was furthwith assaultid with trouble by them which made title withoute ryght or goode consyderation: and allthowgh my lorde Cardinall, whome God pardone, knowing my title to be perfect and suer, as having it enrollid bifore him, and at the first beginning hiering him self the mutuall covenaunts bytwene my fader and my cosen Sir William Fynderne, whoes fader was my mothers unkle, by his goode justice gave me good comfort, yet then having agayn me many grete personages, by the meanes of Mr. Porte the justice, whoes daughter myn adversaries sone hadd maried, I was constrayned to retayne so many lernyd men, and so to applie my busyness, that the saide Sute contynuyng one yere and an half, stoode me above one hundred pounds. Afterward my saide lorde Cardinall, for some goode oppynion that he conceyvyd of me withoute my merites, advauncid me (as he supposid) to `be Clerk of the Counsayle, withoute my sute or desyre. All be it afterward I was not ingrate as I will tell you hereafterward. Than was there newly delegate from the Sterre Chamber all maters of the North partes and Wales as ye know: those few that remayned were for the more parte the complaynts of beggars, which, shortly perceyving, I, my clerks repugning, did sett such a rate in fees ordinary as neither any man shold be excessifly grievyd, nor that I shold be seene to pike oute substance oute of other

mennys povertie: but that mought I the better sustayne by raison that I was than allso Clerk of the Assises Westward which was to me worth yerly one hundred marcs. But by the solicitation of some men which yet doo lyve, my sayde lorde bearing me on hand that I was and sholde be so necessary to be continually attendant on the Counsayle that it shold be expedient for me to leve the office of the Assises, (promysing moreover that by his meanes the King shold otherwise shortly promote me bothe to more worship and proffite,) finally willed me to resigne my said Office, takyng onely for it CC which after longe resistence finally I meist folow his pleasure to keepe him my goode Lorde. That doone whan the yere was finisshid I suyd to him to optayne a patent for the office in the Counsayle, which his Grace didd as I herd say, but I could never com by it: Doctor Cleyburgh and other keping it from me. After I suyd for the fee, which as I herd saye was fourti marcs by the yere, wherof I hadd promyse, but I never receyvid it. So by the space of six yeres and an half I servyd the King not in the Sterre Chamber onely, but in some things pertayning to the Clerk of the Croune, some to the Secretaries, and other travailes which I will not now reherce leste ye sholde deeme me longe in praising my self, and all this time without fee, withoute reward more than the ordinare: and that which more grevith me, withoute thank of the King which

I deservyd as it wold appier if his Grace hadd ben truely infourmed of me, and my drawghtes seene which I devisid and made to my sayde Lorde. In this unthankfull travayle I no thing gate but the Colike and the Stone, debilitating of Nature, and allmoste contynuell destillations or rewmes, ministres to abbreviate my lif; which though it be of no grete importance, yet some wayes it mought be necessary. Finally, after the deth of my sayde Lorde, there was a former patente founde of the sayde Office, and myn was callid in and cancelled, and I discharged without any recompence, rewarded only with the order of Knighthode, honorable and onerouse, having moche lassea to lyve on than bifore. And to minish my poure astate, I hadd a litle before payid to doctor Naturess, executor to Syr William Fynderne, to redeeme certayne yeres duryng the which he claymed to take the profits of my land for the execution of a wille, thre hundred and xlviij. pounds. So withoute office or any fee in the world (I refusing fees, to th'intent in servyng the Kyng I wold lyve out of all suspicion) withoute any ferme, withoute any stokke of Catell except foure hundred shepe to compasse the lands of my tenaunts, I have hitherto kept a pour house equall with any knight in the contrayes wher I dwell; and not withoute indignation of them which have moche more to lyve on. Nowe althowgh very unmeete and unhabile, I have servyd the King in his Grace's mes

a lesse.

t

sage, how our Lord knowith, suer I am truely and faithfully. Therein employed I fyve hundred and fourty marks above all the Kings alowance, which I nothing repent me of, trusting that his Grace is pleased with my service: but now that I trusted to lyve quietely, and by little and little to repay my creditors, and to reconsile myself to myn olde studies, and pray for the King, (for other promotion I lokid not for) I wote not by what malice of fortune I am constrayned to be in that office wherunto is as it were appendant losse of money and good name: of the one I am certayne; the other is hard to eskape, all sharpnesse and diligence in Justice now a dayes being every where odiouse. As Godd helpe me, sens my commyng over I have dischargid oute of my service fyve honest and tall personage, constraynid of necessitie, untill I mowght recover myself oute of dett: and now am I compelled to augment my household eftsones, or ells shold I serve the Kinge sklenderly. Ye here myn occasions, I pray you than blame me not thowgh I have my mynde somewhat inquieted; not that I imbrayde the King with my service, but that I sorow that his Grace hath not ben so informed of me as my service requyred: and moreover that I am not of powar to serve his Grace according to his expectation, and as my pour hart desyreth. And goode Mr. Cromwell I thank you that ye will lese so moche tyme to reade this longe Letter, praying You to bear part of it in your remembrance that as oportunitie servith ye

may truely aunswer for your frend, who hartily desyreth the increase of your worship. And I pray you continue your favor towards Mr. Raynsford whom ye shall fynde as honest and faithfull as any that ever ye were acquaynted with. And I beseche Godd send you longe lif, and well to doo. Writen at Carleton the viij. day of Decembre.

To the right worshipfull

and myne assuryd frende

Mr. Cromwell.

By yours assured

TH. ELYOT KT

LETTER CXLIII.

Edward Earl of Hertford, afterwards Protector, to Lord Cromwell.

[MS. COTTON. VESP. F. XIII. fol. 104. Orig.]

Mi veri good Lord, after mi right harte commendacions, this schal be to advertise the same that this day, the xiith of Juli, I reseyvid your Letter datid att Okyng the ixth of the same, wher in I perseyve your Lordshep hath made me partisipant to the kyngs Highnis Let's latli com from Mast Wottun and the biship of Heriford, for which yo' jentell rememberans I most harteli thank yo' good lordship, and am as glad of the good resolucion of the Deuk of Cleves his mother and