GR. Between Humber and Tuede, in cafe they drawe their men out of Flanders.

GA. They haue forces in Flanders already pat they will fone call home? GR. Then, that action failes to the aduantage of the Spaniard. If they abide, the realme will be the weaker, and this they accompt of to begin in September.

GA. To whome are the handling of these thingis committed here?

GR. To Hay and Dury, Jefuifts of this country, and fuch as they truft; fuch as G. Douglas.

GA. But in all this I fee a great difficulty; for it wilbe hard for them to land without a partie.

GR. The Papifts of England haue offered that, when euer they shall fee a power landed, they wilbe xxm men. But ere it be affayed, they The Popes 20,000. looke to fee confufion among themfelues, for I fhall giue you my hand, if the Queene be not taken away yet ere Michelmas..

2

At

SIR, the Ambaffador brought with him 80004, befides 20004 roleus. That the Secretary hath receaued money, and Kolinknows 10004. His fufpicious fpeach to Leftrick, that it fhould not be good aduife to the King to fuffer his people to ferue, out of his realme, anothers turne. a fecond conference he made great difficulty to discouer the part of the Queene; but faid they were halfe a dozen, nether Italien nor French, but rather Flemish, as he thought. Sir, ther names he knowes not, but þat they are already in England to doe the feat refolutely. There were but fix that knew their names and perfons, viz. the Queen mother, Duke of Guyfe, Prince of Parma, Paver Parfons, Paver Oland de Corayne, and Corfelles. The French Ambaffador knew not them, but is only acquainted with the purpofe, nor the French King; that this Ambaffador was not fent by the King, but by the Queene mother and Monfieur de Guife. The Erle of Westmoreland was at Paris to haue come, but wanted filuer. The two men, with G. Douglas, landed at Yearmouth. Remember Barnabys tale of Arran at Stirling: to speak with the Jefuifts Holt and Dury,

1 Sir James Hume of Cowdenknowes.

'Logan of Restalrig.

K

or Hey, about the money, and what they vndertooke. The matter of Maxwell was a pollicy of them, but hindred them greatly. They haue fent for a part of the iijm 800 in depofit to be fent hether, and is attended here by the firft opportunity in Jaques Meluins fregot of Deepe. The Mafters opinion, to continewe diuifion here amongst themfelues, must be the best remedy to conteyne a partie and order quietnes in England.

SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM TO THE MASTER OF GRAY.1

I

SIR, I finde that both you and I haue beene vnkindlie dealt withall, by the Lord Secretary of that realme, touchinge the reporte that I fhould aduertife him of an informacion receaved from you, that he fhuld be an enemy to the league. I am forrie that the gentleman fhould deale fo hardly with me, as either to make me an author of fuch an vntruth, or els to be fo evill an inftrument to breede difcorde betweene perfons of your qualities. Mr Douglas knoweth howe earnestly I defire that the late jealoufies and vnkindnes grown betweene you might, by fome good mediacion, be accorded, and therefore can beft cleare me in this behalf. find both by Mr Randolphe and Mr Milles, howe honourablie and carefullie you ymploye your credite in furtherance of the intended league, as one that forfeeth the publique benefite, that may growe thereby, to both oure Soueraignes and theire kingdomes; which courfe, I doubt not, but you will continue, vntill the league be fynished and performed in fuch forte as, by all honeft well affected fubiectes and fervantes, is defired. What I haue done, touchinge the levie for the Lowe Countries, you fhall vnderstand by Mr Archibald and Mr Tyrie, who are bothe departed hence. And fo, Sir.

1 Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 100, fol. 180. From the original minute in Secretary Walsingham's handwriting, dated 13th April 1586.

MR ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.1

MY HUMBLE DEUTY REMEMBERIT, as I writ onto your Honour from Berwik, that the reportis that I had herd theyr wer fo manye and fo contrarious, that I culd not affirm any of them be lettir, onto such tym as I had bettir exemenit the reportis, and the occafion moving the reportis thereonto; fo that I faw convenient to stay the fending of the fayde lettir, onto fuch tyme as fordur mater mycht occurre.

I arryvit at my Lord Ambaffadouris lodging in Edinburgh vpoun the xxvij herof at nycht. Vpoun the morrou in the morning, the Master of Gray com onto me, and declarit how he had agrit vyth Secretary Maytland, at my deffire as he alledgit, and that the Secretayr was now reddy to do all that I wuld deffire him to do, that mycht ferue for my veilfayr. When, as we wer talking, the fayde Secretayr fend onto me the Provost of Lyncleuding, declaring that he wes aggryt vyth the Mafter of Gray, bot he culd not tak it in gud part that I had forgottin the grit frendshipp betwixt his broder and me, and the not making him acquainted vyth my intering in Scotland; as onto him he onderftode nothing, quhill of layt that he onderftode I was to be at Bervik, whear he had fend his kynfman to vefit me; and that the King had declarit onto him, at his going to Falkland, that I was to be in Edinburgh one of these two dayis, and had villit him to deffire me to haif patience at the Ambaffadours lodging to his returning, which shuld be verray shortlye, at which tym I fhuld knau his Maiefties fordur pleafur. I fcho him that I reffevit his Maiefties derection, and his aduis, in gud part. Thaireftir the Master openit onto me a longe difcourfe, the ftat of the cuntry, and all the particularties, viz. fuch, as the Ambaffador, be feveral letters, had mayd craving onto your Honour of befor, vyth this addition, that the Secretary his gritnes vyth the Kinge did confes, in this, that he had fett down certayn plattis onto

1 From the original in Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 114, fol. 197.

the King, how he mycht preferve his stayt in obedience, and be in estimation and credit vyth foryn princis; and because the end of these platts caryit vyth thaym certayn protraction of tyme, he thoht it wold be harde to move the Kinge in his contrar, vnto fuch tyme as he mytht knaw the fynale furetes, or than mytht onderstand sum vther bettir meanis how he mytht atteyn to the fam. And as to the particular of the plattis, he culd not parfitly declayr thaym, but he fchaw me that the Kinge vas werray ernest to heir me fpeik of theife matteris, and vas affurit that he wald oppen thym onto me his felf, aftir that he had once fpokin wyth me. His Maiefty retornit from Falkland this Fryday, and vent to Dalkeyth, whear he fithyn remains. The Mafter of Gray vas fend for to come to him. He thocht it ves to conferr vyth him vpoun the maner how I mytht fpeik vyth his Maieftie. This is all that they vyll towartis my pryvat state. As towartis my opine in the publick of this realm, I muft crave that I writ not at larg theyrof, onto fuch tyme as I haif spokin with his Maieftie, and vtheris gydarris of the Court, that offeris me grit frendshipp, which I fhall wythin two or thre dayis after the dayt hereof.

The Master of Gray hath, vpon ouerturis mayde to him, that it vas meteft that he shuld deall vyth marchantis that ar in this realme, quhofe substance is not verray grit, that he vilbe able to leuvy ten thowfand French crownis, for the rafing and tranfporting of the faydis forces, providing that he may knaw quha fhal pay the faydes marchantis, ather at London or Holland. He affirms that he vill haive forces in redines vpon fex veukis efter that he fhall reffeue commandiment for levying of theym. The hole capitains, and one gud part of them foddartes, ar fuch as hath fervit of before in the Low Country. Bycawis that vyth expeditioun the King may heir ather from her Maieftie, or from my Lord of Leyfter, for defiring or craving of fuch forces as ar neydful, he affirms that he can leavy what nombre you fhall please demand, onder ten thowfand, but the nombre that he prefentlye intendis to haife in reddines are thre thousand footmen, and tuo companyes of horfmen. Of this mater, vythin tuo or thre dayis I think, he shall vrite at gretar lenth onto your Honour, which he cannot prefently do, becaufe he is in dealing vyth the King, and to be heir the morrow in the morning. In this midst tyme I hafe takin the

boldnes to certefy this farre, for anfwering of your Honoris lettre that I reffavit this xxix of April, onto fuch as I may moyr certaynly vryt of all matteris, which I think fhalbe shortly: And fo leaving fordar to trouble your Honor, I humblye take my lefe: ffrom Edinburgh the xxix forfaid.

After the ending of this lettir, I reffevit an lettir from the Master of Gray, declaring that the King his pleasure is to speik vith me at his houfe on Monday next.

THE MASTER OF GRAY TO SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.'

THE Kinge would rather that hir Maieftie demaunded the feruice of his fubiects, then himfelfe to offer the fame, because he hath fo long deferred the making of the faid offer.

Money cannot be had by exchange.

He canne within fix weekes, or one moneth, present 6000 choice men, and well led together: Defireth haft to be vfed in the matter, and that the first courfe may stande, which was refolued on before Mr Douglas his departure.

1 Cott. MSS. Calig. C. IX. art. 116, fol. 200. This article is titled an 'Abstract' from the original letter, which appears, from an entry on the margin of the manuscript, to have been dated on the 5th May 1586.