*

peared, that I esteeme my correfpondency with you, (wherein the more we haue been fifted, the clearer I hope we are founde,) as alfoe that the Duke may know how farr her Maiefty is from neglectinge him, or any thinge that comes from him. But, Sir, before your lettre came to me, (at the leaft before Forreft arriued, after whofe adrefs I was to make you anfweare,) here was Mr Symple of Beltrefs arrived, whoe brought a lettre from the Kynge, wherein he tooke notice of her Maiefties proceedinges with his Embaffadour, and gaue her moderate thankes for all thofe perticulers. This gentleman allfoe dealt with me in that poynct concerninge the Duke,' to whom I could not haue been fylent without inconvenience. Soe as when Mr Forrest came, I only courteously receaued him, and confirmed her Maiefties good inclynation to give the Duke a good wellcome; and fo thought your motion in that poynct required noe fpeedy anfweare. For Forrest, he profeffed good affection on the Dukes part in generall to her Maiefty, and faid, if he mought receaue from me some private instruc tions, what I would with him to doe now for her Maiefties fervice, he knew the Duke would doe it. I anfweared it with like complement, but told him, that his profeffion was generall, and foe was her Maiefties acceptation, which included all perticulers; but it was hard for her to direct him in perticuler what to doe in the negociacion, when shee knew nothinge of his inftructions. Soe as her Maiefty did only recommend to his iudgment to applye himselfe to effect all those thinges which may best conferue the amyty, which she would be ready to requite. Next, Sir, for the state of thinges in Scotland, as they haue relation vnto vs: Firft, be affured, that more then to hearken after any courfes from Scotland or in it, which may be preiuditiall to this Estate, the Queene hath noe defygne, nor for my perticuler (I proteft,) but with you doe I care to hould correfpondency with any (but our agent) in that kingdome. Nether doth the Kinge (as I perceaue) now propounde any new, nor we deliberate of other grounds, then by the dispatch of the Erle of Marr, and his negociation was effected, with the perticulers whereof you were acquaynted. For the calmes in

1 Ludovick Duke of Lennox.

1601, May 31. The last day of Maii, the Earle of Marr, ambassador, came out of England; bot non knew quherfor he was sent, nor quhat he got-Birrel's Diary, p. 54.

that Court vppon this late reconciliations, (for my owne part,) I fee noe great likelyhood of perpetuity, nothinge beinge (in my late obferuation) more contrary to that Estate, then not to fynde varyetye in all fuch accidents. I am only forry, that how foever others (not only detected but convinced) can fynde meanes to be restored, you remayne still in privation, vppon the fhaddowes of fuch fufpicions, as tyme it felfe (which is the parent of truth) hath cleared.

For the newes which we haue here, they doe confift principally in the conftitution of the affayres of Ireland, and of the Low Countreyes, and there especially in the state of Oftende. For the first, her Maiefty hath dayly good and happie fucceffe vppon the Rebells, whereby I make noe doubt but her Maiefty fhall receaue fpeedy end of thofe troubles, if the defcent of Spanish forces doe not giue a new life to that Rebellion, whereof we haue a great probability to fufpect, becaufe a Spanish fleet hath been difcovered fettlinge his courfe for that coaft, foe as (vntill fome further tyme) we cannot tell what iudgment to make. For Oftend, there lyeth before it a powrefull army, commanded by the perfon of the Archduke, whoe is opiniaftre in the feidge, fupported by the difunited Provinces, in an incredible proportion, with all that can be prepared for a feidge, and augmented by 8000 men out of Italy. In the towne we haue bodyes enough, for there are 5000 English, befyds Dutch, but the place is not well fortifyed, nether is the earth within it proper for reintrenchments; Soe as although (accordinge to the ould rules) many a playne Captayne would argue the impofibility to haue it taken, where there are foe many fouldyers, as might fafely make the enemy a breach, yet we see it dayly, that now great commanders that haue new experience in befeidginge, and can carry their trenches before them, and are foe well furnished with ftore of artilery, as they haue often commodity to difmount their cannon within, doe alwayes, by fapping, eate into the rampart, and fo carry townes in the ende; towards which miffortune, (if foe it fhould happen,) the abfence of the Generall Vere1 is a great helpe, whoe comminge in, after the enemy

Sir Francis Vere, second son of Geoffrey Vere, and grandson of John Vere Earl of Oxford. He was constituted general of the army of the States, and maintained with great vigour the defence of Ostend against the Spanish forces in 1601.

had been many dayes before it, did yet rayfe divers outwoorkes, thereby to wynn tyme, before he would only be putt to the defence of the walls. This gallant jentleman, after many fallyes, receaued a hurt in the head with a cannon fplynter of the towne, which was broken by an other from the campe, and grew foe dangerously into fevers, as the furgeons all protested he was loft if he remoued not; because the contynuall volleys of cannon, booth within and without, did shake the brayne, then which there can be noe greater enemy to the wounds in the head. He is now at Middleborough, from whence he is to retourne foe foone as he is able. In the meane tyme, the States haue fent in (for a further fupplye) Monfr. Chattilion with certayne troupes of French, and the Collonell of the Scottish regiment, with his companies, befyds a third regiment, which they call the Guefes, whoe weare thofe which revolted in the Fort of St Andrew at Bommell. All which troupes made vpp two thousande, foe as there are aboue 7000 in the Towne, and (fub figillo confeffionis) I am playnly of opinion that it will be carried with tyme. Wherein it is not in our power to interrupt them, for that must be done with a powrefull army, which the States haue not. Thus haue you now as much newes as I can tell you, wherewith I end for this tyme, wifhinge to heare of your Soveraynes favour.

you, that you are in

EARL OF SALISBURY TO PATRICK LORD GRAY.1

MY LORD, althogh I haue forborn to answer fome off your lettres, fince his Maiefties happy comming to pe Crowne, becawfe fome fals and idle

1

From the original in the Advocates Library. This letter bears no date, but it must have been written after Sir Robert Cecyll was created Earl of Salisbury, which was in 1605. It is evidently intended for the Master of Gray, who undoubtedly succeeded his father in the year 1608, if not previously, (although Douglas, in his Peerage, gives the year 1609 for that event). This accounts for his being addressed as ' My Lord.' By a charter dated March 10, 1608, (confirmed by King James VI., Mag. Sig. L. 45, fo. 157,) the Master, under the title of 'Patrick Lord Gray,' gives Marie Stewart, Lady Gray, his spouse, the liferent of the dominical lands of Foullis, &c.; which proves that he must have been then in possession

fhaddowes were caft vppon our former correfpondencys, which time (þe parent of trewth) hath made as cleer to be world, as it is to our owne fowles, to haue ben free from any vnhoneft ends: yet, left þat might be thoght to proceed from fome ill impreffion, which hath ben only th'effect of cawtion, (not to be mifjudged in the first establishment of my fortune, which hath only profpered by pe treu and princely judgment which his Maiefty vfed, when there was queftion what is chaff and what is corn,) I haue thoght it now, lefs then pe deu to our precedent frendship (contracted fimply and only for pe advancement of his Maiefties highest and iufteft defires,) to let you know by this beft convoy, of mine owne hand, both what I am to my felf and to you. First, Sir, I must need acknoledg þat if I fhall preferr any privat end of mine before his Maiefties fervice, I deferve to be wyped owt of pe book of lyfe, for (my Lord) neuer fervant oght fo much to King or Mafter. Secondly, I confefs pat it is my fecond ambition to be able to ferve my freends in all honeft occafions. I pray your Lordship therfore conclude, þat it is neyther change of fortune, nor distance of place, which can make me proud or forgetfull, and therfore, let no doubt surprise yow pat I am not very ready to do you any frendly office. And for the contents of 2 of your last lettres, (one by Mr Panmeur, another by this bearir,) let this ferve for anfwer. When yowr pen shall tell me yow are ready for your journey, I fhall be as ready to procure yowr lycence. For your defire pat I wold freend þe yong jentleman, I haue made him know my frendship towards yow, and therfore affured him of my respect to yowr recomendation, and thogh it be hard to draw water where pe poole is fo exhawfted, yet hath he had fome refreshing as þe time wold ferve, and therin muft I do him right, þat it is farr vnder his owne meritt.

Laftly, my Lord, for þe fubiect wherof this jentleman fhold haue spoken, (by pe creditt of your lettre,) let me tell you þat I fhold haue ben of little vfe in pat perticuler; for, althogh I found by him pat yowr owne judgment of pe chang of his eftate had made yow change yowr propofition, yet (my

of the family estate and title. This deed also exposes another error of Douglas, who makes William Gray of Bandirrane the son, instead of the brother, of Patrick seventh Lord Gray. He is a witness to that deed, in which he is designed, 'Will. Gray de Bandirrane fratre germ. dicti Pat?

Lord) his condition before pe change was fuch as exceeded pe limitts of my walks, which are alredy to lardg for me to extend further, hauing more to take care of then is either safe for my fortune, or likely for me to dif chardg, as I defire to do, where I ow fo much, as I know when I haue don all I can do, pat I fhalbe but an vnprofictable fervant. And thus hauing now prefented to yow both pe mynd and fortune of yowr old acquaintance, I end fo, and will continew,

Your affured frend,

R. SALISBURY.

If your journey depend vppon your health, I shalbe gladd it may stay.

EARL OF SALISBURY TO PATRICK LORD GRAY.'

MY LORD, Such is the difference and diftinction between the neceffarye correfpondencyes and formall courtesyes which paffe between abfent freinds, as I shall not neede to say much for my filence, after foe often exchange of lettres, nor for my writinge now after fo longe filence; feeing the change of tymes bredd the first alteration, and the accidents arisinge fince haue miniftred new occafion. For, as you lived then foe neere that fountayne, from whence this kingdome was to expect that peace and fafetye only, (which rann fuch a hazard in the declyninge adge of the late Queen, my gracious mistress, of happie memorye,) as it became everye honeft man, in dutye and difcretion, to imbrace and cherish all that could or would giue vs here ether light or meanes to preferue the fame, especially my felfe, whom practise had foe deeply wronged, and jealousye (infeperable from her fex and difpofition, whofe only creature I was till her last breath,) foe much amated, as I durft fcarfe take hould of any way or meanes, dyrectly or particulerly, to exprefs my inocent affections to the highest

From the original, written in a clerk's hand, in the Advocates Library.