III. quoth he, why say you so? Doth he not owe your master BOOK money? Hath he not broken his leages with him in 600 points? Did he not provoke us, and the pope also, to joine for the taking of your realme from you, in preye for disobedience? And hath he not caused even now the pope, to offer a council at Mantua, Verona, Cambray or Metz; (which place he added now last) the chief cause wherof is to pick you? A pestilence take him, fause dissembler, quoth he: saving my dutie to the majestie of a king. If he had you at such an advantage, as you maye now have him, you shuld well knowe it at his hande. And here he went furth at large against the bishop of Rome and the emperor; discoursing what commoditie shuld ensue of this warre; and that he would have it in any wise beginne this yere, now that the emperor wer so lowe; and had, as he saithe, for all his millions, never a sols. And that he would the matier should take effect shortely; for the yere goith awaye: reckening how many moneths were now lost mete for the warre: and how the conquests should be fortified in the winter; and the warre recommenced in the sommer. And that their chiefe points resolved, his master shuld (if your majestie would) turne into Picardy, to entervieu. And a great discourse, sir, passing min experience, shewing themselfs by his wordes and countenance wonderfully gredy of presant warre: which when he had ended; what say you, monsieur le ambassadeur? quoth he. Will you saye nothing to me in this matier? Sir, quoth I, and told him trueth, I wote not what to saye. Why do you not? quoth he. Open the bottom of your stomack to the king my master, quoth I, by your ambassadour there, by whom you have begun and treated this matier. And also I noted in our other conference, that you would not have these discourses reaported again of your mouth. Monsieur, quoth he, this is indeed but my devise. Howbeit, to speake frankly to youe, I have spoken nothing therin, but I think to perswade my master to it and write so to the king your master, quoth he, and also the hole devise. That shall be as you will, quoth I. Nay, quoth he, I pray you to write, so as you write as III. PART devised of me; and repeted the overture hole together, as is before expressed. Sir, quoth I, seing you require me, I will write it, so that you will promise me to confirme my tale by your ambassador there. Yes, quoth he; and clapt his hande in mine. But I pray you, quoth he, send one in diligence, that no tyme be lost. Will you not write? quoth I. Yes, quoth he: but your post will be there before ours. And so deperted. Sir, I beseeche your majestie most humblie on my knees, graciously to accept my good will, albeit my witt be not able to serve you in so great an affaire; and to pardon me, of your most gracious goodnes, if any thing have been said, more or less thenne was meet to have been spoken for the advancement of your purposes: of my faulte wherin, if it should please your majestie to advise me of, I should have the more witt another time, and take the better hede in a semblable case: for surely, sir, I have an exceeding good will to serve you; and if my witt wer as good, I am assured I should serve well, and that knoweth God: to whom I pray daily for your prosperous and long continuance. From Chabliz, the 22d of April. Your majesties most humble, faithful, and and daily oratour, To the king's most excellent majestie. 1542. William Pagett. Paper- Number 74. Bishop Thirleby's letter concerning the duke of Norfolk and his son. An original. I WOULD write unto you my harte (if I coulde) against those two ungracious, ingrate, and inhumane non homines, the duke of Norfolk and his sonne. The elder of whom, I confess that I did love, for that I ever supposed hym a true servant to his master; like as both his allegiance and the III. manifold benefits of the king's majestie bounde him to have BOOK been; but nowe when I sholde begyn to wright to you herin, before God I am so amased at the matter, that I know not what to say; therefore I shall leave them to receyve for their deads, as they have worthily deservyd; and thank God of his grace that hath openyd this in tyme, so that the king's majestie may see that reformed: and in this point, wher Almighty God hath not nowe alone, but often and sondry tymes hertofore, not only letted the malice of such as hathe imagenyd any treason against the king's majestie, the chiefe comforte, wealth, and prosperite of all good Englishmen next unto God; but hath so wonderfully manifest, that in suche tyme that his majesties high wisdom myght let that malice to take his effecte, all good Englishe cannot therfore thanke God enough. And for our parts, I pray God, that we may thorough his grace, so contynue his servants, that herafter we be not founde unworthy to receyve suche a benefyte at his hands. On Christmas even, about 10 of the clocke after noon here aryved Somerset with the letters of the king's majesties most honourable counsell, dated the 15th of December at Westminster, wherby I perceyved the malicious purpose of the said two ungracious men: and for the execution of the king's majesties commandment declared in the same letters, I suyd immediately for audience to the emperor, who entred this town within halfe an houer after Somerset was come. The emperor praied me of pacience, and to declare to the secretarie Joyse, that I wolde saie to him. For he said he had determyned to repose him selfe for 3 or 4 days; and had therfore for that tyme refused audience to the nuntio, the ambassador of France, and the ambassador of Venice, which had sued for audience. On Christmas-day on the morning, at nine of the clocke, Joyse came to my lodginge, to whom I declared as well as I coulde the great benefits theis ungracious men had receyved at the king's majesties hands, and how unkindly and traytorously they went abought to searve him, with the rest as myn instruc PART tions led me. The king's majestie, my master (taking the same affection to be in the emperor, his good brother, towards him, that his highnes hathe to the emperor, (ut amicorum omnia sint communia, gaudere cum gaudentibus, flere cum flentibus,) hath commanded me to open this matter to the emperor: that as naturally all men, and much more princes, ought to abhore traytors, and specially suche as had receyved so great benyfites as theis men had: so his majestie might rejoyse that the king's highnes his good brother had founde forthe this matter, or the malice coulde be brought to execution. Secretary Joyse said that he would advertise the emperor herof accordingly, and after a little talke of the haughtiness of the earle of Surrey, and a few salutations, he bad me fare well. When I asked him for monsieur de Grandevela, to whom I said that I wolde tell this tale, for that I doubted not but that he and all honest men wolde abhorre such tray tors: he said that he was not yet come, but he wolde this day advertise him herof by his letters; for I wright (quoth he) daily to him. Albeit that this be the hole, and the effecte of that I have done in the execution of the king's majesties commandment, declared in my said lord's letters, yet I will as my dutie is, answer a-part their said letters to the king's majestie: herin I dare not wright. For, to enter the matter, and not to detest that as the cause requireth, I think it not convenient. And again on the other side, to renew the memorie of these mens ingratitude, (wher with all noble and princely harts above all others be sore wounded) I thinke it not wisdome. Therefore I beseeche you hartely, amongst other my good lords, there to make my most humble excuse to his majestie for the same. This ungracious matter that hath happened otherwise then ever I could have thought, hath caused you to have a longer letter then ever I have bene accustomed to wright. Ye shall herwith receyve a scedule of courte newis, whiche havyng lernyd while I wrote this; secretary Joyse hathe prayed me to sende the letter herwith enclosed to the emperor's ambassador in England, which I pray you to III. cause to be delivered, and hartely fare you well. From BOOK Halebourne the Christmas-day at night, 1546. Your assured loving friend, Herewith ye shall allso receyve the copie of my letters of the 19th of this mongth, sent by Skipperus, &c. Tho. Westm'. Number 75. A letter of the duke of Norfolk's, after he had been examined in the Tower. My very good lords, whereas at the being here with me Titus, B. 1. of my lord great chamberlayne, and Mr. Secretary, they P. 94. examynd me of divers thyngs, which as near as I can call to my remembrance were the effects as here after doth ensew. First, whether ther was any cipher betwene me and any other man for answer wherunto, this is the truth, there was never cipher between me and any man, save only such as I have had for the king's majestie, when I was in his service. And as God be my judge, I do not remember that ever I wrote in cipher, but at such time as I was in France. My lord great master that now is and my lord of Rochford being in commission with me, and whether I wrote any then, or not, as God help me, I do not remember; but and I wrote any thing, I am sure both their hands were at it: and the master of the horse privy to the same: I do remember that after the death of the bishop of Hereford, Fox, it was shew'd me that the said bishop had left a letter, which I had sent him, amongst his writings, which being found by a servant of his, that is now with master Deny, who shewd the same to the bishop of Durham that now is, he caused him to throw the same in fier; as I do remember, it was my said lord bishop of Dureham that advised him to burn it: and as I also do remember, the matter that was conteyned therin concerned lewde |