*

kinges majestie. I perceyve many of the other sortt, monkes and chanons, wiche be yonge lustie men, all ways fatt fedde, lyving in ydelnes and at rest, be sore perplexide that now being prestes they may nott retorn and marye. Most partt of them be no thing lernyd, nor apte therto, and therby in moche warsse case. I have geven as well to sondrie of them, as to ther masters, suche power counsell as I myst do, and have advisede them that wher they be nother lernyd nor apte unto the same, to torne som of ther seremonyns of ydilnes unto som bodely exercise, and nott to sytt all day lurking in the cloister ydellye. After I hadde don with those v. places in Lincoln shyer, Mr. Freman browzt me a commission for the Charterhowse in Notingam shyer callyd Bowvale, and for a howse of chanons callyd Newstede.† Of Bowvale, sir Johan Hussey hathe the custodi, and sir Johan Beryn of Newstede. We founde the prior of the Charterhowse in hys shortt gowen and velvytt cappe, redy befor our commyng, and the proctor of that howse in lyke apparell the next day following. I think it were harde to geve so manye agen into these howseys I have be att as I have dispacchyd, ffor in every howse, as well of men as of wemen, they be in maner all gon that ny3t I have taken ther surrendre, and streightway in new apparell. Now I have done in all those howsys acording to the kinges highnes commissions, and shalbe at all owors redy to the best of my litell power to do suche farther service as may lye in me, acording to my most bounden dewtie, by the helpe of almy3tie Jhesus, who with increse of moche honour long preserve your gudde lordeshyppe. Oxon., xxvij. Julii.

Your most bounden oratour and servant,
JOHAN LONDON.

* The priory of Beauvale, in Nottinghamshire, or as it was called in Latin, de Pulchra Valle in parco de Gresseley, was founded by Nicholas de Cantelupe, in 1342. The last prior was Thomas Woodcock.

†The abbey or priory of Newstead in Sherwood, since the picturesque seat of the Byrons, was founded about A.D. 1170. The last prior was John Blake. The site was granted to Sir John Byron, mentioned in the letter, and from whom the poet Byron was a lineal descendant.

The visitor of the friars' mentioned in the following letter, was probably Richard bishop of Dover. Little is known of the two houses of friars in Salisbury. The Grey Friers was founded by Richard, bishop of Salisbury, in the reign of Henry III. The Black Friars, of which house we do not even know the founder, stood in the west suburb of the town, near Fisherton Bridge.

CIV.

JOHN FITZWARREN TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 146.]

After my most hartie recommendations unto your honorable lordeshipe, plese it the same to be advertised, that syns I receyved your lovyng and hartie lettres by your servaunte Mr. Goodale, with the warrant for a stagg in Purbeke, for the wiche I render to your honorable lordeshipe my most hartie thankes, he mayntenauntly declared unto me the pryvie operation of certayn prystes within the cyte of Sarum, in ther confessions concernyng forbyddyng of whytmeates in Lent, the redyng of the New Testament in Englisshe, and the cumpany of such as be of the new lernyng. Whom I have not only examyned, but also have examyned certayne witnes agenst them, the ponesshement wherof I have stayed untyll your lordesheps pleaser be further therin knowen. And, my good lord, wher that I am enformed that the vysytour of the fryers shortly will repayre to the cyte of Sarum to dissolve and make sale of all such thynges as he at his last beyng ther dyd take an inventory of, I most hartely desyer your good lordeshepes lovyng letters unto the saied vysytour in my favour, that I may have the stuff of the Black Fryers for my money befor any other with the place to dwell in for my rent. And if it may stond with your lordeships pleaser, I desyer your good lordeshipe to wrytt your lyke lettres unto the saied visytour in the favour of your servaunte Mr. Goodale for the Gray Fryers, who dwellith next unto hit, and who also taketh so much paynes for the comen wele, and in helpyng and furtheryng poore mennys matiers, as I knew never bayliff to doo lyke in my tyme. And thus most hartely

fare your lordeshipe well. Frome Dorneford, the xxti day of

August.

Youer lordships faythfully assured,

JOHAN FYTZWAREN.

In the following letter we find Dr. London still at Oxford, which seems to have been the centre of his operations.

CV.

DR. LONDON TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 227.]

In my most humble maner I have me commendyd unto your gudde lordeschippe, with my assured prayer and service duringe my lyff. I have causyd all our fower ordre of fryers to chaunge ther cotes, and have dispacchide them as well as I can till they may receyve ther capacities, for the wiche I have now agen sent uppe thys berar doctor Baskerfelde, to whom I do humblie besek your lordeschippe to stonde gudde lorde. He ys an honest man, and causyd all hys howse to surrendre the same and to chaunge ther papistical garmentes. I wrote to your lordeschippe specially for hym to have in hys capacytie an expresse licens to dwell in Oxford, altho he wer benefycyd; and your lordeschipp then wrote that yt wasse your pleasur he and all other shulde have ther capacities acording to ther desyer, and for that thys man ys now an humble sutar unto your lordeschippe. He hath be a visitar of dyvers places wiche they do call custodies, and knowith many thinges as well in London as otherwise, wiche he hath promised me to declare unto your lordeschippe, if it be your pleasur he schall so do. And a frynde of myne, the warden of the Grey Fryers in Reding,* hathe

* The priory of the Grey Friars, in Reading, was founded in 1233. surrender of this house, printed in "Coates' History of Reading," Sept. 13, 30 Hen. VIII. i. e. 1538.

CAMD. Soc.

The deed of p. 303, is dated

2 F

also desyred me to be an humble sutar for hym and hys brothern, that they may with your lordeschips favour also chaunge ther garmentes with ther papisticall maner of lyvinges. The most partt of them be very agede men, and be nott of strength to go moch abrode for ther lyvinges, wherfor ther desyer ys that yt myght please your lordeschippe to be a mediator unto the kinges grace for them that they my3t during ther lyves enjoy ther chambres and orcharde, and they wolde assuredly pray unto almiştie Godde long to preserve the kinges grace and your lordeshipp to hys most blessyd pleasure. Oxon, ultimo Augusti.

At Merston Mr. Johan Schorn stondith blessing a bote, whereunto they do say he conveyd the devill. He ys moch sow3t for the agow. If it be your lordeschips pleasur, I schall sett that botyd ymage in a nother place, and so do with other in other parties wher lyke seking ys.

Your most bounden oratour and servant,
JOHAN LONDON.

Richard Pollard, another of the commissioners, was occupied partly on the same ground as Dr. London. In the following letter we find him at Winchester; it is without date, but probably belongs to the earlier part of the September of this year.

CVI.

POLLARD AND OTHERS TO CRUMWELL.

[From the State Papers, vol. i. p. 621.]

Pleasith your lordship to be advertised, that this Saturdaye, in the mornyng, aboutes thre of the clok, we made an ende of the shryne here at Wynchestre. There was in it no pece of gold, ne oon ring, or true stone, but al greate counterfaictes. Nevertheles we thinke the sylver alone thereof woll amounte nere to twoo thousande markes. We have also receyved into our possession the crosse of emeraudes, the crosse called Hierusalem, an other

crosse of gold, 2 chalices of gold, with some sylver plate, parcel of the portion of the vestrye; but thold prior made the plate of the house soo thynne, that we can diminish non of it and leave the prior any thing furnished. We found the prior, and all the convent, very conformable; having assistentes with us, at the openyng of our charge to the same, the mayre, with 8 or 9 of the best of his brethern, the bisshops chauncelour, Mr. doctour Craiforde, with a good apparaunce of honest personages besides; who, with oon voyce, most hartely gave lawde and prayse to God and to the kinges majestye, thinking verily that they doo all as moch rejoise of his majestes godly and most christian purpose herin as canne be devised. We have also this mornyng, going to our beddes warde, vieued thaulter, whiche we purpose to bring with us. It wol be worthe the taking downe, and nothing therof seen; but suche a pece of work it is, that we thinke we shal not rid it, doing our best, befor Monday night, or Tuesdaye mornyng, which doon we entende, both at Hide and St. Maryes, to swepe awaye all the roten bones that be called reliques; which we may not omytt, lest it shuld be thought we cam more for the treasure thenne for avoiding of thabomynation of ydolatry. Other thinges, as ferre as we canne lerne, there be none for us in those places, whiche thinges doon, and our thinges set out-warde, we shall attende uppon your lordship with diligence.

I, Thomas Wriothesley† humbly beseche your good lordship to pardon the rudenes of this letter, writen in hast in the churche whenne I was wery; and, in like maner, I beseche your lordship to be good lorde to the poore man the berer of this letter. It is the same of whom I told your lordship concernyng the ferme

* The monastery of Hyde, without the walls of Winchester, was the same abbey which, founded by King Alfred, was in Saxon times called the New Minster; but it then stood adjacent to the cathedral or Old Minster, from whence it was removed to Hyde in the reign of Henry I. There are still some remains. The last abbot was John Sulcot, or Saltcot, alias Capon, who for his subserviency to the court was made bishop of Bangor, and afterwards of Salisbury. The abbey of St. Mary was the nunnery founded in this city by king Alfred. The last abbess was Elizabeth Shelley. Sir Thomas Wryothesley, afterwards earl of Southampton.