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I think to perswade my Master to it: And write so to the King your Master, quoth he, and also the hole Devise. That shall be as you will, quoth I. Nay, quoth he, I pray you to write, so as you write as devised of me; and repeted the Overture hole together, as is before expressed. Sir, quoth I, seing you require me, I will write it, so that you will promise me to confirme my Tale by your Ambassador there. Yes, quoth he; and clapt his Hande in mine. But I pray you, quoth he, send one in Diligence, that no Tyme be lost. Will you not write, quoth I? Yes, quoth he: But your Post will be there before ours. And so deperted.

Sir, I beseeche your Majestie most humblie on my Knees, graciously to accept my Good Will, albeit my Witt be not able to serve you in so great an Affaire; and to pardon me, of your most Gracious Goodnes, if any Thing have been said, more or less thenne was meet to have been spoken for the Advancement of your Purposes: Of my Faulte wherin, if it should please your Majestie to advise me of, I should have the more Witt another Time, and take the better Hede in a semblable Case: For surely, Sir, I have an exceeding Good Will to serve you; and if my Witt wer as good, I am assured I should serve well, and that knoweth God: To whom I pray daily, for your prosperous and long Continuance. From Chabliz, the 22d of April.

Your Majesties

Most Humble, Faithful and
Obedient Subject, Servant,
And Daily Oratour,

WILLIAM PAGETT.

To the King's Most Excellent Majestie.

1542.

LXXIII.

Bishop Thirleby's Letter concerning the Duke of Norfolk and his Son. An Original.

(Paper Office.)

I WOULD write unto you my Harte (if I coulde) against those Two Ungracious, Ingrate, and Inhumane non Homines, the Duke of Norfolk and his Sonne. The Elder of whom, I confess that I did Love, for that I ever supposed hym a true Servant to his Master; like as both his Allegiance, and the manifold Benefits of the King's Majestie bounde him to have been; but nowe when I sholde begyn to wright to you herin, before God I am so amased at the Matter, that I

know not what to say; therefore I shall leave them to receyve for their Deads, as they have worthily deservyd; and thank God of his Grace that hath openyd this in Tyme, so that the King's Majestie may see that reformed: And in this Point, wher Almighty God hath not nowe alone, but often and sondry Tymes hertofore, not only letted the Malice of such as hathe imagenyd any Treason against the King's Majestie, the Chiefe Comforte, Wealth, and Prosperite of all good Englishmen next unto God; but hath so wonderfully manifest, that in suche Tyme that his Majesties High Wisdom myght let that Malice to take his Effecte, all good Englishe cannot therfore thanke God enough. And for our Parts, I pray God, that we may thorough his Grace, so contynue his Servants, that her after we be not founde unworthy to receyve suche a Benefyte at his Hands. On Christmas Even, about 10 of the Clocke after Noon here aryved Somerset with the Letters of the King's Majesties most Honourable Counsell, Dated the 15th of December at Westminster, wherby I perceyved the Malicious Purpose of the said Two ungracious Men: And for the Execution of the King's Majesties Commandment declared in the same Letters, I suyd immediately for Audience to the Emperor, who entred this Town within halfe an Houer after Somerset was come. The Emperor praied me of Pacience, and to declare to the Secretarie Joyse, that I wolde saie to him. For he said he had determyned to repose him selfe for 3 or 4 Days; and had therfore for that Tyme refused Audience to the Nuntio, the Ambassador of France, and the Ambassador of Venice, which had sued for Audience. On Christmas-Day on the Morning, at Nine of the Clocke, Joyse came to my Lodginge, to whom I declared as well as I coulde the great Benefits theis ungracious Men had receyved at the King's Majesties Hands, and how unkindly and traytorously they went abought to searve him, with the rest as myn Instructions led me. King's Majestie, my Master (taking the same Affection to be in the Emperor, his good Brother, towards him, that his Highnes hathe to the Emperor, (ut Amicorum omnia sint communia, gaudere cum gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus) hath commanded me to open this Matter to the Emperor: That as naturally all Men, and much more Princes, ought to abhore Traytors, and specially suche as had receyved so great Benyfites as theis Men had: So his Majestie might rejoyse that the King's Highnes his good Brother had founde forthe this Matter, or the Malice could be brought to Execution. Secretary Joyse said that he would Advertise the Emperor herof accordingly, and after a little Talke of the Haughtiness of the Earle of Surrey, and a few Sa

The

lutations, he bad me fare well. When I asked him for Monsieur de Grandevela, to whom I said, that I wolde tell this Tale, for that I doubted not but that he, and all Honest Men wolde abhore such Traytors: He said that he was not yet come, but he wolde this Day Advertise him herof by his Letters; for I wright (quoth he) daily to him. Albeit that this be the Hole, and the Effecte of that I have done in the Execution of the King's Majesties Commandment, declared in my said Lord's Letters, yet I will as my Dutie is, Answer a-part their said Letters to the King's Majestie : herin I dare not wright. For, to enter the Matter, and not to detest that as the Cause requireth, I think it not convenient. And again on the other side, to renew the Memorie of the Mens Ingratitude, (wher with all Noble and Princely Harts above all others be sore wounded) I thinke it not Wisdome. Therefore I beseeche you hartely, amongst other my good Lords, there to make my most humble Excuse to his Majestie for the same. This ungracious Matter that hath happened otherwise then ever I could have thought, hath caused you to have a longer Letter then ever I have bene accustomed to wright. Ye shall her with receyve a Scedule of Courte Newis, whiche having lernyd while I wrote this; Secretary Joyse hathe prayed me to sende the Letter herwith enclosed to the Emperor's Ambassador in England, which I pray you to cause to be delivered, and hartely fare you well. From Halebourne the Christmas-Day at Night, 1546.

Your assured Loving Friend,

Herewith ye shall allso receyve the Copie of my Letters of the 19th of this Mongth, sent by Skipperus, &c.

THO. WESTM.

LXXIV.

A Letter of the Duke of Norfolk's, after he had been examined in the Tower.

(Titus B. 1, P. 94.).

My very good Lords, whereas at the being here with me of my Lord Great Chamberlayne, and Mr. Secretary, they examynd me of Divers Thyngs, which as near as I can call to my Remembrance were the Effects as here after doth

ensew.

First, whether ther was any Cipher betwene me, and any other Man For Answer wherunto, this is the Truth,

there was never Cipher between me and any Man, save only such as I have had for the King's Majestie, when I was in his Service. And as God be my Judge, I do not remember that ever I wrote in Cipher, but at such Time as I was in France. My Lord Great Master that now is, and my Lord of Rochford being in Commission with me, and whether I wrote any then, or not, as God help me, I do not remember; but and I wrote any Thing, I am sure both their Hands were at it: And the Master of the Horse privy to the same: I do remember that after the Death of the Bishop of Hereford, Fox, it was shew'd me that the said Bishop had left a Letter, which I had sent him, amongst his Writings, which being found by a Servant of his, that is now with Master Deny, who shewd the same to the Bishop of Durham that now is, he caused him to throw the same in Fier; as I do remember, it was my said Lord B shop of Dureham that advised him to burn it: And as I also do remember, the Matter that was conteyned therin, concerned Lewde Speaking of the Northern Men after the Time of the Comotion against the said Cromwell: If there had been any Thyng concerning the King's Majestys Affairs, neyther the Bishope, nor he, were he now alyve, would not have concealed the same; and whether any Part of that was in Cypher, or not, as I shall Answer to God, I do not remember.

Theffect of another Question there asked me, was, as near as I can call to my Remembrance, Whether anie Man had talked with me, that and ther were a Good Peace made betwene the King's Majestie, the Emperor and the French King, the Bishope of Rome would brek the same againe by his Dispensation? And whether I enclined that waies, or not, to that Purpose?-As God help me now, at my most Nede, I cannot call to my Remembrance, that ever heard any Man living speak like Words. And as for mine Inclinations, that the Bishope of Rome should ever have Aucthority to do such Thing; if I had Twentie Lives, I would rather have spent them all against him, then ever he should have any Power in this Realme: For no man knoweth that hetter than I, by Reding of Stories, how his Usurped Power hath increased from Time to Time. Nor such Time as the King's Majestie hath found him his Enemy, no living Man hath, both in his Harte and with his Tounge, in this Realme, in France, and also to many Scotish Jantlemen, spoken more sore against his said Usurped Powre, then I have done, as I can prove by good Witnes.

Also my said Lord and Mr. Secretary asked me, whether I was ever made privy to a Letter, sent from my Lord of

Wynchester and Sir Henry Knevet, of any Overture made by Grandville to them, for a Way to be taken between his Majestie and the Bishope of Rome; and that the said Letters should have come to his Majestie to Dover, I being there with him.- Wherunto this is my true Answer: I was never at Dover with his Highnes since my Lord of Richmond died, but at that Time, of whose Death Word came to Syttingborne: And as God be my Helpe, I never heard of no such Overture, save that I do well remember, at such Time as Sir Francis Biryan was sore sike, and like to have died, it was spoken in the Councill, that my Lord of Winchester should have said, He cou'd devise a Way, how the King's Majestie might have all Things upright with the said Bishope of Rome, and his Highnes Honour saved. Suche were the Words, or much like. Wherupon, as I had often said in the Councill, one was sent to the said Sir Francis, to know, if ever he heard the said Bishope speake like Words; which he denied: And as I do remember, it was Sir Rauf Sadeler, that was sent to the said Sir Francis. And to say that ever I heard of any such Overture made by Grandville, or that ever I commoned with any Man conserning any such Mater, other then this of the Bishope of Winchester, as God be my Help, I never dy'd; nor unto more thenne this, I was never prevye.

Now, my Good Lords, having made Answer according to the Truth of such Questions as hath been asked me, most humblie I beseeche you all to be Mediators for me to his most Excellent Majestie, to cause such as have accused me (if it might be with his high Pleasure) to come before his Majestie, to lay to my Charge afore me, Face to Face, what they can say against me: And I am in no dout, so to declare my selfe, that it shall appere I am falsly accused. And if his Pleasure shall not be, to take the Paine in his Royall Person, then to give you Commandment to do the same. My Lords, I trust ye thinke Cromwell's Service and mine hath not be like; and yet my Desire is, to have no more Favour shew'de to me, than was shew'de to him, I being present. He was a fals Man; and sewerly I am a trewe poore Jantleman.

My Lords, I think surelie there is some fals Man, that have laid some great Cause to my Charge, or else I had not be sent hither. And therefore, eftsonyts most humblie I beseeche to fiude the Names, if they and I may not be brought Face to Face, yet let me be made privy what the Causes are; and if I do not answer truely to every Point, let me not live one Howre after: For sewerlie I would VOL. III, PART II.

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