_COD E Hit may lyke your good Grace to be advertised that I have received your Graces Lettres directed to my selfe dated the last day of Auguste , with the Lettres of my Lord Admirall to your Grace , sent in Post , and copies of Lettres sent bytwene the Quene of Scotts and his Lordshipp concernyng the maters and affeires of Scotland , with the prudent Answeris of your Grace as well to my said Lord in your awne name , as in the name of the Kings Highnes to the said Quene of Scotts . All which Lettres and copies I have distinctely redde unto his Grace , who hath in the reding therof substancially considered as well the Quene his $sister $s {TEXT:sisters} Lettre with the Lettres agaynward devised and sent by my lord Admirall to her , and his Lettres of advertisement to your Grace , as your moost politique devises and answeres un to all the same ; among which the lettre which your Grace devised in the name of his Highnes to the Quene his sister , his Grace so well lyked that I never saw hym lyke thing bettre ; (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,203.3) and as helpe me God in my pore fantasie , not causeles , (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,203.4) for hit is for the quantite one of the best made Lettres for wordis , mater , sentence , and cowching that ever I redde in my life . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.5) His Highnes , in your Graces Lettre directed to my lord Admirall , marked and well lyked that your Grace towched my said Lord and my Lord Dacres , in that that theire opinions had bene to the lett of the great Roode which if hit had bene ere this tyme made in to Scotland , as by your prudent advice hit had if theyre opinions with other had not bene to the contrarie , hit shold , as by the Quenes Lettre appereth , have bene th'occasion of some great and good effecte . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.6) His Highnes also well allowed that your Grace noteth not onely remisse dealing , but also some suspitione in that the Lord Dacre so litle estemede the mynde and opinion of the Kings sister , wherof he had by his servant so perfait knowledge . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.7) Finally his Highnes is of the mynde of your Grace , (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.8) and singularly commendeth your policie in that your Grace determineth for a finall way that my Lord Admirall shall sett forth his entreprises without eny longer tracte of tyme , not ceacing to preace theym with all the annoyance possible till they fall ernestly and effectually to some bettre trayne and conformitie . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.9) And veryly his Highnes thinketh as your Grace writeth , that for eny lakke of those things which as he wryteth are not yet cummen to hym , he shold not have neded to forbore to have done theym with smaller Roods , at the lest way some annoyauns in the meane season . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,204.10) I redde also to his Highnes the Lettre of M=r=. Doctor Knyght , written un to your Grace , with your Grace's Lettres written to my selfe , by the tenor wherof his Grace well perceiveth your moost prudent answere devised and made as well to his said embassiator as to thembassiator of themperor {COM:sic} , concernyng the disbursyng of such money as his Highnes shold lay owte for th'entretenement of the x=M=. lance knights , wherin his Grace highly well approveth , as well your moost politique foresight , so wisely dowting leste this delay of the declaration myght happen to be a device whereby th'emperor myght spare his awne charge and entreteign th'almaigness with th'only coste of the Kings Grace , as also your moost prudent ordre taken therin , by which his Highnes $shall $be {TEXT:shalbe} bounden to no charge excepte the Duke first passe the Articles sent by Sir John Russll , and that the x=M=. almaynes be levied and joyned with the Duke and he declared enemy to the French King . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,205.12) I red also to his Highnes the copie of your Graces Lettres devised to M. Doctor Sampson and M. Jernyngham , wherin his Highnes well perceived and marked what labor and payn your Grace had taken as well in substantiall advertising his said embassiators at length of all occurraunts here , with the goodly rehersall of the valiaunt acquitall of his army on the See not onely there done , but also descending on the land with all the preparations and armyes sett forth and furnyshed as well toward France as Scotland , as also in your good and substantiall instructions geven un to theym for the semblable advauncyng of th'emperors Army and actuall invasion to be made on that side for his part . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.13) His Highnes hath also seen and signed the Lettres by your Grace devised in his name , as well to Don Ferdinando and to the Duke of Mechelberge in answere of their late lettres sent un to his Grace , as also to the Duke of Ferrare in commendation of the Kings Orators in case the Duke accepte the Ordre . In the reding and advising of all which things , his Highnes saied that he perceived well what labor , studie , payn , and travaile your Grace had taken in the device and pennyng of so many , so greate things , so high well dispached in so brief tyme , whan the onely redyng therof held hym above twoo howres . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.14) His Highnes therfore commaunded me to write un to your Grace that , for your labor , travaile , study , paine , and diligens he geveth your Grace his moost harty , and not more harty than highly well-deserved thanks . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.15) And thus our Lord long preserve your good Grace in honor and helth . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.16) At Okyng (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.17) the first day of Septembre . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.18) Your humble Orator and moost bouden beedman Thomas More . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,206.19) _COD E Hit may like your good Grace to be advertised that I have this nyght , after that the Kings Grace had souped , presented and distinctely redde un to his Highnes as well your Grace's Lettre dated xxj=th= day of this present Septembre addressed un to my selfe , as the iiij. lettres of the Quene of Scotts , directed twayne to the Kings Grace , and thother twayn to my Lord of Surrey ; and also the twoo lettres by your good Grace in the Kings name moost politiquely devised un to the said Quene of Scotts . For which your labour , payne , traveil , diligence , and study therin used , his Grace geveth unto Yours his moost affectuouse thankis . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,208.22) And for as mych as in the reding of my Lord of Surrey's Lettre directed un to your Grace , the King noted that my said Lord had all redy wrytten un to the Quene of Scotts answer un to both her said Lettres : his Grace requyreth Yours that it may lyke you to send hym the copies which his lettre specifieth to have sent un to your Grace . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,209.23) His Grace also thinketh hit right good that the Humes and Duglas be received upon convenient hostages ; and that as well the Chauncellor as the other Lords mencioned in the Quenes lettre shold be attempted by promessis , gifts , and good policie to be wonne from the Duke and his faction . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,209.24) And for as mych as his Grace mych desireth in these things to be advertised of your moost politique advice and counsaile , which he thinketh your Grace entendeth to declare by way of instructions to be gevyn un to my said Lord of Surrey , his Highnes therfore hartely requyreth your Grace that it may lyke the same to send to hym the said instructions , that his Grace may by the same be lerned of your Grace's prudent advise and counsaile in the premissis . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,209.25) His Highnes thinketh hit very necessary not onely that my lord of Surrey were in all possible haste advertised of the declaration of the Duke of Burbon , but also that the same were insert within the lettre which the Quene of Scottes shall shew to the Lordis , with good exaggeration of the tyranny for which he renounceth the French King ; and of the harme and ruyne that is lykely to fall to Fraunce therby . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.26) His Highnes also requyreth your Grace to paise and considre the clawse of the Queny's lettre by which she desireth with her trustie servants to be received in to his realme , and how your high wisedome thinketh good that mater to be ordered or answered . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.27) And to th'entent in all these things your Grace may the more conveniently send hym your moost prudent advise , he hath commaunded me , with these presents , to remitt all the said wrytings un to your good Grace , to be by your good Grace agayne sent un to his Highnes with your moost politique counsaile theruppon . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.28) And thus our Lord long preserve your good Grace in honor and helth . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.29) Wrytten at Woodstok the xxij=th=. day of Septembre at mydnyght . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.30) Your humble orator and moost bounden beedman Thomas More . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.31) To my Lord Legates good Grace . (MOREWOL-E1-H,1.1,210.32)