<P_1.1,134>

<heading:edcomment:LETTER_D=R=._CUTHBERT_TUNSTALL_TO_KING_HENRY_THE_
EIGHTH_MAXIMILIAN'S_PROPOSAL_TO_RESIGN_THE_EMPIRE_TO_HENRY_A ._D._1517>

Plese it your Grace to undirstond that besids al other maters contenyd
in our Lettres jointly written at thys tyme to your Grace , oon is in
them untowchyd by cause I wold not make my clerke privey to the
secretie theroff , which yff I shold not to longe have taried the last
curror save thys , I shold then have written .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,134.3)

But by cause then we wer sent for to come to th'emperor commissionars ,
and our Lettres wer redy written contenyng a longe discurse and
declaration off many mattres shewyd by the Cardinal Sedunensis which
was necessary your Grace shold know in al haste , we therfor not
knowinge how long th'emperors commissioners shuld lete us , dispached
that poste , reservyng thys to <P_1.1,135> be written by my selff at
laysor which then I had not . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,135.4)

The thinge is this . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,135.5)

The said Cardinal Sedunens. in makinge his long discurse hertofor by us
written , emongest other things shewyd me that oon off the secrete
mater stretyd betuyx th'emperor and your Grace was that th'emperor
entendeth to resigne the Empire unto your Grace , and to obten your
Election by hys procurement and sollicitinge off the Electors therunto
, which th'emperor entendyd to do for the avancement of your honor and
the love which he berith you . Which mater when I herd I lete as I
nothynge had marked it , and lete hym passe on in tellynge off his tale
which endyd in thys , that thys thynge shold be oon off the secrete
maters treatid by hym betwix th'Emperor and your Grace .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,135.6)

Sire besids that I am your Graces subject and servant , and sworn off
your counsel thoff unworthi , your Grace hath also shewyd so largely
your bounteousnes and liberalite anenst me that I ougth mo to desire
the incresement and augmentation off your Graces honor then any
servaunt to your Grace belonginge . Which I assure your Grace I doo
tendre as moch to my symple powar as any subjiet in your realme
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,135.7)

or ellys it wer pitie I shuld lyve . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,135.8)

And lykwyse yff $there $be {TEXT:therbe} any thynge soundinge to your
Grace's damage or hynderaunce iff I shold concele it ; ther coud no
pain be to great for me . Wherfor I most humbly besech your Grace to
accepte graciously and favorably the <P_1.1,136> thinge which now I
write both for the ardent love which I bere unto your Grace , and for
the accomplishment off my dutie . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.9)

Surly yff it lyke your Grace I thinke the said Election off your Grace
to th'empire $can $not {TEXT:cannot} be brogth aboute by no means , for
diverse considerations . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.10)

Fyrste that lyke as in the Election off the Pope a certain forme is to
be kept which not observed makith the Election to be voyd , so off
auncient tyme and ordinaunce off the universale churche a certain forme
must be observyd in chesinge off th'emperor , which ometted , the
Election is voyde . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.11)

Oon of the cheffe points in the Election off th'emperor is that he
which shal be electyd must be off Germanie subgiet to $the Empire ;
wheras your Grace is not , nor never sithen the Cristen faith the Kings
of Englond wer subgiet to th'empire . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.12)

But the Crown of Englond is an Empire off hitselff mych bettyr then now
the Empire of Rome : for which cause your Grace werith a close Crown .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.13)

And therfor yff ye wer chosen , sens your Grace is not off th'empire
the Election wer voide . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.14)

And iff your Grace shuld accepte the said Election therby ye must
confesse your realme to be under subjection off th'empire to the
perpetual prejudice off your successor , (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.15)

or ells the said Election wer voyde as made off a person not eligible .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.16)

Besids that the forme off the Election contenyth that first he must be
Kinge of Romains (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,136.17)

and the coronation at Rome makith hym have the name off the Emperor ,
wher befor he is callyd but <P_1.1,137> Kinge off Romains .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,137.18)

Over thys yff th'emperor which nou is remain stil Kyng off Romains as I
understond he entendeth to doo , then yff your Grace wer eligible and
undir th'empire , yet ye coud not be chosen Emperor , by cause ye were
never Kinge of Romains . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,137.19)

And also he remanyng ye could not be chosen Kynge off Romains , bycause
the Kingdome is not voyde , and noon can be chosen therto but when it
is voyd edyr by dethe or ellys when the Kinge off Romains is crownyd
Emperor , wherby undir hym may be chosen a Kinge off Romains .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,137.20)

The said Empire also <paren> as it is now establyshed </paren> may not
have two Emperors at oon tyme , but oon as cheff , and the odyr as here
apparaunt , which is callyd the Kinge off Romains , wher he must begyn
that wyl come to th'empire . For which considerations I repute it
impossible <paren> the laws theron made stondinge </paren> that your
Grace may be chosen . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,137.21)

And I am afferd lest the said offer beinge so speciouse at the first
heringe was oonly made to get therby sum money of your Grace : Which
they move to have kepte secret lest the publyshynge off it shuld make
their intent to be knowen , and frustrate them off thir purpose befor
they coud acheve it . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,137.22)

Surly yff it lyke your Grace my simple advise is that your Grace
interpretinge al to the beste , and the said offer to be made rather
off th'emperors good mynd and grete benivolence then for odyr purpose ,
yff the mater shal herafter be set forward or <P_1.1,138> movyd to gyff
most exquisite thanks to th'emperor for his good mynd therin : which
peraventure may procede off good benivolence , and so to withdraw your
fote bake out off that mater , and to make good interpretation opon so
grete an offer , which shal be most honorable .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.23)

Thus in thys mater I have shewed my simple advise and mynd ; which , I
thougth , my dutie savyd , I could not kepe close from your Grace ,
wherin I trust such as be lernyd in the law far bettyr then I wil
afferme the same if it lyke your Grace to make them privey to it .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.24)

And iff I doo erre , as I suppose I do not , I submitte to reformation
besechinge your Grace graciously to accepte my trew mynde and rygth
meanyng in thys mater , which I have touchyd for my discharge lest
heraffter it mygth be imputyd to me not to have shewyd it in tyme when
it came first to my knowledge . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.25)

In al other maters at thys tyme we have written at large how her we
find not al persons inclyned as it was thougth they shold be .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.26)

And thus Almyghty Jhu~ preserve your Grace to his plesur with encrese
off mych honor . (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.27)

From Machlyn (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.28)

the xij=th=. day of Februarie (TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.29)

By your most humble subjecte and servaunt Cuthbert Tunstal .
(TUNSTALL-E1-H,1.1,138.30)