First Earl of Pembroke of the Present Creation. 



87 



be expected, but it was found upon examination that Elinor Carey 

 had boon guilty of gross incontinence. When this was made known 

 to Wolsey by Dr. Bell, it was reported to the king." The king's 

 answer (printed in Sir R. C. Hoare's account of Wilton) is strong 

 in condemnation of Elinor Carey, he also refuses to give it to 

 Wolsey's candidate, Isabella Jordayne, the "ancient, wise, and dis- 

 creet " prioress of the Abbey, who was sister to the Abbess of Sion. 

 The Cardinal, however, made the appointment, to the annoyance of 

 the king. Mr. Brewer goes on to say "Justly alarmed by these 

 indications of the king's displeasure, Wolsey had recourse to various 

 excuses. This drew from the king a remonstrance not less honorable 

 to himself than the cardinal." 



Some information as to the state of the abbey can be gleaned from 

 two letters, still extant, written by Dr. Benet, a priest of Salisbury, 

 to Wolsey. The first, dated April 24th, 1528, after announcing the 

 death of the abbess, says, " The substance of the house consists in 

 wool to the value of 600 marks, there is but little money." The 

 proceedings of the nuns at this time seem to have troubled Benet 

 grievously ; three months later he writes to the cardinal to this 

 effect : " Repaired to Wilton, and used every effort to bring over 

 the nuns to Wolsey's wishes. Found them untoward, and put three 

 or four of the captains of them in ward. Has closed up the doors, 

 that none might have access to the nunnery. Found only the new 

 elect and her sisters compliant. As they are now visited by the 

 plague, and much straitened in their lodging by the burning of 

 their dormitory, thought it best to advise Wolsey before taking 

 further proceedings." From the circumstance of the nuns being so 

 inconvenienced by the burning of their dormitory, it would seem 

 that the accommodation provided for the inmates was but limited. 



We also find that the surroundings of the abbey had been much 

 neglected. In the Particulars for Grants (Court of Augmentation), 

 33 Henry VIII., a most careful valuation is made of the large 

 amount of timber within the manor of Broad Chalke, which formed 

 part of the posssssions of the Abbey, but the entry relating to the 

 timber on the site and demesnes of the late monasteiy is, " The 

 trees growing about the said site, and in hedges inclosing the said 



