The Emperor is setting forward his other daughter* towards Metz, to be married to the French King. It is written, by letters of the 28th of the last, from Venice, that the Turk has landed in Cyprus 100,000 men, or more; and has besieged the two great cities within that kingdom, Nicocia and Famagosta. At one assault at Famagosta they lost 12,000 men; upon the which repulse the Begler Bey* of Natolia, the General of the Turk's army, wrote to the great Turk, his master, that he thought it was invincible. He answered that, if they did not win it before they came, they should be put to the sword at their return home. The Turk has sent another army by land against the Venetians, into Dalmatia, and are besieging Zara with 20,000 footmen and 20,000 horsemen, and divers towns they have taken, as Spalatro, Elisa, Eleba, and Nona, with great spoil and bloodshed; and it is written that the Turk's several armies are above 200,000 men against the Venetians. The men first sent by the Venetians fell so into diseases by the way as they were fain to prepare new men, which is thought will hardly come to do any good in Cyprus. A man may see what account is to be made of these worldly things, as to see in a small time the third state of Christendom in security, power, and wealth, to be in danger of utter overthrow in one year.

* Elizabeth, second daughter of Maximilian II. She was married to Charles IX. of France, Nov. 26th, 1570, and died Jan. 22nd, 1592.

† Beglerbey, or Beglerbeg; a Viceroy, or Governor of a Province.

They say my Lord of Leicester hath many workmen at Kenilworth to make his house strong, and doth furnish it with armour, ammunition, and all necessaries for defence. And thus Jesus have my Lord, and your Ladyship, and my friends in his tuition, to God's pleasure.

Scribbled at London, the last of August, 1570.

Your good Ladyship's ever to command

during life.

To the right honourable Countess of Shrews

bury, at Chatsworth, or where.

No. LIV.

(Howard Papers.)

SIR WILLIAM CECIL

TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY.

Ir may please your honourable good Lordship (after my humble commendations remembered to your Lordship and my good Lady) to understand that we two, your Lordship's troublesome guests,

Cecil, accompanied by Sir Walter Mildmay, had lately visited the Queen of Scots in her prison, to propose certain terms of accommodation; and commissioners were soon after named, both on her part and on that of her son, and a conference between them and Elizabeth's ministers was appointed to be held in London. Mary's friends, and indeed all honest men, were sanguine in their expectations of the event of this treaty; but Elizabeth rendered it fruitless by a stroke of that hypocrisy which, owing to a sort of fatality, as it should seem, always actuated her mind when she dealt with the Queen of Scots. See a long detail of this negociation in Camden. See likewise Dr. Robertson's judicious observations on Elizabeth's conduct in it.

arrived here safely at the Court on Saturday, in the afternoon, and have imparted to her Majesty our proceedings with that Queen, wherein our labours are not misliked by her Majesty; and yet some exceptions are taken to two or three of the last answers made by the Queen of Scots, wherein I think there will prove no such difficulty but that the Queen of Scots will satisfy the Queen's Majesty; so as the whole now shall rest upon some good determination of the rest at the coming of the Commissioners from Scotland on both parts.

We have, as in duty we are bound, made report to her Majesty of your Lordship's careful, discreet, and chargeable service in the charge of that Queen, for her surety, and for the Queen's Majesty's honour. We have also fully satisfied her Majesty with the painful and trusty behaviour of my Lady your wife, in giving good regard to the surety of the said Queen; wherein her Majesty surely seemed to us to be very glad, and used many good words, both of your Lordship's fidelity towards herself, and of the love that she thought my Lady did bear to her. We also besought her Majesty that your Lordship might receive her thanks for your chargeable and loving entertainment of us, which I trust she will cause to be known to your Lordship.

Now for the removing of that Queen, her Majesty said, at the first, that she trusted so to make an end in short time that your Lordship should be shortly acquitted of her; nevertheless, when I told her Majesty that you could not long endure

your household there, for lack of fuel and other things, and that I thought Tutbury not so fit a place as it was supposed, but that Sheffield was the meetest, her Majesty said she would think of it, and within few days, give me knowledge. Only I see her Majesty loth to have that Queen to be often removed, supposing that thereby she cometh to new acquaintance; but to that I said your Lordship could remove her without calling any to you but your own. Upon motion made by me, at the Bishop of Ross's request, the Queen's Majesty is pleased that your Lordship shall, when you see times meet, suffer that Queen to take the air about your house on horseback, so your Lordship be in company; and therein I am sure your Lordship will have good respect to your own company, to be sure and trusty; and not to pass from your house above one or two miles, except it be on the moors; for I never fear any other practice of strangers, as long as there is no corruption amongst your own. And thus I humbly take my leave of your Lordship and my Lady, to whom my wife has written to give her thanks for certain tokens, whereof I understood nothing before she told me of them; and sorry I am my Lady should have bestowed such things as my wife cannot recompense as she would, but with her hearty good will and service, which shall always be ready, to her power and mine also; assuring yourself that to my uttermost I will be to your Lordship and to my Lady as sure in good will as any poor friend you have.

apprehen

I wish that I might hear of Hall's sion, for the Queen's Majesty most earnesty desireth to have him had; and, if he be not, I beseech your Lordship use all the good means you can possibly. I humbly thank your Lordship for the venison pasties that I have received of Mr. Kniveton, your servant. From Windsor, the 26th of October, 1570.

The

The term shall hold at Westminster. Queen of Spain + is safely arrived in Spain. The French King is gone to Soissons, to meet with the Emperor's daughter that shall be his wife. Monsieur d'Anjou meets her at Meziers. The peace continues in France.

Your Lordship's at commandment,

To the right honourable my very good Lord, the Earl of Shrewsbury.

W. CECIL.

A gentleman of Derbyshire, who, in concert with the Earl of Derby's younger sons, and some others, had lately laid a plot to liberate the Queen of Scots, which was discovered by Rolston, a gentleman pensioner, and son to one of the conspirators. They were all seized except Hall, who fled to the Isle of Man, and was sent thence, by some friends of the Bishop of Ross, to Dunbar. ton Castle, upon the surprise of which by the Regent's forces in the following spring, he was given up to Elizabeth, and soon after suffered death in London.

† Anne, eldest daughter of the Emperor Maximilian II. She had lately become the fourth wife of Philip II. of Spain, her mother's brother. Elizabeth, in compliment to the house of Austria, equipped a fleet, and despatched several persons of quality, to escort this young lady from Zealand towards Spain.