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April 5.
The Court,
Greenwich. |
95. Lord Chancellor Hatton to Lord Burghley. Her Majesty has
just sent Michael Stanhope to me, to signify her pleasure touching
the return of the Lord Chamberlain; viz., that if his affairs here may
be conveniently dispatched by any of his sons, or any other friend,
without danger to his estate, he should not withdraw from his
charge, until matters grew to more peaceable terms; otherwise she
grants him licence to repair hither for one fortnight only, so that
the Marshal and Treasurer both be left there, to supply the place in
his absence, with express charge to see the same duly performed
according to his directions. The form of your letters must therefore
be altered according to Her Majesty's pleasure. [¾ page, copy.] |
April 11.
Paris. |
96. Richard Hakluyt to Lord Burghley. Eight or ten days after
my return to Paris from England, the Earl of Westmoreland secretly
sent a French servant twice, requesting to speak with me. After I
had acquainted my Lord Ambassador with it, I went to know the
Earl's will, and found him anxious for your answer concerning his suit
to Her Majesty. I told him how willing I found you to move her to
be gracious, and that if I had not been so suddenly dispatched, and
you had had time to write to Sir Edw. [Stafford] you might have
returned him some answer; he requested me to write and beseech
you to let him hear from you soon. He showed unfeigned desire to
do some special piece of service, and told me that Morgan the archtraitor, had come again to Paris, about some bad practices, adding,
with deep oaths, that if he might hope from you of Her Majesty's
favour, (whom he humbly besought to consider his youth, and
ignorance of the subtle trains of the world, when he was drawn into
heinous offence), he would hazard his person to prove his affection
to her and his country. |
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He told me that Lord Maxwell of Scotland, who had been in
Spain great part of last year, had secretly gone down from hence to
the Duke of Parma, accompanied only with the Scot who betrayed
Lierre in Brabant. He said that he had good means to understand
the practices of Spain by Higginton, an English priest, who was at
his devotion, and abiding in this town, and to whom Sir Fras. Englefield writes often on matters of importance, which he would reveal
to me or such as you should appoint. He also signified that Mendoza,
the Spanish Ambassador, not being able to read the letters sent to
him from his master, through decay of sight, is constrained to use a
young man to read them to him, with whom his lordship is acquainted, and hopes to draw matters of weight from him. He assured me that the fleet at Lisbon would not stir until the beginning
of May, if at all, and that it was himself that gave the first notice of
the arrival at Rheims of Holt and Creswell, the two English Jesuits,
from Rome. |
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P.S.—Pray bestow the wardship of young Clinton, of Herefordshire, on my cousin Wigmore. [2 pages, noted by Burghley.] |
April 15.
Berwick. |
97. Sir John Selby to Sec. Walsingham. The bearer, my son,
according to your order, laid in bond for obeying the award of the
arbitrators, who met, but could do no good, by reason of Mr. Clavering's unreasonable demands; so that we expected nothing but trial
at law, if, at the return of the parties this term, you compounded not
the matter. Five days since however, Sir Cuthbert Collingwood
and Mr. Clavering voluntarily came here, and requested my Lord
Chamberlain to end this trouble; he sent for me, my brother
Captain Selby, and my son, and declared what they had said, which
we well liked, and a day was appointed for hearing the matter, but
broken by Sir Cuthbert and Clavering; yet they came to the town,
as they pretended, for that cause, the very morning that my Lord
Chamberlain took his journey towards Court. As he could not
hear the cause, he ordered, by their motion, that proceedings at law
be deferred until next term; so that meantime, he may either hear
the matter in the country, if he returns before the term, or else the
parties repair to London, to have it determined there, if his lordship
does not return. |
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We always have desired and still desire a good end of this trouble,
and reconciliation with our neighbours, whereof we should conceive
the better hope if your leisure would serve to join with my Lord
Chamberlain in this cause; for as my son offered, when last in
London, to abide your order only, so could he be best contented
still to do so, and had never sought other means, if this last motion
had not first proceeded on their part, from which we cannot dissent.
[1 page.] |
April 25.
Greenwich. |
98. Warrant to Gregory Lovell, cofferer, Alex. Horden and
John Kay, clerks of the Green Cloth, and to Barth. Fowke, and
Mich. Payne, clerks comptrollers of the household, to allow payment
to Ferdinando Heyborn, alias Richardson, made groom of the Privy
Chamber, of 5l. wages quarterly, as given to the grooms of the Privy
Chamber. With note that the officers now are: Sir Hen. Cock,
cofferer; Barth. Fowke and Rich. Browne, clerks of the Green
Cloth; and Robert Vernon and Marmaduke Darell, clerks comptrollers. [2/3 page.] |
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Endorsed: "Mr. Ferdinando's warrant for his entertainment, as
groom of the chamber, 27 May 1603. Patrick Pitcairne the like,
21 June 1603; and 12 July 1603, Miles Rainsford, John Repton,
Edw. Lassells, Robt. le Gris, and Patrick Pitcairne in one bill." |
April 28.
York. |
99. Henry Earl of Huntingdon to Sec. Walsingham. Having
enjoyed better health since my letter of the 16th, I have taken
another view of the horsemen, as I heard that at their muster on the
11th, they were not so good as I was led to believe; and truly I find
the furniture of this country weak, but hope it may in some sort
be amended, if I may call upon particular gentlemen, when cause of
service needs, to come in person themselves, and bring with them,
according to their ability, such a number of men on horseback as
they can well furnish. This has been the usual course here in
former times, and never any certain number set upon any man until
of late years; I find by proof that he who has six good horses is
scarcely willing at a muster to show one, unless compelled by law;
for all men here have no liking to be inrolled in a muster book, but if
called in this sort, will willingly charge themselves to the uttermost. |
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For petronels or carbines, as some call them, many may be raised,
but not in that sort as my Lords directed by their letters of 2 Aug.
1586; for many in the commission of the peace are not able to furnish
both a light horse and two petronels, and yet for the service of the
country as justices of peace, they are men not to be spared. |
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Since my last coming, I have earnestly spoken to sundry gentlemen to raise some lancers for defenee of the realm against invasion,
and found at first many willing, though a service strange to these
countrymen, and never required of any here before. But I perceive
since that they are most loath to enter into that charge, because
they fear they should always hereafter be charged for all kind of
service, as other parts of the realm be; if assured that they should
only serve towards Scotland, as in former times, they would neither
shrink much at this, nor be so backward at the muster of light
horsemen. The number of good geldings is much decayed in these
North parts, but yet it is far greater than I can get to be seen at
any muster, do what I can; and one principal cause is that they are
unwilling to come into the muster book, lest they should be called
upon for any service in Ireland, or other parts than towards Scotland. |
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The 400 light horse heretofore certified will be raised, and be
better than these two last musters have given me cause to hope.
[2¼ pages.] |
| April. |
100. Ant. Bacon to Sec. Walsingham. Ingratitude is the basest of
sins, and I have received so many kindnesses from M. de Cahors,
without having seen him, that I cannot lose this opportunity of
pleasing him in begging favour for Powel and Jonas Meredith of
Wales, prisoners only for religion. I entreat you to enlarge them, on
account of the signal services I have received from M. Cahors, and
other very honourable Catholics. [1 page, French.] |
