Thomas Alward to Thomas Cromwell.A. D. 1529.
[MS. COTTON. VITELLIUS B. XII.fol. 173.Orig.]
“The following Letter (says Mr. Ellis), though mutilated, presents a genuine picture of one of the last interviews with which Wolsey was favoured by his Sovereign. It is dated on the 23d. of September; sixteen days after which the King’s attorney presented the indictment against him in the Court of King’s Bench upon the Statute of Provisors.“Thomas Alward, the writer of this Letter, appears to have been the Keeper of Wolsey’s Wardrobe. He has been already incidentally named in the Letter which relates to the foundation of Ipswich College.”
“The following Letter (says Mr. Ellis), though mutilated, presents a genuine picture of one of the last interviews with which Wolsey was favoured by his Sovereign. It is dated on the 23d. of September; sixteen days after which the King’s attorney presented the indictment against him in the Court of King’s Bench upon the Statute of Provisors.
“Thomas Alward, the writer of this Letter, appears to have been the Keeper of Wolsey’s Wardrobe. He has been already incidentally named in the Letter which relates to the foundation of Ipswich College.”
Maister Cromwel,
In my mooste hartiest wise I [commende me] unto you; advertisyng the same that I have dely[vered your lres] unto my lordis grace who did immediatly rede over [the same] after the redyng wherof his grace did put theym in ... and so kepte theym always close to hym self. Th[is I note] unto you, bicause I never sawe hym do the like bifo[re time] the which your lettres his grace commaunded me.... And first, the same hertely thankyth you for your ... advertysement made unto hym from tyme to tyme [of soche] things as ye have written unto his grace wherin I know [ye have] don unto his grace singular pleasur and good service; and as [for] the vain bruts which goth againstmy lords [grace] I assur you as fer as may apper unto my said [lord and] other that be his servaunts, they be mervailous false, ... and gretely I do mervaile wherof the same shul[de arise] for I assur you that in this vacacion tyme [dyvers] lettres wer written by the kyngs commaundment from [Mr. Ste]vyns unto my said lord, by the which his adv[ise] and opinion was at sundry tymes desired ... in the kyngs causis and affaires, unto the which lettres [aunswer] was made from tyme to tyme, as well by my lords [wry]tyng as also by the sendyng of his servaunts to the[courte with] instructions by mouth to the kyng’s highnes as the [mater] and case did requir. Over this the noblemen and gentry [as well] in my lords goyng to the courte as also in his retourne from [the] same dyd mete and incounter hym at many places gently [and] humaynly as they wer wonte to do. On Sonday last my lords grace, with the Legat Campegius cam unto the courte at Grene[wiche] wher they wer honorably receyved and accompanyed with sundry of the kings counsaile and servaunts, and so brought bifor masse onto the king’s presence, who graciously and benig͂ly after the accustumed goodnes of his highnes, with very familiar and loving acountenance did welcome theym. And after communication and talkyng awhiles with my Lorde Campegius, his grace talked a grete while with my lorde a parte, which don, they departed all to geder in to chapel. And immediatly after dyner my lords grace went again unto the kyngs highnes beyng then in his pryvie chamber wher they wer commonyng and talkyng to geder at the leeste for the space of ij. houres, no person beyng present, and a friende of myne beyng of the prive chamber told me at my lords departur that tyme from thens ther wasas good and as familiar accountynaunce shewed and used betwene theym as ever he sawe in his life heretofor. This don my lords grace with the legat retourned unto theyr logyng at Maister Empson’s place. On Monday in the mornyng my lord leving the legat at his logyng went again unto the kyngs grace, and after long talkyng in his privie chamber to geder, the kyng, my lord, and all the hole counsaile sate to geder all that for’none aboute the kyngs matiers and affaires. In the after none, my lords grace having then with hym the Legat Campegius, went to the kyng’s grace, and after talkyng and communication had a long whilis with the legat a parte they both toke ther leve of the kyngs highnes in as good fascion and maner, and with asmoche gentilnes, as ever I saw bifor. This don, the kyngs grace went huntyng. The legate retourned to Maister Empson, and my lords grace taried ther in counsaile til it was darke nyght. Further mor my Lord of Suffolke, my Lord of Rochford, Maister Tuke, and Master Stevyns did as gently [be]have theymselfs, with as moche observaunce and humy[lyte to] my lords grace as ever I sawe theym do at any [tyme] tofor. What they bere in ther harts I knowe n[ot.] Of the premissis I have seen with myne ies; wherfor I boldely presume and thinke that they be ferre [furth] overseen that sowth[243]the said false and untrewe reports: ascerteynyng you if ye coulde marke som[e of the] chief stirrers therof ye shulde do unto his grace [moche] pleasur. Assone as ye can spede your bysynes th[ere my] lord wolde be very glad of your retourne. My lord wilbe on Monday next at London. And the Legat [Cam]pegiusshal departe shortely oute of Englonde. A[nd thus] makyng an ende I commit you to the tuicion and g[widance of] Almyghty God. From Saint Albons the xxiijthS[ep]tember.
All the gentilmen of my lords chamber with the... ...[244]of commendith them hartely unto you.
Yowrs to my lytle [power]
THOMAS ALVARD.
PRINTED IN THE YERE 1641.
The following parallel between Laud and Wolsey is referred to in a note at p.342of the Life of Wolsey. It was printed at the same time and for the same purpose as the first garbled edition of that life; namely—to prejudice Archbishop Laud in the minds of the people. The press then teemed with pamphlets levelled at him, and in the same volume I find two others: “The Character of an untrue Bishop, with a Recipe to recover a Bishop if he were lost.” And—“England’s Rejoycing at the Prelates Downfall, written by an Ill-willer to the Romish Brood:” both of the same date.
The following parallel between Laud and Wolsey is referred to in a note at p.342of the Life of Wolsey. It was printed at the same time and for the same purpose as the first garbled edition of that life; namely—to prejudice Archbishop Laud in the minds of the people. The press then teemed with pamphlets levelled at him, and in the same volume I find two others: “The Character of an untrue Bishop, with a Recipe to recover a Bishop if he were lost.” And—“England’s Rejoycing at the Prelates Downfall, written by an Ill-willer to the Romish Brood:” both of the same date.