continue till their breaking up and 40 days after. This is the effect of our service, recommending it for the prevention of evils which may ensue.-Hexham, 3 March 1596.

[P.S.] The day appointed for the effecting of this service, which her Majesty's Commissioners had in part not finished, was the first of March, at Kirknewton.

Signed. Seal. 1 p. (38. 83.)

SIR JOHN FORTESCUE to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 3.—I have ransacked all the papers I have and cannot find any such letter, nor did I ever write anything to my remembrance touching my lady of Northumberland's jointure, nor had any sent me thereof. The suit for the lease grew upon this ground; my lady signifying her unwillingness to have any suit against her Majesty and perceiving the devise to the colleges to be unmeet to be justified, made suit to have the lease regranted from her Highness and so to be beholden to her for the same, and at that time it was unknown her ladyship had any jointure at all. But for any letter, I never had any nor can find any letter or supplication touching that cause. Although I have made three hours' search this day, yet will I farther this night peruse all the papers I have, and to-morrow bring what I can find, and, so I pray you, let her Majesty understand.-At the Wardrobe, this 3 of March 1596. Holograph. p. (38. 84.)

NICHOLAS WILLIAMSON to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 3.-Beseeches him still to mediate for him the increase of the Queen's clemency and mercy, to whom he avows his loyalty, with his readiness to serve Cecil.-Tower, 3 March, 1596–7.

Holograph. p. (38, 85.)

WILLIAM STALLENGE to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 3.-This last day I received your letters of the 1st hereof and have taken order with the rest of the commissioners that the remainder of the goods brought in by Captain Crofts shall be presently sold, and so will make up a particular account both of that and the rest taken by Captain Harper, which shall be sent you within three days; as also for what numbers of men and tons there is demanded by those that were consorted with Captain Crofts. I have made the French merchant to know your pleasure concerning the charges of his ship, which he is contented to allow. For passing the Spaniards from hence I have taken order with two Frenchmen, which have received for their passage and victuals from hence to Rochelle or Bordeaux 16s. 6d. for each of them. I understand my coming to London is desired for the ending of Mr. Drake's accounts; but having at the present very earnest business I beseech you I may be forborne until about 14 days hence. Mr. Drake himself, I suppose, will be with you before the end of next week. I have despatched this packet the sooner for the conveyance of my Lord Admiral's letter, which was sent me out of Cornwall. Captain Crofts is very earnest with me for the remainder of victuals, which without order I dare not deliver.-Plymouth, 3 March 1596. Endorsed:-" Received at the Strand the 6th of the same."

Signed. p. (38.86.)

The EARL OF BATH to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 3.--I perceive by the bearer, Mr. Robert Leye, now mayor of Torrington, it hath pleased you to send your warrant for him by one of her Majesty's messengers, which he very dutifully doth obey. The cause thereof I have not been desirous to understand, but in regard of the place which he hath committed unto him, and for his honest conversation, I have presumed to entreat you (if the matters wherefore he is called be not of the greater consequence concerning her Majesty) to afford him your favour for his speedy return unto his charge; because in this time of scarcity and want he may not well be spared from thence, the multitude of poor people somewhat exceeding in that town more than in any other corporation of this country. And if there be other complaint against him upon the special suit of any her Majesty's subjects, you shall find him conformable to any reasonable order it may like you to set down; praying your acceptance of these few lines in favour of my honest neighbour.-From Towstocke, 3 March 1596.

Signed. p. (38.88.)

THOMAS ARUNDELL to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 3.-My Lord of Essex hath promised all furtherance in my intended voyage, my Lord Admiral doth the like; it resteth only that I solicit your favour in prosecuting it, in which expedition will be no small help, for that Mr. Watts, the sheriff of London, and divers other seem now to be forward enough to join in adventure, whereas the long doubtfulness of leave may divert them to some other course. I have heard her Majesty hath of late been highly incensed against me. I am sorry my misfortune is both to have such spleenish false informing enemies, and not to be able to be brought face to face with them. No man shall attribute to her Majesty a greater authority, nor can think her more worthy of authority, than I do. Her rule and government I know to be as free and absolute as any Prince's can and be, her prerogatives as ample; and if any misbelieve, doubt that these are but words, I crave but to be admitted to demonstrate my unfeigned truth with the expense of my goods and adventure of my life. If her Majesty be willing to try my faith she can no way better try it than by this action. If she be doubtful of my faith, she can no way better employ those whom she misliketh than to send them where, if they miscarry, they receive but their due; if they speed well then shall the realm be enriched and her Majesty's enemies impoverished by others' expenses. But it is not my office docere Minervam.

Endorsed :-"3 March, 1596. Mr. Tho. Arondell to my master." Holograph. 1 p. (38. 89.)

The TREASURER for the Low COUNTRIES.

1596-7, March 4.-"The demands of Sir Thomas Fludd, touching "the office of treasurer for the Low Countries."

For his own entertainment at 20s. per diem; an under-paymaster at 68. 8d., four clerks for the Low Countries at 21s. 8d., two clerks here in England-the one to keep his books and reckonings, the other to receive and pay the money to the merchants-both at 6s. 8d. per diem. For the portage of money I desire but after the rate of 100s. the 1,000, the moiety of that in former times in this and all other services allowed,

For the better safeguard of her Majesty's money, I pray I may have the company in the Low Countries that Sir Thomas Sherley had, as he had them; and if I maintain them not as serviceable in every respect as any the like companies there, let them be taken from me and disposed at her Majesty's pleasure.

That I may have from time to time sufficient convoy for carriage of the money by land to the army, and sufficient waftage by her Majesty's ships or otherwise for carrying it by sea from town to town, to be paid as occasion shall require, and that the necessary charges be allowed. Her Majesty, nothwithstanding the said demands, shall save of her former charges as followeth ::

Sir Thomas Sherley had allowance for his own entertainment of 26s. 8d. per diem, I am contented to accept but 20s. per diem, and so her Majesty shall save per

He had 10s. per diem for an under-treasurer, I will accept of 6s. 8d., and so saved to her Majesty per

annum

He had allowance for the portage of money after the rate of 107. the 1000; I am contented to take 100s. the 1000, and so her Majesty shall save per annum

Total

1207. 13s. 4d.

60l. 16s. 8d.

7427. 10s.

- £924. Os. Od.

All the money is here by me to be received and paid to the merchants, who for the Low Countries are to deliver the same to me at Middleburgh, whence I am to convey it by land and water to Ostend, the Brille, Flushing, and to the camp wheresoever it be.

The hundredth penny of the soldiers is a thing no way concerning or chargeable to her Majesty but of late years, and not before yielded unto by some companies by their own consents in favour of the Treasurer, and by some other there not paid at all, and a thing in Ireland and Berwick never paid or demanded.

Seeing it hath pleased her Majesty, of her own gracious disposition without any suit by myself, to nominate me for this service, I humbly beseech her Highness will grant me such allowances as I may well and truly do the service; which with less than the demands before I think not that any man can do.

2 pp. (38. 90.)

EMERY MOLYNEUX to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 4.--I having long endeavoured to do her Majesty service, and accomplished it as by the judgment of men of great conceit it may highly stead the time, now offer it to your consideration. As the matter is held of greater importance than in common opinion it seemeth to appear, having the effects mentioned in the note enclosed, it may please you to be further informed by Sir William Knowles, Sir Henry Knyvett, Sir John Stanhope, and Mr. Thos. Knyvett, who have been witnesses to that which may satisfy you the thing is not barely speculative but effected to purpose.

Holograph. p. (38.92.)

Encloses:

A piece of great ordnance, devised by Emery Molyneux, whose concave is demi-culverin bore, length 74 feet, weight 200, and delivereth three-quarters of a mile in distance 100 dice shot of iron

half-an-inch square, and at the place assigned receiveth a new motion and there disperseth most violently, no impalement to defend it.

The

1. One horse may travel 30 miles a day with this piece. The demi-culverin now used hath ten horses. 2. One man may manage it in the field and march a mile with it upon any occasion. demi-culverin hath a gunner and five labourers, and being planted in the field cannot be removed without 10 horses or great force of men. 3. This piece is laden with 1lb. of powder; the demi-culverin with 8 lbs. 4. This piece weigheth but two hundred; the demiculverin 30 hundred. 5. This piece may be carried over any bog or up any mountain or rock, or any way where it is passable for horse or foot. 6. One hundred of these pieces may be brought suddenly with 100 men to any place where the enemy shall attempt to land, and deliver at one instant 10,000 musket shot upon them forty score further than the musket can reach. 7. These pieces beat the canoneer from his battery, break through his blinders and kill him behind his gabions. 8. These pieces being aptly used upon the enemy's shipping at sea the mariners shall not be able to handle their sails, the musketeers their pieces nor the gunners their great ordnance, for they may be raked through with 5,000 musket shot at an instant. 9. These pieces will win the great ordnance in the field from the enemy. 10. Ten of these pieces may be made for 1001. Her Majesty being furnished with this ordnance and sufficient men taught this new begotten art for the shooting in them, and how to cast the shot for them—which as yet is not known to any but a secret hidden in my breast-the enemy shall not be able to encounter her Majesty's forces at sea or land, for the more men the more spoil. For I will undertake to deliver 100,000 shot as suddenly as 2,000 musket shot, and to do more spoil upon the enemy with one barrel of powder by this art than with four barrels in the service now used.

1 pp. (38. 91.)

WILLIAM WALLOP, Mayor of Southampton, to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 4.--In my late letters to the Privy Council I did desire, for such reasonable money as their lordships should think convenient, some 500 quarters of the grain at Portsmouth for relief of the poor inhabitants of this town, or such quantity as their lordships shall think requisite. I do now again, in regard of our miserable dearth, renew the same suit; assuring you that these five last market days in our town there hath not been in any one above one quarter of meal at the most, and in some but half a quarter, and in other some none at all for relief of our distressed inhabitants, whereby a miserable want is grown amongst us and a cruel famine is to be feared if some supply of corn be not granted.-Southampton, 4 March 1596.

Signed. Seal. p. (38. 94.)

ZACHARIAS LOK to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 4-Extreme weakness will not suffer me to write much, but the duty I owe you hath power to "inhable " me to a line or two. I received the enclosed from my father last night, which I thought fit to send to your Honour, the rather because he commands me so. have somewhat else of importance that way fit your Honour's knowledge, which I can no ways commit to writing; and, therefore, I must respite

I

it till God make me able to wait on you, unless you please to send Mr. Willys, or whom else you please, with direction to conceive it from me and report it to your Honour. I am now but balf myself, for one month made your Honour's case and mine alike, though mine in a far meaner sort. Dolor et ægritudo invicem alacriter mecum concertant. The Lord be my comfort, and the same Lord ever have you in His holy keeping! I humbly pray your Honour pardon my boldness.-From my bed this Friday night the 4th Martii 1596.

Signed:-Zachas. Lok.

P.S.-My answer from Her Majesty by Mr. Cæsar was, touching that pension, that she thought I would prove but a bad soldier, but she would willingly do me a good turn in anything fit for a pen, for she had heard of my good deserving and service to my Lord.

Holograph. 1 p. (173.49.)

The TOWN OF HULL to SIR ROBERT CECIL.

1596-7, March 4.—" For some aid by her Majesty's ships against the Dunkirkers. To be moved to the Lord Admiral."-4 March 1596. p. Fragment only.

(213. 24.)

J. GUICCIARDINI to the EARL OF ESSEX.

1596-7, March 14-Would have endeavoured to effect his commandments by any service he could have performed to the gentleman his lordship recommended if he had come so far as Florence. The cause of his stay his lordship shall be informed of by other means; herewith he shall only receive answer of the letter written to his highness in that behalf. Received the relation of his lordship's last journey a month since from Mr. Reynolds his secretary. Has not had of late any occasion to entertain him with letters, and to stuff them with compliments thinks now altogether needless.-From Florence, 14 March 1597.

Holograph. Two seals over red silk. 1 p. (49.62.)

EXAMINATION of WILLIAM THOMSON.

1596-7, March 5.-About September was two year being in Louvain at the chamber of one Talbot and one Thomas White of Waterford, whom he knew to be priests, he heard them confer of divers practices against the state here, and doth well remember that White said he had vowed the death of the Lord Treasurer, and if ever God gave him time and means to come into England it should cost him his life but he would be the death of the Lord Treasurer; saying, if he were gone, the Catholics should have merry days in England and Ireland, and that Cardinal Allen he knew had an Italian which served him, very skilful in poisons, to whom he would write for some receipt for that purpose. Talbot answered that John Cony was a fit man to employ in such an action, "for" said he, "let him have but 100 crowns in his purse and he would do it or lose his life." White replied, Mr. Owen would give so much of his own purse with all his heart. Saith he heard it of the report of Hopton pr[iest], a fortnight about Michaelmas, that the same White was come into the realm about half a year before, and Talbot also in his company, and a third priest whose name he remembereth not, but an old man who had some extraordinary authority, who was sent for Ireland. White he judgeth to be some 28 years of age, a little man with a black beard, not myah hair on his face and a crabbed look, and is well known to Amyas