My owne goode Mastyr Secretary, aftyr my moste herty recommendacions, with lycke thanks for your goodness towards me, thes shalbe to advirtyse yow that I have beyn informyd by my trusty frende Thomas Crowmuell that ye have sygnyfied unto hym to my synguler consolacions howe that the Kyngs Hyghnes, mouyd with pity and compassyon, and of his excellent goodnes and cheryti consyderyng the lamentable condicion and stat that I stand yn, hath wyllyd yow with other lords and mastyrs of hys honorable Cownsell to intende to the perfygttyng and absolvyng, without further tract or delay, of myn end and appoyntment, and that my pardon shulde be made in the most ample forme that my cownsell cowde devyse; for thys the Kyngs moste gracyous remembraunce, procedyng of hymsylf, I accompte my sylf not onely moste bowndyn to serve and pray for the preservation of hys moste Royal Majeste, but also thancke God that ye have occasyon govyn unto you to be a sollycyter and setter forth of such thyngs as do and shall conserve my said ende, in the makyng and compownyng whereof myn assuryd trust ys that ye wele shewe the love and affeccion wych ye have and bere towards me your old lover and frende. So declaryng your sylf therin that the world may perceive that by your good meanys the Kyng ys the better goode Lorde unto me; and that, nowe, newly in maner commyng to the world, ther may be such respect had to my poore degre, olde age, and longe contynuyd servys, as shal be to the Kyngs hygh honor and your gret prayse and laude, wych undowttydly shal folowe yf ye extende yowr benyvolence towards me and mine, perceiving that by your wysdom and dexteryte I shalbe releuyd and in this my calamyte holpyn. At the reverens therfor of God, myn owne goode M. Secretary and refuge, nowe set to your hande that I may come to a laudable ende and reposse; seyng that I may be furnyshyd aftyr suche a sorte and maner as may ende my short tyme and lyff to the honor of Cryst's Churche and the Prince. And, besydys my dayly prayer and true hert, I shal so requyte your kyndnes as ye shal haue cause to thyncke the same to be wel imployed, lycke as my seyde trusty frende shal more amply shewe unto yow to whom yt may please yow to give for me credens and loving audience: and I shall pray for the increase of your honor. Wryttyn at Asher with the tremylling hand and hevy hart of your assuryd lover and bedysman. I To the rygth honorable and my synguler goode frende Master Secretary, T. CARLIS EBOR. LETTER CIV. Cardinal Wolsey to Dr. Stephen Gardener. My owne goode mastyr Secretary aftyr my moste herty commendacons I pray you at the reverens of God to help, that exspedicion be usyd in my presents, the delay wherof so replenyssheth my herte with hevynes, that I can take no reste; nat for any vayne fere, but onely for the miserabli condycion that I am presently yn, and lyclyhod to contynue in the same onles that ye, in whom ys myn assuryd truste, do help and releve me therein; for fyrst contynuyng here in thys moweste1 and corrupt eyer, beyng enteryd in to the passyon of the dropsy, cum prostratione appetitus, et continuo insompnus, I cannat lyve; wherfor of necessyte I muste be removyd to summe other dryer eyer and place, wher I may have comodyte of Physycyans. Secondly havyng but Yorke, wych ys now decayd by viijc.li by the yeere I can nat tell how to lyve and kepe the poore nombyr of folks wych I nowe have; my howsys ther be in decay, and of every thyng mete for howsold onprovidyd and furnyshyd. I have non apparell for my howsys ther, nor money to bryng me a moist. thether, nor to lyve with tyl the propyssea tyme of the year shal come to remove thither. Thes thyngs consyderyd, M: Secretary, must nedys make me in agony and hevynes; myn age therwith and sycknes consyderyd. Alas M Secretary, ye with other my lordys shewyd me that I shuld otherwyse be furnyshyd, and seyn unto. Ye knowe in your lernyng and consyens whether I shuld forfit my spiritualties of Wynchester or no. Alas the qualytes of myn offencys consyderyd, with the gret punisshement and losse of goodes that I have sustignyd, owt to move petyfull hertys. And the moste nobyl Kyng, to whom yf yt wold please yow of your cherytabli goodnes to shew the premyses aftyr your accustomable wysdom and dexteryte, yt ys nat to be dowettyd but hys Hyhnes wold have consyderacon and compassion, aggmentyng my lyvyng, and арpoyntyng such thyngs as shuld be convenyent for my furniture; wych to do shalbe to the Kyngs high honer, meryte, and dyscharge of consyens; and to yow gret praysse for the bryngyng of the same to passe for your olde brynger up and lovyng frende. Thys kyndnes exibite from the Kyngs Hyghnes shal prolong my lyff for sum lytyl whyl, thow yt shall nat be long; by the meane wherof hys Grace shal take profygtt, and by my deth non. What ys yt to hys Hyhnes to geve summe convenyent porcion owt of Wynchester and Seynt Albons, hys Grace takyng with my herty good wyl the a propitious. resydue. Remembyr, good M Secretary, my poore degre and what servys I have done: and how nowe approchyng to deth I must begyn the world ageyn. I beseche yow therfor, movyd with pity and compassyon, soker me in thys my calamyti, and to your power, wych I do knowe ys gret, releve me: and I with all myn shall not onely ascrybe thys my relef unto yow, but also pray to God for the increase of your honor. And as my poore shal increase, so I shal not fayle to acquyte yo' kyndnes. Wryttyn hastely at Asher with the rude and shackyng hand of your dayly bedysman and assuryd frende. To the rygth honorable T. CARLIS EBOR. In Rymer, tom. xiv. p. 371. is an Indenture between the King and Cardinal Wolsey, that the latter should give up the Bishoprick of Winchester and Abbey of St. Albans, and have one thousand marks yearly allowed him in lieu thereof. The Indenture recites that the King had previously given the Cardinal certain sums of money, goods, and chattels, to the amount and value of L6374. 3.7%; the schedule of which follows, p. 375. viz. "Fyrste in redy Money ммм". "Item, in Plate nyne thousand fyve hundred threscore fyve oz. dim. quarter, at iij. eight pence the oz. amounteth to MDCCLI. iij. vjd. ob. "Item, dyvers Apparell of Houshold, as Hangyngs, Beddyng, Napry, and other thyngs, as appereth by the Inventorie of the same, amountyng in value, by estimation Dcccli. "Item, in Horses and Geldyngs lxxx. with their apparell valued by estimation CL1i. LXli. "Item, in Mules for the Saddell iv. with their apparell, valued by estimation " Item, in Mules for cariage vi. with their apparell, valued by estimation XL. "Item, in Lyng on thousand, valued by estimation Li, "Item, in Cod and Haberden eight hundred, valued by estimation XL1, Item, in Salt eight waye, valued by estimation xli. Item, in Implementes of the Kychen, as Potts, Pannes, Spitts, Peawter Vessel, and other things necessarie for the same, valued by estimation LXXX. " Item, lii. Oxen, valued by estimation LXXxli. b "Item, in Muttons Ixx. valued by estimation XII. Item, the Apparell for his Body, valued by estimation cccli. power. "Summa vj.M.ccc. lxxivli, iij3. viid, ob.” |