of religion, shall gendre in many of the peoples harts a faynte subjection and obedience. writ But, my Lorde, if in the Courte you do kepe such holli This was dayes and fastynge dayes, as be abrogated, whan shal we per- with the suade the people to ceasse from kepyng of theym? For the Abps own Kyngs owne House shalbe an example unto al the realme to breake his own ordinances. hand. Al the rest of the Letter was his Se Over this, whereas your Lp. hath twise written for this cretaries. poore man William Gronnow the berer herof to my Lorde Deputie of Callis, for him to be restored to his rowme; as far as I understand, it prevayled nothing at al. For he can get none answer of my Lorde Deputy. So that the poore man dispaireth, that your requeste shal do hym any good. If your Lp. wold be so good to hym, as to obteign a bill signed of the Kings Grace to the Treasurers and Controllers of Calice for the tyme being, commanding theym to pay to the said William Gronnow his accustumed Wages yerly, and to none other, your Lp. should not only not farther trouble my said Lorde Deputy any more, but also do a right meritorious deade. For if the poore man be put thus from his Lyving, he were but utterly undone. Thus, my Lorde, right hartely fare you well. At Forde the xxviij day of Auguste. Your Lordships own ever T. Cantuarien. NUM. XX. Richard Grafton the Printer of the Bible to the Lord Crumwel, complaining of some that intended to print the Bible, and thereby to spoyl his Impression. + 1537. E. 5. fol. MOOST humbly besechinge your Lordship to understand, Cleopatra. that accordyng as your Commission was, by my servant to 325. send you certen Bibles, so have I now done, desiring your Lordship to accept them, as though they were well done. 39 And whereas I wryt unto your Lordship for a prevye Seale to be a defence unto the enemyes of this Bible, I understande, that your Lordshipes mynde is, that I shall not nede it. But now, moost gracyous Lorde, forasmoche as this worke hathe bene brought forthe to our moost great and costly laboures and charges: Which charges amount above the sum of five hundred pounds; and I have caused of these same to be prynted to the sum of fifteen hundred bookes complete: Which now by reason that of many this worke is highly commended; there are, that will and dothe go about the pryntyng of the same work agayne in a lesser letter to the entente that they may sell their lytle bookes better chepe than I can sell these gret; and so to make, that I shal sell none at al, or else verye fewe, to the utter undoynge of me your Orator, and of all those my Creditors, that hath bene my Comforters and helpers therin. And now this worke, thus set forthe with great study and laboures, shall soche persons, (moved with a lytle covetousnes, to the undoing of other for their awne pryvate welthe,) take as a thynge done to their hands. In which haffe the charges shall not come to them, that hath done to your poore Orator. And yet shall they not do yt, as they fynde yt, but falsefye the texte; that I dare say, looke how many sentences are in the Byble, even so many fautes and errours shalbe made therin. For their seekyng is not to set it out to Gods glorie, and to the edefying of Christs Congregacyon, (but for covetousnes.) And that may apere by the former Bybles, that they have set forthe; which hath nether good paper, letter, ynke, ner correctyon: And even so shal they corrupt this worke, and wrap it up after their fassyons, and then may they sell it for nought at their pleasure. Ye, and to make yt more truer then yt is, therfore Douche men, dwellyng within this realme, go about the pryntyng of yt: Which can nether speke good Englyshe, ner yet wryte none. And they wilbe bothe the Prynters and Correctors therof: Because of a lytle covetousnes, that wyll not bestow twenty or forty pounds to a Learned man to take payne in yt, to have yt well done. It were therefore, (as your Lp. doth evydently perceave,) a thing unreasonable to permyt, or soffer them, which now hath no soche busines, to enter into the laboures of them, that hath had both sore trouble and unreasonable charges. And the truthe is this, that if it be prynted by any other, before these be sold, (which I think shal not be these three yere at the least,) that then am I, your poor Orator, utterly undone. Therfore by your moost godly favor, if I maye obtayne the Kynges most gracyous privilege, that none shal prynt them, tyll these be solde, which at the least shall not be this iij yere, your Lordship shall not fynde me unthankfull, but that to the uttermost of my power I wyll consyder yt. And I dare say, that so wil my Lorde of Cantorbury, with other my moost speciall frendes. And at the least God wil loke upon your mercifull heart, that consydereth the undoynge of a pore yonge man. For truly my whole Lyvynge lyeth herupon. Which if I maye have sale of them, not being hyndered by any other man, yt shalbe my makyng and wealth, and the contrary is my undoyng. Therfore most humbly I beseche your Lordship to be my helper herin, that I maye obtayne this my request. Or else, yf by no meanes this pryvylege may be had, (as I have no doubt thorow your helpe yt shall) and seeing men are so desirous to be pryntinge of yt agayne, to my utter undoyng as aforsayde that yet forasmoche as it hath pleased the Kyngs Highnes 40 to Lycence this work to go abroade; and that it is the moost pure worde of God which teacheth al true obedyence, and reproveth al scismes and contencyons: and the lack of this worde of the Almightie God, is the cause of all blyndnes and supersticion: yt maye therfore be comaunded by your Lordship in the name of our most gracyous Prynce, that every Curat have one of them, that they maye learne to knowe God, and to instruct their Paryshens. Ye, and that every Abbaye should have six, to be layd in six several places, that the whole Covent, and the resorters therunto, maye have occasyon to looke on the Lordes Lawe. Ye, I wold none other, but they of the Papisticall sorte, shuld be compelled to have them. And then I know there should be ynow found in my Lorde of Londons Dyocesse to spende awaye a great part of them. And so shuld this be a godly acte, worthy to be had in remembrance, whyle the world doth stande. And I know, that a smal Comyssyon wyll cause my Lorde of Cantorbury Salsbury and Worsetter, to cause yt to be done thorow their Dioces: Ye, and this shuld cease the whole scism and contencion, that is in the realme. Which is, some callyng them of the Olde, and some of the Newe. Now shuld we al folow one God, one Book, and one Learnygne. And this is hurtful to no man, but proffytable to all men. I will trouble your Lordship no lenger, for I am sory I have troubled you so moche. But to mak an end I desire your most gracyous answer by my servant. For the sycknes is bryme about us, or ells would I wayt upon your Lordship. And because of comyng to your Lordship I have not suffered my servant with me, since he came over. Thus for your contynual preservatyon, I, with all that truly love God, do most hartely praye, that you may overcome al your adversaryes of the Papistical sorte. Your Orator Rychard Grafton. Abp. NUM. XXI. Archbishop Cranmer to the King for a Suffragan of Dover. EXCELLENTISS. et potentiss. in Christo Principi et Dno. nostro Dn. Henrico Octavo Dei gra. Angliæ et Fr. regi, Fidei Defensori, et Dno. Hiberniæ, ac in terris Supremo Ecclesiæ Angl. capiti, Vester humilis Orator et Subditus Thomas permissione divina Cantuar. Archiepiscopus, totius Anglie Primas et Metropolit. Omnimod. Reverentiam, et Observantiam tanto principi debit. et condignas cum omni subjectionis honore. Ad sedem Episcopalem de Doveria infra Cantuar. Dioc. existen. Dilectos michi in Cto. Richardum Yngworth Priorem Domus sive Prioratus de Langley Regis, et Johannem Codenham, Sacræ Theolog. Professores, juxta et secundum vin, formam et effectum Statuti Parla menti hujus inclyti regni vestri Angliæ in hoc casu editi et provisi, vestræ Regiæ Majestati per has literas meas nomino et præsento; ac eidem Majestati vestræ humiliter supplico, quatenus alteri eorum, (cui vestra Regia Majestas id munus conferend. præoptaverit,) titulum, nomen, stylumq; et digni- 41 tatem episcopalem ac Suffraganeam ad Sedem prædictam misericorditer conferre. Ipsumque mihi prefato Archiepiscopo infra cujus Dioc. et Provinciam Sedes antedicta consistit, per literas vestras Patentes regias intuitu charitatis punctare, michique mandare dignetur vestra regia Majestas, quatenus ipsum sic nominatum et præsentatum, in Episcopum Suffraganeum Sedis prædict. juxta formam Statuti prædict. effectualiter consecrem et benedicam: cæteraque faciam et exequar in ea parte, quæ ad effectum meum Archiepiscopale spectaverint, seu requisita fuerint in præmissis. Vivat denique et valeat in multos annos vestra regia Celsitudo prælibata in eo, per quem reges regnant, et Principes dominantur. Dat' apud Lambeth primo die mensis Decembr. Anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo tricesimo septimo et regni vestri florentiss. vicesimo nono. NUM. XXII. The Archbishop's letters of Commission to Richard Suffragan of Dover. Cranmı. THOMAS permissione divina Cant. Archiep. tot. Angl. Abp. |