Good Syr: my last to you was of the first of lune, as I take it, at least no longer agoe. wherin I did acquainte you with such occurrentes as then did happen amongest us. yester night I receaved two from you, thon of the 9 of Aprill, thother meant for mr Lea, but directed to me of the 16 of the same: I see by boath how much we are behouldinge unto you, boath for your payns in out affayres, as alsoe for the good advise you give how heere we should follow our busines, for my own parte, I doe what I can, & will not cease hereafter to sett forward the cause all that lieth in me: although we be reasonable well combyned, yeat fewe we have that will take payns, which it may be is the occasion that you receave so few relations as you doe: in my last I towld you how d Bushop was taken; and in this you shall receave a part of his letter to me by which you may partly understand how it fareth with hyme.

My good Syr. Since my returne I have sent divers letters unto you and receaved also some from you but none in answer to mine doe come[.] Now I am shortly to go over having left things as I hope in good forwardnes. you shal ether with this or soone after with the first securitie receive the voices of 112 for Bish. you I know will expect more and surely more might have bene gotten if some were more diligent or the Pursivants did not so range [?] about as they do daily that nether london nor the countrie can afford any safetie or possibilitie to meet[.] yet this is certain that the number of pr. is nothing so great as was imagined and that it hath very smally increased since the span. sem: began, yett this number wil shew that it is not ambition which maketh so general a desire. I hear of scarce six that deny to have them and two for fear of offending withold their hands yet give their consents.

And my muche respected frend. I received yours written Anno d: 1611 [altered from ‘1610’] feb. the Kal of luly. 1610 [sic for ‘1611’]. since which I received none from you to my selfe. yett have I scene some of yours to other our frends. we suffer greate difficultie in sending to you & receiving from you. And verie often our watchefull frends intercept bothe yours and ours for they ar more vigilant in this evil office than the heretiks. they have their hierlings for this purpose in france, flanders Italy & Rome. I wrote to you about Michelmas 1610 touching what I had conselled in the oathe but I knowe not whether our frends sent it, or not, or whether you received it or no. my desire was to certifie you of the whole matter that you might knowe how to answere for me against the calumniations of our adversaries, which I doubted not would be most diligent to slander & calumniate me, wher they had fair worse deserved them selves, for their cheefest meane to hinder oar good desires & petitions, is by defayming us here but principally wher you ar. In that business I neither knowe nor heare as yett but that I did which may easely be iusdfied which was this, for perhaps you received not my formar. Aboute Michaelmass 1610 ther was terrible a doe about the oath every wher, but this persecution (as it ever haith bene) was more hote in yorkeshire & the northe, than elswhere[.] And even so it is at this present by reason of a new proclamation to tender the oath most diligently to all catho: without exception or delay.

I am ashamed that we hold noe better correspondence with yow then wee doe, but yow know the difficulties we travayle in, and I am much afrayed wee shall have a sharp winter which is already begun with some stormes. mr [sic] vaux her howse surpriz'd, her alter taken and 2. Iesuites mr Io. Percy & one mr Hart. D. Bish. is in the Gatehowse, mr Martin & other 13 preists in Newgate, many in the Clink that are noe lurors as mr Coll. mr Leak, mr Kenian, mr Haynes [‘all’ deleted] mr Stamford as I take it an Assistant, much mischeef by pursuivants, in the citie and country, we greiv and groan to think that his hol. shewes soe lide compassion of owr afflictions as not to comforth us with the graunt of any one petition thowgh never soe just. but if we wear united wee shold have any thing, first it is a slaunder if any give owt that wee are at variance. 2ly wee have made some just suites which require neyther consent nor knowledge of any other bodie, as the repealing of that Breif against the proceeding of doctours, though they have the voyces of the universities whearin they have studied and done their acts. what a disgrace is this not only to us but to any universitie in christendome that if an Inglish preist banish'd his country or wearied by long persecution & willing to retyre himselfe awhile, or otherwise drawen to goe to some univreitye & thear live orderly & studiously, doe all his acts with applause and be thowght worthy by the whole universitye to proceed, yet must this man stay, expect, make freinds, and sute to R.

my verie good Sr, I have alredie written unto yow, how one told me upon your puttinge fa persons wordes to be Censured, that all the laitie wold forsake us, and leave us destitute of all helpe. this was not of himselfe, but he had it from beyonde the seas, for my part I shall relie upon godes providence, and wishe that everie man may be respected accordinge to his desertes. but no man I thinke can iustly blame yow for that, so many heare groundinge upon those wordes, the lawfullnes of the oath, but his frendes are angry supposinge it commeth of splenne, in which sense I cannot beleve yow wold do it. they may see as much don to mr Mush, and yet they will not say we do it of malice to him. his hoi saieth in plaine terms the oath may not be taken with any restriction: the foresaid father seameth to averre die Contrarie, whose credit yow know is greater in this Land then die credit of xx such as yow and I. who can then blame eidier of us for craving direction in that matter.

my verie Rev good Sr, it is now so longe since I hard from yow, and I have written so often, that I beleve I am now even with yow in your nomber of Letters, yf mine be safely come unto yow. I have had such checkes of late concerninge yowr puttinge fa pers. wordes to be censured, that I feare some false measure, yett yf yow communicated the matter first to our vicepr. as it seameth yow did, it will helpe the matter well. I could wish yow to take heede how farre yow deale with vives, die vicep. meant somethinge when he advised yow to the contrarie, a yonge Carmelite called mr dowghtie here in London sendeth me word that your monsignour is wholly crossed in his designes, and therfor I feare yow cannot gett any great favour in dealinge widi him though yow fynd some perticular releife. yet this forenamed Carmelite assureth me that his superiors favour yowr monsignour much, and he offereth me to write unto them in our behalfe, for diat vives is now altogether bent (as he saieth) to convert his charitie to the furtherance of our countrie. which Courtesie I could verie well [‘like’ deleted] like of, but that I feare the issue therof.

Rnd S.r having heertofor beinge prisoner presumed uppon no acquaintance to deliver you my pouer opinion concerning our English affaires in an imperfecte letter, which I then desired to conclude with some more leasurable oportunitie I make my selfe the more bould at this present allthough with the neglecte of that discurse to treble you with matter more impertinente, for my self [?] I latelie arrived at Paris where I intende godwillinge to make my abode [.] wee were [‘six’ deleted] 6 in number banished vz my self out of the Clinke. & out of Newgate Mr francis foster Mr Thomas wood. Mr Craford a moncke. Mr Green alias forscu. Mr Whright who in his passage from St Sebastians (where hee lived) in to flanders by misfortune was caste in at Portsmouth, the means of our banishmente was by the duke of Savois Embassadoure, but the Archbush changed tow of those whom he begged[.] Mr Blacwell died before my departure [.] he celebrated the same morninge, and the afternoone passinge over the courte to Mr heborne to be confessed tooke coulde comminge to his chamber fell in to a sounde, and within the space of tow howrs died, being demanded by Mr warmington his iudgmente of the oath he answered that if he hadd donne amisse hee cried god mercie but hee did (as he affirmed) accordinge to his conscience, hee departed before hee hadd extremeunctione.

my deerest Syr I have yours of the 15 of [‘Ian:’ deleted] Febr: And am very sorie of that ill happe of our Protector, and shal for my owne parte be glad to see mr Chamberl albeit some that have hertofore knowne him well be but hardly conceited of him and I pray God he rather deceave their expectation than yours. I shold have bene glad to have had some of the Copies of my good la. life but I wold not have you seeme troblesome or importune to any for them. Here you shall receive Mr Kenion his letter who relateth I hope the affaires of England. He I hope will prove a fitt subiect for Our purpose, since his coming over mr warmington his booke for the oathe and mr Sheldon his booke for his Apostasie is published [.] This last I have seene but not read, they say it is most spiteful and that he is an other Bel. He insin [u]ateth that Rouse Atkinson and such like do against their conscience but he from his hart detesteth our religion and had thes 16 years suggestions against the masse, mr Copley and Collier accompany him in his revolt.

v. r. and beloved Sr

I went of purpose in feb: last to see old mr Dolman whose auncientnes yow may conice [ture] by that he was preist at Rome when D. Sanders was made preist and assisted him as his father when he said his first mass. I conferred with him about the point of Bishops and he told me that at that tyme pius 4th as I take it or 5th and as farr as he remembres the whole College of Cardinalls did hold it requisite that some Inglish Bishops shold be made to condnew the succesion, and that some I know not who besides the L. Mountague who was then thear or had been thear thowght it fit to be stayed tyll they had the opinions of the confesseurs that at that tyme wear in prison hear, of whom some wear Bishops.

Rev. S.r in my last, which I think was of the 22 of march or therabout I told yow of a bruite raised against mr preston for beinge the maker of widderintons booke, which holdeth still, but himselfe denieth it. and some are redie to beleve him. whether the Archp hath any autoritie to looke in to such defectes amongst the religiouse or no yet the wordes of his commission are ut admoneret omnes et singulos sacerdotes Anglos etc. now whether religiouse prestes be comprehended as well as the secular, it is to me uncerten. at the least it were necessarie that some should have an eye therunto, when as there verie superiors are deamed so much to halt in that respect.

very deere Syr. I have yours of the 14 of Ianuary havinge some 3 weekes a gon acknowledged & awnswerd yours of the 20th of the same. I thanck the gentleman that lay with us of chrismas was twelvemonenth for his kynd comendations, what curtesye was showed hime, (howsoever his affection were other wayes bestowed) was playn & sincere, some 4 monethes a gon I have been towld that he was departe [d] this life, wherupon I sayd a masse of requiem for his soule. but now I am very glad to understand of his good healthe wher with f. Griffyn had some senight a goe acquainted me who is saffly arived in these partes. I was on of the first that he came to: he is not dissmissd but with leave [‘is come’ deleted] (against the likinge of some) arived. he is a good religieuse, playn, & sincere honest man: if his brethern were of his dictamen in the managinge of Englishe affayers we should soone have peace with them. I heere nothinge of the dimission of those 6 you mention in yoar last. I marvaile you say nothing of 4 or 5 letters I sent you synce the begininge of winter. but I suppose it fareth with me, as it doth with your self, for I had yours of the 20 of Ianuary some 3 weekes or a moneth before the 14 of the same monenth came to my handes. I cowld wish mr Ratcliff wrth you, but our wantes be soe great for money that I fear me we shall not send hime.

my verie good Sr, after my longe desyer to heare from yow I have now receyved two of yours (not missinge those yow have sent before), the one of the 16 of march, the other of the 28. so that I make account to have receyved all which yow have sent, as for answere to the first, be yow sure that albeit I begynne to grow dymme, yet when iust occasion forceth me, I will not omitt to visit yow with my letters, beinge not ignorant of the consolation that such correspondence bringeth widi it. for the sturre about the booke yow presented take yow no great thought, it can do yow no harme, neither need yow to prosecute that matter for your credit, for I do not conceyve yow have lost it by that means, the sturre about that point is not so great heare as I perceyve yow imagin, albeit one of Late of no small reputation hath once againe obiected the same unto me. but I am not moved ther with, but Lett such speeches passe, wherin I fynd much good, and therfor could wish yow wold also deale no more therwith. for I am told yt will but breed amongst us increase of combustions, your zeale against the oath giveth me great edification, and causeth me iustly to see what the generall opinion is in that place [word deleted], which by the grace of god I meane to hold so longe as I live. In that sense yow say yow are a frend to those of the Clinke, I am also a frend, and I thinke I have shewed the same in as good termes as any other of my brethren hath done.

Very Reverend and beloved Sir. yours of the 19th of may beinge salfly arived unto my handes I would not omitt accordinge to my accoustomed manner to geve yow notice therof, as alsoe to geve yow to understande that the inclosed with yt to Sir w:m Roper, f: Augustine, m:r Rant and mr Ishams sonne are all sent already accordinge as they weare addressed, and now in requitall of your packet I send yow an other as well fraughted yet with the greater part for your self which may make me presume that they shalbe the better welcome; yow shall therfore understand that some few dayes past I receaved from m:r wiliam Howard a Letter dated from doway certefiyinge me of his acquaintance with yow at Rome and Late departure from thence cravinge wzthall my help for the directinge of a little packet from him unto yow which now wzth the rest I here send yow together with one from m:r Mayney to m:r Roper. then further I have receaved this week two Letters together in one packet from our R: Archpriest of two general dates the one of the 16th of March the other of the 22th of Aprill ether of them especially concerninge the matter of the meetinge at doway and noe newes mentioned in them but souch as Longe since I have written unto yow, with thes Letters I receaved alsoe two for your self from him which heare alsoe I sende yow.

My good frende: thease seven weekes I have beene far awaye from my good neighbours & a meere strainger to my man & dame. from whome I have receaved noe lettre in all this tyme by reason whereof I can saye nothinge of any thinge in those partes neither of any other matters but of suche as I have by the relation of an olde acquaintance of yours one I: Younge to whome I give greate creditt. whoe tellethe mee firste that he hathe rec. xxs in silver from the Clarke for yow. I saye in silver bicause had it beene in golde ytt had beene worthe 22s, which moneye I have & desire to knowe whatt I shoulde doe with it. secondlye hee telleme mee that a little before & after Ester that theare was muche a doe in the easte of sussex vz breakinge uppe of howses at midnight by the Counstables at Mrs Brookes of Asson, and some of her sonnes at Berricke farme to fe[t]che [?] her & them to take the othe. some fledd, some weare taken, and some tooke, & some refused to take the othe. abought that tyme thear was searche at Bentlye by a pursephant and ii Iustices of peace for seminary pp. for informations or lettres of information from beyonde the seas, & for libellous bookes, but theare was noe harme donne there and the poore scott dyed some weeke beefore. over all the Cuntrye theare was sittinge of Iustices & caulinge all kinde of howseholders beefore them to take the othe as well at other places as at Battell where amongste diverse protestants some of susewell weare brought but none of the towne meddled with all, beefore the sittinges off which Iustices theare was watche & warde to staye all roges & wanderinge persons but for all that none weare stayed but Catholiques & some people weare not far from Robertsbridge brought thither (whome I muste not name) whoe I thinke [word deleted] made butt bad shifte & in some sence tooke the othe. The thursdaye beefore the Assention the Lorde Vaux was condemned in a premunire for refusinge the othe albeeit some saye (howe trulye I knowe not) that hee offered after a sorte to take it.

My deare sr I am butt yesterdaye come home from my sr sib: 811 to my dames wheare I founde to lettres of yours sente thither for mee vz one of the 23 of May the other of the 6 of Iune. & at my sisters I receaved to others from yow one of the 7 of Aprill which came unto mee very speedilye & for in Iune I receaved an other of the 28 of februarye for all which lettres I thanke yow. & I assure yow that I have writtne unto yow everye monethe this newe yeare Maye excepted & that I omitted bicause at the place where I then laye theare had beene watche & warde to staye recusantes & I durste not ve [n] ture to sende by any of them that weare knowen to bee suche. In thease of yours I understood that myne have not come to your handes which makethe mee to sende yow woorde againe & againe diat I have receaved xx8 in silver for your Ringe & woulde faine knowe what I shoulde doe with it. yow guesse right of matters for in deede I have omitted to wright of newes which Londoners might wright of bicause I thinke that they knowe the newes better then my selfe and mat it would bee stale newes eare it came unto yow. wherefore I sayed nothinge of the martirdomes of m.r Crayforde alias scot a benedictine monke & m.r Nuporte whoe had some tymes lived where mr Formallyes lived since whose deathes this is a certane newes & admirable too, that there is in the westerne seas a streame of bludd which many have seene & dipte theire handes in it & this newes I speake of [word obscured: ‘it’ (?)] bicause a lorde of the Counsale & a knight of my Acquaintance saye it is moste certane.

very Rd Syr. my last was owt of Sussex wherin I informed you of such occurrentes as then hapned in these partes, but especially of the recovery of mr lea who had been most daingerously sick of a hott fever which had lik to have taken hime away from us. now I have receaved a coople from you together, thon of the 10 of Aprill, thother of the 6 of Iune. I see still how laborious you are in our affayers & soe doe we all, which maketh us perpetually bownd unto you, & how soever our sutes doe consort & fall owt, yeat for my own parte can not I see but that you tak all the means that may be to doe us good, which if they doe not tak place as you desyre we doe altogether impute it to the litle care is had by the highest of our pressures, & soe most goe on with contentd patience till it shall please our sweete lord to mak better provision for us. you cowld say no more too paul then you did, & although you cowld not hinder, but that he would give us a vice protector, yeat I doe not dowbt but your speches hath moved hime soe much that he hath taken order wzth melino, that he will prove farr more indifferent to our cause, then ever we found Bianchetto, therfor in any [‘cause’ deleted] case seeme to be confident with hime: & it may be our great sute beinge the first matter that he hath to deale for us, he wilbe the more forward to helpe us to bringe it to passe, that therby he may wynne us hearafter to have the mor liking unto hime.

My deere Syr. I hope you wi[l] have me excused that I have not my self written to you this long time for knowing that D. Champney and others have acquainted you with all things that were done at Doway or were otherwise knowne [?] [.] I perswade my self that you wold and will account a letter from ether of us as come from us both as we do your letter unto us. wherfor omitting all other complements. God be thanked we have obtained for our company four hundred crownes yearly of the Clergie of France. our good brethren opp here opposed against us what they could but especially D. Roger whome we leest doubted of and whome we most kindly used ever more. It was told the Bishops that we were Iesu[i]tted men and I in particuler a powder traiter which last sensles and unchristian calumnie is thought to have comen from D. Roger who openly professed that he would ioyne with Ies: against us and he truly ioyned with some of them in calumnies, what this calumnie may hurte me in England I knowe not but here it hath done no harme but to the Author. I was warned of him by letters from Flanders to beware of his malice, but I suspected no such thing in him by reason of his good speeches and frequent visits which now I perceave were a welsh trick. God forgive him. Here is another scruple amongst us[.] For D Bish. wold not have my Coosin Fen of our company albeit he heere [?] comen out of Engl for that purpose and hath bene admitted by oar founder and hath endured a hard years entertain [m]ent with me, And so hath left out his name in the Request to the Clergie and given it unknowne to me. me diinks this is more than needs and I having spent my money time and paines in this matter do look to be acquainted with the affaires therof and not to be wronged ether in my self or my kinsmen, long it were to discourse of all this matter and to shew what exceptions firs[t] for learning then for headines shold be taken against my Coosin.

Rev. S.r

I hope by this tyme yow have receyved an answere from me of all your Letters, now I am to advertise yow, oportere te caute ambulare, and not to offer any dowbt in this matter of the oath to be Censured, but in such termes (yf it be in my name) as I shall deliver yt unto yow. mr widderington hath ben beyond the Sea of Late, and since his comminge home hath to a frend at neugate charged me wzth an absurd Censure, as yf I should have Censured mr Clinche for holdinge the lawfullnes of the oath in his mynd secredy. and saied yf I wold not recall it, there wold be thinges sett forth in print or writinge to my disgrace, but I have don nothinge but justice and accordinge to the tenor of my commission sent by your selfe by order from his hol. namely to declare not onely mr blackwell and those of the clink, but also all others of there opinion to have Lost ther faculties, now cometh out the said mr Clinch with great contempt of my assistant mr Trollope, for admonishinge him twice or thrice, and to the scandall of the Countrie, [‘and’ deleted] mainteyneth that notwithstandinge he will nether teach nor defend the oath, yet in his understandinge he joyneth in opinion with mr blackwell and the rest, and having expressed thus much in plaine wordes outwardly persisteth in this error verie obstinately.

My deare s.r yt is not longe since I sente yow a lettre of many matters the confirmation whereof I daylye expecte or if yow have none heereafter then I praye yow not to reckon of that that hathe beene writtne. Nowe I hasten theese lettres bicause I heere that if I can dispatche this lettre in any tyme I maye chance to have him sente & if I omitt this tyme I knowe not howe or when to sende partelye by reason of the difficulties theese tymes afforde but cheefelye bicause I was but yesterdaye in as weeke a case as almoste ever I was by reason of an ague which hangethe uppon mee & hathe brought mee lowe & drivethe mee daylye into many lothesome colde swetts & what will beecom of it & of mee by reason of it I knowe not but hopinge thatt yow will remember mee when I am dedd I intende to keepe tuche with yow whiles I live. & I assure yow that I have not fayled to wright to yow everye monthe this yere (Maye excepted) which I repeete in diverse lettres bicause I feare my lettres miskarry & I woulde fayne by one meanes or other yow shoulde knowe the care I have to satisfye yow in this kinde.

Very Reverend and beloved si:r I have two of yours of which I ame at this present to retorne yow answer, the former of the 25th of August the later of the 8th of September [.] the reason why accordinge to my wonted coustome I fayled to advertise yow of the receipt of the former I hope yow have understood by one from m.r Nelson and the week followinge at our retorne I was soe full of busines by reason of his departure towardes England and of mr Colfords towardes Spayne that possibly I could not have commoditye to write; M:r Colford is gone with my permission but not without geveinge me souch caution as that his absence can [two words obscured] be preiudicial unto my busines but as I hope beneficial [.] he pretendeth to [two words obscured] spayne within fower monethes and is in hope at his retorne to geve us all satisfaction he haveinge obtayned a decree for the payment of his dept upon three next folowinge Indian fleetes and therfore doth hope to receave the third part upon the fleet which is now expected in the moneth of October next and of the other two parts to make sale unto the marchants of Genua who are accoustomed to deale in souch bargaines and thus much astouchinge my apologie and this busines and now to the particulers of your letters; of M:r flecher I heare nothinge as yet; the Prince Peretti is sayed to be retorned from England to Paris but not to have seane or saluted our kinge by reason he was in progres and himselfe remayned in England very private acquaintinge him selfe only or in especial with the spanishe Embassadors.