By the Rev. W. Gilchrist Clark, M.A. 297 



and ceremonies of the same writen in the frenche tonga which they understand 

 well and are very perfitt in the same, alheit that it varieth from the vulgare 

 frenche that is nowe used, and is moche like the frenche that the common Lawe 

 is writen in. At Keyngton where there is but thre Ladies in the house we have 

 founde ij convict of incontinencie. Thone whereof bicause she was under age of 

 xxiiij, and not very desirous to continue in religion, M' Docto' hath discharged. 

 And one Dame Marie Denys,' a faire yong woman of Laycok is chosen 

 Prioresse at Ky[ngton afore]said. At Edyngton we found the Eecto' or M' [to 

 be a] man of good name and fame, but we founde all his bu [ . . . . 

 cano]nes for the moste part of male " fame, for they have everyone almost 

 confessed that they have doon amysse sence they were professed. And there we 

 founde also one of the yongest .... which partely for lack of age, and 

 partely for want of goodwill to continue in the religion is also discharged of 

 his cote. Sec hactenus. And as more shall occurre worthy thadvertisement 

 I shall from tyme to tyme adcertayne yo' M'ship, God willing, who have yo' 

 M'ship in his blessed tuicion. From Edyngton the xx[i]ii3"' of Auguste. 

 " By yo' humble and assuredly 



" faithfull servant John ap Bicb." 



The last occasion on whicli we hear of Legh and his associate in 



Wilts is at Wilton, on September 3rd, where he seems to have 



behaved very harshly to the abbess, imposing upon her and the 



convent vexatious regulations, of which she complains in a letter to 



Cromwell, dated September 5th : — ^ 



" After my due and humble comendacions to yo' good M'ship with like thankis 

 for yo' goodnes to my poore house in tymes paste many waies shewed, pleas it 

 you to bee advertised that M' Doctor Legh the kingis graces speciall visito' and 

 yo' depute in this behalf, visiting of late my house, hathe geven iniunction that 

 not oonly all my Sisters, but I also shulde contynually kepe and abide win the 

 precincte of my house, whiche commaundement I am right well contente w', in 

 regarde of myne owne parsone, if yo' M'ship shall thinke it so expediente, but 

 in consideration of thadmynystracion of myne office, and specially of this poore 

 house which is in greate debt and requirethe moche reparacon and also whiche 

 w'oute good husbandry is not like in long season to come forwarde, and in con- 

 sideracion that the said husbandry can not bee by my poore iudgemente so well 

 by an other overseer as by myne owne parsonne, yt maye pleas yo' M'ship of 

 yo' goodnes to licence me being associate with oon or twoo of the sad and 

 discrete Sistirs of my house to supervise abrode suche thingis as shalbe for the 

 prouffite and commoditie of my house whiche thing though peradventure myghfc 

 bee done by other, yet I ensure you that none will doo hit soo faithefully for my 

 house prouffite as myne owne self. Assuring yo' M'ship that it is not, nor shall 



^ She died 1593 in Bristol, and was buried in the Church of the Gaunta, on 

 the Green. {Wiltshire Collections, Aubrey Sf Jackson, p. 145.) 



2 i.e., bad, 

 ^ Letters and Papers, ix., 280. 



Y 2 



