Cromwell's Commissioners
These letters are taken from the Monasticon and concern Ramsey Abbey:
A letter of Thomas Bedyll one of King Henry VIII Commissioners, to …….respecting the Monks of Ramsey
[ Ex autogr. MS.Cotton.Cleop. E. iv.fol.203.]
Please it you to vnderstand that in the reding of the muniments and charters of the house of Ramsey. I found a charter of King Edgar, written in a very antiq Romano hand, to be red at first sight , and light inowgho after that a man found out vj. or vij. words and after compar letter to letter. I am suer ye wold delight to see the same for the straingnes and antiquite thereof. In the ende thereof is subscribed this. “Signum Ædgari incliti et serenissimi Anglorum Imperatoris +”
Whereby it may be wel noted that afor the Conquest the said King wrate himself to be emporour of England. Item is to be noted of the subscription of the said charter that in England wer vj. duks at that tyme, for they subscribe this- “Ego Alfwold dux. Ego Athelstan dux. Ego Alfre dux. Ego Oslac dux. Ego Brithmoth dux. Ego Ethelweard dux. ” And that tyme the King had to sonnys, Edward and Ætheldred wiche he subscribed not as du . . but under this maner: “Signum Ædwardi ejusdem regis filij,” and Signum Ætheldredi fratris ejus.”
I have seen also there a chartor of King Edward writen affor the Conquest, whiche begynneth this “In onomate summi Kyrion,” and soon after the same he writeth this, “Ego Æwardus totias Albionis Dei moderante gubernatione archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, centenariis, cunctisque sanctae fidel . . ecclesiae, clericis et laicis, insuper et omnibus post me futuris regibus salutem, perpetuamque pacis felicitatem:” whereby ye may note that King Edward nameth himself……..of all Albion, and not by the name of England. Also in the said charter it is writen this: