Marginalia1555. Februa.mine Milonem Couerdalū, nuper diœcesis Exoniensis, piæ laudatissimæq; memoriæ proximi Regis Serenitatis vestræ fratris, consanguinei itidem nostri chariss. authoritate constitutū Episcopum, nunc in tristiss. calamitates, carcerem, ac periculū vitæ, nulla atrocioris delicti culpa, sed illa fatali temporū ruina incidisse. Quæ quidem hic Machabæus noster, quod ei affinitate (et quod grauius est) pietatis, eruditionis, ac morum similitudine, tanquam frater deuinctus sit, non minus ad se pertinere existimat. Itaq; nostrā opē implorat, vt quam ipse gratiam et fauorem apud nos meretur, hominis innocentis calamitati ac periculo (quod ipse nō minus suum putat) accōmodemus. Mouemur profecto non temere, illius viri (cui suo merito imprimis bene volumus) cōmiseratione, eiusq̀ maximè testimonio de captiui Antistitis innocentia atq; integritate: de qua quidē est vt eo meli^u speremus, quod multis iā morte mulctatis sontib^u, de ipso integrū adhuc deus esse voluit. Proinde non dubitauimus serenitatē vestram quanta possimus diligentia atq; animi propensione rogare, vt nostra causa captiui illius D. Milonis rationē clemēter habere dignetur, eumq; vt à sceleris: ita à pœnæ etiā acrocitate alienum esse voluit, et tēporum offensam, qua ipsum quoq; affligi verisimile est, nobis nostræq; amicitiæ regiæ et precibus, præsertim hoc primo auditu, benignè condonare, saltem eatenus, vt si forte hoc rerū statu grauis eius præsentia sit, incolumis ad nos cū suis dimittatur. Id nobis summi benificij loco, et Serenitati vestræ inflorentiss. regni auspicijs (quæ augusta, fausta, ac fortunata serenitati vestræ ex animo optamus) ad clementiæ laudem honorificum erit: et nos dabimus operam, vt cū amicitiæ nostræ habitā rationem intellexerimus, eo maiore studio in mutuam vicem gratitudinis omniumq; officiorū erga Serenitatem vestram eiusq; vniuersum regnū et subditos incumbamus. Deum optimum maximum precamur, vt Serenitati vestræ ad gloriam sui nominis & publicam salutem fœlices omniū rerum successus & incolumitatem diuturnam largiatur. Datæ ex arce nostra Coldingeū. septimo Calendas Maij. Anno. 1554.

[Back to Top]

Vester consanguineus, frater, et
amicus Christianus Rex.

MarginaliaQ. Maryes slender aunswere to the kinges first letter.To these letters of the king, Queene Mary answearing againe, declared that the saide Miles Couerdale was in no such captiuitie for any religion, but for certaine debt:  

so neither plainly graunting, nor expressely denying his request, but vsing a colorable excuse for shifting of the matter, as appeareth by his second letter sent to the Queene, dated the. 24. day of Sept. as foloweth.

[Back to Top]

REdditæ sunt nobis literæ Serenitatis vestræ, quibus benignè admodū ad deprecationem nostrā, qua pro D. Milonis Couerdali ecclesiæ Exon. nuper nominati Episcopi incolumitate vsi sumus, respondetur: ita vt intelligamus, &c.

MarginaliaThe same epistle in English.WE haue receiued your maiesties letters, whereby aunswere is rendred, and that very gratiously vnto our petition whiche we made for the safegard of maister Couerdale, late called bishop of Exon. So that we perceiue, though he be in daunger for an other cause then was signified vnto vs afore, yet your maiestie wyl so regard our intercession that Couerdale hym selfe shal vnderstand it to haue done hym good. To the which regal promise, seeing we (as reason is we should do) attribute so muche, that trusting vnto the same, we doubt not, where as he being in captiuitie, his frendes (whom we specially tender) are therefore in heauines and care, your good promise doth cal them from such sorowe and solicitude, to the hope & expectation of his assured welfare: we could not do otherwise, but rēder thankes vnto your maiestie for such your ready & gratious good wyll, not only in respect of thys benefite, but also of the conseruation and keping of perpetual amitie betwene vs & our realmes,

[Back to Top]

& so as much as in vs lyeth, to omit nothing that to the norishing & continuance of these fortunate beginnyngs might appertaine. Neither had we euer any doubt concerning the clemencie & moderation of your goodnes, whom we hartily beseeche almighty God, euer more and more to prosper, vnto the glory of his name, & profite of the cōmon weale. Wherfore seing your maiestie writeth that maister Couerdalle is in daunger for certaine accomptes of money, & not for any other more greeuous offence, wee haue cause on his behalfe to reioyce: and therefore we doubt so much the lesse, that at our request, he shal gratiously haue his deliuerance geuen hym, and be out of daunger. For as touching the Bishoprike, by reason whereof he came in debt, we vnderstand he yeelded it vp, that payment might therof be required, specially seeing he is reputed neither to haue enioyed it long, neither to haue had at any time so great cōmoditie of it. More ouer, though it be possible to finde some perplexitie in the accompt, or happily some other cause, yet your maiesties letters offering such fauour and benignitie, haue takē from vs all carefulnes and doubt: In so muche that we thinke your maiestie (as much as may be) wyl haue more respect vnto our honour, then vnto that which might of hym be required. And therefore we purpose not to trouble your Maiestie by repeting of our petition, but to declare howe greatly we esteeme it, that your maiestie would gratifie vs herein: wherof we plainly hope for such an ende, that Couerdale hym selfe shall shortly in our presence make declaration cōcerning the benefite of his welfare obteined of your maiestie. And of this we desire your maiestie to be specially assured again, that we will not only omitte no occasiō or oportunitie to requite thys benefite, but also to establishe & amplifie our mutual loue & amitie betwene vs & our realmes on either side. Almighty god preserue your maiestie in prosperous health and felicitie. Geuen at our citie of Otton the 24. of Septemb. Ann. D. 1554.

[Back to Top]

To these letters it was a great whyle before the queene would aunsweare.  

At length through great suite made, the next yere, the 18. of Febr. she answered again in this wise.

MarginaliaFebruary 18. The aunswere of Queene Mary to the king of Denmarkes letter.MAria dei gratia, Regina Angliæ, Franciæ, Neapolis, Hierusalem & Hiberniæ. etc. Serenissimo Principi Christiano, eadem gratia, Daniæ, Noruegiæ, Gothorum et Vandalorum Regi: Slesuici, Holsatiæ, Stormariæ et Ditmersiæ Duci: Comiti in Oldenburgh et Delmenhorst. etc. fratri & amico nostro chariss. salutem, prosperumq̀ rerum incrementum. Cum intellexerimus ex Serenitatis vestræ literis, quas hic nuntius nobis attulit, desideriū vestrum obtinendi a nobis pro M. Couerdalo subdito MarginaliaM. Couerdale deliuered and sent to the King of Denmarke.nostro exeundi è regno nostro & ad vos profiscendi facultatem: facile quidē in V. Serenitatis gratiam, hanc illi facultatem concessimus. Et quanquam ille natus subditus noster nondum explicatus fuerat a debitione certæ cuiusdam pecuniæ quā nostro ærario soluere iure tenebatur, tamē maiorē vestri desiderij quam nostri debiti rationem habendam esse duximus. Quin insuper animum & voluntatē gratificandi vestræ Serenitati pro nostra mutua amicitia, in qua alia etiam re possumus, cum oportunitas feret, libenter ostendemus. Deus V. Serenitatem diutissiime seruet incolumē. Ex Regia nostra Westmonasterij. 18. Februarij. 1555.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaFebruary 19.The same moneth, the. xix. day was a certaine intimation set forth and printed in the name of Boner,  

MarginaliaThe effect of B. Boners intimatiō sent into his dioces to receaue the Cardinals absolution, and to be reconciled to the Pope in the Lent next folowing.wherein was conteyned a generall monition and strait charge geuen to euery man and woman within his dioces, to prepare them selues against Lent then neare approching to receiue the glad tidinges of peace and reconciliation sent from Pope Iulius. 3. by Poole his Cardinal & Legate De Latere,   and so receaue also þ^e ioyfull benefite of absolutiō, being sēt first frō the Cardinal to Boner, & from him to euerich of his Archdeacons to bee ministred to euery priuate person within his Dioces, that would come the said holy time of Lent to his Pastor or Curate to be confessed, & to receiue of him wholsome counsell, penance, and absolution: Signifying moreouer, that as he was authorised by the foresaid Cardinall, so he for the same purpose had indued with the like authoritie, al and singular Pastors and Curates within his Dioces, to reconcile and assoyle from their former heresie, and schisme, and from the censures of the Church, suche as woulde resort vnto them. And least any scruple or doubt rising peraduenture in their consciences, shoulde be any stay or let in this behalfe, he had assigned and deputed therfore through his Dioces certaine learned men, to whom they might resort, or els might open their griefes to any of his Archdea-

[Back to Top]