verie meane to the kinges majestie for my preferment most unworthie to be abbes of this the kynges monasterie of Godystowe, in the whiche offyce I truste I have done the beste in my power to the mayntenance of Godes trewe honour, withe all treuthe and obedience to the kynges magestie, and was never movyd nor desired by any creature in the kynges behalfe or in your lordeships name to surrender and gyve upe the howse, nor was never myndyd nor intendyd so to do otherwise then at the kinges gratius commawndement or yours, to the whiche I do and have ever done and will submyt my selfe most humblie and obedientlie, and I truste to God that I have never offendyd Godes lawes, nother the kynges, wherebie that this poore monasterie ought to be suppressyd, and this notwithstondyng, my good lorde, so it is that doctor Londone, whiche, as your lordeship dothe well knowe, was ageynste my promotyon, and hathe ever sence borne me greate malys and grudge, like my mortall enmye, is sodenlie cummyd unto me withe a greate rowte withe him, and here dothe threten me and my susters, sayeng that he hathe the kynges commyssyon to suppres the house spyte of my tethe. And when he sawe that I was contente that he shulde do all thinges accordyng to his commyssyon, and shewyd him playne that I wolde never surrender to his hande, beyng my awncyent enemye, now he begynes to intreate me and to invegle my susters one by one otherwise than ever I harde tell that any of the kynges subgectes hathe bene handelyd, and here tarieth and contynueth to my grete coste and charge, and will not taike my answere that I will not surrender till I knowe the kynges gratious commawndement or youre good lordeshipes. Therefore I do moste humblie beseche you to contynewe my good lorde, as you ever have bene, and to directe your honorable lettres to remove him hens; and whensoever the kinges gratius commawndement or youres shall cum unto me, you shall fynde me moste reddie and obedyent to foloe the same. And notwithestondyng that doctour Londone, like a untrewe man, hathe informyd your lordeship that I am a spoiler and a waster, youre good lordeshipe shall knowe that the contrarie is trewe, ffor I have not alienatyd one halporthe of the goodes of this monasterie, movable or unmovable, but have rather increasyd the same, nor never made lease of any farme or pece of grownde belongyng to this house other than hathe bene in tymes paste allwaies set under covent seale for the wealthe of the house. And, therefore, my verie truste is that I shall fynde the kynge as gratius lorde unto me as he is to all other his subgectes, seyng I have not offendyd, and am and wilbe most obedyent to his moste gratious commawndement at all tymes, withe the grace of allmighty Jesus, who ever preserve you in honour longe to indeure to his pleasure, Amen. At Godistow, the yth daie of November. Your moste bownden bedeswoman, KATHERINE BULKELEY, abbes there. From Godstow, we trace Dr. London to the priory of Twynham or Christ's Church, in Hampshire, the church of which still remains a most interesting monument of early ecclesiastical architecture. This house was originally founded in the reign of Edward the Confessor. The last prior was John Draper. CXIII. THE COMMISSIONERS TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 267*.] Ower humble dewties observyd unto your gudde lordeshippe, it may lyk the same to be advertised that we have taken the surrendre of the late priorye of Christechurche Twynham, wher we founde the prior a very honest conformable person, and the howse well furnysschide with juellys and plate, wherof some be mete for the kinges majestie is use, as a litill chalys of golde, a gudly lardge crosse doble gylt with the foote garnysschyd with stone and perle, two gudly basons doble gylt having the kinges armys well inamylyd, a gudly greet pyxe for the sacrament doble gylt; and ther be also other thinges of sylver right honest and of gudde valewer, as well for the churche use as for the table, reservyd and kept to the kinges use. In thys churche we founde a chaple and monument curiosly made of Cane stone, preparyd by the late mother of Raynolde Pole* for herre buriall, wiche we have causyd to be defacyd and all the armys and badgis clerly to be delete. The surveyng of the demaynys of thys howse, wiche be lardge and baryn, and som partt therof xxti. mylys from the monastery, wiche we also do survey and mesure, hathe causyd usse to mak longer abode at thys place then we intendyd. And now we be in jorney towardes Amysbery, wher we schall use like diligens for the accomplisshing of the kinges highnes commission, and as sone as we have don ther we schall farther certifie your lordeschippe of our doinges. And thus we beseke almy3tie Jhesus longe to preserve your gudde lordeschippe with increse of moche honour. At Christchurche, ij° Decembris. Your lordschipes humbly to comand, ROBT. SOWTHwell. EDWARD CARNE. JHON LONDON. RYCHARD POULET. It appears by the following that Dr. London had been to Coventry and Northampton, as he intimated his intention in a former letter. He is now returned to Oxford, where we found him at the beginning of his correspondence. CXIV. DR. LONDON TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 208.] In my most humble maner I have me commendyd unto your * Cardinal Pole. His mother was severely persecuted by the crown. gudd lordeschippe, with my assurede prayer and servys during my lyf, I have sent unto your gudde lordeschippe a power tokyn, beseking almy3tie Godde most hartelye nott oonly to graunt unto yow thys new yere prosperose, butt many moo also, to the hyghe pleasure of Godde and the great comfortt of your lordeschipp and all your boundon oratours.* I have also sent with the same power tokyn the half-yere fee it pleasithe yow to accept of me and my power howse. Godde willing, I schall now with all diligens applie the execution of the commission I hadde of your lordeschippe in places wher as yet I have nott be. M. Williams, I trust, hathe certefied your lordeschippe what we have don at Ensham † and Notley, and at the Crowche Fryers at Newberye.‡ And with the farmers of Ensham I have don my best diligens for syr George Darcye,§ and do trust that we shall com to som gudde conclusion. Thys day the late abbott, they, and I shall mete agen for that purpos. Att Delapray besyde Northampton § I have taken thabbesse surrendre. Sche ys a gudde agydd woman, and lately hadde the kinges chartre for the contynuance of herre howse; that notwithstonding, she willingly withowt any refusall renderyd unto the kinges majestie that chartre, wiche with herre and her sisters surrendre I have sent by thys berar, and acording to your commaundment have putt Small, M. Hennage kinsman, in possession of the same. And forasmoche as I founde that late abbesse * On the old custom of giving new year's gifts (étrennes), still preserved in France, see Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol. i. pp. 5—11 (ed. 1841). + The abbey of Ensham, or Eynsham, in Oxfordshire, was founded by Athelmer earl of Cornwall and Devonshire, at the beginning of the eleventh century. It was a rich house. The last prior was Anthony Dunstan, alias Kitchen, who was subsequently (in 1545) made bishop of Landaff. This was a small priory at Donnington, near Newbury, in Berkshire. See the Monasticon, vi. p. 1562. Henry White was the last prior. § Sir George Darcy was the elder brother of Sir Arthur Darcy, mentioned before, and was restored to his father's title of Lord Darcy in the 2nd Edw. VI. || Delapre (De-la-pré), a Cluniac nunnery in the parish of Hardingstone, founded in the reign of king Stephen by Simon de St. Liz, earl of Northampton. CAMD. SOC. 2 H so comformable, and the howse in so gudde state, considering dyvers grave chardges sche hathe be att, I dydde assigne unto herre for her comfortt in herre great age the fowrt partt of the schepe, viz. fyve score, a certen of every kynde of grayne, a certen of every sort of the catell, wherof I founde praty store, and lykwise of the stuff and implementes, beseking your lordeschippe to ratefie the same, and to be gudde lorde unto herre and to herre power sisters in ther pensions. I have also receyvide the unwise letters wryten by the monkes of the Chartre House in Coventrye.* Ther and at the priory I schall I trust accomplishe the kinges grace pleasur and yowers. And forasmoche as Colme ys so nye unto Coventry, and thabbott with all hys fryndes at your lordeschips commaundement, as I am pryvie of ther myndes, if it be your lordeschips pleasure I schall be gladde to goo thorow with that howse also. All the sortt of them do lok dulye for ther departing, and therfor they mak ther handes by leesys, salys of wodde, and of ther plate. I suppose thys abbott will leve hys howse and landes lyk an honest man; wherfor, inasmoche the howse hathe many gudly commodities, wherof if any be lett (as in dede som be) and will easily com agen to your lordeschips hondes, I think it best your lordeschipp do tak itt while yt ys at the beste. I am so bolde to desyer M. Thacker to know your lordeschips pleasur in certen other thinges, wiche I schall duly accomplische with the help of God, who with increse of moche honour long preserve your gudde lordeschippe. Oxon., xxviij. Decembris. I have sent to your lordeschippe also a coote of idolytrie, with iij. frontlettes apperteynyng to the furnyture of the same. I have dyvers other propre thinges, as two heddes of seynt Ursula, wich bycause ther ys no maner of sylver abowt them, I reserve tyll I have another hedd of herse, wich I schall fynd in my waye within thees xiiij. dayes, as I am creadably informyd. Your most bounden oratour, JOHAN LONDON. * The monastery of St. Anne near Coventry, founded by William lord Zouch in 1381, for Carthusian monks. |