stow a great deale of loue, beneuolence, and good affectiō vpon me so poore a mā, and of so small qualities, expressyng in deede, sondry wayes, the good effectes thereof to my great preferment, MarginaliaDoct. Boner confesseth hym selfe much bound to the L. Cromwell.I was very muche bounde therby vnto your honourable good Lordship, and thought it alwaye my dutie (as in deede it was) both to beare my true harte agayne vnto your Lordship, and also, remembryng such kindnes, to doe vnto the same all such seruice and pleasure as myght then lie in my small power to doe.

But where of your infinite and inestimable goodnes, it hath further lyked you of late, fyrst to aduaunce me vnto the office of Legation from such a Prince as the kyng my soueraigne Lorde is, vnto the Emperour and Frenche kyng, and next after to procure & obtayne MarginaliaBoner preferred to the Byshopricke of Hereforde, by the Lorde Cromwell.myne auauncement to so honourable a promotion as is the Byshopricke of Herforde: I must here knowledge the excedyng greatnes of your Lordships benefite, with mine owne imbecillite to recompence it, and saye (as Virgill writeth) Grates persoluere dignas non opis est nostræ.

Surely my good Lorde, I neyther am, neyther shall be hable to requite thys your Lordships moste speciall kindnes and bountifull goodnes at any tyme, vnlesse I shoulde vse MarginaliaAcceptilatiō.that ciuile remedye called in lawe acceptilation, which great detters especiallye, are accustomed to procure at the handes of theyr creditours: wherby yet neuerthelesse your goodnes the only doer therof, should rather bee encreased, then my duetie towardes the same, therby diminished. And cessio Bonorum (the onely extreme refuge and helpe of poore detters deuised also in Marginalia* Here semeth to lacke some word, but that I would not alter any thing in hys owne copie.* ciuile) myght somewhat helpe herein, sauyng that it is not possible that I shall come Ad tam pinguem fortunam (wherupon that remedye is grounded) wherby I may recompence and requite thys dette worthelye.

So that in conclusion there resteth this, þ^t vnlesse your Lordships self doe lose me as you haue boūd me, I shall (and that full gladly) remaine cōtinually your most boūden beadesman. And syr, I most hūblye besech your good Lordship, in the honour of God, seing thys thyng is begonne and auaunced onely by your goodnes & meanes, you will to the entent the acte may be wholy your own, stretch out your goodnes, not suffering the rest to bee perfited otherwyse then by your owne handes: MarginaliaL. Cromwell onely the aduauncer of D. Boner, and therfore in an other letter he calleth hym hys onely Mecenas.wherin as I must and shall knowledge my selfe to be excedingly beholden vnto your good Lordship, so shall the same more esteeme and set by, duryng my life, hauing so attayned it by your onely goodnes: And verelye, if your good Lordship bee not better to me herein, then I can, vnlesse it bee of your owne goodnes, desire you, I knowe not how I shall bee able to ouercome the great charges annexed to thys promotion. For though my promotions afore were ryght honest and good, yea and such as one of farre better qualities then I was or am of, ought therwith to haue bene contented, yet considering that of diuerse of them, it is to witte, MarginaliaThe promotions of Boner.Leycester, Bledon, Derham, Cheswycke, & Cheryburton, the first fruites, tenthes, and charges borne, I haue not receaued clerelye one penye: I am now neuer a whitte the more able to beare the great charges of thys.

I shall therefore herein and in all thinges ells perteyning hereunto, seing your Lordship is so great a patrone, and will needes binde me for euer to be your own (as in dede I will) referre all together vnto your goodnes, besechyng you to take the order and disposition of all into your owne handes. I can not tell whether the late Bishop standeth bounden for þ^e fyrst fruites, tenthes, or other duties, which by statute may bee demaunded of hys successour, but I feare it greatly, and beseche your Lordship therefore that I may bee holpen therin. My charges now here inforceth me the more to speake and trouble your good Lordship, which at the beginning are not a fewe, and yet not ended. Of my fidilitie to your good Lordship, I haue of fiue hundreth crownes, remaynyng fortie, bestowed vppon horses, mule, mulet, rayment, and other necessaryes, standyng detter to M. Thirlebye neuertheles, and also to Maister Doct. Haynes for one hundreth markes or fast vpon, to them both. And besides thys (such is my chaunce now at the beginnyng) diuerse of my seruauntes haue fallen sicke, being in great perill and daunger, putting me to no litle charges. Ouer and besides these displeasures comming vnto me, by not hauyng theyr seruice, and other to keepe them, and also wanting mine other seruauntes in England, which though I haue sent for them, yet neyther they neyther my horses or stuffe are come, I must and doe take pacience, trusting it will mende.

Vppon the closing vppe of thys letter and depeche of this bearer, God willing I will packe vp my geare, and to morrowe betyme followe the French kyng, who yesterdaye departed from Shambour and maketh haste towardes Paris. And thus our blessed Lord long and well preserue your good Lordship in health. At Bloyse the ij. of September in the euening.

Scribled by the wery hand of hym that is
bounden to be and is in dede, your Lord-
ships beadesman and at commaūdement,
Edmund Boner.

Diuers other letters beside this, of Doctor Bonner remayne in wryting vpon the like effecte and purporte, which here also I myght adde for a further demonstration hereof: but this one in stede of many, may suffice. Now to our purpose agayn: MarginaliaD. Boner all thys while shewed him selfe to be a good mā, and a good Gospeller.whiche is to declare howe this Doct. Boner in the time of his fyrst sprynging vp, shewed hym self a good mā, & a fast frend to the Gospell of Christ & to the kings procedinges: and contrariwise, how Steuen Gardiner did halt then both with God & with the king. Also what vnkindnes & contumelies the sayd Boner receaued at his handes: MarginaliaRancour & hartburning betwene the Byshop of Winchester and Boner.what rancour and hartburnyng was betwene them, & what complaintes the one moueth agaynst the other, remayneth consequently by their writings & recordes to be opened. For the more euidente demonstration wherof, they that haue the letters of the sayd Doct. Boner writen from France to the kyng, and the Lorde Cromwel, maye right well perceaue. And fyrst to note what a Gospeller he was, in hys letter from Roan, he speaking of hys trustie companion, and bearer of his letters (who was belyke D. Heynes) he gyueth this report both of hym, and of hymself, saying:

MarginaliaThe wordes of Boner declaring hym selfe to be a Gospeller.If this bearer had ben so much desirous to please the Emperour, and folowe hys religion, as he was studious to serue truly your grace, and to aduaunce the truth: he had not wanted. &c. And agayn:

MarginaliaBoner recompted a Lutheran.And besides that he hath not wanted the euill reporte of naughtie fellowes, namyng hym Lutheran: wherin for cōpany I was ioyned, such was their goodnes. &c.

Again in an other letter wryten to the Lord Cromwell, these wordes he hath, speaking of hys companion Doct. Heynes:

MarginaliaDoct. Boner & Doct. Heynes noted for Lutherās.Especially for that the sayed Doctor Heynes by his vpryght dealing herein, and professing the truth, neyther gatte thākes nor reward, but was blased abroad by honest folkes, to be a Lutheran. The leße he pleaseth in Spayne, the better argument it is, that hys intent was to serue none but the kings hyghnes, and the truth. &c.

And furthermore in an other minute wryting to the Lord Cromwell of Steuen Wint, and of hys churlyshnes toward hym, thus he sayth:

MarginaliaWinchester against Boner.And there found I in M. Doctor Thyrlebye much kindnes, and in the Byshop of Winchester as litle. &c. And in the same letter it followeth:

And if I had receaued any intertainment of the Byshop of Winchester, I would likewise haue sent you worde. But I thanke God, I neede not, for I had nothing of hym. &c.

Also in an other letter the sayd Boner writyng to the Lord Cromwell concernyng one Barnabe, and hym selfe, what cold welcome they both had at the hāds of Winchester, vseth these wordes folowyng.

MarginaliaSt. Wint. agaynst Barnabe, because the Lord Cromwell fauoured hym.And my good Lord I beseche you to continue your good fauour to this honest poore man Barnabe, who is body and soule assuredly your owne, and as well beloued of the Byshop of Winchester, as I am: and of my trouth I suppose and beleue verely, one of the chiefe grudges the Byshop hath agaynst him, is because your Lordshyps of your charitable goodnes, doth loue and fauour him. &c.

MY very singulare especiall good Lord, accordyng to my most bounden duetie, I recommende me right