No. LV. (Talbot Papers, Vol. F. fol. 9.) Indorsed by the Earl of Shrewsbury,-" The Quene of Scottes' Cheke-roll, gyven me by Beton, the iiii of May, 1571.” 1 My Lady Leinston, dame 17 Jacques de Sanly. of honour to the Queen's 18 Archibald Beton. Majesty. 2 Mrs. Leinston. 3 Mrs. Seaton. 4 Misses Bruce. 5 Mrs. Courcelles. 6 Mrs. Kennet. 7 My Lord Leinston. 19 Thomas Archibald. 20 D Chiffland. 21 Guion l'Oyselon. 22 Andrew Malreson. 24 Martin Hewet, master cook. 8 Mr. Beton, master of the 26 John du Boys, pastilar. household. 9. Mr. Leinston, gentleman servant. 10 Mr. Castle, physician 11 Mr. Rawlet, secretary. 12 Bastien, page. 13 Balthazar Huilly. 14 James Lander. 15 Gilbert Courll. 27 Mr. Bruce, gentleman to my Lord Leinston. 28 Nicholas Fisher, servant to my Lady Leinston. 29 John Dumfries, servant to Mrs. Seaton. 30 William Blake, servant Mrs. Courcelles; to serve in absence of Florence. Permitted of my Lord's benevolence. Christily Hogg, Bastien's wife. wife. Christiana Graham, my Lady Leinston's gentlewoman. Robert Hamilton, to bear fire and water to the Queen's cousin. Robert Ladle, the Queen's Gilbert Bonner, horsekeeper. the physician. At the Castle of Chefield, this 3rd of May, 1571. A. GALLOWAY. DE BETON. No. LVI. (Howard Papers.) LORD BURGHLEY TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. It may please your Lordship, BESIDES Some things written in the Queen's Majesty's letters, her pleasure is that I should certify and advertise you of these things following. We find that of late one Ridolphi,* an Italian merchant, was by the Bishop of Ross sent to the Duke of Alva, and so to pass to the Pope, and then into Spain; and that before his going there was a secret conspiracy here by the said Bishop with two Lords, to us yet unknown, for a new rebellion this summer. Since, also, we know that Ridolphi wrote letters from Brussels to the Bishop of Ross, signifying that the Duke of Alva liked well of the purposes; he wrote also to the two Lords at the same time to move them to continue their purpose. All these were written in cypher, and the two letters to the Lords were also endorsed with several marks, and the Bishop was willed to deliver the one letter to 30, and the other to 40. Now, the * This Ridolphi, or Ridolpho, was a Florentine, an agent of the Papal Court, who had lived long in London under the chater of a merchant. His general commission was to sow sedition in England, and it is not strange that he should apply himself for this purpose to the Queen of Scots, or that she, under such desperate circumstances, should hearken to his overtures for the recovery of her liberty, and her marriage to the Duke of Norfolk. These plans, in which all the Catholic powers of Europe had interested themselves, were discovered by one of Mary's servants, a German, who was tortured to extort confession. 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 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 |