Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

me a hunderyd worans for the delyverans of a hunderyd ffreeres that schall gyff up ther howseys in thys progresse, and leve a space for ther nameys, I woll brynge 30w the nameys and place at my returne. And, gode my lord, I beseche 30u thynke noht that I am any feynour to 30w, for I insuer 30w I am no3t, but am and woll be as trew and as secrete to 30w as any servantt that 3e have, and as glad to do that thyng that schuld plese God specyally and the kynges grace and 30w. I wolde do all thynges with so moche quiet and withowt any clamor so ner as I know; if that I knew 30wer plesur, ther schall no parte be left undon so ner as I may. My commyscyon gyffyht me no auctoryte to put any owte withowte they gyff up ther howseys; but if that I knew 30wer plesur, I may fynde causeys suffycyent to put them owte of many placeys, for ther mysleveyng and for disobeyyng the instruccyons and the kynges actes.

[At] Winchelse, accordeyng to 30wer commandement, I have sold the stuff; the howse is at the kynges commandement and yowres.

To my synguler goode lorde Crumwell, lorde prevy seale, be thys delyveryd with

honor.

(Inclosure.)

TO MY SYNGULER GOODE LORD CRUMWELL, LORDE PREVY SEALE.

I beseche yower lordeschype to have dyscharge for theys fryers to change ther apparell.

The Blacke Fryers of Glosseter.

Fryer Johan Raynoldes, bachyler in dyvynyte, prior nuper.

Fryer Johan Howper.

Fryer Rychard Bylond.

Fryer Wyllyam Swan.

Fryer Wyllyam Walton.
Fryer Raffe Howell.
Fryer Thomas Meykyns.

[blocks in formation]

The house of the white friars in Marlborough was founded by two merchants in 1316.

CAMD. SOC.

2 D

I wante iij. or iiij. freeres nameys of the Austen and Wheyte Freeres of Winchester. I lefte the boke at hom. If ye wold be so gode to send to me iij. or iiij. waranttes with a space for ther namys, I wer bonde to yow.

My lorde, I intende, God willing, your plesure not knowen to the contrary, to ride now to Bristow, to Winchester, to Chichester, to Arrondell, to Sowthamton, to Salisbery, and so all the west contre within xvj. mile of the Mownthe, and so returne into Walys, and cum ageyne to Ludlowe and to Schrewisbery, and so to Denbith and to Bangar, and so to Westchester and to Lancaster, and so all the northe abowthe or I returne. In all placeys wher as yet I have ben I have made inventory indenteid, and seleyd up their common sealys so that thei shall sell or alienate nomore of their jewellys nor other stuffe, wherfor I am suar that within a yere the more parte shall be fayne to giffe up their howseis for poverty. I beseche your lordechipe that my servant may knowe your plesure whether he shall adwaythe for a letter from your lordeschipe or no.

XCIX.

REPORT OF THE SURRENDER OF THE FRIARS GLOUCESTER.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 252.*]

Memorandum, thys xxviij. day of Julii, in the xxx. yer of ower most dred soveren lord kyng Henry the viijte, Rychard byschop of Dowor and vesytor under the lord prevy selle for the kynges grace was in Glowsetur, and ther befor the meyar and aldermen in the howseys of freeres ther at ij. tymeys in ij. days putt the seyd freeres att ther lyberteys, whether they vold contynew in ther howseys and kepe ther relygyon and injuxcyons accordeyng to the same, or ellys gyff ther howseys into the kynges handdes. The injuxcyons he ther declareyd among them, the whyche war thowthe by the seyd meyar and aldermen to be good and resonabyll, and also the seyd freeres seyd that they war accordeyng to ther rewlys, yet as the

* The convent of the Grey Friars at Winchester is said to have been founded by Edward III.

†This house stood outside the town: the Austin friars settled here in the time of Edward I.

66

warlde ys nowe they war nott abull to kepe them and leffe in ther howseys, wherfore voluntaryly they gaffe ther howseys into the vesytores handes to the kynges use. The vesytor seyd to them, thynke not, nor hereafter reportt nott, that ye be suppresseyd, for I have noo suche auctoryte to suppresse yow, but only to reforme yow, wherfor yf ye woll be reformeyd accordeyng to good order, ye may contynew for all me." They seyd they war nott abull to contynew. Wherfor the vesytor toke ther howseys, and charytabully delyveryd them, and gaff them letteres to vesyte ther fryndes, and so to goo to oder howseys, with the whyche they war wery well contentt, and soo departeyd. Thys whe the seyd meyar and aldermen testyfy by ower handes subscrybeyd.

Maister WYLLYAM HASARD, meyr.

Master WYLYAM MATHEW, aldermon.
Mr. THOMAS BELL the elder, alderman.
THOMAS PAYNE, alderman.

The next letter traces the visitors in their progress to Shrewsbury, where they were preparing to enter Wales.

C.

RICHARD BISHOP OF DOVER TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 248.]

My synguler good lord, in my humble maner pleseythe yt yower lordschype to understande, that sythe I wroght to yow from Glosetur I have taken into the kynges handdes ij. conventes in Worsetur,* on in Brygenorthe,† on in Atherston, and on in Lechefyld,‡

* Leland speaks of a house of black friars at Worcester. He also mentions the Grey Friars, "without St. Martin's Gate," founded by the earls of Warwick in the thirteenth century. In the 31 Hen. VIII. the site of the latter house was granted to the bailiffs and citizens.

There was in Bridgenorth a house of grey friars founded in the reign of Henry VI. by John Talbot earl of Shrewsbury.

At Litchfield there was a house of grey friars founded about the year 1229.

of the whyche I wroght to yower lordschype by yower servant Holt from Lechefylde. Sythe I have taken into the kynges handdes ij. conventes in Stafforde,* on in Newcastell Underlyne,† and ij. in Schrewysbery, and ther on standeytht styll; the occasyon of it standeynge is because that I alwaye have declaryd that I had no commyssyon to suppresse no howse, nor non I dede suppresse, but suche as was not abull to lyve. Yff they gave ther howseys into the kynges handdes for poverte, I receyveyd them, and elles non. Now for that howse in Schrewysbery that standeyth, yt ys of the blacke fryeres, and I cowde fynde no gret cause in them to cause them to gyve up. And also yt schall declare that I do not suppresse the howsys, but suche as gyve up, seynge that sum stande, and not all put downe. To wryght to yower lordschype the copys of all the howsys and the inventorys of the same I have no leyser, and I am lothe to sende them withowte yt war be my servant, that I myght have sum answer of yower plesur agayn, and my servanttes be seke, so that I have non to sende; but I trust to se yower lordschype within a veke, and be that tyme I trust to make an ende in all Walys. Sumwhat to certyfye yower lordeschype of the state off suche as I have receyveyd sythe that I wrote to yow towcheynge Stafforde, the Austen Fryeres ther ys a pore howse, with small implementes, no jwelles but on lytyll chales, no led in the howse, in rentes by yere ljs. viijd. The Graye Fryeres ther, halfe the quere ledeyd and a chapell, small implementes, no plate but a chales and vj. small sponys, in renttes xxvjs. iiijd. The Blacke Fryeres in Newecastell Underlyne, all in ruyne, and a pore howse, the quere ledeyd and the cloeyster

* A house of grey or Franciscan friars existed at Stafford early in the reign of Edward I. There was also a house of Austin friars, founded about 1344, in the south suburb called Forbrugge.

+ Leland, speaking of Newcastle-under-Line, says "there was an house of black friars in the south end of the town."

The Black Friars in Shrewsbury appears to have been founded about the sixth year of the reign of Henry III.

« AnteriorContinuar »