TORY NOTE TO LETTER hat most apposite pair of courtiers, the Lord Privy Seal PREFANorthampton and the Lord Chamberlain Rochester. Under heir conjoint auspices, Grey drew up a letter to the King-for which I have hitherto sought in vain,—and sent it for North ampton's revision. It was then submitted to Salisbury, under precautions against his knowledge that it had first been seen by his colleague Northampton. Its subsequent fate cannot now be traced. It was Grey's intention that it should be given to the King by that Scottish page of his, John Gibb, who had forced his way with so much difficulty through the crowd at Winchester, when carrying the reprieve for Grey and his companions on the scaffold. "Perswade and inchant Gib with goulden promises, which shall truly bee performed," was Grey's written instruction to the servant to whom he entrusted his Letter to the King. And then he adds: "When this is doon, deliver my Lord Chamberlin's with your soonest commodity, unto whome I am in the meantime promised to have a good office perfourmed." That this lost letter contained some secret or other connected with the plottings of 1603, I have a strong persuasion. Grey's written directions to the agent or confidential servant whom he employed in the business are preserved amongst the Wharton MSS. in the Bodleian Library. And of this enigmatical but interesting paper a fac-simile is here inserted. It is possible that the documents Į which once accompanied it-or some of them-may yet be found. Whatever their fate, Grey's effort on this as on so many previous occasions was unsuccessful. That visit to the Tower on the occurrence of which,—in all probability, Grey and "mine own Lord of Northampton had concerted about the document to be laid before the King, by the instrumentality of John Gibb, took place on the 11th or 12th of July, 1611. It possesses interest in relation to Ralegh, as well as to Grey. The interview which Northampton and his companion had on this occasion with Ralegh was thus narrated by the Lord Privy Seal to his comrade Rochester: "We had afterwards a bout with Sir Walter Ralegh, in whom LET VI. Plots and Counterplots of 1602-1603. 1603. December. PREFA- ΝΟΤΕ ΤΟ ton to Somerset ; July 12, 1611. we find no change; but the same boldness, pride, and passion that heretofore hath wrought more violently, but never expended itself in a stronger passion. Hereof his Majesty shall hear when the Lords come to him; and yet you may assure Plots and his Majesty that by this publication1 he wanne2 little ground. CounterThe lawless liberty of that place [the Tower], so long cockered plots of 1602-1603. and fostered with hopes exorbitant, hath bred suitable desires and affections." 1603. Such, in 1611, was the confidential outburst December. of Northampton to Lord Chamberlain Rochester. The writer Northamp had fattened on the spoils of Cobham. The receiver was then fattening on the spoils of Ralegh. The man who had been, as Lord Northampton thought, indulged with overmuch tenderness and liberty, in the Tower, was then brightening his imprisonment by toiling at the History of the World. The men for whom Wardenships, Privy Seals, Lord Chamberlainships, and broad lands in half-a-dozen counties, were all too little, as the rewards of Court subserviency, were just about to vary their enjoyments by plotting together for the murder of poor Overbury. When a few months more had passed, the 'cockered' prisoner surrendered his apartment in the Tower to the courtier who had wrested from his wife and children the ownership of Sherborne; and a sudden death saved, as by a hairbreadth, the prosperous successor of Cobham in the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports from the penalties of felony. Whilst Ralegh was soon to leave his prison for a sharp but brief struggle with Spain and with Destiny in remote Guiana, and Somerset was, at the same moment, to enter upon a lingering death drawn out through almost thirty years of shame and degradation, Grey's trials were to have their appointed end much earlier. Probably, his efforts for liberation ceased with the failure of that which he had made by means of Northampton and of Somerset. He died in the Tower on the 9th of July, 1614,-just as he was about to enter on the twelfth year of his imprisonment. 1 This word is doubtful. 2 So in MS. TORY LETTER XVII. OF APPENDIX As Sherborne had passed to the royal favourite Somerset, PREFAand Cobham Hall to the royal favourite Lennox, so Whaddon passed to the new royal favourite, Villiers, soon to be Duke of Buckingham. The more beautiful and much older Herefordshire seat of the Greys, Wilton Castle, on the Wye, had been alienated, before the attainder of 1603, to the family of Brydges (afterwards Dukes of Chandos), and with other lands of that family came eventually to be part of the large estates belonging to Guy's Hospital. Lord Grey's elder sister, of the half blood, carried the representation of this historic family to the Whartons of Westmoreland; Philip, fourth Lord Wharton (grandfather of the notorious Duke, familiar to all readers of Pope or of Horace Walpole), having married her granddaughter. It was by reason of this marriage that many of Lord Grey's papers passed to the Whartons, and from them to Carte the historian, -eventually to form part of the Carte MSS. in the Bodleian. Bridget Grey, Lord Grey's own and only sister of the whole blood, married Sir Rowland Egerton of Cheshire (1st Baronet of his family), and is now lineally represented by Sir Philip De Malpas Grey Egerton, of Oulton, the descendant of their youngest son. The last representative of the elder line (seventh in descent from Sir Rowland) was created Baron Grey de Wilton in 1784 and Earl of Wilton in 1801. He died, without male issue, in 1814. His only daughter married Robert Grosvenor, Viscount Belgrave (afterwards Marquess of Westminster), and, by virtue of a special remainder in the Patent of 1801, carried the Earldom of Wilton into the Grosvenor family, in the person of Thomas Grosvenor, second son of that marriage. extinct. The barony of Grey de Wilton became again VI. Plots and Counterplots of 1602-1603. 1603. December. APPENDIX VI. Plots and Counterplots of 1602-1603. 1603. December. Lord Grey to Lord Cecil. [From Winchester?] Offers to and cir XVII. THOMAS, LORD GREY OF WILTON, TO SECRETARY From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 40 (Hatfield). Holograph. MY LORD, I BEESEECH you forget not to moov the King for my scoller,1 whoe will yield me much comfort. If the King think my letter imperfet, or myself recluse in confession of what I knew concerning this business, shall your Lordship or any whom the King shall command (but especially yourself) have occasion to cum this way, I will successivly relate what passed by mee, eaven from my first entrance with GEORG BROOK; whearin, if I bee proved to have concealed any man or passage which relate fully your Lordship either had not in hand, or more, against them then I could informe, which concerned the King or State, let mee dy without judgment; or if, from my knowledge begining with GEORG BROOK unto my breach with Conspiracy, MARKHAM, I doe not demonstrate (soe farr as such a subject can permitt) a cleer heart of ill intension to the King and State of Ingland. Think, then, how unfortunate I am, and prejudg not my ends, for I much his quarrel doubdt you have to aunswear for your opinion of them. But with patience I will indure the King's pleasure, and doubdt not to live to make the King and the world see how I have been misjudged in this business,—to him cumstan tially his entire of the from the date of his first com plicity with Brooke to that of with Markham. 1 Lord Grey had previously made application for leave to obtain the attendance upon him, during his imprisonment, of a youth who was to act as an amanuensis and reader. and my religion. And you will cleerly finde,-however you have judged mee,—yet I never deserved but to bee held your lovinge frend. And, as I desire the King's favour, I know not the gentleman in his kingdoom-out of this place1—that I can say hath thought of innovasion. GREY. XVIII. SIR GEORGE HARVEY, LIEUTENANT OF THE TOWER, From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. cii. § 77 (Hatfield). Holograph. MY SINGULER GOOD LORDE, But 1603. Dec. 17. Sir G. Lord had From the Tower. Enclosing Lord Cobham's KNOWING howe easelie a man might be lymed in matters of treason, I did heretofore leave my sonne to him sellffe, without making of any apollogie for him Harvey to (because I knewe not the quallitie of his offence). now that the lawe and His Majesty's mercyes have ther course, I am bold to acquaint your Lordship with these inclosed, written unto me by the Lord COBHAM, the 24 of October last, wherebie he hath, under his own hande, manifested the gret desire he had, of him sellffe (without any instigacion of my sonne), to justifie Sir W[ALTER] R[ALEGH]; which course of his being by me then stopped (as was fitt), he diverted it, as I conceive and as is verie lykely, unto Sir W. him sellffe;-which through I leave unto your honorable considerations. And do humblie crave pardon to intreat your honorable commiserations towards my unworthie sonne, in releasing his restraint. confession of remorse accusation of Ralegh; for his false prior to the message sent the younger Harvey. 1 Winchester? |