296 



Charles, Lord Stourton, 8fc. 



longe lyff. Wretyn in hast at Kylmyngton the vi th day of May by 



"Your assured powreman 



Willm. Hahtgyll." 



" To the ryght worshipfull and my most singular 

 good Master, Syr John Thynne Kt., be this delivered." 



Lord Stourton now lays his complaint against W. Hartgill be- 

 fore the Protector Somerset. 



{So. 30.) 1549, June 21. Charles Lord Stourton to the Pkotectoe. (Orig. 

 at Longleat.) 



"My duetie considered, Pleasith ityo r grace to be advertised, that forasmuch 

 as I have heretofore received the burden of some reports unto your Grace be- 

 twixt Hartgill and me, I have therefore, at sundry times, borne more than frail 

 nature, by just occasion, wold permytt, and even as I have made answer unto 

 your grace for the furst report, so may I say again, which is, that I have not, 

 at any time, molestyd hym with word or dede, nether contrary to a law, nether 

 yett to the extremytie therof. But as I can learne, my symplisitie and quiet 

 dealing have ben an encoragment to his wilfuil presumptyous and outragious 

 mynd. For he hath not only brutyd and reported me to be a maynteynour of 

 Eebellyous with other unjust reports and slaunders, but also this Wedonsday , 

 being the xix th of June, my poor man, who kepith my houndes, having them 

 to a place of vile relief wher one of my tenants had a horse dedd, in his retorne, 

 almost att my gates, Hartgill made great spede towards hym on horsback with 

 his crose bow bent and forked arrow in the same, having two others riding after 

 hym on foote [sic] with long bowes and arrowes, and tryumphed with hym as 

 well with outragious talke agenst me as also thretening hym to kill hym. Also 

 even the same day certyn of my men chanced to be hunting of the hare in the 

 fyldes, as in dede I steare them sumtymes to practes theire bowes and somtymes 

 to hunt, bycause I will not have them idle, and in their returne homeward 

 Hartgill cam to them with a forest-bill, and thre others with bowes and arrowes 

 in them half drawn, and fower with bills and staves, requyring my men to kepe 

 their ground and stay ; his men being plantyd round about them, he began to 

 talke at libertie, my men gyving hym no ill word from the furst to the last, yett 

 I am sure, my comandyment not to the contrary, they wold have betten hym and 

 all hys men and taken their weapons from them. Then he reviled my men and 

 bragged to them like a mad man, saying that yf his men did kill two or thre of 

 my men, he woold bare them out, and moreover said, although he warre sworne 

 to the peace yet wold he borrow a poynt of the law, for he had two or thre 

 hundrith pounds to spend in vayne. And as God wold, toy men departed doying 

 no grief unto hym, howbeit truly Sir they had much care to forebare him.. 

 Therefore I umbly beseche your grace to stand so moche my good Lord, 

 according to my hope, that I may not be subject unto such one, and that I may 

 not be tempted, nether any of myne, to shew the fraile worke of nature. But 

 in good faith, Sir, if I do, I must nedes desier your Grace to bare with my 

 weaknes, for I am sure there is no gentleman wold take the like ingratitude 

 that I have done at his hands. Sir, I am sory that I am forced to truble your 

 Grace with so long declaracions, yet could I reherse a grete deale more, which 



