CVII. To CRUMWELL. well's Cor ence. Ori In my most hearty wise I commend me unto you. And Chapter House, 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. CVIII. To CRUMWELL. House well's Cor respond 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 kinsman Henry Hatfilde, surveyor of my 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. 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 And Harl. MSS. 43. In my most hearty wise I commend me unto you. 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 [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. no good authority or privilege, I will, that forasmuch as the King and his Council doth indifferently permit the said book to be read of all and singular his subjects, ye, without any farther let or perturbation to the said Richard, do either deliver unto him his said book, or else that ye repair unto me immediately after the sight hereof, to declare unto me some cause why you should thus detain from him the said Enchiridion, and so manifestly deny the authority of the same. For inhibiting of Enchiridion. Harl. MSS. 6148. fol. 43. CXII. To the Vicar of CHARING. I commend me unto you, &c. And where I am advertised by this bearer W. S. that ye have a suit against him in my Commissary's Court at Canterbury for a matter of defamation, the circumstances whereof he hath declared unto me; so it is that I perceive, as well by his behaviour as by his sorrowful words, that he is right repentant in misusing any such slanderous reports towards you, and so hath sued unto me for to instance you in like wise not to pursue any farther herein, to his no little damage and undoing, but charitably to remit his offence, and that the rather at this my request, I therefore advise you and also require you to be contented herewith, considering he is so willing to submit himself to you accordingly. Whereunto I do exhort you, for divers considerations, to cease all rigorous suit in the law, specially in this cumbrous time, and to receive him friendly unto you, forgiving all displeasure and grudges hitherto past; as according to the rule of charity ye be bound one to another. Which end no doubt shall both please greatly Almighty God, and also be very meritorious to you in accomplishing the same. To the Vicar of Charyng. CXIII. TO DR. COCKS', HIS CHANCELLOR. And Harl. MSS. 43. b. brancer. In my right hearty wise I commend me unto you. whereas the bearer hereof hath been suspended, and as he 6148. fol. thinketh, further process made against him for a suit of cer- Christ. tain tithe that you demand of him before my Commissary at RememCanterbury; and, as he reporteth unto me, hath been al- Nov. 1820. ways conformable to agree with your deputies and farmer at Egerton, for such his duties as hath been customably required of him and other afore time, until now of late, for certain things as me seemeth of small value, hath been sued at the law, whereby so constrained by rigour of the same, he sueth unto me for a more quiet and charitable end in this behalf: I therefore advise you and thereunto exhort you, considering such towardness in him, that, specially in this cumbrous world, ye do entreat and handle as well him as other your parishioners and neighbours after some other more charitable means, avoiding as much as in you is the obloquy of such enormities, wherewith the whole clergy is daily reproached and slandered. And rather that some charitable end should now seem to come of you, than he thus to be enforced to seek for the same. To Doctor Cokes, my Chancellor. CXIV. To I commend me unto [you]. And where at the late Parlia- Harl. MSS. ment there was a bill promoted into the Parliament House 6148. fol. concerning certain exactions of tithes within Rumney marshu and other certain grounds, as I now remember, by cause that, t [Dr. John Cocks, though he was Cranmer's Auditor of the Audience, and Vicar General in spirituals, yet, according to Strype, was a secret favourer of the papists, and did not exert himself, when employed to inquire into the conspiracy against the Archbishop in 1543. See Strype, Cranm. pp. 19. 119.] "[A bill concerning tithes in Romney Marsh, having been brought up from the Commons, was read the first time in the House of Lords the 24th of March, 1534, and then appears to have been dropped. Lords' 43. b. |