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LETTER LXXII.

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3

SIR THOMAS MORE TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.

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5    Hit may lyke your good Grace to be advertised
6that I have received your Graces Lettres directed to
7my selfe dated the last day of Auguste, with the Lettres
8of my Lord Admirall to your Grace, sent in Post, and
9copies of Lettres sent bytwene the Quene of Scotts and
10his Lordshipp concernyng the maters and affeires of
11Scotland, with the prudent Answeris of your Grace as
12well to my said Lord in your awne name, as in the
13name of the Kings Highnes to the said Quene of
14Scotts. All which Lettres and copies I have distinctely
15redde unto his Grace, who hath in the reding
16therof substancially considered as well the Quene his
17sisters Lettre with the Lettres agaynward devised and
18sent by my lord Admirall to her, and his Lettres of
19advertisement to your Grace, as your moost politique
20devises and answeres un to all the same; among which
21the lettre which your Grace devised in the name of his
22Highnes to the Quene his sister, his Grace so well
23lyked that I never saw hym lyke thing bettre; and as
24helpe me God in my pore fantasie, not causeles, for
25hit is for the quantite one of the best made Lettres

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26for wordis, mater, sentence, and cowching that ever I
27redde in my life.
28    His Highnes, in your Graces Lettre directed to my
29lord Admirall, marked and well lyked that your Grace
30towched my said Lord and my Lord Dacres, in that
31that theire opinions had bene to the lett of the great
32Roode which if hit had bene ere this tyme made in to
33Scotland, as by your prudent advice hit had if theyre
34opinions with other had not bene to the contrarie, hit
35shold, as by the Quenes Lettre appereth, have bene
36th'occasion of some great and good effecte.
37    His Highnes also well allowed that your Grace
38noteth not onely remisse dealing, but also some suspitione
39in that the Lord Dacre so litle estemede the
40mynde and opinion of the Kings sister, wherof he had
41by his servant so perfait knowledge.
42    Finally his Highnes is of the mynde of your Grace,
43and singularly commendeth your policie in that your
44Grace determineth for a finall way that my Lord Admirall
45shall sett forth his entreprises without eny longer
46tracte of tyme, not ceacing to preace theym with all the
47annoyance possible till they fall ernestly and effectually
48to some bettre trayne and conformitie. And veryly
49his Highnes thinketh as your Grace writeth, that for
50eny lakke of those things which as he wryteth are not
51yet cummen to hym, he shold not have neded to
52forbore to have done theym with smaller Roods, at the
53lest way some annoyauns in the meane season.

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54    I redde also to his Highnes the Lettre of M^r. Doctor
55Knyght, written un to your Grace, with your Grace's
56Lettres written to my selfe, by the tenor wherof his
57Grace well perceiveth your moost prudent answere devised
58and made as well to his said embassiator as to
59thembassiator of themperor, concernyng the disbursyng
60of such money as his Highnes shold lay owte for
61th'entretenement of the x^M. lance knights, wherin his
62Grace highly well approveth, as well your moost politique
63foresight, so wisely dowting leste this delay of the
64declaration myght happen to be a device whereby th'emperor
65myght spare his awne charge and entreteign
66th'almaigness with th'only coste of the Kings Grace, as
67also your moost prudent ordre taken therin, by which
68his Highnes shalbe bounden to no charge excepte the
69Duke first passe the Articles sent by Sir John Russll,
70and that the x^M. almaynes be levied and joyned with
71the Duke and he declared enemy to the French King.
72    I red also to his Highnes the copie of your Graces
73Lettres devised to M. Doctor Sampson and M. Jernyngham,
74wherin his Highnes well perceived and
75marked what labor and payn your Grace had taken
76as well in substantiall advertising his said embassiators
77at length of all occurraunts here, with the goodly rehersall
78of the valiaunt acquitall of his army on the See
79not onely there done, but also descending on the land
80with all the preparations and armyes sett forth and
81furnyshed as well toward France as Scotland, as also

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82in your good and substantiall instructions geven un to
83theym for the semblable advauncyng of th'emperors
84Army and actuall invasion to be made on that side for
85his part.
86    His Highnes hath also seen and signed the Lettres
87by your Grace devised in his name, as well to Don
88Ferdinando and to the Duke of Mechelberge in answere
89of their late lettres sent un to his Grace, as also to
90the Duke of Ferrare in commendation of the Kings
91Orators in case the Duke accepte the Ordre.
92    In the reding and advising of all which things, his
93Highnes saied that he perceived well what labor, studie,
94payn, and travaile your Grace had taken in the
95device and pennyng of so many, so greate things, so
96high well dispached in so brief tyme, whan the onely
97redyng therof held hym above twoo howres. His
98Highnes therfore commaunded me to write un to your
99Grace that, for your labor, travaile, study, paine, and
100diligens he geveth your Grace his moost harty, and not
101more harty than highly well-deserved thanks. And
102thus our Lord long preserve your good Grace in honor
103and helth. At Okyng the first day of Septembre.
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109

LETTER LXXIV.

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SIR THOMAS MORE TO CARDINAL WOLSEY.

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113    Hit may like your good Grace to be advertised
114that I have this nyght, after that the Kings Grace had
115souped, presented and distinctely redde un to his Highnes
116as well your Grace's Lettre dated xxj^th day of
117this present Septembre addressed un to my selfe, as
118the iiij. lettres of the Quene of Scotts, directed twayne
119to the Kings Grace, and thother twayn to my Lord of
120Surrey; and also the twoo lettres by your good Grace
121in the Kings name moost politiquely devised un to the
122said Quene of Scotts. For which your labour, payne,
123traveil, diligence, and study therin used, his Grace
124geveth unto Yours his moost affectuouse thankis. And

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125for as mych as in the reding of my Lord of Surrey's
126Lettre directed un to your Grace, the King noted that
127my said Lord had all redy wrytten un to the Quene of
128Scotts answer un to both her said Lettres: his Grace
129requyreth Yours that it may lyke you to send hym
130the copies which his lettre specifieth to have sent un
131to your Grace.
132    His Grace also thinketh hit right good that the
133Humes and Duglas be received upon convenient hostages;
134and that as well the Chauncellor as the other
135Lords mencioned in the Quenes lettre shold be attempted
136by promessis, gifts, and good policie to be
137wonne from the Duke and his faction.
138    And for as mych as his Grace mych desireth in
139these things to be advertised of your moost politique
140advice and counsaile, which he thinketh your Grace
141entendeth to declare by way of instructions to be gevyn
142un to my said Lord of Surrey, his Highnes therfore
143hartely requyreth your Grace that it may lyke the
144same to send to hym the said instructions, that his
145Grace may by the same be lerned of your Grace's
146prudent advise and counsaile in the premissis.
147    His Highnes thinketh hit very necessary not onely
148that my lord of Surrey were in all possible haste advertised
149of the declaration of the Duke of Burbon, but
150also that the same were insert within the lettre which
151the Quene of Scottes shall shew to the Lordis, with
152good exaggeration of the tyranny for which he renounceth

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153the French King; and of the harme and
154ruyne that is lykely to fall to Fraunce therby.
155    His Highnes also requyreth your Grace to paise
156and considre the clawse of the Queny's lettre by which
157she desireth with her trustie servants to be received in
158to his realme, and how your high wisedome thinketh
159good that mater to be ordered or answered. And to
160th'entent in all these things your Grace may the more
161conveniently send hym your moost prudent advise, he
162hath commaunded me, with these presents, to remitt
163all the said wrytings un to your good Grace, to be by
164your good Grace agayne sent un to his Highnes with
165your moost politique counsaile theruppon. And thus
166our Lord long preserve your good Grace in honor and
167helth. Wrytten at Woodstok the xxij^th. day of Septembre
168at mydnyght.
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