Love Letter 11

SINCE your last letters, mine own
darling, Walter Welshe, Master
Browne, Thos. Care, Grion of Brear-
ton, and John Coke, the apothecary,
be fallen of the sweat in this house,
and, thanked be God, all well recov-
ered, so that as yet the plague is not
fully ceased here, but I trust shortly
it shall. By the mercy of God, the rest
of us yet be well, and I trust shall
pass it, either not to have it, or, at the
least, as easily as the rest have done.
As touching the matter of Wilton,
my lord cardinal hath had the nuns
before him, and examined them, Mr.
Bell being present ; which hath certi-
fied me that, for a truth, she had con-
fessed herself (which we would have
had abbess) to have had two children
by two sundry priests; and, further,
since hath been kept by a servant of
the Lord Broke that was, and that not
long ago. Wherefore I would not,for
all the gold in the world, clog your
conscience nor mine to make her ruler
of a house which is of so ungodly de-
meanour; nor, I trust, you would not
that neither for brother nor sister, I
should so destain mine honour or con-
science. And, as touching the prior-
ess, or Dame Eleanor’s eldest sister,
though there is not any evident case
proved against them, and that the
prioress is so old that for many years
she could not be as she was named;
yet notwithstanding, to do you plea-
sure,! have done that neither of them
shall have it, but that some other
good and well-disposed woman shall
have it, whereby the house shall be
the better reformed (whereof I en-
sure you it had much need), and God
much the better served.

As touching your abode at Hever,
do therein as best shall like you, for
you best know what air doth best with
you; but I would it were come there-
to (if it pleased God), that neither of
us need care for that, for I ensure you
I think it long. Suche is fallen sick
of the sweat, and therefore I send you
this bearer, because I think you long
to hear tidings from us, as we do like-
wise from you.

Written with the hand de votre seul,

H.R.