand charged, over and
besides the xvii. with iiiii. more, which amounteth every
year to the sum of xx1i: Sir, I much marvel that you will
desire thus far to exceed, in this uncertain world, from the
accustomed rent thereof; I had thought you would rather
have minished the old exaction than now to increase the
same. I trust therefore you will not so hardly regard my
first request herein, but am sure, after the most simple
manner, ye will accomplish your said promise to me in this
behalf. For in case my friend cannot somewhat likely have
a living thereby, I had rather he were without it than have
it. And what ye intend to do herein, I require you to send
me an answer thereof by this bringer. Thus fare you well.
From
my manor of Otteforde the viii. day of October.
To the new Parson of Chevenyng, Mr. A.

Harl. MSS. 6148. fol. 33. b.

LIX. To DR. DOWNESd.

In my right hearty wise I commend me unto you: and forasmuch as heretofore I had a promise made unto me by Doctore Benett, (whose soul God pardon,) for the farm of his prebend in Southwell, for a kinsman of mine named John Thorpe; which said promise I doubted not herein

[He was Chancellor of the Church of York, and one of the divines employed in compiling The Institution of a Christian Man. His judgment on Confirmation may be seen in Strype, Memorials, vol. i. App. N". 88.]

с

[Dr. William Benett, who succeeded Gardyner in 1529 as Henry VIII.'s ambassador at Rome, died abroad in the autumn of 1533. State Papers, vol. i. p. 337; Burnet, Ref. vol. iii. p. 158.]

should have taken good effect in case death had not prevented the same: in consideration hereof, and inasmuch as by the death of the said Doctor Benett, the collation of it belongeth unto my Lord your masterf, I heartily pray you, that if it be yours or any of my Lord's chaplains, ye will be so good unto my said kinsman as to grant him, at this my request, to have the farm thereof, doing as other reasonably will do. And this if you can bring to pass to succeed accordingly, I will be both bound for the payment of the money thereof, and also show unto you and yours like pleasure, &c. ix. day of October.

To Mr. Doctor Downes.

LX. TO A PARK-KEEPER.

I commend me unto you: and whereupon certain commu- Harl. MSS. 6148. nication had with this bearer, Master Roger Herman, I have fol. 33. b. assigned unto the same vi. loads of wood, to be delivered out of that my park called Corell's Wood, within that your office, I will and command you therefore, that you suffer him to carry the same, when he shall require it to be delivered and appointed unto him, of such waste wood as shall be meet for fuel, to the intent the timber or young spring be not wasted thereby. And for your surety herein, this my letter shall be unto you a sufficient warrant and discharge. The x. day.

To the Keeper of my Parks, called Corell's Wood.

LXI. TO THE DEAN OF THE ARCHES.

6148.

fol. 34.

Master Dean, I greet you well. And where you advise me Harl. MSS. (upon the suit of Edwardess unto you) to grant a new commission to the same, for the examination of certain witness, you know very well how aforetime I granted both parties to have commissions in that behalf, at which season the said * [See Letters XXXII, xxxIII.]

f [The Archbishop of York.]