shier, I well parsayve of the gyvyn owte of late, not only there, but also throwgh owte the realme, thies superfluus fees gyven by the late surrenderd Howses; whiche fees be gyven in three sortes. The furst to Bailles, ho a hath for smale somes resayving large fees; and where they have made a dosen, one war sufficient. Secondlye, they have gyven to generall Resayvors greater fees, whiche sorte shall never resayve no money; for the particuler bailles doth gather the rentes and so brynges it to the Kynges Resayvor, who stondes charged with the same. And the thirde sorte haith their fees to be accounseill with the Howse, and yet the greatest nomber of theym hath no lernynge. Inded they gave counsell to th'abbot to gyve theym a Covent seale to robes the Kinge of part of his Revenues; wherfore me thinke they might lawfully at this Parliament be called in agane, and the Kings Highnes shuld resave therbye within his realme iij. or foure thowsand markes by the least yerly. And further as consarnynge the Kings leade within his realme, yf it wold ples his Grace to make sales therof it shuld turne hym to a great proffite. Their be merchantes within his realme, I thinke a great sorte, wold gyve hym iiij for a foder, and fynd his Grace suerties sufficient to be pad yerly one porcion therof, whiche I thinke wold be no lees than xx M". a yere for the space of foure yeres, whiche ward a goodlye payment; and yet or the foure yeres ward expired their wold every foder be worthe to the Kinge

a who.

b of counsell.

c rob.

d were.

xx. nobles, considering the costome in and owte. And further I thinke that c.M' of his pore Sugetes shuld be benefite takers of their retorns whither it wara in money or in ware. And also the yeres beynge expired, it wold qwyken well agane one of the commodities of his realme that nowe is ded, whiche is the Myndesb of his leade. Yt may ples you to consider that and yf other owtward prynces wold take apon theym to redres their idell, fayned religiouse Howses, as the Kinges Highnes hath done, as I mystrust not but and their powers war accordinge as the Kings was and is they wolde so do, and than shall they have suche abundance of lead of suche like howses that they woll than sett litell by ours. Besechinge your lordship for my follyshe oppynyon, so boldlye to you to write of, that ye wold take with me no displeasure. And thus I remayn your pore man. From Lowthe the xth day of May.

Yours

JOHN FREMAN.

To the right honorable and his singuler good Lord my Lord Prevy Seale, be this yeven.

LETTER CXXXV.

Robert Warner to Robert Ratcliff Lord Fitzwalter: a Letter of Intelligence from Court.

[MS. COTTON. TIB. B. 1. fol. 140. Orig.]

Henry Courtney marquis of Exeter, Henry Pole lord Montacute, and Sir Edward Nevil brother to the lord Abergavenny, mentioned in the first part of the following Letter, were arrested on November the 3d. 1538; and are stated to have been accused of treason by Sir Geoffrey Pole the brother of the lord Montacute, who had confederated with them. They were indicted for devising to maintain, promote, and advance Reginald Pole the younger brother of Sir Geoffrey, afterwards known as Cardinal Pole, and to deprive the King. The continuator of D'. Henry's History conjectures that they were suspected of a design to raise Reginald Pole to the throne by a marriage with the Princess Mary, for which, he says, they would have easily obtained a dispensation from the Pope.

On the last of December 1538, the marquis of Exeter and the Lord Montacute were arraigned at Westminster; three days after which Sir Edward Nevil and Sir Geoffrey Pole were arraigned, with some inferior persons. All were condemned. The Marquis of Exeter, Lord Montacute, and Sir Edward Nevil were beheaded on Tower hill January 9th 1539. Sir Geoffrey Pole was pardoned.

Margaret Countess of Salisbury, and Gertrude marchioness of Exeter, stated to be already in prison in the Letter, were attainted by Parliament April 28th, 1539. Upon this condemnation only, the Countess of Salisbury was beheaded in the Tower, with circumstances of peculiar cruelty, May 27th, 1541. The marchioness of Exeter was not executed. Her attainder was reversed in the 1st of Queen Mary, as was Reginald Pole's in the 1 & 2 Phil. and Mary.

AFTER my duty remembred to your good lordshipe, this shalbe to advertyse yow of suche newes as be now at London. Whiche ys that upon Monday was fornyght ther was hade, to the Tower of London, the lorde Marques of Exceter, the lorde Montagwe, and the next day after whas hade thether Sir Edwarde

Newell; and as the voyse goythe they are all lyke to suffer deth; and also Sir Geffery Polle who was in the Tower beffore, as I do perceve yt shuldbe for my lorde Montagwes brother, whiche ys beyonde the see with the bysshoppe of Rome, and ys a harrant traytor to the Kyngs heynes: and be some words that I here spokyn they wolde a made a fowle worke in Inglonde as ever whas herd of. My lady Marques ys in the tower, and my lady of Salysbery ys in holde, as I herde my lorde say, but where I cann not tell : but ther ys lyke to be a fowle worke among them.

b

Leve we of that matter, and to shew yow of the Kyngs Grace, who remowyde from Westminster the Twysday the xixth day of November, and, thankyd to be God, was never meryer. And the Wedynsday beffore, he made a bankett to certayn Lordes and Ladyes, whiche was fyrst the Ducke of Suffolke and my lady hys wyff, my lorde my maister and my lady, the Erle of Herthfforde and hys wyff, and my lady Lylle, wyth other, mayds, whiche were the Quenes women; and ther they leye all nyght in the cort, and ther chambers gorgeously drest, and every one hade banketts in there chambers, and the Kyng's servants to wayte upon them: and the next day they taryed ther dyner, and after the Kyng shewyd them all the pleasurs of hys howse whiche duryd tyll yt was fower of the cloke; and then they departyde and whent ther

Nevil. VOL. II.

b have made.

• Lisle.

H

waye. Thus they left the King for that tyme; and the Monday next after, the Kyng's Grace made all the Lords of hys Prevy Councell to dyne with hym in hys bankatyng chamber, and was very mery amonge them; and, as I sayde, the next day after he went to Hampton Court, and ther wyll remayne tyll within a lettel of Crystmas, and so come to Grenwyche and kepe his Crystmas ther. And, my Lorde, to wryt of any Quene, ther ys smale spekyng of any; but that ther ys a voyce that yt shulde be the Duchys of Myllayn. But ye shall take yt as a wynde. But yett I thynke yt shalbe an outlandyshe woman, whom so ever yt shall happyn, whiche I thynke shalbe about the spryng of the lefe.

Yo' pore bedman

Att London the

xxj. day of November.

To the Ryght honorable lorde

the Lorde Fitzwater

this be delyvorde.

ROBERT WARNER.

LETTER CXXXVI.

John Lord Russell, to Lord Cromwell, respecting the trial and execution of the Abbat and two Monks of Glastonbury.

[MS. COTTON. CLEOP. E. IV. fol. 99 b. Orig.]

RIGHT honourable and my verry good Lorde, pleasyth youre lordeshipp to be advertised, that I have re