II. BOOK of Argyle, the earl Lenox, and Montros. If this be true, his fault is greater than can be born with. If he be innocent, yet is the malice so great, as he cannot escape with his life. Nay, I cannot my self wish him any favour, if that be true that is said of him, and confessed by those in whom he had no small trust. This in time will be tryed: and her majesty shall be truly informed what his doings have been. How I have dealt from time to time with the king and council; and what answer I have received; as also of my hasty departure out of that country, that both had libells set up against me, and harquebuse shot in at my chamber window, I trust your lordship knoweth, by such letters as are come to Mr. Secretary Walsinghams hands. I will no further trouble your lordship, but humbly remembring my duty, I take my leave. At Barwick. 139 Epist. Cox. penes me. Number XXVII. The bishop of Ely to the lord treasurer: informing him of intelligence he had received of 12000 Italians to be sent by the pope and Spaniard against the realm. ETSI multis modis tibi notum sit, et satis cognitum, episc. Elien. quid moliatur ille antichristus Romanus; interim tamen cum per amicos procul dissitos antichristi incendium accendatur Romæ, et in omnem fere orbem divulgetur; ut nuper accepimus a vere amicis nostris, et regno et reginæ nostræ, atque ejus proceribus, impensissime faventibus: quod antichristus ille, ut bulla Alexandrino cardinale exhiberetur contra sereniss. Angliæ reginam, atque quingenta exemplaria imprimerentur, quæ in eam orbis partem emittantur, quæ catholicissima judicantur; antichristus et Hispanus in idem consentiunt. Adeo ut duodecim millia Italorum in militiam Hispanorum brevi conscribantur. Hæc quidem ad me jam ex Helvetia transmittuntur: quæ pii fratres candide nos admonent. Etsi procul a nobis absint, precibus tamen prope adsunt, &c. Dominus Jesus Christus te nobis diutissime servet incolumem. Downamiæ, BOOK 18 Junii, 1580. Tuæ celsitudini ex animo longe carissimus, JI. Richardus Coxus. Number XXVIII. Rodolphus Gualter, minister of Zurich, to Grindal, archbishop of Canterbury: informing him of many copies of the excommunication of pope Pius V. against the queen, printed at Rome; to be dispersed: and of the pope's and Spaniard's preparation for invading England. siast. penes me. S. QUEMADMODUM anno præterito amplitudini tuæ MSS. eccleex animo gratulabar, domine et pater in Christo reverendissime, quod de tua liberatione seu restitutione fama apud nos pervenisset ; ita postea non absque magno dolore cognovi me isto nuntio falsum fuisse. Rursus tamen mihi spem bonam fecit nuper suis literis dignissimus præsul, Eboracensis archiepiscopus; quæ ut rata sit toto corde Deum precor, per filium suum dilectum, Jesum Christum. Scribendi vero occasionem mihi præcipuam præbuerunt in præsenti, quæ per fidos mercatores Norinbergense ex Roma cognovimus. Nimirum, Alexandrinum cardinalem exempla bullæ Pii V. papæ, qua hic serenissimam Angliæ vestræ reginam excommunicavit, plura quingentis exprimi curavisse: ut non Romæ modo, sed per omnes aulas regum catholicorum (ut ipsi loquuntur) publicentur. Institutionis hujus causæ potissimæ hæ adducuntur. Prima, ut hac ratione legatus Anglicus ab aula Portugalensi excludatur. Altera, ut eadem opera impediantur nuptiæ inter Alazonium regis Galli fratrem et reginam Elizabetham. Tertia et præcipua, ut ab ea omnes reges ac principes alienentur; nequam illi opem ferant adversus Hispaniæ regem. Qui classem instructissimam parare fertur, qua vobis bellum moveat. Additur, conscribi debere in Italia duodecim millia militum qui classi isti imponantur. Hæc (inquam) Roma scripta sunt, 23 Januarii proximi. BOOK Etsi vero non dubitem serenissimam reginam, et regni consiliarios habere suos excubitores, qui illos de omnibus, quæ alibi fiant, admoneant; quia tamen Angliam vestram magno suo merito, semper amavi, et eam nobis unius et 140 ejusdem fidei confessio arctissime conjunxit, me hoc ex officio vobis debere putavi, ne celarem quæ vobis struuntur insidias. Ut si forte nihil hujus ad vos pervenerit aliunde, per me hoc vobis innotesceret. Moveat me etiam, quod addebatur, Hispanum occasionem istam ex eo arripuisse, quod papistæ vestri in plurimis locis res novas moliantur. Scio quidem Deum esse regnorum omnium præsidem, et regem regum; Christum item regna ea conservare ac tueri, quæ ecclesiæ suæ hospitium tutum præbent; quod jam multis annis serenissima regina vestra fideliter fecit. Attamen nobis quoque vigilandum est adversus Antichristum, qui oculos hominis habet, et irrequieto studio occasiones omnes captat, quibus Christi regnum evertat; aut saltem piis turbas det. Scripseram de hac re jam ad dignissimos præsules, Eboracensem et Eliensem. Sed quia ille procul a Londino habitat; hic vero per ætatem frequenter se domi continet, necessarium putavi ut tuæ etiam amplitudini ista significarem; et hanc meam pro vobis solicitudinem, etsi fortassis supervacanea sit, vobis tamen gratam et acceptam fore, non dubito. Epistolæ ep'ales. [Number XXVIII.] The content of a letter written by one Solomon Alfred, (sometime a hosier in Birching-lane, London,) from Lions or Rhemes; to Robert Downes, esq. now prisoner in the gaol of Norwich. IN the first part whereof was conteyned the great enterteynment, geven to the writer, his wyfe and her woman, by the pope his holiness (as he termed him) at his house, where he then lay; within twelve miles of Rome. Where at their first coming was a chamber prepared to them to dyne in; and six gentlemen, appointed by the pope II. himself, to attend upon them at dynner: and how the pope BOOK did send unto them a reward of every dish of meat that was upon his own table: and that when at their departure they came to take their leave of him, he gave unto him and his wife a pension of twelve pistoletts a moneth, during their lives: willing them, if they thought it too little, to ask more, and they should have it graunted: and dismyssed them with such courteous words, as there was none of them that departed without shedding of tears. Secondly, The writer wished Mr. Downes, that if he would take the benefit of a licence, which he heard he had, to go beyond the seas, he should now put it in execution : advising him, if he mynded so to do, that he should make means to his brother's factor at London, to take order for the exchange of his mony, to be delivered him agayne, either at Depe, or else where he would within France. And admonished him for his better securitie, to take shipping at Rye, and to land at Depe. And there to chuse, whether he would go to Rhemes, or else to Lyons: where he would procure his brother to meet him, and to brynge him to his house; where he and his wife should be very honourably received. But he willed hym in no wise to come by Paris, for feare of the ambassador. And if he would nedes see the city, he bade him then first, to leve his wyfe at his brother's house, and to go from thence to Paris for three or four dayes. And at his return agayne from thence, he would take such order with his brother as he should be placed in France, where he best lyked. Thirdly, He signified, that there was a bulle: whereof there were printed either iii score, or iii score and odd copies; I do not well remember whether: which should be delivered to Dr. Morton and to one Webbe. But what the contents of them were, or how to be employed, I do not remember it specified in the letter. Fourthly, He said, that there were two Jesuites, and ' other persons, that were to come over, to do the country good. Lastly, He certified, that there was at Rome, as I take 141 II. BOOK it, a nobleman, either of Turkie or Jurye, with xx persons more, christened, whilest he was there. And this is the whole content, as far as I can remember, of all the letter: which was written, as I hear, in April last. Ubi supra. Mychael Hare. An account of the abovesaid letter, given by Roger Martin, esq. and the occasion of his hearing it read, and of the burning of it. Our supper prepared by our keeper, I came owt of my chamber, and went into an entrye, which some termyth a gallerye, having lyght but on the one side, (where our sayd keeper was attending upon us,) towards the place where we should suppe. Where I saw Mr. Downes openyng and redying of a letter in the wyndow: which he sayd came from beyond the seas, from one that he dyd not see this xvi yeres. Wherein standing by, I hearde hym rede, what grete interteynment and pension the sender of the letter had of the pope, being then a xii myles from Rome. And also he dyd sygnifie what enterteynment the sayd Mr. Downes shold have, yf he wold come over and take the benefice of his lycense: wishyng him not to go to Paris, onless yt were for 3 or 4 dayes, for fere of the imbassador. And so red imperfectly for lack of lyght: that I could not in some places understand hym, tyll as I gesse he came to about half of the letter, or somewhat more. Then goyng into the place where the cloth was layd, and the candel brought in by our sayd keeper, Mr. Hare being there, Mr. Downes delyvered yt to hym. Who red yt somewhat openly unto the place, as I thynke, where he namyd, that yf Mr. Downes wold come over, as ys abovesayd, he shold be honorablye receyved. Whereat Mr. Syllyard and Mr. Bedyngfeld, standyng by the fyre, lawghyd and scoffyd. Then Mr. Hare coming to a place, where a bull, and certeyn copies were namyd, whether to be prynted, or was prynted, I know not, he red that saftely to hymself, I standyng by; yet here and there I myght heare hym: and dyd hear him name one Morton. But whether the copies shold, or were |