Per me Cristophorum Tredenek.
The Prior of Bodmyn to Mr. Lock, complaining that the Canons refuse to live up to the Rules set them by their Visitor.
(From the Orig. MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 116.)
Maister Lok, I harttili recommend me unto you; so thankyng you for your gret kyndeness and payne that ye have take for me, which I trust wons God wyllyng to recompens. Syr, I am sore disquieted with a sort of unthryfty chanons, my convent, and there berars, which of long contynuans has lyvyd unthriftili, and agene the gode order of relygyon, to the grete sklaunder of the same, as all the contrey can tell; for the reformacyon thereof, the buschope yn hys late visitacyon gave cartayne and dyvers injuncions commandyng me straytle to see obseruyd and kept; which ar noo harder than our owne rule and profession byndis us, and as alle other relygyus men use and observe where gode relygion is observed and kept. Wherewith they be sore greved, and yntend the most parte of them to depart with capacitise, with owt my concent and wylle, and won of them hathe purchased a capacyte the last terme, without my lycence, which is agene the words of his capacite, wherefor I have restrayneyd his departyng, for no gret los that I showld have of hym, but for the yl example to other; for yf I should suffer this man to depart yn thys manner I shal have never a chanon to byde with me. I am sore threttyned with won Mr. Roger Arundell a gret berar and mayntynar of my bretherne agenst me, and the procurar of there capacites, to be browght before the kyngs graces honourable councell, for that I have not suffered this lewde chanon to depart with his capacite accordyng to there yntent. I pray you harttili to shew this mater to my gode Mr. Secretary desieryng hym, as my speciall trust ys yn hym yf, anney complaints cum to hym, as I dowt not but that there wol, yt may plese hym to refer the examynation of the mater to Sir John Arundell, Sir Peter Eggecumbe, Sir John Chamond, or any other discrete gentilmen yn the contrey what so ever, so that I cum not to London as there purpose ys, which showld be to gret a charge for me to bere, my hous beyng sore yndetted all redye. This gentilman hathe procured a commyssion, as I am informyd, to pull down a were longyng to my pore hows, which hathe
stand up thes ccccc yere and more. If nede be I wol wryte more of this mater by Mr. Hill. Thus fare ye as wol as yoʳ gentil harte can thynke, and all my gode frends and loviers, to home pray you have harttili commendid. From 28 Maij by yoʳ owne for ever.
Thomas prior there.
Bodmyn.
(In a Book of Pensions remaining in the Augmentation Office.)
Hereafter ensuythe the namys of the late pror and convente of Bodmyn, in the countye of Cornwall, wt the annuall pencons assigned unto them by vertue of the Kyngs highnes comyssion the xxvijth daye of February in the XXXth yere of the reigne of or most drade souũeigne lorde Kyng Henry the viijth, the furst payment of the saide pen[~co]ns and e[~v]y of them to begynne at the feaste of th’annūcia[~co]n of or blessed Lady next comyng for one qurrt, and so after, that to be payde ev’y halfe yere duryng their lyffs; according to the rate hereafter specyfied —
That is to say,