XXXVIII.

JOHN AP RICE TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 120.]

Please it your mastership, fforasmoche as I suppose ye shall have sute made unto yow touching Burie er we retourne, I thought convenient to advertise yow of our procedinges there, and also of the compertes of the same. As for thabbot, we found nothing suspect as touching his lyving, but it was detected that he laye moche forth in his granges, that he delited moche in playng at dice and cardes, and therin spent moche money, and in buylding for his pleasure. He did not preche openly. Also that he converted divers fermes into copie holdes, wherof poore men doth complayne. Also he semeth to be addict to the mayntenyng of suche supersticious ceremones as hathe ben used hertofor.

As touching the convent, we coulde geate litle or no reportes amonge theym, although we did use moche diligence in our examinacion, and therby, with some other argumentes gethered of their examinacions, I fermely beleve and suppose that they had confedered and compacted bifore our commyng that they shulde disclose nothing. And yet it is confessed and proved, that there was here suche frequence of women commyng and reassorting to this monastery as to no place more. Amongest the reliques we founde moche vanitie and superstition, as the coles that Saint Laurence was tosted withall, the paring of S. Edmundes naylles, S. Thomas of Canterbury penneknyff and his bootes, and divers skulles for the hedache; peces of the holie crosse able to make a hole crosse of ;* other reliques for rayne and certain other superstitiouse usages, for avoyding of wedes growing in corne, with suche other. Here departe of theym that be under age upon an eight, and of theym that be above age upon a five, wolde departe

* The immense number of pieces of the true cross possessed by different religious houses, both on the continent and in England, was a frequent subject of ridicule among the earlier reformers.

yf they might, and they be of the best sorte in the house and of best lernyng and jugement. The hole nomber of the covent before we cam was lx., saving one, beside iij. that were at Oxforde. Of Elie I have written to your mastership by my felowe Richard a Lee. And thus Almightie God have you in his tuicion. From Burie, vth, Novembre.

Your servant moste bounden,

JOHN AP RICE.

The following letter is an additional evidence of the eagerness with which the country gentlemen and the courtiers were looking out for shares in the abbey lands. The small priory of Ingham in Norfolk was founded in the fourteenth century, by Sir Miles Stapleton, of Bedale in Yorkshire.

XXXIX.

RICHARD WHARTON TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 122.]

Ryght woorshypfull syr, as I am most bownde of dewtye, with my humble recommendacions to your mastershyppe, syr, yt shall please yow to be athvertysyd that here ys an abbey callyd Ingham in Norfolke, not fare frome Seynt Benettes abbeye, the fownder therof ys on sir Frawnses Calthrope, and after hys dethe one Edwarde Calthrope, nevewe and heyer unto the sayd syr Fraunses, whoo hathe maryid a nere kynswoman off myne. The prior and covent of the same abbye, by the covent seale, hathe solde the hole abbye with all the londdes therto belongyng, to one Wylliam Wodhowse a nere dweller to the same, wythowght the knowlege of the fownder, and allso contrary to the promysse of the sayd prior and covent, who promyssyd the sayd Edward Calthrope that in case they dyde eyther selle or aleyne the same or ony parte therof, that the same Edwarde shulde have yt before any other man, forasmyche as yt was ffowndyd by hys awn

setours, and the sayd Edward allso nexte heyer to the fowndacion. Yett notwithstondyng hys promysse, he hathte solde yt to the sayde Woodhowse by the covent seale, as afore mensionyd, and the same Woodhowse now beyng at London to serve owght the recoverye of the same. Soo as the same Edwarde Calthrope for ever shall loose hys fowndacion, and allso hys bargeyne of the prior and covent, onlesse yt wyll please your mastershype, at thys my power sewte, to be soo goode master to the sayde Edwarde Callthrope to stoppe the recovere incontinent with spede, tyll your mastershype shalbe further instructyd and sewyd unto by the sayd Edwarde Calthrope and other of hys fryndys. And forasmyche as the sayde Edward ys the fownder and allso hade a speciall promyse of the prior and covent to bye the same in casse they dyd sell yt, after my power mynde yt ware moste reason that he shulde have the barganye and profarment before ony other. Yf yt please yower mastershyppe to helpe hym and stonde hys goodmaster, I dowght with yower helpe he maye recover hys sayd bargayne in the same, and for the paynys that yower mastershyppe shall take therin, the same Edward shall gyffe yow an hondryde powndes, and yow shall bynde hym and alle hys frynddys to be yower sarvaunttys and bedemen whyll they doo lyve. I beseche yow, syr, that I maye be athevertysyd of yower pleasure herein by my servaunt thys brynger. Syr, I am allwayse bolde to crave to yower mastershyppe for eyde and helpe for me and my frynddys, not able to requite yower goodnesse but with my power harte and sarvyse, wyche ys and shalbe at yower commaundment; and thus I beseche God to preserve yower mastershyppe to long lyffe and good prosperytye. Frome Bungeye, the vij. daye of Novembyr. Att yower mastershyppes commawndment,

RYCHARD WHARTON.

The subject of the following letter is a continuation of the report previously given at p. 75, of the present volume.

XL.

THE COMMISSIONERS IN KENT TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cott. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 219.]

Right worshipfull sir, itt maye youe to understond, that we receyved your lettre this present Tewesdaye att nyght, about vij. of the clok, by the handes of John Antony your servaunt, advertesyng youe that before the receyt therof we have been att the monasteries of Langdon, Dovour, and Folkston, and have taken a clere surrender of every of the same monasteries under ther covent seales, beyng also recognized in ther chapter houses, accordyng to your wille and commaundement, wheruppon dyverse tenauntes belongyng to the seid monasteries have openly attorned unto the kynges grace.

We have also receyved into your custodye the covent seales of the seid monasteries, and have in lyke maner receyvd all the evidence belongyng to the monasteries of Langdon and Folkston, and have likewyse receyved parte of the evidence belongyng to Dovour, such as we thought most expedyent, and the residue we have putt into a suer chiste under lock, wherof we have the key in our custodye.

We have also lefte the chanons and monkes still in ther houses, withoute any clere dyscharge of them, butt have putt them att ther liberte and choise whether they wille abide ther untill the kynges graceis plesure be ferther knowen therin, or eles to goo from thens to ther fryndes, wherof the most parte desire to have capacitees, and somme to be assigned over to other places of religeon. Which monkys and chanons att the tyme of the receypt of your seid lettre (as we trust and thynk) ar remaynyng still in ther houses.

Advertesyng your mastership fferther of the estate of the seid monasteries, wherin (as yett) we toke none inventories, by cause the inventories were taken allredy, as your mastership knowes.

Fyrst, the house of Langdon is sore in decaye, and no maner of grayne or other vittalles for the realeff of the house. Thabbott therof (as he is reported) a veray unthrifte yvell housbond, and of yll rule, and his covent veraye ignorant and poore.

The house of Dovour is a goodly house and well repayred in all places, as fer as we cowd perceyve; and that the prior (as itt was reported unto us) ffound the house att his ffyrst comyng thither indented in ixxxli., and hath reduced and brought that to cli. as itt is said, of whose nowe case dyverse of the honest inhabitantes of Dovour shewe them selves veray sory.

The house of Folkston is a littill house, well repayred, and the prior a veray honest parson, and a veray good husbond,* and no les belovyd emonges his neypours.

We have consulted uppon your letter that Herry Polsted, John Antony, and Antony Ager shall accomplish the same in all thyng with all convenyent spede. And thus the Holy Goost contynewe yowe in good helth [and] welffare. Writton at Canterbury, the xvj. daye of November.

Your owne, THOMAS BEDYll.
Your servaunt, HERRY POLSTED.
Your servant, JOHN ANTHONY.

The next letter is altogether undated, but it appears to have been written about this time, and is placed here from its connection with the proceedings in Kent, a portion of which form the subject of the preceding letter. We have already seen the prior of Christ's Church, Canterbury, excusing himself from having any connection with Elizabeth Barton.

* i. e. a careful housekeeper.

CAMD. SOC.

N