No. XVIII. (Talbot Papers, Vol. C. fol. 191.) JOHN CRYCHE TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. PLEASE it your Lordship to be advertised that as yet I cannot obtain the rest of your Lordship's fees, howbeit I trust I shall have it shortly, for Fawnshaw has promised to help with all the speed possible for the obtaining of the same. Mr. Rokeby would have your Lordship to sue forth the certiorari for the prisoner at Nottingham from the Justices in the court there, and so to remove him. at your pleasure; for it is not, as he says, to be sued forth here. As for other of your Lordship's business, Mr. Long can instruct you of better than I by writing. * My Lord of Winchester, whose soul God pardon, is departed, and his bowels were buried at St. Mary Overy's in Southwark, but his body, as the saying is, shall be carried to Winchester, to be buried there. What time he departed is not yet certainly known, but most men say he died on Tuesday, at night, being the 12th day of this instant, about two o'clock after midnight, at Westminster, and was brought in his barge thence to his house in Southwark. Thus I beseech Almighty God to prosper your good Lordship long, in honour and Bishop Gardiner. He died on the 12th of November. +A house belonging to the see; the grounds about which, long since covered with buildings, are still called Winchester Park. health. From London, the 14th day of November, 1555. Your Lordship's humble and obedient Servant, To my Lord. No. XIX. JOHN CRYCHE. (Talbot Papers, Vol. C. fol. 203.) SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. * Right honourable, and my singular good Lord, Ir may please the same to be advertised that I trust the Parliament will end this week, for now that the bill for first fruits and tenths is past the Commons House, I trust there is nothing else that will be any stay. My Lord Talbot told me that he trusted my Lady of Northumberland should do well in her suite. It is said the King's Majesty returneth not until after Christmas, nor as yet I know not where the Queen's Grace will keep her Christmas, but at the end of the Parliament, as I hear, she removes to Greenwich. My Lord Archbishop of York has not yet received the bulls from Rome, and he does continue President in Wales, and no other appointed. It is not yet known who shall be Lord Chancellor, Lord Privy *This was the fourth Parliament of this reign. It was remarkable for the restitution of the Crown impropriations, and the first fruits and tenth's, to the clergy, which was done at Mary's express request, and affords a stronger proof of her bigotry than the burning of thousands. This measure met with much opposition in both Houses; the Members dreading that the lay impropriations, most of which were in their hands, might follow; and foreseeing the hatred which they were likely to incur by keeping their share of the spoil, after suffering the Queen to relinquish hers. Seal, Bishop of Canterbury, nor Bishop of Winchester. My Lord Cardinal lies much at the court. It is said that there are divers evil books cast by night in the city, conveyed from beyond the seas, but I have not seen any of them as yet. And thus, trusting shortly to wait on your Lordship, I humbly take my leave of the same, beseeching our Lord God long to preserve your good Lordship in health, with much increase of honour. At Hoddesden, the 4th of Dec. 1555. Your good Lordship's humbly to command, THOMAS GARGRAVE. Postscripta. The commission for the subsidy shall come forth immediately. To the right honourable and his singular good No. XX. (Talbot Papers, Vol. C. fol. 229.) LORDS OF THE COUNCIL TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. AFTER our right hearty commendations to your good Lordship. Whereas we have been lately informed that certain lewd persons, to the number of six or seven in a company, naming themselves to be servants unto Sir Francis Leek, and wearing his livery, and badge on their sleeves, have wandered about those North parts, and represented certain Cardinal Pole, who had returned to England a few months before to assist in restoring the old religion. He was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury on the 22nd of March following, the next day after Cranmer's execution. Some historians erroneously state that the Cardinal was in possession of this dignity at the opening of the Parliament in October, plays and interludes, containing very naughty and seditious matter touching the King and Queen's Majesties, and the state of the realm, and to the slander of Christ's true and Catholic religion, contrary to all good order, and to the manifest contempt of Almighty God, and dangerous example of others; we have thought mete to pray your Lordship to give order forthwith unto all the Justices of the Peace within your rule that from henceforth they do in no wise suffer any plays, interludes, songs, or any such like pastimes whereby the people may any ways be stirred to disorder, to be used by any manuer of persons, or under any colour or pretence, within the limits of your charge. Praying you also not only to write unto Sir Francis Leek, willing him to cause the said players that name themselves his servants to be sought for, and sent forthwith unto you, to be farther examined, and ordered according to their deserts, but also to give him strait charge and commandment, in their Majesty's names, that he suffer not any of his servants hereafter to go about the country, and use any plays, songs, or interludes, as he will answer for the contrary. And in case any person shall attempt to set forth these sort of games or pastimes at any time hereafter, contrary to this order; and do wander, for that purpose, abroad in the country; your Lordship shall do well to give the Justices of the Peace in charge to see them apprehended out of hand, and punished as vagabonds, by virtue of the statute made against loitering and idle persons. And thus we bid your good your good Lordship most heartily well to fare. From St. James's, the 30th of April, 1556. Your good Lordship's assured loving friends, NICO. EBOR, Canc.* HENRY SUSSEX. + WILLIAM PETRES. WILLIAM WINCHESTER. PEMBROKE. Jo. BOURNE. JOHN MORDAUNT. ‡ ARUNDEL. THOMAS ELY. § To our very good Lord, the Earl of Shrewsbury, *Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York; a rigid Catholic, but a person distinguished by the mildness and humanity of his conduct. He was born in London, and bred at Cambridge, where he took the degree of Doctor in Divinity. We find him the King's Almoner in 1539, in which year he was consecrated Bishop of Llandaff, whence he was translated successively to Rochester and Worcester, and was deprived of the latter under Edward VI. for refusing to take the oath of supremacy. Mary restored him to his Bishoprick; made him Lord President of Wales; and, in 1555, Archbishop of York; to which see, the revenues of which had been grievously diminished by the negligence or servility of some of his predecessors, he retrieved many of its estates. He was appointed Lord Chancellor upon the death of Gardiner, and held that high office till the conclusion of this reign; when, having most readily proposed Elizabeth to the Parliament as successor to the Throne, he voluntarily resigned the seals, and, submitting to the sentence of deprivation with the utmost patience, retired to his manor of Cobham in Surrey," where," says Camden, "the Queen, with whom he was in great grace, visited him many times with marvellous kindness." He died in 1566. + Henry Ratcliffe, Earl of Sussex, Viscount and Baron Fitzwalter, &c., and Knight of the Garter and Bath; eldest son of Robert, the first Earl of the family, by Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. He was bred to the profession of arms, and commanded 1600 demi-lances in the expedition into Scotland in the first of Edward VI. where he gained some credit. After that Prince's death, he supported Mary's title with great zeal, and was appointed by her Commander in Chief of the |