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fyttes to us most charytably exhibite, bot also certen munimentes, evidencez, and specialties, tochinge and apperteynynge unto our monastery, which we had lately sent unto our said priour and brethren there, for the tryall of certen laundes and rightus which lately did depende betwixt us and certen men of worshipp in Cambridge shyre in contraversie, and yet doith depende undecised, and for none other purpose. In consideracion wherefore, yf yt might please your grace, forasmuch as we have a greate parte of our laundes graunted unto us by reason of the said Alen Niger, whereby we be daly charged as doith appere by composicion made betwixt us and the said Alen Niger, and also confirmed by Boniface the iijth anno sui pont. tercio under certen censures and paynes with clausis dirogatorye, as more largely by hys said graunte doith appere, that the said pryory might consiste and abyde as a membre unto oure monastery, as yt haith done this thre hundred yeres and more, with your graces favour, your grace shall not onely put me and my brether to a greate quietude, bot also take away many sundry doubties and greate perels of the residew of our laundes graunted unto us by the said erele, which be right notable, yf the same suppression or alienation no farther procede; and, besydes that, minstre unto us a more notable acte then ye had gyven us ten tymes more laundes then unto the same priory doith apperteyne and belonge; for of trueth the rentes and revenuez unto the same priory belonging doith very lytill surmounte the sum of xxxli. sterlinge, as far as I perceyve. And yet towardes your speciall, honourable, and laudable purpose concernynge the erection and foundacion of the said college and scole, I am right interely contentid, for your tenderinge of the premisses, to gyve unto your grace ccc. markes sterlinge, which shall be deliverd unto your grace immediately. Most hummely desyring your grace to accepte my pore mynde towardes your most noble acte, which shuld be far better yf that my lytill pore [estate] thereunto wolde extende, protestinge ever that yf your graces pleasure be to have the said priory to the purpose above recyted, that then with all

my study, diligence, and labour, I shall continually indever my self for the accompleshment of the same, accordingly as my dutie ys. Trustinge ever that your grace will se our pore monastery no farther hyndred, bot that we may in tyme commyng lyve lyke religiouse men, and serve Almighty God with our nombre determinate, and hereafter avoide both in law and good conscience all perells that thereby may ensue; and also pray for our founders, benefactours, and your good grace, accordingly to the foundacion of our monastery, as our dutie ys; and so knowith Jhesus, who preserve your most noble grace in high honour and greate prosperytie long to continew. Frome our monastery of Yourke, the xxth day of Septembre.

Your most bownden bedeman, EDMOND, abbot of Yourke. To my lorde legates good grace.

The following letter was written in the beginning of the year 1529. The history of the small priory of black canons at Butley in Suffolk is very obscure, and the list of priors particularly imperfect. It was founded in 1171, by the celebrated lawyer Ranulf de Glanvil. Whether Wolsey designed to suppress it or not is uncertain, but this letter shows the tyranny which the haughty Cardinal exerted over the religious houses.

II.

RICHARD, BISHOP OF NORWICH, TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.

[From MS. Harl. No. 604, fol. 55.]

In moste humble maner I commende me unto your grace, doynge the same t'undrestande that I have hard youre message and credence commytted unto Maister Doctour Stewarde, your chapelain, to showe unto me, and have showed unto hym my full myende therin, the which I doubte not he wull declare unto your grace.

And where the president and convent of the howse of Butley, sone after the departynge of their late priour and maister there, prefixed and assigned a day for their election of a new priour, and

appoynted certayn of myn officers at that day to be there fully myended and determyned to procede to their election by the way of inspiracion, the same so prefixed for the election, after their service said and other ceremonyes observed, whan thei were redy and at the poynt to procede to their election, your lettres of sequestracion and inhibition to the contrarye were delyvered unto the president and convent, the which thei obeide, as became theym to do, and differred their election for that tyme. And whereas nowe I understonde that the said president and convente, before the said Maister Stewarde and other your officers, have proceded to their election, and fully compromytted in your grace to name and appoynt one of the brether and convente there, suche one as your grace shall thinke moste mete and profightable for the place, surely as I am credibly enfourmed there be dyverse of the brether right hable and mete for that office, and specially one Sir Thomas Sudbourne, celerar there, who had been electe and chosen per viam spiritus sancti at the first day prefixed for their election by the commen consent of all the brether, if your grace is inhibicion had not been, as myn officers than beynge there have reported unto me; wherfore your nominacion in this behalve onys made and intimate unto the convent, my truste is your grace wulbe contented that I shall confirme the said election and the priour so by your grace electe. And thus Almyghty God long preserve your grace to your hertes moste desire. At Hoxne, the xijth day of January, 1528, by your oratour and chapelaine,

To my lorde cardynall is grace be these lettres dd.

RI. NORVICEN.

The following letter is one of many instances of the influence which the vacillating measures of the court had upon men's minds at the first outbreak of the Reformation. William Barlow was a native of Essex, and originally a canon of St. Osythe's. In his youth he was a partizan of the church reformers. He afterwards held appointments in different religious houses in England, was sent by Henry VIII. on an embassy to

Scotland, and in 1535 was made bishop of St. Asaph. He was in a few weeks removed to the bishopric of St. David's, and afterwards to that of Bath and Wells. He fled from England on the accession of Mary; but on Elizabeth's return he was promoted to the bishopric of Chichester. Tanner has given the titles of such of his books as were printed. In his Dialogue he had reflected bitterly on Wolsey for the dissolution of the small monasteries with which he intended to endow his new college.

III.

WILLIAM BARLOW TO THE KING, A.D. 1533.

[From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 121.]

Prayse be to God, who of hys infinyte goodnes and mercye inestimable hath brought me owt of darcknes into lyght, and from deadly ignoraunce unto the quicke knowlege of trothe, from the which through the fendes instygacyon and fals perswasyones I have greatly swerved, wrappynge my selfe in manyfolde erroures and detestable heresyes agaynst the doctryne of Chryst and determynacyon of holy churche, in so moche that I have made certayne bookes, and have suffred theym to be emprynted, as the Treatyse of the Buryall of the Masse, a Dyaloge betwene the Gentyllman and Husbandman, the Clymbynge up of Fryers and Religious Persones, portred with fygures, a descripcion of Godes worde compared to the lyght; also a convicyous dyaloge withowt any tytle, inveynge specyally agaynst Saynt Thomas of Canterberye, which as yet was never prynted nor publysshed openly. In thes treatyses I perceyve and aknowlege my selfe grevously to have erred, namely, agaynst the blyssed sacrament of the altare, dysalowynge the masse and denyenge purgatorye, with slawnderous infamye of the pope and my lorde cardynall, and owtragious raylyng agaynst the clergye, which I have forsaken and utterly renownced. Wherfore I beynge lately informed of your hyghnes endued with so excellent learnynge and syngler jugement of the trothe, which endevored not onely to chace awaye and extyrpe all heresyes, but also to se a reformacyone of slawnderous lyvynge, for the restraynte of vyce in all estates, to the furtheraunce of

vertue and avauncement of Godes worde; also considerynge the pyteous favour voyde of rygour, and mercye abhorrynge cruelte, which your hyghnes hath used towarde other of your subgettes fallen into soche lyke heresyes, as have submytted theym selves humbly unto your grace; I have made sute by all meanes possyble freely withowt mocyon of any man to come and present my selfe afore your highnes fet, to submytt my selfe unto your mercyfull pleasure, besechynge your gracyous pardone. Also as ferre forthe as I have knowlege in all thinges to acertayne your grace unfaynedly whatsoever your hyghnes shall vouchesave to demaunde of me, your unworthye subgett and oratour,

WILLIAM BARLO.

The next letter relates to one of the fathers of the reformation, Hugh Latimer, and his sturdy opponent Hubberdin. Stowe gives an account of Latimer's preaching at Bristol in 1534, the date of the present letter. He was active in detecting the practices of the Maid of Kent, and was, in the year following that in which this letter was written, made Bishop of Worcester. At the time of his preaching at Bristol he was looked upon with some disfavour; on the 2nd October, 1533, he had been forbidden to preach at London. Foxe describes Hubberdin as an old divine of Oxford, a right painted Pharisey, and a great straier abroad in al quarters of the realme to deface and impeache the springyng of Gods holy gospell." It appears that at this time the zealous papistry of Hubberdin was as distasteful to the government as the bold doctrines of Latimer. It would seem that Hubberdin had touched too nearly upon the question of the King's supremacy.

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The abbey of St. Augustine in Bristol appears to have been founded early in the twelfth century; its church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is now the cathedral. William Burton is stated, in the Monasticon, to have been made abbot on the 9th of September, 1534. He, with eighteen of his monks, subscribed to the King's supremacy, and we may therefore suppose that he was one of the moderate party.

IV.

COMMISSIONERS AT BRISTOL TO SECRETARY CROMWELL.

[MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 56.]

In my moste humble wyse, with dew recommendacyons as appertaynethe, advertysynge your masterschype that I recevyd your letter the Saterday yth day of Julii, at vj. of the cloke at nyзte,

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