My Lord, after my most bownden dewte, I recommend me to your good Lordshype besychyng yow to be good Lord to me, now in the gretest ned that ever . for et hathe plesed God to take fro me hem that was my most con a in thys world to my gret her sowl an. marcy on

hevenes. Jhesu have

tr

I am

sokerles and as a redles createwr bot only fro the gret b have in the Kyngs grace and your good I pot al my hole trost of comfort in thys world besychyng yow to lo... me that I may so do.

lordischep for now in yo

My Lord, whan your Lordsychep was last here, et pleased yow to say, that I should not mestrost the Kyngs Grace, nor your Lordsychep which word was mor comfort to me than I can wryt, as God knoweth. And now et boldethe me to shew yow my powr mynd. My Lord, when my Lady Marys Grace was born, et pleased the Kings Grace to appoint me Lady Mastres; and made me a Barones. And so I to the Cheldern hes Grace

have ben am have had sens.

Now et es so, my Lady Elizabethe is put from that degre she was afore: and what degre she is at now, I know nat bot be heryng say; therfor I know not how to order her, nor my self, nor non of hars that I have the rewl of: that is, her women & har

gromes: besychyng yow to be good Lord to my Lady, & to al hers: And that she may have som rayment; for she hath neither gown nor kertel, nor petecot, nor no maner of linnin for smokes, nor cerchefes, nor sleves, nor rayls, nor body-stychets, nor handcerchers, nor mofelers, nor begens. All thys har Graces Mostake, I have dreven of as long as I can, that, be my trothe, I cannot drive it no lenger: besechyng yow, my Lord, that ye wel see, that her Grace may have that es nedful for har, as my Trost es ye wel do. Beseeching you, my owen good Lord, that I may know from yow be writing, how I shal order my self; & what es the Kyngs Graces pleser, & yowrs, that I shal do in every thing. And whatsom ever it shal ples the Kyngs Grace, or your Lordship to command me at al teyms, I shal folfel et, to the best of my power.

My Lord, Mr. Shelton saythe he es Master of thys Hows: what fashion that shal be, I cannot tel: for I have not sen et afor. My Lord, ye be so honourable your self, & every man reportethe your Lordsychep lovethe honour, that I trust your Lordship wil se thys Hows honerabely orderd, how som ever it hath been aforetime and ef et ples yow, that I may know, what yowr Order is, & if it be not performed, I shal sertify to your Lordshyp of it. For I fear me, it wil be hardly inow performed, for ef the head of. knew, what honour meaneth,

et wel be the beter orderd: ef not, et wil be hard to

bring it to pass.

My Lord, master Shelton wold have my Lady Elizabeth to dine & sup every day at the bord of Astat. Alas! my Lord, it is not meet for a child of har ag, to kepe sych rewl yet. I promes you, my Lord, I dare not take et upon me to kepe har Grace in helthe & she keep that rule: for ther she shal se dyvers mets & freuts, and wine: which would be hard for me to refryn her Grace from et. Ye know, my Lord, there is no place of corekcyon ther. And she es yet to young to correct greatly. I know wel, & she be ther I shal nother bryng her up to the Kings Graces honour, nor hers; nor to har helthe, nor my pore honesty. Wherfore I shew your Lordship this my descharg, besycheyng you, my Lord, that my Lady may have a mess of met to har owen logyng, with a good dish or two, that is meet for her Grace to et of: And the reversion of the mess shal satisfy al her wemen, a gentleman usher & a groom. Which been eleven persons on her side. Suer I am, et wil be (in to right little) as great profit to the Kings Grace this way, as the t'other way. For if al this should be set abroad, they must have three or four mess of meat, where this one mess shal suffice them al, with bread & drink, according as my Lady Maries Grace had afore; & to be ordered in al things, as her Grace was afore.

VOL. II. SER. 2.

G

God knoweth, my Lady hath great pain with her great teeth, & they come very slowly forth: & causeth me to suffer her Grace to have her wil more than I would; I trust to God & her teeth were well graft, to have her Grace after another fashion, than she is yet: so as I trust the Kings Grace shal have great comfort in her Grace. For she is as toward a Child, & as gentle of conditions, as ever I knew ene in my leyf. Jesu preserve her Grace. As for a Day, or two at a hey teym, or whan som ever it shal please the Kings Grace to have her set abrod, I trost so to indever me, that shee shal so do as shal be to the Kings honeur, & hers: and than after to take her ease again.

I think master Shelton wel not be content with this. He may not know it is my desier; but that et es the Kyngs plesure, & yours it should be so. Good my Lord, have my Ladys Grace & us that be her poor Servants in your rememberance. And your Lordship shal have our harty prayers by the Grace of Jesu : ho ever preserve your Lordship with long life, & as myche honer as your nobel hart can desire. From Honsdon with the evil hand of har that es your dayly bed-woman.

MARGET BRYAN.

I beseech you, my owen good Lord, be not mes

content, that I am so bold to wryt thus to your Lordsychep. But I take God to my joge, I do et of trew hart, and for my discharge. Besychyng yow, exsept my good mynde.

To the ryght nobel, & my syngeler good Lord my Lord Prive Sel, be thys delyverd.

THE Cottonian MS. Append. xxviii. fol. 39. contains a list of New Year's Gifts to Prince Edward in the 30th Hen. VIII. The King and his nobles gave principally plate. The Lady Mary's Grace gave a coat of crimson satten embroidered with gold, with paunses of pearls and sleeves of tinsel, and four aglets of gold. The LADY ELIZABETH'S GRACE" A shyrte of Cam'yke of HER OWNE WOORKYNGE."

LETTER CXX.

Mary, widow of Henry Duke of Richmond, to the Duke of Norfolk her father, respecting her suit to the King for her maintenance.

[MS. COTTON. VESPASIAN F. XIII. fol. 75. Orig.]

AND thowgh I am in dowt how yowr Graces shall