revenue and maintenaunce of his estate, warres, and affaires both in peace and in warre, at home and abroade, with others, it was moste profitable to dissolve them for augmentacion of his trea sure. He allyed the king so stronglie with mightie forces in Germanie and that league of religion, so as with there forces and his treasure and the consideracion of common perill by there common enemie the pope, he was able to withstande and encounter any foren princes that at the popes irritacion and prostitutinge of his kingdome to the occupante woulde make any attempt against him: this allyaunce was bothe by league with Saxonie and other, and the marriadge with the sister of Cleve. The emperor and French king were so in hostilite, that either of them was glade to wine king Henrie to his part, wherby either of them feared to irritate him, least he joyninge with the other mighte make to harde a match againste the other; wherby I thincke that the same hostilitie was the raither cherrished by Cromwells policie: whereuppon grew the play in Fraunce, wherein were shewed the emperor and the Frenche king plaing at tenise, and the king of England paieng four the balles;* besides that though they had not ben in hostillitie, yet neither of them durst suffer the other to overgrowe by impropriatinge to him selfe any thing in England, and so the emperor him selfe was glad to set still, althoughe the principall ground in shewe of the quarell touched him in heiour repudiatem (?). Cromwell caused preachers to goe abroade, and maintayned them to instructe the people, and so to perswade the subjectes consciences to stand fast to the king without feare of the popes curse, or his desolving of his allegience. He caused to be placed in the archebushopes place Cranmer, and in divers other bushoprickes and hier places in the clearge This is a curious and early example of political caricature. relating to the same period, will be found in Ellis's Letters, P. 44. CAMD. Soc. Another similar notice, second series, vol. ii. Q divers protestantes, by meanes wherof he was able to execute greate thinges amonge them selves, and they were not able so muche as to enter into any full and perfect counsell against them, muche lesse to put any thing in publicke execution, as against the former kinges of theis realme. He knewe that the clargie had in king Richardes the secondes time suborned an other with pretense of a next title to depose the kinge; he knewe that his clargie were attemptinge the like with the marquies of Exetar. He perswaded the king by maintteininge of equum jus, and by holdinge-downe the over-emminent power of soche greate ones as in time paste, like bell-wethers, had led the sheppeshe flockes of England against their prince, to knett fast to him the love of his commons and specially of his cittie of London. He placed abbottes and ffriers in divers great housses divers lerned men, and perswaded against these supersti [ti] ens, which men were readie to make surrender of their houses at the kinges commaundement. He caused the king to restrayne all payment at Rome, and all resorte of his subjectes thither, either for suites, appells, faculties, or other causes, wherby both he kept treasure and held it from his ennemies, and restrained his ennemies from fliinge to foren partes or conference with them. He caused visitacions to be made of all the reeligious houses touching their conversations, whereuppon was retourned the booke called the Blacke Booke, expressing of everie suche house the vile lives and abhominable factes, in murders of their bretherne, in sodomyes, in whordomes, in destroying of children, in forging of deedes, and other infinite horrors of life, in so muche as deviding of all the religious persons in England into three partes two of theise partes at the least were sodomites: and this appeared in writting, with the names of the parties and their factes. This was shewed in parliament, and the villanies made knowen and abhorred. He caused the king of the abbes possessions to make suche dispersion, as it behoved infinite multitudes for their owne intrest to joyne with the king in hollding them downe, whiche he did by divers meanes, and these amoung other: by ffownding divers bushoprickes and colleges with these possessions, selling many of them to many men four reasonable prises, exchainging many of them with the nobilitie and other for their auncient possession to their greate gaine with whome he exchainged, preferring many sufficient persons to the kinges servis who were sone raised to nobilitie and to worshipe and good calling, and all indewed with maintenaunce out of the revenewes of abbyes. Here is all I can remember. There was also used for the manner of dessolution First, divers abbotes and other that could be thereunto perswaded, or were some of them four the purpose placed by the king, made surrender of their houses and conveied them to the kinge by order of lawe, and had competent pencions both them selves and their companie during their lives. Somme beinge detected by the said visitacion, to have the kinges favour not to punishe them with rigour, not to publishe their infamie for their vile factes, were likewise content to surrender. For all the rest, which were not then many, the parliament being made acquainted with their vile lives, were redely contented both to confirme the surrender, and geive their consyntes to the geving of all the reaste to the kinge. 116 CHAPTER II. FROM THE DISSOLUTION OF THE SMALLER HOUSES TO THE PASSING OF THE ACT FOR THE DISSOLUTION OF THE LARGER MONASTERIES. No sooner was the act for the dissolution of the smaller monasteries passed, than we find Cromwell beset by two classes of suitors; on one side the heads of houses where the fewest irregularities had been discovered hoped to have advantage of the clause which left it in the power of the king to preserve at his discretion such houses as might appear deserving of exception, while on the other many of the gentlemen and noblemen of the court eagerly sought to obtain a share of the spoils. Among the letters which follow will be found examples of both these classes of applications. The fate of the nuns appears to have excited on the whole more compassion than that of the monks and friars. The following petition is from the prioress and sisters of Legborne, or Lekeburn, in Lincolnshire, a nunnery founded by Robert Fitz-Gilbert towards the end of the twelfth century. Little is known of the history of this house, and it is not clear how Cromwell came to be considered the representative of its founder. L. THE PRIORESS AND NUNS OF LEGBORNE TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 270*.] Right honourable oure most synguler maister and ffounder, oure duetie in the humblest wise presupposed, with dayly prayer as youre perpetuall and religious beedwomen, please yt youre goodnes to understonde, that whereas almyghty God hath indued you with just title ffounder of the pryory of Legborne, to the great comfort of me and all my systers, we doo and shall alweyes submyt oure selfes to youre most rightuouse commaundement and ordre, oonly puttyng oure comfort in youre goodnesse for all causes concernyng youre poure pryory of Legbourne. And whereas we doo here that a grete nombre of abbyes shalbe punysshid, subprest, and put downe, bicause of theire myslyvyng, and that all abbyes and pryoryes under the value of celi be at oure moste noble prynces pleasure to subpresse and put downe, yet if it may pleas youre Your owne dayly beadwomen, Jane The next letter relates to two of the smaller religious houses in Devonshire. The priory of Totnes was founded by Judhel or Johel in the reign of William the Conqueror, as a cell to the great benedictine abbey of Angers. The patronage descended from the original founder to the Zouches, in which family it remained till their attainder after the accession of Henry VII., when it was conferred by the crown on Sir Peter Edgcumbe. Thomas Rychard appears as the last prior of this house. The priory of Cornworthy was a poor house of Austin nuns, also in the patronage of the Edgcumbes, although it appears doubtful whether the original founder was of that family, or whether, like the priory of Totnes, it was derived from the Zouches. The following letter supports the latter supposition. The last prioress appears to have been Avicia Dynham. LI. SIR PETER EDGECUMBE TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 258.] Affter my most harty recommendacyons, with lyke thanckes for your goodnes to me att tymes schewyd, and this ys to advertyse |