whiche sir William Kempe wold have from him. He affirmethe constantly that he is utterly undon if he shuld forgo either thole, or that half that Mr. Kempe wold have. Forty acres of his best lande he wold be content to let him have, at reasonable rent, for his favour; which, in my poore opinion, is more thenne reasonable. Thus having certain affiance that your lordships goodnes woll pardon this my boldnes, we shall pray to God to kepe your lordship in healthe. From St. Swythines in Winchestre, this Saturdaye mornyng. Your lordshippes most bounden, To the right honorable and our singular good lord, my lorde privye seale. RYCHARD POLLARD. If the date of the preceding letter be right, Pollard seems to have gone from Winchester to Reading, where he would act in conjunction with Dr. London. The following letter must refer to the priory, and not to the abbey, in this town. CVII. RICHARD POLLARD TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 224.*] Pleasyth youre lordshyp to be advertysed, that att my comyng to Readyng I dyd dyspatche Mr. Wrytheslys servaunt wyth every thyng accordyng to youre commaundement, wyche amountythe to the some of cxxxjli. ixs. viijd., as appeyrythe by the partyculers herein inclosyd, and parte of the stuffe reservyd for the kynges majestyes use, wyth the whole house and churche undefasyd. I and my fellowes have lefte hytt by indenture in the custody of Mr. Penyson, and as for the plate, vestementes, copys, and hangynges, wyche we have reservyd also to the use of the kynges majestye, we have lefte hytt in the custody of Mr. Vachell by indenture, wych shalbe conveyd to London ageynste my comyng thyther; and, thangkes be to God! every thyng ys well ffynysshyd there, and every man well contentyd and gyvythe humble thankes to the kynges grace. I wythe my ffellowes intend on Tewsday next, God wyllyng, to take oure journey frome Readyng, as knowythe God, who ever preserve youre good lordshyp. Frome Readyng, the xv. daye of Septembre. Your owan assuryd to command, RYCHARD POLLARD. The three following letters from Dr. London, all relating to the suppression of the priory of Reading, are almost counterparts of one another. The two first were certainly not addressed to the same person-the second was probably sent to the chanceller of the augmentations. CVIII. DR. LONDON TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 225.] In my most humble maner I have me commendyd unto yower gude lordeschippe, acertenyng the same that I have pullyd down the image of our ladye at Caversham, wherunto wasse great pilgremage. The image ys platyd over with sylver, and I have putt yt in a cheste fast lockyd and naylyd uppe, and by the next bardge that comythe from Reding to London yt shall be browght to your lordeschippe. I have also pullyd down the place sche stode in, with all other ceremonyes, as lightes, schrowdes, crowchys, and imagies of wex, hangyng abowt the chapell, and have defacyd the same * Cromwell was high steward of Reading, and Thomas Vachell, Esq. who represented the town in parliament, acted as his deputy-steward. + Caversham is about a mile and a half to the north of Reading. thorowly in exchuyng of any farther resortt thedyr. Thys chapell dydde belong to Notley abbey,* and ther always wasse a chanon of that monastery wiche wasse callyd the warden of Caversham, and he songe in thys chapell, and hadde the offeringes for hys lyving. He wasse acostomyd to shew many prety relykes, among the wiche wer (as he made reportt) the holy dager that kylled kinge Henry, and the holy knyfe that kylled seynt Edwarde.‡ All thees, with many other, with the cotes of thys image, her cappe and here, my servant shall bring unto your lordeschippe thys wek, with the surrendre of the Freers under the covent seale, and ther seale also. I have sent the chanon home agen to Notleye, and have made fast the doores of the chapell; wiche ys thorowly well coverd with ledde; and if it be your lordeschips pleasure, I schall se yt made suer to the kinges graces use. And, if it be nott so orderyd, the chapell standith so wildely that the ledde will be stolyn by ny3t, as I wasse servyd at the Fryers; ffor as soon as I hadde taken the Fryers surrendre, the multytude of the poverty of the town resortyd thedyr, and all thinge that my3t be hadde they stole away, insomyche that they hadde convayd the very clapers of the bellys. And saving that Mr. Fachell, wiche made me great chere at hys howse, and the mayer dydde assist me, they wolde have made no litill spoyle. In thys I have don as moche as I cowde do to save every thing to the kinges graces use, as shall apper to your lordeschippe at the begynnyng of the terme, Godde willinge, who with increse of moche honour long preserve your gudde lordeschippe. At Redinge, xvijo Septembris. At Caversham ys a propre lodginge, wher the chanon lay, with a *Notley, or Nutley Abbey, in Buckinghamshire, of which there are still considerable remains, was founded in 1162, for Austin canons, by Walter Gyffard, second earl of Buckingham. The last abbot was Richard Ridge. + Henry VI. This is curious, as showing the established belief that the king had been murdered. Edward the martyr, the son and successor of king Edgar. fayer garden and an orcherd, mete to be bestowyd upon som frynde of your lordeschips in thes parties, ffor the chanon hadde no thing to do ther butt to kepe the chapell and receyve the offringes. I besek your gudde lordeschippe to admytt me a power sutar for thees honest men of Redinge. They have a fayer towne and many gudde occupiers in ytt, butt they lacke that howse necessary, of the wiche, for the mynystracion of justice, they have most nede of. Ther towne hall ys a very small howse, and stondith upon the ryver, wher ys the commyn wassching place of the most partt of the towne, and in the cession dayes and other cowrt dayes ther ys such betyng with batildores as oon man can nott here another nor the quest here the chardg gevyng. The body of the church of the Grey Fryers, wiche ys solyd with lath and lyme, wold be a very commodiose rowme for them. And now I have rydde all the fasschen of that church in parcleses, ymages, and awlters, it wolde mak a gudly towne hall. The mayer of that towne, Mr. Richard Turner,* is a very honest gentill person, with many other honest men, hathe expressyd unto me ther gref in thys behalf, and have desyred me to be an humble sutar unto your lordeschippe for the same, if it shulde be solde. The wallys besyd the coyne stonys be butt chalk and flynt, and the coveryng butt tile. And if it please the kinges grace to bestow that howse upon any of hys servantes, he may spare the body of the churche, wiche stondith next the strete, very well, and yit have rowme sufficient for a great man. Your most bounden oratour and servant, JOHN LONDON. * Richard Turner was mayor of Reading from September 19, 1537, to Sept. 1538, and was succeeded by Thomas Mirthe, (mayor from 1538 to 1539), and Richard Justice (from 1539 to Sept. 1540.) See Coates' History of Reading. The petition of the townsmen for the priory church to be converted into a town hall was granted. CIX. DR. LONDON TO SIR RICHARD RICH (?). [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 226.] Right worshipfull, in my most hartie maner I have me commendyd unto yow, I have pullyd down the image of your lady at Caversham, with all trynkettes abowt the same, as schrowdes, candels, images of wexe, crowches, and brochys, and have thorowly defacyd that chapell in exchuyng of any farther resortt, ffor even at my being ther com in nott so few as a dosyn with imagies of wexe. The image ys thorowly platyd over with sylver. I have putt her in a chest fast lockyd and naylede, and by the next bardge that comythe uppe it schall be brow3t to my lorde, with her cootes, cappe, and here, with dyvers relykes, as the blessyd knyfe that kylled seynt Edward, the dagger that kyllyd kinge Henry, schethe and all; and I myssed no thing here butt oonly a peece of the holy halter Judas wasse hangyd withall. Here song a chanon of Notley, wiche hadde conveyd home to hys master as great a relik as any of thees befor I com; butt I wyll have hym, and schall send yt to my lorde. And thys wek folowing I will send uppe Mr. Johan Schorn, and so as many as I fynde. I have occasion for my colledg besynes to go by Aylisbery and Bedford thys next wek, and as I suppose by Northampton. In all thees places be howsys of ffryers. If it be my lordes pleasur I will dispache them quyckly, ffor seying they wold fayne be abrode yt wer pytie to stay them. And in dyvers of thees howsys moche ydolytrie have be usyd, and the people sore abusyd. I besek yow remembre Mr. Kny3tes mater I have movyd yow in; and if by your gudnes it be brow3t to passe, I know well yow will herafter moche rejoyse yow dydd ytt. My servant schall be with yow thys wek to bringe uppe the Fryers surrendre, with the relykes of Caversham, and schall also bring yow a tokyn in parchement undre |