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Oct. 3.
Brereton. |
47. Wm. Brereton to the Earl of Leicester. Thanks for your
approval of the certificate of our musters. You say you have not
shown it to the Lords, as it only has my hand to it. When we
received our commission, I travailed myself in perfecting our
musters, and brought it to that form of certificate which I sent you;
others travailed the usual form of certificate. Thinking the form I
sent you the best, and agreeable to your instructions, I would have
willingly sent it, but the others would not be removed from their
error, and certified in a form which it now appears by your letter
you liked not, but have written to us to reform the same. I was
unwilling that any travail should be suppressed. I presented you
with my certificate that if the others fell out faulty, I might be
held blameless for the error committed in it, as you allege; I have
examined the copy, and find that the number of able men furnished
in that title is just 1,000, as it is in the total of the particulars
set down; therefore you must impute the fault to the unskilfulness
of the arithmetician, who has set down his figure 1 like a 2. |
|
According to letters from Council, we have assembled and made a
book of our horsemen, which you are to receive from our sheriff,
but a copy is enclosed. The numbers are 101. Several of our
light horse have been lately discharged, but the number is supplied
by others. You think our number small, yet if you would compare
our doings with other shires, which in quantity and quality far
surmount us, you will find us to exceed them. Our country is but
little, and our gentlemen but of mean patrimonies, yet no subjects
within this realm are more forward in obedience and willingness to
further the Queen's service than those of Cheshire. |
|
As for our mares for breed, we have certified the number the law
requires at our hands; we find none are chargeable but such as
have parks, chases, or inclosed grounds for deer, and many of these
daily decay. If some law should be made that every gentleman
charged with the keeping of a demi-lance or light horseman might
also be charged with the keeping of as many mares for breeding,
then our number of mares in Cheshire would be well increased, and
consequently the like increase throughout all England, which would
raise the breed of horses, now declined. [12/3 pages.] |
| Oct. 11. |
48. John Bishop of London to Dr. Dale, master of Requests.
Pray continue your favour towards my servant [Mr. Francis] concerning the examination of his adversaries upon his interrogatories,
so as to get at the truth; he does not mean to proceed in your
Court with the matter, nor that they should answer his bill by their
counsel and then be examined, as that would be a way to give them
light how to answer the interrogatories, being only grounded upon
the bill, and so defraud him and his wife of their right. As you
have the two secretaries' hands to his first bill framed to the
Council, to call them before you to answer to such matters as he
and his wife object against them, let them first answer to the interrogatories in your presence, or there will be no good done with
them. [2/3 page.] |
| Oct. 24. |
49. Advertisements from Britanny. An Italian delegate from
the Pope arrived at Coutances, and held a synod secretly; it was
agreed that the clergy of Lower Normandy should pay the cost of
an expedition in the Pope's name against Jersey and Guernsey. |
|
The Bishop of Coutances was the greatest doer, and protested he
would never be satisfied until possessed of the isles of Jersey and
Guernsey, for they had refused to pay his dues; he hopes the
King will favour him underhand, and the clergy say that the
Pope's army being in Ireland, now is the time to go forward.
[¾ page.] |
Oct. 24.
Rouen. |
50. John Gilpin to Mr. Herle. The Earl of Westmoreland is
here, and is daily playing tennis with some Spaniards with whom
he lodges; his friends secretly give out that he will shortly sail for
Spain. I wish John Borne or such another had ships ready. He
does all things by the Bishop of Ross's directions, who is here too,
and has compiled a pamphlet of his mistress's title to England, and
therein set down a large pedigree of Henry VIII.'s line, which
cannot but greatly offend our Sovereign. With some of these copies,
Marshall, a notable Papist that has house and lands about Newarkupon-Trent, went hence yesterday towards England; it is thought
he has letters worth discovering. I wot not where he will lie in
London, but judge little Norris knows him well, and will easily find
him out, through my Lord of London's help. |
|
Yesterday I was at Gallyon to see a goodly house of the Cardinal
of Bourbon, who was there himself, with the old Princess of Condé
and her two younger sons; a gentleman of his chamber supped with
me, and told me that the Queen Mother and Monsieur, her son,
were gone towards Navarre, to treat of a marriage between him and
the King's sister there, but I do not believe it. |
|
Travelling between Calais and Abbeville, I met six Spanish merchants, and one of them taking me for an Englishman, asked whence
I came; I told him I was a Scotchman from England; then he
asked what news I had of my young Prince, I said the Prince was
well. "As you passed through England," said he, "I am sure you
heard of the Spaniards that are in Ireland." "There are no
Spaniards," said I, "but a few Italians lately landed there," when
he replied, "Ah, mon ami, sont tous Espaniolls, et entre peu de
jours, vous voires beaucoup des autres là, pour chastier la bone
damoiselle d'Engleterre, et ainsi ditez, ou si pouvez, donnes à
entendre a vostre trèsvertueuse Roigne là." This, with other insolent speeches that Mr. Russell, newly come from Venice, heard of
the Spaniards, causes me to send them to you, who can see their
importance. |
|
P.S.—I have lately heard that Monsieur is going into the Low
Countries, and that the peace is concluded between the King here and
the King of Navarre. Soldiers are levied in each country; there
are now in villages about this town 23 or 24 companies, so that it
is dangerous travelling. Cambray, being strengthened by those
that came from Le Ferre, is now besieged by the malcontents.
[3 pages.] |
| Oct. |
51. Folding sheet, endorsed October 1580, "Lords' letter to the
Commissioners." |
