Add. To the right honourable my lorde the Erle of Rutlande be this yeuen.
113. ‹Cromwell› to ‹Wallop›.
R.O.[841] Cal. ix. 157. August 23 ‹1535›.
Instructs him to justify to Francis the King’s doings, especially the executions of More and Fisher, and to request Francis to support Henry in all his actions against the Pope. The King is desirous that Melancthon should come to England.
Sir after my most hertie recommendacions these shalbe to aduertise you that the xviith Day of this Moneth I receyued from you a packet of letteres which indelayedlie I delyuered vnto the kinges highnes and conferred with his grace theffectes both of your letteres and all others within the saide packet being directed aswell to his highnes as to me. And after his highnes had with me pervsed the hole contentes thoroughlie of your saide letteres, perceyuing not onelie the lykelyhod of the not repairee into Fraunce of Philip Melanchton, but also your communicacions had with the frensh king vppon your Demaunde made of the kinges highnes pencions with also your Discrete answers and replicacions made in that behalf, for the which his maiestee gyueth vnto you his hertie and condigne thankes, Ye shall vnderstonde that his highnes commaundid me to make you answer in this wise folowing First as touching the kynges money his highnes dowtith not but seeing bothe the Frensh king and also the grete Maister haue promised you it shalbe depechid ye will as the case shall requyre not cease to call vppon them till it be Depeched And ferther considering that the saide frensh king vppon your saide Demaunde of the saide pensions so sodaynelye fell into communycacion with you aswell of his frendeship and humanyte shewed to the kynges highnes, alledging that he at all tymes hathe answered for the kynges highnes specyally being last at Marcelles with Pope Clement with other thinges as in your saide letteres appereth, as also concernyng the execucions lately done here within this realme, The kinges highnes not a litle mervaileth thereat, and thinketh it good that as of yourself ye take som occasion at conuenyent tyme and oportunyte to renovate the saide communycacyon both with the Frensh kyng or at the least with the grete Maister, sayeng vnto them, that where the saide Frensh kyng alledgeth that he hath at all tymes answered for the kynges highnes in his cause and specyally to the saide Pope Clement at Marcelles affirmyng his procedynges to be iust and vpright concernyng the Matrymony as ye do wryte, in that albeit the kynges highnes procedinges in all his affairees within this realme being of such equyte and iustnes of themself as they be, nedeth not any defence or assistence ayenst Pope Clement or any other foreyn power, having goddes worde and lawes onelie sufficient to defende him Yet in that that[842] the said frensh kyng hathe as he sayeth answered at all tymes on the kinges parte, he hathe done nothing but the parte of a brother in iustefieng and verefyeng the trewth, and so contynuyng shall Do as aperteyneth to a prynce of honour which the kinges highnes doubtith not he hath and will do onely in respecte to the veryte and trewth besides the amyte betwixt them both iustlye requyring the same. And concerning thexecucions Done within this realme ye shall sey to the saide Frensh Kyng that the same were not so mervelous extreme as he alledgeth, for touching Mr. More and the Bisshop of Rochester with suche others as were executed here, their treasons conspiracies and practises secretely practised aswell within the realme without to move and styrre discension and to sowe sedycyon within the realme, intending thereby not onelye the distruction of the kyng but also the hole subuersion of his highnes realme being explaned and declared and so manyfestly proved afore them that they could not avoyde nor Denye it and they thereof openly detected and lawfully convicted adiudged and condempned of high treason by the Due order of the lawes of this realme, it shall and may well appere to all the worlde that they having such malice roted in their hertes ayenst their prynce and Souereigne and the totall Distruction of the commen weale of this realme, were well worthie if they had had a thousande lyves to haue suffered x tymes a more terrible Deth and execucion then any of them Did suffer. And touching suche wordes as the saide frensh kyng spake vnto you concernyng how Mr. More dyed and what he saied to his doughter going to his iudgement and also what exhortacions he shoulde gyue vnto the kynges subiectes to be trew and obedient to his grace (assuring you that there was no such thing) whereof the gret Master promysed you a Double at length. In that the kinges pleasure is that ye shall not onelie procure the saide double and sende it hither but also sey vnto the saide frensh king that the kynges highnes can not otherwise take it but veraye vnkyndely that the saide frensh king or any of his counsaile at whose handes he hathe so moche meryted and to whom he hathe mynystered so many grete benefites pleasures and commodytees shoulde so lightly gyue eare faith and credence to any such vayne brutes and fleeng tales Not hauyng first knowlege or aduertisement from the kinges highnes here and his counsaile of the veryte and trewth, Affirming it to be the office of a frende hering any suche tales of so noble a prynce rather to haue compressed the bruters thereof to sylence or at the leest not permytted them to haue dyvulged the same vntill such tyme as the kinges maiestee being so dere a frende had ben aduertesed thereof and the trewth knowen before he shoulde so lightly beleve or allege any suche reporte which ingrate and vnkynde Demeanure of the saide frensh king vsed in this behalf argueth playneleye not to remayn in his brest such integryte of herte and syncere amyte towardes the kinges highnes and his procedinges as his highnes alwayes heretofore hathe expected and loked for. Which thing Ye may propone and alledge vnto the saide frensh king and the grete Maister or to one of them with suche modestie and sobrenes as ye thinke they maye perceyue that the kinges highnes hathe good and iust cause in this parte somwhat to take their light credence vnkyndelye. And where as the saide frensh king sayeth that touching such lawes as the kinges highnes hathe made he will not medle withall alledging it not to be mete that one prynce should desire a nother to chaunge his lawes sayeng that his be to olde to be chaunged, to that ye shall sey that such lawes as the kinges highnes hathe made here be not made without substauncyall groundes by grete and mature aduise counsaile and deliberacion of the hole polycie of this realme and are indede no new lawes but of grete antiquyte and many yeres passed were made and executed within this realme as now they be renovate and renewed onlye in respecte to the comen weale of the same. And it is not a litle to his highnes mervaile that the saide frensh kyng euer wolde counsaile or aduyse him if in case hereafter any suche like offenders should happen to be in this realme that he should rather banyssh them then in suche wise execute them And specyallie considering that the saide frensh king himself in commonyng with you at that tyme not onely confessed thextreme execucyons and grete Bruyllie of late don in his realme But also that he now intendeth to withdraw the same and to revoke and to call home agayn such as be out of his realme the kinges highnes therefore the more straungely taketh his saide aduise and counsaile Supposing it to be neyther thoffice of a frende nor of a brother that he wold Determyn himself to call home into his realme agayn his subiectes being out of the same for speking ayenst the Bisshop of Romes vsurped auctoryte, and counsaile the kynges highnes to banysshe his traytours into straunge partes where they myght haue good occasion tyme place and oportunyte to worke their feates of treason and conspiracie the better agaynst the kinges highnes and this his realme. In which parte ye shall somwhat engreve the matier after such sorte as it may well appere to the saide frensh king that not onelie the kinges highnes might take those his counsailes and communycacions both straungely and vnkyndely thinking the same not to procede of mere amyte and frendship, but also vsing such polycie and austeryte in proponyng the same with the saide frensh king and the grete Maister taking such tyme and oportunyte as may best serue for the same, as they may well perceyue the kinges highnes precedinges here within this realme both concerning the saide execucyons and all other thinges to be onely groundid vppon iustice and the equyte of his lawes which be no new lawes but auncyent lawes made and establisshed of many yeres passed within this realme and now renovate and renewed as is aforesaide for the better order weale and suretie of the same. And ye may ferther say that if the frensh king and his counsaile well consyder as they ought to do that it were moch better to aduaunce the punysshment of traitours and rebelles for their offences then to ponysshe such as do speke ayenst the vsurped auctoryte of the bisshop of Rome who Daylie goth about to suppresse and subdue kynges and prynces and their auctorytee gyuen to them by goddes worde. All which matiers the kynges pleasure is that ye shall take tyme and occasion as ye talkyng agayn with the frensh king or the grete Maister may declare your mynde as before is prescribed vnto you. Adding thereunto such matier with such reasons after your accustomed dexteryte & discression as ye shall thinke most expedyent and to serve best for the kinges purpose, Defence of his procedinges and the profe of the frensh kinges ingratitude shewed in this behalf. Not Doubting in your wisedom good industrie and discrete circumspection for thordering and well handeling of the same accordinglye.
And touching Melanchton[843] considering there is no lykelihod of his repayree into Fraunce as I haue well perceyued by your letteres, the kynges highnes therfore hath appoyntid Cristofer Mount indelaiedlie to take his iourney where Melanchton is and if he come to prevente Mounsieur de Langie in suche wise as the saide Melancton his repayre into Fraunce may be stayed and dyuertid into Englond Not doubting but the same shall take effect accordynglie. And as to Mr. Heynes the kynges pleasure is that he shall go to Parys there to[844] lerne and dissiphre the opynyons of the lernid men and their inclynacions and affections aswell towardes the kynges highnes procedinges as to the bisshop of Rome his vsurped power and auctoryte, after such sorte as the kinges saide highnes hathe now wrytten to him by his gracious letteres addressed both to him and the saide Cristofer Mount[845]. Dyrecting them what they shall do in all thinges comytted to their charge at this tyme As I doubt not they will put thereunto their devoires for the accomplisshment of the kinges pleasure as aperteyneth. And thus makyng an ende prayeng you to vse your discression in the proponing of the premisses to the Frensh king and the grete Master or the one or both of them vsing the same as a Medecyn and after suche sorte that as nere as ye can it be not moch displeasauntly taken Aduertesing the kinges highnes from tyme to tyme of the successes thereof and of all other occurauntes as the case shall requyre, I shall for this tyme bid you most hertelie Fare well &c. Thornebery the xxiij day of August.
Endd. Fraunce
114. ‹Cromwell› to Nicholas Oldisworthy.
R.O. Cal. ix. 241 (i). Sept. 1 ‹1535›.