the surrendir. In dede I sent for the abbott afore the dissolucion, and inducyd hym to yelde the howse to the kynges mageste with his good wyll, and that he shuld exort his covent to conforme them to the same, who by my advise and exortacon conformed them selfes as humble subgettes without murmours or grugge, wherin I trust I have not for my part servyd the kynges highnes amysse. And now I beseche your good lordshipp to further my sute. His mageste grantyd al my sute in effect durynge his graces plesure, and my bil ys for terme of liff. They be offices and feez that must be gevyn, and I trust to serve his grace honestely in them. I have no ffee nor office of his highnes but the chancelourshipp, and althoughe yt be hye and honorabill, yet it ys cumberous and chargeable. Praying your lordshipp to knowe his magesteez plesure of this litel sute, to the entent I may know the end therof, wherby your good lordshipp shal admynyster to me a right gret plesure and quyetnes. And as towchynge the archedekenry of Leycettour, I take it that your lordshipp ys at appoynt for me to have it, and to giff my lord of Hereford lxxxli; for your lordshipp ones so advertised me by your lettres; besechyng you therfore to help to the resignacion therof, and the kynges lettre to the byshop of Lincoln for the aleccion. The name of the person that shuld have it ys William More, clerk, byshopp suffragan of Colchester. Yf the resignacion and lettre be opteyned, my servant shal discharche the lxxxli. at London to my lord of Herefordes use, where your lordshipp wil apoynt hym. I have wryten to my ffrend Pope to dispache it for me. I hertely desire your good lordshipp to putt me to an end and quyetnes in this mater. And for the travayles your lordshipp takyth in my sutes at this tyme, I wil accordyng to my last lettre gif you xxli towardes your paynes, and my poor herty good will duryng my liff. Yt may lik your lordshipp to understond, that the lord of Seynt Johanns hath sent to me for comyssion to gather the ffrarys. I have warrant to make them ye know by the gret boke that the gret master opteyned at the kynges hand; neverthelesse I staye in

yt til I may knowe the kynges plesure there. He seyth the kynges mageste hath the xth, of the rates therof in the value of his possessionz. He makyth moche a do for them. I beseche your good lordshipp to move the kynges mageste in yt and to advertise me of his graces plesure therof, besechyng you also to make my most humble recomendacion to his mageste, besechyng our Lord to send his highnes longe and prosperus lyff. And thus

ffare your good lordshipp as wel and with as longe liff as I wold my self. Scribelid at Eston, at the erle of Essex howse, the xij. day of August.

Thankes be to our Lord, the contree ys in good order and quyetnes abowt me, and there where I have been, and begyn to fall to good quyetnes without contencons.

Your lordshippes assured to his pour,

THOMAS AUDELEY, chauncelour.

The next letter is also from the chancellor Audley. The priory of Walden was founded in 1136 by the first Geoffrey de Mandeville, earl of Essex. It was changed into an abbey towards the end of the twelfth century. The last abbot was William More, suffragan bishop of Colchester, mentioned in the preceding letter. The site was granted to Sir Thomas Audley, whose descendant, Thomas, earl of Suffolk, in the reign of James I., built on the ruins the noble residence of Audley End, now the seat of Lord Braybrooke.

CXIX.

SIR THOMAS AUDLEY TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 197.]

Please it your good lordship to understond, that I have serched for the just value of Walden, and send to you the particulariteez therof, assuring you that it ys valued to the most, as al the monesteryes in Essex were, and also it ys treuth that all ys owt in lease by the predecessour of the now comendatery for many yeres. The comendatery at the lest can have no lesse then cc.

CAMD. SOC.

21

markes pencion, viij. monkes prestes every of them viij.". at the lest, summa lxiiijli. The dettes of the howse to the kynges grace and others amountyth to c.". and above, as I am enformed. I beseche your good lordshipp be my good lord in this my sute, yf it shal plese the kynges mageste to be so good and gracius lord to me, it shal sett forth as moche my pour estymacion as the valu of the thynge. In the besy world I susteyned damage and injory, and this shal restore me to honeste and comodyte. The kynges majeste hath be so good lord to me that I can not of right crave eny thyng, but of his owen goodnes and liberalyte. And where I have promysed you to gyf his highnez vc. markes redy mony, if ye thynke it to litell, order me as his grace may be best plesid, so that I may have dayes for the rest; ffor, on my fayth, I am in dett; besechyng your good lordshipp to use this my sute as the kynges highnes shal not thynke nor conceyve me to be inportune, ffor I desire more his graces contentacion then eny profight in the world. I have lost by capacyteez liberally and frely granted to relegeous persones of al the howses suppressid, of very ordynary ffeez anexid to my office above a m1i., and have it no recompens for it. The charges of the rebellion and the occasion cost me xjc. markes and above; but that mony was wel bestowed, and ffor my office that the kynges highnes gafe me of exchange, I can take no comodyte by it. I do not repete these thynges but to your lordshipp, not to be declarid to the kynges mageste, as for eny consideracion to restore me, ffor al this and al that I have done and shall do in servyce duryng my life, his highnes hath recompensid with more then I can or may deserve. Remyttyng now all thynge to your lordshippes wisdom to use this my pour sute as to your dyscrecion shal seme best and most convenient, and that whiche I promysed your lordshipp ye shal have, with more, and my hart and good wil duryng my liff; and thus fare your lordshipp hartely well. Wryten this Satirday in the mornyng.

Your assured to his pour,

THOMAS AUDELEY, k. chanceler.

The next letter relates to the abbey of Vale Royal in Cheshire, founded by Edward I. in 1277. The last abbot was John Harwood, who formally surrendered on the 7th of September, 30 Hen. VIII.

CXX.

DR. LEGH TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Harl. No. 604, fol. 56.]

In my most humble manner I commend me unto your good lordship, ever more thanckyng you of your manyfycency and gret goodnes at all tymes shewyd unto me, advertising your lordship, that wheras I have hetherto, accordyng to your commaundement, visite tharchedaconrye of Coventry, Stafford, Derby, and parte of Cheshyre, for that I can perceyve accordingly as I heretofore have wryttyn unto you, ther lackythe nothyng but good and godly instruction of the rude and poore people, and reformation of the heddis in thes partyes. For certen of the knyghtes and gentilmen, and most commonly all, lyvythe so incontinently, havyng ther concubynes openly in ther howses, with v. or vj. of their chyldren, putting from them their wyfes, that all the contrey therwith be not a litill offendyd and takithe evyll example of theym. Wherfor hetherto I have geven and sent commaundement to them, (forasmoche as I culd not speke with them all, by reason they war at the assyses) to put from them immediatly suche concubynes as they have hetherto notoriously and manyfestly occupyed and kept, and to take agen their wyfes, or ellys to appere before your lordship to shewe a cause whye they shuld not be compellyd. And iff your lordship wyll commaunde any other thyng to be doon in the premissis, I shall be redy to accomplyshe the same. And seing my lord of Norfolke ys cum to the cowrte, I shall most humbly desire you to have me in remembrans. And thus Jhesu preserve you and have you in his moste firme tuytion, with moche increase of honor, according to the contentation of your lordships

most noble good hartes desyre. From the monastery of Vale Royall, the xxijti, day of August.

Your lordscyps ever att commandment,

To the right honerable and his singuler

good lord, my lord prevy seall, this be delyvered.

THOMAS Legh.

In the following letter, which is imperfect at the beginning, the abbot of Vale Royal refuses to acknowledge the deed of surrender.

me and my brothren the kynges most graciouse and drade commyssion, wherein his graciouse plesure was that for the gratuytye that his grace trusted in me and my brethren, that we wold clerelye of our own consentes surrendre into his graciose handes our monasterye, beying of his most graciouse foundacion, and whereof your lordship is stuard. My good lorde, the truthe is, I nor my said brethern have never consented to surrendre our monasterye, nor yett doo, nor never will doo by our good willes, onles it shall please the kynges grace to giff to us commandement so to doo, whiche I can not perceve in the commyssion of maister Holcroft so to bee. And if any informacyon be giffon unto his magestye, or unto your good lordship, that we shulde consent to surrendre, as is above sayd, I assure your good lordship, apon my fidelitie and truthe, there was never non suche consent made by me nor my brethren, nor no person nor persons had auctoritye so