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In these is no harde peneworth: the house and other byldinges be in mean good state of reparacion. I have dischargyd and put forth such persons as were not mete to be ther, and laft such as be husbaundes, and I have made sure the convent saill, and the evidence.

The first founder ther was Nich. Gresley, in whose title nowe claymyth Mr. Longford (as men here report). Ther be diverse benefactours that hath gyffyn landes to that house, as it doith appere, viz. my lord Stuard, sir Henrie Saucheverell, Mr. Oker, and other thair ansetors. And thus ye may partly perceyve, and what I can do ferther shalbe redy by God his grace.

Item, to the last part of your lettre toching demeanour and the payment to the collectours, in the archdeaconry of Coventry, Derby, Staff., and Salop; the collectors have amoste made an ende in these iiij. archdeaconrys, as fer as I can perceyve is no denying, and as for the collectour of tharchdeaconry of Chester, I never herd from hym, so I supposyd he had good spede in his gedring. And how and in what maner all thynges is ther ye shalbe acertenyd shortly. I trust no man in that archdeaconry wolde be obstinate, if thay be well handlyd. Mr. parson Molenex told me this weke that the collectour as yet askyd hym no money, ner gaf hym warnyng, and whether faute be in the collectour or other, ye shalbe shortly acertenyd, and money sent with spede, by God his grace. The deithe of my lord and his wilfull and parciall cessing, defferrith all this, as knowith God, who kepe you. Lich., xijo. Maij.

Yours, RICHARD STRETE, preist.

The following letter relates to the proceedings of the commissioners in Northamptonshire. At Chaucomb, Chacomb, or Saucomb, there was a priory of Augustine canons, founded by Hugh de Chacombe in the reign of Henry II. The last prior was Thomas Stoner. Ashby Magna, in Leicestershire, was a manor belonging to the nunnery of Catesby, or Catteby, in Northamptonshire, which house was founded by Philip de Esseby or Ashby, or by his son Robert, about the reign of Richard I. The last prioress is said to have been named Jocosa, i.e. Joice. From a subsequent letter it appears that this letter was addressed to the Chancellor of the Augmentations.

LVIII.

THE COMMISSIONERS IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE TO SIR R. RICH.(?) [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 209.]

Ryght honorable, after all humble recommendacions, theis shalbe to advertyse you that we have byn yn execucion off the kynges commission directed unto us, begyngnyng at Chacumbe, wher we accomplysshed alle thynges acordyng unto our commyssion, and frome thens we repayred to Assheby, where after on days tarreyng we werr ffayne to departe thens unto Catesby nunrey, by occacion of sykenesse, where we have also accomplisshed the kynges commyssion accordyng to his high commandement and our poore distreccions. Which howse of Catesby we ffounde in verry perfett order, the priores a sure, wyse, discrete, and very religyous woman, with ix. nunnys under her obedyencye as relygious and devoute and with as good obedyencye as we have in tyme past seen or belyke shall see. The seid howse standyth in sueche a quarter muche to the releff off the kynges people, and his graces pore subjectes their lykewyse mooche relewed, as by the reporte of dyvers worshyppfulles nere therunto adjoynyng as of alle other yt ys to us openly declared. Wherefore yf yt shulde please the kynges highnesse to have eny remorse that eny suche relygous house shall stande, we thynke his grace cannot appoynt eny house more mete to shewe his most gracious charitie and pitey one than one the said howse of Catesby. Ferther ye shall understande, that as to her bounden dewtye towardes the kynges highnes in theis his affayres, also for discrete enterteynment of ws his commyssioners and our company, we have not fownde nor belyke shall

CAMD. SOC.

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fynde eny suche of more dyscrecion. And lese peraventure theyr may be labor made to her detryment and other undoyng, before knowleg showlde cum to his hyghnesse and to yow frome us, yt may therfore please yow to sygnefy unto his hyghnesse the effecte of theis our lettres, to thentent his grace may stay the graunte theyrof tyll suche tyme we may ascerteyn yow of our fulle certyfycat and compartes in that behalfe accordyng. Frome Catesby, the xij. day off this present moneth off May; from the kynges commyssioners at your commandement.

EDMOND KNYGHTLEY.
JOHN LANE.

GEORGE GYFFARD.
ROBT. BURGOYN.

The priory of St. Petroc at Bodmin in Cornwall was founded in Saxon times, and was refounded for Augustine canons in 1120. The site with demesnes were granted, after its dissolution, to Thomas Sternhold, the celebrated translator of the Psalms. The last prior was Thomas Vivian, alias Wannyworth: he was suffragan bishop of Megara in Greece, and his tomb is still preserved in the church.

LIX.

THE PRIOR OF BODMIN TO MR. LOK.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 116.]

Master Lok, I harttili recommend me unto you, so thankyng you for your gret kyndenesse and payne that ye have take for me, which I trust wons God wyllyng to recompens. Syr, I am sore disquietid with a sett of unthryfty chanons, my convent and there berars, which of longe contynuans have lyvyd unthriftili and agene the gode order of relygyon, to the grete sklaunder of the same, as all the contrey can telle. For the reformacyon thereof, the buschope yn hys late visitacyon gave certayne and dyvers injuncions, commaundyng me straytle to see observyd and kept,

which are noo hardar thane ower owne rule and profession byndis us, and as alle other relygyus men use and observe where god relygioun is observid and kept; wherewith they be sore grevid, and yntend the most parte of them to depart with capacitise withowt my concent and wylle, and won of them hathe purchesid a capacyte the last terme withowt my lycence, which is agene the wordes of his capacite, wherefor I have restraynyd his departyng, for no gret los that I showld have of hym, but for the yl exemple to othere; for yf I showld suffer this man to depart yn this maner, I shall have never a chanon to byde with me. I am sore threttynyd with won master Roger Arundell, a gret berar and mayntynar of my bretherne agenst me, and the procurar of there capacites, to be browght before the kynges grace honorable councell, for that I have not sufferd this lewde chanon to depart with his capacite acordyng to there yntent. I pray you harttili to shew this mater to my gode master secretary, desieryng hym, as my speciall trust ys yn hym, yf anney complayntes cum to hym, as I dowt not but that there wol, yt may plese hym to refer the examynatioun of the mater to sir Johan Arundell, sir Peter Eggecumbe, sir Johan Chamond, or any other discrete gentilmen yn the contrey whatsoever, so that I cum not to London, as there purpose ys, which showld be to gret a charge for me to bere, my hows beyng sore yndettid alleredy. This gentilman hathe procured a commyssion, as I am informyd, to pull downe a were longyng to my pore hows, whiche hathe stande us thes ccccc. yere and more. If nede be, I wol wryte more of this mater by mastre Hill. Thus fare ye as wel, as your gentil hart can thynke, and alle my gode frendes and lerners to honour (?) pray you have harttili commendid. From Badmyn, 25 May, by your owne for ever, THOMAS, priour there.

To the ryght worshipfull

master W. Loke, mercer, dwellyng yn the

Chepscyde, at the syngne of the

Padlok, this be dd. with spede.

The following letter from Richard Beerely, a monk of Pershore, is a curious illustration of the state of the religious houses. His request appears to have been granted, as we do not find his name among the list of monks who received pensions at the dissolution of the house. The Benedictine abbey of Pershore in Worcestershire, was founded towards the end of the seventh century. The last abbot appears to have been John Stanewell or Stonywell.

LX.

RICHARD BEERLY TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 161.]

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Most reverent lord yn God, second person yn this rem of Englond, ynduyd with all grace and goodnes, y submytt my selfe unto your grace and goodnes, desyuryng you myckely to be good and gracyus lord unto me synful and poor creatur, my lowly and myck scrybullyng unto your nobull grace at thys tyme ys gruggyng yn my conchons that the relygyon wyche we do obser and keype ys no rull of sentt Benett, nor yt no commandyment of God, nor of no sentt, but ly3th and foulysse serymonys, mayd sum yn old tyme and sume yn our tyme, by ly3th and ondyscrytt faders, wych have done ther dutys and fulfellyd ther owne serymonys, an lett the preceps an commandymentes of God go. And so have y do thys syx yere, wych doth now greve my conchons sore, that y have bye a dyssymblar so long tyme, the wych relygyon say sent Jamys, ys yn vayne and bryngyng forth no good fruttes; bettur owtt then yn the relygyon, except yt were the tru relygyon of Chryst. Also we do nothyng seyrch for the doctryn of Chryst, but all fowloys our owne sensyaly and pleser. And thys relygyon, as y supposse, ys all yn vayne glory, and nothyng worthy to be except nather before God nor man. Also, most gracyus lord, ther ys a secrett thyng yn my conchons wych dothe move me to goo owt of the relygyon, an yf yt were never so perfett, wych no man may know but my gostly fader, the wych I supposs yf a man mothe guge yn other yong persons as yn me selfe, for Chryst say,

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