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Dec. 4.
Wilton. |
60. Warrant to Sir Geo. Hume, Master of the Great Wardrobe,
to deliver yearly to Robert Le Gris, ordinary groom of the Privy
Chamber, a damask or satin gown, bound with velvet and furred, a
velvet coat and doublet, a marble cloth coat guarded with velvet,
and another of green cloth also bound with velvet, and to pay for
the materials for making. With note that in drawing the warrant,
the names of John Achmowty, John Gibbs, and John and Geo.
Murray are to be inserted in place of Le Gris. [1 page, draft.] |
Dec. [17/27].
Paris. |
61. Sir Anth. Standen to Rob. Persons [Parsons]. I was three
days at the Court at Fontainebleau, where I had secret audience
with both their Majesties, and lodging given me, with other favours;
but as to Evreux, neither he nor any other will be countenanced
by this King; such is the misery of the time and vehemency of
suspicion in matters of State;—a more miserable heresy than that of
Calvin, or any other. |
|
I am weary of this world, to see how things frame. Heresy
beginning to take new root at home, dissension and brabbles among
our Ecclesiastics, discontent in most Catholics, and no redress from
thence; if in the beginning and before the Parliament, there appears
no relent, adieu pannier, vendanges sont faittes. |
|
All your long discourse in that of 22 Sept. is true, and fit to be
delivered to His Majesty, but who shall tie the bell about the cat's
neck ? I mean to let nothing slip in my power; the nearer I
approach, the less comfort I gather, only this: the King is content that most shall have a priest in their houses, but he must not
do his function; and forsooth the Jesuits must out, and not only out
but leave the government of the colleges abroad,—a matter broached
in the late Queen's days. |
|
The Queen is warned from dealing in Catho[lic] causes, and is
very assiduous at sermons, so that I am in a stagger what shall
become of my tokens, for you know the laws in that case, and the
dangers they threaten; yet I will forward with them, and expect
what time will work, before I deliver them. |
|
As for yourself, there cannot be one more hateful to the King
than you are; and to amend errors, Worthington's inveighing against
the King to the English students has heaped more coals, your foes
having delivered to His Majesty that he is a dependant of yours, and
was set on by you. It seems strange how men should enter into furies
against God, to the breaking of their own and others' neck. But it is
no more than spitting against the sky, and discovering feeble malice,
by which great hurt is done and no good, and all is laid upon that
blessed Company (Jesuits), which I have ever honoured, as in my
judgment it seems to deserve. If any man that seems to depend upon
you have done or uttered anything in favour of Spanish titles, it is
all unripped, the persons, places, and times set down, and witnesses
ready to urge the parties, viz., starving the Earl of Westmoreland;
carrying coin out of the realm; starving priests in prisons; incensing
Princes with untruths; disgracing such as would not tread this path;
sending home ignorant youths, whereby in disputes, heretics have
taken mighty advantages; excluding and driving out of colleges
youths and gentlemen that would not become Jesuits, or sent with
the consent of the Archpriest, &c. &c., all which Father Persons
[Parsons] is charged with, and consequently the company. |
|
I never knew the Canon D. Thornell but at my being in Venice,
where his credit was great; at Bologna I was treated, for his sake,
in the house Quaranta Bolognetti, and there he told me of his voyage
to Rome; by him I wrote to San Marcello, and by the same means
demanded His Holiness's blessing; by him I received answer and
good words, and all this on his own expense, whereby he has tied
me to him; I never discovered in him one jot of faction. |
|
As for Mr. Fitzherbert, his has been a long acquaintance; and
while I lived in Tuscany, no Saturday passed without letters to each
other. He came to Florence at his own charge, to visit me, out of
love, and complained of hard measure, from being tossed from post
to pillar; and it was most rueful to hear, in every place where I
came, and where English were, of heaps of griefs and miscontents. |
|
As for our King, I gave him his due in all places,—religion only
excepted,—and that he had no paragon among men. I have been
frank in all matters of our land, the King not being bloodily bent,
although he be a stiff Protestant, yet may he be won to tolerate fair
means. The Queen, once Catholic and reconciled, the uncovering of
those ashes would doubtless take place, and some sparks appear; and
churchmen being in the realm, and bloody laws taken away, access
may be procured. She is yet young, and given to pastimes and
youthful cogitations; to pass from England to Scotland (sic) is a
mighty enchantment, but if the Countess of Arundel with some
others, creep near her, it is hoped good effects may follow. For
those three bloody laws, some about the King who are potent with
him of the Scottish nation have made this offer to our Catholics at
home; that if they will deposit 30,000 crowns in some sure hands,
to the use of these Scots, these three bloody laws shall be annulled,
and they will not touch one penny until the matter is effected.
Rome has been written to twice, and no answer returned but words. |
|
The hard conceit of your company may be remedied, as you see
what has passed in France, and now what is passing, to the Company's honour and many good men's comforts; and what I say of
the whole company, I say of yourself;—time and good and true
carriage will accommodate all. |
|
I must tell you what passed between Father Cotton and myself,
touching you, and the remedy of return to the King's favour; which
was that to bring forward two good works, which were two colleges
then beginning in Spain, Dolman's book was no more but a shoeing
horn, to draw to an end those good works; and that as for Father
Persons [Parsons], he neither was nor is Spanish for all that. This
and such like must be delivered to His Majesty, and is the cleanliest
subterfuge we have. Father Cotton this King brought me to know,
and invited me one day to one of the Father's sermons, where I
was very near the King. He is continually about His Majesty's
person. The first President here, a mighty hinderer of Father Cotton's proceedings, is called with some of the Court before the King;
he means to proceed without them, in case they stand obstinate,
that is to say, for Lyons, Dijon and La Flesche. I have just received your three conversions from Dr. Davison, which I will read
by the way for England. If there be not some order taken for
the reconciliation of our clergy, all will be too late to remedy.
[4 pages. Endorsed, "A dangerous letter."] |
| Dec. 23. |
62. The King to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London.
Being informed that some places of aldermen have become void, and
that our servant, Sir Baptist Hickes, fears he will be elected, we
require you to forbear him, as employed in our service. [2/3 page,
draft.] |
| Dec. 26. |
63. Warrant to Sir John Stanhope, Vice-Chamberlain and
Treasurer of the Chamber, to pay to Rich. Hampton, appointed
moletaker in St. James's Park and the gardens and grounds at
Westminster, Greenwich, Richmond, Hampton Court, &c., on resignation of Wm. Thornback, the fee of 4d. a day and 20s. yearly for
livery. Altered from a like warrant by Queen Elizabeth for Wm.
Thornback, on decease of David Chambers. With request by
Will. Moys for the bill to be drawn from Lady Day last, or the poor
man will lose his fee. [1 page, copy.] |
| 1603 ? |
64. Grant to—Button, appointed assistant, with Sir Jas. Murray, to Sir Lewis Lewknor, in attendance on ambassadors and other
strangers, of the fee of 5s. 8d. a day. [Draft, parchment.] |
|
65. Warrant for a lease in reversion to Sir Roger Aston, of the
issues of jurors in the duchy of Lancaster. [1 page, draft.] |
|
66. Pass for Jacob Hansonns de Slosse, a Dane, who has been
over to visit England, to return to his own country. [¾ page,
Latin.] |
|
67. T. Douglas to Sir Thos. Lake. I send at your request a copy
of the old patent, after which the new one is to be drawn, and beg
it may be ready to-morrow. Lord Cecil is my friend in the matter.
[1 page.] |
|
68. Note of things of which the writer has notice, which are in
the King's power to grant, viz., the manor of Somersam, Cambridgeshire, with seven towns thereto belonging, which was lately set to
sale by the late Queen, but had no purchasers, as being too great,
except for royalty, and for which Oliver Cromwell, who married
Sir Horatio Pallavicini's widow, offered a large sum, as well as
a release of 30,000l. owed to him by the Queen; the manor of
Soham, Cambridgeshire, containing 10,000 acres of wastes, besides
woods, and lately let to—Gardner; also those of Langley, in
Sussex, Daventry in Northamptonshire, and Minden Hall, Essex. |
|
Endorsed, "Notes of thinges in the Kinge's gift geven to the
E. of M. (or W. ?) [2 pages.] |
|
Portion of a pedigree of the Royal families of England, from
Henry III. to James I., with the collateral branches. [Parchment,
much damaged, Case H., Addenda, No. 24.] |
|
69. "Copy of the estreats for Lambeth house, taken out of
Mr. Osborne's office in the Exchequer," viz., part of the Duke of
Norfolk's house in Lambeth, co. Surrey, held in capite and by
knight's service, 40l. A stable and gardens formerly held by John
Archbishop of Canterbury, 33s. 4d.; present tenant, Marg. Adams.
With notes of sundry demises of the same. [1 sheet.] |
|
70. Account of brass ordnance remaining in His Majesty's castles,
forts, &c., viz., at Dover, Sandown, Deal, Walmer, Camber, and Portland castles, and at Portsmouth, Sandfoot, Broncksey, Harwich,
Carisbrook, Sandham bay, West Cowes, Hurst, Southsea, Calshot,
St. Mawes, Pendennis, Gravesend, West Tilbury, Kingston-uponHull, Newcastle, Castle Cornet, Tynemouth, and Rye. |
|
With note that those at Rye are decayed and of little use, and
should be replaced. That there are four brass pieces at Hastings,
which are claimed by the townsmen, but it is presumed they belong
to the King. That in 1589, Mr. Powell, then surveyor of the ordnance, had commission to remove certain brass ordnance, from castles
and forts in England, for furnishing seven new ships then made;
in performance of which, Geo. Constable was appointed to repair to
the castles and forts northward, and Powell, westward. They returned such ordnance to the Tower, but none under a demi-culverin.
Some mentioned here may have been brought up by Constable from
the North. |
|
It also appears by a survey taken in 1583 of the castles and forts
along the coast, that much iron ordnance remained in them, and
may yet do, and being unserviceable, might be brought from thence.
With the names of the places where they are. [6 pages.] |
|
71. Statement by—of the manner of his employment in
business of special service. Such as offered their service, or were
recommended as fit instruments to discover the practices and intentions of our enemies, were sent to me from the Superior, with
a note to examine their sufficiency, to agree with them for their
allowance, and give them directions what might be learned and
heeded in the enemy's Court, in the ports, &c. where they should be
appointed to reside, for each place required different directions; and
further, to learn them the ways for conveyance of their letters
hither, and for speedy knowledge what our enemies did;—a business
that in those days required a care not only to have one, but two or
more, resident in some especial places. |
|
I continued my endeavours all the time of the wars, dispatching
many instruments to those ports and places where our enemies
gathered any head of an army, that judgment might be had beforehand of what to do, the better to prevent any harm which might
befall unawares to our country. In all which time, though many of
our own as other nations were so employed, only one miscarried; he
was sent to me to be dispatched to the Groyne in Spain, when the
Adelantado was with a great army to come from thence for the
west parts of England; he had never been in Spain, nor knew
the language or custom of the country. Contrary to my liking,
for not displeasing Sir Wm. Waade, clerk of the Council, by whom
he was recommended, I Provided a ship from Flushing for his
passage to the Groyne, and laded in her commodities to give
cover to the business; the commodities, value 500l., were all lost
with the ship; and the master, with all his mariners and a servant
of mine, condemned to the galleys, and the party that was sent was
put to death. All this happened by a slight oversight that might have
been easily prevented by direction, and I remain without one penny
of recompence for my loss, so that, what by that, the postage of
letters, and the use of the moneys I disbursed to those employed,—for
their pension must be paid to each man in the place of his residence,
till dismissed or called home,—with the charge of boat hire to and
from Court about this business, and my extraordinary pains therein
for so many years, the money given by privy seal, were it for this
business only, would hardly equal the same. I never asked anything
of my Lord, as he told me I should be well rewarded by the [late]
Queen. |
|
The gift of that privy seal was for service in many commissions
of reprisal, and in consideration of my endeavours, by knowledge
of the language and trades of our enemies, to preserve their goods
from being carried away again by colourable claims when taken,
lest we, being left empty-handed, might grow weary of the charge
of setting forth ships against them, and so lose the chiefest advantage we had against them. I well knew that they laboured by
policy and device, what by force and strength they could not, to
have the sea open for their trade, knowing their great income
thereby would soon consume us. |
|
That the gift might seem less strange, others that were commissioners with me, in one commission only, had the like rewards,
whereas I served in many, to my great cost, without one penny of
allowance more than that for them all. To approve my endeavours
to bring to my Sovereign's coffers, and my discoveries that the
danger and practises of enemies might be prevented, with the great
labour and pains I have taken therein, I hope words will turn to
silence where deeds appear. [1½ pages.] |
|
72. Copy of the above. [22/3 pages.] |
