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devise. My Lord of Cant' and all theis Bishopes have given ther Opinion, and came into us, save Salisburie, who yet contynueth a lewed Fole. Fynally, all England have cause to thank God, and most hertelie to rejoyse of the King's most Godlie Proceedings.

LXVI.

A Letter of the Visitor's, sent to Examine the Abbot of Glassenbury.

(Ex. MSS. D. Tanner.)

PLEASE hyt Your Lordship to be advertised, that we came to Glastenbury on Fryday last past, about Tenn of the Clock in the Forenoon: And for that the Abbot was then at Sharpham, a Place of hys, a Myle and somewhat more from thabbey, We, without any delay, went unto the same Place; and there, after certain Communication, declaring unto him theffect of our coming, examined him upon certain Articles. And for that his Answer was not then to our Purpose, we advised him to call to his Remembrance that which he had as then forgotten, and so declare the Truth. And then came with him the same Day to the Abbey; and there of new proceeded that Night to search his Study for Letters and Books: and found in his Study secretly laid, aswell a written Book of Arguments, against the Divorce of his King's Majestie, and the Lady Dowager: Which we take to be a great Matter. As also divers Pardons, Copies of Bulls, and the Counterfit Lyfe of Thomas Bequet in Print. But we could not find any Letter that was materiall. And so we proceeded again to his Examination, concerning the Articles we received from your Lordship, in the Answers whereof, as we take it, shall appear his Canker'd and Traiterous Heart and Mind against the King's Majestie, and his Succession; as by the same Answers, syned with his Hand, and sent to your Lordship by this Bearer, more plainly shall appear. And so, with as fair Words as we could, we have conveyed him from hence into the Tower, being but a very weak Man, and sickly. And as yet we have neither discharged Servant nor Monk; but now the Abbot being gone, we will, with as much Celerity as we may, proceed to the dispatching of them. We have in Money, 3001. and above; but the Certainty of Plate, and other Stuffe there, as yet we know not, for we have not had Opportunity for the same, but shortly we intend (God willing) to proceed to the same; whereof we shall ascertain your Lordship, so shortly as we

may. This is also to advertise your Lordship, that we have found a fair Chalice of Gold, and divers other Parcels of Plate, which the Abbot had hid secretly from all such Commissioners, as have bine there in Times past; and as yet he knoweth not that we have found the same: Whereby we think, that he thought to make his Hand, by his Untruth to his King's Majesty. It may please your Lordship, to advertise us of the King's Pleasure, by this Bearer, to whom we shall deliver the Custody and Keeping of the House, with such Stuff as we intend to leave there, convenient to the King's Use. We assure your Lordship, it is the goodliest House of that Sort, that ever we have seen. your Lordship did know it, as we do; then we doubt not, We wold that but your Lordship would judge it a House mete for the King's Majesty, and for no Man else: Which is to our great Comfort; and we trust verily, that there shall never come any Double Hood within that House again. Also this is to advertise your Lordship, that there is never a one Doctor within that House; but there be Three Batchelors of Divinity, which be but meanly Learned, as we can perceive. And thus our Lord preserve your Good Lordship. From Glastenbury, the 22d Day of September.

Yours to Command,

To the Ryght Honorable, and their
Syngular good Lord, my Lord
Pryvye Seal, thys be dd.

RICHARD POLLARD.
THOMAS MOYLE.
RICHARD LAYTON.

This agrees with the Original,
in the Possession of

THOM. TANNER.

LXVII.

Cromwell's Letter to the King, when he was committed to the Tower.

(Cotton Libr. Titus, B. 1.)

MOST Gracyous King, and most Mercyfull Soverayng, your most humble, most obbeysand, and most bounden Subject, and most lamentable Servant and Prysoner, prostrate at the Feet of your most Excellent Majestye, have herd your Pleasure by the Mouth of your Comptroller; which was, that I should wrytte to your most Excellent Highnes suche Things as I thought mete to be wryttyn,

consideryng my most myserable State and Condicyon. For the which your most haboundant Goodnes, Benignite and Lycens, the Immortall God, Three and One, rewarde your Majestye. And now, most Gracyous Prynce, to the Matter. Fyrst, Wher I have been accused to your Majestye of Treason, to that I saye, I never in all my Lyfe thought willinglye to do that Thing that might or should displease your Majestye, and much less to doe or saye that Thing, which of it self is so highe and abominable Offence, as God knoweth, who, I doubt not, shall reveale the Trewthe to your Highnes. Myne Accusers your Grace knoweth : God forgive them. For as I ever have had Love to your Honour's Person, Lyfe, Prosperite, Health, Wealth, Joye, and Comfort, and also your most Dear and most entyerly beloved Son, the Prynce his Grace, and your Proceedings. God so helpe me in this myne Adversyte, and confound me yf ever I thought the contrarye. What Labours, Paynes, and Travailes I have taken, according to my most bounden Deutie, God also knoweth. For if it were in my Power, as it is God's, to make your Majestye to live ever yong and prosperous, God knoweth, I would: yf it had been, or were in my Power, to make you so riche as ye myght enriche all Men, God helpe me, as I would do it: yf it had been, or were in my Power, to make your Majesty so puissaint, as all the Worlde should be compellyd to obbey you, Christ he knowyth I woulde; for so am I of all other moste bounde; for your Majesty hath been the most Bountiful Prince to me, that ever was King to his Subjects: ye, and more like a Dear Father, your Majesty not offended, then a Master. Suche hathe been your most Grave and Godly Councyles towards me at sundrye Tymes: in that I have offended I ask your Mercy. Should I now for suche exceeding Goodnes, Benignite, Liberalite and Bountye, be your Traytor, nay then the greatest Paynes were too lityll for me. Should any Faction, or any Affection to, any Poynt, make me a Trayter to your Majestye, then all the Devylls in Hell confound me, and the Vengeance of God light appon me, yf I should ons have thought it. Most Gracyous, Soverayng Lord, to my Remembrance, I never spake with the Chancellor of the Augmentations and Throgmorton together, at one Tyme. But yf I did, I am sure, I spake never of any such Matyer; and your Grace knoweth, what maner of Man Throgmorton hath ever been towards your Grace Proceedings: And what Master Channceler hath been towards me, God and he best knoweth. I will ne can accuse hym. What I have been towards hym, your Majestye right well knoweth. I would to Christ

I hadd obeyed your often most gracious, grave Counsayles and Advertisments, then it had not been with me as now it is: Yet our Lorde, if it be his Will, can do with me, as he did with Susan, who was falsely accused. Unto the which God, I have onlye commytted my Soule, and Bodye and Goods at your Majesties Pleasure, in whose Mercye and Pyete I do hollye repose me: For other Hope than in God and your Majestye, I have not. Syr, As to your Common Welth, I have, after my Wytt, Power and Knowledge, travayled therein, having had no Respect to Persons, (your Majestie onlye except, and my Duty to the same) but that I have done any Injustice or Wrong willfully, I trust God shall be my Witness, and the World not able justlye to accuse me: And yet I have not done my Duty in all Things, as I was bounde. Wherefore I aske Mercy. That I have herde of any Combinations, Conventicles, or such as were Offenders of your Laws, I have (though not as I should have done) for the most parte revealed them, and also caused them to be punished; not of Malise, as God shall judge me. Nevertheless, Sir, I have medelled in so many Matiers under your Highnes, that I am not able to answer them all. But one Thing I am well assured of, that wittingly and willingly, I have not had Will to offend your Highnes. But harde it is for me, or any other medling as I have done, to live under your Grace, and your Lawes, but we must dailye offende: And wher I have offended, I most humbly aske Mercy and Pardone at your Gracious Will and Pleasure. Amongst other Things most Gracious Soveraigne, Master Comptroller shewed me, that your Grace shewed hym that within these 14 Days ye committed a Matter of great Secrecye, which I did reveal contrary to your expectacyon: Syr, I do remember well the Matter, which I never revelid to any Creature: But this I did, Sir, after your Grace hade opened the Matter, fyrst to me in your Chamber, and declared your lamentable Fate, declaring the Things which your Highnes myslyked in the Queen; at which Time I shewed your Grace that she often desired to speak with me, but I durst not: And ye said why should I not, alleging that I might do much good in goeing to her, and to be plain with her in declaring my Mind: I theruppon taking Opertunyte, not being little greyved, spake prevely with her Lord Chamberlayn, for which I aske your Grace Mercie, desiryng him, not naming your Grace to him, to finde some Means that the Queen might be inducid to order your Grace plesantlie in her Behaveour towards you, thinking therbie for to have hade some Faults amended to your Majesties Comfort; and after that by general Words, the said Lord Chamberlain,

and other of the Queens Counsayle being with me in my Chamber at Westminster, for Lycens for the Departure of the strange Maydens, I then required them to Counsayle thair Mistresse to use all Pleasauntnes to your Highnes: the which Things undoutedly were bothe spoken before your Majesty commited the Secret Matter unto me, onlie of Purpose that she might have been induced to such Pleasant and Honorable Fassyons, as might have been to your Graces Comfort, which above all Things, as God knoweth, I did most covit and desire: but that I opened my Mouth to any Creature after your Majestie committed the Secresie thereof to me, other than onlye to my Lord Admyrall, which I did by your Graces Commandment, which was uppon Sunday last in the Morning, whom I then founde as willing and glad to seek Remedye ffor your Comfort and Resolution, and saw by him that he did as much lament your Highnes Fate as ever did Man, and was wonderfullye grieved to see your Highnes so troubled, wishing greatly your Comfort, for the attaining whereof, he said, your Honour salvyd, he would spend the best Blood in his Body, and if I would not do the like, ye, and willingly Die, for your Comfort, I would I were in Hell, and I would I should receyve a Thousand Deths. Sir, this is all that I have done in that Matter, and if I have offended your Majestie therin, prostrate at your Majesty's Feet, I most lowlye aske Mercy and Pardon of your Highnes. Sir, ther was also laide unto my Charge, at mine Examinacion, that I had retained contrarye to your Lawes; and what Exposycion may be made uppon Retaynours, I know not, but this will I saye, if ever I relayned any Man, but such onlye as were my Howshold Servants, but against my Will, God Confound me. Most Gracious Soveraign I have been so called on and sewyd to by them that said they were my Friends, that constrained therunto I retayned thayr Chyldren and Friends, not as Retayners, for their Fathers and Parents did Promise me to finde them, and so toke I them, not as Retayners, to my great Charge, and for none Evil, as God best knoweth, interpret to the contery who will. Most humbley beseeching your Majestie of Pardon, if I have offended therin; and I do knowledge my self to have been a most miserable and wretched Siner; and that I have not towards God and your Highnes behaved my self as I ought and should have done; for the which mine Offence to God, whiles I live I shall contynually call for his Mercy, and for mine Offences to your Grace, which God knoweth wer never malicious, nor willfull: And that I never thought Treson to your Highnes,

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