up I wyshe they shuld contynew so, tell ther be a good pece wyche I pray to God to send us. Sir, yf your nexst advertysments dow assure the disolvyng of the army in Spayne, then it weer good we did so heer, yet yf the Duke of Parme contynew his, and that ther be any dowte of any thynge intended for Scotland, put but 3 or 4 shyps mor to them in the Narro Sees, and I dare assure you it shall beet any pour he shalbe able to make, and impeche him of any atempte in Scotland, and I wyll take apone me the sarvys my selfe, for I assur you it dowthe gryve me to see heer Majestie at mor chargis then is nedfull, and this charg wyll not be graet. I wold fayne kype the Narro Sees 3 or 4 months: I pursuad my selfe I shall dow some sarvys apon your next advertysment, as the cause apon that shall requyer I wyll wryght to you, Sir, my good frend, my openyon, and then you may youse it as you shall thynke best, and so I pray you to wryght unto me frankly, for I dow assur you I wyll take it kyndly and frendly at your handse, and thynke my selfe much beholdyng unto you for it, for I may sometyms, apon a good conceit in my openyon, make suche a journy as I did now to Harwyge, and yet it may not be so well taken ther, but I know no cause why it shalbe but well taken. I dow assur you, on my honor, it cost not the Queen's Majestie on halfpeny, nor shall not; when I make any such journy I wyll rather spend my selfe on hundred pounds, then to spend heer on peny. This, good Mr. Secretory, I am bolde with you as my speciall good frend, and so byde you most hartely farwell, and God send you helthe and strenkethe. From the Beer the 24 of Ja. Your assured lovynge frend to youse, C. HOWARD.* (Signed) * MS., State Paper Office. (No. 3.) LORD C. HOWARD TO SIR F. WALSYNGHAM. 1587-8, January 27th. SIR, I moste hartelie thanke you for youre letter, and for youre advertisments: if it were not for you, I shold live in a deade place from hearinge of anie thinge. Touchinge Sir ffrances Drake, I have likewise receaved a letter from him with the like advertisments. There happened a mischance in one of his shippes at Portsmouthe, that brake and killed a man, with som others hurte: yf you would write a worde or twoe unto him to spare his pouder it would do well. a peece Sir, I send you herewith encloased all the copies of the letters from my Lord Chamberlaine againe, which I moste hartelie thanke you for, and I praie to God the Scotishe kinge doe deceave me, but I am afeard he will not. For my owne parte I have made of the ffrenche kinge, the Scotishe kinge, and the kinge of Spaine, a trinitie that I meane neaver to truste to be saved by, and I wold others were in that of my opinione. Sir, there was neaver since Englande was England suche a stratageme and maske, made to deceave Englande withall, as this is of the treatie of peace. I praye God we have not cause to remember one thinge that was made of the Scots by the Englishmen, that we doe not curse for this a longe gray bearde with a white heade witles that will make all the worlde thinke us hartles: you knowe whom I meane. I have receaved a letter eaven nowe from Sir Henry Palmer that there is at Dunkirke diverse hoies and lighters, that be filled with ballaste and greate stones surlie (ment) for the stopping of som haven; I will have a watch on them. I pray you, Sir, send me worde when you thinke the Commissioners wilbe sent over, that I maye have all things readie for them, and I praie you let me knowe if anie goe in Sir Amias Pawlet's place, for if he be hable to goe himself, yf I maye knowe of it, I will have espetiall care of him that he maye goe at ease. It will aske a good time to furnishe oure fleete againe with men as they were; I doe not looke to see it eaver bettered; I praie God it be as well when ther shalbe cause, and soe geavinge you moste hartie thanks for youre moste frendlie dealinge with me in all causes, and your frendlie remembrance, I bid you moste hartelie farewell, from aboarde Her Majestie's good ship the White Beare, the 27 of Januarye, 1587-8. SIR,-I had forgoten in my last letter to aunser the matter you did wryght in towchynge Capten Morgayne, my man. Yf he had byne heer I wolde have sente him unto you, but he is exstreme sike at london, and as I dow understand in sume danger, wyche I am verry sorry for, for he is a tall gentelman, he hathe the charge of all my sogers in my shype, and hathe donne his deuty very well: I hope he wyll auncer all honestly and well. Sir, yf the Comysyoners be wonse gonne over, and that therbe a surcese of armse, it shalbe but folly and to no pourpose, for me to ly heer; I thynke bothe I and the noble men, levynge souffysent lyvtenants in our shyps, and the offysers, as Sir W. Wynter, Mr. Hawkynse, and Mr. Bowros, (to) remayne heer with the navy, wylbe soffysent, for befor * MS., State Paper Office. thees shyps chan have ther full nomber of men agayne, it wyll be a monthe together. Then dow what we chane, and I pray to God we have them when we shall nede, for many ar gone abrode, and specially the chyfest men. God send me to see suche a company together agayne, when need is. I protest it befor God I wryght not this to you, because I am wery with being heer, for yf it weer not for heer Majesties presence, I had rather lyve in the company of thees noble shyps then in any plase, and yet wolde I be glad that ther weer sumthyng to dow. I am more soryer for the noble men then any wayse for my selfe, for I wold have them save to spend when ned shalbe. I dow assur you they lyve heer bountyfully, and it wylbe hard fynding of suche noble men as thees be, so well afected to this sarvis, and that wyll love the see so well as they dow. I thynk it wylbe a most fetest tyme to grownd our shyps in, for now, at our comynge out, it was you know on such a soudayne as we coulde not grownd, but tow or 3 of the mydell sorte so as the graet shyps weer not grownded. I have, with the advyse of the offysers and masters, thowght good to begyne with some the nexst sprynge, and so in a 3 sprynges, dispatche them all, and have them all in most excelent order by the medst of Marche, all save the men, and I dout not but the shyps shall prove soume notable lyers,* and yf cause fall out dow a better day of sarvys for England then ever shyps did for it yet; but this assur your selfe, yf the forses of Spayne dow coume befor the mydst of Apryll, ther wylbe as muche adow to have men to furnyshe us as ever was, but men we must have, or else the shypes wyll dow no good. God knowse it is but a bare syght to see us now to that it wase, and I wold not wyshe any to take the paynse to coume to see us tell we ar newly suplyed when cause shalbe. Sir, God send you well to dow and contynewance of your helthe, and so I bead you most * Meaning those who have vilified the ships. See Letter 8. SIR, I have received your letter, and by the same messenger a letter from my Lord Treasurer and my Lord Steward, wherby I perceive the great preparation in Dunkirke for Scotland. I am advised by their Lordships to have care of it, which I will doe to the uttermost of my powre. It doth appeare noe less by your letter, but that we may assure ourselves that Scotland is the marke which they shoote at to offend us, and therefore most necessarie to provide for that. I have wrytten myne opinion at large in myne aunsweare to that their Lordships letter, which I knowe you shalbe acquainted with, and therefore yf yow doe thinke it reasonable that I have written for Her Majesties service, I pray you lett it have your furtheraunce, knoweinge that you are soe well bent to spend Her Majesties purse rather then to hazard her honour, and for myne owne part had rather be drawne in peices with wyld horses then that they should pass throughe for Scotland, and I lie heare. Sir, thus Her Majestie shall see what will come of this abuseinge peace in hand. For your advertisements of Spaine which should come in Aprill, yf we cutt of this matter of Scotland, I hope we shall not neede to ffeare the forces in Spaine nether in Aprill nor in Maye. Sir, I pray you beare with me that I remember you of this, it doth apeare by myne instructions, as alsoe as a *MS., State Paper Office. |