that was a yonge monke here, and he liethe in the dortor every night, but with whome I can not knowe; and the same Hewghe was here yester daie.

Item, the vth, daie of August Jhon Paxton and Henre Gibbeson did take the subprior in a hedge yn the vineyarde with a brethell woman, and he did promise viijs. to the saide Gibbeson to kepe his cowncell.

Item, William Caringtone, Thomas Bikkliswade, Thomas London, Jhon Clifftone, Cristofer Wardon, be common dronkerdes.

I have not ascertained of what nunnery Margaret Vernon, the writer of the next letter, was abbess. The visitors, by putting in force the injunctions already alluded to, seem to have nearly emptied the house, all the sisters but one having quitted it voluntarily or by force: and the abbess herself appears to have been not unwilling to follow their example.

XXII.

MARGARET VERNON TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 55.]

After all dew commendacyons had unto yowre good maystershyp, with my most umble thankes for the greate coste mayd on me and my pore maydyn at my last beynge with yowre maystershyp, furthermore plesyth yt yow to understonde that yowre vysytors hath bene here of late, who hath dyscharged iij. of my systers, the one ys dame Catheryn, the other ij. ys the yonge women that were last professyd, whyche ys not a lyttyll to my dyscomforte; nevertheles I must be content with the kynges plesure. But now as towchynge my nowne parte, I most humbly beseche yow to be so specyall good mayster unto me yowre poore bedewoman, as to geve me yowre best advertysment and counseyle what waye shalbe best for me to take, seynge there shalbe none

left here but my selfe and thys pore madyn; and yf yt wyl please yowre goodnes to take thys pore howse into yowre owne hondes, ether for yowre selfe, or for my nowne [maister] yowre sonne, I woyld be glad with all my hart to geve yt into yowre mastershypes hondes, with that ye wyll commaunde me to do therin. Trustynge and nothynge dowptynge in yowre goodnes, that ye wyll so provyd for us, that we shall have syche onest lyvynge that we shall not be drevyn be necessyte nether to begge, nor to fall to no other unconvenyence. And thus I offer my sylfe and all myne unto yowre most hygh and prudent wysdome, as unto hym that ys my only refuge and comfort in thys world, besechynge God of hys goodnes to put in yow hys holy sprete, that ye maye do all thynge to hys lawde and glory.

By yowre owne assured bedewoman,

MARGARET VERNON.

The writer of the next letter was at the time visiting the abbey of Lacock, in Wiltshire.

XXIII.

DR. LEGH TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Harl. No. 604, fol. 59.]

After my due and moste hartie commendacions, please it your mastership to be advertised, that whereas I have in all the places that I have ben at, according to myne instructions and to the kinges graces pleasure and yours, restrayned as well the heddes and masters of the same places as the brethern from going foorth of the precincte of the said places, which I adsure you greveth the said heddes not a litle, as ye shall well perceve by thinstant sutes that they shall make to the kinges grace and to you. It hathe ben reaported unto me sens my comyng to theis parties, that Mr. doctour Laitone hathe not doon the same in the places where he

hathe ben, but licenced the heddes and masters to goo abrode, which I suppose maketh the brethern to grudge the more, whan they see that they be worse entreated than their master, which hath professed the same rule that they have. Wherfor, to thintent that an uniformitie maye be observed amongest us in all our procedinges, it maye please your mastershipp other to commaunde Mr. doctour Laytone to geve the same injuncions where he goeth and hath ben that I have geven in the places aforesaid, in which case yf ye see reasonable causes wherfor ye shulde release the same injunctions in some places ye maye at all tymes; or els to advertise me of your pleasure therein, that I maye confourme myself to the same, and direct my proceding after one weye with you. Sir, yf ye go to Oxforde shortely, as ye ones intended, this bringer is a man of good experience and intelligence there and can declare you the state of the Universitie very well. Thus knoweth Allmightie God, who have your mastership in his blessed tuicion. From Laycok, the xxth of Auguste.

Yours ever assureyt,

THOMAS Legh.

To the right honourable

Mr. Thomas Crumwell, principall secretarie to the kinges highnes.

The account of the relics at Maiden Bradley, in Wiltshire, and of the frailties of the prior, given in the following letter, is amusing. This small priory was founded in the latter part of the twelfth century. It was originally a house for leprous women, established by one of the Bisets. The last prior was Richard Jenyn, who, after the dissolution of his house, obtained the rectory of Shipton Moyne, in Gloucestershire.

The visitatorial injunctions were very severe against relics, and the worship of images: one of them, as given in the Cottonian MS. (Cleop. E. iv. fol. 21), runs as follows:"Item, that they shall not shewe no relyques or fayned myracles for encrease of lucre, but that they exhorte pylgrymes and strayngers to geve that to the poore that they thought to offere to ther images or reliquies." In the lists of relics in other monasteries, we find many which were pretended to be preservative of women in labour; they had previously been made an object of satire in Piers Ploughman's Creed.

CAMD. SOC.

I

XXIV.

DR. LAYTON TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 249.]

Pleasit your mastershipe to understonde, that yesternyght late we came from Glassynburie to Bristowe to Saint Austins, wheras we begyn this mornyng, intendyng this day to dispache bothe this howse here, beyng but xiiij. chanons, and also the Gawntes,* wheras be iiij. or v. By this bringar, my servant, I sende yowe relyqwis, fyrste, two flowres wrappede in white and blake sarcenet that one Christynmas evyn hora ipsa qua Christus natus fuerat will spring and burgen† and bere blossoms, quod expertum esse, saith the prior off Maden Bradeley; ye shall also receve a bage of reliquis, wherin ye shall se straingeis thynges, as shall appere by the scripture, as, Godes cote, Oure lades smoke, Parte of Godes supper in cena domini, Pars petre super qua natus erat Jesus in Bethelem, belyke ther is in Bethelem plentie of stones and sum qwarrie, and makith ther maingierres off stone. The scripture of evere thyng shall declare yowe all; and all thes of Maden Bradeley, wheras is an holy father prior, and hath but vj. children, and but one dowghter mariede yet of the goodes of the monasterie, trystyng shortly to mary the reste. His sones be tale men waittyng upon hym, and he thankes Gode a never medelet with marytt women, but all with madens the faireste cowlde be gottyn, and always marede them ryght well. The pope, consideryng his fragilitie, gave hym licens to kepe an hore, and hath goode writyng sub plumbo to discharge his conscience, and toc hoys Mr. Underhyll to be his gostely father, and he to gyve hym plenam remissionem, &c.

I sende yowe also oure lades gyrdell of Bruton, rede silke, * Billeswyke Hospital, in the suburbs of Bristol, was also called Gaunt's from Maurice de Gaunt, by whom it was founded, before 1229.

+ Burgen, to bud.

The priory of Bruton or Brewetone, in Somersetshire, was founded about the year 1005, by Athelmer, earl of Cornwall. It was converted into an abbey in the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII.

wiche is a solemne reliquie sent to women travelyng, wiche shall not miscarie in partu. I sende yowe also Mare magdalens girdell, and that is wrappyde and coveride with white, sent also with gret reverence to women traveling, wiche girdell Matilda thempresse, fownder of Ferley,* gave unto them, as saith the holy father of Ferley. I have crosses of silver and golde, sum wiche I sende yow not now bycause I have mo that shalbe delivered me this nyght by the prior of Maden Bradeley hym self. To morowe erly in the mornyng I shall bring yow the reste, whan I have recevide all, and perchaunce I shall fynde sum thyng here. In casse ye depart this day, hit may please yowe to sende me worde by this bringer, my servant, wiche way I shall repaire affter yowe. Within the Chartar Howse hath professide and done althynges accordyng as I shall declare yow at large to morowe erly. At Bruton and Glasenburie ther is nothyng notable; the brethren be so straite keppide that they cannot offende, but faine they wolde if they myght, as they confesse, and so the faute is not in them. From Sainte Austines withoute Bristowe, this saint Bartilmews day, at iiij. of the cloke in the mornyng, by the spedy hande of your moste assurede poir preste,

RYCHARDE LAYTON.

John Bartelot, the subject of the following letter, is probably the same person who will be found a little later concerned in a somewhat similar discovery to that here mentioned. His transaction with the prior of the Crutched friars is not greatly to his credit: and the chancellor appears to have formed no very unjust opinion of him.

XXV.

JOHN BARTELOT TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleopat. E. iv. fol. 134.]

Pleas it your honourable mastership to be advertisid, that in the tyme of Lent last past your contynuell oratour John Bartelot, * Farley, in Wiltshire, was a small house dependent on the priory of Lewes, founded by the second Humphrey de Bohun. The empress Matilda was a benefactress, as appears from the confirmation charter of Henry III.