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matter determined in counsell, that the settinge forth of this flete which we have heare, was for those two purposes, the one for an invasione from the Duke of Parma upon this parte of the realme, the other for goeinge with forces into Scotland. Nowe what did move Her Majestie, or upon what ground I knowe not, to diminishe her forces heare, for yf any of both these should happen upon the sudden, we shalbe abell to doe even as much good for the service as the whoyse (hoys) which lye at Lyon keye, for theare is noe man in England that will under take with these men that are nowe in them to carrie backe againe the ships to Chatham, and I doe warrant you our state is well enoughe knowne to them in Flanders, and as we weare a terrour to them at the first comeinge out, soe doe they nowe make but litell reckoninge of us, for they knowe that we are like Beers tied to stakes, and they may come as doggs to offend us, and we cannot goe to hurt them, but as I would be loath to be any deviser of Her Majesties charge, soe doe I thanke God I was noe counselor of this that is done, and I hope that if things fall not out accordinge to your expectation and the reast of my Lords, that I may be excused, yet will I not fayle with the uttermost of my powre to be ready to impeache any mischeif that may be intended.

I have a good company heare with me, and soe good willers to Her Majesties service, that if the Queenes Majestie will not spare her purse, they will not spare their lifes, and that which they have. And soe I leave, lookinge every howre to heare from you of more mischeif comeinge by this disputation of peace, then any good that ever I shall heare come of it, I bid you most hartely ffarewell. From of aboard Her Majesties ship the White Beere, this first of Febr. 1587.

Your most assured and affectionated freind,
C. HOWARD.*

(Signed)

* MS., State Paper Office.

(No. 6.)

LORD C. HOWARD TO SIR F. WALSYNGHAM.

1587-8, Febry. 11th.

SIR,-I was no sonner comme downe but I imparted unto my Lord Shefylde that wyche you had tolde me, who went presently abourd, with no small care to fynd out this parte (party), and I assure you with much gryfe, that any suche thynge shulde happen in his shype; him selfe was to departe to London that after non apon very ernest besines, wyche I gave him leve for, but he lefte suche a strayte comandyment with Mr. Ha. Shefylde, his lyvetenant, for the fynding out of the trothe of this, as he sayde to him, beinge his kynsman, yf he had care of his honor or well dowing he wold take paynse in it, and yet my Lorde him selfe, as graet hast as he hade, maad the Barber and 3 or 4 mor wyche he suspected to be sworne, and so they weer, and they outerly renounced the Pops atoryte: Mr. Shefylde after my Lord's departur toke graet paynse, and did exsamen the Barber, and founde that a 2 or 3 yerse a gonne he wos soumthynge inclyned to papystre, but being matched by his wyfe with a honest rase, as it semse, they conyarted him; I have talked with the man my selfe; he offers to receve and to dow any thyng that a good Protestant shuld dow. This was the cause I thynk that bred the dowte in him, he had a bouke that wes donne by an Englyshe papyst beyond the sees, a bade bouke, but he browght it to the precher with dislyke of the bouk, and the precher is counted to be a most zelous man and very honest. The barbar had many good boukse, as the New Testament, the Bouk of Comyne Prayer, the Boke of the Salmses, wyche he dayly sange with the company. The mane wase prest by the Company of Surgense, for he is a barber-surgen, and not by my Lord, and he hathe sarved often in Heer Majesties shyps, and

acounted a very honest man; I thynke my Lord Shefylde wyll send you the parte, and I belyve you wyll not mislyke him. Mr. Ha. Shefylde, who is very ernest and zelous in relygyon, sware unto me that it maed him rejoyse at the harte to see how ernest my Lord Shefylde wes in it, and to heer him youse those wordse he did, wyche was most vemente agaynst papystes, so by traytorynge them, saynge he that was in his shype that wolde not be sworne agaynst the Pope, he wold tak him for a traytor, and so youse him, and this I dare assure you no man whosoever is redyer to comunycate then my Lord Shefyld is, wyche I thank God

for.

Sir, Newton, my man, who chame from Dover yesterday, tellethe me that on that chame from Callys dowthe reporte for cartenty that the Duke of Gwyse hathe sent downe to Saynt Omers 20 ansynse of sogers, and that they ar to come to Dounkerke; yf it be trew I thynk my Lord Chobham hath certifyed you. I hope this nexte sprynge, wych wylbe on Fryday nexte, yf the wynd sarve us, to goo into the narro sees, but this wynd, as it is, lokse us in fast anofe. The Antelop and the Swallo, wyche shulde have gonne to Sir Henry Palmer this day senyght, could never synce styre yf a relme had byne on it; therfor you may see in tyme of sarvys it is better to be at see then lokd up in harboure. This wynd a Donkerker channot styre out; they ar fast loked in as well as wee ar. We have hade muche a dow heer in changyng out of one shype into another, but now it is downe vyttell and all. Yf it be trew that I dow heer ther is 900 maryners come to Dounkerke, it may be whylst the trety is they wyll atemptate sumthynge to Walkerne, or yf it be trew of thees forses to be come downe of the Gwysyans, they wyll make a shorte trety for manner sake, and presently a pone the brekynge upe they wyll put into Scotland. I hope with Godse goodnes to have a eye to bothe, but this wold I fayne know of you, if ther be a sur

cese of armes betwykst Heer Majestie and the Duk and not with the Statse, yf in the men tyme they atempte any thynge to the ille of Walkerne I hope it is not mente but that I shuld syke to relyve it, for I meen to dow so excepte I have contrary comandment yf ther be no surcese of armse: yf the Dunkerkers come out I meen not to foloe them, and yf they come out with any nomber wherby I may parceve that they carry sogers with them, althowghe ther be a sourcese of armse, I meen yf I chan to stay them tell I know mor. Sir, I pray let me have your good advyse in this, for what soever I shall dow, it wyll fall out as it dowthe contynually all thynges as it is taken. Sir, I wyll trowble you no mor at this tyme, but God have you in his kepyng, and so I must hartely bed you farwell. The 11 of Fe.

Your most assured lovynge frende,

(Signed)

(No. 7.)

C. HOWARD.*

LORD C. HOWARD TO SIR F. WALSYNGHAM.

1587-8, February 14th.

SIR,-I have receved your letter with the advertysment from my Lord of Hounsdon, wyche I thanke you most hartely for, and I am verry glad to heer that the king dowthe ronne so good a course. I pray to God to contynew it, and Sir, yf the Queenes Majestie shuld styke to relyve him in this small matters, she is no good howswyfe for heer selfe, for I dow not see but this small matter wyche my Lord Chamberlen wryghtethe of, if it be suplyed, but that it is lyke and most carten to save heer 100 thowsands of pounds, besyds a gret dell of blude of Heer Majesties subjects, for I holde it carten, yf the neke of that be broken in Scotland, it wyll breke all ther intent in Spayne, but it

*MS., State Paper Office.

must be donne in tyme, that it may be knowne in Spayne, befor they be redy to come owt, and this beyng downe by Heer Majestie she shalbe seure that the King of Spayne wyll never be at that charge he hathe byne at apone any Scotyshe

promys.

Sir, wher you wryghte to me that you wyshe I weer at the sees I dow assure you I longe for it, but the wether hathe ben, and is, so extreme heer, the wynde being at est, that we weer not able to have our vyttels out of the hoyse into the shyps befor yesterday, and yet all is not in; but, as the wynde is, it is so in our tethe, as yf a relme lay on it we could not geet out, but assur your selfe I wyll not lose on ouer.

I heer for carten that the Duke hathe now gotten a graet nomber of maryners together and his shyps full ryged and vyttals and all in, so it is lyke the nexst wynde as is feet for them they wyll atempt sumthynge; but yf they dow I hope I shall meet with them.

My Lord Harry Semor hathe had an exstreme colde, but yet he wyll not forber to dow all sarvyses and to be styryng a brode. I browght him and old Guy, my master, who was very ill of the colde, to Rochester whylst the shyps receved in ther vyttalls, and I thanke God they ar much amended. I thynk yf I had not maid them come to Rochester they wold not have byne able to have gonne to the sees with me, but I founde by my Lord Harry that how syk so ever he weer, he wolde not tarry behynde me.

Sir, I dow heer by reporte that Chamfer and Armew (Arneim?) hathe sworne to the Queen's Majestie; yf it be so I am glad of it, and yf Mydelbowro dow not the lyke, Flushynge, Chamfer, and Armew may esely mak them wery. I pray to God to bles heer Majestie and send heer to agree, and to dow that wyche is best; and so Sir, with my most hartie thanks unto you for your favors, wyche I wyll requyte in any thynge that shalbe in my pour, God send you helthe.

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