The abbeys of Rievaulx and Fountains, mentioned in the following letter, are well known at the present day by their extensive and picturesque ruins. The former, a house of the Cistercian order, was founded in 1131 by Walter Espec; the latter was founded in the year following (1132) by a colony of monks of the abbey of St. Mary at York. This letter can hardly be by the same Thomas Legh who was so active a visitor, and whose signature occurs so frequently to other letters. XXVI. THOMAS I. LEGH TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 137.] Pleasithe it your mastershyp to be advartesyd that, according unto your commandement, with most diligence I hawe deliverd your letter, also attymes most convenient referryd unto the kynges commyssionars at Riwax siche credance as yower pleisar and equite wolde, whyche uppon the abbott of Funtans partt was butt lyghtly regardyd, and playnly expressyd of the same, that suche letter as I deliveryd and credance relatyde was ffrom M. Crumwell onley, and nott from the kinges hyghnesse, wheropon, by the councelles of docter Spensar and Boyear, a procter, after evidence prove be wyttnessys, and the abbott of Rywax confession publishyde, the said abbott amonge other exceptions dyd laye thys excepcion, Quod rigore literarum nulla commissionariis nec illorum alicui competit aut competere potest jurisdictio contra prefatum abbatem de Rieralle, pro eo videlicet et ex quo dicte littere regie fuerunt et sunt dolose, surreptitie, quod sunt tacita veritate et expressa falsitate per dolum et fraudem ac hujusmodi (?) serenissimi principis nostri circumventione impetrate, who in hys obstinacie and parrvarse mynde adhering to the rules of hys religion, as he said, departyd from Riwax, and wolde nott accordingli unto your letters thare remayne for the accomplyshment of the kinges commaundement, notwithstondyng that I often tymes desiryd hym and commaundyd hym in the kinges name to tarry and make prosses according to justice withowt forder delay; whyche rebelliouse mynde at this tyme is soo radicate, not only in hym, butt also in money of that religion, as in the abbott of Rywax wryting thys letter here inclosyde to the slaundare of the kinges heygnes, and after the kinges lettars receivyd dyd imprison and otharways punyche divers of hys brethern whyche ware ayenst hym and hys dissolute lywing; also dyd take ffrom one of the same, being a wery agyd man, all hys money whyche he shulde hawe made hys jubili withalle, that as persons almost nothing regarding God and veri lytyll owr grett maister the king, under the pretence of the rwlles of there religion, lyvythe as persones, solute ab omni lege seu obedientia et Deo et regi debita, being abowghtwardes, as yt semythe to me, to rwlle the king by ther rulles, whyche ys a perverse ordre that so noble a hedde shulde be rulyd by so putride and most corrupte membres. Sed Cato inquit, obsta principiis. All the cuntre maykythe exclamacions of thys abbot of Riwax, uppon hys abhomynable lywing and extorcions by hym commyttyd, also many wronges to divers myserable persons don, whyche evidently duthe apere by bylles corroboratt to be trwe, wythe ther othese corporale in the presens of the commissionars and the said abbott takyn, and opon the same xvj. witnessys examynyd, affermyng ther exclamacions to be trwe. Therfore, tempore jam instante, the kinges magiste consideryd, whome they hawe knowligyd to be supremum caput totius ecclesie Anglicane, the honor of my lorde of Rutland * in thys besynes remembryd, your worshyp and also my pore honeste not forgotton, they wolde ether quykli be lokyd opon and shortly, or elles ther dessolute lywing with rebelliose demeanour shall every day increase more and more, to the dysplesour of God, disquietnes of the kinges prerogative, and reproche slanderouse unto ther religion, with troble of suche cuntres as they ar inhabytyd in. The abbot of Funtance had knowlige at hys being at Riwax, the erle of Cumberlond† to have a commission for to inqwyer upon hys demenars, whyche causyde hym in ther businesses to playe * Thomas Earl of Rutland, as a descendent of Walter Espec, was the patron of Rievaulx. After its dissolution he obtained a grant of the site. + Henry Clifford, created Earl of Cumberland in 1525. He shared largely in the spoils of the monasteries. twe partes, nam tunc sua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet. Thes premysses consyderyd, I trust ye wyll thinke hym not worthe to be visitour of hys religion ony longer by the kinges auctorite. And in thys cause of the abbot of Riwaxe, the other commyssionars hathe precedide according to the lawe, and yowr credence by me to theyme relatyde, and condignlie hathe remowyd hym from the rewlle of hys abbacie and admynistracion of the same. With my slawe wryting I besiche yow to tak no displesur, and of the cause therof I shall at my cummyng to London make trwe relacion unto yow. Wrytten in hast, the fyrst day off Septembar, ffrom Belver. By your servand, THOMAS I LEGH. I pray yow noote there presumptuose myndes, most alienat ffrom religion, hawing nothing of ther own, ne may have ther accomptes made, whiche oonly to be calyd an abbatte will contende contrare to ther obediencie with the kinges highnes, the fownders, and all other, to the great slandar of the religion, disqwiettnes and extreme costes and charges of ther howse. To the ryght worshypfull master Thomas Crumwell, oon of the kinges In the following letter we find the Abbot of Glastonbury, one of the greatest abbeys in England, petitioning against some of the visitatorial injunctions. We shall find him afterwards acting more decidedly in opposition to the wishes of the court, for which he was at last brought to the scaffold. XXVII. JOHN FITZ-JAMES TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 39.] My singuler gode master, after moste humble recommendacion, with like thanckes for your great payne of late taken with me to my great comforte, this shal be to advertyse your saide gode mastershipp that I have spoken with my lorde abbot of Glaston concernynge suche injunccions as weer yeven hym and his covent by your deputie at the last visitacion there. Wherof there be foure articles in this papar here ynclosede, and as to too the first articles extendyth generally to every moncke yn the howse, but to suche as be exceptede in the seccound article, to infourm your mastershipp of the trothe, ther be certen officers brodirs of the howse whiche have allway be attendaunt apon the abbot, as his chapleyn, steward, celerer, and on or too officers moo; if they schuld be bounde to the firste too articles, it schuld muche disapoynt the order of the howse, whiche hathe longe ben full honorable. Wherfore if it may pleas your saide gode masterschipp to licence the abbot to dispence with thoo too firste articles, yn my mynde ye schall doo a verie gode dede, and I dare be suertie he will dispence with none but with suche as schalbe necessarie. And to the thirde article they have used allwayes to make ther leesses by on of the religion and ceculer men appoynted to hym, whiche leesses have comenly be made at a courte and letten by copie of the courte roll, and the covent never made previe to the leese, and if they schuld make no leese but by assent of the more parte of the covent, it schuld be verie tedyous bothe to them and to ther tenauntes. Wherfore, if it may pleas your gode masterschipp to discharge that thirde article, the abbot weer muche bounde to your gode masterschipp. And to the iiijth article, peraventure there *The paper containing these four articles appears to be lost, and a slip with four articles in no point answering to the description given in the letter is attached to it in the letter. One of the injunctions of the visitors was, "that no monke or brother of this monastery by any meanes goo forthe of the precynct of the same." Another injunction, which appears to be that alluded to by the abbot of Glastonbury in his third article, was, "Also that the abbot and president of this house shall make no waste of the woodes pertayning to this house, nor shall set out unadvisydly any ffermes or reversions without the consent of the more parte of the convent." See the draught of the visitatorial injunctions in the Cottonian MS. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 21. be sume of his brodirs would be gladd to be abrode, and to make untrew surmyse, so the abbot may paye for ther costes. Wherfore, it may pleas yow to ordre that clawse to be spared to tyme the abbot may wayte on your gode masterschipp the next terme, or elles to make it if the complaynaunt prove his complaynt to be trew than to have his costes, or elles not, the abbot weer muche bounde to yowe. Other articles ther be whiche they thincke verie strayt; howbeit they will sue to your gode masterschipp ffor that at more leyser, and yn the meane tyme I dowte not they will kepe as gode religion as any howse of that order withyn this realme, as knowith God, who longe preserve your saide gode masterschipp. At Redliche, the ijnd, day of Septembre. Your humble daylye oratour, as he is moste bownd, This is the second letter from Dr. Legh on the subject of that part of the injunctions which confined the monks and their superiors to their houses. His coadjutor Dr. Leighton appears to have been inclined to more indulgence on this head, to which Cromwell seems to have been not unfavourable. XXVIII. DR. LEGH TO CROMWELL. [From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. 1v. fol. 54.] After my dewe commendations to your good maistershipp, please it you to be advertised that I have receyved youre gentill and loving lettres, yn which ye wolde that at my discretion I may licence the heddis for their necessary busynes and affaires to go furth of theire monasteries in suyche discrete maner and fourme as no brute may be made thereof. Sir, it was not myne entent in my • i. c. noise, report. CAMD. SOC. |