harte dede and workes, to doo all that he canne to his graces dishonour, insomoche as they bost themselfes to have refused some honest offres for themselfes bicause they were knytt with vile and filthie conditions towardes his Majeste. And if it be true it is pitye there shuld be such dissimulacion in suche a prince, and specially towardes him, whom he ought of congruence all thinges considered to observe love and honour to his uttermost, if you thinke that the speaking of thise thinges unto him may be any meane to disciphre his very meanyng bolte them out of yourself as signified unto you by some of the Agentes of the Kinges highnes in Fraunce. And whenne you shal be in communication of thise matiers handle them with suche a plain franknes as youe may drawe sumwhat out, that percace resteth yet hidden undre a colored cloke of freendeship or at the least manifest and make open that like a prince of honour he meanith as he pretendeth.'[1]
For the personal case, the following, from a letter, in September 1537, to Michael Throgmorton, when Thomas Cromwell wished to secure him as his agent at Rome against the intrigues of Cardinal Pole in Italy:
'… I myght better have judged, that so dishonest a maister, cowlde have but evyn suche servantes as youe ar. No, no, loyaltie and treason dwell seldome togethers. There can be no feithfull subject so long abide the sight of so haynous a traytour to his prince. Yow cowld not all this season have byn a spie for the king, but at some tyme your cowntenance shuld have declared your harte to be loyall towardes your prince. … Yow thinke youe doo goode servyce there to the kinges hieghnes; for asmuche as yow now se thinges, that being absent, youe shulde not have seen, such verelye as might have done greate damage; if youe hadde not seen them. Yow have bleared myn yee ones: your credite shall nevermore serve youe so farr, to deceyve me the second tyme. I take youe as youe ar.'[2]
