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to bee trusted with the Kynges brother, that by the assente of the nobles of the lande wer appoynted, as the Kynges nereste friendes, to the tuicyon of his owne royall parsone. The prosperytye whereof standeth (quod hee) not all in 5 keepynge from enemyes or yll vyande, but partelye also in recreacion and moderate pleasure; which he cannot in this tender youthe take in the coumpanye of auncient parsons, but in the famylier conuersacyon of those that bee neyther farre vnder nor farre aboue his age, and nath10 lesse of estate conuenient to accoumpanye his noble magestie. Wherefore with whom rather then with his owne brother? And yf anye manne thinke this consideracion (whiche I thynke no manne thynketh that loueth the Kynge) lette hym consyder that sommetime withoute smal 15 thinges greatter cannot stande. And verelye it redowndeth greatelye to the dishonoure bothe of the kinges highnesse and of al vs that bene about his grace, to haue it runne in euery mans mouth, not in this realme onely, but also in other landes (as euyll woordes walke farre) that the 20 Kynges brother shoulde bee fayne to keepe Saynctuarye.

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For euerye manne wyll weene, that no manne wyll so dooe for noughte. And suche euyll oppinyon once fastened in mennes heartes, hard it is to wraste oute, and maye growe to more grief than anye manne here canne diuine.

Wherefore mee thynketh it were not woorste to sende vnto the Quene, for the redresse of this matter, somme honourable trustye manne, suche as bothe tendereth the Kynges weale, and the honoure of his counsaile, and is also in fauoure and credence wyth her. For al which consideracions, none seemeth mee more metelye than oure reuerente father here presente, my Lorde Cardynall, who maye in this matter dooe moste good of anye manne, yf it please hym to take the payne. Whiche I doubte not of

his goodnesse he wyll not refuse, for the Kynges sake and ours, and wealthe of the younge Duke hymself, the kinges moste honourable brother, and after my soueraygne Lorde hymself, my moste dere nephewe; considered that thereby shall bee ceased the slaunderous rumoure and obloquye 5 nowe goynge and the hurtes auoyded that thereof mighte ensue, and much rest and quyete growe to all the realme. And yf shee bee percase so obstynate, and so preciselye sette vppon her own wyl, that neyther his wise and faithful aduertysemente canne moue her, nor any mannes reason 10 content her; then shall wee by myne aduyse, by the Kynges authoritye, fetche hym out of that prisone, and brynge hym to his noble presence, in whose contynuall coumpanye he shal bee so well cherished and so honourablye entreated, that all the worlde shall, to our honor and her reproch, 15 perceiue that it was onelye malyce, frowardenesse, or foly, that caused her to keepe him there. This is my minde in this matter for this time, excepte any of your Lordeshippes anye thinge perceiue to the contrarye. For neuer shal I by Gods grace so wedde my selfe to myne own wyll, 20 but that I shall bee readye to chaunge it vppon youre better aduyses.

When the protectoure hadde said, al the counsayl affyrmed that the mocion was good and reasonable, and to the kynge and the Duke his brother honourable, and a 25 thing that should cease greate murmure in the realme, if the mother might be by good meanes enduced to delyuer hym. Whiche thynge the Archebishoppe of Yorke, whome they all agreed also to bee thereto moste conuenyente, tooke vppon hym to moue her, and therein to dooe hys 30 vttermoste deuowre. Howe bee it if shee coulde bee in no wyse entreated with her good wyll to delyuer hym, then thoughte hee and suche other as were of the spiritualtye

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present, that it were not in anye wyse to be attempted to take him oute agaynste her wil. For it would bee a thynge that shoulde tourne to the greate grudge of all menne, and hyghe dyspleasure of Godde, yf the priueledge of that holye

Saintuarye.

place should nowe bee broken. Whiche hadde

so manye yeares bee kepte, whyche bothe Kynges and Popes soo good hadde graunted, so many hadde confirmed, and whiche holye grounde was more then fyue hundred yeare agoe by Saincte Peter his own parsone in spirite, 10 accoumpanyed with greate multitude of aungelles, by nyghte so specyallye halowed and dedicate to Godde, (for the proofe wherof they haue yet in the Abbay Sainct Peters cope to shewe) that from that tyme hytherwarde, was there neuer so vndeuowte a Kinge, that durst that sacred place violate, 15 or so holye a Bishoppe that durste it presume to consecrate. And therefore (quod the Archebishoppe of Yorke) Godde forbydde that anye manne shoulde, for anye thynge earthlye, enterpryse to breake the immunitee and libertye of that sacred Sainctuary, that hath bene the safegarde of so many 20 a good mannes life. And I truste (quod he) with Gods grace, we shal not nede it. But for ani maner nede, I would not we shoulde dooe it. I truste that shee shall bee with reason contented, and all thynge in good maner obtayned. And yf it happen that I brynge it not so to 25 passe, yet shall I towarde it so farrefoorth dooe my beste, that ye shall all well perceiue that no lacke of my deuoure, but the mothers drede and womannishe feare shall bee the let.

Womannishe feare, naye womannishe frowardenesse 30 (quod the Duke of Buckyngham.) For I dare take it vppon my soule, she well knoweth she needeth no such thyng to feare, either for her sonne or for her selfe. For as for her, here is no manne that will be at warre with

women. Woulde God some of the men of her kynne were women too, and then shoulde al bee soone in reste. Howe bee it there is none of her kinne the lesse loued, for that they bee her kinne, but for their owne euill deseruinge. And nathelesse if we loued neither her nor her kinne, yet 5 were there no cause to thinke that we shoulde hate the kynges noble brother, to whose Grace wee oureselfe bee of kynne. Whose honoure if shee as muche desyred as oure dishonoure, and as muche regarde tooke to his wealthe, as to her owne will, she woulde bee as lothe to suffer him 10 from the kinge, as anye of vs bee. For if shee haue anye witte, (as wouide Godde she hadde as good will as she hathe shrewde witte) she reckoneth her selfe no wiser then shee thinketh some that bee here, of whose faithefull mynde she nothing doubteth, but verelye beleueth and knoweth, 15 that they woulde bee as sorye of his harme as her selfe, and yet would haue hym from her yf she byde there. And wee all (I thinke) contente, that bothe bee with her, yf she come thence and bide in suche place where they maie with their honoure bee.

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Nowe then yf she refuse, in the deliueraunce of hym, to folowe the counsaile of them whose wisdom she knoweth, whose trouth she well trusteth, it is ethe to perceiue, that frowardnesse letteth her, and not feare. But goe to, suppose that she feare (as who maye lette her to feare her owne 25 shadowe) the more she feareth to delyuer hym, the more oughte wee feale to leaue him in her handes. For if she caste suche fonde doubtes, that shee feare his hurte; then wyll she feare that hee shall bee fette thence. For she will soone thinke, that if menne were sette (whiche Godde 30 forbydde) vppon so greate a mischiefe, the saintuarye woulde litle let them. Which good menne mighte, as mee thynketh, without sinne sommewhat lesse regarde then they do.

Nowe then if she doubte leste hee mighte bee fetched from her, is it not likelye ynoughe that she shall sende him somme where out of the realme? Verely I looke for none other. And I doubte not but shee nowe as sore myndeth 5 it, as wee the lette thereof. And yf she myghte happen to brynge that to passe, (as it were no greate maistrye, wee lettinge her alone) all the worlde woulde saye that wee wer a wyse sort of counsaylers aboute a kynge, that lette his brother bee caste awaye vnder oure noses. And there10 fore I ensure you faythfully for my mynde, I wyll rather, maugrye her mynde, fetche hym awaye, then leaue hym ther, till her frowardnes or fond feare conuay hym awaye. And yet will I breake no Saintuarye therefore. For verelye sithe the priuileges of that place and other lyke, haue bene 15 of long continued, I am not he that woulde bee aboute to breake them. And in good faith if they were nowe to begynne, I woulde not bee he that shoulde bee aboute to

Of saintuaries.

make them. Yet wyll I not saye naye, but that it is a deede of pitie, that suche menne, as the 20 sea or theyr euill dettours haue broughte in pouertye, shoulde haue somme place of libertye, to keepe their bodies oute of the daunger of their cruell creditours. And also yf the crowne happen (as it hathe done) to comme in questyon, whyle eyther parte taketh other as traytours, I wyll well there bee somme 25 places of refuge for bothe. But as for theeues, of whiche these places bee full, and which neuer fall fro the crafte, after thei once falle thereto, it is pitie the saintuarye shoulde serue them. And muche more mannequellers, whome Godde badde to take from the aulter and kyll them yf 30 theyr murther were wylfull. And where it is otherwyse there neede wee not the sayntuaryes that God appointed in the olde lawe. For yf eyther necessitie, hys owne defence, or misfortune drawe hym to that dede, a pardon

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