the orchard, or by a boat, out of a vault of the house into the river, it being in flood; and so escape into great woods. This was the impediment, as knoweth the Lord God, which prevented me setting men forward, lest their coming near the place and not being able to pass the river but by going six miles about by a bridge in the face of diverse towns-which could not have been done before broad daylight-should have driven these foxes to seek new kennels. But the plot shall be laid again on Trinity, Corpus Christi or St. John's Evening.

In the same letter Ferne mentions "a mason dwelling near the "great house, a maker of all conveyances, vaults and lurking "holes for these foxes," who ought also, he thought, to be taken and examined "with some small tortures or threatening thereof," which, however, the Northern Council had no authority to "minister." Heavy contributions were taken from Recusants towards the expense of the levies for the army in Ireland. Recusant wives played a not inconsiderable part in the matter of religion. In one case the definite appointment to be the captain of the county petronels was held over (p. 177), though the sheriff considered the husband to be a Protestant, because the wife was a Recusant. Another husband who, though he confessed (p. 187) to have been "sometimes addicted that way," had since "abjured their irreligious and damnable courses against the "State," bemoaned his wife's obstinacy "in a dangerous course "touching religion;" and Sir Arthur Throckmorton, in the moment of the Spanish alarm, advocated the restraint and disarming not only of professed Recusants but also of those whose wives refused to go to church, who were more dangerous than the known, "saving their livings and liberties by their feigned "faiths." "Such here have a common saying that the "unbelieving husband shall be saved by the believing wife."

There are notices of a number of persons whose religion was a main factor which led to their arrest on suspicion. In this connexion may be mentioned Humfrey Alsop, of the town of Derby, "a gentleman, a landed man and seldom from his house," a house where, it was said (p. 318), he had received John Radford, a known seminary priest.

A long, anonymous letter (p. 202) sets forth the sentiments of the secular priests who were "towards peace with their prince," and who deprecated the action of Father Parsons, the "Archpriest" Blackwell and the Jesuits. An instance of the smuggling in of a barrel of "papistical books," in this case in a hogshead of salt, appears on page 326.

where be &

amang mogen link p. 14, in the hope that he was like God, in is accepted Ang Mata man nato and notatoriing to that he hath Vrom wijen, it may be inferred that there were some mhh ned bath 9 is also a lover of compliments. An important jon bestattet was his appointment to the Mastership of the Com of Hurd- With regard to this appointment, hint of any

spgrantment clacwhere there is none, nor, on the other hand, How he endeness of "common applause," though one correspondend who "must needs show some sign of gladness" on the bos, alludes (p. 185) to the existence of a general feeling of the Fund Beclesistical personages in high office held Cecil in pronk doom Quotations from the letters of two such have aled boom made. Bancroft, Bishop of London, may be

adduced as a third. His congratulations in connexion with this appointment are indeed expressed in a manner unexaggerated and dignified enough, while he makes it an opportunity of disinterestedly pleading the cause of the heir of his old good lord and master, the late Lord Chancellor-" who remaining in "Cambridge, and being her Majesty's ward, had nevertheless, during the seven years which had elapsed since his father's death, "received from the Queen not one penny for his maintenance." But later on, when the bishop had a favour to ask for himself, he claimed a foremost place among Cecil's "well-willers."

66

The interest of the communications from Cecil's maternal Elizabeth, aunt, the widow of John Lord Russell, mentioned above, and to Lady Russell. whom, as a vigorous letter writer, attention was called in the introduction to a former volume of this Calendar, is purely personal, and reveals her as a sensitive but far from silent defender of what she held to be the honour of her deceased husband. The offence appears in this case to have proceeded from her own daughters (of whom she speaks with some bitterness) and her powerful nephew, the "bitterest brunt" of whose displeasure she was prepared to bear (p. 359) rather than "part "with Russell House out of the name whereby my dead husband's "name shall be wronged and weeded up by the roots." It is in another mood that she appears under the influence of alarm produced by the rumour of the Spanish invasion, when she pleads with Mr. Secretary "to procure her a lodging in the Court in "this time of misery," describing herself as a desolate widow without husband or friend to defend her. She proceeds to make a somewhat curious "promise "-if, as she says, "God should "deliver me out of this plunge of danger and misery alive,"-in these words: "Though I be both blind, deaf, and a stark beggar, "yet will I . . . take to me a mischief and marry, to avoid "the inconvenience of being killed by villains." Like educated ladies of her time, she could point her remarks with Latin quotations.

Thomas Arundell, Lord Arundell of Wardour in the next Thomas reign, the progress of whose career as a "fortune stricken wight," Arundel'. has been somewhat fully traced in former parts of this Calendar, makes but few appearances in this. One of these few is, however, characteristic and interesting. It is that in which, in a letter to Cecil (p. 80), he presses "his most unworthy self" on

1.

exed with a

ninence most

this to say, the

Sonoor Livile is again pressed upon

Ang Money (7 246 .on the mr, ind that an alteration of ved fjærne mond in nye matter and her consent to his retaining Ya Chum and stead be much more eally effected "if you would

be mecord bone pour own pen in such a style as is no less fit Fu Ba Ford Ben contrary to your disposition, it being apparent that her Majesty's all conceit is as much grounded upon the Fechindossad you carring as upon the foundation of any other

offence." It may be remarked in passing that a request to burn the letter from which the preceding passage is taken is still not complied with, though more than three hundred years have elapsed since it was written.

The alteration of the Queen's mind which Southampton's friends desired, and urged him to make an effort to effect, did not come about. "Against that supreme force that wieldeth actions "by sovereign predominance, opposition availeth not," writes Lord Henry Howard (p. 341), and tells how the matter which concerned Southampton

was disputed here as forcibly and pithily as the very conscience and honour of the cause did require. They that wanted credit spake reason; some used both their credit and their reason to make the Queen behold the horror of the case, and yet I do persuade myself that some others, though invisible, were willing to strain all their faculties in riveting into the Queen's own resolution a moveless negative. Mr. Secretary [Cecil] commanded the messenger to linger five days after the Queen's first severe injunction in hope that time would qualify the sharpness of her humour, but it fell out otherwise. I took the fit advantage of that interim to send Udall away to my lord [Essex], which expedition took small effect; for though my end were to have prepared him before the blow, yet as I perceive by Mr. Bushell, Udall was not with my dear lord at his setting out, which proves him to have been strangely crossed by the winds and holden off with hard weather. What course my lord will take is disputed here; the likeliest conjecture is that he will suspend the decree till he have advertised the reasons that should stay proceeding in a matter of great moment without any reasonable cause against a person of your quality. I doubt not, if this course be taken, but her Majesty upon good consideration will rather relent in rigour than discourage her most faithful ministers. England is not so furnished at this day with forward hopes that those of the better sort should in this manner be dejected into forlorn destinies. But the truth is, howsoever flaws be coloured, the main blow is not stricken at yourself. The most worthy gentleman that lives is pierced through your side, and many here that hear, observe and understand, do likewise sympathize in their affections. This fury began first upon the speeches between my Lord Grey and your lordship, which makes men more sorry that, since right was on your side, revenge should be the reward of good consideration. Be patient, noble lord, and the rather because your worth doth shine more brightly by the confront of accidents. They are rather to be pitied than complained of, as a wise man says, that strive to please their humours with the prejudice of their own particular. To those that aim by appearances, this charge hath mali speciem; but to the wiser sort that look into your carriage and formally compare it with the cause of anger, it seems to be seges gloriæ.

Rutland,

In connexion with the expedition to Ireland, the Queen's dis- The Earl of pleasure was not confined to the Earl of Southampton: Roger Manners, Earl of Rutland, also shared it. "The Queen begins "to storm exceedingly at my Lord of Rutland's incorporation into "Jason's fleet, and means, she says, to make him an example of "contemning princes' inhibitions to all that come after him," is one of Lord Henry Howard's items of gossip in a letter to Lord Southampton (p. 438). The volume, however, contains but little