LETTER I.

Sir William Kingston to Secretary Cromwell, upon Queen Anne’s committal to the Tower.

[MS. COTTON, OTHO C. X. fol. 225.]

Thys ys to advertyse you apon my Lord of Norfolk and the kyngs counsell depart[inge] from the Towre I went before the quene in to hyr lodgyng, & [then she] sayd unto me, M. Kyngston, shall I go in to a dungyn? Now, madam, y[ou] shall go into your logyng that you lay in at your coronacion. It ys to gu[de] for me, she sayd, Jesu, have mercy on me; and kneled downe wepyng a [great] pace, and in the same sorow fell in to agret lawyng, and she hathe done [so] mony tymes syns. And then she desyred me to move the kyngs hynes that she [myght] have the sacarment in the closet by hyr chambr, that she my[ght pray] for mercy, for I am as clere from the company of man, as for s[yn, sayd she as I] am clere from you, and am the kyngs trew wedded wyf; and then sh[e sayd] M. Kyngston, do you know wher for I am here, and I sayd Nay, and then [she sayd] when saw you the kyng? and I sayd, I saw hym not syns I saw [him in] the Tylte yerde, and then M. K. I pray you to tell me wher my [Lord Roch]ford ys? and I told hyr I saw hym afore dyner in the cort. O [where ys] my sweet brod’er? I sayd I left hym at York place, and so I dyd. I [hear say, say]d she, that I shuld be accused with iij men; and I can say [no more but] nay, withyowt I shuld oppen my body; and ther with opynd [her gown sayeng, O Nor]res, hast thow accused me, thow ar in the Towre with me, & [thou and I shal]l dy to gether: and, Marke, thou art here to. O my mother, [thou wilt dy] for sorow, and meche lamented my lady of Worcet^r, for by ca[wse her child] dyd not store in hyr body, and my wyf sayd what shuld [be the cawse, she] sayd for the sorow she toke for me: and then she sayd M. K[ingston, shall I dy] with yowt just^s; & I sayd, the porest sugett the kyng [hath had justis, and] ther with she lawed. All thys sayings was yester ny[ght] . . . . . . . . & thys moryng dyd talke with mestrys Cosȳ [217], [and said that Nor]res dyd say on Sunday last unto the quenes amn[er, that he wold sw]ere for the quene that she was a gud woman. [And then sayd Mrs.] Cosyn, Madam, why shuld ther be hony seche maters [spoken of? Mary,] sayd she, I bad hym do so, for I asked hym why he [went nat thorough with] hys maryage? and he made ansur he wold tary [a time. Then said she, you] loke for ded mens showys; for yf owth cam[e to the king but good,] you wold loke to have me; and he sayd, yf he [should have ony soche thought,] he wold hys hed war of; and then she sayd, [she could undo him if she wold,] and ther with thay fell yowt. Bot [she said, she more feared Weston; for] on Wysson Monday ^Twysday last [Weston told he]r that Nores cam more u[nto her chawmbre for her then for M]age [218], and further . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wher I was commaunded to charge the gentlewemen that y gyf thaye atende apon the quene, that ys to say, thay shuld have now commynycaseon with hyr, in lese [219] my wyf ware present, and so I dyd hit, notwithstaundyng it canot be; for my lady Bolen and mestrys Cosyn lyes on the quenes palet, and I and my wyf at the dore with yowt, so at [220] thay most nedes talke at [220] be without; bot I have every thyng told me by mestrys Cosyn that she thynks met for mee to knowe, and tother ij gentlewemen lyes with yowt me, and as I may knowe [the] kings plesur in the premysses I shall folow. From the Towre this mo . . .

S^r. syns the makyng of thys letter the quene spake of West[on [221] that she] had spoke to hym by cause he dyd love hyr kynswoma[n Mrs. Skelton and that s]he sayd he loved not hys wyf; and he made anser to hyr [again that he] loved won in hyr howse bettr then them bothe[; she asked him who is that? to which he answered] that it ys your self; and then she defyed hym.

WILLM̄ KYNG[STON]