An account of the reception of William Tyndale’s book, The Answer, by Henry VIII., and of his anger at the opinions it advanced. Cromwell urges Vaughan to cease advocating Tyndale’s cause, and to request Frith to abandon him[775].
Stephen Vaughan I commende me vnto you And haue receyued your letteres dated at Andwerpe the xviiith day of Aprell with also that parte of Tyndalles boke Sewed and inclosed in lether which ye with your letteres directed to the kinges highnes After the recept whereof I dyd repayre vnto the courte and there presented the same vnto his royall maiestee who after the recept thereof made me answer for that tyme that his highnes at oportun leysour wolde vysite ouersee and rede the contentes aswell of you[r] letteres as also the saide boke And at my next repayre thither it pleased his highnes to call for me declaring vnto me aswell the contentes of your letteres as also moche of the matier conteyned in the saide boke of Tyndalles. And albeit that I might well perceyue that his maiestee was right well pleased and right acceptablie considered your diligence and payn[es] taken in the wryting and sending of the saide boke as also in the perswading and exhorting of Tyndall to repayre int[o] this realme in the accomplisshement of his high pleasure and comaundement yet I might coniecture by the ferther declaracyon of his high pleasure Which sayed vnto me that by your wryting it manyfestlie appered how moche {yet his highnes nothyng lyked the sayd boke being fyllyd with Scedycyous Slaunderous lyes and Fantastycall oppynyon‹s› Shewing therin nether lernyng nor trewthe and ferther Communyng with his grace I mygh‹t› well coniect that he though‹t› that ye bare moche} affection and zele ye bere towardes the saide Tyndall whom in his maners modestie and Symplycytee {& knowlage in woordlye thinges} ye vndoubtedlie {in your letteres} do moche more allowe and commende then his {whos} workes being so replete with lyes and most {then the warke of hit Self is able to deserue} {being replete with so} abhomynable Sclaunders {& lyes} Imagened and {onlye} fayned to infecte and intoxicate {as it semythe} the peopull may to indyfferent Judgement declarethe him, for the which your fauours Supposed to be born to the saide Tyndall (who assuredlie sheweth himself in myn opynyon rather to be replete with venymous envye rancour and malice then with any good lerning vertue knowlage or discression) hathe put the kinges highnes in suspectyon of you considering {dothe declare hym bothe to lake grace vertue lernyng discrecyon and all other good qualytes [n]othing [e]lles pretending in all his workes but [to] seduce [and d]yssayve} that ye should {ye} in such wise {by your letteres} lene vnto and fauour the evill doctryne of so peruerse and malycyous a person and so moche prayse him {prayse Setforth and avaunse hym} {bothe to lake lernyng} {to be envyous and to lake lernyng gra[ce]} {vertue and all good discrecyon} who nothing {whiche nothing elles} {pretendyth[776]} goeth about or pretendeth but[776] onelie to Seduce deceyue and disquiet the people and comenwelth of this realme Whose {Repayre thether ys to be estuyd} cummyng into Englonde the kinges highnes can right well forbere and {and sowe sedycyon among the peopull of this realme. The kinges highnes therfor} hathe commaunded me expressely to wryte vnto you {to aduertyse you that is plesure ys} that ye should desiste and leve any ferther to persuade or attempte him thereunto {the sayd tyndalle to Com into this realme} alledging that his maieste so euydentlie {he} perceyuing the malycyous perverse vncharytable {and Indurate} mynde and disposicyon of the saide Tyndall is rather veray glad that he is out of his Realme then,[777] {Joyous to haue his realme destytute} . . . {of the sayd Tyndalle ys in maner withowt hope of reconsylyacyon in hym and ys veray Joyous to haue his Realme destytute of Such a person for hys highnes right prudentlye consyderyth} if he were present by all lykelohod he wold shortelie (which god defende) do as moche as in him were to infecte and corrup[t] the hole realme {which now ys so Indurate} to the grete inquietacyon and hurte of the commenwelth of the same. Wherfore {Stephen} I hertelie pray you that fromhensfourth in all your doinges and procedinges and wryting to the kinges highnes ye do iustely trewlie and vnfaynedlie shew your self to be no Fautour vnto the saide {without dyssymulacyon Shew your self his trew louyng and obedyent Subiect beryng no manner Fauour loue or affeccyon to the sayd} Tyndale ne to his wourkes in any maner of wise but rather vtterlie to contempne and abhorre the same assuring you that {in so} doing the contrary ye shall not oneli[e] cause the kinges highnes royall Maieste whose highnes goodnes at this tyme is so benignelie and gracyouslie mynded towardes you ([778]as by your good dyligence and industrie to b[e] vsed to serue his highnes and extewing and avoyding [to] favour and allow the saide Tyndale his erronyous workes and opynyons) ye are like shortelie to atteyne ([779]So to prouyde for you So to aduise you So to Sett you forwardes as all your louers & frendes shall haue gret consolacyon in you of the same [b]oth welth honestie and promocyon at his gracyous handes to the singuler ioy pleasure and comforte of all your Frendes) and by the contrarie to {doing ye shall} acquire the indignacyon of god and displeasure of your Souereigne lorde and by the same compell {cause} your good Frendes which haue ben euer glad prone and redie to aduaunce {bryng} you vnto the {into his gracyous} favours of your prynce to lamente and sorow that their sute in that behalf should {be frustrate and} not {to} take effecte according to their good intent and purpose, hauing therefore firme trust that for the {Feare ye haue in god obedyens to your souerayn lord} loue ye owe to your self me and other your Frendes ye wilbe will beware from hensfourth {and estew} to enter into any such opynyons {or to the prayse of any such person} whereby any sclaunder dishonestie or daungier {or Susspycyon} might insue towardes you whereof I promyse you I wold be as sorie as your good {natural} father.
As touching Frith mencyoned in your saide letteres the kinges highnes heryng tell of his towardenes in good letteres and lernyng doth Regrete and {moche} lament that he should in such wise as he doth Set fourth Shew and applye his lerning and doctrine in the semynacyon and sowing such euill seedes of dampnable and detestable heresies mayntening bolstring and aduauncyng the venemous and pestyferous wourkes erronyous and sedycyous opynyons of the saide Tyndale and other Wherein his highnes as {lyke} a most vertuous and benigne pr[ince] and gouernour hauing charge commytted vnto him of his people and Subiectes {&} being {veraye} sorie to here tell that any of the same should in suche wise Ronne hedling and digresse from th[e] lawes and preceptes {and holsom doctryns} of almightie god {and holye Fathers} {and most holsom} into suche dampnable {and most holsom doctryne of holye Fathers into suche dampnable} heresies and sedycyous opynyons and being euer inclyned willi[ng] and gretelie desirous to forse and prouyde for the same {& moche desyryng the reconsylyacyon of the sayd Fryth} and also fermelie trusting that the said Frith {he} be not so far as yet inrouted in the evill doctryne of the saide Tind[all] {& oder} but that by the grace of god louyng charitable and frend[lie] exhortacions and aduertisementes of good people he may be revoked and called agayne to the ryght way wylleth {hath therefore} and desireth you {wyllyd} {and Commaundyd} {me to wryte vnto yow that ye} accordyng to his trust and expectacyon {will} with your frendelie persuasions admonycyons and holsome exhortacions to counsaill and aduyse the said Fryth if ye may conuenientlie speke with the same to lev[e] his wilfull opynyons and like a good Christien to retourne vnto our Saueour Christe and also into his natif cuntrey So that by his procedinges as he begynneth there be no m[ore] [se]dycyous infections and heresies sowed amongst the kinges peopull {wher he assurydly shall Fynde the kynges highnes most mercyffull and benygnlye vppon his conversyon disposyd towardes hym to accept hym to his grace & mercye} Wherefore eftesoones I hertelie pray you and {exhort you} for the loue of god do not onelie exhorte you vtterlie to forsake leve and withdraw your affectyon from the saide Tyndale and all his secte but also as moch as ye can poletiquelie and charytablie to allure all {the said Fryth and other} suche persons as ben {being in thes partyes which in any wyse ye shall know or suppose to be} Fautours and assistentes to the same from all their erronyous myndes and opynyons. In which doing ye shall not onelie highlie merite of {in} Almightie god but also deserue high thankes of the kinges royall maiestee who will not forgett your deuoyrs and labours in that behalf So that his maiestee may {evydentlye} perceyue that ye effectuallie {do} intende the same.
And as touching your diligent aduertisement vnto the kinges highnes of the nombre of Shippes arryued with corne and grayn in those parties he hathe commaunded me on his behalf to gyue vnto you condigne thankes for the same And being moche desirous to know and atteyne the trewth of that matier his grace hathe commaunded me to wryte vnto you that by all good dexteritee polycie and meanes ye should indeuoyr yourself to atteyne to the knowlege of the Maisters, seruauntes owners or other that made sale of the saide grayn brought thither to thintent that by thexamynacyon of som his highnes might haue knowlege of the rest and that ye shall with all diligence aduertise h[is] highnes of their names, and in likewise of such other newes concerning themperours affayreses the discending of the turke into Germanye the preparacyons ayenst him the gifte of money in the low countreys to themperour the abyding of themperour in the low parties the agremen[t] bytwen him and the prynces of Germanye as ye sha[ll] here by merchauntes or otherwise most certeynlie to acertey[n] his grace by your letteres with as moch dyligence as ye can. Prayeng you therefore substauncyallie and circumspect[lye] to indeuour yourself to serue the kinges highnes herein effectuallie So that your towardenes good mynde duet[ie] of allegiaunce and seruice towardes his royall maiest[ie] may be apparaunt and notoryous vnto the same. Which I doubt not shalbe to your singuler proffite and aduauncement.
22. ‹Cromwell› to Mr. Strete.
R.O. Cal. v. 277. ‹May, 1531.›
Encloses a commission to survey the lands of the bishopric of Coventry and Lichfield, and to receive the rents for the King, and orders to cease collecting rents in Chester. Cf. Letter [43].
Mr. Strete after most hertie commendacions these shalbe to aduertise you that by the berers hereof ye shall receyue the kinges comission and warraunte yeuyng you auctoryte to Suruey the londes of the bisshopriche of Couentre and Lichfeld and to receyue the rentes and profites of the same to the kinges vse. And also ye shall receyue his gracious letteres directed to the Eschetor of the Countie palentyne of Chester vppon the sight whereof I doubte not but he will not onelie Surcease to medle any Ferther with the receipt of any rentes there but also in case he haue receyued any, will repay the same vnto your handes accordinglie. Not dowbting but ye will diligentlie effectuallie and trewly put in execucion the teanour and effecte of your saide Commyssion in suche wise as shalbe most for your honestie & to the Kinges most profite and aduauntage. And for your paynes and diligence alredy taken and susteyned aboute his affayres there his highnes hathe commaunded me to yeve vnto you his most hertie thankes. And trustith that ye will so indeuour your self in the receipt of the said rentes and reuenues as before the feaste of the Natyuyte of Saynt John Baptist next ye will bryng or send vp the hole half-yeres rent or the most parte of the same and that ye will have good awayte and regarde to his haukes in the Cauke there wherein ye shall do and admynister vnto his highnes right good and acceptable seruyce.
And as touching the Catell at the pryorie of Calliche the kinges gracious pleasure is that ye shall suffer the berers hereof named Fyndern and Curson to haue the preferrement in the byeng of the same vppon suche reasonable prises as they may conuenyently lyve on taking of them som money in hande and such sufficient bonde and suertie for the residue as the king may be trewly answered of the same. And so Fare ye well &c.
Your mastership.