From thens to Clathercott a Howse of th'Order of the Gilbertynes, where I fownde iij. Chanons beside the Pryor. That Howse ys olde, fowle, and fylthe. Whethere there levyng be accordyng, I cannot tell, for they desyryd me that I wolde not vyset them by cause (as they sayd) that yow hadde gevyne (by your commyssion) full autoryte to the Prior of Semperyngham to vyset all there Order, so that no man but he shulde medle with that Order; and by cause I wolde not mittere falcem in messem alienam with owt your pleasure to me knowen, I departed thens negotio infecto. And from that howse of the Gilbertynese I came to a Howse of Nunnes called Catysby of lxxxx" landys yerly, of th❜order of Cistiowxe, under my Lorde of Lyncolnes jurysdiction (as I suppos) by usurpation. For that Order as you knowe hathe allwayes byn exempte from the Byschope. The Priores there ys a ryght sadde matrone, the systers also there now beyng by the space of xx" yeres hath byn (by as myche as I can lerne) without suspicon of incontynent levyng. From Catesby I rode to Chanons Asbye whych howse is Clx yn dette, by reason of the late preferment of the Prior there now beyng. The Howse also, by the neglygens of hys predycessor, ys yn rewen and dekey. Howbehyt the sayde Prior (all thought he be unlernyde) ys dysposed to thryve, and by the lernyng and good example of levyng of the Supprior of that Howse, the relygowse men there byn lyke to doo well. From Chanons Asbye, I rode to Chacombe, the Prior ys newly come thether whoo ys competently well lernyde in holy Scripture. The Chanons byn rewde and vnlernyde. He begynnyth to bryng them to some order. I fere nothyng yn hym but neglygens and overmyche famylyarite whych he vseth emongst them. From Chacombe, I came to Burcestre, ther I fynde that the Prior doth well over loke his bretherne, and also the profettys of hys Howse. His said bretherne by hys tyme hathe byn yn good order, exceptyde one (for fray of punysment for hys incontenant levyng) ran away and soo he remaynyth at thys tyme yn apostacye. From thens, yester nyght, I came to Stoodlye. From thens, I yntende to Notley, and thens to Tame Abbeye, and last of all to Dorchester, where I make an end vnto the tyme I may knowe your farder pleasure, whych (Gode wyllyng) I shall accomplysche. Vpon Frydaye nexte, I trust to be redye to come to your Masterschype accordyng to your commaundement sent to me by yo letters, besechyng you that I maye knowe whethere you wyll remayne yn the Cowrte or returne to London. And thus the holy Goast preserve you. Frome Stoodley, the xxvijth day of Septembre. In my most humble manner I have me comendyd unto your gudde Lordeshipp, as your most boundon orator and servant. I have not so moche rasyd Howses I have be at as I perceve the Kings Grace and your Lordeschippe ys informyd, and hadde rasyd noon saving for the words of suche Comissions as I have to schew, and dydd nott extremely so do butt wher necessitee compellyd me by reason of the importunytic of the people, wich els wold have pilledd all so as the Kings Grace schulde have hadd no profytt of those Howses; and in every place I savyd the hole ledd unto the Kings Graces use, and the hole plate. Yet have I be in som very beggarly Howses, as now I am at oon, the Whyte Fryers in Northampton, wher all they have ys nott able to pay ther detts. And bravely I will rehersse what I dydd in euery Howse. At Reding I dydd oonly deface the Church; all the windoes being full of Fryers; and left the roff and wallys hole to the Kings use. I solde the ornaments and the sellys in the dorter and certen utensyls wiche els wold have be stolen as dyvers were indede. At Aylesbury, I founde them very powr and in dett. Ther ornaments wor very coursse and very litill stuff of howshold. Ther I oonly solde the glasse wyndoes and ther ornaments with ther vtensyles. I left the Howse hole and oonly defaced the Churche. Ther the hole churche ys well coveryd with ledd, and a gudd new roff. At Bedford, I dydd sell the ornaments of ther churche and certen vtensiles. All the ledde I savyd with certen vtensyles, because I myzt leve them in saff custody with Mr. Gostwike. At Stamford, I left in the Grey Fryers all ther brewyng vessels, and ther kechyn stuff wasse so gud that I cowde gete butt viijs for all. I solde ther ornaments and glasse of ther churche with certen stuff, and solde no glass in the Grey, Whyte, or Blacke Fryers, saving oonly in ther churches. At the Austen Fryers I sold all there glasse, for els all wold have be stollyd, ffor it stondeth owt of the town. In thre Fryers ther I sold ther brewyng vessels wich wer very ny worn. In Coventry, I dydd partly rase that Howse of the Gray Fryers, thou after the powr people lay so sore vpon ytt. Butt the Whyte Fryers I dydd litill vnto. At Warwick, the Fryers Howse ys withowt the town, an olde ruynose howse and no ledd butt gutters and the coueryng of the steple. Ther I defacyd the church wyndoes and the sellys of the dorter as I dydd in euery place saving in Bedford and Aylisbury wher were few byars. I pullyd down no Howse thorowly at noon of the Fryers: butt so defacyd them as they shuld not lyztly be made Fryerys agen. At Tellisford Crosse Fryers, I have oonly recyvyd the surrendere: and have left the Howse with all the stuff in safe custody with the late mynyster and oon of the Kings seruants dwelling therbye. In that Howse I must farther know your Lordeships pleasur or I do any more, as by my servant I shall shortly more at lengeth expresse every thing. Ther wasse a fonde fasschon of Idolytrye. In the body of the Churche wasse an Image at an Awters end callyd Mayden Cutbrogh, and vnder her feete wasse a trowgh of wodde descending undre the Awter wich wasse hollow. Thyder resortyd suche as wer trobelyd with the hedde ache, or hadde any slottiche wydowes lockes, viz. here growen to gether in a tufte. Ther must they putt in to the trowgh a peckke of oots, and when they wer oons slydyd vndre the Awter, the Crosse Fryers schuld behynd the Awter pryvily stele them. owt, and the sykk person must give to the Fryer a peny for a pynte of these Maydon Cutbrogh oots, and then ther heds schuld ak no more till the next tyme. I have pullyd downe thys Idoll with herre manage. At Northampton, I fynd the Prior of Augustyns lyk a Fryer, and oon of the most unthrifts that yet I have mett with all yet have I found butt few trew or gud, and amongs many blessyd reformations don by the Kings Grace, I sup pose thys be nott the lest, vtterly to suppresse theis Fryars, in whom I fynd so moch dissymylation as may be in men. I trust to bring all ther falshudds here to lyzt, butt in the mean tyme I am fayne to sett the Prior and almost all hys brethern in warde. They have delyuered owt of ther Howse all ther plate and gudd stuff, and made billes of sale and knowledging of receipt of certen sommys of money wher they receyvyd, nor owzt, oon peny, and all to disseyve the Kinge. I have in som of those billes her enclosyd, and moo I will have or I depart, and have agen the best stuff I saw yet, and more I trust to have. Howbeit by hys own confession he made away thys yere above a Cl plate. He ys a great lyar and a gyvelar [shuffler]. I will hensforth deface no Howse unlesse I have your or the King's Grace special comaundment. Butt then if ther be no Surveyor to do ytt immedyaty or som suer man to inhabitt the same, the Howsys will be so spoylyd as litill profytt will com of them. I thowzt I dydd for the beste in defacinge those Howses, and have to the Kings Grace use above all, dispacchyng of the Fryers, payng ther detts and rewarding every oon of them, savyng also all the coveryng and wallys of the Howses, aswell in ledde, slatt, as tyle, and my chardges of expens born, and all the plate also thorowly savyd whole to the Kings use, CC1i and above in gudd gold. And have also savyd to the Kings use the best ornaments wher any were with all. I will now owt of hand upon All Halon tyde send vppe or I execute any of these commissions last sent from your Lordeschippe to me. For I have a great dele of gudd plate wiche I wold fayn be dischargyd of. Thus I besech your Lordeschipp to take my powr meanyng in gudd partt intending to my littell powr to serve the Kings Grace, and so I dowbt nott butt his Majesty will accept my doings when his Grace knowith what beggarly and crafty merchants I have to be occupyed with all. And most humble I do thank your gudd Lordeshippe for your gudnes and gudd mediation vnto hys most noble Grace for me, and shalbe during my liff your assured seruant and orator vnto Almyztie Godd long to preserue your guud Lordeshipp with increse of moch honor. At Northampton, XXIX. Octobris. Your most bovndon orator and seruant, JOHN LONDON. (Original Letters, ed.cit., vol. III, p. 130.) 117. A Summons to the Pilgrimage of Grace Original Letters The popular discontent which followed the dissolution of the smaller monasteries resulted in two insurrections; the first was in Lincolnshire, the second, in Yorkshire. The latter was a most formidable movement, and was directed by Robert Aske, who gave to the uprising the name of the Pilgrimage of Grace. He issued several addresses, the selection given being his appeal to the common people. Masters, all men to be redie to morrw, and this neighte and in the mornyng to ryng your bellis in every towne, and to assemble your selfs apon Skypwithe mowre, and thare apoynte your Captayns, Master Hussye, Master Babthorp, and Master Gascoygn, and other gentilmen; and to geff warnyng to all be yonde the watter to be redy vpon payn of dethe for the Comen Welthe; and make your proclymacōn, every man to be trewe to the Kings issue, and the noble blode; to preserve the Churche of God from spolyng; and to be trew to the Comens and the welthis; and ye shall have to morrowe the Articles and causis of your assemble and peticon to the Kyng, and the place of oure meting, and all other of poure and commen welthe. In haste, etc. By me Robt. Aske, Chieffe Captayn of same. (Original Letters illustrative of English History, ed. H. Ellis. Lond., 1846, III, p. 53.) 118. The Lancaster Herald's Mission to the Insurgents Original Letters The Pilgrimage of Grace was of such formidable character that great exertions were made to rapidly suppress it. These efforts were successful when force of numbers overawed the insurgents whose ranks were thinned by discontent and distress bred by the diplomacy, or treachery, of the Duke of Norfolk, the commander of the forces of the king. The leaders of this rebellion, Aske, and the Lords Darcy and Hussey were pardoned, but another rebellion having broken out in Lancaster convenient pretext was taken for connecting them with it, and they suffered the death penalty. The Lancaster Herald, whose account of a mission to the insurgents on the Pilgrimage we give, was also executed, not for participation in the rebellion, but for kneeling to its leaders while he was on the king's mission. |