led redy to fall downe, the reste slate and schyngyll; in fermys by yere xls. On master Broke hathe of late fownde the menys with the prior to gett of hym the more parte of they howseys and grownde ther by iij. leseys, and that for lytyll money; he wolde a gyve me golde to a grantteyd to hys leseys, but I toke no peny of hym nor of non other, nor non woll. Yff he have thoys leseys, ther ys lytyll besyde, for he hathe lyberte allmost in all. Ther ys a proper wode, but he hathe all in lese. No sylver above xiij. ounce. In Schrewysbery be iij. howsys. The Blacke Fryeres stande, as before I have wrytyn. The graye fryeres* had conveyd all, and made a grett rumor in the towne, for the whyche they war glade to gyve up all into the kynges handdes; that ys a proper howse, small implementtes, no jwelles but a plate crosse sylver, and on lytyll chales of lytyll valur; no renttes but ther howse and abowte iij. or iiij. acores of eryabull londe lyeynge to yt. The Austen Fryeres, † a howse all in ruyne, and the more parte falleynge downe; no thynge in that howse, not in all to the valur off iiij. nobylles, in vestementes, copys, brasse, pewter, and all other stuffe; no chales to sey masse, nor non wolde trust the prior to lende hym any; no fryeres ther but the prior, a man leke to be in a fransey, ‡ and ij. Erysche§ men. I have dyschargeyd the prior of heys offys, and sent the ij. Erysche men into ther owyn contre, and so take the howse into the kynges handdes. The rentes be iiij. markes by yere.

Thys ys the holl state of all the conventes that as yet I have receyveyd, of the whyche at more large and clerenes I shall schewe to yow at my cumynge. I ryde thys day toward Westechester, and so into Walys. My synguler good lorde, I beseche youe

The Grey Friars in Shrewsbury was standing in the earliest half of the thirteenth century, but its history is very obscure. It was the burial place of the lady Hawisia wife of John de Charlton first earl of Powis, and he, having probably been a benefactor, came at a later period to be looked on as the founder.

Leland says that the Austin Friars in Shrewsbury was a foundation" of the Staffordes."

pardon me of my rude wrytynge, and yf that I do not my dewte as that I owte to do, I beseche youe pardon me, for my hart and intente ys to do that thynge that shulde specyally plese God, the kynges grace, and yower lordschype, accordeynge to my dewte; also besechynge yower lordschype, that yf before my cumynge ther be any order taken for Newecastell Underlyne, that ye wolde be good lorde to on master Johan Bothe, a servant of the kynges graces, the whyche ys a grett bylder in theys partes, that he myght for money have the slate and schyngyll ther; for ther ys no other to be don with the more parte of that howse, but save the lede and slate, and take the profete of the grownde. That master Bothe for yower sake scheuyd me many plesures, and gave me venyson; wherefor I may no lesse do but wryght to yower lordeschype, besecheynge yow to be good lorde to hym, an I ever yower orator to Jhesu, who preserve yower lordschype. Thys xiijth day of August. From Schrewysbery. By yower bedeman and servantt,

RICHARD DOVORENC.

I receyvyd non word from 30wer lordschyp sythe that I receyvyd 30wer letter by my servanth, wretyn in Petworth, the xxviij. day of Julii. I make promes to the freeres that gyff up ther howseys that I shall send to them waranttes ffor ther abettes befor Myhelmas, and in the tyme I gyff them letters to vesyte ther frynddes.

While the visitors were entering Wales, we meet with another letter from bishop Barlow, which is interesting as picturing the state of the country at that time.

CI.

BISHOP BARLOW TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 260.]

After my right humble commendacions, I considere my dutie

tadvertise your lordship, that accordinge to the purporte of your lettres latly receaved, signifienge the kynges highnes pleasour for the removynge of ydolotrous abused ymages, wherewith this contrey horribly dyd abounde, in satisfyenge of the same I have diligently done myne endevour, and that quyetly every where withyn my diocesse unresisted, without tumulte, commotion, or disturbance, with no frustrate expectacion (as I trust) of forther effectuall redresse, yn all causes of Christen religyon and godly purposes of the kynges most honorable and no lesse profitable proceadinges. The people now sensibly seinge the longe obscured veryte manyfestly to displaye her brightnesse, wherby their inveterate accustomed supersticion apparantly detected, all popish delusions shall sone be defaced, so that erudityon, the parente of vertue and unfallible foundacion of all ordynate pollecye, which by the kynges most renowmed fortherance beawtyfully florisheth yn all other his royall domynions, might also be planted here in his graces principalyte of Wales, where knowlege utterly unknowen, scyence ys litle regarded, barberouse ignorance pyteously pleatinge in possession, notwithstandinge wolde easely be redressed, without hyndraunce of the kynges advauntage, yee with notable augmentacion of his most worthy honour, small expences therto requysite of any partie, with moch commodytie of many, to the incommoditie of none that preferre an unyversall weale before a private sensuall pleasure. In case my peticion thorow your good lordships medyacion. maye be attayned of the kynges highnes, for the translacion of the see to Kermerddyn, and transposinge of Abergwilly college to Brecknok, the princypall townes of Sowthwales, where provision had for lernynge as well yn gramer as yn other scyences and knowlege of Scripture, the Welsch rudenesse wolde sone be framed to English cyvilitie, and their corrupte capacyties easely reformed with godly intelligens, which moveth me to be so instante a suter and a contynuall peticyoner, especyally for the translacion of the see, beinge sytuated in soch a desolate angle and in so rare a frequented place (excepte of vacabounde pilgremes), that evill

disposed persons, unwillinge to do good, maye lurke there at lybertye in secrete withowt restraynte, and they that wolde fayne do well can have no convenyente oportunyte profitablie to utter their well doinge to the commodytie of the comon weale. Which, yf there were no nother causes, as ther be ynfinyte more reasonable then maye be justly disalowed, and so evydente that they can not be shadowed, yet yt mighte seme sufficient necessarylie to persuade a translacion of the see. But forthermoare, yt hath be allwayes estemed a delycate doughter of Rome, naturally resemblinge her mother in shamelesse confucion, and lyke qualified with other perverse properties of execrable malignitie, as ungodly ymage service, abhomynable ydolatrye, and lycentiouse lybertie of dishonest lyvinge, popish pilgremages, disceatefull pardons, and fayned indulgences, in whose lawde yt ys written,

Roma semel quantum dat bis Menevia tantum.

And as the bisshop of Rome crepte up by policye, and rayninge by tyranny was more then man, little lesse then God, whose authorytie never knowen was contynually obeyed, no reason admitted to aske why, but as he wold so did yt avayle, even thus hath our Welsh David byn avaunced to be patrone of Wales, as he that had signiory not only in erth, by lawles pryveleged exempcions, but power also in heven to geve it whom he wold, to discharge hell, to emptie purgatory, to pardon synne, to release payne, yee to save his beneficiall frendes, to curse and kyll his unfavorable adversaries, whose legende ys so uncerten of trueth, and certenly full of lyes, that not only his sayntly holynesse ys to be suspected, but rather to be dowted whether any soch person was ever bisshop there, as ys surmysed, experyence in semblable cases latly tryed owte by Dervelgadern,* Conoch, and soch other Welsch godes, antique gargels of ydolatry. And verely, yf credence ought to be geven to the most auntyente writinges that can

* See before, p. 190, of the present volume.

be exhibited, wherof I have certen pamflettes testifyeng antiquitie, both in barbarouse letters and incongrue Latyne, agreable to the

maners of that season, also mencyonynge soch enormyous faschion, that scarsly Rome myght be comparable with saynte Davids terrytorye concernynge presumptuous usurpacyon apon their princes, crafty yncrochinge of possessions, subtyle defeatinge of enherytances, extorcion, brybery, symonye, heresie, ydolatrye, supersticion, etc. Wherfore, consideringe that where Rome with all her popish pageantes (praysed be God!) thorow the kynges most prudente provysyon ys exiled forth of England, the unfayned fydelitie of myne allegeaunce enforseth me to wysh all memoryall monymentes of her popetry yn lyke maner to be banyshed owt of Wales, which hytherto remaynynge yn the terrytory of S. David, unneth maye be extincte without translacion of the see. For excepte the manyfolde occasions of ydolatrous infidelytie and papisticall practyses (notwithstandynge compulsory inhibycions and tongue professions) be clerely abolyshed, shall allwayes renovate new fangled ymaginacions to contrefayte the olde exercysed wickednes. Wherin reducynge to remembraunce the prysed memoryes and perpetuall renowned factes of the famouse princes of Israel, which did not only abarre ydolatrye and other ungodlynesse, but utterly abolished all occasyons of the same, lykewise notifyenge their terreble reproches and aggravated punyshmentes that were neglygent, I dowte not but that my supplyante sute shall seme reasonable. And though peraventure some will objecte the contrarye, the causes not prepensed, which partly I have uttered yn these and other my former letters, omittinge the resydew, lest I shuld molest your lordship; yet havinge the kynges most benynge and gracyous favour with your assistente supportacion, I trust so to justifie the equytie of my peticion that no adversarye shalbe able to emblemish yt. And yf urgente ymportunytie of hasty sute shall neade excuse in this behalfe, I have sufficiently to allege the importable charge and costly exspences of a sumptuous buyldynge (a comorthe latlye graunted for the same), which

CAMD. Soc.

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