Welshmen much sought and worshipped. This image was called Darvell Gatheren, and the Welshmen had a prophecy that this image should set a whole Forest a fire, which prophecy now took effect, for he set this friar Forest on fire and consumed him to nothing... Upon the gallows that he died on was set up in great letters these verses following: ..... "David Darvell Gatheren, As saith the Welshmen, Fetched outlawes out of hell. Now is he come with spere and shilde For in Wales he may not dwell. And Forest the frier, That obstinate lyer, That wilfully shalbe dead, In his contumacie The Gospell doth deny, The kyng to be supreme head." It would seem by these verses that the image represented a man in armour, or at least armed. Bishop Latimer preached a sermon on this occasion. XCV. ELIS PRICE TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 55*.] Ryghte honorable and my syngular goode lorde and mayster, all circumstauncys and thankes sett aside, pleasithe yt youre good lordeshipe to be advertisid that where I was constitute and made by youre honorable desire and commaundmente commissarie generall of the dyosese of Saynte Assaph, I have done my dylygens and dutie for the expulsinge and takynge awaye of certen abusions, supersticions, and ipocryses usid within the saide diosece of Saynte Assaph, acordynge to the kynges honorable actes and injunctions therin made. That notwithstondinge, there ys an image of Darvellgadarn within the saide diosece, in whome the people have so greate confidence, hope, and truste, that they cumme daylye a pillgramage unto hym, somme withe kyne, other with oxen or horsis, and the reste withe money, insomuche that there was fyve or syxe hundrethe pillgrames to a mans estimacion that offered to the saide image the fifte daie of this presente monethe of Aprill. The innocente people hathe ben sore aluryd and entisid to worshipe the saide image, insomuche that there is a commyn sayinge as yet amongist them that whosoever will offer anie thinge to the saide image of Darvellgadarn, he hathe power to fatche hym or them that so offers oute of hell when they be dampned. Therfore, for the reformacion and amendmente of the premisses, I wolde gladlie knowe by this berer youre honorable pleasure and will, as knowithe God, who ever preserve your lordeshipe longe in welthe and honor. Writen in Northe Wales, the vj. daye of this presente Aprill. Youre bedman and dayelye oratour by dutie, ELIS PRICE. A party of commissioners were, about this time, dispatched towards Wales, who appear to have been chiefly directed against the houses of the different orders of friars, many of them small establishments, which had been allowed to escape the first act of suppression. One of the most active of these commissioners was Richard (suffragan) bishop of Dover,* and we will break through the strict chronological order of the letters during the present year (1538) in order to follow him, and afterwards a different party of commissioners, in their several progresses. XCVI. RICHARD BISHOP OF DOVER TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 212.] My synguler good lorde, in my umbyll maner pleseyht yt yower *He signs his name Richard Doverensis or Dovorencis; and in an authentic document printed at p. 202 of the present volume he is called Rychard byschop of Dowor, and on another occasion (p. 228) by Dr. London my lord of Dover. In the catalogue of the Cottonian MSS. he is always called Richard Devereux, but the Mr. Rychard Devourax mentioned by bishop Barlow (p. 188) must either be another person, or a mistake of the bishop's. good lordeschyp to understand, that accordeyng to my dewte at yower commandement I have receyveyd to the kynges heynes use the iiij. howseys off ffreyrs in Boston,* very pore howseys and pore persons, and accordeyng to yower letter I have delyveryd the same howses to master Taverner and master Johnys, servanttes to the kynges grace, with all the pore implementtes for hys money. In my way thederwarde I fonde a howse of Austen ffreyrs in Huntteyngton,† very pore, the which also I receyveyd, and delyveryd the same to one Phelyp Clampe, one of the kynges servanttes, accordeyng to the kynges plesur as master chanseleres letter of the agmentacyon sygnyfyyd to me. They howseys be all metely ledeyd; I thynke in Hunteyngton abowte viij. foder, and in Boston I thynke in the iiij. howses abowte iiij. schor foder or more. I now am in Lyncolne, where that also I have receyveyde iiij. pore howseys,‡ non thyng lefte but stonys and pore glasse, but metely ledeyd. All the led and bellys I leve to the kynges use; and as for plate allso I save, the which ys very lytyll. Yf that I fynde xij. unc. in a howse, yt ys well; fore the more parte vij. or viij. unc. ys the most. In Lyncolne, in the Grey Freyrs ys a godely condyte, for the which the meyar and the aldermen was with me to make sute to have the condythe into the cete. I kowde nott satysfy them tyll that I promyseyd them to wryght in ther behalfe to yower lordschyp for the same, and so they have a letter of me to yower lordschyp, besecheyng yow to be good lord to them; they orderyd me very jentylly ther. I trosteyd to a made an ende of the vesytacyon: but I am certefyyd that yet ther be stondeyng in the north parte above xx. placeys of freyrs, as in Grantham, in Newarke, in Grymsseby, in Hull, in Beverley, in Scharborow, in Carlehyll, in Lancaster, and in dyverse placeys more, for the which howseys I well serge so that I trost to leve but fewe in Ynglond The Monasticon contains accounts of only three houses of friars at Boston in Lincolnshire, namely, the Black Friars, Grey Friars, and White Friars. †The priory of Austin canons at Huntingdon is said to have been founded originally in the tenth century. The last prior was Hugh Olives, alias Whitewick. There were houses of black, grey, white, and Austin friars, in Lincoln, besides a house of friars de Sacco, all which are described in the Monasticon. before Ester, and I thyngke yt woll be ner Ester or that I can make an ende, besecheyng yower lordschyp to be good lorde for the pore ffreyrs capacytes; they be very pore and can have lytyll serves withowtt ther capacytes. The byschoyppys and curettes be very hard to them, withowtt they have ther capacytes. And, my good lord, I harttely beseche yow be good lord to me for my leveyng in Langley, as all my trost ys in yower lordschyp, and in non oder, and I evar att yower commandemente to the uttermost of my lytyll powre, be goddes grace, hoo evar preserve yower lordschyp to hys hey honor. Wretyn in Lyncolne, thys fyrste Sonday of Lentt, by yower pore servantt and orator, To my syngular good lorde Crumwell lorde prevy seale thys delyver. RICHARD DOVORENC. In the next letter we find the Bishop of Dover already on the Welsh border, having probably received new directions from the court. XCVII. RICHARD BISHOP OF DOVER TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. p. 250.] My singular good lorde, in my humely maner plesith yt your good lordechipe to understande, that I have ben at Northampton, at Coventre, at Aderstone, at Warwike, at Thelford, at Draytewich, at Wisitor,* and now am at Gloscetur intendyng toward Bristowe. In every place ys povertey and moche schiffte made with suche as theie had before, as yewellys selling, and other schiffte by leasys. But in all thes placys I have sett steys by indenturys making, and the common sealys sequestering, so that *Worcester. CAMD. SOC. 2 C now thei have no schiffte to make, so that I thinke before the yere be owt ther schall be very fewe howsis abill to lyve, but schall be glade to giffe up their howseis and provide for them selvys otherwise, for their thei schall have no living. As for Gloscetor, wher that now I am, I thinke their be ij. howseis that will give up their howsies, for thei have no living. I schall order them so well as I can, and at my next letter I schall certefey your lordeschipe of them. The cause of my writing now ys for ij. howseis specially; that ys for Aderston,* an howse of Austen freeres, x. mile from. Coventre, and for Wheych. For thes ij. howseis your lordechipe may at your plesure adpoynte to helpe sum to them. At Aderstone, I have adpoynteid the prior to se good serveyd till that I knowe further off your plesure; but all ys gon, so that thei war not abill to make schiffte to paye for my costis, nor to giffe me on peny of the contribucyon to their visitor accustomeyd. That howse ys a propar howse, and certeyne londe longing to yt lieing rownde abowte yt to the valure, as yt ys laten owt by lease, of iiij. markys by yere. All the stuffe ys not worthe xls. beside a chales and a bell, and leade ys non ther. And towcheing Wheych, the which ys the principall cause of my writing, yt ys not abill to contynue a howse of religion to kepe above on freer, for all ys solld. He that was prior, by whom at Hester yow senthe your letters to the balys their to se all their stuffe delyveryd ageyne into the howse, he hathe in lesse than on 3ere that he hathe be prior ther fellyd and solld vij. score good elmys, a chales of gillt of iijxx. unc. and x. unc., a senser of xxxvj. unc., ij. gret brasse pottys eche abull to sethe an holl oxe as men sey, spetys, pannys, and other, so that in the howse ys not left on bede, on schete, on plater or dische, nor for all the promes that be made to your * At Atherstone, in Warwickshire, there was a small priory of friars eremites of the order of St. Augustine, founded in 1375, by Ralph, lord Basset of Draiton. It is stated in the Monasticon that this house was dissolved in the 27 Hen. VIII., which must be an error. |