I Sheffield; trusting your Lordship will so take it, purpose to set forward to-morrow, if I hear not to the contrary from your Lordship. To the right honourable and my very good Lord, the IT No. XLV. (Talbot Papers, Vol. D. fol. 147.) THE COUNCIL IN THE NORTH TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL. It may please your good Lordships to be advertised, that yesterday we, with our very good Lord the Earl of Northumberland, and the Lord Dacres, &c., have consulted together upon the King's and Queen's Majesties' affairs of these North Frontiers towards Scotland; and (the time of the year considered, being now September, with the distance of the force for the army, being a great part thereof in the shires of Lancaster, Chester, Nottingham, and Derby, which will ask, for a good part of them, nigh 20 days before they can be brought to the place of service; and also the want of victuals, especially of malt, the harvest here not yet fully in, nor any corn ready to malt; which, then, the short time the army could here be kept together, by reason of winter and lack of provision, and the small service and great charge like there-upon to ensue) we have all thought in our opinions, that the army this year is not meet to be brought to the frontiers, but strong garrisons to be laid in places convenient for the safety and defence thereof. We have conferred together, both for the places where the garrisons should be laid, and for the numbers to be placed; and yet have referred the alterations of the places to the Lord Wardens, as the occasion shall require; and hereupon it is resolved that the Lord Wardens, with Sir James Crofts, with the speed they can, shall see the men already there mustered, and sorted to the places appointed; and to retain in wages such number of the borderers as shall be for the time thought meet. And, because the dearth of things* be such as the soldiers are not able to live of their accustomed wages, which is, by the day, 6d. the footman, and 9d. the horseman; therefore we beseech your Lordship to be means to the Queen's Majesty that order may be taken, either for the increase of their wages by the day, the footmen to 8d. and the horsemen to 12d., or else to allow that at the pay days they may, by their captains or otherwise, have some reward to countervail the like sum. We do hear that since the death of Sir John Clere,+ the Scots and French have taken courage *The scarcity was so great that a little before the harvest wheat was sold at four marks per quarter; but the ensuing crop proved so plentiful that within one month after the price fell to five shillings. Sir John Clere, of the very ancient family of Clere, of Ormesby, in Norfolk. He had been Treasurer of the Army in France in 1549; was soon after appointed Vice Admiral; and having landed at Kirkwall, in the Orkneys, was killed by the barbarous natives, August 21, preceding the date of this letter. thereby, and have set forth their ships to the seas; which now daily takes the fishermen, and such of the Island fleet as they meet withal. There have been seen of late 8 tall ships together upon sundry parts of these coasts. Therefore we think it very convenient that the ships that were with Mr. Clere, or some other, might be sent again to these seas; wherein we beseech your Lordship that speedy order may be taken, as you shall think convenient. And where your Lordship did advertise by Sir James Crofts that the Lord Eure, or some other, might be joined with the Lord Wharton, for his ease in the offices of the castle and town of Berwick; we perceive, both by the letters of the Lord Wharton to me the Earl of Shrewsbury, and also by Mr. Crofts, that the Lord Wharton is well pleased and desirous to have the said Lord Eure; and I the Earl of Shrewsbury have spoken with the said Lord Eure therein, who, like a nobleman, most willingly offers his service accordingly, to the uttermost of his power; will endeavour himself to furnish, of himself and his friends, for the better service, 100 horsemen, wherein he shall do right good service. He has appointed to be with me the Earl of Shrewsbury, at York, upon Wednesday next; and in the mean time, to prepare himself to be in readiness to repair towards Berwick, as he shall then perceive the Queen's Majesty's pleasure and direction; whereof, and for his entertainment, I beseech your Lordships I may be advertised by that day; and that also the said Lord Eure may receive from and the Queen's Majesty, or your Lordships, such letters of direction and thanks as your Lordships shall think convenient; wherein, for that he is a young gentleman, and his presence there like to do good service, we beseech your Lordships both to consider so to place him for his estimation, and with such entertainment, as thereby he may be encouraged and enabled to serve according to his bounden duty, which we doubt not he will with diligence endeavour himself to do. And, for his better credit (the Queen's Majesty so pleased) we think it should do well to have him sworn of this Council in these North Parts, whereof we also beseech your Lordships to advertise me the said Earl of Shrewsbury. The Lord Dacres, by such exploit as he intendeth, supposes that the Armstrongs of Scotland, it may so chance, will make offer to serve this realm, having living or reward therefore convenient; and if your Lordships think it convenient to be accepted, it may then please you to be a means to signify the Queen's Majesty's pleasure therein to the said Lord Dacres. And now, we being resolved of the premises, have thought convenient that I, the Earl of Shrewsbury, should repair again to York, because the bruit of my remaining here should put the Scots in some doubt of a greater power to be brought hence, and thereupon increase their force towards their frontiers; whereupon I intend to take my journey towards York to-morrow. The town of Newcastle has two ships well furnished, which they would, of their own charges, continue in service of the wars; and they have also other two ships furnished, which, if it might please the Queen's Majesty, they would have set forth of her Majesty's charges; wherein it may please your Lordship to signify her Majesty's pleasure unto them. And thus we beseech Almighty God long to continue your good Lordship in good health, with much honour. From Brauncepeth, the 2nd day of September, 1557. No. XLVI. (Talbot Papers, Vol. D. fol. 153.) LORDS WHARTON AND EURE TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. PLEASED your most honourable Lordship to be advertised, that this 4th we are informed by several espials, coming to either of us, that the army of Scotland is coming forward, and that order is given, by proclamation and otherwise, that all the subjects dwelling by North Sowtray shall march on foot, unless a nobleman, knight, man of good lands, or captains, to ride, and none others; and all from Sowtray Southward to be their band of horsemen. The espials say they have 3000 harquebussiers made forth of all the borough towns in Scotland. On Friday last, at their consultation at Edinburgh (the Dowager, the Duke, the Earl of Hunt |