LETTER CXIV.

Henry Montague to Secretary Cromwell desiring his protection, upon the Death of his father-in-law Lord Bergavenny Euridge.

[MS. COTTON. VESPASIAN F. XIII. fol. 106. Orig.]

George Lord Bergavenny, the subject of the ensuing Letter, died in the 27th Hen. VIIIth. A. D. 1535. Thomas Nevyll, who signs this Letter, was brother to this Lord; and H. Nevyll his son and heir, was summoned to Parliament in the 3d and 4th. Edw. VIth. he afterwards sat in judgement upon the Queen of Scots. "

PLESITH hyt you to understond that wher hit hath bene the wyll of God to call to hys mercy, this present Sunday in the mornyng about ij of the cloke my father in lawe the lord Bergevenny, who allways in his tyme trustyd you above all men, and that in the ende of his lyff apperyd unto us manifestly, for then he comunyd of you saying that he was well assuryd of you, so that I and my two uncles shulde have your lawfull favor in executyng his wyll And that you shulde not thynke he dyd forgett you, he remembryd you with this tokyn of golde, dissyryng you to be good unto my Lord his son, the whach ys the Kynges ward, and shalbe at his

See Dugd. Bar. tom. 1. p. 310, 311.

Graces commaundement whan yt shall plese his Grace, as knowith God who have you in his kepyng From Eurydge within the forest of Waterdown

Edmund Harvel from Venice, to Dr. Starkey. News respecting the Emperor and affairs in Italy.

[MS. COTTON. NERO B. VII. fol. 100, Orig.]

Of Edmund Harvel, the writer of this Letter, the Editor has not discovered any Account. In a Letter to Dr. Starkey, dated Venice, 7th April 1535, he says, "I awe moche to Mr. Winter" (Wolsey's natural son)" for his friendly mynde toward me, as I understande by Mr. Farmer, advancing me gretely to Mr. Cromewell. I pray you in my name to give him grete thanks for his humanite, of the wiche I will have perpetual memorye."

MR. STARKEY I have writen unto you sens my retorne twies, advising yow of soche newis as hath ben

occorent. By the last post owt of England I marvel that from yow and other we had not Lettres. Mr. Pole is continual in writing of his work, and that with extreme studye wiche brekith him moche, specially in thes sharpe coldes wiche hath raignid her many dais. By al the next monith I stimea that his labor shal take end, and by my opinion ther came not soche a thing abrode as this shalbe in owr dais; for be you assurid that Mr. Pole hath grete vertu and eloquence, with prudence and judgement, as no man that levith more. b And I dowt not but his writing shalbe both grateful and also admirable to al vertuous men, and specially unto you who delitith of him so moche, as I am perswaded yow do.

To come to the wordly besines, th'Emperor by al the present departith for Rome with a grete nombre of men, and wil entre in Rome habitu triumphali. He preparith a grete Navye of Galeis, 100; and many ships; as also an hoste of xl. M. to passe into Africke

a esteem.

b Cardinal Pole in the Defence, which he addressed to the Emperor Charles the Fifth, of his work" de Ecclesiastica Unitate," confesses his obligations to Henry the VIIIth, for his education. His mother, as will be seen hereafter, was the preceptress to the Princess Mary.

"Scribo enim, Cæsar, contra Regem Angliæ, qui sum ipse Anglus, contra eum Regem, quocum me sanguine natura conjunctum esse voluit, et quem propter ipsius indolem, quam olim præ se tulit, ac propter nonnulla ejus in me beneficia tali amore ac veneratione prosequutus sum, ut nemo unquam hominem magis amaverit, nemo Principem majori pietate et observantia coluerit; cujus liberalitate et cura me fateor habere quod scribere possum, quod literas noverim, qui ME solum EX NOBILITATE ANGLICA in literis educendum et instituendum curavit." Apolog. p. 67.

ayenst Alger, Barbarossa's towne, kept with 3000 men, as the voyce is published: albeit ther is suspicion of other bessines. The French Kings practises with Venecians hath bene right grete with inestimable promesses; but thes men stondith strongly for th'Emperor as farre as it is knowen. They have no monye for the use of ware; a and to beginne withowt a good ground they will not do lightly. It is trowth that they are insupportable to see the State of Milan in th'Emperors hands.

Her is grete suspicion of the French King; but now in Italye he hath litil frendship; for al the hedds except only Venecians are imperial. The Duke of Florence shal marye the Emperors dawghter. Florentins hath providb in vayne to recover ther libertye of th'Emperor with grete condicions. Of the Concel her is litil mention. It is thowght the Turke shold at the present be in Constple, but of that is no certainte: but the fame is very constant of the grete ruyne he had lately of the Sofi.

I pray yow salute me most entierly to myne honorable masters. And of my mony, habeas, rogo te, rationem ut mihi aliquando persolvatur. This Turks absence hath uttirly decaid this towne for lacke of doings. Cesse not to write perpetually, for ther is nothing more

pleasant to us then your Lettres. Bene vale.

Venice the 18 Januarij, 1535.

In

Yors

EDMOND HARVEL.

To the right worshipful Mr. Thomas Starkey in London.

TANNER informs us that Thomas Starkey, apparently the person to whom this Letter is addressed, was rector of the church of Great Mongeham. In 1536 he was admitted Master of the College of St. Laurence Pountney, which he vacated by death in 1538. Two Letters, in 1535, from Barnardin Sandro, one dated from Padua the other from Venice, are addressed to him "in Aula Regis;" a third, from Venice, dated 5th Oct. 1535, is directed "Honoran. domino Thomæ Starkeio, utriusque Juris Doctori peritiss. Londini. Atte Dowgate in my Lady of Sarysbury's Place." Tanner says he wrote "An Exhortation to the People, instructing them to unity and obedience;" printed by Berthelet in quarto, without date.

LETTER CXVI.

Edmund Harvel to Mr. Thomas Starkey. The opinion expressed at Venice upon Henry the VIIIth's cruelty to the Monks. Barbarossa settled in Tunis.

[MS. COTTON. MUS. BRIT. NERO B. VII. fol. 93. Orig.]

You require to be certefied frely of the judgement made her of the Monks deth with yow. To write yow