LETTER CV.

Cardinal Wolsey to Secretary Gardener.

[MS. MUS. ASH MOL. Orig.]

My owne goode mastyr Secretary goyng this day owt of my pue to sey masse, your lettres datyd yesternygth at London wer delyveryd unto me, by the contynue wherof I undyrstand that the Kyngs Hyhnes of hys excellent goodnes and cheryte ys contentyd that I shal inyoy and have the admynistracon of Yorke merly, with the gyftts of the promocyons spiritual and temporall of the same; reservyd onely onto hys nobyll Grace the gyft of v or vj of the best promocōns : and that hys pleasure ys I shal leve Wynchester and Saynt Albons. As hereonto Master Secretary I can nat expresse howe moche I am bowndyn to the Kyngs Royal Maieste for thys hys gret and bowntawse liberalyte, reputyng the same to be moche more than I schal evyr be abyl to deserve. Howbeyt yf hys Maieste, consyderyng the short and lytyl tyme that I shal lyve here in thys world, by the reason of suche hevynes as I have conceyved in my hert, with the minyuose of the olde howsys, and the decay of the seyd archbyshoprych at the lest to the summe of viij C marcke yerely, by the reason of the Act passyd for fynys of testaments; with also min long peynful scrvys and poore

degre; and for the declaracion of hys Graces excellent cheryte, yf hys hyhnes be myndyd I shal leve Wynchester and Saynt Albons wych I supposyd when I made my Submyssyan, not offendyng in my treweth towards hys royal parson, dygnyti, or majeste royal, I shuld not now have deservyd to have left; and moche the more knowyng hys Graces excellent propensyon to pyte and mercy, and rememberyng of the francke departyng with of all that I had in thys world; that I may have summe convenyent pencion reservyd unto me, suche as the Kyngs hyhnes of hys nobyl charite shal thynke mete; so orderyng hys that shal succede and my lyvyng, that the same may be of lyck value yeerly and exstent. Wherat my trust ys and my herte so gevyth me, that hys Majeste wole make no dyfficultie yf yt may lycke yow frendly to propone the same; assuryng yow that I desyre nat thys for any mynde, God ys my jugge, that I have to accumulat good, or desyre that I have to the muke of the world; sen God be thankyd, at this ower, I set no more by the ryches and promocyons of the world than by the roshe undyr my fote; but onely for the declaration of the Kyngs honor and hyhe charyte, and to have wherewith, to do good dedys, and to helpe my poore servants and kynnysfolks. And furthermore that yt wold please the Kyngs excellent goodnes by your freindly medyacion, consyderyng how slendyrly I am furnyshyd in my Howse, nowe specially that the appa

rell of Wynchester and Saynt Albons shalbe takyn from me, to geve and appoynt on to me a convenyent fernyture for the same, non ad pompam sed necessariam honestatem: and yf I may have the free gyft and dyssposycion of the benefyces, yt shalbe gretly to my comfort. And yet when any of the v or vj princypall shal fortune to be voyd, the Kyngs Grace beyng myndyd to have any of them, hys hyhnes shalbe as sure of the same as thougth they wer reservyd. And thus by hys nobyl and mercyful goodnes delyveryd owt of extreme calamyte, and restoryd to a newe fredome, I shall, with Gods mercy and help, so ordyr my lyff, that I trust hys Majeste shal take special comfort theran, and be pleasyd with the same. Spero quod

hæc quæ peto non videbuntur magna. Howbeyt I moste humbly submyt and refferre all my petycions, immo ipsam vitam, to hys gracyous ordynance and pleasure, prayng yow to declare and sygnyfye the same, supplying myn indyssposcycon and lack of wyt conceyvyd by reason of my extreme sorowe and hevynes, that the same may be to the Kyngs contentacion; whom I had lever be ded than to ofende in worde, thowgth, or dede. And as towchyng the grantyng of the fee of one Cli for Mr Nores duryng hys lyff for hys good servys done unto the Kyng's hyhnes, for the wych I have alweyes lovyd hym, and for the singler good hert and mynde that I knowe he hath allweys borne unto me, I am content to make owt my graunte

opon the same, ye and yt wol please the Kyng to inlarge yt to one Cli more: and semblably, cause M. Thesauror hath the kepyng of the Kyngs game nygth to Fernam, I wold gladly yf yt may stand with the Kyngs pleasure grawnte onto hym the revercion of such thinges as the lorde Sands hath ther, with the ampliacion of the fee, above that wych ys oldely accustomyd, to the summe of xl by the yeer: and also I wold gladly geve to M: Comptroller a lycke ffee: and to Mr Russell anothyr of xxli by the yeere: remyttyng thys and all other my suts to the Kyng's Hyhnes pleasure, mercy, pity, and compassyon moste holly. Besechyng hys Hyhnes so nowe gracyously to ordyr me that I may from hens forth serve God quyetly and with reposse of mynd, and pray as I am moste bowndyn for the conservacion and increase of hys most nobyll and royal astat. And thus with my dayly prayer From Asher hastely, with the

I byd yow farewell.

rude hand and moste hevy hert of yowr assuryd frend and bedysman

To the rygth honorable

Mr Secretary, in hast.

T. CARLIS EBOR.

In the second of these Letters to Gardener (p. 7.) Wolsey laments the loss of his goods more than once. "I have none apparel for my Houses." And, in another place (p. 8.): "Alas the qualities of mine offences considered, with the great punishment and loss of goods that I have sustained, ought to move pitiful hearts."

14

Cavendish is minute upon the laying out and surrender of Wolsey's household-property at Westminster before he left for Asher. Mentioning the interview between the Cardinal and the Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk, he says,

"Then my Lorde delivered unto them the Great Seale, and was content to obey the Kings commandment, and to depart simply, taking with him nothing but only certaine provision for his House; saying that the King intended to come thither within two or three days.

"And after long talk between him and the Dukes, they departed with the Great Seal of Englande unto Windsor, and brought the same unto the King. Then went my Lord Cardinal and called his officers before him, and took account of them for all such stuff and things whereof they had charge. And in his gallery were set divers tables, whereupon lay a great number of goodly rich stuffs; as whole pieces of silk of all colours, velvet, satten, damask, tufted taffeta, grograine, sarcenet, and other things, now not in remembrance; also there lay on these tables a thousand pieces of fine Holland cloth, whereof as he reported after, there was five hundred of the said pieces of cloth stolne, and conveied away from the King and him; yet there was laid upon every table Books, made in manner of Inventories, reporting the number and contents of the same. And even so there were Books made in manner of Inventories of all things here after rehearsed, wherein he toke great pains to set all things in order against the Kings coming. Also he hanged all the walls of the Gallery on the one side, with cloth of gold, cloth of tissewe, cloth of silver, and with rich cloth of baudek in of divers colours. Also on the other side were hanged the richest suite of copes of his owne provision (made for his Colledges of Oxenforde and Ipswiche) that ever I saw in Englande. Then had he two chambers adjoining to the Gallery, the one called most commonly the Gilt Chamber, and the other the Counsell Chamber, wherein were set up two broad and long tables, upon tressels, whereupon was set such a number of plate of all sortes, as was almost incredible. In the Gilt Chamber were set out upon the table nothing but gilt plate; and upon a cupboard and in a window, was set no plate but all gold very rich. And in the Counsell Chamber was all white and parcel gilt plate; and under the table in baskets was all old broken silver plate, not esteemed worthy to be occupied as plate, but as broken silver; and Books set bye them, purporting every kynd of plate, and every parcel, with the content of the ounces thereof. Thus was all things furnished and prepared, giving the charge of all the said stuff with all other things remaining in every office to be delivered to the King, as well unto divers persons in whom he put his trust, as to one in especial of his officers, in every office of his House, to make answer to their charge, charged in their indenture of the parcels; for the order was such, that every officer was charged with the