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Admiral was not to be cajoled. In the then state of Scotland, he deemed it not improbable that the combined forces might attempt something in that disturbed country; and he therefore kept a considerable portion of the fleet, under his immediate orders, sometimes in the Medway, sometimes at Margate, or in the Downs.

The first letter of Lord Charles Howard, of those about to be given, is addressed to the Lord High Treasurer of England, and dated from "aboarde the Beare, 22nd December, 1587." It urges his Lordship to issue orders, that the warrant for the whole year may be paid to Mr. Hawkins, in order that the men may receive two months' wages in advance, and for the purchase of victuals, &c.

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Many greate charges," he says, "extraordinarie hathe growne this quarter, which I cold hardlie have beleved unless with myn owne eyes and good examination I had seene."

From this time till the successful termination of the contest he never quitted his ship, but kept up a constant correspondence with the Queen's Secretary, Sir Francis Walsingham. The character of these letters has been described in the Introduction, where it is stated, that they are strictly printed from his own autographs in the State Paper Office. The following list contains those written between the 22nd of December, 1587, and the 17th of July, 1588, a few days before the appearance of the Armada in the Channel:

LIST OF THE LETTERS FROM 1 TO 17.

No. 1.-LORD C. HOWARD to LORD Burghley. Dec. 22, 1587.-H.M.S. "the Beare:" asks for money to pay the people, and for victuals.

No. 2.-LORD C. HOWARD to SIR F. WALSINGHAM. Jan. 24, 1587-8.-Doubts the truth of the King of Spain's intentions, as he has been told, to dissolve his forces; asks for three or four more ships.

No. 3.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Jan. 27, 1587-8.-Doubts the sincerity of the Scottish King, and says he has made, of the French King, the Scottish King, and Spanish King, a Trinitie that he never trusts to be saved by.

No. 4.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Jan. 28, 1587-8.-Laments he has nothing to do, and thinks his remaining idle will be made a jest of.

No. 5.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Feb.1, 1587-8.-Tells him he has a good Company, who, if Her Majesty will not spare her purse, will not spare their lives; cautions him as to the enemy, knowing our state well.

No. 6.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Feb. 11, 1587-8.-Jokes about Lord Sheffield's kinsman and the barber being inclined to Papistrie, but the Lord Sheffield is a good Protestant; ends with matter relating to Walcheren and to Dunkirk.

No. 7.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Feb. 14, 1587-8.-Congratulates him on the good course taken by the Scotch King, and trusts Her Majesty will not refuse him the relief he asks for.

No. 8.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

Mar. 9, 1587-8.-Relates his being driven into Flushing, where he found the "Elizabeth Bonadventure" on shore, and bestows high praise on Lord Henry Seymour for his conduct on the occasion; his intercourse with the Hollanders.

No. 9.-LORD HENRY SEYMOUR to SIR FRANCIS
WALSINGHAM.

Mar. 10, 1587-8.-On the same subject of the "Elizabeth
Bonadventure."

No. 10.-LORD C. HOWARD to SIR F. WALSINGHAM. Mar. 11, 1587-8.-Speaks of Dunkirk Harbour, and of making preparations for choking it up, if the peace is not likely to go on, and other matters.

No. 11.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

April 7, 1588.-Laments that Her Majesty is too careless of her. self at this dangerous time, and blames her for not having 4000 foot and 1000 horse for the safety of her person.

No. 12.-To SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

June 15, 1588.-The Ark Royal at Plymouth.-The Queen having signified her pleasure that the Lord Admiral should not go so far as the coast of Spain, he states his reasons to show that he was right in so doing, and Her Majesty wrong. No. 13.-TO SIR F. WALSINGHAM.

June 19, 1588.-To impress on the Queen's mind that the treacherous treaty for peace was only to give time to the King of Spain, and that she should take care of herself, and cautions her against the Papists.

No. 14.-To SIR F. WALSINGHAM.

June 22, 1588.-For the love of God, he says, let the narrow seas be well watched, and expresses sorrow that the Queen will not thoroughly awake in this most dangerous time.

No. 15.-LORD C. HOWARD to QUEEN ELIZABETH.

June 23, 1588.-A letter to the Queen, expressing his opinion and advice in strong and urgent terms, entreating her to be thoroughly awake, and to draw her forces round about her.

No. 16.-To the LORDS of the PRIVY COUNCIL.

June 23, 1588.-Announcing his intention to put to sea within two hours, even if he had but two days' victuals, and prays for money to be sent to the contractor for supplying provisions.

No. 17.—To Lord BurghlEY.

July 17, 1588.-Writes to him for money to meet the extraordinary charges incurred by the ships under his immediate command, and those of Sir Francis Drake and Mr. Hawkins, in order to keep the forces together up to the 28th July.

LETTERS.

(No. 1.)

LORD C. HOWARD TO HIS VERIE GOOD LORD THE HIGH TREASURER OF ENGLAND.

1587, December 22nd.

MY VERIE GOOD LORD,-I nowe remayne aborde the Beare, and as yet the provisione for the shippes colde not be taken all in, by reason of the wether which hathe bin soe tempestuous, as that noe boats cold lye aborde them to put in the same, yet I hope that within ij (2) or iij (3) daies all things wilbe in a readines.

Here is a verie sufficiente and hable companie of saylers as eaver were seene, and bicause theire longe jorneyes oute of all places of this realme, and this bad seasone makes them unprovided of aparell, and suche necessaries, it were good for theire releife to paye them one Monethes wages before hande.

Many greate charges extraordinarie hathe growne this quarter, which I cold hardlie have beleved unlesse with myn owne eyes, and good examinatione I had seene; wherfore, in respecte of those causes, and for the furtherance of service, I am to entreate youre good Lordship to geave order that the reste of the warrant latly granted for the whole navie maye be paied to Mr. Hawkins, and ijm more uppon the olde warrante of xxixm. for the furnishinge of those extraordinarie charges wherin youre Lordship shall further a good service.

We have entered into sea victualles this day, beinge the 22 of this instante December, and not before, for the preservinge of the vj weeks victualles, and Mr. Quarles hathe sente downe divers supplies, more then allowance, for the nombers weer graet befor we entered into the 6 weeks

vytells. Wherfore I praye youre Lordship that he maye be paied the reste of his allowede warrant, and that consideratione for the rest which I spake to youre Lordship for hertofore, and soe I bid youre good Lordship moste hartelye farewell. From aborde the Beare the 22 of December, 1587.

Your Lordship's most assured lovyng frend

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LORD C. HOWARD TO HIS VERY LOVING FRIEND SIR F. WALSYNGHAM.

SIR,-I most hartely thank you for your letters: I chanot tell what to thynk of my browther Staffords advertysment, for yf it be trew that the King of Spaynse forses be disolved, I wold not wyshe the Queenes Majestie to be at this chargis that she is at, but yf it be but a devyse, knowing that a lyttell thynge makethe us to carles, then I know not what may coume of it, but this I am seur of, yf heer Majestie wolde have spent but a 1000 crounes, to have hade some intelygence, it wold have saved her twenty tymse as muche. Assure your selfe he knowethe what we dow heer, and yf the army be or dow disolve, it is the preperasion that heer Majestie hath maed, that is the cause, for he chanot abyde this heet, that is provyded for him. He did never thynke that we wold this have provyded for his comyng, but that the nomber of false alaromse that he hath gyvne heer Majestie wold have maed heer to have taken no alarome, and so to have had the vantage and the chopping up of his frends heer. I am sure he dowthe not lyke, and yf they be * MS., State Paper Office.

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