"lain moft in School Divinity, and Canon Law; “but, notwithstanding this Character of Abatement, "we do not find he was ever taxed of being under"qualified for the Chancery-bench. He is much blamed by fome Hiftorians for Haughtiness and "ftiff Behaviour; but, if this had been his Fault, "it feems he left it off before his laft Misfortune;' " for & Saynt Albons As I would, Mr. Secretary, I cannot expreffe howe much I am bown. dyn to the Kynge's Royal Majefte for thys hys gret & bownteowfe Liberalyte, reput yng the fame to be muche more then I fhal ever be abyl to deserve. Howbeyt yf hys Majefte confyderyng the short & lyttyl Tyme, that I fhal lyve here in thys World by the Spelling in most of the other Let-reafon of fuch Hevynes as I ters, to prevent any Perplexity to our Readers. To the Rygth honorable Mr. Se6 cretary, in haft, G 6 have conceyvyd in my hert wyth the ruinowfe of the olde Howfys & the decay of the faid Archbyfhopryck at the best to the Sum of viii C My owne goode Maftyr Secretary, 'Marke yearly, by the reafon OYNG this Day out of the Act paffyd for Fynys of my Pue to Hey of Teftaments, wth alfo my • Malle, your Lettres datyd yefLettres datyd yef-long paynful Servys and poore ternygth at London wer dely. Degre; and for the Declara veryd unto me; by the con- tion of hys Grace's excellent · tynue wherof I undyrftand, Cheryte, yf hys Hyhnes be that the Kyng's Hyhnes, of myndyd I fhal leve Wynchef hys excellent Goodnes & ter & Saynt Albon's, wych I Charyte, ys contentyd, that fuppofyd, when I maid my I fhal injoy & have the Ad- 'Submyffyon, not offendying in myny ftration of Yorke Minfter my Trewth towards hys Royal with the Gyftts of the Pro- Parfen, Dygnyte, or Majefte ⚫ motions fpiritual & temporall Royal, I fhould not, nor had of the fame, refervinge onely defyryd to have Life; and unto his nobyll Grace the ⚫ much the more knowying his gyft of v or vi of the best Pro- 'Grace's excellent Propenfyon ⚫ motions. And that hys Plea! fure ys, I fhal leve Wynchefter to Pyte & Mercy, & remembryng the francke Depart ! yng "for Cavendish relates, that, in his last Journey to the "North, he gained very much upon all Sorts of People, and that he was remarkable, not only for "his Bounty and exemplary Life, but likewife for "his Condefcenfion and obliging Manner. He feems 66 to have been a good-natured Man, by the Ten"derness • ་ yng with of all that I had in thys World, that I may have fome convenyent Penfion refervyd unto me, fuch as the Kyng's Hyhnes of his nobyll hert fhal thynke mete, fo orderyng his that fhal fuc❝ cede unto my lyvyngs, that the fame may be of lyck va⚫ lew yeerly and exftent. Where་ as my truft ys, that, and my Herte fo gevyth me, that hys Majefte wold make no Dyffyculte, yf yt may lycke yow friendly to propound the fame, affuryng yow, that I defyre not thys for any mynde, (God ys my judge,) that I have to accumulate Good, or defyre, that I have to the mucke of • World; for, God be thankyd, at thys ower I fet no more by the Ryches of & Pree• minences of the World, then by the duft under my Fote; but onely for the Declaration of the Kyng's Favor & hyhe Cheryte, & to have wherewith to do good dedys, & to helpe my poore fervants & kynnysfolks. And furthermore that yt wold please the • Kyng's excellent Goodnes by your freindly Medyation, confyderyng how flendyrly I am furnyshyed in my Howfe, nowe fpecially that the Apparell of Wynchester and Saynt Albons 'fhal be takyn from me to geve ⚫ and appoynt unto me a conve nyent for the fame, non ad pompam, fed neceffariam honeftatem. And yf I may have the free gyft and Dyfpofytion of the Benyfyts, yt fhal be gretly to my Comfort. And yet when any of the v or vi pryncypall 'fhal Fortune to be voyd, the Kyng's Grace being mynded to have any of them, hys hyhnes fhal be as fure of the fame, as though they wer refervyd. And thus by his nobyl & 'mercyful Goodnes delyvered owt of extreme Calamite, & reftoryd to a newe Fredome, I fhal, with God's Mercy Sz Help, fo ordyr my Lyff, that I truft hys Majefte fhal take 'fpecial Comfort therin, & be pleafyd with the fame: Spero quod hoc, quod peto, non vide bitur magnum. Howbeyt I moft humbly fubmyt and referre all my Petytions, imma noftram Vitam, to his gracyous Ordynance & Pleasure, praying yow to declare & fygnify the fame, fupplying myn Indyfpofytion & lacke of Wyt, waynyd by Reason of my extreme forowe & hevynes, that the fame may be to the Kyng's oftentation, wher in I had lever be ded then to offende in Word, Thowght, "dernefs and Regret between him and his Family "at parting, and his declaring, That no Circumstance "in his Misfortunes troubled him fo much, as his "being difabled from making a Provifion for his "Servants. "His or Dede. And as towchying ⚫ the grantyng of the Fee of one C L. for Mr. Nores duryng hys Lyff for hys good Servys • done unto the Kyng's Hyhnes, for the wych I have al· ways lovyd him, and for the fingular good hert and mynde, that I knowe he hath alweys borne unto me, I am content to make out my Grawnte upon the fame, ye & it wol please the Kyng to inlarge it C L. more; and femblebly cause • Mr. Theforer hath the kepyng of the Kyng's Game nygh to yow at the reverens of God to helpe, that Expedition be • Fernam, I wold gladly, if itufyd in my Perfuts, the De may ftand with the Kyng's Pleafure, grawnte unto hym the Reverfion of fuch Revenues of the fayd Lands, fithens • then with the of the Fee above that wych is oldely accuftomyd, to the Sum of XL L. by the Yeere; • & alfo I wold gladly geve to • Mr. Comptroller a lycke Fee, & to Mr. Ruffel, another of XX L. by the Yeere. Remyttyng thys and all other my Suts to the Kyng's Hyhnes Pleasure, Mercy, Pity, & Compaffion, mofte humbly befeechyng hys Hyhnes fo nowe gracyoufly to ordyr me, that I may from henceforth ferve God quietly & with repofe of mynd, & praye as I am most bowndyn, for the Conferva" tyon & Increase of his mot nobyl & Royal Estate. ་ And lay wherof fo replenyfhyth my Herte with Hevynes, that I can take no refte; not for any vayne fere, but onely for the miferable condytion, that I am presently yn, and lyklyhod to contynue yn the fame, onles that yow, in whom ys myn affuryd Trufte, do help & relive me therin. For fyrft, contynuyng in this moifte & corrupt Ayer, beyng enteryd ⚫ into the Paffyon of the Dropfy "His Schemes for the Benefit of Learning were "noble and well laid, as appears by his College "at Oxford; he likewife founded a College at Ipfwich, for the Service of Religion and the "Poor: He likewife defigned the Founding of a 6 I have byr of Folks, wych I nowe have, my Howfys ther be in decay, and of evry Thyng · mete for Howffold unprovydyd and furnyfhyd. I have non Apparell for my Howfys ther, nor money to bring me thether, nor to lyve wyth ⚫tyl the tyme of the • Yeere, fhall come to remove thether. Thes thyngs confyderyd, Mr. Secretary, muft nedys make me yn Agony & Hevynes, myn Age therwith & Sycknes confyderyd, Alas Mr. Secretary, ye with other my Lords fhewyd me, that I fhuld otherwyfe be furnyfhyd & feyn unto, ye knowe in your Lirnyng & Confyens, whether I fhuld forfet my • Spiritualties of Wynchefter or no. Alas! the Qualytes of myn • Offencys confyderyd, with the gret Punishment & Lofs of Goodes, that I have fuftaynyd owt to move pytiful Sutys; and the mofte nobyl Kyng, to whom yf yt wold pleafe yow of your chery table Goodnes to fhewe the Premises aftyr your accuftomable Wyfdom & Dexteryte yt ys not to be dowbtyd, but his Highnes wold have Confyderatyon & Compaffyon, augmentyng my Lyvyng, & appoyntyng fuch thyngs, as fhould be con⚫venient for my Furniture, wych to do fhal be to the Kyng's Highnes Honor, Meryte, VOL. IV. ་ "So & Dyfcharge of Confyens, &to your gret Prayfe for the bryngyng of the fame to paffe for your old Brynger up and lovying Frende Thys Kyndnes exhibite from the Kyng's Hyghnes fhal prolong my Lyff for fome lytyl whyl, thow yt fhal not be long, by the Meane whereof hys Grace fhal take Profytt, & by my • Deth non. What ys yt to hys Hyhnes to give fome convenyent Penfions owt of Wynchefter, & Seynt Albons, hys Grace takyng with my herty good wyl the Refidew. Remember, good Mr. Secretary, my poore Degre, & what Servys I have done, & how nowe approchyng to Deth, I muft begyn the World ageyn. I befech you therfore, movyd with Pity & Compaffyon foker me in thys my Calamite, & to your Power, wych I knowe ys gret, releve me ; & I wyth all myn fhal not onely afcrybe thys my Relef unto yow, but also praye to God for the Increase of your Honor, & as my Power shal increase, so I fhal not fayle to requyte your Kyndnes. Wryttyn haftely at Aber, with the rude and fhackyng Hand • of Your dayly Bedyfman, Ꮓ Ꮓ "Society in London, for the Civil and Canon Law: "For this Purpofe he projected the building a fine "Stone College: The famous Antiquary, Sir Thoઃઃ mas Cotton, faw the Model of this Structure. He "built the greatest Part of White-ball, and Hampton"court entirely. The Monument of Brafs, which "he left imperfect, was a Work of extraordinary "Curiofity and Expence. 'Tis not certain, whether "he defigned this Maufoleum for the King, or him"felf. He came into the World with no Advantage "of Family, his Father being but a poor Man in "Ipfwich: But Cavendish fays nothing of his being a "Butcher. While the Cardinal fat at the Helm "the Kingdom held on in a Course of Profperity, "and the publick Motions were fteady and ftrong; "but not long after the Government grew perplexed " and inacceptable, and the Face of Things were "much altered both at Home and Abroad; and, to fpeak foftly, it must be faid, The King crushed this Minifter with a very indifferent Grace. . ' Church Hif florian. "It is a difficult Matter to give a "Character of this great Man, without "displeasing almoft all Sorts of Readers; "few Writers have done him Juftice; they com"monly discover both a great deal of Paffion and "Prejudice in the Account they give of him; Ca ૯ "the Our renowned Shakespear gives an Account of Wolfey's Death in a Scene, where he introduces Queen Catherine, (whom he calls Catherine Dowager) being fick, led between Griffith, her Gentleman-ufher, and Patience, her Woman, Grif. How does your Grace? Kath. O Griffith! fick to Death! My Legs, like loaded Branches, bow to the Earth, Did'st thou not tell me, Griffith, as thou led'ft me, [Sitting down That the great Child of Honour, Cardinal Wolfey, was dead? Out of the Pain you fuffer'd, gave no car to't, Kath. |