his LP. at his retorne the state of yo' howse and lodgings. Sum speeche he had with me towchinge yo1 Howse: saienge that he understood that it was scant of lodgings and offices; whereuppon I tooke occasion to tell his L that it was trewe, and that I conceived it did trowble you that you had noe convenient place to entertaine sum of hir Maties necessary servants. His awnsweare was that you weare unwise to be at anie such charge: but onelie to leave the howse to the Quene and wished that theare might be presented to hir Matie from your wief sum fine wastcoate, or fine ruffe, or like thinge, wch he said would be acceptablie taken as if it weare of great price. He said that two daies since, uppon speeche of yo1 Howse, and of yor mariage, the Q. fell into an exceadinge commendacion of Mr. Paruis, as that she nevir had such a merchant in hir Kingedome wheareuppon his L' saith that himself and others standinge by gave the like recommendacion to hir of yo' wief. It semeth the time will be two nightes as was first appointed: and thowgh noe speeche be theareof, he vearelie thinketh that she will com to Theobaldes, thowgh she showld remaine theare but three or fower daies. It weare pitie at this time to trowble you with anie other matter.

And so untill a further occasion I will leave otherwise to trowble yo" than with my hartiest commendacions

to Mrs Hicks. From the Court this xv. of August

1597.

To my assured good frend

and fellowe, Mr. Michaell
Hickes Esq.

Yo most assuredlye

H. MAYNARD.

In the Extracts from Smith's Lives of the Berkeley family, it is said that Queen Elizabeth, in her Progress, in the fifteenth year of her reign, 66 came to Berkeley Castle what time" Henry Lord Berkeley the then possessor" had a stately game of red deer in the park adjoining, called The Worthy, whereof Henry Ligon was keeper: during which time of her being there, such slaughter was made as twenty-seven staggs were slain in the toils in one day, and many others, on that and the next, stolen and havocked: whereof, when this Lord, being then at Callowdon, was advertised, having much set his delight in this game, he suddenly and passionately disparked that ground; but in a few months after, he had a secret friendly advertisement from the Court, that the Queen was informed 'how the same was so disparked by him, on repining at her coming to his house, (for indeed it was not in her jests,) and at the good sport she had had in the park ;' advising this Lord to cary a wary watch over his words and actions, least thus that Earl (meaning Leicester) that had, contrary to her set justice, drawn her to his castle, and purposely had caused that slaughter of his deere, might have a further plot against his head and that castle, whereto he had taken no small liking, and affirmed to have good title thereto, and was not far from his manor of Wotton, lately recovered against him."b

LETTER CCX.

Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Shrewsbury, upon the Appointment of Nave to be Secretary to the Queen of Scots.

[MS. LANSD. 1236. fol. 47. Orig.]

Roulet, who had previously been Secretary to the Queen of Scots, as we learn from a letter of the Earl of Shrewsbury to Sr. Francis Walsingham, died August 30th, 1574.

Another of his Seats.

b Fosbrooke's Berkeley Manuscripts, pp. 203, 204.

ELIZABETH R.

By the Queen.

RIGHT trusty and right welbelovid Cosin and Counsellor we greete yow well. Whereas the Queene of Scotts hath ben destitute of a Frenche Secretary sens the deathe of Rollet, and hath by her awne lettres, and by meanes out of France, desyred us to suffer an other to come and supplye that place about her; which we have hitherto forborne to graunt, for dyvers good causes, and emong other, for the evell offices whiche her other Secretary did there, wherof yow ar not ignorant. Now forasmuche as the bearer hereof, called de Naou, a Frencheman, hath ben chosen and recommended to us by our brother the Frenche King, with request that he may gooe to her and serve her as her Secretary, and hath promised that he shall carye himself in that even maner that becommeth an honest mynister, nor shall practise any hurtfull or offensyve thing, which he himself hath also vowed and promisid heere, with offer that if he shall at any tyme be fownd fawtye, he submittith him self to any punishment: Upon these respects, and at her earnest request, we ar pleased that the said de Naou shall resort thither and abyde with her as her Secretary. And so our pleasour is yow shall receave him into her company, and suffer him to serve her in that place; admonishing him now, at his entrey, and also herafter, to have consideracion of the caution whiche our said brother the Frenche King hath gyven

us for him; and also of his awne promes, as he will avoyd the danger wherin he hath condempnid himself, if he shalbe herin fownd faultye. Geven vnder our Signet at our Mannor of Saint James the xxixth of Marche, 1575. in the xyijth yere of our Reign.

To our right trusty and right welbeloved

Cosin and Counsellor, the Erle of
Shreusbury, Erle-Marshall of England.

LETTER CCXI.

Nicholas White to Lord Burghley, giving an account of the last sickness and death of Walter Earl of Essex.

[MS. LANSD. 21. art. 33. Orig.]

Walter Devereux Earl of Essex, to whose death this Letter relates, commanded the army which was sent against the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland in 1569. In 1572, he went to Ireland to quell the insurrection of O'Neale, and was placed in the Government of Ulster. He was subsequently recalled, by court intrigues, when in the midst of successes. Dugdale, in his Baronage, says that "by the contrivance of the Earl of Leicester he was again sent into Ireland, with the airy title of Earl-Marshal of that realm; where, with great grief of mind, he died of a flux, 224 Sept. 1576. 18 Eliz. but not without suspicion of poison; and was buried at Caermarthen in South Wales. Which suspicion did the more augment, by reason that the Earl of Leicester then forsook the Lady Douglas Sheffield (his wife as was believed by many) by whom he had a son; and more openly shewed his love to the Lady Lettice the widow of the deceased Earl; whom though (as 'twas said) he had privately married, her father Sir Francis Knolles, who well took notice of Leicester's wandring affections, would not give credit to it, until in the presence of some witnesses besides himself, and a public notary, he had regularly taken her to wife" a.

Dugd. Baron. tom. ii. p. 178.

The suspicion of poison having been administered to the Earl of Essex by Leicester's means, however, scems to be done away by this Letter.

Murdin, in his State Papers, has printed two Letters of the Earl of Essex, one written to Queen Elizabeth, the other to Lord Burghley, immediately before his death, Sept. 20th, and 21st. 1576, chiefly in anxiety for the education and welfare of his son, who was afterwards the Queen's great favourite.

MY DERE GOOD LORD.

I

I RECEAVED by my nephewe your Lordships loving lettres, all written with your awne hande, which were more comfortable to me then I can expresse. finde in themme a rule to direct me, and a piller wheron to stay me, besyds a confirmation of your accustomed favour towards me, whom your selfe hathe lifted upp from stumbling downe, wherof I and my posteritie shall alwaies cary a loving memory. I will not presume to prohibite your honor to write any thing to the Governor which youe shall thinke good for me; but I suppose he hathe made choise of suche as he thinks fittest to be acquaynted with his platt: and therefore using me but as tanquam vocatus, am to require no more, but his indifferency, and favorable acceptation of my best advise in the service of my Prince and Countrey.

Oh my good Lord, here I must emong others advertyse your Lordship of the dolefull departure of Th'Erle of Essex, who ended this life to begyn a better the xxijth of September in the Castell of Dublin and felt his sycknes first at Talaghe th'archebisshope