that God sent oft times to good women evil husbands. Your Lordship shall understand that there are certain Commissioners appointed to have the examination and hearing of all persons and matters touching this wonderful late conspiracy, and that is Mr. Comptroller, Mr. Inglefield, Mr. Waldegrave, Mr. Jerningham, Sir Edward Hastings, and the Solicitor; and as for all other noble men, they meddle nothing; and if any suitors speak unto them, they wish them good speed, and say they meddle in no such matters, and will them to resort unto the Commissioners. On Tuesday last was arraigned and condemned at the Guildhall one Leukmore, the Groom Porter, Francis Verney, and Captain Turner; and within these two days there will be another great arraignment there of others. And what shall be now your further pleasure concerning my Lady Bray's suiting here, and for the discharge of her charges with her folks, I beseech your Lordship I may be advertised; for, your pleasure known, I have money sufficient for her dispatch; for, I trust, within this month, or less, we shall either see an end of him, or else have a plain answer what we shall trust upon, and how to use herself. And thus I beseech our Lord send your Lordship long and honorable life. From Coldharbour, this 22nd of June, 1556. Your humble servant, To my Lord. No. XXIII. (Talbot Papers, Vol. C. fol. 259.) SIR LEONARD BECKWITH TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. WITH my duest and bounden duty had unto your honorable Lordship, and to my very good Lady your wife, that it may please your Lordship to understand that the 26th of this instant of June, we, the Commissioners of England and Scotland, did meet at Reddingburn the same day, at the place accustomed; and yet we practised as much as we could have them to come to within England, but it would not be. There was a great company on both sides, and of England was the greater number, for we were above 2000. At our meetings, our commissioners were seen of both realms, and then agreed to meet at Norham Church the morrow after, and so did; and it appears to me that the Scottish Commissioners are fully minded to make redress of all attemptats done by any Scotchmen to England, and did require the like of us, and said they had such commandment of the Queen their Sovereign. And if we do proceed as the Scottish Commissioners are proposed to do, it will not be ended before Michaelmas, for there are above 1000 bills of attemptats within one of the Marches of England done by the Scots; and so we have appointed one day to be at Norham Church, in England, and another day at the Lady Church, in Scotland, half a mile from Norham. And thus Almighty God preserve your Lordship in health and honor long to continue. From Berwick, the 28th of June, 1556. Your Lordship's most bounden to command, To the right honorable and my very special No. XXIV. (Talbot Papers, Vol. C. fol. 296.) LORD WHARTON TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. Right honorable and my singular good Lord, THE 7th of February I received your Lordship's letters of the 4th, with a French packet to the Dowager of Scotland, which packet I did send the same 7th towards her, now at Stirling. It may please your Lordship to be advertised that I have called a Warden Court, which did begin, at the King and Queen's Highness' castle of stance - * This gentleman, the son of Robert Beckwith, by Con-, had served the two last Kings with good reputation in the wars of France and Scotland. Edward VI. granted to him the lands of the dissolved abbey of Selby, in Yorkshire, and he was High Sheriff for that county in 1550. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Roger Cholmondeley, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and had by her two sons, Roger and Rancy, both of whom died without issue; and a daughter, Frances, married to George Harvey, of Marks in Essex. Roger, the eldest son, sold the estate of Selby to Henry, fourth Earl of Derby, from whom it was transferred to Thomas Walmysley, of Dunkinhalgh in Lancashire, in right of descent from whose heiress, the late Lord Petre possessed it, with other considerable property. Alnwick, the 3rd of this instant; which Court continued till Monday, the 8th of the same; the order whereof, and what was done, I do send unto your Lordship in a schedule with this. Over great a charge it is to such an unmeet subject as I am to rule so great a country, which has been so long suffered in disorder. Before the end of the Court I called the gentlemen, freeholders, and rulers of men, and declared unto them the Queen's Majesty's commandment for their service, and readiness upon an hour's warning; and, having their own certificate of musters, I demanded of every man, severally, if their power were, with horse, armour, and weapon, ready, according to their said certificate; who said every one openly, after their name and number read, that they would stand to the same; thereupon I commanded, in their Majesties' names, to see their furniture immediately after their repair unto their houses. They have confessed 820 horsemen, and 1149 footmen; which, notwithstanding, I am setting forth gentlemen to muster the country in several parts, and shall certify your Lordship, after the sum thereof. I am informed that the Ambassador of Russia* did intend to take his journey from Edinburgh towards this realm the 8th of February; and * "Sub initium hujus anni," (1557, N. S.) says Bishop Godwin, in his annals, "venit in Angliam legatus a Basilio, Musco"vitarum Cæsare, nobilis quidam Osep Napea nuncupatus, ut "amicitiam inter Principem suum nostrosque Reges conciliaret, perpetuumque fœdus firmaque. Ad littus Scotticum is navem fregit, "et, preter immensi pretii merces, munera amisit que amoris sym"bola ad Principes nostros a Domino suo destinata erant." See more of this matter in the text. leaves in Scotland one Lewes to pursue for the goods that were in the ship. I am informed also that the 5th of February two of the Captains which came late out of France, with 200 Scots light horsemen, embarked at Leith, and other 200 do take shipping at Dundee, with all convenient expedition, towards France. The castle of Tannetalland, which was the late Earl of Angus's, is delivered into the Dowager's hands, and received by the Earl of Cassilis, who has charged with the keeping thereof the Lord of Craigmillar. I am commanded, as your Lordship writes, to declare unto your Lordship from time to time the occurrences of the Marches; whereof I am very glad; trusting to find your Lordship my good Lord, as always I have found, and that your Lordship will favour me, and the service under my charge, to my comfort. And so will I rest at your Lordship's honorable commandment, to my little power, as knows Almighty God, who send unto your Lordship as long and honorable life as your own noble heart can desire. At the King and Queen's Majesties' castle of Alnwick, the 8th of February, 1556. Your Lordship shall be shortly advertised of all the ordnance and munition that is at Newcastle and Berwick. Your Lordship's at commandment, THOMAS WHARTON. |