lived, within the lodge, and the earl and his lady, and a great company of gentlewomen and servants, stood without the gate, to attend my lord's coming; at whose alighting, the carl received him with much honour, and embraced him, saying these words: My Lord, you are most heartily welcome to my poor lodge, and I am glad to see you.' Here my lord staid a fortnight, and was most nobly entertained; he spent most of his time, and applied his mind to prayers continually, in great devotion. It came to pass, as he sat one day at dinner, I, being there, perceived his colour, divers times, to change; I asked him if he was not well; who answered me, with a loud voice, I am suddenly taken with a thing at my stomach as cold as a whet-stone, and am not well; therefore take up the table, and make a short dinner, and return to me again suddenly. I made but a little stay, but came to him again, where I found him still sitting, very uneasy: He desired me to

go to the apothecary, and ask him if he had any thing would break wind upwards; he told me, he had: Then I went and shewed the same to my lord, who did command me to give him some thereof, and so I' did, and it made him break wind exceedingly: Lo,' quoth he, you may see it was but wind, for now, I thank God, I am well eased; and so he arose from the table, and went to prayers, as he used, every day after dinner.

In the afternoon, my Lord of Shrewsbury sent for me to him, to whom he said, 'Forasmuch as I have always perceived you to be a man, in whom your lord putteth great affiance, and I myself, knowing you to be a man very honest;' with many words of commendations and praise, more than becometh me to rehearse, he said, 'Your lord and master hath often desired me to write to the king, that he might answer his accusations before his enemies: And, this day, I have received letters from his majesty, by Sir William Kingston, whereby I perceive, that the king hath him in good opinion, and, upon my request, hath sent for him, by the said Sir William Kingston.

Therefore, now I would have you play your part wisely with him, in such sort, as he may take it quietly, and in good part, for he is always full of sorrow, and much heaviness, at my being with him, that I fear he would take it ill, if I bring him tidings thereof; and therein doth he not well, for I assure you, that the king is his very good lord, and hath given me most hearty thanks for his entertainment; and, therefore, go your way to him, and persuade him, that I may find him quiet at my coming, for I will not tarry long after you.'

him.'

6

Sir, quoth I, and, if it please your lordship, I shall endeavour, to the best of my power, to accomplish your lordship's command; but, sir, I doubt, when I name this Sir William Kingston, that he will mistrust some ill, because he is constable of the tower, and captain of the guard, having, in his company, twenty-four of the guard to accompany 'That is nothing,' quoth the earl; what, if he be constable of the tower, and captain of the guard, he is the fittest man, for his wisdom and discretion, to be sent about such a business; and, for the guard, it is only to defend him from those that might intend him any ill: Besides that, the guard are, for the most part, such of his old servants, as the king hath took into his service, to attend him most justly. Well, sir,' quoth I, I shall do what I can,' and so depart

ed, and went to my lord and found him in the gallery, with his staff and his beads in his hands; and seeing me, he asked me what news; Forsooth,' quoth I, the best news that ever you heard, if you can take it well. I pray God it be true, then,' quoth he, My Lord of Shrewsbury,' said I, your most assured friend, hath so provided, by his letters to the king, that his majesty hath sent for you, by Master Kingston, and twenty-four of the guard, to conduct you to his highness. Master Kingston!' quoth he, and clapped his hand on his thigh, and gave a great sigh.

May it please your grace,' quoth I, I wish you would take all things well, it would be much better for you; content yourself, for God's sake, and think, that God and your good friends have wrought for you, according to your own desires: And, as I conceive, you have much more cause to rejoice, than lament or mistrust the matter; for, I assure you, that your friends are more afraid of you,* than you need be of them: And his majesty, to shew his love to you, hath sent Master Kingston to honour you, with as much honour as is your grace's due, and to convey you in such easy journies, as is fitting for you, and you shall command him to do, and that you shall have your fequest. And I humbly intreat you, to imprint this my persuasion in your highness's discretion, and to be of good chear; wherewith you shall comfort yourself, and give your friends, and poor servants, great comfort and con tent.'

'Well,' quoth he, I perceive more than you can imagine, or do know. Presently after came my lord, to acquaint him with that I had so lately related; my lord cardinal thanked the carl for his great love, and called for Master Kingston, who came to him presently, and, kneeling down before him, saluted him in the king's behalf, whom my lord, bareheaded, offered to take up, but he would not: Then,' quoth, my lord, Master Kingston, I pray you stand up, and leave your kneeling to me, for I am a wretch replcat with misery, not esteeming myself, but, as a meer abject, utterly cast away, but without desert, God knows; therefore, good Master Kingston, stand up.'

Then Master Kingston said, 'The king's majesty hath him commended unto you.' I thank his highness,' quoth my lord, I hope he is in good health.' 'Yes,'quoth Master Kingston, and he hath him commended unto you, and commanded me to bid you be of good chear, for he beareth you as much good-will as ever he did.

And whereas report hath been made unto him, that you should commit, against his majesty, certain heinous crimes, which he thinketh to be; but yet, he, for administration of justice, in such cases requisite, could do no less than send for you, that you might have your trial, mistrusting nothing your truth and wisdom, but that you shall be able to acquit yourself of all complaints and accusations, extended against you; and you may take your journey to him at your pleasure, commanding me to attend you."

"Master Kingston,' quoth my lord, 'I thank you for your good news; and, sir, hereof assure yourself, if I were as able and lusty, as ever I was, to ride, I would go with you post : but, alas! I am a diseased man, haying a flux,' (at which time it was apparent that he had poisoned

himself) it hath made me very weak; but the comfortable news you bring is of purpose, I doubt, to bring me into a fool's paradise, for I know what is provided for me: Nothwithstanding, I thank you for your good-will, and pains taken about me, and I shall, with speed, make ready to ride with you.'

After this, I was commanded to make all things ready for our de parture the morrow after.

When my lord went to bed, he fell very sick of the flux, which caused him to go to stool, from time to time, all that night; insomuch that, from that time till morning, he had fifty stools; and the matter, that he voided, was very black, which the physicians called Adust, whose opinions were, that he had not above four or five days to live.

Notwithstanding, he would have ridden with Mr. Kingston the next day, had not the Earl of Shrewsbury advised him to the contrary; but, the next day, he took his journey with Master Kingston, and them of the guard, who, espying him, could not abtain from weeping, considering he was their old master, and now in such a miserable case; whom my lord took by the hand, and would, as he rode by the way, sometimes talk with one, and sometimes with another, till he came to a house of my lord's, standing in the way, called Hardwick-hall, where he lay all that night, extremely ill. The next day, he came to Nottingham, and, the next day, to Leicester-abbey, and, the next day, he waxed very sick, that he had almost fallen from his horse, so that it was night, before he got to Leicester-abbey; where, at his coming in at the gates, the abbot, with all their convent, met him with many lighted torches, whom they honourably received, and welcomed with great reverence.

To whom my lord said, Father Abbot, I am come to lay my bones amongst you: Riding still on his mule, till he came to the stairs of his chamber, where he alighted; Master Kingston, holding him by the arm, led him up the stairs, who told me afterwards, that he never felt so heavy a burden in all his life; and, as soon as he was in his chamber, he went straight to bed; this was upon Saturday, and so he continued.

On Monday in the morning as I stood by his bed-side, about eight of the clock in the morning, the windows being close shut, and hav ing wax lights burning upon the cupboard, I thought I perceived him drawing on towards death. He, perceiving my shadow upon the bed-side, asked who was there. Sir, quoth I, it is I: How do yon, quoth he, well? Ay, sir, quoth I, if I might see your grace well; What is it o'clock, quoth he? I answered, it was about eight of the clock. Quoth he, that cannot be, rehearsing eight of the clock so many times. Náy, quoth he, that eannot be, for at eight of the clock you shall see your master's time draw near, that I must depart this world. With that, Dr. Palmer, a worthy gentleman, standing by, bid me ask him if he would be shriven, to make him ready for God, whatever chanced to fall out, which I did. But he was very angry with me, and asked, What I had to do to ask him such a question? Till, at last, the doctor took my part, and talked with him in latin, and pacified him,

After dinner, Mr. Kingston sent for me, and said, sir, the king hath sent unto me letters, by Mr. Vincent, our old companion, who hath been in trouble in the tower, for money that my lord should have at his departure. A great part of this money cannot be found; wherefore the king, at Mr. Vincent's request, for the declaration of the truth, hath sent him hither with his grace's letters, that I should examine my lord, and have your counsel therein, that he may take it well and in good part. And this is the cause of my sending for you, therefore, I desire your counsel therein, for acqnittal of this poor gentleman, Mr. Vincent. Sir, quoth I, according to my duty you shall; and, by my advice, you shall resort unto him in your own person to visit him, and, in communication, break the matter unto him: and, if he will not tell you the truth, then you may certify the king thereof; but in any case, name not, nor speak of my fellow Vincent: also I would not have you to detract the time, for he is very sick, and I fear that he will not live past a day or two; and accordingly Mr. Kingston went to my lord, and demanded the money, saying, that my Lord of Northumberland found a book at Cawood house, that you had but lately borrowed tenthousand pounds, and there is not so much as one penny to be found, who hath made the king privy to the same; wherefore, the king hath written to me, to know what is become thereof, for it were pity that it should be holden from you both. Therefore, I require you, in the king's name, to tell me the truth, that I may make a just report unto his majesty, of your answer.

With that, quoth my lord, Oh good Lord, how much doth it grieve me that the king should think any such thing in me, that I should deceive him of one penny, seeing I have nothing, nor ever had, God be my judge, that I ever esteemed so much mine own, as his majesty's, having but the bare use of it, during my life, and after my death, to leave it wholly to him; wherein his majesty hath prevented me. But for this money, you demand of me, I assure you, it is none of my own, for I borrowed it of divers of my friends to bury me, and to bestow amongst my servants, who have taken great pains about me; notwithstanding, if it be your pleasure to know, I must be content; yet I bcseech his majesty, to see it satisfied for the discharge of my conscience to them that I owe it to. Who be they, quoth Mr. Kingston? That shall I tell you, quoth my lord, I borrowed two-hundred pounds of John Allen of London, another two-hundred pounds of Sir Richard Gresham, and two-hundred pounds of the master of the Savoy; and also two-hundred of Dr. Higden, dean of my college, at Oxford; two-bundred pounds of the treasurer of the church; and twohundred pounds of Mr. Ellis, my chaplain; and another two-hundred pounds of a priest, I hope the king will restore it again, forasmuch as it is none of mine.

Sir, quoth Mr. Kingston, there is no doubt in the king, whom you need not distrust; but Sir, I pray you, where is the money? Quoth he, I will not conceal it, I warrant you, but I will declare it unto you before I die, by the grace of God; have a little patience with me, I pray you, for the money is safe enough in an honest man's hands, who will not keep one penny thereof from the king.

So Mr. Kingston departed, for that time, my lord being very weak, and about four of the clock, the next morning, as I conceived, I asked him how he did. Well, quoth he, if I had any meat, I pray you give

me some.

Sir, quoth I, there is none ready; then he said, you are much to blame, for you should have always meat for me in readiness, whensoever that my stomach serves me; I pray you get some ready for me; for I mean to make myself strong to-day, to the intent I may go confession, and make me ready for God; quoth I, I will call up the cooks to prepare some meat, and also I will call Mr. Palmer, that he may discourse with you, till your meat be ready. What a good-will, quoth my lord, and so I called Mr. Palmer, who rose and came to my lord.

Then I went and acquainted Mr. Kingston, that my lord was very sick, and not like to live. In good faith, quoth Mr. Kingston, you are much to blame, to make him believe he is sicker than he is. Well, Sir, quoth I, you cannot say, but I gave you warning, as I am bound to do; upon which words he arose, and came unto him, but before he came, my lord cardinal had eaten a spoonful or two of callis made of chickin, and after that he was in his confession, the space of an hour: And then Mr. Kingston came to him, and bade him good-morrow, and asked him how he did, Sir, quoth he, I watch but God's pleasure, to render up my poor soul to him. I pray you, have me heartily commended unto his Royal Majesty, and beseech him on my behalf to call to his princely remembrance all matters that have been between us from the beginning and the progress: And especially between good Queen Catherine, and him, and then shall his grace's conscience know whether I have offended him, or not.

He is a prince of a most royal carriage, and hath a princely heart, and, rather than he will miss or want any part of his will, he will endanger the one half of his kingdom.

I do assure you, I have often kneeled before him, sometimes three hours together, to persuade him from his will and appetite, but could not prevail: And, Master Kingston, if I had but served God, as diligently as I have served the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs. But this is the just reward that I must receive for my diligent pains and study, not regarding my service to God, but only to my prince. Therefore, let me advise you, if you be one of the privycouncil, as by your wisdom you are fit, take heed what you put in the King's head, for you can never put it out again.

And I desire you further, to request his grace in God's name, that he have a vigilant eye to suppress the hellish Lutherans, that they increase not through his great negligence, in such a sort, as he be compelled to take up arms to subdue them, as the King of Bohemia was; whose commons being infected with Wickliff's heresies, the King was forced to take that course.

Let him consider the story of King Richard the Second, the second son of his progenitor; who lived in the time of Wickliff's seditions and heresies did not the commons, I pray you, in his time, rise against the nobility and chief governors of this realm; and, at the last, some of them were put to death, without justice or mercy, and, under