No. XVIII. (Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 141.) LORDS OF THE COUNCIL TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. WE commend us unto your good Lordship, and finding that your Lordship has not, according to our late letters sent unto you, satisfied the Queen's Majesty in her receipt of the Exchequer of such sums of money as we signified were due by you to her Highness; neither yet made any declaration what good cause your Lordship had to allege for the contrary. Like as we cannot but account your Lordship's doings herein very strange, and such as are not to be borne withall, so have we thought good eftsoons to require your Lordship in her Majesty's name, all delays and excuses set apart, to make payment forthwith into her Highness' said receipt of all sums of money as are owing by your Lordship to her Majesty; and immediately thereupon to send unto us sufficient testimony that you have satisfied the same, declaring what good matter you have to excuse your former contempt. Which if your Lordship shall not without delay and protract of time accomplish, we cannot but, according to her Majesty's express commandment given unto us, see her Highness' laws put in against your Lordship, which we would be sorry to do, and therefore we require your Lordship to have such regard hereof as becometh you. So fare you well. From Windsor, the 22nd of December, 1563. Yorkshire Sc. Comite Shrewsburie reddit hoc anno quinto Eliz. Your Lordship's loving friends, RY. SACKVIlle. £57. 10. 10. WINCHESTER. PEMBROKE. W. CECIL. To our loving and very good Lord, the Earl of Shrewsbury give these, Com. Ebor. No. XIX. (Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 149.) SIR WILLIAM CECIL TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. Ir may please your honourable good Lordship to understand that, of singular confidence, the Queen's Majesty has ordained your Lordship to be her Lieutenant General in Yorkshire, &c., as by her commission herewith sent shall more largely appear. And I have a bill signed for your Lordship to license you to retain 100 persons; which bill I will deliver to my Lord of Leicester, because his Lordship required me to procure the like both for himself and your Lordship. And so humbly I take my leave. From Richmond, the 30th of July, 1565. I pray your Lordship that my humble compliments be given to my good Lady. may To the right honourable the Earl of Shrewsbury, Trent. No. XX. (Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 157.) THE EARL OF BEDFORD TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. AFTER my very hearty commendations to your good Lordship. By your Lordship's gentle letter of the 11th of this present I understand that you have received the Queen's Majesty's commission of lieutenancy for the counties of York, Nottingham, and Derby (as I have, in like manner, for the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland, and the Bishoprick of Durham) whereof, for her Majesty's service, I am very glad; hoping to find such aid and assistance thereby, in your Lordship and by your means, as shall be requisite and appertain. And touching the number of 2000 men appointed to be levied for the succour of this her Majesty's peace, to the number of 1600 there in Yorkshire, and the residue, being 400, within the Bishoprick, now my charge; and having conferred upon this part of your Lordship's letter with the Sheriff of that county palatine, and other worshipful of the same, for the better putting the said number of 400 in readiness, upon the sudden, or otherwise, as chance shall require; they do affirm that they never had order or commandment for the levying of the same, nor that it has been heretofore seen that the Bishoprick should be charged with the sending forth of any, since the same is the strength and refuge appointed wholly and altogether to come to aid this place, and the unpeopled frontiers here; and that in taking any from them we do so much decay our own force. Wherefore, since your Lordship hath not the charge to levy the whole 2000, I shall nevertheless use some part of my authority in this behalf, and give them order that the same 400 shall be in a readiness, as my Lords of the Council's order was they should. If in any other thing I shall at any time need your good Lordship's help or aid, I shall not fail to let your Lordship understand thereof from time to time. News here are, as now, very few out of Scotland, other than the Duke of Chatelherault, the Earls of Argyle and Murray, are now together in the furthest parts of that realm; what will ensue thereupon time will declare. Certain rebels of Scotland, called Elwoods, being at feud with the sirname of the Scots in Liddesdale, have of late done marvellous spoils, and still cease not to do; wherewith the realm is somewhat troubled. And to your Lordship's second letter, for my Lord Dacre's coming to assemble with other my Lords at Morpeth, when I understood how far his Lordship was off, I considered that the time was very short for his Lordship to come thither, and therefore thought the better of his absence; knowing right well that in all things that shall be for her Majesty's service he will, according to his place and calling, employ himself as shall appertain. Thus, with my hearty thanks to your good Lordship, I end at this time, and bid the same as myself farewell. From Berwick, this 17th of August, 1565. To the right honourable my very good Lord, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Knight of the Order, and Lord Lieutenant of the counties of York, Nottingham, and Derby. F. BEDFORD.* No. XXI. (Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 161.) THE EARL OF BEDFORD TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. AFTER my hearty commendations to your good Lordship. And for that there are 1600 men allotted within your Lordship's charge for the succour and aid of this town, as need should require ; and, forasmuch as the proceedings of our neighbours the Scots seem to tend rather to the breach than the continuance of good amity (for that they have now of late stayed Mr. Randolph in Edinburgh, or rather, as I fear, committed him to safe keeping; and Mr. Tamworth at Dunbar, whence he cannot come +) it shall be, therefore, * Francis Russel, second Earl of Bedford, Governor of Berwick, and Warden of the East Marches; a nobleman of an excellent character, which is summed up in few words by Camden, who says he was a true follower of religion and virtue. He died July 28th, 1585, aged 58. + Randolph and Tamworth were at this time Elizabeth's principal agents in Scotland. The former was of a dark intriguing spirit, full of cunning, and void of conscience. There is little doubt that the unhappy divisions in Scotland were chiefly fomented by this man's artifices for more than twenty years together. Tamworth, who was of the Queen's Privy Chamber, bore the style of Ambassador Resident; and his public character seems |