The Fall of the Wiltshire Monasteries. 



Cromwell had, however, written at the same time to Ap Rice, 

 blaming him for not having let him know of this conduct on Legh's 

 part ; and here we have the other side of the picture in a letter of \ 't* 

 the same date and written from the same place (Wardon Abbey, 

 Bedfordshire) : — 1 



" After my due and right humble commendacions Please it yo r M r ship to be i 

 advertised that I have this daie receved yo r lettres by the which I doo apperceave \ 

 that ye are not content with me for that I have not revealed unto you M r Docto r i 

 Leghes demeano 1 ' proceedings & maner of going. S r allthough I were divers I 

 tymes mynded to be in hande with yo r m v ship for certain abuses & excesses which It 

 I sawe in the same, as I thought it my duetie, yet divers causes did discorage ; 

 and retract me from so doing. Firste I sawe howe litle the complaynts of other \ 

 as of thabbot of Brueton where he used hymself, me thought, very insolentlie 

 did succede at yo r hands and thinking that his demeano r at Bradstock Stanley * 

 and Edington where he made no lesse ruffeling with the hedds than he did at ] 

 Brueton shulde of all lykelyhood come likewise to yo v knowlege and yet sawe > 

 nothing said unto hym therfor. And also supposyng that you considering howe 

 he was one of theym that depraved me heretofore with yo r m r ship for no iuste 

 cause but for displeasure which he have towards me for certain causes which I 

 woll declare unto you at more leysure, wolde have thought all my reaporte by 

 hym to procede of malice. And therfor because I wolde that the matier shulde 

 have come to yo r eares rather of other men than of me I spake of certain his 

 abuses to divers of my companie nyghe about you, and called divers of my Fellowes 

 yo r servants at London to come with me and see all his procedings gesture and 

 maner of going there at Westminster] and at Powlles. And myself being 

 hyndered with you not long ago was affrayed to attempt suche an enterprise with 

 you not being commaunded by you afore so to do leste he with his bolde excuse 

 wherin he is I adsure you very redy wolde have overcome me being but of 

 small audacitie specially in accusations wherunto I am nothing profoeuse of 

 nature though the matier were never so trewe. I can prove by some that ye 

 woll truste that I wolde have shewed you his demeano r but for that I was af ra} 7 ed 

 that ye wolde have taken it to procede of malice. I loked all ways whan ye shulde 

 have commaunded me to shewe you that for many tymes it happeneth that a man 

 intending but well hath incurred displeasure by doing his duetie. Also I am 

 fearefull I am not eloquent in accusations as some men be but nowe that ye 

 commaunde me I dare boldely declare unto you that I thynke to be amysse in 

 the said M r Doctor and what I require in hym. Firste in his going he is too 

 insolent & pompatique which because he went so at London in the face of all the 

 worlde I thought ye had knowen and afore yo 1 ' owne Face many tymes. Then 

 he handleth the Fathers where he cometh very roughely and many tymes for 

 small causes as thabbots of Brueton & Stanley, and M r of Edington for not 

 meting of hym at the doore whene they had no warnyng of his comyng. Also 

 I require more modestie, gravitie and affiabilitie whiche wolde purchase hym more 

 reverence than his owne setting foorth and satrapike countenaunce. 



1 Letters and Papers, ix., 622. 



