Bishop being examined, denies not the sending of Ridolphi to Flanders, to Rome, and to Spain; nor the receiving of letters from him in cypher; nor the receiving of two letters, the one to be delivered to 30 the other to 40; but he says that the figure 40 was meant for the Queen of Scots, and the figure 30 the Spanish Ambassador; and that the Queen of Scots did write by Ridolphi to the Duke of Alva, to the Pope, and the King of Spain; but he says it was partly for money, partly for aid against her rebels. But still the Queen's Majesty has ascertained by good proof that the letters 30 and 40 were to two Lords of England; for it was written in them that they should march with their power towards London, and that the Duke of Alva would send power to a port to join with the two Lords. Now, the Queen's Majesty will have your Lordship speedily to speak with that Queen before any messenger can come from the Bishop of Ross, and move her (as she will look for any favour at the Queen's Majesty's hand, or will appear to her Majesty to mean truly) that she will answer these questions: What letters she wrote by Ridolphi, and to whom, and to what purpose; and to shew you presently the copies of those letters. Secondly, to declare what letters she has received from Ridolphi whilst he was lately in the Low Countries, and how they were written, whether in cypher or not; and to show your Lordship those letters. Again, to shew your Lordship whether, in any cypher to her known now remaining with the Bishop of Ross, she is named by the figure of 30 or 40; and what superscription was upon the letter of Ridolphi to her; for we understand that Ridolphi did but make a mark upon those letters. You shall require to know in what manner of cypher Ridolphi did write to her, and you shall desire to see the alphabet of that cypher, and shall require only the characters, without any explication or signifiation of them; for we here do know in what cypher the said letters of 30 and 40 were written, but the Bishop says they were in an Italian cypher, which is false. All these things her Majesty would have you earnestly demand, and if the Bishop say truth then she can declare the same; but your Lordship shall not, until she has fully denied all, say any thing of the Bishop's answers. Hereof I pray your Lordship send answer by this bearer. Furthermore, we have great cause to have one John Cobbard, a Scotchman, servant to the Bishop of Ross, taken. We hear he departed hence twenty days past: if by any means your Lordship can get him, let him be taken, and sent up secretly. The Queen's Majesty likes well of all your orders, and can be content that (if yourself shall so be content) the number above 30 permitted to be with that Queen, by your Lordship, shall remain. If the Queen of Scots be offended with the restraint of the Bishop, certainly you may say that the whole Council have found his practices against the Queen's Majesty so evident, and, for the more part, now confessed by himself, that they all have fully and earnestly determined to proceed against him sharply; and that it is not the particular displeasure of any towards that Queen, or towards him. And thus I end scribbling, in great haste: 14th May, 1571. Your Lordship's at commandment, W. BURGHLEY.* THE Queen's Majesty commands me to signify unto you that presently there is discovered most certainly that the Duke of Norfolk has sent towards Scotland a mass of money, with letters in cypher to the Queen's party in Scotland, and in Edinburgh Castle: the money and letters are intercepted, and Higford, the Duke's Secretary, who did write the letters, is taken, and, in the Tower, confesses all the matter.+ The Duke is also se * The title of Baron Burghley had been conferred on Cecil, Feb. 25, preceding this date. + See in Murdin's papers the examinations at length, of Higford, who had been the Duke's Secretary, and others. Several of the Privy Council attended at the Tower, day and night, for questered, and in custody of Sir Ralph Sadler. Upon these considerations her Majesty thinks it most necessary that you be now circumspect over your charge, for, besides these things above said, there are discovered plainly that the Duke has had a continual intelligence with that Queen, contrary to that which I thought he meant; and as I am sorry that it is so, so am I glad that it is discovered. I think shortly you shall hear more hereof, and so I take my leave of your Lordship. From the Court at Horeham,* near Thacksted, in Essex, 5th September, 1571. Your Lordship's at commandment, W. BURGHLEY. upwards of a fortnight, to examine these wretched persons, who were severely, and at last unnecessarily, tortured, by Elizabeth's express order. Sir Thomas Smith, a person of great humanity, writes to Lord Burghley a few days after the date of this letter (see Murdin, 95). Though we be importune to crave revocation from this unpleasant and painful toil, I pray you be not angry with us. I assure, for my part, I would not wish to be one of Homer's gods if I thought I should be Minos, Eacus, or Radamanthus I had rather be one of the least Umbræ in Campis Elysiis. I suppose we have gotten as much as at this time is like to be had, yet to-morrow do we intend to bring a couple of them to the rack, not in any hope to get any thing worthy that pain or fear, but because it is so earnestly commanded unto us." * Horeham, a manor in the large parish of Thacksted in Essex, was granted by Henry VIII., with other considerable property in that neighbourhood, to Sir John Cutt, Master of the Ordnance. "Old Cutt," says Leland, meaning this Sir John, "builded Horeham Haule, a very sumptuous house in Est-Sax, by Thaxtede; and there is a goodly pond, or lake, by it, and faire parkes thereabout." At this mansion the Queen was now entertained on her progress by the builder's great grandson, Sir John Cutt, who was so famous for his liberal housekeeping that Elizabeth once sent down a Spanish Ambassador, with a numerous train, to be kept by him during the time of a sickness in London. His profuseness in this way entirely ruined him, and his estates were sold to various families in Essex. That of Horeham is now possessed by Sir William Smith, of Hill-Hall, Baronet. If any body come thither, as it might be, to that Queen, stay them; for it is likely that some will come from the Duke and the Bishop of Ross, or x. To the right honourable and my singular good No. LVIII. (Howard Papers.) LORD BURGHLEY TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.* It may please your Lordship, THE Queen's Majesty hath willed me to advertise you that she had found very dangerous attemps intended by the Queen of Scots, and the Duke of Norfolk to be privy thereof; who has made a very lamentable submission to her Majesty, with a request for her mercy, but I see her Majesty entered into a great indignation against him. Her Majesty would have you also to continue her former direction, and to despatch away the number that are separated from her, as they shall desire passport; and, for such as shall desire to pass into France, to give them passport to come to London, and thence to the Court; and, for such as will return into Scotland, to give them direction to pass by one of the Wardens; and, for the Lord Levinstone and his wife, to use them favourably, that they may at their commodity depart where they Indorsed by the Earl "My L. of Burley's lettar of the xiii of Sept. 1571." |