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window with this inscription: ‘‘Orate pro animabus Thomae 
et Elanae uxoris ejus.” 
In the reign of Henry VIII. the Hutton of Penrith was a John; 
and noting in Knight’s A/zstory of England that a John Hutton was 
ambassador at Brussels in 1538, I have been seeking for proof 
that he was the Penrith John Hutton, but as yet I have met with 
no positive evidence to that effect. If, however, the ambassador 
was a Cumberland Hutton, it must have been he of Penrith, for 
the Hutton of Hutton John of that time was a Cuthbert, while 
the Hutton of the Forest was a William ; this I gather from Burn 
and Nicolson. 
The historical incident which brings the ambassador John 
Hutton before us, is a somewhat curious incident in history. 
That much-marrying monarch, Henry VIII., was then looking out 
for a fourth wife, and his minister Cromwell, an ardent favourer 
of the Reformation, determined if possible to give his royal master 
a Lutheran wife, sent instructions to the ambassadors at various 
courts, to report upon all eligible ladies. John Hutton, ambas- 
sador at Brussels, writes favourably of the Duchess of Milan. He 
says: “She is not so pure white as was the last queen, but she 
hath a singular good countenance, and when she chanceth to 
smile there appeareth two pits in her cheeks and one in her chin, 
which becometh her right excellently well.” He gives an account 
of other ladies, and then goes on to say: ‘‘The Duke of Cleves 
has a daughter, but I hear no great praise neither of her personage 
nor beauty.” Hutton is aware that in such ticklish affairs his 
frank opinion might get him into trouble, and he adds: “I have 
not much experience amongst ladies, and therefore this commission 
is to me very hard; so that if in anything I offend, I beseech your 
lordship to be my mean for pardon.” He then advises the leaving 
of the further judgment to others that are better skilled in such 
matters. The historian adds that, the time would come when 
Cromwell himself would regret that he had not imitated the 
prudence of John Hutton, the ambassador to the Netherlands. 
The dimpled Duchess was not chosen. One account says she 
teplied that, if she had had two heads, one of them should have 
