the world how much she credited me; and so as should be to my contentation; and therefore willed me to make me ready to go shortly; I made courtsey, but I answered nothing; and she sat down, and willed me to call one of the women; and so I

departed, and how I rested satisfied you and my

Lord of Leicester do know.

I have written thus much, because, if the Queen's Majesty speak with you herein before I speak with you, it may please you, having this knowledge from me, to use by way of answer so much thereof as you shall think fit; which I fully refer to your own wisdom.

4 Marcii, 1569.

Your's assuredly,

Received for land sold in Lancashire -
Received for my house sold at Saint Law-

rence Poultney

Received for land sold in Norfolk

Received for land sold in Suffolk

T. SUSSEX.

£ 1000

£ 1500

Received for wood-sales in divers places
Received for leases made in sundry coun-

£12,700

I have besides this spent my whole revenues for twelve years in the Queen's Majesty's service, and to this hour I never received, directly or indirectly, any other benefit than was incident to the ordinary fees belonging to the offices of charge that were committed to me.

4 Marcii, 1569.

T. SUSSEX.

No. L.

(Cecil Papers.)

THE EARL OF SUSSEX TO SIR WILLIAM CECIL.

Sir,

I RECEIVED yesternight your letters of the 21st; and, perceiving thereby your desire to hear of some revenge made against the false Scots, I have sent you a note of the whole journey, whereby you shall see there has been no slackness to satisfy (as so short a time would permit) your expectation therein. And if great folly had not been in the carring away of the draught horses, I think the journey had been well knit up in the end by the taking of Hume Castle ;* which, being by that accident deferred at that time, shall be, I trust, executed to-morrow, or on Thursday. The Lord of Cefforth, and all his friends, profess obedience to the King, and offer all service that way; and all the principal gentlemen of the Marsh depend on that side, and have in these matters refused Hume, so as he was not able, when I was in Teviotdale, to assemble 100 horse; and I am given to understand (which I cannot warraut) that Buccleuch, who has married the Earl of Angus's sister, will, by the Earl Morton's procurement, turn on that side after all his losses, so as he may be assured of the Queen's Majesty's favour henceforth.

You see what packing there is in Scotland by Lidington's devices, who doth plainly give it out that our Queen is resolved to restore his Mistress,

* See the next letter.

and hath procured this assembly, and the French messenger, to make her Majesty afraid. His speeches are that, if they will but make a shew, her Majesty will yield; which he delivered with such words as be unfit for him to speak or me to write, if I shall believe that which is delivered by such as have always dealt bona fide in these matters. He warrants his speeches upon intelligence thence, but I know not from whom. It appears there are many who affect still the King's government, and many who, for fear of the Queen's slackness in defence, be revolted; so as if she lack a sufficient party the fault is in herself; and if she will have one, it must be had with more charge than it might have been had before. Morton and his faction say that if her Majesty will presently enter into public maintenance of their King's authority, and send money to entertain 1000 soldiers of their own for three months, and command the forces here to aid them for that time, they will bring all Scotland in effect to obey that authority; take, with the assistance of the force here, all strengths that may receive strangers; banish such as shall refuse to obey that authority, or make them unable to levy force; and cause all Scotland to yield justice to England without the Queen's charge; and be able to govern the realm after by their own powers, so long as no foreign power shall enter; and, if any foreign power enter, they will spend their lives, and all they have, to join with such aid as her Majesty shall give them to expel them.

The time passeth away, and therefore it were good her Majesty would resolve what she will do; for as if she will restore the S. Q. it were no good policy to have me shew countenance on the other side, so, if she will maintain the other side, and command me to join with them, I will, with allowance of 300 carriage horses, make all men within 30 miles of the borders to obey that authority, or I will not leave a stone house for any of them to sleep in in surety that shall refuse; and, if her Majesty command me to pass further, I will, with the help of Morton, deliver the castle of Edinburgh, or any other in Scotland, to the hands of any in Scotland whom Morton, with her Majesty's consent, shall appoint to receive them. These matters have too long slept; it is time now to wake; and, therefore, good Mr. Secretary, sound the Queen's mind fully; and if she intend to restore the Scotch Queen, advise her to do it in convenient sort, and suffer me not to put my finger in the fire without cause, and her to be drawn into it by such degrees as are neither honourable nor sure; and if she will set up the other side, and make open shew thereof, let her command what she will, and it shall be done, or I will lie by it. Scotland perhaps is in greater fear of this small company, well chosen and appointed, than it hath been of a far greater force in other times, not so well appointed; and therefore it may

Elizabeth, whose irresolution at this period was certainly unaffected, appears to have decided in favour of the King's party within a few weeks after; though she made no public declaration of her sentiments till October in the following year.

do more at this present, (if Scotland see the Queen is resolutely determined) then I will write, because I have the charge of it.

I will trouble you no longer. You see how by degrees our Mistress fleeth from her surety; and that many of us care so much for the state to come as we put the present in peril. Do, therefore, good Mr. Secretary, what you may to bring her Majesty to some resolution, and your friend to know what he shall do with surety; and use this letter as your friend's letter, who would use you as himself.

From Berwick, 25th of April, 1570.

Your's assuredly,

T. SUSSEX.

No. LI.

(Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 145. 1570.)
SIR ROBERT CONSTABLE

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

Right Hon. and my most especial good Lord. FORASMUCH as I would not be forgetful of my duty to your Lordship, I have thought good to trouble you with these my letters; advertising your Honour the whole discourse of our enterprises here done since our coming into these parts. First,

This curious ancient gazette contains a journal of the furious inroad made by Sussex, called bere the Lord Lieutenant, and Hunsdon, in 1570 (see the last letter). The pretence for this expedition was the chastisement of the clans of Carr, or Ker, and Scot, which had lately committed some depredations on the English borders; but the true motive was to awe the few remaining friends of Mary, and to prevent them from uniting while the Regency remained vacant. Elizabeth issued a proclamation upon this occasion, declaring her inviolable friendship to the Scottish