BOOK tanto tempore differri non debuerit, tamen nos qui isti serenII. issimo regi pro ejus singularibus erga nos et apostolicam sedem meritis placere in omnibus cupimus, sicut consuevimus, ægre nunc adducti sumus, ut quamquam justitia cogente, quicquid contra ejus voluntatem concederemus. Nec vero minus, fili, doluimus tua causa cui rem hanc tantæ curæ esse perspeximus quantum tua erga dictum regem fides et amor postulat; sed tamen quod datur justitiæ minus esse molestum debet, cum præsertim id fuerit tam dilatum à nobis, omniaq; antea pertentata ne ad hoc descenderemus. Itaq; optamus in hoc adhiberi à te illam tuam singularem prudentiam et æquitatem, persuadereq; te tibi id quod est, nos, qui semper vobis placere quantum nobis licuit studuimus, id quod vestro maximo merito fecimus, et semper facturi sumus, nunc non nisi invitos et justitia coactos quod fecimus, fecisse: teq; omni studio et amore hortamur, ut dictum regem in solita erga nos benevolentia retinere velis, eique persuadere, nihil ex hoc apud nos de benevolentia erga se veteri imminutum unquam fore, quod recipiemus à circumspectione tua longe gratissimum. Quemadmodum plenius dilectus filius noster cardinalis Campegius hæc circumspectioni tuæ explicabit. Dat. Romæ apud sanctum Petrum sub annulo piscatoris die 19. Julii 1529. pont. nostri anno sexto. Blosius. XXXI. Act 26. anno regni 21. Henr. 8. An act for the releasing unto the king his highness of such sums of money as was to be required of him, by any his subjects, for any manner of loan, by his letters missives, or other ways or manner whatsoever. ITEM quædam alia billa formam cujusdam actus in se continens, exhibita est præfato domino regi in parliamento prædicto, cujus quidem billæ tenor sequitur in hæc verba. The king's humble, faithful, and loving subjects the lords : II. spiritual and temporal, and commons in this present parlia- BOOK ment assembled, considering and calling to their remembrances, the inestimable costs, charges, and expences, which the king's highness necessarily hath been compelled to support and sustain, since his assumption to his crown, estate, and dignity royal; as well first for the extinction of a right dangerous and damnable schism sprung and risen in the church; which by the providence of Almighty God, and the high prudence, and provision, and assistance of the king's highness, was, to the great honour, laud, and glory of his majesty, repressed; the enemies then being of the church reformed, returned, and restored to the unity of the same, and peace over all componed and concluded, as also for the modyfying of the insatiable and inordinate ambition of those which do aspire unto the monarchy of Christendom, did put universal trouble and divisions in the same, intending, if they might, not only to have subdued this realm, but also all the rest unto their power and subjection for the resistance whereof, the king's highness was compelled, after the universal peace, by the great study, labour, and travel of his grace conduced, and the same by some of the contrahents newly violate and infringed; in shewing the form of the treatise thereupon made again, to take armour. And over and besides the notable and excessive treasure and substance which his highness in his first wars had employed for the defence of the church, the faith catholick, and this his realm, and of the people and subjects of the same, was eftsoons brought of necessity to new, excellent, and marvellous charges, both for the supportation of sundry armies by sea and by land; and also for divers and manifold contributions outward, to serve, keep, and contain his own subjects at home in rest and repose; which hath been so politickly handled and conduced, that when the most part of all religious Christians have been infested with cruel wars, discords, divisions, and dissentions, the great heads and princes of the world brought unto captivity; cities, towns, and places, by force and sedition, taken, spoiled, burnt, and sacked; men, women, and chil II. BOOK dren found in the same slain and destroyed; virgins, wives, widows, and religious women, ravished and defloured; holy churches and temples polluted, and turned unto prophane use; the reliques of the holy saints irreverently treated; hunger, dearth, and famine, by mean thereof in the said outward regions, insuing and generally over all, was depopulation, destruction and confusion; the king's said subjects in all this time, were by the high providence and politick means of his grace nevertheless preserved, defended, and maintained, from all these inconveniences and dangers; and such provisions taken, by one way or other, so as reasonable commodity was always given unto them to exercise their traffiques of merchandise, and other their crafts, mysteries, and occupations for their living; which could not possibly have been brought about, unless then the king's highness, with continual studies, travels, and pains, and with his infinite charges and expences, had converted the peril and danger of the enterprises and exploits, set forth for the reduction of the enemies unto peace, from his own subjects unto strangers: whereof finally such fruit and effect is ensued, as by the king's policy, puissance, and means, general and universal peace is established amongst all Christian princes; and this realm now, thanked be God, constitute in free, better, and more assured aud profitable amity with all outward parties, than hath been at any time whereof is memory or remembrance. Considering furthermore, that his highness, in and about the premisses, hath been fain to imploy, noto nly such sums of mony as hath risen and grown by any manner of contribution made unto his grace by his said loving subjects; but also over and above the same, sundry other notable and excellent summs of his own treasure, and yearly revenues, which else his grace might have kept and reserved to his own use; amongst which manifold great summs so employed, his highness also, as is notoriously known, and as doth evidently appear by the accompts of the same, hath to that use and none other, converted all such money, as by any his subjects and people spiritual and temporal, hath been advanced unto his II. grace by way of prest and loan, either particularly, or by BOOK any taxation made of the same, being a thing so well collocate and bestowed, seeing the said high and great fruits and effects thereof ensued, to the honour, surety, well, perfest commodity, and perpetual tranquillity of this said realm, as nothing could better nor more to the comfort of his said subjects be desired, studied, or imagined; of one mind, consent and assent, and by authority of this present parliament, do for themselves, and all the whole body of the realm whom they do represent, freely, liberally, and absolutely, give and grant unto the king's highness, by authority of this present parliament, all and every sum and sums of money, which to them, and every of them, is, ought, or might be due, by reason of any money, or any other thing, to his grace at any time heretofore advanced, or payed, by way of prest or loan, either upon any letter or letters under the king's privy seal, general or particular, letter missive, promise, bond, or obligation of payment, or by any taxation, or other assessing, by vertue of any commission or commissions, or by any other mean or means whatsoever it be heretofore passed for that purpose, and utterly, frankly, liberally, and most willingly and benevolently, for them, their heirs, executors, and successors, do remit, release, and quit claim, unto his highness, his heirs, and successors for ever, all and every the same sums of money, and every parcel thereof, and all and singular suits, petitions, and demands, which they, or any of them, their heirs, successors, or executors, or the heirs, executors or successors of any of them, have, had, or may have for the same, or any parcel thereof; most humbly and lovingly beseeching his highness, for the more clear discharge for the same, that it may be ordained and enacted by the king, our said sovereign lord, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons of this present parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that all promises, bonds, writings, obligatory letters, under the king's privy seal, signet, sign manual, or great seal passed, and other bonds or promises, whatsoever they be, had, made, to any person or persons, BOOK spiritual or temporal, shire, city, burrough, waxentale, II. tranship, hamlet, village, monastery, church, cathedral, or collegiate, or to any guild, fraternity, or body corporate, fellowship, or company, or other whatsoever, having capacity to take any bond especially and generally, jointly or severally, touching or concerning the same prest or loan, or every of them, or the repayment of any sum or sums of mony for the same, be from henceforth void and of none effect. Cui quidem billæ probe et ad plenum intellectæ per dictum dominum regem ex assensu et authoritate parliamenti prædicti taliter est responsum. Le roy remercie les seigneurs et ses communes de leur bonne cœurs en faisant cest graunt, et icelle sa majeste accepte et tout le contenu, et cest escriture a graunt et aprove avecques tous les articles en ceste escripture specifies. Cotton lib. Vitell. b. 13. fol. 51. XXXII. A letter from Gardiner and Fox, about their proceedings at Cambridg. An original. Feb. 1530. from Cambridg by Stephen Gardiner. To the king's highness. PLEASETH it your highness to be advertised, that arriving here at Cambridge upon Saturday last past at noon, that same night, and Sunday in the morning, we devised with the vice chancellor, and such other as favoureth your grace's cause, how and in what sort to compass and attain your grace's purpose and intent; wherein we assure your grace, we found much towardness, good will, and diligence, in the vice-chancellour and Dr. Edmunds, being as studious to serve your grace as we could wish or desire: nevertheless there was not so much care, labour, study, and diligence imployed on our party, by them, our self, and other, for attaining your graces purpose, but there was as much done by others for the lett and empeachment of the same; and as we assembled, they assembled, as we made friends they |