MASTER OF THE GAME AT BIDSTON.

[The preceding document was merely a permission to sport and to be supplied with deer, but what follows is the formal appointment of Lord Ellesmere, then Solicitor General, as Master of the Game, to Henry Earl of Derby, in his “park and ground at Bidston," in Cheshire. The fee was a "buck of season" in summer, and a "doe of season " in winter, together with an annuity of five marks and liberty to distrain in case of arrears. Of course liberty of sporting at Bidston was included in the grant by the very nature of the office. There is good reason to believe that at this date the Solicitor General was retained as what is now termed “standing counsel" to the Earl of Derby, and his assistance in all legal proceedings was considered of the highest value. It is equally probable that he stood in the same relation to the Lord Paget who subscribed the preceding warrant. What follows is the original document, and is signed and sealed by the Earl of Derby, but it is without any superscription. He was the father of Ferdinando Earl of Derby, who died in 1594, with such extraordinary symptoms (detailed at length by Stowe) as to have led to the suspicion that he had been bewitched or poisoned.]

HENRIE, Erle of Derbie, Lo. Stanley and Straunge, Lo. of Manne and Thysles, and of the moste honorable order of the garter, knighte. To all men to whom theis presentes shall come, greetinge. Knowe yee me, the saide Erle, for and in respecte of the good opynion I have and conceyve of my welbeloved Thomas Edgerton, esquire, her Maties Solicitor generall, and of the speciall care I make accompte and ame perswaded he will have, for the preservation and keepinge in good order of my deere and game within my parke and grounde at Bidston, to have pointed and made choyce of the said Thomas Edgerton to be Mr of my saide Game within my said parke. And in respecte of his exercysinge of that office to have geven and graunted, and by theis presentes to geve and graunte unto him, the said Thomas Edgerton, one fee bucke of seyson in sommer, and one fee dooe of seyson in winter, to be hadd and taken forthe of my said parke and ground, together with one annuitie or yearlie pension of fyve markes, yssuinge and goinge forthe of my mannor of Bidson, within the countie of Chester, and forthe of all my

landes, tents, and hereditamentes whatsoever in Bidson aforesaide, to be paide yearelie to hym, the said Thomas Edgerton, or his assignes, at the feastes of St. John Baptist and St. Martin the Busshoppe, in winter, by even and equall portions. To haue, houlde, exercise, and enjoye, as well the saide rowme and office of Mr of my Game within my saide parke of Bidson, the saide fee bucke of seyson in sommer, and fee dooe of seyson in winter, as alsoe the said annuitie or yearelie pension of fyve markes to hym, the saide Thomas Edgerton, esquire, or his assignes, from hence forthe, yearlie, for and duringe the naturall lyfe of hym the saide Thomas Edgerton. And yf it happen the foresaide annuitie, or yearelie pension of fyve markes, to be behynde and unpaide, in parte or in all, at anye of the saide feastes at which it ought to be paide, yf it be lawfullie demaunded, that then it shalbe lawfull to and for the said Thomas Edgerton, or his assignes, into the said mannor landes and tents, with their appurtenances, to enter and distreigne, and the distresses there founde and taken, to carie, dryve, leade, convey, and reteigne, untill the said Thomas Edgerton, or his assignes, of the saide annuitie or yearelie pension, with tharrearages yf anye be, be fullye satisfied, contented, and paide. In witnesse whereof hereunto I, the said Erle, haue sett my hande and seall the xiij daye of Auguste, in the xxvth yeare of the reigne of our moste gracious sovereigne ladie, Elizabethe, by the grace of God of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, Queene, Defender of the Faithe, &c.

H. DERBY.

CAMD. SOC. 12.

FOUNDATION OF ST. BEES.

[The subsequent letter corrects an error in the Life of Archbishop Grindall, where it is said (Gen. Biogr. Dict. XVI. 352) that "he resigned his see toward the latter end of 1582." Walsingham here speaks of him as Archbishop in March 1583. The "School in the North" which Grindall was about to "erect" is St. Bees, or Beghs, endowed by him with £30 a year, and £366 138. 4d. for the buildings. In Stowe, Anno 1583, may be seen a particular recital of the bequests of Grindall, including £100 to the City of Canterbury, " to be employed upon a stock to set the poor on work, which stock (as I am informed) was never put to so good an use." The Archbishop died on 6th July, 1583, so that his death was anticipated by Walsingham, who bears testimony to his Grace's "weak state of body."]

To my verie loving frend Mr. Egerton, her Maties Sollicitor
Generall.

SIR. The Archbushoppe of Canterburies Grace hath been long in mynd to erect a schoole in the North, and to maintaine some schollers in one or both the Universities, for the better establishment of which, his good purpose, a mortmaine is necessarie, wherabout this bearer, his G. servant, nowe repaireth to you with a paper booke of the same. For that I have no doubt of hir Maties good liking of so good a matter as this is, I hartely pray you to yeald this cause what furtherance you may by the preparation of the said mortmaine under your hand, in such sort as it may be readie for hir Highnes signature. And the more speed the better, in respect of the Archbushoppes weake state of bodie. And thus I byd you hartely farewell. From my howse, in London, the xxvth of March, 1583.

Your loving frend,

FRA. WALSYNGHAM.

ANNUITY TO HENRY HARLESTON.

[What peculiar claim Henry Harleston had upon the Queen's bounty excepting that he was of "poor estate," an "old gentleman," and had been "one of the men at arms," does not appear. Lord Ellesmere is more than usually particular in his indorsement upon the warrant of Sir W. Mildmay.]

Indorsed by Lord Ellesmere, "A grant to Henry Harleston, gent. of an annuytye of xx markes yerelye: by Sir Walter Mildmayes warrant, 2 Ap'lis, 1584."

To my veary lovynge frende Mr. Tho. Egerton, esquire, hir
Maties Soliciter Generall.

MR. Solicitor. The Q. Matie having grevous consideration to the poore estate of this old gentlemen, Mr. Henry Harleston, sometyme one of the men at armes, is pleased to graunt unto hym for his relief one annuytie or pencion of twenty markes yerlie, during his life, wherin her Matie commaunded me to give order for his warrant, by which occasion I trowble yow at this present, requiring yow to cause a bill to be made in forme to passe hir Maties signature, for the graunt of the said annuitie owte of the receipt half yerlie; and the same bill under your hand to send to me, that it may be further presented to hir Matie as opportunitie may serve. And so with my hartie commendations I leaue yow in the kepyng of the L. Almightie. This second of April, 1584.

my frond

GRANT TO RODERIGO LOPEZ.

[In Bishop Goodman's "Court of King James I.," recently edited by Mr. Brewer, Vol. I. p. 149, is an interesting account of Dr. Roderigo Lopez, a Portuguese Jew and one of the Queen's physicians, who was executed in 1594 for a design to take away the Queen's life by poison. In 1584 he was (as he continued almost to the hour of his trial) in full favour, and we here find Walsingham writing to the Solicitor General respecting a grant to be made to him, with the omission of a proviso which Dr. Lopez had requested should be left out.]

Indorsed, by Lord Ellesmere," Mr. D. Lopez,"

To my verie lovinge frend Mr. Egerton, her Maties Sollicitor Generall.

THEIS are to let you understand that her Maty, being againe moved in the behalf of Mr. Doctor Lopez, is nowe content that the proviso, which I wrote unto you by my last should be added to this graunt, maie be left out, for that he appereth to be bound to yeld up the said graunte in case yt shalbe hereafter found prejudityall to the common wealthe; and so I commit you to God. At Whitehaule, the vjth of Aprill, 1584.

Your very loving frend,

Fr