hath, and a coloryd dowblenes ether to be in hym or in Morres, or in bothe. Mores not answeryng dyrectly to dyverse introgates by us to hym mynystryd. We havyng therfore shewyd hym that intendyng to trye hys truthe to us, wyll not go abought to grope hym, but wyll se yf accordyng to hys dutie he wyll of hys awne mynde confesse the mere trawthe, we alredy knowing mych mo then he wenyth; wherfore we requyre you, uppon hys repayre unto you, studyosly to examyne hym, by whome ye shall perceyve dowblenes in the other, in him, or bothe, the whiche being never so craftely handelyd, I wold not wer hyddyn, not dowtyng yt shall your circumspect maner desyrus and attentyff mynd in trying owt trawthyt, known unto us as yt ys. Thys fare ye well. From our manor of Grenewyche the xxvjth. day of the xxvijth. yere of our reigne.

LETTER CXXII.

William Earl of Southampton to Lord Cromwell concerning Blockhouses to be made at Calshot Point and Cowes.

[MS. COTTON. TITUS B. I. fol. 396. Orig.]

The date of this Letter must be placed in, or somewhat subsequent to, 1537; that being the date of Sir William Fitzwylliam's creation

as Earl of Southampton. Among Lord Cromwell's "Remembrances," preserved in the same volume with this Letter, fol. 428. is an "Item, for v.C1i. appoynted to Calshot and the Cow."

PLEASE it your good Lordshippe, this bearer my felowe, Mills, came hidre to have spokin with you. The cause of whose comming, in your Lordshippes absence, I have declared to the King, wich resteth in thies to poyntes. The tone for the workes at Calshorispoynte, tooching wiche his sayeng is, that the Barbican of the Towre wol bee readie by Michaelmas, if they may knowe where to have Covring for it. And in that the kinges Majeste is resolvid that there shalbee led takin, aswel for the said Barbican, as the Towre it self, of the leades that arr at Beauley;a so that for delivery of the same, Maistre Wriothisley must make a warraunt, and his Grace wol signe it. The toodre poynt is tooching monay and charges of the said works, and also the work at the Cowe in th'Isle; b concerning wich this said bearer saith that by the next pay day, the money alreadie received wol be spent so that he thinketh, and also it apperith by the declaracion of Bartine, that it woll axe at both places no lesse than one thousand marces more. And that by extimacion the said thousand markes, with the monay nowe remaigneng in his handes, woll performe the workes. In wich poynt, the Kinges Majeste is also pleased that your Lordshippe shall assigne &

a Beaulieu, or Bewley Abbey, in the New Forest.

b West Cowes.

deliver ouht a prest, and wolled me so to write unto

you.

And my Lord undre your correction, me thinketh it were best, that the hole some, shold bee deliverd all at ones, rather than to mak any mo sutes for it. Sir the kinges Majeste hathe beene somwhat a crased thoroughe cold, & kepte within yesturday; howbeeit, this day his Grace hath beene abrode, and killed half a score of stagges with the Ladies; and is nowe, our Lord bee thanked, aswel as he was afore, wich our Lord continewe. Oodre newis I have none to send your Lordshippe, but thus commend the same to the kepinge of th❜oly Trinity. From Ampthil the xijth. of Septembre.

Your good Lordshippes assured,

To my singuler good Lord my

W. SOUTHAMPTON.

Lord Privie seale his good Lord

shippe.

LETTER CXXIII.

King Henry the Eighth to the Lady Anne Savon, widow.

[MS. COTTON. TIT. B. I. fol. 58. Orig.]

A Letter of Sir Thomas More to Cardinal Wolsey in the former Series of these Letters a afforded an instance of the King proposing a

a Vol. i. p. 207. Letter LXXIII.

match for the widow of an Alderman of London.

This was usual, where

Widows were the King's wards. Widow of the King, vidua Regis, says Cowel, was she, who, after her husband's death, being the King's tenant in capite, was forced to recover her dower by the writ "de Dote assignanda," and could not marry again without the King's consent. The present is a sort of wooing Letter from the King, in which His Majesty announces to a widow that he has fixed upon a husband for her.

HENRY R.

By the King.

DERE and welbelovede we grete you wele, lating you wete our trusty and welbeloved servant Stephen Mylles hath shewed unto us how that he, for the longe experience and knowlege of your vertuous demeanor, sadnesse, and womanly demeanure, is greatly mynded towards you, to honor you by wey of maryage befor all other. We considering his honest intent and porpose in this behalf, exhorte and desire you to shewe yourself of like towardnes and herty love to our said servaunt for the solempnisacion of matrimonie betwene you, to Godd's pleasour. And in your thus doing, ye shall nat oonly cause us to bee good and gracious liege Lord unto you booth in any your reasonable porsuytts to be made unto us, but also thinke yourself in our opinion right wele bestowed to your herts ease and comfort hereafter. Yeven under our Signet at our

To our dere and welbelovede the Lady Anne Savon, widowe.

a See the Stat. of the Prerog. an. 17 Edw. II. Mag. Chart. cap. vii. and 32 Hen. VIII. cap. xlvi.

LETTER CXXIV.

King Henry the Eighth to the Mayor and Aldermen of London, respecting the Office of Metership of Linen Cloth and Canvas in London. 1537

[MS. COTTON. TIT. B. I. fol. 80. Orig.]

HENRY R.

By the King.

RYGHT trustie and welbiloved We gret you well. And where as our trustye and welbeloved servaunt William Blakenhale, chief clerke of our Spicerye was in possession of the office of metershippe of lynyn clothe and canvas within our Cytie of London and subburbis of the same, as ye now being Mayre know and can testifie, till of late, without cause or deserte, both contrarye to the gift to hyme made, and also against justice and equytie, you have evictyd hym of the possessyon of the same, and also have taken the profetts to hym apperteynyng to your own use. We therefore marveling nott a lyttyll of your ingratitude to us and to our servaunt in that case exhibited, by these our Lettres requyre you, and nevertheles commaunde that you not alonly put our sayd servaunt in full possessyon of the said office immediatlye apon the syght hereof, according to the gift to hym gevyn, but also to restore

you