nostros, sicut coram Deo in districto examine voluerint respondere, oneramus. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum commune Collegii prædicti præsentibus est appensum. Data Oxoniæ, decimo septimo die Novembris, anno Domini MCCCCoLXXIIJo. 14 July 1076.-TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL AND REVERENT PRIOUR OF CRISTIS CHURCH IN CANTERBURY. 1474. Will. Prat, Mercer, of to the Prior of Canter bury. My Lord I recommende me unto youre good LordLondon, schip, to the which that lyke to knowe that ye schall resseve by Bremse gooldsmith yowre powche and keyband with the keverynge; on the which ar made and set ij. porses with owteforth, accordyng to youre comaundement. Sir, I have payd for ij. gootis skyn where of youre pouche and the keverynge for yowre keyes was made, and j. reed scheppys skyn for the lynynge xiiij. d. Payd also for the makynge of all the sylke and the cheynys of laton ij. s. viij. d.-iij. s. x. d. Sir, the Knoppys [and] the Botons to youre pouche waye 1 ounce and half quarter wyght. What he will have for the makynge I can not sertefye you; oon of your tresorers that causyd me to do make youre powche bespake them and asingyd me where to fecche them. More wryte I nat to yowre Lordschip at this tyme; but Almyghti Jesu gyde yow and spede you in al youre werkis; and yf eny servyse be ther that I may do I beseche yow My Lord nat to spare me; Sir treuly I schall do my trewe delygense and labour in that in me ys. Be youre trewe lover and servaunte, (Dec. 1474.) S. 269 b. A monk who has WILLIAM PRAT, MERCER. 1077.-SUPPLICATIO RICARDI MOLASCHE DUDUM MONACHI ECCLESIE CHRISTI CANTUARIENSIS. To the ryght reverent fadyr in God Prior of the Chyrch of Crist of Canterbury and Covent of the same. ished from Mekely besechyt your pover supplyant Richard Molasch, been ban wishes to applied to pensation monastic that the been had tion had he granted, of had held the bene that wher as he, beyng a relygyus man and of your Co- Christ vent, be the labour and menys of Mastyr Pyers Corteney Church sued to Rome to have had a capacyte to be exempt return. fro the relygyon. Whos labour so by Thomas Goldston, He had than Prior, undyrstondyng, anon comaundyth and con- the Pope gied your sayd servant supplyant out fro the Covent for a disand the place, by whoos commaundment he so de- from his partyd; and where as he trusted on his capacite, and vow, and, long so awaytyd the comyng there of and none cam, believing he made labour tho' the sayd Master Piers there foore, dispensawych answeryd him playnly that the Poope grauntyd hit, and was passyd the seale, and so certefyid by this writyng sealyd. By mene where he had a benefyce to him grauntyd by the Kyngs good fice of grace, than beyng Chanceler my Lord Archebyschop of Margate. Yorke, that ys to saye Seynt John's in Thenet, by the vacacyon and dethe of the Abbot Jamys of Seynt Augustyn be syd Caunterbury; in to wyche by mye Lord of Caunterbury he was instytute, and by the Archedyaken inductyd, and ever seythyn for the more partye he hath kepth the cure; on trust that the sayd Master Pyers had purchasyd his sayd capacyte, as he by hys writyng affyrmd; wych in to thys daye he coud never see. Wherefore your sayd supplyant, remembring hym selfe so blyndyd and deceyvid, and also thynkyng and consyderyng how dowtfoll and synful hit were to hym, and perylous to his sawle, to dye aweye in the world and oute of the relygion that he was professyd to, ys becomyn one of the soryisth man for his ryotous lyvyng that lyvyth God knowyth. Hit may there fore lyke and please you, in the weye of charyte and at reverence of the most payneful passyon of owr most blessyd Lord Jesu, to have compassyen and pyte of him, not to calle to your mynd his synful lyvyng ne to rebuke hym fro his request; but goodly, concyouslye, and mercifully to accepthe this his sayd re 1 to? U 55671. S (1474.) L. B. 259. Prior quest, and hym to admytte to be one of your Covent, where too he schall lowly yelde hym, and be agreabyll to accepth all suche correccyons and dyreccyons as hit schal lyke you to put hym to, and so thereyn to persever til to end of his lyfe as a feythful trew relygious monke; quia Ecclesia nulli resistit gremium. 1078. Most reverent fadyr in God, aftyr dwe recommendatyon and obedyence premysed, y beseche meekely Sellyng yowr gode Lordschyp to have tendyr consyderatyon to Cardinal of the mater whereof y wryte unto yowr Lordschyp Bourchier. at thys tyme by my Brothyr the Warden of owr (1474.) N. 265 a. manors, brenger hereof, for the good expedytyon of the mater of Apuldre mersche, now beyng a for the Justyces of sewars at Aschford on Satyrday next comyng; that hyt woll please yowr gode Lordschyp to grante yowr letters sealyd un to the seyd Justyces of sewers, aftyr suche forme and purport as my Brother the Warden of owr manors, brenger hereof, schall move ynne yowr seyd Lordschyp; for as Sir Jon Fogge and othyr of the Justyces thynke suche letters sent fro yowr Lordschyp and opynyd in the contrey schall be the next mene to make a gode and redy expedytyon yn the sayd matter, for divers consyderatyons, as my seyd Brothyr the Warden schall more opynly declare un to yowr Lordschyp; the whyche Allmygthy God ever preserve yn helthe and prospery tee. 1079. [A SPEECH ADDRESSED TO THE COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT.] Our Soverain Lord the King, callyng to his ripe reA speech membrance the state that God of his grace hath stabaddressed, on behalf lysshed hym in, the cure and charge also whiche is annexed to the same, whereby he knoweth hym silf to King, to the Com- be moost bounde of all the creatures of the world to be of the Parlia welthe, ment, and tran- especially oonly Alyngton, of the their speaker, to William contribute of the which of Pic thynk, studie, and fynde the most convenable moyens mons in and weyes that myght sette his people in ease, and prosperite, undirstandeth for certain, that quillite and assured peax within forth is the moyen by the which any reame or comynalte world hath growen to abundance and richesse; and of asking the other side, bi discencion and discorde the grettest them to and mightiest reames and lordships have fallen to to the poverte and desolacion. The experience of this nedeth expenses nat to be ferre fette, every man of this lande that is of invasion resonable age hath knowen what trouble this reame hath of France suffred, and it is to suppose that noon hath escaped but ended in att oo tyme or other his part hath be therein. Suche the treaty is the condicion of every body that the discrase of oo quigny. membre distempereth all the other. The principall occasion of this grete unrestfulnesse is now, thoruth Goddes grace and by the moost victorious prouesse of our Soverayn Lord, rotely taken awey and extincte, so that there can be lefte no colowr or shadowe of any matier in mannys mynde but that our Soverayn Lord is in dede, as he ever in righte sithe the tyme of the begynnyng of his regne was, sole and undoubted Kyng, verray and rightwis possessour of this lande. And how be it that this grete occasion of trouble and long dis-ease of this lande is by this moyen put aside and fordone, yet is there many a grete sore, many a perilous wounde left unheled, the multitude of riotous people which have att all tymes kyndeled the fire of this grete division is so spradde over all and every coste of this reame, comyttyng extorcions, oppressions, robberies, and other grete myscheves, that if for thaym a spedie remedie be nat founde it is to dowte that the prosperite, welthe, and richesse, so gretely desired, can nat be had nor purchased suerly to the Kyngs people. Than to remembre the moyen how thies idell and mysruled persones myght be reduced to thobeissance of the Kyngs lawes, or for thair incorrigibilite to have and suffre payne due therefore, or ellis utterly to be avoided and removed fro the places where thay cawse thies mischeves; in soth it is that, considered the state of the tyme, the multitude of the mysdoers, the redy nesse of thaym to myschevous and adventurous dedys by custume had and taken therein duryng the tyme of this longe trouble and discencion, it can nat be thought that the rigour of the lawe for this seson shuld be the moost convenable remedie. For seeing how the people of this lande by inward werres and strayte execucion of the lawe is mynysshed, to the grete rejoyeng of the outward enemyes of the same, if than this sharp execucion of deth shuld be contynued upon all thaym that deserveth it, as it nedes must if noon other moyen can be founde to put thaym fram thair idell lyvyng, there myght happe within fewe yeres such distruction of people necessarie to the defence of the lande, that the enemyes outward shuld gretely bee encouraged the rather to entre and assaile this reame; which if thay soo did, it wold1 be thought afore what charge, what coste, what jeopardie and perill, every man must be put to for the defence of the reame and hymself, that defensible werre shuld be more ferefull, more chargeable, requyreng far gretter nombre of people than any arme to be sette outwards; and than though peraventure the lande were appeased afore by sharp ministracion of justice, yet the comyng of the outwarde enemyes shuld put it eftsones out of peax, and all thinhabitaunts thereof in unsuretie of their inheritaunces, possessions, and lyves. Whether ther be cawse to doubte hereof or noo, it wold be well considered also howe the nexte adversaries of this lande, the Scottes, be allied and with whom; nat oonly by an olde ligue with the Frensshemen which be the grettest and auncien adversaries of this ream, but also nowe of late with the Danes; and what courage they have had to entre and trouble this lande her 1shold? |