for helpyng of the conveyance of my por stuf hither) hath shewed unto me that she is commaunded clierly to remove and departe from the said House, not knowyng wher to have a place to put in her hede, to the utter undoyng of her, her husbond and children: wherof, if it so be, I do not a little mervaile, consideryng that in makyng of the said graunte unto my said Lord Chaunceler, I never thought ne ment that they shuld be clierly removed from the said house, but that my Lord Chauncelor other his folks beyng in

the forsaide necessite shulde have alweys the occupieng and use of the principall parte of the same. And they

in

absence to have the custodie therof, and in their presence to have

cern in the same

for their dwellyng & mansion place as shalbe righte convenient. And thus I alweys declared unto yong

hym on my behalf thus to be contented and pleased; requyryng and praying you furthermore that they may have, besids that they have all redy, parte of such pastures as wer reserved to the use of my household, to ferme, payng therfor as moche as any other wolde do for the sustenaunce of their catall, withoute the which they cannot leve. And grete pitie it wer and ferre discrepant from kyndenes that any strangers

shulde have any preferrement by lease, copy, or otherwise afore any of my pore kynne, unto whom I am naturally and of charite bounden to see in their necessites. Nowe ye beyng advertised of my mynde in the premisses, myne assured trust is that ye wol for the love that ye bere to theym and me see theym ordered accordyngly. In doyng ye shall administer unto me right singular pleasur, as knoweth God who alweys preserve you. From my manor of Southday of June.

wel th

Your lovyng ffrende

To my right trusty and welbiloved counsaillor and servaunte Thomas Cromwell.

T. CAR'IS EBor'.

LETTER CIII.

Cardinal Wolsey to King Henry the VIIIth. recommending to the King his College at Oxford.

[DRAFT IN WOLSEY'S HAND. A FRAGMENT IN THE COTTONIAN LIBRARY.]

The expected destruction of Cardinal College was one of Wolsey's last afflictions. It had been founded in 1525 upon the site, and partly with the buildings of the Austin Monastery of St. Frideswide; but before the vast design could be perfected, Wolsey had incurred the premunire. Still, however, it was not dissolved, but continued in being after Wolsey's death. On or about July 17th, 1532, the prayer of Wolsey's petition was so far complied with, that it was reestablished for a Dean, twelve

Canons, &c. under the style of KYNGE HENRY THE EIGHTHE'S COLLEGE IN OXFORD, which was again surrendered into the King's hands July 18th, 1545; and the next year the See of Oxford being removed from Oseney hither, the Priory Church was made its Cathedral, by the name of CHRIST CHURCH, and the chapter and College refounded. The last patent of foundation was dated Nov. 4th, 1546.

A Copy of the Statutes by which Wolsey's foundation was to have been governed, is still preserved among the Hargrave Manuscripts in the British Museum. The Re-foundation is without Statutes: Henry the Eighth intended to have given them, but died before they were prepared.

con

Most gracyous Sovereign Lord and mercyfull Prince, prostrat at your majestys fete with wepyng terys, this shalbe in moste reverent and humble maner to recomende onto your excellent cheryte and goodnes the poore College of Oxford, wych for the gret zeele and affection that your Grace beryth to good Lettres, vertue, and norishyng of Lernyng, and in consyderacion of peynfull and longe contynued servys tentyd that I shuld erect, founde,, and establishe, and wher, not withstandyng my convyccion in the Premunyre, of your most excellent nature wych hath ever be moved and propensyd to clemency and mercy then to rygor and severyte, yt hath pleasyd your Hyhnes to your perpetuall meryte, honor, and most abundantly to impart your mercy, lyberallyte, and bountiosnes vnto me, for the which I accept my self of all creatures lyvyng to be most oblegyd and bwndyn unto your Majeste. So yt may please the sam to have petya and

VOL. II. SER. 2.

■ pity.

D

compassyon of the poore Dene and Canons of the sayd Colege wych now reparyth onto yowr Hyhnes for knowlege

gracyus

yf yt schule seyna to your hyhe wysdom and

mercyfull chery table goodnes

or Ordynance any thing therof

ys

be Statuts

superflus or owt to be reservyd both ther and

sylf to suche ordyr and dyreccion

ll devyse and take

Submyttyng our

in

that behalf shulbe agreable conformable and

dayly to Almyghty God.

dayly prayers for the ōt

and

THERE is a fragment of another Letter to King Henry the Eighth from Wolsey, of which enough does not remain to ascertain the entire subject, further than that it seems to relate to the capture of "a Bryton schyp." It begins,

"Moste gracyous Sovereyn Lorde as to the premyssys and declaracion of the troweth, albeyt yt ys long agon sythyns thys thyng was don, and by reason of myn age, gret hevynes, and calamyte, my remembrance ys nott so fresche or quicke as yt hath beyn; yet insuyng your moste dred commandement as ny as I can call to mynde I shall declare what I do knowe and what have bye done in the forseyd matter."

a seem.

LETTER CIV.

Wolsey to Cromwell. Thanks for assistance; and recommending his Colleges.

[DRAFT IN WOLSEY'S HAND. A FRAGMENT.]

M. CROMWELL for as moche as thys present berrer departyth by post for the dethe of M. Larcke on whos sowle Jhesu have mercy, and that I am in suche Indyssposycion of body and mynde by the reason of suche gret hevynes as I am yn, being put from my slep and mete for such advertysments as I have had from yow of the dyssolucion of my College with the smale comfort and apparence that I have to be retenyd by the Kyngs hyhnes in thys myne extreme nede, makyth me that I can not wrytt onto yow for wepyng and sorowe, wherfor thes shalbe not onely to geve onto yow my moste effectualle thancks for suche gret paynys as ye have takyn in all my causes

him so to requyte the same to your full satysfaction as I shulbe of more abylyte but also to