REdditæ sunt nobis literæ Serenitatis vestræ, quibus benigne admodū ad deprecationē nostram, qua pro D. Milonis Couerdali ecclesiæ Exon. nuper nominati Episcopi incolumitate vsi sumus, respondetur: ita vt intelligamus, licet alterius causæ quā quæ nobis innotuerat, periculū sustineat, tamen Sere. vestrā nostræ interceßionis eā rationē habiturā esse, vt illā sibi profuisse ipse Couerdalus sentiat. Cui quidē promissioni regiæ cum tantū merito tribuamus, vt ea freti non dubitauerimus eius captiui propinquos (nobis inprimis charos) a mærore ac sollicitudine ad spē atq̀ expectationē certæ salutis vocare, facere non potuimus, quin et gratias Sere. vestræ pro tā prōpta ac benigna voluntate, non modo huius beneficij, sed etiā perpetuæ inter nos ac regna nostra conseruandæ ac colendæ amicitiæ ageremus, et quantū in nobis esset, quod ad applectanda persequendaq̀ hæc auspicata initia pertineret, nihil prætermitteremus. Neque vero nobis de clementia ac moderatione Sere. vestræ vnquā dubiū fuit, quā deus opt. max. ad gloriā sui nominis & fructū pub. vtilitatis vt magis ac magis efflorescere velit, ex animo optamus. Proinde cū ob rationes ærarias, neq̀ aliud grauius delictū D. Couerd. teneri Sere. vestra scribat, est sane, vt ipsius causa lætemur eoq̀ minus ambigamus, liberationē incolumitatēq̀ eius nostris precibus liberaliter donari. Nam & accepimus ipsum episcopatu, cuius nomine ærario obstrictus fuerat, cessisse, vt inde satisfactio peteretur: maxime cū neq̀ diu eo potitus fuisse, neq̀ tantū emolumenti inde percepisse dicatur. Quinetiā si qua rationū perplexitas, aut alia forte causa reperiri posset, tamē sollicitudinē ac dubitationē nobis Serenitatis vestræ tā amice, atq̀ officiose deferentes literæ omnē exemerunt: vt existimemus Sere. vestrā, quoad eius fieri posset, magis honorē nostrū, quā quid ab eo exigi possit, consideraturā. Itaq̀ Sere. vestrā repetitis precibus vrgere non constituimus: sed potius testatum facere, quā accepta nobis Sere. vest. gratificatio sit, cuius talē euentū omnino speramus, vt ipse Couer. corā vobis suæ incolumitatis a Sere. vest. exoratæ beneficiū propediē repræsentare possit. Illud vero imprimis Sere. vest. vicißim persuasum esse cupimus, nos non solū referendæ gratiæ, sed etiā stabilendæ prouehendæq̀ inter nos ac regna vtrinq̀ nostra amicitiæ ac necessitudinis mutuæ occasionē aut facultatē nullā esse prætermissuros. Deus opt. max. Sere. vest. diu fœliciter ac beate incolumem esse velit. Datæ ex opido nostro Ottoniensi 24. Septemb. Anno. 1554.

Vester frater & consanguineus Christianus.

VVE haue receaued your maiesties letters whereby aunswere is rendred, and that very graciously vnto oure peticion, whiche we made for the safegard of maister Couerdal, late called bishoppe of Exon. So that we perceaue, though he be in daunger for a nother cause then was signified vnto vs afore, yet your maiestye will so regard our intercession, that Couerdale himselfe shall vnderstande it to haue done him good. To the whiche Regall promes, considering we, as reason is we should do, attribute so much, that trusting vnto the same we doubt not wheras he being in captiuity his frends whom we especially tender, are therefore in heuines and care, your good promes doth call them frō such sorow and solicitude to the hope and expectaion of his assured wellfare: We could not do otherwise but rendre thankes vnto your maiesty for such your ready and gratious good will Not onely by reson of this benefite but also because of the conseruacion & keping of perpetual amity betwene vs & our realmes, & so asmuche as in vs lieth to omit nothing that to the nourishing and continuaūce of these fortunate beginninges might appertaine. Neither had we euer any doubt concerning the clemencye and moderacion of your goodnes, whom we hartely besech almighty god euer more and more to prosper vnto the glory of his name and profite of the common weale. Wherefore seinge your maiestye writeth that maister Couerdale is in

daunger for certayne accomptes of money, and not for any other more greuous offēce, we haue cause, on his behalf to reioyce. And therfore we doubt so much the lesse, that at our request, he shall graciously haue his deliuerance geuē him & be out of daunger For as touchinge the byshoprike, by reason wherof he came in debt, we vnderstand he yelded it vp that paymēt might therof be required, specially seing he is reputed neither to haue enioyed it long, neither to haue had at any time so great commodity of it. More ouer though it be possible to find some perplexity in the accōpt or happely some other cause, yet your maiesties letters offring such fauoure, and benignity, haue taken from vs all carefulnes & doubt. Insomuch that we thinke your maiesty (asmuch as may be) wil haue more respect vnto our honor, thē vnto þ^t which might of him be required. And therfore we purpose not to trouble your maiesty by repetinge of our peticion, but to declare how greatlye we esteme it, that your maiesty would gratify vs herein, Wherof we plainlie hope for suche an ende that Couerdale him selfe shal shortly in our presence make declaration concerning the benefite of his welfare opteined of youre maiestie. And of this we desire your maiesty to be specially assured agein that we wil not only omit no occasion or oportunitie to requite this benefite but also to establish & amplifie our mutual loue & amity betwene vs & our realmes on either side. Almightie god preserue your maiestie in prosperous helth and felicity. Geuen at our cyty of Otton the xxiiii. of September. Anno D. 1554.

☞ To these letters it was a great whyle before the quene wold answer.  

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In the meantime, Christian III was probably applying pressure to have Coverdale released.