king's majesty, that he might remove thence to some other place, for
he was weary of that house of Asher: for with continual use thereof
the house waxed unsavoury; supposing that if he might remove from
thence he should much sooner recover his health. And also the council
had put into the king's head, that the new gallery at Asher, which my
lord had late before his fall newly set up, should be very necessary
for the king, to take down and set it up again at Westminster; which
was done accordingly, and stands at this present day there[169]. The
taking away thereof before my lord's face was to him a corrosive,
which was invented by his enemies only to torment him, the which
indeed discouraged him very sore to tarry any longer there. Now Master
Cromwell thought it but vain and much folly to move any of the king's
council to assist and prefer his suit to the king, among whom rested
the number of his mortal enemies, for they would rather hinder his
removing, or else remove him farther from the king, than to have holpen
him to any place nigh the king's common trade; wherefore he refused
any suit to them, and made only suit to the king's own person; whose
suit the king graciously heard, and thought it very convenient to be
granted; and through the special motion of Master Cromwell, the king
was well contented that he should remove to Richmond, which place my
lord had a little before repaired to his great cost and charge; for the
king had made an exchange thereof with him for Hampton Court. All this
his removing was done without the knowledge of the king's council, for
if they might have had any intelligence thereof before, then would they
have persuaded the king to the contrary: but when they were advertised
of the king's grant and pleasure, they dissimuled their countenances
in the king's presence, for they were greatly afraid of him, lest his
nigh being, the king might at length some one time resort to him, and
so call him home again, considering the great affection and love that
the king daily showed towards him; wherefore they doubted his rising
again, if they found not a mean to remove him shortly from the king.
In so much that they thought it convenient for their purpose to inform
the king upon certain considerations which they invented, that it
were very necessary that my lord should go down into the North unto
his benefice of York, where he should be a good stay for the country;
to the which the king, supposing that they had meant no less than
good faith, granted and condescended to their suggestions; which were
forced so with wonderful imagined considerations, that the king,
understanding nothing of their intent, was lightly persuaded to the
same. Whereupon the Duke of Norfolk commanded Master Cromwell, who
had daily access unto him, to say to my lord, that it is the king's
pleasure that he should with speed go to his benefice, where lieth his
cure, and look to that according to his duty. Master Cromwell at his
next repair to my lord, who lay then at Richmond, declared unto him
what my Lord of Norfolk said, how it was determined that he should go
to his benefice. "Well then, Thomas," quoth my lord, "seeing there is
no other remedy, I do intend to go to my benefice of Winchester, and
I pray you, Thomas, so show my Lord of Norfolk." "Contented, sir,"
quoth Master Cromwell, and according to his commandment did so. To the
which my Lord of Norfolk answered and said, "What will he do there?"
"Nay," quoth he, "let him go into his province of York, whereof he
hath received his honour, and there lieth the spiritual burden and
charge of his conscience, as he ought to do, and so show him." The
lords, who were not all his friends, having intelligence of his intent,
thought to withdraw his appetite from Winchester, and would in no wise
permit him to plant himself so nigh the king: [they] moved therefore
the king to give my lord but a pension[170] out of Winchester, and to
distribute all the rest among the nobility and other of his worthy
servants; and in likewise to do the same with the revenues of St.
Albans; and of the revenues of his colleges in Oxford and Ipswich, the
which the king took into his own hands; whereof Master Cromwell had the
receipt and government before by my lord's assignment. In consideration
thereof it was thought most convenient that he should have so still.
Notwithstanding, out of the revenues of Winchester and St. Albans the
king gave to some one nobleman three hundred marks, and to some a
hundred pounds, and to some more and to some less, according to the
king's royal pleasure. Now Master Cromwell executed his office, the
which he had over the lands of the college, so justly and exactly that
he was had in great estimation for his witty behaviour therein, and
also for the true, faithful, and diligent service extended towards my
lord his master.
It came at length so to pass that those to whom the king's majesty had
given any annuities or fees for term of life by patent out of the
forenamed revenues could not be good, but [only] during my lord's life,
forasmuch as the king had no longer estate or title therein[171], which
came to him by reason of my lord's attainder in the premunire; and to
make their estates good and sufficient according to their patents, it
was thought necessary to have my lord's confirmation unto their grants.
And this to be brought about, there was no other mean but to make suit
to Master Cromwell to obtain their confirmation at my lord's hands,
whom they thought might best obtain the same.
Then began both noblemen and other who had any patents of the king,
out either of Winchester or St. Albans, to make earnest suit to Master
Cromwell for to solicit their causes to my lord, to get of him his
confirmations; and for his pains therein sustained, they promised
every man, not only worthily to reward him, but also to show him such
pleasures as should at all times lie in their several powers, whereof
they assured him. Wherein Master Cromwell perceiving an occasion and
a time given him to work for himself, and to bring the thing to pass
which he long wished for; intended to work so in this matter, to serve
their desires, that he might the sooner bring his own enterprise to
purpose.
Then at his next resort to my lord, he moved him privily in this matter
to have his counsel and his advice, and so by their witty heads it
was devised that they should work together by one line, to bring by
their policies Master Cromwell in place and estate, where he might do
himself good and my lord much profit. Now began matters to work to
bring Master Cromwell into estimation in such sort as was afterwards
much to his increase of dignity; and thus every man, having an occasion
to sue for my lord's confirmation, made now earnest travail to Master
Cromwell for these purposes, who refused none to make promise that he
would do his best in that case. And having a great occasion of access
to the king for the disposition of divers lands, whereof he had the
order and governance; by means whereof, and by his witty demeanour,
he grew continually into the king's favour, as ye shall hear after in
this history. But first let us resort to the great business about the
assurance of all these patents which the king hath given to divers
noblemen and other of his servants, wherein Master Cromwell made a
continuance of great suit to my lord for the same, that in process of
time he served all their turns so that they had their purposes, and he
their good wills. Thus rose his name and friendly acceptance with all
men. The fame of his honesty and wisdom sounded so in the king's ears
that, by reason of his access to the king, he perceived to be in him no
less wisdom than fame had made of him report, forasmuch as he had the
government and receipts of those lands which I showed you before; and
the conference that he had with the king therein enforced the king to
repute him a very wise man, and a meet instrument to serve his grace,
as it after came to pass.
Sir, now the lords thought long to remove my lord farther from the
king, and out of his common trade; wherefore among other of the lords,
my Lord of Norfolk said to Master Cromwell, "Sir," quoth he, "me
thinketh that the cardinal your master maketh no haste northward; show
him, that if he go not away shortly, I will, rather than he should
tarry still, tear him with my teeth. Therefore I would advise him
to prepare him away as shortly as he can, or else he shall be sent
forward." These words Master Cromwell reported to my lord at his next
repair unto him, who then had a just occasion to resort to him for the
dispatch of the noblemen's and others' patents. And here I will leave
of this matter, and show you of my lord's being at Richmond.
My lord, having license of the king to repair and remove to Richmond,
made haste to prepare him thitherward; and so he came and lodged
within the great park there, which was a very pretty house and a neat,
lacking no necessary rooms that to so small a house was convenient and
necessary; where was to the same a very proper garden garnished with
divers pleasant walks and alleys: my lord continued in this lodge from
the time that he came thither, shortly after Candlemas, until it was
Lent, with a privy number of servants, because of the smallness of the
house, and the rest of his family went to board wages.
I will tell you a certain tale by the way of communication. Sir, as
my lord was accustomed towards night to walk in the garden there,
to say his service, it was my chance then to wait upon him there;
and standing still in an alley, whilst he in another walked with his
chaplain, saying of his service; as I stood, I espied certain images
of beasts counterfeit in timber, standing in a corner under the lodge
wall, to the which I repaired to behold. Among whom I saw there a dun
cow, whereon I mused most, because it seemed me to be the most lively
entaylled[172] among all the rest. My lord being, as I said, walking
on the other side of the garden, perceived me, came suddenly upon me
at my back, unawares, [and] said: "What have you espied here, that
you so attentively look upon?" "Forsooth, if it please your grace,"
quoth I, "here I do behold these entaylled images; the which I suppose
were ordained for to be set up within some place about the king's
palace: howbeit, sir, among them all, I have most considered the dun
cow, [in] the which (as it seemeth me) the workman has most apertly
showed his cunning." "Yea, marry, sir," quoth my lord, "upon this
dun cow dependeth a certain prophecy, the which I will show you, for
peradventure ye never heard of it before. There is a saying," quoth he,
"that
"When this cow rideth the bull,
Then, priest, beware thy scull."
[Of] which prophecy neither my lord that declared it, ne I that heard
it, understood the effect; although that even then it was a-working to
be brought to pass. For this cow the king gave as one of his beasts
appertaining of antiquity unto his earldom of Richmond, which was his
ancient inheritance; this prophecy was after expounded in this wise.
This dun cow, because it was the king's beast, betokened the king;
and the bull betokened Mistress Anne Boleyn, which was after queen,
because that her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn, gave the same beast in
his cognisance. So that when the king had married her, the which was
then unknown to my lord, or to any other at that time, then was this
prophecy thought of all men to be fulfilled. For what a number of
priests, both religious and secular, lost their heads for offending
of such laws as were then made to bring this [marriage] to effect, is
not unknown to all the world. Therefore it was judged of all men that
this prophecy was then fulfilled when the king and she were joined in
marriage. Now, how dark and obscure riddles and prophecies be, you may
behold in this same: for before it was brought to pass there was not
the wisest prophesier could perfectly discuss it, as it is now come
to effect and purpose. Trust therefore, by mine advice, to no kind of
dark riddles and prophecies, wherein ye may, as many have been, be
deceived, and brought to destruction. And many times the imaginations
and travailous business to avoid such dark and strange prophecies, hath
been the very occasion to bring the same the sooner to effect and
perfection. Therefore let men beware to divine or assure themselves
to expound any such prophecies, for who so doeth shall first deceive
themselves, and, secondly, bring many into error; the experience hath
been lately experienced, the more pity. But if men will needs think
themselves so wise, to be assured of such blind prophecies, and will
work their wills therein, either in avoiding or in fulfilling the
same, God send him well to speed, for he may as well, and much more
sooner, take damage than avoid the danger thereof! Let prophecies
alone, a God's name, apply your vocation, and commit the exposition
of such dark riddles and obscure prophecies to God, that disposeth
them as his divine pleasure shall see cause to alter and change all
your enterprises and imaginations to nothing, and deceive all your
expectations, and cause you to repent your great folly, the which when
ye feel the smart, will yourself confess the same to be both great
folly and much more madness to trust in any such fantasies. Let God
therefore dispose them, who governeth and punisheth according to man's
deserts, and not to all men's judgments.
You have heard herebefore what words the Duke of Norfolk had to Master
Cromwell touching my lord's going to the North to his benefice of York,
at such time as Master Cromwell declared the same to my lord, to whom
my lord answered in this wise: "Marry, Thomas," quoth he, "then it is
time to be going, if my Lord of Norfolk take it so. Therefore I pray
you go to the king and move his highness in my behalf, and say that
I would, with all my heart, go to my benefice at York, but for want
of money; desiring his grace to assist me with some money towards my
journey. For ye may say that the last money that I received of his
majesty hath been too little to pay my debts, compelled by his counsel
so to do; therefore to constrain me to the payment thereof, and his
highness having all my goods, hath been too much extremity; wherein I
trust his grace will have a charitable respect. Ye may say also to my
Lord of Norfolk, and other of the council, that I would depart if I had
money." "Sir," quoth Master Cromwell, "I will do my best." And after
other communication he departed again, and went to London.
My lord then in the beginning of Lent [removed] out of the Lodge into
the Charterhouse of Richmond, where he lay in a lodging, which Doctor
Collet, sometime Dean of Paul's, had made for himself, until he removed
northward, which was in the Passion Week after; and he had to the
same house a secret gallery, which went out of his chamber into the
Charterhouse church, whither he resorted every day to their service;
and at afternoons he would sit in contemplation with one or other of
the most ancient fathers of that house in his cell, who among them by
their counsel persuaded him from the vain glory of this world, and gave
him divers shirts of hair, the which he often wore afterward, whereof
I am certain. And thus he continued for the time of his abode there in
godly contemplation.
Now when Master Cromwell came to the court, he chanced to move my Lord
of Norfolk that my lord would gladly depart northward but for lack of
money, wherein he desired his assistance to the king. Then went they
both jointly to the king, to whom my Lord of Norfolk declared how my
lord would gladly depart northward, if he wanted not money to bring
him thither; the king thereupon referred the assignment thereof to the
council, whereupon they were in divers opinions. Some said he should
have none, for he had sufficient of late delivered him; some would
he should have sufficient and enough; and some contrariwise would he
should have but a small sum; and some thought it much against the
council's honour, and much more against the king's high dignity to see
him want the maintenance of his estate which the king had given him in
this realm; and [who] also hath been in such estimation with the king,
and in great authority under him; it should be rather a great slander
in foreign realms to the king and his whole council, to see him want
that lately had so much, and now so little. "Therefore, rather than he
should lack," quoth one among them, "(although he never did me good or
any pleasure), yet would I lay my plate to gage for him for a thousand
pounds, rather than he should depart so simply as some would have him
for to do. Let us do to him as we would be done unto; considering his
small offence, and his inestimable substance that he only hath departed
withal the same, for satisfying of the king's pleasure, rather than
he would stand in defence with the king in defending of his case, as
he might justly have done, as ye all know. Let not malice cloak this
matter whereby that justice and mercy may take no place; ye have all
your pleasures fulfilled which ye have long desired, and now suffer
conscience to minister unto him some liberality; the day may come
that some of us may be in the same case, ye have such alterations in
persons, as well assured as ye suppose yourselves to be, and to stand
upon as sure a ground, and what hangeth over our heads we know not; I
can say no more: now do as ye list." Then after all this they began
again to consult in this matter, and after long debating and reasoning
about the same, it was concluded, that he should have by the way of
prest[173], a thousand marks out of Winchester Bishoprick, beforehand
of his pension, which the king had granted him out of the same, for the
king had resumed the whole revenues of the Bishoprick of Winchester
into his own hands; yet the king out of the same had granted divers
great pensions unto divers noblemen and unto other of his council; so
that I do suppose, all things accompted, his part was the least. So
that, when this determination was fully concluded, they declared the
same to the king, who straightway [commanded] the said thousand marks
to be delivered out of hand to Master Cromwell; and so it was. The
king, calling Master Cromwell to him secretly, bade him to resort to
him again when he had received the said sum of money. And according to
the same commandment he repaired again to the king; to whom the king
said: "Show my lord your master, although our council hath not assigned
any sufficient sum of money to bear his charges, yet ye shall show him
in my behalf, that I will send him a thousand pound, of my benevolence;
and tell him that he shall not lack, and bid him be of good cheer."
Master Cromwell upon his knees most humbly thanked the king on my
lord's behalf, for his great benevolence and noble heart towards
my lord: "those comfortable words of your grace," quoth he, "shall
rejoice him more than three times the value of your noble reward."
And therewith departed from the king and came to my lord directly
to Richmond; to whom he delivered the money, and showed him all the
arguments in the council, which ye have heard before, with the progress
of the same; and of what money it was, and whereof it was levied, which
the council sent him; and of the money which the king sent him, and
of his comfortable words; whereof my lord rejoiced not a little, and
[was] greatly comforted. And after the receipt of this money my lord
consulted with Master Cromwell about his departure, and of his journey,
with the order thereof.
Then my lord prepared all things with speed for his journey into the
North, and sent to London for livery clothes for his servants that
should ride with him thither. Some he refused, such as he thought were
not meet to serve; and some again of their own mind desired him of his
favour to tarry still here in the south, being very loath to abandon
their native country, their parents, wives, and children, [whom] he
most gladly licensed with good will and favour, and rendered unto them
his hearty thanks for their painful service and long tarriance with
him in his troublesome decay and overthrow. So that now all things
being furnished towards this journey, he took the same in the beginning
of the Passion Week, before Easter; and so rode to a place, then the
abbot's of Westminster, called Hendon; and the next day he removed to a
place called the Rye; where my Lady Parrey lay; the next day he rode to
Royston, and lodged in the monastery there; and the next he removed to
Huntingdon, and there lodged in the Abbey; and from thence he removed
to Peterborough, and there lodged also within the Abbey, being then
Palm Sunday, where he made his abode until the Thursday in Easter week,
with all his train[174]; whereof the most part went to board wages in
the town, having twelve carts to carry his stuff of his own, which came
from his college in Oxford, where he had three score carts to carry
such necessaries as belonged to his buildings there. Upon Palm Sunday
he went in procession, with the monks, bearing his palm; setting forth
God's service right honourably, with such singing men as he then had
remaining with him. And upon Maundy Thursday he made his Maundy in our
Lady's Chapel, having fifty-nine[175] poor men, whose feet he washed,
wiped, and kissed; each of these poor men had twelve pence in money,
three ells of canvass to make them shirts, a pair of new shoes, a
cast of bread, three red herrings, and three white herrings, and the
odd person had two shillings. Upon Easter Day in the morning he rode
to the resurrection[176], and that day he went in procession in his
cardinal's vesture, with his hat and hood on his head, and he himself
sang there the high mass very devoutly; and granted clean remission to
all the hearers[177]; and there continued [he] all the holidays.
My lord continuing at Peterborough after this manner, intending to
remove from thence, sent me to Sir William Fitzwilliams, a knight,
which dwelt within three or four miles of Peterborough, to provide him
there a lodging until Monday next following, on his journey northward.
And being with him, to whom I declared my lord's request, and he
being thereof very glad, rejoiced not a little that it would please
my lord to visit his house in his way; saying, that he should be most
heartiliest welcome of any man alive, the king's majesty excepted; and
that he should not need to discharge the carriage of any of his stuff
for his own use during the time of his being there; but have all things
furnished ready against his coming to occupy, his own bed excepted.
Thus upon my report made to my lord at my return, he rejoiced of my
message, commanding me therein to give warning to all his officers
and servants to prepare themselves to remove from Peterborough upon
Thursday next. Then every man made all things in such readiness as was
convenient, paying in the town for all things as they had taken of any
person for their own use, for which cause my lord caused a proclamation
to be made in the town, that if any person or persons in the town
or country there were offended or grieved against any of my lord's
servants, that they should resort to my lord's officers, of whom they
should have redress, and truly answered as the case justly required.
So that, all things being furnished, my lord took his journey from
Peterborough upon the Thursday in Easter week, to Master Fitzwilliams,
where he was joyously received, and had right worthy and honourable
entertainment at the only charge and expense of the said Master
Fitzwilliams, all [the] time of his being there[178].
The occasion that moved Master Fitzwilliams thus to rejoice of my
lord's being in his house was, that he sometime being a merchant of
London and sheriff there, fell in debate with the city of London
upon a grudge between the aldermen of the bench and him, upon a new
corporation that he would erect of a new mystery called Merchant
Taylors, contrary to the opinion of divers of the bench of aldermen
of the city, which caused him to give and surrender his cloak, and
departed from London, and inhabited within the country; and against
the malice of all the said aldermen and other rulers in the commonweal
of the city, my lord defended him, and retained him into service, whom
he made first his treasurer of his house, and then after his high
chamberlain; and in conclusion, for his wisdom, gravity, port, and
eloquence, being a gentleman of a comely stature, made him one of the
king's counsel: and [he] so continued all his life afterward. Therefore
in consideration of all these gratitudes received at my lord's hands,
as well in his trouble as in his preferment, was most gladest like a
faithful friend of good remembrance to requite him with the semblable
gratuity, and right joys that he had any occasion to minister some
pleasure, such as lay then in his power to do.
Thus my lord continued there until the Monday next; where lacked
no good cheer of costly viands, both of wine and other goodly
entertainment; so that upon the said Monday my lord departed from
thence unto Stamford; where he lay all that night. And the next day
he removed from thence unto Grantham, and was lodged in a gentleman's
house, called Master Hall. And the next day he rode to Newark, and
lodged in the castle all that night; the next day he rode to Southwell,
a place of my lord's within three or four miles of Newark, where he
intended to continue all that summer, as he did after.