Letter III Sir William Kyngston to Secretary Cromwell, With Further Details of the Queen’s Conduct
[MS. COTTON, OTHO C. X. fol. 224 b.]
SR.
The quene hathe meche desyred to have here in the closet the sacarments, & also hyr amner who she supposeth to be Devet; for won owre she ys determyned to dy, and the next owre meche contrary to that. Yesterday after your departyng I sent for my wyf, & also for mestrys Cossyn to know how the222 had done that day, they sayd she had bene very mery and made agret dyner, and yet sone after she called for hyr supper, havyng marvell wher I was all day; and after supper she sent for me, and at my commyng she sayd, “Wher have you bene all day,” and I mad ansure I had bene with prysoners, “so,” she sayd, “I thowth I hard M. Tresur[er,”] I ansured he was not here; then she be gan talke and sayd I was creuely handeled... a Grēweche with the kyngs counsell with my lord of Norfolke that he sayd, [Tut, tut, tut,] and shakyng hys hed iij or iiij tymes, and as for Master Tresurer he was in the [Forest of Windsor.] You know what she meynes by that, and named Mr. Controler to be avery [gentleman]... she to be a quene and crevely handeled as was never sene; bot I [think the king] dose it to prove me, and dyd lawth with all and was very mery, and th[en she said I shall have just]ists; and then I sayde have now dowt ther[in]; then she sayd yf hony man [accuse me I can say bot n]ay, & thay can bring now wytnes, and she had talked with the gentell[wemen]... sayd I knew at Marks commyng to the Towre that nyght I reysayved... at it was x. of the cloke or he ware well loged, and then she sayd... knew of Nores goyng to the Towre, and then she sayd I had... next yf it had bene leyd she had wone, and then she sayd I w[old God I had m]y bysshoppys for thay wold all go to the kyng for me, for I thy[nke the most part of] Yngland prays for me, and yf I dy you shall se the grette[st punishment for m]e withyn thys vij yere that ever cam to Yngland, & then sh[e sayd I shal be in heaven, for] I have done mony gud dedys in my days, bot zit I thynke [moche onkindnes yn the] kyng to put seche abowt me as I never loved: I showed [her that the king toke theym] to be honest and gud wemen, bot I wold have had [of myn owne prevy chambre,] weche I favor most &c.
WILLM̄ KYNGST[ON.]
To Mastr Seretory.