Henry VIII,the Reign
CXII. Wolsey to King Henry VIII.
Sire. I sende unto Your Highnes, herwith, such letters, as I have receyved this morning, from your Ambassadours, my Lord of Bath and Sir Antony Browne ' ; by the continue wherof Your Highnes shal not oonly perceyve that the French King is delyvered of his fever, but also howe he is determined, for the mitigacion of my travayle, by the latter ende of this moneth to mete and encountre with me at Amyas2, oonles any gret impediment, in the meane tyme, should chaunce to the letting therof. And glad I am, Sire, that the overture of the declination from the Poopes obedience, for the tyme of his captivite, hath been made to your Ambassadours by my Ladye; wherupon good grounde may be taken to proceede further in that matier, according to such divises, as have been bitwen Your Highnes and me, to the which pur pose the spedy acceleracion of the repare of such Cardinalles in to Fraunce, as be absent, shal moch conferre.
Sire. I sende unto Your Highnes, herwith, such letters, as I have receyved this morning, from your Ambassadours, my Lord of Bath and Sir Antony Browne ' ; by the continue wherof Your Highnes shal not oonly perceyve that the French King is delyvered of his fever, but also howe he is determined, for the mitigacion of my travayle, by the latter ende of this moneth to mete and encountre with me at Amyas2, oonles any gret impediment, in the meane tyme, should chaunce to the letting therof. And glad I am, Sire, that the overture of the declination from the Poopes obedience, for the tyme of his captivite, hath been made to your Ambassadours by my Ladye; wherupon good grounde may be taken to proceede further in that matier, according to such divises, as have been bitwen Your Highnes and me, to the which pur pose the spedy acceleracion of the repare of such Cardinalles in to Fraunce, as be absent, shal moch conferre.
See their letter of 2d July 1527, published by Strype in his Memorials, Vol.1. Appendix, page 31. No. XIV. 2 Amiens.
I sende, also, unto Your Highnes, herwith, such newes, as I have receyved from Sir Gregory de Cassales, translate out of Italian in to Laten ', wherin I note diverse good thinges : first, that the Pope, notwithstanding any pacte made with thlmperialles, hath geven expresse commaundement to his capi- taynes, that Parma and Placentia shal not be delyvered ; secondly, howe that God hath sent such hunger and pestilence in Rome, amonges the maledicte Almaynes and Spaniardes, that they be reduced to the numbre of 12 or 13 thousand men at the most, and that with 2 thousand Swiches, wel electe, there is noo doubte, but they may easely be distrussed. There is also good apparaunce of the retourne of the Duke of Ferrare, cui Cesaris magnitudo jam incipit esse suspecta, to the parties of the liege. It servith wel, also, to the purpose, that the Cardinalles absent, being in Italy, wil gather themself togither in to Bononye 3, from whense they maye easely be induced to cumme in to Fraunce, wherof the Popes Ambassadour, now being with me here, makith noo doubte. There is good hoope, also, that by the good dexterite of Sir Gregory, the Florentines, licet non aperte, wil adhere to the liege ; and as I canne conjecte by the said letters, which I pray God may be trewe, the Pope is yet in Castel Angel, from whense he shalbe more sonner and facilly delyvered, thenne out of Gayeta ; whose spedy deliveraunce I besech Almighty God to accelerate, and sende unto Your Highnes your most noble and vertuous desires. From Your Graces citie of Cauntourbury, this Monday, the 8th day of Julye, at afternoon, by your Post scripta. In the pacquett with my Lord of Baths letters, I receyved certeyn duplicates from Your Hieghnes Ambassiadours in Spayne, beryng date the 28th and 31" of Maye, of the contynewe wherof Your Grace was asser- teined before my departing ; wherfor it shall not be nedefull to molest and troble Your Grace with the redyng of the same. I receyved, allso, other letters of the 16 daye of Juny ; the oon from my Lord of Worcestour \ the other 5 from Maister Almoner 6 ; there is no grete
1 This is one of several instances, where Wolsey caused Italian despatches to be translated for the King's use into Latin. Henry probably did not understand Italian, but no reason appears for the letters being rendered into Latin, rather than English. Did it arise from his real, or affected, preference of the learned language ? or from the accident, that the translator was Peter Vannes, the Latin Secretary, an Italian, who had an imperfect knowledge of English, and rendered the contents of the papers more readily into Latin ?
2 A figure is lost here. 5 British Museum, Vespasian, C. IV. leaf 154.
3 Bologna. 6 Dr. Edward Lee. 4 Jerome Ghinucci, Bishop of Worcester.
2 A figure is lost here. 5 British Museum, Vespasian, C. IV. leaf 154.
3 Bologna. 6 Dr. Edward Lee. 4 Jerome Ghinucci, Bishop of Worcester.
mater conteyned in them of importaunce, worthy to be consulted uppon, as Your Grace shall perceve by redynge of the same. The Busshopp of Tarbie ' at that daye was not aryved at Bayona, et hoc solum boni est, quod illius adventus cum desiderio in Hispania expectaretur. I have allsoe, Sir, as I was inclosing these my letters, been advertised from my Chauncelour of Durham, of an heynows attemptate doon by Sir John Lisle 2, and his sone : who, committed to ward at Newcastel by my Lord of Richemontes3 Counsaill, as well for murdre and felonye, as for diverse other grevouse offences, hath not oonly broken the pryson, wherin they were themself, but allsoo other prisones ther, wherin was dyverse owtlawes kept, some for felony, some for murdre and treason. They be fledd and escaped into Scotland, and with them, at their issuyng owt of Newcastell, joyned 20 other owtlawes. By the reason of this attemptate, the saide Sir John Lisle hath not only forfeitted his lond; but his suerties, which were bond that he shuldbe trew prisoner, hath forfeitted the somme of 500 poundes. I doubte not but Your Hieghnes shall have many cravers and suters for the saide forfeittes ; among whom it may like Your Hieghnes to have in your gracyouse remembraunce Sir Willyam Parr, who taketh grete payne with my Lorde of Richmonde : the saide Sir John Lisles land, or a good part therof, shalbe a verye good reward for hym. With the 500 poundes rest, Your Hieghnes maye doo your moost gratiouse pleasour. And right expedyent it shuld be, that good letters be wreten unto the King of Scottys, that these your rebelles and owtlawes be not recepted, favored, nor interteyned within his realme ; and that, allso, good watche be maade by the Vicewardens of your Graces Marches foranenst Scotlond, for the taking and apprehension of them with all celeritie and spede ; or ellis, tanquam desperati, they shall not faile to gether unto them moo yll disposed persons, and doo muche hurt unto Your Graces subjectes in those parties.
Moste humble Chapleyn, (Superscribed)
(Signed) T. Car11" Ebor.
To the Kinges Moste Noble Grace,
Defensour of the Faith.
Moste humble Chapleyn, (Superscribed)
(Signed) T. Car11" Ebor.
To the Kinges Moste Noble Grace,
Defensour of the Faith.
1 Gabriel de Grammont, Bishop of Tarbes.
2 Much will be seen of the offences committed by Sir William Lisle, and his son, in the Scottish Correspondence. Cardinal Wolsey calls him Sir John Lisle, but Knighte, in a subsequent letter, 10th July 1527. states his name to be William ; which is confirmed by the Scottish Correspondence above referred to.
3 Henry Duke of Richmond.
2 Much will be seen of the offences committed by Sir William Lisle, and his son, in the Scottish Correspondence. Cardinal Wolsey calls him Sir John Lisle, but Knighte, in a subsequent letter, 10th July 1527. states his name to be William ; which is confirmed by the Scottish Correspondence above referred to.
3 Henry Duke of Richmond.