lordeshipps greate goodnes towardes my friende the abbott off Peterborough, for whome I have ben ofte bolde to wryte unto youre good lordeshipp, moste hartely thankynge your lordeshipp for that and all other youre goodnes that I have founde at youre good lordeshipps handes, even so desiering you, my lorde, longe to contynew in the same. My lorde, thies shalbe to asserteyne, that on Thursdaye the xiiijth daye of this present moneth the abbott of Glastonburye was arrayned, and the next daye putt to executyon, wyth ij. other of his monkes, for the robbyng of Glastonburye churche, on the Torre Hyll, next unto the towne of Glaston., the seyde abbottes body beyng devyded in fower partes, and heedd stryken off, whereof oone quarter stondythe at Welles, another at Bathe, and at Ylchester and Brigewater the rest, and his hedd uppon the abbey gate at Glaston. And as concernynge the rape and burglary commytted, those parties are all condempned, and fower of theym putt to executyon at the place of the act don, whiche is called the Were, and there adjudged to hange styll in chaynes to then sample of others. As for Capon, oone of the seyde offenders condempned, I have repried according to your lordeshipps letters, of whome I shall further shew unto you at my next repayre unto the courte. And here I do sende your lordeshipp enclosed the names of thenquest that passed on Whytyng the seid abbott, whiche I ensure you, my lorde, is as worsshipfull a jurye as was charged here thies many yeres. And there was never seene in thies partes so greate apparaunce as were here at this present tyme, and never better wyllyng to serve the kyng. My lorde, I ensure you there were many bylles put upp ageynst the abbott by hys tenauntes and others, for wronges and injuryes that he hadd donne theym. And I commytt your good lordeshipp to the keapyng of the blessed Trynyte. From Welles, the xvj. daye of Novembre. Your owen to commande, J. RUSSELL. CXXX. RICHARD POLLARD TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 133*.] Pleasyth it youre lordshyp to be advertysed, that synse my laste letter sent unto youre lordshyp bearyng date the xv. daye of Novembre, the same xv. daye the late abbott of Glastonberye went frome Wellys to Glastonberye, and there was drawyn thorowe the towne apon a hurdyll to the hyll callyd the Torre, wheare he was putto execucion; att wyche tyme he askyd God mercye and the kyng for hys great offensys towardes hys hyghenes, and also desyred my servauntes then beyng there present to se the execucion done, that they wold be meane to my lord presydent and to me thatt we shold desyre the kynges hyghenes of hys mercyfull goodnes and in the waye of charytye to forgyve hym his great offensys by hym commytted and done ageynste hys grace, and thereapon toke hys deathe very pacyently, and hyse hede and body bestowyd in lyke maner as I certyfyed youre lordshyp in my last letter. And lykewyse the other ij. monkys desyred lyke forgyvenes, and toke there deathe verye pacyently, whose sowllys God pardon. And whereas I att my last beyng wyth youre lordshyp att Londone movyd youre lordshyp for my brother Paulett, desyryng youre lordshyp to be a meane that he myght have the surveorshype of Glastonbery, wyche I dowt nott but he wyll use and exercyse the sayd offyce to the kynges moyste profytt and advantage, and youre lordshyppes goodnes herein to hym to be showyd he shall recompense to hys lytle powere, I assure your lordshyp he hathe byn very dylygent, and dyvers other by hys meanys, to serve the kynge att thys tyme, accordyng to hys dewtye and ryght. So was Nycholas fytz James, John Sydnam, and Thomas Hornar, youre servantes. Also thys ys to advertyse youre lordshyp that the late abbott of Glastonberye, afore his execution, was examyned apon dyvers articles and interrogatoryes to hym mynystred by me, but he cowld accuse no man but hym selfe of any offense ageynst the kynges hyghnes, nor he wold confesse no more goold nor sylver nor any other thyng more then he dyd afore youre lordshyp in the Towre. My lord Russell takythe hys jorney this present daye from Wellys towardes Londone. I suppose hytt wylbe nere Crystmas before I shall have surveyd the landes att Glastonberye, and takyn the audyte there. Other newes I knowe none, as knowythe God, who ever preserve youre lordshype. Frome Wellys, the xvj. daye of Novembre. Your assuryd to command, RYCHARD POLLARD. Many projects appear to have been started for the purpose of turning the monastic houses and estates to some public use. We have seen in the foregoing letters different suggestions of this kind, some wishing them to be applied to purposes of education, others praying for their preservation for "the keeping up of hospitality." The advocates of the latter proposition did not understand the great social revolution which was then commencing. The king appears to have entertained a plan of applying them to increase the number of bishopricks. In MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 182, we find a draught of a proposed act of parliament to embody, in a certain degree, all these purposes, which was drawn up after the suppression of the lesser monasteries, and by which it was proposed "to keep hospitality at the place of the dissolved abbies; that no bishop have above 1000 marks a year; that all monks, canons, and nuns be closely confined to their abbeys, and have 40s. a year, besides victuals, and abbots £5; that governors be appointed to each house, with a salary of a 1000 marks a year to keep hospitality, if the revenues will answer; and that the rest of the revenues be applied for the defence of the realm, mending highways, &c." In the same volume we have fragments of another project, drawn up apparently at the time of the dissolution of the greater monasteries, and which certainly originated with the king. The commencement is written, and corrected, in the king's own hand, and runs as follows (MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 305.) :: "Forasmuche as it is nott unknowne the slowghful and ungodly lyff whyche hath bene usid amonst all thos sort whyche have borne the name off religius folke, and to the intente that hensforthe meny off them myght be tornyd to better use (as heraffter shall folow), werby Godes worde myght the better be sett forthe, chyldren broght up in lernyng, clerces nuryshyd in the universites, olde servantes decayd to have lyfynges, allmeshousys for pour folke to be sustaynyd in, reders off Grece, Ebrew, and Latyne to have good stypende, dayly almes to be mynystrate, mendyng off hyght wayse, exhybission for mynysters off the chyrche, it is thowght therfore unto the kynges hyghtnes most expedient and necessary that mo bysshopprycys, colegyall and cathedralle chyrchys, shulbe establyshyd in sted of thes forsayd relygyus housys, within the fondasion weroff other tytylles affore rehersyd shalbe stablysyd." This is followed by a commencement of a preamble of a law written by another hand; and it is accompanied by the following plan for new bishopricks, &c. on a separate sheet of paper, written in the king's hand, but apparently incomplete. Plasys to be altheryd acordyng to our devyse whyche have sees in them. Cryst chyrche in Cantorbury. Saynt Swytynnys. Elye. Durhame. Rochester with a part off Lydes. Worcester. and all others havyng the same. Plasys to be alteryd into coleges and scolles wonly. The project of law last mentioned appears to have shared the same fate as the one preceding; but the king carried into effect a part of his plan of establishing new bishops' sees. Three of those mentioned in the list were created within two years after the dissolution of the houses on the ruins of which they were established. In 1541 John Chambers, last abbot of Peterborough, was made first bishop of Peterborough. At the close of the year 1540, Thomas Thirlby (who had no successor) was appointed bishop of Westminster. In 1541 also, the king appointed Robert Kyng, last abbot of Oseney, bishop of Oxfordshire, making Oseney abbey church his cathedral, but the see was soon afterwards moved to Christ Church, Oxford.* The abbey of Oseney, * Upon the erection of the new bishopricks by king Henry the Eighth, in 1542, the abbey of Oseney was changed into a cathedral church of Christ and the blessed |