ther, your good Lordship that (by reason of long sickness, which has continued a great time in this country and yet continues; and by the death of many, and those most able and tallest persons; and also by reason that the soldiers who were appointed in the last service, in October last, many of them did not bring home again their harness and other furnitures) this poor little county was never less able to furnish any great number. Where of like as we thought it our most bounden duty to advertise your Lordship, so having received the King's and Queen's Majesties' commission for the taxation of this subsidy, to us and others directed, for the execution whereof, dividing ourselves, some of us are constrained to sit in three or four sundry hundreds or places; and for that cause, where it pleased your honourable Lordship, in your said instructions, to command one of us, in person, to attend upon your Lordship with our certificate the 16th of this instant, we thought it our bounden duties to prevent that time, and to advertise your Lordship hereof; knowing that if we should send our said certificate by such one of us as is commanded in your said instructions, it would be a great hindrance and let to the execution of the said commission of subsidy, and, in our opinions, no great furtherance to the service commanded by your good Lordship.

And (to the intent your Lordship may plainly see and know as well the state of the Justices of the peace of this county as also the state of the whole shire, where the able men for this service

must be taken, levied, and made) we have sent unto your Lordship, here enclosed, a schedule plainly declaring the same, so as your good Lordship may, at your pleasure, have consideration thereof; and to take order therein as to your honourable Lordship shall seem most expedient. Most humbly requiring the same that it will please you to signify unto us your honourable pleasure and resolution in the premises, which known, we shall, by God's grace, most diligently and obediently follow and execute, according to our most bounden duties, to the uttermost of our powers, while our lives may endure; as Almighty God best knows, who long preserve your good Lordship in perfect health and much increase of honour.

From Derby, the 4th of this present April, 1558.

Your Lordship's, most humbly at commandment,

HUMPHREY BRADBORNE.

THOMAS BABINGTON.

FRANCIS CURSON.

RIC. BLAKEwell.

VINCENT Mundie.

THOMAS SUTTON.

HENRY VERNON.

No. LXIII.

(Talbot Papers, Vol. P. fol. 349.)

ROBERT SWIFT

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

PLEASE your Lordship to be advised that I have been a continual suitor unto Sir Edward Walgrave for the dispatch of Robotham's requests; and this day, at his going to the court, I delivered

the particulars from the Auditors, and he said he would attempt the suit unto the Queen's Majesty ; and I have persuaded with Robotham for the quietness of the tenants of Hertington as much as I

can.

Here is a great talk that the King's Majesty should come over with speed, but the merchants strangers think that he will not come as yet, nor cannot be conveniently spared; yet there is gone, as well to Dover as to Harwich, both horses and his wardrobe, and my Lord Admiral is gone to Dover to make preparation for him. Here is great preparation for the putting in a readiness presently of a very great army and number of soldiers ; and my Lord Treasurer, the Marquis of Winches-ter, is made Lieutenant General south of the Trent, except a few shires; and my Lord of Huntingdon and my Lord of Rutland are appointed for head officers of the army. There are at this present at Portsmouth 240 sail ready victualled. The merchants and divers others say that there is a peace now presently concluding between the King's Majesty and the French King; and the first occasion whereof was, as I heard, by means of either the Duchess of Lorrain or of Parma's son, who are with the French King.

Oswald Wilkinson has provided your Lordship of armour; and the said Wilkinson takes great pains to provide your Lordship of armour if we had money, and without money we can get nothing here, and I never saw money so evil to come by here. I am put in good hope to receive your

money in the Exchequer, which shall be bestowed in armour so far as it will go. Temple has £50 of your Lordship's here in the town, which, as yet, I cannot get without a bill of your Lordship's hand and seal; which things trouble us very evil for your armour. And thus I beseech our Lord send your Lordship long and honourable life.

From London, the 14th of May, 1558.

Your Lordship's servant,
ROBERT SWIFT.

ELIZABETH.

No. I.

(Talbot Papers, Vol. E. fol. 15.)

LORDS OF THE COUNCIL

TO THE MARQUIS OF WINCHESTER AND THE EARLS OF SHREWSBURY AND DERBY.

AFTER our right hearty commendations to your good Lordships. Where the Queen's Majesty minds, God willing, to take her journey upon Wednesday* next to London, her Highness' pleasure is that your Lordships shall both put yourselves in readiness to attend her Majesty thither, with all your servants and train, and also give

Queen Mary died on the 17th of November, Elizabeth being then at Hatfield, where she had for some time resided. Burnet (Hist of the Ref., vol. ii., 374.) and Echard, on the Bishop's authority, inform us that the new Queen was met at Highgate on the 19th by the Bishops, who conducted her to London, where she slept that night at the Duke of Norfolk's (then, by the by, Lord North's) in the Charter House. The incontestible authority before us fixes Wednesday, the 23rd, as the day appointed for her entry.

VOL. I.

B