for soe powere a thyng that you shalbe contentyd and pleasyd, besechyng you to be as good to me hereyn as you may be, as my most trust ys in you, as knowythe the blessyd Trinite, who long preserve you. Wryttyn at my powere howse, upon owre Lady day.

Your owen assuryd,

THOMAS LAWARR.

As was before stated, the latter part of lord Lawarr's request was granted, and he obtained both the property and even the furniture of Boxgrave priory. The priory church afterwards became the parish church of the town, and the tomb of his father is still preserved. It is rather singular that in the following letter, which must have been written at this time, Cromwell is addressed by the title of lord: this however may have been a mere piece of flattery from an inferior, as a compliment to his political station.

LIII.

JOHN MORISE TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 234*.]

Right honorable and my synguler goode lorde, I humbly recommende me unto yowe; this shalbe to advertyse your lordshippe, that syr John Dawtree, master Palmer, and I, according to the kynges commyssion and instruccions, have dyssolved the pryorie of Boxgrave in the countie of Sussex. The besenes of dissolucion therof was fynysshed the xxvjth, day of this present moneth, at which tyme I receved your lordshypps lettre in ffavor of my lord Lawarre, which according to your lordshypps commaundment by that sent of other joynt commyssioners wyth me I have folowed, so that my seyd lord Lawarre, as I trust, is contented. The valure of the goodes that he hath bowght cummys to cxxvli. xiijs. iiijd. wherof he hath payed xli. and for the rest I have taken his owne bond to the kynges use to be payed at suche dayes as he hym selff hath desyred, that is to sey, Myghelmas next and Ester ffolowing,

wherwyth I trust the kynges grace wilbe pleased by meanes of yowre good lordshyppe, and the rather for that his grace, by the vygylant circumspectyon and dylygent dewte of the seyd lord Lawarre, hath more proffett there then in any other howse dissolved in Sussex. And, as I verely thynke, the kyng is not better answered nor more trewly of the goodes apperteynyng to his highnes by reason of any howse dyssolved in Inglond, then he is also there, as almyghty God knowith, who long preserve your lordshippe with the increase of honor to his pleasure. From Boxgrave, the xxvijth day of Marche.

Att your comaundment glad to do serves,

To the right honorable and my synguler good lord, the lorde preve

Seale, yeve this.

JOHAN MORES.

The following letter is another suit for a grant of abbey lands. The priory of Fineshed, or (as it was more anciently called) Castel Hymel, in Northamptonshire, was founded by Richard Engayne the elder, who died in 1208. After the dissolution it appears to have been retained for some time in the king's hands, and it was finally granted to John lord Russell. The last prior was Christopher Harpeworth. This, as well as the priory of Worspring in Somerset, was one of the smaller houses. The latter was founded in 1210 by William de Courteney. The last abbot or prior of this house was Roger Thorynton.

LIV.

HUMPHREY STAFFORD TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 209.*]

Right worshipfull, yn my most humblyst wise I can I comend me unto your good mastership, thanckyng your mastership ever for the great kyndenes and flavour shewed unto me alweys, and where it may please your mastership to call to your good remembrauns that ye promysed me to be good master unto me when

CAMD. SOC.

R

the tyme came: sir, your mastership shall understond that whereas yet I am not able to doo suche acceptable service unto the kynges highnes my master, as my poore and true hert wold, and if I hadd wherwith to maynteyn it, so it is, pleasith it your mastership to understond, that where I desyred Mr. Bryan to be so good master unto me as to moshion unto your mastership to helpe me to the gifte of the priorie of Fynshed, a house of chanons yn the countie of Northampton, of the yerly value of lvjli. xs. xjd. ob. yn case it be subpressed, sir, your mastership shall understond that sens that tyme my naturall ffather willed me to write to your mastership, and to non other, for to be good master unto me for a house of chanons yn Somersett shiere called Worspryng, where my seyd ffather is ffounder therof, and as I doo subpose of like value or theraboutes. And if it wold please your mastership to be so good master unto me as to helpe me to Worspryng priorie, I were and wylbe wylst I leve your bedman and alweys redy to your mastership suche poore service and pleasure as shal become me to doo, whillest I do leve, God wyllyng, who ever have your mastership yn his tuysshon. From Bletherweke,* thus present Palme Sonday, by your own assured to his litle power,

HUMFFRAY STAFFORD, esquyer.

To the right honorable sir

Thomas Cromwell, knyght, secretorie

to the kinges hyghnes, d.d. thus.

The following letter from Edward Lee, archbishop of York, relates to some of the small houses dependent upon his see. The abbots and monks, perceiving the dissolution of these houses to be inevitable, seem in many instances to have turned to their own advantage the movables and jewels which were in their hands. The sale or embezzlement of these articles was afterwards placed among the heaviest charges against certain obstinate abbots.

* Blatherwick Hall, in Northamptonshire. The old mansion is still standing.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 239.]

Right honorable, aftre my hartiest commendation, accordeng to your requeste made to me in your lettres, I have furthwith upon the receipte of the same sent commawndement to certayne monasteries beeing nie to Yorcke, where I was than, and nowe I have given commaundement to all archdeacons to warne all monasteries of lesse yerelie valewe than ijc li. being within their archdeaconries, that they shall no thing imbecille ne alien; and if theye have, that theye shall agayne call suche thinges aliened or imbecilled to their handes. Some that were noted to have received some goodes of suche monasteries I called and warned that they shold in no wiese meddle with anye suche goodes, and that if they had anye suche, that they shold restore them, and ferthermore, if anye suche goodes shalbee offred to them, that they shold give me warneng. And for bicause most resorte for suche propose is to the citie of Yorke, I have warned the maiour of Yorke, and oother of his brodren therof, and speciallie the maister of the mynte, upon their peril and daunger that theye receive no goodes of anye suche monasterie, and ferther herin I entend to doo, from tyme to tyme, as I shall see neede, and dailie doo warne suche as doo resorte to me, that they meddle not with anye suche goodes, that by them this commawndiment maye bee the more published, as I trust it shalbee nowe by tharchdeacons officialles, wiche be nowe all abrode, and have speciall commawndiment to sett furthe this propose.

Sir, I entierlie praye you to bee good to me for ij. places of the patronaige of the archbushoppes of Yorke, that if you shall thinke opon suche considerations as I shall alledge that I have reason to sue for them, that you woll helpe me with your good word, that theye bee not suppressed. The tone of them, named

Saincte Oswaldes, is not of foundation a monasterie of religiouse men, but is libera capella archiepiscopi. No man hathe title in it but the archbushoppe: the priour therof is removable at my pleasure and accomptable to me, and the archbushoppe maye put ther, if he woll, seculer prestes, and so wold I have doone at my entre, if I had not ther founde oone of myne acquayntaunce whome I judged meete to bee ther undre me. And morover tharchbushoppes of Yorke had it given to them by William Rufus in exchaunge for recompense as well of landes, as jurisdiction taken from them at the commeng in of William Couquerour, as apperethe in my registres and oodre old bookes. And in the same it apperethe that the saied chapell enjoyethe all privilaiges lieke as all oother the kinges free chapelles; for it was some tyme libera capella regia, and for the defense of the saied privilaiges, and jurisdiction ther, my predecessours have alwaies had writtes from the king agaynst all disturbers, bicause it is no oodre but libera capella, and some tyme was the kinges.

The toodre is called Hexham,* upon the borders of Scotland, and was some tyme sedes episcopalis, and manye holie men some tyme busshoppes ther bee in that churche, sainctes of name; and wiese men, that knowe the borders, thinke that the landes therof, although theye were x. tymes as moche, can not contrevaile the damaige that is lieke to ensue if it bee suppressed, and some waie ther is never a house between Scottland and the lordshippe of Hexham; and men feare if the monasterie goo downe, that in processe all shall bee wast moche within the land. And what comfort that monasterie is daylie to the contre ther, and speciallie in tyme of warr, not onlie the contre men doo knowe, but also manye of the noble men of this realme that hathe doone the kinges high nes service in Scotland. I doubt not but that the land of that

• Hexham was a bishop's see under the Anglo-Saxons. The monastery, called by the Anglo-Saxons Hagustald, dated from the seventh century. The last prior was Edward Jaye.