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LETTER CXLV.

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THE LORDS OF THE COUNCIL TO KING HENRY VIII^TH. RESPECTING
4THE LORD LAWARRE, A.D. 1539.

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6    Our most bounden dueties right humbly remembred
7to your most excellent Maieste. Please your most noble
8Grace to be advertised that We your most humble
9subjects and obedient servaunts have this present daye
10employed all our most diligence, industrie, and activite
11to trye oute the veray botom and pith of suche things
12as the Lorde Lawarre hath ben detected to have offended
13your Majeste. But as yet we can fynde no sufficient
14grounde to committe hym to prison into your
15Graces Towr. And for thies two or thre dayis th'affaires
16(as your Maieste knoweth) be suche that we have
17differred tyll the same be passed the further enserching,
18with all meanes possible to trye the very effect of his
19detection. In the meane tyme we have in your Maiesties
20name commaunded hym to write all suche things as
21he hath allredy confessed, and that can come to his
22mynd. And further, that upon payne of his allegeaunce
23he shal kepe his house, and commone with no
24maner suspecte persone tyll we shall further declare
25unto hym your graciouse pleasur. Beseching your most
26noble and benigne Grace that, seen upon consyderacion
27that we fynde as yet no sufficient mater agenst
28hym, and that having respect aswell to your mercyfull
29clemencye, as also to your Graces honor, that wold not
30have hym upon a weak grounde (wherof he myght
31clere hym self afterwarde) to be extremely handeled,
32we have respyted his Emprisonement. It may please

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33your Highnes not to be offended therewith, but to pardone
34us as we trust your Highnes of your most gracious
35disposition woll. Assuredly if we shuld have committed
36hym to the Towr, howesoever the matier shuld
37waye, it shuld so moch touch his honeste, and he by
38the same shuld be put to such a rebuke, that he shuld
39never be hable to recover it. Therefore agayn, most
40humbly prostrate at your Maiesties fete, we beseche
41the same to pardone us: not doubting but in the same
42and all other your Highnes maters we shal not faile to
43endevoyre our selfs according to our most bounden
44dueties as shalbe, we hoope, to your Graces satisfaction
45and contentement. Prayeng Allmyghty God to
46maynteyne your Ma^ties. prosperouse regne, honor, and
47lif, to our fruition long to endure. Writen at your
48Graces Cite of London, the first daye of Decembr the
49xxx^th yere of yo^r most prosperouse and noble regne.