298 



The Fall of the Wiltshire Monasteries. 



be at any tymo hereafter my myend to lye furthe of my monasterye any nyght, 



Excepte by inevitable necessitie, I can not thene retorne home, With licence also 

 if it shall pleas yo r M'ship that any of my sisters, when theire father, mother, 

 brother or sister or any such nye of their kyne come unto theym maye have 

 licence to speke w* them in the hall in my presens or my prioresse and other two 

 discrete Sistirs, whiche of yo r goodnes if ye graunte unto us, we shall be yo r 

 contynuell bedswomen to almyghtie God for the contynuaunce and long 

 preservacion of yo r good M r ships prosperous estate. 

 " Frome Wilton the v th day of Septembre. 



" Yo r poore assured oratris Cecils Bodman, 

 " Abbesse there." 



It is from Wilton, also, that on September 3rd Legh writes the 

 letter referred to above (p. 294), in which he strongly disapproves 

 of any relaxation such as Layton had granted, and Cromwell 

 apparently approved. 



There are three letters which, though written later, yet refer to 

 this period and partly to this visitation of Wiltshire, and may be 

 considered here. 



In October of this year (1535) someone has complained to 

 Cromwell of Legh's manner of conducting himself. Cromwell 

 seems thereupon to have asked for an explanation, and here is the 

 doctor's defence : — 1 



" My dewtye in the humlyest maner to your mastership presupposyd ys to 

 sygnyfye unto you the same that thys xxj daye of Octobre I have receyvyd your 

 masterships letters whiche all thowgh yt war moche to my dyscumforte yet yt was 

 more to my gret marvell who shuld insense yo r mastership aftre suche faysyon 

 or shuld make un to you any suche reporte w*owt any dysserte of my partye (as 

 knoweth God) and I instantly desyre your mastership as I have doon ofte to 

 geve no credans to no suche reports before ye knowe the trewthe therof, for I 

 intend (God wyllyng) nor I pray God I lyve not to that daye, that I shall geve 

 any cause that I shall dysseyve your expectacyon or opynyon, more of 3'our 

 goodnes then of my dysserts consey vyd in me, and I thyncke you trust me better 

 then to beleeve suche thyngs in me. For ye shall well be assuryd that I have 

 nother hether toward nor ever shall hereafter doo in the Kings matters or yours 

 ony other wyse beyng absent from you, but as I knowe God sees me, and as I 

 wold doo and yff your mastership war present w* me at every acte. For God 

 knoweth my hole procedyng hathe been and shall as maye moost atteyne to the 

 glorye of God the honor of the Kings hyghnes and the full accomplyshement and 

 effect of suche goodly and godly purposes as hys hyghnes and you hathe put me 

 in trust and geven me auctoryte to doo, and yf I have offendyd your mastership 

 in any thyng eyther by ignoraunce or by necligens or want of discretion (as I 

 trust I have not doon, ne shall doo) I wold be wonderous sory for yt, and for 



1 Letters and Papers, ix., 621. 



