geve me leave, I had lieve to go away then to be kylled withoute desserte. Mons' I wold ye shuld knowe the love of my hert as it is unto deth.

To Mons! Mons! Thomas Cromwell tan secretary

to the King the right myghty King of England at the Courte.

LETTER CXXVI.

Edmund Knightley, and three other Commissioners, to Secretary Cromwell, in favor of the Nunnery of Catesby in Northamptonshire.

[MS. COTTON. CLEOP. E. IV. fol. 209. Orig.]

* The Cottonian manuscript CLEOPATRA E. IV., whence this and some of the succeeding Letters have been copied, is a more curious Volume of its kind, than any which is known to exist elsewhere. It consists of Papers and Letters, the latter written chiefly to Lord Cromwell, at the time of the Dissolution of Religious Houses; a portion of which are Reports from certain Commissioners sent to take the various Surrenders.

To defame, that ruin might be more certainly accomplished, was the object of the visiting Commissioners to the Monasteries in numerous instances; but a few occur in which they even petitioned for the preservation of the Houses which they went to dissolve; so earnest did they find the devotion, so discrete the lives, and so great the hospitality of the Inhabitants.

The Nuns, it should appear, were more generally pitied than the Monks. Accordingly, among the Houses recommended to mercy, we find the Nunneries of Godestow in Oxfordshire, Pollesworth in Warwickshire, and CATESBY in Northamptonshire, standing foremost. Of the last, the Commissioners unequivocally declared that, should it please his Majesty to have any remorse, they could not name a House more mete than this to be the receiver of his charity and pity. The Letter of recommendation is here placed before the reader.

That the Nunneries were more universally intitled to compassion than the Houses of the Monks, and Canons, and Friars, cannot be denied. Hume has very justly observed, that, at the period we are now mentioning, a woman of family who failed of a settlement in the marriage state, an accident to which such persons were more liable than women of lower station, had really no rank which she properly filled; and a Convent was a retreat both honourable and agreeable, from the inutility and often want which attended her situation.

RIGHT honorable after all humble recommendations theis shalbe to advertyse you that we have byn yn execution of the Kyngs Commission directed unto us, begynnyng at Chacumbe, wher we accomplysshed all thyngs acordyng unto our Commyssion, and frome thens we repayred to Assheby, where after on days tarreyng we werre fayne to departe thens unto Catesby Nunrey by occasion of sykenesse where we have also accomplisshed the Kyngs Commyssion accordyng to his high commandement and our poore discrecions. Which Howse of Catesby we founde in very perfett order, the Priores a sure wyse, discrete, and very religyous woman, with ix. nunnys under her obedyencye, as relygious and devoute, and with as good obedyencye as we have in tyme past seen, or belyke shall see. The seid Howse standyth in suech a quarter, muche to the 'releff of the Kyngs people, and his Grace's pore subjects their lykewyse mooe relewed, as by the reporte of dyvers worshypfull nere ther unto adjoynyng, as of all other, yt ys to us openly declared. Wherfore yf yt shulde please the Kyngs

Highnesse to have eny remorse that eny suche relygous House shall stande, we thynke his Grace cannot appoynt eny House more mete to shew his most gracious charitie and pitey on than one the seid Howse of Catesby. Ferther ye shall understande that as to her bounden dewtye towards the Kyngs Highnes in theis his affayres, also for dyscrete entertaynment of ws his commyssioners and our company, we have not fownde nor belyke shall fynde eny suche of more dyscretion. And lese peraventure theyr may be labor made to her detryment and other undoyng, before knowleg showlde cum to his Highnesse and to yow frome ws", yt may therfore plase yow to sygnify unto his Hyghnesse the effecte of theis our Lettres, to th'entent his Grace may stay the Graunte theyrof tyll suche tyme we may ascerteyn yow of our full certyfycat and comparts in that behalfe accordyng. Frome Catesby the xij. day off this present moneth off May, from the Kyngs Commyssioners at your commande

LETTER CXXVII.

The Prioress and Convent of the Cistercian Nunnery of Legborne in Lincolnshire to their Founder, previous to the Dissolution of their House. A. D. 1537.

[MS. COTTON. CLEOP. E. IV. fol. 270 b. Orig.]

The Nunnery of Legborn was founded before or about the year 1150, having been removed from another place called Halington; but the name of its first founder has not come down to us.

The FOUNDER mentioned in the following Letter was the Patron, who was usually the heir-general of the individual to whose munificence the Priory or Abbey owed its first construction: and it was lawful for that heir, if the rents and profits of the endowment were not applied to the ends and uses for which they were originally given, to re-claim, and resume the lands.

These Patrons were intitled to different privileges in different Houses, according to the terms of their respective charters of foundation. To some Monasteries they presented the head or superior; in others they only approved of the election. In many they were allowed to place their children first for education, and afterwards as professed, and in others to provide their relatives with what were called corrodies.

The Monks and Nuns, in many of the Monasteries, seem hardly to have thought the lands they were possessed of secure, unless confirmed from time to time by the successive heirs, as their Patrons.

The NUNS of LEGBORN, it appears, conscious that their lives were irreproachable, besought their Patron to interfere in behalf of their House.

RIGHT honourable our most synguler Maister and Founder, our duetie in the humblest wise presupposed, with dayly prayer, as your perpetuall and religious beedwomen. Please yt your goodnes to undirstonde, that where as Almyghty God hath indued you w' just title Founder of the Pryory of Legborne to

the great comfort of me and all my systers: we doo and shall alweyes submit ourselfs to youre most rightuouse commaundement and ordre, oonly puttyng our comfort in your goodnesse for all causes concernyng your poure Pryory of Legbourne. And where as we doo here that a grete nombre of Abbyes shalbe punysshed, subprest, and put downe bicause of their myslyvyng; and that all Abbyes and Pryores undir the value of CC be at our moste noble Prynce's pleasure to subpresse and put downe. Yet if it may pleas your goodnes, we trust in God ye shall here no compleynts agaynst us, nother in our lyvyng nor hospitalitie kepyng. In consideracion wherof if it may please your goodnes, in our great necessitie, to be a meane and sewter for your owne powre Pryory, that it maye be preserved and stond, you shalbe a more higher Founder to vs than he that first foundid oure Howse. We have noon othir comfort nor refuge but oonly unto your goodnes, and we hooly submyt our selfs to the pleasure of God, to the pleasure of our Prynce, and to the pleasure of you our Founder; and how soever it shall please God that we shalbe orderid, we shall continue your faithfull and dayly bedewomen. As knoweth oure Lorde who ever preserve you to your most comfort.

Yor owne dayly beadwomen

JANE MESSYNDYNE Pryores

and SISTERS of the PRYORY of LEgborne.