CARDINAL DE RETZ. Cardinal de Retz, after his recall from banishment, threw himself at the king of France's feet; the king lifted him up, and said, “ Cardinal, you "are grey-headed:" on which he replied, "Sire, "my hair instantly grew grey when I incurred "your majesty's displeasure." METHODISTS. The methodists are extremely uncharitable in their superstitious application of a Providence. If a clergyman die suddenly at the card-table, they record his death as an instance of the judgment of God against card-playing. Another is cured of scrophulous legs in hearing one serinon. A father, mother, three sons, and a sister, are destroyed by particular interposition. A dancing master dies suddenly, and this is also a judgment of God against dancing. Should a snuff. taker die by excessive sternutation (for they do not allow snuff or tobacco), a particular providence would be the cause. Against smoking they rival king James I. in their anathemas; and Sir Walter Raleigh would, upon the principle above stated, have suffered justly for having introduced that narcotic weed. The excise revenue suffers greatly in this body of men, who even quarrel with wine after dinner. But, to return, the conflagration of our two principal theatres was a judgement of God,notwithstanding that the principal severity of it fell upon the insurance offices. DISSOLUTION OF THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES In Mr. Ellis's elegant selection from the Museum Letters, we find the following very curious documents relative to the dissolution of the religious houses: 66 46 66 Addressed to Secretary Cromwell. "Right honorable after all humble recommenda❝tions theis shalbe to advertyse you that we have "byn yn execution of the Kyngs Commission di❝rected unto us, begynnyng at Chacumbe, wher we accomplysshed all thyngs accordyng unto our Commyssion, and frome thens we repayred "to Assheby, where after on days tarreyng we werre fayne to departe thens unto Catesby Nunrey by occasion of sykenesse where we "have also accomplisshed the Kyngs Commys"sion accordyng to his high commandement and "and our poore discrecions. Which Howse of "Catesby we founde in very perfett order, the "Priores a sure wyse, discrete, and very religyous woman, with ix. nunnys under her obedyencye, 66 46 "as relygious and devoute, and with as good "obedyencye as we have in time past seen, or "belyke shall see. The seid Howse standyth “in suech a quarter, muche to the releff of the "Kyngs people, and his Grace's pore subjects "their lykewyse mooe relewed, as by the reporte "of dyvers worshypfull nere ther unto adjoynyng, as of all other, yt ys to us openly declared. "Wherefore yf yt shulde please the Kyngs "Highnesse to have eny remorse that eny suche "relygious House shall stande, we thynke his "Grace cannot appoynt eny House more mete "to shew his most gracious charitie and pitey on that one the seid House of Catesby. "ther ye shall understande that as to her boun"den dewtye towards the Kyngs Highnes in "theis his affayres, also for dyscrete entertayn"ment of us his commyssioners and our com"pany, we have not fownde nor belyke shall 66 66 Fer fynde eny suche of more dyscretion. And lese "peraventure theyr may be labor made to her "detryment and other undoyng,before knowlege "showlde cum to his Hyghnesse the effecte "of theis our Lettres, to th'entent his Grace "may stay the Graunte theyrof tyll suche 66 tyme we may ascerteyn yow of our full certyfycat and comparts in that behalfe accordyng. "From Catesby the xij. day of this present 66 "moneth off May, from the Kyngs Commys"sioners at your commandement. 86 "Edmond Knyghtley, John Lane, George Gyffard, Robert Burgoyn. Addressed to the Founder of the Nunnery at "Right honourable our most synguler Maister "and Founder, our duetie in the humblest wise "presupposed, with dayly prayer, as your per"petuall and religious beedwomen. Please yt "your goodness to undirstonde, that where as "Almyghty God hath indued you wt just title "Founder of the Pryory of Legborne to the great "comfort of me and all my systers: we doo and "shall alweyes submit ourselfs to youre most "rightuouse commaundement and ordre, oonly "puttyng our comfort in your goodnesse for all causes concernyng your poure Pryory of Leg“bourne. And where as we doo here that a "grete nombre of Abbyes shalbe punysshed, subprest and put downe bicause of their mys "lyvyng; and that all Abbyes and Pryores undir "the value of CC" be at our moste noble Prynce's 68 46 pleasure to subpresse and put downe. Yet if "it may pleas your goodnes, we trust in God ye “shall here no compleynts agaynst us, nother in "our lyvyng nor hospitalitie kepyng. In con "sideracion whareof if it may please your good66 nes, in our great necessitie, to be a meane and "sewter for your owne powre Pryory, that it maye be preserved and stond, you shalbe a "more higher Founder to vs than he that first "foundid oure Howse. We have noon othir "comfort or refuge but oonly unto your goodnes, "and we hooly submyt oursels to the pleasure "of God, to the pleasure of our Prynce, and to "the pleasure of you our Founder; and how "soever it shall please God that we shalbe or"dered, we shall continue your faithfull and "dayly bedewomen. As knoweth oure Lorde "who ever preserve you to your most comfort. "Yo" owne dayly bead women 66 JANE MESSYNDYNE Pryores "and SISTERS of the PRYORY of LEGBORNE." Addressed to Lord Cromwell. "My very good Lord, after my moost hertie "commendations it shall please yo' Lordship "to understand that the monks of the Charter"house here at London, whiche wer committed "to Newgate for thair traitorus behavor long "tyme continued against the Kings Grace, be "almoost dispeched by th'and of God; as it may Wherof 66 apper to you by this byll inclosed. "considering thair behavor and the hole mater, |