IX. THOMAS CHAPMAN TO THOMAS CROMWELL. (fn. 1)

1538.

In nomine Jhesu.

My lord, all my dewtes presupposyd to your honorabylnes, Your lordchyppe shall understand that I remember whot commandement [you] gaffe me to make serche off Foreste freer, but ye gaffe me to short a tyme to make a plesant answer, I had but a nyght and halffe a day, but now I have lernyd more. Ther ys a freyr in my howsse that hath x s. ffor Forest, and hath had more, but he bestowyd yt as he nedyd; and off the hole he had summe off Doctor Knyght (fn. 2) to pray ffor Doctor Wulman, (fn. 3) and iij s. and iv d. off my lord Mordaunt (fn. 4) of Bedfordshire, the which was shrevyn to hym this Lent, and ij days after he send his chapelen with x grotes to by him oodde and korlle; (fn. 5) he had also of hym that ys warden in Wynchester at his goyng vj s. 8 d. He had also xij s. at ffeste Sancti Michaelis off ffreyr Edmund Tomson, the which Tomson says that he knowys not them that he had yt off, but ys bestowyd except x s. This have I lernyd sens I was with your lordchyppe, and as I shall ffynd so shall I declare, ffor I wyl be ffownd tru to God, and to my prince, and to yow our heyd next the Kynges grace, and what so ever the Kynges grace and yow shal command me to doo I shall do yt with al redynes and so wyll all my bretherne; I dare depose ffor them that war noo observantes. Your lordchyppe spake to me off changeyng my koote. Off truth my lord I putt no confydens yn my koote, neyther in the coolor nor ffacyon, neyther toward lyff of body nor toward lyff ot my sowle, and that shall appere when so ever your lordchyppe shall command us to change, as ye may when ye wyll, and wee wyll obey gladly, for wee know that yt is not agains Goddes lawe that wee, the pore berdune on to the kynges nobyll grace and to yow and to all his realme, shuld obey as to our prynce and prelates yn our apparell. So fare ye well yn God, and God save the kynges nobyll grace and yow and all his nobyll counsel. By your beydman the Warden off the Gray ffreyrs yn London. I pray yow my lord pardon me off the rudnes that I showe yn thys letter. I can do no better at thys tyme.

To my Ryght honorabyll lord pryvy sele be thys delyueryd with hast.

endorsed.

The Warden of the Gray Freers, showing who ministered to Freer Foreste.

Footnotes