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XXIV.

DR. LAYTON TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 249.]

Pleasit your mastershipe to understonde, that yesternyght late we came from Glassynburie to Bristowe to Saint Austins, wheras we begyn this mornyng, intendyng this day to dispache bothe this howse here, beyng but xiiij. chanons, and also the Gawntes,* wheras be iiij. or v. By this bringar, my servant, I sende yowe relyqwis, fyrste, two flowres wrappede in white and blake sarcenet that one Christynmas evyn hora ipsa qua Christus natus fuerat will spring and burgen† and bere blossoms, quod expertum esse, saith the prior off Maden Bradeley; ye shall also receve a bage of reliquis, wherin ye shall se straingeis thynges, as shall appere by the scripture, as, Godes cote, Oure lades smoke, Parte of Godes supper in cena domini, Pars petre super qua natus erat Jesus in Bethelem, belyke ther is in Bethelem plentie of stones and sum qwarrie, and makith ther maingierres off stone. The scripture of evere thyng shall declare yowe all; and all thes of Maden Bradeley, wheras is an holy father prior, and hath but vj. children, and but one dowghter mariede yet of the goodes of the monasterie, trystyng shortly to mary the reste. His sones be tale men waittyng upon hym, and he thankes Gode a never medelet with marytt women, but all with madens the faireste cowlde be gottyn, and always marede them ryght well. The pope, consideryng his fragilitie, gave hym licens to kepe an hore, and hath goode writyng sub plumbo to discharge his conscience, and toc hoys Mr. Underhyll to be his gostely father, and he to gyve hym plenam remissionem, &c.

I sende yowe also oure lades gyrdell of Bruton, rede silke, * Billeswyke Hospital, in the suburbs of Bristol, was also called Gaunt's from Maurice de Gaunt, by whom it was founded, before 1229.

+ Burgen, to bud.

The priory of Bruton or Brewetone, in Somersetshire, was founded about the year 1005, by Athelmer, earl of Cornwall. It was converted into an abbey in the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII.

wiche is a solemne reliquie sent to women travelyng, wiche shall not miscarie in partu. I sende yowe also Mare magdalens girdell, and that is wrappyde and coveride with white, sent also with gret reverence to women traveling, wiche girdell Matilda thempresse, fownder of Ferley,* gave unto them, as saith the holy father of Ferley. I have crosses of silver and golde, sum wiche I sende yow not now bycause I have mo that shalbe delivered me this nyght by the prior of Maden Bradeley hym self. To morowe erly in the mornyng I shall bring yow the reste, whan I have recevide all, and perchaunce I shall fynde sum thyng here. In casse ye depart this day, hit may please yowe to sende me worde by this bringer, my servant, wiche way I shall repaire affter yowe. Within the Chartar Howse hath professide and done althynges accordyng as I shall declare yow at large to morowe erly. At Bruton and Glasenburie ther is nothyng notable; the brethren be so straite keppide that they cannot offende, but faine they wolde if they myght, as they confesse, and so the faute is not in them. From Sainte Austines withoute Bristowe, this saint Bartilmews day, at iiij. of the cloke in the mornyng, by the spedy hande of your moste assurede poir preste,

RYCHARDE LAYTON.

John Bartelot, the subject of the following letter, is probably the same person who will be found a little later concerned in a somewhat similar discovery to that here mentioned. His transaction with the prior of the Crutched friars is not greatly to his credit and the chancellor appears to have formed no very unjust opinion of him.

XXV.

JOHN BARTELOT TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 134.]

Pleas it your honourable mastership to be advertisid, that in the tyme of Lent last past your contynuell oratour John Bartelot, * Farley, in Wiltshire, was a small house dependent on the priory of Lewes, founded by the second Humphrey de Bohun. The empress Matilda was a benefactress, as appears from the confirmation charter of Henry III.

with other to the noumber of v. personez of good conversacion, ffound the prior of the Crossid Fryers in London at that tyme beyng in bedde with his hoore, both nakyd, abought xj. of the clok in the for none, upon a Fryday, at which tyme the said priour, to thentent his mysdemeaner and shamfull facte shuld not be knowen wherby he shuld susteyn opyn shame, knelid upon his kneez, and not only desyrid your said oratour and his cumpany to kepe secret his said acte and not to disclose in any wise the same, but also for the same entent frely of his owen mocion yaf amonges theym about xxxli. which he then was possessid of, of the which summe your oratour hadde by the said yef* abought vijli. And also the said priour promysid to yef amonges the said company xxxli. more by a certen day. And after by mediacion of ffrendes of the said priour, the said xxxli. was releasid to the summe of vjli, which vjli. the said priour bound hym self to pay to your oratour by his bill obligatorie at a certen day in the same lymittid. Yet this notwithstonding, for because your said oratour for nonpayment of the said vjli. did arrest the said ffryer, he hath so heynously enformed the lord chauncellour ayenst your oratour, that he not oonly will put hym to suertie, making the premisses a heynous robery, sayeng opynly that your oratour is worthy to be hangid, but also will by his high auctorite compell your oratour to repay ayen to the said ffryer the summe of xxxli., oonles your moost charitable goodnes be therin otherwise shewid. Yt may therfor pleas your good mastership, of your aboundaunt goodnes, to provyd that the premissez may be duly examyned according to equite, for this is the very and hole truth in the And your said oratour shall pray to God for your honour and preservacion long to endewer.

same.

By your humble to his pour duryng his lif,

To the right honourable master secretory.

JOHN BARTELOT.

*Gift.

The abbeys of Rievaulx and Fountains, mentioned in the following letter, are well known at the present day by their extensive and picturesque ruins. The former, a house of the Cistercian order, was founded in 1131 by Walter Espec; the latter was founded in the year following (1132) by a colony of monks of the abbey of St. Mary at York. This letter can hardly be by the same Thomas Legh who was so active a visitor, and whose signature occurs so frequently to other letters.

XXVI.

THOMAS I. LEGH TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 137.]

Pleasithe it your mastershyp to be advartesyd that, according unto your commandement, with most diligence I hawe deliverd your letter, also attymes most convenient referryd unto the kynges commyssionars at Riwax siche credance as yower pleisar and equite wolde, whyche uppon the abbott of Funtans partt was butt lyghtly regardyd, and playnly expressyd of the same, that suche letter as I deliveryd and credance relatyde was ffrom M. Crumwell onley, and nott ffrom the kinges hyghnesse, wheropon, by the councelles of docter Spensar and Boyear, a procter, after evidence prove be wyttnessys, and the abbott of Rywax confession publishyde, the said abbott amonge other exceptions dyd laye thys excepcion, Quod vigore literarum nulla commissionariis nec illorum alicui competit aut competere potest jurisdictio contra prefatum abbatem de Rievalle, pro eo videlicet et ex quo dicte littere regie fuerunt et sunt dolose, surreptitie, quod sunt tacita veritate et expressa falsitate per dolum et fraudem ac hujusmodi (?) serenissimi principis nostri circumventione impetrate, who in hys obstinacie and parrvarse mynde adhering to the rulles of hys religion, as he said, departyd from Riwax, and wolde nott accordingli unto your letters thare remayne for the accomplyshment of the kinges commaundement, notwithstondyng that I often tymes desiryd hym and commaundyd hym in the kinges name to tarry and make prosses according to justice withowt forder delay; whyche rebelliouse mynde at this tyme is soo radicate, not only in hym, butt also in money of that religion,

as in the abbott of Rywax wryting thys letter here inclosyde to the slaundare of the kinges heygnes, and after the kinges lettars receivyd dyd imprison and otharways punyche divers of hys brethern whyche ware ayenst hym and hys dissolute lywing; also dyd take ffrom one of the same, being a wery agyd man, all hys money whyche he shulde hawe made hys jubili withalle, that as persons almost nothing regarding God and veri lytyll owr grett maister the king, under the pretence of the rwlles of there religion, lyvythe as persones, solute ab omni lege seu obedientia et Deo et regi debita, being abowghtwardes, as yt semythe to me, to rwlle the king by ther rulles, whyche ys a perverse ordre that so noble a hedde shulde be rulyd by so putride and most corrupte membres. Sed Cato inquit, obsta principiis. All the cuntre maykythe exclamacions of thys abbot of Riwax, uppon hys abhomynable lywing and extorcions by hym commyttyd, also many wronges to divers myserable persons don, whyche evidently duthe apere by bylles corroboratt to be trwe, wythe ther othese corporale in the presens of the commissionars and the said abbott takyn, and opon the same xvj. witnessys examynyd, affermyng ther exclamacions to be trwe. Therfore, tempore jam instante, the kinges magiste consideryd, whome they hawe knowligyd to be supremum caput totius ecclesie Anglicane, the honor of my lorde of Rutland * in thys besynes remembryd, your worshyp and also my pore honeste not forgotton, they wolde ether quykli be lokyd opon and shortly, or elles ther dessolute lywing with rebelliose demeanour shall every day increase more and more, to the dysplesour of God, disquietnes of the kinges prerogative, and reproche slanderouse unto ther religion, with troble of suche cuntres as they ar inhabytyd in. The abbot of Funtance had knowlige at hys being at Riwax, the erle of Cumberlond† to have a commission for to inqwyer upon hys demenars, whyche causyde hym in ther businesses to playe

*Thomas Earl of Rutland, as a descendent of Walter Espec, was the patron of Rievaulx. After its dissolution he obtained a grant of the site.

† Henry Clifford, created Earl of Cumberland in 1525. He shared largely in the spoils of the monasteries.

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