My Lord in my right hertie wise I commende me to you. And as I haue been, and wolbe glad and redy, to do you suche pleasire as I myght or may. so I desire you to graunt vnto me to the behoue of a dere frende of myne. the aduocation of the parsonaige of S. Jhons of [Shire]borne in hampshire being of your gift. whiche is of the yerely value of x or xjli and not aboue (as I am informed) by the gyft whereof ye shal shewe vnto me a right acceptable pleasire . whiche I wol not forgete when I may in recompense thereof . do the thing that may be to your contentation. And of your beniuolent mynd in this behalf, I desire you not only to certifie me by your next writing but also to direct your letters to your vicar generall and to the priour and conuent of your churche . for thexpedition thereof to be made in due forme, and to be deliuered vnto me with suche spede as shall pleace you to commaunde thaim . the xxiiijth day of Aprile.
Your lordshippis assuryd freeind
Thomas Crumwell.
Add. To my verey loving Lord my lord of wynchester.
Edd. the xxiiij of April Mr. Secretary
71. ‹Cromwell› to ‹Cranmer›.
R.O. Cal. vii. 500. ‹Apr. 1534.›
The King considers it expedient that More and Fisher be compelled to swear to the preamble of the Act of Succession as well as to the Act itself: otherwise it might be taken as a confirmation of the authority of the Bishop of Rome.
My Lorde after myne humble commendacions it may please your grace to be aduertesed that I haue receyued your letteres and shewed the same to the kinges highnes who perceyuing your mynde and opynyon is that it were good that the bisshop of Rochester and Mr. More should be sworn to the acte of the kinges succession and not to the preamble of the same, thinketh that if their othe should be so taken it were an occasion to all men to refuse the hole or at the lest the lyke. For in case they be sworn to the succession and not to the preamble it is to be thought that it might be taken not onelie as a confirmacion of the Bisshop of Rome his auctoryte but also as a reprobacion of the kinges second mariage wherefore to thintent that no such thinges should be brought into the heddes of the people by the ensample of the saide Bisshop of Rochester and Mr. More the kinges highnes in no wise willeth but that they shalbe sworn aswell to the preamble as to the acte of Succession[818] in no maner of wyse Wherfore his grace specyallye trustyth that ye wyll in no wyse Suppose attempt or move hym to the Contrarye For as hys grace Suppossyth that that maner of Sweryng yf yt sholde be sufferyd myght be an vtter destruccyon to his hole Cause and Also to the effecte of the law made For the same