FIRST VVE BEGIN and make answere to the .iiii. and .vi. articles, bycause vppon them dependeth moche of the rest. Concernynge chosyng of counsailours, I neuer haue redde hard nor knowē, that princis counsaylours and prelates shulde be appoynted by rude and ignorant common people, nor that they were persones mete or of habilitie to discerne and chose mete and sufficient coūsailours for a prince. Howe presumptuous than are ye the rude cōmons of one shire, and that one of the most brute and beastely of the hole realme, and of leaste experience, to fynde faulte with your prince for the electinge of his counsaylours and prelatis? and to take vpon you, contrary to goddis lawe & mans lawe, to rule your prince, whome ye are bounde by all lawes to obey and serue with both your lyues landes and goodes, and for noo worldly cause to withstand: the contrary wherof you like traytours and rebelles haue attempted, and not lyke trewe subiectes as ye name your selfes.
¶ AS TO THE suppression of religyous houses ano monasteries, we woll, that ye and all our subiectes shoulde welle knowe, that this is graunted vs by all the nobles spirituall and temporall of this our realme, and by all the comons of the same, by act of parlyament, and not set forth by any counsaylour or counsaylours vppon theyr [Page] mere wyll and fantasy, as ye ful falsely wolde perswade our realme to beleue. And where ye allege, that the seruice of god is moch therby diminished, the trouth therof is contrary, for there be no houses suppressed, where god was welle serued, but where moste vice mischiefe and abhomination of lyuynge was vsed: And that doth well appere by their owne confessions subscribed with their owne handes, in the tyme of our vysitations, and yet were suffred a great many of them (more than we neded by thacte) to stande: wherin if they amende not theyr liuynge, we feare, we haue more to aunswere for, than for the suppession of all the reste. And as for the hospitalitie, for the reliefe of poore people, we wonder ye be not asshamed to affirme, that they haue ben a greatte relyefe to our people, whan a great many or the most part hath not past iiii. or .v. religious persons in them, & dyuers but one, whiche spente the substaunce of the goodes of their houses in nouryshynge of vice and abhomynable lyuynge. Nowe what vnkyndenes and vnnaturalitie may we impute to you and al our subiectes (that be of that mynde) that had leauer suche an vnthrifty sorte of vicious persones shuld enioy suche possessions profites & emolumētes, as grow of the sayde houses, to the mayntenaunce of theyr vnthrifte lyfe, than we your naturall prince, soueraygne lorde, and kynge, whiche doothe and hath spente more in your defences of our owne, then .vi. tymes they be worth.
¶ AS TOVCHYNGE the acte or dies, we meruaile what madnes is in your braine, or vpon what grounde ye wolde take auctoritie vpon you to cause vs to breake those lawes & statutes, whiche by all the nobles knyghtes and gentylmen of this realme (whome the same chiefelye toucheth) hath ben graunted and assented to, seynge in noo maner of thynges it touchethe you the basse commons of our realme. Also the groundes of those vses were false, and neuer admytted by any lawe: But vsurped vpon the prince, contrary to all equitie and iustice, as it hath bene openly bothe disputed and declared by all the well lerned men of Englande in westmynster halle: whereby ye may welle perceyue, howe madde and vnreasonable your demandes be, boothe in that and the reste, and howe vnmete it is for vs and dishonorable, to graunt or assente vnto, and lesse mete and decente for you in suche rebellyous sorte to demaunde the same of your prince.
¶ AS TOVCHYNGE the .xv. whiche ye demaunde of vs to be released, Thynke ye that we be soo faynte harted, that perforce ye of one shyre, were ye a great many mo, coude compell vs with your insurrections and such rebellious demeanor, to remytte the same? or thynke ye that any man wil or maye take you to be trewe subiectes, that fyrste make a shewe of a louynge graunt, and than parforce wold compel your souerayne lorde and kyng [Page] to [...] payment wherof is not yet commen: ye and seinge the same wyll not counteruayle the tenth peny of the charges, which we do and dayely must susteygne for your tuition and safegarde. Make you sure, by your occasions of this your ingratitudes vnnaturalnes and vnkyndenesse to vs nowe adminystred, ye gyue vs cause, whiche hath alwayes benne as moche dedicate to your welthes as euer was king, not so moche to sette our studye for the settynge forwarde of the same, seing howe vnkyndely and vntrewly ye deale now with vs without any cause or occasion. And doubte ye not, thoughe ye haue no grace nor naturalnes in you to consider your duitie of allegiaunce to your kynge and soueraygne lorde, the rest of our realme we doubt not, hath. And we and they shal so loke on this cause, that we trust it shal be to your confusion, if accordynge to our former letters ye submitte not your selfes.
¶ AS TOVCHYNGE the fyrste fruites, we lette you wyte, it is a thynge graunted vs by acte of parlyament also, for the supportation of parte of the great and excessiue charges, whiche we supporte and beare for the mayntenance of your welthes and other our subiectes. And we haue knowen also that ye our commons haue moche complayned in tymes passed, that the most of the goodes landes and possessions of the realme, were in the spirituall mennes handes: and yet berynge [Page] vs in hand, that ye be as louing subiectes to vs as may be: ye can not fynde in your hartes, that your prince and soueraygne lorde shuld haue any parte therof: and yet it is nothyng preiudicial vnto you our commons, but to rebelle and vnlawfully ryse agaynst your prince, cōtrary to your duetie of allegiaunce and goddes commandement. Wherfore syrs remembre your folies and trayterous demeanours, and shame not your natiue countrey of Englande, nor offende no more soo greuousely your vndoubted kynge and naturall prince, whiche alweys hath shewed him selfe mooste louynge vnto you: and remembre your duetie of allegiance, and that ye are bounde to obeye vs your kynge, bothe by goodes commaundement and lawe of nature. Wherfore we charge you eftsones vpon the foresayde bondes and peynes, that ye withdrawe your selfes to your own houses euery man, and no more to assemble cōtrary to our lawes and your allegiances, & to cause the prouokers of you to this mischiefe, to be delyuered to our lieutenantes handes or ours, & you your selfes to submitte you to suche condygne punishment, as we and our nobles shal thynke you worthy: For dout you not els that we and our nobles can nor wyll suffre this iniurie at your handes vnreuenged, if ye gyue not place to vs of souerayntie, and shew your selfes as boūden and obedient subiectis, and no more to entremedle your selfes from hensforth with the weighty affaires of the realme, the direction wherof only apperteyneth [Page] to vs your kyng, and suche noble men and counsaylours, as we lyst to elect and chuse to haue the orderynge of the same. And thus we pray vnto almyghty god, to gyue you grace to doo your duities, to vse your selfes towarde vs lyke trewe and faythefull subiectes, so as we may haue cause to order you thereafter, and rather obedyentely to consent amongest you, to delyuer into thandes of our lieutenant .C. persons, to be ordered according to their demerites at our wyll and pleasure, than by your obstinacy and wylfulnes, to put your selfes your lyues, wyues, chyldren, landes, goodes, and cattalles, besydes the indignation of god, in thutter aduenture of totall distruction and vtter ruine by force and violence of the swerde.