attend upon the prisoners there; which relief by his own friends, as I can learn, does not exceed; for almost every day some of his men who linger here in the town are coming to my Lady to beg some piece of meat for him, so that she is driven to relieve him now and then with some little thing, as her power will serve. I cannot perceive that his own friends do any thing for him to any purpose; and, as to her, good woman, they offer her no gentleness, nor any thing towards her charges, but if they might be resolved, for that yet I see, could be contented to come and put her to charge daily.

Your Lordship shall also understand that my Lord Bray hath been very stout in his truth, with much desire that his accusers might be brought before his face; so that of Saturday last, as I heard, his accusers and he were face to face before certain of the Commissioners; and, as I hear, both Francis Verney and Edmund Verney have touched very sore; and, as one told me in Westminster this day, that he should be indicted this present day, and shortly after arraigned, and if it be not for your Lordship's suit, and that of his wife, most like to suffer: and what he shall do God knows, but my Lady doth handle herself in her suits, as well to men as to women, as she is both more commended and lamented than all other suitors are; yea, insomuch that the Queen, upon the report which she had heard of her Ladyship within this two days, gave her great praise, and earnestly said

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,
ROBERT SWIFT.

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,
LEONARD BECKWITH.*

To the right honorable and my very special
good Lord the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord
President of the King and Queen's Majes-
ty's honorable Council established in the
North Parts.

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

* This gentleman, the son of Robert Beckwith, by Constance -, 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.

Over great a

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. 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, per"petuumque 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 crant." See more of this matter in the text.