Letters and Papers Foreign and Domestic Henry VIII 1510

7. To his Highness. From Diego Fernandez, Chancellor, 25th of May 1510.

Most high and most powerful Lord,

All the past time I did not dare to write to your Highness of the condition of the Queen my Lady, in order not to annoy her, and because all the physicians deceived themselves until time was the judge of the truth. The last day of January in the morning her Highness brought forth prematurely a daughter, without any other pain except that one knee pained her the night before. This affair was so secret that no one knew it until now, except the King my Lord, two Spanish women, a physician and I. The physician said that her Highness remained pregnant of another child, and it was believed and kept secret.

Her Highness, in order to conceal it, did not guard herself against the cold, and her uterus intumuit so much as never was seen in gravida muliere. Her Highness believed herself to be with child, although she had some doubts. It has pleased our Lord to be her physician in such a way that uterus decrevit, and by his infinite mercy he has again permitted her to be with child. This your Highness is to believe, for it is as true as I am a man. Her Highness denies it to all the world and to the King, but to me she has told it that she is since three months [pregnant], and her Highness told me that uterus suus iam intumescit multum ; her Highness cannot deny it, because she is already, by the grace of our Lord, very large, so much so that all the physicians know and affirm it, and a Spanish woman who is in her private chamber told me the same thing from secret signs which they have. I pledge my word to your Highness that it is so, and I hope in God that it has been a beginning to give to your Majesty a hundred grandsons of their Graces my Sovereigns instead of one. Her Highness is very healthy, and the most beautiful creature in the world, with the greatest gaiety and contentment that ever was. The King my Lord adores her, and her Highness him. Your Highness is bound to give many thanks to our Lord that he gave you two such Christian children in their Graces my Sovereigns, so very wise, learned, and with all the natural perfections above all others. I kiss the royal feet and hands of your Majesty for your confidence. In all that Don Luis Caroz, ambassador of your Highness, shall command me, you will find me a very true servant of your Highness as I am. The interest of my stay in this land after serving God (fn. 3) ... your Highness and the Queen my Lady with very firm and entire faith. The day that your Highnesses shall command that I return to my convent I am quite prepared to go, to pray to God for your persons and royal states, which may our Lord preserve with many more additions of kingdoms and lordships.

From Greenwich, the 25th of May.

The perpetual and humble servant and chaplain of your Highness.

V. Didacus Fernandez. [Sign manual.]

[Addressed :] To the very high and very powerful Lord the King.

15th August 1510. S.P. Hen. VIII., 2, f. 4. R.O. 559. [1212.] Will of Edmund Dudley [aged 48], attainted of High Treason.

Protests against the verdict in the Guildhall. Wills Sir Andrew Wyndesore and others his feoffees for lands in the Isle of Wight, the manors of Fyndon and Hamfay, the manor of [blank] and lands called the Lyghte near Tortyngton in Sussex, and the manor of East Pullam in Dorset, and also his lands in Lancashire, purchased of Lord Daker of the South, to stand seized to the use of Eliz. his wife, with remainders in tail to his sons John, Jerome, and Andrew, his daughter Eliz., and his brother Peter. His lands in Lincolnshire to be held to the use of his son Jerome and heirs male of his body, howbeit his mind "was to have had him a priest." My Lord of London (Fitz James), Dr. Colet, Sir And. Wyndesore, and Dr. Yonge to have the guiding of his son Jerome till he is 22 years of age; the surplus profits of the lands assigned to him to be given to poor scholars of divinity at Oxford. His lands in Norf., Suff., and Wilts, and his reversion of the manor of Barerch, Suss., bought of Copley, to be held to the use of his son Andrew and the heirs of his body; those in Onershe, Cranley, and Bromley in Surrey, to ... and the heirs male of his body. [Out of those in] Hants, purchased of Sir A. Fortescue, "pay yerely ...ere duryng his lyffe." Much mutilated provision concerning "... starton is nevew and so from broder to broder," lands redeemable by the Earl of Kent, and his (Dudley's) daughter Elizabeth "except she do enjoy the marriage of young ..." Lands in Cheshire to be held to the use of his son John and the heirs of his body; and the residue for payment of debts; the manor of Sheffeld, and lands in Sussex and Surrey, bought of Roger Lewkenor, together with his interest in the manors of Bargham, Ryngewyke, Ham, Gratham, Wymynholl, "and thereabouts," in Sussex, to be restored on certain conditions. With other bequests and provisions respecting Harold Staunton, Mr. Morley of Lewes, his cousin Yonge called Somerset, his cousin Jas. Bemond, his brother Anth. Wynsor, Ric. Lister, "lernedman," Thos. Michell, "late my clerk," Will. Fraunke, "my servant," "Will. Thikepeny, that toke payn with me in the Towre; paying all these folks to be helping and frendly to my wiffe and children."

Debtors:—Edward Lewkenor of Sussex, Richard Hyll of the Custom House of London,—Benett of Chengton in Sussex; W. Butre and—Fuller, mercers of London, for silks; * * *—Coplond, tailor; Will. Nicolson of London;—Hamsted, wax-chandler; "the wife of Will. Pelett of Stenyng in Sussex, £60. that I borrowed of her and her husband; but if [she] enjoy the marriage of young Chaloner for her daughter, then I owe her but £20.;" the executors of Sir R. Bray; Sir David Owen; Kneysworth, alderman of London, for Taner's debt; Sir R. Southwell.

"Things that I am bound in conscience to do perform for the souls of persons deceased," to be performed by the executors with the advice of the testator's cousin, Richard Dudley, priest, and Mr. Brooke and Mr. Lister, learned men, viz.: £50 to poor priests in Oxford and Cambridge, for the souls of his father and mother, and William Dudley, of himself and his two wives. An altar cloth for the high altar of Tortington, Sussex, and another to the Lady altar, his first wife being buried there. To my lord of Arundell a "coppe" (cup?) of 8l., "by my father's will." To a priest to [sing] for the soul of his first wife, to have for salary 10 mks. [and teach the] choristers their grammar. 20l. arising from the goods of W. Nymes, late ald[erman], to be bestowed ...Sums [for the souls] of his sister Ann Hall and John Lewkenor ... "I lowly desire my Lord Steward and my ... son John Dudley, humbly beseeching them ... him married in a honest stock"; also to be good lords "to my poor and loving [wife, to protect] her from wrong, and to yeve to her good counsels as to their poor servant and k[inswoman];" and "I will require my said lords and all other of the King's honourable Council" to be [good] masters to my poor brother Peter Dudley, my near kinsman Jas. Bea[mont, and two] poor men, sometime my servants, viz., Thomas Michell and Will. Franke, who are in danger for my "lewd demeanour," intending to escape from the Tower; they did but their duty as servants, and afterwards refused to assist my escape, and they were the only persons privy to it. He himself did not intend it unless the attainder had passed both Commons, Lords, and King, as he told Brymley, who might have dealt with him better than he did. Bequests to Marion Raylegh, whom Dr. Thompson knows, for her daughter Elizabeth, whom Will. Bookyll of London Bridge bound apprentice with the wife of Mr. Waren, browderer; to the building of Paul's church, and the churches of Chichester, Poynings in Sussex, and St. Swithin's in London "where I dwelt." Desires to be buried in the monastery of Westminster, his wife to find a priest to sing for him for three years, ten marks to be given to the poor on each anniversary of his burial. If Sir William Sandes and others be not discharged of their recognizance of 1,000l. to the late King by a bill which testator delivered to Mr. Lovell and Mr. Heron, desires that they be reimbursed.

"Item wher I gave to Andrew ... folkes of worship, dyvers greate ... if my pardon be had and that I fortune ... be the assent and advise of the ... other ... londes by ther discrecyons as will se my ... ffy ...for me, but if I put (sic) to execucion or ...and paimentes ar utterly discharged for ..."

Item (mutilated) directing that, for their trouble, each of his feoffees and also his "kind lady," Lady Litton, shall have 20 mks.

Concluded with an exhortation to his feoffees (to see this will performed) and a prayer for the King, but this portion is very mutilated.

Orig. much mutilated, pp. 8. Signed at the bottom of each page. Some of the mutilations supplied in the earlier part from the copy, § 2.