were not of the goodnes of Mr. Haryson, Johne Fylde, with dywers other of owr nassyon whiche dothe helpe us of cheryte; for theye hawe not lefte me wone blanckea nor it garment to my backe, Gode amende them.

Be me

To his ryghte worshipefull Rayffe Vane gentyllman belonginge to my Lorde Prewe Sealle dwellinge in Hadleye besyds Twnebryche in Kente this be dd.

The Mary Fortwne of Leye."

THOMAS PERY.

LETTER CXL.

John Earl of Bath to Lord Cromwell, complaining of his father's unjust will and his mother-in-law's malice. A. D. 1540.

[MS. COTTON. VESPASIAN F. XIII. fol. 99. Orig.]

John Earl of Bath, the elder, died 30th April, 31 Hen. VIIIth., having enjoyed that title rather less than two years.

RIGHT honorable and my synguler good Lord, after my most hartie comendations and lyke thankes for

a blanket.

b The other copy of this Letter is addressed " To the worshipfwll Rychard Fylde merchant, this be dd. in London." Below, as in this copy, is the name of the vessel which conveyed the Letter, "The Mary Fortwne of Leye." Richard Fylde, or Feld, has been already mentioned in the Letter itself, see p. 142.

your manyfolde goodnes exhybytt to me, of the wich I beseche you of contynuance, these shall be signifiyng to your good Lordeshype that wher it hath pleased Allmyghty Godde to call my naturall father to his fatall ende, and upon my handes to leve sondry wayghty charges without allowance by will or otherwyse, ordaynyng & constitutyng my lady my Motherinlawe sole executryx of all & syngler his goodes moveable and unmoveable, to no lytle hyndrance of me & myne. I shall wyth farvent zele desyer that it may please your good Lordshipe to have the syght of my lord my Fathers will, and the same to examyne wyth such dexteryte that I may have wherwithall to serve our Prynce. I thynk no chyld so unnaturally entreated as I am, beyng allwaies dylygent & obedyente as nature dyd therto me bynd. Nor yet my lady my Motherinlaw at any time hath hadde by me occasion so cruelly to incense my lord my Father agenst me in tyme of makyng his testament, no part of his goodes to bequeth me; consyderyng she hath syx hundred markes yerly of my inherytance to her joynter. Other refuge than your good Lordeshype I have none, whom I beseche to be to me a father, as I shall be to you my lyff duryng a humble chyld; hartely prayng that it may please you so to accept me. Furthermor I shall desyer your good Lordshepe that I may be at some end with the Kynges Highnes for my spetial lyvery, and reasonable dayes to have of payment of such sum as it

shall please the Kynges hygh Majestie with his honorable counsyll to assigne. a I am, my good Lord, & long have byn, sore aggreved with the agew myxte with a cough & haskenes, wich, with attendance & watche taken with my Lord my father, the tyme of his syckenes, is paynfully encreased, that I dare not take any jorney as yet; nother to attend, as my dewtie is, upon your good Lordeshipe, nother yet to know a determynat end of the House of Saynt Johns in Bridgewater with the demaynes therunto belongyng; b praying your good Lordeshipe to accept my absence, and at convenient season to have me in remembrance. Thus most hartely fare your good Lordeshipe well. Frome Dorneford the thyrd day of May.

Your Lordships faythefully assured,

JOHN BATHON.

LETTER CXLI.

The Commissioners in the Cause of Anne of Cleves to King Henry the Eighth, acquainting him that she acquiesced in his determination.

[MS. COTTON. OTHO C. x. fol. 247 b. Orig.]

PLEASITH your Majestie to understande howe according to your Highnes commaundement we have

a Special livery of his father's lands was granted to him Pat. 32 Hen. VIII. p. 1. b The reversion of the Site of the Hospital of St. John Bridgewater did not, however, fall to the Earl of Bath. It was granted March 16th, 34 Hen. VIIIth, to one Humfry Colles and his heirs. Orig. 34 Hen. VIII. p. 3. nu. xxxii.

declared your Grace's Commission to the Quene by the mouth of an Interpreter who did his parte very wel: and the Quene without alteracion of countenance hath made answer, th'affecte wherof tendith to this, that she is content always with your Majestie

The hol circumstaunce We shal declare

at our cummyng to morowe. And this night

Your Highnes appoyntement we

savyng the bishop of Winchester

LETTER CXLII.

Lord Cromwell to King Henry the Eighth. A Letter from his Prison in the Tower.

[MS. COTTON. TIT. B. I. fol. 267. Orig.]

a

This Letter has been already printed by Burnet in the third Volume of his History of the Reformation, but not correctly, so that an apology is unnecessary for printing it again here.

b

In the first Volume of his History, Burnet has printed another Letter from Cromwell to the King, copied from the Cottonian Manuscript Otho C. x. still more incorrect than this, and with great omissions; so much so, that with the exception of two or three paragraphs, it hardly appears to be the same Letter. Unfortunately the original of that has been so injured by fire that it can be collated in parts only.

Cromwell thanks his Sovereign at the opening of it, for sending certain honourable personages to him at two several times, "at one time sued for, and at the other time declaring his state and condition in most honourable, prudent, and sage fashion," and says that, in their repair to him, they heard him in every thing without interruption, and with such gentleness that he could no more desire.

The next paragraph is very important. He remonstrates in it against the Bill of his Attainder. He says he was informed by the persons already mentioned, that "myn offences being by honest and probbable wytnes proved, I was by your honorable Lords of the Upper House and the worshipful and discrete Communes of your Nether House convycted and ATTAYNTED. Gracyous Sovereyn, when I herde them, I sayd, as now I saye, that I am a subject and boorn to obbey lawse, and knowe that the tryall of all lawse only consystethe in honest and probable wytnes, consyderyng that the State of the Realme hadde harde and resayvyd them." Here the Letter breaks off: though again he adds, "Albeit lawse be lawse." In a subsequent portion he says, 66 Syr uppon my knees I most humblye beseche your gracyous Magestye to be good and gracious lorde to my pore son, the good and vertuous woman his wyffe,

a Hist. Reform. vol. iii. Rec. 161.

b Ibid. vol. i. Rec. 198.