and it would not look well if any other of the Council were to anticipate you.-Baburham, 14 January, 1599.

Italian. Holograph. 1 p. (178. 107.)

[WILLIAM COTTON], Bishop of Exeter, to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 15.-At your only instance I have left all my hope of that great benefice of Brent, and according to your request I have made Mr. Gyll a minister; and were it not that my Lord Treasurer hath interposed a title from Sir John Peter, I had before this time instituted him, being very ready to be fully commanded by you in my poor place. Farther, her Majesty hath very lately by her letters commended unto me and to the dean. and chapter, for the chantership and residence of our church, one Samuel Beck, a very lewd man, lately deprived of his benefice at Lambhithe for his incontinency with nine several women, and one who hath been five or six times in the common gaol. And I asking him how he procured so gracious letters, being so ungracious himself, and a man void of all good qualities and virtue, he answered me that he delivered by the Lady Stafford's means to her Majesty his pedigree, wherein it did plainly appear that he was descended from the Duke of Lancaster, and that he meant to make title to that which the Lord Latimer left. And farther, I answered him, as I might truly, that this dignity with the residence was disposed of three months since, and that by her Majesty unto myself; who by her gracious grant of commendam, for my better comfort in my poor place, granted unto me that and other help to the sum of two hundred pounds. I thought it now my duty to acquaint you. herewith until the dean and chapter might meet about it; and to pray your favour towards me in satisfying her Majesty if the said Beck shall seek to trouble me being actually possessed thereof, and also that you would acquaint the Lady Stafford herewith; for I think myself hardly handled by so lewd a person for that which her Majesty hath granted unto me and which is in mine own gift.-From Exeter, this 15 of January, 1599. Signed. 1 p.

(178. 108.)

LORD CROMWELL to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 17.-Send a helping hand to a decayed man for the furtherance of some of my suits.-Launde, the 17th of January, 1599.

Signed. 1 p. (67. 102.)

SIR THOMAS POSTHUMUS HOBY to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 17.-Cecil bestowed upon him the wardship of two co-heirs of Francis Briggs. Prays that Robert Briggs, grandfather of the wards, to whom Lord Ewre has offered some violent wrong, may be granted the privilege of the Court of Wards for the better keeping of the inheritance.-York, 17 Jan., 1599. Holograph. 1 p. (P. 2191.)

SIR THOMAS LEIGHTON to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 18.-I have received advertisement from a merchant of St. Malo lately come out of Spain that the De Lantado (as I wrote unto you by former letters) was put unto the seas with 40 sail of great ships, to seek the fleet of the States which he supposed to find about the islands. But he, missing of them, is returned home into Spain, with the loss of 7 of his greatest and principal ships, and all the rest sore weatherbeaten, spoiled and unrigged. It is further advertised that the State of Genoa should be revolted from the King of Spain, and have thrust out of their State all Spaniards. I beseech you favour my suit for the obtaining by patent from her Highness the mastership of the game within the Forest of Feckenham after Sir Fulk Greville, with whom I have now compounded. I seek it in respect of my son, to procure him quietness after my decease. I understand that my good friend Sir John Stanhope hath moved her Majesty in my behalf. There belongeth unto this office neither fee nor profit, but a charge for the well looking unto her deer, which are presently in very small number, so as if I have the office, I do mean to put 500 deer out of mine own park to the restoring of the Forest.

I expect daily the return of other ships from Spain. My wife hath been for the space of these three months most dangerously sick, but is now somewhat upon recovery, and desires to be humbly remembered unto your Honour. I do mean to bring her over this summer to seek by physic to procure her further health. Guernsey, this 18th of January, 1599. Signed. 1 p. (67. 103.)

BRIDGET BOWES to LADY DIGBY.

[1599-1600 ?], Jan. 18.-It hath pleased God of late to take my husband out of this world, who hath left me much in debt and four fatherless children to bring up, whereof one is a son, and become, as I am informed, her Majesty's ward. They are all little ones, the eldest 7 years old. The maintenance that God hath provided for me and all them is very little; if this be granted from me, I and mine are undone. I am weak in body already, but if my son should be taken from me, it would be means more speedily to haste my death. Please you to procure for me from her Majesty the wardship of my son. Whatsoever it shall seem good to her Majesty to derive to herself, God forbid that I should withstand it.-From East Bergholt in Suffolk, the 18 of January, 1599. Eliz. 41. (sic.)

Holograph. Endorsed :-" Lady Digby." p. (67. 105.)

THOMAS FITZ JAQUES WINGFIELD to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 18.-For despatch of certain matters concerning the tithes of Donboyne, his father's accounts, the re-grant to him of lands held by his father as assign to the Earl of

Ormond, and the recovery of his father's goods dispersed before he attained the right of an executor.-Undated.

Note by the Earl of Shrewsbury on behalf of petitioner.18 Ja., 1599.

1 p. (P. 1533.)

THOMAS ARUNDELL to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 21.-A troublesome rheum hath enforced me to defer my going, whose only intent was to have gladded my heart with the sight of my sacred sovereign, yet cannot I defer the hoped sweet content of being assured of her prosperous welfare, which consisteth not in bodily health only, but more principally in a certain sweet reposing of her heavenly mind. May I not be deemed presumptuous in craving to be ascertained thereof from yourself.-Shaftesbury, this 21st of January.

Holograph. Endorsed:-1599. Seal. 1 p. (67. 107.)

JOHN [WHITGIFT], Archbishop of Canterbury, to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 21.-I send you here enclosed the form of a letter which her Majesty was pleased to command you and me to write to the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge and the two senior Doctors there, touching the controversy in Clare Hall about the election of the master. If you like of it, set your hand to it, or have anything altered as you shall think good.From Lambeth, the 21st of January, 1599. Signed. Seal. p. (67. 108.)

RICHARD WEBSTER to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 22.-I have been confined to my house by illness for the last seven weeks, and have not been able to offer my annual tribute.-January 22, 1599.

Holograph. Latin. Seal. p. (67. 109.)

SIR THOMAS LASCELLES to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 22.-Mr. Josias Fawther and Richard Paise are content to let me have the abbey lands in Sowerby which they lately purchased of her Majesty in fee farm. Mr. Stanley, Deputy Auditor of this County, hath rated them for me at the yearly rent of 14l. 2s. 4d. My humble suit is that you will give them leave to purchase other lands of her Majesty of the like rent in fee farm and at the same rate. I am informed that this which I desire is a thing of course.-Walborn, the 22 of January, 1599.

Signed. Seal. p. (67. 110.)

FEDERICO GENEBELLI to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 22.-I have not known where to turn since your Excellency spake those words against me in the presence of the Lord Admiral at Nonsuch. Next only to my sincere desire

to serve her Majesty in fortifying the Isle of Wight has been my wish to please your late father and yourself, as Mr. Awdley, Mr. Winibancke and Mr. Leven can testify. I cannot believe you have altogether cast me off, and I have refused my wages to obtain an audience of her Majesty. From London, this 22 of January, 1599.

French. Signed. Seal. 1 p. (67. 111.)

H. HARDWARE, Mayor of Chester, to the PRIVY COUNCIL. 1599-1600, Jan. 22.-According to your letters of the 13th of this month, I have caused a stay to be made of all the shipping in this port, Liverpool and the ports adjoining. I do trust that there will be a sufficient number of vessels for transportation of the forces for Ireland. The vessels taking the 800 foot appointed to sail on the last of this month, can return by the last of February for the 2,800 foot and 200 horse, who are to go then. But I have been occasioned of late, by warrants from some of your Honours, to suffer the departure of barques with provant wares, victuals and letters for service into Ireland. If the like course be continued, it will cause some dearth of shipping, and I would fain know your pleasures herein. I did of late advertise you of the dearth and scarcity of wheat in these parts, and showed you how the same might be supplied by sending some good quantities of wheat and biscuit in some hoys, which might also serve for the transportation of horse if the necessity of the service should require the same.

There is a Flemish ship in this river of the burden of 120 tons, able to transport 300 men. The owner, being a stranger, would be contented to attend the service for the same allowance as the other shipping. His mariners, if he be commanded to stay without yielding them their wages, will depart away from him. I have therefore thought good to signify his readiness to do her Majesty present service.-Chester, January 22, 1599. Signed. Seal. p. (67. 112.)

CAPT. THOMAS LEE to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 22.-On Thursday last I came from Sir Henry Lee in Oxfordshire towards London in hope the task I have taken upon me had been finished, but by reason of his sickness in whose hands it was left to be made fit for your view, it will be yet some few days before you can have it. The matter requireth more time to write than I had expected. I take upon me to discover all, or the most part, of the combination of this rebellion; how to recover all, and, the same being recovered and reformed, how to keep all in obedience without any charge to her Majesty. The last of all is an apology for myself, wherein you may perceive how dishonourably I have been practised against.

I am bold to send here enclosed a letter from Sir Henry Lee. I will, as soon as I can, send the book I am in writing, for the despatch whereof I purpose to stay in town, so it stand with your

good liking. I beseech you that I may speak with my Lord Mountjoy before his departure into Ireland, to be good to some honest men who depend upon me there, whom my enemies for my sake will seek to injure live they never so uprightly. I purpose while in town to be seen by very few, because I am loth to be offensive to any.-From the Savoy, this 22 of January, 1599. Holograph. Seal. p. (67. 113.)

The Enclosure :—

My cousin being impatient to be held in suspicion, I have sent him up to you to answer all objections, and so to satisfy those without whose good opinion he desireth not to live. My brother Richard, who is now here with me, also beseecheth you to remember him, when time shall serve for the journey into Muscovy. I doubt not his sufficiency to perform what shall be fit for her Majesty, yourself and the merchants, the principal causes of his journey. The matter thus far on foot would much disgrace him and grieve me, if any other should put him by.-Ditchley, this 17th of Jan., 1599. Signed. Seal. 1 p. (67. 100.)

THOMAS WINDEBANK to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1599-1600, Jan. 23.-About the beginning of this month, my Lady Stafford procured her Majesty to sign a letter to the Bishop of Exeter, on behalf of one Mr. Samuel Beck, a preacher of 30 year's continuance, to have the place of a prebendary resident in that Church, which was lately fallen void by the decease of one William Marston. And now her Majesty being informed that the Bishop himself hath taken that prebend unto him, whereby Mr. Beck is frustrated of the effect of her Majesty's letter, her pleasure is that you write in her name to the said Bishop, that her Highness's express will and pleasure is that this Mr. Beck shall be named and preferred to be placed in the room of any prebendary resident in that church which shall first and next fall void, and, for assurance thereof, that some act or record be made to remain there, so that this man may not fail of such a place, whether it fall in this Bishop's year or not. Sir John Stanhope hath told me that he sent unto you by a man of his own the libel that you speak of. Captain Fox, the Irish gentleman, hath her Majesty's letters, and the protection for which he was so bitter against Mr. Herbert is found and delivered to him. So that he is now very well pacified.-23° Jan., 1599.

Holograph. Seal. 1 p. (67. 114.)

THOMAS WINDEBANK to MR. WILLIS, attending on Sir Robert Cecil.

1599-1600, Jan. 23.-This gentleman the bearer, Mr. Samuel Beck, a preacher, should have carried a letter which the Queen's Majesty willed me to write to Mr. Secretary concerning himself. But because there was some other matter mentioned therein, I