crowns of the sum for the same purpose; I now send the said Robert unto you for the said crowns, and will that you deliver him the same, so as he may go unto Torney to the said Mr. Hart, to reckon and pay for the said hangings, and to see the conveyance of the same unto London. Also, Sir Thomas,* I have spoke with Thomas Babington; and he thinketh best that you be not too hasty in knowing my Lord Cardinal's pleasure touching my coming up to London, except he speak unto you himself of the same, and then you may make my excuse the best you can, for I am now at this time far out of all good order, as well in servants as in horses, to come to London, or to ride any other great journey.

Also, Sir Thomas, I perceive by your said letter that Thomas Babington, before his coming from London, spake with my Lord Cardinal to know his pleasure if he would command him any service unto me; who answered him that he had spoken with the King's grace, and shewed him of my trouble; and that he would advise me to get me to some little house, with a few persons with me, which I have done. Notwithstanding, since my coming hither, divers of my servants have fallen sick, both here and in the town, howbeit, I thank God, they have escaped the same; and I myself kept my bed yesterday all day; and, of truth, the said sickness was so extreme amongst my servants at Winfield that I have put away all my horse

This style of knighthood was usually given to parish priests before the reformation, and thence perhaps arose afterwards the vulgar jocularity of Sir Reverence."

VOL. I.

C

keepers, and turned all my horses to grass, both my great horses and others; wherefore, if I should come up to London the next term, I must be fain to provide me with new horse-keepers, and take up my said horses from grass again, which I think will not well serve me.

Howbeit, you shall not need to speak of this until such time as I have spoken with Thomas Babington, and that you hear further from me, unless you hear my Lord Cardinal speak of my coming up; nevertheless, I will that you resort often unto him, and be in his sight, to look whether he will command you any service to me; and if he ask you when you heard any word from me, you may shew his Grace as is aforesaid; and also that I have sent the substance of all my servants to their friends, saving only twelve or sixteen, which I have here with me.

No. VIII.

(Talbot Papers, vol. P. fol. 33. 1516.)

THOMAS ALEN

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

PLEASE it your Lordship to be ascertained, I have sent, by John Bayly of Sheffield, three yards black satin, three yards russet satin, two yards yellow satin, the best I can find in London; as yet the ships are not come from Flanders, wherefore here is little good silk to sell. I have sent, by the said John, two pair of shoes for your Lordship, one ream of paper, forty pounds of currants, one pound of red wax. If your Lordship like not that red wax I

sent before, by Richard Hanson, let it be sent back; I trust what I have sent at this time is good; two pair of shoes for my Lord Francis. I have sent by this bearer, Edward of your stable, two black girdles, with two black dog-hooks.

Upon Monday last the Master of the Rolls took his journey towards Flanders, and when he comes to Calais, Sir Richard Wingfield* goeth with him. It is thought the Emperor goeth but easily forward in his wars. Upon Monday and Tuesday last there was a great jousting at Greenwich: the King's Grace, my Lord of Suffolk, my Lord of Essex, Sir George Carew, were challengers; Sir William Kingston, Sir Giles Capel, divers others, were defenders.

Sedley, + with
As I hear
As I hear say, the

King hath promised never to joust again except it be with as good a man as himself. To-morrow, which shall be the twenty-fifth day of this month, my Lord Marquis will keep St. George's feast.

Sir Richard Wingfield, Knight, Deputy of Calais. For a full account of whose romantic negociation with the Emperor Maximilian, who had made overtures to resign the empire to Henry, see Lord Herbert.

† Sir George Carew, Knight, of the family of the ancient Barons Carew, of Devon. He was drowned at Portsmouth, in 1545. -Sir William Kingston, afterwards Lieutenant of the Tower. Lloyd, Sir Richard Baker, and others, confound this gentleman with Sir Anthony Kingston, Provost Marshal of the Army, sent against the rebels in the west in 1549; whose severity in that office is, or is meant to be, recorded in most histories of England. -Sir Giles Capel, of Raynes Hall, in Essex, knighted for his gallantry at Terouenne: the Earl of Essex is lineally descended from him.-John Sedley, of Southfleet, in Kent, afterwards an Auditor of the Exchequer.

Thomas Grey, second Marquis of Dorset of that house. He will be mentioned elsewhere.

Yesterday the King's Grace and the Queen dined at Hampton Court.

John Goldsmith, the Dutchman, is in hand with your work, and beseecheth your Lordship he may have some money. My Lord, since my coming up Ralph Dodnor hath sold of the lead which he bought of me before Easter twenty fothers, for £4. 6. the fother; notwithstanding, he would be glad to sell the rest after the price it cost him, which was £ 4. 4. These wains that come up daily loose the price of lead; howbeit I hear not the contrary but they sell above £4. the fother: the wain-man's name is John Burton, of Maperley. This day I trust to send towards Wingfield two tons of wine; whereof four hogsheads are claret, two red wine, one white wine, and the other puncheon fresh wine. If it be well carried, I trust your Lordship will like it well. It will cost £5. 6.8. the ton, whereof the wains must have for their labour twenty shillings; I have paid nothing thereof.

This day Mr. Ursewick spake with my Lord of Northumberland. His Lordship continues in the same good mind you left him, and calls faster for an end to be concluded than your Lordship does; and prays your Lordship to appoint what day this pilgrimage shall be kept. The question hath been asked of my said Lord for the marriage of his son of Sir William Compton, and divers others: he hath made answer, "I have concluded with my Lord of Shrewsbury." He hath been desired also to bring him to the Court. He answered, "When he is better learned, and well acquainted with his wife,

shortly after he shall come to the Court."*

This

communication piques him more heartily forwards than ever he was. As knoweth our Lord, who ever have your Lordship in his blessed governance, at Coldharbour, the 24th day of May, with the hand of

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

PLEASE it your Lordship to be ascertained that yesternight I was with Master Comptroller ‡ and Master Ursewick. So it is, my Lord, a bill is made by the Council, and tarries only to be signed of the King's Grace, wherein your Lordship shall have commandment to come up; notwithstanding every day this week I have been in my Lord Cardinal's sight, and yet his Grace speaks nothing thereof to me and, as Mr. Comptroller sheweth me, his Grace bears you marvellous great favour; and, as I have heard by divers others, his Grace

This marriage did not take place till several years after, when, as Mr. Cavendish informs us in his Life of Wolsey, the Earl of Northumberland compelled Lord Percy to it, in order to remove the King's jealousy of a pre-contract between that young nobleman and Ann Boleyn. The Earl's late imprisonment in the Fleet was probably owing to this suspicion, and his refusing to permit his son to go to the Court till after his marriage favours the conjecture.

Sir Edward Poynings, who held several other employments, and was much trusted by Henry. He died in 1523.