hurt the price thereof,) and I told unto him, before Mr. Dr. Talbot, he advertised your Lordship he might have sold it every fother for £4. 4. He answered me by his truth he never spake the word. Your Lordship is content I shall come when your Lordship's business is dispatched? I have bought three tons of new Gascon wine whether your Lordship will have new or old sent down I cannot tell. Your Lordship commands also three hogsheads of wine of or of wine of Graves, and three hogsheads of such French white wine as you had last year of John Easton to be sent; here is none yet come, neither, as Allan King shewed unto me, will be before Christmas. Your Lordship hath two hogsheads of old French wine of Bayonne* at Coldharbour; as for Rhenish wine, there never came any so bad as came this year; as soon as any comes that is good your Lordship shall have thereof. As Allan King shews unto me, there were two vessels of Muscadine wine, which were good; the King had the one, my Lord Cardinal the other. I beseech your Lordship I may know your Lordship's pleasure in the premises.

I have sent by the bearer Ralph Dodnor's bill. He beseeches your Lordship to have some money. I would deliver unto him

pounds, if your Lordship be so content, but he will not pass £4. Hugh Copland will be glad to have his money, howbeit he stays This day Roger Hicks brought unto me £30. As our Lord know

Bayonne, a considerable city of Gascony, in which province all, or most, of the French wines then used in England were made.

eth, who ever preserve your Lordship. At Cold

harbour, the 25th day of

your beadsman and priest,

with the hand of

THOS. ALEN.

One cwt. wax, with spices, and other things which your Lordship commands to be sent by the carrier shall come this next week, for this week there is no carrier to Hallomshire.* Your Lordship is content I pay for every thing I send home immediately?

No. XV.

(Talbot Papers, vol. A. fol. 75.)

SIR THOMAS CROMWELL

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

AFTER my right hearty commendations to your good Lordship, with semblable thanks for your letters lately addressed unto me, the same shall herewith receive the King's Highness's letters of answer to such credence as you committed to my friend Mr. Butts+ to be declared unto him. And, albeit his Majesty hath not resolutely answered to the particular points of your credence aforesaid, yet your Lordship may be assured, at your coming up, to receive such answer in every of the same as shall be to

* Hallomshire, a district of Yorkshire, south of Sheffield; most part of which is now possessed by the Duke of Norfolk, whose ancestor inherited it from Gilbert, seventh Earl of Shrewsbury.

↑ William Butts, Physician to the King, by whom he was much trusted in several important affairs. Shakspeare introduces him discovering to Henry the malice of Gardiner, and others of the Council, against Cranmer. He died in 1545, and was buried at Fulham.

your content; and undoubtedly his Grace will be as glad to see your Lordship as any man, I suppose, in his realm; such is his entire love and favour towards you, which I am as glad to perceive and see as yourself could desire the same.

Touching the firm whereof your Lordship wrote unto me, I have been in hand with my servant; and, like as I would be loth to constrain him (if I might otherwise choose) to forego it, so I perceive he will not leave it, unless it shall be for avoiding of my displeasure. And again the man doth me so good service that with equity I can press him no further therein than I have done. Nevertheless, if your Lordship will have me speedily to to travail in it I shall do as much more therein as yourself shall at your coming think meet for me. And thus most heartily fare you well. From the Rolls, the 20th of February.

Your Lordship's most assured,

THOS. CROMWELL.*

the

* Sir Thomas, afterwards Lord, Cromwell. This great man, son of Walter Cromwell, a blacksmith at Putney in Surrey, was discovered in France by Wolsey, who took him into his service, and at length appointed him Secretary to his embassy there. He was the Cardinal's political legacy to Henry, who made him a principal instrument in the Reformation, investing him with the most extensive powers in ecclesiastical affairs. The hatred of the Popish party on that account; of the nobility, for the honours heaped on one of such mean birth; and, at last, of the King, whom he had in a manner forced to the odious match with Ann of Cleves, concurred to produce his fall, and, according to the fashion of that reign, he forfeited his life together with his master's favors. He was beheaded on Tower Hill, July 28, 1540, having held successively the offices

No. XVI.

(Talbot Papers, vol. A. fol. 61. 1536.)

LORD CROMWELL

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

My singular good Lord,

AFTER my most hearty commendations, this shall be to advise the same of the receipt of your honourable letters; the sight whereof, with the demonstration of your noble courage and truth, hath so comforted me, that while I live, and, if I might after my death, I will and would honour you and your posterity, as the man and most worthy Earl that ever served a Prince, and such a chieftain as is worthy of eternal glory. My Lord, I assure you, I write this with my very heart ; and I pray God to give me some occasion to do your pleasure while you live, and to your posterity, if I outlive you. I would you knew as well as I how the King's Highness reputeth your most acceptable and loyal service, which you shall right well perceive by the tenor of his gracious letters to you directed at this time. My Lord, the habiliments and munitions for the wars which you wrote for, with money plenty, is already upon the way towards you, and shall, God willing, be

and dignities of Master of the Rolls, Baron, Lord Privy Seal, Vicegerent in Spiritualities, Knight of the Garter, Earl of Essex, and Great Chamberlain of England.

Cromwell married the daughter of Williams, of Wales, and left issue an only son, Gregory, created Lord Cromwell of Okeham, after the attainder of his father. This barony became extinct about the beginning of the 17th century.

with you shortly.* And thus our Lord send your Lordship as long life, and as well to fare, as I would wish, and then you would be in good health, and but thirty years of age. Written at Windsor, the 9th day of October, Anno 28 Hen. VIII., with the hasty and leisureless hand of him that is yours in heart,

To my very good Lord my Lord of Shrewsbury, Lord Steward of the King's Household.

THOMAS CROMWELL.

No. XVII.

(Talbot Papers, vol. A. fol. 123. 1542.)

SIR WILLIAM EURE

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

PLEASE it your good Lordship to be advertised the Captain of the Irishmen hath been with me, and taketh much pains to govern and rule the said Irishmen, for they are of nature, as your Lordship knoweth to be, wild; albeit he serveth the King's Majesty with them very well and painfully. And, because they are paid every fortnight, it is very uneasy and painful to him to come for their wages so often, seeing they be all footmen, and he can be ill spared from among them, considering their rudeness therefore, if it might stand with your Lordship's pleasure that they might be paid mouthly, I think it would be well. And thus I commit your good Lordship to the tuition of the Holy Ghost.

This letter was written during Aske's rebellion in the northern counties, where the Earl was lieutenant to the Duke of Suffolk, who commanded the King's troops.