made unto him a promise, as honest witness examined by
mine officers in that matter have affirmed; I pray you that
ye will now at his coming to you, not alonely finish and ac-
complish your said former promise, but also for my sake to
show him such other favour therein, as ye may show law-
fully; whereby ye shall minister unto me right good cause
and occasion to tender as much your desire another time,
when ye shall any thing reasonably desire of me. And how
ye shall be minded herein, I pray you that I may be ascer-
tained by your letters at the return of my said servant. And
where my said servant hath further informed me, that
his last being with you to know your mind to my former
letters, answered him that ye would right gladly satisfy my

ye, at

request herein, if I would affirm and say that ye may thus

do justly without any dishonesty; I assure you I do not
see how
ye may better save and conserve your honesty in
this matter, than to accomplish your promise in the same
made, whereof is good record and testimony. And if you
will otherwise do, ye should by so doing cumber your
conscience and dishonest yourself much. And albeit I do
trust verily m......

.....

To the Prioress of Sheppey.

CVI. TO CRUMWELL.

MSS.

Right Worshipful Master Crumwell, after most hearty Cott. commendations, &c. I doubt not but I doubt not but you do right well re- Cleop. E. member, that my Lord of Rochester and Master Moren vi. fol. 181. Original. were contented to be sworn to the Act of the King's succes- Harl. MSS. sion, but not to the preamble of the same. What was the 283. fol. cause of their refusal thereof I am uncertain, and they Strype, would by no means express the same. Nevertheless it must Cranm. needs be, either the diminution of the authority of the App.No.xi.

120.

Weaver,
Funeral

m [Nothing has been lost here, the copy never having been finished.] "[See an account of the appearance of Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas MonuMore before the Commissioners at Lambeth on the 13th of April 1534, in Strype, Cranmer, p. 26; or Burnet, Ref. vol. i. p. 315.]

[Stat. 25 Hen. VIII. c. 22. For the proceedings under it see Burnet; who gives the preamble and the oath at length, vol. i. p. 294.]

ments.

Bishop of Rome, or else the reprobation of the King's first pretensed matrimony. But if they do obstinately persist in their opinions of the preamble, yet meseemeth it should not be refused, if they will be sworn to the very Act of succession so that they will be sworn to maintain the same against all powers and potentates. For hereby shall be a great occasion to satisfy the Princess Dowager and the Lady Mary, which do think they should damn their souls, if they should abandon and relinquish their estates. And not only it should stop the mouths of them, but also of the Emperor, and other their friends, if they give as much credence to my Lord of Rochester and Master More, speaking and doing against them, as they hitherto have done and thought that all other should have done, when they spake and did with them. And peradventure it should be a good quietation to many other within this realm, if such men should say, that the succession, comprised within the said Act, is good and according to God's laws. For then I think there is not one within this realm, that would once reclaim against it. And whereas divers persons, either of a wilfulness will not, or of an indurate and invertible conscience cannot alter from their opinions of the King's first pretensed marriage, (wherein they have once said their minds, and percase have a persuasion in their heads, that if they should now vary therefrom, their fame and estimation were distained for ever,) or else of the authority of the Bishop of Rome: yet if all the realm with one accord would apprehend the said succession, in my judgment it is a thing to be amplected and embraced. Which thing, although I trust surely in God that it shall be brought to pass, yet hereunto might not a little avail the consent and oaths of these two persons, the Bishop of Rochester and Master More, with their adherents, or rather confederates. And if the King's pleasure so were, their said oaths might be suppressed, but when and where his Highness might take some commodity by the publishing of the same. Thus our Lord have you ever in his conservation. From my manor at Croydon, the xvii. day of April. Your own assured ever,

Thomas Cantuar.

CVII. TO CRUMWELL.

And Chapter
House,

well's Cor

ence. Ori

In my most hearty wise I commend me unto you. so likewise desire you to be good master unto this bearer, WestminRobert Markeham, whom, for the good qualities I know in ster; Crumhim, I heartily desire you in all his such suits and causes respondas the same hath now before you, to show unto him your ginal. lawful favour, and that the rather at this mine instance. And what pleasure I may show unto you for the same, ye shall be sure thereof accordingly. Thus our Lord preserve you. From Croydon, the xxviti day of April.

Your own assured,

To my especial and singular good friend,

Mr. Crumwell.

Thomas Cantuar.

CVIII. To CRUMWELL.

House

well's Cor

Right Worshipful Mr. Crumwell, in my right hearty Chapter wise I commend me unto you. Likewise praying you to Westminhave in your good remembrance such suit as I heretofore, ster; Crumas well by mouth as writing, made unto you for my kins-respondman Henry Hatfilde, surveyor of my lands. lands. So it is, that ence, Original. by agreement lately taken between him and the prebendar[ies] of Suthwall, he shall exchange certain lands of his, for certain lands in mortmain belonging to the said prebendaries. And amongs other things of the said agreement it is condescended, that the same my kinsman shall procure the said lands, which the said prebendaries shall have of him, to be mortmained by a certain day, for the same lands which he shall have of the said prebendaries out of mortmain; wherefore I heartily pray you, that my said kinsman may have your favourable expedition as soon as it may be for surely, unless the same lands which the said prebendaries shall have of my said kinsman may be mortmained afore the day shall be expired, the said agreement shall stand void, and much inquietness shall continue in these par

ties, as have continued already there this hundred years. Whereof hath grown great occasion of manslaughter divers times, as well to my said kinsman's grandfather of his father's side, as to his grandfather of his mother's side, and to divers other. And it is to be feared, unless this agreement take effect now, that the same variance shall continue still, which God forbid. Wherefore I pray you to be his good master for the expedition of his suit, as my special trust is in you.

Mr. Roodd hath also been with me at Croidon, and there hath subscribed the book P of the King's Grace's succession, and also the conclusion "quod Romanus Episcopus "non habet majorem authoritatem a Deo sibi collatam in hoc "regno Angliæ quam quivis alius externus episcopus ;" and hath promised me, that he will at all times hereafter so conform himself as shall be always to the King's Grace's contentation, and that he will at no time hereafter preach in any doubtful case, but that he will first counsel with me therein. Wherefore, if it may stand with the King's Grace's pleasure, I would that he might have licence again to preach; wherein I pray you to know the King's Grace's pleasure. From Croydon the 28th day of April 9.

Your assured ever,

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

P [See Strype, Cranmer, p. 26.]

Thomas Cantuar.

[The mention of subscribing the book of the King's succession, proves that this Letter could not have been written earlier than 1534. Yet Crumwell is not addressed as Secretary, though he was appointed to that office before the 12th of April of this year. See Note to State Papers, vol. i. p. 425. Thus in this case the evidence for the date derived from the address clearly fails, and it has therefore been disregarded in some other letters, where there are reasons, though not so conclusive as in the present instance, for suspecting it.]

CIX. To

43.

In my most hearty wise I commend me unto you. And Harl. MSS. forasmuch as I [am] credibly informed by this bearer John 6148. fol. Hutton that the same hath a certain suit unto you; to whom for many considerations as my friend, I owe as special favour as to any man else of his like state and degree; I heartily require you therefore, that he may for my sake obtain your lawful favour in such his said suits and requests, as in that behalf at this time shall be by him declared unto you; for the which, when it shall lie in me, I will likewise be ready to requite and recompense the same unto you accordingly.

CX. To

And so Harl. MSS.

43.

In my hearty wise I commend me unto you. likewise desire you to be good to this bearer A. B. my friend, 6148. fol. in all those his suits and requests as he hath now to do with you. He is the man whom for many considerations I do much favour, and would the best that lieth in me his preferment. Wherefore I heartily require you, at this mine instance the rather, to tender his said pursuits, and show unto him such your lawful favour in this behalf as you would use towards me, in case I myself had the same now to practise with you.

CXI. To

I commend me unto you. And where this bearer Richard Harl. MSS. S. hath complained unto me, how that ye withhold from 6148. fol. him an Enchiridion in English, supposing the same to be of

r

[Probably Tyndale's translation of the Enchiridion Militis Christiani of Erasmus, a book very generally popular at that time, but denounced as dangerous by the enemies of the reformation. See Jortin, Life of Erasmus; Ames, Typogr. Antiq. Dibdin, vol. ii. p. 235.]

43.