¶ A Copy of a Letter containing certain news, & the Articles or requests of the devonshire & cornish rebels.  
(⸫) M.D.XLIX.    

DIEV ET MON DROIT  royal blazon or coat of arms   

¶ A copy of a letter containing certain news, and the Articles or requests of the devonshire and cornish rebels.  
SInce my last letters set unto you; of the news in these parties (Because I will keep my first promise, for interchange of letters) I have chanced of matter worthy advertisement & some leisure to advertise the same, so that I could not with honesty, but satisfy your desire, to know our news, as I myself am very desirous of yours. By my former letters you understood the dysordre and dystoyall, uproars of the Devonshyremen, which at the beginning seeming to me, to have proceeded but of some wyldenes of their brains, or of some ignocance lacking teaching, I thought would soon have bin tamed with authority, and reform with instruction, as I understand the like end hath well happened of all the disquiet assemblies, in the other parts of the Realm. But the matters of devonshire now shows forth the roots of treason, the buds of rebellion, and the fruit of filthy popery, leaving now pretences of treason, and avowing high treason, leaving now colour of Religion, and rejecting all true religion, now come to very madness, which before were but drunk, and cared not, for the name of rebels, which before were angry to be called trespassers, this craft hath the devil to increase his swarm. He taught the Priests and their Captains to call the people together to defend their old faith, and therein used the name and authority of the kings majesty, having no way so ready, to assemble them together, which usually is the trumpet, that good subjects followeth, two good beginnings, Ye see the devil usedthe name of God, and of the King, and in deed, directly against God and the King. Well, now was it time for him to work, he saw the assembly daily increase. One part was assured his own, the Romish priests and the sturdy vagabonds. With them he needed not use craft, but rather taught them how to use it with others. The other part were simple ignorant people, easily deceived, and quickly made the partakers of evil. Thus the devil having made his bands (part of his own old servants, part of a new retinue) began to send forth his embassages (the same being certain requests, as he termed them) to remedy the griefs of the Devonshirmen, to the which the Kings majesty, made a very princely and reasonable answer. Of the which I received two Copies in print from you, by M. Mohan, at his last coming from the Court to my Lord pryvey seal. And for the same I thank you, praying you, if any such like things come fourth in print, I may have some sent me with the first, & if you will speak to the Kings printer in my name, I dare say, he will not deny you. But now to my matter. By these embassages of his he thought to have increased his power, thinking in deed that all they (which gathered themselves together in other parts of the Realm, for plueking down enclosures, & enlarging of commons') would have entered in to his service and taken his quarrel: but after his articles were confounded by the king, and certain knowledge came in to devonshire, by their couriers abroad, that the kentish Essex, Suffolk, and specially Hampshire, having byene within the jurisdiction of the stout Prelate of Wynchester, utterly dyffyed and abhorred the Devonshyremen, protesting even in their most disorder, that they would spend their lives against all such rank rebels traitors & papists. It was marvel to see the new devices and inventions of the pryestes and vagabond Captains, for the furtherance of their first purposes. Then began they to persuade their people, that they had all gone to far to shrink, and that nothing now should help them, but stoutness & courage, either would they now be Lords, or else have nothing, either rule, or else not live, either make a King, or have no King, no mean thing might content them. Their first booty (they thought) should be the city of Excetter, the next, the spoil of their own country, and so consequently all other parts of the Realm, for Excetter they gape, but they catch nothing saving gone shot, whereof God gives them plenty. Their own country they have so spoiled, & so disordered, that it is miserable to hear. The son robbeth the father, the daughter is ravished before the mother, he hath nothing at night, that had most in the morning, & he hath most, which ought to have nothing. And how long he shall have it, there is no warrant. Two manner of men go to wrack amongst them. Good true subjects, & well thy. And other two, be daile promoted, traitors, and vile vaga bounds. The viler man, of more authority, the honester of more servitude. buying and selling sea seth amongs them, in place whereof is come Robbing, and reaving, If hell be in earth, it is amongs them. And the priests there, be the devils. And the traitors be the tormentors, & the rest of the people forgetting of their King, be as it were souls tormented. Alas how shall I be wail them? shall I pray to God that they may perish? or that they may amend? The one they have deserved, the other me thinks I dare not ask of god. For settig a side their robberies, their murders, their raveshynges, their spoil of the country, and the loss of it for many years, how have they offended their King & sovereign Lord? How have they despised his name and authority. And (as much as lieth in them) deminyshed his credit and renown. Shall I say merely? Every honest man amongs them, may repent himself of his good living. And every evil man (I think) is sorry: he was no more wretched, & yet no evilness nor wretchedness, alloweth any man (if he will not be a rank traitor) only that profession maketh rulers. And because they understand that serving men be commonly brought up in such civylite that hardly they be made traitors, It is a common Proverb, that trust serving man, trust gentle man, 〈◊〉 now no place is left but for traitors, all other sciences goeth 〈◊〉 begging with them, and yet I doubt not, but their faculty will have the price of the market which is a halter and a tree. Thus far after my accustomed manner I have entreated generallytees, and yet such as my heart is full of, and where might I better discharge my sorrow then with one, which will take part thereof, I could not tell? But you will say, ye can lament the things as much as I, but for the matter of my Letter, you would desire some particular news, or at the least my judgement, what I thought would follow. For news, as I promised you in my former letters to send you their Articles, 〈◊〉 I do now here include them, ●he which I could not well perform before, because they ●aunged them so often, and de●●ysed so many, sometime having ●ome reasonable, an other time. ●ot one tolerable, such diuer●●tees of heads there was amongs them, that for every kind of brain there was one ●aner of Article, the priests, ●●ey harped all upon a plain ●●nge of Rome, certain traitors ●oulde hallow home Cardinal ●●le, a number of vagabonds would have no justice, a ●●nde of thieves, would have 〈◊〉 State of any Gentlemen and yet to put all in one bag, 〈◊〉 sort of traitors would have neither king nor good subjects. And so every varlet (abounded in his own sense) At the last, they concluded upon these Articles, and set to their names as ye shall see in the copy thereof. As for other news (until my Lord privy seal shall have the power come to him, which he daily looketh for) I can not have to write. For my Lord lieth with the kings power, here at a place called Honnyton. Who (I assure you) hath so governed these parties here, by his continual labour, and wisdom, that hither to, the enemies dare not come forth out of their dens (for so would ye call them) if ye saw the lanes, the hills, the woods & strait passages, betwixt us and them, They lie still near Exeter as I wrote in my last Letters. And withstandynge, the twice burhing of the gates, yet hither to can they not prevail. A great part of them continueth with their first Captain called undethyl, a tailor of Sampforde courtney. I think they keep him still, because they can not find his match, a Captain well chosen by the devil at the first. This is for the news. For my opinion, I dare be bold with you and yet therein I will use few words, because if I err, I will not err to long a time, I assure you, nothing more encouraged them, then that they looked all other people being stirred up in other parties for enclosures and such like grief would have taken their quarrel in hand, so now nothing hath so much decayed their courage as that they hear and know the contrary. Their boldness being now of their own store, without hope of partaking, more desperate than mighty and less for their purpose, then for their number, very many being there assembled with them, by force against their will, and many daily by repentance, reacknowledging their duties and subjection. And in deed, the very order and manner of quieting of all other countries putteth them clearly from hope to stir again, for they be not ignorant that the more part of the requests of them were such, as because they could not reasonable be rejected, being for reformation of divers abuses in the comune wealth (not for the bringing in of the Romish authority against the King, & his Royal Crown) they be for the most part granted, in such sort as the people have received mercy, and be departed home with good contentation, like good Subjects. The kings Majesty sustained no dishonour, having ruled, his people, both with justice & mercy, proporcyonallye, and finally the things which were evil used in the common wealth, very like to be reform, part, presently by Commission, part, by Parliament, to the comen profit of the whole Realm, of so good an end our rebels here have been most sorry wishing that the other people had leapt from hedge breaking, to house robbing, from dear hunting, to horse hunting, from wantonness, to stark madness, as they have here from robberies to rape, from rape to murder, from murder to treason & popery, & so to the devil, whereas I fear they will continued. And in deed if I may presume (as I dare do much with you my friend) to allow the Cousels deed, me thinketh, the matters have been very well ordered (as it is reported here amongs us) for although by justice every man deserveth death, which riseth against his prince, yea though he have moche grief, & that the kings Majesty might of justice make slaughter of his people, yet if there be any place for mercy, it was in this case for the King to show it, upon his own people, upon people forget full, not obstinate, traitors by construction of Law, not by offence of heart, where the fault of the most part of them was in deed unlawful Assemblies, but without open robberies, inurder or spoils, referring their griefs as Sutours, not Orderars, crying for mercy as offenders; not Challengers. And on the other side, the justice showed, was right necessaire, being extended, upon such as ●●ther lacked cause to complain, 〈◊〉 lacked grace to seek for the kin●s mercy, and to say my mind ●s one neither of Court nor Coumple, if the Kings sword ●●ghte short upon any, it was upon two kind of people, tanke Popish priests, repining against the kings wholesome doctrine, or upon the common runagates, seedmen of sedition, of the which we have plenty here, against whom. If the martial law were executed, and were current coin in every shire, as I here say, there is a Proclamation for the same (which I have not yet seen, but by your next letters trust to receive) I think there would be as few runners abroad, as now there be many. You must give me leave to talk a little more after my wonted manner, which is to sai my mind frankly unto you without offence. Now me thinketh the end is such of your matters there, as every state of people willbe content therewith, and so the most trouble will rest with these traitors. For with you, the kings people which deserved death, be by mercy preserved, & the things evil used (as in deed disceases there be in the common wealth) shallbe now well ordered by Parliament. And if the common people shallbe eased of their griefs, the gentlemen shall also be relieved of them, for see how much the farmer crieth out of his rent, so may the gentleman well cry out of the market, the one as much grieved as the other, & one remedy I trust shall serve both. For me thinketh it is no more difference for me, to have. xx. pound, spending. xx. pound, then to have xx. mark, spending. xx. mark, so that my estate be kept like with both, you will think I write now at my will, because if ye remeber the last y●re in the park at Wynsour when the Court was there, this question made great argument betwyxre you and me, whether for the amendment of things in the common wealth the farmer should first abate his price, and then the Landed man his rent, or in contrary order, at which time, I remember you stood upon one point, which I could not deny, that the gentleman by dear buying, was dryu on to let dear, and I upon an other point (not all untrue) that the dear hiring made dear felling, But where the fault first began, neither of us would grant to the other, nevertheless, so weighty a matter it is, as no ways to be diseussed but by Parliament. Where when the argument is at an end, it may be citablyshed by a law, whereof there was never more wkelyhood, because the ameudement thereof, will help so many as well Lords and Gentilme, as all other Commoners, no man having eause to repine against it, but such as gather, not to spend and improve their livings not For their charges, as many Geutilmen have done, but for their coffers, So that to conclude, improvemet alone maketh no man rich, but improvement and sparing. But what ●edle I with this matter and yet what dare I net to you my friend, by saint G●orge I say to you merely out of board, no one thing maketh me more angry with these rebels then one article, which toucheth me on the quick, and I believe, there be few in the realm, but it will make them smart, to forego his Abbey & chantry lands wherein I for my part am so heated, that if I should fight with those traitors, I would for every two strokes to be stricken for treason strike on to keep my land, the which I bought to surely, to deliver it at a papists appointment. Thus I have exceeded in words, & yet you shall count it little, because the matter is large, & thereby you must measure me, & not by my lines, One thing I will ye shall mark and then I end, the matter of cardinal Pole (as in this case) of great importance, like as I am sure my Lord Protector is advertised, for amongs these rebels, the chief Captain of all, saving one, was the Marquis of Excetters man, and setteth forth the matter of the Cardinal so much, as in deed, he maketh no other matter. His name is Berry, one of them which sub scrybed the Articles. If ye can conveniently send me a Dagg when the Kings majesties ordinance cometh down. Ye shall receive money for the same of my Brother Henry. Ye shall take pain to do my humble commendations to mine old Master (good Sir Anthonye Dennye knight) and especially to my Coosyn Master John Peres of the Guard, who I would were here with one or two hunoreth of the guard, to knecke these knaves with their Halo●r●●s. Thus f●re ye mo●●e h●r●elye well, and pr●●● you, as I do, that 〈◊〉 may meet merclye.   

The Articles of us the Commoners of devonshire and Lornewall in divers Lamps up East and West of Excertor.  
first we will have all the general counsel & holy decrees of our for fathers observed, kept and performed, and who so ever shall again say them, we hold them as Heretics.  
¶ Iten we will have the Laws of our sovereign Lord king Henry the. vin, concerning the six articles, to be in use again, as in his time they were.  
¶ Item we will have the make in Latin, as was before, & celebrated by the priest without any man or woman communicating with him.  
¶ Item we will have the Sacrament hang over the hyeghe altar, and there to be worshipped as it was wont to be, and they which will not thereto consent, we will have them die like heretics against the holy catholic faith.  
¶ Item we will have the Sacrament of the altar but at Easter delivered to the lay people, and then but in one kind.  
¶ Item we will that our curates shall minister the Sacrament of Baptisine at all times aswell in the week day as on the holy day.  
¶ Iten we will have holy bread and holy water made every sunday, Palms and ashes at the times accustomed, Images to be set up again in every church, and all other ancient old Ceremonies used heretofore, by our mother the holy Church.  
¶ Item we will not receive the new service because it is but like a Christmas gam, but we will have our old service of Matins, mass, Evensong and procession in Latin as it was before. And so we the cornish men (whereof certain of us under standeno English) utterly refuse this new English.  
¶ Item we will have every preacher in his sermon, & every priest at his mass, pray specially by name for the souls in purgatory, as our forefathers did.  
¶ Item we will have the Bible and all books of scripture in English to be called in again, for we be informed that otherwise the clergy, shall not of long time confound the heretics.  
¶ Item we will have Doctor Moreman and Doctor Crispin which hold our opinions to be safely sent unto us and to them we require the kings majesty, to give some certain livings, to preach amenges us our catholic faith.  
¶ Item we think it very meet because the lord Cardinal Pole is of the kings blood, should not only have his pardon, but also sent for to Rome, & promoted to be of the kings counsel.  
¶ Item we will that no gentleman shall have any more servants than one to wait upon him except he may dispend one hundredth mark land and for every hundredth mark we think it reasonable he should have a man.  
¶ Item we will that the half part of the Abbey lands and chantry lands, in every man's possessions, how so ever he came by them, be given again to two places, where two of the chief Abbeys was with in every county, where such half part shallbe taken out, and there to be established a place for devout persons, which shall pray for the King and the common wealth, and to the same we will have all the alms of the Church box given for these seven years.  
¶ Iten for the particular griefs of our Country. We will have them so ordered, as Humphrey Arundel, & Henry Bray the Kings Mayor of Bodman, shall inform the Kings Majesty, if they may have salueconduet under the Kings great Seal, to pass and repass, with an Heroalde at Arms.  
¶ By us 

Humphrey Arundel.  
Berry Thomas Vnderhyll.  
john Sloeman.  
William Segar.  
Chief capitains.  
john Tompson priest.  
Henry Bray Mayor of Bodman  
Henry Lee Mayor of Tortiton  
Roger Barret Priest.  
The four Governors of the Camps.