worshippe wt yours to the tuicion of allmighty God. From Ebsam this iiijth of Aprill 1580.

Your obedient in Christ,

ROBERT COLE, Vicar of Ebsam.

To the Right worshippfull Syr Wil

liam More, knight, high Shreve

of Sussex and Surre, deliver these.

(103.)

Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Sir William More. The Vicar of Chertsey has been openly put in the stocks!

After my hartie comendac'ons, I am sued unto by one Will'm Newman,* Vicar of Chartezey, in the Countie of Surrey, that wheare' one Mr. Cooper being of late made Justice, as he saith, sent for him by the Cunstables in her Maties name to cum before him, belike refused to goe to him, as thinkinge he had noe matter toward him but eccl'iasticall, and was afterward by a warrant arrested, and by vertue therof putt into the stocks openlie, and beinge comaunded to appeare before him, alledged for that he refused to paie unto the poore mans boxe suche a somme as the parishioners sett uppo' his head (as he saith) contrarie to justice, his benifice being but worthe xvii, wheron he is also resident, and being contented to paie iis

He was presented to the vicarage of Chertsey in 1568.

S

to the poore, not otherwise hable to doe yt. He was in fine bounde over to the Quarter Sessions on Tuisdaie, being the xxth of Aprill, when he, coming before the Justices, his petic'on and complaint could not be heard, but rejected, and soe comaunded to the White Lion in South'arke to putt in suertie to appeare at the next gaole deliverie. This is the sum of his complainte. I am pswaded that the gentlemen, Justices of the Peace, will doe noe ecclesiasticall person wronge nor extremitie, although it was heard that he was putt openlie in the stocks; but bicause I doe not knowe his demerites, I can saie little in yt, but promised that I woulde write to you in this matter, as heare I nowe doe, praienge you to consider of this cause. And thus I bid yor worship hartelie well to fare as myself. From my house at Lambith this last of Aprill.

Yor lovinge frende,

MATTHEW CANTUAR.

To the worshipfull my lovinge frend
Mr. More, Justice of the Peace.

(104.)

Pecuniary Compensation made by Visitors.

Mrs. Ursula Worseley (afterwards the wife of the great Sir Francis Walsingham) to Mr. Mills, from Appuldercombe, in the Isle of Wight; makes an arrangement to be communicated to Mr. More, previous to a proposed visit to her house, respecting the charges she expects him to defray for keeping

of her household: no uncommon practice in this age, as appears by the subsequent letter.

ffather Mills, after my hartye comendac'ons, theis are desieringe you, that when Mr. More and Mr. Cressewell cometh into the Ile, and as I suppose first to yor house, to have me in rememberance to them on theis points following, w'ch I trust shall seme bothe reasonable and requisite to be considered of, that is, first to have my chambre fre to mye selfe, allso to have parte of the chardges borne for the keepinge of the howse and the whole familie fro' the deathe of my late husband until this present, and parte of the serv'nts wages due at this feste of St. Michell, and I trust allso uppon yor remembraunce, theye will so consider that I shall have a geldinge fre to mye self; theis points I thought hit good to remembere you of, to the intent that through yo' communicac'on had wth them, whose frendshippe I nothinge doubte, theye maie the better throughlie conseder of hit, so that at their cominge hether they maye be the lesse troubled, and the better quieted and contented what ordre soever they shall take in the premisses. Thus, beinge boulde allwaies to troble you, desieringe you to make my hartie comendac'ons to my mother Mills, I comitt you to God. From Appledercombe the xvth of Septembre 1565.

Yr lovinge daughter to comand,
URSULA WORSLEY.

To the worshippfull and mye approved

ffreind Mr. Milles geve theis.

(105.)

Thomas Asteley, from the Court at Farnham, proposes to visit Mr. More.

Mr. More, now that ye have hadd good time to think of the matter we comuned off, it behoveth me to procure spedie answer from you consarnyng the same, for that the season of the yere crepes fast away that houshold provisio' shuld best be bought at, as ficshe, butter, chees, grayne, wood, and cole, wt suche like, wherfore theas be brefflye to dezier you so instantlye as I may or can so to frend my request as I may think my self beholdyng unto you, and I will not be unthankfull. The number my wiffe must of nesessite have are five wt her selff, ii children th'eldyst five yere of age, a man s'vant and a woman s'vant; and I must have, as (if) I may have leave to come to you, ii s'vants and iii horses. Al this ye must consider off like a frend, and so rate the price accordyng to your good co'sience, as ther be no dout but that wee shall verie well agree, for wt you I wold spend and live more liberally than in manny places; in any wise reffarr nothing to mee, but co'clude in your lettr your price and determynacion.

I here ye have rome sufficient besides your new byldyng,* and I will, if you will so have it, fornishe

He alludes to a considerable alteration or reconstruction of the mansion at Loseley, between 1562 and 1568.

holye a chamber for my selff, and a nother for my mayd and childeren, wt beddes, hangings, and all that thear to belongithe. Thus hopinge for your frindly answer I com'it you to God. From the Cort at Farnam this xxv of August.

Yours to my power,

To my verie good frend Mr. More at his house beside Gilford, this be deliv'd.

THOMAS ASTELEY.

( 106.)

Toby Matthew, afterwards Archbishop of York, to Sir William More, respecting a promised visit to Loseley. He was much acquainted with George, the son of Sir William, when both were at the University of Oxford. He had a great inclination to marry Sir George More's sister, Mrs. Polsted, the widow of Richard Polsted, Esq. but she preferred Sir John Wolley, Latin Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, whom she espoused.

Sir,

If I kepe not promis in coming so soone as was appointed, I praie you let some bodie els then my selfe beare the blame thereof. Mariage matters are suche in everie condic'on, that not only mariengs and buriengs but very christenings also be verie combresome. Mrs. Polstede will not let me departe, with this bearer; and you knowe, Sir, it standeth me upon especially nowe, not to discon