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Lord of Northumberland of these, and such intelligence as I have had from time to time since my last letters to your Lordship of the 7th of this instant; and have given knowledge, and conferred with my friends, Sir James Croft, and Sir Ralph Bulmer ;* whereof I think my said Lord of Northumberland, and they, have made advertisements to your Lordship.

The Scots make inroads almost nightly, and do great annoyance. And, resting at your Lordship's honourable commandment, I beseech Almighty God send unto the same most prosperous success in all the King's and Queen's Majesties' affairs.

From the King and Queen's Majestie's castle of Berwick, the 18th of September, 1557.

Your Lordship's at commandment,

To the right honourable and my singular good Lord the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Lieutenant in the North. Post haste, haste, for thy life, for thy life, for thy life:

THOMAS WHARTON.

Sir James Crofts, or Croft, a Member of the Council in the North. Elizabeth appointed this gentleman Comptroller of her Household, and trusted him with the management of several important affairs.-Sir Ralph Bulmer, eldest son of Sir John Bulmer, of Wilton in Durham, who was attainted in the preceding reign.

No. L.

(Talbot Papers, Vol. D. fol. 194.)

LORDS OF THE COUNCIL

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

AFTER our right hearty commendations to your good Lordship; we have received your letters of the 19th of this month, together with the copies as well of our very good Lord the Earl of Northumberland's letter written unto you, as also of the French and Scot's instructions touching the taking and ransoming of prisoners on either side; upon the perusing whereof, and of such other letters as you lately sent unto us touching the Scots' doings, we have thought meet for answer unto the same to signify unto you as followeth. First, the Queen's Majesty (considering the several advertisements that have been sent hither, both from your Lordship, and from the Lord Dacres, and others, of the preparation that the spies say that the Scots do make to have the whole force of that realm in a readiness against the 2nd of October) thinks good, and so requires your Lordship, that you do not only write unto every of the Wardens, and to the Lord Wharton also, to have continual spies in Scotland, and to understand from day to day, and time to time, the said Scots' assemblies; what their numbers shall be; what purpose or enterprise they mind to take in hand; against what time; who shall have the charge; with such like; but also

that as you shall be informed, and understand these things to be true, so to give order for the defence of the borders, and to have good numbers assembled in such places where they may both best defend themselves and the country, or cut off the victuals, or otherwise annoy the enemy, as opportunity may serve. And therewithal, also, lest the enemy might find relief from our own provisions, to foresee that they find no victuals; but that the cattle be brought further into the realm, and all other victuals put in safety.

And, because it appeareth that there is not now such store of bows there as were convenient if the army should go forwards, like as we signified unto you by our late letters, that ye might take those that be at Hull, so is her Highness' pleasure ye shall do, and make as good shift with them as ye can until some further supply may be sent from hence, which shall be with as good speed as we can, order being already taken with the Master of the Ordnance for that purpose, as by his letters lately sent unto your Lordship ye may at better length perceive. As for money, it hath been already by our last letters written unto you that, if the army do set forward, ye may use that treasure that hath been already sent thither about the advancing of the said army: and, upon knowledge from your Lordship of the marching forward of the same, her Majesty will take order that a further supply of money shall be sent unto you out of hand.

As touching such gentlemen as ye say are fallen sick, and some dead; her Highness seeth now none other remedy, for the supply of their want upon this sudden, but that your Lordship must in their stead appoint some such other skilful persons as you shall by your discretion think most convenient; which her Highness requireth you to do out of hand, so as the army be in no wise unfurnished of convenient officers when it shall set forth. And because it is to be thought that the Scots will not enterprise any invasion upon this realm with a main force unless they be of some strength, her Majesty thinketh convenient that ye take with you from out of these hither parts 10,000 men at the least, whereof as many to be horsemen as you can by any means get; so as, together with the force of the borders, the army may be of an 18,000 or 16,000 men, at the least. As for victuals, Abingdon, who is appointed to provide victuals for Berwick, is now remaining there, and will provide for the victualling of all those that be upon the borders, which must be one great part of the army; and as for those that your Lordship shall bring with you, you must cause the country to follow the army with victuals; and, as we think, if Abingdon have warning given him from your Lordship in time, he will also help with some furniture for the army that shall come with you; for which purpose I, the Lord Treasurer, will in like manner write unto him. And where your Lordship thinks there will be lack of car

riages, we doubt not but that there are enough to be found in the country there for the furniture of a greater number of men than shall go forth now, if your Lordship will use your authority, which in this case you must needs do.

We have also perused the Scots articles. touching prisoners; and, although we reckon the same to be of no great importance, and rather to be moved by the Scots for a brag, or for some practice, than for any good meaning, yet, for some answer to the same, we think, touching the ransom of prisoners, that it is not convenient that any of the degree of a Baron, or upwards, should be set at any certainty, but to remain at the Prince's pleasure; and for all under the degree of a Baron to be ransomed as they can agree with their taker. And as for that article where the Scots do require to have such punished as shall lack the cross, or token of the realm they be of, we like the same well; so as, if it be agreed upon, your Lordship do give warning thereof in time unto all your soldiers, captains, and others, to the end they may know the penalty, and provide for the remedy thereof by having each man his cross upon him as is said. We do also think fit that all chaplains, heralds, trumpeters, and other like officers, be free, according to the ancient law of arms. All which orders being agreed upon, it shall suffice they be followed and kept, by the agreement of the Lieutenants, or Wardens, without any further confirmation. And thus, having written our opi

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