God. She is much offended at my restraint from her walking without this castle, but, for all her anger, I will not suffer her to pass one of these gates until I have contrary commandment expressly from the Queen's Majesty. And though I was fully persuaded that my number of soldiers was sufficient for her safe keeping, yet have I thought good this time to increase the same with 30 soldiers more, for the more terror of the evil-disposed; and I have also given, and do keep, pre cise order, not only that no manner of conference shall be had with her, or any of hers, but also that no intelligence shall be brought to her, or any of them; and, likewise, I have given for walking and observing the woods, and other places thereabout, that are most to be suspected, to the end I may speedily understand of any resort or haunt of suspected persons, or of any thing else meet to be known. Hereof I thought meet to advertise your Lordship, that you may be pleased to declare the same, as you think convenient, unto her Majesty, whom I beseech Almighty God preserve from all practices of her enemies; and so I end, &c. Sheffield Castle, the 24th of September. No. LXXI. (Talbot Papers, Vol. P. fol. 579.) THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY TO LORD BURGHLEY. My very good Lord, FIVE weeks are passed since I had any advertisements from your Lordship, which I think long; and now especially that it is spoken the Queen's Majesty has been lately sick of the small pox, and as yet no certainty is heard of her Majesty's recovery, or perfect health. You may be sure it is no little grief or discomfort to me. Judge me by yourself; our case is one. 1 am so desirous to hear of her Majesty's perfect recovery of health, as I have presumed to crave of her Majesty's own hand-writing a word or two for my more comfort. This Queen is safe, and all well here; and so I wish to your Lordship as well as to myself. At Sheffield Castle, this 16th of October, at 8 in the night, in haste, 1572. Your Lordship's ever assured friend to my power, G. SHREWSBURY. To the right honourable and my very good Lord, the Lord Treasurer of England. No. LXXII. (Talbot Papers, Vol. F. fol. 41.) THE QUEEN TO THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY. By the Queen. RIGHT trusty and right well-beloved cousin and counsellor, we greet you well. By your letters sent to us we perceive that you had heard of some late sickness wherewith we were visited; whereof, as you had cause to be greatly grieved, so, though you heard of our amendment, and was thereby re-comforted, yet, for a satisfaction of your mind. you are desirous to have the state of our amend ment certified by some few words in a letter from ourselves. True it is that we were about thirteen days past distempered, as commonly happens in the beginning of a fever; but, after two or three days, without any great inward sickness, there began to appear certain red spots in some part of our face, likely to prove the small pox ;* but, thanked be God, contrary to the expectation of our physicians, and all others about us, the same so vanished away, as, within four or five days passed, no token almost appeared; and at this day, we thank God, we are so free from any token or mark of any such disease that none can conjecture any such thing. So as by this you may perceive what was our sickness, and in what good estate we are; thanking you, good cousin, for the care you had of the one, and of the comfort you take of the other, wherein we do assure ourselves of as much fidelity, duty, and love, you bear us as of any, of any degree, within our realm. Given at our castle of Windsor, the 22nd of October, 1572; the 14th year of our reign. My faithful Shrewsbury, + Let no grief touch your heart for fear of my disease; for I assure you, ᎥᏝ my credit were not * Camden informs us that the Queen had the small-pox at this time. It is not easy to determine whether this letter tends to confirm or to contradict his report. This curious postscript is written entirely by the Queen's own hand. She frequently practised this delicate stroke of flattery on her old servants, and the Earl's situation particularly required it. greater than my show, there is no beholder would believe that ever I had been touched with such a malady. Your faithful loving Sovereign, To our right trusty and right well beloved cousin and counsellor, the Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl Marshal of England. ELIZABETH R. No. LXXIII. (Talbot Papers, Vol. P. fol. 603.) THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY TO LORD BURGHLEY. Mine especial good Lord, HER Majesty's last letters, which I received with yours, declaring her Highness' good health, were most comfortable unto me; and in respect of the words written with her own hand therein (far above the order used to a subject), I do think myself more happy thereby than any of mine ancestors; and therefore do I mean, for a perpetual memory, to preserve the same safely, as a principal evidence of my great comfort to my posterity. I shall beseech your Lordship to yield most humble thanks unto her Majesty, in my name, therefor; and, also, for that it pleased her Highness to accept my true and faithful service, which, by God's grace, shall never be wanting. And, truly, my Lord, .or your friendship, which I have always found so great unto me, I do so much esteem the same, as you may be justly assured that when any way I may stand you in stead, you shall well perceive me indeed to be one that thinks himself most beholden unto your Lordship, as I, by Mr. Bateman, shall further declare unto your Lordship, at your good leisure. Thus, with my most hearty commendations, and my wife's also, I commit your good Lordship to God. From Sheffield, this 4th of November, 1572. G. SHREWSBURY. To the right honourable my very good Lord, the No. LXXIV. (Howard Papers.) THE EARL OF SHREWSBURY TO LORD BURGHLEY. My very good Lord, THIS Queen, as may appear, is so discontented that she, having sundry times written unto the Queen's Majesty, is neither answered, nor suffered to receive out of France her money, or things needful for her use, as she cannot, with good patience, be contented to write to her Majesty at this time. She is within a few days become more melancholy than of long before, and complains of her wrongs and imprisonment; and, for remedy thereof, seems not to trust her Majesty, but altogether in foreign powers. By her talk she would make appear as both Spain and France sought her and her son; and, to keep them both her friends alike, |