LXIV. I do not know how hee may be wronged unto her LETTER Majestye, butt I fynd no man more reddy and disposed, of his qualletye, to do her service; neather more willing to spend all he hath therin. 1596.* May 6. From Queenborough. In com I know his charge was great in the last Discovery 1 with me, and ther is none now of his sort that douth so chargablie prepaire hyme sealf. I must leve me, and mendation all myne, to your honorable favor, and wee will all honor yow and serve yow. of a kinsman who had incurred the Queen's W. RALEGH. dis From Quinburrow, this 6th of Maye [1596]. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir ROBERTT CECIL, Knight, of her Majesties most honble Privey Councell. Endorsed : 6 May, 1596. Sir Walter Raleighe to my Master. pleasure. LXV. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xli. § 14 (Hatfield). In the hand of an amanuensis; the subscription, postscript, signature, and address in autograph. SIR, I HAVE written to Doctor CÆSAR 2 in the behalfe of Mr. WILLIAM HILLIARD, a master of arts and very learned, to move her Majestie for her letters to the Deane and Chapter of Exceter for his admittance to the 1 I.e. the Voyage of Discovery to Guiana of 1595. LETTER 1596. May 26. To Sir R. Cecil. Plymouth. LETTER 1596. May 26. Recom next place that shall be void of a Prebend and Cannon therin. I beeseech your Honnor to further him in his suite, for the obteyning thereof. He will in dutefull service acknowledg your honnorable favour, and I shalbe bound for his sake to remember it to my power. And so I Prebend in humbly take my leave. From Plymouth, the 26th of mending William Hilliard for a Exeter May, 1596. Your Honors to do yow service, W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.]-Sir, I besciche yow for my sake, because it standeth miche on my creditt, to favor the sute; and I shall evermore acknowledge it in the highest digre. W. R. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir ROBERT CECIL, Knight, of her Majesties most honorable Privy Councell. Endorsed: 26 May, 1596. Sir Walter Raleighe to my Master. In favour of Mr. Hilliard. LETTER LXVI. 1596. May 29. LXVI. TO SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xli. § 25 (atfield). In the hard of an amanuensis; subscribed and signed. SIR, I AM entreated by Mr. JOHN RANDOLL, Deputie Vice-Admirall of Dorsetshire, to desire your honorable fauvor towards him, if by reason of his office or other Plymouth. Occasions he shalbe urged by suites to sollicite your To Sir R. Honnor. I beeseech your Honnor in reguard of the honestie of the gentleman, and for the good opinion that is hereabouts generallie conceaved of him, to fauvor him in such sort as the equitie of his causes shall require, and him selfe deserve. And so I humblie take my leave. From Plymmouth, the 29th of May, 1596. Your Honor's to do yow service, LETTER LXVI. 1596. May 29. In com mendation of John Randall, ViceAdmiral of Dorset. W. RALEGH. Addressed: To the right honorable Sir ROBERT CECYLL, Knight, one of her Highnes most honorable Privy Councell. Endorsed: 29 May, 1596. Sir Walter Ralegh to my Master. In favour of Mr. Randoll. LXVII. TO SECRETARY SIR ROBERT CECIL. From the Original. MS. Cotton, VESPASIAN, C xiii. fol. 290 (British ** Sir Anthony Ashley, the bearer of this letter, was the first to bring intelligence to England of the capture of Cadiz. Some particulars of his statements as to the spoils have been noticed in the preceding volume. (Life, p. 229.) In the course of his explanations on that very difficult part of the subject, which he affected to give with great frankness,-he was brought repeatedly under cross-examination, by the Queen herself, as well as by Burghley and Robert Cecil; and his evidence about it was found to be somewhat unsatisfactory and incoherent. He was presently put under restraint. Cecil wrote to Sir John Gilbert to order strict search to be made along the coast for spoils which Sir Anthony Ashley was LETTER 1596. July 7. To Sir R. sea. Victory at supposed to have found means of concealing, in the brief interval between his arrival at Plymouth and his journey to London. Sir Anthony's subsequent history is in many respects remarkable. Both the Council Books and the Domestic Correspondence contain numerous references to it. He died towards the close of the reign of James the First. Lady Ashley, his widow, married Carew Ralegh, only surviving son of Sir Walter. Anne Ashley, his daughter and heiress, married John Cooper, and became the ancestress of the Earls of Shaftesbury. SIR, THIS bearer, Sir ANTHONY ASHLEY, that hath seen all, can better report all then any letter or discourse. The xxi of June we beheld the citty of Calize, the fleet of the Kinge, and that of Nova Hispania; all which we mastered the same day. Of every man's desert, both for councel and performance, lett it bee delivered with what device soever, yet I doubt not butt all shall have right. I was not secound to any in the fight against the gallions and gallis; wherin I was hurt, and could not be first att the taking of this town as att the rest. Ther hath been good agreement between the General's. The victorye was caried with great honor and mercye1 Ther hath been mich gotten by the land commanders; although I do think little possest by the Generals themsealvs. The Kinge of Spain never so much dishonored; neither hath he ever receved so great losse. 1 Francisco de Quesada, a canon of the Church of Cadiz, drew up a very striking account of what passed under his own observation, at this juncture —just after the victory. On the point here touched by Ralegh, Quesa is says: "Ninguna mujer ha sido forzado ni llevada à Inglaterra; a nadre han dado tormento por haber dineros sino fueron dos otres; ninguna persona murió à sangre fria; casi ninguna insolencia se ha hecho;" &c. MS. Simancas, Estado, Bund. 177. (Coleccion de Decamentos incaites per a la Historia de España, vol. xxviii. pp. 343, seqq.) The Earle hath behaved hymesealfe, I protest unto yow by the living God, both valiently and advisedly in the highest degree; without pride; without crueltye; and hath gotten great honor and mich love of all. For particulars, your Honor shall receve by others,— which I had rather should so bee written yow, [than] by mee. I hope her most excellent Majestye will take my labors and indeavors in good parte. Other ritches then the hope therof I have none; only I have receved a blow which now, I thank God, is well amended;-only a little eysore will remayne. If my life had ended withall, I had then payde some part of the great deabts which I owe her. Butt it is butt borrowed, and I shall paye it, I hope, to Her Majesties advantage, if occasion. be offred. Sir, I humbly beseich you to excuse me that I write thus briefly for the present, and that yow will vouchsaife also to excuse me to my Lord your father. And I will remayne, evermore to be cummanded by yow as your sarvant, W. RALEGH. To the westward of Calize, sume x leaugs, the 7 of July [1596]. [POSTSCRIPT.]—I beseich yow to cummend me to my cussen...1, my brother, and to my cussen Stanhope. Addressed To Sir ROBERT CECIL. 1 This name has been torn away. LETTER LXVII. 1596. July 7. |