termination by his royal prerogative, or such other as may be there attempted against the judges or presidents of the said courts; it were highly expedient, as well for the conservation and soliciting of the king's interest there, as for the faithful and bold assistance of proctors there to the king's subjects, that were called thither at the instance of the said judges, or their fautors, or any other person; that like as his grace hath, in other his courts temporal, his solicitors and attorneys, he should also have in his said courts two proctors, or so admitted by his grace and his council, which should be sworn to promote and solicit his grace's interest there, and to advertise the same of anything that should appertain to his grace's prerogative, and to defend such of the king's subjects as shall desire their assistance, boldly and without fear or affection of the said judges. And that the same proctors so admitted be not removable from the same their offices by any man, but the king's grace or his council. Which, so enacted and established, should be the readiest means that the foresaid abuses, with divers others here not rehearsed, caused through the occasion of the said statute, should be utterly taken away, and justice more plainly and speedily proceed in the said courts than heretofore hath been seen to do. And the king's subjects, called thither from all parts of England, should have plenty of counsel, faithful assistance in their matters, and speedy process in the same. Which ought to be tendered. affectantly of every man that regardeth the increase of the common weal and true execution of justice. ५ ["Two proctors, or more." Cott. MSS.] r ["Which should be only sworn." Cott. MSS.] Cott. MSS. Otho. C. x. fol. 226. British Museum. Hist. of [NUMBER XVIII*. ΤΟ KING HENRY VIII. "PLEASETH it your most noble grace to be advertised, that at your grace's commandment by Mr. Secretary'ss letters written in your grace's name, I came to Lambeth Original & yesterday, and do there remain to know your grace's furholograph. Burnet's ther pleasure. And forsomuch as without your grace's commandment I dare not, contrary to the contents of the said letters, presume to come unto your grace's presence; Oxon. 1829. nevertheless, of my most bounden duty, I can do no less than most humbly to desire your grace, by your great wisdom and by the assistance of God's help, somewhat to suppress the deep sorrows of your grace's heart, and to take all adversities of God's hand both patiently and thankfully. vol. i. p. 402. ed. Todd's Life of abp. Cranmer, vol. i. p. 154. I cannot deny but your grace hath great causes many ways of lamentable heaviness; and also, that in the wrongful estimation of the world your grace's honour of every part is so highly touched, (whether the things that commonly be spoken of be true or not), that I remember not that ever Almighty God sent unto your grace any like occasion to try your grace's constancy throughout, whether your highness can be content to take of God's hand as well things displeasant as pleasant. And if he find in your noble heart such an obedience unto his will, that your grace, without murmuration and overmuch heaviness, do accept all adversities, not less thanking him than when all things succeeded after your grace's will and pleasure, nor less procuring his glory and honour; then I suppose your grace did never thing more acceptable unto him, since your first governance of this your realm. And moreover, your grace shall give unto him occasion to multiply and increase his graces and benefits unto your [i. e. Crumwel.] highness, as he did unto his most faithful servant Job; unto whom, after his great calamities and heaviness, for his obedient heart and willing acceptation of God's scourge and rod, "addidit ei Dominus cuncta duplicia." And if it be true that is openly reported of the queen's grace, if men had a right estimation of things, they should not esteem any part of your grace's honour to be touched. thereby, but her honour only to be clearly disparaged. And I am in such a perplexity, that my mind is clean amazed; for I never had better opinion in woman than I had in her; which maketh me to think that she should not be culpable. And again, I think your highness would not have gone so far, except she had surely been culpable. Now I think that your grace best knoweth, that next unto your grace I was most bound unto her of all creatures living. Wherefore I most humbly beseech your grace to suffer me in that, which both God's law, nature, and also her kindness bindeth me unto; that is, that I may with your grace's favour wish and pray for her, that she may declare herself inculpable and innocent. And if she be found culpable, considering your grace's goodness towards her, and from what condition your grace of your only mere goodness took her and set the crown upon her head; I repute him not your grace's faithful servant and subject, nor true unto the realm, that would not desire the offence without mercy to be punished to the example of all other. And as I loved her not a little for the love which I judged her to bear towards God and his gospel; so, if she be proved culpable, there is not one that loveth God and his gospel that ever will favour her, but must hate her above all other; and the more they favour the gospel, the more they will hate her; for then there was never creature in our time that so much slandered the gospel. And God hath sent her this punishment, for that she feignedly hath professed his gospel in her mouth, and not in her heart and deed. And though she have offended so that she hath deserved never to be reconciled unto your grace's favour; yet Almighty God hath manifoldly declared his goodness towards your grace, and never offended you. But your grace, I am sure, knowledgeth that you have offended him. Wherefore I trust that your grace will bear no less entire favour unto the truth of the gospel than you did before for so much as your grace's favour to the gospel was not led by affection unto her, but by zeal unto the truth. And thus I beseech Almighty God, whose gospel he hath ordained your grace to be defender of, ever to preserve your grace from all evil, and give you at the end the promise of his gospel. From Lambeth, the third day of May, [A.D. 1536.] After I had written this letter unto your grace, my lord chancellor, my lord of Oxford, my lord of Sussex, and my lord chamberlain of your grace's house, sent for me to come unto the Star-chamber; and there declared unto me such things as your grace's pleasure was they should make me privy unto. For the which I am most bounden unto your grace. And what communication we had together, I doubt not but they will make the true report thereof unto your grace. I am exceeding sorry that such faults can be proved by the queen, as I heard of their relation. But I am, and ever shall be, your faithful subject. Your grace's most humble subject and chaplain, Abp. Cranmer's Works, vol. ii. letter clxxiv. pp. 323, 4. Park. Soc. ed.] t [i. e. Sir Thomas Audley.] THE NUMBER XIX. ARCHBISHOP ΤΟ THE LORD CRUMWEL, GIVING HIM SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS VISITATION OF HIS DIOCESE. "THESE shall be [further] to advertise your lordship, [Cotton MSS.] that since my last coming from London into Kent, I have Cleop. E. 5. found the people of my diocese very obstinately given to P. 292 [British observe and keep with solemnity the holy days lately Museum. Original.] abrogateds. Whereupon I have punished divers of the offenders; and to divers I have given gentle monition to amend. But inasmuch as by examination I have perceived, that the people were partly animated thereunto by their curates, I have given straight commandment and injunction unto all the parsons and vicars within my diocese, upon pain of deprivation of their benefices, that they shall not only, on their behalf, cause the said holy days so abrogated from time to time not to be observed within their cures; but also shall from henceforth present to me such persons of their parishes as will practise in word or deed, contrary to that ordinance or any other; .which is or hereafter shall be set forth by the king's grace's au- 38 thority, for the redress or ordering of the doctrine or ceremonies of this church of England. So that now I suppose, through this means, all disobedience and contempt of the king's grace's Acts" and Ordinances in this behalf shall be clearly avoided in my diocese hereafter: not doubting also, but if every bishop in this realm had |